The Choir Room Podcast
This podcast exists to promote and encourage two long-time traditions in our society that seem to be dwindling…The Choir and Corporate Singing. We hope to revive the excitement and joy experienced with singing in a choir, as well as inform and educate the listener on all things singing, and all things choir related.
A weekly podcast featuring discussion and interviews with choir directors, choir members, and other guests representing church choirs, college and university choirs, community choirs, show and theatre choirs, composer of choir music, and other.
Segments include tips and instruction from skilled and professional disciplines within the choir community covering topics such as choir culture and community, choir directing, vocal training, ear training, sight reading, and more. A monthly virtual live audience episode allows the listener to engage with hosts and guests during instructional and Q&A segments via the live recording, chat, email, on various social media platforms.
A production of Metromusic & Arts, Inc.
- www.metromusic-arts.com
- thechoirroom@metromusic-arts.com
- mail@mmertomusic-arts.cm
The Choir Room Podcast
Jared McClain joins us to discuss Navigating Choir Rehearsal Distractions, Captivating Young Minds Through Choir, and Choir Musical Diversity
This episode highlights the significance of choir culture and the challenges faced in both rehearsals and performances. With guest Jared McClain, we discuss the value of leadership in nurturing positive choir environments, memorable experiences in singing, and the integration of technology to engage new generations.
Ever been in the middle of a choir rehearsal when the drummer starts tapping away, and suddenly it becomes impossible to focus? We've all been there, and in this episode of the Choir Room, we're tackling these not-so-uncommon rehearsal distractions head-on. Joined by the insightful Jared McClain, we dig into the art of setting clear boundaries and expectations with musicians to transform these disruptions into productive learning moments, all while sharing a few laughs over past rehearsal mishaps. Through personal stories and professional advice, we highlight how clear communication and maintaining a positive environment are crucial to a successful choir session.
Reflecting on our choir journeys, we recount laughs and lessons from church choirs and high school concerts to unforgettable moments in Scotland. The camaraderie and community that arise from choir singing are unmatched, as are the challenges we face along the way.
Jared opens up about how these early experiences, especially those in church choirs, have shaped our paths, leading us to places like Hampton University. These foundational musical moments not only built his skills but also fostered a deeper connection with music that continues to resonate today.
• Importance of establishing rehearsal etiquette and expectations
• Strategies on addressing distractions among musicians and vocalists
• Sharing memorable choir experiences that teach resilience and growth
• Exploring the role of technology in modern music education
• Valuing diverse musical styles within choir settings
• The enduring joy and community built through singing together
https://www.facebook.com/iamjayred
Perpetuating and Promoting the Christian and Positive Idea Through the Medium of Music and Other Arts.
Welcome to the Choir Room. This is episode 40 of the Choir Room Podcast. Welcome to the Choir Room. I'm Greg Thomas, your host, and I'll soon be joined by my co-hosts, dorian Johnson Welcome to the Choir Room and Mietta Stancil-Farrar. This podcast exists to promote and encourage two long-time traditions in our society that seem to be dwindling away, and that is choir and corporate singing. We hope to revive the excitement and joy experienced with singing in a choir, as well as inform and educate the listener on all things singing and all things choir, and note that this podcast is a production of Metro Music and Arts, whose purpose is to perpetuate and promote the Christian and positive idea through the medium of music and other arts. We've got a special guest with us today, and he seems to be operating in three areas of choir, that's church choir, community choir and school choir. We're glad to have in the choir room with us today Jared McLean. Let's get right into it. Mietta has our CRQ.
Speaker 2:Thanks, greg, tonight's CRQ. I really enjoyed this episode with the church choir from Connecticut. In it you spoke about pet peeve with musicians during rehearsals. How do you address the tinkering when your leadership expects you to have them in rehearsals with the choir? Now, jared is with us tonight, so let me give him a backstory.
Speaker 2:There was a question, or we spoke about in some podcast prior, about rehearsals and musicians in rehearsals, and you know the differences between the vocal rehearsals and musicians in rehearsals and you know the differences between the vocal rehearsals and the instrumental rehearsals. And we're just talking and I made mention that there's a. I have a pet peeve in rehearsals when musicians are in the room with the choir. It's this thing that usually drummers not necessarily keyboards or or organ players or even bass players, but the drummer, a friend of mine, young man, used to in rehearsal, while we're giving the vocals their parts, he would be tapping on the drum like on the snare, just just no real tempo, no, nothing, it just he would just do it. And I think he used to do it because he knew I hated it, right, so I he was really doing it to get under my skin, and so this is where this question is coming from and they're asking how do you stop that?
Speaker 2:Um, because you want the musicians in the choir rehearsal with the vocals, but you don't want that. You know that, which I don't even know what you would call it miscellaneous, that you know tinkering drum. You know that I don't even know what you would call it miscellaneous. You know tinkering drumming and all that kind of stuff. My answer to this question tell them to stop, Just tell them to stop.
Speaker 4:Simple.
Speaker 2:Just give us a minute so that we can, you know, make sure that the vocals are getting what they need to have with clarity, because sometimes that can be a distraction.
Speaker 5:Call them out and sit them down.
Speaker 3:See, see, wow, yeah, there you go.
