Director pay

[Gail Girard]

Hello All

I direct the bell choirs at my church in Minnesota.  I volunteer my time.  I have one adult and two youth bell choirs.  They practice weekly and perform in church for the major holidays and a couple more.  The adults practice on Thursdays and the youth choirs are before and after church.  

I would  like to retire, as I have now been retired from my profession for 6 years, and we would like to do some traveling, but would like to find a director before I leave.  

My question is, are most bell directors paid?  If so, I would like to know about a ballpark figure to let the church know what is typical so they are prepared for a salary.  

Thank you all for your help.

Gail

[Ann Frederking]

Following this as I'm also a volunteer director. I'm also close to 79 and won't be directing too many more years and I doubt very much they will find another similarly dedicated volunteer.

Ann

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[Karin McDonough]

I conduct the handbell program at my church which has had a many as 4 bell choirs and a few as 1.  We are rebuilding after Covid and currently have one adult and one 3rd grade through high school (kids, children's, youth?) bell choir.

I get paid about $344 per month after taxes for 9 months of the year.  September and June each get half a paycheck and the 8 months in between get full paychecks.

I'm in Portland, OR. 

Karin 

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[THOMAS SIMPSON]

Hello:

I get a base salary for my adult choir and then 1/2 as much again for each additional choir. 

Thomas Simpson 

On Apr 29, 2023, at 12:53 PM, Karin McDonough <kedb...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Susan Nelson]

It's too bad that AGO had to discontinue their Salary Guidelines. :-(  It made it easy to  figure out how much time a director spent on visible and prep hours. 

Sue Nelson

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[Risë Kagan-Erickson]

In New Jersey, I get $580/month after taxes for 10 months. That amounts to about $120/per appearance, one service a month and one rehearsal a week.

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[Risë Kagan-Erickson]

When I asked someone at an AGO event earlier this year, I was told the Association of Anglican Musicians has a pay scale that is similar to what AGO had. The scale can be found on their website:

anglicanmusicians.org

Risë

[Susan Nelson]

The Presbyterian Association of Musicians used to have salary guidelines, but had to discontinue them for the same reason AGO had to. Here's an explanation on AGO's site. 

https://www.agohq.org/salary-guidelines/

Association of Lutheran Church Musicians used to have guidelines, but their rates were lower than PAM or AGO. They have AGO's guidelines up on their website now. I guess they haven't updated their website yet.

https://www.agohq.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Considerations-for-Calculating-the-Weekly-Hours-of-an-Organist.pdf

Sue Nelson

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[Michele Sharik - TGD]

In the High Desert of Southern California (one of the less expensive areas of CA), I get $630/mo after taxes for 12 months. 

I have one bell choir: 16 ppl in a double Level 1 choir (meaning 2 ringers playing each part) which rehearses once per week for 1.5 hours & plays in worship 1 Sunday per month (Oct-Dec & Feb-June) plus usually an Advent & a Lenten service. 

I also run sort-of-weekly skill-building workshops through the summer. 

-Michèle Sharik

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On Apr 29, 2023, at 13:28, Susan Nelson <bell...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[David Engle]

Do you get reimbursed for attending "Continuing Education" event such as National Seminar, Area Leadership events, denomination music camps or workshops, etc.?

[gj berg]

More than ten years ago, I got paid ~$200 after taxes/monthly for weekly rehearsal and two services/month, for 9 months.  They also paid for HMA membership.  (And a very generous music budget)

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[Anna S]

I'm an online piano teacher in my 20s, so my schedule is flexible allowing me to volunteer at my church. My church has a large co-op and small church school. On Tuesdays I run 4 bell groups and an orchestra for the co-op/school/church at large. Two groups for ages 8-10 on belleplates, a chime group for 11-13, and a highschool+ handbell group. I took up leading bells in my late teens because the previous director had left. It's expanded and become a delightful ministry. I'm so blessed to have the privilege of working with nearly all the church kids.

At times when we've learned a piece quite well, as a fun activity, I'll randomly call the kids up, one at a time, to each lead one page. It gives them a taste of conducting and a feel for the "director's" perspective. Some kids are enthusiastic and some are... a bit hesitant. A few are naturals with the physical conducting skills and lead confidently by announcing which measure to begin at, holding the class's attention, etc. It shows me which young people have potential for leading music ensembles. 

It's possible someone in your handbell group has the potential to become a handbell director. Give them opportunities and apprentice them. They may be shy or hesitant at first, but if they are solid musicians, are dedicated to music ministry, and have leadership capacity, they might be your church's next handbell director. :)

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[Brian Seemann]

Glad to see this being discussed (Shameless plug that anyone going to National Seminar should check out the roundtable I am leading on "What Are You Worth" that discussed just this!).

