July 2021
Music Ministry
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A Musician’s Journey
By Ronald Braman
In A Musician’s Journey, Ronald Braman, charts his life from a spiritual teen who loved music to Director of Music at Good Shephard Episcopal Church in the Shoshone-Bannock Fort Hall Indian Reservation in southeastern Idaho, describing how music will never be “high” or “low” and how all musical traditions can enrich worship.
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Decolonizing Church Music
By Yuri Rodriguez
COVID-19 provided music, like many other art forms, with an opportunity to rethink, reimagine and refocus. In Decolonizing Church Music, Yuri Rodriguez highlights different ways to think about diverse music traditions and to refocus music and worship as less an aesthetic priority and more a missional one.
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Descolonización de la música eclesiástica
By Yuri Rodriguez
En medio de tiempos tan desorientadores, estuvo la poderosa música de Lin Manuel Miranda y su historia reimaginada de los padres fundadores luchando por la libertad para todos (realmente para todos), lo que nos trajo una brisa refrescante, un sentido de unión y alivio de la fatiga del zoom y de la incertidumbre. Éste es solo uno de los muchos ejemplos de cómo la música y los músicos que ejecutaron, interpretaron, grabaron y compartieron sus dones con el mundo se contaban entre los grandes héroes de la pandemia.
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Editor's Letter August 2021
By Charis Bhagianathan
In this issue, our authors bring us wisdom on the depth of meditation, creativity, and the powerful spiritual upliftment that music ministry can bring.
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Editor's Letter July 2021
By Charis Bhagianathan
In this issue, we bring you ideas on how to think about music ministry in new ways, open up to exploring different music traditions and approach music ministry with a renewed sense of curiosity and joy.
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Enjoying Music Again
By Ellis Montes
In Enjoying Music Again, Ellis Montes describes the concept of HIP, or historically informed performance, and how it is much more interpretative and freeing than one might imagine. In his piece, Ellis shares HIP techniques that allow classically trained musicians to explore new ways of bringing music to life.
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Evensong Meets Healing Sound
By Steven Paulikas
A sound bath is a meditative practice that harnesses the healing potential of sound using both instruments and vocals. In Evensong Meets Healing Sound, Steven Paulikas describes how a unique and creative partnership has become a means for inviting strangers and friends into the love of Christ at his church.
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Music and Change: A Conversation with Dent Davidson
By Sandra Montes
What does it mean to continually examine and reimagine church music and liturgy? In Music and Change: A Conversation with Dent Davidson, Sandra Montes talks with Dent Davidson, a professional lay music minister for over 45 years, who discusses his development as a musician and encourages us to seek and create new ways to express ourselves in our liturgy and music.
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Music Brings Hope and Healing
By Bernadette Williams
Music has the power to heal pain, lift us from deep sorrow and carry us to a place where there is comfort and joy. In Music Brings Hope and Healing, Bernadette Williams shares experiences that reveal how music is one our greatest gifts from God.
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Music That Builds Bridges
By Jeannine Otis
Have we considered how welcoming our music ministry is? In Music That Builds Bridges, Jeannine Otis describes why it is so important to prioritize inclusive music – it enlivens worship, enhances our joy and builds bridges to strengthen our communities.
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O Come, Let Us Hum to the Lord
By Jemonde Taylor
The musical traditions in Ethiopia, England and the African American experience in the United States highlight the importance of droning or humming to connect the faithful to God. In O Come, Let Us Hum to the Lord, Jemonde Taylor explains the significance of the tradition, shares beautiful examples of music and reveals how humming can be a healing and deeply spiritual experience.
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Volver a disfrutar la música
By Ellis Montes
Encuentro que tocar música histórica es liberador. Quizás esto parezca un poco extraño, ya que a menudo implica considerable investigación y aprendizaje (o reaprendizaje) tocar música compuesta para formas más antiguas de nuestros instrumentos modernos.
