"First Right of Refusal" ??

ghmus7

I would like to know group members' opinions about an issue. In some churches, there used to be what was called "first right of refusal", for weddings and other events that bring in extra income. I am finding that as the music director and organist, i am being passed over and outside organists are being hired and paid.This is not the church policy, it just has occurred in the past with certain groups before i arrived, and continues. These groups are...well, rude in that they assume they can always hire any organist they wish for their event.
How do you handle this situation? I find i am having to spend time instructing the organist as to the use of the organ, arranging logistical things etc, while the fee goes to the visiting oragnist, who may not have anything to do with the visiting group.
Thanks.

davido

Ask your pastor to stop this. If right of first refusal would cause political problems, then you should be paid a full bench fee, especially as it is still taking up your time.
If your pastor won’t agree to this, starting thinking about how long you want to work there.

madorganist

I'm dealing with similar problems and a professional quartet from outside the parish that charges three times my choir fee. The right of first refusal and bench fee usually go hand in hand. I recently played for a wedding at another church where the resident organist was paid a considerable bench fee for doing absolutely nothing. I tend to think the bench fee should be less than the fee for actually working, but others disagree. On the other hand, if you have right of first refusal and actually do refuse, it's probably improper to charge a bench fee unless you're still coordinating the music or contracting musicians—but again, others will disagree. My problem is that people are hiring outside musicians without ever consulting me, even though I've already had their date on my personal calendar and the schola's for a few months, so I have told the wedding coordinator that all requests for outside musicians need to come through me, and I know my pastor will back me up on that. Your situation is more objectionable because it sounds like it's the same people doing it on a repeated basis. I am interested to see what others have to say!

PaxTecum

Here the diocese has banned bench fees. ROFR is standard though and should always be respected. However, sometimes people and groups come in outside of the regular parish schedule with their own musician already and when that happens there ain’t nothing I can do about it. But I certainly don’t show up or help them in any way.

CharlesW

When I arrived at that parish, weddings were chaotic. I hated weddings so thoroughly that I hired an outside organist who loved weddings. With the pastor's backing, the wedding couple had to hire that organist and no other.

ServiamScores

It is presumed that if you are using a church for your wedding, you are using their services as well as the room. ROFR is industry standard. (It should also be noted that this is standard policy for the American Guild of Organists, so most people should be aware of it too.) considering the fact that organists are not paid a lot, as a general rule, and that many job postings specifically advertise the number of weddings and funerals as a source of expected extra income it seems wholly inappropriate to pass over the incumbent without any consultation. We asked for a special organist for our wedding, but we also offered a bench fee. (I was an organist, my best man has a DMA in organ, and some of our other organist and music major friends were in attendance.)

There’s little doubt in my mind that your pastor needs to put a stop to it, presupposing you desire to play, would like the income, and are competent to do so (ie-trained organist who can actually play big repertoire for pro/recessionals). Have the church institute an official policy, if necessary. To make your case, you can reiterate that this is an industry standard thing, and even print out AGO articles about it if necessary.

Ironically, I was just contacted by someone yesterday asking for help planning music for their wedding at another parish (wasn’t asked to play, technically). I emailed the couple back and said that I thought it necessary to defer to the musicians at the parish where they were getting married. It’s both common sense and basic courtesy.

And if you are still being roped in to help the visiting musicians, you SHOULD get a bench fee, even if it is something like a $50 consultation fee.

Patricia Cecilia

Where's the 'laugh' button for CharlesW's comment? :-)

CharlesW

Patricia Cecilia, I guess I just never learned to fully appreciate Buffy and Brad's big and special day. A plague on them. LOL. The way some of those entitled wedding folks behave - mothers of the bride anyone - is unbelievable.

NihilNominis

Here the diocese has banned bench fees.

Don't call it a bench fee. Itemize the organizational side tasks that need to be done for a wedding by the director of music / regular organist, and compensate those. Does he meet with couples? Check the instruments / sound system? Provide access?

It's a service fee, not a benefice. Call it what it is.

Chris Garton-Zavesky

"Bench fee" makes it sound as if it's a punishment for services not received.

The line item exists (where it exists) because the parish, in its contract with its organist, stipulated "weddings and funerals are a source of extra income".

Don't blame the organist (wretch though he may be). Blame the parish which raised the expectation of low pay because weddings and funerals were extra income waiting to be realized.

ServiamScores

I know of one destination parish that has between 50-70 weddings per year, and the incumbent doesn’t get any extra pay for when he plays for registered parishioners, sometimes 3x a week. I think it’s cruel, actually, to expect all that extra labor for no extra compensation when that is standard everywhere, and three weddings a weekend in summer is quite a bit of time and effort.

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