Worship Team Evaluation Sheet

Person Auditioning: _________________ Evaluator: _______________

Instrument:
[_] Vocalist [_] Drums [_]
[_] Piano [_] Percussion [_]
[_] Keyboard/synth [_] Winds [_]
[_] Bass Guitar [_] Horns [_]
[_] Electric Guitar [_] Acoustic Guitar [_]

Instrumentalist & Vocalist:

[ ]: Rhythm (0-10) – ability to perform consistently on tempo
[ ]: Flexibility (0-10) – ability to perform various tempos/styles well
[ ]: Dynamics (0-10) – ability to change volume and content and follow lead
[ ]: Pitch (0-10) - ability to consistently perform on the correct note
[ ]: Improvisation (0-10) - ability to play solos, sing spontaneous or ad lib when asked.
[ ]: Sight read (0-4) - ability to read sheet music and perform it. Ability to translate for others.
[ ]: Play by ear (0-10) – ability to perform well without the need of music or charts.

[ ] Sub Total

Vocalist only:
[ ]: Clarity (0-10) – words, annunciation and understandable tone
[ ]: Volume (0-10) – strength of voice, projectio n, use of vocal instrument
[ ]: Breath Control (0-10) – ability to sustain note, properly handle lungs, stomach. Etc.
[ ]: Harmonization (0-10) - ability to hear, sing and maintain harmony in a team environment.

[ ] Sub Total

Non-musical:
[ ]: Prepared (yes/no) – on time to audition, prepared to begin.
[ ]: Learners (yes/no) – through probing questions determine if they really want to grow and think they
can learn something in your team.
[ ]: Part of your church (yes/no) – if a need in your church, determine if they have made a commitment to
being at your church (3 month , 6 month wait, etc).
[ ]: Involved (yes/no) – part of small group, connected to church in other areas.
[ ]: Team player (yes/no) – do they have the attitude and desire to contribute as a part of the team, or are
they looking for place.
[ ]: Reason for being on team (answer below)
_______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

[ ] Sub Total

[ ] Auditioned Person’s Total

 Audition Results and Communication
If the issue is musical, it is relatively easy to feedback. I always encourage folks to grow and come back
and try out as they work on the areas that might not be workable right now. We also offer training in
various areas to help folks get some of the basic skills for this, although, for worship team level stuff we
don't do that much. I ask the person if they want honest feedback musically, whether they are asked to join
the team or not. That way, if they know they need to work on maintaining pitch, it doesn't have to be a
mystery to them any longer. A lot of well meaning Christians have done a disservice to their brothers or
sisters by using "spiritual" reasons for things that could have been simply just saying (for example) :

"umm, you just don't hold pitch consistently enough right now... I like the tone of your voice, and
think you really demonstrate a worshiper’s heart, so if you are willing to work on developing
consistent pitch, I'd love to see you come back and audition again"

Or to a drummer:

"I know you have some desire to play, but really the most important thing we need a drummer for
is as a time piece... consistent rhythm.. You seem to have trouble with that.. I can show you some
techniques to practice to help that if you are interested... if you can do that, I would be delighted to
have you come back and audition again.."

The one comment I hear from folks who have trouble singing or playing properly (IE. proper pitch, more
musicianship, and bad rhythm) is this: "I just have my own style, it really works during worship". Most
often their own style is meant for their own benefit too, not for the benefit of the congregation to be "led"
askew as the band splinters in multiple musical directions on the first song...

Also, I sometimes hear folks say "I don't like to perform or get too into the technicalities of music,
worship is more important". That is a truth masked in a lie, IMO. Worship is the most important thing,
absolutely. No questions there. But what good is a opportunity to worship musically, if the music is
crippling the unity of the gathered body from joining together to make "one voice" in worship to him?
None.

Sometimes worshipers with moderate or good ability musically will ask, "what would you like me to do?"
or "what do you need?" I love these questions... they show me the person is willing to stretch and fit into
the team, not "carve" out their own legacy :)

All that said, I almost always have a sense from the Lord BEFORE I hear the person play or sing as to
whether God is saying "yes" or "not now" for this person. BUT, I always wait for all the other things and
people I mention above to confirm or not confirm what I sense God is saying.. and I talk to my pastor if I
feel I am getting mixed signals...

