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At my church, we have a new pianist this year. When he appears and practices, he is good. However, since he started in August, we’ve had lots of issues w his reliability (or lack thereof). He is supposed to play for us two Sundays a month, the first and the last (there is a reason for this but that is beside the point of my post). In any case, I don’t think he has played his two appointmented Sundays a month since he hired him. To make up for missed Sundays, he sometimes come in on other Sundays.
Also, he is not always prepared. Sometimes he is visibly unprepared, as in trying to download the music for the first time right before the service, then screwing up. (I mean if you are a fantastic sight reader this is fine, but if you’re not …)
Anyway, this is just the background …
The main issue here is that he cancelled again today … at the last minutes (1h 30 minutes before the service). We had the choir planning to sing a special anthem, plus we needed someone to accompany to accompany the hymns. He said that he woke up feeling “feverish” and pain relievers weren’t doing the trick. So, he was very sorry but had to cancel. So, what happened? Yours truly had to step in and play piano at the last minute. I think I literally had about 20 minutes to practice 1 piece and 2 hymns … and I don’t even really consider myself a pianist. Stress!!
The thing is, he did exactly the same thing back in August — texted me on a Sunday morning right before the service saying he had woken up with a fever and couldn’t come in. We had to scramble them too …
Honestly, at this point, I think he is screwing with us. I actually suspect he wasn’t sick at all, but just needed more time for his finals. Or found a higher paying gig, or something. But no one else I spoke with in the music program seems to think so. Everyone is giving him the benefit of the doubt, again. Or not even doubting at all.
What do you think the chances are that someone wakes up with an unexpected fever at exactly the same day of the week and time of the day (Sunday morning) twice in three months? How suspicious do you think this sounds? Or do you think I am being a suspicious hardass instead of a nice person.
At my church, we have a new pianist this year. When he appears and practices, he is good. However, since he started in August, we’ve had lots of issues w his reliability (or lack thereof). He is supposed to play for us two Sundays a month, the first and the last (there is a reason for this but that is beside the point of my post). In any case, I don’t think he has played his two appointmented Sundays a month since he hired him. To make up for missed Sundays, he sometimes come in on other Sundays.
Also, he is not always prepared. Sometimes he is visibly unprepared, as in trying to download the music for the first time right before the service, then screwing up. (I mean if you are a fantastic sight reader this is fine, but if you’re not …)
Anyway, this is just the background …
The main issue here is that he cancelled again today … at the last minutes (1h 30 minutes before the service). We had the choir planning to sing a special anthem, plus we needed someone to accompany to accompany the hymns. He said that he woke up feeling “feverish” and pain relievers weren’t doing the trick. So, he was very sorry but had to cancel. So, what happened? Yours truly had to step in and play piano at the last minute. I think I literally had about 20 minutes to practice 1 piece and 2 hymns … and I don’t even really consider myself a pianist. Stress!!
The thing is, he did exactly the same thing back in August — texted me on a Sunday morning right before the service saying he had woken up with a fever and couldn’t come in. We had to scramble them too …
Honestly, at this point, I think he is screwing with us. I actually suspect he wasn’t sick at all, but just needed more time for his finals. Or found a higher paying gig, or something. But no one else I spoke with in the music program seems to think so. Everyone is giving him the benefit of the doubt, again. Or not even doubting at all.
What do you think the chances are that someone wakes up with an unexpected fever at exactly the same day of the week and time of the day (Sunday morning) twice in three months? How suspicious do you think this sounds? Or do you think I am being a suspicious hardass instead of a nice person.
Screwing with us is not gerally a term for an active church person.
The guy is unreliable and unprepared. My suggestion would be to find another piano player. Give him a two week notice you no longer need his services.
This. At some point the underlying reason he cancels doesn't matter. The point is he does, which leaves people who depend upon him hanging. What's the problem? Your church employs him. Another employer wouldn't put up with this, why should this one? Find a more reliable pianist. Maybe he'll learn a valuable lesson about commitment, time management and/or priorities.
Last edited by Parnassia; 12-04-2022 at 05:26 PM..
And don’t let the typical church types let things continue to slide. In my church, we’d try to understand where he’s coming from; we’d pray for him; we’d let things continue to slide. Insane- yes, he’s screwing you over and it needs to stop.
Remember, a church is God’s house and church funds are God’s money, to be used very wisely, not frittered away on this con artist.
Before anyone says I’m not a churchgoer, not Christian, etc.: I have attended church more than weekly for my entire life, have been a church officer repeatedly, etc.
What do you think the chances are that someone wakes up with an unexpected fever at exactly the same day of the week and time of the day (Sunday morning) twice in three months? How suspicious do you think this sounds? Or do you think I am being a suspicious hardass instead of a nice person.
