If you were to read my professional bio, it would have a giant header with something like Kyle J. Hanson- Conductor & Music Educator screaming at the top. As you begin to scan down the page, the document would point you towards what I consider to be the highlights of the last 10 years (for the record, I just turned 30). It would strategically paint me as an aspiring classical musician who worked hard to place academic pedigree at the forefront of all things worth pursuing in life. Entries would include degrees from Indiana University Jacobs School (in Piano Performance and Conducting—B.S.o.F, Music Education, M.S.) and Bowling Green State University (MM, Orchestral Conducting), making special note of the classes that I taught during my last degree in music education, like “Arranging for Choral and Instrumental Ensembles,” at Indiana University. It would also highlight masterclass work—from major classical music festivals like the Pierre Monteux School for Conducting and the Princeton Music Festival to my masterclass and internship work with major US orchestras. This resume would make note of the conferences that I have attended or presented at while certainly including my latest publication in the American Choral Directors Association’s national journal. After it highlighted my work as an aspiring classical musician and music educator, this resume would quickly gloss through my work in the mainline churches over the last 5 or 6 years and probably include the fact that I began volunteering in music ministry within the Assemblies of God around the age of 13. You did read that correctly, I have worked or volunteered in both an Assembly of God church and a Disciples of Christ church within the formative years of ministry and I count it a privilege to serve in a such wide variety of church formats, doctrinal leanings, and musical taste.
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| "I want to be your encourager...
I want to direct your heart towards God and
the people that you serve through music. "
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Stepping Out
All that said, I never would have thought that God would place blogging on my heart, much less one about music ministry. But famous last words are the cornerstone of God’s christians-turned-disciples and here I am, caring little about my resume and worried more and more about how God can use me to further His Kingdom work on earth. My prayer is that God can direct the words of this blog to inspire, encourage, and deepen music ministries across the world.
I hope that you will see how your desire to grow can be molded into musical excellence deeply rooted in a biblical understanding of what ministry means while embracing your dreams about what it could become. Notice I said “could.” Truthfully, I don’t know but I type these words with a stirring in my heart; I want to be your encourager. I want to provide you with researched tools for training your musicians and help deepen your understanding of foundational aspects of music theory and thought. I want to direct your heart towards God and the people that you serve through music. I want it to be all for His glory. Thanks for joining this community as we take this journey into the unknown, together.
