Hey gang! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year holiday season.
My family and I did.
As I’ve thought about the new year and goals I have, one thing I have realized is that I have fewer “things” I want to have happen and more attitudes I want to see come into fullness in my life.
I guess as you get older, and hopefully wiser, you start to [Read more...]
I was speaking to a worship leader earlier this week and found out that he is having some of the same issues many leaders are having… How do you motivate, educate and lead a bunch of volunteer musicians??
Wow, this is a huge issue for many churches! There are only [Read more...]
This week we celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States, and I have a lot of things to be thankful for! Here’s a short list:
1. I have a great wife who puts up with all my idiosyncrasies, not to mention my busy schedule and all the traveling I have to do.
2. I have [Read more...]
I love seeing God show up in unexpected places. There are times when I am awed by a piece of art, or a meaningful conversation, or an unusual bird landing close by…as if God is telling me, ‘I’m here. Just wanted you to know!’
I also love hearing a song that’s unexpected during worship….something I haven’t heard before, at least in church.
I know it’s a challenge for worship leaders to continually find great songs, and great songs that fit your sermon topic or theme. This is where we need to open our ears and get out of our rut of going to the same stuff we hear on Christian radio. [Read more...]
Amy Wolter and Lang Bliss will be featured as part of the Visible Music College Lecture Series for fall 2011. They will be teaching Tom Jackson’s Live Music Methods, as well as working with artists onstage to demonstrate what really needs to happen in a rehearsal for your live show!
Started in 2000, Visible Music College is an independent music and worship arts college enrolling more than 100 students per year.
I ran into an artist friend at the grocery store today. We began asking each other what’s been going on, and I brought up some things I’ve been learning lately about goal setting and human behavior.
We both are aware of our shortcomings and our deluded desires to just have our dreams magically appear: enter, the Success Fairy!
To quote Bishop David Evans, “It’s infinitely easier to do something insignificant than it is to do something significant.”
We process our desires often times like this, [Read more...]
There are a lot of psychological and spiritual reasons why we don’t want to move when we’re on the platform. Many people think it’s distracting.
And it can be distracting when it’s done at inappropriate times. But it’s also distracting if it’s not done when it is appropriate! [Read more...]
I’ve been a believer for over 30 years and have been fortunate enough to work with Christian musicians that whole time.
I’ve taught at hundreds of Christian and worship conferences around the world, and I try to be sensitive to different denominations – to what they teach about worship and what worship artists should be and do on the platform.
Here’s where I need your help. [Read more...]
As a worship leader, you know that it’s important to grow as a singer, as a musician… and to do that, you need true humility. A real humility that says “I want to learn!”
I find that what often keeps us from growing is: 1) denial there’s anything wrong, 2) arrogance, and sometimes 3) ignorance of what we don’t know. It’s all a part of what we might call “the flesh.”
I see it in my kids, who often seem to know everything. It’s amazing! And actually, this “I know it all” attitude rises up in all of us constantly, including me. Sometimes I cut people off with a “yeah, I know, I know.” But the truth is, I don’t know.
I see so many singers and musicians who really are called to do music… [Read more...]
It really gets me going when I hear from clients who are using the tools we give them, through either a session together, Tom’s DVDs, or an Expressive Worship Workshop.
When artists take the time to put these things in action, they see the reality of what can happen. One couple I’ve worked with over the last year or so, Jacob and Katie Eckeberger, just experienced this. [Read more...]
I remember the feeling. Too amazing for words really. Our band was invited to play in Sao Paulo, … [Read More...]
Politicians are talking a lot right now. News commentators seem to have their own slant on what the … [Read More...]
Several years ago there was a song by Leslie Phillips called Your Kindness. The chorus said, … [Read More...]
Why do we do what we do? Why is there music? Why has music become the only thing synonymous with … [Read More...]
Community Comments