http://junko.com/blog.html Junko: Blog Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:56:50 -0800 http://junko.com/blog.html/got_vocal_trouble__get_some_help Adele.
Keith Urban.
Julie Andrews.
Celine Dion.
Junko.

What do these people all have in common besides the fact that they are world-class (ahem, all but one) vocalists? They've all had vocal trouble. The first four on the list have gone under the knife for vocal surgery. The first three have only done so recently so we don't quite know the outcome yet, but we do know that unfortunately for one of them -- Julie Andrews -- the surgery was unsuccessful and she never did recover after getting her polyps removed from her vocal cords. Both Celine and I (isn't it rather audacious of me to mention myself in the same breath as Celine?) were fortunate to recover after some rest, but we are some of the very fortunate ones. Fortunate in that we realized before the problem got worse that we needed help! And not just medical help--we're talking proper singing technique.

I read the press releases from the artists who are going off the road due to vocal trouble, and I notice that they try their best to make light of the situation so as to not bring undue concern to their fans. Often, they make the vocal surgery sound like it is a minor procedure when in fact it is anything but. Their very livelihood is on the line, as one little extra nick by the surgeon could ruin their voice forever. It is such a scary thought! It also affects their entire crew and their families, for they depend on the artists for their employment. Throat surgery could indeed be very, very costly!

Many of these vocally troubled artists also stress that these problems just sort of "happened" to them. Yes, it is grueling to be on the road, and yes, it is hard on the voice to sing night after night. But nodules and polyps don't just happen over night, and there is no denying it: vocal trouble is most surely caused by poor vocal technique.

Although I had taken some voice lessons over the years, I strayed from the technique when I was busy touring in the late 90's. I was flying to Japan, Hawaii, Brazil, Australia, all the fun places just to go sing. Life was good! But then one day I got the flu and got sick. I still had to sing, so I did the best I could at one concert, but I completely lost my voice the next day. It took me a few days to recover (I was younger then!), but I had to snap out of it by the next weekend to sing again. I had to strain to get the notes out, but I somehow managed. I rested during the week only to strain again over the following weekend, and I got into a cycle which lasted months of me thrashing the voice over the weekend and losing my voice by Monday then trying desperately to heal by Friday. I wasn't sick anymore, but the voice got into that straining cycle, and I didn't know how to get out of it. It was a scary time, but one day I realized that I had to get help before it got any worse. That's when I limped into my voice teacher Guy Babusek's studio.

After determining that I hadn't yet developed nodules (he could tell by the sound), he taught me to relax my larynx when I sing so that I wouldn't strain it further. That was my ER procedure just so that I could make it through the following few weekends. Then, over the course of the next few months, he taught me ways to generate a whole lot more sound without pulling up my chest voice to an unhealthy level or trying to belt it by...screaming. Imagine being able to sound like I'm belting when in fact I'm only using the tiniest part of my vocal cords to generate that sound. It was easier than whispering! (As an aside, I also learned that whispering is actually bad for your voice.) The amazing thing was that as my vocal technique improved so that I was no longer putting undue pressure on my voice, my tone actually got better too! Imagine that -- two benefits for the price of one!

Yes, I do realize that there is a price -- often a steep one -- for vocal training. But if you consider what it would cost if you ruined your voice, then I think it's worth the investment. After going to Guy every other week for the first few years, he got my voice in good enough shape so that I now go only a few times a year for my "tune up." Oh, I still definitely stray from proper technique from time to time, so I really appreciate going back to Guy every few months to get re-calibrated!

I don't see the need for voice lessons to be a sign of weakness. In fact, I think it is a reminder that we are all frail and in need of help. Who of us can claim that we have it all together, especially in our singing? After all, the fist step in any recovery program is admitting that we need help. And I, for one, definitely needed help and will continue to need help as long as I sing.

