- King Priest Ministries

1 2 3 4 My Music Book
Introduction
This book will help you build a strong music team over
the period of 12 weeks.
Learn important steps to building a music career and a
successful music team.
It will give you a guide and starting points on how to be
successful in your music.
I share my 15 years' experience involved in music and
building music teams.
"I've learnt that there is nothing impossible in music, any
team can be awesome. Before you quit music read this
book & try out my ideas. They have worked for different
artists, bands and church music teams. They can work
for you and your team too."
By David-Dee
Foreword
5 "When you are educated you make good decisions.
When you are experienced you make right decisions.
Put the two together you will find a successful person.
Most musicians believe that their talent is the solution to
success, until they can't understand a basic contract. An
uneducated artist is hard to teach new things. Most of
them die famous but poor. You can only put into practice
what you have learned. I recommend you find books
that will educate you on your passion and talent."
By David-Dee
Index
Music Team
Chapter 1
1. How to recruit a team... 9
2. A vision... 11
3. A mission … 15
Chapter 2
3. Leadership team.... 33
4. Five things you look for in a team ... 42
5. Writing new songs....53
Chapter 3
6. Recruiting a band... 59
6 7. Sound, Instruments & Crew... 67
8. Getting ready for a service... 75
Chapter 4
9. What to do on stage ... 92
10. Lead with your heart ... 97
11. The pastor is in charge... 100
Chapter-5
Photos … 106
Chapter 6
12. Employees & Volunteers ... 114
13. Be a professional team ... 121
14. Minister with anointing ... 126
Chapter 7
15. Partner with the Holy Spirit ... 144
16. How to stay inspired ... 150
17. A leader's plan for success ... 151
Chapter 8
22. Give back ... 163
23. Sing at your best ... 169
24. Stage appearance 172
Chapter 9
The end … 181
7 Chapter 1
How to recruit a Music Team
Before we get started with building your music team, I need
you to do something for me. Write down 3 goals that you
would like to achieve in your music career six months from
now and 3 goals you would like your team to achieve in the
same timeframe.
My Goals
•
•
•
My Music Team Goals:
•
•
•
This is the first and most important step in building your
career and a strong team. I call it," the foundation for
successes". Some people prefer calling it a vision. Before you
can become anything, you must first know what you want and
desire to be.
When I was 12 years old, I wanted to be a singer. I would
stand on top of a pile of bricks next to our house in KwaZuluNatal, with a spoon in my hand and sing my lungs out in the
wind. When the song was over I'd imagine the bushes and the
fields as my audience. It would be as though people were
8 singing along & applauding. After singing I would say," thank
you very much. You have been a wonderful audience".
Having been born in a family of singers, my desire to sing
became even stronger. All I wanted was to sing in front of
thousands of people but the question was, "how was I going
to achieve such a desire?". Most of us have big dreams but
don't know where to start. This book will help you get started
with your music career.
What is a Vision?
"Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may
run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time,
but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait
for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." Hab 2:2
KJV
"Write the vision. Make it clear on tablets so that anyone can
read it quickly. The vision will still happen at the appointed
time. It hurries toward its goal. It won't be a lie. If it's delayed,
wait for it. It will certainly happen. It won't be late." Hab 2:2
GWT
A vision is a picture of your future, your ultimate goal and your
big dream. It is very important that you make time to write
your vision down. If you can answer this simple question in
writing 'What do I want to be when I grow up?' then we have a
good starting point.
Before you start singing, ask yourself... Where do I see myself
in the future?
My Vision:
9 7 key notes about your Vision:
1. Write your vision down so that you won't
forget it.
• When facing situations, we tend to forget who we
are and look at the challenges surrounding us.
But your vision should always remind you of who
you are and where you are going. It will speak to
you and encourage you; it will be like a guiding
map to your destiny and help you to make right
decisions.
2. Make it clear so that you and the people
around you will understand it.
• Keep it simple and straight forward. People who
come into your life should know what you are
about and where you are going in life. This will
help you keep right people and get rid of the
wrong ones. Ask your team about their visions for
their lives. This will show you who is planning to
go further in life and who has no idea what's
going on in life.
3. The vision is for the future, it will take time
before it comes to pass.
• It is a long term commitment. It will take years
before you see it physically. This means you need
to be patient and build your life around it, and also
learn to be patient with your team. Never be
angry at a person about something you never
taught them. For two people to walk together one
must be willing to lead another one to follow.
Grow with your vision and your team.
10 4. The vision will always come to pass at the
right time.
• Though there will be challenges, you need to
prepare yourself for them. Prepare yourself for
success. Tell yourself you will be a well-known
artist. Your music team will be successful. Being
positive is a secret to being successful. Never let
situations get to you. The road is still long. Focus
on the price; never allow anyone or anything to
come in your way.
5. Don't quit on your vision and your dream.
• There will be times where you don't see the need
of going forward. Always know that challenges
are a test of character. They will only make you
stronger. Learn how to do things according to
your strength and capability. When you try to be
something you are not, failure is guaranteed.
Take one step at a time.
6. Fight for your vision.
• Your team needs someone to lead the way. You
must lead by example. When times are bad and
people quit on you, continue to fight and go
forward. You will be a good example and
encourage many to stand. Be fair in your decision
making and never compromise on quality. Only
when you give your best can you expect the best
from your team. Your vision depends on you like
your body depends on food.
11 7. Mentor people to run with the vision together
with you.
• It must not die when you retire. Teach your team
and a younger generation to carry your vision.
Moses had Joshua. David had Solomon. Jesus
had his disciples. Who do you have?
When I was young I had a desire to become a singing superstar. My biggest problem was that I did not know how to make
it come to pass. Finally I decided to join a local gospel music
team. They were singing well but there was something
missing. When it was time for rehearsal some people would
not show up. You would find some smoking and drinking
especially the lead vocalist who was a local star. I didn't see
myself having a future in music with my first music team. I felt
like my singing dreams were sinking. I needed a way to start
my career. I was frustrated.
Now that you have your vision in place you need to figure out
your mission or ways to make your music dream come true. A
mission is a simple step that you need to follow to achieve
your goals. Your goals will help you monitor your growth
towards your vision. I hope you are still with me.
Mission & How to achieve your goals
1. Recruiting a team
This is an interesting part of building a music team. Most
people think they can sing. But it's not so. In a church set-up I
don't encourage auditions. I suggest that you always look out
for talent. When you find someone who can sing or play invite
them to your rehearsal for a trial. You don't know where you
will discover a new talent. Invite people even those who don't
go to your church. I once invited people who were not born
12 again in one of my choirs. I taught them the word, prayer and
led them to the Lord. Now they are good singers and
committed believers.
Arrange one or two open rehearsal and invite everyone
interested in being part of a music team. I suggest you build 2
teams. A choir of 20 people and worship team of 6 people.
Also recruit two groups of instrumentalists who will play for
both teams. A choir becomes recruitment and training ground.
When the choir is good enough, they can start singing in the
church service. The choir can do one or two special songs
every service. Don't let people who are not born again sing
until they accept the Lord Jesus Christ. Let them rehearse
and be taught the word of God. When it comes to gospel
music, one needs to live what they sing.
A music team or worship team is the group that sings during
church services. They are still part of the choir but they need
to be more skilled and spiritually matured because they will
lead the service. As you read the book you will get to
understand the role of the choir and the music team, also the
importance of having both music groups.
2. Building a team
This is the second most important step when you want to
have a strong team. Building a music team comes after you
have recruited your people. Introduce prayer and the Word of
God in your team. You will soon see commitment and spiritual
growth. My older brother Thulani taught me that a rehearsal of
3 hours must be split in three parts. First hour is for prayer,
reading the word and worshiping God in songs. My Pastor
calls this practicing the Presence of God. The second hour is
for voice training and learning new songs. The third hour is for
13 rehearsing your song list, not only the music you want to sing
on the next service.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:33
We are all looking for something in life. But the bible tells us to
put God first and whatever we need will be added to our lives.
It sounds very simple and straight forward, but most of us
would rather figure things out on our own and when we fail
then we call on God to help. We spend months and years
trying to make ourselves better musicians and singers. We
forget the one who gave us the talent at the first place.
There are 3 ways to seek God
a) Prayer
"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do:
for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth
what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." Matt 6:7-8
Prayer is a way to communicate with God. It's a simple activity
between people who are in a relationship. Prayer can be done
in many ways. When you speak to your friends or parents you
don't use the same words all the time. Prayer is a chat with
God. Sometimes we are complaining, sometimes we are
asking for something and sometimes we are thanking God.
There are many reasons we should pray. We must do it
individually and as a group. Prayer is the best way to grow in
music. The more you talk to God, the more He teaches you
about your talent. When you meet for rehearsal take 30% of
14 your time to pray and sing songs of worship. This is the time
you can even write new songs inspired by the Holy Spirit.
b) Word of God
"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but
thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest
observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then
thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have
good success." Josh 1:8
Reading of the bible goes together with prayer. It's like talking
to someone and then allowing them to talk to you back. Most
of the people involved in music don't read much of the bible.
That has to change. Encourage your team to own bibles. It's
not enough to have a phone or a device with a bible because
you can easily be distracted. You need to own a hard copy
bible and let it be a good one. For you to know God you must
study His word. It's important to listen to God. You will get to
know who you are and why you sing. The Word of God will
give you the wisdom to become a better artist or a music team.
c) Fasting
"Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad
countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may
appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward. 17 but thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head,
and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast,
but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which
seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." Matt 6:16-18
15 "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To lose the bands of
wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the
oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?" Isaiah 58:6
Not eating is a fastest way to get your flesh under control and
allowing yourself to be obedient to the will of God. I
recommend two or more fasting days a month. You can break
or eat in the evening. Also encourage your team to have their
personal fasting and prayer days. It's important that when you
are fasting keep it a secret and spend time praying and
reading the word. Fasting is not easy, so people must be
taught how to do it. They must drink water or juice to keep the
strength. Those who are taking medication or pregnant must
have something light to eat. Remember that fasting is not only
about hunger but putting your flesh under control.
The fact that you fast and pray doesn't make you more
anointed or powerful. God decides who to anoint and when,
but fasting, prayer and reading the word helps you to know
God and walk in his plan. It's more for your benefit.
3. Rehearsal
A team that does not rehearse will give a bad presentation.
It's like driving with your eyes closed and hoping to go in a
straight line. For a while you will drive on the straight line but
sooner or later your straight line will take you off the road.
Rehearsal is the third most important step in your mission.
You can have the most talented and prayerful team but
without rehearsal you have the horrible team.
I recommend six hour rehearsal a week if you want to get
your music to another level. You can choose to do it in two
16 days of 3 hours per session or one day of 6 hours. Here is the
rehearsal structure you can use.
10% of your time you can share the word of God
30% prayer and singing songs of worship
30% voice warm up and learning new songs
30% rehearsing your song list
A leader should have a plan of activity for every rehearsal.
He/she never goes to a rehearsal without a plan. If the leader
is not there an assistant leader must be informed. You must
have your scriptures, prayer points, new songs & song list in
place. Good leaders are those who do it first and let others
follow. In other words delegate your team in other tasks. Don't
do prayer and share the word by yourself all the time. Be
responsible for what happens in the rehearsal. In everything
you are doing follow the vision of the church align your music
team's vision to it. Make sure everyone understands the goals
you want to achieve and the big vision that you are building
towards.
Rehearsal time is not playing time. Every minute counts. Just
like when you are going to work, you need to be on time and
be effective and productive. People who come late or miss
rehearsal must be dealt with. You must discuss how you are
going to keep everyone accountable when rules are broken. I
don't recommend you stop anyone from singing just because
they came late or missed a rehearsal, but there must be a
way to make your people accountable, including you as a
leader.
When I moved to Pretoria in 1999 I finally started my music
career with a boy-band called 'Real Joy'. My God, I miss
those guys! We were good, passionate about music and
17 committed to God. When we sang, we brought the house
down. People enjoyed and supported us. We sang acapella
most of the time and that made our sound unique. Some
people called us gospel ‘Boys 2 Men'. My dream of becoming
a singer came to life. I was no longer Dee from KZN, I
became Dee the singer.
We never had to punish each other for missing rehearsals
because we never missed any rehearsal. We actually sang
every time we met. We travelled all over the country and
neighbouring countries. We won competitions and new souls
for the kingdom. We were ready to record and become a
South African known brand. Sadly that didn't happen. 3 years
later we all had different responsibilities such as jobs, tertiary
and business. I remained frustrated with my desire to become
an artist.
I decided to focus on training choirs and writing songs. One of
my strategies to keep people from coming late or missing the
rehearsal was to charge them. I introduced R10 fee for being
late and R20 for not coming to a rehearsal without a notice. I
used the money to celebrate the team member’s birthdays. at
the end of every month we would buy a cake and snacks and
sing for those who were celebrating birthdays. It worked, even
though most of my people were good at time keeping.
A leader must develop a one on one relationship with the
team. This ensures that when people have problems they can
talk to him/her. Before you become angry at anyone, teach
your team what you expect from them. People come late or
miss rehearsals for a reason. Before you go crazy, find out
what is going on in their personal lives.
18 Rehearsal should be fun. If people are bored, they won't have
a reason to be committed. Always find new ways to do things
and keep rehearsals interesting. I once took one of my choirs
to rehearse at Union Buildings Park. I didn't tell them where
we were going. When we got there we learned about our
country's history and I taught them good songs. It was a
meaningful rehearsal.
I recommend that a choir must compile a list of 50 songs to
learn and sing at church. Everyone can contribute in putting
together a song list. If there are means to do so, people can
buy CDs or download the songs and get the lyrics on the
internet. They can learn the songs at home so that when you
meet for rehearsal, you focus on putting together their parts. I
recommend that the band and vocals make time to rehearse
separately so that when everyone meets for a full rehearsal it
is easy to play the music.
4. Follow Up
Before we are called singers or instrumentalists, we are
human beings. Before we serve at church or in a music team
we are people. Follow up is the fourth most important step in
your mission. People want to be loved, remembered, valued
and respected. They want to know if they matter. A leader
wants the best team. A team wants a caring leader. If we put
the two together, we will be able to achieve our goal and
eventually reach our vision.
Before you can follow up on people, you need to learn to love
them. Christ loves the church and that is why he gave his life
for it. A leader must love and care for the team. Not only when
it comes to singing and playing in the band. When people
know that you love them, they will commit to you and your
19 vision. Sometimes we get so caught up in what we are trying
to achieve and forget to appreciate each other. Before we can
win people to the Lord we must first learn to love and
appreciate one another.
At the print of this book, I had worked with most of my team
for the last 10 years. Many people ask me how I have been
able to keep the same team for all these years. My answer is
simple, love and respect. My team is more important to me
than money and fame. My team is the wheel of my vision. I
would not be where I am today without them and I won't get to
where I'm going without them. God has brought them into my
life. If I was Joshua in the bible they would be my Caleb. We
understand what we are doing and we are committed to doing
it.
I met some of my team members in 2001. We became friends
more than band mates. We have seen good and bad times
together. Even today we still meet for braai and hang outs.
Money is not always there, so I don't believe that a strong
team is the most paid team. I believe in paying people but I
also believe in working even when the money is not yet there.
Some people do get tired along the way and quit the band but
I believe in keeping the relationship even when people are no
longer working with me. We should love one another more
than the music that we are doing. There will be ups and
downs but we must fight to the end.
A member must commit to the team. You can't be here today
and gone tomorrow because there is money calling you. One
must make a choice what comes first. I've seen great
musicians looking for gigs and I've seen not so great
musicians always gigging. Sometimes it's not about how good
20 you are. It's about the vision and the team you are working
with. I recommend that a musician joins a team and be
committed. Grow with the vision and one day you will look
back and see the results or you can hop from one team to
another chasing the money. Few years later you will look back
and see nothing because you have built nothing but collected
money which never lasts.
I feel very strong about this point. I don't believe churches
should pay a music team unless it's part of the church vision
and they have enough money to employ a music team. I
believe that a church should be responsible for its people,
especially those who are in need, even if they are not part of
the music team. What do I mean? Don't just pay the people,
but invest in their lives. Even if they decide to leave the
church after you have invested in them. You would have done
a good thing that a family should do. It must be clear from the
beginning. The church is a place of serving with an open heart.
If there are incentives or salaries, that's good but if not, the
work should continue with excellence and passion. I will
discuss these issues of payments in the next Chapters.
Five steps to follow up:
1. Call: People enjoy being called and checked on. Even if
you meet weekly just a simple call to appreciate your team will
go a long way. Keep it short and straight to the point.
21 2. SMS: Don't only send messages when you are reminding
people about rehearsals. Send a message to thank them and
let them know how important they are in your team. An SMS
can change how a person thinks of you. Try it and you will see.
3. Email: We leave in the world of technology and emails
have been proven to be professional. You can send a formal
letter of appreciation with a leader or pastor's signature or
even church letter heard. Personalize your email, don't just Cc:
everyone. People like to feel important.
4. Visit: This will help you know your team. When you visit
people, keep it casual. Avoid fancy meals and long
conversations or else you will be accused of having too much
interest on others. When you visit a person, meet their family
and leave a short prayer. Remember you represent a church
and the pastor. Avoid gossip or unnecessary chats. I
recommend a leader to go with an assistant.
5. Go Out: This is my favourite. Take your team out for a
simple ice cream, picnic in a park or a braai at someone's
house. There are many affordable things a music team can do
to create a team building atmosphere. This will help you know
your team outside church and rehearsal. People love such
events. They never forget and they will be more committed
than ever.
When you speak to people avoid talking about others. A
leader must control the conversation and stick to the reason
why you are there. If some people need counselling I
recommend you refer them to the church counsellors. You
don't want to end up fixing too many things not related to
music. You might not be equipped to do so. When someone
22 needs a special prayer, you must refer them to the leaders or
pastors. By all means know your limits.
When you follow-up people, you will get to know about their
private lives. It's one tricky subject because a leader must be
mature enough to handle a team's private life issues without
interfering with ministry work. For an example if someone is
not living a holy life; a leader must know how to deal with
things according to the rules of the team. Whoever is weak
needs love and advice. If there is no improvement in a
situation, you must refer those people to the leaders or
pastors. Never be quick to cut anyone off the team, unless the
pastor says so. Always remember we are people before we
are ministers. Even though there are consequences, we
always need a chance to grow.
The aim for follow up is to know your people and let them
know the goals and the vision for the team. Try not to get too
tangled in many other issues that are not part of your aim.
When people become close and relationships become strong,
you will see commitment and positive results. People want to
belong in a family environment, where they feel needed and
loved.
