Southern Gospel Music vs. Bizarro Southern Gospel Music
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Written: 07/02/2008 
Author: Nick Bruno
Category:
The Gospel Truth
Comments: 52 
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Do you like Superman? Anyone who is a fan of Superman knows about Bizarro World. It’s a cube-shaped planet called “Htrae” – “earth” spelled backwards. Bizarro World has many of the same characters that Earth has – Bizarro Superman, Bizarro Lois Lane, and Bizarro Perry White. The main difference is that in Bizarro World, everything is the exact opposite of things on Earth. It’s good to be bad in Bizarro World. For example, Superman is good, Bizarro Superman is not. Bizarro “society” is ruled by the Bizarro Code which states, “Us do opposite of all Earthly things! Us hate beauty! Us love ugliness! It is a big crime to make anything perfect on Bizarro World!”
BIZARRO SGM
And so, I am happy to announce that I have the solution to SGM being dead last in every category…Bizarro Southern Gospel is taking over the industry.
We have Bizarro record companies that feel it is a crime to make a great recording.
We have Bizarro radio promoters who never really promote a thing.
We have Bizarro artists who refuse to admit they cannot sing,
And, we have Bizarro charts which don’t bear the slightest reflection of what is popular and what is not.
REAL Southern Gospel is the greatest music this side of heaven…yet we keep trying to change it. We are allowing the Bizarro World infiltrators to make it progressive, or country, or contemporary, or heaven knows what next.
I love listening to Southern Gospel Music when it is performed well. I love quartets, trios, duos, male groups, mixed groups, family groups, and soloists. Whoever is singing Southern Gospel Music is singing my song. I love it.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC! LEAVE THE MUSIC ALONE!
The reason SGM is dead last in every category is not because of the music. The music has stood the test of time. When people hear SGM performed professionally, they love it too.
The real problem is that the Southern Gospel Music Industry is really two industries... PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR.
PROFESSIONAL SGM INDUSTRY
I suppose one could argue all day about the definition of a “PROFESSIONAL.” To me, a professional group is talented at every vocal position, is full time, draws people to their concerts, and has good sales at their table and also at retail. You all know exactly what I’m talking about so there is no reason to split hairs over this.
We’re talking about groups like The Booth Brothers, The Inspirations, Gold City, Greater Vision, The Talleys, The Perrys, The Hoppers, The Isaacs, Gaither Vocal Band, The Kingsmen, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, The Dove Brothers and others. NOTICE, I said. “And others”. These are not the ONLY professional groups – I’m naming a few who come to mind. These groups are all different in style but they are professional. They are making money, serious money.
I’ve compiled a list of professional groups and I find that there are about 30 groups, and I had to relax my definition of “professional” a little to get to 30.
These are the groups that draw people to concerts, to the bookstores, and to the National Quartet Convention. They are sought after by songwriters, promoters, talent agencies, and record labels.
If the President wanted to have a Southern Gospel concert at the White House, you can be sure the artists appearing would come from this list.
These artists record great songs written by talented and anointed songwriters
Concert promoters book these groups mostly through talent agencies that are also professional, like The Beckie Simmons Agency and The Harper Agency.
These groups are recorded by professional record companies, Crossroads, Canaan, Homeland and Daywind, to name a few, that make recordings to the highest industry standards. Then the companies market and promote the recordings through the print medium and radio, and also distribute the artists’ recordings to the retail market.
The important thing about this side of Southern Gospel Music is that everything, EVERYTHING, songwriting, promoting, booking, recording, EVERYTHING…is driven by the artists’ ability to appeal to the consumer, spiritually and materially. Songwriters, promoters, talent agencies, and record companies need artists that can help them make a profit.
The professional side of SGM is driven by the artists’ ability to MAKE money.
BIZARRO SGM INDUSTRY – NON PROFESSIONALS
The amateur side of SGM is driven by the artists’ ability to PAY money.
There is NOTHING WRONG with being new, with being an amateur. Every professional listed above started out as an amateur and worked hard to become a professional.
To me, the word “amateur” has two meanings:
1.Someone who chooses to do something for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons.
We have lots of artists in SGM who are “amateurs” by choice. They don’t have a competitive spirit; they just want to be a blessing. They love the music and want to get out there and get involved, but they don’t want to leave their jobs, so they go out and sing a couple of times a month and have a great time. Some of these groups are pretty good, and they desire to be the best they can be, but they have no illusions of grandeur. I work with many groups like this and I can tell you, I love it. It’s singing for the best of reasons…because you love it.
