The past few weeks, we’ve been reminded yet again of the racial inequality that has plagued the United States and other parts of the world for centuries.

This week, like so many others, I’m taking some time to read, learn, and listen to the black community and begin the work of change. Here are a few small ways I’m taking action:

• We donated to an African-American cause we care about.

• I started reading Blindspot: The Hidden Biases of Good People.

• We started conversations about racial injustice with friends and family members.

• I’m spending time researching music by black composers (and women, in particular) to learn more about their contributions to the field.

I started thinking about the repertoire we study, perform, and teach; the composers we study in music history, the music shared in worship, and the musicians from history that we introduce to our students. Are we honoring all the voices that have contributed to our field? Are we celebrating the diversity of composers in addition to diversity in styles?

A partial result of my research is the list you see below: 105 sacred works for organ for use in both worship and recital settings.

Are you looking to incorporate more diversity into your repertoire? Are you looking for ways to feature African-American and black voices in the music you choose?

Perhaps this is a starting place.

These are strange times we’re living in.

Who would have thought that we’d find ourselves worshipping through a screen — together, but apart, that congregations would scatter, events would be canceled, and choirs would not be able to sing?

And yet, for the safety of our friends and neighbors and community members, here we are. Each in our own homes, flattening the COVID-19 curve, but missing the connection, the fellowship, the joy that comes with making music together.

I’ve been thinking about creative ways you can connect (and sing!) with your choir virtually and today, I’m sharing a round-up of 19 ideas (for adult choirs and children’s choirs) that you can start using right away.

Like many of you, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to teach music creatively online these past few weeks.

• What tools work best to facilitate connection, dialogue, and musical experience?

• What strategies lend themselves best to online teaching?

• What assignments will foster music-learning during this time?

As many of us are navigating this new territory of learning how to teach online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I thought I’d put together a master list of ideas for teaching in a variety of settings: church music, community teaching, and K-12 music.

I’m also including a list of tech tools that I’m using personally, have used in the past, or have heard recommended from other music teachers in the field.

A few months ago, I received an email from a friend:

“Hi Ashley! I am looking for hymn accompaniments for four hands at the piano. Not arrangements, but the actual hymn. We will be without our organ for some months and I want to beef up the piano sound by adding hands. Do you know of any books with this? Or websites? I guess we could just play in octaves, but maybe there is something interesting out there."

Can anyone relate?

Whether the organ is undergoing repairs, that F# is in need of a good tuning, or you show up one morning and the power is out…

Sometimes, you need to use the piano to accompany the hymns.

But if you’re in a large space, the piano may not be enough on its own to really support and lead the congregation in song. What’s a church musician to do?

It’s true with anything in life: There are some things you should do and some things you probably shouldn’t do.

It’s like the Goofus and Gallant comic strip that appeared in my monthly Highlights magazine growing up (classic Enneagram no. 1 here—I’ve always had a strong sense of right vs. wrong).

In the comic, two panels compare and contrast the actions of two brothers: Gallant's actions were kind and morally good while Goofus’s actions were thoughtless and disrespectful. It’s a classic example of right vs. wrong, good vs. bad, dos and don’ts.

We can relate, can’t we?

There’s something to be said about the power of music in worship: the ability to imbue an experience with meaning, inspire the hearts and minds of those listening, create space for personal reflection, and offer an opportunity for transcendence.

Yes, it’s functional and it provides a nice contrast to the spoken word, but music has an inherent ability to create meaningful, shared experiences, as well.

This is why service music is such a powerful tool in worship planning.

Today, I’m delving into a few FAQs about choral service music, specifically: what it is, why it’s important, how to use it, and where to find it.

I love discovering new anthems, don’t you?

I love seeing how composers come up with new ideas or reuse existing material - creating something new from an old hymn tune or setting a hymn text to an original melody.

Over the summer, I shared my “Reading Session Picks” for adult choirs, youth choirs, and children’s choir - new (or new-ish) anthems I encountered in choral reading sessions at Music and Worship Arts Week and liked enough to recommend to you here.

Today, I want to share a few more recommendations, perhaps well-suited for an adult or youth ensemble or an intergenerational group of some kind.

The anthems on this list would be perfect for Fall, either Thanksgiving season or during Advent.

Some anthems are just classics.

They’re timeless - not bound by a particular era, not tied to a particular movement or trend in choral literature or church history, not limited to a particular style or context. Some anthems are able to transcend those things and fit equally well in a worship service today as they did 30 years ago.

So, I started taking notes.

The anthems on this list are drawn from my own choir experiences in Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregational churches. These are titles that have shown up in multiple church music libraries through the years - the ones that bring you back to all the times and places you’ve sung it before.

Looking for a fun, creative way to start the choir year? Consider hosting a kick-off party or retreat.

This is a time to celebrate the start of a new season, welcome both returning and new members, and get a head start on all the music you have picked out for the months ahead (P.S. Christmas is only 19 weeks away!).

Whether you’re hosting a full-day retreat, a Saturday morning workshop, or extending your first midweek rehearsal (perhaps with dinner beforehand), make sure to plan a few hours of dedicated rehearsal time (including warm-ups!) plus some time for fellowship.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year - back-to-school season, that is!

Even though I’m not a student anymore, as a teacher, I love the fresh-start feeling that comes with a new academic year (including new school supplies!).

And the same is true in church settings when choir and ensembles start back up.

But getting back into that weekly rehearsal routine after a long summer hiatus can be challenging, and making sure you’re prepared and ready for that first week back can be a daunting task, particularly if you procrastinated on some of those things on your summer to-do list: