Chapel bands and Heartsong unite for worship 

By Maggie Fipps

“We don’t exist to play really good music at 10 a.m., we exist to help people remember and respond to Jesus,” said Ashlynn Robinette, the assistant director for chapel music and Heartsong ministries. 

Robinette started this new role in her 11th year at Cedarville, a shift that occurred after Jim Cato, associate vice president for Christian ministries, retired at the end of last year. Robinette also played on Heartsong and chapel bands as a Cedarville student, which she said gave her a unique perspective on the ministries. 

“We’re doing a lot of the same things, Heartsong and chapel bands, just in different contexts,” Robinette said. “I also think I’m in a unique role to be able to bring those things together because I can see the shared experiences. I can see what trainings would be beneficial to happen together.”

This year, Robinette will create ‘sister teams’ within Heartsong and chapel bands. For years, Heartsong travel teams have gone by color names, orange, red, green and blue. Now, chapel bands will also go by these colors. 

“Part of that is just to remind us all that we are stewards of something,” Robinette said. “Even our leaders keep that perspective, this is not Jaden Martin’s band and Jayden Martin gets to decide whatever he wants to do. No, you’re on chapel band orange and the vision for this is set. You’re helping us then execute and steward these opportunities.”

She said she also envisions all-team trainings where both Heartsong Orange and chapel band Orange will meet together and discuss teaching. This unity presents opportunities for musical and spiritual growth. 

“I think that’s the thing that Satan can use in musician’s lives,” Robinette said. “‘[He says] ‘You can do this better alone.’ I don’t think you can. I think you need other people in your life to help you identify what your strengths and weaknesses are, what to work on and how to get better.”

Robinette said she loves the potential music has to bring students together.

“We were meant to live in community and playing music together has the potential to automatically unify us if we’re not all playing in our own little world,” Robinette said. 

Her vision for chapel bands and Heartsong extends beyond ministry within the team and on the stage, but to the campus community. 

“We’ve always talked about ‘impress from a distance, impact up close,’” Robinette said. “I think that translates right over to chapel bands, like they can be musically impressive from a distance but real impact, they have to recognize, comes up close when you’re sitting across from somebody in Chucks.”

Robinette hopes to have a personal impact on all the students in Heartsong and chapel bands.

“I have 32 people every year that I get to equip and to send out to the local church, and now that’s doubled,” Robinette said. “I get to make sure that there are 60 plus people who know Jesus, who love Jesus, who are passionate about music, who are excellent musicians and who are equipped to be some of the best music volunteers in the local church.”

In this process, Cato’s legacy of excellence in chapel bands and Heartsong will continue with their new mission statement. 

“Chapel bands exist to help the Cedarville chapel community remember and respond to the good news about Jesus,” Robinette said. “Our time of singing together hopefully is geared towards helping us remember who Jesus is, and then respond with joy, respond with repentance, respond to the fact that Jesus is here with us, restoring us, redeeming us, saving us and bringing us into more likeness of him.”

Maggie Fipps is a senior Journalism student and the Editor in Chief of Cedars. She enjoys playing the piano and thrifting, and you may spot her around campus sporting Packers gear head to toe.

Photos by Logan Howard and Scott Huck