Music in the Seminary

I recently attended a symposium cosponsored by the American Guild of Organists, the Association of Theological Schools, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, and Perkins School of Theology at SMU in Dallas. It was titled "Music in Worship: A Prophetic Voice – Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow," and it drew seminary musicians, academic deans, denominational music leaders, clergy, and church musicians from all over the USA.

One of the speakers was the Rev. Dr. Daniel Aleshire, executive director of the Association of Theological Schools. His talk, "The Role of Music in the Seminary: Where Are We," contained a number of interesting points and statistics worth considering. Dr. Aleshire discussed three aspects of music in the seminary: ( 1) the current generation of theological students; (2) seminary education of church musicians; and (3) the education of master of divinity (M.Div.) students. Here's some of what he had to say.

Current Generation of Theological Students

• These students are less well-formed and less well-informed. They know less of the texts, including the Bible, that make up their study. In general, they have learned fewer skills during their lives thus far than previous students.
• Fifty percent have majors in the humanities; fifty percent have other majors (math, business, etc.).
• The current generation of students presents a younger versus older challenge for education. We are seeing a growing number of students under 30 and over 50 years of age.
• The younger students are more ethnically diverse. Thirty percent of younger students are ethnic, while twelve percent of students over 30 are ethnic.
• More of the students are women than in previous years.
• Many of the students are relatively new to the faith. These novices in the faith are requiring additional time and attention in basic training and education that was not generally required by previous classes.

Seminary Education of Church Musicians

• There is a big decline in master of sacred music (MSM) students — approximately fifty percent fewer than in previous years. We believe this is largely due to the general decline of symphonic and choral arts in society and public education, the absence of high-culture music, and the dominance of pop-culture music in the lives of our citizens.
• Worship patterns in the home churches of our students are changing:
  • Organs, once commonly found, are more rare, even in large-membership churches.
  • New church architecture represents a departure from the traditional church.
  • Seventy-two percent of churches use projectors for congregational singing.
  • Eighty percent use electric guitars and praise bands.
  • Forty-three percent use pre-recorded music in worship.
  • Forty-two percent use drums with congregational singing.
  • Churches are making much use of the arts, but in nontraditional ways.
  • Large churches, including new large churches, continue to be a model for small churches.
• Because of this kind of shift away from traditional worship and music patterns, we expect future seminary education of church musicians to move more to nonstudio, nonperformance education as the norm.

Education of M.Div. Students

• Today's students are more experiential than intellectual. Many elements of M.Div. training reflect this fact:
  • Chapel worship, choirs, rehearsals, and participation are experiential. Because chapel worship can both form and transform, it can also misinform.
  • Coursework and practicum experience have also become more experiential.
• Given the variety of backgrounds of students and shifting patterns of M.Div. training, some students are being educated, some are being uneducated, and some miseducated.
• For twenty-five percent of the people in the USA, church is the only place where they will hear or participate in music making.
• Most music education for most pastors is being learned AFTER they leave seminary.

There are so many questions that arise from Dr. Aleshire's presentation, and a number of conclusions can be drawn. Here are a few to think about:

• More churches in the immediate future will have young, inexperienced pastors and older, second-career pastors.
• The ranks of the clergy will be more ethnically diverse than today.
• Crosscultural appointments will become more common.
• There will be more female clergy.
• Seminary music education is moving away from traditional, classical models, toward iinclusion of contemporary musical styles.
• Seminary music education is becoming less performance oriented. Performance study is changing to include contemporary musical styles.
• The decline of music education in public schools and the decline of music making in the general culture at large will make people's experience of music in church all the more significant. The local church may become the dominant source of musical formation of pastors and people in the future, as well as musical education for children and youth.