"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, is set to be 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."