ROLE:  Guitarist
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2021
MASS SERVING AT: Sun 5p
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: Faith and music are two constants in my life. I knew that becoming an UGMM would be the perfect way to unite these two important pieces of who I am and give back to the UD community, which has given so much to me.
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  My favorite hymn is "The Servant Song" by Richard Gillard. I have a heart for service, so I view this hymn as a sort of motto for my life. I love how it emphasizes the importance of vulnerability and fellowship. It reminds us to be as Christ to others so that we may live as Christ together.

ROLE:  Cantor      
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2019    
MASS SERVING AT:  Sun 9p
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM:  I became an UGMM because I felt that I could offer my musical gifts back to God and help my peers draw closer to Him through music, which is an opportunity that is so special to have in college! Growing up, I was with my parents in our parish's choir, so to dive deeper into why we sing what we do at Mass, to gain skills to take with me to every other parish I'm a part of, and to share in the celebration of Mass with my friends through music are benefits I never expected but am so grateful to have through being an UGMM (it's what keeps me coming back!).
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  My favorite hymn has to be Pange Lingua - the memories it brings of Triduum Masses and the depth of its lyrics are amazing. It also is an awesome hymn to just listen to when you need to unwind and feel God's presence with you!
IF RETURNING, FAVORITE MEMORY AS AN UGMM:  My favorite UGMM memory... hmmm, so many! I have to say I loved the Masses on the Grass this year, as they were so joy-filled, praising God with the Holy Spirit and UD community in full force, even if they were in a tent! I also will always treasure "Ask STP" nights from the mini-course, so many laughs and awesome liturgical Church facts! #SC14

ROLE:  Guitarist
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2021
MASS SERVING AT:  Sun 10a
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM:  I became an UGMM to grow more spiritually, spread joy, and strengthen my connection with God.
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  Amazing Grace, it’s a classic hymn that provides a lot of comfort and serenity.

ROLE:  Keyboardist
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2020
MASS SERVING AT:  Wed 9p (Marycrest)
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM I became an UGMM because I was blessed with the gift of musical talent by God. Through the program, not only have I been able to use the gifts He gave me to serve others in their faith journeys, but I have also been able to strengthen my relationship with God and learn more about the details of the liturgy. All of these things have helped me grow spiritually and deepen my commitment to God.
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  My favorite hymn is Sing a New Song by Dan Schutte. It is so uplifting and passionate about proclaiming God's word. The tune is very energetic and celebratory and brings me joy. Especially since it is an Easter hymn - which is one of my favorite liturgical seasons - it has an essence of eternal happiness.
IF RETURNING, FAVORITE MEMORY AS AN UGMM: My favorite UGMM memory was the Taizé service all the UGMMS participated during our camp early in the 2021 academic year. Singing the pieces of the service and being outdoors in the sun made the atmosphere ecstatic. It was the first time in a long time when my soul felt free.

ROLE:  Cantor
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2021
MASS SERVING AT:  Sun 10a
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: For me, music is a form of prayer and connection with God. Therefore, I wanted to be able to use God's gift of music as an UGMM to help bring others closer to Christ in the ways that I experience God.
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  One of my favorite hymns is O God Beyond All Praising. This hymn fills me with so much joy and so many wonderful memories of praising God with those around me. It is a hymn of unity and oneness with those I am around.

ROLE:  Cantor
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2020
MASS SERVING AT:  Wed 9p (Adele)
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: I became an UGGM because singing is one of the beautiful ways I can use my gifts to glorify the Lord. The Mass is enhanced to such a great extent when music is present and I want to share this with my community. Singing for the students, faculty, and staff of the University of Dayton is one of my greatest joys and satisfies me more than I could have ever imagined.
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  I adore listening to, singing, and playing hymns so it is challenging for me to pick an ultimate favorite. Currently, I am loving "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing" because it both praises God and asks for his blessing in our lives. As I give my daily "yes" to God like Mary, it echos, "Here's my heart, O take and seal it; seal it for Thy courts above".
IF RETURNING, FAVORITE MEMORY AS AN UGMM: My favorite memory as an UGGM was the Mass of the Immaculate Conception December 8th, 2019 when we sang in the balcony. As we sang Mary's praises, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the community I had found at the University of Dayton.

ROLE:  Keyboardist
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2019    
MASS SERVING AT: Sun 7p
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: I wanted to support others on their faith journeys!
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  The Summons. It challenges us to truly act on our faith and be ourselves with God. I also just love the tune!
IF RETURNING, FAVORITE MEMORY AS AN UGMM: Any time all the UGMMs pray Taizé chants together. I love using the music as a reflective space, along with being able to sing since I'm usually behind the piano!

