Ten ways to improve the flow of contemporary worship
Join Clayton Faulkner for a webinar on Friday, August 21, 2020 (1:00 PM Central) entitled, “Ten ways to improve the flow of contemporary worship.”
Explore different techniques for creating an engaging atmosphere for worship. Geared toward band-led worship, there will be application for all approaches and styles. Some of the ideas presented will come from a book published this year called, Flow: The Ancient Way to Do Contemporary Worship (Abingdon Press, 2020), edited by Lester Ruth.
Register for the webinar through the Association of Lutheran Church Musician’s website: https://alcm.org/news-events/webinars/.
“Psalm Settings” by Michael Brady
Michael Brady has released three tracks in “Psalm Settings.” These are musical arrangements of Psalm 27:1-4, 73:24-28, and 100.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon!
“It Is Enough” by DeAndre Johnson
by DeAndre Johnson
@RDeAndreJohnson
(posted May 27, 2020)
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?
Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? – Jer. 8:22
Two weeks ago, I posted my own musings concerning the wrongful death of another black man, and now I find myself today still coming to grips with news of still yet another life gone. I feel all the more today the truth of the prophet/poet James Baldwin: “To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious, is to be in a rage almost all the time.”
I’m offering these words, yet one more time – not because I need the attention or pity (I don’t), but because I need the release from the anger, the hurt, the fear and the doubt. I’ve added a couple of stanzas for today. Also, some have asked me to set it to music, which I have included here.
There are no words that can contain
The depth of sorrow, grief and pain
That mothers, sons, and all exclaim:
Kyrie eleison!
“It is enough!”, the prophets cry
Yet still black men are doomed to die
By those who wish to vilify:
Kyrie eleison!
It is enough! The harm must cease
From warring madness by police
Who are sworn to protect, keep peace:
Kyrie Ellison!
It is enough! We cannot wait!
No more excuse for bias, hate!
Your savagery we cannot take:
Christe eleison!
It is enough! We cannot breathe!
Will you stand there and watch us bleed?
Are you not moved by cries and pleas?
Christe eleison!
No! No more death! It is enough!
No more dead sons! It is enough!
No! No more tears for lives cut short:
Christe eleison!
O my soul, it aches and yearns
For a day when passions burn
For others with deep love, concern:
Kyrie eleison!
I’ve had enough of these charades,
Of clichés and hasty crusades
Whose triteness wounds and cuts like blades:
Kyrie eleison!
There are no words that can contain
The depth of wounds our souls sustain
Each time a grieving heart exclaims:
Kyrie eleison!
This Musician’s Musings on Social Distancing
by Richard Birk
@richardbirk
(May 27, 2020)
(Things I’ve Known But Sadly Took For Granted and The New Discoveries I’m Making)
My musical mission statement for years has been “I want to make good music with good musicians.” But…I NEED OTHERS TO MAKE MUSIC! I’m a trombone player, bass player, conductor, and composer. Without others to help me make music, I’m pretty worthless.
Let’s break it down.
Trombone (as well as every brass instrument) is a harsh musical mistress. Without the everyday diligence of putting the mouthpiece to your lips, the physical fitness required to play instantly disappears. I’ve been willing to put in that daily grind for years because of the regular reward of getting to make music in an ensemble. (And wanting to avoid the pain and embarrassment of being out of shape when playing in an ensemble.) COVID-19 has shelved ensembles – temporarily I hope but the end is still somewhere in the distance – so it has been a struggle to muster the motivation to maintain the daily trombone grind. I still practice (a little) most days but it is far from inspired and productive. Also let’s face facts, nobody wants to hear solo, unaccompanied trombone. The novelty of a beautiful melody fades pretty quickly when there is no other sonic relief.
And if solo trombone isn’t sad enough, then there’s the tragicomedy of solo bass. The importance of bass in an ensemble couldn’t be more opposite of its insignificance as a lone voice. NOBODY wants to hear just the bass part of ANY song and that includes all of us bassists. ‘Nuff said about that.
As unrewarding as it might be, at least with trombone and bass I can make some music by myself. As a conductor, all I’m making these days is silence. 1 conductor x 0 musicians = 0 music. Talk about worthless without others…..
Well what about the inherently lone venture of composing? I do have time and I could (should!) be creating new works to share with the world. Aye, but there’s the rub…. Without others transforming those notational symbols on paper into living and breathing sounds, all I have is the soulless machine rendering of a computer. Not particularly inspiring or motivating for this someone in his isolation funk.