Now folks, I want you to hear me loud and clear. There is absolutely nothing wrong with weekend warriors, “newbies”, making custom recordings and getting out there and singing their hearts out week after week. Please understand me here. This is not the problem. Just like there is nothing wrong with me playing my heart out at softball two nights a week. But… if I try to get my softball team into the eastern division of the American League to compete with The Yankees and The Red Sox…now that’s a problem!
What troubles me is that you can understand how ridiculous it would be for my softball team of pot bellied aging men to try to play in the Major Leagues but you can’t (or maybe won’t) understand how ridiculous it is for an inexperienced group to try and do the things the pro groups do.
FAST RIDE ON A SLOW TRAIN TO BIZARRO WORLD
Which brings me to the second meaning for “amateur”.
2. Someone who is inexperienced or unskilled as in, “Hunting lions is not for amateurs.”
We have many, many artists who are inexperienced and unskilled in the craft of singing. The sad thing is that they don’t know it.
What they need is TLC and guidance but what they are getting is a fast ride on a slow train to SGM Bizarro World where you will find:
Too many “amateur” artists who are “legends in their own mind.”
Amateur record companies pretending to be big shot companies when they are nothing more than custom recording companies.
Amateur radio promoters who will never admit that they cannot possibly track all the songs.
Amateur periodicals with top 80 charts, knowing that probably 40 of the slots will be taken by amateur artists who will also buy ads.
Amateur talent agencies trying to book amateur artists.
Amateur radio stations playing anything that comes down the pike.
CONSUMERS ARE CONFUSED BY THIS SGM BIZARRO WORLD
They go to a concert and hear a professional group do a wonderful performance. The next week an amateur group comes to their church and stinks up the platform.
They hear a great song on the radio by a professional group followed by a group that sounds like a bunch of cats with their tails caught in the door.
They see photos of our professional groups, but they also see photos of amateur groups in ill-fitting suits with coat sleeves that hang 6 inches past their fingers.
To the world it’s all the same...it’s the same industry…Southern Gospel Music. The reason it’s all the same to them is because we have allowed it to be the same.
Every single person reading this knows that it is true. Yet, we turn our head the other way and allow it to continue, as though it’s not happening.
It’s all about the money. It’s the little groups with stars in their eyes that are funding SGM Bizarro World. As long as they are willing to keep paying, there will be a magazine, a promoter, and a record company that will gladly take their money.
ESCAPE FROM BIZARRO WORLD
So…how do we fix this mess?
My friends, the answer is so simple that it is profound.
ADMIT IT!!!!
Yes, that’s right…admit it. The first step in fixing a problem is to admit that there IS a problem.
Let’s stop “pussyfooting” around and start telling the truth about all this nonsense.
We all know what’s rotten in SGM. We know who is doing it, and why they are doing it…to make money.
Yet we all just stand around like fools and act like it’s not happening.
We allow representatives of these companies to join our various organizations, sit on boards, attend meetings, and vote on matters of great importance to our industry.
What we should be doing is identifying these folks and calling their hand. “Hey you, yes you… your company, your magazine, your station, your group, your organization is doing things that are damaging to our industry. You and those like you are not welcome here. Please leave!”
It is not right for companies and individuals who damage our industry to receive recognition from the professionals. By turning the other cheek to their unscrupulous business practices we are allowing them access to our side of the fence, when what we should be doing is throwing the bums out.
Listen friends, I’m not saying we should eliminate amateur SGM. We need amateur artists. It is from this pool of talent that the professionals of tomorrow will come. But the key word here is “tomorrow.”
When they earn, EARN, their way into the professional ranks, they will be welcomed with open arms. Until that time we need to do all we can to train and nurture them, and teach them how to become professional.
Anyone who rips off one of these “newbies” should be “tarred and feathered” and hung from the giant screen TV at the National Quartet Convention.
OUR AMATEUR ARTISTS DESERVE BETTER.
I like this famous quote: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Folks, let’s stop doing “NOTHING.” Let’s start taking names and kicking tails. It’s time we reclaimed our industry. If you agree with me I ask you to help me. You can forward this article to anyone you think can help, pro group owners, professional record label heads, industry leaders, and your friends.
Remember… “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”
As always, I welcome your comments,
God Bless You,
Nick Bruno
http://www.nickbruno.com
Reader Comments
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I would like to expand on Mr. McCammon's comments. Maybe we need to focus on being the best gospel quartet performers we can be and not worry so much about how to expand our music market share. When gospel quartets were on top during the 50s and 60s, the popular music of the day (that which was selling the most) was the music of the doo-wop groups featuring high falsettos and low basses. During the 70s the music was still featuring part-singing and a lead feature with background vocals. Listen to the music today. With the exception of an occasional boy-band, you don't see groups harmonizing and making it big in pop music.
