I have waited a couple of weeks since my last post to write this one.
Seems a few people didn't like the most recent post, and someone has made it clear that they didn't like 2 sentences in the one before that.
First off, let me say that if anyone was hurt by what I wrote, I am sorry. It is not my intention in writing any of these to hurt anyone. But I am compelled to write what I hear and see that either uplifts or brings down the music we all love.
Some who read this know that my husband is a member of Ransomed. My blogs, however, do not reflect Ransomed's views. They reflect mine and a few others. My normal process before I write a blog is to discuss the things I notice with other people outside my little bubble. Why do I discuss a possible blog subject with others before I write it? Because it gives me the opportunity to see if I am biased or if I am making a mountain out of a mole hill. While I did not start this blog with the idea of it being seen by a wide variety of people, I knew that some would see it. I take that possibility seriously so I prefer to solicit other opinions than mine to be sure I am not off track somewhere. In doing this I have the opportunity to get other viewpoints (similar and dissimilar) and have been given some "insider" information.
When "confronted" by the individual who was so upset about something I wrote, I could have lied and denied that the reference was to anyone they knew. I did not do that because I firmly believe if I have written it, I should back it up. Just to clarify, what I wrote then was not just my opinion it was noticed by several others outside the Ransomed bubble. In fact, it was pointed out to me by someone outside of us, by several people in fact. Had I noticed it? Yes, and while not overly fond of what was done, didn't think much of it because Ransomed has backed and helped other groups who have used the same technique in the past.
Before anyone gives me the "those who can, do; and those who can't, write about it" thing. Let me give a little about what I do.
I do not sing, that is true. That is something that would not be pleasing to the audience or to the Lord, in my opinion.
I do, however, run sound for Ransomed at our events. I know and understand the nuances of the music we do, make adjustments on the fly during the events, and it is my job to also watch the audience in order to know whether what we are doing is pleasing or offensive. I am a part of the ministry team of Ransomed, so I do know something about the inside-even if I am not on the stage. We have been doing this for almost 10 years, and while others have been doing it longer, I am not a novice. And, in spite of 2 heart attacks in the last 12 years, I still tote equipment, put in the long hours on the weekends when we travel and maintain a household that at one time had 6 children in it.
In addition to all that, I handle the schedule book, handle the hotel reservations, drive to and from events, create forms and such when needed, and I design and maintain the Ransomed website. I am also blessed in that the guys listen to me when I have an opinion on their music or the SG industry because I take the time to not only talk, but to listen. I spend time reading other blogs and message boards, participating in the local and not so local associations, etc etc. So I am informed and active in this.
My biggest gripe are the groups that form because they want to go national. Does Ransomed want that too, maybe in time-if the Lord wills it. But we didn't form to pursue it, and while it will cost some money to get to that point we are going to be watchful, careful and go about it wisely. The Lord expects that of us in our ministry. We are not going to sink every dime we get from the loyal listeners we have into buying our way in. That is foolish and is just dragging down the industry. We have run into many of these types in the past and some have gotten national recognition but at what cost? When they stand in front of Jesus, will He say "Well done" or will He say that they missed the boat and an opportunity to minister to someone in a small church somewhere and because they chose their own path and not His, that person is condemned to hell. That is an extreme scenario because it really isn't the group or soloists job to get people to heaven, I know, but it illustrates the point about obedience to the Lord. I have a hard time believing that the Lord calls someone to spend a small fortune to achieve earthly success. That isn't to say He wouldn't call them, but when they form and start pursuing national status, then they leave out an important part of what is needed to be truly effective-training.
