2015-2016 Georgia Music News | Spring

GeorgIa music news AROUND THE STATE

2017-2019 PRESIDENT

DIVISION NEWS

20 Years...

Cecil Wilder

In-Service Conference Recap

Sessions - Performances - Candids - General Session

Assessment in Music Education Kinsey Edwards

AS Sw all-state

statewide

VOLUME 76 NUMBER 3 SPRING 2016

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THE GMEA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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IN THIS ISSUE...

04 Association News 12 Division News 21 In-Service Conference Recap 29 All-State Recap 52 Assessment in Music Education

President Dr. John Odom Immediate Past President Frank Folds Vice-President of All-State Events Tracy Wright Vice-President of Performance Evaluation Events Richard Prouty Past Presidents’ Representative Dr. Bernadette Scruggs Executive Director Cecil Wilder Band Division Chair Neil Ruby Choral Division Chair Wes Stoner

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College Division Chair Dr. Laura Stambaugh

2017-2019 President Evelyn Champion

Elementary Division Chair Vicky Knowles

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Orchestra Division Chair Sarah Black

Around the State

Piano Division Chair Dr. Joanna Kim

18 Dr. Andy Poor selected as Forsyth County Teacher of the Year 19 The Walker School at Carnegie Hall

District Chairs 1 - Kenza Murray 2 - Andrew C. Bell 3 - Jonathan Carmack 4 - D. Alan Fowler 5 - Carolyn Landreau 6 - Samuel Miller 7 - Bob Steelnack 8 - Steve Myers 9 - Pat Gallagher 10 - Gene Hundley 11 - C. Lloyd McDonald 12 - Paula Krupiczewicz 13 - Lee Newman 14 - Dion Muldrow

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2016 ISC Conference Recap

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All-State Conductors

30 All-State Band 36 All-State Chorus 42 All-State Orchestra 48 Statewide Elementary 50 Sixth Grade Statewide

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Amy Clement and Paige Dobbins

Editor, Georgia Music News Victoria Enloe For the complete list of Board Members please visit:

GMEA Staff Aleta Womack Brandie Barbee Ryan Barbee GMN Advertising/Exhibitors Cindy Reed © Copyright 2016 by the Georgia Music Educators Association Printing by Priority Press, Stockbridge, GA All pieces reproduced in this issue are under prior copyright of the creators and publisher by the contractual arrangements.

Nothing shown may be reproduced in any form without obtaining the permission of the publisher and any other person or company who may have copyright ownership.

Photos provided by Andy Edwards of Ace of Photos Visit aceofphotos.smugmug.com

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Division Chairs Division chairs recap the In-Service Conference and this school year’s All-State events.

(Page 12)

The Districts Read up on all that’s going on around the state. (Page 18)

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FEATURED CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kinsey Edwards Assessment in Music Education: Showing Growth, Not Advocacy (Page 52)

-ADVERTISER INDEXBERRY COLLEGE 28

EPN TRAVEL 20

Dorothy Musselwhite Student Growth Assessment in Georgia: Implementing Student Learning Objectives in the Music Classroom (Page 58)

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY 7

GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY OUTSIDE BACK COVER

GEORGIA TECH 15

LEE UNIVERSITY 17

Cecil Wilder The GMEA Executive Director shares his perspective after serving twenty years in his position. (Page 62)

PIEDMONT COLLEGE 68

PRIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS 26

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA 27 & 65

UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA 11

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YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE 64

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ASSOCIATION NEWS THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS DR. JOHN ODOM, GMEA PRESIDENT

It seems every year that, as soon as we return to school in January, we all begin to “throttle up” as we anticipate the many GMEA events that are made available to us to help enrich the experiences of all our students, as well as our own experiences as music educators. Now as “Spring has sprung,” we look back, lift a collective sigh, and reflect on all those events: Our Inaugural In-Service Conference in Athens, District Honor ensembles, All-State events, and our 2016 Large Group Performance Evaluations.

Our 2016 In-Service Conference in Athens saw a myriad of offerings to help us continue to grow as music educators and add to our “toolbox” of skills as we look to bringing our students the most valuable and memorable experiences possible. Being our first year in Athens, there were certainly some “growing pains” and areas that need tweaking as we look ahead, but, overall, the conference was a resounding success!

As I visited session after session, I saw many rooms packed with people learning, experiencing and gaining knowledge on so many interesting and worthwhile subjects and areas of interest. Our performing groups were outstanding as hundreds of our students from all over the state were showcased in every area of performance. A hearty “Thank You” goes out to those who made all this, and more, possible: our amazing division chairs, our wonderful office staff, and our executive director.

Countless hours of planning and preparation by these people made our conference a successful event that sent our membership back home inspired and equipped with more tools with which to motivate and guide our students across the state.

Beyond our conference, all of our all-state events saw outstanding performances by many amazing ensembles. As I sat back stage, guest conductor after guest conductor commented on the quality of Georgia’s all-state groups and several said, “you can invite me back to Georgia anytime!” Thank you to all of our all-state organizers and the many volunteers who made the 2016 All-State events so wonderfully successful. Our LGPE events spanned a number of weeks, and we want to thank all of the local district organizers and hosts who made each LGPE event run smoothly, offering our membership and our students a rewarding musical experience.

I want to encourage each of you to attend your spring district meetings. I realize that some of you will be having spring concerts and performances on your district’s meeting date, but, if not, please make sure you are there to be a part of the planning process. This is your opportunity to get up to date information on GMEA news and policies

and have a voice in the setting of dates, venues, and district guidelines.

Since our last publication, the US Congress has passed the “Every Student Succeeds Act” (ESSA). This legislation replaces “No Child Left Behind.” In this legislation, music is listed as a stand-alone subject and an integral part of what the language of the bill consistently refers to as a “well-rounded education.” This brings the teaching of music to a long-deserved elevated status and a new layer of responsibility for us as music educators. Please take time to visit the NAfME website to familiarize yourself with how this legislation impacts you in your local situation: http://www.nafme.org/wp-content/files/2015/11/ESSA-Implementation-and-Music-Education-Opportunities-Abound-FINAL.pdf.

As you come to your final performances and activities, I wish for each of you a wonderful remainder of the school year. It is an honor to serve so many amazing music educators in this state and to see, time after time, your hard work and dedication come to fruition through the lives of your students. Please do not to hesitate to contact me or any member of the executive committee with questions or concerns as we continue to serve you and our students in the ongoing mission to promote the advancement of music education in Georgia!

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CECIL WILDER, GMEA

On December 3-4, GMEA exhibited at the conference of the Georgia School Boards Association and Georgia School Superintendents Association. As part of our presence at the conference, we sponsored 24 performances by small elementary, middle school and high school vocal and instrumental ensembles from around the state in the exhibit hall. The performances were extremely well received by the conference attendees and the students all had a great experience. One of the groups performing was the Centennial High School String Quintet. They are pictured here along with Ms. Julia Bernath, a Fulton County School Board member. Ms. Bernath is also a member of the GMEA Board of Directors, representing the Georgia School Boards Association.

The newly opened UGA Georgia Center for Continuing Education (GCCE) agreed to handle the coordination of the joint events.

GCCE would collect the registration fees and rent out exhibitor space in return for providing the facilities and scheduling of all the events.

The event went well and the GCCE’s handling of the event was very professional.

GMEA was well-represented at the GSBA conference

HISTORIAN DERIK CLACKUM, GMEA HISTORIAN

THE REST OF THE STORY As I mentioned in my last GMN Historian article, during the late 50’s and early 60’s, GMEA decided to pull away from our parent organization, the Georgia Education Association (GEA). One of our biggest steps towards gaining our independence was to control when and where our annual state professional meeting would be held.

While changing the date and the site of our convention (now called In-Service Conference, or ISC) was an excellent professional step toward independence. Financially, it was very difficult for us.

From it’s inception, our In-Service was held as a part of the GEA Convention, which was held annually in Atlanta. During the month of March, the GEA Convention date was a statewide school holiday. Since we were under the GEA umbrella, they covered our expenses. And, as far as facilities went, we were meeting in Atlanta Public School buildings, like Grady High School.

During our years with GEA, we combined our GMEA In-Service with our All-State event. One or more of our All-State groups normally performed on the GEA program. Sharing facilities and combining events with GEA helped make our ISC meetings and All State event low expense affairs, but, placed limitations on our ability to expand our professional education opportunities, and after all, that was the purpose of having an In-Service Conference.

As we moved toward making a total break with the GEA, we decided to detach our In-Service Conference from the All-State Groups. Chaperoning students to and from meals and rehearsals left little time for many directors to attend the clinics that provided professional growth, and the All State groups had grown to the point that they needed their own venue.

With the 1963 election of Dr. Jerry Newman, UGA Director of Music Education, as our GMEA President, Athens became an obvious possible site for our first totally independent In-Service Conference. Dr. Newman had the idea of combining the GMEA In-Service with the already established UGA/GMEA Reading Clinic, held annually in Athens. The purpose of the Reading Clinic was to select new music to be added to the required music list for festivals (now called Large Group Performance Evaluations). The Reading Clinic was always held during the first weekend of December. Dr. Newman’s idea was that combining the two events would lessen the financial impact

At the end of our first Athens In-Service, however, expenses were higher than receipts. Since the In-Service fees didn’t pay all the expenses, the GMEA Board had to come up with additional funds to pay the final bill for their services. GMEA just managed to cover the extra expenses for the first year. But as I mentioned in my previous GMN article (Third Time is a Charm), at the end of the next ISC, the GMEA bill was $1,200 and the GMEA Treasury only contained $1,000.

Fortunately for us, our long time treasurer, Maggie Jenkins (affectionately known as Miss Maggie), provided us with a timely solution. Shortly after her retirement from Georgia College for Women (now Georgia College and State University), Miss Maggie retired as GMEA Treasurer after over a decade of service to GMEA. About the time we were trying to figure out how to pay the GCCE bill, Miss Maggie found an envelope of uncashed membership checks as she cleaned out her work desk. Unbelievably, even though many of the checks were well over 6 months old, they still cashed and we were covered for the $200 ISC overrun. The good news was that we paid our bill. The bad news was that we were nearly broke.

When Boyd McKeown was elected GMEA president in 1965, he had to deal with this issue as well as several other financial challenges that were plaguing our newly independent GMEA. Fortunately, I was able to interview Boyd recently and get some insight into the financial situation we faced and how we moved forward. The immediate challenge with which Boyd had to wrestle was how to make the In-Service Conference more profitable, so that we could not only pay our bills, but expand our professional offerings.

In our interview, Boyd told me that in the summer of 1966, he traveled to Chicago to participate in the Conference of State Music Education Association Presidents, sponsored by MENC (now NAfME). At the conference, the state MEA presidents discussed a number of topics presenting challenges to their state associations. One of these challenges was financing their state in-service meetings.

During the discussions, the president of the Minnesota Educators Association mentioned that his state’s in-service conference made money after all the expenses were paid. This got Boyd’s attention and he asked for more details. The MEA president laid out their plan.

Their association leased the meeting and performance facilities, plus the area for exhibitors. And the association collected all membership fees and convention fees from those participating, as well as collecting the fees from the exhibitor spaces. The association officers set up the convention schedule and ran all the events, thus not having to pay for event staff. Boyd really liked what he heard and continued to dig out the details, thinking all the while how he could apply them to the next GMEA In-Service Conference.

As it turns out, our next ISC, however, was to be a joint venture with the SMENC Convention, to be held in Atlanta in April, and the program was dominated by SMENC events. On the positive side, the joint GMEA/SMENC meeting created a lot of enthusiasm among our membership, as they saw what a great experience the ISC could be.

That interest continued on into the next year. We applied the Minnesota plan to our next stand alone GMEA ISC, and it worked as Boyd had hoped, both professionally and financially.

Putting the ISC on strong financial footing also allowed Boyd to turn his attention to some of the other challenges our growing organization was experiencing. I’ll delve into how we solved those challenges in our next issue.

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on GMEA and increase the overall participation in both events. The concept was simple but like all new ventures, there were some challenges to overcome.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

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REMEMBERING OUR MEMBERS FRANK BUTENSCHON

Frank Butenschon, III, 77, of Lake Park, Georgia, died at his home on December 25, 2015, after a courageous battle with cancer.

He was born in Opelika, AL, on January 4, 1938 to the late Frank, Jr. and Carrie Trammell Butenschon. An Auburn University graduate, Mr. Butenschon first came to Valdosta in 1960 as band director at Valdosta Jr. High School. In 1962, he was given the job of Coordinator of Instrumental Music for the Valdosta City Schools.

From then until 1977, “Mr. B” led the Valdosta High music program into national prominence.

Under Mr. B’s direction, the Valdosta High School Marchin’ Cats performed at every local and state championship football game. This group grew to over 400 members, who regularly won nationally ranked contests. The Marchin’ Cats also performed during the Inauguration of Governor Jimmy Carter.

During his 15 year career as director of the Valdosta High School Band Program, the Marchin’ Cats competed and won the 1967 National Cherry Blossom Parade of Princesses Competition in Washington, D.C., won the Greatest Band In Dixie Grand Championship in New Orleans in 1969 and 1972, won the 1972 Winternationals Field Competition and then performed a televised halftime show for the Miami Dolphins as representatives of the State of Georgia, won the 1974 and 1977 National Field Championships at the Festival of States in St. Petersburg, Florida, and were named Field Champions at the Largo Invitational in Largo, Florida.

The concert and symphonic bands and the jazz ensemble never received less than a superior rating during graded competitions. The jazz ensemble was selected twice to perform at the GMEA In-Service Conference.

In 1970, February 5 was proclaimed, “Frank Butenschon Day,” in Valdosta and Lowndes County, and in 1969, 1970, 1972, and 1974, Mr. Butenschon and the Marchin’ Cats received proclamations from the Georgia House of Representatives for Outstanding Talents and Achievements. He was the first Georgia recipient of the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence and was named Outstanding Young Educator of Valdosta and Lowndes County in 1970. In 1993, he

received the “Outstanding Music Educator” Southeastern United States award, at the Southeastern United States Band Convention.

In 2006, he was inducted into the National Band Directors Hall of Fame, and in 2008 was named Director Emeritus of the Valdosta High School Band.

In 2014, during a reunion of Valdosta High School Marchin’ Cats, Mr. B received a Proclamation from State Representative Tim Golden which commemorated his career of excellence in education and music and was also awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from Troy State University for his career of service in musical education. In 2015, Mr. B was honored by the Georgia Music Educators Association at their annual convention for his outstanding contribution to Music Education in Georgia.

Mr. Butenschon initiated and chaired the creation of the Southern Open Band Competition, held annually in Valdosta, which has attracted bands from around Georgia. In 2015, Mr. B helped to create Azalea Winds, which he referred as a “classic community band”, composed of current and former band students as well as others in the community who had musical experience. Mr. B co-conducted his final performance with the group in late November.

Mr. Butenschon’s career in music education did not end in 1977 when he left Valdosta City Schools. In 1978, Mr. B joined the staff at Rutland’s Music in Valdosta as Vice President of Instrument Sales and Service. In 1979, he became high school band director in Oxford, Alabama, and in 1982, he became director of bands for Guntersville, Alabama, school system. Over the next seven years, Mr. B also took the Guntersville High School Band to prominence at the national competition level. In 1989, the City of Vidalia brought in Mr. B to run their high school band program and, in 1992, the Butenschon family moved back to Lowndes County. Mr. B. continued his career as an educator, working with the band programs in Berrien and Cook counties and as a popular clinician and source of support for regional band programs. In 1997, the Butenschons began their own fund-raising and band consulting business, B & L Enterprises, which is still in operation to this day.

Mr. Butenschon’s professional affiliations included Georgia Educators Association, Georgia Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, National Band Association, Phi Mu Alpha, Phi Kappa Psi, and Phi Beta Mu. Mr. Butenschon is survived by his wife of 51 years, Susan Stembridge Butenschon of Lake Park; son and daughter-in-law, Kevin Tod and Kendra Butenschon of Hahira; his son, Chris Dodd Butenschon of Lake Park; five grandchildren, Taylor Strickland (Brent), Kari Butenschon, Tiffany Butenschon, Hannah Butenschon, Tod Butenschon; brother and sister-in-law, Walter and Joan Stembridge; and sister-in-law, Carole Ausum. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his eldest son, Frank “Skip” Butenschon IV; and his father and mother-in-law, Walter and Lynette Stembridge.

SEE YOUR

DISTRICT NEWS PAGE 18

JOHN THOMAS

During his 56 years of teaching, John served as band director for Ohatchee and Roanoke, AL, Lakeland, FL, and The Darlington School in Rome, GA. Most of his career, from 1959 through 1982, was spent teaching Band, Chorus, and History at Cedartown High School.

John was a founding member of the North West Georgia Winds, an adult community band based in Rome, GA. He had the distinction of never missing a performance of this group during the 29 years he was a member. John also was a founding member of

the 8th Regiment Civil War Band in Rome, the Rhythmaires Dance Band, and the Cedartown Community Band. He served for a time as musical director for the Cedartown Little Theatre and as a member of the Rome Symphony Orchestra. Active in the Cedartown community, John received many awards for service, including Citizen of the Year in 1979. He was also voted JSU Sinfonian of the Year in 2000.

