worship musician! magazine - julyaug 2011

Fly Worship Software TEO SS-12 Mando 12 String GuitarJULY/AUG 2011 Volume 9, Issue 407

Product Reviews

Record Reviews

Matt Redman l Vicksburg l The Classic City Collective l Jake Hamilton l Aaron Keyes l Benji and Jenna CowartA Few Moments With... Branon Dempseyl

0

74470 58440

7

US $5.95 Can $6.95

Songchart You Bled Your Heart Out

FREE THE MOMENT. BUT CAPTURE IT WITH PURE DIGITAL CLARITY.

INTRODUCING SHURE PGX DIGITAL WIRELESS SYSTEMS The precision of 24-bit digital audiocomes to the proven Shure PGX Wireless System. Built to optimize our legendary microphone heads, PGX Digital delivers stunning sound and a strong, clean RF signal. Scan and sync with true digital diversity for easy setup and a rock-solid signal. Welcome to wireless sound as it should be.

www.shure.com 2011 Shure Incorporated

Request Your FREEToday!Ch h Sound & M i T h l Church S d Music Technology G id GuideThe Best Technology for WorshipWorship Sound Pro features the right equipment for todays houses of worship and weve thoroughly explained each piece to help you find whats right.

10 New Essential GuidesIn-depth, down-to-earth articles help volunteers, pastors, and worship leaders to understand the ins and outs of the latest in worship sound technology.

Sweetwater-exclusive Brenton Brown ArticleBrenton talks gear, monitor mixes, technical difficulties, and home recording, with a special sidebar Q&A session with Rusty Varenkamp, Brentons engineer and co-producer on Our God Is Near.

is brought to you by your friends at Sweetwater!

For more than 30 years, weve been helping thousands of churches choose the right music technology solutions for their needs. At Sweetwater, were committed to providing you with a dedicated expert staff, along with the best personal service and support in the industry all while offering the lowest prices possible.

FREE Expert Advice FREE Tech Support FREE Shipping FREE 2-year Warranty

Request your FREE online copy of Worship Sound Pro today!

(800) 2224700

www.sweetwater.com/worship

The revolutionary new Yamaha DSR-Series takes portable active loudspeakers to the extreme limits of their potential. Designed through the application of advanced Yamaha digital and acoustic technologies perfected over several decades, DSR provides a listening experience that redefines high definition sound reinforcement. Dont take our word for it...visit your favorite Yamaha Live Sound dealer for an extremely impressive demo.

1300w

All-new 1300W (LF 850W, HF 450W)* high-power Class-D amps, with PFC switching mode power supply, deliver SPL up to 138dB High-power DSP and discrete 24-bit AD and DA converters result in superior S/N ratio and dynamic range Digital FIR-X tuning provides the smoothest possible frequency and phase response

48-bit DSP

D-CONTOURFail-Safe Protection

Multi-band dynamic processing maintains consistent clarity at both high and low output levels

Extensive 3-way DSP protection ensures fail-safe operation of all vital internal components

Learn more about DSR speakers at www.4wrd.it/dsrwm4

Ramirez Advertising 2011

Praise The Lord & Pass The Ammunition.The Re-Issued Dream Maker amplifiers are on line and coming at you strong. The acclaimed revived line, revd up by legends like Eric Clapton, Alex Lifeson & Bo Diddley is guaranteed to put the muscle back into your music. Amplifiers you can swear by not at.The DM30RC is perfect for warm, full frequency sound and features a special design 10"speaker. The front panel gives you total control over your tone, with a Clean Volume Control, Drive Gain Control, Bass, Middle, Mid-Sweep, Treble, Reverb & Master Volume. Includes MP3 input & a 1/4" headphone jack for quiet playing. Also available in 8"-15W and 12"-60W versions. The 30 & 60 wattt versions include Chorus & Speed controls. www.DeanMarkleyAmps.com e 1 888 993 5091 Give us a call if you have trouble finding Dean Markley Amplifiers & well take care of it for you.

Editors Corner

I have been hanging out in Psalm 51 for my devotional reading. And just so you dont think more highly of me than you ought to what that sentence means when decoded, is that is where the bible in the bathroom has been flipped 10 From the Drummers Perspective open to for the last week or so both Psalm 50 written by By Carl Albrecht Asaph, and Psalm 51 by David side by side. Two very The Calling of a Worship interesting reads. Now folks, I am no bible scholar by any stretch of the imagination; but I do know that I personally need to read 12 Keyboard the word and try to see what the Lord is saying to me as a By Ed Kerr follower of Jesus.

Is Random Reading Really All That Random?

JULY/AUG 2011

VOL. 9, ISSUE 4

Features8 Product Review By Mitch Bohannon Fly Worship Software

40 Guitar Grab Bag By Doug Doppler When Good Just Wont Do 42 The Band By Tom Lane Be Salty 43 Lighting By Greg Sisley Use It Or Lose It 44 Camera By Craig Kelly Over, Under, Sideways, Down 46 Tips for Tight Teams By Sandy Hoffman One, Two, Three, Four (A Simple, Sample Song Arrangement!) Part II 50 Mandolin By Martin Stillion Playing the Mandolin: Shall We Gather at the River? 54 A Few Moments With By Branon Dempsey Running on Empty

Drummer

Since the Psalms are in essence, songs, I find them especially appealing. I like that David wrote a lot of songs 15 Bass (often to the tune of another song, I might add). I really like By Gary Lunn how he would sit down and write no matter what kind of In the Zone mood or situation he was in. If he was happy you would know it. If he wanted God to smash his enemies you heard 16 Vocals about it. David wore his heart on his sleeve (or robe, as By Sheri Gould the case may be), and in Psalm 51 it was a time when To Belt or Not to Belt? David was coming to God right after Nathan the Prophet had busted him for some serious crimes.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

David opens with Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Good opening line wouldnt you say? He goes on deeper into it to say the classic repentant line of Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right 26 Songchart spirit within me. And then another deep request, Do not You Bled Your Heart Out banish me from your presence, and dont take your Holy Rend Collective Experiment Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Wow! Here is a guy who realizes that God wants us all to have that sacrifice of a 30 Record Reviews By Heidi Todd broken and repentant heart towards God. Our own pride Matt Redman can sure rob us of that, and rob us from walking in His presence like we are capable of. Vicksburg When reading this passage I always think of the old Maranatha song Create in Me which teaches us some of the words to this Psalm. It is powerful how songs can do that. I jump back and forth from Psalm 51 on the right side of theContinued on page 52

18 Product Review By Michael Hodge TEO SS-12 Mando 12-String Guitar

Interview20 Rend Collective Experiment... an interview by Aimee Herd

The Classic City Collective Jake Hamilton Aaron Keyes Benji and Jenna Cowart

34 FOH Engineer By John Mills Practical Mic Techniques in Live Audio - Part 1: Guitar Amps 36 Ministry + Artistry = Profitability? Creating your MAP By Scott A. Shuford Promotion: Advertising 38 Authentic Worship By Michael Gonzales Enhancing Worship Through Leadership

4227 S. Meridian. Suite C PMB #275 Puyallup, Washington 98373-5963 Phone: 253.445.1973 Fax: 253.655.5001 Email: [email protected] Website: www.worshipmusicianmagazine.com Publisher/Editor: Bruce Adolph Vice President: Judy Adolph Customer Service: Brian Felix [email protected] Copyediting: Kevin Wilber, Toddie Downs Design Layout & Production: Matt Kees Advertising Sales: Bruce Adolph [email protected] 253-445-1973 Worship Musician! is published bi-monthly by The Adolph Agency, Inc.

WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM JULY/AUG 2011

7

PRODUCT REVIEW

By Mitch Bohannon

Fly WorshipThis past year I began teaching a new class at the Christian Musicians Summit dealing with how to create and use click-tracks on the worship platform. I can testify to how this improves musicianship and really raises the bar for the worship team/band. However, not every platform provides in-ear monitors, which are necessary to use a click-track. the band in or out. This enables us to stay creative and follow the Holy Spirit as we lead worship rather than be forced to only play with a straight recording. During the song, if I feel I need to repeat a section (verse or chorus), I simply step on the Bruce just asked me to check out the loop pedal and at the end of new software from Fly Worship I the last phrase, the music seamlessly really am impressed. I sure wish I repeats! The fade pedal allows us to had this twenty years ago when my be creative with dynamics in the song. roommate and I played some youth Like a click-track, the rhythm track in Fly events in college! We might could have Worship gives a two-bar count in and earned more than Chicken Fried Steak! keeps the TIME throughout the song. Not that we lead worship for money, but Each track in Fly Worship is already on the flip-side, sometimes the phrase, broken into song-sections, whether the you get what you pay for stands true! verse, chorus, interlude, or bridge. In a nutshell, Fly Worship is a software Certain sections have been pre-selected program with a fully customizable to be ready to loop. But, we can still go band, ready to follow you as you lead into the settings and assign any section worship. The program comes loaded we want. Also on the settings page, with twenty of the top CCLI songs... get were able to move sections around this, YOU get to pick the twenty songs or remove them entirely. Beyond that, from tracks like Lead Me to the Cross, songs can be customized as to what God of this City, and Revelation Song. instruments are being used per song, as Tracks beyond the initial twenty are well as the volume at which they play $10.00 each (youll get each track in and the rates of fade in/out. three different keys). The Fly Worship tracks were recorded specifically for this software by studio musicians and truly sound like a live band. Included with the program is a USB 3-port pedal board that allows you to control the flow of worship. The pedals allow you to 1. Start/stop, 2. Loop, and 3. Fade

Worship computer, and a 1/8 to XLR cable to lead music for the Wednesday night youth service. It was a great experience! I was able to have a full band sound with only what I brought with me! In the first song, I looped the intro to give me time to encourage the students and get them involved. I faded the band out when we hit the second verse to create some dynamics, and again in the last chorus as an acapella ending.

