CUEnotes
YouthCUE's blog on topics of youth choir ministry, leadership and professional well-being
The Next Generation–An Interview with Leslyn Jacks
A few months ago I began a continuing series on the next generation of youth choir directors. This week I continue with an interview with Leslyn Jacks, Tallowood's junior high choir director. In addition to the interview, I also attended one of the...
Stay Awake and Boogie! Retreat
March Greetings! Spring is on it's way. I know it can be hard to look ahead to plan for the fall but school and parent calendars are always 6 to 9 months ahead so we have to be as well. With that in mind, are you looking for an out-of-the-box beginning of the year...
Overheard at “Come to the Water”
In January I had the incredible privilege of attending two YouthCUE events. The first you read about in a previous posting. That one was in California, the other one was in Florida. Both were excellent and both offered me some wonderful insights from my...
Come to the Water CueTALK
At the recent gathering of some YouthCUE directors in Newport Beach we were all asked to prepare a 6 minute CueTALK. Here is mine! The App on my phone says Lazy CD Free. The CD is for "countdown". Today, the number in the square is 486. The countdown? It started on...
Building community through giving back!
I have a good friend who teaches at the high school level.She is the drama and forensic (speech and oral interp) coach.T., as I will call her, has an outstanding speech/oral interp program as evidenced by qualifying a dozen or so students for the National...
Choral Techniques – Energizing the Rehearsal
Friends, it is good to be back with you on our online community. My teaching schedule this semester has been unusually hectic, but it involved teaching one of my courses: “Choral Techniques.” This has been a really fun class to teach because it deals with the...
You and I can help end gun violence at the break of every day
Dear Friends, The following is one believer's response to gun violence in the United States. I speak for no one else, and I claim no authority other than my own conscience and compelling desire to be a lover of God and a helpful citizen. It is safe to assume...
Lessons from Geese – Part 2
I don’t know how you feel about the fall season, but for me, living in South Dakota in the fall can be delightful for many reasons. Not only does the weather provide us with warm days and crisp, cool nights, the smell of harvested grains as you drive by a dried...
The Next Generation–an interview with Joel Winters
First, Some Background Two years ago Tallowood was looking to fill our Worship Associate position. This person gives leadership to the two contemporary services that we have as well as other duties. Since I am retiring from my position in 2017, I was...
Helping students find steadiness amidst complexity
Early in my career as a conductor, I learned something important about syncopation in music. The more syncopated and complex the rhythmic structure of a musical passage, the more important it is that the conductor, percussionists, accompanists, everyone, simplify the...
