A different type of musician

Ben Rector, both a Christian and ascending musician, came to the Oklahoma Christian University on Monday.

Rector is a pop rock musician with folk influence. He won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest at 19, making him the youngest winner of the pop category ever. October 2013 marked 100,000 records and 2 million of his singles sold.

Lo and behold this Tulsa native came to campus Dec. 1 to play a sold-out show. Not only was this exciting for me, this was exciting for Oklahoma Christian. They are able to reach the college audience by bringing in a relevant artist who is also Christian.

Since my time here, the university has brought in some pretty big names to campus. When I first visited, guest speakers were definitely something that impressed me about the school. My first chapel experience in October 2010 involved seeing Astronaut Doug Wheelock give a lesson live from outer space. What school does that?

Other guest speakers and visitors have stuck out to me: Jase Robertson from Duck Dynasty (March 2013), Nicholas Sparks (Nov. 21) and now Ben Rector, an artist who recently made my top ten favorite musicians list.

Rector describes himself as a Christian who is an artist, but not necessarily a genre Christian artist. He does this because he wants the freedom to write about faith in his own way instead of the way a Christian artist is expected to write.
You can see his Christian influence in the lyrics of his song When a Heart Breaks:

“This isn’t easy
This isn’t clear
And you don’t need Jesus
Til you’re here
The confusion and the doubts you had
Up and walk away
They walk away
When a heart breaks”

The song is talking about trials and how we only call upon Jesus in our weakest moments. It tells about the denial stage when diagnosed with a terminal illness. It is extremely moving and also his most popular song.

I appreciate real faith; the fact that he intentionally sets himself apart from cookie-cutter Christian artists makes his songs seem more authentic.
Another thing to be said of Rector’s faith is that, although he is certainly no Taylor Swift or One Direction in terms of mass recognition, he still gives back. Extremely popular artists give back or participate in charity events, and while that is good, it is hard to forget that they have money streaming out of their pockets. Being the poster boy or girl for a charity will likely just make them more money.

In Rector’s case, while he is still climbing the ladder to fame, he donated all the proceeds from his album “Walking in Between” to build a well in Zambia.

I can vouch for his musicianship and song writing skills. He is a talented pianist with stunningly smooth vocals. His songs are each unique, yet also have the familiar feeling of folk music.

That’s the real thing that gets me – his folk influence. Folk music is all about memories. So while Rector is good at creating fresh songs, they also have a reminiscent quality. If I had to pick a similar artist I would definitely say Coldplay, another favorite of mine.

Like Coldplay, Rector’s songs avoid ear-splitting choruses that seek attention while saying nothing of importance. Instead, he wins your heart through thoughtful, quiet lyrics and touching choruses.

He brings a relief from the common pop singer with his understated songs and mellow voice. Instead of the popular nasal sound seen in Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, Rector goes for a clear tone that resonates. And while his songs are usually soft and communicate a clear message, they have a musical and lyrical complexity to them.

“I try to put enough craft into my music so it’s not super simple or gimmicky… for me it’s all about the song,” Ben Rector said to Billboard.

An example of this complexity might be his song Wildfire. The musical phrases are complicated, the lyrics are meaningful and they don’t have annoying rhymes.

Here are some of the lyrics of his song Wildfire: “I have learned that you’re not perfect, and that sometimes the one you love can burn you. But it’s just the fool that’s looking backwards: a bitter heart turns the love we made to ashes.”

You should definitely check Ben Rector out if you haven’t already. His next tour date is March 13 at the University of Findlay in Ohio.