Heard But Not Seen

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volume 35 - number 2 2013

Heard and Not Seen TM

the musical paradigm shift in worship TM

assessing your leadership priorities recruiting church instrumentalists TM thanksgiving for lent lessons from a mentor

Select 20

Anthems

Steal This Idea!

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alleluia

many voices † one song

July 23-26, 2013

on the Baylor University campus

Baylor Center for Christian Music Studies Presents the12th Annual Music and Worship Conference This one-of-a-kind enrichment event features superb clinicians to re-energize and inspire worship leaders, music ministers, children’s choir leaders, and keyboard ministers. Join us for exceptional workshops, music reading sessions, exhibits, concerts, worship and fellowship!

2012 clinicians include: Jerry Blackstone Randall Bradley Keith Christopher Rollo Dilworth Mark Edwards Nan Grantham

Bill Mathis Eric Mathis Joseph Martin David Music Joel Raney Vern Sanders

Il

Il ac “m ch La w

So th fo

W of co

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G

Ruth Elaine Schram Julie Scott Robbie Seay Tom Trenney

For a full list of presenters, a tentative schedule, or to register Visit: www.baylor.edu/alleluia Phone: (254) 710-2360 E-mail: alleluia@baylor.edu

Follow us on Facebook Continuing Education Units available for qualified participants Alleluia is brought to you by Baylor University, Jubilate!, Choristers Guild, YouthCUE, Texas Baptists, Celebrating Grace Hymnal, and Creator Magazine.

Glenn

s

these are our stories... these are our songs...

I love the sound of people singing…

I love the community, the relationship that singing together creates, and I love being a part of that creation. Singing together always accompanies events of ceremony and great importance. When God created us to enjoy relationship with Him, the Bible says that His “morning stars sang together and the angels shouted for joy.” On the night of Jesus’ birth, the angels sang again. It was the music of children that proclaimed Him King during the royal procession up to Jerusalem. Jesus sang with His disciples as they finished their Last Supper together and headed toward the Mount of Olives. When we stand in glory, all of us will sing together, surrounding him with the grateful praises of our song of salvation.

So too, the church should be singing today, both with the loud, joyful noise of the choirs of her congregations, but also with skilled, thoughtful singers, led by the Levites of our day to accompany the great, ceremonial importance of our worship of Him who gave all for us.

When I write music for the church, my desire is that people might somehow see God a little bit better because of my creative imitation of Him. I write choral music for the church so that through its performance all of us who sing it and hear it might love God—and consequently each other, a little bit better. After all, God is listening.

Glenn Pickett • Composer, Professor of Music – California Baptist University Get to know more about Glenn Pickett and a free packet of his music at FredBock.com/glennpickett

moving our heritage forward...

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The Newest Choral Releases from

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music ministry worship leadership TM

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Volume 35 - Number 2

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feature

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Heard But Not Seen

Front Page

The Case of the Orchestra in Modern Worship

The Talk...

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by Stephen

Phifer

by Vern Sanders

Sections: The Core of a 10 Rhythm Church Instrumental Program

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Lessons From a Mentor

12

by Stan DeWitt

Recruiting Church Instrumentalists

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Assessing Your Leadership Priorities

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by Randall Bradley

Frequently Asked Questions About Paid Instrumentalists for a Church Concert

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Last Page

Thanksgiving for Lent

by Glenn Pickett

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21

Overlap Your Rehearsals

Susan Birge

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Steal This Idea!

Select 20 Anthem Reviews

Spotlight on Ministry

8

What Happened to the Robes?

Twitter Feed

in this issue

we look at the little known paradigm shift that is a result of the intersection of technology and worship...plus a spotlight interview with Susan Birge, the Select 20, and new evidence that being happy is a very good thing...

2013 | creatormagazine.com

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front page

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by Vern Sanders

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the talk...

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here comes a time in

everyone’s life when they either give, or receive “the talk” – a conversation that is uncomfortable for everyone.

And that’s where I find myself as I write today. I’m not apologizing for having to have “the talk” with you, but I am a bit uncomfortable. I can’t predict whether you are going to be uncomfortable when you hear what I have to say, but if you are, I’m sorry. It has to be done.

Ready? We’ve made the difficult decision to raise our subscription rates.

I realize that there are probably a lot fewer eyeballs on this paragraph than the one directly above it. That’s not unexpected. For those of you who haven’t bailed, let me tell you why we made the decision.

But first, let me tell you why it was an uncomfortable decision. I’m a working church musician. Fortunately, the church I serve is doing fine, and my budget has not been affected by the last few years of economic uncertainty.

And, no, I don’t serve in a big church.

But it is a great church, with great people, and great leadership.

On the other hand, I know that not everyone is as fortunate. I also know that we may lose some subscribers. I hear stories of struggling churches almost every day. That’s also uncomfortable.

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Volume 35 - Number 2 2013 publisher Vernon Sanders editor Bob Burroughs

There are two primary reasons why we had to raise our rates: First, the cost of paper and mailing have increased significantly (cumulatively it’s about 33%) over the past three years. Second, we are not a “mass market” periodical (we don’t do gossip, even though there is a fair share of it in our field of endeavor).

Our readers tell us, however, that we provide value: high-quality, thoughtprovoking, relevant and practical information. Simply put, we help church musicians and worship leaders like you do ministry better. As we look around, we seem to be the last magazine standing who serves our profession with an independent voice.

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So, reluctantly, our rates are rising $3 per year. That’s not a 33% increase. It works out to less than 1 penny per day.

It’s less than 1 visit to Starbucks over the next 12 months.

Creator Magazine (ISSN #1045-0815) is published bimonthly by Creator Magazine. U.S. subscription rates are: $35.95 - 1 year, $59.95 - 2 years, $79.95 - 3 years. Foreign subscriptions (sent printed matter – airmail): Canada and Mexico, add $10 per year to above subscription rates. Other foreign countries, add $25 per year to U.S. rates. (All foreign payments should be made by check in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank.

Unacceptable payments will be returned).

I think the magazine is worth that and more. But if you simply can’t afford this increase, please contact me privately (look to the right for the best way to reach me), and I will be happy to waive the increase because, first and foremost, we want to keep helping you.

I appreciate the effort and the ministry of each and every one of you reading this. Thanks for letting us serve you.

Don’t hesitate to let me know how we can serve you better. fine

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editorial board Christine Anderson Hugh Ballou Wendell Boertje Glenn P. Eernisse Allen Henderson Heather Hood Lloyd Larson Douglas Lawrence David Leestma William Lock Carl M. Peters, II Steve Phifer Paul Satre Pamela Urfer Edwin M. Willmington Paul Leddington Wright John Yarrington

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feature

by Stephen Phfier

heard and not seen T

he church is working

its way through a reformation in public worship. For many leaders and congregations changes are coming fast and some people are furious. Many congregations hold hardly any resemblance to themselves just ten years ago.

Gone are pulpits, grand pianos, robed choirs and full lighting and—No! Say it ain’t so!—the church orchestra! I am writing this to say, “Hold on a minute!

Stop right there! Do we really want to get rid of something as productive as the church orchestra?” Let me make my case.

Why does the church need an orchestra?

If I told you that you could develop and maintain a ministry organization that would express more fully the wonder of who God really is as we worship Him, would you be interested? If I assured

the case of the orchestra in modern worship you that this same organization could involve both youth and adults in the ministry of worship with excellence, side by side, while continually passing the torch to each new generation of worshipers as they grow up in the house of God, would that sound like something that needs doing?

Even if it has been forgotten, overlooked, underestimated, judged out of style, not at all photogenic, expensive and demanding, the worship orchestra still holds an indispensable place in the worship ministry of the local church.

Let’s explore the two reasons listed above.

The worship we lead should represent the One we are worshiping God is a being of unlimited wisdom and beauty. He cannot be fully represented by a single set of musical

Get 7 Steps to a $ just 7 Perfect Music Ministry http://cmag.ws/8d Budget

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sounds. The church must engage every timbre available to express every emotion in the human heart and every facet of the character of God. Just as we have so many scales, octaves, chords and rhythms, we must also have more than a rhythm section.

If we set our hearts to “give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name,” as Psalm 29 commands, we need brass, woodwinds, strings, rhythm, percussion and synthesizers to approach a level of glory that is worthy of Him. Today we need a rebirth of the desire expressed by the original worship leaders, the Old Covenant psalmists, to use every family of instruments to reflect the multifaceted glory of God. We need to take Psalm 150 literally as we use as many styles, beats, meters, harmonies, melodies, countermelodies, and instrumentations as we can muster to adequately express the “manifold wisdom of God.” (Ephesians3:10)

The worship ministries we build must be discipleship ministries

Why is the orchestra in jeopardy?

The worship ministries we build must be discipleship ministries. Like spirituality, music must be hand-delivered from one generation to the next. Almost every one of us making music in the church can do so because when we were young somebody let us play in church. Church orchestras keep this essential process going by countering the church trends of the last several decades.

If the orchestra is such an important ministry, why is it in jeopardy in so many churches?

For several generations, leaders have been dividing the family of God by age, separating the generations from each other for worship and ministry.

The church orchestra is one of the few inter-generational ministries left where young people and adults minister side by side and share equal responsibilities.

As a conductor of a church orchestra, I need the parts covered and that can be done either by a sixteen year old or a sixty year old.

The rules have changed Mega churches which were built on TV ministry in the 1970’s through the early 1990’s are now live-streaming their services on the internet instead. This is a major shift in paradigms.

The televised worship service had a set of rules based in the local sanctuary.

We could call this the Sanctuary Paradigm. Video streaming of live worship services operates by a set of rules based on concert and video production. This could be called the Video/Concert Paradigm. The contrast between the two is sharp: The Sanctuary Paradigm When TV cameras were brought in to videotape the local church service, the viewer was looking

What Happened to the Robes?

Staff

Where have all the choir robes gone?

The “casual” aesthetic of the so-called “contemporary” church has had a significant impact upon the “look and feel” of today’s worship space. While robes and suplices are still standard in most “litrugical” churches, they have almost entirely disappeared – along with pews, pipe organs, vestments, and communion rails – in new church buildings.

As one Creator staffer is fond of saying, “it is almost as if they build faux movie theaters or multi-purpose rooms because that’s what they are used to from their days as a church plant.”

Historically, robes, going back to the Middle Ages, were donned by those who served as worship leaders in a form of Levitical garb: putting on clothing that set them apart from not only those in the congregation, but from their worldly lives. In a modern church building, the majority of which look almost nothing like a cathedral, robes seem out place, out of context.

We polled the Creator staff, and most served in a church where robes are not worn. The most common reason for that choice? Those who serve on the worship platform dress “normally” in order to signify that they come from, and are a part of the congregation. In most cases, the choir is in the congregation until the time comes to sing, when they move to the front. Interestingly, in each case, the church has not disposed of their existing choir robes, which means that should the “worship style” change, they do not have to shoulder the expense of new robes.

What’s the situation at your church? Let us know where you and your church stand on robes by leaving a comment on Creator’s Facebook page.

Give us your opinion at http://cmag.ws/4i

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volume 35 - number 2 | creatormagazine.com

video streaming of live worship services operates by a set of rules based on concert and video production

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for a church to attend. Pastors in suits, choirs in robes, an orchestra reading music on music stands, choir lofts, grand pianos, and organs were the standard viewer expectations.

Lights were for illumination of the whole sanctuary, not for special effects and smoke was a sign of trouble, not an atmosphere enhancement.

The Video/Concert Paradigm In a video musical presentation, nothing is seen by the audience except what the director wants to be seen. There is no wall-to-wall lighting. Random colors, large im-

ages, and revolving lights signal to the viewer a contemporary setting that excites the eye and attracts the interest of the viewer.

Darkness surrounds everything so that attention may be more easily focused on the performer.

An intimacy, real or imagined, is created between the performer and the viewer.

It is difficult to imagine two more different paradigms. The orchestra (along with the robed choir) fits the first but has little place in the second. In the first, cameras were brought into the sanctuary to record a worship service. In the second, a video/concert setting is used as a worship service.

For those who lead worship!

TheWorshipRenewalCenter.com has resources and ideas to help you do worship ministry better 2013 | creatormagazine.com

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Rhythm Sections: The Core of a Church Instrumental Program F ma7

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With or without an orchestra, or a gaggle of guitar players, a rhythm section is the core of a church instrumental program.

The rhythm section, for the most part, includes three players: keyboard, bass, and drums, the first two of which can be “acoustic” or “electronic.”

These three players, when tasteful in their playing, can add warmth, beauty, and excitement to any appropriate piece of church music. If you don’t already know talented rhythm players from your congregation or community, simply ask.

Even in a small church instruments of all sorts are part of the congregants’ lives.

High school and college youth may steer you toward willing talent, or you may want to approach a professor in the local college music department.

The Unseen Orchestra As essential as orchestras are to modern and postmodern expression, we have grown used to hearing them, but not seeing them. Except for the occasional story or show that features the orchestra, the invisible orchestra is a part of every film, TV show, and musical presentation we see.

While most keyboard players will be able to “read music,” for the most part, the rhythm players (including the drummer) will be more comfortable with a “chart” (sometimes called a “lead sheet” – see example) a page or pages showing, in a somewhat chart-like fashion, what chords and patterns that make up the particular song.

Communication with a rhythm section should be as musical as possible, but there is a specific vocabulary that a director will be well served to learn (a bass drum is called a “ick,” for instance). The players will need to know the “feel” of the piece (“ballad,” or “latin,” for instance) and they will need a good “count in” (that’s the “1-2-1-2-3-4” that you’ll hear if you listen closely).

In film and dramatic television narratives, the unseen orchestra does its primary work: expressing every possible human emotion in sound. Coupled with dialogue, action, and the actors’ faces, the unseen orchestra tells the viewer when to be afraid, to be excited, to be joyful or sad, and when to feel any other emotion called for in the story.

for further reading • Effectively Using Drums in Worship – Dean Baskerville • Getting Down to Brass Tacks – Tracy Schumann • The Orchestra’s Hymnal – Douglas Smith • Organizing a Church Orchestra Program – Camp Kirkland • The ABC’s of a Successful Orchestra Ministry – Mark D Johnson • Custom Arranging for Brass – Lloyd Larson • Guidelines for Strong Writing – David S Winkler • Creating a Community Christmas Orchestra – Jim Lucas You can find many of these articles and/or buy the Leadership Articles Compliation CD for just $24.95 at creatormagazine.com. All articles are available by calling 800-777-6713.

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volume 35 - number 2 | creatormagazine.com

I Surrender - page 3 of 3

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The unseen orchestra is such an integral part of visual storytelling that even stories with no orchestral references at all benefit from the amazing power and expressiveness of the orchestra.

Think of John Williams’ score for the Star Wars films. The choice of the 19th century romantic symphonic orchestra to underscore action that happened “long ago in a galaxy far, far away” tells us something important about the culture we want to reach with the gospel. If the film story is big enough, we expect a huge unseen orchestra with grand symphonic themes and treatments. The effect would have been ruined with an onscreen orchestra.

Can you imagine the climactic scenes of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” with a guy with a huge, 36 inch bell grand tuba on camera with a music stand playing the sound track we hear when earth people are able to communicate with the mother ship? It would be funny beyond all reason.

But the sound of the unseen tuba is perfect for the voice of the aliens.

MondayMorningEmail.com is a great educational tool to enhance your music ministry. Now even better with a fresh focus on Leadership! Sign-up TODAY at MondayMorningEmail.com to get the best in leadership articles and resources for your ministry.

And now Thursday Morning Email Is all about Worship! Featuring these writers…

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Creator Magazine is focused on giving you the BEST information and resources for ministry. Don’t miss ALL that Creator Magazine has for you online at CreatorMagazine.com…articles, interviews and reviews of the BEST music from ALL publishers.

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11

Recruiting Church Instrumentalists Clint Shondelmyer

In a church instrumental ministry, what is the one resource you cannot do without?

Music? Instruments? Stands?

While all these items are important, the most vital piece of the church instrumental music puzzle is people. Without people there is no orchestra. Without people there is no ministry. Indeed, without people, there is no church.

Where can you find the musicians who will make up your orchestra? Here are ten practical ways to help find people who are interested in using their talents to serve the Lord.