Speaker 4:See, I was about to go the other route. I was gonna say so diplomatic, you can do it separate. You don't have to necessarily call them out right there in the rehearsal, but you definitely wanna address it't have to necessarily call them out right there in the rehearsal, but you definitely want to address it. You have to address it because it just it's not.
Speaker 4:it's it's not going to do well for the choir, it's not going to do well for you, for your relationship with the musicians right you just have to address it and you pull them aside, or you have a separate meeting with them and just lay the ground rules for how the rehearsal is going to run, and if they can't listen to that, then not helping in the choir rehearsal it's just about them not being able to come under authority.
Speaker 1:Ultimately, if they're not listening to what you're saying, you know, if this is a church choir, school choir, college choir, community choir, the responsibility is going to rest on the choir director or the worship leader, or whatever the church is calling them today. This sounds like a church choir. So the professor, if you will, that responsibility is going to rest on their shoulders, and much of this really has to take place at the onboarding of the musicians, of the musicians, because a lot of times, the longer you work with people or work with a group of people, the more comfortable you get with each other, and when you're comfortable with each other, it becomes a little more difficult to correct each other. And so I think the choir director, at the onboarding stage, needs to establish the expectations in rehearsal so that the musicians understand. Well, he or she doesn't find that tapping helpful, but finds it distracting, and it can be. And so we can't be afraid to have the hard conversations with the people that are close to us, so that we can still grow together.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and that's interesting, greg, that you mentioned that, because I was going to say one of the other things that is maybe not something that the person is calling out here, but if it's in the name of righteousness, if it's in the name of order, if, if it's needed in order for these things to be established, yeah, then we confront. Now, we don't do it rudely, we don't do it rudely.
Speaker 1:We don't do it in the flesh.
Speaker 4:We don't do it, trying to get our way, but we have to confront some things, we have to speak to some things sometimes and, yeah, sometimes that's not comfortable, especially if you're in leadership, exactly.
Speaker 1:You don't want to have to do this stuff.
Speaker 4:But you know what? It's part of the job. It's got to be done, jared.
Speaker 5:I would also offer too, like Greg said, it's establishing. Do musicians really understand what rehearsal etiquette is right first, and then also, too, being a teacher? Being a teacher, this is a great opportunity for growth for everybody, right, um? And so tapping on a drum is not the only distraction that can happen in a larger group. There's a whole stream of distractions. So when you you call out for lack of better words, one distraction and how that can affect the entire group, you're in essence showing the entire group that, yes, that may be one distraction, but there are other things that we can do and we don't want to be, uh, used by the spirit to distract people from from what they should be focused on. So I think it's a great way to have a group growth session.
Speaker 2:Session Do it a little bit.
Speaker 5:You know to confront it. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:You know, I think when we're talking about church choir, we can't help but acknowledge the fact that Jesus confronted all the time, all the time, all the time it was sometimes with gentle hands, and sometimes very firm. You know it was a get the behind me Satan kind of firm. You know, in today's vernacular it would have been considered, you know, firm and fierce. And perhaps too often we make confrontation a negative thing, when in fact it's often just a necessary thing thing, when in fact it's often just a necessary thing.
Speaker 5:So to answer the question too, uh, if that, if, after confronting sometimes something sometimes we can do, we can structure our rehearsals in a way that, in a way that is more beneficial for everyone. So maybe, if you do I don't know this specific uh person that asked the question if they're in leadership and if, uh, they're looking for an answer on how to confront those things, because they may be dealing with it, a suggestion would be to structure a rehearsal where you may have just a keyboard player, so you can focus on choir and then add the band later on. A seven o'clock rehearsal, maybe seven to eight or seven to seven thirty, it's just keys and choir, so that way you really have no distraction. You can focus on the choir and then add the component of the band later. Uh, just, I don't know. We're answering questions to help people, but no, that's a good option.
Speaker 1:You know, separate the rehearsals, uh. I think mienna said this earlier, though, that, uh, you want to have the conversation with leadership, uh, whether that's the choir director or the person the choir director answers to, I believe part of the question was a statement as well. When the pastor expects the musicians to be in the rehearsal, and because the pastor is not in the rehearsal, they don't realize what the choir director is dealing with.
Speaker 1:When the group is together with the musicians, in the rehearsal Exactly, and so if that is the expectation, as a choir director and I'm assuming this is a choir director sending it in. You know we do a lot of assumptions about who sends these questions in.
Speaker 1:This could be a disgruntled choir member, we don't know but. But if that is the expectation to a choir member, we don't know. But if that is the expectation, either way, it is incumbent upon the person and maybe this is the person sending the question in to take it to your immediate leadership, and then that person can take it to their immediate leadership Because, again, if the pastor is not in the rehearsal, he doesn't know what's happening and which made me think that these musicians are being paid to be.
Speaker 4:I didn't think of that and so they're.
Speaker 2:They're necessary. It's necessary for them, yes they've got to be there.
Speaker 2:They're on the clock well, can I, can I play advocate? I won't say devil's advocate, but let's just. Can I play that advocate? Um, could it be? And I had to really kind of think about it. It bothers me, yes, it does stress me out, but I know how to deal with that. When it comes to um musicians, you just I just address it on site and they'll, you know, they'll taper off, I guess. Um, but do you? Do you think that preparation is also key? Um, because a lot of. I do find um. I've been in rehearsals that were not necessarily mine, just sitting in um, where directors are not always prepared, and so when they're not always prepared, it just leaves room for, for, for play.
