FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 12/8/97

CONTACT:
Robyn Florian
Assistant Director of Public Relations
Greenville College
(618) 664-2800, ext. 4536

Greenville College Receives Major Gift from Jars of Clay for New Digital Recording Equipment

GREENVILLE, IL--Greenville College recently received a generous financial gift from the members of the nationally successful Contemporary Christian Music group, Jars of Clay, three of them former GC students. This contribution, designated for the purchase of a new ADAT multi-track tape-based digital recording system, benefits the music recording and production activities of CCM students.

Warren Pettit, Assistant Professor of Music and a driving force behind Greenville's CCM program, explained, "this equipment provides students with a tape-based digital recording experience to supplement the 24-track analog machine we already had in the studio."

"As much as we took from our experience, we wanted to give back," explains Jars' keyboard player, Charlie Lowell. "We had a desire to both stay in touch and assist with the updating of the studio. These ADAT digital machines are everywhere in Nashville along with the analog machines. By learning the gear in this studio, students are prepared to work when they get out of school."

Jars of Clay performed a long-awaited concert at the American Theater in St. Louis this past weekend. An earlier date was cancelled when the group found themselves snow-bound in an early Colorado blizzard. Lowell commented on the progression of the group from studio to stage, "We did it backwards. Although most groups tour first, Jars of Clay at Greenville was basically studio. We took advantage of the opportunities offered through this program to be creative. There was so much time to get comfortable in a studio and produce things on our own."

Original band members Dan Haseltine, Charlie Lowell, Steve Mason and Matt Brownleewe formed Jars of Clay while participating in the CCM program at Greenville College. The band moved to Nashville in 1994 soon after meriting the Gospel Music Association's coveted Spotlight Talent Competition. At that time, Brownleewe resigned to pursue other CCM opportunities and Matt Odmark, a childhood friend of Lowell, became the newest member of the foursome.

Jars of Clay have experienced unprecedented success under the direction of Essential Records and executive producer, Robert Beeson. Their self-titled freshman project garnered over 1.5 million in unit sales, Dove Awards for New Artist and Group of the Year in 1996 and '97 respectively and airplay for the single, "Flood," on MTV and VH1. They continue on this journey with the recent release of their sophomore project, "Much Afraid," which shipped platinum.

Greenville College is one of only two colleges in the country to offer a major in Contemporary Christian Music. The CCM program, established in 1986, experienced a rise in music student enrollment from fewer than 20 to more than 100 in just four years.

Greenville College is a four-year Christian liberal arts school with 967 traditional and adult students. Founded in 1892, it is affiliated with the Free Methodist Church