I Have a New Respect For You All

[tedanderson]

Originally Posted by twj

It would be a shame if this thread turned into a "My software is better than your software" thread.

I know you were being a little sarcastic but along those lines I am encouraged any time I see someone else do just as good or BETTER than us with less software/equipment/etc. But overall I would have to say that the less we minimize the jobs and duties of others, the more we will appriciate one and other.

On a regular basis we go through a battle with certain leaders over needing to purchase newer and better equipment (like most of us on CMN do) any time they come to us with this great big outlandish ideas. We often tell them, "Sure, we can do it but we will have to purchase a Doo-Hickey for $XX.XX amount of dollars" they become beliegerent and argumentitive.. and you know the rest....

So the last time we had this issue one of these leaders indirectly attacked our department across the pulpit. This individual gave compliments to our music director and said, "I appriciate our music director because any time we need to make changes and adjustments or anything I ask of him he can find a way to pull it off. He never says that we need to buy something or spend money or go through major changes. He just makes it work!"

Well shucks.. all he has to do is learn a song and practice with the rest of the band! That does not take a bunch of resources to do! I mean changing the lighting configuration is not quite the same thing as changing the songs.

But then as a fellow musician I had to understand that playing songs that are not in a familiar key signature are not so easy to learn/play. And I am sure that you guys even have moments where they [the leaders] expect you to invent parts of the song that don't exist- like they might say, "Play a 'good' instrumental part between verses of the song! You did it for the last song- Doing it for this one shouldn't be that hard!

Being a tech isn't easy when you have to work around non-technical people. I can imagine that being a musician isn't much easier when you have to work with non-musical people.

[[Admin] osborn4]

I really was not meaning to infer that my software's way of helping with following a song leader was better, just different.

In fact, the ability to type in a few words and have the software find the right verse sounds like a useful capability.

[shayward]

Ted has a valid point, but that's why I always say that Music and Media are two completely different disciplines with different challenges and different requirements. Sure, there is a relationship between the two and a little bit of cross-over...

... but at our annual business meeting last month they asked me to make some changes to the music. As you say, most of the changes are listening and practicing. "Play more hymns" does not require a bucket load of money. "Introduce one new song a month" doesn't either. Maybe a book with some chords in it or the luxurious CCLI Song Select subscription (which I have and love).

Each musician owns their own instrument and is responsible for their own care/maintenance.

If we have to spend money to do something with music, we have to spend it on hardware for our media system so it's actually "Technical Arts", not music ministry.

[twj]

I use the same software Joel uses and like it a lot. My concern was that often on this forum as soon as someone says their software a specific feature then others seem to need to prove that their software can do the same or better.

Sometimes it's good for the staff to think that we have pulled off a minor miracle even though the tools were in house already. Normally I tell people that if we are doing our job right then noone will know we are here. It feels good when the pastor or MoM recognizes from the pulpit that we techies regularly go "above and beyond."

[shayward]

Normally I tell people that if we are doing our job right then noone will know we are here.

It's funny but I tell the worship team the exact same thing, and when we pray we ask God to make us transparent so that His people will focus solely on Him. Any distraction from God in worship, no matter how well intended, is taking away something.

[[Admin] osborn4]

Our Sound And Light Team is called SaLT.

Just enough to enhance. Not too much to distract or cause high blood pressure.

Invisible technology is a goal we strive for.

[jflash]

Originally Posted by shayward

It's funny but I tell the worship team the exact same thing, and when we pray we ask God to make us transparent so that His people will focus solely on Him. Any distraction from God in worship, no matter how well intended, is taking away something.

Ever since I started getting involved with the technical end of our service (and sound especially in general), that's always been my philosophy: if they (the audience) doesn't know I'm there, then I'm doing a good job.

[tedanderson]

Originally Posted by twj

Normally I tell people that if we are doing our job right then noone will know we are here.

Originally Posted by shayward

It's funny but I tell the worship team the exact same thing.

You guys say the same thing too? Amazing! GMTA.

I guess the only downside to that is when you consistently do a good job, eventually people will start to minimize the amount of resources, preparation, and effort that goes into good sound.

[twj]

That's why we have to subtly remind the staff of what it takes to provide that level of service. These things just don't happen by accident. At least not most of the time.