Square Notes: The Sacred Music Podcast
Square Notes: The Sacred Music Podcast
Square Notes: The Sacred Music Podcast
You've got questions about sacred music? Here's your chance to learn what the Church teaches and envisions for music in the sacred liturgy. Welcome to Square Notes: The Sacred Music Podcast with your host Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka. We address topics of interest both to priests and liturgical musicians, as well as a general audience of Catholics interested in learning more about the Catholic Church's teachings and treasury of sacred music. Our topics range from discussion of Church documents on sacred music, to the music of certain composers or eras, Gregorian chant, the role of music in Catholic education, and techniques for directing a better choir rehearsal. We'll interview bishops, priests, music directors, composers, teachers, philosophers, and theologians. We'll talk to people who found a home in the Catholic Church because they heard the call of Christ in the Church's sacred music. We'll ask questions about how really great music programs are doing their work. We'll introduce you to Catholics who love their faith and, through sacred music, offer all their efforts for his glory and the sanctification of all who hear them. We aim for our podcast to be thoughtful, encouraging, and informative. We hope, too, that it will inspire and motivate you to work for the renewal of authentic beauty in sacred music—whether you're a working church musician or an average Catholic in the pews wondering what's going on. With the prayers of our patronesses, Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom and Saint Elisabeth of the Trinity, we hope to help draw souls to Christ through the beauty of the Church's sacred music. Square Notes is the official podcast of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music. http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/
SE08 EP15 - The Solar Horarium & Monastic Fast According to the Rule of St. Benedict, Plus Praying the Chant & Making Beer - with Fr. Augustine Wilmeth, OSB,  Prior at the Benedictine Abbey in Norcia
Fr. Augustine Wilmeth, OSB, Prior and Choirmaster of the Abbey of San Benedetto in Monte in Norcia, Italy, joins us to discuss the rootedness of monastic life in the daily ebb and flow of sunrise and sunset, and how that changes throughout different seasons of the solar and liturgical year. We talk about the effect of singing Gregorian chant on the soul and interior life, and the beer that the monks brew.  For more information about the Abbey, visit: https://en.nursia.org/ To buy Birra Nursia in the U.S., visit: https://birranursia.com/ To learn more about the graduate program at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, visit: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/events/
Jun 29
41 min
SE08 EP14 - Conflict Resolution, Work-Life Balance, and Avoiding Burnout As a Church Musician - with Angela Rosson
Burn-out, conflicts, and lots of responsibilities often afflict the church musician. Counselor Angela Rosson joins us to talk about strategies for setting up personal boundaries, positively resolving conflicts with superiors and those under our charge, and how to tell if one is getting burned out (and what to do about it).  Connect with Angela Rosson here: https://mycatholicdoctor.com/resources/doctors/angela-rossonmycatholicdoctor-com/ Learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music's summer-based graduate program here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/graduate-study/
Jun 22
43 min
SE08 EP13 - A Masterclass in the Magisterial Compositions and Style of Palestrina - with Thomas Neal
Join us for a deep dive on the life and work of the most magisterial of composers, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Thomas Neal narrates a biography of Palestrina, touching on the composers who influenced him, how he learned music, his various posts at the heart of the Church in Rome, his connection with St. Philip Neri, and his successful career.  Purchase Neal's newest book on "Sacred Music in Early Modern Italy" here: https://www.brepols.net/products/IS-9782503621852-1 Learn more about Neal's work here: https://www.newcollegeschool.org/page/?pid=19&staff=157 Learn more about the graduate program, Choral Institute, and McInnes Fellowship of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/ensembles/mcinnes-fellowship/
Jun 15
1 hr 24 min
SE08 EP12 - Caring for Temples of the Holy Spirit: The Busy Church Musician's Guide to Nutrition, Health, and the Immune System - with Dr. Lizbeth Alter
A board certified physician in family medicine and in functional, anti-aging and regenerative medicine, Dr. Lizbeth Alter joins us to discuss some of the basics church musicians, often short on time and money, can consider in caring for their health through food, nutrition, and navigation of the immune system.  Check out Dr. Alter on social media: https://www.instagram.com/lizbeth_alter_md https://www.facebook.com/DrAlterCompleteWellness https://www.youtube.com/@DrAltersCompleteWellness Or on her websites: https://lizbethaltermd.wixsite.com/completewellness https://xyngeniumnx.com/ Learn more about the graduate program at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/graduate-study/
