SBO April 2009

APRIL 2009 $5.00

The Buzz on

Earl McConnell and the Busy Bee Band Survey: Social Networking Tools Guest Editorial: Beating the Practice-Time Blues

Contents 14

18

April 2009

Features 14

FROM THE TRENCHES: WHERE’S MY BAILOUT? Bob Morrison breaks down the federal government’s latest economic recovery plan and highlights the effects it might have on music education programs nationwide.

18

GUEST EDITORIAL: PRACTICE-TIME BLUES Author Amy Nathan offers suggestions on keeping students excited about practicing their instruments with excepts from her book, The Young Musician’s Survival Guide.

22

UPCLOSE: EARL MCCONNELL, JR. SBO catches up with Earl McConnell Jr., the long-time band director of East Fairmont (W. Va.) High School’s Busy Bee Marching Band and the second generation of McConnells to run the program. In this recent interview, Earl Jr. details his program’s forays into cyberspace, while emphasizing the importance of maintaining old school values.

30

COMMENTARY: IT’S A SELLER’S MARKET SBO contributor Paul Schilf provides tips for improving the public’s perception and awareness of your music program.

34

SURVEY: SOCIAL NETWORKING Educational usage of MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube are explored in this recent reader survey.

38

TECHNOLOGY: SOCIAL NETWORKING TOOLS John Kuzmich takes a look at how MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube might be of service to music teachers.

22 Columns 4 6 44

Perspective Headlines New Products

45 46 48

Playing Tip Classifieds Ad Index

Cover photo by Chuck Warner, Warner Photography, Fairmont, W. Va. SB&O School Band and Orchestra® (ISSN 1098-3694) is published monthly by Symphony Publishing, LLC, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310, publisher of Musical Merchandise Review, Choral Director, Music Parents America and JAZZed. All titles are federally registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Symphony Publishing, LLC. Subscription Rates: one year $24; two years $40. Rates outside U.S.A. available upon request. Single issues $5 each.

February Resource Guide $15. Periodical-Rate Postage Paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER/ SUBSCRIBERS: Send address change to School Band and Orchestra, P.O. Box 8548, Lowell, MA 01853. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. Copyright © 2009 by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.

2 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

The Best $1600 a Student Will Ever Spend.

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Perspective

Online Learning

P

eople’s lives have become busier than ever before and with higher transportation costs, tight schedules, and other limiting factors, both private lessons and music classes have not always been convenient or accessible. However, as computer technology has become more and more advanced, online learning has become a practical alternative.

Online learning was once the realm of more traditional classes, in subjects like math, sciences, and history, and the type of feedback was less intensive and could be done through forms. But these horizons are rapidly expanding.

Internet classes are now allowing music students from around the world to study with teachers independently or at colleges, as well as through private instructors. According to master trombonist Ed Byrne’s Web site, www.Jazz-Lessons-Online.com, which is now offering jazz instruction, “These lessons are live and in real-time. While you are in your space with your “This paradigm shift instrument, Ed is in his studio listening to you. You will have real-time conversations with him, getting feedback is significant, and on your playing. The entire process is an extremely intiyet the technology mate experience.” Some music colleges like Berklee offer to implement this a passel of e-courses, including arranging, music business, type of study is not music production and many others. There are also some very interesting free classes offered on the Internet from as difficult to learn a school in Australia at www.jazclass.aust.com which may as it once was.” be more appropriate to younger students. Boston University even offers doctoral-level classes online, including one that “will provide a wide-angled and narrowly focused examination of the blues in both its musical and cultural dimensions.”

To many of us who were born during the Kennedy administration or earlier, this paradigm shift is significant, and yet the technology to implement this type of study is not as difficult to learn as it once was. With the cost of computers, recording devices, microphones, and video cameras coming down, as well as the improving quality of these devices, it’s conceivable that a student could study with a teacher for a significant length of time and never meet the teacher in-person.

An additional advantage of the online lesson is that they can be easily recorded, reviewed, and archived as a continual resource for future study. I am not suggesting that this is necessarily the best or only way to study music, as nothing is better than face-to-face lessons, but it certainly offers excellent supplemental learning opportunities. As a teacher, this technology could significantly expand the reach of your teaching studio with only a small investment of time and capital…

®

April 2009 Volume 12, Number 4

GROUP PUBLISHER Sidney L. Davis sdavis@symphonypublishing.com PUBLISHER Richard E. Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com Editorial Staff

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Christian Wissmuller

cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com

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

PRODUCTION MANAGER Laurie Guptill

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

ADVERTISING SALES Iris Fox

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ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Popi Galileos pgalileos@symphonypublishing.com WEBMASTER Sanford Kearns skearns@symphonypublishing.com Symphony Publishing, LLC

CHAIRMAN Xen Zapis PRESIDENT Lee Zapis lzapis@symphonypublishing.com CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Rich Bongorno rbongorno@symphonypublishing.com Corporate Headquarters 26202 Detroit Road, Suite 300 Westlake, Ohio 44145 (440) 871-1300 www.symphonypublishing.com Publishing, Sales, & Editorial Office 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1 Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310 FAX (781) 453-9389 1-800-964-5150

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Member 2009

Rick Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com

4 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

RPMDA

Keepin’ HeadLines Findings of GAO Music and Arts Education Study

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enators Chris Dodd (D- CT) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) announced the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study addressing access to music and arts education for public school students as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Dodd and Alexander called for the study in response to reports that the testing requirements of NCLB were forcing some schools, particularly those that serve low-income and minority students, to narrow their curriculum and restrict access to music and arts education.

The study, entitled “Access to Arts Education,” outlined the following conclusions: The study identified a decrease in instruction time for arts education with “statistically significant” differences across school characteristics (low-income, minority, urban/rural). Specifically, teachers at schools identified as needing improvement and those with higher percentages of minority students, were more likely to report a reduction in time spent on the arts.

Teachers at elementary schools with high percentages of low-income or minority students reported larger arts instruction time reductions than teachers in schools with low percentages of low-income or minority students.

Of 32 states that awarded arts education grants (in school years 2001-2002 and 20062007), 37 percent had funding decreases and 15 percent had funding increases. Arts education officials attributed this to decreased budgets and competing demands on instruction time.

The GAO study recommended that the Department of Education, in its planned study of NCLB implementation, include questions that would help clarify why instruction time in music and arts education has decreased for some students. The study also indicated that from the perspective of the GAO, research on the effect of arts education on student success is inconclusive. However, the GAO’s referenced research was published in 2000 and fails to take into account current and ongoing research, both qualitative and quantitative, that provides contemporary knowledge about the role and impact of arts education.

To read more about the study, visit www.gao.gov.

NAMM & Music Monday

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AMM is inviting all U.S. schools across the country to participate in Music Monday on May 4, 2009, to demonstrate the galvanizing power of making music and to kick off the National Wanna Play Music Week (May 4-8).

NAMM joined the international event for the first time last year, which inspired more than 700,000 students across North America to participate in a simultaneous concert to celebrate music education in schools. In addition, many community and professional organizations participated in the event to show their support for music education. This unifying and uplifting community initiative was initially launched by the Coalition for Music Education in Canada, and has been growing rapidly since. Australia recently held a Music Monday event of its own. The United Kingdom is considering an adapted version of its own.

This year, NAMM is encouraging even more U.S. schools and organizations to sing and play together and heighten the public’s awareness about how music education empowers children by providing them with important tools such as creativity, a sense of achievement, self-discipline, and social engagement.

The official 2009 Music Monday song will be “Sing Sing” by Serena Ryder. The song (or another of your choosing) will be sung and played by all schools and participants across North America at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, 11 a.m. Mountain Time, 12 p.m. Central Time, 1 p.m. Eastern Time and 2 p.m. Atlantic Time, uniting them symbolically through one piece of music. Many arrangements are available on the Music Monday Web site. In addition to an arrangement, you will have access to a support kit specifically created for elementary teachers to work with very young children.

To register your school or organization as a participant in Music Monday and to receive your Music Monday materials, e-mail musicmonday@namm.org.

HeadLines $1 Million Gift Supports New Music at U of Missouri

A

donation of $1 million to the University of Missouri will enhance the School of Musicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to support composers and performers of new music throughout Missouri and beyond.

Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield recently made the donation to expand the emphasis on new music in the School of Music. This gift will establish the School of Music as a center for new music, a destination for the best and brightest young composers, and a place where they can pursue their craft in a uniquely supportive environment.

