Boy, oh boy, oh boy! I have a lot I could add here….
A mega church involves a lot of politics and money. From what you've said, it sounds like they were all working towards a few of things:
Limiting your involvement, because they don't believe your skills are up to the task. They need to provide a high-quality product to a large congregation. That congregation has certain perceived expectations which have to be met.
By muting you, they limit the "damage" you can do to the product they're providing. They also allow you to participate in a harmless way. They're thinking they can satisfy your need to be involved and their need to have high-quality music, without hurting your feelings.
They're giving you some pretty strong hints that they don't want you involved, but you're not taking them. Making you audition four hours away, with one song? Muting you? None of that says, "we want more from you!" It says, "please go away."
You shouldn't be angry with the sound guy. It's very likely he's doing what he was told to do.
This comes off a bit harsh, IMO. while reading this, the first thing I’m wondering is how good of a player Dan is. Please don’t let this sound bad. I’m ALL about encouraging players here. Seriously! But, I’m also a long time sound engineer at a large, but not mega church. We run about 1000 and have a full orchestra and I run a large sound system multiple times a week.
Maybe I need to take a hint.
You said a couple things I found VERY alarming. Several were hard to believe… 4 hours for a 1 song audition? Surely you don’t go to church 2 hours away, right? So why would you go that far away for any audition? In fact, why would any audition not be done at the church? There’s no excuse for this. Unless you drive a MUCH longer than normal distance to this church, this 2 hours away audition is not even remotely acceptable.
But while I’m trying to tread lightly here, a lot of this comes down to how solid you are as a player. I have had to mute people before but ONLY when there is some problem with what they are playing. Other than that, there is NO excuse to mute someone that you let on the stage. My job IS however to make what comes out as good as possible. One time a few weeks ago, the bass player I play with regularly, played a WHOLE SONG 1/2 step flat on the bass! it was a congregational, so full orchestra and everyone singing but as soon as the song started I said “what the heck is Dave doing” and quickly muted him, solo’d him out in my headphones and verified that he was playing it all in the wrong key. I checked back on verse 2 and 3 and he was off the whole time. LOL. Next song started and I immediately solo’s him in my headphones, he was on, and immediately unmuted.
Other times, a quartet would be signing a special and someone had a cold and was struggling… they’d get turned DOWN, not muted, to where their crackling pitchy voice was not standing out and ruining the song. Just stuff like that. To mute someone ”just because” is NOT acceptable.
This "business" music is a product of paid musicians who aren't believers and are just there to do a job.
Don’t get me started. This is COMPLETELY wrong and will NOT be blessed by the Lord. I know it goes on in these big money churches. I know guys who aren’t Christians and play in bars on Saturday night and church Sunday morning. Sorry, no offense, it’s WRONG and the root of many problems, as the whole reason for and purpose of the music is not even why they are there.The churches that do this are asking for trouble and are more “businesses” than churches. Again, sorry if that offends anyone but it’s true.
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
That’s cute and all, but given that these musicians we’re talking about are mostly not Christians, doesn’t apply. And yes, I know there are plenty of misguided people who go to church. And tell your boy Gandhi you find find bad apples in every bag, and if he was really what he said he is, he’d never say something like that which focused only on the bad ones.
I always got a kick out of that one… Gandhi in his “holier than thou”mode. Nice! LOL.