RockOm

By James Lumsden (of When Love Comes to Town)

In early December, my band will be performing for a short seminar at Berkshire Community College as part of my presentation of "a spirituality of rock music." As I work to streamline and synthesize my spoken comments, one idea that is taking root has to do with eros and agape. One is an ascending spirituality - longing and personal - while the other is a descending encounter with the spirit - sharing and communal.

They have sometimes been called opponents: eros is carnal and unsatisfied while agape is spiritual and nourishing; eros is inferior and human while agape is elevated and sublime; eros encourages selfishness while agape builds authentic, holy community. But there is a growing chorus - from Pope Benedict VI to ethicist James Nelson - who oppose this dualistic segregation. Rather, they suggest, that both forms of love are true and noble and both share something of God's healing grace. I think the Sufi poet, Rumi, understood this, too, and shared it in his poem, "Love Dogs."

One night a man was crying Allah! Allah!
His lips grew sweet with praising,
until a cynic said, “So!
I’ve heard you calling out, but have you ever
gotten any response?”

The man had no answer to that.
He quit praying and fell into a confused sleep.
He dreamed he saw Khidr, the guide of souls,
in a thick, green foliage.

“Why did you stop praising?” “Because
I’ve never heard anything back.”
“This longing you express
is the return message.”

The grief you cry out from
draws you toward union.
Your pure sadness
that wants help
is the secret cup.

Listen to the moan of a dog for its master.
That whining is the connection.
There are love dogs
no one knows the names of.

Give your life
to be one of them.

There is a longing - the ascending experience - and a resting - the downward encounter - and both are of God: there is need as well as sharing, a time for mourning and a time to dance. And when it comes to practicing this in a spirituality of rock music, it is precisely THIS truth - the embrace of holy/human love - that can be nourished.

To be sure, there is always a Dionysian impulse towards loss of self and even destruction in music - especially rock music. It could be Wagner or Metallica. And there is schlock and crass manipulation throughout the music industry: think most of Tin Pan Alley or Bubble Gum songs.

At the same time, however, if it is true that God's quest for our healing is so strong as to be embodied in Christ - that God is authentically present with us in suffering, shame and pain as well as joy and celebrations - in our trials and rejoicing - it is my hunch that this occurs in the rock music that integrates eros and agape.

I hear it when the Psalmist sings of God calling forth a time in Psalm 85...

Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

Or when Christians speak of the unity of word and flesh in their lives: the integration of both the inward and outward journey of faith; putting on the fullness of Christ in spirit and truth; living into the Paschal Mystery of Jesus where we experience in our own lives the life, death and resurrection of the Lord. In all of this we are talking about the harmony of eros and agape.

+ It is playful and real
+ It is humble and holy
+ It nourishes the body and soul while building community

And it offers a prophetic critique of anything that defiles or destroys God's beauty, truth and love in creation. I'm not speaking of ALL rock music - most is rubbish or just a little fluff that is fun - but there is some that move us into that place where compassion and justice embrace and kiss: the marriage of eros and agape.

SONG EXAMPLES

1. Eros - reaching out/inner questions/searching:

• City of Angels – Red Hot Chili Peppers
• One – U2
• While My Guitar Gently Weeps – the Beatles
• Soul Sacrifice – Santana
• Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
• Born to Run/Thunder Road/Badlands - Springsteen
• Get Up, Stand Up - Bob Marley

2. Agape: community/being loved/healing:

• Beautiful Day and Grace – U2
• Don’t Give Up/Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel
• Heaven – Los Lonely Boys
• Bowl of Oranges – Bright Eyes
• Everyday People/Stand – Sly and the Family Stone
• A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
• No Surrender – Bruce Springsteen
• When I Ruled the World - Coldplay

Originally posted on James' excellent blog When Love Comes to Town, HERE.

An interview with John Cooper of Skillet on the band's album Awake
By Trevor Harden, trevor@RockOm.net

"Who's gonna fight for the weak? Who's gonna make 'em believe?
I've got a hero, I've got a hero, livin' in me." (Skillet, "Hero")

Multiple Grammy-nominated Christian rock band Skillet has been pumping out epic hard rock albums since 1996. The group's eighth album, Awake (Atlantic Records), was released on August 25th, 2009 and features twelve new tracks that span from driving, symphonic industrial rock to introspective, worshipful ballads and back again.

