The Industry Formerly Known As Southern Gospel, Monthly ArticlesThe Gospel Trut

Dec

2004

The Industry Formerly Known As Southern Gospel

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THE INDUSTRY FORMERLY KNOWN AS “SOUTHERN GOSPEL”

I'd like to begin my article this month by letting you read a letter I recently received from a person whom I'll address as Mrs. Smith. She kindly granted me permission to reprint her letter but asked me not to use her name.

Mrs. Smith is a Christian lady with some honest questions that I believe need to be addressed. She has no ax to grind, and no one to impress, and her frankness is refreshing.

I'll reserve any further comment until you've had a chance to read her letter. Here it is in its entirety.

Dear Nick,

I recently stumbled (keyword) onto the Southern Gospel News.com website and was intrigued by your articles. It seems to me that you are someone who is interested in improving your industry and so I have some questions for you. I hope you are not offended and don't mean to be sarcastic, even though my questions may sound that way, my only motive is to give you an outsiders view, so here goes.

#1 why do you call it “Southern Gospel Music”?

This is an honest question…I'm not being silly. I hear the term “Southern Gospel Music and I'm confused. Is the name a description of the TYPE of music? Is it? Then I'm more confused. Which word is the adjective “Southern” describing – The Gospel or the Music? Obviously the Gospel is not confined to the South…there is no such thing as the Gospel of the South. Jesus came for the whole world, not just the South, so evidently you are describing the MUSIC as “Southern”.

So then I wonder, what is “Southern” music?… Is it “Country”?… Is that another way of saying “Country”? Then a more accurate name might be Country Gospel Music…no? But this is even more confusing to an outsider, because the music is not actually “Country Music” either. When I think of “Country Music” I think of Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Faith Hill. There are not many quartets in Country Music…a few here and there…but, Country Music is more about soloists…so then the type of music is not Country…which leaves me confused about what it really is. Is it Bluegrass ? Barbershop? Southern Barbershop? , Or I wonder if the obvious meaning of “Southern Gospel Music” is that you must be a Southern person who loves Gospel Music in order to feel part of this group of music? Is that what it means? Southern (people who like and perform) Gospel Music. Isn't the first rule of marketing having a succinct, precise name?

This leads me to another question.

#2 Why continue to describe yourselves as something that is so exclusionary? The name is very exclusionary.

Frankly, when I go to a Christian bookstore to buy a new CD, I don't even look at “Southern Gospel”. Honestly, I wouldn't know what to buy or whom I might like, which leads me to the third question:

#3 Where are y'all hiding?

Except for Bill Gaither and what he's done, nobody in Southern Gospel Music seems to care about reaching the mass audience. I never see an advertisement anywhere…and I'm a voracious reader… magazines, books, newspapers, etc. I read lots of Christian magazines…I never see an ad for “The Sunset Five and Bobby” or any other Southern gospel groups. It's almost like you guys are hiding yourselves… like a little club…that doesn't want any new members. I'm a Christian writer, heavily involved in Christian media, someone who loves music and the Lord, but the truth is that although I've spent thousands of dollars buying music in my lifetime, I realized a few days ago that I have never purchased ONE Southern Gospel recording. It surprised me to realize this. I was reading your column and it was another world to me. I don't know any of the artists by name, and I don't know any of the songs. I'm constantly in church, listening to radio, scanning the dial for Christian music, and I never stop at a station that has quality music on it that happens to be Southern Gospel. If I'm someone who is almost completely unaware of Southern Gospel Music, what hope is there for the rest of the world?

It's like you guys are an extended family – which is great – you know each other, you know about each other, you talk about each other, but the world is not something you seem interested in inviting into your little clique. If a person is not familiar with Southern Gospel Music, chances are they (like me) can live their entire lives watching TV, buying books, reading newspapers, shopping at Wal-Mart, and not even be AWARE that an industry called “Southern Gospel Music” exists. Why is this? Isn't the whole point of the Gospel to get it “out there”? Isn't there anybody in your industry who wants NEW customers, NEW fans, NEW blood? Evidently not. I'm being completely honest here, if I had not stumbled onto the Southern Gospel News website, I wouldn't know anything about Southern Gospel Music…it would be like Russian Folk Music or Himalayan Monk Chants…I would know that somewhere people were doing this music, but I wouldn't know where or why.

I've never had enough of an interest to purchase a Southern Gospel product. Could this be because there is never a moment in my daily life that anyone in Southern Gospel Music has ADVERTISED TO ME WHERE I MIGHT ACTUALLY SEE THE AD? Americans are used to being advertised to. Why do you only advertise to one another? It's worse than singing to the choir – you guys are paying to sing to the choir. Which brings me to my final perplexity…

#4 Are you interested in expanding your industry?

