July 15, 2026 • 29 mins
Kam Talbert is a singer, songwriter, producer and curator. He is known in the R&B and soul stratospheres.
His Mama carried him around the world while pregnant with Kam with the Smokie Robinson music concerts. He aspired to go into acting but music enveloped him totally.
Kam shares how he thought he would go into acting, but the air he breathed was all music. He grew up with some talented young singers and artists and seeks his own greater fame. But mostly, he just loves music and doing the work to create music. A bit of a perfectionist, he holds onto his songs a little too long. His wife encourages him to release his music. He seeks to model the man he wants his daughters to find as their life partners.
Among his mystical moments, Kam shares his journey across the country - on foot! He and his friends literally walked across the country. He found his own truth - despite the warnings from others.
As a singer, he recognizes those moments when God is palpable in his singing moments and allows himself to be carried away by those mystic moments!
Find Kam on Facebook. And, if you're game, see him at "Celebrating Our Soul" at Unity Village, a hop, skip and a jump from Kansas City - August 13-16.
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:18):
You're listening to Mystic Magic, Exploring Our
Spirit to Understand Our Lives.
I'm Celeste Frazier, yourhostess.
I'm an ordained God minister whoembraces all faiths.
I've pastored a few spiritualcommunities, written a few
books, performed in variousmedia.
I write, produce, and perform.
(00:40):
I'm a visioning facilitator, adiversity, equity, and inclusion
facilitator.
And with mystic magic, weexplore amazing guests to find
out what the divine revealsthrough us and how we may
benefit from this magnificentday two of this is Mystic Magic.
Exploring our spirit tounderstand our lives.
(01:10):
Hey, hey, Mystic Magic Podcastfans.
We are in for a good time todaybecause today my guest is Cam
Halbert.
Cam is a creative being.
He's a singer, he's asongwriter, and he is an
interesting person.
So I wanted to um let you knowthat he is one of the performers
(01:33):
at Celebrating Our Soul 2026.
Claiming our sacred power.
Welcome to Mystic Magic Camp.
Well, thank you for having me.
So tell me how did you get toknow about uh celebrating our
soul?
Was it through Reverend Sherry?
SPEAKER_01 (01:54):
Uh yes, yes, it was through Reverend Sherry.
Uh she she called me and told meabout it, and uh she uh said she
she was recommending me and sheshe told me a little bit about
it, and uh yeah, I was very uhexcited and intrigued to be uh
to be considered.
SPEAKER_00 (02:10):
So, so what's going on with your music career?
What what's it been like?
How did you how'd you getstarted?
Why'd you get started?
What brought you into music andwhat keeps you there?
SPEAKER_01 (02:23):
Okay, well, um I come from a musical family.
I know a lot of the people havethat type of story.
My mother's a singer.
Uh she was a background singerwith Smokey Robinson for um most
of my life growing up, uh as akid, uh, years before I was
born, and she had me on stage inher womb.
And uh she used to take me allover the world with her on tour
(02:46):
with Smokey, and my uncles alsoare singers, and my father's a
songwriter, so it was sort ofthe family business.
And uh I actually was uh goingin another direction.
I wanted to be uh, you know,more acting and do things like
that, and uh, but I was alwaysaround it, and I was, you know,
unconsciously getting lessons,voice lessons, and music lessons
(03:09):
all the time.
And uh yeah, I came up in uhthis family and I took piano and
I didn't really actually getserious about singing and doing
music until I was well into highschool.
But uh I uh I went to aperforming arts I'm sorry?
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_00 (03:27):
I just said what changed?
SPEAKER_01 (03:30):
Oh yeah, um yeah, I mean I went to a performing arts
high school.
A lot of my friends uh were weredoing music, and I I got into it
in that way.
I did uh I went to a school thatdid musicals and plays and
things like that.
I had a lot of music classes,and uh, and it just I started to
go more in that direction.
(03:50):
And then a friend of mine had auh a group and uh and he was
writing songs.
I actually was uh good friendswith uh Omarion, the singer
Omarion, when we were in highschool, we started writing
songs, we were like writingpartners, and uh he was a lot
further on and more seriousabout singing, and I was just
(04:11):
kind of really getting, Istarted writing my own songs.
He heard one of my songs andsaid, Oh, we should write
together and start doing somemusic.
And I got a lot more serious,and yeah, I joined a group, a
band in high school.
Uh and the musicians in the andin that band were really, really
talented as like younger kids,and like they just and they
(04:31):
continue now to still do moremusic as very, very uh
well-known uh musicians out herein Los Angeles, a drummer named
Ronald Bruner, Cameron Graves,and Taylor Graves, the Graves
brothers, and uh and uh we uhhad a development deal with MCA,
and you know, I just uh I reallystarted to want to do music more
(04:52):
and more, and I wanted to do myown solo music and things like
that.
SPEAKER_02 (04:58):
Great.
Now, what is it that makes youhappy other than music?
SPEAKER_01 (05:06):
Wow, uh, I mean, I'm in I'm an entertainer at heart.
I really enjoy being on stage.
I love to uh, you know, givepeople a good feeling, make
people laugh.
Stand-up comedy was a big thingfor me at one point.
I was really, really looking atdoing stand-up and making people
laugh all the time, but uh Ialso just enjoyed performing and
(05:27):
being on stage.
I love being in plays andmusicals, and that was another
thing that really pushed me inthe direction of uh embracing my
voice when I would do some ofthese plays and these musicals,
and I had to join, you know,sing in the in the uh the
ensemble and sing leads for someof these parts, and uh just
develop my voice a little moreand gave me a little more
(05:49):
confidence behind my voice.