Speaker 4:It leaves a lot of space, just a lot of space and air to, just you know, run them up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, and so sometimes when that happens or those moments are happening, not just musicians either, it's singers as well, absolutely.
Speaker 2:You know, and so to to be fair, because we, I don't I don't want to just solely blame it on you know, just musicians. I don't want to do that, we certainly don't want to do that, but it's just, it's about preparation. A lot of times, and when we're not prepared, those of us in leadership are not prepared. You leave room for a lot of that. So perhaps, look, if you look at it from that vantage point, when you go into these rehearsals, be, nail it, you know, be on it. Don't leave a whole lot of room for that, so the drummer won't be tinkering, uh, just randomly tinkering he'll, he's now having to actually play these songs instead of just kind of you know, whisking about doing whatever.
Speaker 1:If leadership is prepared better, you know we're gonna have to address that, that later, because there's nothing more frustrating than having a choir director and musicians in rehearsal unprepared, while the choir is there.
Speaker 1:That's a perfect recipe for losing the choir's attention. And if you think the drummer tapping is something, if you lose the choir's attention, then you find yourself trying to fill in the gas to try to make that rehearsal a productive one. You know we have a second CRQ and I think we should just go ahead and do that, since we still have Jarrett and we're going to speak with him shortly.
Speaker 3:Welcome to the choir room.
Speaker 2:This is a good one. What have been some of your most memorable choir experiences, both good and bad?
Speaker 1:Ladies first.
Speaker 3:Oh that's unfair.
Speaker 2:Well, I do have one who. I laugh about this today, though, because I think it's the funniest thing. I was in rehearsal one night with our young adult choir from my former church and I was about, I guess, guess about 21, 22. I started directing the choir at 17. Um, but, you know, grew up a little bit and I got frustrated in choir rehearsal which was not a hard thing to do, it wasn't. It was very easy to frustrate me, right? So I got frustrated and I made a statement. Listen, this was my statement. Listen, if you don't like it, you can leave. Right, this is the church choir. You don't like it? Twenty one, I'd had my fill of choir. I had the what's the meme? I'm tired of this church, that kind of thing. That's where I was at that point. So, if you don't like it, you can leave.
Speaker 2:And one of the young ladies and she was singing in the tenor section, and we were all young, mind you, we really were, we were all young in our early 20s and late teens One of the young ladies who was the, at that time, the oldest one in the choir, so I don't even know why she was in the young adult choir, because she certainly could have been on the adult choir for real, for real, but she still hung out with us and so she, I'm standing in front of them and I see her gathering up her things like gathering up her keys, her coat, her pocketbook and stood up to walk out and I looked at she has passed on the last last few months. Some months ago she passed on and I said to her I said Candy, where you going? Because that's what we called her, candy. No, sounds like a barmaid name, right, but I can't.
Speaker 1:Greg knew Candy, I think you know I like I did, I can almost see her face.
Speaker 2:We called her Candy and I said where are you going? She said well, you said, if you didn't like it, we could leave.
Speaker 1:At thy word.
Speaker 2:I'm right. I clutched my pearls. I said where are you going? She said. You said if we didn't like it, we could leave. She said then I didn't like it, we could leave. She said, and I don't like it oh wow, follow her today it taught me.
Speaker 2:It taught me a lesson like stop saying stuff to these volunteers. Taught me a lesson very early in the game that sugar, these are volunteers. Nobody is getting paid to do this, the only people that's getting paid in the church period. You pay the musicians and the pastor gets a little change, the the custodian gets a little change, but the choir members don't get paid and you cannot come out your face any kind of way to these volunteers. And it taught me a lesson. That's all I got for now until I think of something else. What say you guys?
Speaker 5:Wow, that's a good one.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean, I actually, when I saw this question, I instantly thought of a very bad memorable choir experience, and this is from high school. Bad memorable choir experience and this is from high school. This was my senior year's high school christmas concert and we were we were singing. Do you hear what I hear?
Speaker 1:and the first part of it was acapella I feel like I know where this is going and how appropriate the title.
Speaker 4:And let me tell you, when the piano came in, people, people heard what you did here.
Speaker 3:You were flat.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I bet you wish you had in-ears then yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't have them I really, how do you do that?
Speaker 4:I can't do it. Yeah, our choir director had a lot of faith in us and it was obviously misplaced because we were singing and I could hear it, it and I'm thinking like I'm looking over at the, at the pianist, and I just know he's he's not even gonna try, he's not even gonna try to like match, or do he's just gonna play what he's supposed?
Speaker 4:he's gonna play what's on the page exactly, and he came in and it was, it was, it was done, it was done that's tragic, that's that's yeah, that was yeah that was one of the bad ones and I would say one of the.
Speaker 4:There were a couple of good ones and, uh, they go back to to greg and and my time working together with the youth praise choir, times square church. I would have to say that that first service, when we had basically a whole platform full of all of these young people yeah, um, and they stood up to to sing together um, that was certainly a memorable experience and something I've shared on this podcast before, was from our visit to Scotland when we had been ministering to the folks there and the host pastors decided to have all of the folks who were in the audience sing. Now, granted, not all these folks were Christians, but they had grown up in this atmosphere or in this sort of culture of singing, and they began to sing the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. And they sang it acapella in this old wood-framed auditorium and I will never forget the sound of that Never, ever, ever ever.
