Michael Hiskey Releases Christian Music CD
 One of our elders, Michael Hiskey, helps lead worship here at New Hope. He
has released a new CD of Christian music with a worship emphasis. The feature
song, Deliverer, is currently rated No. 1 on the
indieheaven.com chart of over 100 independent Christian artist releases.
On August 11, Michael was featured in the Salisbury Post:
 Check This Out: Michael Hiskey Releases Second Compact Disc
Michael Hiskey knows it can be a challenge for people to talk
with others about Jesus. But it's easy to simply hand someone a CD
and say, "Check this out."
"Check This Out" is the name of Hiskey's second compact disc. The
CDs sell for $15, but if you buy two, the price is $20.
"It's not because I'm wanting to run a deal," says Hiskey, 34. "I
want to enable you to share the Gospel."
Hiskey is an independent contemporary Christian artist whose
music and biographical information can be found at
indieheaven.com.
"Deliverer," Hiskey's most popular track of the 10 from "Check This
Out," is listed at No. 7 on the site's radio chart. The chart
rankings are decided by listeners who log in and vote.
"It's kinda like 'American Idol,' " Hiskey explains.
The top 40 songs will be placed on iDisc and released to
Christian radio stations.
For now, though, Hiskey is sharing his music through his CD, at
church and in concerts at other churches. He and his wife, Rhonda,
have been members of New Hope Presbyterian Church in China Grove for
about five years. Hiskey enjoys helping to lead the services with
his gift of music, singing and playing guitar.
The Hiskeys have two sons, Elijah, 5, and Luke, 3. Rhonda Hiskey
teaches first grade at Morgan Elementary School."I look so forward
to going home every day to my own personal chaos," he says,
grinning.
A Kansas native, Hiskey used to travel full-time as a musician.
Now a family man, he's got a day job as a computer technician with
Mooresville City Schools. He met Rhonda at a Godstock concert. She
was working his merchandise table.
"She made me get a haircut and a real job," he says, laughing.
Still, the idea of making a CD -- a CD that folks could buy and
share with others -- was something that was laid on his heart at the
first of the year, he says.
He had a set of songs he'd written over the past couple of years.
For the most part, Hiskey's music is upbeat and fast-paced, with
more than a touch of rock. He decided to do a run of 1,000 CDs with
Hit Music Studios in Spencer, hitting the recording studio in April.
He received his copies in mid-July.
But undertaking such a project costs money, obviously. "That was
a real hurdle for me."
So Hiskey contacted a group of friends with good business sense,
and told them about his plan, his vision.
"I thought, if it's a God-granted vision, God will make these
funds available."
God did.
"Several people stepped up and made donations," he says. "This
church is a part of it -- other people are, too. Some folks had the
money. I didn't."
He feels a great deal of responsibility to them.
"I feel like I'm the steward of the songs," Hiskey said. "I feel
that very much."
His goal for the CD?
"I hope that people will be able to get with God for a while," he
says.
In the past month, Hiskey has sold several hundred CDs. They're
available at the Bible Book Store for $15, but to get the special
two-for price, you must buy them directly from Hiskey.
The feedback he's had, he says, has been extremely positive.
"I've got people buying their sixth, eighth or 10th CD, because they
want to share that message."
Todd and Lisa Pinion are doing just that. The couples are good
friends at church; Pinion and Hiskey are elders together.
The Pinions have two sons, Alex, 11, and Austin, 9.
"The main thing that has touched me is how Austin has reacted to
Michael's music," Lisa Pinion says. "On Sunday morning, Austin will
just sing out. We're talking loud.
"It takes that kind of music sometimes to help the church connect
with youth."
Hiskey admits that he's terrible about promoting himself.
"The glory does not need to go to me," he says with modesty.
After all, he says, the CD's title is not, "Check Me Out."
He didn't even want his face on the cover. Instead, you see
Hiskey from the back with his boys, pointing up at the title. The
cover and the CD itself have a series of bright stripes on a white
background -- he thought it'd be easy to spot in a collection.
Hiskey says he wouldn't mind being a full-time musician again.
But, he says, "My number-one role is as a husband and as a
father. God knows my heart's desire. Right now, I'm content."
Michael Hiskey will appear Aug. 27 at Union Lutheran Church for
their Sunday school kickoff at 9:45 a.m. To schedule Hiskey to
appear at your church, call 704-223-0760 or visit
www.indieheaven.com/artists/michaelhiskey.
Contact Susan Shinn at 704-797-4289 or
sshinn@salisburypost.com.
©2006, The Salisbury Post
Republished with permission.
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