I came across this great post from Karl Verkade that is very worthy of being shared.

Here is a portion of the post, which refers to a worship team making a musical mistake:

Yes, no one noticed that things were wrong. But had they been right, I can almost guarantee you they would have noticed. Often times in performances (yes, I’m referring to church as a ‘performance’…there’s a stage, we do solo’s, and we create a production…), church and otherwise, we have a mindset of thinking that if we can get it good enough to where no one notices that it was wrong, then we’re okay. But is that really our goal? To be just not wrong enough to where people don’t notice? Because in reality, people probably are not going to notice enough to say something unless it’s a complete train wreck. All the stuff in between train wreck and amazing? More than likely, no one will ever notice enough to say that it was bad. But. If it was amazing? You can be sure that it would touch people. And that is the goal. Not to simply not have people think it’s wrong; but to touch people when it’s right!

I hear this all the time when it comes to tone. Statements like, ‘Come on…who’s gonna notice the difference between a Tim and an SD1?’ And the answer is, of course, no one. No one’s going to come up to you after you play an SD1 and say how bad your tone sounded. And after playing a Tim, no one’s going to come up to you and say how good your tone sounded. But after playing the Tim, they might come up to you and say how good the music overall sounded, although they won’t know why. (Nothing against the classic and lovely SD1.) That’s what we’re going for. Not ‘no one said it was bad’, but ‘people were moved.’

There is nothing wrong with times when the music or your tone is just simply, ‘Well, no one noticed it was wrong.’ Those times happen, and in a church situation, many times God still works in spite of us. But in giving our absolute best into everything we do, we cannot leave that thought that incomplete. We cannot be satisfied with ‘they didn’t notice it was wrong.’ Because when it’s right? They notice. They may not have noticed it was wrong…but they will notice when it’s right. When it touches them. When it takes them from indifference to impassioned.

They won’t notice when it’s wrong, but they will notice when it’s right.

This is great food for thought, for musicians on any instrument.  If our goal as christian musicians is to touch/change people using music, then we always have to strive for nailing the material, not just getting through it.  All of the small details and nuances do matter.

I just read this and thought it was an incredible way to explain the importance of worship rehearsals.

 

Don’t make the mistake of thinking rehearsal is just a time to get together and play through some songs. It’s not. That’s what a campfire is for. Rehearsals are for the congregation. So make them as efficient and effective as possible, for the sake of your congregation, the health of your team, and all for the glory of God.

 

Enough said…

 

 

There never has been and never will be anyone like you. But that isn’t a testament to you. It’s a testament to the God who created you absolutely unique.

All of creation is singing a worship chorus to God. And it’s not just the meadow lark with its 300 notes or the nightingale finchwith its 24 songs. According to the German physicist and pianist, Arnold Summerfield, a hydrogen atom emits 100 frequencies which makes it more complex musically than a grand piano which emits 88 frequencies.

For what its worth, Pythagoras said: “A stone is frozen music.” Very interesting in light of what Jesus said: “If you remain silentthe stones will cry out.”

My point? All of creation is singing a unique song to the Creator. And you are part of that universal chorus. No one can worship God FOR you or LIKE you. God has given you a unique voiceprint. There are millions of people praying and worshiping God in every language all the time. But your voiceprint is unique. Like a parent who knows His child’s unique cry or scream or laugh, God knows your voice. He hears your voice. The Heavenly Father loves your voice.

Mark Batterson