Late last year, musician and composer Gen Bryant wrote a song which still resonates strongly with her today. “I think I almost wrote it as a challenge to myself; it’s called ‘What am I waiting for?’ It’s a call to speak up, and rise up, and not just talk about things, but to do something about whatever it is that we are passionate about.”
Like many of us, Gen spent a lot of time during recent COVID-19 lockdowns ‘waiting’ and says now that we have this ‘newfound freedom’ we need to make the most of it.
Gen plans to debut ‘What am I waiting for?’ at the Diocesan Assembly on 15 February, where Gen, Sarah, Nicole, Monty and Ashen (four of the 18 GB Team Members), will join Sandhurst parishioners to worship, celebrate our faith and connect with each other. Gen says the GB Team is excited, “The idea of gathering the whole Diocese together is very special and we are all looking forward to the day.”
“We really hope the Assembly is a very positive experience. It’s another step forward in bringing people and different communities together, whether it be parish and school, people from different areas of the Diocese, or young and old,” says Gen.
It’s hard to imagine Gen ‘waiting’ during lockdown. She has been using her unique gifts purposefully in Youth Ministry for 18 years. It all started when she was invited to be the Cantor at her local parish when she was sixteen.
“That was a turning point for me; it gave me a deeper involvement in my local church and also really built my self-confidence,” reflects Gen. “It was such a beautiful and gentle way to explore my love of music and also to understand how music connects us to the Mass and how my presence there was making a difference.”
As cantor at her parish Mass, Gen felt a connection with God and with people in her parish. “I felt a strong sense of connection and belonging, and I wanted to share that with others, that sense of community and faith. I could see that music is an integral part of connecting us together, no matter our age, or our culture, or background,” says Gen.
Gen could also see that there was a disconnect between young people’s participation at school Masses and at parish Masses. When she was in Year 12, Gen formed a Liturgical Ensemble at her school which she enjoyed so much that she volunteered to continue with it after finishing school. Eventually she was employed by the school for five years where, together with others, she built up a strong Liturgical Music culture.
Gen says her journey with Sacred Music was enriched by studying for a Bachelor of Music at Australian Catholic University (ACU). “It was a beautiful programme. I was part of the St Patrick’s Cathedral Choir, so every week I would walk through the Cathedral in red robes with a stack of books and sing Gregorian Chants with five- or six-part harmonies, all sight-read on the spot. Then, in the same weekend I would play contemporary music in a band at Mass, then sing as a cantor accompanied by an organ at my parish Mass, as well as sing with a Youth Choir. So, I had a huge range of first-hand experience with a range of Sacred Music. I think there is a place for it all, and I love connecting with the different forms it takes.”
Gen now describes her music as ‘Contemporary Christian’ music. Initially she aimed to create ‘positive message music’. She explains, “I didn’t want it to have an agenda; I just wanted to be putting positive messages out to the world to encourage and inspire people.” Gen says she hopes to reach people from all walks of life, irrespective of their beliefs. “I’m trying to connect with young people regardless of their faith; I’m from a Catholic background, so that definitely comes across in my music, but I hope my music is the type of music which speaks to everyone.”
When she is composing music, some songs just come very naturally to Gen. “I remember writing ‘Send Us Out’. I had been thinking about a psalm – ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts … [Psalm 28:7]. It kept rolling around in my head. It was speaking to me at the time. I was sitting with different verses and kept picking my guitar up.”
Gen says that she often finds writing a song might only take thirty or forty minutes. “Sometimes I leave it for a while, even for months, and then, when I pick it up, or listen to the voice memo, it will just shock me – I’m hearing it in a completely different way and it feels like it isn’t even my own words, but they are words that I needed to hear at that time. Sometimes I can’t even remember writing a song; it is surreal.”
Gen says connection is key to her music. “A lot of the time when I write, it is part of my prayer and my connection with God. Often, I’ll pray either side of writing and ask God for the words and then something happens – it’s incredible,” she says.
Gen says song writing is very different from sharing her music with others, but both require connection. “Writing is more of a personal connection with myself and with God. When I’m performing, I’m connecting with God, but my awareness of connecting with others is heightened. It’s not like you play music just as it was recorded. You’re there to connect in that moment and everything that you do might be a bit different each time because of who is in front of you and what the occasion is.”
When asked about the Australian cultural reluctance to sing and dance, Gen laughs and replies, “I believe in us! – My goal in front of a crowd is to make sure that everyone feels they are in a safe place, where they don’t feel judged, or self-conscious. Part of creating that safe place is how you present, and how you invite people to participate. It comes back to my earlier experiences as a Cantor in my parish.”
During the COVID-19 lockdowns Gen had a lot more time to reassess her ministry. “I had time to really think about where I had come from, where I want to go, and where God wants to take this,” says Gen. “Acknowledging the incredible opportunities I have, and wanting to share that, I put a call-out for other young musicians and more hands on deck.”
Gen has been mentoring her now 18-member GB Team. “We’re not just a band, we are all-rounders. We are young people who are passionate about sharing our faith, love young people, and have a gift with music or creativity.” Gen says she is trying to provide an opportunity where GB Team members can turn ministry into something they could potentially earn a living from, and she feels very blessed.
Describing the GB Team, Gen says, “We’re from all walks of life, with a range of life experience and a range of talents, yet we all have something in common that brings us together, our faith and a mission to serve humbly and connect with young people.”
Gen recounts Pope Francis’ challenge for young people to not be photocopies. “We all need to aim to become the unique person that God created us to be,” says Gen. “I’m just one person who has found my gift and is sharing it with others. Today young people feel a lot of pressure because we see things online and compare ourselves to others. Many young people look for obvious gifts – art, music, sport – and many feel that they aren’t good at things, but it’s important to look for other gifts, the ability to be a wonderful friend, a caring person who sees someone else’s struggle, the gift of being a good listener.” Through the GB Team Gen hopes that young people have a chance to understand that we are all unique with our own story and our own gifts.
Gen says sometimes she wonders if she is getting too old for youth ministry, but she thinks there is a place where older adults and younger adults can accompany young people. Having said that, Gen says, “Young people need to have role models who are closer to their age, who have a closer experience of life,” she says. “Peer-to-peer relationships in youth ministry have a place.”
In case you wanted to know:
Gen says her inspiration as a young singer songwriter was Missy Higgins and later, Audrey Assad. At a push she admits that her ‘guilty pleasure song’ is Hanson’s MMMBop. “It’s very under-rated,” she laughs.
Perhaps Gen’s greatest inspiration is her faith. “I see God in all things, as creator of me and everyone that we meet, and everything that we see, so I connect to that gratitude. I see Jesus as our role model, our way to walk amongst all that God has created. I see the Holy Spirit as the source of strength to help me live the best way I can, just as Jesus did in the world that we live in. It doesn’t work one without the other.”
The morning session of the Diocesan Assembly, featuring Gen Bryant and GB Team members will be livestreamed on the Diocese of Sandhurst website, YouTube Channel and Facebook page from 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday 15 February 2023.
