A Mom's Review: Imagine Dragons

 

Explanation of post:  As my sixteen year old son is a dedicated percussionist, it has been interesting to observe the dedication young people have to their music and how they use it to ponder life, deal with stress, bond with each other, and express their deepest feelings.  For that reason, as well as my own tendencies toward depression, I am intrigued by this band.  I have barely scratched the surface of information available, so this is only a tidbit and certainly deserves continued introspection and research.  Each individual's experiences and perspectives will affect their personal opinions and interpretations. 


The sermon at church last Sunday was entitled, "Understanding Our Natural Inclinations". As an illustration of this, the song "Demons" by Imagine Dragons was performed. This, of course, led me to think that I would like to look more into this band - who they are and what they stand for. So, I did a little research.....


        

1. Imagine Dragons came about when Dan Reynolds (vocalist) and Andrew Tolman (drummer) met at Brigham Young University in 2008.  At this time, the group was comprised of Dan, Andrew, Dave Lemke – bass guitar, backing vocals (2008–2009), Aurora Florence – piano, backing vocals, violin (2008), and Andrew Beck – guitar, backing vocals (2008).  They are an alternative rock band.
2. By 2009, Dan, Andrew, Daniel Wayne Sermon (guitar), Ben McKee (bass), Brittany Tolman (keys and backing vocals and Andrew's wife) had formed the band and become known regionally.
3.  After relocating to Las Vegas (Dan's hometown), the band recorded three EPs before the Tolmans left the group for other pursuits.  The band was joined by Daniel Platzman just before signing a record label deal.  Theresa Flaminio served in the role of piano and backing vocals from 2011-2012. 
4.  With the physical and emotional intensity of life on the road, the band members chose to spend a lot of their down time writing new music as a release for all of the ups and downs that come with such an experience. The music they created during this time period is an open window into the thought processes these young people went through. They are "baring their souls", so to speak.
5.  Dan Reynolds and Wayne Sermon are both members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 
6.  Dan has openly spoken of his struggles with depression. 
7.  Sermon has chronic insomnia and often records songs during the middle of the 
8. The song "Demons" seems to reflect an awareness of one's weaknesses, or "demons".  The general consensus seems to be that the song represents a person who is in love with another.  The first feels overwhelmed by his own unworthiness and desperately wants to protect his love from the "demons" inside him.  In this sense, "demons" are a metaphor for any number of sinful or evil behaviors or tendencies.  The struggle, of course, is that love both wants to stay with the other and keep her from being destroyed.  Other interpretations exist for the lyrics, but most are variations on this theme.  See the link below for the lyrics to this and other Imagine Dragons songs.  What do you think they are trying to say? 

  

Is it appropriate for a church to play a secular song? I believe it is the epitome of what we are to do as Christians. When we are in tune with God, we see Him everywhere. Just as when you are focused on ANYTHING, it will all of a sudden seem to be everywhere, so it is with things of a spiritual nature. 

Are the members of this band Christians? I don't know. They don't proclaim themselves as such, although Dan and Wayne both have roots in spirituality.  I do see that they are actively reflecting and learning. They are teachable. They are young, and they are passionate. They are devoted to their music and to making that music say what they want it to say before they share it. That, to me, is a very definite sign that they are heading in the right direction. What will the future hold for these musicians? Great things, I hope. 

For more information:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Reynolds_(musician)         


Dan Reynolds openly discusses his depression.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Wayne_Sermon
Imagine Dragons lyrics

A Mom's Review: Twenty-One Pilots

My interest in the lyrics came after I realized that the song that Justin played on Grandma's piano was the song Truce and that the lyrics included the words "Stay alive...".  Different people have different ideas on what the song means.  What do you think?

Click here to read what others think the lyrics for Truce mean.

Click here for more Twenty-One Pilots lyrics

  

So, apparently, this musical group, Twenty-One Pilots, has started to go mainstream.  My son and daughter love them, and in talking with them recently, I've read some interesting things about the band, their lyrics, and their style. 

1.  Tyler Joseph, Nick Thomas, and Chris Salih were college friends that formed the band in 2009 in Columbus, Ohio.

2.  The band's name, Twenty-One Pilots, is inspired by the moral dilemma in Arthur Miller's play, All My Sons.  Tyler was studying this play about a man who has knowingly sent faulty parts that resulted in the death of 21 pilots in World War II. 

3.  The band self-released albums and songs and began touring Ohio.  In 2011, Nick and Chris left the band due to busy schedules and Tyler was joined by Josh Dun.

4.  The duo continued to self-release until the announcement of their signing with Fueled by Ramen (a subsidiary of Atlantic Records).

5.  The band is not a Christian band, although all of its members (now and in the past) are Christians.  Look for references to Christian theology and God in their lyrics.  Their genre is hard to define.  What do you think?

6.  An amazing variety of instrumentation is used by these talented young men.  They write their own songs and lyrics and often have to rap in order to fit all of their ideas in. 

For more information:

Click here to read the Wikipedia article.

Click here to view the band's official website

Irony

 

 

After I got married, things changed.  The change wasn't as much with me as with my parents and siblings. In short, times changed, dynamics changed, and kids started to grow up. It was a hard transition for me. As I wrote in the post, "You Can Count on God", I realized over time that change was inevitable and that the only thing I could trust to NOT change was God.

Justin
Ironically, I am now at another huge transition where my own kids are starting to grow up. Justin is 16 now and a sophomore in high school. He drives, he has a girlfriend, and he'd rather be with his friends than his family. It's up and down and back and forth, though, with the root of it all being that he's being driven internally to become independent.

It's not that much different from toddlerhood. You see, God has given children an inner rebellion at just the right time. It is a conflict, really. They want to please us and be with us, yet this inner drive forces them to start moving away. The beauty of it is that they act so horribly sometimes that it helps us to loosen our grip on them! God's design continually amazes me!

They come back, though, and hormones even out, so it is true......"He makes all things beautiful in His time." Ecclesiastes 3:11

And by the way, I am so proud of Justin. He is a caring, dedicated, polite, responsible, and talented young man. He works very hard in school and band, has lots of friends, and is developing into a gifted musician. I can trust him and pray that God continues to weave great things into his life.

Rachel

Apparently, you better enjoy your "little kids" when they are in elementary school, because Rachel is now 11 1/2, in sixth grade, and as tall as me. She loves middle school, and I love watching her thrive. She is on the cheerleading team, in band (trumpet!) and chorus and has her own YouTube channel. She loves Minecraft and horses.

I miss the family times, though. It's easier when we can let them stay at home sometimes and when they can take more and more care of themselves, but it has a tendency to leave you lonely.

Hannah

Hannah is 7 1/2, in second grade, and reading like a champ. It seems like only yesterday that she started preschool. She loves Minecraft and horses, too, and chooses those activities over most others. She still has a beautiful childlike spirit but as the youngest, is often drawn into the activities of the older two. I still call her my baby, and she tells me, "Sorry, Mom, but I'm growing up!".

It seems like the oldest child gets kept younger, the youngest child grows up faster, and the middle gets stuck in between. It has its good and bad points, I guess.

The good part is that I have lots of littles to borrow and can give them back when I am realizing once again how old I seem to have become!