Mormon Pop: What is 'Mormon music'?

This debate has been going on for years and it�s not likely to end anytime soon, so I thought I�d throw out a few thoughts.

Last year, The Faith Centered Music Association added five new song categories to its annual Pearl Awards in a nod to the growing diversity of LDS music — or maybe it was just so I would have a chance of actually winning one. Even among LDS music makers there is always a lot of debate about styles and appropriateness. For example, some artists/producers don�t feel comfortable having full drums in a song with lyrics that are overtly religious. Others don�t have a problem with it.

Last Sunday night my group, Joshua Creek, performed a song at a tri-stake genealogy fireside. When the event was over, as we were putting our acoustic guitars into their cases, one of the leaders approached us to chat and offer his thanks. He ended with something like, "Some people are apprehensive about the use of stringed instruments in the chapel, but that was wonderful and appropriate."

Whenever this happens our guitarist likes to jokingly reveal an apparently well-kept secret: "See that piano over there?" he asks. "If you open it up and look inside, you�ll find 'em: strings! It just uses little hammers, we use our fingers."

While the FCMA�s official definitions of styles are useful for voting, they don�t hold a lot meaning for the average saint who simply wants to hear a good song — one that�s just right for the time of day and day of week. And the appropriateness of the style is going to vary from person to person.

I had a group of Average Joe listeners in a BYU journalism class a year or so ago that produced an E-zine about LDS music. As part of the planning process, the students wanted to define LDS music so they would know what their boundaries were, so to speak. After some spirited debate about styles and formats, it really came down to just two basic categories as far as they were concerned: 1) Music made by Mormons for Mormons, and 2) Music made for everyone that just happens to be made by Mormons.

Beyond that it starts to get real fuzzy due to differing tastes and opinions. But both are equally legitimate and relevant. Both can be good, both can be tacky; both can be inspiring, both can be offensive.

For me, I�ve tried to keep it as simple as possible and scaled it down to just one category of "Mormon Music." In fact, the definition has been around quite a while: "virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy" (13th Article of Faith). And even though the exact meaning of this is a little different for each of us, I think it works pretty well.

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