Sometimes the thing you gave up for a lifetime of happiness comes around again.

This might be the perfect epitaph, in time, for Kelly Carpenter. A natural musician from childhood, Kelly was writing songs by the age of five, and performed live in various ensembles throughout his school years. After high school Kelly tried college, but one year in he walked away to pursue music full time. Along the way, he played in bands with some people who went on to have solid careers in the music business, but Kelly eventually returned to the safety and security of a college education. The path ahead was the American dream: A computer programming degree, a successful career, marriage to his best friend Merrilyn (30 years and counting), and music as an increasingly successful hobby.

Kelly also discovered a new depth to his spiritual life, and channeled his talents into worship music. This eventually led him to the Vineyard Church and a music community in the 1980’s and 1990’s that significantly influenced the popular revival of Contemporary Christian Music. His songs have been recorded by some of the biggest names in CCM, with “Draw Me Close” (Michael W. Smith, John Tesh, The Katinas, Kathy Troccoli) the biggest of them all. Kelly also did significant session work during this time, as music stayed an essential part of his personal essence.

In retrospect, it seems almost inevitable that Kelly Carpenter would one day be called back to music full-time. His inner voice began to exhort him in earnest in 2007 while working as a programmer for Microsoft and living a comfortable life. The Great Recession intervened the next year, however, and Kelly opted once again for the safety of a nine-to-five job. His muse wouldn’t be put off, however. A repetitive motion injury forced Kelly to take extended time off from work, and music filled the vacuum. Kelly finally found the courage to walk away and pursue his first love: music.

Jump forward to 2011, where Kelly has put the finishing touches on his first release in ten years, Passage. There are elements of new age, classical, jazz and pop woven into Passage, as well some of the dramatic sensibility found in modern worship music, but there’s a deeper connection in Carpenter’s work that is impossible to ignore. Passage is not your typical new age/pop effort. For one, Kelly doesn’t play by the rules, following wherever the muse leads even if the steps seem counterintuitive. There’s
an elemental feel to Kelly’s compositions; as if he weren’t so much writing pieces as channeling the very soul of the universe.

Kelly Carpenter was born to make music. He loves to make music. He practically dances to the universal motets he spins, circling around melodies like a child in the first moments of discovery. This pure joy and wonder pervades his compositions. It’s difficult to not get drawn into these moments; and impossible to deny the beauty and complex simplicity of his themes. Like all great composers, Kelly Carpenter lifts listeners above and beyond the moment; transporting the mind, the heart and the soul
into a world where the light is brighter and the colors more lush. Is this an experience you can afford to miss?

Written by Wildy Haskell

Music has always been my passion. Writing, playing, singing, listening...everything to do with music. When I was five I wrote my first song, "Theme 33" on the piano. By the time I was in junior high I had teamed up with a classmate and started writing songs with music and lyrics. We performed them at assemblies.

High school was the usual bonanza for budding musicians: band, choir, stage band, etc. I played alto sax in the concert band and piano in the jazz band. I continued to hang with other musicians in various garage bands. I remember one band performing "Smoke On The Water" at a spirit rally. Here I was playing the bass part with my left hand on my Fender Rhodes. By the time I was a senior I started playing in serious bands. And after dropping out of college in my first year, I went on the road to play top-40 in lounges all over the west coast. I started my own originals band by the time I was 20.

During this period of time I had bandmates and acquaintances who chose to pursue music as a full-time profession and wound up making quite the career for themselves. I chose a different path. I decided at the age of 22 to go back to school and develop a skill that would land me a real job. I chose security and stability, relegating my music to being only an avocation. I got married and settled down and am happy to say that my wife and I are still together after 30 years. (Most career musicians, especially those that have to tour a lot, don't stay happily married.) Though music was no longer my main gig, I continued to play and write and focus all of my musical energies towards my newfound faith.

