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Author Topic: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry  (Read 3864 times)

Offline amstudiosproducer

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Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« on: June 10, 2009, 11:58:09 AM »
Often to many times we visit other music ministries and wonder why our music ministry singers and instrumentalists are not ministering to that potential. As music directors we have to put in the extra work to get the choirs to sound better and the musicians to play better. As the director, you have to always stay fresh with music, the terminology, and the technique. Enroll in workshops, clinics, have music ministry mentor. Excellence is not an overnight fix, its a 24/7 work in progress. Some of you may say, how can I create a standard of excellence if my choir members are stubborn and set in there ways. It starts by your demeanor, you set  the tone for excellence from day 1.


Setting Excellence is coming to choir rehearsal on your A game, meaning knowing what you are going to rehearsal, teaching correct parts, and knowing exactly where you want the song to go. Something they teach you in college is to have your music well planned out, such as having alternative parts in case choir members cannot reach notes in the song. You also want to coordinate your vocal warm ups with the material you going to be teaching.

For instance if your singing Total Praise then your warm up should be in Db and you should work with the sopranos in their higeher range around the Db, Eb, F where they are singing the highest.

It is one thing to warm u your choir but what good is the warm up if its not going to help the choir sing the songs of zion.

Setting Excellence also is having your accompaniment or other instruments already rehearsed so that they know the material as well. You should have musician rehearsal prior to choir rehearsal so that the musicians have the music learned and are prepared as well.

Being a music minister is full time job, its more work outside the sanctuary then inside. But dont get to consume in Church work, meaning that music is ministry and you have to make sure that your choir is ministering and help saving souls. Without those two key components all your hard work is in vain.
" God Is Able, and He Does Exceedingly and Abundantly Above What We Ask For!!!!

Offline betnich

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2009, 10:35:17 PM »
Good stuff....seems preparation is 90% of the Music Ministry...

Offline sjonathan02

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2009, 10:14:41 AM »
Good stuff....seems preparation is 90% of the Music Ministry...

Seems? Nah, bruh, IS. The more you can prepare, the more you're available for a move of God. Or, for God to use you to edify, encourage and uplift His people.  ;)
Despite our communication technology, no invention is as effective as the sound of the human voice.

Offline betnich

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2009, 11:13:59 AM »
Seems? Nah, bruh, IS. The more you can prepare, the more you're available for a move of God. Or, for God to use you to edify, encourage and uplift His people.  ;)

Truth!

Offline kodacolor

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2009, 06:34:50 PM »
THANK YOU!!! 
THANK YOU!!! 
THANK YOU!!! 
THANK YOU!!! 
THANK YOU!!! 

Now if I could only get this through the heads of the leaders in the ministry I'm over...

Offline chosenandcalled

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2009, 02:48:40 PM »
now that's the advice i need..
boy, its not easy being a choir director. All the many different personalities, voices, things can get pretty tough. But i have to set excellence cause that's what i expect the musicians and the choir to grow into. And also i have 1st,2nd and 3rd sopranos within my group as well as 1st and 2nd altos. Yep there is some work to be done.

YOU JUST DON'T KNOW LOL that was right on time
Chosenandcalled

  many are called but few are CHOSEN......

Brittsings87

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2009, 03:04:38 PM »
Good stuff!

Offline JoanHall

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2009, 06:25:06 PM »
Well said!  The part that I want to work out now is how to get more practice time with the musicians.  The singers are hard working and they come prepared.  Now it's time to get the musicians up to the same level.

Offline demusicman

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2009, 07:22:39 AM »
This is confirmation! A few MOM here in Athens, GA were sitting down together discussing this very thing.
In fact this is my mantra for the  Music & Worship Arts Department: ?Pursuing Kingdom Excellence through Worship?.

