The Association of Church Musicians in Philadelphia

LaManna Scholarship

The Association of Church Musicians in Philadelphia is proud to offer graduating high school seniors The Peter LaManna Excellence in Music Scholarship. This $1,000 scholarship honors Dr. Peter La Manna, the first lay person appointed to the position of Chairperson of the Commission on Sacred Music for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Read about Dr. La Manna here

Download Scholarship Guidelines and paper application here.

Apply online here.

To apply for this scholarship, the student must 

• Be involved in his/her parish liturgy
• Sing as a cantor or a choir member or play an instrument in his/her church
• Have acceptable grades in class work in his/her school
• Be approved by the school principal, the Director of Liturgical Music* of his/her parish, and the pastor of his/her parish
• Continue studies in liturgical music through workshops and conferences
•  The applicant must present letters of recommendation from his/her school principal, guidance counselor, or department chair, the pastor of the parish, and the Director of Liturgical Music* of the parish. 
• There will be an interview and an instrumental or vocal audition. The applicant will receive the requirements for the audition when he/she applies. 
• The scholarship funds must be used for the awardee’s undergraduate studies or liturgy workshops and conferences. 
• The name of the awardee will be announced at the Student Awards Ceremony in the spring. La Manna applicants will automatically be considered for one of the five Student Awards. 
• Applications will be accepted up until Friday, February 19, 2021. Auditions are scheduled for Sunday, March 14 at St. Christopher Church, Philadelphia. 

*The Music Director must be a member of ACMP. You can renew or start your membership online here: http://bit.ly/acmp-membership

2021 ACMP Student Award Nominations Open

2021 ACMP Student Award Nominations Open

Each year the Association of Church Musicians in Philadelphia (ACMP) presents awards to outstanding high school seniors and 8th graders for their service to their parish Music Ministry program. Our goal is to foster a love of liturgy and music as well as encourage active and enthusiastic participation among our youth. 

The awards are in two groupings: 

• SERVICE AWARD– to recognize outstanding participation in your parish Music Ministry program in any capacity; the outstanding student is highly engaged, dedicated, teaches and leads others, and embodies a spirit of leadership and prayer that inspires others 
• ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD- to recognize the talent of an excellent student musician who inspires prayerful worship through carefully prepared participation; awarded in two categories – VOCAL and INSTRUMENTAL – to encourage the student's continued musical study 
• Five 12thgraders and five 8thgraders will receive these awards with cash prizes of $200 and $100, respectively 
• All nominated students will be recognized at the awards ceremony (in person or virtual, date to follow)

Download 2021 Student Awards Guidelines

As in previous years, please observe the following guidelines: 

1. No more than three students may be nominated from a single parish
2. The nominees should participate in their parish liturgies (not school only)
3. Only current members of ACMP may nominate students. To inquire your membership status, contact our Membership Administrator Maria Innocenti (215-385-0911 ormusicmarra@yahoo.com). You can also renew or start your membership online here:http://bit.ly/acmp-membership 

Nomination Process and Links: 

1. To nominate a student, visithttp://bit.ly/2021-nominate-student- complete one form for each student (you will receive an email confirmation for each nomination) 
2. Please tell your student they have been nominated, and please make sure they submit theirpersonal statement(necessary for the nomination) http://bit.ly/2021-student-response 
3. The deadline for all nominations and student statements is February 19, 2021

2020 Summer Sessions and Events

June 22 | 7:30 pm
ACMP Members' Meeting* | Register here

June 24 | 7:30pm
Our Prayer Life and Our Experience of God in the Liturgy
presented by Joanna Scholz, MA | Register here

July 1 | 7:30pm
Panel Discussion: Hiring and Empowering Professional Instrumentalists in the Liturgy
featuring David Kimock, MM; Margie Melchiore, M.Mus.Ed.; Joseph Brennan, MM; Cecilia Beatty, M.Mus.; and Alexandr Kizlitsyn, MM | Register here

July 6-11 | All-Day Events
NPM Virtual Convention: Called From Living Waters | Register here

July 16 | 7pm
Creating Quality Worship Aids, presented by Elias Scultori, MM, PCC, PMC | Register here

July 20, 21, 23 | 7-8:30pm
Improve Your Sight Reading! Solfeggio for Cantors and Choir Members, presented by Jackie Dunleavy, MM. | Register here

July 29 | 7-8:30pm
ForScore for Church Musicians: Tip and Tricks for Importing, Managing, and Editing Your Music on the iPad, presented by Jackie Dunleavy, MM. | Register here

August 4-6 | 7pm
Basic Music Theory: Learn Music Quickly in Rehearsals, presented by Donald Holdren, MA. | Register here

ACMP President Sean McElwee Interviews Archbishop Nelson Pérez

ACMP President Sean McElwee had the opportunity to interview Archbishop Nelson Pérez.   Sean was hired by Archbishop Pérez to be music director at St. Agnes in West Chester when Archbishop Pérez was Pastor there.  Listen to what our new Archbishop has to say about pastoral music.

