-
Mormon Musicians Who Wear Their Faith on Their Sleeves
Music plays an essential part in Mormon life. The Church provides over 300 hymns in their hymn book and the Tabernacle Choir has graced stadiums around the globe. LDS musicians are making waves in the music industry. Lindsey Stirling has amassed an extensive YouTube following and performed at Utah’s CVX Live festival. Neon Trees Neon Trees quickly rose from being a local Provo club band to major-tour opener and Billboard chart-topper within two short years. Tyler Glenn (lead vocalist), bassist Chris Allen and drummer Branden Campbell hailed from Southern California but soon found a home within Provo’s music scene. The group has released four albums since 2004, most recently Picture…
-
Mormon Music
Latter-day Saint congregations may lack professional music ministries, yet musical talent and skill is widely shared and quality can differ considerably depending on its composer or arrangement. LDS musicians have excelled at modern popular styles while Mormon-themed classical pieces have also found great success on charts and airwaves. Hicks’ essays provide vital research that situates Mormon music within historical and contemporary cultural settings. History The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has an impressive history of producing records, dating back to 1910. They have since released over 160 albums. Early recordings by the Tabernacle Choir were experimental, as sound recording technology was still evolving at that time. A microphone designed for telephone use…
-
Mormon Traditions
Mormons believe in an unfolding plan created by God for each and every one of His children and are guided by modern prophets. Mormon couples marrying in temples make a vow of eternal commitment, which may help explain why Mormons have such low divorce rates. Their traditions help keep families focused on what matters most. Family Prayer There’s an old saying, “the family that prays together stays together.” Mormon families take this to heart by holding family prayer services and scripture study regularly as well as encouraging each member of their household to pray and study on their own. Mormons believe in an eternal family, which makes them very family-oriented.…
-
Mormon Artists Enhance Cultural Richness and Foster a Deeper Understanding of Scripture
Mormon artists are professional sculptors, painters and other artistic practitioners who practice their faith while creating pieces of artwork that enrich cultural diversity and foster deeper knowledge of scripture. Artists are increasingly depicting Heavenly Mother through non-representational art using shapes and symbols to explore her spiritual presence, breaking from tradition by going beyond depicting her as human figure and challenging racial and gender stereotypes. Symbolism Early on in its existence, Christianity was very wary about art depicting deity. Church members for nearly 100 years chastised any attempts at depicting God or Jesus artistically; any that did appear tended towards portrayals that depicted generic European male figures with an illustrative style.…
-
Euro American Musics
Students participating in this workshop explore how European musical traditions influenced early America and how American music inspired European composers. One look at orchestral premieres since 2000 will reveal an abundance of pieces by European composers, an increase that can be traced to powerful European influencers with American orchestras. AMERICAN MUSIC ABROAD American musicians draw upon influences from European cultures for inspiration when creating music of any style: blues and jazz, folk traditions, rock music, pop or country genres are all integral parts of the American musical experience. This collection comprises works by major nineteenth-century composers in orchestral, chamber music, piano, and song genres; most were written in Europe. While…
-
European Impressionists and American Artists
Mary Cassatt established close ties to European Impressionist artists like Degas. Mary’s pastel “Simone in a Plumed Hat” recalls Degas’ 1894 seated dancer painting seen above. European nations administer public arts funding on a local basis, similar to what the National Endowment for the Arts does here in America. Such cultural institutions educate their communities while serving as an antidote for mainstream music. Cultural Bias Cultural bias occurs when individuals from different cultures interpret words and actions differently. It can lead to miscommunications and misrepresentations – for instance when European artists depict Native American life in their paintings – as well as discrimination or prejudice. Some forms of cultural bias…
-
The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is an ancient text which proclaims Jesus Christ to be our savior and encourages good citizenship with love of our neighbors and society at large. The text includes many tales of heroes and heroines such as Abinadi who was tortured, killed, and finally burned at stake before her story came to an end. The Book of Mormon is the Word of God The Book of Mormon is both God’s word and witness to Jesus Christ. It records an ancient family’s journey from Jerusalem to Americas under His guidance, including encounters with Christ after His resurrection and teaching us about atonement. Joseph Smith brought forth several scriptures,…
-
Mormon Musicians Have a Diverse Range of Musical Styles
Mormon musicians come in an assortment of musical styles. Millions around the globe enjoy listening to their tunes. Recently, some LDS composers have begun exploring neoromantic tonality in works created for church and other purposes; among these composers are Leroy Robertson, Crawford Gates and Merrill Bradshaw. Michael Hicks’ book on Mormonism and music often slips under the radar, yet provides invaluable insights about Mormons and music. The Strike Although the Mormon church has been slow to embrace social justice (blacks weren’t accepted as priests until 1978), music group The Strike is helping lead the way through its music. Hailing from Provo, Utah and representing its vibrant music scene with their…
-
Mormon Music
Music plays an essential part in Latter-day Saint spiritual lives and the Church encourages its members to fill their homes with appropriate melodies. The Book of Mormon supports righteous music while acknowledging its potential misuse for ungodly purposes. Recognizing its scriptural roots may help us make informed media choices in today’s culture. Hymns Mormon hymns differ significantly from Catholic church liturgy by using specific, local songs in each of their services around the globe. While some use well-known Christian tunes, others contain lyrics which address doctrine unique to their church. Emma Smith had a revelation in early 1835 to create a hymn book, but due to persecutions and other uprootings…
-
Mormon Traditions
Mormons engage in many practices to strengthen their faith, such as attending General Conference – twice-annual series of sermons from Church leaders – or participating in their congregation’s missions and missionary efforts. They attend family home evening, a weekly ritual where families come together for group prayer and scripture study. Furthermore, they visit a temple to receive an endowment ceremony. Family Mormon life centers on family. Mormons are taught to prioritize family first as they believe it’s something lasting and make sure they spend quality time together throughout the week. Mormons teach that both males and females depend on their mothers and fathers to help shape them into people who…
