Stand By Night

A musical stanza in and of itself is not Christian or secular. Take instrumental music for example: if the chord structure of Pachelbel’s Canon in D is played by a non-Christian we say it’s secular, but if it’s played by a Christian then it’s “Christian” music. Given this fact, if a Christian were to play an instrumental piece originally played by a secular artist, it would become “Christian” due to the only thing making it secular being removed. I think the church understood this a little better 200 years ago, since many old hymns were set to music that was “secular” at the time it was written.

In reality, that “Christian” piano CD you have is not any more holy than the plain old classical piano CD your neighbor listens to, and you are listening to a self-taught guy on a Yamaha P90 while your neighbor gets to hear a virtuoso whose life’s work is being poured out on an antique Steinway & Sons. In all probability, your “quiet time” could actually stand to benefit from some “secular” music.

Any subculture that doesn’t recognize the skillful and exalts the mediocre will cause two reactions: the mediocre will start to think they are skilled, and the truly skilled will leave because they are not appreciated. I believe this has been going on so for long in the Christian music world that many of our singers and musicians have the mindset of a high-school football star: they think they’re great, and most of the people around them are telling them they’re great, but they are not even close to being in the same league as an actual pro. It’s pitiful really.

Is it wrong that I wish Christian musicians would stop listening exclusively to each other, and let themselves be influenced by people who are actually great musicians? If they did, I may actually consider listening to them.

-J