2022-2023 Georgia Music News | Spring Issue

Dion Muldrow

Sarah Ball

Past

Executive Director

Association News

The President Speaks

Dr. Matthew Koperniak

Summer is almost here, and current GMEA officers and division chairs will conclude their terms on June 30, 2023. The future of GMEA is bright, and I have confidence our new officers and division chairs will continue to move our association in a positive direction. With the future in mind, I would like to reflect upon the 2021-2023 term. This time has been marked by change, yet strongly rooted in our mission and purpose guiding this period of transition.

A significant change was the shifting from unfamiliar to familiar, as we moved from virtual events in 2020-2021 back to our regular calendar of face-to-face events in 2021-2022. I continue to be grateful for the officers, staff, and volunteers who navigated GMEA through the difficult days of the pandemic, under the steadfast leadership of President Carl Rieke (20192021). When the current officers and division chairs began their terms on July 1, 2021, GMEA had held no face-to-face statewide events for the entire previous school year. Thank you to all GMEA members for your trust and support as we restarted statewide events during an uncertain time. The 2022 GMEA Conference was particularly memorable, and spirits were high after a year away from face-to-face events with colleagues and friends.

We also navigated our first executive director transition since 1996. The departure of Cecil Wilder from the GMEA staff was announced to the membership on February 19, 2022, and would take effect on June 30th of that year. In March 2022, the Executive committee reviewed and amended the Executive Transition Plan, followed by the posting of the Executive Director vacancy and job description. Applications were collected through April 30th. The search committee, consisting of the president, vice presidents, immediate past president, and president-elect, reviewed applications, and scheduled interviews to occur on Saturday, May 14th, immediately following the annual meeting of the GMEA Board of Directors in McDonough, GA. On May 24th, Alan Fowler was announced as our new executive director, and he officially started on July 1, 2022. Since that time, the executive committee has worked closely with our new executive director to establish priorities and initiatives to guide and structure the transition into the future.

A significant priority has been the budget. The first executive committee meeting with our new executive director was on August 6, 2022. Despite our excitement for the new school year, the mood was solemn. Each of the previous six fiscal years had ended in a loss, with expenses exceeding revenue. According to our calculations, if we were to continue along that unsustainable path, GMEA would no longer exist by 2024. The executive committee made the decision to approve a deficit budget based on event participation from the previous year. We also made the decision not to raise any fees, in order to encourage event participation. During fall 2022 district meetings, we shared budget concerns and asked every GMEA member to join together in maximizing our event participation. We promised transparency, which included an update to all members on December 17, 2022, regarding “GMEA+” and Helium LLC, as well as providing midyear budget updates to the division councils during February and March 2023.

As I type this column on April 1, 2023, our budget situation has improved due to careful spending, increased participation, and alternative revenue sources. Notably, GMEA received funds from the IRS under the Employee Retention Tax Credit in 2023, because we kept our staff fully employed during the height of the pandemic. Alternative funding sources, such as grants and development efforts, continue to be a significant priority.

It is our strong recommendation that GMEA continue to pursue alternative funding sources, remain transparent to the membership, and spend conservatively without sacrificing the quality of our events and services. If we continue along this path, there should come a time in the future in which GMEA has built back its operational reserve and the financial situation has stabilized. We implore all future officers to proceed cautiously. GMEA must be prepared to weather unexpected storms if we are to survive for years to come.

In 2022, we marked the 100th anniversary of music education being included in a Georgia conference program as a department of the Georgia Education Association (the “prehistory” to the founding of GMEA). I acknowledged this in the fall 2022 Georgia Music News, and marked the occasion during the

GMEA Music Program Leaders fall summit at the Woodruff Arts Center on September 16, 2022. Looking ahead, GMEA will have many opportunities to celebrate in the next decade, including the 100th anniversary of All-State Chorus (2031), Solo & Ensemble (2035), All-State Band (2037), Large Group Performance Evaluation – originally Festival (2037), and AllState Orchestra (2038). Mark your calendars for our centennial in 2038, when GMEA will celebrate the 100th anniversary of our official beginning as the Georgia Music Education Association.

Our committees have continued to move our collective work forward, to highlight just a few accomplishments that reflect our priority of increased access to music education for all students. GMEA received the NAfME Excellence in Advocacy award in 2022, a testament to the work of our Advocacy committee (Sara Womack, chair). This award reflects our commitment to the belief that advocacy is a responsibility of every GMEA member. The 2023 In-Service Conference included a highly attended HBCU reception, thanks to our DEIA committee (Gregory Denson, chair). We continue to focus on the Music Teacher Pipeline through a working research group (Martin Norgaard, research chair). We also rebranded the Future Music Educators Colloquium, launching the GMEA: High School Experience for the 2022 and 2023 conferences. This initiative quadrupled the participation of high school students who are interested in a career in music education. The 2022 and 2023 conferences also included several sessions focused on music and students with exceptionalities, thanks to the work of our

Exceptional Student Success committee (Amber Weldon-Stephens, chair). Additionally, the National Anthem for the 2023 conference was performed by exceptional elementary school students, reflecting our belief that all students can and should be involved in music.

I remain grateful for the work of countless volunteers throughout our state. Of note, it has been a distinct pleasure to serve alongside the members of the 2021-2023 executive committee: Vice President for Performance Evaluations Dion Muldrow, Vice President for All-State Events Sarah Ball, Immediate Past President Carl Rieke (2021-2022), President-Elect Neil Ruby (2022-2023), Past Presidents’ Council Representative Frank Folds, and Executive Director Alan Fowler. I continue to be amazed by the tireless work of our 2021-2023 Division Chairs: Travis Downs (Band), Scott Martin (Choral), Chester Phillips (College), Amie Schaff (Elementary), and Stephen Lawrence-Carroll (Orchestra), and our Interest Area Chairs: Heath Jones (Technology), Caryn Volk (Guitar), Martin Norgaard (Research), Annalisa Chang (CNAfME), and Richard Bell (Composition). Special thanks to Victoria Enloe for her continued leadership as Editor of Georgia Music News and to Jay Wucher for his wisdom as Ethics & Professional Standards chair. Finally, our GMEA staff are the backbone to our operations and provide consistency and stability. Thank you to Alan Fowler, Aleta Womack, Bernadette Scruggs, and Cindy Reed for your expertise, commitment, and dedication to our Association and music education.

There is no way to properly thank the multitude of GMEA volunteers around our state. District leadership, hosts, and organizers are the lifeblood of our association. Music education in Georgia is strong and brims with potential due to the efforts of each of you. Georgia is filled with amazing music educators, from Sky Valley to St. Marys, from Cairo to Chattanooga Valley, and everywhere in between. Thank you to music teachers across Georgia for your continued work to provide outstanding education and opportunities to your students. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of support in the years ahead.

Association News

From The Executive Director D. Alan Fowler

It has been the craziest year of my life. Last spring, I was planning for the 2022-23 school year and a move from the old Eastside into a brand-new building. Plans were being made for The Pride of Eastside Marching Band to march in the National Cherry Blossom parade in April, 2023, and I was looking forward to what I imagined would be several more years teaching, since my youngest daughter is a member of the Class of 2030. But I also applied last April for the job I now hold.

