Band moved to the choir loft

Our praise band has traditionally played at the front of the church (700+ capacity) and off to the side of the altar. Our new preist has just decided to move us to the choir loft, which is at the back of the church, raised above (and behind) the congregation.

This will make us completely removed (out of sight) from the congregation. I suppose that will allow us to focus solely on the music, since no one will be seeing us flip pages, trip over cables, switching instruments, etc. We can probably just sit in a circle on focus on the music and the message.

Anyone else ever play that way, or do most bands take center stage at church?

Interesting. From one aspect, i kind of like it. It puts more focus on worship and less on the "watching a show" mindset. I just hope you don't have any monitoring issues.

We did a similar thing for a while. The pastor wanted to make sure we were not "performing", but leading the congregation. So, he moved us off the platform into the front row. The result was mixed. We are now back on the platform, but we learned a lot about leading rather than performing!

Anyone else ever play that way, or do most bands take center stage at church?

I would really like to be in a similar situation. I don't like being 'on stage' at church. I was recently visiting another church, everything was laid out in the proper angles and spacing for lead singers, choir, rythm section... WL had all the 'worship moves' down pat... it made me very conscious of looking like a performance or concert.

I would love to play IN the congregation. Behind and out a sight would be just fine with me as well.

I played in the choir loft at an Episcopal church for several years. It worked very well, and I found it preferable to sitting up front, where we could be a distraction, and we could be distracted.

I played in the choir loft at an Episcopal church for several years. It worked very well, and I found it preferable to sitting up front, where we could be a distraction, and we could be distracted.

I'm starting to see it that way, too.

I was kind of sceptical about the whole thing at first, but the more I think about it, this could be a real positive move. Our band can be up to 7 members, and this may solve a lot of space issues. Maybe we can even leave our gear (monitors, drums, keyboard, etc) up there and that will cut down on our setup and teardown time. Shoot, maybe we will even get some new gear.:grin:

This subject, the subject of the worship team/praise team/band being visible or not visible, is a big one and there are a lot of views. As I see it, the sole bottom line is that Jesus is glorified. People need to realize that they need a savior and they need Him.

God gave us the wonderful gift of music for His enjoyment because, and it's all through Psalms, people have been worshiping Him, praying to Him, and just praising Him through music. Sometimes, it's a huge fanfare, sometimes it's a soft acoustic guitar. The main point here, is the heart that the music is played.

A worship team that's leading worship are the pastors/preachers for that segment of the service. The congregation, many times, will feed off their energy. If a worship team (I'm including singers and musicians here) are on stage and just kind of standing there playing, regardless of how great the music is, the energy will not translate and the congregation has nothing to feed off.

I don't think it's necessarily wrong to put a band in the back, for distraction's sake, but I don't think it's right either. They are part of the worship experience and the congregation needs to see them. Then there's the issue of solos - guitar solos and such. Should they be there? At one point, I decided I wouldn't take any more solos. I didn't want to bring attention to myself and take away from the worship experience. My pastor, as well as others, told me that a solo, with a humble heart, is just as much a part of worship. I had to change my mindset and realize that I could worship through a solo just like a vocalist does.

Huge subject - when in doubt, refer back to my first paragraph....

How's it going to sound from up there?

How's it going to sound from up there?

We're not too sure about that. We've been on hiatus for a couple of weeks. We probably will start back in a week or two.

Before, we had a powered mixer/PA that we used to run 4 monitors (two in front of the band, 2 behind the band). We plugged our mixer into the house system to project to the congregation.

I'm not sure what kind of setup we will have upstairs, but I expect it will be similar.

A worship team that's leading worship are the pastors/preachers for that segment of the service. The congregation, many times, will feed off their energy. If a worship team (I'm including singers and musicians here) are on stage and just kind of standing there playing, regardless of how great the music is, the energy will not translate and the congregation has nothing to feed off.

I don't think it's necessarily wrong to put a band in the back, for distraction's sake, but I don't think it's right either. They are part of the worship experience and the congregation needs to see them.

Those are valid points, but our band is not "leading worship" as most of you know it. We are a Catholic church, and our priest does all the worship leading. We simply provide the music.

