• Meet the Clinicians for the Summer 2007 Music Clinics!
• New Workshop for Summer 2007 Music Clinics
• New Music for Fall, Advent, and Christmas 2007
• Online Music Planning Calendar

With summer fast approaching, and Augsburg Fortress is hard at work preparing for the upcoming Summer 2007 Music Clinics. This year's featured clinicians include two of the most popular names in church music today, David Cherwien and Mark Sedio.

David Cherwien serves at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is the Artistic Director of the National Lutheran Choir and an adjunct faculty member of the Master of Sacred Music program at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Click here to read his full biography.

What keeps you doing what you do?

Who knows? The spirit of God, I think. One thing is the parish I currently serve. Everything we do is so deeply meaningful to them it really makes me want to work harder. It's also very rewarding to know that the efforts I put out are greeted with such intense understanding and meaning. Paul Manz called it a circle of energy (I think of it more as a spiral). I present to them thoughtful preparations, they receive and use them, which comes back to me and energizes me more—and the spiral grows.

What do you do differently today than you did ten years ago?

It's funny how recent ten years feels to me now. Ten years ago I was exploring more various musical styles for congregational song. It's what we were supposed to do. I find myself retreating from that a bit, and encouraging, nurturing, blessing the cultures from which I and many come which seems to be less popular right now—particularly European and Western classical music. That's not to say that I don't enjoy other styles, or music of other cultures—those are also important for us to participate in, and to learn about—but I find that we tend to look over the fence first before nurturing and blessing the side we're already on. I also felt that things were often more novelty and entertaining than true expression, although that isn't something I would say is always absolutely the case. It just was where I was.

What are simple ways to grow a worship and music program?

I believe it starts with two very important approaches.
1. Use the resources you have WELL—which usually translates to doing less, and doing that better. The greatest limitation church music has is preparation time with the church's volunteer musicians—but if we plan for less, and plan the amount of time needed to adequately prepare better, they do better, and that is more enticing, both for its effectiveness, and for "recruiting."
2. The other: Bless memory—even if their musical/spiritual/worship memories are not what particular twirl our turbines. When people feel their memory is blessed, they are more open to receiving encouragement to grow into new. If we plan on singing "What a Friend We Have In Jesus" once in a while, they may be far more open to learning "Alabare."

Tell us about a worship event that made a difference in your life.

That's an easy question to answer—it was a hymn festival by Paul Manz. At the time I was playing in a rock band. I had had pipe organ lessons, but had not yet discovered how those two backgrounds would converge. I heard this synthesis in what happened—Paul improvising, projecting deep meaning from the texts, and with music that was much more mature and deep than the stuff I was playing five nights a week. And the people were energized and responding from deep within them. Then we'd go back to the band, and pray someone would "break the ice" and dance. Oddly, I can remember many of the hymns from that ONE night, and can hardly remember any of the songs we performed night after night in the band. But at the hymn festival I saw in an instant that the improvisation and freedom from the band translated into classical music of hymnody—and that people were responding with their souls and not out of a thirst for entertaining themselves away from reality.

How has the role of the choir changed since you have been directing (church) choirs?

I started out when LBW came out, 1978. At that time we were encouraged to foster a liturgical role for the choir: leading the song, singing the propers, etc. But this was new to many of the singers. They were used to imitating the college choirs by singing big anthems, which were actually not something they could do well. The new role seemed more appropriate to me. We could custom design music that fit their capabilities like a glove, which is why I started writing things for them, week after week, and then I'd throw it away. I want to add one very important thing!!! I must include the choir's role as leader of the assembly's song as the most important thing. It's really the leader of song and not the presenter of the big anthem that was different when LBW came out, and that the propers could also be custom composed.

How has the role of the organ changed, or not?

I think Paul Manz revolutionized this as well. Today more and more organists are approaching their work as organists more creatively, as song leaders rather than being historians, through the organ literature played, and placing little emphasis on the hymnody and liturgy. I'm grateful for this shift, although I am grateful for the academic knowledge some are passionate with. I find more interest in being creative because that's my brain type.

What's the most frustrating element of your work?

I'm thinking it's safe to venture a guess that the one thing most church musicians will not miss once we retire is wondering who's going to show up for church choir the next week. And we have to grin and bear it. "Hey! Look who came tonight! I'm so glad you're here! I remember when you came last year!".....Folks are busy, and choirs are not huge like we perceive they once were. When people are gone it really can hurt the sound. It's hard for us to have a consistent roster of singers to develop. But that's also the challenge. I usually find a direct connection between attendance regularity and the amount of work and preparation I put in myself. When I'm "winging it" during my own busy times, the singers get less interested. When I put a lot of effort into musical preparations, they tend to be more regular.

