It looks sooo good. I really wish it was less than ten hours away from me.

Unnhhhh....use discretion. FUS was (maybe still is) known for its 'charismatic' noises, too. If you can detour around that sort of thing, do so. If you can't, just smile and pass the course. You can take an emetic later.

My niece is a student there. Along with the charismatics there is a substantial group of very traditional minded Catholics as well. From what I've been told by a young man from our church who is also a student, the Chant classes are very good.

Founded in 2007, the Sacred Music Program at Franciscan University of Steubenville is designed to give students a solid foundation in chant, polyphony, music theory, music history, conducting etc. (all the normal conservatory courses). Students major in voice or organ and the program is strongly dedicated to the heritage of sacred music as defined by Magisterial teaching. Sacred music courses include: 6 semesters of Schola Cantorum Franciscana, which sings for Masses in both forms as well as concerts on and off campus; and 2 semesters of Gregorian Chant (students sing what they're working on in real liturgies right out of the Liber Usualis or Liber Brevior). For recordings and videos, see: http://www.youtube.com/user/pmw22?feature=mhee
For more information about the program and its curriculum, see the program's website at: franciscan.edu/sacredmusic
Recent graduates of the program have been accepted into masters programs at Westminster Choir College, Cleveland State University, Carnegie Mellon University, Catholic University, Duquesne University and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Other recent graduates are full-time musicians working in churches in New Jersey, Ohio, and Washington state.

State schools can be very good, and certainly can cost less. I was able to study with some excellent musicians at two of our state's two-year schools. I went on to, believe it or not, a 150-year-old Baptist college with an excellent sacred music program. They were not the fundamentalist type, but tolerant, open people who were very well educated. My organ professor was a Methodist who had a genuine love for sacred music. He also did amazing interpretations of the works of French Catholic organists, which is my area of interest. Add to that some fine instruments and a really supportive music faculty. I think I went to the right place at the right time.

As a recent graduate (2010) I would highly recommend this program. The professors are top notch. If you would like to email me so that I would be able to answer any specific questions please feel free to do so.
matthewberher@gmail.com

I'm a graduate from Franciscan University (class of 2011) and was almost a sacred music minor: I was one class short of the qualification, but unfortunately couldn't stick around to take that final class since I already had my major and Latin minor sorted. also, there are no jobs out there unless you work in the schools or the hospitals, as far as I can figure.

The music program is fantastic, insofar as the professors teaching them are fantastic. Dr. Weber is an organ genius and Dr. Keenan is a brilliant soprano. They're both charming, professional, and intense teachers. Any time spent under their tutelage is well worth it--no doubt about that. They, as far as I understand it, kind of saved the sinking ship that once was FUS music curricula and transformed it to something respectable and beautiful. They both work really hard and I think their passion is contagious.

Please excuse the overenthusiastic hyperbole: I had a very good time there, and still have friends in the program. I'd recommend it to anyone.

FUS as a whole, I'm leery of. I'm not sure how much is a matter of public record, and I hesitate to spread rumors or secrets, but members of the administration there have in the past attempted to fire excellent professors and generally get bogged down in politicking (as I understand it?) at times... causing me to distrust elements the upper echelons of the administration itself and hold actions taken by the school in suspicion until I've had a chance to think about them and what their impact will be. There is, also, an element of discord between the charismatics and traditionalists on campus (actually named in a student-published paper as "pre-" and "post-Vatican II types"), though on the whole they get along just fine in their shared faith. Non-Catholics can sometimes have a hard time of it there, if you can imagine, insular community as it is.

But this thread was about the music program specifically, not the school as a whole. Which, don't get me wrong, I loved the school and am glad to have graduated from there. But the saving grace of the school is specific departments, I would say. And in my case, those departments were the english, classics, and music departments.

If you wanted to talk about it any more with a non-music major and recent graduate, feel free to PM or email me about it.

pax.

Thanks for the update. It has to be difficult for Catholic schools, other than the largest, to maintain music programs, what with the competition from state institutions and conservatories. Fund raising for such programs can't be easy.

That's too bad.

Honestly I think it's useless politicking on the part of the administration. I don't know what they're up to, but I have low hopes for the school as a whole. It's always sad when, as an alumna of a place, you look back and are like, "yeah I kinda wish I had a degree from somewhere else"

Considering how incompetent the various departments are, it's highly likely that whoever is shutting the program down hasn't informed the website people yet.

