Stepping Away From Worship Team... Creative Differences!

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:00][music] >> This is Russ and I'm back out in the car again.

[00:00:12]1:00 p.m.

[00:00:15]>> [snorts] >> I'm hungry. Yeah, 1:00 p.m. man.

[00:00:20]I got up early in the morning to do my bike ride. Well, I got up early.

[00:00:25]Bike ride it happened at about 8:00 8:00 a.m.

[00:00:29]But um Yeah, I haven't eaten anything the whole day.

[00:00:35]So, I'm headed to my favorite place, as you know.

[00:00:39]And um had an interesting phone call today.

[00:00:49]Talking to our worship leader at our church. Yeah, I'm not playing on the worship team anymore.

[00:00:54]I made the decision that I am going to step away from the worship team.

[00:00:58]And the reason is creative differences.

[00:01:01]Yeah, we've all heard of creative differences before, right?

[00:01:06]Yeah, bands break up all the time because of creative differences.

[00:01:11]So, what kind of creative differences can happen in a church?

[00:01:17]Well, I'll tell you. Um you know, as you get older kind of get set in your ways, right?

[00:01:24]I've been playing uh music since I was 10 years old. So, I've been playing for 57 years so far.

[00:01:31]Between guitar and keyboards and bass and drums.

[00:01:37]But >> [clears throat] >> because of creative differences, um I decided we needed to part ways with my church worship team. Now, here's the thing, okay?

[00:01:49]Understanding that groups need to be able to gel. They got to be able to um play together and uh follow along with each other so that they could play harmoniously.

[00:02:06]Well, that's never really been the case with me.

[00:02:09]>> [laughter] [sighs] >> Yeah, I I'm uh kind of set in my ways and how I play and the uh the team needs someone who can conform and play it the way they want you to play it.

[00:02:23]I can't do that.

[00:02:25]I've never been able to do that and I probably will never be able to do that.

[00:02:31]And so um so try as she might, the worship leader tried to keep me going and I just said, "No, I think I'm done."

[00:02:41]Yeah, I mean, it gets to the point sometimes where you have to make the decision that it's not healthy for either one of us for me to continue to do what I've been doing on the team. Now, here's the interesting thing. Um many of people who hear me play is usually say you play so well.

[00:03:01]But that doesn't mean that the team likes it the way you play it, okay? Even though the audience, in this case, uh our church congregation, likes it when I play, that doesn't mean the team likes it the way you play.

[00:03:16]Okay?

[00:03:18]So, um so they have certain things that you they want you to play a certain way and I just can't do that. Yeah.

[00:03:29]I relayed to the worship leader um information that was given to me when I was young uh playing cover songs cuz really, if you think about it, church worship teams basically play cover songs, right? We don't um we don't play original material. It's usually cover material, meaning songs that other artists have have recorded then you play it at your church, right?

[00:03:56]The thing is um churches have a set um way of playing based on the recordings that are already made. So, if an artist records it a certain way, they want you to kind of play it the way that you hear it on the record. But, I I can't do that.

[00:04:17]I was always told um from uh from a professional uh professional musician um who wrote jingles and was always in studios and everything. So, he's he's very well known in his field.

[00:04:31]Um when we were younger, my brother and I played uh for him and he says, "You guys play really well, but you sound like the record."

[00:04:40]And he said, "You know, if you're going to do cover material, you've got to do something a little differently to own it. Something that stands you out with that particular arrangement or style that you play it or some something that's a little different than the record. Otherwise, why would they need to hear you? They can just turn on the record." He has a good point. He has a really good point, right? I mean, why would they need a copy of the same guy? You you you want somebody that's a little different. You got to have something different whether you play different or the arrangement is different. Okay.

[00:05:12]So, I've always taken that to heart and so whenever I play, I tend to change it a little bit because that's what I hear and that's what I play. So, I play by my feeling. I when I feel something, I play it. So, I never play the same song exactly the same way twice.

[00:05:32]It's always slightly different because I'm listening at the moment to the group and I'll change something that I feel might make it sound a little bit better. Does that make sense? Yeah.

[00:05:45]But, not everyone can do that and that was pointed out to me by the worship leaders. This uh some of the other players can't, and they they might want to hear the part the way they heard it when they were rehearsing with the record.

[00:06:00]So, if you do something different, it could throw the other group other group members off. I understand that.

[00:06:06]That Okay.

[00:06:08]But, on the other hand, um for me to conform to play it exactly like the record, um I feel stifled. I feel like I'm I'm not allowed to play the way I play, the way I I'm unique in my own way of playing, right?

[00:06:28]So, Okay, this guy's not going, so we're going to go.

[00:06:32]Gave him the chance to go, but he didn't go.

[00:06:34]All right, he's going behind me. Anyway, car was just sitting there waiting to go by.

[00:06:39]Um so, I um I told her I says, you know, it's it's very difficult for me playing on this team because it's um it's not what I'm capable or able to do or willing to do.

[00:06:54]And so, if you're not willing to do it the way the leader wants you to do it, then you're more of a hindrance to the group, right?

[00:07:01]She didn't say that, but I I can feel it. So, we've discussed this thing many times over the last 5 years or so that I've been playing with the with the team.

[00:07:12]Um but I feel that I've been more um pointed out because I'm I'm the different guy, right? I'm the guy that does it not the way that everyone else does it.

