MY GOALS AS A CHURCH MUSICIAN

Johann Sebastian Bach wrote:

Bey einer andächtig Musiq ist allezeit Gott mit seiner Gnaden Gegenwart
(Where there is devotional music, God is always at hand with His gracious presence)

As a church musician, my goal is to offer the best we have to God. This includes, but is not limited to, the level of performance, the choice of music, and the beauty of the liturgy. The musical growth of the congregation is vital to the life of the church. As a priest said to me once, “The congregation doesn’t leave humming the sermon.”

I have instituted the following programs to develop a vibrant church community:

✤ Starting with a tiny budget, we began putting on musicals to involve multigenerational members of the congregation as actors and crew members. More and more families became involved and our productions became larger and more complex. The parents raised money to build a new stage for the performances.

✤ I asked the fathers in the congregation to cook dinner for their families. I supplied the entertainment which included a magician and singers from the New England Conservatory. This grew into a parish event every other month.

✤ Members of the congregation were regularly invited to sing with the Choir on a part-time basis for Christmas and Easter.

✤ To build the Choir, I invited young families to join and offered free babysitting during rehearsals. I asked the youth group to babysit during Thursday night rehearsals.

✤ We started a handbell choir with 12 members, of which only one knew how to read music. The handbell choir subsequently expanded to include a youth handbell choir. Both choirs participated in handbell choir festivals and workshops.

✤ I invited musicians from the New England Conservatory to perform during the service as guest artists on a regular basis.

 

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