Product Review

Casio Privia PX-3

Digital Keyboard

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
US $4.95 Can $5.95
Songchart: Open My Eyes • A Few Moments With… Carrying Others to Jesus
 Personal Monitoring.
Redefined.

PSM 900
®

Personal Monitoring System

• The Purest PSM Audio: Enhanced digital stereo
encoding and Shure-patented Audio Reference
Companding for incredibly clear, accurate audio

• Precision Front-End RF Filtering: Senses and rejects

potential RF interference before it can reach the receiver

• Exceptional Transmitter Linearity: Vastly reduced

intermodulation and up to 20 compatible channels in a
single frequency band

• Active RF Gain Control: Detects and immediately

reduces RF signal overloads

• CueMode (patent pending): Allows auditioning of up to

20 different receiver mixes on a single bodypack at the
touch of a button

• Low Profile, All-Metal Bodypack: Thinnest available,

rugged, and loaded with innovative features

• Scan & Sync: Identifies and selects the highest number

of available grouped RF frequencies and provides
1-touch setup of transmitters

www.shure.com
© 2010 Shure Incorporated
 Take 25 O ff $ Expert Advice

ase
Your Next Purch Tech Support
of $200 or More! Shipping
0Pr
M710
e: WM mo
0P om
ention Thiis Code
Call and Me
ands, including
ome bra
ions, so
ue to manufaccturer restricttio
Du
ded. Call
re exclude s.
ails.
al for deta
2-year Warranty
Apple, Korg, and
Ap thers, are
d a few oth
Give us a call today and speak with someone
who’s here to help your worship experience
sound its best.

FREE
Worship Sound Pro Guide!
■ The right equipment
for today’s houses of
worship
Bonus!
■ 10 down-to-earth ■ Free custom acoustic
articles to help analysis for your
improve your sound church

Call (800) 222–4700 to get your copy TODAY!

(800) 222–4700 • sweetwater.com

 Editor’s Corner
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 vol. 8, issue 5
Creative Spontaneity –
A Bit of Risky Behavior Features 38 Authentic Worship
By Michael Gonzales
Just as it seems that everyone’s personal testimony is different, so
8 Product Review Rehearsing for Real
it seems that creativity and how we use it is just as unique.
By Bruce Adolph 40 Guitar Grab Bag
Whether in word play, musical instrument exploration, vocal- Casio Privia Px3
izing, social media, or any number of the arts, we all have the By Doug Doppler
opportunity to be creatively spontaneous if we choose to. Digital Keyboard Experience of Being a
Sometimes our creative exploits are just for ourselves, our God, 10 From the Drummer’s Guitarist
and/or a close circle of family and friends. But sometimes they are Perspective
presented to a larger grouping on a platform in a public setting. 42 The Band
By Carl Albrecht By Tom Lane
How we balance creative license – keeping ourselves in bounds, Drum Groove, Feel, Balance, &
so to speak, so we don’t say or play something that is embarrassing, Passion And Greatness
Dynamics
offending or just plain wrong – is a bit of a mystery. How to “keep
it real,” as they say, is the challenge. Just watch the evening news 46 Product Review
for a short while and you are bound to see the fallout from someone 12 Keyboard By Mitch Bohannon
saying or doing something “out of bounds” in a public setting. By Ed Kerr X-Tempo Designs POK
Take Three PRV and Call Me in
At our Christian Musician Summit conferences, a lot of the
conversations we have during the announcement segments are the Morning 47 Camera
unscripted, thus allowing for creative spontaneity. This is an op- By Craig Kelly
portunity to endear ourselves (hopefully) to the registrants so they 15 Bass So You Volunteered as a
can get a sense that we are “in the moment,” trying to guide this By Gary Lunn Camera Operator At Church
special event, but also having some creative fun while we are at it. Earning a Living Playing Bass- – Uh Oh, Now What? Part 2
This being said, I have had the privilege of being able to say Part 1:
some funny off-the-cuff remarks, and yes, (the two edged sword) I To Read or Not to Read 48 Tips for Tight Teams
have made some bonehead statements. And once they are out of By Sandy Hoffman
your mouth it is like spilt milk – you can’t seem to get them back in. 16 Vocals
This impromptu creative process on a public platform is an interest-
Three Ways to Worship
By Sheri Gould Warm
ing dynamic to say the least. Commitment
I have a habit of asking Judy to pray for me before I go onstage. 51 Mandolin
She always says, “I will,” and faithfully proclaims to me, “Don’t 30 Record Reviews By Martin Stillion
worry – you will do fine.” I appreciate her encouragement, but I By Heidi Todd
still like to know that she is praying for me. I’ll also try and check in Broken thirds
Israel Houghton
with the Lord and then think through the main reason for me speak- Kathryn Scott
ing at that moment in the first place before I walk out and “wing it.” 52 Lighting
Lincoln Brewster By Greg Sisley
I take seriously what I do, but in the process of presenting some- Michael W. Smith
thing like a conference that could have a real significance to the Excellence in Lighting
audience, I can’t take myself too seriously while doing it. I prefer a
Rend
“relaxed-fit jeans” type of approach stylistically, so that means I can The Museum 54 A Few Moments With…
allow for some creative spontaneity to help keep it light. By Tom Kraeuter
34 FOH Engineer
Let creativity run alongside you while you go about your day; By John Mills
we serve a very creative God! And may-
be, just maybe, you will have some hilar- Stage Monitor and Feedback Interviews
ity along the way. Hopefully, folks will be
laughing with you! 36 Ministry + Artistry = 20 Hillsong Live
Profitability? Creating your New Songs, Hungry Hearts
In His Grace…
Bruce & Judy MAP™ and God’s Presence:
By Scott A. Shuford One “Beautiful Exchange”
Should I
be a non-
profit?

4227 S. Meridian. Suite C PMB #275

Puyallup, Washington 98373-5963
Phone: 253.445.1973 Fax: 253.770.0659
Email: bruce@christianmusician.com
Website: www.worshipmusicianmagazine.com
Publisher/Editor: Bruce Adolph
Vice President: Judy Adolph
Customer Service: Brian Felix
brian@christianmusiciansummit.com
Design: Matt Kees Proof: Toddie Downs
Production: Scot Herring / J&D Printing
Advertising Sales: Bruce Adolph
bruce@christianmusician.com • 253-445-1973
Worship Musician! is published bi-monthly
by The Adolph Agency, Inc.

WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 7

 Product Review
By Bruce Adolph
Casio Privia Px3
Digital Keyboard
I knew something was up the moment
I walked into the Casio exhibit booth in
Nashville during the Summer NAMM
Show. I saw two guys there I knew that
used to work for another major keyboard
manufacturer. What are you guys doing
here I asked? They smiled and pointed
excitedly to the Privia PX-3 keyboard. It
seems that Casio (who has had tremen-
dous success in the consumer arena of
personal keyboards) has now entered
into the professional keyboard category.
I walked up to the erators or both. The USB MIDI interface
b o a r d also lets you work effortlessly with any
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
that you normally can’t pull off? Well that
was my experience with the PX-3. Man,
I played a run that felt great and I know
I couldn’t pull it off normally. The scaled
weighted hammer action felt true as can
be and the matte key finish just feels good
on your fingertips. This is an 88 note key-
board with Tri-Sensor action that weighs
in at 24 pounds! What? I picked it up
and sure enough, light weight. The first
thing I thought of was those pour musi-
cians lugging around heavy keyboards in
gig bags back and forth to their church
services in rented school buildings etc.
Those folks were going to love this board.
OK, so what about the sounds? Re-
member, Casio is making a move into the
pro keyboards arena and with that they
will need good sounds to boot. No wor-
ries here. The PX-3 sports four layer dy-
namic stereo piano samples. You can edit
the on-board patches and insert effects.
You get your meat and potatoes sounds…
lots of pianos (the piano sounds are worth
the price of admission alone), electric pia-
nos, organs, strings etc. But these sounds
8 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
are more like New York steak and Au • 8 clavitones/vibraphone tones, 18
Gratin potatoes than your average fare.
Now when I managed a retail store
back in the 80’s when you used a “moth-
er” keyboard (also called a controller key-
board) it would take two of you to load it
in an automobile. But it was worth it just
so you can have control over your other
MIDI sound modules and do your spilts
and layering. With the Privia you can run
four sounds simultaneously, either from it’s
own sound engine, other MIDI sound gen-
Mac or PC. Let the loops begin! To
make it truly useful they
have add-
ed the mod/pitch
wheel. OK, all gloves are
off now. This keyboard is a contend-
er!
So Casio has made a very good en-
trance into the pro keyboard world… the
PX-3 has great action, easy transport, a • Display screen: Full-dot LCD with
quality sound engine and “mother” key-
board sensibilities… now are you ready • Pedals: Comes with 1 pedal (SP-3),
for the kicker? The price is ½ of what you
would expect it to be. Retail is $1,199.00
and it streets for just $799.00 No way!
I know!
Here are the techno facts/specs for
you…
• Keyboard: 88-key, 3-sensor scaled
hammer action keyboard (mat finish)
• Touch response: 3 sensitivity levels;
off
• Type of keyboard: AIF (linear mor-
phing)
• Maximum polyphony: 128
• Number of tones: 250
• Tones: 16 piano tones, 12 electric
piano 1 tones, 8 electric piano 2
tones,
organ tones, 20 strings/ensemble
tones,
• 10 guitar/bass tones, 20 other
tones, 128 GM tones, 10 drum
sets
• Playing styles: layer, split
• Digital effects: reverb (4 types),
chorus (4 types), brilliance, DSP
(2 channels, 64 types, editable),
4-band equalizer
• Acoustic resonance system: yes
• Type: demo songs: 4 songs
• SD card slot: supported SD card ca-
pacities: 2GB maximum registration
memory data store/load, SMF (for-
mat 0, 1) card format, file delete,
file rename (Number of songs and
song data volume that can be sent
from a computer for storage.
Capacity based on 1MB =
1,024KB and 1KB = 1,024 bytes)
backlight
2 terminals (damper, soft/sostenuto
switching), 3-pedal unit support
(when using an optional 3-pedal
unit), half-pedal operation (damper)
• Key transpose: 25 steps (-12 semi-
tones to 0 to +12 semitones)
• Tuning control: A4 = 440Hz ± 99
cents (1 semitone=100 cents)
• MIDI: GM level 1 compliant
Other functions/features: Tone select
button; registrations: 8 banks x 8 sets
(64 sets total); master keyboard function;
mixer function; synthesizer; temperaments
(preset scale): equal + 16 other types; oc-
tave shift; panel lock; pitch bend wheel (0
to 12 semitones); 2 assignable switches

www.casio.com
 Reason #3:
SuperCharts.
LifeWay SuperCharts fits everything nicely, neatly, and
For $1.99, one chart gives you all 12 keys!
succinctly into one clean document, with added voicing
for praise team—so your worship team can stay true to
the original!

available exclusively at
www.LifeWayWorship.com

Try THREE for FREE!

Use promo code LSC14WM at checkout.
Offer expires December 31, 2010.
 From the Drummer’s Perspective

