Contemporary Christian Artists Using Rickenbackers
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melibreits
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Jason, I'm not sure.... I know we used to, but we've had a lot of turnover with the kids in the sound booth, so I don't know any more.... for a while we had a lot of trouble getting a decent mix from the sound people, because nobody knew what they were doing when we got the new system....
I am hoping to start working on some of my own recording projects this summer, with some help from the bass player, acoustic player, and one of my friends who can play some great leads....
I am hoping to start working on some of my own recording projects this summer, with some help from the bass player, acoustic player, and one of my friends who can play some great leads....
"Once I've held and played the best, baby, I won't settle for less!"
I apologize if I cheapened the integrity of the thread, but 'tis a true church RIC story. Glad I was able to provide a laugh at my expense!
Even years later, when my wife hears me tell the story, I STILL get that SAME FACE she shot me when it happened! If looks could kill....
Bob, as far as introducing contemporary music to a "predominately older congregation" it can be a HUGE challenge. I've done it MANY times before. It's a long story, so I'll spare you all the details. Basically, our Pastor in my home church "loaned" out our Praise team to Traditional churches for a full year. Every Sunday, we basically went on the road to introduce the music to these churches. That was a TOUGH gig.
Talk about an OLDER congregation, I'm in Florida where there are a LOT of retired folks. It's been a LONG 3 years introducing the new music to a traditional Lutheran congregation. All I can say is to do it SLOWLY, tastefully, respectfully, and prayerfully. It takes a lot of time and patience.
John:
Glad to provide a little smile to you. I have a LOT of funny church stories, but I TRY to refrain as much as possible. "I'm just a work in progress"...
Even years later, when my wife hears me tell the story, I STILL get that SAME FACE she shot me when it happened! If looks could kill.... Bob, as far as introducing contemporary music to a "predominately older congregation" it can be a HUGE challenge. I've done it MANY times before. It's a long story, so I'll spare you all the details. Basically, our Pastor in my home church "loaned" out our Praise team to Traditional churches for a full year. Every Sunday, we basically went on the road to introduce the music to these churches. That was a TOUGH gig.
Talk about an OLDER congregation, I'm in Florida where there are a LOT of retired folks. It's been a LONG 3 years introducing the new music to a traditional Lutheran congregation. All I can say is to do it SLOWLY, tastefully, respectfully, and prayerfully. It takes a lot of time and patience.
John:
Glad to provide a little smile to you. I have a LOT of funny church stories, but I TRY to refrain as much as possible. "I'm just a work in progress"...
"Freedom of expression is important, but I have learned that people want to know how much you care before they care how much you know."
The only time a bass player gets noticed is when he stops playing.
The only time a bass player gets noticed is when he stops playing.
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melibreits
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Tony, believe me, I know where you're coming from....it is a challenge introducing contemporary praise music to an older congregation--I would say that at least 2/3 of our congregation are over 60 years old, and many are very set in their ways when it comes to what they think church music should sound like.... I have struggled with this a lot, and at one time was just about ready to leave the team, but after much prayerful consideration I still believe that the worship team is my calling and my ministry.... As a team we really try to be sensitive to the music style issue, and try to play a mix of songs that will appeal to all the age groups, and above all honor God....
BTW, I would love to hear more of your funny church stories.... We could have a whole different thread specifically about playing on worship teams, I'm sure....
BTW, I would love to hear more of your funny church stories.... We could have a whole different thread specifically about playing on worship teams, I'm sure....
"Once I've held and played the best, baby, I won't settle for less!"
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shinynewtoy
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Lutheran here too! When I say older congregation... when there's someone 25 years older than me in church, that narrows the gap ... They're very much set in the service we've been using LONG before I was born. We do have a progressive pastor who is always looking to inject energy into our Sunday mornings and broaden our reach to younger members, but anything that we do risks alienating the people who have gone there for 50, 60, 70 years.
We've contemplated just starting with Anthems and building on it from there...
... They're very much set in the service we've been using LONG before I was born. We do have a progressive pastor who is always looking to inject energy into our Sunday mornings and broaden our reach to younger members, but anything that we do risks alienating the people who have gone there for 50, 60, 70 years. We've contemplated just starting with Anthems and building on it from there...
