Sunday Summary – Music for January 20, 2007

To quote the band REM: “It’s the end of the world as we know it…”. In other words, northern Georgia received a lovely blanket of snow on Saturday.

Now, where I grew up in Canada, that would be better known as “A normal Saturday in January”, but in Atlanta, it’s “Polar Armageddon”.

That said, Church was cancelled. And I’m not talking about just North Point. I mean the sheer concept of of church was cancelled. We watched the church closings on the news and commented that it would be quicker to just list the churches that were meeting…

BUT!! Here’s what was planned…

No Opener.

WORSHIP:
Eddie Kirkland was leading in East, and newbie Trey McKnight was in West. Trey’s lead a bit at Buckhead Church (our campus near downtown Atlanta, 15 miles south), but is still a fresh face at North Point.

“All We Need” by Charlie Hall

“You Never Let Go” by Matt Redman

“How Great Is Our God” as made known by ye ole Chris Tomlin.

Yep – kind of a throw-back Passion Sunday.

But here’s some analysis anyway, because we had some opinions after rehearsal and then again Thursday morning. The players in each band have played these tunes a bunch over the last couple years, and the songs themselves are very easy. I mean REAL easy – basic chords, basic repeating chord pattern, simple to play – almost monotonous. To the point that Eddie encouraged the all-star band on East to really worship through the tunes, and not to just play the simple songs. Great advice to anyone playing a song for the 3,000th time…

So after rehearsal, for a while I thought that worship would’ve been a dud. Well, at least according to some of us youngins… But the more I thought about it, I think we had a chance to REALLY engage the audience in worship. Familiar songs: familiar, easy melodies, repetitive lyrics, simple theological concepts. Basically the reason these are popular worship songs around the world.

I don’t think we always need to do the newest, coolest, hip-est tunes. Sometimes people just want to worship with songs that they can sing with their eyes closed – literally! I think believers crave those rare, special moments when they can sing a simple song that lives in their hearts, as opposed to having to read a new theological novella on the bottom of a big screen each week.

Just a thought…

You caused YOU to worship this week?

EAST: Eddie Kirkland, Steve Thomason, Daryl Lecroy, John Carrozza, Scott Meeder, Richard Meeder, Jennifer Young

WEST: Trey McKnight, Michael Gleason, Brad Bretz, Brad Gage, Brad Long, Mike Bielenberg – yes, 3 Brads and 2 Mikes. That’s a Full House. Yahtzee!!
…

Worship Band 101 – Parts Is Parts!

I was originally going to direct this to just music people, but if you use “band” metaphorically, you might find it applicable at work, too. I don’t know, you decide…

A good buddy of mine and I were talking – I mean “sharing”… He’d had a frustrating experience a while back in another playing situation at another chur- I mean, venue…

Basically it was the old story of the me musicians had not really studied a specific tune ahead of time, and , even worse, they (specifically guitarists) had not agreed on who was going to play what – y’know, who was going to play what PART. The result was, of course, equivalent to the stink off a turd. Sorry – I mean, the result was quite unpleasant. Everyone overplayed, lead lines were not existent, chords were butchered, and it was a mash of sonic, well, mash!

And what makes it sad was that they were all actually good players, but they had not taken it upon themselves to work out the fine details of who was going to play what.

It’s a pretty simple concept, when you stop and think about it. Everything in life (and music) has its role. Hand, eye, ear, husband, wife, engine, steering wheel, power cord, bee, bacteria, peanut butter, freezer, sunlight, Belgium, grass, bathtub. You get the picture. It’s only after everyone in the band – specifically those playing the same instrument – DEFINE and EXECUTE their role does music start to sound like, well, music – not mash.

I’m reading a great book right now – suitable for anyone! It’s called “The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook, Second Edition” by Bobby Owsinski. OK, maybe not suitable for EVERYONE…

On page 11, like, the first real concept he talks about, is The Arrangement (note: SONIC arrangement, not form arrangement – verse, chorus, etc).

Let me plagurize for a moment:

“Good balance starts with good arrangement. It’s important to understand arrangement because so much of mixing is subtractive by nature. This means that the arrangement, and therefore the balance, is changed by the simple act of muting an instrument whose PART doesn’t fit well with another. If the instruments fit together well arrangement-wise and don’t fight one another, the mixer’s life becomes immensely easier.

“When two instruments that have essentially the same frequency band play at the same volume at the same time, the result is a fight for attention. Think of it this way: You don’t usually hear a lead vocal and a guitar solo at the same time, do you? That’s because the human ear can’t decide which to listen to and becomes confused and fatigued as a result.

“So how do you get around instrument “fighting?” First and foremost is a well written (Reid: or discussed) arrangement that keeps instruments out of each other’s way right from the beginning. … the result is an arrangement that automatically lies together without much help.”

The next 8 pages go on to describe and teach rules and elements of a (sonic) arrangement. This is ESSENTIAL reading for members of your band, specifically your MUSIC DIRECTOR, BAND LEADER and FRONT OF HOUSE ENGINEER. Well, heck, the whole book is good for your sound guys!

So, basically, your band can sound better if you STOP PLAYING and START TALKING. Side note: Leave your egos at the door

Are YOU talking?