As a band director, Mr. Thomas was innovative for his era, eschewing traditional field marches in favor of classical literature for his marching bands. His long reaching legacy includes instruction to over a thousand students, several of whom are still active performers.

In 2012, his former students and colleagues honored him with a celebratory concert at the Cedartown Civic Arts Center. Just prior to his death, his Facebook page, “Honoring Mr. Thomas,” garnered 900 members and scores of testimonies.

John married Sara Anne Winn, in 1963. They raised three sons, who all followed their dad’s example and became outstanding musicians in their own right.

Mr. Thomas was very active in the First United Methodist Church of Cedartown, where he and his wife sang in the Chancel Choir for more than fifty years. Even after his retirement, John continued to share his musical expertise with others. John will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and community.

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Lifelong musician and teacher, John Thomas passed away recently at his home in Cedartown, GA. Mr. Thomas was born in 1932 in Albertville, AL , where he learned to play trumpet from his dad and participated in the high school band.

John went on to enroll in Jacksonville State University and earned his B.S. in Music. He was a member and, eventually, chapter president of Epsilon Nu chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. John also earned his M.A. from Morehead State University and later, returned to JSU for his Educational Specialist degree.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

2017-2019

President

Evelyn Champion

Mrs. Evelyn Champion has been a member of the Georgia Music Educators Association since the early nineties and has served the organization in many capacities, including GMEA Vice-President from 2007 to 2009, followed by a two-year term as the Orchestra Division Chair from 2009 to 2011. As the Orchestra Division chair, she founded and organized the All College Orchestra and the Statewide Honor Orchestra, which eventually led to six All-State Orchestras. Mrs. Champion is the statewide organizer for the GMEA All-State Orchestras again this year, and also serves as a Certified Head Adjudicator for Large Group Performance Evaluation.

Mrs. Champion is the 2011 Georgia American String Teachers Association String Teacher of the Year and the 2012 Georgia Music Educators Association Music Educator of the Year. She is also a 2013 “Woodruff Arts Center Salutes Georgia Arts in Education Leaders� finalist for Music Education.

Mrs. Champion graduated Magna Cum Laude with High Honors from the University of Georgia in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education, and she holds her Master of Music Education and Education Specialist degrees from the University of Georgia, as well. Mrs. Champion taught at Daniell Middle School in Cobb County for nine years before transferring to Sprayberry High School in 2003, where she now serves as Orchestra Director.

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Mrs. Champion taught Advanced Placement Music Theory in the Georgia Virtual School for five years and for many years at Sprayberry.

A freelance violinist, she performs with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra and is the Co-director of the Encore Orchestra Camp. She lives in Marietta with her husband J. Champion, and sons David, Charlie, and Sam, ages 11, 8, and 4.

“quotes” I have worked with Evelyn for nearly 20 years. She is one of the most efficient, hard working individuals I have ever had the opportunity to work with. Her decisions always keep the students best interest in mind as well!

-Carl Rieke, Orchestra Director, Osborne Middle School

I had the privilege of knowing Evelyn from her first day of teaching at Daniell Middle School. I remember seeing a tall, skinny young woman getting out of a ‘Georgia red’ car in the parking lot. I thought to myself, ‘That is the new orchestra director!’ Evelyn was very dedicated to recruiting sixth grade orchestra students and quickly built the orchestra program. In those days, we had to teach ‘Literacy’ and she was given a gifted group. I remember her getting ideas from her mother for her literacy class. Evelyn was always so organized and could unbelievably multi-task. She is the queen of multi-tasking! She and I became very good friends and have remained so even when she moved to Sprayberry High School. She is truly one of the special people in my life and I am so proud that she is now the President-elect of GMEA.

-Billie SHOOK, MUSIC SPECIALIST, ADDISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL I had the opportunity representing district 12 as chair while Evelyn held many posts in the GMEA executive committee. I was impressed by her talent to state what is needed from GMEA in support for educators while also praising GMEA for all of their past efforts. See, Evelyn was/is always looking at the future of music education. Not just in her area, but the entire state of Georgia. She continues to push the boundaries of what music education should look like (public, private, homeschool/ virtual). All this while being a mom to 3 wonderful boys, a loving wife, and an active member of the church. Evelyn has done what many try to do- she does it all. And does it phenomenally!

-Kristin shinall runnion, MUSIC SPECIALIST, Dunleith Elementary School

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DIVISION NEWS BAND DIVISION Neil Ruby

Dear Colleagues,

I hope everyone is having a great 2nd semester and is ready for the final push to the end of the school year. The Band Division experienced great success this year in all of our events. The GMEA In-Service Conference, our first in Athens, was a huge success. The increased number of concerts and clinics were well attended and provided our attendees with a wide variety of choices. The addition of percussion and jazz clinics/concerts was also a welcomed addition to the conference. I want to thank you for coming out in large numbers to attend these sessions and supporting all of our clinicians and performing schools. The facilities in Athens were wonderful, and we have a strong foundation to build on for future conferences.

The All-State Band and Jazz Band weekends were also a tremendous success. The level of talent displayed by our students is simply amazing and the final concerts once again proved how much talent we have in our state. The clinicians were VERY impressed and complimentary of our All-State process. Students, directors, private lesson teachers, and families should all be congratulated for their combined efforts to help the students participate in these exceptional ensembles. Dr. Richard Floyd sent me an email after the AllState Band Concert and commented that, “Georgia continues to be a bright spot in the national band/music scene. Making music with these students was a total joy!” I believe we should always evaluate our audition processes and strive to make them better to give our students the best educational opportunities. There will always be areas needing improvement, but I think we can all agree that the All-State Band experience in Georgia is among the very best in the country.

I had the opportunity to travel all over the state this year working with and evaluating bands for the Large Group Evaluations. I continue to be amazed by the incredible teaching and learning that is taking place in our schools. Large Group Performance Evaluations are an important part of our music education, but in my opinion, it’s not just because of the final evaluation. I believe the journey getting to that performance is even more important.

For me, seeing the improvement made by students and the joy of taking the music from the initial sight reading day to the finished product at the concert is exciting and motivating.

The ever-changing world of education, with seemingly new testing and evaluation procedures taking place every year, has certainly made our jobs more strenuous. However, band directors have proven time and time again that when faced with a challenge, they will rise to the occasion and continue to strive to make music education an important role in the lives of our students. Steve Davis, one of our All-State Band conductors, spoke about the importance of music in our schools. The advantages of being involved in fine arts, especially in regard to higher test scores, are well documented. Despite this, he challenged us to not focus on that as the reason students should be involved in music. Our band students, because of their participation and love for music, are simply better people because of it. Music is such an integral part of society and our lives. Music is everywhere and is represented in just about everything we do. Music simply makes everything better. How do we make a movie better? Add music. How is a sporting event more exciting? With music. And how is church even more meaningful?

The music. Simply put, music makes our lives better and the gift of making music makes us all better people. Victor Hugo said, “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”

I hope the final weeks of the school year are positive and educationally rewarding for you and your students. I hope everyone can find time this summer to rest, spend time with family and friends, and recharge before another school year begins.

It is an honor to serve as your State Band Chair and I continue to feel blessed to have this opportunity. Thank you for all you do for GMEA, your students and community, and music education!

Sincerely, Neil Ruby, State Band Chair

Happy Spring! The choral division has had a wonderful and busy winter with a very successful In-Service Conference, a great Statewide 6th Grade Honor Chorus, and a truly inspiring All-State Chorus event. It never ceases to amaze me what our students are able to accomplish in choral music each year, and they’re able to do this because of the diligent work that you, the members of the choral division, are doing each day.

As we approach this final tilt toward the end of the semester with concerts, musicals, spring trips and tours, I challenge you to keep up the good work. I think it’s so important for us to step back and realize just how far our students have progressed in vocal development, musicianship, and artistry since August. I think, too, that we as conductor/teachers have to recognize our progression. In our data driven schools, let’s take that measurable data, showing the growth of our students, and use it to make next year even better. We owe it, not only to our students, but to ourselves, to continue growing and learning, and making our choral classrooms and programs places of rigorous and fun learning.

This year, many of our GMEA districts will vote to elect a district choral chair. I encourage you to get involved in this worthy organization. I have been blessed with the positions that I have held in leadership, and I hope that many of you will take advantage of these opportunities. Please attend your district’s spring planning meetings and be active participants in the choral activities within your district.

Thank you for entrusting me with this responsibility. I look forward to serving you again for the 2016-2017 school year and am excited about the wonderful things in store for the choral division!

COLLEGE DIVISION Dr. Laura Stambaugh I will use this issue’s column to share what I learned as part of a fine arts task force for the PSC. The task force was solicited in December 2015 for a January meeting in Atlanta at the PSC offices.

The purpose of the task force was to include P-12 educators, college/ university faculty, RESAs, and state agencies in reviewing the educator preparation rules in Fine Arts. Specifically, the music education rule number is 505-3-.50, and you can search for this on the PSC website. This rule lives under the ‘mother rule’ 505-3-.01. The content area rules come up for review on a rotating basis.

The task force met for one day in January. After meeting as a complete Fine Arts area (music, drama, dance, theatre), the content areas had break-out sessions to decide if a major revision was needed to their existing rule or if more targeted changes would be sufficient. About seven music professionals were on the music subcommittee, including three university faculty (Clayton State University, Georgia Southern University, and Georgia State University), as well as secondary band and choral teachers from the metro Atlanta area, and a county music supervisor. Each breakout session was facilitated by a staff member of the PSC. The music subcommittee did not believe a significant overhaul of the Music Education Preparation Rule was warranted. Instead, we identified three areas needing to be updated. First, language was added to encourage preparation programs to provide basic guitar competency (‘encourage’, not ‘require’). The rationale for this change was that the proliferation of guitar classes in many public schools requires music teachers who are capable of teaching beginning guitar. Second, language was added to encourage preparation programs to provide a basic understanding of how digital recording, sound engineering, and music production serve the field of music as a whole. The rationale for this addition was the changing nature of music making in contemporary society. Finally, the field experience/clinical practice requirement was made more specific, by designating some experiences in choral, instrumental, and general music. The rationale for this change was to make the field experience/clinical practice requirement more consistent with the all-inclusive Music P-12 certification.

The changes made at this meeting are part of a process to update the music education rule. What happens next, as I understand the process, is internal review by the PSC and a public comment period. When the comment period is open, I will email that information to all university faculty listed in OPUS. I encourage you to take part in this comment period, as 505-3-.5 Music Education Preparation Rule directly affects how your institution prepares future teachers.

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Wes Stoner

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CHORAL DIVISION

DIVISION NEWS

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ELEMENTARY DIVISION Victoria Knowles The Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference is a wrap! If you were not able to join us this January, please try to make plans to come next year! Athens was beautiful and the Classic Center was a gracious host. Our sessions were all well attended- it was great to see friends, old and new, learning, networking and collaborating.

The crowning moment of the conference was the two elementary concerts on Friday night. The Stevenson Area Elementary School Band presented a great concert to a packed house. These young men and women were very prepared and played so musically.

The second concert of the night was the outstanding Buford Academy Elementary Chorus. These students were also well prepared and presented a flawless concert to a full room. I am sure parents and directors, alike, are singing the praises of these kids. They looked and sounded great!

As I am typing this letter, we are preparing for Statewide Elementary Honor Chorus, which will also be in Athens. I have high hopes for a great weekend. Our clinicians are experts; our kids are usually well behaved and well prepared; our directors are the reason this event comes together each year.

I hope all of you across the state have a wonderful second semester with fulfilling performances.

Musically, Vicky Knowles GMEA Elementary Division Chair

GUITAR DIVISION Dr. Luther Enloe I wish to express thanks and gratitude to all attendees, presenters, and performers for contributing to the outstanding offerings in guitar education at the 2016 GMEA In-Service Conference. This year, the guitar division hosted 13 sessions intended to reach guitar educators within a broad range of professional experience. Sessions intended for non-guitar specialists included Erik Hendon’s, “Simple Melodies for Beginning Guitar,” and, “Guitar Jam Session.” Mary Ackerman presented an informative session explaining recourses for guitar educators entitled, “Atlanta Guitar Guild and Guitarcurriculum.com: Resources for Atlanta area teachers and guitarists.” Out of state clinician Michael McCallie presented a session on arranging for guitar ensemble while Trey Wright shared resources for teaching jazz guitar. “Levels in Guitar Performance: A Reading Session,” presented by Caryn Volk, was both informative in its delivery of graded guitar ensemble repertoire and an enjoyable opportunity for session attendees to read ensemble music together. Sessions explaining advanced techniques included Sean Thrower’s session on GAGED chord theory and a joint session presented by Matthew Anderson and Nicolas Deuson, “A Righteous Right Hand!” The guitar division was honored to cohost sessions with other divisions. Rob Pethel, in a joint session with the research division, presented his PhD dissertation investigating the national landscape in the emerging field of guitar education. The guitar division also shared, “Aloha! Ukuleles in Your Classroom,” with the elementary division. This informative session, presented by Laura Stambaugh and Joshua Mock, provided the basics for getting students started on Ukulele. CNAfME also hosted a guitar session, presented by Rop Pethel, Matthew Anderson, and Ashley Drake, intended to reach collegiate guitar students. In addition to these sessions, the guitar division was pleased to host guest artist performances. The Kennesaw State University Jazz Guitar Ensemble, under the direction of Trey Wright, provided an outstanding display of musicianship and set the performances off on a special note. The professional guitar duo AG² (the Athens Guitar Duo), consisting of Matthew Anderson and Dusty Woodruff, dazzled the audience with their virtuosity and sensitive musicianship. I wish to extend a special thank you to the members of the Atlanta Guitar Orchestra, under the direction of Mary Akerman and the baton of Tim Allen, for their wonderful performance.

If you could not attend this year, please join us in Athens next year for continued professional development, networking, and camaraderie. I encourage all guitar educators, elementary, middle school, high school, or college, to submit a session and/or performing ensemble for the 2017 conference, and, if you are a college guitar instructor with music education students in your studio, please attend next year with your students! The conference is a wonderful way to network and gain professional development as well as see old friends and meet new ones.

If you could not attend this year, please join us in Athens next year for continued professional development, networking, and camaraderie. I encourage all guitar educators, be you elementary, middle school, high school, or college, to submit a session and/ or performing ensemble for the 2017 conference. Furthermore, if you are a college guitar instructor with music education students in your studio, please attend next year with your students! The conference is a wonderful way to network and gain professional development as well as see old friends and foster new ones.

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DIVISION NEWS

ORCHESTRA DIVISION

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Sarah Black Spring is such a busy time for music educators, but an exciting time as well with so much to celebrate! I want to start by looking back to our inaugural year in Athens for the In-Service Conference. Thank you to all the performing groups that prepared wonderful performances for the event. Your hard work and dedication to your students is to be commended, and I know I speak on behalf of all of your colleagues in thanking you for what you give to our profession every day. I also want to take a moment to thank all of our wonderful clinicians that presented on a wide variety of topics. I know I took a lot of new ideas back to my classroom and my brain was full by the end of the weekend.

SAY Something BE Heard

February and March always bring a flurry of activity with LGPE season and, of course, All-State. I hope you all had a positive experience at your evaluations and take time to reflect on all the comments your group(s) receive from judges. What went well?

What can you improve upon? We are so fortunate to be able to have our colleagues provide objective, constructive, and real time feedback.

All-State was a phenomenal weekend of watching some of the best teachers and conductors in our field work with the best young musicians in our state. All of the conductors were amazed at the talent and maturity of the students and wanted me to pass along a huge thank you to all of the teachers that worked with these students to prepare them for the event. I also want to thank all of you that gave up your time to work district and state auditions, and most importantly, I want to thank the amazing organizers that made sure each orchestra and conductor had what they needed to ensure an awesome experience for all the students. The middle school organizers were: Carl Rieke, Osborne Middle School, Patricia Cleaton, Jones Middle School, Teresa Hoebeke, Hopewell Middle School, Kinsey Edwards, Lanier Middle School, Lori Gomez, Chattahoochee High School, and Carolyn Landreau, Centennial High School. Evelyn Champion, Sprayberry High School, deserves a HUGE shout out for all of her work with scheduling and data entry (informally known as opus-whispering). Kudos to all of these organizers as the event truly would not and could not have happened without you all.

The orchestra standing committee, Amy Clement, Carl Rieke, Corie Benton, Carolyn Landreau, and myself will be meeting soon to look at district all-state etudes to handle the issues we had this past fall with out of print books, and it is quite possible that etudes at all levels may be new and improved, so make sure to let me know if you have ideas/suggestions/concerns. We will also be looking at the LGPE list to eliminate the pieces that are listed multiple times at different levels. I also have a list of suggestions and concerns that were brought up at the council meeting and we will work through those as well. As always, if you have anything you have a question or concern about, feel free to email me at: sarah_black@gwinnett.k12.ga.us and I’ll be happy to help!

