Christian a cappella group Kindred Spirit spreads religion through singing

"We exist to sing His praises." So reads the core of the purpose statement of Princeton's Kindred Spirit a capella group. A relatively recent addition to the Princeton a capella scene, this group was founded in the 1992-93 school year by Dee Kausman, a student . . . from Westminster Choir College? Why would someone from a music college where the vocal quality meets or surpasses that of Princeton's best singers start an a capella group at Princeton?

According to the group's Webpage, Dee began the group "in response to a vision God had placed on her heart to begin a Christian a capella group on the Princeton campus." Kindred Spirit is thus unique in Princeton's a capella community in that its membership is not limited to Princetonians. The group's members are a blend of Princeton students and students from Westminster Choir College, which is a 15 minute walk from the Princeton campus.

Thus, unlike most other Princeton musical groups, the members of KS are bound together not by a common school experience, but rather by a common love for God. The group is committed to using its music to convey what its members believe to be the most important message of all: "That Jesus Christ is God; that He is also fully man; and that he came to save mankind from sin, from which none of us is exempt."

So how does Kindred Spirit's focus on using music to convey God's message affect the musical quality of KS as compared to the quality of other a capella groups on the Princeton campus? Musical director Jeannette Dickerson '01 said, "Putting our hearts into the words we sing is more important to us than perfecting every note. But that being said, we are truly aiming for musical excellence. We know that music is a powerful thing, and we hope that by forming a tight knit musical group, our message will better impact the people who listen to us."

Fellowship Chair Christina Sim '03 added, "Musicality is definitely important . . . [but] the quality of the music is important only to the extent that we're able to reach out to people on both campuses and show God's love, and totally praise Him in every single word and note . . . [We decided to] 'step up' the musical quality of the group so that we could be a more effective witnessing tool for God."

How do Westminster students in Kindred Spirit feel about the group's musical quality? Kevin Rogers, a freshman at Westminster Choir College, said, "As a student at Westminster, I'm performing sacred music all day long. It means so much more, however, to perform music outside of school. The difference is the goal of the performance. In school, the goal is absolute musical excellence. In KS, the goal is more on the message of the music than the music as message . . . We strive for musical excellence in the name of God . . . We exist for the betterment of everyone involved — the audience and the performers. We do not sing to inflate our egos or to pay the bills, but to glory His name."

Kindred Spirit's purpose has always been first and foremost to praise God through music. The group hopes to do this in two primary ways: first, by serving as an encouragement to other Christians, who form the bulk of KS's audience at arch sings, and secondly by bringing the message of God's love manifest in Jesus to non-Christians during various outreach events such as future planned concerts in Palmer Square and at Communiversity.

KS also provides encouragement to its own members. Sim asserted, "I really feel that the group has totally strengthened my personal walk with God. The entire group functions as a fellowship unit, and it's just so incredible to sing praises with other Christians and totally feel God's love being represented."

Other members also draw personal encouragement from their participation in KS. Marie Milligan '02 said, "Singing with Kindred Spirit reminds me at every rehearsal, every performance where the gift of music came from in the first place. It's so amazing to finish running through a song, the last chord still resonating in the room, and know that I had absolutely nothing to do with it. It was God who created the voices, the melody, the powerful lyrics, the emotions that they make you feel. Being surrounded by a roomful of Christians thinking the same thing, helps me remember that."

Like Milligan, the other members of KS see their artistic interests and their faith as inextricably woven together. Dickerson said, "The arts, to me, are just another way to look at the world and to represent it . . . It is my desire not only to represent the world accurately through my art, but also to produce an art that uplifts and encourages or causes people to think."

Milligan added that, "Giving praise to God, through singing, is the ultimate form of worship for me personally . . . It is so important to remember that God was the initial inspiration for every aspect of the arts. The Bible is full of moments where God's people were so overwhelmed with love for Him that they simply needed to express it in some artistic medium. Breaking out into song or dance, throwing paint against a canvas, writing a poem is a natural outflow of God's love. . . I never feel closer to God than when I am surrounded by beautiful harmonies and melodies, blending together in some miraculous way."