NOVEMBER 2010 $5.00
Gaye Klopack The Good Fight Upfront Q&A: ACDA's Tim Sharp Survey: Festivals
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Contents
November 2010
Features
26
8
UPFRONTQ&A: ACDA’S TIM SHARP Choral Director catches up with the executive director of the ACDA for a conversation on the hot button issues facing vocal music educators, including advocacy, funding, collaboration, and, of course, “Glee.”
11
SURVEY: FESTIVALS CD readers weigh in on the necessary ingredients for a great festival experience.
14
UPCLOSE: GAYE KLOPACK In this recent CD interview, Gaye Klopack, director of choirs at Jones College Prep in Chicago, Ill., explores the challenges she has confronted and wisdom she’s gained while fighting the good fight: the ongoing struggle to legitimize arts education.
20
ROUNDTABLE: RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION Four accomplished educators discuss the ins and outs of growing and maintaining a vocal music program.
23
TECHNOLOGY: ASSESSMENT PROGRAMS Dr. John Kuzmich takes a look at how to import various types of files into assessment programs.
26
REPERTOIRE FORUM: INTERNATIONAL FOLK SONGS Forum editor Drew Collins reviews new releases of folk songs from around the world.
20 Columns 4 6 30 31 32
Opening Notes Headlines Vocal Tip Classifieds Ad Index
Cover Photo: Darrell White, Chicago, Ill., darelphotography.com. 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.
2 Choral Director, November 2010
14
Opening Notes
The Virtual Choir
M
usic is an inherently social vehicle. Whether sharing a song behind closed doors with the other members of an ensemble or presenting it onstage to an audience, those who make music are communicating with everyone within earshot, transmitting emotions and ideas, both verbal and non-verbal, concrete and abstract. Interestingly, many of the methods by which we communicate have changed dramatically over the past decade. Letters have been supplanted by e-mails, and many of those in turn have been replaced by text messages or tweets. The place for “social” gathering is now often the Internet, where people can seek out others with common interests and create vibrant communities with people they might never meet face-to-face. It is already well established that the digital age has been a boon for music enthusiasts, students, and educators, with countless great performances now available with only a few taps of the keyboard on Youtube, MySpace, Pandora, or any other “What applica- site du jour. Both individual musicians and music groups have tions of this also benefited greatly from new technology, as it is now possible technology can be – and easy! – to share music as never before by posting songs to gleaned for the Web sites, selling them online through iTunes or other virtual marketplaces, or even posting music files that can be downloadpurposes of choral able for free. and vocal music But we already know all of this. The purpose of this preamble is to present one area whose surface is just beginning to educators?” be scratched: the virtual ensemble, a musical group comprised of people who may never actually set foot in the same room – or on the same stage, as it were. Eric Whitacre, the blindingly popular educator, director and composer – essentially a real-world music superhero – is hoping to take this concept to new heights. In 2009, he debuted a virtual choir comprised of singers from around the world. The resulting virtual concert, “Lux Aurumque,” featured 243 voices from 12 different countries and has been seen just under 1.5 million times on YouTube, as of the time of this printing. Now, Whitacre is opening this concept up to the general public in a new virtual choir project called “Sleep.” He is soliciting submissions from individuals, groups, school ensembles, community choirs, and professional and amateur singers alike. The submissions, which must follow detailed instructions that Whitacre has set forth, will then be stitched together to form a choral group intended to shatter the virtual choir world record of 900 participating singers. (The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2010.) “Lux Aurumque” is undoubtedly a brilliant piece of performance art, and “Sleep” promises to be a similarly fascinating production. But what is the future of such endeavors? Aside from the novelty of this project, what lessons can be learned, and what applications of this technology can be gleaned for the purposes of choral and vocal music educators? Have you had experiences with a virtual clinician or performance? Where do you see this technology taking musical performance and instruction in the near future? Considering the relative newness of this virtual concept, one can only conclude that this is but the beginning for technologically assisted musical ensembles.
Eliahu Sussman Editor • esussman@symphonypublishing.com 4 Choral Director, November 2010
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HeadLines Manilow Hits “The Talk,” Donates $500K to Vegas Music Ed Programs
L
as Vegas crooner and tireless music education advocate Barry Manilow recently appeared on the CBS show “The Talk” to chat about music education, among other topics. The episode showed footage of Manilow’s recent visit to Valley High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the singer announced that his Manilow Music Project would be donating about $500,000 worth of instruments and other equipment to public schools in the Las Vegas Valley. His contribution to music and art education earned Manilow a standing ovation from “The Talk” hosts Julie Chen, Sharon Osbourne, Leah Remini and Sara Gilbert, as well as his “fanilows” in the audience. During the interview portion of the show, Manilow stressed the importance of music education in public schools and noted how it changed his life. “When I was growing up in Brooklyn, I went to a real dump of a high school, but at least they had an orchestra,” Manilow said. “If I didn’t have that band class, I really wouldn’t be here. I wasn’t very good at sports and I wasn’t going to join a gang, so I joined the orchestra and it really changed my life.” “What I’ve learned is it is not just play time,” Manilow said of music class. “These kids that stay in music class, their grades go up, their social skills go up. When they stop these music classes, forget it; they are on their own if they want to become a musician.” Manilow is currently recording a new album, “Fifteen Minutes,” which is due out in early 2011.
Nat King Cole Generation Hope
C
asey and Timolin Cole, daughters of Nat King Cole, launched the Nat King Cole Generation Hope two years ago to raise money for music education and put new instruments in the hands of students in Florida’s Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami Dade public schools. Now through their foundation, the two have thrown a fundraiser for music education that also doubled as a salute to another legendary voice, Johnny Mathis, who received the organization’s first lifetime achievement award on November 20 at the Boca Beach Club at the Boca Resort & Club. The jazz ensemble from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale played at the event. Visit www.natkingcolefoundation.org to learn more.
6 Choral Director, November 2010
VH1 Gala Supports Struggling School Music Programs
O
n November 8, VH1 Save The Music Foundation’s Gala 2010 was held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. The annual event celebrates the power of music and supports the restoration of public school-music programs. Hosted by Glee star and Broadway veteran Cheyenne Jackson, the evening featured tributes to Julie Andrews, The ASCAP Foundation, singer and long-time arts advocate John Legend, and multiple-Grammy Award winner John Mayer. Broadway, television and film star Kristin Chenoweth was among the performers. Singer Jason Mraz announced a $100,000 donation, which will benefit both the ASCAP Foundation and the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. Mraz is partnering with LG Mobile Phones to make the contribution. To find out more, visit www.vh1savethemusic.com.
Music Educators Invited to 2011 NAMM Show
T
he NAMM Foundation is inviting music educators and school administrators from across the United States to come to Anaheim, Calif. to experience NAMM’s fourth annual “Music Education Days,” being held on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 15-16 at the 2011 NAMM Show. As VIP guests of the NAMM Foundation, music educators and school administrators have access to NAMM’s premier trade-only music products trade show, where attendees can explore musical instruments, products, and teaching concepts. Music educators will be encouraged to see and try the many instruments and products on display and to participate in the “Best Tools for Schools” recognition program, nominating products that are relevant and useful to today’s music classrooms. Symphony Publishing, developers of the program, will announce these selected products on Sunday in the Idea Center on the trade show floor. There will also be hands-on educator workshops and panel discussions in the “Learning Lounge” at the Anaheim Hilton and a welcome reception Saturday morning featuring a keynote address by Victor Wooten, composer, arranger, lecturer, producer, vocalist, and a five-time Grammy award multi-instrumentalist. Special welcome reception on Sunday morning will feature a keynote address from some of the 2009/2010 Abreu Fellows from the New England Conservatory of Music, sharing their experiences as educators working in urban areas throughout the United States. The 2011 “Best Tools for Schools” announcement will be made on Sunday afternoon For more information, visit www.nammfoundation.org.
