chris tomlin dAVID crowder

Transcription

CCM_01.06_cover_v2
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chris
tomlin
and
dAVID
crowder
+
SARA
GROVES
P.O.D.
NICHOLE
NORDEMAN
A SALEM COMMUNICATIONS PUBLICATION
(
)
a Passion
for Worship
CCM_01.06_Contents.v4
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contents
January 2006
30
DAYS OF HER LIFE
We can’t pretend to be impartial when it comes to SARA GROVES’ new album, Add to
the Beauty, but we can tell you why critics are fawning over it. A N D R E A B A I L E Y talks
to this artist’s artist about how her characteristically melancholy music is suddenly
pierced with so much hope, and why she’s looking forward to the rest of her life.
cover story
in review
24
COVER STORY: A Joyful Noise
53
Even as the modern worship storm has grown quieter, the Passion
conferences for college students are going strong after a whole decade—
and even getting bigger! And it’s no secret formula: L O U I E G I G L I O will
tell you it’s the reason he started Passion in the first place.
JA N E T C H I S M A R then explores the brotherhood behind Passion’s
trademark music: none other than David Crowder and Chris Tomlin.
Music: P.O.D.’s surprising new disc, Rebecca St. James finally
comes out of her shell and more
60
Books: Margaret Becker dabbles in sci-fi
64
Tour:
features
34
To Hear a Mockingbird
Derek Webb has always made a powerful statement with his music, and
his latest, Mockingbird, is no different. With a gift for telling it like it is,
Webb chats with DA V I D J E N I S O N about dealing with difficult audience
members and practicing practical morality.
36
departments
06
From the Editor:
09
The Insider: Hawk Nelson takes its fans very seriously,
Kendall Payne tells us how she overcame a huge
disappointment in her career and more
20
The Writer’s Block: Join Matthew West on a
Jazz Notes
Nope, he’s not a singer, but Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz,
has been cropping up on the Jars of Clay tour circuit of late, and his
friendship with Robbie Seay of the Robbie Seay Band makes for an
interesting fusion of authorship and artistry. Let’s listen in on their
straightforward conversation.
MXPX and Relient K complement each other to a T
Passion & Purity
songwriter’s journey
66
68
70
By the Numbers: Donnie McClurkin
A Personal Perspective by Nichole Nordeman
HistoryMakers with John Styll: Welcome to the history
of CCM!
CCM_01.06_Editorial.v4
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fromtheeditor
by Jay Swartzendruber
The Art of Worship
When you think of Passion artists such as David Crowder, Chris Tomlin,
Matt Redman or Shane & Shane, do you tend to perceive them a little bit
differently than you do much of today’s modern worship scene? I do. You
see, I was weaned on praise & worship. When you’re raised in the charismatic
church, it tends to go with the territory. (My love for hymns was nurtured
by spending the past many years attending a Presbyterian church.) And the
Passion artists? The way I see it, they’re a throwback to modern worship’s
early days.
Consider this: Modern worship goes back much further than the debuts of
Delirious and Sonicflood in the late ‘90s. There was Keith Green’s “Oh Lord,
You’re Beautiful,” Andraé Crouch’s “My Tribute (To God be the Glory),” U2’s
“Gloria (In Te Domine),” Petra’s “Adonai,” Twila Paris’ “He is Exalted”… the
list goes on. And the thing about all these classics? They came about
organically. Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, we didn’t have a wave of Christian pop
and rock artists lobbying their record companies to record entire modern
worship albums. Nor did we have record labels urging their biggest stars to
do so in order to meet fans’ demands for the genre. When the artists of the
day recorded a modern worship song or two to include on a record, it had
nothing to do with the marketing of his or her album.
Likewise, when the founders of Passion held their first major worship
gathering for college students in early 1997, marketing CDs through a
national label was the furthest thing from their minds. (Some industry execs
would humorously quip that’s still true today.) And later, when Passion did
CCM MAGAZINE
Your Christian Music Magazine Since 1978
volume 28 issue 7
For those whose lives are strengthened through faith-informed
music, CCM Magazine goes behind the scenes to celebrate the
artistry of Christian music.
CCM Magazine is a publication of Salem Publishing,
a division of Salem Communications.
•••• •••••••
CCM Magazine
Publisher Jim Cumbee
Associate Publisher & Editor in Chief Roberta Croteau
Editor Jay Swartzendruber
Assistant Editor Andrea Bailey
Designer Mary Sergent
Contributing Designer Allison May
consider and then sign a distribution deal for their worship CDs, it was
because EMI initiated the idea. During the modern worship boom that took
place from 1999-2003, Passion remained focused on nurturing the faith of
college students, even as several of its songs became anthems in churches
around the world.
Curiously, although the modern worship explosion did eventually plateau
and then cool a bit, the Passion community has actually seen a dramatic
increase in album sales the last couple years. The music of Chris Tomlin and
David Crowder Band, especially, is in demand as never before. Why is that?
I think it may have something to do with the organic nature of what they
do. It’s as natural to them as breathing. I’m also quick to point to the lyrical
depth of the artful music they craft.
To better understand these artists and why they do what they do as their
10th anniversary draws near, it’s helpful to look at the history of Passion
itself. As part of our cover story spread—beginning on page 24—we
invited Passion founder Louie Giglio to write a behind-the-scenes
biographical sketch of how the ministry was born. From there we
connected with Crowder, Tomlin and other Passion leaders for their
perspectives. We hope you’ll enjoy this inside look at one of modern
worship’s most influential communities.
Also, this month, CCM starts 2006 by introducing you to two new
contributing editors. For those who love hearing the stories behind your
favorite songs, we are pleased to welcome singer/songwriter extraordinaire
Matthew West to our team. In addition to being a popular recording artist,
he’s written standout songs for Natalie Grant, Salvador, Jump5, Point of
Grace, Selah’s Todd Smith and many others. Each month his “Writer’s Block”
column will lift the veil on a specific part of songwriting, whether it’s talking
to one of today’s top artists about a landmark song, or giving you a personal
look at what it’s like to be a songwriter.
This issue of CCM also introduces our new “HistoryMakers with John
Styll” column. Yes, you read right: John Styll is back. The innovator who
started CCM in 1978 and captained the ship for more than 20 years,
returns as one of our monthly columnists to take us back in time as he
writes about one of his favorite things—Christian music’s history. While
John continues to lead the Gospel Music Association as its president,
we’re extremely grateful to have his knowledge and sensibilities gracing
our pages once again. Simply put, I’m a fan. Welcome back, John!
Jay@CCMmagazine.com
Production Director Ross E. Cluver
Contributing Editors Andy Argyrakis, Margaret Becker, Michael
Card, Paul Colman, Russ Long, Gregory Rumburg, John Styll,
Chris Well, Matthew West
Contributors Lou Carlozo, Janet Chismar, Andree Farias, Christa
Farris, David Jenison, Will McGinniss, Brian Quincy Newcomb,
Mike Parker, Tim Sinclair, John J. Thompson
Circulation Director Joan Dyer
Customer Service Representatives Amy Cassell, Emeka Nnadi
Fulfillment Manager Leesa Smith
Executive Director of Advertising
Julie Schueler 615/312-4244
Senior Director of Advertising
DeDe Tarrant 805/987-5072
Account Executive Scott Hancock
Account Executive Pat McAbee
Advertising Coordinator Carol Jones
Marketing Manager Kristi Henson
Administrative Sales Assistant Melissa Smart
Main Office 104 Woodmont Blvd., Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37205
615/386-3011 (ph) • 615/386-3380 (business fax)
615/385-4112 (editorial fax) • 615/312-4266 (advertising fax)
Subscriptions/Customer Service CCM, 104 Woodmont, Ste 300,
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Annual subscription rates: United States, $19.95/one year, $35.95/ two
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Allow four to six weeks for new subscriptions to begin.
Cover photo: Kaysie Dorsey
Cover design: Mary Sergent
NASDAQ SYMBOL: SALM
6 ccm january 06
ccmmagazine.com
CCM_01.06_Feedback.v4
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feedback
who was one of the nicest people I
have ever met!)
Ayana Grady, Plant City, FL
SWITCHFOOT
THE SWITCH GOES ON
As a longtime fan of Switchfoot, I
have to respectfully disagree with
Judy Dziki (“Feedback,” November).
Switchfoot does not have the same
calling as many of the Christian
artists out there—who are we to
determine what they should or
should not be “doing for God”? I
have read many quotes (especially
on the Switchfoot message boards)
from the guys of Switchfoot, and I
would like to share a few with you:
Lead singer/songwriter Jon
Foreman has said in a post,
“Judging from scripture, I can only
conclude that our God is much
more interested in how I treat the
poor and the broken and the hungry
than the personal pronouns I use
when I sing. I am a believer. Many
of these songs talk about this
belief. An obligation to say this or
do that does not sound like the
glorious freedom that Christ died to
afford me.”
More recently, Jon Foreman has
said (again, on the message
boards), “The very beliefs that I
hold deny me the ability or desire to
display them ostentatiously or in a
showy manner. I want to be real! To
live a life that is genuine. Dying
daily to self and truly loving others
is a lot more difficult and more
authentic than simply talking about
it on stage. So that is what we’re
trying to do: live rather than talk. Talk
is cheap, and the tabloids scream
about it every day. You have one body
whose members serve different
purposes, so in the same way, we
who are many form one body and
each member belongs to all the
others. How does it go? Something
like: Preach the gospel at all times,
and if necessary, use words. We’re
very open with our beliefs, and we
have been from the beginning.”
And bass player Tim Foreman
responds to the criticism that
Switchfoot has received (from a
post on the message boards): “Do
not be discouraged by the few who
have simply misunder-stood us and
our motives—we are not discouraged.
We are neither concerned with
defending ourselves nor are we here
to please people. We are convinced,
more than ever before, that we are
exactly where we are supposed to be.
We have, however, noticed that you
have been quick to defend us on our
behalf, and we're thankful that there
are so many who understand what
we’re doing.
So, friends, a lot has changed, and
a lot has stayed the same. We now
have a lot more listeners and a much
busier schedule, but we’re still the
same band: four imperfect kids
playing songs that mean the world to
us, wearing our hearts on our sleeves
and guaranteed to let you down.
Another thing that hasn’t changed:
We’re still so proud to be your band
and to call you friends. We’re in this
together, and I couldn’t imagine it any
other way.”
I think it’s important for everyone
to hear what Switchfoot says on the
subject before they jump to
conclusions. I truly believe that
Switchfoot is living out its God-given
call in this world. Keep up the great
work, CCM! (I have attached a
picture of me with Jon Foreman,
AYANA AND JON
The narrowed responses you’ve
been receiving about Switchfoot ring
the truth of Chris Rice’s interview in
an earlier issue [“No More Mr. Nice
Guy,” September] that Christian
music is truly the only area of our
faith in which we selfishly guard one
another and only reluctantly “share”
our message with the outside
world. Let’s face it: Who of us
would argue that missionaries
teaching English in closed countries
should throw off their contractual
arrangements to boldly pronounce
God’s judgment on their pupils—
and therefore be asked to leave
their position of opportunity? Who
would argue that silent prayer
walking in the middle of Baghdad is
selfish “positioning?” Or that Billy
Graham should have aligned himself
only with Christian television to
deliver his messages to the world?
At the end of the day, isn’t that
what Switchfoot is doing—meeting
the need of its mission, however
humbly is necessary? Are they not
doing what God has called them to
do, opening doors inviting others to
the banquet of the Bridegroom? And
what does our reluctant, petulant
acceptance of their mission make
us? Maybe no more than a sour
older brother who refuses to join
the Father’s party in favor of
mourning a fattened calf.
May the Lord bless and keep
each member of Switchfoot; may
His peace guard their hearts and
homes. And may we, as their
brothers and sisters, lay down our
selfish desires for exclusivity and
jump into the mission they have so
boldly embraced.
Sarah Hughes, via e-mail
PUNK’D?
I really like your magazine, but I would
like to read more about punk bands
such as Hawk Nelson, Anberlin, Side
Walk Slam, Stellar Kart, MXPX,
Relient K, Switchfoot, etc. I feel that
you put a lot of pop and adult
contemporary music in your
magazine. Is there any reason why
you don’t put very many punk bands
in? I read the comments in the
magazine every month, and I have
read other letters very similar to
mine. I just haven’t seen any
difference and would like to.
Kati Wiebe, Fresno, CA
Kati, you sound just like the sort of
devoted person that should fill out
CCM’s new Music Fan Survey. By
doing so, your tastes and opinions can
influence the approach we take with
CCM in the future. We need to hear
from you (and the rest of our readers)
in more detail. Simply go to
CCMmagazine.com today and click on
the link for our Music Fan Survey. Help
us make this magazine even better!
HARD TIMES
Thank you for your recent attention
to the “harder” side of Christian
music. I have been thrilled to see
articles on edgier bands lately, and
also to see articles written by hard
music authority Doug Van Pelt. I
have been reading CCM since
harder bands such as White Heart
and Petra were common covergracers... So keep up the good
work, and keep including bands like
Skillet, Third Day, Underoath, Pillar
and Thousand Foot Krutch, and I’ll
likely keep reading CCM another 15
years or so!
Eric A. Lowe, Maryville, TN
Correction:
In the December issue of CCM we
incorrectly cited the publisher for
Rebecca St. James first book, Forty
Days with God, as Thomas Nelson.
The actual publisher is Standard
Publishing. We apologize for the error.
We welcome your comments.
Address your letter to Feedback,
CCM Magazine, 104 Woodmont
Blvd., Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37205;
fax 615/385-4112, Attn: Feedback; or
e-mail feedback@ccmmagazine.com.
Always include your full name, address
and phone number. Letter may be edited
for length and clarity.
ccmmagazine.com
january 06 ccm 7
CCM_01.06_Insider.v5
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insider
Blind Boys of Alabama dish on
its latest album, Kendall Payne
gets personal and more
Q WHOM
Q
TO
IT MAY
Q
CONCERN
WHAT KIND OF FAN MAIL COULD BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT?
JUST ASK HAWK NELSON.
HAWK NELSON’s first album was about sending Letters to the President. But its
second will be about reading letters from fans.
The Ontario-based pop-punk quartet has been busy writing songs for its
sophomore record, due out this spring on Tooth & Nail Records. And while the
melodies and overall good-time vibe will likely remain, singer Jason Dunn says the
new offering will get heavier, lyrically speaking.
“The new album is going to be called Smile, It’s the End of the World,” Dunn says.
“No matter who you talk to, people are going to see it as either a positive thing or a
negative thing because, with anything in life, people are going to see both sides to
every story. It can be taken either way, but we’d like to look at it as a positive thing.”
The new album was inspired by letters the band has received and conversations
they’ve had while on tour. The foursome (Dunn, bassist Daniel Biro, guitarist
Jonathon Steingard and drummer Sqwid) just wrapped up a tour promoting the
re-released Letters (featuring new bonus tracks and behind-the-scenes footage), and
its live shows have brought the members face-to-face with fans. Often, those fans
have troubling stories and questions for the band.
“It’s kind of crazy,” Dunn says. “When you’re a kid and you start a band, you
don’t think you’ll actually change lives, but then a kid says to you, ‘I didn’t want to
come to the show, but my aunt made me come because she thought it would be
good for me, and I was planning on killing myself the next day, but your music
changed my life.’
“There have been a lot of really powerful notes that kids have written to the guys
and to me, and they have so many questions that need answers,” he continues. “We
hope this album will give them an answer and show them there is hope.”
Influencing young lives is a responsibility Dunn says his band takes seriously. The
band’s Web site includes a link to teenhelpline.com, a sign that Dunn knows its
teenage fans often come to the group for answers.
That influence is only going to grow in the coming year—Hawk Nelson currently
appears in the Dennis Quaid and Renee Russo film Yours, Mine and Ours, which
opened November 23 (after having performed as The Who on one of the last
episodes of NBC’s “American Dreams”), and its winter tour starts in January and
runs through March.
In the face of mainstream success, Dunn keeps his faith close, and he’s always
willing to talk about it.
“I have no problem sharing my faith,” he says. “So many bands I grew up
listening to aren’t afraid to talk about it or say it from stage, and that’s just like me;
I’m not afraid to talk about Jesus and my faith. God is a really big part of my life,
and there’s no way I’m going to hide that from anybody.”
DR. TONY SHORE & ANDRE SALLES
>>> Congratulations!
Erica and Tina of Mary Mary won the Favorite Artist/Contemporary Inspirational Award at the
ccmmagazine.com
january 06 ccm 9
>>>
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insider
The
Conviction of
Things Not Seen
BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA CO-FOUNDER, JIMMY CARTER, SPEAKS THE TRUTH IN LOVE.
ow in their 70s and with the passing of one of their founding members
last year, you’d think the BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA would be winding
down. Not a chance. You can still hear that spark in the voice of cofounder Jimmy Carter, still feel the energy and spirit that drove his
performance on the Live at the Apollo DVD (EMI) that the Blind Boys made with
Ben Harper and released earlier this year.
While Harper dominates this concert video with strong vocal presentation,
guitar-playing and chemistry with his band, The Innocent Criminals, the highlight
of the show is the final encore of “Satisfied Mind.” Carter joins Harper in duet for
the majority of the number, but ends up prowling the aisle of the Apollo, bouncing
on his toes, falling back to lean on his handler while he hoots and howls and
proclaims that his mind is satisfied because “I’ve got Jesus.”
Of course, a lot has happened since the singing group brought Carter together with
Clarence Fountain and George Scott “in 1944, June the 10th, so it’s been 61 years,”
says Carter. “We started out at the Institute for the Blind when we were young, 14,
15 years old. We sang traditional gospel music all over the South to predominantly
black audiences in churches, schools and auditoriums.”
While the group enjoyed a long, prestigious career, it was not until 2001
that its Spirit of the Century CD (released on Peter Gabriel’s Real World label)
broke the band into the mainstream music world. The Blind Boys drew strong
reviews and attracted pop music fans with covers of songs by the Rolling
Stones (“Just Wanna See His Face” and “This May Be the Last Time”), Tom
Waits (“Jesus Gonna Be Here” and “Way Down in the Hole”) and Prince (“The
Cross”), winning them their first Grammy.
N
But it was not their last. They’ve picked up three more Grammys for Higher
Ground, There Will Be a Light with Ben Harper, and their Christmas music release, Go
Tell It On the Mountain, which features performances by Aaron Neville, Mavis
Staples, Robert Randolph, Tom Waits, Chrissie Hynde and Richard Thompson.
And now, they’ve released the groundbreaking album Atom Bomb, with songs
such as “Demons” by Macy Gray, and a guest vocal by hip-hop artist The Gift of
Gab from the group Blackalicious. CCM asked the elder statesman how he felt
about the newer songs, especially rap.
“Our producers bring the material to us, and we decide just what we want to
do,” explains Carter. When it comes from outside the gospel tradition, he admits
“the producers convinced us to try it. ‘Presence of the Lord’ (by Eric Clapton) is a
great song, I think. And ‘Spirit in the Sky’ (the ’70s hit by Norman Greenbaum) has
been well-received everywhere we go, so I guess that’s alright.”
But in regard to Gab’s rap, he acknowledges, “We didn’t know that was going
to happen, and we weren’t happy with it at first because we’re not fans of rap
music... But there’s nothing I can do about it, so it’s alright; it turned out OK.”
Carter believes the Harper collaboration worked so well because “his roots are from
the church; he has gospel roots. The Blind Boys are known for traditional gospel music,
and we’re not going to deviate from that. We might add a few upbeat things or some
contemporary stuff from time to time, but we’ll always be a traditional gospel group.”
Boosted sales and Grammy awards are gratifying, says the veteran, but “the
thing is, we’re trying to change people’s hearts. People are listening to us now.
Our main goal in these concerts is to make these people feel something they’ve
never felt before, something that will stick with them.” BRIAN QUINCY NEWCOMB
COUNTRY Style STREET CRED
WITH AN EVEN MORE DOWN-HOME SOUND THAN OTHER POPULAR FAMILY ACTS SUCH AS NICKEL CREEK, THE PEASALL SISTERS—OF O’ BROTHER,
WHERE ART THOU? FAME—HAVE A WAY OF CONNECTING THE PAST WITH THE PRESENT WITH A REDEMPTIVE MESSAGE TO BOOT. AND JOHNNY
CASH’S SON, JOHN, EVEN TAKES PART.
When you think of classic country artists—the honest-to-goodness types who
would likely turn up their noses at the more pop-i-fied Keith Urban and Faith Hill
country of today—legendary names such as Roy Acuff, George Jones and Loretta
Lynn immediately come to mind. And while the stories from these artists’ difficult
lives fuel the heart-wrenching soul in their songs, THE PEASALL SISTERS look at
things a little differently.
Even though this trio has racked up Grammy and CMA Awards for its work on
O’ Brother Where Art Thou?, recorded in the same studio as the legendary Johnny
Cash and played prestigious venues including Radio City Music Hall, Grand Ole Opry
and Carnegie Hall, 18-year-old Sarah Peasall and her sisters, 14-year-old Hannah and
12-year-old Leah, lead rather normal lives.
“Even though we travel a lot and sing for a living, this is something that God has
called us to do. This is definitely a ministry; that’s how we look at it,” Sarah says.
“Everything else that’s really important to us revolves around our faith and our family,
and that’s what drives the message in the songs we sing.”
“It’s just pure and beautiful music. I’ve loved their stuff for a long time,” says the
Peasall’s producer John Carter Cash. “There’s not a lot of music out there that’s pure
and true and good and says as much with such a simple nature as The Peasall
Sisters do. I think they’re progressing, too, with their new album.”
Speaking of which, the girls’ new CD is called Home to You, and Sarah is
bursting at the seams to talk about the new songs, especially the three original
tracks. “We have been writing a lot more. That’s kind of been a new adventure for
us—songwriting. I’ve been writing for maybe two or three years,” she says. “It just
>>>
makes me feel that we have more to do with the record, the actual making of it. Yes,
when your voices are on the record, that’s one thing. But it just makes it so much
more personal when you write.”
And even though she doesn’t “want to get that rumor started” that The Peasall Sisters
are about to trade in their fiddles for classic pop formulas any time soon, Sarah admits
her love of mainstream country influences her songwriting.
Also a “huge fan of Christian music,” particularly Jeremy Camp, MercyMe and more
praise & worship-oriented fare, Sarah adds that these songs are what keep her
encouraged while on the road. As she mulls over her most recent road trip that involved
approximately 22 performances in 12 days, she can’t emphasize enough how
important daily Bible reading is.
“This is the first time I really struggled with making time to read. About halfway
through the trip, I was sitting in a church service in Adrian, Mich., and I just felt the Holy
Spirit speaking to me and saying, ‘Hey, you haven’t opened your Bible once this whole
trip. Here you are, encouraging people to stay in God’s Word because that’s the only
way you’ll be fed, and that’s the only way you’ll make it through, and you’re looking at
maybe one Bible verse a day, if even that much,’” Sarah recalls. “At that point, I really
was convicted, and from that time on, I really tried to change. It is really hard to find
time, but you just have to make it. It’s kind of like, ‘That’s my lifeline as a Christian.’
His Word is my spiritual food, and if you don’t have that, you’re going to dry up.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
CHRISTA A. BANISTER
For more information about The Peasall Sisters, please visit peacehall.org
American Music Awards last November • Jars of clay recently released its first digital album via iTunes; the>>>
10 ccm january 06
ccmmagazine.com
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>> pop
KENDALL PAYNE: First the Groan, Then Grown
WHOEVER COINED THE EXPRESSION “LIFE ISN’T FAIR” NOT ONLY GRASPED ONE OF LIFE’S GREAT TRUTHS, BUT
UNKNOWINGLY NAILED THE EVER-CHANGING STATE OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS.
