CUEcast

In 1998, university student Holly Lee began a community student choir in Dunkirk, MD, forty miles southeast of Washington, DC. Over the past twenty-two years, Voices in Praise (VIP) has grown, developed, and instilled crucial values in the students who participate. As VIP has deepened and strengthened, so has Holly, and ministry to her students is just as joyful and passionate as ever. This episode will explore the motivation and inspiration of Holly's VIP programming and ministry.

C. L. Bass is a consummate musical craftsman and a world-class artist of choral and orchestral expression and nuance. Those who know Dr. Bass best appreciate him not only for his artistry but also for being a highly approachable human being, a kind advocate, and a loyal friend. As we go deeper into the dedication of this servant-musician, there is much to learn from the vocational commitment of this creator of musical beauty. Not only is he a teacher second to none; he is also himself a student and a life-long learner.

Over the past twenty-five years, retired church music professor and composer C. L. Bass has produced an abundance of musical resources for YouthCUE Festivals held throughout the United States and Canada. In the first of this two-part interview, Dr. Bass speaks about his primary years of musical discovery and how important personal relationships were to his early musical growth. A music educator par excellence, the informal conversation with C. L. provides powerful insights for us student choir directors as well as the teenagers we direct.

Last September's LOOK AT THE WORLD concerts gathered a wide array of talent combined for the purpose of communicating something positive to the San Antonio and Shreveport communities. We believe our listeners will enjoy and learn a great deal from the conversation between featured artists David Portillo, Angelique Feaster Evans, and Walker Burroughs. This extraordinary trio of artists explore the subject matter and themes of the concert while reflecting on their personal experiences working together.

SAYC singers James Mack, Hope Berry, Noah Upton, and Amy Mack have each had unique though somewhat similar experiences singing as part of the LOOK AT THE WORLD mass choirs accompanied by full orchestras. We'll take a look at not only their musical experiences surrounding these concerts, but also how the larger experience of singing together has impacted their lives for the better.

YouthCUE's LOOK AT THE WORLD audiences over the past two years have been mesmerized and greatly moved by Angelique's evocative performances. A highly versatile actress and director of theater, Ms. Evans is especially skilled in the oratory of poetry with musical underlay. Today, listeners will get a glimpse into the background, life, commitment, talent, and vocation of an extraordinary professional who understands the teaching process and what it takes to raise up a new generation of artists.

This time a year ago, twenty-one-year-old Walker Burroughs began a months-long process of auditioning and being chosen as a finalist in the 2019 season of American Idol. The challenge was quite a ride for this young Birmingham native who is a music education major at Belmont Univerity in Nashville. In this episode of CUEcast, Walker encourages students and directors alike to set their sights high and to become all that God has created us to be

Four SAYC students—Pierce Haddad, Grace Mack, Laura Ramirez, and Shep Berry—tell us their stories about how they found their ways into the San Antonio Youth Chorale. Each has a very different story, and each had to overcome a sense of insecurity in order to become a part. However, each student is now heavily invested in the SAYC concept and are helping younger students to find their places as well.

In this episode, Metropolitan Opera tenor David Portillo discusses his youth choir friendships and how the experiences of singing choral music as a child and teenager shaped his passion, his work ethic, and his joy for his vocation. David's love for the art goes beyond just world-class musicianship; it also is a major driving force behind his desire to enrich the faith community and to be a peacemaker throughout the world.

In the first of a two-part interview with YouthCUE alumnus and Metropolitan Opera Tenor David Portillo, host Randy Edwards asks David to tell the stories of his time growing up in church, singing in school choir, and embarking onto his challenging path as a professional operatic singer. David provides unique insights for directors who lead gifted singers as well as average musicians who stand to benefit a great deal from the involvement in choral singing.