Summer Courses 2025
June 17-21, 2025 | University of St. Thomas | St. Paul, MN
The Church Music Association of America is pleased to announce our 2025 Summer Courses: Chant Intensive, Vocal Intensive and Organ Improvisation. These 5-day courses in the beautiful University of St. Thomas facilities in St. Paul, MN will immerse beginner to advanced singers, chant conductors, and clergy in the beauty of Sacred Chant, Organ Improvisation or Vocal Intensive for singers, conductors, cantors, or teachers.
The CMAA Summer Chant and Vocal Intensives are intended for beginning and continuing students and all who love and appreciate the central role that sacred music plays as the prayerful song of the Roman Rite – not only at cathedrals and basilicas but in any parish. Our Organ Improvisation course opens up an opportunity for organists who want to move forward in their skills with plenty of personalized instruction.
Vocal Intensive Course
This multi-day course, led by Dr. MeeAe Cecilia Nam, offers a comprehensive exploration of the human voice as a versatile instrument. Participants will receive practical training to develop and enhance their vocal and singing abilities, catering to singers, singing teachers, and choral directors alike. This course will be limited to eight (8) participants, with potential space for auditors of the course after the course is filled.
Throughout the workshop, attendees will delve into various aspects, including:
- Understanding and refining different voice types across diverse age groups and proficiency levels
- Crafting tailored vocal exercises for singers and vocal groups
- Voice classification techniques
- Working with young and mature voices effectively
More
Engaging activities such as discussions, presentations, group lessons, and mini-individual coaching sessions are incorporated to strengthen skills aligned with participants’ interests. Interactive participation is encouraged, providing a platform for questions and individual demonstrations. Musical examples spanning motets, psalms, solo songs and hymns will be explored, with an opportunity for attendees to showcase pieces of their choosing.
Students are encouraged (not required) to bring tablets or other electronic devices for use during this course.
For details about topics covered and schedule of sessions, please view this document. COURSE HANDOUT
Chant Intensive Course
This course will be taught by Nicholas Lemme.
The Chant Intensive 2025 will be a comprehensive, week-long course in a complete study of the most important aspects of the chant. A thorough grounding in the notation, both of St. Gall, and the later more familiar square-note notation, the course will also cover modes, psalm-tones, and how they work, as well as questions of rhythm, and basic directing of the chant.
The week will move fast, starting at the beginning for those not as familiar with the basics of chant, moving quickly to the more advanced studies of Gregorian theory, and an introduction to Gregorian semiology and conducting.
More
The knowledge gleaned from the intensive will be used in the daily singing of the office, and a closing Mass. This course is recommended for beginners, and for the more advanced, as we will be covering aspects of Gregorian theory not often addressed in weekend workshops, or by the casual learner. This Chant Intensive is for everyone with a passion to learn about the Church’s incomparable music, some of which stretches back to the very beginnings of Christianity and before.
I hope that there will be many who will be able to join us in Minnesota this summer.
Organ Improvisation Course
THIS COURSE IS NOW FULL.
This course will be taught by Dr. Jacob Benda.
The Organ Improvisation course will be limited to no more than five (5) students. The course will include daily individual lessons for each participant, as well as a group class for all students, and designated practice time.
Although organ improvisation is often associated with divine inspiration, it also relies on fundamental skills. As private lessons will be provided, there are no specific prerequisites other than basic organ proficiency. Beginners will focus on developing skills in keyboard harmony, creating simple hymn preludes, and exploring alternate harmonizations.
More
Intermediate students may delve into chant accompaniment and improvisation based on chant melodies. They will also study musical forms, variations on a figured bass, and contrapuntal structures.
For inquiries or special requests, please contact Dr. Benda at jrbenda@stthomas.edu, indicating your expectations and musical background.
Participants will have the opportunity to perform during the final Mass of the Chant Intensive course, alongside motets sung by the Vocal Intensive course.
Due to the limited number of available spots, we urge you not to delay your registration.
Dr. MeeAe Cecilia Nam
Soprano, Professor of Voice at Eastern Michigan University
She has toured the U. S. and Europe with special recital programs of Sacred Music for Voice and Organ in the past 15 years. She has performed and premiered music written for her, and participated in many artistic collaborations with current composers in their works.
In addition to her position as Professor of Voice at Eastern Michigan University, she has been on the faculty of the Church Music Association of America and at the Vianden International Summer Festival and School in Luxembourg. She has also been Guest Artist and Clinician at numerous institutions such as the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin, the Korean National University of Arts in Seoul, the Seoul National University of Education, University of Colorado in Boulder, and University of Tennessee in Knoxville, among many others.
She has published a critical edition of Gouvy’s songs in two volumes with EC Schirmer in 2018. These two volumes are a unique and exclusive publication, and a valuable contribution to song literature. They are the result of her extensive scholarship and research in France, Germany, and the United States.