Consider KENDALL
PAYNE, who in 1999
released Jordan’s
Sister on Capitol
Records to all sorts
of enviable renown.
Besides picking up
a Dove Award for
“Best Alternative
Rock Album” and
landing songs in the films Never Been Kissed and Beautiful,
Payne put out a single (“Supermodels”) that became the
theme for the WB’s television show “Popular,” which aired
for three seasons beginning in 1999. She toured with the
Lilith Fair, Dido, Ron Sexsmith, Third Day and Delirious,
while her album sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide.
Put in perspective, that’s more than four times the initial
sales for Bruce Springsteen’s first two Columbia Records
releases combined.
But a lot has changed since the halcyon days when major
labels saw the value of investing in artists for the long haul.
In 2002, a shakeup at Capitol led to the shocking outcome
of Payne and her label parting ways.
“You can either go down one of two paths, [one of them]
the bitter path,” says Payne. “Growing up in L.A. at a musical
church, I saw a lot of people growing up who were bitter.”
Getting a second chance—thanks to a loyal (and
influential) friend—doesn’t hurt either. As reported in
CCM’s Jan. ’05 issue, Payne would soon be back in the
game with a new album, Grown—a disc that showcases the
singer-songwriter’s penchant for wrestling with tough
questions and following her own muse a la Jennifer Knapp
and Lilith Fair founder Sarah MacLachlan. It’s no wonder
that after being released independently, Grown was recently
picked up and distributed by the BHT label.
But to hear Payne tell it, getting to Grown didn’t come
without a spiritual groan—one that broke a stubborn artistic
block after the Capitol Records fiasco.
“I remember the exact moment—my ‘Jacob wrestling
with the angel’ moment,” Payne recalls. “As a Christian,
you believe that your steps are ordered and those who seek
diligently will be rewarded. And suddenly, it doesn’t happen
the way you thought or dreamed—and you were doing it all
for His glory. And I remember just all of a sudden looking up
and saying, ‘You did this to me! You allowed me to have
these dreams, and You could’ve stopped it or not allowed
>>
“iTunes originals” features 23 songs,
>>>
this to happen to me!’ And then all of these tears started coming out. I realized I had been falsely
trusting Him, not really trusting Him. Then the dam broke—and I just allowed God to come in and say
that He wasn’t done with me and that He still loved me. And that if my career was done, it was done.
I just had to let Him come in and find out.”
Grown stands as strong evidence that Payne’s career is not only far from done, but doesn’t deserve
to be. Recorded in North Hollywood, the album brandishes a sound beyond L.A., Nashville or points in
between. Songs run the gamut from introspective, cello-laced folk (“Scratch,” “Pray”) to the irresistible,
steady-rocking “Superstar,” where Payne delineates a crossroads between the selfish and the selfless. It
gives a kick and cut to Payne’s inquiring refrain: “Who do you think you are?/ Some kind of superstar?”—
a question she could well be asking herself in song.
No doubt, some in her circle believed in her gifts even when Payne wasn’t so sure. One of those
people was actor Zachary Levi (ABC’s “Less Than Perfect”), who made good on an offer to finance
Payne’s new record.
“I definitely owe him a whole lot,” she says of Levi’s encouragement. “It was very strange.
Nonchalantly he said, ‘When are you going to put out your next record?’ I said, ‘Oh, I don’t know.’ And
he said, ‘No, I want to know, because I really want to pay for it.’” She laughs, adding: “I didn’t say no,
that’s for sure!”
More things have turned around for Payne than her music. Married in July, she converses with the
exuberant enthusiasm of a newlywed. And, she says, the trials of the past few years have taught her
a valuable lesson: She no longer measures the worth of her spiritual walk in terms of earthly success.
“The title of the record is the perfect answer: I think I’ve grown,” Payne says. “To grow now is my
core value, instead of praying for blessings, praying for peace, praying for happiness. I pray for growth.
I don’t want to be the same at the end of my life, and I want to understand Jesus in ways I don’t
understand Him right now. This record might not take off, the next record might not take off, I might
not have children—I might be a failure in ways that this culture, and Christian culture, consider to be
a failure. But if my treasures are in heaven, I’d like to store up there. And if I can say, looking back
on it all, that I have grown, then I’ll feel like I’ve left this life as a success.”
LOUIS R. CARLOZO
12/8/05
9:52 AM
Page 12
insider
JANUARY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
We love calendars.
They’re such nifty ways of keeping
track of your life. And we’ll help you keep track of upcoming
concerts, artists’ birthdays, HOLIDAYS and other seasonal fun right
here as the days go by!
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1 2 345 6 7
9
8 10 11121314
20
16
15 231718192721
NEW YEAR’S DAY
Christmas
money
burning a hole
in your
pocket?
ROCK & ROLL DAY
Goshopping
CHOCOLATE COVERED
CHERRY DAY
Passion ’06
Nicole C. Mullen
Nichole Nordeman
Alyssa Barlow
Wendy Drennen
(Fireflight)
got talent?
on
CCMMagazine.com
Rachael Lampa
Nathan Ehman
(Kids in the Way)
and pick up the
latest releases at
great prices!
RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM DAY
ZOEgirl
Memphis, TN
BRAILLE DAY
Wendy Drennen
(Fireflight)
Check out this spring’s
GMA Academy
Regional Talent
Competition details at
Chris Well’s blog on
CCMMagazine.com
Sarah Hart
Sarah Hart
Justin Tinnell
(Inhabited)
Rebecca St. James
Manassas, VA
Dan Haseltine
(Jars of Clay)
New Year’s Day
Heather Payne
(Point Of Grace)
Chuck Dennie
(By The Tree)
is every man’s birthday.
—Charles Lamb
HUGGING DAY
Hugging Day
25
22 24 26 28
293031
Snowed in?
hh
Bored with cabin fever?
Matt Odmark
(Jars of Clay)
January is Blood Donor Month
www.americasblood.com
Hawk Nelson
St. Charles, MO
Delirious
Parachute Festival
Hamilton, New Zealand
six exclusive
20-City Holiday
Tour •
>>>
>>>including
12 ccm january 06
ccmmagazine.com
Christmas gift-heavy credit cards?
Check out CCM’s new Direct Effect program!
TAKE THE CCMMAGAZINE.COM SURVEY:
www.ccmmagazine.com/features/3435.aspx
Looking to pay off
www.salememail.com/specialoffers/DirectEffect/
Matt Odmark
(Jars of Clay)
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson
“liveSecond
in studio”
In its first
weekw. out,
You Areinsold>>>
The
Chancetracks
movie •(starring
Michael
smith)Third
now Day’s
set toWherever
hit theaters
12/8/05
8:58 AM
Page 13
>>
fanfare
CRAZY IN LOVE
4
5
Questions
with
If you could visit any
place in the world, where
would it be and why?
Somewhere they would give
me a free helicopter.
Because it’s a free
helicopter.
2.
What’s your most
embar-rassing moment
onstage?
We were playing a show
where they had a camera
putting us on a huge screen
for a crowd of 10,000-plus
to see. During a part where
it was just my voice and the
piano, they did a closeup
on my face. Sources later
informed me that there was
a large visible booger in
my nose.
>>
MATT THIESSEN
of
RELIENT K
NEWBORN NEWS
Way back in the day when “Sadie Hawkins Dance in my khaki
pants” was being chanted by the masses, Relient K was
hammering out its own unique identity as the new kings of
Christian power pop/punk rock. And since then, the band has
definitely and strategically evolved, with increased musical
prowess, smarter songwriting and a larger-than-life stage
presence that’s always able to pack out a venue. For proof,
just check out 2000’s self-titled debut and compare it to the
band’s breakthrough sophomore release The Anatomy of the
Tongue in Cheek. Have you ever heard so many puns? Next
lend an ear to the Billboard Top 200 album-charting Two Lefts
Don’t Make a Right…But Three Do, and by the time you arrive
at Relient K’s 2004 offering, MMHMM, and the new Apathetic
EP, you’ll know just how far these boys have come.
1.
BY THE TREE’S BEN DAVIS exchanged vows with
new bride Amy on Nov. 19. Ben happily reminisces
about how he asked Amy to be his wife.
“She and I had a day of doing all the special
things: waterfall at the Natchez Trace where we
had our first kiss...picnic at our very first date
place, Demo’s in Nashville…then the lookout
over Moore’s Lane where we held
hands/shared our feelings for the first time. We
reminisced over candlelight and a blanket. (All
the while, she had no idea what was
coming...just how she wanted it.) I read John 13
out of the Message Bible where Jesus washed
the disciples’ feet. I had hidden over the ledge a bag that contained a water basin,
soap, cloth and towel. I told her that I wanted to serve her, then I washed her
feet...which turned into a very spiritual moment. I dried her feet and went from two
knees to one, pulled out the ring and asked her to marry me.”
This past November, BHT Records recording artist JOHN DAVID
WEBSTER became a daddy for the third time. Webster's wife,
Kirsten, gave birth to their first daughter, ARIA HOPE
WEBSTER. Brothers Zion (4) and Jaden (2) were excited to
welcome the beautiful baby girl—who was a healthy 10 lbs., 9 oz.,
and 22 inches long—to the family circle.
3.
As a kid, what did
you want to be when you
grew up?
I always wanted to invent
stuff. I liked this cartoon
called MASK, and I wanted to
build a motorcycle that could
turn into a helicopter, just
like they had on the show.
4.
What’s one goal you
have as an artist?
To not be despised by the
public.
5.
What’s one question
you’d like to ask God when
you get to heaven?
Honestly, I believe that the
answer to any question we
can come up with here on
earth will be insignificant
when we're in heaven.
more than 62,500 copies, marking the
>>>
>>>
ccmmagazine.com
january 06 ccm 13
12/8/05
8:58 AM
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sightings
by Chris Well
SOUND ADVICE
HEP CAT
AUDIO ADRENALINE’S
This month
Will McGinniss, reviews The Dick
Cavett Show—Rock Icons DVD .
Christian rock pioneers TERRY SCOTT
TAYLOR, ROB WATSON and DAVE
RAVEN have created the soundtrack for
the Nickelodeon show “Catscratch.”
The new Nicktoon, created by
car toonist
and
animator
Doug
TenNapel, follows the misadventures of
three cats who inherit a fortune and
live a life of freedom, adventure and,
usually, total mayhem. Whether they’re
taking on ferocious bears, mythical sea
creatures, zombies, giant robots or
aliens, these rich kitties just can’t keep
out of trouble.
Find out more about “Catscratch”
(including a preview, games and more)
at the official Nickelodeon site,
nick.com.
SERENITY NOW
Comics fans, unite! The ambitious new
manga
series
“SERENITY”—a
comedic teen soap opera about an
unhappy girl who finds a happy
ending—is headed toward shelves in
Christian retail stores and comic book
shops everywhere! Volume 1,
Serenity: Bad Girl In Town (Barbour
Publishing), is the first in an ongoing
series of 96-page full-color original
English language manga graphic
novels from Realbuzz Studios.
BACK IN THE SADDLE
TV star and martial arts champion CHUCK NORRIS is
back on bookshelves this month with The Justice Riders
(Broadman & Holman), the first in a planned series of
westerns co-written by Norris, Ken Abraham, Norris’s
brother Aaron, and Tim Grayem. B&H editorial director
Len Goss told Publishers Weekly’s “Religion Bookline”
that the series, set at the end of the Civil War, is a cross
between “The A Team” and “The Lone Ranger.” Norris is
shopping The Justice Riders as a TV movie.
BETT3R THAN ON3
TED DEKKER’s best-selling suspense thriller Thre3 is headed to the
big screen. The project is being produced by Ralph Winter (Fantastic
Four) and directed by Robby Henson, who helmed the upcoming film
version of Frank Peretti’s The Visitation. In the lead is actor Marc
Blucas (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer”).
FISHING AR UND
VEGGIETALES co-creator PHIL VISCHER has a brand-new bag, a company
called “Jellyfish.” Thanks to the new official site, jellyfishland.com, you can
now learn lots more about the company and its projects. The site is updated
weekly with new content.
>>>
MANY TIMES ARTISTS speak of their musical inspirations and
derivations of your favorite records. However, being able to
experience those early recordings brings new light to the music of
today. Audio Adrenaline has long looked to the annals of classic
rock in order to bring you the energized music you hear. Recently, I
took a jaunt down memory lane with my purchase of late-night
variety show The Dick Cavett Show—Rock Icons.
“The Dick Cavett Show” may be new to the younger set, yet will
bring a warm smile of remembrance to older readers of this article.
No matter your age or musical
IQ, this is a must-watch set of
classic per formances. The
three-disc set includes works
by Jefferson Airplane, David
Bowie, Janis Joplin, Stevie
Wonder, and George Harrison,
among others.
Dick Cavett was not only
known for having great
performers of the late ’60s
and early ’70s on his show,
the interviews were decidedly
candid and revealing about
the times, both socially and
musically. The second disc
includes a great inter view
with
Cavett
himself
addressing his career, the show, and its uniqueness compared to
other late-night variety shows of the day.
Particular favorites on this DVD collection are efforts by George
Harrison and Paul Simon. Harrison appeared with Ravi Shankar to
promote the Concert for Bangladesh album; however, Gary Wright
and Wonderwheel also played the same show, and Harrison stole
away to play steel guitar for the band.
Paul Simon was a guest on a 1974 episode and delivered a
beautiful version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” plus three other
favorites. I think the crowning moment for the eccentricity of early
’70s performers was Cavett’s interview with Sly Stone from 1970.
Stone is definitely a character for the ages.
Check out The Dick Cavett Show—Rock Icons, available
everywhere on DVD. Give yourself a little music history education
or a blast from the past. Whichever you choose, there are tons of
great performances, and it’s all hosted by one of the greatest
interviewers of the day.
Keep up with the latest “SIGHTINGS” at ccmmagazine.com.
band’s best release week ever and landing it at No. 8 on The Billboard 200 Sales Chart • Now, S.R.E./Octone
14 ccm january 06
ccmmagazine.com
>>>
9:00 AM
Page 15
Chris Well’s ZAM!
5
arched” musings
A compendium of arguably useless and “rese
1 235
4
12 9 8
17
7 101814 13
19 11 16
20
*
POW! CCM List-O-Rama
6
12/8/05
15
CCM_01.06_List.v3
PROOFS OF THE SECRET
CONNECTION BETWEEN
CHRISTIAN MUSIC
AND COMIC BOOKS
The ties between comic books and Christian music
go back a ways, from Randy Stonehill in a
Superman costume to Switchfoot on the European
soundtrack to SpiderMan 2. And, as longtime CCM
readers will recall, there was that 1990 issue of
Dr. Strange where the penciler illegally copied
Amy Grant’s picture for the cover. Here, then, are
five more examples …
1. PAT BOONE & LOIS LANE
During his ’50s-era popstardom, Pat Boone was
all over the place--including this 1959 issue of
Lois Lane (DC Comics). Later that year, he even
starred for five issues in his own comic. His
recent album, Glory Train: The Lost Sessions (Oak
Records), includes “Thank You Billy Graham,” an
all-star tribute with appearances from Bono, dc
Talk, AndraE Crouch, Kenny Rogers and others.
3. JOHNNY CASH & ANDRAE CROUCH & ARCHIE
2. MATT BRONLEEWE &
YOUNG AVENGERS
In April last year, Young Avengers #3 included
a computer printout of potential team
candidates. Series writer Allan Heinberg (staff
writer for TV’s “The O.C.”) took the opportunity to
drop some names, including that of Matt Bronleewe-co-producer for Rebecca St. James’ new
album, If I Had One Chance To Tell You
Something (ForeFront) and producer of
Plumb’s next album, Chaotic Resolve
(Curb), which releases Feb. 28.
In the 1970s, Archie Comics artist Al Hartley
started a line of Christian comics for Spire
Publishing. In addition to comics starring the
Archie gang, Hartley also wrote and drew comics
based on Christian books, Bible stories and
testimonies from the likes of Dallas Cowboy coach
Tom Landry, the “Man in Black” Johnny Cash and
gospel music legend AndraE Crouch.
5. BETTIE ROCKET
RECORDS & ROB
SCHWAGER
4. DC TALK &
GUARDIAN & NIGHTWING
Comics colorist Rob Schwager has
worked on some of the biggest
characters in comics--including Superman,
Batman and Captain America. He also did the
art for some way-cool album covers for
Christian rock label Bettie Rocket
Records. (But my favorite thing he ever
did was when, in 2001, he introduced me
to DC Comics employee Erica
Rodriguez, who now goes by
Mrs. Erica Well.)
As some of you may have heard,
somewhere between 1940 and today, the
original Robin, The Boy Wonder grew up and
became Nightwing. In issue #11 of his solo
title, penciler Scott McDaniel inserted
Christian groups dc talk and Guardian
into Nightwing’s CD collection. (The
issue was later collected into the
trade paperback collection
“Rough Justice.”)
BAD NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
1
2
3
>>> band
STEAL MORE CHRISTIAN MUSIC FROM THE INTERNET
FOR “MINISTRY PURPOSES.”
GET A HAIRCUT TO LOOK MORE LIKE BOB THE TOMATO.
BUILD EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF CHRISTIAN ARTISTS’
PIN NUMBERS.
SURPRISES AT THE PETRA
REUNION CONCERT
1. Greg X. Volz actually spells his last name
without the “t”
2. Short-sighted fans celebrate the name of the group by
throwing rocks at the stage (“Petra” means “ROCK!”)
3. Dozens of animal activists turn out expecting a
“Peta” reunion
Chris Well’s claim to comics fame is that he wrote the shortlived comic book/audio drama/radio serial multimedia
juggernaut Mammoth City Messengers, co-plotted with big-time
producers and songwriters Matt Bronleewe and Jeremy Bose.
Flyleaf makes an immediate splash with its debut single “I’m so sick”; charting at both alternative
ccmmagazine.com
january 06 ccm 15
>>>
CCM_01.06_GetReal.v4
12/8/05
9:17 AM
getreal
Page 16
Wes King’s living legacy
by Andrea Bailey
a very rare cancer; they don’t really know much about it. It’s something that’s
mainly found in children in Africa.”
After being told he had only six months to live, King began undergoing intense
chemotherapy and, during that time, contracted five severe infections. These
caused him to go into septic shock, and he almost died on several occasions.
During times of painful illness, friends and loved ones often feel as if
they’re helplessly standing by. However, Craig Mason, a longtime friend of
King and his wife, devised a plan to boost his friend’s spirits and help him
handle the heavy medical bills. He decided to get some artists together to
make a record of King’s songs in appreciation of his musical legacy.
The result is Life is Precious: A Wes King Tribute. Artists who volunteered to
put their own touches on a favorite Wes King song include Downhere, Derek
Webb, Phil Keaggy, Paul Colman, Scott Krippayne, The Kry, Luminous, Kim
Hill, Addison Road and more than 10 others. In fact, the response from artists
willing to donate their time and energy to the project has been so favorable
that the tribute has been expanded to a double-disc set.
“I
find myself writing
about the things I’m
thankful for rather than things that I can’t figure out,
and accepting the things that I can’t explain...
”
O
o
LIFE IS PRECIOUS:
A WES KING TRIBUTE
W
es King is a name beloved by many artists and Christian music fans
of the ’90s and today. A Georgia native, King studied the Bible at
Covenant College in his home state, where he ran into recording
artist Kim Hill and eventually went on the road with her for several years. After
moving to Nashville, he signed to Reunion Records and released a solo LP
entitled The Ultimate Underlying No Denying Motivation in 1990. His successive
releases included Sticks and Stones in 1990, The Robe in 1993, the highly
successful Common Creed in 1995, A Room Full of Stories in 1997 and What
Matters Most in 2000. Since then, he’s contributed to recordings by Michael
W. Smith, Steve Green, John Michael Talbot and others. Recently, King and his
wife, Fran, bought an old historic house in Franklin, Tenn., where they now live
with their three sons, 8-year-old twins Harrison and Mitch and 3-year-old Walt.
It would all seem like a perfectly normal story if King hadn’t come down
with a case of bronchitis last year. Then approximately nine months ago, he
started getting a pain in his leg. “Long story short, I went to the emergency
room, and they found a mass in my stomach,” King remembers. “They went
in to see what it was, and it turned out to be some kind of lymphoma. It was
>>>
“I have had the privilege to work, write and tour with Wes King,” says Phil
Keaggy. “…Wes is my friend, and it is a true honor to know him. He is
passionate about his music, and he is a devoted man of faith and family. His
writing is honest—straight from the heart. I have been involved in the Life is
Precious project, and what a privilege for me! I consider Wes a voice for our
times. History will prove this...for those who have ears to hear… His words
and melodies have an ever-present relevance. I thank God for this brother of
ours, who has been faithful to all that is true.”
Derek Webb adds his own enthusiasm for the project. “For me, Wes King’s
music pioneered the fusion of theology and melody. His song ‘I Believe’ left
quite an impression on me as an early thinker and songwriter. I remember
being quite struck by the boldness with which he proclaimed his firm belief in
God’s sovereign governing of all things. And his commitment to truth was
matched only by his tremendous musical gifts, which for me made the truth
much easier to swallow. I am proud to be a part of a project that
simultaneously celebrates the music of one of contemporary Christian
music’s most important singer/songwriters and helps that same brother in
time of need.”
“[I] have come to appreciate his angelic voice, wonderful guitar playing and
his obvious sincerity,” recording artist Paul Colman says of King. “I am
involved in this project to do whatever I can to help and to pay tribute to a
good man. It is my prayer that many people will come to appreciate and
uphold Wes and his family through this album.”
“It’s just been an incredible honor to hear the project,” King responds,
recuperating in his home after finishing his chemo treatments. “The artists
that have come forward to do this have really astounded me with the life they
breathe into these songs…”
Growing stronger every day, he continues to reflect on the past year and
how it’s changed him and his music. “I find myself writing about the things I’m
thankful for rather than things that I can’t figure out, and accepting the things
that I can’t explain…and I find myself laughing a lot more because I’m
happier. I can honestly, truthfully say, I’m glad that this has happened… I
certainly pray that I never have to go back there again, but I am thankful for
the way that it has settled me down, the way it has matured me.”
If you’d like to preorder a copy of Life is Precious: A Wes King Tribute or make
a direct donation to Wes King, please visit wesking.com. All the proceeds from
record sales will go to offset King’s medical costs.
and active rock radio • Country kicks: Recording artist Natalie Grant performed a duet with country superstar >>>
16 ccm january 06
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12/8/05
9:18 AM
Page 18
K
industrybeat
A conversation
with Scott Hughes
by Jay Swartzendruber
The “WoW” compilation CD series recently celebrated its 10th
anniversary. Did you think the brand would become this successful?
I honestly don’t think its true significance has happened yet… “WoW” brings the
key leaders in the industry together on a regular basis to talk about how we can
make the Christian music community a better place. We worked with Feed the
Children to create a TV special focused on WoW Hits, which showcased several
artists including Jars of Clay. “WoW” has helped fund DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade,
Africa), which is Bono’s thing. “WoW” puts aside a percentage of sales of every
CD to help support select nonprofit organizations.
So much of your uncanny success over the years has resulted from
your ability to perceive forthcoming trends and then respond far
ahead of the curve. What’s one trend that you foresaw and are
most grateful you “called that one right”?
