The music we choose speaks volumes about us as musicians, whether we realize it or not. It expresses our personal tastes in terms of style, genre, modality, and more. Not only that, our musical choices have the power to amplify the people behind them: from gender to culture, race to religion, the composers themselves are just as much a part of the music we choose as the notes on the page.

It’s a topic we’ve discussed on the podcast before, but during Black History Month, I return to one of my favorite interviews of the history of the podcast. I spoke with Dr. Mickey Thomas Terry, organist and lecturer currently based in the Washington, D.C. area. Among Dr. Terry’s varied accomplishments is the African-American Organ Music Anthology, which recently released its 10th volume through MorningStar Music Publishers. Dr. Terry’s professional work, both through the anthology and his research at large, seek to raise visibility for music by African-American classical composers and give them the opportunity to be played and celebrated today.

And so today I replay my discussion with Dr. Terry, sharing his thoughts on the struggles of African-American composers and what we can do today to honor their esteemed work.

Today I speak to Marilyn Santos, Associate Director of the Secretariat of Evangelization and Catechesis at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). We discuss the National Eucharistic Revival Musical Competition and the opportunity to compose the music that will be used at the 2024 Eucharistic Congress and across the country, sharing the love of the Eucharist.

Our first episode of 2023 starts with a question that I believe is truly pastoral. Our work in ministry is so unique because we seek to bring the highest music as praise to God, while making sure that all who is called to share these gifts uses them well, with all levels of ability. Maybe it’s a choir member who can’t read music or someone who struggles with the aging voice, or it’s a young guitarist who is still learning but is so eager to participate, our role is to guide those who are offered to us by Christ for praise, using the gifts that were given to them.

Today I speak to flutist, composer, writer, and mother Kathleen M. Basi, or Kate for short. Kate shares the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic brought an opportunity for her family to minister together in her parish, and how important it is for all people of God to be recognized, valued, and included in our ministerial efforts.