This is something that I have a lot of experience with, unfortunately. Not all musicians who come to a music ministry are actually about the ministry. Many are there for the moment and whatever is paying them enough at the time without requiring too much of them. You can usually tell it in their actions and not their musical gifts! Don’t get me wrong, the gigging musician is often very skilled partly because of the exposure they’ve had with various groups, bands, and other ministries. For this reason, I’m very careful about musicians that I refer to ministries. Like many musicians, I have a ton of names and numbers for different players who I’ve come across over the years. Some whose names I’ve never passed along to ministries who were in search of musicians when they wanted someone who wants to grow with the ministry. If someone is in need of a musician for a one-time event, I don’t mind pulling out my phone and their sharing contact information or asking them “hey, have you check DFW Shed Sessions on Facebook?” These are often the musicians that I know very little about but I have heard them play. Unfortunately, I may not be able to connect them with a particular church ministry, group, or band searching for replacement because filling in is what they do best.
Pastors, musicians, and directors often call me when they’re looking for someone to be apart of what they have going on long term. The reason they call me is because I am not known to ‘church hop’. Fulfilling this request can take some time. The reason why is because some of the most gifted and dependable musicians I know of are already obligated with no desire to move or no desire to play on a weekly basis (permanent). Of course, the gigging musician will support musically but maybe not financially so don’t expect them to although we all know that it takes finances to operate a ministry. Also, the gigging musician can appear stand offish to the congregation for many reasons. They’re afraid of others getting in their business so they distance themselves. Also, they have no desire of getting to know those that they do not know not necessarily for fear but really just the fact that they’re there to render service and go on about their business. As a musician who is not one to hop from one ministry to the other, I understand both the ministry driven and the gigging musician. I mainly understand the mindset of the gigging musician because there is less emotional attachment therefore less regret. What do you really have to lose when you haven’t taken time to build a relationship with others outside of your immediate group? Not much outside of a paycheck. I believe it’s important for ministries to be clear on what they’ll accept so that they do not expect a gigging musician to come in and act like a member of the church family. It is what it is although I’m not saying it can’t change but it should not be forced.