I think worship music. That was probably about seven years ago. I visited the
Vineyard Church in Los Angeles, and I saw hundreds of really cool-looking CDs
in their bookstore that I’d never heard of. I thought I would pick them up and
see what came in them. It turns out it was Delirious’ Cutting Edge I, II, III and IV
CDs in the paper wrapper—the really early ones. And I brought the CDs back to
EMI CMG and said, “This is the future of Christian music.” At the same time,
unbeknownst to me, Peter York [then president of Sparrow] had gotten a copy
and was actually in the process of signing Delirious. And I remember saying,
“The industry is at a crossroads going in two directions. One half of it is going
screaming toward the church, and the other half is going screaming toward the
mainstream, and both are right. It’s the calling of the individual artist.” So, what
I was saying is that one half of the future of the industry would be the modern
worship—hip music, what David Crowder is doing now. And the other side would
be what Switchfoot is doing. But back then, those “halves” didn’t exist.
On the flipside, what do you consider to have been your worst forecast?
Great Scott,
it’s Hughes!
Before he departed EMI Christian Music Group as its senior VP of strategic
marketing in 2003, Scott Hughes helped launch and then oversee the massively
successful “WoW” album series, facilitated the “Keep the Faith” infomercials,
and conceived Time Life’s renowned “Songs for Life” series. In addition, with the
advent of new media, Hughes initiated Christian music’s first streaming
subscription service, the industry’s first digital download store and Christian
music’s first Web site (TheVeryOfficialCharliePeacockWebSite.com). With this
stunning resumé in hand, Hughes then started his own “strategy, branding and
partnerships” company called The Next Agency, through which he continues to
oversee the “WoW” series. As if that weren’t enough, he is also a co-founder of
music download giant PassAlong Networks (passalong.com).
And the years before Hughes was a gold and platinum album magnet? After
graduating from Baylor University (Waco, Texas), he worked as a real estate
agent, a photographer, a graphic artist for People magazine, an assistant
director for a non-profit theatre arts group in Connecticut, and a protégé in a
pioneering strategic marketing company. “Wow,” indeed.
Let’s discuss the most important stuff first… So, I understand you and
Moby are old friends?
Moby is a great guy. He and I grew up in Darien, Conn., and became good friends
after college. We connected in the late ’80s. A mutual friend had started a dance
club called The Cafe for high school students run by a ministry called FOCUS
(Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools). Moby was a deejay there when
I came on board, and I helped manage the staff. At one point the two of us actually
rented space—for living quarters—in a warehouse. We were very good friends during
that season and have stayed in touch—mostly on e-mail now. Moby went back to
that warehouse recently and then sent me some photos of our old lofts.
>>>
I would have to say it was the idea of WoW.com, which was at least six years
ahead of its time. Today, it would be My Space with a Christian worldview,
suppor ting, but not exclusively, Christian entertainment. We were too early, but
I think it actually ties in to a lot of what we’re doing now.
Tell me about that—your work
with PassAlong Networks.
We have two sides of the company, and
it’s about powering the future of digital
entertainment. One half of our
company is a DSP (digital service
provider). We are the infrastructure and
provide the licensing for SongTouch’s
store and Parable on the Christian side,
and also Musicland’s store and others
in the mainstream. With the other side
of our company, we created patented
technology called “Freedom” which
protects digital content. It honors the
artists and the writers of the content,
and how they want people to consume
their content.
This unique technology can basically
eradicate piracy, and it’s very
consumer/artist centric. We are now
the largest store on Ebay worldwide,
and we’re the only store on Ebay with
licenses from all major labels.
Where Christian music is concerned, what do you see coming
in the next few years?
I believe there’s going to be more
vulnerability, more honesty, more
rawness, more truths in both the core
church artist camp and the Christians
in pop culture camp. Ever yone’s
longing for truth, honesty, vulnerability
and a realness.
A Day Behind the
Scenes with Scott
5:30 Wake up/quiet time
7:40 Drive four oldest children to
school
8:30 Upon arriving at office, write,
read, e-mail
11:30 Management team call
(Passalong networks)
12:30 Lunch with a business
partner
2:00 WoW Worship A&R meeting
3:30 Drive to airport for flight to
New York
4:30 Go through security after
parking in “long term”
7:30 After flight lands, take a taxi
into Manhattan
8:00 Arrive at Edison Hotel in
Times Square
8:30 Sign up for Broadband in the
hotel and check e-mail
9:00 Walk to the theater and
catch a movie (In Her Shoes)
11:30 Read (an old Thomas Edison
biography)
Wynonna at the recent 11th Annual Inspirational Country Music Awards, broadcast live on Great American Country •
18 ccm january 06
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thewriter’sblock
by Matthew West
a little strange. After all, I’m a songwriter, not a
columnist! I dream in rhymes and melodies. Not
paragraphs and punctuation. So, this is a new
challenge for me. A new kind of song.
The thing is, I know that not everyone is
interested in songwriting. And for those of you
thinking about turning the page, hear me out on
this one. Songwriting is my voice. It’s the way I
THE SUN SHINES,
THE PAINTER
PAINTS, THE
BLUEBIRD SINGS
AND THE WRITER
WRITES.
A NEW KIND OF SONG
THIS MONTH CCM IS PLEASED TO WELCOME SINGER/SONGWRITER
MATTHEW WEST TO OUR PAGES. EACH ISSUE HE WILL BRING YOU HIS
LATEST MUSINGS AND/OR CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS (A.K.A. YOUR
FAVORITE ARTISTS AND SONGWRITERS) ABOUT THE SONGS YOU LOVE
AND THE STORIES BEHIND THEM.
have this friend. His name is Jace, and he’s 5 years old. Like most 5-year-olds, he never likes to go to
bed when it’s time. So in an effort to steal a few extra minutes, he runs up to his dad, gives him a great
big hug, and proudly declares, “Dad, I love you more than ice cream!” Jace’s dad fires back, “I love you
more than motorcycles, but you still have to go to bed!” I’ve watched my friends play this game over and
over again until finally, after squeezing in an extra 15 minutes of play time, Jace reluctantly goes off to bed.
One day while visiting my friends, I spotted a picture that Jace and his sister had painted and displayed
on the refrigerator door. I saw a bright yellow sun shining, and these words were written across the page:
“I LOVE YOU MORE THAN THE SUN!” That picture was my inspiration for the song “More.” God used that
little boy to remind me that we are all loved by our Heavenly Father more than we could ever imagine—
and that was a thought I couldn’t keep to myself. I had to share that message the only way I knew how:
by writing a song.
People approach me all the time with inquiring minds about songwriting. I hear questions such as,
“Which comes first, the lyrics or the music?” or “What’s the story behind the song?” So, I was excited
when CCM asked me to write this monthly column about songwriting. But I’ve got to be honest. This feels
I
communicate my heart and my journey of faith. I
didn’t always have this voice. In fact, I spent years
searching for something to say and the right way
to say it. But songwriting is only one of a million
voices in this world. Every single one of God’s
creations is a songwriter, in a way. The sun shines,
the painter paints, the bluebird sings and the
writer writes. We all have something to say.
So while this column will focus on songwriting,
it’s even more about finding your voice in this
world. That’s right, you have a voice too! God gave
it to you. And your life is the song you were born to
write. I hope that hanging out at “The Writer’s
Block” will help us all get a little closer to realizing
our destiny, finding our voice and writing our song.
Guess what the hardest part of writing a song
is? Getting started. Just like this column, just like
our lives… Sometimes, it’s tough just to get going.
Well, if that’s where you are today, don’t worry.
We’ll make a songwriter out of you yet. Don’t be
afraid to dive into your life with all your heart, and
ask God to help you find your voice. Your life is a
song, and the whole world is listening.
Next month, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we’ll be
talking about something I have in common with
countr y super-group Rascal Flatts—and also
finding out what makes a great love song great.
See ya next month.
Acclaimed singer/songwriter Matthew West’s latest Universal South recording, History, released in June. His songs have been recorded by Natalie Grant,
Joy Williams, Point of Grace and Rascal Flatts, among others. Matthew would like to thank his puppy, Earl “The Girl,” for her contribution to the writing of
this month’s column. She was a constant distraction, biting his pant leg and “marking her territory” in all the wrong places. Good times.
20 ccm january 06
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paulcolman’s onestowatch
Vicky Beeching
THOUGHTFUL WORSHIP
VICKY BEECHING is a singer/songwriter/worship leader from the
United Kingdom, a graduate in theology from England’s prestigious
Oxford University and a ver y good guitar player. In 2004 she
crossed the Atlantic and signed with Sparrow Records. Her debut
label release, Yesterday, Today and Forever (which
released Dec. 27), is an edgy worship record, but it’s written with
the local church at heart. Vicky is one of the official hosts of
Worship Together’s New Song Café, and remains in high demand
as a worship leader in the United States and internationally.
(See vickybeeching.com for more information.)
PAUL: I have heard you are a pretty seriously rocking guitarist. So the
guitar is not just for looks, right?
VICKY: [Laughs] No, it’s not just for looks! I love playing guitar. I got
my first electric when I was 13 and have loved playing ever since. I’m
actually a gear-junkie, always collecting new guitar pedals and trying
out amps. My house is filled with bits of guitar equipment, and I’m
always tripping over them.
PAUL: How do you feel your degree in theology from Oxford University
PAUL: Whose worship songs, when you use them to lead worship, really
contributes to your work as a worship leader?
VICKY: I loved studying what worship looked like in the Old and New
Testaments and thinking about how we can learn from that today. I hope
my time there equipped me to be a better songwriter too—I think songwriters are, in many ways, the main preachers to our media/music-based
generation. So we have a responsibility to write with much thought to our
theology as we communicate who God is to a generation of listeners…
PAUL: How is it for an English girl living in the States? Is it pretty differ-
ent from home?
VICKY: It is different, but I love it here! I do miss my family, but I’m
loving this new season of life. One recent milestone was getting my
U.S. driving permit. I had to learn to drive on the other side of the
road, with the wheel on the other side of the car… That was a serious brain-teaser for me to get my head around! I’m always facing
some new cultural adventure as I acclimate to the United States—
folks can keep up with those in my journal on vickybeeching.com.
PAUL: What inspired the title of your album, Yesterday, Today and Forever?
VICKY: “Yesterday, Today and Forever” is the title of the first track on
the album. I wrote that song after reading Hebrews 13:8, feeling
encouraged that, in a world full of change, God always remains the
same. It has been a theme song in my life during my transition to the
United States, so we felt it would be a good title for the new record too.
help you to worship as well?
VICKY: I love the UK writers: Delirious, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes. Since
coming to the United States, I’ve been loving worship albums by other
artists too—such as your good self, Mr. Paul Colman. (I love your song
“Gloria”—it rocks.) Rebecca St. James has great worship songs—
“Lamb of God,” “Song of Love”—as do Chris Tomlin and David Crowder.
PAUL: What do you do when you aren’t writing songs or leading worship?
VICKY: I have some pretty unusual hobbies. Before I got seriously into
music, I was a big fan of juggling… So, I can ride a unicycle, juggle
knives and juggle fire! It nearly gave my mum a heart attack when she
saw her young teenage daughter throwing fire-clubs around. My family
wondered if I would run away with the circus…so I think they are
delighted I chose the music route instead.
PAUL: What is your favorite verse in the Bible?
VICKY: That would be John 15:15, where Jesus calls us not just “servants”
but “friends.” It blows my mind that we can be friends of God! That’s
all I really want in life; everything else comes in second. There’s a
song on my record about it, called “Above All Else,” where the chorus
just says “Above all else, Jesus, give me Yourself.” That’s my first pursuit
in life and music, and I never want that to change.
Singer/songwriter/author Paul Colman is the former frontman for Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning act Paul
Colman Trio. His first solo project in seven years, Let It Go (Inpop), released last year to critical acclaim with its “Gloria”
single going No. 1 at Christian radio in his home country of Australia for more than 16 weeks. Colman currently tours,
speaks and performs internationally. For more information visit PaulColman.com.
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livingthemessage
by Michael Card
“When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on
the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he
stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim
special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then
died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that: a
crucifixion.” —PHILIPPIANS 2:7-8 AS PARAPHRASED IN THE MESSAGE
To Sing an Ancient Mystery
The Emperor Trajan had been waiting for a report about the troublesome
sect called Christians from one of his spies named Pliny the Younger. When
the report finally did come, the emperor was disappointed by its brevity and
lack of accusation: “They worship one Christ, whom they revere as God.”
Pliny’s brief report went on to claim that the Christians “gather early in
the morning and sing a hymn to Christ” whom they worship. Many
scholars have come to believe this is the hymn we find in Philippians 2:611. It has come to be known as the “Carmen Christi,” or “Hymn to Christ.”
Earlier Roman reports had confused the name “Christos” for “Chrestus,”
which was a common personal name given to slaves. It was an honest mistake
and an understandable one,
considering the reputation of the
Galilean Carpenter who acted more
“When the soul hears
like a slave than an anointed king. And
yet, decades later, His followers were
music, it lets down its
gathering together to sing His praise.
best guard.”
I find it touching that before this
passage ever became the topic of
theological debate, it was a simple
hymn. Before it was preached, it was sung in the darkest depths of the
catacombs. Without complicated reasoning and theological argumentation,
22 ccm january 06 ccmmagazine.com
the early believers embraced these complex, incarnational truths by means
of a simple melody.
Study: “When the soul hears music, it lets down its best guard,” Socrates
said. And so, with music those early saints sang their way to a belief in the
unbelievable. They sang an ancient mystery that we can join in singing with
them all these centuries later, if we have the courage for it. With their hearts
as well as their minds, they embraced the Incarnation of Jesus. It was a simple
song with only one verse and a chorus. Let’s look first at the verse.
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
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In the verse, two concepts were central to the life
of Jesus: humility and servanthood. Jesus “made
himself nothing” and “humbled himself,” as the early
Christians sang. He took the form of a servant,
though He might have grasped equality with God.
This was the puzzling nature of the appearance of
“God with us.” In humility, as a servant, He came to
live and die for us. God held up Jesus to the world
and said, “This is what it means to be made in My
image!” Who would ever have dreamt the image
would be that of a humble servant?
The verse closes with its focal theme, the
concept of obedience: “He humbled Himself in
obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a
cross.” This characteristic becomes the lens
through which the traits of humility and servanthood become focused in a surprising way. It is the
“twist” to the lyric that every good writer goes for.
“He became obedient,” the verse says as it comes
to a close. Not just obedience as an abstract
concept, but vividly and radically portrayed
obedience in flesh and blood: death on a cross! It
is no longer appropriate to refer to simple
obedience. From this point on we are talking
about radical obedience, which has transformed
everything, both for Jesus and for us.
After the single verse comes the chorus:
“This is truly an example of how I want to
live my life. Through this study, I am
challenged to take my walk with God to a
new level. There are so many opportunities out there to serve and to be
radically obedient. A lot of times, we want
it to be convenient for us, but God has
something different in mind. It wasn't easy
or convenient for Jesus to die on a cross for
me. Because of his obedience, I have hope
and a future in Heaven. How could I ever
repay him for that? I want to be like Jesus
in every way, and that requires radical
obedience and servanthood. I want to
have that very same attitude that Jesus had
so I can live out the life that God has called
for me to live.”
— Chrissy Conway (ZOEgirl)
THE FOLLOW-UP TO
HIS PLATINUM
SELLING DEBUT
LONG BLACK TRAIN
JOSH TURNER
YOUR MAN
9Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Though the original music was lost long ago,
today this chorus would have resolved from a minor
to a major key. Here, we move from darker ideas of
death and slavery to worship. This movement from
darkness to light is necessary in order for true
worship to happen. The concepts of the verse are
transformed from humility to exaltation and from
servanthood to Lordship. It is “radical reversal.”
The chorus opens with a telling “therefore,”
which points to the connection between the two
pairs of concepts. Observe the radical reversal
from the One who refused glory and “made
Himself nothing” to the One who is exalted to the
highest place! Remember the One who took upon
Himself the form of a servant? Now every tongue
will confess that same person as Lord. Every knee
is bowed before Him, Jesus Christ the Lord!
The ancient song paints a wonderful picture of
the Incarnation of Christ and of the powerful
process at work in the world. With one dark verse
and one brilliant chorus, we see Jesus and ourselves
in a new light. The apostle Paul was giving the
Philippian Christians more than a picture of
Christ. He was suggesting servanthood and radical
obedience as a pattern for their lives—and for ours.
Paul made his point clear by one simple
introductory phrase in verse 5: “You must have the
same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” Jesus’ life
demonstrated what it meant for us to be created in
the image of God (or rather, re-created).
As we sing to the glory of Christ, we are
changed into His image. Humble servants who,
through our obedience, will someday be glorified
and exalted, for Jesus promised, "He who humbles
himself will be exalted.” And “Whoever desires to
become great among you, let him be your
servant.” That process, which was so powerfully
seen in the life of Jesus, is at work in our own lives
as well! The way is humility, servanthood and
radical obedience; people like Trajan and Pliny
and so many in our own day could never understand.
11 NEW SONGS
Commit: Servanthood,
humility and
radical obedience: These are the defining
characteristics of the Incarnation of Jesus. But these
are also the attitudes we are to display to the world.
Are you ready, am I, to boldly sing this ancient
song so the world can hear? Moreover, are we
ready to become true servants to our Servant Lord?
“YOUR MAN”
“ME AND GOD”
INCLUDES
AND
AVAILABLE JANUARY 24 AT
Michael Card is an award-winning scholar, musician and radio broadcaster
who resides in Franklin, Tennessee. His latest book and study guide, titled A Sacred
Sorrow, deal with the painful circumstances surrounding the lives of Job, David,
Jeremiah and Jesus, circumstances that provoked these men into a unique song of
worship. Visit MichaelCard.com for more information.
© 2006 MCA Nashville, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
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CCM_01.06_Passion.v4
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)
(
LOUD
Our Love is
Photos By kaysie dorsey
Inside a vast ice hockey arena in downtown Toronto, shifting spotlights illuminate a sea of hands
reaching toward heaven. The crowd roars as the words of a familiar song flash onto a huge screen, and
the walls practically throb with the adrenaline-charged rock music pouring from the stage. Moments
later a man named Louie Giglio takes the stage, and the crowd slowly quiets as he begins to talk about
“a generation united for His renown.”
An unusual setup for a sports stadium? Not really. Since 1997, more than 500,000 college students have flocked to similar venues
for just such an evening—a Passion modern worship conference. While Passion has many facets—Passion Worship CDs, the OneDay
gatherings, sixstepsrecords, and the 268 Declaration—it all hinges on the conferences themselves and an almost inseparable entity:
its music. And the side effects? They’ve been astounding; not the least of which is the global reach of this community’s songs.
Passion’s worship leaders have given evangelical, charismatic and Catholic churches around the world new classics such as “Better
is One Day,” “Holy is the Lord,” “Blessed be Your Name,” “Indescribable,” “How Great is Our God” and others.
Now, as we draw close to the 10-year anniversary of Passion’s inception, we are asking its founder and leader, Louie
Giglio , to tell us the story of how it all began. Janet Chismar , meanwhile, connects with Passion’s two most highprofile worship leaders, David Crowder and Chris Tomlin, to reflect on Passion’s history and, personally, on the brotherhood they’ve
established through years of leading worship for it. Join us to find out what it’s all about as CCM celebrates 10 years of Passion.
24 ccm january 06
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For His Name and Renown
By Louie Giglio
Over lunch at a college retreat in 1995, a professor at Florida State University asked
if I had heard of the CIRP [Cooperative Institutional Research Program] Survey.
Hearing my passion for students, he thought I’d be interested in the findings of this
national gauge of collegiate life. Later that day I was holding in my hands the 1994
survey results, and I couldn’t believe my eyes.
While not religious in nature, the survey poses two spiritual questions, one of
which asks, “Do you consider yourself a born-again Christian?” I like the question
because it’s more pointed than the innocuous options, “Are you a Christian?” or “Do
you believe in God?” Of the quarter-million incoming freshman and transfer students
who took the survey in 1994, almost 80 percent responded, “No.”
I was stunned. It wasn’t that I hadn’t seen firsthand the desperate spiritual
climate on the college campus, but suddenly my heart was captivated by the reality
that there were more than 16 million college students across the nation. Sure, the
CIRP Survey number only represented incoming students, but if extrapolated to
include all students, over 13 million would awaken that day without an intimate
relationship with the God who created them to know Him.
Somewhere in that moment, the “tipping point” happened for my wife, Shelley, and
me. Our vision for university students, which for 10 years had been focused primarily
on one campus, began to rapidly expand to encompass the campuses of the nation.
But how do you alter such a staggering reality? How do you change the tide on
the campuses of the nation?
Honestly, we had no answers, but several streams were converging in our lives,
and we sensed that God was birthing something new. For one, a protracted family
illness caused us to extract ourselves from a vibrant ministry among the students
at Baylor University and relocate to Atlanta to help with the care of my dad. Yet,
before our transition was complete he was gone, leaving us both grieving and
wondering how we could have missed God’s timing in it all.
But in these turbulent days God was stirring (vision is often linked to adversity
and struggle). And then, a picture came. In late June 1995, I was sitting next to the
window, on the two-seat side of a Delta flight home. Without warning, I no
longer saw the magazine in my hands, but a huge gathering of students. Not
some, but many, many college students on their knees, crying out to God in
worship. My sense was that they were pleading for their generation, asking for
help, for rescue, for more. I didn’t have a clue when or where, but I felt in an
instant that I was to give my life for such a gathering.
After carrying the vision quietly for a season, Shelley and I both knew that
God was repositioning us for something new. Our core overseers felt the
same, and soon we were asking God, “What does this mean? How do we fit
into Your plan?”
In the months that followed, massive spiritual formation rocked our hearts
as a clarifying, God-centered way of living was reshaping our lives. More than
ever we were awakening to the reality that life is all about Him, determining
afresh to live our lives for His fame, and calling a generation to do the same.
While speaking at a collegiate conference in Little Rock, a friend pointed
me to Isaiah 26:8, a verse that exploded in my heart the moment I read it. Its
confession embodied everything we were sensing about this vision that
breathed Passion to life. And more than a decade later, Passion is still firmly
rooted in this truth, the end of which reads, “For Your name and Your renown
are the desire of our souls.”
Though we weren’t sure where to begin, a gathering for God’s renown was
what we were after. We settled on the name Passion after one of our early
team members discovered this refining definition: Passion is the degree of
difficulty we are willing to endure to accomplish the goal. For us, Passion is
about more than enthusiasm and emotion; it is an eager willingness to do
whatever necessary to make the name of Jesus known in the whole world.
In 1996, we united a dozen like-minded collegiate ministry leaders from
across the country and, with their help, invited students to Passion’s inaugural
gathering, January 1-4, 1997, in Austin, Texas. We were blown away when
2,000 students showed up and were completely floored by what we
experienced together. The days of Passion ’97 were potent, spawning the 268
Generation and such a buzz that over 5,000 returned a year later, mostly
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based on word of mouth from friends. (In the decade
that has followed, Passion has been face to face with
over 500,000 students across the nation).
With just a handshake, we agreed with a division
of EMI (Star Song) to record the worship at Passion
’98. Though we had a handful of independent
worship projects behind us, we had no idea a tidal
wave of worship recordings was coming, nor that
Passion Worship was about to circle the globe.
Interestingly, our focus was not to make and sell
records, but to simply be in the presence of God.
