Diocesan director of music takes on new role with NPM

BEACON PHOTO | RICH GIGLI

NATIONAL POST  Preston Dibble, diocesan music director and director of the Diocesan Choir since 2013, accepted a newly created position of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) at the beginning of the year: chairperson of national programs and certification forum. Dibble is pictured directing the music at the Mass for the re-dedication of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson, on June 24, 2017.

PATERSON  Once again, Preston Dibble, diocesan director of music and the Diocesan Choir since 2013, has stepped onto a larger stage as an active member of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM). This time, he accepted a newly created position: chairperson of national programs and certification forum — the result of a recent total overhaul of the structure of NPM’s volunteer leadership.

Appointed to the NPM post in January, Dibble wants to bring the enthusiasm of national changes to the Church of Paterson, where plans to revitalize the now-dormant Diocese’s NPM chapter, for which he serves as chapter director. In the fall, he plans to launch a membership drive to attract local Catholic liturgical musicians and cantors and offer them new training and enrichment programs, as ways that they can “recharge themselves” musically, mentally, and spirituality.

“I’m excited and passionate about this [NPM national] work. I was happy when the NPM board of directors asked me to take the position. I gladly accepted,” said Dibble, who is serving a two-year term, which is renewable twice. He picked up the tempo of his activities last month, when he led two committees of 25 volunteers and NPM staff in making their programing and certification plans a reality at its 44th annual convention in New Orleans July 27–30. “I want to harness the energy at the national level as a springboard to the diocesan level to help support our music ministers,” he said.

In the fall, Dibble plans to re-energize the diocesan NPM chapter by inviting local musicians, cantors, and parish clergy to join the national NPM, which automatically will enroll them in the local group. The local chapter will start holding frequent meetings, performances by members, and workshops or formation days, Dibble said.

These workshops will be the result of either collaborations among neighboring parishes or a partnership between the chapter and the Office of Worship in St. Paul Inside the Walls: the Diocesan Center for Evangelization in Madison. Dibble works with Father Jared Brogan, director of the Office of Worship, in planning annual diocesan liturgies throughout the year.

“We want to get the diocesan chapter active again to serve our local pastoral musicians,” said Dibble. “We want to provide formation — information, nourishment, and fellowship — to the formers. They provide formation to the people,” he said.

In turn, Father Brogan told The Beacon recently, “Preston’s new post at NPM is a great resource for the music directors in the Diocese and makes the Diocese more credible nationally.

“Liturgical music — like preaching — is a huge part of evangelization, because it enhances worship. Sacred music is worship,” said Father Brogan, who also wants to encourage the pastors of the Diocese to get involved in NPM. “Local pastoral musicians will receive professional development and opportunities to network — all to advance the cause of liturgical music,” he said.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops charters NPM. The organization provides members with a mix of weekly online programs, digital and print publications, and other resources — depending on their membership level, Dibble said.

Dibble calls his new role as chairperson of NPM’s national programs and certification forum “complex.” That’s because it requires him to bring “under one tent” many different areas of certification in NPM — the process by which music or choir directors, singers, and instrumental musicians can hone their crafts further. He is charged with providing “an entirely new arm of the volunteer leadership to collaborate with NPM staff to ensure that our programming is of the highest quality and fulfills NPM's policies.” Previously, paid NPM staff worked on programing and certification more exclusively, Dibble said.

The results of a two-year survey prompted NPM to consolidate former national committees and groups that specialize in particular interests into eight new “forums,” including Dibble’s programs and certification forum.

In the past, Dibble sat on NPM’s National Council and served as chairperson of NPM’s National Publications Committee. He also served as chairperson of the Interest Section for Organists, which advises programming for conventions, oversees certification programs, and acted as a liaison with the American Guild of Organists. In 2017, Dibble received the Member of the Year Award from NPM’s Director of Music Ministries Division.

Dibble’s work on the national level will provide NPM with programming throughout the year at the conventions, including workshops, presentations, and concerts by members. In June, he and his team offered a virtual workshop on the upcoming needs in music ministry, as a precursor to the national convention’s offerings.

At the regional level, NPM provides Skill-Builder Institutes for instrumentalists and for choir directors. In addition, NPM offers certification for organists, pianists, and cantors, Dibble said.

“Certification enables musicians and cantors to build their skills by showing where they are: at beginner, intermediate, or advanced,” said Dibble, noting that candidates demonstrate their abilities with a performance and at a higher level, with a written exam.

Praise for Dibble came from Jeremy Helmes, chairman of NPM’s Board of Directors, who said, “Preston has long been a leader within the association, but also within the Church of the United States. I’m grateful for his contributions to NPM’s many programs and our certificate programs, both of which will enable future leaders in music ministry to better serve the Church.” [ Information: npm.org or

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