Posted by Joe Baker on May 17, 2003 at 07:04:56:
In Reply to: Re: Re: What ever happened to.... posted by js on May 16, 2003 at 20:09:17:
Joe, with considerable respect for your thoughts about this, I ask you to go back and read your next-to-last paragraph -- substituting "school" for "church" and "student" for "member". Would you then think he had a point?
Please understand, if a bunch of folks (church or not) want to get together and hire an orchestra, that's okay by me. If another bunch of folks want to get together and hire an orchestra leader, that's okay by me. If they want to get together and listen to taped music -- well, you get the idea. My only point is that all of these are valid approaches to music in the church. I fully understand why many would not want to be in the volunteer orchestra; but as a congregant first and musician second, I'd prefer the "non-mercenary" orchestra, even if it were of lesser quality. The fact that "lesser quality" means I'd have a shot at playing in it -- well, that would indeed be a blessing!
The thing is, music in the church should not (in my opinion and in the opinion of many others) be 'performance' but 'leading to worship'. I'm not suggesting that a paycheck necessarily corrupts that, nor that no one in a paid orchestra is a devout believer (though I'd assert that this is RARELY the case). But if I see brother Bubba, with his limited abilities, putting his heart and soul into playing trumpet the best he can for the glory of God, it is more insprirational to me than if some guy I don't know comes in and reads it perfectly for $100 a service.
As to paying the director but not the musicians, I was very good friends with the director of a church orchestra where I used to attend and play, and it was about a 30 hour a week job (she also directed two brass ensembles, a flute choir and a woodwind quartet). Her pay worked out to below minimum wage (btw, she had been a school orchestra director for almost 20 years -- VERY highly qualified professional, unlike most of the players). As a player, my commitment was about three hours per week (plus practice, which I would have been doing anyway). One of those three hours was when I'd have been in the church anyway!
I hope you understand where I'm coming from; and again, I'm describing ONE point of view -- not suggesting that everyone has to ascribe to it, but going to bat for the right to hold it.
Joe Baker, who will take all the blessings he can get.