ONE Whether you are starting a new ensemble, growing your existing group, or searching for that hard-to-find oboist, you need to start with prayer.

TWO You may know people who play an instrument, or you’ve been given somebody’s name. Follow up on all leads quickly and extend a personal invitation. Show a personal interest in them, not just because you want them to join the orchestra, but because you want to minister to their needs. People know when they are genuinely being cared for or just being used.

THREE

SEVEN

Encourage your current members to keep tier eyes and ears open for others who show an interest. People will come to play along with their friends.

Take a church-wide survey every so often.

Ask people to list the instruments they play(ed), and ask if people who have not-being-used instruments are willing to donate them to the church.

FOUR Invite anyone in the congregation who has ever played an instrument to sign up for a one-time all church orchestra event.

Pick intermediate level music and make it available in advance. On the weekend of the service have your rehearsal in the afternoon, break for a meal or fellowship time, then play for worship.

FIVE If you already have an established worship orchestra, consider starting a youth orchestra. This kind of group, which can be community based, provides a wonderful training ground and will develop existing talent.

SIX Have the orchestra play more often.

Provide opportunities for the orchestra to be heard and appreciated for their ministry, and more musicians will notice.

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volume 35 - number 2 | creatormagazine.com

Make sure the orchestra is listed in as many places as possible around the church and in the community. Public Relations may be helped by designing an attractive poster, or setting up a booth at the local arts fair. Use your imagination to find ways to keep the orchestra in the public eye.

NINE It never hurts to have pastoral support.

A word from the pulpit is a form of implicit support for the orchestra ministry.

Remember that your pastor(s) need(s) encouragment as well. Lift them up both verbally before others and in prayer.

TEN Take your orchestra out into the community. You can personally join the community band or orchestra, but you can also make your ensemble available for service clubs and other community functions.

many worship planners want the effect without the visual – they have been trained to think that the unseen orchestra is natural

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social media... instant connections in

Many worship planners want the effect without the visual – they have been trained to think that the unseen orchestra is natural.

This is an illusion; it is not reality. If your presentation requires a live orchestra, you will get the optics as well as the sound. The truth is, musicians playing music from music stands have never looked good on camera. Today, through technology, first with soundtracks and now with stem tracks, we can add recorded music to live music with ease.

If technical substitutions are used when competent musicians are available in the church, the orchestra is driven deeper into the darkness.

In this drastic paradigm shift, more has changed than the lighting; the role of the worship/video producer/planner has trumped the role of the pastoral artist.

Under the sanctuary paradigm, the worship leader was equal parts pastor

and producer. The job description was to produce great worship events and to produce great worshipers! When the pastoral role is slighted, production values rise and people values fall.

let your fingers do the talking

Orchestra players are not recordings and their instruments and stands are not simply technical devices. Orchestras are composed of people – worshipers, players, students, professionals, amateurs, brothers and sisters, and children of God.

join the conversation

They sometimes get sick, or depressed, or find themselves in trouble. They have family events like weddings and funerals. They need more than good arrangements and music stand lights.

They need love and guidance, fellowship and discipleship, leadership and opportunity.

http://cmag.ws/4i

They need a pastoral artist, someone who is both an orchestral musician and a sensitive pastor of artists. The

http://cmag.ws/4k

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The Master’s College

Music Equipping for

e x c e l le n c e

A journey of musical, spiritual and academic growth

12 Undergraduate Degree Programs Concert Series Open to the Public

as worship leaders we have something powerful and eternal to offer: a spiritual understanding of music

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biblical term for this office is “The Chief Musician.” In short, the pastoral care of singers and players is often more work than a producer-oriented leader wants to do. The technology-driven unseen orchestra or the hired professional will be the producer’s preference.

Dr. Stephen Phifer

iserves as Creative Arts Minister at First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland, Florida. He is the founder of TheWorshipRenewalCenter.com.

Week by week the service may indeed be excellent, but on the long term the church will lose another generation of musicians.

The Skill Gap Orchestras are in trouble in the church because they require musical skills many contemporary worship leaders have never developed: •

the use of precise notation, and

•

knowledge of how to rehearse instrumentalists trained in school bands and orchestras

The best friend of the church music leader in this country is the music education system in our schools. The TM

wise and skillful worship leader learns how to function in this world and deliberately becomes a part of this community of teachers and players.

Like community bands and orchestras, church orchestras are the final link in the music education chain. Students learn to play instruments in middle school, play them in high school and college and many of them continue to play the rest of their lives.

Instrumentalists love to play their instruments! All they need is a place to play, some good music, and a leader who knows how to prepare them. A church of 300 in attendance probably has an orchestra sitting in the pews, uninvolved in the ministry.

As worship leaders we have something powerful, unique and eternal to offer

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the music community in our towns and cities – a spiritual understanding of music. I tell young players this: “Your private teacher can teach you to play your instrument. Your school director can teach you how to play in an ensemble, but you will only learn how to worship God with your instrument in a program like ours.”

Adults and students who play well or want to play well are looking for a reason to make their music. As worship leaders we have the best reason of all.

How can the worship orchestra fit in the “unseen” paradigm?

To prevent losing your instrumentalists and limiting your ability to adequately reflect the many-faceted glory of God in the worship you lead, there are three answers to this three-fold problem.

A Spiritual Solution As with all things in the ministry of worship, spiritual solutions must precede the musical and technical ones. Leaders

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PIC need to enter into a time of expansion.

We need to ask the Holy Spirit to expand our vision for the ministry beyond the sound of a single song or even a song set to the long term.

respected by the band/orchestra trained players as a legitimate way of playing worship music. The leader can allow both to happen at once simply by giving two sets of directions:

Developing young musicians needs to be as pressing a goal as next Sunday’s services. The grandeur and holiness of God needs to be reflected in our liturgies as well as the intimacy we have with Him. The more centered on the will of God, the revelation of who Jesus is, and the importance of what we do is to the world, the more we will make room in our hearts for the complete work of God.

•

word cues for singers and “band” members, and

•

measure numbers for orchestra players

A Musical Solution Worship leaders should learn as much as they can about instrumental music beyond the rhythm section. There are Christian music teachers in public schools and Christian schools who are schooled in the band and orchestra.

Learn from them.

The things you need to know to prepare and lead orchestral players are not overwhelming; they are just different from the things you need to know to prepare singers and rhythm players.

And what’s more, it is fun to know more about how God’s music is made.

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Instrumental Considerations

When the Lord expands the heart of the worship leader to embrace the next generation and lights his/her inner fire for the manifestation of the fullness of His glory, he or she will gladly add these skills to their leadership abilities.

Band and orchestra players need to hear the primary rhythm instrument to stay in tune and in time. Monitors can supply this need. Hearing each other is important so they can match pitch and style.

A Technical Solution

They also need to see the leader, especially when getting started, playing through transitions, and ending the songs. Since each musician is not supplied with the words, he or she needs to know when the first measure happens so they can count their block rests accurately.

The place for the orchestra on the video/concert stage is a harder problem to solve. I believe both the needs of the players and the artistic desires of the planners can be compatible.

Visual Considerations

Music/Worship leaders in the church should not be hostile toward musical notation. It is a gift from God and should be esteemed as such.

While chairs and stands do not provide “contemporary” visuals, they are necessary and should be accommodated by the worship setting.

Dressing the orchestra in black and placing them to one side should not interfere with the spacing of the singers and rhythm players. Music stand lights deemphasize the utilitarian appearance of the stands and illuminate the faces of the players.

At the same time, improvisation with chords and words needs to be

Different sections of the orchestra can be placed in different places on the

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worship platform and perhaps changed from week to week. It is also fun to use a single section of the orchestra in a service when the theme of the service coincides with the musical function of that section: brass for a regal set; woodwinds for a joyful set; strings for a lush or classical set and percussion for a Latin set.

Planners need to make room in their hearts and on the stage for the worship orchestra. Orchestra players need to be willing to play in unconventional formations and places to assist in presenting a less-than-traditional setting.

It seems we are not that far apart! I think the dismissal of the orchestra can be avoided. Whew! That was close!

Now we can get on with the exciting business of giving the Lord the glory due His name and raising up another generation of worshiping musicians!

fine

Frequently Asked Questions About Paid Instrumentalists for a Church Concert Staff

How should a choral director go about hiring instrumentalists?

