The Spirit Vs. The Kick Drum

For the week of December 10, 2011 the Top 10 Christian music billboards features a song whose chorus consists solely of the lyrics “I’m Gonna Move” and another whose chorus vaguely states “You life me up with your love.”[1]  To anyone familiar with this style, this sort of ambiguity is typical and even celebrated with arms raised high on Sunday mornings in Churches throughout America.  One might conclude that the lyrics do not possess the richness required to captivate the emotions, but with key changes in every song for emotional effect and drum swells that crescendo to a droning pulse the music itself can be so effective, and, at times, even manipulative.  Derek Webb, a popular Christian Artist, wrote a song called “The Spirit Vs. The Kick Drum” in which he sings “I know how it works/No, I’m not Dumb/I Don’t want the Spirit/I Want the Kick Drum” to express this sentiment.[2]  It is in this situation that the modern Christian must seriously consider whether the use and abuse of musical techniques such as drum swells in Christian worship music distort the perceptions of an individual, causing them to confuse an emotional reaction with a religious experience. In Evangelical culture, Christian music has become popularized and termed “Contemporary Christian Music” forming a new liturgy for those participating in these Sunday morning rituals.

It is surely not unusual that Christians partake in the practice of using music in a religious context.  In fact, there may be no other custom that is so universally practiced throughout the expanse of human culture than the use of music to accompany religious ritual and experience.[3]  With Native American tribal dance, Tuvan throat singing throughout the Himalayas, Islamic calls to prayer, whirling Dervishes in Turkey, and the lofty choral hymns filling St. Peter’s Cathedral in London, humanity would seem to instinctually respond to religious experience through the use of song.   Christian history in itself even possesses great diversity musical history to accompany its interactions with God.  Beginning in Jewish times with monophonic call-and-response prayer songs, moving to organized chant in the sixth century, then to the introduction of polyphony in the Renaissance, and from there developing into the diversity we know today, Christian music has evolved in many different ways.[4] Though music can engender an authentic expression of worship as seen in human history, the modern Christian must consider how accurately one’s musical expression reflects the interaction between God and believer.

What exactly is a drum swell?

To make absolutely certain what is being discussed here, it is important to define a drum swell accurately, and to ascertain the precise technique.  Though others may refer to it with terms such as a build up, or a crescendo, for the purposes of this article, it will be referred to as a drum swell.  A drum swell can be defined as the musical technique in which a drummer uses his drumsticks and various percussive objects incorporated into his drum kit in an intentional manner to bring the volume from low to high.  This can be done in a number of different ways, whether using cymbals or a combination of snares and tom-toms, but the effect is similar in all cases.  Take for example this video, posted onyoutube.com, which teaches percussionists how to perform a “cymbal swell” (swell begins at 0:36).  The instructor describes this as a technique, “in which we start at a very low volume, and move gradually to a louder volume, in order to imitate increasing intensity in a musical context.”[5] The resulting sound causes a powerful effect, which most are familiar with from orchestral pieces.  The use of this technique in contemporary worship music however differs slightly.

Arguably the most pervasive use of this technique used in contemporary worship music is a combination of quarter or eighth notes on both the snare and large floor tom just before the climax of the bridge or chorus.  One of the artists that do this more than any other is the Contemporary Christian worship band from Australia, Hillsong United.  Take for example the use of this technique during their song, “Stronger” (watch it here, begins 2:44).[6]  This video, by the way, has almost 2 million views on Youtube.   Notice the fact that the ambiguous and vague lyrics that accompany this change are “So let your name be lifted higher” and remain constant throughout the segment, even though the emotional effect becomes increasingly more dynamic.  What Hillsong United demonstrates so clearly is the way to use subtle technique to manipulate emotions without an addition of intellectual significance.

This is surely not the only example of this, as the modern Christian worship lexicon is full of examples, but another will help solidify the idea more clearly.  Take, for example, Kristian Stanfill’s modern reprise of hymn classic “Jesus Paid it All.”  His use of the drum swell comes during the bridge of the song in which the lyrics are “Oh, Praise the One/Who paid my debt/And raises life/Up from the dead” (watch it here, begins 3:00).[7]  He even uses two drummers.  What is utterly fascinating about this example is that this bridge is a modern addition to this classic hymn.  Though the lyrics are slightly more engaging, one could wonder whether the effect draws its strength from the lyrical content or the musical technique.  The verses of the hymn seem to have just as much rich material as the bridge, yet few feel the swell of emotion as intensely throughout the song as they might during the bridge.  Author Robert H. Mitchell says,” any hymn which has survived the culling process for 200 years has demonstrated its universal value,” continuing, “the original text/tune of classic hymns has been validated by centuries of worshipping Christians.”[8]  One must wonder if this classic hymn really even needs this addition?  Does the reprise simply serve the purpose of facilitating a buildup?