HeadLines Opera singer Shirley Verrett, 1931-2010
S
hirley Verrett, the acclaimed American mezzo-soprano and soprano praised for her blazing intensity during a career that spanned four decades, died November 6 in Ann Arbor, Mich. She was 79. Verrett, one of the top opera singers of the 1970s and 1980s, was born in New Orleans and gained fame for a blazing intensity in her performances as a mezzo, for much of her career, and a soprano, in her later years. According to her autobiography, “I Never Walked Alone,” which was published in 2003, she battled racial prejudice in a predominantly white European-centered art form during a 40year biracial marriage. Verrett made her professional debut in 1957 and a year later appeared for the first time at the New York City Opera as Irina in Weill’s “Lost in the Stars.” She also appeared in the first televised Young People’s Concert by conductor Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic from the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Verrett’s Met career lasted until 1990, and, among many career highlights, she sang soprano roles that included Puccini’s “Tosca” (opposite Luciano Pavarotti), Bellini’s “Norma,” Leonore in Beethoven’s “Fidelio,” and the title role in Verdi’s “Aida,” and Desdemona in Verdi’s “Otello.” Shirley Verrett joined the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance in 1996 and was its James Earl Jones Distinguished University Professor of Music when she retired in May of 2010.
News
Do you have a tip on news that you’d like to share in Choral Director? If so, e-mail editor Eliahu Sussman at
Online Survey Results Will your choirs take part in competitive events this year?
Yes
No
65% 35% Visit www.choraldirectormag.com and let your voice be heard in the current online poll – results to be published in the next issue of CD.
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CDUpfrontQ&A: ACDA’s Dr. Tim Sharp
On the Level with Tim Sharp
O
ver 5,000 members strong, the American Choral Director’s Association (ACDA) is the premier non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and advancement of choral singing in the U.S.A. With national, regional, and
state chapters that represent the backbone of the American vocal music world, chances are most readers of this publication are already familiar with the ACDA’s conventions, performance opportunities, honor choirs, online literature, and other resources.
Dr. Tim Sharp has a unique vantage point on the world of vocal music education, as he has been a singer, an educator, a choral director, a music advocate, and, since 2008, the executive director of ACDA. In this recent conversation with Choral Director, Dr. Sharp shares his take on the challenges facing choral directors today. Choral Director: What current trends do you see happening in the vocal music world, both positive and negative? Tim Sharp: On the positive side, there is a very energized base of singers out there. Our numbers show that participation is up. I don’t know how you measure desire, but there’s clearly no lack of motivation on the part of young people to sing in choirs. The NEA participation study in 2008 showed that choral music participation increased from 2003 to 2008, and that aligns with what we anecdotally see and feel: our student chapters continue to grow and we see big numbers when it comes to honor choirs, auditions processes, and the groups that come to our conferences. All of that leads me to say that the enthusiasm for participation is strong. On the counter to that, a lot of the growth we see is happening in community choirs, children’s choirs, and other ensembles going on outside of schools. I think that growth would be mirrored in schools 8 Choral Director, November 2010
ACDA executive director Dr. Tim Sharp
if educational institutions weren’t limited by two factors: the expertise it takes to make a choir work; and the scheduling issue of making sure that vocal music is a priority within the curriculum. The concern is to make sure that vocal music doesn’t get rooted out either by lack of leadership or lack of priority in terms of having a place in the curriculum. That mismatch is a disconnect that we as advocates cannot allow to happen. CD: You mean the disconnect between growth in the community ensembles, but not so much the school ensembles? TS: That’s right. At the ACDA, we are about fostering and promoting growth and helping improve quality. Of course schools would have the same kind of agenda if indeed vocal and choral music were a priority within the school. They too would shoot for excellence. However, if it’s not a priority, that’s a concern. We can’t be
limited, though, to what schools do or don’t do. We are about choral singing in general and if it’s not happening in the school, we’re going to help it happen in the community. That doesn’t mean we’re pulling back on any efforts in the schools, but it’s a difficult issue. One of the initiatives I’m leading with ACDA is to increase collaboration between ourselves and any other organization that would like to work with us, because we are not a lobbying group, and we can’t do it all by ourselves – we’re not large enough. We first look to MENC when it comes to school conversations within various states. I’m encouraging all of our state chapters to work with all of the various MENC chapters to collaborate however necessary. That varies from state to state; we don’t have a national perspective on what choral music looks like in any given state. CD: Is your perception that there might be competition between instrumental and vocal music programs in schools for funding and validation, or just that all arts programs seem to be in a precarious position these days? TS: I think the bigger issue is with music and arts in general. When we start looking around at each other and saying, “Oh, theatre is more important than ballet, and ballet is more important than opera,” we’re really beginning to cannibalize each other. It may be a reality in some situations – that marching bands might be more visible and, therefore, have an easier road to the funding – but I don’t think we do ourselves well when we start picking on our colleagues in other musical and artistic areas. The much bigger issue is whether or not music and art in general will be seen as a curricular subject at the core of education. While choral music is one of the most democratic and cost-effective ways of bringing music into any school situation, the bigger desire I have is just to make certain that the arts in some form are in the life of kids. I would love for it to be through singing, but I’m not going to bicker if it were something else. That issue might be solved if we could just reprioritize arts in the school in general, and then
people might see that the choral arts are a great way for getting mass participation from the student body. CD: Would you talk about some of the resources that the ACDA offers to vocal music educators?
they can separate themselves out from other activities out there. From the very beginning of ACDA, Robert Shaw said it best when he said the goal was, “A finer performance of a finer quality of choral music.” Our activities give that focus, that finer quality of performance and finer literature, which is what most of our choral events are aiming for. Since 2008, we have also tried to have rich content in
TS: We’re a federal system in the sense that we have a national office and we have 50 state chapters and seven divisions within that structure. Historically, ACDA has been primar- “Music is that emotional and cathartic ily known for its conferences at each expression that people need.” level. Those are the events, the showrooms, that bring terms of intellectual property, and in everything into culmination: the pracgetting it out there and presenting it in tices of the honor choir, the practices such a way as to ensure that we have of the adjudicated choirs that sing in best practices and standards that are our programs, interest sessions, dempublished and available through our onstration sessions, and so on. All of Web sites, our chapter Web sites, and that emanated from state, division, through ChoralNet and other ways and national conferences. A lot of that we can get that material out to those divisional activities continue to more people. We’re taking those congive teachers and students something ferences and turning them into educato shoot for and something with which tional, pedagogical, and performance
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Choral Director, November 2010 9
content that is then made available to our members. That has been the thrust of what we are doing. The ACDA is really about providing inspiration and these sorts of helpful materials, and we’ve ramped that up incredibly in the last two or three years. CD: Is there anything that you would like to see more of from vocal music teachers in the schools?
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TS: I think the word collaboration comes back into play. Exchanges, exchange programs, singing for each other, doing more work on the local level to try to create an atmosphere and a culture that recognizes that the community is bigger than just one classroom. Teachers have got to work together within their school system or county to broaden the circles of experience for their students. They can emulate what happens on the state level, as far as I’m concerned, only on the smaller scale, but they need to be doing things like that in their area. These broader choral events demonstrate to kids that the choral culture is bigger than what they may think it is. Part of the issue is that many student singers are up against a social context that is often dominated by other activities. Right now there is the added bonus of vocal singing looking hip in the media, through American Idol-style singing and shows like Glee. This has helped give choir some of the attention that hockey, soccer, and other activities have long held among students. CD: Have you noticed an up tick in choral participation due to shows like “Glee”? TS: I would say it is more of a validation of what people are already doing, rather than any sort of boost. The kids were already participating in choirs anyway. Kids do like to get together to sing and make harmony. We have seen this all over the world. What this media phenomenon has done is really validate that singing is a cool thing to do. Now it’s funny, because “Glee” in particular isn’t really validating it because the underly-
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ing idea on that show is that the kids who participate are misfits. But what I like about it is that even if a kid feels like he or she is a misfit, singing is still cool. I have to quickly say for the teacher’s sake – and I’m married to a schoolteacher – that I recognize that it goes quite beyond the boundary of a 50-minute class period in order to put together quality performing ensembles. It’s not necessarily expected of music teachers to be more heroic or self-sacrificing than what you might see from a math teacher. But choir has to be cool, it has to look like a socially fun thing to do, and the community has to validate that by responding to their endeavors. CD: So would it be a stretch to say that the exposure on TV makes choral singing more relevant? TS: It does make it more relevant. Those of us who are in this for life, we know that at the end of the day, music is that emotional and cathartic expression that people need. The world is a better place because people sing. Relevancy to me is that people find something that is really meaningful to their life, something that can bring them some bit of expressive joy and understanding every day. I think “Glee” and the popularity of these music-based shows demonstrate that kids are happier when they’re engaged in their singing activity. There are other facets of our society that demonstrate how relevant music really is. One is that we still have a place for it at moments of joy and celebration. We see choirs in the background at special events, we sing together for the national anthem at the football game, and we include singing in the ceremonies of things that are important to us. The core relevancy is the idea that life has stress, complications, and shades of emotion, and music for the masses – particularly when you can participate in it – brings relevancy to a life experience. I always come back to the idea that choral music affordable and democratic. People were built with an instrument inside of them and people are catching on to that. As educators and members of the choral community, we need to come together to wield that common interest and enthusiasm so that we can reach even more people.
