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How to Create Epic Risers and Transition Effects for Electronic Music

October 11, 2024

Creating epic risers and transition effects is essential for electronic music producers to build tension and anticipation before a drop or shift in their tracks. Here’s how you can do it...

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Automating a Drum Bus in Reaper to Create Dynamic Room Effects

October 6, 2024

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EQ in Practice: How to Use Subtractive EQ to Clean Up Muddy Mixes

October 6, 2024

ixing music is an art, and one of the most essential tools for achieving clarity in a mix is the equalizer (EQ). One technique, in particular, known as subtractive EQ, can work wonders for cleaning...

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How to Manage Static Noise in High Frequencies When Compressing Vocals

October 6, 2024

One common frustration in vocal production, especially for home studio and bedroom producers, is encountering static noise in the high frequencies after compressing and brightening vocals...

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Sampling Like a Pro: How to Flip Samples and Avoid Legal Issues

October 6, 2024

Sampling has been a cornerstone of modern music production, allowing producers to reimagine and breathe new life into old tracks. Whether you're producing hip-hop, EDM, or any genre, knowing how to...

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What Makes an EQ or Compressor VST High-Quality: Insights and Examples from Pros

October 6, 2024

When selecting EQ and compressor plugins, musicians and producers look for more than just a shiny interface or brand recognition. It's all about how these tools perform in real-world scenarios...

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Sound Design 101: Crafting Killer Drum Sounds Using Synthesizers

October 6, 2024

Drum sounds form the backbone of many music genres, and while sample packs are popular, designing your own drum sounds from scratch can elevate your production to a whole new level. Crafting custom...

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Mastering Multiband Compression Sidechaining: A Solution to Clashing Frequencies

October 6, 2024

In modern music production, one of the most common challenges is the clash of frequencies between instruments. For example, bass guitars and drum kits often compete for space in the lower end of...

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Studio One Workflow Tips for Faster Music Production

October 1, 2024

Studio One by PreSonus is an incredibly powerful DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) that offers a variety of tools to streamline your music production workflow. However, like many DAWs, getting the...

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Solving the Issue of Buried Crash Cymbals in the Mix

October 1, 2024

Crash cymbals often get buried in the mix, especially when using complex miking techniques like Glyn Johns, which balances close mics with overheads. While re-recording with higher cymbals may be a...

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GarageBand Hacks: Creating Professional-Sounding Tracks Without Expensive Plugins

October 1, 2024

GarageBand is often seen as an entry-level DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), but it has powerful tools that, when used effectively, can create professional-quality tracks. Many indie musicians and...

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Solving the General MIDI Program Change Dilemma in Ableton

October 1, 2024

When working with MIDI in Ableton, one might notice that although MIDI clips can send program changes, most of Ableton's native plugins don’t seem to respond to these changes effectively. This can...

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Is Contemporary Christian Music, CCM, Just Secular in Disguise?

Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet

What the Conversation is About

A June 13, 2025, Baptist News Global article highlights the long-standing conflicts between traditional Black gospel music and contemporary Christian music (CCM), which are exacerbated by racial dynamics, commercialization, and political uses of worship music.

Is CCM Cliché or Justifying Culture?

In order to sell more records and reach a wider audience, CCM is commonly criticized for embracing secular music styles. Leah Payne, an award-winning historian and Theologian noted that CCM has cosmic spiritual significance because evangelical parents have long viewed it as the safest marketing avenue to "save" teenagers. Critics claim that CCM frequently turns into rhetoric rather than truth, a sanitized religion influenced more by business than by more profound doctrine.

Is CCM Just Secular Music in Disguise?

Some traditionalists contend that CCM borrows the emotional impact of secular music without delving deeper into spirituality by contemporary rhythms like pop, hip-hop, and rock.

 "Most CCM can be rejected on the basis of lyrics alone,"

according to one critic, with its shallow theology and secular rhythms that don't reference Jesus.

What Gospel Still Stands For

Thomas A. Dorsey, an American musician and Christian evangelist, on the other hand, laid the groundwork for Black gospel music, which grew into a true musical expression based on Black worship traditions. According to the study, even as CCM expanded into mainstream markets, the gospel maintained its cultural identity and deeper grounding.

Historically, the Gospel Music Association (GMA) and Dove Awards honored primarily white CCM singers. They have only lately begun to remedy chronic racial exclusion, including the first-ever Black Artist of the Year award as late as 2022 and 2024.

Latest Reactions & Growing Debate

  • The story in Baptist News has generated conversation among mainline and christian readers who ask whether worship music has been used for political agendas, particularly in nationalist worship events related to 2024 election campaigns.
  • Others on social media debate whether CCM; even when faith‑based, is essentially secular pop music recast with spiritual lyrics. Is it masking secular rhythms under a religious guise?
  • New voices in Christian music, such as those from hip-hop artists like those included by The Gospel Coalition in 2025, are bridging the gap in the meantime, demonstrating that modern styles and genuine gospel expression can coexist.

Final Take

It may be harsh to refer to CCM as "secular music with Jesus lyrics," but it is not unjustified when popular formulas take precedence over spiritual depth. However, contemporary movements; particularly those led by Black people or artistic Christian acts are redefining spiritual authenticity in ways that go beyond the traditional dichotomies.

Is Contemporary Christian Music, CCM, Just Secular in Disguise?is-contemporary-christian-music-ccm-just-secular-in-disguiseLienor KatasAug 07, 2025A June 13, 2025, Baptist News Global article highlights the long-standing conflicts between traditional Black gospel music and contemporary Christian music (CCM), which are exacerbated by racial...