So, I don’t claim to be an expert or have it all together when it comes to putting together a LIFE TEEN music group. I do however have years of experience doing this and love doing it. A lot of people have come to me with questions over the years, and while many are covered in the LIFE TEEN planning guides, conferences and many, many other resources, not everyone reads them, can afford to attend, or realize they have options and opportunities. I’d like to take this space and dedicate it to advice and discussion of putting together a quality music ministry at your church, hoping to spare you some of the pains that I and others have gone through.
Some growing pains are GOOD – you have to go through them to appreciate what you have.
Others are best not to go through for so many reasons.
I'll be inviting some of my fellow musicians to guest-blog on here as well, doling out advice obvious and sublime.
Here are some of the topics I’d like to cover in upcoming in-depth posts: (in absolutely no order… this is a blog after all!)
· Liturgy and LIFE TEEN
· Sound Reinforcement
· Playing techniques
· Technology in liturgy
· New songs to listen to
· Songwriting – oh the places we’ll go
· What makes a song GOOD for liturgy
· In-depth planning
· Group dynamics – oh yeah, there are people here too!
· Building your new team
· What makes a music minister different from a musician
· Mechanics for good arrangements
· Resources, resources, resources!
· Directing from guitar
· Directing from keyboard
· Mass etiquette / attire
· Being present to Jesus in each other
· Being present to Jesus in the liturgy
· Knowing your place in ministry
· Copyrights 101 (no, you still can’t copy the sheet music)
· Event production, planning
· Vocal techniques
· Drumming
· Bass
· Piano
· Guitars, guitars, guitars
· Leave space! 6 measures for the Holy Spirit
· Monitoring
· The art of a sound check
· Mixing for the room
· Wireless systems
· Keyboards – what not to buy
· Guitar sound ideas
· Dialing in your compressors
· Planning around the congregation
· The business of music – why you generally don’t want to quit your day job, even if it is for ministry
· Moved in the moment - Being open to the Spirit & being prepared for it
