Next Chapel May 6

Hi Everyone,
Good practice on Thursday.  I thought we worked through those songs pretty well.  We have 3 practices left before our next chapel date.  I think we're in pretty good shape.  Based on our practice last week, and an 'executive decision' on one more slow song, here's what our set list is going to look like:
- You Are Good
- Forever (with key change)
- Beautiful
- Here I am to Worship

I'll post the videos for these songs below.  I'll put my comments for them up here.

You Are Good - Key of G, as we practiced it.  Electric Guitar, please nail the solo part using different strings, not sliding through a bunch of frets on one string.   Keys - we'll probably use an organ and a piano sound (A. on organ, D. on piano)  For the piano, listen in particular to what they do in the bridge - it's very simple, but effective.  Singers, these fast songs are going to be about you smiling and clapping and being totally into it.  No excuses for not clapping and smiling anymore!  Instrumentalists - remember first verse just bass and drums.  Second verse we do the 2 chord shots with the drums (bass drum).

Forever - Start in the key of D.  Key change into E after the bridge.  Remember the stops coming out of the verses into the chorus.  Key's - we'll use a piano and either strings or a nice keyboard sound for this one.  Again with the verses, its mostly bass and drums with some keys.  Intro and choruses we're full on playing our parts.  In the bridge its bass drums and keys for 4 'you love endures forever's, than a snare drum snap, and only bass drum until the key change.

Beautiful - Key of A.  Just drums, a little bass, and acoustic guitar to start this song.  The more we can pull back on our instruments and only play what really fits, the better.  Singers, please learn the words and practice parts.  Drums, listen to the song a lot to hear how the drums change and build through each verse and chorus.  They really control the dynamic of this song, so it's important to know how all the different beats change.

Here I am to Worship - Key of E.  We needed another slow song.  I wanted one everyone knew and that was relatively simple to play.  In the verse it's mostly acoustic, bass, and drums, with a little keys.

Musically, one of the main themes for this set is pull back if you can.  It will be better to play less than play more, particularly in the slow songs.  Vocally, I really want to see you smiling, you clapping, you lifting your hands and your hearts, totally engaged in praise and worship.  Remember, we're leading worship in chapel :-)

Here's the videos:

You Are Good

Forever

Beautiful

Here I Am to Worship

New Songs for Spring

Welcome back!  Hope you all are having a good spring break.  I trust the Grade 11's had a great trip!  While you were gone the rest of us went over several new songs - just feeling them out.  I'll post them here along with another idea or two.  We can decide what to do for our next chapel in our first practice after spring break is over.

Also remember, I want to try and step back from being the 'obvious leader' during chapels.  It would be best if I wasn't up at the front at all.  I want to facilitate you all moving into leading the worship, so prayerfully keep that in mind and take ownership.  Each of you, come 'to the front' and take your stand - lead with your suggestions, your stories and devotions, your prayers and scriptures, and your songs, your playing and singing.  :-)

Here are the songs (still open to other suggestions as well):

You Are Good

We did this one in practice before spring break and it came together pretty well.  Its fast and its fun and it has great words.  Please get familiar with it and learn your parts cold  :-)

I Will Go

T. suggested this one.  Apparently it is often done after spring break when the Grade 11's get back.  We had fun playing this one in practice before spring break.  It seemed to come together fairly quickly.


You Are Everything (Matthew West)

If we can get into the feel of this song - not just the musical feel, but also the emotion and 'live and breathe' the words, this could be a very effective worship song.  Obviously is a bit different for drums (6/8 time) and the piano part is right out front.  Listen to it, think and pray about it and let me know what you think

You Are Beautiful

Drums - once this one gets going, it would be good if you could hit the snare through the chorus as he does - so if you count through the chorus in sets of 8, he hits the snare on beats 4 and 7 (and sometimes 1)  The bass drum is a steady beat landing on 1,3,5, and 7.

March 11 Chapel Debrief

Good work everyone!  I guess you all will have to forgive me for instigating that 'train wreck' we had. Sometimes these circumstances serve to bolster our humility - and they also serve to remind us to improve and work things out better next time.  I actually think our response to my blunder was pretty good.  I think Jesus would have laughed right along with us.

Be encouraged!  Shake it off, just like Paul when he got bitten by the serpent when he was on his way to Rome.  God is growing good things on our team and in each of you.  Its a learning process.  Thanks for sharing that word before we started, A.T.  Also, thanks to everyone for helping with the set up and tear down.  I think that was the fastest setup/tear-down I've seen it so far. I appreciate your smiles, your good attitudes, and your willingness to serve God and the school on this team. 

We don't have the stage at school this week Thursday because of the play, so I think we'll cancel this week's practice.   

Next Chapel - March 11!

Hi everyone,
Our next chapel date is March 11!  As you already probably know, the theme of chapels for this month is Forgiveness.  As we discussed in our last practice, our order of songs will be:
- Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)  E
- I Found a Love   G
our country medley...
- God is Good    D
- I Saw the Light   D
- I'll Fly Away   D
- The Happy Song    D
Somewhere in this first couple songs, one of us can talk about the prodigal son.  Also we may potentially feel led to do some free worship.

