2022 Conference Archive

Composing music for your church can be an inspiring part of the life of a church musician. Whether you are a published composer or want to try writing a psalm refrain, you’ll find inspiration and tools to keep working at your craft. This week-long session will feature different topics each day, including an in-depth look at the music publishing process, support with music notation software like Finale and Dorico, and conversations with experienced composers and teachers.Participants will be asked to fill out a questionnaire prior to the conference to help tailor the class to the experience level of the attendees. Everyone is encouraged to bring a piece or two you have written so that in small groups we can provide feedback and encouragement to one another.

Dr. Hibbard will explore new and relevant rehearsal strategies and vocal techniques to revive and renew our choir communities and build our strength, stamina, and artistry for this new and changing world of singing together.

This session invites the participants to critically reflect on their preaching and worship ministry in the past and the present and helps envision its future through renewed theological imagination.

How might Christian preaching and worship be the agency of God’s politics in our globalized world? This session explores a new paradigm and strategies for renewing homiletical and liturgical practices.

The challenges of living with COVID have made music making quite unpredictable.  In churches, most of us have seen our bell choirs disrupted, changing often during the last two years.  During this in-depth session we will ring and explore new literature for many different combinations of ringers and hopefully send you back to your churches with renewed excitement and strategies for whatever the future holds.  Bring your most pandemic-successful piece to share.

“How fortunate we are that when we are disturbed and oppressed by the problem of words, we can flee to the realm of music, of Christian music, and to a musical Christianity.” Karl Barth was familiar with God’s gift of music, of its ability to touch his soul and ours in a way in which words alone cannot! We want to give children this sacred gift of God’s message through song knowing it will remain with them throughout their lives. Our framework for the seminar will be a Summer Choir School Curriculum built on the Christian Year. Using Orff-Schulwerk approaches to teaching including speech chants and the use of Orff instruments, we will explore new and creative ways to “Sing Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs with love in our hearts for God” and each other knowing that with “Body, Mind, Spirit, and Voice the Whole Person Will Sing and Rejoice.”

Religious leaders across the country from many faith traditions have joined with Black churches and other faith groups in calling for police reforms and the dismantling of racism after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Some have marched and carried signs, while others have spoken at rallies or served as protest chaplains. Many have also fostered discussions about racial justice in their congregations.

What would our role as faith-filled activists look like if we reconnected with the heart and soul of our relationship with God and the intended connection to all created on this land. Can a new perspective guide us to a deeper understanding of the importance of activism in a way that honors relationships as children of God to each other and to the creation and in turn fuels the fight against injustice and inequality.

This In-Depth Seminar is a masterclass in playing hymns and service music in various styles at the organ. We will work on crafting simple, effective arrangements; creating appropriate textures with rhythm, articulation, and registration; using chord symbols; and exploring new harmonies. Short demonstrations will serve as models for hands-on music-making by participants. Bring your organ shoes.

Writing can be a powerful tool to help process emotions, self express, and create the needed space to heal.

Nationally-touring poet, teaching artist, and community organizer, Joe Davis, will interweave writing and healing practices to invite participants to unapologetically speak their truth and claim their power. No need to identify as a writer or artist, all experience levels are welcomed as we collectively explore how to write ourselves into a new way of being and creatively catalyze the world we long to live in together.

For many of us, our communities and church lives are changing. As Christians, we often ask ourselves and one another, “What am I going through and how does my faith relate to my experience?” We ask this when we are grieving. We ask this when we are filled with joy. How is God active in our lives? Over two sessions, we will ask the same question in terms of our broader church experience. It’s a two-step process. First, we’ll take a look at the lay of the land. What are people saying about the future of “the church”? Second, we’ll offer a biblical and theological examination of our shared experience. Where is God? And, what is God up to?

Get in the groove as you make authentic sounds on congas, bongos, djembe and “toys.” Learn West African and African rhythms, improvisation and how to use effective percussion with ethnic hymnody in your church. Bring instruments if you have them; they will be securely locked in the seminar room for the week. 

