"I don't want attention, so I'm humble."

The above sounds sweet, doesn't it? A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity of playing drums in a large arena where a major prayer event was held. It was interesting that after the event, I heard some comments from key leaders of the event about how the band exhibited a lack of showmanship and how this lack of attention and 'invisibility' really exalted God. Those key leaders took great pride in this approach. I was rather puzzled when I heard it but then I began to understand why things were done in a certain way- like how the band had an 'all black' dress code, certain songs were not allowed to be sung and we must not stand out but give God the glory.

Without a doubt, it's rather strange to think this way. The idea that getting attention is taking away glory from God is flawed. It's like saying a guy wears a ear ring, gets attention and therefore he's gay, or a tattooed person is a criminal. The point is if you don't want attention, don't even be on stage (see my other blog on Solos in Worship in 2009). Being on stage, you're going to get attention whether you like it or not.

You see, getting attention is not the problem. It's why you get the attention that matters. If we want people to respond to the gospel, we need to get their attention. If we want people to worship, we need to get their attention. Jesus got plenty of attention during His time on earth. When He healed the sick, rode on a donkey and got praises from His people, not all were too happy about what He did. The religious leaders felt He was getting too much attention and He was taking the glory away from God. Yet, Jesus always said He only glorifies the Father.

The problem with some Christians today who are stuck in their religious mindset is that when musicians/worshippers express themselves wholeheartedly to God (See some Hillsongs Youtube videos to have an idea), they are not being humble. So they better wear black, play softer so as to not stand out from the crowd. Does that really help being humble? I don't think you can find a single verse in the bible that talks about humility this way!

On the contrary, the bible is full of stories of individuals who stood out. More importantly, they stood out for the right reasons. David got all the attention in the world when he took on Goliath. I'm sure David could have proposed, "Guys, let me fight Goliath in private. Don't look at me fight, ok? If I get the attention, Jehovah God will not get the glory. Instead, it will be me. So let's have a private battle with a few referees to determine the winner." Sounds absurd, isn't it? But that's exactly how religious leaders sound like when they talk about being humble by not getting attention!

What did David do? He fought Goliath in full view of the helpless Israelites and the Philistines. And with faith and God on his side, he slew the mighty Goliath. Boy, he was the hero! He had all the attention! But this was the same guy who also said that God will deliver Israel from their enemies.

As you can see, being humble has nothing to do with avoiding attention. If anything, avoiding attention can be a form of pride. Remember Jonah who avoided attention as he did not want to reach out to the Ninevites? The point is- the reasons for getting attention is what matters. In my situation, two instruments always get crucified because these two instruments get a lot of attention. It's no coincidence that Psalms 150 talks about cymbals and stringed instruments! They are none other than the drums and electric guitar. These are on the hit list of most traditional churches so much so these churches get sophisticated cages and sound systems just to turn them down. But these instruments are not meant to be played soft only. They're meant to get a lot of attention and tear the house down! Now, that obviously doesn't go well with religious leaders who claim to be humble.

You're Too Loud, Again!

Yes, can you believe it? This is the third time someone has told me I was too loud on the drums. I had written two previous posts on this issue in a more obvious networking site, got censured and just have to write underground here.

Basically, it all started with Cherry & Durian (not their real names) turning off my drum sound midway through my practice session. I was quite shocked as with a nice roof drum shield and half a dozen mics, they still thought it was too loud. I shouted across the hall,"If you're going to turn off the drums, why not just remove the mics as well!" By this time, I was not fully angry yet. But what happened next made me lose it. I walked towards where Cherry was and asked him if there was a need to turn the drums off. He said even if he reduced the drum volume to zero, he could still hear the drums or the drums were overpowering the other instruments. He tried to explain the technicalities of mixing to me, of which I wasn't interested as it doesn't really solve the problem.

Our conversation developed this way-

Oli: Is what you're doing based on industry standards?

