core role we ’ re asked to play .
A modern keyboard could sound like pretty much anything , but just because it can doesn ’ t mean you should eschew the fundamentals . The way I see it , the worship keys position will never stop being asked to bring these to the table : a great grand piano sound , a warm pad that can smoothly move through a chord progression and doesn ’ t step on the vocals or lead guitars , and a great B3 organ or lead sound that can add a bit of upper-mid range bite or play on top of the mix when required .
While you can reinvent the ‘ sound ’ of contemporary worship music over and over for artistic purposes , in congregational worship our goal remains the same . Keeping a common sonic thru-line from genre to genre and trend to trend will not only help you stay focused in your musicianship , but will also maintain familiarity for your band and your congregation .
DREAM POP WORSHIP
Another trend I see on the horizon is what I ’ ll dub ‘ dream pop worship ’. I saved it for last because this genre does a great job of demonstrating what it might sound like to take the fundamentals ( those pianos , pads , etc ) and add a layer of polish or texture on them to reinvent the ingredients themselves .
We ’ re still firmly planted in an early 90s influence here , but instead of pulling from the angst of grunge and punk , dream pop pulls from the wealth of glistening , shiny pop hits cranked out by every major label at a frantic pace as the 90s music industry was building towards its near mythical peak . Most interesting to me is the resurgence of sounds and themes that were common in worship music released back then from labels like Maranatha and artists like Amy Grant and Michael W . Smith .
Dream pop is everything grunge isn ’ t . Tight , slick , and lush with chimey synths , a sense of ambient space , and precise drums and bass . Check out the latest from artists like Harry Styles for examples of this aesthetic in pop music .
As these two trends emerge , I expect we ’ ll see some wild blends of the two that will keep keys
players on their toes !
STAY THE CHANGING COURSE
At the end of the day we know trends come , go , and often come again . Artistic innovation is a hallmark of over two thousand years of church music . Tapping into existing streams and making old things new again sounds like a pretty biblical concept to me . My encouragement to you is stay curious and flexible while focusing on the main priorities , to serve your band well and by extension your congregation . And if you care to , see if you can project what the next emerging trend will be and blow your bandmate ’ s minds by calling it early !
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 .
SundaySounds . com