Soundscape: The Tree of Knowledge

On March 13, the Garden of Eden story (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7) is listed on the Revised Common Lectionary. To that end I offer this soundscape for possible use in your faith community.

The Tree of Knowledge (soundscape)
Please remember soundscape are aural, not visual, presentations and amplification of each sound effect and speaker is crucial to success. Rehearsal with amplification is also important.
What is a soundscape?

The soundscape is freely available for use in worship and for christian education with due acknowledgement. If you do make use of this soundscape, I'd be interested to hear about your experience. 

More soundscapes

EVENT: Song Safari with Rachel Hore in Queenscliff

Queenscliff Uniting Church has culitvated a fine reputation for supporting and promoting community through the arts on the Bellarine Peninsula (Victoria Australia). Those who love singing may be interested in this event, scheduled during Victoria's school holiday break. What organisers say about the 'safari'  "Come and learn some new songs that will leave your heart singing, your body tapping and your heart light at this feast of choral songs and sounds for all singers. We'll sing beautiful original songs from contemporary Australia as well as songs from around the world."  About Rachel Hore A much sought after choral singing teacher, Rachel Hore has performed and taught throughout Australia and internationally for over 20 years. Her warm, energetic, and inclusive teaching style have built her reputation as a mentor to singers from Kalgoorlie to Coffs, Burnie to Brisbane and beyond. Rachel organises the annual Wintersong, a choral retreat in the Blue Mountains, and leads cultural singing tours to Fiji, Bali and Europe. www.rachelhore.com When: Saturday 16th April (10am-4pm) and Sunday 17th April (11am - 3pm) Where: Queenscliff Uniting Church function centre, cnr Hesse and Stokes St (entry from Hesse St)  Queenscliff, Australia. Numbers strictly limited - book now! Cost: Early bird price (if paid by Friday 25 March) $105 for whole weekend.  Saturday $80, or Sunday $60. Contact: Virginia at bellgees@gmail.com for more information, or 0411 952 598.

10 Ways to Recruit Church Musicians

It's a common enough story. A faith community finds itself without an organist, and sets about advertising for a new one. In this community's mind the person needs to have the same or similar skills to the previous leader. After all, there is an instrument sitting there with no-one to play it. Right?

Wrong. This faith community is making the same mistake as has been made for generations. When musical leadership is posited as the realm of a chosen few, leadership is invariably polarised and participation inhibited. Rather than recognising the gifts of those within the community, the powers-that-be try to enforce the status quo, and miss out on what could be. This is explored in Virtual Music Barriers.

Each faith community is a unique set of challenges in this situation, not least the assumptions the community holds about music. These are often reflected in the response of potential new musicians.

Looking Beyond "No Thanks"
Fear is a potent deterent to musical leadership in the church. Here are a few common responses:

• I am not a good enough musician.
• I have no experience.
• Others will think I'm an upstart because I am not skilled enough.
• I can't lead every week.
• You need someone younger.
• You need someone older.
• I'm not like X, I can't do X like he/she could.
• I don't play an instrument.
• I don't play the organ.
• I can't sing.

Each of these responses is based on a perception of what being a church muso looks like. And what it looks like almost always limits possibility. I would argue the Key Selection Criteria for Church Musicians is somewhat broader than this.

My 10 Top suggestions for recruiting musicians attempt to squash each of these fears by providing a solution:

1. Allocate a budget
While this may be used to purchase new music, it can also be a means to invest in the skills of your people through personal development pursuits like...

2. Pay for a term of lessons
If you've a guitarist, singer, trumpeter (doesn't matter what they play) in your midst, your community could offer to pay for a term of lessons with a local teacher.

3. Establish a tutorial system
Those with less experience and expertise might be coupled with a mentor who offers one-on-one assistance.

4. Attend a workshop
Fill a car and travel to a workshop being offered in your state. Not only will you come back inspired with new ideas, but you'll do some good team building with those you travel with.

5. Look beyond your four walls
I have never met a community with no musicians living in it. They are there if you are willing to look. Seek them out and learn from them.

6. Listen beyond your four walls
Be open minded about the music styles that can be welcomed into worship. Listen widely and ask others what they like to sing and listen to. Find out what other faith communities like yours are doing.

7. Encourage your children
Are the children in your community singing? Find out how to get them involved.

8. Take baby steps
Don't move too fast. Be prepared to build slowly. If people lack confidence they will be more comfortable accompanying just one song each week for awhile.Use percussion creatively to accompany other songs.

9. Monster Music Night
Find out about your community. Hold a fun night and invite any kind of performance from groups and individuals in your midst. Be prepared to be amazed.

