This month on the podcast we are putting a Focus on Education. We are constantly learning and engaging with the “new” in our lives: from technology, to new music to learn, to even the new buttons on our car…the “new” is an ever-present reality in our lives.
For this reason, it makes sense for us to be a perpetual learner in our career field. We may work for the Catholic Church- an institution that, in some ways, has remained unchanged for decades, if not centuries- but we must be open to learning new things for our own professional and personal advancement. I’m sure it’s why many of us are members of NPM.
However, we aren’t the only association that offers support to church musicians. Among those are the American Guild of Organists, with whom we collaborate to bring you more professional advancement opportunities.
Did you know that both AGO and NPM work together to offer dual certificate opportunities? We’re very grateful for the mutual support we offer one others, so we can support you, our membership.
Both the Service Playing certificate and the Colleague (CAGO) certificate are excellent opportunities for continuing education and professional advancement. Today we’re going to dig more deeply into these two certificate opportunities, along with other options that NPM offers to its members.
First on the podcast is Preston Dibble. Preston works in the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, as the Director of Music for Our Lady of Sorrows Church (South Orange, New Jersey). Preston assists with the certificate program, and is an NPM and AGO member himself.
Our second interviewee on the podcast today is Dr. André Lash. Dr. Lash is a retired professor from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Dr. Lash is an active member of the American Guild of Organists, and is currently the Director for the Committee on Professional Certification.
Just a quick word before we hear from Dr. Lash: we understand that the quality of the audio is not as clear as normal, but for good reason: André was kind enough to be interviewed for this episode as he was driving to his new, permanent home across the country. For this reason, André joins us from his dinner rest stop, en route to his new home.
SHOW NOTES
For more information on the certificate programs mentioned today, go to….
National Association of Pastoral Musicians- Organ Certificate Options
American Guild of Organists- Professional Certification Guidelines, 2020
American Guild of Organists- Service Playing (SPC)
American Guild of Organists- Colleague (CAGO)
Bio- Preston Dibble
Preston Dibble is a native of Northwestern Pennsylvania and a graduate of Westminster College (New Wilmington) and Duquesne University (Pittsburgh). At Westminster, he earned a Bachelor of Music degree majoring in Music Education and at Duquesne, the Master of Music degree majoring in Sacred Music and Organ. Mr. Dibble?s organ study has been under Dr. John Walker, Mr. Raymond Ocock and Dr. Elizabeth Harrison and Dr. Ann Labounsky.
Performance appearances include Heinz Chapel, University of Pittsburgh, the famed von Beckerath organ of St. Paul Cathedral, Pittsburgh, Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, and the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, the Oratorio Society of NJ and most recently accompanying the Durufle Requiem with Schola Cantorum on Hudson. A member of the National Pastoral Musicians, Mr. Dibble serves as Chair of National Standing Committee for Organists and a member of NPM?s National Council. As a member of the American Guild of Organists, he serves as District Convener for NJ, Chair of the National Committee on Marketing and formally as Dean of the Metropolitan NJ Chapter Program/Hotel Chair of the AGO Regional Convention in Morristown in 2011.
Bio- Dr. André Lash
André Lash brought a wealth of musical experience when he came to Greensboro in 2005 as Organist and Director of Instrumental Activities at Christ United Methodist Church, where for 12 years he presided over the C.B. Fisk organ, Op.82, and conducted an active handbell program. Dr. Lash is a recently retired Lecturer in organ in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where his studio included organ students from the undergraduate through doctoral levels.
A Fellow of the American Guild of Organists (FAGO), Lash has served as a chapter Dean, District Convener in both North Carolina and Georgia, and as Coordinator for Professional Concerns for the Southeast Region. He has presented and performed at regional conventions of the AGO; most recently, at the 2014 national convention in Boston he presented the scholarly paper “Pescado, Paella, Piripiri: Contrasts of Taste in Seventeenth-Century Iberia”, exploring subtle differences in the organs and resulting repertoires of Castile, Catalonia and Portugal. In the past he has also presented music for organ and cello and organ and flute for conventions of the Music Teachers National Association.
Dr. Lash is currently the Director for the Committee on Professional Certification for the American Guild of Organists.
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