SBO March 2009 by SBO School Band & Orchestra

MARCH 2009 $5.00

Bill Swick

Guitar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Other Stringed Instrument UpFront: Teaching Guitar Workshops Performance: The Second Time Arounders

Music In The Parks No Matter Where You Want To Go, We Are There... Giving You A Choice To Experience More.

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www.musicintheparks.com

We Make It Easy To Choose, View, Change And Update Your Information Online. UÊ iV ÊÞ ÕÀÊ>VV Õ ÌÊ> `Ê«>ÞÊ i You can check what performing groups you have registered or see if payment has been received. You can download…

UÊ*iÀv À > ViÊÃV i`Õ iÃ UÊ*iÀv À > ViÊÃi iVÌ ÊÃ iiÌÃ UÊ ÃÌÀÕ i Ì> ÊÃiÌ Õ«ÊV >ÀÌÃ UÊ* > }ÊV iV ÃÌÃ UÊ > }iÊÞ ÕÀÊ Õ LiÀÃÊ> `Ê«À ÌÊ ÕÌÊ>Ê iÜÊÃÌ>Ìi i Ì° Performing Groups Performing Group Concert Band Jazz Ensemble Mixed Choir

Participant 72 20 40

Division Concert Band I Jazz Ensemble Mixed Choir I

Competition Yes Yes No

Grade Level High School (9-12) High School (9-12) High School (9-12)

Class AA AA AA

When Things Change, As They Often Do... You Have A Choice Of Options. UÊ vÊÞ ÕÀÊÌÀ>Ûi Ê« > ÃÊV > }i]ÊÞ ÕÊV> Ê ÛiÊvÀ Ê iÊ`>ÌiÊÌ Ê> Ì iÀÊ ÀÊ iÊ V>Ì ÊÌ Ê> Ì iÀ* With 43 locations throughout the US and Canada, there is a Music in The Parks festival where you want to go.

UÊ9 ÕÊV> ÊV> Vi ÊÞ ÕÀÊi Ì ÀiÊ}À Õ«Ê> ÞÌ iÊÕ«ÊÕ Ì ÊÎäÊ`>ÞÃÊLiv ÀiÊÌ iÊiÛi ÌÊ> `Ê ÀiVi ÛiÊ>ÊvÕ ÊÀivÕ `° As fellow teachers, we know that things change. Fuel costs go up, tournaments are moved, students drop out. With Music In the Parks you have the ﬂexibility of canceling your entire group up until 30 days before the festival. Just send us a written cancellation and we will refund any festivals and park admission fees. You may cancel individual students up until two weeks before the event with no penalty. *based on space being available at the new location at the time of your change.

Contents 24

March 2009

Features 16

FROM THE TRENCHES: DO SCHOOLS KILL CREATIVITY? Bob Morrison asks the question: Have schools created an environment that supports and nurtures students’ passions and natural abilities?

UPFRONT Q&A: JULIAN BLISS SBO catches up with 19 year-old clarinetist Julian Bliss to talk about his impressive rise to success in the classical music world.

UPFRONT: TEACHING GUITAR WORKSHOPS SBO reports on the efforts of The Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association (GAMA) to broaden teachers’ and students’ skill sets with the addition of the guitar to music education programs.

UPCLOSE: BILL SWICK SBO gets upclose with Bill Swick, director The Las Vegas Academy Guitar Ensemble, who talks about studying, teaching, and advocating for the guitar in music education.

PERFORMANCE: SECOND TIME AROUNDERS Second Time Arounders give former band students the opportunity to continue their musical journeys during adulthood. What began in 1982 with a small ad in a newspaper and a clunky first rehearsal has now blossomed into a 500–member, successful marching band.

SURVEY: SUMMER MUSIC CAMPS

TECHNOLOGY: THE VERMONT MIDI Project John Kuzmich explores creativity, teamwork, and The Vermont MIDI Composition Project.

Columns 4 6 51

Perspective Headlines New Products

53 54 55

Playing Tip Classifieds Ad Index

Cover photo by Eliahu Sussman SB&O School Band and Orchestra® (ISSN 1098-3694) is published monthly by Symphony Publishing, LLC, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310, publisher of Musical Merchandise Review, Choral Director, Music Parents America and JAZZed. All titles are federally registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Symphony Publishing, LLC. Subscription Rates: one year $24; two years $40. Rates outside U.S.A. available upon request. Single issues $5 each. February Resource Guide $15. Periodical-Rate Postage Paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER/ SUBSCRIBERS: Send address change to School Band and Orchestra, P.O. Box 8548, Lowell, MA 01853. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. Copyright © 2009 by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.

2 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

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Perspective

Don’t Fret – The Upsides of Teaching Guitar

f you consider that nearly 2,000 music teachers, representing nearly half a million music students became involved in learning guitar due to the efforts of some leading music associations, including GAMA – The Guitar and Accessories Marketing Assn., NAMM – The National Assn. of Music Merchants, and MENC – The Natl. Assn. for Music Education, you would certainly consider this curriculum a success. The Teaching Guitar Workshops program was launched in 1995 and has enjoyed significant growth since its inception. In an independent survey, 92 percent of teachers started a guitar program after attending the Workshop, and 94 “Providing more percent reported that the guitar program improved their career as teachers. musically intriguing This month, SBO takes an in-depth look at school guioptions for students tar programs and profiles a tremendously successful teachhas the potential er, Bill Swick, director of the Las Vegas Academy Guitar of generating more Ensemble. Swick has been involved with the GAMA Teaching Guitar Workshops from the very early stages and administrative and believes that, “GAMA is working very hard to help band, parental support for orchestra and choir educators learn to teach guitar.” He music programs.” currently has three guitar ensembles ranging from beginner to advanced, with 86 students enrolled. Additionally, Swick is quite an entrepreneur with his own publishing company and has written a variety of arrangements and methods for guitar. According to his Web site, Bill’s resume includes being chair for the Clark County School District Guitar Task Force, a member of the CCSD Cadre Task Force, and a member of the Guitar Foundation of America Education Committee. The guitar’s attraction for many students is obviously its connection to popular music, but many students who have gotten involved have ultimately become interested in classical, Latin, jazz, and other more varied styles of music. Swick has worked for many years to develop a comprehensive, four-year curriculum and materials for teaching the guitar to include a well-rounded understanding of the instrument. The groundwork that GAMA has developed now makes it easier than ever before to launch a classroom music program, With today’s uncertain economy, providing more musically intriguing options for students has the potential of generating more administrative and parental support for music programs as well as attracting students who might not normally be involved with the band or orchestra program. Take a look at this story, as we know you’ll find it compelling…

March 2009 Volume 12, Number 3

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

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Christian Wissmuller

cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com

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

PRODUCTION MANAGER Laurie Guptill

lguptill@symphonypublishing.com

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

ADVERTISING SALES Iris Fox

ifox@symphonypublishing.com

CLASSIFIED SALES Maureen Johan mjohan@symphonypublishing.com Business Staff

CIRCULATION MANAGER Melanie A. Prescott mprescott@symphonypublishing.com

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

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

www.sbomagazine.com

Member 2009

RPMDA Rick Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com 4 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

HeadLines The NAMM Foundation Encourages Support of Music Education

he NAMM Foundation hosted multiple events at the 2009 Winter NAMM Show that were focused on keeping music education strong in schools. The Foundation hopes to raise awareness within the music products industry about the critical importance of being active in their communities in order to maintain support for music education programs in today’s economic environment. On the opening day of the show, NAMM presented its prestigious Grand Marshal Award to three important influencers in honor of their contributions to school music education. The honorees were: Anne L. Bryant, Ed.D, executive director of the National School Boards Association, who heads a federation of state and territorial organization dedicated to advancing education through citizen governance of public schools; Tim Lautzenheiser, executive director of education for Conn-Selmer, Inc., who is a well-known name in the

music education world as a teacher, clinician, author, composer, conductor, consultant and mentor to young people; and Inez Hussey, co-director of King George VI Centre, an organization focused on providing rehabilitation and boarding facilities to children growing up with physical disabilities in Zimbabwe. The NAMM Foundation celebrated 15 years of commitment from the music products industry to promote quality guitar instruction in schools. Since 1994, NAMM has supported Teaching Guitar Workshops, a program developed with MENC (the National Association for Music Education) to train music educators to use a fundamental approach toward teaching guitar. Officers of NAMM presented the Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association (GAMA) with a celebratory check for $774,200 representing NAMM’s contribution to GAMA’s efforts to maintain and grow this significant program over the years.

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

Also held the opening day of the NAMM Show was a SupportMusic Coalition teleconference covering the topic “Advocacy Today: Community Challenges and Solutions for Keeping Music Education Strong Now-This Fiscal Year, Next year and Beyond.” The meeting of more than 60 music education advocates from all over the United States was held in a town hall format, opening up important dialogue on how to increase the public’s awareness about the growing challenge of making music available to children and teens. Executives from the National PTA, National School Boards Association and MENC participated in the panel discussion with Coalition affiliates. On the last day of the NAMM Show, the NAMM Foundation hosted the second annual “Music Education Day,” which featured keynote speaker Larry Livingston, music director at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music and the director of educational initiatives for Guitar Center. Livingston stressed the need to expand school music offerings to a wider student population, and spoke about the importance of developing in-school experiences designed to encourage students to pursue ongoing music making during their lifetimes. The 2009 Music Education Day drew 322 U.S. music educators, a more than 100 percent increase over last year’s event, and also attracted more industry representatives in than the previous year For more information about The NAMM Foundation, visit www.nammfoundation.org.

Blue Devils Drum Corps Partner with Roland for 2009 Here’s the ke y.

Introducing Sys tem Blue.

Designed and cra f ted from the ground up by The Blue Devils and Pro-Mark. © Pro-Mark Corporation. Photo by Jolesch Photography, www.jolesch.com

6 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

promark.com

ules for the Drum Corps International competition have recently changed to allow the incorporation of electronic musical instruments and the world champion Blue Devils Drum Corps have announced they will now use Roland products exclusively. For more information, visit www.rolandus.com.

PROFESSIONAL by DESIGN Available with Standard or Reverse Leadpipe

Includes Both Gold Plated and Pearl Inlaid Valve Buttons 2 Sets of Valve Springs: Regular and Light to Control the Action

Hand Lapped Slides for Precision Fit

Includes Both Standard and weighted Bottom Valve Caps Traditional Two-Piece Valve Casing with Nickel Silver Balusters

Professional Trumpets For more information on Jupiter XO Professional Instruments, Visit:

jupiterxo.com

Beautifully Engraved Tribune XO Bell

One-Piece, Hand-Hammered Bell Available in Yellow or Rose Brass

Bell Wire with Soldered Bead

HeadLines Fender Partners with Little Kids Rock

ender Musical Instruments Corporation has announced a longterm strategic partnership with Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit provider of free lessons and instruments. The goal of the partnership is to transform children’s lives by restoring and revitalizing music programs in public schools across the United States. Fender is assuming a leadership role in Little Kids Rock’s nationwide effort to keep music in our schools. Little Kids Rock is a charity that began in 2002 as a grassroots effort to bring the joys of music education to low-income children. Since that time, it has catapulted onto the national stage and become one of the nation’s leading instrument donors to school-age children. The Little Kids Rock program trains and equips schoolteachers across the country to run contemporary band programs that feature guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals. Participating schoolteachers receive free training, curriculum and instruments. The organization now serves tens of thousands of students in 18 cities, with new cities being added each year. Little Kids Rock students learn how to play popular music styles including rock, reggae, metal, hip hop and others; they also learn how to compose their own music and how to improvise. To learn more about the program, visit www.littlekidsrock.org.

