TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Musicians Focus On Social Justice

ADVERTISEMENT

By CURTIS ROSS

cross@tampatrib.com

Published: October 11, 2008

TAMPA - Some Christian musicians prefer to play clubs or concert halls rather than churches. The idea is to avoid preaching to the choir.

The Art Music Justice Tour, on the other hand, will bring the choir a fresh message.

Spearheaded by singer-songwriter Sara Groves, the tour will benefit The International Justice Mission and Food for the Hungry. IJM aids victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and violent oppression, while Food for the Hungry provides disaster and emergency relief as well as implementing sustainable development programs in 26 developing countries.

Groves knows about the organizations' works firsthand.

In the past few years, she has met with survivors of Southeast Asia's sex trade, visited genocide-ravaged Rwanda and helped bring supplies to survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

The education and experience caused her to question the focus of her spirituality.

"I'd been grooming my own personal faith, but to what end?" Groves says by telephone from Niagara Falls, where she's spending a day off from the tour.

"I felt there was an element of engagement missing," she says, pausing. "It was definitely missing.

"You know, Mother Teresa said we the United States were the most poverty stricken nation, because of our lack of depth and lack of caring for others," Groves says. "As I started getting involved, I felt that poverty."

The tour is aimed at educating Christians about these situations and encouraging them to act, Groves says.

The goal, Groves says, is to have these concerns "fully integrated" into the spiritual lives of Christians.

She knows that's a lot to ask of a concert.

"We are first and foremost musicians, and it is a concert," Groves says. "The whole night is about social justice but it's not a tunnel. You're not getting hit over the head."

In that way, she seeks to emulate IJM's president and chief executive, Gary Haugen. Haugen has worked for and with the U.S. Justice Department, the United Nations and various human rights organizations in many of the world's trouble spots.

"If anyone could get up in front of a church and say 'Don't you get it?' it's Gary," Groves says. "But he doesn't. He celebrates every small turning. He's quick to encourage and say 'You can do it.' As Bono has said, this isn't a burden, it's an adventure."

Of course, even the term "social justice" can be divisive, loaded as it is with political connotations.

"That is unfortunate," Groves says. "That word has been commandeered to mean a political or liberal message. To me it is a Jesus message."

Groves, a former high school teacher, made her debut with an independently released album, "Past the Wishing." She was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2002 Dove Awards. Her latest album is 2007's "Tell Me What You Know."

Other artists on the tour include:

•BRANDON HEATH: Heath shares Groves' passion for human rights, traveling on missions to India and Ecuador. He's also worked closer to home, organizing a benefit concert for victims of a string of tornados around Nashville earlier this year. His latest album is this year's "What If We."

•CHARLIE PEACOCK: A giant in Contemporary Christian music, Peacock is a prolific producer, performer and songwriter whose credits range from work with Switchfoot, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Bela Fleck, to composing Amy Grant's No. 2 pop hit "Every Heartbeat." His musical focus has turned from pop to jazz and improvisational music in recent years. He's also an author and speaker.

•DEREK WEBB: A founding member of Caedmon's Call, Webb went solo in 2003 with the album "She Must and Shall Go Free." His latest release is last year's "The Ringing Bell." He is married to fellow Art Music Justice performer Sandra McCracken.

•SANDRA McCRACKEN: McCracken's sound is rooted in Americana, as heard on her latest album, 2006's "Gravity Love." She's also recorded projects with her husband, Derek Webb, including 2005's album of hymns, "The Builder and the Architect," and this year's "Ampersand EP."

ON TOUR

The Art Music Justice Tour

WITH: Sara Groves, Brandon Heath, Charlie Peacock, Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken

WHEN: 7 p.m., Thursday

WHERE: Christ Community Church, 6202 N. Himes Ave., Tampa; (813) 879-2077

COST: $15 advance, $20 day of show

Reporter Curtis Ross can be reached at (813) 259-7568.

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT