Church Music Institute Summer Intensive and Retreat 2024

 

The annual CMI summer event cannot happen this year. . . .because of construction!  [You thought it was the heat, right?:)] The hammers didn’t work fast enough and city permits were slower still.

 

 

Here is what CAN happen, however!

1. Save January 2-6, 2025 for the next on-site CMI event at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Dallas.  (Temperatures expected to be cooler!).
2. Watch for webinars on Saturday mornings with some of the sessions you were anticipating for August 2-6, 2024.  This fall will have a ramped up schedule.
3. Call or email CMI to schedule a Zoom call or an on-site visit. Your planning for 2024-25 must not suffer!  info@churchmusicinstitute.org; 214.751.7669.
4. Visit the CMI booth at the American Guild of Organists, June 30-July 3. Or, if you are in the Kansas City area, CMI will have a booth at the National Association of Pastoral Musicians convention, July 8-12.

CMI wants to hear from you!

Course Overview:

August 2-3, followed by "Music and Worship: Imagine & Explore" for early career worship leaders, August 3-6 in Dallas, TX. Clinicians are Dr. Carey Cannon, Mr. Scott Dettra, Mr. Ethan Haman, Dr. Heather Hawk, Dr. Don Horisberger, Prof Ellen Johnston and Ms. Erin Roth Thomas. Rev. Ignacio Gama is chaplain.

On site at Church Music Institute: 5923 Royal Lane, Dallas, TX 75230

Click here for the detailed schedule.

Annual Summer Intensive - August 2-3

A workshop of latest resources, practices and ideas built on established practices.  Conversations with invited experts, seasoned and new musicians.  Come "build" with colleagues and plan your 2024-25 program year!

Registration Information for Annual Summer Intensive, August 2-3:

Cost: $75 (for members) & $150 (for non-members which includes membership) plus $15 for Saturday lunch (optional)

If you are a member, click here to register.

If you are not a member, click here to register.

To sign up for the optional lunch on Saturday 8/3, click here.

Music & Worship: Imagine & Explore - August 2-6 *Scholarships Available! (see below) 

Beginning with the Summer Intensive, join the CMI and early career musicians in a retreat that focuses on church musicians in the beginning stages of their careers.  These sessions will inspire and prepare you to lead meaningful worship whether you are serving in a small or large congregation.  A project specific to your interests and work setting will result.

Registration Information for Aug 2-6:

Cost: $150 (for AGO, ACDA, NPM, and AFPC Members) & $200 (for non-Members) plus $15 for Saturday lunch (optional)

To register for the Summer Intensive (Aug 2-6) for Early Career Church Musicians for AGO, ACDA, NPM, and AFPC Members, click here.

To register for the Summer Intensive (Aug 2-6) for Early Career Church Musicians for non-AGO, ACDA, NPM, and AFPC Members, click here.

To sign up for the optional lunch on Saturday 8/3, click here.

Housing for August 2-6.

CMI recommends a commercial site such as Travelocity, Trivago, Expedia or calling hotels directly for making housing arrangements. The hotel closest to the event is the Sonesta (10325 N Central Expy, Dallas, TX 75231•(214) 739-2500) but Hilton, Marriot and La Quinta brands are also near.

DEADLINE TO REGISTER: Friday, July 26 at noon CST to reserve lunch and to assure materials/links will be ready for you. 

Scholarship for August event:

Anyone seeking a scholarship for August 4-8 may apply to the Paul Lindsley Thomas Society. Read ASPIRING TO THE IDEALS OF PAUL LINDSLEY THOMAS (live link) and Click Here for the application. Deadline: July 15.

Faculty Information:

Dr. Carey Cannon is Director of Music, Arts, and Traditional Worship at Highland Park United Methodist Church, Dallas, TX. Before taking his current position, Carey served eight years as the Minister of Music at South Main Baptist Church in Houston. Prior to Houston, Carey served nine years as Minister of Music at Providence Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina where he also worked as Associate Conductor for the Charlotte Children’s Choir, Adjunct Faculty for the UNC-Charlotte Men’s Glee, and Founder and Artistic Director of the Carolina Men’s Chorus.

Prior to this post-graduate work, Carey received a Bachelor of Arts from Furman University. He served five years in the United States Army based in Washington, DC where he was a bass vocalist with the U.S. Army Chorus and performed regularly for heads of state, dignitaries, and numerous White House events. While in Washington, Carey also served as a chorister with the National Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys. Carey holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from UNC-Greensboro and Master of Arts degrees in Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance from George Mason University. Carey and his wife, Janet love being parents to their two children, Caroline and Duncan.

Mr. Scott Dettra is acclaimed as one of America’s outstanding concert organ virtuosos. Hailed as a “brilliant organist” (Dallas Morning News), and an “outstanding musician” (The Diapason), his playing is known for its clarity, rhythmic intensity, and musical elegance, and has been described by The American Organist as “music making of absolute authority and sophisticated expression.” He serves as Organist of Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, teaches on the organ faculty of Southern Methodist University, and is organist for The Crossing, the multi-Grammy-winning professional chamber choir based in Philadelphia.
Throughout 2022, Mr. Dettra undertook a celebrated national tour of the complete organ works of César Franck in commemoration of the composer’s bicentenary. Recent and upcoming performances include appearances in New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Kansas City. Festival appearances include the Lincoln Center Festival, the Carmel Bach Festival, the Arizona Bach Festival, the Bermuda Festival of the Performing Arts, and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. He has been a featured performer at national conventions of the American Guild of Organists, the Association of Anglican Musicians, the Organ Historical Society, and the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, and is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator for master classes, workshops, and competitions.
Mr. Dettra is featured on many recordings, including The Anglo-American Classic Organ, Majestus, and Tongues of Fire. Additional recordings may be found on the Gothic, Innova, Lyrichord, Pro Organo, and Linn labels. In addition to commercial recordings, his performances have been broadcast numerous times on such radio programs as American Public Media’s Pipedreams and Performance Today, the BBC’s Choral Evensong, and The New York Philharmonic This Week.
Mr. Dettra holds two degrees from Westminster Choir College, where he was a student of Joan Lippincott, and has studied organ and jazz piano at Manhattan School of Music.

