Debbie L. Rice - Songwriter/Keyboards
Faith:REFINED is a band made up of members who have faced the Refiner’s fire and emerged stronger in their Faith than they were before. Led by Debbie L. Rice, herself a cancer survivor, their unique blend of pop/country/rock Contemporary Christian music tells the story of a faith made bolder each time a crisis is faced.
Located on the shores of the Texas Gulf Coast, Faith:REFINED is made up of vocalist Pamela Bieri, guitarist Ray Miller, bass player Kirby Mackey, drummer Jesse Sawyer, and keyboardist Debbie L. Rice. Faith:REFINED’s mission is to bring God’s message of Faith to believers and non-believers alike. Main songwriter Debbie L. Rice shows through her music the wonderful things God has done in her life, and the growth she has experienced by placing her trust and faith in Him during times of difficulty. Having faced cancer, bankruptcy, foreclosure, divorce, loss of her house to a tropical storm, the death of her father, repossession, and being forced to move herself and her infant son 4 times in 5 years, you would think her music would be full of anger, grief and sorrow. Instead, she tells of the love, provision and blessing God gives to you when you put Him first in your life and put your life in His hands. “We had a wonderful time with Debbie Rice and her band” says Melanie Daigle, Director of THE REFUGE COFFEE HOUSE in Seabrook, TX. “It was incredible to hear all the songs she wrote from her own heart and her own experiences on her journey with God and to freedom. She ministered and shared wonderful testimonies of what God had done along the way.” Melanie states.
In 2005, while still a solo artist, Debbie was nominated in two categories for the prestigious “Momentum Awards” sponsored by Indieheaven.com. In 2006, her song “Building Idols in a Fallen World”, won the Honorable Mention award at the Unisong International Songwriters Awards, and in 2007 “They Chose Me” was awarded the same honor. The 2007 Indieheaven.com Momentum Awards saw Debbie nominated in an unprecedented 4 categories, including “Song of the Year” for her song, “In Your Silence”. 2008 started off with the band being nominated for "Contemporary Artist of the Year" at the Annual King Kat Music Awards in Kansas City, KS.
As the band started to grow, their success continued with the nomination of “In Your Silence” for “Best of SongU” at SongU.com. “In Your Silence” was also selected for Indieheaven.com radio airplay, and made the chart in Christian Radio & Retail Weekly (CRW) magazine in the Indieheaven “Hot Top 40” category. Their latest single, “They Chose Me”, reached the Number One spot on the Indieheaven Fan Faves chart and stayed there for 2 weeks in June of 2007. Debbie L. Rice & Faith:REFINED were selected to play at the Houston International Music Conference & Festival in February 2007, and their debut CD, “By Faith”, has recently been added to i-tunes and several other major digital distributors. The band has seen their online presence explode in over 20 different countries, and their songs are at the tops of the charts on several online radio stations. They have also just released their sopohmore album, "Alleluia", which features the hit single "They Chose Me".
____________________________________
Debbie began her songwriting career just a few short years ago, after losing her ‘secure’ job in the medical research field. “The way the Lord wove the circumstances together to bring me home was just awesome”, says Debbie. “I was at a job in one of the best hospitals in the world long enough to get treatment for my cancer. Then the area I was working in experienced a cut-back in employees. My career was my safety net, and I wouldn’t have left willingly” she says. “So God put an end to my job for me” she laughs.
Shortly afterwards, while still deciding what to do next, Debbie began to feel the urge to write music. Although she had dabbled in writing before, this time it was different. “The music just seemed to pour out” she says. Debbie put together a demo band, and produced a CD titled "By Faith" to shop around. The CD quickly caught on, and requests were made for them to perform. At first, Debbie ignored these requests, explaining that she was just a songwriter, not a performer. But as the requests kept coming, she decided to approach the others about actually performing a live concert. They all agreed, and the rest....as they say.....is history. "I never meant for this to happen", says Debbie. "But God had other plans for us!” In addition to performing with her band, Debbie leads Children’s Worship for the 3rd-6th grade Wednesday night BreakOut program at Willow Drive Baptist in Lake Jackson, and she also serves as a small group leader for 6th grade girls. She is one of the Worship leaders for Children’s church on Sunday’s, and sings part time in the Choir. Darren Rice, Debbie’s husband, is the group’s manager, producer and photographer. Darren & Debbie’s children, Hayden, Emma and Joshua, also participate by performing a few children’s songs at the band’s live shows.
Vocalist Pamela Bieri brings a sound all her own to the band. Pamela also sings for a well known Rock band in the Gulf Coast area, and her signature rock style adds highlights to several songs. “Pam is able to hear the melody line in a way I never anticipated….and that’s a GOOD thing!” says Debbie. “It took me a while to convince her to sing with us”, Debbie notes. “But I can’t imagine doing this without her!”. Pam lives with her husband, Bret, and daughter in Dickinson, TX. Mother and daughter earned a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do together, and Bret is a drummer with yet another band in the Clear Lake area. Pam somehow also finds time to be a full-time aerospace engineer with NASA.
Guitarist Raymond Miller lives in Lake Jackson, TX with his wife Bridget and three children: Colby, Ragan, and Dalton. He is a member of Willow Drive Baptist Church where he also plays in the praise band. Ray is a veterinarian and the Medical Director of the veterinary hospital where he is currently working. As a former college baseball player, Ray is very involved in the sports his children play and with three kids someone is always playing something! When he is not on the playing field or strumming his guitar, Ray enjoys camping, hiking, biking, and fishing.
Debbie first met Bassist Kirby Mackey when she volunteered to help out with the sound system at the 2nd Annual United In Him Festival. "Kirby was such a huge factor in the success of the festival" says Debbie. "We worked her to death! And to top that off, she also performed with one of the bands as a substitute bass player!". Kirby is the newest member of the band, and she brings a fresh outlook and a great talent with her, being proficient in guitar, bass, sound & lighting.
Drummer Jesse Sawyer rounds out the group. "Jesse has a heart of gold" says Debbie. "He is one of the most talented drummers I have seen, and at such a young age!". Jesse is a life-guard in his spare time, and also plays in a Jazz band in his home town of Dickinson, TX.
____________________________
“Our music is about Faith” says Debbie. “It’s about having the faith to get through difficult circumstances, overcoming trials and times of God’s silence with faith, having the faith it takes to begin and grow in a relationship with Christ, or having the faith to put yourself and your life completely in His hands, instead of following the world’s lead. Our music aims to inspire the believer to lean on their faith and encourages the lost to just ‘let go, and let God’ take care of them…by Faith”.
Faith:REFINED partnered with Relay For Life (American Cancer Society), and the St. Luke’s Texas Heart Exchange (Heart Transplant Recipients) for the 1st Annual “United In Him” Christian Music Festival & Bazaar that was held in April of 2007 in Lake Jackson, TX, and will be leading the Festival again in 2008. The band released a mini-CD of new singles in the Winter of 2007, and are now currently booking shows in the Lake Jackson, Houston, and Clear Lake area. Says Debbie, “We have been seeing some awesome successes, and we give all the glory to God. Each day is a gift, and we just can't wait to see what God has in store for us next!"