In my interview last May, I was asked how I envisioned the job and essentially what I would do in the role. There were several other questions and I felt good about all of them, but that particular question called on me to share my vision. I told the committee members that given the opportunity, I would get out there and meet people and see students across the state. There is no way I could just sit in my home office on the computer all the time. It was and is important to me to know what is going on in the music classrooms of Georgia and for our members to know who I am and that I care about them.

The next week, Matt Koperniak reached out and asked if I could be available for a video chat. I realized at that moment, my life and the direction things were headed was about to change. In fact, as I sit here typing this, the Eastside Band is preparing to leave for Washington and I am looking forward to attending the South Georgia Region Band event next weekend. When Matt and I talked and he offered me the job, he told me that the committee felt strongly that I should get out there and see people, just as I outlined in my interview. And I have done exactly that.

Last June, I had the privilege to play tuba in Warner Robins with the Wellston Winds at a rehearsal and then their July 2nd concert. In August, I visited Waycross to speak at the District Eight fall meeting, and the next day I visited Hahira Middle School and was able to contribute to Emily-Ann Nguyen’s classes that morning. After meeting and visiting with folks in Hahira, I stopped by to visit District Two Chairperson Dominique Lane at Crisp County High School. On my way back to what I like to call HQ East, I even stopped in Jackson to watch a marching rehearsal.

Throughout the fall, whenever I was able to get away from the office, I made a point to call on GMEA members. I visited with members in District Ten and District Nine, and was treated to a tour of the Piedmont College music building. Among some of my other stops were Union Grove Middle School, Lawrenceville Elementary School, and Berkmar Middle School, where I played bass with Abby Jones’ eighth grade orchestra class.

Sarah Grant welcomed me to an event at the Woodruff Arts Center and I attended a special day at the Rialto Center where the phenomenal Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performed for hundreds of Atlanta Public School elementary students. Later in the fall, at the invitation of Brandon Soloff, I attended a special Community Veterans Day breakfast at North Gwinnett HS. While there, I enjoyed breakfast with Georgia Teacher of the Year and GMEA member Michael Kobito, as we watched students from all of North Gwinnett’s Fine Arts programs perform.

There have been times throughout the year when I have needed to meet with a variety of folks around the state, and in each case, I have done my best to stop and visit with members along my route. Many times, I have been able to sit in on rehearsals and witness the fine teaching going on in music classrooms around Georgia. In January, I needed to pick something up in Kennesaw, which I coordinated with a chance to drive to northwest Georgia to see Boston Brass in concert with Tracy Wright’s band In Ringgold.

Following our In-Service Conference and All-State events, I planned a mini-tour of LGPE events. What a great time I had visiting Columbus, where I met Josh Milam and got to rehearse his band at Columbus High School before visiting Columbus First Baptist Church, where I heard several fine

choirs and got to chat with the adjudicators during their lunch. Later that same week, I headed to Buford to see my daughter’s college roommate conduct the Wesleyan Wind Ensemble on stage before stopping to hear choirs in Lawrenceville and then orchestras in Grayson on my way back to HQ East. The next week, I enjoyed attending chorus LGPE in District Two at Cairo High School, and while there, I joked with John Scanling that it was nice to leave Cairo without having lost a football game!

My home base in south Georgia was the home of some friends in Albany, which allowed for one of the neatest experiences yet. At the Statewide Elementary Honor Chorus event back in February, while assisting Elementary Chair-elect Letricia Henson setting up chairs in the Athena Ballrooms, I met Anita Moody. Ms. Moody teaches at Sherwood Acres Elementary in Albany, and I told her of my plan to visit schools in that part of the state. She told me to look her up when I got to town. Before my visit south, I emailed her that I planned to be in Albany for an entire day and asked if I could observe her and some others teach. To say that Dougherty County School rolled out the red carpet for me would be an understatement! Anita and Westover HS Band Director Roy Eaddy took me on a tour of six schools throughout Albany, where I met members and principals and got to see some terrific teaching. Later that afternoon, after having experienced an incredible day, I traveled to Savannah to hear choirs sing at the District One chorus LGPE, where on that Friday I found myself impressed by both the choirs and the organization. Before making the drive back to Covington, I found myself visiting with the North Gwinnett HS Orchestra when I bumped into them on a street in Savannah.

Finally, on Tuesday, March 28th, I drove to Augusta, where I attended the District 10 orchestra LGPE event before ending my day (and mini-tour) at Greenbrier High School listening to the final performances at the District 10 chorus LGPE event.

My trip to east Georgia meant that I had seen students either rehearse or perform in all of our 14 GMEA districts during the course of the year, thus delivering on one of my more ambitious firstyear goals. In every case, I was met with enthusiasm and kindness. At a couple of LGPE sites, I found myself singing bass in the back of the sight-reading room.

In closing, the challenges this first year as Executive Director have been great, but so has been the experience. We have roughly 3,000 members and my purpose, and that of our staff, is to serve them all. Our association’s mission continues to be: “To promote the advancement of music education in Georgia.” I truly do take that mission seriously and am proud of what it means to be a part of that mission, alongside each and every one of you.

Keep up the great work!

Division News

Band Travis Downs

It has been another exciting year for the band division! From what our programs endured just a few short years ago, seeing all of our statewide events and our local school activities flourishing for the 2022-2023 school year has been exhilarating.

leadership and service is vital to our organization. Thank you to every director who hosted, organized, volunteered, adjudicated, or played any kind of supportive role for our students in all of the GMEA events this year. From marching contests to district and all-state auditions and the all-state event itself to performance evaluations, these experiences would not be possible without the countless people who step up to help each year. I am extremely proud of our membership for their continued support of each other, for our students, and for our profession.

It has been an honor to serve our state organization over the past three years as state band chair. Navigating mid-pandemic to the end of this current school year has been quite the ride. Challenges like helping to figure out how to hold virtual district and all-state auditions, running a virtual conference, organizing and planning two in-person conferences, updating the current all-state etudes, finding a way to incorporate and facilitate the addition of an 11/12 all-state percussion ensemble to our already incredibly packed all-state event were rewarding on many levels. The future is bright, and I look forward to seeing what’s next for our state!

Please join me in welcoming Chris Shumick, your Band Chair for the next two years. He is an incredible musician and leader, and I have no doubt the band division will continue to flourish under his leadership.

For those who will be retiring from the profession at the end of the year, thank you for your years of service. We all wish you the very best in your next endeavors. And for our new teachers who are completing their first year, congratulations! I’m sure you have learned a lot of

things you wished you had learned in college. Keep going and never stop asking for help and advice.

Before I go, I would be remiss not to share my personal appreciation for the members of the executive committee, President Matt Koperniak, Past President Carl Rieke, President-Elect Neil Ruby, and our new Executive Director, Alan Fowler. Their leadership and mentorship have been unparalleled! I would also like to thank Ryan and Brandie Barbee for their amazing work in the GMEA office over the years. They are greatly missed! I’m also grateful to Mike Lynch for agreeing to serve as chair for the percussion committee and overseeing the inaugural all-state percussion ensemble, conducted by Professor Wu. A huge thank you to Aleta Womack, Laura Webb, Bernadette Scruggs, and Victoria Enloe for all that they do for GMEA.

