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GLUTTONS FOR PUNISHMENT

I first heard the phrase "Gluttons for Punishment" when I was a young boy growing up in New York City. Back in those days New York had three baseball teams, The New York Giants, The Brooklyn Dodgers, and The New York Yankees. The Giants and The Dodgers, National League teams, and The New York Yankees, an American League team, have played some of the most historic World Series games on record, and I was able to see many of them, always rooting for The Yankees.

I wouldn't say I'm fanatic about The Yankees. The fact that my music room at home is painted Yankee blue and the wall is lined with classic photos of Yankee stars including Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra, is purely a coincidence. I'm not sure when I added the wall mural of Yankee Stadium, or the authentic Yankee Stadium sign, but they just seemed to fit in with the life sized NewYorkYankees logo. I went to the doctor last week and he said my blood is pinstriped. Okay…Okay…I'm a Yankees fan. Ah, but I digress.

The Giants and The Dodgers were fierce opponents of the Yankees, but they only played each other during the World Series. The real rivalry is between The Yankees and The Boston Red Sox. All other rivalries pale in comparison. It began many years ago when Babe Ruth left the Sox to join the Yankees and the battle has been joined ever since. The last time the Red Sox won The World Series was 1918. I know that's a fact because George Younce told me he was at one of the games. Red Sox fans have come up with many excuses, but the most common one is that when The Babe went to The Yankees, The Sox were cursed. That's why the official slogan for The Red Sox is "Reverse The Curse".

The fact that The Sox have almost always finished second to The Yankees is puzzling. They have had some great ball players and powerhouse teams and are one of the best teams around. Their fans are loyal which explains why, when I was a kid, I'd hear the adults say, " Those Sox fans are Gluttons for Punishment".

Another example of a "Glutton for Punishment" is Wile E. Coyote. No matter how hard he tries, he can't catch the Roadrunner, and pays the price for trying.

I myself have qualified as a "Glutton for Punishment". All the years I traveled with The Kingsmen I never could beat Jim Hamill at Golf. Every time we played I would try as hard as I could and every time Jim would stand on the eighteenth green at the end of the round and say " Bruno, you're a Glutton for Punishment".

A "Glutton For Punishment" always hopes the outcome will be different, but goes back for more even if nothing changes. This leads me to the following question.

Are Southern Gospel Music fans "Gluttons For Punishment"?

The thing I fear is that our unwillingness to update our music, to accept new ideas, and to nurture our newcomers will turn the Gospel Music fans into "Gluttons for Punishment". Our fans are loyal. Is that any reason to continue to pummel them with screaming tenors and growling basses. I listened to some of the groups at this years NQC, and frankly I find it amazing that anyone would want to sit through five hours of that kind of singing. Group after group, after group, all singing the same way, the same style, and the same endings. Every so often, but not often enough, a refreshing change would appear, like an oasis in the desert, and the fans loved it!

IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE

I disagree with other writers and industry leaders who keep trying to take us back to the fifties and sixties, even though I am a product of that era. The Statesmen, The Blackwoods, The Goodmans, The Speer Family, The LeFevres, The Harvesters, The Prophets, The Rebels, The Couriers,and others, were my idols, the groups I learned from and admired. I'm not implying that we should ever forget them or their music. To me, there is still nothing like a good quartet singing good music, and that will always be the core of our industry, but it's time to welcome new and fresh ideas. I know those few of my heroes who are still around agree with me, and I'm confident those that are passed would agree with me also. We must remember that back when they started, this form of Gospel Music was innovative and fresh. It was cutting edge. In June, 1954, The Blackwood Brothers won The Arthur Godfrey talent show singing " The Man Upstairs". The show was telecast nationwide on CBS. Folks had never heard this kind of singing before. The Statesmen were also regulars on Network Television because of their unique sound. But they had their share of "naysayers" back then as well, people who thought that we should keep singing like we did back in the twenties. I'm thankful these great men and women had the strength and fortitude to continue on.

In my view, the difference between our industry now and then is twofold. First is the fact that these heroes of whom I speak were singers, real singers, not screamers. They took pride in that fact and worked endlessly on their craft. Their music was "musical" and was pleasing to listen to. Secondly, our industry is no longer cutting edge or innovative. We keep trying to go back to where we used to be while the world is flying into the 21st century. We have more groups than we've ever had, all walking on eggshells, trying to abide by what a handful of industry leaders say we should do. It's time to welcome some new ideas, some fresh approaches to a wonderful art form. We don't have to change the music we love, but possibly change our approach to it, make it better. We don't have to keep looking back, we need to look forward.

We could use some new arrangements, rather than looking back on old ones.

There is a huge musical universe from which to borrow some ideas and gain information to create new ideas. Southern Gospel Music fans are a sophisticated breed. They can turn on the TV or Radio and hear some of the greatest music on earth. Perhaps if we offered them a broader scope of musical ideas, while staying true to our art form, our crowds would be increasing instead of dwindling.

We could use some real singers that are pleasing to listen to.

Recently I watched a PBS special with the Boston Pops Orchestra and three singers. They each sang popular songs and show tunes and it was wonderful. They just stood there and sang. They created emotion with their voices. They sang soft and loud. They sang in full voice and in light head tones. They created some humor with their facial expressions, and sadness also. The audience loved it and so did I. Why can't we do that ? The answer is…WE CAN!

The National Quartet Convention should seriously consider changing the name to "The National Southern Gospel Music Convention". And, with the name change should come a policy change to allow all artists that sing Southern Gospel to appear, Soloists, Female Groups, and Mixed Groups. That would be a welcome change and would provide a much-needed break between male quartets. It's a perfect opportunity to showcase new artists and help them to grow and possibly become our future stars. It's not like we don't have the time. There are six nights to develop wonderful, inspiring, entertaining programs.

The Boston Red Sox will eventually win The World Series, which will get loyal Sox fans off the hook. It might even happen this year.

I don't believe Wile E. Coyote will ever stop chasing that Roadrunner.

I quit playing golf with Hamill.

But what about the Southern Gospel Music fan? Will they keep coming back for more of the same?

I'd like to hear from you, the readers, on this topic. Please post a message with your opinion.

God Bless You,

Nick Bruno

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