Voices Of The Underground is a series that seeks to explore one question from many different angles. Every week, we will ask one question of many of your favorite music artists. We will post their responses below, and what you will find is that there is never truly one answer to every question, but instead a whole world of ideas that come from simple matters of taste, to deep held beliefs. Our hope is that through this series you are able to see past the promo pictures and the stage persona, and get to know the hearts of believers who are creating music every day.

Need to catch up?
Read Pt.1-What do you love about music?
Read Pt.2- What was your first musical experience?
Read Pt.3-What is your favorite/ultimate song?
Read Pt.4-What is the best live show you have ever seen?
Read Pt.5-If you hadn’t gotten into music, what would see yourself doing as a job?
Read Pt.6-Who is Jesus Christ to you?
Read Pt.7-What is Christian music?
Read Pt.8- The facets of the Christian music?
Read Pt.9-Can art/music not have a message behind it?
Read Pt.10-How do you keep yourself accountable in your out on the road?
Read Pt.11-What are your opinions on the modern music industry?
Read Pt.12-Is it easier or harder to be a musician today in contrast to maybe 10 years ago?
Read Pt.13-What is the one thing that people don’t understand about YOUR music?
Read Pt.14-What responsibility (if any) does an artist/performer have to it’s listener?

For the fan reading this right now or listening to your music and wanting to start a band/career of their own, what is some advice you could give them that you didn’t know starting out?

I’m going to address the girls: (Keep in mind that these are lessons I’ve learned the hard way….I wish I could have been wiser when I was young!)
Discipline yourself to write songs and learn your instruments and train your voice. I’ll gently suggest that you try to include your family as much as possible. You need accountability. Be modest in your heart and in your dress. Give your music to God now, before pride becomes an issue. (That was one of my big ones- I thought I was so awesome. Man, I was dumb.) Pray for open doors, but don’t just sit and wait for something good to fall in your lap. Again, discipline yourself in your art so you’ll be ready if you get the chance to share your music with the world!

I would say for starters that there is more to life than being in a band. Not to be a downer, because I love doing this so, so much, but I think a lot of young bands have the tendency to elevate the idea of being in a band, an how “cool” that is, above a lot of things like friendships and relationships and maybe the other things God has called us to do. I’m not discouraging anyone from starting a band, but if you’re starting a band and your bass player really wants to go to college or get married or whatever, he’s not a jerk and you should still talk to him and be his friend. I’ve seen a lot of friends in bands, as well as myself, thinking being in a band is then end-all-be-all to my entire life, but there is so much more to God’s creation and kingdom than playing rock and roll.

My advice is to not read reviews. Whether they are good or bad, finding out what a stranger thinks of what you’re making is always a negative experience. Even if it is on a sub-conscious level, you end up seeking approval instead of being open.

Be less concerned with what is cool or trendy and more aware of creating music that you feel is genuine and well written.

Focus on God and build relationships with others. The great commandment. Be honest, transparent and wear your heart on your sleeve. Through this, you can be the change you want to see in the world. Don’t worry about “industry, business, units, friends or Myspace plays.” Just do what God is calling you to do and focus on him.

Don’t start your band and start touring right away. Take your time building your local fan base, then gradually tour out regionally, then eventually and slowly work your way out to different areas of the country. Don’t expect to make money right away, unless your a cover band for some strange reason. And be smart with your money you do have, as much as it sucks, money can really make or break your band. Try to save on whatever you can, recording costs, duplication, merch, etc. I don’t know. This is all business stuff. But that’s what I wish we knew when we started.

If you like writing, and playing music, don’t forget that you like writing and playing music.

Be humble, don’t have expectations other than to be a vessel of the Lord. Work to perfect your art. If you aren’t completely happy with a song don’t make us listen to it. Throw it away and write a new one. God demands our best and He deserves it. Be willing to play to a room of 2 people. You are not above it. And most of all, SMILE IN YOUR BAND PHOTOS!

Follow the path that God is opening up for you. Be FAITHFUL in the opportunities you are given… Make sure you are following God’s path, not someone else’s path that you are trying to emulate. You don’t wanna become an imitator of some other band. Just be in prayer, seek after God – and walk through the doors that he opens for you. And continue to be faithful once he gives you the opportunity.

It’s not as easy as it seems. If it’s not about the music, it’s not gonna work.

The best advice is to not get ahead of yourself. A lot of musicians want to start a band, and hit the road the next day. I think it is important to build up a local fan base, to spend time writing quality music, and make sure you are going to do decent on the road. I know we hit the road for a brief summer tour 2 years ago, and we were not ready for the road at all. We had no idea what we were doing yet, and our music was not up to par for a touring band at the time. We also ended up getting $6,000 worth of gear stolen out of our trailer.

Practice! Always keep your priorities straight. If you’re a Christian band keep God first. Whatever your band has to say believe in it and practice it.

