Worship Musician August 2019 | Page 50

SONGWRITING
IMPACT, SONGWRITING, AND THE CHURCH - FROM A LECTURE, PART 1 | Alex MacDougall
“Music” is a very broad term. It encapsulates ECONOMICS: The 1930s were set against a And what about technology? Perhaps one of
many disciplines. Songwriting, composition, backdrop tof he Great Depression. The “Dust the greatest technological discoveries is also
publishing, and Bowl” also greatly impacted these years. Times historical in nature, and it profoundly influenced
performance, are just a few to note here. Music
recording,
radio
were beyond tough for most, but one bright music and recording. During the final months
also colors our Sunday morning experiences spot was in the area of songwriting. Songs not of World War II, US Army Signal Corp Major
in church, whether those expressions be only reflected the destitute financial condition “Jack” Mullin was assigned to inspect German
A cappella, pipe organ, choral, acoustic, that many were in (“Brother Can You Spare a radio transmission sites. This was due to
electric, “classic” praise, “modern” worship, Dime?”), but also contrasted the dire conditions the British and American forces noticing the
Reformation hymns or other forms of sung/ with hopes and dreams of a better life, as in the superior quality of Nazi radio broadcasts and
performed prayer. These are a few of the case of the iconic song, “Over the Rainbow”, ability to play extended pieces of music over the
numerous from The Wizard of Oz. airwaves. Mullin discovered two tape recorders
characteristics
airplay,
that
chronical
and influence our lives as worship leaders,
musicians, songwriters, and congregants.
and unused recording tape in an abandoned
“Somewhere over the rainbow way up high German radio station. Bear in mind that tape
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby recorders were unknown outside of Germany.
But our genesis needs to acknowledge the Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue Mullin was able to somehow keep the devices,
inspiration behind “music”, and the first thing And the dreams that you dare to dream really and upon return to the US after the war, was
to realize is that music and the music industry do come true” (© 1939 Arlan/Yarburg) able to reassemble them and eventually
has never been an industry unto itself. As
present them to singer Bing Crosby. Crosby
John Donne, Anglican cleric and poet wrote CULTURE: How can one possibly define the immediately recognized their potential, investing
during the early 17 th century, “No man is an music of the 1960’s without recognizing the the unbelievable sum (at that time) of $50,000,
island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of backdrop of the anti-war movement (Vietnam), in the Mullin’s-affiliated Ampex Company. After
the continent, a part of the main.” Music that three horrific assassinations (John and Robert the initial prototype was developed, Crosby
impacts has not only been composed against Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), the Civil passed the new recorder on to his guitarist,
a background of personal experience and Rights Movement (discrimination, segregation, Les Paul. Paul was not only a guitarist, but also
inspiration, but also history, economics, culture, marches, and rioting), the gripping fear during an inventor. Multitrack recording was created
technology, and of course artistry. Outside The Cold War, and the reach of the hippies and based upon Paul’s imaginative alterations of
sources largely shape what we create, so let’s extended “counter” culture? It’s impossible. the device.
briefly look at these individual distinctives. Drugs, student protests, marches, injustice, war, and the nightly news all influenced the In the early 1950s Les Paul would also lend his
HISTORY: History can play a pivotal role in the music of the day. Not only was Rock and Roll name to the solid body guitar that would impact
writing of songs. Francis Scott Key wrote the changed, but new expressions of Folk Music much of rock and roll. The 1951 in the video link
poem, “Defense of Fort McHenry” after viewing (Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a Changin’”), supplied shows that guitar. The advent of the
its shelling during the War of 1812, while aboard and African American Music (Motown Records) solid body electric guitar, both via Paul’s model
a British vessel. It was published and later set were now influencing culture just as the culture and the original 1950 Fender Broadcaster, the
to music. We know his words as our national had originally influenced them. forerunner of the Telecaster, will forever change
Brother Can You Spare a Dime Abraham, Martin, and John Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A Changin’
50 August 2019
anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
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