We had some sound glitches with during the Monday service at Living Faith earlier this week. And that was such a pity. It was to the worship leader’s credit that he continued to lead worship well without letting the technical problems affect him noticeably.
What made it even more of a pity was that we tried an interesting song link – key change thingy that I just absolutely knew (110%) would bless the people. I hope that the congregation was still blessed by it even though the sound system gave us some problems. How did I know my idea would work? Well, through lots of experience and understanding some fundamental principles.
AND because I watched the back-up vocalists during the practice.
Back-up vocalists. Most church musicians don’t really notice them very much. We usually see them dutifully (or listlessly) standing slightly apart from us, staring at their song lyric sheets (which most musicians don’t notice because they’re not listening). Or because most musicians are self-occupied people, we sometimes don’t notice them at all unless there are pretty girls among them.
Hey, I’m just saying it as it is.
Back-up vocalists usually fulfill two roles in the worship team. First, they provide vocal support to the worship leader. When they turn up for the practice, they get to experience beforehand what the worship leader intends to try with the congregation. They are thus better able to support him/her for that particular worship session, instead of the worship leader singing alone, praying that the congregation join in quickly…
Second, they also model worship for the congregation. Even if you are not actively participating in worship, watching back-up vocalists enthusiastically worship God will move you, even if only at a subconscious level. What you see modeled will influence you, and lean you more towards worshipping God enthusiastically, just as you see (and hear) them doing.
But did you ever think of them as ‘customers’ in their own right?
If you are a worship leader, you can see them as part of your team, there to help you get a certain song idea across to the congregation. Personally, I feel that if you are trying something that really needs the help of the back-up vocalists, something that just won’t work unless they support you strongly, that is something the congregation will not respond well to.
Or you can see them as a testing group. If the song links and ideas you plan have them singing their hearts out even during the rehearsal, you probably got a winner right there.
That was what happened during that rehearsal, when we tried the song link – key change thingy that I thought of. The back-up vocalists didn’t have any mikes during practice, but they sang so loud that I could hear them clearly.
And because the team usually plays quite loud, that doesn’t happen very often during practice. I could see from the faces of the vocalists that it wasn’t just a practice for them, but they were encountering God in worship even in the midst of practice.
Back-up vocalists are a valuable source of feedback, if you know how to value them and use them as such. They are the hidden customers that most musicians and worship leaders miss. They may not have the musical know-how to tell you what to do to revamp the worship music, but you can see from their faces if what you are trying works.
And because most do not have much music background, they aren’t impressed by how musically advanced and sophisticated your ideas are. They only care about whether what you want to try works.
So if you think you are a really skilled musician, that you have some really cool music ideas that will work really well in worship, put your ideas to the test. Try your ideas during the practice (don’t spring them as a surprise during the actual worship session) and see how the back-up vocalists respond to it.
Let me tell you upfront that the majority of back-up vocalists in church will go on singing dutifully even if your idea doesn’t help enhance the worship. That’s their job, right? But if your idea DOES work, they will sing out better, louder and clearer. You will see them smile (without the worship leader having to remind them to do so) indeed, from their body language you will KNOW when you’ve got something that works.
So do you dare to put your ideas to that test? If you don’t know or follow the basic principles of playing for worship, be prepared to fail the test more often than necessary.
Again, I’m saying it just as it is.
People, I’ve had a brother-in-Christ, one I really respect and look up to, share with me his personal concerns about my ‘marketing’ text. He felt that I shouldn’t describe my teaching and info the way I do, as teaching essential keys to getting worship to take-off.
And because this was feedback from a brother-in-Christ I really respect, not some theorist-wannabe’s knee-jerk reaction, I really gave it a lot of prayer and thought. I spent lots of time in prayer and waiting on God, laying my heart before him, waiting for him to tell me if I am in error or acting in pride.
Even after all this additional soul-searching, I still stand by what I say about what I teach. I cannot tone down my course description, especially about the two new courses I now offer, without being insincere. I still see people in worship ministry struggle because they need what I have to offer but don’t have it. And that is why I am putting in extra effort this December to organize extra teaching sessions, hoping that I can minister to even more people in the midst of this holiday season.
So help me get the word out. I'll be emailing you soon with the schedule for the lessons. And pray for me, first ly that I have the wisdom of God as I plan my schedule for this month, and that I will be able to reach out to more people, that God will bring into my path the people who will really be blessed by what I have to teach. Thanks!
