Beyond The Veil

By JACK SHAUM
Staff Writer

STEVENSVILLE- Two Kent Island sisters, who have performed their own special brand of Christian music at a Katrina benefit concert in New Orleans and a major Iraqi troop deployment at BWI Airport, will be making a rare hometown appearance this weekend.
Brittany Turner, 17, and Miriah Turner, 15, are known professionally as the singing group "Beyond the Veil, a contemporary Christian group that writes and performs all original music. They will be performing Saturday evening at 7 p.m. at the Island Alliance Church in Stevensville.
"We're like a ministry and a band rolled into one," said Miriah. "Our harmony seems to catch people."
"Ever since I was young, I've loved music," added Brittany. "You could call us musicianaries."
"Being a Christian group, this is more a ministry than a garage band," said Stephanie Turner, the girls' mother, who also serves as their co-manager with her husband, Rick.
The two sisters, who live in Cloverfields and attend Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church, have been performing under the name "Beyond the Veil" for three years. Brittany plays violin and piano and sings, and Miriah plays the drums and sings. Both are self-taught.
"This is a big part of our lives. We perform most weekends, but we rarely play in Maryland," Brittany said. They've spread the word abouth their musical ministry through electronic press kits and their demonstration compact disc.
The sisters are students at Kent Island High School where they are also active in varsity sports and music.
Brittany writes their music, Stephanie writes the lyrics, and Miriah handles the harmonization of the music. They describe their music as Contemporary Christian that includes a variety of styles.
"There are a lot of issues for this generation," Stephanie says. "A lot of the songs deal with the struggles of Christians and people in general."
In 2003 they were invited to perform at a USO event at BWI Airport where a major troop deployment to Iraq was taking place. They hope to be able to return for another similar event soon.
In July they traveled to New Orleans to participate in a Katrina benefit concert sponsored by Ambassadors for Christ. The performance took place in a stadium in a park that had been ravaged by the hurricane, they said. Because there was no power, generators had to be used to produce electricity.
Also in July, "Beyond the Veil" sponsored "Praise Jam 06" at the Cloverfields beach in which four bands performed as part of a community outreach event. It was the first of what they call the Unity Concert Series and Saturday night's performance will be the second. Other concerts in the series are planned for next spring and summer.
"We hope to involve many churches and bring the community out for a night of family-friendly entertainment," Stephanie said of the upcoming concert. It will be their second performance at Island Alliance Church. The concert is free, but a "love offering" will be received.
According to their Web site www.beyondaveil.com, the sisters have several other upcoming concerts outside Queen Anne's County. Later this month, they will perform at The Pour House in Westminster, Cafe 172 in Glen Burnie, and The Brooklyn Bridge Coffeehouse in Brooklyn Park. In December, they'll perform at The Word on Main Street in Stony Point, N.Y.
"We would like to make this a career. This ministry means a lot to me. We feel like we are making a contribution," said Brittany. Miriah also hopes they'll continue to perform together. "You can't take us apart," she said. "We're a package."
And there's the possibility that the group may eventually be expanded to include younger sister, Sierra, 11.
"She's up and coming," smiled Stephanie.
Additional information on Saturday's performance is available by calling 410-604-3491.

- November 8, 2006 The Bay Times Page 25

Kerry Eble-Keller (Rating: 10)
"Hauntingly beautiful wow! Song "Never Know" brought me to tears!!!! You are very talented!"

Ariana Rosario (Rating: 10)
"I love your music,you guys are amazing keep up the good work!!"

Alicia Sanders (Rating: 10)
"Love your sound and your scruples!!"

Joshua Meadows (Rating: 10)
"Sound is good. Voices sound great. Drums are awesome!! Gonna listen to more"

John turner (Rating: 10)
"keep the faith"

Dave McLuckie (Rating: 10)
"Brittany and Meriah are BLESSED by God with their voices and presentation. I hope to have them come back to PA. God BLESS! Dave"

Kent Island Concert Hall (Rating: 10)
"You two sound great.Your harmonies work so well together."

VEE WOOD (Rating: 10)
"sSOUNDS AS BEAUTIFUL AS YOU ARE..."

