the adoption of new , cutting-edge technology . Though I must say , I both created and enjoyed partaking in a few memes of worship leaders on stage with those big , white Apple-branded headsets strapped straight on their faces when Apple first announced their augmented reality headset .
Instead , this piece is intended to be an encouragement to identify the unchanging , the concrete , the solid ground upon which you choose to base and build your ministry . The constants .
When it comes to the worship keyboard position at church , there ’ s always a new plugin , workstation , or technique you could dive headfirst into . There ’ s also always some forgotten trend from a bygone era that you could choose to revisit and learn from . Both approaches valid , potentially even inspiring .
But what ’ s truly constant about the position ?
That will depend , in large part , on your own context . What role are you there to serve in your band ? Perhaps you know that you ’ re the ‘ glue ’ that holds together the rest of the team . Maybe you know you ’ re needed to fill in a sparse mix , as you don ’ t have a regular guitarist in the rotation . Or it could be that your role is to add an extra sense of production value and polish , contributing sequences , arps , and unique synth textures .
How exactly you go about approaching your role will surely change time after time , as you have new ideas , new options , and new technology . But what your role is at its core ? That can be much closer to a constant , if you take the time to consider it , discuss it with your team leadership , and chisel out a definition big enough to account for changes to the ‘ how ’.
WOULD YOU ?
Would you play keyboard from an augmented reality headset if it truly made your band sound better ? Would you let an artificial intelligence generate keys parts for you , so you could focus on some other part of your performance ? You don ’ t have to answer those questions now . And honestly , it ’ s not even a certainty you ’ ll ever have to . You see , the technology that feels ‘ inevitable ’ now may well prove forgotten , irrelevant , and even quaint in another five years .
But what I do know , is that at some point you ’ ll realize that your ‘ how ’ may never be the same . The next printing press is coming , or already here , or somewhere in between . Take this as an invitation to revisit your why , your constants , and those new ‘ how ’ s ’ won ’ t be nearly as intimidating when they surely come .
David Pfaltzgraff Founder and Lead Sound Designer at SundaySounds . com , a site that resources worship keys players and guitarists around the world . David currently resides in Des Moines , IA with his wife and two boys . He enjoys volunteering in his church ’ s worship ministry , old synthesizers , and a good super-hero movie .
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90 February 2024 Subscribe for Free ...