The addition of a single instrument to the typical Sunday worship team of piano and organ can add fresh color to the service music without tons of prep. (Some prep – but just not tons of it!) So, what does one do with a talented individual instrumentalist ready and willing to participate in corporate worship?…

The shift to Praise Bands and rhythm sections as accompaniment groups in church worship services is nothing new, nor is the idea of putting a contemporary spin on old, familiar hymns. But it may be new to you and your church. And you may be wondering how to adapt a hymn to a contemporary style….

It’s spring. And once again, God is making all things new. But he is not alone in His handiwork. Nearly two years ago, my wife, Cindy, met Randall and Brenda Bradley at Alleluia in Waco, TX. Cindy and Brenda hit it off, and their “getting to know you” talk turned to “what do you do?”…

Music appeals first to our emotions. And if it has a great beat, it appeals to some primal drive in us all. Music can also appeal to the intellect, but that mostly happens to music nerds, who have spent decades studying the intricacies of music theory and form. And there are no nerds quite like…

(Note: This is a re-post of a blog from last year. My friend and mentor, Kurt Kaiser, passed away a few short days ago, leaving behind an enormous musical legacy. So, I thought it appropriate to bring this tribute to my readers’ attention once again. – Robert) When a person sets out on a new…

WHY? Every so often, I think it’s important to ask the question “why?” –  especially as it relates to my work. As in, “Why do I write church music?” A lot of my readers could ask themselves the same question, or a variation of it: “Why do I work in church music?” In a time when church…

In a time when it seems every worship leader in America has personally taken the exhortation to “Sing to the Lord a new song” by writing another modern worship song every single day, I often find myself drawn to the old, rather than the new. Now this desire of mine to zig when everyone else…

I’m the first professional musician in my family. But had my mother, Sarah, had her way, she would have owned that distinction. As a teen-ager, her dream was to have been a big band singer. And I think she could have done it, only World War II, marriage, and five kids got in the way….

It’s mid-December, and the radio airwaves across this country are teeming with romantic Christmas tunes and cheerful holiday songs. Let’s all “Deck the Halls” for a “White Christmas” while enjoying a magical “Sleigh Ride” to the merry sound of “Jingle Bells.” As Andy Williams sings to us every Christmas, “It’s the hap-happiest season of all.”…

When a person sets out on a new endeavor, a little help from an experienced hand can make a big difference. In the beginning, the smallest kindness from a friendly pro might keep the creative fire lit for another day. More than once, I benefitted from such help as I began my music career. I…

Why do we Christians sing? In the world of musical theater, there is an axiom that dictates when the character reaches an emotional peak, he or she should break into song. So for the likes of Curly, and Cosette, and Sweeny Todd – singing is the inevitable response to the drama of the moment. In…