Louder Than The Music

It's hard to start this as I seem to use my reviews to give away little hints about myself that are relevant to the big picture of this blog, so if you have read any of them that makes this seem like deja vu I apologise.

Music has always been in my blood, although it's not something of a family trait. I grew up in the 80's so my musical taste was inspired by the Stock, Aiken and Waterman monopoly going on at that time. From there I went the predictable commercial route until I was around 18 and realised that music was music and the fact that I was a big N Sync fan didn't mean I wasn't cool enough to be able to listen to an Oasis album.

From there I pretty much listened to anything I could get my ears on; breaking out of the mainstream and the stereotypes of what a 'pop' fan is.

I say all this to point out how much of a music nut I was and to emphasize how bad it is that I didn't hear about Christian music until I was around 22 and only then because I happened to have a friend who was already interested in it.

You may argue that Christian music is accessible to Christians as long as they are involved in a Church which embraces it so as long as you are involved in fellowship within the community you will know about the relevant music scene, but let's look at the other side.

Can't music be the connector to bring people into the Church, or can't music we listen to in the car or on our mp3's on the way to work have a more positive message to it and soothe us into worship in our daily lives, after all we are called to be Christian's seven days a week and not just on one morning in the four walls of a church?

People often think, and I count myself in this, that Christian music is all about old bearded men with Jesus sandals or hippy women in long flowing skirts singing simple melodies over a ropy guitar backing that has now relevance to life outside of the Church. It simply isn't true anymore. The opportunity to review on this site has really opened my eyes to the quality of Christian music these days and I love what the guys are doing here to promote it and treat it in the same way that secular music is treated.

Why shouldn't Christian bands get the same kind of recognition that their secular peers would? Why does the fact that music has a message behind it make it unsuitable for the radio or for MTV? Isn't it time that the secular music scene sits up and takes notice of Christian music that is just as good in terms of quality and performance?

Maybe Louder Than The Music is what the world needs to make them realise Christian music shouldn't be written off. Maybe we need to be the change.

Suzanne Physick