This made my day - Easter Recap from the OC

I love to see Jesus glorified through art! It is great to see people who's lives are radically transformed by His love and experience true joy in the hope that He gives them. God has been working in Orange County and we see renewed passion for God.

This video really got me stoked once again on artistic expressions of our lives in Him. This is from Easter this year. It includes a bunch of local churches and is coordinated by Rockharbor. A church that I have come to love and respect.



To view this on the original site: http://costamesa.rockharbor.org/wp-content/themes/rockharbor/embed.php?post=2353&blog=9

What is your expression of Christ's change in your life? What ways do you allow yourself to show those around you? Through words, through relationships, through a smiling face, through art???

Remember where you came from and live like the changed person you are.

5 Reasons to Co-write Worship Songs - by Claire Cloninger

I came across this article that is really true and may inspire a new level of creativity with the community of God. So, I thought I would share.  Read it over and then I'll add a few of my thoughts on the end... you can think of this as an unofficial 'co-write'.



5 Reasons to Co-write Worship Songs - by Claire Cloninger

1. Co-writing is fun.
For pure pleasure there’s nothing like entering a room with one other creative soul, blank paper, guitar or piano, a rhyming dictionary, an idea or two and the prospect of a great song just half a day away. What could be more enjoyable? There’s mystery at the outset and possibility at the finish line.


2. Co-writing is one way around writer’s block.
I remember when my friend and co-writer, Ron Harris, said of me, “Claire’s definition for ‘writer’s block’ is ‘writing with everybody on the block.’” I think he was joking, but actually I have often nudged myself out of a “block” by making a writing appointment. When feeling creatively stale, nothing rejuvenates like settling down to the give-and-take of fresh ideas or a string of fresh chord progressions. Makes me feel like Lucy stumbling out of the wardrobe into the snows of Narnia.

3. Co-writing diversifies your catalogue.
Songwriter Carol Bayer Sager’s songs sound like they were written by a string of different pop composers, from Marvin Hamlisch to Burt Bacharach to David Foster. Why? She co-writes with all of the aforenamed gentlemen.

I love the fact that due to my own co-writing, my catalogue can sound like Paul Overstreet one minute and Paul Baloche the next. The words are mine, but they have taken a ride on some wonderful melodies over the years by writers like Don Moen, Lowell Alexander, Robert Sterling and Gary Rhodes.

4. Co-writing can be done long distance.
I remember the day I received a tape in the mail on which I found Wayne Watson’s beautiful melody and the words “friend of a wounded heart.” My job? Make a song of it. What a thrill to receive a Dove Award for Song of the Year with Wayne that year for our song by that title. And we had never written in a room together. Though I prefer in-person collaborating, this job can be done by phone, e-mail, snail mail or pony express.

5. Co-writing is a microcosm of the body of Christ.
I marvel at those singer-songwriter-producer types who wake up one morning and say, “I think I’ll be a self-contained superstar!” They pick up the guitar, write a dozen hits, produce a killer CD and go on to win every award known to man. But most of us did not get all of the gifts. We got one or two. And we are usually strongest in one.

When I first took my songs to Nashville, I realized that every publisher who signed a song of mine was quick to introduce me to his “in-house tune man.” In other words, he liked my words, but he signed my songs in spite of my tunes. It was not long before I was co-writing.

Like the body of Christ, we in the songwriting community can benefit from each other’s gifts. We are challenged, sharpened and inspired by each other’s “strong suits.” And as we pool the best we have, the result is often that much better.

Originally posted on February 20, 2013 by Worship Leader on worshipleader.com. Seven-time Dove Award Winner, Claire Cloninger is a songwriter and frequent co-writer who makes her home in Fairhope, Alabama.



My Thoughts: 
I have a few additional reasons that I feel are just as important. 

