“Good! Now, sing it again.”
How many times do you hear yourself saying these words in rehearsal? We all know the importance of repetition. This is how we learn - by trying, experiencing, and doing it again and again.
The problem is, often, this becomes something we do mindlessly. When we hear someone say, “Good! Now, sing it again,”we go into auto-pilot mode and repeat whatever we just did without really thinking about it.
Did you catch that last part?
Introducing my newest handbell collection - Christmas!
Four Pieces for Christmas is a digital collection of four pieces for the Christmas season. These pieces are designed to add a creative element into your services - thoughtful ways to incorporate handbells in new and unique ways.
The music in this collection is written for 2-3 octave handbells (12-17 bells), so they’re easy to learn and accessible for smaller (and younger) groups.
What does it take to direct a preschool choir? How is working with preschoolers different from working with elementary-age children? What do you need to know?
If you’re new to working with preschoolers or it’s been a while since you’ve been around this particular age group, here’s a quick guide to what it looks like to teach and direct a preschool choir.
I’m tailoring this to preschool choirs in church settings, but much of what I will describe here is applicable to choirs in school and community settings, as well.
“Congratulations! We’re excited to have you as our new handbell choir director.
There’s not much to it, really. Just show up on Wednesday nights for rehearsal, pick out a few things to play in worship this year, and arrive a little early those mornings to run through your piece.
The bells are kept in this locked cabinet. You’ll need to retrieve the hidden key to the office to get the key to the cabinet…
Oh, and we’ll need you to recruit a few new members - we had a few people move out of state last year.
Oh, and some of the bells may need repairing - ringers complained last year about a few odd noises…”
The first Sunday in Advent is only seven weeks away!
Advent is a journey; that season of waiting and preparation leading up to Christmas. It’s the beginning of a new liturgical year, a time when we gather in darkness and wait for the Light of the World to come again.
We re-read the ancient prophecies, we hold on to hope, we remind ourselves what it means to trust in God’s promises and receive God’s peace. We celebrate the gift of joy to the world and the light God shines into the dark places.
Surprise! I released my first collection of handbell music this week!
Four Pieces for Advent is a digital collection of four simple pieces for your Advent worship services. These pieces are designed to add a creative element into your services - thoughtful ways to incorporate handbells in new and unique ways.
The music in this collection is written for 2-octave handbells (12 bells), so they’re easy to learn and accessible for smaller (and younger) groups.
It's been a while since I've written anything about private teaching here. This is a big part of what I do during the week, even though I don't talk about it much here, and I know many of you teach privately, as well, in addition to the other things you do.
I teach private lessons four days a week at a private school as part of their extracurricular and after-school programming. At the beginning of this year, I shared eight ways to continue developing your teaching skills this year.
Music ministry can be fulfilling, demanding, meaningful, challenging, and deeply rewarding work - sometimes, all at the same time! It’s an opportunity to use your musical skills and experience in service to others; inspire and encourage others in their musical development; help people and nurture them in their faith; and participate in something greater than yourself.
It’s an opportunity to teach, create, inspire, dream, give, grow, and serve.
Multiculturalism isn't something we often talk about in church settings, right? Let's be honest:
Most congregations tend to sing the hymns they know from their hymnal.
And most choirs tend to sing music they are comfortable with, in a language they speak, and in a musical style that is familiar and accessible to them.
We're drawn to what we know and what's familiar to us, and that's completely natural.
The problem? We may miss opportunities to learn about people from other cultures, races, and ethnicities.
Have you ever flipped through your hymnal and come across all those indexes in the back?
The one we probably use most often is the Index of First Lines and Common Titles - a quick way to find the page number for a particular hymn you want to sing or play. Another index that sometimes proves helpful is the Index of Hymn Tunes, where you can look up a hymn by its tune name (for instance, NEW BRITAIN for “Amazing Grace” or HYMN TO JOY for “Joyful, Joyful”).