Best of luck as you finish out another amazing school year!!

SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLE TO THE

Georgia Music News

WWW.GMEA.ORG/GEORGIA-MUSIC-NEWS/

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AROUND THE STATE DISTRICT NEWS • The Thelonious Monk Institute selected the Savannah-Chatham County School System as one of five districts in the U.S. to host a series of concerts and workshops during their visit, April 11-13.

They presented an “Informance” of jazz music with a heavy U.S. History emphasis. This 75 minute presentation was followed by a simultaneous instrumental and choral jazz workshop with artists in the band and chorus room at each school.

• Sally Albrecht, writer of “Cinderella..

If The Shoe Fits” and Sarah Hammerlee, music teacher at Tattnall Square Academy. Sarah is directing this musical at her school this spring.

• On Tuesday evening, April 5, 2016, the United States Marine Corps All Star Jazz Ensemble performed at Georgia Southern University.

• On Thursday evening, April 28, 2016, the United States Marine Corps Band, at Perris Island, shared the final spring concert of the Georgia Southern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble in the Center for the Performing Arts at Georgia Southern University.

• Berry College Jazz Ensemble performed a feature concert at Spivey Hall in February of 2016 and hosted the annual GAJE All-State Jazz Workshop in December 2015 with guest artists Troy Roberts (saxophone) and Alex Norris (trumpet). The group presented a concert celebrating the life of former Berry College Music Professor Bill Robinson on April 14th at Ford Auditorium.

• Dr. Kerry Bryant, Adairsville High School, was awarded GMEA 2016 Music Educator of the Year.

• Dr. Andrew Poor, band director at South Forsyth Middle School, was selected as Forsyth County 2016 Teacher of the Year. Dr. Poor has taught for 28 years and credits his parents with being the most influential on his decision to become a teacher. Under Dr. Poor’s direction, the FMS band program has grown from 137 to 367 students, has earned superior ratings at LGPE, and has had students selected to participate in District Honor Band and All-State.

Sally Albrecht and Sarah Hammerlee • Gary Gribble served as guest conductor for the Marywood University Honor Band and for the East Tennessee State Band and Orchestra Association All-State Band.

• Dr. Paula Krupiczewicz served as the guest conductor for the Middle Tennessee All-State 7-8 Orchestra.

• Over 200 students from the Hillgrove High School Band and Orchestra programs traveled to Beijing and Shanghai, China, over spring break for a 10 day, multi-concert tour. Both ensembles presented concerts at Beijing Jiaotong University, Hangzhou Youth Arts Center, Shanghai Teachers’ University, and Hangzhou Youth Arts Center. Hillgrove students also attended classes at a Chinese middle school and high school and performed concerts with ensembles from both schools. Band director Patrick Erwin and orchestra director David Doke conducted several master classes with Chinese band and orchestra students. Assistant directors Jeremy Trimmer, Bobby Crosby, and Lovinggood Middle School orchestra director, Barbera Secrist, were featured as conductors and guest soloists. Hillgrove

band and orchestra students visited the Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Olympic Park, Beijing Children’s Palace, the Jade Museum, the Pearl Museum, and the Silk Museum.

• Eighth grade band student Jonathan Deakins, from Pine Mountain MS in Cobb County, GA, was the grand prize winner for middle school for the University of Georgia Melody Contest.

Jonathan submitted a 16-bar melody that has been turned into a masterwork. UGA students composed this masterwork with Jonathan’s input. The premier performance of this work took place on the campus of UGA on April 15th.

• The North Cobb High School Chamber Orchestra, the McEachern High School Chamber Orchestra, and the Dickerson Middle School Chamber Orchestra performed at the ASTA National Orchestra Festival in Tampa, FL, March 2016.

• The McEachern High School Chamber Orchestra was chosen to perform at the American String Teachers Association National Orchestra Festival in Tampa, Florida. The NOF brings together orchestras from around the country to a single location in order to provide an unparalleled opportunity to receive placement, ratings, comments, and education from leading clinicians and adjudicators in the industry. This is a first for the McEachern Orchestra and a great accomplishment.

• The Walker School Concert Band, under the direction of Todd Motter, received the honor of being selected to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York on the main stage on Easter weekend.

The performance was part of the Heritage Gold Festival and the ensemble was chosen by audition. This group also recently performed at the Kennesaw State University Concert Band Invitational, their second such performance at KSU. Additionlly, band member Addison Tharp, a junior at the Walker School, has been accepted into the Interlochen Summer Camp in Jazz.

McEachern High School Chamber Orchestra

• Joe Heiberger, band director at Lovinggood Middle School, was selected to represent the state of Georgia as part of School Band and Orchestra magazine’s 18th annual 50 Directors Who Make a Difference report.

• Ernie Phillips, band director at West Hall High School, was recognized at the 2016 Georgia Music Educators Conference for his work with the Zeta Chapter of Phi Beta MU International Bandmasters Fraternity. Phillips, pictured below with West Hall High School Principal Scott Justus, was president of the Georgia Chapter from 2013-15. He is in his 35th year of teaching in Hall County

Scott Justus and Ernie Phillips

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Joe Heiberger

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• Dr. Michelle Champion directed the GMEA District 10 Middle School Honor Choir. In addition, she was hired as the adjunct professor of music at George College, where she will be teaching the graduate elementary music education courses.

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FRIDAY : 6PM JANUARY 29, 2016 photos provided by THE CLASSIC CENTER ATRIUM

GMEA MEMBERS ONLY

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sessions

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performances

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candids

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general session

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do you have district NEWS TO SHARE? ELEMENTARY - MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL - UNIVERSITY

go to www.gmea.org and submit your news

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ALL-STATE BAND

Cheryl Floyd is in her twenty-fourth year as Director of Bands at Hill Country Middle School in Austin, Texas. Prior to her tenure at Hill Country, she served as Director of Bands at Murchison Middle School, also in Austin, for eight years. Musical organizations under her leadership have consistently been cited for musical excellence at both local contests and national invitational festivals. Mrs. Floyd is recognized nationally for her educational and musical achievements at the middle school level. In 1990, her Murchison program was the recipient of the coveted Sudler Cup Award, presented to exemplary middle school band programs by the John Philip Sousa Foundation. The Hill Country Middle School Band performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in 1998 and again in 2006 and, most recently, at Music For All’s National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis (March 2012) under Mrs. Floyd’s direction. The HCMS Symphonic Band performed at the Western International Band Clinic in November 2015.

Mrs. Floyd routinely serves as a conductor on the University of Texas at Austin band camp faculty and has been a member of summer music faculties at MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND Arkansas Tech University, Baylor University, Texas Lutheran University, Stephen F. Austin University, University of Colorado at Boulder, and the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. She enjoys an active schedule as an adjudicator, clinician, author, and guest conductor throughout the United States, having served as one of the first women guest conductors of the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C. in September, 1998.

In 2003, Mrs. Floyd was elected to the American Bandmasters’ Association. She is the fifth female member of this 225 member organization and the first middle school band director to be chosen for ABA membership.

CHERYL FLOYD

Over the past twenty plus years, she has maintained a keen interest in commissioning new works for concert band and has collaborated with such internationally recognized composers as Frank Ticheli, Cajun Folk Songs, Shenandoah, Bob Margolis, Renaissance Fair, Dana Wilson, Sang!, Ron Nelson, Courtly Airs and Dances, Steven Barton, Hill Country Flourishes, Chris Tucker, Twilight in the Wilderness.

Catherine McMichael, Cape Breton Postcard, Undertow, by John Mackey and, most recently, Spangled Heavens by Donald Grantham. These projects have generated works acknowledged as being among the most significant works for young band.

A 1980 graduate of Baylor University, Mrs. Floyd has also done graduate work at the University of Texas with Paula Crider, Robert Duke, and Karl Kraber. Since 1985, she has served as co-principal flute with the Austin Symphonic Band and in this capacity has performed at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic on two occasions, the American Bandmasters Association in 1993, and before the Texas Music Educators Association and Texas Bandmasters Association on numerous occasions. She is a member of ABA, TMEA, TBA, and Phi Beta Mu.

Paramount in her life is her twenty-one year old son, Richard Weston, who is a 2012 Westlake High School graduate and a senior trombone performance major at the University of Texas.

TODD STALTER MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND

Mr. Stalter’s concert bands have consistently earned Superior ratings at Illinois High School Association contests, and his marching bands have won the Illinois State University Class 1-A championship from 2000 – 2006 and 2008 – 2010, most recently performing his original suites for marching band “Red Shift,” “Geometries,” and “…in motion…” He was active as a church musician for nearly 30 years, serving as Principal Trumpet and arranger for the “Grace Brass” at Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria, IL, appearing on weekly television and radio broadcasts.

As a guest conductor, Mr. Stalter has led the Delaware Jr. High All-State Band, the Rockford Wind Ensemble, the ACSI Honor Band, several ILMEA District Festival bands, and numerous local and regional high school and junior high ensembles. As a clinician, he regularly works with area and regional high school and junior high bands, and has presented at the Illinois State University State Summer Symposium.

Compositions by Mr. Stalter have been performed by the Chicago Symphony Brass Quintet, at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and at prominent national and All-State concert festivals by university, school, and community ensembles alike. His music has been performed abroad in Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, Greece, Germany, and Australia. Awards for Mr. Stalter’s music include five ASCAPlus awards, with seven of his works listed in Bandworld’s “Top 100.” Many of his works appear on state contest and festival lists throughout the United States and are included in the renowned educational resource “Teaching Music through Performance in Band” series published by GIA.

Todd Stalter received his Bachelor of Music Education (cum laude) and Master of Music in Trumpet Performance from Illinois State University, where he studied trumpet with Richard Lehman (Solo Cornet of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band) and Dr. James Buckner, and conducting with Dr. Stephen K. Steele. He has served as a conducting assistant for such luminaries as Robert W. Smith, Gary Green, Larry Gookin, Marguerite Wilder, Randy Vaughan, Cody Birdwell, and Richard Floyd at the Music for All Summer Symposium, and lives in Eureka with his wife Angie, son Evan, and Hershey, the family Aussie-Doodle.

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Composer-conductor Todd Stalter is currently the Director of Bands at Eureka High School in Eureka, IL, and serves as Chair of the Department of Fine Arts for CUSD #140. At Eureka, he directs all components of the high school band program in addition to teaching General Music grades K through 4, and 5th and 6th grade brass and percussion lessons and technique classes.

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ALL-STATE BAND

Alexander Kaminsky holds degrees from the University of Florida and Indiana University, and is active as an adjudicator and guest conductor/clinician throughout the southeastern United States. Bands under his direction consistently earn superior ratings at all levels of evaluation. In addition to earning superior ratings at the State Concert Band Assessment for an unprecedented 19 consecutive years, in 2009, Kaminsky became the only director in the history of the Florida Bandmasters Association to have three concert bands earn straight superior ratings at State. Kaminsky’s bands have performed at prestigious state and national festivals and conferences including the Midwest Clinic (2005, 2009 and 2014), American Bandmasters Association National Convention (2014), CBDNA/ NBA Southern Division Conference (2004 and 2014), FMEA State Conference (2014), National Concert Band Festival (2002 and 2012), and the National Wind Band Festival at Carnegie Hall (2009). Marching bands under Kaminsky’s direction consistently place in the Florida Marching Band State Championship Finals, winning Grand Champion awards at many FMBC regionals and, most recently, two consecutive FMBC Class 4A State Championships (2013 and 2014).

Mr. Kaminsky is an eight-time recipient of the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence and has been recognized with numerous individual achievement awards for education including the Florida Bandmasters Association’s Oliver Hobbs Award, National Honor Roll’s Outstanding American Teacher, Nobel Educator of Distinction, Teacher of the Year, and is listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. Kaminsky has been featured in several periodicals including The Instrumentalist, School Band & Orchestra Magazine’s “50 Directors Who Make A Difference” and Home Magazine’s “12 Exceptional Educators.”

Mr. Kaminsky is an elected member of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association and the American School Band Directors’ Association. He is a National Board Certified teacher and serves on the national Sousa/Ostwald Award Committee and the FBA Music Performance Assessment Committee. His professional affiliations include the National Band Association, National Association for Music Education, Florida Music Educators’ Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, Phi Mu Alpha and Kappa Kappa Psi.

ALEX KAMINSKY CONCERT BAND

Prior to coming to MSU, Madden served as associate director of bands in the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He received his master of music education (MME) and master’s of wind conducting degrees (MM) from Wichita State University, where he served as graduate teaching assistant to the university bands. Madden is a 1985 graduate of the Michigan State University College of Music, where he received his bachelor of music education (BME) degree. His CONCERT BAND primary conducting teachers and influences include Stanley DeRusha, Richard Blatti, Eugene Corporan, Myles Mazur, and Jay Decker. Madden was chosen twice to participate in the “Rocky Mountain Retreat” for wind conductors, led by H. Robert Reynolds.

Madden is active throughout the nation as a guest conductor and conducting clinician, and has conducted MSU ensembles at state, regional, and national conventions, conferences, and symposiums.

In December of 2013, he served as a rehearsal lab clinician at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, and again in 2004, presenting a clinic session entitled, “From Carnegie Hall to the 50-yard Line: Approaching Concert and Marching Ensembles with the Same Vision.” Madden has presented similar clinics at both the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Athletic Bands Symposium as well as the Michigan Music Conference (MMC). In 2000, the MSU Symphony Band was selected to perform at the North Central Divisional Conference of the CBDNA in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. In 2011, the MSU Symphony Band was chosen to perform at the MMC at DeVos Hall in Grand Rapids.

JOHN T. MADDEN

Madden is a member of the College Band Directors National Association and has served that organization as chair of the Athletic Bands Committee. He is a member of the Big Ten Band Directors Association, and is a former national vice-president for professional relations, and past north central district governor of Kappa Kappa Psi, the national honorary band service fraternity. He also holds honorary membership in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, Tau Beta Sigma, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Golden Key Honor Society, and MSU’s Varsity “S” Alumni Club. As an adjudicator, he maintains numerous associations with judging organizations around the United States. He currently serves as the resident conductor of the Symphony Band at the New England Music Camp located in the Belgrade Lakes region of Maine. He has been involved in several professional recording projects as conductor, including the Brass Band of Battle Creek. Additionally, he has released more than 20 commercial recordings with the MSU Spartan Marching Band.

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John T. Madden serves the Michigan State University College of Music as associate director of bands and associate professor of music. He is director of the Spartan Marching Band and conductor of the MSU Symphony Band. Additionally, he teaches advanced instrumental conducting at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has previously taught courses on marching band techniques. He has served on the MSU faculty since the fall of 1989. Madden received the Dortha J. and John D. Withrow Award for Excellence in Teaching from the MSU College of Music in 2014. He was inducted into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association in March of 2008.

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ALL-STATE BAND

Steven D. Davis is director of bands and wind ensembles, professor of conducting, Conservatory large ensembles chair, opera conducting faculty, and conductor of the Conservatory Wind Symphony at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. He coordinates the graduate program in wind ensemble conducting and oversees all aspects of the UMKC band program. Davis is the founding director of the UMKC Wind Band Teaching Symposium, one of the country’s largest conducting workshops.

He is conductor of the Youth Symphony of Kansas City’s Symphony Orchestra and newEar, Kansas City’s professional contemporary chamber ensemble. Davis has served as a conductor at the CBDNA National Convention, Midwest Clinic, MENC National Convention, and the Festival of New American Music. He has also conducted numerous summers at the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp. As a committed advocate for music education, he has been a guest conductor and teacher at state conferences, and honor band and orchestra festivals in 37 states.

He has appeared as a guest artist at the most significant conservatories in Bangkok and Chang Mai, Thailand; Lisbon, Portugal; and Beijing, China. Davis has been invited for residencies and conducting symposiums at major institutions such as the Eastman School of Music, Ithaca College, Michigan State University, University of Colorado, University of Georgia, and Florida State University, among others.

STEVEN D. DAVIS SYMPHONIC BAND

Davis is fervently committed to performing new repertoire, and this commitment has been praised by prominent contemporary composers including Leslie Bassett, Robert Beaser, Chen Yi, Michael Colgrass, John Corigliano, Michael Daugherty, Osvaldo Golijov, Stephen Hartke, David Lang, James Mobberley, Narong Prangcharoen, Bernard Rands, Paul Rudy, Steven Stucky, Frank Ticheli, and Zhou Long. He has received dedications for more than 30 commissioned works. In 2014, Davis led the UMKC Conservatory Wind Symphony as a featured ensemble at the Beijing Modern Music Festival and the Tianjin May Festival.

Davis is an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association and currently serves as the College Band Directors National Association Southwest Division president. At UMKC, he has been awarded the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Artistry and Scholarship Award.

RICHARD FLOYD SYMPHONIC BAND

Prior to his appointment at the University of Texas, Mr. Floyd served on the faculty at the University of South Florida as Professor of Conducting and at Baylor University in Texas, where he held the position of Director of Bands for nine years. He began his career as band director at Richardson Junior High School and then become the first director of the award winning J.J. Pearce High School Band in the same city. He also served as Director of Fine Arts for that district for two years before moving to Baylor University in 1972.

