Glenn Packiam posted this question via Twitter on his facebook page recently. Glenn has been a leading and influential voice in the world of evangelical worship music, and has been a member of the worship and leadership staff at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. It sparked a lot of discussion on his Facebook page, as you might imagine!
It reminded me of Bob Kauflin's approach to finding good worship music. At a songwriting conference I attended a couple of years ago, he said that he always reads through the lyrics before he listens to even one note of the musical setting. It keeps him from picking a song based solely on a catchy tune or interesting harmonic structure. I admire that! How many of us would have the guts to use that filter?
As a songwriter, I have always begun with my lyrics, so that I know I am saying something important before I set it to music. I'm not saying that is the only way to songwrite, but it does help act as a guard for me against letting the musical setting drive what is being sung, and risking the tail (music)wagging the dog (lyrics).
This is not to say the musical setting is not important, or even vital, to the effective communication of a song. A memorable melody line, an unusual chord progression, or an interesting rhythmic bed can all be important contributers to a song that people will respond to. The right musical setting can make a song work great; the wrong musical setting can ruin it. We are songwriters, not just poets.
I think Glenn's question is worth asking, and perhaps asking fairly frequently, as we assess our worship. Let's stay away from the shallow part of the worship pool, and choose to instead dive into the deep end!
This is a thought I had just this morning as I was driving to work about worship songs - that I like a song to allow me the opportunity to sing with emotion and passion about God. That can be either fast-paced or a slow-paced song. Some songs "grab my heart" as I express my love, thankfulness, praise, adoration to my God and Savior. Some songs allow me to sing with passion in my voice, sometimes softly and sometimes loudly. If I listen to a singer and either he is singing a song that doesn't allow for the deeper things of the heart and I can't hear the passion in his voice, it doesn't lead me in the right way to worship, it is more entertaining that drawing me in. To me a worship leader is worshipping God, and allowing me to worship along with him/her.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I want to reflect back to God his light in my life in testimony of the lyrics.
Just some thoughts from someone who loves to sing.
Worship leaders who are worshiping while they are leading? Some say that is impossible - that they have to be managers of so many things that worship isn't possible - but I disagree. We encourage people to worship best when we are truly worshiping ourselves! Good thoughts, Ginger!
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