Groove, Space, and Dynamics

Groove, Space, and Dynamics. Three things that we can always have more of in the music we create.

Today at 1:00 in the afternoon, I’m rehearsing for an upcoming worship event.  Why in the middle of the day on a weekday?  Well, it’s being led by a guild of full time worship leaders in Ephrata.  We make up most of the band.  On the 19^th of June at 6:00 PM a worship event called “LET THE GLORY OF YOUR NAME BE THE PASSION OF YOUR CHURCH” will kick off two weeks of churches serving the community in what’s called the Ephrata Project.

Sure, you’re invited to join us, but here’s why I’m telling you this.  Well, the band is made up mostly of full time worship leaders, and even though they make their livelihood doing this, it’s still good to be reminded of the fundamentals of playing music together as we begin our rehearsals.  This is what I’m going to share with them, and I thought I’d pass it along to you too.  Enjoy!

Groove

~      A common pulse – we need to be feeling that underlying regularly recurring beat…maybe we’re all bobbing our heads at the same time [but not like metal heads, no offense metal heads]

~      The correct tempo – there’s a reason songs are written at a certain tempo…they work that way!  [and yes, I will be using my metronome app]

~      Always listen and respond to each other – focus on interacting musically, call and respond, give each other room

~      Know what makes the song “work” – is it the kick drum pattern, a downstrum pattern on the guitar, a piano riff?

~      Ask “Are the parts fitting together? Do they ‘lock’ in place?”

~      Ask “Are we playing on the same ‘side’ of the beat?” – the more on the “backside” of the beat, the deeper the groove [within reason, of course].  If one of you pushes the beat and another one drags the beat [even if your both paying the identical tempo] it won’t groove.

Space

~      Man, this is the final frontier…most bands never get there [okay, on to the positive]

~      The notes are as important as the space [or the “not notes”]

~      Ask “Where can I add space or lay out?”

~      Ask “Where am I not needed or crucial to the music?”

~      Ask “Where can I let someone else shine?”

~      Ask “Can I play fewer notes, beats, harmonies?”

~      Ask “Would my part sound full if I played it alone?”  If so, then it’s likely too much – play things that would sound too empty if played solo

Dynamics

~      Ask “Am I playing as ‘small’ as I can? Am I playing as ‘big’ as I can?”

~      Ask “Do I need to play the whole song?” “Does everyone need to start playing at the beginning of the song?” [think like a symphony]

~      Ask “What number is each section?” Assign a number [1-10] to each section, for example, Intro: 8, Verse One: 4, PreChorus: 5, Chorus One: 7…

Here are some ideas for how to play with different dynamics on each instrument. Read each dash [-] as "or," like "One hand or two hands."

Piano

One hand – two hands

Block chords – moving/arpeggiated rhythms

Play a higher register – play a lower register

Play a melodic riff/pattern only – play the chords

Lay out – play

Acoustic Guitar

Capo high – no capo/full chord

Pick – strum

Muted strum – full ringing strum

Finger pick – pick using a pick

Lay out – play

Electric Guitar

EBow – picked lead

Muted strum – full ring strum

Clean – distortion/other effects

Melodic lead – strum

Lay out – play

Bass

Play staccato – play legato

Play higher strings – play lower strings

Play whole note rhythms – play quarter, eighth, or sixteenth rhythms

Lay out – play

Drums

Hi-hat/kick pattern – hi-hat/snare/kick pattern

Closed hi-hat – open hi-hat or crash “hi-hat”

Straight groove/beat – lots of fills

Use lighter sticks/hot rods – heavier/wood sticks

Lay out – play

Aux instruments

If you play woodwind, strings, or brass…please don’t play all the time!  You’re beautiful, really, but hearing a wondering clarinet though a whole set is just not helping the overall sound.


What would you add?

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who do YOU say that I am?

I had this disorienting experience on Monday. Dave, the Worship Coach, was unable to put a list of songs together to lead worship. Unable. Stuck. Going nowhere but down. Fast. What happened?

