Janice from hot Tucson Arizona, cont. worship leader

[Rom8girl]

Hello fellow musicians!
I've been leading worship at The Vineyard Christian Community for almost 12 years now, sharing the duties every other month with another friend who is a writer and awesome musician. My team is acoustic, with harmonica (who rocks), a National guitar (like a slide), a part time mandolin player and other acoustic instruments. This team is like a community. We pray together, share our weeks at rehearsal and genuinely care for each other like a family. Rehearsals are never directed or lead with a plan set in stone. I bounce ideas off them so each one feels (I hope) an important part of the process. I always come with a line-up ready, but willing to change if someone has an idea.
I'm always on the lookout for fresh, new worship tunes to bring to the table, because, frankly, I get bored. And that's bad. There's nothing worse than being up front and not "into" what you're singing about. Yuk! Singing praises to our ABBA is my PASSION - it's the only place where I feel the most FREE. Free to let go of inhibitions and hinderances and wail out my love for our Great God. Sometimes I get a little crazy, like stopping singing melody to shout out to God a prayer, but I think the congregation gives me alot of grace for that. The other singers know to just keep going!
I'm looking forward to hearing from those who find good, new stuff that glorifies God. I always seem to gravitate to the slower songs because somehow I feel they are more worshipful (for me), but I know the congregation needs a variety, so (don't get me wrong) I do love the fast stuff too. It's just that with an acoustic group, it's not like we can pull off an electric tune. But... that can be the fun of it: giving a new song a twist that makes it your own, condusive to what you have available.
I guess I'm a folk guitarist at heart, but love R&B flavors too. We definitely have fun (most of the time) as we worship. There are times when everything goes wrong, and it's excruciating, but God always has His way - and that's comforting. I think my biggest obstacle is my own spiritual journey. When I'm struggling with God about something, it comes out in my praise. It's real, though, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Michael G]

Hey Janice noce to meet you! Sounds like a GREAT worship group you've got there and a great church also! Love the sound of the harmonica also, I'm an ole blues kindaguy myself sometimes. Love the folk music like you also. Check out some of the stuff from Enter the Worship Circle's Chair and Micrphone series, stuff from Sarah McMillan and from Kate Hurley. I think you will like them. God bless!

[Rom8girl]

I am so on it! Thank you! I'm excited to search out new music and hear what others are enjoying musically, especially when it syncs with the genre that I'm able to play and can use for congregational worship. That's really my goal - to find new stuff the congregation can follow and worship to. Have you heard the CD "Glory Revealed?" For those who like acoustic worship with a grass roots style, this is really good; a compilation from musicians like Mac Powell, David Crowder, Michael W. Smith and others all playing acoustically with all songs being scripture put to music. It's my latest favorite.
I'm a little frustrated with the "top 25" worship songs, even the top 100, according to CCLI, being songs that have been around for a looonnnnng time. I'm ready for some new great songs! (just call me impatient). Don't get me wrong though, so many great songs are timeless and I'm totally cool with singing hymns. It's just that we can't play and sing them into the ground so much that they lose their meaning. We need a fresh perspectives sometimes.
Any thoughts?

[Michael G]

I love the "Glory Reveled" recording too. I know what you mean about the same ole music on the charts. Vineyard always has some good new sounds on their multi artist CD's and from what I hear Worship Leader Magazine's SongDiscovery CD's are worth the money if your looking for new music. God bless and keep in touch!

[wyf4lyf]

Hi Janice,

You and I sound a lot alike in our vision and values for the team..and for our passions in worship. When you said it is in worship that you feel the most free, I got chills, as I feel the same way. And we live in the same town!

Our pastors are good friends...I know he really helped Gary (my pastor) when he first moved here 6 years ago. And I hear really good things about your church, too. (We do sometimes joke that your church is "the Vineyard that's not a Vineyard." :) )

I would LOVE to get together sometime to talk and pray. I have been praying for a fellow female worship leader (that sounds and looks odd...fellow female? :) ) to chat with and pray with. Are you up for that?
Maybe later in the summer or beginning of fall when travelling is over, etc. Let me know.

By the way, I'm so excited that your church is bringing in Randy Stonehill for a concert...and then Randy will be at our church that weekend for Sunday morning! All thanks to your pastor contacting mine. I don't know how old you are, but I'm kind of ancient (almost 46) and Randy was one of the first Christian artists that I really enjoyed. My husband and I saw him lots in concert, but that was when we were in college 23-26 years ago (and just friends!)...and then a bit after we were married as well. We met Randy several times and would talk with him after his show. The last time I saw him, though, I was introducing him to our "new baby, Caleb" --- who is now almost 20! So...this is going to be a huge treat for me. If I get to play and sing with him that will be even more wonderful...but those details haven't been worked out yet.

Anyway, I'm just thrilled to know there's another woman leader in Tucson. Looking forward to getting to know you here on the forum, and maybe in real life, too.

Blessings!
Nina

[Rom8girl]

Oh, what a wrong choice of word to say in Tucson... cool.... But, it's great to hear from you, Nina! I just got back from Mt. Lemmon, oh so nice to retreat to 75 degrees of heaven. What a gift! I was a bit surprised that you said Randy Stonehill's coming to our church! I hadn't heard that yet, but that's not a huge surprise. We're a little kicked back over here organizationally. Randy shows up every couple of years for fun. Nice guy, real "kicker" of a guitar player, and fun lyricist: "OOOOhaaaah!" He has roots from our humble place of worship so it's fun to see him, a patriarch of sorts. I wasn't a christian back when he was in his prime, blazing the contemporary praise music trail, so I met him later. So, how did you hear he was coming?
I would like to meet with you. I haven't read your intro yet, so don't know which church you attend. You're right about our Vineyard, we always have to say, "Not the international Vineyard. We're independent. We're "community" not "fellowship." It's a hassle. But I, just like so many worshippers, use loads of Vineyard music. We also use alot of originals from our other worship leader who writes and, with the cronies, composes some interesting stuff. We were able make a CD in '05 and finally had it out by Christmas. If you're interested I'll send you a copy. Not your "typical" pop christian music, some with latin influence, jazz and funk. Actually I'd love to hear from this community what kind of services are out there to share music. I guess I should get into the 21st century and create a facebook or myspace or something like that, but, it's not really something that thrills me - a space about "me."..... I'm pretty boring...I would, however, like to rid us of the few hundred leftover CD's we have! The leader of our band hasn't been too proactive about promoting it. We tried to create a website for our group, Aliens and Strangers, but it seems there is a death band somewhere in this country with the same name! Go figure! The title of our band is referred to in two entries in the Word, one from Hebrews 11:13-16 and 1Pet 2:11. I have no idea about the other group!
I'm probably doing this backwards because I haven't read anything about you, so I'm going to send this along and go read your intro. I'm looking forward to connecting with you also! I'm off alot during the summer as I work in a preschool with summers off. I have much more free time now than I will have starting late Aug.
Thanks for responding! I'll tell you a bit more about myself later (I have a 20 year old too! And I'm older than you... by a couple of years!)
Janice