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Brenton Brown on the cover. Practical Help for Worship Teams... WorshipMusicianMagzine.com
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“Today’s Top Worship Grooves” by Carl Albrecht l “Bass Tone Tip” by Gary Lunn
JAN/FEB 2013Volume 11, Issue 1
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Record ReviewsChris Tomlin l Matt Redman l FFH
Line 6 XD-V55 HSWireless Mic
Living Tone MK36JP1x12 Combo Amplifier
BRENTONBROWN
Standing onthe Rock
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The Best Technology for WorshipWorship Sound Pro features the latest and most essential music equipment and technology for today’s houses of worship.
Exclusive Interview with Lincoln BrewsterThe inspiring songwriter and guitarist shares advice on using music technology in your house of worship — and talks about his favorite gear. Essential Guides for You and Your VolunteersIn-depth, down-to-earth articles help volunteers, pastors, and worship leaders understand the ins and outs of the latest in worship sound technology.
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practicals as well — the musicianship. I’ve said this for years, that all really good gear does is better re-create reality.”
This approach applies to recording as well as live sound in the church. “People say, ‘If I could just get Pro Tools, then I can make a record.’ Well, no. Pro Tools is just going to better reveal what you have. Pro Tools doesn’t make records; Pro Tools ALLOWS people to make records.” He adds, “We’ve got to be careful of the “golden hammer” syndrome. We don’t worship the tools. They’re just tools. We commit to being smart with what tools we need, how much we need to spend, be frugal, make wise choices, and then get after the task at hand and focus on doing a great job.”
Lincoln’s own setup pairs the latest technologies with classic tones. “I’ve got two Custom Shop Strats that are sort of based around ’57s.” Rather than relying upon miked amplifiers onstage, Lincoln opts to run his POD HD 500 rig direct. “Most of the dates I do on the road are fly dates; we’ve got to fly just about everywhere we go. I want something that sounds great, that feels great to play, and will give me consistency every night. For me, that means being able to fly with it. So, for me, that’s where it [using the POD] started. I recorded some tracks on my very first album with Line 6’s Amp Farm, and I remember thinking, ‘Gosh, it’d be great if I could take this on the road.’ And then the POD came out. I started using it, and, back then, running direct was blasphemy. I’d have people show up after we’d play at a festival and they’d say, ‘How do you get your tone? I want to see your rig!’ And I’d go, ‘You don’t want to know, trust me.’ And they’d say, ‘No, no, I wanna know!’ And I’d show them. What I’ve found consistently is that people’s brains would not allow them to hear what their ears heard. They just couldn’t get past the reality of what it was.” He usually opts for a Line 6 G 30 or the G 50 wireless instrument system for his guitar. Lincoln also points to the flexibility Line 6’s new XD 75 wireless microphone system gives worship groups, thanks to the handheld transmitter’s array of built-in mic models. “I was really shocked at how good the models were inside the microphone. The fact that you could flip through a bunch of different mics and try different ones out and see which one worked was killer.” For onstage monitoring, Lincoln depends on Westone in-ears. “I think top to bottom there’s not a better company for in-ears. The UM Series is great. I carry around UM 3Xs along with my 5 drivers for backup. They sound awesome and they fit great.”
When he heads into the studio, Lincoln uses a Pro Tools HD rig outfitted with Waves and Universal Audio plug-ins. He also uses plenty of outboard gear in addition to working “in the box.” Mic-wise, “I use a handbuilt ADK tube mic (CS67J) that’s based off of a U-67; it’s awesome. I’ve also got a pair of Shure KSM 44s. I use them for vocals, but those mics work on anything.”
Lincoln also relies on Avid’s Eleven Rack to get his favorite guitar tones in the studio. And, speaking of getting guitar tones, he gets plenty from one of his favorite new guitars, the Line 6 James Tyler Variax. “I think every studio ought to own one of those,” he enthuses. “It’s just amazing how spot on those models are. It was pretty stunning; I knew the guitar was cool, but at that point I was just a complete believer.”
You can find Sweetwater-exclusive signature Lincoln Brewster patches on both the POD HD Pro and Eleven Rack systems. What’s more, Lincoln has been a Sweetwater customer “for almost 24 years. I could tell even back then: well-run company, thought a little bit outside of the box. If a church calls you up, ‘Here’s what we’re wanting to do,’ Sweetwater is able to really give them a comprehensive view of product options.”
Lincoln neatly affirms his path as a musical messenger when he paraphrased a quote by Martin Luther: “Aside from theology,” he says, “there’s not even a close second to music in terms of communicating God’s word to people.” He adds, “It’s obviously a very important part of what we do as a church.”
lincolnbrewster.com
Renowned singer, songwriter, and guitarist Lincoln Brewster’s acclaimed latest release, Real Life, is available now. To find out more about Lincoln and his uplifting new album, go to linconbrewster.com.
Lincoln Brewsteron Music Technology in Modern Worship
Real Live:Lincoln’s Go-to Gear:
Line 6POD HD500
pg. 130
AVIDPro Tools + Eleven Rack
pg. 96
Line 6XD-V75
pg. 22
WestoneUM3X RC
pg. 34
Fender Stratocaster pg. 123
Lincoln Brewster puts a lot of thought and experience into choosing the gear he relies on when he’s performing on the platform and recording in the studio. Throughout this issue of Worship Sound Pro, you’ll find several products that are similar to the ones Lincoln prefers. Here are a few great examples!
Line 6James Tyler Variax
pg. 122
You would be hard pressed to name a modern worship leader and musician who has better utilized music technology than Lincoln Brewster. Renowned both for his songwriting chops and his virtuosic guitar skills, Lincoln makes the most of his cutting-edge music gear — while sharing the message with heart, grace, and humanity. Currently serving as the worship arts pastor for Bayside Church in Granite Bay, CA, Lincoln also continues to tour nationally. He has released seven full-length albums since 1999, including his acclaimed latest, Real Life. A new Christmas album is due out this year, and plans are in the works for a live album. It goes without saying that he has come a long way.
Lincoln’s upbringing in Alaska was anything but idyllic. He grew up in a broken home, seeking solace in music. Gifted at guitar and other instruments from a young age, Lincoln poured his energies into improving as a player and performing live. By age 19, his talent and hard work got him noticed. Recording contract offers began coming in, but by then, Lincoln
had let the Lord into his life and chose a different path. He played on a Steve Perry (formerly of Journey) solo album and toured with the singer for six months in the mid-1990s, but soon returned home — now
in California — to be with his new wife and work with his church as a sound technician. Eventually, Lincoln moved to Nashville, working alongside his wife as a youth pastor. Upon hearing his production work during a demo session, executives from Integrity Media took notice of his talent and signed him to their Vertical Music label, and Lincoln relocated to California and began his work at Bayside Church. His experience on the platform, on tour, and behind the scenes gives Lincoln
unique insight into what it takes to make technology work in the context of worship. As he points out, “I think that a lot of people have allowed for things to get overly
complicated, and ‘technology’ for some people is a bad word — when technology is supposed to be our friend and help us out.”
So, how would Lincoln approach gear and technology if he were starting from scratch? With an eye for effective sound solutions that don’t overwhelm the team or the budget, for starters. “”I think, if I were to go back to some of my earlier
ministry days and start smaller, I would start with a good sound system,” he says. “The nice thing is that you can get some great
sound systems that don’t cost a lot of money, that have a lot of flexibility, and are designed
for volunteer use or for people who aren’t at a ‘professional-caliber’ level. Line 6’s new StageScape PA
system is just phenomenal,” he says, pointing to the system’s intuitive touch-panel controls. “What a cool concept! Things like
that which are now available are making it possible for churches that are smaller and don’t have the big budgets to come up with really
great results.” He warns against looking to technology as the total solution, rather than an aid. “Before you have something in place
the way you want it, it can often become your focus. Technology is definitely one of those things that offers that danger. So,
we can consistently, day in and day out, be about, ‘Oh, if we just had this, or if we just had this.’ You’ve got to have the
right components, but it doesn’t require as much as most people think.” He adds, “Once you get some things
in place, I think a lot of people need to ask what they’re going to do with it. I think a lot of worship
ministries, if you went, ‘Okay, here’s everything that you’ve ever needed. Ready, go,’ then some of them might freeze for a minute because they’re so not used to thinking about what they’re actually supposed to be focusing on.” He points to the bottom line: “I think that our focus has to be on: how do we get God’s people connected in an authentic way? How we get them worshiping? What’s going to make
that experience work? I ask myself that every week when I’m putting my set together. I’m going, ‘Alright, Lord,
what’s it going to take this week? What are the songs? Anything I need to say?’ And really focus on the
experience from that angle and work on the
years, that all really good gear does is better re create reality.”
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into choosing the gear he relies on when he s performingon the platformon the platform and recordingand recording in the studioin the studio. ThroughoutThroughout this issue of Worship Sound Pro you’ll find several
Finding the Right Music Gear for Your Church Just Got Easier!
NEWFREEISSUE!
practicals as well — the musicianship. I’ve said this foreLincoln’s Go-to Gear: Lincoln Brewster puts a lot of thought and experience
Swtr_CCM_JanFeb2013.indd 1 12/3/12 1:02 PM
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PreSonus • StudioLive “Only with StudioLive” • Worship Musician • Prepared 12-13-12
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* Merchandise sales available with upgrade to Nimbi Plus account. ©2013 PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc., all rights reserved. StudioLive, Capture and Nimbit are trademarks or registered trademarks of PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. Studio One is a registered trademark of PreSonus Software Ltd. Mac, iPad and iPhone are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc. If you’re reading this footnote, the Mayans were sorely misinterpreted.
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Interview20 Brenton Brown: Standing on
the Rock by Aimee Herd
Big opening statement here eh? I can take this a few directions but what I want to say is really that at times we lean too far into it (it being technology). Now before you think I’ve gone all Amish on you, just hear me out.
I use a ton of technology now and I plan on using it in the future (as far as that may be :) I use it to manage the articles and ad sales for the magazines, I use it for keeping my contacts and checking the weather to see if there is a window of opportunity to ride my motorcycle in this inclement weather we called “Seattle.” I use it to book artists for the Christian Musician Summit conferences and to keep in touch with my mother. I am putting together a small home recording set-up for my music efforts that is all about using modern technology. I am not a tech geek and I have serious holes in my understanding of it. I know enough to try and get the things done that I need to via e-mail, Excel sheets and Word docs. I don’t know enough to get me out of some of the techno “boxed canyons” I wander into and please don’t ask me to help you set up the ports for your incoming and outgoing e-mail accounts. Presently, I’m getting herded into using Google Docs, project tracking systems like Asana and Do and when exhibiting at events the Square and a mini iPad are my new cash register.
So I don’t say this lightly when I say that technology won’t save us. It is supposed to save us time. Many of you are smirking here as you know how sometimes it has all but impeded your progress… but in reality technology does save me time. It just doesn’t save me.
I love to see the new gear at the NAMM show and see what new applications and directions the technology has taken. Technology is a tool however… it may be entertaining as well, but it is simply a tool for me to get things done. In the Old Testament I read how there is nothing new under the sun. Man may develop new tools and figure out new ways to apply them but in the end there really isn’t anything new concerning the condition of the human heart. We need a Savior and it isn’t technology :) It is in the person of Jesus Christ, the true Savior of this world. There isn’t an app for that on the iPhone. Using technology as the tool that it is, I surfed on over to the website for the NIV bible… this is what was written on their home page… For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8, NIV
That about says it all doesn’t it? I can be grateful for the tools we have at our disposal… but I am truly and utterly humbled by the grace and gift of God.
In His Grip,
Bruce & Judy
4227 S. Meridian. Suite C PMB #275 Puyallup, Washington 98373-5963
Phone: 253.445.1973 Fax: 253.655.5001Email: [email protected]
Website: www.worshipmusicianmagazine.comPublisher/Editor: Bruce Adolph
Vice President: Judy AdolphCustomer Service: Brian Felix
[email protected]: Kevin Wilber
Design Layout & Production: Matt KeesAdvertising Sales: Bruce Adolph
[email protected] • 253-445-1973Worship Musician! is published bi-monthly
by The Adolph Agency, Inc.
JAN/FEB 2013 VOL. 11, ISSUE 1
Features8 Product Review
By Joe RiggioLiving Tone MK36JP1x12 Combo Amplifier
10 From the Drummer’s PerspectiveBy Carl AlbrechtToday’s Top Worship Grooves - #2
12 KeyboardBy Ed KerrStart With Review
15 BassBy Gary LunnBass Tone Tip: Change What You Hear
16 VocalsBy Sheri GouldSinging Quietly
18 Tips for Tight TeamsBy Sandy HoffmanDo We Need a Worship Creed?
26 Songchart“Jesus Take All of Me (Just As I Am)”by Brenton Brown
30 Record ReviewsBy Gerod Bass
• Chris Tomlin• Matt Redman• FFH
34 FOH EngineerBy Bill Gibson...and Then There’s Digital —Is it Really Worth It?
36 Ministry + Artistry = Profitability? Creating your MAP™By Scott A. ShufordWhen Does DIY Work?
38 The Worship Community By Doug Doppler Community = Communication in Unity
40 Guitar Grab BagBy Doug DopplerTheory and the Music We Play, Part 1
42 PercussionBy Mark Shelton Praise Him With Ringing Metal: Triangle and Suspended Cymbal Basics
44 CameraBy Craig KellyBetter Connected
46 Product ReviewBy Brian FelixLine 6 XD-V55 HSWireless Mic
48 Product ReviewBy Mitch BohannonmyMix
50 The BandBy Tom LaneThe People Matter!
54 A Few Moments With...Branon DempseyDoes Your Worship Service Look Like You?
Editor’s Corner
Technology Won’t Save Us!
WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM JAN/FEB 2013 7
PRODUCT REVIEW
30: an American-made speaker, inspired by the voice of a British G12H30.
