Thoughts On Choosing Music For a Liturgy

I am often asked how I go about selecting music for each Mass.  The answer is actually quite complicated on a whole but it is easy when broken down into individual components which I employ or consider on a regular basis. 

I worked in a Roman Catholic Church for fifteen years and played for five Masses each weekend.  While serving this parish, I really honed my knowledge and familiarity with the Lectionary.  There are three years in a cycle.  Year A, B and C.  Each Sunday of each year has its own readings.  For instance, a specific Sunday in year A will have three readings and a Psalm.  Year B, the same calendar day will have different readings, and likewise for Year C.  The collection of pre-selected readings come from a book called "The Lectionary."  It is a collection of scripture organized and sorted for each Sunday of the year for three years.  That means, every three years you will hear the same reading.  There are however a few exceptions to the rule.

The priest at this church where I served for fifteen years took his homilies out of a book that some theologian wrote.  No, his homilies were not his own, he did not write them, they were canned.  But, they were good.  I had my own personal copy of the Lectionary and during each Mass for the entire 15 years of service, I would scribble in the margins and stuff it with post-it notes about the music I used, what the congregation responded well to, what went well with the readings or the homily and what the homily was about, etcetera.  Over the years Father would marvel about how flawlessly I could match the readings and even to his homily.  He credited the Holy Spirit. 

So in planning music, the first method I would consider is what I call "ACTS." - If I choose a hymn or song from each the the following categories, Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving and Supplication (ACTS), I can't miss.  Many hymn books come with a thematic index.  Even so, it isn't difficult to grasp the theme of a hymn by reading it carefully and prayerfully.  Many hymns may also encompass multiple topics.  When you choose hymns for the average liturgy in the order of ACST, you can't go wrong.  That is one method.

I aslo take into consideration the season. If you schedule Christmas hymns during the Christmas season, most liturgist will be forgiving if it is casually chosen.  The same applies to a Lenten song during Lent or an Advent song during Advent (which is not Christmas).  Of course, the exception to this rule is planning music to accompany sacramental action.   Just keep in mind that every seasonal song may actually have a place on specific Sundays of its season.  "On Jordan's Bank" is an Advent hymn but works well on the Second or Third Sunday of Advent or even on the feast day of the Baptism of Jesus. 

Thematic.  Sometimes a pastor will preach on a theme and often for several consecutive weeks, so, I'll go along with them.  Having regular meetings with the pastor to discuss the seasons, readings and community dynamics can be a great tool.

I also choose music based upon what the worshiping community may need to sing (we are what we sing).  For instance, I once played for a church which was opposing a parole shelter or halfway house from moving in next door (who wants sinners coming to our church?) so in consultation with the pastor I scheduled "All are Welcome," “The Summons,” “Amazing Grace,” and "God has Chosen Me" for about four weeks straight.  It is not enough to ask God for forgiveness if we can not forgive others.  The giving of money, going to church or even serving on a committee to the church does not free people from the responsibility to forgive. The act of forgiveness is very hard, but, very easy.   Despite our protestations, the shelter went in and the parolees  became wonderful tenants.  Not only did they attend our church, but they performed many community service projects on our building and a few of them became members, got married and started families in our congregation.  We lost some of our more pious members but we can now sing "All are Welcome" and mean it, and know it, and live it.  It was a true transubstantiation.  Even the haters are welcome back if they are willing to forgive themselves for, adoration leaves no room for pride.

Of course, I would always first consult the Lectionary for the readings. Some liturgists use the Lectionary for what I call "Eureka Planning."  That is when you read the scripture for a particular day and can match it to the text of a hymn.  For instance, on the second Sunday of Easter, Years A, B AND C, the scripture reading is about Jesus appearing to Thomas and Thomas doubts that it is really Jesus so Jesus invites him to place his hand to the wound in his side.  A perfect hymn or song to sing here would be "We Walk By Faith" which echoes that scene in the third verse.  I may use an upbeat setting of that hymn for the opening to foreshadow what will be heard in the readings.  I may use it for after the homily to augment what I know the pastor may break open in Word.  The possibilities are endless.  That can be the most frustrating part of planning.  You can have fifteen songs which would be perfect for any one Mass but you only need four. 

