Thoughts on Musicianship

Here are a few of my thoughts on musicianship.

1. Prepare.  You have to be prepared for the musical situation you are going into. Are you familiar with the style, song selection etc.? The less experience you have, the more you need to prepare.
2. Gear.  Do you have the right gear for the job?  I just had a phone conversation with a guitar player considering joining the Epic band.  He had looked over the song list I sent him, and he said he would need to get another guitar to make sure he would have the right sound for us.  I about fell over.  That is what a musician considers when taking a gig.  "Do I have the right gear?", not "do I have gear?".  I have mixed sound for many a band with a Marshall Stack in the backline for a small club, and destroyed the mix.  Marshall Stacks are my among my favorite amp rigs along with some killer boutique amps.  But they don't fit every situation.
3. Know your place.  If you are not the MD, don't try to become one.  Be ready to give input if asked, but don't try to run the show.  I have had many a professional give me suggestions that made the song rock.  I love that.  I have also worked with people that totally wanted to rearrange the entire arrangement or tell everyone else how to play their parts and not even know their own.  Ouch, I have even done that once or twice.  It's a hard lesson, but one that needs learning.
4. Attitude.  Don't bring your emotional junk to the gig or rehearsals.  Be positive about what is going on.  Remember, you are making music! If you are doing a church gig, talk with the worship pastor long before rehearsal or the Sunday you are scheduled.  He/She will be able to focus on you and help.  Encourage others in the band too.  Everyone loves a little encouragement.

This list could be, and should be expanded on by greater minds than mine.  If any of you readers, have a comment or suggestion, please respond.

Peace

Do You Get It?

Most leaders agree, that you need so surround yourself with people who "get" the vision.  Knowing the vision and "getting" it are two entirely different things.  Here are some practical ways to identify people who get it.

1. They talk about it as much as you do.  Maybe more.
   
2. Ownership.  They give you unsolicited feedback.  This means they are thinking about it and owning it.
   
3. Time and treasures are invested.
4. They may not be Christ followers yet!
5. Multiplication. They get people involved that you didn't even know existed.
6. They encourage, not criticize.  Solutions are presented with problems.
7. They are not spiritual Vampires that suck the life and love of ministry out of you.

Who do you have on your team that is like this?  Don't spend time babysitting people who will never get it.  Invest in those who do, and ask God to give you discernment.

Peace and Love.

Leadership stuff...

After dropping Jean off at work this morning, I made my way to my Starbucks office again for some meetings.  On the way I was thinking about all the technology at my fingertips.  Literally at my fingertips.  That thought morphed in to the information available at those same end of digits.  Then I thought, "I have no excuse not to be a great leader, because I have access to some of the greatest leaders of our day, right on my phone!"  So just saying that if we are leading people, we have no excuse to suck at it.  I may blow it from time to time, but it is not because the skill or technique or truth is not out there for me to grab a hold of.  Just a thought, so get out there on Twitter, the blog-o-sphere, Facebook, Podcasts and the whole other host of resources, and lead!!

Are we too focused??

At Epicchurch.tv, we have our creative meetings on Mondays.  We begin my debriefing Sunday service.  We "walk through" the service beginning with the parking lot and end with the dismissal of the last service.  With three services, it is a lot to download and digest.  The funny thing about it is, we all have a different perspective on the service.  And what I've found out is that the closer the area of ministry is to your heart, the more you notice what went wrong.  I'll try to explain better. 

I really thought we struggled with a few songs on Sunday.  We don't do 3 chord 4/4 songs to just get by.  I throw challenging stuff at our band.  But, learning a new popular song each week is a daunting task for any band.  But I knew where we missed vocal cues, missed a transition to a chorus, played the wrong chord, etc.  The rest of the creative team and staff thought it was off the chain.  I was perplexed to say the least.  But again I know what was missing and they were enjoying the energy and vibe that was coming from the stage.  And they were worshiping Jesus. 

Now, when we discussed the greeters, I thought they were awesome and friendly.  The kind of people who make you feel welcome when you go to a know place.  But, there were missteps and cancellations, and some challenges had to be overcome.  Same thing in the parking lot and kids. 
I didn't notice because, it's not my area of passion.  I am focused on the worship band and tech crew.  I spend my waking, and sometimes sleeping, hours fixed on what Sunday will look and sound like. 

So in light of this new although simple revelation, I am gonna really enjoy Sunday morning and not get too, focused on things that don't happen the way I think it should.  I'm gonna step back a little and see the forest.

I love our team!!
Peace

Peace.