Keeping up with, and interpreting musical trends can be quite the challenge

COMMENTARY: Dave Wang

The past 4 years have been a time of dramatic change for the music
industry. The big labels are still trying to figure out a business model in these days of downloads, where the youth seem to have no ethical qualms ripping and sharing their songs in mp3 format. This has now spread and more people that I speak to are now sharing music. Ironically, listening to music is probably bigger than it has ever been. The public is seeking out new songs to fill their mp3 players and the opportunity for artists to be heard is richer than it has ever been. As my own musical project with Critical Mass is about to be released, I have been struggling with the best way to take our music to the general public and still recover the expensive costs of recording a professional album. Unlike most artists, however, I have a unique pulse on the listening habits of the youth; my nine kids who are constantly hooked to headphones and PC speakers.

Most encouraging to me is that because music is more freely available, the kids are more discerning. They are no longer bound to the playlists of the local radio station, which plays the same songs as the other radio stations. A simple search of the Internet can turn up gems. Thus, some of the commercial but artistically vapid releases are pretty quickly discarded at our house. In other words, if an artist can release quality work, there are people who will be willing to seek it out. As well, the youth that I speak to will buy CDs as long as they feel that they have developed a relationship with the artist. This can be as simple as seeing them in concert or communicating with them through a blog.

It seems like yesterday that CDs dominated. Then, in almost two or three years, mp3s took over and headphones popped up in the ear canals of people everywhere. I am going to make a bold prediction here. The days of mp3s are going to come to an end even quicker. Where are people turning? To YouTube. A simple visit to www.YouTube.com, as an example, will yield unbelievable music selection. Type in any group's name and you will probably find their music, either in live format, music video format or often there will just be a graphic presented along with the song. Record executives should note that my children hardly listen to the radio anymore. They listen to their music initially on YouTube exclusively. The conventional ways of getting your music heard no longer are valid. What makes this even more fascinating is that there is now a convergence of technologies that will make YouTube available on almost any mobile device. YouTube now have special versions of their content that can be sent directly to a mobile device. For example, my Blackberry now allows me to log on to this website, search for a song and stream the song directly to my phone at no cost other than what I pay for my unlimited data plan. This means that I no longer need to even store songs on my phone.

The downside of this is that the quality is usually pretty poor. However, this follows a trend where high resolution CDs died very quickly due to lack of interest, conventional CDs gave way to much lower quality mp3s and now my phone can play music that is well below the quality of even AM radio. However, the convenience of being able to access probably hundreds of thousands of songs on my mobile device is hard to deny.

Now, what does this mean for the new Critical Mass album? Well, we are releasing the album as a digital download only for the present time. This is a huge departure for us. The CD release will probably follow after a few months. It costs a couple of bucks for a CD whereas an mp3, other than the royalties, is essentially free to manufacture and distribute so this decision is entirely financial. We will try to create interesting interactive content such as blogs. We will focus on getting music videos and other content onto sites such as YouTube. Is this giving away the music for free? Definitely there will be lower quality versions of all our music available online. The gamble is to create enough of a feeling of loyalty to our listeners that they will support our efforts regardless of the free content available online. Will this generate enough income to recover our recording costs? Only time will tell. All an artist can do is to try to react to the new market trends. All I know that the opportunities are there for Catholic and Christian artists. I just wish I had a crystal ball to tell me how to move forward. In the words of Dickens, "these are the best of times, these are the worst of times".

Nick's Notes: Praise You In the Storm

by Nick Alexander

It has been my intention to follow up my last Nick's Notes article, about finding exceptional worship songs, with another article about how to discern which untested songs may work well for a congregational setting. However, over the last three months I have been thrust into a trial that I wish to recount here. I suspect that I would be able to continue my series in future installments.

My father-in-law, Richard, is a good man, a devout Catholic, and had been afflicted with epilepsy for nearly his whole life. A recent series of events (which included a minor traffic violation that caused the removal of his license), made him decide to do something about it: enlist for brain surgery.

This particular surgery, mind you, was among the most basic of surgeries … and he had it performed at one of the top hospitals in the state, by a doctor who has performed this surgery for well over twenty-five years.

This surgery came and went. Other than his complaints of a terrible headache, he was well on his way to recovery. He had one last surgery remaining, the replacement of that skull portion with a metallic plate—the portion removed that made the surgery possible.

