Contemporary Christian Music

 

Artist in Christian Testimony
A.C.T.'s ultimate objective is to see people around the world,worship God, and express their faith in their own language and cultural style, while mobilizing and training church and mission leaders to more effectively worship and communicate the Gospel through music and the arts.

Christian Songwriting Resources
Offers complete details for the Christian Songwriters mailing list, as well as advice and resources for songwriters.

ChristianRadio.com
Christian Radio Record Labels and other Music Resources providing information on Artist and current musical offerings.

Oracle Productions
Oracle Productions has been entertaining Nashville audiences for over 10 years. A nondenominational ensemble of Christian actors, directors, musicians, and playwrights, Oracle volunteers are dedicated to producing creative, redemptive, original works for the stage.

The Loop Nashville
The LOOP Nashville is a unique non-denominational ministry created for the Generation Xers. Every week young adults all over the city of Nashville come together for a time of great music and amazing worship.

Way-Fm 88.7
Way Fm 88.7 is a Christian Centered Radio Station and a local Nashville favorite.

WNAZ Christian Radio
WNAZ offers a substancial amount of information to the it's local listeners, their site has a local events calendar for current Christian Activities going on in the Nashville area as well as an abundance of local links to Groups, Organizations and Churches.

 

 

Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM) is a genre of popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The term is typically used to refer to the Nashville, Tennessee-based pop, rock, and worship Christian music industry, currently represented by artists such as Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Jars of Clay, MercyMe, Petra, Keith Green, Michael Card, Third Day, Relient K, Jeremy Camp, Avalon and a host of others. The industry is represented in Billboard Magazine's "Top Christian Albums" and "Hot Christian Songs" charts as well as the iTunes Music Store's "Christian & Gospel" genre.

The term "Contemporary Christian Music" originated in the late 1960s in reference to the emerging pop and rock "Jesus music", the musical outpouring of the hippie Jesus Movement of the time. Artists such as Larry Norman, 2nd Chapter of Acts, and Love Song were among the first to express their Christian faith in the form of rock music.

There is also a great deal of popular music which lyrically identifies with Christianity but is not normally considered Contemporary Christian Music. For example, many underground punk and hardcore bands deal explicitly with issues of faith but are not a part of the Nashville industry (e.g., Seattle-based Tooth and Nail Records). Also, several mainstream music artists sometimes deal with Christian themes in their work, such as Bob Dylan and U2, but fall outside of the CCM genre.

 

Controversy

Contemporary Christian Music has been a topic of controversy in various ways since its beginnings in the 1960s.

Some conservative Christians feel that the medium of popular music is unholy, and thus unfit for Christian participation. For example, Bob Jones University prohibits its dormitory students from listening to CCM. Other noted Christian critics of CCM include John MacArthur, Dan Lucarini (the author of the book Why I Left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement), and Kimberly Smith (author of the books Oh Be Careful Little Ears and Let Those Who Have Ears to Hear).

CCM also draws criticism from those who feel it is simply a "Christianized" imitation of mainstream music, thus lacking originality and creativity. On Reformation Day (October 31), 1998, in homage to Martin Luther's 95 theses, CCM artist Steve Camp sent out 107 theses calling for a "Reformation" in contemporary Christian music, challenging Christian artists to "recover Biblical Christianity in the arts" and bring a new level of excellence to the field. Steve Camp's 107 Theses: A call for Reformation in Contemporary Christian Music Industry

Also, often CCM draws criticism from those who simply find the concept of Christian pop/rock music to be an unusual phenomenon, since rock music has historically been associated with themes such as sexual promiscuity, rebellion, drug and alcohol use, and other topics normally considered antithetical to the teachings of Christianity. Perhaps the most well-known (and humorous) defense to this criticism is a quote from a 19th century Methodist minister Rowland Hill: "Why should the devil have all the good music?"

[] History

Worship music (as a musical sub-genre) became popular in the 1980s, when Christian music publishers such as Maranatha! Music, Integrity Music and Vineyard Music started releasing a new style of songs of worship to God that featured a choral music format. The musical roots of the genre started long before the 1980's, but the term "worship music" was not used until then.

Worship music's goal is to bring people and entire churches into a deeper personal worship experience and intimacy with God. This emphasis on building and strengthening the relationship between God and man is the true foundation of worship music. Praise, worship and adoration of the Creator is the focus of worship music, and it serves as one of the ways a Christian can give thanks to God for everything that God has done for that person.

Worship music is sometimes also referred to as praise and worship music. The two terms are often intermixed today. Praise music was usually used to refer to faster, upbeat type of songs, while worship music would imply a slower, more heartfelt expression of adoration and worship to God.