Our church has 6 weekend services. The other five have music by the choir and an organist, or a cantor and the organist. Up until now, the organist and the choir were always upstairs, and the cantor was in front of the congregation. He or she would face the congregation and say things like "Join us now as we sing Hymn number..." and raise her hands encouraging the congregation to join in. Now even the cantor is upstairs. It has taken a little getting used to, hearing a voice coming out of nowhere telling you which song we're going to sing next.

We may be adding a couple of new singers to the mix, so being upstairs may help the newbs avoid stagefright by not having 700 people staring at them.

I'm still undecided--personally, I would like to be able to see who is playing/singing. On the other hand, our organist and regular choir have been upstairs for years and it seems to be fine. I guess the new priest looks at us like we're the "choir with guitars." Sounds like a good band name.:mrgreen:

We're not too sure about that. We've been on hiatus for a couple of weeks. We probably will start back in a week or two.

Before, we had a powered mixer/PA that we used to run 4 monitors (two in front of the band, 2 behind the band). We plugged our mixer into the house system to project to the congregation.

I'm not sure what kind of setup we will have upstairs, but I expect it will be similar.

If that means everything is in the PA you should be OK.

If instrument amps aren't that could be a problem.

Remember, bass frequencies are more onmi-directional... the higher the frequencies, the more directional to the listener they need to be (regardless of volume).

If that means everything is in the PA you should be OK.

If instrument amps aren't that could be a problem.

Remember, bass frequencies are more onmi-directional... the higher the frequencies, the more directional to the listener they need to be (regardless of volume).

Everything goes into the PA. The only issue possibly would be that when we were up front we used our rear monitors and bass amp to reinforce the sound coming from the house speakers.

We'll find out soon how it all works.

It's a good thing, especially in a Catholic Church. I wish our parish could do the same, but we don't have a choir loft.

I've sung in churches that have choir lofts and I prefer it.

One thing I wish cantors would stop doing is raising hands during the Psalm -- TOUCHDOWN!!! I think parishoners can figure out which part is repeated, especially when it is repeated.

The church music director (not our band leader) even told us we could wear jeans and flip flops up there since no one will ever see us.

She also said we could bring a novel to read in case the homily goes too long. I'd never do that, but I thought it was funny that she said it (and meant it).

The church music director (not our band leader) even told us we could wear jeans and flip flops up there since no one will ever see us.

She also said we could bring a novel to read in case the homily goes too long. I'd never do that, but I thought it was funny that she said it (and meant it).


Attire is a good point. You see the priest and deacon and altar boys in their vestments, and then you see the choir in whatever they happen to be wearing that day -- sometimes dressed even more poorly than the parishoners. :lol:

One of our pianists always leaves during the homily and plays with her iPhone (you can see her fiddling with it as she leaves the sanctuary). At least if something like this is done in the choir loft, scandal is avoided.

One of our pianists always leaves during the homily and plays with her iPhone (you can see her fiddling with it as she leaves the sanctuary). At least if something like this is done in the choir loft, scandal is avoided.

Funny you should mention that. Last year, since we were at the front, we could see everyone in the congregation. There was one lady near the front who was always fiddling with her iphone during the service.

One day I mentioned it to my wife. "I can't believe Mrs. Jones was playing with her phone during the service--how disrespectful."

My wife, who was sitting behind her, said "I saw that. I looked over her shoulder and she was looking up the bible verses the priest was talking about."

:oops:

Funny you should mention that. Last year, since we were at the front, we could see everyone in the congregation. There was one lady near the front who was always fiddling with her iphone during the service.

One day I mentioned it to my wife. "I can't believe Mrs. Jones was playing with her phone during the service--how disrespectful."

My wife, who was sitting behind her, said "I saw that. I looked over her shoulder and she was looking up the bible verses the priest was talking about."

:oops:

One in a million, I'm sure. :lol:

One in a million, I'm sure. :lol:

I'm sure there's an App for IDing them -- like that bird song App.

As worship leader in a small congregation, we are very informal. Our church is very laid back about traditions and we have "lost" the vestments and robes, etc. My team dresses casual and in summer we often wear shorts and sandals. God isn't concerned about what we wear but where our hearts are. So look to your heart and give it to God.

