Yvonne Hartman

Oley-based musician Yvonne Hartman is celebrating the release of her newest album, "Great Adventure," with a concert on Nov. 2 at Fleetwood Bible Church, 2847 Moselem Spring Road, Richmond Township, in the church's Fellowship Hall.

The event, which begins at 7 p.m., is free and open to the public. Cake and light refreshments will be served during the concert, and there will also be door prizes.

"Great Adventure" was produced by Kevin McNoldy, who in addition producing Hartman's earlier project "ReMade," has also worked with Mary Chapin Carpenter and Dave Matthews. - Reading Eagle

Hope Outlet, 1 Parkside Ave., Shillington (610-741-1643)

Benefit concert featuring Yvonne Hartman; 1 p.m. Jan. 20 - Reading Eagle

It was on a drive down Route 422 from her 400-acre Oley Valley farmstead into Exeter Township that Yvonne Hartman became inspired to pen "Not Ashamed," her favorite song from her new CD, "ReMade."
There she was, cruising along with the windows down and sunroof open - her preferred mode of travel - when she pulled up to a red light amid a cluster of traffic.

"I kind of come to a stop, and I'm kind of blaring my Jesus music, and I look around and go, 'Hmmm, I wonder what the people think around me,' " she said, laughing. And then I think, 'You know what? I am not ashamed of the gospel, you know?' And that's kind of where that song came from."
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Like most songs that Hartman writes, "Not Ashamed" is based on an honest-to-goodness experience from her life or the lives of those around her. And like all the songs she writes, it's intended to guide people toward Christ.

It is one of seven new songs on her recently released fourth CD, "ReMade," which she'll celebrate Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Proximity Cafe in Pottstown with a free show, complete with cake and door prizes.

Hartman chose that title because the other five songs on the CD are remakes of tunes from her previous album, "Send Me." She wanted to take another crack at them with the help of Kevin McNoldy, who produced "ReMade" at his Cphonic studio in Raleigh, N.C.

McNoldy has an impressive music-industry track record, having worked with the likes of Dave Matthews, Mary Chapin Carpenter and the Backstreet Boys. But he and Hartman go way back, to before he ever encountered any of those famous folks. They actually attended high school together at Schuylkill Valley in the 1980s.

As her Facebook friend, McNoldy learned that Hartman's previous recording efforts hadn't always gone as she would have liked, so he offered to help. It turned out he did much more than help; he ended up playing all the instruments on "ReMade."

Hartman, an engineer by day with FirstEnergy Corp., where she's known to show up for work guitar in hand, recorded the vocals at her home near Yellow House and sent them to McNoldy over the Internet, so the CD was made start-to-finish without the two ever coming face to face.

"I haven't seen him since high school," Hartman said with a laugh.

McNoldy pushed her to write a few extra songs so they could release a full CD, and she's grateful he did.

"That's the first time I really have written songs kind of on demand," she said, "and they actually turned out really good. 'I Give Myself to God,' 'Not Ashamed,' 'Not of This World' and 'More Like Him' were all written after he told me, 'Hey, write a couple more songs.' And we were kind of shooting for 10 or 11, and got 12."

Hartman sees McNoldy as one of the many people who have entered her life through the grace of God and helped her with her music ministry.

Another such person is her co-writer and musical mentor, Steve Myers, who has counseled her on everything from vocals to songwriting to learning new techniques on guitar.

"I don't know that I'd be where I am today if not for Steve," she said. "He's a much better musician than I am. He's much better at guitar, and he's continually having me push the envelope and get better. He pushes me out of my comfort zone.

"But in the end, when I master those techniques, we can start putting those into songs. And that's how my songs have gotten better and better over time."

She's hopeful that her new single, "Step Into the Light," will get added to the rotation at Internet, FM and satellite stations across the country, with a boost from a promotional company she has hired.

"It's not your typical contemporary Christian song," she said. "I think a lot of my stuff is a little hard to classify."

Hartman and Myers worked hard on the lyrics, which target people who might be feeling like they are lost.

