Music Ministry

St. Anselm Catholic Church
Music Director
Michael Piazza
music@stanselmmadisonville.org
 

1. Organization

1. Planning music under the supervision of the pastor
2. Preparing music for choirs, handbells, cantor(s), and accompanist(s)
3. Conducting/directing/accompanying rehearsals and pre-mass warm-ups
4. Having additional music (polyphonic compositions) available for rehearsal
5. Maintaining the schedule of choirs, handbells, cantor(s), and accompanist(s) for mass and extra events
6. Planning and preparing music with limited amounts of rehearsal time for the liturgical demands

2. Flexibility

1.  Ability to adapt skill set to direct, conduct, sing, or accompany as needed to manage shifting dynamics and fill gaps where/when needed
2. Ability to adapt the skill set to program music that serves the liturgical purpose

3. Interpersonal

1. Ability to work well with others
2. Ability to bridge with a unifying presence and purpose the vastly different and subjective musical viewpoints

4. General Musical Competence

1. General music proficiency skills that enable me to provide a wide variety of applications from traditional to contemporary, from monophonic chant to polyphonic motets, and from accompanied to unaccompanied
2. Applied music performance skills from organ to piano
3. Competent music skills for orchestrating, arranging, and composing music for voice(s)and instruments
4. Knowledge of general music theory and music history

5. Technology

1. Practical understanding of the use of technology as it relates to sound reinforcement (vocal and instrumental)
2. Practical understanding of the use of traditional organ as a supplemental creative tool  
3. Practical understanding of the use of audio file sharing
4. Understanding of the use of audio file-sharing as an instructional strategy
5. Competency in music notation software, presentation software, and digital audio recording for instructional purposes

6. Personal Spiritual Journey and Disciplined Character

1. Strong Catholic upbringing
2. Attended Catholic grade school, high school, and college
3. Steadfast faith through a lifetime of personal and professional trials
4. Experienced over 20 years as a music educator in Catholic and public school systems
5. Father of three children who all currently college graduates
6. Husband of 28 years
7. Participated in Catholic music ministry for over 30 years

Musical Offerings:
Adult Choir
Hand Bell Ensemble
Cantor Ministry
Children’s Choir
Youth Music Ensembles
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The music ministry at St. Anselm has strived to manage the changes in the operation, management, and utilization of resources associated with the music ministry in an effective and efficient way. It seeks positive collaboration with the appropriate staff and stakeholders in maintaining a vision that fits with church tradition, our unique community, and cultural diversity. The music director and music ministry participants respect each other’s differences, have honest interaction, and serve with humility, dedication, and best effort.
The leadership vision involves: 1.) formulating initiatives necessary to motivate and sustain the highest level of musical quality, 2.) developing a plan for implementation, 3.) effectively communicating that vision, 4.) building a shared commitment, 5.) assuming the responsibility for the stewardship of the program, 6.) involving others in the communication, implementation, commitment, and stewardship in an ongoing way.
The music ministry is engaged in effective teaching and professional development for all of its participants. The leadership at St. Anselm assists staff with professional development while providing feedback through observation and reflection. As a whole, it assesses the growth of the music program, and is very interested and committed to improvement. The leadership of St. Anselm hopes for an honest interaction with participants to make decisions based on impartial principled reasoning that builds a shared successful program for life.  
  
Adult Choir
Open to men and women 18 years of age or older
No audition required / music reading skills are helpful
Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm
Adult Choir sings, on average, at one mass per week
Adult Choir sings at all the major feast day masses
and holy days of obligation
Adult Choir takes a summer break for 4 – 6 weeks
Attendance at every rehearsal and every mass is NOT mandatory for participation in the choir
 
Hand Bell Ensemble
Open to men and women 16 years of age or older
No audition required / music reading skills are helpful
Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings at 6:00 pm
Hand Bell Ensemble plays, on average, at two masses per month
(except during Lent and Advent)
Hand Bell Ensemble plays at most major feast day masses and holy days of obligation
Hand Bell Ensemble takes a summer break for 4 – 6 weeks
Attendance for every rehearsal and every mass is NOT mandatory for participation in the handbell ensemble
 
Cantor Ministry
 
CORE CANTORS
Open to adult choir members who wish to sing at masses as a soloist or in small groupings (2 – 4 singers)
A stipend of $25 per mass is offered / $50 per mass for Christmas and Easter
Audition Required
Pre-mass rehearsal required
 
ALTERNATE CANTORS
Open to non-adult choir members who wish to sing at masses as a soloist or in small groupings (2 – 4 singers)
A stipend of $25 per mass is offered / $50 per mass for Christmas and Easter
Audition Required
Pre-mass rehearsal required
 
EVENT CANTORS
Open to all singers who wish to sing for extra liturgical events such as weddings, funerals, and special occasions.
Stipends are paid at the going rate for such event
Singers must be approved by the music director
An audition may be required
Rehearsal may be required
 
YOUTH CANTORS
Open to youth (ages 15 – 18) who wish to sing at masses as a soloist or in small groupings (2 – 4 singers)
A stipend of $25 per mass is offered / $50 per mass for Christmas and Easter
Audition Required
Pre-mass rehearsal required
Children’s Choir
 
Children’s Choir is formed depending on annual enrollment in the choir
Open to students in grades 2 – 8 (enrollment in August with PSR fall registration)
No audition required
Rehearsals are held on Thursday afternoons at 5:00 pm
Children’s Choir sings at mass, on average, once per month
Children’s Choir takes a summer break
 
 
Youth Music Ensembles
 
St. Anselm offers Junior High School and High School students opportunities to participate in music (both vocal and instrumental) at the 5 pm Sunday evening masses. We have one youth music leader that serves at those masses weekly.
 
Please contact them for more information.
 
Colin MacIver
youth@stanselmparish.org