In 1960's America, the equality of man envisioned by the Declaration of Independence was far from a reality. People of color, blacks, Hispanics, Orientals, were discriminated against in many ways. The 1960's were a turbulent time in America, when racial barriers began to come down due to Supreme Court decisions and due to an increase in the activism of blacks, fighting for equal rights.
Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, was a driving force in the push for racial equality.
Thrust into the national spotlight in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was arrested and jailed, King organized a massive march on Washington, DC on August 28, 1963. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial he gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, which is credited with mobilizing supporters of desegregation and prompted the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The next year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
On November 2, 1983, 15 years after Dr. King's death, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law, making the third Monday of January a national holiday celebrating the birth and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I was a young man when Dr. King gave his speech, but I remember it clearly. It's easy for us to look back to those days now that we know the outcome and appreciate the work of Dr. King, but it could not have been easy for him to stand before 250,000 people and tell America about his dream. It is most difficult to express your thoughts and ideas when those ideas oppose the "Status-Quo".
I am certainly not comparing myself to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but I do know how he must have felt. My cause is not on the same scale as changing America, but to me it is just as noble, and I too have a dream that someday Southern Gospel Music will be able to hold its head high and be freed from its current ideology of mediocrity.
I have a dream that someday the various segments of our industry, Radio, Retail, Record Companies, Record Promoters, Booking Agents, Talent Promoters, Magazines, NQC, will actually communicate with one another and be united in forming a plan to move SGM forward.
I have a dream that someday our professional artists will represent SGM, and our amateur artists will have to earn their way to the top.
I have a dream that someday our reporting stations will be only the ones that actually know the difference between good and bad music.
I have a dream that someday our charts will be computerized, will all be computed using the same formula, and will be open to scrutiny by anyone.
I have a dream that someday radio promotion will be used for its intended purpose, promoting good Gospel music via radio, rather than it's current use of conning young artists into using it as an ill-conceived method of advancing their careers.
I have a dream that someday our charts will have a maximum of 40 positions. This one change, if we never ever did anything else, would literally clean up our industry overnight.
I have a dream that someday our artists will be musically literate. In my view, it is inexcusable to be in a music business and not know music.
The Dreamers of Southern Gospel Music
A dreamer and his dreams are usually the object of ridicule …UNTIL THE DREAM COMES TRUE.
We honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. because his dream came true for many Americans, not because he simply dreamed a dream. He could have kept his dream to himself. He could have remained silent when others told him that his dream was making him look silly. He could have looked at reality instead of his dream, and let despair win out instead of hope. But…he didn't…and because of that the world is changed forever.
Compared to the rest of the Universe, the world of SGM is miniscule, but it's the world I live in. The problems with SGM pale in comparison to the injustices that Dr. King chose to expose and make right. But I am pleasantly surprised to discover a groundswell of support coming from numerous and unexpected places in the world of SGM. Your emails, phone calls, and comments to me at various SGM events seem to be indicating that I am not dreaming alone. Many of you share the same vision I do for SGM.
During the time that Dr. King was at the forefront of the civil rights movement, John F. Kennedy is quoted as saying, "We need men who can dream of things that never were".
Keep dreaming and some day our dreams will come true.
As always, I welcome your comments.
God Bless You,
Nick Bruno
http://www.songgardenmusic.com
Author: Nick Bruno
| Author's Website: http://www.nickbruno.com/
Written: 02/01/2006
| 
Category: The Gospel Truth
Comments: 17
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I agree. I am excited that everyone in SG is dreaming. Only thing I disagree about is the 40 positions, but we have already established that fact. LOL
Very well Said, keep it coming
Most of my former bandmates think its crazy that I love SG Music, because I'm a former rocker. They wouldn't be as surprised if I had taken to Contemporary CM. But I'm drawn to good SG. At its best, it is gospel-rich and story-driven, with fantastic vocals, great harmony and great pickers. I have to agree with Nick's general thrust though, that a lot of SG is very average, and can't hold the attention of most musicians for long. That should change.
Good for you Nick! I love to hear a group that sings "right notes" and "right harmonies." Unfortunately, there are many out there that do NOT know the difference between correctly sung music. A quote I will always remember is "God loves right notes." I think our listeners do, too. They also deserve to hear the words of a song correctly pronounced. Something to think about...
I love SGM but I wish it was known by some other name. A name that was more inviting and didn't sound so restrictive and regional. Maybe the name will come to Nick in a dream.
Tony Partigianoni
http://www.ksgm.com/images/gospel.gif
Pure SGM & Quartet-Style Singing
http://www.ksgm.com
I agree with Tony Partigianoni's comment above. I believe that the greatest help to our kind of music would be to properly name it with a name that better describes it - and makes it more inviting and appealing to those who are from different regions of the country. I believe that the term "Southern Gospel Music" automatically conjures up a false impression in one's mind as to the nature of the music itself.
And again, I am against limiting the chart positions to just 40. There are over 50 groups scheduled to appear on the main stage at NQC - not to mention the notable ones that are not appearing (Gaither Vocal band, Ernie Haase & SS, etc) and the very popular soloists who can not appear there, such as Ivan Parker and others.
40 chart positions might be OK if the positions were determined by the quality of the recordings - but that is never going to happen. That is a dream that will never come true. Station PM's. managers and owners will always play their favorites and the favorites of their listeners - and the 60 or so "major" artists will generally get their newest singles on the air on most stations just by reason of their longevity. Just put the single out - and it will automatically be on the playlist in regular (if not heavy) rotation.
Should they? Probably not. Will they? Well - they always have - and they probably always will.
So, those 40 positions will already be filled by the 60 major artists. New talent coming in will have little chance to chart, unless there are 40 - 80 positions.
