{"id":265,"date":"2023-08-01T08:30:03","date_gmt":"2023-08-01T08:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/01\/dante-bowes-journey-navigating-worship-in-the-spotlight\/"},"modified":"2023-08-01T08:30:03","modified_gmt":"2023-08-01T08:30:03","slug":"dante-bowes-journey-navigating-worship-in-the-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/01\/dante-bowes-journey-navigating-worship-in-the-spotlight\/","title":{"rendered":"Dante Bowe&#8217;s Journey: Navigating Worship in the Spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"body\">\n<p class=\"text\">Grammy Award\u2013winning worship artist Dante Bowe is starting a new chapter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text\">After years with some of today\u2019s most influential worship music collectives, Bethel Music and Maverick City Music, Bowe has launched TRUE Music, a label and management company that he hopes will become a hub for creativity and spiritual growth for emerging artists.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text\">Bowe has shared a worship stage with the biggest and hippest names in the industry: Chandler Moore, Upperroom, Housefires, We The Kingdom, Crowder, Pat Barrett, and Brandon Lake. He\u2019s known for his soulful, raspy voice and powerful performances on \u201cOld Church Basement,\u201d \u201cTake Me Back,\u201d and \u201cYes and Amen.\u201d His energetic stage presence and emphasis on spontaneity in worship make him a dynamic and sought-after performer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text\">Bowe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.premierchristianity.com\/news-analysis\/dante-bowe-has-been-dropped-by-maverick-city-heres-what-we-know-so-far\/13947.article\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">left Maverick City Music<\/a> in September 2022; a social media post by Maverick City announced the departure, citing \u201cbehavior that was inconsistent with [its] core values and beliefs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text\">The 29-year-old singer has reemerged after a social media hiatus with a new song \u201cHide Me\u201d and a clear vision and a desire to foreground authenticity in his new project. His prominence has put him in the realm of Christian celebrity, though his heart is still to put Jesus at the center.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text\">\u201cI think there is a misconception that a lot of us want fame. It\u2019s not that we want fame. We just release songs that we really sit at home, that we live with\u2014it\u2019s our real stories and our real life,\u201d he said. \u201cThe general public makes it famous because they\u2019ve encountered God through it, or they feel healed or like they can fight in their marriage or whatever the case may be. It\u2019s the inspiration. It\u2019s their theme song. That\u2019s when fame comes into play and that\u2019s when arenas come into play. It\u2019s when God\u2019s breathing on it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n  <iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/system\/media\/embed.html?type=youtube&amp;id=DU6gpzVGfkY&amp;width=100%&amp;image=&amp;autoplay=&amp;info=&amp;link=&amp;window=\" height=\"346\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe>&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"text\">Bowe spoke with CT about his plans for the future, what he\u2019s learned about music in the spotlight, and how he is navigating the public pressures that have come with his success.<\/p>\n<p class=\"question\">What was the catalyst for TRUE Music?<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">I\u2019ve been working in this industry for seven years, three years professionally, and I\u2019ve seen a lot, been through a lot, experienced a lot. I felt like I wanted to use my influence and all I\u2019ve acquired by working in the industry to reach back and help friends out and give them a healthy environment to be creative, to dream\u2014you know what I mean? As an artist, I feel like I\u2019m in the best position because I know what it\u2019s like to be them, and I\u2019m creating an atmosphere that I feel like I would\u2019ve always wanted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"question\">How central will worship music be in this new venture?<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">It has always been central for me, since I met Jesus. It\u2019s just a part of my life. It\u2019s the center of my life. I live surrendered to Jesus. I\u2019m not perfect. Obviously I make mistakes, but I am living surrendered to Jesus, so everything I do will come from that place. Whether it be a song that makes you dance, a soft ballad, a worship song with Bethel, it\u2019s going to always be Jesus at the center of my life. Worship is in everything I do, everything I aspire to do. It\u2019s always at the center.<\/p>\n<p class=\"question\">You\u2019ve talked about wanting to pursue new and innovative ways of developing artists. What do you mean by that?<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">I want the actual recording atmosphere to be conducive to Jesus and what he would want and to the Holy Spirit. I want it to be a pure process when people are creating and making music, or maybe even if they\u2019re painting. I don\u2019t know what all TRUE will do in the future. I want us to always be pouring back into not just art and the artist but also the staff. I want them to feel healthy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"question\">You\u2019ve been part of some of the most influential worship music collectives working right now\u2014 Maverick City Music, Bethel. How do you navigate in an industry where worship leaders become celebrities, where the line between performance and worship is blurry?