Have you ever gotten stuck? Not in the mechanics of something, but in something much deeper. Foundational. Something that drives everything I do.

[you can listen to this talk here]

What defines me?

What I wear?

Where I’m from?

What I know?

Who I know?

What I do?

What I’ve done?

No.

These things shape me, and more interestingly,

They reveal what defines me.

All of us live as a result of what defines us.

It drives everything we do.

And most of us don’t know who we are, what defines us.

Or we have a false sense, an untrustworthy definition.

I live as a result of what defines me.

One Saturday, I sat in a room of leaders.  My calling is to eradicate isolation and burnout so that leaders bear much fruit.  My insecurity was stunning that day.  I didn’t want to talk to anyone, make any connections, do anything other than just sit there and keep to myself…isolated. [clever, no?]

It defined me.

“Not enough” defined me.

It told me who I was and it told me what to do.

Mr. Insecurity.  Mr. No One Will Like Me.  Mr. No One Cares About Me.  Mr. Shut Up And Keep To Yourself.  Mr. Eradicate Isolation was Mr. Isolation.

But there is another lonely leader in that room.

There’s a church who needs to be led by a leader who walks in Godly authority.  There’s a leader who’s caught up in trying to make the church he leads match the thriving church down the street – so intent on doing so that he has forgotten about what God already told him to do.

There’s a leader who is overwhelmed by the pressure of life, family, ministry…that tomorrow, she’ll give up.

Somewhere in that room is Rescue.  Is Victorious.  Is Conqueror.  But right now, he’s Mr. Insecurity.

See, our lives are a gift to each other.  We were designed in God’s image, we were defined by God’s definition.

And when I live by some other definition, it’s not just me that looses out, it’s you, it’s the world.

That Saturday, the Spirit of God prompted me to ask Him a question.  A question that Jesus had asked His disciples.

Let’s look at Matthew 16.  Jesus has this way of asking an easy question and then flipping it to go deep into someone’s heart.

Matthew 16:1-4; 13-19 [NIV]

1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

People are always trying to define you, or at least understand your definition, because it reveals who you are, how you will act, what you will do.

If Jesus wasn’t settled in who He was, He may have made an OAK tree grow out of his hand or changed the color of His hair.  Instead, He reveals the strength of His identity by rebuking them.

Then in verses 7-11, He’s basically saying “You don’t understand yet?! What?  Don’t you know that I’m defined by being more than enough?  The strength of my identity is more than enough and that means that around Me, you’ll never have to worry about…having enough bread.”

That’s how identity or definition works – it always gets lived out.  That’s why it’s so important.

Then in verse 13, “Who do PEOPLE…” and then “Who do YOU…”

Hear Jesus’ response to someone who understands His definition:  18b  “I will build My Church on that revelation…!”  There is power at stake when someone understands their identity.  What happens when you know who you are?  Everything happens!

And it’s really important, before we begin to work really hard to figure out our definition, our identity, that verse 17 clearly tells us that it’s not from human revelation, but by the Spirit of God.

So that Saturday, I pulled a “Jesus move” and flipped His question around and asked Jesus “Who do You say that I am?”  And everything changed.

Since that day, I’ve asked Him on various occasions to answer that question.  I’ve heard:

Victorious

Conqueror

Warrior General

Winner

Son

The Identity Triangle

You are worshipers!  You are sons and daughters.  You are growing in your knowledge of God.  You are learning to give your love back to Your heavenly Father.  You are practicing biblical expressions of worship.

But before you either a) ignore me because you think you’ll never be able to be disciplined enough to earn your identity as a worshiper or b) you’re already fretfully making a mental list of the things to be added to your duty roster to avoid being disqualified and found out to “not be a true worshiper” let me give you some very freeing context.

If you work at being obedient through the Law, you’ll try to define your Identity by your Good Works.  If I pursue Obedience before knowing my Identity, my good works (obedience) become my identity rather than who my Father says I am.

