Drew Barnard
In my last post in my ongoing music series, I made the case for the classical tradition. I also argued that the persistent syncopation common in most modern genres is detrimental to our mental and emotional wellbeing. Those are two significant, rather controversial claims to make and they are sure … Read More
If you’ve been reading my music series, I started by contending that we should be talking about music, then wrote a second post explaining why I think musical style matters. Now I’d like to share some of what has helped me in forming my own values in music. We begin … Read More
There’s a severe divide in the music debate. We can’t decide if music is morally neutral. Most disagreement points back to this question. Depending on how we answer the question, music could be a free-for-all, where personal preference dictates all we do, or our musical choices could actually be a … Read More
Music is an amazing gift from God. I’m not sure what would have happened to me if I hadn’t found it. I was a rambunctious, high-strung little boy who couldn’t stop asking questions and jumping off the walls. I needed an outlet for all this built-up energy. When I started … Read More
I was twenty when I decided to make my debut. No, I wasn’t cool enough to be on Facebook, much less Instagram. Back then, it was Google+, the preferred platform for most of my friends. I started cautiously adding friends, waiting until they added me back to add more. I … Read More
We’re living in a time of unrest. COVID-19 brought disruption that none of us were anticipating. As life starts moving back to normal, we’re met with new issues. The killing of George Floyd sparked outrage across the world. As thousands gather to protest in the streets, reactions from the church—and … Read More
I’ve always loved history, especially political history. As a young teenager, I’d get into lively disputes with my friends after church, usually over the legacy of a past president. It got out of hand to the point that there was a backroom apology session with fathers involved. It’s almost hilarious … Read More
People don’t trust the news anymore. We live in a day where opposing viewpoints are quickly labeled as “fake news.” Fake news is all too real, unfortunately, but amid all the competing voices, it’s often hard to tell which news is actually fake. You can find support for practically any … Read More
These are strange times. It’s been less than two weeks since I first wrote about COVID-19 and my life has certainly not become less strange since. After some potential exposure, our family decided to self-quarantine; just a few days later, the governor issued a stay-at-home order for our county. It’s … Read More