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Past Interview: SounDoctrine
By: Mary Crosby, Editor

Jere B a.k.a. Gerald Beulah, Jr. ; producer, musician, composer, and founder of music group, SounDoctrine, describes his music as "Christian funk with a splash of jazz". Whatever you call it, we here at Detroit Gospel.com are "feeling it." Click below to hear what we mean:

SounDoctrine Audio Samples -
Track 1: YOYO
Track 2: Stilphil
Track 3: Insipience
Special Note: These files are pretty large, so if you have trouble playing the samples on your computer, try going directly to SounDoctrine's website to hear these and other samples: http://www.soundoctrine.com/station.html
If that still doesn't work, you can exhibit your own "perseverance" by going to: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/soundoctrine to hear the group's music on CDBaby.com

Before our interview, Jere B let us know about his upcoming trip to Hollywood, CA for the Black Film Festival screening of "Road to Perseverance," a documentary on SounDoctrine's journey as musicians and the making of their first release, "(..an incipience) Perseverance: The Soundtrack To A Non-Existent Movie"

We at Detroit Gospel.com pray for a successful trip and hope that Jere B. and SounDoctrine receive increased attention from music buyers and the recording industry. Here's what Jere B had to say to our readers:

DG: You classify your music as "alternative Christian funk with a splash of Jazz," we at Detroit Gospel.com are really feeling it. What kind of response have you gotten from others to your music?

JB: The response is always strange. People want to put it in one pocket or the other and find that they have to leave it out of all the pockets. And, everyone either loves it or hates it. (laughing)

DG: Well, hopefully most love it. I know we do.

JB: It was never our endeavor to please everyone. We just did what God told us to do and we think it's the music's that's most honest to us. We realized early on that some people would like it and some people wouldn't. Some people would love it and some hate it, and that's been the response.

Through that we've had the opportunity to really have a sincere fan base, so we're grateful for that.

DG: Well, you can add at least one more to your fan base.

JB: Thank you very much.

DG:  Where did the name SounDoctrine come from?

JB: The name sounDoctrine actually comes from when Paul was instructing Timothy to be true to teach sound doctrine whether in season or out of season, whether it was convenient or not to teach the word. What we wanted to do was to counter a lot of ...hmm... I have to choose my words carefully so as not to offend, because oftentimes even in Christian music you can tell who is ministering and who's just putting out a record.

DG: Right

JB: And we wanted to make sure that we were able to go to the heart of the matter. We are not a conventional gospel group so we don't travel from church to church to church, but we are a Christian band and we are true to God's word. What we try to do in our music is address every single thing that has to do with the human experience but from a Christian perspective, and to do it based on what God's word says. Whether we're talking about sex, whether we're talking about race, whether we're talking about other aspects of the human experience to make sure that it is grounded inside the word of God with sound wholesome healthy doctrine.

DG:   You've already touched on this in answering the previous question, but would you elaborate on how you express your relationship with Christ through your music?

JB:  We're artists and we paint pictures, but with sounds. I think we've been given a mandate to be salt and light and whatever the perspective, whatever the subject matter, we make sure that we're painting it with the brush of Jesus.

We always say that we go to the stage with a fishing pole instead of a hammer. We never go to condemn anyone for whatever their beliefs are, but if we're salt we're spreading the flavor, and if we're light we're just lifting up Christ.

Even in the bars (because we don't travel from church to church, we go to the same secular clubs that our counterparts go to) it's really interesting because it seems like, especially as of late, the reception has been stronger in those venues. During the breaks between our sets is when we make friends. We don't condemn, but we make friends. And it's interesting how God is using that because those friends that we meet in the bar on Saturday night we see them in service on Sunday at 11 o'clock.

DG: That's what it's all about, going into the highways and bi-ways

JB: That's it

DG:  What advice would you give up-and-coming Christian musicians and entertainers?

JB:  First of all, stay true. If you're going in it for the record deal or you're going in it to be the next Fred Hammond, or the next Kirk Franklin or Tonex or whoever - if that's not what God's called you to do, then please don't do that. Be true with what He's given you and the mandate that He's given you. I would say that first and foremost. Secondly, If it's about the money you'll never get it. And even if you do get it, the Lord says a fool and his money are soon parted. You have to go into it because it's ministry and because this is what God says, period.

DG:  Any parting words for the readers at Detroit Gospel.com?

JB: First of all, we're humbled that Detroit has shown Ohio so much love. We're grateful for the opportunity. I used to spend every summer in Detroit and Motown has left a life-long impression upon me. I'm a child of the 70's and I'm grateful for being able to share some of what God gave me with Detroit. I'm looking forward to coming up there and hopefully SounDoctrine can have an audience to go into one of the places and party with you guys.

DG: We'll add the information about you heading out to Hollywood to the website. Is there anything else you want to add?

JB: The Hollywood thing just came through last night by e-mail. So we're grateful for that. It's going to take place June 22-28, in Hollywood, CA.

I invite everyone to have a cup of coffee and come and visit www.SounDoctrine.com. Check out the website. It's a big website and we're always adding to it.

Finally, buy the CD, buy the CD, buy the CD.

DG: And last of all... Buy the CD!

JB: Buy the CD!

Click below to buy SounDoctrine CD's:

Click To Buy: Perseverance: The Soundtrack To A Non-Existent Movie from FaveStreet.com

Click To Buy: SD LIVE: Alternative Christian Funk On The Loose from CD Baby.com

Editor's Note: Just like Jere B, many of us at Detroit Gospel.com are children of the 70's, so when we heard SounDoctrine's old school groove mixed with "sound doctrine" we knew we had to share this group with our visitors. Please check out their website at www.soundoctrine.com, listen to their music samples, and BUY THE CD!

CD Liner Notes : ...an incipience means a beginning.

PERSEVERANCE: The Soundtrack to A Non-Existent Movie is a reflective spiritual journey through the life of one musician, who despite constant obstacles (most self imposed) refuses to accept defeat in pursuit of his dream and the fulfillment of God's Purpose in his life.

Throughout his travel, musical and otherwise, he is exposed to and engaged in relationships with others, who, while on their own journeys, pause to share their stories of perseverance.

What's most interesting is that even the most personal story shared with the musician, is somehow relatable to all.

It's Life: The Movie

Where do you fit in the script?

-JERE B

Background: Youngstown based Alternative Christian Funk Band, SounDoctrine released their debut CD, Perseverance in May 2002. Following a performance on the Family Life Network, SounDoctrine began attracting national attention without the aid of major radio support. Soundoctrine's music is based in jazz-funk with neo-soul rhythms and positive, inspirational lyrics as their foundation. Their music has been compared to The sounds of blackness.

A licensed minister, Jere B assembled an all-star cast of Youngstown-area musicians (a music business model borrowed fro Quincy Jones) to record original compositions he'd accumulated over a 15 year period. Most of his compositions are autobiographical, recalling distinct circumstances and phases in his life, before and after his Spiritual Rebirth.

Jere B and his associates, who include his brother-in-law, C. Philip Moore, the group's bass player are using the Internet extensively for marketing their CD's and for getting the word out about SounDoctrine. Detroit Gospel.com is pleased to support them in their efforts and we pray bountiful blessings on their ministry.

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