KEYS
A NEW KEYS ERA // THE 90 ’ S ? | David Pfaltzgraff
Do you ever feel nostalgic ? I ’ m sure the answer is yes . These days scrolling social media it often feels like a constant stream of nostalgia , with every other video or image being some ‘ throwback ’, ‘ remake ’, or ‘ remember when ?’
Let me ask you another question . Have you ever heard nostalgia ? If you could hear it , what would it sound like ?
In my experience music as an art form is inherently nostalgic . I suppose that says something about us as human beings , too . What I mean is that every new ‘ innovative artist ’ or genre can always be referred back to an artist or genre that came before it , pioneering the way to their exploration , providing inspiration , and serving as something of a foundation for their innovation .
It ’ s helpful to view music through a nostalgic lens when you consider the way you approach your instrument . From the keyboard specifically , being aware of the ‘ nostalgia cycle ’ you ’ re operating in can make you a more informed and relevant member of your band .
What is a nostalgia cycle ? I ’ m glad you asked .
ONE BIG CIRCLE History repeats itself . Life imitates art , which imitates life . If you pay enough attention , you can look at any one snapshot in time and that specific moment ’ s leading musical innovations and you ’ ll be able to identify previous cycles of innovation that either consciously or subconsciously made it all possible .
Let ’ s talk about the worship music of the mid 2000s , for example . To me that era was defined by the rise of the informed worship guitarist , pursuing tube-amp tone with an ever-changing , ever-expanding pedalboard and a constant barrage of dotted eighth note delay . This guitarcentric approach was supported by eighth notes from the bass , ‘ live ’ feeling drums , and from the keyboard a desire for warm , 80s-style analog pads emerged .
Did you catch it ? That ’ s the cycle , right there . I said ‘ 80s style ’ analog pads . You see , when you zoom out on the mid 2000s it becomes clear that much of worship music was taking cues from the great arena bands of the 80s , specifically U2 ’ s genre-defining brand of epic , anthemic stadium rock . That band and eras influence clearly informs the bright , shimmery guitars and wall of sound pads that became the norm for worship music two decades later .
QUICKLY NOW To catch these influences , themes , and cycles requires some knowledge of the musical history that ’ s come before or at least a willingness to do some homework . What ’ s interesting when you look back over the last hundred years or so is that there ’ s some loosely identifiable rhythm for these cycles . Over the last twenty years or so the length of time between an original trend being pioneered and its eventual repetition as a throwback of influence appears to be shortening .
Twenty years ago I would have said the average was around three decades before something became ‘ new again ’ and these days it seems that we ’ re moving a bit faster as a culture to the point where it ’ s common now to express musical nostalgia for something that happened less than twenty years ago .
WHERE ARE WE NOW ? So , as worship musicians what cycle are we in currently ? It ’ s the nineties , baby ! About five years ago I started ‘ calling this shot ’. Back then
68 July 2024 Subscribe for Free ...