ChristianMusicDaily

Mark Weber of ChristianMusicDaily.com recently asked various Christian artists to answer this question: "What's the toughest thing about being a 'Christian' artist in today's society?" Scott Brownson from Pivitplex had this to say:

"I'm not sure if I can nail down one 'toughest' thing, but I can give you a few reasons why I find if tough.

1. Being a Christ follower means that you choose the narrow path. I have to take every decision about my music seriously because I have to answer to God. It is a constant struggle of trying to discover if there is a gray area or if everything is black and white. Being a man of God is tough.

2. 'Christian music' is marketed to Christians. I try and try to make sure that the 'Christian industry' does not frustrate me. If you are put into the 'Christian music' machine, you need to be able to easily be marketed to Christians by sounding like a popular secular band or sounding like something that is already making a ton of money for the industry. I have chosen to make the music that I feel I was created to make, and we have suffered economically because of it. We don't fit into the box.

3. We are not taken seriously. I would argue that the world's view of Christian music is: preaching that is trying to be put into a 'cool' package. I can think of nothing cheesier than the thought of that. I am a musician that writes songs about things that I observe. If you are labeled with 'Christian music,' you immediately become a part of a 'Christian music' genre; you are no longer a rock band. It sucks to be in the Gospel section at Wal-Mart. Put us in the rock section where we belong. It is tough to overcome the view that we are a gimmick that is trying to convert everyone. We are going to honestly create art about our lives and views, but I wish we didn't have to overcome the stereotype created in America. Things are the way they are and so much good is being done. I have made the choice to try so hard, with God's help, to not be a critic for the sake of complaining, but, rather, to create change by having the courage to do things the way we believe God wants us to. No one can create the same music I do. Some is better, some is worse, but nothing sounds like mine. God has uniquely gifted each of us and we need to fulfill our purpose.

Don't compromise."