Speaker 1:Jared, let's hear from you. I'm sure you've got some good and or bad choir experiences.
Speaker 5:This is such a good question. I have so many, both good and bad, I don't know which one to pick. Um, I'll start with the bad first. I'd like to end on good notes. Uh, so of course I've had a whole bunch of we call it crashing and burning in church. When you get up and you practice one thing and it just goes left field and it humbles you very, very quickly.
Speaker 5:But I can remember a time I went to Hampton University and we were singing some choral piece in Italian I can't, the name of it doesn't come to mind right now and Doc was our accompanist. He was like an 80-year-old man. He played the piano with fervor and with power and it was one of those pieces that just every section did not like sing together. They had their own part right, kind of like a few, and we had been struggling in rehearsal for weeks. But our director wanted to teach us a lesson. What that lesson was, I still do not know.
Speaker 5:We get up, we go on tour, we are in New York State and he pulls out this song. Usually sometimes there are songs that we didn't know we were going to do. We just had a repertoire, so he would just pull from the repertoire and he pulled out this song and we looked at each other on stage like what is he doing and why we got to go. We started off strong. We just go, go, go. By the middle of that song, tennis dropped out, sopranos dropped out, altos dropped out there is nobody playing or singing except Doc on that piano, just going, just going.
Speaker 3:We sit there like oh.
Speaker 5:Then the tennis came back in because they heard something they remembered. And the Sopranos came back in and we ended it strong. But mercy, mercy, god, that was something. Fake it until you make it, fake it until you make it. And there's some great opportunities. I got to sing again at Hampton. Barack Obama came to speak at commencement and, of course, being in choir, that's the first, one of the first ensembles they need to perform. So I have pictures with me in the corner with Barack Obama standing at the podium with Hampton University and Presidential Seal. So that was a great experience and great opportunity.
Speaker 5:And, yeah, touring and being places, we were in Spain with Reverend Stephan, jubilationilation and to be. That was my first overseas trip I was sharing earlier. I asked, prayed to god, like, oh, I want to go, uh, overseas, I don't have the money. I was in college at the time, in grad school, don't have the money. So, lord, please just send a job where they're gonna go overseas and they could take me and I can get paid and paid, uh, paid trip to go somewhere. And I prayed that and it hit me. God smacked me on the head, said how you gonna pray that prayer and you don't have a passport. That doesn't make any sense, first things first. Yeah, I always got my passport and by the end of the year I got a call to go to Spain. But that experience of singing oh Happy Day to a crowd of Spaniards singing every last song just showed me the power of gospel music and it transcends a lot of things. That was a great experience.
Speaker 1:We'll be right back with more from our guest, jarrett McLean, right after this. Welcome to the choir room. Jarrett is a music teacher, a choir director, a songwriter and recording artist. We're glad to have him with us today here in the choir room.
Speaker 3:I would rather be invisible than to get in your way. All of you and none of me get the glory today. You have my mind, my will, my heart and my voice. Use me as you please, Lord. You give the glory in what I do for you today. I'd rather be invisible Than to get in your way.
Speaker 1:Playing in the background is a little bit of you. Get the Glory by Jarrett McCain, our guest Jarrett, welcome.
Speaker 5:Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:We've been trying to get you here for a little while now and finally made it happen.
Speaker 5:Oh, come on, Don't make me sound Hollywood.
Speaker 1:Honestly, we like guests who are not Hollywood, people who are just doing what they're called to do, so thanks for not being Hollywood. Now, you've been sitting in with us during the CRQ's. Let's talk about Jared. Tell us where it started for you.
Speaker 5:So I started seeing an early age. I was actually very, very shy and of course I was in church all of my life. I was born and raised in Elizabeth and I went and I grew up at a AME church, mount Tiemann. Ame church is my home church, that my mom and I'm uncle still retain and our members and officers of so shout out to Mount Tiemann. But there was always, for my journey in my life, there was always a duality. I wasn't just church, I wasn't just involved in church, I was also involved in school, and so I was always in the youth choir and everybody at those churches do the Sunday school plays. Except I told you, I was shy as a kid, so I had a heavy, heavy, heavy, no spirit.
Speaker 3:A heavy no spirit.
Speaker 5:Yes, I knew how to say no. I knew how to stand my ground when I said no, gotcha. And so they would try to get me to do my little recital not recital my Easter play lines and Christmas lines. And I was the one to hold the microphone for everybody else to see it Video footage of me holding it, holding my phone. But I came out.
Speaker 5:I came out of my shell in church, being a part of the youth choir as well as singing in my school choir, at school, in the public schools, I was in the Gifted and Talented program and my Gifted and Talented program choir. We traveled and so that really kind of opened my eyes to see other people my age singing and exploring and you know the camaraderie of corporate singing and group singing. Everybody was excited around me and so that kind of pushed me to come out of my shell a bit. And so, just like the church is a great grounds for bringing leaders and for trial and error, so I did a lot of my trial and error at church, with proper support in the proper space, and so, um, I can remember early on I was also taking piano lessons with, uh, one of my mentors and family friend, miss Rose Cavishawk, and she was also my minister of music at church and so I remember the first time. This is the importance of church. Let me go go here. Importance of church.