SPEAKER_00 (05:51):
Did you choose to um stick with this career because
it brings you joy, or do youjust feel like you got so much
invested in it that you'll keepat it?
SPEAKER_01 (06:04):
Uh huh.
Yeah, it definitely brings mejoy.
I I I can say I I'm anentertainer, so all aspects of
entertainment, I like being onstage.
And uh I can't I can't up front,you know, at first I didn't want
to do singing or music oranything because my uncles and
my mother is just really good,and it was a high bar, you know,
(06:28):
to try to reach.
And so I I didn't really jump atit right away.
It it took me a while to really,like I said, embrace my own
voice and and try to developwhat I actually had.
And uh once I started likewriting my own songs and
collaborating with other friendsand other musicians is when I
really started to grow more intowanting to do music because uh,
(06:51):
like I said, I've I've dabbledin all aspects of it.
I've done rapping, singing, youknow, I used to dance a little
bit in school, so all of it wasuh was a part of what I wanted
to do, and that's why I'm reallystill pushing now because I have
been doing it for so long atthis point that uh yeah, it's in
me.
And I mean I do it, I do it as aas a profession.
(07:13):
I I sing these days for uhvarious companies that send us
out for corporate events orweddings, and uh that's just my
day job uh a little bit nowthese days.
SPEAKER_00 (07:28):
So are you doing any other kind of performing like
acting or anything like that?
SPEAKER_01 (07:34):
No, not right now.
No acting.
I haven't been pursuing, let'ssay, trying to get any parts or
do any acting.
Um mostly my own creativeendeavors, uh coming up with
skits and trying to writethings.
Um I'm a bit of a I'm a bit of aperfectionist, like a lot of
artists are, you know, so I havea lot of ideas and a lot of
(07:56):
things that I've done that I Itend to keep close and don't
want to release.
And my project that I'm workingon in music right now is
actually uh an effort to releasemore.
The the project is called TheArt of Letting Go.
And a lot of the songs are kindof geared towards that idea of
(08:17):
perfectionism and just trying toget everything so perfect and so
right and and never letting itout.
And I know there's a lot ofartists out there that deal with
that same type of thing.
So that's my my motivation thesedays, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (08:33):
So what about Upchurch?
What how did you get toUpchurch?
SPEAKER_01 (08:38):
Uh Upchurch, yeah.
My mother, uh, I've been goingto Upchurch since I was very
young.
Um my mother started goingthere.
My uncles, they all uh connectedwith Della.
Yeah, my uh my mother uh and myuncles they came out from
Chicago and they met with Dellaand uh they did a they did a
play with her called TheMessages in the Music back uh in
(09:00):
the like the mid-80s, and uh andthey were involved, they started
getting involved with thechurch.
Like I said, I was very young,so I've I I've been going to Up
Church since I was maybe five orsix or so, uh maybe seven or so.
So it's been my church since Iwas a child.
SPEAKER_02 (09:19):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (09:20):
I didn't know you had Chicago roots.
I'm in Chicago and that's myhometown.
I just got back here.
So um tell me about what it whatit's like to um uh be a musician
who does a lot of work in thechurch, but also does music in
(09:41):
the more commercial realm.
Like like how does that bridgehappen other than your
connections?
Like, do you find a certain kindof feeling when you're in the
church that you don't find inthe studio, and vice versa?
SPEAKER_01 (09:57):
Yes.
Uh since I since I've been doinggigs for weddings and corporate
events with these companies, uhI've I've been able to get
myself into other uh musicendeavors to keep you know keep
that always in my in myenvironment, in my
(10:18):
circumference.
You know, uh my friend uhJametta Rose, she has a choir
called The Voices of Creationthat she developed, and they got
a deal with a company out inEurope, and uh they were able to
get a tour, and we've gone outto Europe a few times.
So that's like another choirthat I'm in, aside from the
(10:39):
choir at church.
And uh it's very uplifting,positive music.
It's not necessarily like adenominational church choir,
it's kind of like a uh apositive message uh jazz
ensemble choir, you know, uhmission statement for Voices of
Creation as we make music toheal ourselves and others.
(10:59):
And uh Jametta Rose, she justreleased a new project that she
debuted uh actually on Saturday.
And uh yeah, it's it's that.
It's uh it's my church.
You know, I'm one of the mainsingers at my church, so we'll
have a rehearsal.
I have to have to try to figureout how to get to two rehearsals
on Saturday at once.
(11:21):
Um and then my my main jobduring the week now is also uh I
work for a company that doesbackline that supplies
instruments and support forartists.
We have a rehearsal uh spacesand we rent out all kinds of
instruments, and so I'mconstantly surrounded by music
even more than I ever wasbecause I'm all day at work
(11:44):
delivering keyboards and drums,and then on the weekends I'll go
do a gig and a wedding or sometype of show with the voices of
creation, and almost everySunday I'm singing at church.
SPEAKER_00 (12:00):
What keeps you in a spiritual environment?
SPEAKER_01 (12:06):
Um, you know, honestly, the um the
understandings that I've gainedin through the years from
understanding principles, Ireally do have a core of
positive and you know uh newthought principles that are
embedded that I that aresometimes uh unconscious, you
(12:28):
know, that I don't even realizethat, oh, yeah, I'm being
positive about that.
Like just the way that somesomebody would speak, I might
say, hey, don't say that aboutyourself, or you know, whatever
it is.
And it's just something that'suh been in me for a long time.
A lot of my peers that were myage, we all we've all grown up,
and we have I remember havingconversations with them, and
we're all realizing, yeah, youknow, we we really have this,
(12:51):
like it's in us, you know, andit's a beautiful thing.
