by Karly Randolph-Pitman
Avalon travels a maze of grace in pursuit of truth and rediscovers the power of grace.
Jeremiah 29:11 promises, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'" (NIV). Avalon member Michael Passons muses aloud on that verse: "Someday, I hope to completely let go of the reins of my so-called destiny and allow God the opportunity to blow my mind."
Releasing the reins of will or the harness of dreams is a challenge all four members of Avalon have faced. But God has proved an astute mathematician. Whenever an old dream was swept away, a new opportunity waited in the wings. For Jody McBrayer, his career as a singer came into focus only after a broken ankle ended his aspirations of playing professional tennis. Nikki Hassman prepared to be a gymnast for nine grueling years, enduring daily five-hour practices and moving away from home when she was 12 to train for a berth on a future Olympic team. Only when she let go of her dreams of gymnastics glory at age 15 did her singing bear fruit. Michael Passons joined Avalon harboring doubts about how he would be able to further develop his passion for solo ministry and piano playing. And now, after two years of constant touring, Janna Potter battled insomnia and fatigue the week of this interview, forcing her to wonder if she had the strength to climb on stage for one more show.
But God is faithful, stresses Jody. Even with the band's grueling touring schedule--they've been on the road practically non-stop since the band's inception in 1995--they're able to say that God has strengthened and encouraged them when they've felt frail.
"God has been faithful in supplying us with what we need to survive our touring schedule," Jody says. "This past week has been tough for Janna; she was at the point where she said, 'I don't think I'm going to be able to do this tour.' She wasn't sleeping well; she was having some trouble with heart. After a while, you have to say, 'I'm not giving it my all, and I'm not giving my 100 percent.' That's really hard for us because all four of us are perfectionists."
In many ways, the members of Avalon are more like a family of siblings than a musical group. Their time together on the road spawns a sort of symbiosis, an understanding of each other that goes deeper than just bandmates. Members know, for example, about Janna's shoe fetish (she claims to have 17 pairs of black shoes alone) and her closet gourmet cooking skills. They know that Michael once thought of being a veterinarian (chalk it up to growing up in the Mississippi country surrounded by more horses and cows than on a Montana ranch.) And they know not to interrupt Nikki if there's a gymnastics meet on TV.
They also know about each other's idiosyncrasies. "The past four years have been a real growing experience for us, and I think we've learned where each other's strengths and weaknesses lie," Jody says. "It's a relationship, like being married to three other people. You glean the great things from each other, and you try to buff out the rough edges. We have our disagreements, but that's what makes it healthy and that's what makes it real."
Being real, being honest and bearing truth were all goals when the group sat down to work on its sophomore project, A Maze of Grace. With Avalon's first album, the record label played it safe, leading to comparisons to other four-member vocal ensembles and a critique of Avalon's lack of a focused, unique sound. "Even though it's flattering being compared to other groups, I think we're glad that we finally got something that's our own," Janna says.
"We really wanted to take ownership of the second album--to be able to write a lot more, be able to really communicate what's on our hearts," Michael says. "With the first album, the label didn't necessarily let us do what we wanted to do. This time they let us do our own thing." Thus you'll find more upbeat, bouncy dance tracks with more of an R&B, '70s feel alongside the standard worshipful ballads.
But all of their songs share a focus on grace. "The message of grace is foreign to a lot of people, even Christians," Nikki says. "We want to let people know that grace is the one thing that Christianity offers that no other religion does. I think that gets lost sometimes."
Jody adds, "I think there are a lot of people out there who are searching for something. I grew up in the church, and I didn't know about God's grace and that He cared enough about me to die for me. I think people see these rules and regulations, and they lose sight of the fact that it's a relationship and that He loves you. I grew up hearing all the don'ts. There's a lot more to God than we think."
Avalon was birthed in 1995 to proud parents Sparrow Records and Norman Miller, an artist manager as well as the producer of the "Young Messiah" and "Emmanuel" tours. All of the band members had moved to Nashville at different times to pursue Christian music. Michael was involved in his own solo ministry; Nikki was singing back up for Clay Crosse and country artists; and Janna and Jody met while singing in Truth. But it took Miller and Sparrow to coalesce four individuals into a group.
Nikki says, "It's really been God who has brought together four people from around the countryŠ each with an individual calling on their livesŠ to be in this group. There are too many extenuating circumstances that would prove otherwise."
In addition to her duties in Avalon, Nikki also has a general market publishing contract with EMI. Writing with non-Christians, and writing songs that aren't geared for a solely Christian audience, brings a fresh perspective that provides balance, she says.
"My songwriting with non-Christians broadens our point of view," she says. "I go into the secular setting and write with people who aren't Christians and get their take on things and write a song that maybe has a positive message, but not a gospel message. To be able to take those perspectives and bring them into the group and to know what people are thinking that aren't Christians is invaluable."
To Janna, reaching non-Christians is about admitting your life is not your press photo: "I think just letting people know that we struggle through the same difficulties as everyone else is the key. People think [being in a band] is all glamour, and when people see you struggle with the same difficulties, that gives you a common ground. I think people are looking for truth these days, and we can find a way to relate if we say, 'I don't have it together all the time.'"
