In-depth Learning Sessions

In addition to individual workshops, registrants will be able to attend in-depth learning sessions on a variety of topics. These sessions are 90 minutes long and typically consist of multiple sessions with each session building on the previous. Participants will benefit the most by staying with the same topic rather than jumping to the second session of a different track.

Session I (Monday, 2:00-3:30 p.m.)
Session II (Tuesday, 1:30-3:00 p.m.)
Session III (Wednesday, 9:00-10:30 a.m.)
Session IV (Thursday, 9:00-10:30 a.m.)

Composing for the Church – Anne Krentz Organ

This is a two-session track.

Are you interested in writing music for use in the church? These sessions will encourage you to tap into your creativity. Participants will be invited to compose a short sung refrain in session one, “Crafting a melody for the assembly to sing,” and to compose a descant in session two, “Crafting a decant for instrument or voice.”

Monday, 2:00-3:30 [Alumni]
Tuesday, 1:30-3:00 [Alumni]

Creative Use of Handbells/Handchimes in Worship –David VanderMeer

This is a one-session track offered twice.

We will explore how handbells and handchimes can be incorporated into the worship liturgy. Resources will be shared using Bell Trees, Hymn Introductions, Necrology, Psalms, Bell Descants, Singing Bells, Random Ringing, and much more!

Wednesday, 9:00-10:30 [Helge Rehearsal Room]
Thursday, 9:00-10:30 [Undercroft – basement of the Chapel of the Resurrection]

Crossings: The Journey of the St. John Passion – Chad Fothergill

This in-depth learning track (one session offered twice) begins with a closer look at the contexts in which Bach composed the St. John Passion: Where did musical settings of the Passion originate, and what did Good Friday liturgies look and sound like in Leipzig before Bach’s arrival in 1723? How did Bach both follow and depart from existing expectations? Following an overview of the Passion’s key features, we then follow its journey through subsequent decades: How was this setting understood in the nineteenth century and beyond? What practices or ways of thinking can the Passion—as well as many of Bach’s cantatas—model for pastors, cantors, and worshiping communities today?

Monday, 2:00-3:30 [Suite 200]
Tuesday, 1:30-3:00 [Brown and Gold]

Empowering Your Musicians and Gesture: A Supporting Role – Shannon Gravelle

This group of sessions focuses on giving the singers in your churches what they need to succeed. The “Empowering Your Musicians” session will provide vocal exercises and rehearsal strategies that conductors will be able to bring back to their choir and immediately employ, addressing topics such as vowel alignment, subdivisional pulse, changing voices, sight-reading and rhythm skills, and vulnerability in text analysis. The goal is to encourage musicians in their musical growth, creating meaningful, musical experiences for participants. Empowering Your Musicians is not only for the singers we have in the choir, but empowering the musicians in the congregation (ie… everyone).

Conductors of all comfort-levels will benefit from the “Gesture: A Supporting Role” session! Participants will review the purpose of gesture, identify common pitfalls that prevent clear communication, participate in “conducting warm-ups,” and have the opportunity to sing and conduct while receiving real-time feedback on their gesture. Expect to gain ways to modify your gesture that will support your musicians.

Wednesday, 9:00-10:30 [Ballrooms]
Thursday, 9:00-10:30 [Ballrooms]

Glad Praises We Sing! Service Playing Practicum for Pianists – Stacie Lightner

This is a two-session track.

A two-session workshop designed for pianists of all levels. Refresh and renew your leadership of congregational song from the piano, exploring topics like tempo, breathing, rhythmic enlivening, and text painting. Part of one session will be dedicated to organ playing basics for pianists. Learn by doing or by observing. Active participants will be sent a packet of hymns to prepare in advance as we work together to build skills for leading the church’s song.

