Retrain The Brain

I wish I could say there was an easier way to change old habits, however old habits just die a very hard death. I asked a couple friends to help me come up with some fun things to do with your left hand while playing keys in a worship band. It’s not exactly David Letterman, however it IS cleaner! (Although I do wish I had a drum roll right now!)The Top 10 things to do with your left hand while playing keys in a worship band:

10. Make finger puppets and then do an interpretive play during offertory.
09. Scratch that itch that’s been bothering you since the opening prayer.
08. Work on your sudoko (pronounced SUE DOUGH KOO.
07. Learn sign language and freak out the drummer by “talking to him”.
06. Master one handed clapping.
05. Play the tambourine with your left foot.
04. Wave at your friend in the front row.
03. Prop your head up with it during the guitar solo.
02. Operate that whammy thingy that nobody uses.

And, last but certainly not least…
01. Raise your hand to the Lord!

I had to sit on my left hand for awhile before I felt comfortable enough to just let it sit in my lap. Every year the leaders in our church attend Leadership Summit put on by the Willow Creek Association. One year, we learned it takes 21 days to make a habit. That means 21 days in a row of doing the same thing. You can do this. Don’t worry if it feels awkward at first. Time is on your side

 

2007, Christmas Past

Yeay. Christmas is over. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a bah humbug kind of person…..it’s just that Christmas for me, means not just additional work, but a LOT of it.

This year I tried something different. I stepped out of a few things I always felt obligated to in years past. The Christmas productions at our church are big. The plays are original, the music is hand picked, original and arranged. It is such a joy to be a part of it, but the time involved is massive. Add to that the regular services on the weekend, Christmas special music,and Christmas Eve, it can really get stressful. This year I let someone else direct the band, which meant no weekly band rehearsals, no dress rehearsals, which freed up a lot of time.

The change in how I felt about Christmas was remarkable. I didn’t feel like a ’scrooge’. If you felt overburdened, you now have over 11 months to decide what kind of load you want to take on for next December. And NOW is the time to plan.

One more thing? Merry Christmas.

 

Don’t Give Up

Yesterday at my church, I looked up in the balcony and saw a woman who recently started attending. She used to play keys in her church but has not played for 3 years. When her church changed how they did worship, no one communicated clearly to her what they wanted, and instead of guiding her, she was forced out. After years of faithful service, she found herself on the outside looking in, broken, and wounded. She believes she is no longer useful in a modern worship team. I don’t know the whole story, but what I do know leads me to write about it.

As a worship leader, your responsibility isn’t just leading worship. There is shepherding involved. Why skirt around issues? Truth and honesty will go much further, than beating around the proverbial bush. If they’re playing heavy handed with the left hand, quietly talk to them ahead of time, asking if they could experiment with some tasty little licks in the higher octave ranges, or play lightly in the left hand and stronger in the right (A trick I use a lot).

However, truth must ALWAYS be spoken in love. Take them out for coffee, and just share your heart. Don’t ever write it in an email….I actually had that done to me. Not only did it sting, it felt impersonal, and uncaring.

If you are a piano player? If they don’t come to you? You go to them. Ask them leading questions……”What do you want my role to look like? What steps can I take to do this? Do you know someone who can help me on my journey?”
Let your leader know you have a teachable spirit. Don’t give up. God has a plan for you, and it’s filled with a future and a hope when you trust in Him to make it so.

 

“When It’s As Clear As Mud”

Sometimes communication with your worship leader/pastor might get muddy. It’s probably not intentional. Most worship leaders, that lead with an instrument, play guitar. They can speak “Guitar” because they know how to play their instrument. The problem begins, when they can’t speak “Keyboard”, and then try to explain what it is they want you to do.

My grown son is an amazing drummer. He started playing on our worship team when he was 8 years old. He “GOT” ebb and flow, he “GOT” texture, most of all he “GOT” WORSHIP. But when I was leading, he had to learn how to “interpret” what I was trying to tell him, because I had no idea how to speak “Drummer”.

If your worship leader can’t speak “Keyboard”? Don’t stop the communication on your side. Be willing to have an open dialogue with him/her. It may be uncomfortable to begin with. But if your W.L. realizes you just want to know how to do your job better, it can, and will lead to a more meaningful understanding. And in turn, make you both better equipped to do the work of your heavenly Father.

 

“The Needs Of The Many Outweigh The Needs Of The Few”

I got an email last week from a friend who has played keys at her church for many years. I’d asked her to tell me her thoughts on the changing role of the piano in church. She told me going from being the primary to complimentary instrument, had been a huge challenge for her. Questions arose within. Did this mean that she’d eventually be put out to pasture?

No putting out to pasture is necessary. For-instance, the organ is making a huge comeback in the contemporary service. There is NOTHING like a Hammond B3 whirring into its vibrato intro in the song “Everybody Praise the Lord” by Lincoln Brewster. And like the Hammond B3 organ, the keyboard has the ability to do things that guitars couldn’t do in a million years. The pauses….expressions, even the power, can move a heart in ways another instrument cannot.

In an earlier blog, part of my title said “Resistance is futile”. I’m not a Trekkie fan. I just remember lines from TV or movies. Maybe you are feeling the famous line in Spock’s death scene…”The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”. I am so sorry if you are feeling that way. But you are no less important in the grand scheme. It just looks different.

 

“We will assimilate you, resistance is futile”

I’m going to be teaching a class next year at Worship Northwest. My class is really about how to fit as a classically trained musician in a modern day worship band. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought since I was asked to teach. And if you are reading this, and you are one of these pianists, I would love to hear your thoughts as well. We’re all on a journey.
When I was in grade school, Star Trek was super popular as re-runs after school. Later on, came “the Next Generation”. You may be wondering WHY I’m on this Trek….I mean Track……(groan). Well this week, I got to thinking about the BORG. Their never ending phrase was “We are the BORG, we will assimilate you. Resistance is futile”. Maybe that’s the way a classically trained pianist feels when trying to fit in a band that’s playing a Hillsong, Matt Redman or Chris Tomlin song. They may not feel important. Needed.
What is crucial to your growth is learning that it’s not about how MUCH you play. It’s more important to be STRATEGIC in your playing. For instance, if you double up on a rhythm the guitar is doing, the sound becomes muddied. But if you figure out a way to slip things in here and there, you will understand the great opportunity you have in growing creatively. And when you learn this basic concept, it frees you up to compliment the other players around you, which is honoring to them, and more importantly, honoring to God.

 

First Time For Everything

Greetings to all who come to this site! My name is Linda, and I am the Director of Worship at an amazing church in Oregon. I’m not sure what I may post, but I’ve been thinking a lot about what the role of a keyboardist is in the contemporary church of today. When I was a kid, the piano and the organ were the primary instruments. Then starting in the late 70’s the drums and guitar began to play alongside. Today, a modern worship set includes a lead, acoustic, and bass guitar, drums, percussion and keys. If you’re fortunate, you may have secondary instruments such as flute, sax or violin.
With all these instruments, how do we as keyboardists survive? I have some ideas……..