Interchange

Guest: Emily Bradfield Bio: Emily Bradfield is a marketing and brand strategy professional based in the Greater Chicago area. She is passionate about creating cohesive brand narratives across the marketing funnel and aligning performance with brand strategy. Early in her career, Emily served in roles such as Marketing Associate at the Chicago Sinfonietta, where she handled communications, engagement, and public relations efforts for the orchestra. Her professional network includes positions with law firms, among other organizations, demonstrating her flexibility across industries in brand & marketing roles. Description: In this episode, we invite the host's own sister into the conversation, pivoting from her experience in marketing in brand management and its implications in church work, toward a deeper reflection about home, music, and faith. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so this conversation highlights some of the realities of those who experience domestic violence. A few statistics to add some context to the conversation: *An average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States — more than 12 million women and men over the course of a single year.*Nearly 3 in 10 women (29%) and 1 in 10 men (10%) in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner and reported it having a related impact on their functioning.*Just under 15% of women (14.8%) and 4% of men in the US have been injured as a result of intimate partner violence that included rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.*1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.8%) aged 18 and older in the US have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.*Intimate partner violence alone affects more than 12 million people every year.*Over 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.*Almost half of all women and men in the US have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime (48.4% and 48.8%, respectively).*Women ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 generally experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence.*From 1994 to 2010, approximately 4 in 5 victims of intimate partner violence were female.*Most female victims of intimate partner violence were previously victimized by the same offender at rates of 77% for women ages 18 to 24, 76% for ages 25 to 34, and 81% for ages 35 to 49.(these statistics and more can be found at thehotline.org)

This time on Interchange, we're joined by composer Mark Miller, a musician renowned for his vibrant voice in Christian worship communities across the world. In this candid conversation, Mark shares a part of his personal story that shapes his perspective on themes of belonging, identity, and grace—elements so often reflected in his music. Mark embodies a spirit of gentle inclusivity, combining theological depth with accessibility. In his role as both composer and educator, his personal narrative of adoption resonates with his commitment to writing music that assures people they are claimed and beloved. Bio: Mark A. Miller has a passion for building community through music and believes that everyone is a child of God. He adheres to Cornel West’s belief that “Justice is what love looks like in public.” A graduate of Yale and Juilliard, Mark is Professor of Church Music, Director of Chapel, and Composer-in-Residence at Drew University. He is also a Lecturer in Sacred Music at Yale University’s Institute of Sacred Music and Divinity School, and Minister of Music of Christ Church in Summit, New Jersey. Previously, he provided musical leadership for Marble Collegiate Church and The Riverside Church (both in New York City). His sacred music is widely published and sung by communities of faith around the world. Mark’s Let Justice Roll (for chorus and orchestra) was performed for “Juneteenth Celebration: All American Freedom Day” in 2019 at Carnegie Hall. His album, Imagine the People of God, is available on iTunes. Mark has led choirs and performed in Sweden, South Africa, Austria, Russia, and the Baltic states. He spends part of the year traveling around the United States (often with his band, Subject to Change), lecturing, preaching, and presenting concerts focused on creating community and advocating for social justice for all people, especially the LGBTQIA+ community. His music has been called the soundtrack for a new generation to express and celebrate hospitality, equity, and justice. Mark resides in Plainfield, New Jersey, with his husband, Michael Murden. They have two adult children, Alyse and Keith, and a cat named Oscar.Music heard in this episode:Hope Will Not Fail: https://giamusic.com/resource/hope-will-not-fail-printed-music-11378Who You Are: https://giamusic.com/resource/who-you-are-pdf-du01353We Will Rejoice: When the Fig Tree Fails to Blossom https://giamusic.com/resource/when-the-fig-tree-fails-to-blossom-printed-music-11383Gather at the River: https://giamusic.com/resource/gather-at-the-river-pdf-du01359

One of those things about the human condition is that we're gonna get hungry. Whether it be the physical hunger for something to fill our bellies or the spiritual hunger for comfort, belonging, justice, our bodies need these embodied experiences of satiation: a truly sacramental experience of foretaste of God's abundance. But it's complicated... and Stephanie is over it. We need food to live, and we know that we cannot live on bread alone. So what makes this simple truth so complicated, unable to freely be in a human body, accepting our human needs? And to work in one more pun--what's eating at you? Bio: Stephanie Fiorentino, MS, RD, LDN is a registered dietitian specializing in intuitive eating and disordered eating recovery. She is passionate about health accessibility and a sustainable approach to nutrition without stigma or shame. You can learn more about her and her work at foodwonderful.com. Music in this episode:Living Bread, Adam Ubowski, Lori Ubowski, Sarah Hart: https://giamusic.com/resource/living-bread-print-007861

