Tuesday
Feb202007
No Man's Land
Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at 11:30AM
So here's another one up for discussion. In the past few weeks I've had a number of interesting happenings regarding the intersection of my faith and my music.
- I had a show cancelled at a club because they found out I was a "christian artist".
- I had a show cancelled at a christian college because this site links to a brewery.
- I did an interview for a major music blog and was told later that if it was known I was a "christian artist" the interview would not have happened. The interviewer is an atheist with some painful history of organized religion. We also hit it off and had a wonderful conversation which I think we'll continue.
If you've come to this site for very long you've probably realized that A) I'm a Christian and B) I never talk about christian music. I don't talk about it because, for the most part, I really don't like it. I think, in a lot of ways, it does a disservice to both music and christianity.
The problem is, when I was 18 and moved to Nashvile to sign a "christian" record contract I didn't know you could be a Christian and still play regular music. So I didn't. I played "christian" music until my band broke up and I burned out on pretty much everything about Christianity.
I have made every one of my solo records without regard to the weird creature of "christian" music. I just made them for me. But I can't shake this CCM thing. My solo records show up under "inspirational" on iTunes.
On the other hand, some Christian colleges and venues have reacted to things I've posted on here and made it harder for me to get in there. It seems both sides have expectations that limit and constrict. One side talks about "being true to yourself" while the other speaks of "freedom" yet when I exercise my freedom to be myself, I find that I don't fit in very neatly with either side.
I know it seems like I'm complaining, but I don't mean to. I just don't know where I fit in, and I don't know how to change that. Do you have ideas? Have you seen ways other artists have successfully navigated this stuff? Am I asking the wrong questions? Do you think I should just pick a side and stick with it? Going full-on mainstream would mean starting over in a lot of ways, and I can barely support my family now. Does that mean I'm selling out? These are the thoughts that continually circle around in my brain. I trust you guys. You know me. I'd love your thoughts.
P.S. I want to say, also, that there are some truly wonderful things happening with Christian artists that would probably not be the same without the support of the church. Things like Blood:Water mission, Dalit Freedom Network and Compassion International. I am so proud to play a small part in what these organizations do, and its one of the reasons that playing in churches and Christian places is really rewarding and powerful.
- I had a show cancelled at a club because they found out I was a "christian artist".
- I had a show cancelled at a christian college because this site links to a brewery.
- I did an interview for a major music blog and was told later that if it was known I was a "christian artist" the interview would not have happened. The interviewer is an atheist with some painful history of organized religion. We also hit it off and had a wonderful conversation which I think we'll continue.
If you've come to this site for very long you've probably realized that A) I'm a Christian and B) I never talk about christian music. I don't talk about it because, for the most part, I really don't like it. I think, in a lot of ways, it does a disservice to both music and christianity.
The problem is, when I was 18 and moved to Nashvile to sign a "christian" record contract I didn't know you could be a Christian and still play regular music. So I didn't. I played "christian" music until my band broke up and I burned out on pretty much everything about Christianity.
I have made every one of my solo records without regard to the weird creature of "christian" music. I just made them for me. But I can't shake this CCM thing. My solo records show up under "inspirational" on iTunes.
On the other hand, some Christian colleges and venues have reacted to things I've posted on here and made it harder for me to get in there. It seems both sides have expectations that limit and constrict. One side talks about "being true to yourself" while the other speaks of "freedom" yet when I exercise my freedom to be myself, I find that I don't fit in very neatly with either side.
I know it seems like I'm complaining, but I don't mean to. I just don't know where I fit in, and I don't know how to change that. Do you have ideas? Have you seen ways other artists have successfully navigated this stuff? Am I asking the wrong questions? Do you think I should just pick a side and stick with it? Going full-on mainstream would mean starting over in a lot of ways, and I can barely support my family now. Does that mean I'm selling out? These are the thoughts that continually circle around in my brain. I trust you guys. You know me. I'd love your thoughts.
P.S. I want to say, also, that there are some truly wonderful things happening with Christian artists that would probably not be the same without the support of the church. Things like Blood:Water mission, Dalit Freedom Network and Compassion International. I am so proud to play a small part in what these organizations do, and its one of the reasons that playing in churches and Christian places is really rewarding and powerful.