1. It is an opportunity to get a theologian/pastor involved - As a worship pastor, there is nothing more annoying than a great song with NO SUBSTANCE or worse is Biblically misleading. You really want to use it because it is a great tune and a killer melody. But, the song that is interesting and biblically sound, it can be put on repeat and no one in the church would care.
2. Peer Pressure - I think I could just stop there... but I should explain. If you are anything like me, then you may rarely play the songs you write because "they just aren't right yet." For me, co-writing a song means that I might actually play it! It allows me to feel that it is not just my song, but that I am also honoring the co-writers and their expression of worship by playing the song. 
3. Peer Review - There is a reason why every doctorate program includes this little thing called a "peer review".  In plain words, they want to make sure you don't write anything dumb. They fact check, they comment on flow, and they make sure it is able to be understood. The same thing is beneficial with songwriting. Sometimes it is better to have more people commenting and giving productive input on the content, flow, and dynamics of the song. The worst thing would be to hide a song until you finally release it and it sucks. 
4. Wider Audience - Also, if two or three artists get together and co-write a piece (assuming that they are not contracted to write for someone) they are able to each use the same song on their own albums and it spreads to a wider audience faster than one they wrote by themselves.  
5. By The People, For the People - My favorite type of co-write is with a local church congregation or rather for a the church. I was able to collaborate with a guy on my worship team and with the pastors messages (and review) to write a song based on the sermon series we were doing. So, the first 'drafts' or 'trial runs' of the song tested the audience's response to various aspects of the song. After playing it a time or two we realized the final touches that were needed to make it more accessible to the church.   

So, now it is your turn to go co-write a song!  Find someone you trust and just ask them. PS> It might not work the first few times, but keep working at it. 
- Luke

Worship Technology 2.0

It is pretty cool what we can do with technology these days. We can put literally $1000s of dollars of outboard gear, computer hardware and network capabilities into these devises we call "smartphones."

Sound techs, now if you go digital you can mix from anywhere in the room with your ipad. Oh, and if you have enough Aux sends to support individual monitors for musicians and singers they can mix their own monitors from stage without even bothering you!!!! Then once you get some basic levels you can switch over to an app that allows you to analyze the sound in the room to get your EQ dialed in. Ever heard of Smarrt??? You can have that in on your iPad for under $100. INSANE!

Visual Techs, there is a world of stuff for you as well. Lighting magazines are filled with new apps and programs to function as a lighting control. And for your screens... here is a fun new projection system that is designed solely to be mobile.



Worship Leaders, there are endless tools for us as well. My favorite are:

• Planning Center Online's mobile app for scheduling and live events. Great for those conversations on stage of "am I playing next week" for someone as scatterbrained as me.
• Evernote!!!! Love this one as a songwriter. I can type out some lyric ideas, record audio clips and photo/videos to hold on to that melody line or lyric that junps out. 
• Shazam. This is a first generation app that still holds it's ground because it is so useful. Listening to the radio or something when you are out? Shazam it and share it to your email inbox. Perfect. 
• Bible App... nuff said.
• Metronome - This will help any worship team if you can utilize it well.
• Dropbox - free cloud sharing is great for storing large files that you may need to access from anywhere.
• There are so many more...

One recommendation if you are using your iphone in a live worship setting... "airplane mode." The other day I heard a call/text (don't know which one) come in when someone was using their phone for click track... not fun.

Figuring out what all those little knobs do...

This post is for any beginner Electric Guitar players and/or worship leaders who feel like they need to brush up on some 'techie'ness or learn about more gear.

I'm always telling electric guitarists to play around with their pedals and find sweet sounds that you can really get inspired by. Most of the time I get blank stares with bewilderment from the beginners as they think to themselves... "I really don't know much, do I?" This is for you, and ME!!

There are a ton of resources online for you! Really the best way to do it is to research what sounds would work for the style you most often play and then track down a few pedals at your local guitar shop to demo them for yourself. But, in order to do that you need to

Take a look at a run down of some of the most basic sounds that Boss put online featuring guitarist Johnny DeMarco. Great simple easy to understand format. Here are a few that I think are useful.