Um so yeah, the the environmentsthat I came up in uh definitely
helped form you know myperspective on a lot of things.
SPEAKER_00 (13:06):
So we're we're getting ready for celebrating
our soul, and uh you're on themusic team and I'm producing.
And so what is it that you thinkthis experience is gonna be like
for you?
SPEAKER_01 (13:18):
You know, that's a very good question because I'm
very intrigued by this uh entirething.
And uh I'm I'm expecting it tobe uh like a uh a great seminar,
a music festival, uh, you know,uh one of the big church events
that we've all been to many,many through the years, and you
(13:40):
know, I'm excited for that.
Uh and and a great uhopportunity to perform um and
show some of these newer songsthat I have, and uh and to just
you know help drive the messagethat we're that we're getting
across uh on this whole event.
SPEAKER_02 (13:58):
It's a pretty special event.
SPEAKER_00 (14:00):
The um the different new thought teachings come
together, whether they're unity,whether they're science of mind,
you know, whether they'reindependence, you know, we're
coming from all over the world,um, as far as Africa to Jamaica
through the United States.
And so it's it's pretty special.
(14:20):
Um I've been producing all threeover the years.
We started um back in 2000 withour first conference in 22.
And some of the most prominentnew thought speakers and and uh
musicians and teachers come andreally present a lot of
(14:40):
different aspects of uhspirituality and uh spiritual
principles that help people havebetter lives.
And so what I know is that umthese are the kinds of things
that do transform people'slives.
And being a part of this musicteam, I know you're just kind of
(15:03):
getting a little bit uhintroduced to to some of the
team, but really outstandingtalent that would that we
gather.
And so it's it's such a uh areunion for us to come together.
And so I was just wondering umwhen you think about your life
(15:24):
including music but also beyondmusic, here's a central question
that I ask every guest who comeson Mystic Magic.
Can you think of a mysticalmoment that changed your life?
SPEAKER_01 (15:38):
Hmm Mystical moment ah there's there's there's some
there's a few to touch on.
SPEAKER_02 (15:47):
Uh yeah, changed my life.
Well, honestly, I huh what'd yousay?
Pick one.
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (15:58):
Pick one so let's see.
Uh there was a time in my lifeuh back in 200 and 6 where me
and a group of friends of mine,we all uh walked from Los
Angeles to New York.
We walked across the country.
And uh Yes, yeah, we're uh somesome buddies of mine, you know,
(16:18):
we were young, I was 25 backthen, and uh a buddy of mine
said, Yeah, I always had thisidea to walk across the country.
And I said, What?
That would be cool.
Now, when someone says somethinglike that, you're not really
thinking that's gonna happen,you know.
Uh it just sounds like a greatidea, and it sounds like
something we would work towards,and you don't really know how
(16:38):
exactly you're supposed to dosomething like that.
But um everyone was uh very,very uh into the idea and
pushed, and especially my mygood friend Kevin, who uh who
really had the organizationunderstanding on how to make it
work.
And so come the time, April 1st,2006, we left Venice Beach,
(16:59):
California, and we took a fullyear to walk across the country
all the way to New York, toManhattan.
That was my first time evergetting to New York, and I mean
there's countless things thatyou could say, but God, uh,
throughout that entire trip.
I mean, we went to the bottom ofthe Grand Canyon, we walked
through hell, sleet, stone,snow, every extreme.
(17:21):
So that whole experience in thatyear was a great step on faith
and understanding how how yourenergy projects when you project
positive energy.
Because every spot that peoplewould say, oh, when you get to
this part of the country, watchout because this or that, or
these people are crazy, or thesepeople are racist, or whatever,
(17:43):
every single time we got to oneof those spots, it was the
complete opposite thing.
And it taught me a big lesson onwhat's actually happening out in
the country, opposed to what wemight hear on the news or what
we see online.
When you see people face toface, it's different.
SPEAKER_00 (18:00):
Yeah, so when you think of all of those those
moments, I'm sure there weretimes when you were very
surprised by things thathappened.
SPEAKER_02 (18:10):
Was there anything that stands out for you?
Uh I'm trying to pinpoint one ofthese stories.
I guess I could say, yeah, Imean, we um We went down to the
(18:31):
Grand the bottom of the GrandCanyon.
SPEAKER_01 (18:33):
Uh it took us about six or so hours to get down.
But it took us almost twelvehours to get back up the next
day because of the heat and allof these things and just the
perseverance that we had tohave, you know, as people were
passing us by saying, Yeah, youknow, people don't make it up
this up this hill.
And we're like, What?
Okay.
(18:54):
But we still pushed through andwe were able to make it, you
know, the the uh camaraderiethat we had, the uh the support
that we gave each other.
It was a it was a great lessonand just pushing through,
persevering, praying, and uh andgetting there.
SPEAKER_00 (19:14):
Let's drill down a little bit more into the praying
part because um when you thinkabout having a connection with
God, has there ever been a timewhen you felt that the presence
of God was palpable?
And have you ever tried toexplain it?
And if so, what did you say?
SPEAKER_01 (19:40):
You know, I've I've sang at funerals and things like
that, and yeah, when you've whenyou know that you can feel the
presence of God uh in thismoment that you're having.
Uh I know I felt uh it's it'sI'm singing a song and you can
feel a touch and it just breaksyou down and and you have to
release.
(20:00):
Uh I definitely know that thoseare those are real moments.
And yeah, yeah, that that'sthat's a that's definitely a
situation, yeah, where you canyou can really feel the it's
palpable, you know, it's it'sthere.
There's a presence in theundeniable thing, you know.
