For my next creation of my 3-part post series “30 seconds of…”, check out a mix of Christian AND rock music!
To read about how I decided on this assignment and the mashups I’d do, as well as how I made the mashups, check out Part 1: Christian contemporary music.
However, I’ll include the instructions below.
“This is some sort of variation on Katy Chase’s The Contest That Nobody Could Win assignment, but instead of clips from a TV show or movie, do clips from your favorite songs and see if anyone can guess what they are. Or at least the artist. Do two or three second clips using 4 or 5 songs. Make them all different. Use SoundCloud to post!”
“10 second song mashup”, 3.5 stars
My modifications:
- Make the mashup about 30 seconds long
- Do it by topic or genre
- Don’t use SoundCloud
- Not enforcing the “can anyone guess” thing
Without further ado, here’s my Christian rock mix:
Now, you may be asking, “Why did you choose to make two separate Christian song mashups?”
Well, it all lies in the contemporary vs rock differentiation. They’re distinctly different sounds to me. I grew up listening almost exclusively to Christian contemporary, music, so by my teen years, I wanted something with more energy that would still be Christian. I started listening to secular rock music shortly before I discovered that Christian rock existed, and once I found that Christian rock was indeed an actual genre, I began listening to bands like Skillet and Relient K. Because of that, many of the songs I’ve included are “firsts” in different ways.
Invisible was the first Disciple song I heard, and I discovered it through a friend’s Instagram story. The lyrics “You’re not stranded on your own, you’re not invisible” call out to the listener, and the song reminds me that God is on my side and that He cares for and truly loves me. He sees me in my struggles and is there for me when I feel completely alone, which is immensely comforting.
Be My Escape was one of the first Christian rock songs I heard that I played on drums. I was in a band at the time, and this was one of the songs we played together. It’s a song where the artist talks about both his struggles with doubt and his insecurities and his plea and trust that God will get him out of the rut he’s in—hence the lyrics “And I’m begging you, I’m begging you, I’m begging you to be my escape”. The tone of humility and the need for God comes through strongly, and it’s very relatable.
Feel Invincible was one of the first Christian rock songs I heard, period. I knew that Skillet was a Christian band, but I hadn’t realized that they were a Christian rock band. And they really are—all of their songs pack a powerful punch. It’s absolutely rock music, and it’s rock music that’s Christian, which I think is awesome. Several of Skillet’s songs focus on their identity as Christians, and these lyrics are one aspect of that: “You make me feel invincible, earthquake powerful / just like a tidal wave, you make me brave”. Without Him, I’m nothing; with His support, I can be the best version of myself.
Hanging On By A Thread was a song that came up in my Spotify recommendations, and the first couple times I didn’t really pay attention to it. However, last spring, I relistened to it and realized how much I liked it. The song is about dependence on God: “So I’m holding on to You, no I won’t let go…I’m hanging on by a thread”. When nothing else in the world is stable, He is. He is there through all of the changes I experience, both internal and external, and I need Him more than anything else.
If you haven’t heard my other two mashups in this series, check out 30 seconds of… (Part 1): Christian contemporary music and 30 seconds of… (Part 3): Rock music.
