Getting the Church Job You Want.....
Over thirty years ago I ventured into church music, in fact, if you count my teenage experience the time factor is even longer.
I have learned at lot and still continue to mature and learn how to deal with all types of church volunteers who support the church music program.
In an effort to support others who are pursuing a career in church music I offer the following suggestions.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK....
Kim Cannon, a dear friend of many years and a superb musician shared this vital truth with me about a year ago when I dealing with a very frustrating church committee where the head of the committee told me upfront in our first phone conversation "she could not stand their senior pastor and the choir and most of the congregation could not wait to rid of him."
Find out who had the position before you; why did they leave. How long where they there.
GET TO KNOW THE SENIOR PASTOR REALLY WELL.....
Since you will be dealing on an ongoing basis with the Senior Pastor, you need to make sure that you are on the same page. Musical taste as we know vary tremendously and knowing up front some of the preferences of the Pastor are crucial.
Knowing how to handle delicate situations with lay people and knowing that if you have a problem in the future, that you can email and or pick up the phone and run situations by the Pastor will oftentimes determine how long you last at a church.
The late Dr. Justin Coylar with whom I studied with for four wonderful years gave me a simple, excellent quote, there is no job security in Church Music.
TALK WITH YOUR PROFESSIONAL COLLEAGUES....
I have the great fortune of having numerous friends who are music directors at churches all through the US that I went to college with and or had as professors. When I ever I need an opinion, I call up on them to consult situation, pay scales, music source questions.
Dr. Sandy Matthes, my former Music Theory teacher from Liberty University gave me a simple yet excellent suggestion before Easter this year. I was in the market for a sound tract of the hymn "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" since I have a very small choir and no budget for an orchestra. She mention Lorenz Publishers to me and through the jobber J.W. Pepper I found the perfect arrangement with full orchestra including bells and pipe organ with a split tract; it brought the house down...meaning, it was incredibly successful.
INTERIM POSITIONS CAN BE A GREAT THING....
Never shy away from taking on a position from a mutual try out position. The time frame work should be reasonable and give the congregation, the board and yourself a time to exercise your skill sets and see if they match what the congregation needs.
IT'S JUST A JOB.....
Making Music should be fun. Too many choir director lack the people skills to move beyond just being a technician - you have to be able to laugh at yourself and admit your own shortcomings for others to trust you.
Use a sense of humor coupled with teaching and sharing your gifts. Don't take everything personal. Oftentimes lay people will act out in unusual ways in a church setting, sometimes because they may be jealous of your abilities and hide behind this jealously by offering criticisms. Keep moving forward, be polite, thank them for their opinion but stand by what you know is your heart is best. At the end of the day to have been able to use your God given gifts to touch the lives of others is the ultimate goal.
KNOW WHEN IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON.....
I have been guilty myself of staying too long in a church setting. If it's not working either because of personality conflicts, unreasonable expectations, a Pastor who is not supportive, all of these things can contribute to making a job not be satisfying. A change in leadership such as board members and or a Senior Pastor can greatly impact your ability to do your job effectively.
Abuse should NEVER be tolerated. Resigning and leaving a position with grace and dignity is of course the preference but, not always possible.
I am always open to your feedback and suggestions. I even solicit articles you feel would benefit others in our profession.
All the best, Art Scott (949) 454-1221 email: mraspiano@yahoo.com
I have learned at lot and still continue to mature and learn how to deal with all types of church volunteers who support the church music program.
In an effort to support others who are pursuing a career in church music I offer the following suggestions.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK....
Kim Cannon, a dear friend of many years and a superb musician shared this vital truth with me about a year ago when I dealing with a very frustrating church committee where the head of the committee told me upfront in our first phone conversation "she could not stand their senior pastor and the choir and most of the congregation could not wait to rid of him."
Find out who had the position before you; why did they leave. How long where they there.
GET TO KNOW THE SENIOR PASTOR REALLY WELL.....
Since you will be dealing on an ongoing basis with the Senior Pastor, you need to make sure that you are on the same page. Musical taste as we know vary tremendously and knowing up front some of the preferences of the Pastor are crucial.
Knowing how to handle delicate situations with lay people and knowing that if you have a problem in the future, that you can email and or pick up the phone and run situations by the Pastor will oftentimes determine how long you last at a church.
The late Dr. Justin Coylar with whom I studied with for four wonderful years gave me a simple, excellent quote, there is no job security in Church Music.
TALK WITH YOUR PROFESSIONAL COLLEAGUES....
I have the great fortune of having numerous friends who are music directors at churches all through the US that I went to college with and or had as professors. When I ever I need an opinion, I call up on them to consult situation, pay scales, music source questions.
Dr. Sandy Matthes, my former Music Theory teacher from Liberty University gave me a simple yet excellent suggestion before Easter this year. I was in the market for a sound tract of the hymn "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" since I have a very small choir and no budget for an orchestra. She mention Lorenz Publishers to me and through the jobber J.W. Pepper I found the perfect arrangement with full orchestra including bells and pipe organ with a split tract; it brought the house down...meaning, it was incredibly successful.
INTERIM POSITIONS CAN BE A GREAT THING....
Never shy away from taking on a position from a mutual try out position. The time frame work should be reasonable and give the congregation, the board and yourself a time to exercise your skill sets and see if they match what the congregation needs.
IT'S JUST A JOB.....
Making Music should be fun. Too many choir director lack the people skills to move beyond just being a technician - you have to be able to laugh at yourself and admit your own shortcomings for others to trust you.
Use a sense of humor coupled with teaching and sharing your gifts. Don't take everything personal. Oftentimes lay people will act out in unusual ways in a church setting, sometimes because they may be jealous of your abilities and hide behind this jealously by offering criticisms. Keep moving forward, be polite, thank them for their opinion but stand by what you know is your heart is best. At the end of the day to have been able to use your God given gifts to touch the lives of others is the ultimate goal.
KNOW WHEN IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON.....
I have been guilty myself of staying too long in a church setting. If it's not working either because of personality conflicts, unreasonable expectations, a Pastor who is not supportive, all of these things can contribute to making a job not be satisfying. A change in leadership such as board members and or a Senior Pastor can greatly impact your ability to do your job effectively.
Abuse should NEVER be tolerated. Resigning and leaving a position with grace and dignity is of course the preference but, not always possible.
I am always open to your feedback and suggestions. I even solicit articles you feel would benefit others in our profession.
All the best, Art Scott (949) 454-1221 email: mraspiano@yahoo.com
posted by music by art scott @ 9:26 AM
