Originally appearing as a column in the Grapevine (www.gvonline.net)

As a Catholic artist, do you ever feel discouraged while playing for a very small audience? As Catholic artists, we are often faced with the reality that, with very few exceptions, we are often playing for very small crowds. Unlike evangelical audiences who will come out to support their local musical heroes, there is no such phenomenon in the Catholic market. Should we really be worried about this? This issue, I will give you two examples of why we should always play our concert with 100% of our heart and strength, even if there are only 10 people present in front of you.

For the first example, let me use my own band, Critical Mass. We recently played at a large festival where we had to shift times to a sparsely attended Friday early evening time slot. As it came time to take the stage, it became obvious that, other than our friends, there were only a handful of other people in attendance. Regardless, we played as well as we possibly could. At the end of the show, one person that we did not recognize came up. "Hi there, I want to thank you for the great show", this young man said. "I drove all the way to this festival to see you guys. I live 120 miles away. I'd love to stay and chat but I have to drive back tonight to work the graveyard shift". What a humbling experience. Can you imagine how we would have felt if we would have just mailed in this performance? A few weeks ago, we played to a smaller audience in the middle of a small mall parking lot in a poor neighborhood near Toronto. Again, it took all of our fortitude to put on our best performance and not get too discouraged. A few weeks later, we received a letter from the organizer of the concert who said that a man who had heard the music from a distance came by and listened to our set. Afterwards, he hung around and the organizers spent a great deal of time ministering to this young man. At the end of the evening, he revealed that he was on his way home with heroin and was going to take his life with an overdose that very evening. The organizers took him in and to church the next morning. So, as you can see, you never know who God places in your path to touch with your art. In ten years as a musician, these two instances were the first times I got to have a glimpse of some of the fruits of our performances.

In another example, we recently had the honour of working with a young musician named Ken Yasinsky and his group, Roadside Cry, in Saskatchewan. We were amazed at the connection that this group had with the youth that were there. It turns out that Ken has, for the last several years, been holding Face II Face retreats, with a focus on praise and worship, adoration, confession and Mass. When he started, the crowds were small but as he continued to work with the youth year after year, the audiences have grown to the point where his retreats are now considered to be the place where the youth go to have their faith renewed! So, when playing to small audiences, think seriously of trying to return to the same location and let the seed that God planted have an opportunity to grow and flourish. This may take several patient return performances but you may be surprised at the fruits of your work.

The next time, you play for a small audience, keep these stories in mind. Then, do the Lord's work with your best effort. The Lord will reward your efforts with your own stories to tell one day.