Online Survey Results Do you incorporate guitar into your concert band or orchestra ensemble?

Yes

47%

53%

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.

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 10th Annual

Band Director Academy — The Essentials of Teaching Jazz JUNE 26–28, 2009 — in NYC A three-day workshop integrating performance, jazz pedagogy and demonstration of teaching practices, led by some of the foremost jazz educators in the country. “BDA is the most informative and valuable workshop I have ever attended. To say I use the resources from it every week is not an exaggeration.” Bill Snyder, South Salem High School, Salem, OR, 2007 Band Director Academy participant

FACULTY INCLUDES: BDA Director Ron Carter, Alvin Atkinson, Wycliffe Gordon, Stephen Massey, Reggie Thomas, Rodney Whitaker and more to be announced. FOR MORE INFO OR TO SIGN UP www.jalc.org/bda Email: bda@jalc.org Call: 212.258.9812 Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center New York, NY

8 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

education

Strike up the Band

and join BRT for the 1st Annual

Are you looking for a unique opportunity to showcase your band over Thanksgiving? Don’t miss out on the newest and most prestigious event held at the Walt Disney World® Resort during Thanksgiving break. © Disney

Bob Rogers Travel is one of Walt Disney World® Resort Top Student Travel Planners in the country. Contact us today for a worry-free trip to the Walt Disney World® Resort. We plan Festival Disney and Disney Magic Music Days trips 365 days of the year.

Highlights of the Event U “Thanksgiving Day Spectacular”- Parade in Epcot® with a culmination performance at the Fountain Stage, featuring all of the bands. U Exclusive opportunity to perform on a stage that is not available to Magic Music Days groups. U Kick-off breakfast & practice in Epcot®, before park opening. U Thanksgiving dinner at Epcot® U Marching bands lead the afternoon parade at the Magic Kingdom® Park on Friday. U Private event held after hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Park. A DJ, games and rides will be available for the bands. U Work closely with prestigious college and Drum Corps International directors.

We are currently accepting applications for Thanksgiving of 2009. Please call Tami or Todd at (630) 824-4343 or 1-800-373-1423 or email us at info@bobrogerstravel.com for more details.

Download an application now at: www.bobrogerstravel.com/paradeofbands

HeadLines KoSA International Percussion Workshops, Camp & Festival 2009

oSA will host a week of intensive, hands-on classes with professional world-class drummers and percussionists. Students of all ages and levels, will live and work with their mentors, perform with rhythm sections, and attend concerts featuring the faculty. Past faculty has included: John Riley; Dafnis Prieto; Steve Smith; Glen Velez; Dave Samuels; Arnie Lang; Changuito; Memo Acevedo; Dave Hamilton; and Aldo Mazza. KoSA will hold its 2009 festival in Castleton, Vermont at Castleton State College, July 29-Aug 2, 2009. For more information, visit www.kosamusic.com.

Dr. Daniel DiCicco, 1927-2009 Dr. Daniel “Doc” DiCicco, Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Director of Bands Emeritus passed away on February 3rd in Lakeland, Fla. He joined the IUP faculty in 1956 and served in the music department for 34 years. Dr. DiCicco continued to be an ambassador for IUP and its Music Department until his death. The IUP Music Department is planning a memorial concert early next fall semester.

10 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

GAMA Guitar Workshop Sites for 2009

he Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association (GAMA) has announced the locations of their summer 2009 Teaching Guitar Workshops: San Diego, Calif.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Fairfield, Conn.; Atlanta, Ga.; Boise, Idaho: St. Louis, Mo.; Halifax, NS (Canada); Gahanna, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Reston, Va. Idaho and Pennsylvania will hold both Level I and Level II Workshops. Three hundred school music educators are expected to attend the 12 Teaching Guitar Workshops in 2009. The Teaching Guitar Workshops were founded in 1995 by members of GAMA and MENC, with major support from NAMM, in an effort to bring guitar instruction to school music. To learn more about the Teaching Guitar Workshop program and find out how you can get involved, contact the GAMA office: PO 757, New York, NY 10033. Phone: 212-795-3630, Fax: 212-795-3630, E-mail: assnhdqs@earthlink.net, or visit online at www.discoverguitar.com.

s ymphonic

simplicity of k

Imagine a cymbal sound that holds a consistent sound color throughout all dynamic levels. Imagine a cymbal sound that is impeccably well balanced in the attack and sustain. Imagine a core to the sound that cuts through the middle of any ensemble, yet has an aged feel that is effortless. Imagine no longer. Zildjian invites you to experience the reality and simplicity of one perfect cymbal sound that can speak a thousand words. Welcome to the sound of the new K. Symphonic cymbals. K. Symphonic available in traditional nish: 17”, 18”, 19”, 20”. K. Symphonic Light available in traditional nish: 18”, 20” and brilliant nish: 18”, 20”.

Marc Damoulakis of the Cleveland Orchestra and DePaul University assisted in the design and plays the K. Symphonic Traditional nish line of cymbals

zildjian.com/ksymphonic

HeadLines NAMM Joins Canadian Tradition of Music Monday

AMM has announced that it will again join the Coalition for Music Education in Canada in its fifth annual Music Monday event May 4, 2009, to demonstrate the galvanizing power of making music and kick off its annual Wanna Play Music Week. NAMM joined the event for the first time last year, which inspired more than 700,000 students across North America to participate in a simultaneous concert and celebrate music education in schools. In addition, many community and professional organizations participated in the event to show their support for music

education. Also, Australia recently held a Music Monday event of its own in the fall. This year, NAMM is encouraging more U.S. schools and organizations to sing and play together and heighten the public’s awareness about how music education empowers children with important tools such as creativity, achievement, and social engagement. Many schools across the country have cut music programs because of lack of funding and cannot offer students the proven benefits associated with hands-on musical training.

NOTION’s Conducting Software NOTION Conducting 2nd Edition is an interactive curriculum featuring plug-andplay software, instructive videos, and a full-sized workbook built around a curriculum of standard symphonic literature. The software’s realistic playback uses digital samples from the entire London Symphony Orchestra, recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London. Students in the classroom “play” specific instruments or instrument groupings on their computers - following a student conductor’s gestures by tapping keys on a computer or MIDI keyboard. New with the 2nd Edition, students can watch full-motion video lessons of conducting basics and conducted performances of scores and exercises in the workbook. The curriculum includes over a dozen standard scores ranging from a simple chorale up through an operatic aria - complete with a real recorded soprano. Additional works are also available for download from the NOTION website, www. notionmusic.com.

J.W. Pepper’s Two New Distribution Centers J.W. Pepper & Son, Inc. is opening two new distribution centers to service order fulfillment needs for their retail and print operations. Historically, the company has distributed product through 15 locations. The two new distribution centers will allow order fulfillment operations to be focused in the two new facilities, allowing remaining locations to focus on regional marketing opportunities. The new facilities will be located in Atlanta and Salt Lake City, cities in which Pepper currently has a retail presence. The Atlanta Distribution Center, which will open in May 2009, will be managed by Kyle Badgero, currently manager of the Grand Rapids location, assisted by be Ron Cunningham. The Salt Lake City distribution center, which is slated to open in March of 2009, will be managed by Rich Delong, currently manager of Pepper’s Detroit location, assisted by Ed Chillington, currently of the Pepper location in Los Angeles. Regional marketing centers will remain an active part of Pepper’s business, as regional marketing is an important component of its overall marketing plan. The regional marketing centers will be updated to enhance the in-store experience for local customers and will house the regional marketing staff. All existing Pepper locations will continue to function in this marketing capacity, with the exception of the Detroit branch. Functions of the Detroit location will be absorbed by the Grand Rapids location. For more information, visit www.jwpepper.com. 12 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

To register your school or organization as a participant in “Music Monday,” and to receive your Music Monday materials and a copy of the song “Sing Sing,” please e-mail musicmonday@namm.org. For more information and links to national, state and local organizations working together to keep music education strong, go to www.supportmusic.com.

Fender University Announces Guest Faculty

or its spring 2009 session, Fender University has announced that the March 4-8 education program in Corona, Calif., will feature special appearances and performances by James Burton, G.E. Smith and John 5, and producer/engineer Eddie Kramer. Fender University’s guest faculty will also include guitar aces Gary Hoey, Greg Koch, and Wolf Marshall, plus Fender signature artist bass masters Reggie Hamilton and Tony Franklin. Also featured will be a special private concert with guitarist/vocalist Philip Sayce (Jeff Healey, Uncle Kracker), and “class photos” taken by world-renowned rock photographer Robert Knight Fender University offers a fiveday behind-the-scenes music education experience to guitar and bass enthusiasts worldwide at all skill levels. Students experience a hands-on immersion in the world of Fender products and people, with exclusive access to Fender’s manufacturing headquarters and to the Fender Custom Shop, all presented through a series of music workshops, handson educational experiences, facility tours, performance opportunities, and special guest appearances. For further information, visit Fender University online at www.fender.com/university.

HeadLines Anne Drummond Endorses Sonaré Winds

onaré Winds announced that New York City jazz flutist and composer, Anne Drummond, is now endorsing Sonaré flutes. Anne Drummond’s debut record Like Water is due to be released by Obliqsound records in May 2009 and features her original compositions played by a Brazilian rhythm section and strings. Her group performs at festivals abroad and plays regularly in New York clubs. Anne spends much of her time composing, and in 2008 she wrote the score for a national television commercial for Tmobile. To learn more, visit www.sonarewinds.com.

Master Your Music

with Professional Teaching Singers and Slowed Study Spots.

or the past three years, choral singers have enthusiastically been using the new SingleParts™CDs to learn their parts, guided by a superb teaching singer, whose excellent pronunciation and rhythms can be clearly heard over a full performance of the work. And those challenging fast/difficult passages? They are quickly mastered with the CD’s slowed StudySpots. Conductors also realize a lot more time to make the performance the one they really want.

Conductors’ Applause “The greatest help came in the ability to be able to hear how their individual part fits into the greater whole of the work. Also of superb help were the sections that were slowed down for ease of rehearsing and comprehension.” —Chuck Taft

H a n d e l - Messiah Alto CD

Two D i s c S e t

Choral Learning CDs from

Patent Pending

B r i t t e n - Ceremony of Carols ( S SA ) Alto CD

Choral Learning CDs from

“Your product is indeed a means of enabling volunteer church choir members to learn oratorio choruses in one/tenth the time it would normally require. There is no pounding out of the pitches on a piano.” — Edward Norton “The choir and I were amazed at how quickly they were able to learn their parts.” — David Sherman

“They have been a God-send! Frankly, we would not be able to do this concert next Tuesday without having used them.” —Kira Seaton

Singers’ Praise

Patent Pending

M e n d e l s s o h n - Elijah

“I love your recordings! You have thought of so many of the needs of singers and conductors. Thank you!” —Rebecca R.W.