"Most of the time they don't know what they're searching for," she said. "They just know there's something missing in their lives. So we were really trying to write a song that reached out to people in their despair, in their darkness, and tell them, 'Step out of the dark and into the light. He's waiting for you to find him.' "

It's inspiring stuff in an era when, in Hartman's opinion, so much popular music is simply vacuous: filled with songs that "don't really say much, or sometimes they say the same thing over and over again."

For Saturday's show, Hartman will be joined by her father, Gary Yerger, on bass and Dave Ruth on lead guitar. Opening will be Janelle Loveless, a young singer-songwriter whom Hartman is mentoring the way Myers has mentored her.

That give and take? She sees it all as part of God's master plan.

"I think that it's amazing," she said, "how God puts people in your life to help you out." - See more at: http://www.readingeagle.com/life/article/yvonne-hartman-not-ashamed-of-her-fourth-cd#sthash.pEADDDlE.dpuf - Reading Eagle

Yvonne Hartman lives on a farm in the Oley Valley and attends Fleetwood Bible Church, a far cry from the gritty streets of Pottstown, but she has seen firsthand the level of need of some people in that community, and she is inspired to help.
To that end, she will be presenting a fundraising concert Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Proximity Cafe, 1450 E. High St., Pottstown, to benefit Pottstown Bible Church, which is 10 blocks to the west. Admission is free, but an offering will be collected, with proceeds helping to stock the church's food pantry, support the free meals it serves each week following the Sunday service and allow it to continue to serve as a warm and welcoming place for those in need.

Hartman has been involved with Pottstown Bible Church for some time, helping to lead its worship services periodically with a guitar in her hand and compassion in her heart. The storefront church used to invite the needy in for evening meals on weekends, which would be followed by worship, and that's where Hartman first witnessed a level of poverty that was foreign to her.
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"It sort of was how they were bringing the people in," she said. "They would answer their physical needs, and then address their spiritual needs as well. So they did that for a number of years, and I would go in probably once a month and lead worship." - See more at: http://www.readingeagle.com/life/article/concert-by-yvonne-hartman-to-benefit-pottstown-bible-church#sthash.HUbL1lju.dpuf - Reading Eagle

OLEY, Pa. — Local musician Yvonne Hartman will perform with her contemporary Christian band, B9 Fate, in a concert to benefit farmland preservation on June 11 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the New Life Bible Fellowship Church, Oley, Pa., along with special guest Steve Myers. Proceeds from the concert will benefit Wernersville, Pa.,-based Adopt An Acre Inc. in its continued efforts to preserve agricultural land.
Adopt An Acre Inc. President Craig Dirks thanked the Hartmans for lending their talents to raising funds for farmland preservation. Farmland preservation has been an important cause for the entire Hartman family for decades. Yvonne’s father-in-law, Ed Hartman, now deceased, devoted many years to serving on the Berks Agricultural Land Preservation Board and serving as president of the Berks Farm Bureau. A son, Chris Hartman, serves on the board of Adopt An Acre Inc. and the Berks County Conservancy. Other family members continue to be active in numerous farm organizations, including the Berks Farm Bureau and the Berks County Society of Farm Women.
Adopt An Acre Inc. was organized in 2004 and has been raising funds for farmland preservation for the past seven years. The nonprofit organization can accept donated conservation easements, partner with other preservation groups or purchase easements on smaller acreages.
The New Life Bible Fellowship Church is located at 2960 Philadelphia Avenue (Route 73) near Oley. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students 12 and older if paid in advance; add $2 at the door. Advance tickets are available from Adopt an Acre Inc. at 610-927-4753, or by sending a check to the organization at P.O. Box 251, Wernersville, PA, 19565.
For additional information visit the B9 Fate website at B9Fate.com, or the Adopt an Acre Inc. website at adoptanacreinc.com. - Lancaster Farming

