Music is ministry for Sioux City rock group
By John Quinlan Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, May 11, 2007
Back in the day, rock 'n' roll was synonymous with sex and drugs. That day stretching back half a century has been a tough image to knock. Rock was considered the devil's music and voices from the pulpit railed against it with the passion of ... an old-time rock 'n' roll song.
These days, few churches protest, though many old-timers prefer a quieter, gentler music. And some churches even boast of their rockin' bands.
One local pastor said he doesn't see a problem with rock music because he's convinced Satan "doesn't have an original bone in his body." As is Satan's wont, the man said, the devil has taken some of our finer things and simply perverted them. "I think what the church needs to be doing is taking those things that we think are bad that I don't think were originally created to be bad and use it for God's glory," he said, preferring, however, to remain anonymous with these comments.
Thus was born Christian Rock, and that brings us to Bread of Stone, a popular Christian band that calls Sioux City home. At least its two founding members do -- Bill, 26, and Ben Kristijanto, 23,
It's a traditional four-man, drum-and-guitar-driven rock band. The Kristijantos, joined by Pennsylvania natives Sean Brown, the bass player, and drummer Jeremi Hough, live out of a bus, in true rock style, traveling the country where they have performed for churches, retreats, conferences and festivals in all 48 contiguous states and every big Canadian city.
Bread of Stone released "Letting Go," its second, more polished CD, on April 3. It is a follow-up to the self-produced "Broken Vessels," which came out in 2004. Most of the songs in "Letting Go," as in that first album, were penned by lead singer Ben Kristijanto.
"We pretty much went all out to make this one a big leap as far as just quality and production itself from the first one," Ben said.
"Letting Go," produced in Nashville by pro Tony Morra and the guys, is a much slicker recording, in a good way, with an orchestral background that reflects the classical influences of the composer -- that influence being the one CD Ben had most access to during his childhood in Indonesia and Siouxland.
Ben, by the way, would be considered the "cute one" of the group, the good-looking, charismatic singer who can be counted on to excite the girls in the audience, as he does; though being a Christian group, there are limits to the kind of excitement that can be generated. And the lyrics, full of traditional Christian yearnings for Jesus and salvation, are decidedly nonsexual. It doesn't hurt, though, that Ben bears such a striking resemblance to the studly actor who heads that ungodly "Entourage" on HBO.
Ben said they see screaming fans at many gigs. And they play a bit to the rock image. The choirboy pictures displayed on that first album have given way to an edgier look, the hair longer, the clothes grungier.
Nothing ungodly about Bread of Stone, though. Their music is their ministry.
In the beginning
"You know, I never really dreamed of doing something like this. I always wanted to be a minister like my Dad," guitarist Bill Kristijanto said.
Then about 6 or 7 years, ago, their mother, Deborah, made Ben take piano lessons because he didn't seem to be interested in anything. Ben started writing music soon after that.
A few months later, their father, Nehemiah, a Christian minister in his home country, heavily Islamic Indonesia, decided they should do a music ministry. Reluctantly, they did. They liked it, "and it's been amazing ever since that," Bill said.
Bill was born in Indonesia, brother Ben in Sioux City. Soon after Ben's birth, the family moved to Indonesia, returning to the Sergeant Bluff area in 1992, where the boys went to school.
Becoming professional musicians came as a surprise to Ben because his family didn't seem musically inclined, he said. The only CD in the family home when he was a boy was a classical music compilation, "and that's all I listened to," he said. But once he got into playing and writing music, he started listening to other artists, mostly in the pop/rock genres.
Inspiration?
"I don't know where I get it from," he said. "I mean I give credit, everything, to the Lord because the stuff I do, I mean, I'm not really a good songwriter. That wasn't quite my talent or my take. It's just I was given this opportunity to minister. So I just started doing it. I think it's a gift that the Lord gave me ... to just implement it, the song and the lyrics."
The lyrics come harder. So friend Terry Jones co-wrote many of the songs on their first album. Co-producer Tony Morra shared songwriting credit on some of the songs from their improved sophomore effort.
The Kristijantos' first public gig was at the Sioux City church Ben's piano teacher attended. Their first paying gig in Des Moines netted $100 -- not quite enough to pay for the gasoline and other expenses.
Even today, though, Bread of Stone isn't getting rich. Not that they have anything against that prospect. When they're not traveling in the bus, the boys live with their parents. Dad is usually on the road with them anyway as the group's bus driver and unofficial mentor.
"We knew that this was not something that we would make a living off of," Ben said, noting that Christian music isn't as widely accepted as mainstream music. They have a specific target audience. They keep busy. And at least now they're making enough money to pay their expenses.
