Church Choir Director 101 | FEBRUARY 21-23, 2025
Are you new to church choir directing?
What are the basics a church choir director needs to know to do their job?
What resources are available for further training?
Where do you even begin?
So many current church choir directors find themselves in this role out of necessity or desperation! If you want to grow your skills as a choir director, have been asked to be your parish’s choir leader or are new to the role and are wondering where to start, this weekend workshop is for you!
We are delighted to welcome the fabulous Juliana Woodill who is a resoundedly wonderful instructor and whose love for Orthodox music and choir directing is infectious!
This workshop will build fundamental skills for newer church conductors who may not have extensive training in Orthodox music. (ex/ high school band teacher, can play the piano, clergy wife, etc). Friday will include an introduction of the basic toolbox and an overview of the skills you will be developing. Saturday we will focus on practicing skill sets including: pitch giving, basic conducting gesture, planning services and rehearsals. Sunday will include a Q&A session, an opportunity for reflection, and time to consider what comes next! You will leave inspired and encouraged, with resources and newfound skills to take with you.
**Workshop Schedule:
Friday
6:30 - 8:30 pm - Choir Directors: What’s in your toolbox?
Saturday
8:30AM - Light breakfast + coffee
9 - 12 pm - Morning Session: Practical skills for directing
12 - 1:30 pm - Catered Lunch
1:30 - 3:30 pm - Afternoon session: Basics of conducting and service planning
4- 6:30 pm - Vigil, Monastery Temple
Sunday
9:10 am - Hours & Divine Liturgy, Monastery Temple
11:30 - 1:00 pm - Coffee & Q&A
** Registration closes February 15.
In addition to the workshop sessions, registrants are welcome to attend Divine Services at St. Tikhon’s Monastery.
All sessions will be held in the St. Tikhon’s Monastery Music Center (above monastery bookstore) located at 175 St. Tikhons Rd, Waymart PA 18472.
Please note: Lodging and meals (unless otherwise noted in schedule) are not included. For those of you planning to travel you can visit this page on our website for further details & recommendations.
Feel free to email us with any questions about the workshop or travel plans for the weekend! You can reach our program director, Anastasia, at: music@stmarts.org .
Are you new to church choir directing?
What are the basics a church choir director needs to know to do their job?
What resources are available for further training?
Where do you even begin?
So many current church choir directors find themselves in this role out of necessity or desperation! If you want to grow your skills as a choir director, have been asked to be your parish’s choir leader or are new to the role and are wondering where to start, this weekend workshop is for you!
We are delighted to welcome the fabulous Juliana Woodill who is a resoundedly wonderful instructor and whose love for Orthodox music and choir directing is infectious!
This workshop will build fundamental skills for newer church conductors who may not have extensive training in Orthodox music. (ex/ high school band teacher, can play the piano, clergy wife, etc). Friday will include an introduction of the basic toolbox and an overview of the skills you will be developing. Saturday we will focus on practicing skill sets including: pitch giving, basic conducting gesture, planning services and rehearsals. Sunday will include a Q&A session, an opportunity for reflection, and time to consider what comes next! You will leave inspired and encouraged, with resources and newfound skills to take with you.
**Workshop Schedule:
Friday
6:30 - 8:30 pm - Choir Directors: What’s in your toolbox?
Saturday
8:30AM - Light breakfast + coffee
9 - 12 pm - Morning Session: Practical skills for directing
12 - 1:30 pm - Catered Lunch
1:30 - 3:30 pm - Afternoon session: Basics of conducting and service planning
4- 6:30 pm - Vigil, Monastery Temple
Sunday
9:10 am - Hours & Divine Liturgy, Monastery Temple
11:30 - 1:00 pm - Coffee & Q&A
** Registration closes February 15.
In addition to the workshop sessions, registrants are welcome to attend Divine Services at St. Tikhon’s Monastery.
All sessions will be held in the St. Tikhon’s Monastery Music Center (above monastery bookstore) located at 175 St. Tikhons Rd, Waymart PA 18472.
Please note: Lodging and meals (unless otherwise noted in schedule) are not included. For those of you planning to travel you can visit this page on our website for further details & recommendations.
Feel free to email us with any questions about the workshop or travel plans for the weekend! You can reach our program director, Anastasia, at: music@stmarts.org .
Are you new to church choir directing?
What are the basics a church choir director needs to know to do their job?
What resources are available for further training?
Where do you even begin?
So many current church choir directors find themselves in this role out of necessity or desperation! If you want to grow your skills as a choir director, have been asked to be your parish’s choir leader or are new to the role and are wondering where to start, this weekend workshop is for you!
We are delighted to welcome the fabulous Juliana Woodill who is a resoundedly wonderful instructor and whose love for Orthodox music and choir directing is infectious!
This workshop will build fundamental skills for newer church conductors who may not have extensive training in Orthodox music. (ex/ high school band teacher, can play the piano, clergy wife, etc). Friday will include an introduction of the basic toolbox and an overview of the skills you will be developing. Saturday we will focus on practicing skill sets including: pitch giving, basic conducting gesture, planning services and rehearsals. Sunday will include a Q&A session, an opportunity for reflection, and time to consider what comes next! You will leave inspired and encouraged, with resources and newfound skills to take with you.
**Workshop Schedule:
Friday
6:30 - 8:30 pm - Choir Directors: What’s in your toolbox?
Saturday
8:30AM - Light breakfast + coffee
9 - 12 pm - Morning Session: Practical skills for directing
12 - 1:30 pm - Catered Lunch
1:30 - 3:30 pm - Afternoon session: Basics of conducting and service planning
4- 6:30 pm - Vigil, Monastery Temple
Sunday
9:10 am - Hours & Divine Liturgy, Monastery Temple
11:30 - 1:00 pm - Coffee & Q&A
** Registration closes February 15.
In addition to the workshop sessions, registrants are welcome to attend Divine Services at St. Tikhon’s Monastery.
All sessions will be held in the St. Tikhon’s Monastery Music Center (above monastery bookstore) located at 175 St. Tikhons Rd, Waymart PA 18472.
Please note: Lodging and meals (unless otherwise noted in schedule) are not included. For those of you planning to travel you can visit this page on our website for further details & recommendations.
Feel free to email us with any questions about the workshop or travel plans for the weekend! You can reach our program director, Anastasia, at: music@stmarts.org .
About our instructor, Juliana Woodill —
Juliana is the Conductor and Artistic Director for the Archdiocesan Choir of Washington, D.C. She received her education from Westminster Choir College where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with dual Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Education and Musical Theater. She studied conducting with Dr. Joe Miller, and sang with the Westminster Symphonic Choir. She has participated in master class conducting workshops with Rollo Dilworth, Rodney Eichenberger and Christopher Aspaas. During her time at Westminster, she conducted the choir at Joy of All Who Sorrow Orthodox mission in Princeton, NJ. She continues this work today as the choral director at All Saints of America Orthodox Church in Alexandria, VA and loves the opportunity to bring the musicianship and skills of the choral world into the church setting.
Juliana has presented talks and workshops on sight reading, sound building and conducting techniques at state education and church conferences and was a featured conductor at the International Symposium of Orthodox Church Musicians Conference in 2016 and 2018. She has taught as a guest lecturer and conductor at both St. Tikhon’s and St. Vladimir’s Seminaries and routinely leads church workshops on conducting and musicianship skills. She is the choral director at Fairfax High School in Virginia and has taught music across all ages in Fairfax County Public Schools.
She believes strongly in the importance of beautiful, healthy singing in choirs of all skill levels and ages!