God isn't concerned about what we wear but where our hearts are. So look to your heart and give it to God.

True, but our last pastor (RIP) put it this way: If you were having dinner with the governor you'd dress up a little, right? Why would we come to a feast with the Lord looking like you just rolled out of bed?

As worship leader in a small congregation, we are very informal. Our church is very laid back about traditions and we have "lost" the vestments and robes, etc. My team dresses casual and in summer we often wear shorts and sandals. God isn't concerned about what we wear but where our hearts are. So look to your heart and give it to God.

It's probably easier to be laid back about tradition in a non-Catholic Church? Our priest can't just decide one day to do away with vestments, etc. Most of the parishoners dress as you describe, but it is not done if you serve at Mass.

True, but our last pastor (RIP) put it this way: If you were having dinner with the governor you'd dress up a little, right? Why would we come to a feast with the Lord looking like you just rolled out of bed?

I think it's different in Protestant church. They don't believe in the Real Presence as Catholics do. Even so -- Catholics still wear flip flops to Mass.:grin:

I think it's different in Protestant church. They don't believe in the Real Presence as Catholics do. Even so -- Catholics still wear flip flops to Mass.:grin:

I wear flip flops, but my nice leather ones. Except when I'm playing with the band, then it's khakis and loafers. I've even seen priests wearning sandals. Jesus wore sandals, right?

Didn't You-know-who wear sandals? I'd draw the line at cargo shorts.

How's it going to sound from up there?We ran everything through the PA so there was no change in the sound.

I wear flip flops, but my nice leather ones. Except when I'm playing with the band, then it's khakis and loafers. I've even seen priests wearning sandals. Jesus wore sandals, right?

Same here. Only the leather ones will do for Mass. I think leather sandals are allowed as per the GIRM.


No telling what Jesus wore. In related news, Nike is coming out with a Bible translation next spring that just may answer that question.

In related news, Nike is coming out with a Bible translation next spring that just may answer that question.

Maybe they'll finally figure out what "gopherwood" really is, so we can see if it's possible to make a Tele out of it.

Maybe they'll finally figure out what "gopherwood" really is, so we can see if it's possible to make a Tele out of it.

:lol:

It's probably easier to be laid back about tradition in a non-Catholic Church? Our priest can't just decide one day to do away with vestments, etc. Most of the parishoners dress as you describe, but it is not done if you serve at Mass.



I think it's different in Protestant church. They don't believe in the Real Presence as Catholics do. Even so -- Catholics still wear flip flops to Mass.:grin:
It is more cultural then Protestant/Catholic. My wife is a cradle Catholic however I need to remind her when she visits some churches jeans and flip flops are not acceptable as they are in her home church. I saw follow my mothers example, when visiting another church wear a dress and a hat or the church mother might have a word with you.

Update on the choir loft situation:

The band is still on “hiatus” but we have been meeting to rehearse some new tunes. The service music is changing this year and the priest wants us to do it in “chant” style.

We assessed the equipment situation, and we don’t need any additional equipment. The only issue is storage, since we don’t want to haul our gear (monitors, drums, board, keyboard, stands, etc) up and down the stairs each week. The church is going to build cabinets in the choir loft to store our gear. When that is done, we (“we” meaning “I”) will move all the stuff upstairs and we should be ready to rock.

I, for one, can’t wait to get started, but it looks like it may be several more weeks.

The service music is changing this year and the priest wants us to do it in “chant” style.

"Service music" meaning music for Mass, right? Cool that your parish is going to do Gregorian chant! Tough on the instrumentalists, but chant is supposed to have pride of place at Catholic Mass. I wonder if your priest is younger? Many of the older ones wish to keep the 70s alive with folk and sing-along Masses. I'd guess that as they get older and retire then we will stop hearing P'n'W style music at Mass. Praise, God! :lol:


Has your parish started using the new translations? My parish has just started teaching a new Gloria so that all will be ready by Advent. It's still in the happy clappy music category, but at least the words are better. :wink:

I played in the choir loft at an Episcopal church for several years. It worked very well, and I found it preferable to sitting up front, where we could be a distraction, and we could be distracted.