Reader Comments (71)
"Love God and do what you want"
Augustine
Oh, come on now. You burned out on pretty much everything about Christianity because your band broke up?
Surely you jest.
I didn't burn out because my band broke up. Though part of my band breaking up was because I burned out. They happened about the same time and for a lot of the same reasons. A lot of my latest record is about healing from that time.
Hey man,
I haven't been around your blog too long, but I've added it to my "favorites" for my AOL Toolbar. I appreciate your insight and humility. Anyway, you don't know me so wouldn't know to trust me or run, but here's my thought on what you've said.
In the past couple years, the music you have made, and the music you've been a part of, has been a real blessing to me. I'm a young pastor laboring away in northern Louisiana, and always ran from CCM for its lack of depth, and didn't listen to much of anything at all. Then I discovered Indelible Grace, and have especially enjoyed the third and fourth efforts in the series. Digging a little deeper from there led me in the last months to purchase your latest CD, Jeremy Casella's "10,000 Angels," Matthew Smith's "All I Owe," Sandra McCracken's latest, and I'll get Matthew Perryman Jones's CD as soon as I think my wife won't roll her eyes at another buy.
My favorite professor in seminary shared a complaint about Christianity and mainstream culture that struck a chord with me, asking, why do we as Chrisitans feel the need to hide in some kind of subculture, in effect, contributing so little? That may sound like I think you should start over, but that's not it at all. I think you strike a wonderful balance with your music, and I think you should stick to it -- I believe what you're doing now is helping to make up for our lack of contribution. You're still in the youth of your career, and people need to the time to know you. Maybe you just need to be patient with people, because their assumptions won't change overnight.
Possible questions to consider: What is the motivation to change? Is it to be used further for God's glory? If you did move over to mainstream completely, would you lose your ministry to the church? Who are you striving to bless? I don't know any of the answers to these, obviously, and know you've been thinking about them already. Only best wishes, my brother. Keep up that great work.
I've been reading your blog for several months now and maybe it escaped me but could you be more specific about why you don't like about christian music or what you don't like about it? I have a pretty similar view of the whole thing myself but I'm still trying to put into words what bothers me about it. I think mostly it's the finished product, so un-compelling particularly in contrast to the life-changing message it supposedly carries. I can think of a handful of LPs that adequately reflected some of the joy, the hope, the struggle, the beauty, the ugliness that constitutes christian life. "Christ Is My Hope" from The Innocence Mission is one, "It's Hard To Find A Friend" by Pedro The Lion is another... that's about it. These don't get many spins on K-LOVE, unfortunately.
Hey Andrew. Please please keep being honest with your music. I love artists like you and Sandra McCracken and Judd & Maggie because they just write. There is no consideration of genre or boundaries. Please please just write - it's what makes your music so good. We (Christians) are desperate for someone to just tell us how it really is, not how it really should be but isn't. We already have our pastors and the Church for that (and we really need it as well). I read an interview with Jacob Dylan where he said that the role of the songwriter is to give their perspective and that's it. Please keep doing that.
(Thanks for the heads-up on Rode mics by the way - they're awesome!)
I figured you didn't mean that the break-up caused your burnout (and I wasn't calling you "Shirley").
You know, as far as those groups who wouldn't want you because you're a Christian, what else can you do? That's one label you can't really be rid of. Jesus promised that if you're his disciple, the world will "hate you"--not just not book you or interview you, but HATE you.
As far as the Christian college cancelling your show because you link to a brewery, what's wrong with that? (I'm not wanting an "it's-okay-to-drink response"--I'm just saying that if that college doesn't want to hire you for a gig because you drink alcohol, what's wrong with that?)
With that said, I don't think you should just pick a side and stick with it; I think you should, as has been said, be who you are. But also be open to changing who you are if you need to--that is, if you find a position that is more in line with who Christ has called you to be, then change to that.
Ultimately, neither the Christian nor the mainstream music industries is exactly in line with Christ's claim over the universe. So if you're going to follow him, you really can't pick one or the other.
