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What is Cantor Burn-Out?
Cantor burn-out happens when a musician in the Church becomes stretched so thin and becomes so frustrated with their situation that they consider quitting the ministry. How do I know? Because I’ve been there.
But here’s the thing. Most cantors don’t realize they are in this position until it’s too late. It’s too hard to bring them back around, to convince them to stay. And most of all, it can sneak up on you quicker than you realize.
Signs of Cantor Burn-out
The following feelings or situations can be signs that you are reaching your wit’s end:
- You sing every weekend without any breaks
- In general, your thoughts and feelings are not taken into consideration
- Your input does not seem to make a difference
- You feel pressure from choir members, directors, or pastors to be “perfect”
- Often you feel like you are given too much responsibility
- On the flip side, you might feel as though you are only given a tiny part and feel you can do more
- You are disconnected with the music and it fails to inspire you
- You are continually the person who makes it to every practice, Mass, and everyone else seems to take a lot of breaks
- The joy of singing has left you, you are just singing because you have to
- You feel resentment or bitterness for being the person who has to lead the music all the time
- You have lost sight of your true purpose as a cantor
While some of these are rephrased only slightly and most likely have the same root cause, they are real situations and ones that should be addressed right away.
Related post: A Church Musician’s Biggest Frustrations
My Burn-Out Experience
As I talk about this subject, I want you to know it comes from a place of love and desire for you to get back on the right track.
In college, I was the sole cantor at the 8 AM Mass. The parish I sang at had three Masses, and the other two Masses were switched off and on by 2 other cantors.
I had a crazy busy schedule at school, worked 20 hours on campus and about another 10-20 hours off-campus. After each Mass I sang, it was pretty normal for me to get 2-3 people to come up and compliment my voice.
I started to hate singing at Mass, getting up so early, and just being THE person that provided the music every week.
My burn-out cues were:
- I was not seeing myself in the true roles as a cantor (relying on my talent and using it as a showpiece instead of praise)
- More than likely, I volunteered to do too much outside of school (like extra work hours)
- I was frustrated because it seemed like they relied on me too much
- Physically, my voice wasn’t always up to it (I was a Vocal Music Ed major and part of the college choir and in voice lessons, so my voice became over-used quickly)
You might have similar problems or frustrations. It is hard to be the person that sings all the time, whether it stretches you physically, spiritually, or emotionally. Let me share what helped and how you can approach the situation, too.
Read about all my cantor experiences.
Tips to Avoid Cantor Burn-Out
1 – Speak Up
Talk to someone.
It might be your organist, your pastor, a fellow cantor, or a choir member. Validate the way you feel and ask them if they have noticed you acting or singing differently. Often others notice changes about us before we do ourselves.
Tell your director that you are having trouble being in the true spirit of a cantor (which is to be a prayerful song leader of the people). Ask if there are any resources to help with your feelings of bitterness or frustration. I will recommend some resources later in this post.
2 – Cut Back
If it is possible, only make yourself available for 2-3 weeks of a month to cantor for Mass. If you are from a multi-Mass parish, ask to rotate with others, be assigned to a different Mass, or just do it less frequently.
It really helps to have a week or two off in a month. And if you can, sit in the congregation for those weeks.
Don’t even sing with the choir.
We have 2 cantors for a one-Mass parish. I love it because we take turns each week so each person can sit with their families on their week off. It really helps lower feelings of burn-out.
3 – Take a Break
Assuming you have backups or people who could fill in for you, ask your director for a break. You can decide how long you will think you need.
I would recommend a month or two. It might feel strange, not cantoring, but it also might be a fantastic time to revamp your spiritual life, learn about the ins and outs of cantoring, and prepare yourself to become a better proclaimer of the Word.
DO NOT:
“take a break” with the intention of not coming back or go MIA without notifying your music ministry. That is just blind-sided, rude, and inconsiderate.
Related posts: How to Handle Maternity Leave as a Cantor, What is a Cantor in the Catholic Church?, Best Practices for Cantors, Why You Need to Spiritually Prepare for Mass
4 – Always Keep Learning
There are a few types of things you need to consider here.
Do you feel comfortable in your role as a cantor? Are you aware of the ways to prepare and be successful? Have you really studied a cantor’s role and invested in spiritual resources? Do you let yourself be inspired by music and apply the words and beauty to your faith life?
If not, it might be time to dig into these things.
When you know more about why you do what you do, it becomes more meaningful and purpose-driven.
Need a place to start? You can find my courses and offerings on the Cantor Training Page.
Or, there are Free Resources, too!
5 – Pray, a Lot
This might be a given for some of you. For me, it takes a ton of extra effort and time set aside to get my prayer time in. I get it.
But you have to understand how vital this is as a cantor. If you are not spiritually in tune with Christ and his Church, serving the Church becomes a chore.
I find that mental prayer really helps me connect with God and really be in tune.
Also, praying with your music is an option. There are some fantastic ideas for spiritual prep in this free guide!
My favorite book for mental prayer is currently Searching for and Maintaining Peace. Find it on Amazon and at The Catholic Company.
See also: Devotions for Catholic Musicians
6 – Get Back To The Root
As artists and singers, we are driven by beauty in the world and in the medium of our artistry. For cantors, this is usually the music.
But think back.
When did your love of music first begin?
What made you want to sing and serve? Think about your big why and write it down on a piece of paper. Big, BOLD letters, and hang it somewhere you see it before you sing in Church.
This might help you figure out your discord with church singing in the first place. You can download these Printable Why Sheets!
Resources for Cantors:
Suggested Reading/Devotion Materials:
All of these are found on Amazon (affiliate links)
- Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship
- Living Liturgy for Music Ministers
- The Catholic Devotional
- Saintly Support
- New American Bible: St. Joseph Edition
- Pieta Prayer Book
- Searching for and Maintaining Peace
Suggested Online Resources:
- Cantor Training on The Spiritual Cantor
- Music Ministry 101 – for choir directors and advanced cantors
- National Pastoral Musicians – cantor section
- The Cantor Coach – inspirational stories on her Blog
Avoid Cantor Burn-Out!
It is not fun to be in this position, but finding ways to cope, eliminate the stress, or just take a break for a while helps. It also helps if you can learn about cantoring from a Church perspective, see others’ stories, and refresh your outlook, all while educating yourself further!
I have been dangerously close to this point, and these tips can help you be aware of what it might entail and how to resolve the issue. Always remember that our job is to point to Christ, always. God Bless you and your gift, my friend!
How do you cope with stressful times as a cantor?
