Worship Musician! Magazine - Jul/Aug 2015

mia fieldes bringing life to ashes

Product Review Taylor 600 Series

Product Review Boss VE-1 Vocal Echo Stompbox

JUL/AUG 2015 Volume 13, Issue 4 07

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US $5.95 Can $6.95

Record Reviews The Neverclaim l Finding Favour l Chris McClarney l Matt Redman l Jesus Culture: Bryan & Katie Torwalt l

“Fearless” Songchart l “Why Hymns Aren’t Necessarily Better” by Tom Kraeuter

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Tedd T. Nashville-based Tedd T. (Mutemath, Newsboys, David Crowder Band) is not the type of producer who’s content to sit behind the console all day. He prefers collaborating with and inspiring artists with new approaches and fresh perspectives to music making. Tedd tells us about his process and what it’s like working on the road with For King & Country:

What is it like to record, literally, on the road?

The great thing about recording on the bus is that every day you wake up in a different city. Plus, you also have access to whatever rooms and venues you find. On the bus, I record with an Apollo DUO and a laptop with a solid-state drive. Mainly, what you’re trying to do is to capture inspiration. The DUO is so compact and does such a great job; it’s fantastic. We’d sit out there on the bus and use a little Akai controller keyboard. And, even confined to two octaves on the keyboard, it’s actually cool because it makes you work really hard on what it is that you’re playing. Plus, when you’re on the road, you’re more in the mindset of creating something great, with less of the pressure you might feel when you go to a big, fancy studio and you know you have to “nail it.”

Today, we’re setting up in a church to record. They have a fantastic old upright and an old M3/Leslie. I wondered if it would work, and sure enough, we got it fired up.

Even with a broken key, it sounded great. The church has a soundproofed room for newborns, so we’re setting up in there. That’s a nice surprise. We moved the upright and the M3 in there, and the church has some nice mics they’ve been gracious enough to let us use. So much of the adventure happens when you walk into a new scenario where there are things that inspire art.

Do you have a “go-to” mic you’re currently using?

The main one is the SM7B. It’s very focused. We also used a Peluso tube mic.

Tell us about the software you use.

I record everything in Logic. I use a lot of soft synths in Logic. I start with the presets and do a lot of modifying to get the sounds we’re looking for. I’ve got a lot of Logic-based sounds that we used for the record. I use Absynth a lot; I think it sounds really interesting. It’s great for creating textures and backgrounds. I also use Native Instruments Ultimate, and I love the iZotope stuff.

And I think Auto-Tune 7 is fantastic.

KING

&

H o n e s t y, F a i t h , a n d F a m i l y The name is also the mission statement: “It’s an old English battle cry, as they went to fight for what they believed and to stand for something greater than themselves,” says For King & Country’s Joel Smallbone.

“For us, doing music for people and for God is one of the main underlying themes of the band.” And the Nashville-based group, fronted by Joel and his brother Luke, takes their mission statement seriously. By turns exultant, introspective, atmospheric, and immediate, For King & Country’s uplifting music is also incredibly honest and authentic. The brothers spent their youth in Australia and cut their musical teeth in the U.S., eventually backing up their sister, Rebecca St. James, on tour. By 2007, they were making musical waves of their own, and by 2013, they had released two well-received albums and received a Dove Award. The band has played hundreds of shows since then — and they’re not slowing down. Their latest, Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong., features their strongest material yet. During a stop on the band’s fall 2014 tour, Joel spoke with us about the importance of family, respect in relationships, recording on the bus, and the always-present role of faith in the band’s music.

How did you and Luke get interested in music?

Music chose us, I think, more than we chose music. We grew up in a very musical family. Our dad, who is our manager now, was a concert promoter in Australia.

He brought over a lot of artists in the ’80s, including Amy Grant. One of my earliest memories in Sydney was looking at vinyl records by my favorite bands or going to shows and plugging my ears. I was a t-shirt model at four years old, standing onstage with the shirt draping all the way to the floor. I remember there were always bands and musicians coming through the house. It was also on one of those tours that things didn’t go as well as projected, and my dad lost a quarter of a million dollars — which ultimately led to us having to sell the house to pay the debt. For years, he’d felt a prompting to move to the U.S., and he found some work over here in the music industry in Nashville.

Your move to the States was tumultuous.

It was after we got there that he actually lost his job.

So, it was to that point about a month in, and we were

stuck living in a furniture-less house without a car. And he was just trying to find any kind of semblance of work he could. We really knit together during that time. As a family, we raked leaves, we mowed lawns, cleaned houses along with our oldest sister, Rebecca. We really worked as a team.

I remember well: we’d sit in a circle in the living room, and we would just pray. We had nowhere to turn other than upward. We saw pretty miraculous things happen.

The first Thanksgiving we were here, we found out about a family who invited pretty much anyone who wanted to join to Thanksgiving dinner. At the end of the night, the father of the house walked up to my mum and said, “I feel like God is prompting me to give you the keys to our minivan.” Also, someone anonymously paid for our little sister to be born in a hospital. The list goes on — just amazing examples of people giving and serving.

Do you recall particular musical influences?

For Luke, growing up, bands like Switchfoot were very influential. Classic U2 was a big influence on me. I went to a few U2 shows during their 360 tour, and they segued from “Amazing Grace” into “Where the Streets Have No Name.” I was just sitting there flabbergasted at how much of a worship service it felt like, you know? There are other layers of influences too; Luke is a pretty avid reader, and we’ve both been major C. S. Lewis fans since we were kids, so hopefully some of that has rubbed off lyrically. I also love theatrical and cinematic scores.

When did you and Luke begin playing live?

Our oldest sister began traveling as a musician. Dad needed cheap labor, so he put us brothers to work as the crew: lighting, sound, background vocals. That was when Luke and I really began to see the impact of music. It was toward the end of Rebecca’s career that we started kind of leaning in on our own. We ended up writing over a hundred songs and began doing showcases for labels — and got shut down more times than I want to count.

Then, fast-forward to 2009, a gentleman by the name of Mark Bright, who’s primarily a country producer and runs a publishing company, took over our label.

COUNTRY Mark produced Carrie Underwood and Reba McEntire and a lot of country icons. He was a real champion for us and signed us, and we recorded some material under his leadership.

How do you approach instrumentation?

Neither of us is classically trained. Luke grew up very rhythmic, and I’d say I grew up more melodic. I’d have a laptop and a little keyboard for the demos we’d cook up. I’d like to say I could “play” everything without playing anything. And now, live, Luke and I don’t do any of the heavy lifting, instrumentally. Luke may play some percussion, and I might play a bit on the harmonium or on a few various drums or tubular bells onstage. But it’s all a very ancillary thing that lets us focus on the vocals and the melodies and the message.

Tell us about your recording process.

We actually have a producer [Tedd T.] out on the road with us right now. We worked with him very closely on several songs on our last album. It’s very collaborative — in sort of a “cyber” way. He and I have a studio setup in the back of the tour bus, with a laptop MIDI controller and a microphone. We’ll build a very rough skeleton of the song and send an MP3 out to the band. Then, they will, respectively, set up their own laptops and will kind of layer in other sounds. Sometimes, we’ll even go into the venue prior to the show and mic up an instrument to get a track.

So, you’re assembling both demos and the final product at the same time?

Yes. In our opinion, your ears don’t lie. Technical perfection does not match the beauty of a really heartfelt piece. I think basically all the vocals on “Run Wild” were sung on the bus. It’s not a pristine, clean kind of thing, but what we went for was “heart over art.” If it feels right, go. Being so busy and being on tour allowed us to discover this recording process.

What about the centrality of faith in your songwriting?

I find that it’s hard to separate the song — regardless of its theme — from our faith. We might be writing about someone who is going through a hard time. In fact, Luke was very ill last year. We wrote a couple of songs walking through, almost in journal form, his illness. Inside the song, you can see the spiritual ramifications.

And on a song like “Shoulders” from the new album, it’s almost a prayer. Almost a psalm, if you will. Or on “Fix My Eyes,” the lead single, that song was very much built around wanting to be

a good human being and contributing to society, but above all of those things, we want to fix our eyes on Heaven and maintain that focus. Because keeping that focus holds us in good stead — in not making it about ourselves.

Family is such a strong element of the band.

I honestly feel that, without my wife and Luke’s wife, Courtney and their son [and they very recently had a second son], the strength of the group would be dramatically decreased. You get a balance and a purpose.

The heartbeat of For King & Country is family. I’ve mentioned that our dad manages us. Daniel, my oldest brother, does a lot of the lighting and design. Brother Ben does any video work that we do.

Mom is out on the road with us right now as well. But even beyond the blood family, the guys onstage with us and the label... there’s a big sense of family.

You’ve mentioned the importance of respect and honor in relationships.

Our parents have been married for almost 40 years, and we’re a really strongly knit family. And borne out of that was the idea of saying to young ladies — and also to men, but especially to girls — don’t let anyone disrespect you in a relationship. Don’t ever settle for second best. Know what you’re worth; know that you matter. We say to guys that, hey, it’s time to step up. Chivalry is alive and well. You might think that we’d get people who scoff, but the response has been one of overwhelming positivity.

Your producers (Tedd T., Seth Mosley, and Matt Hales) are very collaborative with you in the recording process.

I can’t speak more highly of them. One of the things in the creative process that I find most stifling is a “we can’t” attitude — versus a “we can” or a “let’s try.” And these guys are so willing to think outside the box... I hesitate to say even that, because I almost think they don’t acknowledge the box. Their approach is music is music; let’s have fun and be creative.

CALL UR FOR YO

For King & Country’s latest album, Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong., is available now.

To find out more, go to forKingandCountry.com!

FRSUEEE! IS

What is next for you and the band?

After this tour, we’ll do something we’ve never done as a band, which is to take off about a month. Then, we’ll be on an arena tour early in 2015. We will be contributing a song to an upcoming television series, and there’s talk about working on music for a film that’s shooting this year. We’re also thinking about a Christmas EP, and there will be another tour in the fall of 2015.

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Given this approach to recording, how do you manage to get such a cohesive sound?

I attribute a lot of that to the guys knowing what they want the music to become. They have a lot of musical input on the parts, and they know what they like. They’re very aware of what’s “them,” and they’re mindful of what’s going on track-wise and arrangement-wise.

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Editor’s Corner

Life in Quarters…

Well here I am again… something about 35,000 feet in the air on a plane gets me in the writing mood. I am flying to the Dallas Guitar Festival where we will have a booth for Collectible Guitar magazine and also give out copies of Christian Musician and Worship Musician. I have U2’s The Best of 1980-1990 playing on my laptop, and my in-ears are effectively blocking out the rest of airplane life while I type away.

I guess I get reflective when flying… sometimes I feel like even with all of my varied interests in life (and jobs… ha!) I still feel like life is flying by. I really enjoy what I do, and like I have stated several times, “It is a gift from God when you enjoy your work”, but lately I’ve been thinking that there might not be as many laps around the field ahead for me in contrast to how many laps are behind me.

Umm… a conundrum. Do I race ahead and burn bright like a flame until I drop dead, or do I slow the pace down some and soak in the hours a bit more… knowing that they are somewhat diminishing and should be savored? I have full days, and my vocation as magazine publisher and event producer affords me some amazing moments that some people would pay money to get to do. I am both mindful and grateful for that. But my favorite time of day is actually the evenings when I get to simply hang out with my wife Judy and our dog Winston. We may take Winston for a walk or watch some silly TV program, but to me I find comfort in the non-hustle and bustle… the down times. I like to play guitar for Judy as she cooks dinner. I could do that for years to come and be totally satisfied. Or we might take a mental vacation and take a nice ride on the motorcycle… now that is invigorating!

But being 58 years old has got me looking at life in terms of a football game. If 0-20 years old is the 1st quarter, 20-40 years old gets you to halftime. That means that 40-60 ends the third quarter and 60-80 or however far you get is the 4th quarter and also the end of the game entirely. No one gets out of here alive unless the Lord comes back you know.

So at 58, I am just about to that TV commercial break during the football game and then the last quarter of my life starts (and again, it is the Lord who numbers our days, so this could really be the last editor’s piece I ever write… you just don’t really know).

So in light of this, how then shall I (we) live? I am not ready to retire vocationally, and I still need an income. I feel young at heart and it’s just like my 89-year-old mother would say, “I haven’t decided what I want to be when I grow up”.

I guess I asked more questions than I have answered here, but I thought it might be nice to let you guys in on what a guy my age is thinking about… today at 35,000 feet it is a life lived in quarters. Let the referee blow the whistle soon and start the 4th quarter… I’m suited up and ready to play Coach!

In His Grip, Bruce & Judy

4227 S. Meridian Suite C-275 Puyallup, Washington 98373-5963 Adolph Agency Direct Line: 253.445.1973 Fax: 888.391.4440 Website: www.worshipmusicianmagazine.com Publisher/Editor: Bruce Adolph bruce@christianmusician.com Vice President: Judy Adolph Customer Service: Brian Felix, 888.391.4440 x1 brianfelix@christianmusician.com Design Layout & Production: Matt Kees Director of Advertising: Steve Sattler steve@creativesalesresource.com 626-836-3106 ©2015 Worship Musician! is published bi-monthly by The Adolph Agency, Inc.

