Musician Quick Reference (Band & Vocals)¶
Owner: Worship Lead / Director
📄 Download the two-page PDF — rebuilt automatically on every change.
Two pages for players and vocalists. Every line points into the skeleton; if this sheet and the linked page disagree, the linked page wins. Your church’s clocks and names: Our Congregation.
Why we are here¶
Encourage the congregation to sing. (Mission & Vision)
The room’s voice is the success signal, not the platform’s. Attention goes past you to God — if people are watching the band, simplify, turn down, re-center the lyric (Values). Petra settles the mundane so you are free to lead.
Your commitments¶
| Commitment | Means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday starts midweek | Personal practice before rehearsal; rehearsal is for ensemble problems, not first exposure | Rehearsal Standards |
| No prior rehearsal → no serve | Accepting a slot includes the rehearsal tied to it. Can’t make it? Don’t accept unless a lead has already granted an exception — disclosure is not permission | Rehearsal Standards |
| Prepare from one plan | Set confirmed by the deadline; keys/forms/charts published by the charts deadline — the Worship Lead’s chart beats YouTube memory | Charts, Keys & Tempos |
| Eyes up | Confidence monitors are the default; stands only with Worship Lead / Tech Lead exception | Lyrics & Stage Displays |
| Play the arrangement | Leave holes; know who carries motif vs pad vs groove | Band Musician |
| Blend over belting | Serve the lyric and the Platform lead; flag range early, not at downbeat | Vocalist |
| Stage volume is a team problem | “More me” in IEM over a louder wedge; click loyalty when click is on | Monitor Engineer |
| Ready, not present | Ready (= call time) is tuned, patched, mic’d, app open, water filled — not walking in | Definitions |
The week, from your seat¶
| When | What happens | You |
|---|---|---|
| Set confirmed | Song Selector proposes, Director confirms; Worship Lead publishes keys, tempos, forms, charts by the charts deadline | Open the plan; flag range or capo trouble now; acknowledge chart/key changes |
| Before rehearsal | — | Practice to chart + reference (+ click if used); patches/scenes labeled; backup chart stowed |
| Midweek rehearsal (90 min min.) | Review previous service → warm-up → work every part and every transition → full run; house + confidence live | Ready to rehearse at the clock; specific mix requests; note your fixes |
| Sunday pre-service | Line check, confidence glance, 1–2 problem spots, opener + one transition, prayer | Present → ready for run-through → service-ready; freeze (default: doors) ends experiments |
| Service | Worship Lead, as Platform lead, makes musical calls and listens to the pastor | Watch the Platform lead; worship when not playing; reset with peace if something breaks |
| Strike + notes | People first, then process | Gear stowed; room not trashed; notes received without defensiveness |
Before you walk into rehearsal¶
Band — chart learned (on confidence, or backup stowed); patches/scenes per song; capo and instrument changes planned; know motif vs pad vs groove per section; gear working, backups for critical items; tablet charged. Drummers: lock tempo/feel with the Worship Lead and any tracks before debating fills.
Vocals — reference heard in the published key; melody and assigned part learned; breaths, unison/harmony, descant marked; ad-libs only where planned; wardrobe per guidelines; warmed up enough to be useful.
Both — if something is not ready, tell the Worship Lead before the ready-to-rehearse time so the plan can be simplified.
In the room¶
- Talk between songs, not over the Worship Lead; tune quietly; fix buzzes without a TED talk; phones for emergencies only
- Mix requests are specific (“more acoustic in the verse”) through the cue workflow — no shouting mid-song unless safety; monitor freeze after the final run
- Tell Media / Worship Lead about wrong or unreadable confidence content at rehearsal, not during the opener
- Test whether the room can sing it — an untrained voice on row 12, in the published key. Say so if not
On the platform¶
- Invite the room to sing — volume, eyes, energy make space for their voice; be present, don’t perform emotion you aren’t carrying
- Mics are always hot; hand off intentionally; no venting on a live mic
- Hold still through prayer/scripture unless directed; tune under pads/prayer
- Lose a line? Mute or pull back — don’t invent loudly. Pastor extends? Watch the Platform lead — don’t invent a concert
- Offstage still represents the team (green room, lobby, chat); impaired serving is an immediate stop (Platform Etiquette)
When something breaks¶
People safety first; preserve the moment second; one message on the day-of channel. Someone collapses → any lead stops the music. Click dies → Worship Lead counts in, live arrangement. Lyrics freeze → lead vocal carries, Media goes to a safe slide (Incidents & Contingencies).
Scheduling & communication¶
| Situation | Expectation |
|---|---|
| Schedule request | Accept/decline within 48 h; availability covers rehearsal and service |
| Swap | You find a qualified cover (on the roster for the role, or signed off); they take rehearsal and service; propose in the tool; final when both people and the swap confirmer agree; <24 h → phone the Worship Lead / Tech Lead / Director |
| Late / absent | Tell the Worship Lead or Director ASAP — before rehearsal starts when humanly possible |
| Sick / contagious | Stay home; a thin band beats a sick room |
| Key / chart change | Acknowledge within 12 h or before the next rehearsal |
(Communication Norms · Availability & Swaps)
Who to ask¶
Section lead → Worship Lead (musical) or Tech Lead (production) → Director → pastor. Care and safety issues skip the chain — designated reporter / pastor the same day (Safety & Protection).
Where to look¶
| Need | Page |
|---|---|
| One page · your charter | Playbook · Band Musician · Vocalist |
| Rehearsal rules & clock | Rehearsal Standards · Midweek Rehearsal Runbook · Pre-Service Rehearsal |
| Charts, keys, tracks, stands | Charts, Keys & Tempos · Tracks & Playback · Lyrics & Stage Displays |
| Culture, care, words | Team Culture · Pastoral Care · Definitions · Glossary |
