Indie-scussion

This evening I had the opportunity to have a discussion on music with my good friend Ben Rothermel.

We started off talking about indie music and how it has developed. He is writing a paper on the indie movement regarding its roots, disposition, and complexion. He was interested in gaining another perspective to add to his paper.

We had some interesting issues come about in our discussion. We decided that indie music (created by independent, unsigned artists) is more realistic than commercial music (mainstream; created by signed musicians with a particular interest in finance). We agree that indie music is better if it is done right.

However, we had two didactic perspectives on the relationship between performer and audience. Ben thought that indie artists can form a stronger bond with their audience since the social distance between the them is much smaller. He claims that a mainstream artist is much more removed from their audience than a local indie artist. I brought up the converse, where mainstream artists have a much stronger connection (granted, superficially) to their audience at large. I claim that, for instance, a fan of Switchfoot may know more about Jon Foreman than a fan of NoRedTape may know about Ben (I define fan as a one-sided relationship) and thus would have a “closer” relationship to a mainstream artist. Arguments can really be made for both sides.

We also talked of the “lo-fi” quality of indie artists. There is something so pristine about a mainstream production that in essence makes the recording “too perfect.” An indie band generally falls short of that, and creates a sound that seems more genuine.

This raises an interesting question of reality. In life, things are generally not perfect. Bi-sect a tree vertically: will you find branches sprouting at the same height on each side? will there be an equal number of leaves on each side? will birds of the same type choose to make equally-sized nests on both sides, equidistant from the trunk? No, and if all that were true, the tree would look artificial. This is why art or music can be seen as “too perfect” and therefore unrealistic.

I think I went way off the deep end. Today I drank a red-eye and it’s really affecting me.

The Burning of Elyon’s Fire

I’ve been trying to keep this blog away from personal things as much as possible, but I feel the need to write about my band, Elyon’s Fire.

Those who know us can testify that we have a bit of a cyclic nature. Half of the time our band is extremely active, and the other half we do absolutely nothing and people forget we exist. It really prevents us from going anywhere, because each time we “come back”, we have to regain a good rapport among audiences.

I believe Elyon’s Fire never really takes off because we’re not all on the same page. We haven’t verbalized this much, until recently when a few of us spoke over sushi. Each of us feel the band to be individually draining, and we all agree that this should not be the case.

According to Corin, Elyon’s Fire is my baby. I pulled it together, I write the songs, I find most of the shows, and so on. I formed this band for a two-fold reason: to lead a band and to glorify God with it. I want Elyon’s Fire to be all it can be. However, not all of my band-mates share my vision for the band’s direction. Each of us actively seek God and His will for our lives–and that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll be led in the same direction. I’d like to share my personal vision.

I’ve heard it said that God’s will for our lives usually involves our dreams and passions. I don’t just love music, I love what it does to people. I love how music can mend a broken heart or fuel an adventure. It can make people laugh, cry, dance, sing, worship, and even love. My dream is not to play music–that’s the easy part, because it can be learned. I want to write and play music that opens a passage-way into the human heart. Through this passage-way I’d like to send a positive lifestyle and ultimately the gospel message. And I’d love to open as many hearts as the Lord will permit.

To touch the human heart in this way is no easy feat. Our culture removes God at every opportunity. It seeks personal pleasure, at the expense of others and of its own future consequences. It has bred a “me” generation, which is coming up behind my own generation. But going against the grain of our culture will get you put into a box real quick. They’re sick of the “Christian” or “religious” box. If only they knew how fulfilling a Christ-centered life can be…

Well, I suppose I’ll cut it off here. I pray that the Lord guides my ambitions and keeps me humble. He is the Lord and deserves all glory.

Two Ends for Music

This evening I attended the sixth annual Battle of the Bands at the Jewish Community Center in York. My own band played in 2005 at the same event. I primarily went to support the band NoRedTape, who are my good friends.

I spent the night wandering the JCC, observing the teens and bands. The teens were the traditional emo-punk-groupies, girls with swooped bangs and guys with girls’ pants who look like they dressed in the dark. Each band had a unique twist and most did very well. I believe that good music unites crowd and performer, and each participant this evening was no exception.

But I realized that two forces were at work. There were musicians who wanted to worship the god of music, and those who wanted to worship the God of the Universe. My friends NoRedTape, and also Epidemic Remedy (a band I’ve recently become familiar with) play for the Lord Jesus, as their music reflects. But there were several other bands who exude over-confidence through their musical performance and their fans’ abrasive discourse.

I believe that rock performers are always susceptible to the genre’s stereotype: devil’s music. No problem for a secular band, but for a Christian artist, going against the grain of how the world has portrayed rock is a tough gig. Tonight I found myself encouraged by the pure intentions of NoRedTape and Epidemic Remedy, and a little disgusted at bands with big egos (even if they had talent to back them up). The Christian bands’ music goes beyond the “watch me rock out” mentality and transforms the show into a more meaningful experience.

Someday I think we need to reclaim rock ‘n roll. Why should the devil have all the good music?