Sunday, February 10

Creating That Old Time Melody

It's all about that old time melody for me lately. The ones of the 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's. Where originality still existed, where people consistently pushed the ear's boundaries and the world's limits. It seems like lately, especially in Christian music, there's nothing new. It's all the same, just repackaged in a different artist or resampled into a "live" version. While I seriously enjoy my Christian music and am to my core thankful for it, it's just, unoriginal. I know that corporate worship means just that corporate worship, where the chords need to be easily used around the world, and the melody lines precise yet "allowing of spontaneous worship". Seriously, the like's of Chris Tomlin, Paul Baloche, Lincoln Brewster, and Hillsong United have helped sustain me in my darkest hours. However the likes of Phil Keaggy, Jason Upton, Nate Sallie, and Family Force 5 are what moves me. They're people who push the intellectual boundaries and the spiritual levels up by multitudes with such great annointing from God. Just take a look at any of Jason Upton's lyrics and you'll see great uniqueness. Take a listen to Phil Keaggy's deliciously amazing guitar skills, you'll see His hands working through Phil's. You look at Family Force 5, who appeal across the boundaries of Christianity and the Secular with no abandon, bringing in the most devout of Christians, and the most devout of Atheists alike. Then you take Nate Sallie who's stylish vocal talent paired with his ability to be as "likeable" as Chris Tomlin stays just indie enough to get away with it while infusing a great multitude of genres.

Corporate has the ability to lead a congregation, not a revolution. Music's gotta reach into the heart of the individual for revolution to happen. Revolutionary music starts back from the beginning, heavy in melody and accompanying deep harmonies and unique twists on the simple. Make it unpredictable, make the lyrics scream at the listener to move to action. Change the face of the church.

iHEARTrevolution. Hillsong's next project title. Let's see just what it can bring to my table.

I thank God for music every day. I thank God I am alive enough to hear what I've heard. I am praying to God to let me live long enough to hear the final trumpet call descend from heaven with a roar of flames.

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