Man, what a fantastic week at Momentum! The energy was high, the music was loud, the production team was tight, and the band was ON! It was definitely one of the strongest sets we've had in a while, and the music team pulled it off brilliantly.
The band opened with the high energy "Filled With Your Glory", which we've done quite a bit over the last 6 months. It's a really great song, but I'm afraid we haven't been able to give this song a fair shake because we pretty much always use it as an opener, and the vast majority of people who join us on Sunday morning are not seated and ready to go at the start of the service, so inevitably the opening song becomes more of a performance song that people just hear as they amble into the service. There's been the temptation to give in to the lateness, and either start the service later, or start it with something that doesn't require rehearsal and preparation like a song does, which can end up feeling like a throw away, or like a wasted effort if people are not participating with what's go on, or not even there at all. However, we've decided to stick to our guns and keep starting right on time, in hopes that eventually people will get the idea, and head in a little earlier than usual. Although, I've also come to realize that one big reason people may not be seated as the service is starting is that they are actually conversing and connecting in the foyer, in the children's area, outside, or wherever, and that is definitely a good thing! So, for now, we'll just keep on doing what we're doing, and hope that it does actually serve some functional purpose.
It's always a treat when we can have two electric guitars on stage, especially when they're as ridiculously talented as Chad Johnson and Joel Chandler are, but this week seemed especially so. Vocals sounded great, rhythm section was tight, the mix was spot-on, and the songs were the kind you just want to sing from your toes! Having two electrics trading off on lead and rhythm was just the cherry on top. Add in the fact that the lights were as dynamic and energizing as I've ever seen, and the video loops provided just the right ambience, and it was just a really great service. Brad Sinclair's vocals on "Lift High" were amazing, and Julie Cruz on "Lead Me To the Cross" was chill-inducing. Man, that girl can sing! Walker brought the funk on "You Are Good", which was good, because he's pretty much always itching to bring the funk. Patrick Greer was as solid as ever, especially on the various stops and fills on "Lift High," on the new song "Lead Me to the Cross," and on the high-energy, lay-it-all-out-there iteration of "You Are Good." Patrick just continues to amaze me with his versatility, and the ease with which he seems to pick up new songs and new rhythms.
This was a week that saw us return to the familiar full-band setup after several weeks of simpler, more stripped-down ensembles, and it was a great way to do it. When you mix in the fact that the band can pull it off like they did with minimal involvement from me, the "staff guy," that makes for a big win for Momentum! Way to go guys!
I wanted to take a moment to recognize our fantastic Production Team. This week, I had the privilege of serving with the Production Team as the producer, and that is always so much fun for me, both because I enjoy being able to lead in a more behind-the-scenes role, and because the team is just so enjoyable to work with. These folks put in a lot of time and effort to making sure that our services run smoothly, that the environment and ambience is conducive to connecting with God, and that the efforts of those on stage are enhanced in any way possible. All this means that if they are doing their jobs to perfection, they probably won't be noticed. If the sound tech has it mixed just perfectly, most people are just going to think the band sounds amazing (which they do!), but not think much about what it takes behind the scenes for it to sound like it does. If everything is running like a well-oiled machine, not many people are going to realize that it's due in no small part to the leadership and direction of the producer who is on that week. So, if you are reading this and have not recently thanked the members of the Production Team for the incredible job that they do week in and week out, do so ASAP! Our services would not be what they are without these dedicated folks, these "technical artists," if you will. Michael, Maria, Heidi - it was a pleasure serving with you guys this week, and you all did a fantastic job! Heidi - great job staying on the ball, and picking tasteful and appropriate video loops! Maria - definitely one of the best mixes I've heard in a long time; you've got a fantastic ear! Michael - thanks for being willing to get creative and a little bit "out there" in the use of stage lighting this week.
On a final note, this was probably Julie Cruz's last week singing with us at Momentum. She and her family are going to be heading back to their old stomping grounds in California. We wish them the best, and will be excited to see how God uses Julie and her AMAZING voice to advance his Kingdom, and to inspire others to worship Him. We will also be sad to see her go, as she has definitely been a blessing to us over the last year that she's been with us. We love you, Julie!
