Meet Adam Bannister

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Adam Bannister. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Adam below.

Adam, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I had just landed home in the US after a summer abroad in Guatemala. My entire identity had been shaken after I learned that the career path I had chosen to pursue was no longer the path for me. I had spent the last two years studying pre-med with the intent of becoming a doctor and was halfway through my undergrad degree in Biology when I realized that medicine is incredible, but not for me.
What was my goal now? I spent many hours contemplating the different roads I could explore, but this became unexpectedly difficult as I developed a chronic migraine. The pain had started subtly, coming in waves throughout the summer. But by the end of the summer, for some unexplained reason, it had made its home in my head and never ceased. The headaches lingered and tormented me 24/7, making it extremely difficult to function, let alone survive the rigorous academics of a new semester studying biology.
So, I did what most people would consider doing in my shoes. I ran to the doctor, hoping for the magic pill to cure me of my misery. It didn’t come. The medicine made things worse, adding new problems on top of the pain persisting in my head. Despite the pain, I could not deny the transformative summer I had just experienced and spent many hours reflecting on it. The smiles on the faces of the children I played soccer with as their parents visited the outreach clinics I served at in the mountains. The hours of running medicine to rooms where it was needed and praying with patients who were sick. The peaceful nights under the starlit sky where my life was transformed by hours spent in worship, singing, and playing with the other musicians in beautiful rural Guatemala. As I sang and focused my hurting mind and longing heart on God, the One who sustains us and gives us all that we need, I found peace and a love I had never known. It was incredible.
These joyous thoughts often made their way through my splintering mind and eventually inspired me to sing—to lift my voice to the One who longs to hear it the most and who gave me the ability to do so amid my pain. I began playing piano and singing every day for an hour, and I quickly found myself longing for this hour each night because it was the one time of day when I could forget the pain that imprisoned me and find rest. Pain still crept its way in, but I was now fighting against it, not allowing it to enslave my soul like it had my physical body.
I worshiped and sang for at least an hour each day for the rest of the school year. And I prayed for healing. It didn’t come…yet, but I continued to pray nonetheless. Meanwhile, as I longed for physical healing, I failed to notice the healing that was taking place in my heart. I had given my life to Jesus and set out to follow him just two years earlier, but a lot of mending needed to take place in my heart from the many years without Him.
A year later, my migraine was still present, and I found myself traveling to the Middle East for the summer. There I hoped to discover a clearer path for my future. I never could have imagined the treasure I was about to discover instead. The pain I was experiencing from my migraines had reached an all-time high, and I couldn’t even remember what my life was like before them. My mind was always clouded, my thoughts confused and easily forgotten, and my whole identity and purpose shaken. I didn’t know what to do nor what I would be able to do with my life now that I felt handicapped.
I had already sought out many earthly solutions, and they didn’t work. So, when a friend asked how they could help I simply said that I would like to be prayed for. I had read stories and heard accounts with my own ears of people who received physical healing, and I wanted what they had. I couldn’t bear it any longer and I longed for healing more than anything else.
As my friend prayed for my healing, I wept and felt the presence of God in a way I had never experienced before. At that moment, when he prayed, in my heart and soul, I knew I had been healed. In the weeks to come, this faith was turned to sight as I woke up with a head free of pain, never to have a migraine again to this day.
I explain all of this because through this experience, I discovered my purpose. I love to sing and minister to others through song. To worship and lead others in worship. And to share the person who changed my life—Jesus. My identity is not in what I do. It is not in my abilities, my vocation, or my physical health, My identity is in the One who loved me so much that He came and died for me so I can live a life of freedom.
In the months following this healing, a part of my brain became “unlocked”, and I started to write music. Music had always been a big influence in my life, but I had never written before. But once the songs started coming, I couldn’t stop them.
It all began when reading my bible one day. I would read a story and then hear musical melodies in my head. I would write down everything I heard and finish song after song in minutes. I have written over a hundred songs in the past 4 years and continue to write weekly. (I wrote one last night!)
The hours I spent singing truth in worship while I was suffering with my migraines changed my life. And now, I long not only to sing on my own but to write music and share the truth of the Bible with all who will listen. I want others to hear the greatest stories ever told in the hopes that they too will be impacted forever. I want others to find what I have found—a life full of joy, love, hope, and purpose far greater than anything I could imagine! I want them to know the God who heals, who healed me.
And so as I continue to hear melodies in my head, I write them down. Whether it be on the mountain top or down in the valley, whether the views are spectacular or covered with fog, I will rejoice and sing because I traverse all of it with the One who knows the way and gives me something to sing about.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I started writing music in 2020. I would read my bible and feel inspired to write a portion of it into song. I would hear the melodies in my head as the words poured out onto paper. This birthed my organization, Songs for Revival LLC. Songs for Revival began as a band that recorded and performed original music. After finishing college, I moved to Central America to teach music and serve as the worship director at a missions hospital.
Being a recording artist in the rural mountains of a third-world country had its challenges. I would record in closets, battle with wifi that barely worked, and wait for a break between street dog fights and motorcycles driving by to find a quiet moment to record. After several years and life in three countries, I moved back to the U.S. in September of 2023. That fall, the Songs for Revival band completed a local tour of 18 concerts in Pittsburgh, PA. This was our second tour as a band. After taking some time to discern the direction for Songs for Revival, we are excited to now be launching into larger musical productions!
Our first production, The Moses Project, will come to the stage in March of 2025 in Irwin, Pennsylvania! The Moses Project is an epic show where over 40 musicians and storytellers will come together to retell the Biblical story of Moses and the Israelites’ exodus from slavery. The story will be brought to life through music with a full choir, orchestra, soloists, and actors/narrators! I wrote all the songs in this production in the fall of 2020. It started when I added words to a melody that came to me while hiking one day. I finished writing all 8 songs within the next three weeks, and over the past few years, I have adapted the music into a grander production with a choir, orchestra, and actors. We are thrilled to bring The Moses Project to the stage for the first time! This show will be a truly memorable and immersive experience that you won’t want to miss! More info can be found at Songsforrevival.com/themosesproject.
The Moses Project is just the first of many productions we have planned for the next several years. Through this show and many more to come, we are excited to provide musicians and artists with the opportunity to be a part of something meaningful as they retell the greatest stories ever told. Our goal is to foster a joyful and life-giving experience for musicians to use their passion and musical gifts in an environment that uplifts and encourages their faith. We are eager to share our love for music and invite other creatives into the exciting process of performing these original productions!
In addition to our projects with Songs for Revival, my wife and I are pursuing a career as recording artists here in Pittsburgh, PA. We have released several songs and will be releasing our first album later this year! It has been exciting to perform and share our music at various venues in the greater Pittsburgh area. From soul to worship to singer-songwriter, we’ve got a little something for everyone. You can find us and follow Adam & Sara on streaming platforms @Adam&Sara, YouTube @adamandsaramusic, or by following the link below: linktr.ee/adamandsarabannister

