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Sunday Edition


31
Mar
2004
We Need A Southern Gospel Simon


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Nick Bruno

My wife, Cece, has become addicted to the TV show American Idol. I must admit I like it myself. If you haven't seen it, it's about young people competing vocally to be the last one standing and thus become the next American Idol. It's good old-fashioned competition. One of the judges, Simon, has become infamous for being brutally honest to the singers. He tells the people who don't have the talent to be up on stage exactly that. Frankly, I kind of like the guy. He tells the truth, and this is a contest to determine who is the best. I wish there were someone like Simon that could address the Southern Gospel Music Industry. Until someone like that appears on the scene, I'd like to say some things from my own observations.

Let me give you my background so you know where I've come from.

I started in Southern Gospel Music in the spring of 1963. I was attending Bible College and a friend of mine invited me to a gospel quartet concert at Town Hall in Philadelphia. On the program were The Blackwood Brothers, The Weatherford Quartet, The Couriers, and The Eastmen. I had never heard music like this in my life, having been raised in New York City. I decided that night to make this my life's work and I've been at it ever since. I'm a gospel quartet man. Nothing thrills me more than four male voices singing Gospel Music. This is not to say that I don't enjoy mixed groups or female groups. I enjoy them very much, but in my heart I'm a quartet man. I've played for The Keystone Quartet, The Rebels, Coy Cook and the Senators, J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet and The Kingsmen. I've never been in a bad group in my entire career, for which I am grateful. I started producing in the early 70's and I'll be the first to admit that I've produced some awful singers, but I always made sure that the services I provided were the best possible, and I have always tried to be honest with the artists as to their future. After 41 years in this wonderful business, I still love it, but I am saddened by the direction Southern Gospel Music has taken.

I will not be drawn into a discussion of ministry versus entertainment. I've covered this quite extensively in my book "The Gospel Music Truth". If you're in this strictly for the ministry and choose to travel around in churches evangelizing, I applaud you and encourage you to keep on. However if you aspire to rise to the ranks of professional, then you're more likely to benefit from these articles. Everything I present in these articles will pertain to the business side of Southern Gospel Music.

One of my other passions in life is baseball. If baseball were run like Southern Gospel Music, we would have 12 year olds playing in the majors. I bet that would really fill the seats. The heart of the matter to me is that the Southern Gospel Music Industry is divided into two separate and distinct industries:

  1. 1. The Professionals and soon to be Professionals.
  2. 2. The Wannabees.

The professionals are still doing what they've always done, taking care of business. But their job is getting harder because our industry is being over run with wannabees. The blame for this lies squarely at the feet of those in our industry who have found that they can make a handsome living catering to the wannabees, specifically in the areas of recording, radio promotion, and marketing. My disappointment is with the way some record companies and radio promoters lead these groups on. Some of these groups can't carry a tune in a bucket, know little or nothing about music, and are completely ignorant regarding what it takes to succeed in music. Yet if they can come up with the money, you can bet one of these companies will take it and give the group 500 CDs and put them on a compilation and get them an ad in The Singing News. Nothing comes of it of course, and the group raises money to do it all over again. Every once in a while one of these groups will get a song on the bottom of the chart, which just fuels the fire and around we go again. I don't fault the groups for this, they don't know any better.

I blame our industry leaders. We all know who they are. They are just as guilty as the companies who perpetrate this hoax on our innocent wannabees. They know this is happening, yet not only refuse to take a stand, but actually reward some of these companies with showcases at the NQC. Is this really where we want to go with Southern Gospel Music? Why do we reward bad singing with recognition? Why do we allow our wannabees to be violated in this manner? Can't someone put a stop to this? Whatever happened to the tried and true practice of making people earn their way to the top? This business of Southern Gospel Music should be geared for the professionals. When people are exposed to our form of music it should be the best we have to offer. Am I suggesting we should kick out all the wannabees? No Way! But, if they aspire to be professionals, they should do it the same way the pros did it, by learning their craft, every aspect of it, and they should only be recognized when they can show they have the goods. We are the only music form that allows amateurs the same status as professionals. In every other music form you either have the goods or you don't. If you don't you will not be allowed in. Is that tough? You bet!

