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My, My, My.... yeah!

I think I may have told the story about why I quit/got fired..... depending on who you listen to, from playing in the church orchestra.

All volunteer musicians..... paid music minister. We took from our time to support the church music on Sunday mornings by being there before anyone else got there on Sunday morning and also Wed night rehearsals.

The MM was always throwing these "special musical events" into the normal mix. I guess he thought he needed to "earn his keep". He came up with some music that didn't require guitar....at all. It was only a few weeks away from the date of performance, and we hadn't hit the music at all. With 5 minutes or so remaining in the Wed night rehearsal, he says pull out the sheet music.... slaps the CD in the machine and plays the first 20 seconds of a song. Then he says lets start at measure 30 or so..... total train wreck. repeat that again with a different song, and called it a night. Same story the next week. So to this point, all I had done was sit quietly and listen. Third week... same thing. So Knowing what was coming and having heard the music and knowing a guitar was not needed at all in that style.... I very quietly packed my gear, shut the amp off and left the stage by the side.

I was headed up the center aisle when the MM stopped the orchestra, and turned to me and said.... for the entire orchestra and about 25 or so folks in the back of the auditorium, "Herb, you think you're too good to play this music ...don't you? Not believing I heard what I thought I heard, I turned and simply asked him to call me the next day and we could talk. he repeated it and started to say a few other things. Not wanting a conflict in front of all those folks, I turned and walked up the aisle and out to my truck and went home.

I got an email telling me not to show up on Sunday until "we have a chance to talk".

At the meeting the following week, in the company of both the MM and the pastor, I was handed a list of conditions I was asked to read and sign off on in order to continue with the music program. As I finished the list, I asked if he (the MM) had handed this same list to the rest of the musicians and told them they also had to comply with the requirements. Deer in the headlights. He said no he hadn't. I slid the list back across the table to him and told him I would not sign it. I was a volunteer and was willing to provide my services without any conditions.

The meeting ended with no resolution. He tried to ease off the harsh restrictions a bit but not totally. I declined. He was not willing to take my services as a volunteer without me abiding by his list. So he told me I could come back if I would follow his list. That was the last time I went to that church. Sadly, this story is not a one time event. You are expected to spend lots of time for the program to which you are offering your time and talents for free. Fired? Quit? perhaps both.



OK.... I'm done.