Shirley Turner (Rating: 10)
"Truly a blessing from god, the talent that you young ladies have. continue to be bless Shirley & Chester Turner"

Scott Lovelady (Rating: 10)
"i love it, very powerful!!"

Leslie Matos (Rating: 10)
"You girls sound wonderful. May you continue to be blessed."

Johnny Gutierrez (Rating: 10)
"Awesome song and message. Powerful.Evanescence, watch out."

Melody Thompson (Rating: 10)
"Beautiful, sweet sounds...for our Savior."

Richard Porter (Rating: 10)
"Well, you know... heck, I recorded it"

John blake (Rating: 10)
"To never know Him is to miss out on the heavenly experience"

LINDA GARY (Rating: 10)
"To Never Know is a beautiful song with a great message"

Debbie Jamar (Rating: 10)
"You girls ROCK!! Your songs send an awesome message to all."

Marilyn Fritsche (Rating: 10)
"Your just great, love all your music.."

Camille Wood (Rating: 10)
"I get goosebumps everytime I hear this song - and I find myself humming it over and over again throughout the day. I give it an 11! All my blessings. GMAC"

Andy Brayton (Rating: 10)
"I love their music!!! Keep it up>"

Peter waldron (Rating: 10)
"The breath of God may have inspired the lyrics but He whispers "I love you" through their voices. A divine listening experience."

Scott Gary (Rating: 10)
"very good music"

Justin Griffin (Rating: 10)
"4yrs PLUS and still rock solid! Like through and through still keepin it Christ focused! And now they're walkin on water! :) I want to see a song called Justin....(inside joke) or maybe just cookies! YEAH!!! Talk to ya later!"

Michal Tyra (Rating: 10)
"Fantastic stuff. These girls are really a breath of fresh air. They are certainly headed for big things."

Liz Warfield (Rating: 10)
"These 2 girls are amazing people who are on fire for God. And this song is so amazing, honestly it's my favorite song of theres."

Dan Lohrfink (Rating: 9)
"Great stuff! Keep at it and I hope to hear & see you live soon!"

Jose Matos (Rating: 10)
"Beautiful!!!sounds like angels singing on earth the lirics of heaven.God bless you the same way He bless us through you."

Bizzy Bender (Rating: 10)
"great harmonies!"

Laura Principato (Rating: 10)
"Wow! The vocals and song style are fab!"

Chris Higginbottom (Rating: 10)
"WOW! Powerful songs and great sound. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!"

Becky Wright (Rating: 10)
"Your song makes me CRY! Gorgeous melody, harmonies, LYRICS-- oh, my! True message for LIFE! Wow. Becky Wright"

Todd Day singer/songwriter (Rating: 10)
"Great music and harmony! Keep it up!"

Rebecca Carpenter (Rating: 10)
"Great vocals, nice blending of voices! Unique sound, beautiful piano. I hope you go far!"

Jeff Jaquith - (White Stone) (Rating: 10)
"Like Tim - We also lost a child (daughter) near birth. Thanks. I love when family sings together!!Vocals are beautiful. God bless."

Tim Underwood - Psalm 151 (Rating: 10)
"Wonderful sound! "To Never Know" is incredible. We've lost a child and can't understand how people can destroy life. We pray the Lord bless your message. Thanks for being the voice for those who can't speak for themselves."

Jennifer Kohlhafer (Rating: 10)
"You girl are awesome and totally anointed!! Keep up the good work. God Bless!"

Keith@ Indieheaven (Rating: 10)
"Wonderful having you with us on Indieheaven! Your songs sound wonderful!"
- www.indieheaven.com

Rock Band Leads Students, On and Off Stage

By Sarah H. Dolan

September 28, 2009

"Leadership and acting now...there is no waiting," is the message that 20 year-old Regent University School of Undergraduate Studies (RSU) student Brittany Turner hopes to get across to today's generation.

As the lead vocalist and keyboard player for the Christian rock band Beyond the Veil, Turner says that her college degree is an important component to leading others, on and off-stage.

"I want to influence others through our music," Turner explains. "I don't just want to travel with our music, but to grow in the process...Why not learn now with school, which will help us better lead a young generation?"

