2002
Don't miss your opportunity to meet the MCs, performers, award recipients, and Inspiration Award recipients (including Howie D. from the Backstreet Boys). Come join us at the Post-Show reception!
Renee Bondi
Julie Carrick
Catholic Artists for Relief
Jim Cowan
Howie D.
Pollyanna Dorough
Rick Elias
Tom Franzak
Greg Magirescu
Sue Ann Pinner
Joan Roberts
Renee
Bondi - With a professional career that included years as a music teacher
and Christian singer, Renee Bondi was equipped with the tools to effectively
share her story and God's faithfulness with millions. Renee's retelling of the
events leading up to her bizarre accident, the role God continues to play in
her life, and the commitment of her family leaves audiences inspired and spiritually
uplifted.
Renee's presentations are enhanced by her vocal talents, a gift she enjoyed long before her accident. Prior to her injury, Renee earned her degree in Music Education and was recognized as "Teacher of the Year" at San Clemente High School where she taught vocal music. Renee also performed with the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, the California Bach Chorale, the Los Angeles Master Chorale and was selected to be a member of the choir representing the United States at the first World Symposium on Choral Music in Vienna, Austria.
Even though the doctors said she would never sing again, her voice was miraculously restored with a crystal clear, angelic sound. Since her accident, she has recorded three CDs. More than 40,000 copies have been sold . . . moving the hearts of many.
Evident throughout her presentations is Renee's joy in the Lord and love for
her family. A native of Southern California, she lives in the hills above San
Juan Capistrano with her husband Mike, their young son Daniel, and within close
proximity to her parents and sisters.
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Julie
Carrick - Julie's Christian music background began for her at a very
early age. Growing up in Michigan she was only five years old when she began
to solo in public. Years later as she began to write her own music, she became
inspired by what happens in the world around her and sees God's hand in the
middle of it all. God's touch has been so deep in Julie's life that she has
the gift of giving her music a spiritual intensity that ministers to the deepest
part of one's soul. Her inspiration comes from a variety of sources as she is
the middle of seven siblings, has been married for a number of years, has three
children of her own and has experienced so much of life, both good and bad,
that it is truly hard to put into just a few words. In here lies powerful lyrics
and music to present them. Her style is a combination of Adult Contemporary
and Inspirational.
In addition to performing at the show, Julie will be giving a presentation
Friday night for up and coming artists titled "Making the Best of a
Love Offering". View description
of presentation.
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Catholic Artists for Relief - It was with the greatest sadness that we all watched as the World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon were attacked on September 11, 2001 in the most cowardly act ever perpetrated against America on our own soil. Like every other American, these Catholic singers wanted to do something to help. You Are Not Alone is the culmination of that desire. The song is titled from the words spoken by President Bush on September 14, 2001 at the Memorial Service in Washington, D.C. at the National Cathedral.
It is our hope and prayer that this song will be a source of comfort to the
many loved ones of the victims of the attack. Know that you are not alone! We
also pray that this song will encourage and support our military men and women
who are in our hearts as you defend and protect our country. Remember, you are
not alone! We ask our Lord to protect this great nation and all those who turn
to Him. You are not alone!
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Jim
Cowan - Jim is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music in
Boston, Massachusetts and is currently the Director of Music for the conferences
at the Franciscan University in Steubenville where he has led worship for over
15 years. He travels extensively, throughout the U.S and Europe sharing his
music ministry at parishes and concerts. He speaks at workshops and conferences
around the country on the subject of leading worship. He has toured with his
family and most recently with John Michael Talbot and has worked on projects
with Tony Melendez, Stacy Wilson, Don Moen, and Steve Merkel.
