Worship Musician! Magazine - Nov/Dec 2015

Paul Baloche

The Next Christmas Worship Project

Product Reviews

Product Review

FreePlay by Mackie l AIRA SYSTEM-1 Plug-Out Synthesizer by Roland l goRack by dbx

Yamaha TF Series Digital Consoles

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Record Reviews

Rend Collective l Big Daddy Weave l Paul Baloche l Casting Crowns l Blessed Assurance - The New Hymns of Fanny Crosby l

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If you’re with or radio Balance or are you to plug in a (tone) controls interference. and is a place where to the auxiliary prefer the main focus, If your bass guitar. This an reset all the equalizationis essentially off. Turn the importance l services you may want options available are house of worship is locatedand in athe The vocals are city, other choose lavalier which then or solo buttons are that an entry-level analog wireless side of being conservative. mute chances We have so you can audible. Use the center position,microphone more-traditiona system Make sure that piano. up position.) off. cable, or a guitar that they are clearly the platform, in the simply obscuring them. won’t are off work for you. Digital wireless systems, g stage monitor sends of finishes, church. want to ensure up on you which vocals, without these buttons the giving(Usually you both fill around the reject noise and other nondigital signals, in a variety decor of your 50%.

Shure QLX-D.........$107200 disengaged. fader to control authentic-lookin instruments to are excellent, fader to about the cabinets, the master volume and handsmaster volume cost-effective alternatives to traditional More info on pg. 63 Set thewireless wooden As you go, adjust wireless systems. that matches free convenience. instrument overall level.

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Editor’s Corner

The Pattern of Christ?

NOV/DEC 2015 vol. 13, issue 6

Features

Do we support the life changes of those around us or guard our “little kingdoms” instead? OK, that is a 8 Product Review pretty heavy opening line, but let me tell you a quick

By Bruce Adolph story and as a disclaimer - I realize that there are two Yamaha TF Series Digital sides to every story and sometimes the full picture is Consoles not in view.

10 From the Drummer’s I knew a fulltime vocational soundman at a large Perspective church that was considering looking at a move to

By Carl Albrecht a church about an hour’s drive away. He wasn’t Groove Analysis for the leaving because he didn’t support his current pastor’s Modern Worship Drummer vision. He was considering leaving because it might make more sense for his family (both immediate and 12 Keyboard

By Ed Kerr extended). This popular soundman made what some Same Song, Endless Options would say is a “classic mistake” in the modern church, but what I think was the right call. He mentioned to 15 Bass his current pastor that he was considering making the

By Gary Lunn move and finding a job at a church in the new area Roadworthy of where he wanted his family to live.

16 Vocals This is the part of the story where some of you may

By Sheri Gould agree with the pastor’s next step, but I certainly don’t.

Are You Actually A The pastor immediately fired him. What? Yes. He let “Beginner”? him go. In the pastor’s mind I guess his reasoning was, “If he is not for me, he is against me”. Whoa! 18 Equipping the Church

By Chuck Page Hold the phone! That is the wrong move to make.

Digital Signage for the The soundman was looking at his family’s needs first Church (Part 1) before the corporate church structure. This particular soundman was also crushed that his pastor (whom he 25 Songchart served for several years) would react in such a selfish

By Paul Baloche manner. ”For Unto Us a Child is Born/ Open the Eyes of My Heart” I see this kind of over-reaction in the secular workplace

to life changes, but I have seen it happen in Christian 26 Product Review circles far too often as well. Paul wrote about not

By Jack Mao following the “pattern of this world”. He instructed us FreePlay by Mackie to “be transformed by the renewing of our minds”. If a brother in the Lord is working through God’s will for 30 Record Reviews

By Gerod Bass his family and life vocationally… then we should be • Rend Collective Continued on page 52 • Big Daddy Weave • Paul Baloche • Blessed Assurance - The New Hymns of Fanny Crosby • Casting Crowns 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.

40 Guitar Grab Bag

By Jeffrey B. Scott Leading from Electric Guitar: For the NewlyElectrified 42 The Band

By Tom Lane My Inner Monologue 44 Ministry

By Rick & Logan Muchow 7 Secrets of Spirit-Led Leaders 45 Product Review

By Doug Doppler goRack by dbx 46 Tips for Tight Teams

By Sandy Hoffman Put Me Out to Pastor (Peace In Time of Change) 48 Ministry + Artistry = Profitability?

By Scott A. Shuford How Do I Get More People To See My Facebook Posts and Ads? 50 Worship Team Training

By Branon Dempsey Give Them 4 Reasons To Worship 51 Product Review

By Michael Hodge AIRA SYSTEM-1 Plug-Out Synthesizer by Roland 54 A Few Moments With...

Jon Nicol Stop Practicing At Rehearsals

34 FOH Engineer

By Kent Morris Monitors and the Art of Humility: Paul Baloche and Team 36 Percussion

By Mark Shelton Bring On The Sleigh Bells 38 Cut-Capo

By Mitch Bohannon Tracking With Capos

Interview 20 Paul Baloche

by Aimee Herd cover photo by Jeremy Cowart other photos: Ari Heinikainen

WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM NOV/DEC 2015

7

Product Review

By Kent Morris

Yamaha TF Series Digital Consoles Like most technology-based products, live digital consoles started at the top of the market and have gradually worked their way down the price ladder to every market segment above entry-level gear designed for hobbyists. Yamaha is among the oldest names in digital consoles and the company has maintained a strong presence in the worship market for decades. Beginning with the groundbreaking PM1D, through the venerable M7CL and LS9, and on to today’s versatile CL and QL Series, Yamaha has established benchmarks for performance and capability. Their latest offering is the TF Series, designed as a lower cost, simplified operation console, but with the capacity to handle serious work.

Yamaha nomenclature, going back to the DX line of FM synthesizers, uses odd numbers in either ascending or descending order of functionality and power. So, the TF1 is the smallest mixer in the line up while the TF3 occupies the middle ground and the TF5 is the flagship. All three models have the same sonic performance and tick off the same feature boxes; they differ only in the number of faders and local physical inputs, with the TF1 having sixteen of each, the TF3 twenty-four and the TF5 thirty-two.

As its name implies, the TouchFlow series is based on touch surface integration and ease of workflow. In a significant departure for Yamaha, the TF Series is focused more on the user interface and less on the number of features they could package in the box. So, for example, the TF does not have matrices outputs, even though Yamaha arguably created the first practical matrix system and 8

NOV/DEC 2015 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

has integrated them into most of their products ever since. The reason is the drive to create a console that seamlessly flows from iPad remote control to local fader control without causing an inexperienced operator to stumble. If it sounds like this is a newbie-friendly mixer, it is. However, instead of simply building a “my first Yamaha” desk, the engineers sought a way to flatten the learning curve without sacrificing the long-term satisfaction a seasoned engineer gleans from working the fine details of a comprehensively engineered system. So, their solution is what I term “glide-path to soaring” in that the console is easy to make throughput, but deep enough to handle a complex mix.

With an analog console, every control is viewable and instantly accessible.

With some simple button pushing and a patch cable, an input can be assigned where it needs to go. The rotary controls can be set at nominal and the signal adjusted simultaneously in real-time across many inputs. It is a parallel processor. A digital mixer, on the other hand, is often a serial affair, with access limited to one parameter at a time. In a live setting, then, either the engineer must have settings stored on a thumb drive for recall or the soundcheck must be slowed to the glacial pace of each adjustment.

With the TF, Yamaha has solved this significant problem by incorporating a clever interface that mimics the familiar wipes and swipes of an iPad. And they have taken it further

with contextsensitive commands that only affect relevant information.

Previous consoles from other manufacturers essentially grafted-on iPad control, but it is integral to the TF. It is partially a matter of timing, as this is the first generation of desks designed after remote iOS and Android control became the norm.

But Yamaha has gone one step further with a simple knob that opens as much power as the operator desires and needs. The Touch & Turn knob can effect a simple parameter change to a given compressor, but then goes beyond the simple to the complex with a second touch, opening the details of the compressor’s controls.

Yamaha digital consoles have a reputation for reliability and longevity.

In fact, I operate a vintage PM1D every week in a high-demand environment with fine results. Yamaha devotes extensive engineering prowess to building solid, sonically pleasing audio consoles. However, the new narrative the TF writes for the company is the incorporation of innovations such as GainFinder to assist in the task of setting proper gain structure and QuickPro Presets to shorten the time between turn-on and good sound by providing a starting point for signal adjustment for most instruments and vocal ranges. While not at the bottom of the price game, the TF Series is more than just another digital console. It is the next chapter.

TF consoles start at $2,499 street price.

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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From the Drummer’s Perspective

By Carl Albrecht

Groove Analysis for the Modern Worship Drummer Getting a drum groove to feel just right is an art form that must be learned over time in the “real” working world. Play with your band as much as you can. Listen more! Rehearse more! Jam MORE! You can’t just read about it or practice it in your room. So… it’s actually a bit strange I am going to try to address this in writing without you being able to watch a demonstration. I do watch a lot of players and recommend that you do the same: via YouTube, live performances, teaching DVDs, etc. etc... But for now I’ll try to put the nuances of performance into words.

AIMING FOR THE CENTER One thing to be mindful of in music production today is that most of the music you hear on the radio is very “tweaked.”

In another words, we work hard at making everything as perfect as possible, doing “takes” until it all comes together and then even editing parts or “punching in” sections until there are no imperfections. Modern digital technology allows us to tune every note played or sung and place every rhythm perfectly in time on “the grid.” Whether this is always a good thing is up for discussion, but for now let’s just accept it. I’ll address this approach first, since this is the current state of modern music production in all styles of music.

In most modern worship, making every note as time perfect as possible is the goal (technically speaking). When playing to the click I’m landing every note in the middle of the beat to the best of my ability. Precision is the goal.

Creating different feel and emotion in the music comes by the use of dynamics! There might be a little pushing and pulling of the groove, but that’s not the target… it just happens. I find it easier to center the groove in studio recording because it’s a totally controlled environment. When playing live you can be affected by the sound of the room, the crowd, the PA system, and mostly by the other performers you work with. These are still issues even when wearing “in ear” monitors, but they do help a lot in keeping everyone focused on the groove. I hardly ever use standard speakers for monitoring for that very reason.

If we’re playing to percussion loops and other sequenced tracks it’s much easier to play in the middle of the time. So incorporate this technology into your playing whenever it’s musically proper. It adds an already 10

perfected (or tweaked) element into the music, and gives the band a strong musical point of reference. When sequences or tracks are used I turn them up more in my mix so I can focus on those elements first.

The rest of the team must lock into that sound to make it feel right.

So, how do you prepare for this? You just have to do it ALL the time. When you practice alone always work with guide tracks, loops, or a metronome. Also, use the click whenever you rehearse or play live with your band. Try to record yourself and the group during all rehearsals and performances and listen back to see how you’re progressing. YES, you have to listen back. Don’t get discouraged; just keep working on it. Focus on how “centered” the time feels when you play.

If you’re in a situation where you can “multi-track record” your team, then do it. You can sync up the time grid to your click and visually see where your playing is landing in reference to the markers on the music software. I know this is being VERY particular about technical things, but that’s what this exercise is for. NOTE: I haven’t forgotten that worship is the goal. BUT there needs to be a time when you work on your musical skills as well.

Also be aware that if the music is feeling stiff or tense, only use the click during rehearsals and personal practice time so you can get use to it. As everything starts to feel right at those times, then you can also use it during live performances. You’ll only know this if you’re recording yourself, so just make that a normal part of your musical life. Again, all of this is trying to get your time as centered as possible.

Now for the other end of the spectrum…………

LET THE TIME BREATHE Many musicians would say that today’s music has become so perfected that it’s sterile, or plastic. They say, “It has NO FEEL; NO CHARACTER!” I would agree with that to some extent… but my job as a servant drummer (a working drummer) is to provide what works for the moment. So… what is that “feel” thing?

When music “breathes” it probably has more push and pull of the time than in tightly “clocked” performances. Musicians are reacting to each other and the vocals. There is usually a real powerful energy when a

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band “moves together.” As long as the band has a lot of experience and flows in the same direction that’s great. Don’t let this be an excuse for being a sloppy player. There should still be a sense of solid time, but a slight pushing and pulling can be very cool.

The normal tendency would be to feel a little laying-back of the time in verses and a pushing in the choruses. If you listen to “older” music you’ll probably notice this much more. One of my favorite examples of this is the 80’s group Toto (Rosanna/ I Won’t Hold You Back Now) or The Police (Every Step You Take). Listen to music from the 60’s, 70’s, & 80’s and you’ll hear a lot of movement. Because our ears have become more accustomed to hearing perfect music I think we hear the nuances of more live performances (the imperfections/ our humanity).

Even in worship music if you listen to “live” performances and watch concert videos you’ll hear a little more of this. Although I have to say, nowadays, we still do a lot of postproduction editing or we’re performing live to clicks and sequences, so even live recordings sound pretty amazing.

How does the drummer keep solid time in a totally live, un-clicked performance?

Relax and let it flow! NO tension in your mind or body is a huge part of it. When a drummer looks relaxed and free, the music usually sounds that way. Again, watch a ton of videos of great drummers and you’ll see what I mean. AND try to record everything YOU do as well, both audio & video. It’s an amazing learning tool. Listen to the “whole band”, not just the drums. Try to recognize musical reactions between the players and singers. As a drummer you should be the “musical rock” on which they stand! Even as the music breathes, try to keep the time feel solid.

A great exercise for this is to use the click in your “in ears” but don’t let the rest of the band hear it. Then shut it off after the intro.

(NOTE: get a footswitch or a trigger pad to start/stop the click) Try to start it back up in a later section of the song and see where the time is. Are you still at the same tempo?? … Be aware, that as you do ANY technical analysis while you play, ALWAYS play with passion and with the intent of worshiping the Lord. I even think this way at rehearsals and my private practice time! As a foundation in my playing I always think of music as a Continued on page 52

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Keyboard

By Ed Kerr

Same Song, Endless Options I may have lost some of you already with my willingness to use chords outside the key of G. I get that. Maybe at the usual tempo for this song these chords will feel jarring, wrong for the usual medium rock vibe most often used for the song. But if you want to slow the song down a bit for a more contemplative approach to the lyric, these chords might sit better with you. And, you could only use a few of the added chords, something like this:

Here’s the deal. I’ve been a clinician at lots of conferences in the last few months, and the thing that has consistently brought attendees around my keyboard to have me explain some chords in detail is my use of chords beyond the 1456. (1456 means, for example, in the key of G the G is 1, C is 4, D is 5 and Em is 6). Undeniably the 1456 chords are heard often in modern worship songs. Way often. Super often. However you want to say it. They’re used a lot. But, as my title suggests there are lots of other chords we can use in our worship songs.

I’m starting with an example from my article in the last issue (Same Chords, Endless Options), a simple piano part for the verse of “This Is Amazing Grace”. The usual chords are presented below.

A zillion churches have used these chords for this song a zillion times. Great. But what if you want to go beyond these chords?

One way is to think 5. What is the 5 chord of any chord in the progression. What’s 5 of G? Of C? Of Em? Of D?

Chord

5 Chord

Remember, too, that inversions are an option for you in your efforts to introduce something new to a familiar song. Here a G/B leads to the C in measures 3 and 7. The root movement from the B to the C brings a nice momentum.

This next example involves step-wise bass movement from measure 5 through 7 by following the Em7 with a D/F# then a G. Your bass player may like this one.

Final concept I want to point out to you here: In all of these examples I’ve created a new harmonic rhythm within the section.

Whereas nothing in the original progression moved faster than whole notes, the variations I’ve shown you here involved some chords moving on the half note, receiving 2 beats. As you’ll hear when you play these examples, giving these new chords only 2 beats heightens their impact on the progression. Whether the new chord is an inversion of a chord within the key or it’s functioning as a 5 of an approaching chord, the musical momentum added is significant.

Options for 5 effect

G D D7sus, C/D C G G7sus, F/G Em B Bm7 D A A7sus, G/A

Options. That’s what I’m giving you. Not the option to change the melody or the lyric. Options to create a fresh accompaniment to a familiar song if you find yourself ready to venture beyond the 1456.

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Note that some of the chords in my table above are outside the key of the song, G major. That’s the point of this exercise. To create the 5 (or dominant) effect I wanted in the example above, I ask myself what chord I’m approaching. For example, when I’m approaching a C chord in measure 3, I know that G is 5 in the key of C, so I use one of my options for the 5 effect, F/G. F isn’t in the key of C, but I’m okay with that. I want to provide this strong harmonic movement into the C chord.

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Ed Kerr is Director Of Worship Studies at The 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

Bass

By Gary Lunn

Roadworthy Wow! In the last six months I have played a conference in Jerusalem (which I have mentioned), and I played a choir tour across Norway. I’ve been able to meet many insanely talented people and played for/with some very nice folks. I am blessed, for sure!

Getting through every gig brings a new process that has to be learned or adapted to, especially when traveling to other countries. To say you need to be flexible is an understatement.

The Norway trip was a missionary effort by the Christ Church Choir in Nashville, playing mostly in churches between Haugesund, Kristiansand, and Oslo. We had a thirty-voice choir and a three-piece rhythm section.

Freedom!! Ha-ha. Not really. I had to remind myself several times to listen closely and not “showboat” or overplay (just because the space was there doesn’t mean that I had to fill it!) For a good part of the tour we played several songs with a wonderful Norwegian artist named Solveigh Leithaug. She has a very folk/pop, James Taylor sort of feel. She was delightful to work with.

The venues we played in where it got particularly interesting were the ones that did not have any kind of adequate monitoring situation available. Setting up with line-of-sight consideration was the key to success in these situations.

In old churches, acoustic treatment is usually little to none, so everything can get lost in the echo of a room very quickly. There were times when all I had to rely on was being able to see the keyboard and the hi-hat.

super-soft sections to thunderous volumes when unison lines between the men and women take over every molecule of the room. For a three-piece rhythm section to keep up with that was quite a lesson in hypersensitivity.

Watching and listening is paramount, and, depending on what kind of amp I had each day, made the difference between providing adequate support and bottoming out, overheating, or blowing up. During sound check I would always test the limits of the amp-of-the-day so that I would have an idea of how far I could go with, not only volume, but low EQ on the amp. In some situations I would make the amp more lower-midrange sounding and less bass sounding so that it wouldn’t use too much power and overheat.

wonderful musicians and singers, but we definitely had to play musical chairs with our instruments. It ended up working out well because everyone was so considerate of each other’s needs, monitoring-wise. Always err on the side of serving others; this will be the best choice you can ever make when working with diverse groups.

I had the pleasure of “swapping chairs” with Lars-Erik Dahle, an incredible bassist from Oslo. I was already familiar with his bass work with Norwegian Christian artist, Ole Børud. It was very inspirational watching and listening to him play.

We had several discussions about basic and advanced bass concepts, and it turns out that we are both very much from the same school of thought (Ha! I flatter myself...), even though it seemed like I was slightly more into the technical side of “what makes a bass work” than he was. Personally, I think he was bluffing. :)

There were situations where we had in-ear monitors and very competent sound engineers. However, there were situations where we (apparently) knew the sound gear better than the The room was big enough that the house engineers did. So we had to bass amp on stage didn’t affect the be patient, kind, and long-suffering “boominess” of the room, even though sometimes. there was the potential for low end When given a “mix-yourself” overload. This is something that every headphone box (i.e., Aviom16), bass player should consider when it’s always good to know who is on playing in a small to medium sized what channel and to keep up with room. Always ask the soundman any changes that may be happening. if you are too loud, no matter what We shared the platform with a couple country you are in. of different local choirs, each with varied, additional soloists. Keeping up was a challenge sometimes, but it’s Gary is a session player/ always better to have at least an idea producer/writer in which channels have the potential to Nashville, TN. He plays for many recording session change and which ones will not.

Playing with a choir presents a In Oslo we were in an interesting different set of rules compared to a situation in a medium-sized church, small worship team or an individual alongside two other bands and artist. The dynamics are huge, from two other choirs. All of these were

accounts, does home recording and producing, and attends Grace Church (gracechurchnashville.com) in Franklin, TN. Email him for questions, comments or scheduling at garylunn@me.com.

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Vocals

By Sheri Gould

Are You Actually A “Beginner”?

I recently returned from Virginia where I had the pleasure of teaching at The National Worship Leader Conference. I love teaching at conferences, in large part because of the wonderful people I have the privilege of meeting and teaching. This conference was no different. Although, as the title indicates, this conference appeals largely to worship leaders (often in full time positions) there is something that connects the participants in that conference to every other conference I’ve ever taught at; most of the attendees have had little to no formal vocal training, thereby making them “beginners” in one very real sense. This is often underscored in a class I teach called “Harmony and Improv” where I emphasize the importance of learning to listen to ourselves and each other while singing in a group as well as learning some of the “simple” aspects of singing like minor ear training and interval singing. Often folks walk away from that class hopefully inspired but also recognizing their need to grow as vocalists.

local churches are largely volunteers. They are put in charge of other volunteers and most of the time none of them have any sufficient vocal training. This is one of the reasons I do what I do. I love serving these wonderful, sacrificial servants of God. But I wish there was more for them. People come to hear me teach and I whet their appetite and they hunger for more.

They would love to be better at singing and to know more about singing but many things prohibit them.

Proper Training

that time, around 1988, they were paying a church secretary $40,000 a year. I actually had quite a decent budget for my music ministry (about $15,000 a year). But they refused to acknowledge that a person in the music ministry was something that needed to be paid for.

This is my point. I believe that we need to make provision for our music leadership. Every year I meet thousands of musical servants who take time off work and pay their own way to go to a conference, workshop, or master class.

They often have to pay for their own travel and lodging expenses. Why/how has music been so denigrated as to not be deemed worthy of support from their leadership to get this very necessary training? Scripture is replete with verses that encourage us to provide for our leadership as well as verses that show us how important the music ministry has been historically to the worship of our heavenly Father.

It’s astounding to me how many churches have music directors in place who have virtually no vocal training, and yet these folks are in charge of everything musical in their churches from the worship team to the choirs. Vocal damage is rampant in our churches, and although there are many reasons for this, first and foremost is ignorance. Knowledge can help protect and guide our vocalists, and this is what they need.

We don’t need great guitar players (or other instrumentalists) in charge of singers. We need Support Our Singers! (SOS!) We have inadvertently fostered a very great vocal coaches in charge of singers. I interesting environment in many of our know many churches can’t afford to hire both, Let’s start a campaign! Our vocalists need help, support, and proper training. Who is churches, one that encourages folks to so the other option is to provide training. going to give it to them? We ask them to serve discover their musical gifts but at the same time week after week and yet we don’t offer to shies away from encouraging real training. Provide Continuing Education Nowhere is this more evident than in the vocal Since most people serving in the music take care of their most basic needs. Let’s start department. We are often so “desperate” for ministry at roughly 90% of our churches are asking for the help and support that is needed. folks to help lead the music that we will often not paid, this leaves very little time and often Let’s pray that our leadership will see the need encourage people to step up to leadership no money for those leaders to go out and get and step up to the plate. It’s encouraging to roles when, in reality, they simply lack the skills extra training. Why is this not a priority in see that there are churches that make it a to do an effective job. All over the country— the church though? We choose our priorities great priority and colleges that are beginning even in other parts of the world—I see this. and we pay for the things that are important to offer Music/Worship majors that include In fairness, often what church leaders are to us. I recall many years ago, when serving vital training - but we need more. We’ll do a looking for is people with a heart to worship in my first church position, I became slightly carwash and a bake sale for Youth Group’s Jesus and serve their local church body as overwhelmed. I was handling the services on mission trip—how about for the worship their top qualifications, and musical prowess Sunday, 4 choirs, a coffeehouse outreach, a leader’s vocal training? J is much farther down on the list. Even our traveling “Ladies Trio”, a children’s musical Can I help you? Please don’t hesitate to use Christian colleges and universities, until very drama program that also traveled, and I was me as a resource. I often offer help to those recently, have not offered quality training and homeschooling my children and trying to serving in the trenches and there are many education for those who want to serve in a keep up my private vocal coaching at home. services I can offer for free. Please don’t worship leader/music ministry capacity, often In addition to this, I was offering free vocal hesitate to get the help and training you need. only offering a smattering of classical music coaching to anyone in my choirs. At one point Be a leader - not a beginner. God bless you choices. This has contributed to the fact that I went to my church leadership and asked if as you serve Him. often our music leadership is sorely lacking in they could consider adding my position as Sheri Gould is an internationally necessary and applicable music skills. a part-time employee (with pay, since I was acclaimed vocal coach. With a currently serving as a volunteer working 32 degree from the University of Ill, she What should we do about this? hours a week) so that I could cut back on the has been coaching since 1979 I, for one, would love to see more emphasis private coaching I was doing to supplement and leading worship since 1985. placed on music directors/worship leaders our family income. Their response to me was For weekly vocal tips, check out having the necessary vocal training to lead a this, ”Yes, you do sound overworked, perhaps facebook.com/officialsherigould. For information group of volunteers. The music directors in our you should simply cut back?” That was it. At on products, including instructional DVDs, check out www.sherigould.com

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EQUIPPING THE CHURCH

by Chuck Page

Digital Signage for the Church (Part 1) We all have seen good and bad digital signage. Good digital signage would be that piece of media that not only catches your eye but also is displayed in such a way that, within seconds, the viewer knows the author’s full intention.

Bad digital signage would be that piece of media that is confusing and fails to explain itself in a timely manner.

Good or bad, digital signage is here to stay. Studies have shown that millennials are impacted at a much greater level from digital media than any other advertising method. But not only millennials, most all people prefer a quick and precise method of advertising and digital signage has shown to be one of the most effective ways to communicate to the viewer.

Digital signage is designed to announce upcoming events in the form of still images, videos, or both. It can be shown in the service, or better yet in front of the target audience for that event. For example, say a staff has three important messages it wants to convey to the church. The first is a women’s retreat, the second is a youth pizza party, and the third is a children’s music program. Using digital signage located in the foyer may be a great strategic placement to notify the ladies, but the other two announcements would be more effective if displayed at the entrance to the youth area and near the children’s check-in area to notify the parents.

This strategy conveys the message in the most opportune areas applicable to those three audiences. Many churches running multiple services have difficulty getting the message to all the attendees on a given Sunday.

Proper placement of the digital signage can solve this issue.

designers create a video loop or video sequence that is too long in duration.

With digital media the rule of thumb is to keep the duration of the sequence in proportion to the audience’s ability to read the content while they travel by the media player. If the audience has to stop or slow down to read the whole message then the message or sequence of images is just too long.

The delivery of the campaign is just as important as the content itself.

In the church environment improving communication has always been high on the list. Staff members are continuously looking for the best In the next issue I will be continuing method to convey what is being on the digital image theme but offered at the church. For years concentrating on how to create the churches would have someone give content in an effective way. announcements during the service to accomplish this need or print it in the weekly bulletin. However many churches have found that announcements during the service are difficult because they interrupt the flow Chuck is a partner and General of the service or because they simply Manager of GoFishMedia, LLC. He has been involved with take too much time. As far as total technology for over 15 years dependence on the bulletin method, and worship for over 20 years. this too is semi-effective because so He resides in Boise, Idaho with his wife Lisa. many people simply refuse to read its content. This is where digital signage Another important element to a Visit: www.gofishmedia.net successful digital media campaign is Send Chuck an email: chuck@gofishmedia.net can help. its simplicity. Many times digital media

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I enjoy Christmas carols as much as anyone, but I admit there are times when they become so familiar that it can seem hard to fit them into a heartfelt worship service in a cohesive way. With his first “Christmas Worship� album, Paul Baloche gave us Christmas and intimate praise seamlessly melded into a fresh and innovative holiday worship experience. Now Christmas Worship Vol. 2 picks up where Vol. 1 left off, giving us more Paul Baloche favorites harmoniously incorporated into much-loved carols.

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Paul Baloche

The Next Christmas Worship Project from

by Aimee Herd

Aimee Herd: Paul, I hear you’ve had a lot of changes take place in your life recently... You moved from your long-time home in Texas... To where did you move and what was the reason for the move?

Paul Baloche: Yes, we have experienced a lot of changes in the last year. The short version of a very complex decision-making process was that our three children, who grew up in Texas, had all moved away to finish college and grad school. Two were living in the northeast, and one in France. When I would come home from a trip, more often than not, I would feel our Texas home was too empty, too large, and too far away from our kids and extended family in Philly/South Jersey.

So about this time last year, we began purging 26 years of life in Texas. We had been in the same neighborhood, same church, same schools, and the same town of Lindale, Texas, as well as Community Christian Fellowship, where for 26 years I did the same thing that I’m still doing now: helping others worship in a way that is authentic.

We wanted to move back to the northeast. The options were Philadelphia, or maybe New York City, where our son lives. So we sold our beloved Texas home and Rita and I moved into a one-bedroom apartment. Our son David has been attending and occasionally co-leading at Trinity Grace Church in Tribeca along with David Gungor of The Brilliance.

AH: Have there been any other life changing kinds of experiences that have happened lately?

PB: There have been more changes than I’m even aware of. Picking up and moving after living in one place for 26 years has been a tectonic shift in our souls, in our lives, and in our relationships. Fortunately the goodbyes were made easier by

leaving our home church in a place of strength and leaving with a blessing. The major changes are leaving close friends that we did life and community with for many years. As the Joni Mitchell song goes, “Don’t it always seem to go. That you don’t know what you’ve got. Till it’s gone.” I say that not in a sad, regretful way, but as a profound observation that years of community create strong roots and stability.

AH: When you finished the first Christmas Worship project did you have a feeling there would be another, or was that always the plan?

PB: No, I actually didn’t. I hesitated doing a Christmas album in the first place.

I thought Christmas albums were for people who had exceptional voices, like Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, or Michael Bublé. I always thought: “Why should I do a Christmas record?” Until I realized that year after year, during the month of November, I would start planning Christmas season services. I would take out the folder with the Christmas charts and start planning. I started to recognize, that as beautiful and profound as many of the Christmas carols are, that simply singing carols alone during the Christmas season lacked the personal aspect of the vertical worship dynamic that we are accustomed to throughout the rest of the year. Since most of the Christmas carols speak “about God” and aren’t necessarily spoken “to Him” lyrically, I started extending each carol with a short vertical chorus thematically. That is what prompted me to do the first Christmas record as a helpful resource for churches that struggle with that dynamic. It wasn’t until the first Christmas record was out and well received that I got emails from people asking “Why didn’t you do ‘Oh Holy Night’, and ‘The First Noel’, and ‘Silent Night’ ?” So that got the wheels

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profound lyric and melody.

And yet it simply describes the Christmas narrative on “THAT Holy Night”. I intentionally wrote a simple vertical chorus coming out of Oh Holy Night, with some of the same wording, but sung in a way that is more prayerful and in the ‘first person’.

AH: Kind of building on what you just said; you mentioned recently about how we pull out the carols each year around Thanksgiving time, and somehow try to incorporate them into worship in church... I have found that to be true, that-depending on the carol--it’s not always easy to bring them into a really worshipful setting; maybe because they’re so familiar. But you’ve found a good way to do that, incorporating some of your own worship songs into them... have you found other ways to accomplish a more worshipful version of carols that you could pass along? turning, and I thought, let me think about those songs that didn’t make it on the first album, and let me see what choruses would be a good musical marriage. For instance “Joy to the World”: “repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy...” into “hear the joyful sound of our offering, as your saints bow down as your people sing... Our God Saves”

PB: A simple place to start would be that as you look at the lyric of a carol, ask “is there a way to change the pronoun so that it is ‘first person’?”

For example, in Joy to the World, instead of “He rules the world, with truth and grace”, simply changing the He to You.

AH: I love that you continued what you “You rule the world, began on “Christmas Worship” with Vol with truth and grace 2--in that you meld Christmas carols And make the nations with songs you’ve written, it truly makes prove it worshipful. So how do you go about The glories of Your choosing what song would fit with a righteousness...” particular carol?

I encourage people to PB: I spent time worshiping with each do this on their own.

Christmas carol— spending time singing, The two Christmas prayerfully observing, and then searching albums I did can be to find something that would be a natural considered a starting segue—a personal prayer song— that point. They open up would complement the previous carol. possibilities in the mind In some way, the carol informs and of a worship pastor. Try reminds us of the Christmas narrative, putting another chorus and then the worship chorus is a simple, coming out of “Oh prayerful response to the narrative. An Holy Night.” Hopefully example from the new album would be Oh these two albums will Holy Night, which has such a beautiful, stir-up some creativity in 22

NOV/DEC 2015 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

worship teams for the coming Christmas season.

AH: You worked with Michael Rossback on this project; what do you feel he added to the mix, and were there techniques used on Vol. 2 that were maybe new ideas that you hadn’t tried before?

PB: It was so great to work with Michael and the band that I travel with.

We have literally travelled the world leading worship and teaching. 8 years with Michael, 12 with Ben, and 20 with Carl. It was profound to lock ourselves up in Michael’s house after the birth of his first child, a boy, a son, Eliam. In a lot of respects, as we were arranging and producing the songs and recording throughout the week singing, “For unto us a child is born, a son is given”, it was beautiful for those of us who have known Michael for so many years - a poignant week to be in the house and see his newborn baby and watch our friend as a ‘first time father’. On the production side, we were all surprised at how easily things came together. It might be because we are friends, but just musically, projects don’t always fall into place so easily and inspired. Carl slept on a blow-up mattress in the drum booth. Ben may have slept Michael Rossback

Carl Albrecht

several songs in the past year that have been recorded by various artists. It was definitely a joy to have her take the classic Scottish melody and write three strong Christmas verses for it.

I will think it will serve the church well because people will already have a sense how the melody goes and they can sing along with the new words on the screen.

Ben Gowell

AH: With Rita and David also singing and playing on the album, I imagine it makes it very special for you... talk about some of the others who joined you for this project--friends and maybe more family?

on the couch and I slept in Michael’s spare room. It was fun to eat together, pray together, laugh together and make music. I think friendship and community is reflected throughout the album. We sensed the joy of the Lord throughout the week, reminding us of Psalm 133, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!”

PB: As you noticed, my son David sang and also played French horn. He and Rita actually sing a duet on “Silent Night”. We called in familiar voices and some new voices.

It was so fun to have Phil Wickham, All Sons and Daughters, Onaje Jefferson, and Kathryn Scott. All of them “Old friends” who stepped up to help.

I invited super-talented friends from an urban church in Queens to give some of the songs more of an NYC gospel vibe.

All in all, as an artist, it doesn’t get much better than this. I›m humbled and grateful.

To put together an album of songs, of medleys, with a diverse community of friends that we pray will serve the church well as a resource for worship pastors, worship teams, and congregations - to keep authentic, vertical-worship alive and consistent throughout the Advent season.

I can’t wait for people to hear some of the fresh new voices on the project including After the initial recording, I invited Gina Milne, and Bri Giles from New Life several guests and friends to sing or play Worship band/Desperation Band. on the project. There was a lot of musical Also, Madison Cunningham, who sang diversity. Michael did an excellent job on “When Love Crossed Over”, is an 18- To learn more about Paul Baloche’s the mix, having ‘lived’ with the tracks for year old worship leader from Southern “Christmas Worship Vol. 2” log on to: months, he brought out a lot of emotion.

California that I met while doing one of BalocheChristmasWorship.com and visit It’s definitely worth listening to with good our Leadworship Workshops. Her voice Paul Baloche on Facebook. headphones. The first Christmas record blows me away. was mixed by renowned Nashville mixing AH: Indeed! What was the engineer Reid Shippen. feeling during recording this AH: Last I spoke with you (it’s been a album, being surrounded by while) you’d said that Rita was focused this ‘community’ of friends more on family and not as much in and family? writing/recording, so I was glad to see the song she wrote, “When Love Crossed PB: From beginning to end, Ari Heinikainen Over”—such a beautiful song and lyrics— this project was conceived, written, and produced with will there be more from Rita? friends from one end of PB: This is a new season for us where the country to the other, our kids are grown and it is awesome to including a choir of worship be able to relate to them as young adults, leaders from Southern but the day to day responsibilities are California who sang the not great as they used to be for Rita in entire project with me. After the ‘Mom department’. She has written moving to New York City, 24

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SONGchart

FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN | OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART

A

#

F m

For Unto Us A Child Is Born: G.F. Handel New Music: Paul Baloche/Michael Rossback Open The Eyes Of My Heart: Paul Baloche

D

Esus4

E

Asus4 E7

FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN | OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART

Key = F A only]F #m Capo 3 (D) [Capo chords shown

For Unto Us A Child Is Born: G.F. Handel New Music: Paul Baloche/Michael Rossback Open The Eyes Of My Heart: Paul Baloche

D

Esus4

E

Asus4 E7

q = 102

Key = F For Unto Us A Child Is Born: Capo 3 (D) [Capo chords shown only]

Mid section:

D Dsus4 D D Dsus4 D G A q = 102 For unto us a child is born.

For unto us a child is born, a Son is given, a Son is given.

G AMid section: D Dsus4 D G A For Unto Us A Child Is Born: Holy, holy, holy.

For unto us a child is born, a DSon is Dsus4 given, a Son is given, D Dsus4 D D G A For unto us a child is born.

For unto us a child is born, a Son is given, a Son is given.

G/B A/C # A Dsus4 D G | DA Dsus4 | DG|| the Messiah, oh to see Him...D Holy, holy, holy.

For unto us a child is born, a Son is given, a Son is given, G/B A/C # the Messiah, oh to see Him...

Open The Eyes Of My Heart:

| D Dsus4 | D ||

A Bm7The Eyes Of My Heart: Open ...to see Him high and lifted up, A Bm7 G A...to see Him high and lifted up, G A shining in the light of Your glory. shining in the light of Your glory.

Bm7 Bm7 Pour out Your power and lovePour out Your power and love Em7 A Em7 A as we sing holy, holy, holy. as we sing holy, holy, holy.

[1.] to For Unto Us A Child Is Born [2.]Born [1.] to For Unto Us A Child Is A Bm7 [2.]

You are high and lifted up, A Bm7G A You are high and lifted up, shining in the light of Your glory.

Bm7 G APour out Your power and love shining in the light of Your glory.

Em7 A as we sing holy, holy, holy, Bm7 Em7 Pour out Your power and loveG holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy Em7 A Bm7 Asus4 as we sing holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy.

G holy, holy, holy, Bm7 holy, holy, holy,

Em7 holy, holy, holy Asus4 holy, holy, holy.

