Episode 10: LDS Music–Burn it or Build it?
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That is the question we seek to answer in this episode. We also try a little to get at the essence of LDS Music (music with an LDS (Mormon) theme, or even just any music by an LDS artist). We play some unfiltered examples.
Joining our discussion as an expert on the subject is Cherie Call, a popular and very involved LDS artist and all-around cool gal with some cool music herself. Her child also appears at moments, whining in the background (we think it’s charming). For your benefit, here are some of Cherie’s recommendations, which you might check out if you’re interested, and which we may ourselves in a future podcast: Christian artists–Sara Groves, Nichole Nordeman, and Chris Rice. LDS artists–Scott Wiley hymn arrangements (esp ‘Nearer’), Michael McLean (Forgotten Carols), Kenneth Cope, Mindy Gledhill, EFY CDs, Dan Beck. |
Should Be Famous Episode 10--LDS Music--Burn it our Build it? [55:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (359)5 responses so far
LDS music, build it or burn it?
First of all, I mean absolutely no disrespect to Sister Call or anyone who writes or performs “LDS music.” I think they are sincere musicians and are trying their best. It’s very difficult for me to word my concerns about this without coming across as brash or arrogant or mean-spirited, and I definitely don’t mean to be so. Unfortunately I don’t know how else to put it.
Sister Call mentioned that “there are Latter-day Saints who write music, but there are so many who don’t get heard because it’s so difficult to market.”
WHY is it so difficult to market? Because of a vicious cycle that is occurring in our community:
1) Latter-day Saint musicians feel culturally or morally obligated to favor LDS-themed music. They buy from Deseret Book, they buy EFY CDs, etc.
2) Therefore LDS music has cornered a market demographic that doesn’t hold them up to a very high standard. Just listen to a single Jars of Clay song: “Redemption.” That one song convinced me that “LDS music” has light years to go. And no… they don’t use the name of Deity at all in that song, and no drums. It’s about quality.
3) It’s disappointing that Latter-day Saints listen to substandard songs, but the larger tragedy is that they don’t even know WHY those songs are substandard. They don’t even know what to listen for. Nobody’s educating them. So they don’t expect anything more.
4) You say we shouldn’t worry about creating a better “production value.” It’s not about production value… it’s about art and quality. I’m not saying it doesn’t exist in LDS music, it’s just so narrow, so superficial, and so limited. It’s just not there yet.
5) Latter-day Saint musicians who DO appreciate deeper art feel out of place, and realize there ISN’T a market for their music.
6) Those musicians try to succeed in other venues… bars, the sleaze of pleasing record labels, tours with non-members… they have to move to Los Angeles or Seattle or Nashville or Portland… and many of them lose their way and never return to Church activity.
7) Because those artists either leave the Church or leave the “LDS market” altogether, the result is the continuation of the very substandard quality of the LDS music market!
But you know what? There ARE plenty of Mormons who make marketable music. Is Brandon Flowers “unmarketable?” The Killers were voted as one of the greatest bands of the century by Q magazine. What about Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker? What about Cove Reber of Saosin? Their last album hit #4 on the Billboard Alternative charts. What about Cary Judd? What about Roxy Rawson? What about Young Sim? What about Canoe, the band from Portland? The answer is, these musicians just aren’t considered part of LDS music, because “LDS music” is narrowly defined as what you’ve played here.
And it’s not even that they’re not writing songs with LDS themes. Any Low fan has surely heard “The Lamb.” The song brings me to tears, and represents everything that LDS music COULD be. Has anyone thought about what Brandon Flowers meant when he said “I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier?” It was about losing his way when he became a rock star. Has anyone heard “See Through Rocks” by Cary Judd? Pure art and pure beauty, and it all has to meet a higher standard because the US market requires a higher standard.
When Linescratchers was created, it was to provide support for those musicians who were completely marginalized by the LDS music community, but still wanted to be affiliated with Latter-day Saints. I’m still surprised at how these musicians feel. Often they think they have to choose between the Church and their music, because the Church “doesn’t support or understand” their music. It’s just sad.
Maybe “LDS music” should focus less on their music being “marketable” and focus more on making art. The market will educate itself to whatever level the musicians create. We still haven’t seen The Beatles of LDS music. We haven’t even seen the Radiohead of LDS music. We haven’t even seen the Jars of Clay of LDS music. Why? Because Brandon Flowers, Alan Sparhawk, and Cary Judd aren’t “LDS music.”
