Question 1

How much does a church Choir Director make?

Alison Stolpa · Accepted Answer

The salary range for Choir Directors varies widely, from $23,100 to $125,200+, based on their employers’ size and budget, as well as on their workload. For full-time Choir Directors, the average annual salary is approximately $51,700.

Question 2

What is the single biggest suggestion you would give to someone wanting to get into this career?

Brian Jones · Accepted Answer

“Be sure that it’s your great passion. Get the best training you can. Listen to what your colleagues say and do, what their groups sound like. You can tell whether they love him or her [the Choir Director] and whether they sing their hearts out for him or her because that person has imparted a love and skill.
You need to know how to handle the voice and know how to work with the voice because it doesn’t just happen automatically. Learn keyboard and voice; get good training. Show a lot of interest in your singers and show them you love them in a way they’ll respond to. Then they’ll bring their friends to share in it and their other friends to listen to it.”

Question 3

What’s the #1 mistake people make when trying to get into this career?

Brian Jones · Accepted Answer

“I’m not sure I’d say that [there’s a #1 mistake.] I do think a lot of my colleagues play the organ and direct choirs and I think they do too much solemn, pensive music. Certainly, you need that sometimes, but sometimes it sounds all the same. It’s drudgery.
“You want to be creative to balance your repertoire and not to do reckless amounts of twentieth-century stuff people don’t relate to. Choose carefully.”

Question 4

If you could describe in one word what makes you successful, what would it be?

Brian Jones · Accepted Answer

“Enthusiasm. Passion. that’s what they put on my plaque. It was surprising when I saw that on my plaque and I really liked it.”

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Choir Director