My name is Devon Labrie, I have just finished first year at Queens University, where I took a course called Contemporary Problems with Religion and Culture with Professor Ian Cuthbertson. One of our assignments allowed us to do a creative project. Music is something that is very special to me and is a big part of my life; it is how I express myself, so I decided to create a song. I believe music and song writing is an outlet for a lot of people. Songs provide a way for people to express and communicate the questions, concerns, and ideals they may have regarding religion. In my compilation I used eight different popular songs and mashed them all together to make a new song that would illustrate the significant role religion plays in mainstream culture and music. Today, popular culture and religion are so fused together in music, that sometimes people do not even notice the religious context. A person who has no interest in, or connection with religion, may be singing about it without realizing it, or a person with strong religious convictions may be singing about religion’s negative effects. In my opinion music helps bring diverse religions and cultures together and also brings together both religious and non-religious people who have questions about life.
Songs covered in the mash up include:
- You Found Me – The Fray
- Vi Va La Vida – Coldplay
- Icarus- Bastille
- Halo – Beyoncé
- Ritual – Ellie Goulding
- Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen
- Modern Jesus – Portugal the Man
- Imagine – John Lennon
Contributor Biography: Devon Labrie
Devon Labrie is 18 years old, born and raised in Kingston, Ontario. Devon just completed her first year at Queens University in Concurrent Education and will be majoring in Global Development Studies. Devon attended La Salle Secondary School in Kingston where she was encouraged to further develop her music as well as her leadership skills. Devon was provided with a life changing experience when she went to Nicaragua to teach literacy, which solidified her interest in becoming a teacher. Music has always been a big part of Devon’s life. She started playing drums when She was 6 years old and shortly after played in a band coached by a family friend. Drums were a great foundation but she wanted to sing and play the melodies so she taught herself how to play the guitar and has been singing and writing her own music as well playing covers since she was 12 years old.