Though my early childhood years were not of a particular religious affiliation, I was raised with God-fearing, spiritual concepts and perceptions commonly held by Bible-belt folks, particularly that of the Appalachian region. Those deeply-rooted core values ultimately transcended into my adulthood and led to my affiliation with the Independent and Southern Baptist Church denominations and a lifelong connection to the music that reflects the heart and soul of this strong faith-based religious heritage and culture. The personal and heartfelt tunes, often clad with the rich undertones of Country Music, Bluegrass, and acapella blends from ancient Scots-Irish hymnal styles have become one with my soul and fill me to overflowing with hope and purpose. 

It was during my journey through my own personal heritage and discovery while trapsing the hills of my ancestry with Project Heritage Quilt that Noah Peters appeared on my radar. My mother had brought him to my attention after seeing various posts of his growing popularity in our beloved Appalachia and neighbor to our hometown of Wise, Va. Throughout my fellowship, I intended to visit many of the townsfolk and, in particularly, "The Singing Barber," Noah Peters, as I was enamered by his talent and touched by the songs that he sang --every single time -- to perfection. It took me beyond the fellowship to actually make that visit, but I was determined to make this happen. Noah and I become Facebook friends and I began to follow him as well as his family's ministry. I was ultimately able to visit the newly established barbershop ministry in September, 2022, several months after the fellowship had come to a close; though my project and my mission has really only just begun, as one of the intended pathways of my continued research is to include personal interviews and experiences as part of my parallel journalistic endeavors.

Noah's dad, a Baptist preacher, and the rest of the family consisting of momma, Donna, sister, Mary, and brother, Daniel, in combination, create such melodious harmony that I can only imagine akin to Heaven's angels. Noah, only 23 years old, has already captured many hearts as a rising star; he has appeared on PBS documentaries, numerous church and local headliner appearances, and most recently, duetted by none other than Drake White, Country Music superstar. Noah and his family, originally from Chatanooga, TN, transplanted to Grundy, Va. after his father was hired as a Southern Baptist minister in the area, where Noah also worked in tandem as the music ministry. Recently, there has been some debacle within the church and the family has felt led to begin a grassroots effort at Noah's barbershop, aptly named, "Rockridge Worship Group," where the "Just as I am" hymn serves a mantra of sorts. The barbershop converts to a church on Sundays and Thursday evenings. I was blessed to have attended one of the Thursday night services; traveling nearly two hours, I walked through the doors right at 7 p.m., met by Noah, finishing up a haircut, about to begin the service, by his down-to-earth tone, "I was wondering when you was gonna get here!" to which I exclaimed, "I didn't know if I was going to The Promised Land or Egypt, but I finally made it to the barbershop!" I can honestly say the trip was worth every mile, hairpin turn, hill, valley, and ATV path crossed to get there! My soul was revived and friendships were formed for what I feel will be a lifetime, as I have adopted them and they have accepted me (and my dog, Mia) as one of their own. We now attend the livestream services and love being part of this small community church.

I have since created a band logo for Noah and there has been talk of a management position sometime in the future, as a side note. My first milestone toward networking with local businesses was born through this meeting of likeminded hearts. I have cultivated a relationship with a cousin, Vonda, and her good friend, Becky, attended one of Noah's singing gigs in Richlands, Va. with these two ladies for a girls' night out and a self-directed photo session. Noah's band will now have a local merchandise vendor, to potentially include three small businesses, and I have created my first professional design (which is still being tweaked to 3D). More importanly, lasting relationships and kindred spirits are working together to revitalize and uplift communities -- lending hope, purpose, and potential for a brighter future -- with faith and fellow man the leaders of the pack.