10 Characteristics of a Great Mix :: by Bill Gibson

First of all, if you don’t understand what great music sounds like, you’ll struggle to build a great  sounding mix. Your musical-balance instincts are guided by conscious or subconscious impressions and observations. As sound operators, we aren’t charged with simply archiving an event—we’re trusted to build a musical mix that has power, blended with intimacy and accessibility. Every excellent sound operator should spend a lot of time listening to music and analyzing its sound. 

1. Consistent, Understandable, and Powerful Lead Vocals
It is job-one to make sure the leader is heard and understood at all times, whether he or she is singing or speaking—accomplishing this demands your constant attention. Compression can help keep the vocals in a narrower dynamic range but successfully keeping the lead vocal in the best space requires active mixing (adjusting the fader level). Learn to enjoy riding the flow of the lyrics and musical energy during a song. It’s not uncommon to cover a wide fader range in the effort to keep the lead vocal in just the right place.

2. Make Sure Speaking Parts Are Heard
When the leader is talking over the music, make sure he or she is heard—this is more easily accomplished by turning the band down than by simply turning up the leader. If the band is on a set of subgroups, simply turn those subgroups down a little while you boost the leader. Make sure that verbal directions and praise are heard—many strong singers lack support when they speak and can’t be heard without a substantial level boost. And, always remember to mute the effects returns between songs when the leader or pastor is speaking.

3. Balanced and Blended Backing Vocals
Balancing and blending the backing vocals is as important as balancing the leader. An out-of-balance harmony part destroys the impact of an otherwise powerful sound. Always be aware of the lead and backing vocal balances and blend. Personally, I prefer to keep the backing and lead vocals on consecutive faders under my right hand. When adjusting the rest of the mix, always be aware of the vocal blend.

4. Consistent Focal Point Throughout the Song
It’s very important to hold the congregations attention. As the mix engineer, it’s your job to control the focus—to build a mix that is undeniably easy to follow. Lead vocals provide the obvious focal point in most genres, but in the spaces between lyrics or musical sections, some mix ingredients need to take over, providing a bridge to deliver the listener to the next musical section. If your music team has spent the time and energy to construct strong musical parts, the focus will tend to flow naturally, but in many instances, the sound operator needs to skillfully create a focus by highlighting mix ingredients between vocal lines and so on.

5. Sounds Good in Stereo and Mono
This is a very common consideration for studio engineers, but many live engineers never think about the way a stereo mix collapses to mono. With the introduction of modern affordable digital mixers, more and more churches are capturing multitrack recordings of their music services and then remixing after the fact for distribution to the congregation. When building a mix, continually cross-reference the sound of your stereo mixes in mono to confirm that they sound good both ways. This is especially important for sound operators who work with mono live church sound systems. It is entirely possible to create a huge-sounding wide stereo mix that sounds small and very out-of-balance when played through the mono system. For a more in-depth study of this concept, refer to books 1, 2, and 6 of the Hal Leonard Recording Method.

6. Width
When mixing for a studio project, a stereo mix is more interesting if there are one or two instruments defining the far left and far right boundaries. Some sound operators ridicule the idea of a stereo mix in a live setting—I don’t. Even if all you do pan stereo effects wide left–right or pan the stereo synth and guitar processor outputs hard left and right, you’ve gained something. Both sides of the room hear the same balance but most of the room is treated to a wide sound with space reserved in the middle for the vocals, kick, and snare. It’s also helpful to slightly pan instruments such as acoustic guitars slightly off center.

7. Depth
A two-dimensional (left-right) mix is okay, but when a mix sounds three-dimensional (if the sounds seem distributed from near to far, as well as left to right) it becomes much more interestingly real-sounding. Reverberation and delays add depth—a very important part of a good mix. Most mixes should sound very large and impressive, yet somehow they must also feel very intimate and personal. Each mix must be shaped and molded to fit within the soundscape that projects the most realistic musical emotion for that specific song. Avoid adding reverberation to everything in the mix. Keep some ingredients intimate (dry) and others larger and more distant (wet).

8. Strong, Smooth Highs That Are Easy On the Ears
A mix that has one particular high frequency boosted on several instruments can take on an abrasive and irritating character. High frequencies must be distributed evenly.

Frequencies between 2.5 and 5 kHz can create a piercing, harsh, and edgy sound when exaggerated.

Frequencies between 6 and 9 kHz can add clarity without a harsh timbre.

Frequencies above 10 kHz add an airy quality to the sound with less of an apparent high-frequency boost.

If you need to boost the high frequencies on several tracks, combine cuts and boosts across the high-frequency spectrum to create an even dispersion of tones.

9. Mids Distributed Evenly Among Various Instruments
Midrange frequencies contain much of each sound’s character. However, too much midrange results in a “honky” sound, and too little midrange results in a hollow, empty sound. It’s important to control this frequency range. Midrange tones tend to help a mix sound blended and smooth; however, overly accentuated mids can cause a mix to sound dull and lifeless in the highs, or weak and powerless in the lows.

