Category: News

The following students have successfully completed MCI Online courses in the autumn of 2017.

Introduction to Liturgy
Robert Cihak
Jeremy Dunham
Matthew Minerd
Andrea  Riley
Sue Ann Rudolphy
Ron Somich
Diana Terleck
Russell Ward

Introduction to the Typikon
Sherill Franklin
Joe Herman
Michelle Rubush
Amy Seyfried
Mark Tamisiea
Susan Tate

Introduction to Church Singing
Robert Bartz
Matthew Minerd
Andrea  Riley
Sue Ann Rudolphy
Ron Somich
Diana Terleck

Introduction to the Divine Liturgy
Mark Tamisiea
Susan Tate

Introduction to the Eight Tones
Lucia Clinch-Reimer
Sherill Franklin
Susan Kopko
Matthew Minerd
Sue Ann Rudolphy
Angela Sedun
Amy Seyfried

Mastering the Eight T0nes
Susan Kopko
Matthew Minerd
Andrea Riley
Sue Ann Rudolphy
Amy Seyfried

The Office of Vespers
Susan Kopko
Matthew Minerd
Andrea Riley
Amy Seyfried

In all, TWELVE students have earned the MCI Reader badge by completing Introduction to Liturgy, Introduction to Church Singing, and Reading in Church.

THREE students are the first to earn the Apprentice Cantor Badge by completing the entire Basic Cantor course (the reader course, plus classes on the Divine Liturgy, Eight Tones, and Typikon):

• Susan Kopko, St. Ann, Harrisburg, PA
• Angela Sedun, St. Ann, Harrisburg, PA
• Amy Seyfried, St. Philip, Sacramento, CA

Congratulations to all!  Signups for Spring 2018 classes are now open.

For some 12 years now, the Metropolitan Cantor Institute has used a Yahoo-based mailing list to distribute monthly music mailings and send out announcements.  Unfortunately, this service has been increasingly unreliable, and also lacks quite a few useful features of more modern mailing list software.

So I have created a new mailing list, cantors@groups.io, which will provide BOTH news/announcements and an open (moderated) forum discussion for cantors.

• Current mcimusicfiles and MCI announcements will go out on this list, along with cantor education news from all four eparchies.
• You can use the mailing list to ask questions, seek assistance, share music, and raise topics for discussion.
• Eventually we will be adding the ability to upload and share files, and contribute to a wiki specifically for Byzantine Catholic cantors and church singers.

To join the mail list,  go to:  https://groups.io/g/cantors  and subscribe to the new group using your preferred email address.

If you wish to receive ONLY news and announcements, you can change your subscription options to “Special Notices Only.”  You will still be able to view all discussion  topics by pointing a Web browser to the group address, https://groups.io/g/cantors.

 

P.S. I am looking for a nice wide photograph to use as the banner for the cantors mailing list and the MCI blog.  If you have a suitable one – particularly a photo of a singing congregation – please let me know!

With the end of the first full year of MCI Online and the beginning of our second year of comprehensive cantor education, we are putting in place a complete set of cantor classes, available anywhere in the US:

• The Basic Course (six classes, two of them free and open to anyone) teach the skills necessary to serve as an assistant cantor, and occasionally lead the singing at the Divine Liturgy.  The Basic Course is taught twice a year, beginning in January and July.
• The Intermediate Course (four classes) covers the complete contents our Divine Liturgies and Sunday Vespers books, and shows cantors how to lead and sing these services throughout the year.  Like the Basic Course, the Intermediate course is taught twice a year, beginning in January and July.
• The Advanced Course covers the Lenten and Paschal seasons, the holy mysteries and the funeral services, and Christmas/Theophany. The six classes in the Advanced Course will be taught every year, and can be taken in any order.

Through this program, anyone with the basic ability to sing  and a willingness to learn and practice can become a cantor in two years, or extend the courses out over a longer period. Experienced cantors can use the same courses to demonstrate what they know, brush up or learn new skills where necessary, and earn a cantor’s certificate from the MCI and their bishop.

Over the next few weeks, I will posting additional details here about how the program works.  For now, you can find out more at http://mci.archpitt.org/classes.

The following students have successfully completed MCI Online courses in the summer of 2017.

Introduction to the Divine Liturgy
Lucia Clinch-Reimer
Carol Donlin
Sherill Franklin
Joe Herman
Susan Kopko
Christine Mott
Sandy Polocz
Samuel Popiel
Michelle Rubush
Angela Sedun
Amy Seyfried

Reading in Church
Carol Donlin
Sherill Franklin
Joe Herman
Susan Kopko
Lawrence Lattuca
Christine Mott
Pamela Pettit
Rob Polocz
Sandy Polocz
Samuel Popiel
Michelle Rubush
Mike Schulz
Angela Sedun
Amy Seyfried
Mark Tamisiea

Introduction to the Typikon
Carol Donlin
Susan Kopko
Samuel Popiel
Angela Sedun

Congratulations to all!  Signups for Late Fall classes are now open.

This year, the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh is inaugurating a regular summer church music program for cantors, choir directors, and section leaders. For 2017, the program will consist of a three-day master class and workshop to be held on July 12-14 at Ss. Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA.  Continue reading “2017 Summer Church Music Program”

As part of the MCI Online program, the following new articles have been added to the MCI website: Continue reading “New articles on the MCI website”