CD January 2010 by Choral Director Magazine

JANUARY 2010 $5.00

Fifth Annual

Choral Directors of

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Contents

Janaury 2010

Features

UPFRONT Q&A: ANNE STEPHEN Choral Director checks in with Nevada Music Educators Association president Anne Stephen on how the NMEA is finding creative solutions for new problems facing music education in the Silver State.

REPORT: CHORAL DIRECTORS OF NOTE Choral Director’s fifth annual “Choral Directors of Note” feature honors ten exemplary vocal music educators from across the country.

SURVEY: FUNDRAISING This latest reader survey takes a look at how choral directors nationwide are augmenting their programs’ coffers.

REP FORUM: NEW MUSIC FOR ADV. CHOIRS Drew Collins reviews newer music for advanced choirs or intermediate groups in need of a challenge.

TECHNOLOGY: ADMIN APPLICATIONS Dr. John Kuzmich examines software applications designed to take some of the administrative pressure off of music educators.

Columns 4 6 28 30 31 32

Opening Notes Headlines New Products Vocal Tip Classifieds Ad Index

Cover design by Andrew P. Ross. Choral Director® is published six times annually by Symphony Publishing, LLC, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 (781)453-9310, publisher of School Band and Orchestra, Musical Merchandise Review, Music Parents America and JAZZed. All titles are federally registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Symphony Publishing, LLC. Subscription Rates: $20 one year; $30 two years. Rates outside U.S.A. available upon request. Singles issues $5 each. Resource Guide $15 Standard Postage Paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER/SUBSCRIBERS: Send address change to Choral Director, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham MA 02494. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.Copyright © 2010 by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.

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Opening Notes ®

Looking Forward

s we usher in the new year and the start of a new decade, threats to our national security and economic stability stream across the headlines with alarming regularity. Yet, in the face of such uncertainty, music continues to yield a singular and unique power to bring people together and lift our spirits. In tribute to the many great educators who carry the torch of music into the trenches of our schools, endowing future generations with the capacity to express themselves through song, this issue features our fifth annual Choral Directors of Note report. As we honor a handful of vocal music teachers, it is important to once again note that the mentors named in these pages are intended to be “Music continues merely representative of the legions of wonderful and into yield a singular spired choral directors across the country. and unique power Nevertheless, the work being done simply cannot be overstated. In some cases, this means providing children to bring people who might not otherwise have a chance to succeed with together and lift a place where they feel welcome. “Sometimes, all these our spirits.” kids need is for someone to believe in them and then they begin to believe in themselves,” notes John Harned, the choral director of Sandy Hook, Connecticut’s Newtown High School and one of the 2010 Choral Director of Note honorees. Martha Helen Schmidt, who is both a composer and the choral director of Burnsville (Minn.) Senior High School, relates a story of an alto singer who auditioned and earned a solo in a school concert, in spite of being afflicted with Down syndrome. Joel Everist, the director of Choral Activities at Mason City (Iowa) High School, speaks of the unique virtues of music as a vehicle for both expression and introspection: “Music is one of the most powerful aspects of the arts because it deals so directly and publicly with our emotions. Self-reflection, inspired by the study of choral literature, opens the hearts and minds of students as they create and experience art.” Well put, Joel. Looking to the new year, one of our resolutions here at Choral Director is to continue to expand the involvement of our readership in the content of this publication. Would you like to nominate a colleague for the 2011 Choral Directors of Note? Do you have an opinion on something you’ve read in the pages of this publication? Do you have a vocal tip you’d like to share, a suggestion for future editorial coverage, or even an idea for an article? Don’t hesitate to e-mail me at esussman@ symphonypublishing.com. I look forward to hearing from you all year long…

January 2010 Volume 7, Number 1 GROUP PUBLISHER Sidney L. Davis sdavis@symphonypublishing.com PUBLISHER Richard E. Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com Editorial Staff

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Christian Wissmuller cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com

EDITOR Eliahu Sussman esussman@symphonypublishing.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Denyce Neilson dneilson@symphonypublishing.com Art Staff

PRODUCTION MANAGER Laurie Guptill lguptill@symphonypublishing.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Andrew P. Ross aross@symphonypublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Laurie Chesna lchesna@symphonypublishing.com Advertising Staff

CLASSIFIED SALES Maureen Johan mjohan@symphonypublishing.com Business Staff

CIRCULATION MANAGER Melanie A. Prescott mprescott@symphonypublishing.com

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CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Rich Bongorno rbongorno@symphonypublishing.com Corporate Headquarters 26202 Detroit Road, Suite 300 Westlake, Ohio 44145 (440) 871-1300

www.symphonypublishing.com Publishing, Sales, & Editorial Office 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1 Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310 FAX (781) 453-9389 1-800-964-5150

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Member 2010

Eliahu Sussman Editor • esussman@symphonypublishing.com

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HeadLines Los Angles Master Chorale High School Choir Festival

Mizzou New Music Initiative

ounded by the Master Chorale Associates in 1989, the 21st Annual High School Choir Festival will be held on April 16, 2010 and will bring together more than 25 schools and 900 students for a day of singing under the baton of music director Grant Gershon. This year, the Festival will be a part of the “Americas and Americans” Festival at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Festival includes a year-long mentoring process between the choir directors and the Master Chorale’s music director. Participating ensembles prepare the Festival selections on their own throughout the year. In the spring, students attend an area rehearsal where they rehearse the selections with fellow students as well as participate in a master class facilitated by members of the LAMC Chamber Singers. On the Festival Day, all participating ensembles arrive at the Walt Disney Concert Hall where they perform the selections as a massed chorus of voices. Participating ensembles may also audition to be featured in the Showcase of Choirs, where they are featured center stage to an audience of their peers. For more information, visit www.lamc.org.

r. Jeanne Sinquefield, a passionate amateur musician and head of the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation, has bankrolled the University of Missouri at Columbia with a $1 million gift to create the Mizzou New Music Initiative, a diverse array of programs intended to position the school as a leading center for music composition and new music. Sinquefield sees the Mizzou New Music Initiative as a ground-breaking effort to help spur creativity among young composers. The program complements a statewide competition called COMP (Creating Original Music Competition), funded by the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation and aimed at students from kindergarten through high school. Among the components of the Mizzou New Music Initiative is the New Music Summer Festival, which will feature eight to 10 composers from around the world creating a composition to be performed by Alarm Will Sound, an internationally acclaimed new music ensemble. Another element is the Composer Connection, which will allow young composers from throughout Missouri to receive instructions from a graduate student in composition at the University of Missouri. Under this distance-learning program, young composers will be able to e-mail works in progress and questions about composing to the graduate student. The Mizzou New Music Initiative is an ambitious attempt to nurture musical creativity in the youth of Missouri and elsewhere. For additional details about the program, please visit music.missouri.edu/newmusicinitiative.html.

Dr. Phil Foundation Launches Little Kids Rock Across America

he Dr. Phil Foundation has launched Little Kids Rock Across America with a $500,000 donation designed to restore, revitalize, and enhance musical programs in schools in 10 cities across the country. The program brings music education to school children from grades K through 12 in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Tampa, and two additional cities to be named by the end of 2009. A CD featuring some of the school children’s original compositions was distributed to the press and is available on the Little Kids Rock Web site. Fender is a corporate sponsor of Little Kids Rock and has also donated to the program. For more information, visit www.littlekidsrock.org.