Without working the smaller churches and growing into the larger venues and such, a group formed for the specific purpose of going national doesn't learn how to minister. I do not care what you have done in ministry prior to that, it is still a whole new ball game. My brother-in-law was a youth minister and music minister for more than 15 years before he started Ransomed and he will be the first to tell you that ministering the way we do now is nothing like what he did leading the music in a church. We have made a lot of mistakes over the 10 years and learned from them. The biggest lesson, not everyone is going to like what you do so don't take offense at everything you hear or read. I was told by a very dear friend recently that in this business (and it is a business as much as a ministry) you can't wear your feelings on your shoulder. You have to be thicker skinned, and there is a post on one of the message boards about the pervasive attitude of those in the SG industry who don't like anything negative, or any type of criticism. My initial response to this is too bad. There is going to be criticism. It is fostered out of jealousy sometimes, a bad spirit other times, and sometimes it is just personal opinion. The things that are said should be listened to and taken into account, but you must be able to separate personal taste from constructive criticism that will enhance your ministry. Don't ever discount what someone says about their perception of what you do, but take some things with a grain of salt.
The other thing we have learned is to be bold. You can do one of two things in this business. You can either be timid, agree with everything that is said, and follow the leader. Or you can learn, watch, listen, and then speak out about things that are important. If you see something that is dragging down the music you perform and love, and you feel God has given you this ministry as a responsibility, then you cannot keep silent. Satan wants you to keep silent, then the message gets lost in the muddle, because no one will speak up to make things better.
Satan also loves to put stars in the eyes of talented people. We have heard thousands of times over the last 4 years alone "When are you going national", and all the variations thereof complimenting us on our sound, our songs, our attitude or annointing. We have been told by some evangelical preachers that our music would cure cancer (so far the only verified thing we have cured is road rage in one person). We have tried to take all these things with a grain of salt. Are we happy to hear them? Sure. Are we pleased that we have impacted people in that way? Most definitely. But the goals and ambitions of going national are not what define Ransomed. If we let that define us, then we have taken our eyes off of the reason we are doing this-Jesus. He is the only One who should be looked to for guidance and compliments and most importantly direction. If your eyes are on the road ahead and where it may lead and not Him, you are definitely heading in the wrong direction.
So remember whenever you see me write something on this blog it is after it has been pointed out to me by someone else, or I noticed it and talked about it with several others. While I am the one to write it, it won't be just my opinion. If it is my personal, not to be shared opinion, I will still do it the old-fashioned way, write it in my diary.
One last thing, if you are going to gripe to me or others about something I wrote or said, be responsible enough to tell the truth. Like I said, I am not a novice and I am not stupid. Treating me like I am will not get me to listen to what you say in defense, and lying to me loses any respect I have for you as a Christian or a fellow performer. I won't deny anything I have written in my posts because I have vetted the subjects through others, and when I am wrong I will write a clarification and an apology. I want to get it right, but dont' treat me like an idiot who will accept any old explanation. I will know, and more importantly, God will know. I write with the confidence of knowing that God knows my heart and my love for this music and industry and my firm belief that it should succeed.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
Thoughts on AGM
This past weekend, what was supposed to be the next big event in Southern Gospel happened. The American Gospel Music Festival was supposed to drive home the point about quality being the key to the industry. It fell flat. Period.
It didn't fall flat because the groups weren't good, for the most part they were. It fell flat because of lack of fan support.
Why there was so little fan support is truly anyone's guess. There can, however, be some educated guesses on the reasons.
1. Price
The price of the event was disproportional to the income of the average fan. Whether we like it or not, the majority of Southern Gospel fans are on a limited income. Whether it is because they are in their retirement years or because they are close to it; or even because they are raising a family, the ticket cost was outside of the majority's budget.
Whether we like it or not, our fanbase falls mostly into this category and we need to accept that.
Some events like NQC and Homecoming concerts can command this kind of price, but they are very well established and built up to that over time. You have to give people the opportunity to "test the waters" before they will put a whole lot of their limited funds into something.
2. Location
The Dallas Convention Center is not a good location for something that actually caters to out-of-towners, especially the older people for whom driving is a requirement, not a pleasure. There are few hotels within a reasonable and safe walking distance to the Convention Center. The ones that are have a hefty price tag, plus there are crime concerns for those who do choose to walk. I may be wrong, but I don't think there were any hotel packages accompanying the ticket opportunities. At NQC, there are hotel deals as well as ticket only deals.
