Compact Diss Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 I would probably be really happy. I am checking with my local church to see if they have a band/guitarist they need--when I go it's usually just singers--- How many here do the church guitar thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werewolf by Night Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 I did a little, years ago, or rather I played some "gigs" that were mostly other than Sunday-A.M. with some church musicians doing... church stuff! It was a learning experience, and I think you'll like it (especially if you'd be going to church, anyways). You'll be even more a part of services, and it'll be a whole new social and artistic interaction for ya! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Strat Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 I'm doing that now. Working with my churches music director (who is very good, BTW) is an interesting experience, to say the least. I've got 3 sundays in a row where I'll be playing in front of my church. I'll be handling the intro to a few songs solo. It's just me, a bass player, and the music director on piano right now, and no one wants to take the spotlight, so I get it. I really don't want all the attention either. But, it's a positive experience. BlueStrat a.k.a. "El Guapo" ...Better fuzz through science... http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Compact Diss Posted June 14, 2004 Author Share Posted June 14, 2004 Thanks--I'm not looking for any spoltlight at all. Just feel like strumming a few chords, nothing complicated, just want to be out there with other musicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boggs Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 I feel very blessed to be smack in the middle of a very strong music ministry through my church. We have recorded 2 CDs as well as an organization, one of which has been sold in 10 countries! The other has received airtime (2-songs) on a nationally syndicated jazz radio station as well... You can see and hear about us at www.dynrec.com/cof ... Click on the Autumn Stroll CD cover to get samples from that CD... No telling how far outside the church walls you can go... Check out my Rock Beach Guitars page showing guitars I have built and repaired... http://www.rockbeachguitars.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Compact Diss Posted June 14, 2004 Author Share Posted June 14, 2004 Boggs very impressive, I love the Autumn Stroll, you guys all have some great talent there!! The sound of the flute is so nice, I love the sometimes eerie feeling it can give--NICE!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boggs Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 Thanks for checking it out and for the kind words! The flute player and I will be playing the service music for a wedding in August, and Circle of Friends will be playing for the Bishop's Charge Conference in October as well as for the kickoff service for the Nazareth College Department of Ministries school year opening... More planned as well... Our goal was to spread our ministry outside the walls of the church and we appear to be achieving that goal. Seemed pretty outrageous to think we could do that in the beginning. Don't ever sell yourselves short! Boggs Check out my Rock Beach Guitars page showing guitars I have built and repaired... http://www.rockbeachguitars.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Gug Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 I do it. I like it a lot. Play every other Sunday, for the most part. I play for the kids. Our church is HUGE, so we've got two bands for them. Great place to learn a lot. I started out very rusty and cut my teeth on songs without worrying TOO much about messing up . I glean all I can from our lead player. He's pretty good. He doesn't mind showing me stuff. I hope I can pass that on. Blue, glad to see you're doing it! Very cool! If you'd rather just gig outside of the church, offer to start an "Outreach" band. Playing small venues, street faires, farmers' markets, prisons, childrens' homes etc... Call these places to tell them you'd like to play if they could supply the electricity. One church near us has a really cool cafe that caters to such bands with a medium to major headliner closing. http://www.undergroundcafe-roseville.com/index.html Our bands just had a BBQ at my house and had a VERY loud jam session that went until dark. What a blast. these guys LOVE to play. We did church stuff, The Clash, Tom Petty, Lynerd Skynerd (sp), Beatles etc... That was fun. Mikegug www.facebook.com/theresistancemusic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the one ups Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 My entire development was at church. A guy showed me a few chords three years. And then our praise leader quit five months later and I was forced to take his spot, it being a small place without a ready pool of guitarists on hand. I had to learn to sing, learn to play, learn to do both at the same time, learn to use a mike, set up mikes, learn to mix live signals while playing on stage, learn to keep rhythm, learn to have stage presence, etc. I'm very grateful, eternally so. Though it took many weeks of painstaking trial-and-error expriements and though it took me five-hour practices to improve enough, it was all worth it. Now, I play nearly every Sunday and I love it. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/3/aaronjunmusic.htm "Tell the truth and make it rhyme." - John Lennon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Strat Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 The only thing I hate about playing in church is that everyone frowns when I want to use distortion for something. Chorus, reverb, light flanging, and even tremolo are all acceptable. BlueStrat a.k.a. "El Guapo" ...Better fuzz through science... http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 Been playing churches, coffeehouses, parking lots, living rooms, and you-name-it for Jesus for over twenty years. Have been a sideman and worship leader at various different times. I remember the days when lead breaks during praise and worship songs simply did not happen. I know people who remember the days when, if you walked into church with an electric guitar, they would try to cast demons out of you! These days, I rock out regularly at church, play lead breaks (both clean and distorted) and usually get nothing but thanks, from the people I play with and the people I play for. They love it. Church music can be more demanding in most ways than playing blues in a bar. You play about half of what would make up a single set in a bar gig, which means you don't get the first set to warm up and settle down, you gotta be on and happening from the git-go. The audience is stone cold sober, so you have no way to get that "hey the more you drink the better we sound" effect going on. And, tasteful musicianship is usually in short supply; golly, the number of poorly accomplished folks I have played with over the years! i have made less money playing church music than I ever didn't make at anything else I tried to do, but I wouldn't trade my years at it for all the money I might have made playing elsewhere. There were times when I felt the presence of God, and as far as having an audience goes, it just doesn't get any better than that. Vande Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave da Dude Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 bluestrat, The only thing I hate about playing in church is that everyone frowns when I want to use distortion for something. Do they frown when you SAY distortion or when you PLAY distortion? Maybe just not saying the word, just add it? Playing with a church group can be great. I tried broaching the subject with the musical director of our (part-time) church, but didn't see a lot enthusiasm. They were polite and invited me to sit in, etc., but I thought they badly need a guitar and would be a little more excited. They have a large drum section, keyboard, trumpet and a couple of others that I can't remember. Oh, well .... Dave Gotta' geetar... got the amp. There must be SOMEthing else I... "need". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werewolf by Night Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 Originally posted by bluestrat: "The only thing I hate about playing in church is that everyone frowns when I want to use distortion for something. Chorus, reverb, light flanging, and even tremolo are all acceptable."The trick is, as always (but even "trickier" here), to find what fits the song and the setting. Maybe both of your ideas of what "distortion" means need to be expanded, with a bit of a compromise somewhere in the middle. Try some light overdrive a la some blues, r&b, y'know, rootsy, soulful stuff, easy on the grind! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwestenberg Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 I have done it both as a volunteer and as a job, and I have this to say: if you are looking for musical fulfillment, as your one and only outlet, you will be disappointed. The main purpose of church music of whatever style is to facilitate worship. Entertainment and artistic value are way down the list for most churches unless you are doing an expressly outreach type of service. I can envision things differently, but haven't found the church yet that is oriented thusly. Lyrics. Wasted space between solos. I can't tell you, but I can play it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiger85 Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 Well, I'm going to sound really ancient to the young uns but I played in several church/contemporary Christian groups in the mid to late seventies and had a blast! Most of the groups were kind of an acoustic and electric mix ( which I still love to this day)and the coolest part of it was that we could get USA made Strats, Teles, SGs. Pauls, etc. for less than you would pay for a Mexican strat today. My most expensive guitar was a Gibson Heritage acoustic ( 700 bucks). Ah, those were the days my friend. One of my friends put his SG on consignment for 275.00, I liked it and traded my Tele for it. These days I can barely afford the case for one. Ah well! Progress! ...touched down in the land of the Delta Blues.....in the middle of the pouring rain.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 Originally posted by mwestenberg: I have done it both as a volunteer and as a job, and I have this to say: if you are looking for musical fulfillment, as your one and only outlet, you will be disappointed. The main purpose of church music of whatever style is to facilitate worship. Entertainment and artistic value are way down the list for most churches unless you are doing an expressly outreach type of service. I can envision things differently, but haven't found the church yet that is oriented thusly. Things are changing, and I am not sure for the better. These days, entertainement value is WAY up on the list of musical priorities. Since the advent of the "Purpose Driven Church" and "Seeker Friendly" paradigms, excellence in musicianship and contemporary style is being sought out and exploited as a means to get people into the church house and keep them coming back. Real hard-core worship is encouraged more in home groups than the Sunday morning services, which are aimed to be sort of "church-lite" to avoid scaring anybody away. Some would be a bit offended by the term "church-lite", but it kinda does capture the essence of the current thrust. In any event, church music is a lot different than it was just a few years ago. Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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