Impossible Not to Share: An Interview with Pat Terry
Another Day Along the Way
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Another day,
Pat Terry and I aren't young. I can remember in my DJ days of playing contemporary Christian music for people who had never heard it. I enjoyed each concert and album - yes, literally, album - from The Pat Terry Group. After many years, I've reconnected with Pat. Enjoy the conversation and learn from Pat's thoughts.
Chris: I can remember The Pat Terry Group albums and the joy in your songs. Take us back to your early days of music.
Pat: Ah, to be young and turned loose on the world with a guitar! One of my earliest musical recollections is listening to the jukebox that was in my dad's store back in the early sixties. Most of what was on there was country or rock and roll; I dropped lots of quarters in that machine. But it wasn't until I saw The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964 that something just clicked inside of me. I thought, "That's what I want to do!" I played in a rock band throughout my high school years and did some original material in that group. I accepted Christ in 1970 and I started getting serious about writing songs. It seemed impossible not to share what I was experiencing; I was writing from the overflow of my newfound faith.
I still love so many of those early songs because I hear the intimacy and earnestness in them. And I can hear me searching too. I was young, just in my twenties, and like anyone at that age I was trying to figure out who I was and what I really believed. What was different I guess, was that I was doing my soul searching publicly through my music. I think the positive response to those songs was part of what encouraged me to keep reaching. I'm humbled and grateful for that. Getting to make music with my friends Sonny Lallerstedt and Randy Bugg was great too. It was like family, and I'm still good friends with those guys. We had some amazing times making those albums and traveling around the country.
Chris: What was happening spiritually and musically during those days?
Pat: Well, in the early seventies the Jesus Movement was in full swing out on the west coast, and it moved east on the wings of music by artists like Larry Norman, Love Song, and some of the groups associated with Maranatha Music. Hearing all that made those of us who were making music down south feel connected to what was going on out there. But all this music was really just an expression of what I believe was a genuine revival that came through the ranks of the kids back then. Even in our southern churches - which were for the most part really conservative and could be pretty uptight - young people were coming to Christ and expressing themselves with their own music, which was a new thing. Other than a few youth musicals which were pretty much written by adult church musicians, there hadn't been much music that kids could latch onto in churches. I know I'd always felt a little disconnected in church, especially when it came to music, because it didn't feel like it belonged to me. It belonged to my parents. The Jesus Movement changed that.
Most of the churches we played in during those days were excited to see this move of the Spirit in their youth groups, but they were also a bit frightened by the cultural trappings that the kids wanted to bring into their church experience. One reason our group never had a drummer was because churches were so resistant to drums. It was difficult to incorporate them into your live performances without it becoming just one more reason for people to dismiss you. And because of the length of our hair, our use of guitars and more contemporary rhythms in general, there was already some skepticism about what groups like ours were doing. Those things made a lot of adults nervous; they associated it with the drug culture of that era, which of course was what parents were trying to steer their kids away from. I remember our record label got some criticism about our album "Sweet Music" because apparently to some people the cover looked psychedelic or drug inspired. And actually, I can see why they might've thought that, because I suppose it did look kind of trippy, but that really was the farthest thing from our mind. We just thought it was creative, and the illustration, which was the three of us morphed into an ice cream sundae, was funny.
I look back on it now with some amusement, but sometimes people's responses could be kind of disconcerting. We'd go into some churches to play and by the third song at least two or three people would get up and walk out, offended at what we were doing. It seems laughable now, because as an acoustic trio we were a pretty tame little ensemble, but it was just a different time. To be fair, I'm sure what we did flew up in the face of things that some people held sacred. For the most part though, people were open. Despite some of those challenges I have warm memories from those years. I still hear from people every week who that music touched, which is so moving to me. Just amazing really.
Chris: Guide us through your journey from then until now. Tell us about your musical changes and your spiritual development.
Pat: It's hard to comment on that in just a few words, but basically, through the years I've continuously asked myself this question... What should it mean to be a Christian person who is also a songwriter? What is the purpose of my creativity? In the latter part of 1978 I was really struggling with those questions. Was music only good to be useful as some kind of religious tract, or did it have some other value that could help me make sense of my life and the world around me? These were questions I felt like I had to answer if I was going to keep making music.