For Unto Us A Child Is Born: This arr and new music © 2015 Integrity Worship Music/Leadworship Songs/Michael Rossback Music/ASCAP (adm worldwide by CapitolCMGPublishing.com excluding the UK which is adm by Integrity Music, songs@integritymusic.com) Open The Eyes Of My Heart: Copyright © 1998 Integrity's Hosanna! Music/ASCAP (adm worldwide by CapitolCMGPublishing.com excluding the UK which is adm by Integrity Music, songs@integritymusic.com) CCLI # 7045163 & 2298355

WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM NOV/DEC 2015 For Unto Us A Child Is Born: This arr and new music © 2015 Integrity Worship Music/Leadworship Songs/Michael Rossback Music/ASCAP (adm worldwide by CapitolCMGPublishing.com excluding the UK which is adm by Integrity Music, songs@integritymusic.com)

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Product Review

By Jack Mao

FreePlay by Mackie Mackie has managed to pack enough features on board to make the FreePlay appropriate for just about everybody who needs a high quality portable PA. My first impression of FreePlay is to compare it to a boom box. While I’m sure that was part of Mackie’s intended design specs, once you fire up FreePlay and plug in your guitar or microphone the analogy stops there. Yes, you can use the FreePlay as a home or office playback system (you can stream music from any iOS or Android device via Bluetooth) but microphone inputs. There is also an 1/8th inch out the following links to FreePlay Connect on that is just scratching the surface of FreePlay’s Auxiliary input and ¼” monitor out. Each channel the App Store and Google Play, as the App features a demo mode that will let you try out the can also have its own EQ and effect levels. capabilities. functionality of FreePlay before buying one.

Downloading the free FreePlay Connect App Obviously FreePlay is not designed to replace a traditional PA for midsize or larger venues, but it gives you an integrated four channel mixer, FreePlay Connect on the App Store: will work great for most other indoor or outdoor which connects via Bluetooth and allows you to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mackiesound applications. Worship leaders, singer control levels and EQ individually per channel. freeplay-connect/id980303512?ls=1&mt=8 songwriters, churches, schools, students, as well Priced at $399, it’s really not that expensive as coffee houses, clubs, and anyone looking for for what you get. It looks good, sounds great, FreePlay Connect on Google Play: a high-end alternative to a conventional portable is highly versatile, and is the kind of product https://play.google.com/store/apps/ you won’t outgrow anytime soon. It’s a great details?id=com.mackie.freeplayconnect PA will find FreePlay a great investment. addition for any house of worship or worship FreePlay features a full-Range Stereo system team, and the perfect take along for any church See: http://freeplay.mackie.com/ for more with an 8” Woofer. Its 300 Watt Class D Power or social gathering. I would suggest checking information amplifier sounds great, and in general sounds as good as or better than portable PA’s costing a lot more money (don’t be put off by FreePlay’s boom box styled form factor - simply put, the sound coming out of FreePlay is “Loud and clear”.) Mackie also offers an optional Speaker Pole Mount & Carry Bag. FreePlay is designed to be powered by AC. There is also an optional rechargeable Lithium Ion battery pack, which gives you up to ten hours of continuous performance.

(You can alternatively power FreePlay by 8 D Cell Batteries) There is an onboard feedback eliminator, and you get 16 Digital reverb & delay effects. Freeplay features two channels, which both feature a Neutrix connector that can accept balanced, unbalanced, or

26

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Record Reviews Rend Collective Campfire Christmas 1. We Wish You A Merry Christmas 2. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Glory In The Highest) 3. Ding Dong Merrily On High (The Celebration’s Starting) 4. Joy To The World (You Are My Joy) 5. O Come All Ye Faithful (Let Us Adore Him) 6. Shining Light 7. O Holy Night (O Night Divine) 8. Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (Rejoice Rejoice) [feat. Urban Rescue] 9. A Joyful Reprise 10. Merry Christmas Everyone 11. For All That You Have Done Rend Collective is well known around the world for their spirited and celebratory approach to modern worship music with an authentic Irish bend. Since 2007, they have been the fish that is swimming against the flow of cookie cutter worship, and now have thrown their creative hats into the Christmas album ring and have emerged victorious with their 6th studio album, Campfire Christmas.

When creating a Christmas album, some artists take the straight and narrow, re-creating those holiday favorites while keeping their arrangements simple and safe. Then there are those like Aaron Shust who last year released a gorgeous Christmas album (one of my all-time favs btw) that contained mostly new songs for the church. But Rend, in typical Collective style, have chosen a bit of a different route whereby they do indulge in a few of the indispensables, a few originals, and a few creative hybrids creating a truly unique Christmas worship experience.

By Gerod Bass

Speaking of musical curveballs, “Shining Light,” at first seems a bit out of place since it was originally an alternative rock song by fellow Northern Irish group, Ash. However when you listen to it and understand how the light of God came into the world through Jesus, it makes perfect sense. Here Rend has successfully turned an upbeat pop rock song into one of the more worshipful moments of the album. Although the original’s style is completely different from Rend Collective’s, the lyrics lend themselves well to the moment: “A constellation once seen over Royal David’s city, An epiphany you burn so pretty, yeah “Ding Dong Merrily On High” is you are a shining light.” a fun toe-tapping campfire style Rend Collective is definitely one of a version of this classic song that, while kind, and Campfire Christmas holds probably wouldn’t work on Christmas true to the model that has made them Day in church, will still bring a smile to who they are. This album is a Joyful your face and help get that Christmas Christmas worship party, and you are invited. The mixture of well-known and spirit moving.

Nowhere is the spirit of Christmas not-so-well-known songs on this album joy more evident than on “Joy To The is perfect listening for the holiday World (You Are My Joy)”. The song season. Their quirky knack for joyful begins with an unexpected acappella celebration, as well as their awe of men’s barbershop quartet intro that the glory of God, remind us of the sounds like a train whistle calling reason for the season. Pick it up!

Now for the songs.

“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Glory in the Highest)” is my favorite, as Rend begins this song with an aggressive drum intro which made me think of marching Angels and shepherds heading to Bethlehem to give glory to the newborn king. The arrangement paired with the edgy and raw vocals of frontman Chris Lewellyn help transform this song into a call to action for us as sons and daughters of the newborn to spread the joy of His birth every day of our lives.

“Joy, Joy, Joy”. They also add a short chorus that makes the song personal and worshipful as they sing excitedly, “You are my joy”.

Their more worshipful side comes out on the stripped down, yet no less than absolutely beautiful, “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “O Holy Night”, and “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.” These songs feature mostly acoustic instruments and, for the most part, hold true to the originals, but each is wrapped with the occasional musical curveball that Rend is known for.

*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

Rend Collective Campfire Christmas Big Daddy Weave Beautiful Offerings Paul Baloche Christmas Worship Vol. 2 Integrity Music Casting Crowns

Blessed Assurance - The New Hymns of Fanny Crosby A Live Worship Experience highest marks

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NOV/DEC 2015 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

Big Daddy Weave Beautiful Offerings

1. Beautiful Offering 2. My Story 3. I Belong To You 4. Come Sit Down 5. The Lion And The Lamb 6. Heaven Is Here 7. It’s Already Done 8. I Will Go 9. Praise You 10. Glory Unspeakable 11. You’re Gonna Love Him 12. Welcome 13. When You Love Somebody 14. Jesus I Believe 15. Good Good Father (Live) Since 2001, Alabama based worship icons, Big Daddy Weave, have been electrifying the Christian Music world with their famous folk pop fast paced vividness reminiscent of the Dave Matthews Band. Their 10th studio release, Beautiful Offerings however, breaks away a bit from this trend by giving us a more relaxed and mellow version of the band who seem to be targeting a different audience

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these days.

The 14 new songs on the project live up to the title of the album, as most of them feature the band’s softer side, giving us musical opportunities to lay ourselves at the foot of the cross in sincere worship.

The title cut “Beautiful Offerings” is worship at its best as we hear about a broken believer coming with his shattered life to God for healing again. The orchestral backing gives the listener a sense of awe and majesty, while the lyric will speak to everyone who struggles to bring their sins before God because of their own shame.

“Lion and the Lamb” is the best written song on the album as it wrestles with the Biblical image of how the Savior is both conqueror and sacrificial lamb at the same time. “Welcome” is a soft guitar ballad with a beautiful violin overtones that would be perfect for a worship service opener. This tender prayer of surrender is an invitation to the most high God to invade every part of our lives.

“My Story,” co-written by Mike Weaver and Jason Ingram, is a powerful testimony of God’s never-ending grace that is true to life for every believer, and the album wraps up with an acoustic arrangement of the well known and often sung, “Good, Good Father” that dovetails with the album nicely.

While I appreciate the risk that Big Daddy Weave took by releasing an album so different from what they have done previously, the sheer amount of soft ballads contained in this project is a bit overwhelming. That being said, I think this would be a worthwhile album for worship leaders to own, as it is chock full of tender worshipful moments that will be useful both in personal and corporate worship.

Paul Baloche Christmas Worship Vol. 2 1. Joy To The World/Our God Saves 2. For Unto Us A Child Is Born/ Open The Eyes Of My Heart 3. Angels From The Realms Of Glory/ Emmanuel 4. Oh Holy Night/Love Shines Bright 5. Gloria 6. What Child Is This/Praise Emmanuel 7. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear/ Glorious 8. The Newborn King 9. The First Noel/Above All 10. Silent Night 11. Silent Night (Guitar Reprise) 12. When Love Crossed Over Worship leader and CCM legend, Paul Baloche has once again gift-wrapped a 32

wonderful combination of old and new with his second Christmas worship album, Christmas Worship Vol. 2. Volume one was released at this time last year and although that one was good, this one blows it away (in this reviewers opinion.) This album was much more of a team effort as Baloche invites not only his wife and son to write and play along around the Christmas tree, but also a host of well known worship leaders and writers including, Phil Wickam, Kathryn Scott, All Sons and Daughters, and Lenny LeBlanc.

A majority of this Christmas album includes songs that are well done combinations of classic Baloche songs and well-loved Christmas favorites. For example, the album kicks off in fine style with a unique combination of “Joy To The World” and “Our God Saves” that actually works quite well.

This song also features a guest appearance from All Sons and Daughters, who seem to be on every worship record these days, and for good reason.

Integrity Music (Various Artists) Blessed Assurance - The New Hymns of Fanny Crosby 1. We Are Waiting - All Sons and Daughters 2. Not Be Moved - Jon Egan and New Life Worship 3. Hallelujah (King of Glory) Dustin Smith 4. In The Blood - Israel Houghton with Seth and Nirva 5. Blessed Savior, Fount of Grace - Darlene Zschech 6. No One Like Jesus - Michael W. Smith 7. Blessed Assurance - Chris McClarney 8. In Life and Death - Greg Sykes 9. Wholly Thine - Meredith Andrews 10. The Savior Of All - Matt Redman 11. Come To The Water - Paul Baloche 12. I Have Found A Priceless Treasure Ernie Haase & Signature Sound 13. All Is Well - Ricky Skaggs & The Whites 14. I Never No Never - Elias Dummer 15. Where Could I Go - Blind Boys Of Alabama with Michael Farren

Classic Christmas songs like “Oh Holy Night” (Sung by Kathryn Scott), “Angels From the Realms of Glory”, and “What Child Is This”, are joined with newly penned vertical Fanny Crosby was one of the most prolific worship choruses creating a seamless mix of hymn writers of the modern church. For over old and new that makes this album a perfect 100 years her hymns have been sung in addition to your Christmas repertoire. churches across the globe, including such Another highlight on Christmas Worship favorites as “Blessed Assurance”, “To God Vol. 2 is “When Love Crossed Over,” a Be The Glory”, and “All The Way My new song written by Baloche›s wife, Rita Savior Leads Me”. She has been called the and performed by Madison Cunningham, a “Mother of modern congregational singing young Calvary Chapel worship leader. The in America” for good reason since she was acoustic guitar work on this track mixed with said to have written over 8,000 hymns and Cunningham›s silky vocals will put you on Gospel songs, all to the glory of God. Blind your knees at the edge of the manger as at an early age, Crosby was an active she and Paul sing about this gift from God servant of Christ who spent a good part of given to reconcile the world. In addition, her life working in the inner cities of New the traditional «Silent Night» gets the York serving the great needs of the urban Baloche family treatment, with Rita poor and new American immigrants. She and their son David (who also plays truly was a talented servant of Christ. guitar on the project) joining Paul on Recently, a collection of her unpublished vocals. lyrics was discovered and presented The haunting guitar tones and southern to some of the world’s best worship leaders slide riffs on the guitar reprise of “Silent and songwriters for a unique collaboration.

Night” give the sense of the supernatural The result was Blessed Assurance- The New nature of Jesus› birth, and the declarative Hymns of Fanny Crosby, which features «Gloria» is a classic Baloche worship tune 15 new songs written and performed by that is primed for Christmas radio play and such worship leaders as Matt Redman, Paul includes a guest vocal appearance by Baloche, Meredith Andrews, Michael W. Smith, and All Sons And Daughters. worship leader, Phil Wickam.

Overall, I enjoyed this Christmas album a Crosby’s most popular hymn “Blessed lot. The arrangements are spectacular and Assurance” is performed by Chris although I wish Paul would give us more McClarney in fine Southern Gospel style new songs for Christmas, this album is meant with Hammond B-3, piano, and jazzy guitar to keep the traditional Christmas songs backing, while his smooth groovy vocals that everyone loves while creating vertical pay perfect homage to the hymn’s writer. worship moments within those songs, and I One of my favorite songs on the album is thank Paul and his team for these precious gifts.