Her sister, Miriah, also a RSU student, is the drummer and vocal harmonist for the band. They chose Regent for its spiritual values and ranking by the Online Education Database (OEDb) as having the second best online programs in the nation. The youngest Turner sister, 14-year-old Sierra, is backup percussion and vocal harmonist and hopes to one day enroll in Regent Law.

Both Brittany and Miriah, who take online courses in organizational leadership, say that their Regent coursework helps with the goal of having strong interpersonal connections with people as part of their lifestyle.

"I don't want to just entertain people, tell them about God and leave and go to the next show," said Miriah. "I want to connect with people on a deeper level. Each person has an incredible story to tell, which is what inspires us to write another song."

With Beyond the Veil's first album release distributing though over 16 companies online, and a U.S. tour averaging 60 shows a year, the girls have many chances to demonstrate leadership first-hand. On September 24, Beyond the Veil shared their message with an audience of mostly students as they performed for a special Regent University evening chapel service.

"I love being able to sing words so deep that you hit somebody," said Brittany. "Taking people to a place where you really need God and a resolution."

PR/NEWS CONTACT: Judy Baker
Public Relations
Phone: 757.352.4307 Fax: 757.352.4888
E-mail: judibak@regent.edu - By Sarah H. Dolan, Regent University

Beyond the Veil

Posted by: Chris Well on October 30, 2006 at 3:53PM EST

This duo, composed of sisters Brittany and Miriah Turner, performs original songs that testify to the love of God even in troubled times. Brittany, who writes much of the group's music, recently started college. Miriah is in high school. Click here to check out Beyond the Veil's music.
- myccm.org

From: Jeff@monksmedia.com

Date: Feb 10, 2006 7:06 PM
Subject: indie showcase
Body: Girls:

I replayed your interview tonight and may I say, I feel great! You were a real blessing to talk to! I am sitting at my computer here at home and laughing and smiling as I listen to the show. This is really great because I normally do not get to listen, but I took the night off to stay at home and now I can't get away from the computer since we replayed your show.

Thanks again and we are working on dates for you in April. You WILL come in to meet us live and we will put you back on then, in studio.

Keep it up!

