Committed (l-r): Robbie Pressley (tenor 4), Geston Pierre (bass), Dennis “DJ” Baptiste (baritone), Maurice Staple (tenor 1), Alain “Tommy” Gervais (tenor 2) and Theron “Therry” Thomas (tenor 3). Photo: Facebook.
Committed, NBC's "The Sing-Off" champion, has been staying busy since winning the $100,000 grand prize and Sony Music recording contract last December.
The six-man Adventist a cappella group has presented and performed at award shows and music events across the country (and in Jamaica), singing mini-concerts for church schools and events, as well as recording their upcoming album.
Committed's second tenor, Alain "Tommy" Gervais, said they have finished their first album. According to an NBCUniversal press release, Committed's album is set for release this summer.
Update: The debut album is now available for pre-order on Amazon. At first, Amazon.com said the album would be released on May 3, 2011. But they have since changed that date to Aug. 30, 2011.
Committed will be in concert at the BAYDA United Youth Congress on April 9 in Orlando, Fla.
Why Committed almost said no to "The Sing-Off"
Committed recently attended an Adventist conference's youth festival. In between singing and teaching young people how to sing the different parts to their songs, Committed shared how they almost turned down NBC's offer to compete in "The Sing-Off."
The problem was that some of the show's taping dates were on Saturdays. Tommy Gervais shares what happened next in the audio clip below. Hear it for yourself!
Committed Interview
Recently, Committed took time out of their very packed schedule to answer a few questions from A Sabbath Blog.
How has life changed for you since winning “The Sing-Off?” You’re doing this full time, right?
DJ Baptiste ― “We’re actually taking this on as doing it for a living. Some of us have quit jobs. We had to kind of restructure how we operated from day to day. It’s been a great blessing to know God had a different plan for all of us, obviously, and we thank him for that.”
What’s the biggest challenge you guys are facing right now, and how do you plan to overcome it?
Robbie Pressley ― “One of the biggest challenges for us is just being able to adapt with our surroundings, adapt to the predicaments and stuff like that. We’re tired, living out of suitcases, always in hotels and practicing, making sure we’re healthy enough to perform.”
You said your first album is finished. Do you have a name for it, yet?
Committed ― (The guys start talking at once, double-checking the album name with each other) They all say their first album will be called ‘Committed.’
Did you guys have a lot of control over what songs you wanted to put in the album?
Tommy Gervais ― “Yes. We have a lot of stuff that we did on the show, cause most of our fans were ‘Sing-Off,’ you know fans. So we had to put some stuff in there for them. And, of course, we can’t forget our roots. We put some Christian songs in there, we have about 3 or 4, something like that. And the rest is just like covers and positive music.”
Some of the more conservative Adventists complained about the Maroon 5 song and Usher medley you sang in “The Sing-Off.” How were the songs chosen for the show?
Robbie Pressley ― “The producers chose songs for us and we went with those songs. We knew we were going to receive kind of negative feedback from some people. But on the flip side, there were so many people that were touched and blessed by the music that we were singing and just how we were as people, not what we were singing. And so, I think a lot of the conservatives tend to focus on ‘what’ instead of ‘who,’ and that’s an issue. I have an issue with that.”
Do you feel pressured by people to live up to any expectations?
DJ Baptiste ― “Personally, because you’re more in the limelight, I guess you could say, you’re going to places where some of these pastors can’t go. I think it’s that more responsibility, because you’re going to have more power, you have different places to go in. It’s a great challenge, though. God called us to be a witness, to be a light to these places that are completely dark. So, it’s a good pressure.”
Read more articles and see videos about Committed.
2 comments:
Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. I am not a Christian, and I find your Christian tunes especially uplifting. Thank You for sharing God's love with us all, no matter what religion. This album is a gift that I will treasure. Thank You,
with love, Jenny Ash
I've seen the "sing off" video only about less than a quarter of it as i have to skip to committed scenes. We were at a Adventist concert and one friend gave me the video. I must say that the way they sang and the sweet melody they gave just blew my mind. But its a shame that I don't have access to a copy cause I don't know how to get one - as I'm here far far away somewhere in the pacific. GOD BLESS YOU GUYS
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