Kevin Im happy that you found a job period!
Just this Tuesday, I was appointed as Director of Sacred Music and Organist for a very lovely Catholic Church on Chicago's southwest side, just minutes from Midway Airport. The organ is small...and the room reverberant. I mean, Im already scoping out places who want to donate organs or drawing up plans for a pipe/digital combination. The height is shallow, but the room seats 700...and they say avg attendance at mass is about 400. These people are sweet as sweet potato pie...and they already appreciate me, even tho I don't assume duties until mid February. I do have a delima tho...rumor has come my way that another job is looking good for me too...which means I may have options, as I would have to be firmly decided on either one by the end of Feb.
Part Time church work...is the best you will ever find. I have noticed that in full time church jobs (not all but many) that the music is not that appreciated. The people have inflated, bloated attitudes, and are usually just a bunch of BS wannabes. They will always compare you to people who are on recordings (mind you...I have witnessed a recording session by a very well know organ CD company...it made me not want to listen to another recording again!). At my audition for this church I did 2 hymns, both with my own introductions, a piece by Florence Price, and Widors Toccata. They glowed, and they not only wanted my musicianship..but they wanted me as a person. And it feels good.
Hun...it took me 8 months to find a job in Chicago...and I have never had a permenant, long term thing anywhere...just interim and scholar programs. So basically, I have been looking for an opportunity like this for a long long time.
You will notice that smaller churches will be so appreciative of big things. You will make them feel like they are "at the cathedral!" Smaller churches are more willing to listen, and will usually be the ones who want to preserve traditional music. At my new church they are already talking about singing Latin motets! Smaller churches will appreciate smaller music too. A job where I can play hymn arrangements by Gordon Young sometimes and turn around on Palm Sunday and do Alain's Litanies and Gabriel Pierne's Prelude in G minor is a nice thing. And the congregation will love it!
What I notice about full time jobs in big places...you are trying to please the 5 or 10 people that hired you or the family that pays the bills. Not the congregation as a whole. So you wind up getting bitched at because you did not do Messien's Dieu Parmi Nous during the church year. And its those handfull of people who will make your life hell in big churches.
OH dont even get me started on churches rejecting you! hunny...Im still in a state of shock that I got this job...Im so used to hearing "no", even after submitting resumes, compositions, playing Widor's and Boellmanns Toccata's from memory, and all kinds of mess! Whats usually going on is...you are sometimes too talented for them. I don't have a degree...any degree...but my application packages all required Priority Mail to send them. The jobs you applied for probably hired people who can't play their ways out of wet paper sacks. Hell...they probably won't utilize the organs full resources.
A lot of times they want someone who wil be denominationally faithful. And that a bore. For instance, the Lutheran churches I applied for all seemed to center around Bach and have very little respect for my love, the Frenchmen ( and women) after 1850. Im not playing Bach every Sunday.
You have a Masters from the biggest organ dept in the country AND you are an engineer (you would tell them things wrong with the organ and probably fix them too). You know what happened...if you have a personality...a good one...(you know some of our colleagues are bitchy) And you are probably a VERY secure player. My guess is that your hymn playing is very solid and probably has some tabasco sauce on it! MK dont play! What did you do for your auditions?
I look back at the jobs I applied for and did not get:
a Lutheran Church ELCA...the ELCA's new hymnal proposal SUCKS! I mean its so sad!
Another job at an ELCA church in Minneapolis---Liberian Praise Ensemble...Im an organist...I don't want congas!
Organist only at First Congregational Churhc in Atlanta...the second oldest historically Black Congregational Church in the country. Too much Gospel...once again im an Organist! VERY stuck up people. Senator Andrew Young goes to that church.
Another Catholic Church in Chicago...too much Gospel again
Tons of others! All rejected
Finally. God showers over me (yay yay yay) A church with a moderate organ...thin tone...big room...Catholic Church...desire for traditional music...making comments like
"we mostly use the organ in service...gee...is that ok?"..I mentioned Guilmant...the pastor glowed...they want a Childrens choir...and the children to sing with the adults at times. I know the traditional Catholic mass...uses Gather Comprehensive hymnal and the We Celebrate Missal. The right thing has finally come. They know the organ is not much...and are open to ideas down the road for improvement.
Those jobs you applied for and went to interview for...you probably were too good for them. They knew that you woudl come in and probably get things organized, notice things wrong with the organ ( you're an engineer, Kevin!) and probably noticed things that need changing. A lot of times...they don't want the musician to instigate change...they want the pastor and committees to do it. If you tell them that you notice that something in the music needs some polishing or have some dreams...they are pinched...because they think its already perfect. They want you to come in and settle. A lot of times...they are just subtly saying...that the organ will not be a major part of the worship in the future. Ever notice how they hire pianists who can barely play the organ?
