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Still
Haven’t Found Much of What I’m Looking For
By Cara Baker I drove toward home all day last Saturday after spending six months in Cleveland. As I neared the familiar Cumberland Plateau Nashville sits on, I tuned my radio into the local popular Christian station. For
the past few months, I listened to the Cleveland classical station because my CD
player died and no other stations appealed to me. Although I enjoyed and
benefited greatly from the beautiful sounds of Debussy, Vivaldi, Hayden and
Beethoven, I was ready to rock. Who’s doing it wrong?Little to my surprise nothing had changed in Christian radio for six months: same artists, same tunes. Song after song, with a few exceptions, contained bland, cliché-ridden platitudes and tired beats that so often plague Christian music. I changed the station. It landed on the recent Billboard No. 1 hit. Hmm … catchy tune, great hook. Oh my word—did I just hear what I think I heard? This whole song is about a man’s girlfriend catching him cheating with his neighbor in every room of his house. Next! Surely there has to be an alternative for those dissatisfied with the current fare of Christian music and disgusted with the junk that makes up Top 40 radio. There is a happy middle, and as music consumers it’s our job to develop musical maturity to seek after quality music that is edifying to our life. Of the multiplying genres of music, only Christian music is categorized by lyrics alone. It has been structured as an alternative to secular music with the primary focus on evangelical words. When evangelism becomes more important than the art, the art suffers. Musical skill becomes secondary. Most people who choose not to listen to Christian music do so because of the lack of quality. Sadly,
most often what you hear on Christian radio is a pathetic attempt at mimicking
current popular trends in secular music. As long as the secular culture thrives
on artists like ’N Sync, Ricky Martin and Britney Spears, the Christian
industry will continue to cater to the uneducated tastes of the public in order
to survive. Freedom to chooseAs adults we have the freedom to choose the music we listen to, but while everything is permissible, not everything is necessarily beneficial (I Corinthians 6 12-13.) But until that maturity has developed, the wise choose CDs carefully. Youth pastors teach against listening to secular music because most of its content glorifies worldliness, sin and lifestyles contrary to the walk of a Spirit-led Christian. Here, the choice is clear: "...Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good" (Romans12:9). It’s easier for youth pastors to draw the line with secular music, so the youth don’t stumble with too much freedom (1 Corinthians 8:7-13). Yet
in Soul Music: Selections From the Book of
Psalms, U2’s Bono describes the fine line music sits on in the spirit
realm: “Music is Worship; whether it's worship of women or their designer, the
world or its destroyer, whether it comes from that ancient place we call soul or
simply the spinal cortex, whether the prayers are on fire with a dumb rage or
dove-like desire . . . the smoke goes upwards . . . to God or something you
replace God with . . . usually yourself.” Who’s doing it rightThe genre of Christian music that has made the most strides (as far as musical quality, relevancy to its audience and overall exposure) is gospel music, which encompasses choir, urban, R&B and hip-hop. Led, of course, by Kirk Franklin, artists like Fred Hammond, Trin-i-tee 5:7 and Mary Mary have edged their way onto secular radio with blatant Christian lyrics. The reason is because the music pars even with secular offerings and stays current with trends. There’s also a built-in push as the majority of urban music listeners are culturally accustomed to gospel music. Another exploding genre over the past few years is worship music. It’s long-lasting effects have brought a welcome change to the Christian industry. Rock groups like Delirious, Third Day, Sonicflood and others groups from ska, swing, pop and southern gospel have turned to creating simply written praise and worship choruses in lieu of the usual clichéd, buzzword-ridden tunes. But not all artists who produce quality music informed by their spirituality consider themselves evangelists. These artists are driven by a passion to create authentic music and lyrics of truth and beauty. Their focus is not evangelism. And for this they are often ostracized by a Christian industry that does not understand their desire to create “simply good art.” In At the Crossroads, Songwriter, producer and author Charlie Peacock says, “These types of artists often find themselves at odds with the CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) and evangelical communities, usually because their critics misunderstand or misinterpret their unique ways of discussing Christianity, or for their idiosyncratic behavior in general. In addition, many of these artists are unwilling to speak or write lyrics that align them with the Christian subculture status quo, or to respond to questions about their faith in the predictable ways many Christians have come to expect from their contemporary Christian artists.” But any list of these “contemporary Christian artists” would be limited by appealing to a small listening audience. Applying acceptable principles to any musical style will lead you into worlds of soul-searching music in many fields of jazz, classical, gospel, urban, blues and modern music. Music is good. It’s God’s creation. And when it serves no other purpose than the existence of beauty and truth, then it has fulfilled its destiny. Peacock says, “Music is not transformed into something good when crafty humans discover some good use for it … Creation is useful because it is good. It is not good because it is useful.” Don’t
feel like every song you listen to has to contain Acts 2:38. Enjoy music for its
beauty, for the emotion it stirs and the rhythm that moves you. You don’t have
to compromise musical skill or lyrical content. Many skilled and “thinking”
musicians, Christian and mainstream, are creating music complementary to
spirituality. It may take reading a lot of reviews in music trade magazines, but the
research is worth it. Soon you’ll find what you’re looking for. ninetyandnine.com © 2001, Cara Baker Cara Baker, having deprived herself of many new-found friends in Barberton, Ohio, sleeps in late and listens to music all day while she’s supposed to be looking for a job.
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