Reading: What is Music?

How to be an effective 
Worship Leader
What is music? Why is it so powerful?
Steve Elzinga

The elements of a Worship Service
Music
Sermon
Bible reading
Offering
Prayer
Testimony

What is music? 
Why does it do what it does?
Music is a recognized pattern of

Words
Beat
Pitch

Because music has so many recognizable patterns, it becomes very sticky.
It sticks to you
It sticks to everything connected to you thus making those things stick to you.
Events
Emotions
People
God

Because music is so sticky, people have been using it to communicate complex emotions for centuries
88 notes
Keys and chords
Minor and Major
Ambiguous chords

Because music is so recognizable and sticky, it is incredibly repeatable
How many songs do you know?

Because music is so recognizable and repeatable, it has the potential to create layers of connection.
As the layers pile up, they become more and more meaningful and begin to emotionally tug on your heart.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NIV) These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

So music is a powerful language in a Worship Service
It carries emotion
It carries history
It can be done as a group
It can be done in unison or in parts
It can speak for God
It can speak for the congregation
It can speak for each person in the congregation

Like all languages, it is only as effective as people know it
So in this course you are going to learn all the parts of music in worship (voice, harmony, instruments, words, etc.)
You are also going to learn how to teach these parts so that the congregation can get more out of the worship service.
You are going to learn to create a culture of worship.