Overdrive

Tremelo

Compressor

If you are a true beginner this site is for you! Find more here: http://www.bossus.com/go/effects_101/

As you learn what there is out there, find out what pedals might sound like paired with other pedals for your style of music! Take a look at some of the interactive stuff on this site:
http://www.bossus.com/experience/interactive_demos/

This is not meant to be a "Boss" heavy review but an page to link you to overviews of options. There are so many brands and unique sounds that you can get lost pretty quickly. So, I just gave demos from one company. Here are some more sites that you can find great pedals from:

http://www.digitech.com/
http://www.fulltone.com/
http://t-rex-effects.com
http://www.ehx.com/
http://www.bossus.com/

If you want to find any mainstream brand:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/
http://www.sweetwater.com
http://www.guitarcenter.com/

Finding Your Space

Playing with other musicians is part of being a musician. Yet, musicians have a stigma about always seeking the spotlight and being flashy, kind of the 'one man band' mentality. However, one of the first things you realize (okay maybe the second or third) as you play with a band is that not everyone can be highlighted 100% of the time.

Finding your space in the group is key.

Good musicianship starts when you can learn how to find your space when playing with others.  I've heard people give tons of analogies for this concept. The most common one I can remember is the 'pie' analogy. Music, or the overall sound, is a whole pie. Each player is a piece of the pie. If there are 5 players in the band and 2 vocalists then we need to divide the pie into 7 pieces. This is NOT saying that they are equal pieces. Part of the strategy behind creating a unique sound is using the space in a way that isn't "cookie cutter" or predictable. The Rhythm section, in more contemporary or modern worship settings, holds a larger piece of the pie along with the lead vocals. If all musicians took that size of a slice of pie we wouldn't have enough to go around and if we all took equal slices it would sound like a huge wall of sound taking out anyone in it's way!

Personally, the style of music that I end up enjoying more is simple in it's mix. The drums, bass, and lead vocals stand out strong and the others support that "core" sound. To all you non-music producers out there, yes, that is what I said. The main things people complain about should be the most present in the mix. If you listen to about 90% of pop music (and worship music) you will find a similar structure. The bass and drums carry the music and the vocals stand out to grab your attention. Before you tune out, hear me out. We get more complaints about the drums and bass when the mix is more flat. Most people don't realize that their ear wants to hear those (well EQ'd) as the foundation for the sound. If the vocals do not stand out, then drums are the first things to complain about. If the drums are not present enough, then we take it out on the bass player. If the bass is not full enough we complain about the overall "loudness" of it.  Most people don't understand the 'sonic landscape', as a friend of mine puts it. But, in that basic mix, the acoustic, electric, piano/keys and BGVs support and bring color to the sound. That is when we can truly shine as a whole!

This video is a great example of sharing the sound-space. It is really a cool way to demonstrate this because of the fact that they are literally sharing one instrument.  The more important thing is that they are sharing the audio area or sound space. Notice how simple each thing they are playing is... but when combined with each other it is full and complete. 




As worship leaders, we need to not only realize that it will sound better to work together. But, that it is biblical!  In Romans 12:10 it says, "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another. (NKJV)" In the Message translation, it really sums up this verse with a musical analogy... it says "practice playing second fiddle." Jesus talks about serving, in fact, He serves us even to the point of giving His life!  So, as we are finding our place in the mix we need to learn how to serve each other and support each other best in our roles. In doing this we will learn to serve the congregation as well, allowing them to worship without hindrance or distraction.


The common and famous saying "less is more" truly applies in leading worship. If we bring simplicity to our individual sound it will actually add more to the sound of the group as a whole.

However, there is a time when you do need to be 100% of the sound as a solo musician. I love this next video as an example of that! This is Phil Wickham doing his Singalong 2 album and you'll see that he creates a huge full sound with just vocals, guitar & delay. This video doesn't quite capture the fullness that we felt sitting in the room hearing it live.




Basically, as it says in Ecclesiastes 3, "There is a time for everything." Or you could say, a time to bring forth a full sound on your own, and a time to find your space with the rest of the band.


