3 Ways Singing "Paperless" Can Support Canterbury's Mission

Sylvia in the chapel at Holy Cross

 by the Rev. Sylvia Miller-Mutia

I spent last Wednesday and Thursday at the Holy Cross Monastery in New York with a group of fellow leaders from a project I'm involved with called Music that Makes Community.   We are a group of clergy and laypeople, highly trained and un-trained (aka "natural") musicians, who are passionate about the power of congregational singing and interested in exploring the age-old practices of teaching and leading communities in singing "by ear".

Don't get me wrong, we believe hymnals are AWESOME.  And musical scores enable people to make music that is incredibly beautiful, complex, and consistent.  But including "paperless" music in our congregational repertoire, alongside other beloved musical forms, creates unique and powerful possibilities.

Here are just a few of the ways that I can see the practice of singing "paperless" music supporting the three areas that our vestry has identified as top priorities for our life together at Canterbury in the coming year:

1) Welcoming the Stranger 
When we learn a new piece of music together in the moment, it puts everyone on equal footing.  In a sense, everybody is a "newcomer."   Furthermore, singing a "paperless" song supports the full participation of those who are often excluded from our congregational music-making: children who cannot yet read, elders with failing eyesight who can no longer see printed text or notes, and people of all ages who cannot read music.
  
2) Nurturing the "Household"

Singing a "paperless" song can deepen the sense of community among those who sing together.  When authority does not rest on a printed page, we begin to discover authority and wisdom within the community, itself.  When we miss a note or word, we listen more carefully to the person beside us to discover what we're missing. We make mistakes and negotiate solutions together, non-verbally.  We intuitively decide together when a song comes to its conclusion.   We discover new harmonies lurking in the room and in our hearts.

3) Renewing Campus Ministry
 "Paperless" music can be very flexible, and makes singing together possible in settings where other sorts of singing might be impractical--like outdoors, or in the dark.  For example, at Tuesday Night Campus Ministry singing "paperless" songs enables us to sing compline by candlelight (since we don't need to be able to see a hymnal.)  Throughout October singing "paperless" songs will enable us to celebrate creation with several outdoor Eucharists (aka "Mass on the Grass") at UNM (without killing any trees to print service leaflets!)

Music that Makes Community is hosting a 3 Day Conference/Retreat in California January 17-20, 2016.   Edwina (Canterbury's organist) and I are hoping to pull together a team of 9 members from Canterbury to attend the conference together.   If you are interested in joining us, please let me know.  If you can make a donation (of money or frequent flier miles) to help a member of Canterbury attend who couldn't otherwise afford the trip, please let me know. Email sylvia.miller.mutia@gmail.com.  Thanks for your support!