Christian Music is for Soccer Moms Only
I’m not saying that because I think it’s right, it’s just the biggest target demographic for Christian Music right now, and that just isn’t right. I hadn’t really thought about it much and for many of the same reasons that Russ Breimeier with ChristianityToday does as well.
Russ shares in a recent e-mail newsletter the following:
Traditionally, Christian music radio is targeted to mothers between the age of 35 and 44. Does that sit right with you? It doesn’t with me. Not because so-called “soccer moms” are enjoying Christian music so much. After all, they’re the primary influence on what their children listen to at a younger age, and the ones who most likely to buy music for their kids.
But it troubles me that the “primary demographic” is so narrowly defined. Part of what first attracted me to Christian music 15 years ago was its diversity in style, all under the banner of Jesus Christ. So shouldn’t we see similar diversity among the target audience? Where are the soccer dads in all this? Are teens and twenty-somethings not finding anything worthwhile on Christian radio? Or are they not adequately being serviced by the Christian music industry?
Like I said, I hadn’t really thought about it and was under the impression that with all the choices out there, surely Christian Music has a significantly large market base. This all may be true and the “soccer mom” group still just happens to be the largest, but it still seems odd.
You can read more of some thoughts along these lines in Christianity Today’s series “What’s up with radio?”, a four-part statement of the status of Christian Music on the radio.
3 Comments
I agree. I must admit be annoyed by this demographic emphasis when a radio station I long loved decided to focus on women at the expense of men. As if our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ would show such partiality.
Happily, I found KLove and I don’t pick up that emphasis from them. Lots of guy rockers are featured with some very deep messages being shared with the entire body of Christ, not some targeted segment.
The CT article seems to be a re-hashed and toned down version of a May 06 post by Shaun Groves. Here’s the original:
http://www.shaungroves.com/site/comments/changing_chuck/
Christian music isn’t only marketed towards the demographic of 40-something year old soccer moms. Today there are a ton of great christian rock bands that are geared towards teens and 20-somethings too.
I’ve heard of this one band that’s pretty awesome, they’re called Beneath The Sky. They have a new cd coming out tomorrow too. It’s gonna be sweet.