My Music History

5 years ago, I was in a band on the road full time, touring this beautiful country of ours playing shows for really great fans.
10 years ago, I was in a garage writing songs with a band in hopes of going on the road and writing hit songs that would be heard by everyone.
15 years ago, I was writing songs with a writing partner and performing at churches, open mic nights, and coffee houses.
20 years ago, I walked into a Guitar Center with $2,000 I had saved for months and purchased a Roland Keyboard which I still have to this day.
25 years ago, I sat in a friend's truck and at the end of a Keith Green Song, I decided, I want to play piano like him.
30 years ago, my Mother sat me in the front row at church directly in front of the drummer, where I sat for years watching him play and learning how to play without ever owning a drumset. 

Today, I sit in my home studio working on a worship album, which will be my 7th solo album release. 

God has not only used music to enhance my life, but to lead me to the places i've gone.  My love of music, ability to write songs, and passion for capturing a musical moment, are nothing less than gifts from God.  He is the reason I play piano.  He is the reason I play drums.  He is the reason I got to see this entire country playing music.  He is the reason I play music today, and will continue to play music for the rest of my life. 

Truth and Henry (the dog)

     My dog Henry is like many other dogs in many ways.  He doesn't understand why he has to be on a leash, he doesn't quite understand why he can't walk in the street.  He can be trained to ring a bell to go outside when nature calls, and he can sit, lay down, and shake hands for treats.  But beyond that he is not very trainable.  He couldn't possibly understand how the house we live in was built, or how food makes its way into our house every week and into his bowl.  He just accepts it while lying in my wife's lap of luxury.  We treat him very well.  Even when we are upset at him for doing something he shouldn't have, like eat a hamburger left in the backseat of the car that was supposed to be my lunch, or bark at regular people walking in front of our house on a quiet evening.  Even after doing these things, we punish him in certain ways, which he doesn't understand, and he couldn't possibly understand why five minutes later, we are petting him again. 

     The thing is we understand so much more than Henry does, and we would do anything to help him.  Last year he had surgery on his knee because he couldn't bare weight on it because of a torn ligament.  We take him on walks because we know he loves to walk and smell things, and experience what should be his natural environment.  We understand why these things are good for him, and why certain things are bad for him, and luckily he's in our care so he is as safe as we can make him.  He does have a free will to make choices that are either good or bad.  We can't force him to make a decision.  We can just train him, discipline him, shower him with love and affection, and hope that he settles in to that love and affection and makes the best choices he can with the limited knowledge he has. 

     God's infinite wisdom is the thing that we can't fathom.  We couldn't possibly understand why he allows us to go through certain struggles or experience certain successes.  Sometimes we don't understand why he might want us to stay away from something that he considers Sin or Wrong, while we might try to find a justification or a reason it might be okay.  God trains us and showers us with love and affection but we have a free will and a knowledge that is infintely smaller than his.  Just as Henry trusts us for his sustainence and his comfort, we need to trust God for our very existence, our next breath, our next meal, etc.   We couldn't possibly understand how God could be upset with us for something we've done and five minutes later allow us back into his graces.  Humility is something I need to excercise because I realize that I couldn't fathom God's mind in a billion years.  All the things in my personal life and in this world I can't fix, understand, or comprehend, are left up to God's judgement, justice, wisdom, Omnicience, Omnipresence, and most importantly, his Grace.  Thank God for his grace, his Son, and his willingness to love us, watch us play, learn, live, grow, and be.  He is not a tyrant, nor is he a commander.  He is a King who loves his children and treats them with the Love that only the Creator of all things could.  Thank you God for being so much more than I can ever be.

Please Tell Me (Official Video)

All We Have (Official Video) Featuring Pamela Stavlund

New Album On C.D. and FREE BONUS STUFF!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so, my new album is already on download, but the physical C.D. is also available for purchase now.  C.D.'s are 10 bucks at shows, so if I see you out there, please say hello.  If you want to order a C.D., they are 12 bucks which includes shipping costs.

Free Bonus Stuff:  (Read Carefully)

The 1st 25 people to order my new album, Intersections, will also get for FREE, my first C.D. Brand New Road (if you don't have it already) AND, you'll also get Midnight To Twelve's Debut album, unless you have it already.  Midnight to Twelve was the band I was in for a long time, and a lot of my songwriting style and experience come from touring the country for five years full time in the band.  Also, this new album has a few songs that kind of pay tribute to my experience in the music industry.  So, three C.D.s for the price of one, also, you will be entered to win one of four pairs of the Dr. Dre Beats In Ear "Tour" Headphones, which are pretty awesome. 

So, after a hundred orders of the C.D., I will go through the orders and randomly pick the 4 winners of the Dre Beats Headphones.  So, your chances to win the headphones are 1 and 25, not bad.  Either way, I am very proud of this new album and I hope you listening to it as much as I liked producing it. 

Re-Cap
3 c.d.s for the price of one, great chance to win some cool headphones.  This offer will be made to my YouTube Subscribers via video so get on it now.  Here's how to order:

Send a Check or Money Order for $12.00 Payable to:

Steve Oliver    (Kristopher is my middle name, please make it out to STEVE OLIVER, Thanks.)
P.O. Box 11474
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52410

To Pay Via PayPal, send $12.00 to my PayPal email address:
stevenkristopher@gmail.com and include shipping information.

Also, visit www.vibedeck.com/stevenkristopher where you can purchase download versions of my albums.  I'm also on iTunes and most online music retailers. 

Thank you to everyone for your support, I truly appreciate it.

Steven Kristopher
www.stevenkristopher.com

P.S. You can also message me here or on any of my social networks with any questions.  Peace.

New Album is Finished and on iTunes

I have finished my new album, Intersections, after nine months of gestation, writing, recording, mixing, editing, arranging, etc.  I'm very excited to say that its on Itunes and the physical disc will be ready for release September 10th, 2011.  If you happen to have my last album, which was acoustic based, and generally somber because of my mood, which was based on losing a relationship, leaving a band, and moving across the country.  My life has changed for the better since, and my new album reflects that a great deal.  It is much more upbeat, hopeful, inspirational and has drums, guitars, bass, and good, solid rhythms and an overall Pop Rock feel.  If you go check it out, download it and write a review on Itunes if you would.  I will be placing album previews on YouTube along with a few music videos i'll be producing to promote the album so look for stuff on YouTube and find me on Facebook and say hello.  My links are to the right of my blog posts.  God bless.

iTunes Link for my new album, Intersections

Here's an Album Preview (Sneak Peek)

This is a song called "Slow Dancin' Forever (The Proposal Song) off of my brand new album "Intersections".  Check it out.  And look for it on Itunes, Amazon, anywhere online.  :)