I've been reading the comments many of you have posted on my articles, and the many emails I've received, and I appreciate them all, pro and con. I like the pro ones more, but certainly appreciate hearing the cons as well.
I'd like to comment on them before I get to the heart of this month's article.
About 5 years ago I began working with newer artists in career development along with recording. The methods I taught proved so successful that I made a commitment to begin teaching as well as producing. This eventually led to the writing of my book "The Gospel Music Truth". I affectionately labeled these groups "wannabees". This is not intended to be a derogatory term, it simply describes groups that "wannabee" something. I'm trying to teach them what I've observed about the REAL way the groups they are looking up to have made it up the ladder successfully. I love these groups and I sincerely believe that the future of Southern Gospel Music will be determined by how we nurture this fertile crop of singers and musicians. Every artist in SGM today, every single one, was a "wannabee" at one time. So I will say it again and hopefully even more clearly than I've said it in the last two columns: I'm not against "wannabees". As a matter of fact, I'm not against anyone. I'm FOR telling the truth as I see it, and if my truth exposes someone else's lies, so be it. So deeply do I believe in the sincerity of most groups who "wannabee" professional singers, that I'm after those that are exploiting them. There is a better way to succeed in SGM and I have proven it.
On another matter, I believe with all my heart that SGM is a ministry. I was raised as a Preacher's Kid so I know what ministry is all about. I expressed my views toward those that feel they only want to minister in my first article. However, SGM is also a business, and these articles are strictly about the business side of SGM. Let me repeat myself: these articles are strictly about the business side of Southern Gospel Music.
George M. Cohan, the famous actor and performer who became famous for appearing in patriotic shows once stated, " Many a rotten show has been saved by the Flag", and I fear that many in SGM are guilty of raising the flag of Ministry to excuse bad singing, ill-prepared groups, and unscrupulous radio promoters.
For the local groups that still can't draw a crowd, or sing well enough to get a record deal with distribution, and are singing in a small geographical area, there is absolutely no reason, not one , to do a national radio promotion. This is not to say that I'm opposed to radio promotion or all radio promoters, not at all, but, if you are a radio promoter or a record company that is promoting groups that fall into this category, you should hang your head in shame!
As to the question I've heard ad nauseam, "How will the little groups get exposure if we don't do radio promotion"? I think the problem with that question is that it isn't the first one we should be asking. First we should be asking "Is this little group ready for exposure"? Can they sing well enough so that the radio listeners will want to hear them sing again? Will exposing these groups to national prominence help or hinder the cause of the Gospel, and in turn Southern Gospel Music? If we were able to see the flood of people turning the dial off some SG radio stations because of the poor quality of some of the music being broadcast, we might make some changes. If we ask ourselves the hard questions first, then the answer to the question " How will the little groups get exposure if we don't do radio promotion"?, will be easy and obvious: They don't need exposure, they need to learn how to sing!
So many people jump on the "we don't want to be like the world" bandwagon if you even slightly suggest that the secular record companies might know how to succeed in the music business. But who are we kidding if we say we are not patterning ourselves after them in some fashion? We make CD's, we promote them and the artists who perform, we play them on the radio, we have trade magazines, fan magazines, conventions and fan clubs. The difference between us and them is the REASON we sing and the MESSAGE we deliver, but our methods for business are exactly the same, whether we want to admit it or not. It is a plain and simple fact that most national companies spend millions of dollars on test marketing before they release a product to be certain it is a marketable commodity. In SGM a group can organize on Monday, contact one of these promoters on Tuesday, record a single on Wednesday, put it on a compilation on Thursday, and mail it to radio on Friday. To quote Yakov Smirnoff, "What a Country"!
David Murray, in one of his comments, reminded me of the Crabb Family and the Whisnants, two groups that have done it the right way. First you fine-tune and develop your craft, then you market it.
Now to the heart of the matter.
It occurred to me that every year at the NQC there are wannabees everywhere, but they don't appear on stage for the main evening programs. This privilege is reserved for our professional groups and those up and comers that are proving they have the goods. Don't get me wrong; I'm not suggesting that the NQC is a model of perfection. There is always hope that a bolt of lightning, or a burning bush will appear at one of the NQC board meetings that will inspire some to move out of the 1960's, which would make things even better. In my view the industry spends too much time and energy conducting silly surveys about groups wearing the same colored suits, or beards, or ties, when the focus should be on the music. Get the music right and the consumer market will take care of the rest. And they might consider changing the name of the event from "The National Quartet Convention" to something like "The National Southern Gospel Music Convention" because this is no longer a business of only Quartets. And it should be the "Mother of all Showcases", highlighting the new groups that are getting the job done musically. Having said that, with all it's faults, the NQC is still the best criterion we currently have for establishing a starting point (please note that I said " starting point ") from which we can begin to set an industry standard for radio airplay, because the NQC is at least wise enough to know that if they flood the stage with poor singing groups, they will also flood the parking lots with people leaving.