Cherry: No. (can't remember what else he said here)

O: Have you been to a Paul Baloche concert in a small hall where Carl Albrecht did not even have a shield and still sounded great?

C: No.

O: Then you need to develop your understanding of drum mixing.

C: Fine, send me for training then.

O: Do I need to send you for training? Aren't you motivated to go yourself? Do I need to question your motivation?

C: Look here, I'm really upset with what you're saying. I'm a volunteer. I don't have to do this.

(Both of us tried to cool down at this point. We continued our argument but in a gentler manner.)

O: (My last question) Let me find out your musical taste. Do you listen to Hillsongs or Paul Baloche?

C: No.

O: Then, I think it's pointless talking to you. (Conversation ends.)

I walked to the drumkit, took my drumsticks and threw on the floor. ZP, my electric guitarist, asked me if things were ok. I shook my head in dismay. We resumed practice. I switched to Hot Rods to get a softer sound to please Cherry. As much as I was bewildered why Cherry would think the drums were too loud, I tried to be professional about it and go softer. After all, by right, he's supposed to be in the best position to gauge the sound.

In the midst of using rods, the worship leader felt there was no punch. I told him I had to do so as Cherry did not like me loud. He asked Cherry down to the stage and told him the problem. Cherry explained the situation and things got even uglier here. Another round of conversation transpired and this time, it was in full view of the musicians, singers etc.

Worship Leader: I need the punch. But if Oli has to use rods, it's not going to help.

Cherry: (Mumbles something to WL.)

Oli: Forget it. Cherry is just a conservative guy.

WL: No, it's not about that. I still need the punch on stage.

(Durian comes in during this heated moment and told us all to submit to the WL's wishes. I told Durian the console people have the best view of the sound, not the WL. The conversation continues a bit longer.)

O: He's just conservative, while I'm not. Look at my T-shirt. It says 'The Beatles'. Cherry, after using rods, can you now control the drum sound?

C: (smiles) and says No.

O: (raising my voice) Then what the hell you want? After giving you whatever the hell you want, you still don't want whatever the hell I give! What the hell you expect me to do? Play with my fingers??? (Cherry walks out of the hall)

At this point, everyone looked stumped. WL wanted to carry on practicing. I told him the first thing we needed to do was to get Cherry back. WL walked out of the hall to get Cherry back. After 5 minutes with no sign of Cherry, I walked out of the hall to get him. Once outside, I saw WL trying to convince Cherry it was necessary to use sticks. I told Cherry I was sorry, shook his hand, and said let's go back and finish the job. I told Cherry we're guys and let's hate each other for all we want but don't sacrifice what we needed to do. Cherry agreed and we proceeded. The practiced resumed and it ended peacefully, at least outwardly.

My personal reflection on this whole episode-

Why in the world are incompetent people doing sound? This is the first time in more than 17 years of drumming that someone told me my sound is still out of control with the rods! Is he nuts? How can you expect not to have acoustic drum sounds spilling out into the audience? More remarkably, the next day, during soundcheck, when Durian wanted to test the drums. I told him if he was going to turn it off, might as well not test it. Then he said he would at least want to test the other drums, but not the snare as it sounded too sharp during practice. What??? Aren't there low and high knobs which he can simply turn to reduce the sharpness?

Seriously, I give up. After more than 5 years of hanging around, it's rubbish here. If I can find a better place, I'll go. No one is freaking motivated here and worse, getting jokers to do the job. One leader told me his plans to start training the teams. I told him if people were motivated, they don't need you to tell them to train. He said not everyone was like me. I told him there are. You just need to get them.

But what I truly meant was why even bother choosing unmotivated people. He would probably say there isn't enough people. Biblical examples show it's never about quantity, but quality. David won battles with only 5 mighty men. Samson destroyed hundreds of Philistines. Joshua and Caleb conquered the promised land with their leadership. The 12 disciples shook the world for Christ. Need I say more?