The donation will provide funds for scholarships for student composers and a graduate-level new music ensemble, which will perform in non-traditional venues on campus, in the community, and throughout the state, to develop new audiences for new music. The donation also will fund a summer composition festival for college and graduate students that will feature distinguished guest composers and professional ensembles-in-residence that will perform new compositions.

The School of Music is home to the Creating Original Music Project (COMP), an initiative in its fourth year, funded by the Sinquefields and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. COMP is an incubator for new music and composers and consists of three programs: an annual competition for MU student composers, an annual competition for young composers in kindergarten through 12th grade throughout the state, and a summer camp for high school composers.

To find out more, visit www.music.missouri.edu.

8 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

Online Survey Results Does your school have a music technology lab?

Yes

32%

No

68%

Visit www.sbomagazine.com and let your voice be heard in the current online poll â&#x20AC;&#x201C; results to be published in the next issue of SBO.

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Jazz Education Network Joins The National SupportMusic Coalition

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AMM has announced that the Jazz Education Network (JEN) has joined the SupportMusic Coalition, a public service led by U.S.based NAMM and MENC, the National Association for Music Education that seeks to strengthen community commitment and support for quality music education in schools.

The coalition comprises more than 190 organizations, representing more than seven million concerned citizens, working to ensure that music and arts instruction are part of a complete education for all children. Since strengthening music education is a worldwide concern due to its many proven benefits for students, several international organizations also participate in the SupportMusic Coalition.

The JEN is a network of teachers, students, performers, and jazz aficionados from around the world. The network is dedicated to building the worldwide jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance, and developing new audiences.

“Our organization is pleased to be a part of this team dedicated to increasing support for all kinds of music involvement,” said JEN President Mary Jo Papich. “Making music, especially jazz, is about expressing ideas that words alone cannot convey. Getting involved in music - whether it’s learning to play an instrument, singing, listening, or performing - enriches our lives.

NAMM’s SupportMusic Coalition is just what we need today to help everyone involved in music become better advocates because of the power of music to change lives.”

The coalition invites all interested arts, parent, education, civic engagement, and youth-serving organizations to become affiliates. Affiliate organizations actively participate by contacting local, regional, and state school officials, distributing pertinent information to other supporters in their communities as well as networking with other coalition members.

For more information and links to national, state and local organizations working together to keep music education strong, interested parties should visit www.supportmusic.com. Organizations interested in participating in the SupportMusic Coalition, can write to info@namm.org.

Letter: AVAILABLE IN: HIGH POLISH AND VINTAGE FINISH FOR: ALTO SAX AND TENOR SAX

Just got the March issue of SBO, and I appreciate it. Quite a bold statement for Teaching Guitar Workshops – you should be commended for putting this out. It is the wave of the future. My hope is that more teachers will understand that guitar is simply another instrument that the kids love.

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HeadLines Buffet Crampon Welcomes Gregory Oakes

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uffet Crampon USA welcomed Gregory Oakes, Professor of Clarinet at Iowa State University, to the Buffet Crampon USA Performing Artist Roster. Mr. Oakes has been a member of several orchestras including the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Ballet, Central City Opera, Colorado Music Festival, and the Chicago Civic Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, Mr. Oakes has performed as a member of the woodwind quintet Category 5, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra Woodwind Quintet, and the awardwinning clarinet quartet Ensemble Syzygy. For more information, visit www.buffetcrampon.fr.

The NAMM Foundation and Disney Channel Announce Grant Recipients

T

he NAMM Foundation and Disney Channel announced the recipients of “Disney’s High School Musical: The Music in You Grant Program,” which encourages middle and high schools across the U.S. to put on their own school stage production of Disney’s High School Musical.

This is the second year that the two organizations have teamed to support this public affairs initiative, which is designed to utilize the popularity of the High School Musical movies to encourage kids to get involved in music and the arts in school.

The grant program supports a $5,000 monetary grant and school license to produce an adapted version of High School Musical. The funds are to support music and arts-related educational costs of the production such as hiring music and dance coaches, and to help schools that do not have sufficient lighting and sound equipment for the production.

In 2007, the NAMM Foundation and Disney Channel teamed up to create projects supporting the public affairs initiative, which included “High School Musical: The Music in You,” a “documusical” that chronicled a school theater production in Fort Worth, Texas. Additional joint initiatives were “The Music in You” micro Web site featuring interactive music and arts activities; public service announcements encouraging students to get involved in music and arts and communities to invest in more performing arts opportunities for kids; and a series of interstitials illustrating students involvement in the arts as part of their core curriculum.

For more information, visit www.namm.org.

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SBOFrom the Trenches

Where’s My Bailout?

BY BOB MORRISON

W

ith literally trillions of dollars being thrown at various industry sectors, stimulus programs and bailout efforts, the resounding chorus from the American public is this: “Where’s my bailout?”

While I can’t speak to where the financial relief is for all

Americans, I can go back to my favorite topic and examine how the economic stimulus package impacts Music and Arts education. And the good news is that these programs will be impacted Bob Morrison is the co-founder of Quadrant Arts Education Research and is a nationally renowned music and arts education advocate. He may be reached at bob@artsedresearch.org

14 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

in very real and meaningful ways.

To understand the effect of the economic stimulus on Music and Arts education, we need to start by taking a look at the stimulus law itself.

Economic Stimulus 101 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 was signed into law on February 24, 2009

by President Obama. The overall goals of the ARRA are to stimulate the economy in the short term and invest in education and other essential public services to ensure the long-term economic health of our nation. More than $100 billion is going into education.

This is twice as much as this year’s current U.S. Deportment of Education funding, which is $45 billion. Much of this money is already being distributed to states and local districts as you read this.

According to the Department of Education, there are four guiding principals surrounding the distribution of these funds, which I will list along with my translations: 1. Spend funds quickly to save and create jobs. ARRA funds will be distributed quickly to states, local educational agencies, and other entities in order to avert layoffs, create and save jobs, and improve student achievement. States and agencies in turn are urged to move rapidly to develop plans for using funds, consistent with the law’s reporting and accountability requirements, and to promptly begin spending funds to help drive the nation’s economic recovery.

Translation: Funds are to be used to keep schools from cutting jobs and cutting programs. If you have been threatened with a potential layoff, this money is available to be used to save your job!

2. Improve student achievement through school improvement and reform. ARRA funds should be used to improve student achievement. In addition, the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) provides funds to close the achievement gap, help students from all backgrounds achieve high standards, and address four specific areas that are authorized under bipartisan education legislation – including the Elemen-

tary and Secondary Education Act and the America Competes Act of 2007: • Making progress toward rigorous college- and career-ready standards and high-quality assessments that are valid and reliable for all students, including English language learners and students with disabilities; • Establishing pre-K-to college and career data systems that track

progress and foster continuous improvement; • Making improvements in teacher effectiveness and in the equitable distribution of qualified teachers for all students, particularly students who are most in need; • Providing intensive support and effective interventions for the lowest-performing schools.

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School Band and Orchestra, April 2009 15

Translation: Use the funds to improve student achievement in core content areas (which includes music and the arts) as well as professional development for teachers and a special emphasis on both students for whom English is a second language and students with disabilities.

3. Ensure transparency, reporting and accountability. To prevent fraud and abuse, support the most effec-

tive uses of ARRA funds, and accurately measure and track results, recipients must publicly report on how funds are used. Due to the unprecedented scope and importance of this investment, ARRA funds are subject to additional and more rigorous reporting requirements than normally apply to grant recipients.

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4. Invest one-time ARRA funds thoughtfully to minimize the “funding cliff.” ARRA represents a historic infusion of funds that is expected to be temporary. Depending on the program, these funds are available for only two or three years. These funds should be invested in ways that do not result in unsustainable continuing commitments after the funding expires.

Translation: Understand that some of these funds will be a “one-time” injection of resources. Don’t spend money on programs the school will not have the resources to maintain once the money from the stimulus is gone.

Expenditures that will have lasting impact should be given priority.

Now, within the ARRA law there are various categories of funding. The ones most relevant to music and arts programs are: 1. State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) $56 billion – This is the big magilla! SFSF includes: • $39.6 billion for elementary, secondary, postsecondary and early education. This is intended to restore the level of state support for public schools and public postsecondary education institutions in fiscal years 2009, 2010, and 2011 to the level of state spending for 2008 or 2009, whichever is greater.

• $8.8 billion for states to use for public safety and other government services, including education and modernization and repair of public school facilities.

• $5 billion for state incentive grants for key education performance measures. $650 million of this may be used for Local Education Agency initiatives.

This is the fund controlled by the Secretary of Education and has been referred to as the “Race to the Top” fund.

