Professional Documents
Culture Documents
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
Volume 8, Issue 5
09
Record Reviews
Israel Houghton • Kathryn Scott • Rend
0 74470 58440 7 Michael W. Smith • The Museum • Lincoln Brewster
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worship improve your sound church
By Bruce Adolph
and as I was
playing it I couldn’t
believe the feel. Wow! You know
how as a guitarist when you play a guitar
with a very fast neck… you can play riffs ed the mod/pitch
that you normally can’t pull off? Well that wheel. OK, all gloves are
was my experience with the PX-3. Man, off now. This keyboard is a contend-
I played a run that felt great and I know er!
I couldn’t pull it off normally. The scaled
weighted hammer action felt true as can So Casio has made a very good en- Capacity based on 1MB =
be and the matte key finish just feels good trance into the pro keyboard world… the 1,024KB and 1KB = 1,024 bytes)
on your fingertips. This is an 88 note key- PX-3 has great action, easy transport, a • Display screen: Full-dot LCD with
board with Tri-Sensor action that weighs quality sound engine and “mother” key- backlight
in at 24 pounds! What? I picked it up board sensibilities… now are you ready • Pedals: Comes with 1 pedal (SP-3),
and sure enough, light weight. The first for the kicker? The price is ½ of what you 2 terminals (damper, soft/sostenuto
thing I thought of was those pour musi- would expect it to be. Retail is $1,199.00 switching), 3-pedal unit support
cians lugging around heavy keyboards in and it streets for just $799.00 No way! (when using an optional 3-pedal
gig bags back and forth to their church I know! unit), half-pedal operation (damper)
services in rented school buildings etc. • Key transpose: 25 steps (-12 semi-
Those folks were going to love this board. Here are the techno facts/specs for tones to 0 to +12 semitones)
you… • Tuning control: A4 = 440Hz ± 99
OK, so what about the sounds? Re- cents (1 semitone=100 cents)
member, Casio is making a move into the • Keyboard: 88-key, 3-sensor scaled • MIDI: GM level 1 compliant
pro keyboards arena and with that they hammer action keyboard (mat finish)
will need good sounds to boot. No wor- • Touch response: 3 sensitivity levels; Other functions/features: Tone select
ries here. The PX-3 sports four layer dy- off button; registrations: 8 banks x 8 sets
namic stereo piano samples. You can edit • Type of keyboard: AIF (linear mor- (64 sets total); master keyboard function;
the on-board patches and insert effects. phing) mixer function; synthesizer; temperaments
You get your meat and potatoes sounds… • Maximum polyphony: 128 (preset scale): equal + 16 other types; oc-
lots of pianos (the piano sounds are worth • Number of tones: 250 tave shift; panel lock; pitch bend wheel (0
the price of admission alone), electric pia- • Tones: 16 piano tones, 12 electric to 12 semitones); 2 assignable switches
nos, organs, strings etc. But these sounds piano 1 tones, 8 electric piano 2
tones, www.casio.com
available exclusively at
www.LifeWayWorship.com
By Carl Albrecht
By Ed Kerr
In creating the arrangements for his songs, Paul and his band
A melodic figure is established in the right hand in measure give lots of thought and creative energy to the melodies that they
1. Nothing about this figure changes in bar two. The same record. Think about what rehearsals are like with your team.
melodic and rhythmic activity is heard in the top voice, and the Do you count off the song and have the whole band enter on
F continues to drone below it. In bar 3, though, a slight change the first downbeat, playing whatever random melodies come to
is made in the top voice’s melody, though the droning F doesn’t mind at the moment? Or, like Paul’s arrangement of “How Great
change. Then, in bar 4 the melodic and rhythmic activity of Is The Love”, is the journey toward the first verse, the first chorus
measure 1 is repeated. and later sections made interesting by carefully structuring the
instrumentation and melodic material you use?