At my most recent church job I was getting about $950/month for leading the adult bell program and assisting with a youth worship ensemble that both rang and sang. That was in a large urban church in the northeast.

The one thing I really want to add is that while there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to volunteer your time, it can become an issue in this instance when you decide to retire.  In this case the church often has no idea the actual value of that position and just expects someone else to volunteer to jump in and run it as well. If no one else is willing to volunteer and the church isn't willing to pay anyone, I have seen programs just die out.

My suggestion is that anyone keep track of their hours and an hourly rate and give that to the church saying something like "This month, I worked 20 hours for the bell choir. At $30/hour, I am donating $600 worth of my time to the church." This gives you full recognition for your giving to the church, but also gives the church the idea of how much that position is worth.

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Brian Seemann

On Sat, Apr 29, 2023, 12:15 PM Gail Girard <ggir...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello All

I direct the bell choirs at my church in Minnesota.  I volunteer my time.  I have one adult and two youth bell choirs.  They practice weekly and perform in church for the major holidays and a couple more.  The adults practice on Thursdays and the youth choirs are before and after church.  

I would  like to retire, as I have now been retired from my profession for 6 years, and we would like to do some traveling, but would like to find a director before I leave.  

My question is, are most bell directors paid?  If so, I would like to know about a ballpark figure to let the church know what is typical so they are prepared for a salary.  

Thank you all for your help.

Gail

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[Gordon Dewis]

Hi…

 

Our church has three adult handbell choirs and one youth handbell choir (it was two before the pandemic). Up to a few years ago, one director looked after all three adult choirs. Sadly, she passed away unexpectedly. It took two of us to take over her choirs. What the church also found out is exactly how many other things she looked after and it took several people to pick up all those responsibilities, too.

 

When we play in the community or at weddings or funerals, or hold a concert, we do not charge a fee, though often we receive donations. Any monies received go into a special fund at the church specifically designated for the handbells that is separate from the annual budget provided by the church for handbell music acquisition. We do all of this on a volunteer basis, so our remuneration is $0.

 

Cheers!

 

  --G

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[Charles Peery]

To piggy-back on Brian: I encourage people to think in terms of program rather than personality, at least, if your goal is an ongoing handbell ministry. Yes, you are free to volunteer. It’s your choice. However, one must think long and hard about what you are “teaching” besides handbells. If a church wants a developed music program (i.e. “nice things”) I don’t think waiting for a charismatic and capable volunteer is remotely reasonable. Nice things don’t come for free. 

I’ve been on both sides. Recently I was asked to start a handbell program for no pay at a local church I very much like. They have a full time music director/organist, a concert series, and a well-respected music program. I seriously considered it. I’m retired and the money is not the main thing for me. Giving back is a viable option at my stage of life. But the more I thought about it, the more I just couldn’t do it. I had to respond to them that we needed to talk about it being a two-way street. If I am providing something they want in the future of their music program, what do they intend to provide me in return? I said I couldn’t do it for free, it wasn’t the kind of work environment I want. I want to succeed, I want to be accountable, I want to “lean in,” as they say. But something needs to flow back to me as well. This is not my church, I did not think this up. If they seriously want it they need to regard it in the same way as anything else new they want. New vestments? New driveway? New handbell choir? They took it better than I thought, we’ll see.

Chuck

[THOMAS SIMPSON]

Hello, 

Didn’t the guild do a survey on this very topic a few years back? Whatever became of that? Can someone give me a link to the results?

Thanks!! 

Thomas 

On Apr 30, 2023, at 8:21 AM, Charles Peery <cep...@earthlink.net> wrote:

To piggy-back on Brian: I encourage people to think in terms of program rather than personality, at least, if your goal is an ongoing handbell ministry. Yes, you are free to volunteer. It’s your choice. However, one must think long and hard about what you are “teaching” besides handbells. If a church wants a developed music program (i.e. “nice things”) I don’t think waiting for a charismatic and capable volunteer is remotely reasonable. Nice things don’t come for free. 

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[Kathy Smith]

I agree with Brian.  I am fortunate to be paid a yearly salary which includes directing 1 adult handbell choir that rings September - May and also includes an piano/organ accompanist position for our adult singing choir.  I work approx. 16 hours per week in this position, more during Advent/Lent.   This includes 2 concert performances per year and attending 1 festival or seminar.

It is a part-time job but one that I think that with a salary, puts more value to the position and would be marketable for another director to take over in the future.

P.S.  We all love our handbell choirs and dedicate many years of hard work, which is commendable but also worth a monetary amount.

Happy ringing,

Kathy Smith