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.

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

Practical Tips For Worship Leaders Video - Jim Altizer

A worship leader friend of mine posted this video about what makes a great worship leader.  There is so much simple, yet widely untold, truth in this video. The practical elements that are shared should be learned by worship leaders allowing them to lead their congregations in more meaningful ways.

Here you go!



You can find some more videos from Dr. Jim Altizer here. Or visit: http://roadmapsforworship.com/

*If you can't see the video go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzHLeExWE0k&list=PLC7E71DF46BADEE3C&index=2&feature=plpp_video

Worship - sermon series from Trent Vineyard

I came across these videos on worship from Trent Vineyard Church based in Nottingham, UK. Not only is John Wright's accent addictive to us American folk, but the content that we see in these videos is great.  I recommend sitting down and watching these to gain a new/refreshed perspective on worship.

Worship: PART 1

Worship: Part 1 from Trent Vineyard on Vimeo.
In the first talk of this series John Wright looks at God’s creation of the Universe and man’s creation of the temple, and unpacks the incredible access and invitation we now have into God’s presence as we come to worship.

Worship: PART 2

Worship: Part 2 - Reverent Worship from Trent Vineyard on Vimeo.
In the second talk of this series John looks at the ark of the covenant, our attitude as we come to worship, and what the bible has to say about reverent worship.

Worship: PART 3

Worship: Part 3 - Extravagant Worship from Trent Vineyard on Vimeo.
In the concluding part of this series, John Wright explores freedom in Worship, looking at the example of David in 2 Samuel as the Ark returns to Jerusalem.

For more info about this church visit: http://www.trentvineyard.org/

Tech Team Tribute Video

Super funny video tribute to all the behind the scenes guys at churches and worship services.
A little something the Church Tech Talk boys cooked up for the opening session of Gurus 2011! http://vimeo.com/30082983

Hope you enjoyed this.

luke

Back-up Vocals & Harmonies

It has been a while since my last post on vocals. So this is much overdue.  Anyway, these past few months have been busy and our church Bethany Bible Fellowship has been able to go to a few worship conferences in the area. One practical workshop that stood out to one of our vocalists was from the 2011 PURE Worship Conference by one of my worship leader friends, Gia Lucid.  She has been singing professionally and leading worship for over 10 years and has been privlidged enough to gain a ton of experience and insight along the way.

The session outlined a few things that vocalists can do to help add dynamic harmonies to the worship service. Some of it is basic but the majority of this is gold if you can learn to implent it correctly. Here are some of the highlights from the sesssion: (this is not the full content or original order, but reorginized for flow)
1. Harmonies
    - Don't get freaked out by the word "harmony" think of it as "my melody" or an "alternate melody"
    - Be selective with your harmonies and parts. You don't have to sing the whole song and have the freedom to choose to highlight certain parts of the song using selective harmonies. Think about your how to feature sections, phrases, or even words of a song. In other words, you can fill backup vocals in for just a few words to emphasize more effectively.
    -Tight vs loose. Tight harmonies (notes closer together) are usualy better and are less distracting from the focal point or melody of the song. Loose harmonies can be good if they are done well but are more difficult.
    - Add dynamics with vocals which can help build certain parts of the songs more dramitically.
    - You can use harmonies to add choral oohs, ohhs, and aahs which will bring a very corperate/united feel to the song. When done well this can add a lot!
2. Unison/Prime Unison
    - Unison is when two people/instruments are singing/playing the same note on the same octave.
    - In worship this usually means the guys and girls sing melody together (with the same octave).
    - This can be helpful for altos who might be singing with a tenor and can not reach the higher/lower notes professionally.  It also might be preferred for some arrangements because of the 'oneness' that it creates in the song if done well.
    - You can read more about Unison here.
3. Echoes
    - Helps change things up
    - Use difference with the verses
    - Don't always do this the enire song because it can easily become overwhelming
4. New Songs
    - Establish a melody first with a solo or unison
    - Listen first, then sing (don't try to sing along before learning a line)
5. Vocal Health
    - Hydrate throughout the day. Drink a bottle of water first thing in the morning or try some herbal tea
    - Warm-up properly. Ease your voice out (try singing in the shower), massage your face, lip trills (see below), start in your lower register to warm-up before reaching for the high/power notes.
    - Try lip trills (humming with lips partly open, blowing air through them) which can help warm up your face muscles and teach you to sing with steady air.
    - Exercise voice before rehearsals and sound checks. As soon as you start rehearsal you should be professional and ready to give 100% to the sound crew can set accurate levels.
    - Use breath not throat for power
6. Notes/Tips for singing in worship
    - Bring a recording device to practice (many phones can do this)
    - MP3s can be emailed to others to share parts easily
    - Bring a pencil to practice and sound check, take notes, pay attention to the leader
    - Keep a folder of music with notes. Over time this will help you to stay consistant and grow vocally
    - Natural harmonizers should help others learn the harmonies to the songs (with a humble attitude)
    - Worship visibly with your face and body.  We comunicate a ton without knowing it. Don't just stand there when you are worshipping, think about the lyrics and what the Holy Spirit is doing and join in the worship! Even when it is 'not your turn to sing'. You can still sing along, but step back from the microphone so that you don't change the intended mix.
    - Blend with the worship leader. Follow thier words and melody, or the parts they gave you, follow thier tone, don't compete with some else's vibrato (work to flatten your's)


Also, here is a great video from Worship Team Training for back-up vocalists about Harmonies. Take a look and enjoy.

