the network

Tonight I received an email from the Music Director of the church I play at occassionally. He asked if I could join the praise band this week. I didn't give him my email address, have never emailed him, and I'm pretty sure he never really knew what my name was until this past February, the first time I played in praise band for him - which I was asked to do as I was leaving rehersal that week. (I started playing holiday shows there Christmas of 1995 - but there are a lot of changing musicians every month).

I'm sure the orchestra director passed along my email address to him. I'm happy that after only 2 live performances there on bass they are that confident in my playing that they feel I can show up Sunday morning an hour before service and pull off 2 or 3 songs.

I do wish it wasn't such a Southern Baptist church. I share some very core beliefs with them (i.e. God and Jesus) and that's where it ends. I think as a whole the sect has no grasp on the world around them. (Did you see the Buddha post?) They tend towards the judgemental and homophobic and chauvanistic. I hesitated before agreeing to play this week (for all of four minutes) because I had this mini-dilema about supporting their specific religious beliefs. But...

Some of the other members of the orchestra and/or praise band at the church are involved in other community music groups. Talking to them and playing with them is not only fun, it's a good exercise in networking.