JJ Heller: Quiet is the New Loud

JJ Heller is a very busy lady! She pulled a Gwen Stefani, going on tour with a new baby But who knew she at one time wanted to be...Alanis? "When I first started writing and performing I really wanted to sound like Alanis Morissette. It took me awhile to figure out that my voice sounds much better when I sing quietly instead of trying to belt it out like a diva. My husband plays guitar and sings with me. He was a little bummed that he couldn't rock out on the guitar, but he's gotten really good at finger picking!" she says.

"Songwriting is difficult these days. I have young children, so it takes a considerable amount of effort to find time to write! Usually I'll sit down with my husband, Dave, and he'll come up with a chord progression on the guitar that we both like. Then we'll brainstorm about subject matter. Sometimes I'll feel inspired by something I'm going through in my own life, and sometimes I'll write about a friend or a story I've heard recently. Most of my songs are about life and where God is in the midst of our joy and pain. Sometimes, I'll write about something really personal, and other times I'll write a song for a friend of mine. When I'm wrestling with an issue, sometimes songwriting can be very therapeutic. And sometimes, I don't even know how I'm feeling until I start writing a song about it. I find out a lot about myself when I write."

God provides you with blessings in unique ways, she says. "About five years ago, my husband and I were playing our music at a church in California, and we mentioned that we lived in Arizona. When we finished our set, a man approached us and said that he had just purchased a property in Arizona, but the developer wouldn't allow him to rent it out for the first year. Because of this, he asked us if we would be willing to house sit for a year, rent-free! Of course, we said yes! Because we weren't paying rent, we were able to save enough money to pay for a recording called 'Only Love Remains' with our now dear friend and producer, Mitch Dane. It was a huge blessing, and I don't know how we could have financed the record without our free house."

JJHeller.com