Shout out to musicians

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I’m a guitarist, something of a keyboardist, I play bass, and I’m a vocalist (I’m majoring in classical voice in college).

Any other musicians out there? How many of you play secular music? How many play Catholic/Christian music?

I gave up secular music because I came to the conclusion that by playing in bars and nightclubs, I was not giving a good Catholic example, but only empowering those who do lascivious and illegal things in these places, and putting myself near temptation. I’m not saying this is true of all secular musicians, this is just where I’ve arrived spiritually as a Catholic and a musician at this point in my life. My brother plays with a secular group (drums) and has my full encouragement.

I plan on recording a Catholic/Christian hard rock-metal album. I might even do prog metal.

My influences are David Bowie, The Beatles, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Eddie Van Halen, B.B King, Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Ted Nugent, Tommy Emmanuel (Australian guitarist), a Spanish singer named Raphael, and all the classical music I’ve listened to, particularly the composers and classical singers such as Mario Lanza and Jussi Bjorling.

The only Christian artist I’ve been listening to is Neal Morse (I’m new to the Christian rock scene and have a thing for prog rock). I also like Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment, Transatlantic, Tin Machine (not prog and quite passe, I know), Racer X, and Symphony X.
 
waves Hello!

My husband and I are both musicians but it’s more of a passionate hobby than a career. We met in high school marching band and the music just never stopped. DH has some pro audio equipment and one of the bedrooms in our apartment has studio foam all over the walls.

My primary instrument is flute but I can also play piccolo, Irish flute and pennywhistle (though without the fancy ornamentation at the moment). I also own an electric bass that I need to devote more time to… My husband plays piano, guitar, and tenor saxophone. Back in high school he also played french horn and we’d both like to see him pick that up again someday. We both can sing.

We play mostly secular music but not professionally. It’s mostly the two of us spending quality time jamming out and playing pop/rock tunes or video game tunes. DH also likes to arrange music so we have a couple of pretty bizarre duets for flute and tenor sax…“Twilight” by ELO anyone? Someday we’d like to join a community band/orchestra/wind ensemble. We miss playing concert music.

We’re also into electronic music. If we ever actually composed something and produced a home cooked album together, it would probably involve a lot of synthesized sounds and be very upbeat and dance-able.

As far as non-secular music goes, to be honest we’re not big fans of Christian rock. But we do like (well-written) God-inspired choral and orchestral works.
 
I’ve been in choir for years and play the violin. These are just hobbies of mine. Some of the music was secular, some sacred (not like we played heavy metal in high school orchestra, though :p)

I do want to help with the music during Mass at college this fall, so I will start that in August. 🙂
 
Most of my classical voice repertoire so far is secular. It’s mostly stuff from the Romantic period (German, Italian, English, and French art songs).

I have a huge repertoire of rock music. This is what I played for many years.

I wrote and recorded some secular rock years ago, but the demos never went anywhere. I plan on writing whatever songs God gives me and maybe even some religious stuff I’ve already written. I composed a Christmas song for children’s choir, string orchestra with glockenspiel and chimes and showed it to the conductor of the local philharmonic orchestra (He’s a professor at my university). and he has said he plans on having it performed. If that happens, praise God.

It’s nice to see such diversified responses so far.
 
i am a non-musician who butchers a guitar and who loves music as a gift to our souls from our Lord. Lately i have been blessed to listen to a beautiful Catholic artist, Danielle Rose “Mysteries” is very Scriptural and very Catholic! ( She is now in the novitiate as Sr Rose Therese of the Disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ dljc.org/english/index.cfm?active=1) and Jon Foreman of Switchfoot and Sacred Arias by Andrea Bocelli.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark
 
I played bass in a disco band in the early 70’s. Boogie-oogie-oogie & all that. The music was a blast but the hours were rotten. I joined the Catholic Church in '72. Guitars were just starting to creep into the mass. I joined a ‘folk’ group with my ovation 6 string in hand and have been playing and singing for the Catholic church ever since. This is the Our Father we have used for over 20 years. It’s the only music I’ve ever written. That’s my church choir of 25 years (which includes by wife) singing with me on my Taylor 12.
members.cox.net/tntgirl/The%20Prayer%20of%20Prayers%20-%20The%20Prayer%20of%20Prayers.mp3

And this is the Gloria we use which was written by Jay Soto (jaysoto.com/), our music director.

members.cox.net/tntgirl/Jay’s%20-%20Gloria.mp3

Playing music for God and His people feeds me every day of my life. And the hours are sooooo much better.
Peace to all,
Terry
 
JAS78041 said:
I’m a guitarist, something of a keyboardist, I play bass, and I’m a vocalist (I’m majoring in classical voice in college).

