4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very insightful and informative, July 16, 2008
This review is from: Art of Worship, The: A Musician's Guide to Leading Modern Worship (Paperback)
All of the bio info on Greg seems to indicate that he possesses the skill set and body of knowledge that would qualify him to write authoritatively on the subject that he addressed in his book. He holds a Masters Degree from the University of Pittsburgh and has an impressive resume. Greg has experience in all the facets of music ministry such as being a church musician, composer, and a director of choirs and praise bands. He also has experience teaching as a music professor. By all accounts, Greg seems to be a good model music minister (although I do not know him personally, nor have I ever worked with him).
Greg's book is quite comprehensive insofar as that it covers most (if not all) of the aspects of music ministry in a church. The fact that his book has 51 foot notes demonstrates that he did his homework. His book covers:
· The potential hazards and pitfalls a church may encounter when making the transition to a contemporary service format with a praise band;
· The details to consider when putting together a praise team and making it effective in a church service;
· How to select songs and build a repertoire;
· The different formats in a church service and how adapt style to structure;
· Each instrument's role and dynamic in the praise band;
· How to prepare and conduct rehearsals;
· And finally, how to lead the singing during the actual service.
The book gets quite technical in some parts. Greg shows his vast knowledge of music theory when he elaborated on the various types of modulations a praise band could do in the last eight pages of chapter four. He even provides scores of these modulations to illustrate his point. Greg also did the same thing in chapter five when he devoted about eight pages to elaborate on the different types of harmonies the vocalist can use. Greg provided a lot of insight and analysis to many of today's popular praise songs. He addressed their lyrical content and musical style while also demonstrating a knowledge mainstream pop music.
I love the cover of the book. It has a photo of a five piece drum set (brand name unknown) accompanied by three crash cymbals, a hi-hat and ride cymbal (brand name of cymbals unknown). I could not have selected a better cover design myself.
In chapter 5, Greg gives an analysis on all the typical instruments that could be used in a praise band. He elaborates on each instrument's distinctives and how they contribute to the overall dynamic. For the most part, I thought Greg did a pretty good job of breaking down all the instruments and their specific roles.
Overall, I think Greg's book is very good and his book would be very useful for those who want to be involved in praise ministry in any capacity.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
essential for all worship pastors, April 4, 2007
This review is from: Art of Worship, The: A Musician's Guide to Leading Modern Worship (Paperback)
Greg Scheer's immensely practical book hooked me in the first paragraph. Full of wisdom and practical insight, my copy has bright yellow highlighter marks on every page because there is so much I want to return to again and again. This book, with Kevin Navarro's "The Complete Worship" leader, are essential reading for all worship pastors, especially in a contemporary environment.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent leadership resource for modern worship, June 3, 2007
This review is from: Art of Worship, The: A Musician's Guide to Leading Modern Worship (Paperback)
Greg Scheer's THE ART OF WORSHIP: A MUSICIAN'S GUIDE TO LEADING MODERN WORSHIP offers contemporary church leaders an excellent leadership resource for modern worship, considering the struggles between traditional and modern musical taste and blending discussions of biblical principles with insights on worship methods suitable for musicians, pastors and students of ministry alike. Collections catering to this audience will find THE ART OF WORSHIP excels in including discussions of new music, the influence of new resources such as the Internet, and more.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
