Saturday, February 05, 2005
We can't get no satisfaction, part 1
Leo raises some good points and asks some pertinent questions in the thread below. First, the ones more or less directed at me.
I'm fortunate among church musicians that I'm not primarily a performer. That is, my main strokes do not come from, nor are they needed (necessarily) from applause, affirmation, back patting, and the like. That's not to say they're not appreciated, but I don't go home crushed on a Sunday night when I don't get them. I get my affirmation in other ways. So even though nobody outside the choir has commented on my resuscitation of "Song of the Body of Christ," and I don't expect it this weekend, I'm not looking for it. I know that the sixth grade sax player I took under my wing years ago is playing band at Iowa State and still is reasonably involved at church: that's satisfying. The person who could barely play guitar when I met her went on to lead a church ensemble: that's satisfying. The college student who aspires to be a parish music director: that's satisfying. People who sing when they used to not sing: most inspirational of all.
I'm also fortunate that I do have a strong degree of satisfaction in what I do. There are reasons why: I have a wife and child, a life outside of church, a musical outlet or two outside of church, a creative outlet or two aside from music in church ministry. If you're asking, is your parish music ministry made in your ideal image, I would answer no. But it doesn't depress me. My preference would be for choirs at every Mass. It has been fourteen years since I had something close to that.
"We don't feel respected. You don't feel respected. Is there some solution here?"
Give me some time to ponder how I'd answer this ...