Like I said, I heard it from a student in the program, so some profs might be taking measures to save the program but as it is I wouldn't suggest anyone go there for music, considering the jeopardy it's in.

Well... both Weber and Keenan left the program at FUS this year, and the replacement professors were told they needed to be "open to contemporary liturgical expressions," so that pretty much tells you the status of the Sacred Music Program. Yeah, it's still being tolerated; no, it will never be allowed to thrive.

Sad. Glad I decided against the school.

I would like to know what they mean by 'contemporary liturgical expressions' in this case.

As a parent, I expect that kids will get a higher education and academic discipline in all areas in college, especially on our faith. I also expect that a major Catholic college like Steubevilles will conform with the mind of the Church and her tradition that we inherited in formation of our faith on liturgy. I certainly hope that 'contemporary liturgical expressions' don't mean giving in to 'pop culture' and sub-culture of youths, instead of educating them to appreciate what is Holy and sacred in our worshipping God.
In regard to inculturation in missionary lands, the Church mentions about using things that have 'sacred elements' from the local culture . We do need to heed on things that have 'sacred nature.' Even my little students mentioned how 'wrong' it is to sing the Word of God to Barney tunes (even if they like that kind of music.) I still remember the serious look of the 4th grader who said it is a 'mockery' to do so. 'How' we pray matters as much as 'what ' we pray. (Often times, a common sense from children exceeds intellectual minds of adults, like in a story, a little boy was the only who who was able to see the 'naked King.')
Educating young minds is certainly a challenging job. I hope teachers, including myself, also continuously educate themselves to enlighten their minds and seek for truths instead of covering them just to please them, and brave enough to challenge the youths.

There is a great wisdom to this approach. If a degree in sacred music is to prepare students for work in parishes and other areas in the field of sacred music, they should be exposed to the reality of what is out there. It does no good to create an academic utopia, however noble, that will set them up for failure when they go out into their first real job and deal with the expectation that "Christ, Be our Light" and "We Are Called" be part of the music rotation.

It's great that they learn what the Church says about sacred music. It's also good that they learn how to apply theory to reality in a way that helps the cause and doesn't simply find them becoming unemployed quickly.

I could never tolerate the charismatic elements of FUS because I agree with Archbishop Sheen who once said the charismatic movement is one of the greatest threats to the Church in our age. Granted, that was more than a few years ago, but I understand what he meant.

There's more to this, however. I don't believe an academic program could survive in musical isolation. Granted, the people who post here know the difference between genuine sacred music and sacro-pop. But a program of chant-based music in isolation from all other music likely wouldn't attract many students.

For my own music education, I graduated from a 150-year-old Baptist university with an excellent music program. One of my teachers had even studied with Richard Purvis. They taught chant and in essence, Catholic music as the foundation of western music. I probably studied more chant than Catholic school students. Granted, all the other music was there too. The praise and contemporary ensembles were offered for those who wanted them. It was interesting that this Catholic organist was often chosen to play for chapels. They said it was because guitars couldn't lead singing in the 1500 plus seat church like the large pipe organ. True, but I think that sacred music foundation had an effect on me stylistically and culturally. It does come through in your work when you have that foundation.

So, I do understand the bridge building, or at least peaceful coexistence, with the P&W crowd. It's always good to know what is out there, even if you never use it.

I strongly disagree with PGA. A college degree should teach you how to play "We are Called"?? Maybe if the degree is in science, because that song is BS.

Do you get a degree in internal medicine, learning the latest surgical techniques, and also get told how to wave bay leaves over the solar plexus whilst offering incantations, because that's the "reality that's out there" of what a lot of people want?

If I go to get a degree in organ, I want to learn the organ, not the kazoo or whatever they use in Catholic churches these days. Even if I grant PGA's thesis that one has to prepare students for the reality of church work as opposed to the ideal, the truth is that the 80's crap-rock ballads used by the Catholics are outdated. The protestants are now using 90's elevator music, so if one wants to "get with the program", instead of teaching them how to be musicians, they should teach "Here I am to Worship" rather than "We are Called".

