Diane di Stasio
Diane di Stasio
Beauty from the Ashes
Singer, mother, survivor…all are words that describe the many facets of recording artist Diane di Stasio. With her new ShadowLand Music/Universal album “Vox Eterna” hitting the airwaves and topping charts, Diane’s rise into the music spotlight seems like an all-American dream come true. However, beneath the glitz and glamour of it all lies a woman who has endured a terrifying past to become one of the most significant new voices to come along in music today.
Knowing all too well the power domestic violence and abuse can hold, Diane is living proof of how love and forgiveness can heal any wound and break the cycle of control that can consume a person’s life. In “Shadows,” one of the album’s featured songs, Diane shares the haunting story of her own personal experience with abuse through the evocative lyric, “Fear is just perception…” For the singer, it took years of living in fear for her to understand the true meaning behind the phrase.
From an early age, Diane lived in a home that was more nightmare than fairytale. Constantly under the threat of violence, her entire childhood was an unending struggle to endure an onslaught of physical and emotional trauma. Isolated from positive influences, Diane’s life was built on a foundation of fear and control.
At the heart of Diane’s story are the horrors that consumed her life and the relationship that trapped her in a web of deception, lies and abuse. As is so often the case, the façade of seduction surrounding the man she loved quickly faded away, revealing a darker side that would surface in sudden moments of rage. As Diane tried to break free from the clutches of what she thought was love, violent threats towards her became a daily routine. With no way to escape, fear quickly overcame Diane and silenced her voice.
The threats that haunted Diane finally became reality one night when the man she had loved attacked her. Becoming the victim of the ultimate violation, Diane was savagely raped. Bleeding and disheveled, she found herself alone on the floor in a scene painted with broken glass and destruction.
Continuing to receive death threats against not only herself but her family as well, Diane kept silent about the incident. She became locked in a perpetual state of fear, afraid to even tell authorities, believing she’d be killed. Sadly, Diane was forced to face the emotional despair and humiliation of the rape in secret. Keeping the nightmare to herself, Diane did not even tell her mother, in whose house the gruesome act occurred.
Trying to cope with the situation day to day, Diane summoned all of her strength to put the pieces of her life back together. Little did she know that her greatest challenge was yet to come. Only three months later, Diane was faced with news that would cause the tragic night to live on forever…she was pregnant!
As panic and anxiety washed over Diane, she wondered, “How could this happen to me.” “How would I ever be able to tell the child about what happened?”
In the face of her greatest fears, Diane made a decision. Knowing that the path would be difficult, but realizing that something beautiful could come from such tragedy, she chose to give her child the gift of life. Only six months later she held in her arms a beautiful baby girl. Looking into the child’s eyes, Diane knew that no matter how horrible the past had been the future would hold nothing but hope for her baby.
Diane’s story has become a source of strength to women of all walks of life. Using her beautiful sound and compelling music she has become a spark of hope, helping to open the prison doors of fear for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Teaching women that fear only has as much power as they give it, Diane has taken her tragedy and turned it into a tool of healing.
“Although it was one of the most difficult things I have ever done, the reason I am standing strong today is because of the power of forgiveness,” says Diane. “It is impossible to heal the past until you release those who have hurt you.”
Diane di Stasio is not just another performer and “Vox Eterna” is much more than just another compilation of songs. Through her music, Diane shines a light into the darkness, bringing attention to important issues that are so often ignored. Seeking to bring peace to those who listen, Diane continues to share her experiences and offer songs of hope to those who have lost their voice.