Then early on Sunday morning, everything changed for the worse. A blood vessel burst in his head. The doctors caught the problem in time, and he was stabilized, but he had lapsed into a coma.

We were terrified. How could this happen? How did this procedure, done hundreds of times by one of the most proficient neurosurgeons in the country, go so terribly wrong? We didn't know if Richard would come back, and we sent the word out to close friends, family members, and clergy that prayers were most needed.

My mother-in-law had made great pains to visit Richard in intensive care on a daily basis, and my wife visited whenever she could. They prayed the rosary. They gave the nursing staff a healing-ministry-audio CD to be played in the room when they were not there. Their priest visited often to administer the sacrament of the sick. They conversed with him, watched television with him, and returned home emotionally spent.

Three and a half weeks went by, with no idea as to what to expect from this ordeal. Maryellen's family had never endured such a test before. I found myself in a position where I had to be a rock for my wife, and also for her family; dutifully helping out whenever I could, inviting the mother-in-law over for dinners, and taking care of minor errands that would have normally been cared for.

Miraculously, after three and a half weeks, his eyes opened. Our prayers had been answered. We were thrilled.

But this was not the end—in fact, it was only the beginning. Rehabilitation had begun. He was in an emaciated state, and he couldn't remember all details. ("This is normal behavior for post-comatose patients", said the nursing staff, encouragingly). He had to learn to walk again. He had to move from a feeding tube, to pureed food, to advancing to a knife and fork. He had to be transferred to a rehabilitation clinic about forty-five minutes from our home. And oftentimes, a family relative would travel there—at increased gas prices—only to discover that he was too tired to accomplish much of anything that day.

More than ever, I had to be the husband I needed to be at this time. Character traits that I never knew were in me had to be made evident. Maryellen and her family needed all the help they could get, and I knew that I had to be that calming, stabilizing force in their lives. I needed to encourage, find ways to be flexible for her, and be patient when things didn't go our way. It was my job to help Maryellen, to love her, assist her, and allot to her additional strength and courage. I needed to take the added responsibility of watching over our twin newborns, to cook whenever possible, to give her a night off for her to spend as she pleases, and to share with her how I am proud of her during this time. We have been married for seven years, and our marriage has never undergone such a stress-filled situation … I needed to assure her that she could rely upon me if she needed to.

Where was I drawing my strength from? Sunday Eucharist, for starters. Spiritual reading (during the bottle-feedings). Specific podcasts and DVR'd episodes from EWTN.

And music. Lots and lots and lots of music, collected in specialized playlists on my MP3 player.

I'm not speaking about just any music. I had made it a priority to search and find songs from varied sources—Catholic, Contemporary Christian, and secular that help me define what it is to be a man, to be of great courage, to be a strong husband with a gentle heart. Songs based on scripture passages that encourage me in my walk, like Ephesians 6:11-18, or Jeremiah 29:11. Songs that, upon repeat play, will continually remind me of what my calling is, and whose lyrics will give me strength to be the husband my wife needs me to be at this time.

So as I was helping Maryellen and her family, I was being sustained by lyrics that continually reminded me of what it meant to step up to be the father in the household. These lyrics were made alive by melodies that were as memorable, as they were infectious. Long after I had taken my earphones off, I still was reminded that I could really step up and be the person God wanted me to be at this moment.

I also want to be careful; I can understand that there may be others reading this who underwent similar trials, and those trials came out very differently, perhaps in the worst case. I don't want to be the facile music spokesperson who would dare claim that, by purchasing certain songs, you would find your burdens lightened, your problems solved, your pain erased. I don't dare want to be glib.

But for this moment in time, I found that music gave me the strength to be the support my wife needed me to be. And if I could be sustained during this difficult time, and partially attribute it to the power of great music, then I would humbly suggest that perhaps we can find a new way to relate to music, not merely as ear candy, not merely as white noise, but as a tool to help us grow in character, in times where we are called upon to make use of it.

It's been several months since, but as of this past Monday, my father-in-law has finally returned to home, where he will recuperate. He still has that final surgery to go through. The family will still have needs to be met. Things are looking up, but they can still turn on a dime. I hope to be there for them. And I'm most grateful for the songs that helped me do so.

Editor: Nick was kind enough to share his iMix of the songs he spoke of in his commentary.