Continued on page 52

NOV/DEC 2015 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

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FOH Engineer

By Kent Morris

Monitors and the Art of Humility: Paul Baloche and Team inadequate equipment in the charge of a resistive pastor. Our only lifeline to outside gear was the local music store sponsoring the tech track, which could be a good thing, or not, depending In 1996, I started serving as the on the store. tech manager for Maranatha! Music’s Into this festive atmosphere of “make Worship Leader Workshops. Back it work with what you have” came then, church media systems were Paul and his team of Leann Albrecht rather primitive; yet we were tasked on vocals, along with her husband with showcasing the methods and Carl on drums, Ed Kerr on keys, Don practices of contemporary worship in Harris on bass and Jamie Harvill local church settings. Occasionally, on guitar. Given the clear talent on we were blessed to be in mega- display among this group and the churches with large-format consoles lack of proper gear at hand, it would and decent video projection. Most be logical to surmise the monitor often though, we were met with environment would be strewn with the flotsam of demands and counterdemands met by the snarky passiveaggressive sarcasm of a hampered tech. However, even in their youth and “haired” days, this team modeled humility and understanding of the situation. Paul would always start rehearsal by asking me how many mixes we had and the caliber of the wedges. He would then give the best monitors and separate mixes to others, leaving him (occasionally) with just a house feed on an old Hot Spot.

The same process flowed through to mics, with Paul content with a battlescarred SM58 while the nice VX5 went to someone else. Don Harris, a deft musician across many genres, was satisfied with the bass rig of the moment, which was usually a blownout combo from 1979. Don would calmly voice words of encouragement to me when the going got particularly tough. Carl, with his Teutonic vigor, was always eager to assist this smallbodied tech with gear lugging of any stripe, while Ed and Jamie pitched in every time a cable needed to be run or a hum tracked down.

Since Paul Baloche is the cover story for this issue, it is appropriate to start a conversation of how to navigate worship technology by discussing Paul and his team.

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As the years of WLW events rolled on and the one team became four, each of the members of our growing Maranatha! family could look back on Paul and his team for guidance on how to conduct themselves in difficult situations. Eventually, Leann and Jamie led their own teams and carried the Baloche Doctrine with them. So, how then, do we as techs find ourselves today far removed from this island of peace and often at odds with those we serve on the platform?

The answer begins and ends with us and the gear we cherish. We may not be blessed with the talent and understanding of a Paul Baloche or a Carl Albrecht, but we can treat our whiny, skinny-jeaned, pitchy worship leader and Red Bull fueled megadrummer with respect. It’s not easy, but there may a God induced balance at play here: it appears the better the gear we have at hand the more God puts “issue” people in our path.

So, if you have a DiGiCo SD7 and a Meyer line array plus 4K Digital Projection Highlite projectors in your sanctuary, God is going to give you people challenges in place of gear problems. Maybe this is why worship teams in Zambia are so easy to work with – they don’t have any gear even worth complaining about. Perhaps, then, we should strive for people rather than gear.

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 Shaker Method

By Mark Shelton

Bring On The Sleigh Bells

Standard Method

It’s that time! Percussionists with symphony orchestras, concert bands, jazz ensembles, and worship teams are shaking the dust (or snow) off their sleigh bells as they prepare to jingle their way through Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” or to add some holiday shimmer to a traditional Christmas carol. My quick tutorial will help you bring the same skill and musicianship to the sleigh bells as you do when playing congas, timpani, or xylophone.

inside of the crotal. You may need to strike the handle a bit early to make up for the lag time and avoid dragging the tempo.

Rhythmic figures such as those in Example #1 can be easily performed with the standard method.

Go Big Or Get Outta The Sleigh The first step to sleigh bells greatness is investing in a quality instrument. A few bells attached to a strap will not cut through an orchestra or punch through a rockin’ praise band. Get the real-deal set of sleigh bells designed as an actual volume-pumpin’ piece of percussion gear. This type of instrument allows the performer to execute rhythmic figures in tempo--with a fairly precise attack. I recommend a model with at least two dozen one inch steel or brass “pellet bells” (also known as crotals). The bells are mounted on an oblong wooden block with a handle extending from one end. With this set-up, you can hold your own when the horn section kicks in.

Jingle Two Ways There are a variety of techniques for producing sounds on the sleigh bells. Most general playing can be accomplished using either the standard method or the shaker method.

For the standard method, hold the sleigh bells by the handle so that the bells are below the handle.

The instrument should be perpendicular to the floor.

Sometimes I angle the instrument at around 45 degrees. Use either the palm of the free hand or the side of the closed fist to strike the top of the handle.

This will cause the pellet in each crotal to produce a single sound. The sounds of all the bells may not be simultaneous, but the somewhat imprecise attacks are a part of the characteristic sleigh bells timbre.

There can be a bit of delay between the initial handle strike and the pellet making contact with the 36

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To play rhythms such as those in Example #2, choose the shaker method. Simply hold the sleigh bells parallel to the floor and use an out-in motion similar to playing a shaker.

Along with learning these rhythmic techniques, you will want to have a roll in your sleigh bells arsenal. An easy shaking of the instrument is all that is necessary to produce a sustained sound. Develop control of the roll so that you can move from a rhythmic passage into a roll or vice versa.

Practicing the exercise below can help develop this skill.

No Needless Jangling Preventing extraneous sound from the sleigh bells can be a challenge. A slight jiggle can set those little pellets into Continued on page 53

Cut-capo Guitar

By Mitch Bohannon

Tracking With Capos Worship leaders, do you lead your team using click-tracks? Do you add enhancement stems (tracks)? If you don’t, that’s a whole other article, send me an email and I’ll be glad to show you inexpensive ways to start.

I have found that the most common enhancement tracks to add (other than drum loops) are pads. My goal in these articles is to encourage you to start thinking “outside” the box that we often put ourselves in. We’re creative, however for myself, often I found that I did not stretch myself, but I chose to stay comfortable in what I knew… how about you?

Have you ever been playing through a song and had the thought, “a (12-string guitar / High-strung guitar / mandolin) would sound great on this song”—but, that’s not the instrument you lead with? In my personal experience, I’ve been there many times. A couple of months ago, I was in Nashville working on a project with some of my CMS friends.

Tom Lane made a comment that has repeated over and over in my mind since then. We were talking about the Short-Cut capo and he told me that he often records guitar layers in the studio with it. Then he demonstrated with a simple pattern he plays that is enhanced with the Short-Cut capo.

Sometimes I’m slow, but “It only takes a spark to get a fire going.” You see, this article was going to be solely about using the Short-Cut capo with a 12-string guitar. I borrowed a guitar because I don’t have a 12-string anymore and then kept thinking about Tom’s comment and this article took a completely different turn!

I was preparing this week’s setlist for church while playing through some ideas on that 12-string. I am not as comfortable leading with that instrument, but found a song that it 38

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sounded great on. So, I plugged the guitar in, recorded it, and dropped it into the mix for Sunday morning.

Simple as that! It really didn’t take much time…AND, I’ve got to rehearse anyway (please tell me you still rehearse)…

More ideas? Try using a Drop-D capo (this leaves your 6th string open). With this capo, you’ll be using “D” shapes in the key of “E.” REMEMBER: just like with the Short-Cut capo, you can use a 6-string capo two frets behind it to change/raise the key.

Once you’ve recorded some fresh layers and textures with your guitars, play the song for service in the way that’s most comfortable to you. Maybe those layers are there only to boost a chorus or a bridge. Maybe it’s a cool high-strung part on an intro. Be creative. I led a song one time where I wanted to get the congregation clapping during a pre-chorus, so I recorded my rhythm just for that part.

That way, I was able to let go, lead clapping, and then get back to my Try capo-ing up at or above the guitar. Freedom!

8th fret. That can give a really cool I’ve said for years, Psalm 33:3 tells mandolin effect. Better yet, use a high- us we are to play with skill. Skill is not strung guitar (lighter gauge 3rd, 4th, 5th, a level of difficulty, but that of making and 6th strings tuned up a full octave the guitar sound just like we want it from standard tuning…also called to sound. If it takes a Short-Cut capo “Nashville Tuning”) and use a capo or and one finger, that’s skill. If it takes a a Short-Cut capo on that! REMEMBER: capo on the 9th fret, that’s skill. God the capo gives you the opportunity to is the ultimate “creative,” The Creator. use the exact chord voicing you desire Follow His lead, be creative, and in any key. It’s all about the voicing! worship the Lord with your guitar.

What’s your favorite voicing to play in? In standard tuning, my favorites are “D” and “G.” With the Short-Cut capo, I prefer playing “A” voicing. (If you’d like some training with the Short- Mitch Bohannon developed the Short Cut capo, I’ve written a handbook. Cut Capo for Kyser and Email me and I’ll send it. mitch@ is a worship pastor in kysermusical.com) For example, you Louisiana. He and his may be singing a song in the key of beautiful wife, Noelle, have been married for “E.” Try placing a capo on fret 9 and 22 years and have three play in “G”… now record that. awesome kids! www.kysermusical.com Not many of us have multiple guitarists, nor do we have a huge variety of guitars/instruments with us on platform…beside the fact that it can be a distraction in worship for anyone to keep changing instruments.

However, adding a variety of stems can be a great thing. That’s why I call them “enhancements.” So, what are some options? Enhancements need not be full-on rhythm. Simple texture… layers that add to the rhythm created live on platform.

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GuiTAR GRAB BAG

By Jeffrey B. Scott

Leading from Electric Guitar: For the Newly-Electrified I have had the great honor of serving with the team of Experience Conference (www. experienceconference.com), a conference created by worship leaders for worship leaders, for the last several years. As part of the conference, I’ve taught a breakout session several times under this title, and have been really surprised at the number of people who come to my class as seasoned worship leaders but brand-new electric players! So I thought I’d spend this month’s column on those guys and girls who are turning it up for maybe the first time, and let you all in on some of our conversation.

opinion, go to your local music store and try it out. Take time with it. Do your best to imagine the situation you’ll be in, and see if it works for you.

Practicing with your setup is great even for a veteran player, but especially for the newly-initiated, it can become the difference between a great 30-minute set If you’ve already got some gear, get to and that same set feeling 3 days long! know it! Spend the time; make the effort It’s worth mentioning that this reality is when you’re not under pressure to lead what keeps some players who have to know what your gear is capable of. figured out POD’s and other digital This is especially true if you’ve decided modeling boards to stay there. One a modeling pedalboard (like the Line button press and your whole rig is dialed 6 POD family or Helix) is your go-to. in for the next song. The caveat? It can There are SO MANY OPTIONS, you take a lot of work to get there and make it don’t want to be figuring that out on sound good. So if that kind of automated the fly. Strip down the presets to only setup is appealing as a new electric There are several unique challenges for the amp, then build up from there. player, be sure to involve people you trust the person who leads worship from electric (Be sure to check my article “Working Modeling Magic” in in the tone-shaping process. It will save guitar, so let’s dive in! the Jan/Feb 2015 issue of Worship Musician - issuu.com/ you miles of headaches in the long run. cmsproductions/docs/wm-janfeb15-issuu/40) It’s a different kind of focus Trust Your Team When you’ve led worship from acoustic, there’s a certain path to follow. You might set the tempo, you’re the rhythm starter, and it’s a very common way to lead worship. From house church to megachurch, it’s a very typical setup (So much so that author Jon Acuff created a “Field Guide for The North American Hipster: Worship Leader Edition” to showcase it!). And it’s easy to practice any time, even if you customarily have a full band. But when you lead from electric, it isn’t as well-traveled a road! You have to be prepared to use your imagination when you practice (or tools like RehearsalMix.com), to decide how you’re going to approach your playing, and figure out how to use whatever you play through to enhance worship.

Know your Tone One very obvious difference: the addition of tone-shaping to the playing equation.

Diving into playing electric is not a simple matter of swapping one guitar for another, so you must know what will be inspiring to play and what will allow you to focus on leading. If it’s your first foray into electric guitar, let the Internet be your friend.

Educate yourself on amps and pedals, see what works, listen to recordings and figure out what you like, then search out who’s playing and what they use. There is no magic bullet, but there are plenty of triedand-true offerings out there that will help you determine what works best for you and your situation. Then when you have an educated

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K.I.S.S. (Keep It Super Simple!)

Now that you’ve got your gear somewhat figured out, look at it all again and take away anything that isn’t absolutely necessary. If you’ve ever heard me speak on the subject of our role as worship leaders, you know I believe we are “ushers” into the presence of God. And an usher has 2 primary jobs: show someone where to go, and limit distractions. The first job is more about you being the leader, and the second can have a lot to do with you as a player! If your gear is simple, then you won’t be distracted by it and you’ll be able to focus more on your first job. So embrace simplicity and let your focus be on your leadership.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Leading from electric brings with it some things that just aren’t part of the acoustic experience. The most unique challenge is probably right in front of you: the pedalboard. You now have at your disposal not only multiple options, but possibly many more things that need your attention as you lead. Are you in tune? Are you in time? Is that delay synced up just right? Is your amp/Pod on the right channel for this song? So to help alleviate the stress all this can conjure up, you need to practice with your setup.

(This might be a “Duh” for some of you, but trust me, I still do it and it’s worth it!)

As you step into the role of electric guitar player, there’s one more thing you must be aware of. You have to trust your team!

Leading from electric can mean that sometimes you won’t be the one starting a song, so the team around you will have to own their part in leading. Whether it’s the drummer, keyboardist or the person now playing acoustic, they may need to step up and lead out. Don’t forget to let them practice that, too!