An important goal for us as players on worship teams should
always be to make our music have linear interest or forward mo- Always be listening for melodic ideas that could become a
mentum, something happening in the arrangement that makes hook for your intro. Consider using the PRV principle when you
the passing of measure after measure interesting for the listener. repeat that idea. Spend time with your guitarists to create melo-
Paul could have let that right hand in measure 3 of the keyboard dies that work well together. Paul and his band have done it
part be a literal repeat of measure 1, as he did in measure 2, effectively in this song. You can do it in the songs you present,
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By Gary Lunn
Commitment
I also find that many members of wor-
ship teams don’t take the development
of their own voice, or their musicianship
very seriously either. I think this is another
waste. We have so much to gain person-
ally from personal growth of any kind, but
in this case we can positively affect so
Seems to be a scary word these involved with our music ministry at church, many people by getting committed to be-
days doesn’t it? It kind of appears to we are also making a commitment to our ing a better singer or a better musician
me like commitment, or lack thereof, is brothers and sisters in Christ. If you are in general.
a very common thread of discussion in involved in any kind of a team, you know
the church today. I work with hundreds that when one part of the team is missing, One of the benefits of learning more
of worship leaders every year and this the team doesn’t function as well—some- about one’s own voice is the health and
theme—lack of commitment-- is times it can’t function at all! When we longevity of your voice. There are many
prevalent among those who have any kind of a vocal group, the fo- “dangers” lurking out there in the world
serve in the local church. I cus on getting our parts right, balanced, of singing, many of them wanting to steal
would like to venture into blended and tight requires all members your beautiful voice and make it raspy,
this territory and make a to be present. It’s impossible otherwise to hurting and no longer useful for the king-
case for why we need to be com- achieve those objectives. dom of God! But this need not be the
mitted not just as people, case. With a little of the right information
but as singers. Time is of the essence in most of our and application, many of those dangers
busy lives. This is all the more reason why are easily averted. Additionally, with a
we need to be committed to our teams. little commitment to working out, your
Committed When 4 out of 5 people show up for a voice can become stronger, more beauti-
to the Cause rehearsal, it ends up costing those 4 peo- ful and gain an increase in range. If ev-
Most of you who ple a lot of wasted time. Invariably, things ery singer on your team took the time to
are reading this that are learned will have to be personally work on their own voice
article are serving re-learned once the missing and their own musicianship
in the trenches of party does show up, to (not to mention their own
your local church. take his or her part into parts!) the team as a
When I was in col- whole would grow
lege so many years and benefit. In turn,
ago, I remember hear- your congregation
ing it said that ANY gig would feel the
was better than a ‘church’ benefit as well.
gig. Why? Because it was
all volunteer. The term volunteer im- The Price of
plied—less than committed. Moreover, Commitment
there’s the underlying, unspoken aspect con-
sideration Being commit-
of no enforcement. Even if you got the ted to anything
always dreaded junior high school gig, now. This is so
inconsiderate to- requires paying a
you could at least punish your less than price of some sort.
committed student through a variety of ward your leader
and team mem- When I committed
means - a flunking grade being one of my life to my husband
them. Pretty much any musical venture bers. No one has
time to waste. I paid the price of “for-
you might choose to get involved with will saking all others” and so
require some sort of real commitment. If did he. Not a bad deal at
you break your commitment, there will be I like to encourage worship
leaders to strive for excellence in all for me actually, I’m so glad
some sort of retribution. we did. We could never have the level
all they do. I’d like to encourage you as
a singer to do so as well. I like to encour- of intimacy we have in our marriage if
Except in the church we hadn’t. It’s a price that many people
age worship leaders to require commit-
today aren’t willing to make. Commit-
With church involvement, we tend to ment of their team members. I even sug- ting to a worship team (or bettering your
feel we have no “right” to require any gest a covenant agreement between all voice) will undoubtedly mean forsaking
kind of real commitment. We feel ecstatic team members, renewable each year. I other activities and this may be too high
just to have warm bodies most of the time. also suggest to team leaders to audition a price for some. Many blessings await
Well, I propose that there is an error in for their worship teams every year. This those who are willing. Those are the ones
that kind of thinking. We need to realize helps to keep people on their toes. There I want on my team, how about you?
