August 5, 2025 • 9 mins
Terri Foster, artistic director for Louisville Youth Choir, dropped by to highlight upcoming auditions for students K-12 who could join their community choir.
Terry Meiners and Terri Foster (TWO TERRYS!) discussed what's required of any student who may be interested in joining this celebrated arts organization.
Auditions begin on August 19th.
DETAILS louyouthchoir.org
Terry Meiners and Terri Foster (TWO TERRYS!) discussed what's required of any student who may be interested in joining this celebrated arts organization.
Auditions begin on August 19th.
DETAILS louyouthchoir.org
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're a news radio eight forty whas Terry miners here.
Happy Tuesday, Happy whatever day it is, or IF's your birthday,
your anniversary, or you're just happy you and your dog
spend Tuesdays together. Enjoy the day. We need to fill
the air with music. We know how that goes too.
That's what makes life perfect. And soon enough the Louisville
(00:22):
Youth Choir will hold auditions because they're always looking for
somebody new who's just like got that special little thing.
Terry Foster is Louisville Youth Choir's artistic and executive director.
Nice to see you.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Again, good to be here, Good to see you again.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
We have a mutual friend in Heather French.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Henry we do yeah, talk about talented.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
She loves Terry's That's the way it works.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
That's what it is. That's what it is.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Oh. I tell her all the time, it's just like
you got to get over me and there are other
bald men out there for you, and I just she
takes it. Well, you're one of the kindness. She cries
a little bit when I just tell her, I'm sorry,
miss America, I'm spoken for No. She was here not
too long ago. It's always good to see. So tell
me about the health of the Louisville Youth Choir.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Actually, we are growing back from the COVID days, and
everybody likes to not talk about and think about COVID,
but a lot of singing groups in the world, literally
in the world, took a big hit during COVID, lost
about fifty percent of community choirs during that time, and
we were fortunate enough to maintain hours here in Louisville.
(01:28):
So we are currently looking for singers kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah, the Zoom performances were nice, but they're not the
same as real Yeah, when you're in the same room,
it's not the same.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
We did get some unique opportunities that we maybe wouldn't
have had. We put together a statewide performance of a
piece that we actually commissioned about the state of Kentucky
titled My Love for You. It got to play on
the big board out at Churchill Downs right after, right
after the COVID days, so we got to feature a
lot of kids from across the state singing that song
about our beautiful bluegrass.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
But we do prefer being in person.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
You bet, and in how many voices are you hoping
that you put out there at one time. Is it twenty,
is it fifty, is it two thousand?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
It's as many as we can find. We've got space
and room to grow. We're artists and residents at Sacred
Heart School for the Arts and the lovely facility over
on the Ursuline campus, built and grown by the Ursuline
sisters over there, and so we can accommodate as many
voices as we can find. And the other great thing
is we don't ever turn away singers for the inability
(02:35):
to pay to participate, So there really should be no
excuse for kids who are looking for a place to
try out their talent to come and sing with.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Us, because moms and dads sometimes feel like, well, you know,
little Jenny here, if she sounds like she's really good
at this, and then this is a good place, a
good forum to just see how she measures up.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Absolutely, it could be a parent, a grandparent, or a
teacher that maybe identifies the talent and a singer, or
it could just be a child that has an interest
and they don't even know if they would be good
at it. The great thing about l WeSC is we
have all different levels so that we can do auditions
for placement and appropriately place kids where their talent and
(03:18):
ability might be. So there's a spot for everybody.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
And so what do you do? Do you have concerts
freestanding just for a Louisville Youth choir? Are you part
of like another production or you're providing the singing background
for a play.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Well, the answer is kind of yes there. I mean,
we do have our own four concert mainstage series that
we do, but we've been invited to partner with the
Louisville Orchestra. We have performed with the Louisville Ballet, Music
Theater of Louisville when it was a thing. Louisville University
of Louisville sometimes has projects, so we go out and
sing with other arts organizations in the community by invitation.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Absolutely, that feels good then too, because obviously that's an
experience that's hard to replicate for someone to just experience,
is it like online or whatever. When you're on stage
with that kind of level of talent, that just grows
your concept of who you can be.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Absolutely, and the exposure in those additional opportunities that maybe
even if a child is involved with their school music program,
because we are a community based organization, and we bring
in kids from all over, not just Louisville. We're Louisville
by name, but really we service southern Indiana and six
surrounding counties. So we have a great snapshot and representation
(04:28):
of our region in the louisvilleth Choir, and we get
some really unique opportunities. The now King Charles of London,
England and Queen concert Camilla when they made a visit
to Louisville, we got to premiere a new arrangement of
mel Kentucky Home and sing for the royalties. So we
sing at derby time for different dignitaries.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
He seemed rather moved by that. I recall that whole thing.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
It was pretty amazing.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
We were told he would probably just keep walking through
as we sang, and he stopped and listened to the
whole song the We're just blown away.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
So now as the King and somebody's rubbing his hands
right now, fixing his fingernails, and he's thinking to him.
