Church oriented social activities?

[strummer]

Ok not really, but i love that line and since I have questions with "church" in it, i thought I'd use that head line

The questions were sparked by the rather high frequency of people saying they "play in church", and since we don't really do that too much in sweden (not that i know of anyway) I am curious.


So here are the questions: How many churches are there in a typical town? Maybe answer in one per xxxx persons living in the town?

And what kind of music do you play there? A friend of mine told me "contemporary music with jesus mentioned a lot" which I found funny, but is it accurate?

And why do you play whatever kind of music it is you play there? Is it in the sermon, or some kind of prelude or intermission, providing some punch to the hymns or what?

I realize it probably differs a lot, but I am really interested in all different answers.

cheers

 

[TSanders]

Magnus, heres some info you may find helpful.

I live in the South in whats referred to as "the bible belt". My city has a population of around 250,000 and there is almost a church on every corner. You can throw a rock and 9 out of 10 times hit a church.

As far as music, most situations Ive encountered were pop type music with Christian lyrics, about God, Jesus, and so on. Mostly before the preacher does his thing, to get everyone involved.

I have played in churches, and a great deal of the guys who play for a living around here and Atlanta have "church gigs". They can pay anywhere from $100-$500 per Sunday, and are steady "work". I played the church circuit for a while and made some very good money during that time. Also met a bunch of talented musicians at the same time. Not all the guys who play church gigs are crazy bible thumpers.

 

[strummer]

Great, Travis, just the kind of info I was looking for!

 

[MrMusashi]

funny.. i had a discussion about this subject with my brother earlier this easter

and with careful wording not to upset anyone, it seems the way the church is funded in norway (and probably all the scandinavian countries) they dont have to be "creative" to get people to visit and thus bringing in funds to operate on..

MrM

 

[CaptEO]

Strummer,
I started playing music in the USA in the 80's, starting in a glam metal band playing bass guitar. Since then I have played nearly every style of music out there (we bassists can ALWAYS get work) and about 1999-2000 I started going to church. After years of partying to hard, drug abuse, etc, etc...my life was a wreck. I spent years reading about every possible religion and ended up in a 'downtown' 'urban' church in Minneapolis, MN. Being a musician gave me the opportunity to get involved and see the 'church world' from a different perspective...and also since I didn't grow up in a church I didn't have alot of 'hang-ups'. For years I had regular gigs in 2 or 3 'Christian' bands while at the same time gigging with 'secular' bands and recording my own material in the studio.

Now...10 years later....my experience in the 'church world of music' allowed me to go to London, England for 3 years where I studied theology and lived as a minority in a South Asian / Central Asian community of East London. Through my time there I met Christians, Muslims, Hindu and Sikh musicians from all around the world. I've gigged alongside them, recorded with them, and learned their instruments. I now can play Sitar, Dolek and give a honest attempt at Tabla.

Since coming back to the States, I've been offered jobs as a 'Worship Pastor/Leader'. This is a GREAT JOB!!! I get paid to recruit and train musicians...prepare music for churches (I do it for two churches - one on Saturday night and one on Sunday morning) and jam all week long. We play everything from Rock to Gospel (and I mean the 'funky' kind), Pop, Country, Hip-Hop, and sometimes even Rap. I almost always mix in some hymns for the people who want them. I think they are 'jewels' and should still be played. However, we often change the tempo, feel, style etc.

It sounds to me that you haven't had much exposure to the American Christian music scene, but it has become very diverse over the last 10 years. If you like hard rock, check out Pillar. P.O.D. is good too, but they would not be classified under a Christian category...but they definitely are.

Strummer, I guess what I'm trying to say is...Please recognize that 'church music' as wide and vast and diverse as the musicians that exist in church and the people who attend church. I have a great job and I consider myself a 'host at the buffet'. I am always trying to discover what kind of music people want to here and then learn it, teach it and perform it. Church is about 'flavour'. There are many flavours out there. I've been to church in Pakistan, England, Iceland, Mexico and the USA and rarely do I find two churches with the exact same 'flavour'. If it were all the same, I would be the first to admit that we believe in a pretty boring God. And from my perspective, God is FAR FROM BORING. God 'yanked' me up from a pretty miserable life I used to live and took the gift's and talents given to me and used them for GLORY! For that I am truely grateful.

There's my opinion. Hope it helped.
EO

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Ok not really, but i love that line and since I have questions with "church" in it, i thought I'd use that head line

You must have been listening to Joe's Garage

 

[Duarte]

I would go to church if they played music there where I am. No one is enthusiastic enough about it here, they just go because they feel that they should. But they did have tea and cakes at the end when I went a few christmases ago.

Does anyone play any of that proper awesome stuff like this?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1KZKZs-2YM&feature=related"]YouTube - James Brown- blues brothers[/ame]

 

[jools11]

Does anyone play any of that proper awesome stuff like this?

I know for a fact there are some cool churches like that in the UK... Never actually been to one, but my bassy friend up in birmingham plays at one.

'S pretty cool!

 

[rhythmCity944]

I live in the "south" as well and just about any given sunday I have between 2 or 3 church gigs. I never do the "traditional" style of music, always pop christian and modern gospel with lots of jazz and funk. Some churches pay money, others is just for fun and experience. I get both types and it gives me an opportunity to play with different people. I usually bring out my black fretless SR4 and that seems to work well for everything from ballads to swing to rock and even some very funky stuff too. I played in a Roman Catholic church yesterday for easter and we were put in the choir loft. Since Easter and Christmas are the times when "CEO Catholics" come out we were packed full in the choir loft, it was like having a personal christain concert. We had a very rockin' gloria as well with syncapated fills and big dynamics...To me church gigs are a way to try new ways of playing, get different feels in songs, and exercise my mental ability to improv...