By Carl Albrecht

Drum Groove, Feel, Balance, & Dynamics

Click starts… count off… and away and feeling groovy is always serious busi- Oh yea… and audio record yourself
you go! How does it feel in the first bar? ness and it demands constant attention all the time. Go back & listen and look
Does it take a couple of seconds to get and practice. After playing in hundreds of for where you can improve. Hearing a
the time centered?? Not good. Or maybe situations through the years it’s still a learn- recording will tell you if the feel is work-
after that fill into the second section the ing experience… every time! Well… at ing and if your fills are grooving. Record
time moves a little bit. Not good either! least it is for me. your practice time as well as your perfor-
Hm..? mances. Take note of what happens in
So what have I learned in over 30 both environments. Do you practice well,
The feel or style you play for the tune years of drumming? Yes, keeping good but then get uptight with the band and
doesn’t seem to capture the vibe you time is obvious. Check! Being a team your sound is different. YES… it is differ-
heard on the recording. What is it about player. Check! Playing according to the ent situation, but you should be solid and
your approach or sound that’s not getting acoustics of the room. Check!… But what consistent in both! And you have to get
the desired musical result? are the “how to’s” of getting the job done comfortable in any setting. If you have the
well? What are the gold nuggets of drum- technology to multi-track your playing in
There are thousands of nuances that af- ming that will get your playing to a more a computer then you have a great tool to
fect the way your drumming feels. In any professional level. “Don’t just tell me to use to look at your playing “on the grid.”
setting or style there are numerous chal- DO IT… but tell me HOW to do it!”… You can play to the click in the computer
lenges. Especially in live worship events That is most often what I hear from stu- or record the one you use and then look
it’s a huge task to keep your drumming dents. I think the same thing when I hear at your “sound waves” against the click…
rock solid while flowing with the wor- the “drum gods” talking. VERY educational.
ship leader, the rest of the band, and a
congregation that’s usually pulling on the OK… Click starts… WAIT!… Don’t just OK… Drum fills. They should feel like
team spiritually and musically. count off the tune. First, hear the song in the groove. I think of them as part of the
your head. I often start singing before I groove. Not groove, groove, groove…
Is it easy? No!! count. I may sing the first line, or maybe OK FILL… groove, groove, groove. No,
Keeping your the chorus. Whatever makes me “feel” no, no! It all flows… it’s all groove…
drumming rock the song first is what I go for. I might start think of a continuous line through the
s o l i d moving my body, or even tap my lag with time! **Groove..groove..groove… fill…
the sticks. This all happens very quickly. groove… keep breathing… keep relax-
Once that click starts you’ve got to get ing… groove… fill..groove. No stress.**
into it with boldness and utmost confi- This is how you build consistency in your
dence so that when the first fill or playing. If you tense up at all your time
hit happens YOU ARE THERE!! feel will shift. That’s what I notice. I just
Groove city, baby!!!!!! try to come into a fill like it’s part of the
groove. Hearing and seeing your work
Make it an exercise at will help you to make adjustments in your
home to start your click & sing set up, the way you play, how you move,
the song at the tempo you have etc. etc. As you keep doing this you
marked. **Note – write down all should notice more stability and control
tempo markings of songs you play.** of your groove.
Try to lock in from the first couple of
clicks. Start “feeling” the tune right away. I also think of drumming in a “melodic”
Don’t just think beeps or time, think of the way. Like I’m really playing notes that
song groove and GO. Stay relaxed… are singable. Not boom, bamp, boom,
breath… play with confidence… no ten- bamp!! More like (*singing)… La.. la..
sion… smooth motions all around the kit. LA… la.. La.. —DEE… da… dee… da…
da… Dee… CRASH! Really smooth or
How do you know you’re smooth & re- legato. Drums are a “musical” instrument.
laxed?? Get a mirror! No… get several Think of your grooves as being melodic.
mirrors, so that no matter which way you Especially when you do fills. Then it will
look you can see yourself playing. Do you all gel together.
look relaxed?? You should!! Seeing your-
self is a real education and a great tool. The feel of songs is a mystery. What
Videotape performances if at all possible. makes an old rock song different from a
new pop rock style? … cool jazz, fusion,
You can also buy a practice pad with country, hip-hop, heavy metal, latin…
a built in metronome and beat analyzer. WOW! Every styles has it’s own nuances
Even some of the digital drum kits have of sound. The equipment you use does
them as part of their standard features. affect it, but it’s still more about how you
They are awesome tools to actually see approach a song musically that affects
how you play with the click. You don’t its feel. I will watch players in different
have to guess. It will show you! Continued on page 53

10 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

 Keyboard

By Ed Kerr

Take Three PRV and Call Me in the Morning

You’ve probably seen the infomercials by now. Take PRV Play this example, or listen to it on my website, audio ex-
each morning as part of a sensible breakfast and within weeks ample 2. Then listen to Paul’s original again in audio example
you’ll be more alert, your scores on Wii golf will improve notice- 1. I think you’ll agree that this simple change in measure 3 of
ably, and those extra few pounds you’ve wanted to shed will the intro is musically significant.
vanish. But wait…
One of the things that works so well about the PRV principle is
Okay, maybe you haven’t seen the infomercials. As far as I that it is musically satisfying to hear similar melodic activity over
know there’s not a pill called PRV. I thought I’d better google PRV changing chords. In Paul’s intro the chords change every four
before plowing ahead with this article, though, and naturally beats. The melodic phrase that’s used is also four beats long.
there were several entries for PRV. Here’s a good one: polycy- Each time the right hand’s activity is presented the melody’s
thaemia rubra vera. You were probably talking about that one notes have a different function above the chord being outlined.
yesterday. Not. Anyway, I’m moving forward with my thought This is an important aspect of the PRV principle, Melodic figures
here. You can google PRV on your own later. are repeated though they might occasionally “rub” against the
current chord. This definitely creates forward momentum.
For my purposes, when I use the acronym PRV it represents the
words It’s valuable to note what happens in bar 5 of the intro we’re
examining here, audio example 3. The first 4 bars of the key-
Present • Repeat • Vary board part repeat as an electric guitar part is added.
Using the concepts represented by this acronym won’t help
your Wii scores, but they can significantly impact what you do
as a keyboard player on a worship team. They can impact
what the other players contribute as well. The logic behind PRV
is this: When creating an intro, present a melodic idea, repeat Like the keyboard part, this new part is “hooky”. Each mea-
that idea, then vary the idea. sure has the same rhythmic pattern and melodic shape. Beyond
those similarities, each bar starts on a different pitch. Listen to
Listen to the intros to 20 of your favorite modern worship how well the keyboard part and electric part complement each
songs, and you’ll probably hear examples of what I’m going other. Audio example 3.
to discuss. On Paul Baloche’s “Glorious” project, for example,
listen to the intro for “How Great Is The Love”. Audio for all the Listen beyond the intro of “How Great Is The Love” to the
examples in this article can be found on my website, kerrtunes. beginning of the first verse, audio example 4. You’ll hear the
com. In audio example 1 online, this keyboard part is heard: keyboard and electric guitar parts from the intro continue as vo-
cals enter. Naturally the vocals add a sense of arrival at a new
section, but having the melodies from the intro continue is a very
satisfying use of melodies that have by now become familiar.
Listen through the entire verse and I think you’ll be surprised how
long the essence of the keyboard part is heard and how long
the electric guitar line continues as well.

A melodic figure is established in the right hand in measure
1. Nothing about this figure changes in bar two. The same
melodic and rhythmic activity is heard in the top voice, and the
F continues to drone below it. In bar 3, though, a slight change
is made in the top voice’s melody, though the droning F doesn’t
change. Then, in bar 4 the melodic and rhythmic activity of
measure 1 is repeated.
An important goal for us as players on worship teams should
always be to make our music have linear interest or forward mo-
mentum, something happening in the arrangement that makes
the passing of measure after measure interesting for the listener.
Paul could have let that right hand in measure 3 of the keyboard
part be a literal repeat of measure 1, as he did in measure 2,
like this.
In creating the arrangements for his songs, Paul and his band
give lots of thought and creative energy to the melodies that they
record. Think about what rehearsals are like with your team.
Do you count off the song and have the whole band enter on
the first downbeat, playing whatever random melodies come to
mind at the moment? Or, like Paul’s arrangement of “How Great
Is The Love”, is the journey toward the first verse, the first chorus
and later sections made interesting by carefully structuring the
instrumentation and melodic material you use?
Always be listening for melodic ideas that could become a
hook for your intro. Consider using the PRV principle when you
repeat that idea. Spend time with your guitarists to create melo-
dies that work well together. Paul and his band have done it
effectively in this song. You can do it in the songs you present,
too!

As a songwriter Ed has written over 100 songs

with Integrity Music. He has a Masters Degree
in piano performance. Ed and his family live in
Washington State. Ed plays a Yamaha’s Motif
XS8. www.kerrtunes.com

12 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

©2010 PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc, All Rights Reserved. StudioLive and Capture are trademarks of
P reSonus’ new StudioLive™ 24.4.2
PreSonus. Weather in Baton Rouge during preparation of this ad: occasional thunderstorms and 86.
digital mixer expands on everything
that made our 16.4.2 such a hit with
small to medium churches (and as a
secondary mixer in larger facilities).
Besides adding more channels,
we made the Fat Channel truly obese
with 4-band, fully-parametric EQ and
pro-featured gate with Key Filter and
Key Listen, gave you 10 aux mixes and
upped the 31-band EQ count to four —
assignable to Mains, Subs and Auxes.
Then we added something that had
this Winter’s NAMM Trade Show abuzz:
Real time, remote bidirectional control of
StudioLive parameters with our new free
Virtual Studio Live GUI. It’s an easy-to-
understand mirror-image of all frequently-
used mixer settings on any Mac® or PC
laptop. You can drag and drop pre-sets
and global scenes, visualize Fat Chan-
nel signal processing functions, archive
unlimited presets and much more.
And of course StudioLive™ 24.4.2 also
comes with new 32-channel Capture™
software for instant recording of your
service, and Studio One Artist 1.5 DAW
software for hassle-free pre-production of
backing tracks, etc.
Get the whole story including videos on
our web site or visit your PreSonus dealer
today!
www.presonus.com • Baton Rouge USA
 ROCKHARDER

BOOMERS
Introducing the GHS Bass Boomers Fresh Pack™.
Our new airtight packaging technology locks out air and
moisture to prevent string corrosion. Every GHS string is
manufactured in our state-of-the-art humidity controlled
factory for consistent intonation and the highest quality
sound. You can depend on GHS Bass Boomers strings
being as pure and perfect as the day they were made.
GHS Strings – Made Pure To Endure.
ghsstrings.com
Max Crace

RANDY ARMSTRONG 800.388.4447 GHS Corp. 2813 Wilbur Ave. Battle Creek, MI 49037
www.redmusiconline.com
 Bass

By Gary Lunn

Earning a Living Playing Bass-Part 1:

To Read or Not to Read

Gary is a session player/

producer/writer in Nash-
ville, playing recording ses-
sions and recording at his
home studio. Find him on
face book or at www.myspace.com/
lunnbass.

WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 15

 Vocals

By Sheri Gould Committed to Your Voice

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

16 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

 HANDMADE IN SWE
BY DEVOTED MUSICLODEN
AT CLAVIA DMI AB VERS

CHURCH ON
SUNDAY MORNINGS,
CLUBS ON SATURDAY NIGHTS
THIRD
GENERATION
dirty tonewheel
leakage model
that hisses and
spits in idle
mode.
Experience an organ powerhouse
ENHANCED
that compares to nothing but the originals
CLICK modeled
The Nord C2 Combo Organ combines beautiful baroque pipes,
to maximize the
authenticity of classic vintage transistor keys and our third generation tonewheel
the tonewheel organ. This offers any serious musician a wide selection of sounds,
organ sound. effects and sparkling speaker simulations as well as amazing virtual
rotary cabinets that makes the Nord C2 Combo Organ the best
DRAWBAR
PREVIEW –
portable organ on the market.
dial in a new
sound while still
playing without
any changes
being heard.

www.nordkeyboards.com

For more information: info@AmericanMusicAndSound.com

G LIVE by Aimee Herd
, Hungry Hearts and God’s Presence:
tiful Exchange”

Reuben Morgan and Ben Fielding

provide a closer look at the latest
Hillsong Live recording, and the
unmistakable calling of Hillsong recording, by way of preparation,
Church; a continuous stream of because I’m sure there’s a lot more to it
fresh, new music. than what people may imagine?
because] we do so many events for
Aimee Herd: Reuben, you’ve been RM: Well, these songs really start
the church when we come together
with Hillsong for quite a while now... with church. Our friends and our family
anyway.
that come to church each week, these
Reuben Morgan: I’ve been with the songs are to help them express their Ben Fielding: Yeah, it’s a real team
church nearly 16 years. I moved to faith, to bring their experience into the process, taking a song from when it’s
Sydney from a town called Melbourne community and give expression to their written to where we play it in church.
to study music, and Hillsong just lives and their faith. So, these songs are The process is; we get in the studio, in
became my church. I got involved as very much from, and have come out of, a rehearsal space and start arranging
a volunteer playing guitar in the youth the heart of our church. The background the song, adding pop to it and flavor—
group, playing on Sundays and being for these albums is that we’re writing, bringing the song to life essentially. So,
part of a team, and eventually began arranging and producing [them] for our by the time we bring it to the church, the
writing songs for the church. It’s been congregation. band has already done a lot of work,
an amazing journey by the grace of which is why the songs sound the way
God. I deliberated and deliberated For the actual Beautiful Exchange
they do.
about moving and where I would study, project, we recorded over two nights.
thinking it was all about my studies. I And, it consists of our church coming And then, for the actual night [of
had no idea what God had in mind, together and we record all these songs recording] itself, we’ve got an amazing
God’s plan is an amazing thing. that we’ve been singing together team of volunteers that are involved
throughout the year. It’s a really great week to week at our church playing
AH: A Beautiful Exchange is the 19th time for the band and for the team. music, and helping with the worship
Hillsong Live recording. Can you explain We’re working on arrangements and team, and hosting at different venues
what goes into one of these nights of things, but [it goes pretty smoothly that we have—it’s an amazing collection