What do you wish someone had told you at your first church position?

To be more patient, to bless memory more, and not feel like the weight of the entire realm of God rested on getting support for my latest idea of what would be best for them. They're intelligent people (congregations), we should trust them more.

What do you get out of leading seminars, traveling to different events, etc?

Seeing and experiencing what goes on in other places. Invariably, we're all experiencing the same issues over time. In sharing that, we can find a lot of support for our trials. I also love meeting people. Some of my best friends I encountered in these kinds of contexts. I also love hearing stories of other's parish experiences.

What skills does a church musician need that they probably won't learn in school?

All the things you just asked!

Mark Sedio is the Director of Music at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serves on the music staff at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Click here to read his full biography.

What keeps you doing what you do?

Basically, in short, I love what I do. When I was in college Bob Wetzler, the composer, sent a group of us up to one of the summer Paul J. Christiansen choral workshops. I remember sitting at a table talking to a group of full-time church musicians—probably my first such encounter. One of them said, "I'm so incredibly lucky. I've made my hobby my job." That's true. Working with choirs, playing for worship, programming, figuring out just how a hymn will work—both in the context of the liturgy and just the mechanics: harmony? unison? instrumental (organ/piano support)...it's just so much fun—and fulfilling!

What do you do differently today than you did ten years ago?

The biggest difference is that I spend a good chunk of the opening of each choral rehearsal on warm-ups and choral technique. I fish out problems that either has arisen or I feel may arise in any given piece and we work on those specifics. Since doing this we never have problems with pitch, nor do I have to talk about vowel production. It just happens naturally.

What are simple ways to grow a worship and music program?

Keep things fresh. I always think of the relationship between a church musician and the assembly as an exercise in courting. You give each other little gifts—it's always corporate—there's always some kind of response. Changes in registration, reharmonizing (in interesting but supportive ways) familiar liturgical ordinaries, new ways of singing the Psalms, integration of the choir into the fabric of the liturgy. There are so many things that people in the pew (and in the choir loft) seem to find compelling and they keep coming back. Another thing to keep in mind is to be authentic—to be you. Find out what works for you, whether at the keyboard, on the podium, in the pulpit (preachers), or at the altar (presiders). Inauthentic worship just shouldn't be and people know it when they experience it.

Describe a worship event that made a difference in your life.

There are so many. But one that really sticks in my mind happened on a Sunday morning in Lent around fifteen or so years ago. The text was the raising of Lazarus—that, with Emmaus, are my favorite New Testament periscopes. During distribution of communion we were singing "Lord, Thee I Love." At that point I had an amazing children's choir at Mount Olive. Those choristers have gone on to St. Olaf, Concordia, Valparaiso, Augsburg, Gustavus, the University of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and so on—in the bands, choirs. I'm very, very proud of them all. We used to rehearse the hymns for any given Sunday but hadn't had time for the communion hymns during rehearsal. Now, anyone who's been at worship at that great Minneapolis congregation understands the singing is truly fabulous. And this, being the congregation's favorite hymn (we actually did take a poll), was the pièce de resistance. The 30 some children were standing in the organ loft to lead the singing as they always did. Stanza 1...stanza 2.... by the third stanza I had the organ nearly at full registration. I thought the roof was going to explode off the church! Unbelievable! "Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend...." I looked up, and several of those children, including my own little second grade "creatively oriented" son, had tears running down their cheeks. Dumb down? Pablum? Never! A sixteenth century, Catherine Winkworth translated hymn moved these kids to tears. The role of music in worship, the people of God gathered to sing and celebrate. This is holy stuff!

How has the role of the choir changed since you have been directing (church) choirs?

Any good preacher will tell you that a congregation forms the preacher every bit as much as the preacher forms a congregation. It's no different for a church musician. I've had the great good fortune of serving congregations in which music has played such an important role in the life—not only worship life—of the congregation(s). Twenty-five years ago, when I entered seminary, I became organist for a monthly Sunday evening celebration of the Eucharist. Knowing many fine singers in the seminary community, we started a choir. We had singers (seminary spouses, for example) from the Dale Warland Singers, Minnesota Chorale, and so on. Very cool! The worship experiences were extraordinary. Carl Volz, the late professor of history at Luther Seminary, became my mentor. His comments like "There's no place for an anthem in a Lutheran service" really got me thinking. I learned how to knit the choir into the fabric of worship. Small things, like creating little orthodox four-part harmony chants to welcome the newly baptized, things like that. Although it's probably not everyone's experience by a long shot, for me, the role of the choir (along with those of the organist/pianist and presider) serves as glue to hold the drama of worship together—to help it all make sense to those in the assembly. We're all players, not active each in their own vacuum, but creating something wonderful, something worthy – experiential. We all have a part to play. NOT ENTERTAINMENT. Of course, we still do the great chestnut anthems, etc., but we place them in ways that they make sense in the service.

Has the role of Organ changed?

As I travel around, it seems to me the organ is making somewhat of a comeback. At least I hope it is. For so long the organ got such a bad rap. But I think people who were entrusted to play it seemed either a little afraid of it or bound by the way they thought it should be played. I was a little startled when one student at the seminary, a senior—which meant she'd been there for four years—said to me, "Thank you SO much for helping me understanding that music in worship doesn't have to be work." (She was a fine trumpeter.) "I understand why they call it playing an instrument—it's what YOU do." Why shouldn't we use the organ percussively as a giant drum to accompany African songs? Should the music of Bach not dance when played at the keyboard? I hope the role of the organ here in worship in North America will continue to blossom creatively the way it did in Europe during the 16th through 20th centuries, new forms, new sounds.

What is the most frustrating element of your work?

Administrative tasks — no question.

Recommended Books:

Running with Scissors — Augusten Burroughs — loved the book — movie was so-so.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close — Jonathan Safran Foer — probably one of the best books I've read in the last ten years.
Leaving Church — Barbara Brown Taylor — I love the way this great preacher writes — Worth reading.
Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia — Orlando Figes
Czesław Miłosz: New and Collected Poems (1931-2001) — Both Milosz and Milan Kundera put so much philosophy in their writing — gets you thinking.

What do you wish someone had told you at your first church position?

I was in seventh grade when I started playing for worship and have been off the bench little since. Several trusted people—church musicians, composers and pastors—told me, "Get out while you can! But, if you can't, you'll find yourself blessedly trapped (in a good way)." It's true. I've tried teaching—middle school, high school, college, etc.—but it is that which I do as Cantor that brings me most joy.

What do you get out of leading seminars and traveling to different events?

Meeting people. Hearing their stories. Hearing about what they're doing in their congregations, being exposed to a good deal of creativity which often leads to those great "ah-ha!" moments. Life is so circular. There's a holistic aspect of the people of God worshipping, all in their own different ways, and in similar ways. To understand that the song actually does go on through the church as the hymn says, in so very many varied ways. It's thrilling. Coming together for workshops, seminars, hymn festivals, what have you, helps us all understand we're not alone in doing what we do and, like the courting aspect of musician and congregation I mentioned earlier, we all play off of one another to some extent, I think. This is what it means to be community, to be Church.

What skills does a church musician need that they probably won't learn in school?

How to catalogue a music library. How to warm up a choir. How to run a well-paced rehearsal. How to work with volunteers. How to take care of yourself—one thing about making your hobby your job is that you really never leave it at "the office." How to put together a worship service that flows and is meaningful: theological and liturgical tools/knowledge. Assembling orchestras/instrumentalists. In many ways what we do is really a type of Gebrauchsmusik: music created or molded to a certain function for a certain group of people at a certain time. Programming.

An engaging and practical new workshop has been added at select locations of the Summer 2007 Music Clinics, "Using the Visual Liturgy." From banners to candlesticks, albs to stoles, visual elements are plentiful in the liturgy. This workshop will help worship leaders unpack some of the significance of the visual elements of the worship service, and in turn learn how to enrich the experience of worshipers through their use. Check the music clinic homepage for details.

Augsburg Fortress is pleased to announce that the new Music for Fall, Advent, and Christmas 2007 is available. You can listen to extended audio tracks, see sample pages, and preview the selections that will be featured at the Summer 2007 Music Clinics.

Click here to preview the New Music!

Find music for worship with our Online Music Planning Calendar Make your weekly music planning easier with the choral, organ, piano, and instrumental suggestions in the Music Planning Calendar! This lectionary-based listing of musical selections features a variety of difficulty levels and voicings to help you prepare for upcoming months.