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- Getting To Know Jay And Helena McNeill
Getting To Know Jay And Helena McNeill
- By Victoria Keen
- Published October 26, 2009
- Worship Leader Perspectives
- Unrated
Victoria Keen
Victoria is the Editor of PraiseCharts Live and has been a member of the PraiseCharts team since early 2007. She has a passion for music and ministry, and loves to help others in any way she can. She is a member of Eagle Mountain International Church and resides in the Ft. Worth area with her husband and two children.
How long have you been a worship leader?
Jay: Maybe 7 years now. It has been a very slow progression. I never had a passion to lead worship, in fact I was always trying to run away from it. God kept bringing me back. I felt like God kept giving me different angles to consider and eventually I came to understand the big question of “why”. It took me a while to work through my perception of church culture to see the value of corporate singing. I often felt it was insular and not relevant, and I struggled with songs or worship leaders that didn’t allow people to grieve about being on this broken planet. I needed to acknowledge the struggle of not being in perfect communion with God as part of worship. The Psalms are full of great examples of that. The Psalms made me feel like I was normal and what I loved about them was the full expression of the human condition but in the next breath surrender to truth about God’s unfailing love.
Helena: I started out as a singer and musician in my local church when I was a teen, then I guess it just grew into worship leading in my mid-twenties and I’ve been doing it ever since!
When did you first have an interest in music?
Jay: Probably always. When I discovered records in my family’s collection of Walter Hawkins and Aretha Franklin, all the lights went on. It was so passionate and raw. I also played drums in my father's church ever since I can remember. The church was a pretty free Pentecostal style; they often did marches in the car park and waved flags while singing “Joy Is The Flag”!! Playing drums gave me an excuse to not participate and saved me the on going embarrassment as an ever growing, lanky teenager. It was a matter of convenience until I actually fell in love with rhythm.
Helena: I always felt drawn to music and the beauty of songs ever since childhood. I remember sitting on the back porch as a four year old singing choir songs that I’d heard my mother sing. Holding a guitar and playing it for the first time as a 12 year old was a life-defining moment for me – I fell in love with it – it felt like destiny – I had found my “language”, and all I wanted to do was sing and play.
How did you come to write your first song?
Jay: OK…all my songs sounded like nursery rhymes when I started and some people may still debate they still do! My wife is an excellent barometer for that! My first real song and recording was a song I wrote to my father after he left our family. I was 17 years old. Song writing was all I knew as a vehicle to express thoughts. When I talked I always stumbled along. Sounds a bit sad I know, but for me it was actually life giving.
Helena: As a twenty-something I returned home from a counselling session that had dug deep and exposed a lot of the pain I was carrying in my soul. I didn’t know what to do, so I just sat at my piano and started playing and singing.....and it sort of turned into a song, called “shelter me”. Most of my songs have come that way...
Who are some of your favorite artists?
Jay: Hmmmm…going to give away my age here! Toto, Sting, John Mayer, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder, Reuben Morgan, Sara Groves, Midnight Oil, INXS, U2, Train, the list could go on...
Helena: I love the transparency of Sara Groves, the vocals of Sarah McLachlan, the cleverness of Sting, the poetic imagery of Nichole Nordeman. Then there’s Van Morrison, Ray Charles, James Taylor.....
Is there a song of yours that is a favorite?
Jay: it’s a hard question, but I’ll say “Thousands of Faces” because I love the imagery of the lyrics and the thought that at any one given time there are thousands of people around the world telling God how much they love Him.
Helena: I’d have to say “One Name” because it’s a song that wasn’t deeply meaningful to me at the time when I wrote it, but then years later there have been distinct seasons where that particular song has powerfully ministered to me personally and been a tool for my faith to hold on to. Funny how a song can come full circle like that, where something you wrote to bless others ends up being a surprise blessing to yourself.
Who are your musical influences?
Jay: Most of my influences are the people around me. My favourite artists definitely have influence but it is my friends that I have done music with over the years that really impact my writing. People like Greg Ferguson (lyrics full of soul), Andrew Sorenson (genius), Helena (my wife), David Carr (madman) and my late friend Pat Yacono (worked for EA games and scored for movies). Pat encouraged me to score for short films, which opened up unexpected joy for me.
