LDS Generations

We recently interviewed for both LDS.net and The Mormon Channel. While at The Mormon Channel, we had the opportunity to tour the church’s very own internet radio station. It’s fascinating to see what the Lord has provided His church with to spread the gospel to all the world! Here are the links to these two interviews.

LDS.net Article

Mormon Channel Interview

Music: The soft mist that settles into crevices where nothing else can reach.

-Kimberly Jo Smith

In life we experience so many degrees of trauma it is a wonder that we can gather a fraction of coherent thought or reasoning. But I have found that Heavenly Father has equipped us all with various forms of natural anti-depressants in the form of compassionate service, fellowshipping, art, reading, writing, positive media, and then there is music. I have found whenever a dark cloud forms over me that music is a driving force which dissipates that cloud very quickly.

Someone once asked me if I hum very often, for while in her home she noticed that I hummed a lot. I responded that I hum every day without even thinking and had done so since I was little. She then went on to say that it was an inner healing mechanism which had probably saved me in many ways because the vibration of notes carried throughout my body, creating a relaxing calm. I didn’t think about it much at the time but have since looked deeper into the effect music has on us physically, mentally and spiritually. In doing so I can see why the Lord made music so much a part of our lives and how the adversary has used it as well. There is a marked difference in the attitude and personality of those who listen to fun, uplifting music and those who listen to dark, degrading music of hopelessness. One brings a happy jolly disposition as well as healing; the other a dark, reclusive, and destructive personality. So it is indeed true we must always be wary of the kind of music we listen to.

As I considered the many elements behind our interaction with music I began to reflect about my own history with it. Many individuals have written me asking where that sound comes from, the style and harmonies that my son and I employ when we are on stage, and my first response is, “From the Tennessee mountains,” because that is where I am from and what has influenced me the most. But a more accurate answer would be from within.

The scriptures tell us that we all come to this earth with specific gifts and talents (quote) and to utilize them. My first memories involve music. My father always played the guitar and he was in a Bluegrass band and when I heard them play it moved something inside of me. He taught me and my sister in one sitting how to sing lead and how to do harmony, and we picked it up like it was one of our own limbs, a natural part of who we were.

When I grew older I noticed that certain music, particularly older, southern gospel genres, would bring tears to my eyes. Something about it touched me within. That is when I decided to dig into my heritage and see just how deep the music went. On my father’s Smith side I can trace music back to the 1830’s. Each generation had musical talents with some of Joseph and Emma Smith’s children and grandchildren composing hymns that were in Restoration hymn books. From the resources I found, the majority of my ancestors on the Smith side were very adept in vocal abilities as well. On my mother’s side music was also prevalent. Her family grew up in the East Tennessee Mountains where my Mammaw and Pappaw engaged in Sacred Harp singing, a raw type of gospel that originated in the Appalachian Mountains in the late 18^th to early 19^th centuries. (For a brief history visit fasola.org)

After researching my musical roots I came to a better understanding of why music is so embedded within me. It brought to me a realization of just how important it is to know one’s heritage, for it is that heritage which explains who we are and why we have some of the tendencies that we do. I do not believe an ancestor’s song dies when they leave this earth, it carries on to be realized in a more magnified manner for a different time. So now, when I am composing and writing I appreciate the source from where those talents came from; generations of ancestors and above all a Heavenly Father who gifted us with those talents.

There are so many stories to tell of our past and present in music, art, dance and many other modes which can uplift and heal. It is so important to cultivate any talent we have been given and use it to bring happiness to those around us.

Fifteen years after I was prompted to write my family’s story I now have it in hand, published and available for all to read. The end result was much different than I had anticipated. I thought it was to be a source of healing for me and my family, but it became a volume of life’s lessons that can help anyone heal from all traumas in their lives through the Atonement. This book has been written in all corners of the United States and in-between as we traveled over the course of twelve years doing firesides and concerts. I met many people who influenced me, by their own struggles, to emphasize the importance of knowing the Savior and understanding the Atonement. There were those who still carried negative feelings toward Emma, but left our firesides healed, carrying a better understanding of Joseph’s widow, and why she stayed in Nauvoo. I knew I would have to include Emma’s story in my book to help people understand the importance of holding a state of love in any situation, not judging those whose situation you have know way of knowing, and letting go of negative feelings concerning events you do not understand. The road to forgiveness, coping, unity, conversion, compassion, letting go, moving forward, the Atonement and opening your heart to the pure love of Christ can all be found in my new book, Rising Hills and Sinking Valleys. The reader will also come to know the Smith family in a manner that has never been opened before. This work of love has been accomplished through many miracles and many trials. I have opened up my own soul and the lives of my predecessors in hopes that all families can heal and unite.

You can order Rising Hills and Sinking Valleys from our online store.

Something that we’ve been wanting to do for a while now is to make a video for the song Serenity Blue.  A few weeks ago, that goal was realized.  We received permission to use video from the movie Emma Smith, My Story in the video.  This video is a powerful representation about the love Joseph had for those that he left behind when he was called from this earth.  We hope you enjoy it and pass it along to your friends.

Hey everyone…our new album is finished and it’s awesome!!! It’s available now to purchase and download on our website.

Well, much has been going on the past few weeks.  Last weekend we were in Independence for the Joseph and Emma Smith family reunion.  As part of the reunion, we sang Happy Birthday to our Grandmother Emma and had cake in her honor.  The two of us also had the privilege to participate in another tribute to the elect lady.  Seth Adam Smith, a good friend of ours, asked us to participate in a video he was making for Emma’s last dream.  It’s a wonderful video that I think you’ll all enjoy.  In other news, our Willow video just reached 10,000 views!  We are currently packing up and getting ready for a long drive to Utah, where we have much planned, including the recording of our album.  So be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed and follow us on facebook to keep up with everything that’s going on!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O63zpghH_dg

There have been a few articles come out about us in the past few weeks in a couple of different publications. The first was in Mormon Times, a part of Deseret News. The most recent is an article in Meridian Magazine. Check them both out!

When we started this musical journey, we felt Silverfern, a name which comes from our Australian cousins, would be a fun name for our group.  However, that name has kind of “fizzled”.  Also, we would like for our facebook page to be about more than just our music.  Therefore, we have created a new facebook page under the name “Smith Family”.  You can find our new page here.  Please head over there and “like” us if you’d like to continue to receive facebook updates.  We’ll be deleting our Silverfern facebook page on March first, so head over to our new page soon!