CUEcast

American soprano Melissa Givens moves and excites audiences and critics alike with a rich, powerful tone, crystalline clarity, and intelligent musical interpretations. A champion for collaborative musical endeavors, Givens performs with various chamber groups, including Conspirare, the 2015 Grammy winner for Best Choral Performance. In today's episode, Melissa and Randy will discuss the role of the arts in the journey towards social justice and racial equality.

Veteran minister of music and youth choir director Sid Davis (St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Houston) discusses the principles which have built his youth choir dynasty through the decades. As Sid continues to work closely with his students, the foundation being laid in their lives today is as powerful (or perhaps even more powerful) than twenty or thirty years ago. Listen in on this joyful conversation between Sid and Randy; by doing so, we will gain insights into how Sid has remained passionate, relevant, and vital in his innovative work with students.

In this episode, Randy and three high schoolers discuss the importance of words. We'll dialogue about verbal affirmation, encouraging rhetoric, trash talk, and genuine ways of expressing openness and friendship with those we are meeting for the first time. The insights shared by these high schoolers will provide guidance for us leaders as we engage in communication with today's teenagers, both in the choral environment and interpersonally.

Dana Effler is Director of Music and Arts Ministries at First United Methodist Church in downtown Dallas. While she gives overall leadership to the church's diverse and robust music ministry, Dana also directs seventh though twelfth graders in The Variations Youth Choir. In today's episode, we will hear how Dana and her husband, Tim, (who is also organist at First Methodist) are navigating ministry and continuing to make choral music with the students they lead.

Dr. Carey Cannon recalls his four-year experience singing in the US Army Chorus stationed outside Washington, D.C. Carey relates several experiences serving in the Nation's Capital post-9-11 and how those experiences are eerily similar to recent events at the Capitol Building. Now, two decades later, Carey describes how his ministry at South Main Baptist Church in Houston is still very much about musical diplomacy. Don't miss this most interesting, colorful and timely episode.

Longtime friends and ministerial colleagues Robert Guffey and Randy Edwards discuss the calming, uniting, and encouraging qualities of music in their congregations today. Whether in Roanoke (Robert) or San Antonio (Randy), both ministers have learned over the decades to celebrate the rich miracle of music, particularly during challenging or dark times.

Family counselor and Nashville minister Weslee Hill returns to CUEcast with an episode encouraging choral musicians to lean into our art as we face difficult times. In this interview, Randy discusses with Weslee what happens when we engage the many colors of choral music to actually address our deepest feelings and emotions rather than skipping and bouncing over them with only "happy music." This is a fascinating conversation which has vast implications for our ministry with teenagers.

Emily Current Floyd has been busy during the pandemic. Aside from keeping up with her ongoing and creative programming at Shallowford Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Emily has just completed a great new resource published by Choristers Guild. HOW CAN WE KEEP FROM SINGING is a collection of "ten virtual rehearsal plans for youth and adult choirs to nurture faith and to sing God's praise." In this episode, we'll talk choral music and how this exciting new resource came to be.

To begin 2021, Randy provides insights into the power of our "favorite things." As you might guess, the illustrative material will include "My Favorite Things" from THE SOUND OF MUSIC. But don't expect this to be an episode of sugar coating, playing the glad game, or living in an aloof reality. To the contrary, we will discuss the profound strength and dynamic power of concentrating on our life-changing, life-giving, life-transforming memories which can guide us confidently into our uncertain and challenging futures.

For months -- which feels like years -- student choir directors have been searching high and low for something meaningful we can provide our students to help them feel connected, energized, and engaged in music making and community building. In this episode of CUEcast, Randy discusses the concepts behind V21 (YouthCUE's original virtual festival) and how it will minister to dozens of choirs and hundreds of students in the late spring of 2021. Listen in and see how you and your students can engage and participate. V21 is quite an intriguing concert, and most surprisingly, it will be an easy win for directors and students alike!