Austen Wilson

Modulating/Adjusting to a New Era: Pivoting When the Unexpected Happens

August 3, 2021 by Austen Wilson Leave a Comment

Welcome to this summer series on questions and possibilities for a new era in our personal lives, professional lives, the choral landscape, and in society! I’m so glad you’re here for the journey.

Originally today’s post was going to be content from an interview with church musician and composer Karen Marrolli. However, due to extenuating circumstances, I’ve needed to pivot. I was all set to write the post when I received an alarming call. Several hours later and after a report to a police officer, I realized I had been targeted in a scam. Luckily, I only think the scammers got away with taking some money and not sensitive personal information. In hindsight, I realized I should have hung up immediately, but it sounded very plausible in the moment. Unfortunately, sometimes life is the toughest teacher.

So this post is going to be a little shorter than normal. I’m still a little shaken, but there are a few takeaways I’ve been reminded of in the past several hours.

It’s good to acknowledge my own limits. I highly value reliability, which includes getting things done on time. I’m certainly adept and churning out content at the last minute. Back in the day I think I finished some music history papers just in the nick of time 🙂 However, in this instance, I was stuck. Not only was I under a time crunch, but emotionally I was drained. I asked my good friend, colleague, and fellow blogger Dr. Shannon Gravelle for some advice, who suggested I could write about events today. Brilliant idea! On a side note, I highly recommend checking out her very insightful blog posts. Needless to say, I decided to accept my limits and acknowledge that I can’t do everything.

Speaking of doing everything, it feels like I wear so. many. hats. All the time. One of the hats that doesn’t get worn as much as it needs to be is “human”. Especially in a pandemic, leaning into one’s own humanity is a great gift not only to myself, but to others around me.

One of the downsides of the pandemic, especially in the early days, was being in lock down for so long. Regular support networks may have faltered or vanished. On the other hand, I need a constant reminder that we’re not truly alone and that there are people out there waiting to cheer us on, give advice, laugh with, or provide a shoulder to cry. Having that support network is so important, especially in challenging times such as during a pandemic.

This evening has been very emotionally charged. I’ve found it helpful to have some practices I can lean on to help center myself. Among other things, there are a number of albums or playlists on Spotify I’ll listen to. I’ve taken a particular liking to “Night” by Ola Gjeilo:

If you enjoy that and aren’t familiar with his choral music, check it out!

Finally, I thought I would give you taste for next week’s blog post, based on an interview with Karen Marrolli. She writes extremely well for adult church choirs and also composes engaging solos. Although this video is of a solo, entitled Come and See, it will become a choral piece in the future. While the song was written with COVID in mind, I think the message is wonderful for all kinds of occasions.

Modulating/Adjusting to a New Era: Conference on Worship, Theology, and the Arts

July 27, 2021 by Austen Wilson Leave a Comment

In even-numbered years, St. Olaf College hosts the Conference on Worship, Theology, and the Arts, further called CWTA in this post. It is a profoundly moving week-long church music conference attended by both church musicians and clergy from a variety of denominations. Nationally-renowned faculty from the college and around the nation provide a rich environment for learning and worship. One of these conferences would have happened during the summer of 2020. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, it was cancelled. Thankfully, a few of the organizers held a half-day online conference on July 20, 2021. Based on the original theme of the 2020 conference, “Scatter the Imagination of our Hearts”, it was an inspiring and thought-provoking conference, despite it being held through Zoom.

The conference started at 4:30 pm EST with an address by Dr. Anton Armstrong, conductor of the St. Olaf Choir. In the message, he spoke on the power of music to help worship leaders and faith communities grapple with issues of equity and inclusion. While this wasn’t the exact address from the conference, here are similar remarks he provided for the 2021 online conference of the American Choral Directors Association:

In the address during CWTA, Dr. Armstrong posed a number of thought-provoking questions. How have we been scattered in body, mind, spirit, voice with twin pandemics of COVID and systemic racism? How might we be brought back together? How might church musicians be pastoral servant leaders and both priest and prophet? How do we transform ourselves to do the work of diversity and inclusion? We have the charge to lift every voice, not just a few or a handful of voices.