If any of you desire to make it as a musician, I must stress to you, that you must know your instrument. Practice your instrument and get good at it, a band only makes it if they’re good. Be a good person with a good personality, it’s hard to be in a band with someone they can’t get along with.

Don’t quit. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Put Him first and all will be added to you.

Be patient, everything in this industry takes time. What makes you/your band stand out from the rest(musical identity)? Find that, and embrace it. If you’re in it for the money, stop now. God will bless you if you’re faithful, and you work hard, but you need to be ready to eat at gas stations and sleep on van floors for a while….sometimes a long while. It’s all about awareness, get your band/music in front of people. God will do the impossible if you do the possible.

Just make music out of love for it. Music totally sucks when you get into the whole rat-race. I’m constantly fighting that. Just dig your head into the notes and love every part of it.

*NOTE: this is the last of our Voices Of The Underground series. Thanks to all of the artists that participated, its been really great getting to know you guys better. Thanks to everybody who has been reading VOTU since we started it almost 8 months ago! For now, this is going to be the end of the series, we feel it is time to move on and do some some new stuff. Thanks again….

Voices Of The Underground is a series that seeks to explore one question from many different angles. Every week, we will ask one question of many of your favorite music artists. We will post their responses below, and what you will find is that there is never truly one answer to every question, but instead a whole world of ideas that come from simple matters of taste, to deep held beliefs. Our hope is that through this series you are able to see past the promo pictures and the stage persona, and get to know the hearts of believers who are creating music every day.

Need to catch up?
Read Pt.1-What do you love about music?
Read Pt.2- What was your first musical experience?
Read Pt.3-What is your favorite/ultimate song?
Read Pt.4-What is the best live show you have ever seen?
Read Pt.5-If you hadn’t gotten into music, what would see yourself doing as a job?
Read Pt.6-Who is Jesus Christ to you?
Read Pt.7-What is Christian music?
Read Pt.8- The facets of the Christian music?
Read Pt.9-Can art/music not have a message behind it?
Read Pt.10-How do you keep yourself accountable in your out on the road?
Read Pt.11-What are your opinions on the modern music industry?
Read Pt.12-Is it easier or harder to be a musician today in contrast to maybe 10 years ago?
Read Pt.13-What is the one thing that people don’t understand about YOUR music?

What responsibility (if any) does an artist/performer have to it’s listener?

Being honest and doing his/her best.

The choice is ultimately up to the artist to care about this or not, but I’d say the minute you decided to play music for a living, you decided to be a role model, whether you like it or not. And you can have a positive or negative effect..it’s up to you.

I believe we as artists are accountable for everything we write, record, perform, and speak. We are supposed to be examples of who or what we serve. I know I will fall short but i pray as this journey continues that I can represent Christ to all who i come across.

In our line of work, we must stay on path. If we label ourselves a Christian band and try to set an example for the kids that come to see us, and we are caught doing something bad, such as doing drugs or fighting, we failed as a Christian example. I feel we must stay in line for the ministry’s sake and that we must play good music.

It depends on the artist. As for my band we feel our responsibility is to love our listener and be with them as much as possible whether its prayer or just conversations about anything they want to talk about. It means the world to us that people take the time to listen or watch us or whatever.

Well I think that the responsibility is to care about your fans. To try to write music that speaks to the people who listen to your band, to care about making relationships with those who relate to your music, and to always try to give your shows 100 percent so everyone who pays to see you has a good time. Our favorite part about being a band is making friends all over the county. We have met some of the most amazing people in the last year of touring, and its been nothing but amazing.

I guess the only thing I can think of is one particular scenario. If you’re performing for someone who has paid money to see you perform, at least make an effort to perform to the best of your ability. I mean, they paid money, you know?

The artist should be responsible to explain what the message of their music is I think… Even if there is no direct message. I think often an artist can write songs about things that are not necessarily the message they really want to communicate. I think that artists should be willing to explain to their listeners what they are really trying to communicate through their music.

None. Their responsibility is to the Lord. Fans are fickle. They will abandon you over a bad interview (which will probably happen to be after this one), or if you don’t scream enough on your new album or something. It’s crazy. Follow God, not people. They are fans, not idols.

When you are musician people look to you, whether you like it or not and they listen to what you have to say whether its worth listening to or not. As for me, in the past I have struggled with the weight of responsibility that is placed on me as a Christian, who is also a musician. How do you minister to everyone? How do you always be the best example? You can go mental trying to find the right formula. But the Lord revealed to me that you simply have to listen, be sensitive to His spirit, and just be real. This is my responsibility.

To put out heartfelt music, even if it’s different from the last record, or takes a totally different direction. Artists responsibilities are to stay true to what they love.

We do what we do to glorify God. To raise him up and spread his message of love and hope. As long as we are open and honest about this, I don’t feel like our “listeners” would demand anything from us other than the Truth.