This is my preference. I prefer the alter, pulpit, lectern, or wherever whomever is reading (our gospel reading is usually read from the centre of the church for example) to be the focus. Sometimes the choir moves into view more if they've got something special to sing, but as a player I'd rather be off to the side and/or out of view.

I'm not sure if there's necessarily a right or wrong way, just what fits with the traditions and habits of a particular church or parish, and whatever fits with the various personalities I suppose.

Update on the choir loft situation:

The band is still on “hiatus” but we have been meeting to rehearse some new tunes. The service music is changing this year and the priest wants us to do it in “chant” style.


This is a bit of an aside, but I find that for meditation I like my chants with some saxophone -- modal jazz, church modes, it's all good, eh?

_D4LtzZACek

When I first heard than Jan Garbarek had made a recording with the Hiiliard Ensemble I thought it would be gimmicky, but it works beautifully, IHMO.

"Service music" meaning music for Mass, right? Cool that your parish is going to do Gregorian chant! Tough on the instrumentalists, but chant is supposed to have pride of place at Catholic Mass. I wonder if your priest is younger? Many of the older ones wish to keep the 70s alive with folk and sing-along Masses. I'd guess that as they get older and retire then we will stop hearing P'n'W style music at Mass. Praise, God! :lol:


Has your parish started using the new translations? My parish has just started teaching a new Gloria so that all will be ready by Advent. It's still in the happy clappy music category, but at least the words are better. :wink:

He’s our new pastor, so he’s looking to change things up a bit. He’s fairly young (50’s ?) but he’s also a fairly new priest. He had a career in law before joining the priesthood. They (the organist and cantor) have been teaching the new service music before mass the past couple of weeks.

Our bandleader has been throwing up lots of excuses why we can’t move upstairs, why we can’t do the chant, etc. She thinks the chant is “too hard” and that we won’t be able to pull it off. I told her I saw 600 people at church sing it last week—if they can do it we should be able to. I think she’s just used to doing things her way and doesn’t want to change.

By the way—how many Catholics does it take to change a light bulb? Just one, but the rest of them will stand around talking about how they liked the old light bulb better.

Our P&W Band plays stage right of the sanctuary in a cramped little are with little visibility to the congregation. We asked our pastor if our female lead vocalist could stand center-stage and he agreed. She leads the congregation with the vocal part. I don't really mind not being seen, but it's a pretty tight fit up there.

He’s our new pastor, so he’s looking to change things up a bit. He’s fairly young (50’s ?) but he’s also a fairly new priest. He had a career in law before joining the priesthood.

God bless him. We need more priests who are willing to acknowledge & put into practice Catholic tradition through liturgy, liturgical music, etc.

Our bandleader has been throwing up lots of excuses why we can’t move upstairs, why we can’t do the chant, etc. She thinks the chant is “too hard” and that we won’t be able to pull it off. I told her I saw 600 people at church sing it last week—if they can do it we should be able to. I think she’s just used to doing things her way and doesn’t want to change.

Yeah, I've heard that one too. Too hard, right? Singing a single melody (plainsong aka plain chant) has been too hard for Catholics of the last thousand or so years. :roll:

The days of "bandleaders" are probably limited -- maybe a generation or two (Catholic time is slow). Bandleaders are always needed at Protestant services, which some Catholic "communities" have become. Not knocking the music, for I've heard some great tunes -- but much of it is horrible Catholic liturgical music.

By the way—how many Catholics does it take to change a light bulb? Just one, but the rest of them will stand around talking about how they liked the old light bulb better.

:lol:

Our P&W Band plays stage right of the sanctuary in a cramped little are with little visibility to the congregation. We asked our pastor if our female lead vocalist could stand center-stage and he agreed. She leads the congregation with the vocal part. I don't really mind not being seen, but it's a pretty tight fit up there.

It's nice to hear a report about this situation.

I think off to the side (cramped and not seen) is the way to go.
Lead singer front and center is a beautiful idea, guiding and involving everyone.
The more I think about moving to the choir loft... the more I don't like it.

Think about any staged musical production and how the musicians need to react to other activity in the "show" (service).

