Mormon Musicians
Latter-Day Saint congregations generally do not feature professional music ministries; however, Church members do make music in various genres.
Notable Mormon singers include Brandon Flowers from The Killers, Win and Will Butler of Arcade Fire, Lindsey Stirling and several others who have served multi-year missions for the Church.
Classical
Music can be an uplifting force that unites millions of people globally. Furthermore, it can help individuals develop greater depth of character and gain a better grasp on life itself.
Mormon musicians tend to excel at classical genres of music. According to World Religion News, LDS artists such as Lindsey Stirling, The Piano Guys and Nathan Pacheco have all reached the top of Billboard Classical Crossover charts.
The Piano Guys, all Mormon musicians, have found widespread success not only in classical but also rock and alternative music charts. Comprising five clean-cut Mormon siblings who all attended Juilliard and perform perfectly synchronized piano performances together – teenagers and young adults flock to their concerts like pop stars! Their concerts bring an injection of youth culture as audiences treat them like pop icons while at the same time appreciating cultural diversity within their faith community. The group hopes to add new meaning and perspective to traditional hymns while helping audiences embrace cultural differences found within their congregations by embracing cultural diversity within Church communities worldwide.
Rock
Rock music may seem an unusual choice for Mormon musicians to embrace, especially given some evangelical Christian’s anti-music hysteria (and even among some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), as popular tunes have long been stigmatized as something Christians must avoid listening to. Yet Mormon musicians don’t shy away from popular music like other genres do – especially given its strong correlation to Mormon identity and practice.
But Mormons are making waves on the musical scene. Some, like David Archuleta and Lindsey Stirling (hip-hop violinist), are already well known to many; others such as GENTRI and Spark Singers are gaining an audience with their unique sounds.
Tartar Control will perform at House of Rock on Sunday. Comprised of two missionaries – Robert Selander and Sean Hart – their story stands out among that of other bands as Arthur “Killer” Kane from various bands such as New York Dolls converted to Mormonism after going down a dangerous road that included beating his wife and jumping out a third-story window, before joining Tartar Control as bassist.
Alternative
Music has always been an integral component of life for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their hymnbook boasts over 300 songs, and singing has long been part of religious services from early on in their lives.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has become world-famous since it first came together during Latter-day Saint pioneer travels across America towards Utah in the mid 1800s, and ever since, its support from Church has continued unabated.
The Orchestra at Temple Square consists of outstanding volunteer musicians who collaborate weekly with the Choir for radio program Music and the Spoken Word and other events throughout the year. Imagine Dragons is led by Mormon Dan Reynolds and has been featured on many popular television shows and music videos; its base of operations are Provo, Utah. Furthermore, Reynolds founded LoveLoud which uses music to raise funds for local and national LGBT charities through music-inspired fundraising events.
Pop
Music is an immensely powerful medium that has the capacity to enthrall, influence, and motivate millions around the globe. Music “gives soul to the universe, wings to our minds, flight for imaginations and charm and gaiety to life and everything”. Mormon musicians have made an impressionful mark in the music industry by creating their own distinctive styles of music which both entertains and upholds.
Some of the most acclaimed Mormon musicians are widely recognized for their popular albums and contributions to various music shows. One such group, known for its performances at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah – as well as for broadcasts of biannual general conferences as well as weekly radio program Music and the Spoken Word – is The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Lindsey Stirling, another Mormon musician with an exceptional career in music, has achieved great success both as an album artist and in Dancing with the Stars (where she came in second). Additionally, she appears regularly on LDS FacetoFace show hosted by Lexi Walker and Alex Boye answering youth queries from across the world.