The answer to that really depends on why you’re creating music. For us, we hope to share a message of love, understanding, compassion, justice, etc. and I see it as our responsibility to do so, both for those hearing us and those they can act in these ways towards.

An artist should make things that they like, that they think are good. That seems to be the most generous thing they can do for their audience.

Man that’s a tough question. When artists start creating art to please an audience, I really think the art suffers. Sure it may sell well and make the kids dance at the shows, and if that’s your thing then go for it, but if the goal is to create art, then it will suffer if you start trying to please everyone else. I think more that artists have a responsibility to society to effectively translate the human condition and social issues into art that speaks to people, even if just themselves. The ability to create and recognize art is what separates us from all other forms of life on this planet, and I think it is crucial to us as a people and society to endear.

For every artist there is a different answer. I can only speak for myself: I have a huge responsibility. I have been called to live my life to the glory of God, and that standard applies to my music.

Voices Of The Underground is a series that seeks to explore one question from many different angles. Every week, we will ask one question of many of your favorite music artists. We will post their responses below, and what you will find is that there is never truly one answer to every question, but instead a whole world of ideas that come from simple matters of taste, to deep held beliefs. Our hope is that through this series you are able to see past the promo pictures and the stage persona, and get to know the hearts of believers who are creating music every day.

Need to catch up?
Read Pt.1-What do you love about music?
Read Pt.2- What was your first musical experience?
Read Pt.3-What is your favorite/ultimate song?
Read Pt.4-What is the best live show you have ever seen?
Read Pt.5-If you hadn’t gotten into music, what would see yourself doing as a job?
Read Pt.6-Who is Jesus Christ to you?
Read Pt.7-What is Christian music?
Read Pt.8- The facets of the Christian music?
Read Pt.9-Can art/music not have a message behind it?
Read Pt.10-How do you keep yourself accountable in your out on the road?
Read Pt.11-What are your opinions on the modern music industry?
Read Pt.12-Is it easier or harder to be a musician today in contrast to maybe 10 years ago?

What is the one thing that people don’t understand about YOUR music?

Oh man. Well there are a lot of things that frustrate me, but I try to focus just on making music and not pleasing anyone’s conception’s of who we are. It does get frustrating sometimes because since we don’t play breakdowns, I feel we get lumped into the “screamo” scene, which I guess might be slightly warranted but I really feel like we offer more than just a “screamo” band. Maybe that will translate better on our next record. But overall I really feel that most of the people that listen to us see what we are doing and what it means, and that’s really all I could ask for.

Once in a while people call Meredith (edt. the keyboard player, other main vocalist in Bodies Of Water. She is also David’s wife) my sister, but she isn’t my sister. It is an easy mistake to make, we look related.

Since we function as a band almost entirely outside the “Christian music bubble”, I would have to say our biggest challenge is preventing people from assuming we’re hate-filled, judgmental, etc. simply because we are Christians. Essentially, we shoulder the burden of disproving all the stereotypes associated with American Christianity that fall short of being Biblically sound.

Too many people judge the book by the cover. They see our picture and instantly say no. They are not willing to give us or our music a chance.

That we are a “Christian” band as in “Our target audience is Christians.” I would never want anyone to think that we are solely aiming for Christians. I just want people to listen to our music and make up their own minds.

People never know where to put us. Music has so many genre’s now but we don’t really fit into one, which I’m okay with. We aren’t screamo, and we aren’t metal. We say we are punk rock, fun times, but that doesn’t always go over well.

People think that worship music is supposed to be serious and ambient. Mine is happy and clappy and folky and fun. I always play shows with other worship bands and it is always so serious. Sometimes it feels like my worship music doesn’t fit in… which is a shame because very little of the worship in the scriptures was sad and serious. It was often crazy… David danced naked in the streets, remember that?
People rely heavily on what I call the “holy spirit pedal”. The second it fades in, everyone’s hands gone into the air and their eyes all close and they start to sway. Once in a while they should smile and make eye contact with each other, nod their heads and clap. Sing loudly and obnoxiously. Make a joyful noise.

We often run into the question or confusion as to whether or not we are gonna actually lead a worship time – or play a show. We always want to make it clear that our intention is to always lead people into a time of worship. We are not really interested in playing a “show”. For most people, when they listen to our music at length they will easily discover the heart behind it – which is straight up worship. But, from time to time we still find ourselves at gigs where we are expected to “perform” a show to some degree…

I don’t think I’ve come across anyone who didn’t “understand” our music. A lot of people don’t LIKE our music. But it’s music, not everyone is going to like the same stuff. No big deal.

I think the biggest mis-conception about our music is that kids always think we are a straight edge band. Many of our members are part of the straight edge community, however Venia does not write music about the straight edge lifestlye. We have a lot of kids thinking that is one of the main themes of our music, but that isnt the case, even though many of us are involved in that lifestyle.

