School Band and Orchestra by SBO School Band & Orchestra

April 2013 • $5.00

A Glimpse into the Future of Music Education:

River Hill High School’s Richard McCready

Commentary:

Afghan Youth Orchestra

A director’s cultural exchange experience

UpFront Q&A:

ASTA’s Bob Phillips

Guest Editorial:

Commissioning Music Survey: Summer Music Camps

Trends in Impact:

How many of your instrumental music students attend independent music workshops or camps over the summer (other than a pre-fall band camp)?

Most

29%

Some

57%

A few

10%

None

o one can deny the potential impacts of a summer music camp. The students in-

volved have the opportunity to spend time on their instruments in a focused and supportive environment, and their respective school programs benefit from both the students’ technical and musicianship advancements, as well as the enthusiasm for the activity that such experiences foster.

Yet, there are many obstacles that stand in the way of reaping these benefits. Camps can be far away or expensive, and even for those kids that may have the means to attend them, there are many other summertime activities that are also vying for students’ attention. So just how do these camps and workshops – which are so chock full off potential benefits – impact school music programs? This latest survey put that question out to SBO readers. While 67 percent of respondents indicate that “a few” or “none” of their students attend music camps and workshops, more than half noted that the impact on their programs was “significant.” A more positive perspective on the following data would be that 90 percent of respondents had at least “a few” students attend, so perhaps having even a couple of students stay involved over the summer can serve to raise the standard for the rest of the school music program all year long? Read on and draw your own conclusions on the latest trends in summer music camps and workshops. 20

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School Band and Orchestra • March 2013

30% 22%

Summer Camps and the School Music Program

Wha atten

“Scholarships make it possible for more than a few to attend summer music camps.” Simon Austin 21% More students attend camps than a few years ago Burroughs High School Ridgecrest, Calif.

46%

21%

19%“F

in 8%ou kids

The same amount of students attend camps as a few years ago

“Most of my students cannot afford summer study, simply Most attend camps a few years ago 4% Fewer want a33% break fromstudents study, or go tothan summer school.” Denise Kuehner 29% Some Clay High School South Bend, Ind. 57% A few

“T valua them after

10% 49%

None Finances

13%

Lack of interest

21%

Lack of nearby options

19%

Over the past few years, how has the number of stuScheduling dents from school attending summer music camps 24% your changed?

9% 21% 5%

Kids need a break, too More students attend camps than a few years ago

46%

The same amount of students attend camps as a few years ago

33%

Fewer students attend camps than a few years ago

51%

Significant

37%

Moderate

30% for th 22%

“It musi 8%

How and w have

7%forFinances 49% “Costs even short duration camps have increased dramatically over None the last decade. It becomes more difficult 5% Scheduling 24% to interest students and parents in spending the amount of Lack ofto interest money 13% necessary attend a music camp.” David Bean 9% Lack of nearby options Morrison High School Morrison, Ill. 5% Kids need a break, too Minimal

“Most camp costs have gone up, making it harder for people to afford. Coupled with the many activities students now have in the summer, it is very hard to convince students that going to workshops or camps is a worthwhile activity and worth the Significant 51%cost.” Jan Hare 37% Moderate Delphos St. John’s Delphos, Ohio Minimal

None

“T summ cause cians

April 2013

26 Richard McCready

“

Technology is giving kids such great opportunities for changing the way that music is learned, as well as the whole paradigm of music education.

”

Contents Features

12 UpFront Q&A: ASTA’s Bob Phillips SBO chats with Bob Phillips, president of the American String Teachers Association, about current trends in string education.

16 Guest Editorial: Afghan Youth Orchestra

Amédée Williams, band director at Scarsdale (N.Y.) High School, shares the remarkable cultural exchange his ensembles recently had with the Afghan Youth Orchestra, culminating in a performance at Carnegie Hall.

20 Music Law In this debut column on legal issues facing music educators, attorney and former band director Kevin T. McNamara examines several of the more common pitfalls teachers should be careful to avoid.

26 Upclose: Richard McCready Richard McCready, director of music technology at Maryland’s River Hill High School and 2013 TI:ME teacher of the year, discusses the ways in which technology is changing long-established paradigms in music education, as well as the explosive growth of his music tech lab.

42 Commentary: Commissioning Music Dr. James David and Dr. Christopher Nicholas, both of Colorado State University, examine the practical steps to commissioning music, something they say is both extremely rewarding and “surprisingly easy to do.”

46 Technology: Notation Tools Tech expert John Kuzmich reviews the latest online notation software designed for music educators. 2

School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

Columns 4

Perspective

53 Playing Tip

Headlines

54 Classifieds

51 New Products

56 Ad Index

Cover photo by Greg Land, Mount Airy, Md., www.landphotography.com

Get Your FREE SBO iPad edition at the App Store 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 © 2013 by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.

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Perspective

Perpetuating Long-Form Art Over the past several years, I’ve traveled to Shanghai, China for the Music China show, which is mostly an industry trade event for manufacturers and distributors from around the world to display their latest instruments and technologies. However, there are also many musicians and teachers who attend. One of the astonishing things that I’ve noticed at these shows is the number of young people who were present in the piano and strings area of this convention. They passionately play, admire, and learn about these essential instruments. This is quite different than some of the industry shows that take place in the USA, but perhaps that is about to change. In our UpFront Q&A this month (page 12), Bob Phillips, the president of the American String Teachers Association, indicates that his daughter launched a string program in her town because the local real estate board believes that it keeps home values higher in the district. Although we all know that the benefits for students go far beyond real estate considerations, to be able to correlate something as essential as home values to string programs is a very powerful point to be made to any local government. Sometimes this demand comes from ethnic communities that feel very strongly that a strong education must include opportunities for string and keyboard performance. It is well documented that many students from immigrant families in certain countries in Asia are very interested studying strings and piano, among other instruments. In “The cultural interest in an article by Michael Ahn Paarlberg from February 7, 2012 may be due to the titled, “Can Asians Save Classical Music?,” he writes, “Asians powerful link between make up just over four percent of the U.S. population, but seven percent of U.S. orchestra musicians are Asian, and the music education and figure rises to 20 percent for top orchestras such as the New general education, for York Philharmonic. At the elite Julliard School for music, which there is now more one in five undergraduates – and one in three Ph.D. students – is Asian.” The cultural interest may be due to the substantive evidence powerful link between music education and general educathan ever before.” tion, for which there is now more substantive evidence than ever before. Mr. Paarlberg indicates in his article that “Classical music became an aspirational totem (in the early 20th century) for both newly industrializing Asian countries, whose governments subsidized music schools and orchestra, and parent, for whom having a musician in the family was a marker of success…” With the rapid ascent of technological innovation and the multi-tasking culture that cellphones, iPads, laptops, and other computers have brought to the children in our society, it becomes more difficult than ever to teach them to focus on longer forms of any type of cultural activity, such as operas, symphonies, literary works, plays, and more. It’s a frightening scenario to think that in 10 to 15 years, most of the existing classical audience may be gone, which gives us even greater urgency to try to find new ways to encourage young people to engage in hearing Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Stravinsky, and so many of the other great old and new composers. There is hope, though, as more and more students get involved in music making, and hopefully they will transition to become audiences for the essential arts institutions in this great country!