CONSTRUCTION
The over-all construction and build quality of the Living Tone is quite impressive. Everything from the stout handle to the fit of all panels and hardware is very tight and sturdy. Both the vinyl covering and the grill cloth are perfectly fit and applied as well. The manufacturer offers a variety of covering material, on a special order basis. I like this option very much. You won’t find it in a mass produced amplifier.
SOUNDS
I started out by testing the amp without any pedals in front, plugging straight in to each channel, with only a cable between the guitars and the amp. First was channel one with a Strat and each of the 2 controls at twelve o’clock. It was immediately apparent that the voice was as intended to be: a very familiar vintage British voiced tube tone with just the right amount of midrange bumped character that those amps are known and loved for. Beautiful break-up was easily achieved by turning the volume higher. This is real distortion folks! Worth noting is how well the break up gradually increased as the volume knob was turned up, allowing the player to adjust it perfectly to taste.
Channel two was equally spot-on at delivering the voice that the builder intended. Much higher gain and saturation is on tap here, but not ever reaching levels of modern metal
Living Tone is a true custom amp company with a variety of model offerings, designed and built by Mark Koher of Sacramento, California. Each model is inspired by and embellished upon vintage classic tube circuits of the tried and true variety. According to the manufacturer, each is hand wired and built, using top quality components throughout. I had the opportunity to test drive the MK36JP 1x12 combo model, in the privacy of my own studio…just where I like to do such a thing.
DESIGN/LAYOUT
This model is available in both this 36 watt version, sporting four EL84 power tubes as well as an 18 watt version: using only two. Both models are able to be custom ordered in either a 1x12 combo or a head, to be used with an external speaker cabinet. It is a 2-channel, 2-voice design, each with it’s own independent input. All controls are simply laid out and are quite easy to navigate you way around. Channel one has one volume and one tone control and is designed to yield 60’s British plexi-style tones, where channel two incorporates Bass, Middle and Treble controls, as well as an added Master Volume, designed to deliver 70’s/80’s style British master volume tones. Features on the back of the chassis include; a rectifier switch, to choose between solid state and tube designs, 2 speaker output jacks, an impedance selector and a voltage control pot for lowering the overall volume of the amp. This combo also includes a multi-function foot switch that enables you to switch between the 2 channels or combine them. There is also a switch that engages a lead boost in the Master Volume channel. The speaker of choice is the WGS Retro
By Joe Riggio
Living Tone MK36JP1x12 Combo Amplifier
distortion. Thick chords and singing lead tones are wonderful in this channel and the added bonus of the boost footswitch is very helpful in live situations.
Running the same tests with a Les Paul, equipped with PAF humbuckers yields just what you might expect: more overdrive at earlier settings. This amp is nicely sensitive to the guitar in which you are using. In a world of homogenized and digitized simulation, it is so great to play a pure tube circuit that shows off each guitar so properly.
The WGS speaker performs very well with both channels and never shows any limitations at higher volumes. The original G12H30 design is something I’m personally very fond of and the WGS does not disappoint one bit.
Another unique feature of the MK36JP is the ability to choose between tube and solid-state rectification, in the same amplifier. The difference is subtle, but to the discerning ear does make a difference is how the amp performs, particularly in how fast the amp responds to the player’s touch. In tube mode there is a slight comfy sag in the response, where the solid-state side gives a slightly more immediate response, making for a great jazz feel.
CONCLUSION
I was very very pleased and satisfied with all points of this amplifier. This is a big boy’s amp, that is hand-built and falls in the upper-intermediate price range, but still quite reasonable when compared to other comparably built amps. It unapologetically has a wonderfully vintage British tone that also works very well with all the pedals I could throw at it. It is also an excellent choice for situations that call for lower stage volume, especially in the 18 watt version.
Company Website:
www.livingtoneamplifiers.com
Retail Price: $2,499.00
8 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
I’m not really doing this worship groove series in order of importance, most heard, or in order of difficulty. All grooves are important just because solid drum grooves are the foundation of most of the modern music we hear. What I wanted to do was speak in broad terms when I started this so that you could see the big picture. But I totally believe in capturing the nuances of every groove for every song I have to play. So should you! Let these basics be a foundation for you to build on and then be very particular about the details of the music you are playing.
So for this series the 2nd drum groove we’ll look at is the 16th note “Train Groove.” It’s referred to as a “train feel” because the pattern sort of sounds like a train you would hear in an old movie. The first groove we worked on was based on an 8th note ride pattern. But this groove is counted and played with a constant flow of 16th notes on the hi-hat, not with just one hand but two. You should use the normal single stroke roll pattern to play this feel. – R L R L R L R L … etc. Although we call it a “train groove” be careful not to over emphasize or accent the number counts of the bar. (1 2 3 4) The goal is to have it sound pretty smooth through the whole measure. – 1 e & ah 2 e & ah 3 e & ah 4 e & ah.
The simplest version of this groove, as with most of them, is to just play the pattern adding downbeats on the kick (1 & 3) and backbeats on the snare (2 & 4). While playing the constant ride feel on the hi-hat be sure to keep it smooth as you move the lead
hand (right hand for me) on to the snare for the backbeats. Ex. #1
Now lets play the same idea but play all the quarter notes on the kick drum. We call this playing “4 on the floor.” Yes it should feel pretty simple to play, but don’t allow any “flamming” of any of the notes. In other words, they should line up perfectly. Ex. #2
This groove is used on many styles of songs. Everything from rock, to latin, to country and yes, modern worship too. Songs like “Forever” by Chris Tomlin, “Come Now Is The Time To Worship” by Brian Doerkson, “Trading My Sorrows” by Darrell Evans, and even later versions of “Open The Eyes Of My Heart” by Paul Baloche.
Speaking of that last song, “Open The Eyes…”, let’s jump ahead a bit to a variation of this groove that happens as much as the basic version. You could build up to this by using the basic ride pattern and trying easier 8th note kick drum patterns underneath. That would be a good exercise. But to stay focused on the most popular grooves of modern worship give this one a try. Ex.#3
This is usually referred to as the dotted 8th - 16th note – “& of 2” pattern. Sometimes I’ve heard it called the “Christian Triplet” as the arranger/ producer smiles. This kick pattern is used so often that drummers usually default to this groove when they start to play anything that even hints at the
By Carl Albrecht
Today’s Top Worship Grooves - #2
FROM THE DRUMMER’S PERSPECTIVEpattern. Earlier recordings of “Open The Eyes Of My Heart” were played this way. Other songs that you’ll hear with this feel are “Better Is One Day” by Matt Redman, “Days Of Elijah” by Robin Mark, and “Step By Step” by Rich Mullins.
A variation of this pattern in most songs is played by adding the kick drum also to the “& of 3.” You could also try adding extra kick notes anywhere in the pattern, but here’s the most typical added part. Ex.4
You may be looking at this groove thinking that’s so easy anyone can do it. But the challenge with any groove is to play it precisely, with a great feel, for a long period of time. And that’s where most drummers fail. With these ideas, as with even more intricate patterns, be sure to always practice with a metronome and start as slow as necessary to keep them under control. Then gradually try faster tempos as you feel relaxed and confident with the patterns. Keep your breathing steady and stay loose at whatever tempo you are playing.
When you play patterns where a note is on an “odd” count, be sure it lines up perfectly to the ride pattern. Remember, no “flammed” notes! And this can be a little tricky when it has to line up with your weaker hand. Pay very close attention to how it sounds.
Once these basics of the “train groove” are feeling great then take sometime to find songs in your collection that build upon these ideas and play along. Be sure you really have control of the patterns. If anything feels sloppy or inconsistent keep working on it until the groove is flowing perfectly. You might need to step away from playing along with a recording and practice a pattern slowly at first to get it right. That’s OK! Take your time. Precision is more important than speed. Once you feel the patterns are really grooving smoothly, then you can work your way up to the recording tempo and play along.
OK, back to the practice room.
Blessings on your groove, Carl
Carl Albrecht has been a professional drummer & percussionist for over 25 years. He has played on over 70 Integrity Music projects; Maranatha Praise Band recordings & numerous other Christian, Pop, Country, Jazz & commercial projects. He currently lives in Nashville doing recording sessions, producing, writing and continuing to do various tours & seminar events. Visit his website: www.carlalbrecht.com or send an e-mail to: [email protected].
Ex. #1
Ex. #2
Ex. #3
Ex. #4
10 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
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FOR THE WAYYOU PLAY
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
By Ed Kerr
Start With Review
KEYBOARD
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
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.
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12 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
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that you listen to, the better you’ll be able to hear great tone from your own bass.
When I was almost 12 years old I was given my first bass, but it wasn’t even a year before I became dissatisfied with my tone. I got new strings. I begged my parents for a new amp, etc. The problem was that I wasn’t hearing my bass sound like the bass I was hearing on records, and of course, being 13, I couldn’t possibly have known why. Being self-taught didn’t really help that either. I went on the road at 16 and travelled a lot, learning about other basses, amps, pedals, etc. (the group I was with had many endorsements). The actual tone bug didn’t hit me until I heard an Alembic bass tone, saved up my money and bought one, along with a parametric EQ and bi-amped combination bass amp. I constantly listened to bass tones and wrote down EQ settings that made my bass sound like the one on every record that I played along with. I became obsessed with imitating bass tones. I could ramble on, but I think you get the idea. You have to dig deep, research, and become a fan of a wide variety of bass tones.
In a spirit of humility and learning, ask people how you can improve your tone. If you are a church musician, ask other musicians. Ask the soundman. Find music people in your church congregation and ask them what they like to hear. Ask who their favorite bass player is, or what groups they like. Then go home, listen, practice, and imitate with your own equipment.
Gary is a session player/producer/writer in Nashville, currently playing for Lindell Cooley, MMI, home recording, and many recording session accounts, attending Grace Church in Franklin, TN. Contact him for sessions or overdubs on Facebook or Twitter.
www.facebook.com/garylunn
www.gracechurchnashville.org
www.twitter.com/garylunnbass
In Nashville (and about every other place I have ever been) the standard compliment from musician to musician is, “Hey I really like your tone.” These words perplex me more and more as I continue to learn about what makes good bass tone happen. It truly is a science. I certainly have not heard every preamp, stomp box, or bass amp in the world but one thing I do know is that no two bass players sound exactly alike, no matter what they are playing or playing through. This is simply because no two people have the same finger shapes, nerves, or muscles that pluck a string or fret a note identically. As I have mentioned before, if you line up 10 different bassists to play the same 5 notes on the same bass, no two players will sound the same. When we listen to the same bass player at a service or a concert all night we don’t notice it because we have no one else to compare him to. And hey, aren’t you glad that there is only one bass player per band? :)
Something that I’ve noticed from time to time is that whenever I travel to a small town to do some studio recording or to play a live gig, there is almost always an occasion where I will meet another bass player who loves to talk about how many basses he has (dropping some pretty expensive names i.e., Sadowsky, Fodera, Ken Smith, vintage Fender, etc.) or how often he changes amps, preamps, pedals (especially how many he has), and only sometimes - how much he works. Sometimes I will have the opportunity to hear him play for a moment, but it’s usually when I inquire why, based on everything he has told me about himself, is he not the bassist playing the gig or the session that they flew me out to do. The answer is usually, “Man, he’s a great player, but his tone is not good, no matter what bass he plays. It always sounds the same. ‘Plunk, plunk, plunk.’ “ I asked a producer once why he thought that was a recurring phenomenon and his answer
BASS
was certainly an interesting one. He said, “That’s what separates the men from the boys; the pros from the amateurs. Some guys know what sounds good or what sounds bad. Some guys just can’t hear it and they think that their tone is great.”
When he said that to me I immediately began thinking of ways to help people hear better bass tone. Not get great bass tone, but hear great bass tone. It makes sense to me that if you can hear it, you can attain it.
I began reminiscing about musicians I have worked with through the years. Some have had very successful careers and some have not. I have had the honor to work with many great guitar players (I don’t want to drop names…ok?). Their tones are always an art form of their own: Brilliant, fast, and almost secretly methodical in a “mad scientist” kind of way. I have also worked with some guys that sort of “disappeared” early on. Ironically, those were usually the ones who used too many effects, too much chorus, delay, etc. and plenty of fret rattle to enhance the “pain.” I believe that they could not hear the difference between “okay” tone and “great” tone. I know that sounds a bit harsh, but the truth is, good tone is born out of good taste. The only way to acquire good taste in tone is to listen to guys who have great tone, then obsessively learn how to imitate it.
Great tone is a combination of technique and equipment. What some people don’t understand is that it’s about 75% technique/style/finger-shape and 25% gear. Some people can listen to CD’s of a particular bass tone and know what kind of bass they are playing and even identify the player. Some people won’t be able to do that until they take lessons and learn how to do these things, but I am here to tell ya, you can’t learn all of that that by just playing notes on a page out of a book. You have to listen and imitate. The more great players (with great tone)
By Gary Lunn
Bass Tone Tip: Change What You Hear
WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM JAN/FEB 2013 15
Sheri Gould is an internationally acclaimed vocal coach. With a degree from the University of Ill, she has been coaching since 1979 and leading worship since 1985. For weekly vocal tips, check out Sheri’s FB page at www.facebook.com/officialsherigould. For information on products, including instructional DVDs, check out http://sherigould.com
VOCALS
Dynamics
The use of dynamics is something that is frequently forgotten about in much of contemporary music-especially contemporary worship music. When I visit churches to help them with their vocal teams (or choirs) I am consistently struck by the fact that almost all such teams seem to know one volume: LOUD. They start at a loud volume. They play loudly through the entire song (even the entire set sometimes!) and they finish loudly! This is such a shame. There are so many beautiful things we can do with music to layer, create style and nuance, arrange, etc…and yet so often we miss the chance to make something truly beautiful or musical.
