ServantBand News Page

January 12, 2008: Two new members have been added to the Western States Servant Band as the group prepares to lead music at the 2008 ELCA Western States Youth Gathering in Anaheim CA this summer.

The band has announced its new drummer as 17-year-old Bradley Mortensen, son of David & Cindy Mortensen of Spencer Lake, Washington. Bradley is not only an outstanding student (3.98 cumulative gpa at Shelton High School), but also is a skilled soccer player and a volunteer with the Washington State Patrol. He is active in his church, plays in several music groups at his school, and has been playing the drums for about seven years. (photo attached)

The band is also announcing a new 'Band Aid' for 2008. Anna McCracken is 15 years old, and a sophomore at Bethel High School in Spanaway WA. Anna also is very active in her congregation, and is presently serving as an officer in her synod's high school youth organization. The 'Band Aid' is a special position set aside each year for an extraordinary high school student who possesses exceptional leadership skills, and shows a high degree of maturity, responsibility and the ability to manage and inspire others. The 'Band Aid' serves as a special assistant to the directors. (photo not available at this time)

It is expected that 2-3 more band members will be added in the coming weeks as final face-to-face interviews are conducted.

November 2007: The WSSB led music for the Southwestern Washington high school youth gathering "God Our Sherpa" the weekend before Thanksgiving. Several of their new songs will be featured on a new CD (their 6th) to be released in early 2008!

November 2007: The WSSB has officially been invited to lead music at the next Western States Youth Gathering to be held in southern California during the summer of 2008. New band members are currently being sought (see "auditions").

January 26, 2007: NEW BAND MEMBER! Mari Petersen of Portland OR has become the 59th teenager to hold membership in the Western States Servant Band. The WSSB was formed in 1993 to lead music at Lutheran youth gatherings. Mari is eligible to serve in the band through 2011. Mari (pronounced Mah’-ree) is a junior at Valley Catholic High School in Portland, and an active member of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Beaverton. She is extremely outgoing, smiles a lot, and makes friends easily. She made the decision to audition for the WSSB after seeing last summer’s outdoor concert in the Portland area. In addition to singing in various choirs most of her life, Mari is currently a member of the Oregon Repertory Singers, a professional youth choir. She has acted in plays, appearing in her school’s musicals “Godspell” and “Anything Goes”. Mari's first appearance with the group will be at Spiritual Emphasis Week in Sacramento, California -- April 9-15, 2007.

June 12, 2006: The WSSB will be touring the Pacific Northwest this summer from June 25 through July 2. Performance sites include Shelton, WA, Clackamas, OR, Vancouver, WA, Spokane, WA, Spanaway WA and Auburn WA. For more information and exact locations and times, click here to load a Word document (requires Microsoft Word or Word Viewer).

Spring 2006: The WSSB will be providing music at the Southwestern Washington Synod's annual middle school gathering at Camp Berachah in Auburn WA March 24-26. In April the band will be in Sacramento, California leading Gloria Dei Lutheran School's annual "Spiritual Emphasis Week". In mid-summer, the group will be touring the west coast of the United States.

September 1, 2005: The Western States Servant Band has accepted an invitation to lead music at the SWWA Synod High School Gathering to be held the weekend before Thanksgiving this fall. The event will be at Black Lake Bible Camp near Olympia, Washington. Several hundred participants are expected.

July 11, 2005: The Western States Servant Band just finished leading music for the 2005 ELCA Western States Youth Gathering at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle WA (see www.wsyg.com). Prior to attending the gathering, the servant band released its fifth CD, featuring the theme song for the WSYG.

March 13, 2005 - The WSSB just finished leading music at the ELCA's Southwestern Washington Synod Middle School gathering in Auburn, Washington, and is looking forward to its sixth appearance at Gloria Dei Lutheran School in Sacramento, California (March 28-April 3) where the group will provide leadership and focus for the school's annual Spiritual Emphasis Week. All four of our new band members have been able to be with the group this month -- Lindsey Riddle (Hemet CA), Lauren Frerichs (Auburn WA), Luke Stromberg (Portland OR) and Berkeley Everett (Glendale CA). Following the band's appearance in Sacramento, the group will begin recording its fifth CD which will be released at the Western States Youth Gathering in Seattle WA this summer.

August 10, 2004 - The Western States Servant Band has just accepted an invitation to lead music at the 2005 ELCA Western States Youth Gathering to be held at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle WA (www.wsyg.com). 2,500 high school youth are expected. The WSSB will have a brand new CD available at that gathering, featuring the event's theme song, "Down To Earth".

July 18, 2004 - The Western States Servant Band just completed a very successful summer tour of the western United States, performing 11 concerts and leading 3 worship services in 14 days. The group transversed 4,400 miles and nine states in that time.

April 27, 2004 - The Western States Servant Band will be leading music at the ELCA's Council of Synod LYO Presidents meeting at Camp Berachah in Auburn, Washington December 2-5, 2004. The meeting annually brings together youth leaders from each of the 66 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

April 21, 2004 - The Western States Servant Band has announced its upcoming summer tour of the western United States. The band will be traveling through nine states, offering ten concerts, leading worship in two congregations, and sponsoring children's carnivals in at least two cities. Eleven band members will be making the trip, including the band's newest members Carmelle Kniss (13) and Bryant Williams (17), both from Tacoma WA. At the end of the 4,000-mile trip, the band will lead music at the first annual FROGS regional youth ministry event at Pacific Lutheran University, July 16-18. The following cities will host concerts: Vallejo CA (July 5), Lodi CA (July 6), Fort Collins CO (July 9), Lewistown MT (July 10), Missoula MT (July 11), Walla Walla WA (July 12), Vancouver WA (July 13), Portland OR (July 14), University Place WA (July 15), Auburn WA (July 16). For information on concert locations and times, please write to info@servantband.org.

February 5, 2004 - The WSSB will be leading music at the Southwestern Washington Middle School Gathering to be held at Camp Berachah in Auburn WA March 12-14, 2004. Theme of the gathering is "Tied By Love" based on Colossians 3:14. At the gathering, members of the band will be directing a "mass gathering choir" consisting of middle schoolers and their chaperones.

Watch for the Western States Servant Band to be touring near you this summer! From July 4th through 18th the group will be appearing at churches in Albany CA, Woodbridge CA, Fort Collins CO, Lewistown MT, Walla Walla WA, Vancouver WA, Bellingham WA, Shoreline WA, Auburn WA, and at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma WA. As details of the tour become available, they will be added to this website. Keep watching!

Did you know that 55 young Lutheran musicians have been a part of this group in the 12 years of its existence? The youngest band member ever was Casey Carlson, from Elk Grove CA, who was 13 years old at the time of her first appearance with the group. Casey is now attending seminary preparing to be a Lutheran pastor.

Congratulations to David Karlsgodt who recently became the newest member of the WSSB family to join the ranks of "married". David married Christi Nelson on February 21, 2004. Dave was a sax player during the years 1993, 1994 and 1995, and now owns his own web development company (www.metricmedia.com) in Seattle.

The Servant Band will be appearing at the 2005 Western States Youth Gathering in Seattle WA. For information about that gathering, please see www.wsyg.com.

February 5, 2004 - This year 34 auditions were completed for the Western States Servant Band. Only one new member was added to the band. That mystery person will be introduced for the first time at the SWWA middle school gathering at Camp Berachah on March 12th. Watch this website for a photo and bio on our WSSB newbie!!!