I pulled a Nielsen!

[Brian Krashpad]

I got to church early on Sunday and found the simplest song to figure out on mandolin. (Last weekend previous was the first time I played mandolin in public ever. I still don't know very many chords and have to figure them out based on guitar chords.) So the band director arrives and says "Mandolin sounds great on the song, but I kinda wanted you to do a guitar solo at the end." (I should mention that apparently I'm our only guitarist who can extemporaneously solo.)

No prob. For the song, I strap on both a guitar and a mando. I play the song on mandolin, we get to the end, I flip the mando out of the way, and play the guitar solo. We were doing a run-through right before church, a few people were already there, and I said "I just want everyone to know this was Joel's (band director) idea." The entire band and a couple people in the pews cracked up. I'd never strapped on 2 instruments at once for as long as I've played.

Have you ever seen this done in church (or otherwise, besides Nielsen)? Like I said, I only did it to fulfill my band director's wishes for the song, but it still seems kind of a "flash" thing for church (even though I tried not to play it up-- I was too intent on switching instruments).

Tell me your thoughts. (Especially keen to hear yours Rev. Arnold.)

[sumitomo]

I say flash it for the LORD brother,You da man!!!!Sumi

[Brian Krashpad]

I say flash it for the LORD brother,You da man!!!!Sumi

Haha, well, like I said, I woulda never thought to strap on 2 instruments otherwise, but it was the only way to get the job done.

[marnold***]

Have you ever seen this done in church (or otherwise, besides Nielsen)? Like I said, I only did it to fulfill my band director's wishes for the song, but it still seems kind of a "flash" thing for church (even though I tried not to play it up-- I was too intent on switching instruments).

Tell me your thoughts. (Especially keen to hear yours Rev. Arnold.)

I thought you meant Brigitte.

Anyway, I'm probably not a good guy to ask about this since my tastes in sacred music are far more conservative. I'd basically say this: if it becomes a "Hey! Look at me!" thing, then the reminder would need to be made that in a religious context, it's not about me. The whole point of clergy traditionally wearing robes was to emphasize that fact. Get the man out of the way and focus attention on the message. From the way you described it, it was basically a pragmatic decision.

[Brian Krashpad]

I thought you meant Brigitte.

In the olden days, this response might've warranted a



Unfortunately over the last few years she's repeatedly proven herself bat-guano crazy. And the chain-smoking is not helping the years be kind to her either.

From the way you described it, it was basically a pragmatic decision.

Yep. Sfaik, they don't have one of those instrument holders that I could've put the mandolin in, I don't own a mando-guitar doubleneck (that would be cool too, though I'm sure that some might find a doublenecked instrument too flash for church too), and I'm the only "mandolinist" (I use the term guardedly given my almost-total ignorance of the instrument) and lead guitarist. So it all came together in the last 30-40 minutes before church.

At my last church, we sat over to the side, and I intentionally put myself behind the organ console, so that even if I stood up I'd be at least partially obscured. Here, we all stand, and we're right up at the front of the church. There's no place to hide, and it's a little unnerving frankly. Not to mention the fact that my mandolin education is coming every week in front of 200-300 people. (Don't get me wrong, I'm smart enough not to play over my head, but I do find it kind of ironic that after years and years of saying "I'll get around to it," I'm playing in front of a large group of people when I finally do get around to playing some mandolin. The Lord works in mysterious ways!)

[bigoldron]

Big B, I'll tell what my friend said his pastor told him. My friend is music minister at really good, growing church, who doesn't mind "experimenting". His pastor told him, that he didn't care what Slade tried, "as long as it didn't suck." (The pastor's words!)

So, as long as it not done "over the top, look at me" and it doesn't suck, then go for it! :

[Brian Krashpad]

Big B, I'll tell what my friend said his pastor told him. My friend is music minister at really good, growing church, who doesn't mind "experimenting". His pastor told him, that he didn't care what Slade tried, "as long as it didn't suck." (The pastor's words!)

So, as long as it not done "over the top, look at me" and it doesn't suck, then go for it! :

Haha, that's priceless.

Believe it or not, despite this li'l escapade, I'm kinda still walking on eggshells here. My band director e-mailed me today to thank me for playing Sunday, but said that he heard from more than one person that the electric guitar and mandolin weren't very audible, and that we'd need to work on the volume/mix next week. I'm the only instrument besides drums not in the PA mix, which frankly I prefer, so that people who don't like contemporary music can sit further away and hear less of me. But of course it makes our live mix more problematic.

My wife (late as usual!) missed the first song, but said that she couldn't hear the mando but could hear the guitar solo. My son was sitting a little closer and said he could hear the mando. The guitar solo during the mando song was the thing I had the least time to work on and frankly I couldn't hear it very well, but fwiw my wife said it was nice and mellow and appropriate to the song.

And trust me, if it'd sucked she'd've been the first to tell me.

:

[marnold***]

In the olden days, this response might've warranted a



Unfortunately over the last few years she's repeatedly proven herself bat-guano crazy. And the chain-smoking is not helping the years be kind to her either.

I hear ya. Time and Marlboro filterless have not been kind to her.

[sumitomo]

Krash you ain't gunna believe this,I crusing e-bay and what do I see a electric mando combo,yep that's right it is item #310153257930 it's yellow with your name written on it for 290.00.Sumi and that's with a case.

[bigoldron]

We're still working on getting our mix right. We're using real drums (not electronic) and the guy's good, but tends to get a little loud. So, of course we turn up a little more to compensate and, well, you know the rest.

We're trying to come up with a plexi shield to tone down some of the drums. Then, we can turn down too. We get a little closer to right each time. So far, our adult praise band has gotten a really good, positive response, other than being a little on the loud side.

Regardless, we're making HUGE strides and pushing an envelope that has, at times, been very small and very tight. We are, after all, Southern Baptists. Being a Southern Baptist doesn't mean you don't sin, you just don't enjoy it!

[Brian Krashpad]

Krash you ain't gunna believe this,I crusing e-bay and what do I see a electric mando combo,yep that's right it is item #310153257930 it's yellow with your name written on it for 290.00.Sumi and that's with a case.

Oh man, Sumi, you're killing me! That thing is beautiful, and a steal at $290 w/ohsc!