The Rev. Ignacio Gama was called to serve as Priest-in-Charge at St. Luke's at the recommendation of The Rt. Rev. George Sumner, Bishop of the Dallas Diocese. Fr. Gama previously served as Curate at Church of the Epiphany in Richardson.

Born in Mexico City, Fr. Gama earned his Master of Divinity degree at Nashotah House Theological Seminary, where he met his wife, Celeste. While at Nashotah, he served as a seminarian at Zion Episcopal Church in Oconomowoc, WI. Prior to ordination, he worked for several years as a professional Opera singer.

Mr. Ethan Haman from Fremont, CA, is the organist and assistant conductor at Noroton Presbyterian Church in Darien, CT, and organist at Yale University’s Marquand Chapel. He completed a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance in 2021 at the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music studying with Jon Laukvik and Craig Cramer, and a Master of Musical Arts degree in Organ Performance in 2022, studying with Martin Jean. In 2019 he graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Southern California, where he double majored in Organ Performance studying with Cherry Rhodes and in Composition with Morten Lauridsen, Andrew Norman, Donald Crockett, Sean Friar, and Daniel Temkin.  In 2022 he was recipient of the Audience Prize and finalist in the AGO National Competition in Organ Improvisation.

Soprano Dr. Heather Hawk from Killeen, Texas, has musical honors that include winning First Prize at the AIMS Meistersinger Vocal Competition in Graz, Austria and fourth place as National Finalist in the NATS Artist Award Competition in Chicago. She also won First Prize in the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition. She has won First Place in the Texoma National Association of Teachers in Singing “Singer of the Year” Young Artist vocal competition. She performed the song cycle, “Try Me, Good King,” by noted American composer, Libby Larsen, for the Leschetizky Association Annual Living Composers Concert in New York City with pianist Leslie Spotz. Of her performance, Larsen said, “Gorgeous voice! ~And a great collaboration with your pianist!”

Recent operatic roles include Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, the title role in Handel’s Alcina, Katisha in The Mikado, and Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors. She made her Carnegie Hall solo debut with the New York International Music Festival and returned for a second solo performance two years later. Other notable solo appearances include Rutter’s Magnificat and Handel’s Messiah with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. She earned a DMA in Vocal Performance from University of North Texas, a Masters in Vocal performance from Baylor University, and a BA in Music from Tarleton State University, where she is a recipient of the Distinguished Tarleton Alumni award.

Heather currently serves as Associate Professor of Music (Voice) at Tarleton State University, and lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her husband, Ben, and six year old son, Ben, Jr.

Dr. Don Horisberger holds degrees from Capital University (B.M.) and Northwestern University (M.Mus. and D.Mus.) where he studied with Karel Paukert, Wolfgang Rübsam, and Margaret Hillis.  He also studied organ and church music as a Fulbright-Hayes scholar to Germany.

His career spans service to churches in multiple denominations, with 30 years at The Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest, IL where he led adult, children’s, and handbell choirs, taking the adult choir to five week-long residencies at major English Cathedrals.  In addition, he was Associate Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Chorus as part of his 40 year association with the CSC as singer, bass section leader, German coach.

Now semi-retired in the Madison, WI area, Don continues as guest conductor, recital organist, clinician, and lecturer.  A member of the Association of Church Musicians in Madison, he recently conducted a choral festival and played on member benefit recitals, and he continues with occasional church work, especially at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Madison.

Professor Ellen Johnston is recently retired as the Director of the Music, Liturgy, and the Arts at Virginia Theological Seminary, a program which offers continuing education by means of conferences and symposia, provides a consultancy service for parishes and dioceses, and offers distance learning opportunities. She is Vice-Chair of the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music for the Episcopal Church, and former Director of Music at the Church of the Holy Comforter in Richmond, Virginia. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Centenary College and M.M. from Southern Methodist University.

Praised for possessing “a voice of surprising power and emotion” (TheaterJones), and “great dignity and a gorgeous mezzo, finely finished and expressive” (Dallas Morning News), lyric mezzo soprano Erin Roth Thomas regularly performs as a featured soloist with some of the finest ensembles in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, singing a vast repertoire that spans from early to 20th century music.
Erin provides worship music for many DFW area churches and currently serves as a staff singer at Christ Church Cathedral in Plano. She also sings regularly with St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church for their compline services.
Erin previously served as alto section leader in the Sanctuary Choir at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church, as well as the Cathedral Arts Choral Artists at St. Matthew’s Cathedral for their monthly evensong services. Erin was also a member of Vigil Schola Cantorum at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, a professional quartet focusing on Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony.
Erin is looking forward to the upcoming season, where she will enjoy engagements with Ensemble Iona, Orpheus Chamber Singers, Orchestra of New Spain, and Incarnatus, among others.
From Lufkin, Texas, and a proud graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University, Erin lives in Plano with her husband, Chad.