We’re looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones at the upcoming National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) conference in Baltimore in just a few short weeks! From July 9-13, MorningStar & E. C. Schirmer will have a booth at the event, and partner with NPM to present several sessions that are great opportunities for Catholic musicians to come together and learn from one another.
We are especially excited to sponsor local clinicians Dr. Eileen Guenther to share her knowledge and passion regarding Spirituals and their roots in slave narratives, and Dr. Stephen Caracciolo to share his expert techniques for successful choral conducting.
Showcases
Mark Lawson will present three showcases of choral music, with assistance from Kelly Dobbs-Mickus and Dr. John Romeri. (Please note that none of our showcases repeat this year.)
- Accessible Choral Music from MorningStar Music, Monday 7/9, 10:00am – 11:00 am
- ECS Publishing Group Presents New Music for Advanced Choirs, Monday 7/9, 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
- MorningStar Music presents New Choral Music for the Church Year, Thursday 7/12, 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Breakout Sessions
Pressed into Service: Transitioning from Piano to Organ, Kelly Dobbs-Mickus
An hour-long session for pianists who have been called to play the organ, including an exploration of easy repertoire for both hymn playing and solo playing.
Tuesday 7/10, 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Choral Conducting: Best Practices and Problem Solving, Dr. Stephen Caracciolo
This session will focus on problem solving in the choral rehearsal and establishing a plan to address these common issues. Noted composer and conductor Stephen Caracciolo is known for having worked with professional, collegiate, and amateur choirs. A packet of choral selections will be provided.
Thursday 7/12, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Industry Lab Sessions
Exploring Spirituals in worship with In Their Own Words, Dr. Eileen Guenther
This session will examine the origin and use of African-American Spirituals. Topics include highlighting true meaning of spirituals through slave narratives, using spirituals appropriately in the liturgy, creative programming ideas, and a guide to effective performance practice. A packet of choral selections will be provided.
Thursday 7/12, 11:45 am – 12:30 pm
The Five Graces Psalter: A window into MorningStar’s liturgical music and online tools, Kelly Dobbs-Mickus, Mark Lawson
We will explore the next generation of Lectionary Psalms by Luke Mayernik, including new settings for weddings and funerals. From that jumping point we will survey online tools and how they can aid you in your ministry.
Thursday 7-12, 12:45 pm – 1:30 pm
Exhibit Hours
Last but not least! Don’t miss visiting the MorningStar/ECS booth, where you will find excellent music for choir, congregation, organ, piano, instrumental ensembles, and more! We’ll be open during the hours below, and when they’re not busy leading sessions, Mark Lawson and Kelly Dobbs-Mickus will be there to catch up. As always, we’d love to know how your conference is going, get your reactions to our publications, and hear your ideas for ways we can help.
Monday, July 9: 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Tuesday, July 10: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wednesday, July 11: 11:45 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday, July 12: 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Friday, July 13: 9:00 am – 11:15 am (new this year, an extra day of shopping!)
In Tune blog 