September 14 , 2005

Acclaimed Christian songwriter Marty Nystrom led a three-day praise and worship song writing seminar in the Praise Annex practice room Sept. 8 to 10.

The 25 participants included Corban students and community residents.

“I write a lot of songs, but not praise and worship songs,” said Brian Coons, a member of the worship team at Valley Christian Center in Albany, Ore. “I wanted to become better at writing worship songs.”

Among the many things he learned, Coons said, was the structure for music and lyric theory, and available tools that will help him improve his skill.

Nystrom, a songwriter since high school, when in the mid-1980s he wrote songs for the worship team at his church, has been connected with Integrity Hosanna Music since 1988. Among the better known of his more than 100 songs is As the Deer. For more than four years he was song development manager, “pastor” to songwriters and reviewer of songs sent to Integrity, which started in the Christian music ministry in 1985 when it saw a need for praise and worship songs that wasn’t being met by record companies.

Today Nystrom freelances his songwriting talents, and teaches in several Integrity workshops each year.

“It’s part of my purpose in life to be a psalmist,” Nystrom said. “This [teaching] is really fun for me, to see what God is doing, raising up songwriters who are supplying fresh worship music to the Body of Christ.”

Nystrom led three, 6-hour sessions that included:
• the ministry of the psalmist – a biblical understanding of song and songwriting,
• worship song checklist – things to consider when writing/selecting worship songs
• words for worship – equipping yourself as a psalmist,
• lyric devices
• basic music theory
• harmony
• rut-breakers – how to keep from falling into the same writing ruts, and
• the business of songwriting – what you need to know before you sign the contract.

Intermingled with his instructional segments were several students performing their original work, which Nystrom then critiqued.

“You could feel a very positive, affirming spirit; Marty does a great job teaching the material,” said Dan Shuholm, director of bands and worship arts. Shuholm had arranged to bring Nystrom to the Corban campus in conjunction with Worship Northwest.

“We have students writing songs,” Shuholm explained. “I thought this would be an opportunity to invest in them by helping them refine their craft of songwriting, which they’re using in worshipping the Lord.”

Nystrom talked about the eight criteria for an effective praise/worship chorus:
• a universal theme that crosses all barriers,
• word economy – keep it to one theme,
• prosody – perfect marriage of music and lyric,
• lyrical freshness – find new scriptures,
• musical freshness,
• musical simplicity,
• proper form – clear design, and
• an overall effectiveness in fostering worship.

“Keep writing,” Nystrom said. “Invest in your gift. … The power comes when you get all God’s people united in worship.”

October training events through the Music department include a two-day high school choral sight reading workshop starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19; and a Masterworks Expo: Cadences at noon Tuesday, Oct. 25. Both events will take place in the Psalm Performing Arts Center. For more information contact Dr. Virginia Cross, music department chairman.

--By Karen L. Willoughby