April 2013 • Volume 16, Number 4 GROUP PUBLISHER Sidney L. Davis sdavis@symphonypublishing.com PUBLISHER Richard E. Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com Editorial EXECUTIVE EDITOR Christian Wissmuller cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com EDITOR Eliahu Sussman esussman@symphonypublishing.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Matt Parish mparish@symphonypublishing.com Art PRODUCTION MANAGER Laurie Guptill lguptill@symphonypublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Andrew P. Ross aross@symphonypublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Laurie Chesna lchesna@symphonypublishing.com Advertising ADVERTISING SALES Iris Fox ifox@symphonypublishing.com ADVERTISING SALES Matt King mking@symphonypublishing.com CLASSIFIED SALES Steven Hemingway shemingway@symphonypublishing.com Business CIRCULATION MANAGER Melanie A. Prescott mprescott@symphonypublishing.com

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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

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Rick Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com Join the conversation on:

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Headlines Carnegie Hall Announces Members of First-Ever National Youth Orchestra

El Sistema Founder Abreu to Receive Honorary Doctorate from Cleveland Institute of Music Venezuelan music education pioneer José Antonio Abreu will receive an honorary doctorate during the Cleveland Institute of Music’s 88th Annual Commencement Ceremony in May in recognition of his work with the groundbreaking “El Sistema” music education program. The 73-year-old Abreu founded El Sistema in 1975 and it has since become famous for providing education and social opportunities for thousands of Venezuelan youths of all classes. The program has been widely emulated throughout the world. Among its alumni is Gustavo Dudamel, music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Cleveland Orchestra violinist Isabel Trautwein founded an El Sistema program at Cleveland’s Rainey Institute in 2011 and will receive an alumni award from the institute at this same upcoming commencement ceremony.

carnegiehall.org/nyousa

New York Hosts First Mondomusica Violin Conference in America The long-running Mondomusica conference brought its unique blend of violin manufacturer networking, education seminars, industry discussions, world class performances, and international buying power to the U.S. last weekend for the first time ever. Mondomusica New York included 162 exhibitors in a packed hall in the heart of Manhattan. CremonaFiere president Antonio Piva told SBO that the organization is taking a different approach with their American show. “In Italy, the show is focused on dealers and buyers,” he said. “The show in Italy is bigger at around 300 exhibitors. But this is an American show for the American public. The American market, composed of musicians, schools, and orchestras, is huge. I hope this exhibition will better work for such targets.” The three-day festival included an exhibit hall open all day and master classes given throughout the day, including those from La Scala Theater concert master Francesco De Angelis and Verdi Conservatory quartet professor Roberto Tarenzi. A lecture organized by the American Strings Teachers Association (ASTA) explored methods for avoiding “Performance Quicksand,” as cellist Jeffrey Solow described pros and cons of strategies for performance practice. Discussions included a lecture on how to ensure correct string choices from Connolly Music and a panel on high-end violin investment options, and the weekend also featured performances by groups like the Shanghai Quartet and the Verdi Quartet. A special program put on by Japanese television network NHK presented a “scientific blind taste test,” where the audience and a panel of experts rated the sounds of genuine Stradivarius violins alongside modern instruments played from behind a screen. www.mondomusicanewyork.com

www.cim.edu

followed by dates in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and London. Internationally-renowned conductor Valery Gergiev will lead the NYO-USA in its first year, with the ensemble joined this summer by acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell as soloist. The orchestra’s concert program will include Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, and a new work by young American composer Sean Shepherd, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall especially for NYO-USA. Specific tour dates and venues for all cities will be announced in late spring 2013. “We have been thrilled at the response to our creation of the NYO-USA program,” said Clive Gillinson, executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall. “We are very excited, but not surprised that there is such a depth of world class talent among young musicians across the United States, and we know this first roster will be wonderfully strong.”

Carnegie Hall recently announced the names of the 120 exceptional young musicians from across America who have been specially selected to come together from June 30 through July 23, 2013 to create the first-ever National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America. Hailing from 42 US states, these young orchestral players, ages 16-19, have been recognized by Carnegie Hall as being among the finest in the country following a comprehensive audition process. The musicians of the first National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America will travel to New York in late June 2013 for a rigorous two-week training residency on the campus of Purchase College, State University of New York, working with some of the country’s best professional orchestral players. The young musicians will then have the opportunity to represent their country as the NYO-USA undertakes its inaugural international tour with stops at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center,

School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

Headlines

A new U.S. proposal to streamline customs checks for travelers carrying musical instruments by creating passports for the instruments themselves was approved at a recent global biodiversity conference in Bangkok. U.S. Fish and Wildlife service director Dan Ashe told the delegates at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species that the goal of the program is to make travel easier by doing away with import and export permits. The plan is set to take effect in June and would create musical instrument passports, each valid for three years. Concern over the issue of travel with exotic and protected woods has grown in the U.S. music industry since 2011, when federal agents raided the factories of the Gibson Guitar Corporation to seize allegedly illegal ebony wood shipped to the guitar maker from India. Violin bows could cause a similar concern, which presents the need for universal certification.

www.fws.gov

Morty And Iris Manus Receive MTNA Achievement Award

Alfred Music Publishing heads Morty and Iris Manus were honored with the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Achievement Award at the Awards Brunch during the 2013 MTNA National Conference in March. The MTNA Achievement Award is the organization’s highest honor, bestowed upon individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to the music teaching profession. As president of Alfred Music Publishing, Morty has watched the company grow from a small importer of mu- Morty and Iris Mann with their son, Ron, sic for silent films under his father, Sam Manus, to the largest educational music publisher in the world with more than 90,000 active print, DVD, audio CD, enhanced CD, software and Blu-ray titles in international circulation. The company is made of composers and authors, as well as staff members in seven offices worldwide. Alfred publishes a variety of music genres for all levels of difficulty, from novice to expert. The styles include educational, reference, pop and performance pieces for teachers, students, hobbyists and performers. His wife Iris is vice president and executive producer of Alfred. She began work on a full-time basis in the late 1960s as executive producer and a member of upper management.

www.mtna.org

NAMM Foundation Heralds 2013’s Best Communities for Music Education

The NAMM Foundation designated 307 school districts across the country as Best Communities for Music Education in a record-breaking year for participation. In addition to the Best Community districts, 66 individual schools earned the 2013 SupportMusic Merit Award for providing students with access to comprehensive music education. The Best Communities designation recognizes collaborative, from-the-ground-up efforts of teachers, administrators, students and parents who continually work to keep comprehensive music education as an integral part of the core curriculum. This year, nearly 2000 schools and school districts participated in the survey - an increase of 366% from 2012, resulting in a record number of designations. This year’s increase in survey participation is an indication of growing support from both parents and administrators who recognize the vital role that music learning plays in student achievement. Now in its 14th year, the BCME program requires each school and district to detail funding, staffing, commitment to standards, and access to music instruction. Responses are meticulously reviewed by researchers at The Institute for Educational Research and Public Service of Lawrence, Kansas (an affiliate of the University of Kansas) and the NAMM Foundation to calculate the designated districts and awarded schools. As school districts across the United States finalize 2013-2014 budgets, the announcement of this year’s Best Communities for Music Education designees focuses attention on the importance of keeping music education part of school’s core education. Past designees report that receiving a BCME designation significantly improved their ability to preserve their schools’ music education programs.

www.nammfoundation.org

Passport Introduced for Musical Instruments Under New Plan

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School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

