sample some music that you can expect to hear...

CD now available:  "Unashamed" Songs of Hope Volume 1

available for purchase $10 after service on Sundays or at the church office.

Music is one of the most powerful tools we have to communicate anything! In fact, Socrates back in 120 BC said- "Let me write the music of a land and I care not who writes it's laws." The church is really no exception. We are defined by our music style, and that style has to be authentic to who we are as people, as Christians and as a culture. That's why we at Hope take our commitment to music so seriously. It is more than notes and words– it's an extension of our soul and heart– reaching out to God in worship and to people in presentation.

So what makes hope music different? The music at hope is built on two simple concepts– Excellence and Transparency.

Excellence in that we know that un-churched (and churched) people have great taste in music and are expecting the best! The standards have been raised by our sound and sight generation– we must keep up if we are going to impact.

Transparency has to do with who we are while we are "on stage." Anything that we do to draw attention to ourselves removes it from God and so it becomes nothing more than performance. This is a balance that is hard to define, and quite personal– bearing in mind our call to the un-churched. We don't want to freak anyone out! For me, if I stood still to worship, that would be distraction. For someone else, if they moved during worship, it would be a distraction. The guiding principle – be genuine in who you are, but, recognize that the un-churched person is our target!

What style of music is Hope Music? Hope Music is best described as jazz and R & B influenced, energetic, meditative, rockin' and alive music that is simply an outgrowth of our Pastor's heart and experience. Mike is a professional musician with a varied background of touring, performing and recording– so to put our music in one category– you'd have to say it's inspired!

Do you have to be a professional? No, but because we do so much material with little rehearsal time– you need to be very proficient on your instrument and be able to read charts.

Do you need vocalists? Yes– we need vocalists and Choir members– again, you need to be able to pick up quickly, sing a part and have confidence in your voice and pitch.

What about orchestra instruments? The vision of this church is to reach those who don't go to church with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The music is designed to be like "regular radio", so we will stick with combo instruments (guitar, bass drums, keys, sax etc.) as the regular instrumentation. At times, we may branch into other areas for specials– but who knows? Dave Matthews music sounds cool with violin and rhythm section!! Let us know what you play and we'll see how to use it!

When do you practice? Since we don't yet have a building, we will practice on Sundays at 8:00 SHARP!! With the level of players we have, and with advance tapes we should have no problems with a quick run through.

Will we ever do other things? YES! There are tons of opportunities to play– both as outreach and as some gigs. What's the point of great music if we can't share it with others?

Want to know more? Contact Mike at mike@hope4tampa.com or call 813-818-1211. Better yet- come on out to a Sunday Service and introduce yourself!