that what we do in the music ministry at are far too many people on worship
church has less to do with people and teams today who feel they have a “right”
more to do with God. In other words, our to be there. They’ve forgotten that it’s a Sheri Gould has a BS in
commitment is to GOD more than it is just privilege to serve. An audition each year Music Education (Vocal/
our fellow man. Scripture has much to would help to remind them. It also gives Choral) from the University
say about honoring the commitments we others in the congregation the opportunity of Illinois. A church music
make to God. to serve. Too many churches have given
director (Choir/Worship
off the persona that the worship team is
Leader) since 1985, she also teaches
Committed to Each Other a private club or clique that is nearly im-
vocal techniques at various workshops
Although our primary commitment is to possible to break into. This would help to around the country. Send your questions
our Lord when we make a decision to get alleviate that problem. to: sherigould1@aol.com
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HILLSONG LIVE: New Songs, Hungry Hearts and God’s Presence: One ‘Beautiful Exchange’ continued
LIFT i p
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Authentic Worship
“Don’t let the plane get behind this is our burnt offering, our sacrifice of
you.” I was so focused on so many praise. Sacrifice doesn’t mean whipping
other things, radio transmissions, something up at the last minute, it means
By Michael Gonzales charts, looking for other aircraft giving up something of ourselves for Him.
Zone Four
The back wall behind the worship
platform can be your best friend or your
Welcome to the first Guitar Grab Bag rest of your team to iron out a number of sound man’s worst enemy. I’m involved in
column! In the 40 years I’ve been play- the divisive issues around sound. I hope an outreach ministry called Guitar Church
ing guitar (yikes) I’ve never really seen a this article offers some tangible tools for that often has me playing at center court
constant progression from point A to point you and your team! in school gymnasiums. In those situations
B, but rather a gradual increase across a I turn the rented 4x12 cabinet around to
number of topics as my capacity for the Zone One face the wall behind me to reflect sound
instrument and music in general grew. The area around our ears is key to hav- into the room. If you think of shining a
Thus, I wanted to start a column that re- ing a great worship experience. Whether flashlight into a mirror you’ll get a really
flects the horizontal experience of being you use in ears or not, there is a sonic good idea of how loud monitors can re-
a guitarist. Regardless of where you play sweet spot where things feel good. If ally blow a mix for your sound man. If
or the level you’re at, this column is in- you’re using an Aviom system I’d strong- I’m using an amp and monitors, I try to
tended to serve your needs. This month’s ly suggest panning various instruments keep it 30% amp and 70% monitors, so
article might raise a few questions, so feel across the sonic spectrum as opposed to long as the volume stage manageable for
free to send them, and any other guitar re- keeping everything dead center. Truth be the sound man, who I like to give at least
lated questions, to DougDoppler@ told I will turn a number of things way 60% control of my overall volume.
Hotmail.com. I’ll be more than down so I can be sure to hear the drums
happy to share my various and the Worship leader really well. Zone Five
musings about the ones that The advantage of having a fellow team
really grab me here! Thank Zone Two member playing your guitar as you walk
you and God Bless… The area that our feet will normally trav- around the room is that you can really get
el over the course of a service is a place a chance to hear what happens when
The Six Zones of Sound we can really get it wrong - especially your guitar sound gets bounced around
On the electric when using an amp or fallback monitor. the room – prepare to be shocked! What
guitar DVD found in In working on the Get Killer Tone DVD we think we sound like FOH (front of
the second series I’ve spent months (going on years) house) is often far from accurate! In gen-
Conference in the studio doing my best to accurately eral this is the most important area to be
in a capture what is coming out of the speaker conscious of as you’re playing, which
Box, with a mic. That translates to either stick- really is a matter of partnering with your
I talk ing my head in front of a cabinet (careful), sound team to get this job done.
