Over the last 20 years, I have lead a lot of rehearsals and worked with a lot of bands. I wish I had watched this series of amazing teachings from Dan Wilt on some very practical guidelines to rehearsals. And that is just one topic covered by his new "Whiteboard Worship Training" sessions. WOW.

REVIEW :

Dan Wilt's "Whiteboard Worship Training" sessions are just about perfect. They are clear, excellent content with perfect, punctual and enjoyable presentation. There is a reason Dan is the premier teacher in the body of Christ on all things worship- he is a brilliant thinker and great presenter. The videos are literally 3-5 minutes each, and jam packed with truly usable information.

All wrapped up in his practical style that shows Dan is "one of us", who isn't talking down to anyone, but is sharing from years of experience and the joy of a gifted leader. The first video "How To Lead A Great Worship Band Rehearsal" is FREE. Even if you aren't interested in taking his whole course, go check out this one free video. Really great stuff. Dan has hit the nail on the head with this -- it is how we will all be learning in the 21st Century. Perfect.

Format: Online
Producer/Instructor: Dan Wilt 

Check it out online at :

http://bit.ly/iye5ij

Learning with you,
Kim Gentes

The subtitle of this DVD is "Essential Patterns for the Top 100 CCLI Songs" and this is a descript summation of Carl's intention on this training resource DVD. Here is the premise- Carl reviewed the most popular 100 songs played in churches today (as ranked by CCLI) and listened to the recordings of those songs. In analyzing the songs, and the recordings of those songs, Carl found that all of them can be played in what amounts to 7 basic rhythm types. For those who don't know who he is, Carl Albrecht is to worship drumming what Tiger Woods is to golf- the perennial contributor that has more accolades and credits to his pedigree than I could put in a review of less than 3 pages. If you have heard any worship recordings in the last 20 years, there is a good chance Carl's name is listed on the drum credits for that CD.

That said, Carl approached this DVD with a laser focus to teach you something that you can actually use. He walks methodically through the seven basic grooves found in the top songs of the church. He instructs you, groove by groove, in not only the fundamentals and techniques, but the terminology and the application into which those grooves will fit in songs that are meant for worship. There are a number of worship resources sprouting up from skilled players, but none from as seasoned of a professional instructor as Carl. This DVD doesn't attempt to add superfluous fluff, but focuses keenly on absolutely making you successful at locking in to these 7 essential grooves. The chapter list includes these main items:

• chapter 3 - 8th Note Feel
• chapter 4 - Alternative Rock (8th with 16th note fillers) - ghost notes
• chapter 5 - 16 note (train groove)
• chapter 6 - 8th & 16th Note (ballads)
• chapter 7 - 6/8 time, felt in 2 (majestic)
• chapter 8 - shuffle/swing feel (triplets minus the middle) - and hip hop!
• chapter 9 - odd time signatures (3/4, 5/4 etc) - hymns
• chapter 10 - prayer... "prayer for the saints" on drums (a solo)

As a worship leader, and a former drumming instructor myself, I can't say enough about the importance of the points that Carl makes. Every worship leader who wonders why their drummer seems to drift off beat, speed up going into the chorus, or lose time during instrumental parts should be thanking God for Carl Albrecht. Because, while it is painful to have those situations occurring in your local church band, at least now you have a remedy that can actually help your drummer be the timekeeper you need him/her to be.

Drummers and worship leaders, I can't urge you enough to consider getting this core drumming learning tool. Check it out online at :

http://carlalbrecht.com/store/drum-grooves-for-worship/

In the rhythm,
Kim Gentes

iWORSHIP FLEXX highlights very progressive video styling and graphics which may be a notch or two above what you are currently using in your services with adding static lyrics on some stock motion backgrounds.  The folks producing iWORSHIP FLEXX have done a spectacular job at making the videos very crisp for their purpose- upbeat songs pop, while balads pull back and let the image breathe without disturbing the visuals too much.  One thing I liked about the offering is that it provides intro segments, which let you cue up the song musically before the lyrics start hitting the screen.  There is also a great extended video segment, letting you run consistently on the screen, even if your band is playing an instrumental section.

Technically speaking, you will want to make sure you are using a relatively new machine with FLEXX video demands.  This model of doing VJ or worship lyric presentation removes the lyrics COMPLETELY from the process-- they are all embedded in the FLEXX video segments.  And that is the point- what you are doing here is simply running a single video for each section of the song.  The concept is brilliant, but does mean you can't have the old PC that ran powerpoint try to chug along on these meaty MPEG or Quicktime videos as you swap through song segments.