As C. J. Mahaney explains in The Cross Centered Life:

“Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God. In other words, a legalist is anyone who behaves as if they can earn God’s approval and forgiveness through personal performance.”

You might be saying: “I want to please You.  I want to do everything I can do for You…and hope that it’s enough.”  Let me share what I believe is God’s pattern in this:

Matthew 3:16-17 (NIV)

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.  And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

When Jesus was being baptized [before He had done ANYTHING], God gave Him His stamp of approval, His Identity and His blessing.  He hadn’t healed anyone. Hadn’t prophesied. Hadn’t cast a demon out. Hadn’t raised the dead.  Nothing.   By the way we live, it would seem like that moment would’ve happened more like this: “This is my son, whom I love; He’s really got potential.  He may do great things. I’ll let you know in a few years if He amounts to anything.  He’s new in ministry, but give Him a few years to prove Himself.  But no, He says “I AM WELL PLEASED.”

So it’s in the context of being drawn to the Father, knowing that we’re sons and daughters, dearly loved and pleasing, that we should obey, know what good works we can be doing, and journey forward as worshipers!

Marks of living from who God says I am

1.    I know His voice

a.    My sheep know my voice.  Say “Baaaaaa” – John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me…”

b.    Listening for 8 things

2.    I’m fearless

a.    Worship starts being scared è “say what you need to say, no fear of man.”

3.    I will be “toward” each other

a.    No longer comparing

4.    I will be unique and bold about it

a.    No longer just trying to fit in

5.    I’ll look for ways to partner, to walk in community

a.    The Trinity

6.    I’ll take risks

a.    I’ll actually believe that I MUST do who I am

7.    My schedule will reflect [reveal] dependence

8.    I’ll stop looking over my shoulder for approval

a.    I’ll walk in authority

b.    My prayers will shift from “please help John” to “I release healing to John”

9.    My life will be marked by rest

a.    Cease striving and know that I am God [Psalm 46:10]

b.    Because I will no longer have to strive to define myself by my good works and performance

10.?  ==>  !

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Walking in the tension...Picking songs

I'd really love to hear your thoughts on this subject.  Answer the question in this little 2 minute video.

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So you just told me you need some help

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Filter Bubbles and "my" church

When was the last time you worshipped with other believers.  Wait, but I mean not at "your" church?  I mean when was the last time you joined believers outside of your congregation and fully engaged in worship in their Sunday morning worship gathering?"


Why does it matter?


Watch this 9 minute video, and then we'll talk.  http://on.ted.com/9Bfd

"As web companies strive to tailor their services (including news and search results) to our personal tastes, there's a dangerous unintended consequence: We get trapped in a "filter bubble" and don't get exposed to information that could challenge or broaden our worldview. Eli Pariser argues powerfully that this will ultimately prove to be bad for us..."

The search engines that "tailor" [read: filter] what we see.

The effect of the "filter bubble" that homogenizes what we see.

How it should be, so that we see the full picture.

What if we would apply the idea of "filter bubbles" to our experience at "our" church. The [capital C] Church is much bigger than "your" church. But so often, we only see how we do church.  And I believe that if we only get to see and experience one tiny, tiny segment of the Church, we will neither see her full beauty nor have an accurate and appropriate perspective of who she really is.


I have a different experience and therefore perspective than most. I do have a home church, but I am in other congregations about twice a month on Sundays and partner  with over 25 distinct congregations each year, seeing not only their Sunday morning gatherings, but, with my ALL-ACCESS, behind the scenes pass, I get to see their inner workings and culture as I coach their leadership.


And I know, I know, "your" church is great and it has everything you've ever wanted, but...


When was the last time you experienced...

• the richness of a Presbyterian liturgy?
• the freedom of an informal house church?
• the artistry of a seeker church?
• the fire of a pentecostal church?
• the intellect of a United Methodist church?
• the simplicity of a Mennonite church?
• the passion of a "river" church?
• the funky, hand-shaking groove of a black church?
• the community of a...community church?
• the "Word power" of a Bible church?
• the open-invitation tribe at a Mosaic church?
• the diversity of a multi-cultural church?
• the flat out rock n' roll of a big church?
• the newness of a church plant?
• the history of a 250 year-old church?
• the calisthenics of a portable church?
• the familiarity of "your" church?
• the awkwardness of a traditional church doing contemporary music?  [sorry, I just had to throw that one in there!]

Does that make you want to get out there and experience something beyond the "filter bubble" that your current perspective gives you?  I'd love your comments with further descriptions of your experiences...


And if you're wondering why I keep putting references of "your" church in quotes, I'm trying to correct the perception that we have a church.  See we ARE the Church.  Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that "I will build my church."  I get that you want to call your local congregation "my church" and that's fine.  But what I see over and over as I coach churches is that far too often church goers act like it's their church, make decisions like it's their church, make demands like it's their church...and it's not.  :)  [does that smiley soften it?]


Oh, and if you're a church shopper taking this as a free pass to engage in uncommitted church dating, know this: there is huge joy in being a member one to another of a local congregation, there is great safety in being under Godly authority, and there is a clear command to live in community, be devoted one to another, and to genuinely love each other.  That will never happen if you keep up your fickle ways.  Plug in.


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When was the last time...

So...when was the last time you dove in and really worshiped the Lord. I mean without leading anyone else. You weren't preparing for a rehearsal, at a rehearsal, or in a service.  It was just you and the Lover of your soul?

You know how we wish that our church members would worship outside of Sunday mornings so that [among other things] there would be more life and engagement on Sunday mornings? So...what about me?  Do I live that lifestyle?

I'm amazed at the consistent story worship leaders tell me as I coach them...

"I wish I would have more time to grow spiritually"

"I really need to work on my devotional life"

"I'm so frantic by the time I get to rehearsal"

"I feel like I'm leading on empty" ...

Really?  I know.  It's a real "Uh-Oh!" moment.  We, as a team, lead the congregation in worship and help them grow in their relationship with God.  But we, as worship leaders, lead our team.   What would it look like if we showed up at rehearsal and said to our team "I'm your worship leader.  I'm here to help you grow in your relationship with God.  I'm here to shepherd you.  I'm here to help you steward your artistic ability. Oh, and I'm also here to help us play together."

What would it take to be that kind of leader?  I certainly must be marked with the Presence of God.  So what if we took the first 30 minutes of our workday [if we're on staff, or our day if not] and gave it to the Lord as a first fruits offering, spending it with Him?  I've been doing this for the past month as a way of asking myself, "What would happen if I actually spent extra time with the Lord instead of just wishing I would [or checking my email]?"

So today, I listened to IHOP's 24/7 Prayer Room feed as I prayed, then broke out my guitar and played along...pausing the feed to take off on my own song.  Now it's back on as I type this.

Yesterday, I read some inspiring thoughts from Howard Schultz's book Onward and was prompted to sow into some younger leaders.  He quotes "I want to pass on to others, to younger folk, the taste of..." and that was all it took for God to begin spinning specific thoughts of who and how to pour my heart into.

The day before, I read from Gazelles, Baby Steps, and 37 other things Dave Ramsey taught me about debt by Jon Acuff where the Lord highlighted the phrase "I wouldn't begin a marathon five miles from the starting line" that really encouraged me to eat better in my quest to lose weight.  And then as I continued to listen to God's voice as I read from the book "Worldliness" by C. J. Mahaney, and this really popped out: "Glorifying God is an intentional pursuit. We don't accidentally drift into holiness; rather, we mature gradually and purposefully, one choice at a time. In the Christian walk, we can't just step onto the right path and figure all is well. Christian discipleship is a lifelong journey consisting of a series of countless steps. Each step matters..."

