A few thoughts on the NQC

It seems like this time of year is replete with speculation and debate on the proposed lineup for the upcoming National Quartet Convention in gospel music.

2008 is just a few hours old, and there's already discussion about certain types of gospel groups being excluded from the NQC's main stage.

I recently read an open letter from the Chuck Wagon Gang to their many fans informing them that they will not have a presence at this year's convention as things currently stand. And the reason for this is because the NQC board voted to exclude them from the main stage this coming year, and offered them a spot in a showcase instead.

As I understood their letter, to the CWG, this is unacceptable because they will not be singing to the same size audience as they have in past years, and their concern is that not only will their audience reach be reduced, but that such a move will have a negative effect on how much of their product they can sell at their table as a result.

There could be some pride involved here as well, since the CWG has long been justly regarded as a heritage gospel group that has earned the right to a main stage appearance based on their career record sales and reputation.

As I've always understood it, the NQC was conceived as THE annual appearance to make for any gospel group...for being invited there was the sign that an artist was considered among the leaders in the genre. It was a place where all the leading groups could gather, and sing in one place for a few days for as many fans as could come and watch them.

In addition, and especially in the NQC's early years, it was also a gathering place for the industry professionals, such as record companies, promoters, and media people(radio, TV, magazines)to see all the groups, and develop relationships and make short and long term bookings for future concert dates.

In short, it was like a gospel music candy store for artists, fans, and industry people...to assemble and celebrate the best things about the gospel music industry in one place. Kind of like an All-Star weekend in a professional sport.

But if it's like an All-Star occasion, is it for everybody?

If by "everybody", you mean the categories of people I mentioned, I'd say "absolutely". If by "everybody", you mean everyone with any connection at all to those categories, then maybe not. Let em explain.

In an All-Star game, not every player in the sport is allowed to participate...only those that are determined the outstanding performers in that sport get that honor. I'm not sure that the NQC was ever intended to be a stage for every artist singing gospel music. In the early days especially, there were standards that artists had to attain before they were deemed worthy of inclusion in the convention lineup...ranging from a certain level of professional competence and reputation to overall popularity with the expected audience.

And doesn't that make sense? After all, the NQC is not a free event. There are tickets that are sold for it, and expenses that everyone wishing to be involved in it must pay. The event has to be sustained, after all.

And for all the talk of ministry in gospel music(which I don't deny that is there), the fact remains that when you're charging people admission to see you sing, you are in the entertainment business. And that is not necessarily opposed to ministry(as I've long contended), but it does mean that certain conditions must be met in order to make the event viable.

And one is, people have to want to see you. And another is, you must satisfy the audience...whether by sheer performance, a combination of performance and ministry, or whatever..

Now I have a LOT of sympathy for artists like the Chuck Wagon Gang and their fans. And if it were up to me, and me alone, I would give them an automatic pass to the main stage every year...as I would with other heritage artists who are not on the main stage roster, such as the Harvesters, the Melody Boys, the Weatherfords, the Blackwood Brothers(the newest version of which are not included this year as yet), and the Stamps(who may BE on the main stage this year, I don't know). Those artists have names and legacies that helped BUILD the NQC, and for me, that's enough to earn the right to be there.

But I don't run the NQC(thank God, I hear some of you saying)...and for those who do, should we not expect them to select artists that they feel will attract and hold the biggest possible audience?

The NQC has been under a lot of pressure due to competition from not only successful artists who have managed to become successful without exposure there(e.g, the Gaither Vocal Band and Signature Sound), but from competing genres of Christian music who have siphoned off some of the "southern" gospel audience. And it's quite understandable that the NQC board wants to make their annual event as attractive to as many people as possible. And given the shifts in tastes in recent years, perhaps it's more understandable to evaluate the board's moves thus far in that light.

I'll conclude this lengthy analysis with another analogy(not the best one, but the one most handy).

Jeff Feagles is a punter with the New York Giants football team. He has managed to stay in the league since the 1980s, quite a feat given the average longevity of an NFL player. Feagles has never made the Pro Bowl(the NFL All-Star game)in that time, but he's always been there, helping whatever team he's been with for over 20 years. Should he be in the Pro Bowl this year?

Well, Feagles is not one of the league's punting leaders this year...nor has he ever led the league in punting. And I know of no fan movement campaigning for him to go. The fact that he has been a dependable, skilled veteran for a long time doesn't seem to impress NFL officials choosing players for the Pro Bowl. His numbers don't say he's the best, and when the game's experts discuss who the league's best punters are, his name is seldom mentioned. And I don't know that Feagles has a lot of fans, or particular fan appeal that would compel people to want to watch him punt.

So Feagles won't likely make the Pro Bowl this year, either.

And for comparable reasons, most of the gospel groups I named a couple of paragraphs ago won't be on the main stage at this year's NQC, either...despite their long-time competence and appeal to their core of fans.

Hey, I've got people I'd like to have sing there, too...but I know they won't be doing it.

There's a lot of time between now and the convention, though...and one never knows what might happen. So, to fans of the CWG and the other worthy groups on the outside of the list looking in, don't lose hope yet.

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