So I'd like to hear those Kentucky children again again.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Absolutely, we would love to sing for him again. But
we do.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
We do look for opportunities, not only to showcase our
singers at our concerts, but throughout the community and throughout
the region.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Makes sense, all right, So where are these auditions and
when do they happen?
Speaker 3 (05:25):
The auditions are coming up at the end of August
the nineteenth, twenty first, and twenty sixth. The auditions are
just for third through twelfth graders, and really they're not
for us to say no, we don't accept you. They
are really for us to place voices appropriately. So that's
the purpose behind the auditions. They're going to take place
at the School for the Arts over on the Ursuline campus.
We're real, really easy to find. We have maps on
(05:47):
our website and driving directions, and then our kindergarten through
second grade can just register for the programming. They don't
have to audition. It's a little less less of a
commitment to time wise for them. Two eight week sessions
that we all for that age group.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Well, these folks who are in third through twelfth grade,
what do they have to use for preparatory purposes? Is
there a song? Do they sing something from Frozen? I mean,
what happens?
Speaker 3 (06:12):
We have had singers come in with something like that prepared,
but we try to give them all the tools that
they'll need in advance, So if they visit our website
in the audition section, everything's right there on the homepage.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
To direct them. We ask them to sing.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Some scales so we can find out how low and
how high their voice is. We have them clap some
rhythm patterns back to make sure that they are rhythmically adept,
and then they sing part of My Country tis of
the Just One verse. We provide the sheet music and
even a practice piano track for them so that they
can get ready for the audition.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
May I try absolutely my country too, of the sweet
Land of Liberty, of the I scene.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Yes, we will put you right in our bass baritone section.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Terry Miners, we're going to feature at one of our concerts.
You can maybe guess that's the spot we look for.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Actually, how did those kids negotiate singing land where my
father's died?
Speaker 2 (07:07):
So you phoned right in on it? I think you
got an ear.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
That's where what's where you throw your towel? That's where
you're like, I'm holding back right now. Well, just wait
till I get to that land where our fucker's died.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
That's it. That's it.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Something about Pilgrim's pride after that.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Is absolutely, you are so patriotic.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Well, I'm thinking it was. I thought that was a
Thanksgiving song. Uh, Pilgrim's pride, your pumpkins rotting on the porch.
I don't remember the next line after that, But.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
That's why we provide the words and the sheet.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Mutis. There's no freestyling.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Yeah, so people don't have to just kind of make
it up on the fly, but maybe bonus points if
they do.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
You know, we're not afraid part of the process. That's right.
We love it. We love it.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
What's the website, tear.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
The website is www. Lou Youth Choir dot org.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Well that worked out nicely. That was available for you. Yeah,
Lou by the way, it spelled Lou's short for Louis.
That's how I go. Lou Youth Choir dot Org is
the website, and auditions are coming up here in ten
day ten twelve days were real close.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Nineteenth nineteenth is the first day, nineteen twenty one, twenty six, So.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
You need to go there earlier and find out about
the different.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Absolutely, it walks them right through it.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
They can self schedule an audition slot and then find
all of the tools to prepare for the audition.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Know what time of the year would you have your
first show?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
The end of October?
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Oh, so that's good prep time.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, we got some time.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Jump on that quickly. You like a football coach, you
have a whistle and your blow. That's the wrong line,
you know.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Sometimes they are that rowdy when we get them all together.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
But we like that. We like for rowdy and fun
and for kids to be using their voices. That's what
we're all about.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Great, see again, Terry, you too. All right, hey, Kerrie,
thank you for setting us up here. Louisville Youth Choir
auditions coming up later in this month. That is Louisville
Youth Choir's artistic and executive director, Terry Foster. And we're
back on the website one more time. Is lou Youth
Choir dot org. Back in a minute on news radio
eight forty whas
You're a news radio eight forty whas Terry miners here.