ACDA and ChoralNet Merge

horalNet board of directors has approved a motion to dissolve the nonprofit corporation ChoralNet, Inc. and merge ChoralNet operations with the American Choral Directors Association, which went into effect on January 1, 2010. The ACDA members who are not already using ChoralNet forums will begin to do so as ACDA moves to use ChoralNet as its main form of communication. With new

resources available, ChoralNet will add new features more quickly and branch out into new online endeavors. because the volunteer work that has sustained Choralnet has been sustained by volunteer staff and augmented by staff in the national headquarters of ACDA and by ACDA’s network of elected and appointed leadership. To find out more, visit www.choralnet.org.

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HeadLines

Keepin’

CMA Donates to Nashville School Music Programs

he Country Music Association has donated $1,066,632 – its largest music education donation to date – to Nashville public schools through its Keep the Music Playing campaign. The CMA Music Festival will Keep the Music Playing in Nashville’s public schools with a charity initiative that will support music education through a partnership with the Nashville Alliance for Public Education. The donated dollars come from proceeds made during the CMA Music Festival, which finds major country stars performing (and waiving their performance fees) at LP Field and at other downtown spots each June. The CMA has now donated more than $3.3 million in recent years to support area music education through a partnership with the Nashville Alliance for Public Education. That money has been used to build music labs, to purchase more than 2,500 instruments and to help endow the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Words and Music program, which assists language arts and music teachers with classroom instruction in songwriting basics. At a time when music education funding is being cut across the nation, the CMA’s donation is helping to ensure that students are able to play music at school. To find out more, visit www.cmafest.com.

OrchKids Receives $1 Million Gift

rchKids, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s educational initiative launched last year at an inner city school, has received a $1 million gift from Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker. The Baltimore philanthropists were among the early supporters of the project, which received its initial seed money of $100,000 from BSO music director Marin Alsop. Currently, more than 150 pre-K to second-graders are part of the OrchKids program at Lockerman Bundy. The Meyerhoff/Becker gift is estimated to cover 50 percent of the expenses over the next four years, as more grades are added to the program; more than 300 students are eventually expected to participate. For more information, visit www.bsomusic.org.

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CDUpfrontQ&A:

Anne Stephen, NMEA

Nevada: Finding Creative Solutions for New Problems chool music programs in Nevada are facing unique and

unprecedented challenges. With a state economy that is driven almost entirely by sales tax, and a work force that is largely dependent on the service industry (primarily

gaming and tourism), national economic woes have had a terribly destructive impact on school budgets across the state.

Fortunately, there have been few layoffs among fine arts staff, says Anne Stephen, the president of the Nevada Music Educators Association, and the NMEA is working diligently to implement creative solutions to help combat some awfully negative financial statistics. In a recent CD interview, Stephen elaborated on the plight of the music program in Nevada, while providing a detailed look at the ongoing creative efforts to bolster the arts across the Silver State. Choral Director: How are school music programs doing in Nevada? Anne Stephen: All of the angst and turmoil occurred in May and continued over the summer, so everyone now is just getting their feet back on the ground and dealing with it. I live in Clark County, which is the largest district in the state, and I can say that there we did not lose any fine arts teachers. Layoffs rarely hap-

Anne Stephen, NMEA president

pened in the state. Superintendents were very good about finding places for everyone. Some teachers may not be teaching where they want to teach, but everyone that wanted a job pretty much has one. CD: That is good to hear. AS: We compiled a report on this a few months ago, and I was able to speak with somebody from every district in the state. I had expected to hear just dire news, but I learned that the state of music education isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too bad throughout Nevada. I want to preface this with a little bit of information about Nevada that explains a little bit about our situation. 8 Choral Director, January 2010

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Nevada is the seventh largest state in the country geographically, but it’s the 35th in terms of population. That means that we’re spread out over a vast amount of land. The state legislature meets every other year. They last met was in the spring of 2009, so they meet will meet again in the spring of 2011. We have no state income tax, so for things like education and schools, we really only on sales tax. CD: Wow! AS: Yes, wow. And when the economy is like it is, no one is traveling here, and no one is spending money. Since the fiscal year began July 1, we are 9.3 million dollars behind where we were projected to be in May. When the legislature session ended earlier this year, they passed a budget based on these predictions and we’re already fairly substantially below that now, and this is only in November. What we are fearing is that the governor – who, as an aside, is not very popular in the state right now for various reasons – may have to call an extra session. If they do that, it’s going to cost more money to have the special session and it’s going to mean that we’re going to have to cut more, and we’re just on bare services now. The state budget for schools was cut by 12 percent. Most of the districts were able to keep music programs intact, although they admitted that they were not able to provide all the materials that they thought they needed to properly supply their programs. CD: So fewer instruments and repairs and that sort of thing? AS: Right. We do have high unemployment here. In Clark County, unemployment is 13 percent, and for the state it is at 12 percent, and that just reflects the people who are completely unemployed. We also have huge numbers of people whose jobs were cut back. So they’re still working, but maybe only 16-30 hours per week, and because they are working they don’t qualify for unemployment, and they can’t quit because if they do, they still won’t qualify for it. So funds are being cut everywhere, and as a result people aren’t buying anything and we aren’t collecting sales tax, and we

aren’t getting any money for schools. August sales were down 24 percent across the state, as compared to last August, and that is typically a pretty big month for us. CD: That sounds rather dour. Getting back to the nuts and bolts of it, what are you doing to keep programs going? AS: We’ve done some creative things. The worst of the cuts were in Clark County, but statewide, in Washoe County – which is the other large population center in the state, in the northwest corner of Nevada; the other counties are rural – the districts dropped the solo and ensemble festivals. So the NMEA has picked that up and we now run the Washoe and Clark County solo and ensemble school festivals. Our state is split into four zones for music educators, and the northern zone – which encompasses most of the rural areas and our state capital, Carson City – puts on its own solo and ensemble festivals. So again, that’s creative thinking keeping things intact. They have done this now for at least five years. Out northeast zone also holds its own festivals. We’re trying to keep programs going with the help of professional organizations. For instance, Nevada ACDA sponsors the middle school honor choir, so we are able to maintain that here in Clark County. ASTA is helping out with the middle school orchestra honor programs. We have an organization in Southern Nevada called the Southern Nevada Band Organization, and they are helping with the band honor ensembles. A lot of organizations are stepping in to help some programs stay around. CD: Going back to the 12 percent cut that you mentioned in the school budgets statewide, how were you able to prevent music programs from being hit too hard by that? AS: We weren’t able to do much. The way that most of the districts in our state work is that they are site managed. In other words, the state gives the money to the district, which gives money to principals and the school administration. They, and their communities, have the say in what is offered in their schools. So if a princi-

pal feels that a program isn’t strong or that numbers are going down, they are hard-pressed to justify keeping a music program if they can instead, say, hire another math teacher. I’m not faulting the principals – they have a tremendous amount of responsibility right now, and they have to pass AYP and tests – but they might consolidate a program, if possible. For example, if a choir teacher leaves, moves to another state, or retires, they might combine the five choir classes into two and then ask the band director to teach both band and choir. This happens a lot, especially with choir and theatre. This is better than nothing, but it’s not great. We, as a board, decided in May, when people were saying, “You’ve got to do more to advocate,” that principals are not going to cut programs that have 400 kids in them. If teachers are struggling, we need to find a way to start at the site. If the site is where the organization of the power is, we have to make sure that the site is strong. So we’ve incorporated two grants: we have a grant to help teachers in-state to attend professional development and to help them get ideas, feedback, and learn new procedures that they can bring directly to their classrooms to make their teaching stronger and attract more students; and we also have a mentor grant that we’re just starting this year. Teachers that feel that they are struggling or need some help can shadow a master teacher, and we’ll pay for the sub. It’s not a lot, but it’s a start and this is what we’re trying to work on: helping teachers build their programs and get stronger so that they have a little more ammo when it comes to budget cut time. They’ll be able to say, “You can’t cut my program – we’re strong, we’re doing this, that, and the other.” We’re also encouraging community involvement. CD: How so? AS: The goal is to make fine arts fis-

cally attractive to administrators and communities. The more we service the communities, the better they will feel about how important these programs are. So we’re encouraging music teachers to get outside of the school, go into the community and show evChoral Director, January 2010 9