[00:07:29]So, right or wrong, um she says, "So, what do we do?" I says, "I think I have to step out." You know, at this point, it's not healthy for me to continue.

[00:07:40]It's not good for the group for me to be there if I can't play it the way the worship leader wants me to play it um and the rest of the group expects me to hear it. I I'm actually more of a hindrance to them at that point, right?

[00:07:53]So, anyway, I made the decision I will step away from worship team. Now, having said that, I did tell her that if uh if someone gets sick, if there's a last-minute thing, somebody can't make it and you need a keyboard player, you need a guitar player I could always jump in and play.

[00:08:12]And she said, "Yes." And she agreed with that and she appreciates that.

[00:08:16]The thing is I do have the ability to do that. She knows it. I've done it before at church.

[00:08:24]I've proven that I can do it, okay? Cuz a lot of the songs that we do is very similar to other songs and some some more often than not it's the same songs over and over because church church has played the same songs over and over cuz that's what the congregations are used to. You throw in a new new song people just stand there, they don't know how to sing because they don't know the song, right? Which is understandable.

[00:08:45]So, you play a lot of times you play the same songs over and over and over, okay?

[00:08:50]And we have quite a few songs that we do, but so, for me to jump in at the last minute to play is not a big deal. Um as long as I know the song somewhat, I can I can play along with them.

[00:09:02]Um but I know that that's also a point of friction sometimes because people know that you can do it and again may not may resent you for your ability to do it.

[00:09:15]Yeah.

[00:09:16]So, but you know, in a pinch situation, you can do that. I've I've I've bailed out the team several times where that's happened. I've even bailed out the worship leader before.

[00:09:27]Her son uh got hurt and so she couldn't be there at the last minute, so I took her guitar and filled in for her until she came back.

[00:09:35]So, um for the next service. So, it's not like I can't do it. It's not like they know I can't do it. I can do it.

[00:09:42]So, I I offered my services for backup musician.

[00:09:48]Um, but I won't be playing on a weekly schedule anymore. So, I'll be off on my own. So, I know some of the church people watch my my uh videos here. So, they might be a little surprised by that, but this is something that's been a a little bit of tension with me and and at least with the worship leader uh for about 5 years now, where we've had some issues one way or the other.

[00:10:14]Maybe more so with me than any other member. Uh and that's only because um I wanted to see the guys there. Um, I've been playing a lot longer than any of these guys have been playing. So, obviously your ability has to be better.

[00:10:29]If you've been playing 57 years, which I have, you got to be able to play. Otherwise, why have you playing for 57 years and you can't play, right? So, I um I cause more problems for her sometimes because of that.

[00:10:44]>> [laughter] >> Admittedly, but it's two ways. It's two ways. She's set in her ways and I'm set in my ways. So, it causes friction and I think I said it's just not healthy for either one of us to have to go through this. So, the best thing is either I conform or I walk away and I opt to walk away.

[00:11:03]So, we'll still be going to church. It's not like we won't be there.

[00:11:06]>> [laughter] >> I'll just be watching them playing.

[00:11:09]It'll be interesting though to see what um people think when they find find out I'm not playing anymore.

[00:11:15]You know, um but like I told her, I don't hide the facts of the matter. Uh it's creative differences.

[00:11:24]It's just creative differences. It's It's nothing to do with with uh the individual or anything like that. I mean, we're still friends.

[00:11:31]Everything is still the same in that sense.

[00:11:35]But, we can't play together.

[00:11:38]So, I took my ball and went home.

[00:11:40]>> [laughter] >> Isn't that what they say? Take your ball and go home.

[00:11:45]Take your guitar and go home.

[00:11:48]So, what am I going to do musically going forward? I don't know. I think I'll start recording some stuff by my own again.

[00:11:53]I haven't done that in a number of years. Um I did it when my knee replacement happened, remember that? And I put a number of music videos up on YouTube.

[00:12:03]In case you're interested, go to the Russ's Right channel. Look up the playlist that says music videos or something like that. And that's me playing all the stuff.

[00:12:11]I may I may do some recording on my own.

[00:12:14]That That's mostly secular music, okay?

[00:12:16]If you go on SoundCloud, I have a SoundCloud thing, too.

[00:12:20]Uh then you hear some worship songs as well as um secular music songs.

[00:12:27]But, uh yeah, I might I might just uh do some stuff on my own.

[00:12:31]>> [laughter] >> All right, all my spots are gone.

[00:12:35]Where am I going to park?

[00:12:37]You go this late, everybody's here.

[00:12:41]All the handicap spots are gone. Okay, where am I going to park? Uh somebody just took the last spot. All right, we got to go this way.

[00:12:47]>> [laughter] >> Got to go this way. Can't find a handicap spot. Going to have to park a distance and walk it.

[00:12:55]Life is tough, man.

[00:12:57]Life throws you a curveball.

[00:12:59]You quit worship team, and then you got to walk.

[00:13:03]Kind of deal is that?

[00:13:05]All right, I'm here. Hit the like and subscribe button. Let me know what you guys think about all this.

[00:13:10]And uh if you're from our church, sorry, this is what's going to happen.

[00:13:16]I'll see you guys on Sunday at church.

[00:13:20]All right. Talk to you guys next time.