Throughout time, theaters have had orchestra pits for a reason.
The next best location is, aside on stage.
Next is aside, off stage.
#4, would be in part of the audience area.
#4a, I have seen a circus setup where the Musicians are above the
audience but they are set above the focal point and facing the audience.
This may never apply in church but I think it is another proven arrangement that works.
#5,The best I can think of for the choir loft is #5
And that's only because I am not thinking about a few other superior choices on the main floor.


I know you will have to go with the flow but, brother it sounds tough.

I'm going to have to study upon the chant aspect... anyway that sounds like a pretty interesting discussion in itself.

/b

Here's an update. It seems to me like our leader keeps throwing up obstacles because she doesn't want to go up there.

"We can't do it because we need new drums"--New drums approved

"We can't do it because we need a new board"--New board approved

"We can't do it because we'll have to carry all of our stuff upstairs" --approval granted to keep our stuff upstairs.

"We can't keep our stuff upstairs because it might get stolen"--approval granted to build locking storage cabinets upstairs.
Once the cabinets are built, we'll see what the next excuse is.:rolleyes:

Ok, I just heard the next excuse. There are about 20 stacking chairs (where the choir sits when they're not singing) in the choir loft where we will have to set up our gear.

Band leader--"It's not going to be possible for us to move those 20 (lightweight and stackable) chairs each week. That's a deal breaker."

Actually we'll only have to move and stack 14 of them, since we will be using six of them ourselves. Moving and stacking the chairs would actually be the easiest part of our set up.

Chant! Chant! Chant!

Band leader--"It's not going to be possible for us to move those 20 (lightweight and stackable) chairs each week. That's a deal breaker."




I just found out that the church music director (who also directs the choir) has convinced the grey-haired old ladies from the choir to move those chairs after their service so they won't be in our way.

Maybe she could get them to move our monitors and drums and run all the mic cables while they're at it--that way we could just show up and play.:lol:

I just found out that the church music director (who also directs the choir) has convinced the grey-haired old ladies from the choir to move those chairs after their service so they won't be in our way.

Maybe she could get them to move our monitors and drums and run all the mic cables while they're at it--that way we could just show up and play.:lol:

Granny + Roadie = Grody :oops:

Granny + Roadie = Grody :oops:

I'm just glad you didn't come up with something combining "granny" and "groupie."

As it stands now we're waiting for the storage cabinets to built. The maintenance guy is supposed to be handling it, but I haven't seen any progress on it as of yet.

Our band leader came up with another excuse at practice this week. "I don't feel confident in the quality of sound we're going to have up there. I don't want to jump in and start playing until we can get a professional sound company to come in and assess our needs and give us recommendations on equipment and setup."

What next?:confused:

Maybe we'll have things sorted and be ready to rock in time for Easter.

Wow! It sure is a lot of hassle for what, IMO, is an incorrect plan.
I'm sensing that some others might feel the same.

If you're hiding the band, why have a band? Just roll tape (CDs, etc). Christian karaoke. I like it when the worship band participates in leading the congregation. I feel a connection to the players and God. I was at a church where the band was off to the side and out of your vision range with all eyes on monitors with the lyrics superimposed on your usual sunrise, clouds, mountain tops, etc scenes. It was weird.

I'm looking forward to getting started again. We've been off for three months, and the congregation keeps asking when we're coming back.

A couple of good things: We'll have a lot more room and we should be able to arrange the band in a U shape so we can all see each other and comminicate. Before we had a front row and a back row, so sometimes it was hard to communicate.

Another positive is that if it's "all about the music" it will be just about the music and we won't have to worry about where we stand, wear, etc.

Here's an update on our big "move":

Still no storage cabinets.

Still no new drums.

Still no new soundboard/mixer.

Still no estimated date for when we'll start playing again.

Still no drummer. I think our leader wants to go with the "drumming by committee" approach, otherwise known as "can you play drums on this one?"

Our soundguy just got a new job in another state and will be leaving right away.

Other that those small obstacles, we're making great progress!


Edit: I just noticed this bit of irony--we've been approved to purchase a new drumset and a new soundboard, but we don't have drummer or a sound man.:roll:

I take it you feel that you need a drummer but nobody is willing to give up playing what they see as their primary instrument for the team.