Te n o r C D

Choral Learning CDs from

Correction

The following listings in the 2009 SBO Directory should read as follows:

www.ManhattanBeachMusic.com New Horizons Travel & Tours 800-327-4695

“I can’t thank you enough for your alto CD for Verdi’s Requiem. It is excellent — the best practice material I’ve ever worked with. Thank you — and thank the wonderful alto who is singing.” — F. A. Randle “I am so glad that I ordered the Beethoven’s 9th tenor CD. It has made all the difference in the world. I thank you very much. If I ever need a helper-outer again, you guys will be the first place I look. Again, thanks!!” — W. Dyer “I’m so grateful to you for getting that CD to me. Wow — fantastic product, great quality, love being able to hear the whole orchestra and the popped-out voice. I don’t know how you make that work, but... especially the slowing it down but keeping the pitch. Technology... wow!” —G. Broderick

Summit Tour and Travel P.O. Box 682240 Orlando, FL 32868-2240

Arabian Nights Dinner Attraction, 3081 Arabian Nights Boulevard, Kissimmee, FL 34747. (407)-589-2412, (800)-553-6116

with StudySpots

www.rearts.com

888-302-8524

info@rearts.com

School Band and Orchestra, March 2009 13

HeadLines Harrington Achieves Milestone at Berklee

Yamaha & Ohio State University Marching Band

Vandoren artist Danny Harrington is being honored for 30 years of teaching at Berklee this month. He is a Professor of Music at Berklee College of Music, a position he has held since 1978. He is a member of the college’s Harmony Department, which teaches the theory of American popular music from the early 20th century to the present. Danny has been teaching and performing in the New England area since 1978. Before joining the faculty at Berklee College, Danny toured with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra under the direction of Buddy Morrow. Since then he has performed with Nick Brignola, Gary Burton, Herb Pomeroy, Gary Smulyan, Joe Lovano, George Garzone, as well as leading his own group since 1980. Danny Harrington is a Vandoren artist and uses Vandoren reeds, mouthpieces and ligatures exclusively For more information on Danny Harrington or Vandoren products, visit www.vandoren.com.

amaha Corporation of America, Band and Orchestral division announced the expansion of the relationship with the Ohio State University Marching Band. 2008 marked first of many years to come that Yamaha provided the marching ensemble with Yamaha brand trumpets, cornets, melophones, flugelhorns, and sousaphones. Founded in 1878 as a 12-piece all male ROTC band, the Ohio State University Marching Band has grown to be one of the few all-brass and percussion bands in the country. Directed by Dr. Jon Woods, the Ohio State band or “the Best Damn Band in the Land” as it is widely referred to, is often touted as one of the best collegiate marching bands in America. Patterned after the traditional British brass band, it contains players who are proficient on the cornet, flugelhorn, trombone and trumpet and a variety of percussion instruments. For more information, visit www.yamaha.com.

Lauren Keiser Music Publishing

auren Keiser, the veteran music publisher, has started Lauren Keiser Music Publishing (LKMP), an ASCAP publisher and Keiser Classical, a BMI house, new publishers of music print publications, rental library, CDs, DVDs and music rights. He has acquired the assets and music copyrights of MMB Music in St. Louis and is joining them with his new publishing program in creation of a 360 degree “serious music” entertainment company. The company is presently in negotiations for other acquisitions. Lauren Keiser is presently the President of the Music Publishers’ Association of the United States and on the Board of ASCAP’s Symphonic and Concert Committee.

ChopSaver Lip Balm for Musicians

epresenting Florida in the Presidential Inaugural Parade were the Florida A&M University’s “Marching 100” and the J.P. Taravella High School Marching Band, and every band member from each school was furnished with a tube of ChopSaver to protect their lips from the bitter cold. Florida A&M’s Dr. Shelby Chipman, Assistant to the Director of Bands, said, “Having ChopSaver really saved us from having our lips literally stick to the mouthpieces and prevented them from drying out and cracking in the frigid temperatures” JP Taravella’s Band Director Neil Jenkins said “ChopSaver was definitely a big help in the freezing and sub-freezing temperatures we faced prior to the day of the inaugural parade and most definitely on the day of the parade.” To find out more, visit www.chopsaver.com.

14 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

Students Coping with Loss of Teacher During a Trip to Greece

Massachusetts high school musical director collapsed in Athens, Greece on February 20th during a school band trip. Dennis Wrenn, who taught at Algonquin Regional High School in Northborough, Mass., passed away in Athens moments before a scheduled flight home with his high school jazz band. Wrenn began teaching music in several Boston suburbs before settling at the Northborough, where he was director of Instrumental Music and chairman of Fine and Performing Arts. His student ensembles filled trophy cases with their competition winnings. Wrenn carried a nearly full teaching load while overseeing the department, advising a number of clubs, producing school musicals, and leading staff development initiatives. He was 58.

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SBOFrom the Trenches

Do Schools Kill Creativity? BY BOB MORRISON

A friend of mine recently shared this story with me:

Bob Morrison is the co-founder of Quadrant Arts Education Research and is a nationally renowned music and arts education advocate. He may be reached at bob@artsedresearch.org

16 School Band and Orchestra, February 2009

There was a little girl (we will call her Jill) whose teachers suspected she had a learning disability. Jill couldn’t sit still. She couldn’t concentrate on her work. And she didn’t seem to care. There was talk of sending Jill to a special needs school. So Jill and her worried mother visited a psychologist. The psychologist interviewed the mother, all the while watching the daughter and recognizing some telltale signs. The psychologist asked Jill’s mother if they could speak privately. On the way out of his office, the psychologist turned on a radio. Hidden from view in the hallway, they watched Jill dance around the room with amazing grace and in a state of pure joy. “Jill isn’t sick,” said the psychologist. “She’s a dancer. Take her to a dance school.” And that’s where Jill discovered her element and found herself in the company of others who had to move to think. In this story Jill is actually Gillian Lynn one of the world’s most accomplished and acclaimed choreographers (Cats, Phantom of the Opera). She’s also worked as a ballerina, dancer, actor, and theatre and TV director.

The story is true and my friend, world-renowned author Sir Ken Robinson, told it to me. He went on to say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Someone looked deep into her eyes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; someone who had seen children like her before and knew how to read the signs. Someone else might have put her on medication and told her to calm down. But Gillian wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a problem child. She didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to go away to a special school. She just needed to be who she really was.â&#x20AC;? And this is the main point of Sir Kenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new book called The Element â&#x20AC;&#x201C; How

Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. It is his latest salvo in the argument for personal and educational transformation. The Element just hit bookshelves in January and has already made it to the New York Times best sellers list. For those of you who have followed my blog or my columns, you already know about my friendship with Sir Ken and what I huge follower of his work I have become. The release of The Element should move many people (and hopefully some of you) from fans to followers, as well.

Gillianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story is just one of several included in the book about wellknown people who struggled to find their way. Substitute any name and you quickly see how these stories are equally applicable to the everyday citizen. How many of us have found our â&#x20AC;&#x153;elementâ&#x20AC;? as Sir Ken describes it â&#x20AC;&#x153;that meeting point between natural aptitude and personal passionâ&#x20AC;?? How about our students? And have we created the proper â&#x20AC;&#x153;conditionsâ&#x20AC;? in our schools for our students to even have a chance at finding their element?

Publisher Weekly states: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Robinson, renowned in the areas of creativity development, innovation and human resources, tackles the challenge of determining and pursuing work that is aligned with individual talents and

passions to achieve well-being and success. The element is what he identifies as the point where the activities individuals enjoy and are naturally good at come together. Offering a wide range of stories

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– he demonstrates a rich vision of human ability and creativity. Covering such topics as the power of creativity, circles of influence, and attitude and aptitude, the author emphasizes the importance of nurturing talent along with developing an understanding of how talent expresses itself differently in every

18 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

individual. Robinson emphasizes the importance of mentors and reforming and transforming education, making a convincing argument bolstered by solid strategies for honing creativity. Motivating and persuasive, this entertaining and inspiring book will appeal to a wide audience.”

I have read all of Sir Ken’s books. While I have learned something from each one and enjoyed them all, The Element is clearly his greatest, most compelling, argument yet for the need to change how we as individuals, groups, and societies look at creativity and it’s place in each of our lives. More importantly, The Element is a clarion call for a revolution in education. Sir Ken accomplishes this in the most accessible and witty way. The book’s final chapter, “Making the Grade,” is a clear manifesto for educational transformation in our nation and around the world. Sir Ken says, “Education doesn’t need to be reformed… it needs to be transformed. The key to this transformation is not to standardize education, but to personalize it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each child, to put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions.” This chapter is worth the price of the book alone! When you think about what is happening in our schools today, how many of the courses designed to engage our children in unique and meaningful ways are being forced from the school day, and how the unique character of many of our students is being beaten out of them so they conform to a series of bubble tests and AYP scores, The Element provides the antidote to the “standardization” disease that is smothering all the creativity out of our children. Sir Ken famously asked in his 2006 Ted Talk, “Do schools kill creativity?” In my opinion, the answer for many schools is: Yes! In The Element, Sir Ken shows us the pathway out. If only we can get enough policy makers to read it, digest it, and follow suit. So here is your homework today. Go out and buy three copies of the book; One for yourself, one for your principal and one for the superintendent or a school board member. Once they read it they – and you – will never be the same. Chances are, your school will never be the same either.

SBOUpfrontQ&A: Julian Bliss

Julian Bliss

ind instruments don’t lend themselves to the child prodigy paradigm. At the age of five or six, when some determined youngsters may already have two or three years of piano or violin study under their

belts, the lungs in the human body usually just aren’t developed enough to sustain the breath control necessary to play reeded instruments. In fact, most children don’t have the physical capacity to play wind instruments until they are 11 or 12 years old.

That, in part, is what makes Julian Bliss so special.

This quiet and unassuming young man, now aged 19, has already been playing clarinet for 15 years and, during that time, has graced some of the world’s most reputable concert halls. At the tender age of 12, Julian was invited to perform for England’s Queen Elizabeth II, at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of her coronation. The performance was broadcast live in over 40 countries. Julian has also already collaborated with many of the world’s top classical artists, including Joshua Bell, Steven Issalis, Misha Maisky, Steven Kavacavich, Elena Bashkirova, Julian Rachlin, Simon Trepceski, and Helen Grimaud. School Band & Orchestra’s resident clarinetist, publisher Rick Kessel, caught up with the young phenom at the recent Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. Also present was clarinet designer and technician Morrie Backun, who currently serves as the director of product development for Conn-Selmer’s Leblanc clarinets. The three chatted about Julian’s metoric rise through the classical music world, as well as some of the tricks for achieving a great sound on the clarinet. Rick Kessel: You are one of the youngest clarinetists to become a major artist on the scene. Would you tell me a little about your introduction to the clarinet and some of your early experiences?

