I'm curious, how do you guys introduce new songs? How often? How many times do you repeat it (how many weeks in a row), etc.
Here's what we do. I introduce a new song about every three to four weeks, unless people in the church would already know if from the radio. We do it one week before service, then three weeks in a row, take a week off, and then add it to the rotation. More than one (sometimes more than two) songs can be in this process at a time. I'm just curious if others of you have similar tactics, or if you've found a different method works better.
Note:
This is in our second service, btw. It's a modern service with rarely a song over five years old. In our first service, we'll do a new (old) song about every other month or so. It's more of a blended worship style.
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3 comments:
that's a good system. it's definitely something you want to do on purpose. many times music guys are guilty of doing too many new songs and not doing them enough. we would introduce a new song and do it at 3 weeks in a row and then throw it into the rotation as well.
also, if we were doing a new sermon series i would try and find a song that could be the theme song for the series. if there were other new songs that worked with the themes i would introduce all of them (no more than 3). I would do the theme song as the call to worship and then a short welcome. then the first song in the worship set would be one that they knew to get them singing. then i could introduce the other songs after that one.
one of the other cool things that i've done in the past is we were doing slide announcements while people are coming in and the songs we were playing in the background were next months new songs. when i was working with the choir i would tell introduce the song to them and they would go, "we've done this one...right?" it was really cool to have the people subconsciously learning new songs before we ever do them.
like i said, i would also introduce the song to the choir first so they could be singing strong. sometimes i would even use the new song as a choir special to introduce it to the congregation and then the next week do it with the congregation.
one of the things i had feedback on from a trusted worshipper was that they just want to know what the expectations are. when introducing a new song, the congregation isn't gonna know it and so they may feel awkward. let them know up front that its a new song, tell them they may not be able to sing every note but to sing when they can, tell them to worship with clapping, etc. hopefully they realize that there is more to worship than just singing, join in clapping, dancing, etc. let's worship God together with all over our being.
these are just things i've tried to do and things i've learned. hope this helps.
ps- when doing a series where i wanted to introduce a bunch of songs, i may just introduce 2 the first week and do 2 that they know. the next week i would introduce the third with one that they know. then maybe the third week introduce another one. i think 2 new songs in one service is as much as most congregations are going to feel comfortable.
Yeah, tough issue, Josh. I don't do an especially good job at new songs. We've done maybe 4 in the past two months - a lot, I suppose, but we needed to. We would try and do it for "preservice" a few times, then sing it congregationally. I try and say, "this is a new song...blah blah." if they've heard it on the radio, it will 'fit' right away. But I always repeat it for three weeks, then take two off, then do it again.
Our church knows knows Jan, Feb's songs REALLY well! The choir still doesn't know the new ones, which (I'm realizing) can be a big hindrance. If THEY seem lost, so will everyone else! I think I'll spend more time with the choir (or praise team vocalists) hammering out the new stuff in advance.
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