JUL/AUG 2015

Features 8 Product Review

By Eric Dahl Taylor Guitars 600 Series – More to Maple?

10 From the Drummer’s Perspective

By Carl Albrecht Still Serving After All These Years 12 Keyboard

By Ed Kerr Mind Mapping 15 Bass

By Gary Lunn Adjusting to New Situations 16 Vocals

By Sheri Gould Recovery - Part 2 17 Equipping the Church

By Chuck Page Ransomware: It’s alive and doing well on all O/S platforms.

vol. 13, issue 4 36 Guitar Grab Bag

By Jeffrey B. Scott Powering Up Your Parts 38 The Band

By Tom Lane Be Reflective 40 Ministry

By Rick Muchow Build Your Worship Ministry on the Foundational Truths of the Bible 41 Product Review

By Michael Hodge Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2 42 On Point

By Tom Kraeuter Why Hymns Aren’t Necessarily Better 44 Ministry + Artistry = Profitability?

By Scott A. Shuford Are You Giving Too Much Away?

23 Songchart

By Mia Fieldes ”Fearless”

45 Product Review

By Mitch Bohannon Boss VE-1 Vocal Echo Stompbox

24 Tips for Tight Teams

By Sandy Hoffman Chart From The Heart (Speaking The Language of Flow)

46 A Few Moments With...

Branon Dempsey Five Things You Must Know to Lead Worship... Without Playing a Note

28 Record Reviews

By Gerod Bass • The Neverclaim • Finding Favour • Chris McClarney • Matt Redman • Jesus Culture: Bryan & Katie Torwalt 30 FOH Engineer

By Kent Morris Train and Track: Dr. Charles Stanley, In Touch and FBA 32 Percussion

By Mark Shelton You’ll Need Some Tape 34 Cut-Capo

By Mitch Bohannon Short-Cut to a Hoedown

Interview 18 Mia Fieldes: Bringing Life to Ashes

by Bruce Adolph

WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM JUL/AUG 2015

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Product Review

By Eric Dahl

Taylor Guitars 600 Series – More to Maple?

Taylor guitars have been popular with worship musicians for years. Sought after for their easy playability and performance designed features, but also user-friendly electronics when plugged into amps or PA system.

Andy Powers, Taylor Guitar’s master luthier, redefined the 800 series in 2014, and now in 2015 turned his attention to the entire 600 series of guitars. The “revoiced” 600 series, as Taylor is calling it, features many improvements: new bracing, torrefied spruce wood tops, hand rubbed thinner finishes with color (instead of natural finish) and protein glues. For cosmetics around the headstock, sound hole, and fretboard, he has applied more ivoroid (plastic that mimics ivory) and ebony accents.

First off let’s talk about “torrefaction”.

It is a method now being used by Taylor to speed up the aging process of woods by basically roasting them. This in turn gives the wood a much more vintage sound, like a guitar that has been played for decades. When I was first introduced to the new 600’s at a guitar show I found it hard to believe they were created from maple sides and backs and Spruce tops, just from their appearance featuring aged looking woods. After playing all of the new models I was also impressed at the warmer/richer tones that owed much to the new bracing that Powers developed, as well as the torrefied woods.

The original models that were launched at the winter NAMM show this year includes: 614ce (Grand Auditorium),

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JUL/AUG 2015 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

616ce (Grand Symphony), 618ce (Grand Orchestra) and 656ce (12 String Grand Symphony). In May of this year Taylor also announced the additions of the 612ce and the 612ce 12-fret this summer. Another “feel good” factor is that building guitars from maple wood, usually for the sides and backs of guitars, is good for the environment, since it is readily available and a renewable resource. Like the 800 series last year, the 600’s have been upgraded with the new Expression System 2 (ES2) pickup system featuring three sensors behind the bridge pins. As a worship musician if you haven’t tried out the ES2 system I believe you will enjoy the more natural and open sound when strummed or picked.

After speaking with Andy about his guitar innovations it is apparent that his building concepts translate well to players because he is one of us and he is seeking better tone. Christian music has truly embraced Taylor instruments, not only for the great guitars they build but also for the culture that permeates the entire company and is inspired by Bob Taylor, the owner.

If you’re in the market for a new acoustic guitar and have shied away from Maple in the past, give the 600’s a try and you’ll see and hear a difference. Taylor has always been known as a trendsetter with their bolt-on necks and unique body and electronics, but now they are redefining their own instruments as well. Street prices range from $2,599 and up depending on the features you choose!

Eric Dahl resides in Nashville TN with his wife and daughter. He is the author of “B.B. King’s Lucille and the Loves Before Her” and he does a weekly TV gear review show called the FOX 17 Rock and Review.

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From the Drummer’s Perspective

By Carl Albrecht

Still Serving After All These Years (*all scriptures from the NIV) Matthew 20: 26-28 …Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant… just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.

Philippians 2:7 (Jesus) made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…

Ephesians 5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. ***Please read these scriptures again and meditate upon them in relationship to your calling as a drummer/ musician.***

It’s amazing how often I hear from worship leaders, artists, and pastors that they are having trouble with a musician’s attitude. -- “They can play great, but they are just so hard to deal with!” Always complaining or arguing, and always “put out” by any request that might be made of them. A player like this is a “thorn in the side” of any music leader. This does not create a great working environment. And it probably works against any sense of unity and teamwork you are trying to build.

In the secular world a player like this normally gets fired.

“YO… YOU… YOU’RE OUTTA HERE!!” Problem solved!!! But we don’t do this in ministry situations. Church is family, and so the working dynamic is different. But in the church we should have the option to ask someone to “sit out” for a while so they can work on some “personal issues.” That sounds so nice, doesn’t it? It could take weeks, maybe months of counseling and good open conversations. No matter how difficult this may be as a leader you must deal with it before it becomes a cancer in your team. Trust me, bad attitudes will infect or affect everyone.

BUT… How do you deal with this if you are the one I’m talking about?

What if you’ve become difficult to work with?

Maybe you’ve found it difficult to serve others with your talents. Maybe you’re just tired or spent.

Let me share some practical ideas as a drummer who has been asked to do many different and “stretching” things.

My best advice is to “DIE TO YOURSELF”!

Whatever ministry or job setting I am in, I always remind myself of “why” I am there. God has given me gifts and talents to serve those that He connects me to. Unless I am creating music or working for myself, my calling and job is to help others find the “magic in their music.” I’m called to help worship leaders, artists, and producers find that place where they feel they are able to express their hearts as they creatively hear it, and to bring honor to the Lord with the art they are creating. Any musician brought in to assist on a project or event should have as their goal… “to partner with the process and serve.” Whatever it takes! And drummers have a huge impact on the feel and direction of any style of music and the mood of an event. So… I have a mental picture

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that I am a “gatekeeper to the presence of God.” “blown” it enough times to know that it’s true.

I’m working with a team… YES… but I’m the I hope you don’t mind if I don’t give you an “gatekeeper.” Wow… soak in that image for a example of those situations. while!!! Take it to heart!!

Well… OK ….

Just one!! No names I know that sounds great in print. But how do though… to protect the innocent. we live it? How can we make that happen?

I was playing drums at a conference. We Well, to the best of your ability, do what’s asked were recording the event. of you at all times. Be a “can do” kind of person.

The producer had been asking for one change When asked to play softer, play softer. When asked to play less, play less. When asked after another right up until the sound check before to….. you get the picture. I’ve had artists ask the recorded service. “Could you try this feel?? for different drums or percussion sounds. So I’ve Could you do this dynamic change in the 1st gone out and bought new equipment to be able verse?? OH,, and try a different tempo!! and …” ………. SNAP………… Carl turns to the to serve them. producer and says, “Look… I’ve played on Basically …I keep trying ‘til I see them smiling. hundreds of records. You should trust me that this I haven’t always hit the mark when it comes is working. You’re wearing the band out with to these things. There are times when you can’t all of your suggestions… blah… blah… blah… seem to please people, but I keep trying. If blah…” someone is unhappy with what I’m doing at least ...the Holy Spirit starts speaking to my heart..“ they know I’m giving them my best effort. There Carl, what are you doing?” are just times when circumstances are out of your “Yes, Lord?” control, which is a truth we don’t always like to hear.

“Carl, what are you doing? I thought you were Another thing I do is to keep asking questions here to serve. Did you forget what I made you to be sure the leader or singer is truly getting for? What Would I Do?” etc. etc. what they want from me. That will usually diffuse (I’m getting a pretty good spiritual spanking in the sense of frustration they may be feeling as the middle of this exchange of words I’m having they are trying to discover what really works for with the music director, and it changes my heart.) them. The creative process is often like digging So… for buried treasure; you might have to sweat a little to get to the gold. Keep digging!!!

Carl turns back to the producer and says…

Recently, we recorded Paul Baloche’s second “Sorry, bro., whatever you want. I’ll give you Christmas project, which will be released my best shot!” I even went to him later and this fall. Paul and the band set up camp at apologized for being out of line. (Repentance) Michael Rossback’s studio (our bass player). He said it was no big deal. I appreciated him Michael was also co-producing with Paul. As being gracious, but made sure we were in a with every recording project, there was a lot good place before we left the conversation. By of experimenting going on. We were trying the way, we’re still friends, and we still work different sounds, arrangements, tempo changes, together. style changes… EVERYTHING! “It’s all on the Humbling yourself and serving is not always table.” We had a great time because everyone easy. In fact, most of the time, it is a real was so open to trying things. Yes, it could get challenge. After all of these years of music and intense when ideas were flying around the room, ministry the tests still come. I used to think that I but in the end I was always mindful of what Paul would grow out of them. But what I’ve learned is and the producer wanted. Even using a box of that I’ve grown in the midst of them.

Cheerios as a shaker became part of the creative Remember… It’s ALWAYS about serving! process.

Galatians 5:13 …. serve one another in love.

What was most interesting about this whole process was what happened after we finished the sessions. Paul came up to me and said In Him, he was so blown away by the fact that I was doing everything that they requested. He was Your Servant, Carl so encouraged and blessed by the way I was helping him find the “right vibe” for his music.

Even after all these years I’m still wanting to serve Carl Albrecht has been a professional Paul, and every artist I work with, with the talents drummer & percussionist for over 25 the Lord has given me. years. He has played on over 70 Please don’t think I’m bragging. What I want you to realize is that serving people brings a blessing to a situation. Living in WWJD mode (What Would Jesus Do?) is so much better than going the other way. When I mess that up, then everyone, myself included, is miserable. And I’ve

JUL/AUG 2015 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

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: lmalbrecht@aol.com.

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Keyboard

By Ed Kerr

Mind Mapping I have two semesters under my belt now as Director of Worship Studies at The King’s University/Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas. In our upcoming Fall semester I’ll be teaching a Songwriting course. As I plan and prepare for the course, I’ve been using mind mapping software. It allows me to organize my ideas for the course, building a structure of content for the class that’s logically presented. Check out the complexity of the map I’ve created so far.

though we’re staring at a very intricately drawn illustration in a “Where’s Waldo?” book. Somewhere among all the characters and objects and detail on the page walks a tall skinny guy in a red and white striped sweater.

I think perhaps I’ve developed my illustration enough here for you to see where this article is heading. You and I live in an age when there is an endless list of things that can catch our attention.

Some trivial. Some urgent.

I’m challenging you, and reminding myself, that the most important thing to give time to in our lives is our relationship with the Living God. Matthew 6:33-34 speaks directly to this: But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Another reminder to seek God’s Presence is found in Psalm 32:6-7.

Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

My words here aren’t written as rebuke, but simply as reminder. Once we were lost, like sheep without a shepherd, stumbling in darkness, mired in the muck of our sin, longing to be loved. A Spotless Lamb was sent to save us; a Shepherd came to seek us; a Father fulfilled the longing of His heart, restoring us to relationship with Him.

And that relates to being a keyboard player how? It relates because you and I have more choices than ever available to us as musicians. It wouldn’t take us long to build a similarly complex mind map for worship keyboard players. Start typing. Which DAW do you prefer? Cubase? Ableton Live? Logic? ProTools?

Are you using MainStage? Do you own Omnisphere? Are all Let that truth anchor the center of your mind map whatever your your patches set up for Sunday’s worship set? Are your triggers pursuit, whether musical, relational, or vocational. You are loved, mapped correctly to start the stems for the 2nd song? Did you and nothing you do or leave undone will ever change that. note the tempo so you can set the delay for the opening song?

Oh, you’re playing a real grand piano? Have you had it freshly tuned? Are the mics well positioned? Have you dialed in the perfect mix with your in-ear monitors? iPad all set up so you’re Ed Kerr is Director Of Worship Studies at The ready to flick through your chord charts?

The visual of the mind map above has helped me see something very revealing. In the midst of all my planning for a Songwriting course, or your work preparing to contribute as a keyboard player on a worship team, sometimes it seems as

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King’s University/Gateway Church in Dallas, TX. He has a Master’s Degree in piano performance, has written many songs published by Integrity Music and teaches as a clinician with Yamaha and Paul Baloche. He plays Yamaha’s motif xf8.