If you can't see the video click here.

What is Easter

Here is a great video that speaks for itself...

http://vimeo.com/8560816


What is Easter? (Man on the Street) from joe perez on Vimeo.

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

Lead Guitar in the studio with WorshipCentral

This is a really fun video that shows a little about the creativity and well... fun... that goes into recording a worship album.  I love these behind the scences videos. I hope you do too.  But, this is narrated by Tim Hughes about the tracking of a new song "Counting on Your Name" for his new album.



PS> A little shout out to Sean Gonzales for getting me excited years ago about effects and using them creativly. Love you man!

Background Vocalist Video Tutorial - Amazing

This is for all of you background vocalists. I feel like bgvs and the sound guys rarely receive the credit they deserve. Anyway, here is another great video from Worship Central. Jono McNeil hits on some key topics that can help background vocalists feel comfortable and useful in our worship services. Everything in this video is 100% truth. Towards the end he really gets into some great harmony ideas and concepts which is really useful for anyone that wants to take the next step and tackle some bgv harmonies.

But, this video speaks for itself. Check it out.

Worship Central is a great place to see what is new from some other worship leaders, as well as, get some training and practical tips to leading (at any level - BGVists are leaders just as much as the "Matt Redmans" but God has given us different roles). Anyway, you can pick up a link to Worship Central from my blog or by going to Worship Central's website directly.

If you can't see the video go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75YV1UDHHZg

'You are with me still' - video with Caleb Clements

This is one of those songs that, every time you lead, someone comes up after and says, "wow, that song was so powerful." Each time they quote a different line and say how it touched them.

It was written and refined by a group of guys in Orange County, CA and actually around the world, birthed at a church named Rockharbor. Have a listen.

You Are With Me Still - Story & Song from ROCKHARBOR WORSHIP on Vimeo.

For the charts and lyrics go to the Rockharbor Worship website, Click here.

For me, every time I listen I have a new favorite part. The song takes a different approach to worship than we have seen recently in our worship services. It follows the 'other 50%' of the Psalms and deals with the hard times. The painful times. The times when you really don't FEEL like God is right there with you. Yet, the hook in the song really gives the listener a sturdy ground to stand on. "You are with me still."

When all is dark and hope is gone

And silence has become my song

When doubt has closed me in, You are with me still

When strength is overcome by fear

Your presence feels no longer near

When sorrow’s night descends, You are with me still

One line of the song (that is not actually on the video) shows an aspect of response in the midst of repeated suffering and pain. It says, "My calloused heart and weary soul, will turn to trust in you." I picture this one... calloused and weary, beat-up by life and feeling like you are stuck in a washing-machine on the heavy setting. Just over and over pain - hurting - pain - hurting.

Though favor’s touch seems long ago

My calloused heart and weary soul

Will turn in trust to You, You are with me still

So, any worship leaders. Remember that it is NOT un-biblical to worship out of an acknowledged pain. In fact, some of the most powerful times of worship in the Bible come from difficult and uncertain times. We have some great examples: Job, David, Isaiah, Paul, and exc.

Here is the chorus:

You are with me still, Your love will endure

You are with me still, Your promise is sure

You are with me still, Your mercy remains

You are with me still, You give strength as I wait

"Lord, help us to understand that You are with us. Help us to place our trust in You. Because we know that You are stronger. In our weakness You are strong. We know that Your love will endure, we know that Your promise is sure and true, we look to You in our despair and our sorrow. And we ask for Your strength to help us wait."

Muse - The Making of The Resistance - Exogenesis

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

There's an App for that...

There is a new Worship App for iPhone/iTouch users called Song Suggest. I was able to check it out and it seems pretty cool. You can do a lot with it. It helps you find songs, lyrics/chord charts, and videos for any song that is listed. It draws from a pretty huge database of songs.

Check out the website online at: http://www.worshipapps.com/ or find it in the app store.

Here is the video about the app and its features.

Instructional video by Jesse Reeves for 'I Will Rise'

This is a great video resource that I found on a site called www.fqworship.com.

This is a great song, I will Rise, played by Chris Tomlin. Jesse is the bass player and arranger for much of the Chris Tomlin stuff and he gives us a play by play of the bass parts for this song. He also gives some great helpful tips about using bass in music/worship and some theory behind it.

Check it out.

Writing Fresh Lyrics

Here is a video with Stuart Townend talking about lyrics, creativity, and songwriting. He is a very gifted lyricist and a great modern hymn writer. His knowledge and use of scripture, Biblical doctrine and Theology is refreshing and challenging altogether.
Enjoy.





To check out more from Stuart Townend follow this link to his blog.
Or to see the original Writing fresh lyrics.

Coldplay's Michael Jackson tribute - Billy Jean

This was too awesome not to pass on.

Enjoy.