Establishing a list of great players with whom you have good rapport is imperative. If you live near a college or university, most instrumental professors are happy to give names of competent players and/or contractors.

Don’t hesitate to contact the local or regional symphony orchestra. If the players are not “full time” employees, they are often more than willing to play at a church. Your church musician colleagues are another source – if they’ve been in town for a while, they are almost certain to know who the good players are.

Many church musicians find it simpler to establish a relationship with a good contractor. In most cases this will be a “lead” player – either a principal trumpet or a concertmaster. Then you only have to make one call, and you depend upon the contractor to get good players.

One more thing: you do get what you pay for in most cases. If you want the best players, you may have to “up the ante” from what they are currently earning at another church.

What is a contractor?

A contractor is just what it sounds like: a person who “contracts” the orchestra for you. In practical terms it means that the contractor meets with you to determine the number of players you need, the expertise level you desire from those players, and the logistics, like payment scale, rehearsal schedule, performance time, and more. Typically a contract is paid an extra fee for performing this service in addition to the contractor’s fee as a player.

Should I bow my own string parts?

Unless you are an accomplished string player, or you have extensively studied orchestration, the answer is probably no.

Ideally the conductor should bow the parts, but unless you do this routinely, and you spend a lot of time in score study, you are better off letting the concertmaster do this – especially if he or she is also your contractor.

In the best case scenario, you meet with the concertmaster and talk through the kinds of articulation and sound you want.

Unless the piece is long (like a Bach Passion) or complicated, however, it is generally not necessary to have a bowing meeting. Remember that you get what

you pay for, and most professionals will know what to do just by playing through their part in advance of the first rehearsal.

away from the congregation and directly toward the singers, the singers may not be able to hear themselves.

How do you mic an orchestra?

Instead, have the brass sit facing each other, and as close to you the director as possible. This helps in two ways: they will auto correct their dynamics because they are playing into each others’ ears, and they are close enough that you can easily get their attention if you need to adjust the balance on the fly.

A good audio engineer will know how to do this, but in most churches it is not a regular part of most sound operators routine to deal with orchestral instruments. The primary concerns are two: avoiding loud instruments bleeding into the microphones of softer instruments, and making sure that the engineer understands your musical concept of overall balance.

In the first case, remember that the closer you mic to the source, the drier and brighter the sound will be. In the second case, be prepared to walk out into the room and/or over to the sound board to talk with your engineer during your dress rehearsal. If the choir is well prepared, and the players are competent, you can just start a piece and let them keep going while you help your engineer get the sound you want. If that isn’t possible, prepare one of your singers to just stand at the podium and beat time so that everything stays together while you do this important work.

I rarely have strings, but we use brass a lot. Are there any tips for balancing the brass with the choir?

Balance between brass and vocalists is a chronic problem, and you should not depend upon your audio engineer to solve it. Some common sense helps here, however. If you face the brass directly out toward the congregation, the listeners will get the full impact. If you face the brass

Navigating and Marking the Musical Score

http://cmag.ws/6d

What is the leadership balance between the director and the instrumentalist when there is a question?

Ultimately, for better or worse, the buck stops with the director. If the players are producing the sound you want, it is up to you to fix it. That can be as simple as stopping and singing a line so that they can hear the articulation, or as complicaed as having a bowing conference with the concertmaster in the middle of a rehearsal.

There are two things to remember.

First, unless you are a skilled conductor, it is likely that the players know more about how to get what you want from a particular instrument than you do. It is all right to ask a player to change articulation or phrasing. It is also acceptable to fix a wrong note.

The second thing to remember is that you get more flies with honey than vinegar. If you hear a wrong note the first time through, it may mean that the player made an honest mistake. If you are still hearing that wrong note after the third time through there is clearly something wrong. Approach the problem by asking the player to confirm that they have the correct note in the score (which is often the case) rather than upbraiding them for the ongoing mistake.

One of Creator’s staffers has a lot of experience conducting full symphony orchestras, and he counsels that if there is a problem, he finds it most productive to adopt a “conference” demeanor.

He comes down off the podium and walks up to the player and has a quiet conversation about the issue.

He says that after many years, he learned that “the players want to play their best.

They aren’t trying to pull your tail, or deliberately make mistakes. I’ve found that if you treat them with respect, and calmly insist on what you want (which you’ve figured out because of your extensive score study), the players can be your best friends, and they’ll want to come back as often as they can.”

2013 | creatormagazine.com

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by Stan DeWitt

leadership

Stan DeWitt is Minister of Music at Grace First Presbyterian in Long Beach, California.

lessons mentor 5 Influence Traits to Emulate from a

M

y mentor, teacher,

and friend, Frank Pooler, passed away recently. One way I have processed his passing is to identify the ways that he mentored his students, and look at ways I can apply them in my own work.

focused on entertaining an audience with vocal jazz, gospel and even rock music. When I asked him why he kept changing, he said he thought it was because he had an “innate capacity for boredom.”

After some reflection, I can sort the body of his teaching and mentoring into five “influence” traits worthy of emulation. Each is presented below, with questions you can ask yourself to determine how effectively you are mentoring the people in your ministry.

I think he changed styles because he had to find something else he was passionate about. If he weren’t passionate about it, he wouldn’t do it. He retired fairly early, at the age of 62, mostly because he had begun to lose the passion.

Passion

At a National Association of Church Musicians (NACM) conference recently, a clinician said that he could not bring himself to program a Sunday anthem if he did not love it through and through.

Frank was a man of great passion about music. He had a passion for many things, actually. But it was in music that his passion shone through brightest.

You could see it in the way he held his hands as he conducted. For the softest passages, he used hands of velvet.

Those same hands would become rods of steel when we would sing works like Bach’s Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft…

Frank developed several different personas through his collegiate career.

In the beginning, he was known as a great interpreter of Renaissance music.

In the 1970’s, he became the expert on all things new and avant garde in choral music, particularly what was coming from Scandinavia. In the 1980’s, he

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If he couldn’t be passionate about the piece, how could he possibly convince his singers to be passionate about it?

And if we’re not passionate about what we are doing in worship, how are we possibly serving God there?

What are you passionate about in your music ministry? What are you not? How can you focus more on the things that you are passionate about in order to serve God more fully?

Integrity I love that one of the words that describes honesty is “frank.” Pooler was

definitely frank. He was unflinchingly honest; whether you were doing something good or bad, he was unafraid to tell you. You always knew where you stood. At times, that led to problems for the students who would be chronically late or loved to create drama.

But when it came to giving honest praise for something you had done, whether it was conducting the choir, arranging a hymn or singing a solo, you knew you would get the wink and clap of approval. I vividly remember him telling me to keep working on a piece of music I was writing for his choral arranging class by saying “you’ve got a tiger by the tail with that one. Good work!” I was thrilled.

Another time, when I was supposed to sing a solo at a performance, I tripped getting up on the stage and ripped a gash in my knee. I left to staunch the bleeding, and when I came back, he had given the solo to somebody else. After the rehearsal he said to me, “that’s OK – that other guy had the high A’s that you had a hard time with anyway.” He was correct, of course.

I think there can be no higher trait for someone who leads a music ministry than honesty and integrity. Your singers have to know that when you tell them something is good, it is good. They also have to trust that when you say something is not good, that you are doing it for their benefit and that you

Basketball, which was a spoken piece about a basketball game. The choralography consisted of an “air” basketball game happening in front of the choir as the rest of us watched and rapped. It was a disaster, and thankfully we never performed it.

are absolutely honest and fair in your criticism.

Are you honest, fair and wise in all you say and do in your ministry? Do you act with integrity at all times?

Do the people in your care trust you and your word?

Risk Taking Frank was never afraid to take chances on something new or different. If it failed, he would simply jettison the idea and move on. I never felt he would avoid something for fear of it failing.

Our folder at the beginning of each season was crammed with 30 or 40 pieces.

By the time we got to our first concert, half of them would have missed the cut.

Choralography – adding movement to a “traditional” choral piece – was a good example of risk taking. We would spend weeks on choralography for a piece, often to be disappointed by the results. I remember one piece called

But when it worked, it was phenomenal.