Skillet has gone through a few line-up changes over the last 13 years and is currently a four-piece band featuring John Cooper on lead vocals and bass, John's wife Korey on keys/guitar/vocals, Ben Kasica on guitar and Jen Ledger on drums/vocals.

In this exclusive interview, frontman John Cooper shares with RockOm about hope, faith, battling negativity, songs from the new album, reaching out to a mainstream audience and even G.I. Joe.

RockOm: Your new album Awake is amazing and it sounds fantastic too. How was producer Howard Benson's influence different than past producers you've worked with?

John Cooper: It was different, actually. All these producers have their own little ways of doing things and the way Howard was different is that he's very uncontrolling. This was a very big surprise to me, because I had heard from a lot of other people that he seems to want it his way - but that wasn't my experience. He was very cool about letting us do what makes us Skillet which are things like using keyboards, string arrangements and the guy/girl vocal. He didn't really care about all that stuff, all he wanted to do was help me get the right songs. I wrote over 40 songs for the record - everything from rock to pop to techno, all these different styles of music. I have no idea when I've written something good or when I've written something really bad so I was looking for a producer whom I could trust his opinion. That's what I got with Howard. I came in and said, "Here are the songs, I don't care [which you choose], I just want to make a good record." I specifically remember showing him a song that I thought was probably one of the best. I had just met him thirty minutes before I played him the song and he says, "You know what? I gotta be honest. That song sounds like a way to NOT sell records to me." [laughs] I thought it might be the second single or something and he was like, "No, that's definitely not a single." I also think that he liked working with me because I've been doing this a long time and I wasn't looking to argue with him; I just wanted to know what he thought. I'm open for anything, so if he didn't like something, he'd tell me and I'd say, "Ok, let's move on." I think he's used to people holding on to things. Because of all this, I think we were a pretty good partnership.

RO: Several of the songs on the album - such as "Hero” and "Awake and Alive" - speak to the weight of everyday life... of stress, depression, oppression and injustice. How would you say your faith helps you deal with or combat that negativity and hopelessness when it comes at you?

John: Yeah, that's the only thing that gives me hope because you look around the world and things seem to be getting worse. I don't know if things are actually getting worse or if we're just becoming more aware of how bad it is. Maybe press is just [more prevalent] than it used to be. I've got two kids of my own, who we're forced to homeschool because we're on the road, but I'm a little scared to send my kids to school. And not just scared because of school shootings but just in terms of the influence. Do I want the biggest influence in my daughter's life to be Paris Hilton in the next three years? She's six years old and by the time you're nine or ten, that's all you want to do is be like everyone at school. It scares me to death. And I'm not specifically trying to bash Paris Hilton, but I certainly don't mind saying that I don't want her being my daughter's biggest influence.

It's a scary time and the only thing I look at and say that is going to give us hope and get us through is my faith. It's the only thing that makes me say there has to be a better and bigger purpose in this life than just killing and hating each other, racial issues, money and greed. If we're going to make a difference in the human race, then I've got to make a difference as a person. It's kind of like a Michael Jackson "Man in the Mirror" thing. [laughs]

RO: To follow up on that a little, in the song "Monster" you talk about the shadow side of yourself, those negative attitudes and behaviors and how you keep it caged up or at bay so that it doesn't devour you. In what practical ways do you practice that? What do you see is the best way to not allow the "monster" to take over?

John: As clinical as this may sound, it's just being aware of it. It's kind of like the G.I. Joe's slogan "Knowing is half the battle." (Which, I don't know if you've seen it, but you don't need to waste your time with the movie. It was painful. It was way worse than I thought it would be, dude!) But it is true, just being aware that you've got to keep this thing at bay is how you deal with it. I have this friend that just says the most outlandish, rude things. I've never heard anyone say things like this - and he has no idea he's such a buttwipe, right? I'm like, "Dude, you have to control yourself." If he just knew how idiotic it was, clearly he wouldn't say those things. So for me, I just have to be aware of when my buttons get pushed and I need to take a deep breath and ask God to help me. It really happens when your kids tick you off. Obviously you love your kids and you don't want to be mean but something just happens. You're thinking, "I've got to pay bills, cut the grass, do all this stuff and you won't do the one thing that I ask you to do?" It makes you want to freak out.

