1000 Days

1000 Days is primarily a Folk-Rock band with blended stylistic elements varying from bluegrass, jazz, funk, reggae, and country. The group conveys a positive message through song, citing Psalm 84:10.

Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

Dan

This is the brief story of me! I was born in Harvey, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The hospital was a mile away from the shopping mall that was trashed in the movie "The Blues Brothers". I always attended church and have always been a believer. But I haven't always lived the right life. Flash forward to the early 1980's, St. Louis, Missouri. In high school, I started to drift away from attending church due to "teenage years" syndrome. One day my brother brought home an album (this was before CDs!) by a band called "The Police". Though I had not been a music fan before, something about the drummer made me take notice! That guy (Stewart Copeland) could really play. I was a sophomore in high school and two days before Christmas, my Dad signed me up for lessons and rented me a set. I went through my lesson book in six weeks, mostly on my own. I was hooked! Drumming is my gift from God, without a doubt. In college I met a guy who was starting a band, and after several years and over 20 members, we found the two other musicians who would go along with us to local success in St. Louis. We played all the hot clubs and were one of the most popular and well-paid bands in town. In 1996, after six long years, we decided to retire the band while we were at our peak. From 1996 to 2000, I didn't even think about the drums. In 2000 I decided to get a digital drumset so I could play and not disturb anyone. After September 11, 2001, I literally ran back to the church I had attended as a youngster. I have been there ever since. When our church studied “The Purpose Driven Life”, it hit me- I had to get out of the basement and use my gift to help show them the love of God. Long story short, I met Valerie and Steve and I am happy to be 25% of 1000 Days! And I thank God for my gift, and my parents for letting me be a drummer in their house all those years!

Hobbies- music, movies, old sitcoms, Saturday Night Live, collecting toy cars, and babbling about musical gear.

Favorite food- PIZZA! And Jack in the Box tacos.

Musical Influences- The Police, Mercy Me, Steven Curtis Chapman, The Beatles, Mr. Mister, and way too many others to list.

Equipment:

• I play Ludwig, Pearl, Roland, Gretsch, Mapex
• Ludwig Classic Maple (Cherry Stain)
• Mapex “M Maple” 14 x 5.5 snare drum, Gretsch 10-ply 14 x 8 snare drum

Valerie

Where to start, well what I want to talk most about is how Christ has changed my life from where it was, to where I am, to where I am going. Here's the short of the long- I grew up in church, fell away in high school and college, got pregnant, went back to church and God started to working on my heart and continues today to show me His beautiful ways. Let me back up- I was the type of person who loved life- I loved to have a good time. I could party with the best of them. I thought the whole purpose of life was to treat people well and have fun. This lifestyle left me empty and totally insecure. I tried to find fullfillment through drugs, alcohol, sex and any kind of self-indulgence I could find. I was surrounded by artistic people, who seemed so wise and wordly, yet I still felt so out of place. I was very involved in theatre and often got big parts and leads in productions. Man's praise never ended, yet I felt empty and alone. God had gifted me with a voice and the ability to "entertain" and I used that gift to sing karaoke at bars and sing in musicals about things of little importance. When I gave birth to my son, Dylan, that slowed me down a bit but it was not until I met my husband, John that I took myself out of the self-destrucitve patterns I had been in for so long that I started to hear God's calling for my life. It was still another 3 years before I really submitted my life to Christ's Will and it has been a long hard journey. I know now that there is no going back, and I don't want to. From the time that I fell on my face at a Third Day concert and begged God to give me another chance to use my life for His Glory- my life has been whole and with purpose. The funny thing is that God NEVER left me, I didn't have to beg Him, He was waiting all along. Each day I love the Lord more and I grow closer to Him. His love for me has never changed. So now I do all things for the Glory of the Lord, and my pray is that through the music of 1000 Days other may know the Savior as I do. The latest adventure that God has blessed my family with is the opportunity to worship Him with the people of Kenya. Through a series of God events in my life my husband and I, along with some very supportive friends and family, have started a non-profit organization called Mercy’s Hope. We work to bring relief and hope to the widows and orphans of Kenya, Africa. Being in Kenya has changed my life forever and I thank God for choosing me for such thing.

So that's where I'm at- thanks for reading!!

Other tidbits:

Scriptures to live by: Matthew 5, 6 & 7 James 1: 2-5 and James 1:27- pretty much anything in RED!!

Favorite books: "No Compromise" Melody Green "Hinds' Feet on High Places" Hannah Hurnard and “Blue Like Jazz” by Donald Miller (great book!)

Musical influences: Natilie Merchant, Indigo Girls, John Denver, Keith Green, Shane and Shane, Bebo Norman, Kendall Payne, Jennifer Knapp and Waterdeep and many, many more!

Current paying profession: school counselor in an elementary school

Hobbies: reading and playing board games with Dylan and gardening

My Equipment:I have no idea- that's for the guys to worry about!!!

Steve

I guess I've been playing guitar for about 6 or 7 years now. I took a few lessons when I was starting out but I'm mostly self taught. I was in a couple of embarrassingly bad bands in high school, but nothing too serious. Which reminds me, I need to go destroy some recordings.......ok I'm back. Essentially, this is the reason I make music. I believe everything we do should be done to bring glory to God. In music, and any art, this is acheived by reflecting God in our work. Which doesn't necessarly mean that everything we do has to be explicitly about God,but we can do this by being creative and skillful. When we create poor art then that reflects a low view of our infinitely creative God. And not only that but it shows an ungratefulness for the gifts that He gave us. This applies not only to art, but all aspects of our lives. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)


Musical Influences/Favorite Artists: Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Wilco, Counting Crows, The Arcade Fire, Death Cab for Cutie, The Beach Boys, Sufjan Stevens

Gear:

• Instruments:
• Seagull S6 CW Cedar
• 72' Fender Telecaster Deluxe
• Michael Kelley FS-e
• Amplifier:
• 65' Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue
• Effects:
• Boss TU-2
• Ernie Ball vp jr
• Keeley Compressor
• Fulltone Fulldrive 2
• Digitech Bad Monkey
• Danelectro Tuna Melt
• Eventide Timefactor
• Boss RV-3

Andrew

My name is Andrew Peck, my story is short and sweet. I grew up in a Christian home my dad was the pastor of every church that I ever attended up until 9th grade. I taught myself how to play guitar when I was 15 years old. I started to lead the youth group worship team shortly after I started to play the Guitar. I fell in love with leading worship at that point. I have now graduated from leading youth group worship to being the worship leader of my church (and even though it is tough sometimes I really feel that this is where God wants me to be). I joined 1000 Days in the summer of 2007, thinking this would be a temporary gig, I fell in love with the vision and with the people associated with the band, and here I am.

Musical Influences:Jimmy Eat World, the Fray, Death Cab For Cutie, Augustana, Chumbawamba, Coldplay, Thrice, Dustin Kensrue, Journey, Mat Kearney, Mika, Modest Mouse, Snow Patrol, Sondre Lerche, Third Day, Trace Bundy

Equipment: Well to be honest I don’t even own my own equipment I use my best friends Bass and I use Dan’s Amp. I never really played bass in a band before I usually play Guitar!!!!