10 Ways to Recruit Church Musicians

It's a common enough story. A faith community finds itself without an organist, and sets about advertising for a new one. In this community's mind the person needs to have the same or similar skills to the previous leader. After all, there is an instrument sitting there with no-one to play it. Right?

Wrong. This faith community is making the same mistake as has been made for generations. When musical leadership is posited as the realm of a chosen few, leadership is invariably polarised and participation inhibited. Rather than recognising the gifts of those within the community, the powers-that-be try to enforce the status quo, and miss out on what could be. This is explored in Virtual Music Barriers.

Each faith community is a unique set of challenges in this situation, not least the assumptions the community holds about music. These are often reflected in the response of potential new musicians.

Looking Beyond "No Thanks"
Fear is a potent deterent to musical leadership in the church. Here are a few common responses:

• I am not a good enough musician.
• I have no experience.
• Others will think I'm an upstart because I am not skilled enough.
• I can't lead every week.
• You need someone younger.
• You need someone older.
• I'm not like X, I can't do X like he/she could.
• I don't play an instrument.
• I don't play the organ.
• I can't sing.

Each of these responses is based on a perception of what being a church muso looks like. And what it looks like almost always limits possibility. I would argue the Key Selection Criteria for Church Musicians is somewhat broader than this.

My 10 Top suggestions for recruiting musicians attempt to squash each of these fears by providing a solution:

1. Allocate a budget
While this may be used to purchase new music, it can also be a means to invest in the skills of your people through personal development pursuits like...

2. Pay for a term of lessons
If you've a guitarist, singer, trumpeter (doesn't matter what they play) in your midst, your community could offer to pay for a term of lessons with a local teacher.

3. Establish a tutorial system
Those with less experience and expertise might be coupled with a mentor who offers one-on-one assistance.

4. Attend a workshop
Fill a car and travel to a workshop being offered in your state. Not only will you come back inspired with new ideas, but you'll do some good team building with those you travel with.

5. Look beyond your four walls
I have never met a community with no musicians living in it. They are there if you are willing to look. Seek them out and learn from them.

6. Listen beyond your four walls
Be open minded about the music styles that can be welcomed into worship. Listen widely and ask others what they like to sing and listen to. Find out what other faith communities like yours are doing.

7. Encourage your children
Are the children in your community singing? Find out how to get them involved.

8. Take baby steps
Don't move too fast. Be prepared to build slowly. If people lack confidence they will be more comfortable accompanying just one song each week for awhile.Use percussion creatively to accompany other songs.

9. Monster Music Night
Find out about your community. Hold a fun night and invite any kind of performance from groups and individuals in your midst. Be prepared to be amazed.

10. Think beyond the songs
Involve people in musical leadership in less formal ways by considering 6 Sound Innovations for Worship, use soundscapes, make your own instruments, play a music game at your next church meeting.

Effective recruitment is a perennial process. Where it is, most faith communities will find they are able to weather the comings and goings of musicians quite comfortably because they have nurtured and encouraged a community of people with various skills and abilties, and welcomed a variety of styles with grace.

You are welcome to offer your recruitment idea here for others to consider.

You may also be interested in:
How is the Church Accompanying Song in 2011?
8 Top Tips for Getting the Blokes to Sing
A Cappella Sunday
10 Ways to Improve the Band by next Sunday
10 Ways to Fertilise Your Community's Musical Life

And this article from the USA late last year: Tough Times for Church Organists 

The King of Glory Comes

'Christ The King' Sunday
When planning for 'Christ the King' Sunday, consider using The King of Glory - a great choice for young bands. Its tune originates from a traditional Israeli melody, and has just enough rhythmic invention to make it interesting, and not so much to perplex those singing it. The key of the song is user-friendly. E minor is a simple key, with only an F sharp in the key signature. While a single G sharp appears for the final chord, those playing the bass notes, much of the accompaniment, and the entire melody will be untroubled by troublesome "black notes" (if you'll excuse the pianist's terminology!).

Instrument-Friendly
In the verses recorder players will find the range accessible, as will flautists. The notes to be played are among those first learnt on these instruments.

