SBO July 2012 by SBO School Band & Orchestra

July 2012 • $5.00

Willie Wright

From the to the

Gridiron

Band Room

Roundtable: College Resources Report: 2012 SBO Essay Contest Winners

Report: Essay Contest

2012

W inners

Essay Contest

wo students from California, Illinois, and Washington were

among the 10 winners of this year’s SBO Essay Scholarship Contest, with the other four from Maryland, Georgia, Tex-

as, and Virginia. Five winners were selected from grades nine to 12 and five students from grades four to eight each received a $1,000 scholarship and their respective school music programs received a matching award of musical products from co-sponsors NAMM, Alfred Publishing, Sabian Ltd., Woodwind & Brasswind, and Yamaha Corporation of America.

This year’s theme, “Dear School Board Member: why we need music education in our schools…” generated contributions from every state in the U.S., as well as several foreign countries. The music students received their scholarship award from local music dealers representing NAMM (the National Association of Music Merchants), a major co-sponsor of the program. 2012 marks the 12th year for the essay contest, which has awarded $240,000 in scholarship funds and matching music products to more than 120 school music programs since its inception. The winning school music programs and their music directors included Karen Banaszeweski, Jane Addams Junior High, Schaumburg, Ill.; Greg Brucker, Frances Harper Junior High, Davis, Calif.; David Jarrott, Kealing Middle School, Austin, Texas; Terry Privette, Princess Anne Middle School, Virginia Beach, Va.; and Chuck Torbett, Hadley Middle School, Glen Ellyn, Ill. Also Jon Fey, Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, Calif.; Jacob Scherr, Mount Vernon High School, Mount Vernon, Wash.; Jeff Horenstein, Meadowdale High School, Lynnwood, Wash.; Donald McClure, Havre de Grace High School, Havre de Grace, Md.; and Todd Howell, Warner Robins High School, Warner Robins, Ga.

Winning essays can also be read online at www.sbomagazine.com.

SBO is now Available at the App Store

School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

July 2012

30 Willie Wright

“

I still have students come up to me and say, ‘I’m really going to get into sports, so I can’t do music.’ Of course I tell them, ‘Wait a minute – there’s no reason you can’t enjoy both!’

Features

10 Report: Essay Contest Winners SBO presents the 12th annual Essay Scholarship contest winners and their essays.

Stronger

30 UpClose Q&A: Willie Wright In this recent conversation with SBO, Willie Wright, a former NFL player turned school band director, discusses his transition from the gridiron to the music room and the lessons he’s learned during his 14 years as an educator.

38 Guest Editorial: Stronger Rhode Island music educator Nicole Denton relates some tips for staying strong in the face of the adversity that so many music and arts teachers are facing these days.

School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

Report: Essay Contest

have faced many difficult issues within my career. Not only did I walk away

from playing the French horn with the American Band (a dream come true to

play with fantastic people), but I also lost stability in my job due to financial problems

in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and two mentor-friends passed away. RIMEA has lost two incredi-

2012

How can I advocate when I am so down? How many more times can I let my advocacy team down? Blink, blink, blink goes my cursor. Then I hear it! My inspiration to keep music in the lives of my students and my children – my five-year-old playing the accordian my mother has given him! Yes, the accordion, and my seven-year-old playing the foam drum set that has tons of fun sounds. Together they are trying to form a rock band. Who am I to stop their creativity and wishful thinking of a future in a rock band? At our last RIMEA Executive meeting, I told the Board that Bobby Rathbone and I will be presenting at the Con- Ed Drew

38 38

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And I’m back! Yes, I am! The big girl pants came on and even though I mentally knew why I was here (the kids), I became reenergized emotionally. Losing two friends, losing my job, walking away from something I loved more than I can express did not kill me, it made me stronger and I learned a lot from those experiences.

Essay Contest

ble people that have truly taught me the meaning of advocating for children: Ed Drew and Ron Stabile.

necticut Music Educators In-Service Who will speak for the kids? You This is what I learned and I hope you can take something for an Advocacy session. Everyone should never forget that.” Unfortunatefrom this: was very pleased, but then I brought ly I had forgotten such an important ■ I need to get out of my own head and understand that life thing. There are moments in life that the group down stating that due to the will throw many curveballs. financial situation among schools in we need to be reminded of why we are ■ The students that I am to be with everyday bring he SBO Essay Scholarship Contest, theblessed premier cross-curricuWoonsocket, I was having a difficult here as music educators. the inspiration to continue to make myself better than I time advocating for music at such a As musicians, where do we go to lar activity and scholarship opportunity for music students in am right now. low point in my cafind strength when we feel so I did not choose this profession for money, but for making grades 5-12, has■awarded over $240,000 in scholarship funds reer. strung out and lost? The mua child’s life more rewarding one moment at a time. Mark Colozzi sic! We are dedicated, hard ■ Whenever a student have been since given aitsgift that and music products to more than 120 school smiles, musicIprograms looked at me and working, emotional people should be nurtured and cherished. inception. This year, the■contest’ 12th, two from said, “The reason with the best intentions. Do not sabandon ship students just because it is California, bad right now. PaWhen the people who have why we work in tienceamong is truly the important. Illinois, and Washington were 10 winners, with the other tough cities with brought us inspiration are ■ This is the biggest one: it is not about me! Knock off feelstruggling budgets physically gone, we can four for- hailing from Maryland,ing Georgia, and winners pathetic,Texas, dust off myVirginia. pants andFive get back to fighting is not for ourselves, get that they are forever with to befive stronger for my from students. were selected from grades because nine toI have 12 and students grades but for the kids. Ron Stabile us in our music. I kept look-

four to eight each received a $1,000 scholarship and their respective school music programs received a matching award of musical products

School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

from co-sponsors NAMM, Alfred Publishing, Sabian Ltd., Woodwind & Brasswind, and Yamaha Corporation of America.

Faculty members from five different institutions discuss the many ways that music educators can benefit from an association with their local college or university.

SBO readers share their thoughts on the many possibilities and advantages of both formal and informal continuing education for active music educators.

By Nicole M. Denton

18 Roundtable: College Resources

26 Survey: Continuing Education

ing for my inspiration. I listened to many songs on the way to school, during school, in the movie theater, at sporting events and through teaching. As I listened to my students, I was inspired to work hard in my teaching but I still wasn’t feeling uplifted in music. Where was the fighter that wouldn’t give up no matter what? Where was the person who wouldn’t take no for answer? I am sure everyone has had these moments many times in life – the a-ha moment. For me, it came when a student shared a project in class about her favorite musical artist. The musical artist was Kelly Clarkson and I was asking all the usual questions to keep the project moving along. The student told me she brought a song to play for the class. The song helped her get through her parents’ divorce. Usually I listen to the songs, but that Kelly Clarkson song was so great that I pressed play and then – bam! After the second refrain, I stopped the music and pressed replay. There it was, my inspiration! Please read the lyrics slowly and carefully.

This year’s theme, “Dear School Board Member: why we need music education in our schools…” generated contributions from every state in the U.S., as well as several foreign countries. The music students received their scholarship award from local music dealers representing NAMM (the National Association of Music Merchants), a major co-sponsor of the program. The winning school music programs and their music directors included Karen Banaszeweski, Jane Addams Junior High, Schaumburg, Ill.; Greg Brucker, Frances Harper Junior High, Davis, Calif.; David Jarrott, Kealing Middle School, Austin, Texas; Terry Privette, Princess Anne Middle School, Virginia Beach, Va.; and Chuck Torbett, Hadley Middle School, Glen Ellyn, Ill. Also Jon Fey, Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, Calif.; Jacob Scherr, Mount Vernon High School, Mount Vernon, Wash.; Jeff Horenstein, Meadowdale High School, Lynnwood, Wash.; Donald McClure, Havre de Grace High School, Havre de Grace, Md.; and Todd Howell, Warner Robins High School, Warner Robins, Ga.

Winning essays can also be read online at www.sbomagazine.com.

While I was walking my seven-year-old son into chorus rehearsal, I asked him what his life would be like without music. He stopped walking, looked at me and said, “I can’t imagine it, Mom. That doesn’t make sense and I wouldn’t be happy.” He looked confused for a while but the smile returned as soon as he started singing. As you fight for your programs and your students, remember that we are important for the children of this country. Your tenacity, dedication, strong belief in the future of our children and love of music is what will keep music education alive in Rhode Island and throughout the U.S. Keep fighting to bring joy to all of our children that need and depend on us to bring joy to their lives. This article was written with respect and total admiration for Ronald Stabile. Thank you for teaching me how to advocate for children. You have been and will forever be an inspiration to many lives. Nicole M. Denton graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 1999, and she received her master’s in Education through the University of New England in 2005, while teaching elementary music in Woonsocket, R.I. Currently, Nicole is the middle school band director for both Hamlet and Villa Nova buildings. She is the advocacy chair and secretary for the Rhode Island Music Education Association and a French hornist with Ocean State Summer Pops Orchestra. She has spoken at four Music Education Conferences and is a true advocate for children.

Quality Instruments

” Contents

Guest Editorial

That Your School and Students Can Afford

Grades 4-8 Winners

Caroline Hamilton Age 12 Grade 6 Princess Anne Middle School Virginia Beach, Va.

is a benefit to students. Learning selfdiscipline, self-control, and team work are lessons that help students become more successful in all areas of education. Devayani Varma Age 12 Grade 7 Frances Harper Junior High Davis, Calif.

violin was considered a Western instrument in Indian classical music, but has now become an integral part of Indian traditional music. For a listener, music is a means of joy. As a violin player, I have experienced that music becomes joy. There are a lot of things music teaches us in life that our educational books could never teach. Learning music teaches virtues which help me in life beyond just getting a perfect GPA. Alex Jiricek Age 12 Grade 7 Hadley Middle School Glen Ellyn, Ill.