What made it even more of a pity was that we tried an interesting song link – key change thingy that I just absolutely knew (110%) would bless the people. I hope that the congregation was still blessed by it even though the sound system gave us some problems. How did I know my idea would work? Well, through lots of experience and understanding some fundamental principles.
AND because I watched the back-up vocalists during the practice.
Back-up vocalists. Most church musicians don’t really notice them very much. We usually see them dutifully (or listlessly) standing slightly apart from us, staring at their song lyric sheets (which most musicians don’t notice because they’re not listening). Or because most musicians are self-occupied people, we sometimes don’t notice them at all unless there are pretty girls among them.
Hey, I’m just saying it as it is.
Back-up vocalists usually fulfill two roles in the worship team. First, they provide vocal support to the worship leader. When they turn up for the practice, they get to experience beforehand what the worship leader intends to try with the congregation. They are thus better able to support him/her for that particular worship session, instead of the worship leader singing alone, praying that the congregation join in quickly…
Second, they also model worship for the congregation. Even if you are not actively participating in worship, watching back-up vocalists enthusiastically worship God will move you, even if only at a subconscious level. What you see modeled will influence you, and lean you more towards worshipping God enthusiastically, just as you see (and hear) them doing.
But did you ever think of them as ‘customers’ in their own right?
If you are a worship leader, you can see them as part of your team, there to help you get a certain song idea across to the congregation. Personally, I feel that if you are trying something that really needs the help of the back-up vocalists, something that just won’t work unless they support you strongly, that is something the congregation will not respond well to.
Or you can see them as a testing group. If the song links and ideas you plan have them singing their hearts out even during the rehearsal, you probably got a winner right there.
That was what happened during that rehearsal, when we tried the song link – key change thingy that I thought of. The back-up vocalists didn’t have any mikes during practice, but they sang so loud that I could hear them clearly.
And because the team usually plays quite loud, that doesn’t happen very often during practice. I could see from the faces of the vocalists that it wasn’t just a practice for them, but they were encountering God in worship even in the midst of practice.
Back-up vocalists are a valuable source of feedback, if you know how to value them and use them as such. They are the hidden customers that most musicians and worship leaders miss. They may not have the musical know-how to tell you what to do to revamp the worship music, but you can see from their faces if what you are trying works.
And because most do not have much music background, they aren’t impressed by how musically advanced and sophisticated your ideas are. They only care about whether what you want to try works.
So if you think you are a really skilled musician, that you have some really cool music ideas that will work really well in worship, put your ideas to the test. Try your ideas during the practice (don’t spring them as a surprise during the actual worship session) and see how the back-up vocalists respond to it.
Let me tell you upfront that the majority of back-up vocalists in church will go on singing dutifully even if your idea doesn’t help enhance the worship. That’s their job, right? But if your idea DOES work, they will sing out better, louder and clearer. You will see them smile (without the worship leader having to remind them to do so) indeed, from their body language you will KNOW when you’ve got something that works.
So do you dare to put your ideas to that test? If you don’t know or follow the basic principles of playing for worship, be prepared to fail the test more often than necessary.
Again, I’m saying it just as it is.
People, I’ve had a brother-in-Christ, one I really respect and look up to, share with me his personal concerns about my ‘marketing’ text. He felt that I shouldn’t describe my teaching and info the way I do, as teaching essential keys to getting worship to take-off.
And because this was feedback from a brother-in-Christ I really respect, not some theorist-wannabe’s knee-jerk reaction, I really gave it a lot of prayer and thought. I spent lots of time in prayer and waiting on God, laying my heart before him, waiting for him to tell me if I am in error or acting in pride.
Even after all this additional soul-searching, I still stand by what I say about what I teach. I cannot tone down my course description, especially about the two new courses I now offer, without being insincere. I still see people in worship ministry struggle because they need what I have to offer but don’t have it. And that is why I am putting in extra effort this December to organize extra teaching sessions, hoping that I can minister to even more people in the midst of this holiday season.
So help me get the word out. I'll be emailing you soon with the schedule for the lessons. And pray for me, first ly that I have the wisdom of God as I plan my schedule for this month, and that I will be able to reach out to more people, that God will bring into my path the people who will really be blessed by what I have to teach. Thanks!
Be blessed, everyone!
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