We as worship leaders are participating in a divine symphony that has been playing for an eternity and will be playing forever. Some of the greatest pieces of music ever written are classical symphonies that have stood the test of time and continue to move people. Most of them were written for God’s glory, and …
Be A Window
“Hey Son, you make a better door than a window.” My dad had TONS of “dad-isms” he used on a frequent basis and many of them were groaners and produced a lot of eye-rolling. He employed this one when I wouldn’t realize that I was standing between him and the tv. I was impeding his …
Confident Musicianship
Do you remember the first time you heard a song and realized that it was more than a song to you? Something hidden in the music had suddenly become so obvious to you. You discovered that music, real music, isn’t always about the skill level of the musicians, but the execution of the message behind …
You Want Me To do What?! // Personal Monitor Training: Understanding the Volunteer
Have you noticed that the currency in our day is not money, but time? When you ask someone how they are, the answer is usually a huge intake of air followed by an exhalation with the word “busy” punctuating it. People are busy. We won’t get into the right or wrongness of that here, but …
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Considering Personal Monitors?
I remember the first time I went to a NAMM show. It was glorious. I would like to think I had my base impulses under control, but seeing all that gear… All of a sudden I wanted it ALL. There has never been a more exciting time for technology, and specifically, technology that enables and …
For All Seasons // Great God – Electric Guitar Tutorial
From Jeff Luckey, guitarist, For All Seasons: This is a fun, straight-rock song. There are some complexities, but it’s super congregational. The rhythm section is my favorite part. The bass is so unique in the verses. It has more intricate lines than your typical worship song. But, you gotta play it on the right speakers. …
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5 Steps to a Maximum Impact Rehearsal
As a music director, session player, and clinician, I’m often asked to speak about my personal technique for learning, preparing, and rehearsing new music, as well as my approach to team rehearsals. However, above the technical delivery of your musicianship, I believe that your commitment to be your very best for your team and for …
Tutorial // For All Seasons – “Holy Spirit”
Johnny Hamilton brings us a tutorial from For All Seasons’ latest record.
Personal Mixing 101 // Part Three: Equalization
Andy brings us the third installment of Personal Mixing 101.
Personal Mixing // Part Two: Panning
Andy takes us through another personal mixing tutorial.
5 Tips for Serving With Your Spouse
Do you serve with your spouse? Laura has some practical advice for you.
CRAFT // Part One: Handling a Team of Artists
The CRAFT series is designed to walk you through preparing your team to be able to think outside of their typical creative boxes, walk humbly with their artistry, and use teamwork to produce massive amounts of creative development for their ministry. Over this series, we will walk you through different areas of creative development for you …
Personal Mixing // Starting With a Good Foundation
If you are unfamiliar with personal monitoring systems, it’s time to get up to speed. Personal monitor systems allow each performer to have a mix with as much “me” as they want without conflicting with their neighbor. They can allow you to take most if not all the monitors (floor wedges) off the stage, reducing clutter and, more …
Operating In Harmony
Have you ever arrived at practice with singers that are very capable at improvisational harmonies, but end up criss-crossing, doubling, leaving open 5ths, or inadvertently dropping into melody? There is a tendency to assume that just because you “can” harmonize on-the-fly, that there need be no preparation for the vocalists before practice. However, preparing multiple …
Lighting 101 // Types of Fixtures
Today we will review the three most common types of lights that are used in church lighting systems, which are conventional, LED, and Moving-Head fixtures. While this initial post will give you a brief overview of each type, each of the subsequent posts will individually examine these types of fixtures in greater detail. Because each type of …