American Idolatry
May 26, 2007
My friend Lillit frequently writes for Beliefnet, and she just put up a story chronicling the Top Ten Religious Moments on American Idol. It’s pretty amusing.
My favorite part says:
Often when the group of Idols is rounded up and asked questions from the audience, one of the topics that comes up is how much training each singer has. The most common answer: “I learned to sing in church.”
And it’s true - the church is pretty much the only cultural institution in America which still fosters and nurtures amateur musicianship. Music forms identity, it forms community, and it forms culture. As fewer and fewer people explore music post-high school, I’m worried that American music will eventually be completely commercial. I’m suddenly very glad that we spent the last Transmission sitting around a coffee table, singing in harmony. We should do more of it.