By the 1990's I became involved in the contemporary worship scene. I did a lot of session work for a producer friend of mine, mostly out of one studio. I still reminisce fondly over a particular Yamaha piano where I cut hours and hours of material. I also became busy as a session player and songwriter for Vineyard Music, the music arm of the Vineyard Church denomination. During the late 80's and into the 90's, the worship music that came out of the Vineyard movement was considered to be on the forefront of contemporary worship. I had several of my songs published, one of which was "Draw Me Close", which has gone on to become a worship classic, recorded by the likes of Michael W. Smith, The Katinas, Kathy Traccoli, Kutlass, and John Tesh. This song, now over 15 years old, is still sung today in churches around the world.

During all of this time, music had still been an avocation while I worked in the IT field. Starting around 2008, I felt the strong desire to do music full-time, but quitting my day job (Microsoft) and leaving all of it's financial security behind was a very scary idea. It didn't help much when the economy went to pieces and we entered "The Great Recession". Eventually though, I developed a chronic hand injury that made it impossible to continue working in a profession which required nine hours a day of constant computer use. I truly believe that God forced my hand, literally, to quit the day job and change careers. 

I really had no choice but to pursue a full-time career in music. What else was I going to do? Sell insurance? Go into landscaping? And strangely enough, my hand injury is not as aggravated when I play music as when I use a computer. So now I can moderate what I do with my hands and manage my injury by resting when I need to.

It is sort of embarassing to admit that it took something like this to force me off the cliff and begin doing what I absolutely love to do. The question now became: What am I going to do? Having written songs for years, I considered going the singer/songwriter route, but reality check: I am in my 50's. This is a scene that favors the young. So, I decided to concentrate on instrumental music. I put out a piano instrumental in 2001 and everyone who has heard it loves it! People find it very relaxing and soothing, have used it for yoga and massage and occupational therapy and navel gazing. And it's not your cheesy spa new age stuff either! I am convinced that if more people heard it, they would buy it. But I never learned much about marketing and promotion, so as I gain these skills, I am hoping that more people will get to hear it.

That said, my last project was ten years ago. I am now almost finished with my latest CD and I am very happy with how it turned out. Life has taken a major turn for me these past couple of years. So, here I am, full of excitement and fear, jumping off the cliff, working to finally launch a music career. Let's see what happens. 

I like sunflowers.

I am not a vegetarian.

I tend to be goofy.

I have been married to my best friend and life partner, Merrilyn, for almost 29 years!

I am into music. Duh!

I drive a '93 Toyota Celica GTS, loaded!
Well, my wife let's me drive it on occasion.

The above statement was not meant to imply that I drive loaded.
The car just has a lot of features.

I like to turn everything into an acronym. You could say I have "EAS".

I write music. And play music. And listen to music.

My parents have been married 66 years.

I turned 50 a couple of years ago and am not the least depressed about it.
Except that my body hurts more and that sometimes depresses me.

COFFEE IS THE ELIXIR OF THE GODS!!

Sarcasm is next to godliness. Or at least I hope so. Like, whatever...

I sincerely apologize to all I may have annoyed during rehearsals
because of all my shenanigans.

I was born in Walnut Creek, California.
Dwight Eisenhower was president. Paper towels had yet to be invented.
(all important bits of information)

I have written a pretty famous song, "Draw Me Close".

I love our dogs, Kayla and Jake. They kill me.

I love to crank tunes through the killer sound system in the aforementioned car.

I'm increasingly uncomfortable with the label "Christian".
I would rather be known to be a follower of Jesus.

Okay, let's face it: I think I have been postmodern most of my life.
The clothes finally fit.

I find televised basketball tedious and boring.

Perhaps the Mariners will make it to the World Series before I die. Probably not.

I almost always have at least one song running through my head.

There is nothing like a good beer, unless it is another good beer.

I have fun playing with words, and with people's names.

I may not always be the sharpest tool in the cookie jar,
but at least I'm difficult to work with.

That's almost like saying I may be slow but I do poor work.

I am still sometimes amazed that some people have no sense of humor.
(Although I suppose that last item was a bit of a stretch.)

I find D minor to be the saddest of all keys.

I am repeatedly listening to "Astral Weeks" in an effort to eventually understand it.

I know what you're thinking: Why didn't I choose the blue pill?