YOUTH BANDS, PART II

The second section in our "youth band" segment involves the non-essentials. In other words, "what can we leave behind?"

As before in our first section on youth worship, the non-essentials in this post are 100% opinion. I have worked with youth bands and feel pretty confident in my list, but as always, these are up for discussion.

So...what can we forget about? What's non-essential?

COVERS
I think leaving behind the idea that "we have to nail this song perfectly" is a wise move.

But not an easy one.

If you have teenagers who dig a song (or at least are willing to listen to something an old fogey like you want to play,) they're going to want to do it like the CD version. Because they like that version.

And that's okay...sometimes that happens.

But I think killing this idea that we have to (or even able to) perfectly replicate the song really makes a big difference in your team.

It's not a hard sell, really. A simple ten minute discussion about overdubs will quickly show your kids that there's no way a 4-piece band is going to nail that Casting Crowns' version. Eliminating this pressure to perform frees your kids up - both to experiment within their own ability and to realize that worship songs must be used in the congregational context. Teaching our bands this goes a long way toward building pastoral care in them.

LABELS
Labels have killed many a youth band.

Look, I don't have a problem if the youth band wants to have a "name." But we name the band and talk about the band and encourage them to particpate in community Battles of the Bands and make flyers with their pictures and promote them like we would any other "event" or concert within in our ministry.

But here's what that does:
1. It reinforces the very thing we need to kill in our hearts. Musicians are egotistical, applause hungry individuals. I know. Believe me, I know. Labeling a youth band only feeds that rock star mentality, which I can guarantee is already living inside each of us. And the rock star monster is insatiable...he consumes things like applause and stage lighting and web hits and gushing.
2. If the band doesn't "make it," all those labels feel pretty silly. To them and you. Christening your youth band is dangerous because, even at it's best, this band is not going to win a Dove award. They're not going to get a record deal and eventually, some of them will graduate out of your ministry. What do you do with all the fylers and promotion then?
3. Labels force kids to pick an "image." Start talking about naming your youth band and getting them gigs and pretty soon you'll have an all-out war about the band's "sound." Once you add a whole new dynamic - playing in front of strangers - you run the risk of beginning to select songs on their performance value rather than their worship worth.

DIY
Youth bands are hard work. And too many of them have suffered from a lack of support and encouragement. I think it's important to make sure we take a long time before we give control over to the students. And that's a hard thing, really. Once they're functioning pretty well together, it's easy to just buy them some music, make sure their sound gear is working and let them have it.

Lots of ministry resources talk about letting kids "own" ministry, and I agree. I just think a lot of us are too quick to give total control to our students in an area like worship - that's so hard most adults are still trying to figure it out!
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It's not my intent to sound negative here. I really do think that every youth band is different and so my ideas may not work for your team. But in my experience, these little lessons can help us to be better and do better for those students within our congregations who step up to serve.