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eryone that music is vital – not only for a complete education for students, but as a part of our communities, as well. Something we’re going to talk about at our next meeting is going to be to encourage our members to have Nevada tours, and our travel grants will help support this. This will help get our schools into the rural communities to do exchange concerts, or have the northeast zone come down and perform for the southern zone, and that sort of thing. This will help us get into seeing what everyone else is doing, and give kids a chance to help other kids. We have some oneroom schoolhouses in some areas, and it would be wonderful to get a chamber group to travel to these one-room school houses and give workshops and music performances. There is one of those schools in our county that is literally K-12 in one room. There is one teacher who teaches everything – math, science, general music – and someone donated a violin to the school. She went online and learned how to teach violin, and then taught everyone in the school on this one instrument. The superintendent was very moved by this and ended up buying the school more violins. I just found this out last month, and I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could get a group from a larger school to go in there and help these kids?”

CD: In formulating an action plan, are you looking at what other states are doing for their own music education programs?

certs in the community, maybe combine with other schools to rent a facility out in the community to do concerts and invite the public to come out. I’d also like to see more performances at the nursing homes, the veterans homes, and even in front of the state legislature. That’s something we used to do a long time ago, but we stopped doing it. In fact, we’re moving our state conference in 2011 to Reno, which is just a

AS: I just started my presidency as of July 1st, and this is something we’re still looking into. We are lumped in with the smaller states because of our population, even though we’re large in land, so we’re trying to look at what other large states with small populations are doing. They are also calling “These are new problems we’re facing, and us to find out what we’re struggling, but we’re going to make it.” we’re doing, and we are all learning by trying different things. States that have half-hour drive from Carson City, and a different geography and population we plan to do a lot of performing there density have problems that are very and a lot of handshaking. Our members different from ours. Nevada really is will talk to our legislative representaunique. We’re just starting to work tives so that they know who we are. on the ground floor of this advocacy I think the key is servicing the comthing. munity and helping the struggling teachers and the new teachers, to give them as CD: As an educator, is there anymuch support and professional developthing in particular that you would like to see other music teachers ment as they need, and to be there when doing? they have questions. If we can keep a teacher in a program for the first three AS: I’ve been retired for three years, years, then maybe we can keep them and the changes that have occurred in there for five years. And if we can keep a that time are incredible. What I would teacher in a program for five years, then like to see is what I mentioned earlier. maybe we can keep them there for 10 Everyone needs to make it their goal or 15 years. We have to provide profesto make fine arts fiscally attractive. I sional development so that we can get would like to see more community inteachers past those first three years. volvement. I’m a real big advocate of that. I would like to encourage more CD: Is there anything that you’d state tours, our members to have con-

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AS: There’s always a creative solution out there, so don’t give up. I’ve seen that in our meetings at the NMEA. When I was president-elect, the meetings were always just about the nuts and bolts. Now we really seem to be opening up and brainstorming a lot more to come up with ideas that will work for our state. Our boards in the past focused on the all-state convention, and we can’t just do that anymore; we have to focus on the health of music education, both specifically and generally. Creativity is the key. These are new problems we’re facing, and we’re struggling, but we’re going to make it.

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CDAnnual Report

Choral Directors of

Fifth Annual

N A

s we close out another year – and one in which many school music programs faced far-reaching budget cuts due to a

troubled economy – we of course want to tip our hats to those educators who battled it out in the trenches. And with the economy apparently improving, the year seems to have ended on a somewhat brighter note. Likewise, Choral Director also wanted to start out 2010 on a positive note, and will do so through the recognition of the following vocal music educators for their perseverance and dedication in our fifth annual Choral Directors of Note feature.

As we honor their accomplishments by sharing their educational goals, proudest achievements, and lessons they’ve learned teaching, we also recognize that they are a representation of the thousands of music educators who have worked tirelessly and with an undying commitment to educate, inspire, and guide their students through the medium of choral music.

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COLORADO

Stan Scott Vocal Music Instructor Central High School Grand Junction Years at School: 21 Total Years Teaching: 25 Students in Choral Program: 178

Educational goals: My first goal as a music educator is to teach the students how to sight-read music, both melodically and rhythmically. There is no way to learn about music if the teacher is always having to teach the notes and doesn’t ever get to the musicality of the piece. Secondly, I want to have my students sing a wide variety of musical styles. I want them to appreciate “Seeing students continuall music. I strive to do a wide variety ing on with their music, of historical and cultural music. whether they are singing in Proudest achievement: Seeing a church choir, at college, students continuing on with their music, whether they are singing in or in the professional world a church choir, at college, or in the has been very rewarding.” professional world has been very rewarding. I also like it when they come back and tell me that they are so far ahead on their sight-reading skills. Lessons Learned: There are so many; it is hard to limit it to just one, but the most important is: you can’t do it all. Do the best that you can with what you have, and keep striving to improve and learn more.

CONNECTICUT

John Harned Choral Director Newtown High School Sandy Hook Years at School: 5 Total Years Teaching: 5 Students in Choral Program: 170

“I really, and truly, love my job. Each and every day I get to work with a great group of kids who make the rough patches of being a choral director worth working through.”

Educational goals: My goal is to foster a life-long love of music in my students through positive and lasting experiences in their high school choir, and in outside productions, such as the musicals and the madrigal dinner. Through these performances, I try to give my students the skills to succeed in music, and a sense of personal responsibility for their performance, that will hopefully cause my students to seek out music in their lives after high school. Proudest achievement: I really, and truly, love my job. Each and every day, I get to work with a great group of kids who make the rough patches of being a choral director worth working through. That makes picking a proudest moment hard to do, but one comes to mind. I had a student call during his freshman year in college thanking me for all that I had helped him with in high school, especially the emphasis I placed on sight reading during his four years. He said because of what he learned in high school he was selected for the top choral group in his college music program. This was the first time I had former student thanking me for what he learned in high school. That put a huge smile on my face knowing that something I believe in so strongly has made a difference in someone else’s life. Lessons learned: Teenagers are fearless and I have learned that by tapping into that fearlessness, I have been able to bring greatness out of them. There is nothing my students can’t do, as long as they believe in themselves. The more positive I keep things, and the more encouragement I give to my students, the more they are able to achieve. Sometimes, all these kids need is for someone to believe in them and then they begin to believe in themselves. I have learned to guide them along the path, give them the gentle extra push, and then to let them go and see how far they fly. It’s really exciting.

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IOWA

Joel Everist Director of Choral Activities Mason City High School Mason City Years at school: 17 Years teaching: 19 Students in Choral Program: 355

“Self-reflection, inspired by the study of choral literature, opens the hearts and minds of students as they create and experience art, rather than simply singing notes on the page.”