The Convention Center also suffers from a lack of eating establishments within walking distance. There is a McDonald's and Eddie Deen's Ranch close by, but that is pretty much it. Eddie Deen's Ranch is usually booked for parties, in addition to their catering services. (I know this because my husband is connected through a third party company). So that leaves McDonald's, which I know from almost 10 years on the road, can get mighty old, mighty fast, if your diet even allows you to eat it.
3. Parking
This one could be essential, and ties to number two. Parking cost $8.00. If you paid to park when you went in, then you decided to leave to get something to eat in-between events (or had to drive to your hotel) then you had to pay to get back in. Another $8.00. So, with a Thursday night event, Friday showcases, Friday night event, Saturday and Sunday matinees, and Saturday night, if you had to leave between each one for whatever reason-that is another $48.00 (cash only) to park. We volunteered to help out twice this past weekend and were thrilled to do so, but had to pay parking both times. So we paid for the privilege. We did get to see the events in return so we didn't come away empty-handed by far.
4. Advertising
There was very little advertising in the Dallas area (ex: billboards, newspaper ads, television spots) for the event. Hardly anyone in the Dallas area knew this was going on. Except for the message boards that I frequent, there was very little put out about this event.
Dallas is a different type of place when it comes to Southern Gospel music. The number one Christian station in the area is KLTY. It does not, and will not play Southern Gospel no matter how progressive it sounds. They have a very strong signal and KLTY stickers can be seen all over Dallas. KCBI did it's part and has been for several months now but the Dallas market is dominated by CCM and that's how it is. You can get Southern Gospel into a church that is dominated by CCM if you don't tell them it is Southern Gospel and get the people in charge to listen to your demo first. (If it is a good one, but that is another subject for another day). That helps about 75% of the time. The other 25%, it doesn't matter, so we don't bother even trying at this point.
Another point on this is that what church advertising was done was done at bigger churches. In the Dallas area the biggest supporters for Southern Gospel music are the small churches, the gospel oprys, and the local associations. No attempt was made to bring in any of the biggest supporters of the music into the process. The local associations (GMAA and SGMA) could have been a major help in advertising with little (if any) cost. At least if the ticket prices had been reasonable. The small churches are more apt to put a group of people together and get the word out to their members if offered the chance. The gospel oprys are also major venues in the Dallas area for the music and by reaching out to them would have gotten the word out to many people as well.
5. Certification
While everyone who has ever read one of my message board postings will agree that I am big on the abilities and quality of anyone who sings Southern Gospel, I do not advocate nor adhere to this certification thing. The fact is that while we have to keep in mind a business aspect we are supposed to be ministering to the lost and the church. Sometimes our role is encouragement, sometimes it is to get the Gospel message to those who haven't heard it stated the way your particular ministry puts it, through word or song. But whether we like it or not, the choice of who succeeds with an individual or a church isn't up to us, it is up to God. Many of us can't understand why an off-key rendition of "Because He Lives" or any other standard touches people, but it does. It doesn't do me or many of those I know any good, but it happens. So this idea of certifying a group for ministry-worthiness (for lack of a better term) is a turn off for many people.
In the almost 10 years I have been privileged to be involved in the music area here in Dallas, I don't know of any pastor or music minister who has asked our group if we are certified to be in the ministry. They have asked for references, or asked other minister and MoM friends about us. They have asked for a demo, they have wanted to know about our personal lives, but they have never asked if we were certified.
Certification isn't bad if it is viewed as it should be. Just like awards, it can open doors of opportunities to places and people who put stock in that sort of thing. But it can't be the definition of what we do as a group or a ministry. It must be a footnote, not the end all and be all.
It is my understanding that there have been attempts to get some SG stations to play only the groups that are certified by this particular group. That is totally and completely unacceptable. It is unacceptable because that limits the fans opportunities to hear what they want to hear, that limits up and coming groups opportunities to gain access to the higher levels of the industry through hard work and proving themselves, and it requires a large output of funds that many groups do not necessarily have or they will have to raise their prices to get. Those same funds can go to hiring a better recording studio, a better producer, or pay for better graphics if they want to grow and improve their ministries. God's stamp of approval is the only certification any group should be having to worry about getting and that comes from within the members themselves.