A friend of mine is considering going to a small church in Oklahoma to lead worship. The church currently has no band and limited equipment. I just recommended to him that Fly Worship would be an excellent tool to bring the feel and quality of a good, full band to the worship experience of that church. Some additional features include: the Just because we have limited equipment ability to project lyrics directly from and volunteers serving does not mean Fly, which will automatically change to we need to have mediocre worship!! the appropriate song part as the track The Fly Worship software has an progresses; the ability to save a specific mix for each song so that the songs MSRP of $350.00 (including the USB within your set play exactly as youve foot-pedal controller and 20 tracks customized them to; and a loop engine of your choice in 3 keys each). More that snaps to measures and/or beats information can be found on their per minute to allow for fine-tuned editing website, www.flyworship.com and looping. And lets not forget the link track feature, which allows songs to be seamlessly transitioned from one Mitch Bohannon is the to the next without any interruption in Worship Pastor at Life Church in Sulphur, LA. the flow of worship. Mitch helped develop the Last week, I had the perfect opportunity Short Cut Capo for Kyser. He and his to give Fly Worship a try. The youth wife, Noelle, have the 3 most incredible group at our church has been without kids in the world truly! a band, so I took just my guitar, the Fly

8

JULY/AUG 2011 WORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

FROM THE DRUMMERS PERSPECTIVE

By Carl Albrecht

The Calling of a Worship DrummerIts a great privilege to play music for the Lord. I believe musicians and singers are the gatekeepers to His presence for the church and the whole earth. All believers are called to be worshipers, but the artists have a significant role in being the leaders. We are not better people, or Gods favorites. We were just made to create a space where we can all meet with the Lord. Thats our job, our calling. (REV. 5:10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God. / 2 CHRON. 34:12-13 The Levites all who were skilled in playing musical instruments had charge of the laborers and supervised all the workers from job to job.) People often ask what I feel during worship. What is going on that stirs such joy and celebration, or sometimes intercession and supplication? So I will dig deep to see if I can explain the experience that is so beyond words. Help me, Lord! The training for church musicians should be two-fold. Both technical and spiritual disciplines are a must. (I CHRON. 25: 7 all of them trained in music for the Lord) So besides the hours of practice and study it takes to hone your musical skills, we also need to pursue spiritual disciplines. I know for a musician this can seem like a big responsibility. You may be thinking, Hey Carl, I just want to play drums. Give me a break! But stay with me here and I believe youll find something in your playing that perhaps youve never experienced before. My technical training involves practicing new ideas. I buy new drum books, videos, and CDs. I go to all the drum and percussion clinics I can fit into my schedule. I like working on new grooves, new songs, and just have fun learning more about the gift the Lord has placed in me. The spiritual study is just as important. Ive just finished reading Bill Johnsons book called When Heaven Invades Earth and God Songs by Paul Baloche, and Jimmy & Carol Owens. One book is about spiritual issues; the other discusses songwriting concepts. Both of these books, as well as others I read, stir something deep in my spirit about the calling God has on my life as a worship drummer/ musician/ priest in the house of the Lord. I continue to look for material that stirs my gifts, including Bible studies. You are also called to this if you are playing for any worship event. There are no accidents in the kingdom of God. The Lord has given you an assignment. to the Lord about what He would like to see happen. Even as I prepare my drums and music, I have my spiritual antenna up trying to sense whats going on in the atmosphere. Sometimes the Lord convicts me of something and I have to repent. There are times I feel intercession rise up in me because there is a battle raging in the spirit realm. Im also listening to the lead worshiper. How do they feel today? Its also critical to stay involved in a What do they want to accomplish in the local church or fellowship group. Dont worship time? How is the rest of the team just hide out at home reading the Bible. doing? Everyone is important! So you Being personally disciplined is good, but see, there is a lot happening before the stay connected to the body of Christ music even begins. at large. There are things we only learn When the music starts and were while in relationship to other believers. flowing in worship I have a sense of The sense of community and covering being on guard. Yes, Im doing the are vital in surviving the journey of life. job of a musician checking the song My wife, Leann, and I love being in list, checking my equipment, setting click worship services with our church family, tracks, and listening to the other musicians; hearing the Word of God preached, and but there is so much more. Dont miss your rejoicing when the testimonies of Gods primary purpose while attending to the faithfulness are shared. Is the church mechanics of music. WORSHIP GOD! perfect? No. And neither are we. Just As the worship continues I listen to find a place where the Lord plants you any prayers that come forth. Maybe the and flourish there. Sometimes my artsy worship leader pauses because they friends say Im the church guy. But Ive sense something from the Lord. I go there seen too many talented people flounder with them in my heart. I start to pray for because they had no spiritual family them; pray with them. Im asking the to help them. I know this could lead to Lord to help us meet Him where He is and further discussion, but lets just say - Dont do as He pleases. If a pastor comes up to be a lone ranger. pray or read, I stay engaged. I listen and The spiritual life of a musician affects how they worship. If you are just playing the instrument and not pressing into the presence of God, then you are only doing half of the job. I personally believe if you are not pursuing the Lord like the lead worshiper, you could be dead weight in a worship band. I know thats strong talk, but Ive seen it happen. Musicians and singers who dont join the worship leader in the pursuit of God seem to wear them out. When you are pressing into the worship experience something happens. Worship leaders have said to me, Carl, it feels like youre pushing or compelling me to go after God deeper when youre playing. What is that? Im not totally sure. All I know is that Im as desperate for the presence of God as they are. watch carefully for anything that is stirring in the spiritual atmosphere of the meeting. What are the leaders and the other team members doing? Is something stirring in the congregation? Stay alert!!!

Before worship starts, Im praying. I talk

Musically, I have no idea what I will do next if were moving beyond the song list. As Im playing, all of a sudden sounds will rise up out of me, like the groaning of the spirit in prayer. A loud cymbal crash, a thundering tom fill, or maybe a light tap of a cymbal or triangle, or who knows maybe Ill just keep a steady pulsing groove moving along. Its like Im playing the lyrics of a song, the words of a prayer, or I just undergird whats happening at the moment. The actual notes or techniques of playing are no longer a concern. Yes, Im in tune and unified with the team.Continued on page 48

10


ANTHONY ARMSTRONG

- RED

TY DIETZLER

- THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH

MICAH SANNAN

- DISCIPLE

MARK ANTHONY THE LETTER BLACK

MATT FUQUA

- THE AFTERS

JUSTIN COX

- FIREFLIGHT

GHS Boomers now shipping in our new air-tight Fresh Pack guaranteed to deliver factory fresh tone. Rocktrons Guitar Silencer combines patented HUSH noise reduction with a noise gating process for the ultimate noise killing machine.

ghsstrings.com 800/388-4447 rocktron.com 800/432-ROCKGHS Music Products 2813 Wilbur Ave. Battle Creek, MI 49037

