Kathy TroccoliUpdate: 'Hope's Alive' conference in West Olive featuring Kathy Troccoli postponed
WEST OLIVE — When Kathy Troccoli is singing to an audience of women, she can see tears in their eyes by her second song.
“I know part of that is because women have just come from stresses of the day like taking care of kids, jobs, errands, fatigue ... and finally they are getting a break with some time for themselves,” said the singer and author from her Nashville, Tenn., office.
“We try to be superwomen, but our capes are tattered and our muscles are worn — God hasn’t called us to that.”
Encouragement is a large part of Troccoli’s ministry, which during the past decade increasingly has focused on speaking and writing in addition to her music.
Her first inspirational album was released in 1982 and began a career that has garnered multiple Grammy nominations, Dove Awards and produced several pop radio hits.
“I still do concerts, but I couldn’t have done what I’m doing now back in my 20s and 30s,” said Troccoli, 52. “I needed more life behind me and to work through some of my own stuff — you can’t give what you don’t have.”
The Long Island, N.Y., native has written a half-dozen books, the most recent, “Spaghetti For the Soul: A Feast of Faith, Hope, Love,” co-written with Ellie Lofaro. It encourages women to do more than “eat crumbs from the table,” and to enjoy the feast God has for them.
IF YOU GO
'Hope's Alive'
An inspirational conference for women featuring Kathy Troccoli
When: 7-8:30 p.m. on Jan. 21.; 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 22.
Where: Harvest Bible Chapel, 15020 Stanton St., West Olive
Tickets: $30. Includes both days, discount for multiple tickets may be available; harvestwestolive.org. Proceeds go to Love INC in the Tri-Cities
For details: Call 616-405-9060.
“There are also some great Italian recipes passed down from our relatives,” she added.
Troccoli has spoken and sung at the arena-sized “Women of Faith” events across the country, as well as at smaller gatherings. “Hope’s Alive” — the title of her most recent inspirational album — also is the name for her local conference.
“What I love about the smaller events is getting to know the women and making connections,” said the artist, of times when women can share their life journeys.
“I want the conference to be a reminder that God isn’t done with our lives ... he’s still writing our stories.”
She said roughly half of her conference presentations are music-based. The remainder include speaking, sharing and even a question and answer session.
The artist says she usually stays afterward to chat with women and hear comments on how the conference gave them tools to deal with issues such as grief, abandonment and parent-child relationships.
“I’m delighted, because I really want women to be comfortable and to really be themselves,” she said.
Among her popular songs are her ballads “My Life Is In Your Hands” (also the title of one of her books) and “Go Light Your World,” both of which reached the top of Christian radio charts.
She even flirted with pop music via her early ’90s mainstream hit “Everything Changes,” carrying her to a spot on “The Tonight Show” and other national venues.
“But I’ve got to tell you, after recording and singing for 29 years, these conferences have been the most rewarding,” she said.
"And I know that sometimes a three-minute song can do what an hour sermon can't," she added.
"I want women to know that they can have new wind in their sails, they can get through this thing holding the hand of the God who is much more able to take on the world and its problems."
E-mail the author of this story: localnews@grpress.com