Worship Musician May 2020 | Page 133

being in the room together. Drums and bass STYLISTICALLY APPROPRIATE ideas with your worship team leadership in a locked in, keys and guitar in perfect sync, If you thought that churches got into genre wars way that’s open and honest. You just might be vocalists blending their pronunciation and tone under normal circumstances just brace yourself on to something that is just what your team into a seamless, unified sound. That can’t for the stakes to be elevated while churches are needs. At the same time keep in mind that what happen over a Zoom call, I don’t care how forced to reinvent the wheel in every way right worked perfectly for that one church you saw good your internet router is. now. The truth here is that there’s no one size on YouTube may not translate for your church’s fits all solution to what’s stylistically appropriate context. So how can a worship team be musical during for you as a keys player and for your worship this time? Well, since the normal ways just won’t team at large during this time. When it comes down to it, none of us have ever work we have to choose to seek out the silver done this before. Still I believe there’s a style linings, the opportunities, and the innovations Many churches are opting to emulate the feel of that’s appropriate for you and your team during that are unique to right now. their ‘regular’ service as closely as possible with quarantine. What will that look like for you? the same format, musical style, and service Consider accepting that a loss of SUCH A TIME AS THIS elements. connectedness, tightness, and synergy may You have a contribution to make to your team, be unavoidable and take some of that energy Many other churches are leaning into the right now, during this time. My prayer for you is and pour it into the methods of musical ‘differentness’ to produce stylized, stripped that you’d feel God’s hand and instruction as communication instead. There are now a great down services with acoustic sets, more intimate you innovate, experiment, and strive to serve number of examples of church worship bands environments, and shorter run-times to combat with your best. communicating with each other to collaborate online-primed short attention spans. on pre-recorded remote worship band covers, I’ll leave you with a benediction: May the Lord live streams involving other band members pre- Other churches are doing something in bless you and keep you. May He cause His recorded, and I’m sure there’s other creative between or maybe mixing things up from week face to shine upon you and grant you peace. approaches that we just haven’t come up with to week to keep their congregants engaged yet. and to keep the online service feeling fresh. There’s a musical leap for you and your team So, if you feel that you know exactly how to to take during quarantine. What does that look approach stylistic choices as the worship keys like for you? player during this season be bold to share your May 2020 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 Subscribe for Free... 133