Elevate your worship music with Nord Keyboards

“The Nord is gracious and compassionate”

And my personal favourite,

“Where the Nord is the Lord is”

Who knew that rhyming Nord with Lord would prove so entertaining!

To avoid being called heretical, let me state for the record that these things are of course all said in gest. However, behind these jokey sentiments I believe there are some elements of truth…

Branded by the company as the ‘Original Red Keyboard’, Nord have established themselves as one of the most respected keyboard manufacturers in the world, and the ‘go-to’ for many professional musicians. But more and more, Nords now also find pride of place in churches big and small all around the world.

Nords are everywhere.

Why is this? It’s an interesting question (to me anyway!), because Nords are in some ways the opposite of what churches generally look for. They are not known for being particularly easy to use, and being hand-made in Stockholm, are certainly not the cheapest option. For many churches, ‘easy to use’ and ‘affordable’ are usually quite high on the list of conditions when considering a new purchase for a worship team, yet many worship groups petition hard for funds so they can own their own ‘Original Red Keyboard’.

Let me suggest three reasons why I think this is still an increasing trend…

1. The Sound

Let’s start with an obvious point – they sound great. No keyboard would be this popular if it didn’t sound great. But a key difference to Nord over many other keyboards is that their piano samples capture the nuance and character of acoustic instruments so well. And with so much Christian music based around a suitably ‘vibey’ piano, the vast array of unique upright and grand piano sounds are a dream for those trying to recreate the sound of their favourite recording. Nords are also known for having some of the best sounding electric pianos, great pads and, many would agree, the most authentic organ recreations on the market.

With lush effects and a broad functionality, the keyboards deliver everything the average church musician is looking for (and more) in a very authentic way that just sounds great, and feels great to play.

2. The Ability to ‘Flow’…

As a Christian musician, I often find myself in a worship setting where my goal is not to just play a part, but rather respond to what the Spirit is doing. I love this context, a context where I need to listen to those around me, listen to God, and play something appropriate that can accompany how the Spirit is moving in that moment. At least that is the goal! To do this I need an instrument that can adapt in the moment and help facilitate this ‘flow’. Enter the Nord…

Whilst the seemingly infinite knobs and dials might initially induce mild panic, there is a reason for this apparent complexity. The truth is, Nords are actually incredibly intuitive and easy to use once you understand them, because everything is accessible. It’s all right in front of you. If you want to change something you don’t need to delve into menus or scroll through page after page, instead you simply press that button or turn that dial. This makes them perfect in a worship environment where things are often not set or scripted. I love how accessible sounds and effects are, and how easy it is to adapt or ‘morph’ my sound in response to what’s happening around me. For me, a Nord doesn’t provide any barriers to me trying to flow with the Spirit and play in a prophetic way, in fact it helps facilitate it. What more could you ask for in an instrument?

3. A Desire for Excellence

Lastly, I believe the increasing abundance of red keyboards in churches is indicative of a desire for excellence. When I talk to church leaders, worship pastors and church musicians, I so often hear the same heart for ‘something greater’ in worship. I get a sense of unrest and an unwillingness to settle. I love this! It’s completely biblical! God is always about moving forward. He’s about strength to strength, new seasons, transformation, greater revelation, and so it’s good and pleasing to God when we strive for excellence and seek to offer Him our very best. Owning a Nord keyboard is very much the ‘one tenth’, but I do believe that for many it is a surface representation of something deeper. In some ways owning a Nord may have become a physical representation of a spiritual desire: the desire to take our worship to another level, offer God our best, and enable congregations to encounter Him in a deeper, transformational way.

Praise the Nord? No, of course not. But they are great keyboards, and they’ve come to represent a sound and a standard that so many aspire to. However, scripture is clear that music can just be noise, that singing can just be singing, and that the production value (or the ‘outside of the cup’) is not as important as the heart (the ‘inside of the cup’). So we must be careful to guard against being distracted and only striving for a great physical sound, but rather seek in our worship a spiritual frequency that is tuned to heaven and connects with the heart of God. If a bright red keyboard can play even a small part in helping the churches achieve this, then they are worth every penny.

Matt Cossey is the Principal at Nexus Institute of Creative Arts, a demo musician and beta-tester for Nord Keyboards, and musical director for disco icon, Gloria Gaynor.