Wednesday, 9:00-10:30 [Bauer – in VU Center for the Arts]
Thursday, 9:00-10:30 [Helge Rehearsal Room]

Lutheran Worship in a New Key – Chris Clay

This two-session track is designed to help leaders invigorate and enrich band-led worship within the Lutheran tradition. Embracing the vibrant spirit of modern worship while honoring Lutheran heritage, this workshop delves into best practices, creative approaches, and sustainable strategies for fostering dynamic worship experiences. Participants will explore the diverse landscape of modern worship, with a focus on authenticity, creativity, and theological depth. From selecting repertoire to refining musical arrangements, from cultivating engaging worship atmospheres to nurturing congregational participation, this workshop equips worship leaders, musicians, and pastors with practical tools and theological insights to enhance their worship ministries.

Through this interactive session, collaborative discussions, and hands-on exercises, attendees will discover how to infuse their worship services with freshness, relevance, and spiritual vitality while staying true to Lutheran values and traditions. Whether you’re a seasoned worship leader seeking new inspiration or a newcomer eager to learn, “Lutheran Worship in a New Key” offers a blend of tradition and innovation to elevate your worship experience to new heights.

Wednesday, 9:00-10:30 [Alumni]
Thursday, 9:00-10:30 [Brown and Gold]

Rewarding Rehearsals: Meaningful Enrichment for Children’s Choir Directors – Ruth Sall

This is a two-session track.

Caring for children’s choir programs is more than anthem planning. A good rehearsal includes details that go beyond music learning. A great rehearsal incorporates energy, creativity, joy, and deep care for the spiritual development of young singers. Learn practical skills for cultivating a choir program that nurtures children as they grow in age, in faith, and in song.

Monday, 2:00-3:30 [Helge Rehearsal Room]
Tuesday, 2:00-3:30 [Helge Rehearsal Room]

Sound Forth God’s Praise! Service Playing Practicum for Organists – Stacie Lightner

This is a two-session track.

A two-session workshop designed for organists of all levels. Refresh and renew your leadership of congregational song, exploring topics like tempo, breathing, registration, introductions, psalm accompaniment, and practice techniques. Learn by doing or by observing. Active participants will be sent a packet of hymns to prepare in advance as we work together to build skills for leading the church’s song.

Monday, 2:00-3:30 [Bauer – in VU Center for the Arts]
Tuesday, 2:00-3:30 [Bauer – in VU Center for the Arts]

Tune Up for Church Musicians – Craig Mueller

This is a two-session track.

Come ponder anew the important role of music and ritual in forming the assembly as the body of Christ. In addition to insights from the presenter, participants are invited to bring questions, challenges, and examples from their ministry settings. Topics will include: resources for liturgical planning, especially congregational song; the art of selecting hymns and liturgical music for particular Sundays and occasions; maneuvering through what is essential and optional in the liturgy; working with clergy and worship committees; issues of hospitality and diversity; and the role of aesthetics and beauty amid different tastes and preferences in the congregation.

Monday, 2:00-3:30 [Ballrooms]
Tuesday, 1:30-3:00 [Ballrooms]

Tune Up for Presiders and Preachers – Craig Mueller

This is a two-session track.

Come ponder anew the important role of preaching and presiding in the formation of the worshiping assembly. In addition to insights from the presenter, participants are invited to bring questions, challenges, and examples from their ministry settings. Topics will include: resources for liturgical planning and preaching; working with musicians and worship committees; the role of congregational song and ritual in formation; issues of hospitality and diversity; ways to include ongoing liturgical formation in preaching, education, and involving children in worship.

Wednesday, 9:00-10:30 [Brown and Gold]
Thursday, 9:00-10:30 [Alumni]

We Worship with Our Eyes, Too: Liturgical/Visual Arts in the Church – David VanderMeer

This is a two-session track.

This seminar offering will explain the importance of Liturgical/Visual Arts in the context of worship. How does your faith community become involved in creating art for your worship space? Several examples will be given. Additionally, a separate seminar will be offered to create art for the closing Worship Service of ALCM.

Monday, 2:00-3:30 [Brown and Gold]
Tuesday, 1:30-3:00 [Helge Multipurpose Room]