And finally, thank you to every band director statewide for your hard work and dedication to your students and school community. Best wishes as you finish up a very busy spring semester. Have a wonderful summer!

-Travis Downs

Choral Scott

Martin

As this academic year and my choral chair term are wrapping up, I reflect on the wonderful experiences our teachers and students have enjoyed. I can confidently state that choral music education in Georgia is incredible. From the northernmost part of the state to the southernmost, all points east and west, great choral music is happening in our institutions. Most of our teachers have been trained in our incredible college programs right here in Georgia, and we also have wonderful teachers who have been trained at fabulous institutions out of state and have chosen to work here in Georgia.

I am proud of the experiences our students have and equally proud of our teachers who go above and beyond daily simply because they love their students and want to share this great gift of choral music.

As previously mentioned, we have great choral music happening all over the state, and I am very proud that statewide representation was demonstrated at this year’s in-service conference. From the session presenters to the choir performances, GMEA members and their students excelled. We continue to be inspired by each other and learn from each other, which is the purpose of our great organization. I know that I was a better teacher the week after the conference. All-state chorus proved to be another exciting and wholesome experience for our students, and I want to thank everyone who had a part in making the event a success. Thank you to the audition site organizers, host schools, choir organizers, accompanists, GMEA office staff, and our teachers who spent countless hours preparing their students as well as give

up priceless Saturdays and evenings to judge. They may not always express it, but our students and their families are grateful.

I am very excited that Michelle Levesque will be the next choral chair. She has been an invaluable partner these past two years helping behind the scenes in every way. Michelle will be a wonderful choral chair with fresh ideas, and I want to thank her for the help she has given me during my term.

As I close, I would like to thank Dr. Matt Koperniak and the executive committee for their leadership in guiding GMEA these past two years. Matt has led with professionalism, grace, and dignity, and has been a tremendous advocate for those in leadership roles as well as the association at large.

Enjoy your summer break!

-Scott Martin

Division News

Elementary

Amie Schaff

you so much for an enriching and joyful year of music engagement, advocacy, and collaboration! I hope that each one of you left our annual conference recharged and full of ideas for your classroom. On behalf of the elementary division, I would like to express tremendous appreciation to Peripole, Dancing Drum, and Ponce De Leon Music Center for providing instruments for many of our sessions.

was an overwhelming joy to be able to welcome back TWO full choirs of over 500 students for our Statewide Elementary Honor Chorus All-State event in Athens, Georgia! These choirs represented the top fourth and fifth grade choral students from elementary schools across the state of Georgia! I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our organizers, Marti Parker (district 13) and Letricia Henson (district 5), who helped everything run smoothly. Of course, we extend our gratitude this year’s exemplary clinicians, Dr. David Langley and Ms. Amanda Dodd, for giving our students an unforgettable learning experience. Finally, I would like to congratulate our amazing fourth and fifth graders and their outstanding directors as they continued the great tradition of distinguished performances for the GMEA Statewide Elementary Honor Chorus!

I have been honored to serve as your Elementary Division Chair over the past two years. Thank you for entrusting this volunteer position to me and giving me the privilege of working alongside the best music educators around! I can’t wait to see what amazing things the future brings for our division under our incoming elementary division chair, Letricia Henson, starting June 1, 2023, for her 2023 - 25 term! Best wishes for a restful and rejuvenating summer!

-Amie Schaff

Orchestra

Stephen Lawrence-Carrol

Spring is here! By now, you have checked LGPE off your annual “to-do” list and begun preparations for your upcoming spring concert. The topic of “end-of-year” activities has entered your lesson planning and you are preparing for graduations, instrument returns, and so many other things that help to mark the end of another school year.

As we prepare for the end of the year, I encourage you to attend your spring district meeting. Also, I would like to remind you of the following upcoming deadlines:

• May 15, 2023 - Orchestra LGPE Music Literature Request Deadline (OPUS)

• May 16, 2023 - In-Service Conference Performing Group Application Deadline (GMEA Website)

• May 16, 2023 - In-Service Conference Session Application Deadline (GMEA Website)

As I write my last letter as state division chair, I can’t help but to feel extremely appreciative of each and every one of you! Thank you for your support over the last two years. Thank you to every volunteer, organizer, all-state judge, monitor, ISC presenter,

presider, host…everyone! It is because of you that GMEA is one of the premier music education organizations in the nation. I am proud to be a member of this organization and it has been my honor to serve you all in this capacity.

-Stephen Lawrence-Carroll

Division News

Guitar

Caryn Volk

Spring brings back the nice weather, a chance to reflect, and the excitement of the culmination of the year. And always, there is the “next”…

brought another great Giocoso festival with new schools participating, and the most large and small group performances we have ever hosted. We are so proud to host these incredible ensembles, and stand shoulder to shoulder with our traditional cousins! As this event grows, Giocoso 2024 is expected to be even better.

While beginning to reflect on your program’s progress this year, many of you are also planning for the next school year: registering students for their classes and signing up for your own summer training. Does your school or district reflect and plan regarding class offerings in the next year? Considering staffing needs, student needs, and scheduling requirements puts the ribbon on the gift of the year…so why not include non-traditional music classes to appeal to an underserved student base? Guitar is a moderately priced, quickly viable alternative for students and schools who want and need to provide more fine arts classes in their buildings. Even something as simple as a supported independent study can give just one more child a chance to experience music on the next level!

With regard to your own next level, are you continuing to grow? Are you sustained in your current placement? They say we grow with change, so what is your next change? Don’t forget to tend to your own learning during these upcoming months—take a chance on a summer workshop or class, either locally, nationally, or online. If you want to learn more about guitar in a teach-the-teacher format, consider joining a Teaching Guitar Workshop. With two learning levels, professional learning credits, a Ukulele Workshop, and hands-on direction, this week can level up your work.

Students are preparing for what comes next, anticipating the momentum to the next grade, next school, or next step in life. We also start to plan our next design, next program, next step in teaching.

As always, I support your “next.” Go make it GREAT!

-Caryn Volk

Research Martin Norgaard

It was so great to see everyone in Athens in January. This was the first GMEA conference for which both spoken and poster research presentation proposals were submitted in the fall. My hope was that this later application deadline allowed for further refinement of proposals and potentially could include newer research that simply had not be conceived for submission in May. Indeed, we had the most research track submissions ever in my time as GMEA research chair with a total of 33 proposals. An anonymous peer-review process was used to select the best proposals for both type of sessions. We had six peer-reviewed spoken sessions, two invited spoken sessions, and sixteen research posters. I’m super excited to report that I recorded the largest number of attendees for the spoken research sessions ever during my tenure as GMEA Research Chair: exactly 200! And that is not counting the many attendees who viewed the research posters and interacted with poster presenters. One of the invited presentations was an update on teacher pipeline research that GMEA president, Matt Koperniak, asked me to facilitate. The main researcher on the project is University of Georgia PhD student, Kimberly S Maugans, working under the supervision of Rebecca Atkins. Kim sent me this short summary of the research:

“Struggles to recruit music educators is a concern for National Music Education organizations. 444 GMEA high school all-state members shared future plans for music education careers, experiences contributing to decision to teach, and factors keeping them from becoming a music educator. As predicted, the results suggest that the art of music itself and the act of teaching or leading are the main contributors to the decision to become a music educator. Those who responded "yes" to the choice of music education often did not identify any deterrents from their decision, while the others (“maybe” and “no”) considered the career itself and interests in other career paths as reasons to avoid music education. A large percentage of students identified performing arts educators as highly influential in the decision.”

