WHY R WE SO UNAPPRECIATED???!!!!

[fbc_111]

Hey LGM, this is what really gets t me about this topic.  Think about this ( Most of you all probably already have though), if the keyboardist doesnt come but you have your drummer, organist, and bass the church doesnt miss anything. If u have your drummer, keyboardist, and organist but not the bass, the church doesnt notice it as much. if the organist isnt there its noticed but service still can be affective with the other instruments.  But if the drummer isnt there and your church is a mega church, then u have a BIG problem.  But we are paid the least and are less appreciated.  Does this make any since. this actually hurts me so bad. i dont get it. WE are needed soooo much but get treated as if we are not. like if there are'nt any drums in the church, especially if your congregation is 2,000 and never experienced a serviced without drums for years, the church and service will not noticed nor be affected. Please give our thoughts and feelings

God Bless you all LGM.
I love you guys

[QCdrummer]

I really don't understand completely what you are going through, but I'll try and answer as best I could.

Now what do you mean when you say unappreciated? Do you mean financially? Or they don't encourage you enough? In what aspect don't you feel appreciated?

I believe everybody knows that something is missing when there are no drums. That's why at mega churches, they pay you enough where you should not be missing services.

But I personally have never felt unappreciated. My minister of music shows his appreciation towards me and every other musician when checks are issued. That, in my opinion, is the church showing thier appreciation to your time and dedication.

*I never heard of a bass player getting paid more than the drummer, but a keyboardist/organist will almost always get paid more than every other musician.

[djdavis]

I understand where your comin from, but you should be happy that you do get paid

[blessedwoman]

It's funny that you posted this.  I was just saying yesterday how difficult it is to play without a drummer.  I had to play without a drummer yesterday.  I"m the organist for my church.  My sister, who is a beast on the drums, the drummer, has not been to church the past two Sundays and yesterday's service.  Now our church is not a mega church and we don't get paid, and that's perfectly fine for me because my Pops is the pastor.

I was upset because it is so noticeable when drums aren't there to keep the beat, Just like it's noticeable when the organist or keyboard player isn't there, that's why I always try to be there, but things happen.  Like yesterday the songs dragged because there was no drums to keep the beat. LOL, it sounds funny having shouting music with no drums, LOL.

Well, I don't think you should be treated any differently than the other musicians because to me Drums, organists and keyboardist ( not discriminating against any other musicians) play a major part in praise and worship and everybody else is getting paid, u definitely should be getting paid also.

I say don't worry about it,  pray about it.

[Gibby]

I don't know how much the drummers get paid, but you always need the drums!  They should be up there with the keyboardists.

[BigFoot_BigThumb]

I know of a church where the keyboardists and bass player are getting around $150-200 a Sunday, and the drummer only gets $50.  And he's the most dedicated out of all of them.  I've had people ask me to play for little or nothing when I know that folks are getting paid.  Yes, it should be all about praise, but I am a businessman as well. 

[BEATBOXERZ]

We have got to start commanding our worth as musicians. We all know how vital the drummers is in any situation musically and must accept that we have to approach playing for any ministry as a business.
Because it is a business like it or not. So you got to be on top of your craft if you demand a certain salary. That means educating yourself with as much musical knowledge as possible. So when the time comes when you are in demand by a ministry for your gifts, you can command what is fair. And a well schooled drummer will get what he or she deserves and then some. Chruches who are serious about their music ministry pay the drummer well and show love outwardly, because they understand the value of a really good drummer.

[dude-on-drums]

We have got to start commanding our worth as musicians. We all know how vital the drummers is in any situation musically and must accept that we have to approach playing for any ministry as a business.
Because it is a business like it or not. So you got to be on top of your craft if you demand a certain salary. That means educating yourself with as much musical knowledge as possible. So when the time comes when you are in demand by a ministry for your gifts, you can command what is fair. And a well schooled drummer will get what he or she deserves and then some. Chruches who are serious about their music ministry pay the drummer well and show love outwardly, because they understand the value of a really good drummer.

