By Natashya Fernandez
To launch the April Issue of The Record Magazine, Assistant Editor Natashya Fernandez spoke with Patrick Carre, a local Perth musician and Catholic
Listening to God’s calling at the tender age of 15 opened doors for Patrick Carre to use his love for music to evangelise, to connect with people and to bring them closer to God.
Not knowing where life was going to lead and with faith in his heart, Patrick today is part of numerous evangelisation missions through Flame Ministries, releasing CDs and doing his best to follow God’s plan for him.
Starting out like every other kid when given a guitar, all Patrick wanted was to become a Rock star. But even back then, he wanted to be a positive influence through music, even promote Jesus, he said.
Having moved on to learning to play the piano at school and since graduating from Aranmore Catholic College, and with no intentions to pursue his education, Patrick got a traineeship at Park Pianos as a Piano Tuner/Technician.
“Being a visual and practical learner, I dabbled with the synthesisers and computer based recording and little did I know that this is what would help me today,” he said.
“The shop was associated with various teachers who gave me lessons and helped me develop an understanding of chord structures and in turn understand song writing.”
For Patrick, good music has to speak to the soul. It has to have the ability to help people forget about their issues and get lost in the song, he said.
“Musicians have a big responsibility to influence people. That’s why, when I play at Mass or at praise and worship style liturgical celebration, I want to help the congregation enter into worship and experience Jesus in a deeper way,” he said.
For someone who went to Mass like every other kid when he was young, Patrick says his faith journey and the true extent of his immersion into the music ministry started when he was invited to an Antioch weekend at St Lawrence Parish in Balcatta.
The experience was so real, he said, it was the start of his journey into the Charismatic Prayer Group and later Flame Ministries International, where he is still leading the music ministry today.
“Good music can be a great evangelisation tool, it speaks to the soul. The main thing is that it needs to be real, something from the songwriters’ heart, including the sounds and arrangements.
“I believe that’s when people can connect with it, bringing them closer to God.
“The main thing as a songwriter is to be true to God and yourself with the talent He has blessed you with. Then you will see lives change,” Patrick said.
“When I use my piano or guitar at Mass, rather than simply playing it, it speaks to the Holy Spirit within us, even if it’s just a small flicker, it will fan it into a flame, then a fire for God,” he said.
Never wavering in his faith and always knowing that God has a plan for him, it was in 2006 that he met his future wife, Livia. Livia joined the Ministry just like Patrick to serve God through singing and music.
“We worked together for a few years before I believed God opened my eyes to her,” he said.
Married in 2013, Patrick and Livia had a baby girl, Amélie a year later. God’s plans for Patrick came to fruition when a few years later, he opened his recording studio – Artisan Music.
“Both Livia and I had our own places but mine was too small to accommodate my work, piano restoration and recording, we figured we needed a commercial premise where I could do both,” he explained.
“God’s promise to us came in the answer of a recording studio for sale in Malaga. “He came through on his promise and even provided more than what we were asking for,” Patrick said.
“If you had asked me five years ago, I would never have thought I would be in such a position. I believe that being faithful and patient to Him, the Lord will come through every time,” he ended.