CCM 34 By the time Christine Evans entered college at Stanford University, she had already released several albums, won numerous awards and starred in a movie. You know… just your average teenager bent on changing the world through her own brand of music, art and passion for social welfare and change. Since beginning school, though, her heart, art and perspective have shifted, grown and developed far beyond aspirations to be a star. “Life has taken a different turn since being here,” she explains. “Before, music was music, school was school and then there was the rest of my life. Now it’s more intertwined. Now, I’m trying to find an intersection between my passion for music, social welfare and for proper policy.” She’s on the right track. In fact the movie, Black and Blue, which hit stores in April of this year, in which she commands the starring role was a commentary, of sorts, on the plight of the homeless that call the streets of the USA home. “I think the movie was very powerful,” she says. “It was created with a purpose.” As was she… Despite spending years in the studio, writing and recording her own songs, she seems to have come full circle in terms of understanding and seeking the path that God might choose to use her gifts. “Music will always be my life. But I know that I definitely want it to be more impactful in a community and relationship based-approach.” That’s not just lip-service. When talking about her music now, the conversation revolves around the group of a cappella singers at Stanford, The Talisman, of which she is a part. “The music that we sing really means something,” she says. It was with the Talisman that she traveled to South Africa. Here, she began to see the power of music in the everyday lives of people. “Everybody sings there,” she says. “Even at a gas station. People would sing to come together, to overcome struggle, to celebrate and to mourn. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before.” But it is something she will see again. This summer, she is traveling to Ghana with Kaeme (kaeme.beagooddoctor.org) to work with the Department of Social Welfare addressing the issue of orphanage reform. Next fall, she is taking time away from school to work with Quest Bridge (questbridge.org), an organization that helps low-income students across the country apply and receive the financial aid necessary for them to receive higher education. Without doubt, Christine Evans is on the fast track to achieving social change within her own and in others’ communities. And along the way, she plans on keeping the music that first launched her into the public spotlight by her side—even if it looks a bit different. “I could never not be a songwriter,” she says. “But I want my writing to be true to me and true to the role that music plays in my life now. I don’t want to force it. Music doesn’t have to stop… It’s an ongoing thing,” she muses. “It’s all connected.” SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION To learn more about Christine, log onto ChristineEvans.com. And to check out the movie, Black and Blue, visit blackandbluemovie.com. more Tying iT TogeTher Christine evans INTERTwINES hER muSIC, hER fAITh AND hER PASSIONS