After the address, we had the opportunity to enter into breakout rooms for 15 minutes to discuss the talk and then ask Dr. Armstrong questions, some of which dealt with resources we might use in expanding repertoire. These included Choristers Guild, GIA, pieces by Rollo Dilworth, and the Justice Choir Songbook. He also discussed how in the past year, the St. Olaf Choir had discussions about inclusion and all signed on to a social contract.

Following the discussion was a worship moment, which was recorded ahead of time and lasted about 10 – 15 minutes. The sole leaders were an organist, eight singers, and two pastors. It included prayers, readings, and a few sung components where participants were encouraged to sing while their Zoom screen was muted.

After a short break, we watched a presentation by a number of creatives behind A Sanctified Art, which is an organization that creates artistic and multi-media resources for the church. Thankfully, their work was represented at the Montreat conference this year and I can attest to the profound nature of their work.

For more information, find them at the following website:

https://sanctifiedart.org/

They led us through two different exercises. One was a guided meditation of a large image of the biblical account of Jesus scattering the money changers in the temple. Another was a series entitled “I’ve Been Meaning to Ask….” We saw a few video vignettes based around the questions “Where are you from?”, “Where does it hurt?”, “What do you need?”, and “Where do we go from here?”. These vignettes were followed by introspective questions. I could easily see this series used as a part of a reflection on worship, for a small group, or to build community.

Following the presentation, there was a dinner break where participants could log off or keep engaged by watching the St. Olaf Choral Spring Showcase, released on May 9, 2021. To watch the showcase, click on the link below:

https://www.stolaf.edu/multimedia/play/?e=3305

After the dinner break, Joe Davis gave a presentation, entitled “Radical Joy! Finding Your Freedom Practice and Deepening Healing”. Mr. Davis is a nationally-touring artist, educator, and speaker based in Minneapolis, MN. He encouraged us to find a practice first thing in the morning where we could stay grounded. Even before we look at our phones in the morning, we might consider finding a time of pause and stillness, writing and processing, and thinking of something compassionate to tell ourselves.

At the end of his presentation, we watched a very moving video he produced, entitled To My Beloved Children.

For more information on Mr. Davis, click on the following link:

http://joedavispoetry.com/

Finally, we learned about a project created by Dr. Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, entitled “To Repair”, which involves collecting narratives from activists and community leaders about repairing and reparations. He led this session live from Tulsa, Oklahoma, along with Antron McKay-West, a serial entrepreneur who helps his community in Jackson, Mississippi. Among the many insights in this session was that in the Bible, God didn’t always choose the most polished people to serve. In addition, we were encouraged to think how the church relates to the day-to-day suffering of communities in our context.

Although the conference only lasted for a few hours, there are a few lessons or questions I will be thinking about. Who is our neighbor? How might I embody the role of priest and prophet in my context? Finally, what do I need to change in the music ministry in my context with regards to diversity, equity, and inclusion?

Modulating/Adjusting to a New Era: Collaboration and Flexibility at a Church Music Conference

July 13, 2021 by Austen Wilson Leave a Comment

For over 50 years, the Worship and Music Conference at Montreat 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.

For years, I’ve heard how fantastic the conference is. Happily, I was able to attend for the first time and it was exactly what I needed. I was able to worship, make music, learn, make friends, and enjoy the beautiful Montreat setting without needing to lead a worship service or rehearsal. Although it was sponsored by PAM, there were attendees from a variety of denominations. From my perspective, church musicians from different denominations would appreciate the conference and be able take practical ideas to their home congregation.

As a first-time conference goer, I was thrilled at how easy it was to meet other attendees. During meals, I don’t think I ever sat with the exact same group of people twice! I asked Meg Granum Gurtcheff, co-Director of the conference, if that was typical at Montreat. She said that the welcoming and friendly nature of Montreat is part of the DNA of the conference. No wonder people keep returning year after year!

According to Meg, the planning committee had three main goals: that everything would be focused on worship, to embrace the intergenerational heritage of the conference, and that there would be practical applications for a variety of local contexts. From my perspective, having clear goals was crucial. I saw them clearly put into practice during the conference.