20 SEP/OCT 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

 then, because a lot of churches are now
doing live worship recordings (I think
actually that Hillsong Church has sort
AH: So, these songs have been written of “fostered” something to that regard
over a period of time, and sung in the and it’s caught on); what are some of
church, and then you include them in a the most common challenges that crop
up when attempting a live worship
of people who are involved at the night of live recording...so they’re not recording? I know we don’t have time
church that make a night of recording new to the congregation or audience for you to address them all, but pick a
possible. Then, it’s an incredible night that night. couple of the main ones and explain
when all our church from across Sydney how you’ve dealt with them.
RM: Right. That’s generally the
come together. It’s something like 36
process.
different services during a weekend, so BF: Well, I think for us, we’ve developed
all those people from all those services BF: Inevitably though, there are one the culture of creativity, where bringing
come together on this night and it’s truly or two songs that kind of come in right songs in is commonplace. That’s
one of the best times of the year for at the last minute. But, usually we write something that Hillsong Church has
our church. Hopefully, that is what is all throughout the year, and that’s the been a huge part of that has come from
captured in a recording. beauty of it. It’s been a strength for Brian and Bobbie Houston’s emphasis
each of these projects. on—not just the heart of worship—but
RM: One of the cool things about that also the need for us to be bringing in
process is that, with so many services AH: Just so people can get an idea of new songs. With that emphasis, it’s
(it’s quite a large number of people), the size and magnitude of the group that created a hunger for that. Once we’ve
so many different guitarists, keyboard comes together as the congregation for done a song for a couple months in
players and drummers get their hands a night of recording, how many people church, we’re really hungry for a new
on these songs. The cool thing about are we talking about? song (Laughing). It’s quite a natural
the arrangements is we put a song there process in that regard, but I think [for
and let it breathe, and it takes shape... RM: It fills the whole center; I think it churches looking to do a live worship
people add their creativity. In that way, holds about 12,000. recording] it’s really the first thing that
the songs kind of morph into what they you want to establish; that culture of
become on the album—it’s really cool. AH: Wow, huge! Let me ask you this

SEP/OCT 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM 21

 HILLSONG LIVE: New Songs, Hungry Hearts and God’s Presence: One ‘Beautiful Exchange’
bringing a song. It’s always better to
have too many songs when deciding
what to do for the weekend, than to not
have enough.
RM: Another important element in
this kind of thing is that the church is
passionate about its purpose. Projects
will come and go, but we’re passionate
about the people who are coming, and
we’re passionate about helping them
worship, and putting a new song in
their mouth. The people who come
to church, whom we get to know, are
family now. The best projects flow out
of that; flow from that heart. If we’re
all about serving, then I think it pulls out
the best in us. It’s not about the project,
or worship leader or the pastor; it’s
about the people and helping them to
worship the Lord.
AH: Now speaking of one of those
22 SEP/OCT 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
continued
the song that sings the name “Jesus,
Jesus.” You know, on a Sunday morning
there’s nothing like singing the name of
Jesus a few times.
AH: One of the other songs that really
caught my ear in listening to A Beautiful
Exchange was The One Who Saves...
RM: That one was all Benny.
BF: I have a motto that behind every
good song is Reuben! (Laughing) That
song, for me, is quite personal. It’s
talking about the hope we have in
Christ, and it came out about the time
that I received some bad news about
the health of a close family member.
I guess I was contemplating the fact
that we have actually found there is
projects—your new one, A Beautiful that peace and rest that comes from
Exchange—the first single released on knowing Him, despite whatever it is
that is Forever Reign. Reuben, you we’re faced with in the immediate.
collaborated with Jason Ingram on that We’ve got a hope, a peace and a rest
one? beyond that. And, if we’ve gotten off
the course, He’ll lead us home and
RM: Yes. That song is about God walk the way back to Himself. I just
embracing us in everything—our love the concept that God is not just
failings and our good—everything. It’s offering us hope, but He’s showing us
about running to God’s arms, which will the way forward. Despite what we’re
always be enough. God is inviting us facing, His love goes far beyond it. I’m
to come... The opening line to the song grateful for that.
is, “You are good when there’s nothing
good in me; Your love on display...” I just hope that the song really inspires
It’s totally all about God being God. people.
Whether we come [to Him] well, or if
we come poorly, He never changes. AH: Ben, you and Reuben mentioned
the culture of worship developed
AH: It brings hope. When you feel there at Hillsong where new songs
like you’ve blown it, you remember that are continuously coming forth. Talk a
the Lord is faithful no matter what. little about the Hillsong Worship and
Creative Arts Team; explain what it is
RM: Absolutely. There’s a section in and how it was put together.
 The Best Of Everything
Goes Into Every UltraSound Amp.
3/4” Solid-Sheet, Void-Free
Baltic Birch Plywood for
Heavy Duty Nickle-Plated strength, stiffness, lighter
16 Gauge Cold-Rolled Corner Protectors can weight and tighter sound.
Steel Chassis stands up Heavy-Duty Strap
take a beating. Handle for saftey when
to the heaviest playing
and lasts a lifetime. moving your amp.

OIl-filled, metal-shaft Rugged, High-Grade

potentiometers for smooth Palomino Vinyl for
feel & lasting durability. natural acoustic looks.

Finest-rated Components to
assure highest quality tone High-Grade Cross-
& performance. Stitched Grille Cloth for
lush looks & natural
acoustic tone.

Best Quality FR4 Heavy-Gauge Copper

Double-Sided, Plated- Wire for best
Through PCB material. transmission of signal.
Resists heat & vibration.

Specially-Designed
1/8” Dense-Pressed UltraSound Midrange Driver
Alluminum Heat Sink rated above power output to
transfers heat properly. insure best possible tone
and longest life.

Oversized Power
Supply Filter Caps for 1” Voice Coil, Studio-Quality,
low noise & efficiency. Super Tweeter for sizzling
high-end harmonics when
you want them.

Acoustically quieter, higher-

10” Coaxial Specially-Design
cost Toroidal Transformer
UltraSound Speaker for fullest, best
for better efficiency, less
possible frequency response.
weight & low noise.

3/4” Solid-Sheet, Void-Free

Heavy Duty Rubber Feet for
Baltic Birch Plywood for
vibration dampening. No
strength, stiffness, lighter
scooting across the floor.
weight and tighter sound.

Grab one of the control knobs on an
UltraSound amp. Try to shake it from left to
right. It doesn’t happen. When you turn it,
it’s incredibly smooth and a bit resistant.
That’s because we use the best Oil-Filled
Metal Shaft, Chassis-Mount Potentiometers
you can buy. That’s why they feel so solid
and work so well—year after year after year.
©Feb 2010 UltraSound Amplifiers
UltraSound amps are ultra reliable, with less
than 1/10th of 1% repair problems—that’s
an industry record! The best in design,
engineering, materials, construction, and
tone—you’ll hear a beautiful lush tone that
brings out the best in your sound and will
last forever and ever. You and your music
will never be the same.

www.UltraSoundAmps.com
1-888-993-5091
 HILLSONG LIVE: New Songs, Hungry Hearts and God’s Presence: One ‘Beautiful Exchange’
RM: Well it’s our worship team,
but it covers our production team,
and designers. A few times a year,
collectively, we’ll all get together as
a team—about 1,500 people—it’s
a very good group. They’re mostly
all volunteers except for a very small
handful. I’m incredibly grateful for
them.
AH: Reuben, both you and Ben have
been to the US. Have you noticed any
differences in the way people worship
here compared to in Australia; the
hunger level or amount of participation
of the worshipers?
BF: That’s tough to answer, because
I think whenever the Body of Christ
gathers, and people are hungry and
desperate for His presence, God shows
up. He is faithful as we agree in His
name. We’ve had amazing nights of
worship in so many cities in America.
There’s a real hunger stirring there. I’ve
been really moved seeing the Church
rise up in America.
24 SEP/OCT 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
continued
really met me—He spoke to me and
turned my life upside down. We see
that every week at church, and we’re
just believing that people will totally
connect with God during these times [of
worship]. God’s been doing amazing
things at our church, and it feels like
there’s something very fresh happening
in the atmosphere and in the songs.
So, we’re just believing that we’ll see
that in every town we’re in—people
connecting with God in a way that’s
real, and fresh. In Ephesians, Paul
prays for the Church that the eyes of
their understanding would be opened
so they can see all that God is. That’s
totally our prayer for these nights.
In a lot of ways, America and Australia We’ve been planning them for months,
are similar countries where the Church and we’re very excited about what’s
may have a lot of people, yet there’s a going to happen during that time.
lot to be done still, in reaching others
and those who are lost and in need AH: Hillsong has been all about
of Him. My hope is that the Church raising up worshipers in each new
and the worship nights here on our generation. So, when pursuing that
end would really connect people with within a fellowship, what are a couple
God. I think whenever the Church is of the most important things to grasp,
doing that, whether in Australia or especially for a young person who is
America, He’s the same God, the same feeling led to be a part of a worship
Spirit. You can be on the other side of team? Can you leave us with a few
the world, but when you’re with a body words of advice in that regard?
of Believers who are seeking God and
who are passionate about Him, it feels RM: I would say for that person to
like home. just get involved in whatever area of
worship you might feel called to, but be
AH: Very true. By the time this article willing to help wherever. Be there early,
is printed you’ll have been on tour, what support the leadership. For musicians;
is the most important thing you hope to know all the parts, know the songs and
communicate or to see happen during be ready, and when the time comes that
this tour? you’re called on, be strong. Have a
great attitude no matter what’s going
RM: Well, we’re very passionate about on. I think one of the things you have
seeing people connect with God and to learn as you go along on a worship
have an authentic experience with the team, is to not let your heart get jaded
love of Christ. My first encounter with or bitter, keep giving it [to God] and
God, I was in my bedroom and God have an “open hand” about things.
The other thing I’d say is never
throw away your confidence—keep
your confidence. Something about
worship teams and about being
deeply creative can greatly affect
your confidence [and make you feel
vulnerable]—keep your confidence.
Get hooked up with more of
Hillsong’s music and events by
visiting their website:
www.hillsong.com
L I F T AV
PRECISION.
QUALITY.
PERFORMANCE.

+AUDIO +VIDEO +LIGHTING +RECORDING +INSTRUMENTS

www.liftav.com (888) 954-3828

+Call us for prices on all of your gear needs+
Partners with

LIFT i p
Wo rs h
TRAIN. MENTOR. INSPIRE.
 Songchart

26 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

 FOCUS ON
WHAT MATTERS

A GREAT MIX STARTS WITH SENNHEISER

“I’ve mixed at Buckhead Church for over seven years, and it’s my job to make sure the
worship services are delivered to thousands with impressive sound clarity. That’s why I use
the Sennheiser 2000 Series handheld transmitters in combination with Sennheiser dual
pattern condenser e965 capsules for all of our vocals. These mics sound so great, you
hardly need to EQ them at all.”
-Dustin Whitt, FOH Engineer & Cofounder of OwnTheMix.com
To learn more about the 2000 Series Wireless, Sennheiser RF Services or our Sound
Academy Seminars, visit us online at:
RF Services www.sennheiserusa.com/HOW
 SAY, SAY
UNTIL THE WHOLE WORLD HEARS

BE THOU MY VISIO
HOW HE LOVES . . . the
EVERLASTING GOD MIGHTY T
BLESSED BE YOUR NAME

With Find & Buy, choose

from over 1,000 titles and REVELATION SONG OUR GOD
counting that include . . . HERE I AM TO WORSHIP
• titles by Casting Crowns, Matt Redman,
Chris Tomlin, and more;
GLORIOUS DAY
JOYFUL, JOYFUL WE ADORE THEE
• search by title, composer, keyword,
scripture, topic, tempo, type, or key;
THE POWER OF THE CROSS
• charts and recordings for every worship LORD, I LIFT YOUR NAME ON HIGH
setting;
• previews to ensure you’ve found the
exact title you’re looking for HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD
’TIS SO SWEET TO T
JESUS, MESSIAH
Try TWO for FREE!
Use promo code GSS1WM at checkout.
Offer expires December 31, 2010. COME, THOU FOUNT
Suddenly, planning music for

GOD WILL MAKE

ON
Great songs. . . .
e way you like them.
TO SAVE SongMap™ allows you to
customize over 1,000 songs by:
• moving verses, choruses, bridges,
channels, and endings, all with
drag-and-drop ease;
• changing the key;
• listening before you buy;
• downloading parts for any
instrument you can imagine; or
• downloading tracks if you have no

D
instruments at all!

Add a song to your cart and click

TRUST IN
This week. Every week. range to
bottom e

T OF EVERY BLESSING LifeWayWorship.com.

worship is fun again. (And cheap.)