Educational goals: My number one goal is to build community through music education. Today’s society values personal accomplishment, but being in the choir teaches putting the ensemble ahead of the individual. Ensemble musical experiences not only empower people to grow together as a community, but also to learn from one another and themselves as they explore the relationship between the nature and value of music. It is my belief that music contains communicative qualities that liberate and excite the human spirit. Music facilitates student growth in an awareness and appreciation of themselves, exploring their feelings and emotions. The practice and study of choral music enriches the lives of students by providing opportunities for aesthetic experiences for each individual within the ensemble through communal learning. Proudest achievement: The MCHS concert choir has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, and the U.S. State Department for vice-president Gore at a reception for the prime minister of Japan. Additionally, the ensemble was featured in Dr. James Jordan’s new textbook The School Choral Program from GIA Publications and has been named a “Grammy Signature School.” Lessons learned: Choir must involve musical connections between intellect and feelings. Just as an unexamined life is not worth living, a choral experience that does not impart various ways of knowing has no value. Music is one of the most powerful aspects of the arts because it deals so directly and publicly with our emotions. Self-reflection, inspired by the study of choral literature, opens the hearts and minds of students as they create and experience art, rather than simply singing notes on the page. Most students know they enjoy music, but they do not know why. Most students know music touches them emotionally and intellectually, but are not sure how, or what to do when this happens. Exploring these issues in choir enables the students to form answers to these questions and grow artistically as they are challenged to actively engage their feelings and think reflectively. Music must be connected to the lives of my students in order for them to understand their musical experiences.

MARYLAND

Jessica Parsley Director of Choirs Middletown High School Middletown Years at School: 3 Total Years Teaching: 7 Students in Choral Program: 70

Educational goals: My goals as a music educator are to open students’ minds to different types of music, to give them the skills and tools to read and appreciate music on their own, and to provide quality aesthetic musical experiences for students. My goal as an educator is to inspire students to want to learn, improve, and grow. Proudest Achievement: My proudest achievement as a teacher is to see my students succeed. As a high school choir teacher, I am blessed to see their growth in maturity and musical ability over the span of several years. Watching their growth as students, musicians, and people, and knowing that I helped in this growth, is my greatest achievement. Lessons learned: The most important lesson that I have learned about teaching since becoming a music teacher is that all students can succeed. The difficult task for the teacher is to find the best ways to motivate them to want to do so. Once they are motivated, I have found that they will continue to amaze me with their abilities.

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MICHIGAN

Kenneth Westerman Choral Director Pioneer High School Ann Arbor Years at School: 29 Total Years Teaching: 35 Students in Choral Program: 152

Educational goals: My goal is to give students a place to sing and the experiences they need to improve. Everyone can sing. It is good for everyone to sing. Proudest achievement: There isn’t one. The many students who have come into my classes with statements like: “I can’t sing,” “I sound like a cow,” “I don’t know why I signed up,” “I can’t sing at all,” or, “I didn’t sign up freshman year because my middle school teacher kicked me out and warned me I wouldn’t last a week in your class.” All of those students and many more with similar stories sang the rest of their years in school and continue to sing as adults in church choirs, community choruses, and barbershop groups. Those students are my “proudest moments.” What made me happiest as a youngster, and continue to be most fulfilling, were moments when I found I could do something I didn’t think I could. Lessons learned: I have learned that teaching students real skills – whether it has to do with music, singing, learning, or life – is the most important

MINNESOTA

Martha Helen Schmidt Choral Director Burnsville Senior High School Burnsville Years at school: 9 Total years teaching: 18 Students in program: 230

“My desire for all students is that they find beauty and joy in music and the Fine Arts throughout their lives.”

Educational goals: In our often frenzied lives, it behooves us to connect to the beauty in life, to allow it to nurture our souls and help us transcend to a place where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Such a gift is music, and offering students an opportunity to experience this beauty, even at a subconscious level, is my privilege and ultimate goal as an educator. My desire for all students is that they find beauty and joy in music and the Fine Arts throughout their lives. Proudest achievement: I could talk about having my compositions performed at major music conventions and in some of the great cathedrals in Europe, or what a thrill it is to have students from my program sing for All-State Choirs. But true to my goals as an educator, one of my proudest moments would be the reaction my students had to singing at the Normandy American Cemetery in France. As touching as the performance was musically, it was the sense of history and sacrifice that moved many to tears, overcome by the enormity of the experience in that hallowed space. In newspaper interviews upon our return home, again and again students identified the time they spent at Normandy as the highlight of their trip, over singing at both Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and participating in a service at Mont Saint Michel. This speaks volumes about the maturity of the students, and their world view. Another of what I call the “this is what it’s all about” moments happened recently in one of my choirs. A particular alto auditioned for a solo. She did so well that she earned the right to sing it in a concert, and did a fantastic job at the performance. It was such a proud moment for her and her family, fellow choir members and certainly myself, knowing through all the challenges a person with Down syndrome faces, she helped celebrate joy through music. Lessons learned: The most valuable lesson I have repeatedly learned since I became a music educator is that the job is often not about the music, but about interpersonal relationships: nurturing them, maintaining them, and developing the fine art of diplomacy when relationships require intervention. A choir truly is a microcosm of our civilization, and it is frequently my job as director to mentor and help guide the members’ lives so they can become good citizens, both of the current ensemble and as contributors to society as a whole. To assist with this, a genuine sense of humor is a must! It can make the classroom a fun place to be, or bring levity to a tense situation. Choral Director, January 2010 15

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MISSISSIPPI

David Fehr Choral Director Clinton High School Clinton Years at School: 18 Total Years Teaching: 30 Students in Choral Program: 275

NEBRASKA

Randy Hayes Choral Director Chase County Schools Imperial Years at School: 27 Total Years Teaching: 27 Students in Program: 171 Educational goals: One of the most important goals that I have determined to work toward is providing aesthetic experiences in choral education for my students. Those experiences can be achieved in a variety of ways and circumstances and I want to enhance those in every way that I can. An aesthetic experience can be enjoyed in the daily rehearsal as well as the public performance; sometimes it is just the well-tuned chord, the difficult passage finally “worked out,” or the heartfelt

Educational goals: My goals are to teach sound fundamentals of vocal and dance technique and to help the students grow as musicians and performers. I try to help each student develop his or her natural talent to its fullest. I also encourage each student to be as well-rounded as possible, in academics, athletics, and the arts. I rarely have a rehearsal with everyone there, but it is worth the extra effort by adults to work together so the students can be all they can be. Proudest achievement: Seeing all of the kids gain true self-confidence. Of course it’s rewarding to have so many students performing at all levels in so many different performance genres, but it’s also just as great to see the alumni who are doctors, lawyers, educators, engineers, and all walks of life, who hopefully will be good supporters of the arts in their lifetime. Lessons learned: Each day is a new day and a new opportunity to help someone. Being nice means not caring what students might think of me today, but what I can do to help them for their lifetime. You have to be strong to do that. The students figure out who really has been nice to them. They’ll surprise you: we recently had snow in Mississippi and I came out after our fall revue performance to find a snowman for a hood ornament on my truck. It doesn’t get any better than that.

tears in a student’s eyes when the text of the song has touched his/her heart. I want my students to truly learn that singing is something they can enjoy for the rest of their lives. With that in mind, sight-reading, fundamentals of music theory, and a cappella singing are important aspects of daily rehearsals. I hope to provide for my students the tools they need to read, sing, and enjoy choral music throughout their lives, not just prepare notes or songs for public performances a few times a year. Through singing and the expression of song, students can learn more about themselves. There truly is a “song for every emotion” and I hope students can experience individual expression through solo, ensemble, and choir settings. Also, singing is such a blessing for physically handicapped and “special needs” students; they, too, can find wonderful opportunities for self-expression and enjoyment in our choral art. Proudest achievement: Teaching in a small school setting and in a very rural area, our students do not have the opportunities for musical experiences as those in larger schools and metro areas. I have arranged for my show choir to perform in Branson, Mo., several times and opened for theater shows there. It is a joy to watch those students perform on a “professional” stage with confidence and joy, making a life-long memory in that performance. Also, last year I was selected by the Nebraska Choral Directors Association as their “Director of the Year.” It was an honor to be recognized by my peers and colleagues! Lessons learned: It is not about me! Watching a student blossom into a confident, expressive performer is what choral education is about. Helping a student grow from not being able to match pitches into one who can sing a solo at contest and earn the “Best of Class” award at that contest is a thrill! Just because a school is “small” is no excuse for mediocrity! The expectation of superior performance comes from the director and the students will feed on that expectation! In our school, the “varsity starters” on the volleyball, football, basketball, wrestling, and track teams are also my leaders. They participate in everything in our school so I need to bless that fact and work with them because they want to succeed. I have to be willing to take the “crumbs” of their time/schedules and help them make “memorable cookies” in aesthetic experiences.

