Keep it Simple

Okay - I don't like to complain, but I've been to several parishes over the last two months. The thing that strikes me as important to getting the people to sing is SIMPLICITY. This is doubly true for mass parts.

I don't remember the setting, but one particular "Glory to God" used weekly is just painfully hard to learn from the pews. Additionally, this week the difficulty in singing spilled over into the mass parts (the Holy, Memorial Acclamation, and Great Amen). The cantor had a fantastic voice, but on its own it could not compensate for the non-repetitive notes that accompanied an extraordinarily long setting. I'm a musician and (without notes) I just could not follow it. In addition, the memorial acclamation they chose was the one least fitting to the notes of the "Holy". As a result, people mumbled - no one sang, and as a result, our prayers were distracted by an inability to participate.

So, to put a positive spin on this: "Keep it Simple".

God bless you in your ministry.

(c) 2007 by Art Leonard. All rights reserved.

Songwriting

So, here are some short tidbits for those composing new songs for Liturgy.

• Range: Middle-C to a D one octave above. Stretchable to A two notes down to E one note higher.
• Relevance: You should be able to cite a relevant Biblical passage.
• Relation: is the song from us to God, from God to us, or about God? Be consistent throughout the song, i.e. You cannot change your mind to make he bridge fit.
• Form: Be consistent and deliberate about your song's form. Traditional "hymns" are AAA. typical pop songs are AABA.
• Liturgy: if composing for the Psalm or for one of the parts of the liturgy, you cannot break out the thesaurus or rhyming dictionary. You must use the text from the relevant translation of the Roman Missal.

I've met a ton of budding songwriters that think rules stink and they should be able to express themselves however they see fit. We are called to rise above our individualistic impulses and worship as a community. As songwriters, we must build songs fit for communal worship, and these "rules" are there to assist in that. They are a simple quantification of what we experience across all quality liturgical music.

God bless you in your ministry.

(c) 2007 by Art Leonard. All rights reserved.

What’s up with Art?

So, for those of you that don't know: I'm sort-of stepping back as music director at St. Vincent's.

WHY?!

I got married, now have two lovely children, and it's a 35-mile commute twice a week to LIFE TEEN – and I still have a full-time job. That said, I will still be involved about 1-2 times a month, as well as at retreats and stuff.

It is our long-term plan to find a full-time replacement for my services. Until then, the band will continue to support itself from within.

What will you be doing?

Several things: First of all, I'll be spending a lot more time at home with my family. Somehow, I'll still be very busy though.

I will also be helping out as a substitute at other parishes, such as St. Jude's, Holy Family, Mary Queen of Peace and Assumption up in Bellingham.

I will also continue to drive music planning and liturgy for St. Vincent's LIFE TEEN and writing more music. My wife and I are even working on our first song together!

Apparently I'll also be doing some more regional events. I just got asked to play bass at Steubenville Northwest at Gonzaga next summer, as well as some other events around Washington. More to come as events unfold!

BTW: If you're a musician looking to do more events and don't care so much what you play, there are never enough bass players or drummers!

Any other plans?

Watch this space for announcements! Let's just say:

• Yes, there will be another album!
  
• There will be an event to kick it off!
  

I will continue to post on this space – maybe even more extensively with the extra time.

God bless you in your ministry!

The Big Announcement

So, in light of my last post (in June, no less), I will be continuing in music ministry, but I will be departing St. Vincent de Paul in Federal Way. Balancing family, a full-time job (not at St. Vincent's), and directing music ministry so far from home is (as expected) hard to do. I need to spend more time at home, and for the first time I can honestly say that I am fulfilled in my calling as a husband and father. I'll continue in music ministry, helping out for a little while in other places, hoping to build community a little closer to home.

It's been a long, hard decision, but it's a welcome change of pace. I love St. Vincent's, and it's likely I will continue to help out on little things.

For those at St. Vincent's, my (current) last day is Nov. 25th. We are looking for someone to take over for me for the weekly direction and planning for the music minsitry. You can contact me or the Youth Ministry office.

I will definitely continue to be in music minstry - it's been great to be afforded the ability and contacts that transcend parishes in the last couple years, so I'll likely be filling in and helping out here and there. I will likely continue this blog, since I like planning and helping folks get their groups in order for a vibrant, Catholic worship. I may direct again if the Spirit leads me to the right opportunity (I'd love to do this full time someday).

