THIS THE OFFICIAL STATEMENT (IN THE FORM OF A Q&A) FROM TOOTH & NAIL RECORDS ON OUR STAND IN REGARDS TO CHRISTIANITY,"CHRISTIAN MUSIC", "CHRISTIAN RECORD COMPANIES", ETC. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PASS IT ON.
I was wondering, for the record, where your label stands on the issue of Christianity.
Most of us are Christians. The owner is. I am. Most of the staff is. Most of our band members are. A Christian as I define it - is someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their savior and strives to serve Him in all they do...and seeks forgiveness from sin from Him. They traditionally hope to inherit eternal life. I don't know if that is a stand as a label - we are a business. We are an equal opportunity employer.
Christian label.
There is no such thing as a "Christian Record Label"...any more than there is "Christian Mc Donalds", "Christian Safeway" or "Christian Hockey". We cannot compartmentalize reality. A Christian is a human being with a soul. A company is a business. A non-profit ministry is a non-profit ministry. We sign bands that we like. The only requirement being (at least to be distributed by us to CBA bookstore accounts) that the principal songwriter in the band who sings the songs and guides the direction of the band must be a Christian. We give our artists complete freedom to be who they are. Not all band members have to be Christian...but we expect them to behave themselves.
I was under the impression that you were a Christian label supporting Christian hard core, punk, and emo bands.
Maybe if I shed a little light on what we consider the history of "Christian Music" to be will help you understand where we are coming from. First of all, and most importantly, "Christian Music" is not in the Bible. Nowhere in the Bible will you find a single scripture that refers to what is and what isn't Christian. The only thing clear about music from scripture is that it is a "skill" (you'll find that reference 7 times!) and that it is to be to the "glory of God". It is never mentioned as a "spiritual gift", "ministry" or "calling". Not even once. But for some strange reason, the Church in America (they don't see things this way in Europe or elsewhere) has adopted a policy different from scripture...which I find exceedingly odd. They define "Christian Music" loosely as (in my words here):
Music with lyrics that contain a gospel message - whose sole purpose is to convert people to Christianity.
This is a utilitarian view of music that is only ONE view. It is fine to use music as a tool. BUT, that is not the only thing music is good for. It is a form of entertainment. It is a form of communication - of ideas, emotions, etc. And notes are notes. Chords are chords. Music is music. Whether the artist is a believer or not - all truth is God's truth. Whether Amy Grant, Lenny Kravitz, Downset, Social Distortion or Petra is singing about it.
Somehow, however we have elevated music to a level of importance in our lives that I cannot comprehend. Is a CD more important than literature? Is it more important than a strong knowledge of scripture and judeo Christian philosophy?
What is really amazing is that we have been using the term "Christian Music" for less than 25 years. LESS THAN 25 YEARS. My parents did not grow up with "Christian Music". Their parents didn't grow up with "Christian Music". And so on and so on. That's because there is no such thing. It is a term that businessmen came up with to get Christians to buy records in a niche market where they make millions of dollars of profits banking on the mentality that all good Christians should only listen to "Christian Music". The only problem with that is that almost nobody agrees on what that means. How can anyone say, with a clear conscience, that it is wrong to listen to "secular" music - especially adults over 40 - when they grew up listening to Elvis and The Beatles? They didn't grow up listening to Plankeye or The Supertones. "Christian Music" is not an alternative to "secular" music.
All Christians should use discernment about EVERYTHING they listen to and watch. The same people who cry so loudly that their kids should only listen to "Christian Music" still let them watch "Friends" and "90210". This is a double standard. It's an argument in semantics. We're caught up on words. We're conflicting over terminology. The bottom line is...we've allowed ourselves to feel guilty if we don't listen to Audio Adrenaline or Steven Curtis Chapman...but our lives are completely filled with books, TV, movies, college study, etc. that has nothing to do with the "Christian Music Industry."
We recognize that there is a "Christian Market" - the CBA if you will - where some Christians feel obligated to buy records in "approved" stores. We simply distribute our records there because we realize that for many kids - this will be their only opportunity to get a T&N record. We don't think that those kids should be punished because of our philosophical differences with an industry that makes money under the banner of "ministry" and "Christian Music" and "spreading the gospel". ***** To be fair - there are many great bookstores and "Christian music stores" (for lack of a better term) who try to offer kids good records at a reasonable price. Good for them. We thank them for their support. There are also companies and individuals who do not stoop to such a level and we applaud them as well.
Reason #359 - To call something "Christian" (especially a business) - at least to me - implies that what that organization has to offer is only for Christians. This is probably the biggest reason we will refuse to be called a "Christian Record Label". We are here for all people, not just Christians.
We feel that our music should have something to offer everyone. We are known by word of mouth to be Christians and that is enough. I think if one is to take a casual look at over 75% of our albums - it is painfully clear where we are coming from. Do we need a banner to declare this? Do we need ads that say "Alternative Christian Music". I don't think so. Because again, there is no such thing.
Why is it that this "fact" about your collective religous status reigns in the Christian underground? I am quite sure that, if I confronted any so-called "Christian-punk" who adores your label, they would insist that you are purely a Christian enterprise. If this is not the case, then how did this rumor come to life? And where is it that you actually stand on this matter?