photos by Max Crace

KEYBOARD

By Ed Kerr

Do You Hear What I Hear?I know its nowhere near Christmas, but the title of that song resonates with me right now. It resonates because in our rehearsals for worship at my home church my teams are starting to hear things they hadnt heard before. Me, too. Theres a good reason for this. Weve been using a PreSonus StudioLive 16.4.2 mixer that I was sent to evaluate. What an asset its been to us. By hooking up the mixer via FireWire to my MacBook Pro Im able, with a couple of mouse clicks, to create a multi-track recording of the rehearsal. There have been many aha moments for us when we listen back to what weve just recorded. The most common is that we realize we are overplaying. Ive considered how best to counsel someone when this is the musical dilemma theyre facing and have finally figured out what to tell them. Stop it! Profound, huh? Its actually one of the most important bits of advice Ive been given or given away. Through the years Ive found, again and again, that I need to keep this in the forefront as I create a keyboard part. I, like many of you, have extensive classical training. In playing many pieces from that discipline both of my hands are busy. Really busy. The music is technically demanding and immensely satisfying to play, but the parts you and I are called on to play on worship teams, generally speaking, will rarely be as busy. Watch your hands when you play Mighty To Save or Forever Reign this week. If youre reminded of your favorite Chopin etude or the opening movement of a Mozart sonata, remember my earlier advice: Stop it! Compare your playing to what you hear on recordings of the songs youre playing, and in many cases youll hear a much simpler part than what youre playing. You could attribute your busy part to the fact that the energy of the crowd got you all energized or you were interacting with a guitarist who was especially animated. Okay. Thats good to know. Still, stop it! Heres when having something like the StudioLive mixer is especially important. The best way to get a realistic sense of how your keyboard part is working within your worship team is to listen to it. The same is true of your drummers, bass players, guitarists and vocalists. Record your rehearsals and your church services. Then spend some that immediately follows the chorus the time listening to the recordings. This is instrumentation becomes full again. especially valuable in rehearsals. Its here where you can most readily apply what You neednt copy this dynamic roadmap you glean from listening to the recordings. in what you do as a team, but I hope youll consider it. The bottom line is Dont let yourself be discouraged into that its essential that you listen to what thinking that you cant really do what Im youre playing. Listen intentionally. Listen suggesting because your worship team for conflicting parts. If an electric guitar doesnt have equipment as sophisticated player has created a dominant part with as the StudioLive mixer. I suspect that lots of 8th or 16th notes, be careful that somebody involved in your worship you dont play lots of similar note values ministry has a smart phone or iPod touch or in your keyboard part. laptop that can make an audio recording. Listen for pushes, chords that land on Pick up a voice memo recorder. There th th are many affordable devices that can an 8 or 16 note in a measure rather make decent recordings. You might not than on one of the beats. Are your use them to record your newest song for drummer and bass player hitting the release on iTunes, but you can definitely pushes together? Are guitarists catching make a recording that will allow you and the pushes? Are you? Highlight the your fellow musicians to evaluate how pushed chords in your chord chart so youll be sure and play them. Encourage effectively you are playing. other musicians to do the same if theyre Im creating a checklist for you to use missing a push consistently. when evaluating what your team is doing musically. You can visit my website, Another thing weve done when kerrtunes.com, and download the recording our rehearsals lately is to play checklist. Make copies and give them to along with a click/metronome/loop. the your worship team members at your Many of you use click in your services. Awesome. Some of you may only use it next rehearsal. in rehearsals. Theres still great benefit in Among the items on the checklist is using the click there. Some of you may dynamics. Simply stated, dynamics are not use click at all. the loud and soft extremes of our music. Regardless of what you do with a click, Wise use of dynamics can make the journey from the downbeat to the last or with recording your rehearsals, be chord of each song rewarding for you willing to make an honest assessment as musicians and for your congregation. of how the music your team presents Listen to your rehearsal recording and ask is coming across. Prov. 14:23 says, yourself if the dynamics of what you play All hard work brings a profit, but mere are defining the sections of your song talk leads only to poverty. Each of us, well. Is your intro the same volume as regardless of the position we play on your first verse? Is there a build into your the team, has areas in which we could grow; and by growing, contribute more first chorus? effectively to the music. Download the Now this doesnt mean that you can checklist. Do the work. And be ready to only build into choruses. One of the see God bless your efforts and minister things I love about many of Hillsong powerfully through your teams! Uniteds arrangements is that they utilize dynamics so well to create significant arrival points when they play their first As a songwriter Ed has written over chorus. They might have had relatively full 100 songs with Integrity Music. He has instrumentation and activity in the verse a Masters Degree in piano performance. that precedes the chorus. Then when they Ed and his family live in reach the chorus suddenly they reduce rather than build the dynamic. This lighter Washington State. Ed plays instrumentation really showcases the Yamahas Motif XS8. www.kerrtunes.com lyric of that chorus. Then in the section

12


MOX6semi-weighted 61-note

MOX888-note graded hammer action

The Mobile MotifFor the past decade, Motif synthesizers have been the industry standard for both live performance and studio production. Combining Motif technology with new multi-channel USB computer integration technology and bundled VSTs, the MOX 6 and 8 are the most powerful, mobile and affordable Yamaha music workstations ever. They are destined to bring Motif music production to a whole new generation of players and producers. 1217 Voices and 355MB of waveforms taken directly from the Motif XS 256 Performances with 4 arpeggios that spark your musical inspiration Direct Performance Recording to the internal Song and Pattern sequencer Extensive keyboard controller features for all major VSTs and DAWS Built-in 4-in/2-out USB audio interface with one-cable computer connectivity Comprehensive cross platform software bundle including: Yamaha YC-3B organ, Steinberg Prologue Virtual Analog, Cubase AI DAW Extremely lightweight for mobility (MOX6 15.4 lbs, MOX832.6 lbs)

For detailed information scan QR code or visit www.4wrd.it/moxwm

2011 Yamaha Corporation of America. All rights reserved.

Storefront to mega-church, theres always room for our new StudioLive 16.0.2 system.

16 inputs with 12 premium XMAX Class A microphone preamplifiers. 4 monitor mixes controllable from Virtual Studio Live, StudioLive Remote for iPad or StudioLive QMix for iPhone & iPod touch. 16-in/16-out FireWire digital recording interface (24-bit, 48 kHz) for 2-click recording via Capture, playing backing tracks and doing virtual sound checks. Fat Channel effects section assignable to channels, mains & aux buses 22 High Pass filters 24 Gates 24 Compressors 24 Limiters 24 three-band semi-parametric EQs 12 Phase Inverters.ad & Laptop, iPntrol co iPhone tual with Vir e StudioLiv2011 PreSonus Audio Electronics, all rights reserved. StudioLive, QMix and Capture are PreSonus trademarks. Studio One is a trademark of PreSonus Software, Ltd. Mac, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc.

Complete store and recall of 80 global mixer Scene and 99 Fat channel settings or an infinite number using Virtual StudioLive. Dual 32-bit reverb and delay processors with 50 settings each. Complete Talkback section. Rugged metal chassis. 60mm faders.

ulti2-click m g cordin track re pture with Ca

W Full-on DA n productio io with Studt e Artis On

Control output volume, mixer scenes and effects with a MIDI pedal while youre playing!

ith a footprint so small it will fit inside most pulpits, the new StudioLive 16.0.2 is perfect for youth halls, meeting rooms, mobile PAs, and of course small churches whod like to enjoy the digital convenience of the worlds most popular compact digital mixers. Plus its the first StudioLive mixer that you can control from a MIDI pedal. No matter what your needs, theres a good-sounding reason to learn more about the new StudioLive 16.0.2.

W

Baton Rouge USA www.presonus.com

BASS

By Gary Lunn

In The Zone

Flowing In Improvisational Moments During WorshipI recently had an experience in worship that only happens rarely for me. I felt that the energy, flow, and vibe of the worship truly ministered to everyone: each member of the band, the worship leader, the congregation, and, most importantly, ministered to the Lord. Since this time in worship, I have pondered over why and how this happens, and I feel led to try my best to share what, why, and how we got there, from my perspective as a bassist in a worship team. I hope that this may help to teach you how to really plug and play in the spirit of the (worship) music and to know what to prayerfully prepare for and expect as times like these happen for you during worship. Again, please keep in mind that this is from a bass players perspective in this experience. instruments in an orderly, yet spontaneous fashion. No one was trying to out-do the other or compete in any way. We were very sure that our music never overpowered the prayers being prayed or the ad-libbed lyrics being sung. We As we vamped softly the guitar player seemed to follow the level of intensity of began to introduce subtle melodic themes the prayers and the lyrics, almost ahead and ideas. I began to focus in on them, of time. Sensitivity was the key element at work here. That element is as essential as they were very inspiring. to this sort of environment as your bass I quickly ascertained which notes in the playing skill level. scale he was playing off of, and I began to echo parts of his lines by melding them into transitions between chords. I was In Comparison always careful to land on, or represent, A good way to familiarize yourself with the root of the chord that I was leading to, this kind of flow is to listen to different unless the keyboard player was playing instruments soloing in jazz music. You will in a higher octave. In that case, I might notice that typically at the beginning of intentionally land on the 3rd or the 5th a solo the music starts softly and builds of the chord, depending on where I was throughout the solo as the intensity of the What It Takes in the scale of the answering melody that soloists lines rise and fall. This occurs The musical and emotional ingredients I was playing. I was always careful not to because the musicians are listening to that are involved in the next section are be too expressive and was mindful to stay each other very closely. Theyre doing all of the things that I have talked about on the less is more side. their best to support the soloist at the same in past articles: humility, confidence, The keyboard player began to notice dynamic level that he/she is playing. This knowledge of scales, keen awareness what was happening, and without even can only happen by having knowledge of intervals, ear training (dictation skills), so much as looking up, he began to of scales, keen awareness of intervals, sensitivity, practice, good gear, a great echo and answer back and forth with ear training (dictation skills), sensitivity, tone, dynamics, etc. These all come into us in a kind of musical conversation. He practice, good gear, a great tone, and play. The summation of these qualities would occasionally offer different chords dynamics. Your mastery of basic skills will allows the emergence of excellence. and extensions as he was leading off really come into play in this environment When the entire band is comprised of of melodies played by other members and youll be glad you spent time honing musicians possessing these qualities, of the band - played tastefully and those skills. along with freedom of expression, theres sparingly. The drummer began changing a good chance that something great is from playing his drums with sticks, to One More Thing . . . going to happen. The other night during brushes, or just playing percussion only, worship, something very special did depending on the level of intensity in Compared to earlier in this article, happen. the music. Everyones ideas began to the ingredient that I left out of this list of change, and different lead-melody ideas requirements is humility. 1 Peter 5:5 says, began coming from each one of us with Yes, all of you be submissive to one The Flow no specific timing. another, and be clothed in humility, for The first few songs were a little bumpy. When the prayer time went back into God resists the proud, but gives grace to There were some unsure cues to the band more of a song form, there seemed to be the humble. No matter how great of a from the worship leader that led the band a strengthened unity amongst the players. musician you are, in worship, humility is astray a few times, creating minor train Toward the end of the service, the music what gives us the grace that helps us flow wrecks here and there; but nothing that rose to a higher level dynamically, that together in worship. the worship leader couldnt gracefully felt almost out of body. I truly believe dispose of with a humorous, Arent we that happened because of a combination Gary is a bassist/studio just great? comment. of the musical exchanges going on, the musician in Nashville. For comments, questions, or to As we entered into a simple, repetitious level at which it was happening, and contact him regarding session vamp on a set of chords from the verse the hearts of everyone in the band. work, email him at garylunn@ section of the song, the band began to Each one of us had the same desire: to me.com, or find him on Facebook. worship God with all of our hearts on ourWORSHIPMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM JULY/AUG 2011