© Copyright 2008 GrapeVine. Permission to copy or reprint this story must be obtained by writing to susan@gvonline.net. Used by permission.

Musings from the Editor: Catholic music is getting noticed!

Was I ever excited today to see these two articles in the National Catholic Reporter! Editor Sr. Rita Larivee, whom I had the pleasure of meeting last year at the Gather Us In Women's Conference in Worcester, MA, was gracious enough to grant me permission to post portions of the articles with links back to the full articles.

I think coverage in the National Catholic Reporter is very exciting. To me, this shows a couple of things. First of all, the National Catholic Reporter appeals to a different group of Catholics - equally faithful, but looking at issues from a more liberal perspective. I have not seen much, if any, coverage of Catholic music in this demographic. Now that the National Catholic Reporter, a fairly prominent publication, is taking notice, this bodes well for the future of Catholic music.

Secondly, if anyone had any doubt about the ability of Matt Maher's recent success to open doors for Catholic music, you can lay those doubts to rest. He is opening doors and the National Catholic Reporter is the perfect example. And it's funny how success outside of the Church is now making those inside the Church take notice. Like the scripture says (to paraphrase), "a prophet is never recognized in his own hometown."

GrapeVine was referenced several times and until I got an email just now from the author, I had forgotten that he had called me for input for this article!

Enjoy! Susan

Catholic music:
Rockers moving to the beat of a new evangelization
By GREGORY RUEHLMANN Prescott, Ariz.
Publication date:
August 22, 2008

There is a black sports utility vehicle idling in the parking lot of Yavapai Community College here that features, across its passenger side, an enormous picture of Pope John Paul II. His image rises up above the back wheel well and stretches his arms toward the front door, culminating, near the rooftop, in a radiant golden monstrance that the late pope lifts above his head. Beyond the makeshift popemobile, a faint thump of bass escapes the campus arts center, where the Matt Maher Band plays music for a darkened auditorium packed with college students and youth ministers. The audience raises hands and shouts along with the lyrics, as the air swells with the sound of Maher’s band. From outside, the noise sounds like a pulse. But inside, to both the musicians and the crowd, it’s modern Catholic worship in action, and the heartbeat of a movement championed by a pope who remains their inspiration three years after his death.

It’s late May in this small town in northern Arizona, where a youthful crew of the faithful convenes every year with a purpose, and where the soundtrack is largely provided by a bespectacled, unassuming Canadian who happens to be the biggest young Catholic songwriter in the United States. Welcome to ARISE 08. Welcome to the new evangelization.

This is a story about contemporary Catholic music -- its principal figures and its pioneers, its defenders and its discontents. It’s a story about Matt Maher and musicians like him, along with their publishers and producers, who see their work as one part of a larger effort to convert hearts and minds. It is, finally, a story about what the future church could look and sound like in America and beyond, both during Mass and outside the parish walls.

Youth rising
Most contemporary Christian music has an instantly recognizable sound. The songs are generally guitar-based, up-tempo and heavily produced, with a repetitive, frequently scriptural chorus. Since catching on in evangelical circles in the early ’90s, contemporary Christian music has become a lucrative industry, with radio stations proliferating nationwide.

It has also spilled over into Catholic worship. By the start of this decade, the genre underpinned the repertoire at most youth Masses in U.S. parishes. It has become integral to rallies, retreats and conferences like ARISE 08 -- the gathering at Yavapai run by Youth Arise North America, an evangelical Catholic organization that focuses on outreach to college students, primarily through the annual conference in Prescott. The four-day event features Masses, witness talks and a heavy dose of loud, enthusiastic contemporary music. When I arrived, over 340 people were in attendance, most in their early 20s.

Many of the young participants and volunteers at ARISE have been involved in Life Teen, a youth ministry program founded in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa in the mid-1980s that has expanded to hundreds of parishes. In the last 20 years, Life Teen has developed a track record for producing youths active in their own communities, as well as in programs like Youth Arise and the Steubenville youth rallies sponsored by Franciscan University.

“The way I see it, there was a point when our beautiful church needed to be reminded there were young people who felt very disconnected and weren’t coming,” recalls recording artist and music minister Tom Booth. “And Life Teen sprang up.”

