David Anderson
View Calendar for "David Anderson"In addition to serving as Workshop Director for GIA Publications, Inc., David Anderson serves as Director of Music and Liturgy at Ascension Parish in Oak Park, Illinois. David's outreach of music in the parish embraces a broad variety of ages and levels of musical ability. David's formal education includes theological studies at Catholic Theological Union and Loyola University of Chicago, a Master of Church Music degree from Concordia University and advanced choral studies at Westminster Choir College. David is a well-known speaker at many national conferences, is frequently asked to prepare the liturgy and music for various conferences, and for retreats, has consulted and authored materials for Liturgy Training Publications (including Handbook of Church Music for Weddings), and served as an editor of GIA's hymnal RitualSong and Singing Our Faith, GIA's new hymnal for children. For the past eight years on the first Friday of each month, David has prepared and coordinated a Taiz� prayer at Ascension Parish that brings together over 800 people from many Christian traditions. This monthly gathering serves as a model for ministry, hospitality, and outreach.
Workshops
Ten Ways to Get Your Kids to Sing
The musical voice of tomorrow's Church depends upon the formation of today's children. How do we go about the essential task of preparing the children of today to become tomorrow's adult singing assembly? Come learn effective ideas and techniques to get children and young people excited about singing. This workshop will provide age-appropriate repertoire, practical suggestions, and ideas for teachers and all those who prepare liturgies with children, both in school and religious education programs.
Basic Liturgy: Contour of the Mass
This basic introduction to pastoral liturgy will use the eucharistic celebration as its guide as we examine the primary liturgical books (Lectionary and Sacramentary) and explore the shape and contour of the liturgy. After a brief introduction into sign and symbol, we will focus on the gathered assembly, examining the roots of liturgical ministry and consider the implications of the liturgical minister as servant. We will sing through a variety of ritual music.
Parish Music Ministry: Believe What You Sing!
Form a dynamic parish music ministry that enables all (even the busiest volunteer) to take part, a ministry that not only makes great music but forms Christians as well. Discuss the building of a parish music program, creative rehearsal scheduling, repertoire, initial and ongoing musical formation and spiritual formation for music ministers. Celebrate the great musical richness available to us by singing an eclectic array of music, from Gregorian chant to music of the world church.
Taizé Prayer in the Parish
Have you ever experienced the beauty and simplicity of the music of Taizé? Explore ways to incorporate this ecumenical prayer into your community. Discover why people are drawn to this contemplative prayer experience and discuss the ecumenical implications for unity and reconciliation. Those who play guitar, flute, or other instruments are encouraged to bring them to this session.
Morning and Evening Prayer in the Parish
Looking for practical applications for the Liturgy of the Hours in the parish? The primary focus of this workshop will be on the implementation of morning and evening prayer. Participants will receive a brief history of this prayer and experience a brief service of morning or evening prayer. A variety of musical resources and prayers will be highlighted.
Weddings and Funerals: Commitment and Consolation
Weddings and funerals are times of evangelization for the parish community. Explore ways that your music ministry can heighten these times of hospitality or consolation. Use these powerful life events to welcome back and reclaim people who may have been away for a while. Discover how to form wedding cantors who enable and encourage the song of a sometimes reluctant wedding assembly, and how to establish a funeral choir that gives voice to those who grieve.
Psalms: From Parish Meetings to Sunday Eucharist
The psalms are the primary prayerbook for the Christian community. These prayers of everyday life can be used in many settings: from parish meetings to small faith groups, in gatherings with children and celebrations of morning and evening prayer. This workshop will explore psalm settings in a wide variety of musical styles and forms. Experience the many ways that psalms can come to life in your parish.
Choosing a Hymnal for Your Parish
Why pay for essentially the same ritual music every year when you can have a hymnal that your community can grow with and depend on? This workshop/showcase will provide sound reasons for having a permanent music resource available for your community's prayer and offer you, the participant, great ideas for bringing a hymnal into your parish. Sing through a variety of psalms, hymns, and service music in many styles. Topics covered in this session include "Why do we need a hymnal anyway?" "How would we pay for it?" and "Now that it's here, what do we do with it?"
Choral Reading Session
Join us as we sing through GIA's newest releases for assembly, cantors, ensembles, and choirs. An eclectic mix of music will be chosen from the Celebration, GIA Choral, Ars Antiqua Choralis, Ritual Prayer, and Not for Children Only series. Each reading session can also be tailored to the specific needs of the participants (i.e., music for liturgical seasons, traditional choirs, ensembles).
Liturgical Spirituality: Taking to Heart the Saving Mystery We Celebrate
As members of the gathered assembly called to liturgical ministry, we facilitate and encourage the full participation of the assembly at prayer. This evening or day of reflection, song and prayer will encourage us to look at how we prepare for this by living our lives as sign and symbol of Christ's love.