Half of the love I have for managing audio at a church is for the philosophy of it all. I spend more hours pondering that than I do the nuts and bolts of gear and technique.
Sound (including music) is the most subjective and critical element of what we do during a church service. Sorry video and lighting guys! I know it sounds egocentric but let me explain.
Nobody walks out of the room when the screens are too bright (our 6K Panasonics won’t blind anyone) but some do when they think it’s too loud. Nobody whines when a sermon slide is too red but some might if they don’t hear their favorite instrument on top of the mix. Nobody scowls at the lighting operator when they don’t like the lighting scene but, sheesh, you should sit in my chair once in a while. It’s creepy to scowl at strangers by the way. Don’t do it.
Sound is intimate and personal. It can be pleasurable like the close whisper of someone you love, a mother’s lullaby, or music on your iPod that stops the clock. The soothing nature of crashing waves, a babbling brook, and the rush of rain on forest leaves seems to have been woven into our DNA millennia ago. Sudden loud sounds spark a primal response; an adrenaline rush of panic. Other sounds are invasive and annoying, like the incessant drip of a faucet, a pesky insect, or the neighbor’s barking dog and they threaten us with a temporary sanity fail.
Sounds (especially in music) draw deeply emotional responses from each of us. When it’s bad we argue sometimes; and heatedly when we do. When it’s great it deepens our worship experience and our connection with the teaching. This makes church sound and music uniquely spiritual and, for my role, ultimately important.
Consider this from Rick Warren’s book, Purpose Driven Church.
I’m often asked what I would do differently if I could start Saddleback over. My answer is this: From the first day of the new church I’d put more energy and money into a first-class music ministry that matched our target. In the first years of Saddleback, I made the mistake of underestimating the power of music so I minimized the use of music in our services. I regret that now.
Hey, if you’re not happy with sound at your church then hire a qualified audio engineer for crying out loud. You’ll find a few humble types out there eager to jump in. It could change your church.
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