At a certain point I became aware of Francis Schaeffer, reading some of his work on the subject of Christianity and the arts. It really spoke to me. The whole concept of creativity having value - not because it could be useful in some evangelical sense, but rather because it was a reflection of God's creative character in us - was so liberating. I started feeling that not only was I free to explore a variety of expression in my work, but it was essential for me to do if I was going to be true to myself and to my calling as a creative person.
That eventually led to my disbanding of the Pat Terry Group, and the three solo albums I made with my friend Mark Heard producing. When you hear those albums today they don't sound particularly radical, but I suppose at that time they were pretty far outside the realm of what Christian record labels were putting out. For me, it was just important to write what I was feeling and go out and play those songs for my audience. In the end I think honesty is all an artist has to offer, and I did my best to own up to my questions in that music. It's funny... some people are made nervous by music or books or other kinds of art that focus on the struggle of being human, and some are comforted. I'm one of those who feel comforted when I hear music like that. I suppose it's because it reminds me I'm not alone in my desire to understand life and faithfully keep at it. I've received a number of letters through the years from people who were encouraged by that element of those records, and that's really what I'd hoped for. That reaching out - that connection between people - is part of the reason for Christians to make art.
By 1985 I felt I'd said what I'd wanted to say through those albums, and I'd reached another creative plateau. Having spent so much time recording and touring during the previous few years, I just wanted to spend more time on the thing I loved to do more than anything else, and that was songwriting itself. I loved what I was hearing coming out of Nashville at that time, was aware of the songwriting community there, and wondered what it would be like to just write songs for other people to sing. I started spending a lot of time in Nashville in 1986. Though it was a huge challenge, it was inspiring and fun from the get-go. Probably the best part of it was that I was forced out of my Christian comfort zone and into a world where religious words and phrases didn't automatically open any doors. You found out real quick if your faith was real or just some kind of cultural security blanket.
I met a lot of people who in one way or another had written off Christians. I'm grateful for that experience. It helped to strip away some things in my life that were just window dressing, and challenged me to cling to those things that were essential to my faith and my art. And of course, the musical atmosphere in Nashville was and still is just great. I've had the privilege to write with so many gifted writers, and as a result I've learned more about writing than I would have ever discovered on my own. The craft of songwriting is endlessly fascinating to me.
Chris: What are some of the most popular songs you've written?
Pat: There's been a few that folks might recognize. In the country genre I co-wrote "Help Me Hold On" with Travis Tritt, which was his first number one single, and then Roger Murrah and I wrote "It's A Little Too Late," for Tanya Tucker, which was a big hit. I also wrote on "National Working Woman's Holiday" which was a number one for Sammy Kershaw. More recently the Oak Ridge Boys recorded "Someplace Green," which I put on my own new album, and I've received a lot of mail from folks who have connected to that song. The wedding song "That's The Way," which was written back around 1975, still seems to mean a lot to people. Alan Jackson recorded it last year and did a really beautiful version.
But I guess "Home Where I Belong" is probably my most well known song, and it seems to have developed a life of it's own through the years. B.J. Thomas originally covered it. Since then it's been recorded many times by a number of artists. I still get notes from people who tell me stories about what it's meant to them. It's humbling really, and at the same time I just have to acknowledge that there's an element of all this which has nothing to do with me at all. Whatever creative gifts I have are just that, gifts. And hard work as a songwriter may make you a better craftsman, but that doesn't always translate into songs that get inside someone and moves them. Songs that can do that are filled with grace, and grace is God's work.
Chris: Tell us about your new album.