At their best, religions comfort and support people in the face of suffering. But sometimes the reasons religions offer for suffering can make things worse. If religious communities are to be places where those who suffer are able to communicate the truth of their reality and receive the support they need, the religious stories we tell need to be spacious enough to hold the grief, loss, and despair that accompany traumatic experiences like sexual violence, systemic racism, serious illness, or living through a global pandemic. And for Christians, one way to do this is to take on the typical storyline of faith and let it breathe. This in-depth seminar will help participants reimagine the role of lament and sadness in Christian individual and communal life and explore the ways that doing so opens up new avenues of hope.

In summer 2021, Tesfa Wondemagegnehu embarked on a 60 day, 40-stop research pilgrimage across the eastern half of the United States, collecting narratives from community members, activists, artists, clergy, and politicians whose work focuses on repair. He talked with anybody who had things to say on this subject and most of their work on repair was directly tied to saving the soul of this nation. If we fix the problems within the Black community; if we truly prioritize making the last become our first, ALLour disenfranchised communities will begin to thrive. This isn’t just an American issue, it is a global issue, and it is an issue that can only be solved by all stakeholders and institutions humbling themselves and realizing that the Answers have already been given to us. The Universe has been longing for us to wake up; hoping we begin to radically love and serve our neighbors by sharing all that we have of ourselves. Tesfa’s four movement choral piece, inspired by what he learned on his To Repair journey, debuted in April 2022 at Lincoln Center in New York. This In-Depth Seminar will feature reflections from Tesfa’s journey and choral writing process and have participants consider the questions: What is the role of my community (church, choir, etc.) in advocating for justice and repair? What does doing the work of repair look like?

COVID deeply altered the way many churches see, integrate, and understand technology. Churches are increasingly engaging a hybrid worship reality– the Body of Christ is gathering with aid from a wide variety of technologies used by both in-person and on-line members. As they adjust to this sea-change, churches are learning anew that their practical decisions about technology shape their understanding of themselves and their experience of God and Christian community. What opportunities and challenges arise as we incorporate new technologies into worship? How are we making meaning around technology’s presence in and mediating of worship? What technologies might we consider using (or using in new ways) to faithfully worship?

In this seminar we will explore the changes Covid has brought to the use of worship technology in our contexts. We will consider approaches, tools, and ideas for incorporating technology in worship. We will consider the values we bring to that task, and wonder how hybrid worship might change the ways we plan and lead worship and worship music. Throughout, I will share from my experience developing the worship production ministry at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, St. Paul.

Get in the groove as you make authentic sounds on congas, bongos, djembe and “toys.” Learn West African and African rhythms, improvisation and how to use effective percussion with ethnic hymnody in your church. Bring instruments if you have them.

At their best, religions comfort and support people in the face of suffering. But sometimes the reasons religions offer for suffering can make things worse. If religious communities are to be places where those who suffer are able to communicate the truth of their reality and receive the support they need, the religious stories we tell need to be spacious enough to hold the grief, loss, and despair that accompany traumatic experiences like sexual violence, systemic racism, serious illness, or living through a global pandemic. And for Christians, one way to do this is to take on the typical storyline of faith and let it breathe. This in-depth seminar will help participants reimagine the role of lament and sadness in Christian individual and communal life and explore the ways that doing so opens up new avenues of hope.

How do worship and the arts help us do the daily work of re-imagining ourselves as Children of God? How do both yet help us inhabit the everyday dimensions of our lives, especially amidst both the highs and lows of existence? These broad questions will form the basis for this session, which asks us to think together about how worship and art call us to live more deeply into the shared stories of our faith through practices such as
communal participation, emotional catharsis, and sensual engagement. The Christian story is one that helps us understand our despairs and our hopes, as well as everything in between. We’ll think about the theological importance of stories and interpret examples of how Christian hymns and visual art reveal and intertwine with this complex, fractured Christian narrative. Doing so helps us see anew the power of art to help us both re-imagine our lives and practice our faith amidst the rhythms of our days.

