Stephanie Smith Update

On the heels of her Not Afraid debut release (December 23rd), Gotee’s pop-rocker Stephanie Smith is keeping a whirlwind schedule that includes a recent missions trip to El Salvador with Compassion International, and her latest role as official correspondent for Winter Jam 2009.

On a Compassion International trip to El Salvador for four days earlier this month, Smith spent time visiting three different projects and getting to know the children there. She also had the opportunity for a first time meeting with her own sponsored child Mariela (photo attached).

Smith says of Compassion’s ministry, “Kids are identifying dreams that would otherwise go unnoticed and Compassion is helping them to identify those areas. I got to hear stories and learn how the children’s dependency was totally on God. It was amazing to see up close both the younger kids beginning the process and then the older kids who had reaped the long-term effects of the ministry.”

As the official tour correspondent for upcoming Winter Jam, Smith will conduct exclusive interviews and grab candid, behind-the-scenes footage with artists that are available to fans online www.hearitfirst.com/jamtour and at www.godtube.com. The Winter Jam 2009 Tour Spectacular, Christian music’s largest annual musical tour, features tobyMac at the helm, along with special guests Hawk Nelson, Brandon Heath, The Afters, and of course 24-year old Smith. The 10-week tour kicks off January 8th and lasts through the March 15th final show in Nashville, TN.

On the marketing front, Stephanie Smith’s new radio single, “In My Eyes” is currently #28 at Rock radio and climbing. This is Smith’s fourth radio single that has included other hits “Superstar,” “Not Afraid,” and “Renew Me.” Her first music video for the title track was just released to the TV and video show circuit with current viewing on the Pulse TV Rock channel (Video On Demand service) alongside of videos from Coldplay, Pink, Weezer, The Killers, as well as on their Christian Channel.

Along with her musical debut Not Afraid, Stephanie Smith’s whirlwind year has included the release of her first book, Crossroads: The Teenage Girl's Guide to Emotional Wounds (Zondervan/Youth Specialties) which chronicles her journey towards choosing forgiveness and compassion over bitterness and despair. She also continues to work with the non-profit organization Soles4Souls (www.souls4souls.org). On the performance front, Smith has graced the stage at music festivals such as Rockfest, Ichthus, AtlantaFest, Music in the Park, Kingdom Bound, and Riverstages, as well as a return to Agape Fest, the original arena that lead her to meeting tobyMac and eventually signing a deal with Gotee Records. Smith has also performed as part of various conferences that have included Feedback Conferences, Secret Keeper Girl Tour, Pure Freedom, the Asphalt Assault Tour, One Life of VA and the Freedom Experience. In addition, she joined illusionist Brock Gill as part of the Florida-based SuperWow Camps, where nearly 350 individual youth groups attended weekly.

Read our interview with Stephanie!