In order to take full advantage of the myriad of possibilities available to us as singers, we need to be able to access many different areas of our singing voice. Often,” loud” becomes the most important dynamic to us. This is partly because we typically have so many audio issues in the various venues that we sing in and we’re trying desperately to hear ourselves or be heard over the band. The idea of singing quietly, or employing some of those quieter dynamics such as p (piano) or pp (pianissimo) is usually the last thing on our minds. Additionally, truth be told, most of us wouldn’t know how to sing quietly (very well anyway) if we tried!
Have you ever tried to sing quietly? You may find that singing quietly is a lot harder than you might think. It takes a lot of skill to sing quietly with a good (and intense) tone. Moreover, it takes a LOT of breath support! Notice I didn’t say a lot of BREATH. It takes a lot of support, not necessarily more AIR to sing quietly. What we usually try to do however, when trying to sing quietly, is to STOP the breath support and try instead to support our tone from the throat. Trying to sing in this manner will frequently cause the tone itself to “break” (for lack of power and correct support).
Another “trick” for singing quietly is to add air to the tone (an unhealthy way of singing causing great damage to the vocal cords) or simply shifting into some sort of “head voice” (typically achieved by allowing the vocal cords to split apart—see my article in the last issue of Worship Musician! Magazine). None of these ways of attempting to sing quietly are good options. So a lot of folks just give up on even trying. Most singers I know have never really explored what it takes to sing quietly.
So How Can I Sing Quietly with a Good Tone?
I believe that one of the best ways to get a good tone while singing quietly is, of course, to have good solid breath support. If you do not have a good grasp on what breath support is, please contact me and I can send you some information and resource opportunities to help you. Breath support is necessary for any proper singing, but especially with quiet singing. That’s because it is difficult to keep a steady tone while keeping the cords fully adducted and still keep the volume low. Having a steady flow with enough air pressure is key to keeping the tone strong and stable with a lower volume level.
Additionally, tone placement is imperative. It’s important to keep a steady, pure “ring” to the tone at all times, but never is it more important (or obvious) than when you’re trying to sing quietly. In order to develop this “ring” I start my students singing on a special hum. This hum is basically on an “N” instead of an “M”. (This hum is made by placing the tip of the tongue slightly between your teeth with the rest of the front part of your tongue resting against the front roof of your mouth) When you hum on an “M” you tend to buzz in your lips, mouth and the front of your lower face. When you hum on an “N” it shifts the resonance higher into the nasal area. When properly done it doesn’t create
an ugly “nasally” sound but a ringing warm tone. If you place your fingers near your nose you should feel a “buzz” when humming like this. The next step is to lower the tongue and sing an “ah” but try to keep the tone placement the same. With practice, this technique should help you to add a lovely “ring” to your tone.
When learning to sing quietly, try to sing through the passage by simply humming through it on an “N” using proper breath support. This will give you the idea of how it should not only sound but how it should feel as well. In effect, this will compress your tone and yet it will have a nice “ring like” quality to it. Next, try to sing through the passage in the same way—keeping the tone ringing in the same area but now with your tongue lowered and in a normal singing position. Your tone should stay put, but your tongue should relax back to normal as you begin to sing and articulate the words. You may find that it helps to keep your mouth a little more closed than usual too. Just make sure you pay close attention to the tone quality if you choose to close up a bit and don’t close so far that it becomes muffled or you sacrifice your beautiful tone.
Practice!
As with anything new, practice will help. This technique will definitely work if applied correctly, but feeling comfortable and confident with it will only happen once you’ve spent some time perfecting it. So, for this new year, get out some of those beautiful melodies from days gone by, or just try your new favorites and add a wonderful little dynamic—piano or pianissimo….you’ll love the results! God bless you and a Happy New Year!
By Sheri Gould
Singing Quietly
16 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
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by Sandy Hoffman
Do We Need a Worship Creed?
TIPS FOR TIGHT TEAMS
To affirm, articulate, and agree . . . these are the purposes of The Worship Creed.Have you ever considered that the
church might need a worship creed? OK. Perhaps it’s a rather oblique idea, but I have thought about it. A lot. Of course, immediately the question arises: do we really need a creed? Over time, I’ve come to believe we do, or at least that we could seriously use one. Through the years I’ve been so often
blessed by repeating the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed as a part of our contemporary worship times. Composed intentionally to state the doctrines shared by the Apostle’s and early church fathers, these are still the two most widely used creeds in many Christian services, liturgical and otherwise. Including these in today’s worship times can help us to reinforce the concept of “ancient-future worship,” tying our contemporary worship expressions to the historical/doctrinal foundations of our faith.BIND, BUILD, AND BLENDSome years ago, I began to ask myself,
“Why not create a dedicated worship creed, focused specifically on briefly stating our beliefs and practices as worshipers? This worship creed could be spoken before, during, or after a worship time. It would help us always to remember why we showed up for corporate worship in the first place. Wouldn’t this add cohesion and continuity to our shared worship practice?” In much the same way that a corporate
reading of the Scriptures aids in joining our hearts and lives together in the Word, a corporate worship creed helps to bind, build, and blend us as one heart and voice, lifting our praises to God. Who needs a worship creed? I believe we do! CORPORATE AND PERSONALRemember the teaching on corporate
and personal mission statements? (see: “Empowered, Engaged and Excellent,” Worship Musician! Magazine, May/June 2008, Volume 6, Issue 3) I’m sure you’ve heard the (now cliche) saying: “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” In spite of it’s redundancy, this well-worn saying lends credence to the fact that a concise mission statement assists us in choosing where we’re going. Then, when it’s time to get off the bus, it boldly announces, “You’ve arrived!”
Mission statements are predicated upon the answers to two vital life-questions: “Who am I?” and “What am I doing?” Based on Biblical principles, the answers to these two questions will empower us, the church, to define and declare who we are and how we express ourselves as worshipers of Christ. In an expanded fashion, the worship creed serves to do much the same as the mission statement. Designed to be spoken corporately, it helps to solidify our shared identities (who we are) and intentions (what we do) as “lovers of God.”ON PURPOSE?When the Apostle’s Creed was
accepted by Rome, it appeared to have three uses: confession of faith, instruction in faith, and rule of faith, giving continuity to orthodox Christian doctrine.In practice and purpose the use of
The Worship Creed is also intentionally threefold: to affirm our reasons for gathering together in worship, to articulate our related worship-practices, (lifting up hands, bowing hearts, raising voices, whispering prayers, dancing, shouting, singing, etc.) and to verbally agree on our shared worship-expectations. To affirm, articulate, and agree . . . these are the purposes of the following worship creed: THE WORSHIP CREED We gather in worshipTo honor God, our FatherTo glorify His SonOur Savior, Jesus ChristAnd to receive comfort and powerThrough His Holy Spirit
We lift our hands, bow our heartsRaise our voices, whisper prayersWe give thanks and offer praiseAll in Jesus’ name, and for His sake
With reckless abandonwe dance!we shout!we sing!And with our eyes on eternity,we rejoice in each new moment
To God be the glory!In the power of the Holy Spirit!May Jesus Christ be praised!Amen.
© 2010 Sandy Hoffman, Worship Works! MusicPermission to copy and use in worship is granted.
CONNECT AND RESONATEDoes this creed connect and resonate
with your heart? Does it affirm your reasons for team-worship (to honor, glorify, and receive)? Is it articulating your worship practices (lifting up hands, bowing hearts, raising voices, whispering prayers, giving thanks, offering praise, dancing, shouting and singing)? Can you sense that repeating this creed in a corporate setting might help to reinforce unified agreement of shared worship-expectations (receiving comfort and power, doing all in Jesus’ name and for His sake, rejoicing in each new moment with our eyes on an eternity spent with Him)? MAKE IT YOUR OWNTo be truly effective, a creed (or a
mission statement) must be personalized and internalized. It has to reach into the very heart and soul of the worshiper and evoke passion and emotion in expressions of love, gratitude, and desire for the King. Let me encourage you, in light of these criteria, to measure the worth and usefulness of The Worship Creed I’ve presented. If it doesn’t measure up in your particular set of circumstances, no worries. Perhaps this is a God-opportunity for you and your team to spend some time in prayer and inspiration, crafting your own worship creed for the body you serve. Our God is the ultimate God of diversity and creativity. What works for us here in Santa Fe may not be as poignant to you in your “neck of the woods.” The bottom line is that we affirm,
articulate, and agree in our various worship localities. Whatever it takes to express your deepest adoration to the Lord, do it! If this includes creation of a brand new worship creed of your own, give it everything you’ve got. You will, no doubt, be motivated to repeat it again and again with conviction, passion, and gusto, all to the glory of God!One in One,Sandy
Sandy Hoffman is serving the worship community at Christ Church Santa Fe, NM and beyond. Find out more about his “Tips for Tight Teams” online at:www.WorshipTeamWork.com
18 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
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Recently I spoke with Brenton Brown for an interview; we spent a while talking about his love of surfing before I realized we should get to the subject of his music. But Brenton had a good point regarding the relationship between the group of people he surfs with and the faith walk...
20 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
by Aimee Herd
Brenton Brown: It’s fantastic, I get to live my faith in the world, which shouldn’t be that impressive but actually for a church worker, it’s a big deal to find that kind of stage.
Aimee Herd: That’s true. I heard it said that ‘if all the friends you hang out with are in the church, it’s time to make some more friends.’
BB: Yeah, you’re doing something wrong. I had that revelation in England when I was doing mission work. All of a sudden I realized I didn’t have any friends who weren’t Christians—I was reading the Gospels and said, “Well Jesus had plenty of friends who weren’t really [walking with the Lord].” He was in there in the mix, and He was living it. You have to fight for that though, if you’ve been around for any length of time in the Church.
AH: That’s true, and for you to find something that you love to do, and something with which you can relate to others—that’s very valuable.
BB: It really is. There’s something quite precious about it, and it doesn’t feel weird; like you’re on some covert mission to turn them like agents for the F.B.I. (Laughs) You love them like friends and live your life with them.
AH: So, God My Rock, your new recording, is your first live solo album... I’m a little surprised that it didn’t happen until now.
BB: (Laughs) Yes, well there are a lot of logistics involved in doing a live record. I’ve [been involved] in live records before, such as with Vineyard UK. Those are real fun, but also quite stressful. Originally I was one of about 6 or 7 worship leaders [featured on the album], so that wasn’t as stressful. But, when you have to write for a new record, lead it all yourself, and then not just sing the songs but somehow manage to also teach the present congregation or audience the new songs so they will worship, all at the same time—there are a few balls in the air.
I remember what my godfather in
Christian music, Les Moyer—he’s mentored Matt Redman and Tim Hughes, and other youngsters out of England—he said, “Three solo albums then a live record, that’s when you do it.” So I had his words ringing in my ears. I figured it’s probably time to do this.
And then we had this opportunity, it was ‘Dare to Share.’ I love what they do, I love the people involved; I love the mission and the events are fun and big and alive. I thought, “Man, if we can do this, let’s do this!” But I did lose huge chunks of my life with stress and anxiety.
AH: Ah, well I was going to ask you what went into your decision to record there at the ‘Dare to Share’ event, but it sounds like you play at a lot of youth events.
BB: (Laughs) Yeah that is happening. For some people, the audience grows old with them, but it’s like we’re moving the other way; the people we worship with are getting younger and younger. It could be my attention span is getting shorter and shorter! But, we’re having a lot of fun. It’s like a downhill Go Kart race; once you push off heading downhill, you have no idea where the evening’s going to stop... 14,000 14-year-olds in an arena—anything could happen.
AH: But it makes for excellent energy on the recording.
BB: Well yeah, we looked at other venues that were more high tech on the tour, but they were complicated because of logistical reasons. Then we looked at [venues] that were more “earthy”—this was one of them, and it was actually an ice rink for an ice hockey team. The ice was still on the floor; they just threw wood on top of it and that was that. It was freezing cold, but it was so alive in that room. You could click your fingers and you’d hear it 300 feet away. It was a good room to make music in and worship in.
AH: And of course God My Rock features your band, The Worship
Republic; Daniel Ornellas (bass), Ben Showalter (drums) and Scotty Murray (guitar). And they’re normally with you on tour and in the studio too, right?
BB: Yes, how cool is that?! I’m grateful we’ve stuck it out. We’ve hung in there for four years—you start to make a different kind of music after four years I think.
AH: Well, just the fact that you four are together in all the music you play and record—it seems like it would really solidify that relationship and your sound as a band.
BB: Yeah, you do find your way. I always think of the metaphor of four people running through a meadow, and they’re all inside this giant elastic hula-hoop. The direction the group will take is kind of democratic, but it will also be turned by one person’s will power alone. However, if that person pulls too hard, the elastic hoop will break and the band is broken. It’s an interesting dynamic; it’s so complex, like a marriage in 4-D.
We each bring something to the table. But when you hang out, it’s not just what you bring; it’s also what you start listening to together. Like there are certain records that we’re listening to while we’re driving on the road that make all of us happy; that’s kind of where we gravitate to musically.
AH: God My Rock released in October and it’s been very well received. Talk about a few of the songs and how they came about.
BB: “Jesus Take All of Me” is, at least, one of my favorites. Like all the other ones, I worked pretty hard [on it]. Around this time of year, I get into my little shed and work on song ideas that I’ve collected throughout the year. Sometimes things will connect, and it will be quick and easy, and other times it will take a long time. I’d just been through three months of that where it was pretty hard yards involving a lot of hours and retries and rewriting and assessment.
In the middle of all that, we went to do an event with Will Graham out in Texas. He’s a cool guy, and he knows
BRENTON BROWN Standing on the Rock
WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM JAN/FEB 2013 21
Daniel from Tree 63 days, so there’s a history there. We played a couple nights in an auditorium, we played worship and then he did his Will Graham thing (which is some Graham genetic encode or something—they present the Gospel in about 4 minutes and loads of people become Christians!)