For&a Arts; list ofband dealers Dave Kreiselman of Music director Terry Privette, Princess Schoolcontact: in your Anne area, Middle or a catalog Virginia Beach, Va.; scholarship winner Caroline schools@huntermusical.com by email or call. Hamilton; and Matt to Caroll, Musicbids & Arts store local dealers. We respond all school through manager. Samples are available for evaluation.

Music Instruments Devayani Varma, scholarship recipient; WaterDear SchoolHunter Board Member, 3300 Northern Boulevard, Long Island City, NY 11101 melon Music co-owner Jeff Simons; and Greg Everyone knows that itFax: is (718) important (718) 706-0828 706-0128 Brucker, Harper Jr. High music director, Davis, to get a good education. Students work Calif. www.huntermusical.com hard to learn core subjects like math, Dear School Board Member, science, School history, and English. These Band and Orchestra • July 2012 39 We need music education in school are not the only subjects that students because music is a universal language, should focus on. Music education is as which builds unity in diversity, and important as all other areas in a stueases communication. Music has the dent’s school day, for many reasons. power to attract students and make Music education teaches students school time more enjoyable. The real more than just how to read music. It way to learn music is directly from a teaches self-control and self-discipline. teacher, since there are several aspects The saying “practice makes perfect” is of music that a book cannot teach. proven when learning to play an inI come from India, where music strument. When a student practices, is considered “Nada Brahma,” which progress can be seen almost daily. Stumeans “Sound is God.” It is believed dents learn that it takes dedication, that it was the sound “Om” and not time, and hard work to reach goals. light that appeared first during the creMore than self accomplishment, ation of the universe. While everyone learning an instrument teaches team speaks about the benefits music gives work. Like a team sport, members in in our everyday life, such as mind/ a band must learn to depend on each brain development, social/leadership other. Students learn the importance of skills, academic achievement, and self doing their part in a group. A group of discipline, music also gives spiritual musicians playing together can make and moral discipline. The greatest gift beautiful music. When the members I received from my school district was of a band work together, each person the opportunity to learn how to play depends on other members to be sucthe violin. Learning violin made me a cessful. This is an important lesson in much better person than I was before. life. It sometimes takes many people Music is an ocean; it has no language working together to accomplish a goal. or cultural barriers. For example, the Learning how to play an instrument

School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

The mother of scholarship winner Alex Jiricek; Quinlan & Fabish school representative Alan Szafranski; Alex; and music director Chuck Torbett, Hadley Middle School, Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Dear School Board Member, I was born with hemiplegic cerebral palsy and at a very young age my parents enrolled me in a viola program as an alternative to physical therapy. I didn’t think I was really any good at playing the viola until in 4th grade when I auditioned and made it into my elementary school’s intermediate orchestra program, skipping the beginning orchestra. Then in 5th grade I auditioned and made the middle school orchestra. Now I am in 7th grade and am proud to say I am the section leader for the violas in my school’s orchestra. If there wasn’t a program available to me where I could develop musically, I would never have thought anything existed at school where I could actually be considered accomplished. It has made music such a big part of my life to the point that I do not see giving it School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

Columns 4

Perspective

45 Playing Tip

Headlines

46 Classifieds

40 New Products

48 Ad Index

Cover photo by Gail Carver, Worland, Wyoming. From the Trenches

Reportapalooza

2012

By Bob Morrison

Get Your FREE SBO iPad edition at the App Store

s the school year winds down and we all prepare for summer, there has been a flurry of new studies and research reports unlocking new and important knowledge of the status, condition, and impact of music and arts education in our schools. I honestly cannot remember another

period of time when so much new information came forward. Federal Arts Education Fast Response Survey The first report is from the US Department of Education, “Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools: 1999-2000 and 2009-10” (online at: nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/ pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2012014). This report presents selected findings from a congressionally mandated study on arts education in public K–12 schools. The data was collected through seven Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) surveys during the 2009-10 school year. This report provides national data about arts education for public elementary and secondary schools, elementary classroom teachers, and elementary and secondary music and visual arts specialists. Comparisons with data from the 1999–2000 FRSS arts education study are included where applicable.

The Good News

• The last decade has not generally produced a dramatic narrowing of the curriculum in the arts. There are several important exceptions to that pattern, which I’ll talk about in a moment. 14

• It is encouraging to see music is available in almost all elementary schools for at least some of the students, and that more than 80 percent of elementary schools have visual arts instruction. There generally have not been significant declines in music and visual arts instruction.

The Bad News

• At more than 40 percent of our secondary schools, coursework in the arts was not a requirement for graduation in the 2009-10 school year. • High schools are doing too little to incorporate the arts as an expectation and component of career and college readiness for all students. • The decline in dance and theatre opportunities in the last decade has also been dramatic. • About one in five elementary schools offered dance or theatre a decade ago. Today, only one out of every 33 elementary schools offers dance, and just one in 25 elementary schools offer theatre. These survey findings suggest that more than 1.3 million students in el-

ementary school fail today to get any music instruction – and the same is true for about 800,000 secondary school students. All told, nearly 4 million elementary school students do not get any visual arts instruction at school during their formative learning years. Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan noted, “Unfortunately, the arts opportunity gap is widest for children in high-poverty schools. This is absolutely an equity issue and a civil rights issue – just as is access to AP courses and other educational opportunities.”

Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth The next report to call to your attention is “The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth: Findings from Four Longitudinal Studies” published in April by the National Endowment for the Arts (online at www.nea.gov/research/research.php?type=R). This report examines arts-related variables from four large datasets – three maintained by the U.S. Department of Education and one by the Department of Labor – to understand the relationship between arts engagement and

School Band and Orchestra • June 2012

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 © 2012 by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.

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Perspective

Balancing Athletics & the Arts When I attended high school, there were numerous students who performed in the band, as well as in a variety of athletic activities. It was, no doubt, a challenge for the music director to balance those absences. Holes in the marching show, missed rehearsals, and substitutions are all serious concerns for most programs with musician/athletes. From my school, there were numerous successes from students who were able to find the critical balance between both athletics and music. A tuba player went on to play for a Division 1 football team and later have a professional career, and another varsity football player/ band member went on to play trumpet for the University of Notre Dame marching band. However, some students seem to believe that they need to choose between one or the other. Understandably, there’s often a tug-of-war between music and athletics, which often occurs due to conflicting schedules, opportunities for awards, peer pressure, and more. Occasionally, the two sides pull together and a beneficial result occurs. Consider Willie Wright, our featured director this month, who managed to become not only a professional “Drawing a firm line athlete, but also a highly skilled saxophonist and in the sand could mean successful music educator. It’s extraordinary that losing the student an athlete of this caliber had the desire and time to completely.” hone and maintain his musical skills while pursuing a career as a pro football player. Willie sets an extraordinary example that if a student has the desire, even today, he or she may be involved at a very high level in both pursuits. Wright points out that it is important for the band director to have a good relationship with the athletic department coaches. This can go a long way in helping to pave the way for students who wish to participate in both activities and allow the flexibility that they may need in their schedules. It’s obviously difficult to be missing your solo trumpet player for a concert when he or she is off at a soccer tournament, but knowing about the conflicts in advance and having some agreements with the coaching staff could provide some reasonable solutions. Drawing a firm line in the sand, however, could mean losing the student completely. Both sports and music should be encouraged not only for the students’ time in school, but also as lifelong pursuits. Often, they are synergistic, as any wind player knows that the better lung capacity you have, the greater tone quality, endurance, and dynamics are at your disposal. The great cellist Janos Starker, who is also an avid swimmer, even encouraged his students to take up the sport as an adjunct to their musical efforts to build the stamina to practice necessary to perform on their instrument. In addition to the musical benefits of maintaining a good workout routine, the health and mental benefits are clearly beneficial to musicians at every level…

July 2012 • Volume 15, Number 7 GROUP PUBLISHER Sidney L. Davis sdavis@symphonypublishing.com PUBLISHER Richard E. Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com Editorial EXECUTIVE EDITOR Christian Wissmuller cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com EDITOR Eliahu Sussman esussman@symphonypublishing.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Matt Parish mparish@symphonypublishing.com Art PRODUCTION MANAGER Laurie Guptill lguptill@symphonypublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Andrew P. Ross aross@symphonypublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Laurie Chesna lchesna@symphonypublishing.com Advertising ADVERTISING SALES Iris Fox ifox@symphonypublishing.com CLASSIFIED SALES Steven Hemingway shemingway@symphonypublishing.com Business CIRCULATION MANAGER Melanie A. Prescott mprescott@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 www.sbomagazine.com Member 2012

RPMDA Rick Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com 4

School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

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MYASBODPA12

Headlines MakeMusic Creates New Standards & Assessment Web Resources documentation of student achievement. However, the design, funding and goals of arts assessment methodology vary widely at every level. The new website assembles this highly sought-after information from all fifty states, allowing music educators access to vital information and best

practices from across the country. The website includes information on music standards, teacher evaluation policies and contacts for each state department of education and music educator association organizations. Visitors are given the opportunity to collaborate in a variety of ways, including providing updates and participating in state-level discussion forums. To learn more, visit www.musicstandards.org

MakeMusic, Inc., creators of SmartMusic learning and assessment software, recently announced the launch of the Music Education Standards and Assessment website. The company notes that music educators and administrators face increasingly stringent measurement and

YOURS Project Offers Free Orchestral Education to Chicago Students gram developed in Venezuela by Maestro Jose Antonio Abreu. The goal of the program is to uplift and improve the lives of children who come from low-income families, which then can improve and transform the community as a whole.

2012-’13 Washington Performing Arts Society Welcomes El Sistema

In the midst of an impressive performance schedule set for next year, the Washington Performing Arts Society has announced the return of the world-famous Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, made up of the best of Venezuela’s influential music education program, El Sistema. The orchestra is led by the most famous alum of that program, Gustavo Dudamel (who is also music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic). He’ll conduct Strauss’ Alpine Symphony and works by Carlos Chaves and Julian Orbon.

