Something Else
Since the subject of "musical boundaries" will most likely become the Alpha-gene that dwarfs the sum-total of posts regarding my solitary whining about overhead projection holocausts, I thought I'd ask this little tidbit.
A lot of the reasoning behind the need for sub-genres "on the edge" lies in the assumption that those in the world, steeped in that particular sub-genre, will find nothing appealing about the musical boundaries of Pentecostal music.
What I want to know is--how impregnable is this assumption? Are Apostolics obligated to provide the "extremes," to those who have chosen extreme sub-genres? And does it not insult the new convert somewhat to assume they can only speak one musical language, with no assumed malleability?
My thought comes from the popular statement, "people that come to church listening to gangsta rap or death metal have nothing to listen to when they get saved."
But is this statement a straw man, organically constructed for argumentative purposes, or a true lament from a new convert?
Is it fair to assume the new convert wouldn't want to quiet their mind with something besides the overt representation of what they just left?
What say you? (I know. A sad reverberation of Bill O'Reilly. I've already been subpoenaed).
posted by Ron Giesecke at
Friday, July 06, 2007
5 Comments:
I agree that some people coming from "extreme" backgrounds want little to do with the same, once they become churched.
However, I would suggest that the sub-genre element that should be considered more relates to the voice than the style of music.
As a fourth generation AP, I have to honestly say that I think most AP music is surface-level praise and worship; nice stuff, but hardly measures up to David's psalms of raw, honest explorations of life's challenges and triumphs.
As a church planter with the vast majority of friends and relationships outside of church, I have to say honestly that I prefer the "world's" music. Regardless of the style (although I have been known to love reggae, rock, r&b, folk, rap, and opera), it is the voice of the music that captures me. Songs that are not afraid to reveal the soul's quest for hope and life's repeated disappointments.
If anything in the sub-genre should be replicated it is the extreme honesty, the authenticity, and the mirror of a society desperately seeking a Saviour.
If AP music wants to truly impact this generation, rather than soothe those in AP-only churches, the lyrical content needs to reflect the reality of life. Singing "Praise Him!" a hundred times loses meaning, compared to "And I'm so filthy with my sin
I carry pride like a disease
You know I'm stubborn God and I'm longing to be close, You burn me deeper than I know. I feel lonely without hope, I feel desperate without vision. You wrap around me like a winter coat, You come and free me like a bird - And my heart burns for you." (Delirious)
How you want to wrap the message musically is a sub-issue.
Just my 2cents...
Another example of openness and honesty in a venue that doesn't fit our AP "safety molds" ... Kirk Franklin.
His song "Let it go" is about his struggle with porn, while being a church boy. That's a good pentecostal topic we should address more.
His lyrics are very vulnerable and honest:
"Even tried to tell the Pastor, but he couldn’t see
Years of low self-esteem and insecurities,
Church taught me how to shout and how to speak in tongues,
But preacher, teach me how to live now when the tongue is done,
Help me!
Shout, Shout, let it all out,
These are the things I can do without,
So come on"
I think the main thing we have to realize is that we don't have to wrap each song up with a nice, neat bow ... something where every question has an answer and every problem is solved and every sickness is healed. That's not life and its not Christian life.
Write more songs that leave issues open-ended, in light of God's hope and grace, is what I personally need more of ... because that's the way my life and faith works.
I agree with both the above statements.
I guess what I was getting at is, are we obligated to wrap these open, honest, and real-world issues in packages that have negative and angry colors to them, in anattempt to galvanize a negative into a positive?
-R
I'm not a musician trying to live by music that I sell. I tried that once with writing and nearly starved.
But I have to come back to the notion that at some point, the musician has to own their music. At some point, it has to go beyond "what sells" and has to be birthed from the individual's heart, soul, mind ... lyrics, tunes, rhythms, melodies, etc.
Must we as writers, musicians, and artists always pander to what we think others would want to hear or read or write? Does it have to fit any mold?
If we are doing it for a paycheck, maybe so. But if we are doing that one song on an album, or that one poem in the morning for ourselves ... then I think we, as the artist, should pull out all the stops and present ourselves in our God-inspired originality.
Ron,
Now you've got ME to thinkin'! I've never thought about the whole idea of using hymnbooks to connect us with believers/unbelievers. I am fascinated with how culture affects and influences the church especially with regards to the "isolationist" mentality that seems so popular these days. Your comment about the overhead taking our attention away from each other is interesting. Could this just be another example of the breakdown of community?
Everett Gossard, a recent UGST grad wrote a GREAT thesis on "liminality" (culture shock) and it's affect on new converts to our churches. He brought up a good point that I've pondered a lot lately, namely, how a new convert adapts to our worship style when what they might have been used to was, heaven forbid, READING the music in the hymnal in order to learn the tune. Having spent a fair amount of time around denominational church during my years in college, I can understand Everett's point. I think it could be pretty difficult for someone who is used to reading a tune to learn it by ear while staring at a screen.
Personally, I don't have a problem with the powerpoints, but that is probably because I already KNOW the tunes!
Ann
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