I have eclectic tastes and usually program music so that there is something for everybody at every liturgy crossing instrumentation and genre.  During the hymns and songs, I am always cognizant of the congregation and their level of participation.  If they really like a song or are moving along to it, I make note of it.  If they aren't, I make note of it but then try to analyze why and then figure out how I can fix whatever may be wrong.  Of course, some organists can't do this from their balcony aeries with their backs to the congregation and 54 ranks of pipes staring them in the face.

I also think that each liturgy should be a production and that each person should leave the service a different person than when they came in. That is easy to do if you can encourage them to sing one song or let out one "woot." At least on a cellular level they will have taken a deeper breath, oxygenated their blood, and they may even zap a few brain cells, leaving with a clearer mind or more energy. Singing has the power to physically change a person and for the better because it does aid in the oxygenation of the blood which does wake up the brain and that is why it is a crucial tool at the disposal of every pastoral musician.  A congregation that sings, goes out into the world as better people - a transubstantiation.

If your church uses the Revised Common Lectionary, it is easy to choose music based on the scheduled readings.  I would plan a tentative schedule for an entire year.  If the pastor chooses the readings, I will schedule music as far as he plans but would then lean toward seasonal planning. 

Just to recap, there are six criteria to consider: 
A. What the congregation knows; Not the same as what you like.
B. How quickly they learn;
C. What are the needs of the assembly, congregation and outside community. 
D. Seasonal songs
E. Topical and thematic songs and/or requests from the pastor
F. The Lectionary

Keep in mind that there are also dozens of websites, many are denominational or publisher based, where selections of suitable songs and hymns have already been mapped out for you.  Just as a pastor can have canned homilies, your selections can be canned.  Generally, if you use them, you can't go wrong.  The difference is like giving someone  cash for their birthday as opposed to giving them a handmade gift or something you picked out yourself.  If you use a planning guide to choose your music, it will be good.  If you do your homework, work with the pastor, the parish and the people, it will be better. 

If worse comes to worse, there are hundreds of church musicians who post their music schedules online for their choir members and the world to see.  Steal them.

When choosing music for a choir or soloist, it is pretty much the same as the aforementioned with a few added components of what is in the library, the budget and the skill level of the choir.  If your choir worships music and loves to perform, well, there you have it.  If the choir is in love with God, loves the people of the pew and, for them, music is not a ministry, but a tool to ministry, the sky is the limit.  Adoration leaves no room for pride. 

Preludes, postludes and offertories are also an expression of my faith.  I try to play something spirited, dynamic and engaging.  In one church I served, the pastor welcomed the people at the start of the service then he sat down and my prelude began.  Every prelude had to be something interesting since they all sat there and listened intently.  The postlude was the same, he invited them to sit and listen.  When I was finished they were invited to go out into the world to love and serve the Lord and each other.  One Sunday I played a still and quiet piece (which is rare for me) for the prelude.  Because they were accustomed to toccatas, fugues and a broad range of dynamics in the prelude, a little old lady came up to me after the service with her walker and said, “What the heck was that?  Don’t ever do that again.” 

Widor Toccata from Fifth Symphony in F

This was my Palm Sunday Postlude, 2013.  Sorry for the congregational noise.  That's what congregations do.  Especially when there are cookies and coffee in the next room.  I'll re-record this at a recital this spring and NOT from memory.  If you know this piece, you'll realize that I got lost in the middle and just started playing random notes.  I had no idea what key I was in but I found my way home.

-Malcolm Kogut

Snitching (From the Conspiracy Theory Department)

Two scary things happened last week.  The first was the bombing in Boston during the annual marathon.  The second scary event were the millions of people around the world who played amateur detective in an effort to beat the FBI at finding the bombers.

These "detectives" descended upon the deluge of social media photographs and videos uploaded by thousands of people who were present at the time of the incident.  The police warned people to stop and not post their findings online for fear of vigilantism against innocent people. 

The cyber crowd misidentified several people, one, a 17 year old who woke to find his picture plastered all over the internet as a suspect and threats were even posted on his Facebook page.  Dozens of "friends" unfriended him.  Other scrutinized suspects were the  "Guy on the roof," "Brown Sweatshirt Guy, " "Running Away Guy," and "Blue Robe Guy."  Fortunately they were not identified. 

