Posted on: June 22, 2015 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 1

Can you give us a little background information? 

I grew up on Long Island, New York. I played with my family in music always, as my dad was an Evangelist, and my sister and I did the praise and worship ministry for him, using our voices, guitar, and some piano. My brother tagged along for the ride.

I sang and played for all my life, since I can walk. I started piano at a young age, and guitar was down the street, at Phil-Dan’s music studio. I loved them both as teachers, and they had us in the melbay books. The piano teacher was Mr Weaver, and he came to our home. Mom met him at church. I had flute for years, privately at a lady named Nancy MacMillan’s house, sweet kind lady. She loved to square dance with her parents. I spent summers taking guitar at the Phelps Lane Town pool in North Babylon, NY.847726031600med

I became a wedding singer as I got older, and played in church at the Bayshore Assembly of God church, on my flute and sang in choirs. I was Mary in the musical, as a teen, with a man named Mel Torre as Joseph. He was a WLIX radio man at the time, on Long Island, NY.

I started getting interested in performance of songs of my own after attending concerts while in college, with my friend Danny Cudmore, actually he became my boyfriend for a bit. He was the Pastor’s son at Glen Cove Assembly of God. Then, I traveled with the choirs in the summer after trying out for youth choirs with the AG convention in Syracuse and Rochester. I loved that, Nick and Joy Seeberger were our leaders.

In high school I won most musical, after playing the bands and orchestra and singing if asked, as well as doing the NYSSMA for flute and voice, getting A’s and A-plus back then. I hated that at the time you could not do choirs and band and orchestra, because you could only have so many electives. In any case, I was singing with my family and at choirs in church, so with that, I had the bases covered.10984074_989202281113813_5849825179852774538_n

Later on, in my college years, I went to Oral Roberts University on a flute scholarship, for two years, as first chair. It was an honor, as I was pre-med. After the two years, my third year I went into nursing, and the junior year there makes it so you have conflicting time with the music band and orchestra. I hated that I had to give up the music the last two years, but I started doing solo work in churches, and playing my instruments more, so maybe it turned out to be a blessing, to now develop solo performance more. We had a television orchestra and I got to play at down town events with Barry Epperley, as director, my sister was a world action singer. I had become a wedding singer in college too, doing all my friends wedding music and for relatives, so I learned to appreciate love songs very much.

I had two uncles- my dad’s two brothers, Eddie and Albert, who played country rock on their guitars, and I just loved that, so we had a lot of fun. They did some Americana style, some Elvis types, and some ballads too, and gospel. We all sang and played together always, growing up. That’s probably why I love the guitar so much in my music, and play it.

My mom played the piano and sang beautiful, but she didn’t like to do it alone too much, so she had us do it. She brought over lots of families from church with musical talents, and we played and sang together a lot with the guests. My Grandmother used to sing on the radio, and my father sang in a trio on the radio in NY Brooklyn too. My parents families are immigrants from Norway, so we are first generation Americans as kids.

My mom and Dad sang duets all the time in church, and my dad and mom took turns singing in the choirs. My Dad, Alfred- he always whistled so well with vibrato, and always sang harmonies in the car to the radio, and let us listen to all kinds of music. My mom, well, she was more strict- she was raised Lutheran, and she only let us listen to Christian contemporary or gospel or old hymns. Probably why I like all kinds of music, but put more emphasis at times in the Christian contemporary. You know, the phrase – “Raise up a child in the way he should go, and he will not depart from it?” Well, that’s from the Bible and true, and that is really the truth, I see. I am very patriotic, and try to include songs about our wonderful America in every performance outside.

What role does faith play in your music?

I’m a Christian in my heart, so the music has to reflect the love and peace Jesus can bring us. I think it is important to sing about the trinity, about the qualities of Father God, and the heart of man, as well as offer God praise and worship. I am pretty eclectic so I like to embrace lots of styles and sing all kinds of songs, as well as write songs that will help someone else feel good about themselves and if they are sick to help them get well, in body, mind and spirit.

What is your favorite composition?

The greatest composition for me, will always be Handel’s Messiah, because every word makes me want to stand up and sing along, with awe at how great God is.

Which artists possess the greatest influences to your overall sound?

Darlene Zschech, as I grew up listening to her for 20 years, also Pat Boone, when I was a kid, and Debbie Boone. I listened to two artists called Honeytree, and Evie Tornquist, and since she was from Norway, she was my favorite and I sang her songs a lot! I loved Phil Keaggy, 2nd chapter of Acts, And of course one of my favorites was Keith Green. Hillsong, and Paul Baloche.Ladies I liked were Twila Paris, Amy Grant, I always liked Vince Gill and Faith Hill. I loved Billy Joel, and Barbara Streisand was played a lot by my sister- I loved her musicals. We loved musicals- so we loved her for that, and of course the sound of music with Julie Andrews. My favorite musical was West Side Story music, and the message in the story, and Sound of Music. I went to a hillsong united concert recently. I love Vince Gill too, and Clint Black, and my all time fav of country is Kenny Chesney, and George Strait.

