The church musician rant...

Today I was talking to my friend Paul about church music jobs, and how ugly the pay is. I interviewed at a local church, where I would get paid $6000 a year to direct three children's choirs, lead Sunday school music, and direct Christmas programs and a musical, and often play piano for rehearsals and services. They suggested that the position would require about 10 hours of work a week. If that's so, then the position pays about 12.50 an hour. Even though it requires a specialized degree AND experience, and serves a large, urban church.

However, if you think preparing rehearsals, practicing conducting and piano playing, service planning, music selection, leading the rehearsals themselves, coordinating parent volunteers, etc., for three large youth choirs takes 10 hours a week,

YOU HAVE LOST YOUR MIND.

Teachers get paid low salaries. Ministers get paid low salaries. But for crying out loud, they
GET TO EAT!!!!

Another church where I'm applying suggests that the principal organist position will require 12 hours work per week. To prepare fresh, interesting pieces (or even lame, rehashed ones), and play them in a coherent manner, will require me to practice 3-4 hrs per day, at least 5 days per week. this comes out to around 18 hrs per week. Then I will be playing for choral rehearsals - that's 2 more hours, and on sunday mornings - 4 more hours. For a grand total of 24 hrs per week. This is not an over-estimate by any means - it leaves out practice for playing weddings (for which, thankfully, there is a small stipend), and extra preparation for cantatas, christmas and lent programs, and other special services, of which there are about 6 every year. There is NO additional compensation for these services. Notice my low-balled estimate is TWICE the suggested hours the church gives. They give these low estimates to make the salary look better.

Where I worked in MD, the pastor received $70,000 a year as his salary, plus benefits. I received 4200, and a lot of thank you cards. The organist made about 6200. Was it any wonder that the organist often flubbed his part (he was usually sightreading the choral music, after coming straight from his day job), or that I was disorganized and scatterbrained on some Thursday nights, after a full day at work?

I do church music out of the love of my heart. I do not do it for money, or for recognition, because god knows, you don't get much of either. However, I went to six years of school for this. You required that I have a degree, to even apply for your position. You expect me to have advanced knowledge of music theory, music history, music of the church, the human voice, AND have the ability to teach these things to laymen and experienced musicians alike. You expect flexibility and organization, you expect me to work as a manager, leader, and example, but I am not paid a salary that allows me to live in any kind of comfort. I live in old houses with four other people, or a studio with roaches and mice as extra tenants, not because I want to live an "artist's life", and enjoy the bohemian life - but because I am forced to live paycheck-to-paycheck because you are CHEAP. I am not lazy - I work 65 hours a week (including the day job) so you can have a meaningful worship time. I go to services that I don't have to, to socialize and make connections with new possible choir members. I give a shit. But it's becoming increasingly clear, protestant congregations, that you do not.