SPEAKER_00 (20:18):
And do you notice anything different about you
after that happens?
SPEAKER_01 (20:24):
Yeah, it's it helps to strengthen the walk, it helps
to it helps with your faithbecause you know that you've
gotten an experience to topinpoint where you can say, now
I know that this happened andthis is this was a real feeling,
and it gives you moreconfirmation uh for your faith,
you know.
(20:44):
It helps your faith grow becauseyou know what that presence
feels like.
SPEAKER_02 (20:52):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (20:53):
And so um we've got a really special team, um, you
know, of of uh um Bukeka BlakeMoore and um music director
Angela Ward and the James Wardband, and we've got um you know
(21:15):
some some just really uh reallygood folks who are participating
on the music team and of coursea dedicated um planning team and
a program team.
And and the magic of UnityVillage is pretty special in and
of itself.
Have you been there before?
SPEAKER_01 (21:35):
No, no, I've never been out there.
I'm excited to see it.
SPEAKER_00 (21:40):
Oh, okay.
Yeah, good.
You got something to lookforward to.
SPEAKER_02 (21:45):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (21:45):
And so I'm sure that uh your your mom and your family
are proud that you're gonna bepart of this event.
Um and that uh you're gettingsupport from your wife and and
The rest of your family to to bea part of this special time.
SPEAKER_01 (22:04):
Yes, indeed.
SPEAKER_00 (22:05):
So tell me about what your aspirations are,
whether it's musical orspiritual or personal.
What are your aspirations?
SPEAKER_01 (22:26):
In all those areas.
In my personal life, in myspiritual life, my family life.
Got two daughters.
And uh, you know, being able toto be the man that I would
eventually want them to see uhto be with, let's say, type of
the type of man that they wantto be with.
And uh and just also show them,you know, in real time how I
(22:52):
worked to get to a goal and tosucceed in that goal.
Um me and my wife have abeautiful marriage and a
beautiful relationship, and wejust continue to hold hold the
line and maintain that.
And uh today is actually our uh13-year wedding anniversary.
(23:13):
Um and uh we're gonna be sogood.
Thank you, thank you.
And uh, yeah, you know, I mean,uh I'm working on my my album
project.
You know, I have a lot offriends growing up in Los
Angeles, California.
You you tend to grow up withpeople that gain some uh public
and you know fame and success.
(23:33):
And so I s I have a lot offriends that are, you know,
successful industry people andall this kind of stuff.
And you know, I definitely liketo be up here uh in that realm
uh as as as well as a friend,you know, and so I'm still
trying to uh complete my mymusic project and uh make more
(23:54):
and more music projects.
My wife tells me all the time,just release your music, you
know, release it, you know,because I like I said I I like
to hold on to it and say, Well,let me fix this and put one more
thing on there and make itperfect and all of this.
And uh and I'm and I'm workingon not overthinking things and
uh and not being so you knowperfectionist when it comes to
(24:17):
that, so that I can actuallyallow the world to hear, you
know, these ideas and these uhand these songs and these
messages that I want to wannagive people.
SPEAKER_00 (24:29):
And she's and she's right.
I mean, you know, you know,you're never gonna be finished
with with the script, with thesong, with with the production.
It's always gonna be better.
The thing is, once you get usedto having that success, the the
the more willing you're willingto be the more you're willing to
do more projects.
(24:50):
So I'm sure that you know I'mlooking forward to that as well.
I'm sure that you have thetalent and and the ambition and
the intelligence to succeed.
And um I want to say thanks forcoming on Mystic Magic and uh
(25:12):
look forward to seeing you atUnity Village and that is August
13th through 16th, 2026, atUnity Village in Missouri.
Flying in to Kansas City Airportfor those of you who want to
come.
And for those of you who wantmore information, you can go to
our website, PadNtg.org.
(25:33):
Thanks so much for coming toMystic Magic today, Cam.
Much blessings.
SPEAKER_01 (25:38):
Yes, indeed.
Thank you so much for having meas well.
All right.
SPEAKER_00 (25:45):
Rudy New Bunny.
It's Wahili for Come Home.
The people of African DescentNew Thought Group invite you to
follow your ancestral call toattend Celebrating Our Soul,
claiming our sacred power atUnity Village from August 13th
through 16th, 2026.
(26:07):
This special time calls you toawaken.
Remember your sacred power.
Take the journey to transformchallenge into conquest, where
you depart from your formerself, to embrace your genuine
power.
Our music will inspire you.
Our singers will awaken you.
(26:37):
Reverend Michael Beckwith willhave you on your feet, either
praising God or getting downfrom your inner spirit to the
top of your crown chakra.
The African drummers from thetraditional music society and
the It's Okay dancers will haveyou dancing with your ancestors.
And the brilliant masterclasspresenters will open your minds
(26:59):
and hearts in miraculous ways.
Energy healing workers willrestore your body so that it is
in alignment with your newlyrevived spirit.
You can do Reiki and Massage,cranial sacral therapy, or do
daily Qikong with Baiji Daniels.
There are many activities on theprogram and a couple of off-site
(27:22):
trips.
But you can stay on the groundsand chill if you'd like.
Enjoy the fountains or labyrinthor peaceful trails, or simply
chill with your friends.
If you can't be there in person,don't fret.
Our virtual option is nowavailable.
Virtual registrants will be ableto access the Zoom recordings
(27:43):
two weeks after the conferenceends, Monday, August 31st.
The recordings will be availablefor one month through September
30th.
To be there virtually on Zoom,go to PADNTG.com slash form
(28:07):
slash cos virtual 2026.