10. Think beyond the songs
Involve people in musical leadership in less formal ways by considering 6 Sound Innovations for Worship, use soundscapes, make your own instruments, play a music game at your next church meeting.

Effective recruitment is a perennial process. Where it is, most faith communities will find they are able to weather the comings and goings of musicians quite comfortably because they have nurtured and encouraged a community of people with various skills and abilties, and welcomed a variety of styles with grace.

You are welcome to offer your recruitment idea here for others to consider.

You may also be interested in:
How is the Church Accompanying Song in 2011?
8 Top Tips for Getting the Blokes to Sing
A Cappella Sunday
10 Ways to Improve the Band by next Sunday
10 Ways to Fertilise Your Community's Musical Life

And this article from the USA late last year: Tough Times for Church Organists 

What's Your Musical Resolution for 2011?

Now that the year is well underway, you are invited to share your musical resolution for 2011 in the "Get Answers" box. You will find it in the left column of this blog. Your idea may prompt another to make a positive change, so be brave and tell us what you hope will be different in 2011.

If you can't think of anything, 20 Resolutions for the Church Musicians may trigger an idea.

Into the New Year: remembering the past and looking to the future

After the Summer Break
If your faith community is anything like mine, the place goes into semi-hibernation over the summer break. Sure, worship continues, but all other regular connections are put-on-hold. When we return, people's lives have invariably altered. Some have endured personal crisis, others have resolved to change in some way, and many return refreshed to tackle new challenges. Knowing that people are in this renewal mindset, I find it disheatening when the welcome back presumes everything will continue on as before.

Responding to this new-year mood in worship?
In Australia this summer our nation has endured natural disasters on a scale never before experienced in this land. For this reason, and in this context I have laid out here one way these events may be coupled with a new year mind-set.

While this skeleton plan for worship, or for part of a meeting, is not strictly a musical exercise, I hope it may help to spirit your gathering into the new year with courage and hope.

Bare Bones for New Year Worship

• Arrival

• Sing a well known song of welcome together (eg: Come as you are, Gather us In, Come into his presence sing alleluia etc...)

• Welcome

• Pass the Peace

• Explaining the process - worship will involve people in small groups, reflecting on the summer just past and looking to the new year. They will be given one minute to spend in personal reflection for each area, and then each group member will be invited to ofer their reflection. It is important groups are evenly sized so that they all take about the same time. Suggest members of each group limit their contributions to about 30 seconds each as a guide. Remind them that conversations can be taken up over coffee later, and that what they say in their small group is just a taster, a starting point. If it seems appropriate for your community, have someone indicate non verbally when each 30 seconds has elapsed. One non-invasive method is to gently strike a chime bar or a triangle. Don't be too rigid with this - if 30 seconds seems too brief, extened it to 40 seconds. Explain that this is not designed for people to have in depth conversations - its just a snapshot. It is most important to make sure ALL group members have a equal opportunity to share.

• Create the groups - Group people in fours, mixing the ages - and yes children have had valid summer experiences too, and should be included as long as they are comfortable to do so! Remember to separate members of households.                                                                                                                            
• Sing together - something about the diversity of those gathered

• Invite everyone to reflect on their summer - 1 minute silence. Don't offer any specific input, or attempt to guide people's thoughts. Honour their personal experiences simply by offering this space.

• Now invite people to remember a win, celebration, personal acheivement or success - give them 30 seconds to think about this then share 30 seconds each with ther small group.

• Mark the moment as a whole community with bubble blowing, streamer throwing

• Sing a song of celebration and thanks

• Invite people to remember a mistake, a sadness, a personal disaster or disappointment in silence, then share (for 2 minutes) in small groups

• Mark the moment by writing/drawing on a river stone and dropping into a transparent bowl filled with wateras music is played.

• Sing together: a song of healing, and of burdens being lifted.

• Remember and then share in small groups (2 minutes) a kindness done to you, a gift, a social encounter, a warm fuzzy over summer

• Offer a snapshot of the events of summer (floods, bushfire, cyclone), unrest in Cairo, landslides in Brazil and other matters that may be a special concern to your community. This may be done pictorially, verbally, as a guided reflection.

• Remember victims (in small groups) by recalling a moment of empathy, sympathy, a story of service, an image of hope

• Mark the moment by lighting a candle

• Prayer led by worship leader on behalf of the gathering

• Sing something hopeful and uplifting

• Now in small groups share a new opportunity or resolution for the new year.

• Mark the moment by writing a short letter to yourself. You may chose to save these letters for distribution later in the year, or invite people to take them home and put somewhere they will be reminded of their resolution from time to time.

• Sing each other out into the world. 

You may also be interested in 20 (New Year) Resolutions for the Church Musician