We have a vision for continuously increasing our worship ministry here at Lakeshore. Auditions are a very practical tool for evaluating the skills and heart of people who feel called to serve on a worship team, and we promise that it will never be like American Idol! As a matter of fact, we’ve taken the “dread factor” out of the equation by facilitating your initial audition through a video submission process. 

If you have a heart to lead others into meaningful worship, and you feel you are skilled with your voice or musical instrument, we would love to get to know you! Please continue reading to learn a little more about what is required and how you can take your next steps!

To be eligible for the worship team, you must be at least 16 years old and consider Lakeshore to be the church you attend regularly.

Participation in joining our church and membership class is encouraged. You should be in agreement with our mission and core values. We are looking for trustworthy, team-minded people who will take the commitment seriously. Maintaining a humble, teachable attitude is very important. The worship team in not a platform for showcasing individual talents, but a place of service to the congregation and to the Lord.

Previous experience on a worship team or in a band can be helpful but is not required. While there are similar principles used in most live music situations, every bad or team experience is different. Be prepared to learn new ways of doing things even as we follow standard practices. 

The time requirement for worship team members is approximately 6 hours per week when they are scheduled for the weekend services. (This time frame does not include personal practice time.) Included in the time requirements are Sunday morning rehearsals (6:45am-8:15am) and Sunday morning services (9:00am-12:30pm). Team members are required to stay for the entire service, though they are not required to sit through both messages. All team members are encouraged to sit through one entire service.

While some may choose to, you do not have to serve every week to be on the worship team.

We expect all individuals to use our service planning tool – www.planningcenteronline.com – for scheduling. Planning Center has various tools you can use to:

• • Accept/Decline scheduling requests
  • Review scheduled services
  • See the service order
  • Blockout the days you would like not to serve
  • Limit the number of times you serve per month

We expect all team members to utilize the tools and resources made available to them to show up on Sundays thoroughly prepared – having all music, parts and lyrics committed to memory, as music stands are not permitted on the platform.

Below are the basic skills needed for each position on the worship team.

 

Worship Vocalist
The worship vocalist’s primary function is to provide vocal harmony with the worship leader and other worship vocalists. They also model worship expressions for the congregation by maintaining an attitude and posture of worship while singing with the team.

• Be able to sing on pitch
• Be able to hear and sing a harmony part for the given melody, i.e. should be comfortable learning parts by ear
• Be able to reproduce a harmony part for a given song consistently, i.e. sing the same part for a song each time that song is used
• Be able to control vocal elements such as volume and vibrato in order to blend with the worship leader and other vocalists. The ability to sing in different styles is very desirable.

 

Acoustic Guitar
The acoustic guitarist’s primary function is to provide rhythmic support as needed by the worship leader

• Must know and understand the Nashville Number System.
• Have a good knowledge of open chords and barre chords. Should have a good working knowledge of the guitar neck.
• Be able to play different strumming patterns as called for the by the given song.
• Be able to control dynamics while maintaining a consistent tempo.
• Be able to transpose chords and use a capo.
• Should be comfortable learning parts by ear.
• Must own their own guitar with built-in electronic pickup system, and a tuner. Instrument should be able to hold tune and be in good repair.

 

Electric Guitar
The electric guitarist’s primary function is to provide rhythmic support and sonic textures as needed by the worship leader, and to play specific parts (lead lines) for songs as needed.

• Must know and understand the Nashville Number System.
• Have a good knowledge of major and minor chords and basic scales. Power chords are essential.
• Should be able to play competently in the upper registers of the neck (above the 5th fret).
• Be able to control dynamics while maintaining a consistent tempo.
• Be able to transpose chords and use a capo.
• Should be comfortable learning parts by ear.
• Must own their own guitar and equipment, and be able to reproduce tones consistent with modern contemporary music. (This can be done inexpensively with modern modeling amps and software. A big pedalboard is not required.) Must make use of an electric tuner. Instrument should be able to hold a tune and be in good repair.
• Physical amplifiers are not permitted.

 

Bass Guitar
The bass guitarist’s primary function is to provide bass content and rhythmic support as needed by the worship leader, and to play specific parts for the songs as needed.

• Must know and understand the Nashville Number System.
• Have a good knowledge of the neck, i.e. know the notes in the first five frets of the neck on all strings, preferably without looking
• Knowledge of basic scales would be useful.
• Should understand basic rhythmic divisions; quarter notes, eighth notes, triplets, etc.
• Should be comfortable learning parts by ear.
• Be able to control dynamics while maintaining a consistent tempo
• Must own their own instrument. Instrument should be able to hold a tune and be in good repair.

 

Drummer
The drummer’s primary function is to provide solid rhythmic foundation for the worship team.

• Must be able to hold steady time and play to a click and stems.
• Must be able to play a variety of basic quarter, eighth, and sixteenth-note drum patterns.
• Should be comfortable learning parts by ear.
• Be able to control dynamics while maintaining consistent tempo.
• Must own their own sticks/mallets/brushes.

 

Keyboards
The keyboardist’s primary function is to provide sonic textures and keyboard parts for the worship team.

• Must know and understand the Nashville Number System.
• Be able to read simple chords charts. Reading music is desirable but not required.
• Be able to play in a variety of musical styles.
• Should know chord inversions and be able to find different chord voicings.
• Should be comfortable learning parts by ear.