RO: In the song "Sometimes," you sing "sometimes I don't want to be better" and "sometimes I don't deny that everything is wrong." I find this an amazingly honest song because we all certainly feel this way. But sometimes in order to fool ourselves and the people around us, we just pretend like everything's OK when it's not. Was this a cathartic song for you, considering you mostly write hopeful and uplifting lyrics?

John: I would say it's the most negative, darkest song we've ever written. I don't want a whole record like that because I've always wanted my music to be hopeful but it was another kind of therapeutic thing. Just talking about this and being honest about it makes me feel a little better and it makes other people read it and say, "It's good to know that other people feel like crap sometimes." [laughs] It makes you feel normal, you know? This isn't necessarily THE message I want to get out in my music but I think it helps people to know that I'm a genuinely happy person and I enjoy life and yet there are [tough] times. There's that line, "Sometimes I'd rather die than admit it's my fault." That sounds like me! So, yes, it was cathartic in that way. The strange thing is that we did a pre-release where you could listen to the record online before it comes out and I've already seen a lot of MySpace comments that somehow the song just made them feel good. That seems impossible, but somehow it's working that way. In a strange way, some of Trent Reznor's (Nine Inch Nails) stuff is like that. I always thought it was really dark, but people say, "This makes me feel good and helps me deal." That makes a little bit more sense to me now that I'm older.

RO: One of my personal favorite songs on Awake, "One Day Too Late", speaks to living "on purpose", rather than drifting through life, and making the most of today. I know I certainly ask myself those kinds of questions daily - maybe to an almost obsessive level. Do you feel like Skillet and the music you're writing and performing is part of your bigger purpose, your mission? Does it feel like you're doing what you're supposed to be doing with Skillet?

Jon: It does, yeah. You know, I'm glad you mentioned that song because it's one of my favorites on the record too. I could see some people maybe thinking it's a little "Hallmark Card-ish," but I find it to be a genuinely moving song. Again, I think it's one you understand more as you get older. All the sudden you realize, I'm not 15 and life is moving by. We get so busy doing all the crap we've got do all the time - work, bills, cutting the grass - and it gets to the end of the year and you think, "My gosh, is it another year? I didn't get to spend the time with my kids or wife the way I wanted or do the things I wanted." All that to say, when I look at what I really want to do, my music and the messages that I have in my music are definitely a big part of what I feel is my calling. I get thousands of comments, messages and emails from people about how the songs help them and truthfully that's one of the reasons why I do want to have a hopeful record. Even sometimes if it feels like I'm being a bit idealistic, there's a lot people who have been listening to negative music for a really long time and so when they hear a song like "One Day Too Late," it seems to be a very refreshing change.

RO: Skillet's about to embark on a huge national tour in support of Awake. What are you looking forward to or most excited about in bringing these new songs to live audiences?

Jon: One of the things I'm excited about is that our single "Monster" is out on mainstream rock radio now. I think we're reaching a new audience and the song seems to be moving rather rapidly. So one of the things I'm most excited about is seeing new fans. When new people come to the show, there's a new excitement because we're a really energetic live band and you just feel that honeymoon period with new fans. Playing new songs is great and I'm looking forward to that but playing to new fans is the thing that's got me the most excited.

LINKS: www.skillet.com

by The SiXXis

Visit The SiXXis at...
www.thesixxis.com

The SiXXis is a five-piece band from Atlanta, GA who defies categorization. With classical undertones, funk groves, gritty guitar riffs, heavy metal distortion and haunting vocal harmonies, The SiXXis lay a cacophony of sound that goes down smooth, leaving an aftertaste reminiscent of System of a Down, Led Zeppelin, Muse, Queen, Jellyfish, Pink Floyd, Rush, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Imagine Edgar Allen Poe's dark romantic stories and verse set to music - this is the ambiance created by The SiXXis. Watch for their debut CD (produced by the legendary guitarist Adrian Belew) coming soon.

"Forgotten Son"

"This song is about ardently striving to attain spiritual perfection only to see nothing happen. It seems at times the more we do, the more our Creator takes a step back. It's a constant challenge that sometimes turns us away from this path. 'Forgotten Son' has many dimensions. On one hand it presents the fight between Ego and higher Self and on the other, it sheds light on the Biblical story of Job. Job was extremely pious and yet he never complained about the troubles and disasters he encountered. Instead of letting ego take over he let his faith guide his way."