Visit Ed online - www.kerrtunes.com

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Bass

By Gary Lunn

Adjusting to New Situations I recently had the honor of playing for a conference in Jerusalem. I was one of three musicians from Nashville, along with a musician from Finland, as well as worship leaders from around the world, singing together. Some of them were from England, one from Indonesia, one from Brazil, and some from the U.S.A. All agreed that no one person would lead worship, but that everyone would function as a unit. From a personal standpoint, it was a perfect scenario (My wife and I have dreamed about visiting the Holy Land for years). From a technical aspect, it was far from perfect, even though no one complained or grumbled. In fact, there were great attitudes all around. But in retrospect, I’d like to mention a few things that created the less-than-favorable live playing situation. My hope is that you might learn about these kinds of mistakeladen scenarios and hopefully help influence the powers that be with quick solutions to potential problems that can and will occur.

First of all, the stage setup was one of the most unusual setups I’ve ever been a part of (well, since the last time that I played in an orchestra pit). All of the band members, (except for the band leader/ keyboard player), were on a very low riser directly behind the main stage. The worship leaders were all in front of us, high up on the main stage. The band had no view of the audience at all. And, as if we weren’t feeling disconnected enough, we were listening to everything on in-ear monitors with no audience mic’s in the mix on any channel of the headphone control interface.

Communication with each other was difficult at best, though the bandleader did have a talkback mic coming to our ears.

Unfortunately, the channel designated for that talkback microphone also had video and audio playback, and was typically louder than our bandleader’s mic. Also, the speakers mic’s from the conference were all in that same channel. All of the levels from these sources were constantly changing. Honestly, it was a recipe for

disaster. Fortunately, in all the events, there were no major train wrecks. There were a couple of missed cue’s, but we made it through. Did I fail to mention that we were streaming live around the world through three different TV networks? No pressure at all. :) I feel that I need to “review” the headphone (in-ear monitor) system that we were “blessed” with. It was one that I had not worked with before. Sonically, it sounded okay, but the way the user interface was laid out was not very well thought out, especially for the fast paced, clumsy, on-the-fly world that musicians (who play in a live setting) usually have to operate in. Only having a short, two-hour sound check on stage for the amount of songs being sung between several short films, announcements, speeches, and short sermons, we were pretty much flying blind and (almost) deaf, more often than not.

Here’s an example of a bad, stressful technical scenario that happened quite often. If there was a sudden level change during a song that I needed to “counteract” while playing the song, I would have to wait to attempt the adjustment and read ahead on my chart in search of a long note, a long rest, or perhaps an openstring note that would allow me to plan on freeing up a hand to make a quick adjustment on the control box - or at least part of the adjustment. There are way too many moves involved to navigate to one setting and make the adjustment on this system. To move from channel to channel, you have to move a cursor on a screen with one, very sensitive, “notched” knob. Then, if you manage to safely land on the channel that you need to adjust (which is quite difficult under pressure) you have to press on the knob to select “volume” (thankfully, volume is the default option out of four represented by soft keys down the right side of the screen).

So, if you’ve gotten that far and you’re still playing a song, chances are you’re going to have to “abort” until the next whole note or open string opportunity.

What’s even MORE frustrating is that after 5 seconds, the pop up screen for the volume function disappears! So again... you have to carefully press down on the knob (hoping you don’t accidentally jump to another channel), bring the volume popup window into view and finally make the adjustment. Ok. Rant over.

The better stage scenario would have been for the musicians to be stationed on the same level as the singers (and the band leader). Eye contact is paramount in this kind of situation. Fortunately, at this event, I could see the drummer very well.

However, I never saw a singers eyes or face unless they turned completely around.

A different headphone system in place (Aviom or equivalent) that might have allowed us quicker adjustments to levels would have helped tremendously. When you have limited control and no eye contact with the monitor mix person, it can make a musician feel a bit helpless!

Lastly, having a view of the audience always helps to keep the spirit of the event in perspective. During a worship event, seeing people being blessed is always a blessing to the Levites on the platform!

All of these little hurdles I encountered at this conference I have mentioned here to simply learn from. However, they pale in comparison to the opportunity to worship with all nations during the week of Pentecost...from Jerusalem!

Gary is a session player/ producer/writer in Nashville, TN. He plays for many recording session accounts, does home recording, production, and attends Grace Church (gracechurchnashville.com) in Franklin, TN. Email him for questions, comments or scheduling at garylunn@me.com

WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM JUL/AUG 2015

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Vocals

By Sheri Gould

Recovery - Part 2 Last month I discussed how to take care of find out what damage you have and how to your voice while recovering from a temporary rectify it. condition like sickness or allergies. This month Traditional Treatment I want to address caring for your voice while Traditional standard of care management of recovering from more serious vocal maladies. vocal cord nodules (as well as many other types We have been hearing much more about vocal of damage) is voice therapy and avoidance of damage, and the ensuing rehabilitation, through any activities leading to voice abuse (screaming, media outlets as celebrities have become more yelling, overuse, etc). This involves many things, transparent. Once considered shameful or including, but not limited to: total silence for a embarrassing, these celebrated singers are now period of time, speech therapy, and relearning speaking out more about how they incurred their proper singing technique. These things take specific vocal damage and what the effects have time. Often the resolution of nodules with such been. I hope this will be very helpful for the “not so behavior focused treatment takes months. celebrated” singers working hard in the trenches (Unfortunately this is more time than many singers of our local churches. My first goal would be want to invest) However, although it takes a to help these folks AVOID vocal damage. The while for the nodules to resolve with this treatment second goal would be to help them through a method, they typically do not come back. That successful recovery and rehabilitation so that is why this treatment was and often is still the vocal damage doesn’t occur again. preferred treatment. Without re-learning how to Adele, a popular singer in the secular world, use your voice properly, there is a high risk of recently underwent vocal cord surgery to remove recurrence if underlying abusive voice behavior a benign polyp. Her doctor had some interesting that led to the nodule formation in first place is things to say with regard to vocalists which I not first addressed. thought I would share with you. Here are a few “Dr. Zeitels says a two-to-three month recovery of his quotes: and rehabilitation process, led by a vocal coach “A pop singer with nodules is common.” and/or speech pathologist, is typical. “More I would say that this is true of many Christian often than not, the person has been singing around an injury, so you have to decouple some singers and worship leaders as well. of those habits,” he says” “Bad singing habits, such as failing to warm up, can contribute to vocal injuries. A likelier culprit: Surgery Most pros carry on with the show even when For patients who are more “impatient” for results they’re ill or over-fatigued, making their voices (not unusual with professional singers whose especially vulnerable, he notes. “They may not livelihoods depend on singing), there are more be doing anything incorrectly. They may just have aggressive ways to address vocal cord nodules an amazing work ethic. They don’t call in sick.” with possible resolution within weeks. However, This is DEFINITELY true about the singing the caveat is--if the underlying voice behavior servants in our churches, although I would say it that led to nodule formation in first place is is likely coupled with bad singing habits as well. not addressed, the vocal cord nodule (or other condition) WILL recur after initial resolution/ “He speculates that many afflicted singers go improvement. Furthermore, as with any more undiagnosed. That may be changing. Like Adele, invasive treatments to obtain a “quick fix”, scar Keith Urban and John Mayer all recently went formation may occur, leading to permanent through throat surgery, putting their performance voice changes, usually for the worse. (Think Julie schedules on hold.”

Andrews) I believe that many singing servants in our I rarely recommend surgery before taking other churches have vocal damage and are often too measures, especially if the singer’s voice is only afraid to find out whether or not it’s true. If they somewhat impaired. Surgery naturally carries were to find out for certain that they did have with it much more risk. Often a singer is looking vocal damage, they would feel compelled to to get “back in the saddle” as soon as possible correct it and they know that it will cost them in and so looks to surgery as a “quick fix”. That is many ways. Most are afraid of the price they the wrong mindset in my opinion. It’s better to may have to pay - financially, physically and with take a long-term view of your vocal health and their (job/ministry) position, and because of this go for the option that is much more likely to solve they simply put off finding out what the status of your problem permanently. their vocal cords really is. It’s almost as if they believe the old adage “what I don’t know can’t Depending on your vocal malady, there may hurt me”. Sadly, nothing could be further from be other medical options for you such as steroid or Botox injections. Your doctor can inform you the truth. of what is available for your personal condition.

So the first thing I need to tell you is that if you Aftercare is Essential think you might have vocal damage, please get checked out by an ENT. One of two things will When going through recovery, care should happen. You will either put your mind to rest or be taken to follow your doctor’s instructions, get

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speech therapy, and put yourself under the care of a competent vocal coach. This is not the time to look for shortcuts. Be purposeful about putting in the time to practice everything you learn. You will need to carry a whiteboard with you for quick and easy communication. Text and email has made recovery much easier in this day and age! I tell my clients to look at this time as a “fast”.

Draw near to God during this time as you look for other ways to communicate and worship. Many of us, as singers, have heavily relied on (and enjoyed) singing as our primary way to worship.

We have to learn to experience God and the worship of Him in new and different way.

Helpful Products There are a few products that I have found useful for recovery as well: Organic Throat Coat (herbal tea)-steep for at least 30 min covered before drinking, Vocal Rescue-(Be sure to follow directions carefully, this product is to be gargled with warm water and not swallowed. (http:// store.superiorvocalhealth.com/?Click=296) (I have a link on my website http://sherigould. com/blog/ that will take you there as well.

You can even use the promo code GOULD and get 10% off) And, I also like to recommend a homemade solution of 3 parts Aloe Vera Juice (George’s tastes the best-it’s distilled and tastes like water!) and 1 part organic edible vegetable glycerin. Put this together in a spray bottle; shake well and spray toward the back of the throat while breathing in vigorously. Swallow any remaining solution. Repeat this as often as you like throughout the day for maximum help with healing the vocal folds. Remember to stay hydrated by using a warm air vaporizer near you whenever possible and obviously drink lots of water.

In Conclusion Vocal cord damage is always a frightening thing for a singer. However, there is hope once the proper information is gathered and synthesized.

Try to opt for the most natural approach possible in order to avoid further damage. Settle in for a potentially long recovery. Trust God to do some mighty work during that time, and He will. God bless you as you seek to serve Him through your singing! For help and/or support don’t hesitate to contact me at sherigould.com.

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 facebook.com/officialsherigould. For information on products, including instructional DVDs, check out www.sherigould.com

EQUIPPING THE CHURCH

by Chuck Page

Ransomware:

It’s alive and doing well on all O/S platforms.

Now that we understand what ransomware is let’s learn how it infiltrates a person’s computer.

Ransomware typically lands on a computer through three means. The first is through an email attachment. Do not open attachments from someone you do not know. The second method of infiltration is called a drive-by download. This Let’s first define what ransomware is and what method is pretty common and can occur when its objectives are. Ransomware is designed to a user simply clicks or accidently clicks on a stop your computer from working. It will usually link within someone’s infected website. The third accomplish this by preventing the user from method happens when a specific malware lands accessing any programs, by encrypting the on your computer and allows ransomware to files on your computer, or by stopping certain also be loaded at a later time. applications from running (such as your web Protecting your computer from ransomware browser). The reasoning behind this is to simply hold your computer hostage and demand is the same as any virus or malware. If you a payment from the user; Hence the name do the following you should be able to avoid ransomware. Once the payment is made there ransomware, or at least restore your computer if is usually a note that states a key will be sent you do get held hostage. that will unlock your computer or decrypts files 1. Always backup your data: Whether it’s a that have been encrypted. The charge for the ransomware or any other malware attack, there’s key usually starts around $100-$500 with a always a possibility of losing your data. Backup time limit attached. After the time limit expires the your data on a regular basis and keep those files price usually doubles. in a secure place away from your computer so There’s a misnomer floating around the computer community that states that ransomware only affects the Microsoft PC. The facts speak differently. The iOS or Mac based systems, as well as Android based systems, are also being infected by different variants of ransomware.

that you can restore it in an event of data loss.

2. Think before you click: Do not open email attachments that you were not expecting, or click on links on suspicious websites. If you see an email from a company that is trying to get you to open an attachment to receive something like money or a parcel, ignore that email because it may be an attempt to get you to install bad software.

3. Secure your PC: Make sure your computer is protected with anti-virus/anti-malware software.

4. Stay up-to-date: Make sure that all of your security programs, operating systems, and other applications are up-to-date.

Chuck is a partner and General Manager of GoFishMedia, LLC. He has been involved with technology for over 15 years and worship for over 20 years. He resides in Boise, Idaho with his wife Lisa.

Visit: www.gofishmedia.net Send Chuck an email: chuck@gofishmedia.net

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mia fieldes

bringing life to ashes

By Bruce Adolph We had the pleasure of having Mia Fieldes and her band lead us in worship and teach at our Songwriter’s Bootcamp during our Christian Musician Summit conference in Buffalo, NY recently. What we like about Mia is that, being Australian, she has an element of fun about her, but also there is a serious aspect to her mission as a songwriter. Her direct candor was a hit with our aspiring songwriters and the worship time we spent together collectively was inspiring. I got the chance to sit down with Mia the last day of the conference to interview her for you… our readers.

