Each year we do a small number of “public” training days in the UK where we sell tickets to a day of worship training seminars. In addition, our team are available for bespoke training at your church. These focus on the practical skills of playing, singing and leading worship together as a team. If we currently have a training day planned you’ll see the info here. If not email us and we can add you to our mailing list for info on the next one.
With public training days each person attending buys a ticket and the day is open to anyone. With bespoke days, the host church pays a fee for the Musicademy team to attend and then invites its worship team to attend for free (some share the cost with other local churches).
The bespoke days are very hands-on and are often for small worship teams of 10 to 20 people. The public days are up to 200 people and whilst classes like guitar, drums, vocals and orchestral instruments are very hands-on with people playing instruments, the style of classes such as band skills tends to be more lecture style with plenty of demonstration built in.
We always include a stream for singers (alongside the band skills and instrument-specific workshops). These will include a Gospel Choir workshop. Below you can watch the video of the performance of a recent workshop.
We currently have one remaining training day in the UK during 2019 and this is in Maidstone. Tickets available here.
Please get in touch with us if you are interested in hosting a day or want to be notified of upcoming training days happening near you.
Most churches opt for just one or two trainers at a time, although we have taken a team of six to these events in the past. Typically the trainers are a multi-instrumentalist who works with the band and also a vocals coach who works with the singers. There are a wide range of workshops that we can deliver and normally we work up a day of content tailored exclusively to the needs of your team. Ideas include:
There is a cost for this bespoke service. Prices depend on how many trainers you have and where you are based. And whilst we are happy to train outside the UK it may work out a little over budget! If you are interested, please just get in touch and we can give you a proper quote.
Feedback from our bespoke training days
“A big thank you from all of us here at Slough to all four of you who came yesterday. All the feedback I have had from the people who were there has been very positive, and we have plenty of things to think about and hopefully put into practice.”
Alan Rolfe, Slough Baptist Church
“I thought the day was great. For the vocalists, it was a day of achievement and raising their self-belief. For the instrumentalist, it was more a time of diagnosing fundamental deficiencies. And that’s fine. We will be asking Musicademy to send us Tim and Gayle again. They were both ace tutors. Where Tim gets all his enthusiasm from I’ll never know.”
Nick Woodburn, Russell Park Baptist Church, Bedford
“Thankyou again for the excellent training day, I have heard nothing but positive comments from our worship team members. It was great to spend the day with people who are so obviously committed to enabling people to improve in their skills and to move on in terms of worship. You were all approachable and friendly but still professional in your approach too. We felt encouraged that we have got good resources, but there is always room for improvement. Thanks again and may God bless your ministry through Musicademy”
Sue Newland, Redhill Baptist Church
We normally run a full day of vocals training. The first session teaches the basics of breathing and other foundations such as forward placement technique as well as warm up and vocalisation exercises. Learn to make the most of your voice by getting posture and breathing right and steal some ideas for warm-up exercises that you can do in the shower on Sunday mornings! We will also cover top tips particularly relevant to worship leading, such as posture, improvising and microphone technique.
The second works with the singers in the deconstruction of a well known song into contemporary styles and harmony parts focusing on dynamics, diction and more. The discipline in this seminar results in an amazing before and after contrast in the performance of the song and is highly applicable to other pieces after the event.
The Gospel Choir Masterclass is a great energising seminar where we help you create that unique and powerful gospel sound with any type of singer. The session includes harmony structure, tone, delivery, movement and much more.
We have a full DVD course on Band Skills and we re-work the most popular elements from that to a live session for you. If we are providing a bespoke training day for your team we will first have talked to your worship co-ordinator about the issues you are facing as a team and will develop a session suited to working through those.
Band Skills – Practical Musicianship Skills
In this session we unpack some of the ‘mechanics’ of developing band skills. Including lots of tips and ideas on tuning, timing, groove and dynamics, all aimed at playing together better.
Band Skills – Playing with Emotion
In this session we tie the technical skills in the previous session together with ideas and exercises on playing with feeling, meaning and emotion in order to better serve, engage and communicate with your congregations.
Rehearsals, Soundchecks and Basic PA for Worship Teams
Learn how to make your rehearsals and sound checks go smoothly and efficiently getting the most out of the time available. Gain a better understanding of how PA works and learn about micing and amplification for different instruments.
Again we have a full online course on worship leading so we pull together the top content from that to your workshop.
Suited for those leading worship in a small group or church setting it includes lots of practical ideas for worship leading whether with or without an instrument. We explore the foundational principles of leading sung worship, putting together sets of songs and releasing congregations to respond authentically and passionately.
Worship Leading, Creating Flow and Spontaneity
Going beyond the basics of worship leading into how we link and flow a journey of worship, drawing people in to deeper engagement with God. Also thoughts on preparing you and your band for spontaneous leading and moving in the Spirit.
Worship Ideas Beyond Music
Principles and loads of practical ideas for leading worship using styles and artforms beyond just singing, or ties these creative ideas seamlessly into sung worship. Great for releasing more of the congregation into more of who God is.
Two alternative seminars for worship keyboard. The first is for classically trained players (of say grade 4 upwards) who would like to learn contemporary playing styles based around chords and getting away from a reliance on sheet music. The second option is for existing worship band players and will focus on developing their techniques beyond their existing comfort zone.
