Worship Fertilizer from Dave Helmuth and Ad Lib Music
 

Anyone who's ever led worship, preached a sermon, or sat in a pew knows the importance of a good sound tech. Yes, that's all of us.

 

But how to you properly describe what that person's main job is? Mix the band? Run sound check? Fiddle with the knobs? Make the squeal go away? Ask you to turn your amp down or play the drums quietly? (sorry, I'm not sure how that last one got in there!)

 

I love the way that our Audio Coach, Tony Guyer, teaches this concept. He says "The audio engineer is the best listener in the room." It's a simple, yet powerful concept. I'll let him expand on that below, but first I want to invite you (or your favorite sound techs) to a training he's doing next week.

 

Mixing Master Class on Tuesday, March 18 from 7:00 to 10:00 PM in the Forgotten Genre Productions studio located in the lower level of The Trust Performing Arts Center, 37 N Market St, Lancaster, PA. Click here for details and to register.

 

Also, we're super thrilled to announce a new 6 month training course at your church for your sound techs called Sound Room! I've never seen such a comprehensive and customized plan to train church sound techs. We'll be letting you know more about it, but in the meantime, here are the details

The Best Listener in the Room

 

Last week I was preparing for a session in the studio. I was planning out my microphone selection.

 

"Should I go with under heads or overheads? Should I mic the hi-hat and the ride separately or just let the under heads pick them up? Should I use board eq or outboard eq? Should I save my eq choices for the mix?"

 

All these possibilities and decisions to be made... and then in the distance, I hear the familiar ring of my cell phone. I pick up. My wife is on the other end. "What time are you coming home for our date night tonight?"

 

Crickets... "Ahhhh yea, about that..." Tony Guyer

 

Turns out, I fell prey to the common drift of mankind. I heard my wife but I wasn't really listening to my wife. When we scheduled that date night, I was maybe texting or on Facebook or had some other distraction. Now, before you think this is an article on marriage counseling, I will apply this to our audio life.

 

Whether it is a church service or worship rehearsal or your local band at the pub, when you are mixing audio, are you listening to the degree that is needed for the best outcome? We often hear the music but are we really truly listening? The audio engineer is the best listener in the room. We are listening for a number of things. But for what?

 

  • Is the volume level appropriate? The key word here is appropriate. What is the agreed on sound level goal? Is it a concert or church service? Is it celebratory or is it sensitive? Do your levels reflect that?
  • Is the blend appropriate? Is it a piano led long or is it guitar led? Are the drums too loud or are the drums too soft? Are the background singers appropriately in the background or are they louder then the lead singer.
  • Are you catching the musical nuances that are happening? Did you notice the piano flourish that happened in the beginning of the second verse? Did you pick up on the guitar lead in the turn around?
  • Is your mix overly bright or is it overly muddy? Does the acoustic guitar take up too much headroom in the mix to the point of masking the vocals?
  • Can you understand every single syllable of the lead singers or worship leaders or speakers? If you never heard the song before could you follow the words?

 

This is just the tip of the iceberg for how we need to listen. I was telling an apprentice engineer just yesterday that when we are at the controls it is very much like defensive driving. We are checking our audio mirrors at all times as we drive down the road. We are on the lookout for anything that will cross our paths and distract our fellow listeners from receiving the message.

 

So. Are you being the best listener in the room? The good news is this is skill that can and must be developed. You are not born with it. This means that you can grow and become better at your craft. So get in there and start listening on a whole new level.

 

(you can read the printable version here
I'd love to hear from you! (just respond to this email)
breathing room
UPCOMING EVENTS
How you can get involved!

Mixing Master Class (Tuesday, March 18, 7:00-10:00 PM)
Have you ever wanted to know how to really use EQ to make your mixes sound great? Has compression always been a mystery to you? Have you wanted to know practical ways of getting more out of your vocals and drums by using a compressor? In this hands on learning environment, you'll be able to see and hear how the virtual band is affected by EQ and compression. Audio Coach Tony Guyer will help you avoid getting stumped again! Register.

breathing room...a Night to Worship (Thursday, April 10 at 7:00 PM)
This is not a just a "Night of Worship" but rather it's a "Night TO Worship." Linger in song and allow God to speak to your heart. Celebrate God's faithfulness. Fellowship with like-hearted friends. On the 10th of every month.This one will be held at Lincoln Park Community UMC in the chapel. Click for details.

Coaching Moments (ongoing)
A moment in time with a seasoned coach who will listen well, speak into your situation and life, and give you new energy to tackle your challenge can make all the difference. Available either via Skype or in person. Click for details.

Mondays at Prince Street (6:30-7:30 AM every Monday)
Coffee up with other worship leaders. Great conversations. Encouragement. Friendship. Details.

Lititz One (April 2 at noon)
On the first Wednesday of each month, worship leaders in Lititz gather for lunch and to encourage each other. Join us in April on the 2nd at noon at Beijing Szechwan. Details.

Ephrata Guild (April 3 at noon)
On the first Thursday of each month, worship leaders in Ephrata gather for lunch and to encourage each other. Join us in January on the 9th at noon at La Borimex. Details.

Strasburg Cadence
(April 3 at 6:00 PM)
On the first Thursday of each month, worship leaders in and around Strasburg gather for dinner and to encourage each other. Join us in April on the 6th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Pizza City. Details.

Harrisburg Alliance of Worship Leaders (March 22 at 9:00 AM)
Every other month, worship leaders in Harrisburg and the surrounding areas gather to enrich, educate, and encourage each other. Visit us on Facebook! 

 

Worship Team Retreat (ongoing)

"What Dave presented was practical, timely, and God-inspired - we are still talking about what an awesome time we had together!" When is your team going to say this? Hire us

 

Rehearsal Coaching (ongoing)

Whether it's your worship band, garage band, or touring band, you can have Ad Lib Music come to a rehearsal and help you get to the next level! Schedule a date here

Meet the coaches

Spankin' New Music!

Here are two new resources for you.
Lent to Maundy Thursday Witness in the Sky One is a band named Page CXVI that has its heart set on reintroducing a whole catalog of hymns to a new generation by making them known and accessible. They just released "Lent to Maundy Thursday." Check it out! The next is sweethearts Daniel & Natalia Hazelwood. Their first EP, Witness In The Sky, will soothe you and make joy bubble up from your reawakened childlike heart. Go get it!
Dave and Goliath  
You are receiving this email because at some point in your journey, Dave Helmuth, Ad Lib Music, or someone connected to us, helped you grow in your relationship with the LORD through worship. If you ever find this resource unhelpful, simply unsubscribe below and continue on your merry way. 

 

�nimo!

Dave Helmuth
In simple love and pure devotion to Jesus, we are eradicating isolation and burnout so that leaders bear much fruit!

Email: [email protected] 

Phone - 717.468.6428
www.AdLibMusic.com 

 

�nimo: courage, refresh, transform, bring to life, encourage, inspire, intentionally cheer up,
come on, it's not far now!
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