CDSurvey: Festivals
The Ingredients for a
Great Festival Experience
F
rom local events in high school auditoriums to national and international gatherings in venerated concert halls, vocal music festivals come in all manner of shapes and sizes. While there are some universal
elements that students can enjoy, such as the camaraderie of their singing peers, the experience of hearing other groups perform, and the chance to sing in front of unfamiliar audiences, each festival carries its own benefits and potential pitfalls. Any way you cut it, finding the right event and then preparing your ensemble appropriately are not tasks that should be taken lightly.
For greater insight into what school choral directors around the country are looking for in a choral festival, as well as the latest trends in such events, Choral Director turned to its readership in this recent survey. And as you peruse the following various graphs and comments, keep in mind that this article represents significant collective wisdom – over 80 percent of responding CD readers have indicated that they regularly bring their groups to vocal music festivals.
Do groups from your choral program attend choral festivals? No
18% Yes
82%
Do you prefer competitive or noncompetitive festivals? Competitive
15%
Both
43% Non-competitive
42%
Choral Director, November 2010 11
“Both can have value with the right clinicians. I don’t want my students to always think that it’s all about competition. The most important thing to me is that it be a positive experience for the singers and that they can take away some valuable information.” Joyce Bertilson North Canyon High School Phoenix, Ariz. “I prefer to enter for ‘ratings only,’ but my students respond strongly to the trophies and the bragging rights of winning a competition. I caved in after we found out that we had better scores than the choir that won on one occasion, and I almost had a mutiny!” Kay Maddox Flint Hill School Oakton, Va. “My students are young – they can learn more by performing for comments than they can by stressing out about competition.” Becky Luce Bernice A. Ray School Hanover, N.H. “Administrators love the ‘hardware.’ They get that glaze in their eyes. Newspapers also respond to trophies, as do politicians and donors.” Drucilla Pluhowski Nyack High School Upper Nyack, N.Y.
How far does your program typically travel for a choral festival?
25%
Nearby only – in district
32%
In state We sometimes go to other nearby states We travel across the U.S.
12%
International/Overseas
2%
12 Choral Director, November 2010
29%
Other than cost, what is the most important factor you consider when selecting a festival to attend?
16%
Quality adjudication Learning opportunity Location/distance
14% 13%
Good/appropriate competition Notable performance venue All of the Above Other
2%
1% 46%
8%
“I don’t look for competition in the Elementary Choir. Along with the opportunity to learn, I also think having a good performance facility (since we don’t have one) and the opportunity to sing with a large group of students is important.” Louise Kienzle Humbolt Elementary School Canyon City, Ore. “I believe that the combination of quality adjudication and the festival serving as a learning opportunity is the most important factor we need to consider when selecting a festival.” Brian Kelly Millbrook High School Winchester, Va. “I think venues are important, however, I believe that quality adjudicators are very important for education. I integrate the various categories on the sheet in our curriculum, for example: vocal technique, breathing, vowels, blend, balance, stage presence, and so on. My students always want to see the adjudication sheets following festivals.” Marshall Butler, Jr. Sanderson High School Raleigh, N.C.
For young singers and choral groups, what are the primary benefits of attending choral festivals? “The feedback from other professionals is, I think, the greatest benefit. I also think it helps having something for the students to work towards.” Trisha Scheidies Carmel Middle School Carmel, Ind. “We are a smaller class B school, so festivals give our choral students an opportunity to perform with bigger groups and experience a quality large ensemble experience. They also meet others students and get to hear others choral arrangements.” JoLynn Keller Shiloh Christian School Bismarck, N.D. “While the social benefits are off the hook in the students’ eyes, the primary benefits include adjudication and feedback from a qualified director/adjudicator, as well as the opportunity to observe the on- and off-stage discipline of a well rehearsed choral ensemble or choir.” Bob Johnson Seattle Christian High School SeaTac, Wash. “Working with other clinicians is a fantastic way to re-teach what we are already doing, but also give the kids a fresh outlook.” Shelly King Gering High School Gering, Neb
Is there anything that choral directors should avoid or be wary of when selecting and preparing for a festival? “Avoid only rehearsing the three selections to be performed at the festival. Festival selections should be taught during the normal span of a concert preparation, not since September.” Victor Izzo Minisink Valley High School Orange County, N.Y.
“Some companies place more emphasis on the ‘trip’ element than the educational aspect. We’ve experienced some very less-than-satisfactory performance venues (hotel meeting rooms complete with heavy carpeting and drapes, secondtier convention centers where the piano had not even been tuned, et cetera). In addition, a festival with a clinic should be a must.” Don Krudop Salem High School Virginia Beach, Va. “It should never, ever be about winning. Get recommendations about the clinicians/conductors with whom the singers will be working. Just because someone has great credentials does not mean that they are ‘nice’ people to sing under.” Brian Williams Lassiter High School Marietta, Ga. “I would advise directors to make sure the event is not merely an occasion to collect trophies. Good judging, good feedback, good facilities – a lot of preparation goes into those 15 minutes of singing. I want my students to get an experience that is worthy of the time and effort they put in to get there.” Deborah Divine Enterprise High School Redding, Calif. “Look for festivals that suit your needs. Don’t simply jump in for flash or glitz. A quality festival should have highly qualified adjudicators, and the possibility of a clinic to reinforce good choral concepts. None of this needs to cost too much, either. The bulk of your money should be going to travel, lodgings, and meals. Any good adjudicator will deserve compensation, and those who are hosting the festival deserve the right to earn something from their efforts, but there are plenty of great festivals that provide all you need without taking all you have.” Joseph Allred Gunnison Valley High School Gunnison, Utah
Additional thoughts? “Festivals are beneficial to both the singers and myself. It is a check in for me to make sure that I’m doing what I should be with my singers. For my singers, it is an affirmation of what they are doing and also reinforces what we’ve been working on in class. I think festival attendance is vital to building and improving any choral program.” Bruce Lengacher Acalanes High School Lafayette, Calif. “I find that traveling to locations away from our school is a huge boost to my music program. Some students’ initial reason for joining may simply be to attend the festival. It is then my job to get them hooked into the world of music making. Attending these festivals is the motivation my students need to learn several pieces of music to perfection, not just at a performance level. It gives me a chance to really dig in deep on just a few pieces of our repertoire.” Charles Bateman Susquenita High School Duncannon, Pa. “Select literature that is developmentally appropriate for your choir. Perform music that can be done well. This will allow for more specific feedback from adjudicators on the musicality of the group, articulations, nuances, et cetera, rather than intonation, notes, and rhythms.” Jonathan Hall Rock Hill High School Rock Hill, S.C. “In our district, getting students out of school, or using a Saturday is difficult. The cost of transportation and having the required number of chaperones is also a problem.” Charlene Flygt Jack Young Middle school Baraboo, Wis.