St. Olaf College’s Broadcast / Media Services team will lead attendees through discussion of best practices for creating engaging and technically sound audio and video broadcasts.  These techniques can make your stream stand out and help your virtual parishioners feel fully engaged in the worship experience, even when not in your sanctuary in person. Topics will include discussion of practical techniques and affordable equipment to support video, audio, lighting, and streaming transmissions. Please come with questions!  We will leave ample opportunity to explore the systems in Boe Memorial Chapel and discuss common experiences and issues in the realm of audio / video support for the church.

In this session, participants will be invited to join conference artist in residence Katherine Parent to explore how faith and visual arts intersect in communal sacred art practices. This session will be hands-on: come ready to create with open hearts!

Even before the pandemic, the landscape of the American church children’s and youth choir was shifting. Now, more than ever, it may feel like navigating foreign territory. In this session we will seek together to address the needs and realities of children and youth choirs in contemporary times. Bring your collaborative spirit and a heart of hopefulness!

A look at some of the music composed by females throughout music history and in the current times. Also information on how to find music of historical female figures and how to support some of our living composers.

The formative and collaborative experiences of worship connect us to God and neighbor by nurturing relationships and creating community, but we have recently become painfully aware of how isolated we all are when these experiences and relationships are strained or broken. In addition to the communities of congregations and neighbors we identify, this session makes a plea for the active nurture of professional and collegial communities we belong to as well. With my own experience as a member and leader in the Presbyterian Association of Musicians as a starting point, we’ll consider the value of investing what we can share with our community of peers and identifying what we need from them.

In summer 2021, Tesfa Wondemagegnehu embarked on a 60 day, 40-stop research pilgrimage across the eastern half of the United States, collecting narratives from community members, activists, artists, clergy, and politicians whose work focuses on repair. He talked with anybody who had things to say on this subject and most of their work on repair was directly tied to saving the soul of this nation. If we fix the problems within the Black community; if we truly prioritize making the last become our first, ALL our disenfranchised communities will begin to thrive. This isn’t just an American issue, it is a global issue, and it is an issue that can only be solved by all stakeholders and institutions humbling themselves and realizing that the Answers have already been given to us. The Universe has been longing for us to wake up; hoping we begin to radically love and serve our neighbors by sharing all that we have of ourselves. This Spotlight Session will feature reflections from Tesfa’s journey and have participants consider the questions: What is the role of my community and church in advocating for justice and repair? What does doing the work of racial reckoning, reconciliation, and repair look like?

This session will explore the use of concepts from methods such as Laban Effort-Shape, Bartenieff Fundamentals, Dalcroze Eurythmics, and BodySinging to refine and refresh your conducting techniques and expand your gesture vocabulary.  We will then examine ways to connect them to the vocality and physicality of your rehearsal process.

This session will address topics related to copyrights and licensing issues faced by church musicians. Topics will include:

• What licenses are needed in different situations.
• When do I need to get a license?
• How do I educate my church about copyright?
• Why is this all so complicated?

All Creation Sings was published in 2020 as a supplement to Evangelical Lutheran Worship and features two liturgy settings, 200 hymns, and many prayers and other resources for worship. This session will feature an overview of this new supplement, give us a chance to sing some of its liturgy and hymns, and talk about the ways ACS can help us join our voices with the whole creation God so marvelously made.

Even before the pandemic, the landscape of the American church children’s and youth choir was shifting. Now, more than ever, it may feel like navigating foreign territory. In this session we will seek together to address the needs and realities of children and youth choirs in contemporary times. Bring your collaborative spirit and a heart of hopefulness!

All Creation Sings was published in 2020 as a supplement to Evangelical Lutheran Worship and features two liturgy settings, 200 hymns, and many prayers and other resources for worship. This session will feature an overview of this new supplement, give us a chance to sing some of its liturgy and hymns, and talk about the ways ACS can help us join our voices with the whole creation God so marvelously made.

The St. Olaf College Ministry Team is a multi-religious staff. With Lutheran Christian pastors and Chaplains for Jewish and Muslim Life, we work to support the religious lives of all students and to make connections between people. In this Spotlight Session, the College Ministry Team will present ideas on building and fostering inter-religious relationships at work and in the community.