For us in Chicago, the whirlwind continues after the surprise announcement of Pope Leo XIV--a native Chicagoan, with Black Catholic roots and a legacy of ministry in Peru. On June 14, Chicago held a celebration at Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, that concluded in a Mass. Where does one even begin planning a huge liturgy like this? Join members of the planning team as we share a bit of mystagogical reflection on our experience preparing for this historical event.  Guests: Peter Kolar, Samantha Polo, Mike Ward, and Matt Merkt Music: Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace, G-5627

Kids! Just in time for the start of summer's jubilance, this episode is sure to be a perennial favorite. There's nothing more refreshing, grounding, and inspiring to hear these young voices imagine out loud for a bit, ruminating on the questions of why they like music and what they think God sounds like. Honestly, take a listen. The kids say it better than I ever could.  Special thanks to the kids from across several states who participated in the fun! And of course, to the parents and teachers who are right by their side, cheering them on and honored to do so. Music in this episode includes selections from Chris de Silva's piano collections, Colours (G-8560) and Colours II (G-9737). Grab your copy of the printed music or the recorded albums at www.giamusic.com

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about 1 in 5 adults have experienced a mental illness in the past year. Certainly, struggles with mental health are a part of every faith community, one that needn't be feared or stigmatized any further than we have already allowed. How does music serve to support us in these struggles? How can we accompany one another better? In light of the month of mental health awareness, join us for this conversation about music and mental health as these two musicians and faithful people wrestle with their own diagnoses and belovedness in God's sight. And maybe take a moment, step back, and allow ourselves to ask: how are we doing, really? Bio: Fr. Stuart Wilson-Smith, CSP (Fr. Stu) was ordained for the Paulists in 2017 and soon after began his first assignment in campus ministry at The Ohio State University. He most recently served as Associate Pastor of Old St. Mary’s Church in Chicago. Before entering the Paulists, Fr. Stu studied history and philosophy at the University of Toronto, backpacked abroad, and worked as a drummer and singer-songwriter, both of which he still enjoys today. Born and raised in the Maritime region of Canada, Fr. Stu has felt blessed to serve the last decade as a missionary in the United States. Fr. Stu is the assistant director of the University Catholic Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. Music in this episode: The music of Stuart Wilson-Smith can be found on Spotify or for purchase here: https://stuartws.bandcamp.com/ O God Behold Your Family Here: https://giamusic.com/resource/o-god-behold-your-family-here-print-g5588

Hymn writing, Mennonite Culture, Incarnational God, imposter syndrome, community building: join Adam Tice, GIA’s Editor for Congregational Song for a conversation that weaves through the contexts that provide the frame work for our vocation to music, tending and tilling the soil all around us. Bio: Adam M. L. Tice was born in Pennsylvania, and grew up in Alabama, Oregon, and Indiana. After graduating from high school in Elkhart, Indiana, Adam went to nearby Goshen College, a Mennonite liberal arts school. He majored in music with an emphasis on composition and completed a minor in Bible and religion, graduating in 2002. He began working as a church musician and choir director while still in college. Adam took his first course at the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in the fall of 2003, which led to the writing of his initial hymn text. In 2004, Adam was named a Lovelace Scholar by the Hymn Society of the United States and Canada. He served as a member of the Society's executive committee from 2007 to 2010. He was Associate Pastor of Hyattsville (Maryland) Mennonite Church from 2007 to 2012. He now lives with his family in Goshen, Indiana. He is text editor for the 2020 Mennonite hymnal, Voices Together. In early 2020 he joined GIA as Editor for Congregational Song.

