“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)
(Keven Smith) • I’ve come to realize that the vast majority of “tone-deaf” people aren’t really tone-deaf at all. They just haven’t been trained to coordinate their voices with their audiation+
One hundred participants? Either sacred music is alive and well or families are getting stir-crazy from the lockdown.
These intuitive manuscripts give singers the information they need to bring out the oft-ignored nuances of chant rhythm.
(Keven Smith) • Here are some suggestions on how to get the most out of your unusual combination of skills and traits+
Top 10 Features • “An Ideal Extraordinary Form Hymnal”
You’ll never meet a serious choral singer who strives for a breathy sound. But a little breathiness in warmups and personal practice can work wonders.
When was the last time you gave your muscles permission to relax and let your bones do their job?
(Keven Smith) • Now is the perfect time for us all to stop and reflect on where we came from as church musicians. What was it that first made you interested in singing, directing, or playing the organ?+
In a recent survey, only 3% of young adults said it was music that drew them to the Latin Mass. Find out why that’s great news for church musicians.
Have you seen the viral video of four men singing Ubi Caritas in a stairwell? Here are some thoughts on this phenomenon.
One common place for musicians to feel wear and tear is in the neck. Here’s how to release it.
On those days when you can’t quite put your heart into singing, improvising at the organ can be comforting and rewarding.
We come now to the final installment in my series on our music program at St. Stephen the First Martyr Catholic Church in Sacramento, California.
Far from being a mere complement to our parish choir, our young Choristers are, quite frankly, its core.
Yes, children as young as seven or eight will focus and listen as you’re teaching them solfege scales, rhythm patterns, beautiful Latin vowels, and more!
At St. Stephen the First Martyr Church in Sacramento, the road to the choir loft begins at age four and is paved with furry puppets.
It’s a singular joy to make music, but as we all know, it’s the behind-the-scenes work that makes our rendition of the music truly special—all to the glory of God and the edification of His faithful.
You know your own sound so well. You know your strengths, and what you need to work on. Why not suck it up and become your own vocal coach for a while?
Music is a language, but it does not supplant our own. Rather, it enlivens our words so that they can penetrate the soul with the fullness of their meaning—and enlighten our eyes in any circumstance.
You can form a stronger connection with your choir even while rehearsals are suspended. All it takes is one simple thing that you probably already have.
