The Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians
Fr. Chepponis, presiding at Evening Prayer
The next meeting of the Pittsburgh Chapter NPM will take place
Monday, September 13, 2010
7:30 PM
Ss Peter & Paul,
200 Third Street
Beaver PA 15009
(use this address for Mapquest & Google Maps)
Chuck
Thompson, Host
Night of Options:
Bob Krandel,
beginning guitar
Doretta Whalen, Begininng Vocal/Cantor technique
Dianne Falvo, Liturgical Piano
This is to be a three workshop evening with each workshop being presented once for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The focus is to be toward the beginning musicians, or those parish musicians who perform their ministry for the love of God and service to their parish. Listed below are the workshops, presenters, and areas to be covered.
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1) Vocal Techniques/cantors, Doretta Whalen. Basic vocal technique. Basic cantor techniques. Liturgical Presence. Animation. Questions, answers, and discussion between the musicians present. Try to have everyone who is present sing something to give them encouragement and direction. Present the NPM basic cantor certification program to them as a possible way to hone their skills and work toward self improvement through certification.
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2) Guitar, Bob Krandel. We ask all attending to bring guitars. Basic tuning assistance. Strum patterns. Playing in an ensemble. What to do when the guitar and piano play together a lot. Playing with multiple guitars of different types. Questions, answers, and discussion between the musicians present. Try to have everyone who is present play something to give them encouragement and direction.
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3) Liturgical Piano, Dianne Falvo. Adapting organ music to the piano. piano versus electronic keyboard. Dealing with accompaniments that are just do difficult to play as written. Playing in a ensemble. Improvisation. Adapting and arranging. Someone gave me a melody line, now I have to come up with an accompaniment. Creative rhythmic adaption for variety. Questions, answers, and discussion between the musicians present. Try to have everyone who is present play something to give them encouragement and direction.
The workshop portion will conclude with an informal concert/demonstration (around 9:00 PM) of about 10 or 15 minutes of a few pieces that the three presenters would play/sing together on, having the assembled musicians sing too, demonstrating some of the techniques discussed in the evenings workshops. Take the time to explain anything that you are presenting so that the attendees see what is it you were teaching in the workshop. Critique your own performance after and discuss or accept questions about what you did or how you did it.
The evening would conclude with a light social hosted by Ss Peter & Paul, over and done by 10:00 PM
Ss Peter & Paul is a lovely sanctuary with a Steinway grand where the liturgical piano workshop would take place. The cantor/vocal workshop would take place in the choir room downstairs and the guitar workshop in a room close by. The mini concert/demonstration would be in the sanctuary.
Those coming from Allegheny County would have an easy time finding Ss Peter & Paul. Exit I-376 just after it crosses the Ohio River in Beaver County at the Beaver exit, rte. 68 east. The church is two miles on the left. Those coming from Lawrence County would come south on I-376 and exit at Beaver and follow the same directions. Those coming from Butler county would take rte 68 west through Rochester and come to Beaver. Once under the railroad trestle the church will be on your right. Use the address listed above for Mapquest and Google.
Listed below are the e-mails of the presenters if anyone would have questions, or need musical direction on what to prepare or bring.
Dianne Falvo; dmf653@verizon.net
Doretta Whalen: doretta@pitt.edu
Bob Krandel: bkrandel@hatch.ca or bkrandel@comcast.net