What is your favourite 'worship' scripture?
Jay: Psalm 139. I know it is a whole passage and maybe not traditionally seen as a worship scripture, but if ever there were a reason reciprocate love back to our Creator it is because of this expression of outrageous love. To be known so intimately and unconditionally makes me want to give back. This passage for me gives the framework for why I should look to my God for everything. No one loves me like God does.
Helena: lately it is Ecclesiastes 3:1-10. “For everything there is a season...”
It’s ok to be real in the presence of God. Some of our seasons in life are deeply painful. It’s important to worship in truth in the season you are in. Bottom line is that He’s our Father who loves us desperately. Sometimes to worship God is not to sing as loud as you can, but to cry as hard as you can.
What advice do you have to other worship leaders who would like to record their music?
Jay: Wow….first save some money and then don’t spend too much of it on recording, spend the rest on a deposit on a house! Some of the best recordings I’ve heard are done on a shoestring budget. I think good songs are the key. I’ve done so many recordings where I have spent lots of money on average songs. The recordings sound good but at the end of the day it is songs that move people, not production. So my advice would be to keep working on song writing and be comfortable with just doing cheap demos.
Helena: I’d tell them to talk to Jay.......
What do you love about where you are right now?
Jay: Not sure I would say I love where I am right now because it is a difficult season of trusting in God. At the expense of not sounding much like a worship leader, I find seasons like this a challenge. I seem to be ever evolving in my trust with God. I never seem to “land” and feel I can claim out loud that I now trust God completely. It is an ongoing desire that I want to see come to fruition and I have to believe God understands that.
Helena: Right now my life is in the middle of a huge transition, with having just taken a leap of faith and moved back to Australia this year for the sake of one of our twin daughters who has cerebral palsy. So absolutely everything has changed for me – from big things like a different country to small things like missing my Starbucks caramel latte. I guess what’s good about it is that I am totally and utterly relying on God like never before....I am exploring a new level of faith I’ve never had to....at least I’m not in danger of becoming a comfortable Christian!!
Where is your dream trip?
Jay: My dream trip is going to Paris. I have sung in Germany a few times at the Global Leadership Summit while I was working at Willow Creek. It was ever only a small plane trip away but amongst rehearsals and never ending projects, it never happened. My wife has made me promise that I get her there someday and kiss her under the Eiffel Tower. Definitely on my radar!
Helena: Cool, I just read Jay’s comment to take me to Paris! Amen, yes Lord, let it be!!
I need the art, the history, the cafes, the inspiration.....and the promised kiss under the Eiffel Tower!
What book has inspired you most?
Jay: “Blue Like Jazz” by Donald Miller. I am currently writing my own book. I was utterly inspired by Donald Miller to venture out and put my inner thoughts on paper for all to read. His book Blue Like Jazz read to me like an everyday account of his failings and discoveries. I was so impressed with his honesty, fluidity and simple story telling I found myself being brave enough to think I could do the same thing. He sounded like an average guy like me, not an intellectual, transparent, next-door neighbour kind of guy. So I finished a very rough draft and felt content. Within months Helena and I shared a session with Donald Miller at an Arts Conference at Willow and I heard him do a synopsis on Romeo and Juliet. He exquisitely likened the love story to our romance with God. It was absolutely brilliant. I realized the simple story telling, average guy called Donald Miller didn’t exist. He is a genius! If we had done this session before I’d heard him, I never would have been bold enough to write. If you haven’t read any of Donald’s material, I would highly recommend his books.
Helena: “Windows of the Soul” by Ken Gire. It woke my soul up and “spoke my language”.
What is your favorite book?
Jay: “The Road Less Traveled”. I admire the way Scott Peck ventures deep into philosophy that, quite honestly, makes me uncomfortable. His honesty is breath taking. I don’t profess to understand every aspect he unpacks but the pathway he chooses in transparency is a courageous one.
Helena: I’d have to say I love reading “The Message” translation of the Psalms. I re-discover worship each time I open it. It is the human heart searching for God.
What is your favorite activity outside of your music?
Jay: Very early on there was a season in my life where I tried to run away from God. I learnt to fly helicopters and flew professionally for a while. Now it isn’t an escape route but an expensive hobby that I get to do very occasionally, but when I do I LOVE it.
