CUEnotes
Insights from renowned experts and clinicians focused on the needs of youth choir directors“The one thing that kept our family together was the music.” Dennis Wilson
I found a motivating article in the September issue of the ACDA Choral Journal. Under Repertoire & Standards section of the magazine there is an article written by Maura Underwood called “Raising a Family: A Six-Step Guide to Recruiting for High School...
“The rain begins with single drop.” Manal al-Sharif
Here’s an idea that can be used as an on-going community builder for your choir. I call it “Raindrops”. You'll need a bulletin board or tag board(s) large enough to place a small envelope for each person in your choir onto the board. I use small...
“Life isn’t always about surviving storms but sometimes learning to dance in the rain.” V. Mack
constructive and affirming energy to flow through your room once the activity is completed. I call this activity Affirmations. I end my fall retreat with this activity and then from time to time, I will end a rehearsal with this activity. On retreat,...
“If there is no harmony in your life, try changing your tune.” BullyMovie
choir but in their daily lives as well. The Color Personality Assessment is used to assist singers in understanding how their perspective affects relationships, how it affects communication and working with others. There are many personality assessments out there...
“Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.” – Jane Goodall
also consider planning a fall retreat with your singers. Whether you plan a one-day get together or a weekend getaway, this one accomplishment can set your singers on the path to a successful year. Now I don’t want you think that you can’t be successful...
“Creativity is putting your imagination to work, and it’s produced the most extraordinary results in human culture.” Ken Robinson
story especially after an grueling rehearsal when the singers express frustration at my request to “give more of themselves to make the music come alive.” This is a true story of a man with a disability who makes wonderful music all his life. But what...
“Surround yourself with people who make you hungry for life, touch your heart, and nourish your soul.” – Unknown
The first activity is called Essence Circle. Everyone sits in a circle and puts their name into a box in the middle of the circle. The person that begins chooses a name to describe but does...
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
If you have officers or section leaders, allow them to meet with you to plan or if you want you can turn the planning completely over to the choir leadership. Just make sure you give those singers your criteria for the party. From experience, I have found...
Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life! Albert Einstein
forward to spending time with family and friends this summer. If you take your choir on tour, have fun making music. Those of you that travel with your singers know and understand the camaraderie between singers that happens during tour. It’s an important...
“Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten” David Ogden Stiers
During our retreat, I break my choir into “families” and we use these families throughout the choir year. I explain to the singers that they will join a choir family and how much fun it will be having choir brothers and sisters. Before we break into...
“Kindness is for all times in all situations not just when it suits you.” Audray Landrum
Finding-Common-Bonds.pdf Importance and goals of a choir retreat; “How to” on planning your retreat; The different levels in building community: Level 1 – getting to know you Level 2 - in-depth discover exercise Level 3 – goal setting/commitment...
It’s all about relationships.
Relationships can be difficult to nurture and nourish if we only see students on Sunday mornings, afternoons, or Wednesday evenings. We, as directors/ministers, have to make time during the week to invest in relationships with students and ministry volunteers....
“NO ACT OF KINDNESS, HOWEVER SMALL, IS EVER WASTED.” Aesop
towards a level of trust within that community. When placing students into small groups for Level 2 group building, I am more purposeful in choosing who belongs in each group. I call them family groups and use those small family groups when participating...
“If you can laugh together, you can work together” Robert Orben
activities get your singers moving around and interacting with each other. Please join in the fun or if you decide only to observe, make sure you are on camera duty. (Posting pictures from the retreat in your rehearsal room and on your web site/social...
“Up Is Never Where You Are Now” Belansco & Stayer
As I stated in a previous writing, I bring helpers/chaperones/section leaders with me to assist in facilitating the retreats. I believe singers sometimes have "director deafness" so I try to mix it up a bit by bringing in a...
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” Henry Ford
The “Nuts and Bolts” of a choir retreat - Planning 101 As you plan a retreat, it’s important you know the purpose of this retreat. What is it you want singers to accomplish? Do you want your singers - *** to get a jump...
“Wearing the same shirts doesn’t make a team.” Buchholtz & Roth
I am a music educator born and raised in South Dakota. (Now, I could have some fun and deviate for a bit to talk about all the South Dakota stereotypes that are out there but we can save that for another time… J For the past 34...
