'They Are Fighting for Me'
By: John Benson
ŠThe
News-Herald 2007
09/14/2007
Concord Township
man's CD is a hit with soldiers in Iraq
Local singer-songwriter Norm Schmidt is all about serving.
Whether it's
serving his Lord as an acoustic guitarist with Christian music or serving his country as a patriotic citizen, the Euclid High School
graduate is always on the lookout for new avenues of creative expression.
In January, Schmidt, who has released three albums
over the past four years, had an idea while perusing No Greater Joy magazine, which is targeted toward Christian and home-schooled
families.
"I saw an ad that asked, 'If you have anything you'd care to contribute to our soldier care packages being sent
overseas, feel free to let us know,' " Schmidt said.
The Centerville, Tenn.-based No Greater Joy Ministries sends out
more than 3,000 care packages annually to soldiers overseas.
"So I sent them my first CD, 'Another Blessed Day,' and they
loved it."
But Schmidt wasn't expecting what happened next.
"They asked, is there any way we can do anything that pertains
to the soldiers as far as a song is concerned?" said Schmidt, who averages roughly 200 shows a year as a touring Christian
artist. "So then I wrote a song for them and combined a number of CDs into this one CD, and had it tailor-made for this soldier
project"
The result is the 15-track "They Are Fighting for Me," which was ready to go in May. So far, 1,200 copies have
been sent to the troops in Iraq, and Schmidt
says soldiers have e-mailed him their thanks.
"You've got soldiers over there that are facing the possibility of life
and death," Schmidt said.
"And what I've studied and learned, what the Bible and God says about things - to be prepared
and know of salvation - the purpose behind this is, I think, to support the troops and to send a biblical message to them
around the world."
The album's title track has received airplay around the country, and that plays into another purpose
for the Concord Township
resident - using his music to help bridge a gap stateside.
"The idea for me is, I just want to be able to relate to just
anybody," Schmidt said.
"The love for people no matter how you feel about things. I like to sing, and I like to do music,
and what I've noticed here is the war has become such a critical thing. So my point is just support the troops.
"I've
talked to soldiers who have come back and asked them what is important, and they said, 'It's important that our people in
America, that they care and support us.'"
For more information or to purchase "They Are Fighting for Me," visit www.anotherblessedday.com.