CW: pregnancy loss Description: It’s Women’s History Month, and while women are worth celebrating each and every day of the year, this is also a lovely time to lift up one incredible music maker who lives a life surrounded by the melodies of the story-telling that has reverberated in the uniqueness of human bodies and human experiences, those long studied and those whose experiences have been coded or sidelined. Hilary’s nuance of language around identity and proximity to power structure lays a firm foundation on which we might dream ourselves into honoring whatever comes next. A gift of vulnerable conversation between two women draws a through-line between treasured stories of scripture and current contexts that allows for meaning-making and hope to shine in even the darkest corners of life. Bio: Hilary Seraph Donaldson is a church musician and researcher based in Toronto, Canada. She holds a Master of Sacred Music in Choral Conducting from Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX) and a PhD in Musicology from the University of Toronto. Her research interests are centered on the intersection of English musical modernism and the sacred in the music of Benjamin Britten, music since 1900, the BBC, intersections in music and theology, and hymnology and congregational singing. Hilary serves as Director of Music at St. Andrew's United Church in downtown Toronto. She is passionate about expanding the singing repertoire of congregations and fostering practices of learning, vulnerability, and praying through the music of the global ecumenical movement in worship. She shares resources on enlivening congregational song through her website and web video series Break into Song. She is Immediate Past President of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. Song: I Know God Holds You, Text: Hannah C. Brown, Music: Kate Williams

Guests: M. Roger Holland, II and Dr. Kim R. Harris M. Roger Holland, II is a Teaching Associate Professor in Music and Religion and Director of The Spirituals Project at the Lamont School of Music, University of Denver. A graduate of Union Theological Seminary in New York City where he received the Master of Divinity degree, Roger also served as Artist-in-Residence and director of the Union Gospel Choir for over 13 years. In 2015 Union awarded him the Trailblazers Distinguished Alumni Award, the first given to a graduate whose ministry is music, for his contributions to the legacy of African American music. He received a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, also in New York, and completed his undergraduate work at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey where he majored in Music Education with a concentration in piano and voice. Roger toured nationally and internationally with The Boys Choir of Harlem, working with them as a conductor, pianist, instructor and arranger for several of their recordings. Roger served as Minister of Music for Our Lady of Charity Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn, NY for 12 years and is Liturgical Music Consultant for the New York Archdiocese Office of Black Ministry, acting as Music Director for their special Masses at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Roger is the newly appointed editor of the In Spirit and Truth series published by GIA Publications, Inc., which reflects the aesthetic of Black Catholic worship. Commissioned works include The Dream and The Dreamer, The Tribulation Suite, and The Call. Original music collections published by GIA include “Building Up the Kingdom,” featuring the single “Worthy God,” and his recent collection, “Honey from the Rock, Vol. 1-4” He has played for the Broadway productions of Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple and the Tony award winning show, Memphis. In November 2016 Timothy Cardinal Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York presented Roger with the Pierre Toussaint Medallion for service. Dr. Kim R. Harris is the Associate Professor of African American Thought and Practice in the Department of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University. In addition to teaching courses on Black liberation and Womanist theologies, Harris leads music in a variety of liturgical and academic settings. She is a liturgist, composer and recording artist, presenting lectures on the music of the Black Catholic experience, the spirituals of the Underground Railroad and the freedom song of the modern Civil Rights Movement. Harris is a member of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium and the North American Academy of Liturgy. She is an academic member of the African American Catholic Center for Evangelization in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as well as a liturgical consultant for the Archdiocese of New York Office of Black Ministry. A gifted cantor, leader of song and a passionate cultural advocate, Harris earned a PhD in worship and the arts from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. In fulfillment of her degree, she composed Welcome Table: A Mass of Spirituals, one of the complete Mass settings included in the Lead Me Guide Black Catholic hymnal second edition (GIA Publications Inc). Music from this episode: Honey from the Rock, Entrance and Communion Antiphons for the Church Year, Arr. Holland https://giamusic.com/resource/honey-from-the-rock-volume-1-print-g9233 Welcome Table Mass, arr. Harris/Holland https://giamusic.com/resource/welcome-table-a-mass-of-spirituals-print-g8225 All of Me, Holland https://giamusic.com/resource/all-of-me-print-g10512