The choralography to When I Survey the Wondrous Cross ended with us turning toward center of the choir, where one of our members with long hair (and kind of looked like Jesus) would drape his arms over the ‘cross’ of the arms on either side of him. As corny as it sounds now, the result was electrifying, and would leave all of us – audience and choir – in tears.

in this time have often done so by completely changing the model of what church is and does. Whether we all agree with those changes, it seems we have to continually ask ourselves, what is working? What is not? What risks do we need to take in order to survive, grow and thrive?

if we are not passionate about what we are doing in worship, how are we possibly serving God there?

Most of our churches are dealing with vexing problems these days: declining attendance, aging congregations, struggles for identity and relevance in a rapidly changing society. Those churches that have been able to grow

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What risks have you taken in the past year? What risks are you willing to take in the next year to grow your music ministry? What fears, processes, impediments keep you from taking those risks?

Expectation of Excellence Frank never accepted less than what he heard in his own head. We worked for weeks and weeks on Brahms’ O Heiland Reiss before an Australia/New Zealand tour, and it was everyone’s favorite piece. And yet, he was never satisfied with it.

There was something he wanted to hear from us that we just couldn’t deliver. In the end, we only performed the piece twice on a 57-concert tour.

As frustrating as it could be, we knew we could trust that the result would be stunning if we followed his lead.

One of Frank’s expectations was that entrances be immaculate. He had developed this odd gesture with his hands to get us to make perfect entrances that I have never seen another conductor use. We would practice for hours, learning that gesture, and learning how to sing those perfect entrances.

Steal This Idea Overlap

Your Rehearsals

To truly integrate the choir, band, orchestra, and/or bells into one program, try a logistical solution. Overlap your rehearsals.

Here’s how it works: Have as many rehearsals on the same day as possible, but extend the “normal” rehearsal time block. One church we know starts with the choir rehearsal from 6 to 7:30 pm followed by the band rehearsal at 7:30 and the bell choir at 7:45.

To combine any of those two or three groups to rehearse a specific piece, just extend the choir to 8 or start the band at 7.

Want more rehearsal ideas? You can break your group into smaller ensembles by using the same technique. Start your choir rehearsal with women only for the first 30 minutes and finish with men only for the last 30 minutes. Start your band rehearsal with the rhythm section only.

Got an idea worth stealing? Send it to creator@creatormagazine.com

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Excellence can be a thorny problem when it comes to church music programs, in part because I think there is a danger in expecting too much from your average church choir member.

Certainly the excellence that Frank expected from his university choirs is a level way beyond that of the aboveaverage church choir. But if we assume that what we’re talking about is relative – that the level of excellence may differ, but the expectation that everyone bring their own level of excellence does not – then the lesson is the same.

I often encounter “just” in music ministry, as in “we’ll just rehearse it next time” or “I’ll just send the postcard to half the people on the list.” Many people use the word “just” to do less than is required.

I have taken a “No Just” policy in my music ministry. If we have decided that something is worth doing, whether rehearsing a piece of music or handling the little administrative details of music ministry, then we should all expect that it should be done to completeness. I haven’t always succeeded myself, but I strive for it, and I ask everyone around me to do the same.

What does ‘excellence’ look like for your music ministry?

How can you get there?

What are the things that you or your ministry team are “just” doing, and how can they get past that to achieve excellence?

Equal Opportunity to Excel Frank was not an egotist. He was always happy to share the space in front of his choir to talented conductors. But it extended beyond that.

When there was a talented accordionist in the choir, he programmed a piece for choir and accordion. When we had gospel players and singers, we would do gospel music. Great flautists and clarinetists in the choir would be asked to accompany.

I was a guitar major, and I had the chance to do several pieces with the choir, and even did an arrangement of Stanley My-

ers’ Cavatina from The Deer Hunter soundtrack for two guitars and choir.

Frank was more than a conductor. He was a teacher. His first and primary goal was to teach people what excellence looked like, and then give them a laboratory to experience it first hand as a director or performer. (Although he hated auditioning soloists. He much preferred to just point at people that he knew could handle the task than to have to listen to five people try it.)

In music ministry, we encounter people with a vast array of gifts. Some of them are musical; some are not. The difficult balancing act we take on in ministry leadership is how to lead and direct and simultaneously get out of the way.

The Apostle Paul talks about “each, according to his own gifts.” But of course we know that music is an imperfect democracy at best – if everyone decided his or her own tempo and dynamic while singing a piece of music, for instance, the result would be chaos.

So there is the trick for us: how do we identify the gifts of the people in our music ministry, and how do we best use them? How do we simultaneously direct and get out of the way?

Have you identified someone who is good at bookwork? Give them the music library to organize. A computer expert? Give them the task of redesigning your music ministries web presence. Someone who is good at repairing cars? Direct them to the person who can help them start a ministry of repairing cars for seniors. Be creative, but always be looking for ways to use the gifts of those around you.

Who are the people around you in your music ministry? What are their gifts, musical or otherwise? How can you best put their gifts to use, and thus help them find out why God is calling them to be in your midst?

The Bigger Questions How many of these five traits could be used to describe you? How can you cultivate them to improve your ability as a director and a ministry leader?

What are you passionate about in your music ministry? What are you not? How can you focus more on the things that you are passionate about in order to serve God more fully?

fine

spot light

ministry

Susan Birge

Pianist Orchard Community Church Ventura, California Creator: Welcome to the “spotlight” Susan. Can you tell us your specific job description. What exactly is it?

Creator: Are you full time or part time?

Susan Birge: I am pianist at Orchard, a friendly, family-oriented, multigenerational church of 250-300, with two almost identical Sunday morning services.

Creator: Where did you serve before you came to this church?

Creator: How long have you served in this position?

Susan Birge: Close to 20 years.

Susan Birge: Part time.

Susan Birge: My previous position was at Capital Christian Church in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where we lived for many years.

Creator: What sequence of events led you to this church?

Susan Birge: My husband’s job brought us to Ventura. Six months later we still had not found a welcoming church; neither had I found an opening for a pianist.

One day at a department store dress-rack, I overheard a conversation about prayer. I approached the lady (Elli) and told her we were looking for a church. She invited me to her church.

How refreshing to receive such a warm, friendly welcome and even be invited out to lunch.

creator celebrates every church musician and worship leader... and the ministries of which they are a part. We regularly turn the spotlight on people involved in ministry in order to help inspire and provide ideas for others. If you would like to recommend someone for our spotlight let us know.

2013 | creatormagazine.com

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Elli and I, and our families, became good friends. Our sons began playing trombone duets. After a few weeks the church began using me as a substitute pianist. Soon, the pianist asked if I would job-share, and later when she needed to resign, I was hired.

Creator: Do you have opportunities outside the church to participate in events that are close to your heart?

Susan Birge: Over the years I have recorded accompaniments and backup tracks for vocal soloist Michael Harris, who has a world-wide music ministry.

Michael’s wife is from Fiji, and recently I spent a few wonderful hours with her in Fiji.

Creator: Do you find it difficult to manage ministry in your situation?

Susan Birge: Not at all. I am blessed to work in a loving, friendly church, with a supportive Pastor and wonderful Worship Director. Each member of staff is committed to the Lord and their ministry, and to a good working relationship. I even love attending weekly staff meetings, which begin with a Bible study and sharing. Working with the various music groups is enjoyable.

rest of the band, sometimes singing a harmony part, all from a chord chart.

New music arriving in my mail box is exciting and as soon as possible, I sit down and play through it all. Listening to a good pianist is always inspiring and I try to learn something new from them.

Creator: Tell our readers a bit about your background. Where did you go to school and what was your major?

Susan Birge: I am a graduate of Fresno Pacific University with a Music Major, studying piano and organ. Part of my financial-aid package was accompanying voice lessons on campus. More recently I studied piano for two years privately with Dr Kyung Lee.

In Junior High, I began playing piano along with the organist for evening services in my church. I played for the High School and College choir.

Throughout high school and college I had a paid position at a small church. I have continued to be a church accompanist to this day.

soloists and seasonal ensembles. I play a 10-minute prelude and postlude for most services; a mix of classical, traditional and contemporary music.

Four worship bands rotate each month.