A wise son makes a glad father
"Now that I've been doing this for a few years, it's like, man, there's a big ministry opportunity right now," Bill said. "We are somewhat of a minister in a way because you're given that platform where kids nowadays would just do anything you say. Do you know what I mean? So it's a good and a bad thing, but that's like a big responsibility, what we have. And so we try to keep in line. And that's why my father goes on the road with us ... to really be there for us spiritually."
It is unlikely Mick Jagger's dad ever toured with the Stones, but even the Pennsylvania members of the band enjoy Papa Kristijanto's company. Army vet Brown, the group's elder at 27 and the only married band member, said the road can be pretty tiring at times, yet Nehemiah is always so upbeat he keeps all their spirits up. And he's a good spiritual mentor.
Being out on the road provides a great blessing, allowing them to share what's in their heart with new people, Bill said.
'I mean, man, some nights we go and there's literally a 16-year-old guy that would just come up and say, 'Dude, what you said really touched me,' he said. "'Would you pray with me?' There are people out there that really need it."
As for Hough, the kid of the group at 18, the others joked that they keep him under a strict curfew.
Bill said they like to party all night, but in their case the partying involves staying up late to watch movies or hang with other Christian singers they meet.
Things started picking up for the group about two years ago when they joined some tours, including Petra's International Farewell Tour, the Lifelight Tours with Phil Joel and Foolish Things, the Will Play for Change Tour with Indieheaven, and the 180 Tour with Casting Pearls. In August, they'll be featured with what seems like every other Christian group in the country at the Life Light Festival in Sioux Falls, the country's biggest Christian music festival. They did 105 shows last year, and what seems like that many already in 2007.
For a change of pace, they'll be back in Sioux City June 27 for a concert at a local church, probably just an acoustic set wth the two brothers. The Pennsylvanians, who joined the group last year, will be home with their families.
While they wouldn't mind a little crossover success, like that experienced by MercyMe, they are not going to change their music.
"I don't think that we would want to lose the message," Brown said.
Amen unto you, his bandmates said.
For tour information or how to find those Bread of Stone albums, go to www.breadofstone.com.
John Quinlan can be reached at (712 293-4225 or johnquinlan@siouxcityjournal.com.
Bread of what?
The group's name, Bread of Stone, naturally, comes from the Bible.
In the liner notes from the group's first album, "Broken Vessels," they refer to the story about Jesus being tempted by the devil. In Matthew 4:3, Satan told Jesus to turn the stones into bread. "He didn't do it, of course, but we believe that in some way, Jesus has turned us (stones) into something useful (bread), hence the name Bread of Stone."
html>Related stories
Christian rock the norm
These days, few churches protest, though many old-timers prefer a quieter, gentler music. And some churches even boast of their rockin' bands.
One local pastor said he doesn't see a problem with rock music because he's convinced Satan "doesn't have an original bone in his body." As is Satan's wont, the man said, the devil has taken some of our finer things and simply perverted them. "I think what the church needs to be doing is taking those things that we think are bad that I don't think were originally created to be bad and use it for God's glory," he said, preferring, however, to remain anonymous with these comments.
Thus was born Christian Rock, and that brings us to Bread of Stone, a popular Christian band that calls Sioux City home. At least its two founding members do -- Bill, 26, and Ben Kristijanto, 23,
It's a traditional four-man, drum-and-guitar-driven rock band. The Kristijantos, joined by Pennsylvania natives Sean Brown, the bass player, and drummer Jeremi Hough, live out of a bus, in true rock style, traveling the country where they have performed for churches, retreats, conferences and festivals in all 48 contiguous states and every big Canadian city.
Bread of Stone released "Letting Go," its second, more polished CD, on April 3. It is a follow-up to the self-produced "Broken Vessels," which came out in 2004. Most of the songs in "Letting Go," as in that first album, were penned by lead singer Ben Kristijanto.
"We pretty much went all out to make this one a big leap as far as just quality and production itself from the first one," Ben said.
"Letting Go," produced in Nashville by pro Tony Morra and the guys, is a much slicker recording, in a good way, with an orchestral background that reflects the classical influences of the composer -- that influence being the one CD Ben had most access to during his childhood in Indonesia and Siouxland.
Ben, by the way, would be considered the "cute one" of the group, the good-looking, charismatic singer who can be counted on to excite the girls in the audience, as he does; though being a Christian group, there are limits to the kind of excitement that can be generated. And the lyrics, full of traditional Christian yearnings for Jesus and salvation, are decidedly nonsexual. It doesn't hurt, though, that Ben bears such a striking resemblance to the studly actor who heads that ungodly "Entourage" on HBO.
Ben said they see screaming fans at many gigs. And they play a bit to the rock image. The choirboy pictures displayed on that first album have given way to an edgier look, the hair longer, the clothes grungier.
Nothing ungodly about Bread of Stone, though. Their music is their ministry.