Regarding worship, we were treated to six creative and moving worship services, each centered around a different festival in the church year: Pentecost, Baptism of the Lord, Reign of Christ, Ash Wednesday, All Saints, and World Communion. Each service was well crafted and I felt both spiritually and musically nourished.

Each worship and music conference at Montreat is planned starting three years out. According to Meg, When COVID struck, there was a hope and flexibility phase from July 2020 – January 2021. Plan A was to have the conference in person. Plan B was what needed to happen if the conference had to be 100% virtual. In January 2021, the PAM Board decided to have an in-person conference with an online conference simultaneously during Week 2. Even with this plan, flexibility was needed. For example, before the Ash Wednesday service, the planning team had multiple discussions whether or not imposition of ashes would occur due to safety concerns related to COVID. As of the printing of the conference booklet, the team was still unsure whether or not it would happen and where in the service it would occur. As a result, it was not included in the conference book. In my own context, there were a lot of discussions whether or not to include imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday, so I fully understood if that was unable to happen. Luckily, the planning team at the conference developed a system by which they felt that they could distribute ashes safely. This was only finalized during the beginning of Week 1 of the conference.

Regarding practical considerations, there were a number of ideas I gleaned that I could use in my local context. For example, the All Saints service was particularly meaningful. At the beginning of the service, about a dozen people had candles of varying sizes. One person stood up, lifted a large candle, and proceeded to the altar. The others followed, but at their own pace.

Early on in the planning stages, a conversation was whether or not to have an Adult only event. Overwhelmingly the decision was to embrace the intergenerational heritage of the conference. As a result, Youth and Children helped lead worship at various points not only in choir anthems but also in prayers and bringing Scripture passages to life.

There were so many amazing moments of the conference that I wish I could share all of them. However, I had a few lessons I will continue to ponder throughout the summer and beyond.

I was inspired by the intentionality of instruments used on the hymns in worship. Small adjustments to hymns can go a long way. For example, adding an instrument or small instrumental ensemble can help the congregation sing more expressively.
Even if a conference is a mountaintop experience, having practical elements to take home is essential.
Collaboration, when done well, is a joy. One of the classes I attended was entitled “Worship Reflections”, where the planning team would discuss the prior worship service and we could ask questions. At almost each session, people on the team gave others compliments. I was struck at how each of the members of the team exemplified being a servant-leader. That example was a reminder of one of the vital roles of serving as a church musician.

What are some small adjustments you’ve used on hymns that have yielded powerful results? What does it mean to you to be a servant-leader? Comment below!

Modulating/Adjusting to a New Era: Choir, Conducting, Conferences

July 6, 2021 by Austen Wilson Leave a Comment

From June 20 – 25, I attended the Choral Conducting Symposium at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, led by Dr. Andrew Megill, Dr. Pearl Shangkuan, and Dr. Maurice Boyer. I had attended the Symposium before and when I heard it was happening this summer, I jumped at the chance to attend. After a challenging 15 – 16 months, I wanted to attend a summer workshop where I could primarily focus on music and conducting in a supportive and non-competitive environment.

On average, each of the participants conducted once a day for about 30 minutes. When we weren’t conducting, we sang. Our first piece was something of our choosing. For the remainder of the week, we chose movements from the Mozart Coronation Mass, selections by Brahms and Mendelssohn, movements from the Fauré and Duruflé Requiem, and 20^th century American and British part songs. Over the course of the week, we had the opportunity to work with all three instructors.

The schedule was built around COVID-related considerations and a desire to give attendees ample podium time. The registration was capped at 14 participants and it was 100% in-person. We were required to wear a mask whenever instruction was taking place. Despite wearing a mask, the music making was outstanding and moving. Masks were optional for anyone who was vaccinated and conducting. From 9:00 am – 12:00 pm and 3:00 – 6:00 pm, we sang and conducted. In order to air out the room, we alternated between two rooms in 30-minute increments. From 1:30 – 2:30 pm, there was an hour-long discussion on rehearsal techniques and choral/orchestral considerations.