Solos in Worship

I've heard worship leaders tell me before that their congregation don't understand solos, don't know how to respond to solos or simply aren't used to it. That's like saying new Christians shouldn't read the bible or pray because they aren't used to it. Obviously we don't do that.

Strangely, some also think solos exalt the musicians rather than God. Believe it or not, I've even heard people saying musicians should wear black on stage so as not to garner any attention. Firstly, if you don't want attention, don't even be on stage. Even preachers get attention but somehow nobody faults them for it. And btw, the preacher is talking about God, but the musician, is talking (worshipping/ministering) to God. So who gets more glory?

Many times, Christians have a tendency to make comments based on their cultural perceptions rather than biblical truths. When they're not used to healing, they say God doesn't heal. When they're not used to tongues, they say tongues are not of God. Now what about musical solos? You see, when the musician plays a solo, what he's actually doing is taking the lead in ministering to the Lord. There are occasions mentioned in 1 Chronicles 25 where a musician would prophesy with his instrument before the Lord.

Why then do some Christians think solos are wrong? This is so as in secular music, guitar solos or other types are played and this leads some to believe this similar art form is wrong or even evil in the Christian context. But what's happening in the Spirit realm is the musician taking a leading moment to minister to the Lord and the church gets ministered in the process. You can also say this spiritual art form is actually the musician prophesying. If you look back in the OT, even King Saul was restored whenever David ministered with his solo playing.

As you can see, it's completely out of line when people suggest things like not having solos or only wearing black on stage. Musicians have an individual identity and they are there to minister to the Lord and serve His people. People see them in action and they are there to lead, not hide behind a bush. They should be seen, on video, on whatever means simply because they're worshipping God and hopefully, that inspires and encourages the church to do likewise.

Next time when you see a solo in church, know that that guy is ministering to God, expressing his love for Him. As for yourself, enjoy it, be ministered by it and worship the Lord your God.

Technique or Feel Rules?

Recently, I was asked to give some feedback on the technical aspects of drumming. I don't claim to know a whole lot about it but it's something I won't consider as the end goal for music although I think it has its importance. But one must remember it's a means to an end, not the end in itself.

My approach to drumming is it has to feel good or make the music you're playing feel good. It's about creating art, not a sports event (see http://olichew.multiply.com/journal/item/19 on Vinnie's comments). Rod Morgenstein once said you can play all the fanciful strokes but if people are not dancing to your playing, you've failed. One of the most difficult mysteries in drumming (and that's something I still can't really figure out) is how do you explain or teach feel? Every drummer will certainly have his or her own feel and some artistes/worship leaders will prefer one to the other. Some drummers have a nicer feel than others.

While I can't really pin it down, I believe it's all about where music hits you. If music is about hitting all the fanciful notes than about art, then that's about all the feel you will have. I grew up loving music, particularly mainstream pop and rock. Despite practicing dutifully in the past various techniques, it has always been about the music, forming an emotional connection with it.

But wait you may ask, "If I'm not fanciful, who's going to like my drumming?" That's not the best question to ask. Rather it should be,"How can I contribute and enhance the song?" I don't deny that certain genres require greater technique but if you are lucky enough to be playing that kind of genre (jazz, prog rock, fusion etc), then it should come to you first as music that hits your heart, then the technical training to allow you to express yourself musically in that genre. But if it doesn't hit you emotionally, all the technical training in the world will not make you a wonderful jazz player.

Music has to start with passion. Look at The Beatles. They're definitely not the most technically gifted people, but their music defined a generation. Once, a buddy of mine told me how Guitarist A slammed Guitarist B for not being able to play jazz. My buddy simply told A,"Why do you care? B makes more money than you playing pop music." What rules? Technique or feel? I think The Beatles has given us the answer.

Worship Leader Types

Having played with quite a few worship leaders over the years, I’ve come to realise there are different types. Some I would prefer more than others but overall, I submit to all of them. That’s pretty important you know. We’re all there to make them happy. But hopefully their happiness doesn’t get in the way of making good music. At least I hope they realise.