I play grand piano and keyboard, and sing harmony with one of the bands.

We also have a children’s choir and a youth band.

Creator: What else goes on around there that is noteworthy?

Susan Birge: Our annual Congregational Meetings, “Food, Faces, Facts and Fun in February” are noteworthy because they are unusually fun for an annual business meeting.

We are a mission-minded congregation. Impact Missions, the mission organization of our Santa Barbara Presbytery, was founded by Orchard Community. Sonshine Preschool, is a nurturing place for children on campus weekdays.

Creator: How large is the music ministry program for which you are a part?

Twice a year we have Community Service Sundays. After a 20 minute church service, we go out into the community to clean house for seniors, garden and paint at local schools, hand out quarters at a Laundromat, pick up trash along the streets, and pack breakfast-in-a-bag for Project Understanding.

Susan Birge: Our music has become more contemporary and syncopated, challenging me to grow musically, and to learn a variety of musical styles. I am still growing!

Susan Birge: Orchard Community has three paid staff musicians, the Worship Director, Pianist, and Choir Director, and are blessed with many talented volunteer musicians. The Worship Director oversees all musicians.

Summer in the Tent, which takes place a few weeks each summer, enables our entire congregation to worship at the same time. Special events, and sometimes weddings, take place under the tent.

Much of our music is guitar-driven, with the occasional piano-led hymn.

I enjoy improvising and the creativity of layering the piano sound with the

Our 20-25 voice choir has equal number of male and female singers; many are good sight-readers. I accompany the choir, male quartet,

Our property was originally a lemon orchard, so we often have a lemon festival complete with a lemon-pie bake-off, and pie throwing at the staff, or pool dunking. Last year we held a 1950’s event and our male quartet morphed into a fantastic ShaBoom quartet, and our worship band became “The Rockers.” Due to this event, the quartet was hired to provide entertainment at party of a local Community Association. This year the quartet is becoming “The Beach Boys.”

Creator: What keeps you active, interested, challenged, and excited to be where you are now and challenge you to look to the future?

Teaching music at a Junior Music Academy for several years was fun and rewarding. I taught private piano lessons up until recently.

over the years I have recorded accompaniments and backup tracks for Michael Harris, who has a world-wide music ministry

Creator: Do you have strong feelings about the direction of church music today? Would you be willing to share your feelings with our readers?

Susan Birge: Over the last twenty years our church has gone through many

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changes, some gently, some not-sogently; from robes and organ to no robes or organ; from traditional music to blended, to mostly contemporary music; a name change from Eastminster Presbyterian Church to Orchard Community Church to better reflect our vision; from worship band on the side-stage, to drums and band front and center; the Choir sings once a month and for seasonal services, instead of every Sunday.

I think it is important to retain our musical heritage, but we need to keep our

young families in the church and reach out to the community around us. We, at Orchard, still struggle with finding that balance.

Contemporary music is not always easy to sing or well-written. We need to choose wisely. Fortunately, we have some good composers in contemporary music. I appreciate the collaborations of Keith Getty and Stuart Townend because their hymn-style music appeals to all generations, which is important in our congregation.

I think it is important to retain our musical heritage, but reach out to the community around us

Creator: Tell us about your family. Are they involved with you in the music ministry of the church?

Susan Birge: Steve, my husband of 46 years, is a civil engineer, writer, and long distance cyclist. He has ridden crosscountry several times.

We have a grown son, a wonderful daughter-in-law, two grandsons and a wonderful extended family. Two days a week I help with my grandsons, who live one hour away. By age 3, one grandson had fallen in love with the pipe organ.

In the early years we participated in worship leadership as a family, first as a couple, later our son joining the worship team on trombone and youth orchestra.

My husband played guitar or clarinet and rotated as the worship leader. Now our son directs children’s musicals at his church.

Creator: How do you manage your time with family responsibilities and multiple tasks that face you day after day, month after month, and year after year?

Guidelines for the Director and Accompanist Team Rob Hewell

The music director and the accompanist are the heart of the musical team at any given worship service. Their purpose is simple: to provide leadership for satisfying and meaningful musical experiences for those on the platform and those in the pews.

•

use a conducting technique which communicates effectively

•

support the director in that person’s role as a musician and worship leader

As a team the director and accompanist have shared and individual responsibilites. Here’s a look at some of them.

•

be open to ideas from the director concerning accompaniments, registrations, and solo work

The director should:

•

be prepared for rehearsals and services be aware that it is the director’s responsibility to make tempo and stylistic choices

The accompanist should:

•

visualize the role of the accompanist as a “keyboard ministry,” and help the accompanist shape this role

•

•

lead the congregation in showing appreciation for the accompanist for the job they do on a weekly basis

They both should::

•

•

provide music and materials as soon as possible prior to each service and rehearsal – including communicating tempos, road maps for hymns, context for each piece, and transitions as needed respect the talents (and limitations) of the accompanist and encourage skill development

•

keep the lines of communication open

•

continue to develop their own skill sets

•

keep in mind the purposes and goals established for the church’s ministry through music

•

have a collegial relationship, being

open to each other’s ideas and perspective – treating each other with courtesy and respect •

regularly pray for each other

5 Shocking Truths About Director http://cmag.ws/3d Accompanists

2013 | creatormagazine.com

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Susan Birge: Yes. I enjoyed attending MusiCalifornia annually for many years, until they recently stopped. I have attended other music and worship conferences over the years. Piano workshops with well-known pianists are inspiring.

Now I stay connected and up-to-date using the internet. A Yahoo Group for Church Accompanists provides stimulating discussions, and I regularly read Creator and the weekly Emails.

Creator: What advice or tips would you provide our readers concerning the “art of music ministry?” In other words, how can the church musician keep his/ her sharp and in tune with the craft and art of church music? Or is the art of music ministry no longer an “art?”

Susan Birge: Organization helps, and my family is very supportive. I calendar everyone’s schedules, including our grandsons, setting aside time each week for music. Typically, I am at the piano Saturday night reviewing music for the next morning.

When playing through new music, I make notes regarding future uses.

I keep a log of music played for each service including title, source, and time-slot (prelude/communion/ offertory/postlude), and comments received. I also notate date used on the actual music, so I can tell at a glance when I last used the piece. I try not to repeat music very often.

Creator: What do you do for “fun” – or just pure enjoyment?

Susan Birge: Music is one of the art forms integrated into our worship service. To keep music sounding like an art requires prayerful planning, understanding the worship style of your congregation and the vision of the leadership, and proper preparation.

Susan Birge: I enjoy working on photo projects for the family, reading, travel, walking, and an occasional massage.

I have ridden on bicycle trips with my husband in France, Ireland, the San Juan Islands (off the coast of Washington State), and across New York State along the Erie Canal route.

Creator: In your opinion, what are some ingredients that can make a person effective in music ministry?

Susan Birge: Passion for worship, a good skill level, ability to work well with others, and above-all, maintain a relationship with the Lord.

Creator: What was your most memorable trip?

Susan Birge: Experiencing the beauty and splendor of Antarctica with my family.

Creator: Wow! That must have been something. What about professionally?

Do you try to attend music conferences to keep yourself updated, fresh and on the cutting edge?

Creator: Could you tell our readers the names of a couple of your personal heroes...those who have meant a lot to you in your career, musical and/or spiritual pilgrimage?

Susan Birge: My parents, Russell and Helen Knight, laid a strong foundation for their five children and two cousins who lived with us. Dad was a wonderful example of a spiritual man. We recently

ministry is art, but it only comes from daily dedication and hard work

24

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Living Last Supper

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volume 35 - number 2 | creatormagazine.com

celebrated his life on what would have been his 100th birthday. My mother instilled the love of music. Growing up, we fell asleep listening to her play classical music on the piano.

Each of my piano teachers impacted my life, but I will name two. Pearl Denham, my first piano teacher, was a wonderful pianist and missionary to Brazil. She taught when home on furlough. And Dr. Kyung Lee, my most recent piano coach. Many friends offer encouragement, support, suggestions, and helpful critique.

Creator: If you could do anything you wanted to do at this time in your life, what would it be – or are you doing it now?

Susan Birge: I am very happy in what I am doing now and feel blessed.