?If you have the gift of speaking, preach God's message. If you have the gift of helping others, do it with the strength that God supplies. Everything should be done in a way that will bring honor to God because of Jesus Christ, who is glorious and powerful forever. Amen.? ~ I Peter 4:11


We a duty to be called to excellence! Lately, here in Athens we have been experiencing a lack of excellence. Many MOM's dealing with slack musicians and choir members. Rehearsal attendance has dropped and a few have complained that when u get them to rehearsal hardly anything can be accomplished for the lack of drive and zeal.

You have really laid out this issue rather well. We as leaders have to be more accountable for our ministries. We have to make sure that everything we do bring honor to Christ. This is something that need to be said to all of us, young and old.  We really have to step our game up.
Daniel E. Smalls, Minister of Music & Worship Arts
Heaven Bound Ministries Worship Center

Offline kmccray

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #9 on: November 02, 2009, 11:49:52 AM »
Often to many times we visit other music ministries and wonder why our music ministry singers and instrumentalists are not ministering to that potential. As music directors we have to put in the extra work to get the choirs to sound better and the musicians to play better. As the director, you have to always stay fresh with music, the terminology, and the technique. Enroll in workshops, clinics, have music ministry mentor. Excellence is not an overnight fix, its a 24/7 work in progress. Some of you may say, how can I create a standard of excellence if my choir members are stubborn and set in there ways. It starts by your demeanor, you set  the tone for excellence from day 1.


Setting Excellence is coming to choir rehearsal on your A game, meaning knowing what you are going to rehearsal, teaching correct parts, and knowing exactly where you want the song to go. Something they teach you in college is to have your music well planned out, such as having alternative parts in case choir members cannot reach notes in the song. You also want to coordinate your vocal warm ups with the material you going to be teaching.

For instance if your singing Total Praise then your warm up should be in Db and you should work with the sopranos in their higeher range around the Db, Eb, F where they are singing the highest.

It is one thing to warm u your choir but what good is the warm up if its not going to help the choir sing the songs of zion.

Setting Excellence also is having your accompaniment or other instruments already rehearsed so that they know the material as well. You should have musician rehearsal prior to choir rehearsal so that the musicians have the music learned and are prepared as well.

Being a music minister is full time job, its more work outside the sanctuary then inside. But dont get to consume in Church work, meaning that music is ministry and you have to make sure that your choir is ministering and help saving souls. Without those two key components all your hard work is in vain.


Just ran across this thread and I just had to ask a question as to how individuals feel about this.  I am over the praise team at a church that grew out of another church.  I come to rehearsals ready with music and parts....ready to go.  I had one member of the praise team tell me that they didn't think we should do much rehearsing because they felt that rehearsing was like having "programmed" church.  She said that she felt that if the "spirit" moved, she should be able to sing what she was lead to sing.  How can I respond to that because I was truly caught off guard with that comment. I stated that we would be rehearsing songs but I am not sure about how she came up with her comment.  This is not the first praise team that I have worked with but this is the first time I every had someone come up with that.  Please give me some type of feedback on this.

Offline sjonathan02

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #10 on: November 02, 2009, 12:35:25 PM »
Just ran across this thread and I just had to ask a question as to how individuals feel about this.  I am over the praise team at a church that grew out of another church.  I come to rehearsals ready with music and parts....ready to go.  I had one member of the praise team tell me that they didn't think we should do much rehearsing because they felt that rehearsing was like having "programmed" church.  She said that she felt that if the "spirit" moved, she should be able to sing what she was lead to sing.  How can I respond to that because I was truly caught off guard with that comment. I stated that we would be rehearsing songs but I am not sure about how she came up with her comment.  This is not the first praise team that I have worked with but this is the first time I every had someone come up with that.  Please give me some type of feedback on this.

Simply tell her God is a God of order. Even when He created the heavens and the Earth, He had a 'program'.


Then, do this ----> ::) and proceed with rehearsal.  :D


Ok, maybe not ---> ::) but definitely proceed with rehearsal.  8)
Despite our communication technology, no invention is as effective as the sound of the human voice.

