Nonconformist Chick Rock
The three sisters of BarlowGirl try to live out the message of Romans 12:2, by not conforming to the world but by renewing their minds in radical ways.
by Maryann B. Hunsberger | posted 10/03/2005
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Becca, Alyssa and Lauren Barlow are BarlowGirl, who became the best new selling artists of 2004 with their self-titled debut album. The Illinois-bred sisters are back with their sophomore album, Another Journal Entry. They shared their thoughts with us about their music, nonconformity, how the world wears down young people's self esteem and how renewing our minds with God's thoughts is the way to overcome.
Lauren (left), Alyssa, and Becca continue to make a difference by following the road less traveled.
Now that you're on your second album, is being female rockers becoming more comfortable?
Becca Barlow One of our mottos is that we need to play like guys, so every time I run across an amazing guitar player, I always ask for help. We've grown so much musically. We've played so many shows in the last year that we've become more comfortable with who we are onstage.
Besides being female rockers, are you nonconformists in other ways?
Becca Lauren shares Romans 12:2 at every show—"Do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." We have prayed over the years and asked God what this verse means to us. He had shown us that he wants us be transformed in the way we view purity and in the way we live our lives. He has called us not to date and to give up our dating years to live for him during this time. I know for sure the three of us would not be traveling around the world in a band if we had been distracted by those things.
Why do you feel God wants you to avoid dating?
Becca The reason girls desire to be in casual dating relationships is because they are searching for someone to define them. Girls look for someone else to tell them who they are. But, when we run to other people instead of God, we're not getting a true definition of who we are. A lot of times at the end of a relationship, you just end up with a broken heart, with someone not liking you. That gives you a false perspective of who you are. We encourage people to find out who they are first through Christ, how he views them, what he thinks of them. God has shown us so many verses on what he thinks of us. There is more security found in that than will ever be found in a casual dating relationship.
Why do you encourage young people not to conform?
Alyssa Barlow Young people are so insecure that they want to conform so people will like them, so they will be popular. We are always looking for who we are and for acceptance from other people to the point that we are willing to throw off our own true, God-given identity to be just like everyone else. So, we conform to their ways and we miss out on who God has made us to be. Through not conforming, we throw off the molds and find the calling God has placed on our lives.
Did you go through wanting to be the popular girl?
Alyssa I was the popular girl. I wanted to please everyone and make everyone happy. Staying at the top became important. I had to be the cool girl at all times, never make a mistake and never be real in front of people. I wanted girls to want to be like me, even though I had no clue who I was. At the end of the day, the cool girls don't know who they are.
What do you talk about in concert to help young people?
Alyssa Since I was a little girl, my aim was to be on Broadway. I chased after that my whole life. I was determining my own path, had my dreams in mind and was going. God really stopped me a couple years ago and asked me if I wanted to find out what he had for my life. I had a two-year struggle. If I had remained on that stubborn path, I could have missed out on his plan. I'm so thankful he's more stubborn than I am. I talk about this onstage.
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