dynamically rise and fall together in a very unified manner. At the same time, a person from the audience began praying on a microphone. Their prayers were prayers of proclamation for healing in the church as well as healing for our nation.

15

VOCALS

By Sheri Gould

To Belt or Not to Belt?There is an answer to this question, but before we get to it, I would like to muse over some thoughts with you. For those of you who are parents, you know that list of questions you WISH your kid would ask? You know the onesWhat can I do to help? & Hey mom, can you just relax tonight and let me handle dinner and the dishes? or Is it wrong that I just cant put my bible down? For you non-parent readers out there, how about questions from your parents that you wish you could have heard, like What color of brand new Mustang would you like for graduation? or Would you like to invite all of your friends to just hang out and spend the weekend while your dad and I go away? Or Heres the credit card, why dont you go buy whatever youd like at the store? Ahhhthe musings of a troubled heart. And why am I troubled you ask? Because I keep having to answer the wrong question. The right question would beIs it safe for me to belt? To that question I have the short simple answer no. (most likely not anyway). The longer answer would be maybe, (if you know what youre doing). But unfortunately, not enough people are asking that question. The question they are asking is Can you teach me to belt high (notes)? with no care as to what harm they are dong. They simply want to emulate a popular sound regardless of the consequences. And the consequences are available to see all over the place if one is willing to look. One of the most obvious places to look is at who is missing: Who you DONT see still singing. Those teeny-bopper belters dont last long. How many belters over 30 do you find still belting? Not many. Vocal damage is rampant today. I run into it almost on a weekly basis. I get concerned when some of the real reasons behind the damage are continually not addressed. Contemporary vocal coaches want to make their students happy by telling them what they want to hear instead of the truth. Your vocal cords are designed to last you a lifetime, and they will if you use them correctly. Heres the truth: you cant scream with your vocal cords on a regular basis and expect them a good display of emotion). At about 0:57 (57 seconds) you can listen to her shift into her signature belt. But theres something very different here from what you hear Demi doing. Celine goes very nasal. She shifts her registration to a high forward and very nasal qualityjust BUT! You saywhat about those few for the belt. This shifting in registration older ladies who are out there belting? takes the pressure off the vocal cords and They have learned some tricks that anyone yet allows her to get a good amount of can learn. The problem is that most dont. volume and power. Note that as she goes Most people try to emulate what they higher she does NOT flip into a head think is going on and end up basically voice. She simply shifts registration screaming. I like to use two examples in and resonance. Its important to note the my classes when I talk about this. One is difference. Demi Lovato singing The Star Spangled Many people feel that the only way to Banner. (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=tmz_FFrPZ5c&feature=related) sing powerfully in an upper range is to try When she first starts out singing, you can and take a chest voice up higher. This already hear her shaky vibrato as her is what ultimately turns into a scream and undeveloped voice is being pushed to is damaging to the vocal cords. This is the max. The rest needs no explanation. not at all what she does. The only other She just goes on to scream, to the delight alternative that most (female) singers seem of the crowd. This whole scene saddens to have available is to allow the cords me because she is being encouraged to to split and to sing in what is commonly sing in this destructive way. Worst case called (and is very misunderstood) a scenario? Shell ruin her voice and we head voice which of course lacks wont hear much from her after age 25 the power and tone they want. It often (or younger). Best case? (if she continues becomes the equivalent of a male to sing like this but with some coaching) falsetto for female singers, but instead of shell continue on with a vocal limp much doubling their range (like a male falsetto like Christina Aguilera has. Christina used does for men) it cuts their range in half to belt out her high notes with apparent leaving them seriously handicapped. ease, and now cant seem to sing above Ive addressed this concept before in my a C# (although it sounds like shes column but would be happy to redress singing much higher because its the top this for anyone who is interested (email me). of her range). to remain healthy. Most of the belting that the average singer today is doing is nothing more than screaming on pitch. This kind of belting is devastating to the cords and should never be done never! The saddest thing to realize is that this is all so unnecessary. When did vocal gymnastics replace beautiful tone? Why are we obsessed with trills and screaming instead of beautifully developed tone quality? Can we not have the best of both words? YES! Yes we can!! I contrast Demis voice with that of the seasoned singer Celine Dion. Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey are a few of the ladies that have learned some tricks along the way to add power to their voices without doing the damage of belting. If you check out Celine singing Alone on you tube: (http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=diQpMjq-lhQ) youll notice that she does a great job of delivering her song with meaning (and Powerful, beautiful and SAFE upper tones are available with the right training, proper placement, and breath support. Without training, damage awaits those who try to reach those higher notes by simply belting them out. Please sing safelyI want to see you singing for a lifetime! God bless, and keeping singing for Gods glory. Sheri Gould has a BS in Music Education (Vocal/ Choral) from the University of Illinois. A church music director (Choir/Worship Leader) since 1985, she also teaches vocal techniques at various workshops around the country. Send your questions to: [email protected]

16


Charts Tracks Arranging Planning

Find It Here!

Over 1,500 songs available!

Scan using your smart phone for free downloads!

PRODUCT REVIEW

By Michale Hodge

The TEO SS-12 MandoThe TEO SS-12 Mando is a very unique instrument, to say the least. Imagine a 12-string electric guitar, but an octave up. You now have a whole new palette of tone colors at your fingertips! Speaking from the world of session guitarists, its safe to say that having a lot of tonal options is a huge deal. Collecting pedals, amps, and different guitars is all part of the job. A 12-string electric ringing out in a track is so cool; its pretty much a must have instrument. But if you dont have one, then having a 12-string Mando is a really sweet alternative. adds a special v o i c e to a track that is unlike anything else. The neck pickup is warm, yet still chimey. The bridge pickup is bright and finds its place easily in a mix. I had great results when using it as an overdub instrument. This guitar is simply impressive. The intonation is nailed. Im sure this is largely because of the stiff neck, Gotoh bridge, and Zero fret. In a live setting, I found the Mando to be very usable. You could play it either in a whole set like a dedicated Mando player, or grab it for special moments. Its very nice to pull out something that sounds unique and adds a special vibe to the band.

Low output Tele neck pickups. Both pickups on the review model are Noiseless Tele-style neck pickups. I would suggest going noiseless for both studio and live. The volume and tone pots are tight and smooth. The pickup switch is like a high quality Tele switch.