Click to Play

"Song"

"This song is generally about dealing with those who choose to rely on the same excuses for their shortcomings. Instead of taking positive action they will use excuses as a defense."

Click to Play

Catch The SiXXis as they open for the Adrian Belew Power Trio in Atlanta, GA on August 22.

By Tom Crenshaw and Trevor Harden

Acoustic-reggae rocker Trevor Hall's new self-titled album (Trevor Hall, Vanguard Records) features guest performances by Colbie Caillat, Krishna Das and Matisyahu. Over its 12 fantastic tracks, he explores themes of spiritual lightheartedness ("Internal Heights"), death and surrender ("Who You Gonna Turn To?"), unity between faiths ("Unity"), the story of Krishna ("Volume"), his accepting of all spiritual paths as one truth ("Many Roads") and more.

RockOm met up with Trevor at his CD release party in his hometown of Hilton Head Island, SC to discuss his spiritual practice, a chance encounter in India and themes from the new album.

RockOm: How does it feel to be in the Vanguard Records family now?

Trevor Hall: Vanguard is great. They’ve really been amazing. They’re much smaller than my previous label but it makes it more of a family vibe. They’ve been very helpful with promotion and hooking me up with some nice people and have been wonderful to work with. I’m really looking forward to seeing the rest of what they do with the record.

RO: One of your classic songs, “Lime Tree”, made it’s way back onto your new album. What was the decision to include that again?

TH: That’s such a popular song and it’s only on one EP from a long time ago so we wanted to formally release it and redo it – I’ve grown a lot since then. We had my friend Colbie Callait come in and sing on it which was great and it just fits the record I think. We only redid that one and “31 Flavors” but the rest of the album is all new material.

RockOm: Let’s get into some of those songs. In “Who You Gonna Turn To” you repeat “Surrender to the Most High; surrender, I say surrender.” For people who are not sure how to do that, what would you say to them? What does surrender look like or mean to you?

TH: Well, I’m trying to do that myself! [laughs] But before we jump into the songs it’s important to understand that a lot of the songs aren’t where I’m at presently. They’re all speaking to me too, you know? I’m singing what I’m hearing so they’re all lessons for me too – speaking to me, teaching me. I’m trying to surrender, too, so I don’t know what I could say to other people. But from what I’ve heard from people above me is that surrender is a very powerful thing. Especially in music - music automatically demands a state of surrender when you listen to it. Or if you’re in a live setting, you can’t dance or let yourself go unless you surrender to the sounds. Music is a very powerful instrument in helping with the process of surrendering, I think.

“Who You Gonna Turn To” is a song that is obviously about dying but it’s maybe not bodily death. Maybe it’s more of an ego death or something. Who you gonna turn to at the end of your life when all this is gone? Are you going to turn to your money or your friends? You come alone, you go alone. It’s a song about death but I think it’s a very positive song because it’s saying “I know who I’m going to turn to.” “My mama’s on her lion and papa's home in Zion” – the eternal Mother and Father, that’s who I’m going to turn to.

RO: On your previous albums, images of the divine seemed to be mostly (though not entirely) feminine - such as Durga and Shakti - but it seems like in this album there are some references to a father/masculine divine who often is referenced alongside Zion. I was curious if that's been a new development in your spiritual journey and/or if your friendship with Matisyahu had some influence in that.

TH: I don’t know, I just think that’s what was coming through. Where the Mother is, the Father is too. Where the Father is, the Mother is too. I don’t know if it was another aspect of my inner life but that was just my meditation at the time. I think I had been meditating on the “divine Family” rather than one parent. I don’t know if there’s anything “secret” there or not – I hope so! [laughs]

RO: In the song “House” you sing “far beyond what you call God.” Do you think we limit ourselves sometimes by holding an image in our head of a personification of God when in reality there could be so much broader of an understanding?

TH: I think it can. But there’s so many different ways to love God. They’re all the same goal to me. I don’t know what other people think, but to me it’s one goal. Some people worship God with form, some people worship God without form. Some people say that worshiping God with form is limiting God, but in my experience I think that all ways eventually lead there. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing as long as you love God. That’s what I think. It doesn’t matter if you’re married or not married, it only matters how much you love God. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the city or town or temple, it just matters how much you love God.

