You know GOD created everything and everything is for GOD. His comment has no foundation because music in general (Gospel, Jazz, Hip Hop, R&B, Country, Folk) are all for GOD. It doesn't matter if one can read music or not, the minute those fingers hit them keys, it is all for GOD. In respect for his opinion, we musicians do have to up our game. When we shed our chords, it is our duty to expand the gift GOD has given us. I play by ear, and now I am learning to read sheet music. I found reading music easy because I already know the chords like E7#5, to a BbM7b9, etc. Before I did not know the technical names for these chords, but I was playing them all the time. Now, these chords and progressions have a name. His comment is empty because he doesn't understand that when GOD bless you with a gift, it is from him and for him and instead of saying something like Gospel musicians are not real musicians, he should have said
SOME Gospel musicians can't read music and in his opinion that is important to expand their talents. I know a dozen of 10 - 18 year old kids that will set the keys on fire and probably play circles around this person, but when you place sheet music in front of them, they are lost. People have their opinions of Gospel players but wherever we play, people listen.
