The Official Site of Anthem Avenue

WHO (bios)

Carly Fair:
Some may call it destiny, some even her "calling,” but looking fondly back, and intriguingly forward, Carly (Nelson) Fair has seen her life as a journey…. many hills, many valleys, and even more places in-between…. but one invariable the whole way…. the love of Christ never failing.

Hailing from the Midwest, or as her husband Chad calls it - God's country - Carly Fair found herself at the young age of 12 traveling far beyond the borders of Wisconsin to begin a journey. Whether putting on concerts with her brothers in their basement for neighbors or singing in front of a crowd of 10,000 Fijian students, music and the arts has always been a way that Christ has shown Himself to her and through her. Going on tour with the Young Continentals at age 12 burrowed a love of sharing through singing, dance and drama that has continued to grow and develop in Carly. By the age of 16 Carly had seen God work in Mexico, Canada, Australia, Fiji and every U.S. state.

With a growing love for music and dance, Carly attended Belmont University where she graduated with a major in Commercial Vocal Performance. After college Carly went on to teach voice at a Nashville college and continues to dance and choreograph. Carly also had the opportunity to tour with David Phelps as a background vocalist on his 2004 Revelation tour and Christmas tour.

Now as a member of ANTHEM AVE., Carly sees the journey continue. With a desire to encourage the body of Christ to truly understand who Christ is and who we are in Him, Carly is excited to see ANTHEM AVE.’s purpose set into action. “We want to use our gifts and abilities to glorify the Lord and to have one heck of a time doing it. Living in the knowledge that we, as Christ followers, are messy people who have been set free to encourage each other in life, is at times overwhelming and scary but more so empowering and exhilarating.”

Ryan Greenawalt :
Even at three years of age Ryan Greenawalt knew he wanted to be a singer. In fact, growing up in a family of musicians, Ryan doesn't remember a time when he was not singing on stage regularly. Because he was born the son of a traveling Worship evangelist, he was always expected not only to sing with the family at services, but by the age of ten, he was already singing the tenor harmony part.

Ryan has won many awards for his vocal and acting abilities. His last three years of high school, he was elected to the prestigious Texas All-State Choir, and selected as the first-chair tenor I in the state for two of those years. As a senior he was awarded a gold medal by the Texas University Interscholastic League for winning Outstanding Performer out of 80,000 students in the state solo competition.

After high school Ryan attended East Texas Baptist University to begin a degree in opera performance. After three years of classical training and professional experience at the Shreveport Opera, Ryan decided to transfer to Belmont University in Nashville, TN to finish his degree in commercial vocal performance. He was on scholarship, throwing the javelin, disc, and hammer for the Division IAAA track team, and won five national titles in competitive acting. Ryan is currently an adjunct professor at Belmont University where he coaches acting and debate for the nationally acclaimed Belmont Forensics Team.

Ryan is thankful to have been brought up in a family that supports his dreams. He truly could not have accomplished anything without them standing beside him. “The opportunity to be in Anthem Ave. feels like the culmination of prayers and training and God’s very clear direction. Jesus Christ is THE reason that I perform. I know I was made for a purpose and I feel God’s pleasure when I sing.”

Katie (Shinn) Seaton:
Katie is a new mom! She and her husband, Matt, welcomed Bella Jean Seaton on January 11, 2006. Matt and Katie met while attending Travecca Nazarene University in Nashville where she studied Marketing. They live in Hermitage,TN and while not on the road travelling you can find Katie and her family at the local McDonalds Playland! They are currently attending Whispering Hills Church of the Nazarene. Katie loves serving in the church and based on her upbringing, that should be no surprise.

She is the youngest of three girls and the daughter of a Nazarene youth pastor with more than 25 years experience. Her mother is a registered nurse and ‘the best cook you’ll ever meet.’ As a pastor’s kid, Katie’s family moved all over! She was born in West Virginia but soon the family was off to Colorado, Virginia, Indianapolis, back to Virginia, to Illinois, back to Indiana, to Oklahoma and finally to Tennessee. Katie admits that moving was difficult but it forced her to hold on to what was true and consistent, her family and God. Her family is very close and her sisters are her best friends. And they are also her former singing partners. They have been affectionately known as MJK, Make Jesus Known, or just the Shinn Sisters.

For three years the girls traveled all over the U.S. singing in little churches and big churches and camps and conferences and basements and parks and theatres and wherever someone would listen. To be with her family and share what God has done and what He continues to do in her life was an incredible blessing. Katie is very excited about the opportunity
to get real and relevant and talk about things that are real and relevant with her new group ANTHEM AVE.. “The arts are a powerful tool to reach people and I am so grateful for this new adventure. I know God doesn’t need me to help build His Kingdom, but I’m sure glad He wants me!”

WHAT (statement of purpose)

It has been said that you can’t really love God unless you love His church. You can’t passionately want to serve Him unless you are willing to serve His bride. Jesus said “I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things (feed the hungry, make room for the homeless, cloth the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned) to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me – you did it to me.”
(Mathew 25:40 – The Message)

God’s people are messy. We are sometimes hungry and instead of filling our voids with God we turn to other things. We often times feel like we don’t fit in and we are lonely. We aren’t comfortable in our own skin and find ourselves sick and imprisoned in our own worlds – sometimes because of bad choices and sometimes just because. We have issues and baggage and God still really, really loves us. And he tells us to love one another!

ANTHEM AVE. was created to encourage and serve The Church. We don’t want to shy away from the tough stuff. The church should be a place where hurting people can come and be healed. We want our music to reflect that. We want to be a fresh voice that sings passionately and courageously about real and relevant issues that affect us today. God is indeed good all the time – but life is still hard!

We want to be the most creative individuals that we can be because we are made in the image of the most creative Creator. We want to pick songs that move people. It is our hope that people will get to know us and understand our hearts. It is our desire to provide an experience that might just alter the life of one of the people He loves – all people. It is our prayer that He would receive tons of glory because we were obedient. And if we all get to laugh and sing and cry and worship and question along the way – cool!

Watch for our music and dates in your area very soon. Keep in touch and be assured - YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!