Solos

After taking two Sunday mornings off, it was nice to lead worship again. Overall, the services were powerful. There was great singing, playing, and solid work from the tech booth.

Personally, I was reminded of a great lesson in music: Supporting the overall ensemble is more important than any solo, riff, or vocal enhancement of a song.

I have played with many musicians. Typically, the better a musician is, the less he or she will play in a song. This musician will stay in the background and support a song with appropriate chords or rhythm. Given the right time, however, this musician will enhance this song with impressive riffs and showcase musicianship.

Yesterday, I led with two virtuoso musicians: Lyle (electric guitar) and Christy (violin). They have the ability to amaze an audience with their talent. Throughout the worship service on Sunday, they sat in the background, and only soloed when necessary. For example, Lyle played a wonderful solo in Let The Praises Ring. Christy played a meaning lead part in Center. Together, they did an outstanding job of playing off each other. When the church was dismissed, the band jammed using an earlier song. Lyle and Christy traded solos and the band sounded great.

Despite not soloing through every song, these two were recognized by myself and people in the congregation for their outstanding talent. By limiting the number of solos and perfecting their riffs, the electric guitar and violin parts were showcased more and enhanced the overall sound.