Music Team
Julie Cruz - BGVs, lead vox
David Walker - bass
Patrick Greer - drums
Joel Chandler - electric
Brad Sinclair - acoustic, BGVs, lead vox
Chad Johnson - electric
Production Team
Maria Taylor - sound tech
Heidi Leonard - media tech
Michael Wcisel - light tech
Me - producer
Songs
"Filled With Your Glory" by Starfield
"Hosanna" by Hillsong United
"Lead Me To the Cross" by Hillsong United
"Lift High" by Eddie Kirkland
"You Are Good" by Israel Houghton
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Sunday Summary - 4.12.09
Despite the negative tone of my last post, Easter Sunday really was a great morning of celebration at Momentum. The energy was high, the lights were bright, and the music was loud (too loud for some, I've heard...). This was due in large part to the unveiling of the new stage, video screen, lights system, wall curtains, and tweaked sound system. It was fun to watch peoples' reactions as they entered the newly revamped space for the first time. I think many people were surprised about how much had been accomplished in a week's time, and how much of a difference those changes made in the overall feel of the room.
The music team was awesome, and it was a set that really allowed us to keep the energy and spirit of celebration high throughout the service. The pseudo-special "Christ is Risen", as the culmination of the "Easter Changes Everything" teaching was really a highlight. Even though it is a very simple song (I think there are only three chords in the whole song), its simplicity makes it very accessible to listener and performers, and it was frankly just a lot of fun to play. It was awesome to see the response of the body as in both services people were inspired to stand and sing with us in praise to the risen Christ - "He is risen, hallelujah..." Very very cool moments. Totally appropriate then as we closed out with "Salvation is Here" to cap off a morning of high-energy celebration of Jesus.
Music Team
Patrick Greer - drums
Julie Cruz - BGVs
Brad Sinclair - acoustic
Chad Johnson - electric
Glenn Smith - bass
Me - keys, lead vox
Songs
"All Because of Jesus" by Steve Fee
"Happy Day" by Tim Hughes
"Til I See You" by Hillsong United
"Christ is Risen" by Jeremy Riddle
"Salvation is Here" by Hillsong United
The music team was awesome, and it was a set that really allowed us to keep the energy and spirit of celebration high throughout the service. The pseudo-special "Christ is Risen", as the culmination of the "Easter Changes Everything" teaching was really a highlight. Even though it is a very simple song (I think there are only three chords in the whole song), its simplicity makes it very accessible to listener and performers, and it was frankly just a lot of fun to play. It was awesome to see the response of the body as in both services people were inspired to stand and sing with us in praise to the risen Christ - "He is risen, hallelujah..." Very very cool moments. Totally appropriate then as we closed out with "Salvation is Here" to cap off a morning of high-energy celebration of Jesus.
Music Team
Patrick Greer - drums
Julie Cruz - BGVs
Brad Sinclair - acoustic
Chad Johnson - electric
Glenn Smith - bass
Me - keys, lead vox
Songs
"All Because of Jesus" by Steve Fee
"Happy Day" by Tim Hughes
"Til I See You" by Hillsong United
"Christ is Risen" by Jeremy Riddle
"Salvation is Here" by Hillsong United
Easter Reflection
I always have a hard time with Easter. It's hard to program for, it's hard to execute, it's hard to deal with the dynamic of a bunch of new folks (family members, one-time visitors, etc) that we'll likley never see again, and it's hard to know how to approach it mentally and spiritually. Because we are not a tradition that follows much of the traditional Christian calendar, Palm Sunday/Easter and Christmas Eve/Christmas always feel so totally disruptive to the rhythm of teaching and forward movement we normally experience. In those traditions that do follow the Church Calendar, the year begins with Christmas celebration, and builds to a crescendo culminating at Easter, so that by the time you reach Resurrection Sunday you've been anticipating it and building towards it through 40 days of Lent, special Holy Week observations including Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday. In this context, Resurrection Sunday is truly climactic, truly a day of joyous celebration that you have looked forward to through the pains of a 40-day fast, through pre-Lenten reflection on Jesus' life and ministry, and even through Advent and Christ-tide.
In our tradition, though, we maintain a more fluid schedule for teaching and reflecting on the life of Christ. We do our best to respond to exactly what we feel our body needs to hear and be challenged on at any given point in time. We also observe the Lord's Supper every week, so every week we are remembering and reflecting on the death and resurrection of Christ. Because of this, Easter celebration has often felt forced to me. We sing loud and joyously because we know that the resurrection was something truly significant, and we teach, once again, about how significant the resurrection was...but somehow there's a disconnect, perhaps because Easter celebration really only makes sense in the context of the Church Calendar.