<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">Authenticity is a bend of transparency and truth, and it\u2019s very, very hard to find. But you have to find a place where you can be really transparent, very honest, very aware of who you are and where you are. And blend that with the truth. Because everything you feel and everything you go through is not necessarily the truth. Our emotions and feelings\u2014it\u2019s hard \u2026 The Bible talks about not even trusting your own heart because it\u2019s wicked. You have to lean into the truth of what God actually thinks about us. Then you have this authentic creation. This person can be free no matter if they\u2019re selling out an arena or helping their mom with the groceries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">I believe when people are truly authentic, when they\u2019re truly humble, they\u2019re serving. Fame and all that stuff is not even a thought when you\u2019re just operating in your purpose and being truly who you\u2019re supposed to be.<\/p>\n<p class=\"question\">Do you remember your first opportunity to lead worship in an arena or stadium? What was that like?<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">My first opportunity to sing in a stadium was in Brazil. When I did get the opportunity to sing there, it didn\u2019t feel any different. I mean, you knew you were in a different place. You knew there were a lot of people. But I had been leading in excellence for so long. Even just in my church, I always took it so seriously, even if it was just 50 people in the crowd. I always wanted to create an encounter\u2014not just for them but for myself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">I was always trying to access heaven, so when I had the opportunity to stand before a sea of people, I just kind of did the same thing, if I\u2019m honest. Because\u2014and that\u2019s what people love me for\u2014I just kind of stick to who I am. I don\u2019t really change or take it all in, like \u201cOh, I\u2019m in front of masses of people.\u201d I just kind of do my thing. I get to worship again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"question\">No stage fright?<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">No, I have stage fright. But it\u2019s usually because I want to do well. It\u2019s not because of the opinion of man. A lot of times I\u2019ll feel nervous because I\u2019m like, \u201cOkay, God, what are you saying? What Scriptures do you want me to pull from?\u201d I also like to go into my worship set with a theme. I\u2019m like, \u201cGod, tell me what\u2019s today for. Is there depression here? Or is someone dealing with anxiety, fear, or divorce?\u201d I really want to know. So it\u2019s my seeking that leads to nervousness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"question\">Over the past year since your departure from Maverick City Music, what have you learned about navigating public scrutiny and the complicated nature of Christian celebrity?<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">Well, it\u2019s never fun to be under fire. You know, on social media people can just be rude and say things that they don\u2019t necessarily mean. It all comes with it, right? At one point, I would be so sad, or I would feel down about a comment or something someone said about me or a friend who I love dearly. But it doesn\u2019t mean anything; I really have to stay committed to Jesus. I really have to live my life in obedience, and as long as I\u2019m living my life in obedience to Jesus, he will lead me, guide me, direct me. And there will be people in my life, fans in my life, that he\u2019ll place there to always build me up and encourage me to keep going and to keep fighting and believing in God and believing in what he put inside me.<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">The greatest day in history was a man under scrutiny. I just follow Jesus\u2019 example. He always loved his enemies, and he always invited them to the table even if he knew they would betray him. He understood that it was not flesh and blood that he was combating.<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">You can get really distracted and unproductive when you focus on flesh and blood. It\u2019s a fight we were never meant to fight. If you don\u2019t follow God\u2019s will, you\u2019re going to be miserable. I feel forced to follow God, in the best way! If I do the opposite, it\u2019s not going to be great. It\u2019s not the better thing. I want the better thing always. Fame follows that. Money follows that. Because I think, as Christian creators, we\u2019re healing the world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"question\">It seems like worship music as a genre has a heightened profile in the Christian music industry and in the mainstream music industry compared to 10 or 15 years ago. What do you make of that shift?