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One of the basic elements of a music ministry is of course the music. All music starts with a song. That's why most industry professionals will tell you that the songwriter is one of the most important cogs in the wheel of music. The bedrock of our industry, the very heart and soul of who we are is the SONG. Our entire existence rests on the SONG. Our purpose and mission is accomplished using the SONG. None of us would have a job if it weren’t for the SONG. Everything we do…EVERYTHING…revolves around the SONG.
Someone once said, "If your song stinks, then your career sinks". I prefer to say it in a kinder way: "If your song sinks, so does your ministry." Jesus talked about people building their house on sand in Matthew 7:27. If you read the whole passage, you'll find that there are two types of people he is referring to: one of them has a house that stands because it is built upon the rock and one of them has a house that sinks because it is built on sand. The difference in the two people? Both people heard God's Word, but it was the one who PUT IT IN TO PRACTICE who was building on the rock. In the same way, all this advice that I and others give to the up and coming artists isn't going to make any difference in their ministry unless and until they put it in to practice.
In my view, our “Achilles Heel” is our cavalier attitude regarding song selection. Some of the songs we are choosing, recording, and playing over the airwaves are just not as good as they could and should be.
In Southern Gospel Music, the most glaring illustrations of houses built on sand are the myriad SG artists who are trying to build a career using inferior songs. I’m talking about groups going into the studio to create a CD, which is a permanent record of their ministry with little or no regard to song selection.
Your producer should be DEVOTING himself to finding your group the BEST possible songs to record. If he isn't, find another producer. I spend much of my time helping groups find good songs to record. To me, it is one of the most important aspects of producing.
We have some awesome songwriters in SGM, but every group in America is looking for “new” songs and songwriters are inclined to pitch their songs to major artists. So that leaves aspiring artists to hunt for “new” songs from something less than our greatest writers. However, just because a song is “new”, doesn’t mean that it’s good. Songs written with “hooks” surrounded by rhymes and clichés are not what you want to use to build a career.
What about the songs we already have? There are hundreds of songs that you can use. All it takes is a fresh arrangement that fits your style and a song becomes a part of your foundation. The single most important thing you can do for your career and ministry is to build it on a foundation of songs that will minister to peoples needs.
In my opinion, song selection is more important to your career than your singing.
You can make a recording using weak songs, and it will be a weak recording, even if you are a strong singer.
You can make a recording using strong songs, and it will be a strong recording, even if your singing is a little weak. There is no excuse for any group at any level to record anything but great songs…none!
My favorite group, The Booth Brothers, recorded two great songs this year, “The Blind Man Saw It All”, written by Daryl Mosley, and “Look For Me At Jesus Feet”, written by Squire Parsons. Both songs are huge hits …one is brand new…one is over thirty years old. Both of these songs have substance and real meaning.
Someone asked me to point out the difference between a truly GREAT song and some of the stuff we have being recorded in SGM. As an example, I asked a songwriter friend of mine to use the words to that classic song "We Shall Behold Him" written by Dottie Rambo and re-write it as some of today’s songwriters might .
Dottie’s brilliant lyrics come first, and then, in bold letters underneath, is an example of how "We Shall Behold Him" might be written and recorded by some groups.
The sky shall unfold, preparing His entrance;
*(The sky shall unfold - the story is told)*
* *
The stars shall applaud Him with thunders of praise.
*(The stars will be bold - with applause from the fold)*
* *
The sweet light in His eyes shall enhance those a waiting,
*(The light in His eyes - will light up the skies)*
* *
And we shall behold Him then face to face.
*(And in that place - We'll see Jesus' face)*
Chorus
And we shall behold Him, we shall behold Him
*(In that place we'll see Jesus face*
*In that place we'll see Jesus face)*
Face to face in all of His glory;
(*We will tell the story of His amazing glory)*
And we shall behold Him, Yes, we shall behold Him
*(**Yes in that place, we'll see His face)*
*All cares erased -Our fears displaced*
*No more time to waste - We will rise with haste)*
Face to face, our Saviour and Lord
*(Yes in that place - We'll see Jesus face)*
Thank the Lord for Dottie Rambo, and for all the other great songwriters God has given to Southern Gospel Music. If you desire a fruitful career and ministry in Southern Gospel Music, build your foundation with great songs. You will still be standing long after others have been washed away.
As always, I welcome your comments.
God Bless You,
Nick Bruno
http://www.nickbruno.com
Reader Comments
We Shall Behold Him many not be the best example of a "Southern Gospel " song but " He Looked Beyond My Faults" "This Is My Valley" "One More River" "I've Never been This Homesick Before" and countles others are definitely Southern Gospel and yes, Dottie Rambo is one of the best southern gospel songwritetrs of all-time, Keith Prater.
Bravo on another great article, Nick.The rock we stand on is Jesus and the message we are trying to give people. That message is conveyed through song. How much more simple can it get for the artists to get it?
I also love the reference to At Jesus Feet and the Booth Brothers. I heard that for the first time when my mother was diagnosed with cancer. Our group sang it at her funeral at my request because it says it all so well.
Keep up the good work
Ransomed
Go therefore, and teach all nations,…
I guess I'm a minority here, but I'm not seeing all these "fluff" songs that people keep talking about. Different songs minister to different people. There have been times that very simply crafted songs have ministered right to the need I was in the middle of at the time. I have said it before, but I think it bears repeating. I am sure that many of the "classic" songs we have today were not considered great songs in their day, and I'm sure that some of the songs that are today considered "fluff" are going to be considered "classics" in 20 years. If you go back and look at all of those convention books that were written in the 40s and 50s, and consider how many of those remain today, then there must have been a lot of "fluff" written back then too.
Deon Unthank
SoGospelNews.com
My Blog
Some people are like Slinkys… Not really good for anything, but they
still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs - Author Unknown
Another great article, Nick.I had the privilege of providing the sound at a convention with the great choir arranger, David Clydesdale, several years ago.
David told of doing the big arrangement of "We Shall Behold Him" with Dottie Rambo's permission and blessing. I believe he conducted the London Symphony for the recording of the accompaniment track to his arrangement, if I remember correctly.
He said that Dottie had written the song in straight 3/4 time - so that (when she sang it to him and played it on her guitar), it went like this:
"The sky shall unfold (chink chink - chink chink - chink...)
preparing His entrance (...chink - chink chink - chink chink)"
His arrangement and treatment took the song out of a simple country swing and presented it to us in a majestic fashion.
This does not take away from Dottie's great songwriting on this song. In my humble opinion, it is a true masterpiece - written by a world-class songwriter.
But, it does illustrate the part that an arranger and producer plays in being used of the Lord to help in elevating a song and performance to newer heights.
We, The Cerces, are now preparing financially to put ourselves in Nick's very capable hands in the future - excited at the things God will bring to us through him in the way of fresh ideas and new paths.
How wonderful that there is someone willing to "stretch" a group's parameters, rather than "playing it safe" by just maintaining the status quo.
Cliff Cerce
The Cerces, PO Box 8525, Springfield, MO 65801
417-863-8440
http://www.thecerces.com
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Written: 06/01/2007 
Author: Nick Bruno
Category:
The Gospel Truth
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