Pat: Well, I started getting itchy to do an album again several years ago. I started and stopped several times. Then at the urging of my wife and a number of friends, I finally dug in and finished it. Part of what took so long is that I did it in my home studio, and played most of the instruments myself. Many of the songs have been around a while, and then I wrote several brand new ones. The title song, "Laugh For A Million Years," was done in tribute to Mark Heard, and was written shortly after he passed away in 1992. Like that song, all the songs on the CD are things I've particularly cared about. I co-wrote "Jump On It" with my wife Pamela, which was great fun. Some old and new friends contributed to the album, which meant a lot to me. Sonny Lallerstedt played acoustic guitar on "Open Windows," and John Austin, who makes great albums of his own, sang on the title track. The whole thing was truly a labor of love. I hope folks enjoy it. It's available at my website, www.patterryonline.com right now, and should be up on Apple I-tunes in the not too distant future. There, that's my shameless plug for the CD.
Chris: From your perspective, what are the positives and negatives of today's Christian music?
Pat: I'm smiling right now because I bounce back and forth between wondering if Christian Music should even exist as a genre, and thinking that it fulfills a certain role that's probably a vital thing for the church in particular. So it depends on what day you ask me that question as to what kind of answer you'll get. I also have to confess that since I haven't been involved in the Christian Music industry per se for a long time, I'm probably not qualified to comment too definitively. A lot has changed over the years, and I'm encouraged that there are young artists who are pushing some boundaries and seem to be trying to do their own thing. Real artists have their own voice. The ability to exercise that voice without letting the communal aspect of Christian Music overshadow its uniqueness is what I believe can make a real impact. That whole process is really difficult, and I respect anyone who's out there holding their own in that department.
On the negative side, I suppose I'm dismayed that in my opinion, the ongoing march of branding and marketing sometimes oversteps the boundaries of what I would consider tasteful or even appropriate. For example, I find the use of the word "worship" as a marketing term, a disturbing trend. I'm one of these people who feels worship is a deeply personal and intimate act. How do you market that without taking something away from it, or even missing the point altogether?
Chris: What excites you and what concerns you about church in America?
Pat: Whenever I hear a pastor get up and encourage their congregations to demonstrate their faith by serving someone else, as opposed to just expressing what they're against, I'm encouraged. I think the church has been characterized by fear for quite some time now, and that's not healthy. Perfect love casts out fear, right? If God's in control, then we shouldn't wallow in fear and spend all our time dissing anyone we disagree with. Do something positive. Paint a picture that celebrates something beautiful. Write a song that encourages someone or just makes someone feel human and connected in the world. Feed someone hungry. Comfort someone hurting. Tell someone that Jesus loves them. I love to see churches encouraging their congregations to do that, and I think it's happening more now than it has in a while.
Chris: What advice do you have for young artists who hope to pursue their dreams in today's music industry?
Pat: Well, today's music industry is totally different than it was back when I first started. Musicians now have options to record and promote their work that we didn't have back then. The internet and inexpensive digital recording has made that possible. But whether you want to record for a major label, or do it as an independent, it's no easy task. There'll always be lots of ups and downs, and times when it just feels impossible to keep going. The best advice I know to give is simply don't give up. As obvious as that might sound, I can't say it enough. If giving up is an option, or you think, "Hey, maybe I could be happy being an insurance adjuster or a banker," then you might should take a breath and rethink things a bit.
Most musicians I know who are doing it professionally pretty much feel like they don't have much choice in the matter. They simply couldn't NOT make music. If you're that kind of person, then I think the rewards outweigh the struggle. If you're not, you'll probably find it a difficult lifestyle. That's why it's important to be all about the music, and not money or stardom or anything like that. The music will keep you going when all that other stuff is nowhere in sight.
Chris: Thanks so much for your advice and for your music. How can we pray for you and how can people invite you to sing in their area?
Pat: Thanks for asking. I try to not be weary of well doing. I think all musicians struggle sometimes to find the energy required to just keep on keeping on. It's emotional work and can be taxing at times. So I do appreciate the prayers and support of my friends that keep me going. As far as playing in your area, just ask. Drop me an email through my website. There's always a way to make a date happen. I love coming out and playing my songs for people.
Along the way,
Chris Maxwell
Powerful Statement: Despite all the fancy buildings, sophisticated programs, and highly visible presence, it is my contention that the church is almost a nonentity when it comes to shaping culture. In the arts, entertainment, media, education, and other culture-shaping venues of our country, the church has abdicated its role as salt and light.
