There are two sets of Ice Caves in Ellenville, NY; the commercial caves off route 52 and the open fault caves. To find the open fault caves, you can leave your car at the Berme Road Park (41°42'48.72"N 74°22'57.99"W) then take the carriage trail up the mountain. The trail to the large fault, or great crevice, ascending the mountian is unmarked and difficult to find if you don't know where it is (approximately: 41°42'59.01"N 74°22'27.40"W). If you go too far you will come to a wooden bridge which is the entrance to Shingle Gulley. That is just as interesting and exciting to climb. Once in either location, there are nooks, crannies and deep crevices which you could explore for weeks. The "Grand Canyon" is located approximately: (41°42'47.24"N 74°21'45.06"W).
Musician Malcolm Kogut has been tickling the ivories since he was 14 and won the NPM DMMD Musician of the Year award in 99. He has CDs along with many published books. Malcolm played in the pit for many Broadway touring shows. When away from the keyboard, he loves exploring the nooks, crannies and arresting beauty of the Adirondack Mountains, battling gravity on the ski slopes and roller coasters.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Ice Caves
There are two sets of Ice Caves in Ellenville, NY; the commercial caves off route 52 and the open fault caves. To find the open fault caves, you can leave your car at the Berme Road Park (41°42'48.72"N 74°22'57.99"W) then take the carriage trail up the mountain. The trail to the large fault, or great crevice, ascending the mountian is unmarked and difficult to find if you don't know where it is (approximately: 41°42'59.01"N 74°22'27.40"W). If you go too far you will come to a wooden bridge which is the entrance to Shingle Gulley. That is just as interesting and exciting to climb. Once in either location, there are nooks, crannies and deep crevices which you could explore for weeks. The "Grand Canyon" is located approximately: (41°42'47.24"N 74°21'45.06"W).
Sunday, December 16, 2012
On Eagles Wings
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Musician-Staff Relations Revisited
Two Franciscan friars were journeying across the country evangelizing people. They came to the bank of a river, but there was no bridge at that point. Standing by the river was a beautiful young lady who also had to cross, but she told the friars that she was afraid to ford the river because she could not swim. So, the first friar immediately offered his assistance. He took the young lady in his arms and carried her across the river. She was so deeply grateful that, before they went their separate ways, she gave him a hug and a kiss. Once the woman had left, the second friar began berating his companion for his reckless, sinful behavior. For two hours, in fact, the first Franciscan walked in silence as his companion recited a litany of faults: holding the woman in his arms, allowing her to hug and kiss him, breaking the rules of chastity, and most certainly placing his soul at risk. When his determined silence appeared unable to stem the flood of complaints, the presumed sinner finally responded: "I carried that woman across the river and left her on the opposite bank. You are still carrying her."
In the final analysis of practically every story of conflict between a member of the clergy and a musician, insecurity, miscommunication, and no communication rank high on the list of causes for the atmosphere of friction that looms over priest and musician, both apostles, who serve God and his people under the banner of Christianity. Most people think of the church as a genteel, dignified institution, whose work is carried out by people with nice manners in an air of civility. But, when I attend various musical gatherings, I often hear the horror stories, the complaints, and the whines, about what Father did, or about "what he won't let me do." Consider the endless complaints of the second friar in my story. He may have meant well, but he didn't know when to drop a subject, when to forgive a fault, or when to forget an incident. Such determination to focus on grievance and protestation usually masks a greater problem such as ignorance, fear, insecurity, or some other self-imposed limitations. The simple cure for such problems is offered in the Scriptures where Jesus admonishes Peter to forgive seventy times seven times. Whether we are in the role of persecutor or persecuted, maintaining a grudge taxes our energy and hardens our hearts. We must find ways to resolve, forgive, and to grow, rather than continuing to sulk, gossip, or fulminate. After all, the task of the church is to fight sin, and we can hardly contribute to this task by fighting each other.
Consider Choir Rehearsals
Consider the average choir rehearsal. The music director chooses the music, marshals the voices, sets the tempo, and prompts the singers to follow. When the baton descends, they had better sing on cue, because the director is the boss and the boss is always right. Even if wrong, the director is still right. If a mistake is made, the job of the choir members is to do what it takes to keep up with their conductor and to make it work. Now take a step back and view the larger picture. Father is there; he is your boss and, as we know, the boss is always right. By nature, we all need and want to be in control, but sometimes our plans get foiled because our way of leading may be different from that of another person. We may not be wrong, only different. At the 1996 NPM Regional Convention in Stamford, CT, during a panel discussion, Rev. Robert Burbank admonished the musicians to "remember who signs your paycheck," and Michael McMahon retorted "remember who pays yours." The issue isn't about who is in control; it is about exploring ways to exercise power for benefit and not for control. Only then will the anarchy, inflated egos, and verbal sniping cease to exist. An old Zen saying sums it up: "The fastest way to get ahead in your chosen profession is to help promote those ahead of you." Only then will tension lead to a healing and not to a grievance hearing.
Conflict in the parish workplace is a pervasive problem that threatens both peace and productivity. It is particularly appropriate to address problems early on, so as to avoid later and potentially tragic consequences. One of the greatest agents of conflict may be stress caused by such things as the loss of a crucial choir member, erratic scheduling, family responsibilities, monotonous tasks, overtime, high goals, a change in staff, fear of competition (for instance, from the "folk group"). Recognizing the true source of conflict and finding appropriate ways to resolve it require fact finding and collaborative problem solving. Autonomy, authoritarian managerial styles, and an absence of decision-making latitude can all produce an oppressive atmosphere where imposed limitations demean or diminish dignity and spirituality, and lead to the fear of failure, or to an attempt to demean another person. Working out conflict with grace, charity, and wisdom is the only solution.