His musical achievements include performances at numerous state and national conventions and conferences, including the 1977 College Band Directors National Association, the 1981 Music Educators National Conference and concerts at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago in 1989, 1997 and 2007. Other distinguished performances include concerts for the American Bandmasters Association in 1993 and 2006 and the 2004 Western International Band Clinic in Seattle, Washington. Performances by his various ensembles have been heard throughout the United States, Australia and Europe.

Mr. Floyd is a recognized authority on conducting, the art of wind band rehearsing, concert band repertoire, and music advocacy.

As such, he has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe as a clinician, adjudicator, and conductor, including appearances in 43 American states and in 9 other countries.

He is a frequent featured clinician for the Texas Music Educators Association and the Texas Bandmasters Association and has presented four conducting and rehearsal technique clinics for the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic. In 2002 he was the single recipient of the prestigious A.A. Harding Award, presented by the American School Band Directors Association in recognition of his significant and lasting contributions to the school band movement. The Texas Bandmasters Association named him Texas Bandmaster of the Year in 2006 and also recognized him with the TBA Lifetime Administrative Achievement Award in 2008. Most recently, he received the Texas Music Educators Association Distinguished Service Award in 2009 and was inducted into the Bands of America Hall of Fame and Texas Phi Beta Mu Hall of Fame in 2011. Also in 2011, he was awarded the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic Medal of Honor for distinguished service and contributions to bands, orchestras, and music education. In 2014, he was inducted into the National Band Association Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts, considered to be the “academy award” for wind band conductors. The same year, he was honored with the Kappa Kappa Phi Distinguished Service to Music medal.

His publications include co-authorship of Best Music For Beginning Band and contributing author for The Musician’s Walk by James Jordo, published by GIA. In addition, his articles have appeared in numerous national and international publications. In 2006, he was featured on the GIA produced DVD entitled Kindred Spirits from the series Conducting From The Inside Out. Other conductors included H. Robert Reynolds, Craig Kirchhoff and Allan McMurray. His most recent publication Essential Truths of Music and Music Making, published by GIA publications, will be released in the fall of 2015.

During Mr. Floyd’s professional career, he has held positions of leadership on many state and national committees for music education and wind music performance. He served as National Secretary of CBDNA from 1979 to 2007 and has played an active leadership role in the implementation of that organization’s many projects and services for over three decades. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Music For All, as a member of the John Philip Sousa Foundation Board of Directors, and is Chairman of the American Bandmasters Association Educational Projects Committee.

Paramount in his life is his wife Cheryl, who enjoys her own distinguished career as one of the premier middle school directors in the nation, their son Weston who is pursuing his own musical journey, and Dick’s daughter, Chris, and her extended family.

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Richard Floyd is presently in his 52nd year of active involvement as a conductor, music educator, and administrator. He has enjoyed a distinguished and highly successful career at virtually every level of wind band performance from beginning band programs through high school and university wind ensembles as well as adult community bands. In 2014, Floyd retired as State Director of Music at the University of Texas at Austin, where he coordinated all facets of secondary school music competition for some 3500 performing organizations throughout the state for 30 years. He now holds the title Texas State Director of Music Emeritus. He also serves as Musical Director and Conductor of the Austin Symphonic Band, viewed to be one of the premier adult concert bands in America. In addition, he maintains an active schedule as conductor, clinician, lecturer and mentor.

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ALL-STATE CHORUS

Nationally recognized as a leader in the field of youth chorus directors, Ms. Ellsworth has served as Artistic Director of Anima – Young Singers of Greater Chicago since 1996. Under her direction, Anima has won several national awards, including the 2013 ASCAP award for Adventurous Programming from Chorus America, the 2013 Tribute Award from Chicago A Cappella, the once-in-an-organizational-lifetime Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence from Chorus America (2008), and the 2009 Dale Warland Singers Commissioning Award, jointly given by the American Composers Forum and Chorus America for Nico Muhly’s How Soon? with Grammy winning contemporary chamber ensemble eighth blackbird.

Ms. Ellsworth has additionally served as Lecturer in Choral Conducting at Northwestern University with Donald Nally and serves as the advisor for the Opera Workshop choral series with Boosey & Hawkes publishers. She has served several times on the music panel of the National Endowment for the Arts and has over 20 years of singing and teaching experience as a voice faculty member in various college and university settings. She has served the American Choral Directors’ Association as the Central Division Repertoire and Standards Chair for Children and Community Youth Choirs and is a long standing member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

EMILY ELLSWORTH MIDDLE SCHOOL TREBLE CHORUS

In great demand as a guest clinician and conductor, Ms. Ellsworth has conducted all-state choirs and festivals in over 25 states, as well as for the Northwest, North Central, and Southwest divisions of ACDA. She has conducted featured performances at national conferences of ACDA, the Organization of American Kodaly Educators, and Chorus America. She has prepared various ensembles within Anima for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Bach Project, Grant Park Symphony, the Berlin Philharmonic, Ravinia Festival, Music of the Baroque, Chicago Sinfonietta, and many others. She has appeared as guest conductor at festival performances in Carnegie and Avery Fisher Halls; Wexford, Ireland; England’s Wells Cathedral; the Cultural Center in Hong Kong, and given presentations for the national association of choral directors in Brazil.

TREY JACOBS MIDDLE SCHOOL MIXED CHORUS

Mr. Jacobs has completed his coursework on a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University in East Lansing, a Master of Music degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from East Carolina University in Greenville. At Michigan State University, he conducted the MSU Women’s Glee Club and was the graduate teaching assistant with the MSU Chorale and Choral Union.

Mr. Jacobs was director of Choral Activities at Winter Park High School in Winter Park, Florida, for 11 years. While at Winter Park High School, his choirs consistently received superior ratings at district and state music performance assessments (MPAs). His choirs performed for three different American Choral Directors Association State Conventions and for the National A.C.D.A. Convention in San Diego, California. He conducted his choirs three times at Carnegie Hall. Mr. Jacobs was a founding director of the Orlando Children’s Chorus and was co-conductor of the Bach Children’s Choir at Rollins College, conductor for the Orlando Concert Chorale, and conductor of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra’s Holiday Choir. He has conducted the Florida All-State High School Women’s Chorus, 7-8 Mixed Chorus, Washington All-State High School Treble Chorus, honor choirs in Florida, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and has adjudicated in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, and Missouri. Mr. Jacobs has presented interest sessions at the Florida Music Educators Association Conventions, Michigan Music Conference, Michigan Vocal Association Summer Conference, and the Northwest Division A.C.D.A Conventions Mr. Jacobs is an active member of ACDA, NAfME, NATS, and MTVA and maintains a private voice studio.

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Trey Jacobs is Director of Choirs at Head Magnet School in Nashville, Tennessee. He has served as the Artistic Director for the Turtle Creek Chorale since August 2011. The Turtle Creek Chorale, a 225 voice men’s chorus, has performed extensively in the United States and Europe.

They have performed at three national A.C.D.A. conventions and have over 30 recordings. Before arriving in Dallas, Mr. Jacobs was Assistant Professor and Director of Choral Activities for four years at Eastern Michigan University. While at EMU, his choirs performed at the Michigan A.C.D.A Convention and for the Michigan Music Educators Conference.

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ALL-STATE CHORUS

Dr. Deanna Joseph is director of choral activities at the Georgia State University School of Music, where she conducts the University Singers and leads the master’s program in choral conducting.

She is also the artistic director of the Atlanta Summer Conducting Institute (ASCI), a weeklong masterclass for conductors that takes place annually during the first week of June.

Under Dr. Joseph’s baton, the University Singers have been invited to perform at two conventions of the American Choral Directors Association. In May of 2013, the University Singers competed in La Florilège Vocal de Tours, where they placed second overall in the mixed choir category, and Dr. Joseph was honored with the Prix du chef de chour. Additional honors from 2013 include an invited performance at the Georgia Music Educator’s Association annual conference and the North American premiere of David Bintley’s Carmina Burana with the Atlanta Ballet. The choir’s new professional recording, Evening Hymn (Gothic Records), is available on compact disk and iTunes.

DR. DEANNA JOSEPH

Dr. Joseph is an active guest conductor and clinician and has conducted INTERMEDIATE MIXED CHORUS all-state and honor choirs in more than ten states. She is a frequent conductor of choral-orchestral repertoire, and has led performances of Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Beethoven Mass in C, Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Creation and Lord Nelson Mass, Schubert’s Mass in A-flat and Bruckner’s Mass in D Minor.

Dr. Joseph’s research in the area of 19th century choral-orchestral performance-practice has led to invited presentations on the topic at several division conferences of the American Choral Director’s Association and at the national convention for the National Collegiate Choral Organization. In October of 2012, she was selected as 1 of 25 presenters from ten countries to speak at the Lund Choral Festival in Sweden.

Prior to her appointment at Georgia State University, Dr. Joseph served on the faculties at Smith College, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Hobart and William Smith colleges.

Dr. Joseph holds conducting degrees from the Eastman School of Music, where she was awarded the Walter Hagen Conducting Prize.

DR. KRISTINA CASWELL MACMULLEN SENIOR WOMEN’S CHORUS

As an active adjudicator and clinician, Caswell MacMullen has conducted all-state and honor choirs throughout the United States. Recent and upcoming engagements involve events in Alaska, California, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and Utah. She has presented and co-presented interest sessions at state, regional, national, and international conferences. In 2011, she was runner-up in the National American Choral Director’s Association graduate level conducting competition. Other awards include selection as a Fulbright Fellowship Alternate to Slovenia, the Don and Kay Cash Fellowship, and being named a graduate student of distinction for Texas Tech University in the areas of music and humanities. Her teaching and conducting is featured on the DVD “Conducting-Teaching: Real World Strategies for Success,”published by GIA (2009), and her editions for treble choir are published

by Musicatus Press and Boosey & Hawkes.

Caswell MacMullen brings a passion and commitment to connecting art, social justice, and education. During the 2014-2015 school year, she spearheaded a three-day summit addressing human trafficking with choral music at its centerpiece, highlighting the work of local magistrates, abolitionists, artists, and international activist and author, Rachel Lloyd. The event featured Lloyd’s book Girls Like Us in sonic form as realized by the choir. Of the event, Lloyd commented, “It’s a really innovative and exciting way to kind of introduce people who wouldn’t be naturally interested in this subject . . . to a really important social-justice issue.”

Caswell MacMullen earned both the Bachelor of Music Education and the Master of Music degrees from Michigan State University. She completed the Doctorate of Musical Arts at Texas Tech University. Prior to her appointment at The Ohio State University, she enjoyed a diverse career as a public school teacher, interacting with students in rural, suburban, and urban settings, elementary through high school.

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Kristina Caswell MacMullen serves as Assistant Professor of Music and Assistant Director of Choral Studies at The Ohio State University, where she conducts the Symphonic Choir, the Women’s Glee Club, the Ohio State University College of Medicine Orchestra, and instructs both undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of choral conducting and pedagogy.

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ALL-STATE CHORUS

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Dr. Gene Peterson is the conductor of the Bethel Choir, the fourth conductor in the ensemble’s 66 year history, and Director of Choral Activities and Artistic Director of Festival of Christmas at Bethel University – St Paul, Minnesota.

Dr. Peterson comes to Bethel after serving seven years on faculty at the University of Tennessee School of Music as the Associate Director of Choral Activities.

During his tenure in Knoxville, he was also the Director of Choral Ministries at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, where he administered and conducted a graded choral program and chamber orchestra.

In addition to his duties at Bethel, Dr. Peterson serves as the Artistic Director of Choirs and Director of Performance Tours for an international performance tour company, Perform International. He frequently appears as a clinician and adjudicator for local, regional, and international choral festivals and honor choirs.

He also serves the choral community through leadership in professional organizations, having held posts including Men’s Chorus Repertoire and Standards Chair for the Southern Division American Choral Directors Association, Southern Division Conference Planning Committee, and he currently serves on the Executive Committee of the International Choral Festival, America Cantat.

DR. GENE PETERSON SENIOR MEN’S CHORUS

Dr. Peterson is a proud graduate of El Camino College, Chapman University, and the University of Washington, Seattle.

DR. KAREN KENNEDY SENIOR MIXED CHORUS

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Karen Kennedy is associate professor and director of choral studies at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where she conducts the Frost Chorale and other choral ensembles. She is also artistic director of the Master Chorale of South Florida. She previously held the positions of chorus director for the Honolulu Symphony, director of choral activities at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and director of choral activities at Towson University. She earned a D.M.A. degree in choral music from Arizona State University, a M.M. in choral conducting from Butler University, and a B.M. in Music Education from DePauw University. Dr. Kennedy regularly conducts choral festivals featuring major works such as Orff’s Carmina Burana, Durufle’s Requiem, Faure’s Requiem, Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor and Rutter’s Gloria, to name a few. She has received numerous awards for teaching, including the University of Hawai`i Chancellor’s Citation for Meritorious Teaching, Arizona State University’s Manzanita “Top Prof” Award, and Butler University’s Faculty Distinction Award. Dr. Kennedy is well known as a choral clinician and adjudicator for all-state and festival honor choirs.

She has presented workshops at ACDA and MENC conventions and served as the ACDA Eastern Division Collegiate Repertoire and Standards Chair and as a founding member of the National Collegiate Choral Organization.

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ALL-STATE ORCHESTRA

Brian Balmages is an award-winning composer, conductor, producer, and performer. His music for winds, brass, and orchestra has been performed in countries throughout the world. His active schedule of commissions and premieres has incorporated groups ranging from elementary schools to professional ensembles including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Miami Symphony Orchestra, the University of Miami Wind Ensemble, Boston Brass, Off Bass Brass, and the Dominion Brass Ensemble. His music has been performed by members of leading orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony, and others. World premieres have included prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. His music was also performed as part of the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service, which was attended by both President Obama and Vice President Biden.

He received his bachelor’s degree in music from James Madison University and his master’s degree from the University of Miami in Florida. He is a recipient of the prestigious A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association and was also featured in James Madison University’s “Be the Change” campaign.

BRIAN BALMAGES MIDDLE SCHOOL ORCHESTRA

As a conductor, Mr. Balmages has enjoyed engagements with numerous all-state and regional bands and orchestras as well as university and professional groups. Notable guest conducting appearances have included the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, College Band Directors Eastern Regional Conference, American School Band Directors Association National Conference and others. Additional conducting appearances have included the Kennedy Center and Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. He has also served as an adjunct professor of instrumental conducting and Acting Symphonic Band Director at Towson University in Maryland.

Currently, he is Director of Instrumental Publications for The FJH Music Company Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He resides in Baltimore with his wife Lisa and their two sons.

PAMELA TELLEJOHN HAYES

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Pamela Tellejohn Hayes is nationally recognized for her work in the field of music education as an orchestra clinician, consultant, conductor, author, and public school teacher. She is the recipient of the Merle J. Isaac Lifetime Achievement Award from both the National School Orchestra Association (NSOA) and the SC chapter of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). She also received Elizabeth Green School Educator Award from ASTA and has been inducted into the SCMEA Hall of Fame. In 1999, SC Governor Jim Hodges awarded her The Order of the Silver Crescent for exemplary performance, contribution, and achievement within the community. In addition, she has been inducted into the SCMEA Hall of Fame and received the Citation for Leadership and Merit from ASTA with NSOA. Leadership roles include serving as president of NSOA, SCMEA, the Orchestra Division of SCMEA and the SC chapter of ASTA. Mrs. Hayes is co-author of the comprehensive method book series Essential Elements for Strings published by the Hal Leonard Corporation. As a public school coordinator and teacher for 31 years, her award winning orchestras performed three concerts in Carnegie Hall.

Mrs. Hayes earned a Bachelor of Music MIDDLE SCHOOL ORCHESTRA Education degree from Wichita State University, a Master of Education degree in Educational Administration and an Education Specialist certificate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Carolina. She currently resides in Lexington, SC, with her husband, Larry, and is a violinist with the South Carolina Philharmonic and adjunct instructor of violin and string methods at Columbia College.

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ALL-STATE ORCHESTRA

Alan MacNair graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy and then received a Bachelor of Music degree from Michigan State University, where he majored in string education. He then attended Boston University, earning a Master of Music degree in violin performance.

He has studied with violinists Joseph Silverstein, Louis Krasner, and Walter Verdehr and has also studied conducting with Gustav Meier at the University of Michigan. Mr. MacNair was the orchestra director at Troy High School for twenty-nine years and built the orchestra program from 35 students to 220 string players. Under his direction, the Troy High Symphony commissioned several original works, was three times named National Grand Champion, and earned top ratings at other festivals around the United States. Mr. MacNair has also been the Music Director and Conductor of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony, which draws students from all over southeast Michigan and performs orchestral repertoire of the highest order.

