~Watch a TV Interview of Joshua Head, President and creator of the Kingdom Kids Worldwide. Head recently interviewed on Cornerstone Television Network, which broadcasts to over 35 US markets. You will hear the vision and passion behind the Kingdom Kids Worldwide! You will be inspired by the story! CLICK HERE!

Kingdom Kids Worldwide on Cornerstone TV Network from Headstrate Entertainment on Vimeo.

We are partnering with schools, churches, non-profits and after-school programs nationwide to host our media mentoring program. We are currently facilitating the media arts program in several states including Virginia, North Carolina, Washington DC and more.

Call our representatives today at 1-888-535-3865 to bring our training program to your city.

THE INSTRUCTOR

Joshua Head, Stellar Award winning writer, producer and curricula developer has spent more than a decade teaching and training youth and children across the US.  Head has developed their gifts and talents in the areas of music, media, leadership, acting and more.  Head is an expert at training teachers and youth.

OUR CLIENTS

• Baptist General Convention of Virginia & Florida
• Hampton University Minister’s Conference
• Mid-Atlantic Christian Education Association
• City of Hampton – City Council & Mayor
• Over 1000 US Church Leaders
• Jackson State University
• Newport News Schools
• Gospel Music Workshop of America
• National Association of Negro Musicians

CALL US AT 1-888-535-3865 for more info on our TRAINING WORKSHOPS!

~Success Story: Interview of a Washington DC teacher: You will love this heart rendering story of how the Kingdom Kids Curriculum is helping to transform the lives of youth across the US.

Have you seen the movie Sister Act 2? In the film, Whoopi Goldberg uses music to reach a group of uninterested, disrespectful students and transforms them into award-winning musicians and soloists. Outside of Hollywood, similar transformations are taking place thanks to Joshua Head’s children’s materials, the “Kingdom Kids Worldwide”.

St. Frances Xavier Catholic School is a private elementary school located on the southeast side of Washington, DC. The school’s student body is composed primarily of African American children from low income households and neighborhoods that are filled with violence.

“When I first got there, they were very talkative and disrespectful. Some of them were very angry. They mostly come from broken families,” said Jeffrey Corry, the school’s music teacher/choir director.

Corry purchased Joshua Head’s Kingdom Kids audio CD when he attended Hampton University’s Annual Minister’s Conference and Organists and Choir Guild workshop. Corry admits he only bought the CD because he knew that Josh was in his fraternity.  Corry never imagined that the purchase he made for brotherly support would later spark transformation in the lives of his students.

Corry used the songs from the CD as the foundation for his lesson plans and music classes at St. Francis Xavier. He recalled the first time he taught a song from the Kingdom Kids Worldwide CD to the students:

“I wrote the lyrics on a big poster board so that they could see the words. First, they learned the song by ear.”

Once the children learned the song, he played the Kingdom Kids CD for them.  The audio CD features children’s voices.

“They started laughing. They were shocked because the voices on the CD sounded like theirs,” Corry said.

Corry said “the Kingdom Kids CD gave my students more confidence in their singing abilities, because the songs were performed by children, and the songs were written for children’s voices.”

“They are not as leery; they want to sing and participate. Their favorite song is ‘Hallelujah’ because of the solo parts, which feature two young girls,” Corry said.

The children have been able to perform the songs at the school’s various recitals and graduations.  Along with the children becoming eager to participate, Corry has witnessed a change in the student’s behavior because of the music in the Kingdom Kids Worldwide. He points out that the children are very engaged in the music and  their attentiveness has increased, while their chattiness has decreased.

One of Corry’s particularly troubled students made a significant turnaround.  He was previously filled with anger, and he came from a dysfunctional family.  As a result, the student had serious behavioral problems.   While rehearsing “Jesus is Here”, the boy stood up and improvised several solos with an air guitar. The young boy, who was once filled with rage, is now redirecting his energy to rearranging the music and adding creative beats to the songs.