Leading from electric guitar can be a very rewarding experience as you plumb the depths of dynamics and tones available that just aren’t there for acoustic.

But if you decide to step into it, remember that there are resources available like Worship Musician to help you along the way. And feel free to reach out to me personally on Facebook or Twitter and let’s chat! I’d be thrilled to help you come over to the dark side… er, i mean… turn your worship experience up a notch!

Jeffrey B. Scott lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife and 3 children, and is dead-set on delivering his best for God’s glory. He’s a guitarist, vocalist, producer and songwriter.

Check out his new EP, Highest Heights, available now on iTunes!

Twitter: @jeffreybscott Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeffreybscott

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The Band

By Tom Lane

My Inner Monologue Sometimes I feel like I’m throwing more wood on an already mountainous fire.

Partially because there’s so much great stuff written on worship, a worthy and arguably saturated subject. So as I sit in my chair to write tonight I wonder what difference one more article filled with my “humble” opinions will really matter? J Just being honest! Not that I’m not always honest, but I feel an extra dose of it right now for some reason and want to peel back a few layers of my current stream of consciousness.

I’ll bounce a bit, but connect it at the end!

I do love my city, Nashville. It’s been home for 33 years and is an amazing place to be. I also love what I get to do in life and consider myself fortunate and blessed. One of the realities of living here is being surrounded by the music and entertainment industries.

Like other iconic cities associated with entertainment industry and stars, it can be distracting if you’re tempted by fame and success. It’s also one of the most religious cities on earth, extremely churched and well aware of the bible. The fact that a majority of the worship music that makes its way around the globe traverses through here makes it even more unique.

That too can present a distraction sometimes, even from the mission of Jesus, clearly laid out in the very bible we reference and think we know so much about.

I have had very interesting meetings and conversations recently having to do with church, leadership, and worship. I guess because it’s the world I live in it naturally comes up a lot. Oddly, I’ve also seen more adverts for articles on why people are leaving The Church, and why this, and why that, and what to do, etc.

It’s overwhelming and is slowly turning into just more noise for me. I’ve even 42

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him with glory and majesty! We are soooo small—really! A tiny part of a ginormous tribe, yet we matter! Not one of us is any more important than In a songwriting session a week another, or means any less to God. ago, my cowriters and I were talking When we stand in front of people about the sense of panic and fear that to lead them in worship, we’re not is causing Christians to act and react endowed with special powers and like we’re doomed, and how that is we’re certainly not stars. Even the so not the gospel message nor the dullest tool in the shed can be used, hope that we have. We talked about and sometimes over the sharpest one’s, how crazy it is that we then take our so there’s no room for positioning or arguments to the social media world striving. to hash it out, and what a great So here’s what hits me at home where advancement of the kingdom of God I live today. We’re on a journey with that is, NOT! Then we wrote a song. the people we are in community and It’s certain to change the course of family with, being perfected as we all mankind and climb the ladder to go, becoming more and more like international congregational success, Jesus—less and less like those people and that’s really why we should write we were. What we play and sing songs anyway right? matters, but very little in comparison to found myself in meetings not wanting hear myself say one more thing about what I think because there are so many opinions.

My wife I met some friends for lunch just yesterday and the discussion led to how fixated we’ve become on the service, and shouldn’t we get on with being The Church, which is about community more than it is about meetings? This great quote from Graham Kendrick came up, “If the vehicle of our worship becomes the object of our worship, then we’ve really missed it!” How true!

the responsibility we have to love one another, build up the saints, and win the lost. If it’s about any more or less than that then we are off base and need to set about a course correction.

We can learn more than we’d ever be able to comprehend about being better musicians from watching Youtube. What Youtube can never teach is how to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness…to love All of this is stuff many of us process, our neighbor as ourselves…and to discuss, and pontificate on. The serve the least. Let’s make these things conversations are going on all over a focus of worship this season! the world and are not unique to me.

Against this backdrop, when I think about what we do as musicians, Bless you as you serve!! singers, worship leaders, bands, and artists in The Church, this comes to mind. (Psalm 8:4) When I consider Nashville, TN is home for Your heavens, the work of Your Lane though he is involved fingers, the moon and the stars, Tom in ministry and music around the which You have ordained; What is world. As a singer, songwriter man that You take thought of him, and guitar player, Tom has And the son of man that You care for been teamed with many worship leaders and artists. He continues to record his him? Yet You have made him a little own work, lead worship, and writes regularly lower than God, And You crown for various worship publications worldwide.

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MINISTRY

By Rick & Logan Muchow

7 Secrets of Spirit-Led Leaders Learn to See Envision the Future Adapt to Change Dare to Trust Encourage Others Reproduce Themselves Sacrifice The Most In today’s troublesome world where our faith is challenged and the future is uncertain, we are in desperate need of the right kind of leadership. If we are to see a redemptive change in the church and in society as a whole, we need servant leaders who are led by the Spirit of God. Without the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, we will not be able to enact significant change that will effect eternity. I have compiled a list of seven biblical truths that every Spiritled leader understands and practices.

In over 30 years of worship ministry, I have seen firsthand the importance of being led by the Spirit and I have learned the necessity of living out these Biblical truths. It is my goal to explain each of these 7 Secrets of Spirit-Led Leaders in depth over a series of articles. Here, we will focus briefly on how Spirit-Led Leaders Learn to See. The First Secret: It’s All About How You Look!

devotion to prayer. “Be Devoted to Prayer, keeping alert in it, with an attitude of thanksgiving.” (Col 4:2.)

Here, Paul teaches us if we dedicate ourselves to prayer we will become more alert and we will be able to see clearly in the spiritual realm as we make leadership decisions.

The first Secret of Spirit-Led Leaders is Discernment. Spirit-Led leaders LEARN TO SEE. While discernment is a gift 2. LOOK IN from God, it is nurtured through our The bible teaches that Spirit-Led Devotion to Prayer, Self-Examination, leaders learn to see by correcting and Commitment to Learning. their own problems before they try to correct the personal problems of I can’t wait to share with you about others. In the poignant words of Jesus, the second secret, Envision The Future!

“First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Invite Rick to your church to encourage and equip your team and learn more Matt. 7:5. about the personal worship leader It is easier to look at the faults of coaching he offers. others before looking in the mirror and correcting our own. God’s order www.rickmuchow.com works.

Free App for Worship Leaders: Rick “Search me oh God and know my Muchow heart.

Try me and know my thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Psalm 139:33 3. LOOK AROUND Spirit led leaders see by learning.

Leaders are learners.

Businesses value uncovering blind “Intelligent people want to learn, but stupid people are satisfied with spots in order to solve problems. ignorance.” Prov. 15:14 Ed Catmull, president of Disney/ Pixar studios, observes, “There are One year after I started serving at Saddleback Church, my Pastor, Rick problems that you can’t see…Blind Warren, told me that he was going to Spots. If you don’t try to uncover what start reading a book every day. I will is unseen and understand its nature, never forget him saying, “Saddleback you will be ill prepared to lead.” is going to outgrow me quickly if I don’t (“Creativity Inc.” Ed. Catmull.) In this continue to learn and grow everyday.” article I will discuss the “looks” that A BOOK a day! Really? I have often joked that when he asked me how I are essential for Learning To See. was going to keep learning in order 1. LOOK UP to be the best leader I could be and try Spirit-Led leaders learn to see through to keep up with the explosive growth

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of Saddleback I replied, “How about watching a movie once a week?”

Not only must we set the bar high for our own personal growth, but also we benefit greatly by being a motivating example for others to follow.

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 Logan J. Muchow is a worship leader for youth and children at Mission Viejo Christian Church. Logan earned his bachelors degree in Christian Studies from California Baptist University. You can read his devotional articles and enjoy his music at loganjmuchow.com.

Product Review

By Doug Doppler

goRack by dbx The goRack transports the processing power behind dbx’s immensely successful DriveRack series into a portable format that is as easy to use as it is affordable. The range of features and price point make the goRack an outstanding solution for a diverse range of sound applications.

What is the goRack?

The goRack is effectively a micro mixing console on steroids. The i/o makes the goRack highly useful in a diverse range of Church applications, while the onboard processing delivers a combination of highly-useful admission, but together they create a system, but not sacrifice the organic functions that most stand alone mixers truly outstanding live production suite. blend that singers get when they don’t have to use in-ear monitors. To don’t offer.

Routing Modes achieve this I ran the stereo outs from Inputs + Outputs Holding down the Master Level one of the P-16s into the goRack, and The input section features a pair of button allows you toggle between in turn ran the left and right outputs 1/4” / XLR combination jacks with three Output Routing Modes. Option on the goRack into a pair of powered independent mic/line level buttons 1 routes all input sources in mono to monitors. Using Routing Option 2, I and gain controls. There is also a both outputs. This is ideal for speech- was able to pan each singer a little to stereo Aux input jack for your mobile driven presentations or musical duos one side and craft great vocal mixes device or laptop. The output section who want to utilize the goRack as with a bit of keys for them to work a mini-mixer and route any input with. I also leveraged the Compressor features a pair for XLR jacks. sources in mono to a pair of powered and one of the 16 EQ presets on the Interface speakers. Option 2 maintains the goRack to fine tune the sound coming With the exception of the i/o and stereo integrity of the input sources. out of the P-16 into the powered Mic/Line level buttons, all other This option is perfect for running the monitors. The end result was one of features are placed and controlled goRack between a mixing board and our best nights of worship, largely from the face of the unit. Pushing your power amp or powered mains. because of the quality of the vocal any of the feature buttons allows you Option 3 sums the main left and experience the goRack enabled me to toggle them on or off, and holding right inputs into mono, but maintains craft for our worship leaders - amen! them down for three seconds allows the stereo imaging of the Aux input.

Like Option 1, this setting allows you to enter edit mode. duos to route the main inputs on the goRack: $99.95 Street Effects goRack to both speakers in mono, but dbxPro.com The goRack features separate Anti- still allowing any backing tracks or Feedback, Compressor, Sub Synth, playlists routed to the Aux Input to be and EQ sections, each of which are heard in stereo. controlled using the Data Wheel, Doug Doppler is passionate Real World Application which doubles as the Master Output about God, worship, and control when you’re not in Edit Mode. Our church recently introduced an worship musicians. In addition Editing the effects is as easy as acoustic service, and the goRack to his work coaching individuals teams, Doug is also the pressing and holding the respective was perfect for the hybrid setup and author of “The Worship Guitar button for three seconds and turning we needed. I wanted to leverage Book” which will be available the Data Wheel. Each of the effects the power of our Midas board and in May 2013 via Hal Leonard. on its own is well worth the price of Behringer P-16 personal monitor WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM NOV/DEC 2015

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TIPS FOR TIGHT TEAMS

by Sandy Hoffman

Put Me Out to Pastor (Peace In Time of Change) WHAMMY This June, our Executive Pastor and his wife made an appropriately graceful exit from the leadership team at Christ Church.

They gave us a generous notice of their departure, loved on every one of us on their way out, and promised to come back to visit often. It was a textbook exit, with him moving further into an already established calling. (Perfect.)

DOUBLE WHAMMY Just two weeks later, at our weekly planning meeting, our Senior/Founding Pastor informed me that he, too, was on his way out, and fairly quickly. (Not as perfect.) After thirteen years in Santa Fe, he had received and accepted a new, academic leadership position in another state. His family’s last Sunday with us would be August 23. We were all heartbroken and shocked, but keeping a positive ’tude, we trusted God for the future.

strong, in our foolishness He has shown Himself wise, and in this transitional time of uncertainty, He has met each need according to His riches in glory

by Christ Jesus! We are spiritually full, emotionally peaceful, and physically functioning as the body of Christ. What a joy and a reassurance has come to us through this challenging transitional season. We are not alone. We are not perplexed. We are not afraid. We are not defeated. Wow! God is all.

STRETCH IT FORTH . . .

In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 3, verses 1-5, when Jesus encountered the man who had a withered hand, one outstanding detail always intrigued me.

He did not simply heal him. He invited (commanded) this man to participate in his own healing through an act of faith.

Verse 5: “Jesus said to the man, ‘Stretch forth your hand, and his hand was restored whole as the other’.” When TRIPLE WHAMMY he believed Jesus’ command, and was The shocks were not quite over. Just a few motivated to attempt to stretch out his weeks after the Senior Pastor resigned, hand, he was healed! our Youth Pastor followed suit. It was a Taking our cue from the book of Mark, vocational decision, no improprieties we at Christ Church are participating involved, but just as painful for all of us! with God through faith. Believing, we You can imagine: three leadership-strikes put one foot in front of the other, and in short succession! The Youth Pastor’s last He faithfully gives us His Word, His Sunday with us would be August 16, a direction, and His answers. week ahead of the Senior Pastor. (At 1- SO WHAT’S THE PLAN? this point, we had entered the realm of: “A man’s heart plans his way, definitely NOT so perfect!)

But the Lord directs his steps.”

WHAT TO DO?

Psalm 16:9 (NKJV) Jeremiah 29:11-14a immediately came In first response to the leadership to mind: changes we encountered, our Elder For I know the plans I have for you, Board made a plan. They put in place declares the Lord, an interim leadership structure (Senior plans for [good] and not for evil, to give Pastor, Administrative Pastor, Pastoral you a future Care Pastor), and created a Search and a hope.

