Putting the Band
Back Together
It’s 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark…
and we’re wearing sunglasses.
– Elwood Blues
To My Fellow Musicians at Christ Church.
Soon we will transition from our current roster to a fixed band rotation. There are two parts to this move. First, we will establish bands which serve together consistently. For some of you this has been the de facto (although not formal on paper) reality. For others this has not been your experience and will be new. Second, we will be rostered as groups, rather than as individuals. The idea is: band one serves, followed by band two, followed by band three, and so on. Here are some reflections on the benefits of organizing our worship ministry this way.
Order and Structure Are Good Because?
Order and structure are not good “just because.” They are good because they enable greater goods. A sermon without any order or structure would not fall short for its lack of order or structure. It would fall short for its lack of the greater good of delivering an effective message that could be easily understood and embraced. Similarly, a song without any order or structure would not fall short simply for lack of these, but for its inability to be followed, enjoyed, or participated in by listeners.
A band is fundamentally an ordered and structured thing. Bands have members, members have instruments, one of the band members is the band leader, the band has a repertoire, and so on. But the good of a band is not in its order and structure specifically. The good is in the members’ familiarity with one another as persons and musicians. It is in the cohesion that results from playing together consistently. It is in the band leader’s ability to direct the band and the band’s being directed.
All that is to say, when we pursue order and structure in worship, we do so not because we have a particular fondness for order and structure, but because we see that these provide the conditions to enjoy the greater goods we are really aiming at.
Practice Makes (Almost) Perfect
Not quite my tempo.
– Terence Fletcher
I say practice makes “almost” perfect because for regular people like you and I perfection is not something we have the hours to pursue nor the need to attain. But this old saying is proven constantly. The more we do a thing, the better we get at it. Think of the NBA shooters who sink hundreds of shots in practice to take 15-20 in a game. It’s true corporately as well. How do teams become great at what they do? They do it together, and they do it a lot. The more we do a thing together, the better we become as a unit.
This is true for bands. Band members learn how to play well with each other. Singers learn each other’s phrasing, timing, even the particular ways they shape their sounds. Guitarists and pianists learn the ways each prefers to use embellishments (at the end of the bar? At the beginning? Hardly ever?) Band leaders learn the strengths and weaknesses in the band and arrange parts accordingly.
In our Sunday worship context there are a handful of musical things we do frequently: intros and interludes, whole song dynamics, crescendo at a certain point, solos and embellishments, segueing from one song to another. Every one of these requires practice at the group level. A band that stays together can become highly effective in these things and bless the congregation as a result.
And the congregation is also practicing. When we lead the singing on Sunday the congregation is doing two things. They are performing the songs. In a sense it is game day. But they are also practicing, learning how to sing as individuals, and as a congregation. They are practicing following the band. They learn to pick up the cues of the singer and follow the dynamics of the guitar and piano. ‘What does it sound like when the band intends for us to reach a high point in this song?’ ‘What does this singer do with his body language when we are about to sing again?’ The congregation is practicing, learning, and getting better at this every Sunday. We bless them with consistency and predictability. This is done well with consistent bands.
The Extra 10%
I am not sure what this percentage is, but anything less than 10% starts to sound not very worthwhile. So let’s call it 10% for now. This 10% is the refinement or enhancement that can be accomplished when there is time and focus to spare beyond the establishment of the necessities. For example, the guitar and piano need to play the second verse. But once that is established and both know the chords and are confident? Now we can think about which voicings to play. Now we can talk about who will add colour between the lines. Is there an opportunity to create a combined rhythmic part? Is there an opportunity to pair up on a musical phrase that emphasizes the singing?
The extra 10% is not noticed by everyone. But it noticed by God. And it is the joy of musicians to pursue and attain beauty, as it is for the congregants to hear it (many of whom do). Predictability and consistency do not only provide opportunity for practice and improvement. They also free us up to chase the extra 10%.
In a band that serves and stays together there is a good chance the extra 10% can receive some attention. Consider some of the time we save through working together in longer term teams. Admin and communications reduce the more a band serves together and in-house systems emerge. Arrangement decisions are made faster when band members know one another’s musical abilities and styles – ‘who should play the solo?’ ‘Who should lead which song?’ ‘Which key is best for the singers?’ And generally, the learning of the song is quicker among familiar band members. This leaves room for the extra 10%. It also leaves room for one of the first things to be dropped (and the single most important) in the quickness of modern life and ministry: prayer.
