Meet Our Convention Music Team Director
Denise Rosier
Music Director, Centers for Spiritual Living
Contemporary inspirational artist, Denise Rosier (pronounced Rosie- AY), is an award-winning singer/songwriter, producer, and recording artist. She is best known for writing music for New Thought spiritual communities, and audiences gathered under the Spiritual But Not Religious (SBNR) umbrella. Her original songs have been released on 5 solo studio albums, numerous compilation albums, and television. Denise's first album Only A Whisper Away was released in 2001, and from there her music has taken her to audiences as far away as Osaka, Japan. In addition to winning 5 Positive Music Awards, Denise is the first artist to successfully introduce New Thought music to the larger inspirational music audience by winning two nominations for Best Contemporary Christian/Gospel album at the Independent Music Awards in 2016 and 2019.
Most recently, Denise was honored to receive the 2023 Grace Note Award from Unity Worldwide Ministries for lifetime achievement in positive and inspirational music.
Her songs “Spirit Is In This Place”, “Joy In My Day”, “Open Up”, “I Know God”, and “Hallelujah Today” can be heard on any given Sunday sung by congregations and soloists around the world. Denise’s new thought releases include One Heart (2013), EVERYDAY (2016), and Heart Of Praise Vol. 1 (2019).
Denise’s concerts, music and message programs, and enriching workshops are all part of her passion to help people come to an understanding of one another through music, conversation, and their oneness in the divine.
Meet the Team!
Ken Janzen
Keys / Background Vocals
Ken’s musical path has taken him through many styles including Classical, Jazz, Country, Rock, Pop and R&B. He studied music at Wichita State University. He’s had opportunities to play with many great performers including Dave Valentine, Charlie Daniels, Chuck Berry and The Temptations. He has also played in many bands and groups in Colorado Springs, Denver and back in the day in Wichita Kansas. He currently performs often across the Front Range of Colorado. He is involved with local artists in music production projects. He has been Director of Music Ministry at Center for Spiritual Living Colorado Springs for over 15 years.
Zachary Janzen
Featured Vocalist
Zachary Janzen is thrilled to be part of the CSL Convention. Currently living in Colorado, Zachary comes from a musical family, and regularly performs throughout his home state. His theater credits include Tom Collins in Rent, and Jim Conley in Parade.
When he isn’t performing on stage, he can be found on Sunday mornings as a featured artist at local Centers For Spiritual Living, and at Icons LGBTQ piano and cocktail bar where his multi-octave range and amazing falsetto makes him a popular singing bartender.
Nafeesa Monroe
Spoken Word
Nafeesa Monroe has been a professional film, television and stage actress for over twenty years in Los Angeles, New York, and DC. Credits include: Off-Off Broadway: Backhouse Theatre Co.: Hello Herman (Sheyla Duvall). Regional: Folger Shakespeare Company: Julius Caesar (Soothsayer/Artimedorus); Annapolis Shakespeare Company: Hamlet (Gertrude); Shakespeare & Company: Love’s Labours Lost (Rosaline); Mother Courage (Yvette). Paradise Theatre: Byron’s Don Juan (Hadee), Three Sisters (Olga). Shakespeare Thtr Co./ACA: King Lear (Goneril), The Malcontent (Emilia). L.A. Women’s Shakespeare: As You Like It (Jacques de Boys). Theatreworks: Miami Lights (Cookie). Robey Theatre Co.: For the Love Of Freedom Parts 1-3 (Gold / Letitia). Film/T.V.: Gridiron Gang, HBO’s Def Poetry, The Bold and the Beautiful, I’m Through with White Girls, and Jamie Foxx Show.
As a spoken word artist, Nafeesa has opened for Jewel, appeared on HBO’s Def Poetry, and performed alongside bestselling author Neale Donald Walsch. She has been featured in magazines like Ave, and Sister 2 Sister, and graced the cover of the Long Beach View. She is a graduate of The Meisner School of Acting and received her MFA from The Shakespeare Theatre Company's Academy for Classical Acting at The George Washington University. Nafeesa’s one woman show “The Journey to Becoming Super Woman,” premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland to four star reviews and has traveled to universities and theatre festivals throughout the U.S and the U.K.