Again, that's P-A-D-N-T-G dotbreathe chms.com slash form
slash C O S D-I-R-T-U-A-L 2026.
It's up to you how you celebrateyour soul.
(28:28):
But whatever you do, pleasecelebrate you and get your
ticket today at padntg.org.
See you there.
Thank you for tuning in today.
Be sure to check out our shownotes for more information about
today's episode.
(28:50):
You can find us on ApplePodcasts, Google, Spotify,
Stitcher, iHeartRadio, and allof your favorite podcast venues.
This is Mystic Magic, exploringour spirit to understand our
lives.
You're listening to Mystic Magic, Exploring Our
Spirit to Understand Our Lives.
I'm Celeste Frazier, yourhostess.
I'm an ordained God minister whoembraces all faiths.
I've pastored a few spiritualcommunities, written a few
books, performed in variousmedia.
I write, produce, and perform.
(00:40):
I'm a visioning facilitator, adiversity, equity, and inclusion
facilitator.
And with mystic magic, weexplore amazing guests to find
out what the divine revealsthrough us and how we may
benefit from this magnificentday two of this is Mystic Magic.
Exploring our spirit tounderstand our lives.
(01:10):
Hey, hey, Mystic Magic Podcastfans.
We are in for a good time todaybecause today my guest is Cam
Halbert.
Cam is a creative being.
He's a singer, he's asongwriter, and he is an
interesting person.
So I wanted to um let you knowthat he is one of the performers
(01:33):
at Celebrating Our Soul 2026.
Claiming our sacred power.
Welcome to Mystic Magic Camp.
Well, thank you for having me.
So tell me how did you get toknow about uh celebrating our
soul?
Was it through Reverend Sherry?
SPEAKER_01 (01:54):
Uh yes, yes, it was through Reverend Sherry.
Uh she she called me and told meabout it, and uh she uh said she
she was recommending me and sheshe told me a little bit about
it, and uh yeah, I was very uhexcited and intrigued to be uh
to be considered.
SPEAKER_00 (02:10):
So, so what's going on with your music career?
What what's it been like?
How did you how'd you getstarted?
Why'd you get started?
What brought you into music andwhat keeps you there?
SPEAKER_01 (02:23):
Okay, well, um I come from a musical family.
I know a lot of the people havethat type of story.
My mother's a singer.
Uh she was a background singerwith Smokey Robinson for um most
of my life growing up, uh as akid, uh, years before I was
born, and she had me on stage inher womb.
And uh she used to take me allover the world with her on tour
(02:46):
with Smokey, and my uncles alsoare singers, and my father's a
songwriter, so it was sort ofthe family business.
And uh I actually was uh goingin another direction.
I wanted to be uh, you know,more acting and do things like
that, and uh, but I was alwaysaround it, and I was, you know,
unconsciously getting lessons,voice lessons, and music lessons
(03:09):
all the time.
And uh yeah, I came up in uhthis family and I took piano and
I didn't really actually getserious about singing and doing
music until I was well into highschool.
But uh I uh I went to aperforming arts I'm sorry?
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_00 (03:27):
I just said what changed?
SPEAKER_01 (03:30):
Oh yeah, um yeah, I mean I went to a performing arts
high school.
A lot of my friends uh were weredoing music, and I I got into it
in that way.
I did uh I went to a school thatdid musicals and plays and
things like that.
I had a lot of music classes,and uh, and it just I started to
go more in that direction.
(03:50):
And then a friend of mine had auh a group and uh and he was
writing songs.
I actually was uh good friendswith uh Omarion, the singer
Omarion, when we were in highschool, we started writing
songs, we were like writingpartners, and uh he was a lot
further on and more seriousabout singing, and I was just
(04:11):
kind of really getting, Istarted writing my own songs.
He heard one of my songs andsaid, Oh, we should write
together and start doing somemusic.
And I got a lot more serious,and yeah, I joined a group, a
band in high school.
Uh and the musicians in the andin that band were really, really
talented as like younger kids,and like they just and they
(04:31):
continue now to still do moremusic as very, very uh
well-known uh musicians out herein Los Angeles, a drummer named
Ronald Bruner, Cameron Graves,and Taylor Graves, the Graves
brothers, and uh and uh we uhhad a development deal with MCA,
and you know, I just uh I reallystarted to want to do music more
(04:52):
and more, and I wanted to do myown solo music and things like
that.
SPEAKER_02 (04:58):
Great.
Now, what is it that makes youhappy other than music?
SPEAKER_01 (05:06):
Wow, uh, I mean, I'm in I'm an entertainer at heart.
I really enjoy being on stage.
I love to uh, you know, givepeople a good feeling, make
people laugh.
Stand-up comedy was a big thingfor me at one point.
I was really, really looking atdoing stand-up and making people
laugh all the time, but uh Ialso just enjoyed performing and
(05:27):
being on stage.
I love being in plays andmusicals, and that was another
thing that really pushed me inthe direction of uh embracing my
voice when I would do some ofthese plays and these musicals,
and I had to join, you know,sing in the in the uh the
ensemble and sing leads for someof these parts, and uh just
develop my voice a little moreand gave me a little more
(05:49):
confidence behind my voice.
SPEAKER_00 (05:51):
Did you choose to um stick with this career because
it brings you joy, or do youjust feel like you got so much
invested in it that you'll keepat it?
SPEAKER_01 (06:04):
Uh huh.
Yeah, it definitely brings mejoy.
I I I can say I I'm anentertainer, so all aspects of
entertainment, I like being onstage.
And uh I can't I can't up front,you know, at first I didn't want
to do singing or music oranything because my uncles and
my mother is just really good,and it was a high bar, you know,
(06:28):
to try to reach.
