Destiny Music

Warning: This is an authentic, sincere Auntie post! You've been warned... he he! Btw, in case you haven't noticed, the above image has obviously been photoshopped cos you can't possibly play more than one track simultaneously on Spotify!!

I must admit I'm pretty backward cos I only got onto Spotify a couple of months ago. Hard to believe but true! Haha!! Being a noob, I'm still exploring the different things it can do, like recommending the top acts in Singapore for me to listen to. Well, with Nathan Hartono's recent conquest (almost) of Sing! China, it's not surprising to find his photo representing this playlist. But as I scrolled down the list, I discovered that I actually recognised a few of the artists' names and that they had been through the doors of Destiny Music!! In fact, other than these names spotted on Spotify, there are also many other Destiny alumni who have become Youtube stars, taken part in national and international competitions and won or done very well, performed at all kinds of events all over the world, produced recordings and staged their own concerts and more!

For those of you who don't know, my husband and I co-founded and ran a music ministry for youth where we trained them and provided opportunities for them to perform and share their faith through music. Our aim was to raise up a generation of young people that would glorify God through their God-given talents in music and the arts. We weren't out to train worship leaders, mind you. Instead we wanted to see the light of Christ shine in the commercial music industry.

When the time came for us to wind up the ministry, there was quite a bit of reluctance on our part as well as among the young men and women who had grown up with us. (Some of them had joined us when they were just 12 or 13 years old.) At the time, we felt that we had already achieved what we set out to do - together with these more than a hundred young volunteers, we had reached out to tens of thousands of people with their songs and dances, through live performances and online videos. Not only that, many of these young musicians had also caught the vision of using their God-given talents for the glory of God.

However, as I look at what many of them are doing now, I realise that what we had achieved was much more than that, we had actually planted a seed in these youth that has continued to grow and bloom and bear fruit over the years.What a privilege it is to have partnered with God in the work that He's doing in these young people's lives! And I continue to pray and hope that they will keep that passion for God burning in them no matter how high or how far they go.

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.

1 Cor 3:6

Intelligence and Pop Culture - Never the Twain Shall Meet?

I am slightly disturbed...no, greatly disturbed by the state of arts education in my country. And I'm sad to say that having worked before in the department that oversees arts education in schools, perhaps I am partly to blame for it! But I've realised since that the streaming that takes place in schools especially at the secondary and higher levels, doesn't do justice to the important role that the arts play in our daily life. 

After all, there's music and visuals/video everywhere we go, both in the physical and cyber worlds. Design and aesthetics also impact every area of our lives, from furnishings to buildings and practically every piece of tool or gadget that passes through our hands. So why is it that when it comes to academics in school, the focus and emphasis rests heavily on the technical subjects? Why do we keep pushing the bright students to study these supposedly more important subjects and even discourage some who are obviously artistically talented from taking up the arts, in particular modern and popular arts?

Of course, I'm not denying that parents here do actively send their children to art, music and ballet classes from young. But these are mainly in the classical arts and many of these parents do so because of the edge it would give their children when applying for prestigious secondary schools. Ultimately, they would not encourage their children to pursue the arts as a career but merely as a hobby. Unless of course they discover a prodigy in the process and there's a chance that their child could make it as a world-class artiste. However, these are very few and far between.

To be fair though, the problem may not be peculiar to this nation. Otherwise, why would people in the West and in another Asian country be surprised and even shocked to find that celebrities in pop culture - actors, singers, musicians - have high IQs?

21 Celebrities With Surprisingly High IQs

These 11 Idols Revealed Their IQ Levels…And Shocked Fans Speechless

Somehow, talent in the pop world and intelligence aren't viewed as being compatible!

Yet, if we look closely at the list of intelligent celebrities, we will find quite a few of them who have truly excelled in their art, challenged stereotypes, pioneered new genres and actually stimulated their audience to think. So we really do need smart kids who can do great art, or else I shudder to think what we would be left with...

Now you may ask what brought on this rant. Well, one of my children who happens to be gifted (not sure what his IQ is but he is in the top 1% of his cohort and Mensa members are the top 2%) has said many times over many years that he wants to be a rock star. Not boasting here, but he certainly has the qualities to become one - musical talent, motivation, good looks, charisma. [Listen to his original music here.] Yet, I tried to persuade him to put this dream aside and work on getting a degree in a 'proper' subject first. But as I thought about why I was asking him to do that, I realised to my horror that the kind of thinking that's prevalent has become deeply ingrained in me!! So as I critique it while writing, I'm actually looking inward and trying to correct my own attitude towards popular arts and culture. Ultimately, if it is God's plan for him to make a positive influence in the world through rock music, who am I to stop it?

Now, whether my boy does actually become a rock star, that remains to be seen! ;)

Is The Limelight Getting Too Sour?

Happened to chance upon this page when I was searching for something else and I was really impressed by these K-pop stars' courage in being open about their Christian faith. But if you scroll down and read the comments below, you'll find the usual accusations about some of these stars being promiscuous, homosexuals and even satanists. That got me thinking about how difficult it must be for celebrities and famous personalities to maintain a Christian witness. It's already tough enough having to live constantly in the limelight and not being able to retain any personal space. But every little slip or mistake you make gets blown up a million times especially if you are a professing Christian cos people just expect you to be perfect! Even those who do lead pretty decent lives get falsely accused of all kinds of transgressions from adultery to illuminati.

As I considered how it can be possible to withstand such criticism, I realised that God has already shown us in His word. And whether you're a pop idol, football star, politician, or even just a 'nobody' like me, the same principles apply in situations where we face undue pressure or are being unfairly judged by others.

First of all, we need to be RESILIENT.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 1 Cor 4:8-9

No matter how terrible it gets, don't let the bad press get to you. Rather than hitting back at the critics or crumbling under the criticism, look to God our Rock and trust in Him for He will pull you through. Unload all your frustrations to Him in prayer and draw strength from Him through the promises He has given us in His Word.

Next, we got to be REAL.

First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Matt 23:26

We got to be real before God, constantly repentant and washed clean inside by His blood. Only then can we be real before man, so our outward words and actions will also be pure and blameless. But if we ever fall, we also have to be real and not try to hide behind a perfect mask. Being honest about our weaknesses and how dependent we are on God's forgiveness and grace could even lead others to think about their need for the same.

Third, we must REFLECT. 

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18 

We must constantly reflect on the motivation behind our words and actions as well as the impact they will have on others. Are they aligned with God's standards as revealed in His Word and if not, how can we make them so? Only when we are willing to be progressively changed and moulded by God can we then start to reflect His glory.

Finally, we should REFOCUS.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matt 6:33

We should refocus our attention and efforts on God's calling and destiny for our lives instead of just doing what we like or what others expect of us. Then we can refocus other people's attention away from us and onto Him, the source of our talents and abilities.