It was the second night and Will was up there preaching a really good message and toward the end—he hadn’t really even gotten to the altar call—this lady stood up (everyone was seated), and she walked toward the front. She looked up at him and said, “Is this happening?” He said, “Yes, yes it is.” She asked, “Can I get saved now?” He said, “Yes you can.”
It went from a meeting where most everyone was familiar with what was happening, to one of those moments like in the Gospel when everyone one’s like, “Whoa, what the heck just happened? They’re pulling the roof apart, something’s going on here...”
She just stood there; she was ready. Will said, “I’m going to pray with you in a second.” So he squeaked out the rest of his altar call in record time, and then loads of other people came forward too.
It was that moment where she was listening to him, but there was a conversation going on between her and the Lord. God reminds us all through Scripture that there are things happening that we can’t see with our eyes. But occasionally we get to. I think she was having this conversation with the Lord and she knew she wanted to get right with Him right there and then. It was really special.
So, back in the room (later) I was playing “Just As I Am”—that old hymn—I kind of had that phrase in my mind, “Jesus take all of me, I run to You, I lay everything at your feet, let my life be Yours...” All of us who follow Jesus, we all have that
Brenton Brown: by Aimee Herd continued
moment, but I think we can forget—with all the pragmatism and just the ordinary-ness of life—but there are those moments where the Lord speaks to us and we’re compelled in ways that surprise us, but we know it’s right. He’s true and right and He’s worth whatever kind of awkwardness, and then later on, whatever kind of sacrifice is required to follow Him.
I’ll never forget that lady! Every now and then [Will and I] touch base and we say, “Remember that lady?” There were so many stories that night but they’re all individual lives; it blows me away how God can be aware of all these story lines. I can barely keep track of one story line on a television show, but He’s keeping track, directing and guiding story lines every second of every single day in millions of situations across the earth—Ahh! It’s mind-boggling.
AH: Talk about the title track and first single, “God My Rock,” which you wrote with Paul Baloche.
BB: We’ve been having a stab at writing together for quite a few years. It’s fun, whenever we write together; we normally have the best old time. Sometimes we’ll start with an idea and get like 80 percent of it, and then go home and email like crazy until we get a product that we like.
AH: Which do you prefer, writing alone or collaborating?
BB: Well, they’re both hard-graft—you’re still sawing a tree down in the end! But with Paul, both of us have that obsessive-compulsive thing where we have to be completely happy with every moment in the song; every word, every melody. So, there’s a lot of back and forth after the initial writing session. And this writing session was so short; it was about 5 minutes. I had the phrase
“God my rock, God my rock, God my rock”—I want to sing that. I feel like as the Church we need a firmness, and I just need to sing that; God my rock.
As I presented that to [Paul] the melody came to me and I played it for him. And then he quoted from Psalm 61, “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.”
That psalm is so disarmingly honest—it was written thousands of years ago, and yet it’s a conversation you could have with someone today!
AH: I know. Aren’t you looking forward to the day when you can have a sit down with King David and talk about his music and his psalms?
BB: (Laughs) Yeah, I guess so. I bet there’ll be a few people waiting in line. I may have to surf for the first 300 years and then check in.
So then with the song, Paul left and we started throwing out ideas (via email), and it came about from there. I’m aware that my heart is not like a rock—it’s inconsistent and unsure—I’m not consistent but God is. And He promises to give me what I need to obey Him. He says “Love Me with all your heart,” but then He gives us the strength to do it. I like that.
In the second part of the chorus in the song it says, “You are the joy of my life, the joy of the Lord is my strength,”—it feels like I’m on a mission to get joy back in worship. I will be happy in the Lord’s Presence in spite of what my circumstances are. Especially with our work ethics and western schedule; we’re not very good at taking time to enjoy the Lord.
AH: I like the song “Like the Angels” too, on the new album.
BB: Well, I did record it on my first
22 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
Brenton Brown: by Aimee Herd continued
solo record, but as a band, we’ve headed towards old country and old American music. That’s what we’ve been listening to in the car.
AH: A little Hank Williams perhaps?
BB: Yeah, Hank Williams, Levon Helm—I just really enjoy that old music. It doesn’t match that easily with modern worship, but occasionally there are some moments you can get away with borrowing from that and “Like the Angels” is one of those moments.
And, I guess we’ve sung together enough to develop some three-part-harmony. We do a lot of singing together; we’re an old-time band...we’re singers that play music.
AH: Well that explains your cover of Hank Williams’ “I Saw the Light.”
BB: Yeah, fits in seamlessly. We play that pretty much at every event we play in. When we do that song, something happens in the room—like everybody relaxes a little bit. Maybe people think, “If a South African can worship God with country music, then maybe we can worship God with the South African.” (Laughs)
Scotty grew up playing rock-a-billy, so he’s got that in his bones. Daniel and I have been singing country harmonies for a long time, so it’s in the DNA of the band I guess.
I know it sounds weird, but I grew up listening to country music in South Africa. My dad got into country music in the biggest way, and my earliest memories are of being in the car with my dad listening to country music...George Jones, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Randy Travis, Charlie Pride, Merle Haggard... I thought it was normal, I thought in South Africa that everyone was listening to country music (Laughs)...I was wrong.
Later, when I moved to England, I started thinking back on those days, and I bought a Hank Williams early edition record and listened to “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” reading my Louis L’Amour western novels deep down in my little room in Oxford. I told myself that one day I’d make it out west. God must have smiled on me and He answered that prayer.
AH: Wow, that’s a great story. Y’know a minute ago you mentioned Kris Kristofferson, and I hear you actually met him at the NAMM show...
BB: I did. I was super star-struck. I was with Rick Muchow; Kris Kristofferson was just getting out of his car, Rick told
me I should go meet him. Kris was a person I had always looked up to... The only way out of South Africa for me was study, and where I got out was through a Rhodes scholarship at Oxford. But what I really wanted to do was to head out west to make music. There weren’t a lot of people who went to Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship, who’ve left to play music! Kris was one of the few who did. So, while my Oxford friends were all reading their brochures for investment firms, I kept thinking, “If Kris Kristofferson made it out, so can I.”
All that was going through my head when Rick said to go say “Hi.” So I did, and Kris was very gracious and kind, and had a few words with me. And I got to thank him for [leaving Oxford] to play music. It was surreal.
AH: I know both you and your wife suffer from Chronic Fatigue, how are you doing now that you’re living in Malibu?
BB: I think it has helped. We still have it, but I’m surfing pretty much everyday I’m home, which was a wish I had—I thought it would be incredible to get into the water at least once a day. I’ve managed to do that and build my fitness up slowly but surely. But we’ve been so well looked-after by the Lord, and by the community of people we’re a part of here. We’re very, very grateful. I’m on rotation as a worship leader at our local church—it’s wonderful.
AH: I’m happy for you, it’s like Psalm 37:4 just for you...
BB: Yeah, there was a time when I wondered if that verse was true—like we’d misinterpreted it somehow. But I guess He does hear the prayers of our heart and He is listening. “The lines have fallen to us in pleasant places”; God’s been very kind.
AH: I know you’ve said you’re “not a gear-head” but can you tell me what you’re currently using?
BB: I switched out to a Martin Vintage Series guitar. My boys were like, “You
need to change, you’ve been playing that Taylor long enough.” I’ve grown quite fond of [my Taylor] after 15 years, but I got worried thinking maybe I shouldn’t be taking this guitar on the road anymore.
I had originally told the boys no—there was no way I would leave that guitar behind. But then I went into a guitar store and saw this 12-fret neck guitar on the wall, I saw it was a Martin and I picked it up, played it, and fell in love like a fool—like a teenage adolescent lovesick puppy. I played it for about an hour and then went to the counter and said, “I must have this guitar.” It’s a Martin 000 28 VS. I’m stoked, it’s got that old Johnny Cash look about it, and it feels like classic American.
AH: So...will we see a Brenton Brown country album in the future?
BB: Definitely thinking about it; there are so many great songs. And it’s a good time for it. The economy isn’t quantifiable as a depression yet, but there’s an uneasiness and instability, and it’s causing a trend toward older, and more established art forms. I think that’s a good tendency to have as a culture. We don’t need to have 1,700 tracks on a song when it’s recorded; it can be simply recorded and move us just as deeply. We don’t need many things to enjoy this life; we can still enjoy it deeply and richly. So, we’re hoping some of that (country) will make an appearance. And then in our churches and our community, we’ll be able to make music that’s good and rich, and also earthy, simple and stripped-back. We’ll see, that’s the challenge.
But, as worship leaders, we need to serve the Church. This album (God My Rock) is a good representation of when we lead worship in church. I’m so stoked with how it turned out. It feels like a good reflection of what we do.
Check out Brenton Brown’s website at: www.brentonbrown.com
24 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
SONGCHART
Jesus take all of me (Just as I am)Original hymn, Charlotte Elliot, 1835Chorus, Brenton Browncapo v
G D GJust as I am, without one plea D C GBut that thy blood was shed for me G CAnd that thou bidd’st me come to thee G D GO Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed aboutWith all my conflict, all my doubtFightings and fears, within withoutOh Lamb of God I come, I come
Em C GJesus take all of me D CI run to You, I run to You Em C GI lay everything at your feet C D GLet my life be Yours
Just as I am Thou wilt receiveWilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieveBecause Thy promises I believeO Lamb of God I come, I come
Just a I am; Thy love unknownHas broken every barrier downNow to be Thine yes Thine alone,O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Original hymn, Charlotte Elliot, 1835 Chorus, Brenton BrownThis arr and new lyrics © 2012 Thankyou Music/PRS(adm worldwide at EMICMGPublishing.comexcluding Europe which is adm by Kingswaysongs)
26 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
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Well, what can you say? It’s another wonderfully written, Biblically rich and memorable worship offering from arguably the best worship writer of our era. Chris Tomlin knows how to bring people into a deeper relationship with Christ through worship and this album is another example of his incredible gift. Aside from the first 2 tracks, this is a classic Tomlin album and when you write songs as good as he does, you don’t really need to change the formula too much. That being said, I was happy to see him take a bit of a risk with the opening 2 tracks by combining rock and hip-hop to reach a different demographic of God’s people with his music. Thank You Chris for listening to God’s call and for blessing the church with your music.Matt RedmanSing Like Never Before; The Essential Collection1. 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)2. Our God3. Better Is One Day4. You Never Let Go5. Never Once6. Love So High7. You Alone Can Rescue8. Heart of Worship9. Blessed Be Your Name10. Lord, Let Your Glory Fall11. Nothing But the Blood12. The Father’s Song13. Once Again14. Dancing Generation15. Twenty-Seven MillionSome of the best-loved songs in the
church over the past 10 years have been written by Matt Redman. Often described as one of the most influential modern hymn writers of our generation, Redman is known for such worship classics as “Blessed Be the Name”, “Heart of Worship”, “You Never Let Go” and most recently the mega worship hit, “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)”.Sing Like Never Before: The Essential
Collection features 15 of Redman’s most popular worship songs, including all-new recordings of ‘Our God’ and ‘Better Is One Day’, along with the new song ‘Love So High’. Additionally, the album features the worship favorites ‘You Never Let Go’, ‘The Heart Of Worship’, ‘You Alone Can Rescue’ and more, with six of the selections appearing in the CCLI Top 50 and 10 in the Top 200.Redman’s writing differs from many
current worship artists in that he is very adept at taking the hurts of life that we all face and crafting anthems that are incredibly genuine and truly intimate.
RECORD REVIEWS By Gerod Bass
Overall impressionAverage church congregation could learn/participate on the first hear
Can be learned/adapted by a band of average skillLyrical creativity and integrity
Chris Tomlin Burning LightsMatt Redman Sing Like Never Before; The Essential Collection FFH The Way We Worship
highest marks
Chris TomlinBurning Lights
1. Burning Lights2. Awake My Soul3. Whom Shall I Fear?4. Lay Me Down5. God’s Great Dance Floor6. White Flag7. Crown Him (Majesty)
8. Jesus, Son of God9. Sovereign10. Countless Wonders11. Thank You God12. Shepherd BoyThere are few “sure things” in life but one
thing you can almost invariably count on is that when Chris Tomlin releases a new worship album, you know it’s going to be filled with passionate songs of praise that are sure to be sung in churches all over the planet. His latest release, Burning Lights, meets and exceeds expectations with 12 songs of vertical worship that connect people with the loving heart of Christ.This particular collection features guest
appearances by some of today’s best known CCM artists including, Christy Nockles, Kari Jobe, Phil Wickham and Christian rapper, Lacrae. It is Lacrae who helps Tomlin start off the album somewhat unexpectedly as his rap vocals float in and out of this mostly instrumental first track that serves to set up the 2nd track, “Awake My Soul”. Based on the story of Ezekiel 37, “Awake My Soul”, with its driving guitars, bass, and warm pads is the quintessentially classic Tomlin song, both singable and memorable. It is essentially a prayer asking God to awaken our souls by breathing new life into our dry and thirsty bones. Just when the song was becoming somewhat predictable, Lacrae enters by reading a paraphrased version of Ezekiel 37:1-10 as if he is preaching a powerful sermon, and then proceeds to end the song with a rap verse that really makes this track stand out.“Whom Shall I Fear” is a song about the
confidence and encouragement that we can have as children of God because of what Christ did for us on the cross. Beginning with a U2-esque guitar riff and morphing
into an almost military march feel, the chorus reminds that in all things, “the God of angel armies is on our side”. It is a song that will resonate with God’s people to stand firm in their faith in a time where Christianity is facing more and more persecution around the world.The next 2 songs “Lay Me Down” and
“White Flag” were previously released on the 2012 Passion White Flag album. Both have the common theme of surrendering ones dreams and life to a God because He has already won the battle.My favorite song on this collection is
Tomlin’s take on the old hymn “Crown Him”. There is nothing special about the beginning of this song, other than it is piano-led and holds true to the original melody of this classic Easter hymn. Where it transcends normalcy is when we hear the new chorus that Tomlin has added…”Majesty, Lord of All, Let every throne before Him fall, the King of kings oh come adore, our God who reigns forever more”. Kari Jobe joins in the middle of verse 2 and together the two of them create a majestic offering of worship that blends old and new and makes this hymn fresh and vibrant. Tomlin then takes the third verse of the hymn and with a subtle change of melody, creates an incredible outtro that you just can’t help but stand up and sing with.“Jesus, Son of God” was also recently
released on the above mentioned Passion release and features Christy Nockles’ unmistakable vocal prowess in a stirring duet about just what our God did for us on the cross as the two of them passionately sing… “On the altar of our praise, let there be no higher name, Jesus, Son of God, You laid down your perfect life, You are the sacrifice, Jesus, Son of God”.Fellow worship leader Phil Wickham
joins Tomlin for the acoustic guitar led, “Thank You God”. This is a simple song that reminds us that we are to thank God in all circumstances and as the song builds to its conclusion, their contrasting vocals shine while they together give thanks to God for His faithfulness.
