Episode 73, Interview with Stuart Townend – Show Notes
On this episode, we feature an interview with one of today’s most renown hymn writers, Stuart Townend. Stuart has written songs like “How Deep The Father’s Love”, “In Christ Alone”, “The Power of the Cross”, and many others.
Be sure to tune in towards the end of the podcast for a special promo code from our sponsor, RightsFlow, which gives you $5 off LimeLight in September.
Stay connected with us:
comment line: 913.735.4229
allaboutworship@gmail.com
Special thanks to:
Stuart Townend – for taking the time to be on the show
RightsFlow – for sponsoring this podcast; follow them on Twitter & let them know how much you appreciate them sponsoring our podcast.
The ABC’s of Creative Worship Planning
(article written by Mandy Thompson)
1) Allocation: The creative muse is needy and brattish and fickle, but we can cooperate. We can set ourselves up for maximum creativity. If you’ve got these three resources in place, you are well on your way to creative worship planning.
Priority: Remember that you are preparing for the gathering of the Body of Christ, in His name, and for His glory. This worship service is the most important meeting you will prepare for–and planning it requires top energy and focus.
Forethought: If possible, know ahead of time what the general theme of the service will be. You’ll be surprised at the ideas that bubble to the surface before the actual planning meeting even begins.
2) Boxation: Ok. Maybe it’s not a word, but it fits my goal of having rhyming ABCs for this article, so I’m going to get creative and use it. Plus, this perfectly illustrates my point.
We’ve all heard “think outside the box,” but others (like Disney) say “think inside the box.” Define the
goal–the “win”–and go for it. Work towards this goal and within such parameters as it requires. Maybe “boxation” is better described as aiming for a target. When we know what we’re aiming for, we are more comfortable with creative methods of hitting this target. We permit crazy ideas because we know that, while unconventional, they are very much “in the box.”
At my church, we’ve spent the greater part of the past 12 months increasing participation during our worship services. Our “box” was to foster participation through Biblical, vibrant, and varied worship expressions for people of different personalities and backgrounds.
For example, a few weeks ago we emphasized confession during our service. We offered a number of ways our worshippers could confess after the sermon, including encouraging them to talk to the person next to them. Also, we placed microphones near our communion stations and invited everyone receiving communion to recite “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” This rhythmic prayer, voice by voice, was a powerful moment of participation. It was different, and it took some serious rearranging of our worship space, but it was worth it.
3) Collaboration: Two heads are better than one, right?
Warning: Be on the lookout for team-fatigue. When the whole group gets tired and in a rut, it’s time to bring in new team members. Get a fresh batch of creatives in there with you. Sometimes it only takes one new team member. They come with enthusiasm. And with new eyes. And with new ideas. And suddenly the creative process is rolling.
We have a saying at my church, and we’ve said it so often that our congregation laughs when they hear it: “This Sunday, we’re going to do something a little different.” Attendees know that each Sunday has its own tone. They know that no two Sundays are alike. And they know that these experiences have been carefully crafted to bring them closer to God. They expect it.
5 Easy Ways to Locate Song Ideas
1) Take a walk, but be sure to take pen and paper with you. Maybe you don’t have to take a walk, per se. But it’s beneficial to make an effort to get out or pull away for a minute. We have to run from the distractions of technology before we’re able to hear what’s churning in our own souls. While you’re out walking, dig deep, but stay random. Let your mind wander. Listen for bits of inspiration. Questions. Phrases. Prayers. Write ‘em down.
2) Watch a movie, with pen & paper. If you listen closely, you’ll find great phrases & questions & existential experiences in the scripts of contemporary movies. Many make subtle (and direct) mentions of faith as it applies to the human experience. Listen with open ears and you’ll be surprised what ideas come your way.
3) Listen to other great songs. This one is pretty well-known, yet often neglected. Didn’t someone famous once say “art begets art?” They knew what they were talking about. Listen to the kinds of songs you want to write. Study them. Analyze them. Find out what makes them tick, and then creatively incorporate those tricks into your own writing.
4) Find a co-writing partner. Or, better said: Find a co-writing partner with ideas. They can bring their ideas to the table and you can help expand them. Easy enough!