Three million people surfed to the site REDDIT, where a subreddit forum was created called FINDBOSTONBOMBERS then shortly afterward, accusations, speculation and cyber-stalking took place on the Facebook pages and websites of many innocent people. 
This is directly opposite of what used to exist called the "No Snitch Culture."  If people saw a crime, they wouldn't report it because they either feared retaliation or they didn't trust the "Po-Po,"  Many people outright hate the police and wouldn't do anything to help them because they probably know someone in their own family who was railroaded by the system.  Check out the car chase video clip from the movie "Jack Reacher."

Jesse Jackson addressed this phenomenon while speaking at a Chicago college.  He asked the students  hypothetically that if they knew someone who had drugs and a gun in their car, would they call the police.  There was a low rumble of "No" in response.  Jackson asked again and their answer was stronger.  He then asked them if they saw that someone had a rope and a Ku Klux Klan hood in their car, would they call the police.  The crowd shouted "YES!"  Jackson then said "We lost more lives from bullets and drugs than from rope.  You're willing to turn in a Klan member that doesn't exist in your life, but not turn in the threat which takes thousands of lives each year."

Jackson makes an excellent point.  People are passionate about issues which really are not relevant in their lives or the lives of others.  We are inculcated into this "holier than thou" mentality from the dozens of TV shows about glorified bounty hunters and catching criminals.  WRGB news in my town has a weekly segment called "The Perp Patrol" where they glorify snitching on people and catching criminals in the context of reporting the news.  It gives people the feeling of power over others, and, it boosts ratings. 

There was a story about a woman who canvased the sex offender registry looking for employer information.  When she found an ex offender who had a job, she would call the employer and inform them that their employee was a "child molester".  She found this one man working as a dish washer in a diner located in the state of Ohio.  She went to the diner's Facebook page and posted "If you do not terminate this man immediately, I will never visit your establishment again.  You are putting our children at risk."  The diner posted that they didn't know he was a sex offender and would take care of it immediately.  This made news because the woman who issued the complaint lived in Oregon and has never been to Ohio in her life.  She was arrested and charged with some sort of hate crime, harassment charge.  The diner lost a lot of customers and was eventually sued by the former sex offender and the diner is now out of business.   Hate begets hate and nobody wins when we allow vigilantism.

It is not just regular people who are snitching on each other, our technology is snitching on us, too.  Ever since George Bush signed into law the Patriot Act.  When you take a picture with your digital camera, it is digitally inscribing within the code of the picture your GPS coordinates and the model number of the camera, which I'm sure you registered with the camera company when you purchased it.  If the FBI is interested in you, they too can get a copy when you snap a picture.  When you print a page on your printer, not only does your printer print an invisible code denoting your printer model number on each page, which I'm sure you registered when you purchased it, but if the FBI so desires a copy and your printer is wireless or connected to the internet, they too can receive a copy.  You know your computer, cell phone and tablet IP addresses can't truly be obfuscated. Their true IP address is always traceable.   All of your surfing, texting and phone calls are out there, preserved forever.  Even if you turn off your cell phone's GPS feature, the cell company still knows where you are and are tracking you via the cell towers. Just ask Malte Spitz who sued his cell phone carrier to turn over all the information they had on him which was over 35,000 pieces of tracking information.  Some cell phone companies regularly listen in on cell phone calls all under the protection of the Patriot Act in an effort to protect you.  If you have a relative in the military, you can bet that one of your phone calls have been listened in on at some point.  The FBI and IRS also have cell phone tracking technology called "Stingray" which the government claims it doesn't need a warrant for.  Is all this tracking acceptable?

Every new car has built in GPS tracking units and your every turn is being recorded.  Even if you don't have a newer model, you'd be surprised where RFID chips are placed.  They are now even in your tires and these chips can be read by millions of scanners placed across the country on our roads and highways. 

Time Warner Cable not only has your complete phone and internet surfing records, but they even know what channels you watch on TV and when.  Facebook knows your every friend, like and every page you've ever looked at.   They have managed to sinuously network themselves in practically every webpage in the world - to better your surfing experience.  If you use blocking software such as "Ghostery," you can see some of the sites who are attempting to track you, for your benefit.  There is a computer program called "Collusion" which will show you every website that is currently tracking you.  After a day of surfing the net, there will be hundreds listed. 

