REIGN Rejoicing Everyday In God's Name
Rejoicing Everyday In God's Name
BAND BIOS
Fernando MoralesI began my career in High School teaching myself guitar my freshman year. I was able to play my first mass in 3 weeks and started writing songs my sophomore year. God is great!! Then, I fell in love with the piano 3 years later so I taught myself and within a year wrote my first piano song. First song I ever played was “The Rose.” I was very young! In 1983 I had a great idea to write Christian music for youth and record an album to spread the Good News. No one thought Christian music would take off. I graduated and stayed away from music for ten years. I then came back and led a youth choir at St. Peters in Reserve, LA in 1996 and found worship again and for 5 years rocked that house. I came to St. Joseph as the youth choir leader August 2001. Within 2 years we had a band. Tina Ingrassia, Ed Daigle and I introduced Life Teen to St. Joseph in June of 2003. It took off and so did the band. The name of REIGN was thought of by Ed Daigle our bass player in the summer of 2005 pre Katrina. There are so many details I left out like times of sacrifice, love, success, pain, and drama but above all we worship our hearts off.
Angelina WestGrowing up in my house, it was not uncommon for us to randomly burst into song. It sounds like something from a movie, but it's true. For as long as I can remember I've loved to sing. It was always encouraged. Well, that is except for the times they were pounding on my bedroom door telling me to shut up because I was belting it out. My first solo performance was at a school fair in front of a couple hundred people when I was 8. From that point on I was always singing somewhere. When I was in high school I joined the gospel choir and eventually became president of the group. It was during that time that I first felt that God was calling me to a ministry through music. God has blessed me immensely since high school. I've recorded a demo, performed at Live at Cafe New Orleans (hosted by Lifesongs Radio in NOLA), performed with Billy Buchanan of Fusebox twice, gotten involved and uninvolved with a record label, and written over 50 songs. All of that led up to another great blessing...my joining REIGN in January '06. Since then, God has only intensified the flame of passion for Him. The desire to bring the Good News to others through the gifts He has given me is stronger than ever. Every time I step behind the microphone I pray that God would use me. I pray that by the words I sing others may be led to Him. It's all for His glory!
Matt DupuyI met Fernando when I was 14 at St. Peter's Church in Reserve. He asked me to join the choir in exchange for piano lessons. Well the piano lessons never stuck, but I picked up a guitar and have been playing ever since. I've played with different bands over the years, either on guitar or bass. I also started doing sound production at shows. Anyhow, all that led me here to REIGN. This band is unlike any other I've ever been a part of. God has shown me things I never could have imagined and He's only just begun.
Josh WaddellI started playing guitar about 6 years ago when I was 13 years old. I just played in my room by myself every day. I pushed my dad Doug to get a drum set. Finally, we went looking for one at Lanier’s Music shop and met Mr. Ed. My dad wanted me to sit in at practice and some sessions and I did. When their lead guitar player left the band, my dad was on the phone with Fernando and Mr. Fernando asked if I would be interested in joining. My dad asked me and I said sure, I’ll give it a try. Being in REIGN has changed me and made me a better person in all aspects of my life. It’s has helped me to grow and it is something I can’t do without. Praise God.
Ed Daigle I remember exactly when I first started playing music, I even remember why. It was in the mid 60's, I was a junior in high school. The reason was, because I was too shy to talk to anyone. I found that standing behind a microphone gave me a different identity. I guess it was kind of like Spider man, or Superman putting on their suit. It gave them extra powers, that's how I felt. Throughout my life everytime I played music I felt like I had to "please the crowd". No matter how good I thought we sounded, there was always some critic, you could never be good enough. No one should have to go through life trying to please others. It wasn't untill I started playing music with Fernando and REIGN, that I realized that, when I play and give Praise and Worship to God, He never critices, it's always perfect. I fought with my addiction to music all my life. Satan told me I wasn't good enough, I'd never make it big. I belived him. Time and time again I failed. I used music for all the wrong reasons. Now I play for God. God gave me a talent, it took me half my life to learn how to use it.
Doug WaddellI got my first drum set when I was 12 years old. It was a cheap blue sparkle Japanese set. I really wanted Ringo’s Ludwig set but didn’t get it. I started playing football at the same time. I toured the SE part of the United States as a drummer with the choir in my early high school days. Then football totally consumed me all through high school. I got a football scholarship and played in college. I had already sold or given away my Japanese drum set by that time. I graduated College in 1983. I did not touch the drums again until I met Ed (bass player) July 2003. REIGN was looking for a drummer and Ed heard me playing the Hawaii Five-O theme song in a soundproof room at Lanier’s Music store in Mandeville. He gave me his business card. I felt led by God to see REIGN play. It felt like something I HAD to do. I came to their church and saw an old church building with about 50 people in it. I made the decision to join and it has been a blessing ever since. We now have hundreds of people worshiping God with us and it’s just awesome.
