Motif Worship, a venture of Nqosi Communication, LLC, exists to empower worship leaders with pattern-based keyboard accompaniment techniques that create dynamic worship music.

Our mission is to provide tutorials and supporting materials that impart these techniques in a manner that stimulates creative freedom and helps worship musicians take their craft to the next level. These tutorials and materials focus on the industry-leading Yamaha MOTIF-brand keyboard workstations (hence the name).

Philosophy

The accompaniment techniques of Motif Worship were developed at an intentionally multiethnic church, pioneered by worship leaders with over 20 years of experience combining keyboard and MIDI technology with music ministry. As such, our business philosophy is connected to our philosophy of ministry, which is predicated upon valuing creativity, diversity and flexibility, three essential attributes in any 21^st century ministry context.

Creativity refers both to the variety of sounds that can be utilized, as well as the various ways that musical patterns can be created or modified. Acoustic instruments vs. analog synths. Loop-based vs. linear sequences. Live playing vs. step recording. Loose grooves vs. tightly quantized rhythms. The possibilities are truly endless. 

Diversity refers to the myriad of stylistic and cultural differences inherent in people from various ethnic backgrounds. Our techniques will help assist worship leaders (vocalists and instrumentalists alike) to broaden their musical palette, by introducing skills and procedures that can be customized and replicated across a variety of styles.

Flexibility refers to the various ways that worshipers can engage with the material and implement it to fit their individual worship team configuration. Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, MW gives individuals plenty of options in engaging with our materials (online videos, group workshops, individual tutoring in-person or via teleconference), and provides techniques that can help meet the needs of worshipers across the spectrum of experience and expertise.

The Motif Advantage

The word “motif” simply means pattern, and one reason why the Yamaha MOTIF has become an industry standard is that its arrival brought a unique interface that recognizes patterns as being fundamental building blocks in creating music. Pattern-based accompaniment, then, is simply the calling up and playing back of existing patterns that represent different parts of a song. There can be a pattern for an intro, a pattern for a verse, one for a chorus, etc. Put them together, and you’ve got a song.

The advantage of pattern-based accompaniment on a keyboard workstation like the Yamaha MOTIF is that it can be customized to meet the needs of the personnel at hand. Multiple instrumental tracks can be played in concert by one person (offering a total accompaniment solution), or it can be scaled back to incorporate other members of a band that can play along with it. The musical phrases that comprise these patterns can be as simple or as complex as necessary, and span across many music genres.

Even though the primary interface on the MOTIF was designed to be manipulated by a keyboard player or pianist, you do not need to be a trained keyboard player or pianist to play back existing patterns in real time. With one training session, switching pattern variations in real time can become as easy as operating a PowerPoint presentation. With some practice and a foot-pedal extension, even guitarists and vocalists can operate the patterns in real time without standing in front of the keyboard.