Massive Worship meets Paul Baloche

What does it take to write an amazing song, sung by thousands of congregations, broadcast on hundreds of radio stations and incorporated into countless Christian gatherings around the world? It's got to be singable, it's got to be relevant to our generation, it's got to appealing, and it's got to penetrate our deepest emotions and speak soundly for our hearts, straight to God. Well, a couple of weeks ago, myself and Program Director of NET and Massive Worship, Garth Pereira, had the opportunity to meet Christian worship leader and songwriter, Paul Baloche at the sold-out concert here in Ottawa.
You may be familiar with some of Paul's genius, and I bet you didn't even realize it, because how often do we credit worship music songwriters? Many of Paul's songs are among the most-used in churches, according to CCLI (company that handles copyright licensing of Christian songs and materials for use in churches.) Among them are "Open the Eyes of My Heart" (ranked number 2) and "Above All" (ranked number 22.) Knowing that, it's not too difficult to believe that this concert in the outskirts of Ottawa was full to the brim, and that the overwhelming majority of the audience was certainly church-goers, intent on an evening of passionate worship and prayer.
I must confess, I'm not a die-hard Paul Baloche fan, but I do appreciate his relevant songwriting and even admire the success of his work. Part of the reason that Garth and I attended the concert was to study the flow of Paul's set, the way that he leads and arranges his band, and also how he interacts with his audience. All of this is valuable to the ministry of Massive Worship, as it is our mission to train and equip musicians to be as effective as worship leaders like Paul Baloche. At the venue, Garth and I met up with local drummer, Kyle Doucette, who often works with Massive Worship for our large events. It was great to experience the concert alongside one of our musicians! By the end of the night, Garth had taken note on just about everything, from the color of lighting used, to each type electric guitar pedal, to the exact song list. I pretty much just took note of how amazingly well the band worked together, and how wonderfully Paul ushered the audience into prayer and worship. When I go to concerts, I love watching how the worship leader/band leader communicates with the rest of the band and also how they show love to their audience. It was a great night. All that was missing was a cello or violin or two, to warm up the stage, if you know what I mean!