What Do We Do Now that Rock Won't Go Away?-Part 2

 What Do We Do Now That Rock Won't Go Away?-Part 2

Remember that we are in a series on rock and there will be no attempt to draw the discussion to a definite conclusion at the end of each daily post.  So, read all posts in the series.

 All of us who have worked with people over several decades know that times change and that musical tastes change and the way arrangers organize the formal properties of music changes from decade to decade.  I have had well meaning church and Christian college officials take me aside and council me about the “fact” that church folks no longer like a legitimate collegiate approach to sacred choral music.  However, I have lived long enough to know that it is not a fact that no one wants to hear a college choir sing gospel music on pitch, singing with vibrato and a collegiate approach to vocal production.  The actual fact is that if a music director is scared of his or her shadow, an entire life will soon be spent with that director living in constant fear that his or her musicing is not trendy enough to be popular, understood, or liked by those who attend religious concerts or church services. 

       The same can be said of church music and sacred music in general.  If a music minister is not convinced that his or her music praxis is the right path to follow, panic will reign in the music leadership of that director.  I am made to think of the story of a military commander who allegedly once said, “Follow me I’m your leader, now let’s see, which way are we going?” One of the greatest problems with Christian music leadership is that a great host of music worship leaders  are like the military commander in that they are not sure which way to go with their musicing.  They are not convinced of any definite music praxis.

        I have watched them flip-flop philosophically from Bach to rock, never seeming to know philosophically why they are going with the latest trendy leader-shift. The often state that their reason  for being a slave to current musical trends is that they believe that this new trend will bring to their church or organization their “market share” of people who happen to like a current musical fad.  First of all, the Bible never teaches the concept of “market share”.  On the contrary, it teaches that Christian servants  are to be good and faithful.

        So, to avoid such error and continual musical panic, every Christian music leader must develop a music philosophy that is congruent with the Bible and its principles of musicing.  A strong personal music philosophy can and will do more than any other thing in a musicians life to stabilize one’s music praxis and ipso facto a solid rational music ministry.  A music ministry of a leader who operates without a consistent, congruent music praxis is like a ship without a rudder.  Regardless of which music fad, fashion or current trend a Christian musician follows, this maxim is true—direction determines destiny.