Mr. MacNair has also been the Concertmaster and Assistant Conductor of the Rochester Symphony, and a substitute performer with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He was the 1993 MSBOA District String Teacher of the Year and was also 9/10 STRING ORCHETRA named the State String Teacher of the Year by the Michigan String Teachers Association in 1998. In 2004, he was named the Troy District High School Teacher of the Year and, in 2007, was one of USA Today’s Top Twenty Teachers in America. He remains the only music teacher to win this award. He was recently presented the Elizabeth Green Award as the American String Teachers Association National String Teacher of the Year. He is also a founding member of the Michigan State University College of Music Alumni Board and the founder and conductor of the Oakland University Chamber Orchestra. He is a frequent clinician at national and regional music education conferences.

ALAN MACNAIR

DR. THOMAS JOINER

A sought after guest conductor, Joiner led the Orquestra da Camera Theatre Sao 9/10 FULL ORCHESTRA Pedro during two residencies in Porto Alegre, Brazil, conducted the Greenville (SC) Symphony Chamber Orchestra, the Asheville (NC) Lyric Opera in three sold-out performances of South Pacific, and the Philharmonic Orchestra of the 2015 Masterworks Music Festival. A devoted educator, Joiner has served as conductor for all-state orchestras in addition to presenting clinics at regional and national music education conferences from Alabama to Ohio. As a Director of the Furman Band and Orchestra Camp, he conducts the high school orchestra each summer.

As an orchestral violinist, Joiner has shared the stage with conductors Robert Shaw, James Levine, Jorge Mester, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, John Nelson, and Keith Lockhart, as well as soloists Renee Fleming, Frederica von Stade, David Daniels, Peter Serkin, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Gil Shaham, and Joshua Bell. As an Artistic Ambassador for the United States Information Agency, he presented seventeen violin recitals with pianist Douglas Weeks during a five-week tour of western Africa and the Middle East. During a sabbatical Joiner studied in Paris with eminent maestro John Nelson. He has twice served as a visiting professor at the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy.

For many years, Joiner held the Dr. & Mrs. William J. Pendergrast, Sr. Artist Chair at Brevard Music Center, where he served on the conducting staff and as a concertmaster of the Brevard Music Festival Orchestra. He was honored in 2009, along with his wife, violist Anna Barbrey Joiner, with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Previous positions also include Professor of Violin and Orchestral Activities at the University of Georgia School of Music, Associate Principal Second Violin of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, first violinist with the Louisville Orchestra, South Carolina president of the American String Teachers Association, and member of the national board of directors of the Conductors Guild.

Joiner earned the Doctor of Music in Violin Performance from Florida State University as a student of Gerardo Ribeiro, the Master of Church Music in Musicology from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Furman University. He is a native of Rock Hill, South Carolina, where he was drum major of the Rock Hill High School Bearcat Band!

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Thomas Joiner has appeared as a conductor, violinist, chamber player, and teacher throughout the United States and eleven foreign countries. As Professor of Violin and Orchestral Activities at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, he conducts the Furman Symphony Orchestra in orchestral, operatic, and oratorio performances each year.

As Music Director and Conductor of the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra (NC) since 1998, Joiner’s creative programming has led to continued growth for the orchestra, increased community support, and sold-out performances. He has invited notable musicians to perform with the HSO, including pianists Lee Luvisi, Yakov Kasman, and Jorge Federico Osorio, cellists Andres Diaz and Carter Brey, violinists James Buswell, Stephanie Chase, Laura St. John, and William Preucil, tenors Gary Lakes and Stanford Olsen, soprano Angela Brown, as well as popular artists including jazz trumpeter Byron Stripling, Rhythm and Brass, Celtic fiddler Jamie Laval, the Kruger Brothers, and the Andy Carlson Band. In addition to the Masterworks Series, the HSO partners with area public schools presenting curriculum-based youth concerts to thousands of 3rd and 6th grade Henderson county children each year.

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ALL-STATE ORCHESTRA

Kevin Noe is Director of Orchestras and head of the graduate orchestral conducting program at Michigan State University. A passionate supporter and promoter of composers, creators, and the arts of our time, he is also the Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble (PNME) and has commissioned and premiered over sixty new works so far. Having a strong background in the theatre, he has a particular interest in works employing a variety of art forms and serves regularly as conductor, stage director, actor, and filmmaker for a variety of mixed-media, operatic, and theatrical productions. During his tenure with the PNME, attendance at performances has grown 500% and the troupe was invited to give an eighteen performance run of a new work entitle, “Just Out of Reach,” at the festivals in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Noe, with artistic companion Kieren MacMillan, co-created, directed, and played the role of Sisyphus in the newly commissioned, evening length, multi-media work.

A dedicated conducting teacher, Mr. Noe’s students have so far gone on to hold posts with professional and university orchestras around the country including the MIT Symphony, the Cleveland 11/12 STRING ORCHESTRA Orchestra, the University of Pennsylvania, the Houston Symphony, the University of Houston, Opera in the Ozarks, and the Orchestre National de France, and they have been accepted into prestigious conducting programs including the Aspen Festival, the Oregon Bach Festival, and the National Conducting Institute.

KEVIN NOE

Mr. Noe has held conducting posts at the University of Texas at Austin, The Pittsburgh Opera Center, The National Repertory Orchestra, and Duquesne University and has been a regular guest conductor at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, conducting opera, ballet, and symphonic programs. He completed his graduate studies at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where he received the prestigious Sally Shepherd Perkins Prize in Music, and he was the recipient of the Maurice Abravanel Fellowship as a conductor at the Tanglewood Festival. Mr. Noe’s principal conducting teacher was Larry Rachleff.

ROBERT GILLESPIE

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Robert Gillespie, violinist and professor of music, is responsible for string teacher training at The Ohio State University, which has one of the largest and most extensive string pedagogy degree programs in the nation. Under Dr. Gillespie’s leadership, Ohio State University received the 2015 Institutional String Education Award as the premier string education university in the country. Dr. Gillespie is a past national President of the American String Teachers Association. He is a frequent guest conductor of all-state, region, and festival orchestras. Dr. Gillespie has appeared in 47 states, Canada, and throughout Europe. He is co-author of the Hal Leonard string method book series, Essential Elements for Strings, the leading string instrument teaching series in the country with sales of over eight million copies. He is also co-author of the college text, Strategies for Teaching Strings: Building A Successful School Orchestra Program, the String Clinics to Go DVD series, and the Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra texts for GIA publications. He received the Distinguished Scholar award for 2002-2003 in the School of Music at Ohio State University. In summers, Gillespie directs the OSU String Teacher Workshop, the largest 11/12 FULL ORCHESTRA string/orchestra teacher-training workshop in the country. In Columbus, he conducts the Columbus Symphony Chamber Strings Orchestra and a performing violinist in the Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra. During the 2015-2016 academic year, Gillespie is giving string pedagogy and research presentations, and conducting orchestra performances in Texas, Indiana, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia, Ohio, and internationally in Manila, Philippines, and Rome, Italy.

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STATEWIDE ELEMENTARY HONOR CHORUS

As Director of Vocal Studies, Fred Meads trains choristers of The American Boychoir School through private vocal instruction and classes in music theory.

He conducts the Training Choir daily and prepares its members for the musical and social demands of the advanced Concert Choir. Previously, he served as Artistic Director of the Fort Wayne Children’s Choir from 1999-2009.

Mr. Meads has directed honor choirs in several states and presented workshops for the Indiana Music Educators Association, American Choral Directors Association, and Organization of American Kodály Educators National Conference in Dallas. Last spring, he traveled to Hong Kong to present workshop sessions for public school teachers and the YIP Children’s Choir. He served on the board of Indiana Choral Directors Association and currently is the boy choir representative for New Jersey-ACDA. He also serves as the Children’s Choir Director at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City and accompanist for the Princeton Girl Choir.

FRED MEADS

Mr. Meads received the Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from ELEMENTARY HONOR CHORUS Ithaca College, NY, and the Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was selected as a participant in the Chorus America Master Class in San Francisco and the International Choral Conductor’s Symposium in Toronto. Further vocal studies include attending the Brevard and Bay View Music Festivals. He completed his Kodály training at Capital University in Columbus, OH. In 2005, he was the recipient of the Excellence in Arts Education award presented by Arts United of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

ANGELA JOHNSON

Mrs. Johnson is an active clinician, adjudicator, accompanist, and festival conductor and loves working with choirs in their own classroom setting. Passionate about sharing her love for teaching, she has led panel discussions, workshops, and teacher institutes for both future and current teachers specializing in creative rehearsal techniques for young voices.

Mrs. Johnson spent a week in Singapore directing clinics in 15 schools for primary and secondary level choirs in 2012. Most recently, Mrs. Johnson conducted the Kansas (KCDA) treble choir.

Now in her 17th season as a director and 9th season as the Artistic Director of Young Naperville Singers, she oversees the music education, artistic programming, and visionary leadership of the growing organization. Under her tenure, Young Naperville Singers has grown to 360 singers (7 – 18 years of age) in eight choirs. Mrs. Johnson directs the most advanced choir (Bella Voce) and has led them on tours throughout the United States, Central America, Canada, and Ireland.

ELEMENTARY HONOR CHORUS

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Angie Johnson received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in music education with honors from Northern Illinois University in 1991, where she studied piano with Donald Walker. Upon graduating, she taught choral and general music for Circle Center Middle School (Yorkville, IL) and Gregory Middle School (Naperville, IL) for seven years. Her curricular and honors choirs of up to 350 singers have earned superior ratings each year. On several occasions, she was named a “Most Influential Educator” by the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation.

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SIXTH GRADE STATEWIDE HONOR CHORUS

Tammy Maxie is the Director of Choral Music at Petal Middle School in Petal, Mississippi. She received her Bachelor of Music Education in 1988 from the University of Mississippi. At Petal Middle School, Mrs. Maxie conducts the Chanticleer Women’s Choir, Chevalier Men’s Choir, and the Spark Show Choir. Over the past 20 years, her choirs and ensembles have been recognized with numerous awards and have performed in many venues including the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Grand Ole Opry. Mrs. Maxie is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association of Music Educators. She has served the on both executive boards for the State of Mississippi. She currently serves as the MS ACDA R and S Chair for the Junior High Choirs.

TAMMY MAXIE SIXTH GRADE HONOR CHORUS

CRISTI MILLER

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Cristi Miller is highly regarded across the United States as a master teacher, conductor, and composer. After graduating from Oklahoma State University, she began her teaching career instructing grades 7-12. In 1989, she moved to the Putnam City School system, where she worked in the elementary classroom for 21 years. During her time at Putnam City, she was the co-director of the Putnam City Honor Choir.

This chorus was highly regarded in the area, winning many honors at festivals and competitions. In 2008, Cristi became a National Board Certified Teacher, and in 2010, Mrs. Miller became a part of the Fine Arts Staff at Heritage Hall Schools in the Oklahoma City area, where she teaches middle school music. Many of her students have received all-state honors through her leadership, and her choirs have maintained superior ratings at statewide contests. Mrs. Miller’s honors include Putnam City Teacher of the Year, Putnam City “Excellent Educator” Award, Putnam City PTA Teacher of the Year, and OMEA Exemplary Teacher. In addition, she was recently inducted into the OMEA Hall of Fame. Cristi has served as the Elementary Representative on the Oklahoma Choral Directors Association Board of Directors SIXTH GRADE HONOR CHORUS as well as the Elementary Vice President and President for the Oklahoma Music Educators Association. Along with her educational responsibilities, Mrs. Miller authors and co-authors a column for a national music magazine entitled Music Express! and was a contributing writer for the Macmillan McGraw-Hill music textbook series, Spotlight on Music, as well as the new secondary textbook series, Voices in Concert. She also served as the consulting editor for the Little Schoolhouse book series, Christopher Kazoo and Bongo Boo. Mrs. Miller is frequently in demand as a clinician and director across the United States and Canada. She has numerous choral pieces and books in publication through the Hal Leonard Corporation and has also been the recipient of several ASCAP awards for her music. Cristi and her husband, Rick, live in Oklahoma City.

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SIXTH GRADE STATEWIDE HONOR CHORUS

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ASSESSMENT

in the music classroom can be a valuable tool for tapering instruction in a way that will most benefit students. In order for assessment to be helpful for students and educators, it must be developed and used appropriately. This process entails developing valid, reliable, and useful tests that will accurately measure what students know in an effort to redirect their learning. Unfortunately, assessment is used inappropriately in the classroom each day. For those that have a limited understanding of how assessment works and of how assessment results should be used, the process can actually negatively impact student learning. As music educators, the ultimate goal should be to develop assessments that will correctly demonstrate students’ level of understanding. These results can then be used to help us guide instruction and to provide valuable feedback for students in order to improve understanding of content and performance in the music classroom.

ASSESSMENT

In his article, The Status of Arts Assessment: Examples from Music, Richard Colwell (2003) warns, “Without intellectual honesty and a deep understanding of assessment, artists and advocates may be led to assess the wrong experiences…they may fail to relate assessment to what is to be learned, they may use inadequate instruments, and, most important, they may be unequipped to deal with the intricacies of interpretation and dissemination” (p.

12). The validity of this point lies in the notion that assessment is very easily used incorrectly. And when used incorrectly, learning can become meaningless. Examples of such can be seen in recent federal legislation that provided mandates for the uses of assessment. No Child Left Behind (2001) was passed during George W. Bush’s administration and was intended to provide aid for schools with low achievement rates (Abbott, 2013). Unfortu-

Developing the right assessment for a music classroom can be very troubling. Politicians, test developers, administrators, community members, and teachers typically feel that they have a thorough understanding of assessment, however, most often they actually have a limited and often superficial understanding of assessment. Adopting consistent terminology in relation to assessment is therefore a necessary first step in the process of developing effective forms of assessment. The manner in which we assess students should always be relative to the type of learning that is taking place. Formative assessment is most commonly used to guide teaching throughout the learning process because students receive periodic feedback from teachers as to what they comprehend versus what they need to reconsider. Scott (2012) describes formative assessment as “Assessment for Learning” (p. 4). This type of assessment is often referenced to a constructivist approach in which students receive feedback as a way to expand upon their current understanding.

According to Scott (2012), formative assessment is highly effective in improving student learning because it is an opportunity for students to learn from their mistakes and to take chances in learning without focusing too heavily on grades or on the final judgment of comprehension.

Developing the right assessment for a music classroom can be very troubling

Summative assessment, on the other hand, provides the opportunity for a final judgment to be implemented within a specific unit. This final assessment might result in assigning students a grade at

the end of a grading period or class. Scott (2012) defines summative learning as “Assessment of Learning” (p. 3). This is the form of assessment that students are most accustomed to because it is the basis upon which teachers form a final evaluation of the students’ level of understanding in relation to the objectives outlined at the beginning of the unit or course (Scott, 2012). For assessment to be most valuable, formative results should be used to guide learning that occurs prior to summative assessment.

Students should have the opportunity to continuously receive feedback and redirection in terms of their thought processes and understanding of content prior to receiving a final evaluation. With this structure in mind, learning can be thorough and focused in the classroom.

In addition to deciding whether to use formative or summative assessment, teachers must also decide what type of assessment best fits the type of instruction that is being delivered. In academic classrooms, teachers most often assess student understanding of certain knowledge and concepts with paper and pencil tests. Knowledge and concepts are a component of the music discipline, however performance skills are also a large component of music education. In the music classroom, performance skills refer to those things that students can do: sing, play, create, and listen, for example. Herein lies the issue with assessment in the music classroom. If we are teaching students to sing and play in the music classroom, then we need to also be able to assess how well they are able to execute those skills, and perhaps more importantly, that students know when to apply and use those skills. According to Wesolowski (2014), “Learning objectives should be clear, specific, and measurable and describe the most important learning that is taking place in the classroom” (p. 3). The application of such skills requires that we are assessing conceptual understanding in the classroom.

Though the skill is performance based, teaching students how to decipher what skills should be employed and how to execute those skills relies on the fact that they have a thorough and accurate conceptual understanding of the skills in relation to the bigger musical picture.

Valid artistic assessment therefore entails evaluating performance skills separately, but then also assessing how those parts work together in order to form a complete musical understanding (Hope, 2013). Though we can assess conceptual knowledge and understanding with paper and pencil tests, to assess skills in relation to those concepts, Hope (2013) insists that we must think differently about how to show this type of progress: assessment should help to determine if an individual can reach a “meaningful interpretation” that only somewhat relies on his or her understanding of and ability to demonstrate technical skill (p. 7). This means that one form of assessment (paper and pencil for instance) will not suffice to assess everything that students learn during a music class: assessment needs to show how concepts and skills are used together in the music discipline in order to ultimately result in a complete product. Hope (2013) explains, “scientific kinds of evaluations can never do the entire

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nately, financial help was only provided to schools that were able to show Adequately Yearly Progress (Abbott, 2013). This stipulation undermined the intentions of the legislation because assessment results were used ineffectively to allocate funding instead of helping to drive instruction within the classroom. Following No Child Left Behind (2001), Race to the Top (2009) was passed during Barack Obama’s administration (Abbott, 2013). Race to the Top (2009) was far more specific and directed in terms of specific needs that each state needed to meet, however once again, only states with the highest level of achievement were awarded with additional funds for educational use (Hill, 2014). The punitive nature of both No Child Left Behind (2001) and Race to the Top (2009) are primary examples of assessment results being used incorrectly and inappropriately as a method to monitor and improve student learning. When assessment is used for political advancement and to manipulate the distribution of funds, students do not benefit and no real advancement in student achievement will result (Hill, 2014). This notion is further confounded when assessment types are created to measure growth on a national level, regardless of the nature of the discipline or of needs that can only be determined on a local basis.