Julian Bliss and Morrie Backun 20 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

Julian Bliss: I started playing at four years old when I was given a plastic clarinet. I knew I wanted to play music but wasn’t certain what to play. I had absolutely no interest in string instruments, and even started playing when I still had baby teeth. Many

people said I shouldn’t do that, but I persisted anyway. By the time I was 12, I had a management contract with an artist management company, and was asked to play for the Queen of England’s 50th anniversary. I went on to study at the Indiana University Jacob’s School of Music, where I earned an artists diploma. My primary teacher there was Howard Klug. I also studied in Germany in Lubec, which is near Hamburg, with Sabine Meyer, who is a great soloist and the former principle clarinetist of the Berlin Philharmonic. At that time I was about 12 or 13 years old. This was very tough and I had a lot of hard work to do, but she is a great teacher with whom I learned a tremendous amount. Morrie Backun: Julian also recently recorded a CD with Sabine Meyer, which included some great works for two clarinets by Krommer, Spohr, and others (released on EMI Classics, July, 2007). RK: Were there any difficulties in studying with Meyer as she plays on a German system, Wurlitzer clarinet, whereas you perform on a French style Boehm system instrument?

RK: Morrie, you have recently developed a clarinet in conjunction with Julian, and it bears his name. What was the background for the development of this instrument? MB: The idea of the Bliss instrument is to offer an affordable clarinet that doesn’t restrict the player, and provides a certain ease of playability. It is manufactured with a unique composite which has never been used before. The instrument has the Backun scale, no body rings and the option of a Backun barrel. It comes with a hard rubber mouthpiece and a Bonade ligature. The instrument weighs less than a Grenadilla instrument and comes with several adjusting screws, including the crows foot. The bore has multiple tapers and is manufactured to tolerances of hundreds of thousandths of an inch. The right hand trill keys are moved above the gravity line, so that there is less of a chance of water getting into the tone holes. RK: Julian, do you have any recommendations to help band directors

get a better sound out of their clarinet section? JB: Clarinets are a unique instrument as they are the only ones that tune in 12ths, which presents tuning issues. Most of the mouthpieces that students use have tip openings that are too close and use reeds that are too soft. The softer reeds can cause the instrument to play flat. Teachers should try to have their students play on hard rubber rather than plastic mouthpieces. This, combined, with a reed of 2 ½ strength should improve the sound of the section.

News

For Additional News in School Band and Orchestra, please visit www.sbomagazine.com

JB: No, there were no real problems, as there are many clarinetists who go to study Sabine from around the world also play on the Boehm system. RK: Do you play with a single or double embouchure? JB: I play with a single embouchure as I prefer that feel over that of the double embouchure. RK: Since you come from England, would you say that your sound has been heavily influenced by the British school of sound, or by any others? MB: There used to be more differences in schools of clarinet playing in different countries, but this has changed over the years to become more homogenous. Recently, Ricardo Morales was offered the principle clarinetists job at the Berlin Philharmonic, which, in the past, was only offered to people who played on German system clarinets. School Band and Orchestra, March 2009 21

You’re one of a kind.

So is the copyrighted music you rely on.

... Did you know • t Infringemen law ht of the copyrig can result in fines of up to

$30,000?

Keep it legal. You want your students to value music. When you observe the copyright law you show them the way. The future of music is in your hands. Here’s how to keep it legal: 1. Know what you can do 2. Know what you can’t do legally 3. Get permission to use other’s property

Music Publishers’ Association of the United States 243 5th Avenue, Suite 236, New York, NY 10016 • admin@mpa.org • www.mpa.org

[ Y O U A R E G R A N T E D P E R M I S S I O N T O M A K E C O P I E S O F T H I S PA G E T O S H A R E W I T H Y O U R S TA F F. ]

Keep It Legal.

Copyrighted music is a piece of property, and if you want to use it, you must ask the owner for permission. You may or may not receive permission, but when you use someone else’s property, you must have their permission. This is true for musical works as much as for anything else you own. The music you use is created by composers, arrangers and publishers, and, to ensure future music is available, they must be compensated for it. The future of music is very much in your hands. Music Copyright Law Guide*:

What You Can Do:

Getting Permission:

1. You may make emergency photocopies to replace missing parts for an imminent performance, provided you replace all copies with purchased music in due course. 2. You may edit or simplify music as long as the fundamental character of the work is not distorted. Note: You may not alter or add lyrics. 3. Teachers may make 1 copy per student of excerpts of musical works for academic purposes. Note: The excerpts can not be used for performance. The excerpt can not comprise more than 10% of the complete work or comprise a performable unit. 4. Teachers may make a single copy of a student performance to be used for evaluation or rehearsal purposes. 5. Teachers may make a single copy of a recording owned by the institution or teacher for creating aural exercises or examinations. Note: This pertains only to the copyright of the music itself and not to any copyright which may exist in the sound recording.

The Music Publishers Association of the United States helps you find information on our website mpa.org so you can obtain permission from copyright owners.* 1. If you have a copy of the music, look for the copyright holder or publisher's name, and use the “Copyright Search” link on mpa.org to access the Music Publisher Directory and index of Publishers’ Imprints to find the publisher’s contact information. 2. If you do not know or can’t locate the publisher of the music, research further by accessing one of the three U.S. performing rights organization websites. Links to each are provided on mpa.org in the “Copyright Search” section. • ascap.com/ace ACE is the searchable database of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers • bmi.com Search by song name to access publisher information on songs licensed by BMI. Some additional non-BMI publishers will also be listed. • sesac.com Access the “repertory” link to search titles for the SESAC. While the organization is called the Society of European Stage Authors & Composers, the organization now spans internationally and in all genres. 3. How to secure permission for sound recordings? If you copy and distribute recordings of songs which you did not write and are not in the public domain. • harryfox.com Use the Songfile search and the License Music link to obtain mechanical and other rights information. 4. Permission forms are available on many publishers’ websites or use the forms provided at mpa.org/copyright_resource_center/forms 5. How do I know if a work is still protected by copyright, or if it is in the public domain? • Know the law: Works in the U.S. wth a copyright date of 1922 or earlier are in the public domain. Works created after January 1, 1978 will be protected for the life of the composer (author) plus 70 years. Copyrights in effect on that date, if renewed, will continue for 75 years from the date copyright was originally secured. Those works in their initial 28-year period of copyright on January 1, 1978 can be renewed for an additional 47 years, while the copyright of works in their renewal term on that date were automatically extended for an additional 19 years. • Still not sure? Try the Library of Congress. Visit copyright.gov/records to search for copyrighted works.

What You Can’t Do: 1. Do not copy or download music to avoid purchase. 2. Do not keep photocopies in your library. Destroy any unauthorized photocopies immediately and replace them with legal editions. 3. Do not copy out-of-print works without permission of the publisher. Note: If it is vital you obtain music that is out-of-print, contact the publisher directly. They can confirm if the work is out of print and can sometimes arrange for you to obtain a legal copy. 4. Do not make arrangements of works without permission of the copyright owner. 5. Do not copy music for use in performance unless you replace it with a legal edition in due course. 6. Do not copy without including copyright notice. 7. Do not copy to create anthologies or compilations. 8. Do not reproduce material designed to be consumable, such as workbooks, standardized tests and answer sheets. 9. You can not use the excuse of not knowing the copyright owner for not following copyright law. Resources are readily available to help you do so.

* This guide is based on the U.S. copyright law of 1976. The links to various sites are offered as a search tool. The MPA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions in the information found at these organizations' web sites. For more information, see The United States Copyright Law - A Practical Outline, available online at MENC.org

Music Publishers’ Association of the United States 243 5th Avenue, Suite 236, New York, NY 10016 • admin@mpa.org • www.mpa.org

SBOReport: Teaching Guitar Workshops

Teaching Guitar Workshops

Broadening Teachers’ Skill Sets

hen most people think of music education programs, images of young children playing instruments like the piano, violin, clarinet, trumpet, tympani, or marching percussion spring to mind. Yet, the vast majority

of music one that across on the TV, radio, or Internet is based around an instrument that doesn’t always fit so easily into the typical orchestral or marching setting: the guitar. “The amount of children learning guitar is enormous and growing every year.”

24 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

Here we have a bit of a conundrum – the music being taught in schools is generally different from what is regularly encountered in the mainstream media. Akin to teaching the great, antiquated literature of Shakespeare and Chaucer, there are a plethora of fundamental reasons to study the music of the masters, from the Mozarts to the Souzas, but what about contemporary music and – perhaps more importantly – contemporary instrumentation?

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Teaching Guitar Workshops Program Evaluation

n December of 2008, Dr. Rob Horowitz of the Center for Arts Education Research at Teachers College, Columbia University, released the results of an extensive anonymous survey of Teaching Guitar Workshop participants. Dr. Horowitz’s findings were very positive, as the survey results indicated broad interest in the GAMA workshops. The teachers believed the program was effective and valuable, and they were unanimous in stating that they would recommend it to other teachers. Almost all respondents reported that they learned guitar and instructional skills that they can apply in their schools, that guitar classes engaged new students in studying music, and that students in guitar classes were learning musical skills. Following are excerpts of the survey results. SA = strongly agree

A = agree

N = not sure

D = disagree

SD = strongly diagree

I would recommend the workshop to other teachers. 93% 7% 0% 0% 0%

SA A N D SD Did the workshop meet your expectations? 3%

Yes No

97%

Professional Development

The workshop content was relevant to my teaching situation.

65%

31%

The workshop materials (such as guitar, books and accessories) will be very helpful in my teaching.

90%

I expect to be able to use the materials and knowledge from the workshop in my teaching.

80%

18%

I gained new skills in guitar playing through the workshop.

76%

20%

I gained a better understanding of how to teach guitar through the workshop.

84%

15%

I learned specific instructional skills that I can apply when I’m teaching.

79%

20%

The workshop adequately prepared me to teach guitar.

57%

36%

Teaching guitar has been a professionally rewarding experience.

50%

41%

Student Participation

My students are receptive to the idea of learning to play guitar.

67%

28%

Through guitar classes, I am able to reach students who otherwise might not participate in traditional music classes (like band or chorus).