In this chapter you have learned that knowing and writing your
vision is the first step in building a music team. Recruiting
right people is the second step. Building your team is the third
step and follow-up is the fourth. When you have all these
steps in place, you have a foundation to success. Before you
move on to the next chapter, here are simple questions I'd like
you to answer together with your music team.
23 Questions-1
1. What is your vision?
2. What are your goals for this year?
3. What is your mission and how are you planning to achieve
your goal?
4. What's the first important step in building your career?
5. Why do you need to write down your vision?
6. What is the difference between a choir and a music team?
7. Why should a team pray and read the word together?
8. How do you split the rehearsal into 3 parts?
9. What are the 3 ways to seek God?
10. What is more important between prayer and practice?
11. How are you recruiting people to your team?
12. Who is responsible to put together a list of 50 songs?
13. Who is responsible for the rehearsal plan?
14. Why is it important to follow up on people?
15. What are the 5 ways to follow people?
16. Who needs to do the follow up?
17. What must be done when someone is not living a holy life?
18. Why are you part of your team?
19. What would you like to improve about your team?
20. What would you like to improve about yourself?
Chapter 2
24 I remember training my first choir in 2002. Our church had
started a second service and they asked me to start a choir.
In our first rehearsal I had 5 people, 2 of them had never sung
in front of people before. I invited them anyway. I used to tell
people that if you can talk you can learn how to sing. But that
is not true; it was just a recruiting strategy. Singing is not for
everyone. The fact that a person can sing along to the music
on radio doesn't mean they can be part of a music team. It
takes more than a voice to be a singer. Your heart and your
attitude plays a big role.
That first rehearsal with 5 people didn't go well. They couldn't
sing to save their lives. Instead of singing we ended up just
having a prayer. I encouraged them to invite more people for
the next rehearsal and I promised to build an awesome choir.
There is nothing as difficult as teaching a person how to sing,
especially if they can't keep a melody or sing on key. People
are quick to say they can sing and they become so
discouraged when you tell them something different. I told my
team the truth but I also promised to train them. All I needed
was their trust and commitment.
On our second rehearsal there were only 3 people, those who
couldn't sing. After our prayer I came up with an idea of giving
them responsibilities. I made one an administrator, another
treasury, another one a marketing person. Their main task
was to help me build and manage the choir. From that day I
was no longer leading alone, I had people who had the same
desire and responsibility of raising a choir of 20 people. We
started inviting people and following up those who were
joining the choir. In six weeks we had a choir of 20 people.
We were rehearsing twice a week and we were planning to
sing at church after 2 months.
25 "Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men,
such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and
place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of
hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: 22 And let them
judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every
great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter
they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall
bear the burden with thee." Exodus 18:21-22
You can never succeed if you are leading your team by
yourself and not delegating your tasks. Most of the problems
we see in our teams are not because the leader is not good,
but it's because the leader is doing everything alone. The first
step to a successful team is choosing leaders who will help
you lead and giving them tasks. Make sure everyone
understands what is expected from them.
Leadership Team
1. Leader
A Leader is someone who provides guidance, instructions and
direction to the team for the purpose of achieving goals
leading to reaching the vision. The team leader reports to the
pastor or church elder depending on the church structure. The
team leader monitors the quality result that is to be achieved.
The leader is neither the boss nor a servant of the team but
he/she works hand in hand with the team.
Pull, Don't Push
You will be more effective in leading a team toward your goal
if you pull (lead them) rather than push (sit back and give
26 orders). Remember, you want to motivate the people in your
team, assist and inspire them towards the team’s goals.
The leader is responsible for 3 things
a) Planning
Planning is the first and most important step in a leader's task.
It's often overlooked or purposely skipped. While the amount
of planning and the detail required will vary from task to task,
to skip this task is to invite failure. You need to plan for your
rehearsals and your activities. The plan must be written down
so that your team can work with you to achieve it. Avoid doing
things that are not planned or that you have not thought out.
b) Organising
A leader must be able to organize the tasks and activities in
order to get the choir to work in an efficient and effective
manner. There is a lot of overlap between planning and
organising. Planning focuses on what needs to be done while
organising is operational and focusing on how to get the work
done. As a leader you must know how you are going to teach
new songs. For an example, organize the music and lyrics for
your team.
c) Control
Control has to do with monitoring your team. You must set
standards for performance and quality and then you monitor
to make sure everything is leading towards your goal. A
27 leader must be able to follow up and monitor the team. Some
people over step and abuse their authority.
2. Assistant Leader
The main task of the assistant leader is to be a leader when
the leader is not there. Assistant leader doesn't come up with
a new plan but continues from the leader's plan. To be an
assistant leader doesn't mean you will be the next leader, but
it means you have as much responsibilities as a leader.
He/she must have a clear understanding of where the music
team is going and what is the plan to reach there. Some
assistant leaders end up becoming Absalom and work against
the leader. A wise person once told me; "how you treat your
leader is how you will be treated when you become a leader".
Even if you know the leader's mistakes, weakness and you
disagree with your leader, you don't have to gossip about your
leader. An assistant leader should always be open to the
leader and learn to speak when you don't see eye to eye, but
support, submit and be loyal to him/her.
I once had an assistant leader who reported my every move
and decision to the pastor. It was disappointing to be
questioned on my way of doing things and my leadership style.
I became less effective and I made many mistakes. Finally I
resigned as a leader and my assistant was promoted to lead
that choir. As much as I'm not easily moved by pressure, I
know when my time is up. A leader must choose a leadership
team that is capable to continue with a mission and become
even more successful. You must know when the time to move
on has come, and you must allow other leaders to take over
and run with the vision.
3. Administrator
28 This is a person who is responsible with the operation of the
team, just like a manager. He/she must understand the
leader's plan and help to put it into practice. Knowing people
and compiling their information such as birthdays,
anniversaries and other important things about the team must
be a priority. I once had an administrator who was also a choir
conductor. She was a people's person. She understood the
people in the choir. When I couldn't do my follow up she and
my assistant would go on my behalf. An administrator can
also help with paperwork and keeping records.
4. Treasury
This is a person responsible for the finances of the group. He
or she must come up with ways to raise and spend money.
Your music team can come up with different ways to raise
money too. Such as charging R10 when people are late, carwash day for church members, music concert etc. The money
can be spent on things such as choir uniform, airtime for
follow ups, transport for members who stay far, cake & snack
for people with birthdays and more. There are many ways to
spend money. That is why you need a wise person in the
leadership team who will come up with ideas to raise and
spend money.
The church choir doesn't have to open a bank account, but
can find ways to save money, like investing the money in the
church book shop, tuck shop or any other department that has
cash flow. Then it will be easy to get the money when the
team needs it and it will control unnecessary spending. A
leadership team must have a clear goal of raising and
spending money so that there are no cash issues. After all
you are a music team you must focus on that.
29 5. Marketing
This is a person who will focus on creating a good name for
the choir. If you don't have a name yet I suggest you come up
with few names in line with the church vision. The leader must
take those names to the pastor so he can approve a choir and
music team name. It's important to have a name; people like
to have a sense of ownership in what they are doing.
A marketing person also looks at the image of the choir, how
you look, how you stand on stage, how you choose songs in
line with the service messages. He/she looks at things like
social media, publicity and promotion if you have an event
coming up. In one of my choirs a marketing person used to
design choir flyers to invite more people in the choir. This
helped me as a leader. I made sure everyone in the choir was
part of recruiting right people.
A leadership team works with the leader to ensure that the
music team reaches every goal and keep the quality ministry.
A leader who doesn't have a leadership team will struggle
trying to do all the five tasks. Most teams are not effective
because the leader is trying to do everything alone.
2. Music Team Activities
Your team needs a year plan. This may include activities such
as DVD nights with pop corns your team can come to watch
other music group videos. I always find visuals as the best
way to inspire people. There are a number of local and
international artists and choirs that you can compile for your
DVD night. Allow your team to watch and give comments or
ask questions. If possible learn some of the songs you watch
on the videos. Encourage your team to listen and watch music
that is similar to what your choir is singing. For an example,
30 you can't spend time watching rugby and expect to be a good
soccer, even though it's all sports.
Music workshops are the best way to teach and inspire
people to grow. Organise coffee and muffins, you name it.
Food and snacks are the good way to get people committed
in the choir's activities. Before people can learn how to sing,
they must be taught. I'm a huge supporter of music workshops.
Sometimes we spend so much time rehearsing and forget to
teach each other how to sing. I've done countless of
workshops and have seen people grow from not knowing
what to do, to 'I can do it'. Workshops can have guest
speakers who have experience in music or it can be just a
leader with his team dealing with issues that need
improvement.
Picnic and outdoor rehearsal is another way to inspire people
to grow to another level. Come up with simple and affordable
activities for your choir to do. A leadership team must always
think outside the box to keep the team growing. These
activities will help attract more talented people in the choir and
motivate those who are not committed. There are many
activities that can be implemented. The aim is to grow
spiritually and skilfully. Put your activities on the calendar and
start planning and organising.
3. Choosing a Music team
After you have successfully recruited your choir it's time to
choose a music team. This is a group of people who will be
responsible for the entire service. They will be the face of the
church and the music. Most churches make a mistake when it
comes to selecting people who will be part of the music team.
They choose the people who've been at church longest. This
31 might look like an excellent idea but it's not a correct way. You
don't appoint someone because they've been with the church
for a long time. You appoint a person because they are good
at what they are doing. I'd like to show you how you choose a
music team or a worship team. If you already have a team, be
prepared to make some few changes.
I always recommend a group of 6 to 8 people to be part of a
music team. Anything more than that is a choir. On ChapterOne I suggested that a choir sing one or two songs per
service. The choir is a recruiting and training level for the
music department.
A music team is made up of the following:
2 Tenors
2 Altos
2 Sopranos
2 lead vocals.
If you happen to have more people who are part of the music
team, then you can form 2 music teams. They can take turns.
One team can sing two services of the month another team
can sing other two services of the month. Lead vocalist can
sing all the services to keep the same faces and same flow.
Just like is the soccer team. When you have strikers or people
who score goals you allow them to play most of the time. But
you can always change the midfield and the back-line players
because they supply the ball to the striker and defend the
other teams. Lead vocalist need to be confident. They are not
only leading the song but they are leading the entire
congregation. The only way to be a good lead vocalist is to
get more experience singing and leading songs. Lead
vocalists are not born lead singers, they are developed.
32 When I started singing I couldn't lead a song. My focus was
learning how to sing tenor and alto. When I became
comfortable I started leading songs and that took me months
of rehearsal. If you want to have good lead vocalists, allow
them to keep singing and they will gain confidence. They
might make mistakes in the beginning but they will eventually
get there. What's important about leading a song is that you
must also lead people. Don't only do the vai vai (voice waives),
lead the song. You need quality people who are dedicated
and good at what they are doing
I hope you are still following me. Let's recap. A choir is a
group of 20 people or more that sings one or two special
songs per service. A music team or worship team is a group
of less than 8 people who sing the entire service. Some
churches allow the choir to sing throughout the service. They
stand behind a music team while they lead on microphones. I
don't recommend that you do that but it's your choice.
5. Things you look for in a music team
a) A heart after God
People with a heart after of God can easily be sported. They
enjoy the presence of God. When it's time for prayer they
participate. They want more of God in their lives. Not like
some folks who just sit down and look lost during prayer.
Some of them always get upset when the prayer takes longer.
They don't follow instructions. But right people are committed
and follow instructions, even if they disagree. It's not easy to
find such people. Keep reading the word and spending time in
prayer, you will see maturity and growth in your team.
b) A skill to sing / play instrument
33 People who can sing or play an instrument are not waiting out
there for you to invite them to your church. You need to
search, ask around and head-hunt them. When you find them,
have a one on one discussion. Most skilled people would
want money to play or sing at church. It's important that you
don't make empty promises. If your church doesn't have
money to pay a music team, be upfront with them. Let them
know what you are willing to offer. Most people will say no,
but the right person will say yes. You need to keep your
promise and show love, give a relationship and create a
family environment.
Don't avoid talking about money with a music team but don't
make it about it. When people stay far I would advise that you
find ways to take care of their transport. Don't let a music
team spend from their pocket for church activities, especially
those who are not working.
c) Accountability
The music team must be accountable and keep time. It's
funny because people get to work on time but when it comes
to church, they come late. When the music team is late for a
service it creates a discord. It's important that people come on
time for sound check and prayer before the service starts.
Some people need to be taught how to be accountable.
Before you fight with your team, sit down and talk about how
you are going to work this out.
I know of a church that came up with a rule that says if you
are late you won't sing. Now that is not so smart. What if one
day half of the music team is late? You must think of other
solutions to get everyone accountable. The bottom line is that
we need everyone to minister. I find one on one discussion
34 more effective in solving problems. You might have people
who are not good in keeping time and missing rehearsal but
you can teach them accountability. A leader can never be late.
Most of the time people do what a leader is doing. A leader
and his/her leadership team must be a good example to the
team. Remember you are leading (pulling), not pushing.
d) Submit to the vision
Submission is not just words, its action. You don't submit
because you agree or because you are happy. You must
follow the rules all the time. Everyone has an opinion but the
leader's instruction is final. If people can't submit to the
leadership, that team is going nowhere. Submission is like a
train moving. A head pulls and the rest follows. Anyone who
tries to pull into a wrong direction will only delay the team from
growing.
I suggest you give a warning to people who do not submit to
the rules of the team. If the problem continues, get your
leader or pastor involved. If the problem continues I suggest
you let go of that person or else you will lose others that might
be influenced by negative attitude of the one who doesn't
want to submit. Submission means agree and follow.
e) Team player
This is a person who knows how to get along with people. To
be part of a music team one needs to be able to work with
different people, starting from the leader. You must
understand that everyone is different. To be a team player is
to learn to compromise and tolerate each other. A team player
is a person who is willing to learn new ways of doing things.
35 I once trained a choir that had girls who were fighting over a
man. As silly as it may sound, most teams break up because
of relationship disputes. These girls were not talking to each
other because of a guy who had broken up with one of the
girls and was now proposing another one in the same team. I
gave them a choice to either stay in the team and get along or
quit.
I suggest that people avoid dating while working in the same
team. The issue of people proposing each other in a choir can
make things a bit complicated, especially when the
relationship doesn't work out. If they are already together they
can continue but it must be known that the two are dating.
They must go for a relationship or marriage counselling. The
last thing you want is people living in sin and everyone turning
a blind eye.
4. Team Prayer
In one of my workshops a gentleman asked me. "Why should
the music team spend time in prayer? Is that not the job of a
prayer team/ intercessors?” Prayer is the way we
communicate with God. Anyone can talk to God. A music
team does more than just singing songs. They uplifting the
burdens and leading the church in the presence of God.
"And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon
Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so
Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed
from him." 1 Samuel 16:23
It takes more than a voice and chords to change someone's
life. Prayer or talking to God is important because it's only the
Holy Spirit who can guide you to sing the right songs and lead
36 the people to the presence of God where they will be
refreshed, healed and transformed. Music is like preparing the
ground before the farmer plants the seeds. The ground is the
people's hearts. When the ground is ready, the word or the
seed can be planted effectively then we'll see a good harvest.
People will grow in the will of God.
When people come to church, they have many things in their
minds. Some are sad, some happy and music puts them
together in one heart. In the book of James the bible says,"
anyone happy among you should sing hymns". When we
praise God we are expressing our gratitude and we are
thanking Him for all that he has done. A life is worth singing
and shouting praises to God, some people never get to see
another day. Some people wait until they get a big miracle
before they can praise God. Music gives us the chance to
bless the Lord in song and we should join the music team and
be part of praise.
Prayer will guide the music team to be relevant with what God
wants to do in the service. Remember we are many parts of
the body but there is one Holy Spirit. He has a plan for the
service. He is in charge and looking for people that will
partner with Him to achieve that goal. Prayer becomes a
communication platform. The Holy Spirit is always talking but
some people can't hear because they hardly spend time with
Him. If you never speak to Him how can you listen to Him? A
praying team is always expecting the Holy Spirit to do
something. The bible says when two or three are gathered in
my name I shall be there with them. This means God is
always present in our services. You may ask why is it that
sometimes you don't see results and people are not growing.
It's because you are missing what God is doing in a service.
37 You expect God to do the same thing He did a previous
service. God is moving in different ways all the time. This
means you must spend time in prayer in order to walk in His
plan.
There are no powerful songs, but there are songs full of the
Word. For David to be able to play a harp and the evil spirit
upon Saul to be lifted was not because of awesome cords but
it was his heart for God. Prayer will shape your heart and it
will show when you should open your mouth to sing or when
you should play your instrument. We need more prayerful
music teams. The intercession is another ministry and they
also spend time in prayer, but a music team must be prayerful
if they want to impact lives.
In chapter one I showed you how you can divide your
rehearsal time in order to be effective. The time for prayer
must also be the time for singing worship songs. You must
know Him, how He speaks and touches people. God won't
surprise you on stage. He will be the same God you know in
you prayer room. You need to sing the actual songs you sing
during the service and have your own service during the
rehearsal. Allow the Holy Spirit to move. Don't rush Him. This
is very important. When the Holy Spirit is moving in the
service or rehearsal you must give Him time. I suggest you
start with prayer and worship so that you are not caught up at
the end of the rehearsal when you want to go home. Put in
mind that when the Holy Spirit moves, your plans might
change. If you were planning to spend 30 min in prayer, the
Holy Spirit can lead you to spend an hour or more. When you
allow the Holy Spirit to take control like that, He will entrust
you with more responsibilities. He will also move when you
minister because He knows that you are not going to shut Him
38 down like other people do. Some people think it's being weak
to weep or kneel when you pray or during worship. But I
suggest that you be yourself during worship. If you want to
kneel, weep, laugh or whatever you feel like doing at that time,
I'd say go for it as long as you are led by the Holy Spirit.
I remember some time back when I was ministering, God
moved in the auditorium so strong that I couldn't stand. I was
the first one to go down on my knees weeping like a baby. I
couldn't sing or talk for minutes. The band continued playing
the music. When I looked up, I discovered that half of the
people in the service were also on their knees worshipping
and crying out to God. Since then I started spending more
time in prayer during my rehearsal and I started seeing the
impact every time I took the microphone to minister. Whatever
God is doing during your rehearsal and prayer time, He will do
even more when you are ministering to people. I can never
over mention the importance of prayer in your music team. It
goes with fasting and reading the Word. The music team must
go deeper in order to lead people in another level of praise
and worship.
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man
be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God." John 3:5
Another important thing is that your music team must be born
again and be baptized in water and in the Spirit. Speaking in
tongues is the sign of being baptized in the Spirit.