I believe so much in voice training and, in particular, the method which Guy uses called "Speech Level Singing" which was developed by master voice teacher Seth Riggs, that I have signed up to begin the certification process to become a voice instructor with the SLS method. I filled out the forms, paid my dues, and am just embarking on a new adventure with the hopes that even when I am no longer on the road, I can continue helping the next generation of road warriors who will surely come upon vocal trouble at some point in their careers. This whole certification takes many, many years to complete, and that's part of the appeal. I like that it takes a lot of time and effort to understand the voice, and any other program which tells you otherwise is questionable, in my book.

I hope that by this time next year I will have achieved my Level 1 certification as Speech Level Singing voice instructor. Until then, I'll be learning how to teach, which I'm sure is an art in itself. I have just a few select students (er, guinea pigs) for the time being. I'm not ready to advertise my voice lessons quite yet, but I do hope to get there soon.

Here's the link to Speech Level Singing: http://www.speechlevelsinging.com/
Here's some information on Seth Riggs: http://www.sethriggs.com/
...and one more for my voice teacher Guy Babusek: http://www.voice-lessons.com/

So, that's one of the new things I'll be doing in 2012. I hope and pray that your new year will bring you lots of exciting things in your life, too!]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/got_vocal_trouble__get_some_help Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:56:50 -0800 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/challenges_worship_teams_face_in_small_churches__part_5_the_missing_bass
I've often pondered why this is the case and why there aren't more bass players. Maybe it's because bass is not a flashy instrument. It's close enough to a guitar that, if you're going to sling one over your shoulders and play a stringed instrument anyway, you might as well just go with the all-utility guitar. After all, if you're in a group sitting around a fire pit at the beach singing along to just one instrument, it's certainly not going to be the bass. It would have to be the guitar. Guitar players get a lot of glory on the stage, particularly electric. Electric guitar players enjoy a good amount of head banging along with the drums and lead singer. They can do instrumental solos and get some serious applause when they do.

I can recall junior high dances (back when they actually had live bands instead of DJ's like my son's school dances today), the band would finish the evening with the obligatory rotating-solo song. So the guitar goes waling for about 16 bars, and people would clap in delight. Then the drums would go off on an amazing show of rhythm for about 32 bars, thundering through odd beats and crashing cymbals to the screams of feverish female fans in the room. That would always be followed by the bass solo. This is where things would get much more subdued. Unless you're a music aficionado, you just don't appreciate the mad skills of the bass player. People sincerely tried to appreciate it, but many just looked puzzled. Unless he/she is really, really good and showy player, the bass solo -- all 8 bars -- would always be met with a polite round of applause before the rest of the band would come back in for the grand finale just before filing out the gym to meet our waiting parents outside.

I think bass players are the coolest cats in the room. Most bass players look disaffected by the madness in the house while they hold up the world. They might be the most cerebral, as they are music theory in action. Real bass players aren't in it for the attention. They're good, and they know it. I had the amazing opportunity to do some live gigs with the legendary Leland Sklar (James Taylor, Phil Collins). I got to hang with him a lot between takes and during rehearsals, as I was standing right in front of him as one of the background vocalists. He still uses the same 4-string bass which he's had since the 70's and sees no need to go to 5- or 6-string bass, as he knows it is the player and not the instrument which creates great sounds. He just sits behind his monstrous beard and plays perfectly each time.

I don't think I'll ever be a Lee Sklar, but I am now quenching my long-time curiosity and finally learning the bass. So far, it's been fun, and I'm enjoying playing along with songs on my iPod which, until now, I had played on other instruments. I'm seeing music in a whole new, different light. I would invite more musicians, particularly guitar players, to pick up this instrument. After all, we're dealing with the lowest four strings on your already-familiar instrument and playing notes instead of chords all the time. You might even be in more demand if you do. And you'll look really, really cool.]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/challenges_worship_teams_face_in_small_churches__part_5_the_missing_bass Sat, 05 Feb 2011 08:45:51 -0800 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/challenges_worship_teams_face_in_small_churches__part_4
I wish every person on the worship team took music lessons.