a lot pointing amps and cabinets directly at
about myself as I’m recording, or both. I’ve been Zone Six
pretty shocked at how much I’ve had to As I mentioned earlier, a Church sound
learn about what things really sound like man is often stuck in some bizarre loca-
a on axis with the speaker. I’d suggest get- tion that has little to do with being the
concept ting another player on your team to play best place to mix sound. If your cabinet is
I describe as the your guitar as you listen to your amp pointed at them or you are reflecting too
Six Zones of Sound. The from various vantage points, left much sound off the back wall, you can
concept being that us guitar- and right, up and down, near turn a really hard job into a nearly impos-
centric folks tend to hear things and far, both on and off sible one in terms of getting your guitar to
from our perspective and are often axis with the sound great FOH! What works in Zones
not fully aware of what is happening with One and Two might be a nightmare in
our sound as it bounces around the room. Zones Five and Six. Just as I’ve encour-
I’ve been blessed with the privilege to speak- aged you to explore the other areas of
be able to tour all over the world and in er (if you’re the room, get the team to play and invite
lots of different sonic environments. The using them). I’d say the the sound man up on the platform to hear
majority of secular venues are far better biggest mistake guitarists make is pointing things from your perspective. This might
designed for sound than most Churches. speakers at the backs of their legs and be as insightful for them as your hearing
Ideally, the mixing console is centered on blasting away - feels great, but after you what’s really going on outside of Zone
the stage and mains to help the sound get to know what your amp sounds like One.
engineer better do their job. We can do on axis, you’ll really see the folly of this
a lot to help them out, and that includes approach. God Bless!!!
entrusting them to be able to man the
faders. Most Churches are blessed to Zone Three
at least have SOMEONE back there The area where the other musicians
manning the faders, and making their on the platform are is something that is Doug Doppler is signed
job easier is a huge part of bringing unity another blind spot for guitarists. The vol- to Steve Vai’s Favored Na-
to a service. Serving to me is all about ume cycle is driven by people not being tions label and is currently in
staying humble, teachable, and working more aware of what is happening as our production on the Get Killer
in unity – it’s so important to demonstrate individual sounds bounce, and ultimately Tone DVD series. He and
unity from within the worship community. blend together. The reflective nature of his wife Melissa live to serve the Kingdom
The Six Zones of Sound concept offers sound can at times be nothing short of and are members of Cornerstone Fellow-
practical approach for working with the shocking. Be really conscious of the pro- ship in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Product Review
By Craig Kelly
“Worshiping warm” means spending We may not have fifteen hours a day to Now let’s consider the lilies of the field.
time with God and maintaining musical spend like Paganini did, but every minute They neither toil nor spin; but they sure do
discipline. Excellence always follows prep- we invest in raising our skill level brings make many of us sneeze! Allergies can be
aration! Some of the best opera singers in greater ease and flow to our corporate seasonal or perpetual. As worship team
the world rest their voices for as many as worship times. With ample attention, our members we must be mindful of those who
three days before a performance. Olym- instruments are energized. wheeze, sneeze, cough, or completely
pic athletes carefully stretch every muscle clam up because of perfume, cologne,
before they compete, reducing injuries and MINDING THE MODES after shave, and yes, those beautiful Eas-
increasing their chances for “the gold.” To warm up the hands, I suggest a ter lilies. For some, it’s almost impossible
simple modal exercise at the beginning to sing after just one whiff. Always prefer
The virtuoso violinist Nicolo Paganini of each practice session. Play a basic “C other noses before your own. It’s Biblical!