63%

27%

The full report can be found online at: www.discoverguitar.com/guitar_workshop_evaluation.pdf. 26 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

The Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association is seeking to address that disparity. To be clear, GAMA has no desire to replace the nation’s school bands and orchestras with rock quartets, but they do intend to augment what schools offer students by educating general music teachers and band, orchestra, and choir directors in how to teach guitar. The Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association first formed over 50 years ago as a coalition of instrument and accessory manufacturers intent on building the guitar industry. As Mitsuru “Mick” Umemura, the president of Yamaha Corporation, recently noted, “The music business is the music education business.” With that tenet in mind, in 1994, GAMA teamed up with NAMM (the National Association of Music Merchandisers) and MENC (the National Association for Music Education) to offer the Teaching Guitar Workshops, a program formed with the goal of bringing guitar instruction to school music education. In exchange for a commitment to start a guitar class or program at a middle or high school, GAMA, NAMM, and MENC agreed to offer a package of guitars, accessories, and publications worth over $1,300, as well as free tuition for a music teacher to attend the Teaching Guitar Workshop. These workshops take place in various locations around the country, and they consist of five days of intensive classes on guitar playing skills, guitar teaching skills, and all related topics. In addition, the program is accredited by Duquesne University, which offers three graduate level credits for those who pass through either of the TGW’s two levels. Since the program’s inception, GAMA estimates that approximately 2,000 educators have participated in the Teaching Guitar Workshops, and as a result, roughly half a million children have received guitar instruction. “Kids want to play guitar, perhaps more so than other musical instruments, because the popular music that kids listen to is guitar based, and it has been for a long, long time,” says Harvey Levy of Levy’s Leathers and president of GAMA. “And to actually get guitars into the school, you make it more difficult to cut back on music programs because the kids are clamoring to their parents to

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The Impact of Guitar Classes on Other Ensembles

uzanne Shull, who chairs the Teaching Guitar Workshops, spent three years teaching guitar in a high school music program in order to find out firsthand the impact that guitar classes have on other music program offerings, as well what students might learn in such a class. “Prior to my taking the job, guitar had been taught by one of the traditional teachers who had a free period,” says Suzanne. “It was taught simply to fill a curriculum void. The school had around 2,500 students in grades 9-12 and about 20 would sign up each semester for the one-semester course. Guitar players stayed clear. “I taught the class the way we teach educators at the Teaching Guitar Workshops, requiring students to read standard notation so that they could play in simple ensembles and offering chords,

middle and high school performance scales, improvisation, strumming techstudents. Some took the opportunity niques, fingerstyle techniques, and to ‘explore’ another music course and introducing various styles of music insigned up for guitar instead of staying cluding blues, pop, and folk. Eventually, with band or chorus. Orchestra students the students were pushing me to teach didn’t seem to jump ship like students more theory and had started taking the from other ensembles. The ones who traditional theory class that was offered in the school. They would go from theory to my class, playing “The goal of any great music chords on the piano and asking department should be to try to reach me how to apply that to guias many students as possible with an tar. Serious students became obsessed with chord relation- opportunity to make music.” ships, scales, and modes. The did were a very small minority, but as a ‘shredders’ wanted to understand what former choral director, I was sensitive to they could already do and the most the problem and asked the counselors respected kids in class were the ones to limit the number of freshmen who who could help the others – including could take guitar. This was a sacrifice the teacher – with hard questions. because that age group was my favorite “By the second year, I realized that to work with. there was a transition problem between

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“Long story short, if guitar is taught right, kids do flock to the class, but if the other performance programs are strong, there is little or no attrition of the programs. The biggest plus for me was that I was able to send students to choir, jazz band, and theory classes after they ran out of guitar options (we only taught two semestersworth of levels) but wanted to know more music. Another plus was that the music suite had a new kind of personality with the addition of guitars. “The reality is that teachers who teach guitar right don’t have to recruit students from other classes to fill up classes if they teach an eclectic curriculum. We encourage all teachers in our workshops to work as a team with other performance teachers. The best way to handle any situation where someone is out of line is to sit down as a department and hash out the problems. The goal of any great music department should be to try to reach as many students as possible with an opportunity to make music. Guitar is more likely to bring in kids who aren’t interested in being in a performance group, and it is more likely to bring in the renegades who don’t like structure.”

school band and orchestra directors who have to take some of the general music kids from the overloaded general music/ choral specialist. And from the beginning, we’ve had traditional teachers who were itinerate who wanted to stay in one school and preferably in the music department.” Suzanne speaks from experience, having taught general music and choir at the high school and middle school levels. “Most of my full-time work was spent at the middle school level,” she

explains. “Guitar was only a part of the general music curriculum because there were many musical experiences that I thought the kids should have in addition to guitar. In choral classes, we would pass 20 guitars around a room of 60 singers and learn simple chords for accompanying songs. This opened the door to so many kids, many of whom went on to study privately with the sight-reading knowledge they gained in chorus and the fun of the chord playing

take guitar classes, then the parents are lobbying the schools, and the schools are lobbying the school boards, and so on.” “In addition,” continues Levy, “it is particularly beneficial for educators. Teachers who have taken our program have commented that they feel they have more job security because now they have something else to offer besides their traditional method of teaching music.” The idea that the Teaching Guitar Workshops benefit teachers by broadening their skill sets is echoed by Suzanne Shull, who chairs the training sessions. “This program targets traditional classroom music teachers who want to offer more to their students,” notes Shull. “The growing segment of our workshops is the elementary specialist. We also get middle School Band and Orchestra, March 2009 29

experiences. We often had sing-along opportunities for the audience at our choral concerts, where the first 20 kids who showed up and wanted to play accompaniments claimed the guitars. I don’t remember ever having an issue of kids leaving band or orchestra in middle school just so they could play guitar. I also always worked with my colleagues as a team member. We all supported the musical efforts of one another. I also usually had a bal-

30 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

anced group of boys and girls my choral groups, with an SATB choir by 8th grade. My classroom was called the ‘music room,’ not the ‘chorus room.’” Key to this venture is the concept that the guitar can be used to teach all aspects of music, including sight-reading, theory, composition, and improvisation. Referring to students being taught by educators who have attended the workshops, Harvey Levy states, “These kids are learning proper music education. They

are taking composition, they are taking music theory, and they are able to read music – which is something that many guitar players have never been able to do. This fulfills all of the requirements of a standard music education curriculum. While a student in a guitar class might not have a part to play in a traditional symphony orchestra, nevertheless, he or she will have the skills to participate in music at any level.” Another key point, continues Levy, is that participants in the Teaching Guitar Workshops “are not guitar players, these are music teachers. They have to be members of MENC.” “The Teaching Guitar Workshops encourage the teaching of all nine of the MENC Standards,” agrees Shull. “In programs where more than one semester is taught, students are expected to read all notes in first position on the guitar, giving them the opportunity to perform in ensembles that require sight-reading. More and more of this type of music is being written for guitar as demand grows.” Educator and guitar advocate Bill Swick, a regular attendee of the training sessions and a certificate holder in the workshop’s levels I and II, thinks that the training sessions are particularly useful for music educators who have very little experience with the guitar. “The programs are great for helping band, choir and orchestra teachers,” notes Swick. “While the seminars are for only five days, the teacher learns a little about how to play a guitar and leaves with a tremendous amount of teaching material.” GAMA board member Mitch Colby, of Korg, USA, speaks of the program’s success. “The intention is to make guitar a basic part of music curriculum and music education,” Colby says. “Market research, done by an experienced independent research analyst, has shown that teachers who attended the Teaching Guitar Workshops believe that the program exceeded their needs and expectations and that they have been successful in implementing guitar classes in their schools. The amount of children learning guitar is enormous and growing every year.” Educators interested in learning more about the program can visit the Teaching Guitar Workshops on the Web at www.guitaredunet.org. Information about GAMA can be found online at www.discoverguitar.com.

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32 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

Guitar in Education

Bill Swick and The Las Vegas Academy Guitar Ensemble B Y E LIAHU S USSMAN

It is 8:15am

on Sunday, January 18th and hundreds of music industry insiders â&#x20AC;&#x201C; advocates, retailers, manufacturers, publishers, performers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are filing into an immense hall, carrying their cups of coffee and plates brimming with the offerings of the breakfast buffet to the long tables that fill this cavernous conference room. On the stage, a tall man with flecked grey hair stands relaxed, slightly stooped even, smiling out at the audience; behind him, thirteen high school students, dressed in black, each holding an acoustic guitar, take their seats and assemble their sheet music on stands. The Las Vegas Academy Guitar Ensemble is about to perform at the 2009 Winter NAMM Show Breakfast of Champions Session.

School Band and Orchestra, March 2009 33

As this diverse group of high school-age boys and girls starts to play, the crowd hushes. Thirteen guitars in unison, each playing a distinct part; thirteen sets of eyes glued to the sheet music in front of them; and more than a thousand faces in the audience stunned by the caliber of music being produced in front of them. The first verse of the song, a rollicking calypso, has finished and one student stands for a solo. He plays with feeling, his nimble fingers dancing around the fret board. As he finishes and sits back down, a girl to his left stands up for her lead part. These kids, in spite of their somewhat awkward stage presence, have captivated the audience. The music bends and flows, carrying the crowd with it in every turn. And when it’s over, the adults in the audience, each of whom brings years – if not decades – of exposure to professional music in some form or another, leap to their feet and roar their approval amid thunderous applause. The shy high schoolers, dazed grins on their faces, stand and bow, then slowly file out, heading just across the hall to another vast conference room, this one filled with music educators. The students’ second performance of the day, for the assembly of jazz, band, orchestra, and choir directors, is again rewarded with a standing ovation. When the crowd quiets down, Bill Swick, the director and architect of the Las Vegas Academy Guitar Ensemble, addresses his peers and shares a little bit of the back-story about the program that has brought these kids before them. There are audible gasps when Bill notes that his students receive 90 minutes of music instruction every single school day. Later that day, School Band & Orchestra sat down with this man who has been singularly focused on bringing the guitar into music education for the better part of three decades to talk about how his vision for music education has come to fruition. School Band & Orchestra: You’ve been studying, teaching, and advocating for the guitar for decades. How were you first introduced to the instrument? Bill Swick: I started playing guitar when I was 12 because I was just attracted to the instrument. The Beatles were a big influence at the time, and I remember having an argument with my dad about guitar lessons. I wanted to learn how to play like George Harrison, and he wanted me to learn how to play like Roy Clark. 34 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

A performing group that included several guitar players had come to my middle school. For some reason, seeing that performance led me to believe that you could go on and study guitar. I found out later that that was not the case, as the only option in my high school was concert band, which did not contain guitars. So I ended up studying the saxophone during high school, although I did end up playing some guitar in the jazz band. When I went off to college in 1971, there were very few, if any, schools that offered a major in guitar. When I was a junior, in 1973, North Texas offered a guitar major, so I went to North Texas and got my bachelor’s degree in Guitar, and then continued on for a master’s in Education and Guitar.

they arranged my schedule so I could do both.

SBO: Do you collaborate with the other teachers in the music department?

SBO: How many students are in your program now?

BS: Our music faculty consists of 12 teachers, and I am the department chair. We do work together very closely. We have bi-weekly meetings and we do a lot of collaboration in our concerts. This year, we have had two guitarists play in a string quintet – they did the Boccherini quintets, which are beautiful pieces. We have two guitars playing in the high school musical The Wiz. We have orchestra students play with the guitar students for a holiday concert we call the “TransSiberian Orchestra.” We are constantly collaborating between the various ensembles. The jazz band works closely with the dance program. The band and orchestra collaborate with the symphonic orchestra. We don’t have the barriers and lines that sometimes exist in comprehensive music programs. We are constantly trying to create opportunities for students to work with each other.

BS: We now have 86 students studying guitar in the Performing Arts High School. There are also several magnate schools at all levels, including elementary and middle schools. At the high school, I have three guitar ensembles: beginning,

“We don’t have the barriers and lines that sometimes exist in comprehensive music programs.”

