On Music and Transcendence

"If your songs come forth with great fervor, you not only reach deity, but deity comes and possesses you, becomes part of you, and gives you the strength to do whatever you've got to do to win your battles, to harvest your crop."

Joe Carter

My moments of greatest transcendence, where I have briefly escaped the routine of daily life and experienced a higher spiritual plane, have largely taken place in the musical world. That's why I love this quote from Joe Carter [not the baseball player]. It rings true for me. I have been grasped and possessed by deity in the context of music.

I think everyone is searching for transcendence. Something to get our heads away from the mundane reality of our day-to-day laundry and taxes and lunch-packing routines. We seek to be a part of something great, something Bigger. At our worst, we seek it though addiction--to drugs, to hobbies, to religion, to politics, to our children. At our best, we receive a taste and see, however briefly, that the Lord is good. 

Personally, I taste and see most often in music that "comes forth with great fervor." But it isn't the music that bring the high. Instead, I believe the high is very literally God. It is a felt sense of the presence of God.

But even those who commit their lives to remaining in God's presence receive only a taste. No one lives in a perpetual state of transcendence. God is not to be grasped. Transcendence is a rare gift from the Giver.

It is not transcendence that we should seek, but rather God, the author of every good thing.

Transcendence is the icing, not the cake.

In what contexts have you experienced a higher spiritual plane? Music? Prayer? Nature? Family? Something else?

Six Bands I Love Right Now

Here are some of the bands I'm listening to right now, and what I like about them:

1. Sigur Ros - Nobody does the musical slow burn better. They, as much as any group I've ever heard, create opportunities for transcendence. It's non-worship-music worship music. Try not to cry at the beauty.

2. The National - This band manages to be singable while still incredibly unique. I also enjoy their lead singer's lower, more relaxed vocals. 

3. Fun. - I shared some of their music with a friend, and he said they are music for people with ADD. He's right--every song of Fun.'s has three songs within it. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more interesting group right now. And yes, their music is incredibly....fun.

4. Gungor - A new album comes out in October from these guys. They are a good model for an artist like me, because they have some songs that could be classified as "worship" music, but others that are songs just about life and faith. And God is in the in-between. The more I write, the more I find myself in this position. So I have lots to learn from a group like this.

5. Bon Iver - I have rediscovered this album from earlier in the year. Such a unique sound, and such creatively structured songs. Every song is hooky, but not cheesy. Instead, the hook finds its root in sonic and lyrical depth. Very impressive. And try not to emote during "Holocene," I dare you.

6. Passion Pit - Well-produced, melodic, unique, pop-tastic. This group has everything.

How about you? What are you listening to?

Creative Voice

Last week, as I worked from home and wrote new music, I realized the biggest challenge in songwriting is to find my own voice. Particularly, in writing lyrics [or these blog posts], it's difficult to voice who I am and to articulate my own paradigms.

I have noticed that it's much easier for me to emulate some artist or songwriter, as if I were writing a song for them, than it is for me to simply create something original. In fact, many of the songs I've written have been emulations of some famous artist. In many of these instances, I can tell you the exact song I was trying to emulate. [But I won't, because then you'll never be able to shake the comparison!]

Steven Pressfield [must reading for anyone who works creatively] says that our aim as artists is to "get better, go deeper, and work closer to the bone."

I love that phrase, and I am trying to allow it to guide my work. I feel like I am brand new to this journey, despite the fact that I've been songwriting for over a decade.

I think, in the end, it takes time and practice to find one's own voice. Habits must be undertaken; disciplines adhered to; reps "repped." So, I am beginning to work hard to do these things.

How about you? Have you found your own unique creative voice? Or are you still chasing it?

Being Biblical

On any given issue, most Christians I know want to have a bibilical position--that is, they want to form the basis of their position on the Scriptures. Here's the problem: there are often several "biblical positions" on any given issue. In fact, the Bible presents several viewpoints on many foundational Christian doctrines and discussions[heaven, hell, salvation, judgment, war, end times, capital punishment, atonement, creation, marriage, etc.].

The Bible is simply too messy. As much as we would love it to be, it is not a legal constitution. It is poem, narrative, legend, song, letter, prophesy, and much more.

Wouldn't we be wiser [and more humble?] to offer others A biblical position, or perhaps OUR biblical position, rather than assuming that we always offer THE biblical position?

Stresses

Last weekend I played the Feed Ur Soul Conference, and as part of that event, played a concert. This was a bit of a coming-out party for me, as I had never before played a concert that was billed as "Terry Waggoner, Live In Concert." I introduced a lot of new material that people hadn't heard, and put myself out there for the first time.

While I loved being a part of the event, and feel like it went well, the whole process was extraordinarily stressful for me. Here's why:

1. I battle perfectionist tendencies. "Good" wouldn't be good enough. I wanted to be unbelieveable. 

2. I am a people pleaser. So I wanted everyone to like everything I did, even though art is subjective. It was highly unlikely that a roomful of people would have the same musical taste, which would be uniquely be met by my music alone. Didn't matter to me--everyone had to love everything. 

3. I want to be authentic, and not pander to what I knew would "work." In a roomful of enthusiastic Christians, it would have been easy for me to just yell "Jesus!" every few minutes and get people into it. However, I wanted to be myself, and do it the way I would do it.

4. The concert was challenging in a number of ways. I don't talk a lot leading worship---but I would have to for this, in order to set up songs, explain ideas, and such. Additionally, the material would stretch me as a vocalist and guitarist. So I knew going in that it wasn't going to be easy.

In the end, things went quite well. It was well received [Christians can be good encouragers], and I feel like I played pretty well. I am now trying to see how this artistic journey is just that--a journey. Not a one-off, end-all-be-all concert event. So I feel good about last weekend as jumping off point for this artistic journey. More to come.

