Mormon Musicians Making Waves in the Music Industry
Mormon culture embraces music as a powerful means to draw closer to God and inspire others, with popular Mormon musicians like Lindsey Stirling, The Piano Guys and BYU Vocal Point making waves in the industry.
Latter-day Saint composers have long expressed their religious convictions through music. From writing music for church institutions and answering commissions to producing works that convey religious messages or draw upon scriptural or church historical narratives, composers from this denomination have put their faith front and center.
Brandon Flowers
Brandon Flowers of The Killers has become the latest Mormon musician to find success as an artist. His new album, Imploding the Mirage, references various aspects of LDS Church doctrine; its front cover even depicts two divine beings that Flowers refers to as representing Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother.
Local Mormon musicians are well known for subverting cultural stereotypes associated with their church. One such band in Duluth is Low, comprised of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker – two Mormon spouses known for subverting traditional family band norms by showing domestic life that’s messy yet glamorous.
But Utah-based composers have struggled to gain national prominence. Leigh Harline, known for scoring Hollywood films such as Titanic and Bullit, was an exception, but she found fame after moving out of Utah for Los Angeles. Most have relied on a local market instead. A few composers of Specifically for Youth albums incorporated musical languages that reflect Mormon identity at an almost molecular level – for instance in their albums’ titles such as Especially for Youth (EFY).
The Strike
Utah-based Mormon band Triton Collective has made quite the name for itself with their high-quality music. They have performed in Dubai where their song, “Human Right,” reached six million streams on Spotify! Triton Collective can best be described as an amalgamation of pop, rock and jazz sounds influenced by classical training as well as theater.
The band has performed in large venues, including Utah Theater and Salt Lake City Coliseum. Their use of brass instruments gives them a distinct sound, distinguishing themselves from other local bands – music fans will not want to miss their live shows!
With both a Mormon presidential candidate and musical dedicated to Mormonism in the works, many Americans are becoming more open-minded toward Mormonism as part of mainstream culture. This shift could help Mormons achieve their goal for equality and inclusion within American society – making now an ideal time to celebrate Mormonism!
Imagine Dragons
Mormon Tabernacle Choir is internationally acclaimed and an essential element of their massive proselytization effort. Many congregations do not employ professional musical leadership and rely on members volunteering their musical expertise instead.
Some musicians have cleverly taken advantage of their Mormon background to boost their profile, such as rocker Brandon Flowers. He has performed at multiple venues – including all-ages Velour – and even created an “I’m A Mormon” video to promote his band.
More recently, pro-Mormon communities have nurtured several local composers who openly express their religion while still appealing to modern audiences. New England Conservatory Mormons such as Sam Cardon and Merrill Bradshaw have composed works with cinematic, neoromantic styles that convey explicit religious messages while drawing upon scriptural or church historical narratives – yet until recently were mostly ignored by wider music scenes.
BYU Vocal Point
Brigham Young University’s chart-topping male a cappella group Vocal Point has unveiled their brand new album Spectrum – featuring contemporary hits that showcase its signature sound.
James Stevens led Vocal Point to extraordinary heights during his seven year directing tenure, selling out every performance at de Jong Concert Hall on BYU’s campus and participating in their inaugural national talent competition as well as reaching regional semi-finals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella competitions.
YouTube prankster Stuart Edge and Vocal Point recently collaborated to deliver a delightful holiday surprise on Heber Valley Creeper train ride in Heber, Utah. All passengers enjoyed this delightful holiday surprise!