<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">I feel like when I came into the music industry, there wasn\u2019t a lot of transparency and truth\u2014you know what I mean? In the last few years, through me and my friends over at Maverick or Bethel, they\u2019ve started being very truthful, putting God at the center of it all. I feel like a lot of people can relate now more than they could in the past to Christian radio or Christian music in general. When you hear myself or Naomi Raine or Tasha Cobbs [Leonard] sing, it brings God so close.<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">I feel like [worship music] is a bit grittier, a little bit more real. People are responding in great numbers because they find themselves in the music now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"question\">Do you think that has to do with authenticity in the content of the songs themselves or with how artists are thinking about and presenting themselves?<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">I mean, I think the best artists are the best communicators. The audience can just, you know, catch their eye\u2014there\u2019s conviction in their eyes and in their voice. When you\u2019re worshiping God in spirit and in truth, it\u2019s impossible to sing something you don\u2019t believe with conviction.<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">I remember the first time I heard Kari Jobe sing \u201cThe Blessing.\u201d You just know she\u2019s been through something and she really means it. It\u2019s her real story. You don\u2019t sit on your couch and casually write that song. That\u2019s a song you have to think through and live with. Then you have to communicate it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">When you have made a decision to follow Jesus and you make a decision to do worship music or Christian music, you\u2019re literally taking a risk. It\u2019s so much more of a sacrifice. A lot of these guys could write anything or do anything. But they haven\u2019t. They\u2019ve made a choice to serve the church locally and worldwide.<\/p>\n<p class=\"question\">Do you think worshipers in the church are able to discern the authentic from the inauthentic?<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">It\u2019s very hard to speak on matters you don\u2019t understand. Especially things of the spirit. If you\u2019re writing, and you\u2019re writing about the God of Abraham\u2014\u201cYou\u2019re the God of covenant and faithful promises\u201d\u2014you have to know that it\u2019s true. You can\u2019t just conjure up cool things to say. There\u2019s a difference between writing [<em>sings<\/em>] \u201cYou raise me up so I can stand on mountains\u201d and writing \u201cI\u2019m gonna wait on you. I\u2019ve tasted your goodness. I trust in your promise.\u201d That\u2019s totally Scripture. There\u2019s a difference.<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">The accusation that we\u2019re going to have people getting into this for the money\u2014I want to say, I can show you how much songwriters on the CCLI [Christian Copyright Licensing International] make. I promise you, if someone\u2019s getting into writing Christian music for the money, they\u2019re in the wrong genre.<\/p>\n<p class=\"question\">As you start TRUE Music and look at the landscape around worship music in the music industry, what are you excited about? What are you hopeful for?<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">I hope to see healthy, inspired, hardworking Christian artists. I\u2019m excited to be around all these new artists around me and in other collectives like Bethel. I\u2019m glad they\u2019re excited and wide-eyed again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"answer\">I just want to be prayerful and follow his will.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n  <iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/system\/media\/embed.html?type=youtube&amp;id=4FB3S6Htjek&amp;width=100%&amp;image=&amp;autoplay=&amp;info=&amp;link=&amp;window=\" height=\"346\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe>&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"bio\">Kelsey Kramer McGinnis is a musicologist, educator, and writer. She holds a PhD from the University of Iowa and researches music in Christian communities.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"js-countPages\" data-pages=\"1\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script>\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;\n  n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,\n  document,'script','https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('init', '1800576576821396');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  fbq('track', 'ViewContent');\n  <\/script><script src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/ct\/2023\/march-web-only\/dante-bowe-maverick-city-music-bethel-true-worship-label.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Grammy Award\u2013winning worship artist Dante Bowe is starting a new chapter. After years with some of today\u2019s most influential worship music collectives, Bethel Music and Maverick City Music, Bowe has launched TRUE Music, a label and management company that he hopes will become a hub for creativity and spiritual growth for emerging artists. Bowe has [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":266,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[]},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}