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It's the time of the year when those in the music industry are on the edge of their seats, counting each second leading up to the most prestigious awards ceremony in the history of rock and roll. The Grammy Awards give fans the chance to see all of their favorite stars, looking their best while they strut their stuff. But for those artists up for the top trophies, it can be downright nerve-racking—the nomination outcome can make or break their career.

Every year there are a few surprises, and this year's no exception. One of the biggest surprises is in the "Best Rock Gospel Album" category. Believe it or not, The Choir is up for the top honor in the Christian category thanks to their acclaimed Flap Your Wings disc, despite the fact it received no radio airplay or major label distribution. Although group members Steve Hindalong, Derri Daugherty, Dan Michaels, and Tim Chandler are gearing up for the gigantic telecast and subsequent private functions, even they are completely shocked with the announcement. "I'm still at the stage where I think it's very funny," quips Daugherty between spurts of laughter. "I don't have a clue how the record got nominated. We just put it out because we wanted to do it. There was no agenda and no push to get the record into the hands of anyone but our immediate fan base."

Not only was the disc recorded just for fun, but it was released independently on a shoestring budget. "It was the lowest-budget record that we spent the least amount of time making during our entire career," chuckles Hindalong. "But after all we've done as a band to build up this history, it's given us a great way to look at our career and feel very satisfied."

In spite of the satisfaction that's come with the possibility of taking home that Grammy, the group also recalls the times they yearned for such attention outside of their loyal followers. The Choir was a purveyor of alternative sounds to Christian circles, but their introspective and at times abstract lyrics, as well as experimental instrumentation, didn't fall within the parameters of the CCM mold throughout the '80s. "We've always been pleased that we could release as many records as we did, but at the same time, each time we put something out, it was commercially unsuccessful," recalls Michaels. "We have worked for labels that were willing to give us a lot of freedom, but they also put on a lot of deadline pressure. When you're rushed, the creative process is always stymied, but we always seemed to break those deadlines, appearing to go against the flow even more."

However, The Choir did earn top nods on various CCM Magazine and Campus Life reader's polls in the late '80s and early '90s. The press placements may not have made them a household name, but they kept plugging along. "We always hoped we would 'make it big,' but we knew we were fortunate to just play the next show on our schedule and record the next record in our catalogue," insists Michaels. "I really wish we could have had a bigger role, but I certainly don't wish that any of the bands in the spotlight over us would have had a lesser role."

Ironically, some group members' current roles in the music industry are right in the heart of the same industry associated with overlooking The Choir. Hindalong is the most visible through his production work with Common Children and, most recently, the City on a Hill worship collection. City on a Hill is known for bringing together a diverse group of today's alternative and more mainstream artists to pour out their hearts in praise to God. In a sense, The Choir was doing that long before it was commonplace in Christian music, most notably on their At the Foot of the Cross series.

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