Headlines In a Capitol Hill ceremony attended by musical artists and other advocates for music education, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va), Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) and Randall Reid-Smith, Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, were each honored by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), VH1 Save The Music Foundation and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and presented with the SupportMusic Award from NAMM for their leadership of the statewide rebuild of West Virginia music education programs. The awards were presented by NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond, VH1 Save the Music Foundation chairman Tom Calderone, and the students from the Shepherdstown (W.Va.) Middle School jazz ensemble. The honorees were also treated to a rare joint performance by the Shepherdstown Middle School jazz ensemble and advocate-artists former Chad Smith performs with the Shepherdstown (W.Va.) Middle School NY Yankee and guitarist jazz ensemble. Bernie Williams and Chad Smith, drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who performed their spirited rendition of St. James Infirmary, a well-known, jazz standard. They started with a trombone solo in the style of early New Orleans jazz, then moved into a more contemporary style arrangement. Singer/songwriter/musician Vanessa Carlton saluted the students and senators with remarks. The Shepherdstown ensemble is a 2012 VH1 Save The Music Foundation grant recipient. The SupportMusic Award presentation took place during NAMM’s annual D.C. FlyIn, during which 30 NAMM members, artists and other leaders of the music instrument and products industry convened to advocate to Congress on the importance of comprehensive music education in the nation’s schools. This year’s Fly-In included special events at the Kennedy Center and the U.S. Capitol, and more than 80 Capitol Hill meetings with congressional leaders. The issue of music education in schools resonates particularly with music-education advocate and former West Virginia governor, Senator Joe Manchin, who lamented the prevalence of cuts to arts programs in general. “Having access to music education opens so many doors for our children in West Virginia,” Senator Manchin said. “It is unfortunate that every time states face budget cuts, funding for the arts seems to be targeted. The skills our children learn from music and art classes challenge them to think creatively and express themselves.”

Last Call for a Grammy!

The Grammy Foundation and the Recording Academy will present their first-ever Music Educator Award (and a $10,000 honorarium) to a special teacher now working in a U.S. school, from kindergarten through college. The winner will be flown to Los Angeles to accept the prize during Grammy Week 2014 and will attend the Grammy Awards as well. There will also be nine finalists, each of whom will receive a $1,000 honorarium. Anyone can nominate a teacher – students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, administrators – and teachers can nominate themselves, as well. The deadline for nominations is April 15, 2013. To view the guidelines and nominate a worthy educator, go to: Grammymusicteacher.com

Music Education Advocacy Heroes Honored in D.C.

ONLINE SURVEY Does your program have a dedicated music technology lab or class?

www.vh1savethemusic.org and www.nafme.org

Yes

LudwigMasters Acquires Latham Music

LudwigMasters Publications and The Lorenz Corporation recently announce the sale of Latham Music to LudwigMasters Publications. String Editor Lynne Latham will be responsible for all new editions to the Latham catalog. The sale was completed in March.

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School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

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Upfront

Q&A Bob Phillips, ASTA

ASTA and the Future of String Education

rovidence, Rhode Island was the scene of the 2013 American String Teachers Association national convention, which took place from February 27 to March 2. This annual gathering featured over 200 education sessions, star-studded performances and concerts, and a lively exhibit hall featuring over 100

string-related companies.

While at the show, SBO managed to catch up with Bob Phillips, an innovator in string education and current ASTA president, to discuss current trends in string education, as well as the future of this fast-evolving area of instruction. School Band & Orchestra: How’s the show working out for you here in Providence? Bob Phillips: Providence has been an absolutely fantastic

site. This is our first time truly on the East Coast, following in ASTA’s philosophy of trying to move the conference around the country so that everyone has equal access to it over time. The sessions have been going incredibly well, and we’ve had a few surprise concerts from the likes of Rachel Barton Pine and Mark O’Conner. SBO: For the folks that weren’t able to make it here, what are the key takeaways that they should be aware of for 2013 and beyond? BP: For ASTA members, the board has worked very hard to develop a strategic plan for the future of the organization, especially in terms of the kinds of things we need to be focused on to support 21st century string teachers. In other words, questions we’re asking ourselves are what we can do to help promote and lead the way – be leaders – in preparing both students and teachers through successful 21st century teaching models. We are looking at how those models are changing, and where we are going as a society in terms of music education. Those fundamental questions will help us present a plan that will maintain focus and direction in the future, as well as to help us make good decisions for our

School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

membership. They will also give us filters to use that will allow us to make strategic decisions, not just ones that will seem easy at the moment. Another takeaway from the conference is that over the past several years, ASTA has developed a national curricu-

“A district that has a string program may be a district that is music focused and has its act together.”

lum for K-12 string teachers. This is our first time being able to present that curriculum and actually do clinics on it. We have had all three presidents (Steve Benham, Kirk Moss, and myself), as well as two of the authors, Denese Odegaard and Julie Lyonn Lieberman, do clinics on aspects of the curriculum. Those clinics will be available online for teachers to learn about, and that curriculum is going to be absolutely transformational in string teachers’ lives because it is the first time that we have a national curriculum that is broad-based and not pedagogy specific. It’s skill-based, and broken down not only on a conceptual level, but all the way down to a learning task level. This becomes a road map to all string teachers and K-12 music teachers who are preparing students to go out in the field. We actually wrote the curriculum with that in mind, in terms of the sequence and structure that needs to be happening to have a comprehensive music education program for string players. SBO: And having the results be assessable hits a key point in today’s education world. What are some of the bigger trends that you’re seeing in string education?

Yes, but, in general, we’ve gained more than we’ve lost. We have had some situations where there might be a slightly lower teacher count in some areas, but the programs have been maintained. Given the nature of the economic downturn, we see it as a success that we’re not going backwards. Not every discipline can say that. SBO: To what do you attribute this relative success during the downturn?

BP: Part of it is that we just have more opportunity than our band or choir colleagues. Most schools in the United States already have a band and a choir program. We know that about a third of the schools nationally have orchestra programs. Now, that represents a lot more than a third of the students in the U.S., because oftentimes it is the larger districts that have string and orchestra programs, so more than a third of

Natalie - Future band director

FROM LITTLE THINGS, BIG THINGS

BP: One of the things I’m really ex-

cited about personally – and I’m known as a person who has led the charge on this nationally for a number of years – is the growth of alternative styles, or what we are now calling “eclectic styles.” That’s certainly been a growing movement. What’s really exciting is to see how many people are beginning to look at all of it as just music, instead of separating musical genres by calling it this or that. Musicians play in different styles and genres, and we don’t have to be defined or labeled by that style. I think that is an important trend. Another trend people should know about is that string playing is as strong as ever in the United States. We know that, in general, we’re not losing programs. We’ve been successful during the economic downturn of the last four years at maintaining our programs, and in fact, we are growing programs. We’re adding programs. Are there isolated examples of programs being lost?

