UUMN Conference 2015 - Boston, MA

July 22-26

Welcome Back to Boston…where it all began!

Back in 1983, UUMN held its first-ever annual conference in historic Boston, MA. We are delighted to welcome you backfor this 33^rd installment of our ever-popular summer conference. With its rich history and strong UU presence, Boston is always one of our most popular and well-attended conference locations and this year promises to be no different. In order to sufficiently accommodate our spatial needs, the layout will be similar in many ways to that of the 2008 conference, with workshops and events spread out between the conference hotel and three different historic churches, all within a 10 minute walk of each other. Our featured choral clinician will be Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, Founder and Artistic Director of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale in Toronto, ON, which focuses on Afrocentric music. This year we have expanded the workshop track system, enabling us to address the various needs represented by our membership. These tracks highlight activities for such focus groups as choral conducting, youth and children’s music, keyboards, composition, and music program support by having compatible workshops and events for each spread out across the schedule in a suggested path.We look forward to seeing you in Boston this July!

Host Churches

We'll be spending our mornings at Arlington St. Church and afternoons at First Church Boston and neighboring First Lutheran Church. All locations are withing walking distance of the hotel. Transportation will be provided for those with mobility issues.

Arlington Street UU

351 Boylston St.
Boston, MA 02116

First Church Boston

66 Marlborough St.
Boston, MA 02116

First Lutheran Church

299 Berkeley Street
Boston, MA 02116

Downloads and Interactive Forms

Choral Clinician - Dr. Brainerd Blyden-Taylor

Founder and Artistic Director of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Toronto, Canada

Picture of Dr. Brainerd Blyden-Taylor Brainerd Blyden-Taylor is a choral conductor, educator, church musician (born 1954 in Trinidad). Blyden-Taylor was among the first to encourage the study and dissemination of Afrocentric music in Canada and the US. His passion for educating has led to frequent appearances as a clinician, adjudicator, lecturer and workshop leader, extending to the University of Toronto and Queen's University. In 1998, Blyden-Taylor founded The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, and has remained its conductor and artistic director. As a guest conductor with the choir, he has appeared with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, and the Hannaford Street Silver Band. Internationally, Blyden-Taylor has been invited to the USA, Cuba, France, Japan, Turkey, and Israel. His recordings on the Marquis Classics label include Listen to the Lambs (2002); An Indigo Christmas (2003); Nguzo Saba(iN Dett ed Records, 2010) and the DVDs An Indigo Christmas Live (2004) and Carry me Home — The Story of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale winner of a 2003 Gemini award. In addition to his work with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Blyden-Taylor has maintained the position of Music Director at St. Timothy's Anglican Church, North Toronto. He will rehearse the conference choir on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and conduct our Sunday presentation.

Professional Development Day

Wed. July 22, 2015 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Sponsored by the UUA in conjunction with Music Leadership Certification program - Separate registration required - $75 fee

Sexuality Issues for Music Directors With Rev. Debra Haffner

What is a sexually healthy religious professional? What role does the musician play in ensuring a sexually healthy faith community? Join Rev. Debra Haffner for a lively, interactive day that covers:

Understanding personal values and history
Components of sexual identity
Life behaviors of a sexually healthy adult
Dealing with attraction and boundaries
Pastoral presence around sexuality issues
Sound practices for musicians and music programs

The Reverend Debra W. Haffner is the President and CEO of the Religious Institute. A certified sexuality educator, she is also the endorsed community minister at The Unitarian Church in Westport. Haffner is the author of seven books and numerous guidebooks for congregations. She has worked closely with the UUA since 2009 on sexual health and responsibility, including serving on the UUMA Presidential Guidelines Task Force, developing a study guide for ministers on sexual boundaries and attractions, and developing online sexuality courses for UU religious professionals. She was a member of the UUA Ministerial Fellowship Committee for five years, and has offered training workshops to UU religious professionals across the country. She holds degrees from Wesleyan University, Yale School of Medicine, and Union Theological School. She was awarded an honorary doctorate in public service from Widener University in 2011, and is currently studying for her D.Min. at the Pacific School of Religion, where she serves as a visiting Professor.

Required Readings for Music Leadership Certification Program candidates (suggested for others):
Debra Haffner, A Time to Build: Creating Sexually Healthy Faith Communities. $18 including shipping. Purchase from the Religious Institute, www.religiousinstitute.org/publications

Finger, William and Debra Haffner, "Sexual Attraction for the Religious Professional", available at http://www.uua.org/safe/handbook/self-care/165738.shtml

Recommended Reading for All Participants:
McClintock, Karen "Preventing Sexual Abuse in Congregations: A Resource Guide for Leaders", The Alban Institute, 2004.

Choral Reading Sessions

There will be three choral reading sessions in Boston featuring music appropriate for use by a UU choral ensemble in a worship or similar setting. All conference registrants will receive repertoire reading packets:

✦ UU composers and publishers
✦ Unison/Easy SATB
✦ Medium/Difficult

UU COMPOSERS

A panel of 3 UUMN members selected by the Conference Planning Committee will select 15-20 self-composed UU choral pieces using BLIND SUBMISSION process. Submission deadline has passed. Entrants will be advised of selections by May 30.

