FRONT OF HOUSE
TIME TO STEM THE TIDE ? | Kent Morris
Stems , assemblies of prerecorded music tracks , present a challenge : their ability to improve production quality is countered by their arguably inauthentic character . In other words , stems , though helpful , are a cheat . However , given the current musical landscape in church , stems are here to stay . How then should they best be employed ? When does it makes sense to use them and how should they be implemented into worship ?
Though stems seem to be emergent , their forebears extend back to the 1980s and MIDI sequencing technology . When MIDI debuted in 1983 , it didn ’ t take long for polyphonic synths and modules to be tied into realtime or step sequencers and tracks recorded to trigger sounds in the synths with a click track . Though the audio was not recorded , the data was and it launched a wave of complex playback mosaics which far outstripped any player ’ s ability to generate live . Since the technology was so new , few audience members could comprehend where all the music was originating , but they enjoyed it all the same . Was it cheating ? Perhaps , but not in the sense every note had been played by the musicians and was being triggered in realtime during the performance .
Today , the audio is prerecorded by professionals in Pro Tools , Studio One , Reaper or another platform and the church band can feel as though they are just along for the ride . Whether the acoustic guitarist plays or not , the acoustic track is heard . This trend culminates each Thanksgiving Day at the Macy ’ s parade where teen pop stars “ perform ” for millions while holding a wired mic with no cable attached and perfect music is heard while musicians fakeplay on unplugged instruments to a pristine track , even when blizzard conditions are present . It is so egregious , even viewers notice the parade is really just a charade .
In church , the pressure to sing the latest pop worship radio songs is immense while the ability of the band to pull off two new songs each week is strained at best and impossible at worst . As a result , the team buys the stems and semi-plays along with them just to meet the never-ending need to “ make Sunday happen ”. It is a defeating proposition .
However , the key to success in this scenario is to start with the stems , but work to reduce dependence on them in a slow , methodical manner . With the stems present , the band can relax and let the tracks do the heavy lifting the first time the song is used , but less so with each repetition . Each musician should commit to playing more of the song each pass until the tracks can be faded out over time .
At First Baptist Atlanta , we have used this process in our transition from a traditional music enclave into a contemporary blended environment . For decades , the music was stunning , but was old-school and did not use click , guide or tracks of any type . The challenge became how to incorporate current worship songs into the rotation while preserving the storied musical tradition the church has enjoyed
since its founding in 1848 .
Initially , the team had to rely on purchased stems as unfamiliar songs made their way into the rotation . However , as these songs were repeated , the band made progress and eventually we brought the stem levels below the live musicians . We did the same thing on vocals . As the singers developed confidence in their in-ear monitors which replaced floor wedges , they were able to blend as the songs required without resorting to the stacked vocals . At FOH , we gradually reduced the stacks until the live voices comprised the core of the singing from the platform . Worship Pastor Matthew Slemp has conducted this difficult transition masterfully , with a deft hand and steady , consistent focus . The result is a team that sounds amazing and is confidently able to learn new material quickly . Matthew has proven there is a way forward by using stems as a tool , not a crutch .
Stems are here to stay , but they can be used as on-ramps to better musicality and stronger vocals when structured as a learning tool .
Kent Morris Kent is a 40-year veteran of the AVL arena driven by passion for excellence tempered by the knowledge digital is a temporary state .