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| Saturday, May 31, 2008
A Brief History of CCM in Singapore Writer : Dawn FungWhat if you knew that local Christian artist(e)s have been doing and writing their own stuff since the 70s in Singapore? That's how far we have come as a community. Since the 70s and 80s of the Eagles Singing Team, the 90s of All Good Gifts Ministry and Awakening Productions, to the 2000s of Wake Me Up Music, Sonic Edge Ministries and today's Ignyte for youths, the scene has come a long way. Following the heels of Nashville, the speed at which we grow our local CCM has been commendable. What CCM is  Dove Awards : Is it mass appeal or appreciation?In Singapore, the more prominent names are those of bands rather than individuals (see Clement Chow) : Starfish, MYST, Parousia, Vertical Rush, Pension State, Firefight... The supposition is that Singaporeans may be more equipped to emerge as a group - our Asian desire to belong as a collective and the fact that most, if not, all Christian bands and groups saw themselves doing music out of evangelistic agendas than for fame and musical recognition. 70s to 80s   Eagles in the 70s and 80sAccording to Michael Tan of Eagles Communications, in the 70s, "You can safely we were the first group to use concerts as an evangelist outreach. After that, the churches." Eagles were in a sense, the pioneers of CCM, although their genres was pop ; yet their vocals and melodic instrumentation did not reflect the common church fare, "Churches were conservative in the 70s. If you played electric instruments, you brought the nightclub world of pop music with you." Under Dr Kelly Tang, the Eagles' music diet included pop, classical, orchestra and musicals. (You can hear the recordings in 'Once Again', the CDs of their heritage and imagine the kind of impact it made back then.) Dr Kelly Tang, current music director of Eagles Communication, remembers, "Eagles Communications was one of the major pioneers of massive evangelistic musicals in the 1970's, along with larger churches such as Wesley Methodist (the Victory concert series), Paya Lebar Methodist (the Apostle) and Kampong Kapor Methodist. These used to be held at venues such as the National Theatre and Victoria Theatre. I remember feeling inspired when I attended those these concerts as a young student. Little did I know I at the time would be involved in organising such concerts a few years later when I was invited by Eagles to serve as its music director in 1980. This was incredibly thrilling for a young Christian musician. At that time, Eagles was moving towards small portable vocal ensembles that could go on concert tours overseas." The prominent individuals who grew from the Eagles in the 80s were Glenn Gloei, Clement Chow, and Hossan Leong, from collectives like The Eagles Singing Team, which was formed for the purpose of creative evangelism. The Eagles group produced and hosted these concerts in neutral places where non-Christians found more accessible. The result were a harvest of souls, opportunities for creative people to serve - continued under the name Crosswinds - and today, a legacy where CCM began. 80s to 90s  Onesimus PrincipleIf Eagles pioneered CCM in its infancy stages, it was All Good Gifts Ministry (AGGM) that really made it a community. AGGM started with a group of young worship leaders and musicians who decided to serve God in a free and creative environment. For Andrew Choo, member of AGGM in 1993 till it closed in 1996, "The main thing was that they believed in a non-restrictive God who was creative, and inspired them in their music." Roy Christian, Training Director, YWAM Singapore remembers, "AGGM and YWAM Singapore were involved in the early days of supporting CCM." Under founders Sydney Tan and Joshua Wan, AGGM included both CCM and local worship music, and it was the first Christian organisation to get local artists from different churches together. The most memorable group was Onesimus Principle, the in house CCM group with a few albums to their name. According to Andrew, "It was the first Christian band in Singapore with original songs. At the back of their LP is a picture of the whole group that includes : Clement Chow, Belinda Foo, Joshua Wan, Sydney and Jasmine Tan, Robert Fernandez (previously GM of Hard Rock Cafe, Singapore). All of them felt God deserved more... in the process of Onesimus Principle, they created a community called AGGM." The success was phenomenal. Within a decade, AGGM had their own studio and they were able to literally create and produce their own music. With the expertise of Joshua and Sydney, the group also offered an alternative source for fledging musicians and songwriters to find help, "If they had no money, AGGM would offer their services at a lower price. To actually see such these people grow this community then, was 'wow'." The studio and equipment was a way to support the CCM and