His works include Into Thy Presence, Lord, Draw Me Nearer, I Worship You, With All My Heart, Forever To Reign, In This Upper Room, Holy Is The Lord Lyric and Chords Booklets, Salvation Belongs To Our God, Godly Men, Holy Ground, Mercy Is Falling, Go Out To All The World, This Is Jesus, A Cup Of Life Outpoured, The Jim Cowan Family, Jesus Through The Eyes Of A Child, Beyond The Veil, Let Your Living Waters Flow, The Highest Praise. His most recent releases include Remnant "The Unseen", The River Is Here, Most Holy Rosary And Chaplet Of Divine Mercy, Come Holy Spirit with guest artist Stacy Wilson, Behold The Lamb: Songs For The New Millenium with Don Moen and Steve Merkel, Cup Of Life with Tony Melendez, Millenium Three: Walk On Water, a LIVE recording of thousands of youth praising God at the 1998 High School Youth Conferences at Franciscan University of Steubenville, and The Father's Love with guest artist Brian Harrington.
Jim resides in Steubenville, Ohio, with his wife, Mary, and his three children,
Katherine, James, and Michelle. When not touring he enjoys playing golf and
spending time with his family and friends.
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Howie
D. - Brother of our co-MC, Pollyana Dorough, and member of the Backstreet
Boys. He and his family will be receiving a 2002 UCMVA Inspiration Award
for their work through the Dorough
Lupus Foundation.
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Pollyanna
Dorough (also co-Master of Ceremonies)
- Get ready to move to the Latin rhythms of this bilingual Floridian who just
happens to be the sister of Howie D. from the famous group, Backstreet
Boys.
Pollyanna Dorough; a native to Orlando, Florida is a multitalented entertainer who writes, sings, and dances to her own original songs. Pollyanna’s latin/pop flavor is demonstrated in her high-energy dance groove numbers to her sentimental personal ballads.
Recently Pollyanna toured as an opening act for the Backstreet Boys' Black and Blue Tour, filling stadiums with 50,000 to 60,000 people each night throughout South America, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Panama City.
When
not touring with the "Backstreet Boys," Pollyanna and her brother
Howie can be found traveling and singing together in concerts throughout the
U.S., Puerto Rico, Mexico and South America representing the Dorough Lupus Foundation.
This foundation is a nonprofit organization started by their family shortly
after their sister, Caroline, had succumbed to the disease in 1998. Their mission
is to raise money for lupus research, to educate the public, and to provide
financial assistance for individuals living with lupus who cannot afford treatment.
In addition, Pollyanna wrote the foundation's theme song "Fly to Heaven" in memory of her sister, which is also used to raise money for their cause. The song was co-produced by her brother Howie D. and David Johnson and is now available to the public through the foundation’s website www.DoroughLupusFoundation.org with a small donation.
(For the rest of Pollyanna's biography, please see the Master
of Ceremonies section of our website.)
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Rick
Elias - Founding member of Rich Mullins' A "Ragamuffin" band.
Also co-produced and wrote the album for Tom Hanks' hit movie "That Thing
You Do" and currently has a song in the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."
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Tom
Franzak - Tom's musical mission is the continuing challenge to identify
and share the vision, the values and the struggles facing the followers of Christ
today. He uses his musical talents to help others get in touch with their own
experience of God and to heed Christ's call to discipleship.
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Greg
Magirescu - Canadian-born to Eastern European immigrants, Greg Magirescu
(pron. Magic-Rescue, with a silent "c" in Magic) learned the meaning
of work ethic, financial struggle, and personal sacrifice at an early age. His
father was a blue-collar postal worker who attended the Romanian Orthodox church
every Sunday where he served as a cantor, together with Greg’s Roman Catholic
mother. Church was a great mystical experience in the fullness of its Byzantine
traditions. "But even though I was an altar boy and went to church every
Sunday," recalls Greg, "I never really knew Jesus or God other than
as the two-dimensional images I’d seen depicted in the icons of the church.
My early memories of incense rising and somber sounding melodies in a minor
key, chanted in a language that I couldn’t understand, put me in awe of heaven.
But, I never got to know God as a real Father or Jesus as my personal Savior.
