"Contemporary Christian Music" Video Transcript

Video Transcript: Contemporary Christian Music

Steve Elzinga  

All right worship music streams, we looked at some of the older music, hymns, and so on. Now we're going to be looking at contemporary music. A little bit of history of contemporary music. We have to go back to the Sixty's Both you and I were alive during the 60s, says something about our age. And back then, when I grew up hymns, at least here in the United States was basically the only music that we sang. And I remember my father had a big, you know, the record player, the radio all in one big cabinet. And we as kids didn't have those things. And it was in the 60s, that the transistor was invented, and the transistor radio was produced and that made radios really cheap. I think I bought my first transistor radio for $5. And once a kid has is own music. He listens to what he wants instead of what his parents want. And that really is what brought the 60s revolution of different music. Because kids could just listen to what they want. And then bands started producing different kinds of music. So Young, back, you know, I grew up in the church all my life and we sang the hymns on Sunday but at school and everywhere else we didn't sing. We didn't sing like you know, the 60s rock and roll. But we sang sort of the, I guess the young people's songs, things like. "singing from memory lane"

Steve Elzinga  

So, or we would sing some of the old gospel songs, there is "power, power wonder working power in the blood". And there was this little refrain and people responded and we just saying, I guess more fun songs when we were, you know, just the young people together. So, then we started listening to the rock and roll songs of the day, the Beatles came around in all the different groups and and there was this whole folk music thing, and that's really what happened in the Christian world. It didn't go to rock and roll music really. There were a few guys, Larry Norman did a few things you didn't remember "singing from memory lane"

Steve Elzinga  

Anyway, I mean there was a few sort of Mavericks in that day but for the most part, it was sort of folk music that sort of came on the scene khumbawa which is kind of an African Come, come by here it means how does that want to go? "both of them singing together"

Steve Elzinga  

so it's very pretty and let's see there's a few others that back in the day. Let's see pass it on. "singing together" Remember, "singing from memory lane"

Steve Elzinga  

all those signs their little folk songs, they were really going off for The folks that already existed like, "singing from memory lane"

Steve Elzinga  

All these songs are just following the same chords, they could start with the major, they go to the lighter, they go to the and they all follow that same pattern and you can find 100 songs during that era, that all do this thing and these early Christian songs, pass it on and so on. They did the exact same thing. They were just taking that same chord structure, and sort of making a folk, I guess a folk Christian song. pass it on. Yeah, for those years I died. Okay. So over the last 50 years, different organizations Maranatha music was a big thing I think in the early 70s. What's one of the songs that they did

Steve Elzinga  

maybe some of you remember this. "singing from memory lane"

Steve Elzinga  

Very folks on like I guess. Then vineyard music came around probably the late 80s. We actually lived in Vancouver at the time 

Marie Elzinga 

And there's still 70s

Steve Elzinga  

could be 70s 80s we lived in Vancouver and about 10 miles away. It was a vineyard church. And Brian Dirksen, actually it was at that church for a little while and he wrote this one. "singing from memory lane"

Steve Elzinga  

song we still sing that today Hosanna integrity They started putting albums up.

Marie Elzinga 

Yes. In the 80s. They started out. They did actually 20 different CDs, live recordings over a 20 year period. And they had they started I believe that clubs sort of thing where you could sign up and sign up and you get one every month. So we did that back in the 80s. Started in 83.

Steve Elzinga  

Those song Australia

Marie Elzinga 

they became big in the 90s.

Steve Elzinga  

Yeah, what's one of their song

Marie Elzinga 

everyone knows that I would assume. "singing from memory lane"

Steve Elzinga  

All right, so they wrote a bunch of different ones. The Spirit so maybe and I know when I went to Asia and so they were singing a limb in the Philippines and Indonesia and Australia. I mean any any country that sang English, they were singing Hillsong songs. There's then there's something called contemporary Christian music radio. That's become a thing. And radio stations all over and they're playing all kinds of music. In the United States. They're CCLI don't know what it was that stands for?

Marie Elzinga 

Christian Copyright Licensing Incorporated probably. 

Steve Elzinga  

So here, we can pay up Every year and then you can use all the songs. They have a website. And you can download the lead sheets. Right? 

Marie Elzinga 

Yep. 

Steve Elzinga  

Which have the words already there. The chords already written in at least how the singer did it, you may have to transpose and so on. But it's quite helpful.

Marie Elzinga 

you can transpose on the site as well.

