The Worship Keys Podcast
If you play piano, organ, synths, pads, or any keys instrument for worship ministry or the music industry, you are in the right place! Nashville-based worship keys player, Carson Bruce, interviews a variety of different musicians every week.
Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, this is the podcast for you to learn and feel inspired to enhance both your technical playing skills and to also gain spiritual encouragement while being in a local church congregation.
New episodes release every Wednesday! Reach out directly to Carson on Instagram or email: carson@theworshipkeys.com.
The Worship Keys Podcast
Christmas Classics on the Hammond Organ with Ralph Lofton
Welcome to this festive episode of the Worship Keys Podcast! Host Carson Bruce sits down with the incredible 70-year-old organist, Ralph Lofton. Together, they dive into Ralph's favorite Christmas tunes and share exclusive tips for maintaining comfort while playing, including Ralph's unique stadium chair setup. Tune in to hear Mr. Lofton's impromptu performances and his advice on keeping the melody front and center. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a five-star review, and follow Ralph Lofton for more incredible music. Merry Christmas!
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!
Christmas Classics on the Hammond Organ with Ralph Lofton
[00:00:00] Welcome to the Worship Keys YouTube channel. My name is Carson Bruce, so glad you're here. We talk all things music theory, gear, industry and ministry for your worship keys playing. If this episode is beneficial for you or you have any questions as you continue to watch, feel free to comment below and I'd love to hear any feedback that you have along the way. So let's get into today's episode.
Mr. Ralph Lofton. Guys, welcome back to the Worship of Keith podcast today. We are with Ralph Lofton, only 70 years young. Incredible organist. Today's episode all about your favorite go-to Christmas tune. So whether you're listening on Apple Podcast, Spotify, YouTube, definitely leave a review. Five star rating would be amazing. Mm-hmm. And like, subscribe on YouTube, all this stuff. [00:01:00] Also, make sure to follow Mr. Ralph Lofton for more. He's sitting right here every Sunday. We're at Divine Faith, faith Ministries. Right? In Mount Juliet, right, Tennessee. So come see him. Right here on this organ. This is a Hammond C3. We talked a a lot about, just Christmas and music last week, and today we're actually gonna be able to hear you play. Yeah. Um, but I do have a question. So I want people to know you use this like stadium chair. Yeah. As a back support for your back. It is been years where I would sit and the older I get, part of my back, it just kinda wears because I'm sitting for a long period of time. Mm-hmm. And, um, it, it causes the pressure to begin to set in and there is nothing, well, I won't say nothing, but one of the worst pains to have is a back pain.
My wife and I created this. It's a cushion. Okay. Down at the [00:02:00] bottom. We took the stadium chair and combined it with that for the back support. And of course it's flexible. I can, it's amazing, you know, sit and rock back if I decide I want to just lean back when I'm not playing. Yeah, yeah. And it still makes it comfortable and I have the back support. That's amazing. Uh, and it's, it's just a comfortable thing. Uh, until I can find somebody that will actually create me. A real chair Okay. That I can use and maybe, you know, uh, I don't have it put on specific organs in case I'm not at the same church forever.
Right. But, uh, this works because I can carry it and place it wherever I'm playing and, um, use it all the time. I love that. I love that. Take that pro tip. I'll take that pro tip from a professional, uh, Hammond organist. Yeah. Um, well, Mr. Ralph, thanks for being on again today just [00:03:00] to really play through some songs. Um, last week we talked about your heart transplant. We talked a lot about your childhood, your, your kids, your grandkids. Yeah. Um, the legacy, your leaving, and even some marriage advice. Yeah. So if you missed that last week, definitely check it out. My name's Carson Bruce. I interview a lot of. Uh, keys players. We do all kind of things. We talk about theory, we talk about gear, we talk about ministry, we talk about industry. Yeah. Um, we talk about Jesus, you know? Yes. And, and that he is the reason for the season. And we don't wanna neglect that. I mean, this is the Worship Keys podcast. So worship first, and Jesus is always first and right. Uh, we seek His kingdom first. So we, Carson is that dude, I don't know about that. But thankful, uh, to God for, for you, Mr. Ralph. And thank you to Marcus Perry, Roger, Ryan, other people for. Um, connecting us and, um. Man, we've had Marcus and Roger on Mul multiple times and they're incredible. and I go way back.
Roger actually did a string arrangement on my latest single. That's call [00:04:00] I still believe. All right guys, well, Merry Christmas. It is almost, we're a few weeks away from Christmas when this is going live. So hope y'all enjoyed this. Um, tis the season. Tis the season. By the way, if you wanna hear more of this, there's plenty of organ specific music out by Mr. Ralph Lofton, Ralph t Lofton as well, so. Follow him along for follow along for all of that. But thank y'all for being, um, apart today and hope y'all enjoy the episode. We are in the Christmas season, so Merry Christmas everybody. And uh, we are excited to, uh, what is about to take place and, uh. Thank Brother Carson for, uh, giving us this opportunity to share with you some of the favorite Christmas songs that, uh, over the years I've always loved playing.
And, uh, hope that what we present to you will be a blessing and you will enjoy what we are about to do. Uh, it, I, I go from being impromptu, uh, to, you [00:05:00] know, allowing my, my heart to. Show what I'm feeling at the moment. Uh, sometimes, uh, there are where I have played. I've always said that I never really play. One song the same way every time because there's some type of variation that, uh, will be in there where I'm, I'm hitting something that just happens in my head at that moment. Uh, but for the most part, I usually, uh, allow my creativity to arrange as I go sometimes. Uh, but for the most part, it's all about what you feel.
At that particular moment and, uh, allow yourself to just kind of flow and, uh, make it happen. But it's always about melody. You got to make sure that your melody is being heard throughout everything that you play. Uh, uh, sometime we get lost, uh, [00:06:00] and creating and forget about what the melody is saying. And, uh, you have to make sure that everything is being understood. So again. That was just one of the, uh, uh, uh, ideas that I came up with. Uh. In thought process and spare of the moment.
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[00:29:00] Well guys, thanks for sticking around to the very end. If you enjoyed, um, hearing Mr. Ralph Lofton play, please let us know. Uh, feel free to email me anytime Carson at the worship@keys.com. Feel free to send a DM or a message to Mr. Ralph Lofton on Instagram, Facebook, uh, comment. Follow him on YouTube as well, and hope y'all have a Merry Christmas.
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