Teresa's intimacy with God shines through her music. She brings a wealth of musical experience and uses it to draw people into God's presence.
-Matt Lozano, Heart of the Father Ministries (Unbound)
Totally Inspiring! What a talented artist and blessing to the music industry.
-Jake Jones, Dove Award nominated guitarist, Nashville, TN
Teresa offers a unique blend of creative artistry with deep, personal spirituality. Her heart is heard through her voice that tells the story of perseverance through trial, when all there was left to cling to was her faith in Jesus.
- Steve Villa, NET Ministries, St. Paul, MN
Teresa Peterson is an amazing young woman of God, on fire for the Lord, which only is exemplified in her powerful musical abilities.
- Fr. David Spencer, Our Lady of Lourdes, Philadelphia, PA
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I will bless the Lord at all times; praise shall always be in my mouth. My soul will glory in the Lord that the poor may hear and be glad. Magnify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.
-Psalm 34:2-4
It has been over 10 years since Philadelphia based singer/songwriter and worship leader, Teresa Peterson, had these words jump off of the page to her, explaining her calling. "I was serving with NET Ministries at the time and as I was praying with the psalms, this one jumped out at me. I remember saying, 'This is my psalm! This is my psalm!!'" Teresa explains further, "I was named after Mother Teresa and growing up, I always felt deeply connected to her. I read everything I could on her growing up. I felt if I could learn enough about her, I too, could find my little way, my simple calling. I was completely drawn in by her love and obedience to serve the poorest of the poor. As a 15 year old reading A Simple Path, I found her words reverberate within me: I say again that you don't have to come to India to give love to others--the street you live on can be your Nirmal Hriday. Somehow between reading those words and having them settle in my heart, I knew from then on my calling was to reach the poor in spirit."
From the time of this revelation to the recording of Teresa's new EP, Freely Fully, her creative path has been a tumultuous, exciting, devastating, unknown journey. The most compelling place it took her was the hidden tombs within herself. She describes, "I had my own idea of how my music was going to go. My career. My path. My future. When that didn't happen in the way I planned, I thought perhaps God didn't want to use me. That my dreams were meant to die and stay buried, deep below the ground. But thankfully, our God is a God of resurrection. Our God is a God of hope. Our God is a God of faithfulness. It was in this resurrection process where these songs came from."
About the recording process in the studio, she shares, "I was so blessed to be able to work with my producer, Jake Jones (Dove Award Nominated guitarist in We As Human). He took my simple scribbles and melodies and heard what you hear on Freely Fully. His heart, his talent, his compassion--he's a genius in the studio and gets the best out of the artist every time. Everyone should work with him."
Reflecting on all that God has restored, He Makes All Things New, a track off of the new EP, succinctly encapsulates where Teresa is currently. "You see," she says, "He has made me new. I am that new creation."
Teresa is a worship leader, speaker and singer/songwriter based out of Philadelphia, PA. She has opened for Dove Award winning group, Sidewalk Prophets and Stars Go Dim. Her music has been featured on EWTN, Relevant Radio, The Catholic Playlist, Immaculate Heart Music, Aleteia: Cecilia and more. She has led worship at events for Heart of the Father Ministries (Unbound), The Culture Project, and numerous Catholic conferences and youth rallies including NCYC. She has opened for speaker and author, Fr. Michael Gaitley (33 Days to Morning Glory), Archbishop Chaput, and Relevant Radio's Fr. Richard Simon. She is set to release her second Christian EP, Faithful, in early 2018.
Teresa's first piano/pop EP, Say Something, was played on over 120 college and independent radio stations with the single, Atlanta. Teresa has played at SXSW (Austin,TX), The Bitter End (NYC), St. Patrick's Cathedral (NYC), 3rd and Lindsley (Nashville) and sang the National Anthem for the St. Paul Saints and the Versus Network.