What do you mean the Bass is too loud???
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shinynewtoy
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Around 2001, I got so tired of the garbage that went on in you know who's name I quit 'gringo' churches altogether and played for a Spanish-speaking church for four years. (Keep in mind I am a 'gringo' myself so I can say that.) They were the coolest people I've ever dealt with in any church. I was able to rock the piano for JC like never before. And once I got to play Elvis-style "Blue Christmas" as an instrumental with Rick 12 and bari sax for a Christmas concert. I hated to leave, but along with their coolness came a lack of productivity that eventually started to drive me nuts. For the first time in my life, I'm actually able to live off one job, so I left. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Interesting...I play at a rather large (1600 seat)Church. It seems our congregation might be more receptive to contemporary music than some of our band members! The lead guitarist is an absolute monster jazz player, who considers contemporary Christian music "garage band" stuff. Our drummer just did a CD with Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets' bass player). Our keyboardist is a jazz guy that teaches and plays in piano bars. The bass player wants to funk it up. I'm the lone, Woodstock generation, singer-songwriter, rock & roller in the group, and I say, if it's garage band stuff, show me to the garage. I love it.
BTW...Tony, the "Money" story was great. I agree, a Praise team war story thread might be a giggle.
BTW...Tony, the "Money" story was great. I agree, a Praise team war story thread might be a giggle.
This is too cool; I finally think I found my niche in the forum! The forum jester Thanks for kind words everyone.
You know, after a while, being buried in one church, you tend to forget that there is a LOT of other musicians out there digging it out in the trenches! Fighting the SAME kind of battles too!
After moving from my lifetime home of NY, I have a new appreciation of the definition of the word OLD. In NY, if you were 65, you were considered "old". Not to be insulting, but that seemed to be the general age category of the elderly people I met in my church. BUT, here in Florida, it's a different world! If you're 65-70, you are a spring chicken! I'm talking LOTS and LOTS of 80-90+ oxygen tank old people!
Melissa:
I know exactly where you are coming from! Those folks just don't appreciate how much work and love goes into doing what we do. I've watched your instruments being restored, they are stunning. From what little I know about you from your postings, you probably only want to bring the very best you can to the alter. Both in song AND with instruments!
I've done SO much research and testing in this area, I could probably right a book. Every now and then, we take a DIRT DRY hymn like "nothing but the blood" and "modernize" it a bit. This song we did sort of to the tune of (REACH OUT in the Darkness) beat to it. When our band performed it at a Lutheran church, this old man came and stuck his finger in my face and called us "heretics". And that this kind of "SMUT" music shouldn't be played in a church. I asked him, did you listen to the words? He said he didn't listen to that kind of "****" and that we should be "ashamed" for doing it. I then proceeded to tell him that the song is RIGHT out of the RED Lutheran hymnal that all we did was add some post 1890 instruments to it! He went DEAD SILENT. He didn't believe me, I had to get the book, open it up and show it to him. My GUT reaction was to belt him with it, but being a NEW Christian at the time, I thought better of it. It seems to be a universal problem with any musician trying to bring some updated music into a traditional setting.
There was one who completely did a turn around and once told me, "I guess it isn't a bad thing, God has been listening to the same old music for hundreds of years, I guess something new isn't such a bad thing". I reached out and hugged this old woman!
Bob:
I feel your pain; the church I'm in now is still in transition. It can be an uphill battle. If you like, there is a book, it is VERY hard to find, and if you like I'll see if I can find another copy of it. It's called ENTER HIS GATES. It is a book of about 300 songs PICKED and APPROVED by a group of Lutheran churches in the mid west that was specifically designed to assist Lutheran churches in making the transition from traditional to contemporary. EVERY TIME I reach into the book and pull out a SIMPLE 4 chord progression song, the "old timers" LOVE them. Our praise team leader recently left for a better position, the job fell in my lap for a few weeks as a voulenteer. I DON'T LIKE BEING A CHIEF; I'd rather be an Indian. They always shoot at the chief FIRST! It's been a heck of a learning experience.
Ok, enough. I have to go get ready for this Sunday....BUT, one more quick story. How I wish this was a private forum at times like this!!!!