"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to
speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
Act 2:4
39 Years ago I was praying for people to be baptized in the Holy
Spirit. Some were slain under the power or falling from the
power of the Holy Spirit, some were crying and some felt
nothing. One gentleman came to me after the session and
said he didn't feel anything, and asked if that meant he was
not baptized in the Holy Spirit. I said to him you are baptized.
The fact that you didn't fall or shake like others doesn't mean
God didn't touch your life. The power of God is not only seen
when people fall or cry but when their lives are changed. So, I
told him to go home and enjoy the Holy Spirit. Two days later I
met him with a big smile on his face. He told me that he felt a
cold breeze and he started shaking, while he was at his house
washing dishes (this happened and day after I prayed for him).
When he went to sit down he felt like praying. When he
opened his mouth he started crying and he couldn't make up
words all he could say was (la la la ya ya ya). The Holy Spirit
took over him and that's how he was baptized.
Sometimes we predict God and that is immaturity. God will
move anyhow at any time. We just need to be ready for Him
to move. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is important. When
you pray in tongues you are speaking to God. Other people
don't understand what you are saying but the Holy Spirit
understands every word and He is praying with you. It's only
the Holy Spirit who can baptize you with the evidence of
speaking in tongues and He also teaches you how to speak.
You just avail yourself in prayer and He will do the rest.
"For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not
unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him;
howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries." 1 Corinthians
14:2
40 I suggest that you encourage your choir and your music team
to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. A leader, elder or a pastor
can lay hands on the people and pray for them to be baptized
in the Spirit and water baptism. The bible clearly says if you
believe be baptized in water and in the Spirit. For your team to
function in authority and in the will of God, they must be born
again and baptized in the water and in the Spirit.
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Act 2:38
When I say be baptize in water I don't mean a baby sprinkle
dedication. I'm talking about a repentance full body baptism. If
some people in your team have not been baptized I suggest
you have a chat with your pastor and arrange for them to be
baptized. Prayer is important for the music team. It will turn
singers into ministers.
5. W riting New Songs
This is one of the neglected things in our church music. Most
people prefer to sing the same old songs because they don't
want to make time to write songs. Do you enjoy your pastor's
new messages and revelation? The church also wants new
and fresh songs that go along with the message and the
church vision. You have a choir and a music team, I'm sure
one can write new songs? The problem is that we think its
okay to sing the old songs every service. It's not okay. The
41 music needs to compliment the pastor's sermons. You can
only do that by writing new songs.
"Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise."
Psalms 33:3
It's easy to write songs when you put your mind into it. But if
you enjoy singing old songs you won't be able to write new
songs that are relevant. In one of my workshops Jason my
bassist was sharing with a group of musicians and singers
about praise and worship and he said "What would you say if
someone meets you and says you are wearing a nice jacket?
You will say thank you. And if the same person sees you 10
minutes later and says again you are wearing a nice jacket.
You will say thank you. But if the same person sees you 10
minutes later and say the same thing for the third or fourth
time. How would you feel?"
Jason was talking about the importance of writing songs and
being personal when you minister to God. Tell him how much
you love Him and what He means to you. Old songs are good
but new songs are great.
My suggestion is that start writing songs in line with the Word
of God and your church vision. It won't be cool if the choir gets
to sing a new song every month. Then a music team must
sing at least two new songs a month. Practice makes perfect.
The more you write songs, the more you will get better at it.
Song writing tips
- Write about your experience with God.
- Write in a language you understand.
- Keep your arrangements simple.
42 - If you are a vocalist focus on the lyrics and let the band
figures out chord arrangements.
- If you are an instrumentalist start by playing the music then
get someone to add the lyrics.
- Slow songs are easier to write than fast songs. Start with
simple ideas.
- Keep the chorus simple so it becomes a hook of the song.
- Two verses are enough. You can maybe add a bridge.
- Write songs to be less than 4 min. If you get to record that
song, radios prefer short songs.
- When you write a song you can use a recording device or
cell-phone to record audio so that you can remember it next
time you work on the song.
- There are two kinds of composers. The one who comes up
with the music, most of the time it's an instrumentalist. The
other one comes up with lyrics. These two people share 50%
of that song copyright.
- A person who does both music/chords and lyrics is a
songwriter. This person has 100% copyright of the song. This
helps to know who wrote the song, in case the church wants
to record or some artist wants to record that particular song.
Composers or songwriters will have to give consent or a letter
allowing the artist to use their original song. In the gospel
industry it's not easy to say no with your song because people
sing them at churches and that's how the songs get popular.
Composers or songwriters must register with SAMRO
(Southern African Music Rights Organization) to be
recognized for his/her work. When the song plays on radio or
television a composer can get airplay royalties.
I hope you are not getting confused. The point I'm making is
that when you start writing songs go register yourself as a
composer and the music you are composing. It doesn't mean
43 you will make millions but it means you can write songs and
keep records of your original work. Some songwriters do
make millions when their music gets to be used or played on
an international level. For example, if you wrote a song that
was used for 'Lion King' the movie. That will mean your
original music is used internationally. You will make a good
living out of it. But if you didn't register that song, you have no
proof it's yours. Anyone can use it and they will claim it's
theirs and enjoy the benefits. As the bible says 'My people
perish because of lack of knowledge' I suggest you make your
research on song-writing and how to register your music. This
will be discussed in detail, in the next chapter.
How to teach new songs
Now that you know the importance of writing new songs you
need to know how to teach your team new songs. It's simple if
your song is not complicated. You must sing the song in
unison or one voice (melody/alto), until everyone gets it. Then
move to adding different parts, soprano and tenor. This
makes it easy to learn a new song. You can teach people new
songs in 5 minutes using this method. When it comes to the
band I suggest you work on a song separately with your
rhythm section (bass guitar, pianist & drummer). This will help
quicken the process. When you get to the rehearsal with
everyone you won't spend time on an individual trying to
figure out the chords of the song.
Now you have no excuse, you must work on new songs and
minister with power and passion. I promise you, the church
will love you for singing new songs. In the next chapter I will
be covering the importance of the band, instruments, quality
sound and how to get ready for a service. Before we get there,
44 here are simple questions. Please read this book to your team
and answer the following questions together.
Question-2
1. Who is your music leader?
2. Why does a leader need a leadership team?
3. What are the 3 tasks of the leadership team?
4. What do I mean by saying a leader must ‘Pull Don't Push?'
5. What is the job of an assistant leader?
6. What is the name of your group?
7. What are 3 activities that can inspire your music team?
8. How many people should be in a music team?
9. What are the 3 things you look for on a music team?
10. How do you recruit a music team?
11. A music team is responsible for singing and what else?
12. What is water baptism?
13. Is it important for a music team to speak in tongues and
why?
14. What is prayer?
15. Have you ever sung your original song?
16. Why do we need to write new songs?
17. What is the easy way to learn a new song?
18. What must be done when a person does not submit to the
vision?
19. Are you part of the music team?
20. What did you learn in this chapter?
45 Chapter 3
In 2000 my older brother Thulani bought me a Kirk Franklin
video tape with a gift card written "One day you will be like this
guy." When I watched Kirk's band and vocals my life was
transformed. I asked myself why I haven’t seen this in our
local gospel music. I was determined to work on my music. I
started writing songs and listening to different styles of music.
I wanted to create an international sound and the music that
will be played all around the world.
Before you can write good songs you need to listen to good
music. Who you listen to will influence your sound. If you want
to be an international artist, you need to listen to the
international sound and then add your local feel. The band
plays a huge role in shaping your sound. People who play
instruments for your music must understand what feel you
want on your music. It's not only about playing the instruments,
but interpreting the message of the song.
1. Recruiting a band
You need to start by recruiting a pianist, a drummer and a
bassist. This is your basic 3 piece band. If you want your
music to sound good you need to have people who are good
and experienced, then you can add other instruments such as
46 a lead guitar, second keys that will play extra sounds such as
strings and organs and brass (saxophone, trombone, and
trumpet). Most churches don't use the additional instruments
such as brass and violin. It is important that a music team
recruits such instrumentalists; it makes praise and worship
sound even better. The music plays a huge role in attracting
people to church. If you have an awesome band you are likely
to attract more musicians and good singers in your church.
The recruitment of vocals and band is not a pastor's job. The
music leader and his leadership team must always be on a
look out and recruit experienced musicians. Some people say
if the church doesn't pay it won't have good musicians. That is
not true. I've seen churches that are paying musicians but
failing to keep them. Musicians are people; they want to be
part of the vision just like everybody else. They need to be
loved, cared for and be part of the family, but at times they
end up feeling like they are only needed because of their skills.
No one wants to feel used. Some churches know nothing
about their musicians and that's one of the problems. If you
don't follow up on your band then you won't know anything
about them. In the previous chapter we covered the
importance of follow up.
I'm convinced that you can have all kinds of musicians in your
team if you know how to care for people. The issues of money
can always be negotiated. For an example if I'm home and
there is a function and my mom asks me to sing. I will sing
without asking how much they can pay me, even though I'm a
professional artist. Home is home, it's where I serve with a
cheerful heart. I fully understand that some musicians have
studied music and they make a living out of playing
instruments. I still don't believe paying musicians is the
47 solution, but creating a family is a good start. Take care of
your music team and be there for them. Find out about their
families and get to know them too. Treat them the way you
treat your kids, siblings or the way you wish to be treated.
Give money where it is needed. Pay for transport if there is a
need to. Don't exploit the music team and they will submit to
the vision of the church. Just like any family, children and
parents must have a relationship and serve one another.
I once met a musician who told me he will never play for free
at church. I asked why and he said he was misused by his
previous church. He said he didn't have a job and he came
from a poor family. He played at church for free because he
was serving. There would be church events and food will be
prepared for pastors and no one would offer him or asked if
he had food at home. He would go home and sleep on an
empty stomach. One time he was late for a service and the
pastor shouted at him that he was incompetent and not
reliable. He decided to quit going to the church. He was hurt. I
understood his side of the story, I'm sure I would feel the
same way if I was in his shoes. This is the reason why I say
the music leader must do better in knowing, caring and
following up his team.
Here are simple 5 questions to ask your band:
How are you?
How is the family at home?
What do you do for a living?
Is there anything you need?
How can we improve things in our music team & at church?
Don't just ask questions but create a relationship. Be
interested in their lives and it must be about them not only
48 about the church. People want to be part of the vision. They
want to contribute in a great vision. Get to know them and
give them a chance to be part of what God is doing in the
church. Issues of money can always be discussed in a family
manner. Some musicians are in need some are not. The more
you speak to each other the better, never assume someone is
fine until you ask them. Some musicians know how to pretend
as if everything is well. Nobody wants to show that they are in
need. We meet at church and everybody is smiling but
someone will go home in an empty stomach or to a house
with no electricity, but if the team cares for each other, they
will know some of the challenges faced by other team mates.
You can do better as a leader. You can be a solution to
someone's problems or can advise what to do.
I once met a pastor who said he doesn't want a band in his
church; he will use a pianist only. I asked him why, he said he
used to pay rent and school fees for some of his church band.
They used the church sound and instruments to rehearse for
their gigs, but after a while they started missing church
services without reporting. When he tried to speak to them
they made excuses. They wouldn’t skip church to go play with
artists and they won't report or arrange musicians to play at
church. He said one time there was no band at church. They
sang and clapped hands. He was so hurt and he decided to
fire them. I also understood his story and I'm sure you would
have done the same thing if you were in his shoes.
You might be reading this book and you have your own story.
All I'm saying is that we need each other. We need to do
better in creating a place that we call a spiritual home. Not
spiritual work place. Think about your situation at your church.
Do you think God is happy with the way you operate? Can
49 things be done in a better way? The answer is yes. I've seen
skilled musicians playing in a same church for free, for years.
Nothing is impossible. I have a band that I've been playing
with for years and we are still together, looking forward to
more years, money or no money.
Ways to inspire your band
Music Director (MD)
You need to appoint a Music Director (MD). This is a person
who is in charge of the music. He works with the band and
vocals. Most music directors are instrumentalists. You need to
choose someone who knows what they are doing. A
leadership team comes up with the music and an MD makes
sure the music is played well. An MD is like a captain of the
team. You need someone with leadership skills.
Friendship
The band members must develop friendship with each other.
It's easy to work with people you relate with. One of the
benefits of being part of a family is relationship. The band
must spend time together to know one another, not only in the
rehearsal. For people to care for each other, they must know
one another. An MD can always come up with ideas of how
the team can spend more time together. There are countless
activities that a music team can participate in. I'd recommend
that the band spends some time as the band.
Sharing Music
The band must share music knowledge and material. When
the band listens to the same style of music it helps them think
alike. They are able to interpret the music in the same way.
An MD can play a role in influencing the band in what music
50 they must listen too. They can share exercising skills to make
them grow their talent. When you are playing with
experienced people, you get to learn quicker. The band must
not compete, even if they play the same instrument. It must
be clear who plays when so that everyone understands what
is expected from them. Some instrumentalists are better than
others but it's important that everyone be treated the same
way, after all, no one was born playing an instrument.
Everyone can improve, as long as they have the tools and
inspiration. When people are friends it won't be a problem to
share with each other chords and ways to play some songs.
Be careful of negative influence. Sometimes instrumentalists
can influence each other to take more gigs and recruit each
other. One day you will discover that half of the band is gone
to a gig (event). It must be clear that anyone can go play
where ever they wish to go and play but it must not affect the
ministry at church. Accountability is maturity. When your band
is growing spiritually they will understand what it means to put
the church before the gig.
Hang Out
I can never over mention the importance of knowing each
other even outside church and the rehearsal. I know of a band
that used to go out for movies and games once a month. They
were great friends and they were awesome on stage. You can
think of ideas like that to get your band to hang out. When
people hang out they understand each other quicker. It's easy
to become friends if you hang out often. The solution to some
of your band issues can be solved by hanging out more often.
An MD becomes like an older brother to keep everyone in
order. As much as prayer and rehearsal are important, hang
outs are as important too. Some of the issues you are dealing
51 with at the moment can easily be solved when your band is
willing to spend time together. Getting your band to be
accountable, pray and fast won't be a problem.
Instrumentalists are not like vocalists. They see things in a
different way. Don't expect them to behave in the same way,
but the presence of God can make people to have one heart
even if they have different characters.
Few question to ask your band:
- Do you own a bible?
- How is your relationship with God?
- Why do you play at church?
- How can we improve our music?
- How can we play better as a band?
2. Sound, Instruments & Crew
This is another important subject but often neglected. The
churches are famous for poor sound and instruments. I don't
know why that is so. Have you ever noticed that clubs and
bars have a massive sound? They invest in their sound and
they attract thousands of sinners. Why can't your church do
the same?
I was once invited to a church to sing. When I got to the
church the sound was horrible. I was given a plastic
microphone; I don't even want to mention the name. It was the
worst sound ever. They were so excited to see me and were
looking forward to an awesome presentation and a powerful
ministry. I was discouraged before I even went on stage. The
drums were falling apart held together by wires. The keyboard
kept on switching off as they were playing and there was no
bass amplifier. I was ashamed that a church can have such a
52 poor sound while members are driving cars outside, including
the pastor who had a nice car.
I had sent them a Technical Ryder or list of equipment I
wanted to use on stage but when I got there I didn't find a
single thing I asked for. It was time for me to go on stage, the
person inviting me on stage made it worse by saying to the
church music team, they must learn from me so that they can
improve their music. That saddened me. People shouldn't
look down on their local music team. I believe they are doing
their best, giving their time and talent in return they are made
to feel like they have done nothing. A team that is struggling
knows they don't need criticism but inspiration and advice. I
hope you never allow anyone to talk to your music team like
that. I know most teams spend hours and days rehearsing,
preparing to lead praise and worship, but when people don't
appreciate the effort, it really puts me down.
So I went on stage and I started by thanking the pastor for
inviting me and also appreciated the music team for the
awesome work they are doing in the church. I encouraged
them to press on and lead people to the presence of God.
Just as I was talking, my microphone kept on switching off.
When I started singing it became worse. When Jason my
bassist started playing his bass there was a serious distortion
and power cut. The amps couldn't handle the bass guitar. I
was so frustrated. By the grace of God, the Holy Spirit and I
ministered powerfully in that service and people were saved.
My voice was gone, and that never happens. From that event
I decided to buy myself a microphone that I travel with all the
time. The issue of bad sound is a problem in many churches.
53 The pastor of that church was so impressed, he went on
stage and said the Devil is a liar, he tried to disturb the event
with bad sound but God was faithful. He called me on stage to
do one more song. People were so happy they didn't want to
go home. On the other hand I couldn't wait to get out of that
place because my task was done. I went on stage sang my
heart out again. Finally the service was over. I thank the Holy
Spirit for ministering with me all the time or else that night was
going to be a disaster.
What the pastor said about the Devil and the bad sound was
not entirely true. If you have a poor sound what do you expect?
Good sound is very important when it comes to music. The
church must invest in a good sound. Buy proper sound. I don't
know how I can make this point clearer. Sound and
instruments produce good music. Here are questions to ask
your music team about your church sound:
- Are you happy with the church sound?
- What can be improved about the sound?
- How does it affect you?
- What should be done to improve the sound?
- What can you do to improve the sound and instruments?
A good sound is at the shop. You need to raise money and go
get it. Stop blaming the devil for something he didn't do. Make
your church sound a priority. You can't have a huge flat
screen television at home and come to church to listen to a
bad sound. Something has to change. Bars and clubs know
how to attract people to their venues. Let's learn from them
and do even better. Before you buy a sound or raise money to
buy it you need a sound engineer. This is a person who is
qualified to work with sound equipment. When you find this
person let him look at the church building together with a
54 music leader. The sound engineer must recommend the
sound you need for your building. Your music leader must
look for 3 or more quotations of a sound and instruments you
need at your church, then you can worry about how to pay for
the equipment.
Sound System Sample:
- Top Speakers
- Bass Bins
- Monitors
- Amplifiers
- Snake Cable
- Mixer Desk
- Cables
Instruments Sample:
- Drums
- Keyboards & Stands
- Microphones & Stands
- Microphone Cables
- Bass Guitar & Amplifier
- Lead Guitar & Amplifier
These are the basic things you need for your church. After the
sound engineer has advised you and your music leader has
given you the list of instruments needed, make quotations and
start raising funds to buy what you need. Some people do it
the other way around. They get a limited budget then buy
cheap sound and instruments. It doesn't work like that when it
comes to sound equipment. You need quality that will last for
many years. You can negotiate for monthly instalments with
the music stores for the equipment you need. I believe our
God loves a good sound. I know it because He loves good
55 music. He will make a way. Before you know it, you will have
the kind of a sound you need at church.
