Being an effective leader involves personal improvement. This is a lesson I have been learning. Sometimes it is necessary for those who oversee you to provide direction. Other times it’s helpful to receive encouragement from your peers. But what about receiving feedback from those who serve under your leadership?

Being a relatively young choir director, I’m constantly seeking ideas that will improve my ministry (though, admittedly, not nearly as much as I should). I recently read an article in which a choir director gave a questionnaire to his choir asking for feedback. That sounded like a good idea, so I came up with my own. Here are the questions I included:

• What letter grade (A, B, C, D, or F) would you give to the overall choir experience?
  I received mostly A’s and some B’s for this question. Generally, people enjoy our choir ministry, and that’s the way it should be for any ministry. So that was an easy question.
  

• What letter grade (A, B, C, D or F) would you give to the choir director?
  Again, another easy question. Even though this was an anonymous survey, the majority were A’s for this question; a little better than the previous question. I’m not sure how valuable this question is (it might be helpful to be more specific), but it is nice to know how your leadership rates in people’s minds.
  

• What Can I do to improve?
  Here was a very open ended question which could go in numerous directions. And it did. I received comments from “your doing a great job” and “you can’t improve anything,” to advise on directing patterns and vocal technique. Some comments reflected opinion (“take the songs slower”), some represented humor (“send us on a choir cruise”), and some made me think and evaluate aspects of our ministry (“help us focus on worship”). Good feedback for this one.
  

• Do you like the format of rehearsals? (If not, what would you do differently?)
  I was opening myself up for this one. The truth is, I love the format of our rehearsals. But I wanted to see what everyone else thought. If there was a general consensus that things needed to be changed, I wanted to know. The results? Overall, this was the most positive response. The majority of our folks enjoy how the rehearsal is run.
  

• How would you rate the songs we sing (please choose one)?
  (1) While there may be some that aren’t my favorites, I generally love the songs we sing.
  (2) You’ve chosen a few “clunkers,” but I usually like our song selections.
  (3) Truthfully, I only like about half of the songs we sing.
  The majority of the folks in our choir chose #1, while a significant number chose #2. In my mind, the correct answer is #2. More than anything, the responses to this question are going to indicate personal opinion. It’s good to know if your group is supportive of your decisions regarding song choice.
  
  I told the choir that there was a fourth option: “I don’t care for most of the songs we sing.” I explained that I left that off because I figured, if that’s the case, they probably wouldn’t be in the choir!
  

• What is your favorite song we sing?
  Here I just wanted to learn favorites. I will consider these when I sit down to plan our next music schedule. I received a lot of good ideas.
  

• Do you have any new song suggestions?
  I actually received a few good ideas from this question. Again, questions like these will merely reflect personal opinions. I gave no guarantee that we will sing the suggestions; but I will consider some of them.
  

• What one thing should we do to improve the overall choir experience?
  This question was worth the entire project. I received such valuable feedback. I like the idea of narrowing it down to “one thing” (although, humorously, some had difficulty sticking to just one thing). I hope to learn the heartbeat of our choir members, and learn what’s important to them.

I have already allowed the results of this survey to affect our choir rehearsal. I’m thankful for the candid feedback, and I anticipate it will lead to some changes toward improvement in the near future.

What questions would you ask your choir members?

I have been privileged to participated in numerous choirs throughout my life, and my most memorable choir experiences were enjoyable choir experiences. I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed great fellowship, and I even walked away thinking, Wow! I actually learned something, too! How is it that my most enjoyable choir rehearsals involved lots of fun and musical growth?

I’m sure I don’t have all the answers, but I think it has a lot to do with the approach the choir director takes. On one hand, the director has clear objectives in mind that he would like his choir to achieve. On the other hand (and this is particularly true in church settings), the director must remember that his choir is made up of volunteers, many of whom—at the end of the day—just want to feel like they enjoyed the process.

As I’ve had opportunity to observe choir directors, and be a choir director myself, I’ve discovered a few things that have helped to keep choir rehearsals running smoothly and enjoyably:

Plan ahead and set realistic goals.
The level of confidence your musicians exhibit is directly related to your level of preparation. Know what you need to accomplish, and come up with a long-term plan of implementation.

Our choir’s music is planned months in advance. We rehearse the songs 4-6 weeks ahead of time, depending on the difficulty of the song. Having this advanced planning helps you set realistic goals. It also sets you and your musicians at ease.

Even with all that planning, sometimes you just got to be flexible.
As your rehearsal unfolds, you might need to make adjustments. Maybe you need to rehearse a section longer than you thought. Or (and this rarely happens), maybe you scheduled too much time to focus on a part. Perhaps a choir member is burdened with a prayer request they just have to share.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been meticulously focused on our rehearsal agenda, only to be interrupted by something seemingly trivial. The temptation is to respond or react negatively, even if only internally. But remember, God could be using your “interruptions” for His purposes (in your life, and the lives of your choir members).

It’s okay to laugh… you’re human!
You want to kill the spirit of a rehearsal? Just maintain a serious demeanor for the entire rehearsal.

Humor is a great tool for reaching people’s hearts (Prov. 15:13), and the best humor comes from laughing at your own mistakes. (My choir knows I’m terrible at telling a joke, but we laugh a lot because I’m human, and I’m apt to prove it often!)

I’ve observed that the end-product in our Sunday services is often a by-product of our rehearsals. I’m not saying it’s always the case, but if people walk away loving the rehearsal, chances are that spirit will transfer to Sunday services.

It’s not about personality. It’s about planning, staying flexible, and being willing to laugh at yourself. That’s the kind of choir director I’d like to have.

I hear this sentiment expressed often: “Our rehearsals are so enjoyable! We have a lot of fun, and yet you get so much out of us.” That makes me feel like I’m doing my job. We’re accomplishing our goals, and we’re enjoying the process.

What makes a good choir rehearsal experience? (Note to my choir members: Please don’t be brutal!)

An instrumental prelude serves to set the tone for a worship service. I’ve experienced various types of preludes, and it’s interesting to see just how effective these instrumentals can be. Sometimes, instead of setting the mood, if done properly, a prelude can actually be a reflection of the spiritual mood of the worshipers. It really is interesting to observe.

Each church has its own unique culture which contributes to the decision making process regarding preludes. Some more traditional and liturgical churches enjoy organ music. More contemporary services might just play an instrumental CD or mp3s. The services at my church tend to be more evangelistic in style, and so we enjoy hearing an acoustic piano prior to the service. There’s a sense of excitement and anticipation prior to our services, and our pianists are instrumental in that process (please forgive the pun).

Follow these simple steps to develop a piano prelude:

1. Choose five or six songs from your hymnbook that follow a theme (i.e. the blood of Christ, joy, or grace). Be sure to choose songs that vary in key and meter to provide variety.
2. Photocopy the songs and place them in a notebook. You can use plastic sheet covers so that you can easily change the order of the songs.
3. Once you’re happy with the song order, rehearse the songs and be able to improvise two stanzas. (I realize I’m leaving a big gaping hole in the process by not explaining exactly how to improvise a song. That’s where private lessons or websites like this one would come in handy.)
4. Once you feel comfortable with the improvisation process, develop transitions that segue each song to the next. (Again, you’ll need advanced learning for this.) These transitions will need the necessary modulations and meter changes to facilitate a smooth sound during the prelude.

There you have it. Now you know how to develop a piano prelude. Here are some tips and advice about the process:

Choose familiar songs your congregation will know.
In my experience, the most effective songs are the ones that communicate a message. What greater opportunity for communicating than choosing a song that the majority of the congregation will know? You might have a song that is beautiful and really speaks to you, but if the majority of the congregation doesn’t know it, there’s less of a chance that it will really speak to someone.

I’m not saying that music by itself can’t be an encouragement to people. (In fact, there are times when I think playing unfamiliar music in a worship service is appropriate and effective.) I’m just saying that you’re restricting your potential for communication (which can result in encouragement) when you play unfamiliar songs. So choose songs that are generally familiar to your entire congregation, and they will appreciate it.

Develop creative and cohesive transitions.
Creative doesn’t mean complex. Some of the most simple ideas I’ve developed have also been some of my favorite work. And believe me, simple transitions are better than dead space.

Further, make sure the transitions tie one song to the next. You’re not merely providing an introduction to the next song; you’re building a bridge from one song to the next.

Construct a prelude that enhances the service.
Hopefully you receive some type of advance information regarding the scheduled music for the worship services. Find out what the choir will be singing. Know the songs and themes of the other special music. Get a list of the congregational music used. Your initiative in this area will allow you to develop well thought out preludes that will raise your level of effectiveness.

Play with enthusiasm.
In order to do this, it might help to think about why you’re assembling together. (If it’s anything like our church, you’re assembling to worship God, give to God, fellowship with fellow believers, and respond to the preaching of God’s Word.) You have every reason to be joyful and energetic!

Although one or two slow songs might be appropriate, the best songs are going to be upbeat and evangelistic in style. Definitely begin, and end, with upbeat songs.