On to the relevant article:
That said, there are some dos and don'ts for changing hands in music direction:

• As a new music director, always have someone else ready to take over in your absence. I know I've got a couple of them.

If you haven't done this, it's too late. New music directors, take note. There is no place for ego in music ministry, especially in positions of authority. Delegate tasks of importance and you will find key people like your effective organizers, cheerleaders and your spirit-filled folks.

• As a departing director, once you leave, though it may be tempting to "hang out" and "help out". Don't do it.

By "sticking around" to ease the transition, you may likely be hindering the progress of the new director to establish themselves. You may wish to bring someone into your group and groom them for the position, but once they take over, it's got to be their game - no one should look to you (the departing DMM) to second guess their opinions or directions. It's hard to be professional about something we all love and care about so deeply.

Take an example of a singer who disagrees with the selections of the new director. Being a personal friend of the old director, he/she could call on the old director for their opinion. The old director should see the professional conflict here and do his/her best to just stay out of it. Your opinon as a former director will be respected and as a result may compromise the group in your absence.

• As the person hiring a new music director, it's very tempting to get a "quick fix" in place. You want a situation that is as stable as possible over the long-term.

What the person in charge of hiring should do is:

• Put together a job description and post it to your local Catholic new source, the ym.lifeteen.com, and (of course) the parish bulletin.

The best candidate may be led to you by the Spirit. Assume the Spirit needs you to advertise. I got my job this time because someone randomly put a posting on the LIFE TEEN website 10 years ago, and I was debating relocating to Seattle. It sealed the deal for me that the Lord wanted me here.

For the job description, include all hours and events they'll be expected to put in, all the tasks they'll be required to do (i.e. find, teach and direct musical instruments and vocals), clearly state competencies expected (Liturgy, voice, piano/guitar), and an indication of compensation. Be clear if this is a full-time or part time position.

• Be patient.

Hopefully you have at least four weeks to find a replacement. It will probably take longer. I have seen the tragedy of impatience getting the better of a couple Youth Ministers who've hired the first person who came through the door that seemed "good enough". So much more willing talent is out there than we probably realize. I've missed opportunities in my own backyard because parishes fail to advertise properly, sending away the better ministers in their own parish elsewhere due to impatience.

For myself, as a person responsible for assisting in the hiring hiring at a major corporation, I'd always want to have two or three candidates to choose from.

God bless you in your ministry! With the freed up schedule, I may see you all around a little more!


(c) 2007 by Art Leonard. All rights reserved.

Wedding Plannin'

This year, just to shake things up a bit, I'm getting married. I haven't done it in a while, and it's really just time. ;-) Love you, Kristi.

Seems that everyone else is trying to do the same thing, and as a result, I'm helping plan a few weddings summer. I just finished typing up a real long email to assist in the planning for a friend of mine, who also happens to be the Deacon's son. This information is the kind of stuff I bring to every meeting I have when it comes to wedding planning, and a lot of it in general mass planning. I've been writing a long post on mass planning, and since it isn't done, but my emailing IS, I figured I'd just keep the ratio of stones to birds down and just post part of my email here. They are having a Unity Candle, but not a Marian Adoration piece, so keep that in mind as (or IF) you read it.

You may find it useful. First read it, and figure out if its useful. If it's not, then don't read it. It's just that simple.

God bless you in your ministry!
---


PRELUDE(S)
Any number of pieces while people walk in. This is a good place to put things that don't generally fit into the program for Liturgy. I start playing about 15 minutes before any ceremonial actions start, so if you don't have anything in mind, I'll run a few pieces past you. These are generally instrumental and do not necessarily command the attention of your guests.

LIGHTING OF THE UNITY CANDLE
Pick something for your mothers or families to light the until candle to. The action only takes about 90 seconds, but the song can go a bit longer. This can be sung, or an instrumental that you like, possibly having some meaning for the two of you. Instrumentals work well because they can be cut short based on the promptness of actions taken by your mothers. :-) Generally, this would also be when your parents / grandparents are seated. Does your planner have a specific set of plans for this? Since this is really non-Liturgical, there is no formal format here - just experience and a little (very little) tradition. An "Ave Maria" could work here, but generally, I like to save those for Marian adoration type things. This song can command more attention than the Preludes, and starts to bring people into the rite of the ceremony, since this really is part of the ceremonial action, even if it is preparatory.

