For Bryce McGarvey, there is no better way to worship and honor God than through music, especially when it’s music he creates.

McGarvey, a junior biblical ministry major with a focus in international missions, is the sole drummer for the worship team that leads Upper Room every Sunday night at 8 p.m.  To the members involved, the group is a band in the conventional sense of the word, but they refer to themselves as a worship team.

“We play to the best of our abilities so people aren’t distracted by the music itself but more so just the overall worship experience,” McGarvey said. “We just help to usher in the presence of God. We try not to look at it as a performance or playing for people, but worshiping with people.”

Upper room itself, led by McGarvey’s worship team and event coordinators, focuses on music and community. Each member is valued in the process.

“We have a saying that it’s not the nose of Christ.  It’s the body of Christ,” said McGarvey.

Of course, McGarvey did not wake up as a talented drummer. It has taken years of practice – he has been working with percussion instruments since fourth grade. McGarvey also gradually acquired the ability to play the guitar, acoustic and electric, the bass and a standard ukulele.

His career in worship music took off when the music director at his local church expressed interest in incorporating more contemporary music, and the only person missing was a drummer.  McGarvey gave it a try and stuck with it.

After a while, however, the experience became negated of enjoyment, leading McGarvey to take a step back from music in that environment.

Upon arriving freshman year to Waynesburg University, a friend convinced McGarvey to try out for a drumming position in the church band run by Melanie Cantana, director of Choral Music, but he did not make the cut.

A year later, however, McGarvey felt God’s pull to try out for the newly opened position as Upper Room’s drummer.

“It was more or less a lesson in learning to obey God even when I don’t really want to,” McGarvey said. “I’ll use my talents when there’s a need, and I’ll use them to glorify God.”

Thanks to his willingness to listen to God and his new group of musical worshipers, McGarvey feels his “talents have grown exponentially.”

Through all his experiences and all the music he has played for Upper Room, McGarvey’s favorite song remains “The Great I Am” because of how drastically it changed the way he worshiped.

“It was the first song that showed me how to surrender myself, how to walk according to Him.  It’s a constant reminder of where I’ve come from and also of hope to come,” McGarvey said.

McGarvey says he thinks music is a way a preacher can get a message to everyone.

“Music is relatable, tangible and raw,” McGarvey said. “But, there is a danger of seeing worship music as more powerful than scripture.”

Despite that drawback, McGarvey knows that worship music speaks an especially clear message and will become a decent part of whatever ministry branch he elects to pursue. McGarvey will most likely pursue a pastoral route but wants to wait on God’s direction before making any big decisions.

“I want to see people informed about why they believe the things they do, and music plays a big part in that,” McGarvey said.