What's The Deal With Sugarland

You have to be SOMETHING before you can be something else.

Recently I had the pleasure of sitting down with a brand new artist and hearing their heart about their ministry. I listened as they talked about God's plan in their life, how they weren't really looking for more than just their gifts to be used to reflect His majesty. I was taken aback with this person's humility and grace. All of sudden, they talked about how they wanted to make sure they were signed somewhere so they could crossover eventually and then graduate out of Church gigs and move into clubs. Mainstream radio follows and eventually doing ministry would hold back their budding pop career and ultimate evangelical message.

What an easy target! Like a shark I could smell the blood in the water. Should I just crush their hopes now? Should I be very forthcoming about how "in control" they were of something that "wasn't in their control"? I sat and listened some more and the subject turned to the fact that they wanted to release their project as soon as possible because they have like "10 thousand friends on MySpace." I just listened.

Some artists I've run into lately sure have it all figured out: A 3 year plan. the 20 year strategy, when to blow off a church gig. I realize that I'm sounding a bit smarmy and condescending here, but I'm old and I've earned the right, by golly, to bring some practical, cold, hard, awful truth that takes the air out of the room once in a while. I didn't say anything that clever to this artist, just "you know, you need to be something before you can be something else".

Maybe I'm just feeling ancient lately and my dreams were dashed a long time ago, but it seems a lot of artists, programmers and record folk want to be somewhere else or someone else instead of "being" something first. When you've arrived at being a successful artist or excellent morning show person or daring programmer, the mere act of being that is going to provide you the options and opportunities to go somewhere else when the right moment arises. If you're so fixated about step 43, how is step 2, 3 and 4 going to get done?

We don't really like knowing things are often out of the influence of our own weathered hands and sweat, but it's pure, true and essential to understanding our reality as human beings and our relationship with God. Being something isn't always about what you do or how successful you are, but about the character it takes to become one thing to begin with.

Billy Pulpit