get to know your south african musos, part ashton gardner [pt ii]

continuing the interview with local muso Ashton Gardner:

what are your thorts/feelings when it comes to worship music? quite a general question but i imagine when someone hears ‘worship music’ they think ‘ah the 30 minute music time in the church’ – do you think it’s bigger than that at all? what makes music worship-full?

-You know Brett, that word is spelt ‘thoughts’. I have been waiting a long time to tell you that. I think all the questions and answers about worships music have been pretty much asked and answered by now. But I could easily give you a very long answer too. I find a diverse range of things in life calling or drawing my heart out to worship them. Broadly speaking, and from our perspective as believers, these would be things that either come from the Father (ie God) or things that don’t. Now music tends to do no more than merely highlight whatever subject is at hand that is currently making a bid for my worship. Define worship? Well, we’ll worship whatever we believe is going to bring us life, or the nearest approximation of that. Perhaps it is a car, you know? But the channels outside the Father it comes through you find in 1John – the lust of the eyes, the cravings of the flesh and the pride of life. Everything else comes from the Father! Generally you’ll find most music is worship’full’. The more pointed question to pose might not be is it worship’full’, but what is it full of? Invariably it is already full of worship.

and when it comes to your music, what would you say is the ashton factor? what sets your music apart from other peoples – ie why should people listen to yours? or what aspect of it do you think or hope will appeal to people?

-My factor might be writing between or around the defined lines of composition sometimes and bringing something fresh to people’s ears as a result. Shame they are abused with so much same old same old! I can’t believe that’s all they really want. I sure don’t. So I will tend to hear popular music and naturally reach out into some unchartered territory compositionally. There might be some pride attached to that, you know, anti establishment and all that, but I think I could do it without unnecessary pride too so as to just enjoy the gift of music rather than define myself by it! But the balance to achieve is to keep it accessible in some way to others too! I don’t think music was given to me for only for my sake; at the same time I need to do what I can which might be unusual, even ground breaking. I feel I do write ahead of myself sometimes which makes it difficult for me to present it. But iIf people can have grace with that and relate to the journey, they might just get into it.

two more questions, one music related, who or what would you say your influences are when it comes to writing a new song? other bands or experiences?

-Definately Crowded House, they are entirely masterful songwriters. Delirious I have really appreciated in so many ways. U2 have written some profound songs too. Muse are outstanding too. Robbie Willams takes ma down a dark path but brilliant songwriting there too. And hardly any will know Deacon Blue but they have brilliance of their own. The list is long really. I could give you twenty more.

and then lastly, what is your understanding of the church? and where do you see the role of music as a part of that, if at all?

I understand the church in reality to be an invisible and in fact non-existent entity on earth but for our love for one another by which people who are not specifically grafted into her will be forced to acknowledge her existence and even believe upon her Head.

I am utterly exasperated with the plethora of denominations and independent off shoots firing off here and there all in the name of the Name. Each having some kind of budget which members must of course buoy up. I know it’s just not necessary! So why do it? But apparently it is not enough anymore for us to meet simply, joyfully, within our lives instead of apart from them. No, if church doesn’t look at least a little bit like a business, you’re left thinking it isn’t going to work. And mostly each new one grows out of some division that occurred in the previous one with a new name dreamed up to define those needing to notify others of their newly found closer proximity to the truth. And so the cycle goes and goes. It is wholly pathetic, troublesome and distressing.

People get worn out and confused and eventually leave to escape the burdens under the assumption of backsliding. One of the marks of the change I discern is willed by the Father will be seen in the complete dissolving of naming churches and denominations, helping to bring us a little nearer to Jesus prayer,’may they be one Father as we are one’. Some will say naming churches is really not a consequential thing. I say it is. It makes no sense to my new mind and I see no record of it ever occurring in Jesus’ mind. Not naming them may sound arbitrary but naming them is an indication of what’s actually going on in us at many other levels.

It shows I think that we just don’t actually understand the real Kingdom. Otherwise we wouldn’t set up all these flimsy peripherals that draw their designs from the world. And music’s role? Gosh that’s another long answer. Look, I do think it has a place. But perhaps not quite as big as we think it does.

get to know your south african musos, part ashton gardner [pt i]

time for a new local muso to interview and for those of you who have never crossed his path you are missing it – let’s get to know Ashton Gardner:

so Ashton, i don’t even know where i know you from – possibly meadowridge links? – but you are one of those guys it feels like i’ve always kinda known but not really – tell us, where are you these days and what are you involved with?

You know Brett I’m not sure I even know where I know myself from, so I understand your confusion, really.

-These days I’m doing what I’ve been doing most days, composing and producing music, running a little recording studio and performing live. I’m also working at a friend’s new music store, Marshall.

i’ve known you for a decent amount of time and generally in the context of music – where do you think your interest of music comes from and how did you get started in playing and singing?

-I found I had a natural ability, as is usually the case with musically inclined people, and an unforced enthusiasm for it has continued my journey along a songwriting path. I began on the piano at about 5yrs old started on guitar later on at about 17yrs old.

when you’re not peddling water or music’ing, what other interests does mister gardner have? hobbies? pasttimes? sport? cooking? gardner’ing?

-Well, not only peddling but paddling water is something I do too, when I’m out in the surf. I’ve surfed for many years. I’m looking at getting into gardening as my interest for being disconnected from the grid at large increases. Human relationships and social dynamics interest me a lot too, I like to understand and explore the energy of relationships, how and why they work or don’t and am always intrigued by the powerful influence media is able to have upon it all. With music perhaps I can inject something into the media too that is worth having there.

what bands or artists do you enjoy listening to?

-Crowded House is a profoundly good band with songwriting of the highest calibre. Sting,U2, Delirious (know them?), John Ellis. There are many, but often I spend more time writing music than listening to it to be honest. And when I listen it’s often to glean something technically or creatively from it. I find silence to be very musical actually. And the music of creation – birds, wind, thunder, waves etc is unsurpassed in my estimation. I’d like to be around it more.

i know you play a lot of gigs in a lot of different places and i saw the other day that you have a new music video out which i will check out as soon as i am near a good inet connection – what is your plan at the moment in terms of the music scene, or i guess what is your dream scenario?

-The plan right now is to introduce music into the market that people can respond well too without me having to jump desperately on a rather sad music bandwagon that often tends to cater to the lowest common musical denominator, especially in our South African context. It’s a balancing act. But as with fast food, sometimes it might be that we need to take an objective look at our musical tastes and ask ‘do I actually like this, or did the marketers cunningly get me to think I did? Could it be that it’s actually killing me?’ I want to be there with music for people who are independent enough to make their own decision that they like it.

how would you describe your music style to someone who has never heard of you before?

-Adult alternative contemporary acoustic melodic pop rock. Or something profoundly similar to that.

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