Although, I would love to do more duo-piano, accompanying of vocal or instrumental solos, and even a piano quartet.

A few years ago, I recorded a full-length piano CD, a gift from my husband. A gift that required a lot of work on my part! I receive requests for a follow-up CD.

Susan Birge: Teaching music and piano to children and adults has been very rewarding and satisfying. I think of one student I taught from first grade, who aspired to become a church pianist. He is completing a Master’s Degree and has become an accomplished pianist and conductor. Now I need lessons from him!.

Creator: Name the name/author/ publisher of the last book you have read and would recommend to us?

Susan Birge: Fearless by Tom Stephen and his wife (Regal Books, Gospel Light Publishers). It is about facing your fears through reflecting on God’s presence with 40 Scripture-based meditations featuring amazing photography by Tom’s brother, Hank Foto, senior photographer for Surfing Magazine.

Creator: What is the title, composer or arranger, and publisher of the bestreceived anthem, hymn arrangement or spiritual you used in 2012?

Susan Birge: The Old Ruged Cross arranged by Camp Kirkland (Praise-

Creator: What was your greatest accomplishment in the last 3 years?

Susan Birge: Arranging for piano substitutes during my two leaves-ofabsence. God provided. A good friend, pink-slipped by the school district, was happy to cover the first three months.

By the end of that time period, she had re-gained her music-teaching position.

I returned home to play throughout Advent, and found it harder to find help covering the next three months. Again, God provided, and three pianists filled the required time-slots.

Creator: Is there something you are particularly proud to have accomplished in your career?

We Fill the Sanctuary, by Jason Michael Webb (Word), in a salsa style, is another well-received anthem.

Creator: What was the last concert you attended and who were the performers?

Susan Birge: The California Baptist University Male Chorale directed by Glenn Pickett.

Creator: Do you have any final thoughts you would like to leave with our readers?

Susan Birge: To be gracious in the midst of change and remember our primary purpose for worship ministry. It is not about us!.

Creator: Thanks, Susan. May the Father continue to bless and encourage and lead you in your ministry. fine

Quality

Susan Birge: This was ministry of a different sort: My church granted me two 3-month leaves-of-absence within a ten-month time span in order to help with my young grandchildren in Sydney, Australia, where my son and daughterin-law lived. I appreciate that our leadership is supportive of staff families, and I was grateful to keep my job.

Creator: What was your greatest challenge or struggle in the last 3 years?

Gathering); used every year since 2009, and most recently for Maundy Thursday 2013. A beautiful, passionate arrangement, always well-received, with an accompaniment a pianist can love to play!

“The tour was very well planned and provided a great mix of tourism and missionoriented excursions. The choir was highly impressed – their favorite tour to date.”

Dennis Coleman, Director, First Congregational Church of Bellevue

For over fifty years, we have customized tours to fit each group’s unique interests, abilities, and expectations. Many satisfied ensembles return year after year, knowing that we can provide them with a memorable experience every time.

800-627-2141

WST 601 273 533 • CST 2063085-40 Photo courtesy of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church Choir

ACFEA Tour Consultants 123 Second Avenue South, Suite 105 Edmonds, WA 98020 www.acfea.com . email: info@acfea.com

2013 | creatormagazine.com

25

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select twenty TM

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codes

what it is Creator’s Select 20 has always featured the best new church choral music – 20 anthems that will serve most any ministry. We choose by using criteria which include the full spectrum of musical and worship styles. We draw from all publishers, traditions, and styles, regardless of our personal taste.

On the actual review (see below to find the detailed reviews) we include a “worship-style bar-graph” to assist you in applying a S20 title to your ministry.

The graph, and the “theme” graphic identifiers on the next page, are not used to “pigeonhole” music, but to help our readers in understanding style.

The left edge of the graph would be complex music which is less predictable, often incorporating mixed or no meter, and less familiar tonalities. Texts here focus on poetry or more abstract word painting. The graph’s center represents present-day anthems written in a traditional, non-pop, non-gospel style, with texts that are commonly scripture based and written in second or third person. The right extreme would be pop, gospel, and rock musical styles, commonly including chord symbols in the accompaniment.

Texts will be less poetic, more straightforward, and primarily written in first and second person.

V

voicing

#

catalog number

C

composer

M

music sources

E

editor or arranger

T

lyricist and/or source

A

accompaniment information

U

usage

P

publisher imprint

©



copyright year and holder highly recommended

The following are used at the end of each full review/comment: L End

read the full review online Creator has changed the way we list Select 20 titles. We now list important information for each Select 20 title here in the magazine, with complete reviews on our website at http://cmag.ws/2m.

Our general rules for inclusion in each issue through the editorial selection process are as follows:

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volume 35 - number 2 | creatormagazine.com

• No more than two titles by any composer, arranger, or publisher

D

length using (S)hort, (M)edium, and (L)ong dynamic level of the ending difficulty using (E)asy, (M)edium, and (D)ifficult

Advent

Easter

Palm Sunday

All Saints

General

Pentecost

Baptism

Good Friday Maundy Thursday

Praise

Benediction

Lent

Call to Prayer Prayer Response

Call to Worship

Lord’s Supper

Offering Stewardship

Christmas

Missions

Thanksgiving

• Copyright dated this year or last year Scan the QR code to the left of each title to be taken directly to the complete review. The graphic gives an indication of the anthem’s primary use in a worship service.

God’s Peace

You Are There V: SATB Divisi #: 98754493 E: Glenn Pickett A: Piano with opt. Orchestration and Trax U: Adult • Praise, General, Concert • P: Hal Leonard ©: 2012

V: SATB #: C 5752 E: C. J. Adams A: Piano U: Adult • Call

to Prayer, Call to Worship, General • Small Church

I Believe V: SATB #: 37652 C: David Lantz III A: Piano U: Adult • Prayer, General P: Belwin Choral ©: 2012

Hiding in the Shadow of God  V: SATB #: 10/4188L C: Heather Sorenson A: Opt. Flute (included) U: Adult • Prayer, General P: Lorenz ©: 2012

I Come With Joy  V: SATB #: MSM-50-2825 C: Kenneth Dake A: A Cappella U: Adult • Thanksgiving, Prayer, General P: MorningStar©: 2012

Make a Joyful Noise  V: SATB #: 978-1-4514-5165-8 C: Lee Dengler A: Keyboard U: Adult • Call to Worship, Praise, General, Concert P: Augsburg ©: 2012

Thanks Be To God V: SATB #: 978-8341-8218-9 C: Dennis C. and Nanette C. Allen A: Piano U: Adult • Thanksgiving, Praise, General • Small Church P: Crystal Sea Music ©: 2012

Sing and Rejoice V: SATB #: 08754709 C: Gary Hallquist A: Piano, opt. Orchestration, opt. Trax U: Adult • Call to Worship, Praise, General, Concert P: PraiseSong ©: 2012

The Promised Land V: SATB #: 7855 C: Daniel McDavitt A: A Cappella U: Adult • General, Concert P: ECS ©: 2012

Amazing Love!

V: SATB #: BP1975 C: David Rasbach A: Piano U: Adult • Lord’s Supper, General • Small Church P: Beckenhorst ©: 2012

It Is Well With My Soul V: SATB #: 978-1-4514-6237-1 E: Yu-Shan Tsai A: Piano U: Adult • General P: Augsburg Fortress ©: 2013

scan the QR codes to the left of each title with your smartphone for the complete review, or go to http://cmag.ws/2m

scan the QR codes to the left of each title with your smartphone for the complete review, or go to http://cmag.ws/2m

P: Hope Publishing ©: 2012

Wade in the Water V: SATB w/ opt. solos #: 10/4193L E: Mark Hayes A: Piano 4-hands or opt. 2-hands • General, Praise, Concert P: Lorenz ©: 2012

Abide With Me  V: SATB #: 978-1-4514-5152-8 C: John Cornish A: Piano U: Adult • General, Benediction P: Augsburg ©: 2012

In the Sweet By-and-By V: SATB #: BP1970 E: Howard Helvey A: Piano U: Adult • General P: Beckenhorst ©: 2012

Heaven In Our Hearts V: SATB #: 39157 C: David Lantz III A: Keyboard U: Adult • General P: Alfred ©: 2012