E A WAY AMAZING GRACE (MY CHAINS ARE GONE)

 Record Reviews By Heidi Todd
The Museum Rend My standout favorite on this album is “Love
Let Love Win Collective Experiment Divine” a hymn written with solemnity yet
highly personal. Heaven is our ultimate home
TRACKS (personal picks bolded) TRACKS (personal picks bolded) and this song points the way. I’m looking
1 Never Look Away 1 Come On forward to hearing more from this collective.
2 You Are Love 2 Faithful
3 Let Love Win 3 Movements Kathryn Scott
4 My Help Comes From The Lord 4 You Bled We Still Believe
5 Lost In You 5 Broken Bread
6 Buy This 6 Exalt TRACKS (personal picks bolded)
7 The Call 7 God Is Near 1 Let It Come
8 Allelujah 8 Above Everything Else 2 You’re Good
9 Radiance 9 Too Much 3 I Believe In Jesus
10 The Only One 10 You Are Love 4 Deliverance
11 The Anchor 11 Thine Be The Glory 5 Only By Grace
12 Love Divine 6 Come Back Home
The Museum, a band I hadn’t heard about 13 Find Your Kindness 7 Child Of God
before, has made a great impression with 8 We Still Believe
“Let Love Win”. They’ve written memorable, This UK “collective” 9 There Is A Redeemer
easy to pick up on melody lines peppered as they call themselves 10 Presence
with lyrics that hold your interest. Simple has an approach they 11 Bonus Track - Hungry
chord structures are complemented by the call “organic”. The
mix and levels of the instruments and vocals. idea here is that they You can tell by the
These are clearly young guys but they have want the expression of marks that I’m a fan
a confidence that comes through the cd. the music to be natural of Kathryn Scott, but
The lead vocals and background vocals are and not contrived or over-worked. You can in all fairness, she has
good, interesting and steady. tell as you listen that this is a group of people earned the marks. Not
who like each other, love the Lord and have because she’s a per-
The title track caught my attention so I spent plenty of time in their own personal wor- sonal favorite of mine
looked at the liner notes and saw that Aaron ship. They have placed the priority on captur- but because this album meets all the criteria
Sprinkle (a staple writer in the Northwest) co- ing the honesty and earnestness of what they that we measure against for the purpose of
wrote the song and incidentally produced do, not the perfection of what they do. Worship Musician. Always in the back of my
the album. I should have guessed. What a mind is how these albums will relate to and
great match with the rest of the writers on Nonetheless, they have done a good job connect with you, the reader. And beyond
this album. producing a release that is pleasant to listen that, those you participate in worship with as
to and is encouraging spiritually. Some of the well.
A remarkable aspect of the writing on this tracks can border on repetitive but then songs
release is that it’s well balanced between like “Broken Bread” have creativity both in This live release is lively and vibrant, es-
contemplative and fun. It’s so easy to list to melody and style. Gillian McCullough’s pecially considering the number of upbeat
one side or the other too heavily, but they’ve voice on that track is light and sweet and songs that aren’t exactly a hallmark of Kath-
taken themselves seriously without taking though it can almost get overpowered by ryn’s writing. She did great with adding
themselves too seriously. It’s great to sit down the male vocal on the chorus, it still shines movement and vitality to this release. She
with an album that both challenges and through beautifully. didn’t write every track on this album, but
refreshes you and they have accomplished included songs from Vineyard writer Marc
this. The vocals on this album add to its strength Nelson as well as Melody Green (writer on
- not because they’re especially polished but many Keith Green tracks) and co-wrote with
Some of the songs would work well for because they’re solid and relatable as if you Tim Hughes.
congregational participation but moreover, were in the room with them. The appearance
you’re likely to hear these songs featured in a by David Crowder on the second track is a I’m glad she re-recorded “Child of God”
service rather than sung along with. I would nice touch too of course. The instrumentation which answers so completely the question of
pop the cd in during a long drive so I could is also creative and varied with brass, wind “what is it all for” that we can ask so easily as
absorb it without interruption. In the song and stringed instruments all working well to- Christ followers. She pares it all down to the
“Buy This” there’s a line that says “There is still gether. High marks for lyrical creativity and truth that at the end of it all, we are children
a story - it doesn’t end like this.” Amen to that integrity because of the anti-triteness they en- of God and He is our soul’s sufficiency. She
deavor to pursue. There are some poets in knows how to interpret lyrics with her voice
-I hope they keep the story going because the group to be sure but I love the simplicity and instrumentation and is no stranger to
I’d like to hear the next few chapters. of the lyrics on “You Are Love”. great writing.
Overall impression This latest offering is a surge of encourage-
Average person could learn/participate on the first hear ment to the faithful - God is still good, He is
Can be learned/adapted by a band of average skill our hope and still redeems. We still believe.
Lyrical creativity and integrity Israel Houghton
The Museum Let Love Win Love God, Love People
Rend Collective Experiment TRACKS (personal picks bolded)
Kathryn Scott We Still Believe 1 Love God Love People
2 Yahweh (The Lifter)
Israel Houghton Love God, Love People 3 Love Rev
Michael W. Smith Wonder 4 That’s Why I Love You
Lincoln Brewster Real Life 5 Others
6 You Hold My World
highest marks Continued on page 32

30 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

 Record Reviews
7 You Won’t Let Go
8 Our God
9 Mercies
10 Surprises
11 Name Of Love
12 Hosanna (Be Lifted Higher)
I dare you to hold still while listening to
this album. Israel takes it up a notch and if it
was possible, adds an extra dose of soul and
funk to this cd. These tracks are at home any-
where, as long as you have the musical chops
to learn what his band does. So often songs
that come out are easy to play but in that,
they lack challenge. As an instrumentalist, this
would be an exercise in challenge (with a little
futility, let’s be honest). These players are at the
top of the instrumentalist food chain.
Some of the tracks like “Love Rev” that
start with spoken lines like “right on, right
on” probably won’t be sung in the average
church on a Sunday morning, but don’t throw
the baby out with the bathwater. Once you
get over how good the music and presenta-
tion is, you’ll also be pleasantly surprised by
great lyrics!
Having been in so many countries around
the world, “Others” is a great collection of
the people’s stories that have moved Israel
Houghton’s heart. He addresses the social
realities all around us, keeps these people in
UNIVERSAL & CUSTOM FIT IN-EAR MUSICIANS’ MONITORS
We all instantly noticed the difference
the first show we used them!
32 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
your mind as individuals instead of statistics with MWS groupies. You won’t want to, but
and points to a God who loves and forgives. you’re going to find yourself enjoying and
appreciating this album. If you’re reading
I can’t think of anyone better suited to mix this, you likely haven’t heard this album yet,
the multiple styles of music that can be found but you should give it a chance.
on this album - there’s so much variety and it
all works. There’s a mixture of styles like funk, I’m giving away my
gospel, trance, club, and melodic songs lad- age a bit but I remem-
en with strings. He’s a master and you should ber when MWS first
have this album. became a big Chris-
tian recording star. He
Michael W. Smith has been a staple in
Wonder Christian music forever
but I’ve never given into the masses; where
TRACKS (personal picks bolded) I come from it’s not “cool” to like Michael
1 Save Me From Myself W. Smith. But dang it if he didn’t branch out
2 Take My Breath Away and reinvent himself and reach yet another
3 Run To You audience. And he’s done this in a way that
4 I’ll Wait For You doesn’t seem totally contrived, but is maybe
5 Forever Yours peeling back another layer and revealing
6 Welcome Home more of himself. This album reflects, drives,
7 Wonder (Not Far Away) inspires and dwells.
8 Rise
9 You Belong To Me Once you realize that you’re listening to
10 Leave him, you’ll recognize his distinctive voice, but
11 One More Time it’s all but hidden in a rougher, more gravelly
12 Take Me Over presentation. His Southern exposure comes
through his voice at long last and it’s more
Okay, let’s start with this: those of you who “down home” than we’ve heard before. He
are die-hard fans of MWS will be saying “I has been working with a new band and it’s
told you so” to all of the hold outs in your evident that he’s been encouraged to try new
life. Those of you who fall into the hold out things vocally. He has added some new lay-
category will begrudgingly have to agree ers to the tone and color of his vocals that on
Leeland
Westone ES2 custom fit
in-ear musicians’ monitor
westone.com/music
Visit us at NAMM–Live Demo–Booth 6995, Hall A
 By Heidi Todd
previous releases was all too characteristic. replicate Lincoln Brewster’s prowess on lead included a few songs that are more of a
I hear a little Springsteen influence here too, guitar. The fact that Lincoln Brewster is hum- story quality as well. “Made For More” is a
which is always welcome. bly aware of his abilities is evident in that he peek into his heart as a Christian musician,
has crafted these songs to be used by others. family man and worship leader, beautifully
The track “Welcome Home” about letting The guitar parts, while they add so much to summed up in the line “never thought my gifts
someone go in death, is personal (written the songs, don’t make the songs what they would seal my worth, I never wanted fans
about a family member) and is such a com- are. Big props to Lincoln for always keeping just wanted church”. If you’ve been around
fort through a time so easily overshadowed that in mind when he’s releasing songs meant Lincoln Brewster at all, it’s very evident in his
by grief. He has let us into his heart, trouble for other people to add to their worship sets. life and choices.
and hope in Christ. This is a good mixture of
worship songs to the Lord as well as songs The album starts off Undoubtedly you’re going to want to
written to and about his family, including his with a few songs that add many of these songs to your worship
wife on “Forever Yours”. I appreciate his vul- are classic Lincoln – repertoire as well as just listen to for your
nerability. driving rock beats and own enjoyment. One note I have to include:
lyrics that any youth find the best stereo you can get your hands
Lincoln Brewster group would love to on and crank it. The quality and mix came
Real Life jump up and down through on my computer speakers, but whoa
to. He’s peppered these songs throughout baby when I put it in my Bose car stereo. Re-
TRACKS (personal picks bolded) the album but has added a level of reflection gardless of the fact that Lincoln Brewster has
1 Best Days not always associated with this guitar legend. never sought accolades or fans or fame, he’s
2 Reaching For You I’ve heard him play live many times and nev- a prime example of an artist who has earned
3 More Than Amazing er realized until this album what a range he people’s enthusiasm.
4 Real Life has vocally – not an octave range in particu-
5 So Good lar, but a range of color and expression. It’s
6 I Belong To You very enjoyable to listen to him take it down a Heidi’s background is primarily in worship
7 Whom Shall I Fear notch as he adds a reflective quality to some ministry, joining her first team at age twelve. 
8 Loved By You of these songs both vocally and lyrically. On She’s been a part of the Puyallup Foursquare
9 Made For More “More Than Amazing” he sweeps you up in staff since 2001, with an emphasis on team
10 Shout For Joy his adoration of Christ and you can’t help but building and live production.  She enjoys and
worship along with him. makes time for the ongoing learning process as well as
Let me start by saying that even though I presenting and speaking. You can email her at brentnheidi@
said that the average band could learn these Most of the songs on this album are yahoo.com.
songs, that is only if they don’t attempt to geared to be used for worship but he has

See what’s planned for 2011!

www.go2wats.com

WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 33

 FOH Engineer

By John Mills We know that when we point a mi-

Stage Monitor and Feedback

crophone directly at a monitor wedge, it
will most likely squeal with feedback, so it
should be somewhat obvious that the best
position for a microphone is to be pointed
directly away from a monitor wedge. This
is true if you have a cardioid microphone.
Take note of the heart shape of the pickup
Stage monitor, wedge, fold-back room acoustics, it is highly possible that pattern, that’s where it gets its name.
monitor, and ugly eyesore, are just a few you are getting too much of the micro-
names that people use to refer to those phone sound back into the microphone. Now if you will notice the pattern of a
speakers at our feet providing sound to This is what happens right before you get super cardioid microphone, it would not
the band and worship leaders. One of full blown feedback. necessarily be the best thing to point the
the most often misunderstood things in microphone directly away, since the pat-
sound reinforcement is how to optimize But before we go into how to optimize tern is a good deal more sensitive directly
the gain-before-feedback before reaching there are a few things you have to under- to the rear. As you will note the best rejec-
for the graphic EQ. stand. To understand wedge placement, tion on a super cardioid is a bit off to
you must first understand a little about the side. Using two wedges, or angling
While monitor wedges will work just what type of microphone you are using. the microphone more straight toward you
about anywhere you put them, these tips would be more beneficial.
are meant to educate and maybe help There are basically two types of micro-
you squeeze a few more db out of those phone pickup patterns, the omni direc- If you are unsure of just which pattern
little eyesores hiding behind the fake tional and the unidirectional. The omni your specific microphone uses, all manu-
ferns. directional microphone picks up sound facturers have this info on their website.
at equal levels all the way around it and Some manufacturers even place the sym-
Even if you aren’t experiencing feed- therefore is rarely used in a live environ- bol on the side of the microphone.
back you may have a “hollow” or “funky” ment. The unidirectional microphone
sound coming from your vocal micro- picks up only what it is pointed at. (See Quick tip: Need just a little more gain
phones. While this could also be the Microphone Pickup Patterns.) for safety. Try inverting the phase: 1.) Try
the Polarity switch on the offending mic or
hottest mic in that mix. That will often help.
2.) Often time it might be better to try the
whole mix. You can do this by swapping
the + and – wires on the amplifier driving
the wedge. I’ve made a few little jumpers
to do just that so I don’t have to rewire a
whole cord. This doesn’t always help, but
often times will give you another 3 db.