I'm still totally unresolved on how to rectify this situation. I've had a strong desire before to adhere more closely to the Church Calendar, to live within the rhythm of life and time that the Church has for so long in following the Calendar. Though I've never been a part of a tradition that actually does this, part of me has really desired this for a long time. Recently, though, I've really questioned the validity and value of this, because there doesn't seem to be any biblical record of the early Church following this sort of a tradition. Because we are stuck somewhere in the middle, in observing certain parts of the Calendar but not others, we miss the value in it entirely. Maybe we should do all or nothing. Perhaps we would do best to either fully buy into that tradition, or do away with it entirely and establish our own rhythm of learning, growing, and moving forward as the body. Any thoughts? Anyone feel similarly about Easter?
In our tradition, though, we maintain a more fluid schedule for teaching and reflecting on the life of Christ. We do our best to respond to exactly what we feel our body needs to hear and be challenged on at any given point in time. We also observe the Lord's Supper every week, so every week we are remembering and reflecting on the death and resurrection of Christ. Because of this, Easter celebration has often felt forced to me. We sing loud and joyously because we know that the resurrection was something truly significant, and we teach, once again, about how significant the resurrection was...but somehow there's a disconnect, perhaps because Easter celebration really only makes sense in the context of the Church Calendar.
I'm still totally unresolved on how to rectify this situation. I've had a strong desire before to adhere more closely to the Church Calendar, to live within the rhythm of life and time that the Church has for so long in following the Calendar. Though I've never been a part of a tradition that actually does this, part of me has really desired this for a long time. Recently, though, I've really questioned the validity and value of this, because there doesn't seem to be any biblical record of the early Church following this sort of a tradition. Because we are stuck somewhere in the middle, in observing certain parts of the Calendar but not others, we miss the value in it entirely. Maybe we should do all or nothing. Perhaps we would do best to either fully buy into that tradition, or do away with it entirely and establish our own rhythm of learning, growing, and moving forward as the body. Any thoughts? Anyone feel similarly about Easter?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Another fantastic week of music at Momentum! A solid band, great songs, an engaged congregation...all around, one of the strongest weeks we've had!
The service opened with the high-energy "I Am Free" that Joel Chandler introduced a few weeks ago. I'm a little bit skeptical that anyone at Momentum except for Mo is actually, legitimately excited that we are "free to dance" because of Jesus, and that will probably be a line that will always bother me about that song; not because I think there's anything wrong with dancing, or singing about dancing, or singing about being free to dance or anything like that, but because I've never been a part of a body that was actually excited and engaged enough to actually dance. I've heard about such groups, but have yet to witness it for myself. So until we get some high-energy movers bold enough to dance, I will feel weird about singing "I am free to dance." But I digress. It's a great song, though, and the band really played it well.
We introduced a new song, "Lift High", by North Point's Eddie Kirkland. It's a great song, with a fantastic melody, which may be a bit of a stretch for congregational sing-along, but it really works well coming out of our "Jesus is Lord" series and heading into Palm Sunday/Easter. The chorus lyric, "lift high your chains undone....all rise exalt the Son..." has such beautiful imagery, which is particularly poignant with all the teaching on slavery and freedom that was a part of the "Jesus is Lord" series. Unfortunately, I had this placed a bad point in the service for first service as the second song of the opening set, followed by an oddly placed welcome and meet-and-greet. Sometimes you just can't foresee how these things will play out until they actually play out. It just really didn't work too well having a new song that's very reflective and worshipful going on while people were still walking in the doors, followed by the meet-and-greet, which really needs to ride on the energy of a high-energy song in order to have the appropriate feel. We recognized it after first service, and made some pretty significant changes to improve the flow for second service. It was a vast improvement.
Jessica Greer sang lead on "Hosanna," which ended up becoming the closing song for second service, and it was phenomenal. The band really really nailed it. Sarah learned this fantastic little lick on the piano that added just that perfect little ornamental sound, and Chad was all over the super-powerful solo at the climax of the song. All around a really fantastic performance of a really great song, and one that people really engaged with.