The analysis of the data is still ongoing so look for more updates in the near future. I hope you will consider submitting a research proposal for the 2024 GMEA conference. The deadline for both spoken and poster presentations will again be September 15. More information at https://www.gmea.org/ conference-applications.

Respectfully submitted,

-Martin Norgaard

Editor

Victoria Enloe

Happy spring! As we anticipate summer’s arrival, I want to highlight a number of recent NAfME initiatives that you may wish to explore during your break (when you finally, hopefully, have a few moments to spare!). First, in January 2023 NAfME launched its Music Education Advocate podcast. The most recent podcast, episode seven, features Georgia’s 2023 Teacher of the Year and Woodland High School band director, Michael Kobito! How has his role as teacher of the year impacted his perspective on advocacy? For an insightful look at developing confidence as a music education advocate, listen HERE

Next, the latest issue of Music Educators Journal is a special focus issue entitled Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Intersectionality and Music Education. This issue contains a number of articles that explore DEI from a variety of perspectives and provide a lot of food for thought and healthy discussion. For a limited time, the feature articles in this issue are open to all, no NAfME membership required, so feel free to share them! Access MEJ and all five other NAfME journals and magazines HERE

As the school year concludes, the NAfME national executive board will begin to develop the budget for the next fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2023. The board seeks member input to ensure funds are allocated to the programs and resources that members value. They ask members to complete THIS SURVEY to share their views.

Last, now is the time of year when house and senate appropriations committees begin meeting to allocate federal funds. You can urge your elected officials to prioritize programs that support music education using a NAfME developed, easy-to-complete form letter HERE.

Whether you will be vacationing, attending summer classes and workshops, decluttering your home, prepping for band camp, or all of the above, I hope you have a restful, relaxing, and enriching summer!

-Victoria Enloe

Our campus is filled with endless opportunities to be bold. We welcome young artists and encourage them to explore the arts, inspire others, and perform to their fullest potential.

Musically inclined students can choose from programs of study in Music, Music Education, and Musical Theatre.

Retired Reflections

Jay Wucher with Dr. Diane Woodard

It is a true pleasure to share the story of one of GMEA’s most respected and revered members, Diane Woodard. For over fifty years, Diane has been contributing to the growth of music education in our state with her expertise in the classroom and her leadership in GMEA. I hope you enjoy reading about Diane in her own words.

-Jay Wucher, Retired Members Chair

Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in Milledgeville, Georgia. We moved there when I was seven. I attended Peabody Elementary School, the Lab School of GSCW/Women’s College of GA/GA College from third through seventh grade. I had fantastic teachers. This being a lab school, we had student teachers from the college. We had music at least three days a week, high-quality academics, music events, and special programs. In third grade, I was selected to be a private piano student for one of the college students who planned to go into private lesson teaching. This was one factor that led me to a life-long passion for music. I attended Baldwin High School from eighth through twelfth grade. My chorus teacher in eighth grade was Dorothy Noah, Dr. Max Noah’s wife. Dr. Noah was instrumental in the creation of GMEA. Mrs. Noah was also one of the eighth-grade math teachers. She was an absolute whiz at teaching and a great personality that appealed to a bunch of fidgeting eighth graders. We loved her.

Tell us anything you would like for us to know about your interests beyond music (friends, family, hobbies…)

Many of my close friends are still in the music field or the arts. A lot of colleagues are from GMEA and the Galloway School. I retired just before the pandemic and was doing some substitute teaching at Galloway. When Covid hit and the world locked down, that all changed. My focus turned to needlework. I love counted cross stitch and, at the time, had a very dear friend who was pregnant with twins. I made two identical Beatrix Potter baby samplers for her identical twins. The samplers now hang over the girls’ beds. My other love is the Atlanta Symphony Chorus, of which I have been a member for 40 years. The chorus is all volunteer. It is such an honor and privilege to be a part of this group. I volunteer 140 hours a year with rehearsals and concerts. It is my second family.

I also read a lot and I go to the gym, or try to, three days a

week. I love to cook, and Bruce and I travel several times a year to the beach and to visit family. We are hoping to travel to Europe to visit friends next fall.

Why did you choose teaching music as a profession?

With the instruction I received at Peabody, I knew that I wanted to be a life-long learner in the field of music. I studied piano from third through twelfth grade and then all four years of college during my music education major. I wanted to be a choral conductor and was one of the first students to be allowed to student teach outside of the GC music department. I was assigned to Babb Jr. High School in Forest Park in the Clayton County School System. My supervising teacher decided not to return the next year, so I was given the job as choral director for the following year on the second day of my student teaching experience- my first teaching position. I was thrilled. It was a great school with a wonderful principal. The program was small and included general music. I had a great opportunity to build the program and make it my own, so I did just that. The school was unique in that we had only two grades with a total of 800 students in the school community. In two years, I had over 250 students in the choral program. The band also had many students. To accommodate all the students who wanted music, our principal would schedule the band and chorus classes first and then schedule the rest of the school around the music classes, a unique method that showed a respect for the importance for arts in education. We worked hard to show appreciation for this dividend.

Where did you work up until you retired from full time teaching?

I taught junior high and high school choral music in Clayton County for 31 years and retired. Then, I failed retirement and spent a year as a long-term substitute in the music department at Woodward Academy. It was during this year that I discovered that I really wanted to continue teaching but in a private school environment. There was a job opening at The Galloway School. I applied and was hired.

I taught at the Galloway School, a small private school in Chastain Park in Atlanta, the last 16 years of my career. It was so much fun! I had a beautiful new fine arts building in which to teach with a gorgeous theatre with a full stage and black box theatre. I also had one of the faculty members to accompany my concerts. I had all new equipment and a

large budget. The parents and students were fantastic, and the administration was very supportive. The arts faculty was a group of amazing, talented folks in their respective fields. We all worked closely with each other.

One of the perks at Galloway was the ability to travel with my choral groups. We performed in Carnegie Hall on four separate occasions and performed at the Vienna Advent Sing on three occasions. I had the privilege to conduct in Carnegie Hall for two of those concerts.

Since retiring from teaching full time what have you been doing?

I guess I will have to be honest about this. Whatever I want to do. It is such a luxury to be able to get up in the morning and choose to get dressed or not. I taught for 48 years, most of which, I thoroughly enjoyed. I got up every morning and went to school and did my job. Being able to now get up when I want and do what I want is fabulous. I am on my own clock.