Choral Director, November 2010 13
UpClose: Gaye Klopack
“Having a sense of humor keeps the choir relaxed and comfortable, allowing the members to perform at their best.�
Photo by Darrell White. 14 Choral Director, November 2010
Good Fight The
BY DENYCE NEILSON
A
s music educators know, teaching music and conducting a choir involves a great deal more than just showing up with an arm full of sheet music. It goes beyond long working hours, effective pedagogy, and classroom management. In the bigger picture, music educators must also maintain the frontlines of another unceasing battle: advocacy. Even though running school music programs is most certainly a full-time occupation, for those in this field, the challenge of maintaining relevancy and respect for their discipline, as seen by others, is one that must be met head on with full force and an ever-changing arsenal of facts, anecdotes, and, of course, visible and audible evidence. Gaye Klopack runs the vocal music department at Chicago’s Jones College Prep and spends what small amount of spare time she has advocating for music education and her program. Choral Director recently caught up with Klopack to talk about her strategy for fighting the good fight – teaching young people the art of singing and raising awareness and respect for the importance of music education.
Choral Director: How did you come to this profession? Gaye Klopack: I didn’t exactly choose to become a choral conductor. I believe it came out of my love of singing and participating in singing ensembles. As a student, I was lucky to work under some very special conductors. In high school, I studied private voice and was in the auditioned group of the All-City High School Chorus where I was fortunate to perform under the baton of Seiji Ozawa and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I continued to perform in college as a voice major in music education and then went on to receive my master’s degree in Vocal Pedagogy. While getting my B.A., I was allowed to use the college choir to practice my skills during conducting class. It was then that I developed a real appreciation for what it takes to inspire good group singing. It was also at that time that I realized how important it was to have a sense of humor and keep things light. Having a sense
of humor keeps the choir relaxed and comfortable, allowing the members to perform at their best. CD: When did you begin teaching? GK: I began teaching in 1997 as a substitute teacher. It taught me how to be creative and think in the moment. I came to my teaching career rather late in life compared to most. I stayed home with my three children until the last one began school. In fact it took me 320 credit hours to finish my B.A. because of all the stops and starts between children. As a result, I also have many college credits in art education and dance education. My well-rounded arts education has come in handy when integrating other areas of the arts in my classroom activities.
in which I’ve taught that had an established program. I was fortunate because the previous music teacher in that school became the new librarian. Whenever I had a question, she was there. Of course I focused on singing but also taught recorder ensemble, Orff instruments and some percussion, as well as dance. While at Peterson, I won my first Oppenheimer Family Grant to teach the history of jazz. I was performing at that time as a vocal jazz ensemble member in a professional group. They came in and worked with the students as part of my grant. My students performed a “history of jazz” program, which included our vocal group, our jazz pianist, and a tap dance routine.
CD: Would you talk about your first experiences as an educator?
CD: What kind of impact do you think the Oppenheimer had on your teaching skills?
GK: I began teaching a general music program at Peterson Elementary, a school that had a well-established music program. This was the only school
GK: It was fabulous. It was such a great experience for those kids. First of all, we exposed them to a true American art form, jazz. I continue to do that
“The concentration on math and science is warranted and understandable. However, the importance of arts education is highly underrated and has not been treated with the same urgency.”
JCPC Holiday Concert
This and all subsequent photos by Ethan Moltz. 16 Choral Director, November 2010
that we had reached the sound I’d been looking for. The students had attained another musical level that we must continue to maintain. CD: How did you end up in your current position at Jones College Prep?
Gaye Klopack in the classroom.
with my students now. There’s just not enough jazz education out there. I just had a student who got an internship at the Chicago Jazz Institute, and she got to sing with the band on the Millennium Park Stage. It’s a big deal here in Chicago; Frank Geary designed it. She was the first vocalist to be chosen, and she was on stage sing jazz to thousands of people. CD: What experiences have been pivotal for you as a music educator? GK: I’ve had many pivotal experiences, but the one freshest in my memory is an experience I had last spring. We were invited to do a joint concert with the Northeastern Illinois University Choir and Orchestra in a performance of Randall Thompson’s “Frostiana.” Since we worked exclusively on those pieces for quite a while, there wasn’t much time to put together any other repertoire for our own concert. We chose to present the “Frostiana” with piano at our own school choral concert. That piece has parts that contain SSA, TTBB, and SATB settings. I was a bit concerned that some of the younger viewers in the audience might not be able to be quiet enough to last through the very slow and mostly serene SSA piece, “Come In.” However, when the girls sang, their performance was so exquisitely beautiful; you could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium. It was spellbinding. Even pianissimo sections and their ending consonants were heard perfectly. I’ve enjoyed watching the video taped performance many times and it was probably the first time watching us perform that no corrections were necessary. I realized at that moment
the tough part is how do I get it. I still struggle with that. I’ve had to invent things. The first classroom that I walked into had one chair in the corner and an empty soda can on the floor – that was it. The focus at Jones Prep is academic, and music is not considered academic. I’m trying to change that. We know that our kids are doing better on their AP and History exams because of the music history that I’ve taught. But, no one gets it here or anywhere across the country. I have a drawer full of advocacy papers; I collect them. I just had a meeting with our congressman and an arts advocacy group. The congressman told us that it’s not going to get better for at least six years, and that if we want to connect funding to the arts, we will have to connect it to a job.
GK: After I left my first teaching job, I was the choral director at two other schools before arriving in my present job at Jones College Prep. In each instance, I had walked into a school that had no program. Though difficult, it also allowed me to create whatever I envisioned. Jones College Prep became a selected enrollCD: Let’s focus on your current ment school in 1998, and I arrived the program for a moment. How many performing ensembles do you following year. I began with six general teach? music classes. The students learned a GK: Currently I have three non-aumix of music appreciation, music theditioned beginning choirs that feed the ory and, of course, singing technique. auditioned advanced concert choir, Since we could not meet together as an and each group has approximately fifty auditioned choir, I taught a few of the students. I teach an AP Music Theory same songs to each group separately so class with nine students in the class, that on the day of the concert, we could and I also conduct an eight-member perform as one large choir. It was a bit vocal jazz ensemble that meets once scary, but that’s how we started. The fola week after school. My background lowing year, I was allowed to have one as a singer is classically grounded, class that consisted of selected students but I have had extensive training as from those six classes. We had no music a jazz vocalist, and I ask many of my library so I began teaching rounds and students to cross techniques as well. invested in a few pieces that consisted I teach private voice lessons to 10of verse and refrain. Later, I asked some of the students to sing the verse as a solo. Not all the JCPC production of “Figaro.” solos were brilliant, but the experience of singing a solo for many of my beginning students was invaluable because it made them feel special. CD: Because you built your program from the ground up, you were able to shape it as you see fit, but at the same time, everything is on your shoulders. What are the most challenging aspects of that process? GK: Well, like you said, you get to envision what you want, but then Choral Director, November 2010 17
12 students during the school week. My private voice program is not part of the school curriculum. However, we have had many successes since I started working with serious students. Since I am the sole member of the vocal music department, I try to cover as many genres as possible with my choir students. We perform classic choral repertoire in many languages, such as 20th century music, spirituals, gospel, jazz, and opera. Occasionally, I’ll choreograph a piece with movement – that could be considered out of the box.
voice students, who also sang in the Jones chorus, won second place, Level 1, in the national YoungARTS contest. From that contest, he was selected as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts in Classical Voice. He and I were honored in Washington D.C., where he sang at the Kennedy Center. I was honored as a Distinguished Teacher in 2009 by the Department of Education. My vocal jazz ensemble has performed at Lincoln Center in New York City and one of the members was a Grammy Baldwin ensemble winner performing during
Jones College Prep Choirs at a Glance Location: 606 South State Street, Chicago, Ill. On the Web: www.jonescollegeprep.org Director: Gaye Klopack Total number of students in the vocal music program: 200 Total number of students at the school: 850
CD: What accomplishments by your ensembles have made you most proud? GK: Because of my vocal program, my students have developed an interest in opera. I have written curriculum for the Lyric Opera of Chicago and my students have attended many Lyric Opera productions as members of the Teen Opera Circle. I have been awarded seven Oppenheimer Family Foundation grants that have helped me to produce, direct, and perform with my students and a few of our faculty members in a multi-generational performance of opera scenes at Jones. It has become an annual event for the past seven years, connecting Jones students, faculty, and alumni through performance. We’ve also developed a relationship with WFMT radio. My concert choir has performed an hour-long program of opera scenes and choruses on their show, Introductions, highlighting the best in pre-collegiate musicians. In June of 2009, I received my biggest honor to date. One of my private
Spring Concert
Grammy week in Los Angeles. Each year, we have been awarded consecutive superior ratings in the Women’s and Mixed Chorus categories in the Chicago Public Schools Solo, Ensemble, and Choral Festivals. We do not participate in state competitions as often, but channel our efforts into meeting with choirs from other states. Sometimes they come to Chicago, yet recently, we traveled to Canada to meet and work with members of the Amabile Choir.