When the Boston Bomber, Dzhokhar, was finally revealed, amateur cyber detectives scurried around the internet to procure and save every tweet, photograph, email and posting they could find from him before his accounts were closed down and his friends could unfriend him.  Within minutes, websites popped up with copies of his school records, medical data, jpegs of his complete Russian "Facebook" data and a list of all his "friends" names.   You can bet that everyone who was his friend is under surveillance right now.   We even know what time he goes to bed and gets up.  Just google "What do we know about Dzhokhar Tsarnaev" and his whole life will be there laid out before your eyes and the data was predominately procured by normal average people who save this information before it can be deleted.

Big Brother is here and we invited him in right through the front door.  We accept this because it both improves our lives and protects us.  But from whom?  Take a note from history and go to this website and start reading from around the date of1933, June 22.  http://www.humanitas-international.org/holocaust/1930-34t.htm

The "No Snitch Culture" is scary because it lets people with intent to harm to continue their terror.  The Patriot Act is also scary because it opens up the path for the government to erode future rights.  The emerging vigilante culture is even more scary.  Just ask anyone  who was accused of and burned at the stake for witchcraft. 

-Malcolm Kogut

A Quiet Place

This is a simple arrangement of the tune I composed while visiting NYC.  The sheet music may be found at:

https://www.giamusic.com/products/P-Instrumental-piano.cfm

Hiking in the Adirondacks

 A ubiquity of trail signs in the Adirondack State Park.

Me at the entrance of the cool and damp Trap Dike.



-Malcolm Kogut

Singing Auditions

Over the years I have played for well over a hundred theatrical show auditions.  I have shouldered this task in both the community and professional theater arena.  Some of the best prepared auditions I have had the privilege of accompanying have been in the community theater realm where many of the applicants were full of dreams and eagerness to prove themselves while, some professionals can be jaded or over confident in their skill or resumé.  Regardless how good the pianist may be, it would behoove anyone auditioning for a musical to help the pianist to help them sound and look good.  I once played for a ten hour cattle call in NYC and by the end of the second day, I was exhausted both physically and mentally.  There were also quite a few people who seemingly were out to challenge me and my accompanying skills.  In no particular order, here are a list of my Do's and Don'ts.  None of these are hard and fast, but, do consider them for your own benefit.

Don't give the pianist hand written sheet music.  Unless your handwriting is impeccable, if the lighting is bad or the chicken scratch on the page is too small or indiscernible, your pianist may have trouble reading it.  My friend Mike is an excellent pianist but he is too proud to admit that his vision is beginning to fail.  He is not going to be wearing glasses so both you and he are automatically at a disadvantage.   Don't let his pride make you sound terrible. Give him something easy and clear to read.

Don't provide music written in keys with too many sharps or flats.  Even if you are auditioning for a professional theater company, maybe they're regular pianist couldn't make it and the union sent over some new person without a lot of sight reading experience.  Again, don't make it difficult for the pianist to make you sound good.  Have the music transposed up or down a half step where it may be easier to read.  You can either purchase music in various keys online or input it yourself into a program such as FINALE or some other engraving software.  Many simple engraving programs can be found for free online. 

Don't hand the pianist a brand new book with an uncooperative binding.  New books which don't already have the binding broken can close on its own at any time.    Wouldn't you rather the pianist to be focusing on you and not holding the book open?

If you are going to tell the pianist that you want to "Start here," then "skip to here," "repeat to here," "skip this page," "I'm singing different words here," "I'll stop there." then clearly mark it out in advance and use colored highlighters.  Better yet, have the music re-transcribed using a program such as FINALE and lay it out exactly as you wish to sing it so that the pianist doesn't have to navigate a maze of clues, scribbles or even trust their own memory.

Treat your pianist with respect, even after you finish singing and are walking off stage.  I once worked at the Empire State Institute for the Performing Arts at The Egg.  Our music director was named George.  He was a wonderful man who always watched the interaction between the singer and pianist.  There were times when George would come down to the pit and ask me what someone said to me or what the music looked like, did they say "Thank you" or if I thought they knew what they were doing.  How they treated me, how prepared they were and how easy they made it for me, mattered to George when hiring future cast members.

