Music Archives - Rich Kirkpatrick

Creativity arrives in small Iterations, not giant leaps.

Rich KirkpatrickJune 20, 2023062 views

As a young person at music school, I lived 1800 miles from home. It seemed like a big leap, jumping from High School to accept a full scholarship to a music trade school. Another leap raised me to start as an 18-year-old sophomore. We are taught, especially in the arts, to be inspired and dream big. But to compose a symphony, we must start with a simple motif. The truth is this. It is in the small steps that creative genius arrives. When we make a leap, we either fall into the chasm or pay for it on the other side. You can’t expect to rise too fast. Like good bread making, the dough slowly rises in a little heat. Are you ready for the heat? I would play through several of Bach’s chorales every single day, among other habits. All of my efforts trained my ear and solidified my…

The Best Church Music is: UNCLUTTERED – Matters of context and clarity.

Rich KirkpatrickAugust 7, 201801.9K views

To value clarity in congregational music we often fight an uphill battle. Besides music styles and the history of our own local church, the ever-changing goals of what church music should be and “do” creates a moving target. Do we gather a congregation to be sent or do we attract to turn a crowd into a congregation? There is value, of course, in these two ideas about what a worship service should aim to do. They do not have to be mutually exclusive, but one will win out when it comes to church music. Do you have a cluttered desk of values? Does your church music make the points and support the goals that everyone openly understands? Or, do we keep things vague because the questions are too hard and it is politically expedient to muddle an issue that is often expressed emotionally? In other words, do we dumb down…

The Best Church Music is UNCOOL: Finding the right mix of old & new

Rich KirkpatrickApril 24, 201821.4K views

There arrives with raising a family that one day where your child discovers a profound truth. My teenage son in passing mentioned how he loved Frank Sinatra. “What!” Then I queried with barely contained excitement. “How did you find out about one of the greatest singers in history?” My son then, with a typical teenage eye roll, “Youtube, of course.” In a moment my world was shattered, my mind was blown, and expectations destroyed. You see, how does a 21st Century teen discover amongst the noise of the web such greatness? How does one filter clips of kittens, video game memes, and feats of stupidity to find the gem of Frank Sinatra’s music? As my pastor reminds us, faith is caught–not taught. More precisely, you cannot tell your son who the greatest singer in the history of the planet is, he must find his way there. Truth rises to the top. Even when…

2018 WINTER NAMM REPORT: Notable Gear for Worship Leaders

Rich KirkpatrickFebruary 1, 201802.8K views

I attended the 2018 Winter NAMM show, skipping a year after a long run–which is like being thrown into a time machine ahead four years. As a worship leader, I am always looking for things that will help me and my tribe improve our craft and delivery of music ministry. This is the largest trade show in Southern California so one could spend a lifetime reporting on new and improved gear. I met innovators who are passionate about improving the life of music creators like us. Without these artisans, perhaps we would become stale and not grow our skill or match the zealousness of these incredible business people. I am going present just a small snapshot of some interesting and useful gear for today’s church musicians and worship leaders. My focus lands more on the keyboard/synth world as I know there are too many out there with their pedals and…

A Conversation with Brandon Bee – Songs from the Sky

Rich KirkpatrickJune 6, 20170794 views

Brandon Bee is a hard man to pin down. As a world traveler and dad of several kids, I caught him while he was in the car en route to renew his 16-year-old son’s passport for a trip to Italy. Raised by parents who were in a band, Brandon knew life on the road, and it seems his kids will grow up in what was normal to him. There is nothing ordinary about a guy who has 300 albums to his producer credits. More than a prolific musician and dad, he is also a minister of the gospel, serving in a local church in Eastern Washington state and leading a worship music movement in Italy. On top of all of the accomplishments in ministry and music, Brandon is a singer-songwriter, creating music from his unique perspective of Pacific Northwestern folksy blend. If you have heard his past solo projects or…