If you’ve played in a group, you can remember those long practices where everyone leaves more tense than when they came in. It seems like everyone got frustrated, eyes were rolling, side conversations were happening, and little good came from it except when it was all over.
One main reasons bands and worship teams have frustrating practices is because members come in unprepared.
Here’s a common progression of what happens:
- Passive listening leads to unprepared musicians. Musicians get the music (that is if the leader gives it to them in time), and have it playing in the background of all the other stuff going on in their lives. They walk into practice unprepared for their role and appreciating others’ roles.
- Unprepared musicians lead to frustrating practices. So when one or many people are unprepared, it leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. People played something, but it never gelled together like a group.
- Frustrating practices lead to distracted worship leading. Since practice didn’t go well, everyone is nervous when it comes time to lead worship because they think at any moment the bottom is going to fall out from underneath them. So instead of being in the Spirit and trusting people around them, people are nervous and anxious and have a hard time ushering people into the presence of God.
- ANOTHER WAY: Critical listening allows worship leaders to lead worship.
Critical listening is the approach to diagramming songs out. It’s when someone listens for their parts and everyone else’s parts. He or she listens for the notes they are to play and the ones they are not supposed to play. It allows for meaningful preparation time which leads to meaningful practice time which leads to effective worship leading time.
So how are you preparing for practice? I guarantee that if you step up your role this week, the entire group will be better. So what are you willing to do about it?
WORSHIP ACADEMY: Wednesday @ 11 @ North Side. We’ll be getting into more practical tips of being a worship leader.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
What tips have you found that helps bands or groups play together?
stop in the middle of everything and just pray
Travis, please add Kristen Bazzle Bryan, Dickey Bryan, Roxie Timms, Dotcie Madden, Kevin Gillion, Tonya Digiacomo….and please let us know if you have any events or classes with openings available! Thanks so much!
We are having Worship Academy during the summer months. We have had some people come and sit in on practices before if that helps.