*Gerod’s Personal Picks in bold.
30 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
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This quality helps connect believers with a God who is head-over-heels in love with them through memorable worship songs that speak to the core need of the human spirit: to be needed and loved by their creator. Nowhere is this idea most evident than in the classic Redman song, “Blessed Be Your Name”. Musically, the version contained in this collection doesn’t differ much from previous releases but it sounds just as fresh and relevant as it did when it was released in 2002.Matt gives us his take on the instant
worship classic, “Our God” which he co-wrote with Chris Tomlin. This arrangement is quite a bit more edgy and raw with an electronic techno feel that gives the song both power and presence.“You Never Let Go” begins with a
more stripped down piano intro than the original and highlights Redman’s vocal talent while “Heart of Worship” is much more acoustically driven and features a nice little “free worship” section at the end.With some Owl City enhanced
electronic, and a much richer and pronounced rock drum beat, it is great to hear again Redman’s update of one of his earliest hits “Better is One Day”. Though Redman is known for his “everyone-stand-up-and-sing” arena anthems, one should not forget that this English writer is capable of penning heart-felt ballads that point straight to the true heart of Christ. “The Father’s Song” and “Once Again” are essentially exquisitely written quiet reflections of the Father’s love and the Son’s sacrifice respectively.In addition to these updated versions of
songs, we find a brand new one,“Love So High”. Co-written with Jason Ingram, Chris Tomlin, and Rueben Morgan this song was first featured in the Hillsong release of Cornerstone earlier this year. This quiet, contemplative piece depicts the crucifixion of Jesus with a beautiful, poetic tone, descriptive verses, and an all-encompassing, anthemic chorus that brings out the best qualities of Matt’s songwriting.Tagged at the tail end of the album is
“Twenty Seven Million,” a song co-written and performed with British rappers LZ7. Inspired by the real story of a girl from Eastern Europe who was a victim of the evil sex trade, “27 Million” is an urgent plea to the church to help the twenty seven million people currently trapped as human slaves.“Best of” albums are both loved and
avoided for the same reasons depending on one’s personal preferences, but I think Matt Redman has done a nice job
of updating some of his earlier releases while giving us a taste of something new. As a worship leader myself, I find it of particular importance to bring back some of the classic contemporary songs that people miss but to do them with a bit more current vibe and this album provided those classic presents of worship, but with new wrapping.FFHThe Way We Worship1. Come Thou Fount2. As For Me3. Be Still My Soul4. First Love5. Softly and Tenderly6. Always7. I’m Coming Home8. Jesus, Name Above All Names9. Glorious King10. What a Friend We Have in Jesus11. In the Garden12. Jesus Paid it AllIn 2009 FFH trimmed themselves from
a quartet to a duet, now made up of the husband and wife team of Jeromy and Jennifer Deibler. Not only did the number of band members change, their sound took a dramatic shift from the upbeat, power/ pop sound that flooded Christian airwaves in the early 2000’s. With the birth of their second child and Jeromy’s shocking diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 2007, the duo has become much more contemplative with their writing and somewhat more mature in their delivery.The Way We Worship is an album of
2 contrasting styles that meld together beautifully to create a warm and inviting collection for congregational worship or personal devotions. Inspired by Jennifer’s nightly singing of hymns to her children before bed, the couple decided to create a worship album that was filled with some of their favorite old hymns in a stripped down and acoustic tone while still keeping a couple of tracks that fit the current trend of today’s worship culture. The Way We Worship, as the title suggests, is a God centered album consisting of seven carefully chosen hymns, three newly penned songs, and a couple of One Sonic Society covers. Sonically the album is stripped back acoustic with the occasional shades of rustic country and an occasional rock rhythm feel.Seven out of the twelve songs contained
within this album are some of the most well known hymns of the church including, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”, “Come Thou Fount”, “In the Garden”, and “Jesus, Name above All Names” just to name a few. Almost every one of these offerings are sung by Jennifer, whose quirky and sweet country voice is
backed with a distinctly southern groove complete with steel guitars, fiddles, and banjos. All the hymns are very similar in style and arrangement but are spread out enough throughout the album to keep the central theme consistent.Hymns aside, there are two cover tunes
that are also included in the album, both of which were written and originally
performed by One Sonic Society. The first, “As For Me” is a rock driven declarative worship anthem that speaks of God’s faithfulness and our response. Personally, I wasn’t really fond of this one, not because it was done badly; it
just seems to stick out like a sore thumb among the songs surrounding it. The 2nd cover tune, “Always”, is much better as this more acoustic rendering of the original actually helps us focus more on the lyrics that tell of how God “will not delay” in our times of need.Of the three newly written songs, “First
Love” stands out as a very catchy yet personal track that would be superb for use in a time of confession and forgiveness. Here we hear Jeromy’s smooth vocal describing how we need to approach the throne of Grace asking for forgiveness and renewal from Christ, our first love. The third verse tells us how Christ is our fortress, our strength in weakness and our place of rest during the trials of life. It is a wonderful song of how we should be renewing our relationship with Christ each and every day through personal confession.The Way We Worship is a powerful,
yet at the same time personal album as Jennifer and Jeromy touch on themes of spiritual renewal, personal surrender to Christ, God’s faithfulness, and other significant topics while staying true to the overall theme of album. I could almost picture Jennifer sitting on the side of her child’s bed singing these hymns as they drift off to sleep, which makes the hymn offerings here very genuine and heart-felt. This collection indeed hits some sweet spots of the heart and I know you will enjoy this grouping as much as I did.
RECORD REVIEWS
Gerod Bass is a ministry veteran who has been serving God’s people through worship and youth ministry for more than 20 years. Since 2009, he has been living his dream, serving as the Minister of Worship and Music at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Tacoma. Gerod is a singer, guitarist, songwriter, and recording artist who has a passion for taking Biblical truths and implanting them on the hearts of God’s people through music.
32 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
FOH ENGINEER
Hmmm…if you’ve been waiting and wondering if it might be time for your church to jump into the digital era, I contend that it’s time to make the leap. If your church has been thinking about making this investment for a while—affordable digital mixers designed for live use have been on the market for well over ten years—it’s likely that you’re struggling with a hodgepodge of outboard gear that has some quirks and noises (annoyances) connected to a mixer that has some questionable channels and scratchy faders, knobs, and (you can fill in the blanks). There are currently some excellent digital consoles designed for live use, priced somewhere between $1,000 and $4,000, that can send the entire pile of dated analog gear away on the eBay Express! Or, if you have a large venue it might be worth spending tens of thousands of dollars for a larger-format board that provides a larger mixing surface and a greater capacity for expansion.
COSTS AND CONSIDERATIONS
The digital mixer marketplace is very competitive right now and all of the major manufacturers are finding new ways to be the most desirable product available. The consumer is reaping the benefit in a big way. But, are there other costs and considerations? Yep.
Time. It’s going to take your sound operators some time to catch on to a new way of working. If you’re expecting to take the mixer out of the box Saturday night and put it to work Sunday morning, you’re either very misinformed or already very good at operating digital consoles.
Training and practice. For the most part, to be fully functional, the mics and monitor systems can be connected and the mixer can be plugged straight into the power amplifiers or system processor—although many new boards can control most of what a system processor controls. That’s it. But just because the system might be fully functional, that doesn’t mean the operator is fully functional. It takes an investment of time to learn the routing procedures and to figure out how to access effects, equalizers, dynamics processors, aux buses, and so on. Add to the equation that there is a broad range of experience levels in the volunteers at most churches and you start to see the picture. Further, add pastors, youth leaders, and staff, who need to know the basic of operation so they can setup for smaller meetings that don’t require an operator, and it becomes evident that a training period is mandatory—for everyone!
Proselytizing the die-hards. Depending on the experience level of your
team, at least three or four training sessions should be scheduled as soon as you get the mixer. These should be mandatory for everyone who might need to use the mixer for any reason and they can be held before the mixer is implemented into the sound system—one microphone connected to a mic input and one or two powered monitors connected to the main output will give you plenty to practice with. If you have an expert operator on the team, he or she will catch on very quickly and help guide the rest of the team along. The technically adept members will also quickly adapt to the digital world. And then there are the old-school analog die-hards! Should they be feared in the transition? Not in my experience. The beauty of converting the system from analog to digital is that the designers have worked tirelessly to make the digital mixing experience feel as much like the analog mixing experience as possible. The concepts are classic and anyone who has become familiar with an analog mixer already knows what to look for on a digital mixer. Once the sound operator understands the lay of the digital land—where some of the controls might be—he or she can start functioning very quickly. No matter what the format, mixing sound always includes some combination of signal routing and processing. When those basic concepts are in control, it’s pretty simple to start adding quite a bit of depth to your third-millennium skills.
THE PAY-OFF
Should any of the obstacles that I’ve just described deter you from jumping into the digital deep end? Not a chance!! The pay-offs are immense.
Global snapshots. All digital mixers store snapshots of the global status of the mixer—that’s where every knob and fader is set (except the input trims, in most cases). So, if the sound operator gets a great mix this week, he or she can recall that mix the following week, which at the very least provides a good starting point for the service to come.
Consistency. Many digital mixers also store settings for groups of faders (all of the drum, all of the vocals, and so on), effects settings, individual channel settings, etc. These stored settings provide a much more consistent-sounding mix from service to service. For example, when Buddy the bassist brings his active Alembic six-string bass to rehearsal, he will require a radically different type of processing to get the best
sound for the team than Betty the bassist who plays a passive vintage Fender P-Bass. That’s not a problem in the digital world. Just save the setting for each player to the bank of channel settings. When either player shows up, recall the channel patch for “Bass: Buddy 1” or “Bass: Betty 1” into your existing mix and you’re ready to go! You’ve exchanged minutes of tweaking (the analog world) for three seconds of pressing buttons (the digital world).
Lack of clutter. I don’t think I’ve met a pastor or church leader who wasn’t interested in keeping things neat and clean. A digital mixer can easily contain all of the gear connected to your existing analog mixer (three or four times over) often in a half or a third of the structural footprint. This is a great opportunity to transition the sound position into the slick station of sonic splendor that it should be.
Inspiration and facilitation. Sound operators look forward to new stuff. A digital mixer pulls the whole team together as they each do their best to catch on to a new way to work, which typically breeds discussions about the qualities of a good mix and how such a thing might be achieved. The digital mixer provides all of the standard sound-shaping tools on every channel. Rather than accepting a substandard sound because the appropriate tool has already been used on another channel, the sound operator can easily access and implement the necessary tool on every channel, thereby facilitating the best possible mix he or she knows how to create!
Recording. Almost all of the newest digital mixers offer a way to capture a digital multitrack recording, straight off the board during a performance. This mix can be remixed later or parts of the recording can even be played back through mixer channels during a performance to enhance the live sounds!
So, is a digital mixer really worth investing in? Heck yea! Digital technology has matured a lot since it’s introduction, as we know it, to the studio world in the late ’80s. The first digitally controlled console I worked on was the Euphonix CS II in 1991. It was one of the first ones made and boy was it glitchy, but I was hooked. New digital boards are stable and affordable and they offer a feature set that is a bargain even at the highest price point!
This article by Bill Gibson (www.billgibsonmusic.com) was adapted from the 2nd Edition of The Ultimate Church Sound Operator’s Handbook, published by Hal Leonard Books (www.halleonardbooks.com).
By Bill Gibson
...and Then There’s Digital —Is it Really Worth It?
Bill Gibson is an author, instructor and music producer. He has recently worked with Quincy Jones writing his autobiography published by Hal Leonard.
34 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
WATSWATSWORSHIP ARTS TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT
Scott Ragsdale, Lee Fields, Jacob Cody, Mark Rush, Mike Overlin, Peter Robinson Signal �ow, Digital Mixing 101, Speakers 101, Microphones, Soundcheck 101, Recording, Parallel Course Mixing, Wireless Systems, Critical Listening, The Art and Science of Mixing
Ed Kerr, Tom Lane , Carl Albrecht , Aaron Williamson, Michael Hodge
In-depth training on their individual instruments coupled with an understanding of the latest technology available to expand their music and ministry potential.
Set-Up, Intelligent Lighting, Introduction to DMX, Automated Lighting Maintenance, Design Theory, Lighting for Worship, LED & Energy E�cient Technologies, Workshop with Live Stage.
Bob Felton, Camron Ware, Mike Overlin
Basics of Projection Media, Finding and Creating Media101, 101 & Advanced Features of ProPresenter 4, Video Record-ing and Live Video 101, Video Editing, Photography for Worship, Coloring Outside the Lines, The Intersection of Media and Lighting
Sheri Gould, Mark Rush and Mike Overlin
Learn basic vocal technique, increase your range, improve your tone, and recording basics. All this and more are covered in these interactive classes that are fun yet very informative.