To revisit our experience and discussion regarding free worship, here's some thoughts:

• Free worship works better when it happens naturally - like it began for us in practice that first time.  We need to continue trying it when we practice as that will make everyone more comfortable with it. 
• For the singers, there is no need to feel like you must sing.  However, you should continue to have an attitude of worship, listening with an open heart.  Looking around at what everyone else is doing doesn't quite work.  Worship is about participating - not observing  :-)  If you want to sing, but don't know what to sing, just relax and repeat a single line from a song you know.  When you do that, I personally think its better to sing to God, rather than about God. What I mean here is it makes more sense (to me) to sing 'God, you're good' instead of 'God it good' or 'God, you've ransomed me!' instead of 'God has ransomed me'  Make it personal.  Actually sing to God. 
• For the instruments, similar to the singers, don't feel like you need to play.  Relax, wait, and listen.  We will always be rocking between the I and the IV chords (so if we're playing in the key of C, that would be C (I) and F(IV)).  When you decide to play, ease into it.  Be sensitive of the atmosphere.  Start simple and gradually add more volume and notes, being sensitive to how the music sounds as a whole.  Worship from your instrument.  Whatever note or chord you play, fill it with life and meaning for God (and try and make sure it fits within the rest of the music that is happening).  Usually free worship ebbs and flows, like a gentle wind or wave. Try to attune yourself to hearing those 'curves' and play your notes to fit in. 

That's all for now.  See you all on Thursday!

News Songs!

Hey Everybody,
Good practice today.  It sure is fun to see how fast we can pick up new songs.  If someone could let me know what the theme for chapels in March is, that would be great.  Also, if each of us could russell up a cowboy hat or two by then, :-)  that would be super as well.

Here's the new songs to listen to closely and learn:

God Is Good

Like I said in practice, it will be important for all of us to listen to this closely and know the melody in all the parts of the song.  Particularly in the verses (even though E will be 'preaching' through them) - certainly the bridge.
Keyboards - have fun with the keyboard licks - there's lots of them in this song.  You don't have to learn them, but they would be fun to learn and play.
Singers - listen to when they back up with with words compared to when they do the 'oooh's'  It would be good if we could do it similarly.

I Saw the Light/I'll Fly Away

Heh - I hadn't seen this video before.  I had no idea that David Crowder was a hillbilly.  This is awesome.  We'll do both of these (I saw the Light and I'll Fly Away) as a medley like they do - perhaps not all those verses though.  :-)

Amazing Grace/My Chains are Gone

We'll arrange this one similar to the way Chris does it here - start quiet with just keyboards and a pad and build it slow.  Watch towards the end of the video to see what it escalates to.

You're Beautiful

Drums - once this one gets going, it would be good if you could hit the snare through the chorus as he does - so if you count through the chorus in sets of 8, he hits the snare on beats 4 and 7 (and sometimes 1)  The Bass drum is a steady beat landing on 1,3,5 and 7.

And, of course:

One Way

Remember with this one we need to get the chords coming out of the chorus going back into the verse.  Guitars should follow the snare beat.

Jan. 21 Chapel Debrief

Did you all see that?!?  I hope you didn't miss it!  In all my apparent disorganization with song order before chapel, we asked God to come and help us and work things out and...  He did!!!   It was a great example of what we were all talking about in chapel - knowing and experiencing God moving in our lives in a personal way.  We asked God for help with something and He came through and showed He's ready to help us out.  :-)

Well, well done, everyone!  It was great to see so many of your parents out!  I thought it was actually fun to mix things up a bit and have the songs at the end.  And hey - we did 5 songs!  Surprise!  It was great to see everyone so involved.  I enjoyed glancing over and seeing one of you really worshiping with your hands up (not sure who it was... E.S. perhaps?) and sharing a smile in the middle of a song with K.M.  I especially enjoyed the ends of the fast songs where we'd make a big racket and brought the house down.  What fun!  I believe God enjoyed it too.

Thanks for reading that scripture at the beginning A.V. - you did a great job of it.  You enunciated very clearly and your voice was strong and well heard.  Good work!  I hope you all didn't mind me saying something - I wasn't sure about it since I was sort of a 'lone adult voice' in a student chapel, but what's done is done. 

I think it was beneficial (a good idea and worked well) for us to do the slow songs first - for a couple of reasons:

• It gave both the sound guys and us a chance to find that sweet spot in our vocal blend.  It didn't seem like it took long for us to find it, and when we did - I have to say that from my vantage point - it sounded really, really good!
• I think the slower songs allowed for a smoother transition between the first half of chapel (the panel) and the fast songs.

I thought our song transitions were pretty good.  It sure was fun to get into those fast songs.  Instrumentalists - great work on the shots and keeping together!  I only noticed 2 boo boos.  One of them was me - I hit a wrong chord in Nothing Is Impossible that was pretty blatant.  The other one was C.Z. in the same song - it sounded like you got a little busy and missed coming back in at one part - maybe that was when you dropped your stick.  Nice recovery though!  You came right back in quickly without a problem.  The drum work sounded great in that song, by the way.  Also I could hear both keyboards (A.T, D.W.) quite well in most of the songs and you both sounded great!  D.W., your string pad in the slow songs was front and center for everyone to hear.  A.T. - the organ in the fast songs was perfect and I heard the tremolo!  O.F. - nice doodling in the outro to I Found a Love.  M.W - again, your patch sounds great in those songs.

We'll see you all in practice on Thursday.  Get ready to go over One Way, and Best Friend.  We'll have to find some new slow songs to do.  Thanks everyone!

Next Chapel - Tuesday, Jan. 21

Hi everyone,
Nice work in practice today.  Here's the link to the article I was talking about:  http://worshipleader.com/more-than-singing/ 
Singers should definitely have a look at this article  :-)

As we discussed in practice, our set for Jan. 21 will tentatively be:
- Undignified
- Nothing is Impossible
- I found a Love
- Freedom Reigns in this Place
Depending on how practice goes next week, we may replace Undignified with Jesus, Best Friend.  

Also, keep the theme of chapels this month in mind - if you feel like God is impressing something on you to share in between one of the songs in chapel, please let me know!