-
Curtis Stephan
-
The Gospel Meets Rock ‘n’ Roll
 "Sincerity,
honesty, and hope is what I want people to
get out of my music," singer-songwriter
Curtis Stephan explains. "I want them to
know that God is real and how he has touched
my life." As the music director of St. Ann's
stunning 17,000-member church in Coppell,
Texas, Curtis has witnessed the power of
music ministry. He has a mission - to spread
the positive message of the gospel with his
musical talent. "I have been given so much
and I want to give back the best way I know
how."
Born and raised in Grand Prairie, Texas, as
the eighth of ten children, 29-year-old
Curtis Stephan has had a love of music from
the very beginning. He had his first piano
lesson at age 5, and by the 5th grade he
found the trumpet. He eventually picked up
the guitar and later, during his first few
years of college, began to compose his own
songs. During difficult times in college,
Curtis learned to use music as a release.
"Everyday was a struggle to discover the
purpose of my life and really believe that
there was hope - that God had something in
store for me that was really meaningful,"
Curtis remembers. "So I ended up dealing
with this through music. It has always been
the way I express my emotions."
After receiving a bachelor's degree in music
and a master's degree in Jazz Studies from
the University of North Texas, Curtis still
questioned his direction in life. While most
people with his credentials would be headed
for New York City to live the jazz
musician's dream, Curtis found himself
wanting something more.
Confused, he went and spoke with his pastor.
"He asked me to think about where I could
serve God the best," Curtis remembers. "He
said you can't serve
 God
and worldly things at the same time - you
have to choose. So when the opportunity came
to be the Youth Music Minister at St. Ann's
I jumped at the chance. I felt like that was
what I was supposed to be doing. I figured I
would give it a chance and go from there." A
Christian music-based direction is exactly
what Curtis was looking for. "People need
something positive in life. I am always
excited to get an opportunity to play
Christian music."
During this time Curtis also began to
concentrate on his songwriting - he
concentrated on writing music that would
make a difference. "Everyone goes through a
time when they feel like they're doing all
the right things but are getting beat up by
the world." Curtis said. He feels that our
culture glorifies the negative and that
might be the reason Christian music, the
music of hope, is becoming more popular. "I
really want to promote a message of hope for
people [with my music]," Curtis said. "I
want to promote the message of new
beginnings, and even though you may feel
like you're dying inside there is always
hope."
So after 6 years of listening and relating
to the youth and the people of the church,
Curtis decided to write and record an
independent CD. Using this inspiration, he
concentrated on capturing his positive
message of hope in the recording. Through
his relatively short career, he has become
very aware of the impact his music is having
on people. "People come up to me and say
'Listening to you sing and praise God every
week has totally made a difference in my
life,'" Curtis said. "Christian music just
keeps you going. It helps you focus on the
right things - it helps you focus on God."
Through the Storm, Curtis's debut album, on
which he wrote or co-wrote 10 of the 11
songs, was released in April 2003. The
compilation, again, is an accumulation of
Curtis' personal experiences, exposing
everyday emotions and problems with a
positive light. It is the quintessential
rock album - the gospel meets rock n' roll.
There's nothing more upbeat than the
positive light of God and Curtis Stephan
captures that light. The poppy hook, driving
melodies and the urgency of rock music in
songs such as "Brand New Day," illustrates
the hope and glory of God. Lyrics like "I
lie awake and wonder if God is testing me/If
so then maybe this is an opportunity/God's
plan is not accidental/Grace brought me down
this road/To help me grow stronger/In faith
and hope and love," reminds you that God
always puts a blessing behind every apparent
curse - you just have to find it.
 The
CD helps you make sense of hardship, instead
of blaming it. "There are two kinds of
people in the world," Curtis says. "The
people that turn curses into blessings and
the people who turn blessings into curses. I
want to turn everything into a blessing and
that is really what the record is about."
|