ROLE:  Cantor
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2021
MASS SERVING AT: Wed 9p (Marycrest)
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: I have always loved to sing and my faith has been a huge part of who I am. For me it was silly not to become an UGMM. i wanted to glorify God for the gifts he gave me while also leading people closer to him and being an UGMM allows me to do that!
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY: I would have to say Cornerstone in spirit and sing. It just reminds me that God is our rock and our salvation and that no matter where we are or how far we stray we can turn to him and he will be there.

ROLE:  Cantor
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2020
MASS SERVING AT: Thurs 9p (Marianist)            
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: I became an UGMM because music is one of my favorite ways to pray and spread my faith. I came to a point where I wanted everything that I did with my life to be driven by love for God, and that included my job. The opportunity to be an UGMM provided me with a way to grow in my faith and exercise my skill as a musician, all while helping to lead others into deeper encounters with God and participation in the liturgy.
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  My favorite hymn is “O God, Beyond All Praising.” When I first heard this hymn, I felt that it was the song I wanted to sing for eternity in heaven. The tune taken from Holst’s “Jupiter” is so anointed; it’s a perfect expression of reverence, joy, and hope in the midst of trial. If the rising sun had a soundtrack, it would be this hymn.
IF RETURNING, FAVORITE MEMORY AS AN UGMM: My favorite memory as an UGMM is when we all came together for the first time after the pandemic and sang the Gloria from the Mass of St. Ann together again. There’s just nothing quite like it!

ROLE:  Cantor
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2020
MASS SERVING AT: Tues 9p (Stuart)       
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: I became an UGMM because I wanted to utilize my God-given gift of singing to help lead others in worship. Through music ministry, I recognize that music is a vehicle to encounter the presence of God and allows us to ring out praise and glory for God at a level we could not achieve on our own. As an UGMM, I get the opportunity to encourage and invite others to engage in music during worship and partake in this expressive form of prayer.
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  My favorite hymn is "Sing of the Lord's Goodness" simply because of its jovial, upbeat rhythm which makes the hymn particularly enjoyable to sing and "ring out the Lord's glory."
IF RETURNING, FAVORITE MEMORY AS AN UGMM: My favorite memory thus far as an UGMM was partaking in Taizé with the rest of the UGMM cohort. I found the experience to be spiritually moving and inspiring.

ROLE:  Keyboardist
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2019
MASS SERVING AT: Sun 9p       
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: I became an UGMM so that I could use my musical skills to support the greater UD community. It's such a privilege to hold a position of leadership in making music for UD. I love that we've created such a supportive, energetic group of musicians here on campus!
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  I have to pick the Gloria from the Mass of St. Ann. Nothing gets a group of UGMMs going quite like that mass setting, and the Gloria is specifically such a joy to play on the piano and sing. You can really feel the energy of the congregation, too, which is exactly what we are trying to foster as UGMMs!
IF RETURNING, FAVORITE MEMORY AS AN UGMM: My favorite memory is when we had All Saints' Day Mass at the 9 PM Mass in Marianist Chapel my freshman year. We had probably a dozen musicians crammed into a corner, and we made the chapel ring with our voices. It felt like there was no distinction between the choir and the congregation. It was special to be able to accompany such a passionate group that night.

ROLE:  Keyboardist
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2019
MASS SERVING AT: Sun 12p
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: I wanted to become an UGMM so I could give back to the UD community in some way. I had played music at Masses before, and the music minister I worked with recommended that I apply to this program at UD. I discovered that I really loved working with others to provide music and spiritual fulfillment at UD. I'm so happy to be part of such a unique program with such amazing musicians!
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  My favorite hymn is the Taize setting of Jubilate Deo. This song means a lot to UGMMs as it is one of the many songs we sing in our yearly UGMM retreat. It has a very simple and catchy tune that is sure to get stuck in your head. The text reminds us to "Sing joyfully to God, all the earth: serve the Lord with gladness." It is a great message for music ministers and all Christians.
IF RETURNING, FAVORITE MEMORY AS AN UGMM: My favorite memory as an UGMM was playing at Baccalaureate Mass my sophomore year. We were unable to sing at the previous year's Mass due to the pandemic, and we still had a lot of restrictions on how we were able to sing. Despite everything, the UGMMs and those that joined us filled the whole UD arena with as much sound and music as we could. It was the first time in a long time we were back together as a group, and it was a very joyful experience for all of us.

