Sunstone

Angela Soffe is a recording artist, songwriter, performer, composer, pianist, and mother from Yakima, Washington. Her musical sensibility includes an amalgam of folk, bluegrass, and touches of new age and classical music. She uses the spoken word and music to share her story of recovery, focusing on female empowerment and establishing healthy mental health habits to create a life of purpose and joy. During her first music career, she recorded albums, toured the US, and earned local radio spins and prime synch placements in religious movies and documentaries. Her latest album documents the many stages of an awakening, including the difficult consequences of making life changes. The album sits nicely alongside works by Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Natalie Merchant, Mat Kearney, and Ben Rector.

David Owens has been playing music for more than two-thirds of his life. Trained in jazz and classical guitar at Central Washington University, David has brought his talents into the bluegrass/folk arena and currently performs as a solo artist and in various groups around the Northwest.

Gina Colvin is a research fellow at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand with an interest in cultural and post-colonial studies. She is an international editor for “Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought.”

Courtney Kendrick (C. Jane Kendrick) is a writer, blogger, columnist, speaker, and community advocate. For twelve years she has cultivated her award-winning blog CJaneKendrick.com where she writes personal essays on a wide range of topics. As a lifetime resident of Provo, Utah, she co-founded, produced, and hosted downtown Provo’s Rooftop Concert Series, as well as the annual celebration of Provo Women’s Day. She’s a former columnist for the “Deseret News,” and has recently been featured on “NY Magazine’s” The Cut and Scott’s Simon’s “Weekend Edition” on NPR. After three years as the civic outreach advisor for the Provo City Mayor’s Office, Courtney left to pursue campaign strategy and communications consultancy. She lives in Provo’s Tree Street community with her husband Christopher and four children.

Robert Kirby was raised in a military family. Then, following an LDS mission to South America, he became a police officer. After eleven years, he left law enforcement to pursue the idiotic notion of becoming a writer. Robert has been the “Salt Lake Tribune’s” fool in residence since 1994. His culture column appears every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, where it is closely followed by church and world leaders. He is the author of ten books, most recently “The Essential Kirby Canon.” The recipient of a number of literary awards, Kirby is most proud of being named grand marshal of the 2010 Green River Melon Days Parade. He lives in Herriman, Utah with one wife, three married daughters, and nine grandkids.