2. Title I $13 billion – This is the Title I funding as you know it and includes $3 billion for School Improvement Grants.

3. Special Education (Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act) $12.2 billion – Funding includes: • $11.3 billion for students ages 621.

• $400 million for preschool children with disabilities.

• $500 million for families and infants.

4. Education Technology $650 million – Funds here may be used to upgrade educational technology.

5. Impact Aid (School Construction) $100 million. Help for immediate construction needs.

An important point to understand is that Governors need to apply for the SFSF funding by describing how the funds will be used and making five required assurances (Allocation Assurances) to the Secretary of Education that, in accordance with various other statutes, the state will: 1. Maintain fiscal support of elementary, secondary, and higher education through 2011 at pre-crisis levels 2. Improve teacher effectiveness and equity in teacher distribution.

3. Establish a longitudinal data system.

4. Enhance academic standards and assessments.

5. Support struggling schools.

What’s in it for me?

Here’s the big point: Most of the funds are to be used for purposes as designated by the Ele-

mentary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). This is the law that governs public education in the United States.

Since Music and Arts education is recognized as a core subject in ESEA, these programs are eligible for support through the ARRA and particularly in

to our subject area just as much as it applies to any other core subject area – unless there are specific qualifications that would exclude us from a funding pool.

More than $50 billion is being pushed into the education system

“This is your stimulus! But it is not going to be handed to you. You have to go get it!” the Areas of the SFSF, Title I, IDEA and the technology grants. Ask yourself… “How might this apply to me?”

The big mistake many people make is to search for explicit listings of funds dedicated to the arts. Don’t look. You won’t find any. With the authorizing language of ESEA music and arts educators should be looking for how these broad categories could support their programs. A few thoughts: 1. Money to Save Your Job – If your job is threatened with being cut, the SFSF funds is your first stop to look for the funding that could save your position!

2. Professional Development – Teacher training to improve skills, conferences, summer workshops, et cetera.

3. Capital Improvements – This may include things like musical instruments, sound reinforcement, methods, and supplies.

4. Technology – Keyboard labs, midi studios, computer music stations, and learning software.

5. School Improvement – Classes that are developed to support educational goals like student retention and cross curricular integration.

6.

Data Gathering (my favorite) – Support for better data gathering and longitudinal analysis. Maybe we will finally figure out who has music classes and who doesn’t.

The point is we, as Music and Arts educators, need to approach everything with the idea in mind that this funding applies

right now… with the remainder being pushed out in the next 12 months. For many states this is a windfall of money. This is because the formula that is being used to allocate the money to states school districts is not based on need! Most of the funds will be allocated based on the current Title I and IDEA funding formulas, as well as schoolaged population in a community.

Even though this is the formula, the SFSF funds are “are not subject to Title I program requirements.” No budget shortfall in education in your state? No problem! Here’s hundreds of millions of dollars for you anyway! This means in many districts, administrators are going to be looking for ways to utilize the money in appropriate ways.

If I were you… whether your job is at risk, you are interested in outfitting your department with new method books, instruments, technology, or you want some new training to sharpen your teaching skills, I would be ready to make the case for our how these funds could positively impact you and your program.

As an educator, this is your stimulus! But it is not going to be handed to you. You have to go get it!

Authors note: Have a specific question about the economic stimulus package? Want to know how much stimulus money your district will be getting? Email me at bob@artsedresearch.org.

School Band and Orchestra, April 2009 17

SBOGuest Editorial: Practice

Beating Those Practice-Time Blues

BY AMY NATHAN

D

id Grammy-winning musicians always like to practice when they were kids – or did they moan and groan about it, just like the kids in your band or orchestra? I asked some Grammy

winners how they felt about practicing when they were youngsters. Here are a few of the responses from them that I have presented in my book, The Young Musician’s Survival Guide, which has just been released in a newly updated and greatly expanded second edition.

From Joshua Bell, Grammy-winning violinist: “‘My mother insisted I practice violin every day, even if only for half an hour. Then I could do other things,’ he reports. ‘I had plenty of fights about not wanting to practice. I liked practicing much of the time, just not always.’ In his mid-teens, he went through a phase of sometimes taking off several days. ‘I goofed off a little too much then.

I was able to learn quickly and pull everything together a few days before a lesson.’” (Page 23) From Wynton Marsalis, Grammy-winning trumpeter and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer: “‘Before eighth grade, I didn’t want to play music. I wanted to play basketball,’ says Wynton Marsalis, who first tooted a trumpet at age six. This future Grammy winner took some lessons in elementary school and was in the school band, but he didn’t practice much. Instead he practiced basketball—all the time.” (Page 27) From André Watts, Grammy-winning pianist: “‘I liked playing piano as a kid but didn’t always like doing the work.’” (Page 35) From Gil Shaham, Grammy-winning violinist: “‘As a kid, I found practicing exercises boring, but not the music I really wanted to play.’” (Page 38)

18 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

Gil Shaham’s comment pinpoints one of the keys that turned all of these future award winners into regular practicers: finding music they “really wanted to play.” As Wynton Marsalis explains, in eighth grade his game plan changed when he discovered the music he “really wanted to play.” That’s when he started putting on recordings after coming home from school: “a John Coltrane record, or a Clifford Brown or Miles Davis. I thought, ‘I want to play jazz the way they play’... I loved playing ball, but it seemed you could only go to a certain point with it. You could hone your game and beat people, but after that, what? It seemed like music was deeper...

I stopped shooting a hundred free throws a day and practiced music all the time – an hour in the morning, an hour in the middle of the day, an hour later, or I’d have a rehearsal or gig. I didn’t miss a day of practice for seven years.” (Page 27) Also offering helpful hints are two-dozen music educators and more than 150 top teen musicians who share ideas for how to make the most of online and offline high-tech musical resources. The following brief excerpts give a few strategies for success offered by the many musicians, students, and teachers who are featured in The Young Musician’s Survival Guide:

Dare Ya! “Games helped violin star Joshua Bell stick with practicing when his teen mind started wandering toward visions of video screens. ‘What kept me going were the challenges,’ he recalls. ‘I’d set up challenges for myself, like I wouldn’t stop until I did a difficult passage a certain number of times in a row without a mistake. By the time I did it that many times, I’d learned it and made a game out of it.’

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“Besides being fun, this is something many teachers recommend.

Often people practice a passage over and over until they get it and then go right on. That means they’ve played that hard part correctly only once, but played it wrong loads of times.

Chances are they’ll mess up again next time they try it. After you finally do a passage right, repeat it a few times correctly to pound it into your fingers and brain.” (Page 44) “How many times should you repeat it? Experts differ. Pro trumpeter Susan Slaughter of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra recommends, ‘Begin at a tempo that allows you to play the passage perfectly three times, then gradually increase your speed. This method takes patience but it works!’” (Page 60)

Warm It Up “Wynton Marsalis feels a good warmup needs to cover all the basics involved in playing the instrument. That’s how he

organized his warm-ups when he got serious about trumpet as a teen. ‘I learned that from basketball,’ he says. ‘In basketball, you practice your foot movement, your floor game, going to either side, your jump shot, free-throw shooting. It seemed like the intelligent thing to do the same with trumpet, to work on all the different aspects of technique.’

“A teacher can help you pick things to zoom in on for a warm-up… Solo percussionist Evelyn Glennie notes, ‘My warm-ups are related to pieces I’m learning. I use passages from the pieces.’

‘Find a warm-up that makes you happy,’ recommends flutist Paula Robison, who tries to play hers as musically as possible. ‘It should be filled with music from the first note, so you warm up that part of your playing, too. If you find a warm up that’s right for you, it can help you get over that dry period when you take the instrument out of the case and may not feel like practicing.’

“Some musicians change their warmup from day to day, but Ms. Robison has been doing the same one since she was

a teen. ‘The same arpeggios, long tones, and scales,’ she notes. ‘My father used to joke, “Haven’t you learned those things yet?”’ Sure, she learned them. That’s why she keeps doing them, for the boost they give her.” (Pages 52-53)

Listen Up “Careful listening inspired many pros as kids, and even encouraged Wynton Marsalis to put down a basketball for a trumpet. Joshua Bell got all fired up about working harder on violin as an 11-year-old at music camp where he first heard recordings by violin great Jascha Heifetz. Jazz star Joshua Redman’s mom played all kinds of recordings at home— classical, rock, soul, jazz, music from India, rhythm and blues. He soaked it all up. ‘My teachers have been the musicians I’ve listened to on records or gone to hear in performance,’ he observes. ‘Listen to whatever kind of music you want to play.