Worship Musician: Mia, how did you get started in worship music yourself?

Mia Fieldes: I always loved worship and I got saved in the Salvation Army. My family wasn’t saved, so no one was really teaching me about God. So it was the songs that were teaching me about God. And that is how my whole family came to know the Lord.

I really liked the songs that were teaching me who He was and that were about bible stories. I always think, “What a cool thing that it was songs that pointed me to Jesus and now to get to be a part of writing songs that point people to Jesus”.

God writes a cool story (laughing).

WM: How did writing songs come about for you?

Mia: I was always really good at English and literature at school, and I kind of had a natural ability with words and lyrics. I had to learn everything else. I could kind of sing, but I wasn’t confident in it. So to be honest, my story is about being a really good steward of one thing and watching it multiply and just continually persevering.

I moved to Sydney when I was seventeen and got involved at Hillsong Church and that was a really big part about teaching me how to lead worship and about songs for the church. I think having a creative community is an important part of sharpening you as a person. Especially people who are not always nice to you as a person, but they are constructive and give you feedback that is going to help you. I don’t need people to be nice. I think that the kinder thing is to say is, “You can work on that”.

WM: I heard you say a comment before that maybe churches are being too “nice”.

WM: You have also done a lot of cowriting. In that situation you work with someone in a room but you are also confronting each other as you have to look at someone and say, “I think that line doesn’t work…”

Mia: Totally! I think a good lesson is that it is not what you do, but how you do it. You can say something with the wrong tone and it comes off the wrong way.

There is no problem with saying, “Hey, I don’t think that line works”, but it is not about what you do… but how you do it.

Co-writing is so much about developing good relational skills, and what I have found is that the most talented people Mia: I think sometimes we think that aren’t necessarily the best co-writers. The being nice is being kind, but I don’t think people who are great “at people” are the that is true. Nice doesn’t confront anything best co-writers because they know how to necessarily, and I think we are scared at navigate the whole room instead of just confrontation. The times that I have been how to navigate the song. I think that at confronted on something and the change the end of the day songs are important, that it has brought about in my life… it is but I would rather have relationship has taking me to a different level of living longevity with people than have “a song”. in my character, a different level of the And I’ve noticed that the people that are way I do things. I am grateful to people who confront me. The people who have great at relationship… we tend to keep confronted me are the people I have kept writing record after record instead of just close to me in my life. It is not comfortable, having one moment of co-writing… you know what I mean? but it is kind… you know?

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Mia Fieldes

continued

WM: Sure! Now, what was your approach to this first record of yours?

Mia: Well, it was very different for me because I am so used to not writing for myself. To be honest, I’ve gotten really good at taking my own artistry out of the writing session just so somebody else’s artistry (can be featured)… but I don’t think I even knew what mine was. Jason Ingram was a big force in helping me recognize that I could do it, and he has been a big champion of that. I got together with a bunch of my favorite worship writers and I wrote with them because I trusted them, but also I kind of just went, “What songs do I love singing in church, and what songs feel good?”

A lot of the songs ended up coming out of my home church (The Belonging Co.) and are things that I have sung prophetically on the end of songs or in a meeting and I thought, “You know, there is something to that”. So I took some of those parts and wrote something from them. I even had some titles saved, like I had the song, “Ashes” saved for a long time because

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I just love the thought of God bringing quickly and then singing out something ashes to life. that I know people can jump on straight away instead of just singing a whole WM: Now the prophetic part, tell us bunch of random stuff. Take a song like some more about that because some “Fearless”. The song’s bridge, “No fear church folks get a little bit nervous when in the crashing waves, no fear when the you use the word “prophetic”? cost is great”. I’ve sung that prophetically in my church and it really did something in Mia: Right. You know, I don’t think the the meeting. I was like, “You know there Holy Spirit is weird. I think we have is something to that” and I got together seen weird people give Him weird with some writers, Jonathan Smith (who manifestations over the years. I’m not also produced the album along with Jason saying that is not legitimate, but I believe Ingram) and another writer at our church, that people think He is weirder than He is, Maggie Eckford, and we said, “Well, we and He is just not. He is just God with us. have this one section, let’s try and finish it He is just here… teaching and leading… out as a song.” and speaking. So I think that if you want to break down the prophetic to the simplest WM: Right on. Now who were some thing: when I’m singing prophetically I am of the people that you co-wrote with for just singing what I think the Holy Spirit is this new “Ashes” album? saying. It is amazing to see, when you just step out in faith, it really can change the Mia: We re-did “Christ is Risen”, which room. We have seen that in our church, I had wrote with Matt Maher. He is and I’ve really leaned into that because I someone that I love writing with. He is such understand the power of it. I think having an amazing guy, such an encouragement the background of a songwriter has helped even as a big brother. In fact, I kind of as well because I have a pretty good picked a lot of “big brothers” to write process of editing something in my head with. Matt Maher, Jason Ingram, Jonathan

Mia Fieldes

continued

Smith, and Maggie Eckford (who I mentioned earlier) and then I worked with the Vertical Church guys on one of the songs, “If I have You”, which we both ended up recording. I love that team. It has been a real encouragement to have worship players on the album too. Nashville is such a city where everyone is so talented and I really wanted amazing musicians, but more than that I wanted people who understood church and that understood worship. So it was great to have people like Hank Bentley (he plays for Crowder), Jacob Sooter (part of Vertical Church), and have those guys contributing to the overall sound and lean into the worship aspect.

WM: Now, what do you miss most about Australia, and what do you like most about living in the U.S.?

Mia: I miss Hillsong Church and the people and my relationships there. I think it is one of the best churches in the world, and some of the best pastors in the world. But I also love what God is doing in Nashville. I love that He would send random Australians across the world to be a part of that.

I miss some of the food in Australia and I miss my family, but I also love America and I love where I live… Nashville is such a great city. I

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love Mexican food (laughing). The Mexican food is awesome here!

WM: So with this record, some would think that you are transitioning from songwriter to artist. What would you say to that?

WM: Now here at the Christian Musician Summit conference you have been teaching Mia: To be honest, I don’t see it as a transition some classes. What have you been teaching to because I am not going to be dropping everything our registrants here? as a songwriter to be an artist. I don’t see it like that at all. For me it is more like a writer who has Mia: One of the things I am really passionate decided to carry a few of the songs. I am not about is songwriting. Because I didn’t start off going to stop co-writing for other people. That is super talented, have everything together and still my passion. For me it is all about songs, so knowing how to write a song. It was really the album is just another outlet for songs. something I had to work at. I am big about encouraging people. If you work hard at anything People ask me, “Are you going to travel with the and persevere you will see results. You have in songs?” You know, I hope that the songs travel your life what you value, and if you don’t put the themselves. I hope that some 16 year old does work in, you won’t see results. I think there is a lot a cover on YouTube and does it better than I do. of mystery around songwriting as well, and I love I hope that somebody else sings the songs in his some of that, but I also like giving people some or her church better than I ever would. I think actual practical information and some practical there is something really beautiful about that. For tools to be able to go about writing songs. It the most part I am really passionate about giving is so important because I think a lot of the time people songs that serve everyone else. people are guessing… because it does feel a bit mystical.

I am excited about this next season of carrying a few of the songs, but I’m not going to stop There actually are some principles of songwriting writing for everybody else – that is still 90% of that really set you up to win. So I say, “Hey, here what I do. are some of the tools to build what you want to build.” That has been great.

Visit www.miafieldesmusic.com for more on Mia.

JUL/AUG 2015 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

TIPS FOR TIGHT TEAMS

by Sandy Hoffman

Chart From The Heart (Speaking The Language of Flow) Sometimes the simplest way to accomplish a task is to take a linear approach. I recall the days when it was like a contest with ourselves to see if we could somehow fit the chart we’d write for each worship song onto just one page. I’m not sure how that started, but it became almost an unspoken rule: no charts of more than one page allowed! The result was a non-linear, non user-friendly type of chart. It lacked clarity, detail, and most importantly, flow. For many team members, this one-page chart was impossibly hard to follow, bouncing forward, backward, and in between from section to section. We desperately needed a re-tool in the chart department.

A huge negativity has been lifted, and team members are now happily on the same page! Mission number one: accomplished.

up) we can begin with a simple section heading / direction like this:

INTRO: [ACOUSTIC GUITAR AND HI HAT]. (In this way, we not only know who MISSION #2 is playing, but the rest of the team can Dal Segnos, Da Capos, and Codas, see that the intro is sparse, and that they we’ve all had our share. But where have will need to wait their turn until later in the these flowery, foreign terms, with their piece to make an entrance.) somewhat obscure meanings, taken us?

VERSE 1: [LEAD VOCALS IN]. (All we’ve (Aren’t these mostly just glorified repeat added for verse one is the lead vocals. signs anyway?)

We’re still keepin’ it thin, and waiting to If you enjoy a reasonable level of music add harmonies.)

education, such highbrow directional CHORUS: [HARMONY VOCALS / indicators are probably of service to you. PIANO / LIGHT BASS GUITAR & DRUMS You have an intellectual feel for the flow of IN]. (OK. Now we’re getting somewhere.

As the years passed, I worked with many the song, which enables you to navigate This instrumentation is pretty full.) worship musicians. Over time it became from section to section without confusion VERSE 2: [WITH INTENSITY AND obvious that lots of our rehearsal and or delay.

URGENCY]. (No more instruments or vox performance glitches were the result of POCO A POCO?! added here, but more drama is building, this non-linear chart dysfunction. The team poco a poco–little by little.)

But what of those whose music education members were regularly being confused. By CHORUS: [ALL IN - HUGE! ROCK IT!!]. the time theirs eyes found and focused on the does not include terms like poco a next section of the music we were playing, poco, crescendo, or rubato? I mean (In simple English, we’re letting our team we were nearly through it and on to the next. really! When is the last time you found know that now is the time to sing and play It was time to be reminded why a chart really yourself in a molto accelerando moment? it wide open. No more holding back. The Perhaps it is time that we chart from the climax of the song has arrived. Of course, existed in the first place: heart, removing every possible difficulty we could do the chorus again, and build “The purpose of a musical chart is to and distraction from the eyes and minds it even further–beyond human limitations! facilitate the unhindered flow of the song of our team members. In this way, even That’s up to you–and God!) Then we end from beginning to end, from A to Z.” while they beautifully execute the music, with: Our charts needed to flow in a linear they become free to focus on the One true OUTRO: [GRADUALLY FADE AWAY, fashion, A to Z. When we limited them to object of their affection: Jesus!

ENDING PEACEFULLY]. Deep breath in, only one page, it required us to include DIVIDE... then exhale, ahhhhhhh. scads of messy repeats and unnecessary Now that we’ve decided to take the We’ve gone from sparse, to huge, jumps between sections. This became a aforementioned linear approach to worship- to peaceful in the time it takes to play guaranteed flow kill. chart flow, the next great improvement to one worship song. Using only simple, A ’TUDE our chart communications is to divide the understandable vocabulary, we’ve Soon, there also emerged a bit of an chart into quickly recognizable sections. communicated all this with our team. attitudinal pattern (problem). The worship With the use of bold, underlined, all cap’ We moved in a linear fashion, without musicians were frustrated with the charts I was text, we label our sections as: INTRO, any doubling back or repeats in the handing them. At the same time, I became VERSE 1, CHANNEL, CHORUS, VERSE music, and we landed exactly where more and more frazzled, explaining and 2, CHANNEL, CHORUS, BRIDGE, intended: squarely in the presence of re-explaining all those sectional movements CHORUS, CHORUS, OUTRO, and so GOD. This is what happens when we, out within the songs. It finally dawned on me that on. And because we’re being linear, we of consideration and love for our fellow the one page system was a huge part of the never need to go back and repeat a verse worship team members, chart from the or chorus. We simply cut and paste the heart. problem. Get rid of it! repeated section into the sectional order of MISSION #1 the chart. This maintains an easy flow and We’re gettin’ there, Though it was difficult to break that old habit, accessibility for team members to follow I persevered, and soon was communicating and execute.

Sandy much more clearly, creating charts of two ...AND CONQUER pages, and occasionally more. The linear The final link in this communication chain system [begin at the upper left of page one, and end at the lower right of page two] is instructional. Not the kind of instruction Sandy Hoffman serves the really worked! No more chart-gymnastics, where we’re teaching, but the kind where worship community at Christ jumping and bounding from one section to we’re giving direction or instructions. Let’s Church Santa Fe, NM, and another. Instead, we flowed smoothly from say that we’d like our musical arrangement beyond. Find out more about his the beginning to the end of a song, following for a particular worship song to build and “Tips for Tight Teams” online at: our linear chart all the way to the finish line. gradually become more dramatic. Instead www.WorshipWorks.com of using high brow terminology: molto Our rehearsals are so much more dramatico poco a poco, (I made that ©2015 Worship Works! Music efficient now, and relationally satisfying!