5) Read Scripture, while looking for phrases and concepts and imagery to spark your mind. Like listening to other songs, this is not a new strategy, either. And, if you use “The Message,” you’ve probably already noticed that a lot of new worship songs have phrases and even entire verses that come out of Peterson’s paraphrase. It was written with modern language, but still holds true to the concept and poetic form of the original text. In short, there are lyrics just waiting to be written around portions of “The Message.”
These tips aren’t magic. In fact, you’ve probably experienced the unintentional benefits of a few of these activities already. Let this list serve as a reminder, and use these strategies intentionally. If you find yourself facing a bit of writer’s block, one of these methods can serve as a tool to chip away at that block and get the ideas flowing again.
-by Mandy Thompson
The First 5 Steps of Writing a Song
1) Collect ideas. These could be melodies, an ideas, images, or phrases. Find ways to pull them together like an idea bank that you can go through whenever you’ve got the itch to write. If an idea is worth keeping and writing, use it.
2) Take that idea and write all you can, without editing or critiquing. Just let the phrases and notes flow. This will usually become the first verse and potential chorus of the song. A few lines are enough to get a general understanding of where the song is going.
3) Collect a word bank. When your brain runs out of words, go find some more. There are a few variations on this step, but the general idea is to create a collection of thematically-related words to pull from. Use key words that fit the main idea of the song, and create lists off those words. The lists will include synonyms, related words, imagery, phrases, and rhymes. Use this word bank to improve the lyrics you’ve already written, as well as complete the remaining sections.
4) Tweak the chorus. By now, you should be able to summarize the main idea in one sentence or phrase. Be sure that the chorus clearly reflects this concept.
5) Build the second verse. There are two simple approaches to the writing the second verse. One strategy is to re-phrase what the first verse says. Use different words, but basically state the same thing. Another strategy is to say the next thing, taking the message of the first verse even farther. This works if the song refers to chronological events, experiences, or a progressive question/answer.
Congratulations! You’ve got a couple of verses and a chorus. And a strong central message of the song. Not only have you progressed a long way into the songwriting process, you may be looking at a complete song!
TSC Episode 3: Andrew Peterson – Show Notes
Wisdom Moon and Mandy Thompson are back for the third episode of The Songwriter’s Cafe Podcast!
On this episode, we…
- discuss how we’ve been doing with the Songwriting Challenge
- feature a song by Caroline Cobb – “Woman on the Roof” – submitted to the Songwriting Challenge for February 2011
- discuss songwriting with our featured guest – Andrew Peterson
- feature “Dancing in the Minefields” by Andrew Peterson
QUICK LINKS
- Subscribe to The Songwriter’s Cafe on iTunes
- TSC on Twitter
- TSC on Facebook
- Andrew’s official site
- Andrew’s on Twitter
- Andrew’s music on iTunes
- Gary Ewer’s Blog – The Essential of Songwriting
- WorthWhileWorship.com
- Wisdom’s blog
- Mandy’s blog
- Wisdom on Twitter
- Mandy on Twitter
- Factor7 Agency’s site
We would love to hear from you! Email us at share(at)thesongwriterscafe.com or leave us a message on our comment line: 913.735.4229
A special thanks to Andrew Peterson for stopping by our show.
Intro bumper music is provided by Jared Anderson from “Closer to You” on his album - People of Troy.
Episode 62: Interview with Jaime Jamgochian
This is episode 62 and we feature worship leader/songwriter/Centricity Music artist, Jaime Jamgochian. She is interviewed by Mandy Thompson about songwriting, ministry, and much more. We also feature her song “Hear My Worship”.
Also, on this show we:
-discuss Gungor’s song “Beautiful Things” and songs for Easter.
-share some listener feedback, including a question a listener posed: What does worship look like in 10 years?
-share about a new feature of our sponsor, WorshipPlanning.com that makes it easy to find a replacement when a volunteer declines their scheduled day. Use promo code “podcast” and receive a 45 day free-trial.
-discuss our upcoming worship retreat taking place May 19-21. Plus Members of our site receive $50 off registration.
-share about an upcoming webinar for songwriters, presented by Chris Vacher, founder of WorshipRises in Canada. He will be sharing about how to host songwriting events. March 8th, 8pm CST.
-talk about the launch of WorshipDevotional.com.
QUICK LINKS
- Hosts: Wisdom Moon & Ben Abu Saada — check out their blogs
Connect with us:
Comment Line: 913.735.4229
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Video Interview w/ Brian Doerksen (with GIVEAWAY!)