ROLE:  Keyboardist             
SEMESTER STARTED: Spring 2019
MASS SERVING AT: Sun 5p   
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: As a first-year student, I was interested in music ministry but felt that my skills were inadequate to serve properly in this role. However, a senior UGMM at the time encouraged me to apply and gave me the confidence I needed to pursue this ministry despite my fears. Being part of the UGMM program has been the most formative and transformational experience of my time at UD, giving me the grace to have confidence in the work of the Holy Spirit through me and a receptivity to Jesus’ pastoral heart in all situations.
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  My favorite hymn right now is “God, Whose Purpose Is to Kindle” set to the tune Holy Manna. The first time I remember singing this song for a large liturgy on campus, the challenging language made me almost uncomfortable - I was afraid to pray to “overcome our sinful calmness” and “sense our share of failure”. But through this challenge, I have come to love this song and the way the text has grown into a very real and authentic prayer for me. When we closed the hymn with “Lift the smallness of our vision by your own abundant life,” at Family Weekend Mass this year, I could have lived in the awe and glory of that moment forever.
IF RETURNING, FAVORITE MEMORY AS AN UGMM: Coming up with goofy group names with my Mass partners have been some of my favorite moments-some examples being TueStuCrew and Triple M Mass (MMMMass).

ROLE:  Keyboardist
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2020
MASS SERVING AT: Tues 9p (Stuart)
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: I became an UGMM because I enjoy music!
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  In the Garden. I like it because it is flowing and peaceful, and I find it comforting.
IF RETURNING, FAVORITE MEMORY AS AN UGMM: The taize service last year. We had a taize service in the middle of covid, and it really helped me to be grounded and see everyone else in the program. It helped me to feel less alone, even when everything was virtual.

ROLE:  Keyboardist
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2021
MASS SERVING AT: Thurs 9p (Marianist)                   
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: I have been involved in music ministry my whole life and I could not have thought of a better way to continue being active both in my faith, and music than being an UGMM.
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  Table of plenty is my favorite because, not only is it a blast to play, it really speaks to me about what it means to be Catholic, and the liturgy really is celebration of the feast of heaven and earth where everyone is welcome! Thinking about that just blows my mind.

ROLE:  Cantor
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2020
MASS SERVING AT: Sun 12p                              
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: Music at Mass has always had a great influence on my faith, helping me to communicate with the Lord through song. As I recognized that music elevated my prayer experience, I felt a calling towards music ministry. Music connects us as a community, united to sing our praises. It is a joy to have the opportunity to worship and grow spiritually with others. Worship is so vulnerable, and through music, we are able to be fully present and active participants in the Church.
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  My favorite hymn would be Pescador de Hombres by Cesáreo Gabarain, which I know as the polish translation, "Barka". This hymn was the favorite hymn of St. John Paul II. I heard this hymn often growing up, and I remember singing it when visiting my family in Poland. The melody is somewhat simple but the text is beautiful and prayerful. This hymn was my UGMM audition, and reminds me of our call to follow the Lord.
IF RETURNING, FAVORITE MEMORY AS AN UGMM: Last year when we did outdoor Taize under the Tent near Fitz Hall. It was late October and once the sun had set, it was so cold out, but the presence of the Holy Spirit was so evident. This was my first time praying Taize and it was extraordinarily moving. The simple form of Taize allows it to be a deeply meditative form of worship. The time we spent together praying as UGMMs brought us closer together as a community of music ministers.

ROLE:  Cantor
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2020
MASS SERVING AT: Sun 5p                     
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: Music to me is a beautiful means by which we can speak to God through prayer, and the UGMM position embodies this amazing exchange. I love being able to serve my community by leading them in songs of praise to our God.
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY: My favorite hymn is "I Am the Bread of Life" by Steve Angrisano and Tom Booth. This hymn can be sung as a duet and is one that my brother and I have played at our home parish for years, and I have wonderful memories of singing it.
IF RETURNING, FAVORITE MEMORY AS AN UGMM: My favorite memory is UGMM Camp 2021. This was the first in person UGMM Camp I got to experience and the fellowship and memories we made have been some of my favorite since becoming an UGMM!

ROLE:  Cantor
SEMESTER STARTED: Fall 2019
MASS SERVING AT: Sun 10a                           
WHY I BECAME AN UGMM: I was involved in music ministry pretty much my entire life. Being an UGMM allows me to continue the spiritual growth I have experienced as a member of a music ministry, and maybe even help some others grow along the way!
FAVORITE HYMN AND WHY:  My favorite hymn is O God Beyond All Praising. While I do sing, I am first and foremost, a trombonist and classical music geek. In my opinion it is one of the best melodies ever written, and the brass-like fanfare really appeals to me. Also, the words provide a really cool prayer which is pretty awesome! "Then hear, O gracious Savior, accept the love we bring, that we who know your favor may serve you as our king; and whether our tomorrows be filled with good or ill, we'll triumph through our sorrows and rise to bless you still: to marvel at your beauty and glory in your ways, and make a joyful duty our sacrifice of praise." It doesn't get much better than that!