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In January 2007, Bree Noble
was named Best Female Performer at the Inland
Empire Music Awards in Southern California. She
is also a current finalist in two categories,
Female Artist of the Year and Christian
Contemporary Album of the Year, in the EnSound
Gospel Music Awards to be announced September
21, 2007. Her powerful vocals and commanding
stage presence have won over audiences at large
venues such as Saddleback Church and The Coach
House. Those who have heard her will tell you
that she has the unusual ability to sing
anything from Rock ‘n Roll 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. Her 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.
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.
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.
Now that Bree is a mother, she
has found great joy in fellowshipping with other
mothers of young children in her local MOPS
(Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers) group. Bree has begun
speaking to young mothers like herself in MOPS
groups throughout California. Her presentation
called “You Are My Vision” is a narrative and
musical journey through her life. Bree hopes
this presentation will help and inspire other
mothers 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. The “You Are My
Vision” presentation has expanded beyond just
MOPS and is now booked at churches, women’s
groups and community groups. Bree is an approved
speaker for Stonecroft Ministries and speaks at
Christian Women’s Clubs & Christian Women’s
Connections throughout the Western States.
Bree enjoys collaborating with other songwriters
and lending her unique vocals to projects by
other artists. She appears as a guest vocalist
on several other projects by Indie artists
including David Aucoin, Jerry Allen, Allan Licht
and Michael Borges. 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”. In July
2006 Bree was honored to perform the national
anthem in front of 56,000 people at Dodger
Stadium. 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

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