Worship Leading Conversations #1- Working With Youth Worship Teams
Feb 22, 2010 How To, Worship Leading Conversations, Youth Worship, podcast
The first of my Worship Leading Conversastions podcast series started this week. I sat down with my friend Jason Huffman, a youth director in Palestine, Texas. As part of his youth director duties, he leads the youth praise band. I asked him to share some of his thoughts about working with youth and how to go about teaching them, and encouraging them to become worship leaders.
To listen click play!
Download “Starting a Youth Worship Band From The Ground Up” by Jason Huffman
Tags: jason huffman, Worship Leading Conversations, Youth Worship
The Importance of Teaching
Dec 9, 2009 Youth Worship
When working with my youth worship team I often find myself emphasizing rehearsing the songs. After all, we generally have one event or another to prepare for so that means creating a songlist, and working up that music to perform or lead with.
I have realized, however, that there is a huge benefit to teaching, and not just rehearsing. When I first started to teach guitar lessons I told myself that I wanted my students to learn why a chord was what it was, what the names of the notes they were paying etc… Instead of just “play this chord”
I believed by teaching them how to learn to play guitar, then they could continue to learn whether I was teaching them or not.
The same thing should be true for worship teams. We should work with them to teach the basics of chord structures, rhythms, balance, tone, song structure, etc… So that they begin to recognize these things.
What’s cool is that when your group starts to learn these things, they begin to play musically together. You don’t have to explain every part of every song, but they begin to feel it.
For us this has resulted in more productive rehearsals, and more enjoyable ones too.
So what basic lessons would you teach a beginning praise band?
Tags: band, Event, guitar, How To, lessons, Music, praise, rehearsal, sing, song, Songlist, Songs, Team, work, Worship, worship team, worship teams, youth, Youth Worship
The Right Key is One Key to Stong Vocals
Nov 30, 2009 Worship Planning, Youth Worship
There are many ways you can help your worship team vocalists sing strong with confidence. One thing I discovered this past year is that the right key is the key!
Last year I would introduce a song usually by listening to the cd then having the band try it and vocals sing. Many times they would like the song, however the vocalist would be struggling trying to sing out of their range, or flipping octaves between verse and chorus. Since the music was printed and we had already worked on learning in the original key, it was hard to change keys and we usually just struggled through.
This year we tried something different. This year every new song we introduced to the vocals first. After they learned the basic tune we found the key that best suited their voices. I made a note of the key and then during the next week would print music accordingly.
I have really noticed a difference in a few key areas:
1. They enjoy it more- When they are comfortable with the key they don’t have to worry about how they will hit the notes, and less worry means more fun.
2. They are stronger- Since we chose a key that fits their range they are more confident and sing out.
3. They get more done- Since we no longer take time out in rehearsal searching for keys with the whole band, and transposing music 2-3 times we get more done, learn more music and get better as a band.
What tips do you have for developing vocalists?
Tags: band, CD, Difference, help, listen, Music, New Song, rehearsal, sing, song, Team, tips, vocals, voices, work, Worship, worship team, youth, Youth Worship
Working With Youth Bands: Point and Play
Mar 27, 2009 Youth Worship
Here is a little exercise we use with our youth band to work on playing together, keeping rhythm, following a leader and learning to listen to other parts. We took a repetitive section of a song, in our case we used the first part of “Undiginified” and we made sure everyone knew it. Then I told them that I had an on off switch. When I pointed to them they should play if they weren’t playing or stop playing if they were. I started off pointing to the drums and bass, then added guitar, keyboard etc. Then I switched off the drums to see how the rest of the group would keep beat. We played for about 10 minutes with this and I let my vocalists take a turn at telling members when to play or not.
It was something simple to do, but they really had fun.
What fun exercises do you use with your youth praise team?
Tags: band, drums, guitar, Team, work, youth, Youth Band, Youth Worship
My Five -Posts Since August
Mar 22, 2009 Uncategorized
I’ve been writing posts for this blog since August of 2008. So after 9 months I wondered what my most popular posts are… well I wonder no longer cause here they are. Apparently so far a lot of people are looking for free backgrounds. Tune in later for my 5 favorite posts.
Past Year (Since August)
Free Stuff:Angel Background
Youth Worship: Worshipping Without a Band
Free Backgrounds
Cardboard Testimonies
How to Make Your Own Worship Background
Tags: angel, Background, band, blogs, Free, Free Stuff, How To, Worship, youth, Youth Worship
Sunday Setlist- 3/15/09
Mar 21, 2009 Worship Planning
Yes I know I am almost a week late in posting this. Oh well.. maybe since I can’t be first, I’ll be last.
Last week we had special guests leading worship. It was our youth band. I am so honored to have the priviledge of working with this group of talented young musicians. They have worked hard all year to lead music during our youth program and for youth worship services. So when the opportunity arose for them to lead we let them have an opportunity to lead in our morning contemporary worship service. As I expected they did an awesome job.
Here were our songs:
One Way
Today is The Day
Counting on God
How Great is Our God
Blessed Be Your Name
You Never Let Go
We also took communion and had a new family join.