The Bass
Bass instruments could play a simplified bassline: E-B-E-B in the refrain, and G-D-G-D etc.. in the verses, but that can sound a bit oompah! Instead try sustaining a single bass note (E (for two bars) then C-D-E in the refrain (twice). For the verse, bass players can underpin the accompaniment simply by sustaining a G until the refrain comes around again. Thats a total of 4 different notes. Simple!

Percussive Ostinato
Chose a motif (eg: "na-tion re-joi-ces") and allocate the rhythm to claves, tambourines or hand drum, to play whenever that rhythm occurs in the song. In this case, the identical rhythm comes with "lift up your voices", and both phrases occur during the refrain.

Mixing it Up
As the rhythm is quite repetitive I'd suggest alternative instrumental treatment from refrain to verse. For example you may engage drum, guitars, bass instruments and hand percussion in the refrain, and make a contrast by utilising recorders, keyboard and triangle for the verses. The advantage of this 2-edged approach for a young band is the playing is not so relentless, there is less for each player to learn, and the result is varied for the singers/listeners.

I suspect variety is the intention behind the suggested note that a cantor sing the verses and the gathered people render the refrain. While some songs by Joseph Gelineau, for example, have verses which are rhythmically and melodically varied from one to the next, it is not so here. I see no reason for this instruction, other than the provision of contrast. An alternative suggestion for those without instruments is to alternate the verse singing between left and right side, women and men, or children and adults.

Final Refrain
As the origins of the music are from Israel, it is quite legitimate to repeat the refrain several times over, gradually increasing the speed. What an exhilarating way the prepare for Advent.

Now if you could just get the congregation to dance...WOW!

For more on accompanying hymns creatively with integrity, visit Revisiting Old Treasures

More Resources for Advent and Christmas

Starting a Band (and avoiding instrumental cacophony)

Some years ago I was invited to kick start a new church band in a tiny rural congregation in Victoria. It was a faith community that had previously been dependent on a small organ. When I arrived the prospective band members were waiting. It was possibly the most unusual instrumental combination I'd ever encountered: acoustic guitar, piano accordian, euphonium, pipe organ and clarinet.

Acknowledging the Challenges
The encounter raised some significant musical and theological challenges for me. The musicians were nervous. They had never played together before, and their previous public 'performance' experience could be recorded on one hand. The age-range of the particpants was vast, with the youngest in primary school and the oldest over 70.

Questions pinballed about in my brain as I listened to them talk:
Is it even possible to combine these instruments in a satisfactory way?
Is it possible to include people in musical leadership with such limited experience?
Is the musical result more or less important than engaging these musicians in the church's life, particularly as some had virtually no connection with the congregation in the past?
What is the minimum skill level advisable for participation in musical leadership?
When and how and should we say 'wait awhile' to those learning their instrument?


Getting Started

Learning to sit and wait for answers does not always come easily, but it often turns out to be quite fruitful. I decided to find out what each of them imagined their contribution would be. It is not unusual for the 'musical director' to have quite a different vision to that of the players. Rather than the process being director-driven,  the opportunity was offered for input from others.

We talked about the willingness and availablity of the musicians to rehearse together and to practise at home. They were all willing to work on improving their musical skills.

We explored the notion of being prepared NOT to play. For some songs, the piano accordian and clarinet would team up, for another the guitar would lead, and in the next the organist and euphonium. These various combinations not only enabled variety on accompaniment for the congregation, but meant the musicians only need to practise up one or two songs each week.

I encouraged them to make further connections with their local primary school and to invite participation from those in the school community.

What about you? 
How do you go about deciding who can and can't (yet) offer musical leadership in your faith community? How do you balance the theological imperative to encourage the developments of gifts, with the responsibilities that come with any form of leadership?
How does the musical life in your faith community reflect 'Kingdom' values?
How does your community blend unusual instruments?
Are there any instruments you regard as unacceptable for use in worship?

What to Play
For tips on how to use The King of Glory with a young band click here.

You may also be interested in
Virtual Music Barriers
How to Improve the Church Band by next Sunday

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