I currently love Natalie Grant, Matt Maher, Aaron Shust, Big Daddy Weave, 10th Ave North, Laura Story, Nicole Nordeman, Phillips Craig and Dean, Selah, Chris Tomlin, Matthew West, I love, love love Newsong and always liked Bryan, the old lead and his style, I used to love Avalon, and the girls groups that were Christian. I made my first girl band this year at the chicken fest, usually it was combined bands, co-ed the last few years for that I would do, for praise and worship bands for Sunday program. I also would make bands or ensembles always, adult, teens, tweeners, etc. Always, as soon as my kids were old enough to pick up instruments and sing.

I sang in bands at church in Wilkesboro Baptist and Celebration, and played piano, guitar, or flute, as each church needed, and did the band camps and vocal camps helping Tom Bartlett. IN NY I attended Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle as a young adult and in college and got married there, so I love to help play and do singing worship for the singles group back then, and help with the youth group. Pastor Ron Braaten was pastor then, and Pastor Robert Forseth, with his wife Sue, who I just loved. I taught guitar as a college kid to make money, and ran a swim program for the town and also for the Y, as director and head instructor. I used to lifeguard after that with Brad Wrencher, who got me a job at a private pool> Goodness he was so nice to do that.

I always loved Brooks and Dunn, and I loved the guy on Full House too, you know, the cute one with the black hair, who was married with the twins. My friend from ORU who was in California and I would go home with her to LA a lot, and we would go out dancing- well, she went to school with him.

A secular voice I love always is Don Henley and U2. I mean, who doesn’t? I grew up on Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, for dancing in NY, and I used to be amazed at their voice ranges. I was saddened by Whitney’s passing, and pray for the family. I loved Dean Martin and Bing Crosby too, and listened to them a lot. I like Michael Buble, and Harry connick Junior too, and also used to listen to Barry Manilow, and the blind singer, you know… Stevie Wonder, and Elton John. I loved John Cougar Mellancamp in college, especially, the Pretenders, and the Romantics. So fun! I loved classical too, and played a lot of it on my flute, probably Handel was my favorite, as well as Vivaldi.

How has your music evolved since Show Me the Way and 2012’s Free Indeed?

Well, I have done two more albums, no three! since then. I did Let Your Mercy Reign, which has 14 songs on it, I have been singing that the past year. Then, I went ahead and did a fifth one myself, with Brian Lowe, but it’s not out yet, just I have 14 more songs, and it is called In His Presence. We did 7 songs on the past one, added on tmg, and also 6 more, the year prior. He played guitar and helped me co-produce. Nice that they got on the tmg albums. Another album I finished this year alone, all on my own, and played everything- called “Be Still.” I am real proud of that and turned it in to Piedmont INternational University for a leadership project I created to encourage them to make projects relevant to the student’s field, not to the Pastors in churches field. It was my own suggestion to them, it was so worth it to me, I stopped school a semester to develop it. There are 14 song songs on it, and at the same time, I made another album, for tmg to use, with 10 more songs, but there will be 13 on that, as I rearranged three songs, for it. I learned how to record first my parts, so I have a solo album, then add musicians, to make a band style albums next!

Currently though, I am signing a new contract for album 5 with tmg, and I just turned in a list of 15 songs for that if I can afford it, but if not, I have gotten 8 standard agreed on, and a ninth for partial production. I enjoy adding other musicians tracks in, so there is guy who does rap who could add on a song for me, if it works out. I did that on Brighter Day CD. I also made a cd this year, not to purchase, just to listen, of cover songs, there are 14. I put them on my reverb page for you, and I plan to do two more next year!

Yes, I like to keep growing and keep busy. I just finished an album with tate music group called “Brighter Day”- song 1, it has a song for clubs on it called Brighter Day, and a remix they will like too – song 18. Two songs have won with Akademia Music Awards first place, out of Beverly hills: Wake Up, O Sleeper, and Lovin’ You is Crazy, and When I’m with you. they fit in three different genres- Christian contemp, country rock, and Americana, but really the last one is like buble style.

https://tatemusicgroup.com/store/album/847726031600

It is to encourage those who feel stuck in life’s situations, that change is possible, but it starts from within, finding hope in the future. 🙂
It has lots of cool songs in gospel style, rock, country rock, Americana, jazz, Christian contemporary and praise and worship, as well as some contemporized humns I did. I hope you like it! 🙂
TMG partnered with me for:

“show me the way” – Houston green and I produced
“free indeed” – Houston green and I produced
“let your mercy reign” – Houston green and I produced
“brighter day” – don Johnson and I produced, but Mike Turner planned it out, before he retired.
new album 5 signing this month.

