Electronic drums bring many benefits over their acoustic counterparts, such as portability, easy MIDI triggering, and the ability to change sounds with the touch of a button. However, many find that complete volume control is at the top of the list. At Grace First Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, CA, incorporating loud acoustic drums into their music program wasn’t a practical option, so Roland’s V-Drums have proven to be a perfect fit for their needs.

Serving 350 worshipers each Sunday over two services, Grace First blends a strong traditional music core with contemporary elements. The early service features traditional worship with a 40-member choir. A three-manual organ made by Rodgers Musical Instruments—a subsidiary of Roland—anchors the sound, with a Rodgers PR-300S sound module occasionally used to add some extra MIDI voices. The second service is blended contemporary, with a full band and up to six singers performing a combination of praise songs and traditional hymns arranged in a modern style.

Stan DeWitt, the Minister of Music at Grace First, has a diverse musical background. An accomplished singer, songwriter, and guitarist, he holds two degrees in music, including a master’s in choral arranging. He first discovered the benefits of Roland’s electronic drums at his previous church, where many in the congregation were resistant to the incorporation of modern music elements. “We had an older Roland drum set, and it was great,” he says. “I loved the versatility of it, and I loved what it allowed us to do in a worship service that wasn’t totally ready for contemporary music.” He brought this positive experience with him when he arrived at Grace First in 2003, and one of his earliest contributions was adding a V-Drums V-Stage Set. As he relates, “It was one of the first things I did. At that point, we had a contemporary music program for the second service, but it needed some work and attention.” This included adding a drummer, but with some volume control. “I said, ‘Let’s get these V-Drums so we can have drums at every service, but not blow people out.’”

With the acoustical properties of Grace First, it would be quite easy to “blow people out” with a loudly played acoustic drum set. “Using live acoustic drums during our second service would create a lot of problems sound-wise,” Stan says. “We have a room that’s basically a cement shoebox. It’s got parallel cinder block sidewalls and the ceiling is a hard ceiling. So, any loud instruments create a flutter echo. Additionally, the back wall is a hard, wooden wall, so there are some real major issues with sound bouncing back.” Though the room’s reverberant nature is a problem for loud, percussive sounds, it’s very complimentary for a large choir and organ. “We’ve talked about putting sound baffling on the walls to [reduce sound reflections],” he says. “But the problem is, the first service has the traditional music, and the room sounds great for that. If we dampen the room, we’re going to ruin the first service.” With room treatment not an option, the V-Drums became an essential solution.

For amplification, the V-Drums are run through a Roland KC-350, with a line out to the house sound reinforcement system. The drums are also fed into an in-ear monitor system, and their flexibility works out great. “It’s easy to control the volume, and there are lots of options in terms of monitoring,” he says. Stan finds that the V-Drums’ compact size and portability to be an asset as well. “It gives us more possibilities where to put the drums, it’s a smaller footprint,” he relates. “A full drum set takes longer to set up and move. If I want to move the V-Drums set from the floor to the chancel and back again, it’s a two-minute move, not a big 10-minute endeavor.”

Stan is also a big fan of the BOSS RC-20XL looping pedal, and he makes extensive use of it in his solo acoustic guitar and vocal performances outside of the church. Recently, he’s found a good use for the RC-20XL while playing light background music on his guitar during services. “I’ve used it for pieces where I’m just playing for an offertory or something like that,” he says. “Usually what I’ll do is a simple arrangement of a hymn, and use the looper to build on it and make it interesting.”

Overall, the addition of electronic drum technology has been very important to Grace First. As Stan relates, “The V-Drums make it possible for us to do contemporary music. It wouldn’t be very practical otherwise.”

To learn more about Grace First Presbyterian Church, visit their website at www.gracefirst.org.

To visit Stan DeWitt’s MySpace page, click here.

Photos by Alison Yamaguchi