I’ve gotten some questions from people asking me how I got to where I am today and how they can be able to get to do what I do. I thought I’d just share my story. Let me preface this all by saying that there is nothing really special about me. I haven’t done anything to deserve what I’ve been given. It’s honestly just me opening up my heart and life to God and Him giving me open door after open door (and a few closed ones occasionally as well).

When I was in middle school, my brother was given an acoustic guitar. I started to teach myself to play it after he hadn’t used it yet for many months. I had a few people give me guidance, but I was finally given my own acoustic my eighth grade year. It was then that I started to play at my home church here and there, as well as at the Christian school I attended occasionally. Once I hit high school, I was on the school praise team, as well as playing on Wednesday nights for the students at my home church. Through doing this, I was able to meet people and make connections from playing together. Other people who played at church or worship music and I networked (networking might be one of my spiritual gifts…I love it!). From this, I was able to build relationships and friendships with some other people that shared this common interest, passion and calling with me.

My senior year in high school, my girlfriend at the time’s brother and I decided to start a worship band. We asked a few more friends to join and about a year later, we were a complete band. Six Piece Suit began by leading worship at my Christian high school’s retreat the fall after I graduated. From that, we started leading worship at First Baptist Church Woodstock for their high school service and serving weekly. This opened up a lot of doors for all of us. Although there are a lot of other events that allowed me to network more and serve more, this was the biggest one. Eventually we were asked to lead other places and later on, other leaders and bands would ask us to fill in or play with them.

So how do you get where God’s brought me and blessed me with? Here’s what I’d suggest:

• Understand that the Lord calls different people to do different things. You can’t be me. I can’t be you. Be yourself and do what you can to glorify God wherever and whatever that is.
• Take a step back and pray about it. Just because it sounds cool or you like to play the guitar doesn’t mean that you’re called to do it. The keyword is called. This is a big deal and something that God definitely calls you to do and be.
• Serve. Wherever that is and whatever needs to be done. I have worked doing production and audio/video/lighting before being able to play at some places. The point is serving. Serving, by definition, means that you do what needs to be done, giving of yourself for the cause.  Churches in every town are always looking for people to serve (and a lot are looking for musicians). Just because you aren’t playing at the hippest of cool churches or the ones that pay the big bucks (or the ones that pay at all) doesn’t mean anything’s wrong. I don’t mean go to a church just because you want to play there…go to the church you would attend, get plugged in at and serve at anyways.  Serve first.
• Network. Whenever you play, meet the people you play with. Also, take advantage of meeting other worship leaders and musicians. Do not be annoying and call them all the time asking if you can play with them or if they need you. Make sure they know you’re available if they want/need you, but let them come to you. If you’re serving somewhere, you’re also building up references from the leaders and other musicians there.

Again, there’s no magic formula, but it really starts by serving in your local church. Find a church that you feel at home at (if you don’t already have one) and start serving however you can (again, might not be music at first, but make sure you express that interest).