Ever get frustrated by another musician you work with? If you haven’t, you’re lying.
Think about it: Musicians of different generations, unique styles, different preferences, varying degrees of skill, different goals—all placed on the same stage. There’s nothing like a worship team!
This weekend I was having a conversation with one of the drummers on my team, a great friend. He’s a good drummer—passionate, great feel, good sense of time, loves Jesus and has the kind of attitude any worship leader would envy.
But even with all these positives in place, something was amiss. Something sounded off.
So began a great conversation that changed everything.
Bottom line—this guy wasn’t thinking of the band. He was mindful of himself. He wasn’t thinking like a producer.
And that’s what this whole post is about—why you and all your team members can benefit from thinking like a producer, a music director, the one responsible for the overall sound.
Subtle Sloppy-ness
After we rehearsed a few songs, I realized the whole mix sounded like a drum solo, accompanied by guitars, keyboards and vocals (no, it wasn’t an over-the-top drum solo like the beloved Oceans drummer).
It wasn’t overwhelming. But most musicians don’t indulge in the crazy busy playing that ruins songs. It’s the kind of subtle overplaying that makes the music sloppy, unfocused, distracting.
This is a fundamental struggle that most worship leaders deal with—working with musicians who overplay and don’t serve the overall sound.
There’s this funny tension in music: You don’t want to overplay and dominate the sound, but you also don’t want to underplay and create lackluster music—monotonous, boring, lifeless.
A great musician knows when to simmer and when to soar; when to solo and when to support. But even in their support role, they aren’t bashful and bored—they are fully present, giving their passion to the simplest, most basic musical idea.
The Simple Truth About How Musicians Grow
But back to our drummer here: We had a great conversation that applied to every musician in the band. I wanted to break down our chat here in hopes that it will serve you as a musician in the band or as the leader of your band.
There’s no better way for musicians to grow than direct, honest, loving, confrontational feedback. Without it we keep doing what we’ve always done. Your busy musicians aren’t trying to sabotage your sound or draw too much attention to themselves.
They don’t have innate ill will toward what you’re trying to accomplish. They’re just playing the way they know how. They are trying to bring their best. Your coaching will help them see something new.
Think Like a Producer
Have you ever tried to have one of your musicians lead a rehearsal or arrange a song? It’s not a bad idea because an arranger doesn’t just consider what they are playing. They are thinking about the music as a whole.
It’s important for all your musicians to think like this. When a drummer is thinking about the rhythmic intensity of an acoustic guitar, they will temper their playing to create space for that guitar to sit in the mix.
When a bass player is mindful of the lead singer’s melody, they won’t feel the need to transition every measure with a fill—they are supporting something of greater importance.
When a BGV is viewing their voice as an instrument (and as a support to the lead vocal) they won’t feel the need to sing every phrase, improv all over the place and overpower the mix.
So here’s my challenge to you, worship leader: Encourage your band to approach Sunday like individual producers and arrangers. If they were in charge of it all, how would they produce the sound so not one instrument overpowers but all work together to create a unified sound?
Next page: But … how?