What advice do you have for those who are considering becoming music teachers?

Make sure this is what you really want to do. It can be tough. The first two years of teaching were the hardest I have ever spent doing anything. If you find someone who will be a mentor to you, jump at the chance. I had two great ones.

When you are given a job in the music field, it is up to you to make that program your own. It may need to be rebuilt. It may just need to be maintained. Whatever the case, it is up to you to take the program to the next level. Imprint yourself. Carry it forward. Rebuilding can be fun. It will be your own program. I did this at the junior high school in which I started. Then I moved to a high school where there was a tradition of a strong program, but it had dwindled, so rebuilding was my next move. When I went to Galloway, there was no choral program, so I had full control of what I wanted to do. Such fun!

I always tried to find something each year for my students to work towards-a special concert, a trip, anything to give them a reason to stay in chorus. It worked. We had trips with concerts included to wonderful places-New York, Mexico, Hawaii, Europe. I feel very fortunate to have been able to provide my students with these opportunities.

What advice do you have for those who are retired or are about to retire from teaching music?

Have a plan. Make a bucket list of the things you did not have time to do and see how many of them you can realize. Don’t spend time thinking “what if?”. Make sure your finances are in order. If you aren’t ready to completely retire,

find something fun to do. Make sure it is something you want to do and enjoy it. You deserve it!

Please feel free to add anything else you would like us to know.

My involvement in GMEA has meant the world to me and my professional growth as a music educator and a choral director. Being a member inspired me to push myself to perform at conferences and become involved with activities and events within the organization. I performed on 5 different occasions at GMEA conferences and one MENC Southern Division convention, and many events in and around the Atlanta area. I had large numbers of students in the all-state choruses. GMEA has given me many opportunities for leadership positions. I served as president of the organization, state choral chair, region all-state chair and head judge for LGPE. I was also an organizer for the all-state choruses and hosted all-state auditions and LGPE events. In addition to GMEA, I am also a member of ACDA. My choruses have performed at two southern division conventions and as an interest session choir at a national convention.

I never stopped pushing my choral groups to excel. I have traveled extensively with my choral groups in Europe. My last year of teaching we performed in Carnegie Hall which was an adjudicated invitation. Throughout my career, I was always looking for meaningful musical experiences in which my students could be involved. This is what kept me going because that is what makes teaching fun.

Dr. Woodward serving as one of the featured conductors for the March 9 opening session of the Southern Division Convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Chattanooga, TN.

REVIVAL

How one Georgia parent, two continents, Sibelius’ granddaughter, and modern technology brought a neglected work back into the spotlight

By Ching-Ching Yap and Ginny Fairchild

In the classical music world, the great composers’ works are catalogued, copyrighted, studied, debated, and generally analyzed down to the last blot of ink on the page. Sometimes, however, a manuscript falls by the wayside— gets pushed to the back of a drawer or lost in a box during a move. Or, perhaps, circumstances and timing allow a great work to simply fade from memory. This is the story of how one such abandoned work is receiving its revival right here in Georgia…

Since elementary school, my children have been playing together in a string quartet. In 2022, when my oldest, a violist, left for UGA, my son invited a pianist to join the ensemble. Named the Varro Quartet, it is a rather unique ensemble of two violins, cello, and piano. While searching online for music available to this configuration of players, we stumbled upon a recording--the only recording—of a piano quartet, JS 157, written by Jean Sibelius. The sheet music, however, was nowhere to be found.

After coming up empty-handed in my internet searches, I reached out to the website SibeliusOne.com, a non-profit organization formed to advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in appreciation of the life and work of Jean Sibelius. Within a few hours, I received a response from Andrew, their General Manager, who informed me I must request written consent from Sibelius’ granddaughter, Aino Porra, as she handles all matters of permission for the estate. Once consent was given, he said, I could then order photocopies of the manuscript from the National Library of Finland.

Sibelius’ granddaughter--how intriguing! I contacted her and she very willingly granted me permission to request sheet music. So now it was on to the National Library of Finland and Petri Tuovinen, their Information Specialist.

Petri kindly explained that their library has the manuscript but no mechanism to receive international payment except through the interlibrary loan process. I contacted my local library but was informed they do not have the ability to request international interlibrary loans. Still undeterred, I contacted a friend, who requested the manuscript through her university library system. After a long waiting period, I tried Petri again to see if the National Library of Finland had received the university loan request. They had not. At this point I decided to throw in the towel.

The very next day, however, I received a surprise email from Petri containing a PDF of the manuscript and a note explaining how my persistence in this matter had moved her to scan and send the manuscript directly to me, at a cost of about $45. I was thrilled and immediately printed out the three attached files. To date, I have not received an invoice from the National Library of Finland.

The handwritten manuscript contained in these PDFs was very clean, but the notation was small and extremely difficult to read. The first document contained all four movements; the second only fragments of music; and the third had a complete music passage with handwritten notes indicating it should be inserted

into one of the movements. With renewed determination, I prepared to manually enter the music into Finale myself, using the one available recording as reference. After a few tedious tries, it occurred to me that the very musicians whose recording I was referencing must, in fact, have used some version of sheet music.

So, again I found myself back on the internet to track down the four quartet members. The first violinist, Jaakko Kuusisto, passed away in February 2022. The second violinist, Satu Vänskä, plays with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in Sydney. The cellist, Taneli Turunen, lives in Berlin. The pianist Folke Grasbeck is still in Finland, and to my relief his contact information was readily available. After waiting a week for Grasbeck to return from the vacation (apparently, the Finns like to enjoy the summer countryside without computers), he finally replied with a digital copy of the whole piece, the version they used for their 2005 recording. Success! The Varro Quartet could now play the piece!

In my follow-up communications with Grasbeck, I learned that he is currently the president of Sibelius One. They were all extremely excited that the Varro Quartet was planning to learn and perform JS 157, because it would be the American premier. Yes, that’s right…the first time it will have every been played stateside! Four high school students from Georgia will have the incredibly special honor of premiering a work by the great Jean Sibelius!

So we finally come to today, when the Varro Quartet is putting the final touches on JS 157 before it’s official American pre

FALL INT FRANKLIN POND

Open to students grades 6-12

Faculty from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Opera Orchestra

4:1 Student to Teacher ratio

mier. As longtime participants of Franklin Pond Chamber Music, a year-round chamber music program for middle and high school students, the quartet has been rehearsing and coaching all school-year with Franklin Pond’s faculty from the Atlanta Symphony and Atlanta Opera orchestras. With its grand expressions typical of Sibelius’ later works and singable melodies, we have all—students, parents, and coaches--enjoyed getting to know this piece, and we are proud to introduce it to American audiences for the very first time!

Audiences can hear the Varro Quartet perform the premier of Jean Sibelius’ Piano Quartet, JS 157 on April 30th at 3pm as part of Franklin Pond Chamber Music’s Fall Into Spring Concert. The performance will take place at the Rich Auditorium on the campus of the Woodruff Arts Center. A professional recording of their performance will be posted on Franklin Pond’s YouTube channel following the performance.

