--- title: Welcome to the Prelude Music Planner Blog! | Sarah Hawbecker description: Sarah J. Hawbecker is a graduate of St. Olaf College and the Eastman School of Music. Since 1996, she has served as Organist and Director of Children's Music at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atlanta, GA, overseeing a program of two children's choirs, three handbell choirs, a summer music camp, and a concert series. She has performed for and presented workshops at regional and national gatherings of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, and of the American Guild of Organists, and has served as adjudicator for several organ competitions. --- [![AF-prelude-logo](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Augsburg%20Fortress/AF_Prelude_Blog/AF-prelude-logo.png?width=181&height=52&name=AF-prelude-logo.png "AF-prelude-logo")](http://www.preludemusicplanner.org/) - [LEARN MORE](https://preludemusicplanner.org/) - [BLOG](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org) - [SIGN IN](https://members.preludemusicplanner.org/) # [Prelude Music Blog](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org) # Prelude Blog ## Sarah Hawbecker Sarah J. Hawbecker is a graduate of St. Olaf College and the Eastman School of Music. Since 1996, she has served as Organist and Director of Children's Music at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atlanta, GA, overseeing a program of two children's choirs, three handbell choirs, a summer music camp, and a concert series. She has performed for and presented workshops at regional and national gatherings of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, and of the American Guild of Organists, and has served as adjudicator for several organ competitions. ### Recent Posts ## [Refreshing Your Wedding Music for Organ](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/refreshing-your-wedding-music-for-organ) Posted on May 21, 2024 9:00:00 AM by [Sarah Hawbecker](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/sarah-hawbecker) in [Music Ministry](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music-ministry), in [music](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music), in [wedding](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/wedding), in [weddings](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/weddings), in [marriage](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/marriage) Whether you have played one hundred weddings or three, you may dread playing Purcell’s “Trumpet Tune” or Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” even one more time. There is a reason couples keep choosing tried and true wedding pieces—they are good pieces of music that have lasted for centuries—but there are obviously many other options, and it’s helpful to explore them. [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/refreshing-your-wedding-music-for-organ) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/refreshing-your-wedding-music-for-organ#comments-listing) ## [[Practicing and Noticing Courage as a Church Musician](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/practicing-and-noticing-courage-as-a-church-musician)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/refreshing-your-wedding-music-for-organ#comments-listing) Posted on Oct 10, 2023 9:00:00 AM by [Sarah Hawbecker](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/sarah-hawbecker) in [Music Ministry](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music-ministry), in [music](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music) I recently commented to a friend that a singer in our church’s youth choir was the bravest young man I know. The last time he was in choir was before COVID, when he had sung treble beautifully. Now his voice has changed, and he is struggling to figure out how to work this new instrument, which feels and sounds so different. An additional challenge is that his peers are reluctant to join the choir, so he sings alone in the bass register. I admire his tenacity and his positive attitude, even when he makes mistakes. I say that he has courage. *Merriam-Webster Dictionary* defines courage as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” Of course, singing in a choir is not dangerous, and he doesn’t seem to be afraid, but it is difficult for him. [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/practicing-and-noticing-courage-as-a-church-musician) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/practicing-and-noticing-courage-as-a-church-musician#comments-listing) ## [[Music Suggestions for Fewer Musicians on Pentecost](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/music-suggestions-for-fewer-musicians-on-pentecost)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/practicing-and-noticing-courage-as-a-church-musician#comments-listing) Posted on Apr 25, 2023 9:00:00 AM by [Sarah Hawbecker](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/sarah-hawbecker) in [Music Ministry](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music-ministry), in [Pentecost](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/pentecost) This year, the festival of Pentecost falls on a holiday weekend in the United States. Memorial Day weekend signals the beginning of summer vacation, and many people choose to travel. As a church musician, I know that it is not wise to plan for a four-part anthem with brass quartet accompaniment on a Sunday like that. So how does one make a festival Sunday feel special when one has limited resources? [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/music-suggestions-for-fewer-musicians-on-pentecost) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/music-suggestions-for-fewer-musicians-on-pentecost#comments-listing) ## [[A Healthier Holiday Perspective](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/a-healthier-holiday-perspective)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/music-suggestions-for-fewer-musicians-on-pentecost#comments-listing) Posted on Dec 1, 2022 9:00:00 AM by [Sarah Hawbecker](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/sarah-hawbecker) in [Music Ministry](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music-ministry), in [Advent](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/advent), in [Christmas](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/christmas) There are certain seasons that are inherently stressful, and we are currently in one of them. There were Christmases past in which it was difficult for me to keep the proper perspective. I felt overworked and underappreciated, and the added pressures I put on myself to have a beautifully decorated home and provide a “perfect” holiday for my family only produced feelings of personal failure and silent resentment toward