Andrew,
I think you can take the criticism from both "sides" in this matter to be a sign of you're doing something right. Scripture is clear that the world sees your Christianity as "folly." The mainstream church is so set in it's ways (and not necessarily God's) it sees anything outside it's worldview as folly.
Jesus, Paul and so many others found themselves at odds with organized religion and popular culture because they believed in something radical.
I know you have to provide for your family, and that makes it hard, but God will provide. I am a former CCM fan who's favorite artists are now mostly "Square Pegs." I say, keep it up!
Andrew, being an artist who writes honest songs which reflect the writer's worldview is pleasing to God. This is why I enjoy Sufjan Stevens's music so much, as well as Pedro the Lion and Don and Karen Peris's stuff.
CCM is so much about marketing and strategy and not much about the arts, and in that way it misses the mark.
I appreciate your writing so much. On Friday morning I was praising God and I was caused to love him more while I was listening to The Priest and the Iron Rain because I knew that my hope was not in having a nice family, or World War I ending, or making sure my ambulance wouldn't get bombed. The images you paint and the stories you tell cause me to have so much worship to God.
I listen to Vegas and my heart sinks for the people who really believe that a visit to Vegas will meet all their expectations. My compassion on them grows.
My heart cries with yours when I hear the words of New Mexico. Again you paint a portrait there so vivid I cannot forget how much I don't love, and how much I have been loved.
I worship Jesus Christ because of your writing, it doesn't matter if it is considered "Christian" or not. There's no such dichotomy in my mind.
This answer is simplistic, but I think one huge key is focusing on the craft of songwriting and music, not the audience. Your music will resonate with the right audience when they hear it. As a purist, I'd say that if people would listen to your music somehow MORE because you happen to be a Christian, that's probably not the most genuine audience. If someone WON'T listen because you happen to be a Christian, you probably really aren't for that audience either. Let me mull it a bit more. I'd say that whenever you have to artificially position yourself as a certain thing TOTALLY, then eventually you'll find yourself uncomfortable living out the results of that. Either downplaying or "selling" your Christian faith. If anything, I'd lean a bit towards the mainstream direction, but that's your call.
I guess I echo a lot of others in saying that you strike a great balance with your music. You express your faith through your music in a way that is honest and true without alienating people or pretending you've got all the answers. I really appreciate that.
As Christians, we have to examine ourselves regularly to determine if we are shining Christ's light to those around us. Sometimes, we are and quite often we aren't. I think that if you strive towards the goal of displaying Him to others in the living of your life and respond when the Lord shows you things that need to change (or stay the same), then you will be doing what you are supposed to be doing. There is a bit more pressure on folks like you who are a little bit more in the spotlight, and that's not any fun. But you have a tremendous impact on those who listen to your music and read your blog. If you strive to be honest and obedient in whatever you do, that's the best you can hope for. The Lord will do the rest.
AO, there are many of us who squirm between the church and the culture. Even saying those two things makes assumptions that aren't quite true. The church and the culture are not so black and white that they may be labelled as two categories. Just in the previous comments, the church has been labelled as Christian subculture and as mainstream church. After my move to the south, I've found many more people within the church who spend huge amounts of time and effort on splitting hairs within Christianity. If you don't agree to spend that effort and time on the issues that others care about, then you are tossed out with the wash water. If you try and become like any one of the christian subculture groups, the others may disregard you.
Likewise, the culture we live in tends to toss out any discussion of Christianity. I don't think 'going mainstream' will stop that from happening. Your past exists as it does and contributed to who you are now, so you can't expect to be taken without any thought to where you've been.
I think this applies to your efforts as a song crafter. It may be uncomfortable to be on a slightly different edge than those around you, and they may pull and push with fierce little jabs. However, striving forward by doing what you feel and what gives you satisfaction will be rewarding. Even if it feels like drudgery at times. Read Ecclesiates for more on that.
As encouragement: your songs speak to different people at different times. This will always be true, even if you drastically change your goals and/or sound. I do believe you've already written this to me, and to yourself: "Life, it just goes on/ when the traveler's gone/ and that's the hardest part."