Nafeesa is a mastered martial artist and also works as a Stage Violence Designer and stage combat instructor for all ages. Most recently she designed the on stage violence for The Duchess of Malfi and Winter’s Tale performed in rep in Washington, DC.
As the founder and artistic director of Classics In Color: A Theatre Company, Nafeesa hopes to bring her decades of experience to a new vital company focused on inclusion especially in the works considered classics.
Darren Ross
Drummer
Darren started playing drums at age 15 and within one year was performing in clubs and concerts in the Chicago area. Committed to becoming the best, he studied with Pat Metheny’s drummer, Paul Wertico. After high school he toured throughout the United States for 2 years ending with a stint as Bo Diddley’s drummer. He then returned to Chicago working regularly in the jazz and blues circuit as well as the city’s eclectic original and world music scene.
He left Chicago for the west coast to extend his musical influence and perfect his craft. While in Los Angeles he learned from extraordinary drummers: Peter Erskine, Ralph Humphry, Jeff Hamilton, Joe Porcaro, and Freddie Gruber and more. While in California he was recruited to teach at the acclaimed Musicians Institute in Hollywood where he taught until moving to Colorado in 2008.
Darren’s professionalism, versatility and creativity are highly regarded in the industry which has afforded him the opportunity to play, record and tour with a wide variety of artists including: Al Wilson, Otis Day, Spencer Davis, Sugar Loaf, Patrick Moraz, John Goodsall, Debbie Reynolds, Bo Diddley, The Diamonds, Coasters, Platters, Ron Eschete, The Orchestra Surreal and Jubilant Sykes.
His passion for teaching is longstanding and he is currently an instructor with the Denver Music Institute.
Amy Steinberg
Vocals / Keys
“Singular” is the word that best describes Amy Steinberg.
Uplifting, enlightening and hilarious with a voice that can burn the house down, Amy Steinberg is singer, songwriter and storyteller like none other. She plays the piano with her own swingy rhythmic bounce, injecting shades of soul, rock, hip hop, and poetry, all with a theatrical flair. She sings of self-love, open-mindedness, and the holiness of everything.
Deeply involved with the New Thought and Positive Music world, as well as the LGBTQ+ community, Amy performs at conferences, Spiritual Centers, venues and festivals all over the country. Her newest recording is her 12th independent CD, Big Bang Breaks - a powerful collection of uplifting gem.
Eddie Watkins, Jr
Bass/Vocals
“My music is an expression of all the experiences in my life.”
Growing up in the ghettos of Detroit, playing bass guitar on recordings with the Temptations and Marvin Gaye at 17 years old, being mentored by the Motown greats, becoming a first call studio musician, making lots of money, moving to LA with Motown, substance abuse and recovery, lead to a spiritual search.
When Eddie became involved in the new thought ancient / wisdom movement in 2007 songs woke him up pouring out of him. His first CD was conceived, recorded, produced and selling within six months. To this date Eddie has written, produced and recorded seven spiritual inspirational CDs.
Eddie has served as a musical director for the:
- Center for Spiritual Living Las Vegas
- Center for Spiritual Living Seattle
- Unity Center For Creative Living Saint John Florida
- Center for Spiritual Living in Saint Augustine Florida
- Currently serving at Unity Of Central Florida
Eddie has recorded with Marvin Gaye, Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, James Brown, Santana, Cher, Diana Ross, Herbie Hancock, Patti LaBelle, the Pointer Sisters, Peter Frampton, Gato Barbieri, Donald Byrd, The Temptations, Phyllis Hyman, Norman Connors, Thelma Houston, Nancy Wilson, Pattie Austin, James Ingram, Martha Reeves, Johnny Mathis, Denice Williams, Freda Payne, The Dramatics, Peaches & Herb, Les McCann, The Fifth Dimension, Billy Preston, Syreeta Wright, Teena Marie, Jermaine Jackson, DeBarge and the list goes on and on.
My life’s purpose..
“To raise the vibration of planet with this music”
~Eddie