Steve Elzinga  

Okay, so that at all costs. Yeah. You need to transpose or once you pay

Marie Elzinga 

well, there are different packages. So there's just the basic we have the permission to use this in our church service and what have you 

Steve Elzinga  

and how much is it like for up $200 - $300 or something that outrageous?

Marie Elzinga 

Yeah, but then when you add the packages, like if you want the lead sheets with it, it can get kind of pricy,

Steve Elzinga  

depending on how much but I mean, this you spend hours writing lead sheets and so on. Christian songwriting artists, I just put a whole list of them. Larry Norman was back in the day, remember Henri Grouch, Kind of the black gospel thing and second chapter of Acts, Keith green, Petra was about hard rocking Christian group, Amy Grant making you know that arrow as babies and Michael w Smith and they wrote some worship music Michael carne twila Paris wrote some worship music. Steven Curtis Chapman is still going strong Rich Mullins, a Newsboys and then some of the contemporary ones now Mercy Me and casting crowns third day, Aaron Schust, Aaron Achust wrote quite a few contemporary songs that people use in their churches and I was just at a conference where he I you know, I love this music and sing his music and and then I went to this conference, and there was some guy leading the singing with the bass player and a drummer and I just whatever and I did, you know, took me two days to relax. Matt Mar so there's a lot of different ones. And then, you know, that's in the United States and in Australia, maybe England. Then, in whatever country you're in, you have your own artists and Christian people who are trying to do things. 

Steve Elzinga  

Maybe you sing some of these same songs. But maybe you have your own. I know in Canada, we lived in Canada for nine years. And there was some Canadian artists and they sort of added their their own and we knew them and then we came here, United States, and people here didn't know. So hymns was quite a big body of work. And a lot of people knew a certain amount of hands but contemporary music is really all over the place. There's just thousands and thousands of hymns. Now here in the United States, if you listen to the the main Christian radio, they tend to play like the same 40 songs for six months. And so yeah, so as a music director, you really have to go a little farther afield and

Marie Elzinga 

right, lots of churches are also doing their own thing. So there's gateway that's doing their own thing elevate worship, there's lots of churches that are actually getting their name out there as having a band that Okay,

Steve Elzinga  

so each church is becoming a Music Center. Yeah, yeah. And then they produce CDs and and what did I mention? Did I mention our churches CD's? Anyway, that these are going to be free. These are the scripture songs, we're going to have those. You know, it's part of the course do so you can download those to your heart's content, or not. six reasons why most churches struggle with contemporary music, even though they want it. So a lot of churches like contemporary music, or they want to add it to their repertoire, but they just struggle making it work. And then the people that only like the hymns are like upset Because it doesn't really working anyway. And so what's the problem? 

Steve Elzinga  

Number one problem is there's no consistent beep contemporary music needs It needs a strong downbeat 

Marie Elzinga 

What you're saying is it's hard to sing an acapella it's hard to just set and do it without an instrument, some sort of a rhythm instrument,

Steve Elzinga  

yeah, without something keeping the beat and letting you know where the strong down one beat is. No one knows when to come in. And so if you're trying to do contemporary music in your church, and you have like a new beginning drummer, who is very timid and kind of, you know, not very consistent. The basis of it all is this beat and then the singer. Singers don't know when to come in and they're very, you know, they're always a little bit late and then the congregation of God is in a really doesn't know who to follow. So you really got to you know what that drum it's gotta be, "making drum sound with his voice". I mean it's gotta be in it's got to be consistent. So to really work on that consistently, well I'm solving the problem I just want to bring up the problem, right now? No consistent leader leading again, you know, new people getting up front a lot of times they're nervous, they've never had a microphone in front of their face. You know, they knew the words at home, but now in front of people, they don't know the words. 

Steve Elzinga  

So they stare at the, you know, they stare at the stand and they're singing like this. And of course, that doesn't help someone out there come in, you have to be looking at them. And now we're coming in. So you know, so you have to have a strong beat that the strong leader can follow and bring the people and people really need to be lead with contemporary music or it does work very well. And I've seen you know, this is not a small point this is like, you know if I could put a green light blinking and blinking on this I wouldn't because I've heard really, really good worship bands. I mean these, they get guitar players. The singers are awesome, but they're always coming in like one note later than what they should because no one wants to be the one that's, that jumps in. And it's the wrong spot. Right. So everyone's like looking and kind of waiting and someone has to know and be confident about it. Songs chosen more suited for solos. Ahead one. can you help me find out?

Steve Elzinga  

Is that the name of the song.

