Building Your Band

A better conversation about music, with David Loftis and Peter Bulanow

Peter James | Clashing With Every Single Person

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We’re joined by legendary Hillsong keyboardist and sound designer Peter James. Peter has been playing piano/keys for the last 25+ years, and has been heavily involved with Hillsong Church as a volunteer on the weekends, as well as being employed by Hillsong United and Hillsong International Leadership College as a lecturer for the past 13 years. Additionally, he has played on 40+ Hillsong albums. In this episode, we get inside Peter James headspace on everything from Sound Design -> Writing Parts -> Arranging -> Synth Bass. We hear how he pushes himself to continually try something new, the relationship of keyboard parts to sounds, a trick for coming up with parts, and how to incorporate synth base into your band. We hear about the influence of Hillsong producer, Joel Houston, and the reference material he pushed out ahead of tracking, such as: M83, Passion Pit, & Radiohead, that influence modern worship music today. Go to Peter James Productions, check out his stuff at Multitracks (including his sounds for Oceans), don’t miss his Youtube Channel, and follow him on Facebook, and Twitter.
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Nikki Lerner | You All Know The Words

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With Nikki Lerner as our guest, we immediately get to the heart of doing multicultural worship. Nikki helps us explore our motivations, ask better questions, and avoid common pitfalls. She gives us a way to think about multicultural worship that has nothing to do with meeting quotas. Instead, she asks us to be deliberate and base our actions in relationship and questioning. By framing the conversation as “third culture“, she challenges all churches to find their unique voice instead of copying something that has already been done. Her most recent studio project puts these ideas into practice, as do the live adaptations of the studio versions, as Nikki takes us behind the scenes on the her latest project “The Things We Never Say“.
Nikki Lerner – Can We Start Over (Lyric Video) Nikki Lerner – Can We Start Over (Brooklyn Sessions)
Nikki Lerner – Tell Me (Lyric Video) Nikki Lerner – Tell Me (Live – Living Room Sessions)
Culture Coaches: Find one. Be one.
Also mentioned in this episode: Sting – All This Time And the Snarky Puppy tune featured in this episode: Nikki’s studio projects produced by Kevin “131” Gutierrez (Raven, Deceased, While Heaven Wept, Believer) at Assembly Line Studios. Featured tune from Walpyrgus.
For more Nikki goodness, follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, listen to her music on Soundcloud, Spotify, iTunes, Youtube, and buy her book on Amazon. Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher and support the show by rating us and leaving a comment. Have a question? Leave a comment below!

Jon Waller | Destroyed an Entire Genre

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Jon joins the show discussing a range of genres based around Jazz to include Gospel and Neo Soul. Along the way, he shares samples from some projects he has done. We wrap up with his thoughts on the kinds of music that belongs in church, the role the church plays in moving music forward, as well as his thoughts on playing outside of the church. Find Jon on Facebook.
Let each one according to the gift that he has received, administer it unto the others, as a good steward of the diverse graces of God. I Peter 4:10
A few recent products from Jon on video: This episode is sponsored by Johnny Flash Productions, a creative agency based in the Washington D.C. area that was founded 16 years ago by John Falke. I can’t speak highly enough about the quality of his service. If you have the need, I think you’d really enjoy working with him and be pleased with the results. Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher and support the show by rating us five stars and leaving a comment. We love your questions and comments! If you like this episode, you may also like “Dave Tauler – Not Enough Bassoon Gigs“, “Justin Pinkney, ‘Translating CCM’”, and “William Brew IV | The Way It Is“.

Starting Point Workshop

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BYB PG 2016 We just wrapped up a “Starting Point” workshop for 5th to 9th graders, which is a simplified version of a regular workshop curriculum. The whole event went so well and the kids were awesome. Brian Beasley did a great job of capturing what went on, so I’ll just point you there: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Wrap up.

Perfect size workshop of 50 – wouldn’t want it any bigger! #BuildingYourBand #pgbyb16

A photo posted by Peter Bulanow (@peterbulanow) on

The remarkable thing about this workshop, is that the majority of the kids (I think 60%) had never played an instrument before, and something like 90% of the kids had never played the instrument they were playing for the workshop (they decided to pick up a new instrument). Yet, at the end of just four days they were playing musically, together, as a band. There were a number of times during the “Battle of the Bands” on the last day that our jaw was on the floor with what we were hearing and we experienced actual compelling moments that caused emotion to well up inside. It was incredible. If there is a thesis to Building Your Band, the podcast and the website, it’s this: you probably don’t need better players or more skills to sound better, you need better production. These kids were teachable, and delivered those goods.

David Loftis | Diverse By Design

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LoftisFriend of the show, David Loftis, talks to us about about the challenges of producing three very different worship services each week: one old school featuring a choir, one new school with a band, and one somewhere in between with multiple (SAT / SATB) voices. If that isn’t enough, Dave is has a heart for growing the next generation of worship leaders and has strong focus on his student music ministries. In fact, he is partnering with us to host an entry level Building Your Band event for students in 5th to 9th grades in just a few weeks. You’ll be inspired when you hear more about the intentionality behind producing completely different worship services in order to serve the local community.  Dave also discusses where style preference typically comes from, and reminds us how important it is (e.g. in missionary work) to speak to the culture and not impose “our way” of doing things on the local population, which serves as a powerful reminder of how to apply style choices back home. In related news, I’m happy to report that Kishore from Episode 1 was offered and accepted a position as a full time worship pastor at a nearby church. Congratulations to Kishore! Dave also mentioned that he is looking for assistance, so if you are interested after listening to this episode, you should be sure to connect with him (Facebook | About.me). If you’re interested in how Building Your Band can support an event in your area, please contact us. This episode is sponsored by Johnny Flash Productions, a creative agency based in the Washington D.C. area that was founded 16 years ago by John Falke. I took a photoshop class from John himself a few years back and can’t speak highly enough about the quality of his service. If you have the need, I think you’d really enjoy working with him and be really pleased with the results. Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher and support the show by rating us and leaving a comment. Thanks!