worship community. Later, AGGM also included dance and drama (unlike the concentrated of multidisciplinary musicals of the Eagles) for various artists. The group met up often at the office and studio at Alexandra Road. "We met almost every week for sharing and because AGGM had a partnership with YWAM, I had the opportunity to listen to messages from YWAM missionaries and speakers sharing about life and topics that concerned us. Not just music and arts, but things like marriage, missions, and intimacy with God." The bond was genuine and effective, and as Andrew recalls, "I could understand why Christians can grow so strong because of this family concept. AGGM leaders were not afraid to openly to correct us if we veered away from God." Down the road in 1995-1996, the leadership decided to close down AGGM. For Sydney Tan, it was a "season" in God's timing. Perhaps it was the fact that too many members thought of AGGM as their church when it was only a ministry for a niche group of people. The strain to keep a pure focus on God could have been compromised if something did not straighten out. For Andrew, "I will always remember the final statement. Sydney said, 'The final decision about closing AGGM was done because the leadership chose to obey God.' We couldn't say anything because it was true. it was the first time I came across obedience in the Lord in my life." When the leadership decided to close down, AGGM had already been recognised by churches as a significant organisation to help train their members in the arts. The leaders who headed AGGM grew to develop their own presence in the local field - the names of Joshua Wan, Sydney Tan, Belinda Foo and Clement Chow are often heard. "AGGM started for churches to rise up in the creative arts and for songwriters and dance groups to develop. I believe they finished what God wanted them to finish," says Roy. "Now churches have various preferences of worship leading and I hope the goal is intimacy with God and I hope it's not just great music." 90s to 2000s  Starfish, one of the pioneering CCM bands of the 90sWhile Eagles and AGGM were largely organisational, the 90s were beginning to loosen up, reflective of a diverse generation who found themselves connected via venues. For Adrian Tan, lead singer of Pension State, there was 1VOX, a Christian cafe : "the only place that sold good and available CCM CDs". A cosy hideaway in Adelphi, 1VOX attracted young bands, students and curious members who were not part (or did not know) of AGGM and who sought relevant Christian music in their culture. Through the networking at 1VOX, Irving Koh, lead singer of Starfish, met the rest of his band. Also, "From 1996-1998 we had cell group weekly at 1VOX." The watering hole was a congregating venue for local Christian bands to meet and fellowship, as was Noah's Ark, the Christian venue with proper equipment for performances. After 1VOX and Noah's Ark, the community found other places like Bible House, and eventually Garage, the cafe opened by Irving and Gevin (Starfish's drummer), from 1999 to 2001. At the same time, there was a longing for a more collective identity. Urged by Glenn Lim of MYST, the three bands (MYST, Starfish and Parousia) consolidated a monthly presence at Noah's Ark. As their gigs attracted other bands, a loose community called Awakening Productions formed. Awakening Productions was to become a force in growing a serious subculture that changed Singapore's local Christian music landscape. It was called the Great Awakening. In 1998, 18 bands came together to perform at now defunct club, Venom. They were featured in The Bulb, a compilation of local Christian bands, a success in terms of culture, branding and awareness of CCM. The gig was a reflection of a much more independent scene. There was punk, soft and heavy rock, folk-pop, and other sounds previously not featured in the 80s. The people who were involved were a lot of young people who loved what they heard also in the burgeoning secular scene and were hoping to integrate it with their faith. Radio airplay of CCM bands like Jars of Clays also gave the locals a sense of identity and affirmation. For Irving, "I look back with fondness - it was a time where egos were laid down, and talents, gifts and the willingness to serve." Such were the hallmarks of the Awakening group.  Vertical Rush, one of the bands in The Great AwakeningFor Glenn, "In 1998, Awakening Productions became a platform where Christians who were inclined to fringe activities, including various forms of art, could use that to reach others in a non-intimidating manner. That means that you could organize a gig using Awakening Productions with no Christian connotations. The Christian connection comes from the people in administration, the bands and the artists. It was a way to reach out to the secular industry."