Corry is very grateful to have stumbled upon the Kingdom Kid’s Worldwide music, which he called “an outpouring of Joshua Head’s gifts and creativity.” He is excited about the upcoming Kingdom Kids materials which will be released later this year, and Corry plans to use the music and curriculum from the Kingdom Kids Worldwide as long as he teaches music and arts.

Kingdom Kids Worldwide Curriculum from Headstrate Entertainment on Vimeo.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY OF  “KINGDOM KIDS WORLDWIDE”

~The Kingdom Kids Worldwide team is celebrating! After winning the “Children’s Project of the Year” category for the 2011 Stellar Gospel Music Awards, kids all over the country are celebrating!! The Kingdom Kids are still getting GREAT REVIEWS NATIONWIDE! You’ll be relieved to find a great selection of songs, KID’s MUSIC, AFRICAN DANCING, LIVE ANIMATION, DRAMA, AND MORE! Schools Churches and Non-Profit Organizations across the US are singing the praises of this LIFE-CHANGING CHILDREN’S PROJECT.

CLICK BELOW TO VIEW THE KINGDOM KIDS WORLDWIDE!

Kingdom Kids Worldwide Curriculum from Headstrate Entertainment on Vimeo.

CALL US TODAY at 1-888-535-3865

CLICK HERE TO HEAR SAMPLES OF OUR KIDS MUSIC & MATERIALS

Makers of the popular brand “Kingdom Kids Worldwide” are celebrating a major milestone after being recognized by several national TV stations and top Radio stations as being the BEST innovative new way to teach kids music and arts. The beauty of this set is that it also politely slides in core Christian values at the same time. The three piece set includes a CD, DVD, and a comprehensive Workbook that gives lesson plans, sheet music, and other unique tools for teaching music to kids as young as 3 years old!

The Kingdom Kids Worldwide Brand is quickly being adopted by huge national conferences as the teaching tool of choice for leaders of academies, non-profit organizations and private schools. The set makes it easier and more engaging for the kids to learn what could be complicated musical concepts in other settings. Top educators from prestigious universities such as Morehouse College, Hampton University, Jackson State University , and Norfolk State University have put their stamp of approval on the curriculum and are recommending it to others educators.

For More information, CALL US at 1-888-535-3865 to speak to our representatives. CALL US TODAY!

CLICK HERE TO HEAR SAMPLES OF OUR KIDS MUSIC AND MATERIALS

]]> http://www.myyouthchoir.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=19 0 http://www.myyouthchoir.com/blog/?p=17 http://www.myyouthchoir.com/blog/?p=17#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:11:05 +0000 admin http://www.myyouthchoir.com/blog/?p=17

~PBS TV FEATURE- PBS TV recently featured the the Kingdom Kids Worldwide team. Our animated DVD/CD set is for kids who love to sing, dance and learn sign language. It was featured on the PBS TV show “Another View” during this month. The Kingdom Kids Worldwide DVD/CD Set is AVAILABLE NOW on our online store!

WATCH THE PBS INTERVIEW ON THE KINGDOM KIDS WORLDWIDE CURRICULUM!  Click Below to View the TV Interview!

Kingdom Kids Worldwide on PBS Television from Headstrate Entertainment on Vimeo.

Church Leaders, Day Care Centers and Parents who have kids that LOVE performing arts are OVERJOYED by the POSITIVE MUSIC and FUN LESSONS!

The 13 Song CD includes:

Upbeat Praise Songs

Afro-Cuban Arrangements

Worshipful Ballads

Hand Clappin’ Gospel Songs

We are honored to PBS, a world renowned TV network, feature and endorse our KINGDOM KIDS WORLDWIDE DVD/CD SET.

Parents, Music Teachers and Day Care Directors LOVE the response that their kids are showing from the lessons:

“My kids will not stop listening to the CD and they absolutely Love the DVD lessons. ESPECIALLY the SIGN LANGUAGE.  Great JOB! I look forward to future DVDs, CDS and materials from www.myyouthchoir.com”

Stephanie R, Music Director, Georgia

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER NOW!!