Nicholas Lemme
Music Professor, Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, Lincoln, NE
Nicholas Lemme is a composer, singer, and professor of music based in the shire of Lincoln, NE. His works range from sacred choral music to cafe americana. Nicholas has written for, and collaborated with, a number of choirs, most notably The Singers—Minnesota Choral Artists; Schola Cantorum of St. Joseph’s Seminary, Archdiocese of New York; the Church Music Association of America; and the Polyphonic Choir of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary.
He is a professor of Gregorian chant, sacred polyphony, and vocal instruction at the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter’s (FSSP) Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, NE, a position he has held for the past 14 years. Additionally, he directs the choir of St. Francis of Assisi Chapel (Lincoln, NE) and periodically provides chant instruction for diocesan religious and sacred music clinics throughout the USA. He also completed the Parish Book of Chant Recordings project for the CMAA, recording and editing all the chants for use by Catholics around the world. For more information please visit www.nicholaslemme.com
Dr. Jacob Benda
Director of Liturgy, Music and Sacred Arts, Univ. of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN
Join CMAA Today
Members receive special discounts on all CMAA events, including the Sacred Music Colloquium.
As a member, you’ll be part of a vibrant community of musicians, clergy, and supporters in pursuit of high musical ideals in Catholic liturgy. Additionally, members of the Church Music Association of America enjoy:
- Exclusive discounted pricing for events
- Quarterly issues of Sacred Music, the acclaimed members-only journal
- The first to preview and purchase new publications
- Specially curated content right to your inbox
Who should join?
If you are interested in sacred music, you’re invited.
–
2025 Summer Course Schedule PDF
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Thursday, June 19, 2025
Friday, June 20, 2025
Saturday, June 21, 2025
Additional Information
Registration: ONLINE REGISTRATION
Registration and full payment must be postmarked on or before 3/31 (early) or 5/1 (regular).
Registrations must be received at the CMAA Office (by mail or online) by the close of business on June 2. After June 2, registration is only available by telephone by calling our office at on a space-available basis. Full registration payment must be made by the respective deadlines.
Cancellation: Requests received by email or in writing at the CMAA Office postmarked on or before June 2nd will receive a refund less the non-refundable $75 deposit. After that date, partial refunds are given only in the form of a credit toward registration for a future event. Refunds may be processed after the Summer Courses are complete.
All requests for credit must be received in the CMAA Office by email (gm@musicasacra.com) by June 10th in order to be considered for Credit. Requests after June 10th may only receive partial credit, depending on charges to the CMAA for meals and materials expenses.
Please note: In cases of last-minute emergencies, it is imperative that immediate notice to the CMAA be given in order for partial refunds to be given. If this notice occurs after the beginning of the Summer Courses (Tuesday, June 17, 2025), unfortunately, no refunds can be made.
Likewise, if a person decides not to complete the entire week after registration (for whatever reason), no refund can be made for days not attended.
With a current CMAA membership, the members’ rate is available to you; it is not transferable to another person (except for spouses or children living in the home). If your parish has a CMAA parish membership, please contact your director of music to be added as a parish member for registration at our member portal.
Not yet a member? JOIN NOW and receive the benefits of membership for a full year for nearly the same price as a non-member registration. Email us at gm@musicasacra.com for any questions.
Registrants must be at least eighteen (18) years or older as of June 17, 2025, unless accompanied by a fully-registered parent attending.
Check-in location is: Iverson Center Lobby
Lunches will be provided Wednesday – Friday and are included in the registration fee. All meals will be in the The View Cafeteria on the second floor of UST’s Anderson Student Center.
If you register for dormitory housing, the following meals will also be provided: Breakfast, June 18-21, 2025; Dinner, June 17-20, 2025. Room keys are checked out individually at the Koch Commons desk.
Photographs and Recordings: You are welcome to take photos and videos, but please do not use flash, especially during sacred liturgies. Please note that some cellphone cameras use a spotlight-type light that may not be used during filming/photographs during a liturgy. It is very disruptive to liturgies.
Please be considerate when taking photos or videos. Be unobtrusive when filming so as not to disrupt singers, musicians, or conductors (please don’t get so near as to make them uncomfortable).
We welcome volunteer recordings of the liturgies during our courses. In fact, amateur recordings are kept in a collection online and are available for free access in the resources section of our website. If you do record a session or liturgy, please consider sharing your files with the CMAA so that others may hear them. Please consider bringing a recorder and/or video camera and assisting with this.
Note: Please do not film during teaching or rehearsal sessions without permission of the instructor.
Contact us a gm@musicasacra.com for more information.
Please take note of the CMAA Code of Conduct.
The CMAA has not negotiated a particular room block with local hotels.
The University of St. Thomas has dormitory housing available for all participants. Single- or Double-occupancy sleeping rooms with linens are available. All rooms will have a shared bath. The rate is the same for single- or double-occupancy rooms, per UST policy.