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Five Tips to Help Worship Musicians Thrive in the New Year

Thursday December 1, 2022. 06:00 AM , from Sweetwater inSync
It’s almost here! Soon the last echoes of “Carol of the Bells” and “Silent Night” will fade from the auditorium, you’ll strike the Christmas set, and the snow machines will be cleaned and packed away. It will be time to take that refreshing, deep breath before diving into preparations for Easter.

While leaping headlong from project to project may be a special temptation for worship musicians, hopefully you plan to take time to charge your batteries and enjoy friends and family. In addition to taking inventory of your spiritual life, here are a few other considerations to wrap up this year before the next heavy lift. They’ll help you lighten the load and start well.

Review Your Year with Honesty

There’s something valuable in the perspective that you can’t move forward without understanding where you’ve been. Perhaps that’s why the Lord commanded the tribes of Israel to create a memorial of standing stones after crossing into the Promised Land. It’s good to celebrate the trek forward and learn from the steps we’ve already taken. Sometimes we pay dearly for those moments, and it’s vital to gain the historical perspective derived from the sacrifice. Whether you glance through your Planning Center Online service calendar or mentally review the roster of those you serve with or lead, remember those pivotal moments, the price invested in them, and the fruit that resulted.

Recognize and Acknowledge Someone

It’s amazing how deeply a person can be impacted when their effort and sacrifice are recognized for their significance, especially regarding something as personal as worship ministry. Make someone’s day, week, or beyond through an appreciative postcard, brief note, or text. All it takes is something like this: “Hey, remember when you did ___? That made a difference by ___. Thank you!”

What you share will be even stronger if it’s focused on the type of impact that’s important to the person you’re addressing. For example, if the person is an encourager, then tell them how you felt energized or refreshed. If they are an organizer, then share how their planning smoothed the way for success and helped you prepare well. Or, if they are a caring and warm person, explain how they touched you. Measuring something according to a person’s values returns exponential results.

Clarify Your Team’s Vision

Just like letting others know how they succeeded, consider your own “why.” What’s your big win — the reason you sacrifice? With all the urgent creative demands that worship musicians address week after week, it’s no surprise that sometimes the big picture can get a little fuzzy. However, that image provides an essential measuring stick to identify success and a directional compass to proceed. The end of the year is a great time to revisit and refresh your overarching passion as you move forward. Creating some form of personal reminder may be beneficial, whether in writing, a physical memento, or a song — whatever helps crystallize your vision to cut through the busy mix of life.

Take Five Minutes to Improve

As you review the vision for your ministry, create a reasonable and measurable five-minute action step to move in that direction. For example, if it’s important to invest in your bandmates, then you could arrive at rehearsal five minutes early to free yourself to lend a hand or connect with a team member. If you’d like to take part of the load off your sound tech, then consider reserving five minutes after rehearsal to tidy the cable storage area. To push your skill, spend five minutes each day to add one unique element to a song in your set or carve out five minutes each day to build technique. If you want to deepen your personal connection to the message behind your music, then focus on a single Bible verse throughout the week that communicates a key lyric from a song in the set and note how that verse colors each day. If you want to connect more strongly with the congregation, then consider taking five minutes before each service to talk with one person you don’t know — allowing yourself enough time to return to the platform on time! If you’ve identified a knowledge gap, then take five minutes to find a master class, conference, blog, or book to help. Taking five minutes to share your plan with someone is another great way to stay on your toes.

Sharpen Your Axe — No Matter What You Play

The effectiveness of your tools either amplifies your effort or slows every step. The end of the year provides an excellent opportunity to address needed maintenance and eliminate distractions. You could Plek, repair, or mod your guitar. Make a point to replace faulty cables (repair or ditch the faulty ones). Fine-tune your DAW’s reference monitor setup. Update your headphones or IEMs. If it’s time to part with a tool, then pass it on to someone who needs it or sell it without seller fees on Gear Exchange so you can get the tools you need. Sign up for lessons or read a book to sharpen your best tool — yourself.

If you need help maximizing your gear, then reach out to your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700 for personalized recommendations. We’re here to help you reach your music goals.
The post Five Tips to Help Worship Musicians Thrive in the New Year appeared first on inSync.
https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/five-tips-to-help-worship-musicians-thrive-in-the-new-year/
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