That’s still our aim.
The early Passion Worship Band paved the way for
a new wave of lead worshippers (Charlie Hall, David
Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman and others), but
in the end it’s more of a family approach we’re after.
Our real concern is that we keep the spotlight on the
face of Christ. At the end of the day, the Passion
movement is about far more than worship CDs. At our
core is a Glorious Savior, and a theological bent that
gladly pushes Him to the center of everything.
Our journey has been humbling, with many
amazing images etched in our minds. I can still see
the female student in 1997, standing alone as I was
sharing the vision of a generation living for God’s
fame at a campus meeting of over 1,000. As I talked
about “renown” and a generation that would echo the
greatness of God from north, south, east and west,
she stood and began to clap...all by herself. It was
one of those tense moments when people didn’t
quite know what to do, and no one else joined in. But
she continued, standing and clapping alone, one
heart ringing true with the invitation to live for the only
thing that really matters.
I don’t know where she is today, but she is what
Passion is all about, a growing army who has tasted
and seen that He is good and joined the movement
for His renown.
The Noise
We Make
By Janet Chismar
Ask Chris Tomlin and David Crowder about it, and
they’ll tell you it’s way more than just a job. The two
worship leaders, serving year after year at Passion
conferences worldwide, genuinely care about the
students who attend. Phrases such as “We are a
family,” “There’s a real friendship” and “The motive is
pure” echo through their conversation—without
sounding clichéd or rehearsed.
Both musicians could rattle off a long list of hits
and successful tours, if they so desired. And Tomlin’s
latest album, Arriving, and Crowder’s new A Collision
CD are each respective artist’s fastest-selling album
to date. However, neither seems to care. Sure, they
love what they do, and their musical careers reflect
their talent. But Tomlin and Crowder count the time
spent with Passion musicians, speakers and students
as a “God thing”—totally “unique.”
Oh, we tried to avoid that word. Most writing
guides will tell you it is overused. Crowder, the
consummate wordsmith, spoke it only after searching
for another adjective. In the end though, having
witnessed many aspects of the Christian music
experience, these guys consider it a valid description
of what makes Passion so special.
“There’s such uniqueness with Passion,” says
Crowder, whose fall leg of the “A Collision Tour” saw
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23 dates sell out. “I try to put my finger on the
difference between this and every other conference,
and I truly believe it’s this invisible thing that you can’t
see.” He shares that each person who is a part of
Passion focuses on putting God at the center of
things. “We all want students to absorb the reality of
God’s centrality. I think our motivation has kept
Passion on top of water—floating—and people find
relief and rescue in it.”
Viewing Passion as an observer as well as a
participant, Crowder thinks its enduring success is
inextricably linked with putting God first. “People walk
away from these events genuinely feeling that
they have encountered God and have therefore
readjusted their lives.” He feels that is a “unique”
thing within our culture. “Most of our culture—
even our articulation of the Christian faith—is very
self-centered. Most of Passion’s mission is to
dismantle that.”
Passion has also dismantled Crowder’s selfdescribed cynicism. For most of the year, he works in
a collegiate setting where he encounters students
who have grown up in the church. However, these
students seemingly want to discard their faith when
they get to college and escape parental control.
“I’m at a church where we spend most of our time
and energy trying to collect students who have been
scarred or hurt by the church and carry a lot of
baggage,” Crowder explains. “These folks are, for the
most part, outside of Christian culture. So I had a lot
of cynicism about the church, and that’s part of why I
stumbled in and found myself part of this community
as well.”
Louie Giglio, the founder and leader of Passion,
helped Crowder see the church and Christian culture
in a different light—“a light that’s been really healthy
for me.” In describing his relationship with Giglio,
Crowder says it goes beyond “a similar heartbeat for
students” to a true friendship that has sustained
each person who has been a part of Passion for so
long. It’s more than just association through ministry,
but this “really beautiful family relationship.”
Crowder has nothing but admiration for Giglio’s
character: “Here’s this guy in the driver’s seat for
these events, and he’s just been really generous with
the speaking platform. He’s carried this whole deal
very delicately and respectfully, and he continues to
give the thing to God.” According to Crowder, the
things surrounding Passion—such as business
aspects and promotion—are “as pure as could
possibly be.” Every time a conference is done,
Crowder wishes Giglio had spoken longer: “The way
he communicates is art. He has a real grasp of
oration, and it’s always an event in my head because
it is just like watching somebody paint. You don’t
really know what it is going to be until the end of it.”
Each year, pulling together the band of busy
musicians and speakers proves challenging. “There’s
always busyness within scheduling, so I think it’s
something pretty deep that keeps us carving out
space,” Crowder acknowledges. “We’re doing our
own stuff for most of the year and just have these
small windows of being together. Yet, that’s what we
look forward to most—being with the other bands
and Louie and their whole gang. It’s really this little
family that has erupted. You get to be in the same
space as these people that you really love a lot.”
While Crowder is a cornerstone of Passion’s
worship, if you have worshiped at church recently, you
likely have sung at least one song written by Chris
Chris Tomlin
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Tomlin: “Forever,” ‘We Fall Down” and “The Wonderful Cross,” to name just a
few. And you can thank the Passion movement, as Tomlin does. “I’ve gotten
to be a part of Passion from the start, and it’s been a real special thing for
me. It has been the platform God has given me and used to get my songs out
beyond my little world of just going and playing.”
Because the Texas native has participated in Passion from the start, he
understands why decisions are made. ”The motives are so pure,” Tomlin
emphasizes. “The guys really are about God being at the center and the glory
of God. It’s not about financial gain; it’s not about how we can make the
biggest dollar. Just the opposite.” The team agonizes about how to make the
greatness of God visible in their lives. “I am so drawn to that,” Tomlin says.
“We want to see college students come to the realization of a God-centered
life, and I want to be a part of it as long as I can.”
Reflecting on Passion’s longevity, Tomlin again points to motive. “I can’t
judge anybody else’s motive—I don’t know anybody else’s motive—but I know
that Passion is about getting the grace of God out to the world. I think God
honors that, and He’s been propelling it.”
He also uses the word “unique.” There are “not a lot of things that are
solely for college students in terms of worship. It is unique in the sense that
it is very specific and very targeted. College students feel like, ‘Wow, this is
our thing. This is the one thing that is ours.’”
In addition, Passion transcends denominational boundaries in a way that
Tomlin admires. “It is very uniting. I see everyone from the most charismatic
people to Catholics, and for some reason, God has allowed Passion to stay in
the middle of so many flavors of Christianity. That’s what’s amazing about it. I
think that’s been a real gift from God—to allow people to be comfortable no
matter what stream they come from.”
Then there is the music. “The beautiful thing is, we never even set out to
make CDs,” Tomlin admits. “That just happened through a crazy relationship
in 1998 between Louie and a record executive who asked if he could
record us.”
According to Tomlin, the team prayed after the first Passion conference:
“How can we get this message to as many people as possible? God, will you
make a way?” God answered by getting the music out in a recorded live
project. “It was a great surprise,” says Tomlin. “I think most of Nashville
thought it was going to flop. We didn’t have any idea what would happen, and
God started using those CDs in incredible ways all over the world.” The
recordings sprung from “‘a God idea,’” he adds. “It definitely wasn’t a
marketing idea or publishing idea.”
In his own life, Tomlin has gone “the deepest I’ve gone with the Lord”
through Passion. He says the teachings have served as a catalyst and spurred
him on in his faith. “The conferences awakened me to the fact that God is the
center of all things. I was going along pretty well as a normal American,
thinking that everything revolved around me. Passion stopped me in my tracks
and made me realize that this life does revolve around God. He’s huge,
massive, and I want to put my life in His hands. Passion has been a major
awakening moment to that truth for me.”
Tomlin credits the friendship among the participants for his own sustained
involvement and the longevity of the movement. “Louie is one of my closest
friends in life. He mentored me and believed in me from the start. That has
had a huge impact. He’s someone who has come along and has not only been
a friend, but really believed God was going to do something through my music.”
In describing his relationship with David Crowder, that pesky word unique
slips out one last time: “David and I have a unique relationship in the sense
that we both want the best for each other. You may think, ‘Well, that’s normal.’
But I don’t know if it is that normal because people are so competitive with
each other. I really feel like the beautiful thing about being part of our little
family is that it is a family. When one succeeds, the rest succeed. I am just so
proud of what David is doing, and I feel like he continues to cut through molds
and blaze his own trail, and I love that.”
But for Tomlin, the bottom line rests with the audience. “People are so
ready to engage. It’s usually a crowd of hungry, hungry people. I wish that
everybody could come get a dose. I wish church was like that—people ready
to give something of themselves; ready to hear; ready to respond. There is
nothing else in the rest of the year that comes close to Passion.” ccm
For more information on Passion, visit 268generation.com.
28 ccm january 06
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Louie Giglio
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(
The
Family
Portrait
As founder and director of Passion and sixstepsrecords, Louie Giglio leads conferences
all over the nation, and is a lauded author and speaker. Giglio’s original vision continues
to shape Passion’s future: “to gather college students from campuses and churches
across the nation, uniting them across ministry and denominational lines to seek the face of God
together in worship and prayer. Affirming and valuing the work of local churches and campus
ministries, Passion seeks to foster unity and connectivity among them, encouraging them to draw
strength and encouragement from each other, resulting in a louder anthem of God’s renown.”
In addition to David Crowder and Chris Tomlin, the lead worshippers most associated with
Passion conferences are Charlie Hall and Matt Redman. Shane [Everett] & Shane [Barnard], and
Nathan & Christy Nockels; and speakers/authors John Piper and Beth Moore round out the core
Passion “family.”
MATT REDMAN often is credited with helping to spark the modern worship movement. Over the
past decade, his songs have become familiar anthems of churches across the globe — classics
such as “The Heart of Worship,” “Better is One Day” and “Let Everything that Has Breath.”
Redman, like Chris Tomlin, received his first Dove Award last year. “It’s a massive privilege,” says
Redman, “but that’s what the songs are for. First and foremost they’re my expression to God, and
secondly I hope they’ll help the church engage with God in worship. I try to write passionately, but
in terms that are general enough for people to attach their own stories to.”
Busy as the worship pastor at Bridgeway Community in Oklahoma City, Okla., CHARLIE HALL
nonetheless continues to carve out time for Passion conferences and has performed on all the
recordings thus far. Hall’s new solo album, Flying Into Daybreak, releases on the 24th of this
month. Having shaped a generation of worshippers with songs such as “Give Us Clean Hands”
and “Salvation,” the voice many have come to know on nearly one million Passion records radiates
genuine beauty and joy on this original collection. But his deepest desire, says Hall, is to
“encourage the church to worship at a heart level, calling Christians to return to their first love.”
Having met while attending Texas A&M University, SHANE [EVERETT] & SHANE [BARNARD]
share the common “passion” of their teammates for college students. They have served as
worship leaders for church events, youth camps and are regular worship leaders for Breakaway
Ministries, a weekly Christian fellowship meeting at Texas A&M. Both Shanes put out a few indie
albums before teaming up and later signing with Inpop Records. Their message is that God is the
best and knowing Him and living our lives for Him is the best for us.
After being heavily involved in the Passion gatherings and CDs for several years, it only seems
natural that NATHAN AND CHRISTY NOCKELS—also known as the duo Watermark—would be
worship-focused in their recorded efforts. That is how they first began their musical ministry.
Christy explains, “Nathan and I started leading worship together 10 years ago at our church in
Oklahoma with Nathan’s best friend, Charlie Hall, and his wife, Kimber.” Before long, the Nockels
were given the opportunity to move to Houston to lead worship every Monday night for 2,000
young adults. While the Nockels will continue to record and lead worship together, they are bringing
their tenure as Watermark to an end. Watermark Live: A Grateful People (Rocketown), the duo’s
farewell album, is slated to release March 1 in conjunction with 12 farewell concerts in the spring.
Although JOHN PIPER has been the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis for more
than 20 years, he is best known as the author of Don’t Waste Your Life, Desiring God, God’s
Passion for His Glory, The Supremacy of God in Preaching and many others. World
magazine listed his The Pleasures of God as one of the century’s top 100 books. At the
Passion conferences, Piper challenges college students to stand for Christ and live
extraordinary lives.
“I can tell you that I’ve rarely been a part of anything I was more certain God could use to change
a generation,” says BETH MOORE, author and a popular Passion speaker. Moore founded Living
Proof Ministries in Houston back in 1994 with the purpose of teaching women how to love and
live on God’s Word. She has written numerous books and Bible studies, including Breaking Free,
Believing God, and When Godly People Do Ungodly Things. J.C.
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Beautiful
Days
By:
Andrea
Bailey
last month’s issue of CCM, we selected Sara Groves’ new disc, Add to the Beauty (INO), as our choice for
“Album of the Year.” And while we’re not at liberty to mail each and every one of you a copy, we can point
you in the right direction. It all starts with the artist herself…
IN
WHEN YOU FIRST SHAKE SARA GROVES’ HAND, you’re sure you’ve met her
somewhere before. She reminds you of your best friends from college with her
puma sneakers, hoodie, wispy ponytail and petite frame. Over lunch she
munches on Thai food, articulately discusses the book she’s reading about
international justice and asks if you’ve heard of this great new
singer/songwriter named Ray Lamontagne. Later, as you’re saying goodbye, you
find you have the urge to hug her and say, “We should hang out sometime!” But
then you remember she’s leaving tomorrow to join Jars of Clay, Chris Rice and
author Donald Miller on a 24-city tour. And you realize you probably feel so oddly
close to her because—well, to listen to her music is to see inside her soul.
“It’s such a reflection of where I am,” Groves agrees, “and that’s so
moveable or always changing, morphing…”
Honest, heart-to-heart music has been Groves’ trademark since a record
called Conversations (INO) officially introduced the world to the homegrownMinnesota-schoolteacher-turned-artist in 2001. She’d already released an
independent CD leading to multiple signing offers, but Groves and her husband,
Troy (who’s also her manager), were patient until their ministry/artistry clicked
with INO Records. Featuring pure, Sarah McLachlan-esque vocals and
unabashed lyrics such as “Right now I don't hear so well/And I was wondering if
you could speak up/I know that you tore the veil/so I could sit with you in person
and hear what you're saying/but right now I just can't hear you” (“Hello God”),
Conversations was hailed by critics for its brilliant songwriting and established
Groves an immediate, devoted fan base. It also catapulted her into the role of
mentor/hero to emerging artists such as Bethany Dillon.
“SARA IS THE KIND OF ARTIST I COULD LISTEN TO EVERY DAY FOR THE REST OF MY
life and, honestly, never grow tired of,” says Dillon. “The other day there was
something hanging over our house—just heaviness—and I went over and put
on Conversations, and it totally changed the atmosphere in the room. Her
music welcomes Jesus into a room without it seeming forced or contrived…
There’s such a sweet brokenness and honesty in her music that makes you
want to live like that and see the Christ-ward life like she does.”
Artists in the new school aren’t the only ones who have come to “truly
appreciate the depth and heart of Sara’s artistry,” as Jars of Clay lead singer Dan
Haseltine puts it. “I’m a fan of both her music and the heart and passion behind
it.” If you, yourself, are a fan of Conversations, or 2002’s All Right Here, or 2004’s
The Other Side of Something, you’ve waited on pins and needles for Groves’ muchanticipated fourth studio record, Add to the Beauty. You’re expecting the familiar
poetic thoughtfulness and stark realism, and the feeling that you’re reading letters
from a friend or, perhaps, she is reading your letters in her songs.
And you aren’t disappointed. But something’s happened since the last time
you heard her. A quiet change has taken place. As a result, Sara’s music—
once more melancholy in nature—is now more defined by hope and joy.
“I hadn’t felt that sense of redemption [for awhile],” Groves says in
hindsight. “I was feeling like, ‘I’m not changing; no one around me is changing.
Can people really change?’ There’s just a lot of bad news… I was really fixated
on the chaos and on sorrow and despair in a lot of ways.”
Whether you’ve seen hardship in your own life and the lives around you, or
you’ve switched on the news lately and wanted to shut your eyes, you can
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probably relate to the questions Groves brought before
God: “Where are you?” “Where have you been?” and
“How can you be good and yet these things happen?”
“His overwhelming response to me,” she says,
“has been through redemption, through the lives of
people redeemed, and then through my own life
redeemed, and through recognizing the small
redemption in a million little places in my life. My
shutting down and my fear and fixation on the bad
news were kind of not allowing me to see.”
AND SEEING HAS MEANT BELIEVING FOR GROVES,
who has seen God actively at work in her friends’
lives during the past year. One dear friend was on
drugs, living on the streets of Kansas City with her
boyfriend. One day, she got up and knew that was all
she would ever be if she didn’t leave her boyfriend.
So she did. “To walk away from something when
there’s nothing else there, that’s a bravery that goes
unnamed a lot of times,” Groves says.
She’s also watched another friend stick with her
husband through an extramarital affair and have
two more children together. “It’s not instant, it’s not
ultra-miraculous healing. It’s waking up each day,
making hard choices, [doing the] small things.”
Seeing this has moved Groves to a new
understanding that while life’s always going to be a
struggle, there’s something good, true and beautiful
happening—something worth fighting for.
“…I feel like for the first time, maybe in a
different way, I’m not a skeptic anymore… I used to
kind of always take a stance of, ‘We’re always in
this grime, and maybe God’s going to help us.’
And if there’s any difference on this album and in
this message, it’s that, yeah, we’re always
fighting the good fight… But I feel like
something broke loose in me… I feel more
hopeful now about those skirmishes, and more
hopeful about the fruit of it. I feel like the fruit
is good, and the Kingdom is good, and what He
promised us is real… It’s written in your heart,
and it’s doable to actually have fruits of the
Spirit and the Spirit of God resonating in your
marriage and in your family and in your life.”
This awareness prompted Groves to write the
lyric “Redemption comes in strange places and small
spaces,” on the album’s title track. Another song,
“Rewrite This Tragedy,” her favorite on the record,
also has roots in the idea of redemption being
manifested in our broken lives.
“I feel like I finally quit [relying on my own strength]
in many areas of my life and said, ‘“Lord, you know.
You write this. I can’t write this any better. I can’t
change my patterns. I can’t change my cycles. I keep
coming back to the same junk…’ I feel like God has
really rewritten my life in some amazingly brilliant ways.”
If you listen closely, all the tracks on Add to the
Beauty are tied together by this redemptive
element, a response to Groves’ former skepticism.
“They all tie back to The Other Side of Something. If
you were to play ‘Like a Skin’ from [that album]—‘It
feels like I’ve been waking up only to fight with the
same old stuff/change is flowing/it fills me with such
doubt/come on new man/where have you been/help
me wriggle from the self I’m in/and leave it like a skin
upon the ground’—you could then go and play
‘Something Changed Inside Me.’ It’s my answer to
‘Like a Skin,’ this feeling I’ve had that people just
can’t change. And the realization that not only have
other people changed around me, but I’ve changed.”
GROVES TAKES THIS INWARD SHIFT ONE STEP FURTHER
by exploring the concept of “add to the beauty,” the
phrase she uses to describe the works God has
32 ccm january 06
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prepared in advance for us to do. Adding to the
beauty is “the Kingdom coming. It’s a little brick.
It’s a little mortar,” she says. “Now then, how do we
live with this change in our lives, with this divine
rewriting that’s taken place? What’s this thing that
God’s set me here to do because it’s not just to
groom my personal faith all my life. I’ve grown up
much of my life grooming my own faith. In the
American church, we are so good at that. We’ve got
the ultimate worship experience… We’ve got every
resource under the sun to perfect our personal
devotional life, and now what? You don’t go to
school to keep going to school. You go to school to
then go do something.”
For such a deeply personal album, Groves needed
a producer who would help her capture the essence
of her piano-driven sound. Her friend Charlie
Peacock (Switchfoot, Nichole Nordeman), who had
co-produced the elaborate The Other Side of
Something, recommended Sara return to a
Conversations feel for this next album. “You’re a
mom and pop store. People trust you,” he told her.
While Groves knew she couldn’t go back thematically,
she did “feel a compulsion to take beautiful pictures
of the songs, not to prop anything up.” The two of
I laughed, I cried, and by the time this goes to print,
I will have ordered the T-shirt!”
The combination of teaming with Bannister and
pursuing new songwriting collaborations stretched
Groves beyond anything she’s ever done. “Ed Cash
was my counselor/cowriter,’ she relates as she
reflects on her cowriting experiences. “For me,
getting to songs is such a personal unearthing of
things. Peter Gabriel has a song called ‘Digging in
the Dirt.’ It’s all about…digging in the dirt…this
introspective thing, and for me, songwriting is like
that. [With] Gordon Kennedy…I was in awe. I was
kind of quiet that whole time because I was pretty
star-struck… He just laid out these gems, these
ideas [for] the bridge from ‘Loving a Person.’ And
then Matt Bronlewee was just a ball. We just talked
for two hours and then in 30 minutes wrote ‘Add to
the Beauty.’” As a result, Groves says her writing
has improved and her songs benefited. “I’d love to
do it again!”
GIFTED BY THESE NEW THOUGHTS AND PROCESSES,
Add to the Beauty is a landmark album for her. “I
finally scratched an itch that I’ve been trying to
get… I did it—I used the least church language I’ve
ever used and yet made the clearest declaration of
faith I’ve made in my career. And to me, that’s a
goal I’ve been striving for, to speak to people’s
hearts, not to their culture, not to their church
background, but… I want Eve and Adam to be able
to listen to this album under the tree and say, ‘Isn’t
that true? Isn’t that the thing?’”
Her joy is contagious, the joy of a friend who’s
“ finally scratched an itch that I’ve been
trying to get… I did it—I used the
least church language I’ve ever used
and yet made the clearest declaration of
faith I’ve made in my career.”
I
them started tossing around names of other
producers, and she felt an immediate tickle when
Peacock suggested his one-time mentor Brown
Bannister (MercyMe, The Afters). Bannister had
produced several of Groves’ all-time favorite albums,
including many by the hero of her youth, Amy Grant.
“When my husband Troy and I met with Brown, it felt
like a great fit. What Charlie had said about Brown
was, ‘You can’t find a better song photographer than
him.’ And that’s exactly what happened. He has an
amazing sense for the songs. He doesn’t come at it
with a preconceived idea of what it’s going to be. He
comes at it kind of wondering, ‘What does this song
want to be?’…He was very transparent as a producer;
he wanted my input.”
“Every word, every note, every texture, every
musical stroke is so important to Sara,” Bannister
says, “not because she is a control freak, but
because she cares so deeply that every aspect of
the recording should be a servant to the revelation
and truth that God has given her to communicate.
It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to guess how
refreshing it is to work with an artist like this.
figured out that nagging worry, found a new kind of
peace and reached out and given some of it to you.
Looking toward the future, Groves acknowledges
a new opportunity to come alongside other artists
and offer her example. Though she calls herself “an
uneasy mentor,” she’s struck by the fact that she’s
been making music for eight years now. “It doesn’t
take long to grow up on someone’s music,” she
says with a laugh. “I am excited and nervous
because…even in myself I’ve been mentored by so
many—Jars of Clay, their action from afar, watching
their work with Blood:Water Mission. And then
Charlie and Andi [Peacock]—I hope that I’m a
Charlie and an Andi in Minneapolis because I’ll tell
you what, they’ve influenced so many people, and
they bring the Kingdom alive in so many cool ways.”