A highly effective seminar again getting musicians away from their reliance on sheet music. This seminar teaches the concept of playing “in the gaps” rather than along with the melody line. It will equip delegates with the necessary knowledge and skills to create improvised fills and will increase their confidence as a contemporary player. Suitable for cello, flute, sax, violin, brass etc
Single or combined seminars looking at the role of these two instruments and offering practical teaching to extend the skills and knowledge mix of the delegates.
Drum circles are also a popular choice
A crash course seminar full of essential techniques for any guitarist looking to transfer their skills on to bass. Great for churches with no bass players. Topics covered include thinking like a rhythm player, long and short notes, playing with the kick drum, using one scale shape to play in any key, and transposing using the Nashville numbering system.
Playing by Ear
Most worship musicians are really keen to get away from the chord chart or sheet music and learn to play by ear. We will introduce the basics of this skill in a short workshop and bring together key learning from our Playing by Ear course.
For churches that want more input on music theory we can put together an easy-to-understand day on music theory for church-based musicians. This content is also covered in our Playing by Ear and Band Skills courses. Again, key content from these can be worked into a live training day.
Instrument Fundamentals for Arranging
Understanding how everyone’s instrument should work together within the whole band sound is a core skill for building solid arrangements. This top tips style seminar works through some practical do’s don’ts hint’s and cheat’s for each instrument in the worship team and it’s place in the sonic spectrum.
A full day covering all the basics of church PA. In our public training days this stream will cover all the elements from our popular PA and Sound Tech course. With bespoke training days we will be very hands-on working with your PA system and help you set it up to optimum effect.
We are always delighted to work with Graham Kendrick and, if available, Graham can lead sessions and even an additional evening of worship for the wider church. His highly practical “Psalm Surfing” sessions are very popular, bringing a more improvised style to worship leading.
Email [email protected] or call us on 01923 282878 for more information. Dates are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Training is always tailored to the needs of the worship team we are working with.
Our team are all UK-based so training days are unlikely to be feasible in the US or elsewhere.
But if you love the ideas we have shared above, do consider working through our DVD-based training courses as a team.
Worship Team Workshops are downloadable video-based training courses from Musicademy that your worship team can work through together in a single session in the space you’d normally rehearse; whether that’s at church, in a practice room or even at home.
The workshops unpack invaluable skills through a series of training videos to watch together alongside guided group discussions, practical exercises and plenty space to play together to try out the learning.
Each session is designed around a two-hour timeframe and split into parts so can be approached piecemeal if you have less time in a single sitting. Tackle the workshops in any order that suits you.
Plus, there are participant worksheets, facilitator notes to help guide the group leader and even backing tracks and chord charts to try out the learning with. All downloadable for you to keep and use time and again as you wish or revisit as your worship team personnel changes.
Find out more about our Worship Team Workshops.
Andy Chamberlain is a co-founder of Musicademy and Worship Backing Band. Andy is a guitarist and in the past has played for Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Vicky Beeching, Brenton Brown and many others. Presenter of Musciademy’s Worship Guitar DVDs and Playing By Ear DVDs. Andy writes a monthly column for Worship Leader Magazine and regularly teaches music and worship seminars in both the UK and North America.
Tim Martin has recently moved on from the role of music minister of Christ Church Clifton in Bristol to pursue various music-related opportunities. He is a graduate of the Theology, Music and Worship course at London School of Theology and has previously worked as a high school music teacher. Tim is a multi-instrumentalist and presents Musicademy’s Worship Keyboard, Orchestral Instrument and Band Skills DVDs. Andy and Tim’s Band Skills workshops reveal them to be an undiscovered musical compedy duo.
Diana Stanbridge is a singer, songwriter, worship leader and vocal coach. Originally from Denmark, Diana studied performing arts at The School of Creative Ministries under the leadership of David and Carrie Grant. She sang with the much acclaimed London Community Gospel choir for more than 6 years and is currently a part of Integrity artist Noel Robinson’s team of backing vocals. She has performed with, and recorded for, a long list of well known artists, both secular and Christian. Diana trained as a vocal coach and currently teaches at London School of Theology. She often runs choirs and workshops and feels equally at home in the community, the church or in big corporate companies.
Philly Lopez is an experienced session singer and tutor who has previously worked at Nexus College as well as one of the vocals coaches on the BBC show The Voice. Having worked in the secular music industry working with Matt Goss, Muse, Take That and Stevie Wonder, Philly has always remained rooted into church and worship music. As well as singing backing vocals at Soul Survivor, New Wine and Spring Harvest Philly was worship pastor at St Michaels, Chester Square for 5 years and loved investing in a small community church in central London. Now a fully freelance musician, Philly attends HTB and enjoys serving on the worship team there with Worship Central.
Nicki Rogers is an accomplished singer songwriter, who has recorded several critically acclaimed solo albums. Her own singing career has taught her the value of good singing technique, and the practical advantages of having the right kind of vocal coaching. Nicki uses a variety of established teaching methods aimed at ensuring that each student has a tailor made pathway to reach their potential. Nicki currently works with students at Radley College in Oxfordshire and London School of Theology, and tutors privately.
Email [email protected] or call us on 01923 282878 for more information.
We are always looking for host churches for our public training days but we’re equally happy putting together a bespoke training day for your team.