About

Over the course of Dawn of Hope Ministry, we’ve provided more than 1200 concerts/worship services across the continent. This includes music presented at General Conference Sessions, ASI and GYC International Conventions, 3ABN, SAFE-TV, the Kennedy Center For the Performing Arts, on NBC and the Family Channel, with the Voice of Prophecy, many Family Reunion Videos, and at many camp meetings, evangelistic meetings, and special events across the US and Canada.  We also team up with the Texas Conference and Evangelist Lynnwood Spangler, presenting a concert at each Texas church they work throughout the year. Dawn of Hope is based near Houston, TX, but we are on the road full-time, living and working from our motorhome. During Hope Manilla 2014 we provided music for evangelist/preachers such as GC Pres. Ted Wilson, NAD Pres. Dan Jackson, and 3ABN’s C.A. Murray, as the General Conference, Southwest Union, and Share Him focused on Manila as part of the “Mission to the Cities” worldwide campaign.

Our concerts are a blend of music (vocal/piano – no tracks), testimony, and scripture. The concerts can be all in English, Spanish, or a combination of both. We are currently working on a 10-CD project entitled “Hope Revives”. The first of these, “Grace Revealed”, is near the end of production. Music from our earlier CDs (English and Spanish) is available on our website, where you can also preview each song. You can also hear our music on 3ABN, The Hope Channel (Family Reunion Videos), and on YouTube.

Stephanie Dawn

Stephanie is a gentle person who serves God through her music, using her voice to sing His praises and to communicate His Word to others. Her life has been one of struggle and pain, therefore she has compassion on those who are hurting, and she longs to connect with them at a spiritual level, trusting in God that the gift He has given her will bring others closer to Jesus. The music she shares is based on Scripture and carries with it the influence of the Holy Spirit on those who are listening.

Stephanie is accompanied by pianist Dann Thornton. They share a musical connection that creates an attitude of praise to our God and brings to the listener a fresh revelation of God’s Word.  It is their purpose to bring honor to our Lord Jesus Christ.  Blind since birth, Stephanie Dawn’s first church solo was at the age of three. By the age of eleven she had recorded her third album and at fourteen she soloed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. She has appeared on the 700 Club as the female category winner in the National New Artist Search, and has taken the Grand Prize in the Ultimate Talent Search sponsored by Embassy Music in Nashville. Today, at age 34, she has a repertoire of over 300 songs, and sings in English and Spanish. She has sung on NBC, 3ABN, SAFE-TV, MPR, with the VOP, at several ASI National Conventions, General Conference Conventions in St. Louis and Indianapolis, in more than 1200 concert halls and churches across the continent, and has recorded over 150 songs on 12 CDs.

Stephanie’s concerts combine her powerful testimony, engaging voice, and exuberant personality into a captivating and uplifting program that draws the listener closer to God.  Her enthusiastic love for Jesus lifts her above the many challenges she faces, in addition to her blindness. This love is inspiring to others facing challenges in their own lives.

Dann Thornton

Born and raised in North Dakota, Dann received his musical training on piano and trumpet.  His early musical education was primarily a family affair, with his father, four brothers, and sister all musicians and still maintaining active careers in performance and teaching. In addition to providing piano accompaniment and arranging songs for Stephanie, he performs and records       with many other musicians (including arranging and recording the instrumental tracks for 3 of Christian Berdahl’s CDs, as well as tracks for Herman and Sonnie Harp). He has taught trumpet, music theory, and many other music courses at various institutions around the nation, including the University of Minnesota Duluth, Bemidji State University (MN), the University of Iowa, and LSC-Kingwood, LSC- Montgomery, and LSC-North Harris (TX). Dann has been a pianist on national and regional television, public radio, major concert halls, and on many albums, and has performed on trumpet at the International Trumpet Guild Conference. He is currently recording several CDs of flugelhorn solos and a CD of original piano compositions.

Stephanie Dawn – Career Highlights:
–Performances and interviews on “3ABN Presents”, “3ABN Live”, and “Faith Factor”, (3ABN Television Network).
–Production Music for various programs (3ABN and 3ABN Latino)
–Concerts for Camp Meetings (3ABN, Maritime, Newfoundland, AZ, OK, MN, WI, Dakota, IA/MO, KS/NE, NJ, MT, WA, OR)
–Performances and interviews on “Purely Music”, (SAFE-TV).
–Performances on Family Reunion Concerts/Videos (VOP/AMC).
–Performances at the International General Conference Session of the Worldwide SDA Church (St. Louis, Indianapolis, San Antonio).
–Performances at ASI International Conventions (Fort Worth and Louisville), and regional ASI Conventions.
–Performances at various Health Events (Your Pathway to Health, Arizona SONshine, Chippewa Valley Hospital, )
–Over 1200 concerts in churches across the nation.
–Recorded more than 150 songs, including 12 CDs.
–Sang the National Anthem for Minnesota Twins AL baseball game in Minneapolis, MN.
–Solo performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. as a national winner in the Panasonic Young Soloists Award, sponsored by VSA and Panasonic.
–Invitational solo performance at the Kennedy Center at the VSA/Panasonic Young Soloists Anniversary Concert.
–Invitational solo performances at two Panasonic Kid Witness News National New Vision Awards Ceremonies at the Newark Museum, Newark, NJ.
–Invitational solo performance at the National Museum for Women In the Arts in Washington, D.C. at a dinner honoring Jean Kennedy Smith, the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland and founder of VSA.
—Grand Prize Winner in the Artist Division of Embassy Music’s Ultimate Talent Search in Nashville.
–National television appearances on NBC and the Family Channel as a finalist and female-category winner in the National New Artist Search on “The 700 Club”.  Selected from more than 2000 entries, Stephanie, at 14, was by far the youngest performer (and the only non-adult) to be considered for the competition finals.
–Solo performance at the culminating concert of a week long program on National Public Radio called “Beyond Affliction”, sponsored by VSA and MPR, and held at the Fitzgerald Theater in Minneapolis, MN.
–Featured soloist at the VSA National Convention in Minneapolis, MN.
–Member and featured soloist in the Minnesota All-State Choir performance at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, MN.
–Vocal soloist in the premier performance of a set of songs composed for her by James Thornton with the Minot State University (ND) Wind Ensemble.
–Vocal soloist with the International Brass Quintet at the International Music Camp.