[WM] You made mention in concert of the
power that movie music has had upon you in
your youth. You even referenced the Disney
song “Go the Distance”, from the animated
feature, “Hercules”, as having a powerful
impact upon you, and when you performed it
in concert, it became an inspirational moment
[WM] Name a few artists from the 40s, 50s,
“Music altogether
across the world
would be greatly
to everyone there. Do you think that more
attention should be paid to great movie music
by aspiring songwriters and worship leaders?
Are there elements in the craft of composing
music for movies that would be beneficial for
church music writers?
[Clark] First we have to worry about, when
you take things that are not born in a church
culture, you have to worry about people being
thrown off by it. Or bothering people and being
a hindrance, or something to get past. I think
we need to… one big thing, and almost my life
goal and mantra, has been to break down the
60s, or 70s, that have had a tremendous
influence on you. These can be writers from the
“Great American Songbook”, to Motown and
the Philadelphia International Songbooks. I’ve
heard you cover Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye,
Hoagy Carmichael, Smokey Robinson, James
Brown, Sting, Stevie Wonder and others. You
diminished have such great respect for the past, which is
without the music.
a breath of fresh air, in an era of “disposable”
[Clark] Let’s see, where to start… Marvin
church. You
Gaye, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Ben
Cook, Otis Redding, The Four Tops, The Isley
can take that
Brothers, The O’Jays, The Beatles, Billy Joel,
Bobby Darin, Sammy Davis Jr, Bill Evans, and
from 1000AD to I think that’s a good bout of people from my
present day.” those eras. Oh, Nat King Cole has to be on
head who I am certainly influenced by from
there.
wall between the sacred and secular.
[WM] I’ve often thought that if it weren’t for
The wall that is between sacred and secular know it or not. I don’t know anything about the American church, American Idol would be
is very much built by the church, or has been, the writer, whoever wrote “Go the Distance”, much diminished as a showcase for talent.
so it’s separating us from the heathens. Let but I believe that innately part of what drove Other than church, Americans really don’t have
them do their thing and we’ll stay in the church that song is his natural hunger and desire to much of an outlet for singing as a community.
building, and we’ll sing and we’ll go to heaven. go the distance to be with his heavenly father What do you say?
And if they want to go to heaven, then they - whether he knows it or not. I think it’s a great have to come into our church building and sing way to tie things in.
[Clark] I think music altogether, of all time,
our Chris Tomlin songs. Then they can maybe
across the world would be greatly diminished
Second question, movies just focus on without the church. You can take that from one
emotions. Congregational worship maybe, but thousand AD to present day. Especially today,
And my whole thing is, let’s break down these especially for special songs that are just really certainly today, you’re right. It’s the number one
walls and go into the world, but not be of the theatrical and big, cinematic, and there is a lot outlet for singers and players, to be in church,
world. to learn. And it opens it up, some churches are absolutely without a doubt. It might be the
scared of musical complexities in songs, and number one cultural influence of music, or the
When it comes to putting movie songs in the movies are definitely not, that’s something that number one foundational thing. The reason that
church, I think there are a lot of churches that we can pick up from movies. music is good, church might be the strongest
find salvation if they do that.
do special songs. Songs that are made for
and most foundational pillar of that.
congregational worship, and some songs that
are meant to just be listened to and have it [WM] What was it like for you to be paired with
ministered. I think in those moments it would the legendary Michael McDonald, during that
be great, and sometimes people might think American Idol show?
it would be cheesy. But a song like “Go the
Distance” is so good, and it’s about how we are [Clark] People ask me about what my favorite
all, whether we are Christians or not, we are all moment was on American Idol. It’s a difficult
creatures in search for purpose and in search thing to answer. But my answer has become
for our creator. And it comes out whether we
solid, and I confidently say it was playing with
Clark Beckham “Journey to American Idol XIV”
May 2019
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