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WORSHIP ARTS TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT
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MINISTRY + ARTISTRY = PROFITABILITY? CREATING YOUR MAP™
Do Christian music labels matter? Do Christian publishers matter? I get those questions a lot.
With the rise of the Internet, Christian musicians, authors, artists, causes, films, and every other Christian on a mission now have the opportunity to bypass “the system” and go direct to the audience. We’ve heard the success stories of people who have “done it on their own.” They achieved DIY. They “did it themselves”.
The average “little guy or gal” called to their cause, ministry, or art is excited about the potential to duplicate the DIY success of others. They should be! But how do you DIY?
The truth is that the entire DIY success crowd did not do it alone. Many of the current DIY folks are actually brands, bands, and so on who left the system after it had already created success for them. Now they are DIY, and it is working for them. Others truly have achieved success on their own. Both have done it the same way.
So what does DIY mean when it works? I’ll tell you right now that it is not about doing it on your own.
It is just about impossible to do things without a team. While the rise of the Internet has shifted a ton of power to the artist or author manager and away from the music label, book publisher, or similar company, successful DIY’ers will tell you it’s not easy. The path to success is in creating a team around you.
DIY means that you now have both
the ability and the responsibility to be a decision-maker across all areas of your organization. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that do-it-yourself means you don’t have to depend on someone to tell you what to do. You have to put together a team of professionals to perform the functions and tasks that are needed. Saying you can do it without the label or publisher may be true or may not be, but you will still need to do the tasks and work that the label or publisher would have done.
The Civil Wars are a great example. Separately, they’d been in “the system.” As the Civil Wars, they took on DIY, and won two Grammys while selling more than a few albums. They did it on their own, but had an amazing team and spent a lot of money getting to the success level they achieved.
DIY only works if you assemble the right professional team to work for you. As a creative person, you have to have a manager. Being both creative and managerial rarely works for anyone. When it does, it only works while your success level is relatively small. As you grow, you will find quickly that you’ve run out of time and are choosing between being the talent and being the logistics person.
You and the manager you choose now have to hand pick your team to create success for you in production, marketing, appearances, distribution, your online presence, and so on.
How do I know this? Because for
By Scott A. Shuford
When Does DIY Work?11 years FrontGate Media has been part of the marketing team for many successful projects including DIY success stories like our client Nicole Weider at ProjectInspired.com. We’ve handled one or more marketing areas including online promotions, PR, and social media. There is nothing better than achieving success with a great team of like-minded people, most recently that would include Project Inspired.
What you have gained in this new era is the ability/responsibility to choose the like-minded people you want to work with, rather than accepting the team you get with any one label, publisher, or so on. That’s only great if you can take that responsibility on. There are many creatives who would be better off on a label or publisher. It becomes very important with DIY to pick the right team. Find like-minded people with a track record of success.
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See Scott as part of the Creator Leadership Network teaching team at this year’s Christian Musician Summits. His firm has been awarded two Standard of Excellence Awards in the 2012 WebAwards, and his site was named the #1 web site in faith-based advertising in the Internet Advertising Competition. He has led classes for us at NAMM as well as teaching on marketing to the Christian Leadership Alliance. Featured in Adweek, Scott is the President of FrontGate Media, the #1 culture-engaged media group reaching the Christian audience (www.FrontGateMedia.com) and the largest in reach to Church musicians.
www.ChristianMusicianSummit.com
36 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
MAY 3 & 4, 2013The Chapel at Crosspoint, Buffalo, NY
NOVEMBER 8 & 9, 2013Overlake Christian Church, Redmond, WA
Newworldson, One Sonic Society, Meredith Andrews, All Sons & Daughters, Ashley Cleveland, Al Perkins, Ian Eskelin, Dave Cleveland,Don Poythress Benji & Jenna Cowart, Amanda Noelle, Jerry Gillis,Bob Halligan Jr , Blues Counsel... and more being added
Matt Maher, Paul Baloche, Ian Eskelin, Don Poythress, Dave Cleveland, Tom Kraeuter, Mike Howerton, Bryan Duncan, Norm Stockton, Zoro, Doug Doppler ... and more being added...
www.ChristianMusicianSummit.comPractical training for the entire band & tech crew, leaders, songwriters, indie artists...
improving skill :: inspiring talent
EARLY BIRD
REGISTRATION IS OPEN
EARLY BIRD
REGISTRATION IS OPEN
With so many churches moving to a multi-site model, there is an exciting buzz around how to better align vision, strategy, and action. I recently attended a one-day Catalyst event at Bayside Church and was totally inspired to hear Pastors Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, and Ray Johnston speak as candidly about their failures as they did their successes. One of the common threads connecting their messages was a heartfelt desire to better serve their staff and volunteers, not just build bigger congregations.
While vision and strategy vary from church to church, there are certain actions that can benefit any congregation, regardless of size. The most fruitful teams I’ve encountered regard building community as a core value and regularly invest their energy there. Community get-togethers provide the backdrop for developing meaningful relationships, building unity, and casting vision in a way
that’s usually not feasible on Sundays or rehearsal nights.
At Catalyst, Bayside Pastor Ray Johnston humbly shared that it wasn’t reasonable to expect his congregation to attend small groups until he himself was actively leading one. I believe that much the same holds true for the worship community. If we’re not willing to invest time into building deeper, more meaningful relationships outside of Sunday services, how can we expect our congregation to?
If your team is not attracting more musicians, community (or lack thereof) might be the reason why. Not every leader is great at building community, and that’s OK. What you do about it may be what defines you as a leader. Whether you’re looking for some new ideas, or just plain curious to know what other people are doing, I’ve invited some friends to share what community means to them, how they develop it, and some suggestions for those seeking advice for some first steps.
~ ~ ~
Jerome Madigan is the Worship Pastor at Central Peninsula Church, a three site Church whose main campus is based in Foster City, CA. This area attracts affluent people from a range of backgrounds due to its proximity to the Silicon Valley. Jerome meets weekly with his team at the local IHOP, providing them with a regular opportunity away from church to have his ear and vice versa.
JEROME: Community refers to a group of people that know each other well enough to act as a support system. There needs to be a level of comfort that allows people to open up and feel supported. Accountability happens here, as does sharing life with one another.
I encourage people to build relationships with each other outside of Sunday mornings. I also try to stress that pastors can only do so much, and that it’s critical for team members to take it upon themselves to actively pursue others in the ministry.
A great place to start is by engaging people and telling them you want to be more intentional about this. Brainstorm ideas with them and be prepared to hear them out. There will be a lot of discussion about this stuff, and this is always a huge
need. As a leader, pick your top leaders to be intentional with, pour into them and teach them to pour into others.
~ ~ ~
Gordon Ponak is the Worship Pastor at McMurray Gospel Assembly in Fort McMurray Canada. “Ft. Mac” is most famous for its oil sands and the millionaires they’ve produced. Because of the transitory nature of the city, you’ll rarely meet someone who was actually born there, making the mission of building community particularly vital. Pastor Gordon builds deeper relationships through social gatherings, one-on-one discipleship, and providing educational outings to key conferences.
GORDON: Patrick Lencioni’s book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team points out that any great team has the following things going for them…
1. They trust one another.
2. They engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas.
3. They commit to decisions and plans of action.
4. They hold one another accountable for delivering against those plans.
5. They focus on the achievement of collective results.
It’s a challenge to build community in our busy, shift-working town, so I meet individually with team members to help shepherd them and vision-cast. In addition to lunch meetings throughout the year, I’ve taken my team to the Breakforth conference numerous times. I’ve also taken my worship leaders to the Saddleback Conference. This past fall we did a worship leader retreat at a chalet on a lake - it was awesome and we will do it again next spring! We are also looking at Hillsong Conference in New York.
Social events are great if you’re looking to build a deeper sense of community. Go out for meals together, go to a concert, a movie, sports events, etcetera. Relationship precedes trust and trust is where the best communities are built. Consider and treat the team as a small group and spend time together in prayer and in the Word - the depth will come.
THE WORSHIP COMMUNITY
By Doug Doppler
Community = Communication in Unity
Continued on page 53
38 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
made up of seven successive white keys: C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Because E&F and B&C have no black key between them, they are the only natural (no sharps or flats) adjacent half steps. All other natural adjacent notes are a whole step apart because of the black key that separates them. Where these white keys establish the naming system used in the songs we play, the black keys (or lack thereof) reveal the distances between them. If you learn to look at the bass notes of chords as notes names and scale degree numbers, you will be well on your way to understanding and applying Diatonic Theory and Harmony.
Note Names and Scale Degree Numbers
In looking at Figure 1 you’ll see that the order of whole and half steps for the C Major Scale goes: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. If you think of C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C as the 1, 2, 3, 4 5, 6, 7, and 1, it becomes much easier to see how the MD at Elevation Church was leading multiple teams by calling out numbers and not chord names. No matter what key you’re in, the order of whole steps and half steps remains the same. With that understanding it also becomes easier to see how the Major Scale drives the modes and in turn how the modes drive chords.
Scale Degree Numbers and Modes
Looking at the C Major Scale as shown in Figure 1 it’s surprisingly easy to see how modes are created. As we now know, if
you play each successive white key from C to C, that’s the C Major Scale. Starting on the second note (D, E, F, G, A, B, C, and D) gives you the D Dorian Scale. Starting on the third note (aka “the three”) gives you the Phrygian Mode—it’s really that simple. The Diatonic Modes for the key of C Major are: C Major, D Dorian, E Phrygian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Minor, and B Locrian. Regardless of the key, the order and distances between the modes never changes.
You may have seen people using the names Ionian and Aeolian in place of Major and Minor. Although it is not wrong to do so, it can be a bit confusing since we don’t play Ionian or Aeolian chords. The mode names are Greek in origin and precede the birth of Classical music. Because Classical music refers to its two most commonly used modes as Relative Major and Relative Minor, I opt for calling them Major and Minor, and suggest doing the same. As we move forward this will better help us connect the dots between modes and chords.
Modes, Triads, and Chords
Now that we know that the modes are based off of each successive note of a common key, it’s not a giant stretch to understand that chords are simply groups of notes selected from these modes. If you take the first, third and fifth tone from each mode, you will have constructed the Triad Chords that are the basis for virtually every chord you play on Sunday. The order of these Triad Chords for the key of C is: C Major, D Minor, E Minor, F Major, G Major, A Minor and B Diminished. Figure 2 gathers the notes, scale degree numbers, distances, mode names, and triads for the Key of C Major into one handy graph. The best part is that you now know where they come from and how the fit together. See you next issue!
By Doug Doppler
Theory and the Music We Play, Part 1
GUITAR GRAB BAG
If you think Elevation Church is cool, then you may have just discovered a newfound love of music theory. My wife recently played me a video in which Pastor Steven Furtick explained how they stream a live feed of his message to all their campuses, each of which have a team playing live and in synch with the main campus. When Steven had the sound team open up the Music Director’s mic channel, I was floored to hear the MD calling out the scale degree numbers of the chords as well as dynamic cues. Beyond the obvious cool factor, it implied that all the Elevation teams have a global understanding of how and why music functions as it does.
While your Church may not be streaming video to satellite services, chances are you’re regularly navigating the murky waters of transposition. Being able to think of bass note movement in terms of scale degree numbers as well as note names makes transposing songs easy. It’s also the key to how Elevation can have multiple teams playing in synch in real time regardless of key. If any of this sounds appealing, I encourage you to follow this series as we address how to harness the power of Diatonic (of the same key) Theory and Harmony. The key goal is to equip you and the players on your team better understand, memorize, and embellish the music you play. If you can count to seven you’re already off to a great start!
Getting Started
The white keys on the piano are the basis for virtually all the theory we’ll be talking about, so it’s important to start there. As shown in figure 1, the key of C Major is
Doug Doppler is signed to Steve Vai’s Favored Nations label and is currently in production on the Get Killer Tone DVD series. He and his wife Melissa live to serve the Kingdom and are members of Cornerstone Fellowship in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Figure 1
Figure 2
40 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (KJV), the word “cymbals” is found sixteen times in the Old Testament. The only mention in the New Testament is in the singular form (cymbal). These are probably references to ringing metal percussion.Check out this example found in 1 Chronicles
16: 4-6 KJV:“And he appointed certain of the Levites
to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to record, and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel: Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom: and Jeiel with psaltries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals; Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.”I get a kick out of reading that Asaph served
as both the bandleader and percussionist of this large worship band.Thousands of years later, we are still
employing the resonant sounds of cymbals, gongs, hand bells, triangles, glockenspiels, tam-tams, Chinese bell trees, chimes, and crotales in worship music.Two very common members of “The Ringing
Metal Percussion Club” are the triangle and suspended cymbal. Triangle ToneListen to a symphony orchestra playing at full
volume. Add just one percussionist playing a single note on the triangle and hear the sparkling tone shimmer pleasantly over some seventy musicians. That’s some power! The most important factor in a good triangle
tone is obtaining a high quality instrument. There is not much that can be done to improve the tone of a low-grade triangle. You cannot get a better reed, change the head, or
PERCUSSION
By Mark Shelton
Praise Him With Ringing Metal:Triangle and Suspended Cymbal Basics
put on different snares. Your main go-to triangle should be rich in harmonics with a good amount of sustain and a tone that is appropriate in a variety of settings. I prefer having a few triangles available so that I can experiment with matching my tone with the texture of the music being played.• Invest in at least three different sizes of
triangle beaters. Each size excites a different group of harmonics, thus affecting the tone.• Experiment with striking various areas on
the triangle for different timbres.• My general striking area is on the side
across from the opening about a third of the way down from the top corner. I find that playing slightly towards the back of this area (see photo) yields an array of overtones that blends well with the other instruments.• Always suspend the triangle with TWO
loops (for safety) of thin string, plastic ties, or fishing line. NEVER use wire or heavy cord that will buzz or inhibit vibrations. Keep the loops short so that the triangle cannot spin after striking.• Hold the
instrument so that you can easily use your fingers and palm to
stop the vibrations when needed for proper phrasing.Rhythm TrianglePay close attention to “Barlow Girl” by
Superchic[k]. Do you hear that rhythm triangle? How about “Shackles” by Mary Mary? Rhythm triangle is in the mix.