Gavin Morris | Never Really Said Anything

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Gavin MorrisAs the frontman and lead songwriter of Break The Fall, Gavin walks us through the process of creating their latest EP “The Wanderers“. From the preproduction writing, to choosing a producer, to packing up a van and driving eight hours to Nashville to record, it’s fantastic to hear the intentionality behind their creation. Break The Fall: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Reverb Nation | Youtube | iTunes | Amazon Produced by Lester Estelle II Website | Facebook | Twitter | Wikipedia Mixed and Mastered by Robert Venable: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Wikipedia Brandon‘s Cassette Preview/Teaser:
Song writers, musicians, band leaders, worship team members etc. . . Look at what instruments you have to work with on your team. Your guitar player doesn’t always have to play all the time, every song, start to finish. There doesn’t always have to be a lead guitar player noodling lead lines and melody riffs. Learn to tell them to lay out a section (Guitarists-learn to be ok with not playing and being told to lay out from time to time, it will make what you DO play sound more important.) Use every instrument on stage to build some diversity in your songs. And start finding new instruments to use to freshen things up. You have options; start experimenting on how to utilize your team members and not just one instrument. Also, dynamics still matter. Learn how soft and full you can really play and actually utilize it when the show/service/performance starts. Retention matters. Posted by Gavin Morris
Kings Kaleidoscope (iTunes | Amazon) has Trombone in it! For King and Country (iTunes | Amazon) ha Horn Players! Who else should we know about who uses non-traditional instruments? Please post in the comments!

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Steven Kristopher | 40th Birthday Gift

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With Abandon CD CoverSteven Krisopher shares what was behind his most recent project, With Abandon, (edit: released December 15th, 2015). With sixty minutes of music in ten songs, he talks about how his desire for this project was to let the songs breathe. Primarily a pianist, Steven wrote this project on the acoustic guitar and did a textbook rock keyboard/piano treatment, after programming the drums and bass himself. Lots of vocal tracks unite the songs, sung by him and four other vocalists (one of which we talk about in particular). He then mixed and mastered the album, and edited the official video. Keep up with him at his website: StevenKristopher.com, and follow him at Twitter and on Facebook. Check out his music on iTunes and Bandcamp – and “With Abandon” is out! Find this podcast on iTunes or Stitcher and subscribe. If you enjoyed this episode, please support this podcast with a rating and comment.

John B Stanley | The Language of Heaven

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John B Stanley John B Stanley (Twitter, Reverb Nation, iTunes) challenges us to do better music in our services and gives us the behind-the-scenes story of his “Drum Spectacular”. Also check out his post on this in Modern Drummer. Along the way we discuss his influences, most especially Lee Ritenour (Wiki, iTunes, Amazon) with Omar Hakim (Wiki, iTunes), and Hans Zimmer (Wiki, iTunes, Amazon). Without further ado – scored and produced by John B Stanley: Find this podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. edit: “O Holy Night” has been released on iTunes!

Dave Tauler – Not Enough Bassoon Gigs

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Youtube | Facebook | Twitter

Dave Tauler: Youtube | Facebook | Twitter

In this podcast episode, Dave talks to us about how playing wind instruments informs the way he approaches singing and composition, and warns us about how solo instruments can conflict with vocals. He then gives us his formula for using these instruments in a band setting, describing not only where to play but where not to play. Along the way, we discuss the difference between Handel’s Messiah, Watermusic, and Fireworksmusic, as well as the difference between Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos and his St John Passion, and Dave gives a big shout out to the Bach Collegium Japan (Amazon | iTunes) version of the latter. If you’ve ever wondered about how to incorporate note-readers into the (chart or ear-based) worship setting, this podcast is for you, as Dave gives practical steps toward this and points us toward the free notation software MuseScore 2.0. Connect with Dave Tauler on Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter.

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Season 1 Remix | Kaleidoscope Edition

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While recording and editing the first 18 episodes of the podcast, I began to notice some of the content commented on some of the other content. I began to think how awesome it might be to hear these ideas back-to-back, remixed into a super-episode, which would demonstrate both the importance of the ideas, as well as some of the different ways they’re approached. When my amazing wife suggested I do a “kaleidoscope” edition, I poured through all 18 episodes, finding clips to put together, resulting in this fascinating overview of Season 1.  Special thanks to all my guests who shared their quality content. If you missed Season 1 of the Building Your Band podcast, this is a great way to catch up! It is also an invitation to go back and revisit specific episodes. I would love to hear your comments right in the Soundcloud stream or below in the comments section. For all the episodes past and future, subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Season 2 will be coming soon! Please contact me if you would like to be featured! “Almighty“- Produced, Mixed & Mastered by Peter Bulanow | http://meltingearth.com Featuring: Taylor Carson | http://taylorcarson.com Additional Vocals:  Eileen Graham | http://eileengrahammusic.com Cello: Michael Thomas | facebook.com/CelloMT Bass: Aron “Teo” Lee | facebook.com/teo.lee Special thanks to all the musicians for their collaboration, and to Dan Rebeiz (http://danieljackproductions.com) for his advice and mentorship.