FredMcKinnon.Com

I’ve always thought that music stands hinder worship, but more for singers than musicians. With the massive amount of songs we have in our archives musicians have a harder time remembering all the chords and rifts.

It may not be “the most excellent” way, but for many it’s safer. But if I may qualify, there are musicians who’s full-time job is to play and worship. For these, I feel the music stand should be left at home or in the office where they practice.

It not only looks cleaner, but (and I’m speaking as one who used to be on the stage, but now am in the congregation) it also causes the team to display a better example. For us to be on the stage and simply worship and play without any of the “crutches” we use displays that we are truly “full-time” worshippers and obviously worship and practice while we are away from the church.

If I may digress . . . . it always makes me more attentive and receptive when a preacher gets rid of his/her “crutch” (the infamous notes) and simply ministers in a flow from his/her heart.

I love the heart behind this post. I really do. My question is this: What’s more important

1. Leading people before the throne of the most high God?

2. Memorizing a catalog of songs.

If I’m challenging my team to take time to learn, practice and memorize songs. Then I’m creating work to do that gives them less time to perform the great commandment and commission. I would rather have them doing that.

Touch my crutch and I’ll chew your arm off.

Actually, I’m kidding. I have to admit (begrudingly, albeit) that I’m prone to brain farts ESPECIALLY on songs that I know where my mind will go blank and I’ll forget the lyrics. (Not unlike David Archuletta’s butchering [sorry, David, I'm still a fan] of “We Can Work it Out” Tuesday night on American Idol.

I like having lyrics accessable in case of emergencies. Sometimes, I’ll cheat and look at the projections screens, but some vizteks (the new word I invented to use in reference to the “powerpoint guy” or “propresenter girl” or “easy-worship person”) are skittish and won’t throw up a verse unless they hear you sing it, which kinda defeats the purpose.

Anywho…

NEXT!

I am a vocalist and I agree about removing the stands. It does look far cleaner on the stage, thus eliminating distraction. It is such a hindrance to spontaneous worship to have them up there for me personally because I tend to read the words too often..even if I know the song.
Also, from a group dynamic standpoint, it is a known fact that if you are trying to establish openness and unity, you should remove physical blocks from in front of you. Simply because it helps people subconsciously feel more open and connected.
So there you go..my perspective!

Love to see preachers preach a thoughtful, well-prepared sermon without notes. Speaks volumes.

Love to see worship leaders and performers work without lead sheets. However, it puts them in a bind. I think it’s unfair to volunteers to ask them to always learn the music by heart. Encourage it. Worship music may not be their preferred style. I like worship music live, but it’s different when I’m romping in the car. Nothing wrong with it, but it’s NOT all I listen to. Don’t try to impress your personal style preferences on a band member. Maybe they like bluegrass….

If I were in your band, I would appreciate it if you were able to lead by example. I’ll be honest, seeing you use a stand and sheets on your video “Under the Stars” took away some of my awe of what you accomplished. It APPEARED – either by teleprompter or whatever – that Mandy and the other female vocalist actually learned the song, but you DID take away something by not knowing the entire setlist by heart. No insult intended, please don’t misunderstand, just reinforcing your original post. In a situation that is a SPECIAL event, I think it’s VERY powerful for everyone to memorize, but EVERY Sunday morning service can be asking a lot.

Hope that makes sense…

My background: I am not a full time (in payroll) worship leader nor a professional musician. I help leading worship in small groups through the week and sometimes on Sunday at church. Nevertheless, I am the type that listens to live worship all the time and I try to play and practice almost everyday. For me the idea of the worship team not having stands/sheets sounds good; it looks very good. It doesn’t bother me when they use them, but, I agree, it looks better without them. The way I see it, it is a very admirable high standard.

My views: However, the success of it depends on the one hand, on the ability of the musicians to memorize lyrics and chords/music. It seems to me that this is more possible to be accomplished by people who are full time musicians –the ones who are pretty much paid to do music. Unfortunately, in many congregations most of the members of the band are good musicians but only in their spare time (i.e. me). I can play many songs by heart, spontaneously, but, some others, I need to KNOW that I can look down and find my way back track. If I am told I cant use the sheets, I’m afraid that it would hinder me from freely worshiping and leading people into worship, I don’t have that much time through the week to prepare a set to the point of not needing sheets at all.
Now, in the other hand, from my own experience, sometimes even when I play those songs that I know by heart, I have found myself in a blank. Nervousness? The fear of the crowd, the move of the Spirit?, for whatever reason, I’ve been in that place where I just don’t remember the next step. It is there when the sheets are valuable so that I don’t serve as an interruption to the group and the congregation.