I was watching this movie the other day about one of my favorite singers and they interviewed this fruit vendor in India. She sang this devotional song and it just blew my mind. And she’s a fruit vendor – do you know what I mean? She doesn’t have a garb on; she isn’t a nun. Wherever you are, that’s it. I just think that love of God is the highest thing, so whatever helps with that and keeps you open minded is all right in my book.

RO: On “My Baba” - your tribute to Neem Karoli Baba – you have chant master Krishna Das singing on the chorus. I'm sure that was a joy and pleasure to have him agree to back you up on that song. Tell us what having him on the record means to you as well as how that came to be.

TH: That was big time! [laughs] I was very happy. I had only met Krishna Das one time and the way I had met him was kind of funny. I had talked to him on the internet and we have a mutual friend. He was going to India the same time I was and he sent me an email that said, let me know where you’re going and your dates because maybe while we’re there we can link up. I said I would let him know but I never did just because I was so busy and couldn’t remember. It was my first trip to India so I was a little antsy and so I never got around to emailing him. So one night we’re in Rishikesh, which is a little town in the Himalayas right by the Ganga, that is absolutely gorgeous. We went into this little café to eat dinner and my friend said, “Hey, there’s Krishna Das.” [laughs] I turn and over at the next table was Krishna Das and all these people were around him asking to get pictures. He looked kind of bummed out, like he wanted to get away. So I waited until everyone left and I went up to him and said, “Excuse me, Krishna Das?” and he groaned, “Yes?” I said, “I don’t mean to bother you, but my name is Trevor.” And he was like, “Trevor! Why didn’t you email me?!” [laughs] We talked for a little and found out we were going different directions but we saw each other and it was kind of like Baba’s play. It’s just so funny. It’s the only time I’ve seen him physically.

But with the album I had this song called “My Baba.” I really wanted to do a song for [Neem Karoli] Baba because he’s my biggest inspiration. As the song was coming the chorus happened to be “Hari, Hari, Mahadev.” As we were going into the studio I thought, man it would be cool to get Krishna Das to sing on that. So my manager contacted him and they talked for a while. When he heard the song he thought it was great and said “Let’s do it.” He didn’t come to LA because he was busy but we sent the track to him and he recorded it and sent it back. He’s so awesome; he didn’t ask for anything, he’s such a great guy. It was a big thing for me because I love Krishna Das and he’s part of the Neem Karoli Baba family. That’s probably one of my favorite songs on the whole record.

RO: In "Many Roads," one of the lines that resonated with me most is "Are you made from magic? Are you made from wishful thinking?" As people of faith, those questions still come up, don't they? As much of our life and lifestyle are dedicated to serving and loving God, there's still those moments that we have to ask whether it's all a figment of our imagination. What do you do when the doubt comes?

TH: It seems to come often, doesn’t it? [laughs] You just have to have faith. Baba said that many things go into one's spiritual practice but the three main ingredients are faith, devotion and patience. For me it’s hard to remember it’s not an overnight process. You have to plant the seed, you have to water the seed, you have to cultivate the land and cultivate your mind. You get impatient but that’s where you’re growing. You know, there are yogis in India who have been doing this for thousands of lives. They’re up in the caves chanting God’s name 24 hours a day and here we are – you do a mala in the morning and you’re like, “Hey, where is it [enlightenment]?” It’s just you have to be patient. Baba also says that we may forget, but God never forgets about his devotees. God never forgets about us even if we’re doubting so you just have to believe. I mean, where can you go [away from God]?

RO: In the song “Volume” you talk about the silence that can be found. How would you best tell someone to begin finding some silence amidst all of life’s noise?

TH: Oh God, you’re asking the wrong person. [laughs] My mind is like a freakin’ jukebox and I don’t even know what CDs are inside it.

RO: But you find it onstage at times?

TH: Yes, well everybody has a way of finding silence - whether you meditate, whether you sit by yourself and listen to your breath or listen to music. But for me music is very powerful and there’s a place where the sound is coming through and you’re just listening to the sound. When you’re singing you’re listening and you don’t feel like you’re doing anything. It doesn’t happen often but when it does, whew, it’s heavy. Sometimes outside it’s so loud but inside it’s just so silent. Like, I feel that in a lot of places in America, outside it’s silent but inside we’re not very relaxed. But in India it was very different for me – outside there was noise and all of this stuff but inside people have a little bit of silence. So it’s kind of a trick - Mother’s trick, an illusion. You have to be careful, she can trick you. [laughs]

But with “Volume” the chorus is “Close your eyes and hold me and no harm will befall you.” Krishna said that to the gopas, his friends in the field. “That’s what is spoken to me when I turn down the volume.” You can’t hear it until you quiet down.