When you have a good sound, you now need a sound crew.
Start by getting a qualified sound engineer and he will teach
others about sound. It's easy to find a sound engineer. You
can research local sound companies, call them and ask for a
qualified sound engineer. When you now have the sound at
church, the sound engineer must set it up and mix it. If you
have your own building this process of setting up happens
once because the sound remains in the same place every
service. But if you are always moving the sound to the store
room then you will be setting it up for every service, which is a
disadvantage. Get a qualified engineer to set the sound and
teach the sound crew how it's done. He must mix the sound
and remain in the desk during the service. He must teach the
sound crew how to mix the sound. This process must happen
until the church sound crew is familiar with the sound. It is
important that when the sound has been set and the music
director together with the team are happy, the sound crew
must not keep changing the sound. Some people get excited
and keep touching the sound desk adding effects. I'm not
saying it shouldn't be done, but it must be properly arranged
(e.g. adding effects during the songs). The music director and
the team must rehearse and know some effect will be added.
Try not to do it during worship songs or preaching it can
distract people.
Now that you have your sound, instruments and the crew in
place everyone must have one goal. Make the service sound
good and allow the Holy Spirit to move and minister to people.
Sound crew must attend some of the rehearsals to know the
plans and the goals of the music team. A sound crew must
56 also be part of the family. They must be loved and followed up.
Remember, some people don't last in churches because they
end up feeling misused. The music leader can make sure that
all other departments related to music are covered in a music
plan so that they are not left behind. It's so cool to know the
sound engineer by name so you won't call him 'that guy.'
What applies in a music team & a band must apply to the
sound crew.
A sound crew can work together with a recording crew. The
MD must give the recording crew lyrics for the songs so that
they can be placed on the screen. I advise that you record the
music and the preaching. This will help musicians to watch
themselves and improve where they are lacking. With
technology you don't need to wait until the church has a
television ministry. You can use your tablets; some photo
cameras can take videos, even smart phones. This will help to
keep records. A recording crew can record audio on a PC
(computer) and also use some of the video recording ideas I
just mentioned. The music leadership can review the
recordings and take notes where they need to improve once a
month. People will always give you feedback. The recordings
are the best way to critic yourself.
Transport & Storage
Transport plays a huge role when you are working with a
group of people. I suggest that the music team should
organize cars that will assist during rehearsal for those who
stay far and don't have transport. Some people get to church
late because they don't find transport on time. Sundays can
be a slowest day for public transport depending where the
church is allocated. When you have an organized transport
you save yourself a headache. One of the teams I used to
57 train had a taxi that picked people up and dropped them home
after rehearsal. Everyone was safe and people came on time.
You can also look at a similar idea. Find ways to raise funds
to pay for transport. The easiest way is to get a taxi driver and
find out his fees, and then you can look for the money. You
want your music team and your band to serve comfortably
and have no excuses of a lack of accountability. Transport for equipment and sound crew must be arranged. If
you want people to serve well be organized. If the church
doesn't leave the equipment at church then a transport must
take the equipment to the storage. This is a simple process
but it must be monitored. Some people can't handle
equipment with care. They can easily drop the mixer desk or a
speaker and not report it. They must be a proper plan of
reporting and monitoring to keep everything in order. I
suggest you buy bags for your equipment. If you are using
drums worth R20 000.00 you don't want it to be dropped and
scratched easily. Same as the speakers, keyboards and so on.
If you don't have bags, you will be buying new equipment in
less than 5 years.
3. Getting ready for a service
A music team must plan for every church service or else there
will be improvising on stage. It's easy to see a team that is not
prepared. They make lot of mistakes and they fail to connect
with the people and with God. A music leader must find out
pastor's message and plan songs according to those
messages. Most pastors use series system when teaching
messages, this makes the work a lot easier for the music
team. The music and the preaching must complement each
other. When it's a message of hope, the music must be about
hope. When it's a message of breakthrough the music must
58 be about breakthrough. Some music teams over-look this plan
but it needs to be followed if you want to be effective in your
ministry. Some pastors change the message as the Holy
Spirit leads but it doesn't happen all the time. Also in music
the Holy Spirit can change the song list but it does not happen
all the time. The bottom line is that you need to plan for your
church service.
One time I was training a music team for some church. I
asked them about their song list and they told me they don't
use a song list. Their lead vocalist who is also their leader just
comes up with songs on stage. Shocking! If that is how you
are doing music at your church, I suggest you change that
system because it's bad for growth. Even a pastor doesn't just
go on stage without an idea of what is he going to teach. This
team didn't know what song they were going to sing the next
service. The leader was not at the rehearsal. I didn't know
where to start helping them since they didn't know what song
they were going to sing during the service.
The next day my band and I were ministering in that same
church. I was interested to see how they lead praise and
worship. They didn't surprise me, they made so many
mistakes. The lead vocalist was just singing songs from his
head. The backing vocalists where struggling to get their parts.
The pianist was also struggling to get the keys for the songs
because the lead vocals kept on changing keys. It was a
disaster but it was like the congregation had gotten use to the
disorder.
This is a bad system. A lead vocalist is not singing alone. He
or she must write the songs down and the keys so that
everyone knows what is happening. When you are preparing
for the service you write all the songs you are planning to sing.
59 You write the keys next to the songs. If there are other lead
vocals write their names next to the songs they will be singing.
Print out the song list for the band and vocals. Make sure
everyone understands and knows the music. Never get on
stage without that song list. If you used to do it, don't do it
again.
Just like in a choir, everyone can contribute in putting together
a song list. You can ask from the pastor what songs he or she
likes the music team to sing. I'm a big fan of writing songs.
Therefore, I recommend that the music team should work on
songs for the church. It's always good to visit a church and the
people are singing new songs in line with the church's vision
and a message. Depending on how long the music team is
singing on stage you need to allocate songs for all the
services of the month, midweek or Sunday services the music
team needs to be strong and on point. Some churches’
midweek services have fewer attendances and the music
team tends to relax in those services. The pastor has to
preach and build people spiritually. The music team has to
lead people in the presence of God. Every time you step on
the stage you need to do your job and do it well.
"It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as
one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking
the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets
and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord,
saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that
then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the
Lord; 14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by
reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the
house of God." 2 Chronicles 5:13-14
60 When the music team is well prepared and the people join in
one heart, God will always move in that service. It's not about
songs but it's about people having one heart after God. The
bible says 'when 2 or 3 are gathered in my name I shall be
there with them.' It's important to remind the people why they
gather together for a service even if it's a home cell or
midweek service, God is there. We need to prepare and
expect God to move in our services. When the team is well
rehearsed, they lead people into the presence of God. Just
like a pastor who is well prepared, he teaches the people and
they grow. But if you are not prepared you will improvise and
when God wants to move, you won't be ready and when He is
not moving you will fake that He is moving. I've seen people
acting on stage. Remember that God sees your heart.
When you prepare your songs always start with a slow or mid
tempo song, just like a car starting on gear one before gear
two. Don't just rush to get people excited before you give
them a reason to be excited. Start with a slow song. Not all
slow songs are worship songs. Worship is not just singing. A
music team is not a worship team. Worship is giving honour to
God for who he is. Being a worshiper is living a life style that
honours God.
Worship Songs are songs of honouring God for who he is.
For an example, a song that says 'God you are holy.' You are
honouring God. A music team is called a worship team
because they sing about honouring God. But all believers are
worshipers even those who can't sing.
Praise Songs are songs of honouring God for what he has
done for an example a song that says 'Wahamba nathi
61 siyabonga' (thank you for walking with us) thanking God for
being with us in our life's journey.
Prophetic Songs are songs that are inspired by the Holy
Spirit. These songs come to you during prayer and worship
when the Holy Spirit is moving in our lives. They speak to the
secrets of the heart by rebuking, encouraging or informing
about the future. In the coming chapters, I will discuss
prophetic songs in detail.
Inspirational Songs are the songs that inspire us not to
give up and to go forward. For example, a song that says 'I
feel like going on.' encourages us to hold on to the Lord's
promises.
There are many different types of songs and you know them
by their messages. You must understand the message of the
song so that you can select right songs when you plan for
your services. Before you sing a song read the lyrics of the
song so that you can fully understand what you are singing.
Some songs are famous but have no meaning. When you
make your song list start with a slow or mid-tempo song. It
can be a worship, praise, inspiration or prophetic but the cool
mood of the song helps people to flow. They easily join and
sing along. After the slow song you can then add songs that
will build up the service depending on the program. If you start
with a fast song you will dance alone.
Avoid long songs, unless the Holy Spirit leads. The fact that
God moved on a particular song last time, it doesn't mean he
will move in the same way. Avoid changing keys or lead
vocals during worship. If possible lead your worship songs like
a medley, in order to allow the congregation to flow with you.
62 Don't turn a church service to a concert. I know that you
mostly watch music videos from concert DVDs. Avoid a setup
of a concert in the church service. What do I mean? The way
you lead songs shouldn't be like you are at a show. Don't
force people to stand up and dance or lift their hands. At
church you are not entertaining but you are leading a service.
Gently encourage people to be part of the music. Dance if you
want people to dance along. Lift your hands if you want
people to do the same.
I suggest two lead vocals per service. Others can lead choir
songs. You want your service to have a direction. If there are
many people leading, that requires key change and people
need to adjust to another voice. Encourage the congregation
to sing along. The fact that you are leading on the microphone
it doesn't mean the rest of the people at church should sit
back and watch. We all come to church to lift the name of the
Lord, not to watch the music team. Even if you have many
lead singers in your team avoid many people leading in one
service. You can allow people to rotate but avoid competition.
Pair strong lead vocalist with upcoming lead vocalist.
Remember that a music team is for strong and limited vocals,
the rest of the singers must be part of the choir.
How you start and end the service is important. Every service
is different but the music team needs to be prepared to deliver
the best. When the pastor comes to the pulpit let him or her
take over. Some singers keep singing even when the pastor is
on stage ready to preach. Some people close their eyes when
they are leading songs and the pastor has to wait for them to
finish singing. The best way to solve the problem is to give a
pastor a separate microphone so that when the pastor is
ready to preach he or she can take over. If the band continues
63 to play they must play softly unless the pastor instructs them
to keep singing.
Don't only look at the audience when you prepare your song
list. It must be about the church vision and pastor's message.
Also when it comes to the song language I suggest you use
the pastor's preaching language. If your pastor speaks 70%
English and 30% Sotho or Zulu, choose your songs in that
order. Don't create a division from what the pastor is doing,
unless the pastor request that you sing more vernacular
songs.
Your image is everything
A choir and the music team must have some kind of a uniform.
Your image can cause people to take you seriously or not.
Every time when you go on stage you must look presentable.
You can put it on a monthly plan as you put together your
song list according to the pastor's messages. If everyone
knows what to wear for the next four weeks it makes the job
easier. Some music teams just go on stage wearing whatever
and they end up looking unprofessional. You can sing well but
if you don't look the part then you have missed it. I don't have
to go into detail with clothes that are revealing such as short
skirts or male vests. I'm sure everyone understands the
importance of wearing proper when you are standing in front
of people. As I said earlier singing in a church service it's not
like singing in a concert where it's mostly about entertainment.
In the service we have all kinds of people young, old, saved,
sinners and so on. You want your music team to win souls,
not to offend people.
I will let you decide on things such as tongue rings, tattoos,
crazy hair style, and heavy makeup and so on. Even though
64 we say God looks at the heart. Your outside appearance says
a lot about your heart. The point is that you must look good
and presentable. Inspire and not offend. Also be mindful that
some people are still growing spiritually, they need time and
love. Don't cut someone off because they don't like to wear
long skirts or have nose rings. People are different and they
all need time to grow. I suggest that before decisions are
made you must sit down with your music team, preferably
individually and explain the requirements and expectations.
One of the music teams I used to train had 15 people when I
first met them, six months later the pastor of the church called
me to come and do the training again. When I asked him what
happened to the 15 people I trained, he said he had to fire
them because they were not living a holy life. I asked what did
they do he said some of the girls had boyfriends and some of
the boys had friends who were drinking and smoking. Now I
fully understood the pastor's point but in the back of my mind I
became worried. Most of the young people will have
relationships and will have friends or family members who are
not born again still living in sin. Where do we draw the line?
The next time I went to this church to train the new team
which was only 6 people. I had to start training them from the
beginning. But it was pointless if they were going to be kicked
out of the music team in few months. As a leader you have a
huge responsibility to look after the choir and the music team.
How they behave outside church reflects on the image of the
team and the church. I suggest that when you are doing one
of your outings talk about the image of the team. Issues such
as relationships can never be prevented, but it can be
monitored. As long as your people understand that being in
love is not a sin. Dating is not evil and it doesn't have to be a
65 secret. If someone is in a relationship I suggest that they go
for counselling. If the church doesn't have a marriage
counselling program I suggest you speak to your pastor and
organize one because young people will always date and if
there is no proper teachings and guidance there will be
consequences. I don't recommend for people under age to
date but if a situation like that happens, a music leader needs
to refer all the people who are engaged in a relationship to
counselling. Counselling is not only for people who are getting
married in a few months but even for those who need
guidance on how to choose a right partner and how to live a
holy life in the relationship.
The image of the music team goes beyond the looks. It also
involves people's behaviour in and outside church. Spiritual
growth is the key to your team to live a holy life. It's not only
about how you live in front of people but it's how you live
when people are not there. When your team loves God they
will desire to live a life that is pleasing to Him. As much as
growth takes time, maturity also takes time. Give people a
chance to grow, as long as they desire to know God they will
get there.
4. How to live a holy life
A). Be part of the local church
Don't only go to church to serve but be part of what God is
doing in the body of Christ. When it's time for the word or
prayer be part of it.
"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to
good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
66 together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another:
and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
Hebrew 10:24-25
B) Cut away evil friends
Friends who make you do things that are not in line with the
word of God must be cut off from your life. This might sound
harsh but it's the truth. Cutting people off doesn't mean you
must never talk to them but it means you can't hang out
anymore.
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for
what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Corinthian
6:14
c) Study the bible
You need to own a bible and spend time studying the word.
Not only at church when the pastor is preaching. You need to
make time and study your bible. Write notes or questions and
make research. The word will grow you to understand God's
plan for your life.
"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but
thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest
observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then
thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have
good success." Joshua 1:8
d) Prayer
In previous chapters I shared about the importance of prayer
in a life of a singer or instrumentalist. If you want to know
67 God's voice you must spend time with him in prayer. The
more you talk to Him, the more you will know Him.
"And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep,
and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one
hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation:
the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew
26:40-41
Your flesh or your body will not always enjoy prayer or
reading the word. You need to take charge and discipline
yourself. Spiritual growth doesn't happen overnight but with
consistency you will see results. God has a plan for you. The
more you grow is the more you will understand who you are
and why God created you. Spiritual growth will build you to be
a life changing minister
Question 3
1. What is a basic 3 piece band?
2. If you have an awesome band you are likely to attract.........?
3. What's an MD?
4. What is the job of an MD?
5. What are 4 ways to inspire the band?
6. What must be done before you buy a sound and
instruments?
7. What is the Technical Ryder?
8. Name 5 things that are part of the sound system?
9. Name 5 things that are part of the instruments?
10. What is the job of a sound engineer?
11. What's the difference between sound and recording crew?
12. How would you raise money to buy a sound and
instruments?
13. How would you raise money for a transport?
68 14. A music team needs to make a list of how many songs?
15. What kind of a song should you start a service with?
16. What is the difference between worship and praise songs?
17. What is the difference between prophetic and inspiration
songs?
18. How many lead vocals should lead on a service?
19. What is it that you shouldn't go on stage without?
20. What are the 4 ways that will help you live a holy life?
Chapter 4
69 It was in the year 2000 when my boy band and I sang in one
of our church events. When they called our name on stage we
were received with a big cheer. The audience was excited
about our performance and we were over the moon. That
night we were going to sing one of the new songs we had just
worked on. When we got on stage we greeted the audience
and started singing. Something went wrong. The key of the
song suddenly changed and we were all singing off tune. Few
seconds later we stopped the song and one of the guys said
'We are sorry bazalwane...' It was our first experience of
singing out of tune in front of people. I can't explain the
embarrassment we felt, I wished the stage would just open up
and swallow us. We were looking at each other trying to figure
out what went wrong. A minute later we tried again to sing the
same song. For the second time we sang out of tune. Now the
audience began to laugh.
If you have ever sang out of key or forgot the words of a song,
you know the feeling I'm talking about. We were a hit band
before we went on stage few minutes later we were a joke.
We decided to sing another song and that kind of worked out.
We managed to sing the rest of the song and we went to sit
down. I still remember this incident like it was yesterday. The
hall was full of people laughing at us. No one wants to be a
joke.
There are many reasons that can cause a performance to go
wrong. I've seen countless of good performances turn into a
disaster. Some of the issues can be avoided, but some
cannot be predicted. There is only one rule when it comes to
the song going bad. Stop the song and start again or else
your performance will turn into a horror movie and you will
70 ruin your name. Secondly avoid apologizing or showing that
something is wrong. It takes time for the audience to notice
such mistakes but the more you sing or making funny faces
everyone will know you are making a mistake.
Please write down 3 things you are struggling with on stage
Please write down 3 things your music team is struggling with
on stage
This will help you to know what needs to be fixed and we can
look at the solution. After writing down your points please
discuss them with your music team.
1. W hat to do on stage
a). Check a microphone before singing
Please don't hit the microphone with your hand or say 1, 2, 1,
2. Before you take the microphone make sure the sound crew
is aware that you are using that particular microphone. You
can also start by saying something. Please don't preach or tell
stories, your job is to sing. When you are satisfied that your
microphone is on then you can do your thing. Also a sound
check is very important. You need to know which microphone
to use when you are leading and which microphone to use
when you are backing. A sound crew normally indicates a
lead microphone by putting a sticker number or colour on it. It
will help you to know what number is the leading microphone.