Any other musicians out there? How many of you play secular music? How many play Catholic/Christian music?
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I’m a professional classical singer who also happens to be a musicians. 😛 😃 (Just a joke that constantly floats around - you being a classical voice major probably get that as well at school. I know that was always the case with my friends in college.)

I do both secular and sacred music. Mostly all of it is classical in nature, with the exception of the typical hymns, psalmodies and chanting I do at mass. But I also sing a lot of sacred classical repertoire at mass. Opera, art songs and concert repertoire is my life in the secular realm.

Music has been part of my life since I first started studying piano at the age of 4. I always felt drawn to doing it, although it wasn’t until I pursued more vocal studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, did I have a life-changing experience and outlook on a potential career in music and my faith. It was there that I truly came to realize that classical singing was my vocation, what God had set for me to do in this world. I think being in such a Catholic town and also such an incredibly musical town helped me see everything with so much more clarity. Now, no matter what goes on in my life, there is no question in my mind that I am following God’s will in this. What is so beautiful about it is that I am able to cross from the secular and sacred realms of classical music without compromising my faith. Any kind of music for me is a prayer to God of sorts. I say a prayer before I sing. It is one of the things that allows me to transcend the earthly world into a spiritual and ethereal state of prayer, especially when everything is in order. It teaches you to trust in the body that God gave you to produce this gift and to trust in Him.

Although, I do know that there may be people or situations that may not be the best company or environment, on the whole, I do not see a conflict with performing secular classical music and in secular environments and rendering musical prayer with sacred music. If anything, many of the good classical singers and instrumentalists I know or know of are very spiritual in general, no matter what their faith. You naturally are drawn to these musicians and become a support to each other as musicians and in strengthening your own spirituality. Those musicians who are not like that, you tend to only have a working relationship with and nothing more. (That’s in both the secular and church worlds - we’d be kidding ourselves if we didn’t think there were egomaniacs in church music) But on the whole, I have worked with and became friends with some of the most beautiful and giving people in both realms.
 
lol …Yes, I get the joke. 😃 It’s common. But when faced with the detail of voice techniques and the fact that you have to be a linguist (take foreign language and diction classes) to be a classical singer, the instrumental majors cringe. I could’ve majored in classical guitar, but I’ve had much study in that and don’t feel the need. Like you, I’m drawn to singing.

I’ve been drawn to music since as long as I can remember. I started singing at 13 months! I got my first guitar when I was 10 yo and my first electric when I was 12. I began piano on my own. I was at a friends house and just figured out how to play chords and began playing Beatles tunes. Later, I took piano classes in high school and college. I started playing bass in a community college show band when I was 20. Now, at the young age of 42, I’m back in school completing my Bachelor of Music in Music.

You remind me of my voice teacher. She used to sing in Salzburg, Vienna, and somewhere in Germany (I don’t remember where). Aside from being a professor, she still sings professionally.
 
Why hello there! 🙂 I am a pianist, and I also sing in my school’s choir (1st/2nd soprano…somewhere in between). 😃

I like to play and listen to almost all types of music. I play the piano the first Saturday evening for Mass every month. Next year, I am going to join my school’s liturgy group and play the piano for weekday Mass also. That will be different, because we have a guitarist and a bass player who will be providing music also…I’ve never played with another instrument before. lol But I’m looking forward to it.

🙂
 
Depending upon how loosely we are using the word “musician”… I play the guitar and piano and sing. I’m much better at singing than I am at playing either the piano or the guitar and better on the guitar than the piano. I have a MIDI controller keyboard that drives me nuts. Or rather the delay between the keyboard and the signal through the sequencer is so pronounced (and so far, irremediable) that I can’t do much with it.

Anyway, that’s the excuse I’m using and I’m stickin’ to it. 😃

I grew up in the choir at the Methodist church of my youth and sang and played in ensembles. I cringe now at how I must’ve sounded. Thank the Lord, both my voice and guitar playing have developed over the years. 😛 I generally compose my own music. I don’t write it down, I “compose” directly into the microphone. I think I’ve probably forgotten how to write down the notes! 😛
 
Awesome! I’m a big David Bowie fan as well. I like pretty much every artist you listed and could claim them as influences. I especially love prog rock and art rock. I’m into the experimentation of folks like Brian Eno, Robert Fripp and the like. As far as contemporary secular rock I think Radiohead is probably the best thing going on. I will admit that I listen to no Christian “rock” or popular music as it drives me crazy. For the past month I’ve actually been moving away from all the secular music I love too because it tends to draw me back into my “pre-conversion” way of thinking and behaving. I’ve been listening to a lot of classical (Bach, mostly) music and jazz of late. And being so completely disappointed and disgusted with Christian rock/pop I’ve been working on composing some myself. I don’t claim it’s any good but it’s fun! Peace.
 