(2) In addition, Glenn also sought spiritual covering for the group by seeking Church of our Saviour as its anchor. However, as leadership within Awakening Productions differed in direction, cracks appeared. The collective divided into Tsunami, a group that sought to continue CCM in its essence of Christian only bands (it stopped after its leaders, Wally and E-Gene "grew up with real jobs") and Awakening Productions, already establishing and with a heart more for including non-Christian bands for outreach. What was apparent also was the changing concerns in Christian bands. It was no longer about whether or not they found like-minded people but as Adrian puts it, "We [Pension State] were a punk band that were on the fringe. We had to deal with issues like, 'Should a Christian band evangelise onstage?' Pension State was neither completely secular nor christian in outreach". It seemed that the CCM question had found a friction between aesthetic freedom and evangelistic agendas, something not common in the 70s and the 80s. The end of the decade was characterised by a few things : Garage's closure, Glenn's ordination as a youth pastor, and the birth of Sonic Edge for a new generation of sound and voices. Starfish's members also had other priorities although they meet up as close friends, cemented by a golden age of good relationships and growth, "We're not proficient musicians and songwriters but God uses us. We are constantly reminded of that." 2000s - 2008  the firefight, a popular band who opened for SwitchfootWithout church support, CCM in Singapore may not reach a full potential. Imagine the impact to the congregations if local pastors supported their members' gift in songwriting and music out of the church. City Harvest's crossover with Ho Yeow Sun is a prime example although many may still disagree with the move. In the same way, Sonic Edge, the first CCM cum worship ministry shows just how integral church support is to musical growth. With the closure of Sonic Edge Ministries, it meant also that Christian bands today do not have a common venue to congregate. Unlike the 90s use of venues as meeting places, bands like Firefight are fiercely independent and successful without the need of a organisation behind it. It means also that the paths set by the earlier generations have worked in creating a network of names that are quickly establish - the youths of the 90s are the bands of today who know each other already through the scene. The concern of today's Christian bands today are no longer whether it is acceptable to evangelise through their mediums, but how well their sounds, and therefore their work, is received. As a badge of honour, a good production and gig is tantamount to credibility, which means that onus is more on the music than the message. Such conflicts, common in the 90s, fade today as people come to terms with theology that also supports their excellence in the marketplace, and affirmation on acceptance through Christ and not works. As such, the professionalism lacking in the 90s are honed in the decade of 2000s. The recordings of CCM albums today are much finer and reflective of a groove heard on radio. Walking on Water is a well received jazz-funk band - their members do sessions with celebrities; at the same time, Christian producers like Sydney Tan, Joshua Wan, Martin Tang and Kevin Foo (of Starfish) offer a rising tide of expertise and sounds in the marketplace. Wake Me Up Music (WMUM), an outfit by Awakening Production that began as a jamming and recording studio cum store, is now a front for many Christian bands who seek exposure beyond church and community. WMUM takes care of bands' recording and distribution needs, and represents many voices of the current generation. You can see posters of gigs at Zouk, Home Club and other seeker friendly, and culture current places at WMUM's yahoogroup notices. Although the store closed down due to a government lease, its life continues online. And the internet is essentially the new watering hole today. The internet enables Christian bands to take up ownership of their own platforms - facebook.com leads the way in building up quick, publicity friendly communities, myspace.com the business card for music to proliferate, and the yahoogroups and websites of WMUM and Baybeats advertising space for bands to showcase.  