Six Choral Reflections V: SAB, soloist #: 008891 C: Edward Eicker A: Organ U: Adult • Call to Worship, General • Small Church P: World Library ©: 2012

Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven V: SATB #: 08754714 C: John Leavitt A: Piano, opt. Orchestration, opt. Trax U: Adult • Praise, Call to Worship, Festival, Concert, General P: Hal Leonard ©: 2012

Just As I Am V: SATB, Solo #:978-1-4514-5163-4 E: Hal H. Hopson A: Piano U: Adult • Lord’s Supper, General, Prayer • Small Church P: Augsburg ©: 2012

Psalm 146 V: SATBB Chorus #:MSM-50-3901 C: Hal H. Hopson A: Organ U: Adult • Call to Worship, General, Concert P: MorningStar ©: 2012

O God Beyond All Praising V: SATB #:C 5767 E: Mark Hayes A: Keyboard with opt. Brass and Timpani U: Adult • Call to Worship, General, Concert P: Hope ©: 2012

2013 | creatormagazine.com

27

Assess Your Leadership Priorities Randall Bradley

Through over 30 years of music ministry, I’ve come to believe that the most important aspect of our work (and the most difficult) is maintaining perspective. While we must be intricately involved with the people we serve and the ministry that we lead, we must also be able to step back and see ministry from the balcony. Far too often, we spend all of our time on the main floor among the people, and we lack the ability to step above the crowd and see the larger patterns and pictures that are developing around us. A larger perspective is important both for leading ourselves and for leading others. Effectively leading ourselves must be our first priority.

Recently, in a graduate seminar as one of several options for assessing the unit on choral leadership skills, I asked my students to participate in a personal assessment of themselves related to their present or future ministry as music and worship leaders.

Here is the assignment: Reflect on your experience as a choral singer, conductor and choral rehearsal technician. What areas are strong for you? What areas need strengthening? Construct a plan for you to build your strengths and perceived weaknesses. The plan should involve reading, researching, seeking a mentor, attending events, taking courses, etc., that will help to assure that your choral skills continue to improve.

Interestingly, although three other assessment options were presented, nearly every student chose this assignment. Their responses were challenging to me, and as I read them, their vulnerability was humbling.

Many of them shared their insecurities

as singers, their inadequacies with conducting and rehearsal skills, their challenges to lead people who were differently skilled and trained than they, and their desires to be more winsome.

After eventually proposing concrete action plans, every paper ended with hopefulness and a personal resolve to continue learning beyond the semester.

As I reflected on the students’ responses, I was challenged to participate consciously in such an exercise for myself regarding my ministry roles.

How can my overall leadership skills be enhanced? In what areas do my worship leadership assets need to be updated and refurbished? How can I minister more effectively to a broader number of people within our congregation? How can I develop better administrative practices that give me more time and energy to spend with people in need? How can I become a healthier person in order to offer others a more stable outlook?

Change begins with vulnerability.

Because my students were willing to consider their insecurities, challenges, and dreams, their action plans and their ability to change and grow came into focus. As we launch this new year, I urge you to reflect intentionally in order to discover practices and skills that could enhance your ministry effectiveness. Before your year is impossibly full, calendar some actions that have potential to increase your personal ministry effectiveness. In the next few days, block out an appointment with yourself for a least a couple of hours.

Ask yourself some of the questions above, write down your responses and keep them close at hand. As you are able to see some patterns develop in your responses, end your session with at least five

Did You Miss This?

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volume 35 - number 2 | creatormagazine.com

actions that will help you to move toward increasing your leadership skills in the areas that you’ve identified. I’ve already made some commitments for myself: • calendar a series of appointments with a leadership coach • follow through in accepting a writing assignment outside my usual area of expertise • make five appointments with people from whom I can both learn about ministry, and for whom it will be a gift to them to share with me • Spend time reflecting on how the Birkman Assessment (which I recently took) can enhance my leadership and ministry • follow through with committing to join with some friends to participate in a fun run later in the spring

By taking regular steps to enhance your leadership and ministry skills, over the next year you and the people you serve will notice a marked difference in your ability to minister more effectively. Furthermore, you will be buying insurance that will help you to cope when tough times come, and your ministry withdrawals are greater than your Scan the QR deposits. code to read the original article or go to http://cmag. ws/7u

There are nine comments about this article at our website. To see the article and the comments, go to http://cmag.ws/7u.

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9 Ways to Get Ready for Sunday Worship leadership is a sacred privilege and responsibility. Worship leaders must prepare themselves spiritually, physically and emotionally...

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We infect others with bad attitude, lack of commitment, or poor practices. We also infect the culture in very positive ways. We can choose how we influence others...

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Twitter Feed Everybody (including your grandmother) is on Facebook.

But what about that other social media platform?

We’ve found that twitter is a great way to find people and information in the areas of our interest. Twitter shouldn’t be intimidating, but its primary ground rule – no post can be more than 140 characters – does take some getting used to.

The good news? You don’t have to wade through a bunch of verbiage to find out whether something is important to you.The bad news?

You can’t always tell if people’s intentions are good. Here are some suggestions of people we find add value to our lives via twitter.

Music Ministry Excellence on a Small Budget Some basic ways to assist excellence in music ministry with whatever resources you have available...

@Creatornow first notice of new articles at Creator’s website @GuyKawasaki Guy seems to be plugged in to everything @hughballou lots of leadership tips

@iwsfla tweets from The Robert Webber Institute for Worship @MichaelHyatt links on leadership, productivity, and social media @PhiferSteve Steve is the voice of The Worship Renewal Center @scottshuford tweets from a Christian media guy

@singerlink network with singers and directors all over the planet

@TXB_Worship tweets from the Texas Baptist Music Office @vernsanders Creator’s publisher finds interesting things on the net @WorshipCoach Creator’s former editor Rod Ellis

@WorshipStudioMM Marcia McFee writes about worship

2013 | creatormagazine.com

29

last page

by Glenn Pickett

thanksgiving for lent M any people give up

nice things, like chocolate, for Lent. But as a bit of a contrarian, I thought that it would be cool to add something for Lent. So last Ash Wednesday I began to incorporate a “Discipline of Thanksgiving” into my daily routine.

One of the things that scripture says we should do in life is to 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).

I have always casually known of the benefit of this Discipline of Thanksgiving, but I recently discovered that a new field of psychology, bubbling up out of Harvard

…So many of us [have been] taught that if you work hard you will be successful – and only then, once you are successful, will you be happy. [We] have been taught that happiness is the reward you get only when you become partner of an investment firm, win the Nobel prize, or get elected to Congress.

But in fact… new research in psychology and neuroscience shows that it works the other way around: We are more successful when we are happier and more positive.

Glenn Pickett is Professor of Composition and Director of the Men’s Chorale at California Baptist University. He has a number of anthems in print.

So, with my will-power now armed with both scriptural and empirical truth, I added these five disciplines to my life for Lent. Though Lent is now over, I have no intention of giving them up. They have resurrected in me a deep sense of joy. The fruit of the Spirit has blossomed in me, making me more of an encouragement to the community that God has planted me in. The Discipline of Thanksgiving is helping me to practice:

whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Phillipians 4:8.

fine

new research shows we are more successful when we are happier and more positive

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University, is now affirming this Christian truth with empirical research. Rather than focusing on negative neuroses as traditional psychology does, this new sub-field, called “Positive Psychology,” concentrates upon discovering what makes us humans thrive.

In a humorous and engaging TED talk entitled “The Happy Secret To Better Work,” Positive Psychology proponent Shawn Achor tells his audience that success does not bring happiness, but rather, happiness brings success. He’s written a book about this inversion of our view of success entitled The Happiness Advantage. In it he writes:

30

Achor suggests “rewiring” your brain for happiness by practicing five disciplines: 1. Write down each day three things that you are grateful for.

2. Relive a good moment by journaling about it briefly in a paragraph.

3. Perform a random or intentional act of kindness for someone.

4. Exercise.

5. Meditate (pray).

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In each issue we give one church musician or worship leader a chance to have their say. There are no restrictions on topic here (other than the obvious ones of slander, libel, and silliness). If you’d like to contribute your thoughts email us at creator@creatormagazine.com.

volume 35 - number 2 | creatormagazine.com

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