Category Archives: Guest Articles

Guest Articles, Motivational, Preparation and Organization, Resources

What Songs are We SINGING?

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What Songs are We Singing?! Thank you Glenna Lasater for your wonderful perspective on this subject!

May I just say that I think that the whole debate between old and new gospel music is silly. We are worship leaders. Our job is to lead God’s people into worship—not just the young people—not just the old people—but the entire church.

Music is a thing that ticks in emotion with the experiences in your memory. Your experience may have happened decades ago, yet it feels like just yesterday when you hear a certain song. You start to sing those lyrics and it transports you back to that moment when you were at the altar of repentance. We want to stir up those memories. We need to remember where God brought us from!

The reason there are fewer songs about the Lord’s return is because there has been less preaching about the Lord’s return. The Word of God inspires musicians to write songs. The new songs are written about what they are hearing preached just as the older songs were written about what they were hearing preached.

It is important that our young people hear the powerful songs about Heaven and the rapture, but that does not mean that there is no value in the worship songs written today. It is not a competition—us against them. We are all God’s people!

I think the ideal worship service would be a blend of both the old and new so that we can reach everybody. So that we can take everybody back to that moment in their lives. We must get out of the way so that God can do a mighty work in HIS church.

The Bible tells us to sing a new song, but it does not tell us to quit singing the old, familiar songs. If you put this conversation into God’s timing, these are all new songs. What all musicians pray for is harmony. How can we have harmony if we are creating discord?

If you do not like the content of the current music, then pray for preaching that takes us to a new depth in our understanding, a deeper love, and an urgency that brings us to a place of repentance.

Forget about genres. We do not want to be segmented into being a worship leader for a certain age group. That divides the church. Instead, look at the lyrics without the music? Do the lyrics speak to you, or make you go “hmmm?” Then, when you sing those lyrics, sing them as though they mean something to you. This will help create new memories, and new experiences for those that hear you.

These songs are creating those memories right as you sing and it is a beautiful thing to be a part of that. Years later, your music will take them back to this very moment immediately.

Ministering in song goes beyond us singing each verse two times and the chorus three times. We have to be in tune with the Spirit of God so that we don’t interrupt the flow. We have to make those opportunities for God to move. 

Thanks for reading my ramblings. Go be a blessing!

Glenna Lasater, West Valley City, Utah

Guest Articles

My 2018 New Year’s RESOLUTION – Only One!

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By Ashley Blankenship

This year I have decided I will make only one New Year’s Resolution. Rather than making lists and setting many goals, I simply resolve to do one thing differently in 2018.

I can shed a few pounds, I am sure I will read my Bible, and I will run through a list of books I want to read. I know I will exercise some, try to eat better, and pray more.

So here I will post my 2018 resolution. Only one. I will make it a public resolution, so my friends and family can keep me accountable.

It’s very simple actually. But this one simple resolution will literally trickle over into EVERY area of my life. It has the potential to transform my home, my family, and my relationships. I’ve prayed about this and the Lord has led me to this one simple resolution in 2018…

I resolve to be kinder to myself. There. I said it. Sometimes I am my own worst critic. I will no longer expect perfection or near-perfection. I will allow myself to have “down days” where I relax and don’t fret about the dust bunnies. I will allow myself time to enjoy my kids and play with them in the middle of a messy house that looks nothing like that Pin on Pinterest or the living room I saw in the magazine. I will be more patient with myself when the dishes pile, the church and home to-do lists never seem to end and I’m days behind on laundry. I will stop the negative self-talk that says I’m always messing up, I don’t measure up, I don’t do this or that like this Facebook friend or this professional blogger or this Pastor’s wife or that friend.

I tend to always focus on the mistakes I make, or the things I am failing at, or my shortcomings and imperfections. I am always shooting for perfection and beating myself up if I do not make it. If my house doesn’t look like the magazine, I feel the tension inside. If my kids aren’t all put together, I blame myself. If I didn’t finish all the projects on my list, I must’ve been too lazy, even though I worked from 7:00 am to 1:00 am… THE NEXT DAY.

Time flies. So, I can’t waste a minute of 2018 worrying about how I’m doing. The reality is, those are minutes wasted. What is done is done and what matters is that my husband and children are loved, and they love me. The IMPERFECT me. The me that doesn’t complete the to-do list. The me that is comfortable having fun in the midst of a mess that I really should be cleaning up.

So, in 2018 I will no longer hold myself to impossible standards that I would never place on anyone else. If someone tells me I need a break, I will listen. Maybe their standards for me are not nearly as high as those I have set for myself. In 2018 I will take credit for what I do and stop focusing on what I don’t get to. In 2018 I will ask myself this question, “Would I berate another woman the way I’m doing to myself right now? Or would I cut her some slack and tell her she’s doing a great job and just needs to take a break?” Then I will take my own advice. No more internal lectures.

