General Music Chat

If their monitors suck so bad that you can't hear yourself, always carry some Hearo's earplugs with you. You may just put one in one ear or one in each, depending on how loud the music is. With earplugs, you'll hear yourself a lot better.

If their monitors suck so bad that you can't hear yourself, always carry some Hearo's earplugs with you. You may just put one in one ear or one in each, depending on how loud the music is. With earplugs, you'll hear yourself a lot better.

Yeah they didn't have a PA system, only amps cause their old bandmates took off with it. Thanks for the tip, haha. I'll be sure to use it next time I go try out for a band, and get songs to learn from them before I go. However, I just met this dude at work who used to gig with a band in Chicago as a bassist and I know a guitarist who is looking to join/start a band so if I don't get this thing we might just start up our own band. Gonna take a lot of work, but I'm willing to do it.

Debbie,

God has used me to write Christian and Inspirational Music also.

Here is my advice:

DO NOT approach Christian music like other forms of music. YOU SHOULD NOT be writing Christian music. God should be writing it.

If you ever begin to believe that your skill or creativity will see you through this, then you will have done a disservice to the cause of Christ, and committed an offense to God.

If you are thinking: "Gee, I write really well, but I haven't tried Christian music yet, let me see if I am any good at that too!"... You would have already failed, because your heart and motivation would have been misplaced. This music is not about skill, it is about heart. A person who once brought me to tears singing in church, more than anyone else ever has, also happened to be one of the worst singers I have heard sing in church. The quality of his voice was irrelevant, he brought God to us through himself that day. And while I have been impressed by amazing voices in church before, this person brought God in a more powerful way, and as such, was one of the best Christian singers I have ever known.

Christian music is (or should be) a testimony of the heart of God. An artist who paints someone's portrait wants to capture and portray the SPIRIT of that person, the ESSENCE of that person, the TRUTH of that person. If he doesn't achieve this, he knows he has failed, no matter how meticulously crafted the image would be. A lesser artist may, on occassion, actually paint a better "portrait" than a more technically skilled artist could. And though the techniques or visual quality of the superior artist would be evident, if the portrait did not capture the true personality of the subject, the lesser artist's work would be preffered and actually be the better portrait, because he would have captured the essence of that subject. And consequently, we would have a better understanding of the subject, even though we did not know him personally. In portraits, we do not want to understand the artist best, we want to understand his subject best, to get to "know" the subject through the portrait.

Your goal should be similar.

You want people to know your subject through your song, and you especially want people who do not know your subject personally, to really know and understand him through your song.

When you are representing God to others through your music, you should approach this more seriously and somberly than you have ever approached any other artistic endeavor in your life. After all, what subject could me more important to accurately portray, than the Creator? This is a VERY serious matter.

Christianity is in SHAMBLES right now, because of the lackadaisical and self-serving attitudes of those who claim to represent God, particularly the leaders of churches, Christian artists and others, and yet who are not in touch with the Creator's heart.

Ministers preach prosperity gospels, and flaunt Rolex watches while demanding that their usually poor flock, send them more and more money so that God will bless them with their own Rolexes. There are Christian Music Awards shows. This is an affront to God. They are judged on sales, popularity and musical prowess, not on how spiritual their music is, and not on whether it brings souls to God's heart or not. It is an imitation of secular awards shows and it is there to make money, NOT to further the message of the Gospels. It is one of MANY cancers wreaking havoc on the cause of Christ, and causing spiritual confusion. A better name would be "How satan is using us to help destroy the message of Christ - Awards Show" or maybe "How we are the same as people who do not know Christ, even though we profess to be different - Awards Show!"

Apologies for the rant, but it is God who is offended at all this. I happen to feel his heart on the matter.

Also, I can't know where your heart and motivation are, concerning your desire to write Christian music, this message is meant in general, to anyone it may apply to. Only God truly knows your heart on this, so don't be offended, I am not presuming your motivations are suspect. This is meant as food for thought to everyone calling themselves Christian.


Ok, rant is over.


Back to basics.

How to write Christian music?

1) Feel God's heart

2) Write what God says


Again... remember the parallel I gave over an artist painting a portrait. Only in this case, you have nothing physical to compare. You are not painting what God "looks" like, since he is spirit. You are painting WHO GOD IS, inside. How much easier is it to portray, through art, what someone's physical appearance looks like, than to portray what their heart "looks" like?

So, the first question to answer for ourselves is:

Do I really KNOW God intimately enough, to portray him accurately to others?

If the answer is "yes", then simply follow the 2 steps above. If the answer is "no", do not even contemplate writing Christian music, until you feel you know Him well enough, to be his faithful representative. Because, you are painting his "portrait" for others. You are painting his "heart" to others. If anyone is going to paint God's portrait for others, they are inadvertently taking responsibility for whether the "person" (the subject) they are portraying to others, is truly the person God is. If your "portrait" is that one "open door", that one chance, someone has to know God, their spiritual lives may very well be riding on whether you get that portrait right or not.

It is a sobering thought.

One I don't take lightly, and one I know God doesn't want us to take lightly.

I thought that was what I said?

No really Craig. Valid points made. That is why all my music ends up being written on a lumber yard recept at 2am.
I have written a thousand ramblings of "secular" lyric.
My old college books are covered with them.
It was not until I felt the Spirit move my heart, that I was able to write a completed thought.
They come, sometimes in my sleep. I just reach out to try and catch them, like fireflies at night.

They come, sometimes in my sleep. I just reach out to try and catch them, like fireflies at night.

THAT is beautiful and perhaps lyrics waiting to happen. I just told my wife. She chuckled and said "that's cool"

My English Prof. , my first time through college, once told me I had a talent for descriptive writing. She said I defied all the rules of English but had a way of, turn of phrase, that seemed to pull it together.
Thank you for the compliment. It's not something I strive for, just kinda spills out.

Ditto that Paul.

Beautiful expression George.

And I know your heart brother. I know you well enough to understand your heart for God. He has used you to encourage me on several occassions, and I know you hear him. I'm grateful he brought me across your path.

Beautiful expression George.

And I know your heart brother. I know you well enough to understand your heart for God. He has used you to encourage me on several occassions, and I know you hear him. I'm grateful he brought me across your path.

ME TOO!!

I guess the expression, That even through great evil HE can bring good.
Is true.