[] Early Roots: Late '60s & Early '70s

The term "worship music" did not come into use as a common expression until the mid-'90s. The etymology of the phrase is really a progression from the original coined phrase of "praise music", which began appearing and being labelled as such during the early 1970s. This expression was an outgrowth of the music ministries that accompanied the Jesus movement of the '70s through the US and especially as it originated from the Calvary Chapel churches throughout Southern California. The Jesus people also concurrently expanded the notion of popular Christian music with Jesus music, which eventually became known as CCM (Contemporary Christian Music).

Much of the original praise music was itself heavily inspired by a series of then "contemporized" church songs written from the lyrics of the Bible, called "Scripture in Song". That music was written by David and Dale Garratt of New Zealand and served to ignite music in Calvary Chapel music (which became Maranatha! Music) and other church groups worldwide. Maranatha! Music was the main purveyor of the "praise music" moniker, and carries that banner even today. Corresponding with the growth of the music within North American churches, the UK was also churning through cultural shift, and worship leader/songwriter Graham Kendrick emerged as an early influential voice in songwriting for the new "church music" liturgy.

[] Expanding into the Church: The '80s

Towards the late '70s and at the start of the '80s, another southern California church based music group began expanding in popularity- Vineyard Music. Springing up from the music ministries of the Vineyard churches, they reflected very similar style and lyrical content as the early Calvary Chapel/Marantha Music song content, but began to label their songs as "worship songs". In mid '80s other companies sprang up to meet the needs of the quickly modernizing church. Musical tastes and styles were rapidly changing as the church struggled to close a gap of nearly fifty years from the modern music of the culture. The '70s, '80s and '90s saw the church close that gap with increasing attentiveness to the modern sounds and expressions.

In 1987, a music ministry that birthed "Hosanna Music" began to expand. Originally, as direct mail club, eventually changing its name to Integrity Music, they branded the phrase "praise worship" into their products, solidifying the moniker for many church music lovers. Over the next 5-10 years, songwriters and worship leaders such as Don Moen, Kent Henry, Bob Fitts, Lynn Deshazo, Gary Sadler, Daniel Gardner, Billy Funk, Marty Nystrom, Lenny LeBlanc and many other writers worked with producer Tom Brooks and helped fill American churches with new choruses that became basis of the Integrity song catalog.

[] Modernization of Sound & Style: The '90s

As the '90s came along, Vineyard Music had expanded as well, and they became very popular during the 1994-1998 time frame, when a cooresponding revitalization in their churches birthed a plethora of still well-used songs throughout the church global. During that time, Vineyard almost completely labeled its music "Worship Music". It was also during that time that UK influence from modern sounds of worship bands like Delirious?, and writers such as Matt Redman began to appear, many of whom gave direct acknowledgement to their stylistic inspiration and philosophical roots with Vineyard music writers such as Kevin Prosch and others. The UK worship was brought into the North American strata by the EMI Christian Music Group, through the brand "WorshipTogether". It grew from 1998 until present with names such as Delirious?, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes and others.

New styles of worship music have been emerging and becoming popular, such as the intimate or deep worship style, which is used to denote more of a quiet type of worship music. There is also acoustic worship, which relies on acoustical instruments only without electronic instruments such as electric guitars.

In 1994, the first online discussion group appeared related to worship and music (called the "Worship List"). It quickly expanded into a community website called "praise.net" and survives to this day as the oldest online information center on the topic. Out of that online community, the first online worship and music resource (WorshipMusic.com) was started in 1998.

[] Popularity & Commercialization: 2000 and beyond

The popularity of worship music has grown tremendously since the year 2000, and has seen the release of many new worship music albums by both the major record companies and independent labels. This explosion in the Christian music market has brought worship music to the forefront, and no longer relegated for congregational singing only.

GMA Dove Awards

(Redirected from GMA Music Awards)

The Gospel Music Association Dove Awards (shortened to GMA Dove Awards), known as the GMA Music Awards from 2004-2006, and a few years before but better known even then as the Dove Awards, were created in 1969 by the Gospel Music Association to honor the outstanding achievements in contemporary Christian and gospel music. They are held annually in Nashville, Tennessee.

Awards are presented honoring a wide variety of musical styles, reflecting the diversity represented in Christian pop music, including Christian hip hop, Christian rap, Christian metal, Christian punk, Christian rock, Christian worship music, Christian soft rock (Contemporary Christian music), and Christian pop rock. Each award features performances by a number of the industry's newest and most popular artists including Rebecca St. James, Bethany Dillon, and Kirk Franklin. The 38th Annual GMA Dove Awards will be presented on Wednesday, April 25, 2007.

 

CCM Artists

 

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