I think its usually the screaming people don’t get how that can be “Christian” or it’s just not easy on people’s ears.

Towards this band, people misconstrue the fact that we are a Christian band. As I mentioned, we attempt to reach out to the rest of the world and they might understand our message so they just take it as we are just another metal band.

People judge off the appearance. They see the tattoos and piercings and dont expect me to be an emcee. Sorry Im not in a tall t. haha.

That we’re just a hard rock band…our records cover a lot of different ground musically, and I hope you can embrace that and see it translate live.

I hate the whole rock-star thing. Mostly, the expectation people have for you to be that. I hate trying to be cool! It pains me to see some bands buying into the cool factor and fans eating it up. I really wish people just liked music because they connected to it on a personal level. Not because its some coolness factor popularity contest. If that’s what this is, I definitely loose.

The biggest misconception is that we are not only here for the people in the church. We make music for both Christian and non-Christians, but God has called us do go into the battlefield (which is outside of the safety of church walls) and reach the people who wont step foot into a church.

Voices Of The Underground is a series that seeks to explore one question from many different angles. Every week, we will ask one question of many of your favorite music artists. We will post their responses below, and what you will find is that there is never truly one answer to every question, but instead a whole world of ideas that come from simple matters of taste, to deep held beliefs. Our hope is that through this series you are able to see past the promo pictures and the stage persona, and get to know the hearts of believers who are creating music every day.

Need to catch up?
Read Pt.1-What do you love about music?
Read Pt.2- What was your first musical experience?
Read Pt.3-What is your favorite/ultimate song?
Read Pt.4-What is the best live show you have ever seen?
Read Pt.5-If you hadn’t gotten into music, what would see yourself doing as a job?
Read Pt.6-Who is Jesus Christ to you?
Read Pt.7-What is Christian music?
Read Pt.8- The facets of the Christian music?
Read Pt.9-Can art/music not have a message behind it?
Read Pt.10-How do you keep yourself accountable in your out on the road?
Read Pt.11-What are your opinions on the modern music industry?

Is it easier or harder to be a musician today in contrast to maybe 10 years ago?

I wasn’t really a pro musician 10 years ago so I’m not sure what it is like – but I do know that from a management standpoint – I think it is easier. We are able to completely self-manage and self-book ourselves, even while being on the road. We are able to have direct connection to our fans. The internet has revolutionized how quickly and efficiently we are able to do things as a touring band. No need to have a booking agency on the other side of the country setting up shows for us. Anyone can email us at any time, and we will get it instantly – even while traveling. So, I do think all these technological advances have made it easier to be a professional touring musician.

Both. It’s easier in that music is way more accessible now. Like I said, with myspace and facebook it’s really easy to get your name out there. But at the same time, with those outlets come more and more bands becoming popular. There are SO many bands out there now. It seems like you have to be especially good and original in order to even be noticed on a larger scale. But in the end, as long as you’re making music you enjoy, then you shouldn’t worry about all the other stuff.

Anyone and everyone can record an album on their computer and have it around the world in a matter of days. This is something that musicians used to dream of, and it is far more important than money.
It is a good time to be a musician.

I am not sure since I was not a musician 10 years ago, but I think it is more difficult now days. High gas prices, less record sales, and a struggling economy really makes it harder to stay on the road. It seems harder to book shows now as well, since the gas prices are higher, the bands guarantees every night has to be higher, because of this, the door prices are higher. Since the door charge is higher for the kids to come out, there are less merch sales to help the bands get by.

I would have to say that it is way easier now to be a musician. There are way more bands to compete with but it is way easier to get your foot in the door. Every band has a free website,myspace, that can promote their band all over the world. Its easier to get a decent recording of your music with digital recording and the availability of it on personal computers, and its easier to tour; more venues, GPS, cell phones (not pay phone and pagers), and 24 hr restaurants.

I’m not too sure, we’re definitely in the DIY generation where we can book our own shows put out our own music and tour without losing too much money. At the same time there’s so much competition when we book a tour we usually notice a few other tours going the same route as us.

Depends on what you’re trying to achieve. Stardom? Then i would say yes, because there are so many bands out there trying to do the same thing. Making Art? then I would say it’s just the same as 10 years ago. Art is art if people like it, they like it. If they don’t, then they don’t.

I would say a little harder, even though I was not a professional musician 10 years ago, I imagine it being a little easier. With the simplification of digital music presently it is easier to compose music such as pop or hip hop, it makes it easier for the rest of the world to compose music as well. So there is a huge group of musicians trying to make it now and there is so much variety for people to choose from. Plus, it is hard for one to be original and come up with something fresh that people haven’t heard and want to hear. 10 years ago, the economy wasn’t in such a recession as now, and it was simpler for people to go see live music… but I could be wrong, I wasn’t making music 10 years ago.

