BEREA, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kristi Miller-Friend loves music.
She can’t remember a time in her life that wasn’t the case.
The power of song is a passion that took over at an early age.
“Ever since I was a little kid, about three years old, I was in church singing with my mom. When I was playing in the yard I was also making up songs about God. It’s a part of me,” Miller-Friend said.
While it isn’t a full time job, Miller-Friend has turned this big part of her life into performing for others.
She’s good for around 150 gigs a year, hoping to emotionally connect with anyone who hears her music.
“Music is what feelings sound like. It has the power to heal and cause people to laugh. I just hope I can help people feel the way I feel when we play music,” Miller-Friend said.
The urge to heal grew stronger for Miller-Friend as flooding ensued in Eastern Kentucky.
Watching from Berea as thousands worked through disaster, Miller-Friend was heart-broken as she tried to contact close friends she had living in the flood plane.
"I was just frantically calling to check in on them and making sure everyone was okay. It was absolute travesty,” Miller-Friend said.
As the road to recovery began for Eastern Kentucky, an opportunity showed itself for Miller-Friend to use her talents to support thousands working to rebuild.
Kentucky Proud’s Tree of the Field reached out asking for a theme song to connect with the flood relief efforts.
Once that call came, it didn’t take long for Miller-Friend to get to work.
The song came to her quickly, identifying with two important parts of her life: family and faith.
“I was inspired by a saying that my husband uses around the house fixing stuff. He says ‘I can make that work.’ I combined that with my favorite scripture,” Miller-Friend said.
“In a matter of minutes this song just fell into my heart and into my mind. When I was asked for this I felt like this was the song.”
In no time at all, the song “He Can Make that Work” was written, produced and released, thanks to the work of LexLanta Films, On the Fly Photography and several other Kentucky natives in the music business.
Now that the theme song is on airwaves, Miller-Friend is also encouraging the community to get behind this song.
Joining the effort to connect with Eastern Kentucky through the Comeback Singing Challenge.
“Using this theme song He Can Make that Work with their video and footage and photos of helping, cleaning, sharing and restoring Eastern Kentucky,” Miller-Friend.
“We hope everyone will get involved and use this song and share it with their teams and churches and groups.”
If you’d like to hear the entire song “He Can Make that Work,” click here.