All-around, it was just a really strong week. The band was really tight - dynamics, cutoffs, tempos all were right on. I spontaneously inserted a whole section on "I am free," and they totally flowed with it. It was awesome. It was truly a joy to play with them!
Music Team
Patrick Greer - Drums
Stephen Jernigan - Bass and BGVs
Jessica Greer - Lead vox, BGVs
Sarah Hart - Keys, BGVs
Chad Johnson - Electric guitar
Me - Acoustic guitar, lead vox
Songs
"I Am Free" by John Egan
"Beautiful Jesus" by Kristian Stanfill
"Surrender" by Marc James
"Lift High" by Eddie Kirkland
"Hosanna" by Brooke Fraser
The service opened with the high-energy "I Am Free" that Joel Chandler introduced a few weeks ago. I'm a little bit skeptical that anyone at Momentum except for Mo is actually, legitimately excited that we are "free to dance" because of Jesus, and that will probably be a line that will always bother me about that song; not because I think there's anything wrong with dancing, or singing about dancing, or singing about being free to dance or anything like that, but because I've never been a part of a body that was actually excited and engaged enough to actually dance. I've heard about such groups, but have yet to witness it for myself. So until we get some high-energy movers bold enough to dance, I will feel weird about singing "I am free to dance." But I digress. It's a great song, though, and the band really played it well.
We introduced a new song, "Lift High", by North Point's Eddie Kirkland. It's a great song, with a fantastic melody, which may be a bit of a stretch for congregational sing-along, but it really works well coming out of our "Jesus is Lord" series and heading into Palm Sunday/Easter. The chorus lyric, "lift high your chains undone....all rise exalt the Son..." has such beautiful imagery, which is particularly poignant with all the teaching on slavery and freedom that was a part of the "Jesus is Lord" series. Unfortunately, I had this placed a bad point in the service for first service as the second song of the opening set, followed by an oddly placed welcome and meet-and-greet. Sometimes you just can't foresee how these things will play out until they actually play out. It just really didn't work too well having a new song that's very reflective and worshipful going on while people were still walking in the doors, followed by the meet-and-greet, which really needs to ride on the energy of a high-energy song in order to have the appropriate feel. We recognized it after first service, and made some pretty significant changes to improve the flow for second service. It was a vast improvement.
Jessica Greer sang lead on "Hosanna," which ended up becoming the closing song for second service, and it was phenomenal. The band really really nailed it. Sarah learned this fantastic little lick on the piano that added just that perfect little ornamental sound, and Chad was all over the super-powerful solo at the climax of the song. All around a really fantastic performance of a really great song, and one that people really engaged with.
All-around, it was just a really strong week. The band was really tight - dynamics, cutoffs, tempos all were right on. I spontaneously inserted a whole section on "I am free," and they totally flowed with it. It was awesome. It was truly a joy to play with them!
Music Team
Patrick Greer - Drums
Stephen Jernigan - Bass and BGVs
Jessica Greer - Lead vox, BGVs
Sarah Hart - Keys, BGVs
Chad Johnson - Electric guitar
Me - Acoustic guitar, lead vox
Songs
"I Am Free" by John Egan
"Beautiful Jesus" by Kristian Stanfill
"Surrender" by Marc James
"Lift High" by Eddie Kirkland
"Hosanna" by Brooke Fraser
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Sunday Summary - 3.22.09
Man, what an incredible week at Momentum! The music was awesome, people were engaged and really singing from their toes, and it was awesome to be a part of. The majority of people actually raised their hands after my super-literal "lets raise our hands when we sing 'we raise our hands,'" challenge! There were definitely some goosebumps moments, some "holy-crap-this-is-like-a-glimpse-of-heaven" -type moments. And of course, it seems like so many of the best moments are borne out of those situations that I have lower expectations about. Call it a "God-thing", I guess. It was awesome.