SBO: Would you tell me about your early teaching experiences? BS: My first teaching experience out of grad school was at Drake University. They were interested in me primarily because I could play both classical music and jazz. They hired me to run the jazz program and teach guitar, which I did for five years. Economics eventually forced them to start cutting programs, and mine was one of the first ones to go. When that happened, I moved to Las Vegas and started teaching at UNLV. That was in 1982. SBO: How did you end up at the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts? BS: The coordinator for the school district in Las Vegas, Marcia Neel, ran the MENC student chapter at UNLV, so she was on campus quite a bit and we knew each other from there. 14 years ago, one teacher at one middle school started one guitar class. The students in that class studied for three years, but when they were going off to high school, there wasn’t a program that would allow them to continue studying the guitar. So Marcia approached me and asked if I would be interested in starting something. I talked to my supervisors at UNLV, and

intermediate, and advanced. Our beginning ensemble, however, is not full of beginning guitarists; it’s really students who have been playing for two or three years, they are just the youngest or newest people to the program. The intermediate ensemble is for the students who’ve already taken a year of guitar at the Academy. And the students who’ve already attended the first two years of the Academy are in the advanced class. SBO: In your guitar classes, do you incorporate music theory and sight-reading and those types of standard music education elements? BS: We do a lot of sightreading and I started something a couple of years ago called Theory Thursday. I teach theory one day a week, but we cover material that specifically relates to the guitar, as opposed to the traditional 17th-century theory with four-part writing. We’re learning concepts that are a little more applicable to today’s music, and specifically theory that is applicable to the guitar, as opposed to the piano or keyboard.

SBO: What do you think it is about the guitar that is so appealing?

Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts At a Glance

Location: 315 S 7th Street, Las Vegas, Nevada On the Web: schools.ccsd.net/LVAISPVA/Home.html Students: 1,650 Students in Music Classes: 800 Music Department Chair: Bill Swick Music Programs and Approximate Number of Students: • Guitar: 90 • Piano: 80 • Jazz band: 60 • Mariachi: 40 • Orchestra: 200 • Choir: 200 • Band: 160 Las Vegas Academy Guitar Ensemble and Bill Swick on the Web: www.classroomguitar.com; www.billswick.com School Band and Orchestra, March 2009 35

BS: I’ve always been attracted to the guitar and I don’t exactly know why. The students that I have now are attracted to the guitar because they like the instrument. The younger students, though, and this might be a silly thing to say, but I think a lot of them are attracted to the guitar because of the Rock Band and Guitar Hero video games. SBO: So you think those video games are actually bringing students into the classroom? BS: Absolutely, without a doubt. And it’s not a good thing, necessarily. SBO: Why’s that? BS: Because some students sign up for guitar class thinking that the guitar is going to be as easy to play as that guitar-shaped controller. And when they find out that the guitar is a real musical instrument that requires a tremendous amount of discipline to learn how to play well, after about two weeks, a lot of those students just completely lose interest. For us, it’s a one-year commitment when they sign up for the class. So these students who came into the class with this misconception about the guitar can prove to be pretty

disruptive to the rest of the students once they realize what the class is all about. Also, the music associated with Guitar Hero and Rock Band gets the students thinking that all they are going to be learning in guitar class is classic rock or rock and roll. Many of the ninth-graders have never heard of Andres Segovia or Pepe Romero. They couldn’t name one piece of music from guitar literature. They have never been exposed to it. I’m not suggesting that guitar education should be classically based. Some schools do want a classical guitar curriculum. However, that’s not who we are. We are teaching guitar, and most of us who play guitar know that classical guitar alone is not a complete picture of the instrument. It’s just one component of the complete picture, even though I think it’s significant and it needs to be taught. SBO: Do your students generally have their own ensembles that they play in outside of school? BS: Many of them are in their own bands. As a matter of fact, we have students that have come through the academy and have been signed by major record labels and even left school to pursue that. A lot of our students have some pretty smokin’ bands of their own.

“A guitar class will not rob talent from other music classes.”

SBO: Do you provide them with resources or a place to practice or anything like that?

BS: Not exactly. I’ve gotten several calls from talent agents who are trying to put together a band and need a 17-year-old drummer or a 17-year-old bass player that can really play, so I’ve made some contacts that can help my students out, but most of our kids really have that garage band thing down. They have a band together, a rehearsal space, and they spend all of their time writing music and playing. I feel like I don’t need to teach them about those kinds of thing. I need to teach them things that they don’t know anything about.

SBO: What are the biggest challenges of putting together these classes? BS: The biggest challenge for me personally was creating a four-year program that I felt was absolutely comprehensive and well balanced. There are so many things that I can teach that may or may not be relevant to a 16- or 17-yearold. Really the challenge is getting the right balance of materials in terms of reading skills, classical guitar literature, being able to play solo and improvise, playing a wide variety of ethnic music, and understanding the difference between various types of Latin music and different traditional styles. Trying to put together a curriculum that incorporates all of that is quite a challenge. The biggest thing is that there are very few resources for students that play at this level. GAMA and the Teaching Guitar Workshops have done very well at identifying music that is great for beginners. When it comes to starting a program, and having beginning classes, that’s pretty much outlined and almost anyone in music education can do it because there are enough resources and there is enough help out there to guide teachers through the process. But we’ve created a level of skill at the Academy that doesn’t exist in many places in public schools. 36 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

SBO: Do you have any words of advice for music educators who might be thinking about starting a guitar class in their programs? BS: I have started guitar classes in six schools in the past 10 years. I can say from my experience that there will be students signing up for guitar who would never take a music class such as band, choir, or orchestra. In all of my experience, only a handful of students have left band or choir to take guitar. For the most part, a guitar class will not rob talent from other music classes. On the other hand, with a good teacher, the guitar classes may grow faster than any other discipline. The key to a successful guitar program is having a teacher than can teach intermediate and advanced concepts. Many schools start a guitar program with a teacher just one step ahead of the students. As the program grows, it can be problematic if that teacher is not capable of handling an intermediate or advanced class.

VISION INSPIRATION CRAFTSMANSHIP

SBO: As far as your motivation here, what are you getting out of this program? What’s the highlight of your day? BS: I get up at 5:00am to go to school, and I look forward to every single day. If you were to ask me if I thought I had the ideal job, I would say absolutely. I get to teach guitar all day long to some of the most talented students in our school district. We have an extremely supportive administration that allows us to do all of the performances that we do. We have students that are eager to learn and want to learn, and they push me to teach them. We have created a community learning environment so that not only are the students learning from me, but they get together at lunch time and before and after school to show each other knew tricks or techniques. The students are very supportive of each other. We have almost zero discipline problems – it’s almost idyllic.

Because aspiring musicians deserve no less. Vic Firth Educational Percussion • P. O. Box 507, Bloomfield, CT 06002

School Band and Orchestra, March 2009 37

SBOSecond Time Arounders

Second Time Arounders Give Ex-Band Students a Second Chance

n 1982, Bill Findeison, former high school band director and then owner of Bringe Music in St. Petersburg, Fla. and Herb Mellany, former executive director of the St. Petersburg Festival of States, were having a conversation during which they both wondered aloud, “What happens to all of those kids who used to march in high school bands? So much talent and most of them never get to play or march after high school. We should start a marching band for adults who used to play in college or high school and want to do it again.” And that’s exactly what they did. Second Time Arounders perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

They placed an ad in the local newspaper for four weeks, inviting people to come to a rehearsal - all they needed to do was bring an instrument, if they played a small one, and all of the large instruments such as bass drums and sousaphones would be provided by a local school. Bill and Herb apparently tapped into something – 75 people showed up for that first rehearsal, and the The Greater St. Petersburg Area Awesome Original Second Time Arounders Marching Band, better known as the Rounders, was formed. Bill guided the band as director, something he still does to this day. At 38 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

the end of that first season everyone said they wanted to do it again next year. As Bill says, “It was something that clicked and never quit. We have grown from 75 members to 500. Today we still have 15 of the original members from that first year. We have people who drop out for whatever reason, whether it’s age or they move away, but we always seem to stay with 500 members, with new people joining all the time.” So what does it take to become a member of this impressive band? The Rounders have a non-exclusionary policy. Anyone can join the band with the

only stipulation being a member must be out of high school, but have played or twirled in a high school or college band at one time. Members range in age from 18 to 90. There are no auditions; as long as you can play and have a good time, you can be a part of The Rounders. Members come from all over Florida and the Southeast to perform every year. All of the members are adults, with busy lives outside of the band, and because of that they are given dates, locations, and rehearsal times for the season 10 months in advance. The band members are a cross section of life, as Bill explains, “If you ran-

domly took 500 people off of the streets in New York City and put them in a room, that’s who we are. Our members are firefighters, police officers, teachers, doctors, lawyers, dentists, truck drivers, and plumbers. That’s the beauty of it. It makes no difference who you are, what you do, what your education is, how much money you The Rounders perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. have, or if you are black, white, or purple. If you play an instrument and want to be in a band, we have a place for you.” With such a large mix of people and skill levels, it is difficult to imagine how things come together. For the Rounders, the audience comes first; the music has to be something they can relate to. It has to be familiar and recognizable. As Bill puts it, “Today if you go to a band The Rounders at the Saint Petersburgh Christmas Day Parade. contest, the performance is so sophisticated and so good, but it might go over the heads of the crowd. The performance is really for the judges. That’s fine, but we don’t compete. When we play at a contest it is usually at the end while the judges are tallying up the scores. We come in and play ‘Seventy Six Trombones.’ The audience hears it, recognizes it, and loves it. There is a rapport with the crowd, a connection made.” The music must also be mid-level, in terms of playing difficulty, to accommodate all of the various skill levels in the band. Yet, the Rounders play everything from Sousa marches to Earth, Wind & Fire. The Rounders have six rehearsals per season, which take place at the Coliseum in St. Petersburg, one of the few venues large enough to accommodate the band’s 500 members. The musicians rehearse inside, and the drill team, flags, rifles, and majorettes rehearse outside. For the last complete rehearsal, the entire band rehearses together on a football field at a local high school. The Rounders have an instructional staff of nine, which includes band directors, an arranger, a color guard coordinator, and a drum instructor. Usually there are five to six performances a year, which include two parades, and stand-up concerts around the St. Petersburg area. As one can imagine, when the Rounders take a major trip, whether it’s traveling to another state or abroad, it requires a lot more than a travel agent. The organization has a board of directors, along with several subcommittees, who handle many of the logistical challenges. Everyone is a volunteer; no one is paid. All of the members who play a small instrument own their own instruments and the larger instruments, such as the sousaphones, large horns, and the drum section have been purchased by the organization over the years. All members pay for their uniforms, which generally cost about $25.

Dale Gunter Drums Member since 1983 “There is so much camaraderie in the band. It is so much fun; it is really like being back in band in high school. It’s really the only thing about high school that I miss. I missed it so much that when I saw Bill’s ad in the paper 27 years ago, I immediately responded. I will be in this band for as long as I am physically able. It’s always exciting and never gets old.”

Don Hutchinson Clarinet Member since 1986 “I was in high school and military band. I had heard the Rounders and immediately wanted to join. I got my wife and daughter to join; at one point we had seven family members playing in the band. I lost my wife two years ago. She had always carried the Florida flag in the Rounders’ honor guard. My daughter normally plays flute in the band, but this year when we marched in the Macy’s parade she carried the Florida flag in my wife’s honor. The band has always been such a fun part of our family life, and we look forward to playing every year. It’s a no nonsense group when we are rehearsing, but when we are finished it is a fun social group. Most importantly, we have great leadership in Bill Findeison. When you have over 500 in a band, it is like trying to build a house with 500 people and each one is using a different tool. For one man to be able to control 500 people, spanning two city blocks and performing in unison, it is just an amazing feat. I don’t know how in the world the band would survive his loss. As for me, I’m 72 and will be in the band as long as my legs hold me up.”

