Not many people can keep me awake until 2 am talking, but my brother-in-law Lyle Stutzman and his wife Maria are an exception. Maria is my husband’s sister, and I’m so pleased to call these people my family, and even more than that, some of my best friends.
After all, that middle-of-the-night talk was deeply spiritual, the sort that can only happen between four people knit closely in heart. Yet Lyle and Maria are also funny and earthy, and Lyle loves to whip up something delicious in the kitchen for us to munch while we chat.
Lyle is a musician, and just launched a new website of his compositions, Blue Sky Music. Lyle is one of those rare professionals who is highly skilled but also very accessible, and he writes music that accommodates a broad range of skill.
Lyle’s music career is about much more than putting bread on the table. Lyle and Maria’s family is devoted to Kingdom living like few others I know. You can read their story here.
Blue Sky Music is the online home for choral compositions and arrangements by Lyle Stutzman. It exists to glorify God by offering quality sacred choral music that is accessible, effective, and sometimes just downright fun. The website allows users to listen to and preview every song, purchase and instantly download sheet music, and freely download sound files to help singers learn their music.
Now here is the fun part. Blue Sky Music is too good to be kept a secret, so I am doing a giveaway. I know I’m shamelessly promoting a business here, and I don’t do much of that, but I really believe in these people and what they have to offer the world.
They have agreed to give away a free Tapestry Arise CD. This is a CD of original Anabaptist compositions, beautifully done.
I know some of you are going to say, “But I never win anything!” I have news for you. In addition to the Tapestry Arise CD, I am giving away TWO $10 gift cards to Starbucks. That means you have three chances to win something!
To enter the giveaway, you need to do one of three things.
- Go to Blue Sky Music’s shop, listen to several pieces, and tell me which one you like best.
- Like, comment on, or share Blue Sky Music’s Facebook page.
- If you know Lyle, tell me something you like about him. If you don’t know him, tell me something that catches your interest from reading their family’s story.
I have no way of knowing that you’ve done one of these things unless you comment here or on my Facebook page. Please comment, and you will be entered in the fun!
Giveaway will close Tuesday evening, Sept 5, at 11:59 pm.
arabah rejoice 
I’m so happy to read about these old friends of ours here. Cheering for them.
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Oh I was supposed to say something I like about Lyle–actually this goes for both of them–a sense of humour!
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I’m one of Lyles Shenandoah music camp students. I remember his performance was about as good as his conducting! I got a bang out the way he was always sing-songing and teaching and flopping his hands around! 😂
Not sure which piece of his I like most. We had Prayer for Strength at our wedding … and I love Shout for Joy… And I just learned and sang Give to our God!
And I’m hoping to win one of the grand prizes 😉
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Great job on your promotion, Rosina! I shared his website on my Facebook, but of course I didn’t do nearly as bang up a job as you did. We loved having them here over the eclipse and discussing his website launch. I’m so excited that his music is getting promoted because it’s so special.
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Hey there
I love the way Lyle leads with expression
gives you a real urge to sing !Thanks for entering me in your enticing draw!😄
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Well guess what? You won! 😃
Send me your address, please, and I will make sure you get your CD.
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I like Lyle! I like Blue Sky Music!
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I like your enthusiasm! 😃
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I liked the facebook page and don’t know Lyle, but appreciate his passion to teach young people music.
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Liked the page. Enjoyed being on KYC and having Lyle slyly add little tidbits that weren’t written in the original score just to spice it up. .
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I liked the page, and I’ve enjoyed listening to Oasis Chorale performing his work. Reading their story, I was tickled to read that they are a foster/adoptive family!
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I took one of Lyle’s classes at SCMC in 2006, the first year of the camp. At that time I never dreamed I’d marry into the same extended family he also married in to! I so enjoyed his class and the humor he mixed in with his incredible musical talent! Now I enjoy chatting with him about music and getting his input on how best to enter my children into the vast world of music.
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I loved reading Lyle and Maria’s story! I don’t know either of them well, just random little memories – Lyle directing a group of us at a Youth Fellowship Meeting a very long time ago, getting to know Maria a tiny bit at CBS, and (if my memory serves me correctly) hosting them overnight when the Kansas chorus was in AR.
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I remember Maria and my older sister being great friends, and every time she came to kentucky to visit, they talked all night. totally eliminated the need to travel with Pj’s. 😂 apparently she has trained her husband in well!
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Oh goodness, Turtle, which of the many little sisters is this? The littlest one, whom I remember at age 2 trying to pour herself a glass of coke from a 2-liter? Or one of the others in between?
I have so many good memories of being at y’all’s house.
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Well, a giveaway! 🙂 I liked Lyle’s Facebook page. I don’t know him well, but did sing in a small group with him at a wedding once. He clearly had a better ear for pitch than I do, but worked patiently with the musical abilities we brought to the group. Good to see he has a web site to share his music!
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I liked Lyle’s FB page, and I applaud this launch. I’ve known Lyle for almost 20 years. The first time I met him was when he came and sat down beside me the first night of KYC chorus practice. He did much to put me at ease that night, despite the vast chasm separating us on the scale of musical abilities. I love Lyle’s enthusiasm for singing. If you are around Lyle much at all, you’ll see him burst into song in and throughout whatever you’re conversing about-a phrase here and a phrase there. I also love Lyle’s “earthiness.” He’s down to earth and just Takes Care of things. I also like that he married my first cousin – so now he’s family. 🙂
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I listened to the clips – they are all good! Especially liked the Joy Medley!
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I love singing with Lyle! I enjoy his humor and the fact that he never makes you feel inferior. One good memory is singing “Prayer For Strength” at my son and Lyle’s recital.
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I want the CD!! =) Okay, okay! =) I have good memories of singing under Lyle at Summer Term 2014. Even though choir practices themselves were fun, Lyle’s sense of humor really spiced things up. One day, his pitch pipe malfunctioned in a certain key, and while trying to fix it, he said, “Nothing a good kiss can’t fix”! =) Also, we at VVCS have sung a few of his arrangements, and I love them. The music is so fun!
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I liked his page. I’ve sang under Lyle a couple times and I’ve been able to sing a few of his pieces! Love his Christmas arrangement of “For Into Us a Child is Born”.
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I liked Lyle’s Facebook page. I love his arrangement of Give to Our God!
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I really enjoyed “Jesus Saith Unto Him.” I liked Blue Sky Music’s Facebook page, and although I enjoyed his whole story, I especially liked the tidbit at the beginning about him conducting with a crochet hook! 😀
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