Jeff Monks
- Monks Media Network

By Abby Schmidt
Staff Writer

Stevensville - Take three musically inclined sisters, a mother with a flair for writing lyrics, a father who doesn't mind towing the group and its equipment all over the U.S., and the whole family's deep-rooted faith in God, and you get Beyond the Veil, the sisters' contemporary Christian group that recently released its first studio album.
But don't think the Turner family is seeking fame and fortune with their talents.
"It's really a ministry with a band attached," said Miriah, 16, the middle sister and a back-up vocalist and drummer.
Older sister Brittany, 18, is the lead vocalist, plays keyboards and helps write songs; youngest sister Sierra, a bubbly 12-year old, recently joined the band full-time as a back-up singer and percussionist who may start learning the bass guitar this summer.
The sisters' mother, Stephanie, writes many of the lyrics, and their father, Rick, is, in Stephanie's words, the band's roadie, in charge of equipment set-up and technical support. Together, the parent's manage their talented daughter's.
The group's debut album, released last month at a party at Heritage Community Church in Severn, is called "The Things of This World Pale," and has 13 original songs written and performed by the group. The album was recorded at Classic Recording Studio in Nashville and features several session musicians.
The material for the songs, Stephanie said, came from everyday life, and subjects addressed include abortion, peer pressure, loneliness and God.
On the CD, the sisters' voices, led by Brittany's strong, lilting vocals, blend into beautiful harmonies layered over keyboards, guitars, drums and other percussion instruments.
Neither of the girls has ever taken a formal music lesson, said Brittany, evidence that their talents are God-given and should be used to minister to others. Brittany said that at the age of 14, she felt inclined to start a band and began piecing together some lyrics with her mother, who wrote songs when she was younger. Eventually, the sisters performed at school and started opening at coffee houses.
Since then, the band has traveled to Louisiana for benefit concerts for victims of Hurricane Katrina and performed at USO shows for troops and their families. One of the songs on their CD, "Fly Away," is dedicated to military families and when they perform it, military members are asked to come to the front and salute their families. That song is also popular on a radio station in Waco, Texas.
The song on the CD that seems to have had the biggest impact is "To Never Know," about abortion. It was discovered on the band's MySpace page by a radio station in the Netherlands, who requested permission to play it. Other people have found the song on the band's Facebook page, and its popularity has grown among pro-life groups. An independent film company wants to use the recording in an upcoming movie.
And the band continues to tour. Usually, the family and their equipment travel in a big blue Suburban with a trailer, driving up and down the East Coast for weekend engagements. All three girls say they love the road trips and the Suburban feels like home, where Sierra commandeers the entire third row of seating and watches a portable DVD player or does homework while her sisters and mother work on laptops.
When friends ask if her family is getting rich from CD sales and fees they earn for playing at different venues, Sierra said she has to laugh because all that money is going one place--into the Suburban's gas tank.
Stephanie said she is hoping to book some shows on the West Coast this summer, but that requires flying, which can be expensive for the entirely self-funded group, with the heavy equipment.
All three sisters would like to get the band signed, but it would have to be the right company.
"We would need to be able to keep our creative license," Miriah said.
And if music doesn't pan out, the girls have other aspirations. Brittany is currently a film student at Regent University, which has campuses in Washington, D.C., and Virginia Beach. Often, the family's road trips provide fodder for her film class assignments. Miriah is a student at Kent Island High School and is taking dual enrollment classes at Chesapeake College in addition to holding a part-time job. She hopes to attend Regent University and said she feels called to ministry. Sierra, a student at Stevensville Middle School, thinks she might like to be a reporter or a pastor's wife to stay close to ministry- though Brittany said her 12-year-old sister's career ideas change weekly.
But the band's future looks bright.
Upcoming shows include stops in Michigan in April and New York in June. Philip Scott, a guitarist from Edgewater Maryland, was recently added to the band and a bass guitarist is expected to join in May. Stephanie said there is enough additional original material to start on a second album, but that hasn't stopped Brittany from continuing to write.
- March 14, 2008 Record Observer

"First, I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to submit your material for this year’s compilation CD. Words can’t express how touched I am that you believe in the mission of Rock for Life so much to allow us the chance to join with you in Ministry and Outreach.

Response to the project has been phenomenal! Unfortunately we can’t use everything that we’ve been sent. Due to physical limitation of the CD (80 minutes), we could only use so much of what was sent in. Countless hours were spent by our selection team listening to everyone’s songs.


In the end, below is the lineup we’re going with for this year’s CD (in no particular order).


Gretchen Manic Drive

Jimmy Needham Foolish Things

Realign Angel’s Wake

Beyond the Veil Chris Taylor

Circus Dawn Critical Mass

Dying Man Jeduthun

Keslinger Last Day

One Friend Paperklip

Singing 4 Eternity Sarah Bauer

Jeremy Drinkwine

Once again, I wish to thank everyone and look forward to working with you again next year."


Rock for Life Nashville

info@rflnash.org

- Rock For Life--Nashville Chapter

"First, I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to submit your material for this year’s compilation CD. Words can’t express how touched I am that you believe in the mission of Rock for Life so much to allow us the chance to join with you in Ministry and Outreach.

Response to the project has been phenomenal! Unfortunately we can’t use everything that we’ve been sent. Due to physical limitation of the CD (80 minutes), we could only use so much of what was sent in. Countless hours were spent by our selection team listening to everyone’s songs.


In the end, below is the lineup we’re going with for this year’s CD (in no particular order).


Gretchen Manic Drive

Jimmy Needham Foolish Things

Realign Angel’s Wake

Beyond the Veil Chris Taylor

Circus Dawn Critical Mass

Dying Man Jeduthun

Keslinger Last Day

One Friend Paperklip

Singing 4 Eternity Sarah Bauer

Jeremy Drinkwine

Once again, I wish to thank everyone and look forward to working with you again next year."


Rock for Life Nashville

info@rflnash.org

- Rock For Life--Nashville Chapter