Once again. There is no such thing as a "Christian underground", a "Christian Punk" or a "Christian enterprise". People are people. The Beastie Boys aren't a "Jewish Rap Band". Christians are the only ones who seem so bent on defining things. The only problem is that these kids are being taught lies. They aren't being taught the Bible. The are being taught an oral, social gospel. It is a gospel of disinformation and conformity. We have freedom in Christ to call ourselves what we want and be who we want. Find for me even one single scripture that says that there is any such thing as "Christian Music". Don't give me scriptures about "preaching the gospel", etc. either, because that is taking things out of context. If you find one e-mail me (blenderize@aol.com). My father has a masters degree in theology from Fuller Seminary - and he was an ordained Minister Of Music for 10 years - - and he hasn't found any - so good luck.
Creativity is a gift from God. When we are Christians and we use this gift - and our gifts as artists, painters, poets, musicians, etc. we are participating in an act of spiritual worship. A band can be evangelical or not. This is freedom in Christ. Art is beneficial. Entertainment is beneficial.
Did you ever, at any point, claim to be a Christian organization?
I'm flogging a dead horse now aren't I? No we did not. Not once in print. Not once in an ad... We are a professional business that seeks to fulfill our very simple mission statement: (I made this up...you'll just have to trust me...)
"To produce records and products with the best packaging, production and content available in any market. To give our artists the freedom to express their views without censorship. To make these records and products available everywhere. To make profits, build the careers of staff and artists and to grow and move forward every year we are in business."
Did you use the Christian title to appeal to a needy Christian audience?
Christians are no more needy than anybody else. They make themselves needy by their own ignorance and shortsightedness. No one is imprisoning them. God created all things for our enjoyment and He gave us discernment to choose what we should listen to and participate in. Nobody is holding a gun to their heads. We don't need to appeal to anybody. We feel our records and bands speak for themselves just fine without our help.
I am confused, simply because so many "alternative" Christians I know cling to your label. Did you announce that you would be in support of Christian bands, among others, or did this all happen by accident?
Once again...there is no such thing as "Punk Christians", "Grunge Christians", "Alternative Christians". A person is a person - whole and uniquely created by God to be an individual. I do not recognize such terms. They aren't in the dictionary...so we can't use them. I should make a shirt that says "Christians are people too." Nothing in the Tooth & Nail world happens by accident. Every single decision, every move is a purposeful well thought out action. The problem, as I see it, is simple.
1. Christians love to gossip.
2. People are always suspicious of people who are successful.
We have grown in size from one record, one phone and one computer and Brandon's creative juice to 80+ records, 13 employees, a current roster of 28 bands, sub-labels, publishing companies, merchandising, an enormous mailing list, and controversy that never seems to end. We have been in business for 4 years! We are like a family. We are friends with the bands - they are friends with us. We hang out (the staff, etc.), go to movies, have pizza parties together...we love and believe in what we do. We go to Church together. But, when you are successful - people immediately become suspicious. Let's just remind everybody - we didn't force anybody to buy our records. These kids support our company because we are honest. Because we believe in what we do. And hopefully, we are really doing it for the right reason: to use the gifts God gave us to the best of our ability. Obviously we touched a nerve in some people.
We're here to hopefully set an example. We're not perfect. We've made mistakes. But, we try to learn from them and grow and change and not make them again. But, we will not bow on the things we believe to be right. Even something so trivial as being called a "Christian Record Company". It's the kind of drive that keeps me here at 11:25 pm on a Friday night (when most people are out having fun) answering these questions when I could be doing anything else. I believe with my whole being in what we are doing. And I believe that God is allowing us to grow and to be successful because we are getting out of the way - and not trying to put Him in a box. We're not limiting what he can do...because we've already been amazed at what He's done so far.
And one last thing....how do you get a booth at cornerstone, and a huge pull in the entertainment there, if you truly are not affiliated with Christianity?
We pay to have a booth at Cornerstone. We are not ashamed of being Christian. We affiliate ourselves with many Christians. But, we affiliate ourselves with many non-Christians too. They do art for us. They record albums for us. They manufacture our records. They distributed our records. We are in the world making a difference. Real revolution does not take place while "preaching to the converted". We participate in Cornerstone festival because they ask our bands to come play. We have our own stage for bands that don't get asked. Once again...there's no arm twisting here. You're asking the questions that you can answer for yourself. We aren't tricking anybody. We have been clear about our position from the very beginning...it is gossip that has made the waters muddy - NOT US. It is people who assume the worst, make up stories and statements to fulfill their own agendas and then act like we are changing or not really what we say we are that is causing confusion here.
Tooth & Nail is just a record company. If anybody is so hung up on what we are or aren't, maybe they need to re-evaluate what is important to them. I choose not to live my life that way. I work for Tooth & Nail because I love it. I do what I do because I feel that God has me where he wants me. My wife works there too. Brandon is my best friend. We're trying to create something beautiful here. In the process of that, maybe people will embrace Christianity. Maybe they won't. We aren't going to assume anything. And at the end of the day - we know that God knows our hearts - and that's truly all that matters.
I would wholeheartedly like to recommend that eveyone read "Addicted To Mediocrity" by Franky Schaeffer and "Art & The Bible" by his father Francis Schaeffer. These works have been very influential in our thinking. Thanks to all reading this who understand and thanks for listening.
Bill Power
Operations Manager
Tooth & Nail Records
