We recently connected with Ethan Granger and have shared our conversation below.

Ethan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I began playing music when I was in 6th grade. My my mom played piano and my dad was the worship pastor at our church so music and the church had always been a huge part of our family. When I was in 6th grade about 7 guys ranging from 4th through 6th grade with the help of my parents started a band called “Firm Foundation”. Our church was only a few years old at the time because we were a new church plant so Firm Foundation became the churches first youth band. Growing up in the church gave me many opportunities to lead worship in the youth group and that is where my passion for worship truly began. Singing is when I feel the closest to God and writing songs helps me express my feelings for Him. I realized that I wanted to do music for the rest of my life after we played our set at the Red River Revel when I was in 9th grade. I remember seeing a random lady who I had never met before worshipping and that’s when the power of worship truly hit me. Our band has been super blessed with many opportunities to lead worship over the years and each time reassures my love for music.

Ethan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I remember riding in the back seat with some of my friends one day after soccer practice when one of the guys jokingly said we should start a band. 7 years later here we are writing songs and still performing. We started the band Firm Foundation back in 2015 when 5 of us were going into 6th grade and 2 of us were going into 4th grade. The band was made up of 4 of my friends, my brother, cousin, and I.

Being at such a young age we needed a lot of guidance and my parents were willing to invest in us. They are the reason we are where we are today. We started playing for the church youth group in my 7th-grade year. It was required to be in 6th grade to be in the youth group so we would sneak my little brother and cousin in to play the music with us because they were only in 5th grade. For the next few years until graduation, we were blessed with many opportunities to play for different churches, venues, festivals, and camps and got to see God move in awesome ways.

As the band continued to grow God has guided some of the original band members down different paths, and the band is now composed of 6 core members: Me (lead vocals and guitar), my brother Jonathan Granger (drums), my dad David Granger (electric guitar and vocals), my sister Ella Granger (keys and vocals), my good friends Brayden Hermes (electric guitar), and Pierce Jenkins (Bass).

Firm Foundation is a Christian worship/rock band and last year in September of 2021 we released our first Ep called “Not Alone” consisting of 4 original songs recorded with the original band members. We are still writing music and are excited to see what the future holds. Our goal as a band is to provide music rich in theology and edifying to the body of Christ, bringing glory to His name.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part about being a musician is using the gifts God has given me to lead others to worship. Every song I write is a part of my story that God planned out and I get to help others by singing about the things that He has taught me.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal as an artist is to provide music that is rich in Theology and glorifying to the Lord. When writing a song you have so much influence on the listener and I want them to hear Jesus through my songs. I am not sure exactly what God has called me to do but I try everyday to trust and listen to His guidance and He will put me where I am supposed to be. He has given me a passion to write music and perform but most importantly to help others worship. Whatever I end up doing I pray that seeing Him glorified is at the center of the mission.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://firmfoundationmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1firmfoundation/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1FirmFoundation/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@1firmfoundation/featured
• Other: Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/6AQ4goXEq52AUs634HiDXy?si=yqVs0P6cSZeBFMCgobI1ew&nd=1 Apple Music – https://music.apple.com/us/artist/firm-foundation/500286302 Amazon Music – https://music.amazon.com/artists/B00791991O/firm-foundation?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_6B193tj1mLzZcrFdHXFPo8tvT

Image Credits
Kyle McKaskle, Zach Green, and Allison Granger