Jeffrey C Blake, Founder

Lead Vocals
Lead Quitars
Acoustic Quitar
Keyboard
Producer of Free My Angel , CD
Owner Of Vision2b Recording Studio
Originally from Hopkinton New Hampshire,
lived in Dallas ,Texas area and currently resides in Vermont.
"My passion has been music from the time I could reach up and touch the
knobs on my parents old RCA console."
Having two older sisters and an older brother, our home was always filled with
music of some type. It was that early introduction to music that made
me realize this was going to be my passion. My father gave me an early model
Hagstrom guitar, with only four strings on it when I was around 12, and started
when you get good on that I'll put the other two strings on it ! Well I learned
to play by playing along with old Beatles, James Taylor, Paul Butterfield,
Allman Brothers, and many more and after a while he put those strings on
it.
I never took lessons, and just played by ear, it was just easy for me that way.
I attended a very traditional Methodist
church, where both my parents were involved in music and in the choir, the type
of church where if your shoes squeaked during the sermon
You got "the look". My parents knew how important it was to have
the family attend church on a regular basis, so I did. What I remember most is
there were many genuine people there.
I was around thirteen at that time when I invited some close friends to my
parents cottage on a lake near our home. We were all having fun water skiing and
swimming, and it was my turn to ski.
I had fallen off and my best friend was driving the boat, after realizing I had
fallen, he turned the wheel sharply to pick me up, but he feel out over the
side.
I looked back and he didn't come up, the boats propeller had hit him in the
head...and after we got him back in the boat and to shore, I realized he wasn't
going to make it. He didn't.
That's when I had a major turn in my
life. When I finally got away from the chaos, I looked up to God and was very
angry.
I just could not comprehend how spending all those years with perfect attendance
at church, and doing what everyone expected of me, how could my best friend die
like that.
So...I simply took my eyes off God, and put them on what ever was around me that
would fill the void. Know one that was close to me at that time could give me an
explanation that was good enough, or one that I wanted to listen to. So I blamed
myself, in every way I could. the only thing that even came close to keeping me
balanced was music and sports.
So I dove in to both, and pursued them with intensity. I didn't care about
anything else really. I was obsessed with being the best in sports and in music.
I made several varsity sports teams
at an early age and played in many bands, never realizing that there was a
spiritual balance that I was lacking.
At this point I did realize that every
song I was playing, and learning to play, had a message. There was always
something that showed the artist had a deep spiritual reason, witnessed by the
lyrics.
Example, in so many songs by Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Eagles, Crosby Stills
Nash and Young........Dylan, there always seemed to be an attempt to find an
answer, a resolve, to either
our existence on this planet, or at that time...a political situation. Again I
realized that no matter what the issue, music was something that had at least a
temporary answer.
I remember well, what a close friend said at a concert, when I got
off the stage when I was in tenth grade, "You are such a gifted singer". For
some reason I held on to those words.
I remember running up hills backwards with a pack filled with rocks so I could
overcome asthma that I was diagnosed as a child and eventually play semi pro
soccer, I remember
lifting cement blocks over my head after feeding our animals on our small farm,
before most of my friends were awake. These were gifts from God.
I remember playing basketball...with my friends till my mom would come out with
a flashlight...in a snow storm.....gifted ? hmmm I remember singing for 6
hours..........just to get the words right.
All of the artist I mentioned above and everyone of you that have accomplished
great things know what gifted is.
Gifted- the ability to do what know one else will do when everyone else is doing
the same thing.
At these times we always look at ourselves. And give yourself
the credit. I worked hard that's why they called me gifted. right ? The gift
comes from somewhere.
The true gift is knowing where it comes from. To be able to look back at all
those life's experiences and see.......why
The last thing my father said to me before he died was..."Your gift is your
music" So, again the word gift kind of stays with me.
So for about 10 years I was in and out of secular bands...and
had many offers, that were very tempting. And there was always some situation
that pulled me away.
About 8 years ago I was introduced to a band called Out Of The Grey, their music
was awesome and genuine. It took me a while but I started finding a connection.
The spiritual connection that I had felt when I was younger was there again. I
started looking back at the bible, and finding answers to questions that I had
held inside.
How to let go of anger, and to let go of fear. And most important,
forgiveness, as soon as I let these concepts become a priority in my life...my
music changed.
As you can see from the lyrics, the songs are similar to what we all have to go
through making a transition from self, to allowing the Holy spirit to work
through us.
One of the words I received, was to write "new
songs" I wanted to write what was inside of me, and stay a bit
away from the mainstream. I also felt that there was a way to
Pull together secular music and Christian music, and not to be judgmental of any
style of music. People often ask me now, so what genre exactly is you
music ?
I tell them to put it right where they need it to be. I simply give God the
credit for every song and every lyric I write. If there's one thing in the words
or music
that can help them in any way, then mission accomplished ! We always need to
enjoy music and especially recognize the fact that God delights in it.