1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2024 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Course Syllabus
This is a music ministry course for which there is no ideal textbook (though I would look seriously at From Postlude to Prelude: Music Ministry’s Other Six Days by Randall Bradley if I were to teach the class in the future). Instead, I shaped the course in the same way that the music minister experiences his or her involvement with the church, from searching for a job to the nuts and bolts of the ministry to leaving a position. Each step along the way the students completed projects that dealt with a different area of ministry. I’ve found that this approach prepares students to tackle the day-to-day tasks of music ministry.
The most positive aspect of the course has been the pairing of students with music ministry mentors. Each student is matched with a local music minister who is available to them for interviews, project help and observations. This gives the students a closer look at a music ministry other than their home church’s before they start their senior practicum, and it triggers discussion on differences in ministries during class. The students observe everything from large churches with multiple ensembles to small churches run by volunteers. They don’t always like what they see, but it helps them begin to form their own ideas of how a music ministry should be administered.
Textbook: Causey, Harry. Things They Didn’t Tell Me About Being a Minister of Music. Rockville, MD: Music Revelation, 1988.
Notes: Each student will be paired with a local music minister for the semester. These music ministers will help you with projects throughout the class.
COURSE SCHEDULE
PROJECTS
PROJECT 1: Find a Job
PROJECT 2: Apply to a Job
Choose the best job from Project 1 and “apply” to it. Submit a letter of inquiry, cover letter/resume, and statement of faith. If you are not a senior, include experiences you expect to have by the time you graduate. By the way, this is a good time to assess your skills and experiences—if you are weak in an area, find a way to improve it before your first job hunt.
PROJECT 3: “New Ministry” Assessment
Prepare a report about your mentor’s music ministry as if it’s your new job. Interview them about about the ministry (i.e. assessing the past) and assess resources such as choir library and sound system. You don’t have to produce a catalog of anthems, etc, but you should answer questions like “how many?” and “what type?” (i.e. traditional, contemporary, etc).
PROJECT 4: Meyers-Briggs
Set up an appointment with Bill Minnick in the RSC to take a Meyers-Briggs test. Make sure you leave enough time before his visit on 10/3 for him to calculate the results.
PROJECT 5: Budget and Reporting
Interview your mentor regarding their music budget and the method of reporting they are required to use. Are they responsible for preparing a budget? How much is it? How much is it in comparison to the church’s yearly budget? Who approves it? Where do they order items? How do they request a check to pay for items?
PROJECT 6: Press release, bulletin/newsletter, and music news
Find something to advertise—for instance, a choir tour you’re taking part in or a church worship team visit to a local church. Produce materials to promote the event within your group, your church and the community. The press release should be ready to go to a local newspaper to create excitement about the event within the community, the bulletin/newsletter article is to inform church members about the event, and the music news will go to your own ensemble and should answer specific questions about time and dress as well as to boost enthusiasm for the event.
PROJECT 7: The Trusted 20
This is a big project so you may want to get started early. Each student will find at least 20 choral anthems that will be your beginning repertoire for work in a church. These should be anthems that you have sung or heard, and that you know will work in a volunteer church choir. Prepare a paragraph review of each anthem detailing the text focus, difficulty level, music style, any unusual instrumentation issues, etc. The lists will be compiled into a master list to be shared with the class.
PROJECT 8: Observe a Rehearsal
Attend one or more of your mentor’s rehearsals (preferably choir). Outline the events of the rehearsal, observe how your mentor paces the learning, how he or she deals with musical difficulties or discipline problems, and how quickly people learn the material. Later, evaluate your mentor’s strengths and weaknesses as a director.
PROJECT 9: Resources for Special Ensembles
Interview your mentor to learn their favorite resources for children’s, youth, and handbell choirs; wedding, funerals, instrumental and special music; and Easter or Christmas productions. They may not be experts in all these areas, but they will probably have some gems that they come back to again and again. Each student will find at least 10 resources and contribute their list to a master class list.
