Noel Hall Interview (2004) - Articles

Interview with Noel Hall
Man On A Mission

Noel Hall served as music director for Fred Hammond and Radical for Christ for many years. This was the man that kept the awesome RFC band sounding great and so polished. This was the man whose keyboard finesse anchored so many chart-topping albums.

Now, Hall is on his own and delving into the production side of things. He spoke with Gospelflava.com about his endeavors.

Gospelflava.com: Most people know you as Fred Hammond's musical director for 12 years. [See interview with Fred Hammond]

Noel Hall: My experience with Fred Hammond changed my whole life. Before I met Fred, I was playing in churches and I was doing a little bit of writing. When I moved to

Detroit, Fred took me under his wing and he showed me how to write music. He showed me the correct way of producing music. He showed me discipline. My whole lifestyle changed. As a producer, where I am and where I'm going, I owe a lot of it to Fred.

Gospelflava.com: What do your activities involve now?

Noel Hall: Well, being on my own is a new experience for me. Being associated with Fred for 12 years as his minister of music and a producer under Face to Face, I've now stepped out of that realm, and I'm truly on my own. We still write together. We still produce together, but now I answer to me and there's a lot of decisions that I have to make on my own.

It's a challenge taking a project from start and carrying it all the way to finish. I don't have anybody's back, it's all on me. It's a challenge on learning how to do things my way. Right now, I'm taking on projects. I'm still writing. I'm planning on taking as many production projects as I possibly can and putting my name on as many projects as I possibly can.

In the near future, I plan to start doing workshops and seminars for the church musicians who are interested in traveling, recording and being an artist. I think they should know both sides about it, the good side and the not-so-good side, the things that you have to face, the challenges and the decisions that you have to make.

I did that sort of thing for a very long time. Everywhere I go, there are people that say, "Noel Hall, you changed my life. How can I do what you do?" I want to tell them so bad, but I just don't have enough time to tell them the costs. You gotta ask yourself if you really want to do what I do. Do you know what I do? Do you know that it's taxing on your family? Do you know that if you have kids, you're going to have to sacrifice some things? Do you know that it can hurt you? Do you know that you're going to have to make some decisions that could change your life and people's lives around you?

Noel Hall

You have to know what you're supposed to do and commit to doing it. Put everything in its right perspective. Never forget what you're really here for. Never forget what comes first.

Gospelflava.com: Can you summarize your production work for us?

Noel Hall: I co-produced the Commissioned Reunion album, and I co-produced with Fred on some stuff from Face to Face. I produced my first project, Breeze, on Bajada Records, the label that's owned by Bishop Andrew Merritt. It's an instrumental worship CD and very nice.

The second project that I produced was Straight Gate Mass Choir's Expectations: I'll Praise album, along with other producers. I have a couple of songs on Gideon Band's upcoming record.

I produced the new Men of Standard album, It's A New Day —the whole project. I also produced five songs on Vanessa Williams' record. I'm finishing up on her mix. I have a lot more to look forward to.

Gospelflava.com: Noel, you're new to the production game, but your work so far shows you have that special touch. How do you describe your approach to producing?

Noel Hall Productions

Click on the album covers above for reviews on albums produced by Noel Hall.

Noel Hall: I guess what might distinguish my style of producing is the way that I interpret a particular piece. For example, there was a season of my life where I listened to jazz. There was a season where I listened to nothing but worship music, then I listened to classical. What I got out of all of that, is that this music lives inside of me. So when I hear music today, it's interpreted through what's inside of me. It causes me to add flavor to the music, in addition to applying the technical side of things, that I've learned in music production.

Gospelflava.com: When you served as producer for the Straight Gate Mass Choir album, what did you do to prepare?

Noel Hall: That was a CD that happened very quickly. We had a lot to do in a little bit of time. But because Straight Gate is my home, and I was band director, it was more of what we do every Sunday. It took a lot, but it didn't take a lot. Minister Steven Ford wrote most of the material. I wrote a song on there as well as Fred Hammond. It was really just more of the same of what we do every single week.

Gospelflava.com: What are your plans?

Noel Hall: My future endeavors are to stay happily married, raise my children up to be effective in the ministry, and to keep music going. I think that there is another realm that I'm going to enter into in ministry, and music is just a vehicle to get where I'm going to be. I haven't put my finger on exactly what it is or maybe I'm just not ready to admit what it is. There's something different, and that's for sure.

Gospelflava.com: Is there anyone in particular who would you like to work with?

Noel Hall: I've worked with just about everyone in the Gospel industry on some level. When it comes down to production, there is a female artist by the name of Nicole Binion that sang "Breathe" on the Expectations project, and I would love to produce a whole project by her. She has one of the most beautiful voices that I've ever heard. She sings right in that passion that touches my heart.

I would love to produce a song or two on Yolanda Adams, and I would love to produce for Donnie McClurkin. I would also love to produce for Fred Hammond, but Fred produces his own stuff. I would like to take something from scratch all the way to the end just the way I want, to see what happens.

Someone that I would like to sit under is David Foster. He is at the top of my list of producers that I would like to learn from.

The future looks promising for Noel Hall. Check out the new music from Men of Standard, from Vanessa Williams, from Straight Gate Mass Choir and from others to come. Just keep an eye out for the name, Noel Hall. Where you find it, you are also sure to find great music.
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— interview by Dwayne Lacy —