At the NQC, I don't see the wannabees leaving with their feelings hurt because they didn't get to sing on stage. For some reason they seem to understand that they're not ready to appear on stage at the NQC. Why can't our radio stations figure this out? Most of us can listen to a group sing four bars of a song and tell whether or not they can sing. Folks, it's not rocket science. I truly find it unbelievable that our Southern Gospel programmers and disc jockeys don't understand that listeners don't want to hear bad music on the radio any more than they want to hear it at the NQC . How are they helping SGM by playing bad SGM?
I believe at least two things must happen in order to begin changing Southern Gospel radio.
I can get in my car and drive from Nashville to L.A. and listen to 30 different country music radio stations and I'll hear the same new song from Alan Jackson, or any other CM star. This indicates unity, or at the very least, communication between the record companies and the radio industry. We could learn from this.
We live in a free land and operate in the free enterprise system so I would not presume to tell anyone how to run their business, nor am I in favor of setting up a committee, or any group to rule over radio and dictate what they should play.
However, I can tell you how I would operate a SG radio station if I owned one.
I would set the following guidelines for my program director and disc jockeys.
a. has more than 5 artists
b. is comprised of local groups only
c. is from any company that is not a legitimate recording company with marketing and distribution for it's artists. (i.e. companies that only produce compilations.)
I'm quite certain, from the high quality of comments that have been posted to my articles, that some of you can probably add to the list. However, this is a good start. If somehow we could get our radio stations to subscribe to this, it would change Southern Gospel Music.
Imagine the benefits of this plan to our radio industry:
Program Directors and Disc Jockeys would be relieved of the burden of accepting inferior compilations.
Listeners would be able to purchase product and attend concerts of all the artists they hear on the radio.
More airtime would be available for our professional artists.
Advertisers would be easier to attract and would evolve to a higher level of advertiser… quality attracts quality.
Listeners would be treated to the most beautiful music on earth and would tune in to the station on a daily basis.
And the "wannabees" would be relegated to two categories:
Those that are more determined than ever to succeed (If you're in this category please contact me),
And those that will moan and groan about unfairness but remain unwilling to take the necessary steps for growth.
HOW DO WE START?
CALLING ON PROGRAM DIRECTORS AND DJ'S
In my view, the burden for implementing this bold approach to cleaning up Southern Gospel Radio rests squarely on the shoulders of our Program Directors and Disc Jockeys. For years you have wrestled with this problem. I know because I have spoken with you and have heard your frustration because of the absence of a solution. Now you have a simple and workable plan. What will you do with it?
I have drawn a line in the sand for you. There are many of us on this side of the line who stand for quality and are tired of these inferior compilations and the companies that produce them.
And when you hear objections to my suggestions, it probably will be coming from those who are profiting from things remaining the way they are. I expect the people making the money from exploiting the "wannabees" will meet my suggestions with great resistance, and I also suspect that the groups who have fallen prey to their propaganda will want to deny the obvious truth, but I urge programmers and disc jockeys to be strong and do it. You can start now. You need no one's permission.
I close with a quote from Einstein who said, "Insanity is doing the same thing tomorrow that you did today and expecting different results".
If you feel as strongly about this as I do, please email this to your friends and encourage them to do the same.
I welcome your comments. You can reach me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) . Next month we'll cover Recording.
God Bless you
Nick Bruno
Author: Nick Bruno
| Author's Website: http://www.nickbruno.com/
Written: 05/31/2004
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Category: Monthly ArticlesThe Gospel Truth
Comments: 10
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This is a fantastic article Nick. I manage a Low Power FM station and would be more than willing to accept your proposal. However, I don't feel the stations are at total fault for playing "bad" music. My biggest problem has been in acquiring music in order to play it. We've only been on the air for a year and when we first started I spent weeks contacting companies and artists to obtain music. Many sent a CARE package and that was the last I've heard from them. Only one or two companies have considered us worthy enough to continue to keep us on their mailing lists. Some are sending good compilations, others aren't. From my point of view, we are doing the best we can....WITH WHAT WE HAVE!!! Southern Gospel has to get with it. This is 2004 and times are changing. I realize many want to keep the old quartet sound alive forever but where are the artists willing to step forward with something newer? 90 percent of the songs I audition start out with the same old "country guitar lick" it seems. That's all I hear and move on. Unfair? Maybe but I for one would like to hear some good solo artists male and female instead of another group singing the same old songs. The "Midnight Cry" belongs to Ivan Parker, and if GOLD CITY put a song in Number One on the charts for 3 months...why try to release it to radio when you're just trying to copy them. Be more creative!
