CUEnotes
Insights from renowned experts and clinicians focused on the needs of youth choir directors
Uvalde
Uvalde, Texas, a city of 16,000, sits 79 miles due west of the office in which I sit writing this newsletter. At this precise moment, Uvalde is the scene of the latest mass shooting, the second worst school massacre in US history. I feel darkly certain, however, that...
Where Does the World Go from Here?
The first weeks of the war in Ukraine have been horrible. From the safety of our homes and media devices, we in North America have watched in stunned disbelief as evil acts are brutally inflicted upon those who simply seek freedom from aggression and peace from...
In Choral Music and Life in America, Balance Is Absolutely Critical in Order to Achieve Beauty
A healthy life balance is something most people desire. And what’s more, most of us think we have already achieved it, whether we actually have or not. I may not be perfect, but my life’s balance is at least healthier than that of my friends, right? If it becomes...
The Beauty and Destruction of Our Words
THE BEAUTY AND DESTRUCTION OF OUR WORDS Writing this piece, I am set up with a cup of tea in my den with the television currently on low volume. It’s Inauguration Day 2021. The volume will move up and down as the morning’s events unfold. Currently, as I click the...
Regardless of Your Politics, Amanda Gorman’s Inaugural Poem Is an Inspiration for All
AMANDA GORMAN’S INAUGURAL POEM IS AN INSPIRATION FOR ALL In 2017, Amanda Gorman was named the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate. She was eighteen at the time. When the now 22-year-old was chosen to recite her poem, entitled The Hill We Climb for the Presidential...
Guiding lights transform difficult days into holy futures
Guiding lights transform difficult days into holy futures In these early days of 2021, our national leaders in science, healthcare, and politics are saying essentially the same thing about the coming weeks: The darkest and most difficult days of the COVID-19...
Making a Difference in Two Worlds
A few of still have vivid memories of what a horribly difficult year 1968 was. The Vietnam War was raging, the TET offensive killed thousands, and riots were happening on university campuses across the United States. In some cases, the spring semester of 1968 was...
A view from the International Space Station
On July 8, the New York Times’ Michael Barbaro was allowed by NASA to make a six-minute call to SpaceX astronauts Doug, Chris, and Bob who are now on the International Space Station. Michael: Where are you right now, as we are talking? Bob: Right at this moment, we’re...
SHELTER IN PLACE, MY FRIENDS … PLEASE SHELTER IN PLACE!
In mid-May, I began noticing threads on social media which have been both disturbing and heartbreaking. And the more I consider them, the more concerned I have become. For sure, we’ve all seen the horror stories on related to COVID-19 illnesses and deaths. Many of us...
Fifteen years after YouthCUE fertilized the Astro’s turf, Houston won the World Series
Watching the World Series at Minute Maid Park in October reminded me of an incident from 2002 in that very stadium.
The New Year’s gift every teenager needs
Facebook is currently abuzz with many of our choral colleagues taking in annual music conferences across the nation. Many of these gatherings are reading sessions by the hour, directors in search of fresh artistic expressions of faith and music publishers making...
Giving leadership to your students (Part 2)
One marvelous way to introduce worship leadership to your students is select a small group and allow them to cite a scripture passage together. A director with a minimum level of speech expertise can gather, rehearse, refine, and prepare a group of 3 to 5 students to...
On the Move with National Honor Choir
Summer brings opportunities for choir tours and family trips across the nation. YouthCUE, however, combines both by making a family of the students you sent to us from across our network for National Honor Choir! They came from 13 states and 2 nations with one...
Giving leadership to your students (Part 1)
At YouthCUE, we very much believe in involving our students — lots of students — in the regular, ongoing leadership of worship. We all say we believe in it, but the question is: do we actually do it? Do we, on a regular basis, do what it takes to keep students engaged...
Only One YOU!
I’m so pleased to connect my past to my present by introducing my friend Molly Shoulta Tucker to the YouthCUE network. Molly is a recent Duke Divinity grad with a passion to share the word in sermon and song. After reading her recent post about the toll stress took on...
Avoiding a Ministry Crash
Recently, we’ve seen quite a lot of media coverage, reporting, and bantering about the airline industry. Overbooking, bumping confirmed travelers, and even dragging an unwilling medical doctor down the aisle of an aircraft have all brought on disbelief, alarm,...
Eighteen choirs with 352 students converge for YouthCUE Baylor Festival 12
On February 24-26, eighteen youth choirs from Texas and Arkansas traveled to Waco, TX, for the 12th Annual YouthCUE – Baylor Festival. Over the past decade-plus, this event has become a classic. To our knowledge, this is the only annual festival in the United States...
Perception
One day last week, I was driving to my office shortly after dawn. I noticed in the eastern sky a most stunning cloud formation which seemed surreal both in color and shape. It appeared to be a perfect match for England, Scotland, and Wales (you know, the one island),...
