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Enter The Worship Circle and Grassroots Music Distribution announce the March 18 release of Chair and Microphone Vol. 1 featuring Ben Pasley, the creative force behind the previous Enter The Worship Circle recordings, which have sold more than 100,000 units combined.

Continuing in the development of eclectic music that blends spiritual conversations and modern music, Chair and Microphone Vol. 1 spotlights the songwriting and performing talents of Ben Pasley, 100 Portraits, who not only wrote all of the songs on the album, but produced them as well with no overdubs and only a handful of microphones.

Describing the vulnerable nature of such a recording Ben Pasley says, “For a musical era where slick production, vocal pitch correction, and glossy promo is the norm, doing a project like Chair and Microphone, Vol. 1 is both frightening and freeing. I have written songs in the quiet of my living room for years, but I usually imagine, even during the writing process, the other instruments and the other artists, that will accompany the final song. To write songs knowing they would have to stand-alone was a challenge both to my musical ego and to my musical ability. I have a great admiration for those singer-songwriters who, as a creative commitment, write and perform in the vulnerable loneliness of the ‘Chair and Microphone’ styling.

“On the other hand,” continues Pasley, “being able to write a song, record it in the same hour and then change it on a whim the next day without concern for any greater arrangement was an incredibly freeing experience. Several songs were recorded right from the loose, hand-written notes of my journal, filled out in front of the microphone improvisation ally, and then simply left alone because they felt complete. This is the way I like my concerts, and now, I can say, that it also is an intense way to make a record.”

With a musical history in Southern Rock, Folk and World Music, Pasley blends a simple guitar style with a masterful collection of emotion set to lyric. All the themes are unapologetically spiritual and are purposely set to guide the listener through different layers of conversations with God.

“This recording bleeds out the heart of Ben Pasley in conversation with God,” says Kirby Trapolino, Grassroots Music Distribution. “There is compliment and complaint, loving anthem and stiff argument. It is both polite and brutal.”

Chair and Microphone Vol. 1 also marks the beginning of a new series of solo projects from the Enter The Worship Circle team. This series will always feature one performer’s voice and one accompanying instrument played “live” in a raw, unplugged fashion to capture the most natural sound of the performer. Future Chair and Microphone artists may include, Kate Hurley, Ben Kennedy, Barry Patterson, Michelle Patterson and Robin Pasley.

“The writers and performers on the ‘Worship Circle’ albums are some of the most talented people I know,” says Pasley, “They can certainly stand alone in their musical ability. Look for a second release in the fall of 2004!”

In support of the new release, Ben Pasley began touring at the end of January and continues through April hitting such major markets as Denver and Salt Lake City. For a complete list of tour cities, visit www.entertheworshipcircle.com.

The three previous Enter the Worship Circle recordings boast many successes including combined sales of more than 100,000 units. The first project, featuring Ben and Robin Pasley (100 Portraits), Don and Lori Chaffer, and Christina Graves (Waterdeep), has the distinction of being possibly the best-selling indie worship album ever. The newest edition to the series, Third Circle continues to garner critical acclaim months after its release date.

Grassroots Music Distribution, the largest distributor of independent and indie-label-produced Christian Music, has implemented a marketing strategy for Chair and Microphone Vol. 1 that will include a targeted advertising campaign incorporating placements in key consumer, trade, and college publications such as CCM, Christian Retailing, Worship Leader, Relevant and Cornerstone, as well as many Christian college newspapers nationwide. The first radio single from the project will be released late in April and serviced to both Adult Contemporary and CHR formats and to hundreds of Christian and College Radio outlets. Grassroots will also be providing merchandising materials such as shelf-talkers and posters to retailers.

In addition to traditional marketing efforts for Chair and Microphone Vol. 1, Grassroots will be employing its street-level and Internet marketing tactics to get the word out to college students and other youth. Grassroots Music has become known in the industry for these “underground” marketing strategies, working with bands such as Jars of Clay, Third Day, Caedmon’s Call, among others, helping their record labels access college students and youth who do not typically respond to usual Christian-based marketing strategies. They have an entire web site dedicated to the organization and implementation of such campaigns at www.streetlaunch.com.

Enter The Worship Circle, a division of Blue Renaissance Creative Group, was founded by Ben and Robin Pasley. For more information on the artists, albums, free chord charts, lyric sheets, and audio samples etc., visit www.entertheworshipcircle.com.

The sounds of Chair and Microphone Vol. 1 were greatly enhanced using: Presonus Audio and Rick Naqvi preamps, Larrivee Guitars, SIT Strings and LR Baggs acoustic guitar pickup systems.