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How Much Should A Church Bass Player Get Paid


acmaddox0825

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i know this may be an odd subject to post on HCBF, but i want to see what the reaction would be from possibly a different crowd. i am a young bass player(21), very good though, who is playing for a very large(at least 5,000 members) ministry here in Atlanta. i have two services on Sunday, and average of two rehearsals during the week(sometimes we may have 1 and sometimes we may not have rehearsals at all)which includes a FRIDAY musician rehearsal. i don't have to do mid week or funerals, but i am on call and i do have to do conferences, revivals,etc when asked.i don't make alot. in fact i catch the bus to church. i am scheduling a meeting with the pastor to talk about a possible pay increase. i love God, i love playing, but i am tired of carrying my 1,600 bass(conklin) and my 400 gig bag(levys ) across Atlanta on the bus.i am tired od asking people for a ride. i am tired of looking at DECENT equipment and not being able to afford it. i have prayed about it, now as the bible says, i have an issue, so im going to try and resolve it.i currently dont make 15,000 a year playing here, and due to our schedule and the fact that i cant really afford a car i dont have the opprtunity to gig. now the church says m part time, but i beg to differ. anywho. im looking foward to any advice and wisdom my fellow HCBF's have out there!!!!!:confused:

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i haven't heard of a bass player getting paid at any church that i know of... but then again im in the country... ATL is a totally different topic.. but what kinda $ are u lookin for? most peeps would look at a church gig as (praise, practice and just enjoyment..) but if there is a budget for ya then take advantage of it...

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If the gig is becomming too taxing, it's time to reconsider. It doesn't matter whether it's for a church or not. If you feel that your monetary compensation is not enough, it may be time to go. However, if you think that there are intrinsic benefits that outweight the lack of money...

 

It's just a long way to say, you really have to make the decision that's right for you.

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well, i am looking for at lest 20,000. atlant has about 200 churches that have membership of 5,000 and up. and the average salary is 25-30k. i know plenty of bass players who do alot less and are paid alot more than i am. the church i play forshow how much they raise on a sunday basis, and its no less than 60k.

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I think you are already getting paid quite well.

 

I play in church and none of the musicians there have ever been paid. We do it as a service and for the Glory of God. However, a workman is worthy of his wages, and if the church has a practice of paying, I think that's great.

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our chior rehearsals fall on either a tuesday or a thursady( depending on the month) and we have musican rehaersal on friday all rehearsals are from 6 to 8ish. we have to be at church on sunday ready to do a sound check at 8. we have 8:30 & 11:00 service. and outings, or confrences, revivals.etc.its funny how people say that a church musician shouldnt get paid, but we have no problem with a pastor driving a maybach (which mine does)and he is only at the church on sunday(my pastor dosent do the mid week thing cus "enough people dont show up")i am aspiring to be a full time musican, but again due to the curch schedule, it is extremely hard to get an outside gig( seeing that 90% of gigs happen after 5)if i where in a smaller ministry and the workload werent so taxing, money wouldnt be an issue. i really want to be at the point where i dont have to play for a church to for money, nd money is mot my motif. if that was the case, then i would be doing all kinds of music, but i have moral standards. but staying on subject. my church demands alot from me,and i dont think its fair that i am potting in all this work( i do practice my music,) and i am catching the bus to church. the church isnt small or finacially not able either( hence the picture!)l_e1d35d7aa946f1ec4a0b7fe93f6d35f8.jpg

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Played in church for years and never got paid. Much smaller churches, but I'd do a mid week practice and 2-3 services a week. Both of the one sI played with the longest had a paid music director, but the musicinas and voclaists were volunteers. I did get paid for travel gigs though, where we would send a band to cover for another church, or get $ off the tix to retreats and such if i was playing.

 

Seems like a southern thing to pay the musicians, but I could be wrong. Our old attitude was if we didn't have an instrument, we went without for a week or found another volunteer. Diffren;t strokes I guess.

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How long are your rehearsals on Tues. and Thurs.? I don't wanna be a dick, but it sounds like you get paid very well for the amount of work you do. If you're practicing 6hrs a week and working 4 hrs every sunday, that's not bad at all. You've got plenty of time left over to start side projects.

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I think it depends on the ministry. Some churches just ask for your time and there are other more financially able churches that 'hire' the best of the local lot. There are some gospel bassists that are making a decent living. I wouldn't depend on a church to make a living. You said you are pretty good? Know your music and such? Try giving lessons. There's good money in that espescially if you garner a decent client list.

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I think churches tend to pay for musicians when supply does not meet demand. In other words, if there are enough volunteers in the church with the ability to play, they don't have to go outside the church for musicians, and those serving consider it their ministry. It's the same thing with Sunday school teachers, children's church workers, nursery workers, groundskeepers, youth group leaders, etc.

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well, i am looking for at lest 20,000. atlant has about 200 churches that have membership of 5,000 and up. and the average salary is 25-30k. i know plenty of bass players who do alot less and are paid alot more than i am. the church i play forshow how much they raise on a sunday basis, and its no less than 60k.

 

 

 

if that's the case then you definitely have a point to make, i think your pay should be on par with the rest. however, you're young so experience (#of years with the church) might be a factor. but it's worth bringing up with the appropriate person. good luck!

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Yeah, I can see that. If there's that many large churches, the supply of COMPETENT people gets finite real fast. But for 2 rehearsals and 2 services, I think the poster is doing ok. Its a part time job. Start teaching or get into the administartive aspect of the music ministry. Slides need to be prepped, charts written and photcopied, new music burned to disc and distributed, etc. Or get another gig.

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