Churches that want a more progressive, higher level video experience will love FLEXX.  I would say that some churches may find FLEXX a little too progressive, depending on their song selection.  Over the years I have heard churches get more and more articulate about too much happening on the video screen during worship.  I think FLEXX could be used well, but I am guessing some churches will want to be sure to watch a demo before purchasing for their more conservative environments.

Overall, its a great product, beautifully and artfully rendered, with a perfect mix of technical chops to make it "plug and play" with MediaShout or other higher end presentation software. 

iWorship FLEXX has several titles out including:

• Majestic (Amazon link) : http://amzn.to/p7BKa7
• You Are Good (Amazon link) : http://amzn.to/q5rqxL
• Our God Saves (Amazon link) : http://amzn.to/nPV6ud
• Glorious (Amazon link) : http://amzn.to/qzRLhJ
• Lead Me To The Cross (Amazon link) : http://amzn.to/n0BkaA
• God You Reign (Amazon link) : http://amzn.to/oo9ho5
• You Are For Me (Amazon link) : http://amzn.to/ow65e1
• Christmas: We Adore You (Amazon link) : http://amzn.to/nCS6uj

Review by Kim Gentes

When I began watching this DVD set to help understand what it was, I quickly realized this was more than a 1 hour DVD with a few "tricks and tips". Instead, "Intermediate Acoustic Worship Guitar" is a complete, and fully featured 7 hour course that will revamp and energize your acoustic guitar skills. This is a resource that is meant for rhythm players, and especially worship leaders. In fact, much of the items covered in the course, targets common applications for worship leaders such as fresh strumming patterns for common worship song rhythms. But the DVD's do not get you bogged down into bastions of skill sets for long periods of time. Instead, like other Musicademy products, this course flows from point to point and interjects interviews, quick tips and concepts that apply to the lessons being learned.

This is a true course, not just a terse summary of best ideas from a guitar guru. But because it is broken into several lessons, this DVD could be used as a weekly teacher. Plug it in for 30 -40 minutes, work through a few lessons. Then work on that for a week. Come back in a week and roll through a couple more lessons. This DVD set works well as a self-paced course that will propel a rhythm acoustic guitar player. The amount of content in the DVD set is so voluminous, you may not believe it- it is over 7 hours (yes, I said seven) of digital video content, across 3 DVDs. The content starts head-on with strumming and moves through that extensively. All the while, the instruction compliments both single instrument and band contexts. In fact, worship leaders will especially appreciate the regular tips explaining how to apply concepts and skills in the worship team/band settings. Most of the strumming patterns actually accompany a drum click pattern that helps the player understand the rhythm context for their strumming patterns being learned.

Topics move on to chord voicings, complex chords, barre chords and picking techniques. Even included are specific flourishes/licks that an acoustic guitarist can learn and put in their toolkit for appropriate settings/use. At first, the DVDs don't tackle classical music terms and foundations (other than timing), but as you work through the course, you learn keys, notes and timing, even Nashville Number system information. All of this would be far too much information, if the course was not well segmented, nicely paced and easy to watch and take at your pace.

While this course is definitely not for the beginning guitar player, it is going to be very effective for those who play well enough to lead worship in a local church context. It will help take those people into an entire new strata of expression on their guitars, by providing very methodical, though engaging, lessons to invigorate their playing. The details about this course are much rather seen than read, so I highly encourage you to view the important detailed info that is linked to from this page. (go here)

The bottom line- if you are a worship leader, or know a worship leader, this course is a beautiful tool that will help you and work for you in your local church bad context. If you are an acoustic player looking for a sure-fire resource to move you along to the next level- this is it! I highly encourage you to consider the Musicademy: Intermediate Acoustic Worship Guitar resource.

Product link: Intermediate Acoustic Worship Guitar Course

Review by Kim Anthony Gentes

For the last 20 years of musical involvement I personally had been engaged training, teaching, and developing materials for guitar players, worship leaders, and drummers.  But my musical journey began actually with playing drums in junior and senior high school bands. Later, in college, I participating in local churches as a drummer, and eventually helped develop drummers by writing some essentials curriculum for drums.  Back in the early days of the modern praise and worship sound being used in local churches, there was very little in the way of resources for musical training. In the last 5-10 years, these resources have begun to spring up from notable musicians and clinicians around the worship community.