Speaker 5:The pastor at the time, reverend Dixon, had the vision and sought the importance of training up and investing in the youth. And I have a good friend, jesse Mayers. He played the drums, I played the keys and sang. Another friend, dj. He played the keys as well and my cousin wanted to pick up the bass. Another friend, dj, he played the keys as well and my cousin wanted to pick up the bass. And so the pastor invested church money to give us lessons. So the minister of music, mr Caberstock, gave me and DJ piano lessons.
Speaker 5:The bass player for the church gave my cousin Justin bass lessons, and the drummer at the church gave Jesse drum lessons. And it was around that time I was a teenager. It was around that time that, uh, I did, uh I stepped out of she uh had death in the family and it was. She had literally had to leave, and so it was a Sunday morning. We found out, you know, pretty uh late and I'm rambling. Sorry if I'm rambling, but uh, I say, hey, I will try my best to tinkle on the keyboard.
Speaker 5:I didn't know much, but I called in the morning. She gave me the keys that the song started in and I started us off at least and put us in the right keys and played things during the order of service. And again, just the foundation and the encouragement of my church family really kind of started my journey in music and kind of honing those gifts and talents at that place. So I think church is still important, has multiple roles, I agree. I agree Not just spirituality but actually cultivating and honing the gifts that are inside of each individual.
Speaker 1:Now, you later went to Hampton University, correct?
Speaker 5:Yes, indeed, the real HBCU.
Speaker 1:And it was at Howard University, HBCU, that you studied what.
Speaker 5:I studied vocal performance for four years. Yes, and I was a part of the university choir and concert choir. Concert choir was the traveling choir.
Speaker 1:Let's step back just a little bit to something you said earlier, and that is the fact that the church invested financially in your musical development. Now, was that for the purpose of you and the others bringing their talents back to the church and utilizing them there? Is that even important and if so, why?
Speaker 5:Some of those are. But again, I don't think that even still, serving is important, but I think the investment is what is important, and those tools and what that taught us. It takes us further and beyond serving in church. So I would still say that, even though some of them may not be serving in church, I still think that the event that was placed meant something, you know so Understood.
Speaker 1:Let's go back to Hampton for a moment. What was your motivation for choosing vocal performance? Because you mentioned that you were very shy growing up. Yeah, by this time I had gotten out of that.
Speaker 4:OK, I broke it out of that.
Speaker 5:You know life is God is so awesome and great when you look back at your life and I sound like an old spirit. But when you look back at your life, you know, you just start seeing the dots connect and it's just very interesting. So, again, I was involved in school and we traveled, and so I was in seventh or eighth grade and we went to Virginia on a competition and we were at bush gardens. Usually all the competitions took place, uh, at amusement parks. So my choir went, we competed and while we were there, we, we did other things, like we did some activities and we got to see the space of the area we were in and I remember being on a boat now this is there's a white man. We got on see the space, the area we were in, and I remember being on a boat Now this is there's a white man. We got on this boat you know being fancy and he was like our tour guide and we were on the water and we rode by Hampton University and he was telling us to your left is Hampton University and they are a historically Black college and they were very known for the Hampton Singers and it was one of the first touring Black choirs that went around and their similarity. You guys are a choir and they were a choir and that stuck with me Seventh or eighth grade, right.
Speaker 5:So I go fast forward. I'm now applying for colleges. I remember that I bring it up. I knew that I didn't want to go too far away from home but I wanted to get away where my mother could not just pop up on me. But I knew I wanted to go to an HBCU. I did some of my research on Hampton and then I found out again that church members, their children, went to Hampton. So I felt called to go to Hampton. So me and my mom, we got on the Greyhound, my mom and I got on the Greyhound and we went down to Hampton.
Speaker 1:Well, now you have to tell this generation what the Greyhound?
Speaker 5:is.
Speaker 1:Now you sound like a real old soul.
Speaker 5:It is a bus company. I think it's still around. I think it's still around. It took us seven hours, my goodness. I think it's still around. I think it's still around. You can get a nice cheap ticket. It took us seven hours, my goodness. But yeah, we went to tour of the universe and I fell in love. It was on the water. What is there not to love about a university on the water? I got to meet some great people and I made the decision and I would not. If I were to do it again, I would make the same decision. I met some incredible, incredible friends and lifelong friends that I'm still in contact with. But also, too, Hampton hosts one of the largest Baptist choir and minister skills. So I was involved in that as well. And again, life, like I said earlier, life kind of make you start to make the dots connect and just look back and you know that it was God leading you Wake up, wake up, Wake up everybody.
Speaker 3:No more sleeping in bed, no more backwards thinking, time for thinking ahead. The world has changed so very much From what it used to be. There is so much hatred, war and poverty.
Speaker 1:So you graduate from Hampton with a degree in vocal performance. Was it your intention to become a choir director, to teach, or what was your plan?
Speaker 5:I actually went to Hampton with the goals and aims to major in education. But they did not tell me that it was a dual major in music and in education. So I did not. All I saw was dollar signs. On being there longer than four years, I made a wise decision In the back of my mind again before I went to college. I was teaching already. I was teaching my church choir, I did Women's Day, so I was already honing my gifts and teaching. I just wanted the formal training for it. While I was at Hampton I also started a gospel group on campus called Unison, a gospel group on campus called Unison. And so we did. We were kind of like the house, the campus gospel group for some years. And then I later graduated from Hampton and went to William Patterson to get my master's in music education Great, Great, so tell us what you're doing now.