Really quick, when our church went to wireless mikes, our Pastor (the sweetest "blue hair" you would ever want to meet) went into the men's room WITH THE MIKE STILL TURNED ON...There were some very FUNKY and embarrassing noises coming out of our PA system! The system was up in the balcony and I was in an outer hall CLOSE to the men's room. I had to make a choice what/how could I silence this embarrassing NOISE as quickly as possible. I broke into the men's room like a Nark and proceeded to tell Pastor what was happening...He didn't understand what I was trying to tell him. SO, I had to burst into the stall, with the pastor on the "alter" and I ripped the mike off of his lapel and turned it off. If he wasn't done BEFORE I broke in, I'd bet he sure was AFTERWARDS! He told me later jokingly, that if I needed the facilities that badly next time, I should have just used the women’s room!
Thanks for kind words everyone. You know, after a while, being buried in one church, you tend to forget that there is a LOT of other musicians out there digging it out in the trenches! Fighting the SAME kind of battles too!
After moving from my lifetime home of NY, I have a new appreciation of the definition of the word OLD. In NY, if you were 65, you were considered "old". Not to be insulting, but that seemed to be the general age category of the elderly people I met in my church. BUT, here in Florida, it's a different world! If you're 65-70, you are a spring chicken! I'm talking LOTS and LOTS of 80-90+ oxygen tank old people!
Melissa:
I know exactly where you are coming from! Those folks just don't appreciate how much work and love goes into doing what we do. I've watched your instruments being restored, they are stunning. From what little I know about you from your postings, you probably only want to bring the very best you can to the alter. Both in song AND with instruments!
I've done SO much research and testing in this area, I could probably right a book. Every now and then, we take a DIRT DRY hymn like "nothing but the blood" and "modernize" it a bit. This song we did sort of to the tune of (REACH OUT in the Darkness) beat to it. When our band performed it at a Lutheran church, this old man came and stuck his finger in my face and called us "heretics". And that this kind of "SMUT" music shouldn't be played in a church. I asked him, did you listen to the words? He said he didn't listen to that kind of "****" and that we should be "ashamed" for doing it. I then proceeded to tell him that the song is RIGHT out of the RED Lutheran hymnal that all we did was add some post 1890 instruments to it!
He went DEAD SILENT. He didn't believe me, I had to get the book, open it up and show it to him. My GUT reaction was to belt him with it, but being a NEW Christian at the time, I thought better of it. It seems to be a universal problem with any musician trying to bring some updated music into a traditional setting. There was one who completely did a turn around and once told me, "I guess it isn't a bad thing, God has been listening to the same old music for hundreds of years, I guess something new isn't such a bad thing". I reached out and hugged this old woman!
Bob:
I feel your pain; the church I'm in now is still in transition. It can be an uphill battle. If you like, there is a book, it is VERY hard to find, and if you like I'll see if I can find another copy of it. It's called ENTER HIS GATES. It is a book of about 300 songs PICKED and APPROVED by a group of Lutheran churches in the mid west that was specifically designed to assist Lutheran churches in making the transition from traditional to contemporary. EVERY TIME I reach into the book and pull out a SIMPLE 4 chord progression song, the "old timers" LOVE them. Our praise team leader recently left for a better position, the job fell in my lap for a few weeks as a voulenteer. I DON'T LIKE BEING A CHIEF; I'd rather be an Indian. They always shoot at the chief FIRST! It's been a heck of a learning experience.
Ok, enough. I have to go get ready for this Sunday....BUT, one more quick story. How I wish this was a private forum at times like this!!!!
Really quick, when our church went to wireless mikes, our Pastor (the sweetest "blue hair" you would ever want to meet) went into the men's room WITH THE MIKE STILL TURNED ON...There were some very FUNKY and embarrassing noises coming out of our PA system! The system was up in the balcony and I was in an outer hall CLOSE to the men's room. I had to make a choice what/how could I silence this embarrassing NOISE as quickly as possible. I broke into the men's room like a Nark and proceeded to tell Pastor what was happening...He didn't understand what I was trying to tell him. SO, I had to burst into the stall, with the pastor on the "alter" and I ripped the mike off of his lapel and turned it off. If he wasn't done BEFORE I broke in, I'd bet he sure was AFTERWARDS!