Most of the contributions in the musical training within the worship community have been more of “clinic session” style resources.  Those clinic style DVDs deal topically or stylistically with learning how to play an instrument in the worship setting.  However, what has been missing from the resourcing cache of the modern church are extensive and comprehensive full length courses on given instruments.  To that end, Musicademy brings us “Worship Drums Course: Beginners“ and “Worship Drums Course: Intermediate“, the first fully enclosed lesson series that takes you from a novice to “ready-to-play” participant in your local church worship band.

Having spent years as a drummer and many additional years as a worship leader, I feel that one of the critical components of modern church music is a competent drummer.   The Musicademy “Worship Drums Course” contents are basically the equivalent of having dozens of lessons compiled onto DVD, organized into step-by-step chapters and ready for you to start learning!

Right from the start, Colin Brookes, the primary instructor on the DVDs, explains each concept verbally with clarity and a warm approachable manner. As you roll through the lessons, on-screen subtitles punctuate the points. The typical lesson consists of:

• a brief verbal introduction
• a drum notation script across the bottom of the screen
• Colin playing the rudiment or lesson point
• an example of that skill being implemented in a full rhythm (with some lead in measures).

Most lessons included at least 2 or 3 complete reps where the student can actually follow along and work out the rhythm.

This is a quality approach to teaching. There is important information being conveyed, but also plenty of clear examples and lots of repetition to give the student time to lock in to the concept by actually playing.  Many times in the lessons, Colin shows both a regular speed example of the beat and a slowed down version.  This is crucial to building a proper foundation in drumming technique. While it is important to practice in music—it is essential to practice right!  To make sure this happens Colin slows down the tempo and students are forced to learn the beat the right way.  The result is that you spend hours of on DVD time (and hours more of off-DVD time) practicing the skills the right way. As the skill improves, then speed can be increased.

In addition to the professional approach being taken on the lessons in both Beginner and Intermediate drum courses, both DVD sets include two other important add-on content sections: Quick Tips and Interviews.  The Quick Tips are a collection of simple practical notes about the instrument and your role with it- things like: drum kit positioning, eye contact with the worship leader, fast /slow click speeds, dynamics, music styles, syncing with the bass, and more.  The Interviews are a collection of personal stories, tips and insights from worship leaders, drummers and other musicians, each of which explain some topic from their perspective and experience.

Musicademy has done a very good job at not only collecting a complete set of lessons (for each of the Beginning and Intermediate lessons), but it has done this with an eye to good video production and editing, making the DVDs a joy to use.

Are you a new drummer who wants to make sure you learn all the basics correctly, but at your own pace or from your own location? If so, then “Worship Drums Course: Beginners” is the course for you! 

Are you current playing drums, but want to move forward with learning moderate level beats or launching into another level of skill on your instrument? If so, then “Worship Drums Course: Intermediate” will likely be very helpful to you!

Each DVD set (Beginning and Intermediate) contains 3 DVDs and a full 6hours of content.  This is a great value! If you have ever gone to get private lessons, you know the cost of learning an instrument can be very expensive. These DVDs not only give you top notch professional training, but they deliver it in a usable medium (play at home, at church or wherever you can set up to learn) and at a cost that is very affordable.

Product link: The Musicademy Intermediate Worship Drums Course

Review by Kim Anthony Gentes

• The Set-Up (drum kit positioning/fit)
• Tuning (kick, snare and toms)
• Rudiments & Basic Technique
• Rudiments on the Kit
• Basic Grooves (8th note groove, 16th note groove, triplet groove, the shuffle)
• Closing comments

While "The Beginning Drummer" DVD is focused on developing the framework of how to play the drums, it is much more than just a great tool for just novice drummers. I would recommend this DVD to any drummer, whether a beginner or an advanced player. Any drummer will benefit from this excellent tool. All the segments taught on the DVD are explained in crisp, succinct language and then demonstrated with nicely paced lesson that can be used as a guide to your own practice time. The DVD also has a couple of good bonus features- an eclectic three and a half minute solo and a very important reminder to drummers of the essential nature of timing and practicing with a metronome.

"The Beginning Drummer" DVD is all of what you would need for a thorough introduction to drumming. What really impressed me was Carl's excellent ability to both teach and execute each lesson topic. He is obviously a gifted communicator, as well as musician. Carl's personal style helps combine the technical details and terminology in what feels like a private lesson. Throughout the DVD he gives you all the proper musical foundations for playing drums, while also focusing that knowledge on his goal of serving God and others in music. Carl is a servant and he approaches this teaching DVD from that perspective. He interweaves this concept across the lessons, even including a brief prayer to begin the training.