Steve Elzinga  

Yeah, he helped me find this song. I had this song Yeah, help me find it. That's the name of the song. The words are just so cool. I just really like it. "I don't know where to go from here. It all used to be so clear. I'm finding I can't do this on my own. I don't know where to go from here. As long as I know that you are near. I'm done fighting I'm finally letting go. I will trust you. You've never failed before I will trust you". And then the course "if there's a road I should walk help me find it. If I need to be still give me peace for the moment. Whatever your will whatever you're will. Can you help me find it? Can you help me find" I mean, I think most of us are like, you know, God, I'm willing to do whatever it is you want. If you want me to go become a missionary and do something you want me to whatever it is you want to do. That's fine. I'm willing to follow, but I don't know what it is. If you could just send me a sign or something that would tell me so it's like, I think a really cool song. Why don't you try it a little bit to see that

Marie Elzinga 

I think I'm here again, multiple I don't really know what the intro was. "singing from memory lane"

Steve Elzinga  

That's the bridge. And okay, so great song wonderful song. But, you know, I don't know if you haven't had a server nowhere to come in it's like, "done two I don't know where to go from here", but it's very "it all used to seem so clear". And I could do it like three different ways. "I'm finding I can do this on my own". it's all on this offbeat and some is on the offbeat, some is on the beat. And, and so I'm doing it the way I want to do it. But how are the, you know, how's the congregation gonna know exactly how I want to do it, they're gonna do it the way they want to do it. And so you have this big cacophony of it's a great song, the great words, we tried it in our church, and it was like, you know, people just couldn't do it. So it's really, it's a great number that using your church, but use it as a solo, but that some songs just aren't gonna work. You hear him on the radio, you love them, but and when the radio is blaring, it sounds like you're with the guy 

Marie Elzinga 

and the chorus is very slow. Yeah, well, that's more just on a regular beat. It is doable. That's quite often true because and that is a bit of a problem because for us people hear stuff on the radio and listen church, and what they love is the course Yeah.

Steve Elzinga  

The verse just kind of everyone kind of mumbles through and then somebody would just stop and entirely. A songs song key too high for the average singer. 

Marie Elzinga 

Right. And this is an example of that. We even lowered it. So the congregation could maybe but when you went to that bridge that's still really high.

Steve Elzinga  

Yeah. Yeah. And and as I started singing, I thought this seems lower than what I remember.

Marie Elzinga 

Because on the radio, yeah, first verse would have higher,

Steve Elzinga  

but you have something. Um,

Marie Elzinga 

well, this is one I think a lot of churches in the last little bit, tried to do this one because he lives amen by Matt Maher. It came out around Easter and it was a perfect setting. It's also using words from an old Gaither song because he lives I can face tomorrow. So it's got this nice little, little history with it. He wrote it at least the CD version is in C sharp. 

Steve Elzinga  

So it's just so how does that So for saying the song What would that be?

Marie Elzinga 

I can't I'm not used to playing it there now because we did this one lower. "singing from memory lane"

Steve Elzinga  

okay, I can do that. You know, you know the people will be straining and then and that's a guy so then the women are singing even harder, 

Marie Elzinga 

right? He's sitting in our F above middle C so and it's very comfortable for him? Yeah, he's a high voice of our people can't 

Steve Elzinga  

write and so that so people love it but they're like straining and they can't do it then they stopped doing it. So how low did you make it?

Marie Elzinga 

I went down two whole step. Yep. to whole step so I went down to the key of A, which is still gonna be hair high "singin from memory lane"

Steve Elzinga  

Bass kicks in and the drums kick in. Okay. So it makes a huge difference just, you know, maybe two, three, sometimes four notes. Some of some of these singers. They're great singers Chris Tomlin great songs, but they're just too high for the average person. A harmony parts are not written out. So what do you do? I mean, harmony is a really nice thing. So contemporary music in the hymns it was all right there. The book is right there. Everyone in the Pew has a book. It's got the parts and you just sings there. So how do you how do you do this?

Marie Elzinga 

Well, some people just have an ear for it and they can pick it up. They listen to their hearing. Yep. Yeah. So they can just pick it up and harmonize with each other. They're finding the note in the chord, 

Steve Elzinga  

or they can hear it on the CD. Is that clear? Yeah. The average person probably can't just listen to a CD and go, Okay, I hear the tenor. And then oh, that's over. There's the elto. I mean, it's just a nice one sound called a beautiful song. So, yeah, I guess the second problem is, the piano parts aren't written out. You hear the song? And now I mean, word. How do you write this lead sheet?

