One of the first tasks that will be given to any church pianist is that of providing a weekly offertory. While some may consider the presentation of a solo one of the easier aspects of the position, I feel that the quality of the weekly offertory is one of the major factors that distinguishes a good church musician from a superb one.
Because of the role music plays in the church service, the offertory must be selected with care. Think about where the solo will occur in the order of worship. Are you following a lively choral anthem that will lead right into the congregational worship? Will the offering follow a generally somber prayer for the needs of the congregants? If you find yourself in a church without a strong liturgical tradition as I do, the positioning of the offertory may be altered weekly. There are few scenarios worse than a grandiose arrangement that follows a quiet time of meditation. Without advance thought and planning, you can sometimes find yourself in an awkward situation.
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Hey gang! I hope everyone is doing well this week as we prepare for church choir music and all other church music activities for this Sunday!
I wanted to give you a little something that I think may help you as a choir director or worship pastor/worship leader. This is a very simple concept that I myself have used, and it has changed my life. This simple idea can revolutionize your worship services and it can change your life as well! I’m sure by now you’re thinking, “Joe, what single piece of free information can you possibly offer to us that can both revolutionize our worship services and change our lives?!?” Well to that I say, “You’ll be surprise!” You see, when I reveal the details of this “thing” that will change everything, your initial reaction may be, “We already do that! We don’t need help in this area, and this article is clearly not for us.” Well, just give me a minute; If you’ll really get honest with yourself and think back into the past when things may have gone wrong with your church choir music, or maybe just didn’t go as well as you had hoped for, you’ll see what I mean. Ok, enough with the waiting game, what am I talking about? What is this thing that is going to change everything for me?
Preparation.
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At church recently, I admired a song that I heard, mainly because the woman that played the keyboard was extremely talented. Her fingers danced all over the keyboard, emanating enchanting sounds throughout the acoustic room. I have always appreciated how well she played, so I took a quick moment to compliment her after service, and asked her “How did you learn to pay like that?” Astonishingly, she replied, “I taught myself how to play the keyboard.” She proceeded to explain how she spent years, on a very part-time basis, learning the basics, practicing, and finally refining her skills. As amazing a woman played, I of course, became a skeptic. But, after researching the subject, I realized that it was, indeed accomplishable. The first stop I made in pursuit of playing detective was the town library. Indeed, our small town library had over fifty books detailing learning how to play the keyboard. Some were boring and stiff and others challenged the aspiring keyboard with fun spins on how to learn. They even had some wonderful book and CD or DVD combos, surely a plus for someone that wants to have their hands free while learning. Next stop on my list was my home office. (The internet has always been my favorite place to research and learn about subjects…you have the world at your fingertips!) As I already suspected, the pages that popped up when I Googled, “teach yourself to play keyboard” went on and on. From pay-to-read e-books to free instructional websites and videos, the options were in abundance. If someone had the interest, the information and education were certainly there. My last place of choice to explore was the local music store. With the selection they had in stock, even for someone like me, who has never been into playing music, I was definitely assured that even I could learn how to play the keyboard myself. The next time you’re sitting at church admiring the delightful sounds of the keyboard (and you think to yourself, “I would love to play like that!”), believe that you can teach yourself to play the keyboard, too! With the millions of resources available to the new learner, if the feeling is in your heart and soul, and you really have it in you, I have no doubt a person could learn. A tried and true example happens to be my church’s keyboardist, and she’s a perfect inspiration for someone who’s ready to strike out on their own. Want to learn how to play the piano? Learn more at http://bestplaypiano.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Humayun_Altaf
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