I know, I know, you're thinking that I'm a "professional musician" and you're a working professional with no spare time for any lessons. I know you're busy. I know that you are doing all you can to even show up for the rehearsals and barely make it on Sunday mornings for worship leading. Your plate is very full. I get that. But guess what -- so is mine! I'm a wife and a stay-at-home mom with a part time career in music. I drive the kids around in the afternoon and help them with their homework while fixing dinner for the family.

I just think that we all could fit in one 30 minute lesson once a week or every other week for a short period of time -- maybe 3, 6, or 12 months? -- to get better at our craft. After all, we're the ones entrusted by God to use our gifts to lead His people during worship. Doesn't He deserve our best? Many of us are still playing off of what we learned during our youth group days, the last time we had any extra time to do something like learn musical instruments. We still play chords and rhythm patterns that reflect that period in our lives -- the 60's, 70's, or the 80's -- and we're in sore need of updating. Most of my lessons are about $25 - $50 for a half an hour, and I just end up practicing about 15-30 minutes a few times during the week. Not a lot, but enough to get my skills up to speed. I bet you can do that, too.

Many people get offended when I tell them that they should take lessons. Quite the contrary! If I say that to someone, I actually mean that they have a lot of potential and that it's worth their time to get even better. Why wouldn't you want to get better? I'm not really sure, because I'm always on the look out for ways improve. I'm a little addicted to it, actually!

Music lessons aren't just for our kids. Yes, we old dogs can still learn new tricks. I hope you'll look up the nearest music store and inquire about music lessons for grownups. You'll be on your way to excellence -- excellence for God.]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/challenges_worship_teams_face_in_small_churches__part_4 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 20:11:02 -0800 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/challenges_worship_teams_face_in_small_churches__part_3
First of all, let me say on behalf of worship leaders everywhere that we love you. You work tirelessly to provide great sound for us, and nobody notices until there is a feedback or the microphone goes dead. You come an hour before anybody shows up for sound check, and you are the last one to leave, usually an hour after the service or rehearsal ends. You do all this for no pay (well, most of you volunteers, anyway). We don't know how you manage to do this in the evening or the weekends after you've worked long hours at your engineering/programming/accounting jobs. You're a real servant.

You are just as integral of a part of our team as anyone else in the band. Sure, you're not up front so the congregation doesn't normally see you, but your existence is crucial. Again, on behalf of other worship leaders, let me apologize for not giving you your credit due for all your efforts. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I do want to talk over some things with you today, because I want us to keep up our great relationship. Just a few things...

1. Please don't hate us when we keep asking to turn us up in the monitor. I know you laugh behind our backs about the MOM ("More of Me") syndrome, but really. When we can't hear ourselves, we don't sound very good. Vocally, we might strain ourselves trying to sing over the drums, and our harmonies might really stink. Instrumentally, we might be out of tune or time and not know it. We must really come across as being narcissists, but believe you me -- we need your help. If we all ask you to turn us up, eventually we get louder and louder until the monitor speakers are outdoing the mains. In that case, please trim the overall volume down before we get out of hand. Maybe you can help the church board get a new mixer board with more aux sends for increased number of monitor mixes so you can give us each isolated mixes -- rhythm, vocals, guitar, keys, etc. And feel free to tell the keyboardists to get his/her own dedicated small monitor so they can hear their own synth sounds without drowning us out. Better yet, maybe you can talk the church board into buying us in-ear monitors!

2. Educate us. We can surely learn to go get our own music stands, guitar stands, keyboard stands, etc. We can even bring out the 1/4" cables and mic cables, if that would help you. If you trust us, we can even plug the mic cables into the correct plugs in the snake -- if you can clearly mark them for us. If you want, you can give us a quick tour of the board and show us which knob or slider corresponds to our own inputs so that, in case you step away to go use the "facilities," we won't be completely helpless. After we're all done playing, then show us how to do that little twisty thing when you're coiling up cables so they uncoil without tangling next time. We can all learn to do that much -- right, band? We could never do without you completely, but we can all learn a little bit so that we could be a little more helpful.

