There are two types of events listed in this part of the calendar, Local Practice Groups and Community Events, and are included for the benefit of the wider musical community. They may be organized by Music that Makes Community presenters and/or participants, or musicians and organizations akin to MMC. All of these events are run independently from MMC so please reach out to the local contact with questions.
- Local Practice Groups are organized by Music that Makes Community participants and/or presenters to practice song leading without paper. You don’t have to lead a song if you go; in fact many practice groups welcome singers to join them! If you’re looking to organize other locals to form a practice group, please read this blog article and be in touch!
- Community Events are public events offered by musicians or organizations connected to MMC for the benefit of the wider musical community.
If you have a singing, worship service or other event you think might be relevant to other practitioners of leading song without paper, send a short description including dates and location, a banner graphic, and contact information (name, email and/or phone number) to [email protected].
Upcoming Events
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Monday, August 03, 2026 at 10:00 AM through December 07, 2026
Zoom
Join Music that Makes Community for a weekly touchstone that includes singing, silence, sacred text, and community connection. We'll gather at 10 a.m. EDT (9 CDT / 8 MDT / 7 PST) each Monday for a 30-minute gathering followed by coffee and conversation.
MMC leaders host the gathering, drawing from many musical and spiritual traditions.Register for the Zoom link here!
This Zoom link is good for all sessions in this season. -
Monday, October 12, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Zoom
Join Music that Makes Community for the last of four In-Depth Advent Explorations during Monday Morning Groundings from September 21 - October 12 at 10 a.m. Eastern, 9 a.m. Central. During these meetings, we will be teaching, learning, and sharing 1-2 songs along with Advent readings.
Regular MMG co-hosts Amy Steenson and Nancy Willbanks are delighted to welcome Zachary-Stevens Walter on October 12!
The first 30 minutes of these sessions will be recorded, and available to those interested.
Register HERE for Monday Morning Grounding. Your link is good for all sessions. Please reach out to [email protected] by noon on the Friday before if you need to have your information re-sent.
Related Events
On Tuesday, September 15, 2025, at 4pm-5:30pm ET / 1pm-2:30pm PT, Music that Makes Community facilitators and composers are offering an hour-long virtual Preparing to Prepare workshop. This session will be recorded and offered for a small donation. More details here.
TGIF, the new monthly West Coast week-ending cousin to Monday Morning Grounding, will also explore more Advent songs and readings. These gatherings will be co-hosted by Caitlin Reilley Beck (they/she/he) and Josh Zentner-Barrett (he/him), and will be on October 16th and November 13th.
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Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 06:00 PM
Bethany United Church of Christ in Chicago, IL
Music that Makes Community's Chicago Practice Group gathers monthly at Bethany United Church of Christ. All are welcome to sing with others, learn new tunes, and strengthen your song leading skills! -
Friday, October 16, 2026 at 01:00 PM
Zoom
Music that Makes Community is introducing TGIF, the new monthly West Coast week-ending cousin to Monday Morning Grounding.
TGIF will meet two Fridays this fall, at 1 p.m. Pacific time, to spend an hour together on zoom teaching, learning, and sharing more Advent songs and exploring together how we hope to use them in the upcoming season, and how they speak to us in this moment. These gatherings will be co-hosted by Caitlin Reilley Beck (they/she/he) and Josh Zentner-Barrett (he/him), and will be on October 16th and November 13th.
The first 45 minutes of these sessions will be recorded, and available to those interested.
Register HERE for TGIF. Your link is good for all sessions. Please reach out to [email protected] by noon on the Wednesday before if you need to have your information re-sent.
Related Events
On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 4pm-5:30pm ET / 1pm-2:30pm PT, Music that Makes Community facilitators and composers are offering an hour-long virtual Preparing to Prepare workshop. This session will be recorded and offered for a small donation. More details here.
Join Music that Makes Community for four In-Depth Advent Explorations Monday Morning Groundings from September 21 - October 12 at 10 a.m. Eastern, 9 a.m. Central. During these meetings, we will be teaching, learning, and sharing 1-2 songs along with Advent readings.
For this special series Monday Morning Grounding series, regular MMG co-hosts/leaders Amy Steenson and Nancy Willbanks are delighted to welcome song leaders:
- Richard Bruxvoort Colligan on September 21
- AnnaMarie Hoos on September 28
- Pam Blevins Hinkle on October 5
- Zachary Stevens-Walter on October 12
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Friday, October 16, 2026 at 07:00 PM
St. Anne's Episcopal Church / St. Paul, MN in St. Paul, MN
All are welcome to Songs For Our Spiritual Toolkits: a Community SING with Music that Makes Community on Friday evening, October 16, from 7-8:30 p.m. at St. Anne's Episcopal Church in St. Paul, MN.
