Director of Parish Music Minor
Pair the Parish Music minor with the Church Music major for LCMS vocation.
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Prepare for Work with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
The Director of Parish Music (DPM) minor focuses on preparing gifted music leaders for team ministry in a parish church setting for the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). Depending on your interests, you may become involved in other areas of ministry within the church as well. Some DPM positions are part time or are combined with education, youth, or family ministries.
Through four years of coursework and fieldwork, you’ll be prepared to serve in a congregational setting in roles like:
- Choral conductor
- Instrumental conductor
- Leader of contemporary worship
- Minister of music
- Music teacher
- Organist or lead guitarist
- Worship arts director
The DPM minor has additional requirements. It must be paired with the Church Music major. Undergraduates who wish to become DPMs in the LCMS must apply to the Christ College Church Work program before declaring this minor.
View the Concordia University Irvine Online Catalog for a full list of courses.
“If you don’t want to wait to start your musical career, Concordia Irvine is the place for you. You will get great theory, but you’ll also start performing right away.
Christian Guebert ’10
FAQs
Should I major or minor in parish music?
This is completely up to you and how you feel you can best serve God. At Concordia, you can only enroll in the Director of Parish Music minor if you’re in the Church Music major. The DPM minor is specifically for students who want to work with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS).
What can you learn when studying Director of Parish Music?
The DPM coursework could take your career in a number of directions. If you choose this program at Concordia, you’ll take classes like Seminar in Parish Music, Called to Teach the Faith, and Voice. Fieldwork is part of the program.
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