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Record Reviews The Nerverclaim The Joy 1. The Joy 2. Dance With God 3. Jesus Is 4. Go 5. Everything 6. Our God Wins 7. Rise As One 8. Rules and Reigns 9. Perfect God 10. Mighty Men of God 11. Through Christ

By Gerod Bass “Mighty Men Of God” is a call to the men of God to stay close to Christ in the midst of temptations and struggles in life, and the album ends with a declaration of victory with the powerful song, “Through Christ”.

The Neverclaim has once again delivered an album of robust worship music helping us realize that our God is not too big to hear and care about our smallest worry or need. The melodies are well written and most of these songs could be used in your church. My only gripe was that there were no quiet moments or places for intimate “We never want to claim God’s glory as our worship here as every song was mid to own is a statement that continues to define high tempo. Some of the songs tended to the hearts of the gritty six-piece worship run together, but for the most part this is a band, The Neverclaim, who hail from great album.

Portland, OR. Their fifth album, The Joy was released in July and is chock full of scriptural truths, humble worship, and enough joy to Finding Favour make you jump up and sing along.

Reborn The title track leads off and is a rocking salute to the joy that we receive through the 1. Refuge sacrifice of Christ. The boys did a fine job 2. I’ll Find You here of working Nehemiah 8:10 into a very 3. Cast My Cares memorable and fun worship tune. The guitar 4. Feels Like The First Time work and tight harmonies make this song 5. Be Like You stand out and I actually wrote this one down 6. Reborn 7. Tiny Town as a must-do for my church.

8. Till Your Kingdom Comes “Jesus Is” keeps the energy going with 9. Hallelujah One More Time house beats, loops, and a dance groove 10. Say Amen that is very infectious. The thing that makes this song special though is the lyrical content, Writing songs that tell meaningful stories which makes the comparison between who in a way that is new and real is a very the world says Jesus is and who He really hard thing to do, but it is what landed is. This song declares that Jesus is indeed Finding Favour a record deal with Gotee relevant and that we need Him more than Records a few years ago. Hailing from Lyons, Georgia, the band has been ever. writing music and leading worship Part of the appeal of this album is that together since 2005, and in June of this many of the tracks center on the hope and year they released their 2nd studio album victory we have in Jesus, while at the same under the Goatee label entitled Reborn. time reminding us that we have a call to act This new collection showcases the group’s in response to what God has done. Songs innate talent in writing songs of religious such as “Rise As One”, which is a powerful inspiration and personal transformation anthem about unity as the body of Christ, against a backdrop of extensive musical and “Go”, which is a poignant call to live styles. lives that are ready to go where God sends “Refuge” kicks off the album speaking of us, are just two examples. the faithfulness of God and is an energetic

*Gerod’s Personal Picks in bold.

Overall impression Average person could learn/participate on the first hear Can be learned/adapted by a band of average skill Lyrical creativity and integrity

The Neverclaim The Joy Finding Favour Reborn Chris McClarney Everything and Nothing Less Matt Redman Unbroken Praise Jesus Culture

Bryan and Katie Torwalt highest marks

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pop roller-coaster of a song that is sure to find regular play on Christian airwaves.

“I’ll Find You” reminds us that no matter where we go, we can find the majesty of God on display.

I appreciated that a few of the songs on Reborn could not be considered worship per se, which kept it interesting throughout.

“Be Like You” is a catchy, heart-tugging song about loving our children like Jesus, and “Feels Like The First Time” is a fun southern jam with banjos and mandolins that joyously explores the blessings of marriage.

“Say Amen” was previously released to national acclaim and serves to wrap up the album magically with some slick writing and gorgeous harmonies praising God for what He has done, with southern gospel flair.

This is a musically eclectic album with styles ranging from rock, pop, gospel, country, and rockabilly that showcases the musical gifts and writing talents of this up and coming group of musicians from Georgia. Although I liked the non-worship songs being included on this album, a few of them were noticeably void of references to Christ when telling stories of their marriage or childhood. I can only assume these are meant for non-Christian radio and although I understand, they seemed a bit out of place when surrounded by songs of a different genre.

Chris McClarney Everything And Nothing Less 1. Holy Moment 2. All Consuming Fire 3. God Of Miracles 4. Everything And Nothing Less 5. Beauty For Ashes 6. On Earth As It Is In Heaven (Feat.

Kim Walker-Smith) 7. Running After You (Deep Calls) 8. Thirsty 9. Came To My Rescue Sometimes people realize a calling early in life, and when they follow their hearts and God’s leading, amazing things can happen. So it was with Jesus Culture worship leader, Chris McClarney who began leading worship at age 14 and is now becoming a well-recognized worship leader and songwriter around the world. Best known for his 2008 worship hit, “Your Love Never Fails”, McClarney continues to write music that is spiritually intimate while connecting hurting people with a God who loves them. Everything

And Nothing Less was recorded at the 2015 Jesus Culture Conference in Sacramento and contains 9 songs that give worshipers a glimpse into the heart of God.

8. No One Like Our God 9. The Awesome God Your Are 10. No Longer I 11. Majesty Of The Most High

My favorite song is actually the first cut, “Holy Moment” which is a great worship service opener.

It begins with a stirring ethereal pad and a simple phrase that really captured me....”This is a holy moment, this is a holy moment”. This phrase not only set up the song very well, but also the rest of their time of worship together and reminded me as a worship leader that when we gather before God in corporate worship these are holy moments that need to be treasured. The chorus on this track is still stuck in my head 3 days later as Chris cries out....”Come with expectation, everything abandoned. Look and see the glory of our God. Lift your voice to heaven. Jesus is our anthem. Celebrate the wonder of His love”.

Matt Redman is no stranger to success in the world of worship music. He has become one of the most recognized names in the CCM industry especially after winning a Grammy in 2013 for the immensely popular, “10,000 Reasons”, which is being sung Sunday after Sunday in churches around the world. His newest project, Unbroken Praise features 11 new songs and, although it has a few weak moments, there is much to be excited about with this latest release.

Thematically, this album centers on our innate need for a savior and how Jesus meets every need in every situation. “Running After You (Deep Calls)” is the best example of this idea and is a deeply personal cry out to God for healing and renewal. This track features a very creative arrangement and some interesting chord changes that drew me in immediately. McClarney’s throaty gospel vocals add depth and feeling to what is one of my favorite songs of the year.

“Thirsty” is based on Matthew 11:29 and is in the same vein, but focuses more on the Savior who calls us to come and find rest in Him. The arrangement is mid-tempo with an almost military drumbeat and piano backing that builds into a celebratory chorus that you won’t soon forget.

The theme of ‘grace for all’ is very clear as we hear the phrase, “Oh come, there’s mercy, it doesn’t matter what you’ve done” which speaks to every person who has sinned and fallen short of God’s mercy. The song ends with another phrase that captured my heart....”There’s healing, there’s freedom, there’s more than enough for everyone”. Great truths for needy souls!

This is an album full of interesting arrangements, great musical choices, and spiritually extensive songs that will appeal to anyone who needs balm for an aching soul. As it is with most Jesus Culture albums, a few of the songs tend to drag on a bit, but I was impressed overall and I can’t wait to bless my church with a few of these Godhonoring selections.

Matt Redman Unbroken Praise 1. Louder 2. It Is Well With My Soul 3. Flames 4. Unbroken Praise 5. Abide With Me 6. King Of My Soul 7. Songs In The Night

7. Weight of Glory 8. I See Heaven 9. He Is The Light 10. Nothing Is Holding Me Back 11. I’m A Lover Of Your Presence 12. King Of All The Earth 13. Glorious 14. I See Heaven (Live) 15. When You Walk Into The Room (Live)

Bryan and Katie Torwalt met in 2006 while both attending the Bethel School of Worship. They were married in 2009 and have since become a powerfully moving worship duet whose songs proclaim the saving power and majesty of our God. Their third release is a compilation of The title track is a classic Redman worship song some of their most-loved worship songs that are with plenty of hooks and melodies leading to delivered with authenticity and spiritual maturity. a very sing-able chorus floating over the piano A few of the better cuts include “Holy Spirit” and acoustic guitar arrangement. Lyrically, it is a wonderful reminder that worship doesn’t just end which is a very intimate invitation for the Holy when we leave church or stop singing songs, but Spirit to be active in our lives. The blending of that God calls us to live lives of unbroken worship Bryan and Katie’s soothing vocals mixed with the driving rhythm and electric guitars give this song that should never cease. depth and power as they sing “Let us become Redman joins the throng of current worship more aware of your presence, let us experience artists who are reworking old hymns with his the glory of Your goodness...”. updated versions of “It Is Well With My Soul” “It Is Finished” is a glorious musical journey and “Abide With me”. “It Is Well” gives a fresh perspective of this classic hymn by going against that begins contemplatively on the night of our the grain of other modern rewrites of the song. Savior’s death and ends in victorious praise on The verses and melody are completely new Easter morning as we hear of the triumph of and tell the story of how God brings his people Christ over death. through the darkness of sin and the battles of life “When You Walk Into The Room”, “Weight of while paying homage to the original hymn by keeping the melody of the chorus intact including Glory”, and “I’m A Lover of Your Presence” all the patented echo. “Abide With Me”, which do a magnificent job of revealing the presence was first released by Matt Maher on his Saints of God in our lives, both musically and lyrically. and Sinners album earlier this year, holds true “Nothing Is Holding Me Back” is a sweet song to the original theme of God walking with us of response to God’s grace that goes beyond us through trials and death, but features new verses, just saying ‘thank you’, but rather calls us to give our whole lives as a thank you for what God melodies, and even a chorus. has done.

The album ends a bit unexpectedly as the final This collection from Bryan and Katie contains two tracks, “No Longer I” and “Majesty Of The Most High” are both contemplative worship their best songs and, in my opinion, are some of pieces emphasizing the greatness of God and the better songs to come out of the Jesus Culture how we need Him more than anything else. Both movement to date. Their voices are phenomenal of these songs seemed a bit “campfire-ish” and together and most of the songs here have kind of left me flat at the end of what was a great lyrical and musical depth and creativity while holding true to scripture and helping the listener album. experience the very presence of God in their Some of the songs tended to run together and lives. sound similar, but there are enough creative musical moments and well written lyrics on this album for you to pick it up.

Jesus Culture Bryan and Katie Torwalt 1. He Is Faithful 2. Shores 3. Holy Spirit 4. It Was Finished 5. I Breathe In You, God 6. When You Walk Into The Room

Gerod Bass is a ministry veteran who has been serving God’s people through worship and youth ministry for over 20 years. Since 2009, he has been living his dream serving as the minister of worship and Jr. High at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Tacoma, WA. He’s a singer, guitarist and recording artist who has a passion for impacting lives for the sake of the Gospel. Find out more, including his newest album release at his website, gerodbass.com.

WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM JUL/AUG 2015

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FOH Engineer

By Kent Morris

Train and Track: Dr. Charles Stanley, In Touch and FBA Millions of listeners hear Dr. Charles Stanley’s resonant baritone voice each week as he preaches from the platform at First Baptist Atlanta (FBA). As the church’s senior pastor since 1969, Dr. Stanley has led FBA to an unprecedented level of access to the world through his broadcasts. In Touch Ministries (ITM), has been responsible for capturing, editing and broadcasting Dr. Stanley’s sermons for the past four decades. How the two ministries function together to produce a world-class product is an interesting story.

“First Baptist Atlanta is the train and In Touch is the track” according to Dr. Stanley. What he means is the event is created at the local church level while In Touch is the method used to deliver that service to people around the world.

Unlike many other church-broadcast relationships, FBA and ITM are not tied together. As a local church, FBA focuses on serving the congregants who attend each week and those in need in the Atlanta area. However, In Touch, with its distinct mission, is tasked with producing world-class broadcasts designed to reach the world. In a non-Christian setting, this division of labor and responsibility could create misunderstandings, but the FBA-ITM arrangement holds each party in equal stature and encourages cooperation at every level. As a result, things flow smoothly and any issues are handled with mutual respect.

who produces the Al Roker show for The Weather Channel, handles truck audio on a pair of Yamaha CL3 consoles tied into hard disc recorders. Jorge Corvea, a brilliant audio engineer from Cuba, takes care of the studio recording from his perch in the FBA control room. Jorge uses a Yamaha PM1D connected to a Pro Tools rig. I am at FOH handling A2 duties and acting as a liaison between ITM and FBA due to my location in the sanctuary. When I am unable to be there, Jason Singleton, who toured for years with Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Hornsby and James Taylor handles the job perfectly. My A1 partner in the audio booth (on another Yamaha PM1D) is Mike Bell, FBA’s head audio tech, who On Sundays, I arrive at FBA at 5:30AM hails from years of work at Disney World to meet with John Roberts (JR), the head tech and FB Orlando and Jacksonville. Mike’s for ITM to go over the day’s proceedings. boss is Barry Edwards who oversees the JR handles any equipment issues related to AVL for FBA and coordinates all the details the two broadcast trucks ITM drives over of the day with ITM. I am on intercom, on Friday and ties into the FBA AV rig. monitoring two conversation streams, with Matt Miller, a veteran of broadcast TV channel one dedicated to ITM for video call and channel two set for FBA. I also wear a radio with an earpiece in the same ear to respond quickly to emergency ITM issues.