True dat!


For me, my church gigs are the only gigs that dont split the money equally.  Every other Jazz, R&B, hip hop gig I do, the money is split equal ways!  Everyone is appreciated financially the same!

[fbc_111]

I really don't understand completely what you are going through, but I'll try and answer as best I could.

Now what do you mean when you say unappreciated? Do you mean financially? Or they don't encourage you enough? In what aspect don't you feel appreciated?

I believe everybody knows that something is missing when there are no drums. That's why at mega churches, they pay you enough where you should not be missing services.

But I personally have never felt unappreciated. My minister of music shows his appreciation towards me and every other musician when checks are issued. That, in my opinion, is the church showing thier appreciation to your time and dedication.

*I never heard of a bass player getting paid more than the drummer, but a keyboardist/organist will almost always get paid more than every other musician.


Well to be a little more specific, the musicians were getting our raises because we were starting to have and 8'oclock service as well as an 11'oclock service.  When my MD (who is the organist) asked that I (the drummer) be paid mroe than what they were offering their response was "for what? He's only a drummer".  This amount was about $100 less than the keyboardist and bass player.  I have only missed 1 8' oclock service and no 11 o' clock services.  I am the most dedicated of all the musicians not taking anything away from them but for me Ministry is everything and first.
Input PLEASE!!!

[Hotsticks1]

I do believe that this is true, that drummers as a whole are very unappreciated. I've been paid for several church gigs, where me the bass player, and the keys guys are all paid equally. And most of the time I wouldn't ever expect pay at a church gig, because when I play I play for praise and praise only.
But my thing is the TRAVELING gigs. How are drummers the first and last ones to leave with the most heavy equipment to carry, and sometimes we get shorted...

...Maybe we need a "NO DRUMS WITHOUT EQUALL FUNDS" Petition...lol

[freddyfusion]

NOT THAT I AGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING VIEW POINT BUT-
many believe that we are expendable
there are millions and billions of drummers... everybody plays drums. the keyboardist, bassist, and the guy on the sax... lol... oh yeah and the little kid in the front row with the stix beatin the church seat/pew to death......
so many feel like they can always get somebody who can at least hold down a solid groove/pocket... and i KNOW many people/churches have in fact found another drummer on the same day (or at worst within the same week) that they lost a drummer.... but with keyboardists and stuff people have to make sure they can play all kinds of progressions, know a variety of styles (sometimes), have a good library of songs that they know and can lead the band in, amongst other factors.... AND if worse comes to worst, many keyboardists can program drums that sound real-ish enough that it will still sound ok.... most drummers cant do that- (program the music and play to it)-- and if they could they'd prob. get asked to just go ahead and play keys and use programmed drums
....  SOOO from that perspective... we aren't as valuable......

[dude-on-drums]

This is why we need some kind of church musicians union.  It would keep everyone paid equally and fairly.

[sjonathan02]

NOT THAT I AGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING VIEW POINT BUT-
many believe that we are expendable
there are millions and billions of drummers... everybody plays drums. the keyboardist, bassist, and the guy on the sax... lol... oh yeah and the little kid in the front row with the stix beatin the church seat/pew to death......
so many feel like they can always get somebody who can at least hold down a solid groove/pocket... and i KNOW many people/churches have in fact found another drummer on the same day (or at worst within the same week) that they lost a drummer.... but with keyboardists and stuff people have to make sure they can play all kinds of progressions, know a variety of styles (sometimes), have a good library of songs that they know and can lead the band in, amongst other factors.... AND if worse comes to worst, many keyboardists can program drums that sound real-ish enough that it will still sound ok.... most drummers cant do that- (program the music and play to it)-- and if they could they'd prob. get asked to just go ahead and play keys and use programmed drums
....  SOOO from that perspective... we aren't as valuable......

I've been waiting for someone in this forum to make this very real statement.

