Spotlight on Michael Carney, Music Director
by Maureen Sposato  
                       
Father Barry has appointed Michael Carney to be the new Music Director at St. Patrick, effective mid-October. Michael was born and raised in Belchertown, Massachusetts, and has recently moved to Enfield to be closer to his new job.

He attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he received a BA in Music Education and BS in Computer Systems Engineering. He also currently works full-time as a music teacher at Glenbrook Middle School in Longmeadow, MA.  He spent three years at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Longmeadow, and has played at the University of Massachusetts Newman Center and other parishes. In addition to the piano and organ, he plays the trumpet and sings. 

He has been playing in Catholic churches since he was in middle school.  “My piano teacher introduced me to music at the Mass by inviting me to play one or two selections per service.  It was just enough to be manageable for me and fascinate me.  I got hooked from there and never looked back,” he says. 

Father Barry has an enthusiastic agenda for the new music director. “It is essential that we have three choirs: adult, children’s, and young person’s, as well as a teen instrumental group. We have a lot of talent in this parish,” he explains. 

Michael is up to the task. He has many “liturgical music dreams” that he would like to see take place at St. Patrick.  “I want to have very welcoming, enthusiastic, and highly artistic choirs.  I want to invite those who have sung in choirs before, and those who have not.  I want to encourage the instrumentalists sitting in the congregation to pull out their instruments.  Most important, I want our music program to play an active role in the liturgy,” he says.  He would also like to have a couple of concerts each year and is excited that Hartford is, musically speaking, an impressively connected area.

He also loves to go on adventures. “Whether it be hiking ‘The Way’ pilgrimage in Spain, or attending World Youth Day, I feel there is always room for bringing exciting experiences into your life,” he says.