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As usual, I plan to give you a massive dose of "TRUTH", and my solution, but before I do I want to address last month's article.
When I agreed to write these monthly articles it was with the understanding that I could write freely on any subject relating to SGM. It is my choice to cover controversial topics and I am grateful for the opportunity. I am also aware that this choice exposes me to criticism, but I'm a "big boy" and I can take it. It is indeed satisfying when my articles "stir up the pot" and provide fuel for honest and open discourse. However, I would never sacrifice my personal integrity for this purpose so I will state now that Mrs. Smith's letter is real. The facts are exactly as I stated them. She did not write to me anonymously, but when I asked if I could use her personal letter to me she requested that I not use her real name…smart Lady. Since she was writing to me in private she undoubtedly was more candid than she would have been if she thought her letter would be published in public. This is why, I suspect, that some took offense at the tone of some of her questions. I can understand the natural curiosity that some of you have voiced concerning her identity, but she has the right to her privacy and I have the right to not reveal my sources. Now all of you who doubted "Uncle Nick" say "I Believe Nick" three times, send a "love offering" to the New York Yankees, and slap your knuckles with a ruler.
This month I want to talk about:
THE TROJAN HORSE OF SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC
I've just finished a book by John C. Maxwell titled "The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork". One of my favorite chapters is "The Law Of The Scoreboard".
The scoreboard is a critical component of every sport. That's why it's so visible at every stadium, arena, and ball field. You can walk into any game at half time, look at the scoreboard and know pretty well what's going on. It's amazing how many people try to succeed without a scoreboard. A simple thing like a budget is a scoreboard, yet many families try to succeed without it and wonder why they can't get ahead.
THE SCOREBOARD DOESN'T LIE AND IN THE END NOBODY CAN WIN WITHOUT THE SCOREBOARD. Competing without a scoreboard is like bowling without pins, you're working real hard but you really don't know how you're doing.
The Southern Gospel Music Industry is ignoring the scoreboard. In every category across the board we are dead last, yet we absolutely refuse to admit we are losing. However, the scoreboard doesn't lie and we are losing. It seems to me we would rather keep ranting about how great SGM is ("I love SGM!..yeah man, it's the greatest!…awright!…way to go!….high five!") than to look at the scoreboard and realize that it's "crunch time".
Now back to the matter at hand…the reason SGM is in such shambles.
Years ago I met a simple country man that happened to be the number one salesman for his company. When I asked him for the secret of his success he replied, "Braggin' ain't braggin' if you back it up", implying that he could be proud of his product to deliver the promise. In SGM we do a lot of "Braggin'" but very little "Backin' up".
When SGM first came on the national scene in the mid 50's it was represented by groups like The Blackwood Brothers and The Statesmen. These groups were appearing on network television and were being heard by millions of people, and the truth is, they were as good or better than anyone in the secular music world. Let me repeat that since it is the crux of my article. The Blackwood Brothers and The Statesmen were as good or better than any singers in the secular music world. They were accepted by the world because of their talent and ability to entertain and, as a result, were given the opportunity to present the Gospel in song to the world…and the world liked it!
Almost the exact opposite is true today. Very little of the music we now present is acceptable in musical terms and therefore people don't like it and don't buy it, and we are relegated to singing to ourselves. But, if we really are sincere about ministering and abiding by Luke 14:23…who are we fooling?
We are all familiar with the story of the Trojan Horse. The Greeks attacked the city of Troy. They thought the battle would be over in a few weeks but it lasted for ten years. Finally the Greeks built the Trojan Horse and presented it as an offering to the Goddess Athena. The Trojans took the horse into the city and, late at night the Greeks who were hidden in the horse opened the city gates from the inside and the Greek army came through the gates and took the city of Troy.
THE TROJAN HORSE OF SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC IS RADIO PROMOTION!
This "scam" has come into our industry and opened the gates to allow access to any Tom, Dick, and Mary who can pick up a guitar. We are over-run with companies that will sign them on to do a recording and radio promotion and, before you can say "rip-off", they're sent out to radio. This is not to be confused with custom recording, which actually serves a purpose by providing product for artists to sell. But when it's tied to radio promotion…it's a "scam".
In the world of music, record companies make their money by selling recordings to the buying public. This is their main source of revenue.
