Masters Worship Project: The 7 elements of music composition applied to worship arts
Worship leadership is a composite ministry requiring in-depth musical comprehension, skill as a musical artisan in one or more disciplines, understanding and articulation of theological concepts, and leadership comprehension and modeling. Through the correlation of the tools of music composition: Dynamics, Form, Harmony, Melody, Rhythm, Scoring and Text, I examine the musical concept of each tool and then correlate its spiritual and leadership significance as it applies to worship arts.
As in any profession the pre-requisite of a field of study requires an understanding of the fundamentals of the discipline before applying theory and practice. A composer creating a masterpiece of tonal art requires a functional understanding of the complexities of music theory as well as a significant depth of knowledge of all of the instruments of the orchestra, their ranges, their tessitura, and their timbre or color tone—before penning a single note. Along with the composer are the talented musicians who have spent countless hours perfecting their own craft. The compliment of each one to the other is a perfect example of synergy—the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. The collective body produces a rich volume of sound by working together as a single entity. This is a beautiful example of the church. As each one perfects their own relationship with the Holy Spirit they unite in a single vision of worship to God. This is our goal as worship leaders.
In no particular order, defining the seven tools of music composition begins with that of dynamics. This tool is more than the increase or decrease of volume. It is an increase and release of tension used for dramatic effect to generate anticipation or intrigue through volume, texture, timbre, rhythm and even text where vocalists are included. The second tool is that of form which provides a framework of structure for the work. A composer will use structure to determine themes that can be re-articulated as a familiar thread running throughout a piece—like the chorus to a hymn in worship. Form stabilizes the work, adds continuity and creates a timeline. Harmony is the third tool of the composers palette. This tool defines the temperament of the piece to support the melody and can create an atmosphere of happy euphoria, dark and sinister maleficence or even a state of suspension and anticipation. Melody is the jewel of the piece. It can define a hero, outline a villain, or stir up a theme as powerful as an entire empire battling the death star. Rhythm is the composers tool for creating motion and momentum. Its pulse includes both sound and non-sound (rests between beats) and it can define genre, create tension and establish tempo. Scoring is the broad scope of combining all of the unique sounds of the orchestra into one cohesive voice. This tool considers the texture of sound, the richness of timbre, the fluidity or portamento of an instrument and includes diverse techniques to achieve specific effects. The composer can also specify the use of tools such as mutes, mallets or gadgets, or write in instrument specific techniques such as plucking the string of a violin or fluttering the tongue of a flutist. This is a playground for composers and it is open to imagination and creativity. Text, the final composer’s tool, is not always included in the orchestra but is invariably the most diverse in communicating the exact meaning of the composers work. It includes the ability to vocalize sounds and pitches, annunciate and articulate words and phrases in any language, and it comes in a variety of ranges from low bass to high soprano with an impressive ability to utilize coloratura or vocal ornamentation. All of these seven tools tethered with the skilled musicality of the individual artists are what create a tonal masterpiece. Collectively they offer support to blockbuster movies, TV programming, video games, concerts and an entire music business empire.
Using the seven compositional tools I expand the canvas to include how each of these correlate a spiritual truth. In Genesis, when God created light in the darkness and displayed his work in the universe, the intensity of Dynamics was visually as loud as the first sound in the middle of silence. When God first created it was the beginning form of the dimension of time, revealing the power of harmony showcased in the Trinity. He developed the uniqueness of our being as an individual melody, setting within each of us the rhythm of our beating heart in the order of creation. We witness the uniformity out of diversity in the spiritual component of scoring as he blends the unique qualities of his entire creation into a composite work of art with natural order and balance tipping the scale towards perfection. Finally we recognize the power of text both in the written word and the spoken word from even the very foundation of creation—when God spoke into existence and breathed into them the breath of life—giving us a voice and a means by which to praise and honor him in worship.
Further development of these seven tools of composition can be transferred into leadership and include dynamics as a form of tension and release—authority and autonomy—in decision making and creative thinking. The importance of recognizing form as a repertoire of consistent actions along a timeline that can improve the development of your team. Harmony described as moments of consonance, dissonance, and suspension in leadership that each leader must master in order to develop trust and integrity among the people that follow. Recognizing that the power of the unique melody of our life may be a light to some other individual or group, this tool draws inspiration from our individual relationship with Christ and becomes a transformative force by the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Rhythm is the reflection of our character in making leadership decisions. Strong beats are those that establish precedence with the weak beats being those of consistency. Syncopation is our combined effort designed to edify the body in planned unison, with ghosted beats fulfilling an opportunity to encourage and validate people without recognition or self aggrandizement. Scoring as a leadership component is the mastery of the art of identifying potential from diversity and applying it to the worship experience. Finally, text, as a leadership component effectively communicates facts, ideas, emotions, and even persuades the listener to trust your leadership integrity through the use of written and spoken language.
The goal of worship leadership is multidimensional. It is the culmination of experience, education, spiritual development and leading of the Holy Spirit. Our call is the call of the risen Lord to bring the highest glory to his name through our ministry by fulfilling the great commission:
Matthew 28:18–20 New International Version (NIV)
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”