(Robert Briner, Roaring Lambs)
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Another day,
Pat Terry and I aren't young. I can remember in my DJ days of playing contemporary Christian music for people who had never heard it. I enjoyed each concert and album - yes, literally, album - from The Pat Terry Group. After many years, I've reconnected with Pat. Enjoy the conversation and learn from Pat's thoughts.
Chris: I can remember The Pat Terry Group albums and the joy in your songs. Take us back to your early days of music.
Pat: Ah, to be young and turned loose on the world with a guitar! One of my earliest musical recollections is listening to the jukebox that was in my dad's store back in the early sixties. Most of what was on there was country or rock and roll; I dropped lots of quarters in that machine. But it wasn't until I saw The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964 that something just clicked inside of me. I thought, "That's what I want to do!" I played in a rock band throughout my high school years and did some original material in that group. I accepted Christ in 1970 and I started getting serious about writing songs. It seemed impossible not to share what I was experiencing; I was writing from the overflow of my newfound faith.
I still love so many of those early songs because I hear the intimacy and earnestness in them. And I can hear me searching too. I was young, just in my twenties, and like anyone at that age I was trying to figure out who I was and what I really believed. What was different I guess, was that I was doing my soul searching publicly through my music. I think the positive response to those songs was part of what encouraged me to keep reaching. I'm humbled and grateful for that. Getting to make music with my friends Sonny Lallerstedt and Randy Bugg was great too. It was like family, and I'm still good friends with those guys. We had some amazing times making those albums and traveling around the country.
Chris: What was happening spiritually and musically during those days?
Pat: Well, in the early seventies the Jesus Movement was in full swing out on the west coast, and it moved east on the wings of music by artists like Larry Norman, Love Song, and some of the groups associated with Maranatha Music. Hearing all that made those of us who were making music down south feel connected to what was going on out there. But all this music was really just an expression of what I believe was a genuine revival that came through the ranks of the kids back then. Even in our southern churches - which were for the most part really conservative and could be pretty uptight - young people were coming to Christ and expressing themselves with their own music, which was a new thing. Other than a few youth musicals which were pretty much written by adult church musicians, there hadn't been much music that kids could latch onto in churches. I know I'd always felt a little disconnected in church, especially when it came to music, because it didn't feel like it belonged to me. It belonged to my parents. The Jesus Movement changed that.
Most of the churches we played in during those days were excited to see this move of the Spirit in their youth groups, but they were also a bit frightened by the cultural trappings that the kids wanted to bring into their church experience. One reason our group never had a drummer was because churches were so resistant to drums. It was difficult to incorporate them into your live performances without it becoming just one more reason for people to dismiss you. And because of the length of our hair, our use of guitars and more contemporary rhythms in general, there was already some skepticism about what groups like ours were doing. Those things made a lot of adults nervous; they associated it with the drug culture of that era, which of course was what parents were trying to steer their kids away from. I remember our record label got some criticism about our album "Sweet Music" because apparently to some people the cover looked psychedelic or drug inspired. And actually, I can see why they might've thought that, because I suppose it did look kind of trippy, but that really was the farthest thing from our mind. We just thought it was creative, and the illustration, which was the three of us morphed into an ice cream sundae, was funny.
I look back on it now with some amusement, but sometimes people's responses could be kind of disconcerting. We'd go into some churches to play and by the third song at least two or three people would get up and walk out, offended at what we were doing. It seems laughable now, because as an acoustic trio we were a pretty tame little ensemble, but it was just a different time. To be fair, I'm sure what we did flew up in the face of things that some people held sacred. For the most part though, people were open. Despite some of those challenges I have warm memories from those years. I still hear from people every week who that music touched, which is so moving to me. Just amazing really.
Chris: Guide us through your journey from then until now. Tell us about your musical changes and your spiritual development.
Pat: It's hard to comment on that in just a few words, but basically, through the years I've continuously asked myself this question... What should it mean to be a Christian person who is also a songwriter? What is the purpose of my creativity? In the latter part of 1978 I was really struggling with those questions. Was music only good to be useful as some kind of religious tract, or did it have some other value that could help me make sense of my life and the world around me? These were questions I felt like I had to answer if I was going to keep making music.
