Church Musicians

[penguinlover]

I wonder how many of you out there are involved in church music?  I have noticed that there seem to be quite a few of us out there on the forum.  What type of church music do you do?  Classical, worship style, rock....etc.  Thanks  Penguinlover

[Waldszenen]

I'm not a church musician myself, but my mum used to play organ at our local church for ten years then quit because the priest was a boring old fart.

[jpianoflorida]

well I played traditional hymns for many years in the church I grew up in..played from age 12 or so full time for the church until my 30's,.....then i became a music director/pianist for a presybyterian church where you get to play and direct and loved it.   It was nice to be able to pick the music , plan for the choir and get to play the music yourself.    I'm involved now in 2 nursing home services.   One we do all kinds of hymns, new and old .....and the other hymns hymns along with praise and worship music.     I always enjoyed picking cantatas for church and teaching them to the choir, then playing them while we performed them.     A LOT of my students want to learn praise and worship music and are involved in their churches, so we work on that as well as their other materials.

[caperflutist]

I play flute in our orchestra and do a lot of offertories, usually hymns, but I write my own arrangements. I also sing in the choir (alto) and I am taking organ lessons, though I am not the organist at my church (I wish!)

[musik_man]

All the music at my college church is done by students.  It's an even split between hymns and Christian-pop.  I'll sometimes play the hymns, although I haven't become the regular pianist due to illness.  After a couple years of regularly practicing sight-reading I can sightread about 90% of the hymnal at a high enough level to accompany the congregation. 

The praise band consists of two guitarists, one male and two female singers, a bass guitarist, a pianist(not me), and two drummers(one on a drum kit and the other with hand drums.)  I actually prefer this set up to the way that most Christian rock bands are set up.  Especially since our drummer doesn't play 'four on the floor.'

[penguinlover]

I love it when churches have orchestras. Ours doesn't.  It has me on the piano and a kunga player.  We used to have a bass guitar and electric guitar, but they were kids and grew up and left us.  We do hymns on Sunday night, but on Sunday morning we do more contemporary Christian music.  I like to talk to other church musicians, so thanks to those of you who responded.  Maybe we'll meet more as time goes by.

[pianistimo]

i also played hymns from about age 12 to 30 or so.  it's a good way get better and better at sightreading - as directors often change their mind at the last minute to what they want to sing.  sort of 'spirit' moved - according to the message.  now, the church that i attend already has an accompanist - but my husband and i occasionally perform together.  i always enjoy accompanying anyone - but especially my hubby because i happen to love his singing.  and, they have a decent piano at the church on the mall - so it makes it worth the effort. 

my husband's church has a lot of prerecorded popular christian music that is in video format with the words on the screen.  it's ok - but i don't get 'enthralled' like most about it.  i'd rather have live musicians, of course.

[opus10no2]

If god didn't like gay people, then why does he make such gay music?

[mephisto]

Is Bach boring

[bradley sowash]

Believe it or not, I'm a frequent guest artist in churches as a sacred jazz musician.

[pianowelsh]

Cool I like the idea of a sacred jazz musician.  Ive played piano and keyboards and sung and even played treble recorder for worship teams most of my Christian life. Mainly split between hymns and contemporary worship styles,rarely rock styles - the churches I have attended havent officially recognised classical music as worship music in the services but I have given concerts of classical music and played in various places as a classical pianist for offertories etc.  The emphasis of my home church is on the text and words more than purely musical considerations so we work across all genres really to unite a theme. Of course we give it our own twist as is inevitable.  Some of the worship stuff is musically pretty trite agreed BUT by no means a majority of it. The ones that are commonly sung in churches tend not to be but in the songbooks you have to wade through some pretty weak stuff to find he diamonds...BUT remember many of the folks who write the songs are not trained musicians so we would do well to reserve judgement.  We should also recognise that many of our hymns are 'great' music and anthems of praise. The roll call of composers including Mendelssohn, Handel, Mozart, Bach, Holst, Ireland, Vaughan Williams etc so I certainly wouldnt describe them as 'gay', which is a very imprecise way of describing music anyway as it is genderless!!

[lau]

a couple weeks ago i was asked to join this church youth band, they basically told me to improvise on everything. so i guess i am doing that now.

[penguinlover]

I don't play jazz very well.  For Christmas I am forcing myself to play a jazz version of "Go Tell it on the Mountain."  I don't like it very well, but I think it will be good for me.  It will really stretch me, and boy will it shock the congregation.  I have never played jazz  or blues before.  It's just not me, but I will do it.  I am glad the piece isn't difficult, I can almost sight read it.  It's the feel I'm going for, and that's what's not there yet.  The problem is that in order to do a piece well, you have to like it somewhat.  I am working on that part too.

[adagio1]

I have been a church musician for 50 years.   Once when I was playing the organ and was only about 18 years old, a few people came up to the organ loft to say how they liked my playing.  One said too slow the next said too fast.  From that day on I lost most of my stage fright.  Church goers are all experts when it comes to music.  Organists might as well enjoy the music the way they like to play it...... and not worry about anything else.    I have made it a habit to look at peoples faces when playing preludes and similar.    You can tell if they enjoy the music.  I have noticed that recently people sometimes even start to hum along.... even on Bach COncs etc.    Once in a while I have the opportunity to sit in the congregation with my wife..... I really prefer to worship from the organ bench.... your mind can wander if need be.     I play all types of music even the so called new Christian stuff... like most music some is good and some is bad. 
Thought I might write a book one day.   Church organists lead interesting lives..... well at least I think so --- I raised 6 children and played in 5 different churches.   

[penguinlover]

Wow, six children! I thought I was doing well with five!  I raised them from the piano bench, or choir loft, whichever I was participating in.  I know what you mean by church people being experts in music.  Just this last week I was doodling before church started, playing the middle section of the Rach prelude in G minor.  One man came up and was constantly correcting me about how I should be playing it.  I took it for a while, then I (less than graciously) said "That's nice.  Do you play the piano?  Because if you did, you would know how incredibly hard that would be."  He left.  You gotta love them though!

[lichristine]

I'm not a religious person, per se, but I do play at a church.
It used to be really fun, when we had a drummer and a guitar player and a bassist and I did rock keyboard, but then the guitarist left, the drummer switched churches, so now we have a bassist and the regular pianist....