RO: You’re going to have a lot of young people here at the concert tonight. Some of that is going to bleed over. They’re going to look at you and go, “This cat’s got his act together” – little do they know… [laughs]

TH: Little do they know the TV I watch [laughs] and the things I do in my off time.

RO: But if they listen to the words to that song, it gives them lots to relate to.

TH: The whole song really is about Krishna. “Rain comes down but he holds the mountain; Blue like sky, can you tell me why?” Krishna’s skin is blue and then my favorite story about Krishna is where he holds up the mountain. When he was a young cowherd boy in the fields, his village would pray to Indra, god of rain, to give them rain for their crops. One day Krishna said, “Does Indra accept your offering? Does he come down and eat it with his own mouth? There’s no need to do this. Just believe in me and everything will be fine.” So Indra has a little bit of ego and gets very mad that this little boy is taking away his worship. So he holds the rains and then one day he just lets it flood. All the people in the village are very worried. They think they’re going to drown and that Indra is going to kill them. So they go to Krishna and say, “You have to help us. Save us!” So in Vrindavan there’s a place called Govardhana Hill and you can go there today. And Krishna lifted up the mountain with his pinkie and held it above his head. There are many famous pictures of this. All the villagers come under the mountain and they have a big festival for seven days where they eat and drink and be merry. It really humbled Indra.

So that’s the opening line, but all of the references in “Volume” are about Krishna’s life.

RO: The album’s opening song is “Internal Heights.” What does it mean for you to "maintain internal heights"?

TH: That’s just it right there. That is the goal of my life. Where does your strength come from? The eternal Giver. Maintain internal heights. “To see the transcendent Being, got to keep your hands clean.” Maintain internal heights. Internal heights, always, everywhere you go. It’s hard but this song is a remembering. This is the first song and sets the theme for the whole record.

RO: In last year’s RockOm interview you said, “Everything is meditation.” Is everything still meditation for you?

TH: Yes! [laughs] Sometimes you don’t remember it’s meditation but then it gets you and you’re like. Oh! There it is again – that lesson! Too many lessons!

Links:

Trevor Hall's website

Trevor Hall on iTunes

Vanguard Records

Photography By:

Kellie McCann Photography

"Music does bring people together. It allows us to experience the same emotions. People everywhere are the same in heart and spirit. No matter what language we speak, what color we are,
the form of our politics or the expression of our love and our faith, music proves: We are the same."
[John Denver]

RockOm Round-up is a quick glance at what's going on around the world in the areas of music and spirituality...

• Say Namaste! Party by Night, Downward Dog by Day - "The lithe-bodied audience had gathered here for Wanderlust, a new festival that blends indie rock and yoga. From Friday to Sunday, visitors could study self-massage and meditation early each morning and hear groups like Broken Social Scene, Girl Talk and Spoon at night." (NYTimes.com)
• Vic Juris: Tension and Release - Vic Juris is one of the premier jazz guitarists in the business today. In this interview he shares (among other things) about his spirituality and life philosophy (allaboutjazz.com)
• Shaken but not stirred by stadium-rock spirituality - "The promise of awesome worship. That’s what got me rocking up to a Planetshakers meeting. And I wasn’t disappointed. They said ‘awesome' 20 times. Planetshakers is a megachurch, which is like a spiritual mega-meal deal." (theage.com.au)
• The golden periods of the Sikh religious music - "We the members of the Sikh community are passing through a very difficult phase of our existence. Our moral and spiritual values are going down the drain." (worldsikhnews.com)
• Street kid turns to rap, then finds faith - "I began writing Christian music and let the other music go that was sending the wrong message. 'I want my Christian rap to inspire the youth of today...'" (floridatoday.com)

"We are all notes in this eternal song; God plays his flute, we all dance along." So sings Trevor Hall on his latest album - a self-titled release, available today (7/28/09). Trevor is a longtime friend of RockOm, having been featured several times on the site and it's no wonder why. His outstanding music is a blend of the sacred and secular - melding funky, acoustic-reggae jams with deep, spiritually significant lyrics.