Speaker 1:What are you doing musically?
Speaker 5:What am I doing musically now? Okay, so I am a minister of music at Clearview Baptist Church in North New Jersey. I am an educator, a vocal music teacher, at Passaic Gifted and Talented School in Passaic, new Jersey. I am a singing member of Anthony Ponder and Ministry of Desire, based out of Jersey City, and I am helping. I was associate director of Verge and Steph in Jubilation and I get calls here and there to assist and help the choir since retired. But they do get opportunities to minister here and there. We just got finished doing June 2 to June 2 performances which Miss Vienna Stansel was a part of, and so I do things here and there. I like to do my own stuff here and there when I get a chance and opportunity. But yeah, that's a lot.
Speaker 1:That is a lot. So you're actively involved with three different groups.
Speaker 5:You've got your work group. You've got Anthony.
Speaker 1:Ponder and that choir. And then Rev Steph and Jubilation. Incidentally, in the background you're listening to a little bit of Anthony Ponder and Ministries Desire featuring Natalie Wilson. Now I know when you're working with that many groups that are in demand, scheduling can become a challenge from time to time. Are you having that issue at all?
Speaker 5:uh, you'd be surprised. Actually I don't find myself conflicted. Uh, often. Um, usually I get some dates in advance and so I'm able to manage my schedule. Um, sometimes I'm able to join the two schedules together. Uh, right too, but yeah, no, it can be a juggling act.
Speaker 1:Sure, here's a bit of Rev Steph and Jubilation in that classic Jesus. What a Wonderful Child, so appropriate for this holiday season. Oh, what a wonderful child, jesus. Jesus, so holy be his name. He's not Jesus, so holy make him. Come Life to all, to all he brings.
Speaker 3:Listen to the angels sing Glory, glory. Glory to the newborn King. He was heralded by the angels, Born in a lonely manger. Mary was his mother, Joseph was his earthly father. Three wise men came from afar. They were guided by a shining star To see the babe King Jesus, where he lay in a manger filled with hay. Jesus.
Speaker 4:Jesus, jesus, sweet Jesus. Oh, what a wonderful child. So, jared, thanks so much for joining us tonight. You talked about sort of the importance of investing in the future, and so you're working with young people now and I guess, as you are an educator, what do you see as some of the challenges that are related to this generation, that are related to this generation and who are, as we hear very much, who are very much sort of hooked to social media, hooked to video games? How do you sort of pull them away from that to grow an appreciation for music, even outside of church, but just to grow an appreciation for music and what it can do and how it can involve them in doing something actively with other people, when so much of our culture today finds us becoming more and more isolated?
Speaker 5:Oh, that's a good, great question. So one of the challenges is social media and technology as a whole. It is very, very difficult. First of all, it's already difficult to keep young people's attention, but you add technology, the use of technology, in that mix and mercy. Again, I go home and I take a nap every day because you have to keep, and you know where we used to do theory? On the board chalkboard. No, no, that doesn't work these days. Right and so, um, but on the flip side, you have to lean into it. There are a lot of tools and resources that use technology to keep, uh, children's attention and to still teach the same fundamentals. Um, you just have to kind of be creative in finding that right.
Speaker 5:Another thing that I try to as a teacher, an educator and I'll share what I was mentioning before, where I get to fuse sometimes my schedules my philosophy with being a teacher is I try to give experiences as much as possible to my students, because that's what kept my attention the experiences of traveling. The first time I went to Washington DC was not with my family, was not with my mom or dad, it was with my school choir, right, and it was, I remember, on my birthday we had. I'm aging myself. We have phone cards, so I had to use a phone card to call, use the payphone to call back home on my birthday in Washington DC.
Speaker 1:He said payphone yeah.
Speaker 5:He said that no I looked at him but yes, we had payphones when I was a kid and so so I try to infuse that as much as possible experiences outside of the classroom because that really keeps their excitement. I is my experience. So, for instance, this last year I was able to uh partner with my friend, anthony ponder. He had a gospel series at sobs in new york and he was able to bring in molly music and a part of. While he was here. He was able to bring in Miley music and a part of while he was here.
Speaker 5:I was able to bring Miley to my school and do he ran a workshop with my seventh and eighth graders and so we researched who is Miley music. He's a Grammy award winner. Miley has also written music for Jenny Aiko. I don't know if you guys are familiar with R&B singer Jenny Aiko, so my kids relate to Jenny Aiko. They didn't necessarily relate to Molly, but because they connected the fact that he wrote for Jenny Aiko, they were amazed. They were like so excited and we watched Terrell's show on YouTube.
Speaker 5:So he interviews he's not a Christian based, but he interviews a lot of gospel, r&b, broadway singers and he plays a lot of games with them, but he also interviews them while they're playing and they're singing games. So they get to sing on the show, and so Miley was on that. So I pulled it up on a smart board look at this episode of Miley Music. So they got information, they understood who he was, the background on him, and then I brought him in so I taught them a song that actually I did in Hampton called God Grant Us Grace. It's a four part song and they had been. I'm teaching them also how to read the actual notation right. So I'm teaching them a pretty difficult song, a four part harmony. These are middle schoolers and I'm teaching them how to read and they were kind of struggling through it and trying to find their way. They had finished learning it and Molly comes to do this workshop and by golly they sounded like Hampton University Concert Choir just because Molly was standing there.