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School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

students have access to strings. That being said, we just have a lot more

past 20 years and many districts are achieving this, honestly, in an

“Another trend people should know about is that string playing is as strong as ever in the United States.” opportunity to expand in many districts. The power of music and string playing has been realized in the

effort to be competitive with those around them. One thing that’s driving that is schools of choice. Where kids have choice in schools, you

see schools adding string programs to be competitive with those programs around them. My own daughter started a program for that very reason. The real estate board came to her and said, “We need to have a string program because the districts around us do and [not having one] hurts our housing values and hurts our ability to sell houses.” In some cases that might be a situation where they are parents who have a child that plays or wants to play a stringed instrument, but in other cases, it’s something that’s seen as a mark of excellence: a district that has a string program may be a district that is music focused and has its act together. SBO: Anything else you’d like to add? BP: As a president of a national organization, I would like to stress how incredibly important it is for music teachers to understand how vital it is that they belong to their national organizations. National organizations are able to participate in advocacy and leadership, and create leadership opportunities in a way that smaller entities just can’t do. A great example of that is the Music Education Policy Roundtable, of which ASTA is a founding member, along with NAMM. The Roundtable has done fantastic work on Capitol Hill in terms of responding to legislation, in terms of creating new opportunities. These include the Grammy Foundation presenting a Grammy award to a music educator, and changes in the TSA’s policies about carrying instruments onboard planes. Those are the kinds of things that are really hard to change on the local level, but much easier to address at the national level. I encourage everyone to join and support their national organizations.

For the latest news and content, follow SBO on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sbomagazine 14

School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

Essential Elements Interactive is the ultimate online resource for music teachers to connect with students and parents...anywhere, anytime, and on any device. The best part is it compliments the books you already have! Hosted by the powerful Charms Office, EEi introduces the first-ever, easy set of online learning tools for Essential Elements beginning band and string students.

Guest Editorial: Afghan Youth Orchestra

Playing Host to the Afghan Youth Orchestra By Amédée Williams

any musicians and music educators ponder the age-old question: How do you get to perform at Carnegie Hall?

My solution may surprise you: Make a phone call to Kabul, Afghanistan.

Last year the New York Times published a short article describing the Afghan Youth Orchestra’s desire to tour the U.S. and its need for financial support. I responded by calling the Afghan Conservatory in Kabul and offering to help. The result, after many emails and Skype conference calls, was a very unique cultural exchange. When I told people that the AYO would be coming to Scarsdale High School, they would say: “Wait a minute – so how did this happen? You just called them In Afghanistan? How did you get the phone number? What did your school administration say?” To be completely honest, I didn’t discuss it with the administration until I was sure it was going to happen and that all of the details were worked out. When I did tell my principal, his first reaction was: “They have a youth orchestra?” Then he asked, “Are you kidding?” And finally, “So how did this happen?”

“As I watched the Afghan flags waving from the balconies in Carnegie Hall, I couldn’t help but feel that we would all be, somehow, forever changed.” I explained that I just looked up the phone number of the Afghanistan National Music Institute and called to offer my help. After many emails, I met with William Harvey, the conductor of the AYO, when he returned to New York in August. During a two-hour dinner, we worked out the 16

School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

Students from the AYO and SHS try each other’s instruments during a break in the rehearsal.

details. I agreed to host the AYO at Scarsdale High School and provide instruments, rehearsal space, and meals. It was also agreed that about 20 of the SHS orchestra students would also join the AYO in its performance at Carnegie Hall, helping to augment the string sections. There was still a big question of whether the Afghans would get visas to come to the US, but things looked good. I remember when I left the restaurant, I had this feeling of – “Yes, I got it! This is really going to happen… I just have to tell Scarsdale High School.” Once it was clear that the AYO was indeed able to come, there was the question of money to fund the activities related to the hosting of the AYO in Scarsdale. Although the U.S. State Department, in connection with the U. S. Embassy in

Kabul, had arranged funding for most of the AYO expenses for the trip and the concerts, there were other expenses that needed funding on the local level. In order to raise those funds, I held a benefit concert, featuring SHS chamber ensembles. What started out as a simple benefit concert soon turned into something much more significant. I thought that it would be interesting if the Afghans could also watch and listen to the benefit concert live, so that the students could see each other before their arrival in the U.S. With the time difference of nine and a half hours, this required an 11 pm concert (New York time) to be viewed at 8:30 am in Kabul. The concert was streamed live over the SHS website and the students were able to Skype with each other, allowing the SHS students to hear the Afghan students’ applause. I was amazed at the excitement exhibited by the SHS orchestra students to perform a concert so late at night. Some students compared it to a midnight run. The benefit concert not only raised monies for the AYO and but also raised an awareness of the achievements of the AYO and their very challenging circumstances. As soon as the SHS and AYO students met at the welcome dinner on February 8th, 2013, it was as if they had known each other for a long time. The interaction was just incredible. The next five days were filled with rehearsals, meals, and even an ice skating party. The Afghans, who had never ice skated before, were helped by their new Scarsdale friends. Watching them hold hands and help each other stay up on the skates was really touching. And watching them just be kids was truly remarkable. One of the dinners in Scarsdale was hosted by five different Scarsdale orchestra families. It gave the Afghans a chance to see the inside of five American homes. The parties went late into the night, with the students singing and performing for each other. I actually drove around to each party. It was fun for me to see what was happening in my students’ homes, as well. The five-day SHS cultural exchange concluded with a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall. The concert provided a mixture of musical styles played by both classical and Afghan instruments. William Harvey, the AYO conductor, had seamlessly arranged works by Ravel and Vivaldi to include the Afghan instruments. It was just amazing. The fact that the Afghans were even performing music at all was truly a miracle. When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in the ‘90s, music was completely banned. Mu-

sicians were persecuted, and instruments were destroyed along with recordings. Afghanistan had the terrible distinction of being the The AYO and SHS at Carnegie Hall. only place in the world where music was actually illegal. It was a very dangerous place for a musician. Most musicians who were able to sought exile. When the Taliban’s grip on power in Afghanistan came to an end in 2001, its musical culture was left in ruins. Music gradually started to make a comeback into people’s lives, but by 2009 there was still no ensemble capable of playing the Afghan national anthem. In 2009, when Dr. Ahmad Sarmast returned to Kabul from his years of living in exile in Australia, he was asked by the

The Afghanistan National Institute of Music, founded by Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, consists of both male and female students, ages ten to 22. The faculty includes Afghan musicians, along with several U. S. musicians. One of those U. S. musicians is 30-year-old William Harvey, a Juilliard graduate and talented violinist, who is the conductor of the Afghan Youth Orchestra. It was his idea to have the AYO, augmented by American string students, perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and at the New England Conservatory in Boston.

School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

William Harvey, conductor of the AYO, Amédée Williams of Scarsdale High School, and Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, founder of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music.

Afghanistan Ministry of Education to establish the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. Although Dr. Sarmast was confronted with a music building in ruins and no western instruments or orchestral music to initiate instruction, he never wavered in his belief that the school could once again thrive with musical performances in both Afghan and western styles, as it had prior to the occupation of Kabul by the Taliban.

