MUSICIANS "ON THE SIDE"

Value Added: The Leadership Program for Musicians

YOU ARE GOING to laugh at me when I tell you how I play a hymn on the organ," an attendee at a

conference on small churches said. "I photocopy the hymn and then use Wite­Out to cover all the notes I can't play." Basically, melody and some bass notes were all she could manage. Playing foot pedals was out of the question. I did not laugh, but instead gave her some ideas that were accessible for her and would take her to another level of hymn playing. She was encouraged and determined. How I wished that she had a local LPM program to attend.

The Leadership Program for Musicians (LPM) was developed in response to a mandate from the Episcopal Church's General Convention of 1991 that a lead­ership program that respected the nature and integrity of small congregations be es­tablished. Originally, the tide included the words "Serving Small Congregations" -and trying to define "small" brought much discussion; well more than half of the Episcopal churches could be defined as small, but musicians in churches of all sizes could benefit from LPM. There was never any attempt to encourage the small church to be like the larger church down the street, nor the larger church to be like a cathedral. From the beginning, it was imperative to honor each church for all chat it was, to do whatever was possible to encourage vibrant worship through music and liturgy.

The LPM program was designed for those who (1) had not yet had the oppor­tunity co develop their musical skills through long-term education or continu­ing education, (2) might have studied mu­sic in a college environment but did not study how to plan and lead worship or how to select hymns and service music, (3) were members of other denominations yet served in Episcopal congregations and needed to know more specific informa­tion, (4) were young musicians with po­tential for church-music leadership, and (5) desired positive professional relation­ships with other musicians and clergy.

A team of musicians and clergy gath-

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Marti Rideout

ered to discuss and develop a course of study for participants to meet one Satur­day a month, ten months a year, for two years. Geographical challenges in some ar­eas made a monthly class too difficult, so some programs met five times a year with an overnight. After successful completion of all written and performance require­ments, the participants would be awarded the Presiding Bishop's Certificate in Church Music. There were six original LPM courses:

1. Principles of Music Leadership, which included Philosophy of Church Music and Voice Training for Choirs, lacer to include choral conducting, by the Rev. Dr. William Bradley Roberts.

2. Leadership of Congregational Song (skills track to increase technical aware­ness and proficiency in organ) by Mari­lyn Keiser. A guitar crack was written by Mimi Farra.

3. Hymnody of the Christian Church, a comprehensive review of hymnody in The Hymnal 1982 and supplements with emphasis on use with small con­gregations, was developed by Raymond Glover.

4. Liturgy and Music: Foundations for Christian Worship, a study of The Book of Common Prayer and ocher re­sources with special attention to the de­velopment of musician-clergy working relationships, was written by the Rev. Dr. Edward Kryder.

5. Teaching New Music to the Congre­gation, which included analysis of mu­sic as well as techniques useful in intro­ducing new texts and music, written by Carol Doran.

6. Resources for an Effective Music Min­istry, which included pastoral skills for musicians, selecting music for worship services, developing professional re­sources and support, working with adulc volunteer choirs and young peo­ple, arranging hymns and service music as anthems, written by Marci Rideout.

The first LPM Summer Conference, a training event to prepare diocesan coordi-

nators to return and establish local LPM courses, was held at Virginia Theological Seminary in 1995. Summer training courses continued for more than a decade. Approximately 90 dioceses and 40 synods sent coordinators to be trained at Summer Conferences, and well over 500 people re­ceived the Presiding Bishop's Certificate in Church Music. For some participants, that was equivalent to the college educa­tion they had not received, and as pre­cious to chem as any other degree.

In 1997, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted "Ini­tiatives for a New Century," which in­cluded a commitment to small congrega­tions. Conversations between the ELCA and the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA) began, and continued in earnest. In 1999, the ELCA was invited to become a full partner with ECUSA in LPM. Boch denominations re­quire similar, specialized skills for liturgi­cal and music leadership; working togeth­er strengthened LPM's unity of mission while enlarging its repertoire with shared resources. The LPM curriculum went through several necessary revisions to be both inclusive and comprehensive for both denominations, while retaining the original course ideas. Some of the Luther­an authors and editors included Randall Lee, Teresa Bowers, David Cherwien, Scott Weidler, Carl Schalk, Samuel Tor­vend, and Gerald Spice.

