starting to learn what that was and it was appalling. This is actually happening in our day and age? I just remember wanting to do whatever I could do to help, and she would invite me to come lead worship at things she was doing, which really helped open some doors for me in my life. She was really kind to share relationships that she had and invite me into different things she did. Now we’ re just really good friends getting to do ministry and life together. I’ m very thankful for her.
[ WM ] As worship leaders, can you tell us about the musicians who back you, and what their role has meant to you and enabled you to do?
[ Kari ] I am so grateful. I wouldn’ t even be able to name all of the musicians over the years who I’ m grateful for. From the studio stuff that guys have played on, to playing live, I’ m always so grateful for someone.
On the practical side, coming to worship ready and being really good at their craft. It helps me as a leader worry about the music. I just get to lead and be strong and do what I do. That’ s always so helpful. And I love guys that can take something and can hear these melodic hooks that I would have never in a million years heard, that has changed a lot of my songs over the years.“ You Are For Me” wouldn’ t be what it is today without the piano line that it has. Some of my guys have added things on the guitar over the years. The guys have had to reinvent“ Revelation Song” more times than we can count just to keep it fresh( laughs). I’ m always so thankful for, not just musicians, but musicians who do really well with their craft and can create something new and not just play something they’ re heard. It’ s always really helpful and keeps things fresh.
[ Cody ] Yeah, and I think it’ s always good when guys play with their heart engaged and it’ s not just reciting. Which is obviously good, you need to have that down and be playing the right chords and things like that. But just playing from the heart, putting you heart into what you’ re doing. If you’ re a Church that likes to flow, like we are, when a band will just take
“ Revelation Song” // Kari Jobe with Chris Tomlin & Band something and make it their own and just run with this thing that they’ re feeling in their heart, when the drummer just kicks into something and we can all go with him because we can all feel God is moving and can just go. I love when the guys aren’ t all just timidly watching what we want to do. But they’ re worshiping and feeling what God wants to do in the room, that’ s the most powerful thing when they’ re driving that.
[ Kari ] As a leader we really try to include our team, they’ re not just our backing musicians. We’ re like, what do you think God’ s saying today and what do you feel in your heart that God wants to do today, or what has God been saying in your life? We really do life together so that it’ s not just us up there doing music, were up there together to create a moment of movement and worship, not just a song. That’ s really powerful.
[ Cody ] I think we always say,“ I’ m so excited to lead worship, with you, today.” We see everybody up there as a worship leader, we’ re all leading worship together. I think having that perspective of having some ownership that you can hear from God and take it somewhere, I think it just throws in that fluidity with your team.
October 2018 WorshipMusician. com
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