Coaching, masterclasses, and multiple performance opportunities

APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 15, 2023

EVEN TEACHERS NEED TEACHERS

The Yamaha Educator Suite (YES) gives you access to a wealth of professional development opportunities and resources. YES brings you into a network of like-minded colleagues, experts and professionals who want to share their real-world experiences. You’ll also receive valuable tips on advocacy assistance, program health support and much more. Let us help you raise the bar. Go to Yamaha.io/educatorsGMN2

NAfME’s New Strategic Plan Strives for Equitable Access to Music Education

NAfME president Scott Sheehan presented NAfME’s new Strategic Plan at the 2022 national conference in November. Developed over a two-year period, the plan promotes equitable access to music education for all students. “The NAfME Strategic Plan 2022,” GMEA President Matt Koperniak states,” articulates goals at the national level that simultaneously inspire and support our collective work at the state and local levels”.

The mission and vision statements emphasize not only equitable access, but also the belief that music is an inclusive, lifelong pursuit for all. The supporting belief statement focuses on the intrinsic value music holds in connecting us, expressing and reflecting the human experience, and the essential role it plays in our overall wellbeing.

Supporting the Strategic Plan are three cornerstones: Advocacy and Public Policy; Professional Learning and Growth; and Music Research

and Music Teacher Education. Each cornerstone has three to four goals and action plans. Underpinning the Strategic Plan is the Keystone- Equity in Music Education- which drives all NAfME decisions and policies.

Of the Strategic Plan NAfME President Scott Sheehan remarks, “This new plan not only sets our direction for the future, but it also serves as a conceptual framework that outlines who we (NAfME members) are and why NAfME exists. What excites me the most about this plan is that it amplifies the advocacy work we’re known for while also lifting up the voices of music educators, collegiates, and our higher education communities. Although our efforts will never be finished, our new plan sets a course for real progress.”

The full 2022 NAfME Strategic Plan is presented in the following pages of Georgia Music News.

Strategic Plan Approved & National Executive Board

© 2022 National Association for Music

STRATEGIC PLAN

& Adopted by the NAfME

Board on September 27, 2022

NAfME Strategic Plan

Music Education. All rights reserved.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

WHO ARE WE AND WHY WE EXIST?

 We are advocates for learners

 We are a collective voice and a community of practice

 We are a creative society of musicians

 We are researchers, scholars, preservice educators, and practitioners

MISSION

NAfME is a collaborative community that supports music educators and advocates

VISION

NAfME is an association where all people are heard, seen, and feel they belong throughout their lifelong experiences in music.

BELIEF STATEMENT

Music is unique to the human experience and is essential to our humanity.

 Music communicates and connects people across all time and cultures.

 Music unlocks human creative expression and is a lens to the experiences and interpretations of the world.

 Music is basic to human wholeness through our emotions, intellect, and physical and spiritual well‐being.

advocates for equitable access to music education.

Strategic Plan

Music Education. All rights reserved.

To ensure equitable access to music education, there must be work importance that music holds in the lives of all people. Advocacy and music education and communicate the urgency to support music teaching

Advocacy is a shared responsibility of all people within the music education administrators, parents, students, communities, artists, researchers, empower, and amplify the work of the individual and the group. A for grassroots advocacy by utilizing resources such as research, data,

Building support for coalitions, partnerships, and policy allows our from a profession to a movement. Equally important to this movement

Through our passionate and strategic advocacy efforts, the position

National Association for

Advocacy and Public Policy

work at the local, state, and national level to champion the value and and public policy efforts create an awareness of the importance of teaching and learning at all levels.

education ecosystem, which may include educators, researchers, legislators, supporters, etc. Effective advocacy efforts uplift, A central component of this cornerstone is to increase the capacity data, effective strategies, and advocacy frameworks.

collective voices to be heard and transforms music education movement are the contributions of individuals in their own spaces. position and relevance of music in society is strengthened.

Strategic Plan

Music Education. All rights reserved.

Goal 1

Build relationships with organizations where NAfME’s mission aligns for the purpose of collaborating on advocacy, educational policies, and initiatives.

Goal 2

Build campaigns and communication strategies for federal/state policy work.

Goal 3

Develop systems to support grassroots advocacy.

Goal 4

Expand accessibility to the Association's advocacy and public policy work.

● Identify specific projects with

● Share data and research that

● Develop partnerships with access to music education

4

● Develop and implement strategies associations (MEAs) on state

● Analyze policy to develop

● Create a conceptual framework state, and national structures

● Review, revise, and update work.

● Provide members with grassroots

● Implement programs, practices, Advocacy Summit.

● Establish and expand relationships Serving Institutions (HSIs), populations to develop and

● Develop a program to involve communities.

2022 NAfME Strategic

© 2022 National Association for Music

Advocacy and Public Policy

with partners for strategic advocacy work for music education. that promotes and supports music education. with local, state, and national educational organizations, and media to support education PK‐16.

strategies to communicate and collaborate with state music education state and federal policy. develop and implement national advocacy campaigns. framework that better informs interested parties and decision‐makers of local, structures and systems related to advocacy work. update resource materials that can be implemented for state and local advocacy grassroots advocacy training.

practices, and policies that support equitable access to the Collegiate

relationships with Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic (HSIs), and educational institutions that serve historically marginalized and support advocacy initiatives. involve Tri‐M® members to engage in advocacy work in their local

Strategic Plan

Music Education. All rights reserved.

CORNERSTONE – Professional

In conjunction with the keystone of Equity, the goals of the Professional Learning our profession. As a community of practice, this will be accomplished through responsive professional development opportunities for music educators. while taking advantage of new technologies, these goals will move NAfME research discovery. Included in this plan is a thorough examination of current collaborative, updated framework.

2022 NAfME

© 2022 National Association for

Professional Learning and Growth

Learning and Growth Cornerstone are designed to refine and strengthen through the intentional development and delivery of relevant and Placing priority on utilizing new understandings of effective practices

NAfME members in the direction of vital collaboration, understanding, and current usage of the National Core Arts Standards for Music to develop a

Strategic Plan

Music Education. All rights reserved.

CORNERSTONE – Professional

Goal 1

Create and offer comprehensive professional learning that is responsive to the needs of the profession and membership.

Goal 2

Investigate the use and implementation the National Core Arts Standards for Music.

● Review and update NAfME's and advance diversity, equity,

● Create pathways for practitioners in music classrooms.

● Create relevant diversity, equity,

Goal 3

Create modes of delivery that support continuing educational practices for pre‐service and in‐service music educators.

● Create a task force to lead implementation.

● Gather data and research related education teacher preparation

● Collaborate with National upon data and research.

● Develop and organize content

● Identify and prepare instructors

● Design curricula that support certificates.

● Create professional learning

2022 NAfME

© 2022 National Association for

Professional Learning and Growth

NAfME's repository of professional development resources to ensure they are current equity, access, and inclusion. practitioners to collaborate, understand, and apply research and effective practices equity, access, and inclusion learning opportunities for the membership.

a review of the current music standards in regard to state adoptions and related the use of music standards in the PK‐12 classroom and in music preparation programs.