Happy Tuesday, Happy whatever day it is, or IF's your birthday,
your anniversary, or you're just happy you and your dog
spend Tuesdays together. Enjoy the day. We need to fill
the air with music. We know how that goes too.
That's what makes life perfect. And soon enough the Louisville
(00:22):
Youth Choir will hold auditions because they're always looking for
somebody new who's just like got that special little thing.
Terry Foster is Louisville Youth Choir's artistic and executive director.
Nice to see you.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Again, good to be here, Good to see you again.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
We have a mutual friend in Heather French.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Henry we do yeah, talk about talented.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
She loves Terry's That's the way it works.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
That's what it is. That's what it is.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Oh. I tell her all the time, it's just like
you got to get over me and there are other
bald men out there for you, and I just she
takes it. Well, you're one of the kindness. She cries
a little bit when I just tell her, I'm sorry,
miss America, I'm spoken for No. She was here not
too long ago. It's always good to see. So tell
me about the health of the Louisville Youth Choir.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Actually, we are growing back from the COVID days, and
everybody likes to not talk about and think about COVID,
but a lot of singing groups in the world, literally
in the world, took a big hit during COVID, lost
about fifty percent of community choirs during that time, and
we were fortunate enough to maintain hours here in Louisville.
(01:28):
So we are currently looking for singers kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah, the Zoom performances were nice, but they're not the
same as real Yeah, when you're in the same room,
it's not the same.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
We did get some unique opportunities that we maybe wouldn't
have had. We put together a statewide performance of a
piece that we actually commissioned about the state of Kentucky
titled My Love for You. It got to play on
the big board out at Churchill Downs right after, right
after the COVID days, so we got to feature a
lot of kids from across the state singing that song
about our beautiful bluegrass.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
But we do prefer being in person.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
You bet, and in how many voices are you hoping
that you put out there at one time. Is it twenty,
is it fifty, is it two thousand?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
It's as many as we can find. We've got space
and room to grow. We're artists and residents at Sacred
Heart School for the Arts and the lovely facility over
on the Ursuline campus, built and grown by the Ursuline
sisters over there, and so we can accommodate as many
voices as we can find. And the other great thing
is we don't ever turn away singers for the inability
(02:35):
to pay to participate, So there really should be no
excuse for kids who are looking for a place to
try out their talent to come and sing with.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Us, because moms and dads sometimes feel like, well, you know,
little Jenny here, if she sounds like she's really good
at this, and then this is a good place, a
good forum to just see how she measures up.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Absolutely, it could be a parent, a grandparent, or a
teacher that maybe identifies the talent and a singer, or
it could just be a child that has an interest
and they don't even know if they would be good
at it. The great thing about l WeSC is we
have all different levels so that we can do auditions
for placement and appropriately place kids where their talent and
(03:18):
ability might be. So there's a spot for everybody.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
And so what do you do? Do you have concerts
freestanding just for a Louisville Youth choir? Are you part
of like another production or you're providing the singing background
for a play.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Well, the answer is kind of yes there. I mean,
we do have our own four concert mainstage series that
we do, but we've been invited to partner with the
Louisville Orchestra. We have performed with the Louisville Ballet, Music
Theater of Louisville when it was a thing. Louisville University
of Louisville sometimes has projects, so we go out and
sing with other arts organizations in the community by invitation.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Absolutely, that feels good then too, because obviously that's an
experience that's hard to replicate for someone to just experience,
is it like online or whatever. When you're on stage
with that kind of level of talent, that just grows
your concept of who you can be.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Absolutely, and the exposure in those additional opportunities that maybe
even if a child is involved with their school music program,
because we are a community based organization, and we bring
in kids from all over, not just Louisville. We're Louisville
by name, but really we service southern Indiana and six
surrounding counties. So we have a great snapshot and representation
(04:28):
of our region in the louisvilleth Choir, and we get
some really unique opportunities. The now King Charles of London,
England and Queen concert Camilla when they made a visit
to Louisville, we got to premiere a new arrangement of
mel Kentucky Home and sing for the royalties. So we
sing at derby time for different dignitaries.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
He seemed rather moved by that. I recall that whole thing.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
It was pretty amazing.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
We were told he would probably just keep walking through
as we sang, and he stopped and listened to the
whole song the We're just blown away.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
So now as the King and somebody's rubbing his hands
right now, fixing his fingernails, and he's thinking to him.