The Language of Listening
A lot of people seem to lack the ability to communicate in the language of listening. It is a language we may not know, because we have never learned it. Instead of keeping our common goals and vision for the future firmly in mind, we frequently let our emotions and the thoughtless actions of others overwhelm us. We spend what might have been productive time dwelling on what we think of others, or what they may think of us. This may be the time to remember exactly what one shares with others in the way of common goals and visions for the future. All too often, however, we are not given the luxury of recalling such basic values. A musician awakes, so to speak, in the midst of a situation already overwhelmed with feelings of helplessness, a feeling that nothing can be done that is positive. It may be that another person is unwilling to forgive, to adapt, or deliberate over a dispute. Caught up in a feeling of despair, without taking the needed time to reflect, the musician resigns. And while this may relieve the pain of the current situation, if nothing constructive has been attempted, then the pattern is then in place for repeating this sad history at the next parish.
If at all possible, it is certainly preferable to approach the problem through focusing on common goals and shared visions. But this is not to encourage passive acceptance as a better sort of solution than withdrawal from the scene of battle. In fact, passivity can be a threat to finding a solution. Like high blood pressure, it is a silent enemy. Sometimes the best solution is to terminate employment if someone is destroying us, and we can find no way to resist that destruction, or if, on the other hand, we find ourselves expending valuable energy destroying someone else. In either case, walking away from the situation may be the charitable thing to do, both for self-preservation and for the sake of the other party.
Choose Your Battles
Confrontation is always difficult, even when one supposes that one is right. But not everything is worth fighting for. Not everything in life and work is a contest to win or to lose. Do what can be done and then learn the lesson of letting go. Limitations can breed invention, creativity, and artistic capabilities. The goal is excellence, not perfection. Nobody is perfect and no one is going to become perfect (and remember that this includes Father). So let your employer know what your needs and desires are. Don't hold him responsible if he can't read your mind. If he says "no" because he can't or doesn't understand your point of view, then try to understand his. Accept his decision and move on. When a door is closed, invariably a window is opened.
The ability to recognize and resolve disputes is a valuable job skill that many of us are not trained to use. It can be taught, but finally one has to cultivate and learn what skills one possesses and, as important, what skills one lacks. Only through collaboration, creative effort, mutual respect, and a climate of communication, can a safe and supportive environment be fostered. Start on solutions by cultivating a sense of mutual interest. Engage in conversation, spend time relaxing together. Make sure that the pastor (or other employer) is aware of all music activities so that he can express an interest in those he would like to attend. Invite him to accompany you to an NPM Convention: joint participation might lead to a common understanding of goals and visions.
I was disappointed that only a handful of people took advantage of Kathy Hendricks's workshop on "conflict management" at the 1996 Stamford Regional. Could it be that we don't attend such programs because we fear that further training will somehow challenge what we are already doing? Maybe the greatest danger to us is the possible discovery that the problem is ours and not someone else's. Perhaps there is more of a problem with our attitudes than with Father's actions. We cannot avoid conflict, but by leaning forward, unclenching our fists, speaking gently, measuring our words, listening, learning, and communicating we may withstand it. If we do not have this talent, even if the propensity for it is not within us, we still may be able to acquire it. And, because we are believers, we should trust St. Luke's promise to those who have to confront authority: "Do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you are to say" (Luke 12:11-12). For those who are genuinely called to serve, this surely is enough.
In the final analysis of practically every story of conflict between a member of the clergy and a musician, insecurity, miscommunication, and no communication rank high on the list of causes for the atmosphere of friction that looms over priest and musician, both apostles, who serve God and his people under the banner of Christianity. Most people think of the church as a genteel, dignified institution, whose work is carried out by people with nice manners in an air of civility. But, when I attend various musical gatherings, I often hear the horror stories, the complaints, and the whines, about what Father did, or about "what he won't let me do." Consider the endless complaints of the second friar in my story. He may have meant well, but he didn't know when to drop a subject, when to forgive a fault, or when to forget an incident. Such determination to focus on grievance and protestation usually masks a greater problem such as ignorance, fear, insecurity, or some other self-imposed limitations. The simple cure for such problems is offered in the Scriptures where Jesus admonishes Peter to forgive seventy times seven times. Whether we are in the role of persecutor or persecuted, maintaining a grudge taxes our energy and hardens our hearts. We must find ways to resolve, forgive, and to grow, rather than continuing to sulk, gossip, or fulminate. After all, the task of the church is to fight sin, and we can hardly contribute to this task by fighting each other.
Consider Choir Rehearsals
Consider the average choir rehearsal. The music director chooses the music, marshals the voices, sets the tempo, and prompts the singers to follow. When the baton descends, they had better sing on cue, because the director is the boss and the boss is always right. Even if wrong, the director is still right. If a mistake is made, the job of the choir members is to do what it takes to keep up with their conductor and to make it work. Now take a step back and view the larger picture. Father is there; he is your boss and, as we know, the boss is always right. By nature, we all need and want to be in control, but sometimes our plans get foiled because our way of leading may be different from that of another person. We may not be wrong, only different. At the 1996 NPM Regional Convention in Stamford, CT, during a panel discussion, Rev. Robert Burbank admonished the musicians to "remember who signs your paycheck," and Michael McMahon retorted "remember who pays yours." The issue isn't about who is in control; it is about exploring ways to exercise power for benefit and not for control. Only then will the anarchy, inflated egos, and verbal sniping cease to exist. An old Zen saying sums it up: "The fastest way to get ahead in your chosen profession is to help promote those ahead of you." Only then will tension lead to a healing and not to a grievance hearing.
Conflict in the parish workplace is a pervasive problem that threatens both peace and productivity. It is particularly appropriate to address problems early on, so as to avoid later and potentially tragic consequences. One of the greatest agents of conflict may be stress caused by such things as the loss of a crucial choir member, erratic scheduling, family responsibilities, monotonous tasks, overtime, high goals, a change in staff, fear of competition (for instance, from the "folk group"). Recognizing the true source of conflict and finding appropriate ways to resolve it require fact finding and collaborative problem solving. Autonomy, authoritarian managerial styles, and an absence of decision-making latitude can all produce an oppressive atmosphere where imposed limitations demean or diminish dignity and spirituality, and lead to the fear of failure, or to an attempt to demean another person. Working out conflict with grace, charity, and wisdom is the only solution.