When we sing together, we experience connection with one other and with something larger than our individual selves — whether it’s community or the sacred. Whether in good times or bad, singing together helps us remember we are not alone. Join us as we make music by heart and in community using paperless songs from many musical and spiritual traditions. Bring a song to share and friends who love to sing.
Join songleaders from Music that Makes Community and others for an evening of community singing that will fill your spiritual toolkit with songs for many occasions.
This event is free and open to all who love to sing, regardless of musical experience or training. Freewill donations are welcome and help support the work of Music that Makes Community.
Related Events
Music that Makes Community invites all who love to sing, lay and skilled, to a One-Day Community Singing Workshop on Saturday, October 17 from 9:30 am to 4 pm at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church! Come and learn about a way of singing together that can enliven worship in small and rural congregations and strengthen our commitments to welcome all people.
These events are adjacent to the PREACH Collective Conference held in the Twin Cities Oct 18-21, 2026, so plan to add another day or two to join us!
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Tuesday, November 03, 2026 at 06:30 PM
Come practice sharing, teaching, learning, and singing "paperless" songs in the context of a supportive community of fellow singers and song-lovers! Whether you'd like to experience how we can share songs in the oral/aural tradition, build your confidence as a song-leader, or just enjoy the "good medicine" of singing with others in community, we'd love for you to join us. All ages and abilities welcome!It is our practice to ROTATE LOCATIONS AND ROTATE HOSTS for our monthly MMC Song Circles. Our "default" meeting time is the first Tuesday of the month from 6:30-8pm, but that day and time is not "set in stone."Contact organizer Sylvia Miller-Mutia for more information!
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Friday, November 13, 2026 at 01:00 PM
Zoom
Music that Makes Community is introducing TGIF, the new monthly West Coast week-ending cousin to Monday Morning Grounding.
TGIF will meet monthly two Fridays this fall, at 1 p.m. Pacific time, to spend an hour together on zoom teaching, learning, and sharing more Advent songs and exploring together how we hope to use them in the upcoming season, and how they speak to us in this moment. These gatherings will be co-hosted by Caitlin Reilley Beck (they/she/he) and Josh Zentner-Barrett (he/him), and will be on October 16th and November 13th.
The first 45 minutes of these sessions will be recorded, and available to those interested.
Register HERE for TGIF. Your link is good for all sessions. Please reach out to [email protected] by noon on the Wednesday before if you need to have your information re-sent.
Related Events
On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 4pm-5:30pm ET / 1pm-2:30pm PT, Music that Makes Community facilitators and composers are offering an hour-long virtual Preparing to Prepare workshop. This session will be recorded and offered for a small donation. More details here.
Join Music that Makes Community for four In-Depth Advent Explorations Monday Morning Groundings from September 21 - October 12 at 10 a.m. Eastern, 9 a.m. Central. During these meetings, we will be teaching, learning, and sharing 1-2 songs along with Advent readings.
For this special series Monday Morning Grounding series, regular MMG co-hosts/leaders Amy Steenson and Nancy Willbanks are delighted to welcome song leaders:
- Richard Bruxvoort Colligan on September 21
- AnnaMarie Hoos on September 28
- Pam Blevins Hinkle on October 5
- Zachary Stevens-Walter on October 12
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Thursday, November 19, 2026 at 12:30 PM
University Lutheran Church of Hope in Minneapolis, MN
Paperless Singing Practice GroupIf you are looking for a new way to foster vulnerability, trust and connection in your worship, meetings or gatherings… if you enjoy oral singing tradition… or if you need a place to rest your soul and be filled…
Join host Maria Anderson-Lippert and other MMC leaders for a Paperless Singing Practice Group. This gathering is for anyone who loves to sing, churchy and non-churchy alike. Questions? Contact [email protected]
Learn more about paperless singing in the style of Music that Makes Community here.
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Friday, November 20, 2026 at 06:00 PM
The Celtic on Market / Denver, CO in Denver, CO
Music that Makes Community is coming to Denver, CO! We will co-sponsor a Community Sing with The Hymn Society of the U.S. and Canada and Singing Resistance Denver at The Celtic on Market near the Denver Convention Center on Friday evening, November 20. This event is free and open to all who love to sing, regardless of musical experience or training.
Related Events
These events are adjacent to the 2026 American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting in Denver Nov 21-24. Please join us!
Music that Makes Community is excited to offer a One-Day Community Singing Workshop in the Denver, CO area on Saturday, November 21 from 9:30 am to 4 pm. Register here. 
Registered AAR Meeting attendees can join MMC Executive Director C. Onyx Li and Becca Whitla from St. Andrew's College, Saskatoon will be offering a hands-on, voices engaged workshop of singing and theological reflection on how song can be a powerful part of protest. This workshop is part of the American Academy of Religion's Annual Meeting and will take place on Sunday, November 22 from 4-5 pm. More details here.
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