And so I I didn't really jump atit right away.
It it took me a while to really,like I said, embrace my own
voice and and try to developwhat I actually had.
And uh once I started likewriting my own songs and
collaborating with other friendsand other musicians is when I
really started to grow more intowanting to do music because uh,
(06:51):
like I said, I've I've dabbledin all aspects of it.
I've done rapping, singing, youknow, I used to dance a little
bit in school, so all of it wasuh was a part of what I wanted
to do, and that's why I'm reallystill pushing now because I have
been doing it for so long atthis point that uh yeah, it's in
me.
And I mean I do it, I do it as aas a profession.
(07:13):
I I sing these days for uhvarious companies that send us
out for corporate events orweddings, and uh that's just my
day job uh a little bit nowthese days.
SPEAKER_00 (07:28):
So are you doing any other kind of performing like
acting or anything like that?
SPEAKER_01 (07:34):
No, not right now.
No acting.
I haven't been pursuing, let'ssay, trying to get any parts or
do any acting.
Um mostly my own creativeendeavors, uh coming up with
skits and trying to writethings.
Um I'm a bit of a I'm a bit of aperfectionist, like a lot of
artists are, you know, so I havea lot of ideas and a lot of
(07:56):
things that I've done that I Itend to keep close and don't
want to release.
And my project that I'm workingon in music right now is
actually uh an effort to releasemore.
The the project is called TheArt of Letting Go.
And a lot of the songs are kindof geared towards that idea of
(08:17):
perfectionism and just trying toget everything so perfect and so
right and and never letting itout.
And I know there's a lot ofartists out there that deal with
that same type of thing.
So that's my my motivation thesedays, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (08:33):
So what about Upchurch?
What how did you get toUpchurch?
SPEAKER_01 (08:38):
Uh Upchurch, yeah.
My mother, uh, I've been goingto Upchurch since I was very
young.
Um my mother started goingthere.
My uncles, they all uh connectedwith Della.
Yeah, my uh my mother uh and myuncles they came out from
Chicago and they met with Dellaand uh they did a they did a
play with her called TheMessages in the Music back uh in
(09:00):
the like the mid-80s, and uh andthey were involved, they started
getting involved with thechurch.
Like I said, I was very young,so I've I I've been going to Up
Church since I was maybe five orsix or so, uh maybe seven or so.
So it's been my church since Iwas a child.
SPEAKER_02 (09:19):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (09:20):
I didn't know you had Chicago roots.
I'm in Chicago and that's myhometown.
I just got back here.
So um tell me about what it whatit's like to um uh be a musician
who does a lot of work in thechurch, but also does music in
(09:41):
the more commercial realm.
Like like how does that bridgehappen other than your
connections?
Like, do you find a certain kindof feeling when you're in the
church that you don't find inthe studio, and vice versa?
SPEAKER_01 (09:57):
Yes.
Uh since I since I've been doinggigs for weddings and corporate
events with these companies, uhI've I've been able to get
myself into other uh musicendeavors to keep you know keep
that always in my in myenvironment, in my
(10:18):
circumference.
You know, uh my friend uhJametta Rose, she has a choir
called The Voices of Creationthat she developed, and they got
a deal with a company out inEurope, and uh they were able to
get a tour, and we've gone outto Europe a few times.
So that's like another choirthat I'm in, aside from the
(10:39):
choir at church.
And uh it's very uplifting,positive music.
It's not necessarily like adenominational church choir,
it's kind of like a uh apositive message uh jazz
ensemble choir, you know, uhmission statement for Voices of
Creation as we make music toheal ourselves and others.
(10:59):
And uh Jametta Rose, she justreleased a new project that she
debuted uh actually on Saturday.
And uh yeah, it's it's that.
It's uh it's my church.
You know, I'm one of the mainsingers at my church, so we'll
have a rehearsal.
I have to have to try to figureout how to get to two rehearsals
on Saturday at once.
(11:21):
Um and then my my main jobduring the week now is also uh I
work for a company that doesbackline that supplies
instruments and support forartists.
We have a rehearsal uh spacesand we rent out all kinds of
instruments, and so I'mconstantly surrounded by music
even more than I ever wasbecause I'm all day at work
(11:44):
delivering keyboards and drums,and then on the weekends I'll go
do a gig and a wedding or sometype of show with the voices of
creation, and almost everySunday I'm singing at church.
SPEAKER_00 (12:00):
What keeps you in a spiritual environment?
SPEAKER_01 (12:06):
Um, you know, honestly, the um the
understandings that I've gainedin through the years from
understanding principles, Ireally do have a core of
positive and you know uh newthought principles that are
embedded that I that aresometimes uh unconscious, you
(12:28):
know, that I don't even realizethat, oh, yeah, I'm being
positive about that.
Like just the way that somesomebody would speak, I might
say, hey, don't say that aboutyourself, or you know, whatever
it is.
And it's just something that'suh been in me for a long time.
A lot of my peers that were myage, we all we've all grown up,
and we have I remember havingconversations with them, and
we're all realizing, yeah, youknow, we we really have this,
(12:51):
like it's in us, you know, andit's a beautiful thing.
Um so yeah, the the environmentsthat I came up in uh definitely
helped form you know myperspective on a lot of things.
SPEAKER_00 (13:06):
So we're we're getting ready for celebrating
our soul, and uh you're on themusic team and I'm producing.
And so what is it that you thinkthis experience is gonna be like
for you?
SPEAKER_01 (13:18):
You know, that's a very good question because I'm
very intrigued by this uh entirething.