often practiced scales and exercises for major” (Ionian) scale: C - D - E - F - G - A
up to 15 hours a day! Fifteen!! During - B - C. Then, begin on the second scale VOCAL ROUTINE
his concerts he was known to purposely degree, “D,” and play D - E - F - G - A - B Worship singers should develop sen-
break as many as three strings and play - C - D. This is known as “D, Dorian.” The sible habits which protect their voices from
the rest of the piece on the one remaining! third scale degree in the key of C is “E, strain and pain! Here are just a few sug-
This bit of showmanship allowed him to Phrygian.” Sound like Greek to you? That’s gestions that have proven quite effective:
demonstrate incredible virtuosity, which he because each of the seven modes has a
earned at the high price of personal disci- Greek name. Play E - F - G - A - B - C - D - 1 Hit the ground humming. As soon as
pline. As worshipers, we too need a disci- E. Do you see the pattern? What about “F, you rise, begin to wander around
plined, warmed up life! Our daily prayer Lydian?” It begins and ends with the note the house humming comfortable low
should be, “Lord, get me out of the refrig- “F.” “G, Mixolydian” with “G.” Then “A, notes which slowly warm up the vo-
erator of complacency and teach me Your Aeolian” and “B, Locrian” complete the cal cords.
ways to worship warm!” I believe that with exercise. Once you’ve mastered the key 2 Vocalize with a warm up CD during
regular, private offerings of these three: of C, perhaps you’d like to try the modes your drive to church.
heart, hands, and voices to the Lord, we’ll in EVERY key. 3 Use a singer’s throat spray to coat
be primed and ready for powerful public and soothe the throat between ser-
praise. Your hands are sure to be warmed up vices. (Caution: some sprays contain
after you spend some time playing ascend- as much as 70% grain alcohol. We
#1- DEVELOP DAILY DEVOTION ing and descending scales in each of the jokingly refer to these “the joy of the
One of the greatest examples of the seven modes. Lord in a bottle!”)
daily life of the worshiper is found in Acts 4 Drink lots of room temperature water.
2:42-47. It lists five habits of the early #3- VITALIZE YOUR VOCALS (Avoid those Sunday morning dough-
church and the blessings that followed. By Given the example of world class opera nuts and, you guessed it, coffee!)
spending time in the Word, fellowshiping, singers, perhaps getting enough sleep is 5 Sip herbal tea (caffeine free). There
praying together, giving and witnessing, the most effective way to insure great wor- are many special teas on the market
the first century worshipers experienced ship vocals. Nothing restores the vitality of which coat the throat and help to
the kind of life changing results we desire the voice like rest, rest, rest. eliminate problems from over sing-
today. They spent time with God, and ing.
verse 47 says that as “they were prais- It’s also important for singers to watch
ing [Him]” they enjoyed “favor with all the what they eat! Uh, oh! That’s a tough one, HEART, HANDS AND VOICES
people.” We can expect to see this same considering it means no chocolate, no There’s an old Thanksgiving hymn which
spiritual fruit in our lives as we practice the dairy products and (this is extremely pain- says, “Now thank we all our God with
worship lifestyle of daily devotion demon- ful) NO CAFFEINE before singing! Choc- heart and hands and voices…” We can
strated by those early Christians. olate and dairy products coat the throat see from these lyrics that the wisdom of
and restrict vibration. Caffeine constricts the ages hasn’t changed. Good worship
#2- ENERGIZE YOUR INSTRUMENT the vocal cords. It’s best to go without sense always dictates that we spend daily
Once we’ve established that our first pri- for up to 24 hours before singing. (Now devotional time with God and offer Him
ority is to have our hearts devoted to the we understand why opera singers are so the sacrifices of our musical discipline as
Lord, we can begin to examine the more sleepy!) we apply these ways to worship warm.
physical aspects of worshiping warm. Take
a look at your hands. They can be placed To prevent injury to the vocal cords, we By the fire,
over your heart in allegiance, put to the should never clear our throats. The experts Sandy
plow, used to change a tire, burp a baby, say, “simply swallow instead.” (Hmmm . .
scratch your head or sign your name. . Did I just hear you clear?)