If you sense that a slow song seems to be dragging, it might be hindering the desired level of enthusiasm prior to the service. A quick fix is to simply change the tempo and mood at the next musical phrase, or during the refrain or next stanza.

Add variation to your preludes.
Especially if you’re the only pianist, doing the same thing week after week will become monotonous. Try playing a duet with another pianist, or a duo with another piano, keyboard, or an organ. Another nice touch is to play with a solo instrument (i.e. flute, French horn, violin, etc.) throughout.

What have you found helpful in developing and playing piano preludes?

Exceptional piano accompanying is to a soloist what fine China is to Christmas dinner.

Growing up, dinner time was always a family time in our house (as it should be). That was especially true during the holidays. For Christmas dinner my mom would make a feast and serve it on our dinning-room-only China dishes. The food was awesome, and the China it was served on contributed to make for a memorable family time.

I’ve squeezed about as much as I’m going to get out of that analogy. Let’s just say it’s a generally accepted fact that an accompanist will make or brake a performance.

So let’s break this down. How can you be an exceptional piano accompanist for your church soloist or ensemble?

1. Prepare well individually.
Spend the time necessary to be able to play the arrangement at various tempos. Know where the repeats are, and be aware of all expression marks. This is the foundational step to accompanying well.

2. Rehearse often together.
The more you can rehearse with the soloist or group, the better the “ensemble” will be. Less rehearsal sacrifices confidence on the part of both the vocalists and the accompanist.

3. Become comfortable enough to improvise.
This one’s a little more advanced—but if you can take something out that’s not working, or add something to improve, do so. I use to feel that if it is written, it has to be played exactly as notated (the whole play-it-as-the-composer-intended-it issue). But that’s not always the best option. For example, orchestra reductions don’t always work well with just the piano. Imagine what might make it sound better. What can you add (or subtract) to make it match your pianistic style?

Just make sure your improvisations don’t interfere with your primary role: accompanying. If you add too much, you have the potential of slowing down the performance or coming across as a competing component in the ensemble. Conversely, if you don’t add enough, the vocalist might feel unsupported, which can ultimately contribute to a lack of confidence in the final performance. Like anything, you need to strike a balance.

Developing your accompanying skills is a worthy goal, especially in the service for the King. In my experience, far too many pianists miss out on the opportunity to refine their accompanying abilities, which is truly sad. Perhaps they don’t consider it necessary to focus on. Regardless of the reason, I believe you can never pay too much attention to the details that help to make a song minister with greater effectiveness. Sure, God can “use” a song that is poorly prepared and unrehearsed, but let’s not put Him in a box. Let’s give Him our best.

Christ deserves our finest China.

Question: What helpful tips can you share that have helped improve your accompanying skills?

One of the privileges of serving in my church is the opportunity to plan, develop and implement programs, services and events for our church body. I am so blessed to be able to serve with a dynamic ministry team, a group of men who continually challenge me to take my ministry to the next level.

When planning worship services, we often say that we are flexible and willing to change and allow for the leading of the Holy Spirit. Our desire is to include any last minute “inspiration,” especially if we can “pull it off.”

That being said, we balance that mentality with an approach that involves a high level of planning and preparation. While our intention is to allow for God to move in our midst, we are aware of the importance of doing our part to make sure services run smoothly and efficiently.

And that’s what makes this story so funny.

We had a guest musical group ministering at our church for an evening service, and their program made up the majority of the service. The only thing I was responsible for was leading an opening hymn, and playing the piano for the offertory. Since I didn’t want to stay on the platform during their performance, I decided to sit with the congregation. My wife and I often sit on the “nursery side” of the auditorium (just in case we are paged to go to the nursery), which is the opposite side of where the piano is.

When it was time for the offering, my pastor asked the ushers to come down the isle. As they did, he began his prayer for the offering. That was my chance to walk from my location in the congregation to the piano. I brought my music with me. The only problem was that our pastor finished his prayer long before I reached the piano. In fact, I hadn’t even gotten on the platform.

This was an obvious anomaly, as our musicians are usually in place by the time they are supposed to begin. Realizing that I had more than half of my trip left to travel, I began to walk quickly (and I began to hear a few church members start to snicker). The quick walk eventually turned into a run (in which the snickers turned into laughter). Almost exasperated (and energized by the reaction of the congregation), I plunked my music on the piano and sighed as if to say, “I made it!” By this point, the entire congregation (it seemed) was laughing. It was obvious what I was trying to do, and I just wasn’t successful in doing it. So much for smoothness and efficiency.