3. If you play an instrument, then come join us in the band sometime. Just get someone else to cover the board, for a change. I think every worship band member should spend some time behind the mixer, and every sound person should try standing on stage with the worship team. That way, we can all understand each other better.

4. Get an assistant. You can't be running up and down the aisle all rehearsal long without injuring yourself! Sometimes, you just need someone else to do the legwork while you check out the overall sound at the board. Particularly if your "sound closet" is exactly that -- a closet tucked away, sometimes outside the sanctuary as is often the case in older buildings -- it is crucial to have more than one person doing sound. Besides, you could and should be grooming the next generation of sound engineers by starting them out with the scut work. Isn't that how many of you got your start?

5. Don't base the overall sound level of the house on one parishioner's comment. I know it's unnerving when that little old lady who has been a part of your church for over 50 years walks up to you and commands you to turn down the volume, and it's just as disturbing when a group of teens begs you to turn it up. I'm sure you get a lot of comments about stuff you can't control, but before you react with a knee-jerk response and reach for the master volume knob, please take a breath and consider what you, the expert, believes is the correct volume level. Later, perhaps you can consult the pastor and/or church board members who can digest the various comments and complaints from the whole congregation and give you the final word.

6. If you really start hating us and start thinking of us as your enemies, perhaps it is time for you to step down for a little while and take a much-deserved break from sound engineering. After all, if we all can't do our church volunteer jobs "cheerfully and joyfully" as unto the Lord, then maybe it would be better if we did something else for a while. I don't think God wants an angry sound person engineering for an angry worship leader. The church just wouldn't be very healthy, you know?

That's about all I have to say to you today. Again, we can't thank you enough, and we really do love you. Let's all help you clean up after next weekend's service, so that you can join us for lunch.

Love,
Your Worship Leader]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/challenges_worship_teams_face_in_small_churches__part_3 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:33:12 -0800 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/challenges_worship_teams_face_in_small_churches__part_2
Play the right tempo.

Yes, that's right. Start us out in the right tempo and keep it there. We all depend on you. Please don't speed up and certainly don't slow down. Simple, right?

I say this partially to preach to myself, because I am a drummer too. Well, I'm only a scratch drummer in that I've only taken a few years of drum lessons and can play enough to keep a band together, but I am not a professional by any means. I'm probably good enough to play at a small, Asian church where they'll take just about anyone who can hold two sticks!

I decided to take up the drums a few years ago, partially because I always wanted to be a chick drummer (inspired by the amazing Suzanne Morisette Cruz). But the need to learn became more urgent when I was on staff at Irvine Presbyterian Church as the contemporary worship leader. I wanted to have the right language to explain what I was seeking from a drummer. "Give me a little chick-a-chick-a-chick before you go boom-boom and crash" got a little old and downright confusing. But as I began my lessons with Tom "TJ" Ravel at Jim's Music in Irvine, I realized that I enjoy playing rhythm and learning different patterns. Eventually, I worked my way into playing with the VBS band for kids, and now I occasionally sit in and keep the beat for worship bands.

I've been blessed to work with some amazing professionals, including a live concert filming gig for the Japanese market with Vinnie Colaiuta and Mike Baird (I was singing). I've also worked with Dave Spurr, Ron Robertson, Julio Figueroa, and the aforementioned Suzanne Morisette Cruz. I can't hold a candle to any of them, but by working alongside them I've learned a thing or two about great drumming. Boy, do they know how to hold a steady tempo while doing all these fancy acrobatics around the drum kit!

