Monticello Live

Usually, One Monticello Life is done in an interview type format, but this week will be a little different.

Someone suggested that we feature Kasey Earl a couple of months ago.  When I heard that he was playing at “the Coffee Bean” Friday and last night, I had to go.  It was great. But that’s not all.  Kasey is also the drummer for Gary Meggs & Ezekiel 3:18, who will be featured in the “Branson Comes to Monticello” event tonight.  It’s been a busy week for Kasey Earl, this week’s One Monticello Life.

This weeks edition may be in a different format, but I think you will be blessed by learning more about Kasey Earl.

When I asked Kasey to tell me about himself, and how he got to where the Lord has led him today, he sumed it up this way……

I’m currently in my first senior year as a music performance major at UAM. People ask how I found Monticello and the only answer I have is God placed me here. He connected me with Gary Meggs, director of bands at UAM, who offered me a scholarship. I’d say the best part of my college career and the most beneficial to my “education” has not been classes but the friendships I’ve made and the experiences I’ve had. Right now I’m waiting for God to lead me down the path of my career. I can see the path He’s laid out for me so far as I continue to seek the doors He has open for me to pursue.

I was born in Shreveport, LA but didn’t stop crying ‘til I got home across the border to Elysian Fields, TEXAS where I grew up. When I was a kid I had a video of George Strait in concert, and I would stand on my Little Tykes picnic table “stage” and strum my Bert & Ernie banjo and imagine that I was George performing for an audience of thousands. All my childhood years, beginning with the death of bull rider Lane Frost, I wanted to be a rodeo bullfighter…until I sparked a true interest in learning to play drums at age 10. I got a drum set for my birthday and started playing along with the radio, especially with anything country as well as “The Commodores’ Greatest Hits.” (I guess that’s why I like playing funk so much)

I started playing at church and traveling with our music minister to camps and different events across the Ark-La-Tex region. Later I got the desire to play guitar. This way I could lead worship for my youth group. In high school I met a group of guys and we formed a Christian rock band called Floodlight. My junior year I became the first person in the history of Elysian Fields school to make the Association of Texas Small School Bands All-State Honor Band. That year I made 1st chair snare for the concert band and the next year, was selected as 1st chair drumset for the ATSSB All-State Jazz Band. I had the honor of being asked to play with the East Texas Baptist University concert band both of those years as well. I am now a member of UAM’s Marching Band, Concert Band 1, and Jazz Band 1.

Within the first week of moving to Monticello in the Fall of 2004, I met Rob Leonard, director of the Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship at UAM. I began playing drums with the worship band and by that Spring started leading the worship. It is a great honor to be a part of what God is doing on our campus. We’ve seen many lives changed.

I’ve had many opportunities to travel and play across the country. As well as leading worship, I’m the drummer for Gary Meggs and the Ezekiel 3:18 Band. We’ve been featured on Total Christian Television, Good Morning Arkansas, and Fan Fair in Nashville, TN. I played drums for Elliott Andrews this past summer at the Arkansas Baptist Assembly in Siloam Springs, AR. I’ve gotten to play with artists like Frida Payne and the legendary Ms. Della Reese. 

Currently I’m part of a group embarking on a new journey in ministry. Not only are we continuing to lead worship, we have been working on ideas such as leadership seminars and conferences. We feel that God has placed us together and given each of us individual abilities and interests that we can combine and use to further the kingdom of Christ and His renown. There is more info at www.myspace.com/rethinkleadership
 
My websites are:

www.kaseyearl.com

www.myspace.com/kaseyearl

Gary Meggs and the Ezekiel 3:18 Band:

www.garymeggs.com

www.myspace.com/ezekiel318band 

Church: Pauline Baptist
Clubs: Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship
Sports: I try to stay away from them. I always wind up injured.
Hobbies: Music is a hobby I have chosen as a career.
Pets: I was raised on a farm with horses, mules, chickens, more dogs than we can keep track of, cats, and pretty much whatever else you can think of. Currently with me in Monticello is my sidekick blue heeler, Shelby.
 
Favorites:
-Phrase: “I AM is awesome. I am not I AM. I AM lives in me. I reflect I AM.
-Restaurant: TGIFriday’s, Papacita’s, Big Pine’s Lodge, Young’s Bar-B-Que, and I eat Wendy’s almost everyday, so I guess it counts.
-TV Show: CSI Miami, The Office
-Movie: Zorro, pretty much anything funny or action-packed. NOTHING SCARY!!
-Actor: Nicolas Cage, Will Ferrell
-Music: Anything and everything basically, at least that actually involves actual musical talent.
-Song: If George Strait sang it, you name it
-Book: The Bible of course, the “Hank the Cowdog” series
-Sports Team: Dallas Cowboys, Texas A&M Aggies
 
I would like to express a deep love a appreciation for my family and friends and girlfriend who have taught me so much about life and encourage me and support me.

Thanks Kasey Earl, for sharing your One Monticello Life.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, February 24th, 2008 at 3:20 pm and is filed under Feature: OML. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.