In the beginning
"You know, I never really dreamed of doing something like this. I always wanted to be a minister like my Dad," guitarist Bill Kristijanto said.
Then about 6 or 7 years, ago, their mother, Deborah, made Ben take piano lessons because he didn't seem to be interested in anything. Ben started writing music soon after that.
A few months later, their father, Nehemiah, a Christian minister in his home country, heavily Islamic Indonesia, decided they should do a music ministry. Reluctantly, they did. They liked it, "and it's been amazing ever since that," Bill said.
Bill was born in Indonesia, brother Ben in Sioux City. Soon after Ben's birth, the family moved to Indonesia, returning to the Sergeant Bluff area in 1992, where the boys went to school.
Becoming professional musicians came as a surprise to Ben because his family didn't seem musically inclined, he said. The only CD in the family home when he was a boy was a classical music compilation, "and that's all I listened to," he said. But once he got into playing and writing music, he started listening to other artists, mostly in the pop/rock genres.
Inspiration?
"I don't know where I get it from," he said. "I mean I give credit, everything, to the Lord because the stuff I do, I mean, I'm not really a good songwriter. That wasn't quite my talent or my take. It's just I was given this opportunity to minister. So I just started doing it. I think it's a gift that the Lord gave me ... to just implement it, the song and the lyrics."
The lyrics come harder. So friend Terry Jones co-wrote many of the songs on their first album. Co-producer Tony Morra shared songwriting credit on some of the songs from their improved sophomore effort.
The Kristijantos' first public gig was at the Sioux City church Ben's piano teacher attended. Their first paying gig in Des Moines netted $100 -- not quite enough to pay for the gasoline and other expenses.
Even today, though, Bread of Stone isn't getting rich. Not that they have anything against that prospect. When they're not traveling in the bus, the boys live with their parents. Dad is usually on the road with them anyway as the group's bus driver and unofficial mentor.
"We knew that this was not something that we would make a living off of," Ben said, noting that Christian music isn't as widely accepted as mainstream music. They have a specific target audience. They keep busy. And at least now they're making enough money to pay their expenses.
A wise son makes a glad father
"Now that I've been doing this for a few years, it's like, man, there's a big ministry opportunity right now," Bill said. "We are somewhat of a minister in a way because you're given that platform where kids nowadays would just do anything you say. Do you know what I mean? So it's a good and a bad thing, but that's like a big responsibility, what we have. And so we try to keep in line. And that's why my father goes on the road with us ... to really be there for us spiritually."
It is unlikely Mick Jagger's dad ever toured with the Stones, but even the Pennsylvania members of the band enjoy Papa Kristijanto's company. Army vet Brown, the group's elder at 27 and the only married band member, said the road can be pretty tiring at times, yet Nehemiah is always so upbeat he keeps all their spirits up. And he's a good spiritual mentor.
Being out on the road provides a great blessing, allowing them to share what's in their heart with new people, Bill said.
'I mean, man, some nights we go and there's literally a 16-year-old guy that would just come up and say, 'Dude, what you said really touched me,' he said. "'Would you pray with me?' There are people out there that really need it."
As for Hough, the kid of the group at 18, the others joked that they keep him under a strict curfew.
Bill said they like to party all night, but in their case the partying involves staying up late to watch movies or hang with other Christian singers they meet.
Things started picking up for the group about two years ago when they joined some tours, including Petra's International Farewell Tour, the Lifelight Tours with Phil Joel and Foolish Things, the Will Play for Change Tour with Indieheaven, and the 180 Tour with Casting Pearls. In August, they'll be featured with what seems like every other Christian group in the country at the Life Light Festival in Sioux Falls, the country's biggest Christian music festival. They did 105 shows last year, and what seems like that many already in 2007.
For a change of pace, they'll be back in Sioux City June 27 for a concert at a local church, probably just an acoustic set wth the two brothers. The Pennsylvanians, who joined the group last year, will be home with their families.
While they wouldn't mind a little crossover success, like that experienced by MercyMe, they are not going to change their music.
"I don't think that we would want to lose the message," Brown said.
Amen unto you, his bandmates said.
For tour information or how to find those Bread of Stone albums, go to www.breadofstone.com.
John Quinlan can be reached at (712 293-4225 or johnquinlan@siouxcityjournal.com.
Bread of what?
The group's name, Bread of Stone, naturally, comes from the Bible.
In the liner notes from the group's first album, "Broken Vessels," they refer to the story about Jesus being tempted by the devil. In Matthew 4:3, Satan told Jesus to turn the stones into bread. "He didn't do it, of course, but we believe that in some way, Jesus has turned us (stones) into something useful (bread), hence the name Bread of Stone."
html>Related stories
Christian rock the norm