The truth is, talking about "platform presence" might strike you as overkill, or uncomfortable, or unnecessary. C'mon, we're here to sing and play and call it a day, right? But here's the reality - half of what we communicate is non-verbal. If we were in a studio laying down tracks it wouldn't matter one bit...we could be yawning, slouching, look like we're flatlining. But we're not in a studio - we are out front, visible, and we have the responsibility of modeling what it means to be an engaged worshipper. This includes us instrumentalists as well as the vocalists.
We are always communicating something when it comes to our "platform presence" - nervousness, joy, apathy, intensity, etc. I may think I am communicating joy or engagement, but in reality it may be something else entirely (hence why reviewing video is helpful). Most of us have spent years singing and/or playing, working on our craft, to get to our current state of musical skill. It makes sense to think that it will take some time & work to improve our non-verbal skills. And I believe that the time and energy we invest in this area will pay dividends.
If we desire to worship God in a way that brings Him honor and fame we can't ignore what we are saying with our physical being. I want to do everything to make sure your (our) hearts are shining through. I don't want anyone to look up at us and question whether we are engaged with God. I love seeing our worship team exude authentic passion and joy. It is contagious and invitational.
Below are the Gateway Videos we have shown (most) of the team so far...if you haven't seen one or more of these please take a few minutes to watch them. In the spring we'll be asking you to do some self-evaluation and we'll be basing it on the concepts in these videos.
~Line of Sight
~Body Language & Listening Positions
~Facial Expressions
~Working with Equipment
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