On Sat. June 11, local Contemporary Christian band B9 Fate, will be hosting a benefit concert for Adopt an Acre Inc. at The New Life Bible Fellowship Church located at 2960 Philadelphia Avenue near Oley, PA.
The concert will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Tickets bought in advance will cost $10 for adults and $5 for students. There will be an additional $2 charge for tickets sold at the door.
One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit Adopt an Acre Inc, an organization devoted to assisting county, state and federal programs save agricultural land.
Even though Hartman is not a farmer herself, she easily relates to their struggle because her husband is a farmer who works on their farms, Scattered Acres, with his brothers.
That is the reason Hartman agreed to do the benefit concert when she was approached by co-worker and President of Adopt an Acre Inc, Craig Dirks to do the concert.
In addition to realizing the importance of saving farms, Hartman would like the concertgoers to learn more about Adopt an Acre Inc.
“I would like people to get a sense for what Adopt an Acre does and how farming is important to the community; not only to this community, but all communities in the world.
“If we continue to let farms die out, I don’t know where we are going to get our food. Obviously we don’t make enough food in the world to feed the world now because there are people starving all over the world,” Hartman said.
Adopt an Acre Inc. is thrilled about the concert and the awareness it will bring.
“I look forward to a great turnout at this benefit concert. There are many acres of farmland to save for future generations and now is the right time to do it,” Dirks said in a press release.
For additional information, please visit the B9Fate website at www.b9fate.com or the Adopt an Acre Inc website at www.adoptanacreinc.org. - The Merchandiser

Yvonne Hartman, lead vocals, guitar, songwriter. Yvonne started singing as a solo artist in 2006 and released two solo CDs. In 2008, she was joined by her children, Jacob Hartman (drums) and Sarah Hartman (bass). Year formed: Yvonne solo since 2006, B9 Fate was formed in 2008. What's in the name: "B9" (Benign) - No. 1 definition on www.dictionary.com is "gracious." "Fate" is something that happens to you that you have no control over. Just like God's gift to us is His Son, Jesus Christ. It is a gracious gift, given to us freely. All you have to do is accept it. How we got started: Yvonne started singing in church to accompaniment CDs. She picked up the guitar so that she could accompany herself. With a growing passion for singing, she started singing at coffee houses and cafés in 2006 and shortly after started writing her own music. Jacob and Sarah joined their mother in fall 2008. booking@b9fate.com, www.b9fate.com"
- Don Botch, Reading Eagle Company (Apr 15, 0010) - Reading Eagle

B9 Fate consists of mother Yvonne Hartman and her children, Jacob and Sarah. B9 Fate is a family-centered act. Lead singer Yvonne Hartman was a solo artist for two years before her children joined her to form the band in 2008. They just released their new CD in April entitled, "BGTF." Their folk-rock sound falls into the contemporary Christian category. Lyrics of general day-to-day meditations and life questions accent their songs. Family elements will be sprinkled throughout their first Musikfest performance Tuesday. Members' Roles: Yvonne Hartman - lead singer, guitar, songwriter Jacob Hartman - drums Sarah Hartman - bass and background vocals Website: www.b9fate.com At Musikfest: 2-3 p.m. Tuesday at the Plaza Tropical stage" - LehighValleyLive.com

B9 Fate consists of mother Yvonne Hartman and her children, Jacob and Sarah. B9 Fate is a family-centered act. Lead singer Yvonne Hartman was a solo artist for two years before her children joined her to form the band in 2008. They just released their new CD in April entitled, "BGTF." Their folk-rock sound falls into the contemporary Christian category. Lyrics of general day-to-day meditations and life questions accent their songs. Family elements will be sprinkled throughout their first Musikfest performance Tuesday. Members' Roles: Yvonne Hartman - lead singer, guitar, songwriter Jacob Hartman - drums Sarah Hartman - bass and background vocals Website: www.b9fate.com At Musikfest: 2-3 p.m. Tuesday at the Plaza Tropical stage" - LehighValleyLive.com

Hartman's new EP's title track came together during a three-hour gathering that was part of a youth retreat.
Upcoming shows

Yvonne Hartman will perform Friday at 7 p.m. at Truth and Way Cafe, 371 N. York St., Pottstown, and May 24 at the Stoltzfus House, 1700 Tulpehocken Road, Wyomissing.



