Sacred Music Symposium 2025

A National Gathering of Church Musicians
February 6-7, 2025

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

Cost and Registration

Or Print out a Registration Form–Fill it Out–Mail it In

$150 Regular Adult Attendee, includes meals (Thursday & Friday lunch & dinner) and reading session music packets.

Registration deadline is January 27, 2025

The revived 2025 Sacred Music Symposium will bring together top sacred music professionals for a gathering of professional growth and enhancement. The symposium welcomes music ministers, choir members, professors and teachers from all denominations wanting to share ideas and learn how to motivate and revive passion within the music ministry of their local organization. Choral reading sessions will be presented by major publishers featuring their best in sacred choral and handbell repertoire. New this year, evenings will include additional reading sessions and workshops. Keep checking back! More details will be available as here as they are refined.

Video

Lodging

There are a number of hotels in the Indianapolis area, but special arrangements have been made with the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel, 31 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis.

Tap here for information and to make a reservation at the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel.

You may register for the Symposium now and reserve a hotel at a later date. This special rate is available through January 5, 2025

Please reference our group name: Tabernacle Presbyterian Church-Sacred Music Symposium

Clinicians

Michael John Trotta

Keynote Speaker & Composer

Composition & Conducting

Fueled by a passion for combining tradition and innovation, American composer Michael John Trotta creates music that resonates with modern audiences around the world. From Carnegie Hall to cathedrals and concert halls around the world, he creates “elegant, singable music with a strong, spiritual heft” (Choir and Organ Magazine).

Seasoned by his experience as a conductor at the primary, secondary, and university levels – as well as a church music director – his works are infused with an “intimate knowledge of the human voice and a rare sensitivity to the capabilities of a choral ensemble” (Fanfare). The “dynamic interplay of time-honored musical gestures with
present-day sonorities” (Choral Scholar) create “tender harmonies and a palette of glowing vocal and instrumental colors” (Gramophone).

In addition to a significant output of music for unaccompanied choir, he has written nine choral-orchestral works on a larger scale. He recently collaborated with the Tenebrae and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Brenda Austin

Handbell Editor, Hope Publishing

Brenda Austin is a native of Southwest Michigan, has been serving First United Methodist Church in Eaton Rapids, MI, as Director of Worship and Music since 2003. At the church, Brenda directs several handbell choirs of all ages and levels, as well as directing the Chancel Choir and Praise Band. She is the newly appointed Artistic Director for the Detroit Handbell Ensemble. Brenda is active in the community directing Children’s musical theatre and handbell choirs at the elementary school. Each year, in partnership with Chelsea United Methodist Church, the church hosts an annual handbell festival where Brenda has served as conductor and clinician. Additionally, Brenda is a freelance handbell composer, arranger and clinician.

Brenda graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance from Western Michigan University. She completed her Master’s of Music degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Missouri. Since her first publication in 2015, she has had compositions and arrangements published at Beckenhorst Press, the Lorenz Corporation, SoundForth, Jeffers Publishing, Alfred Publishing, GIA Music, From the Top Music and Chorister’s Guild.

Joel Raney

Piano

Joel Raney started playing the piano sometime between learning to walk and learning to read. His taste for gospel music began in a rural Baptist church in Alabama, an influence that shows strongly in his work to this day. After completing his degree in choral conducting at the University of North Alabama, he went on to sharpen his keyboard skills, earning a masters degree in piano performance at The Juilliard School. Since 1999 he has taken the church music scene by storm, with over 250 titles in print, primarily with Hope Publishing where he serves as Editor. His innovative style and inspired arranger’s instincts put his numerous choral anthems, musicals and cantatas, handbell compositions, piano solos, and instrumental works at the top of sales charts year after year.

Joel is a sought-after choral and keyboard clinician, and stays busy performing throughout North America as a piano soloist and in duo-concert with organist and fellow Hope Editor, Jane Holstein. They have released a CD recording of organ-piano duets; Kum Ba Yah, and Joel has four solo piano CDs to his credit; An Instrument of Your Peace; This Is My Story, This Is My Song; Overtures of Praise; and Images of Christmas.

For more than a decade, Joel was Artist-in-Residence at the First Presbyterian Church of River Forest, Il, and currently serves as Minister of Music at the First Baptist Church of Oak Park, Il. He makes his home in River Forest with wife Susie and their three sons, Charlie, Sawyer and Jesse.

Ruth Dwyer

Community & Children’s Choirs

Ruth E. Dwyer is internationally recognized as a youth and children’s choir specialist and Kodály educator. She has been the guest conductor for the OAKE National Children’s Choir, numerous ACDA All-State Choirs, and NAfME.
She is the Founder of the Hoosier Hills Choral Festival in Southern Indiana. She founded and directed Philanthropy Through Song, which presented choral festivals supporting anti-drunk driving education. Mrs. Dwyer has been
a frequent guest conductor with the Texas International Choral Festival, MidAmerica Productions, the New England Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and guest lecturer in São Paulo, Brazil where she conducted the GRAN FINALE
Festival Nacional de Corais Infantis e Jovens.

Mrs. Dwyer is the Artistic Director of the Lilly Chorus (LC).  LC is a social opportunity and community service group for Eli Lilly employees, spouses, adult family members, and retirees. She is excited to be a part of this long-standing arts representative of the Eli Lilly Corporate Family. In retirement, she continues to be a guest speaker, conductor, and clinician for high schools, colleges, universities, and professional music organizations.

Mrs. Dwyer is the Director of Education Emerita of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir (ICC) where she mentored music directors and conducted for 34 years. Though “retired,” she continues volunteering for the ICC as a teacher mentor,
substitute director, alumni association event conductor, and composer.

Sweetwater Music

Technology in Worship

2025 Sacred Music Symposium Schedule

(Subject to change)

Thursday, February 6

8:30 a.m. Registration & Refreshments. McKee Hallway/Gallery

9:15 a.m. Morning Worship. McKee Chapel

9:40 a.m. Workshops

10:50 a.m. Break & Refreshments. Gallery

11:00 a.m. Workshops

12:00 p.m. Lunch  (included with registration). Dining Room

12:50 p.m. Clinicians Panel Discussion

1:50 p.m. Break, Vendors & Refreshments. Gallery

2:00 p.m. Publisher Reading Session. McKee Chapel

3:10 p.m. Workshops

6:00 p.m. Dinner (included with registration). Dining Room

7:00 p.m. Workshops

Friday, February 7

8:30 a.m. Registration, Vendors & Refreshments. McKee Hallway/Gallery

9:00 a.m. Morning Worship. McKee Chapel

9:40 a.m. Workshops

10:50 a.m. Break, Vendors & Refreshments. Gallery

11:00 a.m. Publisher Reading Session. McKee Chapel

12:00 p.m. Lunch  (included with registration). Dining Room

1:00 p.m. Publisher Reading Session. McKee Chapel

1:50 p.m. Break, Vendors & Refreshments. Gallery

2:00 p.m. Workshops

3:10 p.m. Break, Vendors & Refreshments. Gallery

3:30 p.m. Workshops

6:00 p.m. Dinner (included with registration). Dining Room

7:00 p.m. Workshops

8:00 p.m. Closing

Contact Information

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