Sing for Joy!

A Music Workshop for youth who desire to use their voices to praise the Lord!

The next SING FOR JOY will be held at the Hayden SDA Church in Idaho, April 13-18, 2026. If you have not attended before and would like to be notified of when registration will open, PLEASE CLICK THE LINK ABOVE to place your name on our email list.

General Information

 “Song is a weapon that we can always use against discouragement.” (Ministry of Healing, p 255) Let’s train an army of youth to “sharpen their weapons” to lead in praise and worship as we engage in the final conflict between good and evil!

Sing for Joy Music Workshop is designed to equip youth to serve in music ministry. We cover basic music concepts while improving singing skills and preparing music for the Sabbath worship service. Topics include support/breathing, vowel modification, basic music reading and rhythm, ear training, harmony, sightsinging, intervals, and more! We aim to give our youth the tools they need to be able to participate and lead out in worship in their local churches and have a lot of fun in the process!

This workshop is geared for Youth ages 13 (by April 12) and up and their siblings. Parents are encouraged to participate as much as possible, although supervision of their younger children should always take first priority. The “Tween” bridge track is for 12 and 13 year olds. Part of the time will be with the youth, but they will also have other activities with their own group. (Some 13 year olds may be moved to Youth depending on group sizes.) The Children’s Program for younger siblings is packed with music, games, and crafts, and parents are always needed to assist with that. (See the Detailed Weekday Schedule for more information; there may be changes to Friday’s schedule.)

We will begin pre-workshop activities on Monday afternoon with an optional piano masterclass, a rehearsal for string players, coaching for conductors/pianists, and a staff meeting for all leaders/helpers who are able to make it. Everyone will meet Tues–Fri from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, with some additional practices in the afternoons for orchestra, small groups and/or soloists. The music learned will be shared during the Worship Hour on Sabbath. The focus for the music, worships, and Sabbath service will be “Joy in the Journey” with an emphasis on praise!

We plan to share our music with the community on Sabbath afternoon at 4 pm. Please plan to stay for this wonderful opportunity to reach out to others through music. Supper and vespers will follow at the Hayden Church.

Rollyn Betts will coach singers and conductors. Rollyn is a vocal coach who has trained extensively under Tom Blaylock of the Northwest Institute of Voice. With energy and passion, and using the same methods used by Fountainview Academy, he helps teens find “their voice” and achieve a natural, resonant sound.

Karen Hoatson is an excellent violin teacher located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She will lead a workshop for intermediate/advanced string players who are participating in the orchestra.

Cheryl Wiley has coordinated Sing for Joy since its inception in 2020. She will be assisted by a wonderful team of volunteer parents who help with both the youth and the children’s program.

It is essential that we all take reasonable precautions to keep everyone healthy. Let’s observe good hygiene and keep immune systems strong by avoiding sugar, drinking plenty of water, getting fresh air and sunshine, etc. Anyone with signs of illness should refrain from participation.

Registration

Sing for Joy has grown every year since we started in 2020, and while our mission has been to help youth find their voice and learn to use it for God’s glory, we have also established a program for younger siblings to keep them productively engaged in the process. Our facilities and human resources limit the size to about 70 youth (ages 14+) and about 50 ages 13 and under.

UPLOADS: TEENS/YOUTH (ages 14+) will be asked to upload a picture of themselves and a voice recording as part of the registration process. Those wishing to participate in ORCHESTRA and those willing to do SPEAKING PARTS will also be asked to upload a recording. Please review the instructions for uploads at the bottom of this page so you can be prepared to register! You will need to have a Google account in order to complete the registration process.

An email will be sent to those on the email list to notify when registration will open. Applications will be reviewed and accepted with the goal of maximizing participation for youth. Confirmation emails will be sent after we reach capacity.

You will need to upload a picture and a voice recording at the time you register. PLEASE HAVE THEM READY BEFORE YOU START THE REGISTRATION PROCESS. The files are for internal use only to help us be able to more effectively engage with participants. You will need to use a Google account to access the form to upload them.

PICTURES: must be a mugshot (head and shoulders) in jpg or jpeg, not heic format. Name the file with your first and last name. If you use your phone, save it to files, then rename before uploading. Please try to use low resolution or resize if possible to keep file size small. (10 MB max; try to keep it to 1 MB).

RECORDINGS: Must be in mp3 or m4a format. Name the files with your first and last name. (10 MB max; try to keep it to 1 MB.)

Vocal: Record yourself singing one verse and chorus of “Jesus Loves Me” without accompaniment. This is not an “audition” so please don’t stress about it! We just want a feel for your range, etc.

Instrumental: Record yourself playing about 8-12 measures of a challenging piece.

Speaking Parts: Students who are interested in being considered for speaking parts are invited to submit a short recording. Please record audio of yourself reciting something you know from memory (such as a poem, speech, prayer, or favorite passage) that you are very familiar with. Focus on expression, emotion, and inflection. The recording should be about 30 seconds long.

You can use: Online Voice Recorder to record in mp3. Save the file and rename before uploading.