Reflecting and Prospecting

2018 feels special already. I don't have anything exciting on the docket, but the new year has me feeling like something exciting is around the corner. As a result, here I am posting for the first time in months.

I must admit, 2017 was challenging for me emotionally and physically. I'm sure my insurance company is wondering why I'm going to the doctor and dentist so much. I also ended the year on a not so great note in one of my most valuable relationships. I hope I can recover on all fronts!

On the other hand, the year ended on a good note for my music. I wrote a Christmas song about 2 years ago and we sang it for the first time in front of a new audience. My mom loved the song and I was happy with it too. I even liked the remix the musicians created.

Another big plus in 2017 is that I started reading my Bible more consistently. To be honest, this hasn't always been the case. I made an effort to read my Word rather than other books about God's word. Thanks to the Bible app, I'm on a 58-day streak! #winning

Finally, the presiding Bishop of our organization came and spoke at a special service and his message left me inspired. I want to be open and accepting to everything God has for me!

I'm thinking that in 2018, I'll share a few things with you, as it pertains to praise and worship - especially since one reader questioned where my posts went. (At least I've got one legit follower!) I don't have a lot of specific goals, but I hope to create more music and get my praise team back in order. We'll start there and see how it goes.

Blessings!

10 tips for choosing tracks for your praise team

1. Know the correct name of the song and the original artist.
Nothing is worse than buying a track and discovering you bought the wrong one. (Yes, I've done this.) Make sure you know who sings the song.

2. Read the description of what's on the cd. 
The cover will state the keys or ranges of the songs and the back cover will state whether there are background vocals or not. I tend to lean toward tracks that have background vocals for all keys.

3. Find out how long the track is. 
I had to retire a song simply because I didn't realize that the song was over 7 minutes long when I bought it. I don't know about you, but that's a LONG time for one song. Determine if there's a good place to stop the track if you don't want to sing the track in its entirety.

4. Listen to the track before you purchase it. 
This is especially crucial if you don't know what key you need. When I purchase online, they don't play the entire song, but will have a snippet of the original key (usually.) Some songs modulate so know the song before you buy it!

5. Be aware of the keys.
Most tracks have a high, original, and low key, but not all. Sometimes that's still not helpful. I don't know what key we sing any of our songs, but I do have a basic foundation in reading music. If you don't - ask someone who does to help you before you buy the track.

Here's the best tip I can offer you: Make sure the track has the song in the original key. If you know the original key is too high for you, purchase a track that has a 1/2 step down. For example, if the song is sung in D, buy D flat (or C#) if that's an option. I feel like a 1/2 step down is safe. If they don't have D flat, choose C. It's tricky, so again, ask someone who knows or reads music to help.

6. Buy more than 1 if you love the track.
I don't think you can burn them, so go ahead buy a second cd if you love the track. CDs get knicked easily so it's good to have a back-up before it goes bad.

7. In terms of gospel, I love Soulful Sounds tracks. 
The keys they offer generally work for my team. I've purchased Daywind, Mastertrax, and Ultimate tracks too - all solid, but Soulful Sounds seems to be a good fit for me.

8. You can buy some tracks on iTunes... (mostly solos)
Just remember, if it's only on your phone, you'll need to download it to a CD or save to a computer so the team can sing it in your absence. Also, I bought a track on my iPhone 7 and forgot that you need a special jack to plug and play via stereo system. (Kind of embarrassing!) You need to have the proper equipment/set up to get things from your phone to the sound system.

9. Karaoke cds can be hit or miss.
Some companies offer karaoke cds which have a mix of songs on them. You get a lot of songs, but only in one key and it may not have background vocals. Buy at your own risk.

10. Buy a few at a time.
I suggest that you buy more than 1 track at a time. Sometimes you'll find that the one track you thought would be awesome doesn't work for whatever reason. Better to buy 2 or 3 for that reason alone. You'll use them.

Just when I said I would post less...

Today, I want to express my displeasure in the lack of response from gospel artists to the Women's March that took place this past weekend.

While several artists and lay people that I follow on Instagram posted encouraging words re: Travis Greene performing at the president's inaugural ball, only one artist posted something about the women's marches. THANK YOU BRIAN COURTNEY WILSON! Somehow, not even the female artists that I follow said anything about it. There's something very wrong with that.

It's amazing how we (the gospel community) can rally behind someone who believes their performance will help advance the ministry by providing music to celebrate a man who makes racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, and every other "-phobic" comments, but we can't even acknowledge women fighting for their voices to be heard. This is not to knock Travis Greene's decision - it's his choice to do what he feels is right and it's my choice to voice that I think President Trump is deplorable. The Women's March was about solidarity and standing up for women's rights.

Just to be clear, women's rights are not synonymous with being pro-choice. Reproductive freedom is one piece of the puzzle and if you happen to disagree with that piece, I see that no different than when a minister preaches something you believe to be inaccurate by scripture but you continue to go to that church/follow his or her on social media/donate money to that ministry, etc. Women's rights include issues like equal pay for equal work, the right to affordable healthcare, the right to unionize for a respectable living wage, immigrant and refugee rights, benefits such as paid family medical leave, affordable childcare, and accountability for police brutality which affects people of color disproportionately more than white people. Or better yet, it also includes standing up against someone who in normal conversation said "Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything." in reference to a married women he tried to sleep with. (Read/listen to the entire transcript here). My guess is that a reasonable person would not disagree with fighting for most of these issues.

So praise and worship junkies, if there was ever a time to stand together, especially as women and people of color, this is the time. How about instead of posting self-promoting marketing ads, selfies, and/or ignoring the big events taking place in our society, we speak up about said events and share our perspectives and convictions. It makes for a great praise leader to know and acknowledge what's going on in society at large.

Blessings

Controversy (in my Prince voice)

I'm going to kick off the year with a bit of controversy.

Recently, Pastor Kim Burrell has taken a lot of heat for preaching a sermon where she called out homosexuality as a "perverted spirit." Her sermon was spread via social media and as a result, Ellen DeGeneres cancelled her from appearing on her show where she was presumably going to talk about her role in the soundtrack for the movie Hidden Figures. Her radio show was also cancelled.

Homosexuality in the black church has long been a huge deal and I believe that churches that believe it to be a sin are struggling to find the right balance of addressing it. When you're in the limelight for your music ministry and begin to cross over, it becomes increasingly difficult to find that balance. I suppose this is why Tasha Cobbs and Kierra Sheard haven't crossed over. It's definitely not for lack of talent.

As a worship leader, we get in front of God's people and invite them to come with us to a special place. A place where our hearts are tender to God's call, God's word, and His presence. In this place we become transparent, see our shortcomings, and feel God's grace. It's something we wish everyone could experience. While there is a time for rebuking and reproving, we need to make sure that people feel like they belong in the house of God. It's hard to do that if we don't treat/address sins equally and if we condemn folks to smithereens. Each and every one of us (all sinners) should feel equally convicted for our sins and equally loved because we are God's children. I'm not saying that God wants you to be silent or permissive. I'm saying let's ask God for the right way to deliver His word to his people so that we can be the most effective vessels possible.

In the words of Otis Redding "try a little tenderness." Or for those wanting a scripture "A soft answer turneth away wrath." (Prov. 15:1)

Blessings

This time I'll be different

As you can probably gather from my lack of posts, I gave up at the end of 2016.

I got tired of coordinating, getting shot down, being let down, and getting grilled. But it's a new year and this time I'll be different.

I've decided that this year, I'm going to focus on some very practical goals.

1. I will stop complaining about our lack of a musician. Like, seriously, how long do you keep wining about what is? Time to find something else to complain about.

2. We will sing every song I buy a track for. No more wasting money. I'm sitting on at least 9 cd's because we haven't had rehearsal. Which leads to #3...

3. We will have consistent rehearsals and if no one comes, I will lead praise & worship alone so that we can introduce new songs into the rotation. Now this is probably the biggest goal and I don't like the idea of singing alone to a track, but what's the alternative? Keep singing the same 10ish songs? Nah man.

As far as this blog is concerned, I'm going to be pulling back a bit. My goal is to have one insightful, honest post a month. Quality over quantity. It's so easy to get dragged down the rabbit hole of trying to post every week, but I'm trying to achieve balance in my life. One post a month feels right for me.

My main prayer for the month of January is that God reinvigorates my passion for Him. Leading a praise team is draining and I don't want to lead begrudgingly. If you're reading this blog, I know you feel the same way. I hope that you hang in there with me. It's going to be an awesome year! In Jesus's name.

Blessings

Back to tracks

Just when I thought we had our music situation under control, it looks like we're back to square one. No worries. That's what tracks are for.

I just ordered a gang from Whitmore Music - my favorite place to buy accompaniment cds due to the great selection and quick service.

Here's what we'll be singing in the near future:
All Of My Help - Geoffrey Golden
You're All I Need - Hezekiah Walker
Ten Thousand Reasons (Bless The Lord) - Matt Redman
Awesome God - Maurette Brown-Clark
Amazing - Ricky Dillard & New G
Agnus Dei / Worthy - Third Day
It Is To You - Byron Cage
God Is Great - Ricky Dillard & New G
The Anthem - Todd Dulaney

As you can see have a mix of newer and older songs. I find that we tend to get more participation with gospel so I've ordered accordingly.

