Source: Aliya Faust / iOne Digital
StellarPlus kicked off this year’s Stellar Awards events with a Gospel Music Masterclass featuring panelists Faith Anderson of Tenth Child Inc., Walter Thomas of Motown Gospel, Eboni Funderburk of EFG Productions and Michael Chandler of Rejoice Musical Soulfood.
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The Masterclass, hosted by Sirius XM radio personality, Meta Washington, delved into the world of Gospel music, addressing the shift of culture in the genre. Stellar Awards founder and CEO Don Jackson gave opening words, sharing the goal of the award show and the events ahead. The goal is to grow. Not just the music, but in ministry as well.
“There’s lot to learn, a lot to know. It’s not an easy industry but [it’s worth it],” Jackson said.
So, where is opportunity to grow music and ministry? The panelists collectively agreed on touring, gaming (for the younger generation), international territory, and bold music.
“When America sneezes, everybody else in the world gets a cold,” Funderburk shared. “Gospel music influences the world, from the appreciation to personal connection to the Word. God is everywhere.”
According to research, some of the largest international markets for gospel music include South Africa, Uganda, UK and Canada. But while America leads the charge, there’s still a notable shift the genre overall. Gospel music consumption is decreasing and major labels are downsizing.
“We’re in a space [of decline],” Thomas said. “Gospel is 2% of music but in the same token, we don’t have hits and the music isn’t that good. This can be developed with more story-telling, more [marketing]. But it starts with the music.”
Funderburk chimed in with where the music might be getting lost.
“Working at Verity Records, we had music for moments,” she said. “Scandals and other religions have entered the space. A lot of our community has lost respect for us and for the music.”
Over the decades, music has always correlated with moments. When the housing market crashed, Marvin Sapp’s “Never Would’ve Made It” served as a fundamental anthem to overcoming. During the war in Iraq, Smokie Norful’s “I Need You Now” made it’s mark as a song for sustaining. Most recently during the COVID pandemic, Maverick City Music’s “Jireh” cried out to God, our provider. Some believe we’re missing these heartfelt, relatable moments.
Marvin Sapp’s “Never Would Have Made It” spent over 50 weeks at no. 1. “You don’t see that happen much anymore,” Chanlder noted.
Even still, he referred to research that says 93 percent of African Americans listen to radio at least once a week.
“Radio is relevant to introduce songs, but if it stops there, we’re in trouble. We need to look at this thing as an ecosystem,” he said, adding that the fastest growing audio medium is podcasting. [We’ve got to] incorporate social media, YouTube, streaming and podcasting.”
Anderson believes the key to success in Gospel music is implementing hard work.
“In the seat that I’ve sat in as an artist manager and artist developer, it is very hard to get artists to learn the processes of what made the legacy artists successful,” she said. “Nothing is quick. If you take [hard work] to heart, you’ll have some of the same results of the people you admire.”
While the road to success is split in different ways, it’s safe to say spreading the word of Jesus is still the common ground.
Stellars continues to be a platform to bridge the gap between the theories and ideas discussed during Masterclass. Throughout the week, StellarsPlus will host more events that address these complexities and speak to legacy artists and new artists alike, including an Afrobeats Day Party, Singers Symposium, Unplugged concert, comedy show and more.
Stay tuned for more Stellar Awards coverage on Elev8.com!