Written by Don Botch

Local contemporary Christian artist Yvonne Hartman is a fairly prolific songwriter when left to her own devices, but workshops with youngsters at Fleetwood Bible Church, where she's a youth mentor, were the catalyst for two of the three new originals on her recently released six-song EP, "Great Adventure."

Before playing the songs live a couple of weeks ago during a recording session in the Sound Room at WEEU, Berks County's only locally owned radio station, Hartman took some time to talk about her inspiration.

"The songwriting workshops were really different," she said, "because I usually don't sit down and say, 'OK, let's write a song,' and then it's like, 'What are we going to write about?'

"Usually it's kind of like an idea comes to me, and I roll it around in my head for a long time, and then I start writing down lines or I think of a chorus."

But the EP's title track came together during a three-hour gathering that was part of a youth retreat. She said a couple of the participants helped her write the first verse and chorus, and she later added the second verse and bridge and recorded it.

The theme of the retreat was "Great Adventure," and it focused on encouraging youth to evangelize, which is a point of emphasis of Pastor Drew Toucher, who oversees the church's youth group.

So the group came up with an opening verse that goes: "Here we go/He's at it again/Telling us to talk to a friend."

Later in the song, she turns to God and sings: "Here I am Lord/Packing up my bags/Leave my past behind/Trust in the plan/That you've designed/Here I go/On this great adventure."

The song "On You" originated during another songwriting workshop a couple of weeks later. It's about keeping your eyes on Jesus and was written with an assist from another youth leader, Sara Gummo, and a student named Katrina Fink, who Hartman said has tremendous potential as a singer.

"I like to encourage the musicianship in her," Hartman said of Fink, "so I think it was really neat that she came to the workshop."

The song "Never Letting Go," meanwhile, is much more personal to Hartman's experience, and was inspired by a time she went to a ladies' event at the church before she became a member there, and she only knew one person.

"I felt so alone, even though there was a ton of people there, and how often does that happen that you can be in a crowd full of people and you feel alone, you feel lonely?" she said. "So I thought people could really relate to that, so I put that in a song."

At times like that, Hartman said, you have to remember that God is right there with you.

She recited the second verse: "Sometimes I hear you whispering in the comfort of a friend/Sometimes I feel your hands guiding me in the challenges you present."

"That's how he interacts in our lives," she said. "Sometimes he interacts using other people and events in our lives to help us out and change the paths of our lives."

The EP also contains a single she released in February called "Heaven Wide Open" and two Christmas songs, sort of, called "The Journey" and "Could It Be."

"I actually had someone tell me that 'Could It Be' is on a par with 'Mary, Did You Know,' which is quite an honor because that's probably my favorite Christmas song," she said.

She has been told both songs are suitable for any time of year.

"They don't have a Christmasy sound," she said. "They're a contemporary Christian type of sound, but the theme circles around Christ's birth."

She recorded all six songs with Kevin McNoldy, who provides all the backing instruments and backing vocals while Hartman plays guitar and sings lead and backing vocals.

She said the two attended high school together at Schuylkill Valley but didn't really know each other then.

"He's so talented," she said. "It was quite a blessing to connect with him."

She said the songs on the EP will eventually become part of a full-length CD that will include a McNoldy original and a few more songs by Hartman.

The EP is available for $5, and anybody who buys it will be able to purchase the full CD for half price when it's finished.

Hartman has a couple of local shows coming up: Friday at 7 p.m. at Truth and Way Cafe in Pottstown, and May 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Stoltzfus House in Wyomissing.

She said she no longer plays out with a full band. Instead, her shows are a mix of solo acoustic songs or her singing to a backing tracks provided by McNoldy.

"I went out and bought a wireless mic so I can step away from the stand," she said, "and it kind of adds a lot of dimension to my concert."

For more information or to purchase Hartman's recordings, visit yvonnehartman.com or facebook.com/YvonneHartmanMusicMinistry.

To check out performances by Hartman and dozens of other artists, go to thesoundroom.live. - Reading Eagle