We sat down with Ed Steele to get his perspective on playing drums in a worship band. Ed still secretly hopes to play drums for the Who…
Ed, tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up and what were your musical influences?
Ed: I grew up in New York City during the exciting 1960′s. It was a wild time. Rock-n-roll music from England and America was exploding all over the place and I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I saw almost every major rock group of that era at various venues in New York, but it wasn’t until I saw “The Who” in ‘67 that I knew drumming was for me. You see, I was seated in the front row at their first NY concert appearance and their drummer, Keith Moon, just tore out. At the end of their set, “The Who” trashed their instruments, and Keith Moon’s base drum almost rolled off the stage and into my lap! Need I say more? The rest is history.
How long have you been playing in worship bands? Describe the different venues or places of worship where you have played. Do you prefer one setting over another?
Ed: After making a personal commitment to the Lord while in college in the early 70′s, I gave up drumming for a while. Before that, I had been playing in a couple of local rock-n-soul bands. Having never taken a drum lesson, I played totally by ear and got better in time with practice. It wasn’t until the late 70′s, however, that the Lord allowed me to once again sit behind the drums; this time for Him. While working at Teen Challenge in Brooklyn, I had a couple of opportunities to play at their street meetings, as well as at a church service. When I came to the Vineyard in ‘83 or ‘84, I knew that was the church for me. And once we acquired our own building, it became really comfortable playing for the Lord each Sunday at church, and a blessing as well. Since then, we’ve played in parks, other churches during conferences, and best of all, at Lake Champion in Upstate New York, where we have of our church retreat. Each place has its own unique blessing.
Have there been any memorable moments?
Ed: During some of our church conferences, we have had some really great moments where the Lord seemed to show up in a special way. The same has been true at past church retreats, as well as at several church worship nights. Of course, the Lord shows up on Sundays too but it isn’t always the same.
How do you approach ‘drumming for the Lord?’
Ed: I consider myself especially blessed to be able to drum for the Lord. With this in mind I try to be sensitive to the other musicians and not over-power their instruments with my drumming. Occasionally I have to remind myself why I’m on stage, that it’s not to show off my talent, but rather to help lead others before the throne of God.
Are there any people in the worship community that have helped you or provided inspiration?
Ed: I think all the musicians try to help and encourage each other, and particularly the leaders of each worship band. I believe the leaders have the most patience as they try to get it all together for their respective groups. In addition, with all the great contemporary worship music available today, it makes it a joy to play.
Ed, is it really possible to worship while playing the drums? I mean, after all aren’t you concentrating on the song, moving between chorus and verse, watching the worship leader to see what will happen next? How can you possible worship while thinking of all those things?
Ed: When I first started playing in church, it was more difficult to worship and play at the same time. But now, as I’ve gotten more comfortable with the songs, playing the drums is like second nature to me and worship is a blessing. A lot has to do with some technical aspects. For example, if the sound board is having difficulty on a particular day, it’s not going to go well for us on stage. Sometimes I feel more comfortable and able to enter into worship playing in a band with only a few members rather than a whole orchestra.
How can the drums bring people into worship or take them out of worship?
Ed: Like anything else in music, the drums simply provide the beat or the bottom line, if you will. The beat can either get you into the groove, or totally turn you away. That’s why it’s important to stay on top of your craft. As accomplished as I think I am, I know that I still need to rehearse, and I’m always willing to learn something new. This is what helps lead people into worship – being sensitive and knowing your instrument.
Is there anything else you would like to say about ‘drumming for the Lord?’
Ed: Playing drums in the worship band has been a great blessing to me over the years. I was once asked if I consider playing in the bands at church to be like work. My answer was, and always has been, a resounding no. It’s not work to me, it’s fun!