So how do you handle unrehearsed moments in worship? Here are a few ideas:

Don’t Panic
Okay. You made a mistake. Or an accident happened. It’s okay. Take a step back, and think about how to regroup. Seek to become better at working well under pressure.

Enjoy the Moment
It’s okay. (Did I say that already?) Displaying good humor is a great way to identify with folks. You are merely exhibiting your humanity. You’re only human! Just like everyone else.

Enough’s Enough
Be sure not to overdo it. You don’t want it to turn into a comedy show. Too many deviations from your plans will be a distraction.

If you’re leading a worship service, remember that distractions, accidents, and fumbles can be used of God to work in someones life. I think we should try to avoid them at all costs, but it might be your godly response that could be just the gentle reminder that someone needs to help them respond properly to someone else in a similar situation.

So what about you? Ever have an “unrehearsed moment” in your worship experience? How did you handle it?

I recently attended a seminar in which the clinician gave helpful hints on how to play background piano music during specific service elements, such as the invitation, or under someone speaking. Although the majority of the piano playing in my church is covered by very capable and talented pianists, I usually play during the invitation time.

Here are a few things I’ve learned that might help you begin to become the kind of “background pianist” your church may be looking for.

1. Play softly and slowly.
Playing softly goes without saying. You’re not in a competition with the speaker; you’re obviously there to play in the background.

Playing slowly is a little trickier, especially if you are used to taking a particular song at a faster speed. Even if the song should be sung at a fast speed, if playing while someone is speaking, it will be distracting if you play it at a fast speed. In addition to playing slowly, I often add extra measures following phrases, or even an extra beat following certain words.

2. Avoid playing exactly what is written.
When it comes to congregational singing, the hymnbook is well written. When it comes to piano playing, the hymnal should merely be your reference point for melody and rhythm. So here’s your big chance! No one is singing or playing with you (assuming you’ll be playing alone). Break away from the mold of the often trite harmonies in the hymnal, and add different chords and chord progressions. Greg Howlett, the clinician I referred to above, does an excellent job of explaining this concept in his very helpful site under Free Christian Piano Lessons.

3. Play with simplicity.
Maybe this is an obvious point as well, but it just makes sense that if you’re not the main event, try not to compete with the main event. I almost entirely avoid runs and arpeggios (although, if done right, they arguably could work). In fact, although I use various chord substitutions, I tend to keep the chords very simple. I’ve even been known to leave out a few notes of the melody (heresy!) if it is very repetitious.

4. Match the speaker’s theme and “mood.”
If the pastor is describing the elements during a reflective communion service, play music about the blood or the cross, and make sure you do so slowly and thoughtfully. During a baptism, the mood might be more joyful and soaring. When I play for our invitations, I will play a familiar invitation hymn (something like “Just as I am” or “I Surrender All”), and I’ll continue to play softly while the pastor closes the service in prayer. Then, when he switches to share a final thought with the congregation or a few announcements, I change the tone and the mood to match. Once he dismisses the congregation, I usually segue again into a postlude song, keeping it in the same key and with similar improvisational elements used earlier. It’s still background music (while people talk and gather their things and exit), but I’m sending them off with the “mood” I want to, which is usually upbeat, encouraging, and hopeful.

It might be good to mention that with time and practice, you’ll get better at this. Study your pastor and get to the point where you can anticipate his direction. Even though my pastor’s prayers are not rehearsed, I can usually anticipate when he is nearing the final, “In Jesus’ name, Amen,” allowing me to cadence and end on a tonic chord at the same time he finishes. While it may not be a necessity, it certainly helps complete the “setting” that the Holy Spirit can use to touch someone’s life.

I hear it a lot: someone will come up to me after a service and say, “I could listen to your piano playing all day.” I have to admit that I internally cringe when I hear that. Hopefully their compliment doesn’t mean they didn’t pay attention to what the pastor had to say. (In fact, I’m almost sure it doesn’t mean that.) Hopefully it means that my music was effective in drawing their attention exactly where I want it: to what the pastor had to say.

And if you are fortunate to have a pastor like I do who is passionate about the truth and about souls coming to Christ, you will have no greater joy than to provide the very best in background piano music.

I’ll never forget my “Aha!” moment in the first church choir I ever sang in.

The rural church our family attended extended special permission for me to serve in the adult choir (even though I was a high school student). I suppose I evidenced a strong desire to be involved musically. In fact, I was playing the piano occasionally for offertories ever since I was in elementary school, and if our church pianist was out of town, I would get to fill in.

