Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
- Status
All churches are different so it's impossible to say what they church has in place. Some big churches to pay some of their worship team and musicians and most churches I've played at have a good to great house system.
Sometimes they do. A friend's brother basically makes his living playing for churches he's not a member of. I don't get it, but there it is.
The pay (or cost) is your soul. Depends how you look at it 
Depends on how big the church is, but the ones around here, even the big ones, don't pay at all.
The benefit for the players seems to be the primo gear the church owns.
My aunt's church is not very big, but they spend heaps on really top quality sound gear.
The benefit for the players seems to be the primo gear the church owns.
My aunt's church is not very big, but they spend heaps on really top quality sound gear.
A ex band mate plays guitar for a local church and gets around a $100.00 a week. Another current band mate used to be a musical director and made something like $250.00 a week, but said it was a real headache dealing with all the infighting from the ladies choir!
I think it depends on the size of the city. I’m from a large city of 2 million people. We had 8 churches with full orchestras. Most of them paid their pro players.
Now I’m in a medium city of 100,000 and no churches pay the musicians.
Now I’m in a medium city of 100,000 and no churches pay the musicians.
That sounds pretty cool! Is the value negotiable?The pay (or cost) is your soul. Depends how you look at it
Depends. Many churches that fall under the mantle of one of the major denominations will pay an honorarium to professional musicians. In the denomination I was brought up in, the liturgical music/choir directors and organists often (but not always) were paid a small amount for their services. Musicians (many if not most of whom were congregants), were for the most part expected to “generously donate of their time and talents” to the church.
Thanks for all the info folks. This was just an e-mail more or less out of the blue (through a band I sub with), and I'm wondering what to expect before calling back. You've helped fill me in. I'll let you know the deal after I talk with them.
Ok, so it's a pretty small Methodist church. It will be just one song! But they want a rehearsal tomorrow night and a quickie before the show - yikes! I think there's a sound system for vocals but I expect a small bass combo will be needed, or at least advisable. And yes, they can pay me ... "something" ...still TBD. What the heck, I'll probably say yes - sounds like an adventure (not sure if it will save my soul though)! 
. Thanks again for your intel.
. Thanks again for your intel.
If you don't know whether or not you're getting paid, you aren't.
- Status