Which of these inner battles do you fight most--perfectionism? People-pleasing? Authenticity? Inadequacy? Feel free to comment below.

Feeling A Pull

Lately I've been feeling this pull, this desire [either from God or my own heart or both] to take what I'm doing in worship music more seriously than I have in the past. I don't know what that means necessarily. I only know that it is time for me to take what I am doing in worship music to the next level.

I think any artist struggles with the value of their work, and whether or not it truly matters. In light of all that goes on in the world, in light of all the pain and need, does it really make much a difference if I write one more song, or produce one more video, or spend so much time focusing on this art? Or would my time be better spent actually trying to make a tangible difference in my community and in our world? It's a struggle I've gone back and forth on over my years doing what I do.

But thanks be to God, who continues to affirm me in the work that I do. And in the midst of this affirmation, I'm feeling a call to go in deeper, to invest more, to take this art more seriously. So, I'll be working out what that means for me in the coming months/years.

This will have ramifications for this EP project, my worship leading, my church, my songwriting....nearly everything I touch. And I don't know what those will be.

All I know is I'm feeling a pull, and I'm going with it.

Safe or Risky?

The hard part about selecting material to put on this project is this:

I have written several three-minute, basic pop worship songs. They are catchy, memorable, and not bad.

I have also written several less-accessible, but more artistically interesting songs that will probably not resonate with as broad of a scope of people. However, I find them far more interesting.

So do I record songs that will appeal to a broader spectrum of people, and are generally a safer bet? Or do I record songs that I find more interesting, and maybe people won't like as much? Or both? Or neither?

I have made a decision about this question....but what do you think?

Video Blog, 01.25.12

Upcoming EP

It has been said that a song is like a star. If it's in the sky, it shines. But if you don't put it out there, it will never shine.

In that spirit of "putting it out there," I am excited to announce to you my new creative project, a forthcoming EP of original worship music. This is my first solo project, and I'm nervous and excited to share it with you. The three-to-five song EP we're recording will be available for MP3 download in the late spring/early summer [if all goes well].

Along the way, I will be documenting the entire process with you on this blog and on my new Facebook fan page. I am really looking forward to sharing with you the joys and frustrations of bringing this music to life. Hopefully, as I share the process with you, and invite your response, you'll begin to feel a part of this experience. After all, we are all in this life together!

Whether you like the end result or not, it's okay. These are just a few more stars in the sky. Either way, thanks for coming into the journey with me!

Talk to you soon!

Purpose of Worship

An interesting quote from a book I'm reading:

"The transformation of people's lives must be the ultimate goal of worship, as it is for church life generally. I know all the arguments for worship being about glorifying God [whatever that might mean] and for worship to be God-centered. I just don't accept them as the end of the discussion....

A life of words and actions and thoughts that are being transformed is more likely to bring glory to God than the endless singing of love songs to Jesus that bring no transformation. Transformation of the worshipers is the goal of all worship." [The Art of Curating Worship, Mark Pierson]

Do Everything/Do Nothing

There are two types of vacations, and two types of vacationers. The first type I call the Do Everything vacation. Wherever you go, the Do Everything vacationer will plan it all out so that you maximize your time, see and do everything you possibly can, and experience life at your destination to its fullest. You will wake up early, go to bed late, and rush from here to there in order to cram in as much as possible. The Do Nothing vacationer doesn't care where you are, their plan is to do nothing. They will sleep all day, stay in the shower or bathtub forever, read a book, watch a movie, and generally veg out. At the end of this type of vacation, you will have done very little--but you will be rested.

I am a Do Nothing vacationer.

My wife is a Do Everything vacationer.

We usually meet in the middle. We just returned from our annual Do Nothing Vacation in the Smoky Mountains. We join eight other college friends in a fancy cabin in the Smokies, and generally hang out, play video games, eat, talk, read books, scrapbook, whatever. It is my ideal vacation.

This year, we got a little more active. We took a hike for a better part of the afternoon one day, and we played a round of golf on another day. The rest of the time we mostly ate. All in all, it was a great time--but a little more Do Everything than I care for. Next year, I am a committed Do Nothing vacationer.

How about you? Are you a Do Everything, or a Do Nothing vacationer?

Out Next Week!

I'm on vacation next week. So I have a lot going on today to try to tie up loose ends. With that said, this blog post is finished.

Here and Now

One of the most important things in life is enjoying the present moment. I've heard it called the "sacrament of the present moment." There is something sacred and holy about being in the "now", being awake to what is present, and the God who is present in all and through all.

In the present moment, we can hold life gently. We can take it as it comes to us, and appreciate it for the good gift it is. We can slowly become aware of God around us, within us, outside us, holding us, sustaining us.

We can truly be present to others. We can hear others' hearts. We can think. We can create.

All we truly have is THIS. Here. Now. As Jesus said, "Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow has enough trouble of its own."

Work v. Play

I struggle to balance the tension between effort and restful service. I believe the best work comes out of the overflow of the heart. However, I believe that we should also give all we have to what it is that we do. I'm in this period of life where I am feeling incredibly motivated to accomplish a lot, to be fruitful, to make a difference. And every once in awhile, I am wondering to myself: Am I being too driven?

I do believe that it is God's power in me that allows me to live and move and have my being. I believe it is Jesus who sustains me breath by breath, moment by moment.

However, I also believe that I will reap what I will sow. I believe that if I put my "talents" to work, and work hard, that the harvest will yield its fruit.

So I struggle with this. I want a healthy balance between work and play, activity and rest, movement and stillness. And right now, I'm not sure if I'm balanced enough. I'll have to sit with that a little longer, I suppose.