FEATURE
[ REPLICATING THE HILLSONG DNA IN NYC | Doug Doppler ]
One of my favorite things about Freddy Restrepo, is in charge of
Hillsong is how missional they’ve oversight for all of the musicians, and
been in replicating the cultural DNA that’s his actual title. He started out
their music rests upon. Noting they as a bass player here and has been
already had a number of campuses given more and more responsibility
in Australia by the time they launched as time goes on. Now he looks after
their first American campus in New all the musicians and I have the
York City, this issue seemed like the oversight for the guitar team. That’s
perfect opportunity to find out about what we call the leader of each of
their approach for replicating that those teams – “The Oversight”. I’ve
cultural DNA here in the States. been doing that for close to a year
now. I look after the care of the
As a bit of background, my wife guitarists as well as bringing new
sang with the Hillsong team before people in and getting them plugged
coming to the US. For the past ten in. There is some admin stuff involved
plus years I’ve heard story after too.
story about the quality of leadership
Darlene Zschech and bassist Ian [WM] What is the process for
Fisher provided for the team in the getting new musicians plugged into
“early years”. When one of my guitar the community, and from there, into
students joined the Hillsong New the team?
York City team, I was thrilled for him,
and very curious to find out how they [Dave] We use a web platform
were going to bring him into the fold. called “My Hillsong”, which is a
cloud-based service that is an
Dave Krysl gained notoriety as internal Hillsong platform. It’s run out
the guitarist in Haste the Day of Sydney, but every Hillsong church
before uses it across all teams. It allows us
becoming
a
professional
photographer in NYC. He is also the
to program our serving teams and
Guitar Oversight for the Hillsong NYC of the band what the worship leader wants. We connect groups. When people join
Campus, and was kind of enough to spend a help walk the other musicians through the set the My Hillsong app, it allows them to put in
bunch of time with me on the phone sharing and any last minute changes. So, that’s what I their personal information, as well as areas of
the what, why, and how behind what they are do on any given Sunday. interest, like playing guitar. The admin people
doing in NYC. This is great stuff, so please
who receive that information then connect that
I’m also in charge of oversight for the guitar person up with the team leader of their areas
players at the NYC campus. We have a of interest. The Hillsong NYC campus is pretty
[WM] Dave, tell us about what your roles and creative team, which encompasses worship, gigantic, and there are a ton of different teams,
responsibilities are at the NYC campus? T.V. and film, communications, and production. some of which I don’t even know what they
The worship leaders fall under the worship are. So the goal is to always get people as
[Dave Krysl] I serve as a volunteer at the category for the creative team, and then there connected as possible.
Hillsong New York City campus, as a guitar are sub-categories for the musicians. For each player/music director. There’s always a music instrument there is a team, like the guitar team, The creative team is fortunate enough to have
director that’s rostered, it’s usually either a the keys team, drum team, and bass team. our own team night every Thursday night,
keyboard player or a guitar player, and the There is one point person that is in charge of and we’re always trying to get people who
responsibilities are to communicate to the rest each of those sub-teams. are interested in the creative team to come
46 August 2017
share it with your leaders and team.
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