Speaker 3:When he left I said well, who, what choir was that?
Speaker 5:What choir was that they were like? Well, Mr McClain, we had to show up, we had a Grammy award winning for him, we had to sing, we had to sing. And so it's those moments, you know, of trying to be creative and find ways to keep their attention that I find work well. Last thing I want to share I also was able, so we just did. I just mentioned that, Reverend Stephen Jubilation. We just did two Juneteenth performances, one at NJ Pack and one at the Race Theater in Elizabeth, and I was able to bring you know again this great support with not only my, my principal and Reverend Minity, but everybody that I asked to make things happen. They support me, right and trying to make it happen.
Speaker 5:And so I was able to bring my choir to perform in the Juneteenth from the Middle Passage, uh, at NJPAC. So how often does a middle school choir get to perform in a professional setting and space? And so I tried to again use what God has given me and the little or much that he's given me to include as many people as possible. I could have totally done that show and just not thought of asking the kids to come or try to work the logistics I had to get a bus. I had to do paperwork, I had to get chaperones, I was running rehearsal, a dress rehearsal while texting and making sure the kids were on the bus and present all at the same time. I got to NJPAC and make sure permission slips were assigned and all that good stuff. So, to answer your question, I'm feeling a lot of long-winded. But to answer your question, I try to find ways to bring experiences to my students that they may not normally have the opportunity, to keep their attention and to keep them excited about singing and music and learning.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Yeah Well, listen, I happen to be. Thank you, jarrett, for being a part of this evening's session taping. I happen to be in the room with those same young people that you brought into NJPAC and they were phenomenal, they really were. I just enjoy watching them, not necessarily on stage because I could hear them on stage, but just watching them in the room with all of us, and the way that they navigated in the room. You could tell, you could see the excitement um of of the just the entire day and all that it entailed. Um.
Speaker 2:Now, I happen to know that you I know two of the groups well now, I know the, the young people that you also, uh, work with, but I happen to know two of the groups that you serve with now. They're very, they're vastly different musical stylings. Right, by the way, I have to say this Greg and Dorian, the group that he's talking about, anthony Ponder and Ministries Desired. They have a new song out, new single out, that I happen to love, and it came out on Friday, and I just want you to know, young man, that is some good work there, you all doing some good work there. So let Anthony know he's my number one fan. I'm going to say that.
Speaker 2:Don't say it that way, but I do know that these two groups in particular, reverend Stephan, jubilation, as well as Anthony Ponder and Ministry of Desire, have two different styles of music. And so when you, when you work, when you're working with your the children, the gifted and talented children, how do you or do you bring those two musical styles together with them, or you just um, just a one note kind of thing with them, do you bring a little bit of what you do with? Do you bring a little bit of what you do with ministry's desire, or a little bit of what you do with Reverend Steff? Because Reverend Steff is a is a more traditional background in music and Anthony Ponda, he is contemporary if you will All the way.
Speaker 2:All the way he's contemporary. So how do you, how do you bring those those two things together when you deal with the younger children, the gifted and talented bunch?
Speaker 5:So I try to infuse. I love music and, of course, majoring in music, you had to get familiar with genres and material that you were not necessarily familiar with and learn to appreciate it too. Not just get really good, but you'll learn to appreciate it and you learn to find the similarities and how learning classical can enhance your R&B and how learning traditional gospel can enhance your classical classical. You know what I mean. So I do give autonomy to the children that I teach to choose and select some of the music that they want to perform. Some students really showcase that they're interested in others, more interested in others, and so I have, like, some soloists, and so I give space for students to perform solos or to do trios or small groups, um and again, with, with guidance, right, because some issues are not always appropriate, um and so.
Speaker 5:But you'd be surprised to see what they listen to and what they're familiar with and what is taught in their household. And just like I was a student going to church, a lot of my students go to church and sing in church and sing it outside of school, and so I try to infuse just as much as what I'm involved in and showcasing that to them and making it palatable for them, as well as trying to get their input and insight. But yeah, I like contemporary just as much as I like traditional, so you'd be surprised. Some young people are very, very traditional. They want to sing, mary, did you Know? Really? Wow, we have the sheet music too Nice. So you'd be surprised what they appreciate. And it's interesting too, because social media has a way of reviving Traditional or old lyric Material that they end up loving. I don't know if y'all are familiar with Keisha Cole.
Speaker 3:Love never knew what I was. Yeah, you know what.
Speaker 5:I'm saying why do y'all love it so much and why are you requesting it? Because, TikTok revived it. Tiktok has revived it right, and so you again to my point. You'd be surprised what they like and what they that's good.
Speaker 1:Jared, when you consider the fact that this is a, your school group is a younger group, and then you have the other two groups which, in today's definition of a generation, these groups are almost a generation apart as well. What would you say that each of these groups have in common individually that keeps them wanting to come together, being together, collaborating, wanting to sing during a time when it seemed as if choir was being disseminated. Yet these choirs have held on, these groups have held on. These people want to sing together. What would you say is the glue that's common between each group?
