expressive worship

Somebody to Love

There’s a lot of buzz right now about Marc Martel.

His YouTube audition for a Queen tribute band has gone viral and as I write this it is edging close to 4 million views! And that will probably jump substantially with his appearance on Ellen.

What you may not know is that Marc is the lead singer for the Christian band downhere. The similarity of his voice to the late Freddie Mercury is nothing short of amazing. He’s gotten that comparison before but now people all over the world are hearing him perform ‘Somebody to Love’ by Queen for the first time, and it’s made him a phenomenon.

Some Christians may be wondering, ‘Why would he want to do that? Why would he audition for a secular band like that if he’s a Christian?’

I haven’t talked to Marc personally, but my guess is that he’s looking at this as an opportunity – a chance to step onto a huge platform – both figuratively and literally – and bring who God made him to be to the rest of the world. I’m sure he doesn’t know quite what may be ahead, but right now is relying on his faith to guide him.

How often do we pray for God to ‘open doors’ for us to be salt and light to those who don’t know Him? Probably all the time… but do we know it when we see it? This may be Marc’s ultimate ‘salt and light’ opportunity of a lifetime! He made the video and put it out there to see what would happen.

In the big scheme of the music industry, CCM is relatively small, and we all dream of being able to reach more people with our message, right? Anymore, I don’t think it’s about ‘crossing over’, as much as it is ‘weaving in’. In other words, though we’re not to ‘be like the world’, we can be in the world as God made us, with our faith, our beliefs, and most of all, our love.

Take who you are, your music and your faith into the world, love people, and you will be somebody to love. Let’s pray for Marc as he takes this incredible journey!

I would love to hear your thoughts on this, and most of all what opportunities you’ve had to be salt and light with your music.

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Amy Wolter

Amy has vast and varied experience in music, from keyboardist to lead singer, from songwriter to producer. She fronted a nationally touring Christian rock band that garnered some top 10 CCM hits. Playing in a variety of venues and churches gave her a real understanding of what audiences and congregations connect with. As a member of her church’s worship team, Amy understands the challenges that come with this, and enjoys helping Christian artists and Worship Teams create freedom in the room to truly express their worship.

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  1. Katie says:

    It’s unfortunate that “Christian music” is a classification-I have a solo project in which I sing R&B/soul, with no specific Christian orientation. BUT, I AM a Christian and still feel like my music is just as much. I sing about bad break-ups and loving my husband and moments of discouragement and weakness, but who’s to say that isn’t Christian? If it’s a part of my life, and I’m a Christian, then it’s all a part of the Christian experience. Who could say that Marc Martel is denying his Christian nature and/or his calling by singing with Queen? Queen’s put out some INCREDIBLE music and I believe God gave them their musical giftings, whether or not they directed their music toward Him. EXISTING is itself holy. Making beautiful music is holy. Marc, by simply being a light by just being who he is and not denying his love for God to the public will be living well and representing God well, I think. I say, “Go Marc!” and let’s continue, as his community, to uphold & support him :)

  2. Amy Wolter says:

    Well said Katie – thanks for weighing in on this!

  3. Mark Carlson says:

    Amy….great article and you are absolutely right! I really appreciated you making mention of us “not being like the world”, but we do “live” in it every day and it’s how we live that is important. We cannot control all those things around us and their is much evil, but we can provide more love….caring for others. I’m in a similar situation right now, as I have been playing in local worship bands for 3 years now…..love it! However, I am now reaching out into the community more….I was felt driven to respond to a local ad in need of a drummer. I checked it out….loved what I was hearing from the folk rock duo and now we are working the local venues in a secular market. The great thing is that the leader of our group is a Christian….has been a worship leader for years, and now is eager to do the same thing. Our presence is to encourage those that have not found God….we desire to give them hope and a positive message. There’s a place for this in this “world”. Thanks!

  4. Amy Wolter says:

    Mark, glad to hear you are reaching out into your community! The world really needs your presence there and the hope that you bring. Keep it up!

  5. Thanks for sharing! I love Downhere and I hadn’t even heard about this yet. Fascinating. Amazing video!

    Anyway, I completely agree. Not too long ago, a friend of mine was in a group with his school and they were auditioning for some sort of opportunity to be on Ellen, and I was like, “you really sure you want to do that?” But you bring up a really good point. The world isn’t perfect, but when doors are open right in front of us, we need to walk through:) Maybe it just makes some people too uncomfortable, but the Christian life isn’t about staying in our comfort zones.

    On the flip side though, I remember John Cooper of Skillet telling a group of us during a Q&A (responding to advice on making it as a band) how so often, people try to walk through doors like that only to find themselves corrupted. They may have initially wanted to “weave in,” but not too long after, they find themselves “crossed over,” in a very not-so-good way.

    Of course, I trust that Marc can handle it:)

  6. Julie Boyd says:

    My sons are in a band and this is a constant question people ask them, “Are you heading the secular route or Christian?” They all say you have to pick one or the other. For the past 2 years they have been doing both and being quite effective. They’ve gone from opening for Jeremy Camp to playing at the Van’s Warped Tour. Talk about being a light in a dark place! But, I do agree with Logan, it can be dangerous if you don’t keep your eyes on Jesus. If you’re going to be in the secular world, you have to have some accountability and fellowship with other believers or you can be taken out.

  7. Amy Wolter says:

    I LOVE these stories of how you guys are ‘weaving in’! I truly think that’s how we are most effective as believers. People need to feel our love and see our faith. And people need to be validated…sometimes it’s as simple as acknowledging their presence. ..most of us have this need to be noticed, to be SEEN! ( For more on that read Look ‘Em in the Eye at; http://tinyurl.com/3gcyjks ) Keep your stories comin’! It’s inspiring to us all.

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