There has been and excellent documentary film made of the rebirth of the conservatory: Dr. Sarmast’s Music School (Circe films, 2012). This is a must-see for all music students. My students viewed the film just before the Afghans arrived in New York, so they knew the importance of the concert in Carnegie Hall. They had a summary idea of the incredible struggle that the Afghans had to over come to just to get to that Hall. The tensions were extremely high when one of my rehearsals before the Afghans arrived didn’t go well. My students knew they had to do well. There was a lot of practicing, anticipation, and excitement, as well. When the moment came and we were together on that incredible stage, being thanked by Clive Gillinson, executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall, for our role, I knew the night would be magical. As I watched the Afghan flags waving from the balconies in Carnegie Hall, I couldn’t help but feel that we would all be, somehow, forever changed – I know I have been. I think much less now about how I will bring my orchestra back to

Carnegie Hall and instead think more about how my program can help others. As I write this, I have had two students in my office wanting to form a club to raise money for the Afghan conservatory. They wanted their program to go beyond our school. I keep telling my students that they need to think big if they want big things to happen. It turns out that they had, in fact, been listening after all. American born conductor and violist, Amédée Williams has performed throughout the U.S., Canada, Argentina, Ireland, and Italy. He has been a participant in the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute and was featured on a Young Artist Concert Series presented by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Mr. Williams is the author of Lillian Fuchs: First Lady of the Viola, a biography of a musician who was one of his teachers, and has contributed several articles for the new edition of the Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians. He serves as president of The William Lincer Foundation and is a board member of The New York International Artists Association. Mr. Williams has been the orchestra director at Scarsdale High School since 2007.

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Music Law

Crimes, Cash, and Copyright: Legal Issues for Music Educators By Kevin McNamara

he law is a funny thing. On the one hand, it serves to bring order and promote justice and civility in our society. On the other hand, written laws and regulations are often viewed as being so thick and complex as to be completely unintelligible. As music educators, we can obsess about tone, rhythmic precision, and how in the world we can get our back stand cellist to play his forward extensions in tune, but we may not care about all this legal mumbo-jumbo. Regardless of the preconceptions that we might have concerning these matters, we live in a society that is governed by laws and regulations, and, as music educators, we need to recognize where some of the significant problem areas may lie for us. Given the potentially significant consequences, music educators who work so closely with students would do well to consider what department policies and/ or personal professional practices should be put in place to protect themselves from facing the kinds of scenarios that people normally think would never happen to them. The following article is not meant to be an exhaustive treatment of the subject, nor is it meant to drive you to paranoia regarding your every professional practice. It is meant, however, to encourage you to think about some of the more intuitive and fundamental ways in which you can heighten your level of professionalism.

Crimes I am saddened whenever I see a teacher’s face splashed all over the media after allegations of misconduct with his or her students. Now, you don’t need an attorney to tell you not to have sex with your drum major, but what about the mere allegations of misconduct? What would prevent a student from making any sort of false allegation? If the allegations can pass the initial “smell test,” what effect could it have on career, family, and reputation, even if eventually exonerated? Contemplating such “what if” questions is the job of an attorney. In this regard, thinking about the situation from the point of view of a prosecuting attorney can be helpful. There are variations in criminal law from state to state. However, it not unusual to have a prosecu20

School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

tor charge an individual with a number of offenses based on the circumstances. Each of these offenses carries with it a set of elements, many of which will overlap. In this regard, inappropriate physical touching or fondling coupled with the appropriate mental state (in other words, “knowingly” or “intentionally”) may be sufficient to support certain charges. As such, teachers should be thoughtful with respect to physical contact with their students. Under Federal Rule of Evidence 406 (and many corresponding state rules of evidence), evidence of habit or routine is admissible, which could potentially support the notion that alleged inappropriate physical contact was, in fact, appropriate, non-evasive contact, and was a part of the teacher’s professional habit or routine. For example, as an orchestra teacher, it was

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common for me to correct bow hand shape and left wrist position by physically shaping the student’s hand on the instrument. In many instances, I would ask permission of the student before touching them. Additionally, I developed an efficient manner of correcting problems using minimal physical contact, which I used consistently. The contact was directed specifically at the issue that I was clearly intending to address. Namely, I didn’t rub a student’s back when correcting their bow hand. Of course, the best way to protect yourself is to never allow yourself to be in a circumstance in which such inappropriate behavior is even theoretically possible. In this regard, it has not been traditionally required that the testimony of an alleged rape victim be corroborated to support a conviction. However, some states have now begun to require corroboration of victim testimony. Irrespective, teachers should not permit themselves to be alone with a student. Since many of us have built positive relationships over the years

with some of our students, it can be easy, at times, to adopt a more personal and less professional demeanor. However, we must put clear boundaries in place for ourselves within which such positive and personable teacherstudent relationships can safely thrive.

Cash One of the less exciting realities of being a band or orchestra director is fundraising. Here, potentially large sums of money go through our hands, both during collecting and in spending these funds. In many cases, directors are accessing multiple accounts involving school corporation accounts and booster accounts. Moreover, booster organizations may or may not have the types of accountability measures in place to adequately guard against possible embezzlement. Unfortunately, many hard-working and dedicated booster organizations have horror stories regarding a dishonest director or booster treasurer who brought home the spring concert donation jar con-

taining $350 and ended up “counting” and depositing $250 into the booster bank account. Of course, this example is rather tame compared to the more dramatic stories of tens of thousands of dollars embezzled by more brazenly dishonest directors, booster presidents, or treasurers. So what should you, as the director, do to guard against such things? Of course, there is no substitute for good accountability and financial recording practices. By way of just one example, cash donations and/or concession stand receipts should be counted by at least two people who are not the treasurer. The two counters should have a form to submit with the money counted indicating their names, the date, the amount counted (which should, of course, be the same for both counters), and should include a place for them to authenticate the form with their initials and/or signatures. However, in addition to following good practices like these, it is helpful to consider what evidence is needed to prove theft

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and what evidence is needed to refute allegations of wrongdoing? In this regard, People v. Hostettler, No. C062232 (Cal. App. 5/18/2010) provides a great example of why it is important to record and preserve good meeting minutes at your periodic booster meetings. In this case, a booster treasurer was suspected of embezzling money from booster accounts. The boosters hired an accountant to review their financial records and contacted the local police to investigate. Upon review of the records, the accountant was able to identify over $58,000 that could not be accounted for. However, there was additional evidence presented that the defendant-treasurer had reported at previous booster meetings that the organization had a multiple bank accounts, one of which had a balance of $6,085, which had been seized by the IRS in connection with the booster’s failure to file taxes for several consecutive years. Four booster members testified to this effect and copies of the

meeting minutes were submitted to corroborate the testimony. Interestingly, during the financial records review, the accountant could not confirm the existence of any bank account with a balance of $6,085. Further, when the accountant called the IRS to inquire about the account, the IRS had no knowledge of any such investigation or account seizure. It was thus determined that the defendant-treasurer had embezzled the $6,085.00 and fabricated the report of the seized bank account to mask the theft. Based on the information in the court’s opinion, however, it seems entirely possible that the theft of this $6,085 may have evaded detection had the false report not been recorded in the meeting minutes. In this regard, it is easy to speculate that she may have, in true fact, embezzled much more than the $64,000 that was identified. This story serves to illustrate the importance of good record keeping throughout the organization. It is all too easy for booster organizations to

be casual in their policies and practices under the assumption that “nobody here would do that,” or “we’re all here for the sake of the kids.” While we certainly hope that such is the case, as the teacher/director, it is, ultimately, your program. As such, you should take it upon yourself to make sure that proper accountability measures are in place for the protection of yourself, the kids, the program, and the organization.