We have no clue! 10 years ago, I was on drugs working in a factory and Veronica was finishing her last year of college, lol. I guess the internet has helped many bands gain instant success, however–from what we hear, several venues have shut down over the years and others have scaled their shows back to just a few a month, so it’s a give and take. We are just thankful that we get to tour with cell phones and a GPS!!!!

Harder to sell records now because: the market is over saturated with bands, we’re in a recession, and people are stealing music at an all time high. Labels are signing less bands now, BUT with the technology we have, artists who can barely sing/play are getting signed, and that would have never happened before. Bands have it a lot easier now as far as spreading the word/building their buzz, before the internet, we used to have to mail everything out by hand and make calls.

I would say it’s incredibly easier to be a musician today. You can let people around the world hear your music for a fraction of the cost it would have taken 10 years ago, if you could have even accomplished the same.

Times change. There might of been less people doing it then, but less technology to get your name out back then too. So I believe it just balances itself out.

I don’t know. My impression is that neither era is an ‘easy’ or ‘hard’ one to work in – they just have different sets of problems.

In most ways yes. Financially, it’s a lot harder. But for indie artists, it’s a lot easier. You don’t have to be on a label now to make it.

I don’t know. Ten years ago, the music industry had just received the warning bell that the golden age of actually making money in music was nearing the end. Whole record labels would survive off of one hit record. That was great for all the little bands who deserved to be out there but weren’t selling enough.
What’s great about this new era is that bands have to be creative in getting their music out there. The pool spilled into an ocean, and that’s the hard part. There is SO MUCH MUSIC out there.

I don’t think there’s a difference because it’s always been hard. Its always hard to find the perfect label and management who will support you and back you.

Well without the internet, we wouldn’t have been able to book our first tours, make fans over myspace, be noticed by a genre label like we did, or any of that. Without technology we wouldn’t have been able to record our 2 albums by ourselves and press them for relatively cheap. So its much much easier. But, because its easier, there are tons more bands than there ever used to be, or at least tons more bands that are trying to make it. Which, basically creates a whole different set of problems!

Voices Of The Underground is a series that seeks to explore one question from many different angles. Every week, we will ask one question of many of your favorite music artists. We will post their responses below, and what you will find is that there is never truly one answer to every question, but instead a whole world of ideas that come from simple matters of taste, to deep held beliefs. Our hope is that through this series you are able to see past the promo pictures and the stage persona, and get to know the hearts of believers who are creating music every day.

Need to catch up?
Read Pt.1-What do you love about music?
Read Pt.2- What was your first musical experience?
Read Pt.3-What is your favorite/ultimate song?
Read Pt.4-What is the best live show you have ever seen?
Read Pt.5-If you hadn’t gotten into music, what would see yourself doing as a job?
Read Pt.6-Who is Jesus Christ to you?
Read Pt.7-What is Christian music?
Read Pt.8- The facets of the Christian music?
Read Pt.9-Can art/music not have a message behind it?
Read Pt.10-How do you keep yourself accountable in your out on the road?

What are your feelings on the modern day music industry?

Man, I don’t even know. It kind of sucks to see the effective death of the album with Itunes and file sharing websites, but I would be a hypocrite if I said I haven’t downloaded a lot of music myself. Heck, I’ve found tons of bands I never would have known existed had it not been for downloading music. Overall I think its been a good way for the industry to grow. Take the power out of the rich label owners who have screwed bands over for years and give bands marketing and promotion power themselves to in effect level the playing field a bit. But there is still a lot of uncertainty to a newly designed market and I think noone has yet to find the next successful model for selling music.

There’s pros and cons. Its easier to get your name out there but its easier for people to steal music. So it’s a little give and take.

Love it. Or leave it. It is what it is. And it’s all we have. I’m awful at keeping up with it all.
My next record is a book/CD combo. I hope that people by the hard copy, because I’d love for them to read the book.

That nobody knows what the heck is going on, how to make it as musician now, and where it is going. I try not to think about it too much and to do my best making the best music I can. Recently, I’m self producing my albums which has been a nice freedom so that I’m not dependent on the industry to make it happen. I’m free to make music regardless of the level of sales and success.

It seems easier to get music in front of people, but harder to earn money doing it. I’ve heard that that middle class of musicians is disappearing.

Some people like it, some dont. Me- I dont care. As long as people can get their hands on my music, Im ok with it.

It’s definitely different from what it was when I first started being involved in music, both as an appreciator and creator. That said, I think it’s helping to filter out those who truly care from those who don’t… if you care, you’re excited about the new ways to spread your music and willing to adapt.

I think we’re in a time of growth. Like we’ve seen in the past with 8 tracks, cassette tapes and CD’s, we have to adapt to our surroundings. It’s causing a lot of commotion because they can’t stop people from stealing music, and it’s effected everyone considerably…but it’s change…and no one likes change. It has it’s pro’s and cons, I’m excited to see what’s next.

