Alisa Noelle Girard was born on April 17, 1975 to Karen and Chuck Girard, who was one of the founding pioneers of Contemporary Christian Music as a member of Lovesong. Alisa has three sisters: Cherie, Nichole and Kristin. She spent her childhood in California’s San Fernando Valley where she lived until she was about 20.
As a child, Alisa was very active and spent hours outdoors. She was passionate about gymnastics as a young child, although her parents wished she would pursue music. They sent her to piano lessons, which she absolutely despised. Frustrated and confused, her parents asked God to show Alisa His will for her life and just two weeks later, Alisa decided to quit gymnastics and focus on music. She wrote her first song while at the piano at the age of 11.
As a teenager, Alisa was extremely involved in school activities. She was very athletic and was even the captain of the cheerleading squad as well as the softball team. Music was also a vital part of her life and she continued to sing at all available opportunities.
A few years after high school, Alisa relocated to Manhattan, New York, which she credits as being one of the most amazing experiences of her life. During this time, she ran a youth center, led worship, and helped with the youth group, and also experienced a broken heart.
After moving back to California, Alisa sent a demo tape of her music to a family friend, Norman Miller, who knew her since she was two years old because of her father’s music ministry. Miller called her back, saying he had an idea about creating an all-female pop group. Though this wasn’t exactly what she had in mind, she consented. Later, Miller introduced her to Kristin Swinford and she and Alisa felt they had known each other their entire lives. Kristin met Chrissy Conway through a mutual friend and soon ZOEgirl was born at the end of 1999.
Alisa wrote ZOEgirl’s first ever single-”I Believe.” The three young women worked hard for the next 6 years and became the fastest selling debut artist in Sparrow Records’ history. But within that time, Alisa went through several changes.
At the onset of her career in ZOEgirl, Alisa met Mike Childers from Time Keyper music, who was also ZOEgirl’s drummer. They both looked into each other’s eyes one night at a show during ”Celebrate Freedom” in Dallas. That night he asked her out, and in 2003, they were married. Mike had two children from a previous marriage so Alisa not only became a wife, but she also became a stepmother to a boy, Wyatt, and a girl Mychael.
Throughout her life, Alisa suffered from depression, to the point where it “crippled” her so that she could hardly get out of bed. On one of these days, she got up and within two hours, she wrote the song “Scream” which later was released on ZOEgirl’s final studio album, “Room to Breathe.” This song became a source of hope for many girls who cut themselves and suffered from depression.
In August 2006, Alisa made a sad, yet exciting, announcement that she would pursue a solo career. This was because Chrissy Conway-Katina had given birth to her first child and Kristin Swinford-Schweain was pregnant with her first child. Alisa decided that this would be the best time for her to finally record the songs she wrote and cherished for so long. In December 2006, ZOEgirl performed for the last time and Alisa made preparations for this new chapter of her life.
On December 1, 2007, Alisa’s self titled album, “Alisa Childers” became available for online purchase. All the songs were written by her and her husband laid down the drum tracks, while her sister, Cherie, did the photography. She performed in churches all over the country and shared her passion and heart through the music she had worked so hard to produce. This CD was her baby, but just 10 months later, she’d have a real one in her arms.
Alisa announced she was pregnant with a baby girl on May 22, 2008. After some complications, she gave birth to Dyllan Joi Childers, who weighed 7lbs and 7ozs in October of tha tyear. Alisa stayed home to raise her baby and to plan for her second album.
In 2009, Alisa finished recording her second album “Plastic Guns” but it has yet to be released. However, she and her sisters and some of her nieces have formed a family worship group called Girard, in honour of her father. Their worship album was released on April 20, 2011, through a special partnership with Calvary Chapel.
Alisa had her second child, a boy named Aaden, in August 2011. There is no word yet regarding the future of her music career.