Speaker 5:To answer your question, what from the members' perspective? I know that camaraderie is one I know with Jubilation. Specifically, jubilation was started, kind of for those that don't know the history of Jubilation, it was the House Gospel Choir at NJPAC when NJPAC got started. So they were up and running 98, 99. And again, the connection between Jubilation, their family, my mom and I are charter members of Jubilation and I remember my mom Going on an charter members of Jubilation and I remember my mom going on an audition. She had never auditioned for a choir before she heard about it. She of course was familiar with Reverend Minity.
Speaker 5:Reverend Minity played at my home church and my aunt was a member of her group, stephanie and Friends. So we were, you know, family friends outside of church. So she I remember being in the car Now I was sitting in the back seat because my mother forced me to sit in the back seat. She got the letter and she screamed. I thought we were about to get in a car accident because I couldn't see. So she screamed because she had got accepted into the choir and I can remember all the great and wonderful experiences.
Speaker 5:I remember my mom saying how much she enjoyed going to rehearsal because it was a worship experience in rehearsal been in existence for 25 years, has created a space for lack of better words, and a connection and a camaraderie again, uh, to sing. That is undeniable and that transcends a lot of things. The ministry opportunities that that have been shared between everybody, um, has been bar none, right, uh, I think, with anth Potter Ministry of Desire, we see the vision that God has given Anthony, and so it is easy to follow his vision and follow and try to help him execute the vision that God has given him, and we have seen the tangible evidence of it. So, but let me say this too they are some singing fools, and so, as singers I'm going to say this to you and musicians uh, we are a little competitive. We, we know we want to, uh, we don't want to be the weakest link around, so, uh, we should. Iron sharpens iron, and I will say that they are some singing fools.
Speaker 1:So when you say competitive, do you mean competitive amongst themselves?
Speaker 5:I'm saying a healthy, competitive, like learning from each other. You know I like to get some licks from John. What did you do here? Like, oh, you know I'm trying to do what you just did there. How did you hear that? So it was appreciation.
Speaker 5:Sure, Gotcha, and I'm saying that being silly because I'm a silly person. But yeah, no, I love and enjoy being around them because they are amazing in their own gifting and their own talent and it sharpens me and then again my capacity teaching children. I love seeing when things connect and so it is. There's nothing more rewarding than sharing your own life experience and knowledge to the upcoming generation and they appreciate it the same way that you appreciate it, or they're able to find a little bit more confidence in themselves. They're able to present themselves in a different way because of the experience that they've had with you. And so each one, each organization and group that I'm a part of, serves its own purpose and serves its own connection. That all fuel me and all make me who I am, and all each of these entities just make me a better person and serve different purposes.
Speaker 1:Jarrett, thanks for joining us here in the choir room and kudos to you for what I believe we heard is a great balance between your ability to sing with Anthony Ponder and Ministries Desire, your work with Rev Steph and Jubilation, and then, of course, you're pouring into the next generation of singers at the school in which you work Mietta Dorian any last words.
Speaker 2:I'm just grateful to be in the same space tonight with you, young man. Thank you for carving out some time. She called you young man, I did.
Speaker 4:Well, she called me a young man one time too.
Speaker 2:I might as well, because Greg loves pointing out the fact that I'm old right.
Speaker 5:Make sure that makes the edit too.
Speaker 2:please, We'll keep it in, but I am I'm grateful that we were able to share this space with you tonight. Thank you so much.
Speaker 5:I really appreciate all of you. Uh, yeah, this is a great, great, great opportunity and great uh time.
Speaker 1:I had a whole bunch of fun, so I appreciate well, jared, you've got some music out there, so tell our listeners where they can find it.
Speaker 5:I do, um, you do. Yay, you can just search me on iTunes or YouTube. Jared McLean, I did an EP in the pandemic and it's Let Freedom Ring, and I raised some money to give a little book scholarship to two students. One went to the other HU Howard University, unfortunately, the other Howard University and Morehouse University so that project was able to bless somebody else. And then I did a single some years prior to that, called you Get the Glory. But you can find me on Instagram Facebook. My Instagram handle is at I-A-M-J-A-Y-R-E-D, so J-Red. My friends like to call me that J-Red, but I just took it and made my hand up. And then Jared and Marthysquirt.
Speaker 1:Awesome, and the two groups and the school that you're involved with.
Speaker 5:Right with Step in Jubilation, Anthony Ponder and Ministry of Desire. Please go on iTunes. And there are two albums, One coming, another album coming soon, but we do have a single out called it's in the Room so you can get that today. And then the three groups I teach at St Kitts and McAllister Academy.
Speaker 1:And there you have it. Join us again next week right here in the choir room as we continue with our Hymn of the Week with Dorian Johnson. We'll be taking your comments and your questions in our CRQ, which is the Choir Room Question of the Week, and, of course, as often as possible, we like to drop some nuggets of experience to help you along in your choir experience. If you're enjoying the Choir Room, don't forget to give us a thumbs up and a like, share with your friends and tell them that you were in the Choir Room. And finally, if ever we put the messenger before the message, we have failed to present an unblemished gospel. I'm Greg Thomas. Join us again right here next week in the Choir Room.