The day before that, I listened and prayed while I drove before dawn [to a 6 AM meeting an hour from home].  Bill Johnson from Bethel was preaching about Hezekiah in a sermon from April 10th called "The Responsibility of Blessing" and he said "Hezekiah lost it when he stopped increasing the sacrifice [worship] to be more than the measure of the blessing. What was difficult yesterday has become normal today. And the challenge is when we become satisfied with what has become normal and we stop sacrificing and breaking into new ground.  We stop giving that which costs me something."

Help us, Lord.  We need You everyday.  So let's do it.  Everyday!  Because we're sons and daughters.  Because we're well pleasing to the Lord. [not to earn that status]

So here's an invitation to go along with the challenge above. I'd seriously love to connect with you sometime and worship.  Break out a couple of guitars and go for it.  Okay, we can do pianos too...they just require much heavier lifting.  But seriously, over Skype or in person, I'm in. Don't think I'm kidding or speaking in hyperbole.  Let's get it in the calendar.

...in simple love and pure devotion to Jesus, we're eradicating isolation and burnout so that leaders bear much fruit!


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What REALLY causes the “not enough musicians” syndrome?

So, are you trying to figure out how to add more musicians to your teams?  "We just don't have any in our church."  Really?  The super-common problem of “We just don’t have enough musicians” seems to have a simple cause, but let’s look deeper.  What might REALLY be causing the shortage?

Here are 10 causes for a lack of musicians: [I’ll include both singers and instrumentalists when referring to “musicians” here.]

1.     Musicians attract musicians [perhaps there’s just not critical mass – not a talent issue, just a sheer lack of numbers]

2.     A bad sound mix [when certain musicians aren’t heard in the mix, this causes potential musicians to say “Why would I want to play or sing if I might not even be heard?”]

3.     There is no perceived need for more musicians [does your talented worship leader fill in all the missing gaps so the congregation never feels the pain of the need OR do you ever ask for more musicians – either by announcement, special event, or shoulder-tap?  And do I smell burnout?]

4.     Insecure musicians [potential musicians don’t feel that they have the necessary talent to play or sing with the band]

5.     There is a negative or closed band culture [it doesn’t look like the band is enjoying serving together OR the relationships are so tight that they feel exclusive or like a clique]

6.     There is no mentoring [there’s no way to ease into playing, no culture of co-leading, no “backup, unamplified second keyboard or guitar” and there’s no training to get new musicians up to speed]

7.     There are no non-rehearsal or non-performance gatherings [are the only playing opportunities at rehearsals and services?  There are no monthly or quarterly gatherings to play and experiment with different musicians and different combinations of bands without the pressure of preparing for or playing in a service?]

8.     Different or New vision [sometimes a worship leader’s vision for style (which dictates band makeup) is different than the senior pastor’s or perhaps it’s just new to the church and they don’t know that their accordion, I mean, electric guitar has a place in the band]

9.     Minimal performance space [your stage is full or the way you are set up makes it feel like there’s no room for anyone to join]

10.  Too many hoops to join or unclear expectations [What happens when a potential musician expresses interest in serving?  Is your process cumbersome, unclear, lengthy, daunting, or nonexistent? People like to be a part of something well organized.  How many embers of hope never became flames of service because of an inefficient process?]

So, now that you see some of the “hidden” reasons that you don’t have enough musicians, here are some solutions for each:

1.     Invite musician friends that you have from outside your church to help.  Cross-pollinating is great for your church and the musicians visiting.  It creates more of a felt need once people enjoy the energy of the drums or the fullness of a keyboard.  Also, quality attracts quality [you are what you attract – gulp!] so invest in yourself and in your team.  Get lessons, work hard, be students of your craft, grow!

2.     Train you tech arts crew to be musical in their mixing.  Teach them how songs are built, how and why you arrange songs like you do, and how to create a mix that supports the intended result.