He told me later jokingly, that if I needed the facilities that badly next time, I should have just used the women’s room!"Freedom of expression is important, but I have learned that people want to know how much you care before they care how much you know."
The only time a bass player gets noticed is when he stops playing.
The only time a bass player gets noticed is when he stops playing.
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melibreits
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Wow.... Tony, I'm thankful that nobody has confronted me or anyone else on the team with such outright hostility....Yikes!
Have you heard the CD by Jars of Clay called "Redemption Songs?" It is their contemporary arrangements of some traditional hymns--in some cases they have totally rewritten the tunes, and it is GREAT listening.... I'm hoping we can use some of their arrangements on the team really soon. I especially love their version of "It Is Well With My Soul..." I think if the Beatles had ever done a hymn, it would have sounded just like that--it is soooooo cool!
Have you heard the CD by Jars of Clay called "Redemption Songs?" It is their contemporary arrangements of some traditional hymns--in some cases they have totally rewritten the tunes, and it is GREAT listening.... I'm hoping we can use some of their arrangements on the team really soon. I especially love their version of "It Is Well With My Soul..." I think if the Beatles had ever done a hymn, it would have sounded just like that--it is soooooo cool!
"Once I've held and played the best, baby, I won't settle for less!"
Melissa,
Sounds unbelievable, doesn't it? I've had a belly full of it at times. Most times you will get the "I don't think a church is the place for that kind of music" speech, and I can deal with that, but every once in a while, it gets ugly.
It can really make you re-examine your mission.
Thanks for the heads up on the Jars of Clay CD. I was just listening to them on my Ipod earlier. I really enjoy that band. I wasn't aware that they had a CD like that out there! I'm off to Ebay to see if I can nab one!
Sounds unbelievable, doesn't it? I've had a belly full of it at times. Most times you will get the "I don't think a church is the place for that kind of music" speech, and I can deal with that, but every once in a while, it gets ugly.
It can really make you re-examine your mission.
Thanks for the heads up on the Jars of Clay CD. I was just listening to them on my Ipod earlier. I really enjoy that band. I wasn't aware that they had a CD like that out there! I'm off to Ebay to see if I can nab one!
"Freedom of expression is important, but I have learned that people want to know how much you care before they care how much you know."
The only time a bass player gets noticed is when he stops playing.
The only time a bass player gets noticed is when he stops playing.
I have had the pastor-bathroom-mic thing happen before. I was lucky to be sitting behind the board though, and turned it down!
Once in a UMC we did "I Will Call Upon the Lord" and I got to use a 360/12v64. One of the singers was so pumped up with the rock stylings she said to the congregation, "Come on all you sixties groupies!" My face went redder than the fireglo of the guitar. I have that on tape... I'll have to dig that up and digitize it for you guys.
Once in a UMC we did "I Will Call Upon the Lord" and I got to use a 360/12v64. One of the singers was so pumped up with the rock stylings she said to the congregation, "Come on all you sixties groupies!" My face went redder than the fireglo of the guitar. I have that on tape... I'll have to dig that up and digitize it for you guys.
All,
Wow! What a treat to read through this thread. To realize (I should have known all along) that there are people out there who love Jesus and Ricks blows me away. I can't stop smiling.
For those of you looking to introduce congregations to more contemporary music, you might want to check out Indelible Grace at the following website:
http://www.igracemusic.com/
They have done a really nice job of taking the lyrics to old hymns and putting them to new tunes...another resource for you.
Melissa,
I grew up in White Bear Lake, MN and have lots of hockey playing friends from college who grew up on the Iron Range...Babbit, Virginia, Hibbing
Wow! What a treat to read through this thread. To realize (I should have known all along) that there are people out there who love Jesus and Ricks blows me away. I can't stop smiling.
For those of you looking to introduce congregations to more contemporary music, you might want to check out Indelible Grace at the following website:
http://www.igracemusic.com/
They have done a really nice job of taking the lyrics to old hymns and putting them to new tunes...another resource for you.
Melissa,
I grew up in White Bear Lake, MN and have lots of hockey playing friends from college who grew up on the Iron Range...Babbit, Virginia, Hibbing
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atomic_punk
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