Marie Elzinga 

Well, I'm like with that last song. I'm listening to whatever he's doing on the CD and I'm trying to replicate it. 

Steve Elzinga  

Right and how do you do that? I mean, how do you begin to write the chords in Okay, so what's easiest thing to do?

Marie Elzinga 

I would take it from The easiest doing it by ear, or the easiest way to CCLI abd buy it.

Steve Elzinga  

Right? So you can buy it or you can find it online. Yeah,

Marie Elzinga 

sometimes you can find it online you just type in the name of the song and artist and write it in. And yeah, possibly somebody has it written out for you

Steve Elzinga  

 lyrics and chords, and then it might not be right. 

Marie Elzinga 

Yeah, there might be slight problems with it. So and there are certain artists who provide that free yes with it. So you go to their website of a specific artist, and you might be able to find it free. Yeah, you go online and you search as much as you can. And again, if you have money, you can go to CCLI and they have almost almost anything you would want is on CCLI.

Steve Elzinga  

Now we just sang in the park and we did a mercy meal and shake, shake and

Steve Elzinga  

kind of caught me off guard.

Steve Elzinga  

So you don't know if I heart well, What I'm getting at is there was a guitar part there was an electric guitar part in the song. And my son went to this site that actually you can hear or listen to every single part. Yeah, the band plays, 

Marie Elzinga 

it's called multi tracks. Okay? And again, if you want the whole time, I believe you paid for that. Okay? And then it's possible that you can even buy the tracks the backing tracks, not sure, but there are sites that do that too. You're missing certain parts of a song or you have no band at all You can buy. 

Steve Elzinga  

So how does that Shake, 

Marie Elzinga 

shake, keyboard was "singing from memory lane"

Steve Elzinga  

Anyway, so anyway, there was this guitar part. Anyway, he went to the track and you know, there's probably like 30 different things there and someone wanted to find out what the triangle is gonna do and you can do it. So that's possible. So there's a lot of stuff that you can find on your own. But, but not having any of that if you just want to find the key of a new song. Just listen to the song and try to find the most dominant note. It might be the beginning note might be the end. No, it might be when it feels like you're you're at home. Okay Weaver Arrived somewhere and then just sing that note that one note that you think is kind of the main note and go to the piano and find it. And whatever you find that's going to be the key. So then the key is all the other notes, we're going to show that in the music theory part about, you know how to find the other chords in a key. Alright, six ways you can help your church succeed with contemporary music, you've probably already since some of these things, but play drums loud enough with a consistent beat. Maybe even use a metronome. If If a drummer or the guitar player is just beginning, a metronome is it can be a mechanical one that swings back and forth, or they have electronic ones now I think they have apps on phones and so on.

Steve Elzinga  

And it just you can just set the speed and it will just click, click, click, click and you try to play with that metronome so that you get a nice, consistent beat. Train your song leaders to lead you know Get them to, you know, look up from not look up from their stand I don't think singers should have stands in front of them because if they do, they'll look at it. They need to be looking at the people and getting the people singing. Number three, choose songs that people can sing. Lower the key of the song, a couple notes if if it's too high, teach your song leaders how to make their own harmony. I mean, that's probably the best thing to do. Teach your piano player how to read chords. We're going to do contemporary music. instrumentalists are going to have to learn chords. I have your piano player play chords, not the melody. 

Steve Elzinga  

That's that's the hardest part for classically trained people or people that have been just playing the hymns in when you play a hymn. All the parts are being played by the piano or the art in a way. It's redundent the instruments are playing exactly what the people are singing. Whereas in contemporary music, you're just playing the chord. And then the notes can kind of do what they want. So what what that does is the instruments are not inhibiting the singers, especially if you're going to do solo work or, or you have special numbers and so on. When the keyboard is plays the melody, then the keyboard is really telling the singer This is how you must do it. You can't hold that note a little longer, because I'm dictating how it's going to be. 

Steve Elzinga  

But if the if a person just plays a chord, "Amazing Grace how sweet the sound". I can do what I want within that core And I don't have the piano player dictating to me what I'm going to be doing. So in contemporary music, it just allows for more freedom, but also more confusion when when many people are singing at the same time. Alright, so that's, that's our little study of contemporary music. We're going to have another video after this series on the contemporary music where we're actually looking at our live band doing some things to show you, you know, how the instruments and so on how it all fits and goes together.