What a marvelous, versatile creation: the Sandy Hoffman serves
hand! We often think of the voice as the Sit or stand as tall as possible when you The Grace Community
instrument of the Spirit, but in I Chronicles sing. Back straight, top of the head high. Church in Santa Fe, NM,
25:1 we find the musicians prophesying The large pipes of the pipe organ play where he is the Minister of
with “harps, stringed instruments and cym- the low notes. The small pipes play the Worship Arts. Check out
bals.” They were skillful with their hands. high notes. Our voices work in much the his new instrumental acoustic guitar CD,
They practiced, then worshiped warm! same way. Never lower your chin to reach “Sereno,” at: www.EssentialWorship.com
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By Martin Stillion
Broken thirds
I don’t do a lot of teaching (too busy Melodic minor. G A, B flat, C, D, E, truth is, you should be able to play both
with the day job), but I recently did take F# going up; same as natural minor com- parts either way—and if you can’t, then
on a student who, as I once did, is com- ing down. (That’ll blow your gourd.) practice until you can.
ing to mandolin in worship music from a
background in classical strings. For me, You can have even more fun with bro- Thanks for your kind attention. In my
perhaps because I don’t do it often, teach- ken thirds by continuing to change the key next column I hope to explain the Pla-
ing is in part a process of self-discovery. signature. In addition to G and G minor, tonic ideal of the 12-course mandolin
Before I can show my student how to do try this same pattern in the keys of D, C, and demonstrate that all mandolin chords
something, I have to remind myself how, F, E flat, and A flat. When that gets bor- are really just fragments of the one over-
where, and why I learned to do it. ing, change the G to a G sharp and add arching überchord. Then again, maybe
A, E, and B. (What you’re actually doing I just shouldn’t have had that third slice
One exercise I’ve taught him is some- here is messing around with “modes”—for of pizza.
thing I borrowed from
my junior-high string
orchestra teacher,
Clarence Shaw (to
give credit where
it’s due). He called it
“broken thirds,” which
is as good a term as
any. It’s a “two steps
forward, one step
back” concept: you
simply play a scale
by going up a third, down a second, up example, G to G in the key of C is G
a third, down a second, etc. It’s a little mixolydian. But if all those Greek names Multi-instrumentalist Mar-
more interesting than a standard scale, it make your head hurt, ignore them, and tin Stillion, a 15-year vet-
forces you to work on string crossing and just think of it as “G to G in C.” Your fin- eran of worship bands,
think in terms of intervals rather than steps, gers will still get the benefit of the exercise. plays at Seattle’s Bethany
and (as I discovered years after junior Presbyterian Church. In his
high) it forms one of the building blocks Broken thirds are also a great speed other lives he’s a husband, father, writer,
of melody and improvisation. exercise. I’ve written it in eighth notes, but editor, Webmaster, composer, and mu-
back in junior high we used to start by sician. Learn more than you wanted to
As I’ve written it in G major, the exer- playing it through in half notes, then quar- know about Martin at www.stillion.com/
cise isn’t all that difficult. But the crafty Mr. ters, then eighths, and finally sixteenths. martin or www.emando.com.
Shaw had ways of making it more of a Try that yourself. Use the slow part to
challenge. Once we’d played it in G ma- practice making smooth note transitions
jor to his satisfaction, he’d make us switch while playing tremolo. When it gets
to one of three G minor scales (Google faster, switch to single notes and pay at-
’em): tention to your pick direction. I find it
easiest to play the ascending
Natural minor. G, A, B flat, C, D, E part starting on a downstroke
flat, F. (down, up, down, up, etc.)
and the descending part the
Harmonic minor. Same as natural mi- opposite way
nor, except that you use an F#. Songs in (up, down, up,
G minor often have a D major chord in down), but the
them, because their harmony is based on
this scale. There is, however, a funky aug-
mented second interval between E flat
and F# that takes some getting
used to.
Excellence in Lighting
gratitude whenever possible. Look with
intent for opportunities to provide hope,
peace, and encouragement to those you
serve with. Attitude is everything.