Maybe you aren't. Maybe you just like being a group of a few thousand people who know one another and sing to one another and advertise to one another. Some clubs want to stay small. Are you one of them? Do you honestly believe that the world is VERY excited about male quartets? Seriously, look at the media, look at TV, look at the record stores, there is a very small percentage of music being sold today by four men in matching outfits singing in harmony. Is it a sin to be a soloist? Is there something anti-scriptural about duets?

Look at the music industry. Not because we want to be like the world, but to see what the world likes. The world likes music. The world likes soloists…and duets…and on an occasion, a group. There are some POP male groups, but they don't last very long. The members soon branch out to solo careers. How many of the top selling CDs in America are four men singing harmony? Yet…Southern Gospel doesn't promote it's young soloists, or duos.

You'll be glad to know that I've read all your articles and I must compliment you on your writing. You seem to have a passion for your industry and for excellence. I pray that your peers will understand and be moved to action.

Please let me know if I can ever be of assistance.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Smith

My friends, the recent national election proved that many times the decision makers THINK they understand the masses…but they don't.

Our industry's direction is influenced by a handful of people who refuse to let go of the past. They make silly rules about who can sing and who can't. They refuse to allow new musical ideas and cater to artists that have long since passed their prime. The time has come to begin pruning our industry. Pruning causes growth. We should realize that there is a great big world out there that would love our music, especially if they heard some of our newest, brightest talent.

Mrs. Smith didn't have to take the time to write me but I'm sure glad she did. I realize that many will not agree with her, but I think it's about time we started talking about some of these things.

Perhaps it's time to re-package our grand old art form and get it out to the world.

What do you think?

I welcome your comments.

God Bless you,

Nick Bruno

Reader Comments

Daryl,

I have to disagree with your assessment of Mrs. Smith. I certainly never saw her comments as degrading in anyway. I think the one thing that many have not grasped is the fact that this is someone who is looking INTO an industry and not OUT of the industry. Does that make her assessments biased? To some degree, but not necessarily more so than yours or mine. We are all biased somewhat based upon our own conceptions.

Was her letter eye-opening? Perhaps not to some of us to discuss these ideas daily, but I think perhaps so to many who have never seen her perspective. Just because her comments aren't new to us, they are new to being discussed in an open forum within this industry and many of her comments deserve SOME consideration.

You aren't interested in creating doors to kick down, but I am curious as to what doors you would be talking about? I believe the biggest door we have to kick down is the one that gives those outside of the industry a preconceived notion of what our music is or isn't. I would like to see us start with that door. Let's start putting forth an effort to educate those who have never heard a SG group with some good music. To do that might mean stepping outside of some of the circles that we sing in.

I don't believe Mrs.Smith means to suggest that we are an elite club by purpose but that we have become one somewhat because we are relatively unknown even in much of the Church world. And unfortunately bad apples can spoil the bunch if they are left in the basket for too long.

I disagree that she attacks male quartets but instead singles them out as an example of what is NOT appealing to a mass market currently. That doesn't suggest that they can't appeal, but that if we truly want to build a larger audience we may have to find a way to help market that appeal. And no where did she suggest that male quartets should stop singing.

Yes, SG radio stations far outnumber other forms of Christian Music radio but not in terms of audience. That is somewhat misleading. And true, many other groups have performed at Carnegie Hall and other places. But we must be realistic and recognize that at this time of our industry, Bill Gaither has been able to make a name that reaches past the boundaries of genres. This should be the goal of all of us. To drop the boundaries and bring OUR music to the masses. I believe that this is what Mrs. Smith wants us to do. She obviously sees qualities within this music that should be appealing to more or she would not have taken the time to write such a long and detailed letter.

You are correct about Gerald Crabb being BMI Gospel Songwriter of the Year. It is well deserved. But where are the other SG songwriters? Why does this not happen more often and with other SG writers? The Crabb Family have been innovators themselves and much of Gerald's success has been due to the fact that they have been unafraid to knock down a few doors themselves.

Yes, we all tend to advertise within our own audiences. That is a fact, but it doesn't negate the truth that advertising in other ways would be and could be beneficial. Yes it's costly. But, that only means figuring out some creative ways to get "outside of the box."

You are correct that this is all talk, but it is talk that sparks creativity and action. I would that, rather than seeing Mrs. Smith letter as degrading, suspicious and negative, we see it from her perspective and perhaps find that there just may be a few golden nuggets worth looking at that could be beneficial to this industry.

Let's not distrust everything or feel threatened, let's instead glean from her writing a few good suggestions. I do agree that each of us has to change our own ministries and businesses and that is why you see this letter and this discussion on this website. Let's all strive for excellence everyday in every way.