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In this episode, Carson Bruce introduces his newly released piano sample library featuring five sampled pianos with both regular and felt versions across 10 unique patches. He also begins a new series showing the full process of building a piano sample library from scratch. From recording setups and microphone choices to piano selection and room acoustics, Carson shares the essential tools and workflow behind professional sampling. The episode also takes viewers inside a real upright piano sampling session at Miller Piano Specialists in Franklin, Tennessee, where he captures a Ritmüller upright using multiple microphones and velocity layers. Future episodes will cover editing, cleanup, and bringing the final library to life.

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Hear the full piano sample library on Spotify

Get the free Piano Sample library here

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Thanks for listening! Subscribe here to the podcast, as well as on YouTube and other social media platforms. If you have any questions or suggestions for who you want as a featured guest in the future or a topic you want to hear, email carson@theworshipkeys.com. New episodes release every Wednesday!

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Hear the full piano sample library on Spotify

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Carson Bruce welcomes listeners to the Worship Keys podcast, thanks sponsor Aerospace Audio, and highlights their Atmosphere analog drone pedal (v3) with MIDI capabilities and the Aero Pads iOS app. He announces his newly released piano sample library featuring five sampled pianos and 10 patches, with both regular and felt versions, and begins a series on how to build your own sample library. He covers required equipment including a reliable computer and DAW (he tracks in Pro Tools at 96k, 32-bit float), an audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 with eight preamps), microphones (his setups range from four to seven mics), headphones, cables, and stands. He emphasizes planning around instrument quality and room acoustics, then shows his upright piano sampling session at Miller Piano Specialists in Franklin, Tennessee on a Ritmüller upright, recording notes by fifths with multiple velocities, organizing playlists, managing CPU issues, and capturing both standard and felt samples, previewing a future episode on editing and cleanup.

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Support the show

Thanks for listening! Subscribe here to the podcast, as well as on YouTube and other social media platforms. If you have any questions or suggestions for who you want as a featured guest in the future or a topic you want to hear, email carson@theworshipkeys.com. New episodes release every Wednesday!

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In part two with Micai George, Micai discusses preferring keys while still loving organ and aux keys, then shares advice for music directors at church: the role requires grace, heavy responsibility, and strong preparation; leaders must be sensitive to the Spirit, intentional, humble, and willing to sacrifice space so the whole band can shine and sound locked in. They discuss setting the atmosphere at the start of service and the value of expressive, structure-free moments with just piano and a drone pad. Micai describes his early faith upbringing, spiritual growth at Tower Prayer in Leeds, praying for his own sound, and the importance of anointed playing rooted in a relationship with God, before Carson invites him to play a soaking-style piano moment.

Micai George

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Thanks for listening! Subscribe here to the podcast, as well as on YouTube and other social media platforms. If you have any questions or suggestions for who you want as a featured guest in the future or a topic you want to hear, email carson@theworshipkeys.com. New episodes release every Wednesday!

Micai George, a self-taught keys and organ player originally from Baltimore and now serving as musical director in Birmingham, Alabama, discusses his background, learning to play without a teacher, and returning to school to learn reading and music theory. They talk about the challenges of learning to read after becoming proficient, the importance of church production and proper gear/infrastructure (inputs, snakes, stage boxes, in-ears, stems), and Micai’s influences and approach to ear training and the number system. The episode features Micai performing an Afrobeat track and the worship song “Here Is Holy” from Transformation Worship.

Micai George

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Support the show

Thanks for listening! Subscribe here to the podcast, as well as on YouTube and other social media platforms. If you have any questions or suggestions for who you want as a featured guest in the future or a topic you want to hear, email carson@theworshipkeys.com. New episodes release every Wednesday!

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Welcome to our Part 2 episode with Jay Taylor, who breaks down his Ableton arrangement of “Jehovah” by Elevation Worship, sharing how he builds dynamics with layered parts, loops, textures, and transitions while leaving space for a live band. He also talks about trusting the process, staying grounded in your identity, growing your gift, and letting prayer guide your calling. They also touch on sound sources, including Gospel Producers and Naja Snow’s upcoming System-8 pack, and wrap up with where to follow Jay on Instagram.

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Support the show

Thanks for listening! Subscribe here to the podcast, as well as on YouTube and other social media platforms. If you have any questions or suggestions for who you want as a featured guest in the future or a topic you want to hear, email carson@theworshipkeys.com. New episodes release every Wednesday!

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Let's welcome Taylor, an Alabama-based multi-instrumentalist and music director at Love City Church in the Birmingham area, who shares how he started on drums, was pushed to learn organ in church, developed strong ear skills, and later expanded through formal training at UAB in music technology, classical, and jazz. The episode then shifts into a hands-on arrangement session where J demonstrates building a live arrangement for “Jehovah” by Elevation Worship in Logic Pro, covering workflow tips like custom metronome clicks, key command layouts, low-latency mode, BPM alignment, markers, dummy keys, pads/drones, Omnisphere and Roland Cloud sounds, layering leads and bells, and arranging choices to support dynamics and direction. The session ends due to time, setting up Part 2.

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Support the show

Thanks for listening! Subscribe here to the podcast, as well as on YouTube and other social media platforms. If you have any questions or suggestions for who you want as a featured guest in the future or a topic you want to hear, email carson@theworshipkeys.com. New episodes release every Wednesday!

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In this episode, we welcome Matt Gilder to the Worship Keys podcast, with sponsorship from Aerospace Audio, to discuss Matt’s journey from growing up in Southeast Texas playing church piano to touring and producing, including nearly 20 years as keyboardist for Chris Tomlin since a 2006 session at Blackbird. Matt shares how ear training and the Nashville Number System shaped his musicianship, his early band Among Thorns, and how learning tracks and software opened doors. He breaks down his live rig evolution (Roland V-Piano, controller, MainStage, Ableton, redundancy, and iConnect solutions), offers advice on choosing inspiring gear, and emphasizes simplicity, listening, and playing for the room. They discuss handling big-stage energy, building trust and longevity with an artist, prioritizing creating and finishing music, and maintaining faith amid public ministry failures by focusing on integrity and healthy community.

Matt Gilder

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Support the show

Thanks for listening! Subscribe here to the podcast, as well as on YouTube and other social media platforms. If you have any questions or suggestions for who you want as a featured guest in the future or a topic you want to hear, email carson@theworshipkeys.com. New episodes release every Wednesday!

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For this episode, we have a returning guest, Marcus Wiles to discuss the Nord Stage 4, including whether it’s worth upgrading from the Stage 3, keybed improvements like triple-sensor action, new faders and workflow, and faster preset building across piano/organ/synth sections. Marcus highlights major value in Stage 4’s dedicated per-layer effects, including new Cathedral reverb (with modulated “choral” variation) and a sidechain-style pump effect, plus extensive MIDI CC automation with Ableton for live touring. He shares go-to Nord piano choices (White Grand, Pearl Upright), explains why some think Nords don’t cut through a mix, and demonstrates tools like dynamic compression, EQ, and noise layering for realism. The episode also covers organ, Rhodes, synth/sample-based sound design, touring stories, and advice on practicing, learning gear, and staying versatile.

Marcus Wiles

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Support the show

Thanks for listening! Subscribe here to the podcast, as well as on YouTube and other social media platforms. If you have any questions or suggestions for who you want as a featured guest in the future or a topic you want to hear, email carson@theworshipkeys.com. New episodes release every Wednesday!