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back on the past several years, the three qualities or practices I have found to be the greatest are pursuit, patience, and prayer.
Pursuit. As a young college student, I wanted to discover my dreams, who I was created to be, and what I was created to do. I pursued after these things and have continued to do so ever since that fire was lit all those years ago. This led me to Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and now back to the U.S. I have seen music radically impact lives and heal hearts, and I want to continue to see it and be part of it as we write, record, produce, and share our music with the world! This passion would never have been realized or come to life if I had not pursued it! It is not always easy to take a leap of faith, but it is easier to leap when you know Who will catch you. I encourage others to take a step in the direction they feel is the path for their life! It may take some trial and error, but find what you love, and pursue it!
Patience. Over the years, there have been many roadblocks and obstacles that caused me to wonder if I had made the right choice. This required patience. Even now, there are moments when the timelines and plans I have for projects or life get altered. But I have learned that it is important to wait. God will bring everything to pass in the right timing. And when you wait for the dream to come about in its appointed time, it often turns out even greater than you could have ever hoped or imagined.
Prayer. Finally, all of my experiences over the years would not have been the same without lots of prayer. How can you know the path for your life if you don’t know the One who made you? I feel the Lord’s presence the most during times of worship and prayer, and I have always come back to this. When we pray, we get to come before the God who loves us, has infinite wisdom, and is always worthy of our trust. Through prayer, I have been told when to stop, when to wait, and when to jump, and I have been guided to the next adventure time after time.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Come witness the world premiere of The Moses Project in Pennsylvania in March 2025! We hope you can come see the show, be part of the journey, and leave inspired to know that God has an incredible plan for your life! You can find more details and buy your tickets at songsforrevival.com/themosesproject.

We are still recruiting musicians for The Moses Project! If you play an instrument or sing and want to be part of an encouraging community that challenges and supports you as a musician, we would love to have you! To learn how to audition and get involved, visit songsforrevival.com/jointhemosesproject.

We are also currently looking for sponsors for The Moses Project. If you, your business, or anyone you know is interested in helping support this vision, we have several sponsorship packages available and would love to have a conversation with you to talk through the details! You can learn more about how to partner with us at songsforrevival.com/themosesproject, or connect with us directly by sending an email to songsforrevival@gmail.com or adamandsarabannister@gmail.com.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.songsforrevival.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/songsforrevival/ , https://www.instagram.com/adamandsaramusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/songsforrevival
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@songsforrevival, https://www.youtube.com/@AdamandSaramusic
• Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/adam-sara/1740195128
  https://music.apple.com/us/artist/songs-for-revival/1547031813
  
  https://open.spotify.com/artist/1JANFAK1i4WorBASntq6TA?si=8Y_vGOwKTzO9QTOCyc7Niw

Image Credits

Jennifer Razete (photos of Adam & Sara)