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I recently attended a worship seminar with Brenton Brown. (Author of "All Who Are Thirsty", "Hallelujah [Your Love is Amazing]", and several other popular worship songs.) During the seminar he and his band sat down on stage and went through each of their roles as a member of the band. The main theme that kept coming up over and over was the idea of "leaving room" for the other band members. Each of the members of the band (bass, lead guitar, drums, acoustic) all focused on the fact that to do a little as a part of a band is to do a lot. Everyone on stage can't be banging/strumming/singing away with no thought of those around them. As a part of a band, it is your responsibility to listen to the people around you. Everyone playing a small part, makes something great. Everyone playing loud or playing "busy" just makes noise. For example...imagine for a second that you are at dinner with 3 other people. You're sitting around the table having a conversation. Only, instead of one person taking their turn talking then listening, you're all four just talking away at the same time. Each of you trying to talk over the other. What would that be like? For some of you...an average dinner out with the kids. Seriously though...it would be chaotic, frustrating, just down right annoying! In conversation, you have to give and take. You speak, listen, then respond when it's appropriate. You "leave room" for the other three people at the table to contribute to the conversation. The same concept applies to being a member of a band. You have to listen to eachother, be respectful of eachother and leave room for everyone to do their part. If the drummer is banging away as loud as he can, playing lots of fills and the tempo is all over the place, no one else is heard, no one can stay with your tempo and you're not leaving room for anyone else to do their part. You're dominating the "conversation". If a guitar player is strumming away as loud as she can with the distortion cranked through the roof or playing face melting solos all during the worship set, you're once again dominating the music. There's no room for anyone else to do their part. If a singer is belting it with no attempt to blend with the other singers...you get the idea. We have to all focus on doing our SMALL part to make something bigger as a unit. Each of us (vocals and instrumentalists alike) are in the worship band to serve God and to serve eachother. By dominating the "conversation" or music, you take the focus off of God and put it on yourself. If you want to punish the drums, be the next Guitar Hero or American Idol...start a garage band. When we come to practice and to play on Sunday, we've got to approach our parts with humility and an attitude of service. We have to leave room for everyone else to do their part. I leave you with the theme song of the greatest super hero's to ever walk the earth, The Wonder Pets. "What's gonna' work? Teamwork. What's gonna' work? Teamwork. We're not too big and we're not too tough but when we work together we've got the right stuff. Go Wonder Pets!" I know, I know...it made me tear up too.
I recently attended a worship seminar with Brenton Brown. (Author of "All Who Are Thirsty", "Hallelujah [Your Love is Amazing]", and several other popular worship songs.) During the seminar he and his band sat down on stage and went through each of their roles as a member of the band. The main theme that kept coming up over and over was the idea of "leaving room" for the other band members. Each of the members of the band (bass, lead guitar, drums, acoustic) all focused on the fact that to do a little as a part of a band is to do a lot. Everyone on stage can't be banging/strumming/singing away with no thought of those around them. As a part of a band, it is your responsibility to listen to the people around you. Everyone playing a small part, makes something great. Everyone playing loud or playing "busy" just makes noise. For example...imagine for a second that you are at dinner with 3 other people. You're sitting around the table having a conversation. Only, instead of one person taking their turn talking then listening, you're all four just talking away at the same time. Each of you trying to talk over the other. What would that be like? For some of you...an average dinner out with the kids. Seriously though...it would be chaotic, frustrating, just down right annoying! In conversation, you have to give and take. You speak, listen, then respond when it's appropriate. You "leave room" for the other three people at the table to contribute to the conversation. The same concept applies to being a member of a band. You have to listen to eachother, be respectful of eachother and leave room for everyone to do their part. If the drummer is banging away as loud as he can, playing lots of fills and the tempo is all over the place, no one else is heard, no one can stay with your tempo and you're not leaving room for anyone else to do their part. You're dominating the "conversation". If a guitar player is strumming away as loud as she can with the distortion cranked through the roof or playing face melting solos all during the worship set, you're once again dominating the music. There's no room for anyone else to do their part. If a singer is belting it with no attempt to blend with the other singers...you get the idea. We have to all focus on doing our SMALL part to make something bigger as a unit. Each of us (vocals and instrumentalists alike) are in the worship band to serve God and to serve eachother. By dominating the "conversation" or music, you take the focus off of God and put it on yourself. If you want to punish the drums, be the next Guitar Hero or American Idol...start a garage band. When we come to practice and to play on Sunday, we've got to approach our parts with humility and an attitude of service. We have to leave room for everyone else to do their part. I leave you with the theme song of the greatest super hero's to ever walk the earth, The Wonder Pets. "What's gonna' work? Teamwork. What's gonna' work? Teamwork. We're not too big and we're not too tough but when we work together we've got the right stuff. Go Wonder Pets!" I know, I know...it made me tear up too.
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