When we received feedback on our conducting, the focus was on hearing the relationship of gesture to sound, breathing, and being ourselves on the podium. Often the first question asked was “What did you hear?” or “What did you like from the choir?” All three of the instructors wanted to help us achieve our imagination of the piece. Occasionally there might be some comments on tempo or style, but generally the instructors wanted us to be ourselves on the podium and help each conductor achieve their vision of the piece.

Despite the different experience levels of the conductors, each was a fantastic musician. This not only made for a wonderful choral ensemble to sing in, but also a joy to sing under each conductor. Throughout the week, each conductor became more themselves on the podium and allowed their innate musicianship and creativity to shine through brighter and brighter.

I was fortunate to be able to sit down with Dr. Megill and ask his thoughts on the week. From that conversation and ideas discussed during conducting sessions, I felt that I came away with a few things to reflect on for this coming fall.

For several weeks in the spring, the website said that it was to be determined whether or not the Symposium would happen this summer. I asked Dr. Megill the factors that went into deciding to give it a green light. He said that the School of Music supported hosting the Symposium. However, because the University of Illinois is such a large university, sometimes it was confusing who had the ultimate decision-making power. Increased vaccination rates across the country throughout the spring also helped.

I asked Dr. Megill what his goals were for the week. Primarily it was a hunger to make music live, especially since many areas of the country barely had had any live music in 15 months. As a result, he chose repertoire that was enjoyable to sing and easy to prepare. From a participant’s standpoint, we sang one or two of the pieces over ten times, but yet we did not grow weary of any of them.

Another question I asked Dr. Megill was what he was grateful for during the Symposium. He mentioned that given the state of the world, a group of relative strangers in the Symposium participants cared for each other, treated each other with kindness, and created a community of musicians. Even though the program was non-auditioned, we had a fairly balanced and outstanding choir. Dr. Megill was also thankful for being able to teach with Dr. Shangkuan and Dr. Boyer.

While some of Dr. Megill’s answers related just to the Symposium, I believe that his remarks also may relate to our own programs when we relaunch in the fall. Perhaps some of these questions or lessons are considerations you’re already thinking about. As the summer progresses, I will spend some time reflecting on these points.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our choirs is to be ourselves.
Especially with variants on the increase, being transparent and communicative with decision makers in our organizations is crucial.
As we’re emerging into this new world, what kind of repertoire do we choose? Perhaps a worthy goal would be choosing repertoire that is enjoyable early in the rehearsal process.
As leaders, we set the tone for our ensembles. From my perspective, a big reason why participants treated each other with kindness is partly due to the model of the instructors.

For more information on this year’s Symposium, click on the following link:

http://publish.illinois.edu/choralconductingworkshop/

Modulating/Adjusting to a New Era: Coordinating the Online Portion of a Church Music Workshop

June 29, 2021 by Austen Wilson Leave a Comment

The pandemic has thrown a wrench in a wide variety of organizations, including summer conferences. Out of caution, some organizations have decided not to hold a summer event. Others took a leap of faith that vaccines would be widely be available to adults by the summer and decided to hold events. Today’s post is about a church music workshop I attended in person and helped lead.

The Fellowship of United Methodists in Worship Arts (otherwise known as The Fellowship) is a professional organization for choir directors and choir members in United Methodist Churches. For over 65 years, the Florida chapter has hosted its own weeklong summer workshop, which includes worship services, choir rehearsals, reading sessions, and a variety of elective classes. An important part of the event is concurrent Adult and Youth (grade 6 – 12) workshops with some intergenerational activities.

After the success of a 100% Virtual Conference in 2020, questions lingered whether or not the workshop in 2021 would be in-person, online, or hybrid. When the planning team met in early January 2021, opinions were split. At that point, vaccines had started rolling out, but only a small percentage of adults had been vaccinated then. Some committee members wanted a totally virtual conference. Others were passionate about having an in-person workshop.

