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A review by bickleyhouse
The Crowd, The Critic And The Muse: A Book For Creators by Michael Gungor
4.0
I've been a fan of Michael Gungor's music for a while, now. He is a pretty amazing guitar player, and the songs he composes are beautiful and unique. My first exposure to him was when the church I was going to introduced us to a couple of his songs. I began listening to everything I could get my hands on. I would consider him to be somewhat of a genius.
This book is his take on not just the music industry, but art in general. It is a book, as it says, for creators. Especially for creators who seem to have hit a roadblock and who might feel that they have "sold out." Michael writes about the different "voices" that we can listen to, as creators, and pinpoints which ones should NOT be listened to.
He talks a lot about pop culture and capitalism. However, he neither condemns nor glorifies either one, keeping a level view of the usefulness of both. My favorite part of the book turned out to be Appendix 2, in which he discusses genres, especially the one we refer to as "Christian" music. Michael is very uncomfortable with that genre label, and with good reason. He also talks a lot about "Becky," the target audience for all successful "Christian" radio stations. I knew about "Becky," I just didn't know she had a name!
Anyway, I would recommend this book to anyone who considers themselves a serious creator of any kind of art. I will share two of my favorite quotes from the book.
"I am convinced that most people do not really believe what they say they believe. Or perhaps I should say that it seems that most people's professed belief is not the same as their felt belief or their lived belief." (pg. 145)
"And since when was Christianity a safe, positive alternative for the family anyway?" (pg 204)
This book is his take on not just the music industry, but art in general. It is a book, as it says, for creators. Especially for creators who seem to have hit a roadblock and who might feel that they have "sold out." Michael writes about the different "voices" that we can listen to, as creators, and pinpoints which ones should NOT be listened to.
He talks a lot about pop culture and capitalism. However, he neither condemns nor glorifies either one, keeping a level view of the usefulness of both. My favorite part of the book turned out to be Appendix 2, in which he discusses genres, especially the one we refer to as "Christian" music. Michael is very uncomfortable with that genre label, and with good reason. He also talks a lot about "Becky," the target audience for all successful "Christian" radio stations. I knew about "Becky," I just didn't know she had a name!
Anyway, I would recommend this book to anyone who considers themselves a serious creator of any kind of art. I will share two of my favorite quotes from the book.
"I am convinced that most people do not really believe what they say they believe. Or perhaps I should say that it seems that most people's professed belief is not the same as their felt belief or their lived belief." (pg. 145)
"And since when was Christianity a safe, positive alternative for the family anyway?" (pg 204)