Bree Noble: BIO

Bree Noble's Artist Biography

In January 2007, Bree Noble was named Best Female Performer at the Inland Empire Music Awards in Southern California. She was also a finalist in the 2007 En Sound Gospel Music Awards in two categories:Contemporary Female Artist and Christian Contemporary Album. Her powerful vocals and commanding stage presence have captured audiences at large venues such as Saddleback Church and The Coach House. In July 2006 Bree was honored to perform the national anthem in front of a sold out crowd at Dodger Stadium. Those who have heard her will tell you that she has the unusual ability to sing anything from Pop/Rock to Opera.
When she is not ministering to other congregations, Bree serves as worship leader at Glendora United Methodist Church. In June 2007 Bree was honored to serve as a lead vocalist on the worship team and as a featured soloist at the California Pacific United Methodist Annual Conference. Whether she’s performing her signature lyric-driven pop/rock or leading a congregation in a familiar worship chorus or hymn, Bree’s vocals communicate deep emotion.
Although Bree’s vocals are always compelling, they are not her greatest asset. Songwriting is her real signature as an artist. Bree’s style has been compared to Nichole Nordeman, Sara Groves, Mark Schultz & Casting Crowns. Musically it is a blend of Contemporary and Inspirational music that is both mainstream and eclectic. In November 2007, Bree was named a finalist in both the Dallas Songwriters Contest and the Christian Contemporary Music Network International Songwriting Contest for her song “Gypsy Road”. The song “It’s Christmastime” (co-written with Allan Licht) won 3rd prize in the Next Holiday Classic Contest in December 2007.
Bree likes to think of herself not as a Christian songwriter, but as a songwriter who is a Christian. She writes about specific aspects of her own Christian walk, but she also writes about problems that are universal like greed, homelessness, racism, and family situations. Her lyrics explore common emotional issues: apathy, fear, loneliness, mistrust, and seeking joy in suffering. And then there are those special songs that are her most personal, that convey her heart, not just as a woman of faith but as an individual who has learned to overcome great adversity. Bree has Glaucoma and has been legally blind since birth. With songs such as “Running” and “You Are My Vision” she unveils her most intimate feelings about growing up with a disability and how it has affected her life and her relationship with God.
Bree spent her elementary years in Redwood City, CA and then at age 13 moved to Modesto, CA and became very active in the music department at Thomas Downey High School. She attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA and earned degrees in Vocal Performance and Business. In 2007 Bree was featured in an article about her music in the Westmont College Alumni magazine. She has called Southern California home for the past 13 years and has been active as a classical soloist, worship leader and performer in Los Angeles, Orange County & the Inland Empire as well as touring often to the areas she grew up in Northern California.
Bree has performed with several bands over the past 15 years including Zephaniah (Westmont College touring ensemble), Day One (worship band), and the all-female Alternative Rock band Not Martha. In 2002, she released her first solo album, Overwhelmed, on the MP3.com independent label. Many of the songs from the album placed in the top 10 on MP3.com’s Christian charts. By popular demand, the album Overwhelmed was re-released in 2005 by Gevania Records.
Bree was a chief collaborator and vocalist on a new Broadway style musical called Little Italian Girl. She enjoyed writing music to fit the storyline and weaving some of her older material into the fabric of the story. The result was a CD of highlights from the musical released in 2003 as well as a CD of Bree’s best solo work from the project called Can You See The Stars released on Gevania Records in 2004.
In 2006 Bree began presenting “You Are My Vision”, a narrative and musical journey through her life growing up visually impaired, for events including MOPS (Mothers Of Pre Schoolers), Christian Women’s Club, women’s retreats, worship services and community groups. With this presentation, Bree strives to inspire and encourage audiences to trust God in all things and to lean on Him in times of struggle. Bree received recognition for this ministry in Dec, 2006 in an article for “Amazing Mom Stories” on the MomsOnTheMove.com website.
Bree enjoys collaborating with other songwriters and lending her unique vocals to projects by other artists. She appears as a guest vocalist on several projects by Indie artists and writers including David Aucoin, Jerry Allen, Allan Licht, Michael Borges, Sean Fullerton and Joel Irwin. Recently she has signed contracts with Victoria Lane Publishing and Allan Bradley Music Publishing.
Bree’s 3rd solo CD Healing Waters was produced by veteran CCM & AC producer Allan Licht. Released in September 2006, Healing Waters has generated stellar sales and reviews from sites like ChristianMusic.Suite101.com, Depot-Radio.com, AWOE Magazine, Active Christian Media and Channel Z’s “The Zeph Report”. Bree performs solo and with her band throughout Southern and Northern California at churches, special events, coffee houses and festivals.

