Welcome to the recently updated Biography page.  If you are looking for a short bio for an event that I am playing at, scroll to the bottom and you can cut and paste what you find there.

My name is Martin Doman and I was born to John and Michele Doman of Collegeville, PA.  My parents had a lot of children, 10 to be exact, and for the most part, my early years were marked by a strong Catholic upbringing and the loving care of my parents. 

I have always loved music. My home as a child was inundated with music, mainly the listening variety.  My parents come to deep relationship the Jesus through the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Philadelphia area, and praise and worship was part of my life at a pretty young age.  My father was very strict about the culture's influence on our lives, so instead of popular music, we spent a lot of time listening to what was the birthing of Christian Contemporary music.  I remember listening to Keith Green, Amy Grant, and Michael W. Smith growing up.  The idea that music about God was joyful and lifted your heart to God was a lesson that I learned early in my musical growth.

I never considered performing music for a living.  I didn't really see myself as a musician at all until I left home in my sophmore year to attend a small academy tucked away in Central NJ. This small, coed, K-12 school was founded and run by the People of Hope, a Catholic Charismatic Community of which my aunt and uncle were members.  There I first experienced the music ministry of Robert Filoramo, the worship leader for the community at that time. This man¿s music as well as some of the other songs of the community really exposed me to the honesty of true worship music. Bob sang straight from his heart, without all of the trappings of popular showmanship.  His songs were a prayer, and they seemed to draw you into prayer too.  I was very attracted to this, and I was inspired to learn to play guitar. I modeled my own style of music after Bob's, but I still never saw myself as a musician. Music was just a part of my faith, a way for me to understand God and to pray to Him.

After high school, I went to college at Franciscan University of Steubenville.  This wonderful university was pivotal in my life and ministry. I began to lead prayer meetings with my guitar and lead music for mass.  The masses at Franciscan are characterized by a vibrantly singing congregation and a deep reverence for the mystery of the Eucharist.  Musically I was then formed even further in realizing that leading worship music is so much more than entertainment or a performance; so much more than a mere generator of emotion.

Immediately after graduation in 1996, I married my wonderful wife, Charlene.  I really can't speak about my own life apart from hers.  Charlene is an amazing partner for me, both in our life as a married couple and in our ministry.  She is organized and structured when I am muddled, she is strong when I am weak.  Charlene simply makes me a better man.  All of the rest of the story is inseparable from her. 

Also in 1996, I recorded my first CD, Praying Twice.  At that time, I saw Praying Twice as a project just for the people in Steubenville who had encouraged me to share the songs I had been singing with a wider audience.  Well, God blessed the CD with a special charism of peaceful worship that has far surpassed my original plans.  We have reprinted it several times and continue to hear from people that it is their favorite CD to pray with.

I recorded another album a year later (Image In Love), and continued to witness the incredible love of God that flowed forth to so many people through the medium of recorded music. I was humbled to receive many letters from people I have never met, thanking me for the way my recordings touched their lives. They described how the music helped them through and difficult times. These letters still come once and a while, and they prove to me over and over again that God IS real. His power and love somehow works wonders through our meager resources, and I am amazed by His ability to take broken vessels and use them as a fine instrument in his hands.

After graduation, I worked as a Campus Minster in Wheeling, WV and a Youth Minister in Littleton, CO where I experienced very closely the tragedy at Columbine HS in 1999.  Soon after that tragedy, our family settled in York, PA, only a few hours away from where I grew up.  There I worked as the Director of Music for St. Joseph Parish.  This wonderful community of faith has sustained our family with it's warmth and loving support.  We remain parishioners to this day, and we love all of the folks there as well as the Capuchin friars who serve there.

From 1997-2006 I was honored to be a part of the Steubenville East, a youth conference at the Shrine of Our Lady of LaSallette in Attleboro, MA.  For nine years, I led worship for over 5,000 teens and was a part of so many blessings.  The focal point of these events was a Eucharistic Holy Hour on Saturday night.  These times of adoration were truly small glimpses into heaven.  It is hard to describe the emotion and power of these services without being there, but God's presence in the Holy Eucharist worked miracles in the lives of so many who were there.  After a hiatus of a few years, I returned to the Steubenville East Conferences in 2009.  In addition to Steubenville East conference, I was also honored to lead worship at some of the other sites, including Denver, CO for two years and Charleston, SC for one year.

Charlene and I are now the proud parents of six beautiful blessings from God, and we have continued to see the fruits that God has granted to our ministry.  Inspired by the deep conversions we witnessed at the Steubenville Conferences, in 2002 we founded a non-profit organization called Christ Music.  Our vision statement is this: To renew the heart of the Church through Eucharistic praise & worship.  Our mission is to support Eucharistic Adoration with P&W through worship events called Caelorum Services and by producing recordings and songbooks of Catholic music.  The word, "Caelorum" means ¿of heaven¿ in Latin.  We chose this name because we want to use the gift of musical worship to draw people closer to Christ in the Eucharist, creating on earth an aspiration of heavenly worship.

If you want more information on Christ Music and our ministry, please visit www.christmusic.org.

In 2005, I presented the vision of Christ Music to my Bishop, who loved it so much he asked me to establish it within his diocese. So in January 2006, I left my work at St. Joseph's Church to work on implementing the vision of Christ Music within the Diocese of Harrisburg, PA.  Our diocesan ministry is called Laudatio.  Every month we hold a Caelorum Service at the diocesan centeras well as in regional churches.  My Bishop, the Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades, is a constant inspiration to me. I have been blessed to be working under such a wonderful shepherd as well as the Director of the Office of Worship, Fr. Neil Sullivan.  Through this new position at the Diocese, I pray that the ideals and vision of Christ Music will continue to plant many seeds of renewal.

Please pray for our ministry as we seek to fulfill the needs that God has placed on our hearts.

Thanks for visiting!

God Bless.

 

Promotional Bio

Martin Doman has been writing, performing, and ministering as a Catholic Musician for over fifteen years.  Since graduating from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 1996, Martin has led worship for Steubenville's nationwide youth conferences, the Boston Catholic Men's and Women's Conferences, and many others.  He continues to travel across the country speaking and performing at concerts and conferences.

Martin has released six recordings of Catholic praise and worship music, and in 2002, Martin founded Christ MusicTM, a non-profit company dedicated to renewing the heart of the Church through Eucharistic praise and worship. 

Martin works as the Coordinator of Renewal Through Praise And Worship Programming for the Diocese of Harrisburg, PA.  As part of this ministry, Martin speaks, sings and directs a series of one-day teen Confirmation preparation rallies called FIRE OF LOVE.

Martin has been featured on the Catholic TV network EWTN as a guest on both the "Backstage" and "Life on the Rock" programs.

Martin and his wife, Charlene, reside in Dallastown, PA and have six beautiful children.