Pope Francis left us a beautiful address to artists in 2023. Here’s a few of his words of wisdom and encouragement.

Spoilers: I think the answer is yes – but it takes creativity to see it.

In the Catholic Church, November is dedicated to praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. As Catholic musicians, how can we intentionally bring this practice into our own musical lives? Here’s a few ideas!

No matter the circumstances, we can always look to the saints in Heaven to have our backs, whether that’s in the practice room, the concert hall, or the classroom.

This virtue, first recognized by the Ancient Greek philosophers, is actually very necessary for any person to live a well-ordered life, and that includes every musician.

Humility is something that creatives struggle with on a deep basis. We tend to gravitate in one of two extremes. Either our egos become so inflated with a sense of pride that we become unbearable, or we tend to be so hard on ourselves that we genuinely cannot see when we do well. In those cases, we see all the flaws and none of the beauty.

Holiness is built, first and foremost, on a relationship with Christ. But how holiness comes about occurs primarily in how we choose to respond to the little choices, occurrences, and circumstances that we encounter daily in our lives. It's through practicing the fundamentals of Christian life that we become holy: through prayer, through growing in virtue, through receiving the sacraments.

In an ensemble of any kind – be it an orchestra, chorus, chamber group, or even an indie band – if we don't listen to the other musicians around us, our own part can do one of a few different things. At best, we can get through the music generally with the other musicians we're playing with, but not at the best level we could if we took the time to listen. It can grate against the other parts, both in small, detailed ways and in larger scale incidents, if we're operating on our own sense of time and pitch. Or worse yet, it can be completely out of time and make very little sense, both to ourselves and to the people we're making music with. Aside from having the ability to execute rhythms and perform the right notes at the right time, having a well-trained listening ear is the most important skill a musician can develop.

God is with you as you get everything together for rehearsal moments after having finished a rushed dinner of leftovers half heated up because there was no time for anything else after work. He knows what it's like to eat an unsatisfying meal.

In the liturgical calendar, Advent is a time of preparation for Christ's coming. We are encouraged by the Church to make space in our lives to reflect on the state of our own hearts. We are invited to ask ourselves if our hearts are a place where Christ can find room to dwell in; and if the answer is "no," to prayerfully seek ways to make room for Christ.

This message is for you: The world needs you, perhaps more than ever before. We live in a time of great darkness, of ugliness, of violence & hate & hopelessness. “Where can God be found in all this?” the hearts of so many cry out without knowing it. I believe one place to start is through beauty.