The Language of Listening
A lot of people seem to lack the ability to communicate in the language of listening. It is a language we may not know, because we have never learned it. Instead of keeping our common goals and vision for the future firmly in mind, we frequently let our emotions and the thoughtless actions of others overwhelm us. We spend what might have been productive time dwelling on what we think of others, or what they may think of us. This may be the time to remember exactly what one shares with others in the way of common goals and visions for the future. All too often, however, we are not given the luxury of recalling such basic values. A musician awakes, so to speak, in the midst of a situation already overwhelmed with feelings of helplessness, a feeling that nothing can be done that is positive. It may be that another person is unwilling to forgive, to adapt, or deliberate over a dispute. Caught up in a feeling of despair, without taking the needed time to reflect, the musician resigns. And while this may relieve the pain of the current situation, if nothing constructive has been attempted, then the pattern is then in place for repeating this sad history at the next parish.
If at all possible, it is certainly preferable to approach the problem through focusing on common goals and shared visions. But this is not to encourage passive acceptance as a better sort of solution than withdrawal from the scene of battle. In fact, passivity can be a threat to finding a solution. Like high blood pressure, it is a silent enemy. Sometimes the best solution is to terminate employment if someone is destroying us, and we can find no way to resist that destruction, or if, on the other hand, we find ourselves expending valuable energy destroying someone else. In either case, walking away from the situation may be the charitable thing to do, both for self-preservation and for the sake of the other party.
Choose Your Battles
Confrontation is always difficult, even when one supposes that one is right. But not everything is worth fighting for. Not everything in life and work is a contest to win or to lose. Do what can be done and then learn the lesson of letting go. Limitations can breed invention, creativity, and artistic capabilities. The goal is excellence, not perfection. Nobody is perfect and no one is going to become perfect (and remember that this includes Father). So let your employer know what your needs and desires are. Don't hold him responsible if he can't read your mind. If he says "no" because he can't or doesn't understand your point of view, then try to understand his. Accept his decision and move on. When a door is closed, invariably a window is opened.
The ability to recognize and resolve disputes is a valuable job skill that many of us are not trained to use. It can be taught, but finally one has to cultivate and learn what skills one possesses and, as important, what skills one lacks. Only through collaboration, creative effort, mutual respect, and a climate of communication, can a safe and supportive environment be fostered. Start on solutions by cultivating a sense of mutual interest. Engage in conversation, spend time relaxing together. Make sure that the pastor (or other employer) is aware of all music activities so that he can express an interest in those he would like to attend. Invite him to accompany you to an NPM Convention: joint participation might lead to a common understanding of goals and visions.
I was disappointed that only a handful of people took advantage of Kathy Hendricks's workshop on "conflict management" at the 1996 Stamford Regional. Could it be that we don't attend such programs because we fear that further training will somehow challenge what we are already doing? Maybe the greatest danger to us is the possible discovery that the problem is ours and not someone else's. Perhaps there is more of a problem with our attitudes than with Father's actions. We cannot avoid conflict, but by leaning forward, unclenching our fists, speaking gently, measuring our words, listening, learning, and communicating we may withstand it. If we do not have this talent, even if the propensity for it is not within us, we still may be able to acquire it. And, because we are believers, we should trust St. Luke's promise to those who have to confront authority: "Do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you are to say" (Luke 12:11-12). For those who are genuinely called to serve, this surely is enough.
Job Descriptions: "Above and Beyond"
I like to fish in moving water: Fish living in moving streams pull harder, fight longer, and taste better, in my ex perience, than fish caught in lakes, ponds, or reservoirs. Another plus to such locations for fishing is that moving water is easier to "read" than still water, once you know what conditions to look for.
The key to fishing in streams and rivers is learning to understand the con ditions in which fish may be caught. Such understanding only comes with practice. The same principle is true for being an effective music minister. At any NPM Convention there are workshops that purport to offer techniques and se crets that will add life to our liturgies, assemblies, and parishes. The truth is, you seldom need a special technique to achieve this; you need practice in using your skills—a lot of practice, which will teach you how to "read the water." Suc cess as a minister is found in your ability to read and interpret the living assem bly, and in being versatile enough to adapt to what is going on in its currents and eddies.
Those of us who are organists should have already learned a set of technical skills that will improve our craft by adapt ing and building on what we know and can do. So, for example, we know that we need to adjust our touch on the in strument to take account of the tempera ture, the room's acoustics, the hour, our clothing, the bellowing of a vacuum cleaner, and the soft, hushed murmurs of the prayer group gathered in the back of the church.
Reading the Currents
The challenge we face, however, is not simply limited to reading such tech nical currents; we must also let ourselves experience — so that we might interpret and respond to — the currents that flow through our congregations. As church musicians, we will find it difficult to accomplish our divinely appointed tasks, realize our vision, and marshal the forces in our community if we keep ourselves distanced from such currents, safe back, on the river's shore, locked away from those we serve, on whom we must rely for energy, support, direction, opportunity, and purpose. Music ministers have to draw on the life of the whole church and the wider community, motivating all its cells, organs, and systems to func tion in a healthy and coordinated man ner. We may be equipped with all the necessary tools to do this, all the talent and the right opportunities, like some one going fishing who has all the right equipment, yet lack the practical skills — the necessary unifying principles that express our purpose and ministry, tem pered and enriched by experience — to "hook the fish."
Someone who fishes in moving water has to become part of the river, aware of it as a complex interaction of various elements. Just so, pastoral musicians must be aware of all the elements that make up the local church and its wider community, in order to carry out a ministry that interprets and relates to the Christian faith that is being lived out by various individuals and groups. Our at tention cannot be limited to the func tions and activities fueled exclusively by the parish's music personnel; we must work collaboratively with other church groups on developing education, train ing, and other activities that will help to unify a parish community into a living entity, teaming with life and adventure.
