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Catholic Arts Conference, September 2015, Omaha, NE – with U.S. debut exhibit of The Faces of Christ

April 27, 2014 - 10:08pm — Richard Schletty

A message from John Meng-Frecker at holywatercolor.com:

April 29, 2014

Dear Catholic Artists,

The Archdiocese of Omaha has acknowledged our desire to hold a Catholic Arts Conference in Fall 2015 in Omaha, NE for the occasion of the U.S. debut exhibit of The Faces of Christ shown by Steen Heidemann http://www.faces-of-christ-collection.com/gallery.html (also see Vatican letter from Mons. Juan Miguel Ferrer Grenesche).

We hope to bring together artists and those who use Catholic arts in their various forms, inside and outside of church.  The theme of our conference is “Bringing Sacred Art to the Everyday World”.  We think the timing is good for this event because of the New Evangelization, Pope Francis and because we have the opportunity to display and discuss many fine works in one conference.  Please read the attached theme for our Catholic Arts Conference.

We are looking for connections and commitments by artists and promoters of Catholic Arts in these five areas: two-dimensional fine art, sculptors, architects, musicians, and film.  We welcome the interest of artists, vendors, supporters of Catholic Arts, individuals, and organizations who use Catholic Art.  We want to make the debut of Steen’s exhibit a sparkling event showcasing the beauty, goodness, and truth of Sacred Art in our everyday world.

Contact John Meng-Frecker at 306 South 53rd St., Omaha, NE 68132

or by email johnm@holywatercolor.com or by phone at 402.510.3426. 

Please forward this document with attachments to those who may be interested.

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New fully bilingual hymnal: Oramos Cantando / We Pray in Song

April 25, 2014 - 3:10pm — Richard Schletty

I received this notice from GIA Music. – Richard Schletty

Full notice here: http://www.giamusic.com/email/index-email-oramos-cantando-sessions.html

Oramos Cantando

Celebren con GIA Publications, Inc. el lanzamiento del nuevo y totalmente bilingüe himnario, Oramos Cantando / We Pray in Song. Para hacer público este recurso multicultural, GIA acoge cuatro talleres en los Estados Unidos.

Estos talleres son gratuitos y están abiertos a todos aquellos que deseen asistir. Copias del himnario estarán disponibles para su compra al final de cada sesión a un precio de descuento de $10.00 cada uno, hasta agotar existencias.

Cada sesión se presentará en forma bilingüe por los líderes, Bob Batastini y Richard López. Los asistentes podrán cantar una variedad de himnos, canciones, salmos, y otra música para la misa y los ritos sacramentales. Aprendan de primera mano sobre los contenidos de este innovador y completo recurso para el culto divino en español, en inglés, o en forma bilingüe

Estas noches son grandes oportunidades para su comunidad (y sus músicos pastorales, párrocos, acompañantes, administradores de empresas, y miembros de un comité para elegir un nuevo himnario) para experimentar las increíbles características y beneficios de invertir en este himnario bilingüe de GIA.

We Pray in Song

Celebrate with GIA Publications, Inc. the release of the new, fully bilingual hymnal, Oramos Cantando / We Pray in Song. To roll out this multicultural resource, GIA is hosting four workshops across the United States. 

These workshops are free and open to all who wish to attend. Hymnals will be available for purchase at the end of the session for a discounted price of $10.00 each, while supplies last.

Each session will be presented bilingually through the guidance of clinicians Bob Batastini and Richard Lopez. Attendees will sing through a variety of hymns, songs, psalms, and service music. Learn first hand about the contents of this groundbreaking and comprehensive resource for worship in Spanish, in English, or bilingually.

These evenings are great opportunities for your community, pastoral musicians, pastors, accompanists, business managers, and hymnal committees to experience the incredible features and benefits of investing in this bilingual hymnal from GIA. 

Session Dates

Chicago
Monday, May 19, 2014
(19 de mayo de 2014)
7:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
Notre Dame de Chicago Church
1335 West Harrison Street
Chicago, IL 60607
Clinician: Bob Batastini and Richard Lopez

Houston
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
(14 de mayo de 2014)
7:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
Cathedral Centre
1701 San Jacinto, 4th floor
Houston, TX 77002
Clinician: Bob Batastini and Richard Lopez

Los Angeles
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
(13 de mayo de 2014)
7:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
Church of the Blessed Sacrament 
6657 West Sunset Blvd. 
Hollywood, CA 90028
Clinician: Bob Batastini and Richard Lopez

 

New York
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
(21 de mayo de 2014)
7:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
Corpus Christi Church
529 West 121st Street
New York, NY 10027
Clinician: Bob Batastini and Richard Lopez

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Last Call – Reach 560,000+ fans of Christian Music!