Hey Andrew... I've commented here once or twice... but just read your bio for the first time. I knew you looked familiar - my old band played a show with the Normals - I believe it was in Norman, OK, very near to OU (which was bad for me, as I am a native Husker).
I was in a little band that no one has heard of (and you probably have forgotten) called Plumbline...
Anyway... I remember it being a fun night, and that I enjoyed your tunes - more than most of the other bands we played with while out on the road.
You're asking some great questions here. This is stuff that I wrestled with while in the band, and stuff that they continued to wrestle with after I left.
I'll give it some thought and post later...
I think perhaps you should take it as a compliment that you don't fit easily into pre-organized, pre-defined groups. It shows that you are honest and actually being yourself. Seems Jesus didn't fit easily into may pre-organized, pre-defined groups either...
Hey man, I feel this way sometimes too. I really don't get the big deal of my wife and I going out to dinner and drink some margharitas or some wine. I'm constantly looking over my shoulder to see if any older church members are around because I know how they would not approve of this. Especially cause I'm the Worship Leader at our young adult bible study. I know their thoughts of condemation. Even as far as to question my salvation. I have to just trust Christ for his unfailing love and perfect grace. He alone knows the motives of our hearts. He knows that i'm just drinking something that taste good to me and not drinking it as an addiction to get drunk and wasted, which in my opinion is not pleasing to Him.
Thanks for all your Music Andrew...keep it up. Don't Change what you are doing. God WILL Provide.
You Square Peggers ROCK!
Concerning CCM music--and about the late, great Mark Heard-- John Fischer once wrote:
There is an impression going around that Christian music fans all want simple, bland, believable lyrics and sounds that confirm everything they already believe. No one wants to grow or be stretched to consider new ideas. People only want to hear stuff where the good guys win, everything turns out right and believers have all the answers. Well guess what? The Bible doesn't even promise that, and I'm starting to think most Christians are smarter than this. What if Christians were actually smarter than the market? What if the market is self-perpetuating and it's perpetuating a lie? What I mean is: Sometimes I wonder if the market feeds that image which feeds the market which feeds the image so many times around that we forgot where the cart was and where the horse was and in the meantime there are people out there, lots of them, who want more but they only hear about what the market thinks they want.
Sometimes I wonder if a lot of people aren't checking out Mark Heard because they never heard of Mark Heard because the market wouldn't market Mark Heard because the market thinks people are shallow and Mark Heard isn't shallow and yet people keep asking, "Why is Christian music so shallow?" Why am I suddenly back to the place I was a paragraph ago? See what I mean? How do we stop this?
Insert Andrew Osenga in place of Mark Heard in the preceding
paragraph, and though Mark's been away for many years, we can see that this curious conundrum of "christian music" has been around for awhile.
We will always have pharisaical self-righteous religious folk who will out a guy because he has a beer link on his website. I think there is interesting irony in the fact that those that would out a guy for a beer link, often ignore that pervasive, persistent sin in their own lives--greed, lies, envy, obesity, and more. Jesus was clear about these, but I don't remember a rant concerning beer links.
The irony is that in the same way that popular CCM perpetuates a lie by covering a large portion of the truth--those that would out a guy for a beer link or (heaven forbid) for writing a song that doesn't have enough bible words or mention Jesus enough times--
also perpetuate the very same lie in their own lives--camoflaging the fabric of failure diverting attention to something like beer links.
(MOVIE TRAILER VOICE) ... and in a world that would embrace open-minded diversity in "all" things--isn't it curious that we find that charitable, liberal attitude end in it's tracks--when it catches a whiff of ... GOD. (That's an allusion to the bar that cancelled.)
The common thread? It seems we often don't have the stomach for authenticity. Billy Joel wrote:
"Honesty is hardly every heard and mostly what I need from you."
Is there a market for authenticity? I think so. It may not always pay as much as compromise and lies, but there is definitely a niche for those that seek truth in the music they consume. The popular silver-lined religious "truth" that we try to perpetuate in our music and in our lives, will untimately leave us hollow--not because it isn't true, but because it isn't the whole truth.