Team, made up of a small contingent Then you will call upon Me and come of church members, to begin the task and of locating and calling in the new pray to Me, and I will hear you. leadership.

You will seek Me and find Me, when you 2- WHO YA GONNA TRUST? seek Me with all your heart.

I will be found by you, declares the Lord “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own . . . (ESV) understanding; God is faithful. He has plans for us. They In all your ways acknowledge Him, are good plans. As a result, we are smiling.

And He shall direct your paths.”

Steadfastly, we’ve been “calling upon Him

Psalm 3:5 & 6 (NKJV) and praying to Him” with intensity and intentionality for the past three months. We Also during our transition, we are still don’t have all the positions filled, but staying single-minded in trusting the Lord guess what, in our weakness He has been to direct our steps. We truly believe He

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has a future laid out before us. We must simply walk in the fruit of His Spirit, and be patient until He fully reveals the next season. We’re ready.

3- REJOICE/PRAY/THANK! “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.

For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) This, for sure, is worship team territory!

We’ve done our very best to continue, with great stability, to lead the body of Christ Church to rejoice through uncertainty, pray for our Pastors (old ones and new ones), and continually give thanks in all the wonderful challenges the Lord has allowed to come our way.

MY TURN As I mentioned earlier in the “1- SO WHAT’S THE PLAN?” section, the Elder Board at Christ Church Santa Fe has put in place an interim leadership structure. I am happy to announce, that for the shortterm foreseeable future, I am serving as the interim Minister of Pastoral Care. As a result, I’m taking a break from some of my extra-church worship ministry. This, for now, includes writing my TIPS FOR TIGHT TEAMS articles.

Over the past twelve years, it has been a great joy for me to share with you the “Tips for Tight Teams!” Through sixty-one articles in Worship Musician!

Magazine, I have been blessed with the privilege of writing what I believed was inspired instruction on worship team ministry. Seasons change, and my prayer for you during this transition is that God would lead and equip you as you “seek Him with all your heart!”

May He continue, by His Holy Spirit, to impart to you His tips for your tight team!

In all things, be blessed!

Thanks for reading!

Sandy

Sandy Hoffman continues to serve the worship community at Christ Church Santa Fe, NM. Visit him online at: www.

WorshipWorks.com, or at: www.ChristChurchSantaFe.org © 2015 Worship Works! Music

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9/28/15 2:13 PM

Ministry + Artistry = Profitability?

Creating your MAP™

By Scott A. Shuford

How Do I Get More People To See My Facebook Posts and Ads? It’s the question of the hour. I bet you are starting to buy into the idea (pun intended) that you have to purchase an ad or boost a post for your Facebook followers to see it. You are only partially right.

Simply buying an ad won’t ensure the best results. Have you ever gone to buy a Facebook ad and the gauge off to the right says that anywhere from 1,000-4,500 people will see your ad in a day, with a disclaimer that this is only an estimate based on other ads in your category? That’s a pretty wide range, right? You’ll only get more frustrated when you run the ad and only 800 people see it! What gives?

What gives is that Facebook is trying to balance allowing their subscribers to dictate content while pleasing advertisers (and therefore, Facebook’s stockholders.) They are straddling the fence of how to make as much money as possible without upsetting the culture they’ve created.

As frustrating as this is for any organization that is paying money for exposure, we can respect that Facebook executives do have the best interests of their subscribers in mind. They are looking to deliver the best custom content to over a billion people. The only way to do that is to watch how people are interacting, then deliver more of what people are responding to.

It’s because you don’t like, share, or comment on his posts, so Facebook assumes you have no interest in his HOW DO YOU MAXIMIZE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT SEE content.

YOUR ADS? Only so many posts can show up in your feed in a day. On top of that, Facebook knows that if they you can only read so many posts in flood subscriber’s feeds with ads a day. Facebook uses its algorithms that they don’t find interesting, to serve you the posts it thinks you will those subscribers will stop using be most interested in based on the Facebook as much. Everyone loses. information you put in your profile and Facebook. Advertisers. People who the pages and people you have liked come to Facebook for an authentic and interacted with. The same applies social experience. Everyone. to ads. You will see ads whether you Creating an ad that is appealing and like it or not, but Facebook works hard targets the correct audience is going to only serve you ads that you will find to get you more views. You have to interesting. take the time to create a compelling WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOUR visual, write copy that will call people to action, and enter in the proper MINISTRY… audience parameters when creating 1. Content rules. You can’t just post an ad. You have to create an ad that whatever you want. You have to study Facebook feels is valuable to its users. the demographic of your following If you do this right, more people will and create content that calls them see your ad. to action. You have to get people to engage (like, comment, share) to Look I get it. This is all a lot of improve your page “ranking”. The information with a lot of intangibles. better your ranking, the more people You may be thinking, I just need this will organically see your posts, without Facebook thing to work for me! I have people to reach and a message having to buy Boosts and Ads. from God to spread.

2. Reel in the right people. It also means that you have to attract the right Is Facebook really that complicated? audience as you grow your “Likes”. Simply put, Yes. Yes it is. That’s why You need to attract people that will we are here to help. interact with your content or having those wrong people just decreases your page ranking.

Scott has led classes for us

3. Know when to buy ads and WHAT DICTATES WHAT SHOWS UP how to create them. You have IN A USER’S FEED? been given the ability to target your Facebook shows posts in your feed specific audience out of over a billion from Friends and Pages that you people with a click of a button AND engage with. Ever wonder, “Hey, you can set your own budget! This what happened to Joe? Did he really is a best-case scenario for any leave Facebook?” Then you go to organization, but you have to play by his page to find that he posts every Facebook›s rules to get more views on day. Why aren’t you seeing his posts? your ads.

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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 Media, which provides marketing strategy, online promotions, public relations, and social media marketing to reach the Christian audience.

Get more marketing and social media tips at FrontGate’s blog www.FrontGateMedia.com.

Everything you need for worship ministry.

www.focus-worship.com

(855) 362-8790

WORSHIP TEAM TRAINING

by Branon Dempsey

Give Them 4 Reasons To Worship

Creating an environment to help people engage Does your church worship at 130%?

Would 30% be more reasonable to hear people singing and praying? You are not alone. The majority of churches in the U.S. and Canada share this similar issue. What can we do to help create an environment to help our people worship?

churches like it audible. Do what’s best sing with my understanding.” To help for your church, not what’s best for you create a worshipful environment, we or the band. are to play with understanding and Matching the moment also involves worship through our skill. Think how dynamics and volume levels. We teach incredible this would be as you 5x’s this a lot in our Weekend Workshops. this fact within your worship band.

Each song is like a musical movement, Youtube others like Miles Davis, Stevie Don’t Pick, Pray: When you pick a symphony if you will. There’s always Wonder, Jeff Beck, and Yolanda songs, are you cycling through the a beginning, middle, and end. Make Adams, you will see what happens motions, or are you praying the prayers each section stand out by applying the when true skill meets true emotion. of the people? Song is a powerful vehicle right volumes at the right time. You can Spiritually Prepare: Help people and expressive tool, with purpose and never over-use dynamics, but you can worship by being led into worship. meaning. When words can’t surface under-use them, and that will leave It begins with God, not with you. So from the mouth, emotions can overflow songs sounding flat. what are you doing to allow God to from the soul. By knowing the life of your For example, I like to picture each fan the flame in your heart by walking church, you will know what prayers they song like a house. You have your door, in a worship-relationship on a daily need to sing. entry, hallway, living room, and dining basis?

Personally, I stay in-tune with the lifehappening events of our people. It’s important to know about the relationships, their families, jobs, and etc. If there is a song we can sing to celebrate, a melody of brokenness, a plea for God to heal, or a lyric that can help stir the heart closer to Jesus, then we need to sing those songs.

room. In order to be a good guest, don’t rush them through the house, help them enjoy it. Move through each room with a different dynamic, texture, and instrumentation. Verses: Piano/ Acoustic Guitar, Chorus: Add Drums/ Bass. Verse 2: add Electric Guitar, Bridge: go back down to piano and build the band back up.

Did you know that every prayer you make for your people, God will use the power of song by His way to encourage? The apostle Paul says to us, “I pray that out of His glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,” Ephesians 3:16. Song is a great way to help empower the inner being of the worshiper. Choose songs they know. Prayer becomes more powerful when people are not fixed on learning a new song every four minutes.

Help them meditate by doing something that is familiar. Save the new songs for other occasions, not for every singing occasion.

Don’t Play, Make Music: There is a difference between just playing your instrument and singing versus making music. To pick up a guitar and slam out chords maybe perfect for the Guitar Shop, but to create a worshipful environment, we need a much more carefully considered approach. If you ever see Yo-Yo Ma on YouTube, you will hear his precision of notes. You will see his emotion poured through his instrument. He not only creates music, he feels it. Why would we be any less excellent in making music for God?

Match the Moment: Ephesians 5:19 says, “speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.

Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.” If we can’t speak nor hear one another, we’re most likely too loud, or the key is too high. Work with your audio lead to keep the decibels conducive to the room and to the age of your church.

I know many young churches that like it loud, and many seasoned or blended

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We cannot lead people in worship if we haven’t been there ourselves.

Our spiritual preparation is not a prerequisite; it needs to be a life flowing practice. “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.” Psalm 40:3.

When we lead worship, it’s more than notes on the page. We have the opportunity to express and encourage the Church of God’s work among the Body. We move past the set list of songs as we move into the heartbeat of prayer.

Pray, Match, Make, and Prepare your worship services. Our job is simple, to help people worship. The better we can facilitate an environment to praise, the better worship will be for everyone. Most importantly, with our instruments, we become the kind of worship leaders He is seeking to lead No, you may not be a professional worship - unto the Father, through the musician or singer, but that doesn’t Son, and by the Holy Spirit. mean that we don’t grow in our skill Branon Dempsey is the and craft. If God gave you a talent, CEO/Founder and Training your responsibility is to nurture its Director of Worship Team development. Matthew 25:14-30. Training® a ministry providing live workshops and online We grow, not bury our gifts. resources for local worship We hear about music in 1 Corinthians 14:15 - “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also

ministries.

Branon holds an M.Div in Worship and BM in Music Composition/Performance.

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

Product Review

By Michael Hodge

AIRA SYSTEM-1 Plug-Out Synthesizer

by Roland

There is no question Modern Worship has hugely embraced EDM. (Electronic Dance Music). Whether or not you agree with following culture, it’s a reality. I can’t think of a church not using loops and stems to make the team sound bigger than life.

Roland has always been a leader in making the synths that defined the sounds of the 70’s and 80’s electronic dance music. These range from the infamous 808 kick to the classic Jupiter, Juno, and infamous System 100 series synths. Roland’s new and expanding AIRA series combines software, hardware, and DJ friendly interfaces that can give you those beloved vintage sounds with cutting edge technology.

OUT OF THE BOX The SYSTEM-1 is a space age looking compact hardware synth.

It’s got two octaves of full size keys, and a 73 cool green rubbery feeling collection of backlit buttons, knobs, and sliders. On the back are MIDI in & out, two Pedal Controller Jacks, two Stereo Outputs, a Headphone Jack, and a USB connector. It’s well suited to be used in a dimly lit setting and adds visual hipness to any stage.

It’s wedge shape and logical layout is very user friendly and inviting.

The top is separated into easy to understand sections: LFO, OSC 1 and 2, followed by a Mixer, then Pitch, Filter, Amp, and Effects. There are knobs and buttons for Volume, Portamento, Tempo, Mono/Poly, and eight Memory buttons that hold up to 64 Patches with the latest firmware.

There’s also a Model Button to switch between the internal SYSTEM-1 sounds or one of the external Plug-Out synths. Instead of a Controller wheel,

the parameters of the Plug-Out synths when loaded. At the time of this article the ones available are the SH101, the SH-2, SYSTEM-100, and it’s got a Pitch Bend the rare PROMARS Compuphonic. / Scatter Jog Dial offering 10 different phrase variations with adjustable intensity and a number of IN USE arpeggio parameters.

The System-1 is easy to use. It has two oscillators, four voices, and sounds fat and very analog. With the DIVING IN v1.2 update there are six additional System-1 uses a technology called waveforms. There are plenty of videos ACB (Analog Circuit Behavior) to study, but it’s really straightforward. to recreate in a digital world the That being said, the best thing to do original sounds and behavior of is to start turning knobs and not fear vintage analog synths. Back in the breaking anything. To me it’s the beauty 70’s Roland’s System 100 series of a stand-alone synth with real knobs. included modular sections that could There are no rules, and maybe that’s be added on and employed control the point. I brought the SYSTEM-1 to voltage patch cables to connect the rehearsal and the keyboard players modules and cause them to interact. fell in love immediately. One of them The AIRA Series also includes modular is using it now full time paired with a Euro Racks, Drum machines, Bass GAIA SH-01. It looks cool on stage, Synths, and Mixers all designed to and has a screen saver like mode that interconnect and work together into causes all the knobs to flash in waves. an efficient powerful workflow.

