Motivating Start-Up Christian Bands to be Prophetic

For the last thirty years, I’ve listened mainly to instrumental Classical and Jazz music; for the past twelve years, my worship music has been Gregorian Chant and the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Mass. My exposure to contemporary Praise and Worship music goes back to the first Maranatha! albums of the 1970’s and to my attending Christ for the Nation Institute in the mid-1980’s. Larry Norman was my staple diet through Jr. High and High School–my classmates called me “Rock ‘n Roll Preacher”.  I appreciated the prophetic, in CCM back then (Contemporary Christian Music), challenging culture and politics of the time, as Mainstream Rock did in the 60’s and 70’s. 

I feared that, by the 90’s, CCM was taken over by secular labels, seeking only profit, toning down the prophetic challenge and accommodating popular culture instead, It seemed to be  dumbing down both music and message (as many Catholics believe happened to The Mass, after Vatican II). That’s why I provide this simple post–to help Christian artists begin writing, recording, and distributing their honest, creative music, sneaking below the gatekeepers of Big-Eva (“Big Evangelicalism”) recording labels. 

Piling on about whatever greed, corruption, and heterodoxy might exist in CCM isn’t my point, though. Naysayers abound. I experienced it as an Assoc. Pastor in The Assemblies of God, against Pentecostals. I experience now as a Catholic (thoughtless accusation of idolatry, of denying grace, of placing traditions of men over Scripture…). The hyper-judgement faultfinders  rant against CCM; you’ll find their click-bate on YouTube. Any large movement or institution though, will have tares mixed with wheat (public and private schools, churches, business–CCM is no exception). Constructive, fair, caring criticism is always in order, but only while first removing any log from one’s own eye (do you allow your daughters to wear less-than-modest clothing, or tone down your witness and go-along-to-get-along to secure popularity or profit?). Yes, CCM is business, seeking profit–do you seek financial gain in your own business, career, and investments? I do–no apologies, as long as greed, pride, or power-lust are filtered.

Listening to the 2024 CCM Top-40 playlist, without being pharisaical or being a Gospel-hater, reveals lyrics that focus on accepting Jesus’ love and transforming power, on finding hope and meaning to one’s life. I commend these artists for their message, and for their musicianship! Still, I’d like to see more of what I call the “prophetic” and more of the musical originality I found in Larry Norman’s music. Follow these steps and get to work, musicians of the Church Militant.

Larry Norman playlist on YouTube.  Top-40 of 2024 CCM playlist . “Jesus Revolution” movie. 

Here are several simple steps to get you writing, recording, and distributing your Relevant Christian Song Sketches: 

My YouTube playlist on songwriting 

Learning to use Garageband  

Or use Reaper DAW, instead.  

Popular audio interfaces

Focusrite Scarlett 

Behringer Uphoria  

Using a Midi-controller, to record virtual instruments

AKAI LPK25 

Using instrument plugins

This Bass virtual instrument plugin is excellent and free. 

Distribute your music to all major music streaming platforms through DistroKid.com. 

Here are my first attempts at writing, recording, and distributing my albums: Relevant Christian Song Sketches. I used the tools listed above.  

Spotify   iTunes   Apple Music   and many other platforms   

US Patent Office and BMI for gaining official copyright and royalty collection

My songwriting rubric

Journal ideas for songs, as they come. You don’t want to begin writing a song by staring at a black page. 

Will you begin writing lyrics, melody, and/or chords? 

Form Options to consider

[Chorus, Verse, Bridge]

Verse only (strophic)

Verse/Refrain

C V C V C (binary) 

V C V C Br C C

V V Mid8 V (32 bar)

A B A C

Episodic (Rhapsody)

Transitions to consider

Intro

Outro

Pre-C

Post-C

Break

Solo

Theme

Super-C

Coda

Chord Progressions to consider

I IV V

I IV V IV

I IV I V

I V IV V

I V vi IV

I vi IV V

I V vi IV

I IV vi V

Vi IV I V

i VI III VII

I vi ii V

ii V I

I iii IV V

I V vi iii IV I IV V

i vi ii V

iii VI ii V

III VI II V

I IV I VI ii V I

I VI ii bII

I bVII bVI V

i bVII bVI bVII

I bVII IV I

i bIII bVII IV

i bVII V bVI

I V ii IV  

Now you have the building block for writing creative, relevant songs that sound good. Patiently, prayerfully widdle away on them each day, as one crafts a carving or a painting. Glorify God with the gifts He’s given you and leave the results up to Him. 

Dan Anderson, Birgittaville.com