Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
February 1, 2023 e-newsletter
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Greeting from ALCM Board Member Tom Mueller |
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Dear ALCM colleagues,
I’ve just returned home from our annual ALCM face-to-face board meeting, and I can’t tell you how excited I am for the coming program year. We are looking forward to a spectacular biennial conference in Philadelphia in July, with a wonderfully varied program of workshops, events, concerts, and worship services. I am also excited for the launch of a grant program that will support educational initiatives in the world of Lutheran church music; more information on this new program will be available later in the year. As always, there are many opportunities to connect with ALCM, such as our Fourth Fridays happy hour chats, our Hearts • Hands • Voices events, webinars, online member resources, and social media channels. I hope that you will be able to take advantage of these offerings, and I look forward to connecting with you this year!
Blessings,
Tom Mueller
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Join Us in Philadelphia!
Could there be any better place to spend the fourth of July than Philadelphia? Considered the birthplace of our nation, Philly is home to Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and dozens of people from our history books including writers, musicians, religious leaders, abolitionists, and signers of the Declaration of Independence. Come to this summer's ALCM conference a few days early (bring the family), and explore all this fabulous city has to offer, including some of the most spectacular fireworks you will ever see!
Philadelphia Conference Sponsorship Opportunities
Would you like to contribute to ALCM and support our July conference in Philadelphia? Gifts are welcome to support the conference and all donors will be listed in the conference book. Donations may be made at ALCM website.
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ALCM Board Meeting Highlights
The ALCM Board of Directors met for their annual face-to-face meeting on January 16 & 17 in Chicago, IL. Actually, the meeting was hybrid as several members were out of the country and attended via Zoom. The Board:
- welcomed President Nancy Raabe and members Jean Boehler, Valerie Stone, and David Werth to their first in-person meeting;
- heard a report from Jim Rindelaub on ALCM's successful year in 2022 and his plans for 2023;
- received financial reports for 2022 which show that ALCM continues to be in a strong position; about 380 people made gifts to ALCM in 2022;
- adopted a budget for 2023 (actually, the Board did this via email prior to the face-to-face meeting) which is balanced, and conservative on both the income and expense sides;
- discussed plans for the ALCM Scholarship Fund and Norma Aamodt-Nelson Student Scholar Endowment Fund, and enabled a working group to bring students to our 2023 conference in Philadelphia; and
- discussed the structure of the Board, now expanded to 12 members, and asked a task force to bring recommendations for a standing committee and program structure to its next meeting.
The Board thanks all ALCM members for their engagement and involvement and looks forward to seeing many members in Philadelphia in July.
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Hearts • Hands • Voices are local half- or full-day skills-based workshops organized and hosted by ALCM members. These events provide opportunities to learn new skills, share best practices, build relationships and support systems among musicians in your area, and introduce others to the ALCM community.
If you are interested in hosting one of these events in 2023 or would like more information, contact Adam Lefever Hughes at education@alcm.org.
Registration is now open for these events:
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2023 Membership Directory
This is a great time to invite your friends to become an ALCM member. The deadline to be in the directory has been extended. Memberships received by February 10 will be included in the 2023 Membership Directory. Please invite your friends and colleagues to visit https://alcm.org/connect/join-alcm/ today or surprise them with a membership gift!
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2023 Norma Aamodt-Nelson
Student Scholar Award
Applications are now being accepted for the 2023 Norma Aamodt-Nelson Student Scholar Award. This award was established in 2021 to honor the legacy of Norma, a practicing church musician and Instrumental Acquisitions Editor for Augsburg Fortress from 1993 until her death in 2020. The establishment of this award encourages collegiate students as they prepare for a vocation in church music. Applicants must be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student as of Fall 2023. The recipient will receive a full scholarship for the 2023 ALCM biennial conference in Philadelphia, including housing and travel expenses, as well as a cash prize of $500. The recipient will also be invited to publicly play a piece or participate in worship at the conference. The deadline for submission is April 30.