-Luke

Creating an Environment of Worship Visually - WorshipVJ.com

I've been wanting to highlight a friend and show some new creative elements that are being used in Visual Worship Arts and I got an email from him about a session he is leading at the Song DISCovery Creative Conference in Nashville. So, I figured I would pass it on. Take a look. This is pretty fascinating stuff and really brings a new element of creativity to our worship.

Thanks for all that you are doing Stephen. Take a look at his website: http://worshipvj.com/

The Church used to be known for being the most creative, artistic force on the planet. Centuries ago, the Church commissioned visual artists to paint its ceilings, create stained glass images, and architect the most provocative buildings in history. Of course, many agendas, motivations, politics and power struggles were involved in the creative process (which is the same case today)...but at the end of the day, some of mankind's most stunning art was created...art that tells the Story of God!

But along the way, something happened. And a large portion of the Church threw visual art out the window. Beauty no longer had a place in the world of theology...and the Word of God was limited to text on a page and the academic preaching of a sermon. But things are changing.

The Church is welcoming art and beauty back home into it's mission & worship. And it's very exciting to see it unfold. And it's pretty messy, as well.

Pastors are trying to figure out how to manage and lead artists. Artists are learning to be pastors and visual prophets. Churches are making films. Worship leaders aren't leading with just songs anymore...they're leading with visual media! More eyes are on HD screens these days than they are on the cross, baptistry, or pulpit. And with "environmental projection," you can turn your once blank worship center into an image-filled cathedral of Story!

A generation of visual artists is rising up... and it's full of storytellers, film-makers, painters, media directors, graphic designers, VJs, lighting designers, photographers & more! The artist is the new pastor. And the media director is now the visual worship leader.

More than ever, there must be time & space to have conversations about what is happening... and to receive training and teaching so that we can lead and create in ways that bring glory to The Creator. And it's important to have these conversations in community with our musical worship leaders, songwriters and authors.

So all you visual worshipers out there, this is the summons. Come to the Song DISCovery Creative Conference in Nashville this April, and interact with others who are in the same boat as you. Click here to register today! And use code "VJ25" when you register to receive $25 off registration!

Sincerely,
Stephen Proctor
General Session Speaker
Song DISCovery Creative Conference


[Text & Images from: Worship Leader Magazine, Email - Subject: Hone Your Craft as a Visual Artist. Copyright (C) 2012 Worship Leader Magazine All rights reserved. Used by permission.]

Misquoting the Bible

Here is an interesting article that I found on misquoting the Bible.  My question to you is; how often do we as worship leaders embellish on the Bible with our songs/lyrics/prayers?  I think this is a conversation worth having. Here are a few streams of thought:
1. Artists can use imagery that can help us understand the Bible in a better way. We are not saying that these lyrics are from the Bible so we should not have to worry about what people will do with them.
2. Songs that are moving toward infamy can aid Christians in pulling their theology off of the Biblical texts and on to the song texts as "Biblical".  Ex. "Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me" - How many times have you heard this quoted and used to back emotional/spiritual arguments.
3. Should worship leaders/musicians be held to the same theological standards as the teaching pastors? Are they in some way less responsible for the theology of the congregation or are they also responsible for the doctrine and theology that they communicate, or fail to communicate?

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/05/thats-not-in-the-bible/comment-page-55/

Worship Cental: CREATE Conference @ RockHarbor

There is a great Worship conference coming up later this month called CREATE. It is put on by Worship Central and RockHarbor Church. I know that this conference will be great. I've been to a few Worship Central conferences and they always have a unique and intimate style that sets them apart from many of the other conferences that are offered.

This year there are sessions and worship services with artists John Mark McMillan, Evan Wickham, and Phil Wickham. There will also be seminars with some great, experienced worship artisans and pastors. Sign-up at: http://worshipcentral2011.eventbrite.com/

I highly recommend signing up for this conference! I hope to see you there.

- Luke

Here is a list of seminars that will be offered.

