MUSIC MINISTRY UPDATE by Sean J.M. Newman
Dear Faith Lutheran Church Congregation, Happy New Year! We have a fantastic Spring 2025 music ministry season planned!
• Handbell Choir: rehearses on Sundays from 11:45am-1:00pm, unless otherwise noted.
• Adult Choir: rehearses on Wednesdays from 7:15-8:30pm, unless otherwise noted.
I am in the process of lining up some guest artists to enhance our worship services, and am looking forward to more musical outreach (within and beyond our community).
I would also like to personally thank our pianists who have agreed to play on a rotation each week at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church: Loretta Shumate, Carol Behm, and John Gorak. Their contributions to our new satellite campus in Waukegan are greatly appreciated.
I’ve been working with the “littles” (PreK-5th graders) during Sunday School on solfège syllables, rhythm games, and singing. I have a couple of songs picked out for them to sing during this music ministry season as the Faith Lutheran Church Children’s Choir. My approach to Children’s Choir is heavily reliant on the Kodály music approach, which I am fully certified in. I have the kids utilize hand signs, solfège syllables, ear training/aural skills, and rhythm games to learn new pieces of music. This approach allows them to learn a piece of music without having to see the music on the page—this is consistent with the notion that actively learning music by rote (i.e., by ear) is a form of music literacy. Many of our “littles” are familiar with these concepts, thanks to their fantastic music teachers at their schools! I have also been ministering to them via contemporary music, with the help of Gerardo and Delin Hernandez.
For Youth Group (6th-12th graders), we will continue to have contemporary music worship during the Sunday School hour and at Youth Group nights (Sundays 6:00-8:00pm). I have taken some of the kids’ song requests and will be adding those songs to our repertoire. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know our Youth Group kids and parents, and am looking forward to future events.
We could always use some more help at our Saturday night blended services. If you would like to play guitar, bass, cajon, or sing, please let me know. We will continue to add more modern contemporary Christian music to our repertoire. If you attend Saturday night services, you will often see these new songs in the Song of Praise and Communion Song.
If you or someone you know have never joined a musical ensemble, please consider trying out one of our ensembles by contacting me. Even if you would just like to sit in on a rehearsal, please join us! If you or someone you know would like to contribute to our music ministry via vocal or instrumental solos, ensembles, etc., please contact me. God’s musical blessings,
Sean J. M. Newman
Director of Worship and Music Ministry