Find a full calendar at www.wpas.org. 6

School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

The YOURS Project was founded as a volunteer-run program in 2008. The project aspires to be a city-wide network of “nucleos” (locations that house these orchestras). Rita Simo founded the People’s Music School was founded in 1976. Read more at www.peoplesmusicschool.org.

A new program in one of Chicago’s public schools named for The People’s Music School’s founder, Youth Orchestras United Rita Simo, is providing free, orchestral music education to Chicago Public School children. The program is modeled after the famous El Sistema pro-

ONLINE SURVEY How would you rate the 2011-2012 school year? A Success! Best teaching year of my career. Successful, but just a few things to work on.

23% 31%

It was so-so. 1% It was a little disappointing. 7% A total disaster. Visit www.sbomagazine.com and let your voice be heard in the current online poll – results to be published in the next issue of SBO.

38%

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Headlines Music Ed Infused with Latin Percussion at Brooklyn Charter School New York’s Brooklyn Charter School (BCS) has developed an innovative after-school program that focuses on percussion studies based on musical styles from across the globe, a program designed to put students at BCS in a better position to succeed in secondary school and beyond. Under the stewardship of Omigbade Escayg, the Latin Percussion artist also known as “Cascadu” takes students in third through fifth grade on a rich musical journey. The BCS after-school percussion curriculum has also offered instruction from other renowned LP artists like Grammy-nominated recording artist/percussionist Wilson “Chembo“ Corniel, as well as author and educator, Victor Rendón. The program is now in its fourth year. For more information on The Brooklyn Charter School, visit

www.BrooklynCharter.org.

(L to R) Wilson “Chembo” Corniel, Victor Rendón, and Omigbade Escayg.

LudwigMasters Adds Lynne Latham to Editorial Staff Lynne Latham, well known composer of string music, freelance performer and teacher of violin, viola and cello in Winston-Salem, N.C., has joined the LudwigMasters staff as a string editor. Ludwig Music Masters Publications distributes a variety

of educational music catalogs including Barta Music, Brodt Publishing, Great Works, J. Christopher Music, Tetra, Klavier, Maecenas Musi,c and Masters Music, among others. The company is based in Boca Raton, Florida.

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Report: Essay Contest

2012

W inners

Essay Contest

he SBO Essay Scholarship Contest, the premier cross-curricu-

lar activity and scholarship opportunity for music students in grades 5-12, has awarded over $240,000 in scholarship funds

and music products to more than 120 school music programs since its inception. This year, the contest’s 12th, two students from California, Illinois, and Washington were among the 10 winners, with the other four hailing from Maryland, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia. Five winners were selected from grades nine to 12 and five students from grades four to eight each received a $1,000 scholarship and their respective school music programs received a matching award of musical products from co-sponsors NAMM, Alfred Publishing, Sabian Ltd., Woodwind & Brasswind, and Yamaha Corporation of America.

This year’s theme, “Dear School Board Member: why we need music education in our schools…” generated contributions from every state in the U.S., as well as several foreign countries. The music students received their scholarship award from local music dealers representing NAMM (the National Association of Music Merchants), a major co-sponsor of the program. The winning school music programs and their music directors included Karen Banaszeweski, Jane Addams Junior High, Schaumburg, Ill.; Greg Brucker, Frances Harper Junior High, Davis, Calif.; David Jarrott, Kealing Middle School, Austin, Texas; Terry Privette, Princess Anne Middle School, Virginia Beach, Va.; and Chuck Torbett, Hadley Middle School, Glen Ellyn, Ill. Also Jon Fey, Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, Calif.; Jacob Scherr, Mount Vernon High School, Mount Vernon, Wash.; Jeff Horenstein, Meadowdale High School, Lynnwood, Wash.; Donald McClure, Havre de Grace High School, Havre de Grace, Md.; and Todd Howell, Warner Robins High School, Warner Robins, Ga.

Winning essays can also be read online at www.sbomagazine.com.

School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

Grades 4-8 Winners

Caroline Hamilton Age 12 Grade 6 Princess Anne Middle School Virginia Beach, Va.

Alex Jiricek Age 12 Grade 7 Hadley Middle School Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Dave Kreiselman of Music & Arts; band director Terry Privette, Princess Anne Middle School Virginia Beach, Va.; scholarship winner Caroline Hamilton; and Matt Caroll, Music & Arts store manager.

Dear School Board Member, Everyone knows that it is important to get a good education. Students work hard to learn core subjects like math, science, history, and English. These are not the only subjects that students should focus on. Music education is as important as all other areas in a student’s school day, for many reasons. Music education teaches students more than just how to read music. It teaches self-control and self-discipline. The saying “practice makes perfect” is proven when learning to play an instrument. When a student practices, progress can be seen almost daily. Students learn that it takes dedication, time, and hard work to reach goals. More than self accomplishment, learning an instrument teaches team work. Like a team sport, members in a band must learn to depend on each other. Students learn the importance of doing their part in a group. A group of musicians playing together can make beautiful music. When the members of a band work together, each person depends on other members to be successful. This is an important lesson in life. It sometimes takes many people working together to accomplish a goal. Learning how to play an instrument

Devayani Varma, scholarship recipient; Watermelon Music co-owner Jeff Simons; and Greg Brucker, Harper Jr. High music director, Davis, Calif.

Dear School Board Member, We need music education in school because music is a universal language, which builds unity in diversity, and eases communication. Music has the power to attract students and make school time more enjoyable. The real way to learn music is directly from a teacher, since there are several aspects of music that a book cannot teach. I come from India, where music is considered “Nada Brahma,” which means “Sound is God.” It is believed that it was the sound “Om” and not light that appeared first during the creation of the universe. While everyone speaks about the benefits music gives in our everyday life, such as mind/ brain development, social/leadership skills, academic achievement, and self discipline, music also gives spiritual and moral discipline. The greatest gift I received from my school district was the opportunity to learn how to play the violin. Learning violin made me a much better person than I was before. Music is an ocean; it has no language or cultural barriers. For example, the

The mother of scholarship winner Alex Jiricek; Quinlan & Fabish school representative Alan Szafranski; Alex; and music director Chuck Torbett, Hadley Middle School, Glen Ellyn, Ill.

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up and would feel a loss without it. To me playing music is fun, and my doctor said it is loosening up the tightness in my right arm. I struggle physically to get on time to class or participate in team sports and kids might think there is something off with my coordination. But when I represent my school at performances and competitions my confidence builds, and I forget my daily challenges. Participating in my school’s music program has given me a wonderful talent. Insia Khan Age 13 Grade 8 Jane Addams Jr. High Schaumburg, Ill.

Cassandra Thuneman of Cassandra Strings; essay contest winner Insia Khan; and music teacher Karen Banaszewski, Jane Addams Jr. High, Schaumburg, Ill.

Dear School Board Member, Music classes are building blocks to a higher educational standard and should be included in all schools. Playing music, or even singing are activities that use a lot of skills. Multitasking is a large part of it. Having one eye on the music, another on the teacher, and playing at the same time requires a great deal of focus from a student, and our minds slowly start to use the same amount of attentiveness in all other classes as well. About three fourths of the orchestra students in my local high school are in honors or advanced placement classes. Not only do music classes enrich a student’s academics, they also increase communication and cooperation skills. For instance, I have a huge fear of playing my cello onstage, or singing by myself. But when you’re surrounded by people you learned and grew with, there is an air of confidence that is difficult to reach by yourself. Harmony is

an essential key to good music. Music classes help reach that level, and they provide discipline. Orchestra and chorus are outlets for me. Playing my cello lets me express myself, and relaxes me after difficult school courses. Chorus on the other hand is also beneficial by giving me an opportunity to interact with my peers who have similar interests to mine. Without these classes I couldn’t do all this. Music classes are a must for every school. They are needed for a student to reach their maximum potential. Eliza K. Cain Age 14 Grade 8 Kealing Middle School Austin, Texas

Al Marabella, Blackerby Violin Shop; Eliza Cain, contest winner; and David Jarrott, music director at Kealing Middle School, Austin, Texas.

Dear School Board Member, Seated in front of a sea of parents and friends at our winter orchestra concert, I take a deep breath and bow the beginning notes of “Palladio” by Karl Jenkins. Our director’s swift baton keeps our tempo and rhythm steady. When the piece ends, I nestle my violin in rest position, and we take a bow. The school theater thunders with applause, and I smile at my stand partner. Our concert was a success, thanks to the focus and teamwork of each member of the Symphony orchestra. Orchestra concerts are some of my favorite middle school memories. The camaraderie with fellow musicians and the beautiful music we make during orchestra inspires me to continue studying the violin. I believe that music education has a vital role in schools. Music classes have taught both leadership and cooperation. The patience

and perseverance I have learned from tackling difficult orchestra pieces has helped me achieve academically, too. In band, orchestra and choir, students develop self-confidence and poise by performing in front of an audience. For kids who don’t have access to private music teachers, band or orchestra gives them the opportunity to learn an instrument. Our school district has faced serious budget problems. Some consider the arts a luxury and have suggested cutting these programs to balance the budget. Fortunately, students, parents and teachers have spoken out in support of music education. Just like me, they’ve realized that orchestra and band provide some of the most rewarding experiences in public education. Dear SBO Magazine, I would like to thank you for selecting me to be one of the recipients of your 2012 Band & Orchestra Scholarship. I feel honored to know that I was chosen from a large group of deserving applicants. I am very grateful for your recognition Orchestra has been a big part of my musical career, and the prize money I received will help me to continue my music education through high school. I would also like to express my appreciation for the generous gifts given to my school orchestra program at Kealing Middle School. Sincerely, Eliza Cain

Grade 9-12 WInners Emily Hall Age 16 Grade 11 Meadowdale High School Lynnwood, Wash. Dear School Board Member, Music education is essential to school curriculum because it fosters student growth academically, socially, and emotionally. Studies have shown that music students excel academically – my AP and advanced classes are filled with music students. Music education inspires teamwork, disciSchool Band and Orchestra • July 2012

Gary Cranwell, Kennelly Keys Music; contest winner Emily Hall; and Jeff Horenstein, choral director, Meadowdale High School, Lynnwood, Wash.

pline, and leadership in students in a way nothing else can. It creates new ways of thinking that help students process the world around them. Deeper than academics, music touches the mind as well as the soul, allowing students to form connections that reach across time, space, and social barriers. My school’s band is a socially diverse group that envelops all kinds of stereotypes. Despite these divisions, these students identify with one another be-

cause they can say “we are the band” and make gorgeous music. During a time in students’ lives when they are so socially divided, unity through music is a very healthy experience. Most importantly, when students walk into a music class, they can leave all their struggles at the door. Music classes are safe environments where students can pour their entire beings into beautiful expressions of raw emotion. Teenagers find refuge from surrounding pressure and swirling emotions when they make music together. Many students lack the means to experience the phenomenon of creating music, but music education in schools makes it accessible. Music education must continue in schools if its unique academic, social, and emotional benefits to students are to be reaped. Sujean Kim Age 16 Grade 11 Mount Vernon High School Mount Vernon, Wash.