My new kindness to myself will make me a better mom. I will play more and laugh more and have more fun. I will be a better wife because I will be less anxious and annoyed with myself. I will have time to exercise and plan a healthy meal because I will MAKE time for me, sometimes at the sacrifice of mopping the floors. I will be reading my Bible and spending more time in prayer because the pressure is off. I’m turning it off. I’m going to read a list of good books and maybe even take a nap on one of those 365 days!

So rather than a list of resolutions and goals for the New Year… I simply will resolve this one thing… and women, it’s probably something most of us could resolve to do…

Be kind to yourself. You’re doing a great job.

Guest Articles, Instructional, Motivational, Preparation and Organization

BUILDING A COHESIVE WORSHIP BAND

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by Diane Horsley
TBC Music Department
Whether you fall into the category of recent music grad accepting your first church music job, part-time music department volunteer or “there’s no one else to do the music” scenario, there will be a time that you have to put together a worship band. There are definitely challenges when forming and working with a band, but the payoff is more than worth the investment. In this article we will share some ideas that we have found to be successful when trying to build a cohesive band. Most of us working with worship bands realize that the musicians are made up of volunteers. (Thank God for people who are willing to give freely of their time in such a busy and fast paced society.) So one of our first challenges is trying get everyone on the “same page” musically.
  • It’s always a good idea to find out as much as you can about the musical background of each of your musicians. How many years have they been playing?
  • What style are they used to and comfortable with? Are they younger musicians with only a few months experience on their instrument? Knowing everyone’s skill level will give you a sense of where to start and what type of songs you will be able to do.
A successful rehearsal is vital to a successful band. This statement cannot be stressed enough.
  • First, make sure the rehearsal night fits everyone’s schedule. People will have to miss practice from time to time due to real life situations, but make sure that overall they can be available for the time you set. Keep the practice within a reasonable time frame. An hour is the norm and most people can set aside 60 minutes during the week. Running rehearsals too long makes people not want to be involved and so does a leader who is unpleasant and critical. Be Christ-like in rehearsal. Remember God is the reason you are all working toward excellence. Never forget the key word here-volunteers!
  • Second, get the set list, audio and charts to all of them before they get there.  It’s very hard to learn 3 or 4 new songs in an hour if they have never heard them. It will make your job much easier if they are familiar with the material and have had time to practice individually or at least listened enough to be comfortable trying it.
  • Third, make sure you as the band leader know what’s happening in each song as far as the key, tempo, intro’s, breaks, special instrumental parts, and endings. They can’t follow you if you don’t know where you’re going. It’s important that males and females in this role not be timid in leading. Band members will feel unsure if you lack confidence or are unclear in your directions.
  • I have found that doing the easiest song first works well. Tackle the more difficult material in the middle, then end with one that’s more familiar. It’s good for your band to leave with a sense of accomplishment and feeling like they sounded good instead of the “we sounded horrible” vibe.
  • Fourth, know what parts of the songs are going to need “extra” attention and work those parts more. Before you start to practice a song it’s good to give a little overview of its form or layout. Sometimes it’s just a matter of a simple reminder that makes a song go smoother. Always make sure the intro, breaks, specials vamps and endings are solid since that’s when the band is most exposed. If the musicians are having a hard time playing a certain riff or progression up to tempo-slow it down. Repeat it 10 times in a row if necessary then gradually start speeding it up until everyone can handle it. Don’t keep starting over from the top. Work the areas that aren’t “happening” then try it again.
  • Fifth, make sure they can all hear you during practice either with a mic run thru the sound system or a talk back mic. Communication is so important in the rehearsal as well as in the actual service. You will avoid many “train wrecks” musically when you can communicate with all the band members. Lastly, at the end of rehearsal sincerely thank everyone for donating their time and compliment them on things done well. Even if the practice wasn’t stellar, make them feel like they are valued for what they are trying to accomplish. In the end, as long as God’s anointing is on all of you during the service and the congregation was lead into God’ presence for a time of sincere worship-count it as a success!
Guest Articles, Music for Kids

Plan a SUMMER Piano Camp!

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by Ashley Blankenship

In talking with some local piano teachers about the “summer slump” I was given the idea of a piano camp. Sometimes it is difficult to keep a regular schedule in summer, especially with vacationing families and busy kids.  I loved the idea and decided to organize my own piano camp this year.  I have worked as a substitute teacher in a public school setting so I was very comfortable with the concept.  If you are not used to working with groups of children, getting together with another teacher or assembling a team would be a great way to start a camp.

First, I assembled a team of capable people to help me. Jessica is a current student of mine who has many years of piano background by note and by ear with me and another teacher.  She beautifully plays classical music and is learning to chord church music by ear. Rachel is currently my longest-running student.  She is sixteen years old and has been in lessons with me for nine years.  She is extremely talented and can read music as well as she can read the newspaper. Paul is another of my current students who is also exceptional at reading music as well as composing his own compositions.  He is an incredibly talented young man with a passion for music.  Micah is a newer musician with a natural talent.  Things come easily to him and he has quickly learned to play by ear.