ACMP Membership Drive is Open!

It's time to renew your ACMP Membership!  You may renew either online or via mail.

CLICK HERE to renew your membership or to register as a new ACMP member

Download ACMP 2020-2023 Membership Form -Covid19 Rollback-05-21-20 here

Please print and complete the above form and mail it, with your membership dues check made payable to “ACMP” to: ACMP Membership Administrator, 1205 Reagan Court, Norristown, PA 19403

Additional Membership Directories Available
One membership directory is included with your membership. Many members request a second for their church or office and they are available for $15.00, which may be included in the order.

Membership Renewal
Membership Renewal emails have been sent to those who need to renew. The Membership Drive will end June 30^th, as does the ACMP Membership Year. New registrations will continue be accepted until September 1st.  It is extremely important to renew by the deadline.  Failure to do so means that you will not be included in the Membership Directory, which will be ready for mailing at the end of September.

If any of your information has changed (address, phone, church where you minister, etc.), you should send your new information to ACMP Membership Administrator Ms. Maria Innocenti.                                 

Ms. Maria Innocenti, OFS
1205 Reagan Court                                                                               
Norristown, Pa. 19403-5254  
musicmarra@yahoo.com
215-385-0911|

Copyright Responsibilities for Worship Booklets, Podcasts and Live Streaming

From the Office of Worship in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia:

In this time of COVID-19 many parishes are creating podcasts or live streaming private Masses. Please be sure to comply with copyright laws when this is done. This ensures that composers are compensated for the use of their materials.

Download Copyright Responsibilities for Worship Bklts Pod. LvStrm.

2020 Student Award and La Manna Scholarship Winners Announcement

ACMP is proud to announce our 2020 Student Award and La Manna Scholarship Winners and acknowledge all our wonderful nominees!

 

Nominations for the ACMP Board of Directors

Beginning Friday, March 27, ACMP will be accepting nominations for members for the Board of Directors.

• On Friday, March 27, 2020, all ACMP members will receive an email from ElectionBuddy.com with a unique access code where nominations can be submitted once.
• Each ACMP member may nominate whomever they feel is qualified to be considered for election.  

• All nominations must be submitted on one occasion, as each unique access code will expire after one use.

• The nomination period will run from March 27-April 24, 2020.
• Once all nominations have been received, the Board of Directors will invite up to eight of the nominated persons who meet the eligibility standards outlined in the ACMP Bylaws (as outlined in Section 7) to run for election. All nominees are free to accept or refuse this invitation.

• All nominees must be active members of ACMP

• All ACMP members will be invited to vote on the eight nominees. The voting period will run May 11-15, 2020.
• Election winners will be announced at June’s Members’ Meeting, date to be determined pending updates pertaining to best safety practices with regard to the COVID19 pandemic. A virtual meeting will take place if meeting in person is not an option at that time.  

Archbishop Pérez Announces The Suspension Of All Public Masses In The Archdiocese of Philadelphia

Archbishop Nelson Pérez released the following statement at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17:

As the Archbishop of Philadelphia, my first priority is to ensure the health and welfare of those entrusted to the pastoral and temporal care of our Church. So, in light of the developing Coronavirus pandemic, a decision has been made to suspend the public celebration of all Masses in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia effective at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18th and until further notice.

All of us need to do our part to slow the spread of this illness. Like you, we are monitoring #coronavirus developments and look forward to continuing our lives on a more normal basis.

While things may look and feel different during these uncertain times, I want to be very clear that the #CatholicChurch in #Philadelphia is not closing down. It is not disappearing and it will not abandon you. Time and again as our history has proven the Church has risen to meet great challenges and provide a beacon of hope and light.

As your Shepherd, I promise that the Church remains steadfast and is prepared to walk with you and serve you. Neither the Church nor its charitable works will stop. God is always by our side. He never abandons us. I invite you to join me in prayerful solidarity for the intentions of the sick, suffering, and their caregivers as well as government and health officials. With God’s grace and blessing, we will navigate the difficult waters of this challenge as a united human family, for after all is said and done, we are people of #Hope!

Read the full announcement from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia here.

Registration now OPEN - Sunday, 3/15 - Lenten Retreat Day for Music Ministers

 

Join presenter Fr. David Friel as he leads us in an afternoon retreat focused on the holy season of Lent.

The retreat will take place on the Third Sunday of Lent, 2:15-6pm, IHM Conference Center, Bryn Mawr; Dinner included.

 

ACMP Members: $30

Non-Members: $40

5 or more from same parish: $30

 

Registration due Friday, March 6th

Register here; view flyer here.