So - should new talent be allowed in - if they can't crowd out and displace that artists already "owning" the top 40 positions?
One might say - let them be so good they replace the now-major artists - or let them fall by the wayside.
This kind of thinking is exactly why our Industry is in the mess it is in today. New blood is needed. It needs to be recognized and given an opportunity to reach and gain an audience. (Can you say, "Amen," Deon?)
Our Industry is richer because we now have Hope's Call (who are on the main stage at NQC this year), The Crabbs, The MacRae's, The Dunaways and other newer groups.
But - and this is my point - if there were only a top 40 chart - and the recordings of newer groups were being played well enough to be in the top 60 or 70 in 1/3 or 1/4 of the SGM radio markets - then I submit that the other 2/3 of the stations would not be aware of their radio traffic - and would not automatically "investigate" their music the month after the top 40 chart came out.
Stations often learn that a song or group is doing well by discovering them in the top 40-80 on the chart - and their group and music then receives the recognition they have worked for - and a chance at that top 40 in succeeding months.
Limit it to 40 - and the left hand will never know what the right hand is doing.
And - groups that would have developed into major groups (to take the place of those that will retire) will be out of business.
And, the station owners, with less and less listenership and revenue, will continue to wonder why our Industry is dying.
The answer? Change the ridiculous name - and get New Blood.
New Blood - New Blood.
Someone has to take the place of the many who will retire within five years of each other.
And, the new blood has no immediate access to the top 40 spots. They are owned by the 60 major groups and soloists - and the belief that the station personnel will EVER not automatically put their singles on the air is a real dream.
A pipe dream.
I agree with you on everything else, Nick - but please don't change the system so that radio people in Greensboro, Nashville and Charlotte will not be aware if we are getting significant radio play in Birmingham, Atlanta and Knoxville.
Because then, we won't see OUR dreams fulfilled.
Does this make sense to anybody else out there?
Cliff Cerce
The Cerces, PO Box 8525, Springfield, MO 65801
417-863-8440
http://www.thecerces.com
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
New Blood...that sounds like it could be the name of a new, trendy group.
Isn't it OBVIOUS that Nick is saying let's have a REAL chart with ACTUAL and TRUTHFUL airplay reports? If up and coming groups make it on the charts, so be it. It can only help SGM. I don't think he says ANYWHERE that he doesn't think a group should be on the charts just because they are NEW.
Good comments by John Scheideman and jeanne.
I wouldn't object to a top 40 chart if radio stations would do actually do what John's station does - as he describes above.
And, I certainly know that Nick has no desire whatsoever to make it harder for newer groups to have access to the airwaves. On the contrary, he is a champion of good groups getting recognition.
But, my point is - I think it would be quite easy to restrict the charts to 40 positions only - while it would be almost impossible to get most of the SGM stations to select their material (and then properly report the airplay) as John's station does. Again, I believe that most stations will pretty-much-automatically play the recognizable 60 artists - and this will result in their occupying the 40 positions by default - for the most part.
So, making the easy change to 40 positions - without the more-needed change of proper scrutiny and assessment of ALL singles (as John's station does) will most probably result in less access to newer groups on the charts - in my opinion.
I would never opppose 40 positions - if the playing field could be leveled so that ALL of the singles reach air play on the merits of their quality and relevance. But, I really believe that station personnel will quickly agree to limiting the charts to 40 positions - but neglect to properly assess the material in the manner that Nick is advocating (and as John's station does).
And, I believe that one change without the other would make an admittedly bad situation even worse.
But, if both changes could really be implemented - bring it on. However - let's first get the stations to evaluate and select the music properly - and then let's limit the chart to 40.
Cliff Cerce
The Cerces, PO Box 8525, Springfield, MO 65801
417-863-8440
http://www.thecerces.com
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Cliff, to clarify, our station does NOT have a policy for our gospel music show...it is a heritage news/talk powerhouse that allows the producers of its' specialty programs(which our show is)to determine their content.
The discussion about the charts is us being led away from the truth. If we fulfill Nick's last dream, the rest of it will take care of itself.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit
- Galatians 5:25.
I agree; however it is too easy to just talk, and much harder to put those words in motion. I hope we can put this ideology into action.
Nick you know i agree with you i've been saying the same thing for 20 years keep up the good work carl ford
Wow, everytime I read one of Nick's editorials I praise God Grapevine decided to pick up my group! He's brilliant.
As a trained classical musician, I do have concerns about many singers who know very little about music. That's why it's not drawing people in. Many that I've talked to say it's just average, as someone mentioned above. There's nothing special about it. Now, we all know it's special, otherwise we wouldn't all be here right now!
And, being a member of a group that has been in the business, had a song chart, and is tired of the politics that accompanies much of the mainstream SG, it's refreshing to work with a man like Nick who's been there, done that, and wants new groups with potential to have a chance regardless of who they know or how much money they have to make it happen.
Thanks, Nick!
Heather E. Craig
Soprano, Pure Heart Music Ministries
Very well put, Mr. Bruno. I agree whole heartedly. As my former pastor used to say, "Keep on keepin' on". Raise the bar!!
I think there are allot of things that could change and will never change but all of that aside (unfortunately business means profit- not saying it shouldn't... it just does!) I have to comment that being a solo artist as a "start-up" has to be the toughest part of the business (from both a business and ministry side) to start and deal with. Although one person may have a strong testimony and stage show, they cannot be a Quartet or Trio and music directors/worship ministers want all the presence they can get for their investment. Although the call on their(our)heart is to sing it is hard to get the local bookings and I fully believe there is plenty of room out there for all of us... plenty of dates and venues and definitely plenty of people wanting to hear us all!
Nick I couldn't agree with you any more.You make some very good points.
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