Janice Kapp Perry

Perry was born on October 1, 1938, in Ogden, Utah but spent her childhood on a farm in Vale, Oregon.

Her mother, Ruth, played the piano and wrote musicals for the children to perform in the community.

"[2] Though music was an important part of her childhood, Perry spent most of her time playing sports.

[2] Perry attended Brigham Young University (BYU), where she studied music composition and theory.

[6] Perry experimented with many styles at the beginning of her career, writing pop music that she sent on demo tapes to Nashville and Los Angeles.

[7] In 2001, their song "Heal our Land" was performed at the National Prayer Breakfast and again in 2005 for the presidential inauguration of George W.

[2] In early 2008, Perry set LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley's poem, "What is this Thing Called Death," to music after one of her nieces died.

[11] She is a member of the Utah Composers Guild, and has traveled all over the world to perform her work, including to Japan and Taiwan.

There was some controversy with the song, as the church's correlation committee believed the lyrics should include formal prayer language, such as "thee" and "thou," but Perry argued that a child would not use those words when praying.

[15] While raising her family, Perry joined and created community softball leagues, leading them to win many tournaments.

When they left their mission, the couple had organized four choirs composed of local church members and young missionaries also assigned there.

[16] In 1998, she was awarded the National George Washington Medal of Honor from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge for the album she wrote with Orrin Hatch.

In 2001, the Faith Centered Music Association honored Perry with their Lifetime Achievement Award.

[18] There was also a documentary made about her entitled Janice Kapp Perry: A Life of Service and Song, which premiered in 2009.