Who
We Think We Are
December 18th, 1951: Jonathan Richard Cring was born in Sunbury, Ohio
April 21st, 1953: Janet McKinney Scott was born in Knoxville, Tennessee
September 24th, 1970: Mr. Cring marries Elizabeth Ristine, a work still in progress
September 15th, 1971: Janet enters the program of the University of Michigan.
October 15th, 1972: Mr. Cring wins a national talent competition with his group, Soul Purpose
September, 1973: Ms. Scott transfers to the University of South Florida to play in the Florida Symphony.
October, 1973: Mr. Cring signs song The Blood of the Son Makes Us One with the Rambos, charts nationally
April, 1974: Jonathan finishes his first book, The Gospel According to Common Sense, published by HIS publishing house.
April, 1975: Jonathan appears on the PTL club with his group, Soul Purpose, and also signs a recording contract with Mary John Wilkin (One Day at a Time)
March, 1976: Two appearances by Soul Purpose on the Grand Ole’Opry and release of album, Love Beyond Reason and the birth of his third son.
June 1976: Janet graduates from University of South Florida and enters the Masters Program at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.
March, 1977: Janet wins principal oboe position in Chicago Civic Orchestra, and performs with Chicago Symphony at Carnegie Hall
February, 1980: Mr. Cring does twenty-five city tour of the United States with the touring cast of Mountain, his musical adaptation of the sermon on the Mount.
1980: Janet is principal oboist in the Shreveport Symphony, Shreveport, Louisiana, and teaching at Centenary College.
November, 1980: Mr. Cring takes position as professor at small Bible college in Shreveport, Louisiana.
April, 1981: Janet and Jonathan meet.
For fourteen years, the two of them pursue separate paths, Janet playing in such symphonies as Houston, Santa Cruz, San Jose, and settling in Oak Ridge, Tennessee with the Oak Ridge Symphony. Mr. Cring traveled the country with his family, speaking in churches and seminars and composing music.
In April of 1996, Janet moved to Nashville, Tennessee, having recently divorced. Mr. Cring was living in Nashville, producing a radio show called “Life with Style” and was in the midst of editing his novel, I’M. ..the legend of the son of man.
They met again.
They became partners in both music and books, traveling the country with a stage version of Mr. Cring’s novel. They shared narration and music in 435 United Methodist Churches and 221 Lutheran churches across the continental United States, Canada and Hawaii.
In 2001, they began the Sumner County Symphony, which they dubbed the “people’s orchestra with a heart for the community”, and which quickly spread a brand new music throughout the area and has been instrumental in donating thousands of dollars to charity. Critics have referred to the music as the ”soundtrack for our generation”—a delightful blending of classical, jazz and pop”.
From their home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, they continue to write and also produce young artists with projects both entertaining and inspirational.