A river can become over-fished; one fisher can try to catch the prize specimen of a particular species, to own it and mount it as a trophy. But the outcome of a music ministry is not an item that can "belong" to some groups rather than others. Our goal is not to rise above others and "corner the market." The victory of one group of ministers does not entail the defeat of another group. Divi sions and competition should not be the result of what we do. For true growth to occur, we must expand the base of our ministry through networking, service, and patience. If you were to pour sand on a small table, the sand would build a pile just so high before it begins to spill onto the floor. In order to make the pile of sand higher, you have to enlarge the base—use a bigger table. For a ministry to grow, it must follow a similar procedure, because growth in a congregation occurs only until it reaches the concep tual limitations of the leadership. If you want to serve more people in better ways, you must expand your base of organization and ministry as well as your vision of ministry.
Limited by Our Vision
All of us tend to consider the limits of our own field of vision to be the limit of the world. Ultimately, each of us is limited by the scope of our own vision, no matter how wide or deep, for, without help, we cannot go beyond the range of our own comprehension. Growth occurs when we are challenged to enlarge our vision, to seek a wider horizon, to enter willingly and deliberately into uncharted waters. Just as we are challenged to en large our horizons through education, invitation, and effort, so we can use those same tools to encourage growth in others.
Many of us have an image of ministry similar to the arrangement of a sym phony orchestra: A number of people, with mixed talents, are brought together to create a unified effect under the con trol and direction of the conductor. An other musical image may serve us better: A chamber orchestra contains members with varying talents, who are so attuned to each other that they require no baton to lead them. The work of shaping such a group is no picnic; there's a lot of groaning, and there are controversies over phrasings, bowings, and tempos. Shaping the group into a unified instrument requires tremendous listening and watching. There's still a lot of conduct ing going on, of course, but responsibil ity for it is shared among fifteen or so people. In a similar way, decentralizing responsibility for the ministry we share, dividing tasks among volunteers, will keep the base of our activity broad enough to involve more and more people at different levels of church life where ministry really belongs—with the whole congregation. Our role in such a model is to minister to the ministers, to assist various individuals and groups to discover their own appropriate horizon, and to lead them into shaping an exciting and apostolic future vision.
Eyes on the Prize
There are some fishers who disdain "lesser" species, looking only for the prize catch, the record fish. Other fishermen understand that they have to know all the species in the river and how each takes the lure, if they are ever going to be successful in those waters. There are music ministers who disdain the lesser occasions on which they are asked to share their talent. I know of a relatively new full-time music director who was asked about music for the parish's up coming Ash Wednesday Masses. She replied that there would be no music at the three Masses because "they didn't ask me, so I'm not offering."
This comment reveals a crucial differ ence between managing a job (or wait ing for the prize catch) and managing a ministry. Many of us can probably think of several occasions that we passed up because we were not asked, or because the occasion seemed too insignificant to require our services: special Lenten Masses, weekly Stations of the Cross, religious ed reconciliation services, services to bless food, daily Mass, opening of parish council meetings, women's club gatherings. These are prime opportuni ties to "learn the river"—to serve, edu cate, plant seeds, and network. Opportunities
such as chaperoning a youth group out ing or assisting the salaried sexton to rake leaves. It is in service to people that service to God is proved.
Certainly, such tasks are not listed in most job descriptions for directors of music ministry. But music and musi cians should be integrated into all as pects of education and other parish ac tivities as well as into a parish's worship. If a contract doesn't include the word "catalyst," we should probably write it in, or at least express its presence through our actions. Little gestures can cause a chain reaction; a chance meeting can lead to an introduction that might change the course of a life or ministry. Each oppor tunity to provide musical leadership is a chance to hear new voices. Behind what they say or sing may be a yearning for love and friendship, acceptance and un derstanding, the voice of the risen Christ calling us to form the living Body of Christ.
Opportunities to serve are endless. One of my piano teachers told me to accept every gig offered to me, whether it paid or not because each one provided an opportunity to make new contacts and learn something new. Besides, we need to practice and one performance is worth several practices.
Involvement in various activities may also spark our interest and unveil hid den talents and skills that we might use in other aspects of our work. Chances are, you will discover that music is only one aspect of a wider ministry. Still, you must care about the music that is the core of your ministry, treating it as so much more than a job, an easy choice, a reliable salary.
Loving the Work
A true fisher simply loves to fish, and so works to improve skills, not paying too much attention to the pile of fish that someone else, perhaps with lesser skills, is piling up just downriver. True music ministers work with enthusiasm, will ingness, altruism, and creativity, with out paying too much attention to the director of music ministries next door, who may put in a lackluster performance for twice our salary. John Wesley once said: "There is no man excellent in his profession, whatsoever it be, who has not in his temper a strong tincture of enthusiasm and creativity." Creativity is the power of the mind to synthesize new ideas from two or more previously unconnected ones. We feed the fire of cre ativity when we feed ourselves random information as fuel for creative combus tion, asking questions, and seeking solutions to problems-not only in the parish's musical life.
Fishers know that you never go fish ing in the same river; weather and other circumstances alter the "real" river, no matter how much it might look like the river you fished just yesterday. Some times you meet circumstances that expe rience hasn't prepared you for, and you either have to adapt or step away from the river. No two musicians are alike in skill, temperament, knowledge, toler ance, talent, or spirituality, though they may have the same educational degrees. No two parishes are alike, although they may have the same schedule of weekend Masses. No two pastors are alike; each is an individual with tastes, opinions, hopes, and demands, and with the power to dictate (in some circumstances) what he wants, its value to him, and its worth to the parish in terms of salary, budget, and other benefits. A previous director of music ministries may have taken on functions for which we are unprepared or poorly prepared, yet which our pastor and congregation expect of us. It may require tremendous enthusiasm and commitment on our part to meet those expectations and, at times, to exceed expectations by developing momentum for new programs and initiating new ap proaches.
