The Organ Forum

I've found it increasingly rare to see full-time organ jobs that aren't cathedral positions or with churches that have congregation sizes below 1,500.  How many people really do this full-time?  And if you're a part-timer like me, would you really want to do it full-time?

At one time I was resident organist at a crematorium 5 days a week.  But with that the F/T job included cleaning the chapels (including the toilets, which I detested greatly) acting as chapel warden (which was quite 'fun', in helping the public) and escorting the coffins towards it's final rendevous of impending doom.

 I stuck with it for three years before I gave it up because it gave me a mental breakdown.  Honestly, imagine doing endless Crimond and Abide With Me, service after service...


 

....I couldn't do that.  Not the cleaning toilets bit...(though how the &*^*@ does THAT fit into the description of an organist job!?) but three years of playing funeral music five days a week?

 

That's enough to make ANYONE cynical. 

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'It isn't that difficult. All one has to do is press all the right keys at the right time and the organ plays itself.'
Yeah RIGHT.

Gosh, I'd imagine there are worse things to clean in a crematorium! 

I am a full-time musician.  That means I have to keep up my piano skills. 

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Soubasse32

soubasse32:

Gosh, I'd imagine there are worse things to clean in a crematorium! 

I'm certain there are, but I can't think of them at the moment.  

One summer, a number of years ago, I played for ballet classes.  A truly appalling experience.  I never knew the real meaning of boredom until I took that job.   

I've been playing the organ for over 40 years (why aren't I better at it!), and have been the organist at the same church for most of that time.  My (week)day job is in my tag-line....

Dave.

 

 

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Representing Phoenix Organs
http://www.qualityorgans.com

"Build a boat, build an organ; with any luck one of them will float!"

Jason E:

One summer, a number of years ago, I played for ballet classes.  A truly appalling experience.  I never knew the real meaning of boredom until I took that job.

Been there, done that.

Odd though - I managed to have fun. 

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Soubasse32

soubasse32:

Jason E:

One summer, a number of years ago, I played for ballet classes.  A truly appalling experience.  I never knew the real meaning of boredom until I took that job.

Been there, done that.

Odd though - I managed to have fun. 

Ah, SB32, you most certainly played for ballet rehearsals but not classes?

Still, it's all rubbish to me... yet doesn't old Auntie Lynn on the "other" forum do this?  I love ballet music, and the central climax of Billy Elliot with Swan Lake always moves me to tears.  But I will never go to see a ballet in the theatre.  I may love the music, but I know unfortunately all too well what is going on backstage.  Male ballerinas are the most appallingly arrogant creatures on this planet.  

Besides, in real life, they're never as good looking as they appear on stage. 
     

I actually did play for classes - hours each day, just about every weekday, for years. 

Believe it or not.

But I did enjoy it.

The only thing I didn't like was that they always wanted the music bigger than life.  At first I thought my arms might drop off, but I actually got stronger.

Dancers may seem (or even be) arrogant, but it is a hard and relatively short career.  I had a good working relationship with them and the instructors at each of the schools I worked at, so was always treated with respect.  I made it a point to understand their perspective, and I worked really hard to be a good accompanist.

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Soubasse32

A good discussion, or at least "get to know each other better" topic--thanks, steverequiem, for starting it.

I studied music at university, with the idea of becoming a music teacher, but a few months of that convinced me that was no way to make a living.  And so, I went to graduate school, thinking I would stay in the academic environment.  Unfortunately, I ran out of cash after a couple of years, and so I took a temporary job with the Federal Government.  I'm now in my fourth decade on that temporary job.  It pays the bills, and it has permitted me to be something I've wanted since childhood--to be a church musician--organist, pianist, sometime choir director, and occasional composer.  I've been thinking often recently about retiring from my temporary job, but I can't imagine retiring from church music!