Angie Brown Piccolo Member since 1984 “For the first 22 years, I was the co-lead for the majorettes. Three years ago, I retired my baton and am back to playing piccolo, just like I did in high school. It’s a blast every time. It’s like being back in school.” School Band and Orchestra, March 2009 39

For your students, you would recommend a camp that is:

1% 18% 73%

Have you had issues incorporating students who participate in extracurricular music study, including summer music camps, with students that do not?

Mostly just fun, with some music Involved A good mix of music and other activities

Yes

17%

Music-based, but also includes other activites All music, all the time

“It is the rare student who should attend a music only camp; for most students, I think a well rounded program that includes activities like sports, swimming, boating, golf, arts & crafts, and drama is better.” Diane Muffitt Wayland Middle School Wayland, Mass.

Signature Music Camp at Ithaca College

83%

“Just the opposite. The students who attend camps come back to infuse a greater purpose and stronger leadership into our programs!” Jeffery David Heid Muscatine High School Muscatine, Iowa “Students who participate in extra-curricular music bring positive energy to the group in which they play. Summer music camps are an invaluable supplement to our school music programs during a time of year when students need it the most.” Salvatore Terrasi Shorewood High School Shorewood, Wis.

Additional thoughts on summer music camps?

Teen Camp (students entering grades 10-12)

June 28 – July 11, 2009

Youth Camp (students entering grades 7-9)

July 5 – July 11, 2009 For more information contact:

signaturemusic.org (315) 478.7840

44 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

“Summer music camps are a great tool for continued learning. Encourage your students to get involved, and do anything you can as a director to facilitate the opportunity.” George Dragoo Stevens High School Rapid City, S.D. “Making music at camp is fun. Isn’t fun the reason we all started in music?” James Thompson Hewes Middle School Santa Ana, Calif. “I only wish we could send more kids, but costs continue to go up.” Elise Matusek Woodland Middle School Gurnee, Ill.

CHORAL/VOCAL

INSTRUMENTAL/BAND GMU501 Massachusetts ACDA Conference (July 12–15) Clinicians: Anton Armstrong and André Thomas

Anton Armstrong and André Thomas will make for a special summer Mass. ACDA event. This conference begins Sunday afternoon, July 12, and has its own independent schedule that includes evening times. Request a separate brochure from Mass. ACDA.

GMU518 The High School Singer: Pedagogy and Repertoire (July 15–17) Clinicians: Tom and Susan Brooks Learn speciﬁc techniques for helping high school vocalists maximize their singing potential. Two master voice teachers from Gordon College demonstrate exercises and vocalization useful for both ensemble members and soloists. Included also is the study of vocal repertoire applicable to the developing high school singer.

GMU503 Teaching Kids to Sing (July 15–17) Clinician: Ken Phillips This workshop focuses on techniques for teaching all children to sing at both the elementary and secondary levels. Based on the clinician’s popular book Teaching Kids to Sing, participants learn how to ENERGIZE singing through exercises and vocalization for body, breath, ear, voice and song. Sequenced singing lessons will be modeled and applied to quality vocal literature.

INSTRUMENTAL/STRINGS GMU524 Classroom Guitar (July 13–15) Clinician: David Patterson This workshop is for beginning teachers of classroom guitar and for those who want to improve their skills and knowledge of guitar in the general music curriculum. Topics will include guitar note reading, basic neck theory, techniques for teaching classical and steel string guitar as well as teaching methods, books and teaching aids.

GMU513 Instrument Care and Repair (July 13–15) Clinician: John Gill This workshop focuses on basic maintenance and repair skills for brass and woodwinds, and is appropriate for teachers from elementary through high school levels. Instruments are provided for hands-on practice, but teachers are encouraged to bring a clarinet, ﬂute or sax to work on in class.

GMU510 Pedagogy from the Podium (July 15–17) Clinician: Jill Sullivan Band directors should know how to improve individual performance skills during the full rehearsal. This workshop presents techniques for developing skills and assessing student achievement during the ensemble rehearsal at all levels. Participants are encouraged to bring a band instrument to play in class.

GENERAL MUSIC GMU516 Exploring World Music Culture (July 13–15) Clinician: Joyce Spande Back by popular demand, Joyce Spande presents another multicultural workshop to include the music and cultures of India, Native Americans and American pioneers. Topics include easy hands-on ideas for integrating music, language, literature, drama, social studies, geography and choreography into the general music classroom.

GMU525 Come Alive in General Music! (July 15–17) Clinician: Sandy Doneski Master teacher Sandy Doneski, will inspire and motivate teachers to make the general music classroom come alive for all students. From singing games to expressive movement, participants explore ideas for involving the whole child in general music. Skill development merges with artistry, leading to a comprehensive approach reﬂective of the national standards.

Cost: One graduate credit, $350 per workshop; one noncredit course, $250 per workshop; Mass. ACDA has a special fee structure.

SUMMER MUSIC EDUCATION WORKSHOPS July 13–17, 2009 Kenneth H. Phillips, Director of Workshops Earn graduate credit or PDPs On-campus housing available

Teacher Minded Wenham, Massachusetts 978 867 4429 mmed@gordon.edu www.gordon.edu/mmed

SBOSurvey: Summer Music Camps

Weighing In on

Summer Music Camps

or many, the end of the school year marks the beginning of a period of rest, relaxation, travel, summer jobs, or other unique opportunities that are in-

compatible with the rigid schedule of the school day. For the dedicated music student, however, summer may provide that unique opportunity to convene with likeminded, dedicated students in a milieu of support, structure, and excellence, a chance to meet and learn from some

Are you, or is your program, affiliated with a summer music camp?

of the most accomplished and driven student Yes

musicians in a given area. While I could continue to wax poetic about the potential benefits of the summer music camp experience, in response to this recent SBO survey, reader John Iyoki, of Pearl City, Hawaii, succinctly notes: “Just having the students playing on their instruments – rather than not playing for two months – is extremely beneficial.” Read on for more on what your peers have to say about the ins and outs of summer music camps.

42 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

26% No

74%

Do your students attend summer music camps?

29%

Generally, no

62%

A few About half Most

3% 5% 1%

What potential benefits of music camps do you think are most important for students? “Summer music camps provide our students with focused individualized instruction that is not readily available at other times throughout the year.” Mark D’Angelo Roosevelt High School Wyandotte, Mich. “Just having the students playing on their instruments – rather than not playing for two months – is extremely beneficial.” John Iyoki Highlands Intermediate Pearl City, Hawaii

Yes, they all do!

“I teach in a fairly poor economic community, so unfortunately my students can’t afford going to a camp. There are very few scholarships, so most kids have little or no chance of getting one of them.” Marlene Mudge Lincoln Jr. High School Taft, Calif. “Cost, and length of drive usually combine to limit my students participation in summer music camps” John New Mattacheese Middle School West Yarmouth, Mass.

“Students get to experience a variety of information that can either be new for them or serve as reinforcement of material they have already received in their home program. They also get a chance to apply this information in a setting where most every student is engaged and interested. They will hopefully bring the information, application skills, and an excitement and enthusiasm about the information and skills back to their peers.” John Lowe Clinton High School Clinton, N.C.

“Our affiliated camp, the Dallas Wind Symphony Summer Music Institute, is very affordable – only $25. Our school is a Title I school and most students are on free lunch.” Michael Simoneaux Rusk Middle School Dallas, Texas

“The exposure to in-depth musical training is often the motivation for band students to strive to higher goals of knowledge, expertise and leadership. Summer music camps offer the band student the privilege of studying his/her instrument with some of the best music educators.” Anthony Gilreath Dulles Middle School Sugar Land, Texas

How would you rate your (or your students’) experiences with summer music camps?

Are there any specific factors students should be wary of when thinking about summer music camps?

66%

Excellent

20%

Good Okay Poor

11% 3%

“Quality of instruction and the specific emphasis or goals of the particular camp are important considerations. You wouldn’t send a mellophonium player to an orchestral camp, right?” George Edwin Smith Gustine Public Schools Gustine, Calif. “Some camps are more socially inclined than others. I want my kids to have fun but to learn something about their instrument and something about their musical self.” Mack Bibb Coronado High School Lubbock, Texas

School Band and Orchestra, March 2009 43

For your students, you would recommend a camp that is:

1% 18% 73%

Have you had issues incorporating students who participate in extracurricular music study, including summer music camps, with students that do not?

Mostly just fun, with some music Involved A good mix of music and other activities

Yes

17%

Music-based, but also includes other activites All music, all the time

Signature Music Camp at Ithaca College

83%

Additional thoughts on summer music camps?

Teen Camp (students entering grades 10-12)

June 28 – July 11, 2009

Youth Camp (students entering grades 7-9)

July 5 – July 11, 2009 For more information contact:

signaturemusic.org (315) 478.7840

44 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

SBOTechnology: The Vermont MIDI Project

Creativity, Teamwork, and The Vermont MIDI Composition Project BY JOHN KUZMICH, JR.

he Vermont MIDI Project (VMP) is a community of students, teachers, professional composers,

and performers devoted to infusing composition into the curriculum. More than 7,000 students from about 40 schools in Vermont, as well as schools in Illinois, Virginia, Oklahoma, Washington, and New Brunswick, Canada participate in the VMP. Did you know that your school can participate too? Through the VMP, students in grades 2-12 are composing in all music classes, including band, orchestra, chorus, small ensembles, theory and composition courses, and general music classes. Many of the students’ compositions are destined for live performance. Students are writing for guitar, recorder, band and orchestral instruments. They create warm-ups, canons and songs for choral groups. Some write arrangements for Orff instruments or handbells. Their compositions connect music with multimedia and are integrated into other subject areas.

well, by assisting with resource develThe project began in Vermont in opment, providing workshops, and oc1995 as a response to Standard #4 casionally working in schools as artistswhen the National Standards for Arts in-residence. With this crucial online Education were first introduced. Since then, teachers have improved and ex“Teachers in the project firmly believe panded VMP by further collaborat- that technology makes compoing with profes- sition possible for all students.” sional composers, developing excitmentoring, students post their work ing lessons and projects for their own to a password protected Web site for classrooms. The professional composfeedback. ers serve mainly as online mentors for There is no project-wide curriculum, students, but they guide teachers, as School Band and Orchestra, March 2009 45

but rather a guiding set of protocols for online dialogue and a process for reflection and critique. Teachers participate from small and large schools and at all grade levels, elementary thorough middle and high school. Several high schools have theory and composition courses or offer independent study in composing and arranging. Schools often include composition in performing ensembles, keyboard classes, or multimedia production. Teachers create

their own projects to match the needs of their own curriculum and integrate music technology to meet their needs. At the heart of VMP is the all-important process of reflection and critique. Students regularly share their work with others, including classroom peers and the VMP community on the Web. In the past, traditional feedback was primarilyevaluation of a finished composition. At that point, the work was done and students simply moved

on to something new. With VMP, students receive feedback during the development of the work. This ongoing, embedded process promotes thinking about possibilities and new directions for the composition. This process helps students stretch and grow in their musical learning. Demonstrations of this dialogue can be found online (www. vtmidi.org/student.htm). Assessment is a major part of education today. The reflection and critique process provides evidence of student learning. Having students reflect on their own work, their intent, their process, and the changes that have taken place over time substantiates their musical learning. An eighth-grade student participating in the VMI noted, “What inspired me to write this piece was that I am very interested in history. This song represents two ships going into battle. I thought the name ‘Age of Sail’ fits the story. I decided to have the oboe be a frigate (the smaller ship) and the bassoon be the ship of the line (the bigger ship). Finally, the French horn would be the tension.” Two fifth-grade students wrote about the piece they created together called, “Snowshoe”: “We created a melody in a shape and then followed with its reflection as a mirror image.” Whether composition takes place in a performance or general music class, it is important to ensure that students are given time to reflect and critique each other’s work. At first, this process may take a great deal of time, but students become more skilled at listening and communicating over time. Once the concept is introduced, teachers see students routinely asking for feedback. This culture of reflection and critique spreads beyond the composition activities to other areas of student’s musical and academic lives.