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Dear School Board Member. We need music education in our schools because music classes contribute to the development of creativity. Music education also allows students to think better; studies have shown that music education increases students’ IQs and improves test grades. It also lowers recidivism rates, increases self-esteem, and helps develop better problem solving and communication skills. I can see this in me because my grades have been improving slowly and I have also gotten more involved in school. Music education also provides students a better understanding of musical instru-

ments as well. As a band student, I realized how complex an instrument is and how much effort is needed to play one; therefore, I have gained more respect to other players. Practicing instruments helps build up patience and gives us the ability to persevere through obstacles that we may later encounter in our lives. Music does not discriminate against minorities; people with disabilities or other problems in their lives can express their feelings through music if they cannot express their feelings verbally. This is why we need music education; it helps out so many people in different ways. Music education may impact an individual strongly yet that individual can impact others around him or her contributing to the welfare for everyone. Hopefully I will grow up and become successful in the world knowing that the music education program helped me to succeed and become who I am.

tice their parts in order to master technique, they must also acquire the skill of working harmoniously with the rest of the group. The maturity and responsibility that the students acquire serve as foundations for future aspirations – where exemplary teamwork, unity, and dependability are important assets. In addition, students are pushed to apply their musical knowledge through compositions, giving them outlets for their creativity; they are encouraged

to culminate their life experiences and emotions by expressing them though music. As a result, musicians learn the value of individuality and character. Students can also participate in concerts, which provide friendly environments for students to gain confidence and self-esteem, while also sharing the joy of music with friends and families. Thus, music benefits both the performers and the audience, making these “hands-on” experiences unlike those

Amy Chung Age 17 Grade 12 Monta Vista High School Cupertino, Calif.

Diana Tucker, West Valley Music; scholarship winner Amy Chung; and music director Jon Fey, Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, Calif.

Dear School Board Member, Music education provides intellectual experiences that are not available in traditional textbook environments. In music programs, students receive the opportunity to actively participate in their education. Instead of listening to lectures, they are immersed in all facets of education. In bands and orchestras, performers have specific roles – if one part is missing, then the ensemble is incomplete. Such an environment allows students to mature, gain responsibility, and acquire patience. Not only must they be patient and allot time to pracSchool Band and Orchestra • July 2012

offered in normal classroom settings. By balancing musical education with other academics, students receive an encompassing education, making it an invaluable resource and a significant factor in the success and happiness of the students. Brinley Swanson Age 17 Grade 12 Warner Robins High School Warner Robins, Ga. Dear School Board Member,

Scott Pallot and Travis Bryant, Macon Music; with essay contest winner Brinley Swanson (center) of Warner Robins High School, Warner Robins, Ga.

Band should be kept in school because it provides students with another opportunity to advance their learning and education. Schools integrating music into their curriculum as part of a comprehensive education strategy

School Band and Orchestra â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

document positive growth in the school environment and improved student performance. Expanding band outside the classroom to include marching band also promotes physical fitness and health. Marchers work to the point of physical and mental exhaustion as they must play and march in time with their peers. Band tends to work like a normal classroom as well, especially with the progression of skills. Much like math, where the student advances from simple multiplication to algebra to trigonometry, a band student must progress on their instrument starting with the fundamentals of music. They must then refine their sound, with the practice of scales and rhythms, to become more proficient with their instrument, much like homework. A band student must put this practice into context, similar to application of principles in math, by reading music and creating a beautiful sound with others in the band. The listening skills needed by a band student, as well as an advanced playing ability, requires an enormous amount of critical thinking, just like any other class. This justifies that band should stay in schools, as it challenges students just the same as other classes and also requires them to work hard outside of school while promoting a great use of group skills necessary for the future workplace.

Katie Bubb Age 17 Grade 12 Havre de Grace High School Havre de Grace, Md.

Don McClure, Havre De Grace High School music director; Katie Bubb, scholarship winner; and Joseph Noto of Music Land, Bel Air, Md.

Dear School Board Member, Music programs have curriculums with rigorous content and achievement standards at state and national levels. The programs require highly educated teachers to challenge students to perform musical works, create their own works, and respond emotionally to musical literature. In reality, not all students involved in the program choose to make a career out of their musical abilities. That fact should never lower the importance of allowing music to be a part of school systems. Opponents may argue that the information taught in math, science, and English classes ultimately benefit students more. However music programs expose students to culture while teaching critical thinking skills; few classes have such influence. Often traditional courses are places ahead of the fine arts: in funding, in respect, in value. Therefore controversial, musical programs deserve equal footing in all educational aspects. School systems must include music programs to give opportunities for students to learn skills, attitudes, and habits applicable to life. These skill sets cannot be copied from a book, recited, or assessed by means of a standardized test. Instead, one experiences them in a creative and expressive environment. If students are to fully embrace the rich and diverse cultures of the world; if they are to live up to their full cognitive potential; if they are to prepare for living and working in a technologically driven world; and if they are to live a life alive and wideawake to the possibilities yet to come, this promise of the fine arts within education must be realized.

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Roundtable: College Resources

Calling Resources in the Cavalry: for K-12 music educators at colleges and universities

ften located in a remote corner of the school, the band or orchestra room can feel like a lonely place. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Music educators have at their fingertips

innumerable resources that can provide support, foster collaboration, and stimulate instruction, as long as they know where to look. One

“The more we help each other, the stronger the field of music education will be.”

particularly abundant – and often underutilized – source of assistance and inspiration is the music department at nearby colleges and universities. Many of these institutions have programs through which they send out in-class clinicians to local schools, provide student teachers or other material support, or create unique performance opportunities for a wide range of youth ensembles, among a host of other offerings. And they are eager for your contact. Connecting with colleges and universities is mutually beneficial: music ed professors and students get the opportunity to see what’s happening in the trenches of real classrooms, while the teachers receive a little bit of assistance, the chance to present new ideas to their students, or the potential for expanding curricular offerings.

School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

To gain a better understanding of some of the specific types of available opportunities, SBO recently reached out to a handful of college and university personnel, who were eager to discuss ways in which higher education facilities partner with and assist local music educators. In what capacity does your school work with or offer assistance to music educators in your area? What sorts of resources and tools do you have at their disposal? Erin McLennon, McNally Smith College of Music: My job is to build relationships with music educators, primarily in high schools but also at the middle school and elementary levels. We have offered studio recordings, guest artist visits, clinics, and workshops about music technology, music performance, composition, or careers in music. We will often have some of our faculty work with high school bands, jazz bands and orchestras, sometimes for consecutive class periods, or even days or weeks, so that there is substantial contact with the faculty member and the teacher. We’ve been doing this for a number of years, so there are educators in our area that will call us and ask about it or request that we consider their school. I also do email blasts and postal mailings out to many instructors in our area with a full listing of our offerings. At McNally Smith College of Music, we’re just beginning to offer professional development for educators. We’re excited to start working with our colleagues in areas of need. Traditionally, we have allowed teachers to audit courses here or to take them for credit, just the standard courses that we offer in our regular curriculum. This is something that is available, but not often taken advantage of – probably because most of our classes take place during the day. We now offer an evening Masters in Music Performance,

which prepares individuals to understand and operate with the current music performance industry. In the past year, we’ve also started offering continuing education and professional development workshops for music educators. For instance, this summer we’re doing a live sound workshop for teachers that is CEU or contact hours-based rather than college credits. It’s a three-day live sound workshop to teach band, orchestra, and choir teachers how to better run live sound for their events. We’re also doing a workshop this summer on using technology in the music classroom. We’ll be covering a lot of the freely available technology that is offered – open source or free tools that might make teaching in a music classroom easier, more interesting, and broader, in terms of what’s being covered. We know that incorporating technology into their classrooms is something that teachers are increasingly asked to include in their curricular goals. I would encourage music educators at the elementary, middle, and high school levels to contact their local colleges because any college or university is going to be interested in trying to do something, create some sort of partnership, or have something to offer those educators. Bonnie Jacobi, Colorado State University: The best resource we have to offer is people – our faculty! Additional resources include graduate degree programs, a diverse range of quality performances at affordable ticket prices, a state-of-the-art building facility, and our students. We regularly host national, state, and regional conferences, concerts, and workshops for music educators, which enable area music educators to participate in these conferences without the expense of travel. Recent examples include: the Colorado Bandmasters Association State Concert Band Festival,

