January 2004 CJA Network Featured Article

Jazz Pianist

Bradley Sowash

Birth of a Jazz Ministry

   By Bradley Sowash

 In the Fall of 1998, I approached a church in Columbus, Ohio with a new fund-raising concept. I was looking for a way to combine my vocation as a jazz musician with activism through a church hosted benefit concert. I'd heard that this parish had a history of outreach missions and a reputation for incorporating liturgical arts into their worship so it seemed like a likely venue.

As it turned out, they loved the idea. A date was set and we determined that the proceeds would help fulfill their commitment to B.R.E.A.D, a coalition of area churches working on local social justice issues. The church provided the performance space and a decent piano. Their promotional support included announcements in their bulletins and newsletter, posting my flyers, and plenty of healthy networking among friends and family. My contribution included playing in their Sunday morning service during communion and the offertory to introduce the congregation to my music and style. That evening, I performed a customized range of piano music from original meditative music to joyful reinterpretations of familiar hymns. I thought to myself..."my compensation lies in helping out a great cause and attracting new fans that I might never have met."

The concept worked. The first concert was successful and mutually beneficial by all accounts. A substantial turnout resulted in raising $800 for B.R.E.A.D. and the church's decision to temporarily become a concert presenter enhanced and confirmed its' visionary reputation. I was pleased that combining family entertainment with fund-raising for a deserving organization had proven to fill seats and make money. People told us they were more willing to attend the event due to the benefit factor. After the concert, I heard comments such as, "I wasn't sure I'd like this, but I thought I'd come anyway since it was for a good cause. I'm sure glad I did. What a great concert and a great idea." 

A few weeks later, they invited me to bring my music to the Sunday morning experience. Working with volunteer church musicians, a hired soloist, and a specially -created liturgy, we presented our first jazz worship service. The place was packed, we had a great time, and the church leaders decided to make it a monthly event. Now in its fifth year, these jazz worship services are often their most highly attended services. 

Through these experiences, I began to consider sharing my music in other church services and concerts. I’d found a new kind of ministry which I was interested in expanding. The word got out and I began to get calls from out of town saying, "add our name to the list of supporters who really love your music!"

When a Columbus clergyman accepted a new position in Buffalo, NY, he asked me to perform for his installation service later adding a full-scale concert. The organizer of a concert to benefit a church-based drug recovery center in Seattle inspired me to go further through warm remarks with a thank-you letter. "Our cathedral has been the site for a whole range of excellent musical presentations, and your jazz concert opened our audience to a whole new musical experience in this historical space. The quality of your work and the expression in your playing made the evening you were with us one that will be remembered and commented upon for years to come. It was truly breathtaking!” 

The support continued. A jazz worship service and benefit concert at a cathedral in Minneapolis led to these comments. "I want to thank you for everything you did and all that you brought to us last Sunday at St. Mark's -- the whole community has been absolutely floating since then... It looks like we did quite well with the fundraiser. Money's still coming in, but last I checked, at least $10,000 had come in. I hope we will be able to work together in the future. Thanks for all your willingness, openness, and for sharing your special gifts with us." Looking out from the piano for that evening’s concert, I was flattered to see that renowned jazz singer Bobby McFerrin had decided to attend. 

Today, my jazz ministries have expanded from jazz worship services and sacred concerts to include guest speaker and workshop leader appearances at church conferences. As a pianist and composer, all of this inevitably influenced my music. Seeking a musical style that combined jazz with sacred music, I set about creating new arrangements which  were eventually released on subsequent recordings with companion volumes of sheet music published by Augsburg Fortress Press.  These are just some of the blessed events I've enjoyed since beginning this concept. Church appearances now outnumber my ‘secular’ concert schedule. I'm performing more often, serving through my music and helping out good causes. It feels great!

© 2001 Bradley Sowash 
www.bradleysowash.com