Myspace and Youtube have been great tools for us and our ministry. We are not your standard band so because of the internet, we have been able to share our message worldwide.

I really am happy with the music market today. I believe the way the way music is sold today is very innovative and sold simple. I am always accompanied by my iPod or Macbook so having digital copies of everything is perfect for me.

For bands like us we might lose a little bit of income from it. That doesn’t really bother me because we are growing and the more outlets we have to promote our music the better for us. It really doesn’t bother me too much.

I have mixed feelings, Myspace is an excellent promotional and communication tool but at the same time its lame any band can go record get a friend adder and a play enhancer and get signed, it takes a lot of the work ethic out. I think that’s why you see a lot of bands break up or have frequent member changes when they get signed then just start extensive touring. As far as Digital MP3 stores I think it helps unsigned bands like us get our music out there when we don’t have the money to press CD’s however, unless Digital is the only option I’d take a record or CD any day, I enjoy the art and all that cool stuff.

The music industry is scary too. As a band we feel like the crazy fish at the lake that pile on top of each other in attempt to snag one measly piece of dog food. There are so many bands, and know one buys music anymore. Its all about who you know and who they know, and Then they tell us what music to like no matter how bad it is. haha. Thankfully despite their best efforts there are still a lot of bands making good music. All that being said, if you like our music, and can’t afford to buy it, go download it, then come to the show, and we can hangout.

I think that Myspace, blogspots, MP3s, torrents have changed the music industry drastically. It seems to be much harder to sell albums now days than it was before. We have encountered this numerous times, where kids have downloaded our album offline and don’t want to purchase it. However, it also has its positives. It is much easier to promote your band via Myspace than it used to be. I think the digital world has a good and bad side to the industry.

I think the playing field is leveled, and it has become nearly impossible for musicians to make money… which is good. You see, when musicians aren’t making exorbitant amounts of money, they maintain musical integrity. They make music because they love it, not because it will sell.

Well, I don’t really know much about “the industry”. What I’ve observed is that it’s a good and a bad thing for bands/artists. The internet has helped bands out a ton. The whole Myspace/Facebook thing has made it really helpful for bands to promote themselves and their music. But as far as the digital music wave of the industry, it tends to hurt bands as well. It seems to be getting harder and harder for bands to sustain themselves. But again, I don’t really have much experience with all of this.

This is all a natural progression. Obtaining music adjusts with whatever is happening in current technology. There is becoming less and less reason to go into a physical store to try to get music. I don’t think I’ve gone into a physical store and bought a CD for over a year at least. I download whatever I want from ITUNES usually… Online marketing is often cheaper for labels, and easier for the consumer to see… So, it is a natural progression. The labels, bands, and managers that really WIN in the music industry in the coming years will be the ones that learn to use the online stuff most effectively.

Voices Of The Underground is a series that seeks to explore one question from many different angles. Every week, we will ask one question of many of your favorite music artists. We will post their responses below, and what you will find is that there is never truly one answer to every question, but instead a whole world of ideas that come from simple matters of taste, to deep held beliefs. Our hope is that through this series you are able to see past the promo pictures and the stage persona, and get to know the hearts of believers who are creating music every day.

Need to catch up?
Read Pt.1-What do you love about music?
Read Pt.2- What was your first musical experience?
Read Pt.3-What is your favorite/ultimate song?
Read Pt.4-What is the best live show you have ever seen?
Read Pt.5-If you hadn’t gotten into music, what would see yourself doing as a job?
Read Pt.6-Who is Jesus Christ to you?
Read Pt.7-What is Christian music?
Read Pt.8- The facets of the Christian music?
Read Pt.9-Can art/music not have a message behind it?

As a believer, especially if your are a touring musician, how do you keep yourself accountable in your out on the road?

We have accountability partners, and we all ask each other how we are doing with everything all the time.

I’ve learned that there is no accountability deeper than God and yourself. It might sound wrong, but no matter how many accountability groups you have, or internet protections, you and God are the only ones who really know what is going on.

We keep each other accountable as a band the best we can, on and off the bus. We don’t always get to go to church on the road, so I download Joyce Meyer vodcasts to watch on my iPod on planes,etc. It’s called “Everyday Life”, they’re amazing.

I learned the hard way from when I first started touring with my hardcore band, TOURING IS ROUGH. I believe its best to keep in touch with a mentor on the road and if you are blessed enough with someone to have on the road, even better. Pray daily for wisdom and strength to be an example.

Being completely honest, I am terrible with staying on path. Since we are on the road all the time, we never go to church, and it’s so hard to read the bible, I know that He died for me, and I can’t even motivate myself to read is terrible of me, but I try. Being in this band is hard because we tour with a lot of secular bands and we get caught up in the world. Personally, I keep in touch with my Pastor Brandon back home and he always keeps me in line.

