The Sunday Musician

Rick Warren is on the cover on Time this week, saw it in the grocery store and bought a copy.  Along with one of those things that have been popping up in grocery store bakeries lately - two chocolate chip cookies with frosting in between.  Whatta great idea.  Anyway, I read the article and they got one thing right for sure - Warren's enthusiasm.  The Big Church sent me out to conferences there at least three times, and of all the places they sent me, I loved the Saddleback band the most. 

Other places had great bands, but theirs was fun.  And so laid back, you know?  For me, that's a pillar of good live music - the musicians should be enjoying it.  And it has to sort of infect the whole process.  I think a good way to explain this would be to contrast my experiences at Willow Creek and Saddleback.  Yeah, I know lots has been written about both - this is just a little report from the trenches. 

At Willow, the bands were tight, well rehearsed, and they all wore dress-casual.  I smelled a memo.  I was impressed though, even intimidated.  The curtain would go up, the band would start precisely on time, the arranging was great, the songs flowed smoothly into each other, and then the curtain would go back down. The break-out sessions at the conferences were the same way.  There'd be a Willow Person at every turn in the hallway, ready to direct me, answer my questions.  The session itself would have a sort of host/concierge person hanging around, helping the presenter, keeping an eye on the door, helping people find seats, etc.  Shoot - one time I wandered into a session with an empty Coke can, and the lady saw I was looking for the trash and held out her hand, saying, "Here - let me take care of that for you."  But I'm a musician, you know?  Too much of that and my arms start to itch. 

At Saddleback, the band wandered out (no curtain) and took their places, talking amongst themselves and smiling.  They kicked into a fast, passionate worship song, and their enthusiasm was blatantly infectious.  Midpoint in the song, the worship leader invited the sax player to come out and 'blow one for us'.  This guy, the sax player, was wearing skater shorts and a plain white tee.  And a ponytail.  And yeah - he blew it hard, bumping hips with the worship leader.  The worship leader said, "Man, that was good - go around again."  And he did.  I wanted to cry. 

The breakout sessions at Saddleback were all over the place, and one in particular was in an outside portable, which we had trouble finding.  When we found it there was no one to greet us except Bob Barrett, the guy who was running the session.  He tinkered with a keyboard, smiling and talking with some of the guys in the small band he'd brought to the session, waving at people as they walked in.  He finally looked around and said, "This looks like everybody.  Hey - has anyone seen the drummer?"  Right on cue the door bangs open and in walks a guy eating off a paper plate.  The guy says, "Have you guys tried this potato salad?  This is some serious potato salad."  Then he went and sat down behind the drums.  Every time he wasn't playing, he was eating the potato salad.  The whole, entire week was like that, and I wanted to sell everything I had and move into the lobby. 

I went home determined to model my music department after THAT attitude.  Which sometimes got me in trouble, but mostly made for a better band.  That laid-back, infectious feel is utterly contagious, and to the degree I managed to bring that to my own bands, to that degree we engaged our congregation.  In fact at one point my pastor at the time said to me, "Ed, I expect you to have fun.  In fact, we're paying you to have fun.  So get to it." 

So have fun when you get onstage.  Take the music seriously - just don't take yourself too seriously.