Martha Munizzi

ChristianMusicMonthly.com Interview
Martha Munizzi
By Mark Weber, primopr716@juno.com

Martha Munizzi is taking a Tuesday of rest and relaxation in suburban Miami, Florida, but the seven kids with her (three of which are hers: Danielle, Nicole, and Nathan) are keeping her busier than expected as they pass the Disney store.

“They just got ice cream cones,” she says, as we talk via cell phone.

Martha has come down from Orlando to visit her twin sister Mary, who helps pastor a Miami church. She’s watching Mary’s four kids, as well as her own three. Martha’s a busy mom.

Besides being a mother, Martha is also a busy recording artist—and that’s something that keeps her and her husband Dan, who plays keyboards, away from home most weekends as they sing and minister at different churches around the country. She's currently promoting her newest release from Integrity Music, "No Limits Live," a 2-disc set which features a great island-flavored track, "Jesus Is The Best Thing," on disc two. Ever since the song "Glorious" skyrocketed up the Gospel charts a few years ago, Martha's been an in-demand singer and worshipper all over the world.

Growing up, Martha’s family humbly traveled by car, and later in an RV, singing southern gospel at several churches around the country. Her mother, Faith, was a gifted pianist and singer, while her father, John Stallings, preached and sang.

Now Martha’s doing something similar, only this time she’s singing music with a black Gospel feel, and she's a blonde, white woman. Martha counts Andrae Crouch, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, and Stevie Wonder among her influences, and her music generally has a soulful, emotional feeling just like the musicians she looks up to.

In 2004, Martha had the opportunity to record her breakthrough CD, “The Best Is Yet To Come,” at the world-famous Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. At first, she wasn’t sure how her songs would go over with the crowd. It turned out to be “so incredible,” she says. “It felt like we stepped into something way beyond ourselves.”

“The Best Is Yet To Come” took Martha’s music, “not just to another level, but to another plateau.” The supernatural anointing was very powerful, according to the singer.

Perhaps one of the reasons Martha’s music was so enhanced was because Israel Houghton had a hand in producing the CD. Both Israel and Martha could be described as people who use music to minister to the very hearts and souls of people. They know what they are supposed to do and do it with confidence. While plenty of artists make praise & worship CDs, few succeed in connecting with a mass audience as well as Israel and Martha do. On “The Best Is Yet To Come,” the pair did duets on some of Israel’s famous songs, including “Your Latter Will Be Greater” and “New Season.”

When music is anointed, you can sense the presence of the Lord when you hear it. An anointed artist lets God freely use their talents and gifts for His glory. They are open to whatever He wants. Anointed music makes people freely feel their own emotions.

One of Martha’s songs in particular, “I Know The Plans I Have For You,” has really connected with her audience. “It has people weeping,” she says. Martha says calls flood in when it’s played on the radio.

In concert, Martha’s music is dynamic, uplifting and powerful. She often talks directly to the audience, exhorting them with scripture that they repeat back to her. If you buy her new "No Limits Live" 2-disc set, you'll experience this; it's like having a spiritual coach or cheerleader encouraging you when you listen to Martha.

Meanwhile, words (and The Word) flow freely out of her mouth, and in the past few years she's become a popular songwriter, as such notable talents as Karen Clark-Sheard, Vicki Yohe and Ron Kenoly have recorded her songs. Kenoly thinks Martha is one of the most dynamic worship leaders he knows.

“Martha leads worship with power, excitement and authority,” he says. “Her sensitivity in worship helps you to know that she has spent much time in personal prayer and devotion.”

All this singing, songwriting and worship talent is well and good, but what about her heart? She oftentimes doesn’t get a chance to speak about deeper issues.

“That’s why I like to do magazine articles and TV programs like James Robison’s,” she says. “Then I can share more about what God is doing in my life.”

Turns out that Martha has had some painful experiences in her past, as we all have. Molested as a child by her close relative, Martha used to bite her nails a lot because she had a spirit of anxiety. She has since been healed. And despite her parents’ divorce, she is able to see how her own marriage can be stronger. Martha has learned to lean on God through her tough times. She doesn’t dwell on her pain like too many people often do.

“If I wrote a book, the molestation would be a chapter, not the whole book,” she says. “I’ve talked to others, young girls especially, who have had far worse experiences than I did. My childhood, for the most part, was happy. I had a stable family and lots of love. These days, if I am lead to share my painful past experiences with people, I love to say, ‘Look what God has done.’ He has been faithful.”

Martha is a gifted artist. Yes, she’s unique because she’s a white woman singing black gospel, but she’s also more than that. She’s a wife, mother, sister, friend, businesswoman, etc. Best of all, she’s someone who knows and loves Jesus, and helps people experience freedom in Jesus through praise and worship.

"Our praise has power, and our worship is a weapon," she reminds me. "Praise and worship takes you out of the realm of the flesh and puts you into the realm of the spirit. Praise and worship strips you of all that you are and all that you are worried about. It lets God be who He is."

Amen, Martha.

Since I’ve been talking with their mom for 45 minutes, I can imagine Martha’s kids are getting restless, so I thank her for a great interview. She ends our interview by saying, “God bless.”

I’m left with the impression that Martha Munizzi is a woman who knows her purpose, uses her talent for God’s glory and is someone whose music will bless me, and you too.

For more info, please visit www.marthamunizzi.com

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