What else might the future hold for her, Troy and
their two little boys? Groves isn’t sure, but she’s
OK with that. “I feel very positive these days. I feel
very aware of good news these days. I feel very
aware that God is up to something and that I get
to be a part of it, and these are exciting times to
be alive.” ccm
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theLEADof
LOV
BY:
DAVID A.
JENISON
of
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S
ometimes an artist just needs a change of pace. Derek Webb, who
for many years performed before huge crowds as a member of
Caedmon’s Call, now opts for more intimate shows as a solo
artist. This inspired the Texas native to do a “house” tour in 2004
in which fans piled into homes for a community-style performance.
Webb, who’s signed to INO Records, captured this magic on his live The
House Show CD which he released independently. He admits the close-knit
settings often spurred stressful moments, and not just from raided
refrigerators and overflowing toilets.
“I didn’t have a PA, so sometimes it ended up breaking loose,” says the
singer. “One night during the Q&A time, a guy stood up and tried to take over
with some pretty crazy beliefs. It was difficult to pull it back together, but I
said, ‘You and I can talk about this after the show, but this is not your moment
to try and convince everyone.’”
On that particular night, the outspoken attendee steered a discussion
about honesty into a monologue about perfection. He said he hadn’t
committed any sins in x number of years and quoted “bizarre scriptures” for
about eight minutes. The man (who’s apparently not married if he still thinks
he’s perfect) finally had to be cut off.
“I said, ‘Man, if you say you haven’t sinned, I’ll do my best to believe you,
but I’m not going to let you tell everyone in this room that they aren’t
believers,’” recalls Webb. “We ended up having a good conversation in the
front yard, but he was belligerent about being right.”
Webb gave the man an extended one-on-one conversation, whereas most
artists would rather let their tour managers beat the man's head with a
hardbound Concordance. In essence, this epitomizes the singer's personal
touch that comes through both in concert and on his albums, most notably
with his latest, Mockingbird.
The new studio album, which released December 26, is his third for INO,
coming on the heels of 2003’s She Must and Shall Go Free and 2004’s
I See Things Upside Down.
Mockingbird gets very personal as Webb skillfully reevaluates many
commonly held beliefs while challenging the listener to consider new ideas
about morality.
“I think Derek has delivered his best record to date,” says Jeff Moseley,
president of INO Records. “I am a huge fan of the way he challenges our
suppositions and makes us take a new look at the cultural trappings of
Christianity. Mockingbird is a watershed recording that will raise eyebrows and
evoke passionate conversation. I am proud to work with an artist that does not
shy away from examining the ‘sacred cows’ through the lens of Jesus’ teachings.”
In doing so, Webb frames ethical discussions around proactive moral
imperatives in a time when so many people limit the discussion to “don't” lists.
“Poverty is a moral issue, and it goes right to the heart of the dignity of
human beings and treating people as image bearers of our Creator,” says
Webb, citing an example of proactive morality. “We know that ten percent of
the world's population lives in Sub-Saharan Africa and that 50 percent of
them live in poverty. For people to live in these conditions, especially in a time
of such tremendous resources and technology, is just unacceptable.”
At the end of the day, with Mockingbird Webb hopes to show the other side
to a discussion that he believes is often too narrowly framed. For example,
many believers will talk about a new kingdom in which there’s no hunger, but
Webb wants to encourage people to proclaim the kingdom now by putting food
in a hungry person’s mouth.
He explains, “You spend two years talking about one side of the gospel
coin, the coming of Jesus, but there is the other side that people often forget,
the coming of His kingdom. There will be no injustice, no hunger, no disease,
no war and no poverty, and all things will be made right. But the way we
proclaim that kingdom is by putting our hands into the making right of all
things. If you see someone with a disease, proclaim a kingdom with no
disease by caring for that person and providing life-saving drugs. I would like
to think that is what St. Francis meant when he said, “Go into the world and
proclaim the gospel, and if necessary, use words.’”ccm
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listening in...
Donald Miller &
Robbie Seay
If the name Donald Miller rings a bell, it’s because when
someone mentions Blue Like Jazz, you suddenly go, “Oh,
yeah!” The immensely popular writer and speaker is a
special favorite in the artistic community, and a current
tour billing with Jars of Clay, Sara Groves and Chris Rice
has enmeshed him even more deeply in the world of
Christian music. And while he’s trekking across the
country to shows, he’d probably tell you The Robbie Seay
Band’s Better Days (Sparrow) provides the greatest road
trip music ever. Seay and Miller enjoy a friendship and
mutual fandom that extends to Miller’s involvement in
Seay’s brother Chris’ new book, Faith of My Fathers
(Zondervan). Join us as we listen in on their thoughtprovoking conversation.
From left: Donald Miller, Robbie Seay
Donald: Your record [Better Days (Sparrow)] has been incredible for me with this
trip across the country…I think I listened to it, the old recording of it…for about two
months. Basically, it’s hard to believe the record isn’t about a road trip, about
traveling across the country just figuring stuff out, but I guess I’m projecting. Tell
me something. This is your first record, but how did it come to be? Where does it
come from?
Robbie: Yeah, and Chris, my brother, started that church in Waco with David
[Crowder], and actually, after my freshman year, we were all a part of that beginning
of the church there; and I was a guest for a few years in Crowder’s band—it was less
of a formal band thing. It was a bunch of us trying to figure out “What the heck does
this all look like?” We played music. But definitely, he was and is a big influence on
me. And all the band guys, we’re connected in some way.
Robbie: I think from a lot of different places; it’s probably a lot like when people
ask you about books, like, “Hey, where did that begin?” It is funny because the
record…a lot of it really does reference getting in the car, or, if it’s not your car,
maybe it’s something different for a lot of people, but for me it was driving and
finding a place of peace and some kind of solitude and really exposing yourself to
God, kind of opening yourself up. Probably a lot of the songs do come from that. I
think it is cool because I do know a lot of people who do drive and listen to the
album, and it has become the unofficial road trip band or something… And
obviously it came from our community here; and you’ve been part of that and kind
of know where some of our roots are very deep. Any lyric, good or bad, that comes
out of us is connected to them.
Donald: What’s the difference between being an independent artist—you guys had
sort of an underground CD going around that everybody was loving…and then you
signed and started traveling on big tours and [feeling] the pressure to write a new
record… And you feel out of the closet as a professional artist and that sort of
thing. What’s the difference, do you think?
Donald: How’s it been traveling with David Crowder and those guys?
Robbie: Wonderful! …We did thirty-five shows on the tour. People would ask if we
Robbie: There are a lot of small things that change. With logistics… What does it
mean to make a record? And the kind of freedoms that you enjoyed maybe aren’t
there. People have questioned me on this—as if I’m lying to them—but there hasn’t
been a ton of difference… Obviously, we’re a little busier. We’re in Nashville a little
more, and some of that mystique of just being on your own is gone.
Have you felt like that too? Your life has changed a bunch in the last couple years,
and so many more people, especially in this little world that we semi-reside in, know
about you… Do you feel like some of that mystique is gone?
were enjoying it, and my response was always, “If I can’t enjoy this deal here, then
I need to find a job.” The people are good. The people are beautiful people and
friends. It’s bigger than just a Christian concert in some random city… We love the
Crowder band. We love Shane & Shane. I don’t know if we’ll ever get a trip like that
again. That’s a pretty special thing, and I think that will always set the bar in a lot
of ways.
Donald: Yeah, a little bit. There’s so much more pressure, you know, and it gets
kind of crazy. And I’m a year away from being able to have free time. That part is
a pain. But there are people reading [my] book [laughs]. It’s great… It’s impossible
to complain about it, and if you did, you should be shot…
Donald: A lot of people don’t know how you guys all know each other. You all went
Robbie: Do you give much thought to Christian culture in general in this country, and
then specifically, your role in it now? And then what your role—and other writers similar
to you—would be in shaping its direction?
to the same church together…?
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Donald: …I feel that God is using a lot of people right now to build a bridge between
Robbie: That’s great. I’ve got several things I want to run by you quickly. All of your books
Christian culture and the rest of the world, and that’s not only a bridge to people
who are hurting in other parts of the world, but also in American culture who are
marginalized and basically have false ideas about what Christianity is all about.
And it’s important for me to be one of the guys building that bridge and translating
those ideas from one culture to another, not only from the Christian culture to nonbelievers, but also the other way around. Again, as long as you have one foot in
the church and one foot in the world, you realize that the two parties don’t
understand each other at all. There are misconceptions on both sides.
have been well received, but Blue Like Jazz… Were you surprised at how much impact that
book had, at the reception to that book?
Robbie: That’s cool. That’s funny, because…when [people] talk about Don Miller, they
just describe you as somebody who’s honest, a writer who’s actually honest and
transparent. And I agree: I think you have that and more to offer. But do you find it ironic
at all that a Christian writer is known for his honesty and transparency?
Donald: What’s so weird about that is the assumption that most writers, period, are
trying to create an image rather than be honest. A Christian should not be that way,
mainly because the kind of literature we have in the Bible is extremely honest; and
God is not trying to make Himself look good in that book. He’s telling it like it is.
There are not a whole lot of heroes in the Bible and not a whole lot of Hollywood
scripts that you can pull out of there. It’s so much more like reality. So I have
confidence when I write that it’s OK to be honest, because the Bible is full of that
stuff... I also know how hard it is to be honest, how much work it takes to go further
than you want to go, to tell people stuff you really don’t want to talk about. It takes
a little bit of effort to put yourself out there.
Robbie: To Own a Dragon: Rewriting the Legacy of an Invisible Father…I knew you were
writing that or working on that at some point. What’s the progress on that book?
Donald:
I went through a phase this past year where it was really hard to write
anything, and it wasn’t so much a faith crisis… I don’t know what it was. I’m really late
on the book… But for whatever reason, writing has been very difficult.... This book is
for guys who grew up without fathers, and I have a heart for those guys because my
dad split when I was a kid. Just real honest reflections on sort of the inadequacies
that come up in your life because of that. That’s part of the reason it’s been so hard.
You have to deal with all these really tough issues. We’re trying to wrap that up, and
then we’re actually going to launch a foundation, a mentoring foundation for young
guys who don’t have dads. It’ll launch when the book releases. That’s basically
through our local church back home.
Robbie: I’ve heard some about the foundation. What does that look like specifically, and
what is the practical side to that?
Donald: Everybody who grew up without a father can have crap to work through. It’s real
hard to do that on your own, and the church really doesn’t provide help in that way. It’s
just [that there are] not very many churches with a mentoring purpose. That’s because
the problem is really pretty new. It’s just been in the last 40 years, and so it snuck up on
us. Hopefully, my book and the foundation will be a way of helping people understand
and give them some ideas.
We’re just going to have handyman services for single moms so they can call the
foundation, and we’ll send somebody out at no cost to fix their washer and dryer and fix
stuff around the house… Phase two is the retreats and camps for guys without dads. We
teach them to balance a checkbook, how to talk to a girl…how to tie a tie, throw a
football. Phase three is the actual mentoring. We’ll move into partnering a father figure
with a kid, age 9 up to hopefully college…
Donald: Yeah, I’ve been very surprised. It’s not… The book is such an elusive kind
of thing. It’s just not this average Christian book or an average book, period, so I
don’t think anyone expected to sell a lot of copies… I’ve been surprised and
blessed by the response because there’s a feeling of… It is so great to realize
you’re not alone… There’s this feeling of the reader going, “I thought I was alone
in this. But you said exactly how I feel.” That’s a cool bond to have with the reader.
It’s an affinity there with people who have read the book, the feeling that I can get
along with these people because we’re on the same page. It’s really neat…
Speaking of books, we should talk about your and Chris’ book too [Faith of My
Fathers (Zondervan)].
Robbie:
I was going to ask you… Obviously you were a part of that a little bit with writing
and doing some editing on that. [Miller also wrote the foreward.] What was that like for
you to jump in on our family like that?
Donald: It was a very weird experience because I was writing a book about growing
up without a dad, and you guys were just putting together a book about growing
up with a dad. You guys are all dads and grandfathers and stuff. It was like holding
up a binary opposite color. You can realize the contrast between the two pictures.
It was a beautiful experience because you got to see how great a father can be
and how great fathers are. As I’m studying the absence of a father and the effect
it’s had on people and their lives, I’m looking at this other book about the
presence of a father and what sort of effect those conversations can have. It was
just a neat experience for me. I really thought that was a beautiful book in terms
of its uniqueness, having three generations of pastors and people who are
involved in ministry [talking about] where the church has gone and what the
feeling is amongst the leadership [as to] what to do about it. I think of it as a
documentary more than I think of it as a book.
Robbie: You saw us, in those discussions of fathers and grandfathers and brothers, at
[our] best, and really at [our] worst… I wondered, as somebody not in the family—we’re
arguing about things, laughing about some other things, running the gamut in those
conversations—was it awkward for you? Was it cool?
Donald: I think the only awkward part for me was… Because my dad split when I
was very, very young—you just sort of don’t know that you didn’t have a dad. You
don’t understand it. So it’s later, really, even into like late 20s or early 30s, that I
just woke up to this idea, and I went through this season of writing the book when
I thought, “I didn’t realize that this stunk so bad.” God worked through a group of
guys, fathers and their sons… So, God, why didn’t you give me one of these?
What’s wrong with me? There’s a little bit of that, but…
Robbie: Ten years from now, what [will you be] writing? And to tag on to that, do you ever
see yourself writing screenplays?
Donald: I haven’t, but it’s interesting that you would ask that because I’m about to
hang up the phone here and meet with guys who are writing a screenplay for Blue
Like Jazz. I’m not so much writing it as I am sort of answering questions and
helping a little bit... I think 10 years from now, I’d like to be writing novels… I think
that’s the future. I think it’ll be fiction. ccm
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
college spotlight...
• WAYS
TO MAXIMIZE YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
These
are the best years of your life. To those college
students burning the midnight oil cramming the night before a final exam, these words make even the
best of them cringe. College is supposed to be the best time of your life. People may tell you this
repeatedly, but when you are sprinting across campus, stressing over GPAs, perfecting resumes,
interning for free, attending group meetings, and getting buried under mounds of endless homework,
your initial response might be, “Yeah, right!”
Well, there just might be some truth in this saying after all. This month, CCM Magazine is spotlighting 10
different colleges, unique perspectives, and innovative ways to make your college experience truly the
best four (or more) years of your life. Each college spotlighted offers a distinctive culture that also infuses
faith with learning and personal growth. Whether you’re a high school senior researching colleges or a
current college student, professors and artists alike have come together to give you advice on how to
maximize your college experience. After all, these are the best years of your life, right?
favorite college memories
• We asked a few of your favorite Christian artists for their favorite college memories.
Here’s what they shared with us…
38 ccm january 06
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Chris Tomlin—Three friends and I orchestrated what we thought would be the smoothest move any guy
could pull off with a lady. We all had crushes on girls that one of the other guys knew. We made a plan to ask
each girl if she would surprise our friend by going by his house and spontaneously asking him out on a date.
Of course, we were doing this for each other, and each of us was to act surprised when one of the girls
showed up at our house. We had planned it so each girl would ask me or one of my friends out on the same
night, and we had asked them to take us to the same place. We thought we would all meet up that night and
have a laugh and also flatter the girls with the elaborate scheme. One problem…the girls were friends. They
happened to ask one another what they were doing that evening and found out that they had been fooled
into this plan. They outsmarted us and each took us to a different place. I kept trying to hint that I wanted to
go to “such and such,” but she ended up taking me grocery shopping. She finally told me that she knew the
plan and just loved watching me sweat it out. We did have a good laugh but no more dates!
John Ellis, Tree63—Once, I was approached by a Christian student who noticed me sitting miserably by
myself and asked me if he could pray for me. Being a non-believer at the time, I was absolutely
uncomfortable with it and said no. It’s my favorite memory because literally within 10 months of that
incident I became a full-on born again Christian, and my life was completely changed. That memory
reminds me always of just how lost I was, and just how much God was seeking me all the time, and just
how grateful I am to Him for finding me and setting me free.
Vicky Beeching—My favorite college memory would be the induction ceremony for all new Oxford
students. We had to dress up in the old fashioned, traditional Oxford uniform with long black gowns, white
shirts, bow ties and mortarboard hats, so we all looked like penguins! My mind was blown away as I thought
of all the people who’d gone through this ceremony since the university began in 1167 A.D. We sat through
an hour-long service, all in Latin and Greek, so I barely understood a word! It was very somber and quiet in
there, and my friend and I sat and imagined what would happen if we smuggled some mice in and set them
free! ... wish we had done that ... now that would have made a good “favorite college memory” story!
My other favorite memory was “Formal Dinner” in the dining hall each week. If you’ve seen Harry Potter,
then you’ve seen the dining hall, as they used it for filming the great hall scenes of the movie. It’s huge,
with big oil paintings on the walls and tons of candles everywhere, and just sitting in there was quite an
experience!
Shawn McDonald—I would say a good part of my college life is a bit of a blur because of really dumb
choices that I made. I made a lot of mistakes in college, but one of the best choices and experiences I
had in college was getting involved with a group of great college men. I found that there were lots of good
places to spend my time including the people that I hung out with. I found a great college group that cared
about deeper things in life, and those things weren’t partying and being crazy. We would have Bible
studies, fishing trips, retreats and lots of other fun memories. My Christian buddies are definitely the best
memory I have from college.
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Bethel University • St. Paul, Minnesota
Lake Valentine and 231 wooded acres in Arden Hills,
Minn., give shelter to Bethel
University and its traditional undergraduate college, the College of Arts & Sciences. Traced back to the founding of Bethel Seminary in 1871, Bethel’s
College of Arts and Sciences now enrolls more than 2,900 students and is a leading resource for Christian higher education, ranking No. 13 on U.S.
News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” for top Midwestern universities.
At Bethel, students can explore 66 diverse majors, including the brand new journalism major that allows students to write for the university’s newspaper
as well as an actual community paper. In addition, other opportunities to be launched within the next year include a semester-long journalism program
in Washington, D.C., and a media studies semester at Bethel’s New York Center for Art & Media (NYCAM). Plans are also underway to offer magazine
publishing courses in New York City by 2008. This course will allow students to meet magazine publishers and editors, tour publishing companies and
make connections for future internships.
Resources such as Bethel’s state-of-the-art science labs in physics, chemistry, biology and computer science have led to significant recognition. The
physics department was named one of 21 thriving physics programs in the United States by the American Institute of Physics, and nearly 100 percent
of chemistry graduates who apply to graduate school are accepted, as well as 95 percent of those who apply to medical school.
Bethel University has many resources available for students: a video production studio, campus radio station and the 1,700-seat Benson Great Hall, one
of the premier concert venues in the Upper Midwest. Equidistant to the Twin Cities, numerous opportunities for internships and employment, entertainment,
professional sports, cultural events and shopping are only 15 minutes away.
bethel.edu
www.
Greenville College • Greenville, Illinois
“Greenville College is a place where students
can ask the most important and most difficult
questions because they become part of a Christian community that tries to avoid the spoon-fed answers of a ‘canned’ faith,” says Greenville College
Associate Professor of English, Dr. Brad Shaw.
Students will be impressed with the traditions and philosophy of the college, as Greenville emphasizes a “real world” approach to learning and the
“liberating” arts. The college encourages internships, and Greenville students have interned at record labels, with pro sports teams, at radio and TV
stations, in healthcare facilities, at public relations firms, in theatre companies and in churches and governmental agencies. The college also offers an
option called the “Individually Tailored Education Plan”—in other words, “create your own major.”
One of the best real world experiences Greenville offers is the student-run Agape Music Festival. Hosting the largest Christian music festival in the region
demands students from every discipline as they plan, promote and produce a massive event that attracts over 5,000 people each year.
New students will also be interested in the high tech privileges such as recording studios and advanced research equipment available to them from day
one, as well as wireless Internet from anywhere on campus. (Greenville was the first college in the country to go completely wireless!)
Finally, students are required to take a course that includes a weekend trip to nearby Chicago where they experience first-hand a variety of faith
communities, causing them to reflect on their own beliefs. Another student life favorite is “Tuesday Night Live” or TNL, a variety show in which all
students may participate. TNL is held one Tuesday a month. Admission is $2.00 with all proceeds going to charity.
While the facilities and programs may impress new students at Greenville when they come, it’s guaranteed they’ll be impressed by their changed lives
when they leave.
greenville.edu
www.
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Judson College • Elgin, Illinois
Affiliated with the American-Baptists,
the campus
of Judson College lies 40 miles northwest of Chicago. In the words of college president Dr. Jerry Cain, Judson is “completely Christian and completely college.”
Judson is growing, as a new academic center is under construction to house the Division of Art, Design and Architecture and an expanded library. Talk about
being state-of-the-art! This facility will employ innovative “green” technology and will be one of the most energy-efficient and environmentally friendly buildings
in the United States.
Perhaps the reason that this technology is so important is that Judson offers an accredited master’s program in architecture. Catering to lifelong learners, Judson
has an academic division exclusively for non-traditional students, encouraging continuing education for those desiring to finish their degrees.
Judson is also a school committed to serving its community. Super Service Saturday takes place during the weekend of orientation and affords students the
unique opportunity to begin their college career by getting involved in their local community in service to others. In fact, as a direct result of their service efforts,
the city of Elgin honored Judson students with a 2005 Elgin Image Award for the positive impact they made in their community.
judsoncollege.edu
www.
5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE NO. 1: Dive in with both feet, and be prepared to hit the ground running at the onset. [You] will have the
rest of [your] life to settle into a chosen profession from which [you] might never deviate, so take a wide variety of classes. [It] is a great way to see how God is at work
in every area of your life, and how He might use a subject to spark a lifelong interest.—Professor Warren Anderson, Dean of the Chapel, Judson College
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and concentrations, 10 pre-professional programs and two masters programs. Our professors
have real-world experience, and they really want you to succeed.
ENGAGE IN OUR EXCITING CAMPUS SOCIAL SCENE
In the dorms, on the field, in the chapel, on the stage...you’ll make lifelong friendships with
people from other cities, states and countries. With the city of Elgin and downtown Chicago at
your doorstep, you’ll never run short of things to see and do.
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN A JOURNEY OF SPIRITUAL DISCOVERY
Discover the person that God has called you to be. Take advantage of opportunities like
community outreach ministries, international missions trips, coffee house bible studies and late
night talks about things that really matter.
42 ccm january 06
ccmmagazine.com
Office of Admissions
1151 North State Street
Elgin, IL 60123
www.judsoncollege.edu
1-800-879-5376
Judson is ranked as a “top tier”
Midwest comprehensive college
by U.S. News & World Report.
BIG ON ACADEMICS
Judson offers over 60 majors,
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CALL TODAY
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Trevecca Nazarene University
Nashville, Tennessee
Every college usually provides avenues for
students to intern, but how would you like to intern at the Country Music Association, the Gospel Music Association, EMI Christian Music Group, BrentwoodBenson Music Publishing or Country Music Television? Trevecca Nazarene University’s prime location in Nashville, Tenn., provides exclusive opportunities
to students that can’t be found at other universities not located in the heart of Music City, U.S.A.
With an array of music industry professionals teaching classes at Trevecca, the Department of Music Business—under the umbrella of the Division of Music—
readies students for a career in the music industry. The department director, Jim Foglesong, was even recently inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
He was also the former president of Capitol Records Nashville, making him a great source of experience and expertise for his students.
Instruction varies with courses ranging from songwriting to artist and concert management. With an on-campus recording studio and proven internship
placement, Trevecca is a sure way for students interested in the music industry to gain applicable experience long before their career begins.
