All Tuned Up? Tuning Frequency

This is a fundamental subject for all music ministries, and is not one to be overlooked:

How often should we tune our instruments? 

Sometimes in the rush of setting up, organizing music, and practicing pieces this can go unnoticed and be forgotten even with the best of intentions.  How are we to “make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise”? Psalm 95:2

For us as church musicians, we might not see our instruments but once or twice a week.  For me I strive to tune my instruments every time I pick them up.  As we know a variety of factors can cause instruments to ‘drift’ from tune: temperature, humidity, string stretching, reed age and moisture.  Several of these factors can and will change from Sunday to Sunday resulting in pitch changes in our instruments.

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Which Microphone Is Best for You?

This post will be most helpful to the singers in music ministry and is a continuation of our series on "Getting to Know Your Microphone."

Ever notice that your voice sounds different when using different microphones?  One makes your voice muffled and flat while another, tinny.

Different mics response to your voice differently.  This is by design and is simply a reflection of the fact that there is no perfect mic for all occasions and uses.

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Helpful Music Ministry Gadgets: Tuner App

Again, let me begin this by saying that this church musician is not sponsored by any products or services.  If I see a product or service that seems to have great value for us in music ministry, then I genuinely mean it.

This one seems intuitively perfect for us.

I previously wrote about a light percussion program for popular smartphones.  This is another "app" for the iPhone.  That is Silicon Valley speak for another "program for a particular Apple smartphone called the iPhone."  It is called Cleartune Chromatic Tuner.  Yes, it simply turns a phone into a handy tuner.  Great idea, but how does it work?

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Prayerful Song: The Gift of Confidence

I am continuing a theme developed in some earlier posts about the importance of prayer before the first song is sung.  Gather the music group together in a circle and pray.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, it is an anxious time before that first song.  "What is that first song again?"  "Where is the music for it?"  "I’m not sure I practiced this tricky part enough."  It is important to refocus our attentions back onto what should be our main task: leading souls in prayerful song.  It is amazing what a simple prayer will do to help refocus the music ministry. 

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Singing In Sync

'N Sync?  No, this post is not about promoting American boybands in church! :)

It is all about tempo and its role in music ministry.  In an earlier post, I wrote about the importance of tempo in its job of keeping the music group together in sync.  In addition to this, tempo also plays an important role for the assembly or congregation.

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Wedding Woes and "Din Dingers"

I’ve written earlier about feedback, the high pitched noise or low pitched hum that occasionally arises from a hyper-sensitive sound system.  It inevitably and inconveniently arises its ugly head against us in music ministry who have a sound system, but no one overseeing it.  I’ve mentioned some ways to address possible feedback root causes and quick fixes, and here are a couple more, including a wedding story!

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Song Selection in Music Ministry

This is perhaps a post for the music ministry leaders.  How do you select songs for Sunday?  For many of us, the Service theme is selected for us and serves as a framework for the musical canvas.  Perhaps it is set by the readings for the day.  Perhaps it is set by the Pastor or Worship Team.  So, getting back to the blank canvas, how do you metaphorically select the brushes, paints, and painting style?  How do you select the perfect music?

Here is my thought process.

Intro or Opening.  I try to make this one upbeat.  After all, it is a joyful occasion that brings us here, no?  Since this is the opening song, the theme usually has not been set at this point.  So I’ll aim for themes such as Gathering, Community, God’s People, Coming to God’s Table, etc.

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Unfolding "Testing 1-2-3"

This post is a continuation of our series on "Getting to Know Your Microphone."
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Ever hear that in the old movies? “Testing 1-2-3, Testing 1-2-3”. Or maybe you’ve heard some sound guys saying that repeatedly into every single microphone they could find. Why did they do that?



Well, this can be very practical for us as church musicians since this simple little phrase, uttered into a live microphone will provide volumes of information on the sound system.   How?

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Tempo: Its Important Role in Music Ministry

I would think most of us church musicians would know what tempo is, but what role would tempo play in supporting the art and beauty of worship and music ministry? 

Tempo has many jobs.  Perhaps the job most people think first is to keep the instruments and singers, in sync.  This can’t be understated.  How many church songs have you heard where the instruments and singers were not in line?  Often this is most apparent during intros, turn-arounds, tacets, and lengthy rests. 

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Prayerful Song: Refocus

I wrote in an earlier post about the importance of prayer before the first song is sung.  It is an anxious time before that first song.  Sometimes we think “Will people be impressed with my singing?”;  “Will they ask me for autographs afterward?”;   “Oh no! How do I look?!”  It is important to refocus our attentions back onto what should be our main task: leading souls in prayerful song.  It is amazing what a simple music ministry prayer will do to help refocus.


Within this prayer this also is a great time where I remind myself that this time is not about me, but it is about Him.  Admit it.  Sometimes we as musicians might get caught up in the American Idol or Rock Band culture and images, and feel that the spotlight is on us.  We have worked hard honing our talents, and practicing the melodies.  It is time to impress the judges and show how talented we are. 

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Microphone Technique for Church Singers: Cozy Up to the Mic!

Hope you had a wonderful and blessed Easter!  This post is a continuation of the music ministry tip of "Getting to Know Your Microphone."  

One of the most common mistakes I see in churches is the distance between the mouth and the microphone.  Often it is too far.  During the rush of gathering up, setting up, and rehearsal, the microphones are lost in the shuffle.  As long as they are there and turned on, that’s good enough, right?  Probably not.  If the distance is more than a few inches, the broadcast voice will sound distant, if at all.  The natural reaction is then to turn up the knobs on the sound system, quickly resulting in the dreaded feedback!

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Music Ministry Happy Easter!

Just a quick thought and prayer that you may have a very Happy and Blest Easter!
 
Many of us in music ministry will be practicing and playing a wide variety of music types this Easter Sunday.  As a reflection of the solemn moments of Christ’s passion, we’ll have several songs of a reflective, even mournful, style.  Additionally, to reflect the victory and elation of Christ’s resurrection from the dead we’ll have joyous hymns styled to be sung from the mountaintops!

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Holy Cowbell?!

Now let me start this by saying that in no way is this church musician being sponsored by any products.  If I mention a product, then I have truly found or perceive a benefit from it for music ministry.  And I think you’ll benefit from it as well.

If you are in a church that has a musical style that involves light percussion, this just might interest you.  It is called Cowbell Plus.  But don’t let the name scare you away.  This is an application (“app” for short) that runs on the iPhone.  Now I don’t have one of these phones, but this is one of the few iPhone apps that makes me envious of others that do.

What is it?

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