Prayer, we pray everyday to draw closer to God. We also meet so many encouraging people on the road that support us and pray for us.

Sometimes it can be hard to stay diligent in your walk or study while on tour. Everything is just crazy all the time, and it sometimes seems hard to find time. However, we have learned that when we are all focused on tour, the tours always seem to go much better, so I think it is very important.

Well, being that we’re only out for a couple days at a time, I wouldn’t really consider that touring. But in general, the guys in the band are some of my best friends and my fellow brothers in Christ. That’s one of the best ways to maintain accountability. Those relationships are really important.

All of us guys in the band are pretty close. We all get together each night to pray together as well – so that keeps us somewhat accountable. We always make time to openly share our struggles before most gigs. This helps to keep us pretty open. Also, we are often-times playing at events where there is a pastor or youth pastor present. We most of the time get together with these guys before the service to pray – so there is always time to be open with each other…

I’m not a touring musician.

This is the hardest part about being on the road. You can’t keep yourself accountable, you need others, at least I do. When you are on the road you are constantly pouring out, talking to kids, praying with people, sharing your heart, but its hard to find that community you have back home to pour back into you. The guys and I read scripture together and stay open and honest with what’s going on in our lives. I also have people back home that keep me accountable and pray for me a lot.

Really I don’t go to any of the guys and tell them what I’ve been feeling, I don’t think they need to know that. They know I’m a sinner and I know they’re a sinner. We are believers but we still fall short. I’ve always heard of accountability partners and what not. I think that they are great and really help people that struggle with some heavy issues. But when we are on the road my main goal is to meet and show love to every person I meet. That means the guys in the band too.

Through each other, as well as various friends across the country that will call us and ask us tough questions. Accountability is the key to being focused and still have the ability to build sincere relationships.

We don’t really tour, so it’s not so much a struggle for us. That said, when I’m traveling (which I do kind of often) I typically make an effort to at least get to church every Sunday. While I don’t think missing church means you’re less Christian, I do think plugging in (even if for a single day) with others who share your faith from elsewhere in the country/world can have a really uplifting impact.

Maybe it is because of the company I keep when we travel around, or the kind of people who come to see us, but I’ve never found that I have more opportunities (or desires) to beat people up, steal things, or hump strangers than I do when I am not on tour. I’ve never had to worry about it, which I’m grateful for.

Well, my husband learned a little bit of this lesson while out on the road last year, and I think he won’t mind if I speak for him, since I don’t have any personal experience touring.
He found it very difficult to be away from his family, for one thing. But to also be constantly away from his church and the fellowship of a family of believers was almost as hard. I bet there are bands who hold each other accountable, and that would be the wisest thing for the members of a band to do.
It is even better for the bands to have their families with them, like Nathan Clark George. Or play music with your family, like Eisley. Or, if you’re really brave , tour with your spouse, like Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken (sp?) often do.
As evidenced by too many broken marriages in the Christian music industry, it is impossible to go it alone while on the road.

I actually feel that when I’m on the road I am closer to bring the kind of person I want to be. I have so many awesome opportunities to speak to people and touch peoples lives, and since I am uprooted from my life at home, I don’t just fall into the day in day out routine. However I do suck most of the time, and living in a van with 5 other dudes is the best way to be accountable on the road, as well as being in a scripturally sound mindset and being positive. Lots of prayer!

Voices Of The Underground is a series that seeks to explore one question from many different angles. Every week, we will ask one question of many of your favorite music artists. We will post their responses below, and what you will find is that there is never truly one answer to every question, but instead a whole world of ideas that come from simple matters of taste, to deep held beliefs. Our hope is that through this series you are able to see past the promo pictures and the stage persona, and get to know the hearts of believers who are creating music every day.

Need to catch up?
Read Pt.1-What do you love about music?
Read Pt.2- What was your first musical experience?
Read Pt.3-What is your favorite/ultimate song?
Read Pt.4-What is the best live show you have ever seen?
Read Pt.5-If you hadn’t gotten into music, what would see yourself doing as a job?
Read Pt.6-Who is Jesus Christ to you?
Read Pt.7-What is Christian music?
Read Pt.8- The facets of the Christian music?

Can art/music not have a message behind it?

If we want to get philosophical, I guess the artists intention would precede any actual message or artistic statement, and that to be meaningful I would hope it would actually mean something to the artist him/herself. I don’t think judging or deeming something as “art” lies on anyone’s shoulders but the creator of the art, but that doesn’t mean I or anyone else don’t have strong opinions on what is or isn’t art. I also feel that historically Christianity has held art that doesn’t fit its worldview as evil, or morally wrong. And while we need to follow the scripture in Philippians that says “whatever is praiseworthy and true, think of those things” (can’t remember verse # off top of head), art speaks different things to different people, so I don’t think we should be too quick to jump out and declare something to be meaningless or “not art”. I don’t have to listen to music or expose myself to art that I feel is meaningless, I think the best thing is to just leave it alone and praise what is “praiseworthy and true,” as the scripture says.