Trevecca even offers a minor in music business—In addition, it is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.
trevecca.edu
www.
5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE NO. 2: Follow your passions. Let curiosity be your guide, confident that what intrigues you will also
sustain you—in the marketplace as well as in the mind and heart.—Dr. Daniel Taylor, Bethel University, Professor of English
sters
ion.
to
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Anderson University
Anderson, Indiana
While
most liberal arts colleges provide chapel services for
students multiple times a week, very few offer Webcasts of their chapel services. Enter Anderson
University, located 35 minutes northeast of Indianapolis. Anderson’s chapel services meet twice a week
with recent guests including Don Miller, collegiate-favorite author of Blue Like Jazz.
While students earning fewer than 88 credit hours must live on campus, Anderson doesn’t have a curfew
hour. All students are welcome to have cars on campus, and freshmen don’t have to battle upperclassmen
for parking spaces since specific areas are set aside for them.
Other perks for freshmen include chances to participate in service opportunities, even ones
internationally through a unique Tri-S (Study, Serve & Share) study abroad program. Each year about 400
Anderson students travel to different countries to explore worldviews different from their own.
Every weekend brings a variety of events ranging from opportunities for community service, social
clubs and campus ministries to athletic events. Miss a ballgame? For all sports fans, Anderson can send
sports scores and news briefings straight to your cell phone or e-mail for free.
In addition, Anderson hosts a well-known Christmas production, “Candles and Carols,” that has been
broadcast on PBS stations and a number of affiliates since the late ’80s.
And of course, what about the music? Anderson boasts its own student-run record label, Orangehaus
Records. Students produce and promote real artists signed to the label. Anderson is also home to
WQME, a commercial radio station, and its student production company, Covenant Productions. For the
non-music majors, Anderson offers over 60 undergraduate and graduate programs in areas such as
business, education and theology.
anderson.edu
www.
Indiana Wesleyan University
Marion, Indiana
As
one of the fastest-growing Christian universities in the
country, Indiana Wesleyan University consistently ranks at or near the top of Christian colleges for
spiritual life in Campus Life magazine’s biannual survey of high school students.
More than $120 million has been spent on five new facilities since 1990. These include an awardwinning performing arts center, a rec center, a modern student center housing a brand new movie
theater and, most recently, a state-of-the-art $11 million library.
With excellent places to study and a local place to catch the latest theater flicks, students can also
enjoy the on-campus coffee shop and student-led comedy skits each Friday night, appropriately titled
“Friday Night Live.”
Residence halls are full of conveniences, with each hall accommodating a computer lab, vending
machines, a study room, chapel, store for snacks, ironing boards and laundry facilities, conference
rooms and fitness area. For students who prefer to get off campus, Indiana Wesleyan is located midway
between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, making the university’s location a great place to experience the
cultural opportunities of two nearby cities.
Aside from location, the academic life at IWU is top-notch, complete with a first-class honors program.
IWU offers several graduate programs for more than 9,000 adults studying at various locations
throughout Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and online.
In addition to providing classes on the Web, IWU has a cool online bookstore where students, faculty,
parents and alumni can buy Wildcat gear. Students can also easily find merchandise essential for their
academic pursuits including computer software and textbooks. In fact, you can even buy and sell your
textbooks over the Web.
IWU has also received national recognition for its mission-driven approach to education through its
Upward Bound Project. This program is a pre-college prep program that helps high school students make
the transition to college.
www.
indwes.edu
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Rochester College
Rochester Hills, Michigan (Detroit)
Rochester College lies within the heart of Detroit,
Mich., where opportunities abound for a cultural experience like no other. And really, that’s what makes Rochester so appealing.
Minutes from professional theater, concert venues, sporting events, world-class museums, cultural centers, unique shopping malls, ski slopes, and many other
recreational possibilities, Rochester is definitely set in a prime location. It is this attribute that helps springboard successful careers following graduation.
College of Business Dean Jeff Simmons speaks to this asset saying, “Studies show that 80 percent of college graduates end up living within 100 miles of where
they graduate. So think about it. Where do you want to be when you study and graduate—in an area where the only extracurricular activity or employment
opportunity is at the local dairy shop? Or in an area where the theater, arts, and industry are robust and where people from all over the world come to learn and
experience life?”
Aside from location, Rochester takes its Christian foundation very seriously, encouraging students to study everything in light of his/her faith. Study-abroad
programs and on-campus classes exploring current issues from a Christian perspective enlarge each student’s worldview and expand their understanding of the
world around them.
rc.edu
www.
5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE NO. 3: In order to get the most out of college, students need to find a way to resist thinking about
their time and effort in college as simply career preparation. Life is bigger than your job, and a real education prepares you for life—if you let it. A real college
education begins to prepare you for engaging the complications that life throws at you when you turn 30 or 45 or 70.—Dr. Brad Shaw, Associate Professor of
English, Greenville College
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Grace University • Omaha, Nebraska
Grace University seeks to develop
servant leaders, and
as a result of this mission, Grace offers numerous opportunities for students to learn how to better serve those around them. Every Grace grad receives a double
major in Bible and one of 18 unique professional career paths.
No matter what area of study you choose, Grace takes the concept of servant leadership to the next level as students volunteer multiple times a week
throughout the Omaha area. Students choose their own unique ways of volunteering such as visiting hospitals or jails, teaching Sunday school or serving as
mentors. Grace World Outreach also coordinates student service opportunities and mission trips.
During the first week in February the traditional class schedule is replaced with the World Christian Conference serving up a slew of guest speakers, workshops
and times of reflective worship. Moreover, more than 25 different missions-related organizations are represented as students attend special events throughout
the week. During weeks of regularly scheduled classes, students attend chapel Grace L.I.F.E. (Life Integration for Excellence) four times a week.
In addition to outstanding academics and opportunities for spiritual growth, Grace also offers excellent athletic programs. As a member of the Midwest
Christian Conference and the NCCAA, Grace offers soccer, basketball and volleyball. In fact, Grace’s women’s volleyball team recently won the NCCAA II National
Championship.
And the greatest news of all is that Grace’s tuition is one-third less than the average private college or university, ranking as one of the most affordable private
universities in the country.
With a global mindset, Grace encourages students through service learning, rigorous academics, athletic opportunities and endless volunteer possibilities.
Grace’s intentional emphasis on servant leadership has paid off. Currently, hundreds of Grace alumni serve in over 55 countries worldwide in an array of capacities.
graceuniversity.edu
www.
Palm Beach Atlantic University
West Palm Beach, Florida
Five minutes from the Atlantic Ocean,
Palm Beach
Atlantic University recently began the brand new Popular Music program. With recent changes in music, Palm Beach Atlantic is keeping pace with the everevolving trends in the industry, and that is why this program was created.
Designed to develop the commercial musician for success in the music industry, the Popular Music program is geared toward individuals seeking a long-term
professional career. The program stands astride the traditional music program and leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in popular music as well as
a minor in popular culture through the University’s School of Communication and Media.
Director of the Popular Music program Dr. Roget Pontbriand comments, “The Popular Music program investigates the entire music industry and its history, not
just the pop charts of today.”
The major uniquely provides training in the areas of writing, producing and
performing with two tracks in film scoring and contemporary Christian music.
The Christian emphasis of the school also filters down to the Popular
Music program no matter what type of music you are interested in writing
• How to Capture the Best College Experience Possible
or performing. Dr. Pontbriand explains saying, “We have courses in every
College is the best time in anyone’s life, at least in my opinion. It is a time
department that focus on how each discipline integrates with the Christian
of learning and discovery. A time of finding out who you really are and what it
faith. For instance, in the songwriting class we cover piracy and what effect
is you are going to believe. I believe you are what you eat. What I mean by
it has on the industry, the individual and [society].”
this is you will become what you intake. The people you hang with, the time
Pontbriand himself brings real-world experience to the classroom as he
that you spend, the choices that you make. You will get out of it what you put
has toured with the Sunshine Band, performed with Aretha Franklin,
in to it. — Shawn McDonald
composed commercial music for Goodyear and BF Goodrich among many
With college comes the constant pressure of “What is your major? What are
other accomplishments.
you gonna do with your life?” I think it is far more important as to who you are
The asset of an on-campus Christian radio station also provides students with
than what you do. — Chris Tomlin
an easy, accessible opportunity to gain invaluable experience. The surroundings
College offers community and is an opportunity for social interaction second
are also state-of-the-art as the innovative Popular Music program is housed in a
to none ... we just don’t find that out in the world, at least not to that extent.
$10 million building that opened in 2002.
However, you also need to make studying a priority ... there’s nothing like being
collegiate advice from artists
pba.edu
www.
48 ccm january 06
ccmmagazine.com
in your early twenties and being done with it! — John Ellis, Tree63
My advice would be if you are moving cities/states, try and find a good
church in advance, so you’ll have a Christian community to plug into when you
arrive. Also, remember your family back home! You are heading out on a new
adventure, but they are back home missing you. So a card or phone call every
now and then means the world to them! Lastly, choose your friends carefully.
Proverbs 13:20 tell us that the company we keep has a big influence on who
we become. — Vicky Beeching
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American Missionary Fellowship
All of the colleges spotlighted are helping
students maximize their college years by encouraging them to actively serve others. Many students attending or wanting to attend Christian universities are
seeking full-time missions as their lifelong vocation. That’s where American Missionary Fellowship comes in.
With over 200 years of ministry experience, AMF’s Bible-inspired mission is to impact the unchurched people of America with the gospel. So, for those wanting
to participate in home missions, American Missionary Fellowship is your ticket to experience.
General Director Dr. Lee K. Iseley says, “AMF believes that college students who work in home missions will be prepared for a lifetime of service for the Lord.
Nothing can motivate students to gain the most out of their classroom work better than being able to put their knowledge into practice by serving others. Our
advice is to gain as much knowledge during your college years, but also develop as much ministry experience as possible.”
AMF offers opportunities for students to work at Christian camps, in youth ministries and in Vacation Bible Schools among other things across the country.
American Missionary Fellowship can connect you to mission opportunities in your area, no matter where your college is located. To find out what opportunities
exist in your area, visit the AMF website, www.americanmissionary.org, for more information.
americanmissionary.org
www.
5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE NO. 4: The quality of education can be measured by the individual’s personal commitment and
motivation. The best university and faculty cannot teach an unmotivated individual.—Dr. Roget Pontbriand, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Director of the
Popular Music program
Think every American child knows the
words to “Jesus Loves Me?” Think again.
With the increasing influence of new ideas, cultures, values, and
religions on the American people, we can’t assume everyone knows
what the Bible teaches. In your own community, families may study
the Koran, practice Wicca, or simply worship at the altar of consumerism.
In fact, the United States could easily be called the newest foreign
mission field for the American church.
American Missionary Fellowship has been teaching children the Word
of God for more than 200 years. Through Vacation Bible Schools, Bible
camps, Mailbox Clubs, and more, AMF missionaries are showing a new
generation of Americans that Jesus loves them, too. To find out about
American Missionary Fellowship’s ministries to unchurched Americans
(both children and adults), contact us at 610.527.4439
or visit us online at www.americanmissionary.org/cc.
Don’t just think about the needs. Help meet them.
* Percentage extrapolated from figures in The Barna Update,
http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=143
september 05 ccm 51
www.americanmissionary.org/cc
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John Brown University
Siloam Springs, Arkansas
Ranking sixth in the Top Southern Colleges
in U.S. News and World Report for 2006, it is no doubt that John Brown University gives students a great liberal arts education. With a diverse student body,
missionary kids make up about 10 percent of the student population. In addition, JBU makes it easy for home-schooled students to connect to college since
many do not have guidance counselors to advise them through this process.
Moreover, JBU’s Honors Program has served as a model to other institutions worldwide. In fact, JBU’s national honor society, Alpha Chi, recently received the
President’s Cup as the top chapter in the country, while also having been recognized as the “Star Chapter” for the last nine years.
Furthermore, JBU’s speech and debate team is as strong as ever placing first in the state competition and ninth nationally just last year.
Dream of being a doctor and want to be assured that you will be completely prepared for med school? JBU’s science programs boast a 100 percent acceptance
rate among those graduates who apply to graduate and professional schools.
JBU is good in athletics, too. The men’s basketball team earned the title of NAIA Division I National Champions in 2005.
jbu.edu
www.
5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE NO. 5: When it comes to college, the old adage that ‘you get what you put in” is true. Students should
take advantage of as many opportunities as possible. My advice to students is to approach your college career so that you have no regrets later on.—Jeff
Simmons, Rochester College, Professor/Dean of College of Business
Accounting
Biblical & Theological Studies
Biochemistry
Biology
Biology Education
Broadcasting
Business Admini stration
Business Information Systems
Chemistry
Chemistry Education
Children and Family Ministry
Community Development
Computer Science
Construction Management
Cross-Cultural Services
Digital Media Arts
Early Childhood Education
Engineering
English
English Education
Environmental Science
Exercise Studies
Family & Human Services
Graphic Design
History
Illustration
Intercultural Studies
International Business
Journalism
Leadership & Management
Marketing
Mathematics
Mathematics Education
Middle School Education
Music
Music -- Applied
Music Education
Organizational Management
Outdoor Leadership Ministries
Political Science
Psychology
Public Relations
Social Studies Education
Spanish
Sport Management
Sports Medicine
Worship Ministries
Youth Ministries
Youth and Worship Ministries
Friendly. Real. Solid.
Christ-centered. Challenging.
Competitive. Recognized.
Yes, JBU is all of those things.
But what’s unique about JBU is
something you can’t really
explain with words. It's
something you get when you're
here. It's the reason that most
people who visit JBU choose to
attend JBU as a student. They
come, and they get it. Check
out our web site. Read our
brochure. Call us. We try our
best to describe JBU with
words. But always keep in mind
that the JBU experience goes
way beyond words.
JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY
...way beyond words.
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inreview
music
THE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF A COMEBACK
LEAVE IT TO P.O.D. TO WITHSTAND A CRITICAL AND COMMERCIAL BEATING, THEN COME OUT OF THE GATES
WITH ITS FINEST ALBUM YET.
P.O.D.
Testify
Atlantic/Word
P.O.D. STRIKES BACK!
Two years ago, P.O.D. entered the studio,
fresh off its smash hit Satellite. That album
yielded two huge singles, “Alive” and “Youth
of the Nation,” and sold more than 3 million
copies. The band seemed poised to capitalize
File under:
Grade: Aon its success. P.O.D. had just welcomed
Hard/Rock
new guitarist Jason Truby (from Living
Sacrifice) into its ranks and was eager to storm the charts again.
Now, two years later, P.O.D. is a band bloodied and beaten. Payable on
Death, its follow-up to Satellite, was a darker affair, with a more straightahead heavy approach that left fans overwhelmingly disappointed. As album
sales dipped more than 80 percent, P.O.D. seemed to be heading in the
wrong direction. But then in 2005, we got a taste of the good things to come
with the limited edition release of The Warriors EP, Vol. 2, which sounded fresh
and a lot more like Satellite.
That set up the new album, Testify, a true return to form in every way while
taking a big step forward. How big? This is simply the band’s best album, bar
none. As the title suggests, Testify is a blatantly “Christian” album from a
devoutly faithful band. This is P.O.D.’s most direct work since signing with
Atlantic Records. The lyrics stay true to its influences, dealing with real-life
issues including the band’s personal ups and downs. “I can still see the light
at the end of the tunnel,” Sonny Sandoval sings on “Goodbye for Now.”
“Shine through the dark times, even when I lose my mind.”
P.O.D.’s success can be traced, at least in part, to its ability to combine the
band’s reggae influences with rap and hard rock. The song “Roots In Stereo”
marks the outfit’s best attempt at this to date. It’s also the closest Testify comes
to an anthem on the level of “Youth of the Nation.” With the driving track “Lights
Out,” sure to be a fan favorite, P.O.D. slips back into a harder-edged rock sound.
Throughout its duration, Testify jumps deftly from style to style, incorporating all
without sacrificing each one’s musical integrity.
It’s been tempting to write off P.O.D. with the host of other popular rockrap-reggae combos out there, but with Testify, the band has elevated it to
an art form. Truby seems to have adapted to the band’s style this time, his
guitar blending nicely with the polished sound. P.O.D. once again worked
with producer Glen Ballard (Alanis Morissette, Aerosmith), who has managed to make the band sound better than ever. And while there may not be
an instant hit such as “Alive,” this is the most solid P.O.D. album to date.
DR. TONY SHORE
ccmmagazine.com
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REBECCA ST.
JAMES
CCM_01.06_Music.v4
File under:
Rock
Page 54
If I Had One
Chance to
Tell You
Something
ForeFront
Grade: A
A TRULY ROCKING REVELATION
REBECCA ST. JAMES
recent memory. And the eighth track,
“Love Being Loved By You,” transforms
an oft-tiresome subject into a tingly worship anthem that could shake a
stadium: “Jesus, You are so wonderful/I
cannot live without your love.” Just for
kicks, it would also make a mighty fine
techno mix.
To be fair, the rap-inflected “Thank
you”—while its sincerity is undoubted—
leans toward Sunday School-esque with
a simplistic refrain of “Thank you thank
you thank you thank you, I’ve got two
words for you…I’ve got three words more
than thank you/I love you.” On the
whole, however, this is the watershed
record of Rebecca’s career so far, and
to miss this disc is to miss the artist
she was born to be.
ANDREA BAILEY
DELIRIOUS
“She’s untouchable.” Frankly, that’s
how a lot of us felt about veteran
songstress Rebecca St. James throughout the first leg of her spotless and
somewhat cliché-prone career. We liked
her: It just didn’t seem as if she struggled alongside the rest of us mortals—
or maybe she was just liberally sprinkled
with fairy dust? There was faith, there
was encouragement, there was victory
in Jesus, but there wasn’t a whole lot of
Rebecca underneath the triumphant
delivery and whitewashed words.
Until now. After a trip to L’Abri and the
kind of painful soul-searching that defies
platitudes, she has finally given us something raw—and something rock. With this
record, Rebecca hits a nerve—and suddenly, she’s on the same level as her listeners, fragile, human, lonely, tired. She
launches out with lyrics so honest, they
could give even Alanis Morissette a complex: “From the deep I cry/I need change
in my life…I’m running out of time to live,
running out of love to give, running out of
life within…God help me…I don’t care
who stares/I never want to be what I’ve
been again” (“God Help Me”). Whoa.
If her breathy vocals seemed demure
in the past, against these punchier rock
arrangements Rebecca pulls forth an
impassioned delivery that makes the
electric guitars sound tame, notably on
the second track, “Alive.” Entwining
throaty guitar riffage with an adrenalinecharged melody, the chorus locks in listeners with her first belting of “You make
me come alive.” Just as convincing, the
standout “I Need You” bursts forth with
a ballroom string arrangement and a
gentle Rebecca crooning “I hide no more
behind the mask/What you see is what I
am,” but morphs into a haunting, urgent
plea that represents the emotional crux
of the record. Clearly, Something very,
very good is happening here.
The record then moves into more
worshipful, though still unapologetically
rocking, territory. The irresistible chorus
of “Beautiful Stranger” describes hearing the voice of God calling out through
the questions and pain of life. Moving
piano ballad “Forgive Me” offers the
most beautiful singing from Rebecca in
File under:
Pop/Rock
The Mission
Bell
Sparrow
Grade: A
MISSION: CHURCH
After 13 albums that helped define the
“modern worship” movement as we
know it, countless tours of arenas and
amphitheaters, and well over a million
records sold, the members of Delirious
(all original by the way) show no signs of
slowing down. In fact, their latest
release, The Mission Bell, actually
ups the ante in both musical and
lyrical terms.
The comparisons between Delirious
and U2 are inevitable and well-founded.
Though always more liberal with the keyboards than its Irish predecessors, the
group’s inspired euro-rock creates updrafts
of energizing, anthemic spectacle. And
while its connection to people of faith
has always been paramount, the songs
that comprise The Mission Bell are a virtual
clarion call to the church. There are no
double entendres or vagaries to be found.
This is all about calling the church out,
motivating her to become what she was
meant to be. Grand? Sweeping? Epic?
Sure. It’s all of those things, but add
one descriptive to the list for the first
time in Delirious’s tenure: prophetic.
Understanding that Biblical prophecy
has more to do with spurring the church
on to growth and movement than telling
the future, Delirious has drawn a bead
on the heart—and backside—of believers.
As the title suggests, this album is a
call to service—to finding and embracing
the mission of the body of Christ. The
album’s opener, “Stronger,” delivers its
challenge toward church unity and focus
via a plodding and melancholy piano
drone a la Keane or Coldplay, then adds
a majestic choir to the ending for a
soaring and characteristically moving
Delirious experience. The theme continues
with the following track, “Now is the
Time,” a sweeping and motivational epic.
Other standouts include the simple
arena-rock power of “Solid Rock,” an
adaptation on the classic hymn “On
Christ the Solid Rock I Stand” that features
tobyMac flowing the hymn’s original
lyrics to impressive effect. There is also
the surprisingly confrontational “Our God
Reigns,” which dares to juxtapose faith
with serving the least of these (focusing
specifically on the issues of abortion, AIDS
and humanity’s obsession with “self”).
The Mission Bell is unafraid to challenge, chide and inspire all at the same
time. From cavernous rock anthems full
of swagger and scope, to intimate and at
times painful confessions of failure and
fear, this is worship music with teeth.
JOHN J. THOMPSON
12/8/05
9:35 AM
Page 55
BROTHER’S
KEEPER
CCM_01.06_Music.v4
File under:
Pop
Beyond
Beautiful
Training
Union/Ardent
Grade: C+
THE EVOLUTION OF A BOY BAND
When Brother’s Keeper broke onto the
scene back in 1999, America was at the
height of its “boy band” phenomenon.
Everywhere you turned, there was another
group made up of young guys with cool
clothes and hot dance moves. Backstreet
Boys and ’NSYNC were the two most
popular in the mainstream world, while
Plus One and Brother’s Keeper became
the Christian alternatives.
In six years though, times have drastically changed. The Backstreet Boys aren’t
really back, ’NSYNC has pretty much sunk,
and Plus One went minus two before going
away altogether. Brother’s Keeper, though,
has managed to keep going, thanks to a
retooled style and sound. Beyond Beautiful
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W W W. A U D I O -T E C H N I C A . C O M
ccmmagazine.com
january 06 ccm 55
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is the group’s third album, and it shows
Philip, John and Gabe’s obvious maturity.
The guys are still young, but their sound
is a bit older.
The song “Walk with Me” is a perfect
example. It sounds a little like a
Promise Keepers theme, encouraging
accountability between Christian friends,
and features guest vocalists including
Todd Agnew, Scott Krippayne, David
Phelps and Russ Lee, among others.
“He Took the Scars,” “Cross of Christ”
and the album’s title track are all
noticeably targeted to an older audience
as well.
Unfortunately, Brother’s Keeper has
become a bit too much like 4HIM and
NewSong over time. That would normally
be a good thing; however, if you’re going
to pattern your sound after two of the best
groups in the business, you’ve got to rival
their sound either vocally or musically.
Beyond Beautiful just doesn’t do that.
RELIENT K
TIM SINCLAIR
File under:
Punk/Rock
Apathetic EP
Capitol/Gotee
Grade: A
A PATHETIC EP? AS IF!
