church gigs

[vette6600]

anyone here play at a church? and get paid for it? i've met a few people since i moved to GA that make a decent amount of money from playing a few services on sundays.
i've always thought it was a volunteer job, but apparently not. any ideas/thoughts on this?

[Demogorgos]

Dude,

I replaced a friend a few weeks once many years ago, and I learned from it that you only play in a church choir out of conviction, not for monetary purposes. (Unnecessary to state I guess that that first time was the last time I did this kinda gigs)

Regards,

JP

[vette6600]

i'm not exactly opposed to going to church, and i have been attending for a good deal of my life. i was just suprised by the fact that people actually get paid for playing during the service.

anyone else?

[Tubarão Guitars]

I've been playing on churchs for ages! 20 years by now.
No interruptions.
Let's talk about my church/community:
-mine is a nice one, 5k to 7k people every single sunday
-with lots of heavymetal and rock 'n roll songs
-some JCM900 around (and LOUD!!!)
-some Vai inspiration (Musically not Spiritually)

So, the most important thing ever: you'll have to agree with the terms and the lifestyle envolved.
Man, i never played for money, but got some experience and now i'm basically good on what i do...
Sounds crazy but...
Yes, you need some special skills to play to the LORD, aside tecnically speakin'.
As i do it for a living for a long long time, i have always lots of offers from other communities and so.
But the fact is that: anyone can play guitar. Some can play really nice. Some can play for money.
Only FEW can play just to make HIM happy

I know it's strange to some that never played to the Lord b4.
I'll share another experience: my musical influences are really nice: Vai, Petrucci, Greg Howe, PG, whatever.
But sometimes i have to put it aside and just let the river flow. I have to forget about tech, i have to forget about scales or influences, i have to forget about ME.
So, when you're playing NOT FOR YOU, you reach a diferent (nicest) level. Not better or worse, just diferent and nice level of playing.
A new place where you can play on the front of 5k or 7k people and really don't care about anything, unless do care about GOD almight!!! LOL.

I really don't know if i'm writing it right, with some english accent, or i don't know if this text makes sense to you at all. Money has NOTHING to do with play for GOD.

WOW!
And the last thing: yes, you can get some money playing on the church, but you cannot live your "NORMAL LIFE" without REACHING that NICE NEW PLACE i have described!!!

Full of love and peace,
Tubarão.

[Tubarão Guitars]

WOW nicest post EVER!
I'm so inpired today!!!

[spkenn5]

i do it voluntarily or lets say giving back what He gave us

[Tubarão Guitars]

Originally Posted by spkenn5

i do it voluntarily or lets say giving back what He gave us

Nice one!
Get paid for it or not, IMO you'll need to be envolved at all, at any levels.
Spiritually specially!

[Paul_R]

Well said Tubarão!

I've never been paid for it or expected to be paid. I was more excited to have the opportunity to play for the worship services. Could never headbang or slam dance during service though! J/K (I've seen it happen though!)

My friend who is the worship leader at his church is paid, but he's doing other stuff for the church on top of leading worship, sound board/gear, and managing functions. More than 40 hours per week! He works hard for his position and it's not even close to being a high paying job.

I know another church that once paid musicians to play for the worship service who did not attend the church. I don't know the whole story though.

Paul

[MetalZone]

I play in church and youth too. But I do it out of passion, not for the money. Personally I enjoy playing in church too. I never do expect to be paid as well. At least in the church I serve in, we don't get paid to do so.

[Tubarão Guitars]

Well, you 'get to' be paid if it's your job as a musician.
Here in São Paulo it's very hard to find a nice church, with nice musicians and get paid for.
Anyway, even voluntary jobs have to have some nice rules, to not turning OBLIGATORY job.
I just love playing for God, but it isn't a hobby!!!
When you're a regular member of a church, you have the right to play or not, to be paid or not. Everything with nice common sense at all.
Regards,
Tubarão.

[buddroyce]

I *TRY* to play at church every week, but recently have been unable to due to work scheduling(working for an airline really limits which days you get off and what time you start).

However, I don't get paid for playing at church and I'm not quote unquote "religious" in the sense that I following a major religion, but I do play out at a church voluntarily (I never know/remember the songs so I just wing it every week). If you're playing in a church band as an obligatory job like Tubarao put it, you're playing at church for the wrong reasons.

While my church is a 'bit' progressive, I still feel out of place musically sometimes and tend to have to dial down on the distortion, but it's a great mix and contrast to the metal/shred stuff that I generally play.

(Ironically, of all pieces of gear I could bring to church, I bring always bring my Damage Control 'Demonizer")

[Josh_P]

Originally Posted by spkenn5

i do it voluntarily or lets say giving back what He gave us

Very well put : v )

[Davey]

Originally Posted by buddroyce

(Ironically, of all pieces of gear I could bring to church, I bring always bring my Damage Control 'Demonizer")

That's one of the funniest things I've read in a while

Nice to see so many positive attitudes and that nobody has stormed into the thread talking about how it's out of line to talk about God (like in the past.)

[little wing]

Wow. Never thought of getting paid playing in church though. That's something new to me.

It feels very different to play in a crowd where people are worshipping and to a crowd where people are there for entertainment or education etc. Core purpose itself is so different. Making our intentions as musicians to play 'customized'.The player i believe must always not only prepare himself mentally & physically with skills needed but also emotionally and spiritually (in this case) as well.

My 2 cents