I must say, the paint job on this model is top notch. It is not lacquer, but a glassy smooth finish like custom car paint. The The TEO SS-12 Mando is custom-built by base model comes with an ash body Terry E. Ousley in Indiana. It is patterned with a Tung Oil finish, and for a small after the old Vox 12-string Mando. Its up-charge you can get a transparent, like a mandolin in register, except its in sunburst, or sparkle metallic finish in CONCLUSIONS a standard guitar tuning and has twelve almost any color. I think the custom color is well worth the upgrade. There are also strings instead of eight. The TEO SS-12 is a wonderfully handseveral other pickguard and hardware crafted instrument. It proves itself useful in AT FIRST SIGHT options to choose from. the studio as well as in a concert setting. Right out of the case this guitar will String Gauges for the TEO-12 are as The sound and workmanship are Custom turn some heads. The review model is follows 10-10, 13-13, 17-17, 26-13, shop quality. Players Buddy Miller, who bright lemon yellow with a gold metal 36-17, and 46-26. I have played quite is on tour with Robert Plant, and Lyle pickguard. The retro body style, small a few 12-strings, and this guitar is very Workman both love it. The prices are size, and bright color can draw a crowd playable considering the small size. The presently in the six hundred dollar range of both curious and jealous onlookers. I action comes low and playable. I didnt for a basic model, upward to a thousand received a lot of What in the world was have any fret buzz issues. The balance of dollars or so when you add all the nice that? emails after playing it at church. the guitar was well thought out, and the options. They are well worth the price. I strap knobs are in good positions. believe this guitar will hold its value for WORKMANSHIP years to come. If you have considered a THE SOUNDS The TEO-12 is meticulously crafted. Mando style 12-string then this is, in my The neck is made from quarter-sawn Looks are sweet, but the bottom line is opinion, the one to get. You can find out maple with an East Indian rosewood always the sound! This guitar rocks big more at http://www.teoguitars.com fingerboard. Though similar to a time! I knew it was going to sound good Hammertone, Terry uses a straight/flat when I played it acoustically and was peg head (with no tilt back), and also floored at how loud it was. I recorded Michael Hodge is a inserts the nut directly into the fingerboard it acoustically with an AT4033 mic, and producer, engineer and like a telecaster. This approach does it was very nice in the track. That was a recording artist. something special with the tone that I welcome surprise. What I love about this Hes a guitar player on missed on the Hammertone Mando. guitar is how many cool things it can do. staff at Lakewood Church There is also a zero fret that further helps Typical 12-string lines sound wonderful in Houston TX. He and his amazing wife Carrie with intonation. The review models neck and clear. Mcdowell Hodge record and lead is rock solid stable and doesnt move at together at conferences all. This is a huge plus for intonation on a I plugged it into my studio pedal-board worship and was excited about the possibilities. internationally. Their passion is for the 12-string. All the hardware is pro quality. nations and to stir up the next generation The tuners are chrome Gotoh Kluson The chain was an Aphex compressor, Klon of worship leaders both singers and Centaur, a Tim overdrive, followed by a vintage style. The bridge is a high quality, musicians . Michael is in constant pursuit of great fully individually adjustable chrome Gotoh DD20 delay into a 1962 Vox AC30. I 12-string bridge. The body is made of was very impressed at how usable the tones and great gear! solid Alder. A standard model comes with Mando is for distorted lines and chords. It

18


EVENTS for CREATIVE TYPES to IMPROVE SKILL & INSPIRE TALENT for GODS GLORY

September 16 & 17, 2011 Cornerstone Fellowship, Livermore, CA featuring Peter Furler, Lincoln Brewster, Brenton Brown & others...

October 14 & 15, 2011 Scottsdale Bible Church Scottsdale, AZ, featuring Peter Furler & others

October 8, 2011 Calvary Community Church Westlake Village, CA featuring Brenton Brown & band, Dwayne Larring, Tom Brooks & more

November 11 & 12, 2011 Overlake Christian Church, Redmond, WA featuring Peter Furler, Phil Wickham, Lincoln Brewster, Paul Baloche, Christy & Nathan Nockels, Doyle Dykes, Zoro & others

[email protected]

www.ChristianMusicianSummit.com

Rending your hearts, a community effort and walking in faith are the ethos behind one of the most creative musical offerings rising out of Ireland today; The Rend Collective Experiment. Their unique blend of Irish folk and rock rooted in faithis quickly carving a place in the hearts of Believers and nonBelievers alike.

Aimee Herd: Youre not the typical five or six member band; how many players make up Rend Collective Experiment and who are they? Gareth Gilkeson: Theres a core of the band which would be the four boys; myself, Will Herron, Chris Llewellyn and Patrick Thompson. Then there is Wills wife Bridget, and my wife Alison. Were the core of the band and the six of us tour. But whenever were at home, the idea of collective in terms of a bigger number would take place. Its hard [to do that] when we travel, but

when were at home, sometimes weve had 13 or 14 people playing with us on stage. But, the heart of Collective is that its not just about music, but relationship and the spiritual evolution of the band...i.e.artwork, etc. AH: So, as youre touring with just the six of youthinking back to all the instrumentation that has gone into your albumhow hard is that to replicate? GG: Its fine because there is a lot of brass on the album thats controlled by an instrument called an EWI (pronounced eewee). We have four brass players on the album, but all four brass players are controlled by this instrument. Its kind of like a clarinet

20


but its electronic. And then my wife AH: So, how did this band come plays all the percussion and that fills up about, as well as its name? all the quirky sides of it. GG: Well, Rend was a student One of the unique things about the movement that a friend and I started band is that we have two lead singers. 10 years ago. We had noticed that, It really is the heart of Collective; in the Church, when kids got to be everyone wants to find the one person about 17 or 18 many times they would they can ascribe the glory to, but we drift away. Although theyd been like to put across a real community and brought up in youth fellowships, theyd team effort. drift away to secular styles of a band So, on the tour its a lot fun. And its because there was nothing really in actually a little easier to play with less the church for them. So, we started people, so the [group of] six people is a student movementI was 21 at the timeit was called Rend. We had probably my favorite to play with. about 150 people coming to it which AH: I can understand that, but it must is really quite large. They were coming be pretty powerful when you have as from different places and eventually it many as 14 musicians on stage and the became a community where wed meet song is building with everyone coming every Sunday night to worship and in... pursue God. GG: Yeah, thats right, it is a lot of Then wed do community work during funsometimes unmanageablebut the week; mission work in our own its good fun! (Laughing) home town. Thats where the name of AH: Sounds like the Christian life; a the band started fromthe two lead little unmanageable at times, but good singers in the band were the worship leaders for that, and the whole band fun. sort of grew from leading worship in GG: (Laughs) Thats right. that context. Those were very informative times where we learned a lot more about serving God and serving our community, and the cost of what it meant to serve

Christthat it wasnt just a Sunday idea but an entire lifestyle change. Then the Collective part of the band came about four or five years ago because wed all grown up and were pursuing jobs or were in ministryand we decided that we would make a collective out of all the people who took part in Rend as worship leaders and other parts of the worship. Thats really what the band is. Sometimes we dont use the last part of the band name; Experiment. But the reason its there is we have found that sometimes in the Christian community we can expect life to be simple, and its a good reminder to us that when Jesus calls us out in faith that it IS an experiment, and that its not necessarily something that has been done before. We may not know what the results will be, but we step out in faith, take the risk and trust Him. AH: I love the creativity and the


21

Rend Collective Experiment - an interview by Aimee Herd

continued

done, and it encourages a spirit of Family Hymnal, each song is kind of its collaboration, rather than a spirit of own rich tapestry. Pick a couple that competition. hold a lot of meaning for you and tell For example; I may write a song and us about them. bring it to the other three guys and they might say, Oh yeah I like that, but heres a line Ive written that would sound better... So, the four of us work togetherthe larger group doesnt take part in the songwriting but they would take part in the musical side. AH: I can see where that would just foster that community spirit. GG: Yeah, and I think thats more important than anything. Each member of the band knows that they are valued and that theyre a massive part of the team. AH: You talked a little before about the instrumentation with the brass, but there are so many layers to your music; what was the recording process like unique sound that Rend Collective has. for this debut project: Organic Family Was that the way it was during the Rend Hymnal? worship times and it just morphed into GG: The recording process was a the album then, or was it a conscious little like the rest of our livesa bit of a objective to pursue a certain creativity. mess! We recorded in a castle... GG: There was always a quirky AH: Wow! element to everything we did, I think GG: ...in the north of Ireland. I have a because we are just quirky people! In our home churches where would have background in recording, and a friend been just the normal worship band, of mine also, and we went to a castle and though we took part in the regular and recorded it in the mountains for a services, we always wrote music and few weeks. Then we came back and played music that was just a little bit did the rest of it in my housewhich quirkier. The thing is, what we write is isnt a big house at all. We did that what makes sense to us. And, I suppose because we wanted to have the organic the important thing to remember with feel. We controlled everything, it didnt worship music and in glorifying God is go into the studio with producers, we that there are many voices and many produced it ourselves. The plan was to ways to worship Him. Were just trying just throw it all in the pot and not to to worship in the way that makes sense have any rules, and see what happens. to us, because of who we are. AH: (Laughing) Im still getting over AH: Thats the thing; its artistic and yet the castle thingI guess castles are its still really worshipful. As musicians, pretty common in Ireland... you havent limited yourself to the GG: Theyre not normally common for boundaries of any particular sound. recording though... And, on that note, does collective AH: No! So, how did you work that, also refer to the writing process, how did you need to bring in generators for does that go? electricity? GG: Yes it does. Theres a model in GG: No, this castle had been worship music where the songwriter refurbished on the insideits a few is typically the leader of the band, its that way for practical and financial hundred years old but its had work reasons. But, for us as a band, we done on the inside so we could stay made the commitment that we would there as well. split our publishing between the four AH: Oh (Laughing) see I was picturing boysChris, Patrick, Will and myself these ancient ruins... so the four of us, the core of the band, are the songwriters. It doesnt matter GG: Oh no, no... but we do still have who writes the song, but everything castles that are a thousand years old is split 25 percent. Its a model that standing. U2 or Coldplay, bands like that have AH: On your debut album, Organic

