Dickinson, ND

Hearts • Hands • Voices

A Workshop for Church Musicians

Come to this workshop for church musicians to be refreshed, explore ideas and skills related to church music, and develop a local supportive community. With sessions on ways to refresh the old, incorporate the new, and skills to lead it all, this workshop will be a great way to detox from the busy-ness of Easter and dream about the possibilities for the future.

Schedule (all times in Mountain Time)

8:30am – Registration & Refreshments
9:00am – Welcome & Song
9:15am – Session #1 | SSDD – Stuck? – Cheryl Hewson
10:15am – Break
10:30am – Session #2 | Little Things Mean a Lot – Kayla Kilwein
11:30am – Lunch
12:30pm – Session #3 | Gasp! Can we do that in church? – Cheryl Hewson & Kayla Kilwein
1:30pm – Break
1:45pm – Session #4 | Accompanying with Piano, Organ, and Other Fun Things – Jim Hild
2:45pm – Break
3:00pm – Worship
4:00pm – Departure

Sessions

SSDD – Stuck?
Branching off the tried-and-true arrangements of the moldy oldies. Entertaining new options for preludes and service music without leaving the security of the same old things.

Gasp! Can we do that in church?
Explore ways to incorporate art, movement, and dramatic elements to worship in this hands-on session. You will experience several creative ways to add meaningful moments to worship, concerts, or inter-generational events.

Little Things Mean a Lot
When you come to worship, what are the first things you see? Hear? Smell? Touch? Taste? How can altering them affect worship? This session will provide simple ways to enhance worship through a sensory experience.

Accompanying with Piano, Organ, and Other Fun Things
Explore accompanying the church’s song with a variety of instruments in this hands-on workshop. Ideas for leadership and supporting the people singing will range widely with many possible applications.

Presenters

KAYLA KILWEIN is a Dickinson, North Dakota native and has been a lifelong music-maker. She has recently joined the St. John Lutheran Church staff as Worship & Music Director. Before that, she taught elementary music for nine years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Northern Colorado and a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Choral Education from Dickinson State University. Kayla owns a private studio, Let’s Play Music, that teaches complete musicianship to young children. She also serves as the Executive Director of a new non-profit company, Badlands Opera Project, whose mission is to bring great music to the great plains.

CHERYL HEWSON, a graduate of Dickinson State University with degrees in choral music education and mathematics, joined the music department this year as staff accompanist. Cheryl attended the University of Denver and earned a Master of Arts degree in vocal performance. Her desire to become a better teacher led her to return to graduate school at the University of Northern Colorado and study music education. She graduated from there with a Master of Music degree and moved to Missoula to teach music education and assist in the opera program at the University of Montana. Cheryl is an
organist at St. John Lutheran Church and director of the bell choir she founded there almost twenty years ago.

JIM HILD is a retired church musician living in Minneapolis Minnesota. He has served on the ALCM board of directors and currently contributes articles to InTempo on the retired church musician.