Music that Makes Community is excited to return to Cincinnati to offer a three-day song leader training workshop! St. Simon’s Episcopal Church, Lincoln Heights and Christ Episcopal Church, Glendale partner to host this inspiring gathering centered in African and African-American musical traditions and leadership practices. The workshop also includes story sharing inspired by Becoming Beloved Community, a national effort of the Episcopal Church to respond to racial injustice and grow a community of reconcilers, justice-makers, and healers.

Additional events are being planned around the workshop to deepen the conversation and inspire faithful action.

Michael Atty, Chanda Rule, Paul Vasile, and local Music that Makes Community facilitators will lead worship, plenaries, small groups, and reflection to help you add the valuable tool of paperless leading to your community’s singing practice. Learn practical skills and diverse repertoire, and explore how paperless music can strengthen and enrich worship and community life.

The workshop begins with dinner on Wednesday evening and ends with a Lunch Eucharist on Saturday. Christ Church, Glendale will host the workshop; special evening events for the wider community will be hosted by St. Simon of Cyrene (just 2.5 miles away).

Click here to view the workshop schedule.

Music that Makes Community encourages and support practices of communal singing and learning. Watch this short video to learn about the unique work we're doing around the United States and Canada. 

Individual Registration Rate: $250
Congregational Registration Rate: $500 (Up to 4 individuals from the same congregation)
Congregational Sponsor: $1,000 (Up to 8 individuals from the same congregation)

The rate covers continental breakfast and lunch on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, dinner on Wednesday and Thursday, and all workshop materials. 

There are several lodging options for out-of-town guests.

• The Glendalia is a small hotel around the corner from Christ Church, Glendaleand features 6 small apartments;
• Hyatt Place Sharonville is 1.8 miles from Christ Church, Glendale and has single and double hotel rooms;
• Transfiguration Convent and Spirituality Center is a little more than a mile from Christ Church, Glendale. Single rooms/shared bathrooms are available for women only because of other retreats at that time;
• Airbnb options are also plentiful in the area.

The workshop is generously supported by the Diocese of Southern Ohio and discounted rates are available for churches in the Diocese. Scholarships are also available for individuals and faith communities with limited resources, as well as seniors. Contact Jane Gerdsen in the Diocesan office to learn more.

Join us for a gathering of the New York City Practice Group, an opportunity to practice paperless leadership skills and share new songs in a community of gracious learning and discovery. The group is open to all, whether you've attended an MMC event yet or not. We'll gather in the Chapel of the Beloved Community at Church of the Village in Greenwich Village.

Church of The Village is in Manhattan’s West Village on the corner of 13th Street and 7th Avenue. The 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, F, M, and L trains all stop a short distance away, as well as the PATH train from New Jersey.

There is a wheelchair-accessible ramp on 13th Street for those who may have difficulty with stairs. An elevator provides access to church offices, meeting rooms, and gymnasium. Many restrooms are ADA-accessible.

Sharing the Song is designed for community song leaders seeking to strengthen and refine their skills so they can encourage beautiful music-making wherever they go. We're grateful you are planning to join us!

WHAT WILL WE DO?

• Sing and learn together, experiencing music from a wide range of musical traditions, cultures, and styles. 
• Under the guidance of master teacher Alice Parker, explore how song leaders lift song off the page through careful study of melody, text, musical style, and historic context.  Learn more about Alice's sessions here. 
• Reflect on the energetic and physical dimensions of song leadership with Paul Vasile, focusing on holistic leadership practices that support dynamic communication. Learn more about Paul's sessions here. 
• Participants will practice leading the group in song and receive feedback and coaching from Alice and Paul.
• Build a community of practice and support, as we connect with like-minded colleagues and peers from variety of contexts and musical backgrounds. 
• Commit to serving as community builders and teachers in our home context, creating spaces where singing together is a beautiful, inclusive, and life-giving experience for all. 

The individual registration rate for Sharing the Song is $600 per person. This includes all workshop materials, dinner on Wednesday evening, lunch on both Thursday and Friday, as well as refreshments throughout the workshop. The registration fee does not includes transportation or lodging.

The rate for Auditors is $450 per person. Auditors are invited to participate in learning sessions but will not have the opportunity to lead the group in song or recieve personal coaching from Alice and Paul. The rate includes all workshop materials, dinner on Wednesday evening, lunch on both Thursday and Friday, as well as refreshments throughout the workshop. The registration fee does not includes transportation or lodging.

APPLY HERE!

We're grateful to again be hosted by Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, just west of the city of St. Louis,  MO. We'll gather in the Werlhi Chapel at the heart of the campus, a comfortable, acoustically resonant space for singing and learning. 

Lodging is not included in the registration fee but we have secured a discounted rate of $159/night with the Homewood Suites by Hilton® St. Louis Galleria, a 10-minute drive from the seminary. Details will be provided upon acceptance to the program. Please note: we are not responsible for lodging participants and cannot guarantee the discounted rate if you fail to reserve a room in a timely manner. 

Several meals are covered by your registration fee, including a welcome dinner on Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m., lunch on Thursday and Friday, as well as coffee, tea, water, snacks and other treats during the day. Continental breakfast is provided by the hotel.

Participants are responsible for dinner on Thursday and Friday evening. There are excellent, eclectic dining options a short walk (5-10 minutes) from the Eden campus. A list will be provided when you arrive. 

Join our Chicago Area Practice Group: Northside for their quarterly gathering. All are welcome to sing with others, learn new tunes, and strengthen your song-leading skills! This month we'll meet in the backyard of the Bethany UCC parsonage with some refreshments (4250 N. Paulina). If inclement weather, we’ll meet in the sanctuary.

Contact group organizer Spencer Foon with any questions!

We're excited to gather at Cross Roads for our annual three-day retreat focused on congregational song leading skills! MMC presenters will lead worship, workshops, and conversation to help you add the valuable tool of paperless song leading to your community’s singing practice. Learn practical skills and diverse repertoire, and explore how paperless music can enrich and expand your congregation's repertoire of sung prayer and praise.

Take a look at photos from last year's gathering!

The three-day workshop begins at 10 am on Monday, October 14 and ends with lunch on Wednesday, October 16. Attendees will have the option at registration to check in early on Sunday, October 13. Otherwise check in begins at 9 a.m. on Monday.

Standard Double Occupancy: $360
Hotel-style accommodations with linens provided. Toiletries are not provided.
Upgrade to Single Occupancy +$40
Early Check In (Sunday at 4 p.m.) +$30

Dormitory-Style Lodging: $310
Bunk beds and a shared bathroom. Linens and toiletries are not provided.
Early Check In (Sunday at 4 p.m.) +$10

Commuter/Off-Site: $260
Individuals staying off site and commuting to the event. 

Register for the workshop HERE!

Cross Roads is a welcoming, ecumenical retreat center and camp of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark and the NJ Synod of the ELCA. They are accredited with the American Camp Association. It is most convenient to Newark International Airport (EWR), a one hour drive away. Participants are responsible for securing transportation from the airport to the retreat center. For those commuting by car, there is convenient parking on the Cross Roads property.

The costs of the event are partially subsidized by a generous grant from the ACTS/VIM Fund of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark.

Use the form below to register and pay tuition using PayPal or a credit card. If you'd like to pay by check, skip this form and email paul@musicthatmakescommunity.org to let us know you're coming so we can save a place for you. Checks should be made out to Music that Makes Community.

If you are registering someone other than yourself, or paying tuition for more than one person, please make sure to include the names and email addresses of all of the people you are registering.