My conclusion: We should all strive to be skillful musicians and excellent worship leaders. We should all strive to memorize everything so hat we don’t need to look at the notes. In that way we can concentrate in the ministry we are doing, look at the crowd etc, BUT, having the sheets down, can save us from causing great confusion and distraction in a greater way than the distraction that the stand itself could cause. After all, many in the “audience” are used to them anyway.

Question to ponder: What distracts more, a stand on the stage or a leader who forgot the lyrics or the wrong chord in a moment of sublime ecstasy?

My humble 2 cents…

Luis

Would it be appropriate to ask for everyone to contribute their ideas about how to best memorize music? I mean, that’s the key to this question, isn’t it? If we can find ways to make it easier for weekend warriors to memorize music, won’t that go a long way toward solving this whole problem?

I think what Fred is after is simply a more professional stage appearance. I think it’s a step in the process of taking it up a notch. I find it worthy of a smile that this happens simultaneously with a new building and a new In Ear Monitor system. Fred, your team must be really overwhelmed, seriously. I’ve read Chris Moncus’ blogs about having to push that “overwhelmed” mentality away and just do his job. You guys are changing a lot of things, really quickly. Make sure you give these folks something to be stable about. Don’t let the new technology – which in theory was supposed to make their job “easier” (especially the IEMs) – lead to a bunch of changes in your mentality and expectations that make their job harder.

In other words, always encourage. Never demand. Give them tools, not just job descriptions. If you want them to memorize music, teach them how. Hold a workshop on it.

I, personally, would love to be better at it, but I’ve really struggled with my memory since my heart surgery a year ago. Never forget that medical conditions, stress, genetics, natural intelligence, and all those things really play a part. The solution for ME – or for YOU – may not work at all for somebody else.

How does everyone else memorize music? Just repetition?

One of the most important things I’ve found is to PRACTICE without lead sheets. If we can’t accomplish that, we most likely cannot perform without them.

Recently I’ve been filling-in as a worship leader for a friend who has been sick lately. I’ve been very open to do the songs that the worship team are most familiar with. And honestly, there were a couple that either I wasn’t familiar with, or completely didn’t know. So, I’ve been in a situation where I had to have a stand with lyrics in front of me.

In regards to performance, I think the heart of a worship leader will always shine through, no matter if there’s a dreaded music stand up there or not, no matter if he / she has to constantly look down at the words or not, or whether the instrumentalists need music or not. I don’t care what a stage looks like as long as the worship team is “in the spirit” and flowing.

In retrospect, it is ALWAYS preferred NOT to have to rely on the music or lyrics. We should always, if possible, know the songs which we are sharing. That’s kind of a “no-brainer” for a serious musician / song-leader / vocalist. Why? Because we will be free of having to look at music, and we will be more in-touch with the crowd and each other by the fact we are in a position to interact more closely and freely with others around us – instead of the music.

Monitors!!

Yeah, I hate stands (all reasons already listed) but I still use one until I can figure out how to get a monitor system for our stage.

Every worship space that has a screen should also have some type of monitor for the people on stage.

Not only for the Worship Team but also for the pastor. How many times have we seen a sermon where the screen was more of a distraction than a help becuase the pastor was oblivious to what was or wasn’t up behind him?

Fred,
We rotate leaders in our relatively small church, and each leader has his/her unique style and preference in songs. So, except for the old “standards,” the music varies week to week.
In response to Bernard, to help the musicians that are scheduled to be on the team with me any given week, I try to get a set list and a CD of the songs we are covering at least two weeks out so they can spend time with the music and the message that the artist is trying to convey, as well as the technical aspects of each song. That has helped, but not enough to ditch the stands…especially when songs require transitioning to different keys. (Without the sheet music it can really lead to a train wreck on the platform.)
Thanks to all for your insights.
another $.02 from me…no charge!

As a worship leader and studio musician, I see both sides. With my team, there’s only one guy who uses a stand. For him, he loves to serve the church and honor the Lord, but needs to look at music. The rest of the team are no more or less prepared but perhaps have a different confidence in playing some of these songs. Good conversations. My vote would be no stands.
-Chad