Lakewood Music captures diversity of church with new album ‘Shout!’
Ramiro Garcia challenges you to find a more stylistically diverse album than the newly released “Shout!” by Lakewood Music.
“I feel like it’s a mixtape,” he said. “There’s something for everyone on this record.”
There’s gospel, more traditional worship ballads and pop. “And If you’re into some good ol’ rock ’n’ roll, we have that, too,” said Garcia, who is one of the album’s singers and songwriters.
Garcia said the wide range of songs reflects the diversity of Lakewood Church, one of the largest congregations in the country, with about 50,000 members. Because members come from all different backgrounds, the church’s worship music has varied since the get-go, he explained.
“We’ve always played different styles,” he said.
And each has space on the playlist of “Shout!”
“We feel like it’s a representation of our church and a representation of the body of Christ,” said Alexandra Osteen, also a singer and songwriter on the album. While the styles vary, the theme of the music remains the same — “the goodness of our God.”
“God is good to us,” she said. “He loves us, and He’s in control.”
Alexandra, 23, is the daughter of Lakewood’s senior pastor Joel Osteen and co-pastor Victoria Osteen, and the granddaughter of the congregation’s late founder, John Osteen. She grew up in the church, watching her parents lead worship services. One of her earliest memories is discussing taking the stage with her father.
“Missy,” he asked her, “do you want to sing at church?”
She did.
“In front of everybody?” he asked. “You’re not scared?”
She wasn’t.
“I didn’t know that I was supposed to be scared then,” she said, laughing. “I was actually pretty shy.”
But following a melody came naturally. “I never really remember not singing,” she said. “It’s what I love to do.”
Her mother enrolled her in piano lessons, along with her brother Jonathan Osteen, who also has singer and songwriter credits on “Shout!”
Alexandra continued to sing and lead worship throughout high school and college.
After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 2020, where she majored in communications and human resources, she moved back to Houston, started leading worship at Lakewood and delved into the church’s music scene. “I’ve been officially working here for two years now,” Alexandra said. “It feels like exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. I feel this is what God is calling me to do.”
She explained that music has been coming out of Lakewood — in various forms — since before she was born.
“Through the years, there have been many iterations of what music looks like coming from this church,” she said. “This is where we are now.”
The new group, Lakewood Music, represents young adult church members who have known each other and been singing together for years.
“We have all been in this church for years — or even our whole lives,” Alexandra said. “It was pretty natural. I’ve known all of these people for so long.”
Garcia agreed, adding, “We’ve all been together for years, over decades.”
The same group of musicians would perform at summer camps and church retreats.
“Now, we’re all older, and the platform is bigger,” said Garcia, 39, who started singing at Lakewood when he was 15. “We might be new to everyone else, but not to each other. It’s legit the same people that have been together for years. Now we’re just on a bigger scale.”
The musicians feel like family — and some literally are, he added. His wife, Jami Garcia, and siblings Luis Garcia, William Garcia, Arthur Ceker and Leslie Garcia are also featured on the album. Group members Abel Orta and Deborah Orta are also siblings.
In addition, music credits go to Dawn Hill, Melody Noel, Jonathan Traylor, Travis Greene, Ben Cantelon, David Moffit, Patrick Mayberry, Pat Barrett and John Reddick.
This is the third album for Lakewood Music. The first, “Live in the Wonderful,” debuted in 2018, followed by the second, “Whatever May Come,” in 2021.
“Shout!” came out
Sept. 23. Lakewood Music is now taking the show on tour, opening for Grammy-winning Christian singer Tauren Wells.
“Tauren could literally get anyone to open for him,” Garcia said. “The fact that he wants us, that’s a big deal. He’s confident that we can do this, and that means a lot to us. We’re excited to go out there and show people what Lakewood is all about.”
A member of the congregation for 23 years, Garcia tried going to IT school and pursuing other careers, but his heart was called to ministry. He started with youth ministry, then young adult. Now he leads worship on Sundays.
All the while, he has been writing music and singing at Lakewood.
He credits Joel Osteen for encouraging him to try out for “American Idol” in 2012, where he made a splash with “Amazing Grace” in Season 11.
Garcia’s main goal for being on television was sharing his story. He was born without fully formed ears, and doctors told his parents he would never speak or even be able to hear.
“It was through my faith and the help of doctors that a miracle happened,” Garcia said.
Now, through music, he hopes to let others know that God can change their lives for the better.
“I tell people, I’m a living miracle,” Garcia said. “God is still doing miracles today. He can take a boy that was supposed to be mute and turn around and give him a voice to inspire people through singing.”
He often tells his audience, “If God did it for me, He can do it for you.”
Alexandra Osteen also hopes the album and touring shows will offer encouragement to their audience. The Houston show is scheduled for Oct. 27 at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar
Land.
“Music is a powerful tool,” she said. “And our praise is so powerful.
God moves when we worship. That’s what we want for these songs — that they can become tools to remind us of all that God has said.”
One of her favorite tracks on the album is “Good Time for a Miracle.’
“It’s an anthem,” she said. “It’s easy to think that miracles don’t happen now. But God doesn’t change. We still serve the same God that creates miracles.”