We all hope to find that musician or singer that is “just right” when we open up for auditions to be on our the worship team. You know, the one who comes prepared, ready to do what is needed so that you can make a good decision. The person who is a great fit for your team and isn’t a regret in a month or two. There are a few tips that can make auditioning go wonderfully for both you, the worship leader, and the auditionee. Here are some easy steps to having a great audition.
This Guarantees A Good Worship Team Audition
Plan Out Beforehand
This sounds obvious, but I have seen too many auditions where nothing was prepared ahead of time. Precious time is wasted and no one is satisfied.
- Make sure to choose the music ahead of time. Have charts, recordings, etc. readily available to those who want to audition.
- Have everything in your wheelhouse set up prior to the audition.
- Make a schedule.
- Stick to the schedule!
Expectations
- Prior to the audition, make it clear what parts of the music you want to hear played or sung.
- Have a clear set of expectations for what will be required if the person makes the band. You need to be ready to spell that out from the beginning. That way, if they know they cannot meet your expectations, you don’t have to find that out 3 months down the road. You both have a chance to walk away before it gets that far.
Talk About What is Important to You
Potential players need to know what you hold most important. Not just the general expectations, but those personal character and spiritual traits that you find important. Have time to discuss this with those auditioning. Again, time spent now may save you serious headaches down the road.
Talk About What is Important to Them
You know what you want from them, but what do they want from you? It may be that they are perfect for your band, but you are not the perfect leader for them. You need to hear from them why they are at your audition and what they hope to get from the experience of playing in your band.
Cast a Wide Net
- Some churches are blessed to have dozens of potential musicians in their church. The rest of us may need to look beyond our immediate congregation. Post audition notices at your local music stores and musician hang outs. You never know who is out there wanting a chance to play in the church for the Glory of God.
- Ask some of your worship leader friends. For example, they may have 5 guitar players and guitar player number 5 is never going to get to play regularly at their church. But that guitar player might be a perfect fit at your church and will get to play every Sunday. I have seen this happen more than once and everyone is happy.
Be Open to God’s Will
There is a good chance that God will at some point send you someone that you don’t understand why they are there or why they seem to fit in some unusual way.
- Pray before, during and after the overall audition process, and for each individual audition. Inviting God’s Spirit into your audition is a really good idea.
- Be receptive to all of the ways a person might fit into your group.
- Likewise, be receptive to why someone might not be a good fit. Don’t be blinded by their skill alone. Just because they can play like a rock star does not necessarily mean they need to be playing at your church.
That should get you well on your way to some seriously great auditions. Share your ideas in the comments section so that we can learn from each other.