71 b) Don't sing until you are sure of the key
Many people make this mistake all the time. You can't just
sing out of your head, unless you are experienced in singing
that particular song. I don't advice anyone to sing without first
checking the key. If the pianist is playing the introduction of
the song and you are still not sure, just turn towards him/her
ask for the intro to be played again. Don't rush to start a song
until it sounds like the song you've rehearsed. I don't
recommend long introductions on a song. Keep is simple and
straight to the point. Some bands play complicated intros and
end up getting lost on how the song should start. Please take
it step by step and your audience will enjoy you presentation.
c) Don't over improvise
In a church service the job of the lead vocalist is to lead the
music and the congregation. When you over improvise you
end up making mistakes and people will find it difficult to
follow the song and sing along. People enjoy singing along
the verse and the chorus. Don't change a song, unless you
are doing a remix and that must not happen all the time. It's
not good when people sing along to the music and suddenly
they are lost because the lead singer has changed the song
or over improvising. Keep it simple and powerful unless you
are singing a special item and you don't want people to sing
along with you. My advice is trust the tone of your voice more
that the waves of your voice. Some good singers keep playing
with their voices or imitate other singers and it end up ruining
the song
d) Know your key
72 Do you know your key? Most singers don't take time to know
their voices. They just sing. It's important to know your key,
just like a soccer player should know which foot he must use
to kick the ball. It's easy to know your key, just ask your
pianist when you meet for the rehearsal. Try different songs
and different keys and stick to the one you are most
comfortable with. For an example most males use B, C, D and
females E, F, G. If you don't know what I'm talking about ask
your pianist to play you a song in all the keys I just mentioned
then you will get my point. Even if you play with people for the
first time it helps when you know the key of your voice range.
Some songs start soft and end up high. When you are using
your voice range key you won't be surprised when the song
goes up or end up hurting your voice.
e) Avoid key changes between songs
Unless you are an experienced music teams avoid using
many different keys between your songs. It's easy for the
vocals to make mistakes when changing keys. Have you seen
a good music team singing well until they try to change a key
and all goes wrong? But when you have rehearsed enough
then you can do all those tricks. Please remember when you
are leading people, keep it simple and straight to the point.
f) Play simple chords
I can never over emphasize this point. Have you notice that
other pianists play a song and they make you want to sing
along. But some play the same song and you ask yourself
what song are they playing? The pianist and the band must
learn to keep it simple. If they want to show their cords skills I
suggest they come up with a special item song and they can
play complicated cords and the congregation will enjoy it. I
once attended a service where the band was playing a church
73 theme song without vocals. It was full of arrangements but I
enjoyed it and so did the audience.
g) Songs must not be long
Songs must not be long unless the Holy Spirit is leading you.
The fact that people are enjoying the song doesn't mean you
should sing it for a long time. I suggest that your song should
not be longer than 5 minutes, move to other songs. This
makes your presentation enjoyable and straight to the point.
Some music teams sing a song until people sit down if they
were standing. Always leave people enjoying the music and
looking forward to the next service. You want people to rush
to church and not miss the music because it's well prepared.
h) Connect worship songs
When you sing worship songs I suggest you connect them or
let them follow one another like a medley. This will help you
flow in your songs. Up tempo songs are not like slow tempo
songs. When people are not dancing or clapping hands they
are focusing on singing. When you connect your songs you
make it easier for the audience to sing along.
i). Enjoy the Holy Spirit
As much as the music team is leading people in songs they
must take time and enjoy the move of the Holy Spirit. This
normally happens after singing some songs where the band
can play and the vocals don't have to sing but enjoy the move
of God. When you sing have one aim in mind, to lead the
people into the presence of God. When you have sung, allow
the Holy Spirit to move in the service. Encourage people to lift
their hands as you do the same in surrender and worship. The
74 band doesn't have to change the melody when they are
playing but everyone must allow the flow of the Spirit. I've
been in some services where the music team will try to flow in
the Spirit but it will be just dry. This must not discourage you.
You must do your part and allow the Holy Spirit to do His part.
I suggest that a music team keep seeking the move of God in
the rehearsal and during the service. When you seek God
with a pure heart He will show up.
2. Lead with your heart
In my early days of singing in a music team, I used to be
upset when they let me rehearse a song and don't give me a
chance to lead that song during the service. My leader at that
time would just skip my song and I would be devastated. I
remember one time I decided to fast and pray because I was
going to lead this powerful worship song. When I got to
church that morning I was so looking forward to God using me.
When the church began they sang all the songs except the
song I had to lead. I wanted to quite the music team and the
Holy Spirit said 'Lead with your heart' I didn't understand what
that meant until I read this scripture:
"But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance,
or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for
the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the
outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." 1
Samuel 16:7
This verse showed me that God is not only looking at the
voice or the outside appearance but also the heart. You can't
fake your heart. When God wants to use a person He deals
with the heart because out of the heart our mouth speaks, our
thoughts and action are formed. What God was telling me is
that He didn't just want me to sing but wanted me to minister,
75 but I had to surrender my heart first. When I asked God what
should I do He said I must pray for the team to minister not
only perform. Then I changed my attitude. I started praying
and fasting for the team to minister and change lives. It didn't
matter who was going to lead the song. I spent time in prayer
asking God to use the team to lead people into his presence.
From then on I never felt bad when I was not chosen to lead
the song. The team ministered powerfully and we kept on
growing. For you to lead with your heart you need to
surrender your heart to God.
There are 3 simple ways to surrender your heart to
God
Let go of the past
We all have a past good and bad. The sooner you forgive
yourself and the people who wronged you the better. You
cannot trust anyone until you trust yourself. Your past can be
a chain that holds you back. It takes prayer and letting go to
overcome your past. When you want to surrender your heart
to God, be prepared to love people as much as you love
yourself.
Forgiveness
Some people say I forgive but I don't forget. Why would you
carry the pain from the past? Forgiveness has a lot to do with
forgetting the past. The bible says love your enemies. So you
must do more than just forgiving, you must love those who
you have forgiven.
Love God
Love is not only a word but it's an act. When you love God
your action will show. Jesus says if you love me you will obey
76 my commands. It's that simple. When you love God you will
live according to His word. The bible says "For God so loved
the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Love has a lot to do with giving not only money but yourself.
God knows your heart more than any person. When you lead
with your heart you will attract his presence. People can sing
the same song but with different results. What's important is
your hearts towards God. When you surrender your heart to
God it's no longer about you but Him. You can find people
without great skills ministering with the anointing and you can
find talented people singing without the anointing. You need
to make a choice. Which one are you?
3. The pastor is in charge
"And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which
shall feed you with knowledge and understanding" Jeremiah
3:15
Your pastor was chosen by God for you. He might be a simple
person but he has authority. God calls a pastor into the
ministry and all of you follow him. Without a pastor there is no
church. It's very important for you as a music team to
understand that you have a leader who is responsible for you.
The pastor is in charge of the whole congregation. The music
team is under authority. You will not operate in authority until
you learn to be under authority. You can come up with
suggestions, but the pastor has a final decision. Some
musicians don't want to be told what to do and end up making
77 the job difficult for the pastor. Sometimes your pastor can
come on stage and request a song that you didn't practice.
You must sing it with a good heart. Sometimes the pastor can
start singing a song the band didn't rehearse, you must play it.
The Holy Spirit will lead the pastor, he must follow and you
must do the same.
In a family there is a father who is responsible to provide for
his household. In the same way the church has a spiritual
father who is focusing on feeding you spiritually.
"Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the
oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy
lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's
heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the
chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory
that fadeth not away." 1 Peter 5:2-4
A pastor is responsible for your spiritual growth. Your music
helps him achieve his mandate. But he must also feed you.
Some musicians don't attend prayers, bible studies or home
cells. They only come when they need to sing or rehearse.
For you to grow you must be part of the church activities. The
body of Christ has many parts but all of them make one
structure. The music team is one part of the body and
completes the rest of the church. You don't have to see the
pastor only when you need a prayer or when you are in some
kind of trouble. You can see the pastor also to catch up and to
report on what's happening in your life. For example, when
you decide to be in a relationship, don't wait until there are
rumours. Meet your pastor and freely share the developments
and decisions about your life. You don't need to wait until the
church has a formal follow up structure. You can begin the
78 process. Make appointments every now and then and
communicate with your pastor.
Some people try to avoid their pastors and when they are
called for a meeting they assume something is wrong. Your
pastor has your best interest at heart. The pastor is not only
there to rebuke or question you but to encourage, advice you
and pray for you. I suggest you improve your relationship with
your pastor. A call to check on him/her and appreciate the
work he or she is doing can go a long way. When you take
major decision such as family, career & relationship, involve
your pastor. This is so that he can stand in prayer with you,
not only when things go wrong. Your pastor might not be your
mentor or advice you on your business but he can always
give you the spiritual advice in your situation.
When it comes to people deciding to take their relationship to
another level by engagement I suggest you first speak to your
biological parents before spiritual parents. Some people make
a mistake of not involving their biological parents with
relationship decisions. Please find a way to balance things.
When it comes to such issues, I suggest you first talk to your
mother and father or guardian before you involve the pastor
and the church. You don't want a situation whereby your
pastor agrees and your parents don't give you support. In
some decisions you need to consult parents first before your
pastor.
The things you have learned so far:
- Write your Vision and Mission
- Write your goals and how to reach them
79 - The difference between choir and music team and why do
you need them both
- The importance of prayer & the Word
- How to recruit a choir & music team
- How to follow up your team
- Whom to recruit in your team
- Look for a skill, accountability, submission and team player
- Singers and the band must be born again and baptized in
water and Spirit
- The importance of writing new songs
- What is the band?
- What is the job of an MD?
- Ways to inspire your band to be effective and submit to the
vision
- What is the Technical Ryder?
- Difference between praise, worship, inspiration and
prophetic songs
- How many people should be in your choir and in your music
team?
- What to do before you sing and when you are on stage.
- The importance of knowing your key
Question-4
1. What must you do before using a microphone?
2. What are 2 things not to do when testing your microphone?
3. Who gives you the key of the song between a drummer and
the pianist?
4. Why is it important to listen to the key before you sing?
5. How do you know your key?
6. What do you do when something goes wrong with your
song?
7. What is over improvising on a song?
80 8. Why should you not over improvise when you are singing at
church?
9. Who must start a song with simple cords between a
guitarist and pianist?
10. How long should be your average song and why?
11. Why should you connect the slow tempo or worship songs?
12. How do you enjoy the Holy Spirit in your music?
13. What does God look at between the voice range and the
heart?
14. What does it mean to sing with your heart?
15. What are 3 ways to surrender your heart to God?
16. Who gives you a pastor and what verse confirms this?
17. Who is in charge of the congregation?
18. What do you do when the pastor sings the song you didn't
rehearse?
19. The pastor is responsible for what growth in the church?
20. Have you ever had a one on one meeting with your pastor
if yes when was it?
81 Chapter 5
82 83 84 85 86 87 88 Chapter-6
I started singing in a church music team in 1999. I joined the
choir and few months later I became part of the music team.
In 2013 I officially retired from singing in a music team to
focus on my music career and ministry. I've learned a lot in
my 14 years of serving in 3 churches. Now I'm using my
experience to help build strong music teams all over the
country. In all my years of serving in the church I've never
been employed or earned a salary for singing, but I've been
blessed with many wonderful things such as family, music
career and a company that has recorded my music. I get to
travel different countries, inspire people and win souls. When
God called me to serve Him I had no clue it was going to be
this fulfilling. I might not be there yet but I've enjoyed the ride
in God's favour.
Many years ago I made a choice to serve God with my talent.
In the year 2000 I met a beautiful lady by the name of Nomhle
and she became my wife in 2004. Now we are blessed with 3
kids. To be a father is the best gift God can give to a man.
When I started my music career in 2005 I had favour from
different people including strangers. At that time I worked as a
barrister in a coffee shop. God was faithful to me; He was my
helper and provider. Few years later I got a bursary to study
business management and my life changed for good. There
are countless blessings I have seen in my life serving God. It
would take the whole book to mention most of them.
1. Employees and volunteers
The bible says many are called but few are chosen. I'm
convinced that God has called all of us, but it's our availability
that makes us to be chosen. When you recruit some people to
89 join a church music team the first thing they ask is how much
they are going to be paid. God gave you the gift to do
whatever you see fit with it. My suggestion is that serve God
with your gift. Give it back to Him by being part of a local
church and help the pastor fulfil the calling of God. When you
do that you will open doors of success. People will wonder
how you have made it.
There was a day I needed an instrumentalist because one of
my band members was not available and I was going to
minister at a worship night. This is a free event that my band
and I host in different churches to win souls and to inspire
church music teams. I asked this gentleman to come play with
me and I explained to him that it was not a paying gig. He told
me that he doesn't play for free. So I asked him how much
does he play for. He told me and I had to pay him from my
pocket because it was too late to look for another
instrumentalist. Few weeks later he called me asking if there
were other gigs and that he was willing to play for free but I
knew his heart was after money not God. So, that was the last
time I played with him. From that event I learned that God
doesn't need a particular instrument or voice in order to touch
people's lives. The band and vocals are for us (people)
because we got used to singing and playing instruments in
order to connect in praise and worship. But God can move
anytime, anyplace and anyhow.
Some people treat God like a cash machine. We come to Him
when we need money, but God wants you to serve even if
there is no money. He will bless you according to your needs.
At church there are employees and there are volunteers. To
volunteer means doing something at your own free will
without getting paid. Employed means to work and be paid a
90 salary for your services. Some church structures allocate both
the employees and volunteers. Both systems can work when
there is a proper agreement and all parties stick to the plan.
Most churches don't have money to pay the entire music team
and it's not fair when they only pay the few while everyone is
spending the same amount of time preparing the music.
"Bring the full amount of your tithes to the Temple, so that
there will be plenty of food there. Put me to the test and you
will see that I will open the windows of heaven and pour out
on you in abundance all kinds of good things." (GNT) Malachi
3:10
"There was no one in the group who was in need. Those who
owned fields or houses would sell them, bring the money
received from the sale, and turn it over to the apostles; and
the money was distributed according to the needs of the
people. (GNT) Act 4:34-35
"Some time later, as the number of disciples kept growing,
there was a quarrel between the Greek-speaking Jews and
the native Jews. The Greek-speaking Jews claimed that their
widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of funds.
2 So the twelve apostles called the whole group of believers
together and said, "It is not right for us to neglect the
preaching of God's word in order to handle finances. 3 So
then, friends, choose seven men among you who are known
to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and we will put them
in charge of this matter."(GNT) Act 6:1-3
"and stayed and worked with them, because he (Paul) earned
his living by making tents, just as they did." (GNT) Act 18:3
91 Church employees can be on a payroll according to the
church's ability to employ. Tithes are for the pastors and the
people serving in the church. In the book of Act we see the
believers selling their properties and bringing the money to
church and the church would take care of the ones in need.
The church was not going around looking for poor people to
take care of, but the widows were part of the church. How do
we know this? When Apostle Peter said we need to raise
deacons who will focus on administration and caring for the
ones in need, it’s because the apostles were supposed to
focus on prayer and preaching the gospel.
What I'm trying to show you is that the money comes from the
believers. Before the church can employ anyone there must
first be people who are faithful with tithes and offering or else
the church cannot employ anyone or give to the needy. Some
musicians don't give offering or tithes. How do I know this?
Because when I was young in the Lord I thought giving my
voice and time at church was the form of giving so I didn't
have to tithe or offer any money. But that is not true. A music
team must give offering and tithe 10% of what God has
blessed them with, but not only a music team. Some people
who serve at church skip tithes and offering because they
think God understands that they have given their time and
skills at church so they don't have to give money. But that is
not true. Every believer must bless the Lord with money, time
and skills.
This shows how the church in the book of Act distributed the
money. Not everyone should be employed at church, but the
needy like the widows in Apostle Peter's church. The needy
people are those who can't find jobs because of their situation.
The widows had no husbands to take care of them and the
92 women in those days couldn't do business without a male
figures involved. So, the church took care of them and they
were part of the church and I believe that they were serving at
church. If you have a job, a business or you are a student and
your family is still taking care of you, there is no need for the
church to employ you. You can volunteer. Your situation does
not fall under the disadvantaged widows. You can find a job or
start a business make a living and bring your offering, tithe
and skill to church.
Apostle Paul's travelling ministry was funded by himself by
means of his tent business. It's true that people must give so
that there is food in the store house. The pastors and the
church workers can eat from that store house, but Apostle
Paul introduces another system. Pastors and ministers can
make a living from their business or skills and leave the
church money for the ministry work and to take care of those
who are disadvantaged. It's not in my place to tell pastors to
have another form of income but I can tell the musicians to
have a career that pays your bills so that you serve at church
without looking at the offering basket. If you really want to be
successful, use the talent that God gave you to make money
in the market place or corporate world. Serve freely at church.
Be faithful with your tithes and offering to make sure the
church is fully operating and effective.
Someone might differ from my view on this matter and I stand
to be corrected. I don't see the church as the place to make
money but a place to bring money so that the gospel can be
preached. Not for the pastor or music team to get rich. The
church is not a charity organisation, it does not stand to enrich
individuals or take care of the poor in the community. The
church's mandate is to preach the gospel and win people into
93 the kingdom of the God and take care of those who are
unable to take care of themselves. How the church spends
the money is another question for another day and it's not a
music team's business. I suggest that you do your part, let the
pastor do his part, and then allow God to do the rest.
"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him
give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful
giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7
This verse is not only referring to money. It's about your
attitude when you decide to give. It could be money, time or
skill. You must never feel pressured to give anything.
Remember that God looks at your heart more than what you
are giving. When you decide to be a church volunteer, be
cheerful about it. Even if you think the church has a lot of
money or the pastor is enjoying the benefits alone, serve
freely and willingly. When the church employs you serve with
a cheerful heart not because you are getting a pay cheque but
because you love to serve God. I hope you will make a wise
decision about how you serve at your church.
Ask yourself and your team the following questions:
- Why do you serve at church?
- Are you serving with a cheerful heart if not why?
- Are you a volunteer or an employee?
- Would you advice a person to serve as volunteer or as an
employee?
- Do you think God is happy about your heart as you serve at
church?
Benefits of serving God
94 - When you serve God with a faithful heart He will reward you
faithfully.
- He will take care and provide for your needs.
- When you face difficulties God will rescue you.
- When people rob you God will answer on your behalf.
- God will be your protector
2. Be a professional music team
The fact that you sing or play at church doesn't mean you
must not be professional. Some people take singing at church
for granted. When a person is preparing for a gig or work
presentation they spend hours preparing but when it comes to
the church they are not giving the best. Showing up late for
rehearsal is unprofessional. When you are part of the music
team you can't miss rehearsal as much as you can't miss
work unless you are sick and you need to produce a doctor's
note. Rehearsal schedule must be discussed and agreed
upon so that no one can make excuses. When you come to
the rehearsal you must be on time. If you are going to be
delayed you must report. Your leader is your manager and
you must respect him or her.
I once dismissed a person from the choir. She had reported
that she was sick and she was not coming for rehearsal. We
were worried about her, we prayed for her to get well. After
the rehearsal I decided to go to the movies and guess who I
met there? The same girl who was too sick to come for a
rehearsal. She was right there with her friend looking all well.