Composition in Performance Ensembles VMP students report that they become better performers because they have experienced music manipulated musical elements. Here’s what one student confessed: “I’m a tuba player and... sometimes it’s a bit on the boring side, when you’re playing six whole 46 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

notes tied together or something like that. I guess one thing I used to do, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be apt to maybe fancy up the tuba part a little bit during band and play whatever Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d feel like playing, using my ear to make it sound good. I guess now that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve composed, â&#x20AC;Ś you feel like you owe it to the composer to do what they told you to do. You realize how intentional every note is and every staccato, every tenuto, every dynamic marking. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an accident. They put it in there for a reason.â&#x20AC;? He went on to describe how he began listening to all the instruments and figuring out how the notes he was playing fit into the overall scheme of the piece. A sixth grader at St. Albans City School who composed in a general music classroom and also played in the band reported about her composition experience: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mostly what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned is about intertwining different parts to make a piece. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how different parts come together to make a song. In band, all you hear is yourself â&#x20AC;&#x201C; youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the closest thing. [Composing] helped me understand better how music gets put together.â&#x20AC;? At Hazen Union School, a small grade 7-12 school, students are composing in band. They traditionally compose or arrange a public domain tune for the graduation ceremony. They also write for the annual small ensemble concert, which features original music compositions by students and works by professionals. Students often practice with more diligence when the composition is written by a peer because thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sense of ownership by the entire group. At North Country Union High School, students in the composition and theory class write for the chorus, band, or other smaller ensembles. One student composition was posted to Sibeliusmusic.com and picked up by a junior high band in the United Kingdom. The band director recorded the performance and sent a copy to the student composer. At Mt. Abraham Union High School, composition is an integral part of a keyboard class where students begin writing for piano and then branch out and compose for small ensembles as well. At Hunt Middle School, students learn

to play acoustic guitar in general music. They start their compositions on the guitar and then branch out and write for a variety of instruments.

Live Performance a Goal The Vermont MIDI Project has been praised for the goal of presenting student compositions in live performance. Twice a year, the project sponsors an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Opusâ&#x20AC;? concert. The fall concert fea-

tures brass, percussion and piano. The spring event includes woodwinds and strings. Professional performers are hired for the day so they can rehearse each piece with individual students before presenting the evening concert. The conversations are incredible learning experiences with skilled professionals asking students about their intent and their inspiration. One parent observed the rehearsal and remarked, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The performers could have

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School Band and Orchestra, March 2009 47

performances, student descriptions and bios, photos, and a short movie to www.vtmidi.org. The Web site also features a blog with updates from parents and students. In addition to the Opus concerts, many additional opportunities have been developed. Regular “Calls for Compositions” involve a collaboration between VMP and performing groups including the Vermont Youth Orchestra, the Vermont Symphony

been condescending to my fifth-grade son, but they treated him like a professional. What a fantastic experience for him! And then to hear the piece and how they performed it so well – this was truly amazing!” There’s a great deal of new information and features on the VMP Web site, notably the flash presentation of the Opus events, beginning with Opus 15. The latest concert, Opus 17, was held in early December and brings a whole new set of music

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Orchestra, the Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble, and the Green Mountain Suzuki Institute. Student works are also presented in concert by the Constitution Brass Ensemble, the Warebrook Contemporary Music Festival, and the Vermont Philharmonic. Local schools frequently arrange for live performance either by students themselves, a combination of older and younger students, or students and professionals. One student remarked, “Hearing my music performed live has given me a reason to compose.”

The Role of Technology Since the beginning of the project, technology has been key in four areas: • Use of music software, computers, and sometimes keyboard/controllers • Construction of an online mentoring Web site • Expanded communication through Web conferencing • Development of resources: podcasts, videos and online resources, lesson plans with assessments and student samples. Students are using music software and computers to notate their compositions. Although some of the original ideas begin with paper and pencil, the work eventually goes to the computer, at which point students enhance their work, sometimes adding harmony, countermelodies, and percussion parts. They can also extend the form of the piece and develop their composition. Teachers in the project firmly believe that technology makes composition possible for all students. The composition products vary greatly in style, instrumentation, and sophistication. At the heart of VMP is the online sharing site, a password protected discussion board where compositions are posted. The key to this process is that students post their work early, rather than when finished. Research revealed that students who posted when their piece was complete were less likely to respond to feedback provided by professional mentors. Once the work was finished, most students were looking for praise and were reluctant to make many changes. Students who post

early in the process, however, are just formulating their ideas and mentoring can support the development of the work as it expands. Recently, VMP utilized Web conferencing to expand and support the mentoring. Workshops for teachers, master classes, and school residencies with composers are held through conferencing systems including Adobe Connect, Skype, and iChat. This method is particularly helpful in connecting the growing group of Independent Study Students. These students are either home-schooled or attend a school that does not participate in VMP. Technology that facilitates sharing is crucial. This includes many examples of student work displayed on the public Web site, highlights of live Opus performances, and the dialogue on the password site between professional composers and students. Teachers regularly share their lessons and ideas for composition in the classroom. The project has developed a DVD: Young Composerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Series: Writing for Brass

Instruments. A new podcast series is in development with the Connecticut Composition Project. This series will feature composers discussing specific aspects of composition and interviews with students and teachers.

Professional Development for Teachers

Each summer, a Music and Multimedia Summer Institute brings together project teachers and others interested in learning more about composition and music technology. At this four-day residential summer institute, every participant composes and engages in reflection and critique. A professional composer works with teacher-composers throughout the week. Some teachers

compose a work to take back to their students in the fall. Participants from this past summer included teachers from 10 states and two Canadian provinces. Another aspect of professional development is the online mentoring site. Teachers remark that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like a 24/7 resource. Mentor comments provide composition lessons for teachers, since most have never had formal training in how to teach composition. Teachers use examples of the mentoring discussion threads with their own classes. Students write responses to

School Band and Orchestra, March 2009 49

other students and provide suggestions about the work.

Additional Resources VMP project coordinator, Sandi MacLeod, has edited a new book due out in early January published by Avid Technology: Plans for Success: Sibelius Student and Groovy Music Projects for the K-8 Classroom. This publication features 55 lesson plans and projects from various authors including many that originate from the Vermont MIDI Project work. For information on obtaining a copy of this publication, visit www.vtmidi.org. VMP and the Connecticut Composition Project (www.ctcomp.org) coordinator Rich Wells have collaborated on a new podcast series. The first few include composing basics presented by professional composer mentor Erik Nielsen and are designed for young composers and their teachers. Later, the series will expand to highlight teachers who are teaching composition and feature some successful student composers.

Any school interested in online mentoring for music composition is encouraged to browse the VMP Web site’s many resources. Teachers who are interested in joining VMP should contact project coordinator, Sandi MacLeod at sandi@vtmidi.org. Pilot schools from outside Vermont are encouraged to join for at least two or three years to build support and involve their local area or state as they create a music composition project. Four years ago, eight schools from Connecticut became members of VMP and now they have established their very own Connecticut Composition Project. Their project features online mentoring by professional composers, live performances and the development of resources to assist teachers as they embed composition in the curriculum. VMP students have won awards for their compositions including the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Award, MENC Young Composers, and the NSBA Electronic Music Composition. Sandi MacLeod says, “Folks who’ve observed us over the years remark that student work just gets better and better. I guess we’re all learning how to teach composition and how important the process of reflection and critique is in that development.”

You Can Join VMP! The fee for participation for a pilot school outside the state of Vermont is $300 per year and allows a school to post up to 10 compositions.

The online conversation about any composition can continue as long as a student revises and posts a request for feedback. Most compositions have three or four revisions and receive comments by multiple composers throughout the composition process, most of which arrive within 48 hours of students posting revisions. When you think about private composition lessons, this is a great value!

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

Have any tech ideas or experiences to share? Visit www. sbomagazine.com/techfeedback to take part in our readers’ survey. This simple online form is your opportunity to voice music tech needs and make thoughts and success stories known. Your responses will help shape upcoming music tech columns! 50 School Band and Orchestra, March 2009

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School Band and Orchestra, March 2009 51

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Carl Fischer present Arban’s Famous Method for Trombone Platinum Edition book/CD to celebrate over 500,000 copies sold of the quintessential original edition by Joseph Jean-Baptiste Laurent Arban. The classic edition that has served as the method of choice for generations of trombone players, Arban’s famous method offers the student a comprehensive system of study for the trombone, including scales, etudes, duets, solos, and extensive exercises designed to develop musicianship and technique.The Platinum Edition comes with new features including comb-binding for easier use, a new Platinum Edition cover, plus a piano accompaniment CD for the 12 Fantaisies contained in the book, including “Faintaisie and Variations on a Cavatina,” “Fantaisie Brillante,” “Caprice and Variations,” “The Carnival of Venice,” and more. In addition to the Platinum Edition, Carl Fischer Music also announced the recent release of My First Arban Book 2: Trumpet. Suitable for use with or without a private instructor, developing students further cultivate the technical and flexibility exercises essential to the mastery of brass instruments. Book 2 builds on the skills presented in the first book while bridging the gap that will eventually lead the student into the celebrated Arban’s Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet.

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Music 4 U 4 Less 800 559 - 4472 785 272-9287

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Jazz Education Network

The

is dedicated to building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance, and developing new audiences. The Jazz Education Network was founded in the spirit of collaboration and excellence. Our goal is to be a vital resource for a constantly evolving art form that lives globally.

Who we are: students, teachers, directors, musicians, composers, authors, fans, media, industry...WE are YOU!

Full Individual Membership (18 and up) - $50

lead the transformation of the jazz education culture

eJEN Membership Levels: (18 and up) - ($35/25)

Partner Membership Levels:

Festival/Event- $100 Institutional - $300 • Corporate - $500

Afﬁliate - $25 Annual Fee + $10 per person/member 17 and under categories to be launched soon! Please check the web site for updates.

JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK

www.JazzEdNet.org

For complete membership information/beneﬁts please visit us at: www.JazzEdNet.org