The 46-year-old Booth is something of a godfather figure in contemporary Catholic music, thanks to his two-decade career as a recording artist, producer and guide to countless younger artists. From 1985 until 2005, he ran Life Teen’s music program nationally and at St. Timothy, the program’s original parish in Mesa.

A brushfire movement
The musical repertoire at Life Teen Masses incorporated popular, Catholic-friendly contemporary Christian songs that, as they had earlier in evangelical circles, energized and came to characterize the program, both in and outside Sunday-evening youth Masses. Soon, a remarkable number of Life Teen participants were pursuing and writing music themselves.

To continue reading, go here: http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/1626

To read the longer web version, click here: http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/1656

Music can launch faith journey
By Rita Larivee
Publication date:
August 22, 2008

The cover story this week is about contemporary Catholic music and its popularity among a younger generation of Catholics. Whether one enjoys this type of music or not is the least important part of the story. What matters is the powerful role that music has played in all our lives. Every generation has its own music. Whether one generation’s taste in music offends or inspires others, we have all known the positive and lasting effect of songs that speak to special moments in our lives. As we grow older, the music changes and the old albums are lost in boxes stored away in basements and attics, but nothing erases the memories, the moments and the songs that shaped our lives.

Author Greg Ruehlmann introduces us to the music’s principal figures and its pioneers, its defenders and its critics. He offers us a wonderful narrative about the people closest to the evolving reality of this genre. I cannot help but wonder about the young listeners of this new music. Who are these young people who are bringing such love of life to Catholic worship? It is as though they are discovering church for the first time. What is attracting their participation in this kind of community? What are they looking for that conventional parish life and worship are not offering them?

To continue reading, go here: http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/1630

Musings from the Editor

Practicing stewardship as an artist
AND
Was music really all that important at World Youth Day?

Practicing stewardship as an artist

I have a book/CD project coming out in October. It's the first 'official' project I've released since 2001 (I'm not counting a couple of misfires between then and now). I have to tell you I hope this is the last project I ever have to put out because I know too much now about what you really need to do to put out a project.

Putting out a CD is very hard work and requires a tremendous amount of time, effort and money. Back in 2000 when I released Teach Me to Love, I never thought beyond the actual recording of it. I was carried away by fulfilling my dream of being in a studio and working with a professional who actually thought I was good. It was a lovely dream and a great ride - until it came time to sell it. One day I suddenly realized I had a project, a large debt to pay off, and no clue as to how to sell it!

I have seen it happen again and again - artists putting their hearts, souls and wallets into a professional recording only to have it released with no plan on how to market it, and no resources with which carry out the marketing.

After 15 years in this business, I've concluded that there are 6 things an artist should do before releasing a CD:
1. If you're spending $10,000 to record a CD, put aside another $10,000 to market it. You'll need to think about print advertising, working the web, landing gigs, perhaps putting together a video . . . the list goes on and on. This goes for time too - plan to spend at least as much time (if not more) marketing your product as you did creating it.
2. Don't spend one dime or spend one moment in a studio until you have thought out a practical plan on how to sell the project.
3. Surround yourself with people you trust for advice, and prayer partners to get you through the experience - you will need them!
4. Don't record a CD unless there is demand for it. Demand can be as simple as people in your parish asking for a CD from you.
5. Be VERY patient.
6. Try to detach yourself emotionally from your project. Even though it is your baby, TRULY give it over to God and have Him claim ownership. It makes a huge difference!

With my latest project, I have followed #s 3, 5 and 6 pretty well. #2 is becoming clearer each day. I'm hoping there is a demand (my test audience seems to confirm that there is) and #1, well . . . .

Catholic artists need to approach music more as a business. It is all well and good to be inspired by the Holy Spirit to put together a CD to bless others. But you have to work in partnership with the Spirit - it's just not going to happen on a wing and a prayer. We have to be responsible stewards, and that means making use of every means possible in our world to market and sell the product so that as many ears as possible will hear it, and hearts then will be blessed.

We have a responsibility to do our part, and do our best, to bring forth this effort to glorify God. I sure hope I can live up to that responsibility!

World Youth Day Coverage - is music really all that important?

Keeping up with World Youth Day coverage was a lot of fun. The web has made it almost possible now to virtually travel around the world! From pilgrims' blogs to videos to television and radio coverage, I felt like a pilgrim myself at times. Pope Benedict XVI casts his own very long shadow now and the youth there fell in love with him just like we did here in the States back in April.

