Anderson kept his session light, humorous and of course, filled with song. He joked about an organ teacher who was extremely serious about her trade, often frowning over her music. To illustrate his first point, make singing fun and make it enjoyable, he said, “For example, if we’re singing, ‘Alleluia, we sing your praises. All our hearts are filled with gladness!’ please inform your face of what you’re singing,” he said. “If you’re not smiling enough, you’re scaring the children.”

Urging teachers to commit to children and young people, he said, “I find kids getting ‘cooler’ at younger and younger ages.” Therefore, teachers have to strive to be a consistent presence among children and to “commit for the long haul” as choir teachers are often “going against the cultural grain.”

Know your students and respect where they are vocally and socially, Anderson said. “Help children find their singing voice. Develop the trust there and invite them to sing out to God.”

Anderson said he believes in having a parish where everybody — young and old — sings. For that to happen, a choir director needs to strive to “get everyone on board” including classroom teachers, catechists, pastoral staff and parents.

“For prayer, singing is normative,” he said. “Sing the faith! Sing the Word! Sing Eucharist! Sing justice!” Raise the expectation, but remember not every singer is equal, he said. “So, in the choir setting, whatever comes out is fine.

“I usually try to pick songs you can learn fast and keep about eight songs in your pocket. I really like good folk hymn melodies,” he said. “Kids need something that sings their faith.” They also need a balanced, but eclectic repertoire. That

repertoire should include simple acclamations, hymns, and songs from around the world, he said.

“I know time is tight, but if you can find ways to sing during the day, that’s great,” Anderson said. For example, a few verses of the song Good Morning, God, from Singing Faith, A Hymnal for Children (a song Anderson called “a back pocket prayer”) would be great way to start the morning in a primary grade classroom, he said, and then invited the adults to sing the song together.

Teachers should always keep calm when dealing with youngsters, no matter if they are on track or having problems with a song. “It’s good to take a song or a hymn and talk about it. And, if I notice a mistake, I don’t yell at the kids,” Anderson said. “I just have them listen again. Our goal is to keep feeding those kids and raising the bar a little bit. Remember, your kids are the church today.”

Finally, Anderson told the adults to remember that they, too, must sing. “Always model good singing and don’t be afraid to sing. For example, it bothers me when I see teachers who don’t sing at a school Mass,” he said. “You simply need a voice that the students can model.”