Your Guide to Churches, Music, and COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT!

Don't be a copyright pirate.Photo provided by biwook

I'll admit that a long time ago...errrrr, I'd better not admit anything!  And thus begins our foray into the realm of copyright law, copyright infringement, and everything you need to know so your church stays out of trouble.  As a church, can you play any music you want?  Is it ok to show a video clip with "Eye of the Tiger" as the music bed?  Much of the copyright infringement that occurs is because many of us have believed three myths.  I'm not sure how these false beliefs came about but [keep reading]

One Time You MUST Upgrade Your Equipment (and the reason for the new site design)

Photo provided by libbym78

"We have been running on this mixer for 20 years." "It still works." "Most of the channels still work." "We've learned to work around that issue." "The musicians are used to it."  These are just a few reasons you might give for not upgrading your equipment, financial issues aside.  But refusing to upgrade equipment also comes at a cost.  And it might be the musicians or the congregation who are ultimately paying the cost each week. The stories of one web site, one church, one band and how [keep reading]

Make Up For Lost Instruments By Filling In The Hole

Holes are obvious - fill them in.

The drummer called in sick.  The bassist's car broke down.  The guitarist had a family emergency.  Whatever the reason, you are now missing an instrument in the band.  It's time to adjust your mix to fill in the hole. There are two ways of treating missing instruments; Make it obvious in the mix.  For example, if the only electric sound in the band was the electric guitar then mix it as an acoustic set. Cover up the vacancy with other sounds.  It's here that I'm parking for [keep reading]

What Federal Jury Duty Taught Me About Leadership

Photo provided by bootbearwdc

Have you ever wondered what it's like being a juror on a high-profile court case?  This year, I had that opportunity.  Was it hard work? YES!  Was it enjoyable? YES! Did I learn anything from it?  Of course! It was an honor and a privilege to serve as a juror in a Federal courtroom.  I was blessed to be on a civil court case with two of the city's top trial attorneys as well as a highly respected Federal judge.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This particular case was a [keep reading]

Now THIS is How You Recruit Volunteers

Recruiting volunteers for the audio ministry is not easy.  However, if you consider why people volunteer, you might just figure out how to get the people you need. I've seen this happen a before.  People sign up for volunteering but once they see the job requirements, they are gone in a flash.  But that doesn't even address the number of times I've known TD's or other techs who have made announcements asking for recruits and came up empty. A person who is willing to volunteer their time [keep reading]