Mandy Thompson recently had a chance to interview Brian Doerksen for the All About Worship Podcast. Here is the video version. Go here for the audio/podcast version of it, along with show notes.
After watching the interview, answer the last question that Mandy asks Brian for yourself and leave it as a comment on this post…for your chance to win Brian’s Level Ground CD-Rom Digital Songbook. Deadline: Thursday, Feb 24th @ 2pm CST. (US residents only. Must be at least 18 years old.) Winner will be randomly chosen.
TSC Episode 2 : The Museum – Show Notes
Wisdom Moon and Mandy Thompson are back for the second episode of The Songwriter’s Cafe Podcast!
On this episode, we…
- discuss how we’ve been doing with the Songwriting Challenge
- share about a couple of webinars coming up
- discuss songwriting with our featured guest – Ben Richter from The Museum
- feature “Never Look Away” by The Museum (courtesy of BEC Recordings)
QUICK LINKS
- Subscribe to The Songwriter’s Cafe on iTunes
- TSC on Twitter
- TSC on Facebook
- Upcoming Webinars with Dave Fitzgerald and Chris Vacher
- The Museum’s official site
- The Museum on Twitter
- The Museum on iTunes
- Wisdom’s blog
- Mandy’s blog
- Wisdom on Twitter
- Mandy on Twitter
- Factor7 Agency’s site
We would love to hear from you! Email us at share(at)thesongwriterscafe.com or leave us a message on our comment line: 913.735.4229
A special thanks to Ben Richter for stopping by our show and BEC Recordings for allowing us to feature the song.
Intro bumper music is provided by Jared Anderson from “Closer to You” on his album - People of Troy.
Episode 61: Interview with Brian Doerksen
On This Episode, we:
-share a feature that our sponsor, WorshipPlanning.com, offers that allows you to see the most used songs at your church.
-feature an interview with Brian Doerksen – worship pastor and Integrity Music artist.
-have a visit with Ben’s assistant, Marie King, about her role.
-talk about the webinar on songwriting with Dave Fitzgerald coming up on Feb. 22nd at 8pm CST. Visit thesongwriterscafe.com for details and to register.
-share about the All About Worship Retreat coming up May 19-21 with Brenton Brown, Pocket Full of Rocks, Sarah Reeves, Dave Fitzgerald, and others. Visit worshipretreat.org for the details.
-feature a song by Brian Doerksen – “Enter The Rest of God”.
A special thanks to Brian for being our featured guest and Integrity Music for allowing us feature one of his songs. Also, a special thanks to our sponsor, WorshipPlanning.com.
QUICK LINKS
- Hosts: Wisdom Moon & Ben Abu Saada — check out their blogs
Connect with us:
- Comment Line: 913.735.4229
Stream or download this episode:
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Episode 60: Interview with Matt Boswell
On this episode, we:
-talk about a new feature that our sponsor, WorshipPlanning.com, released called Serving Preference.
-feature an interview with Matt Boswell – worship pastor and staff writer for Word Records.
-talk about the webinar on songwriting with Dave Fitzgerald coming up on Feb. 22nd at 8pm CST. Visit thesongwriterscafe.com for details and to register.
-share about the All About Worship Retreat coming up May 19-21 with Brenton Brown, Pocket Full of Rocks, Sarah Reeves, Dave Fitzgerald, and others. Visit worshipretreat.org for the details. Listen for the special promo code to receive 25% off registration.
-feature Matt Boswell’s song “O God of Our Salvation”.
A special thanks to Matt for being our featured guest and letting us feature one of his songs. Also, a special thanks to our sponsor, WorshipPlanning.com.
QUICK LINKS
- Hosts: Wisdom Moon & Ben Abu Saada — check out their blogs
- Matt Boswell
- Matt’s music on iTunes
- Matt on Twitter and Facebook
- Songwriting Webinar w/ Dave Fitzgerald
- WorshipDevotional.com
- The Songwriter’s Cafe
- WorshipPlanning.com
- All About Worship Retreat – join us May 19-21, 2011 in Overland Park, KS for a special time of connecting with other worship leaders in an intimate setting. Listen to the show for a special promo code available to the first 5 people to register!
- All About Worship Plus Membership
- Factor7 Agency
Connect with us:
Stream or download this episode:
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