There’s a richness that can be found
only in complexity. Like the complex flavors underneath
the cracked crust of a crème brulée or the subtle layers
of a Mozart symphony. And yet, there’s a simplicity to
these things at the same time, an emotional connection
that lends immediacy.
Yancy is an artist as richly complex and
immediately simple as a mountain sunrise. As a singer,
Yancy has matured over her ten-year career to become a
seasoned veteran both prominent on the live stage or
tucked away behind the studio microphone. Her soaring,
confident vocals are unique to herself, but a close
listen will uncover traces of Sheryl Crow, Amy Grant,
and Martina McBride lurking in the corners.
As a performer, Yancy has shared the
stage with some of the music industry’s brightest stars,
a list that includes Nichole Nordeman, MuteMath,
Newsboys, 4Him, Sonic Flood, and many others. She’s also
earned a veritable mountain of awards, like The Gospel
Music Association’s Spotlight Competition champion, as
well as placement in the Top 25 Independent Christian
Artists and the title of “Best Mystery Artist” in a
recent fan vote on WordRecords.com.
While performing is what propelled Yancy
to the stage, her innate knack for songwriting keeps her
there. After writing her first song as a teenager, Yancy
has honed her skill like a master craftsman, melding
both the lyrical and musical worlds into a singular
whole like only she can. Her collaborative work has also
caused ears to perk up in notice—she worked on the #1
hit song “I Don’t Want to Go,” featured on Avalon’s
Grammy-nominated album Oxygen, as well as penning the
song “Something Beautiful” for Jaci Velasquez’s Beauty
Has Grace.
There’s yet a third layer to Yancy’s
composition as an artist, the engine that drives her
writing and performing career: leading worship. Yancy
spent five years at Church on the Move in Tulsa,
Oklahoma as a congregational worship leader, overseeing
worship in a variety of areas and for a multitude of age
groups. From elementary ministry to youth to young
adults to the main worship staff, Yancy has the
distinctive skill to lead all ages in worship, which led
to her most recent album, a worship album for kids
called Rock-N-Happy Heart that also features a companion
DVD.
Yancy’s worship pursuits are not limited
to the stage, however—she’s also written two devotionals
specifically for worship leaders and band members, The
Worship Pulse and Worship in Black and White. Both of
these books are meant to bring worship teams together as
they study what it means to worship God, and how they
can flow in that as a single unit instead of individual
players.
With her vast experience both inside and
out of the worship arena, Yancy has a matchless
perspective on the musical and spiritual processes of
worship. This viewpoint allows her to offer worship team
training and mentoring both to individual leaders and to
entire worship teams. Yancy lends her experience and
keen musical ear to help worship teams reach their
specific congregations with ever-deepening encounters
with God.
At once simple and complex, at once rich
and subtle, Yancy is an artist who defies categorization
and who refuses to be pigeonholed. Her goal is simple:
to make good music that glorifies God and that reaches
the audience she’s standing in front of. Simple.
Complex. Two words that fully describe the one and only
Yancy.