Music at UUCDC

Music Staff:

Our music program is made possible by many dedicated volunteers offering their talents and energy, for which the music staff is truly grateful. If you've been coming to UUCDC for any length of time, I think you'll agree that we have an inspiring depth and breadth of musical talent among our membership.

Musical Opportunities for Adults

Church Services

Our Sunday morning worship services always include opportunities for church members and friends to share their musical talents by singing or playing their instruments. Ann Seidmancoordinates music for our worship services, so please contact her by e-mail if you would like to provide music for a worship service.

UUCDC Chorus

The UUCDC Chorus rehearses weekly on Thursday nights from 7:30 – 9:00 pm (NOTE: this is a change from the previous years in which rehearsals were held from 6:30 – 8:15 pm on Wednesday nights) and sings at about two church services a month. Twice a year, the chorus is responsible for presenting a special musical church service. Singers of high school age or older are welcome to come and participate in chorus. If you would like further information about chorus, please contact Beth Youse.

Other Music Performance Opportunities at UUCDC

UUCDC provides a venue for many other musical events involving friends and members. These include monthly cabarets, twice-yearly theater productions presented by Thespis, the concert series presented each year by Rose Tree Concerts and community concerts presented to raise funds for worthy causes. Please look at information provided on the church website and in the monthly Focus newsletter for information about these events and points of contact to express interest. If you have an idea about a musical activity that you would like to see at UUCDC, contact one of the music staff and let us know.

Musical Opportunities for Children and Youth

Music In Worship

All children and youth are invited sing or to play their instrument in a worship service. Please contact Ann Seidman, if your child/youth would like to share his/her talent.

Children's Choir

We would like to start a children's chorus or child/youth singing ensemble. We would like to have some children/youth help our chorus sing "Let There Be Peace On Earth" at our Thanksgiving Sunday morning service on November 18. Interested? Contact Beth Youse to express interest or share ideas.

Some Thoughts on Music from the Music Director

Since becoming Music Director at UUCDC, I have spent considerable time thinking about the role of music in the life of the church. I know that for me personally, music is a big reason why I spend Sunday mornings at UUCDC. Music is not a necessary part of meaningful worship for many people. In fact, some religious beliefs consider that the presence of music in worship is at best a distraction and at worst an evil influence.

Musical performance can be a chance to gratify one's own ego by showing off one's technical abilities. But music also can also have a powerful effect on listeners independent of the intentions of the performer. For some reason, music can have extraordinary emotional power. In vocal music, that power can flow from inspired lyrics paired with music. And in the cause of instrumental music, music can communicate emotions directly without needing to be translated into words. Negative emotions can also flow from music -- one person's music can also be another person's noise. The music that one person listens to for relaxation and inspiration can inspire another to cover her ears and become angry or despondent.

So what do we strive for in providing a music program at UUCDC? We strive to provide a "ministry of music." To me that means providing opportunities for growth and healing through music. Some functions are traditional, such as providing music for Sunday services and for weddings, memorial services and to mark other significant events in the Church. We at UUCDC strive to provide music for those events are of a quality and type that speak to the hearts and minds of the listeners. Does that mean that every listener will enjoy all the music presented? Absolutely not! But, if you listen to music with an open mind and heart, you may be surprised how far you can push your musical horizon.

In addition to providing entertainment or emotional satisfaction for the listener, participating in making music can be a wonderful chance to interact with others. Collaboratively making music by singing or playing musical instruments in a band, an orchestra, a chorus or other ensemble can be deeply satisfying. People who have little in common in terms of political, religious or other beliefs can have amazing interactions when collaboratively making music. Sometimes, the satisfaction or healing effect of music comes solely from making the music and doesn't involve the aspect of presenting the music to an audience at all. The music doesn't have to be "good" on some objective scale to have a good effect on the musicians.

So, what are we trying to do here at UUCDC with music? We would like to do it all – to present music that awes and inspires the listener, to provide opportunities for middle-of-the-road talents to sing and play and dance and experience joy in doing so, to expand our musical horizons by listening to or performing music that we don't think we like, to be a positive force in someone's life by giving them the opportunity to see what kind of music they can make, to give solace to people in grief with the haunting beauty of music and to open the hearts and minds of our children to the possibilities of music. So, don't be shy -- jump in. Let us on the musical staff know what you want to try, what you like about the music at UUCDC, what you don't like about the music here and what talents you and your family have to offer. All I ask, is that you try your very best to keep your ears, heart and mind open.