I predict that among these songs 10,000 Reasons will be our next big hit.

Blessings

Tips for worship team members part 2

Here's a recap of the final tips for worship members (part 2). If you missed part 1 click here.

6. Treat every second of rehearsal time like it's golden. (Rehearsal time is for rehearsal; not set up, not catching up, etc.)
7. Be spiritually prepared.
8. Don't copy the bad habits of others.
9. Follow instructions well.
10. Know the songs well.

To read more about year tip, check it out here on innovativecwc's blog.

Blessings

6 things to consider when leading P&W

I strongly believe that one needs to prepare for praise and worship similar to how one would prepare to make an important presentation at work. Even though we want the Holy Spirit to bless and annoint us, we need to do our part to help increase the likelihood for success.

Besides choosing your song list, here are 6 more things you should think about when preparing to lead P&W or are singing at an event.

What's the occasion?
Is it a special service? Is there a special theme? This might influence your song list.

What is the congregation/audience like?
This is closely related to the first question. If you're singing at the senior's service, you might pick songs you believe an elderly crowd would enjoy. 

How is the stage set up? 
Are there enough mics for your team members? Is it easy to see the musicians? Are there trip hazards like long cords or speakers in the way? Is there a certain way you need to go to get to the stage?

When are you expected to sing?
Always arrive to a service or event early. You might get called earlier than you were originally told. I think its the Christian-like thing to do to be gracious enough to go early if asked. Conversely, always stay a while after you sing. It will appear arrogant to leave as soon as you're done.

How much time do you have?
Adjust your song list accordingly. It's fine if the spirit hits and you're in your own church and have freedom to go over your allotted time. As much as possible do what you're supposed to do in the time you're supposed to do it in.

What could you easily sing if there are technical difficulties?
What songs are popular or easy to sing if you had to use an alternate musician? What songs are easy to sing if your lyrics can't be displayed for the audience? Can you start a song in the right key if you can't hear the music? Have at least one song in your arsenal for this occasion.

Remember: planning is more than half the battle!

Vanilla and Rocky Road

Scene from Blackish where the choir sings How Sweet Is (To be Loved by You). Hilarious!

A post I read by Carlos Whittaker affirmed some thoughts that have been taking roots in me.

Don't Dilute the Flava God Made Ya has nothing to do with praise and worship specifically. It's more about being your authentic self and not changing that authenticity when you don't fit into the mold of what others might be looking for.

At this point in my journey, I'm not this super verbal, entertainer type worship leader. I know we all like charismatic worship leaders, but I don't really do the whole "hype em up" thing. I could get up there and scream "When I think of the goodness of Jesus...", but that's just not me. I like to worship, I like to sing, so I worship and I sing. I used to be a cheerleader, but because worship is kind of my thing, I don't feel led to call up that skill set. Sure I encourage people to press in, but you're not gonna get a lot of talking out of me. God hasn't given me a word to share with His people so I'm not gonna stand up in front of a congregation and just start talking prophetically or even matter-of-factly. It's just not me.

I think Carlos's post drives home that whatever God made you to be, be it. Everyone won't like your style, but someone will.

The diversity of the church amazes me. There is room for vanilla, Rocky Road, and every other flavor imaginable.

Blessings

Passion - My Heart Is Yours (Live/Audio) ft. Kristian Stanfill

What a simple, beautiful song. Enjoy!

Hillsong Tour - July & August Dates

 

Hey all you worshipers - Hillsong United is on tour and they're bringing Lauren Daigle with them. This is bound to be a great worship experience. Here are the dates:

July

• Columbia, SC - July 18, 7:00 pm, Colonial Life Arena
• ATL - July 19, 7:00 pm, Lakewood Amphitheater
•  Nashville - July 20, 7:00 pm, Bridgestone Arena
• OKC - July 22, 7:00 pm, Chesapeake Energy Arena
• Houston - July 23, 7:00 pm, Toyota Center
• Denver - July 25, 7:00 pm, Pepsi Center
• Kansas City -  July 27, 7:00 pm, Sprint Center
• Louisville - July 28, 7:00 pm, Freedom Hall
• Pittsburgh - July 29, 7:00 pm, CONSOL Energy Center
• Chicago - July 30, 7:00 pm, United Center

