So, Do You Wanna Play?

I'm getting pretty close to wrapping up my adventure to present, but it definitely wouldn't be complete without talking about the ICC Worship Band (for lack of a better name). I have been playing guitar since 1992 or 1993. I started out on guitar at a fairly late age and really only picked it up to have fun and emulate my guitar heroes (Bob Mould, Ace Frehley, Angus Young, Johnny Ramone, et. al.).

From our many conversations, Tommy knew that I played and that I was very shy about playing in front of people. Early on, the worship band line-up was very inconsistent at best. One week they'd have a five piece band and then one guy playing guitar or piano and singing alone the next. They really needed help in this area but I still wasn't sure if it was something I wanted to do or not - I've got this terrible fear of screwing up and looking like an idiot. Even though he'd never heard me play, Tommy kept nudging me a bit about it every time we'd meet and I finally gave in sometime in November.

I wish I could say that my first time out was perfect but it wasn't. The guys were late and I didn't have time to learn the songs just by running through them during the pre-service rehearsal. After all, these guys are trained musicians - in comparison, I'm a novice at best. Being me, I got mad, picked up my gear and left. It wasn't so much that I didn't get to play but that they had been asking for people to step up and when I finally did, they were late - it was just a big let down for me because I can't read music and can't jump in on songs I'm not familiar with like they would be able to. I'll chalk that one up to growing pains of a new church and a new Christian.

I was ready to give up on the worship band but Tommy and Brandon (now the Worship Leader) talked me in to giving it another go. If I remember correctly, it was just Brandon and me the following week - him on piano and vocals and me banging away on Dena's acoustic guitar. I was far from perfect but no one seemed to notice my mistakes and I had a blast. Who would have thought that my first live performance would be at church - certainly not me.

To make a long story short, even though there have been some set-backs here and there, I have been playing in the worship band ever since that day and have no intentions of giving it up any time soon. It's so much fun to be able to make music with the other guys and to do it in the name of Jesus. We do it loud too! ICC isn't exactly your typical church. We rock it out and, on most weeks, even throw in a secular song that relates to the message.

I think the coolest things about my experience in the worship band are that I have become a much better guitarist and playing is really fun for me again - not that I ever lost interest in it but it just kind of got boring only playing along to CDs in my room. Like I said, these guys (we now have a full band on a regular basis) are real musicians and I have to get better if I want to keep up with them. I probably practice more than I ever have before. I'm sure that The Holy Spirit is at least a little responsible for that. I have also become pretty good friends with Brandon. He's really growing into a quality band/worship leader and I have already learned a lot from him. He always listens when I make suggestions and always takes the time to help me out when I have questions about the music. He's a good guy.

I'm very grateful that Tommy kept on me about playing in the band and staying in the band on at least two occasions. I'm pretty sure that he could talk me in to buying beach front property in the mid-west. He's pretty slick like that. I can't wait to play on Sunday morning!