Michael Patton writes an interesting blog post about why he dislikes Christian music. For him it comes down to honesty. Christian music doesn't seem to reflect real life as most Christians or non-Christians experience. The normative experience of humans is clearly displayed in the Bible. Why is it not displayed in most of our Christian music that we produce for mass distribution? I can certainly resonate with many of his concerns in this regard.
Right after I read Michael's post I clicked to the next post in my Google Reader and found this article on CNN.com about Matthew West's new record and how it is called "The Story of Your Life". Here is a beginning portion of the artice. Sounds pretty honest and "real" to me:
West has written 11 songs based on some of the stories sent in by his fans. The result is the aptly named "The Story of Your Life," which released last week and rose to No. 16 on the iTunes most downloaded album chart.Read the rest.
West's album, which tackles subjects such as sexual abuse, life with cancer, dealing with abortion, is filled with the hope. He also wrote about bullying in school, based on a letter Connor's mom sent in.
"I could just see hope at work, in different stages of these stories," he said recently at a restaurant in his adopted hometown of Franklin. "There were people waiting for their breakthrough, waiting for their miracle.
"And there were people who were standing on the other side looking back on a time when they made it through and talking about how God was faithful to them in their lives."
From depressing to uplifting
At one time, having read through many of the stories, West was terrified it was going to be the most depressing record anyone had ever done. He looks at the result of the past eight months and thinks this is the "most uplifting record I have ever made."
West will assure you that he wasn't out of his own song ideas. Far from it. He's still been writing plenty of songs about his own life. But this is a man who told listeners on his previous album, his third, that it wasn't just the famous singer or the TV newscaster that should be listened to. Their voices were important. too.
"As I began thinking about a new record I kept thinking, I just told them they have something to say. What if I actually let them do it?" he said.
**You can get Matthew's record here for only $7.99.**
I appreciate Michael's concerns and I am thankful for Matthew's new record. It surely is going to encourage the thousands of people who get their hands on it.
4 comments:
I read Michael Patton's article with interest. A philosophy professor in college gave a chapel presentation on why he liked the Crash Test Dummies better than Steve Green (I know, I am dating myself). I agree with much of what Patton said. There can be some drivel in Christian music, but that is true of secular music as well (Lady GaGa anyone?). On the other hand, there are many Christian artists who deal beautifully with real-life issues and questions. I think of Jars of Clay (Worlds Apart) and Steven Curtis Chapman's recent album "Beauty Will Rise." Some of Jon Foreman's recent stuff shows a depth of emotion and connection with real life rarely seen.
I guess I see it this way, artists should deal with real life issues--pain, hurt, anguish, joy, fear, etc--but Christians do it from a Christocentric worldview (ideally, anyway).
Lecrae. Pump it.
Music should be another tactic to get closer to God. To open our minds to God again, not a tactic to make more money. That's what I think.
Nice Post Dude!
I agree with Michael that there shouldn't be a sub-culture of Christian music, (or movies, or shoes, or television shows, or businesses), but to say that it ALL sounds fake is a big generalization and a mistake. AND, how does singing praises to God sound ANY less fake than something by CREED??? (of all bands?)
Which part of Christian Music sounds fake? The production?
Why is it so "cool" to make fun of all things Christian? (yes, sometimes it is deserved), but to lump ALL of it together as fake? big mistake Michael.
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