If you're hiding the band, why have a band? Just roll tape (CDs, etc). Christian karaoke. I like it when the worship band participates in leading the congregation. I feel a connection to the players and God. I was at a church where the band was off to the side and out of your vision range with all eyes on monitors with the lyrics superimposed on your usual sunrise, clouds, mountain tops, etc scenes. It was weird.
In this specific case there are theological issues with rolling tape. And different bodies have different ideals about the rolls their members take during a service.

Sounds like the New Preacher might have been a bit jealous of that tele up front and personal on the stage....I'm just sayin..
:razz:

Many people worship WITH the band. I know that when I'm not playin, I really enjoy watching the band get into the music. It helps me come to a point of worship as well. When I am playing, I can't help but smile and express myself through the music. There's a diff between showboating and leading worship imho.

Many people worship WITH the band. I know that when I'm not playin, I really enjoy watching the band get into the music. It helps me come to a point of worship as well. When I am playing, I can't help but smile and express myself through the music. There's a diff between showboating and leading worship imho.

Our band isn't really much to watch. Most of the members stare intently at the music on a stand right in front of their faces. I keep mine low and off to the side so I can glance at it if needed.

The rest of the members are older but refuse to wear glasses, so the music stand is right up in their faces. Besides, at our old position (to the side of the altar) we were packed in so tight that should something unforseen happen and we did actually get into the music, we would have rammed into each other or knocked over all the music stands.

I know you all are on the edge of your seats waiting to see how this all turns out...:roll:

We all met for practice last night and everyone seems excited to get everything moved and set up so we can start playing again on Sundays.

New drums are in.
New soundboard is in.
Storage cabinets are under construction.

We plan on moving all our gear upstairs to the choir loft and having our rehearsals up there next week to get any sound issues ironed out before we go live.

And believe it or not, our drummer actually showed up for practice and said he's in for the year. We've also got two new female singers to offset the dudeness of the band.

We've got an announcement in the Sunday bulletin looking for a sound volunteer.

Tentative start date is November 5.

Well... I'm still doubting the wisdom of the move but... best wishes to y'all.

True, but our last pastor (RIP) put it this way: If you were having dinner with the governor you'd dress up a little, right? Why would we come to a feast with the Lord looking like you just rolled out of bed?

If everybody wears a suit, the people who don't have suits will think they should stay away. Billy Graham wore a suit, but his theme was Just As I am. Casual dress within reason lets the folks who dont have as much know that they can come as they are, and they will still be accepted and welcome. God isn't going to turn you away for not wearing a tie. :cool:

Update:

The cabinets are done. They look great and are big enough to store the drums, mic stands, music stands, cables, mics, and plenty more.

I carried all the gear upstairs to the choir loft tonight. The church had a professional sound engineer come in and assess the situation (he is the guy who installed the original system many years ago.

The sound guy went through our setup and told us the best position for our monitors (we'll have 4--two in front and two in back). In addition, we're going to have 2 PA monitors on the choir loft to send our sound into the congregation. The reason behind that is that the house speakers were designed to carry voices and are not very good at reproducing bass and drum sounds.

One thing that would be great is if we can leave our monitors and PA speakers in place without them being in the way of the regular choir. That would make setup and teardown so much easier. We'll have to check with the choir director and make sure she's cool with it. The way it was set up when I left, the front monitors were in a "well" of sorts and the PA speakers seemed to blend in with the background and were barely noticible from a visual standpoint.

I had to leave early (I got called into work unexpectedly) before everything was set up, but we are supposed to start having our rehearsals in the church next week with an anticipated start-up date of Nov 22.

Also, our drummer has missed the last two practices without notice or explanation.

Weird--double post. Carry on.

Here's an email we just got from the bandleader.


From here on, please let me know if you will be unable to make practice or performance as soon as you know. Emergencies do come up, but know that we are a group and depend on one another. If you can't practice, then we might not put you in the mix on Sunday. Just check with me. Sometimes, some of the established members of the group can just pick up a song they know and have done many times. If you miss practice, you are always welcome to sit with us and help us in other ways, but if we made a plan to cover your parts in practice, then sometimes making a new plan is stressful at the last minute. There really is not time to teach on Sunday, just barely time to warm up and set up. I hope you understand if I need to set some limits and I hope you will respect that my goal always is to maximize the quality of what we do, not hurt anyone's feelings.

