5/7/2007 6:20:00 PM Sauk singer to release CD June 1 With help from family, friends
photo by L Gallery Portrait Design
Christina (Thieschafer) Thomas (center) may be heading to Nashville, but much of her support is from back home in Sauk Centre, including her design artist Brittany (Thieschaefer) Johnson (left) and photographer and design artist Linda Nelson (right) of L Gallery Portrait Design.
By Carol Moorman
Christina (Thieschafer) Thomas has come a long way from singing her first solo, What Can I give to the King, during a Holy Family School Christmas pageant almost 15 years ago.
In fact, she has gone to Nashville and back-twice.
On June 1 Christina's country music CD "Who She Ain't," will be released during a party at Gerard's in Sauk Centre.
"Singing, it's just so much fun," said Christina the morning of April 28, as she sat next to her mother, Julie, before they headed out to post posters around town and the area.
There's no other place Christina would want to hold this party, since Sauk Centre, her hometown, is where she first got her start. It's also where she receives much support from her parents, Julie and Greg; siblings, Nicki, Gabe, Jessica and Josh; her husband Jesse and stepdaughter Halle of Shakopee; and many other family members and friends.
"I couldn't have done it without the help of so many people," she said.
In fact, she has drawn from the talents of her cousin Brittany (Thieschafer) Johnson who designed the CD cover and neighbor/owner of L Gallery Portrait Design Linda Nelson who has taken her photographs.
Musical start
From young on Christina has liked to sing.
"I couldn't believe she just picked up the microphone and blew us away," said her proud mom recalling the Christmas pageant song.
This now 24-year-old woman was eight at the time and encouraged by then music teacher JoAnn (Klaphake) Kohorst.
Encouragement continued throughout high school from choir teacher Bonnie Nelson as Christina perfected her musical talents in contests, musicals and other performances.
The summer before she graduated she joined the Ambassadors of Music program, one of 250 students from around Minnesota traveling throughout Europe, singing and sightseeing.
She took a hiatus from music for about 18 months, working three jobs and attending school to become a radiation therapist. Karaoke was about the only time she sang.
Two years ago she decided to enter the Colgate Country Showdown, designed to find the most promising country music talent in America and to give these performers a chance to launch their professional music careers, through state, regional and finally a national title. Competition was held during Country Music Fest in Sauk Centre, and sponsored by Wild Country 99 radio station.
"They've been really supportive of me," said Christina of Wild Country 99.
Christina took second place. The following year she competed again and won, advancing to regions in South Dakota. Although she didn't win, she did meet a judge who was "an agent with connections."
That led to two phone calls, one from a classic rock band and the other a country band, each needing a vocalist. Although her heart is in country, she started with Allister Ivy, a classic rock band, singing with them for a few months, until January when she starting doing vocals with her current country band, Savannah.
Thanks to her ties with Wild Country 99, she opened for country music singer Gary Nickels last September and just this past March Savannah opened for Mark Wills.
She said opening for Nickels was "surreal."
"It was just me and an acoustic guitar. For Mark Wills it was with the whole band," said Christina.
Nashville bound
The first thought of producing a CD occurred after Christina opened for Nickels.
"Nickels said 'Just go to Nashville and make a record,'" said Christina.
Her enthusiastic mom started researching songwriters on the Internet and ended up contacting the National Song Writers Association, based in the Twin Cities, who helped her get in touch with Nashville producer Tom Paden.
After hearing samples of Christina singing, Paden committed to the CD project.
"Christina gave me the go-ahead and we were off and running," said Julie, admitting "In the back of my mind I always wished she would do something with her voice, but it had to be her decision."
Making the CD was an eye-opener.
"So much goes on in the background, like working with Brittany to pull together all the graphics for the CD cover and working with Linda to get the right photographs," said Julie, "and then there's all the advertising."
They were constantly tapping people for information and connections.
Christina chose 10 original songs for the CD, from a list of Nashville songwriters, some songs that had more than one writer.
"I was pitched over 200 songs," said Christina, who loves singing country, but when it comes to listening to music, she enjoys pop, hip-hop and country.
"My favorite performer is Faith Hill and I've been within five feet of her at a concert," said Christina.
Paden helped her choose a balance in songs, which includes ballads, bar tunes and blues. They learned things like for each time a song is played or a CD sold with that song on it, the songwriter receives-in Christina's case-9.1 cents.
Paden lined up Nashville musicians to play for the CD recording.
"The musicians he pulled are all top notch," said Christina. "One of the guitar players who played for my CD played for Garth Brooks."
At the end of March Christina, Julie, Greg, Jesse and Gabe traveled to Nashville for the first time to listen as the musicians completed the instrumental tracks.
"I was just there to let them know where the vocals would lay over the tracks," said Christina.
She was amazed at how well the musicians came together.
"They listened to each song once and played it like they had played it for 30 years," said Christina.
Last Thursday Christina, and some of her family, returned to Nashville to complete her vocal tracks. On May 21 Julie hopes to have completed CDs, which will be delivered to radio stations, like Wild Country 99, and, of course, they will be sold at the Sauk Centre CD release party.
CD release parties
Christina and her family and friends are excited about the June 1 party from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Gerard's in Sauk Centre. Christina and her band, Savannah, will be performing a number of songs on the CD.
She has a few other gigs on her June calendar. On June 9 she will be singing the National Anthem at the Minnesota Twins Baseball game-thanks to Moe Otte of Sauk Centre.
"Connections are everything," said Julie, smiling.
A second CD release party will be held on June 22 at Robert's Sport's Bar and Grill in Mounds View, where Savannah is the Sunday night house band.
Christina admits the reality of what she is doing probably won't hit her until she holds her CD in her hand.
She does know her goal.
"Getting signed by a major record label," she said, "And then taking it as far as it will go."
All the way back to Nashville would be just fine with this newest Nashville recording artist.
