I love getting email from all of you. Your words of encouragement mean the world. Surprisingly enough, there are several questions that many of you ask, so I thought I would try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions here. I hope that helps you all and just want to thank you again for your continued prayers and support.
Where can I find tracks and some of Sandi’s older recordings?
There are a few tracks available on this website. You can click the store link above. There are lots of tracks listed there — some are in mp3 format and some are ones that you have to order. Not every song that I have sung is available in track format. Some of the older ones are no longer available. The other option would be to go to itunes.com or search in your iTunes store. Several people have said that there are tracks of mine available online. I have seen some of them myself.Christianbook.com is a great website for tracks. You have to pay a small fee each time you download one, but it is a great way to get tracks. Also available in the store is all of my other product: CDs, books, songbooks. Be sure to check there first for anything you might be looking for. I hope all of this information is helpful.
Why is your name spelled differently from some of your earlier recordings to some of your most recent ones? Didn’t you use to spell it Sandi Patti?
I get the question about my name a lot. On my birth certificate my name is Sandra Patty. That is how I have always spelled my name. About 25 years ago when I made my first record with a record company, they misspelled my name on the album cover. My name didn’t mean as much to me then as it does now, so I just let it go. But I guess the older I get, I realized that I wanted my name to be the same as on my birth certificate. So with the help of my record company we fixed a mistake. Hope that helps.
Who is that beautiful young lady that we have seen do sign language with you at Women Of Faith events and other concerts?
Many of you have had the privilege of seeing my sweet friend, Lisa Smith, do sign language with me at several concerts and Women Of Faith events. She is truly an amazing young lady. I first met Lisa and her mother Vicki about 5 years ago in the Dallas area. Vicki had given Lisa one of my CDs and Lisa began to learn the songs in sign language. I began to see Lisa signing during my concerts and one evening asked her to join me on stage for one of the songs — I believe it was a Christmas concert and we did “O Magnify The Lord/Angels We Have Heard On High.” She absolutely knocked me out. Lisa and Vicki came to the Women of Faith National Conference in Las Vegas in February of 2006 and I asked Mary Graham (the founder of Women Of Faith) if it would be okay for me to invite Lisa on stage to sign with me. Mary graciously said yes and Lisa wowed the 10,000+ women that night. She and her mom have even begun to do some traveling and performing a few places across the country. Lisa is such an encouragement wherever she goes and I am so thankful that this lovely angel of God has come into my life. You can email Lisa atlisa@sandipatty.com
How do you pick songs for your projects?
When it comes time to record, I like to sit down with the producer and maybe a few writers and just talk for awhile. Since I don’t write songs myself, I rely on others to help me say what is in my heart. Then I usually choose the songs that best help me say what is going on in my life and how God has been faithful. I have always wanted my projects to be a reflection of where I am in my own walk with the Lord. I usually don’t accept music from outside sources, just because honestly I don’t have the time to listen to everything. That’s why it helps me when songs come through a publisher — they can spend the time with a writer and help them with the demo and then, if they feel strongly about a song, pass it on to my producer and then finally on to me.
Sandi, how do I get started in the music industry? I feel that God has given me a talent and I want to use it for him, but I just don’t know what the next step is.
There are so many wonderful and talented artists and songwriters who just want to know how to get your foot in the music industry. It would seem that as an artist myself I would have more answers and advice than I literally do. But alas, I don’t. But here are two thoughts… first one is, be faithful and dedicated where God has you right now. If that is in a church or school choir, be the most committed choir member there is. Know your music, be on time, be encouraging and be flexible with whatever the director asks of you. If you have never taken piano lessons, take them. It helps in an understanding of music in a wonderful way. Also, if you are thinking about college, then think hard. Get a music education and understand the gift that God has given you. And definitely get your degree and put career things on hold. The music business is unpredictable. Get a degree that will help you have a vocation and then do music on the side until God would choose to open that “big” door. Also, check out gospelmusic.org. That is the website for the Gospel Music Association, and they have wonderful resources. There are competitions and seminars all throughout the year that are so helpful. It is really the best place to get those “what next?” questions asked.
Where can I find sheet music of my favorite Sandi Patty song?
So many times people e-mail and ask where they can buy sheet music for songs. I have found that you can find some of my titles on MUSICNOTES.COM. They offer digital downloads (PDF format) of many, many CCM titles. If you do a search for ‘Sandi Patty,’ many titles come up and they are affordably priced ($4.95 – $5.95 each). Some songs aren’t listed under Sandi Patty, like “Upon This Rock” and “Unshakeable Kingdom” are listed under Gaither.
What is your range?
To be honest, my range has changed a bit over the years, but my mom says it’s about 4 octaves? F below middle C to high F above double high C. Really, singing high is just like screaming on pitch.
What do you have in your mouth when you are singing?
That’s a funny question and I do get asked that often. I suck on Halls or some kind of throat lozenge. My current choice is sugar-free Ricola honey lemon. It helps keep the spit going (for lack of a better explanation) without having to stop and get a drink of water or tea all the time. I drink throat coat tea which helps as well.
When did you get interested in sign language?
When I first started out in the music industry, I was privileged to hear The Rambos sing. Reba Rambo signed to one of their songs and I thought it was so beautiful. When Dottie Rambo gave me the glorious song, “We Shall Behold Him,” I immediately knew that I wanted to learn it in sign language.
Has your husband Don ever made a CD? He has a beautiful voice.
Actually my husband used to travel with a group called ONE. They made two CDs and are still some of our favorites. Don studied voice at the University of Michigan and also at Anderson University. I always love it when we can sing together. The duet that we sing, “The Prayer,” is on my CD, Hymns of Faith/Songs of Inspiration.