For those who wanted an in-person conference, a major factor was the Youth workshop. Without a youth workshop two years in a row, that program would greatly suffer and would have adversely impacted its momentum. When the workshop chair, Joan FitzGerald, asked for feedback, I said I was in favor of a totally online workshop, but I was willing to go along with the will of the committee. After consulting others, Joan decided to take a leap of faith and have an in-person workshop. At that point, I was uncomfortable attending in-person and would assist with an online component. Thankfully I was able to get vaccinated in April. As a result, I attended in person.

Immediately after the chair decided to hold an in-person workshop, we started planning. Adaptations with regards to COVID impacted the schedule. Participants arrived Monday night instead of Sunday night, thus reducing the length of the workshop by a day. Any activity involving singing was shortened to 30 minutes and that space had to air out for a minimum of 30 minutes after a rehearsal or worship service. Masks were required indoors when Adults and Youth were in the same room. For Adults only classes, masks were optional for those who were vaccinated. In lieu of a final concert where friends and family could attend, final performances were recorded.

As coordinator of the online component, I set three goals early on: people would feel connected to each other, be inspired artistically, and feel renewed spiritually. I established a tech team that was responsible for bringing any tech equipment necessary for a livestream. Based on the goals, I created the schedule and secured facilitators for a variety of online sessions. All the plans were set!

Regarding the Adult portion, attendees include both choir directors and choir members. Some have attended for many years, especially if they had attended as a middle or high school student. This is an incredibly special part of the workshop, as it’s a vital time for reconnecting with long-time friends. According to Joan, seeing people reconnect with friends was a highlight of the week. While continuing education is an important part of the week, the workshop goes beyond taking classes to improve one’s skills. It is a strong community that is a time of renewal for those who attend. According to the workshop chair, despite the necessary adaptations due to COVID, it was one of the smoothest run FL Chapter Fellowship Workshops.

As coordinator of the online component, I was thrilled. Inevitably, there were a few wrinkles regarding WiFi, but overall the live-stream events worked really well. I thought that I accomplished the initial goals I had set up months before the workshop started. I felt as if the online participants were connected to each other. Worship services were wonderful and choir rehearsals were inspiring.

I asked Joan her favorite moments and she had many. The worship services, especially the preaching, were a highlight. Not having the typical duties of a Director of Music for a week was also a blessing.

After the workshop, she and I had a short conversation regarding hybrid workshops in the future. We both agreed that it was very challenging to pull one off. One of the Fellowship members happened to have the right equipment. If he wasn’t able to attend, we would not have been able to pull off the live-streaming for online participants. However, some kind of online offering is good. Maybe one online hour-long event once a month? In another week or so, we’ll have a debriefing meeting with other members of the planning team. I suspect we’ll discuss these observations and decide on a format for future summer workshops.

For more information on the Florida Chapter of the Fellowship, go to www.floridafummwa.org

Based on my involvement, I thought of some questions I will reflect on during the summer:

Community was essential to the workshop. What might I do to strengthen community in my own context?
For members of church choirs who are reluctant to come back to choir in the fall, how do we help them stay connected to the choir community?
As a church musician, how can I connect those worshipping online with those worshipping in person?

Modulating/Adjusting to a New Era: Transitions in Music, Part 2 of 2

June 22, 2021 by Austen Wilson Leave a Comment

The last time we left off, the Philadelphia-based PhilHarmonia Chamber Choir planned to premiere a brand-new, historically significant piece called Remember the Ladies by composer Dr. Melissa Dunphy in November 2020. This commission was in collaboration with the Museum of the American Revolution and all were excited. Unfortunately, just as plans were underway, COVID struck.

For more background, here is the link to Part 1:

Modulating/Adjusting to a New Era: Transitions in Music, Part 1 of 2

In March 2020, both the choir and Dr. Mitos Andaya Hart, the Artistic Director, were facing unchartered territory. Like many choral organizations, they tried to meet and rehearse online. Challenges abounded. Rehearsing online was much less satisfying than singing in person. Some singers had limited wifi and technical capabilities. As a result, the ensemble took a pause for several months during the summer. There were also some lingering questions. Going forward, what kind of presence was PhilHarmonia going to have? How were they going to make a positive difference in the community with all of the challenges?

