Professional singer starts fresh with Georgia Worship Choir
Her situation isn’t what you might expect from someone who’s sung alongside top selling, world famous recording artists. Martie Rudd, a professional singer and musician, discovered Georgia Worship Choir in 2022 and despite hesitation, decided to give it a try.
It’s been a complete game-changer.
“I’ve played the piano since I was five and the flute since I was nine. And at one point, I was a concert rated pianist,” Martie said. “I also sang professionally in the late 80s and early 90s, traveling between Nashville, Atlanta, and New York.
“I sang with [several well-known male and female artists] and have done a gazillion commercials. And during that time, backup singers were not listed, so I sang for people whose albums I don’t even know I’m on.”
Immersing herself in the music industry presented high-pressure situations. But Martie thrived there.
“Back then, you'd walk in the door, they’d hand you the music, and you'd have three shots to get it right. And if you didn't get it right, there was somebody behind you who was going to,” she said. “It was very competitive – but I loved it.
“It was great, for a time, and my experience there opened a lot of doors for me. I did musical theater for lots of years here in Atlanta, and I was used by almost every theater here to do auditions, because I can sight read on a dime.”
Martie’s natural musical abilities continued to present opportunities for her professionally. But one place the door was continually shut in her face? The church.
Martie and her husband Brian
“In the church world, I have not been very accepted in music groups,” she said. “Because most don’t have people with the background I have, I'm intimidating to a lot of people.
“‘Ostracized’ is a tough word, but I’ve definitely been ‘shut out’. I was asked to sing once in a while, but I wasn’t able to fully use my gifts. I really needed an outlet.”
For someone with a passion for singing and musical worship, that lack of opportunity weighed on Martie. But one day, she found out about Georgia Worship Choir, and everything changed.
“I thought, ‘I don't know a soul in there, but I'm gonna go try it out.’
“I cried all the way home,” Martie said, “because, I thought, ‘They don't know me; they don't know my background. I'm just another singer.’ And it was the most heartwarming, soul fulfilling thing I've done in a long time.”
Martie’s musical abilities come naturally. But she chooses to spend time practicing to be the best she can be. Not because she needs the help, but because God is worth it to her.
“[My musical abilities] are God-given talents. Honestly, it’s not something I have to work hard for,” she said. “But I still rehearse. I believe that despite what I get applause for secularly, I need to give a lot more of myself in the Christian world.
“If I'm getting applause for me, that's fine. But if I'm getting applause for God, I need to give so much more.”
Not only has Martie gotten to fully worship and give glory to God through Georgia Worship Choir, she’s also made friendships.
“Most of mine and my husband’s friends are 20 years younger than us, because people our age don't like to do anything,” she laughed. “But we can all learn from everybody we come in contact with.
“Being a part of Georgia Worship Choir has opened up my whole realm of people, and not just in one denomination. I know people now that I would never have met, and it's given me the chance to express my talents to give glory to God, with a group of people.”
Not only did Martie sing her heart out as a choir member and soloist in the inaugural season of Georgia Worship Choir, she served on the Member Care Team, giving her the chance to show a little extra love to her fellow choir members.
Not only that, but at the beginning of 2023, Martie began serving as a board member, taking any opportunity to make an even bigger difference in the organization that has come to mean so much to her.
“Here, it doesn’t matter who you are; you're a member of a team. It doesn't matter what my background is, because I'm not there to draw attention to me. I'm there to draw attention to God,” she said.
Here’s Martie’s question to someone considering giving Georgia Worship Choir a try:
“What are you waiting for? If you don't like it, you can come three times and not come back. Just try it out!”
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