Ultimately, though, the Christ in whom we put our faith can do great things with just a little material. The same Christ who fed a crowd of five thousand and more (John 6:1-15) will feed us. We offer simple bread, and it becomes the Body of Christ. We must be like the young boy in the gospel story, who knew he had only five loaves and a few fish but offered them anyway, to see what Christ would make of them. Jesus waits to transform our gifts and multiply what we do, if only we will offer what we have.
The key to fishing in streams and rivers is learning to understand the con ditions in which fish may be caught. Such understanding only comes with practice. The same principle is true for being an effective music minister. At any NPM Convention there are workshops that purport to offer techniques and se crets that will add life to our liturgies, assemblies, and parishes. The truth is, you seldom need a special technique to achieve this; you need practice in using your skills—a lot of practice, which will teach you how to "read the water." Suc cess as a minister is found in your ability to read and interpret the living assem bly, and in being versatile enough to adapt to what is going on in its currents and eddies.
Those of us who are organists should have already learned a set of technical skills that will improve our craft by adapt ing and building on what we know and can do. So, for example, we know that we need to adjust our touch on the in strument to take account of the tempera ture, the room's acoustics, the hour, our clothing, the bellowing of a vacuum cleaner, and the soft, hushed murmurs of the prayer group gathered in the back of the church.
Reading the Currents
The challenge we face, however, is not simply limited to reading such tech nical currents; we must also let ourselves experience — so that we might interpret and respond to — the currents that flow through our congregations. As church musicians, we will find it difficult to accomplish our divinely appointed tasks, realize our vision, and marshal the forces in our community if we keep ourselves distanced from such currents, safe back, on the river's shore, locked away from those we serve, on whom we must rely for energy, support, direction, opportunity, and purpose. Music ministers have to draw on the life of the whole church and the wider community, motivating all its cells, organs, and systems to func tion in a healthy and coordinated man ner. We may be equipped with all the necessary tools to do this, all the talent and the right opportunities, like some one going fishing who has all the right equipment, yet lack the practical skills — the necessary unifying principles that express our purpose and ministry, tem pered and enriched by experience — to "hook the fish."
Someone who fishes in moving water has to become part of the river, aware of it as a complex interaction of various elements. Just so, pastoral musicians must be aware of all the elements that make up the local church and its wider community, in order to carry out a ministry that interprets and relates to the Christian faith that is being lived out by various individuals and groups. Our at tention cannot be limited to the func tions and activities fueled exclusively by the parish's music personnel; we must work collaboratively with other church groups on developing education, train ing, and other activities that will help to unify a parish community into a living entity, teaming with life and adventure.
A river can become over-fished; one fisher can try to catch the prize specimen of a particular species, to own it and mount it as a trophy. But the outcome of a music ministry is not an item that can "belong" to some groups rather than others. Our goal is not to rise above others and "corner the market." The victory of one group of ministers does not entail the defeat of another group. Divi sions and competition should not be the result of what we do. For true growth to occur, we must expand the base of our ministry through networking, service, and patience. If you were to pour sand on a small table, the sand would build a pile just so high before it begins to spill onto the floor. In order to make the pile of sand higher, you have to enlarge the base—use a bigger table. For a ministry to grow, it must follow a similar procedure, because growth in a congregation occurs only until it reaches the concep tual limitations of the leadership. If you want to serve more people in better ways, you must expand your base of organization and ministry as well as your vision of ministry.
Limited by Our Vision
All of us tend to consider the limits of our own field of vision to be the limit of the world. Ultimately, each of us is limited by the scope of our own vision, no matter how wide or deep, for, without help, we cannot go beyond the range of our own comprehension. Growth occurs when we are challenged to enlarge our vision, to seek a wider horizon, to enter willingly and deliberately into uncharted waters. Just as we are challenged to en large our horizons through education, invitation, and effort, so we can use those same tools to encourage growth in others.
Many of us have an image of ministry similar to the arrangement of a sym phony orchestra: A number of people, with mixed talents, are brought together to create a unified effect under the con trol and direction of the conductor. An other musical image may serve us better: A chamber orchestra contains members with varying talents, who are so attuned to each other that they require no baton to lead them. The work of shaping such a group is no picnic; there's a lot of groaning, and there are controversies over phrasings, bowings, and tempos. Shaping the group into a unified instrument requires tremendous listening and watching. There's still a lot of conduct ing going on, of course, but responsibil ity for it is shared among fifteen or so people. In a similar way, decentralizing responsibility for the ministry we share, dividing tasks among volunteers, will keep the base of our activity broad enough to involve more and more people at different levels of church life where ministry really belongs—with the whole congregation. Our role in such a model is to minister to the ministers, to assist various individuals and groups to discover their own appropriate horizon, and to lead them into shaping an exciting and apostolic future vision.
Eyes on the Prize
There are some fishers who disdain "lesser" species, looking only for the prize catch, the record fish. Other fishermen understand that they have to know all the species in the river and how each takes the lure, if they are ever going to be successful in those waters. There are music ministers who disdain the lesser occasions on which they are asked to share their talent. I know of a relatively new full-time music director who was asked about music for the parish's up coming Ash Wednesday Masses. She replied that there would be no music at the three Masses because "they didn't ask me, so I'm not offering."
This comment reveals a crucial differ ence between managing a job (or wait ing for the prize catch) and managing a ministry. Many of us can probably think of several occasions that we passed up because we were not asked, or because the occasion seemed too insignificant to require our services: special Lenten Masses, weekly Stations of the Cross, religious ed reconciliation services, services to bless food, daily Mass, opening of parish council meetings, women's club gatherings. These are prime opportuni ties to "learn the river"—to serve, edu cate, plant seeds, and network. Opportunities
such as chaperoning a youth group out ing or assisting the salaried sexton to rake leaves. It is in service to people that service to God is proved.