Helena: sitting on a beach in solitude. It fills up my soul. It’s the other place apart from my piano where I can see and hear God. It’s like my Altar, my meeting place with God.
Be sure to have a listen to Jay and Helena's music. You can listen to full audio previews!
Jay: Maybe 7 years now. It has been a very slow progression. I never had a passion to lead worship, in fact I was always trying to run away from it. God kept bringing me back. I felt like God kept giving me different angles to consider and eventually I came to understand the big question of “why”. It took me a while to work through my perception of church culture to see the value of corporate singing. I often felt it was insular and not relevant, and I struggled with songs or worship leaders that didn’t allow people to grieve about being on this broken planet. I needed to acknowledge the struggle of not being in perfect communion with God as part of worship. The Psalms are full of great examples of that. The Psalms made me feel like I was normal and what I loved about them was the full expression of the human condition but in the next breath surrender to truth about God’s unfailing love.
Helena: I started out as a singer and musician in my local church when I was a teen, then I guess it just grew into worship leading in my mid-twenties and I’ve been doing it ever since!
When did you first have an interest in music?
Jay: Probably always. When I discovered records in my family’s collection of Walter Hawkins and Aretha Franklin, all the lights went on. It was so passionate and raw. I also played drums in my father's church ever since I can remember. The church was a pretty free Pentecostal style; they often did marches in the car park and waved flags while singing “Joy Is The Flag”!! Playing drums gave me an excuse to not participate and saved me the on going embarrassment as an ever growing, lanky teenager. It was a matter of convenience until I actually fell in love with rhythm.
Helena: I always felt drawn to music and the beauty of songs ever since childhood. I remember sitting on the back porch as a four year old singing choir songs that I’d heard my mother sing. Holding a guitar and playing it for the first time as a 12 year old was a life-defining moment for me – I fell in love with it – it felt like destiny – I had found my “language”, and all I wanted to do was sing and play.
How did you come to write your first song?
Jay: OK…all my songs sounded like nursery rhymes when I started and some people may still debate they still do! My wife is an excellent barometer for that! My first real song and recording was a song I wrote to my father after he left our family. I was 17 years old. Song writing was all I knew as a vehicle to express thoughts. When I talked I always stumbled along. Sounds a bit sad I know, but for me it was actually life giving.
Helena: As a twenty-something I returned home from a counselling session that had dug deep and exposed a lot of the pain I was carrying in my soul. I didn’t know what to do, so I just sat at my piano and started playing and singing.....and it sort of turned into a song, called “shelter me”. Most of my songs have come that way...
Who are some of your favorite artists?
Jay: Hmmmm…going to give away my age here! Toto, Sting, John Mayer, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder, Reuben Morgan, Sara Groves, Midnight Oil, INXS, U2, Train, the list could go on...
Helena: I love the transparency of Sara Groves, the vocals of Sarah McLachlan, the cleverness of Sting, the poetic imagery of Nichole Nordeman. Then there’s Van Morrison, Ray Charles, James Taylor.....
Is there a song of yours that is a favorite?
Jay: it’s a hard question, but I’ll say “Thousands of Faces” because I love the imagery of the lyrics and the thought that at any one given time there are thousands of people around the world telling God how much they love Him.
Helena: I’d have to say “One Name” because it’s a song that wasn’t deeply meaningful to me at the time when I wrote it, but then years later there have been distinct seasons where that particular song has powerfully ministered to me personally and been a tool for my faith to hold on to. Funny how a song can come full circle like that, where something you wrote to bless others ends up being a surprise blessing to yourself.
Who are your musical influences?
Jay: Most of my influences are the people around me. My favourite artists definitely have influence but it is my friends that I have done music with over the years that really impact my writing. People like Greg Ferguson (lyrics full of soul), Andrew Sorenson (genius), Helena (my wife), David Carr (madman) and my late friend Pat Yacono (worked for EA games and scored for movies). Pat encouraged me to score for short films, which opened up unexpected joy for me.
What is your favourite 'worship' scripture?
Jay: Psalm 139. I know it is a whole passage and maybe not traditionally seen as a worship scripture, but if ever there were a reason reciprocate love back to our Creator it is because of this expression of outrageous love. To be known so intimately and unconditionally makes me want to give back. This passage for me gives the framework for why I should look to my God for everything. No one loves me like God does.
