“He is not here; He has risen!” – Luke 24:6a
Happy Easter! He has risen indeed and He will return. Until then, Jesus asks us to Love one another. (John 13:34) On this special day, I hope you know that He loves you. He wants nothing from you, but He has something for you. Please take time this morning to join together and praise Him with family and friends.
Independent Christian artists are very special, but they have the same struggles and passions as the rest of us. Here’s a pair of quick bio’s for artists we don’t typically hear on mainstream Christian radio and their unusual journey. Son of an Army Vet, Je’kob graduated from Grace Christian High in 1999. Over the past decade Je’kob Washington was part of ‘Souljahz’ (Warner Bros. Records) and ‘The Nappy Roots’ (Nappy Roots Entertainment Group). He’s now on Save the City Records label out of Seattle. He made the choice to leave the big label red tape and step out on faith. Here’s more on Je’kob’s Bio.
Aaron Gillespie was the former drummer for ‘Underoath’ and lead singer for ‘The Almost’. Saved by his Dad at Age 5 and started leading worship at age 15. His band tours with non-Christian bands to spread the message of Christ to the bands and his audience. A few years ago through EMI records, he released ‘We Were Made For You’ and now signed for his first solo project with ‘The Compound’ recording studio. Here’s Aaron’s transparent story on YouTube. (http://aarongillespie.com/)
These two don’t look or sound like the ‘Christian’ artists we typically think of but their message is honest and true. They are uniquely broken and seek forgiveness just like us. I’d bet there’s a lot more artists like them who don’t get visibility like Je’kob and Aaron. What about all the artists who sign with a small or local record label or even those who create their own label? There’s no guarantee of wealth, riches or fame. They lean on their talent given by God to praise him, step out on faith to share the good news and encourage us to a better place. It’s not about money because McDonald’s pays better. Here’s what it took in 2012 for a musician (not a full band – just one person) to make minimum wage in a month ($1,160 US)
(Source Digital Music News) When this infographic was first presented in 2010, it took 12,399 iTunes track downloads in a month. Two short years later that count already shifted up to 14,500! That’s just minimum wage… for a month. I assume iTunes is the biggest platform for discovery because it’s pre-loaded on millions of computers and devices. There’s plenty of independent artists looking to make a few dollars on aggregation websites as well like Voice of Truth Radio and Indie Heaven but these websites see nowhere near the traffic of an iTunes or Amazon Music. So why do it? Every artist has his or her own story. This week I spoke about musical artists but in a way, we are all artists. We all have talent.
Thanks for allowing me to indulge and explore this week. I’m deep into Seth Godin’s newest book the Icarus Deception and seeking out my way to being an artist. Maybe this is my calling, maybe not. I was first inspired by Seth’s interview on the Good Life Project, but in reading the book Seth eloquently explains how the industrial economy has given way to the connected economy. The notions of doing as we are told: conform to do well in school, college, work hard and be assured retirement are just falling away. Increasingly we will feel the need to choose our own way, create art and chart our own path. Nothing new here, Jesus spoke the same encouragement in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). This week I’ve made an effort to create more content than I consumed (Thanks Tim O’Reilly). It’s good to post a short comment in Facebook or click a button to show approval, but there’s also great value in taking time to make something from nothing, curating or collecting pieces to make something your own. Take a risk. It may be embarrassing. It may be amazing. Don’t do it for attention, thanks or clicks. Do it for you. Do it in praise of the talents He’s given you. If you’re a musician, play your song the same as if 2 or 2000 were listening. If you know it’ll work – there’s no risk and simply put, it requires no faith. This return to blogging is my first step in responding to an inner voice encouraging me to get up and do more. I want to use the talents He’s given me. Over time, I’ll continue to pray and listen for Him. The men and women I highlighted this week share their music and their talents. Some showered with an amazing lifestyle and others blessed for their faith alone. They all have the same in common: they made the same decision to step out on faith a long time ago. I encourage you to do the same. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Take a step forward. Leave a comment here, Facebook, Twitter or wherever you choose – but please share what you’ll do with your unique talent.
I love the Lord and thank Him for all he’s done for me. My friends and family know I’ve got issues but only through His teaching, sacrifice, and grace do I have an eternal hope. Forgive one another. Love one another. Thank you Jesus!
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