Copyright No article addressing legal issues for music educators would be complete without a discussion of copyright law. Here, the Education Fair Use Exception of the copyright law provides a perfect example of what I described at the outset as written laws being so complex and amorphous as to be virtually unintelligible since it provides no clear parameters of what is or is not “Fair Use.” Rather, this section of the code provides four vague guidelines to assist courts in determining if a copyright violation has occurred. Specifi-

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cally, section 107 of the copyright code states, in part: In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include – (1)the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; (2)the nature of the copyrighted work; (3)the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and (4)the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. Unfortunately, after reading these four factors, music educators (and attorneys, alike) are left scratching their heads wondering what in the world it means. We are left wondering, “Can we

copy this or not?” In this regard, various professional organizations, such as the Nation Association for Music Education (NAfME) have published recommended guidelines. These guidelines are helpful. However, such guidelines do not carry the weight of law and their use has been criticized by some legal scholars. So what are music educators to do? Can we copy music or not? The answer is, “It depends.” Unfortunately, I will suggest that the Educational Fair Use Exception does not provide the kinds of practical solutions that many would hope. Specifically, I am referring to the practice of photocopying parts for your student band or orchestra performers. Here lies a real dilemma. On the one hand, if the set of parts you purchased has three Flute I parts and three Flute II parts, and you make enough copies to accommodate the 36 flutes you have in your combined 7th and 8th grade band, that would likely be considered a violation of the copyright. However, what if you had seven flute players in your band? Could you pass out the six published copies and make one photocopy?

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School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

Strictly speaking, some would say, “No. Even a single copy of a fully performable portion of the music constitutes a violation of the copyright.” However, let’s apply the factors to this situation. In our scenario, this is clearly nonprofit educational use and would likely weigh in favor fair use under the first factor. Given the creative nature of musical compositions, the second factor will most likely tend to weigh against fair use. Copying a complete part, as opposed to a short excerpt, will likely tend to weigh against fair use under the third factor. Finally, one could argue that the potential market for the piece is minimally affected, thus, weighing in favor of fair use under the fourth factor. Consequently, we could have two factors in favor of fair use and two factors weighing against fair use. However, the relative weight applied by the court to the various factors may be difficult to predict. As such, we always advise to err on the side of caution and seek permission from the copyright holder. In any case, the above scenario serves to illustrate how amorphous this area of the law can be. Additionally, while it may be fascinating to consider different hypotheticals, it can be infuriating to a director who is simply trying to be ethical and legal in her professional practices. This article is the first installment in an ongoing series addressing possible legal issues that can arise within the field of music education. I hope to have sparked your thinking, inspired conversations with colleagues, and encouraged a higher sense of legality, ethics, and professionalism within the field of music education. If there is a particular area of concern or interest where music education meets the law, I would be happy to hear about it. Email me suggestions for future topics of inquiry or coverage at kevin@ktmlawoffice.com. Kevin T. McNamara taught middle school and high school orchestra for 12 years in Indiana prior to transitioning to the practice of law. He has a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from Northern Illinois University and a doctor of jurisprudence degree from the McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. He now works in a private law practice focusing on Education Law, Nonprofit Law, and Estate Law. He is available for speaking engagements and consultations. Contact Kevin directly at kevin@ktmlawoffice.com.

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SBOUpClose: Richard McCready

School Band and Orchestra â&#x20AC;˘ April 2013

A Glimpse into the Future of Music Education:

A discussion on music technology with River Hill High School’s Richard McCready

By El i a hu S ussma n

As technology shifts the world around us, long-accepted paradigms about how we communicate, learn, and teach are rapidly evolving. Richard McCready of Clarksville, Maryland’s River Hill High School, recognizes this seismic shift in the educational landscape, and has been at the forefront of implementing a new reality. Recently named the Technology Institute for Music Education (TI:ME) 2013 “Teacher of the Year,” McCready uses technology to inspire and engage students in music making and composition using an assessable, task-based methodology.

“What we have in our whole assessment model and our whole curriculum model throughout schools is one based on mathematics: it follows a sequential order,” says McCready. “That certainly is an okay approach. However, kids today are learning in a totally different way.” McCready is referring to a new style of learning that he describes as being more like a spider web than a straight line. He continues, “The whole approach through creativity allows us to go into learning skills in a way that is not so linear. We don’t say, ‘We need to learn this skill and then we’ll go to the next one.’ What we do is we gradually impart skills as the students need them.” In a recent conversation with SBO, McCready discusses the development of his lab and its curriculum, as well as his vision for the bright future of music education enabled by an array of new tools. School Band & Orchestra: How did you end up in your current position, running a music tech lab at a high school? Richard McCready: Music and Computer Science were my two top subjects when I was in high school. When I was looking at colleges, I faced a career choice: do I go into music or do I go into computers? I eventually chose to go to a music college, and just kept up with the computer side of things as a hobbyist. When I was in college and they started offering electronic music courses, I took every one that I could. I just loved making music on synthesizers and computers. When I went into teaching itself, I tried integrating what technology there was at the time into my curriculum: four-track tape recorders, typical ‘80s retro tools. Of course, we didn’t call them retro at the time. They were state-of-the-art back then! My students were always interested in those sorts of things. It’s always been a love of mine to use computers for making music, even though my degree is essentially a performance degree. As my teaching has developed, at every stage I’ve tried to bring technology into what I do. When I was teaching middle school here in Howard County 11 years ago, I received a 28

School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

grant to bring in six computers. I had the kids composing on the computers using simple software – a very early version of Sibelius, Sony Acid – and then I got some Macs and started to use GarageBand. The band director here at River Hill, Joe Fischer, actually had the vision looking into the future. He saw that music technology was something that he wanted to have at the high school, so he got me on board to work out specs for a lab and took my advice regarding what keyboards and what software we should use. During the first year, demand for the program grew. The next year I transferred to the high school, and now I teach the music technology in this school full time. This is the first of the music tech labs that came into our county. There were some scratch labs before that – a few computers huddled together – but this was the first real lab.Then, last year we extended the program across the county by putting similar labs in all of the high schools. We basically got a seven-figure grant to make it all happen. Our Board of Education realized what was so good about what was happening at River Hill, and they wanted to give that opportunity to all of the students throughout the county. So that’s how I ended up as a tuba player teaching music technology! SBO: How many students come through your lab each day? RM: We have three sections of Music Tech I, that’s 75 students. We have a

section of Music Tech II, that’s another 25 students, and we also have the guitar classes in here, as well as the piano classes, so that’s another 75 students. Seven classes with 25 students in each equals 175 kids coming through here per day. SBO: Do students in the performing ensembles also participate in these classes? RM: One of the reasons we have music technology and have found it to be so great is that it picks up those kids who for whatever reason are no longer in performance ensembles. Perhaps they played clarinet in elementary school and then they dropped out, or it could sometimes be due to schedule changes or due to conflicts with athletics. They love music and want to con-

“It adds to their assessment because it becomes a part of their portfolio and an indicator that they have learned something, even though it isn’t necessarily something that is on page 34 of the textbook.”

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tinue in music, but if you drop out of the band for a year or two, you can find yourself extraordinarily behind. So they come in here because they love music, they want to compose music, and they want to create music. Once they are in here, they start to take an interest in our ensemble classes. They realize, “Hey, I’m having fun with music again,” even if they might have been a couple of years distant from it because they were too busy with something else. Then they want to join the choir or they want to join the marching band. We get a lot of kids like that who come back to music, when normally they would have given up on it by the time they come to high school. SBO: So it serves as a gateway back into the music program, then?