~ Vocal Training: Are you ready to expand your vocal range and improve your singing? Our vocal coaches have compiled years of experience to develop our vocal training exercises CD that will help you to learn how to sing more accurate, creative and soulful.  VISIT OUR VOCAL EXERCISES ONLINE CLASS to recieve INDIVIDUAL TRAINING ONLINE.  CLICK HERE

An Approach to Musical Variety

There is a wide variety of music that can be used in a church, choir setting or band setting. However, again, we must be exposed to different kinds of music to appreciate them. Open your groups to a large variety of styles, and then find what your group sounds best in, and what they enjoy most, what their best interests are. You will also find that as you expose them to a variety of styles, their taste will change. However, you might have a preference for traditional music, or contemporary music, or one style or another. Do not let your interests or your preferences hinder the interests of other members in your ensemble.

Another way to approach variety is through your teaching methods. There are three types of learners: tactile, those who like to work hands on; aural, those who like to hear when they learn, and visual, those who like visual examples.

CLICK  BELOW TO SEE OUR NEW KIDS DVD/CD & WORKBOOK Set:

As we know, there is notation, and the hymnbook is a great way to teach people how to read music. I have heard from many people who struggle with the fact that students do not read music well, or they cannot read music themselves. I encourage you to use the hymnbook as a first example to learn how to read music and use notation.
The second way to teach is by ear. I have met people who only teach by a book, or by notation. This is not the only way, and I encourage against that as a sole source of learning. Teaching by ear can be very effective way to train the ears of your singers, for better understanding.

Lastly, there is hands-on training, or teaching by clapping out rhythms, speaking out rhythms, tapping the feet, using a variety of ways to teach the musical sections. There are many ways to demonstrate rhythm in passages, either by clapping, using objects, hands, hand drums, using the feet, and using gestures to represent the notes and the rhythms of music.

~Leader Training: We’ve surveyed over 200 churches and Day Care Centers to find out the most challenging obstacles that youth leaders face every week. We have interviewed Clergy, Christian Education Leaders, Music Ministry Leaders and Youth Ministry Leaders, and we have compiled SOLUTIONS that will help you GROW YOUR MINISTRY. Learn about our Leadership Training Workshops in your area.

Here is an outline of a Sample 2 Day Workshop

Session 1 – (1 1/2 hrs)  The State of Urban Youth in Churches
( Statistics, Effective Techniques, Intervention techniques and Resources)

The Urban Youth of the 21st Century are faced with unimaginable challenges.  It is imperative that Clergy, Youth Leaders and Music Ministers are informed and prepared for reaching today’s youth through effective communication skills, innovative techniques and strategies for attracting youth, and techniques for intervention in Ministry.  You will learn how to effectively encourage, train and inspire urban youth nationwide.

Session 2 – (1 1/2 hrs) ” Training Skilled Youth Musicians
(Using Lead sheets, Rehearsing and Accompanying Choirs, Teamwork)

This session is designed to explore the power of investing in today’s youth through musical training.  We will explore how to train youth through starting a School of Arts, training youth Bands and  teaching music reading skills to urban youth. Your kids will grow into skilled musicians who can arrange, transcribe, teach and write original music.  These skills will prepare them to be successful in music ministry.

Session 3 – (1 1/2 Hrs) Innovative Resources for the Church
(Artists, Music Minister’s, Choir Directors, Producers)

The Use of Multimedia in ministry is rapidly growing nationwide.  This session will explore innovative resources and techniques for Regional and National Music Minister’s who are interested in integrating music with multimedia technology, sign language, choreography and theology.  It is the key to attracting urban youth nationwide.

Session 4- (1 1/2 hrs.) -  Effective Recruitment of Youth and Leadership Techniques
(Designed for Music directors, Administration, Clergy, Youth Leaders)

This session is designed to give a specific understanding of  how to effectively train, develop and recruit youth singers, instrumentalists and peer leaders in urban communities.  With specific strategies in using a variety of music, growing with a lack of resources, using marketing to grow and growing through community involvement.