I don’t give you these tips to endorse

higher stage volume. We all know we
need way less of that. But, if you put this
knowledge into practice you will have a
better margin to avoid the inevitable feed
back squeals that plague all of us. So
until you talk the finance department into
all new ear monitor systems, I hope this
helps.

Till next time,

John

John is an 18-year vet-

eran of the road. He was a
frustrated Electrical Engineer
who hated college. Left
school to pursue a career
on the road as a drummer, ended up as a
sound engineer, and after being blessed
to work for many of the top level Christian
worship leaders including Chris Tomlin,
Lincoln Brewster, Shane and Shane, Paul
Baloche, and many more, has landed at
a job as an audio engineer for a design
firm. He says, “I guess Mom was right,
she always knew I’d finally got a real
job.” Check out www.EliteMultimedia.
com and www.TechTraining101.com for
more about what John is up to.

34 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

 The unprecedented winner for five straight years.
Weighing in at a mere 42 pounds, the LS9-32 packs a heavy punch.
The most dominant digital console in its class, two formats offer 16 or
32 channels, a virtual effects rack, loads of EQ and dynamic processors,
an MP3 recorder/player, recallable head amps, 300 scene memories
and much more. Never taking a fight lightly despite its small size,
the LS9 has a reputation for annihilating competition. With that we ask,

“Who’s up next?”

With the new WSG-Y16 mini-YGDAI I/O card from WAVES, the most
desired third-party set of plug-ins are now available to be at the fingertips
of the largest group of live sound engineers on the planet.

Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. • P. O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90620-6600 • www.yamahaca.com
©2010 Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc.
 Ministry + Artistry = Profitability? Creating your MAP™

By Scott A. Shuford we should be raising support for our music

Should I be a non-profit?
ministry.

I know this can make us feel awkward,

especially in the beginning. It’s hard to ask
people to support you. Actually, it’s not hard,
it’s just very humbling… and it makes us
accountable. Hmmmhh, humbled and ac-
In the first article, I asked you to think $10,000 or more each month to operate countable… does that sound like something
about your Mission, to really own what that from BEFORE you’ve sold anything to your that honors God?
Mission is for you. What I’m about to say fan base?
next really only applies to the mission of a We’ve talked about Mission, Fan De-
ministry. If you want to be the next Switch- Do we think God wants us to stress out velopment, and now the Non-Profit option.
foot, P.O.D., or Thousand Foot Krutch in and worry about how we are going to make Next time we’ll talk about what I’ve seen
worldwide music, then for various reasons ends meet every month? That message across the years as God’s growth strategy
this next idea probably isn’t right for you does not sound like the “god” I believe is our for any ministry. BTW – a shout out to Jon
loving Father who sees us as His beloved and the guys in Hyland (Tooth & Nail Re-
If you are called to be a ministry, then you sons & daughters (Matthew 7.) Getting your cords) who are readying their first full length
should seriously consider the op- basic needs covered is a key to having a produced by Aaron Sprinkle. Thanks for the
tion of setting your ministry up healthy ministry. email about the Fan Development article.
as a non-profit. Blessings on you guys!
Can I smack down a lie for someone who
As artists in ministry, I don’t is reading this right now? DO NOT buy into
think that we have to be try- the lie that every dollar that comes into the Scott has led classes
ing to grind out sales to our ministry should go “to ministry” in the form for us at NAMM and the
fans in order to put food on of paying it out to help the target audience Christian Musician Sum-
our tables. So far as I can tell, while somehow leaving out covering the mit. He has been featured
the Levites were called by God to very tangible needs of the person doing the in Adweek and is the CEO
minister to His people, who in turn ministry: YOU! That’s an idea that needs to of FrontGate Media, the #1 pop-culture
provided for them through their offer- go toe to toe with Mark Munoz for a little media group reaching the Christian au-
ings (Numbers 18.) UFC treatment. dience (www.FrontGateMedia.com) and
is the co-founder of Creator Worship:
Are we not Levites We should not be self-inducing our own online radio for worship leaders (www.
in God’s Christian poverty by thinking that our very real needs CreatorWorship.com). Email your com-
family? If God should be left out of our “ministry” unless ments or questions to Scott@CreatorLead-
has called you to God has directly called us to a vow of pov- ershipNetwork.com.
ministry, then I also erty. If part of God’s allowance for you is to
believe that He has have a family, then it’s pretty unlikely that he
called others to rec- has called you to poverty. For some of us in
ognize your ministry that situation, our poverty may have more to
and support it. In fact, do with our own decisions than with God’s.
I think part of God’s Certainly there are times of sacrifice. There
confirmation over your are seasons of faith and famine. There are
ministry comes through the down times and attacks, but I don’t believe Tune in Creator Worship
validation of others support- that ministry is a lifestyle of famine where Online Radio:
ing it. God expects you to always be waiting on
the ravens (1 Kings 17.) There is nothing
Teaching & Training
As musi- wrong with allowing God to provide for Hear it today…
c i a n s , your needs through the offerings and dona- Use it tomorrow.
w h y tions that come into your ministry.
a r e Programming includes:
w e Setting up your business as a non-profit
n o t takes an investment of time both in the prepa- WorshipTeamTraining.com
think- ration to obtain non-profit status and in the Tom Jackson
i n g general execution of activities under the News from HearItFirst.com
a b o u t requirements of that status. You absolutely
this and should talk to a lawyer and a CPA about Rick Muchow
r a i s i n g what is required here. I am neither a lawyer (Saddleback Church)
s u p p o r t nor a CPA, so I can’t tell you how to do it, Richie Fike (Indie Extreme)
for our min- but I have been through the process twice
istries? You now, once for our own ministry My Broken Tech Talk with Wade Odum
should be able Palace (www.MyBrokenPalace.com,) and NewReleaseTuesday.com
to raise a base again as a Board Member for the Christian
level of support that Comics Arts Society (www.ChristianComi- and more…
will allow you to have cArts.com.) Twitter: @CLNetwork
your basic life necessities Facebook.com/CLNetwork
met, first in part as you grow, Just as we raise money for foreign mission-
and later in full as the ministry aries or to take our families on mission trips, Tune in now at www.
matures. Can you imagine hav- or just as anyone who works for organiza-
ing a base of $3,000, $5,000, tions like Campus Crusade or e3 Partners, CreatorWorship.com
36 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
�������������������������������� ��������������������������

CMS SOUTHWEST improving skill einspiring talent

CMS@OVERLAKE
Scottsdale Bible Church Overlake Christian Church
Scottsdale, AZ CONFERENCES 2010 Redmond, WA
October 15 & 16, 2010 marks our 2nd year November 12 & 13, 2010 marks our 8th year
www.ChristianMusicianSummit.com/southwest www.ChristianMusicianSummit.com/overlake
PAUL BALOCHE ISRAEL HOUGHTON

TODD AGNEW BRENTON BROWN

NEWWORLDSON
PHIL KEAGGY
PHIL KEAGGY
BRENTON BROWN
ANDY PARK
LAURA STORY
AUDREY ASSAD
BLUES COUNSEL
SCOTT
WESLEY RITA SPRINGER
BROWN