Contrary to the above whining, I haven’t given up on making music. I am investing my musical energy into the piano. I have been obsessed with the piano for a few years now but making time for it was a challenge….and Lord knows playing the piano takes time! Let me be clear, I suck as a pianist…but the good news is my piano goals are modest (e.g. church hymns and jazz standards). I’m slowly (and I mean SLOWLY) getting better*. When I sit down at the piano all by my lonesome, I can make melody, harmony, and rhythm (okay, it’s slow rhythm). But oh my, the harmony! Lush, thick, crunchy, spicy, transparent, stark HARMONY! This single line playing trombonist and bassist just sits and wallows in all these lusciously different flavors of chords. I’m discovering that the simplest voicings are glorious while at the same time the secrets of the universe are contained in some dense jazz chords.
I’m loving playing the piano but I miss making music with others. And I miss making music FOR others. Music is about human connection. So many of my dearest friendships have been forged through shared music making. There is an inexplicable but powerful bond that occurs when music is created together. I have been overwhelmingly blessed to have lived out my musical mission thus far in my life of making so much good music with so many good musicians. It’s all these fond musical memories that make my heart ache for more chances to recapture and share this joy of making music.
I close with a prayer of thanks and a prayer of hope:
Thank you God for all the musical experiences and human connections with which you have blessed me. I am truly humbled by the abundance of these rich blessings. And I pray that You prepare my mind, body, and spirit to honor, value, savor, and cherish whatever future music making you have in store for me.
Amen!
*I recently read and highly recommend the book “The Talent Code” by Daniel Coyle. It explains the processes involved in acquiring skill and why it’s so challenging to become skilled at something new after the age of 50.
Announcing Two TUNE UP Events in 2019
Welcome to 2019! We are excited to bring worship leaders and church musicians together for two events this year.
March 23, 2019 – Psalm Immersion with Richard Bruxvoort Colligan
August 17, 2019 – TUNE UP worship band gathering
Richard Bruxvoort Colligan is a psalmist making adventurous music for the ever-evolving church. A composer and musician, he serves across denominations singing songs, teaching the psalms and telling dumb jokes.
He has recorded several albums of original worship music, and his hymns have been published by the UCC, ELCA, UMC and PCUSA. Richard earned his M.A. in Theology and the Arts from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and is currently working on his DMin through Eden Seminary in St. Louis. Since 2004, his central vocation has been immersion in the Psalms, studying, teaching, singing and creating new congregational songs for all 150. He teaches Psalms at several seminaries, in workshop at events and local churches and he is the weekly Psalm Correspondent for the Pulpit Fiction podcast.
He lives with his wife and teenage son in Strawberry Point, Iowa. Free listening at PsalmImmersion.com.
Registration for the Psalm Immersion will open soon. Registration for the TUNE UP gathering in August will open after Easter.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Date Set for TUNE UP 2017!
Hello everyone! Thanks for checking out our TUNE UP website. We are excited to announce that we have a date and location set for our gathering this year!
TUNE UP 2017 will take place on Saturday, August 5, at Messiah Lutheran Church in Cypress, TX (11522 Telge Road, Cypress , TX 77429). We are looking forward to being in a new venue a little bit further to the west of Houston. We have many returning leaders, as well as some new faces joining us.
Registration will open on the website sometime after Easter. Please get the word out to your teams and bands.
TUNE UP 2016! Join us for a day of training and worship.
We have a date for this year’s event: Saturday, August, 20, 2016! The event location this year will be back at Faith Lutheran Church, 4600 Bellaire Blvd, Bellaire, TX 77401. We have many returning leaders as well as some new faces to lead and inspire us this year. Registration will be opening after Easter.
Recap from Tune Up 2015
On Saturday, August 8, 2015, the TUNE UP worship band gathering was held. Over 100 worship musicians, pastors, sound techs, and video techs assembled on the campus of Westbury United Methodist Church in Houston, TX for a multi-denominational training event. Hosting over 100 participants for the third year in a row, the event was organized by the Worship Excellence Team of the TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod (ELCA) to improve the quality of band-led worship in smaller churches.
The assembled musicians and techs represented over 20 congregations including Lutheran, Nazarene, Baptist, United Methodist, and Non-Denominational churches. Churches from all over Texas including San Antonio, Austin, and the Houston vicinity were represented.