Considering the exploding popularity of
Relient K as Christian rock’s new “it”
band, ravenous fans want everything
they can get their hands on. To keep
them at bay, the growing gap between
2004’s MMHMM and the next record is
straddled with the eight-song Apathetic
EP, a brief but arty collection mixing
startling remakes with brand-new gems.
Apathetic EP is anchored by two
examples of the band’s trademark punkcharged guitar pop, “The Truth” and
“Apathetic Way to Be” (which originally
appeared on the limited-edition vinyl of
MMHMM). Although some of the quirky
wordplay and musical bounce is present,
the rest of the disc shows Relient K moving
away from its roots as heir apparent of
Five Iron Frenzy and into newer territory.
The middle of the disc sports three
haunting acoustic remakes. “Be My
Escape (acoustic)” and “Which to Bury,
Us or the Hatchet (acoustic)” from
MMHMM, and “Over Thinking (acoustic)”
from 2003’s Two Lefts Don’t Make A
Right…But Three Do, have been disassembled and rebuilt from the ground up
as thoughtful, mature acoustic rockers.
A new track, the bittersweet “In Like
a Lion (Always Winter),” inspired by the
C.S. Lewis classic The Lion, The Witch
and The Wardrobe, clings to hope in the
midst of darkness. The final two tracks,
the dark piano ballad “The Thief” and
an acoustic redux of the band’s MTV
hit, “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been,”
actually end the EP on a kind of downer.
But with the disc clocking in at under
30 minutes, it’s easy enough to hit
“play” again and return to the vibrant
opening rocker. Going full circle like
that, Apathetic EP becomes a snapshot
of this band in transition. As the guys
continue to move away from their early
“goofball” image and become young
men of artistic substance, Apathetic EP
documents their continued growth.
CHRIS WELL
FLAME
RELIENT K
File under:
Hip-hop
Rewind
Cross Movement
Grade: B+
THIS DUDE’S EN FUEGO.
Can Christians get crunk? St. Louis rapper
Flame proves they can with his instant
classic, Rewind. Sure, his hometown is
best known for the pop-rap of Nelly, but
Flame more accurately reflects the dirty
south sounds of Young Jeezy, Trillville
and Three 6 Mafia. For example, “No
Silence” features anthem-like chants
over slow and low basslines, while
“Let’s Go” ups the energy with fiercely
spit lyrics. Moreover, Flame possesses
real lyrical skills that stand out on tracks
such as “Gotta Notice,” which comes
across like Ludacris on a Red Bull binge.
Still, for all the album’s strengths,
there are a few weak points. Flame’s
otherwise deft emcee skills take the
occasional odd turn, such as starting the
disc off with, “I’m back like when dudes
used to wear biker shorts.” Could he have
found a more undesirable visual? Likewise,
many of the topics seem aimed at new or
non-believers, but he uses such syllablebusters as “incommunicable attributes”
and “three in his personages.” Flame
clearly has a street sound, but he loses
his edge by trying to sound too much like
a seminary professor.
Of course, when Flame is on track
lyrically, he sets the mic on fire.
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The album-best title track tackles questionable teachings in a deep, yet easy-tofollow manner, while “Wars of the Mind”
addresses mental health with insight
and compassion. Ultimately, Rewind’s
strengths overpower its flaws, and Flame
is still a newcomer with lots of room to
grow. In no time at all, he’ll even have
Lil’ Jon yelling, “Yeah!”
DEREK WEBB
DAVID JENISON
File under:
Acoustic Rock/Folk
Mockingbird
INO
Grade: A
THIS BROODING BELIEVER WEAVES A WEB OF
WONDERFUL STORIES.
Though Derek Webb may be most immediately recognized as a former member of
Caedmon’s Call, he’s made exceptional
strides as a solo artist thus far. After he
gained momentum for his latest studio CD
by releasing the live DVD How to Kill and
Be Killed, the anticipation finally culminated
with Mockingbird. And like his critically
acclaimed past, brimming with brooding
lyrics and folk-flavored intimacy, this disc
creatively unveils the latest chapter in
Webb’s complex journal entries.
“My Enemies Are Men Like Me” (complete with a spoken word clip from Martin
Luther King, Jr.) is among one of the many
compelling expositions tracing how equality,
justice and non-violence are essential in
today’s society. The piano ballad “In God
We Trust” further alludes to Webb’s social
and political ruminations, assessing how
the Lord’s hand has been with us throughout each stroke of history. The acoustic
ease of “A King a Kingdom” is riddled with
attention-grabbing metaphors and speaks
about having allegiance to our Heavenly
Father before any manmade institution.
On a lighter note, “Mockingbird” scoots
with jangly guitars and Webb’s signature
vocals, hearkening back to his days in
Caedmon’s Call. “Zeros Ones” mixes
coffeehouse comfort with piano pop,
strewn with powerful poetry only a tune-
smith of this caliber could deliver. “Please,
Before I Go” provides a haunting amalgamation of gentle guitars, emotive violins
and even a xylophone, while the glorious
finale “Love Is Not Against the Law”
develops a slightly jazz flourish. As the
disc fades out with a message of practical
outreach, Webb further settles into his
role as the Bob Dylan of Christian music—
who only gets better with age.
ANDY ARGYRAKIS
DEREK WEBB
Please,
Support your
local
Christian
Retailer
For the location of a Christian Retailer in your area
call 1-800-251-3633
(Ad Sponsored by New Day Christian Distributors and Daywind Music Group)
9:35 AM
Page 58
TONÉX
12/8/05
GAITHER
VOCAL BAND
CCM_01.06_Music.v4
Give It
Away
Gaither Music
File under:
Hip-hop
File under:
Grade: B+
Southern Gospel/Inspirational
Out the Box:
The Movie
Verity
Grade: B-
AN OUTRAGEOUS ROMP
BILL GAITHER UNVEILS HIS GROUP’S NEW
LINEUP IN CLASSIC FASHION
Once again, Bill Gaither, the wily godfather of gospel music, assumes the role
of the proverbial wise scribe, pulling
from his treasure things both old and
new. The old is represented by the 14
tracks on the Gaither Vocal Band’s latest, Give It Away. The new is tenor Wes
Hampton, who steps in to fill the
estimable shoes of David Phelps, and
Marshall Hall, who takes over baritone
duties from Russ Taff.
Rather than dithering about breaking
new ground, Gaither & Co. wisely elected
to do what it does best—perform triedand-true favorites with style, panache
and precision. But just because the
members are covering familiar territory
doesn’t mean they are satisfied to leave
it undisturbed. A pair of Imperials’ classics,
“Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters” and
“Eagle Song,” maintain all the charm of
their original incarnations, but GVB’s
stellar tag-team lead vocals and impeccable
four-part harmonies lend a timeless
quality to the tunes.
Keenly aware of its southern gospel
roots but never content to be pigeonholed
in that genre, Give It Away finds the foursome exploring smooth jazz a la the
Hoboken Four (“I’ll Tell It Wherever I
Go”), foot stompin’ honky-tonk (“I Catch
’Em, God Cleans ’Em”), gentle piano pop
(“I Will Go On”) and power ballads
(“Eagle Song”). “Why Me Lord” suffers
in comparison to Kris Kristofferson’s gritty
original, but the children’s anthem “Jesus
Loves Me” assumes grown-up stature in
this slightly bluesy version. There’s even
a breezy, calypso-inspired number, “Love
Can Turn the World,” that will have you
swaying with the palm fronds.
Of course, fans of Gaither’s Homecoming
projects will find plenty of “gather ’round
the piano” tunes that formed the basis
of the original Gaither Vocal Band. “Worthy
the Lamb” and the title track will make
you feel as if you’re in the midst of an
all-day singing and dinner on the ground.
The GVB has reinvented itself on
numerous occasions during its nearly
quarter-century run, making it one of the
most resilient artists in the industry. And
the current lineup on “Give It Away” may
be the most balanced ensemble in the
group’s history.
MIKE PARKER
Tonéx apparently wasn’t kidding when he
decided to name his monstrous 2004
release Out the Box. Originally, we all
thought the title was just a reference to
his tireless creativity, his caffeinated
mind and his drive to blow everything he
touches out of proportion. Out the Box:
The Movie is a full glimpse into all of
those qualities and more, as it finally
bears audiovisual testament to what
really went down onstage during the live
recording of his third album.
You see, it’s Tonéx we’re talking about
here, which means nearly every move he
makes must have at least some measure
of sanctified shock value. Quite appropriately, the flamboyant gospel vocalist
initiates the Out the Box proceedings by
literally jumping out of a nine-foot-tall
music box. Gimmick or show enhancer?
Who knows, except that Tonéx looks
equally silly and mesmerizing while
performing the act.
Almost without a break, Tonéx
moves—and he really moves—through a
set comprised of energized dance-rock
anthems, progressive gospel, churchified
praise romps, high-octane hip-hop and
everything in between. Since each of
these movements is carefully compartmentalized, the flow of the experience
suffers when video producers decide to
interject strange cutaways to various
interviews, a number of schizophrenic
editing tricks (on-screen text, manipulated
photos, sub-par audience shots), ’80sstyled visuals, and random, low-quality
music videos.
A crossbreed between a fire-and-brimstone gospel minister, a Broadway
showman and a tamer version of Prince,
Tonéx isn’t afraid of mixing and matching
sensibilities, sometimes at the expense
of accessibility. This feat is what he would
call “entertainistry,” at times treading the
continuum between sacred and secular
so dangerously, it’s hard to tell whether
you’re watching a church service, a
musical or a prog-rock extravaganza.
Good thing the cool factor of Tonéx’s
choir, band and dancers—each of them
moving judiciously to the beat of their
master’s drum—offset the excessive
visual pyrotechnics. This magnetism
and attention to detail is what salvages
Out the Box: The Movie from simply
being an exercise in overindulgence,
where fashion always takes precedence
over substance.
ANDREE FARIAS
TONÉX
newreleases
JANUARY 3
Autumn Thompson
Split Track Kids Project
(Daywind)
JANUARY 10
Barbara Fairchild
He Kept on Loving Me (Daywind)
JANUARY 16
Various Artists
Worship Together Beautiful One
(Worship Together)
JANUARY 24
Karen Clark Sheard
It's Not Over...Live from Detroit
(Word)
P.O.D.
Testify (Atlantic)
Various Artists
Absolute Modern Worship
for Kids (Yellow) (Fervent)
End of the Spear soundtrack
Various Artists
(Daywind)
Watashi Wa
Brother’s Keeper
Jennifer Knapp
Avalon
Mike Bowling
Eager Seas (Tooth & Nail)
Beyond Beautiful (Training Union)
Live in Concert (Gotee)
Stand (EMI/CMG)
Influenced and Inspired:
Remembering Kenny Hinson
(Daywind)
4Him
Encore for Future Generations
(INO)
Gaither Vocal Band
Jonas Brothers
Give It Away (Gaither Music)
Jonas Brothers (INO)
JANUARY 31
Lisa McClendon
Live at the House of Blues
(Integrity)
Various
WoW Gospel 2006 (WoW Gospel)
2:21 PM
Page 58
DVDspotlight
Give It
Away
TONÉX
12/13/05
GAITHER
VOCAL BAND
CCM_01.06_Music.v4
Gaither Music
Out the Box:
The Movie
Verity
File under:
Grade: B+
Southern Gospel/Inspirational
BILL GAITHER UNVEILS HIS GROUP’S NEW
LINEUP IN CLASSIC FASHION
File under:
Hip-hop
Grade: B-
AN OUTRAGEOUS ROMP
Once again, Bill Gaither, the wily godfather of gospel music, assumes the role
of the proverbial wise scribe, pulling
from his treasure things both old and
new. The old is represented by the 14
tracks on the Gaither Vocal Band’s latest, Give It Away. The new is tenor Wes
Hampton, who steps in to fill the
estimable shoes of David Phelps, and
Marshall Hall, who takes over baritone
duties from Russ Taff.
Rather than dithering about breaking
new ground, Gaither & Co. wisely elected
to do what it does best—perform triedand-true favorites with style, panache
and precision. But just because the
members are covering familiar territory
doesn’t mean they are satisfied to leave
it undisturbed. A pair of Imperials’ classics,
“Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters” and
“Eagle Song,” maintain all the charm of
their original incarnations, but GVB’s
stellar tag-team lead vocals and impeccable
four-part harmonies lend a timeless
quality to the tunes.
Keenly aware of its southern gospel
roots but never content to be pigeonholed
in that genre, Give It Away finds the foursome exploring smooth jazz a la the
Hoboken Four (“I’ll Tell It Wherever I
Go”), foot stompin’ honky-tonk (“I Catch
’Em, God Cleans ’Em”), gentle piano pop
(“I Will Go On”) and power ballads
(“Eagle Song”). “Why Me Lord” suffers
in comparison to Kris Kristofferson’s gritty
original, but the children’s anthem “Jesus
Loves Me” assumes grown-up stature in
this slightly bluesy version. There’s even
a breezy, calypso-inspired number, “Love
Can Turn the World,” that will have you
swaying with the palm fronds.
Of course, fans of Gaither’s Homecoming
projects will find plenty of “gather ’round
the piano” tunes that formed the basis
of the original Gaither Vocal Band. “Worthy
the Lamb” and the title track will make
you feel as if you’re in the midst of an
all-day singing and dinner on the ground.
The GVB has reinvented itself on
numerous occasions during its nearly
quarter-century run, making it one of the
most resilient artists in the industry. And
the current lineup on “Give It Away” may
be the most balanced ensemble in the
group’s history.
MIKE PARKER
Tonéx apparently wasn’t kidding when he
decided to name his monstrous 2004
release Out the Box. Originally, we all
thought the title was just a reference to
his tireless creativity, his caffeinated
mind and his drive to blow everything he
touches out of proportion. Out the Box:
The Movie is a full glimpse into all of
those qualities and more, as it finally
bears audiovisual testament to what
really went down onstage during the live
recording of his third album.
You see, it’s Tonéx we’re talking about
here, which means nearly every move he
makes must have at least some measure
of sanctified shock value. Quite appropriately, the flamboyant gospel vocalist
initiates the Out the Box proceedings by
literally jumping out of a nine-foot-tall
music box. Gimmick or show enhancer?
Who knows, except that Tonéx looks
equally silly and mesmerizing while
performing the act.
Almost without a break, Tonéx moves—
and he really moves—through a set comprised of energized dance-rock anthems,
progressive gospel, churchified praise
romps, high-octane hip-hop and everything
in between. Since each of these movements is carefully compartmentalized, the
flow of the experience suffers when video
producers decide to interject strange cutaways to various interviews, a number of
schizophrenic editing tricks (on-screen
text, manipulated photos, sub-par audience
shots), ’80s-styled visuals, and random,
low-quality music videos.
A crossbreed between a fire-and-brimstone gospel minister, a Broadway
showman and a tamer version of Prince,
Tonéx isn’t afraid of mixing and matching
sensibilities, sometimes at the expense
of accessibility. This feat is what he would
call “entertainistry,” at times treading the
continuum between sacred and secular
so dangerously, it’s hard to tell whether
you’re watching a church service, a
musical or a prog-rock extravaganza.
Good thing the cool factor of Tonéx’s
choir, band and dancers—each of them
moving judiciously to the beat of their
master’s drum—offset the excessive
visual pyrotechnics. This magnetism
and attention to detail is what salvages
Out the Box: The Movie from simply
being an exercise in overindulgence,
where fashion always takes precedence
over substance.
ANDREE FARIAS
TONÉX
newreleases
JANUARY 3
Autumn Thompson
Split Track Kids Project
(Daywind)
JANUARY 10
Barbara Fairchild
He Kept on Loving Me (Daywind)
JANUARY 16
Various Artists
Worship Together Beautiful One
(Worship Together)
JANUARY 24
Karen Clark Sheard
It's Not Over...Live from Detroit
(Word)
P.O.D.
Various Artists
Various Artists
Testify (Atlantic)
Absolute Modern Worship
for Kids (Yellow) (Fervent)
End of the Spear soundtrack
(Daywind)
Watashi Wa
Brother’s Keeper
Jennifer Knapp
Avalon
Mike Bowling
Eager Seas (Tooth & Nail)
Beyond Beautiful (Training Union)
Live in Concert (Gotee)
Stand (EMI/CMG)
Influenced and Inspired:
Remembering Kenny Hinson
(Daywind)
4Him
Encore for Future Generations
(INO)
Gaither Vocal Band
Jonas Brothers
Give It Away (Gaither Music)
Jonas Brothers (INO)
JANUARY 31
Lisa McClendon
Live at the House of Blues
(Integrity)
Various
WoW Gospel 2006 (WoW Gospel)
CCM_01.06_Books.v3
12/8/05
9:37 AM
Page 60
inreview
books
WHAT WAS HE THINKING?
by Margaret Becker
Fiction: imaginary, pretend.
My favorite type of fiction usually falls within the realm of Reed Arvin’s
Blood of Angels and Patricia Cornwell’s Predator—mystery, murder, law,
real-life situations made up. I’m not generally a huge sci-fi fan (too many
vivid nightmares after the fact). That’s why Wendy Alec’s
book The Fall of Lucifer sat on my desk for longer than it
deserved. Alec’s “quasi-fictional” story is a behind-thescenes look at Lucifer and his role in our histor y.
(Amazon.com offers this background statement on the
author: “Wendy Alec’s call to the body of Christ to work in the
area of creative evangelism in the media, has been integral
in the pioneering and establishing of Europe’s first Christian
television network—God Digital.)
Evil—and the depths it will go to—has always been a mystery to me. And right up there along with that, is the ultimate
question: Why would a being that dwelt with God, as one of
His beloved, turn against Him?
The Fall of Lucifer addresses those two conundrums eloquently, in
almost poetic terms. The transformation of Lucifer from devoted lover of
God to evil destroyer of all things good, is presented in vivid, passionate
terms that manage to bring you to the cusp of empathy for Lucifer—for
a moment at least.
Along with the cataloging of Lucifer’s catharsis is the imagined story
of his relationship with other angels, specifically Michael and Gabriel,
who, in this version, are his brothers. Their brotherly tension
is written soulfully right down to their parting of ways, with
descriptions that could be superimposed on any of our own
worst family gatherings.
Wendy Alec has covered many biblical milestones in the
book, including a beautifully chronicled fall of Eve, and
Christ’s sacrifice. It is emotional and elegant, written with
fresh insight into what could have transpired in unseen
realms throughout eternity.
If you enjoy rich, fast-paced science fiction or even if you’re
curious about a different perspective on the “could’ves” of
our Christian history, this exciting book will keep you engaged
and leave you with food for thought.
Margaret Becker is an award-winning author, speaker, producer, songwriter
and recording artist. Her latest work includes the recent worship recording
Faithfully Yours: Psalms and her third book, Coming Up for Air: Simple Acts to Redefine
Your Life, set to release in March. For more information visit maggieb.com.
Life Syllabus
The Ragamuffin Gospel Visual Edition: Good News for
the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out
By Brennan Manning, Charles Brock (illustrator)
(Multnomah)
This abbreviated version of Manning’s classic smartly taps
the combined power of words and images to capture readers.
Pages bleeding with color and haunting imagery deliver a
sensory understanding of the gospel message.
The Practice of Proactive Waiting
By Rob Brendle (Waterbrook)
For 20- and 30-somethings in a place of limbo between their
calling and its actualization, the maturing process can feel like
an eternity. Brendle talks about living faithfully in the time
between the call and its fulfillment.
Living the Resurrection: The Risen Christ in Everyday Life
By Eugene H. Peterson (NavPress)
Begin a new year by exploring the resurrection—the singular
hope of Christendom—and its central place in life and faith.
Peterson, who penned The Message Bible paraphrase,
addresses topics such as the practice of resurrection in
daily life and keeping our resurrection identity.
Faith of My Fathers: Conversations with Three Generations of
Pastors about Church, Ministry, and Culture
By Chris Seay (Zondervan)
In a piercingly frank family dialogue, three generations of pastors—
three sons, their father and their grandfather—tell their life stories,
representing a human documentary of the definitive pastoral role
throughout the past half-century.
Becoming: The Wisdom Books of the Old Testament &
Align: The Complete New Testament for Men
(Thomas Nelson)
Without a doubt, these sleek New Century Version
Biblezines are the coolest way to stay rooted in the Word
this New Year. Quizzes, articles, Bible study helps and
calendars give ADD folks plenty of eye candy in this
culturally relevant design. (Be sure to give these ’zines to
friends and family who think reading the Bible is “boring.”)
Profiles by Andrea Bailey
CCM_01.06_Gear.v4
12/8/05
9:39 AM
Page 62
russlong’s guidetogear>>
ALL THE GEAR YOU CAN IMAGINE
WHEN ITS TUNE “I CAN ONLY IMAGINE” BECAME A NATIONWIDE HIT, MERCYME ACHIEVED HOUSEHOLD NAME STATUS
ALMOST OVERNIGHT. SINCE THEN, THE BAND HAS SOLD MILLIONS OF ALBUMS AS A SIX-PIECE OUTFIT CONSISTING OF
BART MILLARD ON VOCALS, BARRY GRAUL AND MIKE SCHEUCHZER ON GUITARS, JIM BRYSON ON KEYBOARDS, NATHAN
COCHRAN ON BASS AND ROBBY SHAFFER ON DRUMS, AND HAS PLAYED FOR SOLD-OUT AUDIENCES NIGHT AFTER NIGHT.
>> THE PROJECT STUDIO::
The band members are diverse when it comes to their project studio setups. Mike describes his: “I have a ProTools LE system
that I use for making tracks at home. I'm not much of a lyricist, but I can come up with music ideas for Bart...” Like Mike, Jim
and Nathan use ProTools in their writing setups as well, whereas Barry uses MOTU’s Digital Performer. Bart adds, “I normally
use an old upright piano and a simple recording program on my laptop called Amadeus.”
MercyMe
Bart’s Shure SM86
GUITAR ARMY::
Between Mike and Barry, there’s enough guitar gear to make any guitarist drool. Mike explains, “I have a few guitars and
amps that are in constant rotation, but here lately I haven’t been able to put down my Tele’s. I have a ’52 reissue that is
amazing, and another Tele that’s an American standard from a few years back. That one plays great, and I’ve kind of beat it
up over the years, routing it out for Seymour Duncan mini humbuckers. It rocks! I have a new amp that I love. It’s a Gabriel
Voxer 18. This guy Gabi makes these killer little amps in his garage. He’s a Christian and has been great to work
with...tweaking the amp specifically for me… It sounds great!” Barry adds, “My live rig consists of mostly old gear, give or
take a few pieces. I generally go with an A-B setup, meaning I switch between two amp heads and two cabinets. One is a
1978 Marshall JMP through a late 1960s Marshall cab, and the other is a 1965 Fender Bassman through a 1970s Bassman
cab. Prior to the amps is a pedalboard with various colors and shapes. The Visual Sound Jekyl & Hyde, the Red Witch Moon
Phaser and a Boss DD-5 digital delay are a few of my favorites. Getting the monstrous tone started are just a few of my
choice guitars. First, an extremely heavy 1977 Gibson Les Paul Pro, to which I credit many trips to the chiropractor. Next,
there’s a 1960s Silvertone semi-hollowbody, a 2005 Fender Telecaster Deluxe and a 1965 Gibson Melodymaker to round
out the electrics. I pretty much use only one acoustic in a live application, and that is a McPherson, an outstanding guitar.”
