Does church music pay?

[TomB]

I play every Sunday at my church. For me, it's worship and helping others worship as well. Pay? Not the right question in my opinion, but that's just my opinion on the matter. If you want to make money as a musician I suggest you look for other venues.

I’ve made money as a musician in every kind of venue you can imagine for almost 50 years now. To me, a church service is just another one that I haven’t yet (played plenty of non-service gigs in churches of course). As noted earlier, they offered the pay once I got in touch with the ones in charge. I see no reason to decline it. Maybe you do ...your choice, of course. I was only asking here if there was a single protocol for this. It’s pretty clear there isn’t any one, but plenty of diversity!

 

[LowActionHero]

I get free coffee most Sundays.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I’ve made money as a musician in every kind of venue you can imagine

I'm imagining one like from "Dusk till Dawn", where the band plays for the dancers.
Have you played a venue like that?

 

[TomB]

I'm imagining one like from "Dusk till Dawn", where the band plays for the dancers.
Have you played a venue like that?

Dusk to dawn - no. 6 sets a night beginning at 10 pm - yes, but I was a lot younger then

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I take it you either haven't seen the film or you're just pulling my leg.

"From Dusk Till Dawn" is a Tarantino film

 

[TomB]

I take it you either haven't seen the film or you're just pulling my leg.

"From Dusk Till Dawn" is a Tarantino film

I haven’t seen the movie, but I’m serious about 4 am gigs, I kid you not (and the dancers, too)! Those days are gone, it seems. Now I guess it’s churches and 8:45 on Sunday .

 

[Joebone]

The pay (or cost) is your soul. Depends how you look at it

Word! Even if you don't dig on organized religion, or on Christianity in particular, how can there not be a karmic payoff in creating a sense of community and hopefully encouraging folks to up their moral game?

Although I should 'fess up - in my trombone years, the demand for brass at Christmas and Easter often provided a nice little taste...

 

[LT131]

It'll get you to heaven!

Depends on how well he plays and if he brings a sunburst P with flats and tort. Anything else and it's downstairs.

 

[gjohnson441496]

I've played for 3 churches. The first one didn't pay, but I was young and it was a ton of fun. It was a Holiness church so there was shouting like every 15 minutes which meant JAM SESSION! and a ton of worship sessions. I really miss it.

I've played for 2 Baptist churches. Both were huge (one in Cincinnati, the other in Nashville), and both payed $150 weekly.

I know that the music director of the one in Nashville was getting $1500 a week. My thing is, if the music director is getting paid then so should the other band members. However, I think some musicians play for free simply because they enjoy it, or they want to contribute to the church as a way of being thankful for their ability and the skill they're blessed with.

Another way to look at accepting payment is that it is the church's way of thanking you for providing your skill and time.

 

[TomB]

Word! Even if you don't dig on organized religion, or on Christianity in particular, how can there not be a karmic payoff in creating a sense of community and hopefully encouraging folks to up their moral game?

Although I should 'fess up - in my trombone years, the demand for brass at Christmas and Easter often provided a nice little taste...

So do you think my moral standing improves if I play for free? Like everyone here I’ve played without pay plenty, but I’m not sure it’s earned me any brownie points, and I know it hasn’t helped pay the bills. That’s a nice idea though. Hopefully I can oth encourage folks and take the money too .

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Taking half the offer only scores you half as much good Karma

 

[Ritchie_Darling]

I once received a quite lucrative offer to join a Christian band.....

You should have seen the looks on their faces when I informed them that my family were Sikh, not Christian!

I think they left skid marks!!

 

[TomB]

Depends on how well he plays and if he brings a sunburst P with flats and tort. Anything else and it's downstairs.

Oh no! ...would a red one do?

 

[TomB]

Taking half the offer only scores you half as much good Karma

Better than none, I guess.

 

[jatremayne2]

I have not been paid with one exception, subbing. I had the fortune to work with a music leader who did not regularly work with a church but would get calls to fill in when a leader in he area was taking a week off. She would take the job, provide drums, bass and an electric, and then offer to do a concert in the evening of her own material. She insisted on paying us $100 for each event and would make a little money selling her cd's and some merch. It was a lot of fun, especially doing her show. These were normally pretty healthy churches with terrific gear and some good techs, but not always. It was a lot of fun.

 

[Daniel Piper]

I'm 20 years into my church music 'career'.

Not a cent from it.

As a musician- it is Still my favourite music to engage with.

 

[gjohnson441496]

Money, in and of itself, is not evil. It's the love of it that corrupts. How you use it, or how you view it, is the aspect one should examine.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

How I've used mine has bordered on evil, but I had a wicked good time.

 

[gjohnson441496]

Go in there and pull this out... Praise the Lord!

 

[joebar]

I was asked to play this Sunday morn for a friends church; hadn't done this in years.
They all said it was the best service they'd had. Many compliments at my performance.
I must admit it was a flawless set with minimal rehearsal prior. It sounded great.
I wasn't offered anything, but I did get a free lunch. The connections I likely made will pay dividends down the road and yes, I'll do it again if approached.
This was after a gig I played a night before.