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However, even though I’ve experienced the ultimate honor of mentoring a Presidential Scholar, I have to say that my own most important achievement was to mentor a student with an extraordinary vocal talent who had a very difficult time while in high school. With difficulties at home that made his school life impossible to handle, he did not graduate. Continuing to work with him and with the help of his counselor, he completed the course credits he needed. I remember calling him everyday to make sure he was getting help from his tutor. Finally, after he earned enough credits, he was awarded a college scholarship in voice, and went on to a professional school where he was awarded a voice scholarship. He graduated with honors and is now working professionally as a singer. Many students come back to visit, most of whom are not professional singers, but are business people, research scientists, and engineers. Many have auditioned for community choirs or started their own choirs in their business. The continuation of their
music education and passion to sing or conduct their own choirs is definitely one of my greatest achievements. CD: To what do you attribute your program’s success? GK: Whenever possible, I network with other student performing groups, conductors, and professional organizations so that my students have the opportunity to observe high quality performances. I have invited performers such as the King Singers from England and international cabaret star, Andrea Marcovicci to perform and give master classes for my students. I’ve also helped to get my most talented students press coverage when they have won a significant award. I hold memberships in the National and Chicago Chapters of NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing). I think that my background as a teaching artist is definitely an asset. It helps students understand what the conductor wants when it can be demonstrated. I’m a member of the Chicago Jazz Institute and have served on the board of directors for the Chicago Jazz Orchestra. These valuable contacts have brought guest performers to my school and have inspired many students. CD: What would you say makes your program unique? GK: Aside from the fact that my
choir performs opera choruses and ensembles, I think people are impressed with the mature sound of my choir. I teach my choir vocal technique in the warm up that is not always SATB choral in nature, but suited more for the individual private student. I teach how to develop appoggio, achieve balanced resonance, and know the importance of vocal health. I spend a lot of time on the quality of sound through vowel modification. I work hard on developing head voice in my girls and work on boys’ falsetto voices in order to develop their head voice as well. Pedagogy is my strength. I’m happy to say that my choir sounds the way it does because we work on tone quality. We sing in as many languages as I can get music printed. I am well versed in the usual European languages, but like to challenge myself as well as my stu-
dents. Sometimes we learn them together, such as the Chinese piece we did last year or the SSA piece we did in Czech. I also try to please my audience when it comes to choosing repertoire for a concert. I try to educate the audience with more serious and historical pieces of music, balancing that with some lighter pieces, too. CD: Let’s talk about some of the challenges facing music educators today. What’s the first thing that comes to mind on that front? GK: My first response would be financial, but there is an even greater challenge than the financial needs of a choir program. As a vocal music educator, what we face is the ignorance and misinformation about the art of singing. Students, parents, and those in charge of schools and educational policies believe that singing is only innate talent and not skill. Some people actually believe that kids come into my program already knowing how to sing well. Singing is not regarded as a skill that must be taught. Grant foundations prefer to award grants to instrumental music programs. Since vocal programs are not valued equally, choral program budgets are usually left wanting. One of the key factors that contributes to the educational crisis in this country is the lack of arts education. All the arts, including the art of singing, teach us how to think creatively and develop important problem solving skills. I think every child should have the op-
portunity for a well-rounded education and that education must include a quality arts program. The concentration on math and science is warranted and understandable. However, the importance of arts education is highly underrated and has not been treated with the same urgency. It is everyone’s right to enjoy the arts and to enjoy the act of singing. My students know singing is a skill that can become art if studied seriously. In my choir, we take singing very seriously. CD: Do you have any words of advice for other educators? GK: Look to your strengths and develop them in yourself and your choir, and network with colleagues in other schools and with professional organizations. The old adage, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” is really true. Make sure people you know realize what you can do. There are those out there that can help in many other ways than just giving you financial support. There are many conductors out there, like you, who have experienced challenges you may be dealing with and are willing to share their solutions. I’d like to recommend two books for those who are starting out and for anyone looking to be more informed: Teaching Kids to Sing, by Kenneth Phillips, is a valuable resource for teaching good vocal pedagogy to students of any age. The other, Chorus Confidential, by William Dehning, has good sound advice and provides a humorous look at what life is like as a high school choir director. Choral Director, November 2010 19
CDRoundtable:
F
Recruitment & Retention
If You Build It…
or many music programs, both vocal and instrumental, the primary indication of their effectiveness and impact is the quantity of participating students. Without a doubt, large numbers indicate a popular, thriving program, but
the challenges associated with both establishing large numbers and maintaining them are manifold. For an inside look at the latest trends in vocal music program recruitment and the challenges facing the retention of existing choral students, Choral Director has reached out to four experienced and accomplished educators, who indicate that growing a choral program might not be quite as straightforward as some pithy movie quote makes it seem.
20 Choral Director, November 2010
In your experience, what is the most effective approach to recruiting new students into your choral program? Mark Rohwer: If the kids are excited about being in class, and if both the process and the product are of high quality, then the program sort of recruits itself. You still need to be very involved with the schools from which your students come, and get to know the younger students before before they reach your class. And the teachers have to be seen as “fun.” But a great musical experience is a better recruiting tool than a pizza party every time. Roy Dahlinger: I feel that getting out and performing for other schools in the district – elementary and middle schools – is crucial. Your program must have exposure to prospective members so they can see firsthand what students actually accomplish in
your program. Taking short tours of two or three days and attending adjudicated festivals is also a good recruitment tool. Kids love to travel and share their talents. Personal contact is key. Sometimes I approach a child who is in one of my general music classes, catching them in the hall or asking them to stay and talk for a minute. I then say, “ I noticed that you have a very nice voice. You match pitch, and have good tone quality. You would do really well in chorus. Have you ever thought about joining?” Whether they answer yes or no, I encourage them to consider joining and give them some options as to how they might come in and give it a trial run. I usually encourage these students to stay through one concert. The onstage performance experience is what usually seals the deal for them, making the rehearsals seem worthwhile. I also often make use of my “veterans” by asking them to approach students who we feel would be good additions to the choral team. Cynthia DesRosier:
Marshall Butler, Jr.: The most effective approach to recruiting new students into our program has been through word of mouth. Students have friends with similar interests and they tend to tell their friends about the program. What is the message that you use to “sell” your program to prospective students? Is the message different for students already in your choral program? Cynthia DesRosier: Chorus is a winning team, and we work together to produce a quality product. Not only do you learn how to sing and use your voice better, but you have opportunities to solo and perform in special venues. For some boys, knowing that their singing gets a lot of positive attention from the girls can be a motivator. I do a traditional concert in January using a wide variety of folk, multicultural, and classical pieces, but spring is always a “pops” concert where I incorporate students suggestions as well as choose appropriate repertoire from Broadway and popular culture. I find that my general choirs are more willing to work on non-pop literature and vocal techniques when they know that they get to apply their skills to some songs that are more “popular” sometimes. Some students join for the first time in the spring for the “Fun” concert, then realize that they love singing all kinds of music, so continue their membership throughout the rest of their school career. (And no, they can’t join for the spring concert, drop in the fall, and re-join for the next spring concert!) Marshall Butler, Jr.: It has been my experience that students have a sense of belonging and family in our program. Like adults, students enjoy knowing that someone cares about them. I have adopted a slogan from a retired coworker that I use in the signature of my e-mail: “Students don’t care how much you know unless they know how much you care!” Roy Dahlinger: We emphasize the importance of being
part of a successful program, sharing the power of music and how it can enhance students’ lives in so many positive ways. I also spend time with my new members and emphasize their importance in the program and that I ex-
Cynthia DesRosier Director of Choirs Martin Kellogg Middle School Newington, Conn. Cynthia DesRosier has been teaching Chorus and General Music at Martin Kellogg Middle School in Newington, Conn. since she graduated from the Hartt School of Music in 1978. She currently directs six choirs: four general choirs and two auditioned groups, the Kellapella Bellas and Fellaz. Seeing her singers continue on in music at the high school and beyond is the reward for the effort directing middle school choirs demands.