I had told her several weeks ago that I thought we needed to find a permanent drummer, since our regular drummer never shows up for practice and many times doesn't show for the service either. Most times the task falls to me, having spent the week learning the songs on guitar and never played them on drums (I'm not even a drummer--the only times I have actually sat behind a drum kit were at our church services).

I take this as a good sign. We may be on the way to tightening things up.

I hope it all works out ! Regards.

Our praise band has traditionally played at the front of the church (700+ capacity) and off to the side of the altar. Our new preist has just decided to move us to the choir loft, which is at the back of the church, raised above (and behind) the congregation.

This will make us completely removed (out of sight) from the congregation. I suppose that will allow us to focus solely on the music, since no one will be seeing us flip pages, trip over cables, switching instruments, etc. We can probably just sit in a circle on focus on the music and the message.

Anyone else ever play that way, or do most bands take center stage at church?

I've played on both sides of churches I've been to, but I've never heard a priest tell the band to move!
And I've heard both sides of the argument dozens of times.
Neither side is wrong...you're just at the mercy of the pastor.
Blessings!

We had our first rehearsal upstairs last night and everything seemed to go pretty smoothly. We got the new board up and running, got all the inputs labeled, and figured out where everyone stands, etc.

Everyone even showed up (except for the drummer—nothing new there). We went with the drumming by committee approach again. We ran through the songs and everything sounded great. The priest was downstairs and gave us a thumbs up on the sound.

I wish we had a sound guy to dial in our sound. The sound from the monitors was good, but I’m not sure how it sounds out front (or more accurately, “down below”). We used to plug into the house speakers, but the technician we brought in (the one who installed the house system) told us that those speakers were designed for voice only, and that we would be better off projecting sound with PA speakers from the choir loft. We found some old Klipsh (?) speakers up there that had not been used for years and we are using those for our PA sound. They are old and heavy and sound really great.

The consensus by everyone involved (even the naysayers) was that the move upstairs has turned out really great. We’ve got a lot more room and our sound has improved.

First service is November 19; say a prayer for us!

P.S. The new Tele sounded really great with the band, especially on one tune where we have only bass, drums, acoustic and electric. It really fit in nicely. That particular tune (“Great Things” by Matt Maher) ended up having an REM/Tom Petty kind of jangle arpeggio/rhythm thing going. Pretty sweet if I do say so.

Well, yesterday was our first service playing from the choir loft.

It took us a lot longer to set up than it used to, mainly since everything is in a different place and we don’t really have a system down yet. It took close to an hour of setting up before we started playing anything for a full sound check.

We got everything up and running and barely had time to run through each song once. I have always thought that once should be plenty, but in the past we have played songs over and over and over during the sound check, only to do them different in the service.

We started with a couple of preludes, and it was really nice to see the congregation walk in, hear the music, and look back to the choir loft smiling and give us a big thumbs up. It was nice to be back after a four month hiatus.

The priest made a big announcement at the beginning welcoming us back, which was greeted with a big round of applause from the congregation.

After the service, everyone commented that we sounded better than ever. Some even said that they thought it sounded like a recording (which I take as a compliment). The vocals really sounded great, too. One parishioner said he thought that during some of the a cappella parts that we had the actual choir up there with us. He didn’t realize it was just the praise band (six members total).

Our drummer effectively resigned from the band last week, so that allows our lead singer to focus on singing and playing drums. He is really looking forward to the challenge, and is a pretty good drummer. That will cut out the “It looks like the drummer isn’t coming today--who can play drums on this next song?” and allow everyone to learn their parts in advance instead of on the fly.

I’m sure the new board and using a PA instead of the house system went a long way toward improving our sound. And I’m sure the real reason was my Telecaster adding that certain twang that was sorely missing before.

The whole band was really pumped after the service and all were pleased about how well it went. We still need to work out some kinks in our setup, positioning, and tear-down, but everyone seems to be enjoying our new home.