No Christian music fan is a stranger to the much acclaimed Christian artist, Kristene DiMarco who has risen in the ranks on the world stage of contemporary Christian music, She is an outstanding vocalist whose voice who most predominantly linked to the great Bethel Music.
She has been associated with a multitude of music labels such as Bethel Music, Kingsway Music, and Jesus Culture Music, among others. With almost 2 decades of experience under her belt, what does the future hold for this young artist? Let us find out.
Early Beginnings
Born on January 28th, 1985 in Niagara Falls, New York, Kristene Mueller was part of a family throughout her life. Since the beginning, her family associated with the Destiny Christian Church. Owing a lot to the influence of faith and worship in her family.
She stated in an interview, “My mom got saved when she was 16 and my dad got saved when he was 13 so I grew up in a home that loved Jesus.” She later mentioned a church musical as her first experience in any form of music.
DiMarco reminisced about that day in one of her earliest interviews, “My earliest musical experience I can remember was when I was five. I was chosen to sing in our church musical, I was terrified to say any lines in the play but I was absolutely fearless when it came to singing, it was the dream in my little girl’s heart”.
In 2002, when Kristene was 16 years old, a new worship leader came on staff at the church.
After being asked to join the worship team she began learning to play the piano. Soon, she was welcomed by the worship leader to lead the song in services for the first time.
Knowing that this is the path god had chosen for her, Kristine avidly started thinking about producing worship music and simultaneously, leading songs on Sunday mornings with guidance from her worship leader.
Thinking back to that passionate calling, she said, “I was always hungry for God growing up but I can’t say that I truly knew, without a doubt, that he was real until I was 21 years old.”
Upon graduation from High School, Kristene made the huge leap of faith to move to Kansas City and attend the International House of Prayer as an intern. Sticking to the same trajectory, Kristene moved to San Francisco.
After much deliberation, DiMarco committed to her dream to produce worship music and started her professional career in 2008, with the album, Those Who Dream. It was released on December 9, 2008, by Jesus Culture Music, with a re-release from Kingsway Music of the same album on July 13, 2010
. Although her first album released through Jesus Culture Music, ‘Those Who Dream’, was issued in 2008, she remembered the whole process as a product of years of reflection and doubt, “It was recorded in a basement in the middle of Redding heat so there was a lot of sweating.
I’d say the biggest thing for me was watching God take these songs I wrote thinking no one would ever hear them and realizing how tremendous the faithfulness of Jesus is. I realized that all I walked through to pen these songs would not be in vain, they were meant for much more people than just me.”
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The album was reviewed by many other big music production houses in the Christian music scene.
After 4 whole years, she released her second studio album by the name of Safe Place, on April 10, 2012, by Kingsway Music. However for her, after the immediate fame of her very first album, Kristene acknowledged the hurdles in the way of recording ‘Safe Place’ and said it was “a tough process.”
With her marriage and the birth of her first child, she talked about her experience with the second album in the following manner, “The first album was so simple because I had no expectations from people around it. ‘Safe Place’ was different, and I overthought the album a lot before I actually even started. God taught me through this album to love what I write no matter what.
He taught me that writing from a place of sorrow is actually less powerful than writing from a place of joy and thanksgiving. ‘Safe Place’ came out of a joyful time and I finished it right before my daughter was born. I’d say that lyrically the two strongest songs on the album are ‘Hope’ and ‘Deanna’s Song’.”
As of the mid-2000s, the Church and the world were becoming more aware of what worship music was doing through the Bethel Church in Redding, California.
Kristene enrolled at the Bethel School of Ministry. She made her debut on Bethel Music’s album, You Make Me Brave, with the single, “It Is Well”. The song charted on the Billboard magazine song chart, Hot Christian Songs, reaching a peak of No. 27. Owing to her success, Bethel Music announced that Kristene would be joining their Collective in the spring of 2016,
According to her, Redding was also the place where she had initially met Jordan DiMarco.
Kristene recalled about their meeting, “I thought he was the best looking guy I’d ever seen.
We officially met in a Starbucks where he told me that God told him my husband was praying for me and to not lose hope. I honestly didn’t really take the word to heart but a year later we found ourselves dating and six months later were married.”
She had never been acknowledged as a member of Jesus Culture; however, Kristene did have close ties with the Redding-based ministry at the prime of her career. She explained, “I contribute a bit. I’m not a part of the band but I’m on their music label along with the Torwalts and Derek Johnson.
We all champion one another and support each other. Banning Leibscher [director of Jesus Culture Conferences has opened up amazing doors for me and believes in my gift and voice more than anyone. I do about three events with them a year.”
As an independent artist for most of her career, she had the privilege to work with many affluent artists in the Christian music industry.
However, after signing up with the notorious Bethel music program; her music took a drastic turn which was much appreciated by her longtime devotees.
Kristene DiMarco released her first live new worship album, recorded earlier this year in Redding, personifying the imagery of the standing stone which had been a testament for the God whose love and grace are unshakable as seen in the Old Testament.
Appropriately, it related to a story in the Old Testament of the twelve stones erected by the Israelites at the site of their crossing of the Jordan River.
These “standing stones,” were the foundation of the miraculous power of God in Hebrew tradition.
The tradition follows in the New Testament where Peter refers to Jesus’ followers as “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5). Alluding to the muse behind the songs on Mighty, DiMarco said, “I wanted to write songs that were statements of faith that encouraged people to choose to be overcomers when the temptation to remain a victim can be overwhelming.
These songs were written for anyone who needs strength, comfort in loss, or just a reminder of the reality and might of the God we serve.”
So where is Kristene right now and what does the future hold for this extraordinary talent? Recently, Platinum-selling artist Kristene DiMarco produced her second studio album under the label Bethel Music by the name The Field.
According to the artist, this 12-song journal is from a deeply personal space during a vulnerable season for DiMarco.
During the pandemic of 2020, she spent her time focusing on her relationship with the Lord. She went back to her roots and what had inspired her for her first album and came to the realization that “…conviction and correction from the Lord is the most beautiful thing; it’s in His kindness and love that He calls all back to Him.”
The album takes up a unique style of sounds of blues-rock and rhythm & blues to ultimately explore the essence of faith and sincerity in the Love of God.
Conclusion:
Kristene DiMarco is still considered one of the greatest names to be associated with Bethel Music. She has been tirelessly working on multiple projects in recent years and is definitely making a full-blown comeback.
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