Roy Dahlinger Vocal Music Director Rawlins High School Rawlins, Wyo. For the past 35 years, Roy Dahlinger has been the vocal music director at Rawlins High School, where he directs five choirs, teaches music theory and directs the spring musical. He has also conducted the community choir for 26 years.
Dr. Mark Rohwer Director of Choral Activities Flower Mound High School Flower Mound, Texas Dr. Mark Rohwer is the director of Choral Activities at Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, Texas, a position he has held since FMHS opened in the fall of 1999. Prior to his appointment at Flower Mound High School, he served on high school faculties in Mesquite, Texas and McHenry, Illinois. Rohwer has been an active member of both the Texas Music Educators Association and the Texas Choral Directors Association. He is currently the TMEA Region 24 Vocal Division Chair, as well as the TMEA Area A Vocal Division Chair.
Marshall Butler, Jr. Choral Director Sanderson High School Raleigh, N.C. Marshall Butler, Jr. is currently in his 29th year as choral director at Sanderson High School. He has served as a choral clinician throughout the State of North Carolina, and also as the rehearsal director for the National Honors Choir in Oklahoma. Butler was among the first group of teachers to receive their National Board for Professional Teachers Certification in Music.
pect them to gradually take over leadership roles within the group. Mark Rohwer: I give everyone the same message: choir is awesome, and we’re awesome at it. We know it isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. But if a student is special and works hard enough, then that student will have a terrific experience. There are also trips, cool events, and so on. But the day-to-day experience is so awesome that you wouldn’t want to miss it. Choral Director, November 2010 21
What are the biggest challenges to retaining current vocal music students in your program, and how do you combat these challenges? Marshall Butler, Jr.: A challenge
for my choral groups is working out the scheduling with students who are trying to take College Prep courses, AP classes, and other courses that may only be offered during a single time slot each semester. However, we have a wonderful administration that supports us and builds the master schedule around our Arts programs. Mark Rohwer: Scheduling is our
biggest concern, and we combat that by (1) being very proactive about the students’ schedules, (2) working hard with the counseling staff, and (3) when necessary, finding compromises that keep students for at least part of the time. We scrap for every kid, and we’re pretty tenacious about it. Roy Dahlinger: Required classes and conflicting course schedules seem to be the biggest factor. I am continually formulating sample four-year Fine Arts schedules for my students so they can see firsthand how to make it possible to stay with the program. It is important that I have a firm grasp on the school’s graduation requirements, scholarship requirements, and specific course requirements so that I can be helpful to students struggling with their schedule. Cynthia DesRosier: Scheduling within the school itself and outside activities often force students to choose between time for homework, extra help, athletics, music, family and “down” time. I continually stress to my singers that if they manage their time, they can be involved in all of those things and still do well. I am always willing to call parents, coaches, and other teachers to work out solutions. When the other adults in the singer’s life see that I am willing to compromise and bend in order to help the child, they usually are more open and willing to do the same so that the child remains in choir. Over the course of your career as an educator, how have your methods for recruiting and retaining students changed? What have you done to become more effective? 22 Choral Director, November 2010
Roy Dahlinger: I don’t know if my methods have changed so much, but they certainly have become more thorough and inclusive. With all of the new requirements piled into the public education field, it is imperative that we
If I feel that a child has potential to be a positive leader attitudewise or is willing to learn or that they possess raw vocal qualities that will be of benefit to the group, I will go out of my way to encour-
“A great musical experience is a better recruiting tool than a pizza party every time.” as choral directors stay informed and active to make sure our programs are vital to the students, school, and the community. Mark Rohwer: I used to do more specific “recruiting concerts.” Now I just do cool concerts, and make sure that we have elementary and/or middle school groups over as often as we can. I think the incoming kids want a place to call “home,” and we work to make choir that place. Cynthia DesRosier: I think I have become more personal, and I have also come to the conclusion that quality breeds quantity. When students in the school see that chorus is not just a “sing-along” time, that high expectations and standards are part of the package, and that students can lose the privilege of being a member if they do not uphold those standards, then it becomes more special. I have both general and auditioned choirs, and many students set a goal of becoming a member of those auditioned groups before they move on to high school.
When I first began teaching, I would take it as a personal insult when a child informed me that they wanted to “quit chorus,” and would try to force them to stay. I don’t anymore. If a child approaches me and says that they no longer want to be involved, I always ask why, and then respond based on their answer. Sometimes they are simply overwhelmed with the new expectations and subject matter of the grade level they have just entered. Sometimes it is a group of friends who have made a negative comment, or a family situation that is stressing them out. Other times, they just don’t want to put in the effort.
age and help them to stay, but I have stopped trying to force children to remain in chorus. If they really don’t want to be there, their negativity can be infectious, and I don’t want it to spread. Sometimes, they just need a year off, and request to join during a subsequent year after they have grown up a bit. If they do, and I feel that they are ready to be a positive asset to the group, I will accept them “on probation” in one of my general choirs, but they have to be a member in good standing to audition for one of the select groups. I feel that when the children see me taking more care and being more selective, in terms of both attitude as well as talent, about who can be in chorus, they become more committed to the team. Marshall Butler, Jr.: My methods really haven’t changed – again, “students don’t care how much you know unless they know how much you care!” Additional thoughts on recruitment and retention? Roy Dahlinger: It’s certainly not as easy as the famous line from Field of Dreams – “…If you build it, they will come.” You must establish a foundation of quality so that others will be drawn to you and your program. Retention will become easier when student realize they are producing something of quality that others admire and respect. Mark Rohwer: You can’t ever let up. You always have to be looking at next year’s numbers, and how you’re going to fill your program. There isn’t a recruiting “season”; it happens all year long.
CDTechnology: Assessment Software
Importing Files into Assessment Software BY JOHN KUZMICH, JR.
I
recently received an e-mail from Dan Franke, the principal of a private school in Audrey, Texas. Mr. Franke was requesting information on how to find software with which he could import music notation and audio files into an application for comprehensive as-
sessments of his son’s daily practice. He explains, “My young son, 11, is mastering piano using the Soft Way to Mozart. It will import songs in the future, but it doesn’t now. It uses MIDI, gives instant feedback, and is like a game to teach musical reading and piano. I have come across Heavenly Harmony, a game to teach a couple of songs where an individual sings the high harmony and gets instant feedback of pitch recognition, but I cannot import other songs or sing the other parts.”
This request challenged me to find solutions for music educators. The obvious choice is to recommend SmartMusic, because its assessment accompaniments answer Dan Franke’s needs by allowing him to create assessable music for his son and other students. SmartMusic’s repertoire of 30,000 songs is impressive, but music educators also need to be able to customize the song catalog. Another solution, converting Finale scores into SmartMusic, is great, but not all music educators and private music studio teachers are advanced Finale users. After some of analysis of software applications, it became obvious that Sibelius, Encore, CuBase and other notation/sequencing software with Choral Director, November 2010 23
Music XML file-exporting capabilities can import nicely into SmartMusic. But music scanning techniques may be the fastest way to create a score from scratch with high accuracy. And as for working with a nearly limitless audio library, there are several applications that convert audio files to MIDI files. The SmartMusic customization process does require some access to Finale for those who want to create their own accompaniments. While SmartMusic’s low price is attractive, as are its powerful assessment capabilities, not everyone has experience using Finale. But the initial arrangements can be created in a variety of ways outside of Finale and then simply saved as SmartMusic accompaniments within Finale. In this process, the only element of Finale that needs to be used is its file conversion from the widely available Music XML file type into SmartMusic’s proprietary SMP file format. It’s incredibly fulfilling to produce customized assessment files for your students’ specific practice needs, with which they can record, assess, and share their results. SmartMusic assessment files can work wonders for: • Adjudicated contests • Uniform grading • Special curriculum needs • Fast and simple seating auditions • Marching bands competitions • All-State auditions • Honor band auditions • Solo and ensemble contests, especially at the high school level While Finale is required to create assessable SmartMusic accompani-
24 Choral Director, November 2010
ments, there are alternatives to simply creating the music in Finale. You could scan exiting sheet music, or generate music using any program that can create MusicXML or MIDI files. Scanning printed music using PhotoScore, SmartScore or SmartScore Lite (included with Finale) can be an accurate and productive way to enter music. Or, music notation scores from Sibelius, Encore or other programs can be saved and exported as Music XML or MIDI files, which can then be opened in Finale. Upon opening these files in Finale, the music can be easily saved as a SmartMusic accompaniment file for practice and assessment that can be used anywhere, anytime. Once opened in SmartMusic, the SmartMusic accompaniments (SMP files) can be used by both instrumental and voice students to practice with accompaniment and assessment of both pitches and rhythms.
