Music Plan Oct 2024

Dear friends and members of Foothills, 

We are excited to share our next steps in service of the long term success of the music program at Foothills. We believe music is essential to who we are and how we create community together, and we know you share this understanding. This is a detailed communication, meant to offer transparency and strengthen trust. If you’d prefer a shorter summary, you can access it here.

For those continuing with this full overview, thank you for your partnership and deeper engagement. We know your support is key as we move into these next steps together.

First, we are pleased to announce that Sophia Miller will step into the role of Acting Music Director starting November 1. Many of you know Sophia from her work with us over the summer as Musician in Residence. During that time, she expanded our vision for music on Sundays and helped shape how we want to work with a Music Director going forward.

Although Sophia stepped back from her on-site, public-facing role in September, she has remained on contract with us as a steady and invaluable presence behind the scenes. She has continued to coordinate the music and musicians for all of our services, and has already begun planning for Christmas. Her deep commitment to Foothills and her alignment with our mission make this transition a natural and exciting step. Sophia brings creativity, reflection, systems thinking, and musical expertise that elevate our worship planning process and the overall quality of our work together.

Sophia’s new role will be hybrid, with her on-site about once a month. To start, she will be here November 4th-8th, meeting with staff, lay musicians, the choir, and our A/V team, as well as anchoring the music in a post-election-day vespers service. She will also lead Sunday music on November 17th.

Additionally, we are hiring a Part-Time Choir Director who will lead rehearsals and some services, with Sophia’s direction and support. We are still accepting applications, and we appreciate your help in spreading the word to potential candidates. You can find the job posting here. Our Choir Director will work directly with Hsin-Hsuan Lin, our choral collaborative pianist. 

We also celebrate the amazing musical leaders we already have at Foothills. We are especially grateful for Julie Koenig’s continued presence on Sundays, along with Christopher Watkins Lamb, Kara Shobe, and Melissa Monforti, who will take on more regular music leadership in the coming months. Working together with Sophia, our choir, and lay leaders, this team will continue to bring us the incredible musical experiences we all cherish each week at Foothills.

While we recognize the limitations of a hybrid role, we believe the benefits of this plan far outweigh the challenges. Sophia’s ability to bring together our choir director, other music leaders, and lay leaders into a cohesive team—and her commitment to our mission and worship at Foothills—are invaluable. Over the coming months, we’ll be working to establish clear systems and communication to support everyone involved, and for the long term benefit of our music ministry and our future music staff. Your patience and partnership during this time of transition will be key.

A major factor in our planning is Rev. Gretchen’s sabbatical, which will take place from mid-February to mid-July 2025. As shared previously, this sabbatical is essential for both her renewal and the ongoing health of our congregation. AAfter thoughtful consideration, it has become clear that Rev. Gretchen’s active involvement in the full search for a permanent Music Director is vital to its success. The relationship between our Senior Minister and Music Director is vital, and conversations between Rev. Gretchen and candidates need to be part of the discernment process. Additionally, the workload of a search is beyond what our staff can handle during her absence.

However, we are actively engaging our networks to recruit one or two highly qualified candidates for the full-time Music Director role beginning in June 2025. If a promising candidate emerges, we would invite them into a candidating process in January 2025. This would allow the congregation to meet and engage with the candidate before Rev. Gretchen’s sabbatical, ensuring confidence as we move forward. If no suitable candidate is found, we are prepared to delay the search until after her sabbatical, with Sophia continuing to lead us in the interim.

We remain committed to our long-term vision of having a full-time, on-site Music Director. Transitional periods can be fruitful opportunities for reflection and insight, and we believe this interim plan is ideal for expanding our understanding of where we are and where we want to go with our music ministry. Sophia’s transitional role will allow her to hold this space, asking critical questions and helping us define what we need for long-term success. She will continue the work she began this summer, helping us clarify our values, explore new musical ideas, and honor the traditions and songs we hold dear.

Finally, we want to emphasize that your care and commitment to our music ministry have been invaluable. Your feedback has informed this plan at every level. We are committed to maintaining regular dialogue with our choir, musicians, staff, and congregation to ensure our music program aligns with our values and goals. You can review this rubric we have developed to help us assess how we are doing, as well as this FAQ that may have answers to questions you’re curious about.

And, there’s no need to wait for formal feedback opportunities—please reach out anytime with your thoughts or suggestions. As a first step, join us on Wednesday, October 30th at 6:30 pm for a conversation with Rev. Gretchen to discuss this plan and share your hopes for the future.

Additionally, Sophia will host a special choir and all-singers gathering on Monday, November 4th from 6–8 pm. Everyone is welcome—whether you’ve been in the choir, are choir-curious, or just want to sing, especially as we prepare for election night! Also, if you’re a musician who would like to offer your talents in a future service, please reach out to Sophia at sophia@foothillsuu.org. 

We know that the heart of our music ministry lies in partnership, innovation, and trust. While this plan may differ from what we initially imagined, it offers us continuity, creativity, and the opportunity to continue growing as a community. Together, we are building something strong and intentional, with Sophia’s partnership and leadership guiding us forward.

We are very excited about this plan and the possibilities it opens up for all of us. Thank you for your continued support and involvement in making our music ministry thrive.

With gratitude,

Rev. Gretchen Haley
Rev. Sean Neil-Barron 
Katie Watkins, Director of Finance & Operations 
In partnership with Sophia Miller, Acting Music Director

 

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