Every music minister makes the Advent and Christmas celebration possible: from cantors to choir, instrumentalists to handbell ringers, directors of music and everyone in between, it takes a village to carry out the praise – and effort – around the waiting and birth of our Lord.
As you prepare for the upcoming seasons ahead, use the following resources as reference, inspiration, and guidance, from the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. We celebrate the work you do in ministry and thank you for your efforts year-round!
For Clergy and Music Directors
NPM continues to offer recordings of the Chants of the Roman Missal for free. We encourage both clergy and all sacred musicians to explore these recordings, both in preparation for the Advent and Christmas seasons, and throughout the liturgical year.
Ministry Monday Podcast Episodes:
Episode #025: The Singing Priest, Part 1 (Fr. Ricky Manalo)
Episode #084: The Singing Priest, Part 2 (with Nicholas Will)
Episode #172: The Singing Priest, Part 3 (with Fr. Michael Stumpf)
Episode #173: The Singing Priest, Part 4 (with Michael Olbash)
Ministry Monday Podcast Episodes:
Episode #139: Navigating the Public Domain, Part 1
Episode #140: Navigating the Public Domain, Part 2
Episode #181: Simple Ways to Improvise this Advent Season, Part 1 (with Dr. Benjamin Cornelius-Bates)
Episode #182: Simple Ways to Improvise this Advent Season, Part 2 (with Dr. Benjamin Cornelius-Bates)
Episode #246: The Power of Hymns for Organists (with Rebecca Groom te Velde)
For Cantors and Choir Members
Ministry Monday Podcast Episodes:
Episode #042: Vocal Care, Advent Edition (with Andre Heywood, Featuring Luke Rosen)
Episode #238: Caring for the Voice (with Dr. Lynn Eustis)
Episode #244: Cantoring Considerations for Large Masses (with Dr. Dan Girardot)
For Instrumentalists and Other Ministers
VIDEO: The Singing Guitarist: How to Improve Your Skills (2023 NPM National Convention) (Estela García-López and Rodolfo López)
VIDEO: Six Strings and the Sacraments (2023 Webinar) (Steven C. Warner)