Sorry sorry sorry, I really hate saying all that because I’m a Mormon, and Mormons don’t like to say negative things about others and feel bad if they hurt somebody’s feelings. But I’m not saying our “LDS musicians” CAN’T make better music! It’s in their hearts! Deep down in there… we just need to encourage it out. I think we’ve gotten a little closer with Gladys Knight. And we need to stop defining LDS music by pushing out those on the margins. There is an impending Rennaissance out there… when one day non-Mormons will be coming to MORMONS for our art. There will one day be a Mormon Milton, a Mormon Shakespeare, a Mormon Lennon and McCartney. But we have to completely raise the bar to get there.
So, in short, I wholeheartedly agree with Syphax but I would be more blunt.
Most Mormon music is shallow, insincere, substandard and just plain boring. It’s really too bad since there are so many talented LDS musicians who know how to make great music and perform in a genuine manner. But Syphax makes the excellent point that the market for this music is generated by members who are not educated or cultured to know that what they are listening to just aint that great.
My least favorite part about LDS music is that it’s often the complete opposite of a testimony meeting. Let me explain: In a good testimony meeting (sorry, this is Mormon lingo), people speak from the heart with genuine sincerity. The result is sometimes messy but always touching and very powerful. Mormon music, on the other hand, is over-rehearsed, careful and shallow, therefore lacking any truthful performance and, as we Mormons well know, it is only a truthful performance that will touch/reach the listener. How can we get it so right with our testimonies and so wrong with our music?
I can’t wait for the ‘impending rennaissance’ to occur but I don’t think anything will happen until Deseret Book makes some changes to their buyer staff.
Ouch! I was trying to be more diplomatic than that!
But you’re exactly right. I just prefer the non-blunt route, because alienating people isn’t the way to attract people to my blog.
I really enjoyed Cherie Call’s take on LDS media, and I also would like to be more blunt than her very eloquent and positive remarks: Simply that LDS music is sometimes too sweet. Kenneth Cope as an example is a great artist with wonderful music that I enjoy. However, if I were to take a 6 hour family vacation car trip with nothing but Cope playing, there would be a mutiny and I would walk the plank.
I would argue also that the early Beatles productions were somewhat low production, yet still maintain a remarkable freshness that is popular with today’s youth. So the difference, to me, is the variety in exploration of their music, something LDS music does not have much in abundance. I was really surprised and delighted at the differences in music explored on the (fairly) recent Mormon Times contest.
Understanding that the essence of historical “Rock and Roll” is not always in harmony with LDS teachings, where ‘pervasive’ ideas can be introduced through the medium of charming music. Still, I wonder why there is not a mainstream music with ‘pervasive’ LDS ideas in the rock and roll genre. Especially since many LDS members are converts. I have friends who were part of hair metal bands, tour musicians for Paul and Linda McCartney, and even a member of what became Korn, all members of the LDS faith. Yet the avenue for their creative efforts seem stifled by the fact that their tastes are not for the sweet, but sometimes for the tart or bitter as well. None of which would be welcome at your local Deseret Books.
I wholeheartedly agree with Syphax and Britt and would sum up that music is an emotional experience sharable with the world, that finds a common thread through all of God’s children.
I listen to music differently than many. I don’t hear lyrics for their meaning initially; I hear the voice as another instrument in the overall ensemble. I judge musically first by the strength of its composition and overall arrangement.
I have discovered (sadly) that sometimes a song that I have grown to love is actually based on some lyrical content that doesn’t reflect, or outright offends, my values. I’ve made conscious decisions to eschew such music. Conversely, if I discover that a song has lyrical content is in agreement with my values, I may embrace that song even more.
The general problem I find with “LDS” music is much of the music just doesn’t stand well on its own as a musical work. Much of it sounds exactly the same (compositionally and by arrangement). While visiting the Wasatch front, I was scanning the radio for music and within a second or less identify that a station was playing “LDS” music without even hearing a single lyric.
That’s what I find sad. There don’t seem to be a lot of people who will take the time to venture out from steady diet of peanut-butter-on-white-bread music. I think the question was raised on the podcast, but I think isolationism has a lot to do with it. Living in New York City (as Clayton will confirm), you can find some great cuisines. (How many have tried Ethiopian? Vietnamese? Indian?) Likewise you can find music of every type, shape, and form, and you don’t have to go far to find it.
I know that there are exceptional LDS musicians who do produce wonderful music. I suspect that these are the ones who probably have experienced the bun xaos and baingan barthas of the music world.
As a musician who is also LDS I exhort other LDS musicians to open their ears and break free of the mold of traditional “green jello” LDS music! And then maybe it will be more palatable and satisfying as a genre.