OTHER REPERTOIRE

Our other two reading sessions will contain a wide range of repertoire divided into two categories:

Unison to Easy SATB: music that would work for smaller choirs with fewer resources
SATB and beyond: more challenging music that is better suited to larger choirs with more musical resources

A committee of UUMN members, including members of the Repertoire & Standards Committee will determine the final selections.

Hotel

Picture of Boston Park Plaza Hotel

The Boston Park Plaza Hotel is a beautiful, historic hotel located just 15 minutes from Boston’s Logan International Airport. The hotel is within walking distance of a number of shops and restaurants, and conveniently located across from Arlington Street Church, and a short walk from First Church and First Lutheran.

Hotel Reservations
Conference attendees are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. The conference rate is $189 plus tax per night single/double occupancy, $209 plus tax for triple occupancy and $229 plus tax for a quad and includes complimentary wifi.

Hotel reservations can be made on line click here or by calling 1-800-225-2008 to make a reservation. Be sure to mention the Unitarian Universalist Musician Network Conference in order to get the special conference rate.

IMPORTANT: July is prime tourist season in Boston! Rates are high and rooms go fast! We have negotiated a great rate for the area! We urge you to book your hotel room as soon as possible.

Please note: a one night’s deposit is required to guarantee your reservation and will be charged at the time your reservation is made. This amount will be applied to your total bill at the end of your stay. Deposits are refunded for cancellations made at least 72 hours prior to your arrival date.

If you have any problems making your hotel reservations, please contact Bea Ann Phillips, [email protected].

The cut-off date for making hotel reservations is Friday June 19, 2015. After this date, or when the room block fills, we can no longer guarantee room rate or availability. We urge you to make your reservations as soon as possible.

Looking for a roommate? Contact Donna Fisher at [email protected]. Please include your arrival and departure dates, and any smoking/non-smoking, gender or other restrictions.

Directions, Airport Transportation and Hotel Parking Information

For driving directions and airport transportation information click here. For hotel parking information click here.

A Word about Staying at the Conference Hotel…
As is the case for any conference, room rates we negotiate with conference hotels are based upon an estimated number of rooms to be utilized and services used. In exchange, we receive complimentary meeting space and other perks that would otherwise cost the organization a considerable sum of money. This allows us to keep our conference registration fees very reasonable.

If we do not fulfill our room block obligation at the conference hotel, we risk significant penalties which will ultimately show up in increased registration fees.

We understand that cost is an issue for all of us and we do our best to keep the costs of this conference as low as possible without suffering quality. We encourage you to consider sharing a room to contain costs rather than staying elsewhere. Not only will this help UUMN and its members moving forward, staying at the hotel allows you to maximize the value of this conference through informal networking and socializing that are difficult to achieve if you stay elsewhere.

Plenary Sessions

Thursday - Sexual Boundaries and Professional Ethics - Rev. Debra W. Haffner
What does it mean for a musician to be religious professional in regards to sexual boundaries? More importantly, what does it mean to be a professional musician in our association when it comes to expectations regarding romantic and sexual relationships within our congregation? How do we handle it when we are attracted to a choir member or a member of the congregation asks us out? What is our ethical accountability to our colleagues as religious professionals?

The 2013 report of the UUA’s Task Force for Excellence in Share Ministry showed that the UUMN, UUMA and LREDA codes of professional practice are not currently in alignment on these issues. This complicates staff member accountability to one another and to the congregations they serve. What agreements must be made in order for UUMN to be sexually healthy and responsible? Come find out how a mutual understanding among religious professionals about sexual boundaries is vital to us as music leaders and to the health of our professional relationships, our congregations and our wider association.

The Reverend Debra W. Haffner is the President and CEO of the Religious Institute. A certified sexuality educator, she is also the endorsed community minister at The Unitarian Church in Westport. Haffner has worked closely with the UUA since 2009 on sexual health and responsibility, including serving on the UUMA Presidential Guidelines Task Force, developing a study guide for ministers on sexual boundaries and attractions, and developing online sexuality courses for UU religious professionals.

Friday - UUMN Annual Meeting
Led by UUMN Moderator Deborah Weiner we will hear about the current organizational issues, vote on a proposed slate of officers and a change in our mission statement.

Deborah Weiner is Interim Director of Faith Development at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading, MA. She is also a consultant for not-for-profit organizations, specializing in communications, management, event management, and marketing in the areas of religion, education and the arts. Deb is also known as an inspirational leader, public speaker and team organizer who served for more than ten years as the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Liaison to the UUMN. While at the UUA, she was the staff member charged with development and production of “Singing the Journey” and “Las Voces del Camino,” and advocated for the interests and professional standing of church musicians.

Saturday morning - We Are What We Sing: Diversity and Hymnody - Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed
Rev. Morrison-Reed will lead us in an exploration of UU hymnody over the last 75 years from the 1937’s Hymns of the Spirit through 2009’s Las Voces del Camino.