Coalition for Core Arts Standards to create a plan to revise the standards based

content that can be delivered through a Learning Management System (LMS). instructors to facilitate learning through the online LMS. support teachers earning continuing professional education, micro‐credential, and learning communities of practice.

Strategic Plan

Music Education. All rights reserved.

CORNERSTONE – Music Research

This cornerstone addresses NAfME’s ongoing commitment to the development educators. The goals were designed to address pressing issues impacting NAfME seeks to support research projects that inform areas such as work can be further propelled by the creation of strategic partnerships and SMTE serve to support and advocate for the creation and dissemination addresses the need to develop strategies that contribute to creating

Research & Music Teacher Education

development of new knowledge and the preparation of music impacting the field as well as teacher preparation and development. as policy, learning, equity, and advocacy in music education. This partnerships in the creation or dissemination of research. NAfME, SRME, dissemination of high‐quality research. The cornerstone also creating a more diverse music education workforce.

Strategic Plan

Music Education. All rights reserved.

CORNERSTONE – Music Research

Goal 1

Create and support research partnerships within the educational ecosystem to improve practice and expand knowledge.

Goal 2

Conduct research and use the findings to inform policy, advocacy, equity, professional learning, and music teacher education.

● Identify strategic partners

● Establish at least one new symposium, resource, research

● Create pathways for practitioners in music classrooms.

Goal 3

Develop strategies that will promote and support opportunities for a diverse music education workforce.

● Identify and support research

● Disseminate findings and

● Continue to support research grants focused on issues related

● Submit summaries of research professional journals and profession.

● Identify interested parties education programs and

● Collaborate with interested entry into music education

● Identify needs and develop

● Identify needs and develop

● Develop initiatives that advance

2022 NAfME

© 2022 National Association for

Research & Music Teacher Education

partners who will work collaboratively to support mutually beneficial research projects. new partnership each year resulting in at least one new product (e.g., conference, research project, etc.) that contributes to the profession. practitioners to collaborate, understand, and apply research and effective practices

research that addresses meaningful, relevant, and critical needs in the profession. implications of collaborative research projects that inform practice and policy. research through yearly grant opportunities, grant Request for Proposals (RFPs), and related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. research findings for policymakers and practitioners on a consistent basis in through other forms of media both in and outside the music education

parties and decision‐ makers to investigate barriers that impede access to music the music education profession. interested parties and decision‐makers to develop recommendations for changes for education programs. develop initiatives to support music teacher licensure. develop initiatives to support music teacher retention. advance new scholars in music research and music teacher education.

Strategic Plan

Music Education. All rights reserved.

The heart of the work of the National Association for Music Education is making of music by all. In the 2015 reauthorization of the Elementary and Act (ESSA), music is enumerated as a part of students’ well‐rounded education. are made, plans are developed, and programs are designed to ensure accessibility

NAfME is committed to defining, developing, and promoting resources and equity work will not only support diverse curricula, repertoire, and musical policies, procedures, and practices. The creation of a NAfME Equity Resource goals.

2022 NAfME

© 2022 National Association for Music

in Music Education

to advance music education by promoting the understanding and and Secondary Education Act, also known as the Every Student Succeeds education. As such, equity must remain a cornerstone from which decisions accessibility to all students at the local, state, and national levels. and frameworks that expand equitable access to music education. This musical opportunities, but will also provide a lens through which to examine Resource Center will be an invaluable resource towards achieving these

Strategic Plan

Music Education. All rights reserved.

Goal 1

Develop a framework for understanding equity that guides, informs, and shapes decision‐making processes.

KEYSTONE – Equity

● Develop an Equity Resource Association.

● Review and revise NAfME’s work as appropriate.

● Implement ongoing learning Executive Board (NEB) members,

Goal 2

Identify root causes of inequity, develop strategies to eliminate barriers, and create sustainable opportunities for music education.

Goal 3

Assist members in providing musical experiences for students.

Goal 4

Develop pathways to leadership to advance the mission and vision of the Association.

● Conduct a study that investigates opportunities for music education

● Present and publish the findings makers to create timelines,

● Develop a framework that

● Share sources (musical and

● Provide opportunities to practices.

● Provide resources, processes,

● Expand the pipeline to leadership music program leaders, societies

● Create a collegiate board.

● Create a Leadership Academy.

● Create and offer orientation

2022 NAfME

© 2022 National Association for

in Music Education

Resource Center to support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access work across the

NAfME’s position statements to center Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access focus and learning and growth for the equity committee, equity state leaders, National members, and other Association constituents.

investigates policies and practices related to equitable access to student education in schools. findings of the study and collaborate with key interested parties and decision‐timelines, metrics, and implementation plans. that supports music experiences that are both diverse and inclusive.

and non‐musical) to assist in identifying diverse repertoire and curricula. develop skills to evaluate resources for bias, deficit language, and inequitable processes, and approaches to diversify curricula, repertoire, and musical experiences.

leadership within the Association including but not limited to higher education, societies and councils, and local, state, and national elected offices. board. Academy. orientation for music education association leadership.

Strategic Plan

Music Education. All rights reserved.

What Would I Do If I Weren’t

David Gregory, NBA Past President

This article appeared in the 2023 NBA Winter Journal. Reprinted with permission from National Band Association.

Those eight simple words taken from the pages of the intriguing little 1998 book by Spencer Johnson entitled “Who Moved My Cheese?” seem innocuous enough. In fact, with their lack of pretentiousness and their blunt honesty, they seem almost childlike. But they became much more for this writer.

Several years ago I discovered the book from which this phrase is taken and, like so many others, enjoyed reading the short fable. In fact, discussion of the principles presented in the story became quite fashionable in educational and business settings around the country. It was as if people were being reminded of something long ago learned but also long ago stored away or forgotten. For me, the book was interesting and entertaining, except for one critical section.

There was not a great deal of preparation for the “what if” section that caught my attention and held it so firmly. Just as all of us probably have done at some point in our lives, I too had wondered what would have happened over the years if circumstances, not major things…just some minor things here and there, were different, or if I had taken a different course of action. And like practically everyone else, I soon ceased those musings and got on with my life as I was then living it. Then somehow my cheese got moved.

I am certain that circumstances and situations at the time were primary factors, but when I read that simple question, really read it, I began to think about aspects of my life, both personal and professional, in a completely different light. The adjusted perspective from which I viewed issues, and my subsequent actions on those issues, allowed me to accomplish more and to be encumbered less by “things that didn’t count” in the grand scheme.

Weren’t Afraid?

One thing in particular that surfaced in my professional life was the realization that “if I weren’t afraid,” I would approach differently some of the issues that gather so much of our attention and use so much of our artistic energy. I would not “be afraid” to speak (and sometimes act) more confidently and honestly on behalf of others. I would, if the occasion arose, not be afraid to be a voice for those in our profession who did not have a forum through which they could speak, and I would attempt to act on behalf of those who could not do so for themselves. In short, as I find myself at the end of a career so much richer and more rewarding than I ever had imagined (and maybe because of the little book mentioned above), I am “less afraid” than before to speak for our profession and our professionals.