However, I feel compelled to make a comment about the music coverage. World Youth Day is jammed packed full of music, from the music at mass and the vigil, to the festivals, to the daily catechesis sessions. I've read time and time again in blogs and articles, even from WYD officials, about how important music is. Obviously, a lot of very careful planning went into various musical venues.

However, you'd never know it by the coverage. I was frustrated by how difficult it was to find coverage on World Youth Day music, performers and such. Even 'big' names like Matt Maher and Fr. Stan Fortuna had very limited coverage.

I understand and fully appreciate that Pope Benedict XVI and the young people are the center of attention here, and the media outlets are only interested in them. And this is how it should be. But, how I longed for one person, from somewhere, who was on site, to report on all the various musical happenings at World Youth Day.

Every artist who has ever performed at WYD will tell you that it is far from glamorous. For the most part, you pay your own way and you are not financially compensated. And you work hard every day, from providing music for catechesis to performances at small and large venues. It's both exhilerating and exhausting. You really have to go with the mindset of a humble pilgrim.

While it would be nice to see these artists recognized for their work, my main gripe was that I simply wanted to know who played when, and what it was like.

I searched daily on Google, on blogs and websites, on YouTube and GodTube, and I found so very little when you consider the literally hundreds of artists providing music at World Youth Day. I even saw a question on the Catholic Answers forum from a frustrated woman who wanted a list of the hymns and songs used during the major celebrations (someone thankfully was able to provide that information).

It brings back that nagging thought - that music is so secondary in the Church, despite the fact that it is officially recognized in the Church as the highest of all the arts.

Music should never supercede Christ, nor the Eucharist, nor His representative, the Pope. But how I wish more people could see music standing on its own as a valuable tool for encouragement, nurturing and evangelization. It makes me wonder if all this music is, in fact, falling on deaf ears.

Susan Bailey
Editor, GrapeVine

p.s. I must offer kudos to the young adult choir and instrumentalists who performed the music at the main events of WYD. They must have literally practiced for a solid year - there were so many pieces, so beautifully executed. Well done!

We need more Catholics like Tim Russert

by Susan Bailey

This commentary doesn't have anything to do with music, but it has everything to do with being a witness to the Catholic faith. This is what Catholic musicians are trying to be every day. I believe we have just been given a wondeful example of someone to emulate, but it is too bad he had to pass away before we knew it.

I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Tim Russert. My family and closest friends know that I am a political junkie and I have been absolutely glued to the TV all this political season, drinking in every exciting moment. With each debate I watched and every Tuesday I spent taking in the primary results, the evening was never complete without Tim Russert's commentary. He was the last word in politics for me. I may not have always agreed with his opinions, but I so appreciated his fairness and his deep knowledge of the candidates and the issues.

Over the weekend as I watched the tributes to Russert on MSNBC, and then watched "Meet the Press" this morning with a tear in my eye, I kept hearing about Russert, the man. How devoted he was to his father, his wife and his son (his books, Big Russ and Me, and Wisdom of our Fathers, touched many hearts and created a tidal wave of tributes and sharing from readers remembering their fathers). How much he loved children. How much he loved his Church, faithfully attending mass, giving his time and treasure to favorite charities, and always carrying a rosary with him, promising to pray for others. Maria Shriver, a former NBC correspondent and wife to CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger remarked how Russert always carried a rosary with him and would promise to pray, and she knew he would. He was a man of his word, loyal, loving, always finding the time to be there for others while at the same time, pursing excellence in his work, which he treated like a vocation.

The more I heard, the more deeply touched I was. I truly mourn the loss of this great man. Here is someone who was faithful to God while being in the thick of the world. He found a way to live his faith while being present in the world and as a result, shone the light of Christ in a part of the world that can be dark, corrupt and cutthroat so much of the time.

If we are to truly live our faith, we need to be like Tim Russert, and have the courage to take the Spirit of Christ into the world, into our work places, our families, and our dealings with others. It is truly through our actions that others see the light of Christ and desire it for themselves. We cannot limit ourselves only to our Christian friends, to prayer and to devotion. Christ was in the thick of the world during his entire ministry and we need to emulate that. I know I do.

Thank you Tim, for your amazing example and witness of the love of Christ in the midst of the political world. You know your reward in heaven.

