07559
September 6, 2007

SLAMMed

Young Nashville praise band enlivens worship, fellowship

by Mike Ferguson
Presbyterian News Service

SLAMM, the youthful praise band at East Brentwood (TN) Presbyterian Church, helped lead closing worship at the first National Elders Conference.  Photo by Jeanie White

NASHVILLE — Presbyterian elders got SLAMMed during closing worship Aug. 31 at the first-ever National Elders Conference — and they liked it.

SLAMM — Students Learning About Music and Ministry, a praise group from East Brentwood Presbyterian Church in Brentwood, south of Nashville — rocked the basement roof of the Nashville Convention Center.

Director David Toledo, whose daughter, Gabrielle, is one of SLAMM’s lead singers, started the eight-member band “to train kids and prepare them to make music.

“They already have natural gifts,” he said, and here’s proof: three years ago, SLAMM took three months to learn its first song well enough to perform it. More recently, the group took just 40 minutes to get up to speed on the song “Every Move I Make.”

The players are all between the ages of 13 and 17. Band members missed school — with their parents’ permission — to come downtown and help elders worship. The congregation responded with rhythmic clapping during SLAMM’s numbers and loud “amens!” afterward.

Rhythm guitarist Ben Maslyn, 17, never even picked up a guitar until SLAMM began three years ago. Now he slides his left hand up and down the frets of his guitar with the speed and assurance of a veteran player.

“Just being able to come here today to do this is fun,” he said.

Added Rachel White, who sings alongside Gabrielle Toledo: “SLAMM has brought us closer to church members. It was fun to come and play for you. One guy was dancing. He was awesome”

SLAMM played Aug. 19 at the installation of the East Brentwood church’s new associate pastor, Rev. Catherine Cavazos.

“They bring a certain excitement to worship,” she said. “God works in people of all ages. “This group has helped people recognize that they have a role in worship.”

SLAMM is working on its first recording. For more information, visit www.eastbrentwoodpc.com.