I don't think it's terribly likely to catch a fever right before church twice, but I don't think it's impossible either. If this guy had otherwise been reliable, I would have chalked it up to just plain bad luck. But you've said that there have been other issues concerning his reliability, or lack thereof. (If he had blown you off because of finals, he should have been responsible and begged off his shift several days ahead of time, to give the church time to find a substitute or perform different music.) I think your church should let him go and find someone else.
And don’t let the typical church types let things continue to slide. In my church, we’d try to understand where he’s coming from; we’d pray for him; we’d let things continue to slide. Insane- yes, he’s screwing you over and it needs to stop.
Remember, a church is God’s house and church funds are God’s money, to be used very wisely, not frittered away on this con artist.
Before anyone says I’m not a churchgoer, not Christian, etc.: I have attended church more than weekly for my entire life, have been a church officer repeatedly, etc.
I think you have hit the nail on the head here. There are several issues:
1. As you say, “church types” are being “church types.” Someone I spoke with today (about this situation) mentioned how good it makes her feel to believe the best of others, etc. She is so ethical. I am always impressed with her coolness and maturity. So, of course, I spent the next hour feeling like a nasty, suspicious person.
2. We can only afford to hire someone for 2 Sundays a month and so are left with … let’s just say, not the cream of the crop, since good church musicians want to work every Sunday or better still get paid an actual salary. So, I think there is some fear that if we fire him, we may have trouble finding someone else.
Also.
3. I am “in charge,” but I am not the only one in charge. We had a volunteer music director who left, so it was decided that me (the choir director) and the band leader should be co-music directors. In general, we aren’t having any issues with the “balance of power” LOL (as if we really had any power), but the pianist was essentially hired by the band director (with my approval), and he worked with the band for about 4 months before joining us officially as a pianist for both and I think he just favors the band (he has been unreliable with them too but less unreliable).
I know that the band director put a lot of work into finding the pianist, so in some way it is my fault because I was lazy and let him do all the work.
The band director at this point would be on board I am pretty sure with us getting rid of the pianist (he has agreed that there have been substantial problems with him), but then I would be the one responsible for hiring a new pianist. At the very least, I would have to do a lot of the work. And I have never done this before. So, I guess I am feeling like I at least want the full support of the rest of the worship committee before I more or less single handedly give the pianist the boot, then put a lot of time into hiring someone else (who will be problematic in a different way).
The one thing that our pianist has going for him is that he is very nice and everyone thinks he’s a great person — although I am now thinking he is one of these people who manipulates through niceness.
I guess I just want a reliable pianist (possible) without having to do a ton of work (unrealistic) and with the full support of the worship committee (hopefully more realistic).
Mainly just thinking “out loud” here.
Also, there is one small way he is not screwing us … we don’t pay him when he doesn’t show up, so it’s not like a paid sick day or anything.
I guess I just want a reliable pianist (possible) without having to do a ton of work (unrealistic) and with the full support of the worship committee (hopefully more realistic).
Ah yes, church committees. I used to serve on those, back when I was young and somewhat idealistic. I remember one committee where a young woman and I (both in our early 20s or so) were the only two people under about age 50 in the group. We were sitting next to each other during one meeting when two of the members were going off at each other over some stupid thing or another. I drew a picture of two battleships firing at each other, labeled each of them with the names of the people arguing, and showed it to my friend. She got a good chuckle out of it, but she had to restrain herself so the others wouldn't know what we were doing.
Anyway, as to your situation, I see only two ways out of it (not counting just keeping the status quo and getting more and more annoyed). One, let the guy go and suffer through trying to find someone else to do the job. Or two, keep your current guy but always have acapella music available and ready to go, to be used when the guy flakes out and doesn't show up.
Ah yes, church committees. I used to serve on those, back when I was young and somewhat idealistic. I remember one committee where a young woman and I (both in our early 20s or so) were the only two people under about age 50 in the group. We were sitting next to each other during one meeting when two of the members were going off at each other over some stupid thing or another. I drew a picture of two battleships firing at each other, labeled each of them with the names of the people arguing, and showed it to my friend. She got a good chuckle out of it, but she had to restrain herself so the others wouldn't know what we were doing.
Anyway, as to your situation, I see only two ways out of it (not counting just keeping the status quo and getting more and more annoyed). One, let the guy go and suffer through trying to find someone else to do the job. Or two, keep your current guy but always have acapella music available and ready to go, to be used when the guy flakes out and doesn't show up.
Sadly, I may just wimp out and opt for plan 2. In fact, we have usually been doing this (having a cappella music in our pocket). It’s just that I just had a talk with him about reliability just a couple of weeks ago and he swore he would be better. And I actually believed him.
Also, the job market is just so tight right now. And I am also a little afraid that this guy is so well connected in the neighboring University music department we have traditionally hired from, I am a little concerned about him saying horrible things about us to his pianist friends if we fire him and turning them off from us (OK, now I’m slipping into paranoia….)
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