"You need more stage presence" my drum instructor told me one afternoon. "You look like a robot up there...people will always look at you before they hear you...loosen up a little and act like you're having fun".
This instruction came from a very polished musician I had the pleasure of meeting as a teenager. I asked him to give me some tips before I entered my first drum competition because he had won Guitar Center's drum-off multiple times; he was legit. I paid the man to hear my solo, watch my technique, and give me some musical ideas that would wow the judges. Instead, he told me to quit being such a stiff.
This advice has stuck with me since age 17 and I frequently try to remind myself of the truth therein. People will always see you before they hear you. Let's make this clear - I make a clear distinction between performing and worshiping; they are not the same, nor should they be. However, I think the principal of stage presence still applies.
I often think of my wonderfully-talented friend when watching worship teams minister. From their lips I hear about joy, peace, and love for their savior, but their faces don't sell me on it. Imagine if I stood in front of you and told you I had just been given a multi-million dollar home for free, but the whole time I was speaking my face was emotionless and my voice had no emphasis of excitement. You'd begin to wonder why I wasn't more excited about such a wonderful situation, no? You may even think I was lying to you.
Sometimes I wonder if the congregation thinks the same about our worship teams.
Too many times I've watched disinterested-looking singers and musicians try to lead a congregation to a place of unparalleled joy and gladness. This is a mixed signal. Lest we forget the words of the American Psalmist who said "If you're happy and you know it then your face will surely show it".
You're probably thinking that I think that I have this thing all figured out, right? Wrong! My church broadcasts our services, so I have the privilege of reviewing myself from time to time. Despite me knowing all about stage presence, you know what I see when I watch old services? I see a face that looks disinterested and disengaged from what God is doing in the building. How is it that I can do the very thing I know I shouldn't do? Here's the quick answer: I'm busy and distracted.
I've attempted to capture the attention of both the musician and non-musician in my "Confessions of a Worship Musician" posts. This next part is for the non-musicians, but there are valuable instructions at the end for the musician too.
Leading worship isn't as easy at it looks, folks. Try doing a math problem while juggling while having a conversation with your spouse while keeping an eye on your children while getting dressed while cooking dinner while doing your taxes. Does your brain hurt yet? That's what it's like on a worship team.
At any given time on the platform my mind is processing the following:
What key are we in? What chord progression are we playing right now? What keys in which octave should I be playing to get the sound I want?
What sound do I want right now? Piano? Organ? Rhodes? Wurly? Pad? Strings? A combination?
What are the dynamics of this part of the song? Should I be playing something soft and subtle or busy and aggressive?
What are the other musicians doing right now? Am I playing over them (bad) or playing with them (good)?
Is the worship leader going to repeat the chorus or go back to the verse? Are we sticking with this song or are we going to the next song? Wait, she just turned around and made a face...is she going to switch to a song we didn't practice? (FYI, this happens way more than you realize...we frequently play songs during a service that we were not prepared to play that day...sometimes they even sound better than the songs we practiced)
I can't hear the lead singer very well; which channel on this in-ear monitor system will turn her up? The drums are too loud in my ear; how do I quickly turn them down?
What are the words to the next verse? Am I supposed to be singing lead or harmony or not at all?
Now, in the middle of all these thoughts, the words I'm singing are drawing my heart into worship and my spirit is connecting with God the Father. My emotions begin to overflow as I pour myself out through my music and through my song. Then I see a friend go to the altar and I wrestle with whether I should stay at my post or go pray with him; I'm not sure what to do, so I begin praying for God to lead me.
If you've ever looked at a worship musician and thought "they don't look like they believe what they're singing"...you're partially right. Many times we don't LOOK like we believe it, but we actually do. We're often just too busy and distracted for our face to reveal our inward feelings. Try to understand the tremendous amount of information our brain is processing every second of the worship service and cut us a little slack.
I like to think of it this way: Every moment on the platform my heart, soul, spirit, mind, body, hands, feet, and voice are all at full attention and operating together like a symphony. It sounds like a majestic thing, but all this activity has resulted in something very unattractive: The Stage Face.
What is the stage face? It's the face I've seen myself make so many times. A face that can look so serious - at times it looks angry, other times confused. It can look emotionless and distracted. The worst part about the stage face? It gives the congregation the perception that I am bored or checked out...and that is the LAST thing I want to portray when I am playing my instrument before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Musicians and singers: be aware of the dreaded stage face. I know it's a byproduct of a busy mind just trying to do a job well, but the congregation you are supposed to be leading in worship will follow your example - and they will always see you before they hear you.
Don't miss this next statement because it's important: STAGE PRESENCE IS NOT ABOUT FAKING EMOTIONS. I will never suggest someone display fake emotions in order to appease an audience. If you're performing on the world's stage, let'r rip. You're foolish if you take that to church. The church platform in America today is maxed out with false production; it certainly doesn't need any more.
Fixing your stage face isn't about deceiving people or putting on a show; it's about allowing your physical body to boldly express the joy, reverence, and delight you actually have in the Lord. If you have those things, don't hold back! If you don't have those things, you are probably burned out and need some time away from your responsibilities to focus on your relationship with Christ.
I urge you to make a conscious effort to express your real emotions (not your fake ones) in worship. If that means you have to put the microphone down because you begin to lose control, please do it. I promise you the overflow of your worship will impact the congregation far more than your voice ever will. Your smile, your visible delight, your pure, unapologetic worship will give the congregation permission to cut loose themselves.
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