One type is the song modifier. Some like to change the style of songs, arrangement, tempo etc. I’ve nothing against that but hopefully when they change it, it’ll sound just as good as the original. You see, artists spend lots of time arranging a song. It’s gone through several hours of editing and here comes some guy thinking he can make it sound better in 2 hours and he’s never made a record. Go figure.

The other type is the ‘my way or the highway’. This type believes every musician must follow his instructions. He doesn’t work with the band and expects the band to notice everything he wants to do. It’s fine if he’s leading alone, but if he’s with a band, he better understand the communication is two way.

The next type is one who doesn’t follow arrangements. Things can be quite difficult like this. The band practices one way and in the middle of worship, he does something else. Even the most capable musicians in the world, secular or church, follow the arrangements strictly. Some might say it restricts the Holy Spirit. I think we restrict the Holy Spirit more when we make a mess of things. As I said, it’s a band, not just the worship leader. He must know it’s a team effort, not just freely doing anything he likes. Discipline is key here.

The next type is the musical conductor. This guy would use all sorts of hand signals and signal in all directions that he beats the traffic policemen on duty when the traffic lights are faulty. Hand signals are not advisable as it's distracting. Some worship leaders have told me the band won't know what to play next if they don't use hand signs. This is a flawed concept. The idea is to simply arrange the song so that no hand signs need to be used. It's that simple! In the event the worship leader is dying to sing just that extra chorus for e.g., he can give some verbal signs at the last line just before the chorus. But this is usually the exception rather than the norm.

All in all, the worship leader must know he is not above the band. He has to work with the band. It's a team effort and if he thinks he's the ONE, then he should only lead worship alone. But in a band, all the musicians, singers and him are one. Worship leading is also a craft and thankfully today, we have plenty of resources online to help us get there as long as we're humble enough to learn.

Reality Bites

Ouch! The real world hurts. Sometimes the truth hurts but it can be good. Recently, I heard some interesting comments. You know, I’m somebody who gets inspired by stuff I read and people I hang out with. They can be from all walks of life. Here’s some of what was said.

A good friend told me this story. John (not his real name) is a guitar player in some church. He has a habit of criticizing fellow guitar players. This one criticism stood out for me. John slammed a famous guitarist who’s one of the top session players in the local scene, saying he can’t play jazz. My friend told him, “This famous guy makes more money than you playing popular music. Does that bother you?”

Ryan Hoyle (Collective Soul drummer) said something like he came to a point where he realized you can be the best drummer in the world but it’s pointless if people don’t know you. He then sought to further his contacts to get more gigs and eventually was hired by Collective Soul.

Someone told me Joseph Prince always preaches the same message about grace. I told him thousands are saved through his preaching. His church recently saw the attendance rocket by a few thousand in one week. Many people around the world have testified how his grace message has transformed their lives for the better, mine included.

I’ve heard preaching before that’s very deep. Imagine something like “reverence for divine authority at the expense of rational inquiry...”

Sounds deep, but who cares? Paul says, “And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 2:4).

Indeed, reality bites.

Radical Quotes

“It is pleasing to God whenever thou rejoices or laughest from the bottom of thy heart”

“If you are not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there”

“The fewer the words, the better the prayer.”

“Reason is the enemy of faith”

“Who loves not wine, women and song, Remains a fool his whole life long”

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Taken from http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/martin_luther/

“The God of the nation was extolled in happy music by the Israelites. Let no Christian be silent or slack in praise, for this God is our God. It is regretted that the niceties of modern music singing frighten our congregations from joining lustily in the hymns. For our part, we delight in full bursts of praise; we would rather discover the ruggedness of a lack of musical training than miss the heartiness of congregational singing. The gentility that lisps the tune in well-bred whispers, or leaves singing to the choir, is a mockery of worship. Blow the trumpets and beat the drums. God is not to be served with misery but with happy music.”

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Taken from Terl Bryant, A Heart to Drum