Certainly, such tasks are not listed in most job descriptions for directors of music ministry. But music and musi cians should be integrated into all as pects of education and other parish ac tivities as well as into a parish's worship. If a contract doesn't include the word "catalyst," we should probably write it in, or at least express its presence through our actions. Little gestures can cause a chain reaction; a chance meeting can lead to an introduction that might change the course of a life or ministry. Each oppor tunity to provide musical leadership is a chance to hear new voices. Behind what they say or sing may be a yearning for love and friendship, acceptance and un derstanding, the voice of the risen Christ calling us to form the living Body of Christ.
Opportunities to serve are endless. One of my piano teachers told me to accept every gig offered to me, whether it paid or not because each one provided an opportunity to make new contacts and learn something new. Besides, we need to practice and one performance is worth several practices.
Involvement in various activities may also spark our interest and unveil hid den talents and skills that we might use in other aspects of our work. Chances are, you will discover that music is only one aspect of a wider ministry. Still, you must care about the music that is the core of your ministry, treating it as so much more than a job, an easy choice, a reliable salary.
Loving the Work
A true fisher simply loves to fish, and so works to improve skills, not paying too much attention to the pile of fish that someone else, perhaps with lesser skills, is piling up just downriver. True music ministers work with enthusiasm, will ingness, altruism, and creativity, with out paying too much attention to the director of music ministries next door, who may put in a lackluster performance for twice our salary. John Wesley once said: "There is no man excellent in his profession, whatsoever it be, who has not in his temper a strong tincture of enthusiasm and creativity." Creativity is the power of the mind to synthesize new ideas from two or more previously unconnected ones. We feed the fire of cre ativity when we feed ourselves random information as fuel for creative combus tion, asking questions, and seeking solutions to problems-not only in the parish's musical life.
Fishers know that you never go fish ing in the same river; weather and other circumstances alter the "real" river, no matter how much it might look like the river you fished just yesterday. Some times you meet circumstances that expe rience hasn't prepared you for, and you either have to adapt or step away from the river. No two musicians are alike in skill, temperament, knowledge, toler ance, talent, or spirituality, though they may have the same educational degrees. No two parishes are alike, although they may have the same schedule of weekend Masses. No two pastors are alike; each is an individual with tastes, opinions, hopes, and demands, and with the power to dictate (in some circumstances) what he wants, its value to him, and its worth to the parish in terms of salary, budget, and other benefits. A previous director of music ministries may have taken on functions for which we are unprepared or poorly prepared, yet which our pastor and congregation expect of us. It may require tremendous enthusiasm and commitment on our part to meet those expectations and, at times, to exceed expectations by developing momentum for new programs and initiating new ap proaches.
Ultimately, though, the Christ in whom we put our faith can do great things with just a little material. The same Christ who fed a crowd of five thousand and more (John 6:1-15) will feed us. We offer simple bread, and it becomes the Body of Christ. We must be like the young boy in the gospel story, who knew he had only five loaves and a few fish but offered them anyway, to see what Christ would make of them. Jesus waits to transform our gifts and multiply what we do, if only we will offer what we have.
Education Is . . . or Should Be . . . Continuous
Finding opportunities for continuing education is a problem for all profession als, yet it seems even more so for the pastoral musician because of the sched uled and unscheduled demands on avail able time. How does one harmonize the need for continuing education with the uncertain timing of people's special pas toral needs such as weddings and funer als? Even the anticipated and regularly scheduled demands of a position can limit the time available for professional development. Education is continuing. It is continuous. In this article I wish to offer some comments on how to deal with our need for professional growth and intellectual refreshment.
For some people, the phrase "con tinuing education" conjures up nothing more than images of adult courses in community colleges, or in the public high schools. Or we may think of magazines and books that focus on the "how to" aspects of a subject. We may see in our mind the bulletin boards in various loca tions filled with notices of this course or that course led by local professional artists or gifted amateurs.
Despite the demands of a busy sched ule, lifelong learning is a necessity for all of us, no matter how we approach it. We will continue to need additional training for our professional life and, if we hope to live a rich and full life, we will continue to need experiences that attract our inter est and spark cross-connections with what we have already learned. There are ways of extracting education from our daily life. Not all learning situations require a total commitment of additional time. Sometimes the greatest source of training is in our daily relations with other people.
As a practical matter, an excellent learning experience is to volunteer to teach a course yourself at a school or some other center such as summer theater arts schools or public libraries. Such courses might be arranged through the diocesan education program or your own parish. (Yes, I know that preparation for such a course takes time!)
What about preparing a carefully de signed retreat for the late summer or early fall directed toward your own choir? The opportunity here is to learn yourself, to discover your own forgotten skills and knowledge, and even to use the music and materials planned for the coming year. Here, education comes from get ting to know your own choir a little better, in planning your own responsibilities, and in providing a rewarding experience for the choir members. Here is the opportunity (to borrow a phrase from current popular psychology) to re discover the inner teacher within the pastoral musician.
A friend of mine who is a magnificent woodwind player once remarked in an apparently contradictory statement that while technically his music had not im proved over the past twenty years, he felt that his "music has matured and it now flows out of him with passion and ease like never before." The difference he felt was in the lessons of compassion that he had learned as a person, as part of a family, as a member of the community. He rightly felt that his experiences were expressed in his music. Compassion itself had been a continuing education. We must educate ourselves to express in our music the sorrow, the frustration that we feel in our daily lives as we encounter the seeming victories of politics over pity, illness over health, restlessness over in ner peace. But we must also express with passion the joy that we feel in our en counters with beauty, compassion in oth ers, and renewing love.
Life itself is a continuing education course in which we determine what to emphasize in the curriculum.
Continuing education is helped by developing an awareness and under standing of the self as a learner. Life experiences for learning come in any shape and size and may take the form of a person, place, thing, or some combina tion thereof. What are some of the char acteristics of life situations that lend them selves to learning? Activities that are goal directed and action centered foster learn ing; activities in or out of a classroom that are open to possibilities and meanings foster learning; activities that encourage discipline and investigation open up im mense possibilities for learning. Beyond
these, activities and situations that en courage and support the search for truth and beauty that adds meaning to our lives and activities that foster close hu man relationships—all support our growth as persons. For instance, plan a meeting with colleagues to play and dis cuss the music that you use and love; this too is a "learning" situation.
