Schooling the Unskilled

The organist at my church is bad. She hits the right notes and can play more than one line of music simultaneously. The problem is that she lacks rhythm. A song might take twice or half as long depending on whatever interpretation her mind gives to the proper length of a quarter note that week. At first I thought there was a pattern to her madness -- that she was reading the notes consistently but incorrectly. I was wrong, there is no pattern. Her musical "style" is chaos and nearly impossible to sing to... and yet she's still the organist at my church... and has been for nearly twenty years. Why? Not because of her skill, but because of her passion. She genuinely loves playing the organ. She persists under the delusion that if the music were peppier or the songs were more soulful that it would attract more people to the church, never realizing that the problem isn't with the songs, it's with the performer. I've been at the church for over five years now and I still don't have the heart to tell her the truth. She's not a skillful organist, but she's our organist.

Perhaps my description of this rhythmically challenged woman reminds you of someone in your guild. Maybe its their incompetence that stands out, like that raider who still hasn't figured out not to stand in the fire? Or perhaps it's their social ineptitude that sets them apart, like the raid leader who refuses to listen to the advice of others?

Not every member of your guild is as skilled as the next. Some people are equipped to lead, others to follow, some to experiment, others to copy, some to excel, others to lag behind. The danger that presents itself is that we all tend to set ourselves up as the standard by which others ought to be measured. It's an unconscious thing to do... and a very natural thing. We don't think from the perspective of others, we think from the perspective of self. In an end-game raiding guild the standard is generally set by means of availability and numbers. This mean if you can raid and you keep up with the rest of the guild, you keep your spot. If not, you're gone. Family guilds operate on a different principle and are therefore more likely to encounter players who, like my organist, just don't pick up on certain things.

I would rather have my rhythmless organist than a paid professional because my organist isn't just doing a job, she's a valued part of the church community. Likewise, I'd rather have one friendly but underskilled player in my guild than a dozen of the rude and elitist "pro" players who spend their time boasting and putting down everyone else. Family guilds don't build upon "skillz", they build upon community. Start with the right foundation and the building will be the stronger for it. You'd be surprised how skilled someone's mum or little brother can be at a game like WoW with the right guidance.

Before you run off to save the world, ask yourself these simple questions. Does the person realize that there is a problem? You can't fix a problem if you don't realize there is one and offers of assitance are more likely to be viewed as insults by someone who doesn't realize they're making mistakes. Does the person care? If they care then they will be open to constructive criticism and will work to improve. People who don't want to better themselves are not worthwhile investments for your time and energy. Lastly, if the answers to the first two questions are "no" you have to ask yourself whether this person is worth having around in spite of these flaws? In the case of my organist the church has said "yes." There are some other cases where I have said "no." There's a world of difference between a true and loyal guild member and someone who merely provides a warm body.

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Jon Blevins is an officer of In Vino Veritas.

He's a pastor, husband, gamer and Miles Davis fan.

He lives in Minnesota where zamboni is a household word.