CALL US AT 1-888-535-3865 TODAY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION!

~Are you looking for positive music for your kids? Your kids will be amazed, as they dance, sing and learn sign language movements from our Kingdom Kids Worldwide DVD/CD set.  It also includes a 162 Workbook with teacher lessons, coloring activities and Sheet music to the 13 songs that are included on  the CD.

ORDER YOUR COPY NOW.  CLICK HERE

The 13 Song CD includes:

Upbeat Praise Songs

Afro-Cuban Arrangements

Worshipful Ballads

Hand Clappin’ Gospel Songs

We are honored that PBS, a world renowned TV network, featured and endorsed our KINGDOM KIDS WORLDWIDE DVD/CD SET.

Parents, Music Teachers and Day Care Directors LOVE the response that their kids are showing from the lessons:

“My kids will not stop listening to the CD and they absolutely Love the DVD lessons. ESPECIALLY the SIGN LANGUAGE.  Great JOB!  I look forward to future DVDs, CDS and materials from www.myyouthchoir.com”

Stephanie R, Music Director, Georgia

~As a music director, it’s hard to find great music that is suitable for your youth and children’s choirs. With our new children’s music, you’ll be relieved to find a great selection of songs, kid’s music and educational lessons that are specifically made for youth choirs in urban communities.

As leaders of ensembles, groups, and organizations, especially in music, we must understand that variety is a key to building effective productions, just as there are varieties of people themselves. Let me give you an example. Regardless of what denomination or church or organization you are part of, you will deal with a large variety of people. Some people have traditional backgrounds, some have contemporary backgrounds; some live in suburban areas, some in urban areas; some come from affluent families, some from middle-class, low income or poor working families. Some have no understanding of reading music. Others know how to read music. Some have good writing skills, and speaking skills, others do not.

So, those who are working in the area of leadership as it pertains to music, whether you’re a choir director, ensemble director, or band director, it is important to understand that the people you work with must be accustomed to variety. They must be exposed to it before they can appreciate it; exposure is the key.

I encourage a variety of musical genres in the music I produce, in my groups and with others. For instance, in gospel music, you can teach contemporary gospel. However, I encourage traditional music as well. I teach hymnals, using hymnbooks. I teach traditional spirituals. I teach Latin and ethno music, African, Afro-Cuban music, African drumming, A Capella music, samba music, music that has a large variety, praise and worship, contemporary praise and worship music, Christian rock.

An Approach to Musical Variety

There is a wide variety of music that can be used in a church, choir setting or band setting. However, again, we must be exposed to different kinds of music to appreciate them. Open your groups to a large variety of styles, and then find what your group sounds best in, and what they enjoy most, what their best interests are. You will also find that as you expose them to a variety of styles, their taste will change. However, you might have a preference for traditional music, or contemporary music, or one style or another. Do not let your interests or your preferences hinder the interests of other members in your ensemble.

Another way to approach variety is through your teaching methods. There are three types of learners: tactile, those who like to work hands on; aural, those who like to hear when they learn, and visual, those who like visual examples.

As we know, there is notation, and the hymnbook is a great way to teach people how to read music. I have heard from many people who struggle with the fact that students do not read music well, or they cannot read music themselves. I encourage you to use the hymnbook as a first example to learn how to read music and use notation.
The second way to teach is by ear. I have met people who only teach by a book, or by notation. This is not the only way, and I encourage against that as a sole source of learning. Teaching by ear can be very effective way to train the ears of your singers, for better understanding.
Lastly, there is hands-on training, or teaching by clapping out rhythms, speaking out rhythms, tapping the feet, using a variety of ways to teach the musical sections. There are many ways to demonstrate rhythm in passages, either by clapping, using objects, hands, hand drums, using the feet, and using gestures to represent the notes and the rhythms of music.