CSMusic - the answer to a CCM industry?A clue to how this decade's blossoming of church support in CCM will look like : CSMusic and Ignyte. Both are independent groups where churches and local artistes are given platforms to showcase local music, worship and CCM. The difference between both groups are precedence; CSMusic is formed by the artistes who lead - Jon Wee and Pauline Phoon have in mind a Nashville-like industry cum community for CCM that invites churches to participate, whereas Ignite is formed by a network of churches that invites members to participate as songwriters and bands. Part of such appeal is that church workers are able to play a more active role in encouraging the songwriting and music giftings of their members; Methodist Pastor Barnabas Chong oversees worshipsg.wordpress.com to support local worship music, and coordinates with other worship pastors the upcoming In Deep Worship, a series of worship sessions aimed to refresh worshippers in ministry and to release new songs. If the use of CCM is about 'good music', then we have progressed accordingly. On the other hand, as independent bands continue to proliferate for the sake of aesthetic workmanship, new boundaries of evangelism will take place in relational and online spheres. The future for CCM? An industry of church partners and organisations, better sounds, commercially disseminated and recognised and accepted by the masses; and with it, the stability and focus to look to God for faith, hope and love for enduring sounds of spiritual and cultural relevance in a changing world. (1) http://www.ccmmagazine.com/news/stories/11571686/page1/ (2) http://createlevoyage.com/2004/01/sonic-movement-glenn-lim.html (3) http://createlevoyage.com/2004/09/our-sonic-bash-sonic-festival-04.html QUESTIONS FOR LOCAL SONGWRITERS Answers are from Charis Ng, a 17 year-old who worships at New Life Vineyard Church and part of the duo 'Charis and Enqing'; Averil Leong, choir & worship leader from Rivers of Life Church; and Flora Chan, an independent songwriter since the 90s. Songwriting is a craft and profession, although not all songwriters knew they destined for that area of work. When and how did you first know that songwriting had to be a part of your life? Charis : I found it was amazingly therapeutic to draw on personal experiences for songwriting material. At 13, where I was going into a new environment, making new friends, exploring different relationships, songwriting became a major part of my life. Averil : I started about five years ago when I was convicted to pen down and share with my church worship team a song God gave while I was spending personal worship time with Him. Thereafter, they (the songs) just kept coming... Flora : To me, it is an avenue of expression and a creative outlet. I started writing poems to express how I feel about the world I live in. That was when I was 14. When I got to my 20s, I decided that setting music to words could add an extra dimension to what I want to say and how I want to say it; after all, music itself is also a language. And sometimes, the music speaks so completely, words become redundant. So in a way, I only started to write songs when I had some basic ability in playing the piano (just enough to get some tunes going but beyond that, I need the help of more competent musicians to help me complete the musical arrangement of the song itself). Actually, songwriting makes venting respectable, if you think about it. Especially if you have something to say about what's going on in the world or inside you. Could you comment on the process of your songwriting, in terms of inspiration, a familiar routine or certain moods and aspects? Charis : I learnt once, that the best pieces of writing are based on personal experiences. In the same way, I feel there is a certain depth to one’s songs when they're based on real life. For these kinds of songs, I often take apart the entire situation in order to write about it. Sometimes, it feels no better than pouring salt onto my own wound, but the end product is always worth it. Besides that, I think there is beauty in the mundane which makes for interesting songwriting material. This includes jogs in the park, hair cuts or even train rides! Besides the occasional bursts of inspiration, songs usually come in quieter places and definitely when I'm relaxed (or trying to be), and not thinking about next week's schedule. Averil : I can't remember "writing" a song because I planned or wanted to. They always birth from my personal worship time with God. Therefore, I can't quite call them "my" songs. I'm just a secretary who took down the "minutes" (songs) & now has the duty of "tidying" them up and sending them out. Flora : Routine sounds more like it. I used to spend one day a week sitting at my piano for several hours just working on lyrics and melody. Pure discipline. I did that every week on the same day (which happened to be a non-working day for me) and for as long as four to five hours uninterrupted. Mostly in the afternoons because nobody was home so I could work in peace. When I started living on my own, I had more opportunity to be a little more random. The wee hours of the morning seem to fuel my creativity juices better as it is very quiet although my neighbours did complain about playing the piano past midnight. Are there any goals or expectations to your songwriting for the long term ie the next 5 - 10 years? Charis : As of right now, I'm working closely with Enqing and Victor to get an album out, hopefully by November this year. We're hoping to have the opportunity to keep on