My own album out, I did myself, in Winston salem at jbs production- called “BE Still”
My own album, to be released next year, but it’s recorded and copyrighted, called – “IN His Presence” done back last year, locally, with Brian Lowe adding his guitars as a hired musician and co-producer. I loved those songs.

I own all my songs. Thanks to Vinnie DiBrico for writing lyrics on a song called “My Sacrifice”- it was my first music production job, and I arranged his lyrics for him, and wrote it. Actually, I used to do that for people in my single years, but I did it for gifts for people, if they asked and were willing to pay the money for my studio time. Heck, I guess I was a hired producer, arranger, and studio musician way back then. Funny -Who would have known? I didn’t know what it was called what I was doing, I just did it.

How can listeners hear samples of your music?

Sure, you can go to reverbnation.com/DoreenPinkertonMusic for a free listen of songs, and then the link can pull up to the Tate Music Group site to order. You can also find me on iTunes, and Amazon and shockhound, and others through the search engine. I just joined giggem, a while ago this year, so some of my stuff is on there. I have a facebook page, prof too, Doreen Pinkerton, so you can see what I post on there, and it directs you to ReverbNation.

What sort of live dates are you playing this spring and early summer?

Well, I sing every week at a Senior living center called Rose glen, and I wrote a lot of songs for health care facilities to play in their lobbies and stores, to encourage health and wholeness, as well as counsel centers, so … with that said, I also will be playing at the hospital, and I go wherever people ask me. I sing in NY at churches, and at Samantha’s lil bit of heaven, and I sing at outdoor car shows, barbeques, parties, weddings, and I hope to join a band this next year, for more experience, on the side, but keep doing the praise and worship and Americana stuff too. I want to sing some country rock, maybe, and some eclectic stuff too. Several of my songs have won in competitions with Akademia this year, first place on many and runner up, so that encourages me to write, they play them on stations too. Right nice of em! LOL

I am doing the Venetian Yacht club in July the music program for a party there, in Babylon NY, and will be singing, as well as taking bookings, for anyone who wants me to come! LOL.

What else does 2015 hold for you?

Well, I sub in the schools to support my music habit, and I teach home schoolers middle and high school science, I want to sing in the church band once in awhile and play and have some fun, I want to be in a band a bit, if possible and still be a mom to my last one home- if not, then I will wait till she is done in high school, but I think I can do a few things with some more professionals once in awhile. I will continue to train up leaders, in all areas. I also will get those two albums done- the band style one and the tmg one, this year, plus continue with grad school online- at PIU, for personal growth. We are never too old to keep learning. I still take guitar lessons myself from good ole larry skipper, and we are working on an album this year as well, bi weekly, for children- it will be called Thy word is truth. Then in the spring, we are going to do a love songs pop type album with the flare of the mountain music tied in too. I will use some of my friends in the albums, too, who are musicians, as I love to include people who love music, if they want that. I will keep writing music, songs for you to enjoy, and keep sending them out to the nations, to reach people with the news of Jesus Christ and the peace and love he has for everyone. I will take worship teams on missions, always, too, with my husband.

What has been more of a boon for you – traditional word of mouth meeting or online (ReverbNation/Facebook) interactions? Generally, what has the role of the internet been for you as a performer?

Internet is so important to reach the unreachable with music. Thanks to sites like reverbnation, that I don’t even know how I came across, for the ability to send songs around the globe. It does not help in sales so much as it is a tool to reach those who could not ever have been reached with music to bring joy and soothe the soul. Bringing a smile to people’s faces, and helping them with my songs through the hard times and the good times.. makes it all worth it.

Finally, do you have anything else to say to our readers?

Just know music is such good medicine, and it if does not give you peace, turn the channel till you find it. Remember that real true peace comes through the saving grace of Jesus Christ, He loves you. God made you, and you are so special to him.

Thank you so much for your time.

Sure, no prob.! Thanks for hearing me out, and being so kind to me. I thank my husband Joe and all my family for always supporting my love of music and being behind me, they are the best!
Doreen Pinkerton
Psalm100

1 people reacted on this

  1. Thank you for including me in your magazine.
    It has been awhile, if you would consider another interview with me, please let me know.
    I appreciate you, and have new music out

    Doreen Pinkerton

    Doreen Pinkerton – Reaching Out
    Doreen Pinkerton Production

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