I bet you are thinking – but, why? That’s what we have Fred Hammond, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, and Kirk Franklin for. Yes, they are wonderful and we love to sing their songs. The truth is – they are phenomenal and we could sing their songs from sunrise to sunset. In fact, most of us probably do. They have a ministry to do and we, the church body, are a part of that, too. Part of their ministry is to help bring unsaved and lost souls to Christ, as well as help keep us on fire for God.

However, there is a greater responsibility we as church musicians have for our ministries. We have to bring the power of God through the word and the anointing to our individual church bodies through music. We have to embrace and nurture each church’s vision. Music, which is approximately 70% of each service and therefore one of the most influential parts of the service, is the channel with which we are called to deliver the word. So why aren’t enough musicians opening their own hearts and letting God use them to pour out original songs that directly relate to the hearts of our congregations?

Yes, Gospel music and Contemporary Christian music offer a wide rage of excellent music, but do the songs deliver your pastor’s vision? If your church is focusing on the subject of faith – Is your praise team or choir singing that specific message into people’s spirits? Is the song talking about faith or is it talking about loving your neighbor? Why not back up the message? People listen to the pastor, but they participate with the musicians. They are actively involved – clapping and singing and jumping around. Do they go home humming the same lyrics and theme that the pastor expressed, or are they humming what they’ll be hearing on the radio all week? I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, but why not leave a lasting impression from the service music? Why not leave it using new original music? We cannot forget that it is the job of the musicians to minister first.

Each pastor has a specific vision for his or her ministry and the music, and their sermons are structured towards that. Though it may be a hard fact to accept – not every song that is played on the radio is formatted for every church’s vision. God may need to focus on a subject untouched for your particular church, one that is not addressed by current or even past songs. What about the changing generation? We need more songs that reflect those changes in the lyrics.
It is also important to know that not every hymn and anthem, though wonderful traditional pieces, is suitable for the vision of the church. The musicians must find a common ground between the Pastor’s vision for his house and the musician’s vision for worship. The only solution to the problem is to write and implement original songs that are suitable for the vision of that church. Here are several ways that songwriters and musicians can accomplish this.

MEET WITH THE PASTOR. Songwriters should meet with the pastor to let him or her know that you are excited about a new way to accommodate their specific vision for worship. Pastors are usually very open to talking with members and staff about their vision. Afterwards, take note and begin to implement the appropriate music at the correct places. If you are a songwriter who is not directly involved in music ministry, talk to the music minister before meeting with the pastor.
RESEARCH THE CHURCH ACTIVITIES. For instance, the church’s special events such as Easter and Christmas plays, The Pastor’s Anniversary Celebration and other church or holiday events are the perfect times to introduce new songs. Choir directors and musicians are always looking for a new approach during these venues, and they will be excited to find help sitting right in their own church pews.
TEACH THE CHURCH TO JOIN IN. Once you are on to something good, people always follow. Take the new original songs and teach them to the congregation, encourage them to join in. You could even have a contest or show for the new songs. Make it fun. In the midst of praising and worshiping God, one of these great songs may even get discovered or spark interest from the music industry.
Whether you are an instrumentalist, songwriter, minister of music, choir director, or even an aspiring artist, you can use your God given talent in your own church. There is a desperate need for your music because God has a purpose for every individual ministry. Your church will benefit greatly from the contributions of your music. Don’t wait to explore the possibilities. You may just find a hidden opportunity from your gifts that will change your life, your career and the lives of many others – and that is what Gospel music is all about.

This column is written by JOSHUA HEAD, author, music minister, clinician and consultant for churches across the country. He has been a guest speaker at several national conferences including the Urban Outreach Conference, Church Music Workshop of America, GMWA, and NANM

~New ONLINE CLASSES:  We have partnered with experts in education, audio/visual and ministry leadership to begin our new community of Myyouthchoir Online Classes.  You can take classes in Music Leadership, Audio Production, Youth Ministry Leadership and more.  Click on “Online Classes” and find the class that fits your needs.  Register Today.