Find a Substitute
Trinitarian Congregational Church, Concord
Noack Organ Co., Opus 159, 2016
The Boston chapter maintains a list of members willing to serve as substitutes. This is a service and resource for our members as well as for the general public. All information is self-identified by those who request to be included on the roster.
Click here to view or print the substitute list. It was last revised on March 17, 2025. Note that the chapter doesn’t determine or ensure that any individual can successfully fulfill the needs of any given substitute situation.
If you are not a member of the Boston chapter, or are a member but don’t wish to subscribe to the chapter listserver, you can request that our webmaster post your listing for a substitute for a $15 fee. In using listserver you can likely avoid the need to contact people on the list individually until you find someone. Complete the form below to submit a substitute gig using listserver.
ADVICE FOR SUBSTITUTE SITUATIONS
Careful communication about the details and expectations between an institution contracting for a substitute and potential candidates will help assure the best results. You may wish to confirm specific information such as skill level, experience, denominational familiarity, and recent substitute engagements before providing specific information about your needs.
Good substitutes pay close attention to details beyond the music they will play. When discussing a substitute commitment in a new setting, be clear and thorough about what you will need, such as access to the organ for practice, order of service, expectations for attire, specifications and quirks of the organ, other musicians involved, hymns, hymn style, service music, and a readily available contact person. It is important to be clear and forthright about your experience and abilities as well.
A detailed document is available as a resource. Click here to view “Guidelines for Substitute Service.”
THE SUBSTITUTE LIST
Click here to view and print the substitute list. It was last updated in March 2025. Negotiating parties are responsible for matching requirements and skills, and for agreement on the amount and timing of payment for services rendered.
Boston chapter members can find the add/revise/drop form for the substitute list in the password protected members section of this website. Those on the substitute list are encouraged to subscribe to the chapter’s listserver as it is sometimes used by members looking for a substitute.
The substitute list includes the following information for each individual listed:
Email and telephone: click on the individual’s name to initiate email contact
Availability: limited or full, availability on Sunday mornings, availability as an interim
Location: with driving radius or MBTA only
Denominational preference: Episcopal, Lutheran, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Temple/Synagogue, and all
Skill: organist, choral director, or both
Music degrees
AGO certifications: Service Playing Certificate, Colleague, Choir Master, Associate, Fellow
USING LISTSERVER TO FIND A SUBSTITUTE
CHAPTER MEMBERS: Boston chapter members looking for a substitute may use the chapter’s listserver as an alternative to contacting individuals on the substitute list. Chapter members on the substitute list are encouraged to subscribe to the listserver to take advantage of its usefulness in this regard.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS: A provision has been made for religious institutions and individuals who are not Boston chapter members to use our chapter listserver rather than directly contacting individuals on the substitute list. Some substitutes check listserver regularly to find engagements. The fee for this service is $15. Use the form below to register and pay for a listserver posting. Substitutes who are interested will contact you directly. You can notify the webmaster to remove your listing when you’ve engaged someone.
JOSHUA T. LAWTON
Substitute Coordinator
Enrollment for a Substitute Listing on Listserver
Following submission of this form a confirmation message will appear on the screen with a link to our store page. Select the listserver substitute listing option from the services category to make a secure online payment of $15.
You will receive an email message when the listing has been posted.
