MINISTRY MUSIC MASTERY - Christ The King Catholic...
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FROM THE EDITOR: Most anyone will agree that Christ The King has some of the best music at our mass celebrations you will find at any Parish. Our Music Ministry has always been exemplary and it has only gotten better since the husband and wife team of Ken and Ellen Lerum became the Music Directors. I recently caught up with Ken to learn more about the couple’s music background and discovered a wonderful story about love, faith, and music appreciation. Rick Houle Email: [email protected] Voice-mail: 702-227-0593 MINISTRY MUSIC MASTERY AN INTERVIEW WITH KEN LERUM Q. I understand that you and Ellen have impressive music credentials. Can you tell us about where you studied and how you both met? Ken: Ellen and I are both from the East Coast. I studied Music Composition at Peabody Conservatory in Balti- more. I had been playing the piano since I was five years old, and Peabody is a traditionally conservative school that offers classical music training. I liked the broader range of music offered at Berklee. Ellen and I met at Berklee College of Music in Boston around 1989 and began dating shortly thereafter. Q. Where both of you Catholic? Ken: Yes, and that was actually the connection. Behind the campus was St. Cecilia Catholic church... St. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians. We saw each other at Sunday mass and soon discovered that we both shared many commonalities. Q. What are both you and Ellen’s Degree Majors? Ken: I majored in Songwriting, and Ellen majored in Songwriting and Performance. Q. What kind of work do you do outside of the church? Ken: In the interim between college and coming to Christ The King, we have been signed with EMI Music Publish- ing and have worked on music scores for several film and TV projects such as Disney’s Lion King II and Touched by an Angel, as well as some song recordings with Sony Arista Records. Q. So how did you both wind up in Las Vegas? Ken: We wanted to be close to family... My parents had both passed and Ellen’s family mostly lived here and we wanted to be a support system for them. We relocated around 2004 and initially began a Music Ministry at St Joseph Husband of Mary for about two years. One of the priests at St Joseph, Fr Bernie Waters, relocated to St Peter The Apostle in Henderson as the Pastor and asked us to direct the Music at the Parish in 2006 and we have been there ever since. Q. Oh really... You work both churches? Ken: We are quite busy, yeah (laughs)... Ellen primarily handles the music at St Peter, while collaborating with Mary Ryan, Cathy Bruzzese and myself here at Christ The King with music planning. Q. So how did you get involved with Christ The King? Ken: We met Mary while working with the Diocesan Conferences and two years ago she asked us to come help with the music planning at CTK. Christ The King is much more communal than other more traditional churches such as St Peter. The seating arrangement reminds me of the Franciscan Monastery I attended while growing up in Washington DC, where the Altar is located in the center of the congregation. Q. What kind of challenges have you faced integrating into CTK? Ken: I’d say it was getting used to the ways all of the ministries are interconnected here. Ellen and I only wanted to compliment what was already going on here and did not want to interrupt anything. Christ The King is quite unique. A good example is how music is integrated with the readings during Holy Week. Plus you incorpo- rate dancing into the mix and this is something you don’t see at any other churches in Las Vegas. Christ The King is a very welcoming community and I think that is wonderful. Every year the seasons present a new learning experience that we need to adjust to. We try to stay fresh by introducing new music to the CTK library while staying true to the music heritage that the congregation already enjoys. Q. I personally notice that the congregation does not always get as involved with singing as much as they could. Are you concerned about that? Ken: We try to maintain a balance. One of the directives we received from Fr Ray, who brought us aboard, is to push the envelope in regards to our song choices so as not to become stale. Fr Ray did not want the congrega- tion to settle into the same old space were nothing is innovative and nothing new is brought into the meaning of what we’re trying to celebrate here. Q. So how do you deal with that, when you introduce a new song no one has ever heard before? Ken: All we can do is keep going (laughter). We faced the March 2016 .
Transcript of MINISTRY MUSIC MASTERY - Christ The King Catholic...