 

[TNT]

Lots of differing opinions on what kind of music "should be" played in church. Does that surprise you!! lol,lol,lol

However, as a Bible teacher, the Bible is silent on a mandated particular form of music (so don't let anyone tell you differently.)

Lyrics - well that's a whole different ballgame there!!

 

[ttwoods]

This is what we play at my church!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFAjWEna7_0]YouTube - Salvation is Here - Hillsong United[/ame]

Enjoy!

 

[Randy]

I'm from Kiev, Ukraine and I do play some "church music"
I made a topic last week about youth christian worship/praise band I'm in. We play mostly the songs we write, sometimes traditional christian hymns an contemporary christian music. We've just finisheed our first album, you can check out some our songs on http://www.myspace.com/faithlifter

 

[Aussie Mark]

I found all the answers here ....

The Brick Testament

 

[strummer]

Thanks to all the americans for your input, I appreciate it and I think I now begin to understand what you guys mean when you say you play at church!

@Mark: That was funny as anything!

 

[Jack FFR1846]

Strummer,

I'm one of those who grew up in a straight laced Catholic church. Our family is now in a Congregational church and it is waaaaaay different. First, it draws from probably 25 miles into surrounding towns. There are 2 services each Sunday and total attendance varies from about 600 to 1000. The center where we play is completely wired with a rack amp, sound (and video) board, built in speakers, on-stage monitor system (both wedge and headphone setups available). We rotate 3 different bands through.

Each leader picks the songs. Musicians are given relative freedom with how and what they play (to a point). Do a google search on Praise you in the storm. This is a good example of one of the songs we've done. Some are more mellow, but I do have very good opportunity to use either U2 "the Edge" sounds or my EVH sounds. Some of the songs give me an opportunity to either copy or make up my own leads. Most songs are chosen from CCLI 100 listing, which we pay to get lyrics and music from. For a dad of 2 kids, this works for me as I would not be able to do the late night gigs that a full time musician might have to do.

jack

 

[koogie2k]

In my area of the world there are tons and tons of Churches. More so Baptist than the other demoninations. Many of these churches have a live band per se. Many of these "church" bands also gig on the outside of worship services and what not. Met some really cool musicians and I have met some really "excited" bible types.

However, I do not attend church and have my own reasons for it. My daughter and her mother go and I am all for it. I have nothing against anyone who does either. I like to read the bible as well as other publications as I find the history very very interesting.

Back on point...not sure what it is called (any help will be appreciated fellas)....but I saw a commercial of "Worship Music" that is basically a CD of all types of bands and musicians. The music is interesting and you may want to check it out. I just can't for the life of me remember the name of the collection. Anyone?

 

[Estee]

{snip}

Back on point...not sure what it is called (any help will be appreciated fellas)....but I saw a commercial of "Worship Music" that is basically a CD of all types of bands and musicians. The music is interesting and you may want to check it out. I just can't for the life of me remember the name of the collection. Anyone?

I'm not positive, but the one that I see advertised the most is from Time/Life, and originated about a decade or so ago with "Songs 4 Worship"...it now appears to have been expanded to a collection they're calling "Ultimate Anthems" found at Ultimate Anthems 8 CDs | TimeLife.com | Contemporary Christian

Interestingly enough, I've been rather disappointed with the state of American commercial radio, and have been an almost exclusive consumer of XM Satellite Radio for the past five or so years...

Coincident with a severe personal disappointment/setback a couple of years ago, I returned back to a local Christian Community Church, and was pleased to learn that they feature "Contemporary Christian" music in their services like that found on the CD's and on XM's Channel 32 "The Message"....they actually call them "celebrations" instead of services...having been raised Presbyterian, there IS a significant difference...my NEW church doesn't even HAVE an organ...only a setting on the keyboard player's setup!!!

This discovery has re-ignited my passion for music, and I am now discovering artists such as Kutless, Skillet, P.O.D., Jars of Clay, Casting Crowns, Brendan Brown and even hard rock acts like Disturbed...

Every Sunday, I sit down front and check out the rotation of bass players, and have even talked with many of them about their rigs, setup, practice content & routines, etc., after services...

I find myself "playing along" with many of these CD's/MP3's after I complete my introductory lessons, and the bass lines are actually pretty tasty riffs, in many instances...

Bottom line, I have read anecdotal evidence in a Wall Street Journal article that this genre of music is one of the only ones that is showing a growth trend in the last few years...perhaps it is the distressing economic conditions that is causing people to search out inspirational resources, or maybe that the music is just simply GOOD, but I know that I have had my musical passions stirred as a result of this genre discovery, combined with a new love of learning to play the bass!!!

Just my four-cents worth....(it was two lengthy to only be TWO cents worth!)

 

[five7]

God Bless All of You!

 

[Russel]

I live in the bible belt.
There isn't a square mile without a church of some kind, mostly baptist.

When I was a young player (I'm still a young boy) I prepared for my church gig by listening to christian radio and learning to read chord charts.
As a bit of encouragement, most songs aren't more than 6 chords altogether. If you know where every note is between E and C, before 5th fret, you'll be absolutely fine. Most places aren't looking for a player that's too advanced.

I no longer pursue the church gig because I prefer to educate myself on christianity. I don't like church hypocrisy.


Also, Joe's Garage is one of my favorite albums ever.