CUEnotes
YouthCUE's blog on topics of youth choir ministry, leadership and professional well-being
Things I miss…
For the first time in ten years I did not lead a student choir on tour. Surprisingly, this realization did not hit me until I started receiving updates from my previous church regarding their preparations for their upcoming summer tour. For most of this year, my...
Body, Mind, Spirit, Voice…on the road
"Body, mind, spirit, voice--it takes the whole person to sing and rejoice."...
It’s about time!
Time…the great equalizer. We have all been given 24 hours in a day. The difference between all of us is how we use those precious hours. The position of music minister and/or choral director requires a keen sense of time. We are bound by the clock, whether it is...
The Recruitment Game
The fall of 2014 we are bringing back a great tool for recruiting new choir members. The Recruitment Game. Here is how it works. In September we will have regular choir registration for a couple of weeks. You will always have those kids who can...
Change it up…
I Hear :: I Forget // I See :: I Remember // I Do :: I Understand -Chinese Proverb This pedagogical tool is commonly known in educational circles as one of the most basic and foundational principles linked to student...
Your “Big Event” CAN Be a Rehearsal Time “Black Hole”
The closer you get to your annual Big Event—whether that is a choir tour or mission tour or some other big event— that is the exact time when rehearsal time is at a premium. At the same time you should be learning notes and phrasing you are having to answer...
Talking is Not (necessarily) Communicating
For years at Roundtable Conferences all over the country I have heard Randy Edwards say that talking is the most OVER-utilized form of communication in a choir rehearsal and that print media is one of the least utilized. I can’t agree more. Once I...
Creative Communication and Your Student Choir
I am excited to host this new blog on the YouthCUE website. Each month in this blog we will look at creative ways to interact with students and parents about choirs and their ministry. However, this will always be a dialog, so please feel free to make...
A New Logo for a New Chapter
Up until a few weeks ago, YouthCUE's logo had been the same since our pilot project was launched from Shreveport, Louisiana, in November, 1989 (was that really 24 years ago?). The cursive "youth" followed by a more stable "CUE" (all caps) with no space between became...
My Father’s World …
We are now into our second day of rehearsals for Labor Day at the Cathedral. Special guest, composer Craig Courtney, is doing an amazing job rehearsing and conducting his part of the program! In this particular concert, we are using three diverse...
