1) Describe your sound. Musically it's urban contemporary Gospel with a unique blend of Neo-Soul, R&P, Hip-Hop & Jazz. It's pretty diverse. It's edgy and calm. Each song has its own flow.
2) What are some of the themes your music conveys? This whole album is about some aspect of making Christ the Focus. finding focus by getting to know him....maintaining it despite the circumstances...losing it to temptation, actions, reactions, or thoughts...and then finding it again through the faithfulness, mercy, and grace of God.
3) Who is your primary audience? young and mature adults who like to enjoy life and desire variety & good music with a sound message in the music.
4) In concert, what song gets the biggest reaction? Why? It varies _base_d on what people are going through. Overall, Pray For Me touches hearts because it speaks to everyone. we all need prayer and we can all pray for someone. We all have missed it at least once when someone was crying out but we were not there for them. Prayer is so powerful yet we can all take it for granted.
5) What do you think of Jesus? He's the Way, The Truth, and the Life! He's a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He's everything we need even before we know we need it.
6) What gets on your nerves? Dishonesty & Disrespect.
7) When you have bad days, what keeps you going, pressing on? I really believe that what He's given me to share is important and is meant to be exposed to a lot of people. So on a bad day I'll hit the gym hard, get in the Word or start speaking the word back to myself, praise & worship it out, step away for a minute, ReFOCUS, kiss my wife, hug my son, and come back and pick it up again.
8) What is something you'd tell a struggling young person who doesn't go to church and "doesn't know the Lord" to encourage them? My pastor says, "no one cares about what you have to say, until they know that you care." So I would let them know that God loves them and I do too. I would listen to them and demonstrate his love through patience, encouragement, and care.
9) What do you struggle with and how are you dealing with it? How does God help you with it? I have struggled with being on time for things. I try to stay on top of it now but it took growth and conviction by the Holy Spirit. I don't believe I'm by myself because I find that in a lot of churches theres not always high regard for timeliness. Services often start late. Choir members and musicians often arrive late. But God helped me to realize that this was a behavior that did not glorify Him. Contrary to popular belief, it is not "cute" to God to be fashionably late. When you really want to look good - you'll be on time. If you agree to 8:30 and you "get there" around "8:45 or 9ish" you have been untruthful and are not representing Christ well. I try to prepare things in advance. Get clothes together in advance ( I hate doing that...but I gotta do it) and make it a point to leave earlier. I also surround myself with people who are naturally on-time and won't tolerate me being late. Sometimes your friends can be your worst enablers. Being late leads to disorder and confusion which can give satan just the opening he needs to discourage, distract, or delay someone (including the person who was late) from the blessing they would have received if we would have been on time.
10) Where do you live? What is the spiritual climate like there? What church do you attend and what is it like? I live in North New Jersey near Newark, NJ. My church home is Christian Love Baptist Church...Pastor Ron Christion. There's a progressive spiritual climate in this area. I believe a lot of people in Christ are desiring to go to "the next level." Overall there's room for growth in every way. But in the midst of it all there's a lot of love and care for the community here too.
11) How is today's modern, contemporary Christian church helping or failing the youth? I think the modern contemporary Christian Church is helping by attempting to be more open to music and programming that interest them. Back in the day, we had to sit through adult oriented church - but now many pastors are hip to the fact that youth Love Jesus too, but they need to express it in a youthful way. Music worship has led the way to reaching the youth, and now I think bible studies, prayer groups, and spiritual disciplines have to be taught in a way that is relevant now. A lot of churches have found a way to do that....but some more than others.
12) If someone wants to pray for you, what should they pray about/for? I'm thankful that they would pray. The Holy Spirit would lead them
13) Talk about your new CD. What is it called and why would someone buy it? The album is called FOCUS-SE (special edition) - It is an album that you can rejoice to, worship with, and also give you something to meditate on. The music is hot and different. And most of all it's good ministry set to good music. The rest is up to you. Everything is not for everybody...but I believe there something on here for almost everyone.
14) Who are your musical influences? My dad. He had a funk band called Sagitarrean Fire when I was a kid. I learned a lot from watching them. I listen to a lot of people. Stevie Wonder is my favorite all-time artist. I also enjoy CeCe Winans, Micheal W. Smith, Fred Hammond, Sarah Vaughn, Nancey Wilson, Sting, Musiq Soul Child, J. Moss, and Smokie Norful.
15) How can people buy your CD and/or book you? They can go to my website at
www.agape-musicworks.com/carlb to purchase or place a request for me to minister live in concert as well as to find out information on my Music Ministry Workshops.
16) What is your email address?
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17) What are some of your goals for the years to come? 1. To be a faithful servant 2. be a loving & caring husband 3. be a good dad. 4. To go ye into all the world sharing the music that God has given me with as many as He desires. 5. And to be a blessing to other upcoming ministers in song/artists through my company Agape MusicWorks and through my Music Ministry Workshops.
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