Who inspires you? Perhaps it is this week’s guest, Tony Alonso. This conversation explores the bravery, audacity, but above all the invitation that calls us toward this sacred vocation of music ministry. How is God speaking to you? Through desire, gumption, curiosity? Through the voice of another? Through mentors, teachers, models, examples? And how do you know when you’re on the right track? What difference does it make? Settle into this conversation and reflect on your own vocation and path.  Guests: Tony Alonso Tony Alonso is a Latin Grammy-nominated composer of sacred music and a theologian whose work responds to the diverse needs of the contemporary church.  A Cuban-American Roman Catholic, Tony's compositions embrace multicultural musical expressions and reflect a commitment to strong ritual song. His music appears in compilations and hymnals across Christian denominations throughout the world. Tony’s Mass of Joy and Peace is one of the most widely sung Mass settings in the United States. In 2015, his compositional work was recognized with an invitation to compose the responsorial psalm for the first Mass Pope Francis celebrated in the United States. In 2020, he was nominated for a Latin Grammy for his groundbreaking album Caminemos con Jesús. Tony's scholarly work lies at the intersection of liturgical theology and cultural studies. In 2019, he was awarded the Catherine Mowry LaCugna Award for new scholars for the best academic essay in the field of theology within the Roman Catholic tradition by the Catholic Theological Society of America. His book Commodified Communion: Eucharist, Consumer Culture, and the Practice of Everyday Life was awarded the 2021 Hispanic Theological Initiative Book Prize. Tony is Aquinas Associate Professor of Theology and Culture with tenure at Candler School of Theology at Emory University where he also serves as the inaugural Director of Catholic Studies. Songs heard in this episode:  G-4293, With the Lord There Is Mercy, from We Are God’s People, Cotter G-10077, Caminemos Con Jesus, Alonso G-8675, I Will Lift My Eyes, Alonso

As we celebrate Christmas Eve, Kyle Cothern reflects on Psalm 96. Featuring music by Chris de Silva ("Silent Night" from Colours) and Richard Proulx ("Christmas Mass at Midnight: Psalm 96") both published by GIA Publications, Inc.

As we light the fourth candle of the Advent Wreath, Jennifer Odegard reflects on Psalm 80. Featuring music by Chris de Silva ("Silent Night" from Colours) and Paul Hillebrand ("Lord, Make Us Turn to You: Psalm 80") both published by GIA Publications, Inc.

As we light the third candle of the Advent Wreath, Ed Bolduc reflects on Isaiah 12. Featuring music by Chris de Silva ("Silent Night" from Colours) and Aaron Thompson ("Cry Out With Joy and Gladness") both published by GIA Publications, Inc.

As we observe the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Sidran Olson reflects on Psalm 98. Featuring music by Chris de Silva ("Grace" from Colours) and Kiran Young Wimberly ("Sing to the Lord") both published by GIA Publications, Inc.

As we light the second candle of the Advent Wreath, Alan Hommerding reflects on Psalm 126. Featuring music by Chris de Silva ("Silent Night" from Colours) and W. Clifford Petty ("We Are Filled with Joy") both published by GIA Publications, Inc.

Join a conversation that fits like an old glove—Michael Silhavy jumps back in for our ongoing push and pull, the ever-present dialogue across generations. One rear-view mirror, one headlight, both essential parts of safely innovating our way into the future. This tension need not be one filled with animosity, but indeed is one that takes careful consideration, respect, and open hearts toward a common goal. Always a work in progress. Guests: Michael Silhavy Michael Silhavy is GIA’s Senior Project Editor. With degrees in music education, theology, and liturgical studies from De Paul University, Loyola University (Chicago), and Saint John’s University (Collegeville, MN), Michael has worked in parish, grade school, university, cathedral, and diocesan settings. He values the weekly experience of making music with a congregation as director of music at St. Mary Church, Riverside, Illinois. His work at GIA centers around choral and congregational music, hymnals, and working with composers and authors to create musical and liturgical resources for both Roman Catholic congregations and the wider ecumenical community. He worked with noted composer Richard Proulx in creating The Richard Proulx Collection, an annotated catalog of Proulx’s published and unpublished compositions housed at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota and he contributed biographies on American composers and authors for the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Songs heard in this episode:  G-2371, Anthem for Pentecost, Proulx G-10804, Shepherd Me, O God arr. Holland

As we light the first candle of the Advent Wreath, Victoria Zibell reflects on Psalm 25. Featuring music by Chris de Silva ("Winter" from Colours) and Leon C. Roberts ("To You, O Lord, I Lift My Soul) both published by GIA Publications, Inc.

