Robert J. Batastini

Robert J. Batastini, (b. January 1, 1942, Chicago, Illinois) is the retired vice president and senior editor of GIA Publications, Inc. Bob has over fifty years of service in pastoral music ministry, having served several parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago and one in the neighboring Diocese of Joliet. He was executive editor and project director for the Worship hymnals (three editions), Gather hymnals (three editions), Catholic Community Hymnal, Lead Me, Guide Me and executive editor of RitualSong. He is currently the project director for the revision of Lead Me, Guide Me, and serves on the committee for the forthcoming Worship—Fourth Edition.

In 1993 he became the first recipient of the Father Lawrence Heimann Citation for lifetime contribution to church music and liturgy, awarded by St. Joseph's College, Rensselaer, Indiana, and was named "Pastoral Musician of the Year–2000" by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. At its 2006 conference, he was named a Fellow of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada.

Bob is a thirty year member of the North American Academy of Liturgy, past-president of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, served on the Council of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, and the Music Advisory Committee of the Bishops Committee on the Liturgy.

Though retired from management, he maintains an ongoing role at GIA, an active role assisting the music director of his parish church in Holland, Michigan, and frequently travels the country presenting workshops, hymn festivals and other church music events.

Workshops

Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship - Sacred Music

A practical session by this member of the Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy Subcommittee on Music who participated in drafting the 2007 bishops' document on music. Intended to get to the heart of how this document effects what we do on Sunday mornings. Intended primarily for pastors and music directors (Duration: 2 to 4 hours).

Choral Festival - Sacred Music

Various approaches that may or may not include performances by individual choirs, always culminate with the combined choirs from the diocese or community—all-Catholic or inter-denominational, rehearsing and performing together as one large massed choir.

These events celebrate the ministry of the choir, providing a high degree of motivation to the participating parish choirs to renew and enrich their commitment to this ministry.

Hymn Festival - Sacred Music

These hymn festivals, often with Kelly Dobbs Mickus at the organ, are built upon the hymn texts of modern writers set to tunes everyone knows. The narration focuses upon the importance of congregational song, and specifically hymns in the worship life of the Church.

These events are for clergy, musicians, choir members, and specially the folks in the pews who revel in the glorious sound of a church filled with people joined in song.

Pastoral Music - Sacred Music

These are workshops ranging from a couple of hours to an entire weekend, focusing on one or more of the following areas: • The total parish music program • Building the parish choir • Developing a volunteer cantor program • Enabling vibrant congregational song • Repertoire: What to sing and why