Dont every give up in Sacred Music. I too have a passion that I could have easily gone to...Culinary Arts. I ahve been so close to going to one of the major Culinary schools...and I still may, it is my other passion. BUT...in my heart...is Organ music. Maybe i'll combine the 2 someday and open a restaurant with an organ in it.
As for your supplementary income...teach organ, voice and piano.
At this new church job that you have, show them some things. Think about this: How can you make them want a big music program? What roads can you travel to get there? Just because its a smaller church does not mean thatyou can't get big music. Think about what you would do at a large full time job and do it at your small part time job...but do it slowly. For instance, after a few months, talk about handbells over coffee hour. ater a year, play a CD of a well built organ in your office or in the choir rehearsal. Never know...you may be full time in a few years.
Just some thoughts
Desiree'
Kevin Rose <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Hello All!
I am a church musician with a Master of Music degree in Organ and Church =
Music from Indiana University where I was a student of Dr. Marilyn =
Keiser. My background is in the Episcopal Church, and for 5 years I was =
the organist/choirmaster of a Roman Catholic Church on a full-time =
basis. They ran into severe budget problems, and there were many staff =
cuts. The music position was not the first to be cut, but it did get =
cut to part-time. The person who took my position is not even an =
organist, but a pianist who plays the organ. (I referred him to a =
classmate of mine who is also in my town to give him organ lessons - =
that is working out well for him from what I understand.)
Okay, now for the challenge: I am back to part-time church work in a =
small Episcopal Church. It has a terrible organ and does not pay well, =
HOWEVER, the people are nice -- the nice people more than compensates =
for everything else. Nevertheless, I have this dream about making =
beautiful music forever with the sound of organ and choir bouncing off =
the walls of a reverberant church. Furthermore, it is my dream that =
this bring joy into the lives of many people. As a church musician, =
this is the ministry to which I feel called. I would like to get back =
on track, and perhaps some of you on this list might have some ideas.
Because there has been a dearth of opportunities in music, I have been =
forced to return to electrical engineering for the time being. I work =
as a contractor for the Air Force. While my work is in basic research =
and it is the kind of engineering I like to do (I actually get to put =
electronic equipment together and use a soldering iron - Fun!), I do not =
want to have to do this the rest of my life. Yes, the money is good, =
but I miss the people contact. Bottom line: I am not happy doing this =
kind of work. The complicating factor here is I have a family =
(fortunately, my wife works full-time as well), and so that will always =
figure into how I manage my music career. Even so, I would not trade my =
family for anything.
I belong to the AGO and to AAM (the Association of Anglican Musicians), =
and so I get their job listings. I have applied over the last two years =
to several positions, however, not one offer materialized even though I =
have been to several out-of-state interviews. I think I am doing my =
best in the interview situations, however, there is always someone =
better. (Okay, so 2nd, 3rd, or 4th out of 50 is not bad, but it still =
means I was not selected for the position.)
Is church employment really this bad? Or do I not know of the right =
contacts? I would also consider being an assistant somewhere. The =
problem with part-time church music positions is that one has to find =
additional employment to make ends meet. Do churches just not value =
music? What do you think - should I continue this quest or give up? =
I've always heard, "Never quit," but I'm tired of sending out lots of =
applications and going to lots of interviews only to receive a curt =
letter of rejection (or in a couple of cases, I never heard from the =
church again).
To be honest, I have had a lot of self-doubt. People who know me say I =
am better than I think I am. Even being an engineer has been helpful as =
a church musician as it has helped my organizational, administrative, =
and problem-solving skills necessary for church music. I worked so hard =
to get where I am and I don't want to lose my competence. Any ideas =
would be appreciated. Thanks!
- Kevin Rose
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tributors and not necessarily those of the list owners nor of the Uni-
versity at Albany. For a brief summary of list commands, send mail to
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From Desiree'
Toni-Desiree' Hines
Chicago, IL 60649
http://concertartist.info/bios/hines.html
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Note: opinions expressed on PIPORG-L are those of the individual con-
tributors and not necessarily those of the list owners nor of the Uni-
versity at Albany. For a brief summary of list commands, send mail to
[log in to unmask] saying GET LSVCMMDS.TXT or see the web
page at http://www.albany.edu/piporg-l/lsvcmmds.html .
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