Let’s be honest, the majority of artists that occupy the top of the R&B and Hip Hop charts are not musicians at all. Most can’t really play an instrument and in the unusual case that they can, it’s often mediocre at best. A computer, not a human, is producing most of the music that we hear today. Why is this?
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One of the main reasons is a lack of music training. I believe that the lack of music training and the resulting lack of trained musicians in the Black community today can be traced back to two institutions: the public schools and the Black church. We are painfully aware of what has transpired in public schools. Dwindling resources, lack of funding and shifting priorities have all but removed music and instrumental training from many if not most public schools. But what about the Black church? What does the Black church have to do with the lack of trained musicians in the Black community today?
I’m glad you asked. A significant number of Black musicians have received part if not most of their early music training in the church. The Black church has traditionally been both a training and proving ground for musicians.
I would go so far as to say that all American music owes its roots to the Negro Spiritual and as such all American music and musicians in essence owe their roots to the Black church. Aside from the obvious benefits of playing music in church for young musicians, one of the greatest benefits is having an opportunity to perform on a weekly basis not only without judgment, but, also with unconditional encouragement.
Look around your average Black church today and count how many “musicians” are actually playing on Sunday morning. Of those musicians, how many are playing on traditional acoustic instruments where the musician himself is instrumental in making the sound. How many churches even have an acoustic piano? How many of those musicians are under the age of 18? Are you starting to get the picture? Now contrast that to a picture of the Black church of yesteryear.
When the Black church gets back to its roots and recommits itself to sowing the seeds of training of young musicians on traditional instruments then I assure you that the Black community, the Black church and the music industry will reap the benefits. No other institution can provide a child an opportunity to make a joyful noise; that sometimes is just as heavy on the noise as it is on the joy, in an environment that provides them the foundation of encouragement needed to foster greatness.
We would all be closer to achieving greatness in whatever our particular pursuit in life may be if we had a regular opportunity to practice it and if we heard the words of Sister So-and-So encouraging us when we mess up—“That’s all right baby, take your time”…
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