It is the most basic thing to keep a steady beat, but it is also one of the first things to go if you are out of practice. That's why every drummer should be practicing at least 15 minutes a day, a few days a week, playing along to a metronome. It's really not that much time, but if you don't keep working on that tempo muscle, you will get unsteady. I guess that's what they mean by "losing your chops." I used to practice regularly, and eventually I was falling into a groove so well that the tick-tick sounds of the metronome actually started to seemingly disappear. That's a very gratifying experience.

Speaking of metronome, every drummer should invest in an electronic metronome with a little red light that flickers in beat. You can be specific about your tempo when you punch it in electronically. For that matter, every musician should be practicing their instrument at home with a metronome. It's one thing to be a solo concert pianist setting your own pace, but when you are playing in a band, you have got to all play together, and nothing keeps you together like a perfect tempo.

Many drummers these days cut their teeth on Rock Band. No lie -- I am meeting more and more young drummers for worship teams who claim to have had zero lessons in drums but learned everything they know about their instrument playing the popular video game. After the initial shock, I began to actually see some benefit to playing along to Rock Band. Sure, you might be learning incorrect technique, but at least you're holding steady as if you were playing with your metronome. What a novel concept! Rock Band players, at least you're doing something right, but I still would implored you to go take some lessons from a real human instructor as soon as you can!

I have more things I'd like to ask of you drummers, but that's all for today. I'll tackle some other topics and will come back to you again. Meanwhile, go practice with your metronome.]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/challenges_worship_teams_face_in_small_churches__part_2 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:04:36 -0800 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/challenges_worship_teams_face_in_small_churches__part_1
Also, I've had years of classes and private lessons in piano, vocals, guitar, drums, stage performance, music theory, and keyboards. Maybe it's about time I grew up and began thinking about yielding the platform to the next generation of worship leaders. Mentoring. Coaching. These thoughts came to mind as I've been going to different churches and working with various worship teams over this past year. I have a feeling that I'll be doing more and more of this sort of a thing in the days ahead.

So, I thought I would share with you some of the things I've noticed as I've been working with people who are proficient enough in their instruments yet are inexperienced in playing as a band. After all, most musicians in church worship teams are volunteers, and it is doubtful that very many of them are professional musicians. Here is the number one thing I observe most often:

Everyone overplays.

Every musician plays their instruments at full-throttle from start to finish. No one ever stops playing until the entire set is over. Our ears get tired, and every song begins to sound alike. You know what the end result is? The congregation loses interest, and energy level goes down. It becomes difficult to worship. I know it's ironic, because the band is trying their darnest and giving 100%, but that's just the problem. We don't want 100% of them giving their 100%, 100% of the time.

What we need are peaks and valleys, pockets for players to dance around each other.

I always tell the band members that when an artist begins to paint on a white canvas, they don't use every color on every square inch of that canvas. Otherwise, they end up with this green-brown mush that covers the entire thing. Instead, seasoned artists use a little color here, a little more color there, use a different color on this area, leave this part blank, and voila! -- you end up with a work of art worthy of our inspection and enjoyment. It's in the absence of certain colors that the presence of a single color truly comes through.

Likewise, there are times that perhaps only the acoustic guitar plays, eventually joined by the drums. That could be an intro to a song. Then, just the lead vocalist starts singing (not the whole vocal team...yet). It could be these three -- guitar, drums (more like percussion), and one vocalist -- until the prechorus, at which time everyone comes in like thunder. But the drums don't go all out yet and neither does the bass. That comes at the chorus when everyone including all of the other vocalists do their thing. But we don't sing in harmony yet; that happens at the second chorus. We go back down during the second verse, dropping the synth pad until the prechorus again. Maybe at the bridge, we scale back to just the acoustic guitar and the vocalists singing in unison. We climb back up to the final chorus with everyone joining in, then here's a real effective contrast that'll get the people's attention: finish the final chorus with vocals only, singing in parts. The singers might even step back from the mikes a few inches to allow the congregation to really listen to themselves sing. Ahhh...heaven.

