Music at the 2026 Institute

Announcing our 2026 Institute Music Co-Directors!

The music director selection team is please to announce that, from an incredibly talented pool of applicants, the incredible team of Matt Meyer and Francisco Ruiz have been selected.  We are excited for their vision of codirectors and share these words from their application:  

“We believe our most powerful ministry happens through collaboration. We each bring different skill sets and different backgrounds to our music and our worship planning. Working together will offer more comprehensive musical leadership than either could provide alone. We’re committed to creating an Institute choir and worship music that reflects our denomination’s diversity and welcomes different skill levels.”

Francisco Ruiz (he/him) brings an extensive background as a performer and over fifteen years of experience directing music ministries in Unitarian Universalist congregations and other denominations. He is also deeply experienced in participatory and improvisatory community singing, creating inclusive worship experiences that invite connection and collective expression. In Los Angeles, he serves as Associate Music Director for the Urban Voices Project, where he helps lead music engagement programs with communities affected by homelessness, using the power of song to foster healing, dignity, and belonging. Read Francisco’s bio here.

Matt Meyer brings twenty years as an itinerant worship leader with a mission of creating transformative worship through community singing. He has also led Sanctuary Boston, a community that centers vibrant, heart-centered, worship with participatory music, for ten years. Read more about Matt here.

The Music Team will be supported by our Worship Admin Coordinator, Camille Hatton.

Camille Hatton (no preferred pronouns) is the Consulting Project Manager of the UUA’s Virtual Hymnal Task Force. Camille is an active AUUMM member and a volunteer music coordinator for the Cape Town Unitarians in South Africa. Camille is also studying inclusive music education techniques by applying Universal Design for Learning practices to collegiate-level music theory curriculum through the University of Cape Town.