The Reverend Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed, who hails from Chicago, joined the Chicago Children’s Choir in 1957 (the second year of its existence) and was the second African-American child to sing in that fine chorus. He earned his M.A. from the University of Chicago and his D.Min from Meadville Lombard Theological School. He served as co-minister with his wife, Donna Morrison-Reed, in Rochester, NY and Toronto, Canada. Currently he is an Affiliated Faculty at Meadville Lombard and Coordinator of its Sankofa Archive. He is recognized as the premier historian of the African-American experience in UUism. In much demand as a preacher, he has spoken at over 200 UU congregations and conferences in Canada, the U.S. and Europe.

Saturday afternoon - Choral Gems for Intergenerational Choirs - Joanne Hammil
Explore an array of choral music that will inspire and delight singers of all ages! Joanne will bring arrangements in many musical styles that are time-tested “gems” for choirs; pieces that are sophisticated musically but are fairly easy to learn. The songs will range from exciting arrangements of both old and contemporary songs to multi-cultural pieces, from gorgeous to empowering, from songs for community joy and for quiet strength, with themes of unity, hope, gratitude and justice. Handouts of all songs provided.

Joanne Hammil is a nationally renowned community choral director, music educator, composer and performer. Her original songs and rounds have been widely performed, recorded and published, and her creative leadership and wealth of unique repertoire inspire directors, teachers and singers of all ages. Her engaging workshops and programs for conferences, institutes, community sings, schools, and festivals take her from coast to coast. Joanne has presented at national conferences for AOSA, OAKE, UUMN, division conferences for NAfME and ACDA, and for many state organizations, chapters, and music institutes including Augusta Heritage Center, Swannanoa, Common Ground, Ferry Beach, Music for Minors; and was a founder and President of the Children’s Music Network.Joanne directs the Greater Boston Intergenerational Chorus and established and ran The Choral Connection, a dynamic children’s chorus program, for 30 years. Recordings and songbooks of her original songs have received the highest acclaim.

General Information

Workshops
The conference will feature an array of workshops on the many facets of music ministry. Click here for workshop descriptions.

Conference Mentors
For several years, we have matched first-time attendees with veteran conference participants in order to help them meet other members and to have their questions answered. First-timers and mentors are invited to arrive at the opening reception at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, July 22 so that they can get acquainted and meet the other first timers before the rest of the group arrives at 6:00 pm. If you would like to be assigned a mentor OR if you are willing to serve as a mentor, please check the appropriate box on your registration form. For more information contact Anne Watson-Born [email protected].

Bookstore
We hope to have a vibrant and busy bookstore area at the 2015 conference. We will have options open for vendors, for UUMN members attending the conference who have a small number of items for sale, for UUMN members attending the conference wishing to bring free promotional or educational items for display, and a music / book swap area for items you are no longer using. Bookstore space is very limited and available on a first come, first served basis. You may reserve bookstore space on the registration form.

Recitals
There will be opportunities for conference attendees to perform as soloists or in an ensemble at lunchtime recitals. All music is welcome: classics, originals, secular, sacred. If interested in participating please contact Claudia Keyian, [email protected]

Scholarships
Conference scholarships have been awarded for the 2015 conference.

Partner Pass
Partner Pass is $65 and allows a guest to attend Wednesday and Thursday evening events. Friday night banquet is a separate fee.

Conference Circle
This year, you can connect with other conference attendees months before the actual event. When you join the “Boston 2015” Circle at uumn.org, you’ll be able to put names with faces and find out what other UUMN members want to talk about when we gather this summer.

Wednesday Evening
Our opening celebration will feature a short program followed by a dessert reception. We will mingle with each other, introduce and welcome newcomers, and sing together in an energizing and fun opening celebration sure to prepare you for the exciting days ahead.

Friday Banquet and Variety Show
The conference banquet will be held on Friday, July 24 beginning with a cocktail hour. As always, we look forward to the fellowship of having a meal together and the sharing of a different kind that takes place at the Variety Show. Consideration for performances at this yearly event is given to newcomers at the conference, those who haven’t had a chance to perform at lunchtime recitals and others who haven’t participated previously. We are looking for fun (silly) light-hearted acts which can be performed in a maximum of 3-4 minutes. Signup is at onsite registration.

Conference Choir and Sunday morning
All conference attendees are eligible to sing in the conference choir that rehearses Thursday, Friday and Saturday with our choral clinician, Dr. Brainerd Blyden-Taylor. The conference culminates on Sunday morning with the choir singing in 11 AM worship at Arlington Street Church. Our closing circle will follow the service.

Conference Fees		Hotel Rates
Full Conference Registration thru May 31 after May 31 fee is $385	$325	Single	$189/night plus tax
OR		Double	$189/night plus tax
Partial Registration:		Triple	$209/night plus tax
Wed. (Professional Dev. Day not included)	$60	Quad	$229/night plus tax
Thurs.	$120
Fri. (banquet not included)	$120
Sat.	$120
ADDITIONAL EVENTS/FEES
Professional Development Day	$75
Friday Banquet	$65
Partner Pass (Wed/Thurs/Sat evenings only)	$65
Bookstore space 3'	$25
Audio CD of Sunday Service Music	$15