It's been exactly one year since I posted my first video on YouTube.

A whole year of helping worship leaders, musicians, and audio engineers create professional-sounding live worship recordings. And honestly, I couldn't have done it without you.

When I hit "publish" on that first video, I had no idea what to expect. Less than 5,000 subscribers might not seem like much to some channels, but to me? It's absolutely mind-blowing. Every like, comment, and subscriber has meant the world to me.

Why I Almost Never Started This Journey

Can I be vulnerable with you for a second?

Back in 2019, God put this calling on my heart while I was driving a box truck full of gear to a gig in Kansas City. He said, "Hey, you need to start helping people make these mixes better and get this worship music out."

And I avoided it for six years.

I didn't feel qualified. I didn't think I had what it takes. But you know what? God often calls the unqualified to do the works of His hand. And even though I didn't feel ready, He was preparing me all along.

It wasn't until a little over a year ago that I finally stepped into this calling - helping and coaching people on how to mix and produce really professional-sounding live worship recordings.

The Best Mixing Advice I've Ever Received

Speaking of stepping into callings, I want to share with you the single best piece of mixing advice I've ever received. It came from a friend of mine, and when I started applying it, my mixes got so much better.

He said: "Spend most of your time on the vocal and the kick and the snare."

I know it sounds overly simplistic. Maybe even obvious. But hear me out.

These three elements are going to be sitting in the mono section of your mix. If you get these three right and then fit everything else around them, your mix is going to sound huge.

Here's why this works so well in modern worship:

• ✅ The vocal drives the message - if it's not clear and present, people can't connect with the lyrics
• ✅ The kick and snare drive the rhythm - they're the backbone that everything else sits on
• ✅ They occupy the same space - getting them to work together creates a solid foundation
• ✅ Everything else fills in around them - once these are locked, the rest flows naturally

Why This Matters More Than Ever

With everything happening in our world right now, I'm reminded how important our role is as worship leaders, musicians, and audio engineers.

We're not just moving faders or tweaking EQ. We're facilitating encounters with God.

The excellence we pursue in our mixing, our playing, our producing - it all matters because it helps redirect people's eyes back to the Lord. In a world full of distractions, that's more important than ever.

When that vocal sits perfectly in the mix, when that kick drum punches through with clarity, when that snare drives the rhythm without fighting for space - we're removing barriers so people can focus on what truly matters: their relationship with Jesus.

What I Really Want to Hear From You

Before you watch this video, I have two requests:

First, I'd love to hear what God has done in your audio production journey this past year. Maybe you took a big step in your church's recording setup. Maybe you finally got that mix that made people stop and take notice. Maybe it had nothing to do with my content at all - I still want to celebrate with you!

Second, let me know what content you want to see this coming year. I'm 95% sure I'm going to start posting two long-form videos a week instead of just one. It's a lot of work, but I really want to help as much as I possibly can.

Ready for the Full Story?

👉 Watch my one-year celebration and get the complete breakdown of this mixing advice

In this video, you'll get:

• The full story of how this YouTube journey started
• Why I almost never began this calling
• The complete explanation of the vocal/kick/snare technique
• How to apply this to your next worship mix
• My heart behind everything I do

Plus, I share some thoughts on where we're headed as a community and how we can keep serving the kingdom through excellent audio production.

The Bottom Line

I probably spend about half of my mix time on vocals, kick, and snare. The rest of the mix just fills in around it.

If you're thinking I'm crazy or that doesn't seem right, just try it out. On your next mix, spend most of your time getting those three elements locked in and sounding exactly how you want them. Once they're working together perfectly, everything else will fall into place.

Click here to watch the full celebration and technique breakdown →

Sometimes the best advice is the simplest advice. This is one of those times.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being part of this journey. I can't wait to see what God does through all of us in year two.

Love you guys, Lucas

P.S. - Seriously, drop a comment on the video and let me know what breakthrough you've had this year. I read every single one and I genuinely want to celebrate what God is doing in your life and ministry.