DR
 

I am a most fortunate guy, as a full-time musical instrument technician for over 32 years. When I'm not playing the organ for church or preparing music for the services, I am working on organs (or pianos or keyboards) in other churches, and then get to play them too, or listen to Matt play them. It's just the most incredible thing to have such fun all day long, and people PAY us to do it!

Here in the hills of Arkansas there are few organist positions that pay anything at all, much less a living wage. Oddly enough, there are all kinds of churches that pay an executive's salary to a "Worship Pastor" who sometimes cannot play anything other than a CD player. He may or may not have a music degree, but he is usually "called of God" and ordained. These guys must be really spiritual.

It's ironic that many organists have degrees in organ performance, but churches pay them, if at all, less than they pay "Youth Pastors" (whatever they do) or even custodians or kitchen staff. Many church people seem to think that all the organist does is show up on Sunday, play a few hymns and a pretty piece or two, and go home until next Sunday. Why should the organist get paid for that, any more than the choir members just for showing up?

I sort of envy you guys who really do make your living playing music. But I'm quite content to be working around fine instruments all the time and being acquainted with nice church musicians all over the state. And training a talented and brilliant tech who will eventually take over my business.

John

 

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Rodgers 890 at church.
Baldwin D422 at home.
Scads of old organs in the shop! H E L P !!!

steverequiem:

I've found it increasingly rare to see full-time organ jobs that aren't cathedral positions or with churches that have congregation sizes below 1,500.  How many people really do this full-time?  And if you're a part-timer like me, would you really want to do it full-time?

So Steve...you haven't told us about yourself! 

In spite of never having a day off and wishing for a bit more $$ I find my work is mostly fulfilling.  I play for services, do weddings and memorials, teach several students, rehearse lots of choirs, tune lots of organs (occasionally), do quite a few concerts, etc. etc.  It is a "collection" of jobs, mainly.  The good thing is that I'm 'diversified', so if I lose any of the smaller jobs, I should come out OK.  One other drawback is that I put on lots of miles on the car and sometimes don't get to eat or rest properly. 

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Soubasse32

Well, right now I'm a high school senior at an independent boys school in Cleveland (well, Hunting Valley roughly 30-45 min outside of Cleveland proper). I'm a violist, pianist, banjoist (all hail the Seegers!) and occasional violinist, which means when I'm bored, I've always got something to do. I am also sort of a theater rat, I'm always doing stage crew type stuff, but I'm really a musician at heart, I would rather be in the pit for a musical than back stage, but I can't always have my way. In addition to those afore-mentioned activities, I consider myself a historian of the organ, not a very good one, but a historian, none the less. In terms of religion I guess I'm a devout agnostic, I still like to go to churches if for no other reason than to hear the organ.

Would I want to do the organ thing full time, at this point in time, I don't see myself as good enough to do it full time, but I would like to if I got better at it.

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Once you can tie your arms into a pretzel and your legs into a knot, you've got it under control

Austin766:

Well, right now I'm a high school senior at an independent boys school in Cleveland (well, Hunting Valley roughly 30-45 min outside of Cleveland proper). [snip] I am also sort of a theater rat [snip] 

I wonder if you have discovered the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre?  It is in your back yard. 

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Soubasse32

I know of it, and know exactly where it is, I've never been there, though. The head of the drama dept. (i.e. the director) also directed at CVLT for many years. But like I said, I haven't been inside it and seen a production.

BTW, I kind of started playing organ because of stage crew, or maybe it was the other way around, but either way, the two have been very closely linked for me at school.

Speaking of Chagrin, Soubasse, do you know the Federated Church? You can't miss it if you go up Bell from the village, They have two Schantz instruments, one of three manuals from 1966(?) and one of two manuals age unknown to me (the console is locked, to prevent people from messing with it, unlike the three manual in their sanctuary). Anyway, I was thinking about attending service there tomorrow, to talk in person with their organist - I have spoken with her via email and telephone and email.

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Once you can tie your arms into a pretzel and your legs into a knot, you've got it under control