It is also important to recognize that the drum swell is not the only technique prone to manipulation in the context of Christian worship music in the church.  In his book “I Don’t Like That Music”, Robert Mitchell notes that throughout history, Christians have used techniques (some coming from secular influence) in worship music, to create new and more powerful music.  Some of these techniques include the key change, 12-tone singing, and even Christianizing popular drinking songs.[9]  All of these techniques, though powerful in their own right, have the ability to interact with the listener on an emotional outside of mere intellect, which is the aspect of this use in church music that can be so detrimental.

The Reformers and Music

Though many Christian traditions have likely written on the subject, the Reformers wrote extensively to address this issue as they were addressing large cultural shifts within the formation of their new religious identity.  Ulrich Zwingli, founder of what would become the Anabaptist movement, decided that music should be “done away with completely, though Zwingli loved music and was himself an accomplished musician.  Public worship came to consist of prayers, public confession of sins, the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles’ Creed, and preaching.”[10]  John Calvin, kept music as a part of the church service but without instruments and stressed that “we should be very careful that our ears be not more attentive to the melody than our minds to the spiritual meaning of the words… On the other hand, such songs as have been composed only for sweetness and delight of the ear are unbecoming to the majesty of the church and cannot but displease God in the highest degree.”[11]  Though, Zwingli and Calvin were quite articulate on the subject, neither wrote so specifically on the subject as Martin Luther.

According to Daniel Reuning, a Lutheran Scholar, “one of the most frequent themes in Luther’s writings was that music, independent of any text or other influence, is a unique dynamic that either reinforces or undermines the meaning of the words.”[12] Though Luther was unclear about the specific technique he was addressing, one could assume that he was addressing the popular polyphony that characterized contemporary music of the time. This style would have been emotionally compelling but in the context of corporate church music would have sounded more like cacophony and indistinguishable lyrics and sounds.  Luther categorizes types of music that focused more on emotion as “carnal” and produced quite an impressive repertoire of songs in a hymnbook to combat these actions.   The hymns Luther wrote are theologically rich, and though a subjective assertion, are musically beautiful.  This is true in the case of one of Luther’s best-known hymns “Ein Feste Borg ist Unser Gott” which was later played by Bach.

A Look at Sentics

At this point, it is possible for cynicism on the subject to creep in and wonder if an individual’s subjective preferences towards aesthetics are the driving force of the argument.  To this, one could reference Sentics, the study of emotion, to get an idea as to how the mind engages in art of all kinds, including music.  In Sentics, emotions are classified in two modes: Dionysian and Apollonian.  “Dionysian” refers to Dionysus the Greek god of intoxication and “Apollonian” refers to Apollo the Greek god of dreams and reason.  Simply put, Dionysian modes of emotion are characterized by a more physical, visceral reaction, while Apollonian modes of emotion is far more intellectual in it’s way of feeling emotion.[13]  From this framework, Sentic Psychologist Manfred Clynes was even able to produce a wide range of emotions on command by fitting certain requirements.  Clynes stated, “It could be predicted that any musical theme that conformed to [certain] requirements would in fact express that particular emotion (many such themes are of course possible).” [14]  Among these emotions are reverence, love, joy, and even mild forms of euphoria.

Clearly, Sentics shows us that emotion possesses the capacity to be manipulated by music.  From these grounds, it is not a stretch to apply this to certain techniques of music being played in churches today.   To this, Reuning states, “So much contemporary music being introduced in some of our churches promotes Dionysian forces intimately related to the superficiality of television religion with its primary interest in an anthropocentric response rather than the mind expanding, emotionally controlled Apollonian response necessary for growth in the understanding and application of God’s Word.”[15]  With such a strong desire to “feel,” some may give in to the pressure to manipulate emotions for the gain of something that seems to the individual like a religious experience.

It is important to acknowledge that Dionysian modes of emotion are not all wrong.  In fact, it’s not possible to not feel them.  They are in place because of our human nature, and it is not wrong for an individual to feel this type of emotion toward God.  To make this point clear and articulate fully the pragmatic use of these types of techniques, one could look at an analog for this exact idea in another sphere of culture.

Dionysian Horror Scores

According to Jason Zinoman, a horror film critic, 1978 horror film “Halloween” could be one of the most imitated movies of all time, though it’s not the plot that is the most imitated.  He continues, “In a lot of ways, horror films are not about narrative… Halloween is a classic example.”[16] One of the major distinguishing factors of Halloween is the soundtrack.   Producer John Carpenter found a way to produce sounds that were authentically terrifying and accurate to the emotion he was attempting to instill: fear.  For his time, this was a feat of unrivaled artistry, as none had used music to emote fear in such a way, but lay his film on the backdrop of today’s horror film market, and the soundtrack seems far less unique.  Producers have learned how to reproduce a soundtrack to give a specific emotion to the end that they would like to produce.  Their ability to manipulate the audiences emotions using music, can directly translate to a monetary gain.   One could postulate, that if producing fear on a more visceral level was so easily achieved through manipulation, that there would be less motivation to create something that targets the intellectual side of the audience.  The end result is a contrived and manipulated market that lacks the authenticity of a truly scary story; the films become mere skeletons to house scary moments.  It is an odd parallel to the point at hand, but if one could synthesize this accurately into the construct of modern worship music, it becomes clear that modern Christian worship is, at times, guilty of the same thing.

