Beyond Sunday Worship

Worship Podcast & Blog

The Rehearsal From Hell And How To Avoid It

We worship leaders are well acquainted with hell.

Not because we are depressed, indie rock wannabes. Or because we watch horror flicks to drown out our pain.

We are well acquainted with hell because we have rehearsals. Bad ones.

I believe poor rehearsals are one of the greatest sources of stress for worship leaders.

There’s a boatload to manage – arranging songs skillfully, working with some difficult personalities, coaching mediocre musicians, and fostering a sense of unity upon a certain goal.

I remember when all my rehearsals used to suck. Now they just suck way less frequently.

You probably know the feeling well – that ache in your stomach after rehearsal.

“Are we going to get through Sunday?”

“Do I still want to do this?”

“Am I a complete failure at this worship leader thing?”

I’m convinced that excellent rehearsals prepare you to lead better. You don’t want to be operating at a constant, high level of stress. Trust me, I’ve been there and I’ve seen too many worship leaders live this way.

Stressful rehearsal – stressful weekend – day off. Rinse and repeat.

Don’t you want something more?

7 Tips For Less Stressful Rehearsals

Here are some tips to ensure you have better rehearsals:

1. Worship

I have found that actually worshiping during a rehearsal, even for 5 minutes can create an incredible atmosphere. I know that sounds like common sense, but how often do we just get to business?

Pull your team aside and cry out to God.

2. Keep it Simple, Don’t Over-Plan

When I think back to my most stressful rehearsals, it was because I over-planned. Not only did I want to cover two brand new songs, I wanted to re-arrange three others. And spend some time arranging a new original. And have a devotional. And pray. And hang out.

Friends, when you plan too much, nothing gets done well. Determine was is most important to you and stick to it. I would recommend no more than 3 songs at one weekly rehearsal.

3. Delegate

Feel in over your head? Have you thought about delegating responsibilities to your team members?

What if someone from your team took ownership of teaching one of the songs? What if your band actually showed up ready at rehearsal?

4. Do Your Prep Work

Rehearsal is not the time to figure things out. Well, it is slightly. But only after you’ve planned that baby out like it’s THE performance.

Prepare your sheet music, set the stage, prepare your team. Show up ready to serve them and have a plan for what you want to accomplish.

5. Have Fun

The second you stop laughing as a team is the second your stress level rises. Create a fun atmosphere on your team. Laugh at yourself. Laugh at each other (all in good taste) and outdo one another with your ridiculous humor.

Trust me, it makes a huge difference.

6. Leave Space For Creative, Musical Brainstorming

I’ve noticed my rehearsals turn south when all I was focused on was cranking out music for Sunday. Try leaving space for all-out creativity.

Arrange something together. Jam on a random chord progression and see where it goes. Write a song together. Do something that’s off the page.

7. Shake It Up

Do you do the same things all the time? Do you structure all your rehearsals the same way? Try something different. Maybe each month try a new structure.

Start with a devo one week. Arrange an original song the next. Order pizza the following week. Get creative. It will keep the atmosphere fresh and your team engaged.

Question: If you blog and have written about rehearsal before, leave a link to your post. How else do you avoid rehearsals from hell? Let us know in the comments!

Comments

  1. Brian Taylor says

    David, you are so spot on about including times of worship in rehearsals. It’s funny that worship teams could spend that much time together playing “worship music” without ever engaging with it. I’ve found that my teams always play/sing/sound/flow the best when they allow themselves to connect with the songs on that personal level while we are rehearsing.

    We actually have a point in rehearsal (normally during our final run-through) where we stop
    everything and say that the nature of the time is changing. Simply, “rehearsal” is over. It’s no longer about parts or progressions, it’s all about us worshiping as a team. Making that kind of statement (rather than simply trying to imply it) really helps to focus the team. When we miss that time, it shows!

    Great post, thanks for sharing.

  2. Khamille Coelho says

    I think you are so right to put worship as the # 1 priority in a rehearsal. It makes such a difference. It’s kind of a reminder of why we do what we do and it brings focus to the team.

  4. Elgin says

    Thanks for posting! I, too, have had the hell-rehearsal problem. I’m trying to work out how to make rehearsals better, and how to take advantage of everyone’s time.

    Can I ask – how long is your average rehearsal. How long would you say is “too long.” ?

    Also, we recently divided vocal & instrumental rehearsal so we could spend more time specifically working on parts and avoid having people stand around. Any thoughts on that?

    Thanks,
    Elgin

    • David Santistevan says

      Elgin, I love the idea of a split rehearsal. If you have the leadership to pull it off, that’s awesome. I would say rehearsal should be no longer than two hours. That is, unless you’ve communicated an extended rehearsal in advance. Sometimes a schedule 3 hour rehearsal is effective. The most important thing is communicating your plan and sticking to it. It builds trust with your team. Do you agree?

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