Do what you want and don't apologize for it! Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. God is in Christian and secular things, but on the flip side, He is also NOT in some Christian and secular things. Put the stamp that God gave you on the stuff you do! Whether it be CCM, Indie, your marriage, your kids, your friends, your church, or whatever is in your life. In the end, we answer to God, not a record label or booking agency!
What a terrific post; thanks for sharing. I don't keep up with the CCM industry, but the artists I really like -- particularly Terry Scott Taylor and all his different bands -- have gone through a lot of the same tensions. I hope you find ways to keep doing what you love without compromising who you are or trying to meet other people's expectations.
I'd seen your name at Nashville Is Talking but never knew who you were or anything about you until this post. I've downloaded the single from your site and really like it; I can tell I'll have to get one of your albums.
I have got to meet this Curt guy. :-) Wise words.
Hey man,
From one Christian who is an artist to another (though you have seen a bit more success than Father Maple has) I totally understand your frustration. Not even my family can understand that I don't write Christian music. I am a Christian... I write songs.... therefore a Christian view point should come across in my songs, but that doesn't mean that everything that i write is going to be evangelical or praise oriented. I don't actively praise God every moment of my life. Sometimes i hurt, i sin a whole lot, and I actually fell in love with a girl. Those are the things i know how to write about.
I know this doesn't answer your question, but just know that you are not alone. There more of us that there are dealing with this issue the more we can open people's eyes to the truth.
(I Love Fat Tire.)
Andrew,
I find it very interesting that you have writen about this now. I am having a discussion with my son, who is in a band,one which they call a "Christian Band". Even though nothing about the band is Christian with the exception of the people in the band. My thoughts to him are that we weaken, or at least dillute all that is Christian when we call something Christian which is not.
Revlations tells us:
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
This is more in line with my way of thinking. If we are going to do something for God we should do it all the way, jump in with both feet as it were.
I also had my son write an essay on Steve Camp's 107 Theses(which you can find here)
http://a1m.org/page.php?page=template10.php&pageid=fcf54d19dd342ec4d0b163b23018f777
I would very much enjoy reading your thoughts on it as I respect your opinion.
Truth and authenticity. As broken people we long for both of these things. Your music communicates the truth about who you are and how the world is, and that is attractive. Echoing what others have commented, I would love to see you continue along the same path you have been traveling. Try to use word of mouth from people like the music blog interview guy to establish legitimacy with venues. If a secular venue has any doubts or apprehensions about you just because you're a "christian artist", those fears will be cast out by a good conversation with you or someone whose judgment they trust. As for me, I'll keep telling everybody I know, christian or not, about Andrew Osenga because you make damn good art, and it ministers to my soul.
The short answer is - yes.
Choose you this day whom ye shall serve.
Christ died to take away your sins. He intercedes for you daily. What more do you need?
You could stuff your "christianity" in a bag and hide it in the closet. Make only "secular" music and who knows, maybe make a lot more money. But would you consider yourself blessed?
Does your family have a roof over their heads, clothes to wear and food to eat?
What more do you need?
I can understand what a drag it is when there are all those million dollar houses on the market down the road in Brentwood and Franklin. Is that what you need?
Your problem seems to be more with particular secularists and particular denominations. Dumping the teaching of a particular denomination into the label "Christianity" really isn't fair. There are plenty of denominations out there who don't have any problems with alcohol consumption. Try to get booked at those schools.
Personally, I don't know why you would put a link on your site to something that is a stumbling block to so many people. We have liberty in Christ, but also have to consider our weaker brothers and sisters.
But then, what do I know.
Andy,
Play at Lutheran churches. We love you being a Christian and we like to drink (in moderation of course)!!!
hopefully many of these comments from the peanut gallery provide a sense of camaraderie... my observation is that many of us live in this same weird 'misfit-ness'. so you're just one us man!
(p.s. was so pleased to see the link to new belgium. i'm a huge fat tire fan which of course we can't here in atlanta)
umm one last word...in a college class tony campolo said something along the lines of: if nobody's pissed at you, you aren't doing it right. I think about that all the time.
and just look at the conversation that started with the woman from the music blog. now that's what is MOST important. if she saw you as ccm she'd have written you off.