That music has a language. The way to learn that language is to listen to great examples of it.’” (Pages 45-46) “‘Having access to so much music online is great for being a well-rounded musician,’ says violinist Hilary Hahn. ‘I use the Internet to listen to a fair amount of folk, trip hop [a kind of British hip hop], rock, and world music. Listening to any kind of music informs your perspective. With a rap song, for instance, figure out why you like it and how to translate that energy into your playing.’” (Page 133) Amy Nathan is the author of several books for young people, including The Young Musician’s Survival Guide, Meet The Musicians, and Meet The Dancers.

Text copyright © 2008 by Amy Nathan. Excerpted from The Young Musician’s Survival Guide: Tips from Teens and Pros, Second Edition, by Amy Nathan.

Excerpts reprinted with permission of Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information, visit www.amynathanbooks.com or www.oup.com.

20 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

UpClose

Earl McConnell, Jr.

Carrying 22 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

BY DENYCE NEILSON

In 1966

, band director Earl McConnell, Sr. joined the faculty of East Fairmont High School in West Virginia. Known for his uncompromising principles, stern direction, and dry sense of humor, McConnell took the East Fairmont High School band in a new direction. Ten years later, his son, Earl McConnell, Jr., joined his father at the helm as assistant director, eventually going on to take over the program. What began as a mission and a dream of Earl McConnell, Sr. became a family affair and a lasting legacy for his son and the Busy Bee Band & the Honeybees of East Fairmont High School. Using the lessons learned and inspiration from his father as a springboard, Earl Jr. paved his own path as a band director by bringing new technology, along with continued success to his music program.

In a recent SBO interview, Earl Jr. discusses carrying on his fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy and traditions, while bringing the program into the 21st century.

the Torch School Band and Orchestra, April 2009 23

School Band & Orchestra: Your father was the founder and director of the Busy Bee Band and Honeybees from 1966-1988. Did you always want to follow in his footsteps?

Earl McConnell: Yes. Before he

came to East Fairmont High School in 1966, his first teaching position was at the cross-town rival, Fairmont Senior High School, from 1948 to 1958. Being born in 1950, I can barely remember, at age seven or eight ,watching him march down the street at the State Band Festival in Huntington, W. Va. and me breaking loose of my mother’s hand to run and march with him and the Polar Bear Band down the parade route. In fact, there is a photo of that moment that my mother has kept for years.

SBO: Did your parents encourage you to become a music educator?

EM: The encouragement was for

both my brother and I to follow what

we wanted to be, but we were both in the band. And ironically, by the time we entered high school, my dad had already transferred to East Fairmont High School, and a former student of his had taken over the band at Fairmont Sr. High and became our band director. I followed my dad into the band world, and my brother became a sound engineer and works for a large company in Baltimore, Md. that designs and builds sound systems for major venues.

SBO: Where did you go to school?

EM: I received my bachelors degree from Fairmont State University and my masters in Music Education from West Virginia University.

SBO: And how did you end up teaching at East Fairmont High School with your father?

EM: Following a three year position in Grafton, W. Va., the assistant director’s position at East Fairmont High

“I think education should do more than just educate in reading, writing, and arithmetic. Part of education is also learning social graces, how to behave in public, being on time; it’s a growing process.”

School opened, so I applied and was hired as the assistant band director.

SBO: What was that experience of working with your father like?

EM: Well, my dad’s idea was that we should be co-directors. And so as not to confuse the students with two directors with the same last name, I became known as “Mr. Mac” and he was called “Mr. McConnell.” Prior to our first rehearsal together, he pulled me aside and said, “There can only be one conductor. There has to be a central figure.” I fully expected that he would be in charge, but instead he said, “I’m going into the background; you will be on the podium. It’s your turn.” It stayed that way for 12 years until his retirement.

SBO: When your father said he was making you the central figure, were you surprised?

EM: I was very surprised I really just wanted to come in and do what he wanted to do – provide background support. I think he felt as though, at that point in his life he had be doing this for twenty something years, and maybe I would connect better with next generation.

The Busy Bees and Honey Bees with W. Va. Govenor Joe Manchin 24 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

SBO: What was going through your mind – fear, joy?

EM: A little bit of both. We had lived that program as a family, my mom, my dad, and I. So, when he said, “There can only be one person at the podium, and that’s going to be you.” I just about fell over. It was during that time that my father had also started taking the group on various trips, including visits to Pittsburgh, which is about 90 miles north of Fairmont. A turning point in our program happened at a 1977 Band Spectacular at a Pittsburgh area high school. Following our field show performance, the director of entertainment for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who was in attendance, invited us to apply for a halftime performance at Three Rivers Stadium the following year.

Because of this chance meeting at an out-of-town performance, we ended up playing Steeler halftime shows for 20 consecutive years, and in a few instances, we even appeared for playoff games. It was quite an honor.

because we understood the power of digital media and took the financial risk. It also helped that we had purchased a media pass for Mike to climb a scaffolding tower along the parade route to get the picture.

From that point on, the boosters understood the invaluable necessity of digital equipment and the need to continue our Web site.

The incredible num-

The Busy Bees and Honey Bees cruise to the Bahamas.

SBO: In terms of moving your music program forward and utilizing technology, you have created a pretty sophisticated Busy Bee Band Web site. How long have you had the site?

EM: We were probably one of the first West Virginia high school bands to pursue a Web site, beginning in 1995.

With the growth of this new medium, we took care to update equipment, so as to be on the cutting edge. Prior to our trip to the Rose Parade, I convinced the boosters that a $1,000 digital camera would enhance our trip to California. Our Web site coordinator, Mike Swisher (Busy Bee Band alumnus 1994) traveled with our group and posted daily photos of the students” activities during the trip. And parents, who had computers or shared with others, could see the various sights and activities their children were experiencing. But even better was the fact that each evening, we sent a “photo of the day” to our hometown newspaper, and the following morning a full-color photo of our group appeared above the fold. And on January 2nd, our paper featured the band again, front page, full-color, marching in the Rose Parade simply

ber of hits each day to our Web site during the trip to Pasadena numbered in the thousands – with many coming from previous graduates of the Busy Bee Band from all over the world reliving their memories with the band and proudly watching the culmination of many years of building the program to this level and sending best wishes to all of us at the Rose Parade.

SBO: The Web site has a multimedia library where visitors can watch performance videos, download MP3s of the Busy Bee Band and Honeybees, and there are also links to performances on YouTube.

How has using this technology helped or changed your music program?

EM: In 2005 Mr. Swisher, decided to digitally re-tape at least two decades of halftime shows (mostly Pittsburgh Steeler games) and began placing them on YouTube. Even some of our more recent performances and stage shows, such as “Busy Bee Band Follies,” have been made available. It’s not unusual to receive an e-mail from a graduate of 10 or more years back thanking us for highlighting their field show from the past for them to relive.

SBO: Do you have any concerns about using social networking sites in a public school?

EM: Put it this way, before I can run a photo in a newspaper or put anything online, I have to make sure that School Band and Orchestra, April 2009 25

these young ladies apart, even when not performing. Since the Honeybee line is an audition-only selection, those girls trying out for the eighteen or nineteen coveted po180 sitions know in advance that if they are selected, they are to abide by the Honeybee hair style.

And of course with every band needing a field commander, there was no question that the title of Queen Bee would fit perfectly with the Bee lingo. My parents came up with the Busy Bee, Honeybees, and Queen Bee names.

At A Glance: Earl W. McConnell, Director Busy Bee Band & Honeybees East Fairmont High School 1993 Airport Road Fairmont, W.Va. kids are not on a certain list. I have had certain parents sign up and ask me to not allow their child’s picture to be seen at all. However, if it is from a distance, a performance on a field, that is fine. They just don’t want any close-ups.

SBO: Is that why you only use YouTube, because it is strictly performance footage shot from a distance?

EM: Yes, exactly. I am very con-

cerned about the privacy of the individual student and the comments that could capriciously and anonymously be made about someone in this organization. As you know, there is a lot of junk on the Internet – some crude,

Web site: www.busybeeband.com Total number of students: 850 Total number of students in band:

rude stuff. I just don’t want any of my kids on Facebook saying that they are in this band and having someone reply with, “Hey your band sucks and so do you.” Why even open that door?

SBO: The band is called the Busy Bees and then there are the Honeybees and a Queen Bee. Could you explain what the Honeybees and the Queen Bee do?

