Dear Foothills Community,
We are excited to announce that, after thoughtful conversation and discernment, Benjamin Hanson will return to Foothills as Choir Director in a part-time capacity.
Benjamin brings not only his musical expertise but also a deep understanding of our community and the vital role music plays in our shared life. As we prepare for the challenges of the coming year, we are confident that Benjamin’s steadiness and skill will help us continue to find strength, connection, and joy through music.
We know this news might come as a surprise, especially given Benjamin’s recent and unexpected departure as Music Director. To provide context, we want to share the process that brought us to this decision and explain how Benjamin’s new role fits into our evolving music ministry.
A Look Back: How We Got Here
Over the past six months, we have experienced significant changes in our music ministry, and we want to start by reviewing what brought us here:
- April 2024: Benjamin informed Gretchen of his decision to step down as full-time Music Director. He stated that he felt his gifts and skills would be better suited to a position that focused only on the role of choir director, without any other music direction duties. At the time, a choir-focused role wasn’t an option, as we were in the midst of a search for a full-time Music Director. Benjamin began a leave of absence at the end of May.
- May–September: During the summer, Sophia Miller provided interim music leadership, coordinating instrumentalists and leading the summer choir. Benjamin wrapped up his time with us by leading several Sundays and choir rehearsals in September and early October.
- October: When our Music Director search did not result in a hired candidate, we started to imagine new alternatives for how to move forward, informed by our experiences and feedback from many of you. We ultimately hired Sophia as our Acting Music Director in a hybrid role, utilizing a new team-based model for music. This model emphasizes collaboration and expanded opportunities for diverse music offerings. You can review our communication about this plan here. We also posted the choir director position as a key part of the team, and shared this posting out in a variety of places and across our networks.
- Early November: Sophia reached out to Benjamin to reflect on his experiences and to establish open communication. They met in person during her visit in early November. During their conversation, Benjamin expressed enthusiastic interest in the Choir Director position, reflecting that this was what he had originally hoped could be a possibility, which led to further dialogue and reflection, and, ultimately, this decision.
A Team Model for Music Ministry
Our team-based model, led by Sophia, fosters collaboration, creativity, and diversity in our music offerings. With her leadership, mentorship, and alignment with Foothills’ mission and vision, this structure allows us to leverage the unique strengths of multiple talented musicians.
This team-based structure reflects lessons learned from the past year and feedback from the congregation. By separating the roles of Choir Director and broader music ministry leadership, we’ve created a sustainable model that better meets the needs of our musicians and the community as a whole, particularly during this time of transition.
As Choir Director, Benjamin’s focus will be on:
- Leading choir rehearsals on Wednesday evenings.
- Conducting the choir on Sundays when they perform.
- Collaborating with Sophia on music selection for the choir.
He will not oversee other music programs or provide general Sunday music leadership outside of choir-specific Sundays. This clarity of focus aligns with Benjamin’s passions and skills, allowing him to step into this role with enthusiasm and readiness.
With Sophia’s leadership, Benjamin can now be a key part of our incredible music team that is filled with amazing people who love Foothills and who are committed to our mission, and to making music together: Julie Koenig, Hsin-Hsuan Lin, Melissa Monforti, Christopher Watkins Lamb, Kara Shobe, as well as the steady volunteer team member we have in Katie Stieber on percussion.
While we have had a lot of transition over the last seven years, when we reflect on this team, we see a group of people who have remained steady in their commitment to Foothills and our music ministry, even as their roles have needed adjustment to ensure they could continue to say yes. We feel so grateful!
Moving Forward
Benjamin will hold his first choir rehearsal on Wednesday, December 4th, continuing weekly through May 21st (excluding Christmas and New Year’s Day). We will reassess the position in late March 2025 to plan for the following season.
In addition, Sophia has confirmed her commitment to serving as Acting Music Director through July 2026. This will ensure consistency in our music ministry for a longer arc of time. We are currently imagining we will start the conversation about the longer term future in January 2026, applying all of the good lessons we are learning through this time to help guide our vision.
Deepening Partnership
Our music ministry thrives on collaboration and partnership —not only among our music team but also with all of you. Your voices, presence, and feedback are vital as we continue to strengthen and evolve our shared ministry. In that spirit, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Gretchen, Sophia, or Benjamin directly if you have questions or thoughts to share.
In the midst of transitions, one constant remains: the power of music to bring us together. We invite you to join us in welcoming Benjamin back and supporting this exciting new chapter for our music ministry.
With gratitude and partnership,
Rev. Gretchen Haley, Senior Minister
Sophia Miller, Acting Music Director