Case Studies
I contacted several teachers who are successfully creating customized assessment repertory in SmartMusic. They were happy to share their methods, along with a few tips on how to best use them.
Tom Zimmerman
Tom Zimmerman teaches music in grades 5-12 at Columbus Catholic School in Marshfield, Wisconsin. He notes, “While I am still in a learning curve of how best to utilize the combination of Finale, SmartMusic, and others for the betterment of the Columbus music students, I will state that the more I learn, the more I understand and appreciate the educational value of these programs for both the students and for myself.” Zimmerman advises that anyone interested in this software first take a course in how to use it. His program uses customized SmartMusic files with the following: • Writing out the difficult rhythms of a composition on a single line, and then having the whole band learn them through counting, clapping, and so forth. This is done with the full band via overhead projector, in small groups, and in lessons.
• Similarly working with the melodic, harmonic themes, as well as any counterpoint, pedal-point, and other compositional devices. He says, “With the ease of Finale able to transpose keys, it is easy for everyone to learn all the parts of the music and not just their own parts. As you may guess, this really opens up the ears.” • Using Finale and SmartMusic with jazz improvisation, with written out chord sequences, modes, et cetera. “Most of the students really take well to this method of learning,” asserts Zimmerman. “They have grown up with computers and expect to use them with everything. To many, the challenge of seeing how many ‘right’ notes and rhythms they achieve is a very good challenge. We have found that the brasses have improved with partials as they now hear the correct notes as they play. Some of the more aggressive students will move ahead on their own and see the other items SmartMusic has to offer. There are, of course, some students who prefer to learn the ‘old fashioned’ way – and that is fine, too. My goal is to have them play their best music regardless of the road they take.”
Phil Gray
Phil Gray is a K-6 music and brass teacher in Cold Spring Harbor School District in Huntington, New York. He uses SmartMusic and Finale in two elementary schools. “First, let me tell you about our SmartMusic journey.” Phil says. “I am the SmartMusic coordinator in our district and we are going into our second full year of providing SmartMusic and microphones to all of our fifth, sixth, and seventh grade music students. The music educators in our two elementary schools utilize the SmartMusic program in creative ways: we have scanned music from our file cabinets into Finale and made assignments for students to practice along with; we have also scanned parts into Finale that have been rearranged by the teachers to fit our instrumentation. Having the ability to send a SmartMusic file with an accompaniment to our young students has been an invaluable part of our teaching.” Phil continues, “The impact of having SmartMusic along with the ability to
scan any piece of music into Finale has been tremendous in our district.” With the students having the capability of instant assessment: • Students gain valuable feedback for how to solve problems. • Parents get involved in the learning process of the young musicians. • Students have more fun practicing at home with the added accompaniments. • Teachers are able to accurately measure the progress of students’ athome practice time. And the results have been noticed beyond the music room. “The district’s superintendent came up to me in the last two weeks of school last year and said that SmartMusic was working as evidenced in our concerts throughout the year,” says Gray. “Due to this, the district passed our budget and I put another order in for 350 SmartMusic licenses for next school year.”
Phil deRosier
Phil deRosier is the band director at Salk Middle School in Elk River, Minnesota. Phil explains, “I have used SmartScore 5 to scan the ensembles that my entire 6th grade band performs in the spring as part of our Solos and Ensembles Night. I scan the ensemble music into Finale using SmartScore. I find that I get about 98 percent accuracy with the scan, and it doesn’t take very long to clean up the rest of the score using Musitek’s built-in software. It usually takes a half-hour to scan and clean a trio of about 36 measures. From there, I import it directly into Finale. There’s a pretty natural interface for doing this. Once I have it in Finale, the rest of the job is a snap because Finale has really streamlined the process of creating SmartMusic assignments. Then I simply make my part assignments for the kids through SmartMusic and I’m done. I can then use SmartMusic Impact to track and grade my students’ progress.” Phil deRosier has been doing this for five years and has found that the increasing compatibil-
ity between Finale and SmartMusic has made his job easier. “The kids really value having this music at home to practice, and they have told me so,” he states. “When I give the students their self evaluation after the Ensemble Night, many students say that it was the single most important part of their preparation for the event.” National teaching standards and state and district assessment tests have held teachers accountable for the quality of instruction, based on how well their students learn. Consequently, with the decline of student enrollment and school budgets, music educators can be pressed to validate the excellence of their instruction with accurate documentations beyond aural recordings. Unfortunately, many administrators are driven by numbers. Therefore, music performance-oriented teachers cannot be exempted from the rigors of assessment, even though this often intensifies responsibilities and increases the time commitment beyond classroom rehearsals. SmartMusic is the most complete assessment package that works seamlessly between the classroom and home practice providing data assessment and of students’ music performances without undue burden. Three significant technological improvements make it easier for music educators to create and customize SmartMusic accompaniments. First, significant improvements in scanning programs have made score entry a quicker way to create a score for import into Finale to convert to SmartMusic accompaniment files. Second, Music XML has become a powerful conversion tool for importing notation and some sequencing data files into Finale. Notes, rhythms, time and key signatures along with music nuances like text, lyrics, dynamics, articulations and chord symbols are more accurate. And last but not the least, Finale 2011 converts scores to SmartMusic easier than ever before, making it possible for even the most novice Finale users to easily produce SmartMusic accompaniments. So feel free to create and edit with your own favorite software application, including Sibelius, Encore, or over 80 other programs.
Don Ed Long of Independence, Missouri summarizes his success with SmartMusic’s assessment capabilities like this: “SmartMusic’s integrated Grade Book is helping music educators make the most of assessments. Not only do student musicians have the option of performing assessments at school or at home, but all of the data collected is accessible online by the director, the students, parents, or school administrators.” This creates an unparalleled use of technology to administer assessments and track data, which is an essential facet of today’s education scene.
BY JOHN KUZMICH, JR.
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:ME-certified 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.
Choral Director, November 2010 25
CDRepertoire Forum: Folk Songs
New Releases, 3 of 5
Folk Songs from around the World BY DREW COLLINS
TREBLE (EASY) Arlequin Dans Sa Boutique (French, arr. E. Rentz & S. Byrnes) – Carl Fischer
T
his is the third of five issues featuring new releases. This month, I highlight arrangements of folk songs from around the world. Many of these selections lend themselves to units of study in the classroom or in collaboration with other disciplines, and address the National Standard, “Understanding music in relation to history and culture.” Countries represented here include Canada, France, Ghana, Korea, Latvia, Moravia (Czech Republic), Thailand, and each of the British isles. My next column will focus on the musical heritage of the United States. 26 Choral Director, November 2010
This French folk song has been scored for two-part treble voices with piano and optional percussion. It tells the story of a toyshop owner teaching music “to all his little helpers.” The language is French, and there is very little of it to learn. A singable English translation is provided in the music as a second line of text. Later in the piece, the language is exclusively English. The optional percussion parts (finger cymbal, triangle, guiro, vibra-slap and wood block) help put the listener in the toyshop: they are fun, and will dress up your performance of this charming work. The percussion parts are simple ostinatos playable by the singers. The score is replete with teaching tools. Dr. Rentz has excerpted some of these as rehearsal suggestions, which are included in the inside front cover. Visit www. CarlFischer.com to view the entire score and hear a beginning-to-end recording. Also on this site, find and download the following mp3s for free: part-predominant, accompaniment, and French pronunciation.