PROCESSIONAL
1 - 2 pieces for the brides maids, flower girls, etc. to talk into. The bride can have her own piece, or we can reprise the first piece with more "gusto". It's generally instrumental, though a hymn sung WELL can be just as effective. Common examples of these pieces are "Canon in 'D'" (Pachelbel), "Trumpet Voluntary" or "Trumpet Tune" (Purcell), "Jesu, Joy of Mans Desiring" (Bach), "Rondeau" and "Spring".. whose compsers escape me at the moment.

PSALM
The Lord is Kind and Merciful
Blessed are Those Who Fear the Lord
Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord
are among others that are sanctioned by the book.


GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
For Life Teen, we've done stuff I've written recently, which I wouldn't recommend for the sake of familiarity to your guests. "Love Has Come" is the Matt Maher one, again... probably not the best choice (though I'm going to use it for MINE!) More common ones include the "Celtic Alleluia" (Walker), which has a couple selections for verses for weddings.

UNITY CANDLE (and other ceremonial pieces)
Totally your call here. It can be done in silence, which instrumental, or some sentimental piece. We can do a shortened version of "The Prayer" as sung by Josh Groban and Charlotte Church, or really just about ANYTHING.

OFFERTORY
This totally depends on what you're doing for offertory. 1) are you bringing up the gifts? Father can bypass this and just get to the Liturgy of the Eucharist without the procession. 2) Do you want people to sing, or reflect? Since the Offertory Hymn is not really part of the liturgy, we have plenty of leeway. The people are not required to sing, because it is not part of the liturgical rite. It's function is to accompany the otherwise silent actions of sacrifice and procession. It can 1) reflect on the gospel 2) anticipate the celebration of the Eucharist or 3) reflect on the message of the celebration (your WEDDING!) or 4) reflect on theme of the season (we're not really in one).

Marie's doing "Your Love Is Extravagant", I'm doing "The Prayer" here.

PARTS of the MASS
These are the "Holy, Holy", "Memorial Acclamation", "Great Amen" and "Lamb of God". The "Mass of Creation" is the most widely used, but we can really use any one you're comfortable with. I can give you a demonstration of a number of settings in person (among other songs!)

I would elect to have the "Our Father" spoken or possibly chanted - but I wouldn't use another setting unless like 80% of your guests are familiar with the same setting.

COMMUNION
Something that reflects on the Eucharistic Sacrifice. We are one Body, Make Us A Eucharistic People, I am the Bread of Life... another favorite? I've been doing this so long that I know a lot more than what we do at LIFE TEEN, so, if you have a favorite that's great. The best thing I can tell you is something common that everyone knows is best if you want people to sing!

RECESSIONAL
The big one. Marie's going with "Ode to Joy" with a trumpet soloist. Big organ pieces are the norm here, though an accomplished organist I cannot pretend to be. Good use of a soloist can help bolster the piece. Trumpets work well, violins as well.

ADDITIONAL PIECES
Generally leftover songs like our PRELUDE songs, stuff that didn't fit in but is generally upbeat and instrumental - background noise to keep the people generally talking louder than they would otherwise because they just witnessed your exciting ceremony and are discussing any implications by any slip-up or faux pax during your exchange of vows. :-)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
I have a couple of trumpet players at my disposal you could audition and possibly a violinist or cellist. Depending on the quantity of songs and quality of their musicianmanship, their fee should command at the absolute least of $50 per player to upwards of $125 or better (especially for those I only know professionally!)

Also, another thing I can advise you is to run our ideas past your parents as well, since they will want to participate and may have a better idea of the diversity of the musical spirit of your guests.

(c) 2007 by Art Leonard. All rights reserved.

Time off

For those of you that missed the announcement last Sunday at St. Vincent's, I'm taking time off this summer to get… like… married and stuff. There are some tougher decisions ahead as Kristina and I start our lives together, but one of the important things to remember is for us to recharge.

This break honestly couldn't come at a more needed time. Most of us in ministry have a RealJob™, RealCommittments™ to our RealFamilies™, and while we exercise our faith through our music, it's often easy to lose sight of the perspective God has in his plan for us.

Yes – worship is important.

Yes – He is first and alone our God.