The sound of rhythm triangle can be heard giving sparkle and drive to electronica, hip hop, smooth jazz, and loops-based compositions as well as certain Latin American styles.Rhythm triangle parts are composed of
permutations of open (ringing) and closed (non-ringing) sounds. For this style of playing, you can either
suspend the triangle with a standard triangle clip or remove the holder and suspend the triangle with the upper corner over your slightly curled index finger. The palm and fingers are used to squeeze the triangle for the closed sound. With the “no clip method,” you will trade
some resonance on the open tone for having more control of the instrument as you play the open and closed sounds. (see notation below)Suspended Cymbal BasicsA roll on the suspended cymbal can raise
the musical intensity level higher or gently wash a musical passage into a peaceful transition.• Use a relatively thin instrument for
suspended cymbal work. Some cymbals are specifically designed for this purpose and marked “suspended.” • Although it is sometimes necessary in a
quick transition, try to avoid using timpani mallets on the cymbal. I prefer yarn- wound marimba mallets for general suspended cymbal playing.• Both rolls and single strikes should be
played with the mallets at 3:00 and 9:00 for balanced vibrations and quick response.• Having an array of implements (sticks,
mallets, brushes, dowel rods, triangle beaters, coins) expands the timbral possibilities of the suspended cymbal.“Look, Ma. One hand!”“I like what you’re playing. Can you keep
that part going and give me a cymbal swell on the modulation?”If the music director makes that request,
you can toss in that crescendo roll while continuing the shaker groove with the other hand.There are a couple of one-handed methods
available to serve up that cymbal roll.In one hand, hold two mallets using any of
the conventional four-mallet grips (Stevens, Musser, Burton, cross). Spread the mallets to 3:00 and 9:00 on the cymbal and alternate the mallets in the independent roll fashion used in marimba playing.
Continued on page 50
+ = closed O = open
42 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
YOU WHEN ARE
READY
The next generation Privia digital pianos have arrived, featuring the new AiR (Acoustic Intelligent & Resonant) engine. In a sleek and remarkably portable package, Privia provides a revolutionary musical experience whether you’re at home,
on stage, or in a recording studio, you’ll hear and feel the difference.
By Craig Kelly
Better Connected
CAMERA
to XLR female is instantly recognized as an audio lead. BNC to BNC is a video lead. Triax is a camera cable, although fiber could be audio or video.
Don K • Those are your tools. If you don’t know what they are called you should just stick to driving the van.
Jillian B • I think it is important if not only to convey a professional image. We often use names for connectors that are not exactly accurate, such as calling an IEC mains plug a kettle plug, but at least people understand this. If someone said, ‘that sorta fat connector with 3 holes,’ I would think immediately that I was dealing with an amateur. There is really no excuse for not knowing. Google is your friend.
David B • The variety of connectors, along with their names and purpose was required learning at my first job in Media Services at a local college. On set, location, or in the studio this knowledge will make the difference for you getting called back to work again. You can’t expect to just “get by” in production. You have to know and understand the basics. If you don’t, ask someone and get learning.
Nino G. • As a cameraman there are not that many to remember. If you do multiple jobs and have to run cables across a stadium and into a production truck, then it’s a bit more. I have more difficulties remembering all the different format codecs in today variety of cameras. There are only about half a dozen cables that a cameraman must know what they are, the difference might be if you use a prosumer or a professional camera. But as a Camera Operator group I assume we are talking pro cameras. Off the top of my head I can only think of BNCs for video and time code, XLRs for audio, XLR4 for power, TAP for power, mini or 1/4 plugs mostly for audio, for these
Just as in any industry, if you are new in any of the media worlds (TV, AV, concerts, church, corporate, etc) you will quickly start learning a new language. In fact, every aspect of the job will have its terms, slang words, shortcut and abbreviations. For this discussion I wanted to just talk about connectors; Connectors for sound, connectors for video, and even connectors for some types of computer gear. That said, there are hundreds of them. I have been involved in the gear-based world for over forty years and still don’t know them all. The trick is to learn as many as you can for your workplace and then try to teach yourself the rest. You will soon find out that similar but different industries may have different names for the same connector. There are a few common connectors in TV that everybody needs to know – BNC, XLR and Phono (or RCA). Now with advent of computer types of tools, a few more would be good to know as well; USB and Firewire seemingly being the most common (for now) – and each of these have different sizes and styles as well.
As usual, I posted the following question to the free TV Camera Operators group on the free networking site LinkedIn;
CONNECTORS - How important is knowing what common cable connectors are called?
Just as usual, I received a wide variety of great responses from video professionals around the world. Here are a few of the great answers that I received;
Mat K • I would say the best everyone can do to learn a common, correct terminology, the better. But if you’re having a brain fart, who can hold that against you? If you just don’t know, then ask the question.
Alastair H-G • It’s important as a shorthand way of describing what cables/connectors are for. An XLR male
you have to know if they are mono or stereo, RCAs if a prosumer camera. There are few more but we don’t get to use them often and it’s mostly for specialized connections.
A couple of members suggested a few resources for learning, such as commercial connector or reseller websites and I happen to agree with both them. Catalogues, web sites, magazines, etc are all valuable methods of learning – for all of us, not just newbies.
To wrap up – this is your career. Your tools include the cables and their connectors in addition to the equipment. Learn what they are called and you and all of your team will be better for it.
One of the members summed it up nicely;
Jim B • Correct terminology shows professionalism & experience. It’s always better to ask and not assume what a term means but being able to communicate quickly & effectively makes the production move efficiently.
Well said and thank you to everyone who contributed.
Want to learn more? Feel free to write me at [email protected] or read more of my TV ramblings at www.craigjkelly.com. Another great resource is the, equally as free, LinkedIn group called TV Camera Operators where thousands of TV people share discussions that might be helpful for your career.
Television director Craig Kelly’s career has included over 3,500 live shows, events and concerts in broadcasting, corporate television, events and sports production since 1977. He is also involved in ministry based events and concerts, and has produced or directed internationally distributed DVDs.
With a background as an international free-lance cameraman, he has shot national and local level sports and corporate video for over twenty years. These days he is often involved in speaking, workshops, writing and talking about Television camera operators and directing.
44 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
M-200i Worship Musician 2013 8.375” x 10.875”
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PRODUCT REVIEW
next to me.”
I personally thought it would be nice if it included an LED light on the top of the transmitter that would indicate when the unit was placed into mute mode, so you could look down and see at a glance what mode you are in. I just chose to turn transmitter on and off as needed. (NOTE: any wireless needs a moment to turn on and run through its set up, so when you turn it on, take a slow breath and then start to speak. Your whole message will then be heard.)
The comfortable / rugged headset comes stock in black, is worn from the back of the head, and is secured by placing around the ears. (It’s comfortable with in-ears and glasses too.) The microphone comes around the side of the head, and microphone element comes even with your mouth line. It is also easy on the wallet to replace if it gets lost or broken.
So to round it all up, it sounds natural, it’s easy to wear and set up, it has a true on / off control, 300’ range, a battery LED ladder on receiver to give your wonderful, hard working sound techs a heads up. (I REALLY MEAN THAT! YOU ARE SO VERY IMPORTANT)J
An easy to read backlit LCD screen on transmitter shows the channel, and the
Ok, so you are looking for a new and better way to get the message across that is easy to wear, non obtrusive, has wonderful clarity and reliability that will last.
Well here it is… the Line 6 XD-V55HS wireless headset microphone. (List price: $629.00 Also available in a handheld version: The XD-V55, with the same list price.)
We have been using handheld wireless mics, as well as over the ear types (8-9 at a time) on our platform for years, so when I heard about this new digital Line 6 system, I knew I had to check it out.
Out of the box, 1 transmitter, pop filter, 1 receiver, antennas, power supply, batteries, and manual. (always read the manual!)
The setup is very easy and intuitive. Simply plug in a ¼” or XLR cable to the output, then to the mix console, connect power supply, turn on, select a clean channel (LED meters for audio, battery, and RF signal and 12 digital frequencies to choose from), install batteries into transmitter, plug in headset, power it up, match to transmitter frequency (first time set up), place onto head, deliver the message with crisp and natural sound.
I have been using a different around the ear system for years, so I tried out this system and put it to the test for over a month before turning it over to my pastor to make sure I was not missing something, like dropouts, crosstalk with other wireless systems, or early battery depletion. I cannot say I found any drawbacks, and one pair of AA alkaline batteries lasted for over 10 hours.
I had our pastor try it for a few weeks, and asked him for any positive or negative feedback. He really liked it and said, “It was much easier to work with.” The on and off transmitter control is a true on / off switch not a push/push, so tactile-wise it was great in the pocket or on the belt.
Our sound team has had several people asking, “Where’s the microphone on Pastor Scott?” or, “It sounds like he is right
By Brian Felix
Line 6 XD-V55 HSWireless Mic
count down time remaining on batteries. The battery LED is two fold, unit on/ battery condition, signal audio led, and it also has four changeable EQ settings for the headset.
Would I invest in one? A resounding, “YES we did!!” In fact, it is still working great after many months of service with no issues!
Well that wraps it up for now.
Blessings upon you and your church for the coming new year. PEACE<><
Col 3:17 “And whatever you do in word and deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him”
Brian is a worship leader for the past 14 yrs, been a part of Praise and Worship team for 19 yrs. at Bremerton Church of the Nazarene, and is customer service representative for Worship Musician! / Christian Musician Magazine / CMS Productions, and is also an electronic technician. Brian and his wife Kathryn have been married for 17yrs. and have 2 adult sons Ryan and Eli.
46 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
PRODUCT REVIEW
personal monitor units are very simple with a large screen and only a few buttons and one jog wheel.
With very familiar equipment, there is a very familiar function. Sixteen channels direct from the soundboard to each myMix personal monitor. The large screen is intuitive enough to be easily navigated and for each musician to create a nicely balanced mix. However, what sets this system apart, is that myMix takes the personal monitor experience far beyond any other that I’ve seen.
One of the first features I noticed first is the Record (REC) button. What an awesome feature! We’ve all been in a rehearsal when we’ve had a creative idea for a song and then have forgotten it all… or, how about those spontaneous moments in worship that really cannot be recreated. Every myMix unit has an SD card slot and a record button. Each musician is able to record whatever part of rehearsal or performance they desire. When that record button is pressed, a song file is created on the SD card and all 16 channels are recorded direct from the preamp (no EQ or processing) as a .wav file. These tracks can then be dropped into any DAW and mixed/mastered as you like. There are also two additional tracks recorded – this is a stereo mix of the 16 tracks after processing.
The benefits of this single feature are huge. How many of our worship teams actually get enough rehearsal time together? Also, how many of our teams have everyone present at every rehearsal? With the record feature, single songs and entire rehearsals can be recorded and then rehearsed individually at home with the tracks of the entire team! So, the absent musician or those that
In-ear monitor systems…many churches have them. If not (and they have a band), it’s probably on the “as soon as we can afford it” list. As a worship leader / band leader, I would encourage all teams to make that “soon” – sooner! I’m a fan of in-ear monitors for three main reasons. 1. Lower stage volume = better clarity for the FOH. 2. Ability to use a click / guide track. 3. No arguments about the mix in the wedge (ya’ll may never deal with #3)!
If you’ve been reading Worship Musician for a while, you may remember the other systems I’ve reviewed. There is not only one horse in the race anymore! This has been my first exposure to the myMix system. I received the system a few weeks ago and set it up on our student platform where our youth band plays on Sunday nights and our college band plays on Monday nights. So, I’ve been able to see how these musicians adapt to the myMix system after most of them are familiar with using a different in-ear setup.
Upon receiving the equipment, I noticed very familiar parts— An input module and snake, a distributor, and several personal monitor units… all to be connected via Cat5 cable. Setup was very easy…we were ready to go very quickly. The
By Mitch Bohannon
myMix
need additional run-through’s can
take the myMix unit home and have just that.
myMix also offers the myMix Control unit which is a software tool that allows system access via any wired or wireless internet browser running on the same network. This unique access allows for global setting changes with the ability to save and store these changes. Adjustments can be made on a global scale all the way down to individual parameter settings on specific myMix personal units.
Each myMix personal unit has two ¼” outputs and two XLR inputs which could be mono channels (i.e. vocal and guitar) or a stereo input (i.e. keyboard L/R). The gain control for these input channels is located on the side of the unit. Possibilities are really limited only by your imagination. The myMix system could eliminate the main FOH mixing board entirely. Each band member could plug directly into their personal monitor…their signal would travel via Cat5 through the distributor to every other myMix unit. One of the units could then be connected with 1/4” cables through an amp and directly to the FOH speakers. Essentially, this system would/could be functioning as a digital snake!
There is so much more that could be said. In overview, there are many good in-ear monitor systems on the market. Many of them function very similarly, giving each band member the ability to create their own mix of 16 channels. For bands wanting more function from their in-ear monitoring, the myMix sytem truly offers benefits
that are very creative and useful. Personal recording, global control, and digital snake capabilities are pretty cool upgrades for the in-ear monitoring market.
Retail Price: $679.00
www.mymixaudio.com
48 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
Vocalists on a worship team have an im-portant responsibility to lead the congre-gation in worship; however, many have had very little vocal training. They desire to be messengers of the Good News with their voices, but often struggle on stage, leaving them feeling inadequate, insecure, and not free. Bottom line, the sound of your vocals won’t improve without using proper techniques in rehearsals. Use one of these six ways progressively each week.
