The Mormon Church and Music: Thoughts from a professional musician

I make my living as a professional freelance musician. At least half of my income is from church gigs, especially during the holidays. Some of the churches in my area will go all out putting together large orchestras including brass and percussion to accompany their choirs' Christmas programs. Their music directors are often paid, are reasonably proficient, and are given wide latitude in selecting music for their holiday performances. Although I'm not a believer, I can still appreciate well-written religious music despite its ideological origins, and I usually enjoy the church gigs.

Just last night, I had one of those gigs that makes me proud to do what I do. My parts were challenging, well-suited to my instrument, and extremely satisfying to play. The choir was not top-tier, but very good for an amateur group. This was not an unusual experience. I routinely perform with Christian church groups that match or exceed what I heard last night.

As someone who grew up playing a lot of piano and organ in the Mormon Church, singing in ward/stake choirs, and serving as ward choir director, the contrast could not be more stark.

No ward/stake level Mormon group that I've heard could hold a candle to the level of playing and singing I heard last night. Of course the Mormon Church has its regional choirs such as the Mormon Choir of Washington or the Mormon Choir of Southern California who might be able to match it, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square who exceed it. Generally speaking, however, Mormon wards and stakes simply cannot muster either the numerical strength or consistency of musical skill that I heard last night. And most Mormon wards and stakes simply do not have the budget or desire to hire professional instrumentalists to accompany their choirs even once a year, let alone regularly. Too much of the money disappears into Salt Lake City's black hole of fiscal non-accountability instead of staying in local units to benefit the people who donate it.

This brings me to the question of repertoire selection. The program last night included selections from operas and oratorios, a suite of excellent Christmas music arrangements with fantastic instrumental parts, and a carol beautifully arranged and orchestrated by our conductor. All of the Christian groups with whom I perform draw from the entire repertoire of both classical and contemporary composers and songwriters. The Mormon Church on the other hand, discourages performers from looking outside the church. The likes of Janice Kapp Perry, Kenneth Cope, and Lex de Azevedo are thought to be the pinnacle of musical achievement. As a result Mormon performers cripple themselves before they even begin by eliminating from consideration most of western civilization's great religious music.

Finally, the question of money, or, "Nothing says thank you like dollars in the waistband."

The Mormon Church, whenever possible, demands that its needs be met for free, out of the goodness of members' hearts. As a result, you will rarely find a professional-level instrumentalist or choir director performing in a Mormon service. This is nothing more than basic economics at work.

Musicians have to make a living too. As much as I love what I do, "blessings" and "thank-you's" do not pay my rent, put gas in my car, or food on my table. I wouldn't do it if there wasn't money in it. If you want a high-level product, you have to pay for a high-level product, otherwise there is no incentive for musicians to persevere through the years and expense of professional training and slavish practicing necessary to refine their skills.

For one of my steady jobs, I play keyboards in a small church in my city. The congregation ranges from 20-40 members in size. Somehow this tiny congregation in a not-wealthy part of town manages to come up with the money to pay me a fair salary for services rendered.

If the majority of the tithing money received by Mormon congregations stayed in local units, every one of the wards and branches I lived in could easily afford a professional organist and music director, and could afford to hire extra musicians for special occasions. Instead, Mormon congregations, even at Christmas, settle for poorly-performed renditions of bland and uninspiring music.

This is why the Mormon Church will never be the pinnacle of artistic achievement that Spencer Kimball called for. The church is just too stingy and repressive to foster great art and music. It doesn't allow artists the freedom to produce or perform their best work, and it doesn't reward them financially when they do.

Meanwhile, contrary to Kimball's wishes, the Wagners, Verdis, Carusos and Pattis of today continue to work for clients that pay.