Advance
The last thing I was reminded of is how
Recently our team was privileged to minute), and produce the elements without important it is to keep learning. Much more
participate in lighting production at Cre- flaw. There’s no rehearsal. You get exactly than simply acquiring technical know-how,
ation West. The festival was held at the one shot at it. In order to be successful, a disposition to watch and learn continu-
fairgrounds in Enumclaw (Ee-numb-claw) production staff actually over-prepared for ally is invaluable. Our team has learned
WA, a great venue with a fantastic vibe the event. Let me give you one example. to take notes as we go, and fix or improve
that really promoted community and inclu- lighting sets and cues between performanc-
sion. There wasn’t a bad seat at any of the We planned for multiple lighting shows es. It is routine for us to check-in with the
stages, and the music, food, and friends in a single design. This gave the flexibility production leads to ‘get inside their head’
were tops. Probably the greatest impact for almost any look or intensity. Because the as to their production desires, and find out
personally was seeing many first-time and performers might be almost anywhere on what we can do better. We also intention-
re-up decisions to follow Christ during the the stage, we combined fixed, pre-focused ally build relationship by initiating conver-
week. ellipsoids with moving lights for front spot. sation, asking questions of others and com-
This single element took quite a bit of time plementing observed effort and skill. We
I also came away from the week re- to program because when a moving light gain insight from their experience, and try
minded of a few key concepts that are is used as a front spot, you don’t want to to remain appropriately accessible to both
foundational to success in lighting in the see it move to a new location, focus, or col- production crew and curious onlookers.
worship world. First, expectations are high or. All the changes are done “in the dark,”
in regard to the production aspects of light- and the light appears on cue and location. Don’t be afraid to improve your skill and
ing, audio, and video. The American wor- The point is, do whatever is necessary to knowledge. I encourage you to try every-
ship audience is not only educated about get it right. thing. Keep what works and learn from
quality production; they are also discern- your mistakes. Training is easily accessible
ing. I saw a definite desire for purpose- I hope you and your team take a similar and doesn’t need to cost a lot. Workshops
ful lighting; on one extreme, creating an approach to supporting worship gather- and seminars are routinely hosted by light-
intensely inclusive worship space, and on ings. By that I mean that you do everything ing manufacturers and most are free to
the other end, producing a high energy, possible to anticipate and plan for what attend. Regional multi-day training events
in-your-face rock and roll light show. I was you believe will occur, but you also ‘plan’ such as the Christian Musician Summit and
also impressed by the absolute necessity for change and are prepared to modify as the Worship Arts Technology Summit will
for healthy relationships, personal integrity, necessary. Take time for intentional thought take you on a systematic and thorough un-
and professional follow-through among by yourself and as a team about all the pos- derstanding of current lighting technology.
those who create and support worship sible variables. Just as the worship leader
environments. When everyone is focused may change direction and mood, you will We will be lighting and teaching at the
and leaves their egos at home, the results have the ability to adapt because of your Christian Musician Summit (CMS) held at
are amazing. Lastly, I was reminded of the preparation. Anticipating what could hap- Overlake in Redmond, WA the 12th and
value of maintaining a student’s perspec- pen will help you light what does happen. 13th of November. If you have never at-
tive. I saw many audio-visual professionals tended a Summit or it has been a while,
engaged in an approach of constant and Attitude I really encourage you to make an effort
intentional learning. It is vital to stay cur- Many of the same guidelines that apply to attend. CMS offers quality training for
rent with developing techs and equipment, to production preparation and performance just about every conceivable area of the
understand and embrace trends and styles, can be applied to us in how we prepare production of worship music and worship
and learn to model the positive personal and conduct ourselves as we work, pro- environments. Plus, all your favorite Chris-
traits demonstrated by our peers. Let’s take cess, and interact with other techs and mu- tian musicians will be there to do what they
a little deeper look at these inter-related sicians alike. In a constantly time-sensitive do best. If you take your team to one event
concepts. They have direct application in and fluid environment like a music festival, this year, consider the Christian Musician
our roles as worship musicians and those opportunities for stress and attitude break- Summit (christianmusiciansummit.com).
that support them. down are everywhere. I saw potentially di-
sastrous situations consistently circumvented It is great to hear from so many of you.
Anticipate by professional, calm, and yielding spirits. In response to your many questions, next
While preparing for the production of a The working relationship with the senior issue we’ll start an exciting, four-part series
music festival has some similarities to de- producer and the producer of our stage that will not only showcase the latest light-
signing, rigging, or programming lighting was stellar, and our team was encouraged ing technologies, but will apply them to
for a Sunday morning service, I would re- by the meekness they demonstrated. While foundational lighting principles. Hope to
ally compare it to getting ready to do a they were very driven and focused, we ex- see you at CMS in November. You can
dozen weeks of worship services simulta- perienced kindness, clear communication reach me at greg@liftav.com
neously. Instead of one band or speaker, of goals, and a desire to mentor and teach
you will plan for several, with various mem- us. Special thanks to Creation leads Harry,
bers and gear. There is very good com- Bill, Denny, and Chris. Greg Sisley is on the
munication with some bands and almost pastoral staff at Faith in
none with others. All of it happens within What a great example of servant lead- Kent, WA, where he leads
a very compressed timeframe. Your job ership for us to model as we serve weekly production and men’s minis-
is to be prepared for what you do know, in support of worship in our local churches. tries. He is also a member
be flexible enough to adapt to any needs I encourage you to be both relationally sen- of the Lift Worship Team, specializing in
(including those that are unspoken or last- sitive and professional. Reaffirm and deep- lighting design and production.
Continued from page 10 carefully how hard you hit every piece of an instrument too. Sometimes the groove
genres, and even try to emulate the way your set up. & feel of the drums is working great,
they look when they are playing. Some- but you’re playing louder than everyone
thing about attitude, body movement, the I’ve actually tried to back off of my else… or maybe even softer. Use your
type of technique they use ALL have an cymbals more. Because I like really bright ears in any situation to think of how it all
impact on the sound of the music. So I cymbals I have to be very careful not to works together.
have become more of a “parrot” when it hit them so hard. I listen to the balance
comes to song interpretation. And YES, I of the whole kit. On jazz I’ll dig into the The drum chair might be in the back
will change accordingly! ride & hi-hat more for that swing feel. In of the stage, but its impact is like sitting
heavier rock tunes I try to make the kick in front of the band. Everyone will react
You don’t play everything the same & snare feel heavier, but I also want the to your time keeping, your feel, and your
way. toms to cut through when I do a fill. Even sensitivity. Keep working your musicality
in louder music I try NOT to overplay the as a player and pour your heart & soul
Listen for how different elements push cymbals. You need to adjust according into every note. It does make a differ-
or pull back within the time. Does the hi- to your equipment. If your cymbals have ence.
hat drive a little more? Is the snare lay- a darker tone this may not be a problem
ing way back or slightly on top (ahead) for you. Blessings on your groove! Carl
of the beat? More importantly does the
time swing a little or is it really straight. All of these little things will be adjusted
Be aware of the pulse (quarter note) and according to the feel or vibe of the song. Carl Albrecht has been a
the parts (subdivision). Are you feeling Playing the drums in a musically sensitive professional drummer & per-
more ¼ notes, 1/8th notes, 16th notes, and solid way will give the whole band cussionist for over 25 years.
or triplets? Yea, I know… there are A LOT something great to build on. And the He has played on over 70
of details. whole experience will be better for every- Integrity Music projects;
one… The listener too. Maranatha Praise Band recordings &
The balance and dynamics of your numerous other Christian, Pop, Country,
drum sound also can change the feel of Besides the balance between all of Jazz & commercial projects. He currently
the music. I often hear from engineers the drum elements you need to be aware lives in Nashville doing recording ses-
that drummers hit their cymbals too hard. of your over-all volume. Just like getting sions, producing, writing and continuing
They can’t get a mix without hearing an your kit to sound balanced pay attention to do various tours & seminar events. Visit
overwhelming amount of cymbals. Listen to how you blend in with the other instru- his website: www.carlalbrecht.com or
ments on stage. Keep in mind the voice is send an e-mail to: lmalbrecht@aol.com.
Sound
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0810_ISA_Ad.indd 1 8/23/10
WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 53
2010 3:12:49 PM
A Few Moments With…
By Tom Kraeuter