The Catholic News Service has an article on Tim Russert that you might like to read - http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0803173.htm.

© Copyright 2008 GrapeVine. Permission to copy or reprint this story must be obtained by writing to susan@gvonline.net. Used by permission.

Why are Catholic Artists marginalized by their own Church?

by Dave Wang, National Catholic Reporter (Canada)

I am always amazed at how organizers of Catholic events treat Catholic artists at their events. From JP II's visit to St. Louis many years ago which featured almost entirely Protestant artists (one actually criticized the Pope in print!) to the recent visit by Pope Benedict to New York city, where the youth festival featured Kelly Clarkson instead of any number of worthy Catholic artists, I continue to hear horror stories from Catholic artists about how they feel marginalized by their own denomination. Now, I can include my band, Critical Mass, in the same category.

Critical Mass is probably not going to be involved in the festival at this year's Eucharistic Congress, despite donating our time at several events leading up to the event. Critical Mass and myself were also instrumental in creating the Gift of God compilation CD for the event and we were consulted about what artists to include in the festival. In fact, I believe we were instrumental in getting the Congress to treat artists, who do not get paid for this event, as volunteers rather than pilgrims. Otherwise, the artists would have to pay to do their music ministry at the event.

Now, the members of Critical Mass all have day jobs and for almost six months, the organizers have realized that Critical Mass could only appear on the Saturday of the event. Despite all our hard work, we were told this week that we could perform on the Friday (which the organizers acknowledged would be impossible for us) or perform in the morning on the Saturday at a time that, in their own words, "Not the greatest timeslot, but hey, there could be a good number of people milling about the site". Unfortunately, this would put the band's timeslot at around the same time as Mass. We were then told "Saturday is an odd day for scheduling . . . we have scheduled our invited Protestant guests [for a 90 minute show] in the afternoon . . . They were really honored to be invited and are actually surprised to be invited by Catholics . . . we are doing a lot for Christian unity by granting them 90 minutes in a 2-day schedule." I too am surprised that an event focusing on the Eucharist would bump a group whose focus is on the Eucharist, Confession and the Church in favor of a band who does not believe in any of these things.

When word that we would likely not be at the Congress got out, this started a whirlwind of commentary from other Catholic artists on several different discussion forums.

"I am so sorry for your experience. I too, watch history repeat
itself . . . when those that should know/do better, do not." relates Elizabeth Schmeidler.

"Catholic artists should be front and center at these kinds of experiences, not marginalized to some terrible time slot out of pity," argues Nancy Krebs. She continues,
"Why do they feel ecumenism is more important than songs proclaiming Catholic truths to Catholic audiences (many of whom need the truths reinforced)?

Artist and Grapevine Magazine editor Susan Bailey concurs. "What is it going to take to show those in charge that music espousing Catholic beliefs is not only good, but
necessary?"

Alex Kubic of www.topcatholicsongs.com brings up an alternate viewpoint. "I believe that theCatholic culture (or lack there of in this hemisphere) has given people the impression (many times justified) that Protestant music is good and Catholic music is fledgling at best. When offered the opportunity to have a "real professional" Christian band or a Catholic band, they are more concerned with selling tickets and driving publicity. The Catholic band, no matter how good in reality, is perceived as amateur in comparison. Protestant bands sell out arenas, so to an event planner, they are better." Hugh of "The Perfect Cry" sums it all most succintly for most artists with the comment "It's hard to not be sarcastic and cynical."

Now, I don't want give anyone the impression that I am bitter, although I admit I am disappointed that I can't help to present the truths of the Catholic Church to the youth at this event. This event was one where we were donating our time and possibly losing hundreds of dollars, so in that respect, it is almost a bit of a relief to be put into this position. However, the organizers of Catholic events have to start realizing that when artists are not treated well, the artists feel it as a whole. There is a unity among Catholic musicians that is extraordinary. The Church can use this unity to help minister to their unchurched or they can continue to create an "us versus them" environment, which is completely detrimental to all sides.

Dave Wang is part of Critical Mass, an alternative rock band sharing the Gospel through their music. You can find out more about Critical Mass at their website, www.CatholicRock.com.

© Copyright 2008 GrapeVine. Permission to copy or reprint this story must be obtained by writing to susan@gvonline.net. Used by permission.