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September 2, 1996
V
&M senior English major sweeps
ospel Music Association Awards
By Aaron Meier
The Battalion
n the near future, Texas A&M
may have its own successful
musician. Michael Armstrong,
senior English major, is current-
one of the nation’s most sought
fter talents in Christian music.
A friend encouraged Armstrong
enter the Gospel Music
ssociation Awards (GMA), a com-
etition for aspiring performers and
ngwriters. The day the application
/as due, Armstrong hesitantly sent
in, and was selected to compete in
e regional competition in Dallas.
“I didn’t want to enter it, but I
It I should," Armstrong said.
At the regional competition,
imstrong swept the awards by
inning the songwriter category
nd the spotlight category for his
riginal song, “Second First Time.”
The songwriter award criteria
strictly based on the content of
re song. Judges consider an
rtist’s melody, harmony and
Tics. The spotlight award is a
erformance award where vocal
bility, stage presence and overall
resentation are emphasized.
Amy Nobles, a senior education
rajorand close friend of Armstrong,
tended the Dallas competition.
“His winning both categories
nk peopbi -las shocking and unheard of,"
re in andnifi iobles said.
Thi Baitauo'
rs Gooked
d some food
unct impem
ice. Most of thi
steurized. Ihe
), cappuccint
k lemonade
od in the pul
■re than m.
h and play an
but no conn-
*nior chanio.
s drawn otk
s rich.”
bar to hiv
Armstrong is the first person
It win both categories at the
igional competition.
In late April, Armstrong com-
ted in a nation-wide competi-
bn that catapulted his career in
jiristian music. Armstrong
iceived first place in the song-
Jriter category and placed in the
the alterna5'i|p five in the spotlight category.
Jars of Clay, whose debut single
lood” became a Top 40 hit this
st summer, was once a winner
the spotlight category.
Armstrong’s recognition by the
won him immediate atten-
n by the music industry.
“In three days, I got over 50
mainstrean-
z said,
cal bands rp
:ic acts,
nay let sm
nr Anz sail
e Eccell
rating a bani
a restauranl
/erything fin
lan just gettrsi
Path is limit
ened as peofj
i.
e to comfli
;over of
;ed Path,
re old fritft
;o share stoit
. Crooked U
vel memoies
dventures.
5 or end, rat®
ists and tutt
guides, ma-
zvn road wh
business cards from potential
publishers,” he said.
In two weeks, he will fly to
Nashville to sign a contract with a
music publisher. Armstrong said
he will be signed as a songwriter,
and, after proving his writing abil
ity, he hopes to to sing and record
his own music.
Nobles said she has found
Armstrong’s success as a Christian
singer exciting and a tribute to his
musical talent.
“Michael went from not know
ing a thing about Christian music,
to being famous across the coun
try in just four years,” Nobels said.
Armstrong’s music experience
started in high school, where he
learned the George Strait song
"Amarillo by Morning.”
As a high school senior,
Michael’s two older sisters,
Kathryn and Kelly, returned from
A&M as born-again Christians.
Their dedication to Jesus led him
to “sell out to the Lord.”
Armstrong first became
involved in Christian music as a
freshman attending Central Baptist
Church. He then became involved
in Breakaway, a large Bible study,
where he is now a worship leader.
Armstrong has watched other
artists to see how they approach
music production. Armstrong
said the proliferation of soul
searching in main stream music,
such as Joan Osborne's “St.
Teresa” and “One of Us” and
Dishwalla’s "Counting Blue Cars,”
is a sign that artists have been
looking for a spiritual awakening.
Armstrong also said some
Christian musicians have not
been successful at spreading the
message they advertise.
“Neither their music, nor the
things they say at live perfor
mances, demonstrate they are
Christians,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong said the wide spec
trum of Christian artists helps
attract more listeners. The
Christian spectrum reaches from
the rap style of DC Talk and the
heavy metal sound of Stryper to
the mainstream contemporary
Christian music of Steven Curtis
Chapman. These different styles
help break the stereotype of the
usual Christian-music listener.
“Some of my friends would
never go to a Steven Curtis
Chapman concert, but they
would all go a DC Talk con
cert,"Armstrong said.
This semester, Armstrong
plans to take it easy and relax
more than in previous semesters.
He will get his senior ring
Sept. 12, and plans on dunking it,
but not in the traditional pitcher
of beer.
Armstrong plans on going to
Swensen’s where he will dunk his
ring in a mammoth ice cream sun
dae known as an Earthquake. He
hopes to avoid brain freeze by hav
ing a couple of friends help him fin
ish the eight scoops of ice cream in
9.6 minutes, not 96 seconds.
TiitiNDEitfuniiiSuits
FRESH. FAST, & HEALTHY
$2.69
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Albertson^
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CLINIC
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CONSULTATION
$42 SPECIAL
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Tim Moog, The Battalion
Michael Armstrong, who had to be persuaded by friends to enter
the GMA Awards, will fly to Nashville in two weeks to sign a con
tract with a music publisher as a songwriter.
Ya’ll Come, Ya Hear?
Co to All-U Night and then head on
over to the Texas Hall of Fame for
HOWDY DjIiYCIi
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