Released by the legendary Vanguard Records, Trevor's new album features guest performances by Colbie Caillat, Krishna Das and Matisyahu. Over its 12 fantastic tracks, he explores themes of spiritual lightheartedness ("Internal Heights"), death and surrender ("Who You Gonna Turn To?"), unity between faiths ("Unity"), the story of Krishna ("Volume"), his accepting of all spiritual paths as one truth ("Many Roads") and more.

Despite these heavy themes, however, Trevor's music never comes off as preachy, but rather as humble, gentle and exploratory. The music gently jumps from hard rock to reggae to contemplative ballads and back again. Bathing in these songs of divine love and devotion, the listener is transported both to the transcendent beyond as well as to what lies within.

Fans of spiritually-significant lyrics and up-beat acoustic rock owe it to themselves to pick up a copy of this album. And even if those labels don't fit you exactly, it's nearly impossible to not be moved by this landmark musical accomplishment.  Purchase your copy of Trevor Hall today at iTunes, Amazon.com or other retailers.

In addition, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for an exclusive interview with Trevor Hall, right here at RockOm.net in a few short weeks.

www.TrevorHallMusic.com

A behind-the-scenes look at the song "Unity"

By Trevor Harden, trevor@RockOm.net

This week I had an email conversation with an old friend that turned sour due to a clash in deeply held personal beliefs. There was some miscommunication that led to hurt feelings of the most significant kind. In fact, I was quite certain that irreparable damage had been done.

The discord between us weighed on me all day until at long last I began to think from his perspective. In placing myself in his shoes, understanding why he is who he is and allowing myself to be accepting of his life circumstances, I was able to return to him with a different, less guarded tone and attitude. Apologies were made, accepted and the air was cleared.

What does this have to do with music, you ask?

In thinking about what I might want to share with you today, the word understanding kept coming to mind. It was then that I remembered a piece from NPR several months ago entitled "How I Learned to Respect Celine Dion" [Here, click Listen Now]. Music writer Carl Wilson found an odd disconnect between his being appalled and disgusted at the music of Celine Dion and her millions upon millions of album sales. He set out to investigate musical taste - what makes a person like a certain song or style of music - using Ms. Dion's music as reference material. He simply could not understand what people saw her in schmaltzy, cheese-laden ballads.

You can listen to the interview yourself and so I will spare you the details of the experiment, but what stood out to me was that it was through talking to Celine's biggest fans that Carl Wilson came to understand and eventually (somewhat) appreciate her music. You see sometimes it simply takes a willingness to engage in an open-hearted discussion with someone of a different opinion to ease tensions and come to a more full understanding. Most of what separates us from one another is mis-understanding and our own projections on who we think other people are or what they believe. In almost all cases there's more common ground than we initially think.

I hope today you can take two things away from this musing on understanding. First, in any area of your life, see if you can ease tension or discord between yourself and people of differing opinions (be they political, spiritual, or otherwise) through discussion and open conversation. This does not mean you have to agree with them in any way, but in opening yourself to see from their viewpoint, the bitterness and ill feelings may begin to lessen. That's what we're trying to do here at RockOm - providing a space for all faiths, practices and worldviews to be expressed around the subject of music, that we might be able to more fully appreciate and understand one another.

Secondly, keeping Carl Wilson's study in mind, the next time you internally repel in disgust as someone tells you their favorite song or style of music, ask them why they like it. (Afterall, they might be as equally repelled knowing your own favorites.) Ask questions from a willingness to understand and allow them to answer in detail. Though you might still not fully understand their preferred choice of genre, at least you may begin to see where they're coming from.

"What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding?" [Elvis Costello]

RockOm Round-up is a quick glance at what's going on around the world in the areas of music and spirituality...

• Iran singer gets jail term for Koran disrespect - An Iranian singer and composer who has been likened to Bob Dylan has received a five-year jail sentence in absentia for disrespecting religious sanctities, according to Iranian television. (Reuters, Yahoo! News)
• All in the Family - The band Elliot: “'We’re Christians by faith, not by musical genre,' Parnell said. 'We want our music to inspire faith and spirituality in people, and moral thoughts, and we want people to do good because of it.'" (BendBulletin.com)
• Rakim Ready To Release 'The Seventh Seal' - Rapper Rakim says "I've always tried to insert consciousness and spirituality in my records, interpreting the writings of all cultures and religions and how they apply to life." (Billboard.com)
• New book explores U2’s quest for spiritual meaning - Throughout [We Get to Carry Each Other: The Gospel according to U2], we get a picture of the spirituality that flows from U2's music and how it has shaped our lives and our world." (7thspace.com)

...with performance of 'Agnostic'
By Andrew Druckenbrod, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Mass, Te Deum, Ave Maria ... Agnostic?

