We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erica-Sommer Dudley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Erica-Sommer, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I have had a colorful journey of a variety of vocations over the decades including working for my father’s architecture/art firm, a brief stint in retail, a few labels and studios in the record/recording industry, a singing waitress, bartender, promotional/commercial model, a personal assistant at a fine art company, a catering manager for a chain of hotels, while always maintaining my own original music projects.

Never would I have possibly predicted or believed that I would end up where I am today. In 2014, at the request of my mother visiting from Atlanta, I took her to church for her birthday. I myself hadn’t attended church in 20 years and had absolutely no interest, but from the moment the service started, intrigue and curiosity began stirring up in me. I was shocked by the worship band, as opposed to a choir which is what I had grown up with. The authenticity of the pastor as he shared his bold testimony was surprisingly refreshing and instantly drew me in. So much so, that after that initial visit, I continued to go on Sundays to try to figure out who Jesus really was… what was the deal with the Bible? Why did these church people seem so connected, joyful, and kind.

7 months later, after the unexpected tragic loss of my dear friend Kristin, I went from curiosity to fully desperate for Jesus to take over and show me a better way. I gave up my old music, old toxic lifestyle, and as a result lost a lot of old friends, but I began to serve more and more at my church Calvary Chapel Miami Beach while working full time as a Catering Manager for a chain of Miami Beach hotels. One day the founding Pastor, Robert Fountain approached me, and long story short, he asked me to consider coming on staff full-time.

I typically analyze and scrutinize things to a fault, but this supernatural peace came over me and I knew that this was a divine invitation from The Lord. I didn’t ask how much I would make, what my job description was, or even if I would have insurance. My only questions were “how long do I have to make the transition” and “how would it work”.

This by far has been the riskiest, yet most significant risk I have ever taken; and as a result, I have never felt more alive, complete, or living in my true design until I began serving in full-time ministry. I never realized that this one big yes, would open the door for so many wild unexpected adventures that encapsulate all my passions and experiences. God’s abundant love, grace, goodness, faithfulness, and creativity never ceases to amaze me!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am the Director over the Worship Music Ministry and oversee special events at Calvary Chapel Miami Beach, and I serve as a volunteer chaplain with Miami Beach Police Department. These two areas of ministry take a lot of time and energy, so I am only able to focus on my original music in spurts.

I write songs for the church, sing, and play piano. Since I walked away from listening, playing, and writing secular music in 2014, The Lord began birthing new inspiration and songs in my soul after a long dry season. Once I began writing, I couldn’t stop. Writing music is like journaling for me. Since 2015 I have written over 200 songs, and have countless partially written songs. I have had the blessing of recording a few of the songs which are on most music platforms under Erica-Sommer, but I long to find the right creative team of christians who would collaborate with me in recording and creating more songs and other artistic expressions to complement the music, all to the honor, glory, and praise of God.

My church sings a lot of my original songs which always deeply blesses me when I see how new dimensions burst forth when other people play and sing your songs. There are many scriptures in the Bible that call us to “sing to The Lord a new song” and each time I share one of my new songs, or even one of my original songs that we have sang many several times over, I am so in awe of how The Spirit of God can breath on His Children and the songs, awakening and stirring up new sounds and nuances. Its amazing! My heart is to give words and melodies to others desperate to connect with Jesus, but feel like they don’t have the right words or prayers. Music is a beautiful bridge from here to heaven. Melodies are eternal and words form palpable connection from the soul.

My biggest wrestling is whether or not I am being a good steward of the songs The Lord has blessed me to write and share with others. I pray for more financial resources, a future that entails writing retreats, recording sessions, and intimate worship concerts in other churches, communities, homes, and whatever else Jesus allows. My home church will always be Calvary Miami Beach, but I would love to be sent more often to encourage and exhort others about the goodness and faithfulness of God and the salvation He offers; and then to return with amazing praise reports of how God is moving in various churches and communities. I am ready and willing. I love leading worship alongside my brothers and sisters in my church and foresee doing that all of my days on earth. I also have continued to have opportunities to sing in various police ceremonies, the National Homeland Security Conference, other local churches, and occasionally churches beyond Miami.

Its always been hard to categorize me into a genre, but my songs are a constant dialogue with and/or about Jesus. I invite you to take a listen via YouTube Music, iTunes, Spotify, Facebook, YouTube, etc. Since I began writing songs around the age of 10, my hope and desire is that not one soul in the room would feel alone, unseen, or unloved. Now as a Christian, I also pray that they would be drawn into their own intimate conversations with Jesus. I’m not focused on fame, sales, trending, etc. I just want to keep writing, singing, and get closer and closer to Jesus, while being a light for Him.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I’ve never had any type of issues with my voice until 2021. While serving with MBPD at the Surfside Champlain Towers disaster site I was in contact with great air pollution. I had a strong sneeze attack one day and immediately felt a pain in my throat that I have never felt. Upon going to the ENT I not only learned that I had suffered a severe vocal cord hemorrhage, but I was also diagnosed with Muscle Tension Dysfonia. I was placed immediately on complete vocal rest for a month, then speech therapy, surgery, another month of silence, and more speech therapy.

This was a painfully confusing and disorienting time. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to recover and keep leading worship, but I soon began to experience even more of the power and grace of Jesus in the face of adversity. There were months when most every day, I could barely emit sound to speak, yet God would open my voice to lead worship on Sundays and Tuesdays. The enemy of my soul wanted me to give up and still does, yet God keeps telling me to keep showing up and He will empower me to do His will. I have also been tremendously blessed by my spiritual family in Christ, especially my spiritual mother and father, co-laborers, and dear friends, Elisabet and Robert Fountain.

To this day I battle with MTD, but God has continued to strengthen and use me, while still addressing disappointments and discouragement that occasionally rise up. I have truly come to personally understand and embrace 2 Corinthians 12:10 “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My ultimate heart is that everyone would come to know the love of God. That not one person would stay suffering in the shadows, bound by the lies, addiction, depression, abuse, and all the toxicities that we run into throughout life. When we travel this road in our own strength, focused on self and conquering the adversity in our own strength, eventually that strength runs out. Eventually we hit the wall of futility and start questioning our purpose and identity, because futility empties and decays the soul. I know this well, because I was stuck in this vicious cycle of highs and lows, either climbing ferociously upwards, or falling in an uncontrollable downward spiral. Ever so often I would enjoy those “mountaintop moments”, but that happiness was ever-fleeting.

The songs that I write are often bittersweet, hence the artist name I often sign under, The Bittersweet Soul. Even before I met Jesus, that has always been a defining aspect of my songs. Most of my songs meet people in the valley of desperation and searching, but hope is the fuel take delivers them from the valley through often arduous terrain, but eventually to the mountaintop. I have always wanted to meet those who are struggling and sow seeds of hope, faith, compassion, and love. Jesus uses music in this amazing powerful way to meet people where they are, inspire people forward in life, stir up all kinds of emotions and memories, and brings about deliverance and healing. This is a beautiful creation and gift from God. There is a scripture from Zephaniah 3:17 that says “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing”. How beautifully encouraging and inspiring!

My goal has never been about fame, money, or recognition… its been about reaching souls and pointing them to hope!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.erica-sommer.com
• Instagram: thebittersweetpsalmist4jesus
• Facebook: The BitterSweet Psalmist
• Linkedin: Erica-Sommer Dudley
• Youtube: @ericasommer

Image Credits

Manuela Clark Photography, Samuel Clark, Heather Funk Photography, Yanelis Torres Photography