She was so embarrassed and couldn't even look me in the
eye as I was greeting them. Few days later I met her and
asked her to explain her side of the story. She told me that
she was asked to go on a date and she didn't want to
disappoint the guy so she came up with the lie that she was
95 sick. I told her how disappointed I was at her actions and I
gave her 4 weeks break from singing at church. I said she
must work on being truthful and I wished her the best on the
relationship.
Be professional when it comes to God's things. Take your
work seriously. When you are at the rehearsal be useful.
Some people like to talk and argue all the time. Be humble
and listen to others even if you know better than them. When
people are not getting the parts of the song right they turn to
be opinionated. Be professional and never disagree with
someone who is interested in winning an argument.
Rehearsal time is not playing time. Focus on your work and
give your best.
Don't be late for a church service. Be early and be part of
sound
check
and
prayer.
Unprofessional
people
inconvenience others. Become a solution in your music team,
don't add problems. If you have been a problem take a bold
step of change.
Another way to be a professional music team is to understand
that dating your team mates or colleague is not advisable. I've
already explained the importance of building a team and
family. When you meet for rehearsal or music activities it's not
a time to propose each other. I am not saying people
shouldn't date, but I'm saying dating a team mate can be a
disadvantage, especially when the relationship doesn't work
out. To be professional takes discipline. You need to be ready
to commit to what you are doing. Some people over commit
themselves to many activities at church and end up not being
effective in any of them. If you are called to be in music, then
focus on it. You can't be good in everything. You must give
96 other people a chance to serve in other ministries. I suggest
that people who are in the music team must not be part of
other ministries. For an example, you don't have to be an
usher and singer at the same time. You must choose one
ministry, be faithful in it and you will be effective. I understand
when the church is still growing there is more work and less
people. Let's serve the best we can but as the church grows
learn to let others join in and serve too.
Dress professionally when you are going to sing. We all have
different styles but when you are part of the music team you
must become one. If the choir has a uniform, the music team
must also dress in the same kind of uniform. Dance is another
issue that you need to be careful off. Some people can dance
but some are not good at it. The music team must dance
appropriately. There are dance moves that make you look
unprofessional. I suggest you do on stage what you do at the
rehearsal. Don't surprise everyone by getting down on the
pulpit when you never moved at the rehearsal. A leader must
ensure that the team knows the limits. Some dance moves
are good when you are at the party with your friends, but
when you lead the congregation you must accommodate old
and young. Remember it's not about you but it's about the
Lord, but I don't mean you should become stagnant. Be
yourself but be professional. As much as I love dancing, I ask
you to have a spirit of discernment when it comes to such
things.
Give a good presentation
The aim of the music team is to always give a good
presentation. There must be no day where you are not
prepared to do the best. Don't be caught unprepared or you
will give a poor presentation. Songs, looks and attitude will
97 contribute in your good presentation. People won't tell you
when you are not doing your best, they will accept whatever
you give them. You need to have a target for every
presentation. Know what you want to achieve. Don't relax until
you get it right. Music is about consistency. When you do well
most of the time people will respect and support you ministry,
but when you do bad most of the time people won't take you
seriously and they won't even support you.
When your choir sings people must feel your heart and see
the commitment. The music goes beyond the sound. Your
actions contribute to your performance. People must look
forward to enjoying the music at church. When people go
home, they must be refreshed like Saul after David played for
him. The word doesn't excite the heart but it grows people to
become matured believers. The music changes people's
mood. Good music causes people to desire more of God and
church services. When your team is doing well people will talk
about it, even when they invite people to church they will
encourage them not to miss the music ministry.
I was once part of planting a new church. We were 6 people
when we started. 3 months later I was recruiting people to be
part of the choir. 6 months later the church had about 60
people and 12 of them were part of the choir. I recruited
everyone old and young. Some people got born again during
rehearsal while some joined the church because of the choir.
Some came to church to check it out. When the church
celebrated its first year anniversary the choir had 20 people
and the church grew to over 100 believers. I raised music
leaders and my job was done.
98 Your choir and your music team must know that they are a big
deal to the church's growth. The more you sing the more
people will come back to church. Allow people to sing along
so they feel part of praise and worship.
Ask your music team the following questions:
- Are you happy with your presentation or performance?
- What can be done to improve the presentation?
- Out of 10 points how many would you give your team & why?
- What are five things you love about your team?
- What can help you grow in numbers and spiritually?
Minister with the anointing
"Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the
midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon
David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to
Ramah." 1 Samuel 16:13
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed
me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal
the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and
recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are
bruised." Luke 4:18
The anointing is the authority that God gives you for your
ministry. God chooses who to anoint, when and for what
ministry. There is nothing you can do to attract God's
anointing but there is so much you need to do to grow and
operate in your anointing. God has anointed people who were
not expected to be anointed in the bible because of their
hearts. God anoints everyone He calls. For an example, if a
policeman is not wearing a uniform or carrying a badge no
one will know who he is and no one will respect him or her. It's
99 the same when it comes to the anointing. You need the
anointing in your life in order to be effective in the ministry.
God can use a minister to lay hands on you and anoint you or
use people to confirm the anointing in your life. There are
many ways God can anoint a person. For every person that is
anointed there is one thing in common and that is submission
to authority. Jesus says I do what my father is doing because
He sent me. When God anoints you He puts people in your
life who will guide you and advice you. Moses had his father
in law Jethro. David had Samuel. Jesus had the Holy Spirit
and he needed John to baptize him.
As a music team you need the anointing so that you can
minister with authority. Your pastor is one of the people who
carry authority to anoint or confirm the anointing in your life.
That is why it's important to submit to a church and a pastor. I
remember when I was anointed to minister in music in 2005.
God used Reverend Kingsley from Ghana under Bishop Dag
Heward-Mills of Lighthouse Chapel International. My life and
ministry have never been the same since then. The anointing
is like a right to use authority. I've ministered in many different
places and I've seen the mighty move of the Holy Spirit. Does
this mean you can't minister with power until someone lay
hands on you and anoints you?. No, that is not what I'm
saying. God is the one who anoints people. Ministers who are
in spiritual authority do what God instructs them to do. I
started ministering through music in the year 2000 with my
boy-band (Real Joy). The Holy Spirit was performing miracles
through us and people were born again. I was only ordained 5
years later. God is the one who anoints people and He
decides when and how. You might feel that you are called for
something but no one is confirming that. You need to keep
ministering, know that God has anointed you for that ministry.
100 Another example is our Lord Jesus. He said he is anointed to
preach the Gospel. After He was baptized by John the bible
says there was a voice from heaven saying, "This is my son in
whom I'm well pleased".
The anointing is not only to make people to fall, shake, cry, or
react physically, but to preach the gospel, win souls and
change people's hearts. Jesus said to the disciples, "rejoice
that your names are written in the book of life". This was when
the disciples got excited that the demons obeyed them and
people were healed. It's important that you understand what is
the anointing for, so that you don't have wrong expectations or
be content with wrong results.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life." John 3:16
This is what it's all about. The anointing is for you to win souls.
God wants you to be saved and win others to the kingdom.
The healing, provision, deliverance etc, are miracles with one
aim which is to win people back to God. Don't be caught up in
what you see physically but trust God to touch and change
people's heart. Being born again is the greatest reward of the
anointing. Jesus told his Apostles to focus on being born
again and winning others into the kingdom. Miracles are not a
big deal but a soul won to the kingdom is a huge deal. As a
music team you must minister with the anointing and the
church will see the power of God and sinners will be convicted
and be saved. During praise and worship you are not trying to
get people to dance or to cry but you are allowing the Holy
Spirit to move in the service and convict people to be saved.
I've seen people being born again before the preaching even
101 takes place. The Holy Spirit would have done His part and
people would be saved. The music team must rely on the
partnership with the Holy Spirit. Sing songs full of the word
and don't be religious. Rely on the Holy Spirit to instruct you
on which songs to select for the service in line with the word
of that day.
Prophetic Songs
"But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification,
and exhortation, and comfort." 1 Corinthian 14:3
"But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not,
or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: 25
And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so
falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that
God is in you of a truth." 1 Corinthian 14:24-25
"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my
spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men
shall see visions." Joel 2:28
Prophesy reveals secrets of the heart in order to encourage,
inspire and comfort people. The Holy Spirit gives a prophetic
word to benefit the church. The book of Joel says everyone
can prophesy as long as the Holy Spirit is upon them, but this
doesn't make you a prophet. The Holy Spirit is a prophetic
spirit. When He speaks he reveals. Most people prophesy
without knowing but their words are inspired by the Holy Spirit.
It's the same when it comes to prophetic songs. The Holy
Spirit can give you a new song that has never been sung
before in the form of words or melody depending on what you
understand better. These are songs that you don't plan but
102 just come on you as you sing. Sometimes it's songs that you
know are inspired by the Holy Spirit. These are songs that
speak directly to people's challenges and situations. You will
find some people in tears because the words of the song
speak to them directly.
It should be your desire to minister through prophetic songs
because your song list can only go as far as your experience.
But what the Holy Spirit wants to do during your ministry is to
move in a new and a different way. Most people have given
their lives to the Lord because of the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit through prophetic messages and songs. People are
touched when they realize that God cares for their individual
lives. It's easy to surrender to God when you know that He is
in control of your life. You can win many souls when you work
with the Holy Spirit. Find out what He wants to do in your
service and what songs He wants you to sing. Sometimes the
Holy Spirit will let you put together your song list but when you
get to the stage to sing, He can change your plan. It is very
important to rely on Him for instructions.
Prophetic songs are awesome because no one rehearses
them but everyone will understand and flow with them. You
will not be singing prophetic songs in every service, so you
need to prepare and plan for your services. Remember to
always give room for the Holy Spirit to take over and play His
role.
In my ministry I've gotten used to the Holy Spirit taking over
my song list. Even my band knows that what I say before we
go on stage might not be what will happen on stage. I have a
leader and He is always in charge of my music ministry. His
name is Holy Spirit. He knows everyone in the room by their
103 names, weaknesses and strengths. My job is to follow His
instruction and my ministry becomes relevant for the service.
I remember one worship service. When I took the microphone
to minister the Holy Spirit said don't sing yet. Just thank me
and give me the glory but don't sing yet. Now you can imagine
I'm a guest artist expected to rock the house in songs now the
Holy Spirit says I must not sing but thank Him. I just followed
His instructions. I started thanking Him and I encouraged the
audience to do the same. I could feel that some people were
worried that maybe I didn't prepare or I was not sure what to
do but I didn't mind their thoughts. I kept thanking God for
about 10mins or so. What happened in that place was
amazing. The power of God filled the auditorium. It was like I
was drunk I couldn't stand on stage. I began to run around like
a mad person. I felt so much of the presence of God it was as
if I'm going to explode with excitement of what God was about
to do in that service.
Few minutes later the Holy Spirit said I must make an altar
call for people who were tired of living in bondage of sin and
those who wanted to serve God wholeheartedly. Quarter of
the audience in the room rushed to the front of the stage and
knelt down crying to the Lord. Many souls gave their lives to
the Lord that night. I was amazed that people were convicted
before I even sang. The Holy Spirit was in charge as it should
be and I witnessed great results that night. When you are in
the ministry you need to put your trust in God. Allow the Holy
Spirit to take the lead and you must be prepared to follow.
Prophetic songs bring results that can be seen by everyone.
Lives are transformed and souls are won to the Lord. You
need to start by obeying God in small things and you will grow
104 to obey Him in every instruction. God can speak to any of us
at anytime, we just need to obey Him. Some prophetic songs
can lead people to celebrating and some to repentance
depending on what the Holy Spirit is saying at that time. When
you see these results it has nothing to do with your voice or
skill is but how open your heart is to God. Never take credit
for what the Holy Spirit is doing. Prophetic songs only come
from the Holy Spirit, not from your experience. Trust God to
reveal more about prophetic songs.
Healing songs
"And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and
that he might send them forth to preach, 15 And to have
power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils" Mark 3:1415
There are songs that talk about the power to heal the sick.
God wants His people to be free from pain and diseases.
When you sing such songs, those who are sick become
healed. In our ministry I've seen people healed from all kinds
of sicknesses. I remember one time a person was healed
from skin disease. It was during songs of worship that a lady's
arm became clean from the skin disease. She couldn't believe
that her skin just became pure clean in an instant without
anyone laying hands on her. I've witnessed a lot of miracles
as the Holy Spirit moves in the service.
Soul winning songs
These are songs that lead people to repent from their sins
and seek God. When you desire to see people repent you
must sing songs that talk about the blood of Jesus and what
God has done for us as mankind.
105 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God." John 3:3
"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;
but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:17
There are many verses that explain why Jesus came to earth.
He died for all mankind and rose again on the third day. The
main focus of your ministry should be to win the lost people
back to God. That is a mandate to all believers. There are
many kinds of songs but not all of them have a repentance
message. Some songs are for encouragement, excitement,
comfort, and so on. In your song list you must add soul
winning songs that talk about the above mentioned scriptures
and the love of God. You need to understand that singing is
preaching in music. You and your pastor are doing the same
thing. The content of your songs is very important. The
anointing flows because you are singing relevant songs.
If your songs are full of motivation, you will excite many
people but you won't win many to the Lord. Select or write
songs which are full of the Word of God and you will see good
results. The Holy Spirit works hand in hand with the Word of
God not only with your beautiful voice or skill of playing. That
is why you find a person not good in singing or playing but
when they minister there is a strong anointing. The Holy Spirit
moves in the place where the word of God is being preached
through songs or teachings. When you want to see souls
come to the Lord, choose songs that minister the Word of
God.
106 At one time when I was ministering, 70 people came to the
Lord that night when I made the altar call. I asked God what
was so different from other nights where there would be a few
number of people coming to Him. I discovered that I gave the
Holy Spirit full control of the service and He touched many
people that evening.
Soul winning songs are songs full of the Word inspired by the
Holy Spirit. When you submit your ministry to God you will see
amazing results. When people are touched by God they can
never forget that experience. When people are touched by
your talent they will eventually forget, because there are
others who are more talented than you but there is only one
Holy Spirit. Everywhere you go He wants to touch people and
win them back to God. He needs you to partner with Him in
this mission.
Some people get born again and then back-slide. I've seen
this happen and I often wonder if people come to God
because of the environment of music at church. I have
realized that it's only God who wins people back to him, but
some people refuse the grace by returning to their sinful
lifestyle. It's a simple choice that one makes when facing a
test. Our focus is to preach the Word of God and win them
back to God. The Holy Spirit will do the rest. I always
encourage churches to have a strong new believer's class
and follow up system so that they help new believers in
understanding God's way of living, but it's the Holy Spirit who
touches and teaches people. He uses people like you and I to
physically do the work but He is the one touching the heart.
I've heard of someone who gave his life to God by himself
after he heard the Word of God being preached. There was
107 no altar call to come to the Lord but when he was minding his
business days after, the hand of God was on him. He cried
and knelt down and repented. He asked God to come to his
heart. That man is a pastor today winning many souls to the
Lord. So this means a person can hear a song or preaching
about coming back to God and not repent at that moment but
later the Holy Spirit will convict that person to accept what he
heard and he will come back to God.
I love winning souls. My desire is to win a billion souls back to
God. Entertainment industry is a platform that God has given
me but I know it's for a higher purpose. You also have a
platform. You need to use it wisely. Work with the Holy Spirit
to win many souls. Before you open your mouth to sing, be
clear about your objectives Before you accept an invitation to
go sing, be clear about your mandate. God gave you this gift
so that you win many souls back to Him.
How do you know that you are called for m usic?
This is a good question. You don't become great in music
because you can sing. It has to be your passion. It must be
more than songs in a shower or when you feeling good. Music
must be something that you can do even if you were not being
paid for it. My pastor used to say, "what troubles you is what
you are called to fix". If poverty troubles you to the core then
you are called to make money and help the poor. If bad music
troubles you to the core then you must be part of the music
industry to bring a solution. Music is not only about singing,
there are so many other things you can do in it. We will deal
with that on the next chapter.
Answer these few questions to see if music is your
passion.
- Why do you want to sing?
108 - If you don't become rich and famous would you still sing?
- What do you need to make your music dream come true?
- Who do you look up to?
Some people sing because they were invited to join the choir,
some because their friends are part of the choir. Not everyone
who is singing is called to be in the music ministry. When you
invest in your talent you will benefit. If you are not that good at
singing and spend enough time rehearsing and checking out
experienced artists you will improve your talent. If you are
convinced that music is your calling pay close attention to the
next chapters as we will deal with turning you talent into a
career and a career into a business.
Now it's time to review this chapter by answering questions
with your music team.
Question-6
1. What is the difference between an employee and a
volunteer?
2. Which one are you at church and would you like to change?
3. What are the benefits of serving God?
4. Is it true or false that you can serve God as a volunteer or
employee?
5. What is the difference between tithe and offering?
6. Are you faithful with your tithe and if not why?
7. What is the tithe for?
8. Who benefits from the tithes?
9. Who can be employed at church?
10. Why is it important for believers to give tithe and offering?
11. What is giving with a cheerful heart?
12. What was Apostle Paul's business and what did he do
with the money?
109 13. The church is not a place to make money but it's a place
to..........
14. The church is not a charity organization but church
mandate is to............
15. What do I mean by professional music team?
16. Why do I discourage people from dating each other in a
music team?
17. What is the anointing?
18. What can you do to attract the anointing from God?
19. What did David do to attract the anointed from God?
20. Who anoints a person?
21. The anointing is not only to make people to fall, shake, cry
or react physically but it's to..........
22. Why do you think God loved the world so much that he
gave his only begotten son?
23. How do you know if you are called to minister through
music?
24. How far do you want to go with your music?
Chapter 7
I was at church one night in 2002 in a midweek service.
Suddenly I was not feeling well, I decided to go home. When I
got to my room I felt like there was something wrong with me.
I started feeling cold and shaking. I sat on my bed trying to
110 figure out what was wrong with me. I became emotional and
tears started streaming down my face. I didn't know what to
make of what was happening so I decided to pray. When I
opened my mouth words couldn't come out. I became even
more emotional. My whole body was weak and I had no clue
what was I crying for. It happened for about ten minutes and
kept growing stronger. I had a feeling that someone was in
the room with me, while I knew I had locked the door. I
opened my eyes there was no one in the room. I continued
crying bitterly but couldn't make up words. I kept feeling like
there was someone in the room with me. I kept my eyes
closed crying & praying. Suddenly I felt a touch on my
shoulder and it felt like an electric shock going through my
body. I jumped up and fell on the floor. My muscles tightened.
