GMA Week - Day 5/final day

Well y'all, i'd be lying if I said I wasn't exhausted. GMA Week has had some really great moments and very few - if any - bad ones. Still, the constant seminars and networking and lectures from 8-5 followed by showcases each night from as early as 6 to as late as midnight has plum tuckered me out.

Today began right about 8:30 with the final seminar - a round table discussion with an incredible panel discussing the triumphs and struggles they have had as mainstream artists crossing over to the Christian market and vice versa. It was a very interesting discussion with participants including Amy Grant, Marty Roe from Diamond Rio, Dan Haseltine with Jars of Clay, Brian Littrell (formerly of the Backstreet Boys), and many others equally awesome.

It was interesting to hear how much flak they took for trying to expand their audience in both cases. Christians are accused of selling out to make more money, and Mainstreamers are accused of not being pure or genuine enough. To me it's all a little ridiculous because to me it seems like it is a no-brainer that the creative souls behind these artistic creations would want to share their passion with as many people as possible - not because of money or for shock value, but because they love what they are doing and they want other people to enjoy it too. I don't know, call me a new aged, liberal youngster, but it seems to me music is music and regardless of the genre - rap, pop, country (Christian or Mainstream) - people should just enjoy the message, spirit and intent behind the music, not focus on how they can dissect it, twist it to fit or go against their own agenda, or try and put it into one nice tidy little box. I mean if people are being moved by the music and inspired to do great things and become great people, then isn't that what is important?

Anyway, that's pretty much what the panel was discussing too and it was a great experience to see all of these artists from such a wide range of musical styles tied together by the common thread of creating music to glorify the Lord.

With that let me close and say that I've really enjoyed my time here at GMA Music Week and I am glad that I got to experience this incredible Gospel Music Festival here in Nashville.