Church Music | Dr. Jeffrey Blersch

In this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, Elizabeth Pittman is joined by co-host Peter Reske, CPH Senior Editor of Music/Worship. The duo hosts together to interview Dr. Jeffrey Blersch, professor of music at Concordia University Nebraska, and discuss all things church music, composition, and more. 

Check out Dr. Blersch’s compositions with CPH at cph.org.

Show Notes

Listen to the episode now as Elizabeth and Peter discuss all things church music with Dr. Jeffrey Blersch. Dr. Blersch shares his background in church music, going back to when he was just eight years old, and his long career as a church musician, composer, and professor. Dr. Blersch also gives advice for students aspiring to be church musicians and majoring in music and shares some of his experiences as an educator and why it has influenced his work throughout the years. 

Questions

· Share your musical background and how you got started playing the organ.

·What does your compositional process look like? Do you write at your desk? Piano? Organ?

·What’s your favorite medium to compose for? Organ? Choir? Instruments? Piano?

· If someone aspires to be a church musician/music major, what would you tell them to get started on that path and what it is like to go into those careers?

·Share some of your experiences as an educator that have influenced you and why they did.

·What do you enjoy about composing music?

·Tell us about some of your most recent publications and what inspired you to bring them to life.

About the Guest
 
Jeffrey Blersch is an associate professor of music and the university organist at Concordia University Nebraska, where he teaches all things organ. He is a working church musician and serves as organist and choral director for Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Staplehurst, Nebraska, but he still performs across the United States as a recitalist and a guest organist at hymn festivals. Inspired by his strong background in music, Jeffrey composes numerous organ and choral works with more than one hundred of his pieces published through Concordia Publishing House. His wife, Carla, is also an organist, and together they have three children: Aaron, Ryan, and Jenna.