the Colorado Bandmasters Association State Marching Band Contest, and the Colorado All-State Orchestra Concert. Music faculty from our School of Music help organize these events and also work directly with students by leading sectional rehearsals and sometimes conducting the ensembles in performance. Last summer, we began offering two workshops per year on teaching with SMARTboard technology. CSU hosts a Summer Music Camp for middle school students in Band, Choir, Orchestra, Jazz, and Harp. This provides students a chance to strengthen their instrument skills in a university setting at a time of year when they can focus on their musicianship and technique. CSU faculty (directors of our university orchestras, bands, and choirs, as well as Music Education faculty) have an open line of communication with music educators in our area and take initiative to go out into the schools to adjudicate contests and festivals, to direct honor bands, orchestras, and choirs, and to give clinics. We view this as an extremely important part of our mission to the field of music education. Our associate band director, Dr. Richard Frey, recently met an area high school band director for a cup of coffee to discuss Stravinsky’s “Symphony of Wind Instruments” and provided insight about how to prepare the score to be performed by his high school group. This is the kind of relationship we want to have with our area music educators. They more than reciprocate by the time and care they spend in mentoring our student teachers and practicum students who are in the process of completing their degrees. Our students are also a big resource for music educators in the area. Our CMENC organization (now CNAfME) performs community outreach and service-learning activities in order to gain experience working with students. For example, our students held an “Instrument Petting Zoo” on the day of a Colorado Symphony’s Children’s Concert this past February in Denver. This appealed to young children and their parSchool Band and Orchestra • July 2012

ents and literally hundreds of kids had an opportunity to hold and play instruments for their first time. Also, last year our undergraduate CMENC members started a free lesson program called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Got Music?â&#x20AC;? in which middle school students who have never played an instrument could take three free introductory lessons with a Music Education major. Kids who enjoyed the experience were referred to local teachers for regular instrument study. This project provided a win-win situation, enabling our students to practice their teaching while allowing the middle school kids to try out an instrument to see if they liked playing it. For service-learning, our music education majors also regularly help area music educators with special events within their programs, such as extracurricular ensembles, musical theatre productions, and festival and contest days. Brenda Brenner, Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University: IU is a large training-ground for future music educators, as well as providing opportunities for continuing study hours for current teachers. Many of our classes at the undergraduate level have field components in which we send students out to observe and occasionally assist teachers in the classroom. In addition, IU ensembles provide a series of concerts on campus during the school day where students from the local schools are brought in to experience the arts in a larger venue. The Fairview Violin Project is an example of a collaboration between the Jacobs School and the local district. In this initiative, IU and the Summer Star Foundation provide instruments (violins), curriculum, and instruction for over 250 students during the school day. Teresa McKinney, The Juilliard School: Through our various fellowship programs at the the Juilliard School, we are able to place students as teaching fellows within the schools to assist music teachers or teach applied music or music appreciation. The Juilliard School has been partnering with schools, hospitals, hospice, and homeless shelters for more than 25 years. The resources include access to concerts on the Juilliard campus and visits from highly trained musicians to the school. The school offers over 700 performances in music, dance, and drama annually, many that are open and free to the public. This resource is a gem for NYC. Susan Helfter, The Thornton School of Music at USC: Our outreach programs are designed to best support music instruction at our local schools, as well as to provide opportunities for our music students to be engaged in the community. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a win-win situation. USC has identified a geographic region within which all of our community engagement programs are dedicated. We focus on the area of about 10 or 12 blocks in every direction from the campus, and within that area we have about 14 schools. Our music students are so

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busy with classes and rehearsals that minimizing the commute time it takes to get to a local partner school opens up a world possibilities. We’re really mostly limited by scheduling. Some of the things we do in the schools are partner with middle and high school music educators and simply approach them, ask them about their class schedule, and ask them where they could use some help. We pair students who are interested in helping in that specific area. Often, our mentors have a chance to work with a particular section of the school band, or the higher achieving or lower achieving music students, while the teacher can focus on a different group of students. Most of our music teachers have a specialty, so with the quality and caliber of our students, we’re able to provide students who can complement the skill set of the teacher, so the teachers don’t have to do everything themselves.

thinking approach to music education and it is the basis for our existence as a college. It’s not that we don’t understand and teach traditional and fundamental approaches through music theory, music history, applied lessons, et cetera. We also know there is a larger world of music for our students to explore. McNally Smith College of Music is preparing students to potentially work in the contemporary music industry. Because of the way the music industry is changing and the way the Internet has revolutionized the music industry, a traditional approach through high school music programs is not the only way for students to participate in today’s music. We need to be listening and reacting to the trends. Individual musicians need to be much more entrepreneurial, focusing on developing those skills, and understanding that that is something that they are going to need to be doing.

What are the latest trends you’re seeing in music education? Have the undergrad and graduate components of music ed training evolved dramatically over the past few years?

Teresa McKinney: One recent trend we’ve noticed is an emphasis on being both an educator and an entrepreneur. At Juilliard, we offer seminars on organizational management, developing interactive arts experiences, and this fall we will add teaching children with special needs. Public school educators should be aware of the direction of music professions and non-arts professions that may require imagination, and how important it is for students to develop their creative thinking abilities. Understanding technology, and the unpredictable direction it might take in the future, requires the type of mind that the study of music really develops. Music educators should be aware of the need to inspire students to become multi-faceted musicians and thinkers who are disciplined. Juilliard’s president, Joseph W. Polisi, proposes the idea of “The Artist as Citizen” as a way of describing the many responsibilities needed for the 21st Century artist: creator, animateur, citizenship, and excellence in performance combined with entrepreneurial tenacity and dedication to our increasingly global community.

Erin McLennon: Some of our students have not participated in their high school music programs for a variety of reasons. It might be because some genres of music that we study (rock ‘n’ roll, hiphop, country music, and so on) are not topics of focus in traditional programs. We have many students who played in a garage band, not the high school’s concert band — students who were doing things on their own and were less involved with their public music programs. As a product of a traditional public high school music program, myself, it makes me wonder about ways to extend relevant offerings to high school musicians who may not play the traditional instruments, or vocalists wanting a broader singing experience. Lately, I have been seeing more innovative approaches by high school educators who are offering classes in Garage Band software, classes in hip-hop and world music, and who are doing things that stretch the norms and the basics — reaching students who are interested in something other than playing traditional music. I believe this is a very positive and forward

Susan Helfter: Our credentialed music ed program changed dramatically several years ago. Our model is now a one-year, year-round program to earn a teaching

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Bonnie Jacobi: At CSU, there is now a course devoted to technology, as technology has become integrated into Theory, Piano, and Methods coursework, as well. Similarly there is more emphasis on literacy in the curriculum so this is reflected in our degree coursework. Strong programs are also requiring more hours of practicum teaching across the K-12 grade levels so that students are better prepared by the time they student teach. We

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Brenda Brenner: The explosion of technology and its use in the music classroom is very important. In string teaching, knowledge of alternative styles is also helpful, as this is a trend that continues to strengthen.

are trying to get our students out into the schools sooner and sooner; it even helps to reinforce whether or not they want to be a teacher. The State of Colorado recently passed a new bill (SB 191) which will soon require all music programs to formally assess their students. Each school district is having to develop its own system of assessment based upon the Colorado State Music Standards. Hopefully this will result in some positives, including a clarification of what concepts are being taught, when they are being taught, and how we will be certain they were learned. We hope this will also help to substantiate the importance of music as a true discipline (to administrators, state politicians, and the public) because of the fact that aspects of music knowledge and skills are measurable. There is an increasing trend to embrace music of other cultures and, to study these cultures closely so the music can be performed as authentically as possible, the field of Ethnomusicology continues to grow. We are fortunate to have more and more resources available by which to study music of other cultures. There is also a lot of discussion about what role General Music should serve in the curriculum and what it should constitute; whether there is a need to engage more high school students in music study (how to reach students who do not participate in performance ensembles) as audiences for professional music ensembles continue to shrink and some cannot continue to exist financially; and whether we are adequately preparing high school students for college music study through performance ensembles (when many struggle in Theory and Piano during their freshmen year).

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credential for students who already have a four-year degree in music – performance, composition, or whatever that may be. One objective for the new model is to include jazz players, guitar players, drummers, composers and others who don’t come from the typical big three – band, choir, orchestra – to give them an opportunity to obtain a teaching credential and then go out and teach. There is a big desire from the community for music instruction to include popular music, jazz, and songwriting, and this model helps to provide training and opportunity for these musicians. On another note, school-provided music education is being decimated out here in Southern California, and when we talk about the strategy of music education going forward, we have to take into account the huge number of community-based providers who are giving the instruction in the schools because the school districts aren’t providing it themselves. Music teachers should really think broadly about what’s available for their students. There are resources – non-schoolbased music providers and so on – available in the community that can not only make teachers’ lives easier, but also help provide a connection through music to their students and the community. This can help the students get more experience in music, which will make existing school programs stronger while taking some of the burden off of the school educators.

Bonnie Jacobi: We would hope music educators will do exactly what we ask our students to do: continue learning. Our associate band director, Dr. Richard Frey, asks his students to think School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

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of themselves as “perpetual learners.” The moment you stop learning, you stop growing. When we interview our graduate students, we make it very clear that the expectations of the degree not only include becoming a stronger musician and teacher within the walls of their own classroom, but also becoming an energetic, articulate leader who is committed to improving the entire field of music education. Someone who will not only invigorate their school and students, but in some way impact every school in their district, their community, and their entire state. This can take the form of advocacy, curriculum work, presentations, publications, or even a grant application. Students in my graduate course, Foundations of Music Education, became very inspired this past semester when studying the great reformers of education. I challenged them throughout the semester to begin to think of themselves as the new generation of reformers. Because of the fact that most of our graduate students are full-time teachers, they are familiar with the challenges education is facing (and specifically, music education). One of the students said she immediately thought of a salmon, because of the way it must swim upstream against the current. The class identified with this and began calling themselves the salmon. Every teacher today will experience a moment when they will be challenged to decide between right and wrong, and then choose a course. (Which way will you swim – upstream or down? Will you continue to swim at all? Why or why not?) What should they be doing to help themselves? Be a perpetual learner. Seek out new things to learn about: read an article about recent brain research! Go and watch another successful director lead rehearsal. Keep an open mind: go to a workshop you know nothing about, or one that is different from the way you teach or conduct. Keep an open ear: invite feedback from a colleague. Remember that there is often more than one right way to do something. Strive to work well with, and learn from, other directors. Reach out to new directors. Take great interest in your feeder programs and strengthen the vertical team. True leaders do not build themselves, but effectively build and inspire

those around them. The more we help each other, the stronger the field of music education will be. Brenda Brenner: My opinion is that there needs to be much more collaboration between universities that are training future educators and people who are currently in the field. This provides valuable information to both parties – it is helpful to the student to see the issues they are discussing in the university lectures in action, and helpful to the teacher in the classroom because of the extra hands to help teach. Certainly, more training in technology and its use in the classroom is in order for most teachers, and continuing development (and support for this through the districts) in both musical and educational areas is always useful. For many traditionally trained string players, alternative styles is an area that is undeveloped, and further training would be helpful. Teresa McKinney: Professional development or training by external sources should focus on helping teachers prepare their students for higher education. Music educators should continually work to develop their own craft and always remember to show their students the benefits of the music discipline. Take your students to more live performances. Invite more artists to your classroom. There is no other way to make up for the proportionately small investment dollars from public sources than for volunteer artists to take up the cause and continue to support the creativity in youth. We must replicate successful models to insure the next generation of artists; not just in music, but dance, theater, visual and cinematic arts. All conservatories and college arts program should be tapped for assistance. If your school lacks arts programs and there is a college or conservatory near your school, any teacher or principal should contact the dean of the arts program and partner beginning with a single classroom. The programs at Juilliard began with a single partnership. Music educators, like entrepreneurs, should not wait for someone else to create a program for their students, find a way yourself. Our entire program grew from one seed – and so may others.

