A Noble Woman

A few years back, there was a burgeoning of articles and essays on the spirituality of the church musician. It seemed that every person in our business had something to say about the spirituality of the "the cantor . . . the choir leader . . . the guitarist . . . the choir singer . . . the audio engineer . . . the head of maintenance."

I am sure you have seen most of them and probably read all of them.

The high concern that we do not become mindless hummers and strummers and pounders and blowers is a good one-but, one cannot become euphoric on the metaphysical.

The acquiring of music skills is just as important. Immersion into the "inner game of music" or the meditation practices of Hildegard von Bingen will not help get rid of wrong notes or fuzzy rhythms. One needs instruction and one must practice.

There is a pastoral musician in the Diocese of Albany who is doing just that. She is part of a summer music camp that is an educational effort in making church musicians become better at their ministry.

There are two miracles: l) Here is a musically trained and spiritually adept musician who is doing something about improving music in the church. 2) She is teaching an age group that ranges from 14 to 20.

Not only is she courageous, she is noble.

At a diocesan campground in the Adirondack Mountains in some of the most beautiful scenery in the state of New York, she and her staff are working with this block of young people with sessions in music theory, transposition, chord construction for guitarists, prayer development, and liturgical symbolism.

You see why she is courageous and noble. Her name is Marie Bernadett, and she is building a program generated by her colleague, Richard Putorti.

She still sustains her enthusiasm for music ministry, which she developed during her days at the University of California in Davis. I first encountered her when she was a student in the Graduate Program in Pastoral Ministries at Santa Clara University.

She exhibited a healthy understanding of why making music at liturgy must be balanced with good musical skills connected to a solid grounding in authentic prayer experiences. The young people she meets at the summer camp will carry this dualism back to their home parishes. Their effect on their parish's worship life will be significant-that is, if the established music leadership will let them.

Marie expressed some concern that the "kids" won't have a chance in some churches to continue their newly acquired skills. In spite of that possibility, she forges ahead, encourages them, and places all of them under the protection of the Spirit.

Now, that is spiritual-without the aid of a vanilla smelly candle and a reading from Julia of Norwich.

There does seem to be a growing movement in doing similar programs in the United States. Certainly, David Haas in his Music Ministry Alive! has launched a vigorous summer program in Minnesota designed to release the potential packed into young church musicians. He successfully attracts young people from many parts of the United States.

With people like Marie Bernadett in the northeastern part of the United States and David in the Midwest, perhaps the Spirit's fire will burn across the country. As we sing from the Iona collection: "If you believe and I believe. . . ."

Willing to serve, able to minister, and capable of playing right notes. What a noble cause!

You can reach Fred Moleck via email at fmoleck@earthlink.net