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NORTH DAKOTA

Rebecca Raber Choral Director Shanley High School Fargo Years at School: 8 Total Years Teaching: 15 Students in Music Program: 156

Educational goals: My goal is to help students realize beauty in the world and within themselves through choral singing and creating art on a daily basis. Singing in choirs is so important because you are part of something that’s bigger than just “yourself.” You are sacrificing and working with others toward a common goal, ideal, design, and purpose. Proudest achievement: My daily rehearsals. I absolutely love rehearsing. There are so many elements of rehearsal that reflect life. The whole process of working together each and every day to learn, correct, and perfect the music is very gratifying. Rehearsing in a productive and positive manner reflects our life-long journey to learn, correct and perfect ourselves! Lessons learned: There are so many, and more and more every day! First of all, students are capable of truly amazing things if they are provided a “vision” to follow. Second, strive for excellence in all that you do. And third, trust.

OKLAHOMA

Tony Gonzalez Choral Director Norman North High School Norman Years at School: 12 Total Years Teaching: 29 Students in Music Program: 200

Educational goals: My goals as an educator are to continue to develop my skills as a teacher and musician and to be sensitive to my students’ needs and understanding. Proudest achievement: The ap“Never underestimate the pearances of my choirs at the ACDA power of young people’s National Conventions rank among my proudest achievements for my stuhearts and minds.” dents. Being selected as the National Federation of High Schools “Outstanding Music Educator” is among my proudest personal achievements. Lessons learned: Never underestimate the power of young people’s hearts and minds. They are capable of an enormous depth of emotion and expression.

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OREGON

Donna Kagan Music Director Stafford Primary School Years at School: 10 Total Teaching Years: 26 Students in Music Program: 202

Fund Raising

Educational goals: While I have many goals as an educator, my main focus is to teach children how to love music and to instill in them a life long passion for the arts so that they carry that passion, love, and respect for music throughout their lives. “It was music and choir Proudest achievement: There class that got her through have been some very wonderful some of the harder more but humbling achievements over the years. Being awarded the Patty challenging times in priVeemer Music Educator of the Year mary school.” from the Portland Symphony last year, or watching my choir sing with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony last Christmas are two of them. However, the one thing that stands out in my mind as being the most rewarding and proudest achievement was when I attended a music festival about four years ago. I bumped into a former student of mine who is now a music teacher. She was so warm and enthusiastic about her work with young children and clearly loved her teaching position. I was amazed when she said I had started that love and interest, years back in first grade. She shared that it was music and choir class that got her through some of the harder more challenging times in primary school and she lived for Tuesdays and Thursdays, which were the choir days. When I heard that she wanted to pass the same love of music onto children that I had given to her, I was moved to tears. She had been a particularly quiet little girl with a pretty voice, who slowly blossomed out of her cocoon and became a strong leader in fifth grade. Her parents felt that choir, music, drama club, et cetera, had a lot to do with building her confidence and opening a path for her future as a music teacher. This was one of my proudest achievements and it was a conversation I’ll never forget! Lessons learned: I guess the most important thing I’ve learned is to never underestimate a child’s capability. Children can do almost anything you ask them to do, if it is taught slowly, clearly, and with enthusiasm. I have been blown away at some of the things my students have been able to accomplish over the years, and even more so at what they do on their own or in small groups. So often younger siblings in school will ask if they can learn a recorder piece or a song in twopart harmony that I am teaching to older grades. I am always Request your FREE catalog surprised and delighted at their and information packet: capabilities and pride in striving for a higher goal.

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CDSurvey: Fundraising

Filling up the Cup his latest Choral Director reader survey tackles the issue of fund-

raising, often a thorny subject among educators. Whether you agree that extracurricular events like festivals and performance tours should be funded by the district or not, for most directors

who hope to provide such opportunities for their students, fundraising is simply a way of life, or as several survey respondents put it, “a necessary evil.” That’s not to say that fundraising events have to be a terrible burden; on the contrary, a number of vocal music educators have indicated that there is value beyond the money in having students work towards a specific goal, whether through candy sales or carwashes, and that raising money through concerts or dinners can be a great experience for all involved. And with only one third of CD readers indicating that they rely primarily on fundraising for their program’s funding, that leaves the cup two-thirds full… right?

Where does most of your program’s funding come from?

59%

School/District Funding

33%

Fundraising Direct support from parents/community Grants

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“The district supplies limited money for the music programs. Trips require fund raising.” Martin Lassman Cab Calloway School of the Arts Wilmington, Del.

Which do you find more successful, selling products (fruit, candy, magazines) or providing services (car washes, dinners, concerts)?

“We still receive generous funds from our district, but most of our money is earned by the members of our choirs. We are constantly fundraising.” Alissa Watts West Columbus High School Cerro Gordo, N.C. “I apply for several grants each year, but some are from parent/community support groups that are more of a sure thing than other types of grants, which can be hit or miss.” Gaye Klopack Jones College Prep High School Chicago, Ill. “This year, all funding to our program was cut by the district. We have had to completely depend on student fees and help from our booster group. Fundraising has only been done to assist students with their individual tour costs.” Joyce Bertilson North Canyon High School Phoenix, Ariz.

Yes

28% Yes

72%

What types of product sales have been most profitable for your program?

42%

Sweets/Fruit

24%

Seeds/plants/flowers

12%

Gifts

Performance CDs Magazines

How often do you typically hold fundraisers? Other

26%

Never

Scrip/eScrip

5% 2%

24% 23%

Once a semester Once a year Monthly

14%

Continuously

13%

Which of the following fundraising services have been most profitable for your program?

42%

Choral performances

Have recent changes to the economy affected your funding and/or fundraising efforts?