Educating The Imagination - Caleb Clements & Trever Hoehne

Do you ever feel stuck or uninspired?  Hear the journey of what it looked like for an analytical thinker to begin to to unlock the imagination.  This especially geared to songwriters and artists.

The Relationship of Worship Leader and Lead Pastor - Todd Proctor & Alan Frow

Many worship leaders and lead pastors have a tension in how they relate.  Too often they work against each other, rather than as a team.  Hear from two former worship pastors that are now both lead pastors as they share their thoughts and learnings.

Mixing live worship - Paul Dexter & Scott Clement

Learn how it is possible to achieve great, consistent sound while training and using volunteers.

Effective use of the Arts in Church - Nick Benoit

We've all seen cheesy and awkward use of arts in the church, but is there a better way?   Learn from what has worked at ROCKHARBOR from our fabulous Arts Director.

Developing the Next Generation of Worship Leaders - Keri Fox

Never before have there been so many young, eager worship leaders.  How can we best develop them while maintaining a strong culture of worship in our churches?

Spoken Word G.O.S.P.E.L

A friend of mine shared this video with me and I was reminded of the powerful message that we can communicate through creative spoken word.  I would love to see more of this form of worship in our churches and communities.


 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gb7n9B_8m8

It is a great reminder for worship leaders to see that worship is not music. It is the glorification of God. It is when we give Jesus glory and not only when we sing. I love that this video uses spoken word/video/music/storytelling and graphic designing all to communicate one truth. The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"Lord, help us to use the creativity that You have given us to glorify You"
-Luke

"Church" or something like it

Here is a video I saw that made me laugh and then really sad. Watch it real quick then I'll talk:

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer on Vimeo.

Wow.

So, the reason the video is funny is because it is so true to what we see in the church today. At least in most churches in California. Recently, I've had opportunities to see many types of churches, as well as hear what they are looking for in their worship service. Right on the website it reads: "Relevant Music and Teaching" / "Rockin Worship" / "Music that will make you feel comfortable" / "Music that sounds like the stuff on your iPod." Now, don't get me wrong, that tends to be the style that I like and what I end up gravitating towards, but so often we find ourselves striving to create 'the perfect worship experience' and we take the focus off God (Whether intentional or unintentional).

We have turned into a 5 step formula. We think that if we only have these certain things, we will see growth and change. But, we neglect to let God, through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, change us to be more like Jesus in our worship. We neglect to give up our control of the service.

However, as worship leaders we are faced with a problem. We DO have to be aware of people in the church that don't know new songs, we DO have to be aware of moving the church to a new understanding of worship by using new songs, we DO have to be aware of the style that the church is made up of, we DO have to be aware of bringing an excellence in our worship(because using our gifts is our offering to God). So, this video hits on some of these issues that we deal with week after week.

Why do we end up worshiping a formula or a method in our Sunday mornings. I know I'm a little harsh in that statement, but if we are honest with ourselves, we have fallen victim to that thinking at least once. We start to think that this is the way that works, so let's just do that.

When will we be the church that is relevant because that is where the Holy Spirit is leading them? When will we be a church that changes as best as they know how as the Holy Spirit is leading them?

Granted, the Bible speaks clearly about having order in the services, but I want to suggest that you can be creative and open to changing without losing order. I feel like we have done a dis-justice to that verse (1 Cor. 14:26-40) and applied it to things that it was not meant to be applied to. I digress.

We need to find a balance between intentionality to help people worship and following the direction God is leading your church. I feel that if we err on one side we should follow God's leading. But, I've seen many churches that will go REALLY far towards just getting people in the church door. Turning our worship into entertainment.

"Lord, as we lead your people in worship, allow us to follow you and be intentional to lead and not perform. Lord, help us to be worshipers and not entertainers." -Luke

___

To see the original post click here or go to http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/05/05/videos-for-drive-10/

Muse - The Making of The Resistance - Exogenesis

This is pretty neat... Be challenged in your creativity.