FROM THE EDITOR: Most anyone will agree that Christ The King has some of the best music at our mass celebrations you will find at any Parish. Our Music Ministry has always been exemplary and it has only gotten better since the husband and wife team of Ken and Ellen Lerum became the Music Directors. I recently caught up with Ken to learn more about the couple’s music background and discovered a wonderful story about love, faith, and music appreciation. Rick HouleEmail: [email protected]: 702-227-0593
MINISTRY MUSIC MASTERYAN INTERVIEW WITH KEN LERUM
Q. I understand that you and Ellen have impressive music credentials. Can you tell us about where you studied and how you both met?
Ken: Ellen and I are both from the East Coast. I studied Music Composition at Peabody Conservatory in Balti-more. I had been playing the piano since I was five years old, and Peabody is a traditionally conservative school that offers classical music training. I liked the broader range of music offered at Berklee. Ellen and I met at Berklee College of Music in Boston around 1989 and began dating shortly thereafter.
Q. Where both of you Catholic?
Ken: Yes, and that was actually the connection. Behind the campus was St. Cecilia Catholic church... St. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians. We saw each other at Sunday mass and soon discovered that we both shared many commonalities.
Q. What are both you and Ellen’s Degree Majors?
Ken: I majored in Songwriting, and Ellen majored in Songwriting and Performance.
Q. What kind of work do you do outside of the church?
Ken: In the interim between college and coming to Christ The King, we have been signed with EMI Music Publish-ing and have worked on music scores for several film and TV projects such as Disney’s Lion King II and Touched by an Angel, as well as some song recordings with Sony Arista Records.
Q. So how did you both wind up in Las Vegas?
Ken: We wanted to be close to family... My parents had both passed and Ellen’s family mostly lived here and we wanted to be a support system for them. We relocated around 2004 and initially began a Music Ministry at St
Joseph Husband of Mary for about two years. One of the priests at St Joseph, Fr Bernie Waters, relocated to St Peter The Apostle in Henderson as the Pastor and asked us to direct the Music at the Parish in 2006 and we have been there ever since.
Q. Oh really... You work both churches?
Ken: We are quite busy, yeah (laughs)... Ellen primarily handles the music at St Peter, while collaborating with Mary Ryan, Cathy Bruzzese and myself here at Christ The King with music planning.
Q. So how did you get involved with Christ The King?
Ken: We met Mary while working with the Diocesan Conferences and two years ago she asked us to come help with the music planning at CTK. Christ The King is much more communal than other more traditional churches such as St Peter. The seating arrangement reminds me of the Franciscan Monastery I attended while growing up in Washington DC, where the Altar is located in the center of the congregation.
Q. What kind of challenges have you faced integrating into CTK?
Ken: I’d say it was getting used to the ways all of the ministries are interconnected here. Ellen and I only wanted to compliment what was already going on here and did not want to interrupt anything. Christ The King is quite unique. A good example is how music is integrated with the readings during Holy Week. Plus you incorpo-rate dancing into the mix and this is something you don’t see at any other churches in Las Vegas. Christ The King is a very welcoming community and I think that is wonderful. Every year the seasons present a new learning experience that we need to adjust to. We try to stay fresh by introducing new music to the CTK library while staying true to the music heritage that the congregation already enjoys.
Q. I personally notice that the congregation does not always get as involved with singing as much as they could. Are you concerned about that?
Ken: We try to maintain a balance. One of the directives we received from Fr Ray, who brought us aboard, is to push the envelope in regards to our song choices so as not to become stale. Fr Ray did not want the congrega-tion to settle into the same old space were nothing is innovative and nothing new is brought into the meaning of what we’re trying to celebrate here.
Q. So how do you deal with that, when you introduce a new song no one has ever heard before?
Ken: All we can do is keep going (laughter). We faced the
same challenge at St Peter. When we first got there, the ministry only had an issue of a dozen or so songs and today it has more music and music groups to satisfy all the different masses and age groups.
Q. Has any thought been given to incorporating visual aids such as video monitors displaying the lyrics for everyone to follow along?