In SGM we feed on ourselves. The companies of which I speak make little or no money by selling product at the retail level. They make their money by bringing in one group after another and selling them a small order of CDs and radio promotion. The only sales made are what the group sells at their appearances, which averages about 500 units per year. The companies could not survive if the flow of groups stopped, hence the continual hype directed at the artists. Because there is no attempt to reach the market place, all the revenue is derived by selling to the artists. It's a never ending cycle, and the down side is that the groups have bought into this "gobbledygook". The result is an industry that is flooded with ill-prepared, poor singing, artists, and a radio industry that is mostly comprised of low watt stations that serve as much purpose as sending our music to chicken coops and gas stations.
We could move SGM forward 20 years by stopping this foolishness, and the key to doing that is EDUCATING THE ARTISTS.
I had a part time group in my office that had three songs on the charts in one year, one in the top 12.The only sales were made by the group. In terms of benefit to the group, the result is ZIP!…ZERO!...NADA! They are still struggling.
In my opinion, the only radio promoters that are worth anything are the ones promoting artists that have exposure at the retail level.
Here is the heart of the matter. Radio Promotion, The Trojan Horse of SGM, has opened the gates to these artists and created an industry of "Mutant Ninja Singers" with a gene missing…the singing gene.
How many artists in SGM are on a par musically with the secular music world?
How many artists in SGM get up every day and work 6 to 8 hours perfecting their singing?
How many artists in SGM understand music?
How many artists in SGM can actually sing? The answer to all these questions is…very few.
The reason there is not much SGM in bookstores is that it doesn't sell. It doesn't sell because it is poorly sung, poorly produced music that appeals to a very small market.
The SGM that I cut my teeth on was wonderful. The men and women that were our pioneers were passionate about their singing. Sadly, that is no longer true. The music is still wonderful, but the new breed of "singers" that is flooding through the gate is only interested in "getting our name out there" by getting on the charts. If most of them were put on trial for singing, they wouldn't serve one day in jail. You can promote songs on the radio until the cows come home, but if you can't sing you are wasting your time and money. The real test of a song's success is retail sales. Retail sales and chart position are joined at the hip. It defies logic to have a song high on the charts that is not selling at retail. It also speaks volumes about the current state of our charts.
If your product is not going out to retail stores you have no business sending it to radio. Take the money and learn how to sing. That's how to "get your name out there".
A prime example of this is The Booth Brothers. I have been working with them for about seven years, and I am certainly not implying that I am responsible for their success, but I am proud to say that I had a hand in it. They have had very little, if any, help from radio. They have worked tirelessly on their singing. In the studio their motto is "one more time, we can get it better, please, one more time". Today they are one of the top artists in Gospel Music.
We can argue the pros and cons of improving SGM all day long (as many obviously do), but the real, rubber meets the road, TRUTH is that until we address the lack of talent that has permeated our industry, chances of improvement are "slim to none".
We can also debate the changes that are needed, but that is not my argument. I DO NOT WISH TO CHANGE SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC! I LOVE THE MUSIC! I WANT TO MAKE THE MUSIC BETTER!
What I am proposing is real change in the attitude of our artists, a grass roots effort to educate our artists. In my view we have lost sight that this business is about singing.
It is not a question of changing SGM as an art form; it's about improving the music we love so it will be appealing to others. We need more real singers, arrangers, and producers that actually know what they're doing.
This is not about what SGM is, it's about what it's not…good music!
It's not about whether the music is progressive or traditional; it's about making our art form, our music, our style, musically sound.
One of the reasons the Bill Gaither homecoming tour is so successful is this: if you can't sing you will not be on that stage.
My friends, the scoreboard doesn't lie. It accurately reflects your position. Many losing teams try to convince themselves that a new stadium or arena will bring in the crowd. It will not. A winning team can draw a crowd in an open parking lot. The same is true for you. Are you selling lots of product? Are your crowds good to excellent? Is your date book full? Are you bringing in good revenue? These are the facts that are posted on your scoreboard. You can hide your head in the sand if you choose to, but that will not change the score.
Our industry is rife with companies that will try to tell you otherwise, but the one indisputable truth you can use to assess the merits of their sales pitch is this: Does the company receive its revenue by selling product at the retail level or by selling product and radio promotion to the artists?
Here is a challenge to my good friends Deon and Susan Unthank. If you want to have a chart that is light years ahead of the rest, tie your charts to retail sales. You may only have 15 artists on your chart but you will have the only accurate chart in the world of SGM.
I leave you with this thought.
If the future existence of Southern Gospel Music hinged on a one hour performance by one group to the world…which group would we send to do the job?
I know who I'd send, but let me know who you would choose. I'll reveal my choice and yours next month. You may be surprised!
As always, I welcome your comments.
God Bless You
Nick Bruno
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Written: 01/01/2005 
Author: Nick Bruno
Category:
Monthly Articles
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The Gospel Truth
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