Music Ministry Institute

A SECOND LEVEL SCHOOL AT YWAM MONTANA

Music Ministry Institute.

The Music Ministry Institute (MMI) is a secondary-level program designed to equip Christian musicians for a life in music ministry. We do this through our 3 core classes:

Spiritual Development: Deepening our foundations as followers of Jesus, as well as providing a basis for engagement with culture and the arts.

Technology: Providing a broad understanding of various technologies that are needed for a career in the music industry.

Musicianship: Training in music theory, band dynamics & songwriting as well as further development of personal instrument skills.

Whether you feel called to work in the Church or want to represent Jesus in the secular music industry, the heart of the MMI is to prepare you spiritually and technically for a life of fruitful ministry using your music.

MMI is a four-month program consisting of a Lecture Phase (three months) and an Outreach Phase (one month).

Development.

Nature & Character of God
Spiritual Disciplines
Arts & Culture
Biblical Sexuality
Church History Overview
Missions & Evangelism
Identity as an Artist”

Technology.

Audio Systems Overview
Mixing Principles
EQ & Compression
Stage Lighting & Design
Developing a Live Set
Recording Environments
Digital Audio Certification

Musicianship.

Music Theory
Ear Training
Music History & Appreciation
Band Dynamics
Songwriting & Production
Personal Skill Development
Performance Evaluation

Meet Your School Leaders.

Mark McDowell
Canadian
Mark McDowell did his DTS at YWAM Montana in 1995. A Canadian, he is originally from Toronto, ON, but grew up on the mission field in Nigeria. He has been with YWAM at a variety of locations since 1992. Mark and his wife Priscilla currently serve as leaders of the Music Dept. With an extensive background as both a touring drummer and a production manager, Mark has a heart to see artists equipped with a solid biblical foundation of belief, as well as the tools they need to create art which shifts culture and furthers God’s Kingdom.
Priscilla McDowell
Colorado
Priscilla is from Colorado and has been working with YWAM in multiple locations since she was 14. She did her DTS in Maui, HI in 1999. She and her husband Mark have been on staff with the Music Department at YWAM Montana since 2017. They stepped into the leadership of the department in January 2021. She loves how God uses music and art as a way to open doors to share the gospel in any setting. It breaks through the barriers of culture and language and communicates the heart of God, who is the ultimate artist and creator. She is also passionate about worship and desires to show people how true worship can change hearts and lives by bringing them into the presence of the Almighty and face to face with Jesus.
Johnny Marsicovetere
Upstate New York
Johnny is originally from upstate New York. He has been in YWAM for about five years. He did his DTS at the Lakeside, Montana base in 2013. After staffing with the SBS in Lakeside for several years (2015-2018), he began working with the Music Department and the Music Ministry Institute (MMI). He believes music to be one of the most powerful mediums for the conveyance of ideas and desires to see hearts changed when exposed to the beauty of God through it.
Deanna Fraats
California
Deanna is from the central coast of California. She did her DTS in Newcastle, Australia in 2014 and has been serving in the Music Department with YWAM Montana since the fall of 2020. She previously spent time here in YWAM Montana doing the School of Biblical Studies (2018), as well as the Music Ministry Institute (2020). She loves how music portrays the beauty of God while bridging and shaping cultures. She wants to see artists become steadfast in their faith and powerful in their creativity in order to show God to the world.
Izzy Scott
England
Izzy is originally from England. She did her DTS in Liverpool in 1992. She and her husband Ben joined YWAM Montana in 2020 after staffing most recently at YWAM Arctic Mercy, Homer, Alaska. She has worked with YWAM in multiple locations and has extensive experience performing in bands and worship teams in many contexts and countries. Izzy loves seeing the beauty of the Lord and the message of the gospel expressed creatively through music and the arts in general. She also has a heart to encourage younger artists in their creativity and their walk with God so they can be all He created them to be.

An Inspirational Vid!

Join the Music Ministry Institute and get inspired, equiped and ready to go in the beautiful country of Montana Lakeside!

What our students say.

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Resources

YWAM Montana Lakeside