On Tuesday, Oct. 20, singer and songwriter Meg Sutherland performed songs from her album, “Courage, Dear Heart,” at LCU. Sutherland began learning piano at age five, and has been singing as long as she can remember. At age 14, she began songwriting and teaching herself to sing and play piano in tandem. Currently, she is studying composition and piano at West Texas A&M. “I loved singing other people's songs for my own enjoyment, and then realized that maybe I could communicate my own feelings the same way,” said Sutherland. Douglas Gresham, author and stepson to C.S. Lewis, acts as producer to Sutherland after they initially made contact through email. Sutherland sent Gresham a song she had written about “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” the third book in the Narnia series. Though he could not use the song in the “Dawn Treader” movie, he loved the music so much that he arranged a meeting with Sutherland in London. Since she was living in Germany at the time, the trip was well worth the few hours travel. Gresham exhibited tremendous faith in Sutherland and her talents, encouraging her to continue sending her music to him in the hopes of one day producing an album. In 2015, that hope was realized with the release of “<link http: sprigmusic.com artists meg-sutherland external-link-new-window external link in new>Courage, Dear Heart,” Sutherland’s cinematic-indie debut album featuring thirteen original songs. Sutherland finds that her passion for music is rooted in communicating with herself, God, and others who listen. “My faith impacts my music deeply, not because I try to write "Christian" music, but because what I believe simply spills over into what I say and what I write. My goal is to tell stories: some of them are about heartbreak, or family, but ultimately the best story ever told is the one where Jesus loves us no matter what. So I'll probably tell that story over and over again, in many different ways.” When she isn’t writing songs, Sutherland spends her time cooking, drawing, painting, reading, or watching BBC or Netflix. If she had to pick one song to encourage her audience to listen to, it would be "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark." “I've learned that authenticity, whether or not it means a radio hit or a great career, is what I value most from a musical experience. I want people to know they are not alone and that it is okay to be broken,” Sutherland explained.