In addition to times for active learn ing, we need opportunities for solitude and calm reflection. When we strain or injure our bodies, doctors prescribe peri ods of rest and physical therapy sessions. We need the same prescription for our spirits, when they are under strain or suffering from injury of one kind or an other. We need changes of scene to revive us; we need appropriate therapies to re lieve stress and anxiety; we need the stimulation of sharing experiences with colleagues, even sharing our music with another musician. Or we may choose just to go bowling with some friends.
Continuing education is a life process: we live to learn. We can and should make use of formal structures for learning, set ting appropriate goals and evaluative criteria for ourselves, but we should also foster a view of life that all experience is a path of study. In doing so, we will seize our place in the communities in which we live and in that place we will thrive.
For some people, the phrase "con tinuing education" conjures up nothing more than images of adult courses in community colleges, or in the public high schools. Or we may think of magazines and books that focus on the "how to" aspects of a subject. We may see in our mind the bulletin boards in various loca tions filled with notices of this course or that course led by local professional artists or gifted amateurs.
Despite the demands of a busy sched ule, lifelong learning is a necessity for all of us, no matter how we approach it. We will continue to need additional training for our professional life and, if we hope to live a rich and full life, we will continue to need experiences that attract our inter est and spark cross-connections with what we have already learned. There are ways of extracting education from our daily life. Not all learning situations require a total commitment of additional time. Sometimes the greatest source of training is in our daily relations with other people.
As a practical matter, an excellent learning experience is to volunteer to teach a course yourself at a school or some other center such as summer theater arts schools or public libraries. Such courses might be arranged through the diocesan education program or your own parish. (Yes, I know that preparation for such a course takes time!)
What about preparing a carefully de signed retreat for the late summer or early fall directed toward your own choir? The opportunity here is to learn yourself, to discover your own forgotten skills and knowledge, and even to use the music and materials planned for the coming year. Here, education comes from get ting to know your own choir a little better, in planning your own responsibilities, and in providing a rewarding experience for the choir members. Here is the opportunity (to borrow a phrase from current popular psychology) to re discover the inner teacher within the pastoral musician.
A friend of mine who is a magnificent woodwind player once remarked in an apparently contradictory statement that while technically his music had not im proved over the past twenty years, he felt that his "music has matured and it now flows out of him with passion and ease like never before." The difference he felt was in the lessons of compassion that he had learned as a person, as part of a family, as a member of the community. He rightly felt that his experiences were expressed in his music. Compassion itself had been a continuing education. We must educate ourselves to express in our music the sorrow, the frustration that we feel in our daily lives as we encounter the seeming victories of politics over pity, illness over health, restlessness over in ner peace. But we must also express with passion the joy that we feel in our en counters with beauty, compassion in oth ers, and renewing love.
Life itself is a continuing education course in which we determine what to emphasize in the curriculum.
Continuing education is helped by developing an awareness and under standing of the self as a learner. Life experiences for learning come in any shape and size and may take the form of a person, place, thing, or some combina tion thereof. What are some of the char acteristics of life situations that lend them selves to learning? Activities that are goal directed and action centered foster learn ing; activities in or out of a classroom that are open to possibilities and meanings foster learning; activities that encourage discipline and investigation open up im mense possibilities for learning. Beyond
these, activities and situations that en courage and support the search for truth and beauty that adds meaning to our lives and activities that foster close hu man relationships—all support our growth as persons. For instance, plan a meeting with colleagues to play and dis cuss the music that you use and love; this too is a "learning" situation.
In addition to times for active learn ing, we need opportunities for solitude and calm reflection. When we strain or injure our bodies, doctors prescribe peri ods of rest and physical therapy sessions. We need the same prescription for our spirits, when they are under strain or suffering from injury of one kind or an other. We need changes of scene to revive us; we need appropriate therapies to re lieve stress and anxiety; we need the stimulation of sharing experiences with colleagues, even sharing our music with another musician. Or we may choose just to go bowling with some friends.
Continuing education is a life process: we live to learn. We can and should make use of formal structures for learning, set ting appropriate goals and evaluative criteria for ourselves, but we should also foster a view of life that all experience is a path of study. In doing so, we will seize our place in the communities in which we live and in that place we will thrive.
Bulletin Blurbs
I once played for a church which required me to post a "Bulletin Blurb" in the weekly bulletin in an effort to encourage people to consider joining the choir. I asked my choir to go home and write some and they came back the following week with over 500 blurbs. In no particular order, here are a handful:
People can be divided into three groups:
1. Those who make things happen
2. Those who watch things happen
3. and those who wonder what happened.
Join the choir and make things happen.
Separate fact from fiction.
Fact: Singing in the choir is the most fun way to motivate, educate and train in a results-oriented musical ensemble.
Fact: Singing in the choir is for everyone, regardless of age, gender or current IQ level.
Fact: Singing in the choir delivers results that improve your health and overall quality of life. You will be breathing deeper, more efficiently, and you will be oxygenating your blood which flows to the brain, stimulating the whole body and mind.
Fact: Singing in the choir burns calories and melts inches off of your waistline (with plenty of exercise, a balanced diet, and a minimal caloric intake).
Over the past 40 years, the choir has had a variety of members: doctors, nurses, teachers, homemakers, mechanics, computer programmers, students, cooks, accountants. Each person has brought with them a wealth of friendship, spirituality, and altruistic compassion. What “New Song” can you bring to our ministry and its timeless heritage?
Singing in the choir is so exciting that it will make your heart race. But, don’t worry, one of our members is a cardiologist. Join us this Wednesday.
On Thursday nights, the choir gathers in a delivery room unlike any other. Here, people learn things about themselves, about God, and develop a special kind of confidence that comes from inside, and never goes away. And when they leave, they’re different people. Stronger, more confident, spiritual leaders. Join us in the church basement at 7:00.
