Mike Donehey of Tenth Avenue North encourages students during campus visit
Tenth Avenue North frontman and songwriter Mike Donehey offered thoughts on leadership, faith and what it means to follow Christ during his September 13 visit to Trevecca Nazarene University. While on campus, Donehey led chapel and participated in a Music City Colloquy event.
“If you want to be a leader—if that’s your goal—you’re going to be a horrible leader because the only reason you want to be a leader is because people look at you,” Donehey said during chapel. “We want to be made much of, but when Christ becomes our treasure, He frees us from having to make much of ourselves.”
During the chapel session, Donehey performed several songs, including “What You Want” and “I Need You, I Love You, I Want You.” Donehey’s sister, Kanene Donehey Pipkin of the band The Lone Bellow, and Ruben Juarez of Tenth Avenue North provided background vocals and accompaniment.
Donehey shared stories about how God had worked in his life—including a car accident in which he broke his back in two places—and how those experiences drew Donehey into a deeper relationship with Christ. Donehey cautioned students against pursuing leadership—even leadership within the church—for the wrong reasons and stressed that God’s love for His children isn’t based on our abilities or usefulness.
“Your loveliness to God doesn’t rise and fall with your usefulness,” Donehey said. “Jesus will always invest more into you than you return to Him.”
After chapel, Donehey joined John J. Thompson, associate dean of the School of Music and Worship Arts, for the Music City Colloquy event. During the session, Donehey talked about the creative process, songwriting, navigating a changing industry and what it means to be truly successful.
“Our song ‘I Need You, I Love You, I Want You’ didn’t get played on Christian radio; it wasn’t a massive hit,” Donehey said. “But we were at the Monroe County Fair in Michigan last month, and a girl comes up and says, ‘I’ve never heard of your band before and two weeks ago I wanted to take my life and that song came on Pandora, and … I went and got help.’ Career aspirations would tell me that’s not success.”
Donehey concluded the Music City Colloquy event by answering a few questions from students, ranging in topics from vocal tips to books that inspire him. You can watch Donehey's chapel performance and Music City Colloquy session in their entirety on Trevecca’s streaming website.
Media contact: Mandy Crow, mmcrow@trevecca.edu, 615-248-1695