So what does the musician do, exactly?

Funny you should ask… I seem to be getting this question a lot… 😉

Here’s what I’ve figured out so far:

1) Arrange music for all services each week — 2 services a day, 13 a week that require music

1a) that means accompanying hymns myself and / or get someone to fill in for me (on my day and a half off each week)

1b) and that means getting people (resident staff, volunteers, and guests) to help me with music, adding instrumental or vocal solos or ensembles where appropriate.

1c) and that means that I rehearse those groups / solos

1d) and it also means that I arrange parts for instrumentalists when there are no appropriate parts for the songs

2) Lead a Big Sing every Sunday — this is an overview of the music of the Iona Community (or some subset of that)

3) Lead one or two Wee Sings every week — these are essentially choir rehearsals for guests, with the added adventure of never knowing how many people or how good of musicians I will have at any given rehearsal

4) Lead workshops on how to teach music / incorporate music into worships at home… or how to take Iona Community music with you.

5) Be available in the shop once a week to answer questions about Wild Goose Resources

6) Keep the music loft organized and continue to gather resources, keep all musical instruments in the loft in good working order

7) Collect and transcribe any music that people give me from other cultures (to pass along to the Resource Group)

8) Lead a Staff Choir every Saturday — this is especially fun because (as opposed to all the rest of this) I generally know who’s going to show up and what to plan for, and the staff this year are really quite good singers.

9) Be a good community member — including doing dishes when needed, leading activities (ceilidhs, concerts, pilgrimages), chairing meals, leading meetings now and again, going to meetings, and going to at least 11 of 14 community lunches and dinners, etc.

And I probably am doing other things that I’m forgetting to list… and am probably not listing things that I’m supposed to be doing but haven’t figured out yet… But that’s the gist of it. =)