$149 or 2 monthly payments of $86

Walk into your next youth choir rehearsal feeling prepared, capable, and confident.

Learn exactly what to teach, how to teach it, and how to lead your choir with skill and intention.

You’re a youth choir director, so you get it.

The goofy jokes they tell and their unique sense of humor
The socially-awkward phase
The new technology and social media platforms kids are into these days
The hormones and voices that seem to change overnight
The drama of their daily lives
The journey of figuring out who they are, what they're good at, and what matters most in their lives

You’re their choir director, but you’re also their mentor, counselor, and community builder, an encourager and guide, a friend and confidant, and yes, a music educator (even if you don’t have a music degree!).

The thing is:

No one told you you'd have to deal with changing voices on a weekly basis, basses that insist on singing one note, or twice as many altos as any other section.

You’re a capable musician, but it turns out, there’s a lot more to this job than what’s in the job description.

You're not alone.

Most youth choir directors weren’t trained as educators. You’re learning as you go—Googling vocal warm-ups, attending one-off choral seminars, and reacting to things as they come up in rehearsal.

But what if you could learn how to lead, teach, and rehearse your choir in a way that made you feel prepared, capable, and confident?

Introducing

The Youth Choir Course

A practical, self-paced course that helps you develop essential
teaching and leadership skills—tailored specifically to the
realities of directing a youth choir.

Enroll now

Get strategies that actually work, whether you’re working with a group of eight middle-schoolers or forty-eight 7th-12th graders.

Learn how to:

Teach pedagogically-appropriate vocal technique and choral methods to your choir
Help your singers develop music-reading skills
Foster the development of musicianship, listening skills, awareness, and musical understanding
Evaluate choral anthems and choose music at an appropriate level for your choir (and their changing voices)
Plan effective, engaging rehearsals, week after week
Lead your choir with confidence

All taught through the lens of a few key learning theories, packed with real-world strategies, templates, and tools, and informed by over 20 years of teaching experience.

Module 1

The Learning Process

Discover a small mindset shift that could change the way you and your choir members think about learning. Plus, get an inside look at how people learn music and how all of this can inform your teaching.

Module 2

What to Teach

We’ll talk about how to teach vocal technique, breathing, choral methods, assigning voice parts, vowels, consonants, and tone—all with simple, repeatable approaches.

Module 3

How to Teach

Learn how to teach sight-reading, rhythm, melody, harmony, and form—made accessible for singers at every level. Plus, learn a few best-kept secrets for working with changing voices.

Module 4

Planning & Preparing

Choose repertoire that fits your choir and plan engaging, productive rehearsals that run smoothly and feel purposeful (including several ready-to-use templates).

The reviews are in

Here's what other choir directors are saying:

Take a closer look

Start learning today. Start using what
you’ve learned in your very next rehearsal.

This course offers expert training, real-world strategies, and hands-on tools you can return to again and again. You’ll walk away with a clearer plan, more confidence, and tools you can actually use in rehearsal next week.

Here’s what you’ll find inside:

15 video lessons across four modules
Hands-on projects to put your new skills into practice
Downloadable rehearsal templates and resources
Comments feature so you can ask questions, get feedback, and interact with peers
Email support: answers to your questions and feedback on your ideas are only an email away!
Lifetime 24/7 access on any device

Access Anywhere

Access the videos + course materials anytime, from any device.

Self-Paced

Start when you're ready and work at your own pace.

Lifetime Access

Review the videos + course materials again and again - for life!

$149 or 2 monthly payments of $86

Ready to lead your choir with more confidence?

Start today and feel more prepared for your next rehearsal.

Buy now

Hi, I'm Ashley Danyew

I'm a musician, educator, and researcher based in Rochester, NY, with a Ph.D. in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music.

I've spent over 20 years teaching across church, community, studio, and college settings. I know what it's like to stand in front of a room of singers with mixed experience levels and figure out, in real time, how to teach something (not just conduct it).

I created this course because most youth choir directors never get formal training in music education. The teaching side of directing is something you're largely expected to figure out on your own—often while managing the social dynamics, voice changes, and everything else that comes with working with middle and high school students. This course gives you the frameworks, strategies, and tools to do that with more confidence and intention, starting with your next rehearsal.

This course is for you if you:

→ Show up to rehearsal with a rough plan, but leave feeling like you winged it

→ Know your singers can do more musically, but aren't sure how to get them there

→ Are navigating changing voices, mixed experience levels, and limited rehearsal time

→ Want to feel like a teacher, not just a director

Enroll Now

FAQs

What other directors have asked:

What do I need to get started? How long will it take me?

All you need is an Internet connection. All course content and materials will be available to you in digital format: video lessons, PDF downloads, and web links. Nothing physical will be shipped to you.

Each module is about 30 minutes of video plus a hands-on project or planning task. The course is completely self-paced: You can complete the whole thing in 2–3 hours, or space it out across a few weeks. You’ll also have lifetime access, so there’s no rush.

I’ve never had formal training in choral directing. Is this course too advanced?

Not at all. This course was designed with that exact scenario in mind. You don’t need a degree in music education to be a confident, effective choir director. You just need a few frameworks, practical tools, and a better understanding of how people learn music—this course gives you all of that.

I already have some experience. Will this still be worth it for me?

Yes, if you want to refine your teaching skills, better understand how middle and high school students learn, and make your rehearsals more organized, engaging, and intentional. Even experienced directors have said they gained new insights, ideas, and frameworks they hadn’t considered before.

Will I get feedback or support as I go?

Yes. Each lesson includes a comments section where you can ask questions, share your ideas, and connect with other directors. You can also email me directly—I’m happy to answer any questions.

What if I’m directing a non-church choir—like a school or community choir?

You’re still in the right place. While some examples reference church choirs, the teaching and rehearsal strategies work just as well in school or community choirs.

Is this the same content as the other courses in this series (handbells, adult choir)?

Each course in the Music Education & Leadership Skills series focuses on a different ensemble type. While a few foundational principles overlap (like rehearsal planning), this course was written specifically for directors of youth choirs, with learning theories and typical challenges in mind.

How do I add a question and answer to my FAQ section?

In the "Content" tab, scroll down and click on an existing question to edit the text. Click "New Question" to add more questions to your FAQ.

You’re doing meaningful work—bringing students together through music, week after week.

But directing a youth choir well isn’t as simple as choosing the best repertoire and having a good rapport with your singers.

There’s teaching, planning, and navigating different skill levels, learning styles, and musical backgrounds. You’re smart, resourceful, and capable. But you don’t have to figure all of this out by yourself.

This course gives you the teaching strategies, leadership skills, and practical tools you need to run better, more musical rehearsals—week after week.

Lead with more confidence. Teach with more clarity and intention. Get more out of your rehearsals.