Insights & Information

Violinist: Music is a 'vehicle' for praise

John Moodie

Even though neither were musicians themselves, the parents of this Praise Team member had an instrument they wanted their son to begin learning.

That was 35 years ago in Stevens Point, Wisc., and John Moodie, now 38, is still playing the violin — since 2014 as a member of Triad Baptist’s praise team during the contemporary service (first and fifth Sundays).

“I learned to like the violin, and didn’t always,” Moodie said. “I think it just got to a point when I put so much time and effort into it, and saw how it impacted people, that it became more and more desirable to play.

“Music is a good vehicle to convey feelings, words, thoughts, and memories and, through my playing, I try to bring those positive feelings and thoughts and memories into people’s hearts and minds. I know the Holy Spirit can then work through the music in their lives.

“The Bible speaks a lot about how important music is to worship, and I believe the reason for that is because it allows people to speak to God and praise Him at a deeper level.”

Moodie and his wife, Annmarie, first became aware of Triad when the two oldest of their five children began attending Triad Baptist Christian Academy in the fall of 2012.

Tony Artimisi, the praise team drummer, encouraged Moodie to join the praise band after playing with him in 2013 during an Academy Christmas program. The Moodies joined Triad in 2014.

“We were really impressed with the children’s ministry (now known as Kids Street), and saw how our children were growing spiritually,” Moodie said.

They also had a connection to Lead Pastor Rob Decker who, much earlier in his ministry, served as assistant pastor at Moodie’s home church in Wisconsin.

“We obviously also like the music, and consider Triad a good community of believers.” (John and Annmarie are members of the S.W.I.F.T Sunday School class and volunteer as small group leaders for the Radiate high school ministry.) They also serve once a month in the Kids Street nursery.

The Moodies moved to North Carolina after John graduated from Cedarville University in 1999 and began working for Volvo Trucks. They lived in Greensboro until moving to Kernersville in 2002.

Given how long he’s played, it only takes Moodie a few hours of practice to prepare before his scheduled weeks with the praise team band. While trained classically, he’s expanded his musical horizon over the last 10 years to include bluegrass, contemporary, and other styles of music.

“I have a lot to learn yet,” he said.

Although the violin has the reputation as being a difficult instrument to play because of the multiple elements involved in performing a composition — speed, bow pressure, fingering, and more — Moodie says it probably doesn’t intimidate him because it’s so familiar. It’s the only instrument he’s played since age 3.

His parents bought him the violin he now plays at Triad when he was in high school.

“It has aged well and has a good tone,” Moodie said. “A key to that is how well it speaks and responds to different note changes and the quality of the song.”

Regardless of the songwriter, tempo or song style being played Sunday mornings at Triad, Moodie said that he hopes the entire praise team creates an atmosphere of worship that encourages members to draw closer to God.

“Through our music, I would hope that people in the service are able to focus fully on God and eliminate all distractions to praise and worship Him,” Moodie said, experiencing through worship the kind of renewal at the heart of Ephesians 4:22-24 — his life verse.

“We have a choice every day which ‘man’ we put on, the old or the new, and whether to renew our spirit and mind through Christ or not,“ he said. “Life is a series of those choices. Christ gives us the opportunity to make the most of the gifts that He has given us and to put on the new.”

Phase 2 Shot of TBC B&W 17

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