Sacred Music Symposium 2019

A National Gathering of Church Musicians
September 11, 12 and 13, 2019

Tabernacle Presbyterian Church
418 East 34th Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46205

Cost and Registration

 

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$275 Regular Adult Attendee–Early Bird Pricing, includes workshops, meals (Wednesday dinner, Thursday/Friday lunch & dinner) and reading session music packets.

$175 Student Registration, includes workshops, meals and reading session music packets.

$100 Spouse Add-on, includes workshops, meals but does not include reading session music packets.

The Fourth Annual 2019 Sacred Music Symposium will bring together top sacred music professionals for a gathering of professional growth and enhancement. The symposium welcomes music ministers and choir members from all denominations wanting to share ideas and learn how to motivate and revive passion within the music ministry of their local church. We welcome back Mark Hayes as our keynote presenter and clinician! Choral reading sessions will be presented by major publishers featuring their best in sacred choral and handbell repertoire. Each evening will feature a special program featuring guest musicians. You will also be invited to join us for a special presentation of a major choral selection on Friday evening with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and The Sanctuary Choir of Tabernacle Presbyterian. Details on how you can participate will be shared when your registration for the symposium is received.

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Lodging

There are a number of hotels in the Indianapolis area, but special arrangements have been made with the Hampton Inn Indianapolis, 105 S. Meridian Street, Indianapolis. 

Tap here to find out more information and to reserve your room

Or you can call the hotel at 317-261-1200 and reference the group code: SMS.

Schedule

Here are tentative schedules for the 2019 Sacred Music Symposium

Wednesday, September 11
Thursday, September 12
Friday, September 13

 

 

Would you like to volunteer at the Symposium?

We are looking for folks to volunteer in Hospitality, Setup and Transportation. Click here or on the logo to sign up via Sign up Genius.

 

 

Clinicians

Mark Hayes

Clinician and Keynote Speaker

Mark’s workshops:

Hymn Improvisation for Solo Playing and Congregational Accompaniment – Learn how to embellish hymns and use substitute harmonies, learn how to add to what’s already on the page even if you’re not a good improviser.  Modulations and transitions in traditional and gospel styles will be discussed.

Orchestrations – So you want to add an instrumental part to an anthem or other musical selection in your service?  Learn where to begin and what you can do with a variety of instruments that you might have available in your congregation. 

Mark Hayes’ vocal and instrumental writing is widely acclaimed and performed across the nation. He is well known for his unique choral settings which draw from such diverse styles such as gospel, jazz, pop, folk, and classical to achieve a truly “American sound.” The popularity of his music is evident in the numerous offers of commissions he receives from universities and churches throughout the country.

Mark first conducted his Te Deum and Magnificat at Carnegie Hall in New York in May 2007. Hayes conducted the Community and Church Honor Choir at 2008 MCDA Convention and led the Community and Church Honor Choir at the SWACDA Regional Convention in 2010 featuring his Gloria. In May 2011, Mark conducted the world premiere of his work for chorus and orchestra, “The American Spirit” at Lincoln Center. His personal catalog, compiled since the late 1970s, includes well over 700 published original compositions and arrangements, which are distributed by several leading publishers.

Hayes has produced and arranged over 50 recordings for various artists and publishers, 50 keyboard folios, and 21 vocal solo collections. “Empowering church musicians has always been one of my goals,” says Hayes. He lives this out by regularly serving as a clinician at arranging, orchestration, and piano improvisation workshops throughout the country. Because of his creative arranging approach, his performance expertise, and his “hands on” experience as a church pianist for so many years, Hayes is able to give fresh insights into improvisation, accompanying, and congregational hymn playing for the church musician. 

His warm, sensitive style at the keyboard and behind the conductor’s podium makes him an instant favorite among all age groups. In addition to his involvement in the sacred and secular choral music fields, Hayes is increasingly sought after as an orchestrator and record producer. Mark Hayes is a recurring recipient of the Standard Award from ASCAP, and his album, “I’ve Just Seen Jesus,” received the Dove Award, the equivalent to a Grammy in gospel music. In 2010, Mark received the Award for Exemplary Leadership in Christian Music from Baylor University Center for Christian Music Studies.

Greg Gilpin

Conducting & Repertoire for the Small Church Choir

Greg’s workshops:

Practical Tips for Leading Your Choir as the Conductor – Greg Gilpin will share ideas and instruction on simple and practical tips for conducting in order to lead and motivate your choir to better singing and more engaging rehearsals.

Beyond the Written Note – Finding Choral Beauty Hiding Within the Choral Work – Greg Gilpin will share his experience conducting choirs of all ages on how to go beyond the written page of notes to find the musical moments that may be hiding on the choral page. 

David Cherwien

Organ

David’s workshops:

Hymn Playing – Ever wonder where to be begin with appropriate hymn registrations, technique and maybe a little improvisation?  You will learn the “how to’s” and the “what not to do’s” of effectively leading your congregation as they worship together through the singing of hymns. 

