At most churches each musician brings their instrument of choice and the sound person is expected to mix and equalize all and any instruments into a glorious blend of celestial music. It is a true fact that you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. In a later article I will address the need for the Music Pastor/Worship Leader to set and keep a standard for musical instruments that are onstage. As your congregation grows it is likely you will want the church to own the majority of key instruments you use on a regular basis such as drums and keyboards.
The other part of the program material that can make or break the sound of your service is the singers. I realize that I am walking on glass when talking about this but it must be addressed. Which is worse: seven singers who are flat and not in key or three singers who are flat and not in key? You would be surprised at the number worship teams where the singing was bad the decision was made to throw more singers at the problem, but the bad singers only threw the new singers off.
The last part of this element is the quality of musicianship ontage. This is more than just talent, the sound of your band or orchestra is also very dependent on the servant’s heart to submit to the Music Pastor/Worship Leader as they submit to the Senior Pastor.
These four elements are the foundations for sound in any venue and they need to be addressed and incorporated into your church vision. It is very important that you never stop trying to achieve perfection in all these areas even though it may seem impossible, pressing toward that goal will constantly improve the quality of all you do at your church.
Experiencing Worship, The Study