August 26, 2018

#028: Yesterday, Today, and Forever (with ValLimar Jansen)

August 26, 2018

While the first day of Autumn is a few weeks away, summer is effectively over as the school year begins in districts and dioceses across the country. This means that, for many parishes, the new music ministry season is upon us, too. Just like classroom teachers, music ministers are welcoming back familiar faces, returning to regular schedules, and once again asking age-old questions like, “how could they have forgotten so much over the summer?”

As we start up the new year, we thought it would be good to start with a pep talk. And who better to give it than ValLimar Jansen? Today, we’ll hear a reprise of ValLimar’s keynote given at this year’s national convention.

Here is the official description:

"Imagine you are in a concert hall and Itzhak Perlman is performing on stage. The hair stands up on the back of your neck and you can barely take a breath. Perlman's passion flows into the room. He is aflame. He has mastered the rules and technique and yet they are far from his thinking. He has transcended the rubrics and yet upholds them. They have become a part of his musical instincts. Passion for the musical moment consumes him and he is consumed by the music. Can we praise God like this? Can we get there in liturgical music ministry? Yes, we can!"

SHOW NOTES

For more information about ValLimar Jansen, visit her bio page at OCP. You can also visit her personal website at www.vallimar.com.

You can watch a video recording of ValLimar's keynote address on the NPM YouTube channel. NOTE: This recording will only be available on YouTube for a short period of time. It will eventually be archived in the "members only" section of the NPM website.

The recordings of "They Who Do Justice" and "Give Us Peace" were produced by GIA Publications.

Visit NPM's digital resource library, referenced at the end of the episode.

All content of this podcast is property of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. For information about the podcast and its use, please contact us.

August 20, 2018

#027: Ministering in Time of Scandal

August 20, 2018

Last week, I began our show with a joke. It’s hard to imagine starting with a joke today. This past week, the grand jury report investigating the sexual abuse of minors within six dioceses in Pennsylvania was released. We’ve all been reeling, trying to navigate the flood of emotions: shock, horror, disgust, anger, grief.

I know, too, that many of you feel doubly lost. Lost because of this range of emotions, yes, but also lost because you are unsure of how to respond. Unsure of how you yourself should move forward, but also unsure of how to respond to the questions and hurt and anger of others. Pastoral ministers are visible, we are accessible, and we can often become the go-to people for members of our communities. But, what do we do when we don’t know what to say? What do we do when we, too, are angry and outraged?

I’m not sure that I know exactly what to feature, or whom to speak with, in order to help in this critical time. I do know that it’s important to address this head on and to keep the conversation open. So, today, I’m offering what follows in the hopes that, wherever you are on this journey, you might find something of value.

SHOW NOTES

The recording of "Stumbling Blocks and Stepping Stones" was produced by GIA Publications. The piano recording of "Balm in Gilead" was performed by Fr. Robert Koopmann, OSB, on the album Sacred Improvisations.

You can find additional resources here:

1. GIA Publications "Hymns for Healing"

2. World Library Publications "We Stand in Hope"

3. PrayTell Blog "Preaching Abuse" and "When a Solemnity and Scandal Fall on the Same Day"

4. Fr. James Martin "The Virtues of Catholic Anger"

5. New compositions by Zack Stachowski and Orin Johnson

You can read the full text of Lumen Gentium by visiting the Vatican website.

Visit NPM's digital resource library, referenced at the end of the episode.

August 12, 2018

#026: Music Theory, Revisited (with Keith Kalemba, ft. Aaron Copland)

August 12, 2018

When you look at those of us serving in the ranks of pastoral musicians, the variance in our music training is just as vast as the variance in our training in scripture, or liturgy, or theology. Some of us took lessons when we were growing up, and some of us learned to play by ear. Some of us studied music in college or graduate school, and some of us haven’t studied formal music theory at all.

Regardless, it is our contention that understanding and utilizing basic music theory concepts are important to effective pastoral music ministry. Today, our goal is to explore this assertion. It is my hope that we’ll challenge those of you who have not studied theory to begin to learn the basics, and that we’ll challenge those of you with years of study to use that information in ways that can boost the knowledge and skills of your ensembles and colleagues. To help us with these tasks, we’ll speak with Keith Kalemba, and we’ll hear from the writings of composer Aaron Copland in today’s Ministry Moment.

SHOW NOTES

For more information about Keith Kalemba, visit his bio page at World Library Publications.

You can find the Interval Song Chart generator by visiting the EarMaster website.

The recordings of "Make Us True Servants" was produced by World Library Publications. "Eat This Bread" and "Give Us Peace" were produced by GIA Publications. The piano recording of "Resignation" was performed by Fr. Robert Koopmann, OSB, on the album Sacred Improvisations.

Visit NPM's digital resource library, referenced at the end of the episode.