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Continuing Education: The Never-Ending Journey

“T

he journey of teaching music is never ending and as you grow as a teacher, the students’ product benefits even more from it,” says Rebecca Kilgore-Longtin of East Rockford Middle School in Rockford, Mich. One particularly important

facet of this journey Rebecca mentions is continuous self-development and ongoing learn-

ing. “Additional education should continue throughout one’s teaching career regardless of educational level or teaching assignment,” agrees Todd Hunter of Dallas High School in Dallas, Pennsylvania. “New and developing educational approaches and techniques should be familiar. After all, wouldn’t you want your medical doctor aware of all the latest developments in health care options? It is our responsibility as professional educators to be able to provide them with the best possible education we can.” Few people would dispute that point, but learning happens in a variety of contexts and settings – from an educator’s own rehearsal room to clinics or even advanced degree coursework. 26

School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

This recent SBO reader survey aims to uncover the latest trends on music educators’ own continuing education and development, while shedding light on current thoughts and inclinations among those actively working in the trenches. Perhaps sentiment on the subject is best summed up by Matthew McInturf of Sam Houston State University, who writes, “Continuing education is critical for all teachers, and especially music teachers. I do not know of any teachers who leave their undergraduate program as finished musicians or educators.” Read on to see how and why your fellow band and orchestra directors have chosen to continue their education, stack their resumes, further their own careers, and, perhaps most importantly, to hone their craft.

30% Seminars/brief training sessions “I enjoy picking the brains of successful directors. Also, I 30% 26%from Seminars/brief training sessions have learned much summer clinics and state in-service Informal learning from colleagues and students conferences. And I really benefited from the practical nature 26%21%Informal learning from colleagues and students of my advanced degree courses.” Advanced degree(s) Johnny Folsom 21% 20%Advanced degree(s) Cairo High School Higher-level courses Cairo, Ga. 20%3% Higher-level courses I haven’t had the opportunity to

my own formal education 3%requirecontinue Does your state that fulltime music educators I haven’t had the opportunity to

earn an advanced degree asformal a master’s)? continue(such my own education

32%

Yes

Yes, but within a 4% certain number Yes Yes,of but within a years after certain number starting teaching. 4% of years after 14% starting teaching.

How have you furthered your education since becoming a music educator?

30%

Seminars/brief training sessions

26%

Informal learning from colleagues and students

21%

Advanced degree(s)

20%

Higher-level courses

14%

32% 28% I amI

28% 26% I amI

26% 13% I havI

13%1% I hav

82%

I haven’t had the opportunity to continue my own formal education

Do you have a master’s or other advanced degree? Not yet, “I have learned the most from workshops put on32% by associabutsalary I’m I am eligible for a higher No Yes tions such as ASTA, NAfME, and MTNA, where I could pick Yes, but within a Notworking yet, certain number and choose to attend advanced 14% 4% those best for me. Classes for an 28% buttowards I’m No I am a better teacher now of years degree were not as valuable forafter immediate use in the classroom.” working one. 8% starting teaching. 14% towards Marla 26% Pflanz I have stronger teaching credentials one. 8% 14% East Valley High School Spokane, 13% Wash. I have a better support network now

Yes

78%

Yes

“I have been teaching for over 20 years and I 1% still learn 78% has not been very helpful each day through collaboration with colleagues, personal ItexNo perience with 82%success and failure, and from students themselves! With each concert I go to and every rehearsal I attend I am looking for new or better ways I can effectively communicate and connect students with music. I believe the consistent quest to be a better teacher makes you a better teacher!” Chris Bernotas No “Obtaining my doctorate was more a personal challenge to better myself, be a part of a networked-community of moMountain Lakes High School tivated learners, Mountain Lakes, N.J. Not at and all sharpen my teaching skills. My thought is that what better role model can a teacher be than to be a Not reallylearner 2% Not yet, life-long myself? Although I admit I never thought “I took two years off from teaching to work on my master’s but I’m No I’d still be paying off student loans now that I am closer to in Clarinet Performance from the San Francisco Conservatoworking retirement!” 13% ry of Music. It was 14% an amazing experience. I feel that I bring towards Duane Chun one. that love8% of music making to my middle school rehearsals Buena High School daily. I highly recommend it!” Sierra Vista, AZ Kind of Craig Olzenak Yes, very Yes 27% Hunt Middle School 58% 78% Burlington, Vt. School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

It ha

unity to education If yes, how has the advanced degree been most beneficial?

32%

na er

ng.

I am eligible for a higher salary

28%

I am a better teacher now

26%

I have stronger teaching credentials

13% 1%

I have a better support network now It has not been very helpful

“Because I taught for a few years before going back to school, I arrived in grad school knowing what areas I wanted to improve upon. I left grad school with new strengths in those areas and more.” Conrad H Miska No Eagan High School Eagan, Minn. Not at all

s and students

Not really “Unfortunately, the district I am in only2% values a master’s degree at $1,000 per year. So my total motivation was to be a better teacher for my students.” 13% Annette Mitchell Armstrong Middle School Plano, Texas Kind of Yes, very

27% 58%immersed in the “My graduate studies have helped me to stay learning process, both as a teacher and a student. Also, with gradu32% ate studies, network professional I ammy eligible for a of higher salary contacts and resources has increased significantly.” 28% I am a better teacher now Philip Klickman Frostburg State University 26% I have stronger teaching credentials Frostburg, Md. 13%“I findI have a better network now it essential tosupport continue your education, not because of the financial benefit or keeping pace with the changing tides of educa1% not been verystudents helpful the value of continuing education, butIttohas model to your tion.” Matt Bock Sagauro High School Scottsdale, Ariz. Has continued education been significant towards furthering your career? No Not at all Not really

13%

“I think the best thing you can do to further your career as a band director is to seek help and advice from other directors that are successful. An advanced degree is not a guarantee that you will become a better teacher.” Joe Trusty Cabot High School Cabot, Ark. “I gained valuable knowledge with the masters program I was on. When you get to spend all of your time on nothing but music courses it is great what one can learn.” Dan Larson Ponca City High School Ponca City, Okla. Do you have any suggestions or advice on how to fit continuing education into an already packed schedule?

“I would recommend teachers looking for a program that fits their busy schedule and works in regards to their geographical area. There are a wide variety of degree programs that offer special scheduling built with the working teacher in mind. With so many to choose from, it seems that any teacher could find one that works for them as long as they are willing to commit to completing a degree. My master’s of Music Education degree included summer courses, a research project, and online classes. I have a friend that did everything online, while another did one weekend a month. It can be done with determination and hard work.” Raymond Thomas North Forsyth High School Cumming, Ga. “You need to make time. You cannot ‘find’ time. It has to become something that you fit into your day/year. Making it a priority is the only way to tackle it. With all that is required from our position as teachers, you need to set aside time to take classes and get into a program. I took a sabbatical year to complete my master’s degree. I hope to take another sabbatical again in the next seven years. “ Brad Ciechomski Harrison Middle School Yarmouth, Maine “The best way to get an advanced degree is to go back to school full time. If that is not possible, many universities offer part time options. There are some summer programs, such as the American Band College, which offer a combination of summer residency and online programs.” Matthew McInturf Sam Houston State University Huntsville, Texas Q&A

Upfron t

Kind of

27%

58%

Bud Geissler, SYTA

A Focus on Trends in Travel

Yes, very

with Bud Geissler of SYTA

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s the American economy continues to show signs of recovery from the downturn of 2008, school music groups are gradually hitting the road once again, says Bud Geissler, president

of the Student Youth Travel Association (SYTA), a network of tour operators and consultants that specialize in facilitating all manner of trips for young people, including school music groups. Also the vice president of Metro Tours, Inc. in McMurry, Pennsylvania, Bud has been traveling with student groups for the past 17 years.