The 1st step of auditions is to submit a video recording of yourself.

Prepare for your audition by reviewing and practicing the material contained in the relevant folders. Each folder contains relevant materials, such as demonstration tracks, chord charts, guitar tabs and demonstration videos. Do your best to learn the parts as closely as possible to the provided resources, including style and tone.

Then record a video showing you playing/singing along to your chosen audition song. Be sure your instrument/voice can be heard over the full track.

 

 

Audition videos can be submitted HERE.

 

Drums, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass

If you are auditioning for Drums, Electric Guitar or Bass, choose one of the following songs and record a video of yourself playing along.

Electric Guitarists, please indicate if you are auditioning for Electric Guitar 1 or Electric Guitar 2 and also take a minute to show us your pedalboard/rig.

Freedom – Jesus Culture

• Download Drums Package
• Download Acoustic Guitar Package
• Download Electric Guitar Package
• Download Bass Package

Great Things – Phil Wickham

• Download Drums Package
• Download Acoustic Guitar Package
• Download Electric Guitar Package
• Download Bass Package

We Praise You – Bethel Music

• Download Drums Package
• Download Acoustic Guitar Package
• Download Electric Guitar Package
• Download Bass Package

 

Piano & Keys

If you are auditioning for Keys, choose one of the following songs and record a video of yourself playing along.

Behold Him Now

• Download Piano Package

Build My Life

• Download Piano Package

 

Vocals

Vocalists, please demonstrate both lead and harmonies. Choose one song for EACH (lead and harmony), and then record a video of yourself singing along.

Believe For It [Female lead; alto harmony; tenor harmony]

• Download Vocal Package

Build My Life [Male lead; alto harmony]

• Download Vocal Package

Goodness of God [Female lead; alto harmony; tenor harmony]

• Download Vocal Package

Stand In Your Love [Male lead; soprano harmony; tenor harmony]

• Download Vocal Package

We Praise You [Male lead; soprano harmony; tenor harmony]

• Download Vocal Package

What A Beautiful Name [Female lead; alto harmony; tenor harmony]

• Download Vocal Package

Upon receiving your audition video, there will be a reviewal process and within one week 1 of 3 pathways will be presented.

 

PATHWAY 1 – INVITATION

If it appears from the video audition and the volunteer application that both your musical competency as well as your character and desires line up with our team values then we will ask you to come in for a one-on-one interview as a final step in the evaluation process. After a successful interview, and invitation to join the team will be presented. If you accept that invitation, before your first scheduled rotation, we will have you come and observe an entire Sunday Morning, so you can be well-prepared for your first scheduled weekend.

 

PATHWAY 2 – DELAY

Occasionally new candidates come through who are loaded with potential, but are lacking in one more areas that will prevent us from extending an immediate invitation. This is not a rejection, it is simply a “pause button.” Our goal is to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to serve in areas where they can thrive and serve at their fullest potential. Sometimes we see things in the audition process that we know need to be sharpened so that you have that opportunity to be setup for success and so that when we come together as a team, we are able to play and sing skillfully, with hearts of integrity, and with attitudes that aren’t weighed down by the task-at-hand. When this happens, we will communicate to you the area(s) that we feel needs sharpening, point you in the direction of resources that will aid in your progress, and give you a timeline for us to re-evaluate.

 

PATHWAY 3 – DECLINE

This part feels awkward, but unfortunately it is a real possibility. Know that it is ALWAYS our heart to train, coach and develop whenever possible. However, there are certain circumstances – whether related to competency, character, or stage-of-life – that will prevent us from moving any further in the process. Whenever this happens, understand that we will approach the situation in a timely manner, providing specific and kind feedback, and always striving to walk in love so that we can continue to foster unity and peace here at Lakeshore. This is sometimes hard for people to understand, and we get that! But we will do everything we can to avoid this scenario whenever possible.

 

The Nashville Number System is a commonly used communication tool in modern music. While it may seem foreign at first, once you understand the system it will quickly become a “cheat code” that helps unlock music theory, quickly bring bands into alignment, and speed us rehearsal times.

At its core, it is a system that replaces chord names with number 1 through 7 that helps musicians quickly and efficiently learn, understand, retain and communicate changes within songs.

Each key signature has 7 notes that make up its major scale. Each of those notes will form the root note for a chord in that key. Unless noted otherwise 1, 4, and 5 will always be major chords, and 2, 3, and 6 will always be minor chords. The 7 chord is a diminished chord, but for our purposes, when we refer to the 7 chord, we’re almost using it in reference to the bottom note of a chord inversion, or a ‘slash chord.’

For example, if we look at the key of C the major scale is C-D-E-F-G-A-B. This means:

1 = C major
2 = D minor
3 = E minor
4 = F major
5 = G major
6 = A minor
7 = B diminished, or for our purposed G/B (5/7)

This pattern repeats itself for all 12 key signatures.

For a complete breakdown of the theory behind the Nashville Number System, I recommend the book, “Music Theory for the Music Industry” by Jeffrey Kunde. It is a fairly short read, but the information is invaluable. The book can be downloaded HERE.

We have also created the below companion chart for quick reference: