Small Miracle Worker: Josh Entices Stuck Travelers To Sing-A-Long

If you haven’t heard about Josh Wilson yet, you need to. He’s the guy who turned a security lockdown at the Newark Airport into an impromptu sing-a-long (See video above). He’s also the guy who became a You Tube sensation as an unintended result.

Josh was cool enough to let me interview him about his experience. You can check out my questions and his answers below. And then if you need some relief as much as these passengers, you can head over to his sites and explore his music style for yourself.

Sarah: So you and all these other passengers were stuck at the airport. What was the mood like?

Josh: Everyone was definitely frustrated with the fact that we had to wait so long outside the secured area. A few of us were a little worried about our safety because we had no idea what had happened that was dangerous enough to clear out an entire terminal.

Sarah: What made you decide to break out the guitar? How did that evolve into an improv airport-concert?

Josh: My buddy James actually dared me to do it. In fact, it was his guitar. He said I should stand up and play a song, and I thought it sounded like a good idea. My hope was that it would lighten the mood a bit, since everyone was so flustered by the situation. I was incredibly nervous to play, because I knew doing so had the potential to backfire. People could have responded very differently than the way they did. I picked “Hey Jude” because I figured everyone would know the song. I also loved how the first verse says “take a sad song and make it better.” That was what I wanted to do.

Sarah: How did you see the mood of the crowd evolve as people joined in?

Josh: When I started singing, people mostly just stared for the first verse. It was so unexpected that no one really

knew what to think (including myself). But by the chorus, a few folks started to join in. I asked people if they would clap along, and eventually they did. By the time we got to the na na’s, people were smiling, singing, and laughing. It really did lighten the mood.

Sarah: Did you get a lot of national exposure after those you tube videos hit the web? What was that like? How did you handle it? Did any new opportunities come out of it?

Josh: I got a lot more exposure than I ever expected. I figured that my Youtube page would get a few more hits than normal, but I had no idea that ABC, NBC, Yahoo, Inside Edition, FOX News, and even Ryan Seacrest would take notice of what had happened. By the time the media really got a hold of the story, our group was already in Mumbai. My wife and I were laughing because this was the biggest media exposure I’ve ever received and I wasn’t even home for interviews. I did receive quite a few opportunities for interviews when I returned home–including thisone!–which is really great. The Friday I returned home I did 9 radio interviews and the following Monday I did another 8.

Sarah: You were sort of prepared to play in the airport, right? You’re a professional singer/music artist.  How would you describe your music? Who is your typical audience?

Josh: My music is acoustic pop with folk roots. My lyrics are primarily about my faith in Jesus and how that plays out in everyday life. Musically, some of my influences are The Beatles, Jars of Clay, and John Mayer. Lyrically, I am a huge fan of Jon Foreman from Switchfoot. I hope to someday be able to write songs as good as these artists. My typical audiences are college students and younger adults, but I enjoy playing for anyone, really. Most of my touring
takes me to college campuses, music festivals, and churches. My first album is called “Trying to Fit the Ocean In a Cup,” and it’s a reflection on how great and infinite God is and how challenging it canbe to sum him up in tiny little songs. My latest album is called “Life Is Not a Snapshot,” which means that we only see part of the massive picture of redemption that God is painting.

Sarah: I love that. So clearly, your music expresses your personal story and your faith. What about that part of your life do you hope listeners are able to pick up on through your music?

Josh: My hope is that my music is both challenging and encouraging. The Gospel encourages us because in Christ we have the ultimate hope, but we are also challenged by Christ’s message to give up everything in order to live for him. My goal is to be as honest and real in my songwriting as I can, because if the songs are honest, I think peoplewill be able to relate.

Sarah: Last question. Where can people find out more about your music?

Josh: They can find it on joshwilsonmusic.com, beforethemorning.net, facebook.com/joshwilson,
myspace.com/joshwilson, twitter.com/joshwilsonmusic

Have you ever been in a situation that could’ve turned out to be miserable, but someone lightened the load? How often are we in the right emotional state to nurture goodness like this in unpleasant situations? Share your story/comments by clicking on the brown comment box under this blog’s title.