Jeremy Lyzenga
Born and raised in Lansing, IL.
Graduated from Trinity Christian College in '09 with degrees in Theology and Music.
Currently serving as the Director of Music and Worship at Visalia CRC.
Completed Master's of Worship at the Robert Webber Institute for Worship Studies (IWS) in 2014.
Posted in: Organ and Praise Band - Have you had success with a blended worship style?
Hi John,
It sounds like we're in similar situations. I graduated from Trinity in '09, and have been serving at Visalia CRC in CA for 2 years as well. I feel extremely blessed to have 'inherited' some really good organists who have been doing what you're talking about for some time now. So, while I haven't had to really work very hard at getting the organists to play along I think I might have a little bit of perspective.
One reason leadership might be having a hard time understanding is all of the functions of the organ. I think most people hear the words 'organ' and 'praise band' used in the same sentence and they picture an overpowering pipe-organ/brassy sound on top of the guitars, drums, etc... Whereas it really helped me when one of our organists showed me all the Midi functions, and different pads they can use as background support rather than the typical pipe organ-hymn leading sound we're 'used to' hearing. I know it helped me when I realized that an organ can be used much like a keyboard - which obviously is a widely accepted addition to a praise band.
I think it is also highly dependent on who exactly the organist is. Some organists may not be willing to explore these other functions, and uses. Our organists really enjoy the opportunity to contribute to the 'contemporary' songs, and I often get very positive feedback from the congregation when we're able to incorporate the organ into those songs. For one, it can certainly enhance the overall sound when done well, and secondly, many members appreciate us trying to get as much use out of the organ as possible. Another possible reason to encourage this is our ever-present need to use our volunteers' time well - having an organist play for a service, but only on 2 hymns is asking a lot of them for really a minimal level of participation.
Lastly, I think song choice is key. There are some songs that an organ just isn't going to be able to 'keep up with' due to the nature of the instrument. I find a lot of the older "Praise and Worship," Maranatha/Vineyard types of songs are easier for the organ to jump in on, as well as some of the newer hymns by the Gettys.
Hopefully some of this helps.