That leaves one ear open to assist Mike with the mix, cues and issues that may arise. We run 96 channels of audio selected each week from 122 inputs split to three locations with up to 24 simultaneous wireless mics in play, plus 12 mics on choir and 40+ in the orchestra, so it can get

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interesting pretty quickly. The video crew is busy as well with eight studio cameras operational each service including a jib boom, a remote track rail camera that spans the auditorium, another remote camera on a pedestal and five manned cameras. Control is split between FBA and ITM depending on the situation: in local projection mode, ITM sends the steady two-shot feed to FBA who then overlay lower thirds and notes while ITM calls a live streaming feed while recording all eight cameras for later editing for the In Touch broadcast. The audio is laid back for multiple uses including broadcast, but also for MP3 playback via The Messenger, a solar powered player that is given freely to hundreds of thousands of people in remote locations.

Since the sermon must be delivered cleanly and clearly for both house and broadcast, we use a Shure UR4D bodypack system with a DPA d’fine dualband head mic and we have identical primary and back-up systems batteried up and tested each service. Jason or I configure the wireless onto Dr. Stanley and monitor everything until the sermon ends or we pass out from holding our breath!

Kent Morris is a 35 year veteran of the worship technology arena with a passion for excellence, balanced by the knowledge digital is a temporary state.

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PERCUSSION

By Mark Shelton

You’ll Need Some Tape Can you imagine life without adhesive tape?

of the instrument, tape some of the jingle sets to the shell so that those discs remain stationary (and Back in the nineteenth century, it is doubtful that silent). The photo shows this technique applied to the folks involved in the development of pressure- a Jingle Stick from Latin Percussion (R). sensitive adhesives imagined the myriad uses for a sticky strip of fabric or paper. I’m certain that no one back then imagined a prom dress made of duct tape.

Living in the present-day drumming world, you learn that adhesive tape can be a friend in many situations. Besides making temporary repairs to your gear, there are several ways that a roll of tape can assist a percussionist. A look around my trap table during a rehearsal set me to thinking about how I use the sticky stuff in my music making.

Soften a stick Where did I put that?

When you find yourself in a musical passage that includes both the sharp attack of a drumstick Sticks and mallets are fairly easy to locate bead AND the rounded tone of a soft mallet, but with no time for an implement change, a on a trap table even in dim lighting, but few inches of tape can help you deliver the two smaller implements such as triangle beater can be elusive. Your eyes will have an easier time sounds. spotting the beater if you wrap a strip of bright Take any drumstick and wrap some “cushion yellow tape (or glow tape) around the handle. tape” (Examples: 3M Nexcare (R) Absolute Shaker combinations Waterproof Tape or Dr. Scholl’s (R) Moleskin) around the lower shoulder area. That’s it! Give Finding the proper shaker sound to fit the this treatment to a couple of sticks and you can musical moment is part of the art of playing easily play that suspended cymbal roll and move quickly to using the bead on the snare drum or percussion. Combining a couple of shakers the butt end on the cowbell. A decent cymbal might be the right formula. Playing multiple roll is even possible with only one modified stick. shakers simultaneously can be used to bump up the volume. Holding two or more in one hand while you play a bongo part with your other Your Fingers Will Thank You claw might be a precarious juggling act. Just Pounding away on the djembe and congas wrap some tape around the bunch and proceed can take a toll on the hands. Without some to shake with confidence. protection, I am prone to getting tiny splits in my fingers and palms while hand drumming.

My favorite means of split-prevention is a good dose of tape before I begin to play. Nexcare (R) Absolute Waterproof Tape provides a bit of cushioning without interfering with my tone or technique.

Tone down the jingles It only takes a little tape to manipulate the sound of a tambourine. If you want to darken the tone of jingles, apply a tiny bit of tape to several of the discs. This little trick will mute some of the higher frequencies. To reduce the overall volume

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Find the right pair The difference in appearance between a general timpani mallet and a staccato stick can be very slight and it can also be a challenge to quickly locate a matched set of drumsticks in a stick bag if they are stored with the “beads down.” (Of course, “beads down” makes it easier to grab a stick in the right position.) Find the right pair of implements in a hurry by colorcoding with different colors of tape on the shafts.

Don’t miss a page turn Have you ever shown up to a rehearsal and been given sheet music that was unbound?

Trying to navigate a seven-page chart while moving between congas, tambourine, and claves can be challenging enough without trying to flip through a bunch of loose paper to find the repeat sign. Several strips of tape can eliminate an element of stress and improve your performance. Anticipate that situation, toss a roll of transparent tape in your mallet case, and tame the pile of paper before the rehearsal starts.

See all your pitches Perhaps you have been adjusting the gauges on a set of timpani only to discover that a couple of pitch markers are missing. Maybe there is not enough space between the F and G markers to squeeze in the F# marker. It’s tape to the rescue!

I routinely have a few precut strips in my mallet case to fit those tight spots on the gauge or substitute for a missing marker.

It had to be a lot tougher to be a percussionist a couple of centuries ago. Not only were there no automobiles to haul your gear to a gig, but no one had gotten around to inventing pressuresensitive adhesives. Take advantage of playing in modern times and stock up on several rolls of tape.

An active freelance musician, Mark’s percussion work can be heard live and on recordings with Gateway Worship.

A member of the Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster, Mark performs frequently as a percussion soloist.

Mark’s compositions are published by Per-Mus Publications, HoneyRock, & Heritage Music Press. Check out more of Mark’s educational materials at www.percussionforworship.blogspot.com. ©2015 Mark Shelton Productions Percussion For Worship

Cut-capo Guitar

By Mitch Bohannon

Short-Cut to a Hoedown I must admit, I’ve been “country” ever since I was big enough to turn the dial on the radio (back when they still had dials!)

Country music sometimes gets a bad rap and folks in churches and on worship teams can be on polar opposites over it. However, you just can’t downplay the excitement in the room when the Crowder Band unplugs and sets up in a “frontporch-jug-band” and simply throws down on a hoedown. The crowd is so into it that even though the band is relatively “unplugged,” the volume in the room goes UP. So, maybe you’re not a country player or you just need something fresh. Read on and I’ll give you a simple lick that will get your congregation ready to start clapping along.

Wear it well...

Point to remember: the Short-Cut capo, E, B, A(no3), E will set you up nicely to get on the 2nd fret (first position), will be the ‘em singing key of “E.” To transpose, use a 6-string E B A (no3) capo two frets behind the Short-Cut (i.e. frets 1/3 for “F”, 2/4 for “F#”, 3/5 for “G”, etc.). I play most of my countryworship songs in “E” or “G.” So, pull your boots up and let’s get started with a simple country feel.

Playing this really resembles what a banjo might play. The “E” fingering is one-finger, second-fret above the capo on the third string. That’s a “B”-note, by the way, and I use my middle (2) finger. To create this feel, start with your 1st finger (index) on the “Bb” note (same string, first fret above the capo – this makes an “E flat-5”) and then Hammer-On the 2nd fret “B”. I use a 16th-note strum starting from that 3rd string. The hammeron should happen on beats 1, 3, and 4. I make sure I “punch” (down-strum) on those hammer-on’s to accentuate them.

E b5

E

Carry on that toe-tapping feel for three measures and then roll out of it (still talking in number of frets in front of the capo).

Third-string, fret 2…pull-off to fret 1…pull off to open-string…hammer-on fourth-string fret 3…pull-off to fret 2…pull-off to openstring…hammer-on fifth-string fret 3…pulloff to open-string and then strum the “E” chord.

Following that lick up with a basic country strumming pattern (I use bass/strum/up/ down/up) through the chord progression:

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Maybe you don’t like country music at all. Please don’t forget that there are plenty in your congregation that do and it just may be what draws them into worship! I love playing a country sound, but rarely use it in worship. I did a hoedown medley about 5 weeks ago and am STILL getting comments about it!

What are some easy song ideas? Sure!

Amazing Grace (E or G), I Saw the Light (G), Will the Circle Be Unbroken (G), I’ll Fly Away (G), Unclouded Day (G)…

Our goal as worship leaders is to help people connect with God and communicate their love to Him. Adding in a time of celebration that is fun and inviting and even out-of-the-norm can be a great thing.

Mitch Bohannon developed the Short Cut Capo for Kyser and is a worship pastor in Louisiana. He and his beautiful wife, Noelle, have been married for 22 years and have three awesome kids! www.kysermusical.com

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GuiTAR GRAB BAG

By Jeffrey B. Scott

Powering Up Your Parts As a follow-up to the last issue’s article, I wanted to talk about another practical thing we guitarists come up against in the church world. Especially as primarily an electric guy, I see this often: As a new team member, asked to sit in with a team you don’t know or lead vocally when there’s already an accomplished lead guitar player, you have to find your spot.

us are 100% of the team; it takes every one. So if I’m not listening to everyone else playing on the team, I won’t be able to fully articulate the most complementary parts to the whole. (Trust me, it’s happened before: I’ve accidentally had someone off in the ears, and thought, “Man, it sounds empty - I need to play more!” When in reality, I needed to just stick to my part because the other guy had it covered.

Sometimes it’s easy - just listen to the And I really messed with the sound guy’s original recording and play the part. But head that day, too!) what about those other times? How do we make all the pieces fit when it’s not easy?

Hopefully this will be helpful as you approach next week’s rehearsal, or the THINK DIFFERENT next time you get thrown into a new situation.

When it comes to modern praise and worship music, most churches have a PRACTICAL PARTS similar approach if they’re using a band.

No one has invented any new instruments I think in terms of a full band most often, specifically for worship or new chords but recently have had the privilege of no one has ever heard (at least, not that working in a smaller church setting, with I’m aware of!), but we can still put things a smaller team. So far, our biggest band together in a way that is complementary, to date was 2 acoustics and bass, with 2 creative, and unique. So if you’re in a new vocalists. It’s a challenge to translate songs context or configuration, think differently from Hillsong or Lincoln Brewster into a about it. Use different chord voicing or context like that, but we try our best to find two notes in the chord that sound make it work and still be a great offering, good with the changes, and play there. both for God and for the people.

Don’t just sit on the “first position” chords Here’s some ideas for your next unique and make noise - try something different. situation: TONE SEARCH Multiple Acoustic Guitars If you can’t find a unique part that’s going • Sometimes adding a delay to an to work, what about a different tone? If acoustic (use sparingly, but go for you’re used to driving a band with a gritty it!) can sound pretty great. With awesome distorted tone, try something multiple acoustics, one can play cleaner. The same or similar part you’re normally and the other use a delay. used to will become something entirely With differing parts, it can sound different if you clean it up. Add delay or great. reverb and it’s a whole new thing entirely (See Practical Parts).

Acoustic with Electric LISTEN • Go clean or low-drive and add reverb. Single notes can ring out Above all, listen to everyone else. I and be heard, but don’t have to think in-ears are great, but they also do take over. And it gives an added something negative - they allow isolation in dimension to the sound of the whole, a team sport! If your team is using wedges, opening up even small spaces. or monitors other than in-ears, listening comes naturally. But if you are mixing your own ears via a personal mixing device, • Become the keyboardist. (Okay, hear me out!) Along the same lines it’s really easy to just put in the basics just as above, add long delay to the to “get by” and leave out members of your team. I’ve said this before, but none of

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reverb and play swells that mimic a keyboard pad.

Acoustic, Electric and Keys •

Single note lines can play well here, especially if the keys are covering pads.

•

If you’re keyboardist is more pianolike, stick with the pad idea and fill the space. Very overdriven tones into delay and reverb can sound huge, even in a smaller environment, so try it out and see what works best.

•

Most of the time, you can’t drive the rhythm, but you can play whole-note chords and let acoustics carry that.

•

Mimic bass part lines. Single note lines can give definition to the root notes of the chords and let you still carry a part of the rhythm.

Acoustic, Electric and Bass •

Lots of options here, because you have low end and rhythm covered.

Single-note lines or two-note chords (think above the 5th fret) can fill space not already occupied, and add dimension to the sound.

•

Single note lines along with the bass - lots of recordings feature this kind of layering. Just make sure you talk over what you’re going to do so you’re in sync!

If you have a unique situation I haven’t covered and would like some more ideas tailored to your scenario, drop me note on Facebook (fb.me/jeffreybscottmusic) or on Twitter (@jeffreybscott) - I’d love to help any way that I can!

Jeffrey B. Scott lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife and 3 children, and is deadset on delivering his best for God’s glory. He’s a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He served with Lincoln Brewster at Bayside Church in California and is currently serving alongside the team at Passion City Church in Atlanta, GA. Twitter: @jeffreybscott

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The Band

By Tom Lane

Be Reflective Have you ever witnessed God moving in an irrefutable way, outside the realm of understanding and apart from anyone dictating or steering it? So much so that no one could ever convince you that it wasn’t real and supernatural? I have, and it made me even more of a believer in the power of the Holy Spirit and transformed my reality.

There’s a lost generation at the doorstep of the church, starving for hope, faith, and the power to change their lives. If they were to encounter the living God the way I have, they too might become convinced and immovable in their faith.