And uh I'm I'm expecting it tobe uh like a uh a great seminar,
a music festival, uh, you know,uh one of the big church events
that we've all been to many,many through the years, and you
(13:40):
know, I'm excited for that.
Uh and and a great uhopportunity to perform um and
show some of these newer songsthat I have, and uh and to just
you know help drive the messagethat we're that we're getting
across uh on this whole event.
SPEAKER_02 (13:58):
It's a pretty special event.
SPEAKER_00 (14:00):
The um the different new thought teachings come
together, whether they're unity,whether they're science of mind,
you know, whether they'reindependence, you know, we're
coming from all over the world,um, as far as Africa to Jamaica
through the United States.
And so it's it's pretty special.
(14:20):
Um I've been producing all threeover the years.
We started um back in 2000 withour first conference in 22.
And some of the most prominentnew thought speakers and and uh
musicians and teachers come andreally present a lot of
(14:40):
different aspects of uhspirituality and uh spiritual
principles that help people havebetter lives.
And so what I know is that umthese are the kinds of things
that do transform people'slives.
And being a part of this musicteam, I know you're just kind of
(15:03):
getting a little bit uhintroduced to to some of the
team, but really outstandingtalent that would that we
gather.
And so it's it's such a uh areunion for us to come together.
And so I was just wondering umwhen you think about your life
(15:24):
including music but also beyondmusic, here's a central question
that I ask every guest who comeson Mystic Magic.
Can you think of a mysticalmoment that changed your life?
SPEAKER_01 (15:38):
Hmm Mystical moment ah there's there's there's some
there's a few to touch on.
SPEAKER_02 (15:47):
Uh yeah, changed my life.
Well, honestly, I huh what'd yousay?
Pick one.
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (15:58):
Pick one so let's see.
Uh there was a time in my lifeuh back in 200 and 6 where me
and a group of friends of mine,we all uh walked from Los
Angeles to New York.
We walked across the country.
And uh Yes, yeah, we're uh somesome buddies of mine, you know,
(16:18):
we were young, I was 25 backthen, and uh a buddy of mine
said, Yeah, I always had thisidea to walk across the country.
And I said, What?
That would be cool.
Now, when someone says somethinglike that, you're not really
thinking that's gonna happen,you know.
Uh it just sounds like a greatidea, and it sounds like
something we would work towards,and you don't really know how
(16:38):
exactly you're supposed to dosomething like that.
But um everyone was uh very,very uh into the idea and
pushed, and especially my mygood friend Kevin, who uh who
really had the organizationunderstanding on how to make it
work.
And so come the time, April 1st,2006, we left Venice Beach,
(16:59):
California, and we took a fullyear to walk across the country
all the way to New York, toManhattan.
That was my first time evergetting to New York, and I mean
there's countless things thatyou could say, but God, uh,
throughout that entire trip.
I mean, we went to the bottom ofthe Grand Canyon, we walked
through hell, sleet, stone,snow, every extreme.
(17:21):
So that whole experience in thatyear was a great step on faith
and understanding how how yourenergy projects when you project
positive energy.
Because every spot that peoplewould say, oh, when you get to
this part of the country, watchout because this or that, or
these people are crazy, or thesepeople are racist, or whatever,
(17:43):
every single time we got to oneof those spots, it was the
complete opposite thing.
And it taught me a big lesson onwhat's actually happening out in
the country, opposed to what wemight hear on the news or what
we see online.
When you see people face toface, it's different.
SPEAKER_00 (18:00):
Yeah, so when you think of all of those those
moments, I'm sure there weretimes when you were very
surprised by things thathappened.
SPEAKER_02 (18:10):
Was there anything that stands out for you?
Uh I'm trying to pinpoint one ofthese stories.
I guess I could say, yeah, Imean, we um We went down to the
(18:31):
Grand the bottom of the GrandCanyon.
SPEAKER_01 (18:33):
Uh it took us about six or so hours to get down.
But it took us almost twelvehours to get back up the next
day because of the heat and allof these things and just the
perseverance that we had tohave, you know, as people were
passing us by saying, Yeah, youknow, people don't make it up
this up this hill.
And we're like, What?
Okay.
(18:54):
But we still pushed through andwe were able to make it, you
know, the the uh camaraderiethat we had, the uh the support
that we gave each other.
It was a it was a great lessonand just pushing through,
persevering, praying, and uh andgetting there.
SPEAKER_00 (19:14):
Let's drill down a little bit more into the praying
part because um when you thinkabout having a connection with
God, has there ever been a timewhen you felt that the presence
of God was palpable?
And have you ever tried toexplain it?
And if so, what did you say?
SPEAKER_01 (19:40):
You know, I've I've sang at funerals and things like
that, and yeah, when you've whenyou know that you can feel the
presence of God uh in thismoment that you're having.
Uh I know I felt uh it's it'sI'm singing a song and you can
feel a touch and it just breaksyou down and and you have to
release.
(20:00):
Uh I definitely know that thoseare those are real moments.
And yeah, yeah, that that'sthat's a that's definitely a
situation, yeah, where you canyou can really feel the it's
palpable, you know, it's it'sthere.
There's a presence in theundeniable thing, you know.
SPEAKER_00 (20:18):
And do you notice anything different about you
after that happens?
SPEAKER_01 (20:24):
Yeah, it's it helps to strengthen the walk, it helps
to it helps with your faithbecause you know that you've
gotten an experience to topinpoint where you can say, now
I know that this happened andthis is this was a real feeling,
and it gives you moreconfirmation uh for your faith,
you know.
(20:44):
It helps your faith grow becauseyou know what that presence
feels like.