Ken: Actually we have brought it up because at St Peters we have a new administrator who got donations to acquire two monitors to display the lyrics and that has been a big success. Not only are people singing along more now, but the Parish will save a lot of money with song books. Beginning around May of this year they will no longer issue song books to the congregation and that will save the Parish a tremendous amount of money each year.
Q. Do you recommend that here?
Ken: You know what... I can only go by how successful it has been for St Peter. I’ve only been here for two years so I can merely suggest it. How it will be received and implemented is another story. It’s important to keep in mind that there are logistics involved. Not only do the monitors need to be installed, but in order to implement them requires a whole team to operate the Power Point visuals, etc. Also there’s the issue of where the monitors would be placed since the focus is toward the altar in the center.
Q. Perhaps on the opposing walls on the East and West sides?
Ken: Yes, I do see the benefit of this.
Q. How well supported are the different music teams for each mass... Are any of them actively looking for new music minis-ters?
Ken: The call is always out there for volunteers, as I’m sure it is for all other ministries, but it is important to have people who are genuinely committed to working with us. People who will stay engaged with the work we do. Let me just put this out there... I recently received six registration forms for music ministers who wanted to get involved. I have made the calls and sent emails, but I have yet to receive any response from them. So we’re not in desperate need of new people but we are always interested in people who are serious about this music ministry.
Q. What has been the most rewarding experience you’ve had in this ministry?
Ken: It is always a pleasure to get good reactions and compliments to our ministry... Not just for myself but for any of our music ministers. Especially when first time visitors come up to the piano and the choir members to express how much they enjoyed the music. They see that las Vegas is not only a great visitor attraction, but that there is also a lot of faith here. To know that you touched someone in a special way that it rekindled their faith so that they want to keep coming back to the church is a tremendous reward to achieve.
Q. So where does the Music Ministry go from here?
Ken: The next step for us is to grow the ministry and we have already discussed concentrating on the family and the kids. Right now the children are only featured during Christmas celebrations, so we are planning on re-intro-ducing them to either the 9:30 or 11:30 am mass, alter-nating once a month for starters. We will start rehearsals in April and start from there... Small baby steps for now but eventually we hope to have the kids performing at more of the masses throughout the year.
BOOK REVIEW by Jim Guynup (email: [email protected]) READINGS FOR A MEMORABLE LENT
You most likely have been asked by someone:”What are you giving up for Lent?” The expected answer could be deserts, candy or perhaps for the brave, smoking. All good and in most cases truly sacrificing. But this year why not consider stepping out of previous boundaries and embrace the pledge of real spiritual growth that will make a real impact in your life? May I suggest some readings that will do just that First my choice this Lent is to grab my Catholic Bible and read from sections that I want to be better acquainted with. For me that was the book of Proverbs. So far the journey with that goal has already given me life changing attitudes. Another choice is probably the definitive book written on the crucifixion titled The Day Christ Died by Jim Bishop. This legendary Irish-Catholic sportswriter used those skills to write the most detailed account ever written. Every hour by hour is covered with the greatest detail. As an educator I have seen this book as mandatory reading in many schools and colleges. One reader told me it was like “the Bible in story form and it moved so quickly.” Lent with Pope Francis is a wonderful booklet for the season and it covers all of Lent all the way up to second week of Easter. It includes a daily passage from scripture, a selection from a Pope homily, a reflection question and a prayer for each day. (Pauline.org) New Testament Basics for Catholics, Written by a Franciscan University professor. It helps you understand the mysteries of salvation by connecting the dots between The Old and the New Testament. The conversational style makes it a very enjoyable reading. ( Ave Maria Press . com) If you are single you will want to check out The Catholic Playbook, written just for the single person during Lent. (CatholicMatch.storeenvy.com) Finally if you want to involve the children or grand-children (ages 5 to 12) in the Lenten season you must check out Easter Story Bible Activity Book (Pauline. Org) There are many other selections you can make but whatever you choose I guarantee It will make the Lent of 2016 something you will not forget. Happy spiritual reading!
March 2016
.
