MP3 Mark Cromer - SALT
Christian music to help get you voted out of a southern gospel church or community - which fuses jazz, folk, blues, rock, pop, classical, Asian, country, and perhaps other genres.
12 MP3 Songs in this album (44:07) !
Related styles: Spiritual: Alternative CCM, Pop: Pop/Rock, Mood: Dreamy
People who are interested in Bob Welch Phil Keaggy Pink Floyd should consider this download.
Details:
Mark started playing guitar at age 15, and he began writing songs almost immediately, though not very good ones, admittedly. As his playing improved, he joined a rock band in Cincinnati called Distant Rail. Mark joined the US Air Force later at age 20 and then played mostly acoustic guitar. Being somewhat influenced by Leo Kottke, John Fahey, and Andres Segovia, Mark worked on developing his fingerpicking skills and taught himself how to read notes for guitar. He played with a country band on weekends while stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Upon exiting the Air Force, Mark played with an acoustic trio who covered songs by Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, etc., and did some original songs.
Mark felt like he needed more purpose in life, and he decided to attend church, and after about four months of attending he decided to devote his life to Jesus Christ. Being filled with love and new found purpose, Mark started writing songs that praised God and ministered to people - telling everyone to believe in Jesus Christ and turn from their sins. Unfortunately, the churches that Mark played at weren''t too hip on his music. He invited one of his vocalist friends, Gary, who had sung with Distant Rail and the acoustic trio, to attend church with him. Gary and his wife attended, and they were so moved by the message of Christ that they devoted their lives to Christ that night (actually it was about 4 am the next morning because neither of them could sleep). Mark and Gary began performing together in churches. They played original Christian songs, which never went over too well in the some Cincinnati area churches. They were even voted out of one church. The reason given was, "that music ain''t got the spirit". Mark and his friend found other churches to play in, as well as parks, parties, hospitals, homes, orphanages, colleges, flea markets, and anywhere they found an opportunity to spread the message of Christ''s love. Things went well enough for a couple of years, but the constant resistance of churches where Mark thought he would find support began draining him, and he became very depressed.
He kept attending church, praying for healing, but he found that he felt worse when he left church than when he arrived. Mark finally decided to quit attending church, which was extremely difficult to do because of an inner struggle - he was afraid he would displease God. He just prayed and hoped that God would understand.
When he consulted with Christian leaders, they suggested that he was a sinner and needed repentance. Even most of his Christian friends shunned him and said he was not right with God. The depression continued for 12 years when a friend invited him to sit in on a blues gig at a local bar. Mark was afraid God would be displeased, but he went anyway, and while playing he felt better than he had in a long time. He then understood that this was actually God''s will. He needed recreation and freedom from condemnation and guilt trips, which was all he was getting from churches and most Christians. He found that Rock and Blues music strengthened him while church music and most Christian music only sapped him and made him feel weaker. So Mark started writing, recording, and performing Rock and Blues music.
Through all this Mark began realizing that he was innocent in God''s eyes. Mark rarely performs the Christian songs heard here now; they were written before his depression set in, but now you can hear what the churches seemed to hate so much. Mark''s non-church-going friends insisted that these songs are some of his better material, so here they are. Mark still loves and serves God, just not as the typical "cookie-cutter" church-going Christians do.
Concerning his depression, Mark moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and saw how most everyone there kept themselves in good physical shape. Mark joined a fitness club, started working out regularly, and the depression began leaving him. The festive atmosphere, latin salsa music and dancing, and beautiful women helped, too.