Shaun Groves will begin a 16-date blog tour on August 30 coinciding with the debut of his newest, fan-funded album Third World Symphony. Making stops on the home pages of such notable bloggers as Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman), Ann Voskamp (author of One Thousand Gifts), Jon Acuff (Stuff Christians Like), Brant Hansen (Air 1), Southern Savers and more, the online tour will reach around 1.5 million people through the social media realm of blogging. In addition to music and conversation about Third World Symphony, each blogger is invited to tell their own story of how the beauty and wisdom of the third world has changed their first world life.
Groves stops will include the below blogs. All dates and information are subject to change so stay tuned to www.shaungroves.com for the latest information. Excerpts from each post will be housed at www.thirdworldsymphony.com/tour after Groves’ visits.
8.30 Ann Voskamp aholyexperience.com
8.31 Emily Freeman chattingatthesky.com
9.1 Compassion blog.compassion.com
9.2 Jon Acuff jonacuff.com
9.5 Angie Smith angiesmithonline.com
9.6 Carlos Whittaker ragamuffinsoul.com
9.7 Kelly Stamps kellyskornerblog.com
9.8 Sophie Hudson boomama.net
9.9 Kristen Welch wearethatfamily.com
9.12 Ree Drummond thepioneerwoman.com
9.13 Michael W. Smith michaelwsmith.com
9.14 Melanie Shankle thebigmamablog.com
9.15 Brant Hansen air1.com
9.16 Tsh Oxenreider simplemom.net
9.17 Jenny southernsavers.com
9.18 (in)courage incourage.me
In support of Third World Symphony, Groves has released a series of videos with more information about the album. The latest clip originated from a poignant experience during a trip with ministers in Ethiopia that lead to his decision to create new music. To view or embed the video, visit http://vimeo.com/27932751.
The singer/songwriter’s newest music was generated from his global travel and work with Compassion International, a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults in 26 countries.
GRAMMY ® Award Winning producer Mitch Dane teamed up with Groves for his newest project. “Musically and lyrically it’s different than the things I’ve done in the past,” explains Groves. “Fewer ‘Me’ and ‘I’ lyrics, a lot of ‘We’ and ‘Us’.” It is a testament to Groves the songwriter that he can make that concept as accessible as a moving four-minute song. “Down Here” identifies the need for social justice in the here and now. A powerful arrangement of the hymn “Just As I Am” declares that we are all wounded and in need of the Lamb of God. “No Better” is a humble song of confession set to a surprising banjo melody. And “Enough” speaks to the tension of living in plenty after witnessing poverty.
About Shaun Groves:
Put simply, Shaun Groves is a Texas-born singer-songwriter with an accomplished career: four critically-acclaimed studio albums, number one songs (“Welcome Home,” “Should I Tell Them”), seven GMA Dove Award nominations, ASCAP “Christian Songwriter of the Year.” But there’s so much more to Groves than that. He’s an engaging speaker, a prolific blogger, a man of many gifts and an immense heart to match. It’s the Third World that challenged and softened that heart to the point that Groves reevaluated his life’s work and his understanding of the gospel.
Shaun Groves will release Third World Symphony on August 30 at digital retailers nationwide. The singer/songwriter’s newest music was generated from his global travel and work with Compassion International, a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults in 26 countries.
The journey that produced Third World Symphony started with a single trip to El Salvador, where Groves traveled to visit Yanci, one of four children his family sponsors through Compassion International. Compelled to act, Groves and his family simplified their lifestyle in order to give more and he hit the road, speaking about justice and mercy and releasing children from poverty. This trip turned into many with Compassion International. A poignant experience during a trip with ministers in Ethiopia lead to the decision to create new music. “My music is not as weighty as the lives these people had lived,” confesses Groves. “I realized how much the third world was teaching me. That’s where the idea for this record started.” Along the way, music became not a career but a small piece of a much bigger mission.
“I know that through music and speaking we’ve been able to release children from poverty, but I feel like those children have even more so released me from wealth, from a narrow perspective,” says Groves. “They’ve taught me about grace, and what it means to be truly thankful. They’ve taught me about simplicity and generosity and purpose, and about beauty and joy that exists in places that are rusty and broken and corrupt. So I guess in a sense this record is a tribute, trying to redeem the term ‘third world’. Too often we just feel sorry for them, but they’re beautiful, life giving people I love to be around.”
While Groves spoke to audiences and congregations around the country, he expanded his reach through blogging. He garnered a broad online following, such that he was able to completely finance his new album in a matter of only two weeks through a fundraising campaign on a site called Kickstarter.
GRAMMY ® Award Winning producer Mitch Dane teamed up with Groves for his newest project. “Musically and lyrically it’s different than the things I’ve done in the past,” explains Groves. “Fewer ‘Me’ and ‘I’ lyrics, a lot of ‘We’ and ‘Us’.” It is a testament to Groves the songwriter that he can make that concept as accessible as a moving four-minute song. “Down Here” identifies the need for social justice in the here and now. A powerful arrangement of the hymn “Just As I Am” declares that we are all wounded and in need of the Lamb of God. “No Better” is a humble song of confession set to a surprising banjo melody. And “Enough” speaks to the tension of living in plenty after witnessing poverty.
In advance of the release, the record is available for listen with SoundCloud.com. Currently, bloggers from around the world are asking Groves three questions about Third World Symphony. Already, he has spoken with those in Ireland, Tanzania, Brazil, Canada and the U.S. ThirdWorldSymphony.com will launch on August 30 when the record is released. The new site will contain video, lyrics, credits, stories behind the songs and bonus materials.
Groves will be headlining an eight-city tour from North Carolina to Texas leading up the release of Third World Symphony including stops in Houston, TX, Burlington, NC and more.
