How do you design your summer in church ministry? One of my favorite thinkers, Gretchen Rubin, talks about “designing your summer.” It’s a way of intentionally making the season distinct and special. In this episode, Crawford and I talk about what we do that’s different in the summer—from the mundane “file all the choir music …
Have a Wonderful Summer! (plus, job news), on Music and the Church Ep. 23 Read More »
You’re an organist, a choir director, or other musician. Here are the top 8 things to do to get a church music job you love.
For the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about musical virtuosity. This week’s guest is Dr. Birgitta Johnson, Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology and African American Studies at the University of South Carolina, and the President of the Southeast and Caribbean Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology. In this episode, Birgitta discusses being anointed for music ministry. …
What is virtuosity? It isn’t just about the sound itself, but who makes the sound and how they make it. Today’s episode is the third in our series on virtuosity. In the last two episodes, Joshua Busman and I both considered whether virtuosity is or isn’t acceptable—and why—in evangelical worship music and in fundamentalist Christianity. …
Should you play or sing virtuosic music in church? Many fundamentalist Christians don’t think so. This week’s episode is the second in our series on musical virtuosity. Last week, Joshua Kalin Busman discussed how evangelical musicians might tone down the difficulty of their music—balancing their churches’ need for musical “amateurism” with the reality the “amateurish” …
Musical virtuosity in church services. Is it showing off? Giving God your best? Christians often come to opposite conclusions. Today’s podcast episode is the first in a series about virtuosity. We’re kicking off the series by talking with Dr. Joshua Kalin Busman, an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina—Pembroke. He researches “music in religious …
For many Christians, the Methodist tradition is one of their most important sources of hymnody. Dr. Martin V. Clarke’s new book British Methodist Hymnody explores the roots of this rich repertoire as well as the distinctive features of Methodist worship today. Dr. Martin V. Clarke (faculty page, Twitter) is Lecturer in Music at The Open University and …
British Methodist Hymnody with Martin Clarke, on Music and the Church Ep. 17 Read More »
Professional musicians often associate “playing for fun” with being a kid, an amateur—being somone who isn’t serious about the music they make. But playing music for fun has huge benefits, besides the obvious: it’s fun. It’s not that playing music for fun has to have other benefits. But its easier to make time for playing around, when you know …
We use our bodies every day to make music—but we usually forget about our physical health until something goes wrong. Certified Alexander Technique instructor Ted Gibboney, D.M.A., shares how the Alexander Technique can help church musicians, as well as other people experiencing tension in their bodies. Ted was working full-time as the music director of …
Do you work as a substitute organist or hire them? This episode is for you! Crawford, Catie Moyer, and I have many (many!) strategies for subbing and hiring subs. Because we have so much to share, we decided to make this post a how-to. If you scroll down, you’ll find detailed strategies, questions to ask …