To illustrate my point further, I have seen countless articles directed to the wannabees on a broad range of topics, from how to buy a sound system to how to book dates, all well intended I'm sure, but how does Gold City, or The Hoppers, or The McKameys know what sound system to buy or how to book dates? They're professionals! They know their business and their craft, something that seems to escape the wannabees. The reason many wannabees can't find dates is that they can't sing. What person wants to leave the confines of their home to go to a church with 20 other people and endure an hour or so of a group saying "Don't listen to our singing, listen to the words" If your singing is that bad, maybe you should just stand there and recite the words to the songs. Let the tenor recite a verse and then the bass and so on. Friends this business is about singing.

S-I-N-G-I-N-G. I heard Brock Speer tell my good friend Richard Sterban, "I'll put beans on the table if I have to, but I'll make sure I always have money for vocal lessons. It's my craft". Have you ever had a vocal lesson? Do you know how to place your tone in the mask? Do you know how to use your diaphragm properly? If not, what are you doing in this business of singing!

I must conclude. The only way I can think of to begin to address this problem is to speak directly to the artists. It's obvious our leadership has no desire to kill the golden goose. Friends, artists, please listen to me. Don't fall prey to the hype that is rampant in our industry. No one can make you a star but you. You have the power to determine your level of success. Good business practices and learning your craft and hard work will catapult you through the ranks quicker than any package deals. Many artists that come to me are weary of the hype and are ready to get serious about their careers. They've done the package deal, some of them more than once, and they know the outcome is fruitless. So far I've had a 100% success rate. Some of the artists are full time, making a good living and you've probably never heard of them because they've removed themselves from the Gospel Music Hype Machine. So you see, I'm not just talking trash here. I can back it up.

I welcome your comments, good or bad. I can take it. You can reach me at nick@nickbruno.com. Next month we'll dig into radio promotion.

God Bless You,

Nick Bruno

Reader Comments

"Joe" is missing Mr. Bruno's point. Nick is not saying that "wannabees" should be ashamed of their desire to sing or their lack of ability to do so. Nor is he saying, if I'm reading the same article that "Joe" read, that they cannot be used by God to minister where they sing. Nick pointedly says. "If you're in this strictly for the ministry and choose to travel around in churches evangelizing, I applaud you and encourage you to keep on" He seems to make a distinction of speaking to those groups and individuals who want to make a PROFESSION out of their music. The Bible already says about novices in 1 Timothy 3:6 - that a NOVICE should not be lifted up too quickly in to the role of a pastor, or the limelight, because pride will set in and make him prey of the Enemy. While it's true that Gospel Singers are not pastors, I think "Joe's" comments show he regards them as "ministries". Nick is directing his frustration and remarks toward INDUSTRY LEADERS for whom these novices are easy prey. I think the article shows Nick's desire to see these groups grow at a rate that will cause them to last and endure, not be a flash in the pan. And while it's true that God will deal with the rightness and exploitation of the "wannabees", as Joe states, the Bible teaches us to speak the truth to one another, in love. Nick's words are more about doing all things excellently, rather than a put-down of up and coming groups. AND - Where does the Bible teach- ANYWHERE??? - that Godly musicians are not required to be skillful? Where does it say that music with a motive to minister is allowed to be inferior music, or that the musicians can be satisfied with mediocre? If someone cannot play excellently, or sing well, perhaps the Lord wants to them to serve The Body of Christ in another area. The Bible gives examples of David, Asaph, Jeduthun - these musicians were practiced and skillful. It's true that God's spirit can touch people regardless of the skill of the communicator, but I don't think Nick disagrees with that. His words, toward INDUSTRY LEADERS is to state what he believes is the truth - that putting novices on stage before they are ready doesn't help them, the industry, or Gospel Music. I agree with Nick.


Commented by On 04/07/2004
What an awesome article. I agree with Nick on the points he made. The one thing that some groups starting out fail to understand is that there is a buisness side to a ministry. It's more than getting enough money in offering to buy burgers on the way home. You have to set up your ministry the same way a buisness or church would, if you are in it for the long haul. It really bothers me to see groups start out and the first thing they discuss when the get a offering over hundred dollars is, "WE'VE GOT TO GET A BUS". I don't know the statistics but I bet it would be alarming, of the groups that fell by the wayside because they had no idea of the money it takes to keep a bus on the road. It's the same thing with recording. Quality cost and when wannabees find this out they begin searching for cheap deals and uasually find one. Unfortunately the quality is not radio worthy, yet they push to get it played by using a compiliation that will take anyone who has the money. There is a big difference between wannabees and soon to be professionals, and in the previous post the gentleman was speaking of soon to be professionals according to the outline Nick wrote, not wannabees. Man I could be a Simon!