That’s what we sang. Check out what other churches did for their Sunday Setlists.
Tags: band, Church, Setlist, Songs, Sunday, Sunday Setlist, work, Worship, youth, Youth Band, Youth Worship
The Worship Community-Engaging Youth in Worship
Dec 3, 2008 Worship Planning, Youth Worship
Last month I was fortunate enough to be asked to write a few things about engaging youth in worship. Here are the links to the first two of my contributions to the community:
1. Engaging Youth in Worship-Opportunities to Respond which talks about providing hands on ways for youth to respond in the worship service.
2. Engaging Youth in Worship-Give them Ownership which stresses the importance of not doing worship for the youth but having them be involved in planning and implementing the worship service.
The Worship Community is a great place to find thoughts, ideas, and encouragement for worship leaders check out the worship community.com While there you can read and learn from a wide variety of talented, dedicated worship leaders who share their insights with you.
Tags: Fred McKinnon, the Worship Community, Thoughts, Worship, Worship Leader, youth, Youth Worship
I Missed My 100th Post
Nov 28, 2008 Uncategorized
Apparently I missed one of my first milestones in the life of Fork In The Road Blog. Two posts ago was my 100th blog post. I guess that would make this 102. In this brief time of I have learned much about blogging and have apparently written some things that others have learned from and enjoyed. Here are my top 10 viewed posts so far.
Youth Worship: Worshipping without a band
Cardboard Testimonies
Free Stuff: Angel Background
Free Backgrounds
Resources
Music Ministry
Removing Distractions
How to- Make Your Own Worship Background
Free Song: Awaken Our Hearts
What To Do With a Youth Worship Team
Do you have a post on Fork In The Road that was extremely helpful or inspiring for you?
Tags: angel, Background, band, blogging, fork In the Road, Free, Free Song, Free Stuff, How To, Resource, resources, Team, Worship, youth, Youth Worship
Youth Worship: Making Your Job Easier
Oct 23, 2008 Youth Worship
This used to be the way I did things when I was leading the youth worship team.
1. Find a song that the youth wanted to do.
2. Type up the lyrics
3. Use my awesome ear training skills to figure out the chords
4. Transpose the key if needed for the vocals to sing
5. Rehearse with the band
6. Create a powerpoint slide from the lyrics
6. Repeat
I guess I have done it that way for the longest time because there was really no other way to do it. There were some song books that went along with some CDs but they usually contained the full piano sheet, not really easy to use for a guitar player. So I continued listening to songs, chording them out, and my computer began to become filled with pages of these creations. That was until now…
Now there are many resources that come out with everything provided for you. There are many out there from different companies. I started out using SPIN or Student Praise Interactive Network. They provide CD’s with split tracks along with lyric sheets, chord sheets, piano parts and powerpoint or media shout ready lyrics.
Recently I have started using Vertical Music Worship Tools. These provide pretty much the same thing like split tracks, lead sheets, guitar parts etc. They also include a DVD that contains videos of each instrument playing their part. This is great for demonstrating how to play a certain song on a specific instrument. This Vertical Music resource creates its arrangements from a specific artists CD. The most recent one I received were arrangements from Lincoln Brewster’s “Today is the Day” CD.
As I said before there are tons of resources like this that are now becoming available. The ones I mentioned are just the two that I have been most familiar with. I suggest these because while it is great to be able to sit and chord out song after song, is it really the best use of my time? There are still many opportunities for me to hone my ear training, music transcribing skills like when I am writing songs, or when those songs come along that I don’t have a resource for. By using these resources though I can drastically cut my arranging time down.
Oh.. I don’t have powerpoint lyrics or split tracks but I do have the lead sheets for several of my songs available for you to download. Check out all my free resources on my resource page or by clicking on free stuff
Tags: band, CD, Chords, Free, Free Stuff, guitar, How To, interactive, Media Shout, Powerpoint, Resource, resources, Songs, Team, video, work, Worship, youth, Youth Worship
Just a Glimpse
Oct 8, 2008 Youth Worship
For the past several years I have been working youth worship teams. Every year is different, mostly because with youth you have a constant flow of kids in and out. Some graduate, some get jobs and cannot particpate, and then there are some that join for the first time. Every year though with your group there comes a point where you hear it. What is it? It is a glimpse of what can be. It is when they aren’t just playing music but playing musically. It is when you see, that they see, that there is more to doing ths than just strumming, drumming, playing and singing.
Today we I saw it, and heard it. We came out of the chorus of “One Way” and into the bridge. The band dropped out, the keys kept playing and the singers came in on the words. The electric slowly built in, drums slowly got more intense and it just clicked.
2 minutes later the monitors weren’t working right, the singers didn’t understand their part, and it was time to go. The moment didn’t last long. It wasn’t all better after that time, but it did happen.
My encouragement to you is to listen to and identify those moments. Celebrate them and show the youth in the band what they sound like, so they can begin to hear what they sound like and strive for them.
Tags: band, drums, rehearsal, Team, work, Worship, youth, Youth Band, Youth Worship