I passed out for a few minutes and I had a vision that I was
talking to God but I couldn't see Him. It was just a bright light
in front of me. The voice of the Holy Spirit said to me 'Serve
me and I will be with you'. I kept asking why me? Am I worthy
to serve you? And the voice of the Holy Spirit said 'Serve me
and I will be with you.' about 5 minutes later I woke up, my
strength returned to my body and I managed to get up from
the floor. I realized that I was lying down next to the door and I
had kicked a small table that was in my bedroom. My voice
came back and I was still crying and praying. I said 'yes Lord,
I will serve you'. It was an amazing experience that I can
never forget. It was one of my earliest encounters with the
Holy Spirit. This was one real encounter with God which was
followed by many other encounters.
If I were to share with you other incidents it would take a few
more chapters. What I can tell you is that when God visits you
no one will have to explain to you. Your life will change
forever. I believe that day I made a deal with the Holy Spirit or
111 He made a deal with me. I was going to serve Him and he
was going to be with me. From that time I noticed change in
my ministry. I became more desperate to minister to people
through music and to teach musicians how to grow spiritually.
I began to have what people call 'stage presence'. I call it a
partnership with the Holy Spirit. Every time I ministered I saw
the move of God, people repenting and souls being won to
the kingdom. Two years later I got married and started my
solo music career. Though I had many challenges, I found
myself overcoming every challenge I was facing.
When I met my wife she taught me how to pray continuously
and I grew spiritually. The voice of the Holy Spirit became
more audible and clear. I started to prophesy to people during
my music ministry. I started praying for the sick and they got
healed. This spiritual thing became a reality. I saw things
before they took place. The Holy Spirit and I became one. I
became more committed in winning souls and up to this day
my strongest desire is to see new souls coming to the
kingdom of God. This book is another way to encourage
anointed people like you to take a step and partner with the
Holy Spirit to do even greater things than Jesus did during his
time on earth.
1. Partner with the Holy Spirit
A partnership is an arrangement in which parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. It is a strategic
alliance or relationship between two or more people.
Successful partnerships are often based on trust, equality,
mutual understanding and obligations. Partnerships can be
formal, where each party's roles and obligations are spelled
out in a written agreement, or informal, where the roles and
obligations are assumed or agreed on verbally. You may be
112 able to choose your partner or your partner can choose you. A
partner should help you perform your work efficiently.
"Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy
country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house,
unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a
great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great;
and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless
thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all
families of the earth be blessed." Genesis 12:1-3
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the
uttermost part of the earth." Act 1:8
God promised Abram a reward if he would partner with Him
and go to the land He was going to show him. Abram had to
trust God and move with his family to a land he didn't know.
Any partnership requires trust. God will test you in order to
trust you and you will have to hold Him to his promises. As a
singer you are in a position to inspire people where ever you
are, but with the Holy Spirit you can do more than inspiring.
You can win souls and transform lives. Gospel music is
another form of preaching and the results must be soul
winning. A music team needs to have one goal and that is
winning people to God. That is why it's important to sing
songs that are full of the Word and in line with the church
vision and pastor's message.
In the gospel of Luke it says you will receive power when the
Holy Spirit comes upon you. The Holy Spirit brings power in
your ministry. The Word of God is authority in your ministry.
113 Without the power and the authority you will just entertain
people. The audience will feel good for that time and when the
song is over the people will still be bound by their troubles.
When there is no Holy Spirit people back slide and remain in
sin. Some people go to church but live like un-believers
because the Holy Spirit has not intervened. When you are
baptized in the Holy Spirit you have the power to minister to
others. When you accept God's calling and spend time in His
presence, you will know the Holy Spirit like you know yourself
and there will be even greater results.
2. How to partner with the Holy Spirit
Accept yourself
Before you can work with anyone you need to know how to
work with yourself. You need to accept yourself. Your past,
your weaknesses and strengths are all part of you. Some
people can't forgive themselves for their past mistakes and
wrong choices they've made. You need to look at your past as
a learning curve. Don't hide it or deny it. You have today to
change your future. Knowing your weaknesses is a wise thing.
You can never improve on something when you are not aware
that you need improvement. Part of accepting yourself is to
know your strengths. Don't only focus on your weaknesses
and negative things. Work on your strengths and focus on
them. When someone asks you what is good about you, it
must be simple for you to outline your strengths. Everyone
has strong points but few capitalize on them. Accepting
yourself also has to do with loving yourself. It will be
impossible to love anyone else if you cannot love yourself.
Take time to look in the mirror and be content with what you
see.
114 Discover God's plan for your life
God created every person with the desire to achieve
something. Everyone has a purpose in life. The sooner you
discover your ultimate goal for your life the sooner you will
know why God created you. Your desire is your dream. Turn
your dream into a career and the career into a ministry. If you
have a deep desire to help poor people, turn that desire into a
dream. Then make a career out your dream. Form an
organizational structure that will help you carry out your goal.
Do research on what you want to do and be informed. When
you want to help the poor you have to start somewhere. You
can choose an orphanage or a family in need. Find out from
them what they need and start with what you have. When you
have an organizational structure set up, involve other people
to be part of what you are doing. Don't only feed people. Sit,
counsel, love and pray with them. Involve other people to
assist you. Your desire to do well comes from God. Your
dream is inspired by who you are.
Spend time with the Holy Spirit
We have discussed prayer, reading the Word and fasting, but
I want to encourage that you spend time with the Holy Spirit.
He is your friend and counsellor. He knows you and He is
praying on your behalf. The more you spend time with Him,
the more you will know who you are and how you should live
your life. There are many ways to spend time with the Holy
Spirit. A simple prayer walk can grow you into a bold believer.
When you talk to the Holy Spirit give him a chance to respond
to you and teach you. The more you speak in tongues, the
more you will hear His voice. You need to make time for the
Holy Spirit. We are living in a busy world. It's easy to be
caught up with the activities of life. You need to set aside time
to be with the Holy Spirit. Turn off your TV, radio, cell-phone
115 and just talk to Him. It's not only about how long you spend
time with God but consistency is very important. Make it a part
of your life. Don't only talk to God when you need something.
Spending time with God is a choice. The sooner you start the
better.
Accept the call of God
Most people don't think God has called them. God has called
all of us. You wouldn't be alive today if there was no reason
for you to be alive. You are on earth to achieve a God given
desire. Everyone has a ministry in them, but some people end
on a desire and never get started. Some people have day
jobs that don't inspire them. That's why they get tired and
frustrated. They do it so they can make money and live a
comfortable life, but you were not created only to make
money, get rich and die. You were created to fulfil a God
given desire. Being a singer is fulfilling your desire. Now you
need to understand that it is a calling from God to touch
people through music. As a musician you need to make a
choice if you want to serve God or serve the devil. Some
artists end up serving the devil with their talents. They
influence people to move away from God and live a life
against the will of God. There are artists who encourage
people to live an ungodly life. Their songs and lyrics are full of
evil inspiration. They encourage anger, hate and a life that
brings no positive results. Music is used for entertainment and
inspiration. You need to use it to inspire people to love God.
Never forget that you have a calling beyond eating and
sleeping.
3. How to stay inspired
Music collection
116 Buying CDs and DVDs must be a normal thing to do and
avoid piracy. The songs you listen to can shape your music.
You must visit a music store at least once a month, listen to
different CDs and if you find what you enjoy buy it. You can
download or stream music in the comfort of wherever you are.
You must invest in your music collection.
Attend concerts and live shows
Live shows can inspire you to improve your music. I suggest
that you save money and attend some music concerts as a
team. When you see people performing live you will learn a lot.
You will know what to do and what not to do. If you want other
music teams to attend your music event you must first attend
their events.
Study music
Studying music is the best way to improve your music skills.
You can do it part time or full time. You must research on
what you like to study. Learning an instrument can benefit you
in understanding your voice and give you a chance to do
more than one thing in music. If you want to make a career
out of your music I suggest you study.
Few questions to ask your music team
- What is the best CD you ever bought?
- When was the last time you bought a CD or a DVD?
- Have you ever attended a live concert if yes when?
- Which artist would you like to collaborate with and why?
- Which artists would you like to see performing live?
4. A Leader's plan for success
A leader with no plan will abuse his position. You cannot lead
your team without a clear plan. Good results don't just happen
117 you need to work for them. I've seen average people doing
well and I've seen great people doing badly, the difference is
how they plan. Planning is the process of thinking and
organising the activities required to achieve your desired goal.
"And they (the people) said let us build us a city and a tower,
whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a
name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole
earth. 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the
tower, which the children of men built. 6 And the Lord said,
Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language;
and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained
from them, which they have imagined to do." Genesis 11:4-6
When these people decided to build a city and the tower they
were speaking the same language. God's aim was to scatter
the people all over the earth but their common language
made them to decide to stay together and build the city. It's
easy to communicate when people speak the same language.
For people to agree and work together they must first
understand each other. The leader's plan is a language that
everyone in the team must understand. The communication of
the plan must be clear and simple. When your music team
speaks the same language it will be easy to work together,
but when the leader doesn't have a clear plan people will
speak different ideas and not one of them will work out. For
example, if you say to people the rehearsal starts at 6pm you
cannot change the next week and say it starts 7pm because
you just realized that you can't make it on time. You must plan
before you announce or do anything. People will follow the
leader and the leader must follow his or her plan.
118 Simple things such as planning for rehearsals must be clear
to everyone. When you get to the rehearsal at 6pm it should
be clear to everyone what should happen and for how long?
Then what is next? How many songs are you rehearsing or
learning? Allocate time for announcements in your rehearsal
schedule. Avoid spending time on unnecessary discussions or
arguments. There is no such a thing as the “spirit leads” when
it comes to rehearsal. Rehearsal is like a class at school. A
teacher can't come unprepared and hope to be inspired when
he or she sees the students. It doesn't work like that. There
must be a plan to be followed from the minute the rehearsal
starts to the time it ends. Yes, there will be times where the
Holy Spirit takes over but that doesn't happen all the time.
Have a clear plan of how you want things to be done and stick
to the plan. You must know what's going to happen on the
month rehearsals and church services. It must be written
down so that your assistant and leadership team know the
plan. You must write down the activities and the events your
team will do in a year. When all the activities have been
approved by the pastor make sure your team buys into the
plan. This will make things even easier. You won't be trying to
convince people to be part of events at the last minute. Be
consistent with your plan. If you want people to trust you
follow your plan and do what you said you will do.
Choosing your leadership team
We have dealt with the issue of a leadership team. Now you
know who they are and what they do. You need to have a way
of choosing leaders. It's not like recruiting choir members. As
soon as you discover quality people, you need to train them to
be leaders. Your leadership team must understand the vision
of the church and that one of the music team. Break down the
mission and how you are planning to achieve your vision.
119 Always be open-minded for suggestions from your leadership
team. The reason you have them is so that you don't think
alone but you have people who will think with you and help
you achieve your goals. When people understand the vision
they become resourceful in your planning, but if they have no
clue what the pastor and the church stand for, they will
suggest all kinds of things that can make you lose focus. You
will spend more time convincing them on what needs to be
done instead of them helping you carry out the plan that is
there already.
In my early days as a music leader I didn't like people who
had too many opinions because we ended up arguing in our
planning meetings, but now I know that intelligent people will
question your decisions and you will need to have answers. I
had to learn how to explain myself as a leader. When I came
up with suggestions I had to first think about the questions I
might face from my leadership team and that helped me to
think before I made decisions. Some assistant leaders end up
becoming an opposition because they don't understand why
you making your decisions. As a leader you must be able to
explain yourself to your leadership team and then allow them
to add or subtract from your idea. When you are all happy
then inform the music team or choir about the decision. I know
this might sound like a long process but that is proper
leadership. The fact that you are the leader doesn't mean you
can do anything you like. You have to be accountable for your
decisions. The leadership team is on your side to make sure
you don't make unnecessary mistakes.
Choose leaders who are committed and accountable. If one of
your leaders keeps breaking the rules then your team will do
the same because they look up to the leadership team. Learn
120 how to address each other in front of people and when you
are in the meetings. If the leadership team shows respect to
the leader the rest of the choir or music team will do the same.
They must love people. You can't lead people if you don't like
them. I've heard someone say I love people but I also want
my space. If you want to lead people forget about your space.
You are now serving people, you need to care for them and
give them time. Learn how to manage time.
How to deal with rule breakers
When people make mistakes there must be a clear
consequence. People must know if they are playing at the
rehearsal this is what's going to happen. If they come late
without reporting this is what's going to happen. All these
things must be thought of and agreed upon. You don't want to
make a mistake of treating someone harshly and you become
easier on someone else. Set the rules clear and everyone
must agree to abide by them. Even leaders must abide by the
same rules.
When it comes to punishment always put yourself in the
shoes of the person being punished so that you are merciful
but consistent. I suggest you give warning before you punish
anyone. Just like in a soccer match there are yellow cards
before red cards. It is rear that a red card can be shown to a
player before a yellow card has been shown. You must give
people a warning and when the problem continues I suggest
you give a second warning together with a one on one chat to
find out what is really the problem. For an example, people
who miss rehearsals without reporting. You need to give the
first warning and a second warning. You must make time to
meet that person even if it's just for a few minutes to chat face
to face or telephonically to find out how you can assist him or
121 her so that they don't make the same mistake over and over
again. From that one on one chat you must make the person
aware that your aim is to improve the situation not to chase
him or her away. They must also know that if the same
problem continues they will be given leave from singing. I
recommend that even when a person is suspended from
singing they must come for rehearsals in order to stay in
shape on their singing.
Problems are not the same. Some are minor issues that can
be handled by the music leader but other issues might need
the pastor to get involved. Issues such as, someone getting
pregnant before marriage while singing in the choir. These
situations must be thought off before they happen because
we are dealing with people and such things do happen.
Remember that a church is a family. You will experience
different situations and you need to have a plan in place. If
someone is pregnant the pastors and parents get involved. A
leadership team will follow whatever decision given by the
pastor. I've seen in some situations whereby a lady will be sat
down from ministering but the gentleman still continues to
serve. As much as this is a pastor's decision, it's important for
the music team to be fair and not lose both male and female.
The fact that people had sex and fell pregnant doesn't mean
they can't repent and God forgives them. The choir and the
music team must learn to forgive them too, but the rules must
apply to both male and female. If the decision is to allow them
to take a break until the baby is born that is not a punishment,
it's a rule. Keep loving and supporting them, if possible they
must continue to rehearse even though they won't be part of
the singing on stage. This will help them remain strong in their
gift and when the baby has arrived they can continue
122 ministering, but this must be a pastor's decision and you must
submit to it.
I've decided to deal with the issue of pregnancy because most
people end up leaving the church when they fall pregnant and
they are treated like they have leprosy. When a person goes
to God asking for forgiveness God forgives him or her, and if
that person lives a holy life it shows that they have repented.
It is very important that you teach your team to love
unconditionally. If people make a mistake don't cut them off.
Give them a chance to repent and come back to God. The
idea is not to lose people because we have treated them bad.
There are people who were hurt at church and ended up
back-sliding or they decided not to serve God any more. You
need to reach out to those people. Show them the love of God
and encourage them to put the past behind and come serve
God in the church.
If someone breaks the rules in the team they must be warned
or face consequences of their action. Be sensitive when you
taking decisions about people. Everyone has a different
situation. It's important to have a one on one with those who
break the rules and try to understand what makes them
behave that way. The job of the music department at church
is to raise ministers, not to break people's hearts. Show love
and teach them responsibility. Whatever happens, people
must continue to be part of the family. No one has a right to
fire or cut anyone off from church, except the pastor instructed
by the Holy Spirit, which is unlikely to happen. Even if that
person is suspected of witchcraft, yes you heard me,
witchcraft. We are not in the business of chasing people away
from God but welcoming people and praying for them to know
God and He will help them grow. I've heard people accusing
123 each other of being demon possessed or Satan’s agents. All
that kind of talk must not be part of the music team. You have
no right to talk about people in that way. I will not get into
much detail on some of the ways in which people hurt each
other at church in the name of fixing one another. The only
way to fix a person is to love them and lead them to the Fixer
whose name is Jesus Christ. You can call people all kinds of
names they won't change, but if you embrace each other in
the team you will go far. Any situation that you don't
understand, refer it to the pastor and he will decide as the
Lord leads him.
Here are questions to help you know your team:
- Have you ever been hurt at church and how?
- Have you moved on from hurt and how did you do it?
- Have you ever hurt someone at church with your comments?
- If you were hurt at church how would you like to resolve the
issue?
- Do you know anyone hurt by church people?
Suspending and reinstating people
When a person has been doing the same mistake over and
over again and got warnings and sit downs, it’s time for
suspension. I suggest you give people time out from singing
or playing at church but they must attend rehearsals. The
proper way to suspend someone is to do it by a printed letter
stating the reasons why a person is being suspended
according to the working agreement. It's important for
everyone working in the music department to have a working
agreement or contract that explains what is expected from
them and what will happen when they break the rules. Giving
a suspension letter is a formal way. Make sure a person
understands what's written in the letter. I recommend a
124 minimum time out of 4 weeks to 12 weeks. Suspension
shouldn't be more than 3 months. The person must attend all
the rehearsals and activities but not sing or play at church. If
you can't suspend a person for some reason, I recommend a
penalty fee depending if the person works or not. If the person
is unemployed give them a task to raise funds. It must be a
lesson not to misbehave again, but if the problem continues
consider letting the person go from the music team.
Suspending people is not easy but necessary. The team must
know that no one is above the rules. You are all serving one
vision and it must come to pass or people can be excused.
Some people will try to influence others negatively when they
are suspended. I suggest that you don't hide it when someone
has been suspended. You can keep the reasons confidential.
Everyone must know that people do get suspended from the
team, but I hope people will cooperate so you don't have to
suspend anyone.
When the suspension is over I suggest another one on one
chat to make sure the person is ready to work and they have
learned from their punishment. Reinstate a person when they
promise to improve their situation. If they were part of the
music team I suggest they spend some time in a choir and
make their way up to the music team after a few weeks. You
need to keep a written record of suspensions and reinstating
people, So that when the problem continues you can look at
the records of how things were handled in the past. When a
person is back they should be more committed and ready to
serve.
Question-7
1. What is partnership with the Holy Spirit?
125 2. How do you receive the power to minister?
3. What are 3 ways to partner with the Holy Spirit?
3. What are 3 things you need to accept about yourself?
4. Why do you think God created you?
5. Do you know God's plan for your life and what is it?
6. What are 3 ways to stay inspired?
7. Why is it important for a music team to buy CDs and DVDs?
8. What is the last CD you bought?
9. What was the best live show you ever attended?
10. Do you know you're calling?
11. How do artists serve the devil with their talent?
12. How do you know the music promotes the devil?
13. Have you ever downloaded music if yes how?
14. What is streaming the music in the internet?
15. What do you do before suspending a person?
16. How do you suspend a person and for how long?
17. True or False. A suspended person can attend rehearsals
but not sing on a service
18. True or False. If you don't want to suspend a person you
can charge them a penalty fee?
