From the President
COVID-19. Cancelled classes and events. Reduced budgets. More and more things going online. The 2020/2021 academic year has been one of the most difficult ones in recent experience.
But, in the midst of all these challenges, a source of collegial encouragement and scholarly collaboration continues: The Society for Christian Scholarship in Music.
As I take on the responsibilities of president here in 2021, I am so grateful for the ways that SCSM keeps us coming together, including:
(1) Our Blog: In January, Chelle Stearns (now SCSM Vice President) posted several articles and resources on composer Arvo Pärt, all generously provided by SCSM member and Publications Committee chair Andrew Shenton. These short posts provide starting points for others to explore the fascinating creator of tintinnabuli technique, including links and lists of scholarship and resources. You can explore all this and more at the SCSM Blog.
(2) Our Annual Meeting: In February our online conference enabled three wonderful days of interactions amongst over 100 professors, graduate students, and church music practitioners. Instead of another Zoom meeting with seemingly senseless screen sharing and impersonal monologues, many of us found ourselves riveted to the presentations and engaged in stimulating dialogue, with conversations and email exchanges continuing after the conference concluded. Thanks so much to SCSM past-president Mark Peters and SCSM webmaster Adam Perez for their tireless work to pull this off.
(3) Our Publications: Also in February, Rowman & Littlefield released our second volume of essays, entitled Christian Sacred Music in the Americas, edited by Andrew Shenton and Joanna Smolko. This collection brings together articles on liturgical music, hymnody, contemporary worship, paraliturgical music, diasporic music, and indigenous and African American music, showcasing the breadth of expertise that has become typical of SCSM activities. Meanwhile, it expands our view beyond traditional Euro-American topics to musical developments (historical and contemporary) in both North and South America. Thanks to all the contributors to this volume. We are excited about more SCSM publications already in the works.
(4) Our Facebook Page: The SCSM Facebook page is an ongoing “gathering” of SCSM members and interested friends. Recent posts celebrate new publications and other accomplishments of SCSM members, inviting others into the conversation and helping to keep us connected in between our annual meetings.
Looking ahead, I want to encourage each of you to help us keep good things going with SCSM. You can do so by:
(1) Reading, sharing, and considering how you can contribute to our SCSM Blog, Newsletter, and Facebook page.
(2) Saving the date for next year’s Annual Meeting, scheduled for March 3–5, 2022 at Mercer University in Macon, GA, with the Call for Papers.
(3) Keeping an eye out for the next Call for Papers for a SCSM publication.
Grace and Peace,
Joshua A. Waggener, Ph.D.
SCSM President, 2021–2023
Joshua A. Waggener is Associate Professor of Music and Christian Worship at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC.
