From
Raising the Next Generation of Singers
A brand new, exclusive Practitioner's Track designed for ICA students, led by choral pedagogy expert and parish music director, Dr. Lei Ray Yu.
Examine the workings of starting a youth choir in the sacred setting, and develop a customized plan for your own:
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preparatory stage & recruitment
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first rehearsal
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rehearsal/classroom management & teaching methods
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repertoire choices & rehearsal technique
​3 interactive practitioner's sessions online via Zoom, each building upon the previous session, lasting approximately 75 minutes each.
Tuesdays, March 10, 17 & 24, 2026
10 am Chicago | 3 pm London | 4 pm Paris & Rome
Limit 12 seats. To facilitate an environment of trust and collaboration, sessions will not be recorded.
Requirements, and tuition: click here.
FULL DESCRIPTION
Starting a youth choir in any parish or community is not for the faint of heart. There are the ever-present choral challenges of finding appropriate repertoire, teaching new skills, recruiting and retaining members, and utilizing limited rehearsal time to the fullest.
A youth choir, in addition, requires strong parental commitment, classroom management skills, an understanding of child development, and a choral member mindset that will withstand the constant enticements of other extracurricular activities. And, as last nails in the proverbial coffin, one must contend with growing safety concerns and societal changes since the Covid shutdown.
But do not be afraid. Whether you are a seasoned musician who lacks the know-how for working with young ones, a well-trained young music educator who has never faced the challenge of running a parish volunteer children’s choir, or a well-meaning parent with limited musical training, seeking to fill a void in your parish, there is hope. Join this practitioner's series, and we will grow stronger together. “For when you come together frequently, Satan's powers are undermined." ~ St. Ignatius of Antioch
Dr. Lei Ray Yu will combine musical expertise, educational methodology, wide parish experience, and her deep love for Christ and the Church, in this unique Practitioner’s Track designed for the budding youth choir director in the sacred setting. Each session will be loaded not only with helpful tips and ideas, but also important, soul-searching questions to ponder for the long haul.
What will it take for your choir to flourish at every level? Get ready! Dr. Yu will help you to discover a fresh start for your own adventure.
3 consecutive Tuesdays, approximately 75 minutes per session.
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March 10 | Assessment
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March 17 | Skills, Methods, and Resources
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March 24 | Sequence of Skills and Preparations
west of international date line
12 noon Halifax, Santiago & São Paolo
11 am New York
10 am Bogota, Chicago & Lima
9 am Calgary, Denver & Mexico City
8 am Los Angeles
7 am Anchorage
east of international date line
5 pm Athens & Helsinki
4 pm Amsterdam, Lagos, Madrid,
Paris, Rome & Stockholm
3 pm Dublin & London
click here for meeting times in your local time zone
Dr. Lei Ray Liu
received her D.M.A in choral conducting from Boston University, and has devoted her life to choral music education. She began her formal training at the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China, and acts as a bridge between the Chinese and Western choral music communities. Now living in Ohio, USA, she travels back to China each summer to conduct symposiums and masterclasses for Chinese choral conductors.
Dr. Yu's teaching philosophy was prominently featured at the 2024 Choral Music Education Alliance Summit in Hangzhou, China, which brought together international master teachers and over 500 participants to celebrate choral music education. She believes every person has within him or herself a unique excellence. It is her pleasure to help each student to discover this innate excellence, and the path to pursue it. She herself is a lifelong student, and sees her students as companions in the pursuit of knowledge and beauty.
Dr. Yu has taught students of all ages and skill sets, from elementary to graduate levels. She has developed children’s choirs in every parish, school, and community she has served. At one point, she was teaching 550 students (Pre-K thru 8th grade) in general music classes between two schools, while also starting a choir at one of them. While leading a Chinese immigrant children's choir, she first encountered little children who wanted to sing, but could not match pitch. This experience taught her to put aside her own ego, and to meet her students where they are. Working with children, she has learned that music is a way of connecting to the world outside of our own bubbles.
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Dr. Yu's Christian faith is central to everything she does. As a liturgical musician, she has served as a music director in Episcopal, Lutheran, and Catholic parishes and cathedrals. Her focus has been not only on developing exceptional music skills, but also helping her singers to understand how lyrics support the gospel. She has organized summer choir camps, working in tandem with religious education programs to develop music curricula in service of catechesis. She teaches Liturgy and Music courses for Chinese seminaries during her travels to China, and currently is Organist and Choir Master at St. Wendelin Parish in Fostoria, Ohio, USA.
In trying to balance her own family life, where she is a mother of four active children, and her musical life, she learned to surrender to the Lord, “I am an unprofitable servant. I have done what was my duty to do.” (Lk 17:10)
Dr. Yu's website is https://www.leirayu.com .
Requirements
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Be Open Minded - we all come from different backgrounds and with different skill sets.
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Be Thankful - God brought all of us together so that we each can grow wiser from others’ experiences.
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Be Generous - share your thoughts with us so that we may learn from you also.
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Be Kind - Truth, delivered with Love, for the service of Goodness.
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Technical Requirements
A desktop computer, laptop, or tablet (the larger the screen the better) equipped with videocamera (no cell phones, please), and Zoom app installed. Reliable access to high-speed internet is a must. Student is responsible for working technology.​
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Tuition
3 Zoom sessions + all ancillary materials: $250 USD​​
Your tuition payment reserves your seat, and may be made via PayPal, Venmo, credit card, or check.​​
Ask your parish whether funding is available for continuing education.
Tuition may also be tax deductible for professional (compensated) musicians.​​​
Time Zone Tool
When will this event meet in my time zone?
​Gather the date and time in USA Central Time / CST / CDT listed on the event. You will need this information to plug into the tool.
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Click here and then enter the following:
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1. Event Location: type "Chicago" and then click "Chicago - Illinois USA" in dropdown box
2. Enter Month / Day / Year of event (example: 03 / 10 / 2026)
3. Hour of event: choose the time in USA Central Time from the dropdown box​ (example: 10 - 10 am)
4. Click the button: "Show Result"
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IMPORTANT: If your location will undergo a time change during the series, be sure to follow this process regarding the time of your course after the date of the time change as well.
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