FROM THE EDITOR: Most anyone will agree that Christ The King has some of the best music at our mass celebrations you will find at any Parish. Our Music Ministry has always been exemplary and it has only gotten better since the husband and wife team of Ken and Ellen Lerum became the Music Directors. I recently caught up with Ken to learn more about the couple’s music background and discovered a wonderful story about love, faith, and music appreciation. Rick HouleEmail: [email protected]: 702-227-0593
MINISTRY MUSIC MASTERYAN INTERVIEW WITH KEN LERUM
Q. I understand that you and Ellen have impressive music credentials. Can you tell us about where you studied and how you both met?
Ken: Ellen and I are both from the East Coast. I studied Music Composition at Peabody Conservatory in Balti-more. I had been playing the piano since I was five years old, and Peabody is a traditionally conservative school that offers classical music training. I liked the broader range of music offered at Berklee. Ellen and I met at Berklee College of Music in Boston around 1989 and began dating shortly thereafter.
Q. Where both of you Catholic?
Ken: Yes, and that was actually the connection. Behind the campus was St. Cecilia Catholic church... St. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians. We saw each other at Sunday mass and soon discovered that we both shared many commonalities.
Q. What are both you and Ellen’s Degree Majors?
Ken: I majored in Songwriting, and Ellen majored in Songwriting and Performance.
Q. What kind of work do you do outside of the church?
Ken: In the interim between college and coming to Christ The King, we have been signed with EMI Music Publish-ing and have worked on music scores for several film and TV projects such as Disney’s Lion King II and Touched by an Angel, as well as some song recordings with Sony Arista Records.
Q. So how did you both wind up in Las Vegas?
Ken: We wanted to be close to family... My parents had both passed and Ellen’s family mostly lived here and we wanted to be a support system for them. We relocated around 2004 and initially began a Music Ministry at St
Joseph Husband of Mary for about two years. One of the priests at St Joseph, Fr Bernie Waters, relocated to St Peter The Apostle in Henderson as the Pastor and asked us to direct the Music at the Parish in 2006 and we have been there ever since.
Q. Oh really... You work both churches?
Ken: We are quite busy, yeah (laughs)... Ellen primarily handles the music at St Peter, while collaborating with Mary Ryan, Cathy Bruzzese and myself here at Christ The King with music planning.
Q. So how did you get involved with Christ The King?
Ken: We met Mary while working with the Diocesan Conferences and two years ago she asked us to come help with the music planning at CTK. Christ The King is much more communal than other more traditional churches such as St Peter. The seating arrangement reminds me of the Franciscan Monastery I attended while growing up in Washington DC, where the Altar is located in the center of the congregation.
Q. What kind of challenges have you faced integrating into CTK?
Ken: I’d say it was getting used to the ways all of the ministries are interconnected here. Ellen and I only wanted to compliment what was already going on here and did not want to interrupt anything. Christ The King is quite unique. A good example is how music is integrated with the readings during Holy Week. Plus you incorpo-rate dancing into the mix and this is something you don’t see at any other churches in Las Vegas. Christ The King is a very welcoming community and I think that is wonderful. Every year the seasons present a new learning experience that we need to adjust to. We try to stay fresh by introducing new music to the CTK library while staying true to the music heritage that the congregation already enjoys.
Q. I personally notice that the congregation does not always get as involved with singing as much as they could. Are you concerned about that?
Ken: We try to maintain a balance. One of the directives we received from Fr Ray, who brought us aboard, is to push the envelope in regards to our song choices so as not to become stale. Fr Ray did not want the congrega-tion to settle into the same old space were nothing is innovative and nothing new is brought into the meaning of what we’re trying to celebrate here.
Q. So how do you deal with that, when you introduce a new song no one has ever heard before?
Ken: All we can do is keep going (laughter). We faced the
same challenge at St Peter. When we first got there, the ministry only had an issue of a dozen or so songs and today it has more music and music groups to satisfy all the different masses and age groups.
Q. Has any thought been given to incorporating visual aids such as video monitors displaying the lyrics for everyone to follow along?
