Sincerely Jude

CHRISTIAN MUSIC | SINCERELY JUDE
Another garage band? Not exactly.
By Lia Russell
Correspondent
WESTERN BRANCH
Just before 7 p.m. on any given Tuesday, cars begin to accumulate in the driveway of Kevin and Courtney Parker’s home.
Shortly thereafter, muffled music can be heard coming from the vicinity of their attached garage.
Neighbors may suspect the Parkers have a lot of parties, but they would be wrong.
The group of five men and one woman, collectively known as Sincerely Jude, who meet in Parker’s converted, sound-insulated garage once a week, are there for band practice. The room is crowded, but the band feels fortunate to have its own, well-equipped practice space.
They’ve come a long way since three of them started playing together Sunday evenings at Alexander Baptist Church more than five years ago.
Drummer and band manager Kevin Parker, 35, vocalist, keyboardist and songwriter Julia Benton, 25, and her brother, bass guitarist Zach Benton, 19, are the original members of this contemporary Christian band, which has garnered a legion of fans locally and regionally.
Joining them two years ago were sound engineer Daniel Ba- ines, 43, his brother, guitarist David Baines, 38, and guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Mark Hoback, 35. With their addition, the band gelled.
“We’re just like a big family,” said Zach Benton, an engineering student at Old Dominion University. “We’re always talking throughout the day and texting each other about news. Tuesday night practices are the highlight of our week.”
Their faith, camaraderie and commitment to their craft has helped them flourish as musicians.
The band’s first gig at an outdoor church picnic in August 2010 had a few dozen in attendance, but when they recently opened for Gram-my nominee Nicole C. Mullen in Virginia Beach, they were playing in front of an audience of 3,000.
“We initially just anticipated playing small little concerts at local churches and it rapidly grew,” said Parker, who is an environmental scientist with Hampton Roads Sanitation District. “But we’re more passionate about reaching people than hitting it big. Our desire is to point people to Christ through our music.”
Sincerely Jude, whose name is meant to symbolize the closing signature on the Biblical book of Jude, released its first album last September, with 12 original songs written by Benton and Hoback. They’ve sold more than 300 CDs to date, with proceeds primarily funding new band equipment.
Benton said she wrote her first song, “Praise You,” during one of her life’s “valleys.”
“I was just desperate to talk to someone one night, but no one was around. I grabbed a pen and paper and started to write a letter to God,” said Benton, a financial assistant for Distinct Event Rentals. “It was after I wrote my heart on paper that I thought, ‘Hey, this sounds like it could be a song.’ The rest is history.”
Benton said most of her songs usually concern her personal convictions or about someone she knows, but she never reveals whom a song is about.
“I just tell people it’s about whoever needs to hear it at the time it’s played,” she said. “I want people to relate to it as if it was written for them to hear, personally.”
With a musical sound reminiscent of bands Evanescence and Third Day, Sincerely Jude has a highly contemporary quality with a rock twist.
“The faster stuff has a lot of energy, which is great,” David Baines, a copier service technician, said. “We also have some slower ballad songs.”
“We like to play ALL kinds of music,” Benton said.
“Sometimes people think it’s just ‘young people’ music, but it’s our desire to reach all people with our music,” Parker added.
That’s not to say that the band doesn’t have its share of devoted groupees.
“We do have a lot of fans who follow us wherever we go,” Zach Benton said.
At 6:30 p.m. this Sunday, the band soon will debut new songs with a new format and new stage presentation during a concert at Alexander Baptist Church in Western Branch. The concert is free to the public and the band promises an exciting show.
“When there is a crowd that’s charged up and excited to be there, I, and the whole band, get so much energy it’s hard to stand still,” Julia Ben-ton said.
The band was the top vote-getter (1,829) in an online competition to win a spot at Kings-fest, a three-day Christian music festival at Kings Dominion theme park in Doswell beginning June 28. A panel of musician judges will listen to the Top 5 finalists to select the winner later this week.
At the end of the day, however, it’s the band’s singular purpose that motivates and drives it on.
“Our No. 1 goal is to glorify God,” said Mark Hoback, a Caterpillar service manager. “God has used our talents to bless Him and get His name out there, and because of that, I think the sky’s the limit on what this band can do.” - The Virginian Pilot -Chesapeake Clipper