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ASSESSMENT job of evaluation in the arts disciplines…science is looking for single answers: the arts, for multiple answers conceived by individual creators as they set their particular goals” (p. 5). If our classroom instruction is based heavily on the acquiring of performance skills and the application of those skills, the assessment needs to assess the performance in the same way. Thus, we need to assess understanding of such in a way that is similar to instruction delivery methods. For this reason, a dual approach to assessment in the music classroom is favored: one in which we are able to assess student understanding of knowledge and concepts through paper and pencil tests, in combination with a specific form of assessment that assesses students’ ability to demonstrate performance skills.

Wesolowski (2014) explains that the best manner to assess students in terms of performance-based music tasks is to use checklists, rating scales, and rubrics. Checklists simply determine if a certain behavior or skill is being demonstrated, but rating scales provide a bit more information that can be used to direct student learning. Though rating scales may be considered to be a subjective form of assessment, the important aspect of such type of assessment is that students and teachers have a common understanding of what is being communicated through the use of such tools. If used appropriately, this information can then be used to address the specific needs of each individual student. For this reason, rating scales must always contain three aspects that describe the performance: the content expected, description of each action in relation to the content, and a scale that describes the level at which students perform each task (Wesolowski, 2014). As was mentioned earlier, the primary reason to assess student learning, especially in terms of the formative level, is to be able to provide students with feedback in order to strengthen understanding. Ratings can serve this purpose in the music classroom, especially in terms of performance skills. As long as goals are communicated clearly and each level of the rating scale explains the standard to which the skill is performed, students and teachers alike will be able to understand current progress in relation to the completion of the final goal. This idea therefore operates on the understanding that the rating scales are used for the classroom with the intent of improving student progress – thus, results should not be used for any ulterior purposes outside of the classroom.

conductors) are continuously providing feedback for students in order to perfect and improve student performance within a group setting. Teachers use what they are hearing to assess how students are performing and to communicate what changes need to be made in order to adjust the performance in an effective way. Assessment of individuals’ performance capabilities, as well as group performances, is continuously occurring in the music classroom. Taking time to listen to every performance and to determine what needs to be improved upon is an opportunity for teachers and students to constantly redirect practice and learning. This process can even be implemented following a final performance in order to determine if objectives and goals were met, and to what level of proficiency those were achieved (Hope and Wait, 2007). As musicians, these objectives and goals are based on artistry and the application of individual or group-based aesthetic decisions that may be open to differences in interpretation. When informal assessment of technical skills is used in combination with a sense of ambiguity in terms of aesthetic decisions, a conceptual approach to the acquisition of musical knowledge will help to enrich the learning environment for students (Hope and Wait, 2007). In learning environments such as this, students are able to engage in informal assessment while providing opinions about how the group performed, or perhaps in relation to how another individual performed. This results in an aesthetic approach to conceptually applying technical skill to both past and future performances, therefore resulting in music educators and students developing an appreciation for “personal aesthetic preference” (Hope and Wait, 2007, p. 7). As music educators, our goal should be to better educate students on how to assess themselves in such a way that they can learn how to listen during performance, to have an understanding about what sounds good and what could be changed, and then to implement those changes in subsequent performances. Hale (2009) refers to a cyclical process of learning in which students are given feedback, provided strategies to fix misconceptions, and then allowed time to practice until mastery of the skill occurs. Feedback, discussion, and practice should continue until students are able to show growth and perhaps even mastery both in terms of executing technical skill and in making aesthetic decisions. As was mentioned earlier, our primary goal should be to help students learn to assess themselves. Thus, taking time to provide feedback in terms of informal and formal formative assessment is the best way to help students understand and glean the most from the learning process (Hale, 2009).

The ultimate goal of assessment should be to direct continued growth and learning

Checklists, rating scales, and rubrics serve as formal formative assessments. These are assessments that students complete individually in the classroom in order to determine levels of understanding. In addition to formal formative assessments, the music classroom is unique to education in that informal formative assessment occurs almost every minute in the classroom. Teachers (as

To academic educators, administrators, or parents, the strategies mentioned above may not seem like formative assessment, but Hope and Wait (2013) contest that it absolutely is. Music educators

It is important to remember that the ultimate goal of assessment should be to direct continued growth and learning. Messick (1989) affirms this concept with his idea of consequential validity. Validity, in its simplest form is generally used to confirm that the test accurately and fairly assesses what it is supposed to test. Consequential validity refers to the manner in which data resulting from the assessment is used to form conclusions (Brewer et al., 2015).

There are two components to consequential validity that specifically relate to the use of assessment in the classroom. The first of these is the fact that the label of the assessment should directly represent what knowledge and skills are being assessed (Brewer et al., 2015). Assessment should ultimately provide opportunities to redirect learning in order to help classroom objectives to be reached (Crochet, 2012). This involves diagnosing what students do not understand and then developing instruction based on redirecting misconceptions commonly held by students in the classroom. Consequential validity also refers to the manner in which the information derived from the assessments is used to inform decision making or more specifically, policy making (Brewer et al., 2015). Once assessment results are gathered, the decision of how to use those results is of upmost importance. We have already discussed the fact that student learning should be the primary purpose, and this also means that stu-

dents should never be assessed just for the sake of doing so. Thus, if a test is being used to incorrectly assess what is actually being learned or if the results from such a test are being improperly used, the educational outcomes will be negative (Brewer et al., 2015). Educators need to be certain to view assessment results, to study those results, and ultimately make adjustments to practice in order to assist students in ultimate comprehension. We assess students so that we can modify the manner in which we deliver material, hopefully resulting in students experiencing growth and development. Using assessment for any other reason is wasteful and inconsiderate of students’ time and energy. For this reason, assessment should always be considered in terms of what it accomplishes in the classroom for student understanding. What happens outside of the classroom should not affect assessment results, nor should assessment results be used to affect any happenings outside of the classroom. In order for assessment to be effective and not an abusive process, we should continually use the results in the classroom for the benefit of individual students.

Inappropriate uses of assessment outside of the classroom include teacher evaluation initiatives, promotion of political agendas, or most astonishing, advocacy for music education. Unfortunately, most of the recent educational trends falsely use assessment results to provide evidence of the overall effectiveness of political education initiatives (Brookhart, 2013). In contrast to this purpose of assessment, what matters most is the ultimate growth of students and the use of assessment results outside of the classroom serves no purpose in accomplishing this goal. One of the most inappropriate uses of assessment outside of the classroom is the use of assessment for advocacy efforts.

The biggest issue in trying to use assessment as a component of advocacy is the fact that assessment in the music classroom will be used to compare music classrooms to the traditional classroom (Hope, 2013). This is problematic due to the fact that assessment in the music classroom is very different from traditional classroom settings. Assessing musical knowledge and understanding in the same manner as that of academic classes is unrealistic primarily due to the subjective and aesthetic nature

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recognize that assessment occurs continuously in the classroom, but perhaps this idea is not common knowledge to most. Hope (2013) clarifies, “Our problem is not that we do not know how to make assessments and evaluation, but rather that we are not as adept as we need to be in explaining to others what we do, how it works, and why it works” (p.

3). We are accustomed to using assessment for the sake of improving student conceptual understanding as it relates to musical performance; however, those that are not involved in music education may not understand what assessment looks like in a performance-based classroom. As music educators, it is our job to convey to others what assessment looks like in the music classroom. Taking time to explain assessment in the music classroom to fellow educators, administrators, politicians, community members, and to parents is certainly a more effective approach in contrast to being defensive when other educators or the public show a lack of understanding or disbelief that assessment does in fact take place in the music classroom. Agreeing on consistent terminology to describe and discuss assessment is the first step in being able to discuss what this process looks like in the music classroom. Hope (2013) challenges music educators to “think more deeply about communication, with the goal of maintaining assessment on terms useful and productive to the music profession” (p. 3). Taking the time to become educated in the ways of assessment can help to ensure that we are able to adequately describe assessment in the music classroom without denying music’s integrity as a discipline.

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ASSESSMENT of the music discipline (Blakeslee, 2004). When academic achievement methods are implemented to describe the level of learning taking place in the music classroom, faulty and inappropriate results will only lead to confusion and outrage due to society’s lack of understanding of true arts assessment (Brookhart, 2013). If we instead continue to focus on how assessment can indicate student learning, students will undoubtedly continue to benefit from guided instruction in the classroom. In contrast, resorting to using test results as a form of advocacy is dangerous to the integrity of music as a discipline and only works to undermine music’s contribution to student growth and learning (Colwell, 2003).

Therein lies the overarching problem with the (misinformed) common idea of using assessment as a method of advocacy for music education.

can use assessment to make sure high standards are being achieved in the classroom, all in an effort to ensure a quality education for students. When assessment is used to guide learning and ensure understanding, the rest of the successful components of a music program will fall into place. Herein lies the argument as to why assessment should not be used for advocacy efforts: when assessment is used for advocacy, short fallings will be reported because no academic test can accurately show what the discipline can do for students. However, when assessment is used appropriately in order to direct learning and to provide measures of growth for students, individual students will be successful.

This will in turn result in the development of successful music education programs that will positively affect surrounding communities.

Assessment and advocacy are two separate entities and should not be used in combination with one another. Richard Colwell (2003) warns “if the arts should become a core subject based on the wrong foundation, however, with standards and other riggings modeled on math and science, then the use of needs assessments, ability measures, diagnostic tools, and formative evaluation all will focus on the wrong objectives” (p. 12). When used for advocacy, assessment becomes ineffective and draws the attention away from students.

The primary reason for this is current assessment tools do not accurately measure what students actually know about the discipline, nor does it show the benefits music can provide for students outside of the classroom (Colwell, 2003). Ultimately, music is an aesthetic discipline and a form of artistic expression that cannot fully and accurately be measured based on academic test results (Fisher, 2008).

Assessment is best used to guide learning in the classroom, therefore, the music education community must decide how to advocate without using assessment results. In my opinion, the answer is simple: the most effective way in which we can advocate for music education is to simply not advocate at all. Advocacy in itself seems to suggest that the discipline needs rescuing and that we must defend something that is failing in the eyes of the general public. By speaking out and scrambling over our words while showing only a slightly united front (due to the fact that anyone is able to present their feelings on behalf of the discipline), our relevance and credibility is completely limited. Once an advocacy approach is attempted, whether it is affective or not, it will undoubtedly permeate the educational community and could potentially do more harm than good (Blakeslee, 2004). It is for this reason that we must carefully consider our approach to advocacy and refrain from using assessment inappropriately for advocacy efforts. By using assessment in the classroom for the appropriate reasons, we can instead show the benefits we provide students. If we as music educators take a different approach by allowing the true benefits and unique ways in which we affect so many lives to resonate with those around us, music as an aesthetic discipline will work to prove its own worth.

Ebie (2005) found that students chose to enroll in music and arts programs in order to attain personal growth and satisfaction; in order to learn how to express music, ideas, and feelings to audiences; and to have the opportunity to participate in “spiritual experiences or ways of expressing spiritual thoughts or feelings” (p. 290). According to Abril (2008), principals value music programs in the schools due to the ability of such programs to help students be creative and to reach a broad array of personal and educational goals. In corroboration, Weerts (1993) posits that principals appreciate music programs for the opportunities that are provided in terms of self-expression, acquiring performance skills, school spirit, teaching students to learn how to cooperate with one other, and promoting a sense of community and school pride among students. Glenn (1928) describes the musical experience for students by stating, “We must see in public school music as a means of feeding man’s need for beauty” (p. 19).

Assessment and Advocacy are two separate entities and should not be used in combination with one another Furthermore, if testing is used for advocacy, this (in some ways) implies that testing should serve as a national gauge for student achievement and evaluation of music programs (Fisher, 2008). This is an inaccurate view because the effectiveness of an arts program should be measured on a local level (Welenc, 2010). Each community needs something different from their arts programs and each school serves a completely diverse set of students. Why then, should we try to assess students on a national level when goals and objectives should be set to best serve students at the local level? When asking school board members what constitutes an effective music program in their schools, Orzolek (2006) found that officials perceived success in such programs related directly to performances at school events, good quality concerts, numbers of students involved in the programs, a small number of parental complaints, and awards for these programs.

With these aspects in mind, music educators can ensure that they have a successful program and

Assessment in Music Education

References Abbott, C. (2013). The “Race to the Top” and the inevitable fall to the bottom: how the principles of the “Campaign for Fiscal Equity” and economic integration can help close the achievement gap. Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal, 93-123.

Andrews, F. M. (1962). Issues and Problems in Music Education: A Report for the Educators National Conference. Music Educators Journal, (1). 39.

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Abril, C. R., & Gault, B. M. (2008). The state of music in secondary schools: the principal’s perspective. Journal Of Research In Music Education, 56(1), 68-81.

Blakeslee, M. (2004). Assembling the Arts Education Jigsaw. Arts Education Policy Review, 105(4), 31-36.

Brewer, C., Knoeppel, R. C., & Lindle, J. C. (2015). Consequential validity of accountability policy: public understanding of assessments. Educational Policy, 29(5), 711-745.

Brookhart, S. M. (2013). The public understanding of assessment in educational reform in the United States. Oxford Review Of Education, 39(1), 52-71. doi:10.1080/0 3054985.2013.764751 Circle, D. (2005). To Test or Not to Test?. Music Educators Journal, 92(1), 4.

Colwell, R. (2003). The Status of Arts Assessment: Examples from Music. Arts Education Policy Review, 105(2), 11-18.

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According to Gambler (2003), J. Terry Gates states that music benefits individuals in society by helping people to communicate, create, derive meaning from musical experiences, empower emotional experiences, contribute to personal growth, encourage and promote self-discipline and the meeting of personal goals, embracing diversity, promoting a sense of community and helping to advance cultural values within communities. Gambler (2003) also quotes Jensen (2001) in a way that perhaps best summarizes the benefits of students in music programs: “the arts enable students to focus on the things that matter most in the world: order, integrity, thinking skills, a sense of wonder, truth, flexibility, fairness, dignity, contribution, justice, creativity, and cooperation” (Gambler, 2003, p. 12). This list indicates many benefits that may result when students participate in music. However, these benefits are unquantifiable, are indefinable, and are too numerous to try and list in the scope of this (or any other) single document. It is for this reason that we should not attempt to define any one aspect or benefit that results from students being exposed to an education in music. “Advocacy” for music education, then, can best be accomplished by discontinuing our efforts to verbally advocate for our discipline, but to instead use a new approach that we might refer to as “silent advocacy”. “Silent Advocacy” involves maintaining our integrity as a discipline while ensuring that valuable learning is taking place in the classroom each day; by providing performances in surrounding communities; by exposing administrators, parents, and community members to the successes of our programs; by keeping parents and students happy; and by ensuring that students feel successful while developing a pride for their learning and level of performance, both as individuals and as an integral part of an ensemble. By focusing on what we are doing in the classroom and allowing that work to pervade to other classrooms in the school, to the principal’s office, to our colleagues’ environments, and to surrounding communities, music education will thrive. If we maintain our focus on the development of student learning through formative and summative assessment, improvement and success will permeate our classrooms and communities. Our overarching mission should be to leave our classrooms and surrounding communities better than we found them when we first arrived. As long as we use assessment to improve the conditions within the music discipline, the larger aspects of credibility and application to society will follow. Hope (2013) best summarizes this by stating, “the most meaningful improvement comes from within a discipline, not from outside it…it seeks not to measure, but to make better” (p.11).

Crochet, L. S., & Green, S. K. (2012). Examining Progress across Time with Practical Assessments in Ensemble Settings. Music Educators Journal, 98(3), 49-54. doi:10.1177/0027432111435276 Ebie, B. D. (2005). An investigation of secondary school students’ self-reported reasons for participation in extracurricular musical and athletic activities. Research And Issues In Music Education, 3(1), Fisher, R. (2008). Debating Assessment in Music Education. Research And Issues In Music Education, 6(1), Gambler, M. B. (2003). The importance of music education and reasons why administrators should develop curriculum, schedules, budgets, and staffing to meet the needs of the music program and its students (Order No. EP21295). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I. (305265072). Retrieved from http://search. proquest.com/docview/305265072?accountid=14537 Glenn, M. (1928). The School Administrator and the Music Program. Music Supervisors’ Journal, (2). 11.

Hale, C. L., & Green, S. K. (2009). Six Key Principles for Music Assessment. Music Educators Journal, (4). 27.

