| NPM offers to DMMD members opportunity to seek the designation of Certified Director of Music Ministries (CDMM). The standards and procedures for this certification have been approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Commission on Certification and Accreditation (USCCB/CCA). The advantages of certification
include recognition by one’s peers and the achievement of
a certain standard of excellence, with the possibility of additional
remuneration and other benefits accruing through national acceptance
of standards for pastoral musicians and standardized contracts.
You may view the standards and competencies approved by the USCCB Commission for directors of music ministries. The core standards and competencies for parish life coordinators, pastoral associates, youth ministers, catechetical ministers, and directors of music ministries and the specialized competencies for each of these ministries has been published in a book which also contains helpful background information. You may order the book and view the specialized competencies for the other ministries by visiting the web sites of the National Association for Lay Ministry (NALM), the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM), and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL).
Qualifications
for the Director of Music Ministries (1993) is a policy
statement published by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians
(1995). These include pastoral, liturgical, musical, and organizational
skills necessary for the professional Director of Music Ministries.
Application Requirements
- Practicing Roman Catholic
- Membership in NPM and in DMMD
- Competency in General Music with a concentration in choral conducting, guitar, organ, piano, voice/cantor. (This is normally fulfilled by a Bachelor's Degree in Music, i.e. Church Music, Performance, Music Education)
- Two years’ experience as a professional director of music
ministries
- Demonstrated working knowledge of liturgical, pastoral, and
organizational values and skills.
Application Checklist
To be eligible for consideration, all applicants must submit the
following materials to the Certification Review Board at the NPM
office.
- Completed application form
- Baptismal record (long form), issued within the past six months
- Please submit all supporting academic information and/or tell us what qualifies you to begin this program
- A written description by the candidate of his/her work, including
past music programs. This description should be 1-2 pages in length
- Letter of ecclesial endorsement from the diocesan bishop or
his delegate
- Letters of recommendation from:
1. The candidate’s employer
2. A colleague in music ministry
3. A member of the parish music ministry
- $50.00 non-refundable application fee. Checks payable to NPM.
Certification Process
Step One: Application
The candidate should follow the appliciation checklist and submit all application materials to the NPM office. These will then be reviewed by the Certification Committee.
Step Two: Acceptance into the Program
Candidates will be notified regarding acceptance. Detailed precedures for examinations and mentoring will be provided upon notificaiton of acceptance. The certification fee of $250 is due upon acceptance.
Step Three: Initial Meeting with Mentor/Directed Self-Study
Once the candidate has been notified of acceptance, a mentor will
be assigned by mutual agreement. The mentor will initiate a first
meeting, preferably traveling to the candidate
(Mentor Introduction and Guidelines). At the first meeting,
the mentor will use the Mentor’s Initial Report to
assist in assessing strengths and weaknesses of the candidate and
help to develop a plan for study and preparation. At this time,
the candidate and mentor will also develop a time line and set goals
for the completion of each exam in the certification process.
Step Four: Select Area of Concentration
In consultation with the mentor, the candidate will select an area
of musical performance from the following concentrations:
choral conducting, guitar, organ, piano, voice/cantor
Step Five: Preparation and Self-Study
The candidate will prepare for exams using the resources available and referring to the mentor for advice on courses of study. The mentor and candidate will have regular communication during this period, with at least one annual face-to-face meeting. As the time of the concentration exam nears, the candidate is encouraged to take a “practice exam” at a single sitting. After the first year, each candidate pays an annual matriculation fee of $50.
Step Six: Examination
The examination is administered in five parts, to be taken in any
order. It is administered to give evidence of the candidate’s
competence in musical, pastoral, liturgical, and organizational
skills. It is administered prior to the NPM national convention
and selected NPM regional conventions. Application deadline for
annual examinations is May 1st. To apply for examination, submit
the Examination Application Form provided to the NPM office,
c/o DMMD Certification.
The examination consists of the following components:
General Musical
- A juried examination/performance in candidate’s area
of concentration
- A written examination of general musical skills consisting
of melodic dictation; basic knowledge in music history, theory,
counterpoint, and orchestration; keyboard proficiency; conducting
proficiency; knowledge of a variety of resources.
Liturgical
- A scholarly paper, 20-25 pages in length, in the area of liturgical study, primary sources cited. Topic submitted in writing to Certificate Committee for approval.
- An objective (fill in the blank) exam based on Liturgical Documents will be administered at the summer conventions and must be taken by each candidate.
Pastoral
- A prepared paper will be presented by the candidate based on the self-study.
Organizational
- A prepared paper will be presented by the candidate based
on the self-study
Step Seven: The Awarding of Certification
Within 60 days of completion of the examination process, candidates
are notified of the outcome. Successful candidates are featured
in Pastoral Music magazine and are honored at the next
NPM convention at the annual meeting of the members. Hereafter they
may use the letters, CDMM after their names. A press release/letter
will be sent to local parish, diocese and Catholic wire services.
Step Eight: Five Year Renewal
In order to maintain status as a Certified Director of Music Ministries continuing education and professional growth requirements must be met for a five year renewal.
Documented CEU’s should consist of 3 units annually, totaling 15 units over 5 years. These units should represent activity in four groups: conventions and institutes, workshops and course work, applied music study and performance, and spirituality.
For more information please email Lowell
Hickman, Office Contact,
or
Michael Batcho, Chair, DMMD Certification Committee.
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