10 Ways to Improve the Church Band by Next Sunday

How's the band sounding? Enliven your musical output by adopting one or more of these ideas.

1. Rehearse before Sunday!
2. At rehearsal get all band members to sing the song before playing - this is a great for getting the right speed.
3. Ask everyone to practise at home before the joint rehearsal.
4. Tune up properly - spend time on this step, until you get it right.
5. Position the band at the back of the worship space, because change is as good as a holiday, and listen to the singing lift.
6. Those who can play while standing, should be standing.
7. Rehearse introductions and endings several times over for each song. Make sure they improve each time you rehearse them.
8. Record the band playing at rehearsal then play it back - ask them how they (personally and corporately) can improve the result. Make sure they act on their own advice.
9. Use stable music stands
10.Don't play the melody - that's the singer's part.

You may also be interested in the short course for song leaders - Songmakers

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10 Ways to Fertilise Your Community's Musical Life

This list is a starting point, which will hopefully grow into a much more extensive list. Let's have your ideas.

1. Talk to people, and not just the musicians.
2. Don't make assumptions about which instruments can be included in the music program.
3. Find out what else your current musicians can do: can they play a second or thrid instrument, break-dance, juggle, balance-the-books, give a great massage, grow organic vegetables, fly light aircraft?
4. Run a poll to find out which songs are the community favourites.
5. Postpone the packing up and go for coffee.
6. Insist on rehearsal, resisting the time immediately before worship which impedes creativity or practice.
7. Find out who else plays a musical instrument in your faith community, or who learnt when they were younger. It can be a revelation!
8. Engage the whole community in larger musical undertakings like a sing-a-thon or a singing protest.
9. Use the money raised at the aforementioned sing-a-thon to fund a musical internship for a someone in your faith community. Perhaps a term of lessons for someone?
10. Encourage singing at meetings.

You may also be interested in Exploring a Theology of Gratitude in the Land of Entitlement

A little something to amuse choir leaders.

Immoral, impossible, God only knows
(Tune: St. Denio)

1. Immoral, impossible, God only knows
how tenors and basses, sopranos, altos
at service on Sunday are rarely the same
as those who on Thursday to choir practice came.

2. Unready, unable to sight-read the notes,
nor counting, nor blending, they tighten their throats.
The descant so piercing is soaring above
a melody only a mother could love.

3. They have a director, but no one knows why;
no-one in the choir deigns to turn him an eye.
It's clear by his flailing, he wants them to look,
but each singer stands there with nose in the book.

4. Despite the offences, the music rings out.
The folks in the pews are enraptured, no doubt.
Their faces are blissful, their thoughts appear deep,
but this is no wonder, for they are asleep.

Notes:

* Verse 1, by Austin Lovelace.
* Verses 2-4 added by Ron Hodges (choir of St. Mark's, Palo Alto, California, USA) for the church's 50th anniversary in November 1998.
* If your choir rehearses on a day other than Thursday, freely make the requistite substitution in verse 1.

Copyright © Austin Lovelace and Ron Hodges. May be used freely for non-commercial church-related events.