Autos to altos: Building effective music ministry teams

Oct 26, 2012 by

Guest Author: Greg Ferrara

Henry Ford didn’t invent the automobile. He did, however, establish a successful and cost effective process for building them. His craftsmanship of process and parts changed the possibility of owning a car from a dream into a reality for the average Joe. As a music director, I have found that there is a process involved in building up music ministers in the Church. Here are a few best practices that I have learned over time - many of them numerous times - the hard way.

"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success."

Henry Ford

Set Expectations, early and often.

For example, if you have weekly rehearsals and an attendance policy, then it is up to you to communicate that and continue to hold people accountable to it. Plan wisely - it’s easier to set realistic expectations than hold people accountable to super human standards.

Lead your group prayerfully first, musically second.

If you aren’t praying as a group, then the purpose for gathering each week may need examination. Are you building “a” kingdom, or THE Kingdom? Start with prayer before rehearsals and Mass. Encourage the growth of your team by letting them know about faith formation and retreat opportunities in your parish or area. Better yet, plan a music ministry retreat day and invite your neighboring parishes to attend. Remember, you can’t lead people where you haven’t been yourself. Jesus Christ is the foundation of your ministry, and your walk with Him overflows into who you are as a music leader or choir member.

Don’t waste people’s time!

The single most effective way to frustrate people and lead them to leave the music ministry (or any ministry) is wasting their time. If you want skilled and talented musicians to participate in the program, then make sure you are prepared and ready in advance to lead them through the rehearsal or Mass. If you as the leader show up late, under prepared, or dilly dally during rehearsal time, you will soon find that your volunteers seem less committed and distant. It’s because they found a better way to spend the time you were wasting.

Give your music teams the tools they need to be successful.

Some teams work off a monthly planner, some work week to week. Give your musicians and choir members enough time to prepare the music on their own at home. Tools like Liturgy.com or Planning Center allow you to send plans, charts, and links to music so your team can spend time practicing during the week.

There is a difference between practice and rehearsal.

Practice is what you do individually to prepare for rehearsal or Mass by going over charts and being ready with your parts. If you are the director or leader, then you need to learn your material and additionally be prepared to help your team work through theirs. It’s easier to teach material if you have it down cold. Rehearsal should be time spent Re-Hearing the music.

Be specific and generous in praise, and be even more specific and generous with corrections.

If the alto section nails a great harmony part during your responsorial psalm at Mass, take 5 seconds after Mass to affirm them in front of the group. If your keyboard player shows up completely prepared and ready to rehearse, thank him out loud so it affirms that behavior for the entire group. Corrections are harder, and require more delicate handling. If the guitarist is consistently missing a progression, you need to address it to make sure that they understand specifically what needs to be played. It is up to you as the leader to make sure you are able to either demonstrate or sing the part you need them to play.

You need to be at your best when things go their worst.

We have all had a Sunday when the worst scenarios have come to pass. The cantor got sick, the RCIA coordinator made a last minute request for a rite, and the sound system was feeding back if you so much as breathed near a microphone. This is not the time to point fingers at your sound tech, or throw a fit when your soloist sends you a text message saying they had to go visit their kid at college. Your team is watching you, and your reaction will set the tone for the outcome. Sometimes the best solution is to pause for prayer as a team, and default to the simplest solution. Example: Turn off the sound system and gather your team around an acoustic piano to pray through the Mass. Fix the sound system Monday morning.

Photo by William Warby. Used with Creative Commons license.