We pulled some vintage 90s songs out of the storage closet, and they worked really well, and people really engaged with them. Classic Darlene Zschech and Rich Mullins...We've only done the "Awesome God" tag once or twice at Momentum (and never the full song..."When we rolls up his sleeves he ain't just puttin' on the ritz...?!" It's amazing that one of the most powerful and timeless choruses of the past generation could have such horrible lyrics on the verses), and we've never done "Shout to the Lord." People know it though, probably from years and years of Christian radio saturation, and there's something really redeeming about re-introducing songs that haven't been heard or sung for years, especially doing them in a new way. Our iteration of "Shout to the Lord" wasn't a radical departure from the original, but doing it in the acoustic setting, using Lincoln Brewster's faster, more high-energy arrangement as a template, and with two phenomenal backing vocalists thickening it up with harmonies, it really worked well. Add in some of Mr. Brad Sinclair's phenomenal flutter strumming on acoustic, and some of Mo's excellent djembe-handling, and we had a downright inspirational performance of a great sing-along song.
"Clinging to the Cross" has quickly become one of our favorites at Momentum. We on the Music Team love it because it's got some phenomenal harmony/melody interplay, and the simple iv-I-IV harmony on the intro is incredible. The lyrics are fantastic, and it just really draws people in.
This was my first week playing on my new Roland RD-700GX, and I've got to say it was an absolute treat. It's seriously like sitting down at a beautiful concert grand; it feels like it, it sounds like it, and it's as inspiring and fun to play. The "Ultimate Piano" patch is absolutely one of the best pianos I've ever heard. I still can't hardly believe I get to play on this thing from now to kingdom come...
Music Team
Julie Cruz - BGVs, lead vox
Mo Ingram - djembe
Glenn Smith - bass
Brad Sinclair - acoustic, BGVs, lead vox
Jill Pate - BGVs, tambourine (which was freakin awesome on "Son of God!")
Me - keys, lead vox
Songs
"Unchanging" by Chris Tomlin
"Son of God" by Tim Neufeld
"Clinging to the Cross" by Tim Hughes
"Shout to the Lord" by Darlene Zschech
"Awesome God" by Rich Mullins
We pulled some vintage 90s songs out of the storage closet, and they worked really well, and people really engaged with them. Classic Darlene Zschech and Rich Mullins...We've only done the "Awesome God" tag once or twice at Momentum (and never the full song..."When we rolls up his sleeves he ain't just puttin' on the ritz...?!" It's amazing that one of the most powerful and timeless choruses of the past generation could have such horrible lyrics on the verses), and we've never done "Shout to the Lord." People know it though, probably from years and years of Christian radio saturation, and there's something really redeeming about re-introducing songs that haven't been heard or sung for years, especially doing them in a new way. Our iteration of "Shout to the Lord" wasn't a radical departure from the original, but doing it in the acoustic setting, using Lincoln Brewster's faster, more high-energy arrangement as a template, and with two phenomenal backing vocalists thickening it up with harmonies, it really worked well. Add in some of Mr. Brad Sinclair's phenomenal flutter strumming on acoustic, and some of Mo's excellent djembe-handling, and we had a downright inspirational performance of a great sing-along song.
"Clinging to the Cross" has quickly become one of our favorites at Momentum. We on the Music Team love it because it's got some phenomenal harmony/melody interplay, and the simple iv-I-IV harmony on the intro is incredible. The lyrics are fantastic, and it just really draws people in.
This was my first week playing on my new Roland RD-700GX, and I've got to say it was an absolute treat. It's seriously like sitting down at a beautiful concert grand; it feels like it, it sounds like it, and it's as inspiring and fun to play. The "Ultimate Piano" patch is absolutely one of the best pianos I've ever heard. I still can't hardly believe I get to play on this thing from now to kingdom come...
Music Team
Julie Cruz - BGVs, lead vox
Mo Ingram - djembe
Glenn Smith - bass
Brad Sinclair - acoustic, BGVs, lead vox
Jill Pate - BGVs, tambourine (which was freakin awesome on "Son of God!")
Me - keys, lead vox
Songs
"Unchanging" by Chris Tomlin
"Son of God" by Tim Neufeld
"Clinging to the Cross" by Tim Hughes
"Shout to the Lord" by Darlene Zschech
"Awesome God" by Rich Mullins
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Creative Graphics of Art & Design
I have posted a new site to my links, to the Creative Graphics of Art & Design website. This particular page highlights some of the most amazing and innovative designs in video and commercial advertising. It's basically like YouTube for the best commercials, music videos, and video shorts out there. Seriously...you should check it out, and then leave a comment about something cool you found there.
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