The Top Ten Ways to Join the Choir
10) Call Malcolm at 555-5555.
9) Leave a message at church.
8) Place message in bottle, wait for next heavy rain, float to church.
7) Take out a full-page color ad in the local paper telling your interest.
6) Call our (900) number -warning - $50 per minute.
5) E-mail Malcolm at: mkogut@
4) During a Sunday morning sermon, leap to lectern, wrest mike from Fr. Bill and shout, "I HAVE to join the Choir RIGHT NOW!"
3) One word: Searchlights!
5) Tell any choir member.
And the #1 way to join the Choir: (drum roll)
1) Just COME, Wednesdays at 6:15!
Do you own a Jacuzzi? How about a condo in Myrtle Beach? A ski chalet? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then the choir wants YOU! Even if you are not in possession of such worldly prizes, you are still encouraged to stop by on Thursday night and see what we’re about.
It takes twelve pages to tell you everything about the choir. Surely you don’t think that we can do it in one small paragraph? Come to rehearsal and begin find out what we’re about.
This l tt r is r ally hard to r ad. Why? B caus it is missing a l tt r. For want of a singl l tt r, som thing do sn’t s m right. That is what it is lik with th choir. If on p rson is missing, th whol just do sn’t s m to b right. Mayb you ar that missing p rson. Join us on Thursday nights and compl m nt our compl m nt.
CHURCH. The most important member of the choir is the same person that is the center of and is most important to the life and vitality of the church. “U-R.” Please join us.
Wanted
Tenors and Basses to join the choir.
Must be able to read music.
Must be available for one weekly rehearsal and one Sunday Mass.
Must also own fishing boat.
Bring a picture of the boat.
Peter left his trade and followed Jesus his whole life. We are only asking for a few hours each week. Join the choir.
For the want of a nail, a shoe was lost.
For the want of a shoe, a horse was lost.
For the want of a horse, a man was lost.
For the want of a man, a battle was lost.
For the want of a battle, a kingdom was lost.
All for the want of a nail.
Every choir member is as important as that nail. Please join us on Thursday.
Music can change lives! The choir is an excellent opportunity to reach our assemblies through music. The choir meets every Thursday night and is an excellent opportunity to meet new friends and grow spiritually. There are many ways that you can help us: Come; Bring a friend; Pray for us. If you support this ministry, God will bless you beyond your imagination.
Make a difference in your parish community. We are now recruiting members for the season of Advent. If you are interested, call Malcolm at 555-5555 or come to one of our rehearsals on Thursday evenings.
A one semester course on music theory at SCCC costs $450. A bag of store bought cookies cost about $2.50. Membership dues to join a health club is $30 per month. Singing in the choir is still free, you get cookies, an education and a work out.
Have you ever wondered what the choir wears under those robes? Join us on Thursdays to find out.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Avalanche Pass
After a long and arduous day of hiking the High Peaks of the Adirondacks, one of the last things I want to do is scramble over, under and through the tumbled chaos of boulders which is the Avalanche Pass. It is at once a bleak, boulder strewn path threading its way among huge rock masses assisted by ladders, bridges and Hitch-Up-Matildas. The Pass is enjoyable when you are fresh and eager in the morning and have a surfeit of ambition buoyed with a sense of invincibility but, it is a punishing insult to injury after a long day of battling gravity in mountainous ascent and descent. It takes about an hour to get through the pass but you are still a one hour woodland jaunt from Marcy Lake, which is yet another hour from your car.
Avalanche Lake is nestled between Colden Mountain and Avalanche Mountain (and its upper neighbor - Algonquin). Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden was once a single body of water until an avalanche separated the two. Following Hurricane Irene, Colden Mountain unleashed a new malignant tumble of debris into Avalanche Lake creating an extended land mass at the base of the Trap Dike. It is an awe-full Siren beckoning to be explored. Here is a poem I sketched about ten years ago.
Avalanche Lake
A beautiful lake ‘neath sheer descent
into which terrible torrents tumbled
Two shuddering frames in fierce foment
poured forth its damming crumbles
Avalanche Lake, a bright streaked jewel
at the foot of frowning giants
whose feldspar loads dumped down in duel
to sublime scape compliant
I stumbled through with horny tread
a pasture where the boulders lie
a passage to my journeys end
a pass where time wafts slowly by
Avalanche Lake exudes devotion
amid the mountains watching brood
just as the pearl hides in the ocean
they tumbled rocks where man intrudes
Like the wail of the miserere
through the pass the breezes howl
wrought in prayer of reverent affray
to the God whose finger plowed
A jeweling lake with gemmy colors
where neighboring mountains bathe their feet
its crystal mirror to their features
a rugged scene yet peace replete
Avalanche Lake is nestled between Colden Mountain and Avalanche Mountain (and its upper neighbor - Algonquin). Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden was once a single body of water until an avalanche separated the two. Following Hurricane Irene, Colden Mountain unleashed a new malignant tumble of debris into Avalanche Lake creating an extended land mass at the base of the Trap Dike. It is an awe-full Siren beckoning to be explored. Here is a poem I sketched about ten years ago.
Avalanche Lake
A beautiful lake ‘neath sheer descent
into which terrible torrents tumbled
Two shuddering frames in fierce foment
poured forth its damming crumbles
Avalanche Lake, a bright streaked jewel
at the foot of frowning giants
whose feldspar loads dumped down in duel
to sublime scape compliant
I stumbled through with horny tread
a pasture where the boulders lie
a passage to my journeys end
a pass where time wafts slowly by
Avalanche Lake exudes devotion
amid the mountains watching brood
just as the pearl hides in the ocean
they tumbled rocks where man intrudes
Like the wail of the miserere
through the pass the breezes howl
wrought in prayer of reverent affray
to the God whose finger plowed
A jeweling lake with gemmy colors
where neighboring mountains bathe their feet
its crystal mirror to their features
a rugged scene yet peace replete
Avalanche Pass and Lake |
Avalanche Pass |
Colden Mountain |
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