Barry Graul’s rig
Mike Scheuchzer’s rig
Chapman
KEYBOARD HEAVEN::
Jim describes his setup: “I have a Yamaha S80 as my main controller. I also have a Novation K-Station synth, a Roland V-Synth, a rack
mount Akai S-6000 digital sampler, a Roland JV-1080, and a classic Hammond B3 through a 147 Leslie. I run all of these except the B3
through a Yamaha O1V digital mixer. I have everything programmed to change, including the mixer to the correct patch for whichever song
we're on by pressing one button on the S80. Occasionally, I also play an accordion and a Wurlitzer model 200 on certain tours.”
Jim Bryson’s set-up
THE RHYTHM SECTION::
Richard McLaurin
Robby peruses his drum setup: “I have been setting up for the last few months with a five-piece kit. I use DW drums with a
20-inch kick drum and a 14-inch x 5 1/2-inch DW edge snare. I also use Paiste cymbals and hi-hats.” Nathan’s bass rig
consists of a Fender Jazz bass and an Ashdown ABM 900 EVO 2 amp head with an Ampeg 8x10 cabinet.
AKG C12
Neuman U67
AN UNFORTUNATE EVENT IN KEYBOARD WORLD:
Jim explains that “One night, while we were on the Undone tour, we started playing the first song, and without warning my
keyboard stand collapsed all the way to the floor, dropping my S80. Luckily, it only broke a couple of cords and nothing major.
It took a full song to get it back up and plugged in. Ironically, our production designer had set up a video camera on the back
of the stage that night to record some shots from behind. It caught the whole thing on video tape.”
Fender Deluxe
Reverb Reissue
The MercyMe Gadgets::
BAND MEMBER
FAVORITE
WISH LIST
BIGGEST HEADACHE
Bart Millard
Barry Graul
Mike Scheuchzer
Jim Bryson
Nathan Cochran
Robby Shaffer
Powerbook and iPod nano
Powerbook
Sony PSP
Powerbook
Ashdown amp
Brady Snare drum
Home theater
Faster Powerbook
15” Powerbook
Yamaha C7 grand piano
Six-string banjo
Black Beauty snare
No headache here
Powerbook
Line 6 DL4 Delay pedal
B3 & Leslie
Cheap patch cables
Expensive cymbals that break
Robby Shaffer’s kit
Nathan Cochran’s rig
GEAR :
LINKS
For more information on the artists and gear on this page, visit:
digidesign.com, mamaliga.com/gabriel, gibson.com, fender.com,
apple.com, mcphersonguitars.com, badcatamps.com, gabtone.com
62 ccm january 06
ccmmagazine.com
Russ Long is an award-winning recording engineer who has helmed gold and platinum albums by Sixpence
None the Richer and Newsboys as well as recordings by Relient K, Wilco, Phil Keaggy, Over the Rhine and
others. Russ recently created an educational DVD on studio engineering tailored for singers, songwriters
and home studio enthusiasts. For more information visit audioinstruction.com.
CCM_01.06_SRO.v4
12/8/05
9:42 AM
Page 64
standingroomonly
your guide to concerts
All photos by Andy Argyrakis
by Andy Argyrakis
From left: Relient K’s John Warne, Matt Hoopes, Jonathan Schneck and Matt Thiessen; MXPX’s Mike Herrera, Yuri Ruley and Tom Wisniewski
RELIENT K AND MXPX
CONGRESS THEATRE | CHICAGO, IL— NOVEMBER 6, 2005
When Relient K formed five years ago, MXPX was
no doubt a major influence on its music, as remains
the case with many punk acts inside and outside
the Christian arena. In fact, a few minutes into
Relient K’s set, singer Matt Thiessen had an
awestruck look on his face as he asked the
attendees, “What did you think of the legendary
MXPX?” The resoundingly favorable response
highlighted an ideal evening featuring two
forerunners who’ve bridged the generation gap and
continue to amass significant mainstream acclaim.
The co-headlining tour finds the bands rotating
closing slots every evening, and at this particular
show, Relient K provided the finale of pop/punk
fun. While the guys have never taken themselves
too seriously, they’ve always esteemed artistic
excellence and evolved with ever y successive
album. Their latest, simply and comically titled
MMHMM, is no exception as several tunes explode
with energy, tongue-in-cheek topics and intelligent
arrangements. “The One I’m Waiting For,” “High of
75” and “I So Hate Consequences” especially
stood out this evening, thanks to surging power
chords, crowd par ticipation and Thiessen’s
constant trade-off between guitar and keyboards.
Examples of the gang’s signature lighthearted
approach were prevalent, from using the cheesy
“Full House” sitcom theme as Relient K took the
stage to the wacky retro moments throughout “In
Love With the ’80s (Pink Tux to the Prom).” Of
course, “Sadie Hawkins Dance” earned
thunderous shouts and laughs, thanks to its
hysterical portrayal of trying to be cool while
interacting at a school soirée. Equally inventive was
a merger of “Failure to Excommunicate” and “Life
After Death and Taxes,” further revealing members’
songwriting smarts.
MXPX also unloaded a series of sing-alongs
packed with colorful lyrics and hooks galore. The
group was best off sticking to older material, some
of which has been marinating amongst its faithful
for nearly 15 years. Early career cuts like “Chick
Magnet” and “Punk Rawk Show” will forever be
staples, while “Tomorrow’s Another Day” and the
new “Heard That Sound” (off 2005’s Panic)
translated with nearly equal enthusiasm. The trio
demonstrated enviable stage presence, bouncing
around uncontrollably and engaging everyone from
the ground floor up to the top of the balcony. They
went especially ballistic during “Responsibility”
when frontman Mike Herrera nearly knocked his
microphone off its stand several times and finally
yanked it from the grip to project it toward
concertgoers.
In an age when many general market stars from
the punk and alternative sectors are dropping filthy
language and addressing tacky subjects, this show
took a redemptive tone. While not resorting to the
gratuitous shock value of so many mainstream peers,
both bands are remarkably talented and selling just
as many tickets and CDs as anyone else in their
circles these days. And based on the delightful double
bill packed with a steady stream of favorites, it’s a
trend likely to forge well into the future.
INSIDE
RELIENT K’S
APATHETIC EP:
Considering MMHMM came out in 2004, diehard
Relient K fans are beyond ready for a new record.
But because of the guys’ crazy tour schedule and
opportunities to play in front of new audiences
(such as the trip on last summer’s “Vans Warped
Tour”), it has been a bit tricky to get into the studio
and pen a new project. However, that doesn’t
mean you die-hards won’t have a fresh product to
pick up, and though this EP may not be a full-length
endeavor, something sure is better than nothing!
Titled Apathetic EP, the disc includes
unreleased nuggets the devout will devour,
including the call-to-action track “Apathetic Way to
Be.” Beyond the group’s usual fistful of rapid
pop/punk, also look for a slightly more sensitive
side on acoustic selections such as “Be My
Escape,” “Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet” and
“Over Thinking.” Quantities are limited of this
short but sweet release, so be sure to visit
relientk.com for details. [And be sure to check out
CCM’s review of the EP on page 56.]
HERE AND THERE
Are you within a day’s drive?
Here is a concert date you won’t want to miss!
1/13 Starfield
Witchita, KS
64 ccm january 06
ccmmagazine.com
For the latest concert listings, check out CCMmagazine.com’s
searchable tour database to find out when your favorite artists
will play in a city near you.
CCM_01.06_Numbers.v3
12/8/05
9:45 AM
Page 66
BYTHENUMBERS
927Donnie McClurkin018
by Gregory Rumburg
Here’s a man who needs little introduction. After The McClurkin Singers, a
banner season working with various Winans family members and The New
York Restoration Choir, Donnie McClurkin charged into the solo scene in 1996
with a self-titled Warner Alliance release. Now, three albums later, the
Grammy, Stellar and Dove Award-winning artist tours less, preaches more
and still exudes great enthusiasm for gospel and Christian music.
NO.1 1986
4
42
Gospel chart debut of last spring’s live double-disc Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual
Songs (Verity). “This CD is a bridge to the different cultures and countries, to the
different types of worship, to the ethnical appreciations,” McClurkin says.
The project debuted on general market R&B charts at No. 5.
McClurkin’s favorite Psalm, if he had to pick. “Oh, there’s a whole lot of them!
Not even counting Psalm 119!” he says. “Psalm 42 is my passion Psalm…
That’s where David breaks ranks with the religious and goes into a heart
relationship. That’s the thing that really formulated my relationship with God.”
The year McClurkin preached his first sermon, for a congregation in Delaware.
Number of years recognized as an ordained pastor. Remaining in one
community is key for McClurkin’s pastoral work. “My whole concept of
ministry… [is that] you become a servant, not the served. I have to be
available and hands-on to serve. It becomes problematic because people
will go, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s Donnie McClurkin.’ But Donnie McClurkin takes
a backseat when it comes time to making sure that the people are cared for.”
41 102
1809
1980
4
Number of “bootleg years” (his own parlance) McClurkin has been in the music
business unofficially. At the age of 4, “My mom stood me on top of a table in
church, and I sang, ‘I Had a Talk With God Last Night.’ But it was a lie; I didn’t
talk to Him,” he laughs.
Number of congregants counted in McClurkin’s Perfecting Faith Church
when it opened in 2001 in Freeport, New York.
Number among the flock today.
The first year McClurkin recorded anything professionally, singing background
vocals on “Hard Times Are Over” for John Lennon’s classic Double Fantasy
album. “It was the craziest day,” he remembers. “When it was time to record, I
said [to the choir], ‘Come on, we have to pray,’ and we started praying. My mom
was in the control room with John and Yoko Ono, and Yoko said, ‘What are they
doing?’ And my mother said, ‘They’re praying.’ John started screaming, ‘Get that
on tape!’ They’d never heard anybody praying like that before. So the song
started off with us praying and then it went into the song. It was groovy.”
Number of times McClurkin has performed for Oprah. “As a matter of fact,
none of them has been stressful. Oprah makes sure that you feel like
you’ve known her for a [million] years,” McClurkin says. “Oprah Winfrey is
one of the most embracing people persons you could ever know.”
5
1
Grammy Award win for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album of 2004, an
event which turned into what McClurkin calls “almost the most embarrassing
period of my life.” He practically fainted: “When I got up there, I lost words. I
just lost myself. All I could say was, ‘I thank God.’ I thanked Jesus, the real
Jesus, ’cause I got tired of people getting up there and praising God for ‘Get
Your Freak On!’”
66 ccm january 06
ccmmagazine.com
Number of times McClurkin has sung for a U.S. President. He counts them
out: “Once for George H.W. Bush. Three times for George W. Bush. And one
time for William Jefferson Clinton. And we won’t even talk about the flak I
got for singing for George W. Bush…”
CCM_01.06_Perspective.v4
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apersonalperspective
TURNING A NEW Leaf
My 2-year-old son Charlie is in that fascinating stage of mimicking
everything that comes out of my mouth…mirroring whatever happens on
my face. Depending on my level of discernment or self-control in a given
situation, this can either be a proud moment for me or a hideous one.
When I offer him a PB&J for lunch and he would prefer a turkey
sandwich, he says, “Mommy…you know better than dat!” When his
stuffed animal is being disobedient, he sternly places it in time out, and
then gently hugs it and explains the need for discipline. And after I come
out of the bathroom (assuming I didn’t splash anywhere), he announces
how proud he is of me and offers me a jellybean. He is my little mirror. He
is my conscience and my most immediate and accurate source of feedback.
I made a big deal out of pumpkin carving this year. A bunch of my
girlfriends and I got together with our kids…armed with pumpkins, some
well-guarded knives and a good sense of humor, and started hacking away
at pumpkin flesh. It was great fun, and I think Charlie felt proud of my
effort on our pumpkin. We put him at the top of the stairs that lead to our
front door so that everyone could enjoy the masterpiece.
A few weeks later, I took Charlie on the road with me for a run of
tour dates, and by the time we came back, our pumpkin was in need of
euthanizing. My husband was helping us drag our suitcases up the front
stairs when Charlie got his first glimpse of our rotting friend on the
porch. Initially, I had carved a goofy smile on it, but the passage of time
and the elements had turned his smile into a deep frown. Without
thinking, I gasped when I saw it. And of course, mirroring my reaction,
Charlie panicked.
“Mommy! Why is our pumpkin so sad?” he implored. I frantically
Googled my brain in search of some wise explanation about gravity and
orange gourds. The right words never came, and in a panic, I blurted out,
“Sweetie, his insides are rotting. His smile looks like a frown because his
pumpkin guts are going bad, and it’s time to throw him away.” He looked
at me as if I had just suggested that Santa was rotting as well, and should
just hop in the dumpster with Barney who was also decomposing. The
tears came quickly.
68 ccm january 06
ccmmagazine.com
by Nichole Nordeman
Thankfully, so did his recovery, as his daddy distracted him. But the
small truth about what I had said stayed with me for a few days. I
considered the notion that our pumpkin’s exterior had no choice but to
reflect his interior. These thoughts took me down a path about my own
insides. It made me reflect on how, unlike my orange buddy on the porch,
I can fake it for as long as I need to…regardless of how crushed my spirit
may feel or how rotten my insides are at the time. I’ve got the smile down
pat. And the cheery voice, too.
Why?
I’ve heard time and again that this is a unique challenge posed to people
in public ministry. Is there some kind of unspoken assumption that,
regardless of how messy things might be in my own life, I’m still expected
to grin and sign my favorite Bible verse on some kid’s T-shirt? I fear the
answer. I’ve heard many a pastor dream aloud about what it would be like
to actually be permitted to have a bad day on occasion.
These thoughts are fresh having just come off the road. I had the great
privilege of meeting many people before and after shows. I received many
an encouraging word and was blessed by countless stories. I also caught
myself on auto-pilot several times. Shaking hands and fussing over cute
babies and fake laughing, all just five minutes after I had been grieving with
a friend backstage who’d just received news that his brother has less than a
month to live. The whiplash troubles me. The ease with which I can
transition between Nichole the person and Nichole the “artist” troubles me
even more. I wanted to walk out to the autograph line that night, stand up
and announce that my insides were rotting and I wouldn’t be able to smile
anymore tonight. My “guts had gone bad” like Charlie’s pumpkin. But
instead, within seconds, my game face was on.
Contemporary Christian music has never been more honest than now.
Never before have we embraced the vulnerability of artists or commended
their courage to sing and speak and write books about the realities of how
messy faith can get. To be “real” is the new buzzword, which is wonderful,
I think. I’m grateful that I get to make records in an industry that gives a
microphone to people like Chris Rice, Sara Groves and Derek Webb.
Their honesty inspires the rest of us to step out on a similar ledge and tell
the truth about ourselves.
I guess I’m just longing for less disconnect between my desire to make
“real” music and my potential Oscar nomination after a meet and greet. I
want that word “real” to apply to every part of my artistry, not just my
songwriting. I also want to believe that fans and promoters and caterers
and the kind lady who picks me up at the airport don’t have unrealistic
expectations about the personality I’m supposed to have 100% of the time.
Just once, when a well-intentioned radio guy sticks a microphone in my
face with five seconds’ warning and asks if I have anything inspirational to
say “to someone out there right now who’s hurting,” I would like to be
honest and say, “Nope. Not today. I’m not qualified right now. I’m sorry,”
instead of scrambling for scripture in my brain.
Here’s some good stuff in the 21st chapter of Proverbs, from
The Message.
“Religious performance by the wicked stinks; it's even worse when they
use it to get ahead. A lying witness is unconvincing; a person who speaks
truth is respected. Unscrupulous people fake it a lot; honest people are sure
of their steps. Nothing clever, nothing conceived, nothing contrived, can
get the better of God. Do your best, prepare for the worst—then trust God
to bring victory.”
I hate how much of that applies to me sometimes. Religious
performance? Check. Lying witness? Sure. Clever? Conceived? Contrived?
Yup. A lobby full of concert attendees might be fooled: God is not.
So, as I think back to that pumpkin, it occurs to me that I could turn over
a new leaf as well. Holding my life and my interactions to the same
standard of honesty I hold my songs to. Refusing to bow to the unrealistic
pressures that the “face” of an artist must reflect at all times, whether or not
her heart concurs. And believing that if I steer clear of “religious
performance,” somehow God’s grace will not only cover the moments
when I am unwilling to fake it, but will soften the expectations of
whomever is on the receiving end of my sharpie. ccm
Nichole Nordeman’s current album is Brave (Sparrow). She will perform in more than 40 cities
this spring with Casting Crowns on “The Lifesong Tour.” Go to NicholeNordeman.com for info.
CCM_01.06_Classifieds.v3
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CLASSIFIEDS
DOWNLOADS
BIBLE-BASED MUSIC. Choruses everyone
can sing. Download instrumental tracks
(MP3s) and sheet music with lyrics (PDFs).
Visit www.mroark.com.
introducing our CCM
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HEAR GREAT MUSIC on Sing a New Song!
Original and refreshing mix of UK Christian
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Jeremy Camp T-1
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RADIO SALES
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Excellent compensation plan. Resume to:
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HOW TO PLACE CLASSIFIEDS
To place a classified ad, send a check (payable to CCM
COMMUNICATIONS) or a credit card number and expiration
date, along with your ad copy by the 15th of the month, two
months in advance of the issue in which you want the ad. (For
example, by January 15 for the March issue.) Cost: $3.00 a
word with a minimum of $50 per month. Display ads run as
follows: $175 (B/W), $225 (2 color) and $295 (4 color).
Marketplace ads run as follows: $275 (B/W), $325 (2 color)
and $395 (4 color). CMYK colors only. Send ad copy for
classified listings, and/or a electronic digital file on CD for
display/marketplace ads, and your check or credit card
number with expiration date to: Classified Ads, CCM
MAGAZINE, 104 Woodmont Blvd., Suite 300, Nashville, TN
37205. Make sure to include a daytime phone number. Please
contact classifieds@salempublishing.com for further
information or call 615-312-4265.
Subscription/Customer Service Information: Write CCM, 104
Woodmont Blvd. Ste 300, Nashville, TN 37205 or call
800/527-5226. In the U.S., $19.95/one year, $35.95/two
years, $53.95/three years; Canada, (U.S. funds) $27.95 per
year; all other countries, (U.S. funds) $33.95 (surface) or $67
(airmail). For address changes or other inquiries, please
include both old and new addresses and mailing label. Allow
four to six weeks for new subscriptions to begin.
Occasionally, CCM Magazine allows other Christian organizations to mail offers of their products or services to people on
our subscriber list. If you do not want to receive mail from these
organizations, please contact our customer service department
at 800/527-5226.
CCM [ISSN 1524–7848] is published monthly by Salem Publishing.
Copyright: CCM © 2005 by Salem Publishing, 104 Woodmont Blvd.,
Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37205. Contents may not be reproduced in any
manner, either whole or in part, without prior written permission of the
publisher. Editorial: The editor cannot assume responsibility for
unsolicited manuscripts and will return only those accompanied by a
stamped, self–addressed envelope. Writers’ guidelines available upon
request. Advertising: Neither the advertisers nor the contents
of advertisements appearing in this publication are necessarily
endorsed by Salem Publishing. We cannot accept liability for any
products, services, etc., offered in advertisements, but please contact
us if you experience any difficulties with advertisers. Periodicals
postage paid at Nashville, TN and additional offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to CCM Magazine, 104 Woodmont Blvd,
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ccmmagazine.com
january 06 ccm 69
CCM_01.06_HistoryMakers.v3
12/8/05
9:49 AM
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HISTORYMAKERS
WITH
JOHN STYLL
…MOMENTS THAT SHAPED CCM
YES, HE’S BACK, AND HE’LL BE WRITING THIS NEW COLUMN FOR US EACH MONTH! CCM IS DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THE
RETURN OF JOHN STYLL, WHO LAUNCHED OUR MAGAZINE IN 1978 AND CAPTAINED THE SHIP FOR MORE THAN TWO
DECADES, BEFORE BECOMING THE PRESIDENT OF THE GOSPEL MUSIC ASSOCIATION (GMA).
[LOOKING FORWARD
TO THE PAST]
Hello! It is a privilege to be with you again.
With this new page in CCM Magazine, our goal is to help
you understand what’s going on in Christian music today by
offering the important perspective of history. We all know
that we stand on the shoulders of others; we are where we are
today because of the efforts of those who came before.
Wisdom dictates that we learn from the past, a fact of which
I am acutely aware as the GMA Foundation is now making
plans to build a “Hall of Fame” and museum. Thus, we hope
this back page will be a sort of “time machine” that will allow
us to randomly drop in on interesting and/or important
“moments” during the last 35 years or so of Christian music.
I was fortunate enough to be around in the earliest days of
contemporary Christian music, personally witnessing much of
what cumulatively shaped the Christian music scene of today.
The good news is that I have a few stories to tell. The bad
news is that I am now really old—but not too old to rock!
In the coming months, I’ll be sharing stories from “behind
the scenes” of CCM Magazine itself as well as Christian music
in general. And for this first article, it seems appropriate to tell
you how this magazine came to be.
In the mid-’70s, I worked in radio. I produced radio
specials, commercials and a daily Christian music show on a
Southern Calif. radio station. The show was broadcast live
from a studio I personally built at Maranatha Village, a
Christian bookstore that also had a “craft” village. The store
occupied the buildings that comprised the original Calvary
Chapel in Santa Ana, California. The store’s owners, Jim and
Betty Willems, believed strongly in the power of Christian
music. In fact, Maranatha Village was once Christian music’s
top retail store in the nation.
70 ccm january 06
ccmmagazine.com
Jim Willems also understood the power of radio to
sell music, so he purchased a
five-hour block of time on a
local radio station, during
which I played contemporary
Christian music from the
studio each weekday. The
studio was in the store’s
entrance lobby—the former
narthex of the church. It was
literally a zoo in there, and it
was sometimes disconcerting
CCM’s first cover and John Styll in CCM’s early days
to have customers watching
me through the glass as I spun the turntables. It was part of the earliest days of contemporary
Christian music radio.
A couple of years later, Jim partnered with a smart and ambitious young businessman, Steve
Zarit, to produce a monthly newspaper for the Christian community in Orange County
(which, by the way, was not known as “The O.C.” in those days). “Contemporary Christian
ACTS” was divided into sections, covering sports, family, church life and music. Although I
had no previous experience with print media, I was asked to edit the music section because I
had access to the artists through my radio work. (They were desperate, I suppose.)
After about six months, Jim, Steve and I discussed turning the music section of
“Contemporary Christian ACTS” into a separate publication. “Jesus music,” as it was commonly
called at that time, was growing, but the traditional trade publications that covered Christian
products hadn’t really embraced it. Seeing the opportunity, in early 1978 I traveled to where
the major record companies were located to seek their input. Although Southern California
was the epicenter of the Jesus music movement at that time, my travels took me to Kansas City
(Tempo Records), Waco (Word and Myrrh Records) and Nashville (the Benson Company and
some artist managers).
The idea was warmly embraced, except at Word, which was Christian music’s “800-pound
gorilla” at the time. Executives there advised against launching a new publication, but not
knowing any better, we decided to launch it anyway. (Of all the letters I have received in my
professional life, one of my most treasured is the one I received six months after our launch
from that nay-saying executive at Word, in which he offered his sincere congratulations on the
success of the new publication.)
Borrowing from the name and format of its progenitor, we named the new publication
“Contemporary Christian MUSIC,” and in doing so, inadvertently helped that term “stick” as
the primary identifier of what was then a fresh new musical movement.
As they say, the rest is history. And that’s what we’ll be delving into each month. I’d love to
know your thoughts or questions. Write me at john@gospelmusic.org.

chris tomlin dAVID crowder

Transcription

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