I think all art/music has some kind of message. Art/music is either full of Truth, or not. If it doesn’t have Truth, then it is not of Christ. Why fill your heart and mind with art/music that is not firmly rooted in the Truth of Christ? (Madeleine L’Engle has some interesting and helpful thoughts on this in her book Walking on Water.)

I think so. Most of my favorite art and music has no message behind it. I don’t think that believers who make things should feel obligated to instill any message or purpose in
what they are making.

Plenty of “art” has little point beyond simply being aesthetically pleasing. While I don’t think it’s fair to discount these endeavors as “unartistic”, it’s a valid concern by a lot of art-lovers like myself. Unfortunately, I think a lot of Christians have been all to eager to embrace musicians solely based on a shared faith, even if that faith isn’t necessarily present in the music being created.

We feel you have to bring the message. We simply use music as the tool to deliver our message. Even non-Christians can have encouraging lyrics and great words, but unless they are using their moment as a platform, it feels like it’s just positive music.

I believe not all art/music has a message behind it. But that doesn’t effect anything to me. Music is all about the feeling of the person who’s singing/playing the music. If they love what they’re doing and they are singing about skittles and rainbows then that can be a very beautiful thing. Because that’s their form of artistic expression, not everyone will like it, and I’m sure some might be scared of it if it’s weird. But all in all we are all humans and we all have our differences.

It definitely can and is, but I think that defeats the purpose. Music, in my life is a bridge, a type of conceptual art. When music has meaning, it feels kinda like dating a girl who is not only pretty but has a good personality. haha.

All music has a message. I don’t really consider music “Christian” or “secular”. The 1st Century Christians believe that EVERYTHING was sacred. And what people are saying in their music tells you what they believe about God.
If someone has violent/perverted lyrics, it tells you that they don’t know the purpose of life and instead of finding joy in God, they are looking for joy at the expense of others.
If someone has lyrics full of questioning why bad things are happening, or full of pain, it shows that they have idols… namely relationships and earthly comforts. They believe they need these things to be happy. If someone worships only the Lord, these needs are met in Him, and when people are expressing pain they are really expressing the fact that their idols are not fulfilling needs that only God can fill.
All music is spiritual. All music is either about God, or about a lack of God. Either way… He is always the subject matter. We need to realize that.

I’m not sure about this. Can art / music not have a message behind it? Umm… Instrumental stuff may have “less” of a specific message behind it – but it still affects the way you feel – so maybe that means it does have a message – cause it affects the way you feel. How does it affect music being made by believers? Just because an artist is a believer doesn’t mean they are always writing a “Christian” song. I don’t know – this is starting to get really confusing haha…

I think that art/ music can be made with no real intentions of any obvious or underlying message. I also believe that someone who loves God and is honest and sincere in that, would not be able to create any sort of art/music that has no real message.

I do not really understand why art or music would be made without a purpose or message behind it. I would never want to play music or make art that isnt trying to make a statement. I feel that most music made by believers has a message behind it, just as that made by non believers. I am sure there are exceptions though.

I think all art/music has a message of some sort behind it, at least subconsciously. If Christ influences ones life I believe the art they use will be inspired in some way.

I believe not all art necessarily must have a message behind it. I have this solo music project, and I was feeling absolutely nothing at the time. There are no lyrics and is just instrumental, I intentionally made it to have no message. If someone gets a certain mood from listening to it, then I believe that’s because that person took my art and made it into something else.

EVERYONE sends off a message. Whether its a vegan punk rock band, a straightedge hardcore band, a girl chasing pop punk band, a “lemme holla at you girl” r&b artist, a gimmick bling bling rapper, a worship band, etc…. EVERY artist is giving a message off.

Absolutely it can. Most art has some sort of message behind it, whether or not the artist tries to make that message known is the difference. Musicians/songwriters from every walk of life write songs about things that mean something to them, or are based on the way they see things. So for someone to peg “Christians” for doing the same thing is ridiculous. I don’t think every song has to have an in your face message, this can come across as over bearing, and could defeat the purpose.

No, its impossible for art NOT to have a message because that is the whole point of art. I think that the essence of a message simply means a communication or connection point. In general, I really hate when Christian (or any other religions) musicians feel like it is there job to educate the public of their genius and correct theology. As if the song is some lesson for everyone who has to be there to listen to it. I
gravitate toward people and songs that share experiences. You can’t deny someone else’s experience. You can’t argue with it. You can roll your eyes at someone’s dogma and move on. But you really can’t argue with someone who simply says, “this is what it was like for me.” That’s when I think we are really communicating, no matter what region or background.

Yes. Art doesn’t always mean something, but usually music does have a point. It affects music because of the lyrical aspect. Music is music, but what makes it Christian or not is the lyrics.