SPEAKER_02 (20:52):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (20:53):
And so um we've got a really special team, um, you
know, of of uh um Bukeka BlakeMoore and um music director
Angela Ward and the James Wardband, and we've got um you know
(21:15):
some some just really uh reallygood folks who are participating
on the music team and of coursea dedicated um planning team and
a program team.
And and the magic of UnityVillage is pretty special in and
of itself.
Have you been there before?
SPEAKER_01 (21:35):
No, no, I've never been out there.
I'm excited to see it.
SPEAKER_00 (21:40):
Oh, okay.
Yeah, good.
You got something to lookforward to.
SPEAKER_02 (21:45):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (21:45):
And so I'm sure that uh your your mom and your family
are proud that you're gonna bepart of this event.
Um and that uh you're gettingsupport from your wife and and
The rest of your family to to bea part of this special time.
SPEAKER_01 (22:04):
Yes, indeed.
SPEAKER_00 (22:05):
So tell me about what your aspirations are,
whether it's musical orspiritual or personal.
What are your aspirations?
SPEAKER_01 (22:26):
In all those areas.
In my personal life, in myspiritual life, my family life.
Got two daughters.
And uh, you know, being able toto be the man that I would
eventually want them to see uhto be with, let's say, type of
the type of man that they wantto be with.
And uh and just also show them,you know, in real time how I
(22:52):
worked to get to a goal and tosucceed in that goal.
Um me and my wife have abeautiful marriage and a
beautiful relationship, and wejust continue to hold hold the
line and maintain that.
And uh today is actually our uh13-year wedding anniversary.
(23:13):
Um and uh we're gonna be sogood.
Thank you, thank you.
And uh, yeah, you know, I mean,uh I'm working on my my album
project.
You know, I have a lot offriends growing up in Los
Angeles, California.
You you tend to grow up withpeople that gain some uh public
and you know fame and success.
(23:33):
And so I s I have a lot offriends that are, you know,
successful industry people andall this kind of stuff.
And you know, I definitely liketo be up here uh in that realm
uh as as as well as a friend,you know, and so I'm still
trying to uh complete my mymusic project and uh make more
(23:54):
and more music projects.
My wife tells me all the time,just release your music, you
know, release it, you know,because I like I said I I like
to hold on to it and say, Well,let me fix this and put one more
thing on there and make itperfect and all of this.
And uh and I'm and I'm workingon not overthinking things and
uh and not being so you knowperfectionist when it comes to
(24:17):
that, so that I can actuallyallow the world to hear, you
know, these ideas and these uhand these songs and these
messages that I want to wannagive people.
SPEAKER_00 (24:29):
And she's and she's right.
I mean, you know, you know,you're never gonna be finished
with with the script, with thesong, with with the production.
It's always gonna be better.
The thing is, once you get usedto having that success, the the
the more willing you're willingto be the more you're willing to
do more projects.
(24:50):
So I'm sure that you know I'mlooking forward to that as well.
I'm sure that you have thetalent and and the ambition and
the intelligence to succeed.
And um I want to say thanks forcoming on Mystic Magic and uh
(25:12):
look forward to seeing you atUnity Village and that is August
13th through 16th, 2026, atUnity Village in Missouri.
Flying in to Kansas City Airportfor those of you who want to
come.
And for those of you who wantmore information, you can go to
our website, PadNtg.org.
(25:33):
Thanks so much for coming toMystic Magic today, Cam.
Much blessings.
SPEAKER_01 (25:38):
Yes, indeed.
Thank you so much for having meas well.
All right.
SPEAKER_00 (25:45):
Rudy New Bunny.
It's Wahili for Come Home.
The people of African DescentNew Thought Group invite you to
follow your ancestral call toattend Celebrating Our Soul,
claiming our sacred power atUnity Village from August 13th
through 16th, 2026.
(26:07):
This special time calls you toawaken.
Remember your sacred power.
Take the journey to transformchallenge into conquest, where
you depart from your formerself, to embrace your genuine
power.
Our music will inspire you.
Our singers will awaken you.
(26:37):
Reverend Michael Beckwith willhave you on your feet, either
praising God or getting downfrom your inner spirit to the
top of your crown chakra.
The African drummers from thetraditional music society and
the It's Okay dancers will haveyou dancing with your ancestors.
And the brilliant masterclasspresenters will open your minds
(26:59):
and hearts in miraculous ways.
Energy healing workers willrestore your body so that it is
in alignment with your newlyrevived spirit.
You can do Reiki and Massage,cranial sacral therapy, or do
daily Qikong with Baiji Daniels.
There are many activities on theprogram and a couple of off-site
(27:22):
trips.
But you can stay on the groundsand chill if you'd like.
Enjoy the fountains or labyrinthor peaceful trails, or simply
chill with your friends.
If you can't be there in person,don't fret.
Our virtual option is nowavailable.
Virtual registrants will be ableto access the Zoom recordings
(27:43):
two weeks after the conferenceends, Monday, August 31st.
The recordings will be availablefor one month through September
30th.
To be there virtually on Zoom,go to PADNTG.com slash form
(28:07):
slash cos virtual 2026.
Again, that's P-A-D-N-T-G dotbreathe chms.com slash form
slash C O S D-I-R-T-U-A-L 2026.
It's up to you how you celebrateyour soul.
(28:28):
But whatever you do, pleasecelebrate you and get your
ticket today at padntg.org.
See you there.
Thank you for tuning in today.
Be sure to check out our shownotes for more information about
today's episode.
(28:50):
You can find us on ApplePodcasts, Google, Spotify,
Stitcher, iHeartRadio, and allof your favorite podcast venues.
This is Mystic Magic, exploringour spirit to understand our
lives.
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