EM: The Honeybees were patterned after the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes. The style of dance and especially the kickline has become their trademark. Another trademark of the Honeybees is a short hair length which is styled to go no further than just below chin level. It truly sets

“Band directors should be overly prepared and efficiently organized so that students don’t feel that they are wasting their time to be part of your group while you take their time to solve a problem that you could have prevented.”

The Busy Bees Band performs at the Marine Corps War Memorial.

26 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

SBO: Your music program has such a rich history and, of course, your father’s legacy. Could you talk about that a bit?

EM: As we worked together I learned many lessons not taught in school. He emphasized performing regularly and making the band an important part of the community. As a World War II veteran, he always had the band perform in the annual Veteran’s Day parade. Some directors say no to numerous requests to perform at community events, but our view is that a band that relies on the community for fundraising and support should perform when asked.

My father also taught me not to break up the band into small groups.

Students feel like they have been benched on a sports team when they are left behind while others perform at an event.

One of his lasting legacies is the Busy Bee Band Follies. It is unlike any high school concert that you have ever seen. In fact, this year will mark the 37th annual event, and our 750-seat auditorium usually sells out for four performances each spring.

The show is based on Broadway themes, popular hits, medleys of popular artists, television, occasional patriotic flavor, and several show-style dance themes featuring the Honeybees. His philosophy was to stage a show with added stage designs to feature the Honeybees and/or some band students along with a professional lighting package to give the audience the feel of a Broadway style show. It must work, because we seat between 2,800 and 3,000 patrons every year in the high school auditorium for our concert. Even our local newspaper editor has stated, “We know spring is here, when the talk around town is that it’s time for the Busy Bee Band Follies!” It’s a little like Broadway in Fairmont.

And of course to belay those critics concerned with our not performing legitimate band literature, we answer that with our participation in the required West Virginia State Band Festival held each May. Our record for recent adjudications shows consistent superior ratings for 24 of the past 26 years with our group performing grade five and six music for a panel of three adjudicators. My dad’s philosophy was to play music that will allow audiences to enjoy music of various genres and fill the house to the point that your spring concert runs for three or four performances. His philosophy was to allow hard working students to grow and mature through music education.

We run a no-nonsense organization with a dress code and a requirement that boys keep their hair cut above the collar.

SBO: Why the restriction on hair length?

EM: It makes for cleaner cut appearance. These are the rules and students know that coming in. This School Band and Orchestra, April 2009 27

is an elective; students elect to join the band. If they don’t want to cut their hair, they can’t be in the band.

SBO: Did the no-nonsense discipline come from your parents?

EM: Yes, it did. It’s not that we are so strict. It’s just that we have rules that we use when we perform and rules that we use when we travel.

When we were getting ready to go to the Rose Parade, we realized how many people would be watching that parade. The first thing that I worried about was: Here we are from West Virginia and over the past few decades, the media has really done a number on West Virginia – all Appalachian, don’t wear shoes, et cetera. I had to tell my kids, “You are going to set an image for this state that hasn’t had a very good image. That’s why we have to look our best.”

When we travel, guys are in shirts and ties and girls in skirts or dresses.

When we perform, there is no hair on the collar, even for girls. I have told the kids and parents that representing this state is quite an honor, and we, as a band, can not do anything to diminish the image of this state. This state already has enough problems with image.

SBO: So when the band travels to perform, do people expect you to show up in overalls and no shoes or something?

EM: Yes, they do! My students are not allowed to wear denim when we travel. If we were a band from New York and were wearing denim people would say, “Oh, just another group of high school kids.”

We sometimes perform in South Carolina and we usually take a break at a mall. My band kids really standout from the rest of the kids in the mall.

People always come up to me and ask, “Where y’all from?” I say, “West Virginia.” There is always a look of disbelief on their faces and then they usually say, “Kids don’t dress like that.

They must be from a private school.”

They really can’t believe that these young ladies and gentlemen adhere to a dress code yet are a product of a public school system.

28 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

I learned from my father that the appearance of a group speaks volumes.

He would always tell me, “People see our group before they ever hear them play a note. Just having uniforms cleaned and pressed, shoes shined, hats on straight, and hair neatly above the collar and/or up inside their hats, wins over a crowd before you have played that first note.”

SBO: I think it’s wonderful that you take such pride, but at the same time it’s a bit disheartening that you have work so hard and go that extra mile to break these stereotypes.

EM: Yes, but I have always felt like it has been a mission of mine, especially when we got on a national stage. Someone out there watching the Inaugural Parade will hear that the next band is from West Virginia and they will instantly think, “This is going to be horrible,” or “It’s a wonder that they are wearing shoes.” Unless you are from this state and have had to read so many denigrating articles, you wouldn’t understand.

I can take you to Kentucky and show you some of Appalachia and poverty, but there is also Louisville, the Kentucky Derby, and money.

That’s the difference.

SBO: What do you think the students take away from the no-nonsense approach and this sense of pride that you try to impart?

EM: The biggest thing is that they have a sense of pride and confidence.

I’ve had kids tell me that when they went for their first job interview they thought, “Well, if Mr. McConnell was going to tell me what to wear, I would have my hair cut short, be wearing a tie, and my shoes would be shined.” I think education should do more than just educate in reading, writing, and arithmetic. Part of education is also learning social graces, how to behave in public, being on time; it’s a growing process.

SBO: It’s a confidence builder as well. When they go on that job interview, they will dress well, but

Earl McConnell and his daughter Kate as Queen Bee.

Marching in the Azalea Festival Parade, Norfolk, W. Va.

I’m sure it goes deeper than that.

They are going with that sense of pride.

EM: We hope. Our mission is to prepare kids for their future, and to be honest with you, I think we do more of that than actual music training. The band is the vehicle through which we use to do this.

SBO: What has been your proudest moment as a music educator?

EM: I have been very blessed with many proud moments. When you consider the performances by this organization at two Presidential Inaugural Parades, the Millennium Tournament of Roses Parade in 2000, it has been an incredible journey.

As I recall these performances, I would have to say our first Presidential Inaugural Parade in 1989 was my proudest moment. My father was still living, and our invitation from the Presidential Inaugural Commit-

tee for our group to represent the state of West Virginia, in front of a world-wide television audience, as well as the President of the United States, I felt gave credence to what my parents had envisioned and strived for. And for me to tell my father that his program, which he originated in 1969, with only about 100 students, was going to march down Pennsylvania Avenue, past the most well known address in America and represent our state, still stands in my mind as the defining moment for this program.

And from that point on, with the credibility and world-wide TV coverage, the program would continue to grow and build and carry on his legacy in so many more prestigious events. My daughter Kate tried out for the Honeybees in her sophomore year and was accepted.

And then she became Queen Bee in her senior year. That year, the band traveled to Washington D.C. and

was able to play at the World War II Memorial, which was a thrill. It was very touching to have my daughter there with me.

SBO: Do you have any advice for other music educators?

EM: Build your program with great care. Band directors should be overly prepared and efficiently organize so that students don’t feel that they are wasting their time to be part of your group while you take their time to solve a problem that you could have prevented. You may not have a great budget from your school system, but as I stated earlier, some directors say “no” to numerous requests to perform at community events, while our view is that a band that relies on the community for fundraising and support should perform when asked.

The more your band is actively involved within the community, the more the support and respect it will receive.

School Band and Orchestra, April 2009 29

SBOCommentary: Promoting Your Program

It’s a Seller’s Market

BY PAUL R. SCHILF, PH.D.

T

he promotion or “selling” of any music program should be directed at four distinct targets. These segments are unique in how they should be approached, and marketing to each one requires a specific sales skill from the

director. A music director must consider selling his or her program to: •

other departments within the school;

•

school administration;

•

parents and parent groups;

•

and the community.

The manner in which promotion is directed at each of these areas can have a definite bearing on a director’s success or failure with a school music program.

Selling the Music Program Within the School Achieving an understanding and a cooperative working relationship with other departments in the school requires no magic skills, although it may often call for special effort. The following concepts should serve as a guide in building up relationships that will be most beneficial to the director, the program, the students, and the school as a whole.

It is imperative that the music program be within the scheme of the school. The band and orchestra must exist in proper perspective to the school’s over-all cur30 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

ricular and extra-curricular programs.

Over-emphasis on the band or orchestra, for its own sake or as a public relations tool, can result only in misunderstanding, friction, and in some cases jealousy among other departments. To avoid this, the director should check his operation periodically to be certain the instrumental program does not: • demand an excess amount of the students’ time and effort in rehearsals, performances, or outside activities that conflict with daily academic schedule; • require repeated requests for special favors to ensemble members by other faculty, such as absences from class or relief from assignments; • require other faculty to view the ensembles as more than another academic area.

