Welcome Our New Church Musician, Anne Goodreau

Anne is eager to teach and practice her philosophy of music ministry at St. Luke’s. She sees her primary purpose is to support the worship of the congregation through both singing and hearing of song. She explains that this is a spiritual experience that is best supported or delivered through technical excellence. By teaching the choir proper phrasing and breathing techniques, the congregation can experience a greater understanding of the text of the hymns and, thus, experience a more complete spiritual worship experience, on both intellectual and emotional levels.

Anne grew up in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Her father was a professional musician, playing both jazz and classical piano. She inherited her father’s musical gift. Indeed, she doesn’t remember not knowing how to read music or to play piano with two hands. Imagine! She began studying clarinet at age ten and was “ignited” by this instrument at age thirteen. She attended the University of Lowell (now UMass Lowell) as a music major and received her degree in Clarinet Performance. Anne embraces and finds worth and purpose in a wide range of musical styles, from Classical and Traditional to more contemporary Christian music.

Anne’s spiritual journey has brought her to embrace these words from the First Epistle of John to summarize her personal philosophy: “So we know and rely on the love God has for us.” When she was seventeen “and searching” she attended an Episcopal Christmas Eve service. “I never looked back.” Although she has held positions in other denominations since that time, and has become expert in many Christian traditions, including Lutheran, Baptist and Episcopal, she is very happy to have come back to the Episcopal tradition.