So there are my reasons why the ticket sales weren't what they could have been.
But wait, there's more. The event itself needs to be addressed. I heard from a couple at my church about their feelings, and I have my own observations from the two times we were there.
On Thursday night, the choir and orchestra sat there like bumps on a log unless they were singing. Even then, they were technically good, but not that enthusiastic. I heard the Prestonwood choir was about the same. I did hear good reviews of the Stephenville choir that was there. People liked their energy and song selection and their participation when the groups were singing.
Thursday nights are not a great concert night. It is the end of the week, but there is still one more day of work for most people. We had to leave at intermission (thankfully after the Booth Brothers) because of my husband's work schedule. That meant we missed Legacy Five and Shiloh. Didn't want to, but didn't have a choice.
Daystar was supposed to cover an hour and a half of the event on Thursday, they only covered an hour. The time they had it on the viewers got two songs from Ivan Parker at the top, three songs at the back from the Booth Brothers (who were cut off in the middle of speaking) and the rest was the Florida Boys. Now, not to diminish the Florida Boys or anything but if you are wanting to bring a new audience to SG, be sure that you have your younger and more progressive talent showcased. The Perry's or Brian Free would have been better choices in that slot.
Thursday night (and from what I gathered from the couple at our church) Saturday night were really bad sound nights. First problem from my perspective (I have the "privilege" of running sound during our group events) was the location of the main sound booth. Stage left at the front. Wrong answer. But the main sound at the middle or back of the venue. The singers can tell you what they need through signals and sound checks, the sound man needs to be able to have a true picture of what the crowd is hearing.
I have seen the Booth Brothers many times and they are awesome. The minute they took the stage and sang their first notes I could tell something wasn't right in what they were hearing. They never said anything and are troopers in this business, but knowing their sound and what it is they do, it wasn't hard for me to spot. Sometimes there are one or more members of a group having a down day, but that wasn't the case this time. The sound they were getting and the mix in the auditorium were horrible. It doesn't hurt to also know that Ivan Parker's set had it's glitches as well when they forgot to turn up the music in his monitor and in the main speakers. He had to start over because of it, and no singer likes to do that. It kills the mood you've set and the train of thought.
I was told that on Saturday night the same problems occurred. That is so unfortunate because while not all sound issues can be avoided, a knowledgeable and well-trained person can avoid most of those things, especially if the planning is done beforehand.
There is probably more that I haven't thought of but if I am not thinking about it now, it isn't pertinent. All these things can be thought out and addressed if much thought and care is given to the event itself. Having met Clarke Beasley I can't imagine that he didn't do all that he could to make it a success. If he didn't, then it was either lack of research or arrogance that created these things. Like I said, I met him, and I don't think it was arrogance.
One thing that I am on board with is what he is trying to do to change the name associated with our music. He wants the label American Gospel so that we move away from the regional identification that Southern Gospel has given it. It is a good idea from a marketing standpoint as well as a reality standpoint. Since we all live by labels (like it or not) then we have to realize that the label is what people see. The Southern Gospel label leaves the impression that the music is southern in nature, not fit for everyone. It truly doesn't identify the music of today. Country is a label that encompasses many styles. American Gospel would do the same.
It didn't fall flat because the groups weren't good, for the most part they were. It fell flat because of lack of fan support.
Why there was so little fan support is truly anyone's guess. There can, however, be some educated guesses on the reasons.
1. Price
The price of the event was disproportional to the income of the average fan. Whether we like it or not, the majority of Southern Gospel fans are on a limited income. Whether it is because they are in their retirement years or because they are close to it; or even because they are raising a family, the ticket cost was outside of the majority's budget.
Whether we like it or not, our fanbase falls mostly into this category and we need to accept that.
