Page 147 - CJJanuary2026

2026 ACDA Southwestern Region Conference March 4-7, 2026 Albuquerque, New Mexico

Sessions Session Block 2

Tried, True, and New— Wonderful Worship
Inspiring Church Anthem Reading Session Through the Arts Ideas

One of the best ways to encourage success and ex- This second Music in Worship session will delve into
citement in our church music programs is to share ex- inspiring and welcoming art and creative activities that
citing and trusted choral anthems. This session will in- have been incorporated into worship and church mu-
clude a reading session for those attending, with several sic programs. Join us as we share the activities of sever-
inspiring directors that will lead us through wonderful al music ministries in the worship arts throughout the
examples of church anthems tried, true, and new! SWACDA community.

Bryan Taylor, the current SWACDA mu- Andy Waggoner will be the clinician for this session. His
sic in worship R&R representative, holds photo and bio are on page 139.
various positions at Liberty University
in Missouri. He serves as the director of
traditional music and worship arts and
the artistic director of the Liberty Community Chorus.
Notably, Taylor recently retired from singing with the
Grammy Award-winning Kansas City Chorale after a
remarkable thirty-three-year career.

Karen Marrolli, the director of music
ministries at Central United Methodist
Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico,
is a multifaceted artist. In addition to
her classical training as a composer and
conductor, she is a prolific singer-songwriter. Her cho-
ral works are published independently and through
esteemed publishers like ECS Publishing Group and
Santa Barbara Music Publishing.

Matthew Greer, the director of music
and worship ministries at St. John’s Unit-
ed Methodist Church in Albuquerque,
New Mexico, was appointed artistic di-
rector of Quintessence in 2009. His con-
tributions have been recognized with the Creative Al-
buquerque’s Bravos! Awards in 2012, which honored
artistic innovation, entrepreneurship, and community
impact. Greer has also had the privilege of serving as
a guest conductor for the New Mexico Philharmonic.

CHORAL JOURNAL January 2026 Volume 66 Number 5 145