Recording - The unrelenting task master

That's not even a church at this point, its a theatre. No pews, no altar, no statues, no crucifix, no windows. Instead it has theatre seating, a stage, screens, projectors, a massive sound system, and what looks to be an engineered acoustic ceiling. It's more akin to Walmart in structure, and costs probably as much. I'm not knocking on anyone's religion or house of worship. These types of churches are everywhere here in Arkansas. It's just not what I think of when I think of a church. I spent my first 15 years of life in the NE, where churches have steeples with bells, vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows, wooden pews and an altar. The churches I remember only have an organ, an old lady who plays it, and they are shoved away to the side or back of the church where they aren't seen.

As for the click, the more you use it the easier and more natural it will become.
Yeah sounds like Georgia-growing up in Bible Belt it's something that's pretty common place-a church on every corner just as you described. My parents went to church some my first ten years or so of life but after that I didn't enter except for funerals and weddings and pretty antagonistic to it in my life and classroom till I was about 45 and had a spiritual awakening. Anyways a lot of the churches now have a traditional service with pews ,choir and organ/sometimes orchestra and then a concert service for younger crowd more rock oriented with cool effects and what not. I've been to both services and played at both which shocking even to myself I like the traditional better for some reason. Speaking of old lady organist -reminds me of a visiting pastor noting our gray haired organist (who was still young just premature grey) and he was commenting how he so enjoyed little ole ladies playing organ-I busted a gut.
 
Another thing about larger American churches in general, if they have the money they buy very good audio gear. Line arrays, SSL consoles, Aviom monitor mixers, Audix, Shure, Audio-Technica, Telefunken, etc., etc., and this attracts musicians like moths to a flame. To me, it's natural that a band leader would add a click to this pile and set a minimum standard for musicianship.
(sorry to derail the thread)

Totally alien concept in the uk, but for the quality of gear I'd happily burn on Sunday! Our churches are pipe organ Rick Wakeman Close To The Edge jobs.

Makes sense to have a click if there's a band leader running the show. Big churches are big business so everything needs to be on point.
 
There is a musical concept called "playing ahead of the beat" or "playing behind the beat" but the tempo does not speed up or slow down. It is difficult to achieve with most bands because most musicians that I meet are not good. Most of the time I have to follow the guitar player or keyboard anyway because if I don't, the whole band goes out of time. I'm tired of fighting with inadequate musicians about this - and some of them have been to music college - so I just play along with the band and hope it sounds good to the audience.
 
I'm tired of fighting with inadequate musicians about this
It’s so frustrating that I’ve become the “beat police” in my band. I figure out the tempo of all tunes we play, bring my metronome to rehearsals, plug my headphones into it and lock myself in. When I get looks from bandmates, I stop mid-tune, tell them to give me the tempo and play at that tempo, or stand down. I stopped caring about their feelings about tempo long ago.
 
Another thing about larger American churches in general, if they have the money they buy very good audio gear. Line arrays, SSL consoles, Aviom monitor mixers, Audix, Shure, Audio-Technica, Telefunken, etc., etc., and this attracts musicians like moths to a flame. To me, it's natural that a band leader would add a click to this pile and set a minimum standard for musicianship.

I'm currently on a break from my worship team, but were are to this point. We have just about all the gear mentioned above, and we run three morning services, and it's very machine-like. As far as how I feel about it all, well I have mixed feelings. Right now, it's necessary to keep things moving.


That's not even a church at this point, its a theatre. No pews, no altar, no statues, no crucifix, no windows. Instead it has theatre seating, a stage, screens, projectors, a massive sound system, and what looks to be an engineered acoustic ceiling. It's more akin to Walmart in structure, and costs probably as much. I'm not knocking on anyone's religion or house of worship. These types of churches are everywhere here in Arkansas. It's just not what I think of when I think of a church.

In our town, if anyone wants a traditional worship service with hymns, organ, choir robes, stained glass, the whole nine, he/she can take their pick of the dozens of churches within a 10-mile radius of just about anywhere in the county. However, if they want a service that features a decent band (at least in our area) and more modern music, they come to our church. I'm not saying anyone is "right" by the church he/she goes to or chooses; I'm simply stating what people do.
 
It’s so frustrating that I’ve become the “beat police” in my band. I figure out the tempo of all tunes we play, bring my metronome to rehearsals, plug my headphones into it and lock myself in. When I get looks from bandmates, I stop mid-tune, tell them to give me the tempo and play at that tempo, or stand down. I stopped caring about their feelings about tempo long ago.

The first practice we used a metronome, I was the only one who had it (as a matter of fact, I was the only one with in-ear monitors at the time), and our leader came in and said, "If you aren't with him [pointing at me], then you are WRONG." For years, I had been dealing with musicians and singers who could drag a stick of butter over a red-hot skillet. I was so tired of having to play to their tempo; after that, they had to play to my tempo. Now we have the whole Aviom system with backing tracks and everything.
 
Wow. Churches are a tax free loophole to a really nice rehearsal room and a paying audience... Brilliant!
 
. . . musicians and singers who could drag a stick of butter over a red-hot skillet.
What does this mean? They sounded bad? Smelled bad? (I'm totally clueless but now I wanna use this phrase if/when needed).
 
Wow. Churches are a tax free loophole to a really nice rehearsal room and a paying audience... Brilliant!
Tax free and often nice but "paying audience" is questionable since only about 5% or less of attendees tithe LOL. Still large churches often have huge budgets and when I became a christian at 45 and discovered our pastors salary I was questioning why I bothered to get my PhD in cell biology and should have become a pastor LOL. This could feed into the "How to be one fo the 10 richest drummer at a young age-so maybe become a drumming pastor LOL.
 
What does this mean? They sounded bad? Smelled bad? (I'm totally clueless but now I wanna use this phrase if/when needed).
I'll attempt. A stick of butter slides easily over a red hot skillet. It takes real talent for the butter to drag.
 
Tax free and often nice but "paying audience" is questionable since only about 5% or less of attendees tithe LOL. Still large churches often have huge budgets and when I became a christian at 45 and discovered our pastors salary I was questioning why I bothered to get my PhD in cell biology and should have become a pastor LOL. This could feed into the "How to be one fo the 10 richest drummer at a young age-so maybe become a drumming pastor LOL.
A very funny and sad post all in one.
 
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