Patrice Parker

MOULTRIE — When Patrice (Clark) Parker used to walk around the square in Moultrie as a young girl, she never dreamed that some day the celebration for the release of her debut CD would be held in one of the storefronts she was passing.

But that is exactly what’s happening at Beans and Strings on Saturday, Dec. 19, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Parker, the daughter of Pat Clark and the late PZ Clark and sister of Ponda and Pax Clark, recently returned from a week in Nashville, Tenn., where she recorded “Forgiven.”

“It doesn’t seem real,” she said. “But Christmas is the season of miracles, and I’m happy to accept this one.”

Parker shared the story behind her musical adventure at a recent performance in Moultrie.

She moved to Bainbridge in 1991 when she married husband Mark, who is also from Moultrie. She decided she wanted to take up playing the piano again, something she had done as a girl but that had fallen to the wayside in her adult years.

She arranged to take lessons at the local junior college. After the teacher heard her keep talking about chords, she suggested that Parker try playing the guitar. She did, and she loved it.

“I’d had that (learning to play guitar) in the back of mind. When I picked up the guitar, it came easy right from the start. It was a gift, I have no doubt,” Patrice explained.

Playing the guitar led to songwriting and to performing at Southwest Baptist Church, where she and Mark are members.

“Through it all, I have felt like God is leading me,” Patrice Parker said. “I want to do whatever I can to glorify Him, and I’ve worked hard to make it happen. I do the social media thing to promote my music, and I perform every chance I get. And of course I keep playing and writing.”

Her story took an unexpected turn on Sept. 13 of this year. After hearing her perform, Jamie Bulger, a member of Southwest Baptist Church, approached her about producing a CD. He had a connection in the music industry in Nashville, whom he encouraged her to contact. The Parkers discussed the possibility and prayed about it. Ultimately they felt it wasn’t an opportunity they could accept.

“I was so appreciative of his willingness to make that connection,” Parker explained, “but both Mark and I just were not moved in that direction. So before church the next Sunday, I took Jamie aside and told him how grateful we were but that we just couldn’t move forward on it. He understood.”

“That night in the service, I sang “Forgiven” (the song that would become the title track of her CD),” she continued. “After church, Jamie came over to me and asked if I had written it. When I told him I had, he said he really wanted me to go to Nashville to record and he would help get me there. If that’s not God at work, I don’t know what is.”

After more discussion and prayer, the Parkers found themselves on their way to Nashville the day after Thanksgiving.

“Nashville was the time of my life,” Parker said. “Recording my original songs was emotional and exciting. Surrounded by the finest musicians playing on the record was just awesome! The live music every night where we were staying could not have been any better. I am ready to go again! Whatever happens with all of this, to God be the glory! For it all started with Him!”

“When I think about what has happened and how it happened, I can get a little overwhelmed,” she admitted. “I don’t know what God has planned next, but I just know it’s going to be awesome.”