Gospel Music Apprenticeship in the Black Church in South Africa

Abstract

This paper explores avenues of music training for aspiring gospel musicians within Black South African Evangelical and Pentecostal church contexts. The research problem addressed is the limited documentation of how gospel musicians acquire and refine skills outside formal conservatories or universities. Interviews were conducted via Microsoft Teams with two formally trained musicians, two semi-retired gospel musicians, and a group of 15 scholars and practitioners with diverse training backgrounds. Transcriptions were analysed using Artificial Intelligence tools, yielding themes that inform the descriptive narrative. Findings reveal that church-based learning thrives on diverse pathways, from formal schooling to self-taught practices, though these generate contradictions and contestations. Competition between schooled and unschooled musicians fosters a healthy environment that motivates skill development, while frequent musical encounters provide consistent opportunities for practice. The study concludes that churches function as informal conservatories, producing numerous skilled musicians. It recommends that universities integrate church-based pedagogies into curricula to bridge academic training with community practice and validate indigenous approaches.