What’s nice about this synth is how The System-1 allows the user the easy it is to make cool patches in ability to morph it into several classic seconds. I passed piano proficiency Roland synths via download. We all in college, but am really just a hack, know about DAW virtual instrument and so I depend on Pro Tools to make plug-ins. Roland differentiates this me sound good. That being said, the with System-1 as PLUG-OUTs because scatter and arpeggiators are sick, instead of residing in a DAW they are and my friends! The ability to play exported into the hardware synth. The simple block chords and get this System-1 knobs and sliders take on amazing musical sounding movement Continued on page 53

WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM NOV/DEC 2015

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Editor’s Corner - Continued from page 7

supportive of him as he is still on our side (Christ’s side). Sometimes churches are looking at things from a myopic vantage point that misses the bigger picture. This in turn ends up hurting the ones we should be lovingly supporting and also makes the corporate church look petty in the eyes of the other congregants who are friends to the person getting the boot (and that is not a good thing either).

Jesus did say, “For whoever is not against us is for us” Mark 9:40. That is the pattern we should be following… the bigger pattern… the pattern of Christ.

Drummer’s Perspective Continued from page 10

spiritual language we use to communicate with and to God. Everything needs to come from your heart.

I am also a believer in the statement – “It’s better to be together than to be right!” (Musically speaking of course.)

I’ve heard some groups try really hard to make the drummer play perfectly, but the rest of the team is all over the place time wise. This does NOT sound pretty!

I’ve noticed when I’m playing to the click and the rest of the band can’t hear it… and the time is moving a little bit… If I’m rigid (right on the clock)… It just DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT! Let it go! Listen! Use your ears! Flow with the music! If you’re recording your work you’ll hear it when this happens. It helps for the whole band to work on these things together, but the drummer will be the one responsible for the over-all time feel of the band.

Play, Play, PLAY as much as you can.

Record everything and listen back. Even after all these years of playing I’m learning what works and what doesn’t. We all have good and bad days. Perfectionism is self destructive, but learning and refining your talent is healthy and honors the Lord.

Blessings on your groove, Carl Carl Albrecht has been a professional drummer & percussionist for over 25 years. He has played on over 70 Integrity Music projects; Maranatha Praise Band recordings & numerous other Christian, Pop, Country, Jazz & commercial projects.

He currently lives in Nashville doing recording sessions, producing, writing and continuing to do various tours & seminar events. Visit his website: www.carlalbrecht.com or send an e-mail to: lmalbrecht@aol.com.

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Record Reivews - Continued from page 32

“Not Be Moved”, which Jon Egan and the fellas at New Life Church give an energetic shot of Celtic flavor as they triumphantly sing of the victory of Jesus amidst the sounds of banjos, hand drums, flutes, and mandolins.

There is even a song here for you country music fans as country legend, Ricky Skaggs, lends his throaty southern drawl to the contemplative hymn, “All Is Well”.

The tight harmonies, soaring violins, and acoustic guitars serve as an appropriate backdrop to this beautifully simple song about how we find comfort in Christ.

Darlene Zschech sings of the future we are assured of in Heaven in the intimate hymn, “Blessed Savior, Fount Of Grace” while on the other end of the musical spectrum, “Where Could We Go” is a down-home delta blues ditty about the faithfulness of Christ in every situation.

To say that this album is eclectic would be an understatement, with styles ranging all over the musical spectrum from modern rock to gospel to Irish Celtic. Some of the arrangements seemed a bit out of place with the lyrics they were paired with, but that is to be expected since most of these songs were written over 100 years ago.

Even though I didn’t love every song, the artists did a great job of combining old and new while giving respect and honor to Fanny Crosby and the rest of us who appreciate music from a different age.

There are some real gems here that will appeal to a wide audience.

Casting Crowns A Live Worship Experience 1. At Calvary 2. Good Good Father 3. Great Are you Lord 4. You Are The Only One 5. Here’s My Heart 6. No Not One 7. Just Be Held 9. Called Me Higher 10. Thoughts on Jesus Friend Of Sinners 11. Jesus Friend Of Sinners 12. Thrive Casting Crowns is well known and loved in the world of Contemporary Christian Music for their inspirational songs whose lyrical depth and passion have been impacting lives for the sake of the Gospel for years. I would not necessarily categorize Casting Crowns as a worship band in the basic sense of the word because most of their songs seem to fit into the performance genre, but their latest release, A Live Worship Experience definitely lives up to its title. This is a true

NOV/DEC 2015 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

worship album that delivers the power, authenticity, and passion that we have come to expect from Casting Crowns.

Casting Crowns front man, Mark Hall, has been the worship pastor at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in Atlanta for over 20 years, and these 12 songs were recorded during a Sunday service this past summer. The album features some Casting Crowns worship favorites as well as covers of some of the most popular worship songs being sung around the world.

Some of the standout cuts include the first track, “At Calvary” which departs from most live worship albums whose opening tracks are typically high-energy introductions to the rest of the album. “At Calvary” starts their worship service at the cross and reminds us about how our souls find liberty and freedom only because of what Christ has done for us. CC’s version of the Crowder classic “Here’s My Heart” is gorgeous and moving as Mark and Meagan trade vocal leads, while “Great Are You Lord” follows closely to the All Sons and Daughters version of this song with Hall’s vocal giving it depth and feeling.

One thing I really loved about this collection was how when Mark Hall speaks between tracks, he does so with sincerity and it’s obvious that what he says is not scripted or canned in any way. It made me feel like I was actually experiencing what worship is like at Eagle’s Landing on a Sunday morning.

The album also has plenty of Casting Crowns favorites including, “You Are The Only One”, “The Well”, “Just Be Held”, and “Jesus, Friend Of Sinners”, just to name a few. Most stay pretty true to the original arrangements on previous recordings, but are done just as well. I would have loved to hear a new song or two here and I would have appreciated even a new arrangement of an already existing song for this project, but I understand that they wanted to give listeners a feel of what worship is like at their home church. If you are a Casting Crowns fan, you should definitely pick this up.

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.

Percussion - Continued from page 36

motion and cause unwanted noise--along with a glare from the conductor. Moving from another instrument to a sleigh bells entrance with little time for the changeover can increase the risk of unintended racket.

Practice moving the sleigh bells in silence. The crotals will tolerate a bit of motion before producing significant sound. Get a feel for that tolerance.

A padded trap table will assist you in moving the sleigh bells quietly.

Leaning the instrument against a launch pad (see last issue of Worship Musician!) will place the pellets toward the bottom of the crotals. This decreases the amount of movement of the pellets as you pick up the instrument.

Drill a hole in the handle, thread a cord through the hole, and suspend the sleigh bells from a boom cymbal stand or an overhead rack. This upright position keeps the pellets on the bottom of the crotals so that there are no concerns about “pick ups” or “put downs” involving the trap table.

The instrument can also be adapted to remain in an upright position on a trap

table by removing the single crotal on the end of the block and screwing a drink coaster into the vacant spot. This “coaster base” allows the instrument to stand vertically--awaiting a silent hoist into playing position.

What to Ring Composers and arrangers often notate the sleigh bells part, but when there is no chart and the music director wants some jingle on the bridge of the tune, be prepared with the standard frosty licks. A single strike on all the eighths in uptempo music is the typical go-to rhythm. Plain ol’ downbeats come in at a close second.

Simplicity usually rules with the sleigh bells.

Be careful about sleigh bells overload.

Consider saving the sparkle until the LAST verse of “Joy To The World.”

A Year-round Sound The sleigh bells need not be confined to the last month of the year. You might raise a few eyebrows when this instrument makes an appearance in July, but the bright timbre can deliver a ringing “ethnorock” vibe to the mix from January through November. The tone combines aspects

is really nice. I first installed the SYSTEM-1 is fantastic. The Scatter knob doubles as a drivers on my Mac off the website. There is Pitchbend, and controls the ten 10 different a librarian App included to back up your patches. After that, downloading the PLUGphrase and depth variations.

OUTS is straightforward and pretty simple in Logic Pro X, though you will need a VST wrapper for Pro Tools, like the Blue Cat’s PLUG-OUTS Patchwork or the Fxpansion VST adaptor.

There are four Plug-outs currently available.

Remember, you always have the SYSTEM-1 sounds available built in, and then can CONCLUSION download one additional PLUG-OUT Synth at the same time. Here’s another plus to The SYSTEM-1 is a winner as a small the synth. The Plug-outs are also Virtual portable Synth with a big fat sound.

Instrument Plug-Ins! Each one also comes Having a hardware Synth that doubles as in VST, VST3, and AU format for both Mac a host for other PLUG-OUT synths makes it and Windows. This way, besides running valuable as a multi-tasker. Adding that the in the SYSTEM-1 as a Plug-Out, you can virtual Instrument PLUG-OUTS also come as use the SYSTEM-1 hardware to control the VST/AU Plug-Ins for your DAW is a nice virtual instrument version in your DAW. That bonus. The sound, the size, the flexibility, and the price add up to a great piece of System-1 Review - Continued from page 51

of both tambourine and shaker that can bring a sonic sheen to contemporary worship songs as well as traditional Christmas music.

Listen to the last couple of minutes of “Please” by Something Like Silas for an effective use of the sleigh bells.

Jesus Culture’s cover of “Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful” provides a shimmering example of the sleigh bells as a purely coloristic element.

You can catch me demonstrating the sleigh bells in a video tutorial at www. youtube.com/watch?v=rCOoK2wepHc

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

gear worth the investment. The street price is $499.00. The additional PLUG-OUTS sell for $145.00 on the Roland site with an additional discount for new SYSTEM-1 owners.

For more info go to: http://www.roland. com/aira/softwaresynthesizers/index.html For demo tracks, Roland created “AIRA TRACKS” on Soundcloud. https://soundcloud.com/aira-tracks Michael Hodge is the music director and guitarist for Lakewood Church in Houston, TX

WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM NOV/DEC 2015

53

A Few Moments With…

John Nicol

Stop Practicing At Rehearsals: Three Ways To Get Your Team To Prepare More Do you ever hear this comment from When that finally clicked for me, I your team members after your second knew we had to start making personal (or third) service? preparation more of a priority. But it “Wow, things finally came together wasn’t just a behavioral change that we were looking at. It was a culture for that last service.” change. And the current culture of the In an ideal world, the first service team was this: Don’t bother learning would be as polished as the last. songs at home because we work on But let’s face it: by the time we get them at rehearsal. to our second or third service of the weekend, the band IS better. While So I started a multi-year journey to we don’t care to admit to it, we change that culture. I knew we had to essentially make our first service a have a total shift in how we viewed practice and rehearsal. While there “dress rehearsal.” were other things I did, here are three I recognized this issue several years key tactics I used to get the team to back. I started asking myself, “Why stop practicing at rehearsals. aren’t we as prepared for the first service as we’d like?” So I started 1. I stopped calling rehearsal “practice.” working backward: Why is the second service the most I used the word “rehearsal” every opportunity that I got to refer to our polished service?

Well, we’ve had a chance to run mid-week preparation time (whether all the songs, transitions, and other in verbal or written communication). elements during the first service.

So why aren’t we as prepared for the first service?

I guess we’re not getting in a full runthrough during the pre-service warmup time.

2. I created a mantra.

OK, that sounds weird. But I knew that to help create lasting change, I had to make the picture of the preferred future short and memorable.

So I came up with this statement: So why aren’t we getting a full run- “Practice is personal; rehearsal is relational.” through then?

It seems we’re still working out the As we fleshed this statement out songs and transitions. as a team, we begin to understand So why are we still working out the that if a team member neglects his/ songs and transitions during warm-up? her personal preparation time then I guess we didn’t fully tackle those that affects the whole group. When we stop and work out an individual’s pieces during rehearsal. part that wastes the time of people So why don’t we work out the songs who prepared at home. This and transitions during rehearsal? statement helped us build relational I think because people are still accountability into our culture. learning their parts for each song.

3. I stopped listening to songs at So why are people still learning their rehearsal. parts at rehearsal?

Because they’re not practicing Typically, if someone didn’t know their part or were unclear about the enough at home. form, we’d stop rehearsal and listen We’re practicing at rehearsal. to the recording. It was a common 54

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occurrence almost every week. So I finally told the team we weren’t going to listen to the recording of the song at rehearsal anymore.

This was a clear and tangible call to something different. I remember the first few times I said “no” when people asked if we could stop and listen to the song. You’d think I had kicked their puppy. But I held firm. It communicated to them this: “Learning the song needs to happen before rehearsal.”

Now there’s been several times where we were all stymied by a part of the song and had to go back to the recording during rehearsal. But it gave me a chance to admit I that hadn’t prepared like I should have and apologize for wasting the team’s time by my poor preparation.

A Changed Culture So now, fast-forward a few years and I have a much different culture on my team. I wish I could say we’ve fully arrived. But every so often I realize we’ve drifted and a course correction is needed. But these three tactics continue to move us towards our preferred future of truly valuing preparation.

If you’d like to explore how to change your culture of preparation, check out my free resource, “Four Steps To A Better Practicing Team.” It widens the lens and talks about “big picture” steps to move your team from semi-committed (and allout slackers) to all-in when it comes to preparation. Go to worshipteamcoach. com/wmm4 to access to it.

Jon Nicol is a worship pastor and the founder of WorshipTeamCoach.com, a site designed to help worship leaders build strong teams that lead great worship. He lives and works in the Mansfield, Ohio area with his wife, Shannon, and their four kids.

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