Have you ever flipped through your hymnal and come across all those indexes in the back? 

The one we probably use most often is the Index of First Lines and Common Titles - a quick way to find the page number for a particular hymn you want to sing or play. Another index that sometimes proves helpful is the Index of Hymn Tunes, where you can look up a hymn by its tune name (for instance, NEW BRITAIN for “Amazing Grace” or HYMN TO JOY for “Joyful, Joyful”).

Hymn harmonizations are a great way to add musical interest to your hymn-playing and congregational singing. Use them to highlight particular verses, create a certain mood or expression, or heighten an important point in the worship service.

The trouble is, where do you find these hymn harmonizations?

Your denomination may have a few hymnal supplements available, offering some re-harmonizations, but these can be expensive and sometimes, not all that exciting.

You have all the credentials. You have a newly-minted music degree in one hand and a polished résumé in the other, but you wonder if you really have what it takes to be a great leader.

What does it take, exactly?

Some of us may have heard the words, "You're a born leader" in our lifetimes. Others of us may not. We may have been the kids that organized the game on the playground, assigning roles and explaining all the rules; or we may have been the kids who were perfectly content just being followers. We may have sought out opportunities to lead and make decisions, or been most comfortable in the middle of the crowd, safely out of the spotlight, and happy to not have all the responsibility.

I wasn’t really familiar with the term keyboard skills until I was in grad school, flipping through the course catalog one semester. The course description piqued my interest:

"Practical experience in score reading, figured bass realization, transposition, melody harmonization, and pop symbols.”

Needless to say, I signed up.

You want me to play that? Where is the left hand part? Where is the time signature? Why aren't there any barlines?

If you haven't guessed it by now, I'm talking about lead sheets and chord charts.

Last year, I put together a free online workshop on this topic (watch it here). Today, I want to share the transcript, for those of you that may prefer to read it. I’ll talk about chord types, chord symbols, lead sheets and chord charts, accompaniment styles, and variation techniques you can start using right away.

The beginning of a new choir year is a perfect time to invite and recruit a few new members. 

There are a few reasons for this:

• People are often eager to sign up for new things at the beginning of a new church/school year

• There’s energy and enthusiasm around new music, routines, and schedules

• It’s a great way to engage new families that may have started visiting over the summer

Have you ever been rehearsing an anthem with your choir and thought, "If only this were a half-step lower,"or practicing a song for Sunday and thought, "This feels a little low. I wish I had it in a higher key.”?

Chances are, if you’ve been in ministry long enough, you’ve had moments like these.

Transposing, or playing/singing something in another key (e.g. moving the notes of a piece up or down by a certain interval) is a practical and at times, very useful skill for all church musicians, teachers, and accompanists to have.

Choosing music you like and think will work well in your worship service is one thing; choosing music that’s accessible for your choir is a whole different ball game.

It's important to think about what your choir can realistically do and what they can do well; what will challenge them to grow and learn and yet be meaningful for them, as well? What will lift them up and build their confidence while also inspiring their faith?

Have you ever done a year-in-review for your choir year? Have you taken time recently to evaluate yourself and your teaching? Do you set goals for your choir at the beginning of the year, or make a mental list of things you'd like to accomplish?

Taking time for reflection and evaluation is a healthy and productive way to check in and stay engaged in your work.

It’s that time of the year: Easter Sunday is past, and the choir year is beginning to wind down - time to start thinking about music for next year! Too soon?

Perhaps you have plans to attend a local reading session this summer or attend a music- or worship-related conference. Maybe you have some time carved out to sit down with a tall glass of sweet tea (or beverage of choice) and listen through those listening CDs that have been filling up your mailbox recently.