So, “if I weren’t afraid,” I would say things to my profession I believe need saying…things we know to be true, but things not very often spoken. As the sage once said, “Knowing the answer is easy; saying it out loud is the hard part.” I would say things to our young professionals in hopes of helping them in their careers, and I would say to those "almost off the stage” some of the things we need to hear as reminders of our obligations to those who follow us and as a tribute to those who taught us and whom we have followed.

“If I weren’t afraid,” I would remind us all that we are in this profession to serve those we are privileged to teach, not the reverse. Those who serve their students well are the ones who pass along a love for the beauty of music and music making. They are the ones who find their greatest rewards in the successes shared with students and in the fact that those students have grown and their lives changed for the better because of association with the

teacher. I would say to those who take for granted the privilege of working with and sharing music with young people, you are missing the essence of your work. Our students are more significant than our personal preferences, because the future of our profession rests with those we teach. Those of us who teach must remember that unless we teach our students well and honestly, our profession soon will reflect that lack of integrity. We must remind ourselves that the future of our art form is more important than our individual professional reputations. I believe it is more important to see successes through our students than in our printed resumes.

“If I weren’t afraid,” I would remind us all that well-rounded band programs are the only ones that realistically have a chance of surviving in these times of budget and staff cutbacks. Programs that invest too much money and time and resources in one dimension of the program and ignore other important musical and educational components, no matter which area is over emphasized, can do more harm than good in the long run.

"If I weren't afraid," I would urge our music education teacher preparation programs to make every effort to send out graduates who are good musicians with solid backgrounds in pedagogy, conducting, teaching techniques, and traditional as well as contemporary band literature. It is inconceivable that one graduating from a university with a degree in Literature would not be well grounded in William Shakespeare, John Milton, Ernest Hemmingway, James Joyce, Langston Hughes, Dante, Maya Angelou, John Steinbeck, Robert Frost, James Baldwin and others of historic impact. Why should we not expect comparable preparation for the future band directors of our profession? When we take paths of least resistance and build ill-founded programs and send young professionals into the business without sufficient preparation, are we not in our own way taking part in the Emperor’s New Clothes Syndrome? I would say that…”if I weren’t afraid.”

“If I weren’t afraid,” I would speak publicly more often about the fact that so much “not good” music is finding its way into our band repertoire by means of shallow advertising and promotion strategies. The fact that music is recorded, published and promoted to the public, or if an individual composer does the same via social media, does not constitute grounds for qualification as good music. The music publishers and industry members are doing what they are supposed to be doing: making available to our teachers a variety of compositions from which we are to choose our performance and instructional selections. It is incumbent upon us as trained professionals to make good decisions and upon our teacher preparation institutions to train young teachers properly in a wide and sound background of ensemble literature. I believe we are allowing far too much substandard literature and literature that is the most recent product of a “composer du jour” to be accepted unchallenged into our programs. And I believe that, through the programming of their work, we too many times reward composers who have not developed the skills and crafts of composition and musical content. If we do not set standards of quality with our choices of music, how can we expect our students to do differently in their work?

“If I weren’t afraid,” I would challenge openly and quickly all who cast aspersion on our profession. I would not stand idly by and allow those inside, and outside, this business to classify it as a second-rate option for a career, nor would I look the other way by accepting compromised excuses for unacceptable work and allow this noble profession to be relegated to that of “just a job.” I would speak more strongly, now that I am in my “finale years,” that those in this profession who belittle it and blame it for failures in their own lives should leave it and take their frustrations elsewhere. Their students do not deserve such prejudices. Those young people who choose music should be given every opportunity to explore its magic, not to experience their teacher’s dissatisfactions in life.

“If I weren’t afraid,” I would spend more time and energy helping those new to our profession and those about to enter it. I would commit more of myself to this art form that has given to me so many times over what I have put into it. I would make certain our next generation of music makers knows there are those who will do for them and work with them and speak for them in order to help them become successes in their work with students. There is much I should give back to this profession, and I would attempt to do more, “if I weren’t afraid.”

"If I weren't afraid," I would say the following to those who continually flood social media with self-serving and sell-aggrandizing pictures and narratives: posting videos of you conducting an ensemble does not make you a great conductor; posting your invitations to serve as a clinician or adjudicator does not make you a great teacher; posting your personal recognitions, self-promoting information, and seemingly never-ending supply of personal pictures does not make you a good person. These shallow public displays of self-honoring can send unusually harmful and misleading messages to others in our profession...especially those who are easily influenced by the implied importance of this modern-day form of narcissism...narcissism on a scale probably never before witnessed in the history of our civilization. These admirable and truly meaningful goals mentioned above are attained through dedicated and intentional devotion to one's students, their musical and personal well-being, and one's commitment to the value and significance of our art form and its impact on our society. I would say these things..."If I weren't afraid."

Finally, “if I weren’t afraid,” I would make every effort to let those who are important to me know it. I would not “be afraid”

to tell others how much I value their friendship and how much I appreciate the fact that they place confidence in me, both musically and personally. I would spend less time and energy around those who are inherently negative individuals and who find only bad things in others. With many more years behind me than in front of me, I believe it to be of even greater necessity that I speak honestly to those who have helped shape my life and to be “less afraid” to address appropriately those who insist on leading negative lives. I would thank those who helped me and those who help our profession, and I would tell them that I am better because they came into my life and shared music with me. They were and are the people who helped me find exceptional things and to realize that, in a very real sense, music rescued me.

As I reflect upon my years…my career, I cannot help but think of the thousands of people and events that encompassed those years. I am sincerely appreciative of and indebted to those who helped and encouraged me, helped by accepting and by questioning decisions I made and actions I took. Each played a necessary role and both were important. I am reminded that I am a product of all I have experienced, the events and activities that gave me artistic forums, those peers and mentors who left indelible prints on my life and career, and, most of all, the thousands of students I had the honor of serving through the creating and sharing of the compelling beauty of music

I would say these things, and many more, should I be given an opportunity, and “if I weren’t afraid.” Don’t wait…it goes by in a blink.

World-renowned guest artists & luminescent music

ORFF: Carmina Burana

GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue

RACHMANINOV: Piano Concerto No. 2

VERDI: Requiem

DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 9

HOLST: The Planets

STRAUSS: Four Last Songs

BRUCKNER: Te Deum

STRAVINSKY: The Firebird

Classical Season presented by

All programs, dates and artists are subject to change.

COLLECT • SHARE • INSPIRE

CONGRATULATIONS!

Jonesboro H.S. Band

Atlanta, GA

“Persevering Throughout the Pandemic”

South Atlanta H.S. Atlanta, GA

“National Independence Day Parade Fundraising”

APPLICATIONS OPEN THIS SPRING

The Advocacy in Action Awards program is designed to collect, recognize, and share effective practices and initiatives that support music education in our schools. We hope that by celebrating these programs, we can inspire others to lead by example and take action in their own programs and communities.

Have a Wonderful Summer!