others whom I believed had it easier than I. Does this sound vaguely familiar to anyone? [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/a-healthier-holiday-perspective) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/a-healthier-holiday-perspective#comments-listing) ## [[What Time Is It?](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/what-time-is-it)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/a-healthier-holiday-perspective#comments-listing) Posted on Jul 7, 2022 9:00:00 AM by [Sarah Hawbecker](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/sarah-hawbecker) in [music](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music), in [time](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/time) *For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven …* The author of Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time for everything. How we choose to live in each of these times affects our own well-being and that of others. I can relate to this passage more as I have gotten older, and I can relate to it in my vocation as a church musician as well. Here are a few thoughts: [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/what-time-is-it) [1 Comment](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/what-time-is-it#comments-listing) ## [[Psalm-Based Organ Music for Lent](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/psalm-based-organ-music-for-lent)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/what-time-is-it#comments-listing) Posted on Feb 10, 2022 9:00:00 AM by [Sarah Hawbecker](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/sarah-hawbecker) in [Hymnody](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/hymnody), in [Music Ministry](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music-ministry), in [Lent](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/lent), in [Psalms](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/psalms) I take great care in selecting my organ preludes and postludes for each Sunday. A prelude prepares the gathered community for worship. Whether the listener prays, reflects, or simply listens, they are still an active participant, and, as such, I believe they deserve the best the musician can give them. Likewise, the postlude, as the last thing they hear on the way out of church, is an opportunity to lift their spirits as they reflect on the worship that just ended and prepare to go about their week. [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/psalm-based-organ-music-for-lent) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/psalm-based-organ-music-for-lent#comments-listing) ## [[Thanking Your Volunteer Musicians](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/thanking-your-volunteer-musicians)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/psalm-based-organ-music-for-lent#comments-listing) Posted on Dec 2, 2021 9:00:00 AM by [Sarah Hawbecker](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/sarah-hawbecker) in [Music Ministry](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music-ministry), in [gratitude](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/gratitude) How do you thank your music volunteers? The gifts they give are quite precious. Not even considering their varying talents, the hours alone they give are almost innumerable. Some churches honor their volunteer musicians with a special event at the end of the choir season. Perhaps you write special holiday cards or acknowledge individual birthdays. [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/thanking-your-volunteer-musicians) [1 Comment](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/thanking-your-volunteer-musicians#comments-listing) ## [[Planning to Be Flexible](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/planning-to-be-flexible)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/thanking-your-volunteer-musicians#comments-listing) Posted on Apr 13, 2021 9:00:00 AM by [Sarah Hawbecker](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/sarah-hawbecker) in [Music Ministry](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music-ministry) My theme for this past year became flexibility. It took me some time to get there. I’m a planner. Any good church musician needs to be. Pre-pandemic, I planned my entire choir year in the summer before rehearsals started. Every anthem, every rehearsal, every worship service was organized around the lectionary, the school breaks, confirmation, and other youth activities. It was a puzzle I enjoyed working on, and it enabled the year to go smoothly. Sure, there were little bumps in the road, and I would make adjustments, but the puzzle pieces all fit. It worked until March 2020, when the puzzle fell apart. Actually, it wasn’t even a puzzle anymore; it was a whole new game. New feelings swarmed: fear, excitement, disinterest, exhaustion, and curiosity, to name just a few. [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/planning-to-be-flexible) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/planning-to-be-flexible#comments-listing) ## [[Intentionality in This Unusual Christmas Season](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/intentionality-in-this-unusual-christmas-season)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/planning-to-be-flexible#comments-listing) Posted on Dec 2, 2020 9:00:00 AM by [Sarah Hawbecker](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/sarah-hawbecker) in [Music Ministry](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music-ministry), in [Christmas](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/christmas) December 2020 will be like no other holiday season we have seen in our lifetimes. Gatherings are limited, and singing is prohibited. We church musicians are accustomed to being extraordinarily busy during this time, often to the point of exhaustedly cranking out notes and crossing each musical concert or service off our list. This Advent and Christmas, my schedule is drastically reduced. Is this a loss? Yes, but could it also be a gift? [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/intentionality-in-this-unusual-christmas-season) [0 Comments](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/intentionality-in-this-unusual-christmas-season#comments-listing) ## [[Taking on the Children's Musical](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/2013/02/taking-on-the-childrens-musical)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/intentionality-in-this-unusual-christmas-season#comments-listing) Posted on Feb 25, 2013 7:48:01 AM by [Sarah Hawbecker](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/sarah-hawbecker) in [Choral Techniques and Repertoire](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/choral-techniques-and-repertoire), in [review-prelude](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/review-prelude) Some directors dread doing musicals, and even avoid them. I direct both a Christmas and a spring musical every year, because I believe that the positive benefits of these performances are huge. I am well aware of the cons, the biggest of which is simply the work. A LOT of work! Depending on the musical, there’s dialogue, staging, costumes, sets, props, and choreography. I guarantee that there will be some aspect of undertaking a musical that will take you outside of your comfort zone. Here are some things to consider: [Read More > >](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/2013/02/taking-on-the-childrens-musical) [1 Comment](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/2013/02/taking-on-the-childrens-musical#comments-listing) [All posts](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/all) [Next →](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/sarah-hawbecker/page/2) ### Subscribe to Email Updates - Recent - Popular - Categories ### Lists by Topic - [review-prelude (87)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/review-prelude) - [Choral Techniques and Repertoire (56)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/choral-techniques-and-repertoire) - [Music Ministry (55)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music-ministry) - [Planning (55)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/planning) - [Assembly Song (37)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/assembly-song) - [Potpourri (32)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/potpourri) - [Instruments and Ensembles (19)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/instruments-and-ensembles) - [Hymnody (14)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/hymnody) - [music (13)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/music) - [Uncategorized (10)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/uncategorized) - [COVID-19 (5)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/covid-19) - [Composing and arranging (5)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/composing-and-arranging) - [Coronavirus (5)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/coronavirus) - [News (5)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/news) - [Christmas (3)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/christmas) - [Easter (3)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/easter) - [Instruments (3)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/instruments) - [Social distancing (3)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/social-distancing) - [worship (3)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/worship) - [Advent (2)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/advent) - [All Creation Sings (2)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/all-creation-sings) - [Children Ministry (2)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/children-ministry) - [Lent (2)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/lent) - [Summer (2)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/summer) - [gratitude (2)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/gratitude) - [Creative Arts Camp (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/creative-arts-camp) - [Cultural (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/cultural) - [ELW (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/elw) - [Evangelical Lutheran Worship (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/evangelical-lutheran-worship) - [Holidays (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/holidays) - [Hope (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/hope) - [Hospitality (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/hospitality) - [Pentecost (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/pentecost) - [Psalms (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/psalms) - [Youth Ministry (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/youth-ministry) - [children (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/children) - [culture (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/culture) - [devotions (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/devotions) - [john the baptist (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/john-the-baptist) - [joy (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/joy) - [leadership (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/leadership) - [marriage (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/marriage) - [race (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/race) - [relationship (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/relationship) - [self-care (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/self-care) - [spiritual (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/spiritual) - [time (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/time) - [trust (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/trust) - [wedding (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/wedding) - [weddings (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/weddings) - [writing (1)](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/writing) see all ### About Prelude Music Planner [Prelude Music Planner](http://www.preludemusicplanner.org) is the web-based tool that provides a wealth of music, thoughtful commentary, and time-saving tools for the church musician. - **Explore a wealth of music**. Search our database of congregational, choral, and instrumental church music by lectionary day, voicing, difficulty level, tune name, and more. - **Get the music you need, when you need it.** Preview the entire piece of music from beginning to end, and then download the parts you need. Subscribers will also receive a block of “points” to spend on our library of downloadable choral and instrumental pieces. - **Manage your church’s music library**. Organize your music library in one master location. Once your library information has been added, you can plan using both your physical library as well as the Prelude library with a single search. | [![Facebook](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hubfs/Augsburg%20Fortress/Social/AF_facebook.png)](https://www.facebook.com/augsburgfortress/) | [![Twitter](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hubfs/Augsburg%20Fortress/Social/AF_twitter.png)](https://twitter.com/augsburgfortres) | [![Youtube](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hubfs/Augsburg%20Fortress/Social/AF_youtube.png)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtZR7BPcns-WJE_HNjkfmsw) | | --- | --- | --- | Copyright 2026 | Designed with by [Augsburg Fortress](http://www.augsburgfortress.org)