19%

Dinners

16%

Car washes Musical/variety show

Yes

Concessions

28% Yes

72%

Fashion show Other

10%

7% 4%

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What was your most unique/successful fundraising campaign? “We ask college students from the local college to put stuff that they don’t want to take home for the summer in a special trailer and we sell it in a garage sale.” Craig Jones Harding Academy Searcy, Ariz. “Our geranium sale is very successful because we’ve been doing it every spring for over 30 years. Folks in town know that the sale is coming, so they wait until our sale to purchase their flowers for planting. We display over 3,000 flowers in the auditorium for the spring concert.” David C. Shover Camp Hill High School Camp Hill, Pa. “We take the kids that are in our musical and we put on a workshop similar to what the Young Americans do, an all day workshop for elementary and middle school kids. We teach them vocal technique, stage craft, improvisation, and songs. We feed them and put on a show that same night. We charge each kid $35 registration, which includes their meals and a t-shirt. Then we charge $5 for admission to the concert. Our HS kids do all of the planning and teaching and we (the 2 teachers) just chaperone and do some vocal teaching of the songs. We now have over 300 elementary and MS students participating in this fun-filled day.” Michael D’Oyly Mona Shores Public Schools Muskegon, Mich. “During the earlier years of American Idol, we had our own ‘Idol’ competition. It was very successful. Also, we do singing Valentine grams during lunch!” Aleisa A. Baker TC Roberson High School Asheville, N.C. “In the past, we had a telemarketing company that sold fire extinguishers, coffee, cookie dough, et cetera, for us and gave us a percent of the profit. The company did everything. They called everyone in the community, and delivered all

the products to their homes. They raised thousands of dollars for us over the years! We had enough to purchase sound equipment and new risers! But our current administration stopped it because they wanted our students to do all the work. From the director’s viewpoint, this fundraiser was a ‘no-brainer.’ We did nothing and got a check for approximately $3,000 twice a year!” Amy Gelsone Anthony Wayne HS/JH Whitehouse, Ohio “We did a service exchange program. Parents could ‘purchase’ groups of students for a minimum of $50 per hour to do chores (rake leaves, bake cookies, hang Christmas decorations) or entertain. We made about $1,000. However, it was an organizational nightmare.” Lyn Bouma Central High School Omaha, Neb.

Is there anything directors should be wary of when planning a fundraiser? “Always be aware of hidden costs and problems. There may be delivery fees if certain standards are not met. You may not have any control over when the products are delivered to your school. Also, adhere to guidelines because many problems can be caused when one is not met.” Joseph A. Vanderpool Harvard Public Schools Harvard, Neb. “You should at least be getting 40 percent profit of whatever is made; anything less is not worth doing.” Michelle Kirby Bonneville High School Ogden, Utah “There are too many fundraisers going on these days that are selling products. People are sick of being asked to buy yet another thing they don’t need. Try to find a service that people would appreciate.” Cathy Grimes Bella Voce Creighton, Mo.

Any additional thoughts on fundraising that you’d like to share with your fellow music educators? “I have found it most helpful to have my parent boosters plan and run the fundraisers. I don’t want to handle money, write receipts, order product, or distribute product. This way, there can be no conflict of interest or any chance of financial impropriety with myself and the fundraising proceeds.” Kurt Stalmann Santana High School Santee, Calif. “Try not to burn out your community on fundraising. Be respectful of other groups and their goals. Have a specific purpose in mind when fundraising, like a new tuba for the music department, or a trip to N.Y. People are more likely to support a ‘cause.’” Adrianne J. Theusch Alden-Conger Alden, Minn. “It is a shame that many schools must do this type of fundraising to survive. Choral directors need to let their school boards know about the importance of what we teach, and how are programs affect the lives of the students. We must educate not only the students, but those who design our budgets as well.” James D. Moyer Pennsbury High School Fairless Hills, Pa. “In the end, it’s not the amount of money you raise or the field trips you go on that will determine the success of your choir. It is how the students feel about themselves and what they’re doing, however simple or local it may be.” Joanne Hong Newark Junior High School Newark, Calif.

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CDRepertoire Forum: Newer Music for Adv. Choirs

Newer Music for Advanced Choirs We all know that sorting through the stacks of new choral music released each year can be a daunting and timeconsuming task. While I often feature “tried-and-true” works in this column with a handful of standout pieces that fit a particular issue’s topic, for this issue I decided to focus entirely on recent releases. My goal was to find newer works for advanced mixed high school ensembles that are fresh, high quality, and appealing. If you conduct an advanced SATB choir that thrives on a good challenge, I hope you find something here that you can use. However, I have also included a few works that are of more modest difficulty for those who are still building their program or who need music for an anticipated “building year.” Most of the works have recordings and perusal materials available online, so I encourage you to further investigate any works of interest to you via the publishers’ Web sites. – Drew Collins, Forum Editor

Illumina la tenebre (Joan Szymko) – pub. Santa Barbara Music Pub.

I Would Live In Your Love (Nathan Jones) – pub. G. Schirmer

Ce Beau Printemps (Mark Sirrett) – pub. Boosey & Hawkes

This piece has an atmospheric effect due to its use of tempo, harmonies, texture, and mode. These elements are also used to depict light...but it would seem to be diffused light, like that which shows through a stained glass window. The piece does climax, yet never relinquishes its subtlety. Szymko is one of those rare composers who uses rests very expressively, a trait that–pun intended–shines through in this work. The piece, for SATB unaccompanied with minimal divisi, sets a prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

One of the most recent additions to Dale Warland’s choral series with G. Schirmer, this piece makes fresh use of modern stacked sonorities that will haunt your singers and audience. The composer varies the texture based on the needs of the text, and takes a refined approach to dynamics. The harmonies, texture and dynamics seem to expand and contract in a manner both expressive and sensual, a brilliant approach to setting Christina Rosetti’s text. You can hear the work on the Westminster Choir’s latest CD, Flower of Beauty.

Mark Sirrett writes quality music that is also both singable and attractive. In “Ce Beau Printemps,” he uses homophonic texture and expressive use of harmony to facilitate direct, intimate communication between choir and audience. The first line of text, by 16th-century poet Pierre de Ronsard, translates as “When I see this lovely Spring, I behold The land and sea grow young again…” This piece will work for any size group from an octet on up.

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Ask Me No More (Ruth Morris Gray) – pub. Lawson-Gould Ruth Morris Gray holds degrees in piano performance and composition, and is currently director of Choral and Keyboard Music at Rosemead High School in California. This is a setting

core. It may also be appropriate for graduation ceremonies.

Great Day (Carol Barnett) – pub. Roger Dean Barnett has written several captivating spiritual arrangements over the years. They are often demanding for the singer and conductor. In this case, the sopranos go up to a high Bb, and the conductor must be able to oscillate between 5/4 and 2/2 at a moderate tempo. It was written for a college choir, but an advanced high school choir should be able to handle it. If you and your singers are up to it, this arrangement is engaging, fun, and well constructed.

followed by a driving accompaniment and two soloists. Scored for SATB and piano, adding tambourine, bass, or drums may be appropriate. This is a great closer.

Dormi, Jesu (Abbie Betinis) – pub. G. Schirmer Abbie’s compositional voice is fresh yet accessible. This particular piece is a

Rejoice! (Jeffery L. Ames) – pub. Santa Barbara Music Pub. Jo-Michael Scheibe added this piece to his series back in 2007. If you like Byron Smith’s “Worthy To Be Praised,” you will probably like this piece, too. Like Smith’s piece, “Rejoice!” Begins with an unaccompanied introduction, of a text by Sir Alfred Lord Tennyson. Gray shows restraint in the writing of both the melody (lyrical without being syrupy) and harmonies (heartfelt, but not heart-wrenching). She demonstrates a tendency toward elegance that makes this piece stand out among many other pieces in this style. The publisher says: “Seamless metric changes, rich vocal harmonies, and a graceful piano motif vividly capture the poetic mood.” Indeed. A slight taper at the ends of phrases is appropriate to the style. Lawson-Gould published the original SATB voicing a couple of years ago; its popularity has spawned an SSA re-voicing that has come out just this year.

Irish Blessing (David Conte) – pub. ECS “May the road rise to meet you…” Many composers over the years have set these words to music. Conte has crafted a setting that is at once fresh and economical. He peppers the piece with just enough chromaticism to supplement the text’s inherent poignancy. Each voice part enjoys rhythmic and melodic interest. The piece lasts just about a minute, making it a good en-

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`T^X \g lbhef Choral Director, January 2010 23

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masterful blend of line and colorful verticalities that never crosses the line into sappiness. The publisher likens the style as a cross between Bruckner and Messiaen, but it is worth noting that Betinis uses harmony, melodic impetus and texture in her own way. A beautiful piece for anytime of year, but especially for the holidays.

