Haha - yes… played for a ‘Trunk or Treat’ at a partner church
The ‘purple monster’ is in in the blue/green dress - in the second vid 
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P&W stage presence??
- Thread starter Chris F
- Start date
Haha - yes… played for a ‘Trunk or Treat’ at a partner church
The ‘purple monster’ is in in the blue/green dress - in the second vid 
This x1,000,000. As one who's done a ton of music in church, classical, "rock," folk, etc. I just don't get what that genre has become over the last 30 or so years. Even the term "praise band." Yes, I'm old.
Now this..........................is too good!
To the OP, I like to focus on the lyrics and "get" the message of each song. That helps me feel more engaged and I naturally respond as the song leads me. I have people stopping me and saying, "I love the way you worship up there.", and I really don't know what I did that made them say that. I'm not shy about raising my hand when the lyrics move me to, or patting my heart to show Him love. I'm there to help lead in worship but, also, to worship Him myself. I'm in my 23rd year of doing it and I can't wait for Sundays.
An indelible lesson from my relatively few playing-in-church experiences came (of course) from the MD, who advised us, "This is not a performance."
I've been playing bass in a traditional Episcopal church for the last 6 years. Piano/organ, bass and choir. I'll move to the music, but no rock star poses. I've gotten good feedback when I move a bit. Just don't pull the attention to yourself, and you should be good. As said above, do what other band members are doing.
It's tricky. On the one hand, the focus of attention in worship music should not be on the musicians, but on the worship. On the other hand, if the musicians are giving off a vibe that this is awkward and boring, that can also be a distraction of another kind. In our church setup, most of the time I'm behind the worship leader and I generally take my cues from her. When the song is slow and meditative, I'm pretty still. When it starts to pump up, her body language shows it, and I tend to move along the same lines.
The goal of the music is to stir the emotions in the context of worshipping God. But it isn't just the music that tells a congregation what to feel, they way it is presented also has an impact. A joyous song presented by a team that just stand there like statues sends a mixed message and undermines the purpose of the music in the first place.
We should be seeking to inspire the congregation and that is more than just the music, it is the whole presentation from the front. What we play, how we look when we're playing, how we live our lives the rest of the week all play a part.
The difficulty is "performance" is in the eye of the beholder. It is influenced by congregational opinions and preferences. It is important to understand your congregation so you match their style.
We should be seeking to inspire the congregation and that is more than just the music, it is the whole presentation from the front. What we play, how we look when we're playing, how we live our lives the rest of the week all play a part.
The difficulty is "performance" is in the eye of the beholder. It is influenced by congregational opinions and preferences. It is important to understand your congregation so you match their style.