Hill, B. L. (2014). A call to congress: amend education legislation and ensure that president Obama’s “Race to the Top” leaves no child behind. Houston Law Review, 51(4), 1177-1205.

Hope, S. s., & Wait, M. (2013). Assessment on Our Own Terms. Arts Education Policy Review, 114(1), 2-12.

Jensen, E. (2001). Arts with the brain in mind. Alexandria, Va. : Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, c2001.

Messick, S. (1989). Validity. In R. L. Linn (Ed.), Educational measurement (3rd ed., pp.

13-103). New York, NY: Macmillan.

Messick, S. (2003). Test validity and the ethics of assessment. In D. N. Bersoff (Ed.), Ethical conflicts in psychology (4th ed., pp. 263-265). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Orzolek, D. C. (2006). The Paradox of Assessment: Assessment as Paradox. Research And Issues In Music Education, 4(1), 1-5.

Scott, S. J. (2012). Rethinking the Roles of Assessment in Music Education. Music Educators Journal, 98(3), 31-35.

Shuler, S. C., Lehman, P., Colwell, R., & Morrison, R. (2009). Music Assessment and the Nation’s Report Card: MENC’s Response to the 2008 NAEP and Recommendations for Future NAEP in Music. Music Educators Journal, (1). 12.

Weerts, R. K., & Greenwood, R.A. (1993). Dissertation reviews: secondary school administrators’ attitudes and perceptions on the role of music and school bands.

Bulletin Of The Council For Research In Music Education, (118), 52-54.

Welenc, J. (2010). An Ugly Truth About Music Advocacy. Triad, 78(1), 123-125.

Wesolowski, B. (2014). Documenting Student Learning in Music Performance: A Framework. Music Educators Journal, 101(1), 77. doi:10.1177/0027432114540475

Kinsey Edwards

Kinsey Edwards has been teaching orchestra eight years at Lanier Middle School in Buford, Georgia. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree in 2008 from Furman University, and her Master of Music Education degree in 2014 from the University of Georgia. She presented at the Georgia Music Educators Association In Service Conference in 2009 and co-wrote an article about that same presentation that was published in the Georgia American String Teachers Association journal the following fall. Kinsey was chosen as teacher of the year at Lanier Middle School and selected as one of 25 semifinalists for Gwinnett County in 2012. She also participated in the Gwinnett County Teachers as Leaders program in the same year. Kinsey conducted the Oconee County District Honor Orchestra in Walhalla, SC in February of 2011 and also the GMEA District 3 Honor Orchestra Clinic in Columbus, GA in 2012. She is currently working towards earning her Educational Doctorate in Music Education from the University of Georgia and recently presented a Research Poster Session at both the 2016 Georgia Music Educators Association In Service Conference and the 2016 National Association for Music Education Research Conference.

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there are two divisions of the student growth component. Teachers of Tested Subjects (i.e., Math, Language Arts) measure student growth through Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs) (GDOE, 2012b).

SGPs are gathered through various standardized tests such as End of Course Tests (EOCTs), AP tests, SATs, etc. Teachers of Non-Tested Subjects (i.e., performing arts, physical education) use Department of Education approved Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) applying district-identified achievement growth benchmarks (GDOE, 2012b).

SLOs have been developed because there are no standardized tests from which to gather this student data.

written by Dorothy Musselwhite

O

ver the past ten years, Georgia has seen significant change in not only its methods of teacher evaluation, but also student assessment. During the 2005-2006 school year, newly crafted Georgia Performance Standards were developed to accommodate requirements of the Georgia Teacher Evaluation Program, or GTEP. In 2012, as part of the Race to the Top Initiative (RT3), teachers in 26 districts began implementing a new teacher evaluation system (GDOE, 2012b). This system is now the current teacher evaluation system, Georgia’s Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES), and is based on James Stronge’s Teacher Effectiveness Performance Evaluation.

With a change in teacher evaluation systems comes a change in student assessment methods. Teachers are now being asked to provide evidence of student growth and progress through a variety of assessments. According to Edward Asmus, assessment must become a central focus in music education because when the teacher and student are adequately informed about the student’s learning, then the teacher can be more effective in furthering learning, while the student can be more effective in gaining new knowledge (Asmus, 2010). Although teachers may have some trepidation of the consequences of such systems, they provide the opportunity to reflect on constantly improving teaching practices, and challenging students to improve everyday in the classroom.

Within Georgia’s TKES, there are three evaluation components: (a) Teacher Assessment on Performance Standards (TAPS), (b) Surveys of Instructional Practice, and (c) Student Growth. The purpose of this article is to look at student growth and what it means for music educators. Student growth refers to the amount of progress individual students make between two points in time. First,

The development of district SLOs has become one of the most complicated aspects of the implementation process. First, these tools have been developed by leaders from the Department of Education, from individual districts, and from administration, all typically having little to no musical background (Wesolowski, 2014). Second, these leaders and administrators have asked teachers to develop measurement tools given very little training. One tool must be used across the district to measure a variety of students on a spectrum of ability. This tool, or measure, must be comprised of at least two examination points, a pre-test and a post-test, but may include benchmarks between these endpoints. In addition, the SLO must be rigorous to ensure growth will happen (USDOE, 2012a).

The SLO Framework

The SLO should be thought of as a framework to guide a specific focus of your teaching.

The SLO is comprised of seven components: target population, interval, national standards, state standards, instructional objectives, growth targets/ scoring, and rationale. Wesolowski (2014) provides a sample SLO outline in his Documenting Student Learning in Music Performance: A Framework. An example of this can be seen in Figure 1. The target population refers to the specific course being assessed (e.g., Grade 9-12 Advanced Band). The interval dictates the testing and growth window, which could range from a semester to a year.

National and State standards should be written directly from the performing arts lists, and should clearly relate to the instructional objectives. In addition to the other musical concepts being taught throughout the year, this framework provides a guided pacing for how students should be performing on the specific objective at various points in time.

Instructional objectives, or benchmarks, organize the SLO into manageable units across the year. When developing objectives, the focus should be on what teachers want their students to know and be able to do. The outline of each student learning objective has a central focus, one overarching element from which all benchmarks are stemmed. For example, the SLO may focus on improved rhythmic accuracy in performance over the year. These objectives should be clearly written, specific, and measurable, and should describe the most important learning in which students will be engaged (USDOE, 2012b). Using a taxonomy-based language (e.g., Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives), a hierarchy of objectives should be developed. The least difficult skills or concepts should be attainable at the first interval of six or nine weeks, while the most difficult should be at the thirty-six-week interval. These objectives should build upon each other, meaning students should not be able to

student growth assessment in georgia

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Figure 1. Sample Student Learning Objective Statement

adequately attain the third objective without first mastering the second objective.

Growth targets and scoring organize students into tiers. Pre-test scores determine in which tier a student begins. From that starting place, it is the goal of the student and teacher to promote improvement and progress to reach the next tier level. This way of scoring eliminates the idea that all students should be assessed equally. It is not fair and valid to evaluate in the same way the first chair 11th grade All-State Clarinet player who takes lessons every week and the 9th grade trumpet player who just plays for fun. With this scoring system, a student makes an A by improving to the next tier level. It is important, however, to remind students that although they may score a 45 on the pre-test, this does not indicate a failing grade. It is merely a starting point from where they must grow and improve.

The last section of the SLO is the rationale, which provides the teacher a space to explain weaknesses within the classroom and among individual playing. Using research-based methodology, the teacher must provide evidence that the skills set out in the SLO are important and necessary for the growth of students and the program, and are fundamental to all music making.

Improvement through Assessment

The purpose of evaluation is to see what has been learned or achieved, and to make an overall, final judgment. Assessment, however, can be diagnostic, formative, or summative, and usually involves an ongoing process. Assessment can be defined as “the collection, analysis, interpretation, and application of information about student performance or program effectiveness in order to make educational decisions,” (Asmus, 2010). Collection refers to gathering data, finding out what students know and can do. Analysis, interpretation, and application are what the teacher must do with that data once it has been collected.

Student performance is what the teacher is most

concerned about, specifically how particular students are performing day to day. However, program effectiveness is the concern of the school, district, and state administration.

Program effectiveness refers to how an individual’s teaching methods are impacting the students in the classroom, how those students overall are improving on a year to year basis, and how the complete program is benefitting the school and community. Traditionally, program effectiveness has been evaluated and maintained by administrators, but the state is now placing this responsibility in the hands of the teachers.

Growth must be documented from diagnostic assessments through summative assessments, and then teachers must analyze that data. Teachers must use various assessments to improve student learning by improving teaching practices, and to provide a source of accountability for the overall program (Asmus, 2010).

There are two goals underscoring the implementation of the SLO frameworks into the music classroom. First, the SLO aims to show improvement among individual students and second, to show improvement in teaching. The pre-test should act as a diagnostic assessment to find students strengths and weaknesses and to guide teaching for the remaining semester or year. Benchmarks or mini-assessments act as formative assessments, given along the way to determine progress. Formative assessments create a cyclical classroom environment in which assessments are given to students, and in turn, the teacher provides feedback to the students (Guskey, 1988). Student performance informs the teacher of student progress, and subsequently, the teacher must make adjustments to teaching if progress is not adequate. This cycle continues until students’ goals are met. So, if all students are showing growth, continue with current teaching methods. If mastery is achieved at a faster rate, some students may require enrichment activities. If students are not progressing at an expected rate, the teaching approach must be adjusted for the benefit of the students.

ASSESSMENT

The ultimate goal is to present best teaching practices to students, which will allow the greatest opportunity for growth. Based on these practices, students either will show improvement, or will not show improvement. The job of the teacher is to do everything in his or her power to encourage the former.

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Communication

The nature of the performing arts classroom is one of constant feedback. Students are constantly being given instruction on how to sound better, how to fix problems, how to improve intonation, how to blend, how to be expressive, etc. Assessment is already part of every lesson.

Now, the SLO is requiring that teachers plan specific assessments ahead of time and show assessment results with numbers and documentation.

Teachers must be intentional with the delivery of content and design of assessment to focus on student growth and the needs of the students in the room. However, the majority of what happens day to day in the music classroom already promotes constant student growth. The results from the SLO should be a clear communication of exactly what is happening in each classroom as seen through the data.

During the 2012-2013 school year, Georgia piloted the SLO framework (GDOE, 2012a). There were three phases of development and implementation of the SLOs within Georgia school dis-

tricts. By the beginning of this pilot study, teachers entered the third and final phase. As can be seen from the pilot study data in Figure 2, performing arts classes showed a number of inconsistencies.

The data for Advanced Mixed Chorus show a 100% “exceeds” level. The level of ability of these students may indeed be high, however, this number indicates that all of these students are now facing a very small margin of growth. Now, examine Band (Grade 8) and Beginning Orchestra.

These classes show an overwhelming percentage at the level “Did Not Meet.” Looking at the data alone, and taking into account nothing else, it indicates that there is something wrong going on in the classroom.

The data from this pilot study show exactly why it is so important to show what is happening in the classroom through the data. The data for Band (Grade 8) and Beginning Orchestra show over half of the students not meeting criteria. As most music educators look at this chart, it can be assumed that an accurate representation is not being shown. Reasons for such low numbers could include goals that were too difficult, or objectives that were unclear. Teachers, first, must become more involved in the process of SLO development, as no one knows better what students in specific classrooms are able to do. Second, teachers must be advocates for their students and their classrooms, using measures that are going to show administrators and the state exactly what is happening in each class.

Figure 2. 2012 Georgia TKES SLO Data Georgia Department of Education TKES and LKES 2012 Pilot Evaluation Report: Music

State SLO Data by Course and Rating SLO Course

Did Not Meet

#

%

Meets

#

Exceeds

%

Advanced Mixed Chorus (9-12) Advanced Placement Music Theory

#

% 8

100.0

7

33.3

8

38.1

6

28.6

23

50

9

19.6

14

30.4

BEG CHORUS (Grade 6)

7

3.3

198

92.5

9

4.2

Beginning Band I (9-12)

5

14.3

2

5.7

28

80.0

13

12.0

9

8.3

86

79.6

17

100.0

Band (Grade 8)

Beginning Band (Grade 7) Beginning Choral Ensemble Beginning Choral Ensemble I

5

21.7

18

78.3

Beginning Chorus (Grade 8)

7

26.9

6

23.1

13

50.0

Beginning Chorus (Grade 6)

22

8.0

215

77.9

39

14.1

Beginning Orchestra

13

65.0

1

5.0

6

30.0

14

100.0

Guitar Techniques (Grade 7) MUS/2

240

19.8

Music, General (Grade 4)

491

40.5

480

39.6

7

16.7

35

83.3

Music, General (Grade 5)

56

56.6

20

20.2

22

22.2

Music, General (Grade K)

9

9.1

18

18.2

72

72.7

Piano Techniques (Grade 8)

1

4.2

5

20.8

18

75.0

student growth assessment in georgia

How can teachers assess these students in a way that benefits the student and improves teaching? Quality rubrics are one way to tailor assessments to members of the ensemble on a more individual basis. Teacher objectivity can be increased through the use of rubrics, taking out a substantial amount of bias that has been mentioned as a downfall of SLOs. Rubrics begin by developing clearly detailed guidelines for different levels of performance on selected learning goals (e.g., SLO objectives) (Asmus, 2010). When students are assessed using a rubric, they are able to see the full description of their current level of performance. They can also see the descriptions for all other levels, which enables students to understand exactly the expectations for achieving and progressing to the next level (Wesolowski, 2012). For the student growth model, and SLOs in particular, this aspect of feedback on the rubric is essential to motivate students to reach their personal goals.

Wesolowski (2012) discusses the process of creating rubrics. Rubric development should begin with a clear definition of objectives or learning goals for the assessment, which are set by the teacher or, perhaps, the SLO. Then, the teacher must decide the performance criteria for the rubric: what should students be able to do? This should be a short list of three to five items (e.g., intonation control in the upper range). The next step in rubric development involves breaking down performance levels into degrees of proficiency.

Using categories, such as (a) beginning, (b) intermediate, (c) proficient, and (d) advanced, the teacher must decide how to describe each level.

What are the expectations for each performance level? There should be a flow between all degrees, and each description should be detailed, yet concise. The names of the categories may change depending on the ensemble being evaluated, and can fluctuate from three to five categories, yet should not exceed five (Gordon, 2002).

Last, the teacher should choose a scale to use, assigning points in a logical way. The scoring guide should be simple and consistent. Brian Wesolowski’s Understanding and Developing Rubrics for Music Performance Assessment (2012) provides more detailed guidance in the development of rubrics.

Conclusion

What is available to help make this process easier? At the national level, the implementation of the new Core Arts Standards is leading to new developments in assessment. The Model Cornerstone Assessments (MCAs) are still being developed and are in the pilot stages. These assessments can be accessed through the national website, and house a number of performance rubrics while providing opportunities for standards

Music educators should look at these student growth models, specifically Student Learning Objectives, not as another hurdle, but as a way to improve teaching practices and provide the best opportunity for students. The SLOs should be used to show administrators and state officials that music educators are doing their job, and student growth is happening every year. Communicate and give feedback to students and parents so progress can be encouraged from many directions. When students are not meeting expectations, teachers should change the delivery of content and instruction. By appropriately challenging students in the music classroom, students become more motivated which will provide an environment more likely to witness growth. Evidence should be documented using a well-planned rubric, paired with clearly written objectives and benchmarks.

Last, be an advocate for the music program. A basic comprehension of SLO implementation as it applies specifically to music education can lead to better understanding of the students sitting in each classroom, and subsequently, better teaching practices.

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In general, students can be assessed through cognitive-based assessments, which determine the amount of content knowledge mastered, or through performance assessments, which can be accomplished through rating scales or rubrics. Many music educators do not have a fundamental understanding of how to develop and implement these assessment types correctly in the classroom, especially as they apply to the documenting of student learning and growth-related progress (Wesolowski, 2012). In addition, students may frequently be assessed without receiving clear feedback as to their achievement level, methods for improvement, or teacher’s expectations.

implementation. In addition to the MCAs, performance assessment rubrics are being developed through research-based studies and can be found online through the Music Education Search System.

spring 2016 / georgia music news

Development of an Assessment Tool

References Asmus, E. (2010). Considerations for teaching music education assessment. In S. Holgersen and F. V. Nielsen (Eds.), Proceedings of the Tenth International Symposium of the Research Alliance of Institutes for Music Education (Vol. 27).

Copenhagen NV: RAIME. Georgia Department of Education (2012a). Overview to the 2012 TKES/LKES pilot evaluation report. Retrieved from http:// www.gadoe.org/School-Improvement/Teacher-and-Leader-Effectiveness/Documents/Pilot%20Report_Overview%20 and%20Report%20Combined%201-10-13.pdf Georgia Department of Education (2012b). Teacher Keys Effectiveness Handbook. Retrieved from http://legisweb.state. wy.us/InterimCommittee/2012/TKESHandbook.pdf Gordon, E. (2002). Rating scales and their uses for evaluating achievement in music performance. Chicago, IL: GIA. Guskey, T. R. (1988). Bloom’s mastery learning and Hunter’s mastery teaching: Complement of conflict. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (New Orleans, LA, April 5-9, 1988).

