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I have quit worship music...

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Fassa Albrecht

Feb 18, 2007
7,818
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Tyneside, UK
#1
pdunno where I should put this, doesn't seem to fit the Worship Bassists Club thread.


Anyway, I'm fed up of worship music. Not the actual music itself, which I love, but the actual bands and the playing of it for myself.

Fact is that I'm getting fed up of being messed about. Some of the worship stuff I've done was amazing, some of it was so amateur I've seen better at high school talent shows.

I also sensed an attitude that because I was a new bassist (I'd played a year when I signed up for my first church band) a female bassist at that, playing a fretless and a 5 string bass (not the usual in these bands) I was treated as some kind of oddity, and subsequently pushed out.

Whilst I'm angry and sad at leaving something I love, my experiences in these bands have been a BIG disappointment. I quit.

PS: Before the posts of 'isn't that a little melodramatic' or 'you're being arrogant' or something along those lines, these bands DID mean a lot to me and I gave them my all, to the point where I basically went into a recital as though it were a paid gig.
 
#4
Demon_Hunter said:
Worship music is not to be played for yourself. It's to be played for God, and I'm sure someone will tell me religious topics are forbidden but this pertains to the post.
Click to expand...



I wasn't playing for myself...I played because I felt called to do so based on personal religious conviction.

But the fact is that you need a band to play it with and the bands I played in were for the most part terrible.

I still play the songs in my own practice sessions, I still love the music. But actually practically playing in a worship band? Forget it.
 
#5
That's such a shame, I have shared parts of your frustrations throughout the years, I've been playing bass in churches since I started about 6years ago and have had the luck of some great bands and the experience of some not so great ones.

I know the feelings of being considered an oddity having played headless and 6string basses in church and gotten a less than warm recpetion. My current church band has grown to use me fully and I have matured into a more mature approach and sensitive style but when I joined the guys expected me to play 8th root notes on the E string and only that but after some gelling and prayer we worship together to our full abilities in a sensitive way. What I'm trying to say is, don't quit outright, there are forward and backward thinkers in all areas of life and sometimes the church can seem to have more of the latter but that doesn't mean there isn't a group out there praying for an enthusiastic 5string fretless player to join them!!!

I promise you're not alone in your position, keep playing along to records and perhaps wait a while before trying again but most of all pray about where God wants you to use the gift he's blessed you with.

God bless, BarkerBass
 
#9
While YMMV, I would say that if you arent obtaining personal satisfaction in doing what you are doing then there is no point in carrying on, religious or otherwise. I understand the sentiment of 'playing for the lord' and all, but I would think the lord would not ask you to keep up something such as playing in a worship band if you are not enjoying it.
 
#10
MatticusMania said:
While YMMV, I would say that if you arent obtaining personal satisfaction in doing what you are doing then there is no point in carrying on, religious or otherwise. I understand the sentiment of 'playing for the lord' and all, but I would think the lord would not ask you to keep up something such as playing in a worship band if you are not enjoying it.
Click to expand...

+1000000

i tried playing with one worship band. Never again.
 
#12
It sounds to me like you need a break. I've been away for 18 months from Worship Team participation (after 18 years) - totally burnt out and frustrated, and NOW I hunger to give back. We're human, and we need to get the focus OFF ourselves... it's really hard sometimes. GOD BLESS!
 
#14
Fassa Albrecht said:
pdunno where I should put this, doesn't seem to fit the Worship Bassists Club thread.


Anyway, I'm fed up of worship music. Not the actual music itself, which I love, but the actual bands and the playing of it for myself.

Fact is that I'm getting fed up of being messed about. Some of the worship stuff I've done was amazing, some of it was so amateur I've seen better at high school talent shows.

I also sensed an attitude that because I was a new bassist (I'd played a year when I signed up for my first church band) a female bassist at that, playing a fretless and a 5 string bass (not the usual in these bands) I was treated as some kind of oddity, and subsequently pushed out.

Whilst I'm angry and sad at leaving something I love, my experiences in these bands have been a BIG disappointment. I quit.

PS: Before the posts of 'isn't that a little melodramatic' or 'you're being arrogant' or something along those lines, these bands DID mean a lot to me and I gave them my all, to the point where I basically went into a recital as though it were a paid gig.
Click to expand...

If you're not digging it and you're not having fun then there really isn't any reason to continue doing it. I think you did the right thing.
 
#15
Fassa Albrecht said:
Anyway, I'm fed up of worship music. Not the actual music itself, which I love, but the actual bands and the playing of it for myself.

Fact is that I'm getting fed up of being messed about. Some of the worship stuff I've done was amazing, some of it was so amateur I've seen better at high school talent shows.

I also sensed an attitude that because I was a new bassist (I'd played a year when I signed up for my first church band) a female bassist at that, playing a fretless and a 5 string bass (not the usual in these bands) I was treated as some kind of oddity, and subsequently pushed out.
Click to expand...

Why don't you try starting your own band of people you know and like? But you've probably tried that already.
In any case, good luck with what you're gonna do now. Start a non-worship band and have fun!
 
#18
Too bad it didn't work out for you with that church worship band. Look around, there are others in your area hopefully. Try them. If not, see if you can find some other musicians with similar interests and start up an Christian band in your area with the genre music you like. You may find your niche there.
 
#19
The thing about worship bands, IMO, is that they require a lot more prayer and consideration to get started and stay together than a band formed just for the heck of it. Right after I left my youth group's worship band along with the current leader to move to college, someone came into lead the band temporarily who was a terrible fit, and I convinced my youth pastor to find someone else to make sure the worship atmosphere of our group didn't completely collapse, which it was close to doing. You go where you're led and when you find where you're supposed to be, you'll know. If you don't feel like you are meant to be playing in a worship band, then maybe God's trying to tell you something. Take a hiatus if you need to, but don't swear it off altogether. I'd call that a mistake.
 
#20
MatticusMania said:
While YMMV, I would say that if you arent obtaining personal satisfaction in doing what you are doing then there is no point in carrying on, religious or otherwise. I understand the sentiment of 'playing for the lord' and all, but I would think the lord would not ask you to keep up something such as playing in a worship band if you are not enjoying it.
Click to expand...

You're 1000% correct. Worshiping God and enjoying it personally are not mutually exclusive--they're designed to be one and the same! [EDIT: That doesn't mean that it's always fun or easy or free from sacrifice...]

Google "John Piper" for more on his well-known "Christian Hedonism." Cool stuff. Main theme: "The chief end of man is to worship God by enjoying Him forever." The "by" is a change that Piper made to the Westminster Shorter Confession; not without controversy. However, he has scriptural support for that.

Fassa, sorry to hear about your disillusionment. Just because people follow Jesus doesn't mean they treat their fellow travelers well.

I hope you can find some caring souls and get back into it sometime down the road. I'm doing my own healing from church issues myself (leadership), so I can dig the gist of what you're saying.

Godspeed.
 
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