[QCdrummer]

NOT THAT I AGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING VIEW POINT BUT-
many believe that we are expendable
there are millions and billions of drummers... everybody plays drums. the keyboardist, bassist, and the guy on the sax... lol... oh yeah and the little kid in the front row with the stix beatin the church seat/pew to death......
so many feel like they can always get somebody who can at least hold down a solid groove/pocket... and i KNOW many people/churches have in fact found another drummer on the same day (or at worst within the same week) that they lost a drummer.... but with keyboardists and stuff people have to make sure they can play all kinds of progressions, know a variety of styles (sometimes), have a good library of songs that they know and can lead the band in, amongst other factors.... AND if worse comes to worst, many keyboardists can program drums that sound real-ish enough that it will still sound ok.... most drummers cant do that- (program the music and play to it)-- and if they could they'd prob. get asked to just go ahead and play keys and use programmed drums
....  SOOO from that perspective... we aren't as valuable......

I'm going to have to agree with Freddy on this one. It's sad but very true. In all my life, I've met a ton of EXCELLENT drummers, but very few EXCELLENT keyboardist/organist. Like he said alot of people can at least hold down a beat. The Church deacon can keep the beat. But when it comes to that organ/keyboard, its a whole different story. They are extremely hard to find and 98.9% of the good ones are already playing somewhere.  But as for drummers, we can be found any and everywhere, and I personally know alot of good ones who are still looking for someplace to play at. But every at least DECENT keyboardist I personally know are committed to a church already.

[freddyfusion]

it's just the reality... and the reason nobody really plays just one instrument anymore....

[BEATBOXERZ]

NOT THAT I AGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING VIEW POINT BUT-
many believe that we are expendable
there are millions and billions of drummers... everybody plays drums. the keyboardist, bassist, and the guy on the sax... lol... oh yeah and the little kid in the front row with the stix beatin the church seat/pew to death......
so many feel like they can always get somebody who can at least hold down a solid groove/pocket... and i KNOW many people/churches have in fact found another drummer on the same day (or at worst within the same week) that they lost a drummer.... but with keyboardists and stuff people have to make sure they can play all kinds of progressions, know a variety of styles (sometimes), have a good library of songs that they know and can lead the band in, amongst other factors.... AND if worse comes to worst, many keyboardists can program drums that sound real-ish enough that it will still sound ok.... most drummers cant do that- (program the music and play to it)-- and if they could they'd prob. get asked to just go ahead and play keys and use programmed drums
....  SOOO from that perspective... we aren't as valuable......

Good point Freddy. I still would never choose a drum machine over a drummer in a live setting, that's just me.

[4hisglory]

Good point Freddy. I still would never choose a drum machine over a drummer in a live setting, that's just me.

Me either.  If a drummer program a keyboard to play during church, while he drummed, people would look at the drummer like him like he was crazy.

[sjonathan02]

Me either.  If a drummer program a keyboard to play during church, while he drummed, people would look at the drummer like him like he was crazy.

True, because that wouldn't make any sense.

[Gibby]

Me either.  If a drummer program a keyboard to play during church, while he drummed, people would look at the drummer like him like he was crazy.

 

[drummin4JC]

NOT THAT I AGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING VIEW POINT BUT-
many believe that we are expendable
there are millions and billions of drummers... everybody plays drums. the keyboardist, bassist, and the guy on the sax... lol... oh yeah and the little kid in the front row with the stix beatin the church seat/pew to death......
so many feel like they can always get somebody who can at least hold down a solid groove/pocket... and i KNOW many people/churches have in fact found another drummer on the same day (or at worst within the same week) that they lost a drummer.... but with keyboardists and stuff people have to make sure they can play all kinds of progressions, know a variety of styles (sometimes), have a good library of songs that they know and can lead the band in, amongst other factors.... AND if worse comes to worst, many keyboardists can program drums that sound real-ish enough that it will still sound ok.... most drummers cant do that- (program the music and play to it)-- and if they could they'd prob. get asked to just go ahead and play keys and use programmed drums
....  SOOO from that perspective... we aren't as valuable......

freddys on point!!!!