Due to technical difficulties, both projects have been delayed.

Now the good news.

“Tell My Daddy” should still see an early June release.  3DL thanks all their supporters in advance for purchasing the single and requesting it’s airplay.

“Meditashions Vol. 1″ will be released soon afterwards with 1 additional instrumental and 3 vocal tracks.  Based on feedback from the pre-release and some sudden inspiration, the first solo endeavor from Shade Lawrence Jenifer will now be a 17-track compilation “strictly”, Shade states, “for your enjoyment.”

Furthermore, the delays have proven to be revelatory for Shade as he continues to develop his musical gifts.  Stay tuned for his personal reflections on the process and what he’s learned along the way.

Shade wrote the song a day after their father, Theodore P. Jenifer, passed away suddenly from an asthma attack.  ”I vividly remember the evening my mother called me with the news that my father had passed away.  In an instant, I lost my strength and all I could do was slide down the wall to the floor in the hallway of my home and sob”, youngest brother Jason recalls.  “After the moment passed, I quickly began to think about my mother and how she was handling everything.  To my amazement, she was incredibly calm and strong during this time. That strength stayed consistent from the initial viewing of dad at the funeral home all the way through the funeral/memorial service. I was in awe of her strength.”

Oldest brother Theodore had spoken with his father shortly before he died.  “From my apartment in Atlanta, GA I said to my father over the phone  ‘I love you dad’.  ‘I love you too son’ was his response.  We hung up.  A few days later, he went home to be with the Lord.   I took comfort in my final words to him and gathered my strength for the trip to Washington D.C. to celebrate his life.”

For middle brother Shade, the moment was surreal:   ”We were hanging out in the family room, watching TV and having a good time as usual, when my mom called and told me very calmly that my dad was gone.   Actually, part of me was relieved because he was always struggling to breathe, but the other part of me was sad – my relationship with him was growing just before I left for college, but shortly after I graduated, I left home for good at 22 years old.  So, I never got really close to my dad.”

The turning point in his attitude toward his father, Shade remembers, came “when my mother told me privately that my father occasionally expressed his belief that we [my siblings and I] loved her more than we loved him.  That changed everything for me.  From that point on, I wanted to be a better son.  I wanted to obey more quickly, and work harder in school.  But not having known how to talk to him at a younger age, I still didn’t feel comfortable sharing many things with him when I began high school.”

Jason relates, “Dad passed at a time right when we were starting to grow closer.  I was learning who my father was and becoming more comfortable with talking to him about life.  He was an incredibly down-to-earth person.  I was seeing my father as a person that I could talk to about anything.  One thing that I did know about my dad was that he was in my corner.  He was the best dad ever!”

Thus, when it came time to think of what to do at his father’s funeral, Shade moved instinctively. “I went to the keyboard and just started playing”, Shade states.  ”It just happened.  I thank God for those moments.  At the funeral, I was very nervous singing it and even messed up near the end, but many people were still touched.  When I sang it again a few years later at my church, one gentleman told me that he was going to reconnect with his father.”

“When he shared it,  all I could think about was how perfect the song was”, Jason reminisces. ” The lyrics were so spot on.  I, along with my siblings, loved my dad very much.  I just don’t know if he knew how much we loved him because we didn’t do a lot to show him our love.  One thing for sure was that dad was not only loved by his family, but by many others as well.  People showed up in droves in support of our family and in remembrance of his life.  Amidst my pain, the outpouring of support for my father and his family made me feel proud to be a Jenifer.”

Theodore, a lifelong inspiration to Shade, remembers his younger brother’s tribute proudly as well: “I could barely believe my ears. It was clear that the song was given to him straight from Heaven; and he sang it from the depths of his heart.  It was all I could do to keep it together.”

Last year, near Memorial Day, Shade approached his brothers about sharing the song on a broader scale.  “The objective was to record the song in time to have it playing on the airways for Father’s day.  I loved the idea and was extremely excited about getting the project done”, Jason stated.  The trio was blessed when Jason’s pastor, Bishop Dr. R. E. Carr, allowed them to record in the studio at Abundant Life International Church, in Newport News, VA. After oldest brother Theodore and Shade drove up from Georgia and Maryland, respectively, the brothers recorded vocals early in the morning despite lots of fatigue.  “The work was hard”, Jason states, “but it didn’t feel this way.  It felt more like deep breathing; a natural occurrence that nourishes your being.  I was singing and creating with some of my favorite people in the world in honor and memory of my father.  Seeing it all come together was sheer joy.”

The brothers perform all the vocals and music.  Theodore, a natural baritone with tremendous range, sings the highest parts and contributes the live violin.   Jason, a prodigious songwriter and self-taught drummer, contributes the bottom of the harmony and live drums, alto sax and clarinet.  The lead vocals, mid-harmony, sequencing and live flute are performed by Shade.

Unfortunately, the brothers didn’t get everything done in time last year. “We hooked up with an incredibly professional engineer in Virgina Beach to do some final recording and initial mixing”, Shade remembers, “but in the end, there just wasn’t enough time and resources to finish.  Initially, I was devastated.  It hurts when you work really hard for a goal and fail to reach it.  But then God reminded me that this isn’t about industry – it’s about ministry.  When your goal is to touch hearts, any release date works.  Furthermore, it gave me time to focus on finishing Meditashions, which was long overdue.”

A year later, the project is set for this May’s release.  “I am very excited about the release of this song,” Jason stated.  “After singing together for over 30 years, this is the first original recording that we will be sharing with the masses.  I am confident that the Lord is going to utilize this song to mend relationships and to cause people to focus on what is truly important; love of Christ and family.  I look forward to hearing how this song touches  the lives of all those who hear it!”

Theodore concluded, “I could fill a thick novel with all of the wonderful memories I have of my dad. I appreciate him so much and I thank God for the time that we had together.   I also thank God for giving Shade ‘Tell My Daddy’, and for the opportunity to help share the song with many other people.”

Shade added, “we’re honoring our dad and his legacy, and most importantly, sending this message: love the people that matter to you now, and love them well.  Don’t wait until they’re gone.”

Meditations Vol. 1 started when prayer coach Shawn M. Cook asked IMO founder and owner Shade L. Jenifer to create music for the first of his timely Prayer and Faith Confessions series. Soon after finishing the last track, Shade knew intuitively that he had to remix the songs and add some others to give people something to enjoy.

The complete project, slated for an April 2011 release, will feature 13 tracks, all influenced by Shade’s favorite producers, including Aaron Lindsey, Take 6, Warryn “Baby Dubb” Campbell, and Asaph Alexander Ward.

 

Pricing includes tax, S+H

50 magnets $20.00 100 magnets $30.00 200 magnets $45.00

Initially designed by Inner Man Omnimedia (IMO) founder and owner Shade L. Jenifer for T-Shirts, this inspiration now appears on a custom refrigerator magnet to maximize distribution.  ”One size fits all”, Shade explains.  ”This way we can spread the message without worrying about the fit or current fashion trend.  Of course, we want to inspire through fashion as well, but this way we can get the message out and build brand awareness without some of the headaches of the fashion business.  This is great for churches – members can distribute this among and, more importantly, beyond their congregation.  We’re looking into some other mediums – mugs and bumper stickers are probably next in line.  But we’re not limiting ourselves.  We’ll use whatever works.  We’ve got to get this message out – pride kills.”