When it comes to having your music in a key you want it in, use a music engraving program and have your music transposed in the key you prefer because not every pianist can sight transpose.  Even though I can sight transpose very well because it is something I do every day, it would behoove you not to test me at YOUR audition.  I used to work at the Emma Willard School playing for four ballet classes a day, seven days a week and the teacher would only allow me a repertoire of 50 specific songs.  Her reasoning was that she wanted her students to know the music so well that they would be better dancers.  I quickly memorized the music and on some days, in an effort to entertain myself, I would transpose everything up a third for instance, or play everything in the key of B, then Db tomorrow.  So, it's your audition.  Do you want to risk sounding bad because you took a risk on the pianist?

Some pianist can fake an accompaniment with just a lead sheet and chords.  If your pianist can't read chord symbols and you present them with only a melody line, you're sunk.

Some pianists can't read bass clef very well so if your music also contains chord symbols at the top, that can be very helpful.  Even if I am reading both clefs, sometimes having a chord above the melody line can aid me in difficult passages.  Many pianist will utilize both tools in accompanying.   Have a friend with a knowledge of music theory neatly write the chords in if they are not already there.

Some singers may bring in their own pianists.  My friend George wouldn't have allowed that because he wanted to see how you worked with new people.  It wouldn't hurt to call in advance to find out if they will allow you to bring your own accompanist.  Many won't mind.

Some singers practice with a recording and are comfortable singing to that karaoke type recording.  Again, directors may want to hear you with only a piano or their pianist in an effort to discern your flexibility.

Some singers ask if they can sing a Capella.  Many music directors will want to hear you with a piano to see how quickly and efficiently you can match pitches and rhythms.  Some directors will allow you to sing unaccompanied but won't consider you.  You will be giving them a much needed two minute break.

You may be able to wow the directors with your rendition of a Sondheim piece or some other difficult work, but your pianist may not be able to.  It is you who may suffer when a pianist struggles with a difficult score.  The pianist already has the job. Consider keeping it simple.

If you absolutely must sing Sondheim or something from a difficult score, pay someone to simplify the arrangement so that it is easy to read and play by the average pianist.  Give it to a pianist friend and see how well they can play it on sight.

A few directors may frown upon you if you bring in illegally photocopied sheet music, just a few.  Personally, this is the format I prefer.   If you give me single sided, numbered, loose pages, I can lay them out on my music rack or stand with little fuss.  Just keep it down to three or four pages.  If one accidentally goes flying, you're up the creek.  I don't mind if they are in a binder either but, they should then be double sided.  Don't put them in a binder with hundreds of other songs and the whole collection weighs a lot.  If I am using a music stand, it could cause my stand to slide down.  Don't put your music in those plastic sheet protectors, either.  Depending on the lighting they can cause a glare making it difficult to see the notes.

It never mattered to me if the singer sang a song from the show they were auditioning for or, sang a song that the character they were auditioning for will sing.  However, if you are asked to hang out for a call back, you will probably be asked to sing something from the score.  I once played an audition for CAMELOT in NYC.  We were only casting for the two parts of Guenevere and Lancelot and over 300 people showed up.  It was amazing how many men didn't know the song "If Ever I Would Leave You."  It really showed us who would require a lot of hand holding and note plunking if they were cast in the show, which they weren't.

No matter how good the pianist may be, let me reiterate, don't make it difficult for them to make you sound good.  If you are good, your quality will shine through on anything you sing.  No matter how badly a piano player may butcher your piece, the director isn't listening to the pianist but they may take notice of your composure and recovery skills or, lack thereof.   Keep it simple.

Legalization of Marijuana

Do you know anyone who uses pot?  Has been arrested for pot?  Tried it once?  Do you know anyone who suffers from depression, addiction, chronic pain, cancer or fibromyalgia?  Well, it looks like NY is going to join the pantheon of states to legalize medical marijuana.  Many of our politicians freely admit to once using the herb such as Obama and Clinton.   Recently Republican Assemblyman Steve Katz was arrested and charged with possession as he was commuting to Albany to vote on legislation.  It is not clear if he has ever been high while on the floor passing laws but it seems now that these laws are affecting our lawmakers and they're going to do something about it.