GG: The first track on the album, Come On; that was actually written while we were recording the album. Its a song we did on the staircase in the castle at about 3AM. Its a real call to worship, we play it everywhere. When we start off, the room feels relatively cool to us, but by the end of the song I think people are listen up enough. The idea of the song is to make people aware that they are there to worship God. Psalm 103 says, Bless the Lord o my soul. We need to speak to ourselves and prepare ourselveswe cant just wander into the presence of God and expect to connect with Him. I love playing that song; its so raw as well, live and on the YouTube video. On that video we do the song around a campfire with some friends, and its got that sort of raw, rootsy, passionate feel to it. As far as other songs... theres a track called Movements, and for us its a happy song. Theres joy in it and celebration, but the lyrics are actually about commitment in whatever the situation is going to look like. That were making a commitment to God. And then the chorus is an acknowledgment that although were making a commitment to Himthe only reason we can do that is because Hes the movement and fight in us. Its a song of real abandonment, but with joy and celebration in the fact that no matter whether lifes great or bad, whether were running to God or crawling to Him, that well keep making movements to Him. And, maybe one more; the track You Bled is probably the song we do a lot in just normal congregational stuff. The middle of the chorus just repeats yes Jesus loves meits a very simple idea, and almost an embarrassing idea because its so simple. Sometimes people could see that as silly. But for us, its a point we came to where we just humbled ourselves and said, Yknow, weve made faith complicated; weve struggled with a lot of things and weve asked a lot of questions, but when it comes down to it, the simplicity of the fact that yes Jesus loves me is very powerful. Its actually the gravity that holds our faith together. AH: Thats so true! We get so caught up in theological discussions... GG: Yeah, so when we do that live, that has a power to it and a liberty to it, which people seem to get on board with.

22


Rend Collective Experiment - an interview by Aimee Herd

continued

the difference whenever worship and the Word partner together. Its been a great experience and were making a lot of friends. AH: And what about at home? How is Rend Collective received there in Northern Ireland, because it seems like theres a real creativity that Gods been pouring out there and throughout the UK.

AH: Theres always a well to draw from... GG: (Laughing) Yeah, a well, or a ditch. Im not sure which one! AH: Early on you mentioned the EWI that you use to control the brass sounds; talk a little about the rest of your gear... GG: I play drums, and occasionally my wife plays [besides other percussion] the trash can. Some people have read a little into it and said what man meant for garbage, God meant for glory... we were like, Oh well there ya go; we never quite thought of that, we just thought it made a good sound. (Laughing) So, we use that and things like the glockenspiel, mandolin and more folky instruments. And, because of the Irish element, we do have a reasonable folk element to what we do.

GG: Yeah, and I suppose one area the UK is maybe ahead of the US is that the UKin any terms of musicis not always all that polished, like you maybe havent got the best musicians. But then they seem to major on AH: I just have to add, on the song the creative side rather than the God Is Nearthat vocal part at the end technical side. And in the US there are sounds like angels singing. I believe amazing, unbelievable musicians [but Ive actually heard angels sing a couple maybe not as much creativity]... I guess AH: But it doesnt really sound times and it sounded a lot like that. thats one of the differences between Celtic... theres the UK element, but its not necessarily Celtic sounding. GG: Ah yeah, its very angelic; its the two sounds. a lovely moment when we play that But, at home in Ireland were well GG: Weve taken the bits of our and then just the acknowledgment that received, we lead worship at the biggest culture, which we love for the folk God is right there. And you do see youth festival there is, and it gives us a element, and weve left the other parts it in peoples faces whenever theyre chance to try different things as well. like the pennywhistle, and fiddle, which listening to the lyrics and taking part Weve tried worship events at a normal we feel is a bit cheesybehind. With in the songthe awareness. Gods music venue/pub sort of thing, which secular bands like Mumford and Sons, always here, but sometimes the is something you can only really do theres been a revival of folk music awareness isnt, we can be completely back home in Ireland. It doesnt seem in the UK and its nice to be part of and utterly numb to that fact. to be culturally the same in America. what musics doing rather than the AH: It must be kind of cool when One of the things that makes me most way Christian music often seems to be youre playing it and you begin to encouraged about back home and in behind the times. see that awakening on peoples the UK is that people here who arent AH: Its nice to be on the cutting faces. I also really like the song Above Christians like our music too. Thats edge... Everything Else, with the children singing because we, or other Christians, have GG: Right. And in September, the and the brass at the end, it brings me relationships with them, and though the words may not be their cup of tea, band is releasing a single of the song to tears. people are really into the music. So, Be Thou My Vision. Weve re-translated GG: Ah, but its a bit crazy isnt it?! Im encouraged about that. it from the Gaelic Irish. The modern We did that the other night in Colorado translation of be Thou my vision, Springs. We do just the ending, King AH: Are you guys looking ahead to a gives to the singer the idea that were Jesus section quite a lot rather than the second project? asking God to be those things for us, whole song. We did that the other night GG: Funny you should say that, as but the actual Irish intention was God at a student thing, there were about soon as we get home from the Tomlin You are these things to me. So, weve 400 students there and the sermon tour, we have a week in Europe, then re-translated it and the song is called was on Christs entry into Jerusalem on its straight back and will be starting to You Are My Vision. a donkey. We started singing King record our second album. AH: That just kind of changes the Jesus, You are victorious... the place whole tone of it. AH: Wow, thats fast. went electric! GG: It does, and its very powerful. AH: So, how has this tour been, GG: Well, the album you have just released in the States is about three or Weve done it on the tour. Its a lot youve been touring with Chris Tomlin more Irish, very folky and upbeat and in the States? Is this your first time four years old. It released in America in September of 2010, but it had released people seem to like it. So, hopefully touring in America? in the UK in January of 2010. And, well have that done and released for GG: This is our first time doing a the songs and recordings were actually September. major US tour. Its been fantastic. The done about two years before that. Find out more about The Tomlin team have really made us part Before we were signed to a record label Rend Collective by visiting their of the family; Chris has been amazing we had two independent EPs which we website: to us. Its been good too because Louie then put together, re-recorded some Giglio has been on team with them so and put them on the album. Because www.rendcollectiveexperiment.com whenever they do their thing, it feels like there are four songwriters, there are church-on-the-road. And it makes all always songs coming out.

24


Youre only a step away from perfect vocal tone

With your talent and TC-Helicon vocal effects, you can take complete control of your vocal sound with ease. Simply plug in your mic and get those chart-topping vocal sounds you listen to everyday live with our VoiceTone Singles line of affordable effect pedals for singers. Its your voice. Use it. www.voicetonesingles.com Echo & Tap Delay | Harmony | Megaphone EQ & Dynamics | HardTune | Doubling | Reverb

SONGCHART

YOU BLED YOUR HEART OUTJesus loves me G D Bm F m7 Em7

Rend Collective Experiment

#

D2

A

F m/C

#

#

Verse 1: Bm G You bled Your heart out, Bm D F#m7 Now I feel love beat in my chest; G D How wonderful. Bm G You gave Your beauty Bm D F#m7 In exchange for my ugliness; G D How wonderful. Em7 G D D2 You left Your perfection Em7 G A D F#m/C # And embraced our rejection, oh. Chorus: Bm G How marvellous, how boundless D A Is Your love, is Your love. Bm G How wonderful, sacrificial, D A [1/3 & last x. Bm Is Your love for me. Verse 2: You put on our chains, Sent us out through the open door; How wonderful. You took our sadness, Crowned us with joy and real peace; How wonderful. You left Your perfection And fought for our redemption, oh. Mid section: G D Yes, Jesus loves me; Em7 A Yes, Jesus loves me, how wonderful. G D Yes, Jesus loves me; Em7 A This is love: You gave [2 gave] Yourself.

G

D2

F#m7

Bm

G

D]

Copyright 2009 Thankyou Music/Adm by worshiptogether.com songs excl. UK & Europe adm by kingswaysongs.com [email protected]. Used by permission.

