Copious Notes

Matt Maher. © Photo from mattmahermusic.com.

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Matt Maher says a little mystery is a good thing, whether it’s in his faith or his music.

Like every other pop singer, Maher has a Facebook page and Twitter account, but he’s a little wary of them.

“It’s created a sense of accessibility, and for artists who do use social media regularly, it creates a sense of connection, and I’m still trying to figure out if that’s a good thing or not,” says Maher, who performs Saturday night with Audrey Assad at Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary School. “One of the things that helped the explosion of popular music was there was an element of mystery. It’s like, ‘Who are The Beatles?’ They were four dots in Shea Stadium, and they play and they leave, and the only time we get to see them is on TV or a movie theater or live in concert.

“It created an aura of mystery about it, and mystery is an important part of the human experience.”

That includes the experience of faith.

Maher is an award-winning, best-selling Christian songwriter and recording artist. But he is a bit of an anomaly in contemporary Christian music as a practicing Catholic in a market dominated by evangelical Protestants.

He has been a big part of contemporary worship, but Maher says he sees people drawn to time-honored traditions and icons.

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