Ej, Lásko, Lásko (Moravian, arr. L. Cerny) – Colla Voce For SA voices with alto recorder, cello and piano. This score is part of the excellent Ruth Dwyer Choral Series, which is a terrific series for developing choirs. While suitable for the elementary choir, it may be attractive to older treble choirs as well. The minor melody is haunting, and perfectly fits the sentiment of the text: “Love, you are not stable, flowing like a stream, gone in an instant.” Arranger Cerny is himself Czech, lending special weight – in terms of authenticity – to this arrangement. The publisher does not provide a recording online, but a homemade YouTube video of a terrific performance is available.
Piping Tim of Galway (Irish, arr. K. Loftis) – Pavane This upbeat score is part of the Judith Herrington Choral Series. It is scored for two-part chorus and piano, and includes a very brief optional descant at the end. The tune tells the story of an especially musical man who pipes day and night. The singers get to imitate the pipe on nonsense syllables with bouncing thirds and cascading scalar passages. The arrangement is fun to sing, interesting to hear, and full of teaching tools. The melody features some leaps that will require some special coaching in order for the top note to be in tune and sound good. Visit www.PavanePublishing.com for a free score sample and beginning-toend recording. Also strongly recommended: • “Come Out To Play,” an English street cry arranged by Douglas Beam. Another selection in Ruth Dwyer’s series published by Colla Voce.
TREBLE (MEDIUM & ADVANCED) I Have a Bonnet (Irish, arr. G. Craig) – Cypress A charming setting of a littleknown tune, either from Ireland or
Scotland. Scored for SSA chorus unaccompanied, the words make this especially suitable for an all-girl chorus (“I have a bonnet trimmed with blue. Do you wear it? Yes, I do. // I will wear it when I can, going to the ball with my young man.”). Note that each of the three voice parts divides, albeit briefly. The piece is only 63 measures long and lasts not much longer than a minute, but it certainly is a fun minute! Light, fun, charming, and slightly sassy. The arranger captures the polka feel mentioned in the second verse in the musical setting, giving the piece a jaunty momentum that is infectious. This would sound good if done by your whole chorus, but would also work nicely if sung by six-12 singers in a small ensemble. A recording and score sample are available on the publisher’s website.
Oh, Whistle (Scottish, arr. N. Grundahl) – Hal Leonard A selection in the Henry Leck Choral Series for SSA and piano. Mack Wilberg fans will remember his excellent arrangement of this tune for mixed chorus from some years back. Hearing Grundahl’s fresh take sung by all-female chorus, however, gives a fresh hearing to Robert Burns’ poem. As with “I Have a Bonnet” (above), the subject matter makes these words ideal for a female chorus, though mixed children’s choirs would certainly enjoy it as well. A sort of “Scottish Romeo & Juliet” story is told in this delightful arrangement. Explore with your singers the drama of Burns’ poem, treating the score almost like the script of a play. Each voice part gets to sing the melody, and the singers get to imitate bagpipes as well as whistle. Hear a snippet and see sample pages at www.HalLeonard.com. Also strongly recommended: • “Jai Bhavani,” an Indian selection for SA choir and percus-
sion arranged by Ethan Sperry. Published by earthsongs. Score sample and audio snippet available at the publisher’s website.
MALE CHORUS A Full Sheet and a Flowing Sea (Sea Shanty, arr. G. Parks) – BriLee For younger singers, this English sea shanty is arranged for TB and piano. An optional middle part is added from time to time for groups who are ready to start singing in three parts. The score features a simple meter change for the ‘B’ section, which helps illustrate the homesick sailor spoken of in the second verse. Visit www.BriLeeMusic.com to view the entire score, hear a beginning-toend recording, and download partpredominant mp3’s.
Arirang (Korean, arr. K. Berg) – Carl Fischer Scored for TTB voices and two percussionists. There is no keyboard accompaniment, the voice parts require a certain amount of singer independence, there are two key changes, and the language is Korean; all of this points to the need for a slightly more advanced ensemble. However, if your group is wells suited to this piece, it is not to be missed. Berg’s arrangement captures perfectly the style of the folk melody, illustrating Arirang mountain, the journey, and the starry night spoken of in the text. The “cymbals” part may be played by a suspended cymbal played lightly with a metal beater, finger Choral Director, November 2010
27
download part-predominant and accompaniment mp3’s. See later in this article a new mixed arrangement of this same melody. Also strongly recommended: • “It Chanced When I Was Walking,â€? an Irish folk song arranged by Bruce Trinkley. Published by Carl Fischer.
MIXED (CHANGING VOICES & SMALLER CHOIRS) The Ash Grove (Welsh, arr. L. Spevacek) – Heritage
cymbals, or low-pitched triangle. The part marked “pitched wooden� may be played by xylophone, marimba, or Orff instruments. A singable transliteration is provided as a
second line to aid in pronunciation. Translation and cultural context are provided. Visit www.CarlFischer. com to view the entire score, hear a beginning-to-end recording, and
This familiar tune is scored for three-part mixed (with optional baritone) and piano. The optional baritone part allows you to tailor the score to fit the personnel of your particular choir. An SATB voicing is also available and fits perfectly with the three-
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part mixed version, thus making a collaboration between your middle school and high school choirs easy, if desired. Visit www.Lorenz.com for a free score sample and beginning-to-end recording. Performance/ accompaniment CD is available for purchase.
The True Lover’s Farewell (English, arr. R. Unterseher) – Walton This is a well known English folk tune without an easily available standard choral arrangement. Unterseher’s is very nice, featuring a sensitive piano part and flexible voicing. The voicing is SA(T)B. When the optional tenor part sings, it doubles the soprano in octaves. This octave doubling not only facilitates choirs with varying numbers between sections, but also results in an other-worldly effect that perfectly captures what the publisher aptly calls the “heartfelt dialog between a young couple in a moment of farewell.” Hear a full-length recorded performance at www.WaltonMusic. com, and see score samples at www. HalLeonard.com.
MIXED (MEDIUM & ADVANCED) Verduron (French-Canadian, arr. R. Haldeman) – Walton Many French-Canadian folk songs feature a rhythmic momentum and catchy melody (recall, for example, the arrangements of Donald Patriquin published by earthsongs). Haldeman’s arrangement has both of these attributes. This is a very fun arrangement: the minor melody is relentless and fun, the singers are called to use body percussion (such as claps and hand-dusting), and the piano part ranges from understated to driving to jazzy. Dynamic contrast, brief unaccompanied moments, and dramatic tension between females and males lead to a dramatic finish. The French text is repetitive and easy to learn. Hear a full-length recorded performance at www.WaltonMusic. com, and see score samples at www. HalLeonard.com.
Arirang (Korean, arr. G. Cochran) – pub. ECS I reviewed Ken Berg’s arrangement of this same tune for TTB chorus above. Grant Cochran’s arrangement for mixed voices is equally stunning, but takes a different approach. This arrangement, of medium difficulty, requires a lovely lyric soprano soloist for much of the piece. The overall “audience effect” may best be described as atmospheric. Cochran is a talented arranger (investigate his superb “What Child Is This”, also published by ECS), and he has crafted a fantastic setting of this popular Korean tune. The main challenge here would seem to be intonation: there are several precarious melodic intervals (for example, downward leaps to ‘re’), and a few moments where the basses have descending parallel fifths. Score and recording are available on the publisher’s Web site, though they can be difficult to locate there. Also strongly recommended: • “Sarkandaila roze auga” translates as “The Beautiful Red Rose.” It is a Latvian folk song arranged by Andrejs Jansons for SATB and published by Earthsongs. Absolutely beautiful. • “Lao Duang Deuan” is a Thai folk song arranged by K. Tantrarungroj for SATB choir and published by Earthsongs. Some YouTube videos of this arrangement are available. Delicate and engaging.
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• “Stan’ Still Jordan” combines an African American spiritual and the Ghanian folksong Egbe nukpowo. It is arranged for SATB div. and percussion by Thomas Lloyd and published by Alliance. Score and audio samples available on the publisher’s website.
Forum editor Drew Collins is on the faculty of Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio) where he conducts choral ensembles and teaches music education courses. He is active as a festival conductor, author, and composer. Contact him directly at drew@drewcollins.com.
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