Q&A with Louis Phillipe
Westbrook musician and record-label owner Louis Phillipe has been performing music at churches since childhood, and has mastered songs to be played at the most difficult of times – funerals. Now, Phillipe has released a new album, titled “The Funeral Singer,” which includes 15 songs that he has played at funerals and memorial celebrations though the years.
In the Portland area alone, he has provided music for funerals at St. Pius X, St. Joseph’s, St. Patrick’s, St. Bartholomew’s, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Peter’s, Holy Cross, St. John’s, St. Louis, Sacred Heart, St. Edmund’s, St. Anne’s, Westbrook-Warren Congregational, Highland Lake Congregational, North Deering Congregational and Trinity Lutheran. Until recently, he was the music director at Our Lady Of Hope parish in Portland and the choir director at St. Anthony’s in Westbrook.
But Phillipe also has years of experience in the recording industry, beginning at PolyGram Records in New York and running his own label, Reindeer Records, for the past 30 years. The label has also sponsored a slew of “Rock Offs,” inviting high school bands and solo artists to hone their skills.
At 61, he has recently retired from formal music ministry, but, he says, “God keeps giving me projects to keep me busy – like ‘The Funeral Singer.’”
Phillipe said people have often asked him if he has recordings of the songs he has played during funerals, which inspired him to finally record an album of songs. He said the collection is an example of music therapy, which can help people during emotional events.
The American Journal spoke with Phillipe recently about his new album, his record label, and what it’s like to play music in such a solemn situation.
Q: How long have you been playing music at funerals? What is it like to perform in that atmosphere?
A: I was probably in my 20s when I dreaded my first funeral – skinny, knees shaking, a baby Christian, petrified not to break any church rules or sing off-pitch so as not to wake the dead. Now, it is by far the most powerful and nurturing experience for me to have the honor of being part of a family’s celebration of life at such an incredible and emotional time of transition.
Q: This is something you’ve wanted to do for a long time. How did you select the songs for this album?
A: With so many years of experience, I know the popular requests, from the traditional hymns to inspirational favorites to more contemporary songs, and everything in between. What I tried to do with “The Funeral Singer” is present a “best of” playlist representing various genres, faith walks, and age groups.
Q: What makes a good funeral song, or song for an emotional time?
A: A good funeral song is one that honors the past life of the deceased and gives hope to grieving family and friends for the future. It reflects the personality and the moral values of the loved one, but is also pastoral and speaks of that loved one’s faith and the love they shared. During times of crisis and transition, when people are in serious need of comfort and healing, there is oftentimes a default to the true-and-tested songs of faith that have proven to be good funeral songs for generations.
But because everyone is so unique, there are different definitions of a good funeral song. They say funerals are really for the living, so it’s so important to take family requests into light. There’s certainly an array of powerful songs that are specific to death and resurrection and being presented into God’s kingdom. There are also tons of great songs that speak to a troubled heart in any time of transitional crisis whether it be for the death of a loved one, death of a pet, end of a relationship, loss of a job, health challenges, financial worries, family issues, etc.
Q: What does this have to do with music therapy?
A: Music is an incredibly powerful tool that can impact people like nothing else can. It opens avenues of communication, moves people physically, moves people emotionally. It can bring people back in time and can be applied to the elderly as well as adolescent behavioral modification. Music heightens the fear of a horror movie, and can bring soothing calm to meditation, and designed structure to an exercise class. Music can change the world, so it can definitively impact the outcome of any milestone family event such as a wedding or funeral.
Q: Why did you start the Reindeer Records imprint, Joppa Jive? What separates spiritual music from other music genres?
A: It was one thing I took away from my years at PolyGram – different labels, different cost centers for different reasons. In the early ’90s, I was called to form a subsidiary label to feature Christian music. Creating Joppa Jive was my way of doing my part in “pushing back the darkness.” Many things separate spiritual music from other genres – the message, the audiences and the marketing strategy – but it’s nice when a hit song crosses over various genres (pop, country, contemporary Christian).
Q: Tell me about your recent release concerts. Do you have any more events coming up?
A: The first release concert was held this past week at St. Pius X Church in Portland. It was phenomenal. The setting was so prayerful and reflective, definitely a sense of comfort and healing. As one person told me after, “It was like going to Mass 10 times, going to yoga class and having a massage all in the same hour.” I do have a few appearances in Lewiston, and am hoping to line up more in the Portland area. The word is just getting out there. For a limited time, I’m offering to give free promotional concerts to churches, church groups, senior groups and health facilities. And of course funerals are frequently on my calendar (any funeral director in the area knows how to reach me).
Westbrook musician Louis Phillipe has recently released an album called “The Funeral Singer,” bringing together songs he’s played at funerals for decades. Courtesy photoSend questions/comments to the editors.
