DISCIPLE Newsletter: New Worship Music Leader

For Alex Schindler, music is an essential element of worship, prayer, and healing

Aside from the homily, no element of the Mass attracts as much feedback as music. It’s tempting to regard it like the soundtrack to a movie: good music adds to the action; a poor performance distracts.

But sacred music is more than a score. It’s an essential part of the liturgy, meant to help the faithful enter into worship. Just as church architecture is meant to raise our gaze to heaven, the best church music lifts our hearts along with our voices to give fitting praise to God.

“I’m very particular with song selection,” says Alex Schindler, St. Michael’s new Sunday evening Mass and worship music leader. “I always start in prayer, and practice so I’m prepared to sing without music in front of me. That way I can respond to the Holy Spirit in the moment, with the song He wants me to sing.”

Schindler, a self-described “band geek,” played saxophone and trumpet in her Louisville, Kentucky, high school. She didn’t pick up guitar or start singing until she was college.

“I never thought I could sing,” she says. “Ironically now that’s what I do the most. … I consider myself solidly ‘tradismatic’ [traditional and charismatic combined]—I’m comfortable doing chant and traditional hymns, but if there’s a song that came out yesterday that will move people to praise and worship the Lord, I’ll use it!”

Alex studied biology at Murray State University and worked in environmental education for a year before answering a call to missionary work. She joined Saint Paul’s Outreach (SPO) in 2013, living in community and sharing the gospel at the University of Minnesota. At the U, she realized she had a particular gift for leading people to Christ through music.

Since then, she has worked throughout the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, in youth ministry, music ministry, marriage and family life, and discipleship and evangelization. Alex’s musical network now spans the region thanks to personal connections with archdiocesan and parish staff and numerous priests, including Fr. Brian Park.

“I met Fr. Park at a wedding where I was singing at Charles Borromeo, then worked with him at Annunciation, leading worship at Awakening retreats and Sunday evening Masses, like I’ll be doing here at St. Michael,” she says.

In addition, Alex recently became the music specialist at St. Jude of the Lake Catholic School in Mahtomedi. She is also exploring a possible healing charism, contributing her musical gifts to our monthly Mercy Nights and to the work of the John Paul II Healing Center in Florida. 
Her family still resides in Kentucky, but she has found a spiritual home in Minnesota.

“The Lord has definitely kept me here,” Alex says. “I’ve had opportunities to leave, but He always provides a reason to stay.”

Check out Alex's music at her website, Alex Schindler Music.

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Editor's Note: For this and other stories and photos from our parish, check out the fall issue of the DISCIPLE newsletter. DISCIPLE is mailed to all registered parish households; if you aren't receiving DISCIPLE at home, call the parish office at 763-497-2745.