At a certain point I became aware of Francis Schaeffer, reading some of his work on the subject of Christianity and the arts. It really spoke to me. The whole concept of creativity having value - not because it could be useful in some evangelical sense, but rather because it was a reflection of God's creative character in us - was so liberating. I started feeling that not only was I free to explore a variety of expression in my work, but it was essential for me to do if I was going to be true to myself and to my calling as a creative person.
That eventually led to my disbanding of the Pat Terry Group, and the three solo albums I made with my friend Mark Heard producing. When you hear those albums today they don't sound particularly radical, but I suppose at that time they were pretty far outside the realm of what Christian record labels were putting out. For me, it was just important to write what I was feeling and go out and play those songs for my audience. In the end I think honesty is all an artist has to offer, and I did my best to own up to my questions in that music. It's funny... some people are made nervous by music or books or other kinds of art that focus on the struggle of being human, and some are comforted. I'm one of those who feel comforted when I hear music like that. I suppose it's because it reminds me I'm not alone in my desire to understand life and faithfully keep at it. I've received a number of letters through the years from people who were encouraged by that element of those records, and that's really what I'd hoped for. That reaching out - that connection between people - is part of the reason for Christians to make art.
By 1985 I felt I'd said what I'd wanted to say through those albums, and I'd reached another creative plateau. Having spent so much time recording and touring during the previous few years, I just wanted to spend more time on the thing I loved to do more than anything else, and that was songwriting itself. I loved what I was hearing coming out of Nashville at that time, was aware of the songwriting community there, and wondered what it would be like to just write songs for other people to sing. I started spending a lot of time in Nashville in 1986. Though it was a huge challenge, it was inspiring and fun from the get-go. Probably the best part of it was that I was forced out of my Christian comfort zone and into a world where religious words and phrases didn't automatically open any doors. You found out real quick if your faith was real or just some kind of cultural security blanket.
I met a lot of people who in one way or another had written off Christians. I'm grateful for that experience. It helped to strip away some things in my life that were just window dressing, and challenged me to cling to those things that were essential to my faith and my art. And of course, the musical atmosphere in Nashville was and still is just great. I've had the privilege to write with so many gifted writers, and as a result I've learned more about writing than I would have ever discovered on my own. The craft of songwriting is endlessly fascinating to me.
Chris: What are some of the most popular songs you've written?
Pat: There's been a few that folks might recognize. In the country genre I co-wrote "Help Me Hold On" with Travis Tritt, which was his first number one single, and then Roger Murrah and I wrote "It's A Little Too Late," for Tanya Tucker, which was a big hit. I also wrote on "National Working Woman's Holiday" which was a number one for Sammy Kershaw. More recently the Oak Ridge Boys recorded "Someplace Green," which I put on my own new album, and I've received a lot of mail from folks who have connected to that song. The wedding song "That's The Way," which was written back around 1975, still seems to mean a lot to people. Alan Jackson recorded it last year and did a really beautiful version.
But I guess "Home Where I Belong" is probably my most well known song, and it seems to have developed a life of it's own through the years. B.J. Thomas originally covered it. Since then it's been recorded many times by a number of artists. I still get notes from people who tell me stories about what it's meant to them. It's humbling really, and at the same time I just have to acknowledge that there's an element of all this which has nothing to do with me at all. Whatever creative gifts I have are just that, gifts. And hard work as a songwriter may make you a better craftsman, but that doesn't always translate into songs that get inside someone and moves them. Songs that can do that are filled with grace, and grace is God's work.
Chris: Tell us about your new album.
