The following press release by Mike Ericksen, a member of the group Cedar Breaks Band, was published on the Utah Music Awards Blog on 16 August 2016.
Cedar Breaks Band crosses the genre line with two very different songs, one “folk/country” and one in the “Rock” category at the 2016 Utah Music Awards presentation September 17th at the Covey Center in Provo, Utah.
Though the basic trend of Cedar Break’s music is labeled “New Age Folk” the band is very diverse and loose with that designation, presenting songs with rock, blues, bluegrass, and even gospel leanings. They combine strong and interesting harmonies with diverse settings of instrumentation including Classical guitar, rock guitar, violin, piano, banjo, and drums.
The members of the band include; classical guitarist Mike Ericksen, guitarist and pop singer Michael Gibbons, classical singer Rebecca Croft, pop singer Diana Rogers Glissmeyer, and banjo player Keith Behunin.
The first song in the Utah Music Awards competition is, “Ayre”, which was just completed in July of 2016 and is an energetic rock song with strong guitars, vocals, and drums. “Ayre” will be released in September as a single and is part of a new album that Cedar Breaks is working on called “Myst, Thread of Life” scheduled to release in 2017.
The band gets asked a lot about the meaning of the name “Cedar Breaks.” So “Ayre” was written for that reason and as a namesake piece. It’s a bit of an anti-digital device and “get back to nature and the Spirit” song. A band member commented, “We love cell phones and devices, but there is a whole world out there waiting to communicate with us if we will just listen.”
The Band loves to showcase the beauty of their state in their films, and they are excited to demonstrate the strength of Utah’s diverse culture built around the blessings of freedom. When asked about the song meaning, one replied, “When you stand at the cliffs of Cedar Breaks if you look up at night or down in the day, either way, you can see millions of years in the past as well as the endless possibilities in either direction. You can look across the vast waves of green cedars that are now, and you realize that this is your time and that you have choices to make that will affect generations. You realize that you must step forward with meaning and intent.”
The band starts music video production on “Ayre” next month.
The second song “My Dog” was released as a single last year and features a touching message about the value of family pets with a touching folk/bluegrass feel. The song is inspired by the loss of the family pet of one of the band members. The song and music video have already won for “best country song” at the World Music and Independent Film Festival in Washington DC and for “best family music video” at the International Family Film Festival in Hollywood. “My Dog” was also made into a Children’s Book last fall by Guardian Angel Publishing in St. Louis.
Perhaps Cedar Breaks has finally answered the lifelong question, as to whether dogs go to heaven…… and that’s important. Though Cedar Break’s message is strong and deep, this song shows that they don’t take themselves too seriously and have a lot of fun. “My Dog” music video features all the band’s kids and a lot of puppies.”
All members of Cedar Breaks have individual music and performing careers, and they come together as Cedar Breaks Band as a way to present top quality media that they hope will make a difference in the lives of others with the use of stories and themes about faith, family, and heritage. The interesting combinations of style, age, and different musical backgrounds of the band members has produced a sound that has been noted as being “fresh, distinctively different and timeless.”
What’s really unique is the ways that they have found to spread their message. At this time they are not a touring band because of a commitment to their young families. In the five years that they have been together, they count ten babies. You can see family all throughout their films as well as many times on the actual film sets or in the recording studio. They are committed to the message that they send out and they are quick to point out that it costs a lot less to have family members part of the production.
Still, Cedar Breaks has done a lot of programs and concerts over the last five years usually with just one or two of the band members at a time, but rarely with all five members together other than to practice, work in the recording studio, or as presented on the screen. The last month found their presentations in Iowa, Wyoming, and Utah. They have been able to combine our message with live songs from one or more of the band members and then introduce the band with some of their videos.
They have put their strong message and music into books, films, documentaries, speaking engagements, and music videos that have gone all over the world. They also have an awesome naturalist photographer that they work with, Norm Bosworth from BCI video…….. And they have a dancer, BYU student Chanel Kostich. There is also an interesting inter-faith part of their story. The Band’s music and videos have also been played at many Christian music and film festivals across the country and even winning some. One band members pointed out, “We have so much is common and societal goals with other faiths, so we want to find ways to celebrate these and to work together. Though the band presents its media as non-denominational, they bring the spirit of who they are to the world. Do they know Mormons have music in their festivals? Of course. But Cedar Breaks believes that their message can transcend the different faith traditions.”
Additional Resources:
Cedar Break’s Band Official Website
You can find all of their videos on the Cedar Breaks Band YouTube channel, and songs and books on iTunes and Amazon.
Cedar Breaks’ mission statement is: “Do not trust your good intentions. Trust your willingness to act. Even in the face of challenges. Consider all those that have gone before. Know the “you” that is now. For today we change the world. And leave behind a gift, redeemable. To those dearest to our hearts.”
