Risa Kopp: I have been in music, ministry-wise, since I was 17 years old, so for 30 years. I began doing music professionally when I was 24 years old. I've done different genres through the years, such as CCM, Americana, and Roots. I was signed to and worked with a Nashville record label for a handful of years, toured all over and pushed to radio, I've gotten a few nods for my songwriting, but I'm being 100% honest when I say I love to worship more than anything. This can sound passé sometimes, or by rote, but I very much mean it.

Risa: We are still together as terce. We plan on releasing some new music and writing more songs together soon. We had contemplated releasing this upcoming album as terce., but felt that it didn't have the right components sonically. Also, the Gospel "sound" leans more to my vocal stylings, so creating an album as we did while unconventional seemed the right way to do it. (A "solo" project with several featuring me, but also four songs featuring Lilly and Aggie.)

Risa: It is a blessing. We are very close as a family. They are my favorite people to create with and cowrite with, as well as spend time with.

Risa: I chose "Isn't He Good" because it is part of my testimony. We have been through some hard things as a family, some unusual circumstances and for several years I had a very hard time not writing about my circumstances. I would sit and try to write a "song of joy" and people would try to convince me to write them. I just couldn't. I would write down lyrics, but even though the words were positive, it was like there was no life in them. Some people just wanted Mr to continue writing my Americana material, but that didn't feel right either. It took awhile, but I prayed and fasted for breakthrough in my life as well as in my songwriting. It took many years, but God is faithful and as I persevered, He met me and "restored to me the songs of joy".

Risa: There are spatterings of Scripture throughout some of the songs for sure. I try to be theologically sound in what I write, but also be creative and "sing" it in my own way.

Risa: The album comes out May 8, which is Mother's Day weekend. Since I created it with my girls, it felt fitting. The album is called "Songs of Joy" and has 11 songs in it. While there are a few songs that each of us wrote as individuals, most of them are written together. I do have another one co-written by a friend in Canada, Kristy Howes.

The sound of the album is like the single: old-school, heartfelt Gospel. It is piano-driven, played by Lilly, my oldest daughter. There are several upbeat songs on it, but also some deeply, God-focused worship ones. Lilly sings the lead vocal on two of the songs and Aggie sings some lead on two different ones.

My hope is that the album brings joy, freedom and brings people into God's presence.

Risa: I am not taking money for this album. I don't have a set fee to go minister at churches. If anyone wants to donate or give a love offering, they can. I just find it unnecessary at this present moment in our lives. The way that I would appreciate support the most is for people to share the music and let me know when God does something through it. Encouragement is always welcome!

Risa: Fun fact: I would climb trees as a young girl so high that my family would be frightened. We are talking 60 ft up and the branches are swaying back and forth while I'm standing on it. I liked that I could see so far for that vantage point. I was nimble, but perhaps foolish! My Dad ended up cutting the lower branches of the tallest ones so that I wouldn't do it anymore. So I guess, since I haven't climbed a mountain yet, I would train, get into much better shape than I am now and then climb a mountain. I would love that vantage point!