Fall 2021 08 On July 13, 2021, Cedarville University was excited to announce that Matt Papa will serve as the Artist-In-Residence for the coming school year. Cedarville students had the opportunity to hear him speak and sing in chapel, teach in certain classes and even interact with him personally. Papa is a two-time Dove-award nominated Christian music artist and songwriter. He is best known for his recent songs “His Mercy is More,” “Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery” and “Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor,” which he co-wrote with Matt Boswell. These modern hymns reflect what Papa described as his mission: “To write songs that are singable, beautiful and timeless.” Assistant Chair of Worship and Associate Professor of Worship, Roger O’Neel said that this is something that the Music Department has been looking forward to for “quite some time.” “Having Matt on campus when he can be to teach classes or to hang out with our students or perform–it’s just very meaningful, because it’s one thing to sing someone’s song, but it’s another thing to get to know the person behind the song,” O’Neel said. Cedarville University is dedicated to providing its students with relevant instruction that prepares them for their chosen career. Having an artist-in-residence is just one opportunity to allow the Worship majors to develop their personal and professional skills. In addition to his role on campus, Papa provides information about Cedarville at his concerts and on his website, mattpapa.com. O’Neel says that this also is a great opportunity for people to hear about the wonderful programs that Cedarville offers its students to learn and grow both inside and outside of the classroom. This year, Papa will be a guest lecturer in at least three classes for Worship majors. He will feature as both a performer and worship leader during the Worship 4:24 conference on January 28-29, 2022, and he will lead a one-day songwriting seminar on March 19, 2022, which will be open to the public. The chance that students have to learn from his experience reaches beyond the classroom and extends to chapels, concerts and rehearsals. O’Neel said, “To have our students see him in multiple contexts, I think, is a real benefit to having an artMATT PAPA Papa Uses His Talents to Pour into Cedarville Students by Kathryn McDonald
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