Rhythm - Rhythmic chanting and clap-ping are great ways to tighten the sound, clean up entrances, reinforce syncopation, and master precise cutoffs. This helps learn new songs faster because not only will it expose any mistakes, but also it will reinforce correct rhythms.
Get the Sound Out - Praise teams can rely so heavily on microphones they devel-op lazy habits, so teach dramatic speak-ing and singing. Imitation is a fun and effective way to do this. Exaggerate words and phrases like, “Hey,” “You are GOOD, all the TIME!” and make sure the vocal-ists echo with the same energy. Pretend someone is stealing your car, and use your command voice to stop him. How many of us pull out our microphones for that?
Go Somewhere - a rule of thumb is that long notes, with a note value of two beats or more, must grow. Why? Gravity!!
When sitting on a long note, the sound will become flat and dull. An easy way to improve this is to raise your arms up like a zombie and then sing on an “oh” vowel, and use a tremolo effect with your hands while getting louder. Instant energy!
Breath - breathing is the foundation of all singing and should always be a part of a rehearsal. Start with the basics: lying down is the most natural way to breathe. During rehearsal, put the palm of your hand in front of your face and try exhaling on an “s” for a count of 10, then do the same with a “z”. The “z” teaches breath management and promotes using the right diaphragmatic muscles.
Dynamics - In worship there seems to be two basic dynamic levels: loud and soft. Dynamics engage the lyrics, evoke emo-tion, and help vocalists endure through worship sets. We don’t talk at the same level, so our singing should also be as natural as our speech. An easy rule to remember is that when repeating phrases make them softer or louder. Find the culmination “mountain top” part in the song, and use dynamics to crescendo all the way up to it. Using the bear hug-squat method, start in a squat position, chest up, produce a bear hug, and then sing a phrase. Each time you repeat the phrase get a little louder, move a little more up, and move your arms to the beat. Make the strongest part of your singing when you are completely standing up (keeping the bear hug).
Placement - ask any vocalist what they constantly struggle with vocally, and high notes will be at the top of their list. Untrained singers will belt, reach,
scream, or pray during high notes, and it can be a frustrating experience. Here are some ways to improve: Sing a “ng”, sliding up five notes and back down, hum, use lip trills (blubbing), and do puppy dog sighs. Use actual phrases in the music, so when adding words, the mind already knows how to approach the high notes.
With practice, patience, and a dose of fun, these six techniques will brood con-fidence in your singers. For daily worship techniques that just work, follow me on Twitter @markhosny.
For in-depth video teaching of the above, visit www.npwi.com and click on Ministry Resources.
Mark Hosny, Artist DirectorNational Praise and Worship Institute
follow me on Twitter! @markhosny
IMPROVE THE VOCAL
SOUND OF YOUR
PRAISE TEAM
NPWI AD3.indd 1 12/10/12 5:19 PM
For the other method, hold the two mallet shafts one over the other in a snare drum matched grip with about 2 inches between the mallet heads (see photo). With one mallet above the cymbal and one below, use an up-down motion to produce the roll.
Either approach will allow you to add that roll while continuing to play the instrument in your other hand.Balancing ActWhile subbing in an orchestra job, I noticed
another percussionist’s unorthodox method of suspending a cymbal. Instead of using a conventional stand to hold the cymbal, my colleague balanced it on his finger and struck the instrument using his other hand (holding two mallets). This technique went into my bag of tricks and I have used it many times.• The cymbal rests on the smaller surface of
the finger rather than the larger surface of the felt washer. (I like to think that this allows for better vibrations.)• In acoustic settings, you can lift the cymbal
higher for better projection--over the heads of those violinists seated in front of you.• In amplified settings, you can “work the mike”
(bringing the cymbal farther or closer with ease).• In some halls, this method might allow the
audience to better see the instrument. I am a firm believer that people hear with their ears and eyes.Both triangle and suspended cymbal have
high ratings in the category of “major sustain.” Controlling all of that ringing is a major part of playing these instruments in a musical fashion. Listen carefully to the phrasing of the music to determine the note lengths on the cymbal and triangle. For further study on triangle and suspended
cymbal, check out my PercussionHowTo(tm) tutorials at youtube.com/marksheltonmusic.Let us follow the example of Asaph and
praise the Lord skillfully with the ringing metal percussion.
Nashville, TN is home for Tom Lane though he is involved in ministry and music around the world. As a singer, songwriter and guitar player, Tom has been teamed with many worship leaders and artists. He continues to record his own work, lead worship, and writes regularly for various worship publications worldwide.
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!
By Tom Lane
The People Matter!
THE BAND
Mark Shelton’s experience in contemporary worship percussion is highlighted in the Gateway Create DVD series, Worship Team Director distributed by Integrity Music. His playing can be heard on the 2010 CD release from Gateway Worship, God Be Praised and the 2011 recording, Great Great God. An active blogger, Mark writes regularly at Percussion For Worship (www.percussionforworship.blogspot.com).
©2012 Mark Shelton Productions. Excerpts from Percussion For Worship (unpublished) by Mark Shelton
Percussion - Continued from page 42
50 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
STAGE. YOUR REVOLUTION.
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StageScape™ M20d is the world’s first smart mixing system for live sound. Utilizing a groundbreaking touchscreen visual mixing environment, StageScape M20d streamlines the way you mix to get your sound dialed in quickly and keep you in the creative zone. The M20d features 20 inputs, massive DSP power on every channel, multi-channel recording with or without a computer, and remote control of the system via one or more iPad® devices. StageScape M20d is the integrated professional mixing system that lets you focus on what’s most important: your performance.
Touchscreen Visual MixingThe groundbreaking 7” color touchscreen mixing environment streamlines the way you use a mixer. Dial in the mix the way you see it, as musicians on a stage.
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Connect one or more iPad devices for full remote control over your mix. Set individual monitor mixes from the stage, tweak the FOH mix from the audience.
Multi-Channel RecordingStageScape M20d provides convenient multi-channel recording in high-resolution 24-bit WAV format to SD card, USB drive or direct to your computer.
L6 LINK ™ Digital NetworkingStageScape M20d and StageSource loudspeakers form an intelligent live sound ecosystem—which simplifies and accelerates setup.
© 2012 Line 6, Inc. Line 6, L6 LINK, StageScape and StageSource are trademarks of Line 6, Inc. All rights reserved. iPad is a trademark of Apple Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries.
“EVERYTHING ABOUT THE M20d WAS BRILLIANTLY DESIGNED AND EXECUTED—ESPECIALLY FOR A HOUSE OF WORSHIP.”—DOUG DOPPLER, CHRISTIAN MUSICIAN
The Experience Conference ignites your soul and the souls of weary leaders, renewing a passion for worship and equipping us all for continued effectiveness in ministry.
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~ ~ ~
Kevin Carey is the Student Ministries Creative Director and Worship Leader at my home church, Cornerstone Fellowship in Livermore, CA. He is constantly developing himself and his team through the scores of books and blogs he scours in search of ways to better reach, lead, and serve his team.
KEVIN: The most important part of a worship team is connecting people in a community that brings about radical life change. As with any ministry in a church, a worship team is about discipleship. A worship team cannot just be about producing a quality worship product, it has to be about people.
Prayer is the #1 community builder inside our team. But I would add that we actively build community by actually being friends with each other – texting, checking in, coffees, lunches, party invites, going to shows together, following each other on FB, Twitter, and IG. A worship team needs to be friends with each other, and as in any friendship, that takes effort. It’s a wonderful effort, but it’s an effort nonetheless.
Besides prayer, I would say that you make friendship more important than the music. Care more about your worship team member’s lives than about how well they play their musical instrument. People want to know that you care
about them for who they are, not because you want something (i.e. their musical skill) from them.
~ ~ ~
Derek Walker is one of the primary Worship Leaders at each of Cornerstone Fellowship’s three campuses. Since he’s also in charge of the audition process he’s one of the first people in the team people meet. His role around community is important since he so frequently serves as the hands and feet of our Worship Team.
DEREK: Community means that we’re more than people who happen to play instruments on the same stage at the same time. I like to get people talking. Then you become more than a drummer or a keyboardist to me – you’re my friend. This all sounds so elementary, but you’d be surprised at how much simple dialogue can do to build community.
A lot of our volunteers are shy or somewhat reserved. I find that once we sit and talk—not rushing to get to the next thing—we can find the value in each other by just hearing about each other’s day and what’s going on in their lives.
I would say first steps are less about action and more about strategy. If you value community, then be OK with investing time and energy into getting to know your volunteers, and into getting your volunteers to know each other. When you begin to see time investment as mandatory to building a community, then prepare for that, you
allow for it. Don’t shy away from the messier aspects of relationship and community building.
~ ~ ~
As for myself, I am a volunteer who plays at each of Cornerstone’s campuses. While I don’t have an official title that does not mean I don’t have a part to play in building community at Cornerstone Walnut Creek, my home Church. As Cornerstone’s newest campus, we have the pivotal role of establishing the cultural DNA of Cornerstone in Walnut Creek. To help achieve this, my wife and I opened our home to host the inaugural Christmas dinner for the worship and production teams. Our campus is attracting lots of young families, and we were purposeful about inviting people and their families. By inviting families into the greater worship community, we realized a great opportunity to demonstrate that we value who people are above their role on their team.
Over the coming months, we will continue to address the challenges that worship communities face, often from the perspective of the multi-site model and the unique challenges it brings.
The Worship Community- Continued from page 38
Doug Doppler is signed to Steve Vai’s Favored Nations label and is currently in production on the Get Killer Tone DVD series. He and his wife Melissa live to serve the Kingdom and are members of Cornerstone Fellowship in the San Francisco Bay Area.
When was the last time that you truly felt engaged by the worship leader or team? You may be surprised to learn that the response of the congregation is a reflection of the way we lead worship. I’ve thought about my own leading and attributed a top 10 checklist to help recalibrate and sharpen our focus for leading worship.
1. Worship - A worship leader after all, is someone who worships. Sometimes, we can be so quick to pick up the instrument or mic, that we don’t take time to prepare spiritually. Even at times when we do not feel like worshiping, due to busyness, stress and/or other concerns, that’s when we should worship the most. Worship is a response, not an event; it is an action that stems from our relationship with God.
2. Leave Your Ego Behind - Egos don’t lead worship; they lead music. When egos strive to lead for effect, they replace honesty for perfection, and humble service for performance excellence. True worship and true leading is not about you looking good, but about allowing the One to do all good things through you for the goodness of His people. John Wooden said, “Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.”
3. Relationships - Know your peeps. There is no one else greater in your church than the people who are in your community. Take time outside the music and during the week to be better acquainted with the ones who come to worship. By listening to their stories, looking into their hearts and understanding their journey, you will have a larger perspective in the way you choose, sing, play, and lead songs.
4. Keeping Music In It’s Right Place
Music is a tool for leading worship – the means, not the end. Music is also
a privilege, a gift that is to be nurtured. As John 15:5 indicates, by remaining in Him, we bear much fruit. God desires for us to artistically grow. This involves time to cultivate our talent as we grow our skills.
5. Practice - Vince Lombardi once said, “The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.” Sweat equity - the time you take with your craft: Instrument, writing, or voice will be refined as gold due to your hard work. Even as little as 10 minutes a day can make all the difference. Practice makes perfect? How about perfecting our practice? In application, check out Luke 12:35.
6. Preparation - Be proactive in planning you music ahead of time. Check your charts as well as attend to the maintenance of your gear. If you are a team member, don’t wait until rehearsal to organize your music. Also, don’t practice at rehearsal. A good musician/singer rehearses what they practice. If you are a leader, your preparedness will also help maximize the time of your rehearsal and it’s focus.
7. Head Up | Eyes Out - Among the biggest disconnects in a worship service, is a leader who does not connect with their people. Move your music stands down and/or instruments out of the way. Join your family in the worship living room. Use good eye contact to let your people know that you’re with them. Close your eyes enough to worship, open them enough to know where you are.
8. Be Clear - Whether if you sing or play, the clarity of your musical direction serves as a connecting point to people. Murmuring words, muddy sound, mismanaged mic placement, and poor mixing are perfect ingredients for a disconnected experience.
9. Belief - Know this: God has called you and nobody else. Re-read Luke 19:11-27. God has not called you to hide your light or bury your calling. The ministry He’s called you to is the investment of His people. Like Moses, rather than excuse your abilities, walk in the confidence that comes from your identity in Christ.
10. No Rules - For a worship leader, it is better to risk catastrophe than to fail by playing it safe. Follow where God leads you. Embrace your artistic desires as they align with the needs of your church. If you remember one thing and one thing only, let it be this: Be the real you – just as you are known by God. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. None of the prophets or apostles were experts, they were followers. Go and do likewise.
This is how your worship leading and service looks like you. My hope is that you leave this article with a better understanding of yourself as a worshiper, as a leader, and a child of God than you had when you entered this page.
By Branon Dempsey
Does Your Worship Service Look Like You?
A FEW MOMENTS WITH…
Branon Dempsey is the CEO/Founder and Training Director of Worship Team Training® (www.worshipteamtraining.com) a ministry providing live workshops and online resources for local worship ministries. Branon holds an M.Div in Worship and BM in Music Composition/Performance and is an instructor with Christian Musician Summit, a writer for Worship Musician Magazine as well as other worship publications, and is a Training Partner with Yamaha Corporation of America | Worship Resources. WTT is supported by Line 6, D’Addario, Proclaim Church Presentation Software, iSing Worship and endorsed by Promark Drumsticks and Jim Hewett Guitars.
Copyright 2012 Branon Dempsey | Worship Team Training® | Administered by For His Music. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. www.worshipteamtraining.com
54 JAN/FEB 2013 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
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