STEPHANIE
MAINVILLE
Growing up in a
musical family that encouraged the expression of your
relationship with the Lord through worship has shaped who
Stephanie Mainville is today. With a mom as a music teacher and
a father who sang The Old Rugged Cross like none
other, there was lots of meaningful music echoing from their
country home on the Kingston Peninsula (New Brunswick).
"I love
the fact that I was raised in the country. What a wonderful
community to grow up in. The friends in my community are still
dear to me and the rest of my family. Yes, we did have a party
line, and no, we did not have cable. So consequently you had to
nurture creativity to survive!"
Stephanie did
not only survive but thrive as she began taking piano lessons at
age 6 (She says she quit a couple of years later, but the real
story is that her piano teacher quit because Steph wouldn't
practice). Her mother taught her how to play chords and she was
off and running, writing her own tunes. Born with the ability to
fake, she could read chord charts and musically fill in the gaps
when she lacked the ability to read the black dots. Stephanie's
mom wrote a Christmas Cantata for their church when she was 12
and asked her to put music to the lyrics. It won the
bicentennial prize for the Kingston Peninsula. What a duo!
At the age of
9, Steph began taking violin lessons at her school in the first
class of children starting a new string program and played until
her graduation in 1988. She is grateful to her violin teacher
and high school teacher for recognizing her gifting and
providing opportunities for her to grow in her musical
experiences.
"Both of
these special teachers have become my friends. I consider them
both a gift from God at the perfect time."
At the age of
15, Stephanie was asked to play keyboard and sing in the band Blessed
Hope, a band directed by her youth leaders that played
contemporary Christian music and led worship at different
churches and youth events.
"This was
an excellent experience for me where our goal was to encourage
those who listened to nurture their expression of worship to the
Lord. My confidence grew under the band leaders' leadership and
I knew that this focus was important and something to continue
to give myself to."
Another
significant moment for Stephanie was when she participated in a
King's Kids Camp during the summer of 1987.
"We toured
all over the Maritimes and it was really then that I started to
have a love for our region. The Lord connected all the dots for
me and I realized this was really who He was making me to be:
someone with a hunger to know Him more, who would humbly give of
herself and her talents, in order to share His love with anyone
I meet."
Stephanie
married Kenn in 1989, started a family in 1993, and
together they have the pleasure of raising four great kids. They
both are leaders in their church, with a heart for families,
their region, and the nations of the world.
Her
debut CD, Family, which recently won a Covenant Award for
"Instrumental Song of the Year" is a culmination of
many years of devotion, passion, and a heart for things eternal.
This recording is filled with songs that express a heart for our
region, the nations, the love of family and a desire to worship
with greater passion. The sound of the fiddle echoes through
many of the tracks, anchoring us to the familiar sounds of
"home".
"It was
time. Time to go for it, rise up and not shrink back, to believe
for all the things God had spoken over us on the Atlantic Coast.
May our shores be full of His presence and glory as we
acknowledge the unique people He has made us to be and celebrate
together."
For more
information on Stephanie visit www.stephaniemainville.com.
If
you are involved in the Christian music industry as an artist
you have likely heard of World Vision's Artist Associates
Program. Through the Artist Associates Program, artists can use
their talents to provide help and hope to children in desperate
need, like those impacted by HIV/AIDS. The program is way of
caring and creativity joining forces to make a tangible lasting
difference by using your platform to encourage your audience to
change the life of a precious child.
This
January, the CGMA and CMC Distribution will release the 27th
Annual Covenant Awards CD. The album will feature nominees and
winners from the 27th Annual Covenant Awards. The full track
listing is as follows:
