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Musicians' Perspectives on Church and Secular Gigs
The episode delves into the intricate dynamics faced by musicians who navigate the dichotomy between performing in gospel bands and engaging with secular music. We explore the challenges of reconciling one's faith with the professional demands of the music industry, emphasizing the necessity of maintaining personal comfort and integrity in artistic choices. Each speaker articulates their perspectives on the potential backlash from religious communities and the importance of prioritizing one's relationship with God over external expectations. Furthermore, we discuss the broader implications of these choices on a musician's career trajectory, highlighting the significance of opportunity and networking in both secular and sacred environments. Ultimately, the conversation serves as a profound reflection on the complexities of faith, identity, and professionalism within the realm of music.
Takeaways:
- The discussion centers around the complexities faced by musicians who navigate between gospel and secular music genres.
- Personal comfort and individual beliefs play a critical role in the decisions musicians make regarding gig opportunities.
- The importance of establishing personal boundaries in the music industry is emphasized throughout the conversation.
- Musicians are encouraged to prioritize their spiritual convictions over financial incentives when choosing gigs.
- Networking and relationship-building in the secular music space can provide valuable opportunities for career advancement.
- The necessity of trusting one's instincts and experiences when confronted with morally ambiguous situations in music is highlighted.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Drake
- J. Laws
- Adrian Bent
Transcript
That's dope.
Speaker A:I always had a question and I can't believe I've never even asked Anthony this question.
Speaker A:But I did ask another band member before.
Speaker A:As gentlemen that go to church regularly, how do you reconcile with the battle of playing in a gospel band as opposed to playing in a non gospel band?
Speaker A:Do you guys understand what I'm saying?
Speaker A:Is there any backlash that you guys receive from friends or other Christians or is it just a gig's a gig?
Speaker A:And I don't really focus on, you know, the secular part of, you know, the music that I'm playing.
Speaker A:I just play as a professional musician.
Speaker B:Good question.
Speaker A:I guess that's the both of you.
Speaker B:That's a fair question.
Speaker B:I guess I'll go first on that.
Speaker B:Should have threw it to you so I can buy some time, piggyback off your answer and keep myself employed in the, in the church world.
Speaker B:That's cool.
Speaker B:No, you know what it is?
Speaker B:Well, first of all, I don't really do a lot of outside the church stuff right now, to be honest.
Speaker B:I do more booking than I do playing, so that makes it easy.
Speaker B:But there was a time where I was doing a lot of both.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:And there were times.
Speaker B:I mean, I think it's a personal comfort thing.
Speaker B:I think you just need to know where you stand on both sides or on one side more importantly.
Speaker B:And then there's a place that you.
Speaker B:There's probably a line that you just shouldn't cross.
Speaker B:So if anything makes you uncomfortable, I think it needs to be personal more than to appease other people first and foremost.
Speaker B:So if this is your relationship with God, if that's the reason why, then you have to do what makes you feel comfortable within that.
Speaker B:And don't go beyond that for anybody else or for money, because that's just not going to get you very far.
Speaker B:And I think that would apply to anything in life.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like you need to first of all stick to what you believe.
Speaker B:Peer pressure, money, these are all things that will pull you away.
Speaker B:So that's the kind of short answer for me.
Speaker B:Obviously, if you're thinking about as a musician who's a full time musician, those choices aren't always that easy.
Speaker B:There's a lot more work in the secular as you will world than there is in the church world.
Speaker B:Unless you're one of the lucky to have like a full time employment with the church, it ain't that easy to live.
Speaker B:So you kind of like, yeah, he still comes back to the same thing.
Speaker B:You have to pick and choose.
Speaker B:And there are a Lot of other ways beyond playing, I think, which a lot of us have discovered at this point, where you can still make a pretty nice living being creative and without so much emphasis on the music.
Speaker B:That's kind of my answer.
Speaker B:Let's see what you got.
Speaker A:That's a great answer.
Speaker A:No, I appreciate that.
Speaker B:Political.
Speaker A:Yeah, very political.
Speaker A:But it was spot on.
Speaker A:No, and I.
Speaker A:I understand where you're coming from completely.
Speaker B:All right, your turn, Heathen.
Speaker B:I mean, I'm just joking.
Speaker C:Oh, man.
Speaker C:So I think for me, when I.
Speaker C:When I first started playing, like, secular gigs, if we want to use that word, I hate nothing.
Speaker C:It's.
Speaker C:It's okay, man.
Speaker C:It's fine.
Speaker C:I think, like, what my parents always, like, kind of focused on was like, hey, like, if you.
Speaker C:If this doesn't feel right with your spirit, don't do it.
Speaker C:And it was just as simple as that.
Speaker C:Like, just don't do it.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:And so they always trusted me to kind of choose that early on.
Speaker C:So I think when I made the mistakes of maybe early on, like, when the money was like, I was young and I was like, oh, my gosh, this is such a cool gig.
Speaker C:And then I end up playing some rap artists.
Speaker C:That's like, the whole atmosphere is just trash.
Speaker C:Like, people are drugs around me.
Speaker C:It's like, oh, I don't want to be here.
Speaker C:Right?
Speaker C:So after I had the one or two experiences of that early on, it was like that.
Speaker C:That sentiment that they gave me, it just kind of stuck.
Speaker C:And I was like, no, no, I'm gonna stick by this so that I don't have to do this nasty, nasty environment again.
Speaker C:And I just kind of stuck with that.
Speaker C:I don't feel any, like, guilt or anything playing any of those gigs, too, because it's partly my living.
Speaker C:And again, like, I don't accept anything that's, like, nuts.
Speaker B:Not too far.
Speaker C:Yeah, that's kind of my answer for it.
Speaker A:That makes perfect sense.
Speaker B:Yeah, there was a lot of pushback.
Speaker B:I mean, we've all heard it, especially some of the guys that we know.
Speaker B: to, like, I don't know, early: Speaker B:Well, when, like, Drake came out, we had guys like J.
Speaker B:Laws.
Speaker B:He was playing bass for him and Adrian Bent.
Speaker B:And these guys are all church guys, and they were taking a lot of slack from.
Speaker B:From that church world community.
Speaker B:At the same time, it's like, I'm a musician.
Speaker B:I'm.
Speaker B:You know, there's.
Speaker B:There's.
Speaker B:There's different ways to justify it, but at the same, this is opportunity, right?
Speaker B:Like, without your foot in that door, you don't get to reach the levels that you maybe aspire to reach.
Speaker B:So there are maybe some things that you have to go through where you just have to be able to separate who you are versus the music and also know that when you step into that world, you're bringing your own.
Speaker B:Your own light that you can, you know, shine onto other people.
Speaker B:So beyond the music, it's still the relationships and the opportunity to network beyond your current reach.
Speaker B:So there's a lot, man.
Speaker B:But some good questions.
Speaker A:Great answers, guys.
Speaker A:Very good question or sorry answers, too.
Speaker A:Appreciate them for both.