You see, all these variations that allow peaks and valleys actually create more energy than going all out the entire time. But you know what this boils down to? Trust. The electric guitar player must trust that the music continues to flow along without his playing, except just at the interludes and the chunky strumming during the choruses. It takes quite a discipline for a player to drop out and stay out. Or for a piano player to just hold the chord and let a full measure go by without arpeggiating -- that takes guts. Or a synth player to simply hold one note in organ sound throughout the entire chorus, then dropping out the entire rest of the song. We all listen to what we do individually, and we can't believe that the song can roll along without any help from us. But trust we must, and we just might end up with a better sounding arrangement than we ever thought possible.

It is hard to just describe using words to explain what I mean by "leaving pockets" and "providing peaks and valleys." I can do that in person, and I often work with the actual band on stage on arrangements. Seasoned musicians can follow along on a rhythm chart which tells them exactly when to play and when not to play, but most part-time worship team players would be hard pressed to get their hands on such rhythm charts, let alone follow along. So, here's what I tell everyone I ever coach: listen to recordings of worship songs. By that, I don't mean live recordings of the worship team from the church next door, but I mean well-produced recordings by artists such as Paul Bloche, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redmond, Hillsong, New Life Church, etc. Listen to what they do, but more importantly listen to what they DON'T do. Find out where they leave out pockets of air so others can breathe.

I'll talk more in my upcoming blogs on other challenges that we've worked through with small-church worship teams. So stay tuned!]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/challenges_worship_teams_face_in_small_churches__part_1 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:00:38 -0800 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/my_morning_at_fcbc_san_antonio_tx
Just for this weekend ("Special guest worship leader from Saddleback Church in California -- Junko Cheng!" announced the posters plastered all over the church campus), they combined the English and Chinese departments for a time of bilingual worship, making the attendance total about 150, including the youths. Because neither the pastor nor I could speak Mandarin, an interpreter was on hand during the prayer, testimony, sermon, communion, and announcements. The PowerPoint lyrics were projected in both languages on each slide. One of the singers in my worship team could sing in English and Mandarin, so I had him take the lead whenever I felt we should switch to Chinese during a song. Imagine hearing the chorus to "Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)" by Chris Tomlin in Mandarin -- it was heavenly. The congregation sang heartily in whatever language they could. I only wished I could join them the whole time.

There were a handful of non-Asians, most glaringly our friends Richard and Mary Teal, along with their son Sammy who is best buddies with my son Josh. We made my trip an excuse for the whole family to go visit our friends for the first time since they left California to Texas, currently the land flowing with employment milk and honey, last September. Mary was definitely the only blond in the room, but there were a couple of mixed-marriage couples, usually between Chinese wife and Caucasian husband. I was surprised to see a few African American families but was pleased to see them worshiping wholeheartedly, raising the energy level a notch or two for the somewhat reserved Chinese congregation. I was even more surprised, pleasantly so, to see that a black man serves as one of the elders of the church. He was serving the elements during communion alongside his fellow elders. Talk about being multi-cultural!

After singing my songs, I gave my usual pitch for World Vision. I specifically mentioned that I had a handful of children from mainland China who needed sponsors. As soon as they were dismissed, people made a dash to my table. All five Chinese kids in my care were sponsored immediately, going to the swiftest congregants. Others who were beaten to the table asked me for information on sponsoring online. I directed them to my website to go to the link to WV child sponsorship website. I was impressed by this congregation's generosity.

Service was followed, of course, by lunch for everyone. They took a more utilitarian approach as compared to some of the other Chinese churches I've visited: ordering boxed lunches from a nearby restaurant! The lunch had a decidedly homemade feel to them, as they consisted simply of a scoop of rice and some stir-fried noodles with chicken and vegetables. They cost only $1.50 (free for visitors). They were delicious, and even our picky-eater son polished them off. My friends Mary and Richard, along with their son Sammy, also enjoyed the meal. The most amusing thing about it was that Richard's 80-year old mom, born in Mexico and emigrated to the US at age 8, came to the church to hear me sing and joined the festivities in the fellowship hall, making new friends over stir-fried noodles. It was precious.