But what service do I do him and the community if I am exhausted and do not have my family in proper balance with my praise?

Those of you that do Liturgy well know that we cannot just show up on Sunday and make it happen. We need time to prepare, time to pray, and time to be community. With my current obligations, the first people to miss out on my time is my family. With my commitments as director, this means I am committed every week (with a few exceptions). I have missed many a family affair because of my commitments to Life Teen.

So, what am I getting at?

• If you're a director, build up the people in your group to make it for a few weeks without you. Teach your most capable people what it is you do to make things happen. Yeah – we all like to feel important and have a situation where we're always needed, but that's a human need and is not what ministry is about. If the ministry revolves around your presence, then it isn't revolving around Jesus.
  
• Take some time off.
  

I'll be taking time off myself from June 18^th – August 19^th.

God bless you in your ministry.

Not All Feedback is Bad (with a special rip-off from Mark Twain)

Let me start by saying I thought the cacophony of silence on the site was deafening. I've posted a bunch but people had not really been so inclined to post comments or rebuttals. Usually when you get into this stuff you get at least a couple loose cannons in the crowd to make things interesting. The problem with the web is your audience is completely anonymous and invisible.

It's interesting that recently I've gotten more feedback in real life (from people I don't even know) than I have from the web site or even from my own band. It's cool, and a little unnerving , but mostly cool. I want to thank my readers.

Anyone that was at rehearsal yesterday knows I was not having a good day.

Thanks to just a little positive feedback, today is indeed a good day.

As directors, we need to keep this in mind at all times. A little negative feedback goes a long way to making our sensitive musicians insecure, and when we are insecure, we deliver our worst fears in abundance. However, little positive feedback goes a long way to really build someone up.

In an extreme case, I've watched seasoned professionals tell me (the sound man for the night) to turn the backup vocals down on a concert he was doing. The backup singers were having an "off-night". Within five minutes, he was back up on stage, rehearsing more, but doling out the compliments to the singers, building them up! Seems counter to our Godly search for truth and honesty, right? But as a result, their performance did improve!

When we start down the path of negativity, it reinforces peoples' fears in themselves, and it allows their insecurities to take over.

When we bolster with positive feedback, or just even reinforce confidence in people's abilities, we build people capable of doing more than they thought!

And Another Thing

I have the privilege of playing with some of the finest musicians in Catholicism. (No, I'm not saying that because of the above article!) These guys get it and humbly serve every week!

In the past, I've done my part for giving negative feedback – especially when it comes to instruments. Oddly, I have the ability to play piano, guitar, bass and drums (albeit with mediocrity and without discipline). Oddly, it did not actually help me lead – it had put me in the position of wanting to micro-manage every note, flail, pattern and arpeggio out of the band.

I also have the curse of not being able to lie. Remember the whole thing about building up and not being critical? It hasn't always been my strong suit, and I'm still working at it. What those of us who can't lie and don't know what to say do is we stutter and beat around the bush – poorly. This method of communicating is completely ineffective and not as transparent as we'd like it to be. We don't want to say anything bad though – but we have to say SOMETHING.

During rehearsal two weeks ago as we're going through rehearsal before mass, I worked with the guitarists as usual, but I thought I was being critical. When I approached the drummer (Gary – bless ya!) after mass, wondering if I was being to "director-y", he set me straight. I was doing great – and I wasn't being critical. I had changed my style with what I communicated. I had given broad suggestions, built up what parts they had come up with, reinforced their intuition, and given them ideas where they could take their work. In essence, showed them my confidence in their abilities without being critical, and given them room to grow.

Cool, eh? I just wish it didn't happen by accident!

So, Coming Back Around

Our musicians live on compliments. Yes, they truly enjoy making music for the Lord. At some point, we'll probably all be in a place where were just about ready to hang it all up and go do something else.

Until today, I was wondering that about this website!

To quote Mark Twain, "I can live for a year on a good compliment."

Musicians work much the same. A couple parting points:

• Don't over-shower with compliments – it cheapens honesty
  
• Be sincere
  
• Build-up with suggestions rather than correct issues
  
• As a director, make sure there's someone building you up too! (Even if it's not in the band!)
  

Parting Thought

How would Jesus work in a band? (hmm… or would he just get the music out of the way and just preach the Truth™?

God bless you in your ministry!