James Wasem is an expert audio engineer with a knack for explaining complex concepts and a desire to help the church with one of its most persistent areas of conflict: sound.
You might remember James from a past episode of the ChurchMag Podcast in which we talked about his book and why he is just so darn awesome. It’s a good time; you should have a listen.
But for now, let’s review Great Church Sound.
Great Church Sound
The Good
I’m not one to gush with praise about much of anything, but James’ book is just so good that it’s hard to reduce my praise to just a few words. Yet, if I must, I’ll say that I learned a ton from this book, despite the fact that I ran sound for my church week-in and week-out for a decade. The section on EQ alone is a game changer, and I’m sure that many of you will say the same about the section on feedback.
I think what I appreciate most about Great Church Sound can be broken down into two categories: practical and philosophical. Practically, this book is a guide, with sections designed to be read as needed, with detailed diagrams and figures sprinkled heavily throughout to buttress the excellent writing. Philosophically, James absolutely gets church sound, referring to it both as art and craft. It’s an in-born aptitude and a learned skill. And while he doesn’t use this word, he communicates the right posture that running sound is a steward’s task in which the tech is entrusted with passing on the Word without adding to it or taking away from it. The sound team’s job is both practical and sacred, and James writing reflects that reality and will help you to accomplish your task with reverence and excellence.
The Bad
There’s nothing bad about the book, though I will say that it’s a book about church sound. There’s neither twists nor turns. So long as you understand that, going into it, you’re reading a technical guide about church sound, you’re going to get a ton out of this.
Wrapping Up
Buy this book. Read this book. Pass this book on to the rest of your sound team. (Or if you’re the only sound tech, read it twice.) It’s honestly a great book for veterans and novices alike. This is the book to help you improve your sound team and train your new volunteers. Plus, James offers a ton of bonus content on his site for everyone who reads the book.
– Readability (5.0)
– Breadth/Depth of Content (5.0)
– Helpfulness/Inspirational (5.0)
– Awesome Diagrams and Bonuses (5.0)
Recommended? – Yes, for every church that wants to have great sound, whether they have good or bad sound at them moment.
Great Church Sound: a Guide for the Volunteer is by James Wasem.
You can buy it for a variety of platforms.
A copy of this book was provided to me by the author in exchanged for an honest review, which is what you just read.
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