In the Orthodox Christian Church, besides the clergy, there are also clergymen. Among the latter, it is possible to single out the psalmists who directly participate in the divine services as readers of the sacred texts.
The psalmist is a clergyman of the Christian Church. Otherwise, such people are called readers. The very name of the position indicates the main duty of the psalmist - he must read the psalms during the service (sacred prayers from the Old Testament book of the Psalms, written by the prophet David and several other authors). In addition to the psalms, the reader (psalm reader) reads the canon during the service, as well as other sacred Christian texts. During the liturgy, the psalmist may be entrusted with reading a passage from the Apostle (a liturgical book containing the Apostolic Epistles as well as the Acts of the Apostles)
The psalmist does not take on the sacred dignity. This is his main difference from the clergyman. You can become a reader with the permission (blessing) of the abbot of the temple. To do this, you need to be able to read Church Slavonic and navigate the sequence of Orthodox worship.
There is an ancient practice preserved in the Moscow and St. Petersburg Theological Academies, according to which every applicant is tonsured as a reader (psalm reader). This is a certain rite, which is a sign of the desire to serve man God as a reader. Certain prayers are read by the bishop for help to a person in his church service.