While a history can be related and goals listed, nothing cells the story quite like the participants who were involved in LPM and the instructors who imparted knowl­edge and gained wisdom through teach­ing. There were participants who sat at an organ console and had never played the pedals out of fear and lack of technique and confidence; some even had to be per­suaded to wear organ shoes. One, the fastest "left-foot Suzy" I had ever seen, could cover the entire pedalboard with one foot; her pedaling was effective, so wisdom prevented me from changing what she had developed. Some only used a few stops on the organ because they just did not know how effective sounds could

THE AMERICAN ORGANIST

be created. Most had no idea that congre­gational hymn singing could be improved by their phrasing, breathing with the con­gregation, paying attention to the text with appropriate registrations; it was all they could do to play the notes. Most had never stood in front of the choir, looked them in the eyes, raised their own arms in the air and invited them to sing; they usu­ally sat at the console, playing the notes and hoping for the best. Striving for excel­lence was not a goal; getting through was. Most had never stood in front of a con­gregation to teach a new hymn before. There was reluctance and hesitation, but in time, each participant became a capable leader. LPM increased their musical skills and confidence in great measure. Visiting bishops could tell that an organist had gone through an LPM program by the more spirited hymn singing of the congre­gation. Local clergy were grateful that LPM existed for their church musicians, for themselves, and for their parishes.

Participants used denominational re­sources and planned worship for class time; some were involved in liturgical planning for the very first time. They learned how to choose appropriate hymns for the liturgical seasons and specific litur­gies. They worked together in community for the course and continued a network of assistance and collegiality long after the LPM course was completed. Most devel­oped a comfort in talking about theology and spirituality, gaining a vocabulary from the class and conversations with each oth­er, on topics they thought previously the domain only of clergy. They developed an awareness of multicultural diversity and a variety of musical styles, and were delight­fully surprised when they sang music they never thought they would like or would be appreciated in their own congregations. Participants who said "I can't" learned to say "I can." Transformation took place in their own lives, and, as a result, congrega­tional worship was strengthened with new vitality. This is the essence ofLPM.

In the almost 25 years since the LPM curriculum was envisioned and written and programs begun, much has changed. Numbers attending Sunday services in mainline churches have declined some­what, time and energy to commit to a long-term program may be more limited, distance to travel to an existing program may be overwhelming. Yet the need for this program has not changed. Church musicians still need support and skills, in-

AUGUST 2015

formation and encouragement. LPM is still very much alive and available. While this is a program for the Episcopal Church and the Lutherans, using those denomina­tional resources, participants from other denominations (Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational, United Church of Christ, and Greek Or­thodox, to cite a few), have taken all or part of the courses offered and have suc­cessfully used the principles for their own churches. The Lutherans and Episco­palians are not the only denominations with a mandate to help musicians serving in small congregations.

The LPM board is committed to updat­ing the curriculum, preparing the more academic courses for online teaching and learning, developing one-day workshops to offer locally desired portions of the cur­riculum, and exploring ways to provide mentoring for participants in the more ap­plied courses like Leadership Skills (organ, piano, guitar, voice), Teaching New Mu­sic, and Conducting and Voice Training. The Board is committed to finding ways to reach musicians serving in the smallest churches, where too often those musicians believe they are not proficient enough to even take the LPM course.

LPM has a program. It has people will­ing to teach. It has the flexibility to take its offerings to the people, to adapt the cours­es to their needs. For more information about LPM, visit Lpm-online.org. Coordi­nators are needed to implement more local programs in synods and dioceses through­out the country; if you would like infor­mation about serving as an LPM coordina­tor or developing a local LPM program in your area, contact Scott Weidler, program director for Worship and Music for the ELCA at 773-380-2554 or 800-638-3522, ext. 2554; scott.weidler@elca.org.

The Association of Anglican Musicians (AAM) offers a mentor program, whereby a mentee works with a seasoned profes­sional who lives in the same area or reason­able geographic location, on specific skills needing improvement: hymn and service­playing, conducting and conducting from the console, accompanying, adapting a choral score for the organ, voice training, whatever questions or concerns the mentee might have. Persons desiring guidance through the AAM mentor program should contact Kyle Ritter, canon organist-choir­master, at the Cathedral of All Souls in Asheville, North Carolina, at 828-274-2681; kyle@allsoulscathedral.org.

T award the end of the first of two years teaching the Leadership Skills Course/Or­gan Track, I offered to go to the churches of the LPM participants to hear their as­signments performed, to help answer ques­tions they had about the instruments they played or registrations or choir placement or their choral literature and more. I trav­eled about two hours to a small church in the mountains of Virginia, where I was met by an LPM class participant, a woman in her early 70s who had served her church as organist for 35 years. She held out a legal pad with a question on each line of two pages and said, "I don't have much time left to be a church organist. But in the time I have left, I want to be the best or­ganist I can be."

The value of the Leadership Program for Musicians is beyond measure.

Marti Rideout is a founding mJmber ofLPM, a curriculum writer, national LPM Consultant­Coordinator (1996-2006), conference leader, and teacher. She served as dean and board member of the Northern Virginia AGO Chap­ter, and board member in Columbus, Ohio. She is the author of All Things Necessary: A Practical Guide for Episcopal Church Musicians.

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