Mack Academy Weblog

This semester, I am completing a music ministry internship at a large church.  I am serving as an assistant to  the Director of Instrumental Music and Children's Choirs.  I will be assisting in planning and organizing church music ministries, services, and special events.  I will be aiding in the recruitment and payment of personnel needed for worship services and events and will be assisting the volunteer Children's Choir Directors in planning and organization as needed.  I will be attending the worship planning meetings and will be observing the adult choir, orchestra, and worship team rehearsals.

Over the past two weeks I have already been stretched a lot and have discovered that there is so much that I have yet to learn in tis field.  Our worship pastor and instrumental music director have strongly recommended that in addition to my required classes for my major, I sit in on the instrumental technique classes so that I can learn as much as possible about how to play every instrument.  I do not have to reach an advanced level in each of the instruments, but I do need to be able to play simple songs and sight read simple music. This will help me be:

     - a better leader as I will be able to correct a problem on the spot and earn the respect of those I am leading

     - a better communicator as I will be able to speak the instrumentalist's language to clearly express what I am looking for

     - a better composer/arranger as I will be able to understand what each instrument is capable of

     - a better musician as I will be able to recognize each individual timbre yet be able to hear the orchestra as a whole

The two instruments I do need to be proficient in, however, are the piano and guitar.  While I have had classical piano training through my degree at Masters and some chord training, I realized that I am not comfortable enough with chord charts and improvisation so that I could adequately accompany on a Sunday morning.  I asked  my piano professor at the college, for advice and as recommended an instructional series entitled Chord Play.  This series specifically focuses on helping the pianist develop his chord reading and arranging skills in a number of styles including classical, jazz, and popular.  It has been both frightening and freeing to get away from the music and just play by ear and I am looking forward to seeing what I will be able to play a year from now.

I hope to continue to blog my experience and share what I have been learning.

Photo Credit - Flikr:  sir_quasar, Emily Mack Photography