KEYS William Garcia
[ WM ] Tell us about how you got started playing keys ?
[ William Garcia ] From a young age , I showed an interest in music . I started playing drums , then moved on to tuba in middle school . One day , out of the blue , my father brought home a keyboard . I started by learning all the songs on its song bank : Yankee Doodle , Auld Lang Syne , Jingle Bells , and other simple melodies . Once I had learned those basics , I moved the keyboard in front of the TV and started playing along with everything . I attempted to accompany every show , commercial , and movie I watched .
As my love of playing music progressed , I started to obsess over records , memorizing classics like hymns , jazz standards , movie scores , Stevie Wonder records , Gospel albums , and country songs . I would play along over and over , rewinding them to my favorite sections to feel the music all over again . About a year later , I was invited to fill in on my church ’ s worship team . Out of all my studies , I learned the most from that experience . I then went from various piano teachers , where I was finally introduced to jazz . Canzion Institute , an incredible music ministry college , would let me observe their lectures and their piano instructor really believed in me from a young age . My need for more jazz brought me to local jazz shows in Houston . I went and saw Robert Glasper play Cezanne ’ s in Houston and found out he grew up playing in church as well . That really inspired me and made me want to continue this musical journey — and I am still learning every time I play live .
[ WM ] Do you play keys outside of the church ? Do any session work ? Filmwork ?
[ William ] I get invited quite a bit to fill in for bands and have gotten to visit 24 countries . In the studio , I do spend a lot of time producing , composing , arranging , recording & programming for various artists . I have done some film work / scoring and quite a bit of instrumental music . Recently , I also released my debut album , The Minimalist , which is a reflective solo piano record containing ten original compositions and three covers .
[ WM ] You also have a unique role on the team . Tell us all the different ways you direct the band while on the platform ?
[ William ] I currently serve as the music director of Lakewood church and have done that for the last ten years . I count off every song and cue each section of the songs . I love getting to facilitate the worship service . It ’ s my pleasure to keep us together . From the start of the service , it ’ s a thrill to give it an ebb and flow . Along with some help from my fellow worshippers , I strategically transition in between songs , speaking moments , and videos , leading up to the moment where we turn over the service to our pastor for his sermon .
Essentially as MD , I try to give everything a musical touch . We get to be a part of people ’ s decision to follow Jesus , and ultimately , I want to serve the key moments of our services when people have the chance to encounter Him . I have done a bit of production in the past and that has helped to self-produce those moments . It ’ s a tremendous honor to be the soundtrack of a life-changing moment in people ’ s lives . including myself , have come prepared and connected to the songs we will be performing . Our sets are typically longer than most churches and consist of 9-10 songs . Additionally , we have some transitions in between songs that are creatively arranged to make the set flow more smoothly . In any given rehearsal , I ’ d like to run the entire set at least a couple of times and still have enough time to fix any problem spots . In terms of length , we average 90-120 minutes per rehearsal .
The most important thing is for it to never feel like it was a long rehearsal . May it be that we are so united and passionate about the music we make together that we lose track of time . I do like rehearsals to feel like we already know what we are doing , and even have fun while doing it .
A story that comes to mind is from my very first rehearsal at Lakewood . At just 19 years old , I came to fill in on auxiliary keys . Our rehearsal was so anointed and filled with so much of God ’ s presence that it became a worship service just for us . Various worship leaders started declaring over each other and over band members , praying and confirming some of what one of the worship leaders had been asking God to do . It was powerfully apparent to me that everyone on that stage loved Jesus and has a strong relationship with Him outside of their worship team duties .
Rehearsals should feel as much like the service as possible , not only in terms of excellence but also in our offering . As members of the worship team , we not only get to give God our worship , but also get the privilege of leading others into that moment .
[ WM ] Who were your main keys influences ?
[ William ] Art Tatum , Aaron Lindsey , Robert Glasper , Keith Jarrett , John Williams , Michel Camilo , Gonzalo Rubalcaba , Chucho Valadez , George Duke , Papo Lucca , Oscar Peterson , Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea .
[ WM ] Describe your rehearsals strategy ? What does a successful rehearsal look like to you ?
[ William ] My strategy for rehearsal changes quite a bit based on the difficulty of the music and whether we are learning new music . I appreciate it most when the musicians ,
That rehearsal was a perfect example of putting God first but still get everything you need to done on the musical and technical end .
[ WM ] Can you list three worship albums that inspire your own worship keys playing ?
[ William ] Israel & New Breed : Alive In South