26


RECORD REVIEWS

By Heidi Todd

MATT REDMAN 10,000 Reasons 1. We Are The Free 2. Here For You 3. Holy 4. 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord) 5. Fires 6. Never Once 7. Where Would We Be 8. We Could Change The World 9. Magnificent 10. O This God 11. Endless Hallelujah Matt Redman and his strength in worship music have been a big benefit to the church for a long time now. Weve been stirred up by his songs and have been singing them across the world with passion (no pun intended) for years. If youve been a believer for a long time, you can probably relate to the ebbs and flows of your zeal and fire for God. Matt has been serving and following the Lord for a long time himself, and has invited us into the story once again. This album has an intensity that surprised me a bit. Even the piano-driven beginning of Holy sets up the feeling that something is about to happen...and it does. The live element of the album makes it even that much more personal. Its easy to picture worshipers by the thousands, joined with angels by the millions, focusing on and exalting God. Recently I was in a church whose worship band was full of capable, energetic, well-meaning band members. While they delivered the music and lyrics, the one time they became enthusiastic in worship is when the music got revved up; but it was the music, not the passion for God that revved them up. This has not been, nor it is now, an issue for Matt Redman. He has exuded a maturity paired with passion that is pure gold for a worship leader to possess. And even though he is a worship leader who is very much associated with leading our younger generation of worshipers, he doesnt dumbdown or diminish the power of the Word and the pursuit of Gods presence. As far as instrumentation goes, he includes the basics - drums, guitars, piano, keyboards, strings. Throughout the album you can hear inventive but sparing use of those instruments as well as a couple others that you might not

expect. I dont want to spoil it, but theres a subtle nod to a certain famous rock band on the drums in O This God. The vocals reflect the uniqueness as well; in particular, the backing vocals. There are times when theyre hovering or swooping in and out that is both unexpected but appropriate. Its a fine line for an artist to keep things fresh musically without allowing that to overshadow the purpose of the songs - to bring attention to the Lord. The bottom line: Im eager to get a chance to start introducing the songs on this new release into future worship sets. Regardless of the fact that I dont have Matt Redmans band to travel around with me, the songs will stand on their own two feet and will still translate in even the humblest of musical settings. Cant wait! VICKSBURG Weve A Story 1. The Good And Only King 2. Weve A Story To Tell To The Nations 3. Victory 4. Speak 5. Love Is Killing Me 6. Hallelujah (What A King) Its typical for us to review music that is sent to us from major labels. They continue to send one great album to us after another, so we never run out of material. This release is a bit of an exception, in that it was sent to us from a self-proclaimed no-name worship project who produced their own album. They were recently featured on a SongDiscovery disc and stepped out a bit to see if WMM would review this album. After a brief skimming of their blog, I started to hear their hearts long before hearing their music. Their commitment to be authentic caught my attention, and it was great to hear the music tell that story. But dont let their seeming obscurity fool you; with former members of Future of Forestry, this is not their first time around. But its as fresh as if it were. Theyve managed to add some drippingwet effects without outpacing their content and substance. The sound and feel of the music moves back and forth between simple lightheartedness and restrained intensity. This is one of those bands whose instrumentation Overall impression

isnt merely a backdrop, it sings and soars with the same legitimate worship as the vocals. In that regard, Victory reminds me of one of the songs released by the band The Listening where the vocals and instruments took turns voicing praise. Thats rare, and when it happens right, its a beautiful thing. Even though theyre so adept in the recording studio, this is a recording project that reflects many a quiet hour in private worship and reflection. I cant recommend it highly enough. No, not every song will be the kind that the average Joe at church will be able to jump right into in a corporate worship setting. Nor should it be expected of every song on every worship album. But theres no question that this is heart-pounding, adoring worship to God - and that is appropriate everywhere. There are only six songs on this release, which if it was vinyl, would soon become worn out from overplaying. Theres an authority and a tenderness that we cant get enough of in a digital, sometimes impersonal Facebook age. I believe this band would be equally as comfortable in a large hall as they would the local coffee shop - no wonder I appreciate it so much. THE CLASSIC CITY COLLECTIVE Leave Your Guns With The Usher 1. In The Arms Of Love 2. No Greater Love 3. God On High 4. A Mind At Perfect Peace 5. Darkness Turns Around 6. Set My Mind On Truth 7. At Your Feet 8. All Rejoice 9. My Offering 10. Loves Left Standing 11. Great Is Thy Faithfulness 12. Youve Had What You Need Okay, I have to admit - you had me at leave your guns with the usher. If I was ever going to be a sucker for a great album title, this would be the time. This is another one of those albums that popped up out of nowhere - a third party recommendation. But again, yay! If you know people who are putting good music out, please do them a favor and pass it on for review (Im a little scared that I just said that). But bring it on! Back to The CCC. Im not sure what to attribute all of these sudden bursts of originality and freshness to, but Im so glad its happening in worship music. Its

Average church congregation could learn/participate on the first hear Can be learned/adapted by a band of average skill Lyrical creativity and integrity

Matt Redman 10,000 Reasons Vicksburg Weve a Story The Classic City Collective Leave Your Guns With the Usher Jake Hamilton Freedom Calling Aaron Keyes Dwell Benji & Jenna Cowart Letters to the Church at Buffalohighest marks

30


ell w Dwww.kingswayworship.com

AARON KEYESAarons gifts are brought to the surface: his unique ability to weave Biblical truth with heart-felt worship, to create melodies that hang around for days and lyrics that resonate across the generations.Dwells tracks contain an exciting new sound with heavy drums and an electronic influences. Like Aaron himself, these songs are rooted in the local church, dealing with everything from transformation and forgiveness to the nature of God and the mandate of the local church to build the kingdom.

Available June 21


31

RECORD REVIEWS

JAKE HAMILTON Freedom Calling not that this band has reinvented modern music or anything, its just that they have a personality. And not so much so that it lacks depth or spiritual significance. Its interesting, but not hard to digest. Its skillfully produced, but without stripping it of the rough and real quality of the people invovled. One look at the album cover and all of those people and you may wonder if theyre all jockeying for position, or overplaying/ oversinging. Nope. They make plenty of space for each other. And its not because theyre seasoned veterans with stacks of albums and decades of experience behind them. I couldnt quite figure out how they pulled this together so wonderfully until I read their Facebook a little and discovered that these people spend a TON of time together. Theyre heavily involved in their church, Classic City Community Church, but they also love to hang out in their spare time. Their ability to fit so many thoughts and ideas into their songs is reflected remarkably in the interesting way fairly basic instruments are made to sound like they each have their own story to tell. One of the things that I love so much about this band is their ability to weave emotions into unexpected but welcome places in the songs. One of the merriest sounding songs Ive heard, A Mind At Perfect Peace, usually leaves me brimming with tears. Its such a reassuring message of Christs love - nothing can separate us and theres nothing to be afraid of. Simple, profound, enjoyable, and meaningful. I also enjoy the theatrical approach to some of the song like Darkness Turns Around. Its so over-the-top that you just dont want to take it seriously. Its full of attitude and authority; definitely not designed for a singa-long, but Id love to see this done live within the context of a church service. I was recently asked to sing A Mighty Fortress Is Our God and was surprised to rediscover how focused it is on the overcoming of a real and dark foe. There arent many songs that we sing that give much attention to our enemy (for good reason), but theres a time and a place for this kind of defiance. And thats why I think a song like this would be so appropriate in a church service - we are overcomers, and were due for a reminding. I love these guys in all their dissonance and diversity and will be a fan for a good long time. They are consummate musicians and inspiring worshipers. Okay, Im done. . . but seriously, do yourself a favor and go grab a copy! 1. War Drums 2. New Song 3. Supernatural Revolution 4. You 5. Take It All 6. Its A Garden 7. Looking For One 8. Breakout 9. Freedom Calling 10. Darkest Before The Dawn 11. Hallelujah This album comes on hard, with its first track, War Drums, pounding away as if provoked. Immediately I noticed something that was a funny full-circle moment. In quieter moments, Jakes voice takes on a bit of a Caleb Followill (of Kings of Leon) sound, which is ironic because of the little-known fact that a strong vocal influence early on for Caleb was Russ Taff, a former heavy-weight in the Christian music scene. Just thought youd like that bit of trivia. Of course, thats where Caleb and Jake part ways - Jake Hamilton, also with the group Jesus Culture, unapologeticly and unreservedly has thrown his powerful voice into heavy worship. Heavy in the sense that the first track includes scripture reading out of Revelation (not light reading to be sure) as well as floor toms that sound like theyre being hit by two-by-fours. The bass is heavy, the guitars are driving, and youve entered Jakes world with an almost tenminute, full-force worship song. This is not your granddaddys worship album. Or is it? Jake and his band venture into the occasional flare of Southern-style guitar licks bordering on twangy country tones. And the baffling mixture of styles doesnt end there. Theres spoken word interlaced with music that evolves in and out of various eras and genres. There is no need (or way) to pigeon-hole Freedom Calling into one type of anything. Just when you think youve been able to, the next track will come along and throw you off. Personally, I think Jakes voice shines brightest on track 9 Freedom Calling and its coupled with smooth Pink Floyd guitar foundational stuff with some crazy lead guitar way up high. I cant figure this guy out, but thats part of the fun of it all. I liked the God-centered, God-glorifying focus of the album as well as the inventiveness in which it was packaged. Where Jake sometimes lost me was on the many long-running track lengths, and a couple of glimpses of indulgence of creativity, or passion over substance. Just be ready to be challenged and confronted by Jakes commitment to individualism and

his rally cry. And...youd probably feel most at home wearing combat boots while you listen to this album. AARON KEYES Dwell 1. O My Soul 2. I Am Not The Same 3. Sovereign Over Us 4. Song Of Moses 5. Dwell 6. In The Name Of God 7. Only Just Begun 8. Sinless Savior 9. Life Without My God 10. Raised Me Up 11. Every Knee Will Bow Down 12. Hope Is Dawning 13. Lavish Its been just a few weeks since I saw Aaron Keyes live. And it wasnt your typical live experience; he was the main worship leader for my denominations annual convention for several days. He led worship each evening, which was great; but where I saw Aarons strongest vein was in his ability to facilitate powerful, anointed, and poignant moments of altar time. The thousands of attendees at our convention are primarily pastors and church leaders, and in the years Ive been attending, I havent seen such a vulnerability and tenderness in the corporate worship until this year. Aaron and his team are sensitive to the Holy Spirit and to the leadership they are backing. He had a hand in many hearts being changed in very lasting ways this year. Throughout the convention, he constantly encouraged the pastors and leaders with scripture and promise. This guy knows the Word, and his knowledge of the Word is mature and respectable - I believe this was an aspect of his leadership that helped him to connect quickly to that room filled with pastors. I first met Aaron in 2010 at another conference, and after hearing one song I knew we needed to review his album for Worship Musician Magazine. . . so we did. The first time I saw him he only led a couple of songs, and the album that came in the mail far exceeded my expectations. There was something deeply personal within the album that I hadnt picked up on in person. Oddly, in this release Im having the equal but opposite reaction. I feel less connected to Aaron on this album, in part perhaps because of the higher production value. Its a good album, dont get me wrong, but the raw personal connection from his last album wanes a bit on this one. This caught me off guard after having such God-encounters under hisContinued on page 48