Sacred music has been at the forefront of Western music for centuries. Liturgical music such as masses dominated composers' duties in the medieval and Renaissance eras, when the Catholic Church was the primary employer. Even as courts and then the free market took over, religious works remained a staple.

It's no surprise, then, that classical music questioning God's existence hasn't happened often. Rarely has a composer even ventured to take a skeptical look at religion. Leonard Bernstein's "Mass" may be the most famous, and other composers such as Beethoven couched the discussion in more general, humanistic terms. But composer David Chesky's oratorio "The Agnostic" of 1997 tackles the subject with no hesitation.

"When I first heard the piece, I remarked that I have never had heard anything like it before," says Thomas W. Douglas, artistic director of the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, which will perform the oratorio with alto, baritone and boy soloists this week. "It challenges the traditional thought that has been passed on and accepted instead."

"You can't prove the existence of God, it is faith," says Chesky, 52. "The oratorio is a humanistic work [of] existentialism." In his notes to the piece, he lays out his own beliefs, that "God did not create man, but man needed to create God for psychological solace." But he concludes that "man does have the inner strength to go forth and live his dreams" and that "The Agnostic" is a "courageous testament to what it means to be alone in a Godless universe."

Chesky wrote the libretto, inspired by the likes of Saul Bellow, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre and John Steinbeck. It doesn't have a plot, but rather poses several tragic cases that might lead to questioning whether God exists. One is a young boy who asks why God allowed him to suffer and then die at the age of 5: "How can a God of consciousness/Inflict so much pain on me/ Does this God really exist?"

The New York native says he wrote "The Agnostic" in "a morose and contemplative mood in which he strove to reflect inner beauty in his music." But that doesn't mean the work has a negative ending. "It is unsettling, but it means that we can re-create ourselves," he says. "It can apply to what is going on in the financial market or a nation after war, or [making] yourself a better person."

"It seems like what he is really saying is that if God doesn't really exist, then what are we to do as contemporary man?" says Douglas. "We have to take responsibility for our own lives and how we interact with our own lives. That is something I think is very important."

"Inside us all there lies strength," the choir sings at one point, and the final movement, "Resurrection" challenges humans to free themselves from poverty, tyranny and sickness. A few years after writing the oratorio, Chesky did that himself, surviving open-heart surgery that caused him to reinvent his own compositional aesthetic. (He now writes in a more active style he calls "urban.")

But lines in the work such as "God is what divides us from the Divine" had some of Douglas' choir on edge about the piece.

"I have a couple members of the chorus who elected not to sing the piece, and a local pastor was livid," says Douglas, who admits that he "was drawn to it not only by the beautiful music, but its controversial nature." Douglas is no stranger to controversy nor to members balking. His choice of Bernstein's "Mass" did the trick in 2007. But he is still committed "to stir[ing] the pot with Pittsburgh and pushing the envelope.

"We have to present material we think is quality material and let people decide. One time we sang the opening chorus from Verdi's "Macbeth" -- you don't have to be a witch to sing it! You are a storyteller. We still perform in churches, but aren't we going to broaden the horizon?"

An agnostic is, after all, one who questions belief and holds that ultimate truths are unknowable. It's not atheism. "Sometimes the question is the answer," says Douglas, who says he talked with his largely volunteer choir about its controversial nature. "It can bring you to a place that helps you know what you think." Lyrically, Chesky's piece ends not unlike the pantheistic call to brotherhood of the "Ode to Joy" of Beethoven's Ninth, with an exultant cry to "Go forth man, have the strength to be our dreams."

Whether "The Agnostic" will make believers out of audiences is yet to be seen. But for Thomas it is "a piece that deserves to be heard."

Bach Choir of Pittsburgh "The Agnostic"
When and where: Wednesday, April 1 at Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland, and Saturday, April 4 at 8 p.m. S at Shady Side Academy, Fox Chapel. With the CMU Wind Ensemble and string orchestra.

Classical music critic Andrew Druckenbrod can be reached at adruckenbrod@post-gazette.com. He blogs at Classical Musings at post-gazette.com.