YOUTH WORSHIP TEAM
FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION | Vance & Michelle Shepherd
It was so great being with all of our CMS
Northwest friends this year in Tacoma, WA.
The Christian Musician Summit is designed
to inspire the church at large with worship
events, inspiring clinics, product demos, and
learnings with some of today's top Christian
artists, leaders, speakers and clinicians. We
encourage church leaders to put CMS on their
calendar to get recharged, encouraged and
hear about different perspectives and ideas to
take back to their home churches.
This year was especially encouraging for us.
We had an attendee from the 2017 and 2018
CMS conferences approach us and share with
us that she took our classes both of those
Michelle Shepherd with Dave Cleveland and Grant Norsworthy.
years. She told us with excitement, "I did it!"
Meaning that she took notes during our Raising songs. The youth were also invited to go to the I would definitely look for your very best
Up the Next Generation Of Worship Leaders adult worship team rehearsal and watch their “professional” type musicians to invite in to
workshop, and then went back to her home counterpart play or sing. This is a great idea! teach the youth. Once it's clear that the student
church and implemented our “Three Steps But one note: It would be a good idea to make is fired up and wants to learn an instrument
For Success.” She’s now teaching, mentoring sure that the adult worship team members are or sing, we highly recommend their parents
and raising up youth bands in her church and very trained and skilled in their instrument or hire a professional music teacher that meets
around her city. It was also very encouraging vocal approach, so as to not pass on a lack of with them on a weekly basis, which will instill
to us, because this year she brought to CMS or bad technique. accountability, proper technique and music
theory. Another positive point to make is that
some of the youth that she's been mentoring.
To see people like her getting fired up about Let’s go over some examples of bad technique. once the parent is investing in music lessons
pouring into the youth just fills our hearts, On drums, it may be the wrong stick grip, (as with any sport or activity), the students’
and reminds us that what we do in training swinging the arms or playing too hard. For practice sessions will more than likely be taken
young people in worship is so important to the keyboards, a lack of proper hand technique very seriously and they will have a greater
future church. and dynamics. For guitar, not keeping the chance of success and longevity in music.
fingers close to the fretboard and playing too
It was also great to get feedback from some hard. For vocalists, it could be not singing We always really look forward to being a part
of the youth leaders in our class. One leader in properly from the diaphragm, singing with too of the CMS family! Maybe next year we will get
particular shared with the class a strategy that much force, or singing songs in keys that are a chance to meet some of you there, hang out
he likes to use to encourage his youth worship too high with a lack of technique, and this could and toss around more great ideas on how to
ministry. He approached a few members of the cause permanent damage on the vocal chords motivate and keep worship exciting for this
adult worship team and asked if they would and possibly lead to surgery. In these cases, next generation.
be willing to come to the youth rehearsal and once the student learns and then studies teach and pour into their youth. Many of the with bad technique, those bad habits can be May you be blessed as you pour into the next
adults were happy to do this. He shared how extremely hard to correct. Many times, even generation of worship leaders!
he scheduled the adult worship team members teaching them proper technique after they have to meet the youth in the sanctuary for a 2-hour formed bad technique doesn’t mean they won’t session before their worship team rehearsal revert back.
to pour into them by helping them with the
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December 2019
Vance & Michelle Shepherd
Founders of The Shepherd School of Music in Las
Vegas, NV, where they work with youth to raise up the
next generation of worship leaders and musicians.
facebook.com/shepherdschoolofmusiclasvegas
www.ShepherdStudiosLV.com
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