Jun 12
50 min
SE08 EP11 - Learning & Living Gregorian Chant as a Monk - with Fr. Mark Bachmann, OSB, Choirmaster of Clear Creek Abbey
Fr. Mark Bachmann, OSB, of Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey in Oklahoma joins us to describe the origins of his Abbey, its rich chant history, and a monastic approach to learning and praying Gregorian chant.  To learn more about Clear Creek Abbey, visit: https://clearcreekmonks.org/ To learn more about Laus in Ecclesia, visit: https://www.lausinecclesia.com/ To learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, visit: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/graduate-study/ 
Jun 4
30 min
SE08 EP10 - All About Sarum: Ceremonial, Chant, Sources, and Processions from Medieval England - with Dr. Christopher Hodkinson
Sarum use or rite? Where did it come from? How was it governed? What's unique about the ceremonial? How does the chant sound? What's the deal with all the processions? Can one celebrate the Sarum rite now?  Learn all about the medieval English rite in this episode with Dr. Christopher Hodkinson.  More information and registration about our Spanish-language online workshops: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.regfox.com/talleres-virtuales-primavera-2026  More information and registration for the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music's Summer Chant Camp for singers ages 8–17: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.regfox.com/chant-camp-2026 
Apr 16
52 min
SE08 EP09 – Is Beauty a Transcendental, Why Beauty Matters, and Can We Be Wrong About Beauty? Philosophical Questions Every Church Musician Should Consider with Dr. Margaret Hughes
Join us as we tackle some of the tough questions that inform how church musicians can help their parishioners love the Church's beautiful treasury of sacred music. Dr. Margaret Hughes, a tutor at Thomas Aquinas College in Massachusetts, joins us to discuss whether beauty is something superficial and ultimately distracting from the things that really matter for the Christian, whether beauty is really a transcendental property of being, and whether it's possible to make a wrong judgment about the beauty of a piece of music.  RSVP for Dr. Hughes' lecture on Thursday, April 18th here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lecture-how-listening-to-music-with-friends-points-us-to-beatitude-tickets-1977339170688
Apr 8
41 min
SE08 EP08 - Chant Accompaniment, Organ Building, and Fundraising for Organ Projects - with Dr. Christopher Berry
Dr. Christopher Berry, Assistant Professor at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, joins us to discuss why we should learn to make up our own chant accompaniment, how to determine the course of an organ building project, and how to fundraise for said project.  Learn more about Dr. Berry here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/faculty#berry Learn more about summer graduate study with Dr. Berry at CISM here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/summer-courses/ 
Mar 26
40 min
SE08 EP07 - Developing Great Vocal Technique for Singing Chant - with Dr. Rosemary Heredos
Breath support, dynamics, tremulous notes, VIBRATO? How can we best sing the Church's chant with beauty, elegance, reverence, and good technique? Dr. Rosemary Heredos breaks it all down in the context of learning to sing through a semiological approach to chant, navigating working with different teachers, and transitioning to chant from singing opera.  Learn more about Dr. Heredos's class, "Advanced Seminar in Gregorian Chant: Vocal Technique and Semiological Performance Practice," June 29 to July 3 here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/summer-courses/ Applications for non-degree-seeking students remain open until May 1st. 
Mar 24
43 min
SE08 EP06 - What Did American Sacred Music Sound Like in the 19th & Early 20th Centuries? A Snapshot from St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York - with Salvatore Basile
Have you ever wondered how sacred music programs in America were run and what kind of music they sang in the 19th and pre-Vatican II 20th century? Salvatore Basile, author of Fifth Avenue Famous: The Extraordinary Story of Music at St. Patrick's Cathedral, joins us to discuss how sacred music sounded in New York, especially as St. Patrick's. We discuss the impact of Pius X's motu proprio, Tra le Sollecitudini, the influence of operatic music on repertory and choice of voices, the incorporation of chant and polyphony, and the development of the music department from parochial backwater to "America's parish" in a cultural and financial world capital.   Buy Basile's book here: https://a.co/d/0haXk4DJ Learn more about summer graduate classes at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/summer-courses/ 
Mar 20
37 min
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