By: Samantha Zavala

It is something special to find someone who is passionate about what they do. Someone who is unashamed to speak about life. Someone who perseveres to reach their goal. This person is Jade Harrell.

Jade comes from Middleburg, Florida. When I spoke with her, she reminisced about her country upbringing and loving every minute of it. Jade had said that she did grow up in a strict household and certain values were to be maintained. She was raised in church and always was singing in the church choir. Going to church was a major routine in Jade’s life. Church kept her grounded and would prepare her for her present music career.

As a teenager, Jade had been teased on a consistent basis. She attended a predominantly black school where there was a certain status quo. Jade was not a part of the status quo. According to her peers, she acted “white.” It also didn’t help that she was a frequent churchgoer and had a relationship with God. She was and still is a firm believer in abstinence, which just seemed to fan the flame. She was an outsider for sure. One of the names that she was called on a frequent basis was “Sister Mary.” Jade was a reject. It was from these experiences that Jade drew her inspiration from for her album Class Reject. Jade was a reject because of her Christian beliefs.

“Life is a classroom,” says Jade.

She explains that as Christians, we are like class rejects because we are rejected by the world. We uphold a higher standard and that is what separates us from the rest of the world. So being a reject is not a bad thing. It is actually good in this connotation.
I had also asked Jade if she had any other aspirations other than singing when she was younger.

“I always knew that I was going to be a recording artist,” she said.

She described how even though she knew she was destined to sing, she would have to be forced to do it. Fear would come over her. But she still did it. She knew that God have given her a talent and that it was her calling for her life. There was a Scripture that always came to mind when she would have difficulties in this particular area. It was Philippians 1:6, which tells us that God has begun a good work in us and that we will carry it to completion. That was her driving force to continue on.

As far as her musical influences, she had many. They ranged from Mary Mary and Kirk Franklin, to country legends like Johnny Cash and Rascal Flatts. There was a wide variety of music that she was exposed to that she came to love, with the exception of heavy metal. And the various styles that these artists are known for are some of the same styles that are present on her album. Jade has expressed that she has multiple interests in various types of music, so that would also be said of her albums. She may feel like doing a country album one day, or she may decide to do an R&B album. Wide audience appeal is one of the goals of her music. Reinventing her music allows for a widespread appreciation of good music and she feels if you meet people where they are at, they too will also have a greater appreciation of the music and the message. So Jade has created her own genre, in a sense, which is “Individual.”

This has not come easy for her though. The Christian music industry has its challenges too. Performing at the GMA’s almost made her reconsider her career. And she said that she has often had people ask her if she is a Christian artist because of the sound of her music. Some people think she is mainstream or that she is a secular artist.

“The lyrics are what make a song secular or Christian, not the music behind it,” explains Jade.
And she makes an important point. A lot of Christians think that secular music is the sound, when it is actually the lyrics. Mainstream artists get more radio play and don’t have to fight so hard. But mainstream artists are also told what to do and to make sacrifices that may go against what they want to do. And that is something that Jade refuses to do. Sure, it would be easier to go mainstream, but Jade has a message that she wants to get out to the world. And God has given her the means to do it. That is what one of the songs on her album talks about. The song is Unseen, and it talks about the alternatives and the compromises that we may choose to see if the grass is really greener on the other side. Jade wants to reach millions of people but wants to do it through the means of a Christian artist because she doesn’t want to compromise the call on her life.

Another thing that I asked of Jade was to sum up her character in one word.

After thinking for a moment, she said, “Water.”

And I was intrigued. She chose water because she said that during this time in her life she has found that she is able to adapt whenever she needs to. There were many times that she could have given up when things didn’t go her way. There were family hardships that took her by surprise. But she chose to adapt instead. Even in a hectic life, she has been able to keep a balance and stay focused on the things that truly matter.

Jade will soon start work on another album. I was curious to know how to keep up with her and what she is doing. Jade says that fans can keep up with her via MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, and at revolutionart.us. Be watching because Jade is on the move.