Mason and Micah Marrs: Double Vision

The post below refers to the interview on Teen Talk Radio that you can access here: Double Vision and Spirit Awards or subscribe on iTunes. Be sure to come back and let us know what you thought!

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Meet Teen Sensation, Double Vision: To be on TTR Thursday at 10pm EST, www.choicesradio.com, guest post by Jennifer Slattery

Don’t let their small stature fool you. When Micah and Mason Marrs of Double Vision sing, grown men are brought to tears, or to their feet in hallelujah, depending on the song. They’ve performed at state fairs, cafes and youth groups, but on Sunday morning you’ll find them surrounded by a large group of toddlers, guitar in hand.

I first heard them sing at Forest Avenue Women’s Shelter in downtown Kansas City. When they rose and moved to the center of the room, a few women giggled, likely not sure what to expect from these two teens. Their giggles soon turned to tears as lyrics speaking of an amazing, initiating love that reaches even to the depths of despair, poured out. The boys wrote the song for their grandmother, but it easily could have been for the women and children seated around them that night.

“We wrote…”Here” for our grandmother after she was diagnosed with breast cancer,” Micah says. “We wrote it to encourage her during this tough time. It talks about how God is always there no matter what you’re going through or what you are facing.”

Their song encouraged the women at the shelter, and the women in turn encouraged them. “After one of our visits to the shelter we wrote a song called “There Is,” Says Mason. ”It tells the story of two of the ladies we talked to at the shelter that night. The first lady was homeless in the winter time and got really bad pneumonia. The second lady was sexually abused by her uncle and was thrown out when nobody believed her. This song talks about how we can find hope in Jesus even in dark times.”

I’ve heard them sing numerous times since then, and each time is better than the last. Perhaps that is the result of hours upon hours of practice, or an ever-deepening relationship with the Lord–although likely it is both. God is molding them, training them, and guiding them to be lyrical instruments of His grace.

At thirteen, they’ve played more places than many musicians twice their age. One can’t help but wonder how long they’ve been at it.

“We’ve been singing since we could talk,” Mason says. “We started playing instruments together about two years ago.”

They gave their first performance when they were three, singing, “Away in a manger” in church. They’ve played in numerous churches since, but that’s not the only place you’ll find them.

On Saturdays, you’ll likely find them down at the Kansas City market, surrounded by hand-clapping admirers.

“We started playing on the streets as street performers a couple years ago,” Micah says. “That has opened up many other opportunities to play at other places.”

If you were to ask a dozen teens what they want to be when they grow up, likely you’d hear much of the same answers: rock star, MLB player, Tiger Woods. Most don’t realize the immense responsibility such lofty dreams carry. It’s like having your life blasted across cyber-space, every frown, every casual word, every loosely-knit association broadcasted, tweeted, and analyzed. Add being a pastor’s kid to the mix and you’re bound to get a head-ache, but Mason and Micah take it all in stride. (Although I’m going to ask you to pray for them anyway–that God will continue to hold them close and keep them true to Him as doors continue to open and their schedule increases.)

So what’s it like being a pastor’s son?

Mason says it’s a mixed bag. “It has its ups and downs I guess,” he says. “You get some perks but there are some disadvantages such as not getting to watch the Super Bowl.”

And yet, spending most of their young life in church appears to have its advantages, a closer walk with God being the most apparent. Youth camps have perhaps impacted them most.

“The time in my life that I felt closest to God was at youth camp because we had a chance to get away from distractions like cell phones and computers and just get close to God,” Mason says.

Micah agrees. “Being at youth camp puts you around a lot of other believers who are a better influence on you.”

They in turn, seek to influence others by using the gift God has given them. “By playing Christian music it opens up a lot of opportunities to share the gospel through our music,” Mason says.

If you’d like to hear them sing first hand, head down to the Kansas City Market. Once the weather warms up, that’s where you’ll find them.

In February, they had the opportunity to play for Michael Tait from the Newsboys and DC Talk. Check out this video!

In the meantime, head on over to their website to listen to a few of their videos, check their upcoming schedule or book them for an event.

You can also catch them on Youtube.

Jennifer Slattery is a novelist, columnist and freelance writer living in the midwest with her husband of fifteen years and their thirteen year old daughter. She writes for The Christian Pulse, the tween E-zine, Samie Sisters, Christ to the World, and Reflections in Hindsight. Find out more about her and her writing at jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com

Be sure to tune in to Teen Talk Radio on Thursday, 4/28, at 10pm EST. Mason and Micah ill be on for the first half of the show, sharing about their experiences in the biz. Following their interview, I’ll be talking with Leah Fox, 13, of Fort Collins, Colo., an eighth-grader at Boltz Middle School and winner of the Prudential Spirit of COmmunity Award, created her own jewelry business and started a school penny drive to help purchase insulin pumps for young diabetics who cannot afford them. (More on that later!)