God was distant, rather austere and didn’t speak English very well." Still,
the seeds of faith had been planted.
When Greg was 9, he had a burning desire to study the piano, but because the family couldn’t afford one, he had to settle for the accordion. And, thanking God in hindsight, Greg not only learned to play the accordion, but he soon had figured out the violin, guitar, and practically every other musical instrument - including the piano. By the time he was fourteen, he was teaching on weekends at a private music school in Toronto’s west end.
At the age of 16, Greg began writing a weekly column for the Toronto Sun titled The Youth Viewpoint. The newspaper’s editor gave Greg carte blanche to write about issues of the day which affected young people. "I wrote about things like teenage pregnancy, alcoholism, drug addiction, promiscuity, in addition to issues about youth culture, music and the arts," explains Greg. It was during that time, while covering entertainment and lifestyle features for the paper that he met Dan Hill (Sometimes When We Touch). "Dan invited me to the recording studio one day to watch him lay down vocals for an upcoming album. It was then that the "bug" bit. I was mesmerized by the artistry as well as the technical side of the recording process," recalls Greg. By the time he was 18, he was writing songs for established recording artists as well as singing on jingle sessions around Toronto. As the years progressed, he soon headed into acting, dancing, producing and directing.
In 1990, Greg married Marie Clarke, a singer in a Toronto-based vocal jazz group that he directed. In 1993, they settled in the mountains of British Columbia to begin a new life and start a family. In 1997, Greg formed Faith Trio, together with his wife and another friend. Faith Trio’s debut album, In Him We Live, and the single Blessed Are You, went on to sell several thousand copies and a number of the songs are still being played on Christian radio stations in Canada, the U.S., Australia, England, Poland, Germany, Italy and Korea.
Today, Greg is a sought-after songwriter in the Christian music industry. Following the attack on the U.S. on September 11, 2001, Greg wrote "You Are Not Alone" , which was released as a single and music video by Catholic Artists For Relief in the U.S., in support of the victims and their families. All proceeds from the project went to the Pentagon Survivors Fund through the Armed Services/YMCA. In November 2001, Greg was commissioned to write music for World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto. Greg’s "Alleluia - a Gospel Acclamation" is included on the World Youth Day CD. Greg will be performing the song at the closing Mass of World Youth Day 2002, officiated by Pope John Paul II, in front of an estimated crowd of 750,000 youth. In addition to being a full-time touring artist, Greg also spends several weeks a year in Nashville, writing with some of the top writers in the CCM industry.
As for Greg’s faith life, it can be summed up this way: "I have finally
come to know God intimately in my life. . . if it hadn’t been for the intervention
of "angels" along the way, I don’t know where I would be today,"
says Greg. "All I want to do is sing about God’s grace in my life, about
my faith walk with Jesus Christ, and about the day-to-day struggle of living
as He would want me to live, in the hope that others might take up the call.
I really want to walk the walk even if it means never singing another note or
writing another song".
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Sue
Ann Pinner - Christian recording artist and composer, Sue Ann Pinner
was a 2001 Emmy award winner for the video FAUST. She has released four recordings
in the past eight years. Her first recording Ave Maria, is a best seller for
Ave Maria Press and is hailed by the Santa Barbara Independent Review as "a
fair approximate of heaven!" Her bilingual recording Mariachi was a ground
breaking marriage of sacred and mariachi music and includes her creation of
the "Mariachi Ave Maria". The Gospel recording Magnificat - The Divine
Power of Singing recreates the solo which she sang for Pope John Paul II at
the historic Dodger Stadium Papal Mass. Adoremus is her millennium June 2000
release. Sue Ann Pinner appears recently as featured artist on the Global Catholic
Network / EWTN's new program BACKSTAGE. It is a small wonder that she has been
named "Our Lady's Soprano" by America's largest Catholic publication,
Catholic Twin Circle.
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Joan Roberts -
(biographical info to come)
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