CUEnotes
YouthCUE's blog on topics of youth choir ministry, leadership and professional well-being
An expansive mission field for student choirs
From well before the establishment of YouthCUE in 1990, it has been obvious that there are numerous natural connections bridging youth choirs and senior adult care facilities. It has always been this way since the early days of my ministry in the 1970s and, now, at...
The necessity of new youth choir models
Last weekend was a busy time for YouthCUE's San Antonio Youth Chorale (SAYC). Our first rehearsal of 2017 was held on the afternoon of January 15, and then we turned around the next day on the Monday MLK Holiday and held a four-hour retreat. On Sunday, the singers and...
Amidst election vitriol, this is music to our ears
Amidst the vitriol and verbal violence of this year's election cycle comes the voice of an angel singing in the shower. It is a celestial melody; it is salve for our wounded ears and balm for our weary...
Bubble Gum Challenge
I hope your fall is off to a great start with your choir(s). There are new singers in your group and many veterans as well. Time to mix them up a bit so they can get to know each other a little better. Singing in a choir for young people is, first and foremost, all...
The Heartbeat of Youth Choir
This past July I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Baylor University's Alleluia Conference for church musicians AND speak on Youth Choir related topics. I was so excited and humbled to have this chance. There were so many wonderful people in attendance and at...
“Knowing a person is like music…
what attracts us to them is their melody, and as we get to know who they are, we learn about the harmony, rhythm and lyric that makes them unique."As you begin to plan for your fall and the anticipation of working with new singers in your choirs, it's important that...
The Little Things can be HUGE!
The Little Things can be HUGE! In the third installment of the "last" mission trip we will hit on some relatively small things that help to make the tour run more smoothly. Some of these things you have likely done yourself, but if they are new to you, you might give...
“You don’t get harmony when everybody sings the same note.”Doug Floyd
Several years ago my good friend and colleague, Melanie, decided to start a Festival of Choirs, an international high school choral festival, at The American International School of Muscat, Oman (TAISM). www.taism.com The country of Oman is located near the Persian...
Choir Tour–the BEST money you will spend!
One thing that is CERTAIN on the upcoming choir tour to Grand Rapids and Chicago is this: EVERYDAY there will be surprises! Every single day something unexpected will happen. The reason that I know this is because it has happened JUST like that for the last 34...
The PERFECT Fund Raiser
The Perfect Fund Raiser. This is the first of a series on the last choir tour. It is somewhat of a retrospective on 35 years of choir touring with some added things about the planning for the current tour. I hope this series will be helpful to you. We are...
