Tag Archives: Creativity

5 Questions to Ask About Special Music

Posted by Mick on

“Hey, Mick!  I have a special song I would like to share with everyone.”

How many of us have heard some form of this statement before?  It seems like every congregation has someone who thinks their music ability must be showcased for everyone to see.

I’ve gone back and forth on the effectiveness of using ‘special music.’ (I hate that term, as well)  Either way, wherever you stand on the spectrum, here are some simple questions that should be asked when considering using songs in this way.

  1. Does it fit with the main idea of the service? - We spend many hours preparing, thinking, and praying about what goes into a service.  Flow can be difficult to manage sometimes, but one thing has remained a constant for us; we make a strong effort to keep everything in line with the main idea.  Special music should not be any different from picking out a video or choosing which songs to sing.
  2. Are they part of the ministry? - God doesn’t want one-night-stands.  He wants people who are committed to Him.  The same goes with ministry.  We don’t want people to just pop and do a ‘look at me’ performance.  They need to be part of the ministry.  I would rather have decent musicians who are committed than professional musicians who have no commitment.
  3. Can the band play the music? - Live music is always better, so matter how it compares to a recording.  The days of tracks have seen their glory days, but there is almost no need of them anymore in many churches.  Have your band spend time learning the music together and share it with the congregation as a team.
  4. What is the heart of the musician? - This gets back to the ‘look at me’ mentality that some people have.  People should never be offering music in a church setting to bring glory to themselves.
  5. Are you doing special music for the sake of doing special music? - We should never be doing something in a service just for the sake of doing it.  In fact, nothing in the service should be done just because.

What are your thoughts on special music in a worship service?  Let me know in the comments.

Creative Days Are Over…

Posted by Mick on

…at least my experiment is.  I did not complete the entire month.  But the experience was not an entire failure.

I am a creative person by nature.  I have learned, however, that creativity doesn’t just flow out at any time it needs.  I have to actually take time to sit down and face the  blank piece of paper.  Here are some things to take away from this experience…

  1. Evenings stunt my desire to creative.
  2. If I don’t schedule time aside to create, it won’t happen.
  3. I need to be okay with what ever I create, regardless of quality. (see next)
  4. The process of creating is just as important as the product.
  5. I constantly need to be taking notes for inspiration. (I love Evernote!)
  6. Music is an essential backdrop to my creativity.
  7. I need to make a point to create more often.
  8. Laziness will be the death of my creativity.

Creative Day 18 &19

Posted by Mick on

I am going to stretch a little here on creativity. Part of what I do for a profession is lead the church in worship, mainly through music.  I am going to count these last two days as being creative because I was playing music and leading a band.

This weekend went pretty well as far as all the logistics go, but I just wanted to share the set list we had.

  • Freedom is Here
  • Your Love Never Fails
  • I Will Rise
  • Nothing Without You
  • Joy Will Come
  • Be the Change

People really sang out this weekend. The best part of my position is when you can hear so many voices singing together to the Creator. It gives me goosebumps every time.

Creative Day 17

Posted by Mick on

We send out a weekly email newsletter at Crossroads, and typically one of the pastors writes a memo.  This week featured a memo from myself, and I decided to talk about this whole creativity process…

I love being creative. Whether it’s writing a song or coming up with a new concoction in the kitchen, I find joy when allowing myself to create. Unfortunately as time has passed, these moments seem to come less frequent. In years past, it just seemed easier to enjoy making art.

Do you ever feel the same way?

After reading a couple different articles and a book called Untitled: Thoughts on the Creative Process, I decided to try and create something every day in February. I had to face the challenge of the blank piece of paper.

We are made in God’s image, and I believe one of those ways is having a sense of creativity. God’s beautiful creativity can be seen every time you walk outside, or look in the mirror for that matter.

If you want to be creative, the only thing I would suggest is to just do it. Get a blank piece of paper and draw. Sing along with your favorite album. Open the cupboards in the kitchen and make a new dish. Whatever you make does not need to be amazing. That is not the point. However, you might be amazed what you come up with.

Creative Day 15

Posted by Mick on

Another blues jam night.  Since I am not able to record our jam sessions at this point, I wanted share some resources each week that has helped me become a better blues player and musician.

100 Killer Licks & Chops for Blues Guitar is a great resource for anyone learning the blues. The 100 licks are all laid out in tabs (as well as notation), and can be listened to with a professional backing track on the CD that comes with the book. Beyond the 100 licks, this book goes into chord progressions, scales, and even some music theory.

Here’s what sold me on this book.

Each lick is actually mimicking great musicians like Freddie King, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Johnson, and many more.  Along with each style these and other musicians bring to the table, this book gives some history on each page about these artists. 100 Blues Licks also gets into how each particular guitar lick fits in a song, and also some things to watch out for.

I’ve experienced huge benefits from utilizing this book. If you are just wanting to dive right into to playing the blues, I highly recommend picking this book up.

Creative Day 14

Posted by Mick on

Valentine’s Day. Neither my wife or I really think the holiday is all that exciting. Despite this fact, I decided to put on a mini-concert for her and sang Songbird by Fleetwood Mac.  The song was performed at our wedding by dear friends of our, so the song as significance in our lives.  Here are the words.

For you, there’ll be no more crying,
For you, the sun will be shining,
And I feel that when I’m with you,
It’s alright, I know it’s right

To you, I’ll give the world
to you, I’ll never be cold
‘Cause I feel that when I’m with you,
It’s alright, I know it’s right.

And the songbirds are singing,
Like they know the score,
And I love you, I love you, I love you,
Like never before.

And I wish you all the love in the world,
But most of all, I wish it from myself.

And the songbirds keep singing,
Like they know the score,
And I love you, I love you, I love you,
Like never before, like never before.

Creative Day 11

Posted by Mick on

Nothing fancy today.  I was wanting some chili, so I made up a recipe.  Here it is…

  • 1 can Light Red Kidney Beans (drained)
  • 1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans (drained)
  • 1 can Black beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 can Whole Kernel Corn (drained)
  • 1 pound bacon
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 onion cooked in bacon grease
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of garlic
  • 4 tablespoons of chili powder.

I threw this all together in the Crock Pot and enjoyed later in the day.  It was yummy.

Creative Day 7

Posted by Mick on

I drew this picture of Robert Johnson this morning.  If you don’t know who he is, then you don’t know the blues.  It’s okay.  I’ll forgive you.

Robert Johnson is tragically part of the 27 Club.  His career was short-lived, but monumental in influence.  Such bands as Led Zeppelin, Cream, and the Rolling Stones may never had existed were it not for Johnson. Possibly his most well-known song, which has been covered time and time again, is Sweet Home Chicago.

It’s said that Mr. Johnson went to the Crossroads and sold his soul to the devil.  In exchange he became a great guitar player.  Whether this is true or not may never be known, but it sure adds to the mystique of this blues artist.