doing that, right through university, despite the distance between us when I'm in the US and Enqing in UK. Averil : I'm engaging in my first exercise of "sending out the minutes" via an album recording project. targeted to release in early November 08. if God wills, there may be a second album within the next two to three years. Flora : I think I am more concerned with the timing of when a song is ready to be heard more than anything. It's art. So I would rather work towards the completion of a song which can be stage-ready. That's basically my biggest obstacle because I need the expertise of others - especially musicians because I am not one myself. The Singapore Christian songwriting scene is currently more prolific towards worship music than contemporary Christian music (CCM). In terms of worship music, do you have any views on significant changes in the way worship songs have developed over the years in church, maybe according to lyrical or music arrangements? Charis : I think in recent years, worship songs have become much more personal when it comes to lyrics. More Christian songwriters are willing to share songs that were written based on their own journey and as a result, we also feel like we too can identify. Flora : LaMar Boschman expresses it beautifully in these words : "Worship is the inevitable result of the creature catching a glimpse of eternal reality and responding". So whatever musical genre, or art form for that matter, that glimpse expresses itself in, that's worship. That's preferred to categorising them into 'worship' or 'CCM'. To answer the second part of your question, LaMar Boschman in his book "Future Worship" shed some important insight. He observes that since the 80s, church service had evolved into an event-based experience in order to "impact the worshipper" with the advent of new communications technology. So if according to him, the "medium has become the message" , then it would make sense that the lyrical content and musical arrangements of songs selected for service would naturally be the ones that would enhance the individual's "worship experience". It also explains the trend of worship songs towards a focus on the individual's experience and relationship with God rather than on the attributes of God in the past. Having grown up in several charismatic churches since the 80s, I did notice that the popular songs nowadays tend to talk about Me rather about Him. The last church I ever attended tend to prefer songs that talked about "Poor sinful Me" which bothered me a lot because it smacks of narcissism. What's wrong with singing about how great God is? Worship should be focused on the one who is being worshipped, not the worshipper. And in terms of CCM, how could the local church embrace or help grow the scene? Charis : I'm not very sure of this one actually, but I think by being supportive for one. i.e. not being too harsh, giving constructive criticism and of course, being open to us sharing our songs. Having a sounding-board or people who don't mind giving their two-cents worth is never a bad thing. Averil : Perhaps mass email (followed by regular updates) can be sent to ALL Christian organisations and churches' worship teams to firstly create greater awareness for local artists. Sample works can also posted in the emails or weblinks. Flora : I am curious. Is the local church at large not embracing or helping to grow the CCM scene? If that were true, then the question is, why not? Here's another question for songwriters: Why do you need the endorsement of the local church? What is your advice to Christian singer-songwriters out there? Charis : I've always felt that my Christian songs weren't good enough or performance-worthy, and that's quite natural. Songs are not always perfect the first time they spill out, and we might never feel like they'll ever be good enough, but it's always a good idea to see what other people think too. Sometimes the entire process seems to take a million years, but when the final product is out, it would have been well worth the wait! Flora : Here's my two cents' worth. As a worshipper, your accountability is to the One whom you direct your worship to. I think most of us artists (across the board) are always hankering after some kind of acknowledgment, approval etc from the church in order to feel validated. If God has truly given you a glimpse of His eternity, it should be shared with everyone irregardless of whether they know Him or not. Isn't that the real objective of any form of art? It is the sole expression of the one who has been inspired. And if that expression moves others, then it is your source of inspiration that is speaking through you and your medium. Isn't that enough validation from your Creator? Read more : Review of CSMusic's first songwriters' showcase Photos taken from band websites, facebook groups or google images
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