10. Strong, Solid, Yet Controlled Lows
It’s extremely important to build a mix that distributes low frequencies evenly. If the kick is boosted at 100 Hz, the bass should not be boosted at 100 Hz. In fact, most likely the bass should be cut at 100 Hz and, if necessary, boosted at possibly 60 or 150 Hz—this, of course, depends completely on the inherent sound of the bass. Low frequencies contain more energy than mids and highs, so exaggerated boosts can dramatically increase the mix level. Great sound operators pay close attention to this frequency band.

from Worship Musician! Magazine - Nov/Dec 2013 issue.


For more from Bill Gibson check out www.billgibsonmusic.com. This month, Bill celebrates the release of The Bruce Swedien Recording Method by Bruce Swedien with Bill Gibson. Swedien is the iconic engineer who recorded all of Michael Jackson’s solo records (including Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, Invincible, and HIStory), Quincy Jones’ most successful recordings, and Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Jennifer Lopez, and many more!

Ringing True [from the Guitar Grab Bag column in Worship Musician Magazine]

by Doug Doppler
from Worship Musician Magazine - July/August 2013
One of my favorite things about Church is the fact that it allows so many people to share the gift of music that has been birthed within. That said, I’ve run into a few too many Worship guitar players who struggle with feeling they are somehow stuck in a rut and can’t see past the trees. So let’s whip out the chain saw and chop some wood!!!

Whether you choose to work on one at a time or several simultaneously, setting some short, medium, and long term goals is a great way to grow beyond the Sunday-to-Sunday continuum. So let’s take a look at some areas that always move me closer to feeling more prepared and inspired on the instrument.

Living with the Songs
I encounter an ever-increasing number of people who are finding it hard to strike a healthy balance between work, family, and finding quality practice time—myself included. This is one of the reasons I repeatedly emphasize the value of living with songs. Whether it’s on your way to work, on the treadmill, or in the background when you get home, the more you let those songs into your subconscious, the more you begin to feel the motion of the parts as they ebb and flow throughout an arrangement. If you think about your favorite songs, it’s easy to recall the order and duration of the sections because you’ve heard them so many times. Living with songs is a great way to move toward this same sense of knowing, and is quite attainable without a guitar in your hands. It’s always amazes me how much more prepared I feel when I live with the songs. This directly translates to feeling more confident as I shift from section to section within arrangements, even on weeks where practice time is limited.

Learning New Chords

The guitar has a tremendous range, which is one of the main reasons I don’t spend a lot of time using a capo. I’ll be the first to say there are some gorgeous sounds up and down the neck that can only be created by using a capo. However, there are far more sounds that can be created by NOT constricting the harmonic range of the instrument. Learning new chord shapes inspires me to find different approaches for playing song, thus allowing me to capture new textures and sounds, regardless of the key. I, for one, am the most inspired when I find something that is totally new for me to play and can then begin the journey of making it my own. I can’t say enough about the benefits of learning lots of chords. It’s kind of like having all the right tools in the shed—you’re always ready to pull the exact one you need to get the job done right.

Teach Some Lessons

I never cease being amazed at how much I learn through teaching others. If there are players on your team who might benefit from a few hours of your time, it’s a worthy investment that has the added benefit of providing internal clarity about what and why you do what you do. More than semantics, once I can articulate why I do something, I really begin to realize how purposeful the things I don’t consciously think about actually are. The more I can teach other players about playing with dynamics, the more it causes me to focus on them in my own playing.

Recording

As I was picking up some gear at a local recording studio I was reminded of my first recording experience on a Fostex 4-track cassette recorder. I remember excitedly hitting the record button for the first time, just to taste bitter and total defeat upon playing the track back. The good news is that we guitar players aren’t much for giving up, and through that experience I learned that my time really needed some fine-tuning. As I worked with the metronome, my skill grew to the point where the recording process became a thing of joy and inspiration. Because recording takes a brutally honest snapshot of our playing, it bursts the bubble in which we might otherwise believe things about our playing that just aren’t true—yet. I’ll admit that as much as I love the things I do well, I still notice every note or chord I play that is slightly out of time or just out of tune. While obsessing to the point of losing all the joy is never a good thing, recording allows me to clearly hear my inadequacies without an instrument in my hands. In this fashion, the next time I pick up the instrument I’ve learned something that I otherwise might not have.

In closing I’d like to add that the phrase, “no pain, no gain” seems to be highly applicable to “getting there” with the guitar. Out of the ashes of my most frustrating experiences something new was birthed in my spirit. My Pastor recently did a great teaching on not letting our feelings get in the way of what needs to be done. While we might not feel like going to work on a Monday, it just needs to get done. The same thing applies to growing on the instrument. Practicing new ideas might not always feel good, but in the long run it benefits you, your congregation, and the greatest audience of all—the Lord Himself.

God Bless ~ Doug

Jukebox Worship

by Tom Lane
found in the July/August issue of  Worship Musician Magazine

There are times I feel it would just be easier to push play on a CD in worship. It would at least make it easier to hit the moving target of expectations among pastors, leadership, and the congregation; but in truth we can’t. Nor is worship leading ultimately about pleasing people, but sometimes we still prioritize facilitating others over ministry to the Lord.

