PRESENTATIONS

Music companies hope youth blindly consume the music they’ve created to maximize profits. Yet some of this music negatively impacts the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of the listener. Discernment helps youth see how music impacts their faith and identity.  This presentation equips each attendee with practical skills they need to navigate popular music and make healthy listening choices.

Many youth feel disconnected from the worship music being sung at their churches but are unsure how to put their apathy or discomfort into words. This presentation explores worship music from hymns to Hillsong and helps participants develop discernment skills so that they can engage in dialogue with their faith communities about worship.

#Metoo. Black Lives Matter. Indigenous Reconciliation. Mental Health. Youth encounter many challenging issues in popular culture.  Popular music can be a catalyst to help youth make sense of the world around them and their place within it.  This presentation demonstrates how to use music to engage in meaningful conversations.

Micah received a Masters of Popular Music Studies from the University of Glasgow and has worked several years in the music industries as a musician, critic, and band manager. He has a passion for helping audiences find better music through discernment, critical-thinking, and empathy-development.   He integrates the work of several Christian scholars such as Dr. Al Wolters and Andy Crouch alongside the latest research in behavioural psychology, sociology, and popular music studies.