A lot of people will tell you that today, the contemporary Christian music scene is largely dominated by men. If I were to list a few of the most popular groups and artists played on the nationally-syndicated station Air 1, you'd hear names like these: tobyMac, Skillet, Kutless, Third Day, Tenth Avenue North, Jars of Clay, Jeremy Camp, Brandon Heath, David Crowder.
Not a woman in the mix.
This sad fact has only recently been pointed out in Christian media outlets; a particularly good read is this feature from Christianity Today on Addison Road's frontwoman, Jenny Simmons.
While I have nothing against male artists, because of the lack of females in the industry, I'm much more likely to gravitate toward them.
One of my favorite Christian artists made her solo debut just recently, and has had a firm grip on my attention ever since. Her name is Audrey Assad, a pianist/singer/songwriter hailing from the Phoenix area. Her music is incredibly simplistic, rarely more than piano and rhythm underneath her airy yet powerful soprano vocals.
In every sense of the word, her music is a form of prayer as she touches on subjects that many of her genre shy away from: doubt, suffering, apathy among them.
"Fear is a current we all get caught in
and in its motion, faith can be so hard to find.
And we all falter, 'cause we're all broken
we're just trying to turn the shadows into light ...
You say I am blessed because of this
so I choose to believe
That if I carry this cross,
You'll carry me."
This is just one example of how Assad speaks candidly to both the worries Christians face, and the hope that we can be sure of in Christ.
Random trivia: She's a Catholic convert, the only one in her family, and got her start singing backup vocals for her best friend, Matt Maher. I wrote about Matt (who is also Catholic) on this blog last year.
Check out this video of Audrey Assad performing "For Love of You," the first track off her debut album, "The House You're Building." Then, do yourself a favor and buy the CD.
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Thanks for your interest in my blog! Please remember when commenting that this is an academic assignment, and while I will gladly answer any questions about Catholicism, I will only be able to respond regarding my own personal faith to a certain extent. If you would like to engage me about *my* faith, feel free to contact me privately. Peace! :)