I'm to critique a drummer for a local Church with which I'm involved this week. It got me started thinking what I would teach guys who do what I do if I had the time...which I never do. A lesson is never long enough to do more than address the issues directly related to hitting a drum.
But there's so much more to it than that. There's an entire matrix of aesthetic, philosophical, theological, even eschatological presuppositions that determine the drummer's approach to what he's doing when he's playing in the Church. Then there's the pressure of the prevailing culture within the Church, the leadership's particular musical choices and decisions, just all kinds of stuff to deal with before even playing a note.
Then there's all the background issues with the playing. One can assume an ability to adequately and immediately execute anything that would be required by the music, but one would be assuming quite a lot. Most people playing praise music in Churches don't have those skills. In principle, that should be the minimum requirement to get to play at all. But we're so far behind that to require that just isn't possible. For that, we ought to repent and ask for mercy.
So let's begin with some philosophical considerations. What primarily is to be going on within the drummer's mind as he leads worship? I'll examine that next posting.
2 comments:
John,
Can't wait to hear your take on this stuff. We need guys like you teaching this sort of thing.
yes. and if anybody is just tuning in, and wondering "who does this dude think he is" or whatever, i can tell you that John Simmons comes READY TO PLAY, every time, and he doesn't ever mess up or do dumb things on stage. it's kind of weird, actually. He's a phenom.
So preach on, John.
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