Lesson 1: Liturgical musicianship​

Distinguish core roles of the modern Roman Catholic cantor, and identify critical skills associated with each. Determine key factors for a successful working relationship between cantor and organist, and for leading a congregation confidently in song. Explore factors that will impact one’s experience of your music: church architecture, acoustics, sound systems and microphones, location of musicians within the church, and more. Students will be asked to take this opportunity to assess critically their own parish music programs according to the factors highlighted in this lesson: what is working well, and what could use improvement.

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Lesson 2: "When in Rome, do what the Romans do."

Whether it’s a panicked call requiring a musician for tomorrow’s funeral at the neighboring parish, or a best friend needs help with music for a family wedding, sooner or later the student will find oneself filling in at a special liturgy at a different parish. Learn how to prepare, and what to expect (or not expect) at a parish that does things differently. Focus on basic etiquette, musical preparation, important communications with the church and other musicians, and other technical considerations to ease you into a new setting. Identify the kinds of resources which are good to have at-the-ready, and organize a specialized music binder for this purpose.

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Lesson 3: The primary liturgical instrument

The Catholic Church upholds the human voice as the primary liturgical instrument. Meditate upon the theological truths which shape this sentiment, the critical role of words within the Liturgy, and the mystical significance of the congregation’s voices united in song. Identify aesthetic practices which make a sacred text come alive. Learn the structural elements of a psalm tone, and practice “pointing” assigned texts to a psalm tone melody. Students will prepare a responsorial psalm which they have pointed, paying attention to natural speech patterns and pauses, and sing it for the class.

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Lesson 4: Liturgical music planning and the antiphons​

Learn how to effectively utilize one’s parish musical resources in creating a suitable liturgical music plan. Special attention will be given to the Church calendar and liturgical seasons, finding the “theme” of the Mass, weighing the degree of solemnity, and certain liturgical elements which change from day to day or from season to season. Most importantly, the origin and usage of the proper texts (antiphons) will be explored. Students will create their own music plans for an assigned Mass according to the principles established in this lesson, and present them to the class. 

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Lesson 5: Weddings and funerals

Weddings and funerals are unique among Catholic liturgies: they gather the devout and non-religious alike, families are involved in the planning, there are high expectations regarding music, and the liturgies themselves are uniquely structured. Learn what to expect both liturgically and “people-wise”, and how to prepare for each. Fitting music, including solos in the public domain, will be highlighted. Class will discuss real-life scenarios and learn to be pre-emptive by setting boundaries and expectations with families, couples, and musicians.