Excellence in Conservative Christian Music Begins in the Home
In Part 1 of this series, I sought to highlight a situation in the general world I’m calling “Conservative Christian Music.” My intention was not, nor is not, to discuss specific musicians, or even really to address the controversial style question that is a key component of the “worship wars.” While there is a place and role for those discussions, it is not my primary concern here. Simply put, I am addressing a problem I perceive in the world of conservative Christian music, that is the problem of mediocre quality. I refer you to Part 1 for my observations about this problem. In Part 2, I want to suggest some ways to make improvements in this area.
Christian education rightly begins in the home. The church may provide parents and families with a community of people as help and support, but the parental mandate to instruct the children (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Ephesians 6:4) cannot normally be completely delegated to non-parents. Christian day schools, Christian colleges, or universities are no substitute for mom and dad. Sunday schools, Junior churches, and youth groups cannot do what parents can do. Christian camps are given no authority by God to do what parents are tasked with doing. All these entities or ministries can assist the parents, but they cannot be the parents.
The family is God’s first created institution on this earth. God tasks fathers and mothers to point the hearts and behavior of their children towards the things of God. Spiritual education must not only accompany academic education but must drive it. I contend that raising our children in the disciplined instruction of the Lord should also involve musical instruction of some kind.
Here are my suggestions for parents to help promote, produce, and perpetuate excellent, high-quality conservative Christian music:
First, Christian parents should play and learn to appreciate “classical music” in their homes on a regular basis. This is a must! No one disagrees that the general classical music genre provides beautiful, quality music that is beneficial to all who listen to it. Even if a parent does not appreciate it to begin with, they should learn to develop a taste for it and help their children develop a taste for it as well. Music from the likes of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi, and others are good places to start. I understand that acquiring a taste for classical music takes time, but it is important in this process. If this kind of excellent music is played in the home, both parent and child will develop an affection for things like beauty and order. Early exposure to classical music can help infants develop their own tastes and affection for excellence as well, let alone stimulate their brains in wonderful ways.
Classical music is enduring, unlike the lower quality pop music which is designed to be short-lived. Classical music provides musical expressions that are intellectual, not trite. It stimulates the mind in ways pop music is incapable of doing. Generally speaking, an appreciation for classical music by the children will most likely not happen unless the parents instigate it. In our home, we normally had the classical music radio station on constantly when our children were young, even in infancy. When they were elementary age, we listened to CD’s produced by Classical Kids1 that introduced many classical pieces and taught them about the composers as well. The past several years we listen much to classical music through radio stations in the car, or on our phones. Classical music is the predominant genre we listen to (I’m listening to it as I type this article). This steady diet of high-quality classical music has led my family to greatly desire more high-quality Christian music that reflects some of same quality of the classics.
Second, Christian parents should seek to provide classical musical training to their children in the form of music lessons if possible. I realize this is a sacrifice, and that for some it may not be feasible for various reasons. However, for most homes this can be doable. If parents are willing to sacrifice time, money, and energy to put their children in various sports programs, why would we not be willing to make the same sacrifices to train them in something they can use in corporate worship, namely an ability to play/sing?
Also, note that music lessons are not always inexpensive. We are thankful for our kids’ first piano teacher, who viewed teaching as a ministry and charged very little yet provided a tremendous musical education to our children, setting them on a path of success. As our children got older, the price for lessons increased. We looked for musical scholarships and made various sacrifices to make lessons happen because we believed in the value of the process. Instrumental rental and purchase can also be costly, but with some wise fiscal management good instruments can be acquired.
I recommend that parents begin piano lessons for their children at an early age. Piano lessons provide a foundational understanding of music and can form a wonderful foundation upon which to springboard into any other instrument, should the child desire to do so.
In short, where our treasure is, there our heart will be. And what we value greatly, we will willingly sacrifice for. If we value high quality Christian music, then we as parents should be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to help produce it.
Third, Christian parents, even though they may not be musicians themselves, can communicate to their children through their words and actions what they value. There is no question about whether God values music. We have an entire book of our Bible structured like a hymnal. Various songs are sprinkled also throughout the rest of the Bible. God values good quality, spiritually-minded, scripturally-saturated music used to worship him. Parents must learn to value it, too, and elevate it before their children. Listening to it at home or in the car, honoring the children’s musical accomplishments, helping the children develop and maintain a practice time in their normal daily schedule, and valuing it in their demeanor will all speak volumes to the children. If they sense the parents do not value quality Christian music, the children probably won’t value it either.
Conclusion
As parents of young musicians, we do not regret any of the time, money, and sacrifices we made in the musical choices for our children. They greatly appreciate high quality music, and greatly desire for Christians today not only to appreciate it, but produce, publish, and perform it for the glory of God and the edification of God’s people. I submit that this must begin with us as parents. No matter how old you are or how old your children are, do what you can to start this process and seek to grow a greater appreciation for high quality conservative Christian music.
This is part 2 of a series. Part 1 is here: The Pursuit of Excellence in Conservative Christian Music
Taigen Joos is the pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Dover, NH.
Photo by Tyler Callahan on Unsplash
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