SBO recently caught up with the travel professional for his thoughts on the latest trends in student travel, particularly in regards to saving costs and finding unique destinations. School Band & Orchestra: What are the latest trends in school music travel? Have groups been hitting the road since the recession hit a few years ago? Bud Geissler: Numbers are picking back up. Groups are traveling, and the numbers of participants are increasing. We’ve seen that the overall cost of the experience has come down. Instead of five days and four nights, more groups are doing four days and three nights. Groups are looking for reductions in cost, but not necessarily overall experience. That’s the biggest trend we’ve seen for school music groups. SBO: Are people still traveling as far as they were before or are they typically staying closer to home? BG: We’re still sending groups to the same places that we were sending them before the recession hit. However, when groups arrive at their destination, they may be including fewer packaged meals and doing more on their own, maybe fewer planned activities. We’ve seen a lot of groups packing meals on the road while they’re traveling, which we hadn’t seen before. But groups are still doing the whole experience of flying somewhere, taking in a week of

School Band and Orchestra • June 2012

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School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

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With the plethora of opportunities available to young people these days, kids often feel that they have to choose between music and sports. The common perception is that both activities are so demanding in terms of time and focus that they are somehow mutually exclusive: to participate in one means foregoing the other. However, that dilemma has never been a problem for Willie Wright, band director in Worland (Wyo.) Public Schools. When he was in high school, Wright excelled not only at the saxophone in jazz and marching bands, but also in sports, lettering in track and football. In fact, his athletic gifts took him all the way to the NFL, where Wright played for the Phoenix Cardinals, now called the Arizona Cardinals, and then to Europe, where he played football professionally for the league that preceded the current NFL Europe. Wright continued honing his musical talents all the while, bringing his horn with him everywhere he went, and soon after his athletic career came to an end, he began a new life as a music educator.

School Band and Orchestra â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

Now, some 14 years and several school districts later, Willie Wright has just finished his first year teaching band in the small town of Worland, working with ensembles ranging from fifth-grade general music up through high school symphonic and marching bands. Fully immersed in music, the former professional athlete spends the bulk of his time teaching, working with students, talking shop with his wife (who is also a school band director), and honing his own performance skills. In this recent conversation with SBO, Wright discusses the evolution of his career in music education, the parallels between success on the football field and in the band room, and the challenges of learning how to create a great music program.

ing and I got to play plenty of football for five or six years. During that time, I kept playing music, but my focus was mostly on my own musicianship. I actually took my alto sax with me to Germany when I was playing there, and I would go off in the evenings to find a room in the hotel where I was staying to practice. One time, one of the football coaches asked me why I kept playing the same thing over and over again, and I told him, “I’m trying to get right! What do you think we do at football practice?” SBO: So you were never torn between band student and athlete? WW: No – I was fortunate that I never really had to make that choice. I think that’s kind of the appeal of some of these smaller

School Band & Orchestra: You’ve had an incredibly varied professional life. How did you end up becoming interested in music? Willie Wright: I’ve been passionate about the saxophone from an early age. It was the instrument that I wanted to play growing up. I had a really inspirational high school band director, John Aanestad from Riverton, and he opened doors for me musically. I went in and did a lot of exploring, myself. He had a really strong jazz program at Riverton. However, I played football at the University of Wyoming, and went on to play most of the 1992 season in the NFL. I was on the developmental team in ’91, and then in NFL camps in ’93 and ’94. And in 1996, I played in the World League of American Football, which later became NFL Europe. I didn’t have a very long career, but it was very interest-

“I still have students come up to me and say, ‘I’m really going to get into sports, so I can’t do music.’ Of course I tell them, ‘Wait a minute – there’s no reason you can’t enjoy both!’”

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Wyoming towns. You can still do it all and have those different experiences. SBO: And at what point did you decide that you would become a music educator and band director? WW: After I did my student teaching. I was a little torn between athletics and music, because I wasn’t really sure that I wanted to be a band director. I looked into being a graduate assistant at a football program, and a good friend of mine, who’s actually the strength coach at a major university, laid out the whole scenario as far as coaching. His opinion was that that wasn’t the kind of lifestyle that I wanted to lead, and I thought about that a lot. I took a year off in between student teaching and teaching during which time I played on Carnival Cruise Lines cruise ships. Being out there, wanting to be a jazz musician and thinking of going to a big city like New York or L.A. to try to become a player on the scene gave me a life lesson, because a

lot of the guys on the ships had already done that. So I decided that that wasn’t really the life for me either. Instead, I went with the stability of becoming a teacher, and being able to play my instrument on the side, with my own bands and for my own enjoyment. SBO: So tell me about your early teaching experiences, then? WW: I started the band program at a charter school in Brighton, Colorado. This was my first teaching job, and I was there for four years. To be honest, it was a bit of an unusual situation because the position wasn’t very demanding. That was great because I still wanted to do a lot of playing on the side. When I first started, I wasn’t as focused on the students as I should have been. As I grew into the job and matured, I started to realize what these students needed from me, and that’s when I started to develop as an educator and make more and more time for my students. I learned a lot about pa-

tience. I didn’t start teaching until I was 30 years old, back in 1998. SBO: And what brought you to Worland? WW: I’m originally from here. Not native, but I went to high school nearby, in Riverton, and I was interested in coming back. The schools here are really well run, well funded, and teacher friendly. SBO: What’s your vision for the Worland band program? WW: We’ve changed the schedule for next year, so I won’t be working with the elementary students anymore, and I’m trying to start a jazz program. That’s my main orientation. I consider myself a jazz tenor player, and I’ve done a lot of playing out with different bands. I’m also going to split the percussion from the band, so next year I’ll have band, percussion, and jazz band, in addition to marching band and symphonic band.

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SBO: How has the transition to the program in Wyoming gone so far? WW: So far it’s been great. The community and the students have all been really receptive. It’s the best first year I’ve ever had! This is my fourth school, and as far as coming in the first year, this is the best I’ve ever had. SBO: In your experience, what can one do to facilitate a smooth entry into a new school? WW: You need to come in and not have the attitude that you’re going to change the world right off the bat. Some things should be left the same, especially at the very beginning, and then gradually molded into what you want. If you come in and just shock everybody in the program, with brand new rules exactly how you want it, laying down the law and trying to snap everybody into line, students will react negatively.

“You can get superiors for 20 years in a row, but if you aren’t including a lot of students – as many as you can – and there isn’t much enjoyment in it for everyone, you’re missing something.” SBO: How do you gauge what’s appropriate as far as instilling your own agenda versus maintaining traditions? WW: That’s a great question. As you get more experience, you learn how to finesse the situation. To pinpoint exactly how to do that, everyone needs to find his or her own path. One of the pitfalls I’ve experienced, and other educators I’ve spoken with agree, is that you can’t go in and say, “Okay, it is my way or the highway,” on day one. You do need to establish yourself, but you don’t want to go too far changing things or being too harsh. You’re dependent on having students in your program, so you don’t want to turn people off. To decide how I wanted to approach the transition, I met with administrators, and I also spoke with the previous two directors here. The gentleman who taught right before me wasn’t on the job for very long, but the man who preceded him had a great career and still

lives in town. I emailed these people and talked to them a few times to get a feel for where the kids were at, and even incorporated some of the things that they had been doing into my planning. I actually did that at my previous school, as well. SBO: Now that you’ve been teaching for a number of years, looking back on it all, what are the parallels between making it as a professional football player and making it as a professional band director? WW: The same things are at work. You have to persevere through some tough times. You have to keep your eyes on the prize and keep working to get better every day. SBO: What are some of those things that you have to persevere through in music education? WW: One of the toughest things to get through is attrition. That hurts some-

times. You get a student who’s a bright student and a good player, and all of a sudden they don’t want to be in your program anymore. Luckily, I haven’t had too much of that this year, but I’ve faced that in the past, and it can be tough to get beyond that, but you have to focus on the good students that you have and the ones who stick with you. SBO: Certainly people talk about retention as a real challenge, often because of academic demands and also the wide array of activities that are available to students these days. School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

WW: Absolutely. Attrition makes you take a good long hard look at yourself and your program, and ask yourself, “What do I need to do to make my program better? What do I need to do to make it more enjoyable for the students?” SBO: Let’s get specific, then, what are some of the answers to those questions? What are the attributes of a great program? WW: The students need to enjoy music. You can get superiors for 20 years in a row, but if you aren’t including a lot of students – as many as you can – and there isn’t much enjoyment in it for everyone, you’re missing something. There are plenty of ways to make it fun; it’s taken a while to find some of those things for me, and I’m still working at it every day. Just little changes to your routine, different things you can do with the students on different days. I go to as many clinics as I can to steal ideas from great educators. I’m very interested in what other directors are doing. I like to talk to directors, say, at a solo & ensemble festival or at a band festival. I’ve found that band directors are really great at being willing to talk about their programs and share things that they do. A few times a year, I like to get out and spend a day in another director’s band room. I really enjoy doing that. I feel like I have a pretty strong identity myself, but it’s great to see what other people are doing; I always pick up a couple or three new things that I can use in my own classroom. SBO: How do you facilitate those events happening? WW: It’s mostly from seeing other directors at festivals, and it’s usually people that I know fairly well. I’ll ask them if I can come spend a day in their band room. I didn’t do that during my first four years as a teacher, and I think trying to teach in a vacuum, you don’t get a whole pallet of different ideas on how to approach various things. Some things you have to look at and say, “Well, that really wouldn’t work in my situation,” but there are always plenty of things that you can use. This is kind of a tangent, but another area that can be really helpful to a music program – and something that not everyone thinks about – is having a decent relationship with the coaches in the athletic 36

School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

Trevor James Ad_SBO_2011.09.indd 1

9/15/2011 9:53:44 AM

department. A lot of times there’s kind of an adversarial relationship between the music people and the sports people. I’ve seen it on the educator’s side, also. Every situation is different, but trying to get along and share students is a good idea. I still have students come up to me and say, “Well, I’m really going to get into sports, so I can’t do music.” Of course I tell them, “Wait a minute – there’s no reason you can’t enjoy both!” Just being able to work with the coaches, communicating with them beforehand, sharing schedules, and letting them know in advance so you don’t end up in some blowout argument at the last minute can be really helpful. It is as simple as two adults communicating with each other. SBO: Is there a way to keep that from even coming up in the first place – to demonstrate that somehow before kids think they have to choose one or the other? WW: I think you need to change the perception to keep that from happening. Maybe I need to do a better job of letting everyone know that I have a number of football players in my band, and 60 percent of my kids participate in sporting events throughout the year. SBO: It must help facilitate the conversations about sharing students when the band director shows up with the athletic resume that you have! WW: Oh yeah, absolutely. That’s an advantage that I have. Not a lot of music people have that type of experience. When the head football coach wants you to work with his players, it’s a definite advantage to then discuss when you might need students for a performance. SBO: Have you been tempted to participate in the football program at your high school? WW: I try to stay away from coaching these days because I think I need to be available for my students. When I have to run out to practice every day, it hurts my program. I’ll probably go out to the football field and work with the players on technique once a week or so, but as far as being a fulltime part of the staff, I just don’t feel that I can do it and still be a good band director.