Organ Literature and Technique – Whether you are a seasoned, well-trained organist or a novice stepping into organist shoes at your church, find out how to be a musical leader as you sit behind the console.  Bring your music and your shoes to play a little bit and find out how you can improve your skills!

David Cherwien is currently serving as Cantor at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. and in 2002 was appointed music Director for the National Lutheran Choir, also based in the Twin Cities.  He has held full-time parish music positions in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, Chicago, Seattle and Berlin.  Dr. Cherwien has published an extensive amount of choral music and liturgical music for choir, organ and congregation through AMSI, Abingdon, GIA, Morningstar, Concordia, Augsburg/Fortress and Chorister’s Guild.  He is author of the book Let the People Sing, a practical guide for those who lead the congregation in song, published by Concordia.  Dr. Cherwien has distinguished himself among American organists by his ability to play an entire church service, including prelude, postlude, liturgy and hymns, with very little reference to printed music.  He composes or improvises much of the music he plays in a worship service.

David is a founding member of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians serving in its leadership in a variety of capacities including National President from 1993 to 1997.  He is also active in the American Guild of Organists and Chorister’s Guild.

Mark Burrows

Children’s Music & Children in Worship

Mark’s workshops:

Children in the Worship Service – Learn how your children can play a vital role in leading worship for your congregation. 

Children’s Music – Discover fun and engaging ways to become an even more effective children’s choir director, while exploring some new repertoire and educational resources.

Brenda Austin

Handbells

Brenda’s workshops:

Handbell Technique – Whether you are a beginner or someone that would like to explore a more challenging handbell experience (like 4-in-hand ringing!) or solo ringing come and join the group to learn the basics and more advanced techniques of ringing.  We’ll work with handbells as well as choirchimes to raise your sights on something new and exciting!

Handbell Repertoire – Come and ring along as new repertoire for handbells is explored for all levels of expertise.  There are lots of new selections on the horizon and you will want to be the first to hear what’s coming next!

Dan Andersen

The Aging Voice/Vocal Technique

Dan’s workshops:

Help Me!  My Singers are Out of Control! – Learn effective tools and warm-ups that will help your singers to control their voices.  How do different techniques work with different aged voices?  Come find out from our expert on vocal control.

Advanced Conducting – So you think you have this conducting thing mastered?  Come and see how you can be more effective in communicating through your conducting skills exactly what you are looking for in your choirs!

Dan Andersen is in his thirty-sixth year of teaching. He is a graduate of Indiana Purdue University in Fort Wayne where he studied voice with Dr. Joe Meyers and conducting with Mr. John Loessi. Mr. Andersen taught high school choir for eighteen years and is in his sixteenth year of teaching middle school choir at Center Grove Middle School Central in Greenwood, IN. At the high school level his choirs were well known throughout the Midwest, consistently receiving first division ratings at Concert Choir, Vocal Jazz and Show Choir Contests. His Middle School choirs have also received superior ratings at ISSMA competitions as well as being featured three times at the IMEA State Convention.

Dan has also been involved in church music for over 35 years. He has served as choir director and director of music at numerous churches in Northeast and Central Indiana. He has also served as tenor soloist/section leader in a number of churches.

He is a member of NAfME and a life member of the American Choral Directors Association. Currently he serves as the Middle School Repertoire and Resource Chair for the Central Division ACDA. He is active as a clinician, festival conductor and judge in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois. He has served as guest conductor for the Indiana All-State Vocal Jazz Choir, Indiana All-State Middle School Honor Choir, and the Kentucky All-State Junior High Honor Choir. He was also the Vocal Jazz Ensemble director at the Indiana University Summer Music Clinic for 12 years.

He has many former students who are actively involved in careers in music, many in education.

Rev. Bill Carter

Creative Worship & Jazz for the Average Church

Bill’s workshops:

Inviting Creativity Into the Sanctuary – Tired of the same ol’ hum-drum predictable worship service?  Find out what you can do to enhance your congregation’s worship experience as they gather to bring praise to God.

Jazz and Gospel Music in Your Worship Service – Ever wonder about adding a bit of jazz or gospel music to your musical repertoire?  Let’s add some available musicians and give them a chance to do something a little outside your box during worship.  Explore how you can utilize the talents in your congregation to use their musical gifts in bringing praise to God.

Rev. L. John Gable

Staff Relations

John’s workshops:

Church Relationships –Feeling stressed because of your relationship with co-workers or congregation members?  We have all faced it at one time or another.  Find out where problems may lie and what can be done to help “ease the pain” of working in a church.

Looking Ahead – How to effectively communicate with staff members that are involved in designing and implementing ideas for worship. 

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Contact Information

For more information about the Sacred Music Symposium please contact Matt Kauffman at 317.923.5458 x102, email SacredMusic@tabpres.org.