A blog connecting you to deep conversations, valuable resources, and challenging ideas
Centered In Song is a blog that features a core team of writers who care deeply about the congregation’s voice and who seek to have deep and meaningful conversations. Our team of bloggers are always on the lookout for great events, fresh ideas, and artists who are passionate about congregational singing. Because the team is made up of folk from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, this blog offers a variety of viewpoints and opinions on congregational song, celebrating the diversity that the church’s song embodies each and every week.
Adán Alejándro Fernández is an organist, harpsichordist, collaborative pianist, choral...
Adán Alejándro Fernández
Blog Editor - Spanish Language
Adán Alejándro Fernández is an organist, harpsichordist, collaborative pianist, choral and orchestral conductor, composer, and writer Primarily a liturgical musician, Dr Fernández is the Director of Music and Organist at Holy Family Catholic Church in Glendale, California, where he has developed a program of three adult choirs, a choral academy for children, a handbell choir, and a chamber music ensemble Dr Fernández is also the University Organist at California Lutheran University where he has developed a studio of young organists and oversees a recital series featuring an international roster of organists At Cal Lutheran he is also on the piano faculty and has started a monthly recital recital series called the Afternoon Bach Recital Series, featuring music by the Bach family and other baroque composers Dr Fernández is also on the Music Theory faculty at Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles and harpsichordist for Hortus Musicus, an early music consort in Los Angeles
Steven is a freelance singer based in Washington, DC, and...
Steven Blondo
Blog Proofreader
Steven is a freelance singer based in Washington, DC, and Administrative Assistant at The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada He holds Bachelor’s degrees from Southern Adventist University in Music Performance, Accounting, and International Studies, and has been active in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, Chattanooga, TN, and in Florence, Italy, where he spent two years as a student and volunteer Steven enjoys film, live music, art, travel, dodgeball, and cultivating community
Mykayla Turner holds a Master of Sacred Music with a Liturgical...
Mykayla Turner
Blogger
Mykayla Turner holds a Master of Sacred Music with a Liturgical Musicology concentration and a Master of Theological Studies She obtained her ACCM in Piano Performance from Conservatory Canada Currently, she is a PhD student in the Faculty of Theology at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, ON Apart from her academic work, she is an active church musician and liturgist She also co-directs Ontario Mennonite Music Camp and chairs the team of volunteers who maintain Together in Worship, a curated collection of free worship resources from Anabaptist sources
Shannan Baker is a postdoctoral fellow in music and digital...
Shannan Baker
Blogger
Shannan Baker is a postdoctoral fellow in music and digital humanities at Baylor University, where she recently finished her PhD in Church Music (2022) Her research interests focus on contemporary worship She studies the theology and content of the lyrics, the music of the songs, the worship music industry, and how contemporary worship is used in the church While her current role focuses on research, she searches for ways to connect that research practically to the church Recently, she received the Vital Worship Teacher-Scholar grant from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship which allowed her to start the contemporary worship training workshops for the Church Music program at Baylor
While Shannan currently lives in Waco, Texas, she is originally from Michigan She received her BA in Music (Worship Arts) from Cornerstone University (2016), and an MA in Worship (2018) and ThM with a concentration in worship (2019) from Calvin Theological Seminary Also in Grand Rapids, she served as the worship director for Monroe Community Church for three years Currently, she volunteers at her local church where she leads worship and plays various instruments including drums, keys, acoustic guitar, and bass
After obtaining her first and second bachelor degrees in Translation...
Yvette Lau
Blogger
After obtaining her first and second bachelor degrees in Translation and Chinese (HKPU), and Music (CUHK) respectively and worked in music related work in the government and later in the church in Hong Kong, Yvette Lau furthered her study at Calvin Theological Seminary for M A in Worship (2010) Recently, she has finished her Doctor of Pastoral Music at Perkins School of Theology, SMU (2024) under the supervision of Prof C Michael Hawn She has served as a worship pastor in Hong Kong for several years after her graduation at Calvin She had been one of the executive committee members of the Hong Kong Hymn Society from 2011-2017 She served at the Worship Committee for the CMA Church Union of HK from 2006-2021
In 2017, she founded Anabas Ministry which is an organization for worship renewal and started to work as a freelancer for worship related ministries including consultancy work Her passion lies in choral conducting, song writing, hymn translation from English to Cantonese (main translator for New Youth Hymns), event organization, translation of books on worship including The Art of Worship, Beyond the Worship Wars, The Worship Architect, and Glory to God, and training and teaching on worship She has been the guest instructor on Worship for Alliance Bible Seminary, China Graduate School of Theology, Bethel Bible Seminary, Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary, and Thailand Baptist Theological School
Wendell is a composer, choir director, and music educator, with...
Wendell Glick
Blog Proofreader
Wendell is a composer, choir director, and music educator, with a particular interest in contemporary hymnody and choral music He holds degrees in music composition from Wilfrid Laurier University (BMus), the University of Toronto (MMus) and Western University (PhD), and is a life member of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada Wendell’s compositions and choral arrangements have been performed by middle school, high school, college, community and touring ensembles in more than 20 states and provinces, as well as in Ireland, England, Scotland, Poland and Jamaica In addition to his music work, he enjoys model trains, tree houses, aviation, rainy days, and life with his best friend Janelle and their four lively children
David Calvert is the Creative Arts Director for Grace Community...
David Calvert
Blogger - Album Reviews
David Calvert is the Creative Arts Director for Grace Community Church in rural North Carolina, and a PhD graduate in Theology and Worship from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
This post, written by Edward Anders Sövik, was originally published in the peer-reviewed journal The Hymn in 1990. As with many topics concerning the church’s song as well as the […]
That’s right…these are carols (new texts set to familiar Christmas Carol tunes) for the Covid-19 pandemic. DOWNLOAD COLLECTION* *UPDATED 4-2-2020 Watch the full collection including sign language interpretations here: Introduction […]
Author Ginny Chilton Maxwell is Music Minister at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hampton, VA A new PBS documentary highlights songs from the women’s […]
Last Sunday at my little congregation in Baltimore, the pastor decided that for the passing of the peace we would encourage people to say “peace be with you,” bow, wave, […]
Blogger David Bjorlin is a worship pastor at Resurrection Covenant Church (Chicago), a lecturer in worship at North Park Theological Seminary (Chicago), and a published hymnwriter. In my previous blog […]
Author – Ginny Chilton Maxwell is Music Minister at Church of the Ascension in Norfolk, Virginia, where she serves as organist, choirmaster, and elementary music teacher. I’m back! I started […]
Guest Contributor – Hannah Cruse is the founder of The Church Musician’s Assistant. She has been working in the church music field for a decade and has a Master of […]
While I am not personally Roman Catholic, I have spent and continue to spend a lot of my time in Roman Catholic spaces, with Roman Catholic musicians, and leading song […]
Author – Adam Perez is a doctoral student in liturgical studies at Duke Divinity School. In this blog post, I want to offer some simplified responses to the question, “Why […]
The Church Is Dying This morning I read yet another headline from a denominational news source to the effect of “9 things the church must change immediately so it doesn’t […]
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