Ani ma’amin (arr. Chester Alwes) – pub. Roger Dean The melody makes three appearances. The composer writes, “I have made this setting with three statements of the same simple text; each statement growing more complex and impassioned in its utterance.” According to the composer’s notes, the message of hope in this Hebrew folk song had significance to the Jews in concentration camps. “This one song,” Alwes writes, “has become the anthem of the Holocaust survivors.” The oboe and cello parts (other instruments may be substituted) are haunting. The choral parts are not difficult, and the

language is easily manageable. Instrumental parts and I.P.A. pronunciation guide are included in each octavo.

Oy es Día de Placer (Tomas Pascual, arr. & ed. Jody Noblett) – pub. Walton Music Mayan composer Tomas Pascual wrote this piece in the early 1600s using Spanish dance rhythms. The modal quality (dorian, with internal cadences on the flat-seven and the confinal) lends an antiquated feeling, while the texture, rhythms (short-long syncopations in 6/8 meter) and percussion give it an ethnic feel. The text celebrates the joy of living. Use as a concert work or as a processional. A singable English translation is printed in the music under the original Spanish text. The scoring is for unaccompanied SATB choir, maracas, djembe and bass drum. There are not many advanced aspects of this work; it will be easy for many choirs, though some may find challenges with the language, syncopations, meter and/or mode.

MUSIC APPRECIATION at the 2010 Norfolk NATO Festival April 28 – May 1, 2010

Let Performing Arts Consultants help you orchestrate an unforgettable trip! Join us in Norfolk for a weekend filled with outstanding entertainment and performance opportunities for your students. Exciting events include the Virginia International Tattoo and the Parade of Nations along with Choral, Jazz and Instrumental groups performing at Chrysler Hall and much more. Call 1-800-USA-FEST or email mike@usafest.org and start planning today.

Christmas Processional (Puer Natus in Bethlehem) (arr. Audrey Snyder) – pub. Hal Leonard Ms. Snyder has taken a 14th-century chant and dressed it up a little. This piece is not included here because the compositional techniques employed are advanced (none are needed – the chant speaks for itself), but it is included because it is a very difficult piece to perform well. Due to its transparent texture, it requires a sensitive approach to word stress, flawless melodic and harmonic intonation, and a high degree of patience in order to deliver even an acceptable performance. And that is just on the part of the singers. The conductor can best facilitate a mature performance of the work by using or incorporating chironomy, an archaic conducting technique rarely taught in even graduate conducting courses. However, if you and your singers are up to the challenge of tackling this deceptively difficult piece, it will be a stunning addition to your holiday program (perhaps especially so if used as a processional).

Drew Collins is a choral conductor, composer and educator. He teaches choral music and music education at Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio). He is in demand as a clinician, festival conductor, author, composer, producer, and consultant. Visit www.drewcollins.com.

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CDTechnology: Admin Applications

Juggling the Many Hats of a Music Educator

BY JOHN KUZMICH, JR. n 2003, the NCTAF (National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future) reported that the nation’s widely publicized and often-lamented teacher shortages are, in fact, symptoms resulting from a teacher retention crisis in the United States. Beginning teachers had an attrition rate of over 46 percent for their first five years. And American schools lose about the same number of teachers as they hire each year. Music educators can be particularly vulnerable to burnout because of the many different “hats” we must wear in a given day. These proverbial hats can tax the energy of even the most enthusiastic teachers. It isn’t because we are teaching too much, of course, but because there are just too many things to do. The solution is to find ways to reduce the outside factors, allowing us teachers to simply teach music. Technology can be a critical aid, as music office software applications can relieve pressure with quick and efficient administrative applications.

In his book My Many Hats: Juggling the diverse demands of a music teacher published by Heritage Music Press, 2005, Richard Weymuth summarizes the many roles of a music educator: 1. The Hat of a Ringmaster: managing your classroom and your time. 2. The Hat of a Leader: setting the direction and tone of your classroom. 3. The Hat of a Scholar: learning when “just the facts” are just fine, and when they aren’t. 4. The Hat of a Disciplinarian: the Three Cs: Caring, Consistency and Control. 5. The Hat of an Eagle: mastering your eagle eye by establishing standards of excellence that will build your program successful over time and effort. 6. The Hat of a Crab: attitude is everything; without it, failure, fatigue and burn-out can result sooner than later. 7. The Hat of a Juggler: balancing a complicated and demanding class schedule 8. The Hat of a Banker: fund raising and budgeting. 9. The Hat of an Artistic Director: uniforms and musicals and bulletin boards, oh my! 10. The Hat of a Lobster: establishing the proper decorum with your students with expectations that can be managed by technology enhancements. 11. The Hat of a Pirate: finding a job you will treasure. 12. The Hat of a Bear: learning to “grin and bear it” in difficulty situations 13. The Hat of a Peacock: having and creating pride in your program. 14. The Hat of Applause: rewarding and recognizing yourself and your students. 15. The Hat of a Flamingo: sticking out your neck and flapping your wings by providing assessment data that your students are mastering the instruction.

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Music Admin Applications There are two different types of music office applications: desktopbased and Web-based applications. The advantage of desktop software is all that data can be stored on your computer without accessing the Internet. Some products can be networked for school district use so that data can be shared, such as libraries and inventories. However, with these products, you must back up your data on a regular basis – fortunately, good backup applications are abundantly available in today’s market at a minimal cost. For Mac backup reviews, do a Web search for “Mac OS X Online Backup Service Reviews.” Flash drives are ultra-convenient for storing program data and sharing it with other computers. Web-based applications do not require any software installation or technical support, since the programs are run and upgraded from a server. In the past 10 years, there has been a major shift from “hard disk” software, which runs on your computer, to “online” software, which runs on a server and is accessed on the Web. For music teachers with large performing groups and multiple productions, this can allow students and parents to access important information, such as schedules and calendars, from home.

Desktop-Based Music Office Applications RCI Software publishes nine products, each optimized for a particular kind of musical sphere: band, choir, orchestra, performer, percussionist, church, singer, organist, and recording. They now have a tenth program, Small Schools Music Library, designed for managing band, choral, and orchestra programs. It tracks performances, creates program notes, catalogues composers and keeps track of equipment and music loans. The program’s screens keep things very user-friendly.

Theo Johnson, the director of bands at North Monterey Union High School in Salinas, California, believes today’s music educator must be computer-literate. “If you don’t have a computer now, get one and use it,” he says. “Without it, you will be left behind. The better the computer, the better you can manage your music program.” He continues, “The need for technology in the music classroom is greater now for music notation, sound reinforcement, Internet questions, music, and equipment ordering, and classroom management data programs. I cannot think how I could have survived the last 35 or so years of my career as a high school band director without the use of a computer and the technology that goes with it.” Johnson gives credit to the music classroom management program designed by Chuck Riden (RCI Software Riden Consulting, Inc.). He says, “This is a wonderful data program designed for all our music classes. It has general information like an address book, calendar data, music library data, finances, uniforms, seating, compatible gradebook programs, and a great new bar scanning attendance program, plus much more. You probably will need to use that data in ways you may never have thought possible.” In 2005, Johnson confronted a real-life nightmare. “I went through one of the greatest horrors a high school band director could face,” he says. “The travel agents for our tour to China were arrested for misuse of collected tour funds. We stood to possibly lose over $100,000. I was sure it is the end of my career. The California State Attorney Generals Office spent hours going through my records, and I finally asked them if I was in trouble. Their response was, ‘Heavens, no! You just happen to have some of the best kept records we have on this case.’ They used my RCI Finance program to build their case and to help us resolve our problem. Fortunately, that same travel agent had been contributing to a state fund that protected

us from these kinds of problems and we got all our money back. We had a great trip to China.” Master Music Manager by MusicManager is another comprehensive, customizable music administration database software program. Modules include: music library, membership, personal directory (contacts and calendar), audio and video recordings, music inventory, equipment, instruments, robes, uniforms and other wardrobe items, personal address book, accounts general ledger, fund raising, word processor, planning calendar and more. This product lets you plan and organize your daily classroom activities, including concerts, performances, and various events.