August 

• Jacksonville - August 10, 2016, 6:30 pm, Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
• Tampa - via the Outcry tour August 11, 6:30 pm, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater at the Florida State Grounds
• Miami - August 12, 6:30 pm, Bayfront Park Amphitheater
• Orlando - August 13, 6:30 pm, CFE Arena
• Mobile - August 15, 6:30 pm, Mobile Civic Center
• Baton Rouge - August 16, 6:30 pm, Baton Rouge River Center
• St. Louis - August 18, 6:30 pm, Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
• North Little Rock, AR - August 19, 6:30 pm, Verizon Center
• Austin - August 20, 6:00 pm, H-E-B Center at Cedar Park
• Dallas - August 21, 6:00 pm, American Airlines Center
• Phoenix - August 24, 6:30 pm, Talking Stock Resort Arena
• San Diego - August 25, 6:30 pm, Sleep Train Amphitheater
• Las Vegas - August 26, 6:30 pm, The Orleans Arena
• Concord, CA - August 27, 6:30 pm, Concord Pavilion
• Anaheim - August 29, 6:30 pm, Honda Center

Get more deets here!

A song to lift your spirit during turbulent times

 

Today I am so saddened by all of the violence that's been going on. Not that I haven't been previously, but when a black men gets shot at point blank in his car with his loved ones inside (one of which was a child) and I see the video of the aftermath, my heart breaks. My God, are we (black people) not human? Do we not deserve a chance to take out our license like we've been asked to do without being shot? And now the police being killed in Dallas! Jesus take the wheel, like frfr!

What's worse is that people are so critical of each other at this time. We criticize the #blacklivesmatter movement. We criticize when someone paints a mural of the deceased. We criticize when celebrities speak out about social injustice. We criticize the NAACP for not doing enough. Tensions are high on every level.

If you are like me, your spirit is impacted by the loss of lives that seem senseless and is crying out to God for help. I know personally that music helps me get through things. So today I offer you the song that's been on repeat for me for about a week now, Baba Oh, from Jonathan Nelson's latest project.

"Open the floodgates in abundance and cause your rain to fall on me"

Review of Jonathan Nelson's Fearless

I don't purchase a lot of albums, but my brother told me to buy Jonathan Nelson's latest project. Here's my short and dirty review...

1. Intro - I kinda hate intros. Just get to the music already.
2. Fearless - I like the rap on this track, but the song is just OK to me.
3. My Hope - Thumbs way up. Mid-tempo, not too many words. Good for praise teams.
4. Name of the Lord - Thumbs up. A good mix of new school and old school.
5. Name of the Lord Reprise - Thumbs way up. I kinda love reprises. That's because the artist knows the song is good so why not keep going.
6. Anything Can Happen - Meh. I like it starting at about 1:37, but this is the longest song e-v-e-rrrrrrr.
7. Baba Oh - Baba yesss! Thumbs way up.
8. Rehoboth - Thumbs way up. This is a singers' song. There's a lot of intricacies. The musical styling is beyond pleasant. Great track.
9. Forever Settled - This is your old school praise party song. Not my favorite, but a decent song.
10. Brand New - Thumbs wayyyy up! Absolutely love this song. Like listen to it every morning song.
11. I Believe (Island Medley) - Thumbs wayyyy up! You had me at Island Medley! This is a hit.
12. Amazing Love - Thumbs up. This song makes a great solo. Shout out to Jade Nelson; she sounds really good!
13. Everything You are (Jesus Chant) - Thumbs up. I will def be playing this in my personal worship time.
14. I Give You Glory - Thumbs up. Nobody brings it like Tye Tribbett. You can "dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance all night" on this one!
15. Victory Chant - Thumbs up. I wish they would've let this one play a little longer.

Overall, Fearless has something for everyone. New school, old school, Caribbean, chants, - you name it! The album is currently $7.99 on iTunes. (Finally, an album priced right!) Long story short, get Fearless!

So long, bye bye... (In my Island Medley voice :)

The simple is often the profound

I recently took out a book from my public library called Take Your Soul to Work. When I gave it some thought, I realized that not only am I leader at my church, but also within my church district, and at work. (No wonder I get burned out rather easily at times!) I like devotions and I figure I could definitely use some soul-searching when it comes to my day job.

One of the first activities was to write a prayer about your leadership no longer than 3 sentences long. I have to say, after writing my brief prayer, I was amazed at how profound it was.

Lord,
Let me lead with others in mind - with clarity and inspiration. Give me insight on how to face and overcome challenges; do not let me be overwhelmed or exceedingly stressed. Teach me how to become a better leader.

Honestly folks, I don't think I've ever prayed anything this good ever. Not even in lengthier prayers. This is how I want to lead, not only at work, but in every area of my life. Taking a few minutes to think about it and pray about it can only help.

Blessings