M-Audio Announces David Crowder Band Promotion

Band’s soon to-be-released enhanced CD gives fans unprecedented access to recording process

Arcadia, CA, September 12, 2003 — David Crowder Band, one of the most sought after bands on college campuses and beyond, is pleased to announce a first-ever promotion with M-Audio, a leading provider of creative tools for musicians, which will be featured on the September 16 release of its already critically acclaimed, sophomore sixsteps/Sparrow Records album, Illuminate.

Using Propellerhead’s Reason 2.5 software (distributed by M-Audio in the U.S.) for almost all of the programming featured on Illuminate, David Crowder approached the company with the idea of including the software on the upcoming CD. The company responded favorably, making the band’s Illuminate the first Christian artist’s CD to include the software.

“As soon as David Crowder learns about a new piece of technology that facilitates his creative process, he turns around and shares it with others,” says Kevin Walt, head of M-Audio Media and Artist Relations. “M-Audio strongly identifies with his enthusiasm for equipping songwriters with the means to realize their creative dreams. This collaboration between M-Audio and the David Crowder Band embodies our mutual passion for empowering the music community as a whole.”

Lauded stand-alone music station software Reason 2.5 is a complete virtual studio rack with built in synthesizers, samplers, drum machines, ReCycle-based loop players, a mixer, effects, pattern sequencers and more. The program carries an MSRP of $449, but David Crowder Band fans can sample the power of this music-making software free by accessing the demo of the software featured on the Illuminate enhanced CD with their Mac or PC computer.

“We hope you like the demo of this software. It has changed the way we’ve made music in the past couple of years and we got to thinking that you guys that are making music yourselves might just flip out about it too,” says the David Crowder Band collectively.

“It's just ridiculous how much you can do with it. So it's our hope that your music is inspired and empowered and that you create sounds and songs that push this whole thing forward!”

In addition to the software, the David Crowder Band placed mastered studio tracks for two songs on the album: “Revolutionary Love” and “O Praise Him (All This for a King),” the first single from Illuminate, which hit the radio airwaves August 22. Fans will not only see how the songs were recorded and mixed, but also be able to use Reason to create their own remix of the songs.

“David Crowder continues to be a musical visionary,” says Denise George, senior director of artist development at Sparrow Records. “Many of the band’s fans are musicians themselves and David and the band see this software as a useful tool to help these musicians push the creative envelope. With this CD, fans will also have unprecedented access to the recording process.”

sixsteps/Sparrow Records and M-Audio are currently pursuing several cross-promotional opportunities, including online promotions at www.sparrowrecords.com and www.m-audio.com, giveaway contests and more.

In addition to Reason software, the David Crowder Band also incorporated the producing talents of Charlie Peacock (dcTalk, Switchfoot), Mitch Watkins (Joe Ely, Abra Moore) and Zach Lind, who further played drums on the song “How Great” featured on Illuminate. The resulting CD and the band will be the subject of the September debut cover of Worship magazine, as well as the subject of significant fall features in Release, CCM and Worship Leader magazines, among others Performing select songs from the new album on its busy summer festival circuit, the band also embarks on an Illuminate

promotional tour beginning Sept. 15 in Waco, TX and travels through Texarkana, TX (9/16), Oklahoma City, OK (9/17), Albuquerque, NM (9/18), Phoenix, AZ (9/19), Los Angeles, CA (9/20) and San Diego, CA (9/21). The band further makes special appearances at the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention (Phoenix, 9/26-27) and will be featured on the significant national Passion Experience Tour 2003 beginning Sept. 28. While on tour, Crowder will be playing his “Crowdster Acoustic,” a guitar made and named after Crowder by premiere guitar maker Tom Anderson.

Press Release

Having performed 251 concerts last year, while only missing 11 Sundays at University Baptist Church (a church David Crowder helped found and where the band leads worship) Dove Award nominated David Crowder Band releases its sophomore album, Illuminate, following the band’s critically acclaimed and commercially successful debut, Can You Hear Us?.

More information on the David Crowder Band can be found at www.DavidCrowderBand.com, www.sixstepsrecords.com and www.sparrowrecords.com.

More information on Reason 2.5 can be found at www.m-audio.com.

About M-Audio

M-Audio is a leading provider of digital audio and MIDI solutions for today's electronic musicians and audio professionals. Founded in 1988, M-Audio now has independent offices in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France and Japan. M-Audio's ability to parlay advanced technology into affordable products has led the company to win some of the international audio community's highest praise and awards.

M-Audio's mission of "Redefining the Studio" delivers new levels of control, virtualization and mobility that transform the way computer-centric musicians compose, perform and live their creative lives. In addition to manufacturing its own product lines like the popular Delta audio cards, Studiophile reference monitors and USB Keystation MIDI controllers, M-Audio also distributes best-of-class products such as Propellerhead Reason, Ableton Live, ArKaos VJ and Sonic Reality. The company has also launched a product line that brings professional-quality audio to the consumer electronics market.

U.S. media contact: Kevin Walt at 800-969-6434 x229 or kevin@m-audio.com.

High-res images of M-Audio products are available at www.m-audio.com/company/images.php<.
About sixstepsrecords

Founded in 2000 by Louie Giglio, sixstepsrecords (www.sixstepsrecords.com) is a young worship label and is a division of Choice Resources, the parent ministry for Passion Conferences. In addition to the David Crowder Band, sixstepsrecords artist-worshippers include Chris Tomlin (Not To Us) and Charlie Hall (On The Road To Beautiful released August 19). The label partners with Sparrow Records for marketing, sales and distribution operations.