BELLVILLE — Siblings Trae Turner and Whitney Smith wouldn’t describe themselves as entertainers.
Neither one is “thrilled” about going onstage and performing in front of a large crowd, but at the same time, they feel it’s right where they belong. That it’s their God-given calling.
Turner and Smith, of Bellville, grew up singing together and were part of a southern gospel group called New Vision, which stopped touring in 2016. At that time, both Turner and Smith were in the process of transitioning jobs — Turner is currently the vice president of community living at the Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging, Inc. and Smith is the owner of Rustik Market in Ontario.
“We knew during that time that (singing/touring) was still our calling, and we knew that we would miss it if we didn’t do it to some extent,” Turner said.
Feeling the itch to get back to their calling, they decided to create their first duet project. In March, they traveled to Pelzer, South Carolina, where they recorded an 11-track, progressive southern gospel record with Stage Seven Productions.
Nearly half of the songs are originals that were written by some of the best writers in gospel music, Turner said. The CD also includes popular worship covers, including Michael W. Smith’s “Above All” and Natalie Grant’s “When I Leave the Room.”
One of Smith’s personal favorites on the album is a song called “Don’t Give Up.”
“I have a lot of friends just this year that have been struggling with some different things and this song is just really encouraging,” she said.
Turner said the album as a whole is both encouraging and fun.
“The the title cut, ‘Right Where You Are’ has a little bit of a different style, probably lyrically is a little more laid back, but it just really, I think, gets the message across to slow down and enjoy life,” Turner said.
Oftentimes people think happiness can be found in things like money, fame, family or work, he said.
“But all of that can be gone in a day, or you may never attain those things in this life,” he said. “Regardless, right where you are today, there’s always little things in your life that you can look at and be thankful for and realize that God’s blessed you.”
The duo agreed that the project can reach all ages.
“It’s intergenerational, and I think the key is, which will always be number one, is that it points people to Jesus Christ,” Turner said.
The CD is slated to release Monday, July 16 and will be available for purchase by visiting their Facebook page, calling or texting their ministry office at 419-566-0293, and also at Rustik Market.
The fee is donation only. “As a ministry, we felt led to do it as a donation, so we just ask people to give as they feel led,” Turner said.
A CD release event is planned for Aug. 4 at St. Paul Lutheran Church Event Center, 48 Church St., Bellville. This ticketed event is catered by V&M Restaurant. Limited seating is available. To order a ticket ($25), contact 419-566-0293.
“The cool thing about that event is we’ll also be singing a lot of our old favorites, but also featuring some new ones off the CD,” Turner said.
Turner and Smith plan to sing at other events. For a listing, visit their Facebook page.
Turner said they may bring back the Clear Fork Valley Camp Meeting in 2019, a two-day event featuring sermons and music.
They intend to create more CDs, noting that they’d like to record a Christmas album.
Knox Community Hospital proudly supports the vibrant pulse of our community by sponsoring the Life & Culture section on Knox Pages, celebrating the stories and experiences that make our region unique.