God is moving in many ways beyond our seeing and knowing, all around us—every second. He is able to convince a lost soul completely without our help, but He chose The Church to be His representatives on this tiny planet, and we are part of His plans. Though we gather corporately to

worship, declare, pray, build up, teach, we tolerate sins, addictions, attitudes, etc., it’s not solely for our own benefit and unhealthiness, etc.; we are putting off the happiness. inevitable discipline and love of a very Already in our world today there are good Father! Full of kindness and mercy, places you can’t have public events called so much so that He won’t just let us go on church and do things like sing praise and on perpetually walking in darkness as songs, preach sermons, and hang out with we try to carry on serving. other Christians. We are not exempt from the story of the bible, nor events that occur in the world. This shouldn’t scare us or make us fearful, but it should drive us to be as close to the heart of God as possible.

When He returns we want to be found doing the things that really matter to Him. The truth is, we don’t have all the time in the world on our hands, it is ticking away and God’s plans are still in force and on track to reveal Jesus to every lost soul. The harvest is still coming!

For as much training and resource as we have available, none of it equals the Holy Spirit quotient. The production, the arrangements, the flow, the sound, the lights… all just tools! We want to encounter God in a way that no human is capable of manufacturing or conjuring up.

We are not conjurers of the Holy Spirit, nor manipulators of human emotions.

That’s not the kind of ministry the lost need to encounter. The best shot we have of being conduits of the Holy Spirit and If you’re in a worship band then you are representatives of the Living God is to be likely a follower of Jesus and understand holy as He is holy and truthful about our that there’s more to what we do than just own hearts, willing to confess and turn leading songs and performing services. from destructive behaviors.

We are a part of much larger collective I’ve been on the platform and gently voice and body crying out for God to reminded more than once by the Lord that inhabit the praises of His people, and He sees and knows me; I’m hiding nothing to change us as we encounter and love from Him! I’ve experienced His amazing Him. For whatever reasons we may be on grace to continue singing, leading, and teams and serving churches, be assured serving despite what was going on in my that the purpose of our worship transcends life or heart, and even then knew that He our own understanding and knowing. didn’t remind me so that I would be shamed It engages the Lord of our salvation, and feared into repentance. We should God of our creation, and the Holy Spirit not sit in wait for condemnation or lightning responsible for our transformation. bolts when “there is no condemnation for When we participate every week on those of us in Christ Jesus.” I’ve learned worship teams it is important not to be to start out being wholly honest with God misled or desensitized into thinking that and myself. My aim and desire is not to our lifestyles and personal choices don’t have to be reminded that there are piles of matter. I don’t think that we have to first garbage lying around in my life that need take baths in holy water and dunk five to be cleaned up. Over time there’s been times in the Jordan in order to be worthy less and less to have to deal with, and of being up in front of people, serving. hopefully I’m reflecting His character more We are covered by the same blood and and more. made worthy by the same Christ. My own experience is that even though that’s totally true, God does allow me make choices, and in many cases I’ve chosen to ignore things that I knew were degrading to my own walk and offensive to the Lord. But it does catch up with us in time and there is always a cost; it’s called consequence.

It doesn’t mean that God is done with us, mad at us, or that He won’t use us despite our own messiness. But the longer

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Let’s be reflective representatives of Jesus my friends!

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.

Worship Arts Technology Summit

October 16-17, 2015 More dates and locations coming soon.

Music - Vocals - Audio - Lighting - Media Early bird and group discounts are available, so bring the whole team. This two day comprehensive hands-on training event is unlike any you will ever attend. Our world class teaching staff includes:

Carl and Leann Albrecht - Ed Kerr - Tom Lane - Camron Ware Aaron Williamson - Sean McCurley - Lee Fields - Harold Ruben See website for details

Constance Free Church 16150 Crosstown Blvd N.W. Andover MN 55304

www.gotowats.com

MINISTRY

By Rick Muchow

Build Your Worship Ministry on the Foundational Truths of the Bible “…brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 Churches are looking for worship leaders that have the ability to connect a congregation to God through worship.

More than music, Pastors are looking for connection. Pastors may or may not know/care anything about music, but they do know and care about their flock! The worship leader that knows how to connect a crowd to God and stays away from the temptations of this world, will have no problem finding ministry opportunities.

When you lead worship do you feel like the crowd is connecting to God? More importantly, does your Pastor feel like the crowd is connecting?

The most important thing for a worship leader to be is to be a worshipper. Building methodology on Biblical theology is key to the success of every servant leader of God and especially to the worship leader.

“YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.“ Matt 22:37 Effective worship leading is rooted in knowing and loving God with all ones heart, soul, and mind. Who we are, children in relationship with our heavenly Father, is far more important than what we do for a living or any “act of worship”.

Further it is vitally important that worship leaders understand what the bible teaches about worship. Rather than learning biblical worship theory, it is common for God’s children to “worship by ear”. As musicians, we understand the importance of having a foundation in (music) theory.

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Personally, I enjoy playing music by ear but everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, have benefited greatly by understanding eating, going-to-work, and walkingthe principles of music theory. around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does In my book, The Worship Answer for you is the best thing you can do for Book, I mention 4 foundational principles him.” Rom 12:1-2 of Biblical worship. Understanding these principles and building on them is essential When I coach worship teams I start with to every biblically based worship ministry. these foundations and build from there.

Presentation styles come and go but God’s Teams should focus on Magnifying God, Word never changes. Let’s take a brief Developing Community, Recruiting, look at each of these principles.

Excellence, Thanksgiving, Praise and Worship must be done in love. “If I speak Joy, Being led by the Spirit, Authenticity, with the tongues of men and of angels, but Navigating unexpected moments, do not have love, I have become a noisy Managing Chaos, Urgency, Servant gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the Leadership, Involving the Crowd, and gift of prophesy, and know all mysteries Changed Lives. and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, The Bible teaches that Music and The so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give Arts were created for the purposes of all my possessions to feed the poor, and Worship and Edification. It is not unusual if I surrender my body to be burned, but to find Music and the Arts the object of do not have love, it profits me nothing.” 1 worship and used for selfish gain. This is completely opposite of the Lord’s design Cor. 13:1-3 and leads to division and many other Worship is always accompanied by problems in the church body. As we humility and reverent fear. Isaiah 66:2 move toward the future it is critical that describes it this way: “All these things we continually remind our teams and my hand has made, and so all these congregations of the biblical principles of things came to be, declares the Lord. worship.

But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

God commands us to worship.

Worship is not an optional activity for the believer. The bible is filled with scripture commanding us to worship. “Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water.” Ex 23:25 “All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.” Psalm 86:9 Worship involves surrendering your entire life to God. “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your

Rick served as Pastor Of Worship at Saddleback Church with Rick Warren for 24 years. Rick encourages and equips worship leaders through Coaching, Speaking, Writing and Leading Worship.

His book, The Worship Answer Book is available on iTunes, GooglePlay and Amazon). www.Rickmuchow.com Facebook: Rickmuchow band Twitter: @Rickmuchow

Product Review

By Michael Hodge

Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2 32. Certain files, such as those with advanced compression, cannot be imported. If you receive an error message, simply convert the file to a standard PCM format .WAV or AIFF file and re-import. It’s super easy to mangle any original imported sound to your hearts content. I imported a few guitar tracks and came up with some of the sickest sounds I’ve ever heard, and of course that’s a good thing!

There is a new SHARE feature that makes it simple to share a custom patch with anyone. A INSTALLATION: small .omnisphere file is created The original Omnisphere 1 came with about 6 and is easily imported by another disks, and took several hours to install. The V2 Omnisphere 2 user. There are upgrade download is in addition to the original over 4500 new patches and V1. My new Comcast account averages a sound sources including these blazing 215 Mbps. I broke for a cup of coffee, crazy live sources from Diego and when I was back it was already done.

Stocco’s Custom Built Instruments.

If you are a Keyboard player or programmer, you already know all about Eric Persing’s original Omnisphere Virtual instrument. The much anticipated version 2 is more than just an upgrade. It’s like a whole new synth. There’s a new interface now with a total of 12,000 sounds, 400 new DSP oscillator Wavetables each containing multiple waveforms accessed by the Shape slider. There are 25 new FX units, a new EDM focused library, the ability to import your own sounds, and a bunch more. Like most people I was really looking forward to diving in to Omnisphere 2, and it’s quite an impressive leap.

The install was pretty straight ahead, though I had an error where Omnisphere couldn’t find the Steam folder. I called tech support, but before they called back 10 minutes later it was mysteriously solved and happy. Most likely user error, but I did restart the laptop and re-opened PT11.

EFFECTS PARADISE:

Omnisphere 2 has added a huge pile of FX units. In fact there are now 58 FX units included and 25 are brand new. The new delays are amazing and one of my new favorites is the Innerspace that imposes IN USE: certain things from one sound onto another. It’s The Main page of Omnisphere looks familiar, hard to describe, but a thing of beauty to hear. but now has an added browser on the left. This Being a guitar guy, one of my other fav’s is the is an upgrade for sure, and in fact browsing Stompbox modeler. on the whole is vastly improved. With 12,000 EDM (Electronic Dance Music)is coming on sounds, it’s a big challenge to come up with an strong in modern worship. Omnisphere 2 has a efficient way to organize them. Omnisphere has whole spotlight section dedicated EDM sounds. a unique solution with two new browser features. There are tons of dance pads, & arpeggiator The Sound Match feature is genius, and instantly sounds, basses & saws. They also include a bunch locates any related sounds in the library. These of rises, transitions, and some whacked out crazy guys spent a lot of time patiently cataloging and stuff that EDM guys will love. The already great tagging all of patches for us. The second new Arpeggiator has been improved as well. The browser feature is Sound Lock, and allows you eight new filter types will also be appreciated to take certain aspects of the original sound you by anyone looking to come up with new takes like, and conform all other sounds you browse to on the included patches. The ORB introduced in that original one. This is really cool if you find a version 1.5 is now easier to get to in 2.0, as delay, effect, or arpeggio pattern etc. in a patch well as on an Ipad via WIFI. For playing live, you like and all the patches you audition up will the free Omni TR Ipad app is fantastic for pulling have those same parameters. up patches in Live Mode and also Stack Mode, Granular Synthesis is another powerful new that allows multi layered regions laid out on your feature. I don’t completely understand it, but it’s keyboard. Live Mode allows you to access 8 an algorithm that seems to take sounds down to patches on the fly, and switch patches using a a DNA like level and utterly transform them into single MIDI channel, which is helpful when using the most unusual patches. This works especially a controller. It’s a must for live. well with the next new addition, Audio Import.

With Audio Import, You simply can drag and drop any .WAV, or. AIFF file into the program.

FYI, there are some restrictions as far as to what kind of .WAVor .AIFF files will work. Standard stereo or mono PCM .WAV and AIFF files of any sample rate with bit depths of 8, 16, 24, and

TAKE AWAY:

I’m honestly blown away by Omnisphere 2. I couldn’t tear my self away from it all night when it first arrived. In fact it’s so inspiring, I opened it up in several projects to beat the sounds that were previously there. The improvements and

added features make it the ultimate Island synth, because it can do so much and sounds so fat and punchy. In fact when you go to the web site and read all the sound sources and synths and effects used to create patches you get a feel of just how massive this beast of an instrument is.

Omnisphere has become so legendary that there are numbers of user groups dedicated to it.

It’s like a movement. I found seven on Facebook alone. There’s also a site for worship musicians that features Omnisphere patches at http:// www.worshipmusicians.org.

These guys are in business to sell you their own custom patches, and sounds used by folks like Hillsong, Jesus Culture, and a number of others.

At the end of the day Omnisphere 2 is one of the best software investments you could ever make. The Full version is $499.00 And the upgrade is just $249.00. It’s more like a giant collection of hundreds of synths all in one. For more information see: https://www. spectrasonics.net Michael Hodge is the music director and guitarist for Lakewood Church in Houston, TX

WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM JUL/AUG 2015

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ON POINT

Tom Kraeuter

Why Hymns Aren’t Necessarily Better I recently read another online post from someone who formerly was a strong advocate of contemporary worship songs but is now using hymns almost exclusively.

The reason? Because of the superiority of hymns.

Perhaps I’ve just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I have encountered several such articles in recent months.

And, honestly, I think it’s time that someone offers a different perspective.

First, let me say that I am – and have been for years – a strong proponent of hymns. For the first time in quite awhile, I led worship in the Sunday service for our congregation not long ago. Someone approached me afterward and said, “I loved the hymns. Thanks for including them.” So, be warned that I am not on an anti-hymn crusade.

Having said that, let’s get started.

Isaac Watts (1674-1748) composed over 600 hymns. Fanny Crosby (18201915) claimed to have penned more than 8,000. George Matheson (18421906) wrote hundreds. According to a well-documented article in Christianity Today, Charles Wesley (1707-1788) wrote nearly 9,000 hymns. That’s just four hymnwriters – who are greatly revered in many circles – with a combined body of work totaling in the neighborhood of 18,000 hymns. If you consider that the average hymnal in America contains about 600 hymns, there seems to be something wrong, something disproportional. What happened to the other 17,000-plus? And that’s not even mentioning the hundreds of other hymnwriters.

