Transitioning Into Summer

I’m not sure how the weather has been where you live, but it felt like spring took its sweet time arriving in Iowa City. Thankfully, about two weeks ago, the weather started getting warmer and more leaves on the trees are starting to emerge. It’s refreshing to be able to wear shorts when I’m not working and having the possibility of more than one walk outside on a day off. I live across the street from a very large park and I expect I’ll spend quite a bit of time over the summer.

I’m definitely feeling entering into a new season with the arrival of spring and the end of the program year. I’m looking forward to a more relaxed schedule. I’m excited about planning for the next program year over the next few months. That seems like a wonderful gift since I started at St. Andrew last August, which barely gave me any time to do much advance planning. I’ll also reduce the frequency of my blog posts to monthly posts through August.

With a more relaxed schedule at church, I’m looking forward to exploring the area more, since I still feel new. However, I have a lot of projects that I will be working on. Every church I’ve been a part of has had different expectations and a different energy about summer. At St. Andrew, there’s so much support for and energy behind music that I’ll have two different small vocal ensembles sing a piece or two. I’d like to keep people connected, so I’m looking into planning some low-key fellowship events, like a walk in one of the many parks in the area with a picnic at the end. In July or August, there will be a jazz Sunday, led by several instrumentalists in the congregation.

In addition to summer projects, longer term events will need my attention. Once I’ve selected a date for the Lessons and Carols service in December, I’ll start planning that service. On March 2, 2024, the Adult Choir will present a concert with Fauré Requiem as the focus. We’ll also include octavos, readings, and hymns. I’m very interested in re-envisioning the concert experience, so I’m wrestling with the themes of the Requiem to contextualize the work for a contemporary audience. Over the summer, I’ll finish programming the whole concert. Once that’s completed, I’ll share that program, as well as thought processes that went into finalizing the program. In April 2024, St. Andrew will host a handbell choir festival, co-sponsored by the Presbyterian Association of Musicians and the Handbell Musicians of America. In the next 2 – 3 weeks, a planning team will be finalized, then the bulk of the planning will start.

Along with the planning of events, I’ll start better evaluating what procedures, policies, and systems need to be put into place. For example, I’d like to have a team that would help plan fellowship events. On a different note, I’d also like to organize various rooms and spaces used by ensembles. I’ll also evaluate the methods of communication (email, Facebook, etc.) that I use with ensembles and see if there might be other methods that I include.

As in 2021 and 2022, I will be attending Week 2 of the Worship and Music Conference at Montreat. For over 50 years, it has inspired attendees. Sponsored by the Presbyterian Association of Musicians (PAM), it takes place at the Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, NC, close to Asheville. Each year, hundreds of adults, children, and youth attend one of two week-long sessions to worship, learn, make music, rest, reconnect with long-time friends, and make new friends. Here is some additional information on the conference:

I’m thrilled to experience it this year with six other people from St. Andrew! I’m looking forward to getting to know them better and collectively see what ideas could work for our context.

For adults, the schedule consists of a mix of classes and rehearsals in the morning and afternoon, with daily worship right before lunch. Evening activities are varied and consist of an organ recital, Beer and Hymns event, hymn festival, Adult and High School Chamber Choir Concert, and a closing concert featuring all ensembles. While it does sound like a full schedule, many attendees elect not to fill their entire day with classes and enjoy the beautiful scenery during various class blocks. The Adult Choral Clinician this summer is Dr. Jason Max Ferdinand and I can’t wait to learn from him! In case you haven’t seen the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers this arrangement of He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, it’s well worth watching!

What plans do you have for the summer? Comment below!