Offline kodacolor

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #11 on: November 02, 2009, 01:36:38 PM »
Just ran across this thread and I just had to ask a question as to how individuals feel about this.  I am over the praise team at a church that grew out of another church.  I come to rehearsals ready with music and parts....ready to go.  I had one member of the praise team tell me that they didn't think we should do much rehearsing because they felt that rehearsing was like having "programmed" church.  She said that she felt that if the "spirit" moved, she should be able to sing what she was lead to sing.  How can I respond to that because I was truly caught off guard with that comment. I stated that we would be rehearsing songs but I am not sure about how she came up with her comment.  This is not the first praise team that I have worked with but this is the first time I every had someone come up with that.  Please give me some type of feedback on this.

*sips Raspberry Iced Tea*
*reads kmccray's post*
 :o
*spit take*

WOAH!  I've ran into this issue when I was in the music ministry at the church I attended.  The leader of the praise and worship and another person in praise and worship thought this way.  Idk, if this was something that was taught at one time or people just share notes when it comes to trying to get out of rehearsal.  :D

The way I see it is, if you don't rehearse how can God use you?  Lets you're singing one song that ya'll planned to sing and the Holy Spirit moves ya'll to sing another song. Well if you don't know the song you can't sing it.  If the musicians don't know the song they can't play it.  There is no, "Well I'll start singing it and ya'll find your way in," because that's distracting and can take someone out of their worship.  There is no, "Oh well the musicians will catch onto it," because that too is distracting and can take someone out of their worship.

Simply tell her God is a God of order. Even when He created the heavens and the Earth, He had a 'program'.


Then, do this ----> ::) and proceed with rehearsal.  :D


Ok, maybe not ---> ::) but definitely proceed with rehearsal.  8)

D.I.T.T.O

Offline kmccray

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #12 on: November 03, 2009, 07:33:09 AM »
*sips Raspberry Iced Tea*
*reads kmccray's post*
 :o
*spit take*

WOAH!  I've ran into this issue when I was in the music ministry at the church I attended.  The leader of the praise and worship and another person in praise and worship thought this way.  Idk, if this was something that was taught at one time or people just share notes when it comes to trying to get out of rehearsal.  :D

The way I see it is, if you don't rehearse how can God use you?  Lets you're singing one song that ya'll planned to sing and the Holy Spirit moves ya'll to sing another song. Well if you don't know the song you can't sing it.  If the musicians don't know the song they can't play it.  There is no, "Well I'll start singing it and ya'll find your way in," because that's distracting and can take someone out of their worship.  There is no, "Oh well the musicians will catch onto it," because that too is distracting and can take someone out of their worship.

D.I.T.T.O

Thanks for all the replies.  I was just stunned but......yes we went on with rehearsal as usual. :D

Offline JustBritt

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #13 on: May 24, 2010, 12:29:25 PM »
LOVE LOVE LOVE this!
~Moving Forward~

Offline amstudiosproducer

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #14 on: May 27, 2010, 10:30:40 AM »
Well said, God is a God of Order. Often times in our churches we think we can give God a "whatever" type thing. He wants our best, deserves our Best and we should give him nothing less then our best. We as MOM or MD's have to set the tone for the music ministry. Stop allowing your choir members dictate how things go, if God and your pastor has appointed  you to the position operate in Execellence.


I love you guys and be blessed!!!
" God Is Able, and He Does Exceedingly and Abundantly Above What We Ask For!!!!

Offline jonesl78

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Re: Setting Excellence In The Music Ministry
« Reply #15 on: June 08, 2010, 11:16:21 AM »
Great post!

Ideally,

the leader should be trained and skilled;

the singers are DEDICATED;

the singers are SKILLED;

ALL SHOULD BE ON ONE ACCORD!

side note: Do not let anyone in the choir without first interviewing them and communicating to them what is expected of them. You do not want a cancer in your choir. Also, if they are a musician, director, etc, have them audition to make sure that they are capable of meeting your group's musical needs. We should strive to give God a genuine skillful praise from the music ministry. 

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