From the font of her baptism in the Philippines, to the overflowing waters of Initiation ministry and musical creativity, Diana Macalintal's faith journey reads like a true love story straight from the heart of God. In this candid and fruitful discussion, we discuss belonging, identity, awareness, representation, women in composition, and that ever-mysterious yet deeply tangible presence of Christ in the Eucharist and through one another. Guests: Diana Macalintal Diana Macalintal is the cofounder and codirector of teaminitiation.com and of Liturgy.life and is passionate about the catechumenate and Roman Catholic liturgy and music. She holds a Master of Arts in Theology from Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, and served in campus, parish, and diocesan ministries for 30 years, including 15 years as a diocesan director of worship. Her books and articles can be found among most major Catholic publishers, and her compositions and translations are published with World Library Publications, GIA Publications, Inc., and Oregon Catholic Press.Songs heard in this episode:  G-10335 Sweeter Than Life, Macalintal: https://giamusic.com/resource/sweeter-than-life-print-g10335 G-8009 Christ Has No Body Now But Yours, Lawton/de Silva: https://giamusic.com/resource/christ-has-no-body-now-but-yours-print-g8009

How many times have you wanted to flip the table of your own parish staff meeting? How much psychological safety do you experience in your workplace? Who makes the decisions when multiple voices of expertise are at the table, and how can the hierarchy of power dynamics hinder our relationship building on our own pastoral staff? How do we train our leadership to set up the right kinds of environments to make optimal the kinds of decisions you need to make? Explore all these questions and more with the co-founder of the Cambridge Negotiation Institute, Bob Bordone, to see how best practices in conflict resolution can benefit the working relationships between pastors, musicians, parish staffs, and the diversity of gifts in the congregations they serve alongside. Guest: Bob Bordone, Cambridge Negotiation Institute Robert C. Bordone (Bob) is an internationally-recognized expert, author, speaker, and teacher in negotiation, conflict resolution, mediation, and facilitation.  A Senior Fellow at Harvard Law School, he served on the full-time faculty at Harvard Law School for more than twenty years as the Thaddeus R. Beal Clinical Professor of Law, Director, and Founder of the Harvard Negotiation & Mediation Clinical Program before launching his full-time consulting, advisory, speaking, and training practice.  He also serves as the Director of the Consensus Building Institute Training Academy and as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law Center. Bob has has also been a Visiting Clinical Professor of Conflict Transformation at Boston University’s School of Theology. Bob’s current research and writing interests include the assessment, reform, design, and implementation of dispute handling systems and developing and testing methods of effective public dialogue on issues that cut to the core of identity, meaning, belonging, and belief. As part of this work on healthy dialogue, Bob has teamed with a media company called The Disagreement that fosters engaging and respectful conversation across lines of difference. In addition, he is currently writing Conflict Resilience: Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up or Giving In (HarperCollins Business, 2025) with Joel Salinas, MD and is the co-author of two books: Designing Systems and Processes for Managing Disputes, 2d. Edition (Wolters-Kluwer, 2019) and The Handbook of Dispute Resolution (Jossey-Bass, 2005). He has also published articles in leading business and dispute resolution journals including the Harvard Business Review, the Harvard Law Review, the Harvard Negotiation Law Review, the Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution, the Journal of Dispute Resolution, Negotiation Briefings, Dispute Resolution Magazine, and Negotiation Journal. Bob’s writing and commentary have appeared in various print and broadcast media outlets including NBC News, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, America, The Chicago Tribune, CNN’s Situation Room, and BBC Radio. Bob received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, and his A.B., summa cum laude, from Dartmouth College where he majored in Government.Follow him on Twitter with the handle @bobbordone on his website at www.bobbordone.com or by subscribing to his YouTube channel.

It's always more than just a song, than just singing: it's a language, a communication style, a tool of liberation and a transformational symbol of unity. Chicagoland author Madison Chastain highlights two key ways that music has shown up in her life: in interdenominational relationships and as an embodied experience for bodies of all abilities. Accessibility is a key ingredient of good liturgical practice, ensuring the participation of the whole community. Madison's wisdom centers around this question: how can bearing witness to these diverse ways of interacting with and encountering the divine--through music!--is ministry. If a person with a disability is displaying a new way of engaging with Jesus, this is an opportunity to follow their lead, a way to see a fuller picture of Image and Likeness of our Creator. Guest: Madison Chastain