PSALM's 9th ANNUAL MEETING

results in major decisions about priorities and membership

The Board of Directors and volunteers of PSALM-a national, pan-Orthodox organization for Church musicians and those dedicated to the music ministry of the Church-met on Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29, 2008, on the beautiful campus of St. Vladimir Theological Seminary in Crestwood, NY. At this 9th Annual Meeting, key decisions were made, and the organization's focus and future direction were clarified.

On Saturday, board members, advisory council members and invited guests attended an all-day open meeting and brainstorming session. Guests included Honorary Chairman Fr. Sergei Glagolev, John Black, David Lucs, Volkert Volkerz, Tanya Kantor, Bill Churchill, and two college students, Juliana Hughes and Matthew Yazge. A detailed report was given by an East Coast Task Force, chaired by PSALM Vice President, Mark Bailey. The task force has been meeting for the past year to review the programs and priorities of the organization and to propose solutions for streamlining resources. All of PSALM's programs and projects were discussed in detail. Each participant was asked the question, "At the end of your life, what would you like to be able to say that PSALM has accomplished?" This opened the door for a reaffirmation of PSALM's mission:

…to build a community of Orthodox church musicians, clergy, and others interested in Orthodox sacred music, in order to support each other's musical and spiritual growth through interaction and the sharing of knowledge and resources.

The expertise and input offered by those present on Saturday was instrumental in guiding the decisions made by the Board of Directors in its executive session on Sunday after the liturgy for the feast of SS. Peter and Paul. Major motions made and passed by the Board include the following:

The Board reaffirmed that PSALM is in a unique position to bring together Orthodox church musicians from all dioceses, jurisdictions and traditions to learn from each other. (There was complete consensus in the brainstorming session on Saturday that PSALM's mission was most fully actualized at its first national conference in 2006 in Cicero, IL). A second national conference, to be held in 2010, was made one of the top three priorities of PSALM for the next two years.
The Board voted unanimously to shift to a donation-based organizational model, and to, therefore, discontinue membership dues.
PSALM Notes, the publication of the organization which has been its public face and hallmark for the past 12 years, and one of the benefits of paid membership, will shift to an online publication within the next year, to appear in shorter, more frequent editions.
Five years ago, PSALM began developing an online music database and search engine called the Liturgical Music Resource, or LMR. After carefully considering a cost/benefit analysis and other input from volunteers and experts, the Board decided that it would be in the best interest of both the organization and the LMR to find an individual or organization to adopt the project and develop it to its full potential.
To enable PSALM's website to serve as a more effective and engaging virtual "place" of interaction among liturgical musicians, the Board voted to make the redesign of the website one of its highest priorities. A team of volunteers has been assembled to deal with design/function of the redesign, and includes David Lucs, Volkert Volkersz and Matthew Yazge. The technical/programming team will be led by John Black, Vladimir Morosan, Bill Churchill and Sandra Howard.

The Board concluded its Annual Meeting with the election of officers. New officers for 2008-09 are Alice Hughes, President; Mark Bailey, Vice President; and Carol Wetmore, Secretary. Board members elected or reelected for a new term are Protodeacon Peter Danilchick, David Drillock, Fr. Sergius Halvorsen, Anne Schoepp, and Valerie Yova.

As PSALM continues to evolve as an organization, one can expect good things to result from the collaboration and cooperation of Orthodox church musicians in the English-speaking world. To quote one of PSALM's first board members, ""When we come together, good things happen!"

PSALM Sponsors its First Pan-Orthodox Conference on Liturgical Music

August 2006 PSALM National Conference

170 Musicians and Clergy gather from 21 states and 6 countries to "Sing Praises with Understanding" at PSALM National Conference

Download the Conference Program Booklet (pdf), with a detailed schedule, participant list, donor list, speaker bios, and vendor contact info.

View Conference photos

CICERO, IL-PSALM, a national, pan-Orthodox organization which promotes networking, education, and sharing of resources among Orthodox Church musicians, attracted 170 participants to its first national conference. Hosted by the members of St. George Antiochian parish in Cicero, IL (Rev. Nicholas Dahdal, pastor), the conference took place August 2-5, 2006.

Participants came from 21 different states, as well as from Canada, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and Japan. In addition to choir directors, chanters, and readers, the list of registrants included His Eminence Archbishop Job (OCA), 20 clergy, and 4 monastics representing 12 different jurisdictions/archdioceses.

The decision to hold the conference sessions at St. George Church in Cicero, rather than at a hotel, presented some logistical challenges. However, the presence throughout the conference of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which wept for four years back in the 1990s, seemed to have its impact upon the attendees and the proceedings. Participants were awed and inspired by the remarkable beauty of the church, with its wood-carved iconostasis and frescoed walls. Most felt it was worth the six-mile bus ride to the church each day to be in a sacred space while discussing our sacred music. Read more...

Comments from the participants:

"The conference greatly exceeded my expectations! (It was) very well organized, excellent speakers, good balance of topics."

"This is the type of thing we need to be doing to support the growth of the Church in a positive direction."

"This conference was amazingly close to perfect."

"It's nice to find that we all have so much in common, including our own little problems."

"This conference needed to meet the needs of several musical areas and these few days went by far too quickly. Incredible variety."

"This experience was well beyond anything I had ever imagined. The speakers were informative and the music was unbelievable!"

"The opportunity to meet with well-known experts and other experienced people has shown many of my preconceptions to be false or inaccurate."