Backstory
Did you know that every time you sing a song in church, you generate royalties for the person who wrote that song?
“What if the songwriters decided to give their portion of that money to charity?”
This is the question musician David Stükenberg asked friend and bandmate Brian Batch in 2015. He went on to describe this concept as “creative tithe that could keep on giving after we’re gone.” Excited about the possibilities, David and Brian started writing and recording with that purpose in mind.
Though the songwriting process was not new to either musician, the way the process felt was entirely new. “I didn’t realize how much ego I brought into the creative process until I tried to remove it,” said David, describing their first writing session.
Brian was a founding member of the band, Alpha Rev, and had spent many years writing, recording, and touring with bands like OneRepublic and Third Eye Blind. David began his career as a staff songwriter at 18, writing with Leeland on the grammy-nominated album, “Sound of Melodies,” and has been writing and producing since.
It was only after writing the first few songs that they discovered the figurative offering plate they had hoped to put their songs into did not exist. At that point, it became apparent to David that “creating a way to do this was just as important, if not more so, than the music we were creating.”
Since that time, Modern Psalm has grown into a 501(c)(3) organization capable of doing what David described back in 2015. It’s first volume is currently working in partnership with BLOOD:WATER, a nonprofit founded by Grammy Award-winning band, Jars of Clay, and author/activist Jena Lee Nardella.
About the founders
Founder David Stükenberg resides outside of Houston, Texas, with his wife and two sons. He currently leads worship in The Woodlands and works as a producer in Houston, Austin, and Nashville.
Brian Batch lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and three sons. He leads worship in Austin, and also owns an amazing restaurant called Bird Bird Biscuit.
To learn more about our partner at BLOOD:WATER, click the below logo.
how you can help
In order to succeed in its mission of offering a musical tithe that can continue to raise money for Bloodwater, Modern Psalm needs your support. There are a few ways to do this:
First - It would mean the world to us if you would listen to the music and help us share it. We made these songs to give back. Though these songs were created with the purpose of generating revenue for charity, we also hope that these songs can be as much of a gift to the people singing them or listening to them as they have been to us already.
Second - If you are a worship leader, please consider using the songs in your services. If you attend a church, please consider making your worship leaders aware of this music and this movement. The simple act of singing these songs will be donating to an lasting cause.
(*Though some of our catalog may not be a perfect fit for your average Sunday morning, each volume will have one song tailored specifically to a congregational setting. The featured track for Volume 1 FEAR / HOPE is “SOMEDAY SOON”, available for free HD download above. In the coming weeks, we will be making resources such as tutorials, charts, and even stems for playback available. Additionally, each volume will revolve around a different topic, ensuring that we provide a spectrum of options relevant to each services’ unique needs.)
Third - Financial support. We are a small but dedicated team, that has been committed to using our personal resources to pour into something we believe in for many years now. Simply put however, more financial resources equate to more songs being made and increased ability to share those songs. Please consider supporting Modern Psalm or giving directly to our incredible partners at BLOOD:WATER mission.
Come join the movement behind Modern Psalm, songs that give.
Give
Drop us a message!
Modernpsalm@gmail.com