Sacred Music Intensive

Sacred Music Clinic will not be offered in 2024 due to facility renovations limiting space. We look forward to returning in the future!

A special welcome from the Course Director: On behalf of the entire SMI faculty, welcome to the Jacobs School of Music Sacred Music Intensive workshop. This special summer course, now in its tenth year, supplies continuing education enrichment to church musicians, ages 18-years and older, who seek a supportive and stimulating environment in which to sharpen skills and engage new concepts and repertoire. Attendees have the option of tailoring their week’s course of study from a variety of offerings of interest to organists and choral conductors, working with faculty whose sole interest is to help you leave energized by new skills, knowledge, and insights.

Please consider how the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music’s Sacred Music Intensive might enrich your development as a church musician, and do let us know of any questions this site does not address.

Academy faculty

Janette Fishell is Professor of Organ & Chair of the Organ Department at the Jacobs School of Music. Internationally recognized as a recitalist, teacher, and church musician, she received the 2014 Paul Creston Award, presented annually to “a distinguished artist who is a significant figure in church music”.

Walter Huff

Please follow this link to learn more about Walter Huff.

Marilyn Keiser is Chancellor's professor of Music Emeritus at the Jacobs School of Music where she taught courses in sacred music and applied organ for 25 years. Dr. Keiser has served as Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Church in Bloomington for 36 years. She has performed organ recitals and worships throughout the United States and abroad and in April of 2013 she was awarded the American Guild of Organists Distinguished Artist Award.

Jeffrey Smith is Professor of Practice: Organ and Sacred Music. He was music director at St. Paul's Parish, K Steet, in Washington D.C. and previously Canon Director of Music at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Smith earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale University. He also studied at the Royal College of Music, London. Smith is a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists and the Royal School of Church Music.

Christopher Young is a Professor of Music at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Bloomington, Indiana, where he teaches applied organ and graduate organ literature courses. Dr. Young has been a featured artist, given classes and performances, and presented at church music clinics, pedagogy conferences, and national and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists. Dr. Young serves as organist of First Presbyterian Church, Bloomington.

Wade FitzGerald is pursuing his M.M. in Organ Performance with Dr. Janette Fishell at the IU Jacobs School of Music, where he also serves as the associate instructor of carillon. FitzGerald studied piano, carillon and biology as an undergraduate, earning bachelor's degrees in music and biology from the University of Florida in 2019. FitzGerald was inducted into the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America in 2019 and served five months as Blanchard Carillon Fellow at the world-famous Bok Tower Carillon in Lake Wales, Florida in 2020.

For more information, contact Janette Fishell at jfishell@indiana.edu; or the Office of Jacobs Academy at musicsp@iu.edu.

Workshop offerings

Applied organ or group conducting lessons are not required of participants. It is possible to attend the SMI as an auditor in class sessions and rehearsals, and participate as a choristor in the final concert.

Access to one of the fourteen organs at the Jacobs School of Music
Private instruction from Janette Fishell, Marilyn Keiser, Jeffrey Smith, and Christopher Young
Classes in Service Playing, Repertoire, and Attendee-Requested Topics

Daily classes on repertoire and techniques for the choral conductor
Choral Conductors Practicum: Applied conducting in a group class setting. Please indicate your desire to be a conducting participant on the registration form and you will be contacted with information regarding your advance preparations.
Rehearsal Techniques for the Choral Conductor: Accepting conducting participants by audition only.

Group voice class
The Well-Seasoned Chorister: Working with the mature singer
Anthem Accompanying
Improvisation for the Timid
Service Music, Tried & True
So Many Stops - So Little Time: Tips on Organ Registration

Opening Organ Faculty Recital; Mid-Week Recital; Tower Tour at the recently inaugurated Arthur R. Metz Grand Carillon in the IU Arboretum; Closing Gala Concert with the SMI Chorale and SMI Organists, followed by Course Reception.
Other musical and recreational activities on the IU Campus and nearby area

Tuition and deadlines

Fees and Deadlines for future years will be posted in the Fall prior to its return

Audition requirements

Choral or organ tracks: No audition is necessary for general applications.

Rehearsal Techniques for the Choral Conductor: This course will be open to observors and singers. Interested applicants should indicate their interest in the course on the online registration form and submit the following audition requirements:

Two contrasting choral works conducted in either a rehearsal or performance setting; YouTube links preferred

Please send the audition recordings to Walter Huff at huffw@indiana.edu.

How to apply

Eligibility: Adults, 18-years or older.
Application process: To apply, complete the online registration form. Please complete payment to secure your spot within the program.
Program acceptance: Your registration will be confirmed within the month of filing. A full listing of each applicant's course schedule will be sent to each registrant by the course director on or before May 2nd.
Cancellation policy: Tuition will be refunded with a Cancellation Fee of $100 if cancelled prior to SMI start date.

Sacred Music Clinic will return in future years.

Once you have completed the previous steps, please submit the Participant Agreement Form

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Sacred Music Intensive