A 2010 Northwestern alumnus, Lee Stover, recently released his first album Work in Progress – a record that took him five years to create.
“Work in Progress is a Christian rap album with the basic idea that no matter who you are and what you have accomplished in life, there is always more that can be done,” Stover said. “I don’t just mean spiritually, but also physically, career-wise, you name it — you’re always a work in progress.”
As the title of the album suggests, the main theme of Stover’s new release is that God is constantly working within and through everyone. Stover said that God knows we are not perfect but loves us and wants to use us anyway. He also adds that every single character within the Bible, except one, is a perfect example of a “work in progress.”
“Progress, failure, draw closer to God, repeat,” Stover said. “I have a line in my intro on the album, which is partly spoken word, that says, ‘Who I am is not who I was. And who I am is not who I will become.’ It’s pretty simple but I think that’s kind of part of what life is about. That profound journey of self-discovery.”
Along with Stover, two other NW alumni have assisted with the making of this new album.
“Jeriah Dunk produced all the tracks for the album and did the artwork,” Stover said. “My sister, Leslie, helped layout the design work for my physical CD copies.”
Even though this is his first official album release, Stover has had a love of music since an early age.
“My parents always either had an oldies station on the radio or Life 96.5 out of Sioux Falls. So, early on I had influences of rock and roll, bubblegum pop and Motown from those eras combined with music that praised Jesus.”
Stover also participated in many different music programs, such as band, choir, jazz band, marching band and show choir throughout high school. While at NW, Stover participated in RUSH, NC/DC, co-ed dance teams and talent shows, which helped his desire and love for music grow stronger.
Since graduating from NW, Stover has only grown his passion for music.
“I’ve been creating music on a DIY scale pretty much since graduation and that led me to taking this project [Work in Progress] to a higher, professionally done level. I also own a DJ company so for the last eight years that’s been part of my music career as well. We’ve actually done Northwestern’s homecomings and winter formals for the last five years or so.”
Stover hopes to leave a lasting lesson to listeners from his album.
“[I]t’s just my exploration of different things I’ve learned in life, especially after graduating. When you’re a student, there’s this pressure to know what you’re going to do for the rest of your life and for you to be a finished product. And some people do know that and that’s great. But the fact is, you’re simply not. No one is,” Stover said. “We’re all a work in progress so just be OK with that. Enjoy life wherever you are and keep working on the little things in life in all aspects that will get you where you want to go.”
Check out Stover’s social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more information.