3.     Let certain roles go unfilled sometimes…create the need.  And when you do, it would be a great week to intentionally make an announcement that makes the opportunity to serve known [without sounding desperate!]  Remember to use all available media – live, bulletin, e-bulletin, website, etc.  Also, keep you ears open and invite the people who may be interested – never underestimate the power of the shoulder-tap!

4.     Each church has [whether written or not] a ground floor for what is acceptable quality level for weekend worship gatherings.  But make sure you communicate that excellence [doing your personal best] is the requirement, not being perfect.  You might also help less-experienced musicians serve in lower-pressure environments like children’s church, small groups, youth group, or midweek meetings.  They can provide wonderful training ground where confidence can grow.

5.     When a band is enjoying each other as they play, you can totally feel it!  Work hard, be diligent, flow together, but don’t take yourselves so da’gum seriously!  “Be excellent at what is good, be innocent of perfection.”  [oh snap, he didn’t just paraphrase it that way, did he?!]  I know that sometimes, when you are concentrating on what you’re playing, you can have a serious look or scowl on your face, but try to remember what you’re singing about and Who you’re singing to.  God cancelled His frown toward you when you said yes to Him…reflect His smile!  Also, when you have [or potentially have] someone new, go the extra mile to be interested, welcoming, genuine, and considerate.  Help breakdown the certain apprehension that a new musician has.  And share food, experiences, and honest moments with each other.  Be a community.

6.     Establish a culture of training, of opportunity, of team.  Regularly offer musical training for your musicians.  Always look for ways to be raising up new leaders and musicians.  Have your background singers lead songs, have your electric guitar player start off a song, and bring a duplicate musician on stage unplugged just to build their confidence.  Work hard not to be a “one man show” – empower musicians on your team to have important musical [solo, lead, arrangement, etc.] and non-musical [prayer, scripture reading, administrative, etc.] responsibilities.

7.     Call it a Jam Session, a Worship Jam, Zamar [instrumental worship] Night, or “And the Kitchen Sink” but you’ve gotta have times when your current and potential new musicians can play and experiment with different musicians and different combinations of bands without the pressure of preparing for or playing in a service.  There is just a different level of creativity when you take that pressure away.  And it’s a great way to get to know new musicians without having to formally audition them [shhhhh…I know!] in an artificial environment.

8.     It’s super important for your team to be able to articulate your senior pastor’s vision for the weekend worship gatherings.  There are so many decisions that must flow from this vision.  If you’re playing modern worship songs [think Chris Tomlin, Hillsongs, Passion, etc.], I believe it’s nearly impossible to consistently lead worship encounters with the LORD without energy in the music – especially in the “up” songs.  [energy and volume are related, but are not the same] Once you decide to do a certain kind of song, there are requirements for it to actually “work” and certain instruments and a certain sound mix are needed.

9.     It might be a good idea to clear the stage [at least in your mind’s eye] and make sure they you’re using your space most effectively.  Did you just keep adding instruments without a comprehensive plan?  Can everyone see each other?  Do you look cramped?  Are you using stands with a tripod base in a small area?  Ever lead from behind a wooden choir “wall” while the piano soundboard [that also separates you from the congregation] blares into your face?  Well, sometimes you have to challenge tradition in order to move forward.  I know, I know, you feel the feathers ruffling already, and that’s okay.  You’re in a community, so it’s way-important to take your people along with you, but don’t let their comfort stand in the way of the building on God’s Kingdom [He doesn’t in your life, does He?]  Do what it takes to use the space so that your band feels comfortable playing and so that the congregation doesn’t mistake you for sardines.

10.  It’s important to have a clear, well-organized process that minimizes wait time [read: keeps momentum alive], yet allows for accountability, common guidelines, and verbalized expectations.  It’s fine to have a 6 month process before a new musician can serve, but it’s not okay for the process to take 3 months before it begins.  Make it easy to serve.  Sure you have requirements, but remove any unnecessary roadblocks.

So now it's your turn.  What surprised you on this list?  What will you do as a result of what you learned?  Share your thoughts!


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