BRIAN WEAVER
christianmusiciansummit.com/southwest GREGG BISSONETTE

christianmusiciansummit.com/overlake
PLUS ONE-DAY INTENSIVES for SONGWRITERS, VOCALS or AUDIO
these are 1-day events the day prior to the conference (Oct 14 in AZ, and Nov. 11 in WA)
We exist to provide practical training, equipping and resources
for musicians, worship leaders, technicians, pastors, songwriters, and independent artists
in order to improve skill and inspire talent for God’s glory and His kingdom.
www.CHRISTIANMUSICIANSUMMIT.com
info@christianmusiciansummit.com 253.655.5000
 Authentic Worship
“Don’t let the plane get behind
you.” I was so focused on so many
other things, radio transmissions,
By Michael Gonzales charts, looking for other aircraft
Rehearsing for Real
and visual markers I forgot to fly
the plane. We are all human and
we all get sidetracked by events
in life, but one thing that I am still
learning is to get control
of my worship team and
it starts way before a
Saturday night or Sunday
morning service. It starts with me
rehearsing privately and learning
new material.
One thing that impressed me
about the now defunct TV cable
Worship music is get- network Fox Reality show called The
ting more complicated. Academy was whenever recruits would
So, what alternatives run the instructors were running with them.
does a worship leader The drill instructors planned a route, they
have? One philosophy checked it out beforehand and plotted
is, “Change is bad.” instructions for the soon-to-be deputies.
Many worship lead- That’s the way it should be for a worship
ers rely on the same leader. How can we be authentic wor-
old dependable tunes. ship leaders when we wait until the last
They are the sure shot minute, throw the old dependable tunes
songs he or she can together and feel like we accomplished
depend on. To that something. I know the feeling. I’ve done
worship leader, they it many times.
know those songs as
well as Kobe Bryant can The other thing that is bad is when
hit a three pointer. They some worship leaders don’t take into
have practiced them so consideration how the audience reacts to
much the frets on their the same material over and over again.
guitars are worn from I know someone who is excited about
playing the same chords church but I have heard her say, “I hope
over and over again. he (the worship leader) doesn’t play the
There are many reasons same songs he did last week.” She con-
a worship leader goes tinued that it appeared more and more
back to those songs but the worship leader was rehashing songs
one reason is a common under the pretext that the church needed
enemy to us all—time. to learn these songs so he would “rein-
force them” in the congregation’s collec-
Somehow we get tive mind.
busy during the week
and time has gotten be- The other side of the coin is you have
hind us. When I took to be careful in introducing new songs
flight lessons when I each week. Somehow that happens most
was in trouble be- after the worship leader has attended a
cause there was worship and arts conference. There are
so much going in so many good tunes to select and human
my mind, my nature gets a little anxious and wants our
flight instruc- congregation to sound like the all the
tor would worship leaders singing in tune, at full
impress, volume, with the same enthusiasm. These
are noble thoughts but sometimes a good
pastor is also a good hip checker to make
sure we don’t go too far off the creative
deep end.
I like to think of rehearsal as an-
other way of keeping things in
balance. The first rehearsal time
should be time where we are
alone with God. We are al- Professor, Biola University
ready dedicating the service mike.gonzales@biola.edu
to Him. We are recognizing
38 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
this is our burnt offering, our sacrifice of
praise. Sacrifice doesn’t mean whipping
something up at the last minute, it means
giving up something of ourselves for Him.
For me, a big part of that sacrifice is time.
It means I need to learn to get out of the
box and stop playing the same songs over
and over. It means I have to discipline my-
self to become a better keyboardist. I do
that by practicing. After I get a new song
down, then I can go to the worship team.
Some people have asked me, “What is
best, rehearsing with the band and then
rehearsing with the lead singers?” I say,
whatever works best. You know your team
best. You know everyone’s schedules. You
know where there might be conflicts. Find
the best solution to make it work.
Also, you need to understand the mu-
sicality of your musicians. You cannot
expect them to learn the most compli-
cated Tommy Walker or Pastor Freddie
Rodriguez’s tunes just like that. You have
to work it in. Sometimes it might be good
to go over those tunes for three or four
weeks in rehearsal before even teaching
it to the church. One of the worst things
that happens is the worship team does
fine until they see the CODA sign and
then it is panic time. Where do I go from
here? The bridge? Or was it the second
verse? Remember don’t let these things
get behind you. Rehearse the songs until
everyone knows exactly where you are
going. Another little thing to think about is,
“Does the song have to be played exactly
like the CD?” The correct answer is what-
ever you decide, everyone needs to be
on the same page. You all need to know
where the hits are, the breaks, the modu-
lation, and solos. This too takes practice.
Finally, rehearse as if it is for real. I
mean play as if you are really playing it
live before an audience. God deserves
our best, even in rehearsal times when no
one else may be taking notice.
Being a worship leader is awesome. It
can bring great joy to you and others. The
sure shot to leading people into the pres-
ence of God is to play with confidence
and stay together. Sometimes, near my
work, I see the deputy recruits running
and chanting in cadence. It is inspiring
that they are so together and so dedicat-
ed. If your worship team is representing
the Kingdom in unity, then your church will
have a sense of awe as well. I want to
be on that team where people make the
worthwhile sacrifices, where God is first,
and He is for real.
Michael Gonzales, Ph.D.
 Guitar Grab Bag
By Doug Doppler
Experience of Being a Guitarist
Welcome to the first Guitar Grab Bag
column! In the 40 years I’ve been play-
ing guitar (yikes) I’ve never really seen a
constant progression from point A to point
B, but rather a gradual increase across a
number of topics as my capacity for the
instrument and music in general grew.
Thus, I wanted to start a column that re-
flects the horizontal experience of being
a guitarist. Regardless of where you play
or the level you’re at, this column is in-
tended to serve your needs. This month’s
article might raise a few questions, so feel
free to send them, and any other guitar re-
lated questions, to DougDoppler@
Hotmail.com. I’ll be more than
happy to share my various
musings about the ones that
really grab me here! Thank
you and God Bless…
The Six Zones of Sound
On the electric
guitar DVD found in
the second
Conference
in a
Box,
I talk
a lot
about
a on axis with the speaker. I’d suggest get- tion that has little to do with being the
concept
I describe as the
Six Zones of Sound. The
concept being that us guitar-
centric folks tend to hear things
from our perspective and are often
not fully aware of what is happening with
our sound as it bounces around the room.
I’ve been blessed with the privilege to
be able to tour all over the world and in
lots of different sonic environments. The
majority of secular venues are far better
designed for sound than most Churches.
Ideally, the mixing console is centered on
the stage and mains to help the sound
engineer better do their job. We can do
a lot to help them out, and that includes
entrusting them to be able to man the
faders. Most Churches are blessed to
at least have SOMEONE back there
manning the faders, and making their
job easier is a huge part of bringing unity
to a service. Serving to me is all about
staying humble, teachable, and working
in unity – it’s so important to demonstrate
unity from within the worship community.
The Six Zones of Sound concept offers
practical approach for working with the
40 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
jectile nature of closed back cabinets,
and by all means avoid pointing them at
the Worship Leader and the Senior Pastor
when and where possible.
Zone Four
The back wall behind the worship
platform can be your best friend or your
rest of your team to iron out a number of sound man’s worst enemy. I’m involved in
the divisive issues around sound. I hope an outreach ministry called Guitar Church
this article offers some tangible tools for that often has me playing at center court
you and your team! in school gymnasiums. In those situations
I turn the rented 4x12 cabinet around to
Zone One face the wall behind me to reflect sound
The area around our ears is key to hav- into the room. If you think of shining a
ing a great worship experience. Whether flashlight into a mirror you’ll get a really
you use in ears or not, there is a sonic good idea of how loud monitors can re-
sweet spot where things feel good. If ally blow a mix for your sound man. If
you’re using an Aviom system I’d strong- I’m using an amp and monitors, I try to
ly suggest panning various instruments keep it 30% amp and 70% monitors, so
across the sonic spectrum as opposed to long as the volume stage manageable for
keeping everything dead center. Truth be the sound man, who I like to give at least
told I will turn a number of things way 60% control of my overall volume.
down so I can be sure to hear the drums
and the Worship leader really well. Zone Five
The advantage of having a fellow team
Zone Two member playing your guitar as you walk
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
we can really get it wrong - especially your guitar sound gets bounced around
when using an amp or fallback monitor. the room – prepare to be shocked! What
In working on the Get Killer Tone DVD we think we sound like FOH (front of
series I’ve spent months (going on years) house) is often far from accurate! In gen-
in the studio doing my best to accurately eral this is the most important area to be
capture what is coming out of the speaker conscious of as you’re playing, which
with a mic. That translates to either stick- really is a matter of partnering with your
ing my head in front of a cabinet (careful), sound team to get this job done.
pointing amps and cabinets directly at
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-
ting another player on your team to play best place to mix sound. If your cabinet is
your guitar as you listen to your amp pointed at them or you are reflecting too
from various vantage points, left much sound off the back wall, you can
and right, up and down, near turn a really hard job into a nearly impos-
and far, both on and off sible one in terms of getting your guitar to
axis with the sound great FOH! What works in Zones
One and Two might be a nightmare in
Zones Five and Six. Just as I’ve encour-
speak- aged you to explore the other areas of
er (if you’re the room, get the team to play and invite
using them). I’d say the the sound man up on the platform to hear
biggest mistake guitarists make is pointing things from your perspective. This might
speakers at the backs of their legs and be as insightful for them as your hearing
blasting away - feels great, but after you what’s really going on outside of Zone
get to know what your amp sounds like One.
on axis, you’ll really see the folly of this
approach. God Bless!!!
Zone Three
The area where the other musicians
on the platform are is something that is Doug Doppler is signed
another blind spot for guitarists. The vol- to Steve Vai’s Favored Na-
ume cycle is driven by people not being tions label and is currently in
more aware of what is happening as our production on the Get Killer
individual sounds bounce, and ultimately Tone DVD series. He and
blend together. The reflective nature of his wife Melissa live to serve the Kingdom
sound can at times be nothing short of and are members of Cornerstone Fellow-
shocking. Be really conscious of the pro- ship in the San Francisco Bay Area.
 The Band
By Tom Lane
Passion And Greatness
Passion and greatness are inspiring
and people are drawn to both. As a
ship is steered by a rudder, we are
certainly steered by passion. “Where
your treasure is, there will your heart
be also.” (Matt. 6:21) Greatness isn’t
an absolute and is relative to the stan-
dard of measure we use. There are
some artists that have achieved great-
ness and undoubtedly a very focused
passion is what in part led them there.
What I call great you could easily re-
gard as NOT so great. So who’s stan-
dard do we rely on and esteem most?
If I tallied up a few artists I think are
great now versus when I was younger
the list would look very different. Most
I would still love and may even use the
word great in conjunction with their
names. But over time what stands out
are the few who’ve truly laid down their
own greatness in order to be used for
God’s glory. Because the glory road
is a harder road to Go and requires
sacrifices that go completely against
the grain of creative people. Howev-
er, Glory shines bright through the one
fueled by a passion that is bridled and
fully surrendered to God.
In the early days of Rock, music was
by no means technically, sonically, or
musically perfect. Guitars were out
of tune, tempo drifted like the wind,
vocals weren’t auto tuned to perfec-
tion, no beat detective, no cutting and
pasting, etc. Yet the passion and raw
expression was unquestionable and
has proven for some to be timeless. In
an age where technology rules and is
more accessible than ever before, one
thing is still true- you need the passion!
Without it you don’t really have much.
You have to create and capture the es-
sence of something great for it to really
become great.
There was a time when record la-
bels took years to develop their artists
and their music. It wasn’t as easy as
just sticking any and every one that
could play or sing in front of people.
Long before artists were seen they
were heard. All the greats started
somewhere and spent time honing
and defining their passion into what
we now know them to be, It wasn’t
overnight and cost them something.
With worship music now being a
genre and career choice, there’s much
more opportunity and possibility of
foregoing proper development. For the
42 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
world, development is more about the
music/image/market worthiness. For
Christians, it is more about the heart,
so to follow the worlds example is not
our way. The criteria to be an artist,
whatever title we wrap around it-even
Worship Artist, should be about the
quality or fruit of a ministry/life first.
In my mind there are two roads cre-
ative people can run down. You can
“go your own way” as Fleetwood
Mac put it, or to put it as Elvis sang
it, “I did it my way!” or you can do
it God’s way. Many misguided chris-
tians have mistakenly attributed their
success and fame to God, adding His
name to their ministries and businesses
as if that alone legitimizes whatever
they do. What’s wrong with that is;
what God has asked and requires of
us, is in many ways backwards and in
direct opposition to our own passion.
Doesn’t mean He hasn’t given us the
passion in our hearts; but the fullness is
not attained by going our own way,
doing our own thing, and being what-
ever/whoever we want or dream. It’s
best summed up this way, “Seek Ye
first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness and all these things
will be added unto you.” (Matt.
6:33) It’s the righteousness part we
misunderstand or glide over if we’re
not careful. We are not called to fame
or riches, though we may have them
and God does allow them. We are
called to a priesthood and a lifestyle
of holiness.
Not many bands set out to be
priests. Many have a history of some
kind in the church but don’t seem able
to maintain an obvious and dedicated
passion, to bring glory to God. At
some point usually it becomes about
their glory whether intended or not.
Wanna be clear that I am not picking
on one side or the other, we are all
human. Christians love, idolize, pro-
mote, exploit, and crucify their heroes
just the same! Read the history books.
What I am suggesting is that many
whom God gifted and called have
missed the road entirely though musi-
cally they are greatly revered.
The beauty of art and music is, no
one rule covers or applies to all cre-
ativity. It is a free gift from the Creator
Who simply asks that we freely give
it back to Him from our hearts. There
is a lot of freedom involved! At some
point, because we have free will we
have to choose whose glory we are
going to invest in and pursue. For a
band or artist to set their aim on being
known or discovered can be a distrac-
tion and become an all engulfing pur-
suit. The more you chase and pursue,
the more you become responsible for
and feel you have to maintain. That
pressure alone has driven many way
off course from where they started.
I’m not talking about the pursuit of a
passion in the sense that you do all
you can to create and improve. Striv-
ing for excellence is good; believing
you have to be on a platform to re-
ally impact is not! By all means make
your music as great as you can make
it, focus and be diligent to steward
the talent you have. But don’t let the
talent lure you away from the calling
of God on your life. It is not the end
but a means to express devotion and
love to and for God. God is passion-
ate about people and their souls. The
goal is always the same for Him, to
seek and save the lost, commune with
his people, and receive our lives as
acts of worship.
So if you are trying to find your
vibe, your sound, your image, your
look here’s what I pray. Be creative,
be yourself, be diligent; but above
all know, understand, and commit to
being who you’re called to be first.
And be able to articulate what that
is! Don’t wait for others to tell you what
you need to say and do in order to suc-
ceed and fill the role of Christian Artist,
get it for yourself. God is not silent and
is still speaking. When you’re on the
stage it needs to be about more than
just your music. Doesn’t mean it all has
to be “worship” music or “Christian”
music either, just don’t be nebulous or
naive about the calling!
Passion is a gift, greatness is a
noble and worthy pursuit, but glory
makes the difference! Aspire to live a
passionate revolution centered around
God’s kingdom and glory. Live sacri-
ficially, serve the world, walk humbly
with Him and trust him to thrust and
propel you into spheres of influence
and platforms as He sees fit.
Nashville, TN is home
for Tom Lane though he is
involved in ministry and mu-
sic around the world. As
a singer, songwriter and
guitar player, Tom has been teamed with
many worship leaders and artists. He
continues to record his own work, lead
worship, and writes regularly for various
worship publications worldwide.
You Live It.
Now Wear It.

LOVE ONE WOMAN... MANY BASSES

STICK WITH MANY DRUMS

ONE WOMAN...

Love One Woman... Many Faders

TM©

Retail Orders
Welcome
253.445.1973
Find it at
www.musiciansthreads.com
BREAKING THE RULES... AGAIN!
RULE #1 – AN 88 NOTE WEIGHTED ACTION KEYBOARD MUST BE HEAVY
Weighing in at an unbelievable 24 lbs, the PX-3’s scaled weighted hammer action redefines the stage
piano category. With an Ivory Touch matte key finish and the feel of this remarkable Tri-Sensor action,
you’ll never believe that you can carry the PX-3 under one arm.

RULE #2 – IT MUST BE EXPENSIVE

The PX-3 offers four layer dynamic stereo piano samples, editable sounds, insert effects, a backlit
LCD and more. It only sounds like it costs thousands.

RULE #3 – A STAGE PIANO CAN’T CONTROL OTHER GEAR

The PX-3 allows for 4 simultaneous sounds. These can come from the PX-3’s great sound engine,
an external MIDI device or both at the same time. Use it on stage or in the studio with your computer,
the class-compliant USB MIDI interface works seamlessly on any Mac or PC.

