Mike Dodson, Mark Waldrop, Jeremy
“B-Wack” Bush and Jack Parker form the most Brazilian quartet of Texas
They already had a consolidated
career when they came here and stole the hearts of young people from all over
the country - and had their hearts stolen too. They learned Portuguese, sang in
our language, watched thousands of people vibrate and worship at the sound of
their music, made musical partnership with some of our favorites singers, such
as Livres and Fernandinho. The Digital Age loves Brazil and talks about
our country as their “second home”. In an interview made by email, filled with
expressions in Portuguese, the vocalist Mike Dodson talked to NALU about the
band, Brazil, proved to be updated with the recent events here, and in the
middle of other things revealed one secret that the fans are anxious to know.
1. When the band with the name “The Digital
Age” was born?
The Digital Age was formed in 2012
following nearly 10 years of touring as "The David Crowder Band." The
entire idea of our band name comes from the idea of loving our neighbors.
Jesus calls us first to love God with all our hearts and second to love our our
neighbors. And this idea of what the word "neighbor"
means or signifies has changed in this "Era Digital." With a few
clicks of a button, we as Christians today have the power to communicate grace,
love, belonging, and acceptance to our neighbors regardless of how far
physically they may live from us. You know, the flight from our hometown
of Waco, Texas to Brasil often takes us more than 15 hours, but we can send
little words of encouragement in a matter of seconds...so I think that is what
we are called to do. Use technology today to continue loving like Christ
and using healing words to empower those around us to do the same.
2. What are the band’s main influences?
We are influenced by almost
everything that we see and hear Really, I think as humans, we are all
influenced, even in ways we may not know. So we are constantly just
looking for ideas or inspiration...you know a creative way to deliver words and
actions that show people that we love them and God loves them, right now, right
where they are. Honestly, the passion that we see in you all...os
brasileiros...is something that has really focused us recently.
Brasileiros... os nossos irmãs e irmãos lá.. have made us focus on those things
around us, and not get caught up in our own feelings of unworthiness,
self-doubt, or anything like that. Instead, you guys have inspired us to
live lives full of joy and passion, and to encourage others to do the same.
3. How’s the process of writing and making
new music?
It is different for every
song. I am really passionate personally about delivering messages of hope
and joy in good times and in difficult times, so I am always looking for ways
to articulate (say) that message in a new and unique way. Artistic
inspiration works on many levels. Sometimes it is like a rushing river of
ideas, and sometimes it is like building a house one small stone at a time. The
hardest part is persistence, and openness. Always listening, and always
being ready to do the work. And avoiding self-doubt at all costs.
4. The name "The Digital Age"
refers to modern times. How to encourage young people to worship in times when
hearts have been distanced from God?
Really I think the encouragement
that we want to give people is that they are not alone. People are
distancing from God, I believe, because they want to put on this
facade...fachada...that appears perfect, independent, and spotless, and they
keep doing the work to maintain that "fachada," but in the process
they are ignoring the foundation of the building...our community of faith, our
acceptance of one another, and ultimately the true reality of our identity as
children of God, who are loved, as we are, right here, right now by the perfect
love of Jesus Christ. So I think our encouragement comes from that sense
of identity or belonging...That you don't have to walk into a room with other
people to worship, and be perfect...but you are perfectly loved.
5. The people in Brazil love the band and the
feeling seems to be mutual. Is there one performance in Brazil that marked you?
We love all of you.
Deeply. I have joked about this sometimes, but I really believe it is
true - that God gave me a "coração brasileiro." Every time I am in
Brasil, my life is enriched, and my faith and joy is strengthened, so in that
regard, every single performance, and every conversation I have had and
relationship that I have made has been special to me. I guess if I had
one moment to point to that "marcou a minha vida" that truly changed
the trajectory of my life, it would be at the Conferência Livres with Juliano
Son in May of 2014. We had been invited to take part in worship at this
conference, which was an honor, but none of us knew ANY Portuguese at the time.
So in the weeks leading up to the conference, I was starting to get nervous
about not being able to communicate with people, and I wanted a way to connect
and show that I really do care for them, even though I couldn't speak the
language. So I found a YouTube video of the song How He Loves (Ele Me
Ama) in portuguese and learned how to sing it by listening to it like 1000
times...over and over...So the time came to sing this song, and we did the
first verse (estrofe) in English, and people sang along...then we switched to
Portuguese for the second verse, and that moment right there. After I
started singing in portuguese, and my voice and your voices combined, it was a
harmony that only the Holy Spirit could produce. It was the most beautiful
sound I have ever heard, and it still to this day, nearly 2 years later, the
echo of that sound fills me with joy that I can't even describe.
6. We often hear that Brazilians have
something special. When comes to worship this statement is true?
It is so true.. You guys are
crazy!
7. What you guys most love about Brazil?
Vocês!!!! The way that
Christ speaks to us through you. We love you, we love you country, and we
always will, regardless of the really hard things that are happening with
politicians and corruption, we love Brasil. And we believe that Brasil is like
a seed that has been planted... in this tough place, where it is dark and hard
to see a way out. We believe that ultimately Brasil will be transformed
through the work of the Church, through unity, faith, hope, and perseverence
from a seed, into a beautiful, strong, flexible, towering tree that will
glorify God.
8. What are the plans for 2016? Will you guys
come to Brazil any time soon?
Se Deus quiser! We are so anxious
to come back to our second home. Right now, we are finishing up our
album, and we really haven't shared this with anyone yet, but we'll let you in
on the secret. The album is going to be called "Galaxies."
The whole idea of the CD speaks to the way that we sometimes view
ourselves as insignificant, small, alone, and powerless. The way that we
often tell ourselves: "what can I do to change this problem"
"I'm too weak" I'm insignificant" "I'm worthless."
Imagine this: you are looking up at the sky and you see a million stars, and in
that vast display of brilliance, you see one little faded looking speck of
light. This speck of light is how many of us spend our lives viewing
ourselves...small, insignificant. But the cool thing that struck me
recently was the fact that if you get a telescope, and look through the lens,
it turns out that the little dim "star" that you thought was
insignificant, is actually an entire GALAXY filled with hundreds of billions of
stars, shining brighter than you could have imagined. And that galaxy is
YOU. We ARE galaxies. The truth is that we are filled with the power of
the Holy Spirit. We are powerful. We are beautiful. The light of joy through
Christ in us is blinding. And we are here to use this power, this significance,
this joy, this warmth, to unite the Church and carry out confident compassion,
powerfully loving people where they are, here and now.
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