I know what you're thinking.  Marijuana is a drug.  It slows motor skills.  It causes cancer in the long term.  It kills brain cells.  Well, again, the operative word here is "medical" marijuana.

If you could improve the quality of life for someone who is either elderly or suffering from debilitating injuries or disease, would you or, would you rather they suffer?  We know the side effects of marijuana so let's look at a few of the side effects from many common doctor prescribed medications:

Diarrhea, vomiting, suicide, death, nausea, amnesia, heart failure, stroke, water weight gain, muscle pain, blood clots, rash, dizziness, thinning bones, weakness, internal bleeding, dehydration, headaches, blurred vision, grogginess, difficulty breathing, no appetite, loss of balance, weight loss, weight gain, ringing in ears. 

Marijuana doesn't do any of those.  If your 80 year old grandmother suffered from painful  and debilitating arthritis, would you rather she suffer any of those aforementioned medicated side effects and sleep away her day or sit around watching TV, being snack obsessed and laughing at the paint on the wall?  Would you be concerned about her pot habit becoming a gateway drug?

What are some of the conditions medical marijuana is known for amelioration?  Alzheimer's, arthritis, glaucoma, ALS, MS, fibromyalgia, migraines, pain relief, cancer, HIV/AIDS, breast and brain cancer, addiction, opioid addiction, depression, chronic pain, nausea, no appetite, suicide.

When I was answering the suicide hotline, I had a caller who once had breast cancer a few years prior and she became addicted to pain killers.  She was taking eight pills a day despite being prescribed only four per day.  They have no effect on her anymore and the pain is unbearable to the point that she is suicidal. She admitted that she had smoked pot with her daughter and that pot was the only thing that took away the pain.  She was afraid of being arrested or getting her daughter arrested who was only trying to help her long suffering mother.  If this was your mother, which treatment would you prefer she imbibe in?  Endless and pointless suffering or giddy induced four hour lunches?

I have a friend in his forties who was a construction worker.  He fell from a roof and is now permanently disabled.  When he wakes up in the morning he is in excruciating pain.  He takes medication which then knocks him out for four more hours.  When he wakes in the afternoon, he forces himself to get up and take more medication which makes him nauseous, unable to eat and it still it doesn't take away his pain.  He has absolutely no life with his current medical treatment.  Enter marijuana.  When he smokes pot, he is able to eat and function for the whole day and it helps him to sleep at night.  Last year we went to the state fair and he was able to walk the entire park with no complaint.  So he had two fried doughs, a turkey leg, a cotton candy, two Slurpees, a beer and then we went to lunch.  He was able to function and have a quality day.  Please note that I did not share in his treatment and waited outside his car while he took his morning dosage.

I'm not talking about making pot legal like alcohol is - which unlike pot, kills over 5,000 children each year in DWI accidents.  Make pot available to people who can't find relief from modern medicine - or who do not wish to suffer the side effects of modern medicine - or who do not have insurance and can't afford the cost of modern medicine - or who sacrifice their quality of life because of the side effects of modern medicine. 

We would like for our elderly (old tokes) and disabled loved ones to have a certain quality of life.  If youth is through, do you think they are worried about long term damage from consuming or smoking an herb?  Not if it allows them to enjoy the few years they have left. 

A relative of mine was dying from cancer and she was prescribed morphine.  She refused to take it because she wanted to be awake for every precious moment she had left in this world.  Marijuana gave her a few pain free final weeks with her children which she would not have had otherwise. 

A funny aside, I recently had lunch with one of my former youth choir members who is now in his twenties.  He told me that when he was eight, his neighbor friend found his mother's stash of pot and they both snuck down into his basement to smoke it.  He said that it didn't have any effect on them and they really didn't remember much.  His friend emerged from the basement with shaved eyebrows and they plugged the toilet with something causing it to overflow and flood the basement. 

It seems when a senator's son comes out of the closet, they change their view on gay rights and attendant laws.  When a senator gets arrested for possession, we change our marijuana laws.   Once we do change the law, what are we going to do about the thousands of people in jail or prison who were arrested for possession and are serving lengthy sentences?  What about the people with prior felony convictions who are unemployable?  Congress, please fix the problems you created.

We need to arrest more senators.

-Malcolm Kogut.