April 23, 2014 - 9:49pm — Richard Schletty

An email blast from Keith Mohr at IndieHeaven.com. Details about this group ad buy were posted a couple weeks ago. Use search tool to find that story. – Richard Schletty, creative admin

Just a quick note to let you know it's the last call to promote your music and mission to over 560,000+ fans of Christian music through our "Indie Corner" ad in the May 1 issue of CCM Digital Magazine! 

We have 2 remaining slots...  

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Watch John Michael Talbot This Week On TV!

April 22, 2014 - 12:26pm — Richard Schletty

From John Michael Talbot Ministries:

Notice: original article has been edited. We have just learned that John Michael Talbot's "Praise the Lord" appearance on Thursday, April 24th will NOT be broadcast until SATURDAY, May 3rd at 2:00 PM PT - 5:00 PM ET. We apologize for this late notice. If you planned on attending the taping this evening at TBN's studio - you are still good to go! Thank you for your understanding and continued support of this ministry! – John Michael Talbot Ministries

We are excited to share that you will have these upcoming opportunities to watch John Michael Talbot on television!

On Wednesday, April 23rd, watch John Michael's new weekly TV show "All Things Are Possible" on The Church Channel. This week's topic is Gospel Chastity. It's not about what you CAN'T do but what you CAN do through a personal love relationship with Jesus Christ.

On Saturday, May 3rd, John Michael will be a special guest on TBN's most popular show, "Praise The Lord". He will be interviewed AND singing his most loved hymn "Holy Is His Name".  

If you do not get The Church Channel or TBN you can still watch online live or after the shows are added to the iTBN.org archives!  Follow the links below and again, from all of us at John Michael Talbot Ministries.

Happy Easter! He Is Risen!

John Michael Talbot Ministries

Wednesday - April 23, 2014
All Things are Possible
John Michael's weekly show on The Church Channel
6:00 PM PST~ 8:00 PM CST ~ 9:00 PM EST

CLICK HERE FOR BROADCAST DETAILS:
http://www.johnmichaeltalbot.com/how-to-watch

SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 (revised broadcast date)
Praise the Lord
(Live Appearance!)
with Special Guest John Michael Talbot
2:00 PM PT - 5:00 PM ET.

CLICK HERE FOR BROADCAST DETAILS:
http://www.tbn.org/

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Reasons why people have joined TCS

You can sign up for free at this site, make comments and get automatic notifications of new stories and comments. See FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).

Below are reasons people have signed up as a registered users at Top Catholic Songs. 

  • I am a Catholic Composer and I want to share my Music
  • I am a trainer/conductor of the San Isidro Parish Choir of Musuan, Bukidnon, Philippines. I need choral arrangements for liturgical services.
  • This is a unique site and interests me as I am a music director in a catholic church.
  • I am a choir member and active in a worship band
  • Looking for the music for a version of the Magnificat popular in the early 1970's.
  • I love to listen to Christian music, and I also want to listen at home to Catholic mass hymns.
  • Love Catholic music.  Like to find meditation music for monthly women's meeting.
  • Need music for my CRHP retreat.
  • I want to start a praying group at my college.
  • Listen to Catholic music. I am familiar with some of the composures, and know some of them personally, such as Anna Betancourt.
  • Playing music in a catholic prayer group.
  • I am a Catholic and a lover of its songs and the teachings from these songs. It is a foundation of better upbringing of children. 

Survey Results: Most Beloved Holy Week Hymns

April 17, 2014 - 12:43pm — Richard Schletty

holyweekmusicFrom the Nick Alexander blog

Holy Week, at this writing, is close upon us.

This is the most sacred time of the year. This is the time where we pause and reflect upon the saddest–and shortly afterwards, the most triumphant–moments in all of history. This is the basis of our belief, that the Son of God would willingly allow Himself to be taken, scourged, and crucified for our sins.

Throughout the centuries, composers of various different musical backgrounds have written thousands of musical pieces that carry through to this day. Pieces that reflect upon his entry into Jerusalem, to the Last Supper, to the way of the Cross. Some of these pieces are the most beautiful you will ever hear.

I had asked my readership as to what their favorite Lent hymns were, and you all responded in kind. Now I have asked what their favorite hymns were for Holy Week. These are the results.

