I read somewhere that singing in-tune and on pitch has less to do with your ability to vocally hit a note, and more to do with your ear’s ability to hear a note. If it wasn’t obvious, playing music involves listening. In my experience, musicians are often so concerned about playing the right thing at the right time, that they have not created the space for listening to one another. Thus making it difficult to pay attention to what we are trying to create at the moment.
Communication is key in any relationship. And communication is as much about listening, understanding, and interpreting the other as it is about speaking and responding. Musicians who are leading worship together need to learn to listen to one another, but also listen individually and collectively to the voice of the Holy Spirit. In fact, I believe that learning to listen to the Holy Spirit is the first step toward being a team that can listen well to one another. As we grow in attentiveness to the voice of the Holy Spirit, we naturally grow in attentiveness to the voices - or instruments - around us.
You will know your team is struggling to listen to one another when there is no awareness of what other people are playing or singing. There will be multiple points of contrasting melodies and harmonies, as well as dynamics. One practical step is speaking to dynamics before you begin a song. Describe where certain instruments, tones, and voices should layer into the song. Be more specific than vague and general - especially at first. If you are using in-ear monitors, rather than have each musician have only what they want in their ears - there should be a little bit of everything. Same with floor monitors, there should be a little bit of everything so that those who are serving can become aware and conscious of what the other team members are playing and singing.
Ultimately as leaders, we must model what we would like to see. We need to listen to our team on and off the platform. We need to listen and obey the voice of the Spirit in His leading. We need to listen to our team as they play and sing and give specific feedback and encouragement in humility and love that is able to be executed with the team we have, not the team we wish we had.
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…” James 1:19