Some events like NQC and Homecoming concerts can command this kind of price, but they are very well established and built up to that over time. You have to give people the opportunity to "test the waters" before they will put a whole lot of their limited funds into something.
2. Location
The Dallas Convention Center is not a good location for something that actually caters to out-of-towners, especially the older people for whom driving is a requirement, not a pleasure. There are few hotels within a reasonable and safe walking distance to the Convention Center. The ones that are have a hefty price tag, plus there are crime concerns for those who do choose to walk. I may be wrong, but I don't think there were any hotel packages accompanying the ticket opportunities. At NQC, there are hotel deals as well as ticket only deals.
The Convention Center also suffers from a lack of eating establishments within walking distance. There is a McDonald's and Eddie Deen's Ranch close by, but that is pretty much it. Eddie Deen's Ranch is usually booked for parties, in addition to their catering services. (I know this because my husband is connected through a third party company). So that leaves McDonald's, which I know from almost 10 years on the road, can get mighty old, mighty fast, if your diet even allows you to eat it.
3. Parking
This one could be essential, and ties to number two. Parking cost $8.00. If you paid to park when you went in, then you decided to leave to get something to eat in-between events (or had to drive to your hotel) then you had to pay to get back in. Another $8.00. So, with a Thursday night event, Friday showcases, Friday night event, Saturday and Sunday matinees, and Saturday night, if you had to leave between each one for whatever reason-that is another $48.00 (cash only) to park. We volunteered to help out twice this past weekend and were thrilled to do so, but had to pay parking both times. So we paid for the privilege. We did get to see the events in return so we didn't come away empty-handed by far.
4. Advertising
There was very little advertising in the Dallas area (ex: billboards, newspaper ads, television spots) for the event. Hardly anyone in the Dallas area knew this was going on. Except for the message boards that I frequent, there was very little put out about this event.
Dallas is a different type of place when it comes to Southern Gospel music. The number one Christian station in the area is KLTY. It does not, and will not play Southern Gospel no matter how progressive it sounds. They have a very strong signal and KLTY stickers can be seen all over Dallas. KCBI did it's part and has been for several months now but the Dallas market is dominated by CCM and that's how it is. You can get Southern Gospel into a church that is dominated by CCM if you don't tell them it is Southern Gospel and get the people in charge to listen to your demo first. (If it is a good one, but that is another subject for another day). That helps about 75% of the time. The other 25%, it doesn't matter, so we don't bother even trying at this point.
Another point on this is that what church advertising was done was done at bigger churches. In the Dallas area the biggest supporters for Southern Gospel music are the small churches, the gospel oprys, and the local associations. No attempt was made to bring in any of the biggest supporters of the music into the process. The local associations (GMAA and SGMA) could have been a major help in advertising with little (if any) cost. At least if the ticket prices had been reasonable. The small churches are more apt to put a group of people together and get the word out to their members if offered the chance. The gospel oprys are also major venues in the Dallas area for the music and by reaching out to them would have gotten the word out to many people as well.
5. Certification
While everyone who has ever read one of my message board postings will agree that I am big on the abilities and quality of anyone who sings Southern Gospel, I do not advocate nor adhere to this certification thing. The fact is that while we have to keep in mind a business aspect we are supposed to be ministering to the lost and the church. Sometimes our role is encouragement, sometimes it is to get the Gospel message to those who haven't heard it stated the way your particular ministry puts it, through word or song. But whether we like it or not, the choice of who succeeds with an individual or a church isn't up to us, it is up to God. Many of us can't understand why an off-key rendition of "Because He Lives" or any other standard touches people, but it does. It doesn't do me or many of those I know any good, but it happens. So this idea of certifying a group for ministry-worthiness (for lack of a better term) is a turn off for many people.
In the almost 10 years I have been privileged to be involved in the music area here in Dallas, I don't know of any pastor or music minister who has asked our group if we are certified to be in the ministry. They have asked for references, or asked other minister and MoM friends about us. They have asked for a demo, they have wanted to know about our personal lives, but they have never asked if we were certified.
