Jesus Music: 1, #1

By Marq Jones

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:24 KJV

Inspired by "The Jesus Music" directed by Andrew Erwin & Jon Erwin and "Jesus Revolution" directed by

Jon Erwin & Brent McCorkle, Jesus Music Volume 1: The Battle Within a Two Sided War dives deeper into the biggest division amongst proclaiming Christians today which is music & culture. There's much to be revealed in the pages of this book as this must read will enlighten the reader to the revelation of what it means to worship God in Spirit and in Truth! Breaking down religious barriers, debunking the belief of manmade traditions as a prerequisite for salvation, and dispelling the idea of music being a weapon, but a salvation solution, Jesus Music Volume 1 has been released as the official green light to call all musicians and worshipers to unleash your gifts and talents onto the world to save the lost and glorify The Father. The gloves are off and there's no more holding back punches. It's time to get punched in the face with the cold hard truth of what it means to be Free in Christ!

Meet the Author, Marq Jones! Author of The Omega Network: The Soldiers of Darkness Revised & Expanded Edition and The Á La Carte Father: Piecing together a self-assembled Dad on a Journey to Manhood, Marq is at it again with another heavy hitter!  Jesus Music Volume 1: The Battle Within a Two Sided War is the beginning of a series that will transform the Christian community like never before as the push to unify the body is needed more than ever. Author & Speaker, Marq Jones has dedicated his gifts and talents to bring awareness and a sense of urgency to get about The Father's business!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marq Jones
• Release date: Apr 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215385609

Marq Jones

Meet the author, Marq Jones! He has overcome several adversities in life from fatherlessness, drug abuse, alcoholism, gang violence, homelessness, and much more! The transparency he shares with others can be a conduit of hope! His primary mission is to help others that are struggling with life’s many hardships that he has overcome! From writing, coaching, speaking, and much more, Marq Jones has decided to dedicate his life to pouring into others.

Book preview

Part I- What Is Music to you?

Ask yourself these three questions.

What is music to you?

What does Music Mean to you?

How has music molded you into who you are today?

Music has always been a part of my DNA. Music has stitched itself into the very fabric of my identity. Going all the way back to my childhood as I rode around with my grandfather as he worked on cars and made countless trips to junk yards and parts stores, you’d always hear the Jingle in the background smooth Jazz V98.7 (Detroit’s Home for Smooth Jazz) as the radio station would cycle through songs of that era. Or I’d be over a cousin’s house where the radio was permanently affixed to 97.9 WJLB (Detroit’s best Hip Hop & R & B Radio station). 105.9 (#1 for Smooth R&B and Old School) was the station I heard playing just about everywhere else I went except for my grandmother house. I recall listening to Yakety Yak by The Coasters, Let’s Stay Together by Al Green, "I wish it would Rain by The Temptations and countless other Oldies at my grandmother’s house.

Jazz, Old School, Hip Hop, & R&B co-parented me throughout my childhood. Fast forward to the 3rd grade, my brother and I had gotten our first Hip Hop cassette tape. It was 400 Degreez by Juvenile (Hot Boyz) We would listen to it nonstop. We would let the cassette play all the way to the end and take it out the cassette player and rewind it using a number 2 pencil and pop it right back in the cassette player and let it ride all the way through again. Although that was my very first memorization of an entire album word for word, it surly wasn’t my last. During that period of my life, I found myself being drawn to the song Angel of Mine by Monica. I listened to that song over and over again as I’d lose myself in Monica’s perfectly harmonized voice as it would take me to another world away from the agonizing reality of living in a poverty stricken, abuse driven environment in North Memphis, TN. Although Monica was singing about her affection for a guy, somehow, I took the song and used it as a pick me up as it had a hopeful life-giving vibe to it.

It seemed as if right as the song started to get played out and I had nearly analyzed and memorized every word and vocal inflection, I heard Back at One by Brian McKnight as I sat in the back seat of my mother’s Pontiac Bonneville during a car ride home from the library. I was instantly attached to the song. I found myself listening to it just as I did Angel of Mine, but this time I was really becoming one with the song as I’d imagine myself singing to a girl that I had a crush on in school. I memorized the words, the vocal inflections and the harmonization’s. I could never get the part down when he sings You threw out the lifeline, just in the neck of time. I’d always butcher the time part of that line.

I had become hooked to R&B. Spending a part of my childhood growing up in Memphis, Tennessee I was eventually consumed by Hip Hop or Rap as You’d hear Getty Green by Project Pat rumbling down the block in a black-on-black limo tinted 98 Chevy Suburban ridin’ on 24’s (twentyfo’s) as the smell of weed smoke trailed behind the monstrous bass machine. Before I knew it, I’m bobbing my head to Juicy J, DJ Paul, Crunchy Black, Lord Infamous, Gangsta Boo, & La Chat as Three 6 Mafia chpt 2 World Domination album played in the background. Then I became the epidemy of the song If you Ain’t from My Hood by DJ Paul, Juicy J and Project Pat. Growing up in Memphis, TN forced you to become hard. Listening to R&B was uncommon, especially Brian McKnight! It was considered soft. I go into small details about my experience in Memphis, TN, but as we eventually moved back to Michigan, I found myself trying to readjust to the environment as the South Side of Ypsilanti was the hood, but it was nowhere near as gutter and ruthless as North Memphis Tennessee. I eventually found myself listening to R&B more. I still listened to Rap but used them interchangeably.

I’ll  never forget when I made my first music purchase. I was at Cannon’s Barbershop on Harriet in Ypsilanti getting a haircut when the Bootleg Man stopped by with some CDs for sale. I purchased Usher 8701 and Alicia Keys Songs in A Minor. It was the summer before I started the 6th grade at East Middle School on Emerick in Ypsilanti, MI. I had a JVC portable CD player that took 2 AA Batteries, and I would put the batteries in the freezer because I was told that it would make em last longer. I would listen to Usher 8701 and Alicia Keys Songs in Minor all day long or at least until my batteries died lol. Just as I memorized the album 400 Degrees by Hot Boys, Angel of Mine by Monica, Back at One by Brian McKnight,  Ghetty Green by Project Pat, If You Ain’t From My Hood by DJ Paul, and many more, I found myself adding Usher 8701 and Alicia Keys Songs In Minor to my mental database.

LOVE FOR BASS

As I began my 6 th grade year at East Middle School, I ended up in Derek Shelton’s band class learning how to play the Tuba. This was the beginning of my LOVE for BASS! I learned about classical music. You’d hear names like Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach. We played a whole lot of Bach and I even started to look forward to it as I’d leave class and throw on my headphones with Godzilla by DJ Snowflake blasting as I walked down the hallway! As I traversed through middle school towards High School, my music taste expanded. Music had become a life source. I found a way to listen to certain artist and certain songs to get through certain situations. It was as if music was not just an outlet, but music was how I