32


FOH ENGINEER

By John Mills

Practical Mic Techniques in Live AudioPart 1 - Guitar AmpsIf you are looking for the technical side of how and where to place a microphone, then this months column will frustrate you. If you are looking for some tried and true field engineering techniques, then hopefully youll find something of use. live systems are going to show that much of a difference, in my opinion, to justify those dollars. And keep in mind your system is only as good as the weakest link. If you have a twenty thousand-dollar Over the next few installments we are soundboard and a fifty-dollar speaker going to focus on the extremely practical system, and are considering buying a side of mic placement that Ive found very thousand-dollar mic, your brand new useful over the years. Whatever mic you thousand-dollar mic will still only sound choose; most of these placement ideas like fifty bucks. Im about to share will help out. Due to Which mic? space limitations we are only going to When choosing a mic its a good idea be able to cover mic placement for guitar amps in this issue. So go ahead and to understand its pick-up pattern. The drop me an email so I know what you pick-up pattern describes what the mic guys really want to cover in future issues. sees. A mic with an omni-directional pattern will hear everything around What microphones? it, as shown in figure 1. A cardioid I know Ill get a good deal of email configuration narrows that pattern down about what mics to buy for this instrument, to mostly what is directly in front of, or or that instrument, so to try and head to the side of the mic, as shown in figure that off, Ill just tell you what I use and 2. A super-cardioid does a great job of provide pictures of them in use. Ive rejecting anything that is not pretty much tried many different brands and models directly in front of it, as shown in figure 3. over the years, and Dynamic mics are much simpler in have settled on design, and therefore are usually more these being the best durable as well as more affordable. sounding for the best Condenser mics, on the other hand, are dollar value. Can more complicated in design and often you get cheaper cost considerably more; but generally are mics? Yes. But when also more articulate and capture more of Ive taken those out the lows and highs. and used them, Lets keep in mind that no matter which Ive often found that microphone we use, most of them are by the time I have them repaired, or pretty much just going to do their job: To replaced, I should amplify what it hears. Therefore if the have paid just a little actual singer, amp, drum, or instrument more on the front doesnt sound good without a mic, it side, and gone with probably isnt going to sound much better the better quality with a mic on it. mic. Guitar Amps What about more Here is a tricky little instrument. I say expensive ones? instrument because really good guitar you might ask. Well, players can make amps sing. There is they are no problem nothing like a well-tweaked amp with a to find. There are great guitar player plugged into it. So many companies lets try and really capture what the player that have big price is doing. tags on their mics. The biggest tip for a good sound with So, if youre loaded, only one mic is to place the mic right then go ahead; but honestly, not many on the line between the dust cover and

FIGURE 4

FIGURE 5

FIGURE 6

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2

the speaker cone. This will give you a pretty tight sound that will work well for everything from clean to distorted sounds. If I only have one mic or channel available, I generally go with a condenser. Its more articulate, but I can always dumb down the eq to make it fit in a tight mix. Whereas with a dynamic, its hard to get a really pretty top end if the mic has not captured it. See figure 4. The more you move a mic toward the center of the speaker, the brighter it will sound. On the other hand, the more you move it toward the edge, the duller it will sound. If you have a player whose amp is pretty thin or too edgy sounding, then try moving the mic more toward the edge of the cone to tame those highs before you reach for the console eq. My favorite thing to do is double-mic an amp (see figure 5). I use a Shure KSM27 condenser about 1 to 2 inches awayContinued on page 48

FIGURE 3

34


M7CL ReinventedProtecting your investment one version at a time, the M7CL is constantly evolving. Keeping current, each upgrade brings new and exciting features and functions to enhance your mixing experience. Its like getting a new console, each and every time. Yamahas M7CL Digital Mixing Console. Changing with the Times.

Global Paste Channel Library Matrix Send on Sends on Fader Relative Level Channel Link Post On insert for input/output/direct out Monitor/Cue level control on the Mono/Stereo faders

Sends on Fader in M7CL V3 Editor Additional Recall Safe parameters VCM Effects available Direct Sends on Fader access from the M7CL knobs in Sends on Fader mode M7CL Editor for Macintosh StageMix for iPad

New alternate functions for the Selected Channel added AuviTran Network ASIO Streamer support for the M7CL-48ES Simultaneous control of up to 6 Stage box units (M7CL-48ES only) MIX Pre/Post status shown in the Overview display Additional user preferences for improved workflow

And more

And more

And more

The Worship Arts Technology Summit is coming to a city near you! Get extensive hands-on technical training from Christian musics top touring audio engineers. Visit www.gotowats.com for dates and locations.

For more information on these features, visit us at www.yamahaca.comYamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. P O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90620-6600 2011 Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. . *Apple, the Apple logo, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

MINISTRY + ARTISTRY = PROFITABILITY? CREATING YOUR MAP

By Scott A. Shuford

Promotion: AdvertisingOver the last few columns, weve been talking about Promotion. Last time, we walked through a brief overview of Public Relations, otherwise known as PR. Now we are going to talk about Advertising. My philosophy on advertising is that in most cases, the goal of your ads should be Data Capture. You can read my blog on that topic at http://tinyurl.com/ WhatYourAdShouldDo. The key to all of advertising is to answer the following question for your target audience: Whats In It For Me? The person viewing your ad is fully tuned into WIFM. Your message has to answer that question with something of value to the end user. Period. If you dont do that, then your ad will not be effective. Many ads in our industry simply say Available Now which is ok if you are someone like Hillsong or Chris Tomlin where fans are literally excited just to know that something new is out. However, for most of us that is not the case. Give your targeted ad viewer something of value to respond to so that you can capture their contact information. Music sells because people hear it and like it. Just about every music ad should at least invite the viewer to hear it now, watch it now, or free song download now. You dont need to say it exactly that way, but that should be part of your message. Be sure to capture their contact info in this process!

worship artists should be considering Worship Musician. To move into the national arena, you really need an advertising strategy rather than just putting out a couple of ads, which is part of what the team at FrontGate Media does for the entire Christian music community. Contact or printed ads. Advertising in its broadest us for a free consultation before you pay sense can include everything you do for an ad anywhere. Its what weve been from your email newsletters, to what you doing for 10 years. say on stage, to whats on your trailer So far in the MAP, weve talked about as you drive to your next gig. Since your Mission, Fan Development, the Nonadvertising is nothing more than targeted Profit option, Gods Growth Strategy, the communication, it can encompass all the Four Ps, Social Media, PR, and now ways in which you communicate. Advertising. Next time well take a look What can you give that is of value? at several no-brainers. Until then Some things are probably connected to your music, but others may have no Scott has led classes obvious connection. Hearing or watching for us at NAMM and your music is of value, hopefully! You can the Christian Musician also do giveaways of your music or of Summit. He has been featured in Adweek and things connected to your music like song is the CEO of FrontGate Media, posters, or VIP time with you. Many the #1 culture-engage media group people do giveaways of the latest techno- reaching the Christian audience gadget like an iPad or a Flip camera (www.FrontGateMedia.com) and is because those things are of value to the the co-founder of Creator Worship: online radio for worship leaders audience. (www.CreatorWorship.com). Email Look at what others are pitching you in your comments or questions to Scott@ their ads. Watch TV, listen to the radio, CreatorLeadershipNetwork.com look at the ads on Facebook and Google, or on the web sites you visit. Some will be more effective than others, but start paying attention to what others are doing in their ads. That will help you to grow in this area. Not all advertising has to be paid. You can work out advertising trades. For example: Do a drawing with the church that is hosting you as a guest. Send a personal video greeting advertising your upcoming appearance and tell the people to logon to your Facebook page for a chance to win free tickets to the evening concert. That ad promotes you being there, giving them a flavor of who you are and gives them a chance to get in free, while adding themselves to your Facebook page. Thats just one example of a no cost ad idea. The church gains because they are bringing you in as an added value for their members, so by showing the video, they are communicating that added value to their members.

Tune in Creator Worship Online Radio: Teaching & Training Hear it today Use it tomorrow. WorshipTeamTraining.com Richie Fike (Indie Extreme) Monica

worship musician! magazine - julyaug 2011

Documents