Pat: Well, I started getting itchy to do an album again several years ago. I started and stopped several times. Then at the urging of my wife and a number of friends, I finally dug in and finished it. Part of what took so long is that I did it in my home studio, and played most of the instruments myself. Many of the songs have been around a while, and then I wrote several brand new ones. The title song, "Laugh For A Million Years," was done in tribute to Mark Heard, and was written shortly after he passed away in 1992. Like that song, all the songs on the CD are things I've particularly cared about. I co-wrote "Jump On It" with my wife Pamela, which was great fun. Some old and new friends contributed to the album, which meant a lot to me. Sonny Lallerstedt played acoustic guitar on "Open Windows," and John Austin, who makes great albums of his own, sang on the title track. The whole thing was truly a labor of love. I hope folks enjoy it. It's available at my website, www.patterryonline.com right now, and should be up on Apple I-tunes in the not too distant future. There, that's my shameless plug for the CD.
Chris: From your perspective, what are the positives and negatives of today's Christian music?
Pat: I'm smiling right now because I bounce back and forth between wondering if Christian Music should even exist as a genre, and thinking that it fulfills a certain role that's probably a vital thing for the church in particular. So it depends on what day you ask me that question as to what kind of answer you'll get. I also have to confess that since I haven't been involved in the Christian Music industry per se for a long time, I'm probably not qualified to comment too definitively. A lot has changed over the years, and I'm encouraged that there are young artists who are pushing some boundaries and seem to be trying to do their own thing. Real artists have their own voice. The ability to exercise that voice without letting the communal aspect of Christian Music overshadow its uniqueness is what I believe can make a real impact. That whole process is really difficult, and I respect anyone who's out there holding their own in that department.
On the negative side, I suppose I'm dismayed that in my opinion, the ongoing march of branding and marketing sometimes oversteps the boundaries of what I would consider tasteful or even appropriate. For example, I find the use of the word "worship" as a marketing term, a disturbing trend. I'm one of these people who feels worship is a deeply personal and intimate act. How do you market that without taking something away from it, or even missing the point altogether?
Chris: What excites you and what concerns you about church in America?
Pat: Whenever I hear a pastor get up and encourage their congregations to demonstrate their faith by serving someone else, as opposed to just expressing what they're against, I'm encouraged. I think the church has been characterized by fear for quite some time now, and that's not healthy. Perfect love casts out fear, right? If God's in control, then we shouldn't wallow in fear and spend all our time dissing anyone we disagree with. Do something positive. Paint a picture that celebrates something beautiful. Write a song that encourages someone or just makes someone feel human and connected in the world. Feed someone hungry. Comfort someone hurting. Tell someone that Jesus loves them. I love to see churches encouraging their congregations to do that, and I think it's happening more now than it has in a while.
Chris: What advice do you have for young artists who hope to pursue their dreams in today's music industry?
Pat: Well, today's music industry is totally different than it was back when I first started. Musicians now have options to record and promote their work that we didn't have back then. The internet and inexpensive digital recording has made that possible. But whether you want to record for a major label, or do it as an independent, it's no easy task. There'll always be lots of ups and downs, and times when it just feels impossible to keep going. The best advice I know to give is simply don't give up. As obvious as that might sound, I can't say it enough. If giving up is an option, or you think, "Hey, maybe I could be happy being an insurance adjuster or a banker," then you might should take a breath and rethink things a bit.
Most musicians I know who are doing it professionally pretty much feel like they don't have much choice in the matter. They simply couldn't NOT make music. If you're that kind of person, then I think the rewards outweigh the struggle. If you're not, you'll probably find it a difficult lifestyle. That's why it's important to be all about the music, and not money or stardom or anything like that. The music will keep you going when all that other stuff is nowhere in sight.
Chris: Thanks so much for your advice and for your music. How can we pray for you and how can people invite you to sing in their area?
Pat: Thanks for asking. I try to not be weary of well doing. I think all musicians struggle sometimes to find the energy required to just keep on keeping on. It's emotional work and can be taxing at times. So I do appreciate the prayers and support of my friends that keep me going. As far as playing in your area, just ask. Drop me an email through my website. There's always a way to make a date happen. I love coming out and playing my songs for people.
Along the way,
Chris Maxwell
Powerful Statement: Despite all the fancy buildings, sophisticated programs, and highly visible presence, it is my contention that the church is almost a nonentity when it comes to shaping culture. In the arts, entertainment, media, education, and other culture-shaping venues of our country, the church has abdicated its role as salt and light.
(Robert Briner, Roaring Lambs)