The planning began in April with work on a brochure, choosing a location, assembling the team, advertising to the public (as well as my current students), and of course, lesson plans!  I decided to hold camp at my church in a multi-purpose room with lots of space and of course, a piano!  Camps were scheduled for the first Monday of each summer month from 9:00 am to Noon. We had great attendance at each camp.  My current students under the age of ten were all in attendance, as well as students who enrolled through the public advertising.

Each camp built upon the last but a student could easily join the camp if they missed the month before. Camps were simple enough for those with absolutely no music experience but also challenging to the student with a musical foundation. This is why the team is so important! We did lots of breaking into groups by age and ability level. Here was our general schedule:

  • 9:00 Circle time Introductions
  • 9:15 Theory fun
  • 9:30  Games! Get up, Get moving!
  • 10:00 Table top Theory
  • 10:20   Individual Keyboard Instruction/Craft Time at the Table
  • 11:00   Games! Get up, Get moving!
  • 11:30   Circle Time – Daily Recap
  • 11:45   Snack time
  • 12:00   Dismiss

The goals for the students with little to no musical background included topography (not technique), associating that each finger has a number and a purpose, beginning rhythms, and playing simple songs on the black keys and the music alphabet.   No staff work was introduced.  For students with more than a year of piano instruction, the goals included all of the basic goals listed above, as well as reinforcement of musical vocabulary, rhythm, finger technique and sight reading skills.

Because there is a wealth of games, activities, crafts and even music themed snacks available on the internet and Pinterest, the team developed and collected ideas to form our curriculum. I held the main responsibility of giving one-on-one instruction to each student during our Individual Keyboard time. I developed a basic curriculum and set goals for each student each month.  My team did a great job of developing crafts, music themed snacks, fun books to read at circle time, games to get them moving and counting rhythms, and much more!  I purchased all supplies with the money from Piano Camp Tuition and my team was there on a volunteer basis.

For tuition I was able to charge half of my usual monthly tuition cost. This made parents very happy since there were no weekly lessons this summer.  They were able to save a little bit of money but still receiving great piano instruction for their students.  I was able to cover all expenses of our camp as well as feed my staff lunch at the close of our day.  Of course, I also walked away with an income comparable to what I would have made if I had continued weekly lessons all summer.

I received great feedback from my summer piano camps and I hope to only build on this concept in future summers. I also signed on two new full-time students this fall who were introduced to me through the community advertising I did for these camps. Summer Piano Camp was a great asset to my local piano teaching business. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about starting a successful summer piano camp.

For more information feel free to contact us.

Guest Articles, Instructional, Music for Kids

Knowing Your Piano Students!

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by Stephanie Clark
When I first started teaching piano, my two boys were automatically my new students—most often taught against their will.  At that time I taught all students pretty much the same way including my two boys

My boys are very different from each other and so are all my other students—-even though everyone is different, I was teaching everyone the same way.

Then I learned something that helped me tremendously, not only interacting with students but with people in general.  Personality profiles or the “four temperament” models of human behavior.  Everyone has a different personality type, children, musicians, co-workers, parents, everyone.  It is important to note that one disposition is not better than the other—just different.

Outgoing: The individuals like to “go” and are constantly on themove, create excitement and take the “party” with them.  They are fast-paced and energetic, usually positive and optimistic.  They like to win and are involved in everything!  They usually do not lack in self-confidence and sometimes bite off more than they can chew. But that’s ok, they’ll “hustle” and make up the difference.

Reserved:  These individuals are “steady eddies” and may be the proverbial tortoise left in the dust.  They usually end up crossing the finish line ahead, however, because they have a lot of patience and stamina to get the job done.  They are usually reserved types and cautious and reluctant to get involved in too many activities.  They prefer, rather, to look into a situation a little longer than jumping right in.  They look below the surface.

Task oriented:  These individuals enjoy doing things, making plans, working on projects, and find great pleasure in a job well-done.   Sometimes they can be so focused on getting the job done that they can easily hurt someone’s feelings.

People oriented: These individuals like to interact with other people and they are more concerned with way people feel than simply accomplishing a task.

If you are a beginning piano teacher, you’ll find it helpful to KNOW YOUR STUDENTS!  What do you want in a student?

It is important to remember that all your students are going to be different!

There’s an old saying
the teacher has not taught anything until the student has heard.

We hold the keys for our students’ success
so wouldn’t it make sense to adapt our teaching to their style?

Knowing your student can help reduce turnover on your part and frustration on the student’s part.

Do they have a piano or keyboard?  This is very important! How old are they?  They need an attention span of at least five solid minutes.