I sat in the tenor section and faithfully attended every rehearsal and service with the 20 or so voices that served in this small volunteer choir. I have a lot of fun memories from my first choir experience. I met a lot of new people, learned a lot of great music, and grew musically as a result.

But I’ll never forget the rehearsal when my friend leaned over, pointed to the tenor line, and graciously said, “Look, James. This is the tenor line. Everyone in our section sings these notes.” (My friend was older and had more choral experience than I did.) I’m sure my response was something like, “Yeah, yeah. I know.” But as the rehearsal continued, I began to realize for the first time ever that there was indeed a tenor line, and that all of us in the tenor section actually sang those notes. And, combined with the rest of the choir, this actually made a good sound.

Then I realized that for months I had been singing whatever I thought sounded good. I payed attention to the lyrics, but was unaware that the tenors had their own notes. So it made me think: Was I singing the melody all this time? Was I making up a harmony part? What had I been singing, and did it really sound good? With that came the realization that my friend had been patiently trying to show me this for as long as I had been in choir. I just didn’t get it—until now.

I’m glad for the lesson of “the tenor line.” Here are a few thoughts from this experience:

Ignorance is bliss!
Is it possible to have an enjoyable experience, even when you don’t understand everything that’s going on? Sure it is. Many volunteer choir members don’t know how to sight read, are weak at aural skills, and don’t understand the many intricacies of expression. (We tend to call them “followers.”) That’s okay. In time they’ll learn what they need to be an effective choir member. And they will learn and grow and experience some “Aha!” moments in the process.

None of us has “arrived.”
No matter how much experience you may have, or what level of artistry you may exhibit, you can always learn more and grow. Especially when it comes to something as creative as music. And especially when it comes to church music. Maintaining a teachable spirit will save you a lot of head-aches. No matter how much you think you know, you still have more to know. Strive to be a gracious learner.

Be an inspiring mentor.
I’m so grateful for my friend who took the time to show me the tenor line. It opened a whole new world for me, and may have been the catalyst for the journey which has led me where I am today (a choir director). I want to show others the joys of the tenor line. I guess that’s one of the reasons I love the church volunteer choir so much. After all, I’m a product of it.

So what about you? When was your “Aha!” moment?

Recently our church held a Christian Music Sunday. It was a great day in which Pastor Smith reminded us of our responsibility to offer our praise through music, and the congregation enjoyed numerous favorites by our choir, various ensembles and musicians.

As a result of the special emphasis of the day, I was given the opportunity to share a few thoughts regarding music in our church bulletin. While I don’t claim to be some great philosophical thinker (I’d rather subscribe to a philosophy than prescribe one), I did receive some positive feedback, so I decided to share them here.

Welcome to Christian Music Day
a word from the worship pastor

MUSICAL STYLE
Mikado is a wonderful place that God has blessed with so much musical talent. I’m thankful for our Pastor, who loves God and loves music. He sets a dynamic and godly tone for our ministry. I’m also grateful to be able to serve in a church with such a rich heritage.

People often ask me, “What is the style of music at Mikado?” Since every church is different, my response typically includes the fact that our worship is “hymn-based,” which is a quick way to identify our music program as primarily traditional in focus. The hymns and Gospel songs provide a rich heritage and great source of encouragement. However, that doesn’t mean that we are not willing to sing “new” songs. In fact, a new song can be considered for use in our services as long as it meets the following criteria: 1) The new song must be Scriptural and doctrinally sound. 2) The new song must exhibit musical excellence, which includes balance in all musical areas (melody, harmony, rhythm, etc.). Any imbalance would typically constitute a song that would not fall in line with our “musical style” here at Mikado.

LET’S MAKE IT PERSONAL
While choosing music is a subjective task, these guidelines help us stay within the biblical parameters of “proving what is acceptable unto the Lord” (Eph. 5:10). These principles are also helpful to those seeking to honor God in their personal musical choices. The world has much to offer, and sadly many in the church have embraced music that does not honor God. In Colossians we are told to allow God’s Word to “dwell in you richly with all wisdom” (3:16). When we immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, and genuinely seek God’s mind, it will have a direct influence on our music. Our choices will please God, and He will reign in our lives.

In Christ,
Pastor James

Today was Christian Music Day at Mikado Baptist, and we had two wonderful morning worship services. The choir did an outstanding job with two of our favorite pieces, “Only By the Blood” and “One Final Lamb.” Pastor preached one of the best messages I’ve ever heard on the subject, “Why Do We Sing?” (You can listen to it here when it becomes available in a few days.) I’m still rejoicing, and looking forward to tonight’s sacred concert.