So I'd like to hear those Kentucky children again again.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Absolutely, we would love to sing for him again. But
we do.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
We do look for opportunities, not only to showcase our
singers at our concerts, but throughout the community and throughout
the region.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Makes sense, all right, So where are these auditions and
when do they happen?
Speaker 3 (05:25):
The auditions are coming up at the end of August
the nineteenth, twenty first, and twenty sixth. The auditions are
just for third through twelfth graders, and really they're not
for us to say no, we don't accept you. They
are really for us to place voices appropriately. So that's
the purpose behind the auditions. They're going to take place
at the School for the Arts over on the Ursuline campus.
We're real, really easy to find. We have maps on
(05:47):
our website and driving directions, and then our kindergarten through
second grade can just register for the programming. They don't
have to audition. It's a little less less of a
commitment to time wise for them. Two eight week sessions
that we all for that age group.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Well, these folks who are in third through twelfth grade,
what do they have to use for preparatory purposes? Is
there a song? Do they sing something from Frozen? I mean,
what happens?
Speaker 3 (06:12):
We have had singers come in with something like that prepared,
but we try to give them all the tools that
they'll need in advance, So if they visit our website
in the audition section, everything's right there on the homepage.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
To direct them. We ask them to sing.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Some scales so we can find out how low and
how high their voice is. We have them clap some
rhythm patterns back to make sure that they are rhythmically adept,
and then they sing part of My Country tis of
the Just One verse. We provide the sheet music and
even a practice piano track for them so that they
can get ready for the audition.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
May I try absolutely my country too, of the sweet
Land of Liberty, of the I scene.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Yes, we will put you right in our bass baritone section.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Terry Miners, we're going to feature at one of our concerts.
You can maybe guess that's the spot we look for.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Actually, how did those kids negotiate singing land where my
father's died?
Speaker 2 (07:07):
So you phoned right in on it? I think you
got an ear.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
That's where what's where you throw your towel? That's where
you're like, I'm holding back right now. Well, just wait
till I get to that land where our fucker's died.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
That's it. That's it.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Something about Pilgrim's pride after that.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Is absolutely, you are so patriotic.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Well, I'm thinking it was. I thought that was a
Thanksgiving song. Uh, Pilgrim's pride, your pumpkins rotting on the porch.
I don't remember the next line after that, But.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
That's why we provide the words and the sheet.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Mutis. There's no freestyling.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Yeah, so people don't have to just kind of make
it up on the fly, but maybe bonus points if
they do.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
You know, we're not afraid part of the process. That's right.
We love it. We love it.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
What's the website, tear.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
The website is www. Lou Youth Choir dot org.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Well that worked out nicely. That was available for you. Yeah,
Lou by the way, it spelled Lou's short for Louis.
That's how I go. Lou Youth Choir dot Org is
the website, and auditions are coming up here in ten
day ten twelve days were real close.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Nineteenth nineteenth is the first day, nineteen twenty one, twenty six, So.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
You need to go there earlier and find out about
the different.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Absolutely, it walks them right through it.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
They can self schedule an audition slot and then find
all of the tools to prepare for the audition.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Know what time of the year would you have your
first show?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
The end of October?
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Oh, so that's good prep time.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, we got some time.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Jump on that quickly. You like a football coach, you
have a whistle and your blow. That's the wrong line,
you know.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Sometimes they are that rowdy when we get them all together.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
But we like that. We like for rowdy and fun
and for kids to be using their voices. That's what
we're all about.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Great, see again, Terry, you too. All right, hey, Kerrie,
thank you for setting us up here. Louisville Youth Choir
auditions coming up later in this month. That is Louisville
Youth Choir's artistic and executive director, Terry Foster. And we're
back on the website one more time. Is lou Youth
Choir dot org. Back in a minute on news radio
eight forty whas
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