Here are some positive steps the director should take: • Cooperate wherever and whenever possible with other academic departments to reduce to a minimum the conflict between ensemble schedules and the general school program.

• Emphasize to ensemble members

their duty to maintain good scholastic standing. Ensemble members should clearly understand their responsibility to the ensemble and to other academic areas.

• Seek out additional and special ways the instrumental program may help other school disciplines.

Ensembles, for instance, may help the drama club, other academic areas, or athletic teams in bringing to life a specific component or need of their discipline.

• Share in other school functions by being alert to general educational problems of interest to other teachers; and take an active part in faculty life, both social and professional.

Directors clearly make these goals evident by placing them in their music handbook, policy manual, or course syllabus. These goals are the rules, not the exceptions.

Music educators readily agree that there are three areas in which the music director must prove their abilities to the school board. These areas are: • the production of quality musical achievements; • the enforcement of firm, fair, and consistent discipline; • and the acceptance of parental support.

Parents and Parent Groups

Parental interest in the school instrumental program stems from several factors: interest in the students who are in the program; pride in the organization to which they are personally connected; pride in the school that fosters such a group; and community interest that emOnce the governing body accepts braces the school and all its activities. that these qualities are being met, inParents whose students attend the creases in the music department budschool but who are not in the music proget just might be justified. gram can also be important members of Musical achievements cover such the parents’ organization and should be points as: the number of public pergiven an opportunity to become involved. formances each year; public responses This might draw their children into the music program, as well.

The alert director realof the and the izes that working with a parent group must be a partnership in of the must always be providing quality opportunities forefront of this partnership.” for the students. The needs of the program and the needs of to the school musical performances; the students must always be at the forethe retention of ensemble members; front of this partnership – without this, and the consistency of ratings at mufocus conflicts will arise! Here are some sic festivals or contests. In addition, suggestions for extending the collaborate musical achievements can be viewed relationship with parents’ organizations: as social successes. For example, the • Use an executive committee to impact of the school band producing guide the group’s program. Allow school spirit at athletic events is also the committee to meet as often as a measure of the instrumental music it wishes, but limit the full group educator’s public relations inside and to meeting only once or twice per outside the school. year. This arrangement is imporLittle needs to be said about discitant, because nothing is more conpline as an element of the music eduducive to frustration than attending cator’s achievements; it is the heart of meetings that accomplish nothing. music making – for groups or individSpecial full meetings can be called uals. Methods of providing discipline when necessary. at rehearsals, meetings, and perfor• Appoint various other committees mances largely depend on the personto handle special or continuing ality of the director, the number and jobs. type of students in his or her charge, • As a director, be available to the and the general spirit and atmosphere executive committee for advice and of the school. This is something the consultation. director must learn; there are no hard • Lead the parents group, let them and fast rules. know your needs, frustrations, and Acceptance by the parents of the joys, but do not be the president or director’s students is key to the dithe person in charge. rector’s success. A positive relation• Give them something to do! The fact ship with individual parents and with that a parent group is an official, orgaparent groups is an absolute necessity nized group means nothing until this for music educators. When a director group has duties to perform. Theremaintains his or her role with positive fore, the director’s first task in conleadership and guidance, the results nection with such a group is to have will be viewed as a success. clear objectives and goals that enable

“The needs program needs students at the

School Administration In today’s educational environment, band directors are strictly accountable to their administration for their performance. In essence the administration and school board desires a concrete measure of achievement by the ensemble and its director.

Many educators question what achievement is. Objectively put, a band director’s achievement is how he or she does with what he or she has.

However, it’s unfortunate that materials and facilities are not always realistically considered by school boards when they judge the results of a music program. How then is a director to gain a board’s support and sympathetic understanding?

There is a basic public relations problem involved here that touches both internal and external contacts – that is, the director can legitimately submit outside opinion on his work when he submits his case to the governing body of the school. Many educators firmly believe that these outside opinions have decisive influence on school boards. Most board members are not trained musicians, yet they are likely to give weight to community and outside judgment about the band’s program.

School Band and Orchestra, April 2009 31

the organization to work beneficially for the ensembles it represents.

The primary functions of parents groups are twofold â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fundraising and mechanics of publicity â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and the director should keep it this way!

The Community Whether this is recognized or not, the music director occupies a truly pub-

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32 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

lic position: in fact, often the smaller the community, the more public the position. Efforts to make the program well known and worthy of community support serve to keep him or her in the public eye. The director has contacts with many more community connections than do most of his or her colleagues on the school faculty.

The community expects music director to be active in areas and for causes that the classroom teacher al-

most never reaches. Despite the directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full schedule, the community has a right to such expectations because most directors, parent organizations, and school music programs frequently solicit the community for support.

Generally, the community expects music educators to: â&#x20AC;˘ take an active role in civic life through membership in civic or business clubs; â&#x20AC;˘ cooperate in promoting charitable and civic programs consistent with over-all school policies; â&#x20AC;˘ aid in planning cooperative community events such as parades and celebrations, especially if the band will be present.

In many communities, especially smaller ones, the school band is taken for granted as part of social and civic life. This can be excellent, but also dangerous, because a complacent situation of this sort can lull the director and ensemble members into taking community support for granted; and when this occurs, all are in for stormy weather.

The directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public relations efforts at the school level and his or her contacts with parents are aimed at the over-all goal: gaining community goodwill and support and establishing the school music program band as an asset to the community. However in working toward that goal, the director must clearly state that although the band serves the community, the primary function of the ensemble is the education of its student members.

Dr. Paul Schilf is assistant professor of music education and associate director of bands at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he teaches music education courses and supervises instrumental student teachers. Dr. Schilf directs the Northlanders Jazz Ensemble, the Brass Choir, and the College & Community band.

SBOSurvey: Web-based Networking

Casting

the Social Net C

hatter about social networking seems to be everywhere these days. Perhaps that is because the number of users on Facebook has balooned up over 175 million. MySpace, meanwhile, registered their 100 millionth user account all the

way back in 2006. According to Wikipedia, over 6 billion videos were watched on YouTube in January of 2009 alone, and more than 12 hours of video are uploaded every minute. Facebook is the leading social (non-professional) networking site for individuals, while MySpace is still the premier option for bands, musicians, and ensembles because of its easy-to-use music player and highly customizable appearance. And by now almost everyone is certainly aware of the immensity of YouTube, which seems to carry videos of every conceivable kind.

34 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

All of this begs the questions: How can these new technological tools benefit music education? With that in mind, we turned to our readers in this latest SBO survey, hoping to get an idea of just how these types of Web sites are being used by music educators, and why they are, or are not, being integrated into school programs.

Curiously, the vast majority of readers indicated that their programs or ensembles did not have a Myspace site, a Facebook profile or group, or a YouTube channel, with many respondents stating that administrators have limited or prohibited their access to social networking Web pages on school grounds. Yet, going to any one of these sites and searching for school bands and orchestras will yield a seemingly infinite number of results.

Perhaps Web-savvy band and orchestra students are already leading the charge.

“While the middle schools do not, the high school band director has a personal Facebook site which he uses to communicate rehearsals and performance changes to the students.”

John New Mattacheese Middle School West Yarmouth, Mass.

a YouTube Channel?

Yes

2%

Does your school band or orchestra program have: a MySpace page?

No

Yes

2%

98% If your program does utilize these social networking tools, what are the primary benefits?

No

98% a Facebook page?

Yes

9% No

“We primarily use our Facebook group to keep in contact with alumni. It’s a great way of letting them know what is going on with the program. I also enjoy hearing about their experiences in the band program before I arrived here – it helps me gather background information about the program.”

Edward Hauser Owensboro Catholic High School Owensboro, Ky. “This form of communication allows for very easy contact with alumni and parents, as well as students.

“We use these as means of keeping in touch with alumni, sharing performance dates and times, and also to help solicit donations from alums.”

David Ratliff Madison Southern High School Berea, Ky.

91% School Band and Orchestra, April 2009 35

If your program does not use any of these, why not?

Student privacy/safety concerns

35% 22% 17% 11% 10%

My school does not allow access to these sites I don’t have time to implement these These tool don’t add value to the program I am unfamiliar with the technology Other

5%

“It is not just implementing these things, but maintaining contact, and supervising them against problems. I do three levels of band and a jazz ensemble. Being at a middle school means that you can’t pass off some things to student leaders, as they are not fully responsible yet.”