Twenty years ago it was on the hearts of many in the church to improve the level of skill in worship, giving birth to a plethora of equipping conferences and events. Now we are seeing the fruit of them and there are some amazing talents in the church—the quality of our worship has improved no doubt. Ten years ago we were ten years into a transition from Contemporary Christian Music being the genre that represented the Church, to Modern Worship becoming the new standard and tradition. The music became more vertically focused. It was a return to our first love era that was timely and much needed. Some of the young leaders became the shapers of a new worship culture in the church at large, creating a shift in sound and focus.

The pattern is that new styles and cultures help us to grow beyond the past to a new thing, then we copy that thing over and over until something new comes along again, usually in response to The Lord calling His people back to adoration of, and communion with, Himself. I appreciate that the apostle Paul both encouraged us to be relevant to the world, and not to stray from the foundation of Christ and Him crucified. The gospel is the gospel truth! It will never lose its power and relevance for all of humanity. As we worship it is the Holy Spirit that reaches into human hearts and brings about change—not merely our music and eloquent teaching!

Worship leaders are more than jukeboxes that produce and replicate album versions of the top CCLI worship songs. We should strive to engage with God and be pliable enough to move with the Spirit of God that is always moving among us. He never parks on one tradition or style, nor should we. The end goal is not simply to sound good, though it helps for sure, but to lift high The Name above all names; then He draws the people.

That’s the promise and the mystery of worship. It’s more than copying styles or playing songs at the right BPM to evoke certain emotional responses.

A missing part of many worship times is genuine and authentic reverence and awe. Out of fear we sometimes just do what we know how to do to fill space rather than wait. I do realize that most often it’s not the worship leader or team that gets to decide the flow of a service. But worship is none-the-less flexible, living, and breathing. What God did yesterday may not be what He does today. Every time we gather it’s a new and different day, unless we are tuned in to His presence among us we can miss Him. I’m hearing more and more that we’re bored with the same ole same ole: same songs, the same style—new and old, and the same formulas. We’ve become more predictable and not nearly as responsive to the Spirit. By that I don’t mean it has to be a two-hour spontaneous worship session every time we gather. The point is, there’s not one way that works every time, nor should it be our goal; but rather an encounter with God.

If there’s a model for us in the Word it is this: entering His courts with thanksgiving and praise, bringing our psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and waiting on the Lord. There are many more scriptures to help point and guide us into spirit and truth worship.

Let’s not become so comfortable with our production, arrangements, songs, etc., that we leave no room for today’s manna and blessing in worship. If in a situation where we feel like we’re having to perform according to someone’s expectations, whether a pastor, leader, or otherwise; I encourage we begin a healthy dialogue and work to become united in the goal of aiming for God’s heart each week. Work out the balance of using the tools we have well, and actually hitting the mark. People sense the difference and know when we’re leading songs versus leading worship.

As much as I love good music and musicianship, I would prefer to look the fool and err on the side of humility and surrender, rather than sonic and musical perfection. It’s a problem when we’re so concerned about the performance of songs that we allow ourselves to be frustrated and irritated, or worse we vent those frustrations on others. As if our worship didn’t count because we failed to reach some standard of excellence that we aspire to, or someone’s expectations of our worship.

What is ‘Good worship?’ We use this phrase all the time and I know what we mean, but our standards of measure are not the same as The Lord’s. We often judge worship by others responses to what we do, but we barely know our own hearts let alone another’s.

We don’t simply push the play button to achieve desired results in worship. The human will is always involved and it’s presumptuous to think we can do the work of The Holy Spirit for Him. A safe and good bet is to approach the throne of grace boldly with open hands, willing to sacrifice our preparations and plans for God’s purposes, which He delights in revealing to us when we draw near.

Bellarive - An Evening of Worship :: Aug 11, 6pm @OSLC_Tacoma

To our friends in the Pacific Northwest.

Join us on Sunday, August 11 for an evening of worship with the band Bellarive from Orlando, FL. They will share songs from their CD "The Heartbeat".

This evening is also a benefit for CMS Productions... There will be some special opportunities* for you to support CMS if you are able.

6pm
Doors open at 5:15

Our Savior Lutheran Church
4519 112th St E
Tacoma, WA 98446

Get Tickets Here.

$20 VIP Tickets
- these folks will get in early (4:45) for a Q&A w/ the band and to get first choice of seats.
$10 General Admission


*BENEFIT OPPORTUNITIES:

• $30 - Any T-Shirt from MusiciansThreads.com
• $50 - Combo Magazine subscription for 1 year (Christian Musician & Worship Musician)
• $150 each - VIP Green Room Pass - Dinner 1 night at CMS Northwest in the Musician's Catering Room. (pick Friday, Nov 8 or Saturday, Nov 9). Limited to 10 people per night. You must be registered for the conference.
• $500 Autographed Guitar (Jay Turser acoustic or electric). It will be autographed by the CMS Northwest artists in the green room this November.

Check out some videos below...

Songs and Arrangements - Connecting With Your People!

by Tom Lane
from Worship Musician! Magazine

May/June 2013

Songs are amazing vehicles that deliver heart, passion, truth, doctrine, and so on. My brain is full of them and there’s a running soundtrack for my life recallable at any time. People connect with good songs and like what they like, often without any explanation. Though not all have the same tastes, the power of songs affects us much the same: deep down, permeating the soul, and manipulating our emotions. So needless to say, how we approach and play them is worth consideration.

Arrangements give life to songs, sometimes elevating them from their original form, but not always as it can also work just the opposite. Once songs are completed and chosen for whatever purpose, the arrangement is usually the next step in presenting it. In the same way that I can say something and it be taken one way, you could say the exact same thing and it be taken completely differently; arrangements influence perception and emotion.

It’s been said of worship songs that they are tools to help us communicate and engage with God. They can help or hinder, encourage or discourage, connect or NOT. For sure there are songs that seem to have a life and sweep through the church at large. The

Church has always had favorites, and the cycle normally goes; we use them continuously, wear them slap out, shelve them, and the really great ones come back around and live on in history.

There is some tension in the Church regarding worship and it’s nothing new. It’s the ongoing reality that as one generation ages, another is taking it’s place. God’s desire is that they be joined and connected, not divided. Transition is always awkward, but doesn’t have to be a fight. Both generations deserve the freedom to be who they are, but also the honor and support of the other. What kills unified worship in The Church is the spirit of

Criticism! Especially for what we don’t like. But God doesn’t ask us to worship Him only if everything is as we like it.

As mature believers and worshippers of God we should be able to get beyond the style and delivery of a song, and engage with Him in worship. If we can’t, then the issue is not ultimately the song or the leader; in essence we are giving the power to someone else to dictate our response to Him. Sadly there are many that miss the point and place such expectations on worship leadership to ‘get them there.’ Songs and leaders can help, but do not negate personal responsibility and will! The attitude and posture of our own hearts is solely up to each of us.

That said, we can help encourage unity by how we lead and what we sing. Songs are good connectors, and arrangements can actually help us build bridges among the generations represented in our churches. As a worship leader I communicate with my teams that my preference is for them to know the song and it’s sections more than the arrangement. The main reason being it leaves me free to be more sensitive to the people

I’m leading. If the band is listening to me and to each other, then we all move together dynamically. So the arrangement we played in the 9am service could be totally different in the 11am service and we didn’t have to rehearse it. But there are also times I’ll have them learn an arrangement and stick to it for any number of reasons. There is a time and place for both, and the bigger picture is that I want the song to serve the need and the moment more than I want the band to play it exactly like the record.

If we’re sensitive and caring of those we minister to and lead, we’ll not simply inflict our own preferences on them with no regard to where they come from, who they are, and what they relate to. Not everyone loves the four on the floor kick drum at 120-130 BPM at 9am on Sunday morning, or the tribal toms over ethereal pads and eighth note guitar lines—for hours on end. Likewise if there are young people in your midst, they likely don’t relate as much to hymns and older songs, or pipe organs. The goal is to find what is the most helpful and authentic where we are.

It’s awesome to see younger and older leaders serving the other with grace and humility, even when it’s not their vibe or comfort zone. There’s much to be said for honoring the context and culture of others, for in doing so we bestow honor on them! “How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!” Ps. 133:1

First Hellos and Last Goodbyes

by Doug Doppler

Found in Worship Musician! Magazine - May/June 2013


Even under the best of circumstances, leaving a team or congregation is most often accompanied by a sense of loss. How worship teams embrace musicians as they come and go speaks volumes about the culture of both the team and the congregation. The goal of this column is to spark conversations regarding how to better realize these opportunities to improve worship team culture around welcoming new prospects, as well as blessing members who are moving on.

FIRST HELLOS…

Make Time to Take Time

Every team has it’s own rhythm before, during, and after service. You might want to consider creating a time during which your team is always prepared to welcome a new prospect. If they come up during a busy time, being able to give them a specific time to come back shows a level of consideration that is a great first step in welcoming someone into the fold. First hellos are a great opportunity to show that you value people enough to ensure that even their first interaction with your team is a purposeful one.

Spirit of Inclusion

I’ll call this one the Jesus test. Would you greet prospects differently if Jesus were watching from the side of the platform, and if so, what might you want to change? You never get a second chance to say a first hello, so why not make each person feel truly welcomed—it’s a great way to demonstrate your value for people for more than their potential contribution.

Ministry not music

While musician talk is tremendously valuable in building a point of connection, as musicians we can sometimes miss the very ministry moments we were put on the platform to field. Music and gear talk offers a great bridge into deeper conversations like how a newcomer can get planted into a small group. Taking an active interest in people’s spiritual development is a great way to demonstrate that your team is about more than the time you spend worshipping together.

Vision Casting

The more a team is on the same page about why they are there, what the team values are, and how they are serving the congregation, the easier it is for a newcomer to catch the vision. Developing a culture where each team member can clearly articulate your Church’s vision can be equally helpful in getting (and keeping) new members on track once they’ve actually joined the team. Can everyone on your team articulate your Church’s vision, and if not what are some first steps your team could take to move in that direction?

Audition Process

Since the audition process and team requirements have a tendency to shift over time (especially in a multi-site model), it’s a good idea for teams to get together at least once a year to talk about what may have changed and why. If getting connected in a small group is a requirement, letting people know right away speaks of your interest in their spiritual development, not just their musical capacity. Mature believers will appreciate this, and it can also open the door into a discipleship opportunity for those who don’t.


LAST GOODBYES…

Raising the Bar

While last goodbyes can be emotionally and even politically tricky, they frequently reveal the depth of connection that is actually holding a team together—or keeping them apart. Most companies will at least gather around the water cooler and say a round of goodbyes before a person rides off into the sunset. Why is it that Churches seem to fall particularly short in this area and what might we do to raise the bar?

Sign a Card

Regardless of why someone leaves, giving (or sending) a card signed by the entire team is a small way to show that you value the investment people are making with their time, gifts, and resources. In situations where there have been differences it also offers the opportunity to show that your team holds forgiveness as a key cultural value.

Pick up the Phone

While a card is a great start, taking a few moments to pick up the phone and call someone is a great way of communicating that you truly value them. As hard as calls like this can be to make, it’s much harder to leave a Church and hear from next to no one. We are called to do better.

Team Prayer

When a member leaves not everyone can or should know why. Holding that team member up in prayer is a great way for a team to come together and demonstrate their collective heart to see good things come to any member, be they present or past. Leaving a worship team you know will be praying for you provides a spiritual covering that can do much to counteract the range of feelings most people feel when they step down or change congregations.


Doug Doppler is a passionate presenter at worship conferences and also loves to coach worship musicians and teams, especially in the area of the multi-site Church. He is also the author of the soon-to-be released title “The Worship Guitar Book”, which will be published by Hal Leonard.

Building Community by Setting Goals

by Doug Doppler

as found in Worship Musician Magazine

One of the things that I love about the modern Church is that we are on a serious mission to expand God’s Kingdom through the ever-increasing use of best practices. Part of the success of Willow Creek’s Global Leadership summit is that they have been purposeful in seeking out the minds and ideas from both the Kingdom and the secular. I consider this to be a brilliant idea that has the added benefit of creating a bridge to influencers who have never experienced the blessing of a relationship with the Living God. This is a great opportunity that has not been missed to get these brilliant minds into God’s house looking out, versus the press’ frequently distorted view looking in. These are VERY exciting times.

Casting vision and following up with action is something the Church is doing with increasing efficiency. A key component of this is our ability to set goals and measure our ability to reach them. For whatever reason, worship ministries seem to be among the slowest to adopt this practice. Although there is a ton of great worship music happening each Sunday, my experience points to a tendency to set goals on a weekly basis that are primarily focused around getting a team rostered, picking the songs, and having a great service. If we’re not purpose-driven, the weekly nature of what we do can become a distraction in terms of setting and achieving bigger goals for our teams. I encourage you to prayerfully talk about this with your team and see where you are at, where you’re headed, and how you’ll know when you’ve gotten there. Let’s take a look at some practical places and approaches to doing this.

Prayer

Worship Pastors, I encourage you to prayerfully search your heart to see if you are spending most of your energy leading worship versus leading your team. If, like myself, you are a volunteer, I encourage you to prayerfully consider how you could best approach your Worship Pastor with your thoughts and ideas. The first place you can start is by following the wishes of your Worship Pastor. Many problems people have with their Worship Pastor are rooted in not having fully stepped into the revelation that authority comes from God alone. Emotion makes it easy to confuse our desire to make things better vs. our need to serve the God-ordained leader placed above us.

Raising Up Disciples

Whether you’re a paid leader or weekend volunteer, you are just as called to make disciples. Regardless of the size of your Church, the first action after prayer that I suggest team leaders take is to start identifying and raising-up “your twelve”. If you’re a volunteer I encourage you to sit down with your Worship Pastor to seek out their thoughts on how you could serve their vision for building disciples from within the framework of the Worship Community. I also encourage you to share this article with them, doing so with a respect for their authority by demonstrating your heart to support their vision—leave your personal agendas at home.

Goals

Whether you’re a leader, volunteer, or both, set some goals that you’d like to accomplish in the next twelve months. Break those down into bite sized three-month pieces, and set up some action steps you’ll need in order to accomplish them. At the end of each quarter revisit these goals to see how close you came to achieving them, with an eye to see what you learned along the way. The more you engage this process the more you’ll see how God is discipling you through it.

Action

Six months ago I went to Scott Haus, the Worship Pastor at my Church, with the idea of offering free guitar lessons to anyone attending services in Student Ministries. The first Sunday of each month, any and all who come are able to get some free lesson time. I’m investing my gifts into raising-up young musicians. In the process I’m also afforded the opportunity to demonstrate what the discipleship model looks like—with the added benefit of being able to identify and encourage the next generation of worship musicians at our Church.

Assessment

After being released to hold these lessons, the long-term benefits come from measuring what is and is not working. I like to start with the successes, as that tends to reinforce the why of what one is doing. One of the kids attending the lessons has not missed a single session, and is particularly high on my radar. He’s already serving on the Worship Team in Student Ministries and has a ton of talent. He’s excited about having someone take an active interest in helping develop the talent God has placed in him, and I’m excited to see well-planned vision turning into measurable action. On the down side, I’m not always available on the first Sunday of each month and need to find a sub to cover for me. It’s not until we actually look at the down side of things that we can fix them in a way that is both efficient and effective.

Conclusion

I trust that you find something in this article that will ignite a fire within you to serve your leaders, community, and build disciples to further God’s Kingdom.


Doug Doppler is passionate about God, worship, and worship musicians. In addition to his work coaching individuals and teams, Doug is also the author of “The Worship Guitar Book” which will be available in April 2013 via Hal Leonard.

That Reminds Me Of Something

By Ed Kerr
From Worship Musician! Magazine March / April 2013

Ever done one of those plans where you read through the Bible in a year? Do you read the Proverb of the Day? Regardless of what your approach is to getting Scripture into your heart and your head, you’ve probably had moments like me when you’re reading part of the Bible and you remember another verse you’ve read or memorized that supports it. A few days ago I was reading Isaiah 40:28: Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God. That reminded me of Isaiah 50:7: Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. These verses combined to remind me to hold on tightly to what I know to be true of God. Sovereign. Everlasting. My Helper. I know this.

Ever find yourself singing a favorite worship song when another song comes to mind? Just as many Scriptures can shine light on the truth of another verse, the songs we sing can reinforce each other as well. Here’s an example.

Lots of you probably have your radar up for new songs from popular worship artists that might work well for your church. Something off of Chris Tomlin’s new project, that 3rd song from All Sons & Daughters, the Paul Baloche tune with banjo. Lately I’ve found myself stirred and encouraged by “Whom Shall I Fear” from Tomlin’s Burning Lights release. It’s written by Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash and Scott Cash. Statement after statement of confidence in God’s Presence and Protection and Power rise as we sing this as a church.

When teaching the song the first couple of times, I added a section of another very familiar song to give the church a chance to take off their “we’re learning a new song and have to really focus” caps and sing something well known. So, after singing “Whom Shall I Fear” in its entirety, we added the Chorus from “One Thing Remains”. It says “Your love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me”.

If you can’t imagine only doing part of a song, flip the page and stop reading this. If you’re willing, though, to experiment a little, the result can be really powerful. In my example using “Whom Shall I Fear”, keep playing the intro figure after completing the song. We played the song in G, so the intro was 2 bars of G then two bars of C. After a couple of repetitions of that progression we began singing “Your love never fails...”. We sang it over the intro chord progression though, not the original progression used in “One Thing Remains”. Like this:

        G

Your love never fails, it never gives up

   G                             

It never runs out on me

        C

Your love never fails, it never gives up

   C                             

It never runs out on me

Try this yourself. Play the intro a few times. Sing the lyric over the G   C intro chords twice. Then begin playing the actual chords from “One Thing Remains”.

         Em                          C

Your love never fails, it never gives up

   G                              D

It never runs out on me (Repeat)

Let your dynamics build into the moment when you use that Em  C  G  D progression. I know you’ll feel the musical momentum.

Sing that lyric with its usual chords a few time. Then cue the band and head back to a final chorus of “Whom Shall I Fear”. Suddenly the lyric you’ve just sung together about God’s love never failing or giving up or running out gives a new layer of meaning to the Tomlin/Cash lyric. “I know Who goes before me; I know Who stands behind.” Certainly the song doesn’t need any help in being a meaningful expression of faith. Certainly each verse of Scripture we read has weight of its own. But finding verses that illuminate each other can encourage us as Children of God, and weaving bits of worship songs together can invigorate our worship of God and our insight into His great love and power.

I’ll end with a couple more examples, since I’ve felt the impact of this in my church so strongly. Besides using the chorus of “One Thing Remains” as an added statement to “Whom Shall I Fear”, the chorus of Matt Redman’s “You Never Let Go” works powerfully, too. In another song, the bridge of “Glory To God” (Fee/Beecham) pairs powerfully with the chorus of Gungor’s “Beautiful Things”. Visit my website, kerrtunes.com, to find charts of these examples and other suggestions for such pairings.

The People Matter!

by Tom Lane

from Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Worship Musician Magazine
Since worship ministry is built on the backs of people serving faithfully with their gifts and talents, it's important that we consider the people more important than our plans and production. The more unhealthy or self centered we are, the more we manipulate others in order to achieve the end result 'we' desire. If we want to produce good fruit, we have to honor others as we move forward and build. Bad trees don’t make good fruit!

A saying my wife has quoted for years is, “Fish rots from the head down.”

Meaning, if something’s messed up it can usually be traced all the way to the top tier of leadership. That’s always where it starts and the buck stops. Good leaders strive to preserve the overall health of their team. Though we may coast for a while and even have some success in our programs, God won’t just overlook our dysfunction and sin. The more we attempt to grow something while tolerating sickness, the harder the surgery will be when He decides to cut it out. Because He truly loves us, He doesn’t leave sickness to fester and clutter our lives and relationships. Even if we choose to sweep things under the rug, at some point He will shine the light on darkness, rest assured.

Another saying I like is, “Fall on The Rock before He falls on you.” God is merciful, and responds favorably to humility and repentance. When we refuse or neglect to confess our mistakes and pursue holiness, then we all the more invite His correction and judgment. But if we cry for mercy He will surely give it! The hope is that our churches are safe havens of genuine community, where we can and do make mistakes, but are loved through the process of working out our salvation, and becoming holy. Because we are human, there are often competing wills at work. Though we are aiming to lift a unified voice of praise to God, sometimes there’s a huge pile of issues going on behind the scenes, maybe even on the platform itself. If there’s a tug of war going on in our midst, it is upon us as leaders to preserve relationships and the integrity of the worship we bring to God. I liken it to taking communion without first confessing the sins, righting wrongs, and doing all we can to be pure hearted before engaging in the sacrament.

There are teams and leaders that plow on week after week allowing hurt, bitterness, anger, unspoken expectation, division, etc., go unresolved. I do believe, and know from my own experience, that God does indeed work through imperfect and messy people in spite of our issues—because He is gracious and will not be mocked. But I also believe that a worship or ministry team of any kind is ultimately only as strong its relationships are. We don’t help relationships by blaming others and talking about them behind their backs, which happens all the time. Like any good marriage, we must find a way to be honest and communicate through the hard stuff.

Let me say that I’m not one who thinks worship needs to be perfected and ultra controlled so as to remove the messiness of our humanity. On the contrary, I feel we are fooling no one if we think any of our leadership are without problems and sins in their lives. The church is full of sick people and so are our teams. The beauty is, God is in the healing and restoration business. That’s what the gospel is about! To me, what’s important is that we are always aiming to worship in spirit and truth. What I know of God’s Spirit is He convicts our hearts when there’s junk piling up and sin going on that separates us from Him—polluting our offering to Him. So it is important to keep short accounts with God and others. Kindness, humility, and honesty go a long way. In the worst of relationships and situations we can’t go wrong by taking the higher road, even if we are right about something or have been wronged. If you’re on a team and you’re struggling with those you worship alongside, I challenge you to become the initiator in the restoration process. Don’t wait for them to come to you. Worship is communion, and what God asks us to do is; let go, let others go, make it right as far as we can within us. We can’t control all that goes on in leadership above and around us, but we can control our own actions and responses.

It saddens God when we overlook things that matter deeply to Him, and people matter!

IS IT YOU OR HIM? by Bryan Duncan

from the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Christian Musician Magazine.

Do I love “YOU” or do I love “HIM?” And when does "Him" become "you?" If I'm worshipping "Him" wouldn't I say "You" to Him? I know for sure I'm singing to Him about you! But you may not know that unless I refer you to Him.

This is the ongoing struggle in Christian writer's world since before the dawn of "You Light Up My Life". Churches are mostly suspicious if your song sounds too much like God could be your girlfriend. God forbid that you might see love for Him IN your love for others. Or speak to God directly even as you are in front of them. “But why not just say ‘he lights up my life’ if that is the true intention?” someone asked me in a discussion. Well first of all God is with me all the time; I don't talk as if He's not standing here at the moment. “Maybe it’s giving your listener the chance to make a decision for themselves” I suggested.

If you haven't checked the fine print in the definitions of "Proclamation" vs "Declaration" you should be seriously confused at this point. So, are we singing to the choir or the congregation? I'd like to think both! But then, maybe nobody’s listening. In the evangelistic circles I’ve swirled in, we’ve had a tendency to believe that it is our job to “make” people believe. Well that explains the high burnout factor in ministry work. “No one comes to the Father except he be drawn by the Holy Spirit,” I read after several years in Christian music. And all this time I thought I was convincing people.

A friend told me once "anything you can talk people into is something the devil can talk ‘em out of."

If you are sharing to anyone about a relationship with God, that would include You and Him. The trouble is, there's a third person in the room tryin’ to figure out who you are talking to. I always smile when I recall the comment, "If you talk to God people say you’re religious; if He talks to you people think you're crazy!"

I lost an evangelistic opportunity with a huge church denomination once. "WE want YOU to talk to THEM about HIM" was the concise evangelists comment to me over the phone. "We both have the same desire,” I said to him. "I guess it's a matter of delivery". Neither is wrong, but one is a declaration and one is a proclamation.

I tend to speak directly to God and You, using the term "You". It removes a distance is the only way I can put it. It's not something I've taken lightly either. You pay a price for your convictions. What you say in every word will define to someone where they place you in their own files of integrity. Jesus too, managed to irritate the irreligious and inflame the icons of faith at the same time. They both wanted to hear something different. And the current surrounding may create a different story for your song than was intended. "He touched me" doesn't go over quite as planned if you're singing it in bar.