Helena: lately it is Ecclesiastes 3:1-10. “For everything there is a season...”
It’s ok to be real in the presence of God. Some of our seasons in life are deeply painful. It’s important to worship in truth in the season you are in. Bottom line is that He’s our Father who loves us desperately. Sometimes to worship God is not to sing as loud as you can, but to cry as hard as you can.
What advice do you have to other worship leaders who would like to record their music?
Jay: Wow….first save some money and then don’t spend too much of it on recording, spend the rest on a deposit on a house! Some of the best recordings I’ve heard are done on a shoestring budget. I think good songs are the key. I’ve done so many recordings where I have spent lots of money on average songs. The recordings sound good but at the end of the day it is songs that move people, not production. So my advice would be to keep working on song writing and be comfortable with just doing cheap demos.
Helena: I’d tell them to talk to Jay.......
What do you love about where you are right now?
Jay: Not sure I would say I love where I am right now because it is a difficult season of trusting in God. At the expense of not sounding much like a worship leader, I find seasons like this a challenge. I seem to be ever evolving in my trust with God. I never seem to “land” and feel I can claim out loud that I now trust God completely. It is an ongoing desire that I want to see come to fruition and I have to believe God understands that.
Helena: Right now my life is in the middle of a huge transition, with having just taken a leap of faith and moved back to Australia this year for the sake of one of our twin daughters who has cerebral palsy. So absolutely everything has changed for me – from big things like a different country to small things like missing my Starbucks caramel latte. I guess what’s good about it is that I am totally and utterly relying on God like never before....I am exploring a new level of faith I’ve never had to....at least I’m not in danger of becoming a comfortable Christian!!
Where is your dream trip?
Jay: My dream trip is going to Paris. I have sung in Germany a few times at the Global Leadership Summit while I was working at Willow Creek. It was ever only a small plane trip away but amongst rehearsals and never ending projects, it never happened. My wife has made me promise that I get her there someday and kiss her under the Eiffel Tower. Definitely on my radar!
Helena: Cool, I just read Jay’s comment to take me to Paris! Amen, yes Lord, let it be!!
I need the art, the history, the cafes, the inspiration.....and the promised kiss under the Eiffel Tower!
What book has inspired you most?
Jay: “Blue Like Jazz” by Donald Miller. I am currently writing my own book. I was utterly inspired by Donald Miller to venture out and put my inner thoughts on paper for all to read. His book Blue Like Jazz read to me like an everyday account of his failings and discoveries. I was so impressed with his honesty, fluidity and simple story telling I found myself being brave enough to think I could do the same thing. He sounded like an average guy like me, not an intellectual, transparent, next-door neighbour kind of guy. So I finished a very rough draft and felt content. Within months Helena and I shared a session with Donald Miller at an Arts Conference at Willow and I heard him do a synopsis on Romeo and Juliet. He exquisitely likened the love story to our romance with God. It was absolutely brilliant. I realized the simple story telling, average guy called Donald Miller didn’t exist. He is a genius! If we had done this session before I’d heard him, I never would have been bold enough to write. If you haven’t read any of Donald’s material, I would highly recommend his books.
Helena: “Windows of the Soul” by Ken Gire. It woke my soul up and “spoke my language”.
What is your favorite book?
Jay: “The Road Less Traveled”. I admire the way Scott Peck ventures deep into philosophy that, quite honestly, makes me uncomfortable. His honesty is breath taking. I don’t profess to understand every aspect he unpacks but the pathway he chooses in transparency is a courageous one.
Helena: I’d have to say I love reading “The Message” translation of the Psalms. I re-discover worship each time I open it. It is the human heart searching for God.
What is your favorite activity outside of your music?
Jay: Very early on there was a season in my life where I tried to run away from God. I learnt to fly helicopters and flew professionally for a while. Now it isn’t an escape route but an expensive hobby that I get to do very occasionally, but when I do I LOVE it.
Helena: sitting on a beach in solitude. It fills up my soul. It’s the other place apart from my piano where I can see and hear God. It’s like my Altar, my meeting place with God.
Be sure to have a listen to Jay and Helena's music. You can listen to full audio previews!