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When it comes to worship music as far as its style, cultural relevance, etc. it's getting better, but there's still so much triteness and tired sounds out there. How many versions of "I Could Sing of Your Love" can you stand?
But emails like this, from one our young artists, inspire me and keep me searching and striving for more:
"Awesome, again very, very good stuff to hear from someone who is living the dream, and doesnt let the music become stale... worship shouldnt be that way either! I am so thrilled to see your heart going in a direction that would take Bob Dylan quality lyrics (for God of course), and high concept music like taht of Sting, and mesh them with so many other influences to enhance worship.
God is so deserving of everything, yet we get comfortable playing G-C-D songs and singing "I COULD sing of your love forever", but God deserves more. The King of Kings deserves to be treated to the best of what we can do, worship should be a challenge, and something we labor over because we are giving it to God... and if secular artists can so passionately pour into things that are meaningless, we should do the same for a living God...
So brother, I encourage you to follow this passion God has birthed in you, and I want you to know, I'm there with you, because I believe in this communicating God in new ways. So keep the hope alive, and keep taking these secular artists as inspirations, because they are the ones striving for more... Lets strive too."
This is on the heels of a telling interview with one of my guitar heroes - John Mayer regarding his recent departure from pop and into a more genuine him, a blues/rock sound. So much of modern rock worship sounds tired to me. I want to move forward into fusion, urban, world, emo sounds.
Some quotes: (John Mayer interview)
1. I got bored with pop
2. Pop is the music you get tired of the fastest
3. I'm just investigating
4. If we move away from the music we listen to in a year or two, why do we keep playing in the same box we created?
5. What's this white boy doing here?
6. 80's music is the easiest music to do over and over again
7. Some of my pop music just takes you BACK, oh...wasn't 2002 a great year!
8. I don't have a lot of community
9. I'm a lonely guy, I'm not in a band, I'm rich, but I am alone in this solo artist/blues thing
10. I'm a copy cat - but I copy the RIGHT THINGS.
11. If you're thinking about picking it up, you've already picked it up - EX - Stevie Ray Vaughn in 2005
12. My obligation is to be a great musician....and yet a normal person
13. I'm taking the two sides and putting them into one
This guy is no spiritual role model, but musically at 28 years old, he's fresh in his desire to KEEP GROWING, remember he was HUGE in pop music and he's giving it all away (sort of).
Type this url in iTunes for the podcast: http://podcast.rbn.com/rstone/rstone/rss/rsqa.xml or download the podcast under Dec. 13th at: J-mayer.org
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
