Why would you want to play in a church group???

Mike Fiasco · May 18, 2013

I'm sure I can trust you all well enough that I can talk about the Catholic Church.

The vibe in Cathlolic Masses is very formal and upright. The music is usually oriented to one vocalist leading the congregants. He or she is accompanied by a pianist or organist and that's it. The quality runs from operatic to tone deaf depending on who is doing the singing. Since Catholic Churches are a function of their neighborhoods, the quality of the music depends on who lives in the neighborhood. To be cynical, the music is usually provided by a piano teacher accompanying an insurance agent.

Sometimes you'll hear some folk instruments. Lots of Mexican parishes will have guitarists on acoustics. One white parish I know of has a piano, sax, and drummer with a small cocktail kit, but to my ears, they don't fit the vibe or the Mass.

mistersully · May 18, 2013

DaveAronow · May 18, 2013

I got one for ya.

My experience with church groups and church musicians as stated in my earlier post runs the gammut from world class accomplished pro musicians to the worst musical hscks I've ever heard being described as "musicians", and some outstanding groups of people all the way down to groups so bsd, you would think they were doing a saturday night live skit making fon of music itself.

But; here is the thing. ...

Being half Jewish and raised in both cultures (I had a Bar Mitzvah, but am actually very agnostic and don't consider myself Jewish or any religion, really) I have spent many hundreds of hours in my life in Jewish Synagogues, either going to services with my father, a pro jazz trumpet player who made a living in NYC in the fourties and fifties playing

Jazz, or going to Bar mitzvas, weddings, holliday services, whatever because my father is Jewish and has been a large part of the jewish community, so naturally, I was always just around it.

I've been in synagogues all over the U.S. and I've never seen. Single musician, or group of musicians that were part of any regular service performing group that wasn't awesone at what they do. Now Im not talking about a rabbi that might strum a few jewish folk tunes on the guitar to licen up a service, I've seen some less thsn stellar performances, but the regular musicians hired to be there week after week or broughtbin specially for larger occasions have ALL, every single one of them, been outstanding. I never minded going to services with my fsther even though I wasn't intetested in the religion but the music was always awesome. Even my father mostly went for the music as he wasn't really all that religious as well.

I don't know what it is about Jews, but they don't seem to play around when it comes to the level of competency in the musicians they hire for their services. I've never even seen a single one of them in which you could even remotely describe as amatuers.

Now Im sure this can't be the case across the board, but it is 100% fact in every case I've seen.

Here is a list of cities I've been in that hsve synsgogues with amazing musicians. Dallas, Houston, Richnond, Lynchburg, Nashville, Atlanta, Agusta, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Saint Petersburg, New York City, Asheville, and a dozen or so more all over the country. Most of the reason I've been to so many scattered all over is from family events, wedfings, barmitzvas, births, etc etc.

In my personsl experience, from what my own eyes have seen, any conversation about "church" music has to have a seperate category for Jews. They seem to take the music part of their services. very seriously. There are no hack, no amatuers, no unremarkable, un noteworthy , nothing less than outstanding musicians that at least I've ever seen. And I've definitely seen enough to form a conclusive opinion at least for myself.

Wonder if anyone elses experiences with organised Jewish music has been similar?

mistersully · May 18, 2013

love me some staples singers

Mike Fiasco · May 18, 2013

Dave - I don't know how to use the quote function, but you said, "I don't know what it is about Jews, but they don't seem to play around when it comes to the level of competency in the musicians they hire for their services. I've never even seen a single one of them in which you could even remotely describe as amatuers."

If the synogog hired the musicians, then they should be pros. In lots of Christian churches, these are volunteer jobs coming up from the churchs' talent pool. Not all talent pools are created equal.

The Rover · May 18, 2013

DaveAronow wrote:

I got one for ya.

I've been in synagogues all over the U.S. and I've never seen. Single musician, or group of musicians that were part of any regular service performing group that wasn't awesone at what they do. Now Im not talking about a rabbi that might strum a few jewish folk tunes on the guitar to licen up a service, I've seen some less thsn stellar performances, but the

regular musicians hired

to be there week after week or broughtbin specially for larger occasions have ALL, every single one of them, been outstanding. I never minded going to services with my fsther even though I wasn't intetested in the religion but the music was always awesome. Even my father mostly went for the music as he wasn't really all that religious as well.

I don't know what it is about Jews, but they don't seem to play around when it comes to the level of competency in the

musicians they hire for their services

. I've never even seen a single one of them in which you could even remotely describe as amatuers.

Well if you hire professional musicians to play for your congregation I would hope they would be pretty good. Its my understanding that most of the regular Christian church bands are not hired pros. They are made up of people from that congregation that volunteer to play in the worship band.

So is it regular practice in Jewish services to hire outside musicians to play? Are they even members of the synagogue or are they just the regular kind of cover bands that get hired to do bar mitzvahs and stuff?

MackieJ · May 19, 2013

I play in a praise band and run sound... Not at the same time:-)

I have a pretty demanding fulltime job and other family responsibilities that prevent me from playing out with a band. The church band gives me the opportunity to play live with other musicians. If I didn't do this, I'd only be a bonus room player.

We're not the best or the worst. Some of the musicians are exceptionally talented and the rest of us are amatures.

I'm happy to have this opportunity to play. I also enjoy the service since its a very balanced message without bigotry, hate, and a healthy dose of open mindedness.

benzem · May 19, 2013