To jettison the songs of today as a whole would be similar to saying we must all use the original 1611 King James Version of Let’s be honest. Do you really think it’s the Bible and speak in Olde English. And fair to compare the entire body of modern we all know why we don’t do those things. “worship” songs to the few hymns that Because we live in a different culture, have stood the test of time? a different society. People think and act differently than they did when Isaac Watts The fact is that a hundred years from was writing songs. So, to insist that our now, a small number of songs that are songs must be from another era, while not being used today will have endured. using the same argument in other areas of Those will have become the classics. But our church practices, would be to create a to say we should throw out all modern false dichotomy. songs because, as a whole, they’re not as good as the ones that have been If you want to use hymns exclusively in proven over time? That’s absurd. By that your church, go ahead. Just don’t insist same logic then, in the early 1900s, all of that yours is the only right way, or even Fanny Crosby’s and George Matheson’s the absolute best way. Today’s songwriters songs should have been discarded. What are creating songs that God is using in His a tragedy that would have been.

Church today. Certainly, they will not all be sung by our great-grandchildren, but I would also have us consider another I really don’t think we should expect them factor. The majority of the older hymns to be. do a great job with teaching doctrine, but they are rarely about having a true Those future generations – if the Lord relationship with the Lord. Whereas, I am tarries in returning – will have their own always in favor of good, solid, biblical hymnwriters, whose songs will be used, doctrine, the fact is that Jesus didn’t die and then many of them will be discarded. for doctrine.* He died so that people And that’s okay. Just ask Charles Wesley. could once again be in right relationship with God. Jesus said, “I have called you friends.” (John 15:15) but did not have what was necessary to endure.

Many of the modern songs – certainly not all – do a far better job of expressing that relationship aspect than the hymns of old. Of course, some modern songs do, indeed have strong theology, and a few older hymns do have a strong relational aspect. But please hear what I’m saying.

I’m not suggesting that the relational aspect of many newer songs makes them emphatically better. They simply serve a different – and necessary – purpose.

The fact is that no one I’ve ever met can They allow us to express honest, heartfelt name more than a handful of songs from relationship with the Lord in a way that any of the four composers I just mentioned. many doctrinely-laden hymns do not.

Hold on a minute, Tom. I thought they wrote hundreds, or even thousands, of The vast majority of the newer songs will hymns. They did. But the vast majority not endure two or three generations from were not the quality of the ones that have now. But then, neither did the vast majority survived through to today. They were used of songs from previous eras. However, for a short time and discarded. They may some of those modern-day songs are even have been popular in their day, exactly what the Church needs now.

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* Some people will be upset with that sentence, but only if you they don’t read what I said six sentences later. 

Kraeuter is author of 20 books including Worship In Heaven ... and Why on Earth It Matters, Worshiping God in the Hard Times and The Great Soviet Awakening. He has attended Christian Outreach Church near St. Louis, Missouri, for more than thirty-five years.

He and his wife Barbara have three adult children.

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Ministry + Artistry = Profitability?

Creating your MAP™

By Scott A. Shuford

Are You Giving Too Much Away?

As an artist, you know that one thing that gets you new fans is... free stuff!

Everyone loves free stuff. Free stuff can be a great way to gain new fans. It’s the reason Costco is famous for their sample “buffets”, and why customers love sharing a good freebie on Facebook. But how much is too much? How much can you give away without hurting your sales or your brand?

You’ve probably heard of business card moguls Vista Print. They’ve become famous for their “free business cards”, which made small business owner rejoice with their pre-made templates and easy access. Recently, an article was published about their “free product” business model, and why they’re steering away from it.

One of the pitfalls, as detailed in the article, is that free items can cause the target audience to question the value of your product or services, in your case, your music. They may be thinking, “If they’re giving this away, why should I ever pay for something from these people?”, or “How good can it be, if they’re able to give it away?” Vista Print ran into a problem when it became obvious that they were not appealing to the small business owner who wanted a long-term solution.

Their intended audience would eventually

“outgrow” the freebie items, and need the thing that will bring them back, the thing that will really affect them, and then more valuable, high quality items. keep communicating with them every two “Free” is good marketing when both weeks or monthly, and raise money for parties get value from the transaction. your ministry or income via donations or The best way to use “free” is to provide sales of other songs, albums, EPs, merch, your free song download or other item VIP time with you, and so on. Remember, in exchange for the fan’s email address radio stations don’t play B-sides. (I know I or Facebook like so that you can keep in just dated myself in so many ways…) contact with them. Just giving away a free The goal of any free product should download without receiving something in return means you have to just hope that the be an introduction to the company fan comes back to you someday. That is or ministry, not an end-all item. Vista just not likely in today’s message overload Print found that their customers got their free cards, and did not peer further into world. what they had to offer. For the faithThere are opportunities where giving based marketer, you may want to give away something free without requiring away items because you have a unique anything in return can be beneficial, for perspective on the customer experience. example if the big festival or radio station Especially in the faith-related market, there wants to promote you for a week or 30 are often Gospel centered items like Bibles days by giving away your song. If there’s and literature that are given away, which built in urgency created by a time limit serve differing purposes than secular you control, and the exposure is relatively “giveaways”, but even literature can serve large, then you should consider it. as an open channel to other items like However it is always better to capture the DVD’s. It’s great to reel someone in with freebie taker’s email or social media like. a valuable freebie item like a free song, ebook or other item, and it DOES have When you do decide to give away to have value, but be sure you are getting something free, make sure it is the BEST value in return, such as securing their email thing you have. You only get once chance address to follow them up with your drip to make a first impression. Give away marketing campaign to create deeper your best song, not one of your better engagement with your ministry, web site ones. Create new fans by giving away or other faith-based products.

YOUR GATEWAY TO THE CHRISTIAN AUDIENCE

TM

“As I thought about where to create impact that would expand our audience for LifeWay Worship, I immediately thought of FrontGate.

Their leadership position in reaching worship leaders, musicians and music fans continues to deliver for us.”

—Brian Brown, LifeWay Worship

media buying

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visit FrontGateMedia.com

Scott has led classes for us at CMS and NAMM as well as teaching on marketing for the Gospel Music Association, Christian Leadership Alliance, and the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Scott is the Chief Engagement Officer at FrontGate which provides marketing strategy, online promotions, public relations, and social media marketing to reach the Christian audience. Their site at www.FrontGateMedia.com was recently awarded the “Best Marketing Website” and “Best Faith-based Website” in the 2014 Internet Advertising Competition. Get more marketing and social media tips at FrontGate’s blog.

Product Review

By Mitch Bohannon

Boss VE-1 Vocal Echo Stompbox

This past January, Boss released the new VE-1 (Vocal Echo) Stompbox for vocalists.

Maybe it’s because I am at so many live music events, whether it’s guitar or vocals, I find myself always comparing my sound to this person or that. I hear so many acoustic guitars that sound so punchy and crisp… I hear that in vocals as well. When I get back to church and listen to my vocal, it can be pretty disappointing!

For a worship leader, a vocal stompbox makes a LOT of sense. BGV’s can have a nice reverb set at the soundboard, but a worship leader will be singing AND speaking through the same microphone.

No matter how gifted the tech team is, they have more to do than to babysit the worship leader’s effects in case they decide to speak instead of sing! For me, being able to turn vocal effects on and off with a simple stomp is fantastic. When I saw the VE-1 come across my newsfeed, I had to give it a try. Interested? Read on…

Right out of the box, the VE-1 seemed quite intuitive (easy to understand without instruction). The “Type” knob has an easyto-read visual value bar that displays less-to-more effect options. The “Tone,” “Level,” and “Correct” knobs give a nice control in shaping the effect to personal taste. The “Double” button and “Enhance” button were easy to hear, but took some reading to understand what they were doing specifically. The on/off button is an oversized pedal that is easy to press.

No clicking sound! A wide, blue light illuminates to indicate whether the pedal is on or off. This turns on and off all effects except the “Enhance” button.

to the vocal. There are two levels to the enhancement… slight and strong. Single or double presses to the “Enhancement” button will access these levels.

(Vocal Echo) adds reverb, doubling, and delay effects, the VE-2 is Boss’s Vocal Harmonist pedal, which has an instrument input (that actually detects your chords) and adds real-time harmonies. There is also the big brother to these pedals, the VE-20 that you may want to check out.

With a list price of $206 and a street price of $149, the VE-1, to me, is well worth the investment to sweeten up my vocals for leading worship.

I’ve not mentioned the “Memory” button or directly connecting to your computer because these are the only things I did not test out. The VE-1 will store three sets of knob and button settings. These banks of memory can be accessed with the memory button – indicated by color changes or Red, Orange, and Green. The settings There are seven types of ambience can be available on the fly with the use (studio quality reverb) settings that are each of an optional foot controller like the Boss adjustable with the Tone, Level, Double, FS-5U, FS-7, or the FS-6. As well, with a Mitch Bohannon and Enhance onboard controls. Pressing simple USB 2.0 cable, the VE-1 can be developed the Short directly connected to your computer and the “Double” button adds an effect that Cut Capo for Kyser and sounds like two voices singing the same you’ll be able to record vocals with the is a worship pastor in VE-1 effects into your favorite DAW. part together, adding depth to the vocal.

Louisiana. He and his There is a simple process in specifically The VE-1 is battery powered, and a beautiful wife, Noelle, setting the echo delay. In edit mode, using Boss VSA-series power supply can be have been married for the “Correct” knob will set the gender of purchased separately if you don’t want 22 years and have three the enhancement – so, it can respond to risk battery loss. However, I’ve run the awesome kids! www.kysermusical.com more appropriately with a masculine or VE-1 for a few rehearsals and services feminine voice. Pressing the “Enhance” and have not lost power. I’m even using button will “smooth out inconsistencies” the +48v phantom power switch for my in the input volume giving better definition condenser microphone. While the VE-1

WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM JUL/AUG 2015

45

A Few Moments With…

Branon Dempsey

Five Things You Must Know to Lead Worship Without Playing a Note

Have you ever wondered what it when our actual worship belongs to God would be like if everyone in your church in Heaven? (1 Cor. 10:5) worshiped?

3. Use Psalms, Hymns, and Spirituals As a worship musician, singer and Songs that edify, and not deny the leader, even pastor, we all wish that our Church. Musically, there are many ways people would worship. Not just worship we can edify and bring unity to church by some, but by all in a service. But what worship. A few examples are: Singing exactly enables people to sing, or disables songs in singable keys for everyone; them to not sing? Another question: how producing quality music from skillful can we help continue the worship of God? hands; and leading worship that serves the congregation and enables them to Worship leading is about more than respond and participate. (Col. 3:16) just trying to get people to sing - it’s not a pep rally.

However, I am still learning that there are five things that we - your worship team - can do to help the church worship.

These things are less about the mechanics of music, and more about spiritual awareness and discernment in our leadership.

5. The buck literally stops with your pastor and leadership. If they are not worshiping and leading by example, then how can our worship leading have any significant effect? The blame is not the worship band, nor the worship leader.

These are only servants that are entrusted with a ministry to lead. However, if there is no leader actively leading them - no vision - the people perish. The senior pastor’s job is not to be the lead musician; they are to be the lead shepherd.

We tend to think that if we get enough people to worship or sing, then God would be more glorified.

This is neither true nor Biblical.

1. Worship is not for spectators; worship is for God. The shaping of our perspective of worship needs to come from Scripture, not from allowing our preferences to dictate direction. We tend to think that if we get enough people to worship or sing, then God would be more glorified. This is neither true nor Biblical. We need to be reminded that God is already glorified because of Who He Is. “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” Psalm 115:3 (Romans 8:8) Our response is to obey and to worship as our reasonable service (Romans 12:1)

When we learn to develop our skill and harness our playing/singing, we make way for the church to worship. Music becomes music by collective parts, and not noise by a wall of sound. Also, sound and visual production must be palatable to the ear and clear to the eye.

Keep the leading of people in mind as you worship God. It’s not a session to check out. I’ve seen many worship teams 2. The worship service is to help have a great experience on stage, but in facilitate praise - not to become the object the congregation, it’s a different song. Your of our praise. The ideal worship service people want to connect with God. They needs to be of heaven, not something need you to help them; they are not there fabricated here on earth. Why would we for a concert or performance. Therefore, want to spend our time struggling to find lead them into the presence of God and the perfect image of worship on earth, enjoy Him together (Psalm 102:22)

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JUL/AUG 2015 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

We serve a God of substance, not of style. God is no more interested in an electric guitar than He is of a pipe organ. He desires a heart of mercy, rather than a sacrifice of the setlist. If someone is not moved by the Spirit to worship, then there is a heart issue that goes way beyond what the music can fix.

May our worship and obedience be determined by Christ and by His Word. As a team, may the privilege and duty to Biblically lead his people bring glory and honor to the Father.

Branon Dempsey

Branon Dempsey is the CEO/ Founder and Training Director of Worship Team Training® 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 Visit: www.

WorshipTeamTraining.com Copyright 2015 Branon Dempsey | Worship Team Training® | Administered by For His Music. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. www.worshipteamtraining.com

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