Following is a sweet article my friend Heather Rose wrote for our local newspaper. The newspaper would not accept it because the fundraiser is not for a non-profit. But I wanted to share it with you anyway because I wanted to share the information we talked about in our interview!
“Once Upon A Time Formal Tea and Ball” Makes Dreams Come True
By: Heather Rose
According to Disney’s classic fairy-tale, Cinderella, “a dream is a wish your heart makes.” Denise Chaney, local singer and songwriter, has a deep desire in her heart to share her music and empowering message in an upcoming solo album called Unraveling. To make this dream come true, she will be hosting a fundraiser called “Once Upon A Time Formal Tea and Ball” on June 30th from 3-5 pm at The Springs Resort Hotel Lobby/Atrium. This event is in the vein of a “Daddy-daughter dance” but invites the entire family to participate in a magical time together. “We are encouraging parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or family friends to bring their favorite little dreamers to come and enjoy refreshments, dancing, crafts and music. We wanted to create an event where families could get all dressed up and make lasting memories together,” shares Denise. The event costs $15 for adults, $5 per child or $35 per family.
From “once upon a time” desires that began from childhood, to being lost in a forest of self-doubt, to being rescued by heavenly whispers of love and encouragement, Denise Chaney’s journey to create this album reads almost like a fairy-tale. Through a personal interview, I had the honor of hearing her inspiring story that will hopefully end with the “happy-ever-after” of making her Unraveling solo album a reality.
Chaney, who grew up just over the hill in Monte Vista, was a small town country girl with big dreams. While other little girls played with dollies, Denise would twirl around her house in tutus that her mom made, recording her own songs with a small tape recorder, imagining she were Amy Grant. Although she originally began her college career pursuing a vocal performance major, she became discouraged with music theory and didn’t enjoy the type of music she was singing. Disenchanted, she came to believe that if she couldn’t master classical music, she wasn’t a real musician. In college, she switched her degree to interior design and married her husband, Jarrett, after her freshman year. While fully embracing the joys of married life, career, and having their son, Jackson, Denise’s songwriting and performing remained merely childhood fantasies.
“There are so many things that God placed into my life a few years ago that all worked together to rekindle that spark of creativity,” Chaney recalled. One of the pivotal things was a book called, The Creative Call by Janice Elsheimer. Through it she learned to see the value in offering back the gifts that God gave her, giving her the courage to sing and perform in a duet called Jason & Denise. Jason Rose and Denise Chaney met through leading worship through music at Grace in Pagosa. Together, they recorded three albums together; Song of Hope, Promised Land, and Love Has Come. They performed in many different venues in Colorado and had the opportunity to open for JJ Heller, Dallas Holm, Randy Stonehill, Robin Mark, and Songs of the Fall. They even had the honor of winning the 2013 Rhythms of the Rio Singer/Songwriter Contest. When asked about her solo album Chaney responded, “Over the past several years of being a part of Jason & Denise I have learned so much from Jason and the other musicians we have worked with. My faith and my art have grown and as part of that growing process I have written some songs that don’t quite fit the Jason & Denise mold. The solo album is a chance for me to tell my story in a different and more personal way.” Musically, she would describe her work as pop/rock/gospel… with a touch of whimsy. Her album’s title and theme is Unraveling, which captures Denise’s story of the process of allowing God to strip away the false self she hid behind. It is about finding her voice, moving through fears, and using that voice to speak truth and life to the world around her.
Standing at an unassuming 5’ 1/2”, Denise’s soft speaking voice seems to match her stature, yet she has often surprised her audience into an awed silence with the power of her voice when she opens her mouth to sing. That voice is unmistakably strong as it is beautiful and inspiring. “My desire through this fundraiser, and through the album as a whole,” states Chaney, “is to encourage creative dreamers of all ages to be who they already are. You are wonderfully made. You are loved. You are beautiful. You were created with Divine purpose to bring beauty and life to this world and to point this world back to The Creator. You don’t have to be famous to make a difference; just love the people who are right in front of you with the abilities you possess right now.” By attending this fundraiser, you are helping to write the “happily ever after” to this fairy-tale and inspiring your special little dreamer with this powerful message. For more information about the fundraiser, to purchase tickets, make donations, or to sign up for her mailing list please visit: DeniseChaneyMusic.com or e-mail her at info@denisechaneymusic.com.