RULES WERE MEANT TO BE BROKEN

The Privia PX-3 breaks all of the rules and more by delivering an extremely lightweight, high
performance, 88 note weighted action stage piano and controller at a price that is an absolute steal.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.PRIVIAPIANO.COM ©2010 CASIO AMERICA, INC.
 Product Review

By Mitch Bohannon the computer, or when it’s not convenient

X-Tempo Designs POK

to reach the mouse or computer keyboard
to start/stop recording. Through the POK
editor, it was easy for me to switch the
programming to work with Ableton Live
and assign the switches (they can be as-
signed for single and double click). For
my application, I left one switch
You’re a guitar playing worship leader. dedicated to Play/Stop.
You’re a worship musician. You’re a Then, I assigned
music enthusiast working with DAW’s t h e
(Digital Audio Workstations). Or may-
be you’ve just been wondering what
those guys on stage have been
punching into their MacBook
Pro’s… Read on, this is for
you…

I’m assuming that you

read my last review in the July/
August 2010 issue of Worship Musi-
cian. If so, you know that I’ve been us-
ing click tracks through the Aviom for our punch
worship band. It’s made a world of dif- keys be- other
ference, but it hasn’t happened without tween songs. At switch-
some road-bumps along the way. I’m first, I gave control, via es to the
here to help you jump over some of those! a midi keyboard, to my drum- number
mer… later moved it to my drummer keys “1”
Taking one song at a time, running a on percussion… later moved it to my lead through “7”.
click into our personal monitors tightens up guitar player. They all did a fine job, but That gives me the
the band, keeps us in sync, and helps us there is latency between my “GO” signal ability to have seven songs that I can
create a better feel in the entire sanctuary. and the actual downbeat! I can speak or cue for worship. If I needed more cues, I
(When your band is in sync, even non- pray or play segues between songs, but could assign them to the same switches
musical folks in the congregation notice… as the leader, when I think ‘go’ I want (double click).
they just may not know what they’re notic- the computer to respond. Soon, I learned
ing). The biggest hurdle comes with cre- of the POK from X-Tempo I have my computer set up off stage
ating flow from one song to the Designs… (it works the same with Mac or PC).
next. Once you begin When I lead worship, my mic stand is
a click-track for This thing is in- about 20 feet away from my computer. I
credible! It’s the set the POK right next to my microphone
coolest thing to and away we go! I have to say, after the
come out since first Sunday I used the POK, I received an
the Cut Capo email from a random person in the con-
( s h a m e l e s s gregation commenting on how smoothly
plug). The the song service went!
POK (list
The POK is a very ingenious piece of
equipment that, for my worship platform,
is a must have. I didn’t even mention
battery life, which is almost ‘forever’…
because the battery is not being used
$499 with unless the switch is being pressed. I’ve
case… street described the way I use it on the platform,
price $349) is a wire- but realistically, if you use a DAW that
less footswitch that controls utilizes assignable keystrokes, you can as-
DAW software through USB. The sign those keystrokes to this footswitch for
unit acts like a wireless keyboard, send- hands-free application!
ing keystroke signals to your software.
a song, Pick one up and here’s what you get… Bottom line… freedom, creativity and
you must The POK comes in a custom hard case flexibility.
have at least one and has eight assignable switches (or
measure, usually two, be- pedals). It’s a small, but sturdy unit, 12 x 7
fore the first downbeat. If there is inches. The wireless USB fob is the same Mitch Bohannon is the
a delay between ending a song and size as a thumb-drive. The unit runs on Worship Pastor at First
starting the next click, it can become a three ‘AAA’ batteries and has an LED that Baptist Church in Dayton,
very awkward dead space! (been there). signals wireless sync, button-press, and TX. He helped develop the
battery warning. The POK comes with an Short Cut Capo for Kyser
I’m a guitar playing worship leader run- editor program on CD and it is set up Musical Products. Mitch and his wife,
ning Ableton Live. I am not in a position that ready for use with Pro-Tools. This is help- Noelle, have the three most awesome
I can have my Mac right next to me and ful for those recording some distance from kids in the world!

46 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM


By Craig Kelly
So You Volunteered as a Camera Operator
At Church – Uh Oh, Now What? Part 2
In our first article, we learned some
basic skills to learn as you head into
your new position as camera operator at
church – part of the Technical Arts Team
or the Video Crew or the TV Crew or
Production Team. All these terms are in- 6. Know which way the zoom control
terchangeable.
Now let’s look at the unlearned skills
- These soft-skills are in your DNA. Impor-
tant points to remember and strive for are;
• Great Attitude / Pleasantness
• You represent the presenter and the
rest of the crew – be your best
• Extreme professionalism / Good
work ethic – you have it at work,
shouldn’t you have it at church?
• Clear attentiveness / Promptness /
Speed – even though it’s a volunteer
position and it’s early, bring your
best to the position
• Process engagement / Forward
thinking / Commitment to the proj-
ect – don’t just wait to be told, try to 11. Never just zoom straight in or
anticipate what is needed
• Understanding of your place on
the production team. Yes, your
brother in law is the director but it
doesn’t mean that you’re entitled to
watch as everyone else runs a new
camera cable 300 feet over the
sanctuary catwalks
• Understanding of importance of the
event – really try to remember that
this is an important event for the
audience
Here is a list of just a few practical live,
multi-camera camera tips to help you get
started. By no means is this a comprehen-
sive list, it is a good start to get the ball
rolling.
1. Practice - focus, zooming, panning,
tilting
2. Know what camera number you are
and listen for instructions to you.
3. Safety - double check that any and
all handles, knobs, attachments,
cables, platforms, lens, viewfinder,
etc., are attached securely and will
not come loose and hurt someone.
Never trust that someone else has
taken care of it. It’s your hands that
are operating.
4. Know which direction the focus
knob works.
5. Focus is distance - Look at the fore-
ground or the background if you’re
in doubt as to which way to focus.
If the background looks in focus and
the subject looks out of focus – then
pull your focus toward you. If the
foreground looks in focus and the
subject looks out of focus then roll
your focus away from you.
works.
7. When in doubt, zoom it out - They
wider you zoom, the less critical the
focus will be and any unsteadiness
will be less noticeable.
8. Tight focus - Always focus on the
subject’s eyes not their nose or their
glasses or their collar – the eyes.
9. Know where the tight and wide
zoom limits are - never be surprised
that you are at the end of your
zoom.
10. Zooming - start a zoom imperceptiv-
ity gentle and slow, pick up speed
slightly and then softly feather-out
the end. Imagine starting and stop-
ping a car so smoothly that a pas-
senger cannot feel it begin or end.
straight out . Try to think of it as this
– if any single frame was frozen,
would you want that image as the
cover of your portfolio?
12. Composition / Framing - there are
standards to remember, but it’s al-
ways the director’s choice to choose
the nuances of framing. The director
should NEVER have to tell you twice
how much headroom they want,
or how wide or tight they want the
shot.
13. Composition / Framing – Often, the
rule of thirds works very well in com-
posing a shot. Here’s an example
– To find out common examples of
this rule, do a little research on-line.
Just remember….sometimes rules are
meant to be broken.
14. Headsets – headset etiquette is a
big deal to the crew
a) Check for clear sound
b) Check for side-tone (your own
voice) – but never blow into or
whistle into mic!
c) Check for program audio
d) Make sure headset mic is
turned off during show – only
WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 47
Camera
the director gets to talk during
the show
e) Remember to turn your mic off
before putting on or removing
headset
15. Check your lens
for dirt,
smudges
or smears.
They really
can show on
the video espe-
cially if light hits it just right
16. Confirm that you have a
working tally light in your
viewfinder. Find out
from your director if
the external tally light
should be on or off.
Some pastors do not
want to be distracted by
the light and others want
to know which camera to
refer to.
17. Chairs - Chairs are for wimps rest-
ing. Most events are only an hour
long so, get in shape. Standing
will keep your attention up.
18. Ask the director what his
expectations are of you in your
assigned position.
19. Do not leave your position unless
given permission from the director.
Of course this is just a portion of your
training. Ask for help, get in and practice
on your own time, watch the pros on TV,
read books and articles and buy my DVD.
Television director Craig
Kelly’s career has included
over 3,500 live shows,
events and concerts in
broadcasting, corporate
television, events and sports production
since 1977.  He is also involved in min-
istry based events and concerts, and has
produced or directed internationally dis-
tributed DVDs.
With a background as an international
free-lance cameraman, he has shot na-
tional and local level sports and corpo-
rate video for over twenty years. These
days he is often involved in speaking,
workshops, writing and talking about
Television camera operators and di-
recting. He recently launched the blog
ZoomIT.cam at craigjkelly.wordpress.
com for new camera operators and has a
training DVD in the works. You can reach
Craig at craig@vantageroad.com
 Tips for Tight Teams
By Sandy Hoffman
Three Ways to Worship Warm
“Worshiping warm” means spending
time with God and maintaining musical
discipline. Excellence always follows prep-
aration! Some of the best opera singers in
the world rest their voices for as many as
three days before a performance. Olym-
pic athletes carefully stretch every muscle
before they compete, reducing injuries and
increasing their chances for “the gold.”
The virtuoso violinist Nicolo Paganini
often practiced scales and exercises for
up to 15 hours a day! Fifteen!! During
his concerts he was known to purposely
break as many as three strings and play
the rest of the piece on the one remaining!
This bit of showmanship allowed him to
demonstrate incredible virtuosity, which he
earned at the high price of personal disci-
pline. As worshipers, we too need a disci-
plined, warmed up life! Our daily prayer
should be, “Lord, get me out of the refrig-
erator of complacency and teach me Your
ways to worship warm!” I believe that with
regular, private offerings of these three:
heart, hands, and voices to the Lord, we’ll
be primed and ready for powerful public
praise.
#1- DEVELOP DAILY DEVOTION
One of the greatest examples of the
daily life of the worshiper is found in Acts
2:42-47. It lists five habits of the early
church and the blessings that followed. By
spending time in the Word, fellowshiping,
praying together, giving and witnessing,
the first century worshipers experienced
the kind of life changing results we desire
today. They spent time with God, and
verse 47 says that as “they were prais-
ing [Him]” they enjoyed “favor with all the
people.” We can expect to see this same
spiritual fruit in our lives as we practice the
worship lifestyle of daily devotion demon-
strated by those early Christians.
#2- ENERGIZE YOUR INSTRUMENT
Once we’ve established that our first pri-
ority is to have our hearts devoted to the
Lord, we can begin to examine the more
physical aspects of worshiping warm. Take
a look at your hands. They can be placed
over your heart in allegiance, put to the
plow, used to change a tire, burp a baby,
scratch your head or sign your name.
What a marvelous, versatile creation: the
hand! We often think of the voice as the
instrument of the Spirit, but in I Chronicles
25:1 we find the musicians prophesying
with “harps, stringed instruments and cym-
bals.” They were skillful with their hands.
They practiced, then worshiped warm!
48 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
down for those notes “in the basement.”
The longer the pipe, the lower the note.
And we should always be sure to wear
loose clothing when we sing. Restrictive
attire impedes the expansion and contrac-
tion of the diaphragm. To worship warm
we must be able to breathe freely.
We may not have fifteen hours a day to Now let’s consider the lilies of the field.
spend like Paganini did, but every minute They neither toil nor spin; but they sure do
we invest in raising our skill level brings make many of us sneeze! Allergies can be
greater ease and flow to our corporate seasonal or perpetual. As worship team
worship times. With ample attention, our members we must be mindful of those who
instruments are energized. wheeze, sneeze, cough, or completely
clam up because of perfume, cologne,
MINDING THE MODES after shave, and yes, those beautiful Eas-
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
of each practice session. Play a basic “C other noses before your own. It’s Biblical!
major” (Ionian) scale: C - D - E - F - G - A
- B - C. Then, begin on the second scale VOCAL ROUTINE
degree, “D,” and play D - E - F - G - A - B Worship singers should develop sen-
- C - D. This is known as “D, Dorian.” The sible habits which protect their voices from
third scale degree in the key of C is “E, strain and pain! Here are just a few sug-
Phrygian.” Sound like Greek to you? That’s gestions that have proven quite effective:
because each of the seven modes has a
Greek name. Play E - F - G - A - B - C - D - 1 Hit the ground humming. As soon as
E. Do you see the pattern? What about “F, you rise, begin to wander around
Lydian?” It begins and ends with the note the house humming comfortable low
“F.” “G, Mixolydian” with “G.” Then “A, notes which slowly warm up the vo-
Aeolian” and “B, Locrian” complete the cal cords.
exercise. Once you’ve mastered the key 2 Vocalize with a warm up CD during
of C, perhaps you’d like to try the modes your drive to church.
in EVERY key. 3 Use a singer’s throat spray to coat
and soothe the throat between ser-
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
ing and descending scales in each of the jokingly refer to these “the joy of the
seven modes. Lord in a bottle!”)
4 Drink lots of room temperature water.
#3- VITALIZE YOUR VOCALS (Avoid those Sunday morning dough-
Given the example of world class opera nuts and, you guessed it, coffee!)
singers, perhaps getting enough sleep is 5 Sip herbal tea (caffeine free). There
the most effective way to insure great wor- are many special teas on the market
ship vocals. Nothing restores the vitality of which coat the throat and help to
the voice like rest, rest, rest. eliminate problems from over sing-
ing.
It’s also important for singers to watch
what they eat! Uh, oh! That’s a tough one, HEART, HANDS AND VOICES
considering it means no chocolate, no There’s an old Thanksgiving hymn which
dairy products and (this is extremely pain- says, “Now thank we all our God with
ful) NO CAFFEINE before singing! Choc- heart and hands and voices…” We can
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
the vocal cords. It’s best to go without sense always dictates that we spend daily
for up to 24 hours before singing. (Now devotional time with God and offer Him
we understand why opera singers are so the sacrifices of our musical discipline as
sleepy!) we apply these ways to worship warm.
To prevent injury to the vocal cords, we By the fire,
should never clear our throats. The experts Sandy
say, “simply swallow instead.” (Hmmm . .
. Did I just hear you clear?)
Sandy Hoffman serves
Sit or stand as tall as possible when you The Grace Community
sing. Back straight, top of the head high. Church in Santa Fe, NM,
The large pipes of the pipe organ play where he is the Minister of
the low notes. The small pipes play the Worship Arts. Check out
high notes. Our voices work in much the his new instrumental acoustic guitar CD,
same way. Never lower your chin to reach “Sereno,” at: www.EssentialWorship.com
 Practical Training for the
Entire Worship Team

