Open Orchestra

Many churches today are moving toward small, professional-quality worship teams and praise bands. This seems logical enough, given claims that modern congregations are really picky about "excellence." Many music leaders, too, prefer to be associated with a small but excellent program rather than a large but mediocre one.

This focus on professionalism has some negative consequences. First, some very fine musicians (talented but not the best in the congregation) find that they have no opportunity to use their God-given talent within the church. Second, there's no place in the church for budding musicians to develop their talent. Where do you hope to find your next generation of worship leaders?

What if your church had a praise band/orchestra open to all experienced musicians, or even open to everyone? Is that an invitation to disaster? Many church choirs are open to all, and I don't hear cries that the church is doomed because a certain soprano sings out of tune. A few churches do have open bands or orchestras. I've played in a couple of them; interestingly, these have been in very successful, growing churches. Conversely, some of the most exclusive praise bands I've seen have been associated with shrinking churches and struggling music programs.

In churches with open instrumental music programs, generally there are enough good musicians to drown out the poor ones. A little creative help from the sound booth doesn't hurt. The visual and auditory impact of a crowd of enthusiastic musicians is amazing.