~PERSONAL BIO AND INTRO~

I was born 9/3/68 in Tulsa, OK and currently live in Glenpool, Oklahoma. I attended Junior College in the early 90s for computer science, then changed my major to Music upon moving to Dallas. So I attended Brookhaven College in Dallas, TX for study of Music Theory, Bass guitar and Simandl bass Method, Piano, live Jazz ensemble. I'm a multi-instrumentalist, session player, and an award-winning songwriter. I graduated in 2008 from Southwest Bible College & Seminary and received my Master of Arts in Theology (Th.M).

I'm semi-retired due to recurring health issues, so I manage as self-employed food courier, plus the weekly paid church sessions, and any artist royalties distributed quarterly. My hobbies are birdwatching, some bicycling, collecting vinyls, playing with nostalgic toys I had as a kid (Nerf football, Duncan yo-yo's, barrel of monkeys, Slinky, Rubik's Cubes, etc.). I volunteer and donate at the local Mercy Mission as God enables.

I am a conservative Christian holding active membership in my local Southern Baptist church. (My faith and worldview are aptly summarized in the BF&M 2000.)

My musical art is Christ-exalting, self-therapeutic, and authentically reflective of my personal journey in living Christian faith through the brutal learning experiences—and divine teaching lessons—of earthly life in a fallen world.

I've found that Christian experience is continual sacrifice, self-denial, struggle, service, loss, pain, and suffering. Paradoxically, it's a life of joy, peace, and daily renewal no matter what comes. But God has joined our human pain and suffering in Jesus, and so He's not aloof but very present. Life with Jesus is an indescribable adventure like no other. The blessing of the journey is in the struggle!

To His glory,

Erick Duran Manard

("Shamrocker")

September 22, 2024