U.S. Department of Education. (2012a). Race to the Top Annual Performance Report. (CFDA Number: 84.395). Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/annual-report.pdf U.S. Department of Education. (2012b). Targeting student growth: Using student learning objectives as a measure of educator effectiveness. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.

Wesolowski, B. C. (2012). Understanding and developing rubrics for music performance assessment. Music Educators Journal, 98 (3), 36-42.

Wesolowski, B. C. (2014). Documenting student learning in music performance: A framework. Music Educators Journal, 101, 77-85.

Dorothy Musselwhite is a Ph.D. candidate in Music Education at the University of Georgia. She serves as a research assistant, instructor of woodwind techniques, and practicum supervisor for instrumental undergraduate Music Education majors.

She has previously taught band and chorus at the middle and high school levels in Whitfield and Gwinnett counties.

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PERSPECTIVE

I

n February, 1996, during my 30th year as a music educator, I accepted the position of Executive Director for GMEA. I resigned from my job as band director at Jonesboro High School and spent the remainder of that school year holding down both jobs, thanks to the understanding of my principal, Dr. Grady Kilman, my assistant director, Kevin Stauffer, and the GMEA office staff and officers. That was twenty years ago and now seems like a good time to reflect on those years and where we have come in that time.

The 1990’s were a time of economic stability and prosperity as well as a time of almost unprecedented growth for Georgia. During that period, the population of the state increased by twenty-five percent.

More families meant more students, more students meant more schools, and more schools meant more and bigger music programs. All that meant more GMEA members and more and larger student music events.

That growth presented a mix of opportunities and challenges for us. Thanks to the faith and understanding of the members and leaders of our association, we were able to meet those challenges and take advantage of those opportunities to lay a financial and organizational structure that has served us well in the ensuing years and through some economic, political, and educational times that were not so good.

Before I continue, let me say that no one person or group of people can take credit for any success we have had. We have been blessed with dedicated and talented employees, supportive officers, and hard working member volunteers, not to mention school leaders outside the area of music who value what we do, all of whom contributed more than I can say to make us as successful as we are. Because of that, I will not mention names here since I would inevitably leave someone out and that would be criminal. I hope you all know who you are and that you have my heartfelt thanks.

Let me instead talk about some of the innovations and inventions of the last twenty years that we have been able to leverage to our great advantage. I believe technology has to be at or near the top of that list.

In 1996, everything we did in the way of communication and event administration was done on paper.

Handbooks had to be typeset, printed, and mailed to members, along with all our event applications and registration forms. Those forms had to then be mailed back to the office, sorted by hand, and forwarded to the organizers and members by mail. The only form of payment we were able to accept was paper checks, which had to be assigned an accounting code, and deposited in the bank manually. All checks coming from the office were written by our accountant and mailed to the payees by our office staff. We did have desktop computers in the office, but their use was extremely limited by today’s standards.

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My first conference planning session (1997) was all done on paper and took two day’s work by fifteen people to complete. I still remember thinking, “there has to be a better way to do this.” That was one of the first steps we took forward in what would become an almost total reliance on computers and technology for these kinds of tasks. To document each step of this metamorphosis would take a book the size of a doctoral dissertation, but there are a few key milestones that are worthy of mention.

One of the major breakthroughs was our first website. We started small, with a site that was almost strictly informational and very simple by today’s standards. As time went by, we were able to expand with the available technology to make the site more interactive and more streamlined.

GMEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CECIL WILDER

YEARS but who’s counting?

We are most certainly not at the end of this trip down technology lane. In fact, the changes and improvements in computing technology just come faster and faster, and we are dedicated to taking advantage of them when it is to our benefit. Moore’s Law has, to this point at least, been our friend. I am a great believer in the Will Rogers adage, “even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.”

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Advocacy for music education and music programs is another critical GMEA component. The traditional form of advocacy has always involved what we call, “storming the state house,” which has turned into turning thousands of students and parents loose on legislators and other governmental officials. Somewhere along the way, it occurred to me that this approach is too often like wetting your pants in a dark suit. You get a warm feeling, but nobody notices. Our approach has changed over time, and we now devote much of our energy and resources to making friends and being friends to individuals and groups, including local school boards, school superintendents, and other educational groups, who can and want to help us.

One initiative we have undertaken in recent years has been a partnership in the, “Vision for Public Education in Georgia,” also known as, “The Vision Project”. Another is that we now exhibit at the annual winter joint conference of the Georgia School Boards Association and the Georgia School Superintendents Association.

That having been said, our most powerful advocacy tool may be our members, who realize the importance of making their music programs so loved by and valuable to their students and their parents that they will willingly fight these battles for us. It has worked on many occasions and will continue to work.

Keep it up.

We would probably all agree that public education in Georgia has come under attack in recent years to a degree that is unprecedented. Decision makers and the media have assaulted teaching and teachers mercilessly and undeservedly, making what is already one of the hardest jobs in the world even harder. In the face of these attacks, our music teachers have just kept coming back and fighting back. That we still have music programs and teachers at all is a reality for which it is hard to account. That we have some of the strongest programs in the country is unfathomable.

You deserve the gratitude of every student and family whose lives you have impacted. I don’t see how you do it.

Along the way to where we have come, we have seen many changes and, hopefully, many improvements. We have seen our district structure grow from twelve districts to fourteen. Those splits caused many personal and professional relationships to be changed and new ones made. Even though it was hard for those affected by the change, you accepted that to not change would stifle needed growth and possibly cause atrophy in some cases, and you have come away in all cases stronger than before. Thank you.

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This road has not always been straight or without bumps and detours, and sometimes it didn’t even seem to be paved. In any case, we are here, again, thanks to the support and faith of our members and leaders. The cost savings of these changes cannot be calculated with accuracy, but it would not be surprising if it has been in excess of a million dollars. We have tried to put those savings to use in providing more and better services for members and students and to contain costs.

spring 2016 / georgia music news

Another huge improvement was establishing our relationship with Logic Speak and moving our event applications, registrations, and administration to the internet, beginning with the all-state chorus event. It has taken almost fifteen years, but we have finally arrived at the point where all our events large enough to support it are completely handled through our Opus site, including payments. Along the way we, started accepting credit card payment followed by electronic funds transfer. We have also been able to eliminate the need for paper signatures by teachers and principals, using what amounts to a form of electronic signatures. Over time we have eliminated almost all paper coming into and going out of the office, not to mention printing and postage costs.

PERSPECTIVE

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We have also moved our events as they outgrew the venues and cities we were using, first, from the Savannah Civic Center to the Trade and Convention Center, and then, hardest of all, leaving Savannah altogether for Athens. We have completed that transition now and, hopefully, Athens can be our home for many years to come. The move was hard for many, not least of all for me, an Auburn graduate. I wear my Auburn class ring and as much blue and orange clothing as I can get away with in Athens and smile. Not to my surprise, I have found that the people and the town are really special, and I have come to love them.

As we have grown and changed over the years, we have added programs and events and dropped some. We have changed our governmental structure when the officers and members were convinced that it was the best thing to do and these changes will undoubtedly continue, hopefully to our benefit. We have changed our audition and evaluation rubrics when it seemed to be advisable and have not been afraid to change them again when they didn’t work like we had planned. We have taken chances and spent money when it seemed the best thing to do and, so far, it has worked out for us.

When I came on board twenty years ago, one of the officers who hired me asked me if I wanted a contract. I said, “no, we will just keep doing this until you get mad at me or I get mad at you.” Well, I am still here and, I am still happy and hope you are. This job has given me some of the most rewarding moments and relationships of my life, both within and outside of GMEA. I plan to stay as long as I feel I can make a contribution and enjoy myself. Thank you all for the opportunity to serve you.

Cecil Wilder

Cecil Wilder is currently employed as Executive Director for the Georgia Music Educators Association, having held that position since 1996. Prior to that he worked for nineteen years in the Clayton County (GA) schools as Director of Bands at Jonesboro Senior High School, Conductor of the Clayton County Youth Symphony, and as Lead Teacher for Instrumental Music. Cecil is a member of the Hall of Fame of the Georgia Chapter of Phi Beta Mu (2010). He is also a recipient of the GMEA Distinguished Career Award (2002) and was named a Lowell Mason Fellow by the National Association for Music Education (2015). During his teaching career he was twice named Star Teacher (Kendrick High School, 1977 and Jonesboro High School 1996).

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66 georgia music news / spring 2016

Amy Clement 1. Please tell us a bit about your musical background and teaching experience.

AC: I started violin when I was four years old in the Suzuki program at the University of Louisville. I was a hyper child and often got into trouble, so my mother was hoping to give me the chance to use my energy for something positive! I took private lessons thro¬ugh high school and had the opportunity to play in the Louisville Youth Orchestra, all-state orchestra, and my high school orchestra before attending Loyola University in New Orleans.

Upon graduating with my master’s degree in music education, I played in the symphony orchestra in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for one year and also taught in the music school and elementary school while there. I left Iowa to come to Gwinnett County and am currently in my 20th year of teaching.

PD: I majored in vocal performance and music education at the University of Mississippi. Upon graduating, I landed at Pointe South Middle School in Clayton County, where I taught general and choral music. While teaching at Pointe South, my students participated in Festival (LGPE), All-State, Honor Chorus, Six Flags, Disney, and Carawinds. After seven years at Pointe South, I headed to teach general and choral music at Dickerson Middle School, located in Cobb County. While at Dickerson, the choral program grew from 65 students to 450 students. I continued our GMEA involvement, added trips to theme parks, and began other new annual traditions. We sang the National Anthem at Braves and Hawks games, sang on Fox 5 in support of the Toys for Tots campaign as well as various other community performances. During the 2001-2002 school year, I was honored by being elected Dickerson’s Teacher of the Year. This was a humbling and flattering experience as I taught with so many outstanding educators. While at Dickerson, I served as the GMEA District 12 Choral Chairperson and as an organizer for District Honor Chorus. In 2014, I moved to Davis Elementary School in Cobb County. Davis is a wonderful school where my two children attended. I now have the awesome opportunity to ignite the love of music from a very early age. We sing, dance, and play instruments, while infusing the elements of music and music literacy in our daily work. Our students perform as singers and instrumentalists and put on grade level plays. This year the fourth and fifth grade combined chorus sang The National Anthem at the Braves and the Hawks, the Canadian National Anthem at the Swarm’s inaugural game, sang holiday pieces on Fox 5 News for Toys for Tots, and several other community performances.

Paige Dobbins 2. What first drew you to music education?

AC: My college professor and orchestra conductor, Dean Angeles, encouraged me to pursue a masters’ degree in music education. I figured that it would be something to try for a year and then I could try my hand at a degree in arts management. Once I had my first opportunity to teach students in a prep orchestra setting, I was in love with the idea of being a teacher!

PD: My passion and love of music drew me to the teaching profession. My life’s story is full of music. From my own personal performances, concerts I have attended and directed, to music on the radio. Music connects me to the emotions, memories, people, and events in my life. It is the one constant element of my life.

3. Who has been the biggest influence on your teaching career? What lessons did that person teach you?

AC: That is a hard question to answer. I feel like many people have contributed to my success in being an orchestra teacher. Most importantly, my parents have helped guide me to be the person that I am today. Without them, I wouldn’t be a musician and definitely not a teacher. They always taught me that I could be whatever I wanted to be and that I should never give up on myself or my dreams. They showed me that hard work and dedication are the most important attributes in any career.

PD: I began my teaching career teaching with Bernadette Scruggs as my teammate. She directed the orchestra at Pointe South. Bern is still an amazing mentor and life-long friend. She encouraged me and taught me to keep my chin up, even when days were not so sunny. Bern always told me to identify your strengths and capitalize on them. She taught me how to balance paperwork, performances, first year pressures, and she even taught me how to balance my checkbook. Oh boy!!

4. What have been the biggest changes to music education in the course of your career?

AC: I have been teaching orchestra for 20 years. Probably one of the biggest changes has been the integration of technology in the classroom and how student learning is affected by technology. I have been trying to get out of my comfort zone a little more with technology so that I can meet my students at the point that they are comfortable with learning.

5. How has your teaching philosophy evolved throughout your career?

AC: When I began teaching, I knew that I wanted to share music and creating music with children. I wanted to share my passion for performing and making beautiful art with my students. What I didn’t know is how much they would also teach me. I think every child deserves a music education and should be given that chance to create something so unique and beautiful.

PD: When I began teaching, it was all about the musical sound and the optimum performance. My philosophy has since changed. I am more focused on the process. If students are engaged in the process, you give them the tools to create beautiful music for life. I want to instill a love of music in all of my students. Let it seep into their soul forever so they become music lovers and maybe even become a music educator or a performer. I am honored to say I have former students who are both. Today’s youth has become digitally dependent, relying on electronic devices to communicate with each other. Connecting only through devices is a life devoid of emotion and physical context. Music is a powerful connection between emotion and inspiration. It is crucial to our humanity and emotional growth.

6. What has been the proudest moment of your teaching career?

AC: My proudest moment would have to be preparing and taking students to the 2013 Midwest Band and Orchestra clinic. That was one of the hardest and most rewarding musical experiences that I have ever had.

PD: It was an honor for the Dickerson Eighth Grade Chorus to perform the National Anthem on ESPN for an NCAA collegiate football game in Orlando, FL, during the Champs-Citrus Bowl.

7. What wisdom/experience/skills do you hope students gain from their time in your program?

AC: I hope that they learn to be the very best musician that THEY can be. I want my students to be productive citizens one day and to be able to problem solve, communicate with others, and create.

I want them to understand that when they work hard and have high expectations of not only themselves, but the whole team, the rewards are great.

PD: I hope students remember how much they enjoyed being a part of an ensemble, chorus or music class. That I valued each and every student that walked through my door. That we all have a song to sing. That good things come from hard work. That music is emotion living out loud. To always question and analyze things in life, questions lead to a better musical experience, performance, and, ultimately, a better life if we learn from our experiences and grow both musically and personally.

8. Is there a particular musical work or composer to which you feel all students should be exposed?

AC: I think that, in middle school, it is our job to expose students to as many composers and musical genres as possible. They won’t

PD: Students should be exposed to diverse repertoire throughout their music experiences. The classics are the platform of our art.

While diverse genres and composers are vital, I feel it is equally important for music educators to connect students to the music that moves and reaches them. It gives validity to the student’s musical tastes and helps bridge the past to the present while engaging the students.

9. What advice would you offer teachers beginning careers in music education?

AC: Save all of the wonderful notes and stories to look back on for when you are stressed about your job. I have a whole box that I love to go back and look at – and it reminds me of all the wonderful children I have taught throughout the years. Try to focus on the students and the music when you feel like the paperwork, etc. is too much.

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necessarily be playing Mozart in middle school, but they can listen to Mozart as we celebrate composer birthdays or they can ‘create’ 20th century music compositions with skittles without having to perform that genre on their instrument, another task that may be daunting for middle school students.

winter 2015 / georgia music news

PD: Education has changed tremendously, which is why what we do is so important. There are so many new demands on our time and teaching. When I began, a teacher was able to just come in and create music. Now our lessons need to include differentiation, interdisciplinary connections, a multitude of standards, accommodations, using a variety of technology, blogs and other communications. Teachers are stretched thin. This is why it is vital for students to have music daily. To live, breathe and connect with themselves and others.

PD: Stay focused on why you became a music teacher and your passion for music. Do not let all of the other “stuff” get in the way.

The paperwork, data, school personalities, lessons plans, et cetera.

These are not your focus. While these things are necessary and must be done well, the driving factor is the students and their experience in your class. Connect with your students. Find out what activities they love and what excites them.

Find a music mentor, a mentor that you can trust and depend on to help support you through the challenges of a beginning teacher, one who will be honest yet encouraging, a good sounding board.

All schools have their own methods of doing things, strengths, and challenges. A mentor can help you maneuver through these avenues with finesse.

10. What still inspires you about teaching?

AC: My students are what inspire me to do my very best and to learn as much as I can about teaching orchestra. They are constantly pushing me to challenge myself and learn things that I never thought possible. I love the moments when I see my students figure something out or they take pride in something they have achieved. They remind me that we are all a team creating a masterpiece together.

PD: I love seeing the students connect and embrace the music, whether it be in class or a performance, music they heard outside of school, or the first grader whose parents recently took them to see The Piano Guys. These connections are the beauty of music.

A few years ago, a former middle school student visited me after returning from college. He wanted to share how much being a part of chorus meant to him. Chorus helped him through his middle school years. He said if he had not had chorus, he might not be here today. It was a tough time for him and music got him through it. What a powerful statement about music. What we do matters.

These musical moments stay with our students. Yes, it is crucial we teach our students the standards, a variety of repertoire and genres, the elements of music…I could go on. But, by far, the musical connections that gets in their soul is what inspires me to teach music.

Know an experienced teacher that should be featured in a future article of The Veteran 10?

Send an email to the GMN Editor, Victoria Enloe: victoria_enloe@gwinnett.k12.ga.us

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