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Ways to Praise: Words that Inspire, Encourage, and Motivate

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Ways to Praise: Words that Inspire, Encourage, and Motivate

Have you ever thought about how you give praise and offer encouraging words? Is there a way to do this that promotes learning?

How can we use our words to foster the development of intrinsic motivation and a positive self-image in those we teach?

Think of a time when someone praised you for something you achieved or shared a word of encouragement. How did it make you feel? What do you remember about those moments?

Maybe you remember feeling appreciated or valued.
Maybe those words inspired you to keep going, to learn more, to challenge yourself to achieve greater things.
Maybe you remember feeling special and proud of yourself.

Praise is a powerful tool and one that we as educators can use to equip and empower those we teach to be the best they can be.

10 Icebreakers Your Adult Choir Will Love

10 Icebreakers Your Adult Choir Will Love

Looking for a fun, creative way to start the choir year? Consider hosting a kick-off party or retreat.

This is a time to celebrate the start of a new season, welcome both returning and new members, and get a head start on all the music you have picked out for the months ahead (P.S. Christmas is only 19 weeks away!).

Whether you’re hosting a full-day retreat, a Saturday morning workshop, or extending your first midweek rehearsal (perhaps with dinner beforehand), make sure to plan a few hours of dedicated rehearsal time (including warm-ups!) plus some time for fellowship.

Editorial: Toward an Unknown Region

Editorial: Toward an Unknown Region

This month, I found myself doing a few things I don’t normally do.

First, there was the inspiration to write a few short poems on the back of my boarding pass on a plane-ride south. When I came home, I pulled the texts out of my bag in between lessons one afternoon and sat at the piano, sketching them into a few short choral pieces (more to come!).

Then there was the invitation to play with the Music Educators’ Wind Ensemble at Eastman for a reading of a new piece. I sat behind the piano on a Tuesday evening - counting measures and trying to come in on time - and participating in a collective, shared experience that I don’t normally have the privilege of being part of.

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The Back-to-Choir Guide for Church Musicians

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The Back-to-Choir Guide for Church Musicians

It’s the most wonderful time of the year - back-to-school season, that is!

Even though I’m not a student anymore, as a teacher, I love the fresh-start feeling that comes with a new academic year (including new school supplies!).

And the same is true in church settings when choir and ensembles start back up.

But getting back into that weekly rehearsal routine after a long summer hiatus can be challenging, and making sure you’re prepared and ready for that first week back can be a daunting task, particularly if you procrastinated on some of those things on your summer to-do list:

2019 Reading Session Picks: Youth Choir

2019 Reading Session Picks: Youth Choir

This month, after attending eight reading sessions and reviewing stacks of new anthems, I’m sharing my choral “Reading Session Picks” for 2019. So far, I’ve published 18 adult choir anthems and 10 children’s choir anthems.

Next in the series is youth choir anthems.

Now, depending on the size of your group and the ages you're working with (middle school singers vs. senior high singers), choosing music can be a little tricky.

Because of this, I tried to include a variety of anthems on this list: SATB, SAB or Three-Part Mixed, and even an SA anthem for those of you with smaller or younger groups (or not a lot of guys at the moment!).

Here are my 13 anthem picks for this year:

2019 Reading Session Picks: Children's Choir

2019 Reading Session Picks: Children's Choir

Looking for new anthem ideas for your choir? You’ve come to the right place.

This month, I’m sharing my top “Reading Session Picks” for church choirs (see my 18 anthem recommendations for Adult Choir + more to come).

Today, I’m sharing 10 new anthems for children's choirs (my favorites from all the ones I reviewed!).

The anthems on this list include opportunities for developing part-singing within your choir and adding in other instruments: handbells or handchimes and hand drum. I’ve said it before, but adding instruments to your choir anthems is a great way to develop musical independence, help develop your choir’s listening skills, and create a memorable and meaningful worship experience for all involved.

I know that not every piece on this list will work for your choir, but I hope you find at least one anthem you love.

2019 Reading Session Picks: Adult Choir

2019 Reading Session Picks: Adult Choir

This is one of my favorite posts to write each summer.

For the past several weeks, I’ve been reviewing literally hundreds of new choral releases and distilling them down to the 18 you’ll find on this list (+ a few other lists that I’ll be sharing over the next few weeks).

You should have seen how much music was in my suitcase coming back from Music and Worship Arts Week!

Today’s post is for adult church choirs.

I compiled my favorite new (or new-ish) anthems from 8+ reading sessions into a simple, readable guide that makes choosing new music for your choir a much easier (and less daunting) task.

Editorial: A Question to Start the Day

Editorial: A Question to Start the Day

A hush came over the room as she spoke. Soft piano music accompanied her words, covered by the sound of fan noise—a welcome breeze on a warm summer night.

It was Thursday evening, the last day of Music and Worship Arts Week at Lake Junaluska. We were gathered in the chapel, the open stained-glass windows ushering in the night air.

“I’m learning as I get older that it’s simpler and simpler day by day,” she said with a smile. Her voice was kind and inviting.

“There’s a flow of love that started when the stars began, and every morning we get a chance to decide to live into that love and then ask, ‘What's mine to do?’”

7 Books to Read This Summer

7 Books to Read This Summer

Summer is the perfect time for a new book (or three).

I love having a book with me when I fly or hop in the car for a long road trip, but also the everyday times like sitting by the pool or lake on a hot summer day or curled up in the sunroom on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that I make a book list at the beginning of every year (here’s what I plan to read in 2019, in case you’re curious, like me).

This list will often change a little as I go through the year and pick up books here and there - from the used bookshop on the corner or the annual church rummage sale - or come across a newly-released book that I really want to read; but, I like to begin the year with a list of books (two per month, or so) already picked out so I have some direction.

Looking for a few books to add to your summer reading list? Here are a few of my favorites (+ a couple I’m planning to read myself!):

Is a Freelance Music Career Right for You?

Is a Freelance Music Career Right for You?

In music school, we learn about performance style and theory, analysis and history. We study and read and listen and write. We soak up rich musical experiences and learn to dedicate ourselves to practicing our instrument and refining our musical skill set.

And if we're lucky, we learn about music careers and the business side of things: arts leadership and advocacy and community engagement, taxes and finances and grant-writing, websites and social media and marketing yourself: the extra-musical skills needed to make it in the 21st century music world.

Will you graduate and land one of the coveted symphony jobs? Will you join the ranks of academia and start down the tenure track?

Some of you may. Some of you did.

But what if you want to do a few different things? What if you want to teach and have a podcast? What if you want to perform in a professional chamber music ensemble and run a YouTube channel?

Follow along with my creative work and daily adventures: @ashleydanyew

Let’s be honest, this month (year?!) has been hard. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s this: As an independent, self-employed musician and small business owner, you’re resilient. You don’t give up when s
Halloween 2024… …The Lion King 🦁 Swipe to see the outtakes, including lion-wrangling and the 20th photo we took before we realized Rafiki had his mask on upside-down. 😂
The October Musician & Co. Book Club pick is… 📘 Hidden Genius: The Secret Ways of Thinking That Power the World’s Most Successful People This book is a collection of stories, insights, and lessons learned from top performers, entr