What Makes Something Singable? A Guide for Congregational Singing

What Makes Something Singable? A Guide for Congregational Singing

When we talk about singing, especially singing in a community or congregational setting, we often ask, "Is it singable?"

This simple question may sound arbitrary but there's actually a lot of care and thought that goes into determining the answer.

6 Singable Collections for Preschool Choirs

6 Singable Collections for Preschool Choirs

Do you teach a preschool choir?

If so, you know that preschoolers are musical explorers. They love to sing, dance, play, move, and experience music with their whole selves.

Editorial: When There Are No Easy Answers

Editorial: When There Are No Easy Answers

I've been reading The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman. The book is about making decisions and creating space for your soul to breathe and I don't know about you, but I can always use the reminder that my soul needs to breathe.

Fixed and Growth Mindsets (What I Learned from Carol Dweck's Book)

Fixed and Growth Mindsets (What I Learned from Carol Dweck's Book)

I first heard about this book from one of my grad school professors.

We were sitting around a long table one snowy January evening at our annual dinner for current and prospective doctoral students. I asked my professor about books he was reading lately and he named several including Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers and Carol Dweck's Mindset.

How to Manage Your Music Budget: A Guide for Church Musicians

How to Manage Your Music Budget: A Guide for Church Musicians

It’s a new year and that can mean only one thing: a new budget for your music program!

Most churches run on a January-December fiscal year, which means it's time to pull out your budget worksheets and start fresh.

When you do this, you suddenly remember that budget worksheets are boring, black and white Excel files, with heavy black grid lines, plain font, and pages that run on forever, which sort of puts a damper on the whole happy, fresh-start thing.

Does this sound familiar? If so, I made something for you.

The 5 Best Books I Read in 2021

The 5 Best Books I Read in 2021

Every year in December, I take some time to look back at all the books I’ve read in the past year.

If you know me, you know I always set out with a book list, and then undoubtedly change my mind as I discover books on Instagram, podcasts, and blogs, and as books come recommended by friends.

This year, I read 22 books (not counting the ones I started and didn’t finish).