Steven Curtis Chapman
Steven Curtis Chapman Bio
"The only decent art I've ever created has been out
of the overflow of my heart."
Though it's true that most of us tend to be our own worst
critics, and that many of us tend to don a bit of false humility
when complimented, these words from Steven Curtis Chapman
couldn't be more sincere, or—according to him—accurate.
"It's a weird thing that I haven't really figured out
yet," Steven explains, "but the times that I have
felt the need, creatively and artistically, for a fresh wind
to blow in my life, the music has really matched what was
going on in my heart."
There has been a lot going on in the heart of this accomplished
and well-honored artist of late. Not content to rest on his
laurels (which include 47 Dove Awards, four Grammy Awards,
an American Music Award, two certified platinum and seven
gold albums, nine million total albums sold and 41 number
one radio hits), Chapman has found himself in a season of
renewal at the very time he is being taught and reminded by
pastors, authors and friends that the Creator of the universe
is continually making all things new.
"I'm scratching my head over this as much as anybody.
I have made more records than most artists ever do in their
whole career, and I realize what a gift this is. But the truth
is, at 41, I've never been more inspired, compelled, excited
and passionate about making music as I have been in the last
year. The challenge for me was this: If I'm going to write
an album about the reality that God makes all things new,
that He is the one who will be continually be rolling back
the curtain on Himself, revealing more and more of Himself
for all of eternity, then I need to do my job as an artist
with diligence and with freshness, lyrically and musically."
Steven says this process started when his voice went out
on him about three years ago, bringing much of what he has
filled his life and career with to a screeching halt.
"When I lost my voice for three months, I didn't know
if I would ever make another record or even sing again, and
during that time I read some books that really influenced
my thinking. A book called Rumors of Another World: What on
Earth are We Missing? by Philip Yancey started me thinking
about the 'Big Story,' where God is revealing Himself in our
everyday world. That kind of got the wheels turning early
on. Then a friend asked me if I had read John Piper's book
Don't Waste Your Life, and I grabbed it on my way to Seattle,
read it on the plane, and before the trip was over, had written
about eight songs after reading that book. I've been inspired
by books before, but never had one open up a thicket in my
soul like this one. All those songs didn't end up on the new
record, but its themes are certainly represented there ["Big
Story," "Much of You"].
"Piper's point is that we are not the point, that the
cross reveals God's glory and we are the recipients of His
grace, that it might make 'much of Him,' not to make 'much
of us.' That notion so disoriented me at first, but then opened
my understanding to a deeper level of God's love and mercy
in the world. And that made me start wondering when we as
God's people go from reaching up (in worship) to reaching
out (in what James called 'true religion'). It's not a sense
that I have to do this or that or God is going to be disappointed.
It's the freedom of understanding that, 'I'm not the point
Lord, and the point is to make much of You.' "
Chapman's response to the challenges of his renewed mind
led he and his wife Mary Beth to adopt first one, then another,
little girl from China. This July they are adopting their
third. Steven says that 'reaching out' in this way, more than
any other in his life, has caused him to 'reach in.'
"My pastor was teaching recently on the things that
we do in response to the needs around us. James [the Apostle]
encouraged believers to care for orphans and widows, and Jesus
said as you've done these things to the least of these, you've
done them for me. If we do that just because God said so,
then that's okay, but the fact is, obeying God in this way
changes our lives as much or more as it affects anyone else's.
"What's overwhelming for me is walking through orphanages
in China, and knowing that there are 34 million orphans, and…
we just adopted three? But my pastor said, if we really believe
that there is a day coming when God will make all things new,
then what we do—the reason we adopt one child or sponsor
a child in this case—isn't to end world hunger and negligence.
It's to show the world a picture of the Gospel, to give the
world a preview of what is to come. We do it in faith and
in hope of the day that is coming."
Newly inspired and armed with a satchel of new songs, Steven
met with record company executives and long time producer
Brown Bannister to discuss a strategy to bring the freshness
in his soul and songs to the recording process.
"After a series of talks, we decided that perhaps a
great new challenge for me would be to work with musicians
and engineers I haven't worked with before, and set the time
limit of one month to make a new record, period. At the same
time, I'm also a creature of comfort and I like hangin' in
the studio here [in Nashville] with my buddies that I have
worked with for years, and getting out of that habit is scary
and dangerous."
The results, of course, need to be heard instead of contemplated
in writing. Suffice it to say however, that Chapman's work
with a group of Los Angeles-based musicians—with resumes
long enough to wallpaper a house—at the legendary Sunset
Sound Studios, as well as engineer Trina Shoemaker (known
for her work with Sheryl Crow and others) proves worthy of
its moniker All Things New, and showcases an artist at the
top of his form with energy and ideas to spare.
Those changes may explain the sonic differences on songs
like "Only Getting Started," "Please Only You,"
Big Story," and the title song. But Chapman himself takes
chances with new approaches vocally, recalling at times, artists
like John Mayer, Coldplay and Five for Fighting. And, according
to Steven, new approaches to his own writing process.
"I ended up writing more on the piano this time around,
which really brings out a different side of my music. It was
part of what I found doing the love song record [All About
Love], writing 'How Do I Love Her' on the piano, which was
probably influenced more by Elton John musically than the
artists who have typically influenced me before."
Though most of the songs reflect the themes of renewal, Chapman
says one special song has been waiting in the wings for just
the right moment.
"'I Believe in You' is a song I wrote for my oldest
daughter Emily when she was going from fifth grade into middle
school, and I kind of set it aside for all these years. I've
totally changed the verses, but the chorus has remained pretty
much the same. It's a song of affirmation, and there's a line
in it that says, 'Aren't you the little one that hid in my
arms afraid of the thunder?/Aren't these the little hands
that held so tight to mine?/Didn't we both agree you'd never
grow up?/Now here you go…' It's like, 'we had a deal!'
"It's phenomenal what Emily has accomplished in her
life and in the lives of many over the last few years. What's
happened in Nashville is amazing in and of itself. We have
this thing called 'Asian Invasion,' where about 15 little
Asian girls come over and play in our barn once a month, and
every one of them can be traced to my daughter Emily praying
for our first adopted daughter Shaohannah to come to our family.
Every one of them is connected, seeing what we did and making
their own decisions to do the same. What a legacy for an 18
year old!"
Part of that legacy is evinced in Shaohannah's Hope, an organization
the Chapmans founded to help Christian families who want to
adopt a child. Steven says he is both encouraged and overwhelmed
by the response to the work.
"When we started this, we hoped to engage the church
and reduce the financial burden for Christian families that
wanted to adopt. So we give grants at an average of about
$4000 to families that qualify, and we've helped about a hundred
families to date, and another thousand waiting in line, so
I'm completely blown away what God has done already.
"Last year, Christian radio stations and Family Christian
stores both kicked in to help us raise over $100,000 for the
organization, and we hope to begin helping the thousands of
orphans that will never be adopted, right in their home countries.
Right now, we've got our hands full managing the grants, but
we're hoping the Church gets on board to match our funds with
funds of their own for their own congregations."
Chapman's immediate future will take him back on the road.
The "All Things New Tour," scheduled to hit 75+
cities, will open October 21 in Albuquerque, NM and finalize
mid-April in Nashville, TN. Sixstepsrecords artist/worshiper
Chris Tomlin and Beach Street Records' group Casting Crowns
are slated to open the tour. Courtesy EMI
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