Bryan Holten

Music Quality in the Church Choir: Tips for Directors

February 22, 2018 By Bryan Holten Leave a Comment

Don’t assume that your church choir can’t do quality music just because they learn slowly.

We’ve all been here before. Somewhere in your music files (likely tucked under “Q” for “Quatre Motets”) is the Duruflé Ubi Caritas, a much beloved setting of a timeless text. Trouble is, you only have enough tenors and basses to place one on each part, and that’s if they’re all present! So much for programming something great, right? If only your church choir could learn music more quickly.

Because there are so many faults underlying this assumption, I’m going to tackle them one at a time.

Negativity will kill you slowly. Here’s how to avoid it.

February 3, 2018 By Bryan Holten Leave a Comment

Limit the impact of negativity on your work and your life.

I would be the first to admit to you that I’ve not always carried a positive mindset to work. It is so easy to think about all of the limitations, all of the frustrations holding us back from achieving what we want to achieve. It is also very easy to compare ourselves to others and to define our worth based on that comparison. The purpose of this article is to steer you away from these dangers, because they almost always find a way back into our lives when the going is tough. Unfortunately, negativity tends to proliferate as soon as you give it room to do so.

Fair Compensation in the Church: How to Negotiate Salary

January 27, 2018 By Bryan Holten Leave a Comment

silver and gold coins in front of a wall clock

Are you paid less than you’re worth?

It’s a question you’ve probably asked yourself at some point, regardless of whether or not you work for a church. Though I’ve specifically geared this article to church employees, learning how to negotiate salary is a skill that will help you regardless of your career track.

There are plenty of legitimate reasons for a church employee to willingly accept a below-market salary, or even volunteer his or her professional services, especially when s/he is a member of the congregation s/he serves. I will not try to persuade you otherwise. Instead, I will focus on helping those of you who expect to be treated (and paid) as independently hired professionals, subject to the pay grade of the open market.

Choir Anthems for Church: A Strategy for Filtering

January 20, 2018 By Bryan Holten Leave a Comment

sheet music for choir

Learning to simplify in the right ways can make life easier.

One of the most challenging tasks for any church music director, especially those who serve smaller congregations, is choosing music for their small choir. Generally speaking, the fewer congregants you have, the smaller your choir (if you even have one), and the more limited your options. My challenge to you today is that you reconsider how to respond to those limitations. Often the best solution is to simplify. Choose easier music, so that your singers can actually enjoy the process of making music, rather than merely learning notes.

Resourcefulness in the Church (3 Ideas for Music Ministers)

December 7, 2017 By Bryan Holten Leave a Comment

chalkboard drawing with light bulb sitting on top

It starts with using what you already have.

Before you feel dismayed about how your church seems to always have less money to spend from one year to the next, I want you to consider a simple truth. No organization, no matter how large and influential, and no matter how quickly it is growing, has the freedom to spend without consequence. How much you have at your disposal is only part of the picture. The other part is how you make use of what you have. It is in the spirit of that truth that I present to you three examples of resource-stretching mastery. It is difficult (and unfair) to expect others to contribute additional resources (usually in the form of money or volunteer labor) if you are not making effective use of what you already have. This is the very definition of resourcefulness.