No detail or topic is left out on this exhaustive DVD that completely covers the topic of "The Beginning Drummer". I was very impressed with the content, communication, and the videography for this training tool. Whether you are a veteran drummer who wants to get a complete treatment of all the foundations of drummer to brush up on technique, or a new drummer looking for "the" video guide to take you through a step-by-step introduction on playing the drums- this DVD will serve you well.

This DVD is an impressive and essential part of any modern church's music library. I highly recommend it and am happy to grant it an Editor's Choice Award. Great work Carl!

Product Link http://carlalbrecht.com/store/the-beginning-drummer-dvd/

Review by Kim Gentes

Product Link: What Is Worship? (DVD)

Review by Kim Gentes

Product Link: Modern Worship Series -Acoustic Guitar with Paul Baloche - Instructional DVD

Review by Kim Gentes

Hear Harmony was the winner of the 2004 Resource of the Year from WorshipMusic.com.

Hear Harmony are Vocal Training CDs focusing on harmony through independent singing in rounds, parallel 3rds, finding a starting pitch and harmonizing above or below the harmony. There are 3 CDs available in the series and each focuses on training through actual particpatory exercises. Demonstration followed by an opportunity to sing along.

REVIEW :

Hear Harmony is a wonderful 2 CD set that introduces the concept of learning to sing harmony. The Lessons begin with the very basics of teaching the listener come concepts for ear-training. In order to sing harmony one must start with ear training. Hear Harmony does a wonderful job of teaching the listener to pick out the differences between melody and harmony lines in a song using 2 familiar songs most of us learned as children. 

Succeeding the first five sessions, the lessons break in to the real strength of the Hear Harmony method: the exercises. The exercises start at a very basic level and as they progress the build on each previous exercise. The exercises begin by singing numbers in the steps of the major scale and learning to sing in parallel thirds, which is the most common that we hear on a daily basis. The lessons then segue into singing notes using solfeg (i.e. doe, ray, me) and the first CD finishes with the building upon previous lessons and singing over different chord progressions and harmonizing to melodies that have skips in the intervals of the notes. When you break in to the second CD, the fun really begins. You are shown what it sounds like to sing in and out of tune on a harmony line and how to train your ear to hear the difference. The harmony exercises become more complex with continuing to learn to sing harmony at a third and forth interval above the melody line and when each is appropriate. 

The reward start to come in the second half of the CD as you move from exercises to working out harmony parts on familiar songs such as Are You Sleeping, Jesus Loves Me, Amazing Grace and others. This is where the exercises really begin to make sense as they are applied in these songs. As you continue to practice the exercises and sing along with the songs, you will grow stronger in learning to sing harmony. The only difficulty that I noticed in working through the lessons is that it can get tedious and at times, monotonous. But if you think back to learning to play an instrument in school the practice although time consuming and sometimes difficult to follow through on, did pay dividends if you stuck with it. The same is true of these lessons. 

If you have never been able to sing harmony in the past, this double CD set will help you, but it is not going to come overnight. If you are able to sing harmony to some degree, this CD will help you understand some of the wherefores behind singing harmony and you will improve. Even if you have been singing harmony for years, you will be able to glean something from the Hear Harmony CD, even if it is just using the scales as warm-up exercises. All in all I think that the Hear Harmony CD set would be a great tool in any worship leaders library. 

Review by Brian Bloom

Editor's Note: Not only as an editor, but as a worship leader, I must completely agree with Brian's review of the Hear Harmony Vocal Training CDs (see the review below). We need more solid resources like this in the church. So many vocal resources strive to fix & perfect technique but don't actually teach people (from scratch) the simple how-to's of attaining proper pitch (whether in a harmony or melody context). I was so happy to see this being done, and done with excellence, we decided to select Hear Harmony Vocal Training with our Editor's Choice Award. Great work, Hear Harmony! Great review Brian! I strongly encourage ALL you worship leaders and vocalists (current and hopefuls!) out there to seriously investigate this great new resource. Be sure you check out both Part 1 and Part 2 of this resource (available on separate CDs).  Kim Gentes

Executive Producer: Joe Randeen 
Producer/Instructor: Rachelle Randeen 
Vocalists: Andreana Arganda, Raquel Cooke, Murray Hiebert, Tony Sanchez 
Engineer: Jeff Dykhouse

Check it out online at :

http://www.vineyardresources.com/equip/content/hear-harmony-part-1-cd

http://www.vineyardresources.com/equip/content/hear-harmony-part-2-cd

Also available online at Amazon at:

Hear Harmony Part 2

In the harmony with you,
Kim Gentes

Product Link: Leading Worship - A DVD Training Experience

Review by Kim Gentes