andrewtm78 said:
Awesome! I’m a big David Bowie fan as well. I like pretty much every artist you listed and could claim them as influences. I especially love prog rock and art rock. I’m into the experimentation of folks like Brian Eno, Robert Fripp and the like. As far as contemporary secular rock I think Radiohead is probably the best thing going on. I will admit that I listen to no Christian “rock” or popular music as it drives me crazy. For the past month I’ve actually been moving away from all the secular music I love too because it tends to draw me back into my “pre-conversion” way of thinking and behaving. I’ve been listening to a lot of classical (Bach, mostly) music and jazz of late. And being so completely disappointed and disgusted with Christian rock/pop I’ve been working on composing some myself. I don’t claim it’s any good but it’s fun! Peace.
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Wow, it’s good to find another Eno fan! I really started liking Bowie after his Eno production days. Robert Fripp, Fripp and Eno. And some of my favorite albums (back when I had all those Soundguarded albums) were After the Heat, Music for Films (and Airports, etc), Possible Musics, Before and After Science…You get the drift. I loves me some Brian Eno! 😛

As for Christian Rock (two terms that just don’t seem to go together), I haven’t heard much that I care to ever hear again. Except for one song by Jennifer Knapp. I’m working on some sacred music, mostly a capella stuff, a veritable trio a mio. (I have no idea how to write that.) 😃
 
Ah yes, Eno, “the producer’s producer” I think someone called him. The Bowie Berlin albums (Low, “Heroes”, Lodger), Iggy Pop’s The Idiot and Lust for Life along with Eno’s Taking Tiger Mountain… and Before and After Science I think represent the very finest experimental/art rock of the 70’s (no offense to Floyd, I love them too). I really want to bring together some kind of sacred music built from that sound. I have grandiose plans, believe you me. Actually, I don’t even want to say specifically what I’m working on now lest someone else steals the idea 🙂 I wouldn’t mind some clandestine collaboration with a fellow Catholic Eno fan though 🙂
 
Well, I’m in high school, but I’m obsessed with music. At home, I mostly play the guitar and keyboards; I play the clarinet at church, the school band, and the local youth orchestra. I also write my own songs, mostly influenced by 50s to 80s secular music (especially progressive rock). And if you give me enough tries, I can sing some songs on key. But aside from orchestra and band, I don’t really perform, unless you count when I borrow guitars from other students (who take guitar class) in the school lobby and play them. 😛
 
I am a late bloomin’ jazz / blues guitarist. My taste in music is quite catholic (small c) but Christian music doesn’t do much for me though I do listen to Mahalia Jackson (if you count Gospel and you should) The guitarists I listen to include Rory Block, Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, Johnny A, Charlie Byrd, Jim Hall, Herb Ellis, Mimi Fox, and Pat Martino. Check out this video of Rory youtube.com/watch?v=TqTUoV67M60 and then try this one of Johnny A youtube.com/watch?v=mJ7amOCI6DI Here is some Joe Pass youtube.com/watch?v=NyjQv52Nzno&feature=related and some Wes Montgomery youtube.com/watch?v=hhZk4piVpbY&feature=related and some Great Guitars (Barney Kessell, Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd) video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2875901977723628174

Dig it, man!
 
Thanks for the links. I look forward to watching and hearing them. I’ve always wanted to delve into jazz, but have yet to make the effort. A jazz guitarist I know told me a good place to start would be with the late, great Miles Davis.

I know and use jazz chords in my music, but the closest songwriting influence I have to jazz is Steely Dan. 😉
 
Hello All,

I am an artist working on a new original Catholic animated cartoon to be produced in the graphic style of “Archie’s Weird Mysteries”, “The Batman” and with my original music in the style of The Monkees, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder.

But I having trouble finding Catholics that I can hire to help me illustrate the scripts I have written.

Any suggestions?

God bless,
TJ
 
TerryPaul said:
I am an artist working on a new original Catholic animated cartoon to be produced in the graphic style of “Archie’s Weird Mysteries”, “The Batman” and *with my original music in the style of The Monkees, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder.
*
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Huh?
 
Hi ,

Thanks for your “Huh”?” It give me a chance to explain.

I’m saying I want to produce an Catholic Musical Animated Cartoon.

I have a vision than I would like the graphics produced like some of the modern cartoons such as “The Batman” & “Archie’s Weird Mysteries” & the music to be produced in a style similar to The Monkees, The Beatles & Motown.

So fun melodies with nice grooves.

Make sense now?

But I need good illustrators to do storyboard sketches…

God bless,
Tj
 
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