I’ll always remember the first time I walked into Hillsong church. I had so much respect and admiration for their music team. The anointing, the God-given talent, the true sense of authentic worship that came with every note they sung and played. I was signed up for their Bible College, and chose to major in Worship and Creative Arts. Being a part of the program meant that I would have a behind the scenes look at how Hillsong music ticks, how they prepare, how they practice, how they operate. And I couldn’t be more excited. I even joined the choir, and was afforded the opportunity to be up and close and personal with all the great musicians and singers I strived to be like. I learned so much from being a part of that church, including some of the most important lessons I would carry with me as a church musician.
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“They must be professionals, right?”
The most common question I got when asked about the Hillsong band. But you would be interested to know that most of the musicians and singers there are simply church members, who happen to take their call to music ministry very seriously. It’s easy to look at a successful band and assume that they’re all super musical geniuses who sit in their house for hours practicing and have graduated from the highest level of music education. And yes, some have studied very hard to learn their craft, but the reasons why these “famous” church bands sound so good go much deeper than whether or not they have a music degree on their wall.
Music ministry isn’t a hobby, it’s a God-given calling.
I embrace the fact that I am called to be a musician in the house of God. And like any other ministry, you understand that everything you do is to give glory to God. There is no “I” involved. When you truly are able to put yourself aside and pour out of yourself for the sake of the Lord, it changes the way you do things, and the way you approach things. The team at Hillsong put so much priority on learning their instruments, learning the songs, and committing to growing. They had busy lives, but they put a priority on music, and that’s the key. It wasn’t an afterthought.
I remember late one evening, my boyfriend and I stopped at a gas station near the church to fill up, and when we went inside to pay, the guy working the cash was one of the main piano players in Hillsong’s band. I was a bit surprised to see him there. He told us he works the late night shift every day. This was a guy who gets people screaming at him and asking for his autograph while he’s on tour, and here he was working the graveyard shift at a gas station. We are talking about ordinary people doing extraordinary things for Jesus because they understand what’s at stake, and what it takes to give their best. They don’t squeeze in practice when they have a spare five minutes. It’s a part of their lives, and an important part at that.
Music ministry requires discernment, and a living prayer life.
If you think you’re just going to get up every Sunday on stage and play, and expect for work to be done in the spiritual realm, you should think again. At Hillsong, there was never a service that went by where we didn’t spend time seeking God in prayer beforehand, preparing our hearts and minds. Being a church musician requires just as much spiritual preparation as it does practical preparation. We would the storm the heavenlies together prior to stepping out on stage. But the collective prayer time is only a small fraction. It’s the individual prayer life in our everyday walk that gives us the greatest strength.
One of the biggest reasons why Hillsong worship always sounds so “perfect” is that they understood how to discern the moments of when to play, and when not to play. They are never distracting, you don’t hear mistakes. They are just vessels for God to use. I always say that the most important thing about about being a good church musician isn’t what you play, but what you don’t play. Just because you’re standing with an instrument in front of you doesn’t mean you have to be playing it from start to finish in the music set. There are some moments that require more silence. There are moments where you need to hold back a little. And of course there are moments when you have to play at full strength.
Hillsong understands dynamics. They work together as a team. No one is trying to be the boss. The worship leader and the music director make the decisions and everyone else follows. It all sounds so simple, but so much has to do with the individual hearts of each person. Are you willing to concede and follow direction? Are you prayed up and ready so that you’re better equipped to discern the atmosphere of the service? You aren’t there to be a rock star or show off your talents. You’re there to glorify God through the gift he’s given to you. We have no idea just how much music affects us. God created it for His purpose. Are you embracing that purpose? Or are you getting in the way?