Cleanup was simple: after most people had finished eating, the kitchen duty folks began hawking whatever boxes that were left over for only $1 each. If the boxes didn't disappear so quickly, they might have continued lowering the price in 25 cent-increments until they were eventually given out for free.

There was a congregational meeting after lunch, and some were staying even later for their kids to attend Chinese school at the church in the afternoon. Many spend pretty much all day Sunday there. I was only there one morning, but I am so grateful that I had a chance to be a part of the family for a day at this little church tucked away on Prue Rd. in San Antonio, TX.]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/my_morning_at_fcbc_san_antonio_tx Mon, 24 Jan 2011 21:27:34 -0800 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/the_purpose_of_ethnic_asian_churches_in_america
The Japanese churches often do it pot luck-style, bringing sushi rolls filled with tuna, cucumber, or egg custard inside; inari sushi that look like miniature footballs; teriyaki chicken wings; salads with rice noodles smothered in rice vinegar dressing; and individually packed confectionaries for dessert afterward. There's nothing like Japanese pot lucks in terms of the pure artistry of the way foods look and taste.

The Chinese churches own the market on comfort food, Oriental style. You hear the familiar sounds of pots and pans accenting the rhythm section of the worship team during the opening set. Around the time the sermon begins, you start smelling the distinct aroma of rice cooking coming to a crescendo, billowing steam from the four industrial-size rice cookers downstairs. During the offertory, we start smelling the stir-frying going on. By the time we get to the closing worship set, your rumbling stomach really challenges your ability to concentrate. As soon as the benediction is finished, congregants race downstairs to the fellowship hall to jockey for their position in line. Lunch is most often some saucy-vegetable-and-meat-or-chicken dish poured over freshly cooked rice, and it is so delicious. I love saucy dishes poured over rice -- that is pure comfort food, in my humble opinion, like curry and rice in Japan and chili and rice at Zippy's in Hawaii. Everyone chews loudly, laughs, and just enjoys being with one another over yummy food.

This scene is repeated each weekend at Filipino churches, Korean churches, and many other ethnic churches in America. In fact, I've experienced the same thing with Asian churches throughout Brazil, Australia, and Canada. There's always good food after church!

I know many church attenders in America bond over donuts and coffee after worship, but there's nothing like the relationships you build around a real hot meal. There's also the volunteer team members catching up with one another while preparing the food each week, and another team working together to do the clean up. Everyone gets involved in the process, even kids. It's a lot more high-maintenance than opening up a donut box and throwing them away afterwards, but where's the fun in that?

Maybe one of the many reasons why Asian ethnic churches have existed so long -- long after all the members assimilated into the American culture -- is because of all the lunches after church. Assimilate all they may, but may they never settle for just donuts and coffee.]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/the_purpose_of_ethnic_asian_churches_in_america Fri, 21 Jan 2011 20:26:38 -0800 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/whats_the_purpose_of_ethnic_asian_churches_in_america
In fact, I have sung at dozens -- if not hundreds -- of Chinese churches, most of them pretty small, maybe 200 people max if you include all the babies in the nursery. Many Chinese churches were started by new immigrants who met together for Bible studies in their college dorms, but upon graduation they became a full-fledged church after calling their first full-time pastor. Then these people had babies who, for many years, were placed in childcare and Sunday School, thus increasing the population of the church. However, when the kids became teenagers, they no longer had Sunday School to attend, yet they got bored in the worship services because their Chinese was not at a level where they could understand the sermons very clearly. So, they called the first youth pastor and began their English department which grew in size as the youths grew into collegians who then turned into young men and women who got married and began having children of their own.