This is one of the most crucial things. Talk to your pastor before assigning someone to the worship team.
That will help immensely. I have tons of horror stories when this wasn't done and it isn't pretty.

Now it might sound like it is impossible to make the worship team from what I have said, but really it isn't
as scary as it sounds on paper.. many of the things I list are only FACTORS in evaluation, not
answers...we have trained up many musicians in the process, because they had worshiping hearts and they
demonstrated a willingness to learn.. I put them on the team on the basis that they only come to practices..
then released them when they were ready... we have a girl on our team that plays flute that is either 12 or
13, and she does GREAT.. she works hard at her instrument and is mature in it.. she learns and has an
attitude of finding out what fits, and isn't put off by suggestions from myself (the leader) or others.

So from my perspective it is pretty easy to be on our team.. but you must come with a usable gift and a
willing heart (or at least displayed attitude and commitment, since it is impossible to really know the
issues of the heart apart from the Holy Spirit).... some things though, just can't be described in any of these
terms...

A person might have gifting in kazoo playing that wouldn't work with our musical style.. that is ok, it just
isn't what we are looking for.. or people might really want to find a place for doing a musical "solo"
ministry. that is ok, it just isn't what I am looking for on our team.. or a person might be aggressive and
pushy.. again for performance bands some personalities work well in that environment.. I know that is not
what I want to grow in our worship team so I don't promote it by putting people on the team who work
that way...

Our core value at our church is relationship... above everything else I look for how the person fits
relationally. This is on a couple levels:

1. What is their relationship with God

2. What kind of relationships do they have with the Body (members of the team), and other
leadership. By their communication and actions, do they tear down or build up those they know or
have contact with?

Man, I have rambled long enough... sorry.. that was a brain dump for me. of about 10 years of trying to do
this thing...

One thing to keep all this in check is this - would I be able to make it through the recruiting process
now if I were in our church, starting in worship ministry? I look at that to determine if I am fostering or
squelching the growth of worship in our church.
 Handling Audition General Comments
Handling comments and people’s responses to an audition process can be funny and painful. Sometimes it
is a very tough situation, at best. All the time, it requires honesty and openness on all sides. Really. If you
aren't the type of person to handle good and bad news (especially bad), you will either grow from doing
this or suffer some difficulty. In any case, by doing it you will go through a trial. I don't mean this
negatively, but just that auditioning always brings with it a ton of questions. Here is my recollection of
something’s I have been asked. It goes like this:

Timeline Questions from interested musicians

Announcement of auditions [philosophical Why are you auditioning? Don't you think everyone
basis Lord? challenged] should be able to worship the We never had to audition
before. What's wrong?
One week before auditions [parameters Can anyone come? Can I audition with my kazoo or juice
definition] harp?
Time & Day of audition Where is everyone? (no one shows)
10 minutes after the Time & Day of Hi! Am I late?
audition
During audition [evaluation definition] Do I have to do this in front of people?
After asking them to play or sing a scale Shouldn't we just worship? Playing technical stuff like
along with a piano that is really not my style.
After asking them to play or sing along with It's been a long time since I played professionally, and I
a song in 6/8 time just need to get back in the groove. I have very unique
style.
Saying goodbye after the audition When will you tell me if I made it? Remember just let
God speak to you. I know He'll tell yo u yes, because he
has already spoken to me about it.
One week later, just before telling them Hi, great to see you! So when is the first practice? Did
about the audition results God speak to you about me being on the team?
After tell them they couldn' t hold a pitch or What about so-and-so, who is already on your team? I am
play in time, making it hard to utilize them way better than they are. I can't believe you didn't listen to
in a group context God, because I know he was saying I should be on the
team.

You might laugh (I tried to make it a little humorous), but I have actually had the entire above script
happen to me from different people auditioning. Going through and finding out why you auditioning, what
you'll accept, what you are looking for, and how you will evaluate are questions you MUST answer. If
you don't ask and answer them before you audition, you will be asked them in one form or another by
those who go through the process.

My way through much of it is to provide an opportunity for a number of current team members to audition
prospective team members, with me holding the final decision on adding or not adding members. We have
a specific process we use, but you can develop one yourself just as easily.