Maybe SG is more comparable to barbershop quartets. Those pro guys (and gals/the Sweet Adelines) are wonderful! Incredible harmonies and showmanship. Anyone who hears them usually genuinely enjoys their experience. However, they do not seem to be gaining a larger share of the market. They are content barbershopping and doing a great job at it.
One other personal note. I'm involved in convention-style music. As much as we reminisce about "Heavenly Parade" and how fun that was to hear/sing, no one seems to want to tackle that style of music anymore. Still, I enjoy the writing such songs. By doing so, if that becomes my only role, I'll never gain popularity as a songwriter outside a handful of people no matter how good I might get at it. As far as pro versus amateur, I think of Bill and Gloria Gaither as teachers HAVING to leave their profession in order to keep up with the demand for their music. I am a teacher and have yet to have demand for my music take away from my day job! To give up my day job and try to force it would likely be catastrophic. It all goes back to what is popular...what the people WANT.http://www.susanjonesonline.com
http://www.shoutlife.com/susanjones
http://www.myspace.com/srwjones -
I can't say that I have been a long time reader of Nicks column...but I can say that I have read every one of them since I came across them.
Nick produced a project for some friends of mine a few years back - and in looking up information on him in the fairly recent past I came across these articles and I have read each and every one. I have also read from, cover to cover, his book "The Gospel Music Truth". I think Nick makes a lot of sense on many topics. My only "gripe" if you will about this column and his ongoing topic of "what's wrong with this industy" is that among all of the information about "beware the people that will take advantage of the newbie" - I don't see anything that directs me on where to go and find the people I can trust.
There is much mention of the people in the industry that will lead you astray and take advantage of you - and Nick often states that "those in the industry know who they are". The main problem I see is this......I am NOT in the mainstream of this industry. I am the proverbial "weekend warrior" that gets mentioned so often. The quartet I sing with is pretty salty, and we sing 99% original music - some of which you might not even want to hear on a hootenanny stage, but some that are very much anointed and could likely be on a much more grand scale.........if we knew how to do it.
If you don't want to name names of those to avoid - then I think it would be a huge help to at least name those that are above board and who can help an artist along. I realize Nick offers these services - and I realize they are for a fee. But he isn't the only soul out there that is a good person in the industry.
The main problem of these "amatuers" is that we don't know what we don't know. And frankly, Nick Bruno may be the catalyst to take my group (or any other) to the next level - but I don't know that...and I can't make that judgement without knowing what other "good guys" are out there. So my plea would be - if you don't want to tell us who to stay away from....then tell us who the good guys are....I can research all day long, but in the end it's a coin flip if I'm aligning with the right person or not...if I don't know any different.
The "amatuers" among us can't "afford" to make the wrong decision - because that may be the one that takes all the funds we have and we may never have that opportunity to learn from my mistakes and try again. So again - I would say - tell me who the good guys are....If Nick is the best choice, anyone who did their due diligence would find that out and his abilities would stand on their own merit.
I enjoy the candid input, I look forward to the next monthly addition, but I would ask that instead of just telling us what is wrong...take a step and tell us what or who is right and what they can do for my career.
In the end it matters not, unless God is leading the way.....but with God, talent, and the correct people...maybe the "visionary amatuers" among us could advance to another level. -
Jbari,
Send me $500, and I'll give you a list of individuals in the industry who are trying to take your money. For $1000, I'll also tell you who isn't. If anyone else wants the same info, just remember, you must act today. It's only going to be offered for a limited time!!
(If it works out as well as I hope, I can retire early!)
- - - - -
Ignore all I just wrote, of course. You are dead on target with your suggestions and questions.“Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.”—-Mark Twain
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Could it possibly be that the difference in the Glorymen projects is 3 years of experience ?
A producer can only do so much. Even with the advances the recording industry has made in the last few years,time will put a limit on how far you can go. So I ask again, honestly could it be that the extra time, experience, and practice made more of a difference than who produced the product?
You can pick any SGM group you wish and listen to their sound tighten with time and experience.
I know groups that Nick has delt with in the past, and groups he is dealing with at this very moment. And you are the first person I have ever heard spout such nonsence. To the absolute contrary every one I have ever talked to about Nick Bruno has used words such as Gentelman, Caring, Concerned, and most of all Christian.
Unfortunatley money does have to be a concern when it comes to a recording project. I own a SMALL custom recording studio, and to stay inside a budget that a group may set, time to fix every bad note sung by a less experienced group just may not be available.
All I am trying to say is, lets be careful to not blame someone else for a problem that time and experience is the only real fix for.
Nick, stay on that soapbox brother. I look forward to the next sermon. -
jbari,
wow! You are a much nicer person than I. I guess it would have been more productive for me to phrase my initial question the way you did. I hope you get a more definitive answer. As you've seen by the discussion, every producer can have a bad day or session or just not mesh with a particular group. Your best bet would be to read liner notes of stuff you like, talk to those folks and if you can't afford them, see who they recommend - then ask for references of groups they have dealt with who spent the same kind of money you are willing to part with. I know that Johnny Sansom and Rick Schweinsberg do good work in the Nashville area (Hendersonville), but even then I would say to check their resume and talk to folks in your area who have used them. Anyone who is reputable should be able to give you a LONG list of satisfied customers. -
Jim2:
I wrote this response - then went back and have edited it down because I wrote a NOVEL to start with. Now trying to abbreviate it to a short story. But man...my novel had some good points in it. HA HA Maybe I can bring them out in condensed version.
I guess you are correct in that I pretty much said the same thing you did - just a different way!
I can see both sides of this picture - obviously Nick feels he can't call out people on the forum -whether it be for personal, spiritual, or legal reasons. Not to mention, maybe sogospelnews.com has specifically told him he couldn't. I can respect that position, but I don't know if I 100% agree with it.
Would it not seem logical that as passionate as Nick is, in this internet venue, about these issues....that he would be equally passionate about it outside of this venue and very likely would approach the "bad apples" directly and try to convince them to see the error of their ways and how they could potentially be hurting the industry as a whole?
Now lets say he has made that contact with these people/companies, voiced his concerns - and they choose to continue the status quo. At what point does one say - I have tried to handle this correctly - they chose to continue to be "bad apples" so now it's time to call them on it?
Just my take - I still like the columns, I read them all - and I'd love to work with Nick. -
There are very few people who I would trust to produce a project on our group, mainly because we are blessed to have veteran, seasoned talent within the group, that know recording backwards and forwards. One of those people I would trust is Nick Bruno. I have often wondered what could be learned from someone outside our group. My old buddy Terry Blackwood would be another I wouldn't mind working with. But trust me, there are very few inside southern gospel that I would give free rein to. -
Gospel music needs to be about making money and earning a living again. That way the singers could actually stop lying on the stage when they say they aren't doing it for money. We might actually have groups that can pay their members what they're worth and keep em on the bus.
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Nick,
Although we have never met, i have followed your career many years and realize you have a lifetime comittment to SGM.
Your articles are always interesting and to the point. I AGREE nearly all of the time. We need men like you in the industry. I also enjoy reading the comments. This is where i just sat on the pin cushoin.
Lacy of the Glorymen has called you out, so to speak. But here is my problem. Lacy, i have been in southern gospel radio for more than twenty years.
I have listened to your project, in its entirety. I think you just exemplified what Nick is writing. You dear brother, just spoke up for the bizarro family of artists. It appears that you have decided the problem with your last recording was the result of Nick. Let me share a thought. I receive more than 50 different compilations in a year's time. All asking for my time to listen and for airplay. Not to mention the importance of scripturely sound lyrics, the quality of vocals...and tracks..can be recognized in just seconds of a song.
Very few merit airplay for a station that is listener supported and demands the very best. Although Song Garden began with a solid line-up of artists, they were received very well by radio, from the onstart. If it were not for Nick, Your label woul not be getting the airplay recognition. And Lacey, we do not play all of their artists. Get the point. The first thing in the above article in which i do agree, is Nick's statement.."First, admit it!" -
Hello Everyone. I have read alot of the posts and I have to say, I see both sides. I think it is a little strong to say The gentlemen was Un-Christ like or mean spirited about his Recording with Nick. If thats what happened then the man has a right to voice his opinion. But in my humble opinion, Nick is very talented, and has produced some great recordings, I sure everyone can agree with that. The only thing I tend to disagree with is, what can he do to further a groups success. Yes he can make them a great recording but I think that is it. Other than that you try to make the best music you can, book dates, and go sing. I know there is alot of things groups try to do like Radio Promotions,Record company, Booking agents but what will these things do for you other than take your money. There has been alot of groups shut down out there and I think if there was a magic solution there would be groups standing in line. I think it is pretty simple. Make good recordings and if you want to be full time, quit your jobs and book 200 plus dates.
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