Welcome to NPM! The National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) is an organization for anyone who recognizes and supports the value of musical liturgy. We are choir directors, organists, guitarists, pianists, instrumentalists of all kinds, presiders, cantors, and pastoral liturgists. We are members of contemporary ensembles, handbell choirs, and choral groups. Some of our members are young people in high school and college, while some are veteran directors of music ministries. We represent parishes large and small as well as seminaries, schools, religious communities, cathedral churches and diocesan offices. Many of our members belong to special interest sections for various musical ministries, for clergy, for chant or pastoral liturgy, and for musicians serving African American, Hispanic and Asian communities. Some of our members are not actively involved in a particular musical or liturgical ministry, but want to support the important work of pastoral musicians.

J. Michael McMahon President, National Association of Pastoral Musicians

Since Father Virgil Funk established the Association in 1976, NPM has sponsored 84 national and regional conventions. Please make plans to join us for the 2008 NPM Regional Conventions to be held in New Jersey, Ohio, and California. If you have never attended an NPM convention before, you will be amazed by the workshops, the new music, the liturgies, the musical events, the people - and most of all by the robust singing!

In the last thirty-one years NPM has sponsored 305 educational institutes. The Association offers programs all over the United States for cantors, organists, guitarists, music educators and pastoral liturgists as well as directors of vocal choirs, handbell choirs, liturgical music ensembles and children's choirs. NPM institutes offer a wonderful opportunity for musicians, clergy and other leaders of sung worship to deepen their understanding and skill and so to serve their communities more effectively.

NPM members receive our award-winning bimonthly magazine, Pastoral Music, and a bimonthly newsletter for members called Pastoral Music Notebook. Members also receive Pastoral Music E-Notes by e-mail as well as Sunday Word for Pastoral Musicians, weekly reflection on the Sunday readings written especially for pastoral musicians. We also publish newsletters several times a year for singers, clergy, organists, music educators, and professional directors of music ministries. Members receive discounts on conventions, schools, and other NPM programs. In addition, they have the opportunity to join one of our local chapters in more than 70 dioceses.

If you are already a member of NPM, you know the importance of the Association for advancing the musical and liturgical life of the Church in the United States . If you are not currently a member or have never participated in an NPM event, we extend to you a warm invitation to join us in "fostering the art of musical liturgy."

J. Michael McMahon, D.Min.
President
mcmahon@npm.org

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