1. What Wondrous Love Is This (56.52%)
2. O Sacred Head, Surrounded (O Sacred Head Now Wounded) (52.17%)
3. Pange Lingua (50.00%)
4. All Glory, Laud, And Honour (45.65%)
5. Ubi Caritas (45.65%)
6. When I Survey The Wondrous Cross (41.30%)
7. Were You There When They Crucified My Lord (36.96%)
8. Stabat Mater (32.61%)
9. At The Cross Her Station Keeping (30.43%)
10. The Old Rugged Cross (30.43%) ... 

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Calling all fans of John Michael Talbot Ministries!

April 15, 2014 - 1:30pm — Richard Schletty

Here is an excerpt from Facebook today, April 15, 2014. John Michael Talbot Ministries is reaching out to all Christians, reaching out to old, new and future fans. Give JMT a shout and a Like. - R. Schletty (TCS creative admin)

https://www.facebook.com/johnmichaeltalbot

HELP US FIND ALL OF JOHN MICHAEL TALBOT'S FANS ON FACEBOOK! We are looking for all fans of John Michael Talbot - old and new who are on Facebook! Do you know someone on Facebook who has been lead to Christ by JMTs ministry? Are you blessed by the gospel reflections on this page? His writings? New TV ministry? Please take a moment and share this image and a link to his Facebook page on your timelines! God Bless You!

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Spotlight on Mark Mallet, singer/songwriter

April 13, 2014 - 8:56pm — Richard Schletty

From  http://store.markmallett.com/about-mark/ Mark Mallet

Singing and playing guitar since the age of nine, Mark Mallett is a Canadian singer/songwriter, Catholic evangelist and author. Since leaving his career as a successful television journalist in 2000, Mark has been touring extensively throughout North America and abroad giving parish missions & concerts, as well as speaking and ministering at retreats, conferences and Catholic schools. He had the privilege of singing at the Vatican and presenting his music to Pope Benedict XVI. Mark has appeared on EWTN's Life on the Rock as well as many other television and radio broadcasts.

While singing a song he had written for the Mass several years ago, Mark felt drawn to go to the church and pray before the Blessed Sacrament. It was there that He heard the Lord calling him in his heart to become a watchman for this generation, as Pope John Paul II asked the youth at World Youth Day in Toronto, Canada.

So under the care of his spiritual director, Mark began to publish a regular Blog Journal to help prepare the Church for the dramatic times we live in. A summary of those writings was also publshed in the Fall of 2009 in a book called  The Final Confrontation. 

Around the same time, Mark also launched the second phase of his ministry in a periodical webcast called  EmbracingHope.tv.

Mark and his wife Lea have eight beautiful children together (3 girls & 5 boys—in that order) and make their home on a small farm in Western Canada.    

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Watch "All Things Are Possible" Wednesday April 9th

April 8, 2014 - 11:34pm — Richard Schletty
An email blast from John Michael Talbot Ministries: REMINDER! WATCH John Michael Talbot's new TV show "All Things Are Possible" this week on Wednesday - April 9th! We have updated John Michael's website with broadcast times, all the ways to watch and more! Please CLICK HERE for complete information! We premiered to RAVE REVIEWS last week! Here's a sample of the many letters we received from fans: • What a blessing your programs are to me…
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Sibelius 6 Quick Tips from Andre van Haren, composer and orchestral arranger

April 7, 2014 - 2:59pm — Richard Schletty
Here is a series of Sibelius 6 Quick Tips posted at YouTube by my friend and music associate, André van Haren, composer and orchestral arranger. André lives in Gothenburg, Sweden. Sibelius is a music notation (engraving) program for creating sheet music. If you want to learn Sibelius quickly, start here with André's Quick Tips! – Richard Schletty A series of Sibelius 6 Quick Tips in which I explain, one at the time, problems that you could encounter in Sibelius 6:
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Book review: "A Voice Undefeated" by Collin Raye

March 30, 2014 - 7:46pm — Richard Schletty
Book review by Ignatius Press: See original review here A Voice Undefeated By Collin Raye

When Collin Raye's powerful, golden voice dazzled the country music scene in 1991 with his Number One hit single "Love, Me", country music listeners fell in love with one of the great voices of our time. A new star was rising, and Collin's success continued throughout the nineties with over eight million records sold. This is a remarkable, inspirational story told by the man who lived it. It is a story of faith, of struggle, of suffering, of profound love, and ultimately of triumph in the midst of tragedy.