Or maybe someone with a degree should be equipped to compete for and perform well at a good job. The REALITY is that there ARE churches out there that do good music and not bad. My first organ teacher worked at one. My last church was one. The church in which I had an internship is one. Yes, all those are protestant churches, but there are plenty of Catholic churches doing good music and not bad. If you chose to take MUS 403 Intro to Strumming, rather than MUS 406 Music of Charles Tournemire, don't be surprised if someone with a worthwhile degree takes a good opening rather than you. College is WAAAAAAY too expensive to waste your time learning to do trash pseudo-music.

Why don't we equip musicians to get a good job?

Expressing one's taste with reasonable criticism and measured tones is to be commended. Name calling in a public forum is protected by the first amendment. But is it protected by the tenets of the gospel?
If I don't like MESSIAH and particularly the performance of it by Sir Thomas Beecham, I'm free to expound at will about why and upon what grounds. But if I call the piece, rife with the words of Holy Writ no matter Georg's intent to compose it, "dreck," and Beecham's orchestration "BS," I have committed the sin of pride.
I'm sick of it on these and all boards. And don't even think this fraternal correction is a reflection of a wimpy theology. Do you wanna be the mob holding the rocks, or the woman caught in adultery? Right answer: none of these. We wanna be like Christ.
So enough with the high and mighty, nose in the air condemnations of our Christian fellows or their works via stigmatization. We're either seriously above that, or we are the younger son asking Dad to die and give us our money now.

I can't tell whether or not some of the previous comments are directed toward the Sacred Music Program at FUS, but I would like to reiterate that the focus and curriculum of the program have not changed with the new faculty. The "openness to contemporary liturgical expressions" is a matter of collegiality and not necessarily one of academic discipline or musical praxis.

With regard to musical and academic excellence and "real-world" training:
As redsox1 so rightly points out, it *is* possible to have our cake and eat it, too. Musicians must first and foremost be trained at the highest possible level, but if they leave the university or conservatory with no idea of how to actually apply these skills in the current musico-liturgical landscape, it is a tragedy for both the musician and the Church. Some of us learn pretty quickly how to adapt; we all know of excellent musicians who, for whatever reason, have never been able to do so.

Some suggest that good musicians ought only to seek employment where excellence is already expected. Blessed indeed are those who find these posts! The unfortunate reality is that only 5% or so of parishes currently seek excellence. Would not our energy be better spent at converting the other 95% rather than waiting for one of the plum jobs to come our way? To be sure, it takes a rare kind of musician to be successful at this: one who is not only an artist, but who is a true servant of the Church, possessing the charity of Bl. Mother Teresa and the patience of Job. We must work all the harder, therefore, to equip ourselves and our students with every skill necessary for the long road ahead of us.

To be expected to prepare a different polyphonic Ordinary with a professional choir each week is admirable and difficult. To help the faithful conform their hearts, minds, and desires with those of the Church is the greater, nobler task.

It is on an old set of multiple cassettes of a retreat he gave to priests in Ireland. I came across the tapes with a priest friend, and we purchased them in the 1980s. I would be greatly surprised if you found any of it on the internet. To isolate that quote, I would have to spend time listening to the entire set, which I don't intend to do at this time.

I don't think that anyone was saying that sacred music programs should include a seminar on the music of Marty Haugen and the inclusion of "We Are Called" into the applied music cirriculum.

What I do think is good, though, is the inclusion of other styles into the program that students will be faced with, particularly since there IS a demand from some students for it. Let sacred music majors work with these types of situations.

While studying organ during my undergrad, my organ teacher once talked to me a bit about accompanying things such as "Mass of Creation." She told me that as long as people and clergy would be demanding the inclusion of such things, we, as professional musicians, need to find ways to "clean them up," and at least accompany them in a way perhaps better than the written accompaniment. I think that such conversation is healthy and necessary. Perhaps conversation in the program could also include finding songs that are not theologically questionable while at the same time allowing a more contemporary sound in the mass.

Really - these are situations they will have to deal with in real life. Let them learn to deal with them in college, so that, as I said before, their first "real job" out of college doesn't land them in the unemployment line within 6 months.

I would like to clarify that I was not addressing the Steubenville sacred music program or its faculty. I am happy where I am as a grad student in organ performance elsewhere, and have no interest to comment either way, except to say I'm glad that such a well-reputed Catholic school has a dedicated program in sacred music.

Every school campus at all levels of education have curriculum that's on the books, and curriculum outside the books and lecture rooms and halls. The hidden curriculum I remember it's called. And the P&W culture in the devotional practices of FUS could serve as such for any wise student of music wanting a thorough resume to come through in an interview.