The gathering began with opening worship and a panel discussion about the issues facing church musicians today. Then everyone divided into instrumental/vocal/tech tracks, and conceptual tracks. The instrumental tracks were divided by specific area (worship leader, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, drums, Latin percussion, vocals, sound tech, and video tech). Conceptual track offerings included sessions on hospitality in worship, multicultural worship, creative worship planning, and loops and multi-tracks in worship. During the “Coaching for Bands” session a volunteer church band received feedback and help with their music from a panel of track leaders. Then an “Instant Band” was formed from volunteer participants that had never played together. They were able to learn and arrange a song on the fly. An optional post-event included a tour of the worship technology at Houston’s First Baptist Church.
One attendee commented, “Great clinic! Thank you very much! My band mates and I returned home fired up for the future of our band!” Watch the website for details on upcoming events: TuneUpGathering.org.
TUNE UP gathering 2015: Registration Open! New Venue!
Registration for the 2015 TUNE UP worship band gathering is open! Go HERE to register online (only 1 registration per church needed; $25/person, $150 max per church).
We have new presenters and track options this year. We also have a new venue! We will gather at Westbury United Methodist Church (5200 Willowbend Blvd, Houston, TX 77096) for a great day of learning and sharing ideas. Bring your whole worship team and don’t forget the techs!
Join us Saturday, August 8, 2015!
Be a sponsor of TUNE UP
We are looking for churches and other organizations to help make the TUNE UP worship band gathering a success by donating toward the event. Your support of this event will help keep registration costs affordable for everyone.
For a $500 sponsorship, your church/organization would be listed as a sponsor on the promotional material as well as the event website. Additionally, you can send as many members from your worship team and congregation to the event at no further registration cost. We know that many churches see the fruits of offering a quality worship music experience and would like to invest in making this possible for other churches. We would greatly appreciate your help in providing financial support to further equip and enhance worship band ministry throughout our synod and beyond.
For further questions or to join as a sponsor, please use our Contact form.
TUNE UP in Louisiana!
TUNE UP Louisiana POSTPONED! We’re sorry, but the event schedule for February 22 in Louisiana has been postponed till a later date.
We want you to know that we have confirmed the date for TUNE UP worship band gathering in Louisiana: Saturday, February 22, 2014.
The event will be hosted by Christ the King Lutheran Church in Kenner (1001 W. Esplanade Ave. • Kenner, La 70065). This event is designed for acoustic guitarists, electric guitarists, bass guitarists, drummers, keyboardists, vocalists, and audio/video techs.
Look for more details and online registration for the event coming soon!
Thanks for a great event!
Thanks to everyone who attended the TUNE UP worship band gathering on Saturday! We had a great event and were glad you all came. I hope you took something new back to your church for worship and music.
If you haven’t taken the online survey, please do so and give us some feedback. This was our first event and we would love to hear your suggestions. Click here for the survey.
Stay tuned to this website for announcements and details about future TUNE UP events.
Here is a list of the songs we used in worship on August 10:
OPENING WORSHIP:
- Hallelujah, We Sing Your Praises (ELW 535, South African, arr. Richard Birk)
- Glory to God Forever (Steve Fee and Vicky Beeching)
- Come, Let Us Worship God (Ray Makeever)
- 10,000 Reasons (Jonas Myrin and Matt Redman)
- All the Earth Will Sing Your Praises (Paul Baloche)
- Somos uno en Cristo/We Are All One in Christ (ELW 643, Anonymous, arr. Richard Birk)
CLOSING WORSHIP:
- How Great Thou Art/How Great Is Our God (ELW 856 Stuart Hine/Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Jesse Reeves)
- The Only One (Chris Tomlin, Carson, Reeves, Maher, Gilder, Scott, Ingram)
- Our God (Chris Tomlin, Redman, Myrin, Reeves)
- There Is a Balm in Gilead (ELW 614, African American spiritual, arr. Richard Birk)
We also showed two videos:
TUNE UP worship band gathering – Saturday, August 10, 2013
Welcome!
This event is for Worship Bands, Youth Bands, Praise Teams, Sound Techs, Vocalists, Keyboardists, Electric Guitarists, Bass Guitarists, Acoustic Guitarists, Drummers, Pastors, and Directors of Music.
If you want to learn and grow as a contemporary worship musician, this is the event for you.
SPONSORED BY:
Messiah Lutheran Church (Cypress, TX)
Faith Lutheran Church (Bellaire, TX)
St. John Lutheran Church (Angleton, TX)
Tree of Life Lutheran Church (Conroe, TX)
TUNE UP 