Guest Musicians

The Other Side Academy is a peer-driven residential program that helps individuals break free from addiction, crime, and destructive lifestyles by offering them the tools to rebuild their lives through accountability, structure, commitment, and love. Their vocational training schools and community engagement help foster transformation and give students opportunities to become productive, trusted members of society.

The Other Side Academy Choir has been invited to sing and share their message of transformation at various churches and community events.  The members of the choir are honored to use their voices to demonstrate the power of second chances.

 Mel Soul is a singer/songwriter from Orem, UT. She has been trained by vocal professionals, Rebecca Chock and Mindy Pack.  In 2009 she had the extraordinary opportunity to sing with her high school's Chamber Singers at Carnegie Hall in New York City.  After high school, Mel began working with songwriter professionals including Rich Parkinson, Shane Adams, Johnny London and most recently, the talented Natasha Bedingfield. Her goal as a songwriter and performer is to inspire her fans to love themselves and everyone else. 

Nathan Spenser is a Utah native, born and raised in Salt Lake City. He's a swooner with a bluesy voice and a riveting stage presence. Many note Nathan as an old soul, inspired by Americana, Country, Jazz, Roots & Blues music. 

Mindy Dillard is a musical alchemist who accompanies her award-winning songs with modern twists on the clawhammer banjo and funky rhythmic grooves on the guitar. Known for her innovative storytelling, powerful stage presence and soaring voice, she was recently described as a combination of Joni Mitchell and Tori Amos. “One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul.” – Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Jungian Psychoanalyst; Poet

Musical Alchemist: Transform or transmute the ineffable into healing stories. 

http://www.mindydillard.com/

Holly Kirsten is a singer/songwriter from Salt Lake City, UT.  She makes herself at home with any stringed instrument and has been composing and performing since she was very young.  

She studied Music Education at Central Methodist College and then, the Business of Music at Belmont University in Nashville.  Holly started Little Rockstars, LLC in 2012 developing and teaching her music classes for preschool kids and their parents/caregivers.  She has over 10 years experience as a Worship Director at 3 different Methodist churches.  

She went back to college in 2018, and while in the throes of Covid-19 became a Registered Respiratory Therapist!  She currently works at a local children's hospital saving lives and helping children to breathe better.  

Holly is thrilled to share her musical gifts and allow the artist, the teacher, and the nurturer within her to fully express and cause a positive shift in her listeners.

 Dallas Brown was inspired...called by the Great Spirit many years ago to learn the Native American flute.  He did just that, working with several masters of these wind instruments over many years.  He discovered a new 'voice' calling to him from within and beckoning from the natural world around him.  Dallas has collected over a hundred native flutes crafted by artisans from many parts of the world.  Dallas has uncovered and unleashed each flute's personality and spirit, and he has intentional 'conversations' with them as he plays.  Dallas's essential goal is to bring 'flute medicine' to every soul and being he encounters through his flute playing and remind them of their connection to the Great Spirit and all of Life.  

https://www.facebook.com/DallasBrownFluteMedicine/

Mary Otterstrom began classical training on the violin at the age of 4 culminating with a Master's Degree in Violin Performance while Jimmy Ingold bought his first guitar in college and began teaching himself. 

From a young age Mary was learning the works of Bach and Beethoven while Jimmy was jamming out to the Grateful Dead and The Rolling Stones. 

Both of them found their way to traditional American music developing a deep passion for tunes written largely by unknown musicians who crafted music after long days of hard labor. 

With Jimmy’s deep roots in blues and country and Mary’s deep knowledge of technique and theory they come together to play American classics with passion and panache. 

Rory Norseth, aka, the No Account Drifter, enjoys putting story to song and performing them for anyone who wants to listen.  

Will Baxter is a Salt Lake City based musician with a style inspired by the blues.    