Raye's autobiography, A Voice Undefeated, gives readers a down-to-earth account of the author's personal and professional life. From his childhood in Arkansas and Texas through his days with the Wray Brothers Band in Oregon and Reno to his rise to international stardom, this book is both a journey to the top of the music world and an intimate diary of a soul that has suffered great professional and personal losses.

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3 benefits of songwriting imperfection

March 27, 2014 - 3:30pm — Richard Schletty
This article by my friend Brad Dunse appeared in Muse's News which is a special section of the website The Muse's Muse Songwriting Resource.

Every so often we abandon songwriting “How Tos” to scratch around in our heads a little, and there’s some lessons from other writers we just can’t pass up. For instance, Berklee College of Music’s Professor Pat Pattison (best-selling author of Writing Better Lyrics) and country music’s phenomenal #1 hit writer Jeffrey Steele might surprise you with their confessions. Do you ever have songwriting doubts? Ever feel like you just said something stupid in a co-writing session? Ever written something and then later realize it stinks like the accident your puppy left on the floor? Professor Pattison's first Nashville co-write began with doubting his ability to come up with good ideas and lyrics; feeling like his whole status as Berklee professor was on the line.

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New TV show with John Michael Talbot on The Church Channel

March 25, 2014 - 4:05pm — Richard Schletty
Special Announcement from John Michael Talbot and The Church Channel

Christian Music Legend and Best Selling Author John Michael Talbot is very pleased to announce that his new TV show "All Things Are Possible" will premier on The Church Channel Wednesday April 2, 2014. The weekly program is a new and exciting presentation of the gospel from a Catholic/Christian base for Christians everywhere!

Each episode of "All Things Are Possible" will include Talbot's inspirational music and a message relevant for today. "For many years people have asked me to bring both my music and my motivational speaking to television. This is the best and broadest opportunity to reach the most people."

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Virtual song collaboration methods – part 1

March 24, 2014 - 5:38pm — Richard Schletty

Before the summer of 2004, I had a vague notion that I'd like to write and publish songs. But I didn't know how. I lacked the formal training and resources to "produce" a song. I had written some poems in my 40s – stuff that was deeply personal and reflective of my "human condition" as a husband, father of seven, graphic design solopreneur and music minister/choir member at a Catholic church. I thought it would be neat to put my experiences and values to music. Well, suddenly I became enabled by technology. I started playing around with GarageBand on my Macintosh computer. I did an internet search for "GarageBand collaboration" and found www.macjams.com – an online community for sharing original music and collaborating on new music via the internet. I started writing songs with Jack Miller, Hendrik Steiner, David Gomez, André van Haren, Luca Frappola, Johnny Katchoolik, Norman Miller, Bill Furner, Robert Andrews, Roxylee Smith, Johannes Curry, Warren Smith, Harold Luper, John Luper and others. I contributed mostly lyrics and vocals but sometimes added some guitar and simple keyboard or percussion. We sent MP3 tracks back n' forth to create a mixes in Apple GarageBand or Apple Logic (music sequencing programs). This engagement at MacJams became my informal education in music theory, recording, mastering, publishing and promotion. I advanced even as far as creating sheet music using Sibelius notation software. I currently am doing ongoing collaboration with André van Haren, an orchestral composer in Sweden. I am also working on an album called Hungry For Heaven with two musicians in Spain – David Gomez Sanz and Alberto Ayuso Domingo.. It's been quite a journey since the summer of 2004 and I'd like to share this with you in a blog series I am calling "Virtual song collaboration." I will detail my methods for solo and collaborative songwriting and production. Feel free to comment and ask questions as we go along.

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Free online Songwriting course begins April 28, 2014

March 22, 2014 - 6:42pm — Richard Schletty
This free online Berklee songwriting course is open for registration. This course is worth hundreds of dollars. Two of my co-members belonging to the Minnesota Association of Songwriters have completed the online course and highly recommend it. The instructor is Pat Pattison, whose songwriting workshop I attended in Minneapolis-Saint Paul a couple years ago. He was very instructive. If you want to improve your songwriting ability, you will learn something from this course! A new session for this course called "Songwriting" starts on April 28 2014. – Richard Schletty Songwriting https://www.coursera.org/course/songwriting Learn an efficient, effective process for writing songs that express your ideas and emotions, including a range of tools that revolve around the concept of prosody—the matching of lyrics and music to support your underlying message.
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