Living God Groupon

A cultural shift that one could take into consideration, which coincidentally accompanies a great number of artists that utilize the drum swell technique, is the worship concert.  Consider the atmosphere even 50 years ago, in which the music that contemporaries used to reflect their religious affection was almost exclusively performed within the confines of a church building, with the exception of occasional private use.  This setting lent itself to the leadership of the local church, who could control, to some degree, what was happening.  It also did not make it possible for an overwhelming number to be present, which could increase the intimacy of this experience.

In today’s Christian culture, Christian worship bands, previously for the exclusive function of local church worship, now act like touring secular bands, offering their “worship” experience as a product for the masses.  They fill concert halls and arenas with thousands.  Hillsong United, for example, sold out a concert on June 20^th 2011 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, whose maximum capacity is roughly 20,000 for concert performances.[17]  Conseco advertised the concert by saying,  “After becoming the first Christian artist to sell out Staples Center in Los Angeles, logging sold out events at major venues coast-to-coast this winter/spring and subsequently gather Pollstar Magazine’s April 11 “Hotstar” cover feature, modern worship band Hillsong UNITED returns to the U.S. in June to pick up where they left off.“[18]  It continues quite candidly, “the appeal of Hillsong UNITED is … creating an atmosphere where people engage and express their faith through dynamic worship music that creates an incredible unified experience.”  This experience, for the record, comes at a price of $33 except for the lucky 520 people who snatched up the discount offered by Groupon to get the experience for an economical $12.[19]  What could illustrate the point more clearly, that this “experience” is a product to be bought and sold, driven by market demand and simple economics, than this?  Consumers can purchase a worship experience; an encounter with the Living God.  It is no stretch to assume that this demand intensifies the need for the artist to provide an experience that satiates the emotional desires of the consumer.  The drum swell, with its power and dynamic force, serves that need in excelling capabilities.

Could it really be true?

The difficulty in drawing the conclusion though is two-fold.  Firstly, there is an assumption that for this phenomenon to occur, one or more parties possess some form of mal-intent.  The possible forms of mal-intent could be monetary, for power, or a slew of other reasons.  The effect of this assumption is essentially a demonizing of those who are likely Christian, and in some occasions have a personal attachment to the listener.  This assumption, however, is not necessary to agree to the notion that this form of manipulation is happening.  One must not assume mal-intent, though it is certainly possible.  One would hope that this manipulation is unconsciously occurring and that the artists truly have the best intentions in what they are doing.  This however, does not remove the truth that manipulation, to some degree, is happening.

Secondly, it is hard for an individual to come to a conclusion on this because if one admits that it happens, then one must admit that it has likely happened to them.  One could assume that few people like affirming the fact that they were manipulated.  To admit this premise is to potentially shake the foundation of ones own personal faith.  One, who may have been subject to this manipulation, must ask themselves honestly, “have I actually met with God?”  One would be right to approach this potentially faith-shattering proposition with caution, but again, it does not remove the truth that manipulation, to some degree, could be happening.

It is by fully acknowledging these reservations that the reader must look further into their experience to question on a personal level whether this has been true.

Singing songs to Christ, as if to a God

Once one allows for the possibility of this manipulation, what can be done?  These styles and techniques are so pervasive that it would be difficult to truly avoid this occurrence, at least for the present.  For the future of worship music, popular Christian artist, David Crowder (who for the record uses drum swells), says in a talk hosted by Q ideas, “I think we see a pattern that is readily spotable(sic)…a move [in Christian Worship] toward the limitless, a period of want for restraint and order, and then a capitulation.”[20]  To Crowder, Christian worship music has been an ever-evolving process.  Currently, he believes that the “modern worship explosion” is in the period of want for restraint and order.  If Crowder is correct, then the styles of worship that are being protested against today will, over time become acceptable.  This capitulation, has both the capacity to fully embrace the drum swell, or be rid of it entirely, but that does not eradicate the problem.

If history has shown us anything in this study, it is simply that this will happen; if not with the drum swell, with some other technique.  It is the responsibility of the church and its members to thoughtfully critique their cultural underpinnings so as to provide, not themselves, but God with the most authentic worship.  This worship comes not from manipulation of the emotions, but of a sincere and honest interaction with the living God.  To this end Crowder says, quoting church father Pliny, “I hope and pray that we will also, in the process of this contentious thing ahead of us, be known and defined simply as people singing songs to Christ as if to a God.”[21]

Create

To visually represent the emphasis music has on religious experience, I used Derek Webb’s “Spirit Vs. the Kick Drum” song to create a new icon for the American Church. Icons are prevelant in Eastern Orthodox culture and the circle around Jesus’ head is a reference to His diety. I used an image of a kick drum to visually convey the confusion of what happens when emotional manipulation through music confuse religious experience.

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[1]http://www.billboard.com/charts/christian-songs#/charts/christian-songs