19. What if a person charged a penalty fee doesn't work?
20. What did you learned from this chapter?
Chapter 8
Give back
You don't have to be rich in order to give back to those who
are less fortunate. Some people struggle with basic things
that any human being should have. There are so many people
that need help one way or another. When you follow your
heart and help those who are in need you will inspire many.
God gave you a talent to make a living and inspire others.
You need to discover your passion and make it part of your
126 life. You don't have to have a formal organization in order to
help people. You need to choose an activity and give back to
your community. I know of a band that used to go and play at
an orphanage home every month. They called it an open
rehearsal. This activity was so influential that some of the kids
in the orphanage home ended up learning how to play
instruments.
Another artist has a plan to adopt different orphanage homes
every year and host fun days. She would raise money from
her friends and offer a percentage of her money from gigs.
She would take the disadvantaged kids to game shows and
give them gifts. This inspired the kids to have hope for the
future. Another artist has a motivational program. He visits
schools and speaks to kids who want to improve their pass
rates and helps them with career guidance.
There are many things that don't need money but need time
and passion. You have both and you must use that. One of
my ways to give back is to coach church music teams to
improve their music. In the beginning I was concerned about
the lack of creativity in gospel music until I discovered that
people are not sure how to improve on their music talent. I
started hosting workshops with different churches and
coaching upcoming artists. The results became good so I took
it a step further, I started a praise and worship concert to
demonstrate what has been taught in the workshop. There is
no better way to inspire people than to demonstrate what you
are talking about. If a person listens to you and sees you
doing what you say, he or she is likely to practice what they've
learned. I've decided to take it even a step further by writing
this music book to spread the word as fast as possible. My
127 passion has become my weekly job. I'm using my gift to
improve lives and help create jobs.
In the beginning you will feel like you are wasting your time
but as you press on you will see people warming up to your
idea. I suggest you write down 3 things you would like to
improve in your society. It can be at church, school, workplace
or community. When you look around there are many things
that need to be improved. You need to choose one that is not
dependent on a group of people getting involved. Giving back
is not only about money. You need to start as soon as this
month. Change people's lives one at the time.
Study
Everything you know today you had to learn. There are many
ways to study and there are many ways to apply what you
have studied. For example, if you have ever been in a taxi
front seat, people are paying and the driver asks you to count
the money. It's easier when the taxi fee is R10 or R20 per
person. But it gets a bit complicated when the fee is R7.50 per
person and you need to give people change. Some will pay
with R10 some R100 and you need to make sure the driver's
money is complete and the change is correct. Any mistake
you will have to pay from your pocket. This situation has
happened to me before and I'm sure it has happened to you
or someone in a taxi with you. After I gave back the change
the driver's money was short with R20. I had to pay it from my
pocket because no one would admit they took more money as
change. That day I learned a good lesson.
You need to be an educated person, especially in the things
you are passionate about. There is formal and informal
education. Formal education is when you go to school or
128 university. There are bursaries or scholarships that you can
apply for. When I say there are bursaries, I mean they are
there. Just ask in the universities or research on the internet
and you will see. There is no age limit to education. You can
study until you are grey headed. Some people say they don't
have money to study but they have money to buy expensive
clothes or food. You need to make education a priority. You
must first ask yourself what you want to study and why, then
take it from there. Never start something and not finish it or
never study something because your friends are studying it or
because people say it's easy. If you don't have money, find a
bursary, scholarship or raise the money. When you pay for
your education you will take it more seriously.
You don't have to study music but you can study other related
courses such as business, marketing, finance, public relation
and the list goes on and on. This will help you understand
your career even much better. Don't listen to those who say
great people are those who dropped out at school such as Bill
Gates and others. They might have dropped out from a formal
education institution but they are more educated in what they
do and that's why they are most successful. Informal
education comes in many ways. When you finish reading this
book you should be in a position to do things that you couldn't
do before. You can study by listening or observing. The
importance of education is practicing what you have studied.
Most people are well educated but not good in using that
information. A simple language that you speak, write or read
comes from education. If you spend more time studying you
will do better in life.
When you are educated you make good decisions. When you
are experienced you make right decisions. Put the two
129 together you will find a successful person. Most musicians
don't like to study. They believe that their talent is the solution
to making money until they can't understand a basic contract.
It is hard to teach an uneducated artist new things. Most of
them die famous but poor. You need to change that situation.
You can be talented, rich and educated. Terms such as
'investment' will make more sense if you have an education.
You will put what you know into practice. I recommend you
find books that teach on your passion and talent.
The first time I read a book of 400 pages was when I
discovered a book titled 'Business in Music'. I didn't have
money to buy it but I was working in the mall so during my
break time I would go to the book shop and study the book. I
made notes on the things I wanted to add in my career. It took
me a month to finish that book. My life was transformed. A
few months later I resigned from that job and I focused on my
music career. The book taught me that if I have a talent and
information I can be wealthy.
Studying a book with many pages can demand commitment. I
suggest you start with smaller books and grow from there. All
the information you need to know about turning your talent
into a profitable career is written down somewhere. You need
to read it and practice what you read. Informal education is
everywhere but you have to be discipline to learn from it. I
suggest that you start with formal education. You can enrol
with universities such as Unisa. You won't be attending
classes so your life can continue but you will be doing
assignments and writing exams. A 12 months course is
unlikely to cost more than R6000.00 and you don't have to
pay all of it at the beginning of the course. You can pay little
130 by little until the full fee is paid up. This will inspire you to do
better in your music career.
If you choose not to study and become successful in music,
you will spend half of your money on people who are
educated to keep you successful. The music industry is all
about what and who you know or else you will be like a small
fish in the ocean. You will always be a victim of some situation.
I'm sure you have noticed that there are famous, talented
artists who just disappear from the market. They are still alive
but you no longer hear about them. Most of these
disappearances are as a result of a lack of education that
leads them in signing wrong deals or abusing drugs. When
you have a clear picture of where you are going with your
career, you must always be informed. You need to know what
to do when you are facing a situation.
Sing at your best
Every time you get a chance to sing do the best you can. I
normally say to the people attending my workshops, sing as if
it's your first and last time. Most musicians get on stage and
start talking or telling stories. This is a bad habit. If you are
doing so, change. When an artist gets on stage everyone is
expecting music, just like a comedian is expected to tell jokes.
When you get on stage and start telling stories you are turning
your audience off. If you have strong vocal skills I suggest you
start singing even before your band start playing. Give your
audience the best of your voice. Or sing the song that most
people are familiar with so you can get the house singing
along with you, but it must be the song similar to your style of
music.
131 Many years ago I decided to start my stage set by singing.
When they introduce me on stage I grab the microphone and
get to business. Only after a song or two I give a small
greeting speech. I do my best to keep it short and get back to
the music. When you are given 15min on stage use it wisely. I
suggest you go for your best songs and keep them short even
when the audience is excited stick to the time given. If
possible give back the microphone to the program director
before your time is up. I've used this strategy for many years
and most of the time the people will call for more and the
program director would call me back to do another song. I
make sure I always keep one or two hit songs in case they
need more.
When you sing you need to be one with the song. People are
not only listening to you but they are watching you. Try by all
means not to stand still. Move around or dance a little bit if the
song allows you. Most female artists would say they can't
dance or they are good with worship songs, meaning slow
tempo songs. That is not totally true. Everyone can move
especially if u feel the music. How do you feel when the
audience is standing still emotionless while you are singing
your lungs out? That is how people feel when the artist shows
no emotions on a song. Everyone can dance. Dancing is
moving your body with the beat slow or fast. You don't have to
be good but you need to move, even if it's left and right.
People enjoy interacting with the artist. They just need the
artist to lead the interaction.
Never sing a song that you are not sure of. People can see
fear or uncertainty when the artist is on stage. When you are
given a longer time on stage, prepare yourself so that you
don't bore the audience. I've seen artists being booed off
stage. That is when your presentation is not up to standard.
132 I've never been booed off stage but I've had my share of not
so good performances. One time I was performing I couldn't
hear the key of the song but I continued singing. I was out of
key because my pianist was playing on transpose, it was a
disaster. I had to stop the song and have a small chat with my
pianist at that time and I had to move to another song. Singing
out of key is not allowed for any artist. No matter how good
the song can be a wrong key will destroy your performance.
Do you know what is important when singing? It's the tone of
your voice, not the waves or scales that you can do. I have
seen good vocalist singing badly because of too much waves
and scales in the song. You don't need to do all the notes in
one song. You don't even have to scream on all your songs.
The tone of your voice is like a finger print, it gives people
your identity and your flavor. Discover your tone, enjoy it and
use it. Don't be pressured by other artists. Some people have
a high pitch, some deep voices and some are good with
scales. You must focus on what you are good at and don't try
to sound like anyone else. Give your audience a first time
experience that they will never forget. Stick to the
arrangements of the song, too much improvising can ruin a
good performance.
Stage appearance
This is one important issue that most gospel artists ignore. As
much as God is looking at your heart, people are looking at
your clothes. When people say don't judge a book by its cover
I say the first impression lasts. As soon as you step on stage
you are a product that people can like or dislike. It's up to you
how they look at you. As an artist, backing vocals or band you
must look your best at all times. Before you sing most people
have concluded if they like you or not. Your clothes must
133 compliment the sound of your music. If you sing traditional
music dress more like it. If you are singing contemporary
music, dress to compliment it. Be consistent in your good
looks because you don't know who is watching.
Many years ago I decided to design my stage clothes. I
wanted a look that describes the style of my music. Every
time I work on an outfit I try to create that look. Most of my
outfits are based on a 'Military Warrior' theme. This goes with
the sound of my music to reach the people outside church.
Some folks might not understand it but those who are outside
church are intrigued and attracted by it. It is important for me
to have a balance on my look because I'm singing to church
folks and to those who don't go to church.
You can also take time to plan your look as much as you plan
your music. Let the two speak the same message. When you
don't put effort in your appearance people won't take you
seriously. Some say clothes don't matter but talent. I disagree
with that. Before an artist can sing we all make up our minds
about him or her in terms of how he or she looks. When you
have an awesome appearance people will like you even
before you start singing. It's like a known brand and an
unknown brand. People will always prefer something they
know and relate to. The new guy will always fight to prove him
or herself. When you look good your job is to confirm that your
music is good too.
Some people believe that gospel ministers should wear formal
clothes most of the time when ministering but this is just a
norm, it's not a biblical instruction. You can wear however you
see fit as long as it represents the kingdom of God and you
are happy with it. There is no scripture that talks about the
134 size of the lady's skirt or cleavage. You need to make your
own decision based on how you want people to see you. As a
public figure you need to be presentable at all times.
Remember that you represent Christ and the church. Am I
saying people should dress revealing clothes? No. When you
put your outfit together look like the person you are at heart. It
is pointless to dress covered from neck to toe but be naked in
your heart. I'm saying dress in a way that will please God not
only people. Some folks don't have a sense of style and they
tend to be negative if you are all colourful. Some complaints
are based on jealousy. When you seek God's advice you will
have a perfect appearance. Your looks are important.
A good heart
When someone says you have a good heart they are not
talking about the actual heart but your character. Character is
seen in a person's behaviour. Your actions speak louder than
your words and your words reveal your heart. When you
become an artist you are a public figure. People look up to
you and some people become your fans. You need to develop
a good heart towards people. Simple things like a smile when
talking to people is key. When people buy your music they are
not only enjoying your voice but also your character. You
need to smile and be kind in your words and actions. When
you meet people or enter a room you must greet people even
if you don't know them. Handshake, eye contact and smile
must be simple things for you to do. If you don't develop these
3 things you will have a problem. People will misinterpret your
straight face and silence as pride. If you don't wave or shake
people's hands you will still come across as a cold person.
Some people go beyond saying 'Hi'. They want to hug you,
take a picture or get autographs. It's important that you
prepare yourself to always interact with people. Hugs are a
135 personal thing but some people can dislike you because you
didn't want to hug them. You need to find a way to avoid long
unnecessary chats or hugs. One of my ideas is to be the first
to extend a hand for handshake. This can minimize many
unnecessary hugs. Some people will still spread their arms
and try to grab you even if you have your hand is out for a
handshake.
Taking pictures can be a strong tool for marketing so you
need to make time for it. When people take pictures they
usually show their friends or post them on social media and
your brand spreads even quicker. I've been at events where I
took pictures with fans for almost half an hour. People get so
excited to see artists they like in person. When you make your
good music you want people to appreciate it. You must find a
way to enjoy those celebrity moments. One time people were
so excited to take pictures with me that they pushed each
other resulting to some falling down and some pushed me
and I almost fell on the floor. People can hurt you while trying
to celebrate you.
My protocol when it comes to interacting with people taking
pictures is that it must be done in an orderly way. It can be in
a separate room or next to the stage. People can make a line
and come to me one at the time. This helps control the crowd
or else people will hurt each other or hurt you. That is why
most international artists travel with body guards to help
control the crowd. Do everything with a smile. I was never a
smiling person when I was younger until people said I had
pride because of my straight face. Then I developed a habit of
smiling to everyone, especially strangers. Then people started
saying I was nice and down to earth.
136 The truth is you can never know a person until you spend
some time with them, but the public can look at the picture on
a magazine and conclude on who you are. It's very important
to understand that when you are a public person you no
longer belong to yourself. Your private life is someone else's
story. When a person has a bad experience with you, they will
tell many others and your brand can be looked down on. Have
you heard people say; "Now that he is on television he thinks
he is better" or "these celebrities are so rude when you see
them in person?" All these things can easily be said about you
and I'm not saying you can avoid them but you can do your
best to appear as a good person. Being good at heart is not
about smiling or taking pictures with people but it's your
character. You need to be a nice person at all times. Forget
about those who say 'there's no such thing as bad publicity',
unless you are not planning to be in the music industry for
long.
Be grateful and thankful to those who assist you. It is good
manners to say thank you with a smile even if it’s simple
things such as someone giving you directions when you are
lost, or assisting you at the store counter. I know that most
days’ artists get tired from their busy schedule and it's easy to
be irritated, but you must treat everyone as a potential
supporter of your music. I've heard people say that some
artists never say hello even when you greet them they are
rude. Give a good tip when you are in the restaurant. Your
waiter can tell the whole staff that you are a cool artist that
tips well or you are a rude artist that doesn't even tip.
Everything you do people will judge. You can say you don't
care what people think of you but the truth is that you must
care. People buy your music because they like you. But as
soon as they don't like you, CD sales will drop. It might not
137 happen immediately but sooner or later people will move on
and support other artists that have a good brand. Artists with
bad character get bad publicity and their careers don't last.
Private life
A private life is considered as a person's life out of the public
eye. How you live when cameras are not there. It's important
to have a private life. It starts with your social media. You
need to control what you say to the public. When you are
upset, social media is not a platform to let out your emotions.
Negative situation in your life or with your loved ones need to
be kept out of social media. Control how people know you.
Social media is the platform to market your brand and inform
your fans on latest development on things related to your
career. Not everything needs to be on twitter or facebook. Not
every picture needs to be there either. Respect your life off
stage and people will do the same. When you have issues
with certain people I suggest you call them or meet with them
and sort it out.
When people say insulting things on your social media it is
your choice to fight back, but whatever you say will be mostly
remembered than the person who has no followers and
insulted you first. Complaining and criticizing on social media
is not wise. Think before you press the 'send' button. One day
you will be famous and you will need a place to call home and
family. But it all starts now. Think and pray before you speak.
Keep in touch with your family and loved ones. Don't wait until
they read on the newspaper about new developments in your
life.
138 God bless you in this journey of becoming a well known artist.
Stay humble and loving. Anytime you need more information
never hesitate to get in touch. My desire is to see more artists
winning souls and reaching billions of people across the world
through their music. No one can do it alone but when we
stand together we'll be successful.
"And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, every
kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and
every city or house divided against itself shall not stand"
Matthew 12:25
Question 8
1. How do you give back to the community?
2. What is your passion towards helping others?
3. Why did God give you a gift?
4. What would you like to improve in your community?
5. Giving back is not only about money. It's about........ ?
6. What is the difference between formal and informal
education?
7. What would you like to study and why?
8. Name 3 best books you have read.
9. You don't have to study music but you can study other
related courses such as..........
10. Is it true that musicians don't like to study and why?
11. What does the audience expect from the artist when
getting on stage?
12. What is the important thing that makes your singing
unique?
13. What do most gospel artists ignore about their
appearance?
14. Why do you think gospel ministers often wear formal
clothes?
139 15. What is a good heart and do you have one and how do
you know?
16. What are 3 important things you must do when you meet
people?
17. What can you do to avoid people pushing each other
when they want your picture or autograph?
18. What is a private life and do you have one?
19. As an artist do you need social media and why?
20. What is my desire for artists?
Chapter 9
The end
When I became a music leader I always believed that nothing
is impossible. I was not discouraged by challenges. I was
motivated to finding solutions. If you want to have an inspired
team, it must begin with you. A positive attitude is influential
and a negative behaviour is contagious. As a leader you
determine the attitude and the level of commitment of your
team. In this book you have learned how to build a strong
team. Now it is time to put all that information to practice.
I've shared ideas that will help you get started with your music
career from the church level to the music ministry. On My
Music Book 2nd Edition we’ll look at the music industry and
how to have a successful music career. At church you freely
give. In the industry you must take no matter what. It takes
maturity to balance music ministry and industry. I've seen
many good artists operating in the music industry like charity.
At church we work to serve God and we trust Him to bless us,
but in the corporate world we work for men and we need to
invoice them in order to benefit. God is faithful with rewards
but people are not so giving when you don't put your price.
140 What am I saying? When you deal with a church have an
open mind that God can bless you beyond your quotation but
when you deal with the corporate world you will get what you
ask for. Before you work with anyone you must first
understand this rule. My suggestion is that you always quote
for your services and learn how to negotiate. This means you
might have to let go of some jobs. Sometimes it's not about
money but the reason behind the invitation. On the 2nd edition
I will share good tips on how to start and maintain a
successful career.
I pray that this book will help you make serious decisions
about your music career. I wish you all the best and I hope to
see you at the top. Remember to share some of these ideas
with your music team, friends and upcoming artists. I hope
that one day I will come to your church to host a Music
Workshop. For invitations, more information and questions
please feel free to contact me.
Contact David-Dee
www.david-dee.co.za
[email protected]
Twitter @DavidDeeTour
Facebook Page David Dee Tour
SMS 073 369 1140
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