JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Liberal Arts
School of Fine and Performing Arts
Department of Music
2009 1st Summer Session

Church Music - MUS 422
Seminar in Church Music - MUS 437/537
The Church and Music Education - MUS 529
Church Music Workshop - MUS 436/536
Special Problems in Teaching Music-MUS 511

Jimmie James, Jr., Professor

Rationale
The volunteer church choir is an integral part of the musical, religious and cultural life of every community.  Its success depends upon the skill and energy of the director.  The director should know how to plan music for a complete worship service, coordinate instruments and voices, plan the special seasonal programs, and become cognizant of new trends.  It is felt that this course would be an asset to the church music director as he/she seeks ways to improve the skills mentioned previously, and to keep other problems at a minimum.

General Objective
To provide opportunities for students to acquire knowledge and to develop skills and understandings regarding the church music program.

Specific Objectives

To develop understanding and skills in:

Planning the comprehensive church music program
Selecting appropriate music for worship
Building and maintaining an adequate choir
Utilizing instruments in the worship service

To become knowledgeable of ways of:

1.         Planning and conducting effective rehearsals
Acquiring materials and techniques to effectively deal
with contemporary trends
Producing the special program
Utilizing multi-media in the church music program

Procedures
1.         Lectures by assigned faculty and/or consultants

2.         Discussion by students/faculty/consultants

3.         Library research by students

Oral and written reports by students
Participation in Amodel@ worship service by students
directed by faculty and consultants

Requirements
1.       Attendance at each session

• Research assignment
• Project assignment

Course Content

• Hymns of the African American Church
• Vocal Health
• Music for Praise and Worship
• Structuring the Church Music Program
• Warms Ups for Older Voices
• Incorporating Handbells in the Worship Service
• Organizing the Youth Choir
• fundamental Vocal Techniques for the Church Choir Singer
• Evangelism in Music Ministry
• Accompanying vs Playing Along With A Choir
• Developing Dramatics Ministries in Your Church
• Creative Techniques for the Electric Keyboard
• The Minister's Role in the Church Music Program
• Balancing and Blending of Church Sound
• Utilizing Orff in the Church Music Program
• Accompanying Techniques
• Repertoire for the Liturgical Year
• Technological Advances in the Church Music Program
• Utilizing Orchestral Instruments in the Worship Service
• Developing the Church Organist

Evaluation
1. Daily attendance/class participation           40%
2. Reports                                                             60%

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FINAL PROJECT

You should prepare an Impressionistic Paper describing 75% of the sessions of the Church Music Workshop of America.  Use the session titles as headings and describe those sessions under each heading.  Once you have described each of the sessions that you attended, you should write a two or three page summary which indicates your impression of the workshop.  The three-hour and CEU paper should be 15 or more pages.  The one-hour paper should be seven or more pages.  The suggested format is indicated below:

COVER PAGE
INTRODUCTION
BODY
SUMMARY

Please note that each paper is due three days prior to the close of the session.