VOLUMES 1 & 2
each feature 7 DVDs
with over 10 hours
of practical training
in several workshop
categories...
AUDIO, BASS, DRUMS,
GUITAR, KEYS, VOCALS,
Volume 1 LEADERSHIP, TEAMS
Lincoln Brewster Volume 2 and more... $119.95 each
Gregg Bissonette Abraham Laboriel
David Ellefson Kirk Whalum
Brian Doerksen
Bob Kauflin
Zoro the Drummer NEW!!
Laura Story
Tom Brooks and more... Doug Doppler and more... SINGLE DVDs
2 workshops per di
sc
only $29.95 each

Sheri Gould
Tom Brooks John Mills
Abraham Laboriel &
& Doug Gould with Doug Doppler
Norm Stockton with Mike Johns, Adam &
Zoro the Drummer Duncan David Harsh

www.CMSconferenceinabox.com
 The Thunder Has No Voice
© Ramirez & Associates

’Til Kissed By Fire

Old Indian Proverb

H E L I X
Helix HD’s HyperElliptical Winding process allows an increased number of wraps across the length of the string
without altering it’s diameter. More mass, tone & life eclipsing all others.
deanmarkley.com  e  800 800 1008
 Mandolin

By Martin Stillion

Broken thirds
I don’t do a lot of teaching (too busy
with the day job), but I recently did take
on a student who, as I once did, is com-
ing to mandolin in worship music from a
background in classical strings. For me,
perhaps because I don’t do it often, teach-
ing is in part a process of self-discovery.
Before I can show my student how to do
something, I have to remind myself how,
where, and why I learned to do it.
One exercise I’ve taught him is some-
thing I borrowed from
my junior-high string 
         
orchestra teacher, 
Melodic minor. G A, B flat, C, D, E,
F# going up; same as natural minor com-
ing down. (That’ll blow your gourd.)
You can have even more fun with bro-
ken thirds by continuing to change the key
signature. In addition to G and G minor,
try this same pattern in the keys of D, C,
F, E flat, and A flat. When that gets bor-
ing, change the G to a G sharp and add
A, E, and B. (What you’re actually doing
here is messing around with “modes”—for
truth is, you should be able to play both
parts either way—and if you can’t, then
practice until you can.
Thanks for your kind attention. In my
next column I hope to explain the Pla-
tonic ideal of the 12-course mandolin
and demonstrate that all mandolin chords
are really just fragments of the one over-
arching überchord. Then again, maybe
I just shouldn’t have had that third slice
of pizza.

  
       
     
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.

WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 51

 Lighting
By Greg Sisley
Excellence in Lighting
Recently our team was privileged to
participate in lighting production at Cre-
ation West. The festival was held at the
fairgrounds in Enumclaw (Ee-numb-claw)
WA, a great venue with a fantastic vibe
that really promoted community and inclu-
sion. There wasn’t a bad seat at any of the
stages, and the music, food, and friends
were tops. Probably the greatest impact
personally was seeing many first-time and
re-up decisions to follow Christ during the
week.
I also came away from the week re-
minded of a few key concepts that are
foundational to success in lighting in the
worship world. First, expectations are high
in regard to the production aspects of light-
ing, audio, and video. The American wor-
ship audience is not only educated about
quality production; they are also discern-
ing. I saw a definite desire for purpose-
ful lighting; on one extreme, creating an
intensely inclusive worship space, and on
the other end, producing a high energy,
in-your-face rock and roll light show. I was
also impressed by the absolute necessity
for healthy relationships, personal integrity,
and professional follow-through among
those who create and support worship
environments. When everyone is focused
and leaves their egos at home, the results
are amazing. Lastly, I was reminded of the
value of maintaining a student’s perspec-
tive. I saw many audio-visual professionals
engaged in an approach of constant and
intentional learning. It is vital to stay cur-
rent with developing techs and equipment,
understand and embrace trends and styles,
and learn to model the positive personal
traits demonstrated by our peers. Let’s take
a little deeper look at these inter-related
concepts. They have direct application in
our roles as worship musicians and those
that support them.
Anticipate
While preparing for the production of a
music festival has some similarities to de-
signing, rigging, or programming lighting
for a Sunday morning service, I would re-
ally compare it to getting ready to do a
dozen weeks of worship services simulta-
neously. Instead of one band or speaker,
you will plan for several, with various mem-
bers and gear. There is very good com-
munication with some bands and almost
none with others. All of it happens within
a very compressed timeframe. Your job
is to be prepared for what you do know,
be flexible enough to adapt to any needs
(including those that are unspoken or last-
52 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM
en relationships by extending esteem and
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
minute), and produce the elements without important it is to keep learning. Much more
flaw. There’s no rehearsal. You get exactly than simply acquiring technical know-how,
one shot at it. In order to be successful, a disposition to watch and learn continu-
production staff actually over-prepared for ally is invaluable. Our team has learned
the event. Let me give you one example. to take notes as we go, and fix or improve
lighting sets and cues between performanc-
We planned for multiple lighting shows es. It is routine for us to check-in with the
in a single design. This gave the flexibility production leads to ‘get inside their head’
for almost any look or intensity. Because the as to their production desires, and find out
performers might be almost anywhere on what we can do better. We also intention-
the stage, we combined fixed, pre-focused ally build relationship by initiating conver-
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
to program because when a moving light gain insight from their experience, and try
is used as a front spot, you don’t want to to remain appropriately accessible to both
see it move to a new location, focus, or col- production crew and curious onlookers.
or. All the changes are done “in the dark,”
and the light appears on cue and location. Don’t be afraid to improve your skill and
The point is, do whatever is necessary to knowledge. I encourage you to try every-
get it right. thing. Keep what works and learn from
your mistakes. Training is easily accessible
I hope you and your team take a similar and doesn’t need to cost a lot. Workshops
approach to supporting worship gather- and seminars are routinely hosted by light-
ings. By that I mean that you do everything ing manufacturers and most are free to
possible to anticipate and plan for what attend. Regional multi-day training events
you believe will occur, but you also ‘plan’ such as the Christian Musician Summit and
for change and are prepared to modify as the Worship Arts Technology Summit will
necessary. Take time for intentional thought take you on a systematic and thorough un-
by yourself and as a team about all the pos- derstanding of current lighting technology.
sible variables. Just as the worship leader
may change direction and mood, you will We will be lighting and teaching at the
have the ability to adapt because of your Christian Musician Summit (CMS) held at
preparation. Anticipating what could hap- Overlake in Redmond, WA the 12th and
pen will help you light what does happen. 13th of November. If you have never at-
tended a Summit or it has been a while,
Attitude I really encourage you to make an effort
Many of the same guidelines that apply to attend. CMS offers quality training for
to production preparation and performance just about every conceivable area of the
can be applied to us in how we prepare production of worship music and worship
and conduct ourselves as we work, pro- environments. Plus, all your favorite Chris-
cess, and interact with other techs and mu- tian musicians will be there to do what they
sicians alike. In a constantly time-sensitive do best. If you take your team to one event
and fluid environment like a music festival, this year, consider the Christian Musician
opportunities for stress and attitude break- Summit (christianmusiciansummit.com).
down are everywhere. I saw potentially di-
sastrous situations consistently circumvented It is great to hear from so many of you.
by professional, calm, and yielding spirits. In response to your many questions, next
The working relationship with the senior issue we’ll start an exciting, four-part series
producer and the producer of our stage that will not only showcase the latest light-
was stellar, and our team was encouraged ing technologies, but will apply them to
by the meekness they demonstrated. While foundational lighting principles. Hope to
they were very driven and focused, we ex- see you at CMS in November. You can
perienced kindness, clear communication reach me at greg@liftav.com
of goals, and a desire to mentor and teach
us. Special thanks to Creation leads Harry,
Bill, Denny, and Chris. Greg Sisley is on the
pastoral staff at Faith in
What a great example of servant lead- Kent, WA, where he leads
ership for us to model as we serve weekly production and men’s minis-
in support of worship in our local churches. tries. He is also a member
I encourage you to be both relationally sen- of the Lift Worship Team, specializing in
sitive and professional. Reaffirm and deep- lighting design and production.
 From the Drummer’s Perspective

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
Academy Installed Sound Seminar
September 14, 2010
Second Baptist Houston
Houston, TX

Each seminar is $149 and includes lunch
and workshop materials. You will also
receive a $50 coupon good toward the
purchase of any Sennheiser product!
For more information on our seminars please go to:
www.sennheiserusa.com/seminars
Or call us at: (860) 434-9190, Ext. 141
The Sennheiser Installed Sound Academy enhances skills and knowledge on key
practices, topics and trends in the installed sound/systems integration business.
This one-day session offers valuable renewal credit toward CTS re-certification.
Topics include:
• Distributed audio systems
• Digital audio networking
• Systems for ADA compliance
• Troubleshooting audio systems
• Microphone selection and applications
• Wireless personal monitoring systems design and applications
Who should attend?
Designers and sales engineers, consultants, technicians, project managers,
worship leaders, system operators, mixers and technicians, production
managers, technical directors, anyone involved in the selection and purchase
of audio products and anyone seeking CTS credits for certification renewal.

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

Carrying Others to Jesus

Some men came carrying a paralytic
on a mat and tried to take him into the
house to lay him before Jesus. When they
could not find a way to do this because
of the crowd, they went up on the roof
and lowered him on his mat through the
tiles into the middle of the crowd, right
in front of Jesus (Luke
5:18-19).
“During June a few years ago, I had
the opportunity to worship God in the
midst of heartache and chaos. On June
9, I was told at work that one of my close
friends was on her deathbed, and I left to
go see her. She was already in a coma
by the time I got to the hospital, but I knew
she had recently re-dedicated her life to
the Lord. Sunday morning I was sched-
uled to sing on the worship team. While I
was on my way to church, I got word that
Wanda
h a d
But our leading of worship is for the peo-
ple.
Every week people come into your
church, and mine, with hurts and heart-
aches that no one else knows anything
about. Sometimes those pains are self-
inflicted. Other times they are the result of
harsh words from another person or situ-
ations over which they have no control.
Maybe a son or daughter has declared
they are leaving… and leaving their faith,
too. Perhaps they have just received a
negative medical diagnosis: cancer or
some other serious ailment. Some of the
things that trouble people can be minor
and others can be life-threatening. All of
them, though, are very real to the per-
son who bears them.

And just like the paralyzed man’s

friends, you and I have the privilege
of helping to carry that person to the
Lord. Oh, we don’t usually physically
carry anyone. Yet we get to, in a very
real sense, lift that person before the Lord
by guiding their eyes and heart and at-
tention to Him.

If we had an inkling of how often peo-

Sometimes
worship ministry
can begin to be a drudgery. Between
the time for rehearsals and the early
Sunday mornings, it can become time-
consuming and wearying. In this midst of
this, I find it easy to become self-centered
and focused on feeling used or taken ad-
vantage of. When this happens it’s time
for a heart check to help me recognize
that what I’m doing isn’t really about me
at all.
Some time ago I received an email
from a woman named Julie Ann. She
lives in the St. Louis, Missouri area. In
her email she shared a great testimony. In
part she said this:
ple are renewed in their spirits because
of our ministry, we would jump for joy at
the opportunity to be involved in worship
p a s s e d ministry. We don’t get to hear all of the
away. stories, but those people are out there,
just like Julie Ann.
“A couple
of weeks later, Father, thank You for the amazing privi-
during a major lege of helping to carry people to You.
summer storm that hit Remind me that at least part of what I am
our area, a tree came doing is really no different than what the
through our home, stop- friends of that paralyzed man did two
ping just short of the interior. thousand years ago. Help keep me fo-
The electric was out and we were cused on the fact that what I do is a true
displaced for an entire week. I went to service to Your people week after week.
church the next morning to a candlelight Thank You for that opportunity. Amen.
service. When the congregation began
to sing “Amazing Grace” a cappella, I
was undone. I was so grateful to know When it comes to the top-
that my God was with me even in the ic of worship, Tom Kraeuter
midst of no power, no immediate home, is one of the leading voices
horrific heat that week, and a heart that in the Church today. This
still ached for my departed friend. While article is adapted from a
the immediate circumstances were un- recent installment of WorshipMinistryDe-
comfortable and frustrating, I had higher votions.com, a weekly devotional email
hope.” for worship ministries. For more infor-
mation on Tom Kraeuter, his books, his
If you ever wonder why you do what teaching or his Worship Seminars, con-
you do with the worship ministry of your tact Training Resources, 65 Shepherd’s
church, let Julie Ann’s testimony help keep Way, Hillsboro, MO 63050, 636-789-
you on track. Don’t misunderstand my 4522, staff@training-resources.org, or
meaning here. Our worship is for God. www.WorshipSeminar.com

54 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

©2010 Integrity Media, Inc.
 > with its legendary Martin tone, striking aesthetic features and
onboard intelligence, the Performing Artist Series
will take your body, mind and soul to new heights.

Experience all three great cutaway models on

performingartistseries.com or at your local
authorized Martin dealer. Each specifically
designed to inspire great performances.
Expect excitement!
©2010 C. F. Martin & Co. martinguitar.com