http://lutherankantor.com/2008/08/10/nurturing-future-church-musicians/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nurturing-future-church-musicians Where Music & Theology Intersect Thu, 30 Jun 2011 05:00:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://lutherankantor.com/2008/08/10/nurturing-future-church-musicians/#comment-695 Greg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:40:45 +0000 http://lutherankantor.wordpress.com/?p=209#comment-695 I think one of the biggest problems in our field stems from the fact that the church bodies have almost systematically made it impossible for a musician to make a real living-many jobs that should be full time are now called 30 hours, and come with no benefits. The ALCM has published salary guidelines that are depressingly low-and next to impossible to survive, or raise a family on. As a result of decades and decades of the church being cheap with musicians, universities are now beginning to close organ and church music programs. The real problem is not a shortage of qualified people, the shortage is of respect, and the willingness to allow someone to earn a living. I think one of the biggest problems in our field stems from the fact that the church bodies have almost systematically made it impossible for a musician to make a real living-many jobs that should be full time are now called 30 hours, and come with no benefits. The ALCM has published salary guidelines that are depressingly low-and next to impossible to survive, or raise a family on. As a result of decades and decades of the church being cheap with musicians, universities are now beginning to close organ and church music programs. The real problem is not a shortage of qualified people, the shortage is of respect, and the willingness to allow someone to earn a living.

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