Presentation: "You Are My Vision"

Bree speaks at MOPS groups, women's groups, community organizations, in worship services and special events on the topic "You Are My Vision". The presentation is a narrative and musical journey through her life as a woman who has overcome great adversity. Bree has been legally blind since birth. In her candid talk and through her music, she unveils her most intimate feelings about growing up with a disability and how it has affected her life and her relationship with God. Bree hopes this presentation will help and inspire others to trust God in all things and to lean on Him in times of struggle.

EXCERPTS:
Opening Song:Running
I have congenital glaucoma, which means that I had a disease that developed in the womb that most people don’t get until they’re 60. That has always been a difficult thing to explain to people. Most of the time, the conversation started with “Do you wear contacts?” That was always an un-offensive sounding way of asking “what is wrong with your eyes.” And you wouldn’t believe how perfect strangers, like people behind the counter at Jack in the Box, would feel perfectly justified in bringing it up. I didn’t mind talking about it, but it just seemed weird that strangers would feel comfortable asking. Anyway, I would explain, No, I do not wear contacts, I have glaucoma.” They’d always look at me with a piteous look and say, “but you’re so young.”
Luckily for me, I grew up in a family devoid of the pitous looks. They were go-getters, teaching me from the earliest age that life is what you make it. It amazed me that they had so much fortitude left after what they had been through with me since birth...

So I continued doing what most visually impaired children didn’t dare do. I was in the gifted program, I was a champion handball and four-square player at my school, I rode a bicycle to my friends’ houses, I did water sports, went bowling, played miniature golf, and even went snow skiing. And God rewarded me for not hiding my talents in the ground. He watched over me and protected me, especially in times when I got myself in a bit over my head...
Song:I Trusted You

After the surgery on my right eye at age 17 had ended disastrously, the left eye was all I had left. In my 20s I started to battle a new eye problem, a massive cataract had developed in my left eye. After all the surgeries I’d had as a baby, scar tissue had built up and, over time, massed into a cataract. This was another good chance for me to put my trust in God. I developed double vision when in bright sun which meant it was hard to tell where the sidewalk ended. It also made it impossible to see when going from bright light to a darker setting. It was like walking into a pitch black movie theatre when just walking into any building from outside. I remember praying a lot as I stepped over the threshold that God would guide me around any objects or people I couldn’t see. The experience was like being in freefall, suddenly isolated and alone, with only God (or often my husband) to take my hand and show me the way.
It’s amazing how God takes the bad and turns it into something so incredibly good, so unfathomable. I could never have orchestrated things to work out as they did. His timing is perfect. This cataract that was such a burden led me to a great new job, and a dear friend who donated a top notch surgery to remove the cataract and give me a whole new lens. The story is amazing…
Song: :You Are My Vision

In the last 5 years I have been given a new challenge to face. Inflammatory bowel disease runs in my family, and unfortunately I did not escape the curse. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 29. It stayed pretty well under control until I had my daughter Julia in 2003. I had a massive attack of Crohn’s when Julia was 8 months old. I was too weak from dehydration to hold her and had to go to the hospital for recovery and medication for about 5 days. Unfortunately, the disease cannot be cured, but just lies dormant and can begin flaring up at any time. In the summer of 2005 it hit again with a vengeance. I was in the hospital for a total of 13 days. I had a lot of time to reflect, pray and regroup.
When you’re stuck in a bed for days being poked and prodded, and you’re wearing the same hospital gown day and night, there is nothing better than a shower! I had been working on songwriting exercises and finally got permission from the nurses to get my IV wrapped and settlle in for a long shower. While I was in there I started to think about the water washing over me, cleansing away all the dirt and grime, refreshing and revitalizing me. I knew it was a great analogy for a song. I believe I actually sang the melody in the shower and hurried out to write down the words that popped into my head. It was a plea to God to renew my spirit and enliven my soul, to baptize me in His healing waters and make me bold in a purpose driven life. And He has done that, which is why I’m here speaking to you today.
Closing Song:Healing Waters