Certification isn't bad if it is viewed as it should be. Just like awards, it can open doors of opportunities to places and people who put stock in that sort of thing. But it can't be the definition of what we do as a group or a ministry. It must be a footnote, not the end all and be all.
It is my understanding that there have been attempts to get some SG stations to play only the groups that are certified by this particular group. That is totally and completely unacceptable. It is unacceptable because that limits the fans opportunities to hear what they want to hear, that limits up and coming groups opportunities to gain access to the higher levels of the industry through hard work and proving themselves, and it requires a large output of funds that many groups do not necessarily have or they will have to raise their prices to get. Those same funds can go to hiring a better recording studio, a better producer, or pay for better graphics if they want to grow and improve their ministries. God's stamp of approval is the only certification any group should be having to worry about getting and that comes from within the members themselves.
So there are my reasons why the ticket sales weren't what they could have been.
But wait, there's more. The event itself needs to be addressed. I heard from a couple at my church about their feelings, and I have my own observations from the two times we were there.
On Thursday night, the choir and orchestra sat there like bumps on a log unless they were singing. Even then, they were technically good, but not that enthusiastic. I heard the Prestonwood choir was about the same. I did hear good reviews of the Stephenville choir that was there. People liked their energy and song selection and their participation when the groups were singing.
Thursday nights are not a great concert night. It is the end of the week, but there is still one more day of work for most people. We had to leave at intermission (thankfully after the Booth Brothers) because of my husband's work schedule. That meant we missed Legacy Five and Shiloh. Didn't want to, but didn't have a choice.
Daystar was supposed to cover an hour and a half of the event on Thursday, they only covered an hour. The time they had it on the viewers got two songs from Ivan Parker at the top, three songs at the back from the Booth Brothers (who were cut off in the middle of speaking) and the rest was the Florida Boys. Now, not to diminish the Florida Boys or anything but if you are wanting to bring a new audience to SG, be sure that you have your younger and more progressive talent showcased. The Perry's or Brian Free would have been better choices in that slot.
Thursday night (and from what I gathered from the couple at our church) Saturday night were really bad sound nights. First problem from my perspective (I have the "privilege" of running sound during our group events) was the location of the main sound booth. Stage left at the front. Wrong answer. But the main sound at the middle or back of the venue. The singers can tell you what they need through signals and sound checks, the sound man needs to be able to have a true picture of what the crowd is hearing.
I have seen the Booth Brothers many times and they are awesome. The minute they took the stage and sang their first notes I could tell something wasn't right in what they were hearing. They never said anything and are troopers in this business, but knowing their sound and what it is they do, it wasn't hard for me to spot. Sometimes there are one or more members of a group having a down day, but that wasn't the case this time. The sound they were getting and the mix in the auditorium were horrible. It doesn't hurt to also know that Ivan Parker's set had it's glitches as well when they forgot to turn up the music in his monitor and in the main speakers. He had to start over because of it, and no singer likes to do that. It kills the mood you've set and the train of thought.
I was told that on Saturday night the same problems occurred. That is so unfortunate because while not all sound issues can be avoided, a knowledgeable and well-trained person can avoid most of those things, especially if the planning is done beforehand.
There is probably more that I haven't thought of but if I am not thinking about it now, it isn't pertinent. All these things can be thought out and addressed if much thought and care is given to the event itself. Having met Clarke Beasley I can't imagine that he didn't do all that he could to make it a success. If he didn't, then it was either lack of research or arrogance that created these things. Like I said, I met him, and I don't think it was arrogance.
One thing that I am on board with is what he is trying to do to change the name associated with our music. He wants the label American Gospel so that we move away from the regional identification that Southern Gospel has given it. It is a good idea from a marketing standpoint as well as a reality standpoint. Since we all live by labels (like it or not) then we have to realize that the label is what people see. The Southern Gospel label leaves the impression that the music is southern in nature, not fit for everyone. It truly doesn't identify the music of today. Country is a label that encompasses many styles. American Gospel would do the same.
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