Turning Pointe

The evening promised a gospel delight. And by 7:00 pm, the Shell Hall of the MUSON Centre, Lagos, penultimate Tuesday evening, was half-filled. On stage was a keyboard hooked to a laptop, three seats and three microphones. That was the assemblage which Turning Pointe, an Atlanta, US based quartet gospel band on the last leg of a six country tour would need.

After confirming a sound-check on stage, the Turning Pointe quartet; Mark Patterson, Tamara Coleman, Sanchez Dixon, and Priestly Stephenson sang out “Let’s give God the praise” for about 15 seconds and recessed. The show was set to start. Rejoice, the first number they sang within two minutes got the audience clapping. It was just the beginning.

The group made up of young black Americans; two males and two females, went through a medley of traditional gospel songs and interspersed it with their own songs. On and on, they went. And at one point, the session was turned into a ministration of sort. And when the group sang Halleluyah, Salvation, Glory, were there fragile glasses around the venue they surely would have shattered at Tamara’s penetrating soprano. The way she belted out the lyrics, it was as if Whitney Houston was there.

The hook of the night might have been the smooth, velvety song, Keep Your Eyes on the Prize. The song, according to Patterson is wake-up call to ‘having faith to believe’ there is more to life. The chorus, ‘desperately trying to find my way, from the desert to the stream, from the present to my dream,’ was clear. Making the song brilliant were the combination of voices by Patterson, Stepehnson, and Coleman. And the wisdom which the song commanded was not lost on the attentive audience.

The group which had toured Ghana, Liberia, Togo, and Malawi, while in Lagos, sought out Double Bass Player, Mike Adetona who gave an impressive performance that got a clapping ovation. And dressed in jeans, T-Shirt, and pull-over, Dixon, who is studying Music Technology and Jazz at Georgia State University, showed his wizardry on the keyboard. According to Dixon, Togo was the most memorable country on the tour. “It was an idle marketplace experience. I’m like the laid-back kind of person and Togo kind of did it for me,” he said.

“Challenges are things you have to overcome,” says Patterson, leader of the group which is just two years old. But, Patterson believes, “the most important thing is to keep your eye on the prize.”

According to Coleman who ‘has sung background for Mariah Carey in concert at the Phillips Arena and for Nas at the BET Hip Hop Awards,’ the aim of the group which was formed in 2008 “is to connect to people. Our message is spread love for one another and love for God.”

Stephenson, a native of Columbia, South Carolina who sang her first solo in church at the age of six recently sang background for the stage play ‘Mama’s Prayer’ at the Rialto Center for the Arts. Coleman, speaking on behalf of the group had a word of advice; “Keep your eye on your dreams, keep your eyes on your goals, practice, pray, and it would all work out for your sake.”

Over the past four years, 118 musicians from 31 ensembles have toured with the program, visiting 97 countries on five continents. For the 2010 Rhythm Road season, 10 musical groups which included Turing Pointe, were selected from a pool of 132 applicants from across the United States.
- The Nation - Lagos, Nigeria

Tamara Coleman, 17
Singer/Songwriter

Vision:

To minister freedom in Christ to teenagers. "I want people, after hearing my music, to know freedom in Christ; to be healed from whatever situation that they may be going through. Especially teens who are experiencing so much mess in their home. . . God has given me a message for them, to walk in their purpose and keep God first!"

Tamara is a member of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, in Lithonia GA. She has been singing since she was 3, but came to know that her anointing and gift to sing was "so much bigger" than her at the age of 13. Look for Tamara's CD debut release "I'm Free" in August 2006. She is truly blessed to reach the masses of young people for Christ and has learned at an early age to live abundantly in Christ.

For booking information for your youth group or women's ministry, please contact Sharan Coleman of IYP Management Group, LLC at (770) 506-1904 or via email at seetamaralive@yahoo.com. - Breath of God

Internet Radio Interview. - The Wheat Report

Gospel Synergy magazine played Tamara's entire album. - Gospel Synergy

Airplay on radio station of song "Moving Forward." - BLG Radio Net

Raido Airplay of song "Moving Forward." - Christianmix.inet

Television interview - The Healthy Living Program