Guest Editorial

Stronger By Nicole M. Denton

have faced many difficult issues within my career. Not only did I walk away from playing the French horn with the American Band (a dream come true to play with fantastic people), but I also lost stability in my job due to financial problems

in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and two mentor-friends passed away. RIMEA has lost two incredi-

ble people that have truly taught me the meaning of advocating for children: Ed Drew and Ron Stabile. How can I advocate when I am so down? How many more times can I let my advocacy team down? Blink, blink, blink goes my cursor. Then I hear it! My inspiration to keep music in the lives of my students and my children – my five-year-old playing the accordian my mother has given him! Yes, the accordion, and my seven-year-old playing the foam drum set that has tons of fun sounds. Together they are trying to form a rock band. Who am I to stop their creativity and wishful thinking of a future in a rock band? At our last RIMEA Executive meeting, I told the Board that Bobby Rathbone and I will be presenting at the Con- Ed Drew

School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

necticut Music Educators In-Service for an Advocacy session. Everyone was very pleased, but then I brought the group down stating that due to the financial situation among schools in Woonsocket, I was having a difficult time advocating for music at such a low point in my career. Mark Colozzi looked at me and said, “The reason why we work in tough cities with struggling budgets is not for ourselves, but for the kids. Ron Stabile

Who will speak for the kids? You should never forget that.” Unfortunately I had forgotten such an important thing. There are moments in life that we need to be reminded of why we are here as music educators. As musicians, where do we go to find strength when we feel so strung out and lost? The music! We are dedicated, hard working, emotional people with the best intentions. When the people who have brought us inspiration are physically gone, we can forget that they are forever with us in our music. I kept look-

”Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone. What doesn’t kill you makes a fighter Footsteps even lighter Doesn’t mean I’m over cause you’re gone What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, stronger Just me, myself, and I What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, Stand a little taller Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone And I’m back! Yes, I am! The big girl pants came on and even though I mentally knew why I was here (the kids), I became reenergized emotionally. Losing two friends, losing my job, walking away from something I loved more than I can express did not kill me, it made me stronger and I learned a lot from those experiences. This is what I learned and I hope you can take something from this: ■ I need to get out of my own head and understand that life will throw many curveballs. ■ The students that I am blessed to be with everyday bring the inspiration to continue to make myself better than I am right now. ■ I did not choose this profession for money, but for making a child’s life more rewarding one moment at a time. ■ Whenever a student smiles, I have been given a gift that should be nurtured and cherished. ■ Do not abandon ship just because it is bad right now. Patience is truly important. ■ This is the biggest one: it is not about me! Knock off feeling pathetic, dust off my pants and get back to fighting because I have to be stronger for my students.

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Whether serving on the faculty at a university, maintaining a class of private students, or fulfilling an invitation as guest artist in a master class series, virtually all musicians will teach during their careers. From the Stage to the Studio speaks directly to the performing musician, highlighting the significant advantages of becoming distinguished both as a performer and a pedagogue. Drawing on over sixty years of combined experience, authors Cornelia Watkins and Laurie Scott provide the guidance and information necessary for any musician to translate his or her individual approach into productive and rewarding teacher-student interactions. Premised on the synergistic relationship between teaching and performing, this book provides a structure

mentary on Contemporary Masterpoieces for Wind Band; Volume 5 is the fifth in a five-volume series on major contemporary composers and their works for wind band. Included in this volume are rare “behind-the-notes” perspectives acquired from personal interviews with composers William Bolcom, Andrew Boysen, Jr., Steven Bryant, Chen Qian, David Dzubay, Adam Gorb, and more. An excellent resource for conductor, composer, or enthusiast interested in acquiring a richer musical understanding of the composers’ training, compositional approach, musical influences, and interpretive ideas.

Edited by Timothy Salzman with a forward by William Bolcom, A Composer’s Insight: Thoughts, analysis and Com-

The new Hygro Reed Cases are compact enough to fit in an instrument case but include a humidity control system. Each reed case offers space for six reeds, a sponge to maintain optimal humidity, and a disc that indicates when its time to add water. The two new models include the HRC10, which holds clarinet or alto sax reeds, and the HRC20, which holds bass clarinet or tenor or baritone sax reeds. www.dansr.com

The new PMXA-67 Alto features rolled tone hole, which offers less resistance so it is easier to play, a feature designed for young horn players looking for a stepup horn on the way to becoming professional. It features a large bell that produces a big full sound with hand engravings there and on the bow and neck. It features a Super VI neck style, and the pads have seamless dome metal resonators.

for clarifying the essential elements of musical artistry, and connects them to such tangible situations as setting up a studio, teaching a master class, interviewing for a job, judging competitions, and recruiting students. From the Stage to the Studio serves as an essential resource for university studio faculty, music pedagogy teachers, college music majors, and professionals looking to add effective teaching to their artistic repertoire.

P. Mauriat PMXA-67RUL Alto Sax

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From Legato to Glissando “When playing and practicing legato passages on the trombone, I often make my students glissando smaller, individual phrases. This allows them to experience the feeling of blowing through the entire instrument with steady, unwavering air. ‘Glissing’ also develops familiarity and understanding of the instrument’s partials, and improves embouchure flexibility.” Jon Bell Arlington High School Arlington, Texas

Submit your PLAYING TIP online at www.sbomagazine.com or e-mail it to editor Eliahu Sussman at esussman@symphonypublishing.com. Winning entries will be published in School Band and Orchestra Magazine and contributor will receive a prize gift compliments of EPN Travel Services, Inc.

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Classifieds Arrangements

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For All Instrumental / Vocal Ensembles Tailored to Your Specific Groups Contact Al Newman (505) 681-1213 amnewman@earthlink.net 1424 Sara Way SE Rio Rancho NM, 87124

Free Marching Band Arrangements Contact or email International Education Service P.O. Box 15036 Alexandria, Virginia 22309 703-619-6268 IES9@msn.com

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DVDs Are your band and orchestra students preparing for college?

The IVASI DVD System helps high school students learn important works to prepare for college orchestras.

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Guitar • Horns • Piano • Strings T-shirts, Hats, Stickers, Jewelry, Keychains, Miniatures, Ties, and more.

www.SBOmagazine.com 46

School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

FAIRMONT PRIVATE SCHOOLS High School Music Teacher- Choir, Showcase Choir, Band Located on the historic Stanton Estate in Anaheim, Fairmont Prep is a non-sectarian, WASC-accredited high school that attracts students from throughout Southern California and the world. Fairmont Prep is currently seeking a dynamic Music Teacher who is able to lead our nationally and Internationally acclaimed music program that enjoys a wellearned reputation for excellence. It is imperative that applicants have a strong background in Choir, Show Choir and Band. Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree in education and/or the subject(s) being taught, passing grade on the CBEST, a valid Teaching Credential preferred. Minimum of two years teaching experience preferred.

Please email resumes to:

kmitzner@fairmontschools.com or fax to: 714-234-2794 Attn: Kari Mitzner. By mail: 1575 W. Mable St. Anaheim, CA 92802 Attn: Kari Mitzner

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Advertise in the Classifieds!

( Call Steven Hemingway 1-800-964-5150 ext. 34

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Classifieds Merchandise

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Print Music

Show Design/Instruments Music and More Midwest/ Warren Creative Designs Let me help bring your group to life with one of my designs! Some of the best prices in the country on products!

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has the same specifications as the most popular “Music”chair! NOT $79 but as low as $51.00 per chair! Go to www.tablesnchairs.com for the details!

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Repair Tools

Software AUDITION MANAGER

   

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makes handling large auditions easy. It features automatic data entry from initial registration to final judging via scanner cards. www.AudMgr.com • 800.579.1264 Barry Lumpkin

Teaching Aides

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toll free: 1-800-666-7565 Teaching Aids - Awards - Gifts

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Ad Index

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COMPANY NAME

E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS

PAGE #

American Way Marketing LLC

www.americanwaymktg.com

Antigua Winds, Inc.

www.antiguawinds.com

J.J. Babbitt Co. Inc.

www.jjbabbitt.com

Band Today LLC

MarchingBandPlumes.com

Bari Woodwinds

www.bariwoodwinds.com

Barrington Musical Instruments

www.barringtonmusicgroup.com

Charms Office Assistant

www.charmsoffice.com

D’Addario & Co.

www.daddario.com

Disney Performing Arts OnStage

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EPN Travel Services

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Festivals of Music/

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Good for the Goose Products

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Hal Leonard Corp.

www.halleonard.com

Hunter Music Instrument

www.huntermusical.com

Ideal Fengling Group

www.MingDrumsUSA.com

KMC Music, Inc

www.kmcmusic.com

McCormick’s Ent. Inc.

www.mccormicksnet.com

Osiamo LLC

www.osiamo.com

Pearl Corp.

www.pearldrum.com

Peterson Strobe Tuners

www.petersontuners.com

Row-Loff Productions

www.rowloff.com

Dan Ryder Field Drills

www.danryderfielddrills.com

Super-Sensitive Musical String Co.

www.cavanaughcompany.com

Vic Firth Company

www.vicfirth.com

Vic Firth Company

www.vicfirth.com

West Music

www.tjflutes.com

Woodwind & Brasswind

www.wwbw.com

Avedis Zildjian Co.

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School Band and Orchestra • July 2012

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Save The Date!

Jazz Education Network 4th Annual Conference Networking the jazz arts community... local to global!

Atlanta, Georgia January 2-5, 2013 The Jazz Education Network

is dedicated to building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance, and developing new audiences. For complete membership information/beneďŹ ts please visit us at: