Like That First Day
Edgar Mantilla is a musician born in Bogota, Colombia. He began to volunteer playing the piano in his local church worship team since he was 10 years old. Years later he would become a worship member at the church "El Lugar de Su Presencia" in Bogotá Colombia, where he has actively served as volunteer and staff member for 15 years as music director, pianist, arranger, recording (10 productions) and touring musician.
He currently works as a consultant, developing workshops, teaching in clinics and helping worship teams from different cities grow in areas like music, technical and ministry.
I remember when I was about 9 years old. At the time I was part of what was a small church me and my family attended, and I remember seeing a lady who was perhaps 80 years old play the keyboard during the worship sessions.
I was immediately inspired by the way she played, her joy, and humbleness to serve; this was one of the times where despite how little I knew about music, I was simply certain God placed a deep desired in my heart to serve him.
Later, I could no longer see the smiling lady nor hear her play, and God opened a place for me in that church even though I was not “the first in line” because of my age, preparation or experience. However, I do remember how I faced the challenge, though I was still a boy, and I chose to spend hours getting ready, exploring the sounds of that Yamaha PSR-19 we had on stage in that church and seeking every note, sound and chord to be exactly the same as what I listened to in the radio or the Christian music cassettes. I could not stop studying even at home with the keyboard my parents gave me.
I wanted to share this story with you because I am sure while you read these lines, you will be remembering that moment where God called you to serve him and you will keep in mind that special day where he ignited the fire inside of you, which I hope keeps burning throughout the time and the different tests that may come.
Perhaps we were not ready at the time, we did not have the ideal resources, but God still chose us and made us aware of such valuable calling (2 Corinthians 4:7)
The objective of this Blog, is that as pianists (and I know some of these lines will reach out other musicians from our teams) we can be encouraged to do the work just as the first time, following these tips I am sharing with you today, which will help us fulfill our task in a more effective way, both spiritually, technically and musically.
1. Don’t lose sight of the importance of our calling.
Praise is a prophetic ministry that brings freedom and proclaims the Living Word of God (1 Cro. 25:1).
My job is not only to make music, find chords or create ambiances with the piano. During worship and praise times, God manifests his presence supernaturally and it is exciting to see the way he works out his miracles in a mighty way, bringing healing, deliverance, restoration, joy and so much more than what we could ask or imagine.
This gives us a clear perspective of our job, since with our music we proclaim a testimony of what God has done and our faith is stirred up to do his will with us.
We also rejoice and give thanks at one voice, laying down our burdens as we run to the arms of our Father in a moment of stillness.
How then can we see what we do transcends the musical realm?
Well, our calling goes way beyond what’s musical and it is a great responsibility that carries with it a great experience in every area of our lives (Luke 12:48).
Our worship is not limited to a moment during the week when we go to our church to play our instrument... it is a lifestyle that remains in us every second as we stay in communion with God, this yields a genuine fruit in our daily lives where music is just a vehicle to draw closer to him.
Our mission as ministers is for God to feel pleased and to be enthroned in our praise. We give all worship to Him; not to music, not to ourselves, to excellence, or the tools we have. We are servants in a great banquette to honor the King of kings, where Christ meets face to face with his church.
2. Don’t put spiritual preparation aside.
Knowing how important our calling is, we need to go beyond a song list and lines to play. It is important to prepare ourselves in the secret as we seek the presence of God with and without our instrument, worshiping beyond the stage we step on every weekend.
Remember it’s not the instrument or the platform what makes you a worshiper.
Let’s aim for our music to be the fruit of a spirit that remains connected to the Holy Spirit of God and as a result an awakened spirituality will make us sensitive to his presence, empowering everything that flows through our hands.
Let’s not forget what we see and experience during a weekend is the result of what we live with God every day immersed in His presence and His word.
Thinking of this, I remembered among many things, how I have been able to see pianists and musicians in different places who know the chords perfectly for each song to be played, but they don’t know a single word of what each song says.
This is simply an invitation to worship with understanding and to know our job is to make sure every sound, chord, or note, can go side by side with the flow of ministering and supporting what the song we play talks about.
This can be done by taking some time by ourselves or along with the team to worship, understanding the lyrics of the song and allowing it to reach deep within.
3. Musical preparation will still be essential.
For this topic, it is important to study our instrument, taking classes, or having a tutor, to learn permanently, getting constant updates with sounds, music software, organized routines, etc.
But I want to focus on this word: Sensitivity.
Sensitivity to the dynamics and to our technique. Be always aware of your level of expression with the piano (dexterity and pedal use). Go according to the moment when you play for the pastor, or when you are in worship time.
Always think of your instrument as if you were the one talking, since music is a language, and such language implies a dialogue, where our duty is also to listen (is not a monologue). You can be screaming all the time or speak so soft and slow no one can understand you.
For this reason, our technique should allow us to go along these changes and express them as you play how is appropriate. Keep in mind those key moments where you play a bridge, or there is a change of chords, since depending on the moment, we can be too rough, or perhaps too soft.
Sensitivity in our execution: nowadays is so easy to access different material and information to learn chords, phrases, harmony, etc., there might be moments where we don’t want to apply everything we have learned.
But let’s not forget that the platform is not the space to show off all the knowledge we possess in one or two music bars, but rather to serve with the resources the moment calls for.
We get excited when we can use those new chords, harmonies, and special features we have in mind, but there is a time for everything. I don’t pretend to say that this cannot be done, actually it is wonderful to hear these chords or arrangements that freshen up your ear, but sometimes we use them in the wrong place and thus we take the risk to overwhelm or “contaminate” a sublime moment; just as when we use phrases or chords that do not go along with the music genre or the context we are in.
There are times where we are allowed to “sin” of shyness when the moment is asking for something more demanding from ourselves, or more virtuous but for some reason we don’t take the chance.
Attention to detail: there are lines and/or sounds we cannot identify the very first time we hear. That’s why we should not listen to the study songs or material only once while we are on our way to the service.
We need to set sometime apart to be able to pay attention to the details and ensure everything will sound as precise and organized as possible.
Sometimes we think the line we heard could go one way and it may not be like that all the time; but currently we count on several resources and material that can help us confirm and define the details of an arrangement. That way we will play what’s right and not what we think should be.
Remember: if there is an element you should play that is missing in the song, it will sound empty, but if we add an element that is not a part of the song and it does not go with the song, then it will sound disorganized.
Spiritual Awareness: More than looking for a way to classify each point I have talked about, my main objective is to show you everything points toward this subject: a spirit that is aware and attentive to whatever God desires for us to say with our instrument.
Our responsibility is to translate the heavenly language with our music, and it is ideal to have a deep desire to prepare ourselves to communicate a clear and clean message. (1 Corinthians 14:8).
4. Let’s keep up technical preparation.
My oldest friends in this world of the keyboards will understand because of all the nostalgia we remember our first keyboards with, those we started to walk this path with.
In fact, moved by these great memories, I couldn’t help but design a sound package based on these old keyboards we enjoyed so many moments.
Those Casio and Yamaha of old we used to find the best sound quality for our meetings, spending amazing hours and discovering interesting things and using every button at our reach (except for the “Transpose” one).
Technology today has evolved, and it offers several tools to have excellent sounds and resources for every taste, platform, and wallet.
The point to keep in mind is that sometimes the easier things are, the more comfortable we get, or the harder it gets to value those tools.
A great stewardship and faithfulness principle is to use the tools at hand to the fullest, since excellence does not mean to buy the most expensive things, but rather do the best of the best with whatever you have at hand, always learning, growing, and moving forward each day.
I have met pianist getting spectacular sounds from a very simple keyboard and sadly some others who have still not discovered how to use $15,000 USD keyboards. The reason I am saying this is preparation and technique begin by being faithful and valuing what we have: cleaning, taking care of, and getting the best out of our instruments, exploring them to the fullest. Doing so we also honor the effort many pastors and churches do financially to give us the best they can afford.
Technical preparation implies looking for the appropriate sound for each song, and each moment. We must keep in mind the present instruments both live, as well as the sequence (if we use one) so that everything we play, will mix smoothly, adds value and can be relevant.
For example, there are certain piano sounds that work for a softer and more calm song, while others may work for a different genre such as Latino, Gospel, etc. There are pads with “strings” that can work out perfectly for some songs but can be noisy with other songs and require a softer pad.
Therefore, having a template may be useful, or a plan for your effects by song with volumes and parameters to modify (EQ, Compressor, FX, etc.) Also, it is necessary to work side by side with our sound engineer doing a great sound check, so that the resources we use work perfectly within the mix.
Don’t forget to be prepared for everything... here is my question: What happens if a sequence fails or something out of our control happens?
Don’t be overconfident! Have your emergency sounds ready within your possibilities. Do not hide behind a track or an instrument!
Remember musicians in the Bible marched in front of the battle. Technical preparation does not imply we must know it all, but it does mean to be prepared for everything. Don’t deny yourself the opportunity and privilege of learning something new and keep up to date, not even for a day (the best tool could be your curiosity).
I hope this space has been a blessing for you and in your next meeting where you have the chance to volunteer or serve at your church, do it with the attitude you had that very first time!