Commented by Paul Coble On 04/07/2004
Joe, Why do you think that Southern Gospel music shouldn't be treated any more business like than country or rock music? the reason country ans rock are more popular than Gospel is because they treat the whole industry in a professional manner, and there is a form of quality control. Nick is not saying for "wannabes" not to sing, he is telling them to learn their craft. It is the same advice that any leader in any other field would give a prospective professional.


Commented by On 04/07/2004
Paul is correct. A wannabe is someone who wants to get the glory and success by shortcuts. Groups at the very top of the game right now weren't wannabes 10-20 years ago. They were up and coming groups with vision.

Joe, of the three points you made, I pretty much agree with the first and third. I don't agree with your second, though. Un-professionals will always show themselves to be less than professional. They will never "pass" when heard by any person who knows the difference. I say this as a confessed "non-professional" musician who can nonetheless hear the difference.

No one is saying God can't use un-professionals for ministry, but that isn't what the article is about.

So what should be the dividing lines? I say if you're being asked to pay money to get into a concert, at the very least, the headliner should be a professional. (I'd certainly make an exception if it was a fundraising event for a needy family, or similar "worthy cause.") If you're running a radio station and you're asking businesses to purchase ads, the music you play should be of professional quality. (Sure, you might have a local talent or amateur hour once a week, but the bulk of the programing . . . the brand of the radio station . . . should be pro quality if it's a commercial station.) Not only that, the flow of the programming should be professional . . . not haphazard. Ad quality should be entertaining as well, not just the same bored guy reading copy for every ad.

In SG, we have failure to be professional at the concert level and at the radio level. In fact, it's at a rampant level in radio, IMO.


Commented by On 04/07/2004
Being professional starts with an attitude and a resolve--to be the very best--as measured and defined by those at the very top of this Industry. "Good enough" does not belong in the vocabulary of someone seeking to be the very best. "The best one can do" is acceptable, as long as they are striving to still be better. This striving doesn't stop when you're on top--the very best of the best keep striving to be better.

That's being a professional.

I hope no wannabees misunderstand Nick's message, as I believe I understood it. Don't quit--if you're willing to learn your craft. Then--learn it. And keep learning it--throughout your entire career.


Commented by Cliff Cerce On 04/07/2004
I am the first to agree that all artists should strive to be as professional as they can. I believe it brings greater glory to God when His people aim at being the best they can possibly be. It is wrong for any "industry" leader to lead an artist on, just to collect their money. We are different from other types of music. Yes, there should be honesty and integrity in dealing with the business of singing particularly as it relates to the talent of the prospective artist. But it should be done with compassion and the advice needed to help the artist improve their presentation. I'm not trying to be negative toward Mr. Bruno's article. I guess I just wanted to say that we must be careful not to kill the spirit of an artist as they try to learn the business of singing. Direction can only come from those "in the know" and it should be the priority of every artist to seek that direction from someone who won't blow smoke. I realize that the intended object of this article was "industry leaders." For those who consider themselves up-and coming, they need to ask questions, learn the craft, as has already been said, and prepare themselves. There is no excuse for a shoddy work ethic. We have too many resources available today for that to happen. I guess the concern I had in my previous post was that maybe some artist's spirit may be killed instead of encouraged and lead in the right direction. Thanks!!!


Commented by On 04/08/2004
I have a hard time with idea that we should look at the Country and Pop fields, as the standard to go by for professionalism. From everything I've been reading on the internet and secular trade magazines, the Country and Pop fields are in the worst shape they have ever been. Sales are way down, and fewer artists are being signed. That whole industry is scrambling for survival.
I agree that, in Southern Gospel Music, we should set our professionalism standards higher than they are. But should we really use Country and Pop as the standard of how it is done right! That's like booking First Class tickets on the on the Titanic.

Let's aim higher. Why can't we set the standard that they go by?


Commented by On 04/08/2004
Mr. Bruno, that article is awesome! People like Simon do a great service to folks who can or can't sing, and after watching some of the singers on GMT, I'm all for having a Simon in Gospel Music. :laugh:


Commented by On 04/09/2004
Great! I'm so very glad to read this. I'll hold off of fliping formats... for now. I hope we can, as an industry, move to be more professional.


Commented by On 04/12/2004
I have it on good authority that Jim Hamill was the original Simon. He did not mince words when it came to telling wannabees not to quit their day jobs. Sometimes the truth hurts.


Commented by On 04/12/2004
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