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Fourth Friday Happy Hour with ALCM
Friday, February 24 - 6:00 pm Eastern
Recognizing that virtual community IS real community, you are warmly invited to join "Fourth Friday Happy Hour with ALCM" on Zoom every fourth Friday. Moderated by President Nancy Raabe and Executive Director Jim Rindelaub, discussion will be oriented around a general theme each month, but the larger purpose is to encourage conversation, sharing, and community. Bring whatever thoughts, comments, or concerns are on your mind, and of course a libation of your choice. Click on this recurring link to join each month.
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LSM is searching for an Associate Cantor for LSM 2023! The associate cantor serves as an integral member of the worship staff alongside the chaplain, cantor, sacristan, and organ fellow. Together, the staff is responsible for planning and leadership of more than 50 liturgies each summer, including Sunday Eucharists, weekday morning and evening prayer, and a festival of hymns. As a member of the faculty, the associate cantor also may teach electives and lessons in areas aligned with their expertise such as musicianship, church music, keyboard, voice, or history.
Although there is a longstanding association between Lutheran cantors and keyboard proficiencies, keyboard skills are not requisite for this role. In addition to keyboardists, skilled leaders of assembly song as singers, guitarists, percussionists, or other mediums are encouraged to apply.
Additionally, LSM is searching for an Organ Fellow for 2023! LSM’s tuition-free Fellowship Program has leadership positions available in organ as well as strings, winds, brass, percussion, voice, piano, composition, musical theatre, and orchestral conducting! Fellows serve as teaching assistants to LSM’s nationally renowned faculty members and mentors to students, have ample performance opportunities, and contribute to the administrative and academic operations of the festival. Open to full‐time undergraduate or graduate students or recent college graduates.
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Events are published both in the website calendar and in the monthly e-newsletter. Do you have an event that you'd like to include? ALCM members should log in and follow the link on the main members area page. Non-members should send event details to office@alcm.org for consideration.
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Kyries & Glorias
Kyries (prayer concerns) and Glorias (thanksgivings) are posted in the members area and on this page on the ALCM website. Kyries and Glorias for the following people have been recently posted:
Kyrie
Gloria
ALCM members are invited to submit Kyries and Glorias following the link in the members area of the website. Non-members may contact the ALCM office at office@alcm.org with information for posting. |
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Are you getting the most out of your ALCM membership?
Did you know that new member benefits are being added all the time to the members area of the ALCM website? You will want to log in whenever you visit the site to be sure that you have access to everything available to members. Can't remember your login information? In almost every case, your user name is your email address. You can change or reset your password by following the "Forgot your password?" link in the login box.
Items in the members area are available for unlimited use as long as your membership remains active. Here are a few items for members only:
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All issues of CrossAccent (from the very beginning) and In Tempo are available for viewing. These items are for sale in the Marketplace to non-members;
- Advertise your local events on ALCM's calendar;
- Listen to all ALCM CD recordings for free;
- Hymns, accompaniments, descants, concertatos, and hymn stanza alternations for choir;
- Other free downloadable seasonal and non-seasonal resources;
- Discounted registration fee for ALCM-sponsored webinars and conferences;
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Past issues of ALCM's original practical resource, Grace Notes, from 1997-2011;
- Discounts on purchases of CDs and other items in the Marketplace; and
- A host of other resources free for viewing and downloading.
If you have any difficulty logging in or if you have questions or comments about the website or your membership, please feel free to contact us by email at office@alcm.org.
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Are you a congregation looking for a musician?
A musician looking for a position?
ALCM can help!
Employment resources have been developed to assist congregations in the process of searching for and hiring a musician. Presented in a step-by-step format, these resources will guide you through the entire employment process.
The ALCM job listing service connects those looking for positions in the field of church music with congregations and other institutions that have openings. By completing an online job posting form, congregations can post their positions on the ALCM website where those looking for employment may view them.
Musicians searching for a job may view posted job openings on the ALCM website, where those looking for positions can view them. Both full-time and part-time positions are listed, and new positions are added as received.
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A list of ALCM member-led
Sunday worship streams & recordings is available at:
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The Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
nurtures and equips musicians
to serve and lead the church's song.
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