Web-Based Music Office Applications I last wrote about Charms Office Assistant, a Web-based music office management product, in 2001 and since then, the number of schools using it world-wide has quintupled, including 45 percent of all secondary music teachers in Texas. Charms has added at least 100 new features to the program and it now has a complete financial management center, parent communication portal with telephone messaging, text messaging, inventory control center, uniform management center, and much more. Charms helps manage the classroom through an easy-touse interface that includes drag and drop seating charts and event-based attendance functions. It can be used to manage time by providing “helper” logins, so that parents, student aides, librarians, and booster treasurers can have limited access to specific parts of the program – all at the same time. The more teachers can delegate administrative busywork, the more time they have to work with students. Charms’ motto is “Harmony from Chaos.” Charms also provides a built-in recording studio free to every student. The student can record their chair tests, sight-reading assignments, scales, and more, and in-

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stantly upload them for the teacher to evaluate. Where some recorded assessment systems provide a stark â&#x20AC;&#x153;right note, wrong noteâ&#x20AC;? method, Charms gives the teacher the opportunity to grade the recorded assignment with a little more flexibility. John Washburn of St. James High School in Murrles Inlet, South Carolina has been very pleased with Charms softwareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s abilities for tracking individual student accounts and large group trip to Washington, D.C. Mr. Washburn says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were concerned as to how we would track student funds, but the system has helped so much. I am also very grateful for the student database. It makes communications a breeze.â&#x20AC;? Charms makes it easy to access parent communication logs, so teachers can record phone conversations with parents and keep them on record for several years. Should a meeting with administration become necessary, the teacher can filter the conversations on topic, keyword, or by student. Charms also provides a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Progress Logâ&#x20AC;? so educators can record significant milestones for the student, such as all-region, all-state, good auditions. A second Web-based application is now available, uTuttiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Music Teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office (www.ututti.com). This program allows users to manage student information, parent communication, grades, inventory, fees, budgets, fundraisers, calendars, email, and more. It offers a simple, easy-to-use interface that was created specifically for music teachers. Each account is given its own public Web site within the uTutti domain that allows parents and students to keep up-to-date on the latest calendar events and other information. I like that the program provides a central, online portal for those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to bother with creating their own sites. Another attribute is that each account is given 50MB of free storage space to upload documents and audio files. Both students and parents can view these files online when they log in to their personal account. And best of all, students can listen to audio files, including SmartMusic files, of exercises and pieces currently being played in class to help them rehearse more effectively.

If you already have your own Web site, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to link back to uTutti to allow your students and parents to view your public information. Create â&#x20AC;&#x153;widgets,â&#x20AC;? which display certain elements of your uTutti information on your own site. This can be done by configuring your widget, then copying the code onto your Web site. The current widgets available include a calendar and event list.

you are in your daily responsibilities and successfully juggle the many differentâ&#x20AC;? hatsâ&#x20AC;? you wear as the music educator. Dr. John Kuzmich Jr. is a veteran music educator, jazz educator and music technologist with more than 41 years of public school teaching experience. He is a TI:MEcertified training instructor and has a Ph.D. in comprehensive musicianship. As a freelance author, Dr. Kuzmich has more than 400 articles and five textbooks published. As a clinician, Dr. Kuzmich frequently participates in workshops throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia, and South America. For more information, visit www.kuzmich.com.

Still Not Sure of Which Product Is Best For You? Product demos can be downloaded from each manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Web site, giving you the ability to sit in the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat before ever making a purchase. With Charms, you can have a fully functional trial account for 60 days to test. While prices and product features will vary, you do have choices between desktop and Web-based applications. Regardless of your preferences, these programs should be able to noticeably improve how productive

Capital University

Conservatory of Music Dr. Lynda Hasseler Director of Choral Activities

UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2DC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;>Â?Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x2DC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;>Â?Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;renowned Chapel Choir]Ă&#x160;iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x152;>LÂ?Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2026;i`Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;ÂŁÂ&#x2122;Ă&#x201C;Â&#x2122;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x153;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;iViÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; Â&#x2026;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;>]Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;}]Ă&#x160; >ÂŤ>Â&#x2DC;]Ă&#x160; Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;>]Ă&#x160; iĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x201C;>Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;]Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160; Ă˘iVÂ&#x2026;Ă&#x160;,iÂŤĂ&#x2022;LÂ?Â&#x2C6;VĂ&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;}Â&#x2026;Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;1Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;i`Ă&#x160;-Ă&#x152;>Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x192; UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;ďŹ nestĂ&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;musical educationĂ&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;>Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}]Ă&#x160;VÂ&#x153;Ă&#x2022;ÂŤÂ?i`Ă&#x160;Ă&#x153;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;Ă&#x160;>Ă&#x160;ÂľĂ&#x2022;>Â?Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;liberal-arts educationĂ&#x160;Ă&#x152;>Ă&#x2022;}Â&#x2026;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;>Ă&#x160;V>Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;iÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x203A;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x201C;iÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152; UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;ÂŁnĂ&#x160;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;`iĂ&#x20AC;}Ă&#x20AC;>`Ă&#x2022;>Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x160;Â&#x201C;>Â?Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;VÂ?Ă&#x2022;`Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;vocal performanceĂ&#x160;Ă&#x153;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;ÂŤĂ&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;>Â?Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;music theatre emphasis]Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;vocal music education UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;master of music in music education, KodĂĄly track]Ă&#x160;>Ă&#x152;Ă&#x152;>Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;>LÂ?iĂ&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;three summer sessions Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;vÂ&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x201C;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;>LÂ&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160; >ÂŤÂ&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;>Â?Â˝Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;`iĂ&#x20AC;}Ă&#x20AC;>`Ă&#x2022;>Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x160; ÂŤĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;}Ă&#x20AC;>Â&#x201C;Ă&#x192;]Ă&#x160;VÂ&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;>VĂ&#x152;Ă&#x160;Heather MasseyĂ&#x160;ÂĂ&#x152;Â&#x153;Â?Â?Â&#x2021;vĂ&#x20AC;iiÂŽĂ&#x160; >Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;ÂnĂ&#x2C6;Ă&#x2C6;ÂŽĂ&#x160;x{{Â&#x2021;Ă&#x2C6;ÂŁĂ&#x2021;xĂ&#x160;Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2026;Â&#x201C;>Ă&#x192;Ă&#x192;iĂ&#x17E;JV>ÂŤÂ&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;>Â?Â°i`Ă&#x2022;Â° Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;vÂ&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x201C;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;>LÂ&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160; Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;`?Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160; ÂŤĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;}Ă&#x20AC;>Â&#x201C;]Ă&#x160;VÂ&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;>VĂ&#x152;Ă&#x160;Tracy HerrmannĂ&#x160;>Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160; ÂĂ&#x2C6;ÂŁ{ÂŽĂ&#x160;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2C6;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x2C6;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2C6;Ă&#x2021;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x201C;>Â&#x2DC;JV>ÂŤÂ&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;>Â?Â°i`Ă&#x2022;Â°

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