Here's where your own ethics must stand alone. The temptation to use "God talk" to appease those who are concerned about the legalities of the declaration will, in the end, stifle your God given talents to create from a place of pure Joy. But consider too that to “streamline” your lyrics to be intentionally vague so as to appeal to a wider audience sounds a little suspect as well. What are your intentions? In the end I think I need more than one way to be trustworthy. Anyone can say anything in dramatic fashion. Certainly the actor can play Jesus if he has the script. And a writer can create a fictional story based on non-fiction.

The truth for me is that I mostly see God's love for me in my relationships with His people. And my relationships with people surely point out my need for a relationship with God to survive it. Most of us need a demonstration of how a relationship with God works. Singing words to God in front of others is the way I do that.

The real conundrum is that my proclamations of love often fit more than one dynamic. I feel my love for God most when I am loving those around me. So does that make the song illegitimate for church? Depends on the agenda I guess. Not everyone is at the same mile marker on the journey. I sing faithfully from the place I'm in. Maybe it's simply my own life's diary. But who hasn't been tempted to read someone else's?

"You can feel the 'self-edits" in your writing," a publisher said to me once. "You are afraid to just say what you feel," he adds. "Stop trying to protect yourself. You are killing the passion". So . . . is it just ME, or do You and Him have a familiar connection in songs regardless of how it sings?

Start With Review by Ed Kerr

KEYBOARD Column from Worship Musician Magazine Jan/Feb 2013

By Ed Kerr
Start With Review

Throughout the year I have the privilege of coaching worship teams in local churches around the country. Regardless of the size of the church I’m visiting, I’m struck by how often I stress a few basic things with these teams. As we all begin a new year of ministry as a worship musicians, a review of these basics is valuable. I’ll focus on two of them here.

Though there is no single most important item I could start with, the issue of keeping steady time is seen as a challenge for many teams. In my work as worship pastor in my home church, we’ve faced this challenge and made huge steps forward by consistently playing with a metronome. We use an in-ear monitoring system, so every musician can hear the click without our congregation hearing it. If you don’t yet use a click during your worship sets, I hope you’ll seriously consider it. Perhaps you’ve said within your teams, “Yeah, we should use a click”. Well, there’s no better time than this week to take the leap. There are many great apps for iOS and Android devices that are very inexpensive, even free, so don’t think that using a click has to be expensive to implement.

In a worship service during my most recent visit to a church as a worship team coach, I started “10,000 Reasons” on piano without the benefit of a click. As I sang the first chorus I had the realization many of you have had, that the song had started WAY too fast. Ugh. It’s pretty difficult and distracting to try and slow a song down substantially, so I was reminded once again how important it is for a team to utilize a click.

Incidentally, most metronome apps offer a visual mode, so if you don’t have in-ear monitoring available you could still utilize a metronome. We keyboard players can sit our iPhone, iPad or whatever device we have within reach on our instrument. Store the desired tempo, start it flashing, and start confidently into the intro for “10,000 Reasons”. Or any other song. That’s what I’ll be doing next time I’m visiting a church where in-ears aren’t available.

The next item consistently addressed in my work with worship teams around the country is playing and singing intentionally. Specifically, think about whether all of your instrumentalists and vocalists are playing and singing constantly through every song. It’s so important to be intentional about when you sing and play. Do you have multiple vocalists? Consider having a lead vocalist begin a song. Perhaps add a unison vocal on the first chorus. Have a duet harmony sung on the 2nd verse. Build a thicker vocal texture on the 2nd chorus. Begin a bridge with a single vocalist and build the vocal texture as the bridge is repeated.

Do you have a five or six piece rhythm section? Is everyone playing from the top of the song? Be more intentional about how you orchestrate your arrangement. The instrumental possibilities are endless. The vocal options, too. Essential point here: think about what you’re doing as a team. To present a thick musical texture at all times can result in a worship set that lacks the momentum, dynamic and contrast gained when you really think about how to craft your arrangements.

Many worship teams essentially “cover” the arrangement featured on the most well-known recording of a song. If this is what your team tends to do, listen closely to that recording. How were sections delineated vocally and instrumentally? What made the first verse distinct from the intro? How did the intensity/instrumental texture/dynamic/vocal approach evolve to set the first chorus apart? Was a melodic “hook” from the intro reused after the first chorus?

After listening closely to that recording, study a recording of what your team is doing. That’s right. Listen to yourselves. Do sections stand apart? Are hooks clearly heard? Is the vocal arrangement well thought out? If not, don’t beat yourself up about it. But resolve to be intentional in your approach as a team.

Beyond these basics or any other emphasis you might focus on as a worship musician and a worship team, enjoy being His sons and daughters and remember the great privilege we have to minister in the Name of the Lord. There are 10,000 reasons to exalt Him.

As a songwriter Ed has written over 100 songs with Integrity Music. He has a Masters Degree in piano performance. Ed and his family live in Washington State. Ed plays Yamaha’s Motif XS8.
www.kerrtunes.com