Hoop Triggers: C-Dubb’s App Brings Big Sound to Small Churches

When Carlton “C-Dubb” Whitfield first started developing what would become the Hoop Triggers app, his only goal was to help his dad. Growing up in a small town, Whitfield spent two decades playing for his father’s church. But when he moved to Atlanta, he realized his absence left his father — and many other churches in the area — without musicians.

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“Back home, there wasn’t a single church within a 10-mile radius that had a musician,” Whitfield recalled during his interview on Get Up Mornings with Erica Campbell. “My dad would ask, ‘Son, what am I going to do when I preach?’ That’s when I started making loops and little tracks just for him. This app was really just for my dad at first.”

That personal project has since grown into a widely used resource for churches across the country. Hoop Triggers allows anyone, regardless of musical training, to provide professional-quality music during services. With the push of a button, users can access organ, piano, and full-band sounds.

“If you’ve got a finger, you can use this app,” Whitfield said with a laugh. “I recorded everything I would do backing up a preacher and built it into the app. You can literally sound like a seven-piece band. I’ve even seen pastors using it right from the pulpit — they’re already hitting the podium, so now they just tap a button.”

The app can cover an entire service, from prayer to benediction. Initially, Whitfield admitted, not everyone embraced the idea. “At first there was a lot of hateration from musicians,” he said. “But eventually they saw it was just another tool. I even saw one musician use it to play a hymn he didn’t know. It helped him save the moment.”

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For smaller churches with limited resources, Hoop Triggers has been a lifeline. Erica Campbell noted that her sister’s church in San Diego relied on the app until they found a musician. Whitfield says stories like that remind him of why he created it.

The app, officially called Hoop Triggers Plus, is available for both iOS and Android users. Whitfield also teaches classes for those who may need extra help, especially older church members. “It’s crazy,” he added, “people are actually gigging with this app now.”

Hoop Triggers can be found at hooptriggers.com, or by searching “Hoop Triggers” with a “Z” in the app store.

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As Whitfield puts it, “If your church can’t afford a musician, don’t worry — we got you.”

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