 Love, light, and laughter are at the heart of Mandy Lynn’s music. Her performances and compositions run wild though genres as if she were a bee in a field of wildflowers. Her years working as a licensed therapist and activist have left her with a deep dedication to social justice, leading her to write lyrics and melodies that one critic described as “songs that appeal to the heart and mind as well as the ear” (Greg Harness, Rootsworld Magazine).  

Mindy Dillard is a musical alchemist who accompanies her award-winning songs with modern twists on the clawhammer banjo and funky rhythmic grooves on the guitar. Known for her innovative storytelling, powerful stage presence and soaring voice, she was recently described as a combination of Joni Mitchell and Tori Amos. “One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul.” – Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Jungian Psychoanalyst; Poet
 

Musical Alchemist: Transform or transmute the ineffable into healing stories. 

 http://www.mindydillard.com/

Desert Wind is a band of musicians performing uplifting world-beat music. Reb Alan is a prolific songwriter. With 12 CDs and numerous digital singles now selling world-wide through iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, etc., they have over five more CDs of original music in the completion stages of production. 

(Reb Alan has hundreds of original copyrighted songs registered through BMI.) Andalin is the recipient of the prestigious national Selmer Award for Excellence in Jazz Performance. Alan and Andalin have worked together, and with our own Raj Harrous, for over 25 years, and the three of them have performed together in many states from California to Massachusetts! They are frequent performers for Ruach Hamidbar in Scottsdale, AZ. 

Versatile and fun-loving, Desert Wind is all about peace, harmony and inclusiveness. Their music is reported to, "passionately lift your spirits with the perfect choice of notes, lyrics, vocals, instrumentation, diverse musical styles and international rhythms." At SLCSL, Desert Wind looks forward to working with Ric Sharette and others of our own amazing house band. It's time to unwind with the music of Desert Wind!

Orion (formerly known as Jarrett) Burns is a remarkable, artistic phenomenon – a masterful singer/songwriter/producer whose music defies any conventional music genre.  

His education (BYU Music Program); his diverse, international performances; his intentional spiritual journey; and his commitment to master his extraordinary gifts to transform, uplift, heal and inspire his audiences, all combine to ignite profound, positive shifts - expanding our views of ourselves, each other, and the world.      

 Doing What I Came To Do!

Our songs, our conversations, and our actions will determine our frequency.

Rickie, The Artist 

Rickie Byars is an acclaimed and beloved singer-songwriter in the genre of inspirational/New Thought music. Her music resonates in churches of all denominations throughout the world. Live audiences and FB/YouTube streamers who take part in the KUUMBA/B-hood Sunday Devotionals are uplifted through her music and her messages—always delivered with joy and sincerity. She created an inspirational 24-hour radio station, Bradio.org, which blasts her incredible songs from her golden era at the Agape International Spiritual Center where Rickie was the Founding Choir Director and Music and Arts Director for over thirty years. Rickie has released nine solo albums of inspirational music, produced seven choral music albums, three songbooks, two volumes of choral music arrangements and one mini-memoir of stories about her songs. She is often referred to as the Queen of New Thought Music, perhaps because she brings such joy through her healing songs that arise from Rickie’s Divine Connection to God.

Rickie, the Activist

The sixth child in a family of seven children, Rickie was born in the segregated town of Charlotte, NC. At an early age she was taught that she must bring her very best to her family, to her race and then to the world. Rickie has always remembered this and cares deeply about her community. For twenty-four years, Rickie co-facilitated the Soul Sisters women’s retreats, and empowered women through experiential processes, workshops, meditations, and other healing modalities. She sits on the Board of Directors of Voices4Freedom.org, an abolitionist organization working to free enslaved children, women, and men in northern India. In 2009, with a team of intergenerational artists, she established Kuumba in Motion, a non-profit inspirational initiative that empowers individuals to discover their inherent gifts and talents through exposure to nature, the arts, and creative sciences. The Kuumba design team is now focused on developing an innovative model for transitional and transformational communities as they age.