Nick,
Once again you have called it just like it is. I have my Radio Picks so that DJs can get a heads up on some of the newer good music.
Deon Unthank
SoGospelNews.com
My Blog
Some people are like Slinkys… Not really good for anything, but they
still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs - Author Unknown
Nick...
I read this then reread it the next day. I came to the same conclusion. If this advice is followed, we will be making the same mistake that was made in Country Radio and in Country Music. The indies will be eliminated and the artists will be forced inyto the mold dictated by the big labels. Otherwise, they will not get exposure.
I think Nick has brought up some great points in that many groups are both not "ready for prime time" and many groups are being "taken" by some folks that produce these compilation disks.
I agree with Nick's article. Using NQC was a great example. We are a local group and we know for sure we're not good enough for main radio play and the NQC stage.
I don't necessarily agree with Nick that hearing Alan Jackson's same song across the country the same week is a good thing. I hate monopolies that more or less tell me what I'm supposed to like.
I wish radio stations would be discriminating AND unique at the same time. Unfortunately, radio tends to be either non-discriminating in what they play, or they sound like a cookie cutter of all the other good stations.
I think Nick's point would be a good improvement over current SG radio, though. Most Southern Gospel radio is from the mindset of "we'll play anything." In that sense, it would be good for SG to move in the direction Nick is recommending . . . if all SG stations suddenly subscribed to the Solid Gospel feed, it would be a noticeable improvement over much of the junk we endure now. I'm a huge SG fan who virtually NEVER tunes in on the radio to hear my favorite style of music.
Getting Solid Gospel on every SG station still wouldn't be the most ideal thing, though, because it wouldn't be unique.
We have a station in NC called WNCW that plays good music, has interesting DJs, and doesn't sound like the Top 40 station. In fact, they aren't limited to ANY style . . . I've heard gospel, rock, jazz, bluegrass, etc. on there at any given time . . . the point is that it's the cream of the crop and the DJs know what they're talking about when they set up a set of songs.
I just wish someone would start an all SG station with a format like that . . . commercial station or not, it doesn't matter.
“Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.”—-Mark Twain
Another point I would add to Nick's list of instructions to program directors and DJs . . .
Wear the pants. It's OK to say "No" to a song that doesn't meet professional standards EVEN IF it's a relatively popular artist. You aren't required to play a song, no matter whose name is on it.
“Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.”—-Mark Twain
David Murray wrote: We have a station in NC called WNCW that plays good music, has interesting DJs, and doesn't sound like the Top 40 station. In fact, they aren't limited to ANY style . . . I've heard gospel, rock, jazz, bluegrass, etc. on there at any given time . . . the point is that it's the cream of the crop and the DJs know what they're talking about when they set up a set of songs.
Steve,
I didn't word what I meant to say very well. Thanks for asking me to clarify.
What I'm saying is that I don't like SG stations that play any piece of junk they get in the mail, but at the same time, I wouldn't like a station that just played the Top 40 either. WNCW is not limited by styles, but obviously a Southern Gospel station would be limited to just SG. What WNCW has that most SG stations lack is a combination of good quality AND a unique sound.
I don't see why any station should feel obligated to play a song once an hour just because it's in the Top 5. To me, that makes for a stale sound and is tantamount to inbreeding. It would be an improvement over the current "anything goes and who cares how dumb the DJs sound" approach, but it isn't the best goal in the end.
What I favor is knowledgeable people putting together a mix that is "radio friendly" but with a TON of variety . . . there's dozens of songs that were never pushed as singles that have good production quality and would be interesting for listeners to hear. I'd like a playlist that was largely made up of "non-hits" (which is what WNCW does), but still meets the highest of quality standards.
Another thing WNCW does is play sets . . . they'll have three to five songs played back to back, usually in a consistent style. At the end of each set, the DJ tells the listener the artist and song titles that were in the set, often with a brief salient comment about one or more of the songs. It's just a great format (as long as the DJs know what they're talking about) that could easily be ported over to other genres.
“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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