Jack Ronald Wise Algonquin Middle School Algonquin, Ill.

“I do not have time. We use a Web site instead. A ‘social network’ associated with a school band seems inappropriate and opens doors that may be difficult to monitor. I do not want the responsibility of having to make value judgments.”

Jerry Lees Rim of the World High School Lake Arrowhead, Calif.

Do you intend to use social networking tools for your ensembles in the future? Why or why not?

“I don’t want to deal with parents who are not tech-savvy or are concerned about their student’s privacy.”

Sarah Carpenter Turlock Jr. High Turlock, Calif.

“I’m still uncomfortable with this technological offering when a secure, school-sponsored Web page accomplishes what I want done.”

Roger Thaden Lux Middle School Lincoln, Neb.

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“Too many outside factors can cause a positive network to go bad very fast. I would rather be conservative and control what we put out in cyberspace and keep a good name.”

Donna Clark Castle Park High School Chila Vista, Calif.

“I believe this is a great tool that the students are using already. Why not have an official site/page so the students can communicate the way they are used to communicating?

“We do have an official Web site for the music departments. However, we are unable to fully reap the benefits of this medium due to school policy [which blocks access to Facebook, YouTube, and MySpace]. Also, we cannot put photos/names of our students on our official Web site. I believe MySpace/Facebook and YouTube especially are a great way for students to see/hear what other students in the program are doing and what other students from different schools are doing.”

Kenneth F. Vignona Eastport South Manor High School Manorville, N.Y.

Additional thoughts on the role of Web-based social networking tools in music education?

“We have found that our site on Wordpress provides a) instant information for parents, b) an easy way to manage information, c) a platform that is very easy to use and maintain.”

Travis J. Weller Mercer Middle-Senior High School Mercer, Pa. “Student musicians – and musicians in general – should always be communicating and sharing ideas.

Pretending that newer technologies do not exist does not make it so. Supporting school music technology is key to the very survival of school music programs.”

Thomas E. Crawford Maxwell Middle School Tucson, Ariz.

“I think we as music educators should have available to us and use any and all tools to promote and build our programs. Since our students seem to be enamored of these Web-based systems, we should in our own best interests, become familiar with them and use them.”

Kurt Stalmann Santana High School Santee, Calif.

“There will have to be tools that reassure administrators of the safety and privacy of students before any sort of social-networking sites will ever be openly used in our area. I believe most schools and systems in Middle Tennessee have similar attitudes. I know that at the high school my students feed into, the principal clearly discourages his faculty from using Facebook and other such sites at all, personally or otherwise.

Carole Grooms Freedom Middle School Franklin, Tenn.

For f ifty yea rs our secrets ha ve been locked.

“I have a pretty extensive Web portal for my groups. I think that utilizing some social networking tools in addition to the Web site would help me to communicate with my students. Lets face it, that is where many of them ‘live’, so why not.”

Kevin Beaber Crowley County High School Ordway, Colo.

“I understand the possible important impact of these tools, but am unsure of the legal ramifications of using these sites as it pertains to privacy and other issues. Litigation is still too big a deterrent to rush into an enterprise like this.”

Jason Lowe Beal City Schools Mt. Pleasant, Mich.

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School Band and Orchestra, April 2009 37

SBOTechnology:

Social Networking Tools

Teaching In A Changing Profession

W

elcome to the world of social networking. Technically

BY JOHN KUZMICH, JR.

speaking, a social network is a group of individuals or organizations connected by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as common values, visions,

ideas, interests, financial exchange, friendship, kinship, dislike, conflict, or trade.

Dr. John Kuzmich Jr. is a veteran music educator, jazz educator and music technologist with more than 41 years of public school teaching experience. He is a TI:ME-certified training instructor and has a Ph.D. in comprehensive musicianship. As a freelance author, Dr. Kuzmich has more than 400 articles and five textbooks published. As a clinician, Dr. Kuzmich frequently participates in workshops throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia, and South America.

For more information, visit www.kuzmich.com.

38 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

This Internet movement has been spreading like wildfire, and it is fueled by the technological enthusiasm of the nation’s youth. There is a lot we can learn from our students – and even younger colleagues – who have been reared during the Internet age. Instant messaging, Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube are among the new electronic avenues on which relationships are speeding today. Music educators can and should be on the forefront of this social network tsunami. These Internet-based social networks can bring students, communities, and alumni together as never before.

There are real advantages inherent in these new tools. Consider the following possibilities with Facebook and MySpace: • Interact with your students by promoting upcoming concerts and reviewing recent recordings.

• Raise awareness by getting the word out on important issues and causes and inspire others to take action.

• Exchanges with colleagues could include swapping stories, experiences, and successful ideas.

• Connect with students by sharing photos and videos.

• Promote special events such as trips or music festivals with sneak peeks and announcements.

• Create buzz for your music program with behind-the-scene excitement, answer questions, and announce new items.

• Share tricks of the trade with successful projects or poll experts for advice.

Indiana University School of Music Program at IUPUI hosted their 18th Annual International Music Technology Conference last June.

Attendees saw the first-ever clinic presentation on social networks covering MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube. The program’s director, Dr. Fred Rees, believes “it is essential for music educators to ‘catch up’ with such new, emerging technologies.” Let’s take a look at how they can serve you and your music program.

MySpace.Com MySpace was originally designed for promoting music groups. It has

become a free social-networking Web site with an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos for teenagers and adults. And although MySpace may be in a decline for social use, its original purpose is still effective, namely, free and easily created Web sites for music groups.

My daughter performs in two professional bands, one with it’s own independent Web site (www.thebordercollies.com), but they still use MySpace (www.myspace.com/thebordercollies) because it is so easy to update fans about upcoming events as well as blog entries about their recent work.

Music educators do not have to be Web masters to create their own MySpace pages. Changing the HTML and format to get a unique look is very easy and the Web is full of sites with free templates and graphics advice. Best of all, uploads are free! MP3’s of your music can give a taste of your program along with pictures, slideshows and albums of past concerts and activities. You can even make it possible for visitors to download the tracks you put up on the site. This is a free tool that you can help promote your music program.

The Nuts and Bolts of MySpace MySpace is a one-stop shop for posting multimedia presentations over the Internet. Getting an account is very simple – just go to www.myspace.com and click “sign up.” Here are some of the tools you can use without being a Web master.

• Build a Web site: MySpace lets you create and customize your own site.

Rather than starting from scratch with HTML or Web-building software, you just fill in the blanks at MySpace to create your page. See www.ironspider.ca for free MySpace layouts and Web hosting info.

• Online photo album: Along with your MySpace profile picture, you can upload other photos that are viewable by other MySpace members. A Google search on MySpace.com of “Sierra Vista High School” will yield an example of a good photo album.

• Blog: MySpace provides a built-in tool to start your own Web journal, or 40 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

“blog.” MySpace allows you to make your blog publicly viewable or you can mark individual entries as private. For an example, search for “Oak Grove High School Band” on MySpace Music.

Host video: MySpace added a tool for hosting and sharing short videos clips.

A good example can be found by Googling “MySpace.com – Garfield High School Band” Calendar: Tired of students not keeping important dates on their schedule?

MySpace provides a fully customizable calendar tool that allows you to enter plans and appointments. Again, you can choose to share your calendar with students, public or private. Take a look at one program’s calendar by searching for “MySpace.com – Dawson High School Eagle Band.”

Address book: Need a place to store the e-mail addresses and MySpace usernames of your students and friends? MySpace’s address book tool keeps track of that important information. Google “Fellguard Best High School Band” on MySpace.

Send and receive messages: MySpace accounts come with a mailbox similar to e-mail where other MySpace users can send you messages or get replies from you.

Post a bulletin: The bulletin option is a good way to get a message to all your students and parents. Search for “MySpace.com – John Overton High School Band.”

Post an event and invitation: You can also share information about a concert with the entire MySpace population by entering it as an event. You can filter the events pages by location or time frame to focus on events going on in a given locale during a specific period of time. After you post an event, you can follow up by inviting your MySpace subscribers or other contacts that don’t use MySpace to the event.

Chat with other users: MySpace provides a forum for posting comments on specific topics to a bulletin board or taking part in live chat in an on-line chat room.

Leave comments: MySpace offers the chance for your students to comment on your ensemble profile, blog entries,

and photos.

• Post a classified ad: MySpace offers classified ads should you have a special need for a job, a service, or an item. There are plenty of high school music programs with MySpace pages to advertise themselves. Google search “Promote Your Band With MySpace Music” for more ideas on how to do it.

