professional development

Summer Conferences for Church Musicians (2020 Edition)

Summer Conferences for Church Musicians (2020 Edition)

Summer is the perfect time to learn and develop your musicianship skills and catch up on some professional development, don’t you think?

Summer conferences help us stay connected with others in the field; develop new skills (playing, singing, directing, and teaching); be inspired; get fresh ideas for creating meaningful and engaging worship services; and learn about all the latest music releases: choral, handbell, children's choir resources, curriculum, instrumental collections, etc.

Today, I’m sharing my annual round-up of summer conferences and events that are specifically geared toward church musicians, directors, accompanists, choir members, students, worship leaders, pastors, and liturgists (and pretty much everyone in between), including the one I’ll be attending in June.

Summer Conferences for Church Musicians (2019 Edition)

Summer Conferences for Church Musicians (2019 Edition)

For those of us who teach during the year, summer is the perfect time to learn and develop our own musicianship skills and catch up on some professional development.

Summer conferences are a great way to do this. They help us stay connected with others in the field; learn new things about playing, singing, directing, and teaching; find inspiration for creating meaningful and engaging worship services; and hear about all the latest music releases: choral, handbell, children's choir resources, curriculum, instrumental collections, etc.

, ,

How to Continue Developing Your Teaching Skills This Year

, ,
How to Continue Developing Your Teaching Skills This Year

As teachers, we’re never really done learning (and that’s a good thing!). 

John Dewey once said, “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.”

So true, right? The world is constantly changing and evolving and we need to be constantly changing, adapting, learning, and evolving along with it to be the best teachers we can be.

What do you want to learn this year? What kind of teacher do you want to become? 

I shared my answers to these questions on Facebook Live a few weeks ago. Watch the replay here, in case you missed it!

15 Summer Conferences for Church Musicians

15 Summer Conferences for Church Musicians

This morning, it's 18 degrees here in Rochester, NY, and it's been snowing for 36 hours straight (oh hey, Winter Storm Stella), but summer is coming! And with summer, come lots of opportunities for learning, growing, and networking with other church musicians.

Summer conferences are a great way to stay connected with others in the field; learn new things about playing, singing, directing, and teaching; find inspiration for creating meaningful and engaging worship services; and hear about all the latest releases - choral music, handbell music, children's choir resources, instrumental collections, etc.

If you've been following along for a while, I'm sure you've heard me talk about Music and Worship Arts Week at Lake Junaluska (NC). I've been attending this conference on and off since I was in high school and it never disappoints. I always walk away feeling refreshed, inspired, and ready to get back to work. (P.S. I just completed my registration for this year's conference - will you be there?)

Whether you're a church musician, director, accompanist, choir member, student, worship leader, pastor, or liturgist, there is a summer conference out there for you.

Here are a few to consider (sorted by date):

Follow along with my creative work and daily adventures: @ashleydanyew

Happy Small Business Month! 🎉 If you’re a self-employed musician or freelancer, you’re part of a powerful network of 33.2 million small businesses in the U.S. alone. This month at Musician & Co., we’re celebrating your entre
Are you looking to host a musical informance in your studio? 👀 I first mentioned the idea of a musical informance on the podcast in Ep. 068. I shared a few examples of musicians who exemplified this model, talked about what separates an informance
Fun fact: When you run your own small business, you’re the CEO, COO, CMO, *and* CFO. So you pull out your trusty TI-83 calculator from calculus class and start plugging in some numbers. 🤔 Gross margin, net profit, revenue—what’s
Wondering what a “disregarded entity” is and what it means for your LLC and business? 👀 Keep reading. 👇 Maybe you had taxes figured out as a sole proprietor, but what about now that you’re operating your business as an LLC? Wha
Let’s talk about your line of defense against unexpected legal hurdles: solid contracts and bulletproof legal policies! This week, Georgia-based attorney Amber Gilormo of @theboutiquelawyer is hosting a Spring sale in her contract template sho