Towards the end of summer 2020, Dr. Andaya Hart started to thinking about 2020 – 21. In a typical year, the choir would present a December concert called Winter Spirits, which involved seasonal choral music, dinner and drinks for the audience, and a sing along of familiar carols at the end of the evening. While PhilHarmonia could not provide a full Winter Spirits program in person, they decided to create a virtual carol collage that would uplift people’s spirits.

Buoyed by that success, Dr. Andaya Hart revisited Remember the Ladies in December 2020. She thought the commission was so important and knew PhilHarmonia could overcome any hurdles. This project would provide a sense of hope and positive change in challenging times.

In January 2021, Dr. Andaya Hart met with Dr. Dunphy and Museum curators to see how a virtual premiere might be possible. After the meeting, they knew this was a collaboration that needed to happen. Adjustments were made to the commission. First, the choir would only provide a mastered audio recording and the museum would be responsible for the video portion. Second, the difficulty level of the piece was adjusted for a Virtual Choir context. What had been originally a multi-movement work was now one piece. Instead of lots of divisi, there was only divisi in the soprano part.

Once those parameters were established, Dr. Andaya Hart met with Sara Harris Brown, the Executive Director, and created a game plan. First, they wanted to see if the choir would be on board. They met on Zoom with choir members and one of the curators of the museum exhibit. Luckily since this was a Virtual project, I was able to participate, even though I live in Jacksonville, FL. From that initial Zoom meeting, the response was overwhelmingly positive from the choir. We had a virtual commission on our hands!

Dr. Dunphy initially provided MIDI tracks of the piece so we could practice at home and rehearse on Zoom on Sunday evenings as a group. Early on in the rehearsal process, rehearsal tracks were created from a combination of Dr. Andaya Hart and singers from the choir. She also strongly urged that we setup one on one meetings with her so we could get individual feedback. Some of the singers had not sung in 10 months, so this feedback was invaluable. Once singers started submitting their final recordings in March 2021, Dr. Andaya Hart was confident that the product would be good due to the skill of the singers and the audio engineer. As this was a premiere, there was an expectation to have an excellent recording. On March 25, 2021, PhilHarmonia premiered Remember the Ladies. Here is the final product:

The premiere was part of an hour-long discussion on the museum exhibit and the piece. That discussion can be found here:

The choir, composer, and museum were thrilled with the final product! Happily, this is not the end of the story!

The last week in May, I knew I would be on vacation in New Jersey and Philadelphia while visiting friends and family. I approached Dr. Andaya Hart if PhilHarmonia could have an informal gathering where we would sing Remember the Ladies. On May 27, 2021, members of PhilHarmonia met outside at a park in Philadelphia to hang out and sing. This was the first time the choir had seen each other in over a year! There was a sense of excitement and joy. Dr. Andaya Hart loved the surround sound from singing in a circle and saw people connecting with each other visually. She remarked that “You can’t duplicate standing next to someone and breathing/tuning together.” We spent several hours eating, singing, and hanging out. It was a joyous occasion.

When I asked Dr. Andaya Hart how she was approaching the 2021 – 22 season, she remarked that she was using an abundance of caution and asking current singers who will be comfortable coming back in person. A primary goal would include rebuilding the heart of the organization and adding new personnel to replace singers who won’t be back due to life changes or feeling uncomfortable about returning due to health concerns.

As a singer in the project, I was overjoyed to be a part of creation of a new piece of art, even during the pandemic. From a conductor’s standpoint, I have a few observations/questions that I’m wrestling with going forward.

What non-musical elements can I use to enhance choral pieces?
What individuals/organizations are in my community or church I can collaborate or co-create with?
A sense of community is vital to every choral organization. What are new ways I can apply to help building community?

You can check out PhilHarmonia and Dr. Melissa Dunphy at the following links:

https://philharmoniasings.com/

http://www.melissadunphy.com/

Do you have any questions about this commission? Were there any projects you had started before the pandemic that you needed to change during the pandemic? If so, what were they? Comment below!