That’s where I come in. I’m often called in to be a guest worship leader for the English department on a Sunday morning, a retreat, or a conference. Sometimes the English department is completely independent of the mother church, so I might not even step foot into the Chinese services. More often, though, I work through an interpreter to give my testimony and sing a few songs, then I go back to the English department where we sing all the Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, New Life Church, and Hillsong worship tunes as if we were at any old all-Anglo church. Most of these kids understand spoken Chinese, but they probably couldn’t speak it very well except to order dim sum. English is definitely their first language. Often times, the minister in charge of the English department is not even Asian!

I’m not really Chinese either, but Japanese. I have a Chinese last name simply because I am married to one, so that makes me an honorary Chinese. It doesn’t really matter what I am in these settings anyway, because all of us are speaking one common language -- English.

Many of these young adults remain active and committed to this congregation. However, many of them either move away or just start searching for a different church to establish their own personhood apart from their parents and grandparents. They often end up at a hip, urban, cool Asian churches on the other side of town. Sometimes, they end up at non-ethnic (i.e., white) church and get plugged in there.

One of my friends who ended up in a non-Asian church after spending years at an Asian congregation pondered out loud what the purpose of ethnic churches are. “What purpose do they serve? Are they relevant?” he asked. I wasn’t sure what I thought about this, because while I understand the need for ethnic churches for new immigrants, what’s the glue that held them together after they’ve assimilated into the new culture for several generations: skin color? Similar values? Friendships and relationships that go back several generations?

I don’t come from a Christian family who went to an Asian church together, so ethnic churches are sort of new for me. I was introduced to the faith as a teenager by my blond classmates and have always attended Caucasian (or at least not specifically one ethnicity) churches ever since. Coming from Japan, I always thought that Christianity was white people’s religion, so I was surprised -- pleasantly -- when I discovered Asian churches after I began my music ministry. A majority of my gigs now are at these churches, so I, for one, am all for their existence! Plus I do feel a kinship with people who hold similar values and cultural background as mine. I really love the people I’ve met over the years at the many Asian churches.

But I do wonder why, when they no longer speak the language of the original ethnicity of the church, people continue to worship and fellowship together several generations later. I don’t think this is true only for the Chinese, but for other nationalities and ethnicities as well. I just was making this observation because I spend so much time at Chinese churches.

What do you think? Do you think ethnic churches are still relevant two, maybe three generations later?]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/whats_the_purpose_of_ethnic_asian_churches_in_america Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:30:38 -0800 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/the_power_of_radio
I just listened to part 1 of your focus on the family interview. I was so touched by your story of how God unlocked the pain that was buried deep within your heart. The image of you running through the rice fields and the story of you going for a run and coming to peace with that little Japanese girl touched a deep part of me. Thank you for sharing your gift. May God continue to bless you and your ministry.
-Eileen

I was in the shower this morning listening to my shoiwer radio and heard Junko singing a song about her young life in the rice fields of the rising sun. My wife is from Thailand and the song reminded me of her life when she was a little girl.
-Bob and Vanida

Heard about you for the very first time on radio. The interview was awesome. To have a Japanese Christian singer with such a beautiful voice had me riveted to the program. Your lyrics and the sweet Japanese style will be passed on to my 12 year old granddaughter who loves Japanese anime, songs, etc. She goes to a magnet school with half English, half Japanese instruction.
- Gail

I've heard people say that radio is going away and is being replaced by the internet. I don't know about you, but I think radio is very much alive and well. That's most of what I listen to in the car, and I spend a lot of time in my Honda Odyssey. I am hoping and praying that my interviews will continue touching people's hearts. If you've missed any of the interviews, you can always hear it online at www.focusonthefamily.com/weekend and there are also two more interviews coming up in July.

Thanks for listening!]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/the_power_of_radio Sun, 11 Jul 2010 07:29:39 -0700 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog