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Once
we learned it individually, we would practice it all together,"
states Jonathan, with a smile on his face. "If one of us did
not know our part, back to the room we would go until we could
sing it perfectly for Mom."
As
time went on, the siblings became masters of blend as each
became adept at singing both melody and harmony. This level
of musical accomplishment was reached despite the fact that
none of them could read music or had been formally trained.
They began singing in local churches and amazed listeners
with their ability to sing as one voice in perfect vocal tone
and unison. By the time the trio reached high school, they
had become very well-known in their region of the state. Much
of their schooling was done on the road as their concert schedule
kept them on m the touring circuit for weeks at a time. One
day their parents approached them with the concept of committing
their music to God as a full-time career. Unbelievably, none
of them had considered this option up to this point, but after
much prayer, soul searching, and parental guidance, each felt
uniquely called by God into a full-time singing ministry.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Six years and seven albums later, the Martins have emerged
as one of the most recognizable groups in the Southern Gospel
genre. Honors they have received include six Dove Awards from
the Gospel Music Association, a nomination for a Grammy Award,
and several charttopping hits in all categories of Christian
music. Some of their hits include "Out of His Great Love,"
"Wherever You Are," "Count Your Blessings," "Grace," and "We
Trust in God."
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The
unique blending of their voices is not the only way in which
this talented family group is heard as one voice. This characteristic
bleeds over into every aspect of their ministry. Their choice
to include a diverse collection of musical styles on an album
is a unified decision. Joyce states, "There's a lot of variety
in our repertoire, but it's always recognizably us. I think
our music combines elements that are both familiar and unexpected.
Stylistically, we're very comfortable with having our roots
in Southern Gospel music, but we're venturing out a little
bit into the inspirational market. We attribute that entirely
to the Lord because we don't sit down and plan our albums
to be any particular sound or mix. We just look for songs
with lyrics that really speak to us personally and great music
that we can seriously sink our teeth into" She adds, 'And
because we're not aiming at any predetermined 'market,' our
audience has grown in numbers and diversity." This decision
to be a "voice" of diverse styles has proven a wise one as
the talented threesome has garnered #1 radio singles in the
Inspirational, Christian Country, and Southern Gospel markets.
They've also scored a top 10 radio single with "Come
On In" in the Adult Contemporary field.
Enjoy
the latest release by the
Martins entitled "Windows."
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