Developments in CCM

[treaclle]

greetings brothers and sisters! i wonder if u can help me.....

i am currently writing an essay for my uni course and i'm doing it about the role of improvisation in christian worship music. however, i am struggling with part of it due to the fact i have only been a christian a couple of years. maybe some older and longer-serving (maybe 10 years or more) believers out there can share some of their experiences with me.

basically, i'm looking at how improvisation has had an affect on the development of christian worship music. i realise lots of different styles of music are used for worship, but my essay is focusing on contemporary rock/band music because it is probably the most common and the one i'm most familiar with. when i say improvisation, i'm referring to times of free worship (spirit-lead stuff) as well as the way the band members make music up from following a simple chord sheet.

i realise that people's experiences very much depend on the church they attend and how/where they were brought up, but any insights anyone can give would be most gratefully received. i would especially appreciate views from UK residents, since I am studying at Brunel University in London, but views from all over the world are very welcome!

thank you all very much for your time.

peace,
alex

 

[ghost_on_fire]

hello there, Jars of Clay came out with the song Flood on there first cd about 10 years ago. I wasn't a christian at the time but I still remember liking it and hearing on the radio for MONTHS. They also are the guys who invented the sound for most christian bands in there genre.

Hope that helps , cya

 

[treaclle]

cheers for that. um... doesn't help specifically, cos i'm looking at improvisation in worship (i.e. as part of a church service) rather than bands that shaped the sound of contemporary worship music, but cheers anyway!

since i started the essay i've changed it around slightly now so i'm discussing how changes in worship music trends have affected the way improvisation is used during worship. i've been looking in more detail at the start of the charismatic movement and how more contemporary styles of worship have lead to more freedom of expression and hence increased use of improvisation. if anyone knows any good books or websites or has any information about this subject, that would be really helpful!

thanks again,
alex