WORSHIP LEADERS
MUSICAL DIRECTOR : WHAT & HOW VS . WHY | Grant Norsworthy
Musical Director : During rehearsal , do you ask for changes to what or how a team member is singing , playing or tech-ing ?
As an example , have you ever wanted your drummer to play with less volume ? Have you had the guts to ask for that change ? How did that conversation turn out ?
As the prevalence of drum shields , enclosures and electronic drum kits in church auditoriums can testify , typically that conversation ( if it happens at all ) is only partially , or not at all successful . Sometimes , the Musical Director ( MD ) simply puts up with whatever they ’ ve got - suffering in silence , feeling unable to ask for changes for fear that their suggestion would be ignored , rejected or cause tension .
A common mistake that many MD ’ s make is that we ask for WHAT and HOW changes without first establishing agreement on the WHY . But if we first have agreement on the WHY , the WHAT and the HOW become much easier to solve .
If the MD asks for a change in WHAT or the HOW , the unspoken , implied WHY is no more than , “ Because I want you to !” We are likely to simply highlight a difference of opinion . This could lead to begrudging compliance , disagreement or maybe an argument .
Often , fear of the possibility of any rehearsal tension leaves MD ’ s unwilling to suggest changes to the WHAT and HOW of team members ’ singing , playing or tech-ing . The MD might want changes made and even know specifically what needs to be changed and how , but they feel unable , or don ’ t know how to ask for it .
But if we have an agreed objective for our songs - if we ’ re all on the same page with WHY - answers to any question of WHAT we need to do and HOW we need to do it in order to achieve that objective become a lot more obvious to everyone involved . We are way more likely to agree with one another and can quickly , smoothly , easily make the necessary changes .
I ’ m confident that we all want to lead our congregation to worship God through our singing , playing and tech-ing . But the humanly observable , measurable outcome that we ’ re hoping for in the room with our congregation on Sunday is usually never even discussed let alone understood . But we must ! How can we know if we ’ ve done a good job or not ? What is our WHY ?
A funk / disco band knows why . Their goal is to fill the dance floor .
A heavy metal band knows they ’ re doing well if the crowd ( usually comprised of black t-shirted , long-haired , sweaty men ) is pressed up against the stage , banging their heads with their rock fists in the air .
A symphony orchestra knows they ’ ve done a good job if the crowd listens in absolute motionless silence ( even in between movements ) but then applauds at the end of the piece - perhaps with a standing ovation and some “ Bravo ”’ s .
A wedding reception band knows they ’ ve done a good job if the guests were talking over the top of their songs during the meal , but danced towards the end of the evening and by the smile on the faces of the bride ’ s parents .
For us who invite our church congregation to worship God through songs , I believe that the basic , ground-level outcome we should be aiming for is that our congregation is singing - prayers , praises and declarations of God ’ s truth . This is the reason WHY we have songs , microphones , instruments , PA systems . Our humanly observable , musical goal - the indication that we have done a good job - is that the congregation we lead found their voice .
Establish this WHY for your team and , I assure you , discussions about WHAT and HOW will become MUCH easier .
Some anecdotal evidence : Let me share with you a recent interaction with a drummer that reminded me - yet again - of the importance of first establishing an agreed , measurable goal . It was a Thursday evening band rehearsal in preparation for the following Sunday ’ s morning service . I was a guest , to not only lead the band as their MD , but also to provide some coaching .
As an important prerequisite to the rehearsal , I spoke to the team to establish our WHY - our agreed , observable , musical goal . The outcome we would be aiming for would be to have the Sunday morning congregation singing . Everyone agreed , including Dan the drummer .
As we started to rehearse our first song , a WHAT and HOW issue that needed to change became very obvious to me . In the context of leading a congregation to sing , the drums were overpowering . Too loud ! Too busy ! Too many fills ! Not enough , solid , simple foundational groove . In a different context , the drums were actually really great . But for this band to lead