Customizing MySpace The trick to maximizing a MySpace account is to make sure you sign up as a musician, which you can do by clicking the “Musician” icon on the right side of the sign-up page as you create an account. That will give you access to the easy calendar and MP3 player for your site.

To customize the look of your ensemble’s profile, there are 18 different themes available from MySpace. There are also lots of Web sites out there that offer free MySpace layouts to help customize the look. However, the MySpace platform has plenty of great applications without using outside sources, which means you won’t run the risk of bumping into spam or hidden pop-ups. Upload the gig calendar, the music player, photo albums, and videos directly to MySpace and they will appear in the “channel” on your profile. If you have videos uploaded to YouTube, these have “embed” qualities, so all you need to do is copy and paste the URL found on the specific video page from YouTube and paste it into your profile. Musicians can sell music tracks from the MP3 player on their site through www.snocap.com. I know most band music is probably covered by copyrights, but there are other interesting ways to make use of this. How about a composition competition for students with the chance to sell the recording to their family and friends?

Facebook

Facebook is another popular, free-access social-networking Web site that offers unique opportuni-

ties for music educators. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school and/or region to connect and interact with other people. The media often compares Facebook to MySpace, but the most significant difference between the two Web sites is the level of customization. MySpace allows users to decorate their profiles using HTML and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), while Facebook only allows plain text. Facebook does have a number of features with which users can interact. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wallâ&#x20AC;? is a space on every userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profile page that allows friends to post messages for the user to see. The visibility of the Wall can be determined by different privacy settings â&#x20AC;&#x201C; meaning you can set it so that only your â&#x20AC;&#x153;friendsâ&#x20AC;? see it, or anyone can see it, et cetera. Users can easily upload photo albums and individual pictures. And the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Statusâ&#x20AC;? feature lets users inform friends of their whereabouts and actions.

Facebook has also added several

new features to its Web site. A News Feed now appears on every userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homepage and highlights information including profile changes, upcoming events and birthdays related to the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friends. You can automatically control information shared with students. Users are now able to prevent students from seeing updates about different types of activities, including profile changes.

Facebook is password protected, which means users can determine who has access to their profiles.

Many parents appreciate this because it allows a userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profile to only be viewed by others who have been â&#x20AC;&#x153;added as friends,â&#x20AC;? although this privacy setting can be modified.

If you look at the data, Facebook is among the most visited Web sites for teens and young adults. One advantage to setting up a music program Facebook page is that you can give information to your students and know theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll receive it, because most users check Facebook several times

a day. A teacher can create a profile and ask their students to add them as friends, or you can create specialized group. Both of my daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; have Facebook groups that fans can join. You can build a fan base with â&#x20AC;&#x153;groupsâ&#x20AC;? for each of your ensembles. Add pictures, video, notes, and scheduling information. Fill out a page with information for a concert, and easily invite all the members of the group. They can leave messages on the page and ask questions, leave comments, add pictures or video, and RSVP. I envision this as a fabulous new way to network with students because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a site many kids go to everyday, and it sends reminders right to their e-mail.

Facebook has safe and easy networking and notification. MySpace is a great, easy way to advertise and tell the world about your ensemble.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just simple to see these are the most effective way to network today â&#x20AC;&#x201C; making them very useful for classroom ensembles.

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YouTube

YouTube might be a good option for a large music program or private studio.

When students need performance help, you can frequently find a video record-

ing of it on YouTube and share the URL with your students. One of your advanced students could record a performance on a Webcam during the lesson and upload it to YouTube. Then other students can watch the video and practice along with it. You probably don’t want to make it public, so just make your videos private and only invite people with specific e-mail addresses to access and view them. Create an account with an easy password which only your

students will know. When my clarinet student was learning the Stamitz Clarinet Concerto, I quickly found a YouTube recording and had her listen to it. It motivated her to practice and she played it in a public concert three months later!

YouTube allows you to post highdefinition videos. So, post a high quality performance of your ensemble on YouTube, and then embed it on your MySpace profile for a free, one-stop site for students, family, and supporters. YouTube lets viewers rate videos and share comments about them.

Here are several high school recordings on YouTube: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=cIK-XaL_mso

Ning

If MySpace and Facebook seem a little too big for your needs, you might want to consider Ning.com. Ning is built for small-niche online communities while MySpace and Facebook are built for broad networking. Ning is like a Facebook group in that you can customize a Web site with your own URL or CSS style sheet, and the Ning interface is completely drag and drop with different themes. It allows users to create a private or public online music and video storage space. Music files can be set to stream or download, and Ning integrates Creative Commons licensing. Videos posted to Ning can be embedded in other sites and it has lots of administrator controls and customizable options. Another selling point is that Ning is completely ad-free for K-12 use. If you want your music or class materials to be seen by lots and lots of people, use Facebook or MySpace. If you want a site that focuses on collaborative learning through integrated blogs, wikis, media-players, RSS feeds, chat, and forums, use Ning.

Ning has a pre-existing community of educators connecting with children, students and teachers from around the world. It can be used as a tool to build a social Web site around your school, class, or program. Do a Web search for “The Pell City High School Band of Gold” or “Hueytown High School 42 School Band and Orchestra, April 2009

Band” for some great Ning examples.

One of the leading promoters of Ning for the music education field is Dr. Alex Ruthmann, of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. See his Ning Young Professionals Focus Group for the International Society for Music Educators at: ismeypfg.ning.com. For more info about Ning’s educational uses, go to education.ning.com.

Possible Firewall Restrictions At School Be aware that inside most schools, the Internet security system may filter out all social-networks. One way around this when you want to demonstrate specific videos on YouTube, for instance, is to search for the videos in Google. Chances are you will be able to find what you are looking for and play it for your students despite the firewall.

Think Outside the Box! We are living in a fast-paced, ever changing world and educators have much to gain by exploring new ways of connecting and communicating with parents and students. Indeed, we can learn from each other! Traditional methods are not necessarily outdated, but why not let the advantages of socialnetworking work for your program?

Imagine using a social-network to stay in touch with your alumni through the years, and even organize a special concert honoring your alumni or a retiring faculty member. Google “University of Liverpool Alumni, Ning” for an example of Ning alumni networking capabilities. After you’ve Googled a few of the examples cited here, you’ll see there’s a social networking party going on – and you’re invited!

Have any tech ideas or experiences to share? Visit www. sbomagazine.com/techfeedback to take part in our readers’ survey. This simple online form is your opportunity to voice music tech needs and make thoughts and success stories known. Your responses will help shape upcoming music tech columns!

School Band and Orchestra, April 2009 43

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Noteflight is the first music notation tool to have been designed expressly for creating and sharing musical documents on the Internet. The Noteflight 1.0 platform includes free access to Noteflight’s Web site, alongside the newly-announced subscription-based service, Noteflight Learning Edition for music educators. The 1.0 release of the the Noteflight Score Editor brings with it many new features, including MusicXML import, MIDI/audio file export, lyrics, dynamic markings, and automatically transposed parts. The Score Editor now also includes a drag-and-drop editing tool, in which notes and passages can be rhythmically altered by simply dragging them sideways. The Score Editor remains available at no cost for individual and non-commercial use on the Noteflight Web site.

Noteflight Learning Edition places the Score Editor in the service of education, providing schools with private on-line communities for music learning on a paid subscription basis. With Learning Edition, teachers and students can create and share musical resources and assignments, in a way that seamlessly integrates with popular on-line course management systems such as Blackboard, Moodle, WebCT, or Haiku LMS. Students can access their resources and assignments from any Internet-enabled computer, and instructors can review and mark up work from anywhere. Learning Edition can simplify the teacher/student workflow for musical coursework, eliminating uploading, downloading, e-mail, and file conversion from the process.

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Ars-Nova’s Songworks

Ars Nova has released a site license edition of its music notation program, Songworks. Conceived as a “composer’s workshop,” Songworks is a score-writing application designed for the classroom. In addition to all of the features needed for creating sheet music, Songworks also includes several compositional aids that enable students to experiment with melody, harmony, and rhythm. Students can compose a melody and have the application suggest chords for accompaniment. To hear their melody with chordal accompaniment, students choose from a variety of chordal play patterns (such as arpeggiated, block, Alberti bass, and so on). Once they’ve heard their composition with Songworks’ suggested harmonies, they can begin experimenting by replacing one or several chords with others of their own choosing. Songworks also has idea generators for melody and rhythm. These unique compositional features were created to offer inspiration and encouragement to student composers who are new to their craft.

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PAGE #

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48

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41 5

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