Ken: Actually we have brought it up because at St Peters we have a new administrator who got donations to acquire two monitors to display the lyrics and that has been a big success. Not only are people singing along more now, but the Parish will save a lot of money with song books. Beginning around May of this year they will no longer issue song books to the congregation and that will save the Parish a tremendous amount of money each year.
Q. Do you recommend that here?
Ken: You know what... I can only go by how successful it has been for St Peter. I’ve only been here for two years so I can merely suggest it. How it will be received and implemented is another story. It’s important to keep in mind that there are logistics involved. Not only do the monitors need to be installed, but in order to implement them requires a whole team to operate the Power Point visuals, etc. Also there’s the issue of where the monitors would be placed since the focus is toward the altar in the center.
Q. Perhaps on the opposing walls on the East and West sides?
Ken: Yes, I do see the benefit of this.
Q. How well supported are the different music teams for each mass... Are any of them actively looking for new music minis-ters?
Ken: The call is always out there for volunteers, as I’m sure it is for all other ministries, but it is important to have people who are genuinely committed to working with us. People who will stay engaged with the work we do. Let me just put this out there... I recently received six registration forms for music ministers who wanted to get involved. I have made the calls and sent emails, but I have yet to receive any response from them. So we’re not in desperate need of new people but we are always interested in people who are serious about this music ministry.
Q. What has been the most rewarding experience you’ve had in this ministry?
Ken: It is always a pleasure to get good reactions and compliments to our ministry... Not just for myself but for any of our music ministers. Especially when first time visitors come up to the piano and the choir members to express how much they enjoyed the music. They see that las Vegas is not only a great visitor attraction, but that there is also a lot of faith here. To know that you touched someone in a special way that it rekindled their faith so that they want to keep coming back to the church is a tremendous reward to achieve.
Q. So where does the Music Ministry go from here?
Ken: The next step for us is to grow the ministry and we have already discussed concentrating on the family and the kids. Right now the children are only featured during Christmas celebrations, so we are planning on re-intro-ducing them to either the 9:30 or 11:30 am mass, alter-nating once a month for starters. We will start rehearsals in April and start from there... Small baby steps for now but eventually we hope to have the kids performing at more of the masses throughout the year.
BOOK REVIEW by Jim Guynup (email: [email protected]) READINGS FOR A MEMORABLE LENT
You most likely have been asked by someone:”What are you giving up for Lent?” The expected answer could be deserts, candy or perhaps for the brave, smoking. All good and in most cases truly sacrificing. But this year why not consider stepping out of previous boundaries and embrace the pledge of real spiritual growth that will make a real impact in your life? May I suggest some readings that will do just that First my choice this Lent is to grab my Catholic Bible and read from sections that I want to be better acquainted with. For me that was the book of Proverbs. So far the journey with that goal has already given me life changing attitudes. Another choice is probably the definitive book written on the crucifixion titled The Day Christ Died by Jim Bishop. This legendary Irish-Catholic sportswriter used those skills to write the most detailed account ever written. Every hour by hour is covered with the greatest detail. As an educator I have seen this book as mandatory reading in many schools and colleges. One reader told me it was like “the Bible in story form and it moved so quickly.” Lent with Pope Francis is a wonderful booklet for the season and it covers all of Lent all the way up to second week of Easter. It includes a daily passage from scripture, a selection from a Pope homily, a reflection question and a prayer for each day. (Pauline.org) New Testament Basics for Catholics, Written by a Franciscan University professor. It helps you understand the mysteries of salvation by connecting the dots between The Old and the New Testament. The conversational style makes it a very enjoyable reading. ( Ave Maria Press . com) If you are single you will want to check out The Catholic Playbook, written just for the single person during Lent. (CatholicMatch.storeenvy.com) Finally if you want to involve the children or grand-children (ages 5 to 12) in the Lenten season you must check out Easter Story Bible Activity Book (Pauline. Org) There are many other selections you can make but whatever you choose I guarantee It will make the Lent of 2016 something you will not forget. Happy spiritual reading!
