Worship Resources Article Index
DJ Led Worship: Interview With a Local DJ
by Darcy
L. Watkins
While conducting research and planning for a regional
worship conference, I checked into the matter of DJ
led worship because I figured it would be a candidate
subject to cover. I spoke with a local Christian DJ
who conducted some DJ led services in the Vancouver
region. In respect of his privacy, I will refer to him
as "The Champ".
We discussed many things about what he has been up
to and the whole DJ led worship scene in the Vancouver
area.
Where exactly does DJ led worship come from? It appears
to have originated in the UK, pioneered by Andy Hunter
and some others as part of youth oriented ministry.
Andy has been featured during some WorshipTogether tours
and has also DJ'd during some locally sponsored events.
DJ Led Worship appears to be a bit of a misnomer, or
at least for the phase that the movement is at on the
local scene today. It appears more to provide an alternative
environment for youth to drop-in. Many of the youth
who would drop in are from the dance and rave culture,
some may even be addicted to drugs such as crack and
ectasy. Obviously there is opportunity here to reach
out in love to a new generation of the lost.
The Champ and a few team mates have been local pioneers
of this new form of music ministry, spinning vinyl during
Sunday evening services named "Altar" which
is a play on the idea of the altar of worship and "alternate".
At this stage, The Champ uses a fair amount of Progressive
Trance and Progressive House in his musical atire.
Since DJ Led Worship is still in its infancy, there
are not yet any hard and fast rules. The Champ has struggled
with such questions as, "Where are the rules?"
and "How do I make this spiritual?" but after
prayer and reflection has come to the realization, "Just
play what's in you; what's in your heart! Don't make
a show out of this!"
The Champ uses a pair of turntables and a small DJ
mixer and is looking forward to when he can add a sampler
to his gear. DJs prefer magnetic drive turntables by
Technics which allow the platter to be stopped and swept
back and forth by hand without burning out the motor.
This effect is popularly know as "scratching".
Turntable design has changed very little since the 1970s.
(I had my hands on Technics turntables back then during
my late teen years and early 20's just prior to when
I was saved).
The Champ looks forward to the day when he can mix
visuals. On the spot mixing of audio cuts with visual
images and various lighting and sound effects is the
future for DJ'ing.
Since there is very little Christian venues for DJs,
most will DJ at clubs for some living and experiment
with applying the art in evangelistic or worship settings
on the side. Few churches will open their doors to provide
venue. Where does one find material to spin? Unfortunately
there is very little good quality Christian material
available that fits the genre. The Champ and other DJs
have to wait on the Lord and pray that He guides them
to specific musical pieces which can be used to move
people to respond towards God. This often means a collection
of selected tunes from secular albums.
The Christian content is then in how it is pieced together
as part of ministry and an experience. Andy Hunter will
MC as he spins, encouraging people to enter into God's
presence. The Champ has a friend who works with him
on this doing the MC'ing while he spins the tunes.
The challenge is how to connect with those present,
to foster a sense of community and then to draw people
towards God. This isn't easy, but I could sense from
my conversation with The Champ that Christian worship
leader DJs struggle with the idea of a show. He described
some experiences by Andy Hunter who has been flown in
to DJ at major Christian events. The organizers would
be disappointed by poor turnout. They would have had
greater turnout showing a football game on big screen
TV. Despite the high tech computers, audio and visual
equipment involved, DJ led worship counters the whole
idea of putting on a show or performance. "I'm
not polished, I just spin records", The Champ says.
So how has DJ led worship fared in the Vancouver area?
The Champ has described it as touch and go. Sometimes
20 to 25 will show up. Sometimes about 10. This new
music ministry attracts people mainly in the 14 to 22
age group.
Some still struggle with the whole concept of DJ Led
Worship. I have found that some reaction is just a form
of contempt by musicians, which isn't much different
from the attitude of musicians towards DJs back in the
1970s. A band of 4 or 5 accomplished musicians and/or
star wannabes is replaced by a DJ and a stack of records
done professionanlly. Of course some people won't like
the change.
To underatnd the significance, I reflect back to my
experience as a new Christian back in 1981. I started
going to church. I used to DJ a bit and experiemnt at
parties with sound and lights. At the church they asked
me to run the sound system. My reply was, "Why
not? I used to do this for the devil, why not for God!"
It wasn't long before I became involved in the worship
ministry. I quickly caught on to the idea of how worship
songs flow together in a sequence to set a mood and
to facilitate people entering into the presence of God.
I went to the Pastor who led worship one day and handed
him a set list, suggesting he use it to lead people
into worship one day. His response was to slot me in
to lead worship the following week. This was the start
of my journey of worship leading, but when I reflect
back on this, I never wanted to nor hoped to stand up
in front of people to lead worship. That wasn't me,
but I felt I had grasp of the gift to plan and road-map
the experience. It is only now that I see that I approached
this from the same angle as a DJ would (or perhaps a
director or producer) as opposed to how a singer, musician
or other performing artist would approach it.
The whole idea of DJ'ing is to provide an experience
or, in a sense, a short journey into some realm, but
without really putting on a show. The focus is not on
the DJ in the same sense as it is on an artist. Really
effective worship leaders and bands are those who possess
both the gift to road map and guide the journey, and
to deliver it live. In effect they deliver both a journey
and a show. Some struggle with the show element. Others
get hung up on the show and get ensnared in the pressure
to perform.
DJ Led Worship very well may be a way out of this,
providing an alternative format with appeal to many.
DJ Led Worship over the next while will likely be driven
by the following:
- The specific genres of music will likely include
people who previously found nothing for them at church.
There will be evangelistic opportunities here at first
and then later, the movement will have to facilitate
how those who come to the Lord will become part of
the greater Christian community.
- Many songs are available online as MP3 and through
the usual channels of CDs tapes, etc. There is also
more redily available editing software allowing people
to produce sets, do remixes and experimentation with
things that DJs do. Just like kids pick up guitars
and learn to play while they are young, so accomplished
DJs will show up at the church as youth and young
adults. The challenge then is linking this to worship.
The art element will be present from culture.
- DJ Led Worship will likely florish more in the areas
where there is a perception that the venues of live
worship have become too artist and performance oriented
to the extent where the journey or experiential element
is missing. It will be part of a counter culture to
"show" culture.
Finally, DJ Led Worship is not an only alternative,
but just one of many. The whole "unplugged"
fad that came in a while back was well received because
of the perception that it lay aside the show for a more
personal experience. Of course, once "unplugged"
became totally polished as a style of show, it was no
longer different from what they had before, except style.
Of course DJ Led Worship could fall into this trap too,
but the point here really is that other alternative
forms of worship will also appear on the scene, probably
with specific appeal to other sub-cultures within our
community. As such, DJ Led Worship may never take off
to the same momentum as we see some existing forms of
contemporary worship, but that makes it no less real.
This summary and report is based
on an interview about a year ago so it may be a bit
dated.
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