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RM: Yes, it can serve as a gateway back in, but also for those students who are in ensemble classes, it can absolutely assist with what they’re doing. I was just talking to our choral teacher about some of our choir kids who are also in music tech. They find that this so helps their songwriting abilities and other things like that. We also have to be very careful. I know of certain schools where they make prerequisites for music tech classes, which, to me, is crazy. One school near us says that students must have two years of ensemble classes plus piano classes and music theory in order to be in music tech. And they can’t understand why year after year they don’t get the numbers to run the course. By putting those prerequisites in there, they’re putting a barrier up that’s going to keep a lot of kids from doing what they want to do – to be in music.

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What I want to be able to do – and what many of my colleagues want to do, as well – is make music available to all students. For us, the kids have chosen the computer as their instrument. They want to learn music, only they’d rather use a computer than a trumpet or a trombone. In our music tech courses, we teach musical skills rather than technology skills. It counts as a music class – a fine arts credit – not a technology credit. It’s like how playing the clarinet isn’t a woodworking credit, or a plastic-working credit, as the case may be, and playing the trumpet does not give you credit for metalwork. We are learning music. The kids want to study music, they love music and they listen to it all the time, and for them to be able to create that in a multimedia environment – when we do things like scoring for videogames and scoring for movies – it absolutely brings it alive for them. They can also realize what people out there in those fields are doing. You know, if Beethoven were alive today, he would be writing music for movies. If John Williams were alive in the 18th century, he would have been writing symphonies. It’s just a different time.

Pro Tools and recording. We would show those demos to the whole band and choir and tell the students, “You know, there is a course where you can learn to do this.” Notably, Andy Synowiec, who now plays guitar with the Gordon Goodwin Band and did a lot of his recording out in L.A., came in and showed the band class how exciting this sort of stuff is. The second year we had a tripling of the numbers. There were so many people who wanted to

take the class that we opened up a fulltime instructor, which is my position here. Before this happened, River Hill High School had 1.5 full-time music staff. There are 1,400 students here. We had a full-time band director and a parttime strings teacher, and choir and other classes like guitar or piano were taught by teachers of subjects, such as math or language arts. After we turned the lights on in the music tech lab, we grew to the

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SBO: When you first opened up the lab at the high school, how did you go about spreading the word? RM: Before the first year, we introduced the idea to the performance students, telling them that we were going to be having this program. We encouraged them to participate with the idea that understanding the technological aspects of music would be very beneficial for them as their studies advanced. We had enough to run one section. And what we did that year was really let the school know by doing things like putting music in with the announcements and showing videos of the kids working, so the kids got to know that the lab was here. Of course, in most high schools, a buzz goes around pretty quickly. If you’ve got something new and exciting, the kids are going to talk about it over the lunch table and gradually they’re going to come down and check out what it’s all about. We brought in some guest educators to do some demonstrations on

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largest music staff in the county. We have 4.5 music teachers here now, which is great for a population-1,400 school. We grew the numbers so big that the kids wanted to take guitar class, they wanted to take piano, and percussion, and jazz, and marching band. They could see the connection between making music and composing music, and they wanted to be a part of it. Music once again became vibrant throughout the school.

Our guitar numbers went through the roof as well, because many of my music tech kids also happened to play guitar. I would say that 75 percent of my advanced kids are good guitar players, and the other 25 percent can bang out chords well enough to lay down a rhythm track if needed. The guitar, the keyboard, and the music tech all go hand in hand. Those kids who decide that they want to study music tech in

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college and are asking what else they can take that might help them are realizing that taking keyboard and guitar classes will give them skills that will help them in the future. Our numbers have exploded. This is a challenge as well, certainly for some people I speak to in the county because they’ve been used to the self-selection process that ensembles go through, the idea that “I’m only going to get good students who are really dedicated to playing their instruments.” We see a lot of teachers who are so comfortable with that situation that they don’t reach out to those forgotten kids. I love to get those forgotten kids, because what in fact happens is that music gives them so much. Where they were lost before – and they might have had difficulty with school or in social situations because they were lost – now music gives them that impetus and creativity. It’s absolutely fabulous what music does for everybody, and it’s really a situation where we need to simply allow that to happen. SBO: Have there been challenges associated with such quick expansion? Has it been a delicate course to navigate? RM: The key is big administrative support. We have administrators here who really value what’s going on in the arts. When the music department also helps what the rest of the school does, it really feels like music is a welcome thing. For example, our athletic department knows just how important our marching band kids and pep band kids are to what they’re doing. If we were fighting for numbers, that sort of camaraderie wouldn’t exist, and people would be resentful. We as a music department always try to help out in any way we can with what’s going on – we want to be the spirit of the school. The kids that come through the program are very generous with their talents and their skills. If a teacher comes along and they want a little band to accompany their German day or whatever it may be, we’ll make it happen. We really regard ourselves not in service to the school, but supportive of the whole academic side of things.

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Richard McCready’s Recommended Teaching Resources “Learn the software by spending a couple of months playing with it – I was always impressed as a child by how Paul Hindemith learned every orchestral instrument so he knew better how to compose for it and how to coach the players when he conducted,” says McCready. “This approach really works with software. TI:ME offers many classes in learning the various packages, and you can usually find classes in your area throughout the year. You can also find lots of videos and webinars through the Soundtree Institute at institute.soundtree.com.” • Making Music with GarageBand and Mixcraft by Jim Frankel, Robin Hodson, Michael Fein, and Richard McCready (Cengage Learning) • Using Technology to Unlock Musical Creativity by Scott Watson (Oxford University Press) • Teaching Composition Using Technology by Barbara Freedman (Oxford University Press) • Using Pro Tools in Music Education by Robin Hodson (Hal Leonard) • Sibelius 7 Music Notation Essentials by James Humberstone (Cengage Learning) • Recording on a Budget by Brent Edstrom (Oxford University Press) • Technology Integration in the Elementary Music Classroom by Amy Burns (Hal Leonard)

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You’re always going to get one or two teachers in any school who are resentful of things that other people are doing, but we’ve had a very positive experience here. We also believe in keeping communication open. We tell the rest of the school what we’re doing, what’s going on, and we invite them to events so people don’t feel like we’re trying to steal their kids from behind their backs. We’re always trying to make things happen for the good of the school. SBO: What do you think the larger impact of technology on music education will be moving forward? RM: Technology is giving kids such great opportunities for changing the way that music is learned, as well as changing the whole paradigm of music education. We’ve taught in a traditional way for over 100 years because that’s how we have been giving students the opportunity and skills to continue to play music after they finish high school – and we certainly want that to continue to happen. But the number of jobs that are available in music performance is declining by the day. Even the number of community orchestras and bands is dwindling. While there is extraordinary benefit to continuing to teach music the traditional way – in terms of kids learning to love music and play it and all of the brain benefits that go along with that – sometimes we’re really trying to market an unmarketable skill. Where technology changes the paradigm is the whole approach to how the material is taught. Rather than having the conductor in the middle of the room serving as the vessel through which music flows, what we’re doing is giving much more ownership to the kids to design their education their own way, how they want to learn, where the technology takes them. There are so many possibilities. What

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I hope is that eventually there will be more people entering politics who have a more rounded music education and, therefore, will realize on a bigger scale how important music education really is. We often complain about the fact the people who are making decisions about education are not teachers, but we forget about the fact that they are all former students. If we teach people when they’re kids about all of the multiple ways that education can be measured, then we’re going to create the next generation that is much more open to all of the ways that music can be fostered. Looking 20 or 30 years ago, we only graded music according to ratings at festivals. That was appropriate then. So the people that experienced that and now are looking at how music fits in the school curriculum and how to assess that, they’re going on what they learned 20 or 30 years ago, when they were students. Many of us are trying to move as far away from standardized testing as we can. We don’t want to test our students that way: we want to be grading someone for musicality rather than whether or not they played all the right notes. We can do that in the future because

technology allows it. When kids are composing portfolios of compositions which can’t be graded according to an antiseptic rubric, then they’re going to learn in the future that there are more ways to learn than simply opening the books, starting at the beginning, and go- McCready in his lab. ing through it to the ody before we teach harmony, and so end. There are more ways to assess on. It’s the same as taking a book and then, “How many wrong notes did you working through it chapter by chapter make?” until you get to the end – where students gradually develop skills as they SBO: Would you expand on the idea go. And that certainly is an okay apof an assessable curriculum that proach. However, kids today are learnmight not be standardized? ing in a totally different way. When kids RM: What we have in our whole are learning on the Internet, they’re not assessment model and our whole curgoing page by page. You can never get riculum model throughout schools is a kid to sit down and read an entire arone based on mathematics: it follows ticle on the Internet, especially if it is a sequential order. For example, when more than one page long. we teach music, we also typically teach If you try to learn by Wikipedia, in a sequential order: we start to teach what happens is that you start reading rhythm before we start to teach pitch, about something and then you click and we teach pitch before we teach on something else in that article that timbre, and we teach timbre before we seems interesting, and that takes you to teach form, and we have to teach melanother article, and then five minutes later you go somewhere else, and all of a sudden you can’t remember what it is that you sat at the computer to do. Kids are learning that way – it’s almost a web-based method, rather than a linear format. If we continue to teach music education in a linear way, where we basically say, “You can’t move to the next point until you’ve mastered that rhythm,” then where’s that kid’s tone quality? Or do we have to forget about that until we’ve mastered rhythm and Band Music from around the world at all levels. pitch? Solos and ensembles for all instruments. The whole approach through creInstructional and method books. ativity allows us to go into learning skills in a way that is not so linear. We don’t say, “We need to learn this skill and then we’ll go to the next one.” What we do is we gradually impart the skills as the students need them. We take a look at the challenges we face when we create a piece of music and Go to our website: www.nemusicpub.com ask, “What do I need to know to make see and hear samples that happen? What is my goal, what do call for complete catalog: 866-385-8446 I need to learn?”

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We just see a different approach in the way that I teach music education than the idea of starting at the front of the book and moving sequentially to the back – that you have to develop the theoretical skills before you’re allowed to move to the next level. To me, that’s counter to what we want to achieve. For another example, some teachers will say that their students have to learn all of the notation before they let their students begin to compose, whereas I say, “Let’s make the sound. And when we need to learn how to notate it, we’ll do that.” Those necessary skills that people need to have in terms of theoretical knowledge, we’ll cover those when we get there. When a student says, “Hey, I need a scale that can go over this chord,” that’s when I say, “Hey, you need to learn the mixolydian mode,” rather than me coming at them first, just saying, “Okay, today I’m going to teach you the mixolydian scale.” So, for me, imparting those skills at the correct time is so important. There are lots of tutor books on how to play the guitar, but the first 30 pages are a primer on theory. How many kids will actually read through those 30 pages before they pick up the guitar? They don’t. They might come back to that later, if they think it’s necessary. A parallel is the natural way that kids play video games. There’s a booklet that comes with the video game. Do they read it? No!

SBO: Not until they encounter a problem or something they don’t know how to do. RM: Exactly! When you have the problem or you come across something that you want to find out, then we need to learn that bit. And then we find ways to teach that. So what we do with music technology is we give kids projects and we tell them what we want to see in those projects, what elements we’re looking for. These can be a certain form, or the usage of compressors or EQs that don’t clip sounds – these are the things that I would want in a good recording. And so those are the things that are assessable. There are things that the students know and can hold on to, but then we can teach the musicality on top of that. My students always have to do write-ups of their works, and we discuss those in the class. Many things come up in the write-ups and discussions that you can’t put in a rubric. But that adds to their assessment because it becomes a part of their portfolio and an indicator that they have learned something, even though it isn’t necessarily something that is on page 34 of the textbook. It’s something that came naturally out of the project. SBO: Essentially a task or problembased educational approach, then? RM: Yes, exactly. We learn from experience, and we do that throughout life. Kids learn throughout life to deal with the problems they need to as they encounter

River Hill High School’s Music Tech Program at a Glance Location: 12101 Clarksville Pike, Clarksville, Md. On the web: www.mustechalley.com Director: Richard McCready

Music Tech Lab Stations: 25

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Piano Lab Stations: 15

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them, at the time that they need to deal with them. For me, music education is the same: students should learn those skills when we need them, and when the kids naturally want to learn the material. And we do reach the points of curiosity, where they think, “You know what? Maybe I should take that theory class because I want to be able to write my music down.” I’d much rather they try to compose a lot of music before they take theory class rather than take theory class and then start writing. SBO: Getting back to the practical for a moment, what advice do you have for educators who may be interested in creating a music tech lab similar to what you have implemented so successfully at River Hill High School?

School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

RM: My first piece of advice would be to get a computer and some software, and then spend the summer creating, composing, and finding out all of the ways that the software helps people do that. Rather than buying a manual for the program, jump right in: start composing and writing. Once people start doing that, they’ll start to really experience the joy of creativity. We have been trained at our age to read the manual before you turn the microwave on. However, the

School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

software being made today is written from the point of view that it should be logical to find what you need without having to read the book. We see that more and more. A lot of adults are also scared of breaking things. What many of us heard growing up was, “Don’t touch that – it’ll break!” Whereas with computers, that doesn’t happen. There’s safety built into the programs. Certainly for the teachers that I train, I try to get them to take the software home, sign out a computer from the school and then have fun with it. There are a number of great resources coming down the pike now, too. We’re having many books being written to fill this niche, giving teachers lesson plans and ideas for using this stuff. Kids are less scared of software than teachers are, so it’s important to let them be resources, as well. The students can be a huge part of the teaching process, as well as the learning process. We have reached the point where we in music education are trained as directors. We stand on the podium and everybody is responding to us. We have to be in control. We have to know every instrument. With music technology, it doesn’t have to be like that; we can simply be in the center of this amazing hub of creativity.

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Commentary: Commissioning Music

Demystifying the Commissioning Process How Advocating for New Music Can Grow Your Program By Dr. James David, D.M. and Dr. Christopher J. Nicholas, D.M.A.

ommissioning a new work for an ensemble can be one of the most effective and rewarding ways to increase the stature and visibility of a music program. While at first the process may seem daunting, the procedural challenges are few, and most directors will find that approaching composers to write new music for a school band or orchestra is surprisingly easy to do. The end result can be one of the most satisfying musical experiences for students, parents, and the school community.

In this article, topics will include establishing a consortium commission; composer residencies and interactions; negotiating commission fees and contracts; establishing relationships with local and regional composers; and promoting the world premiere performance for maximum benefit. There are many reasons to commission new music from a composer: • The value of students working directly with a living composer is incalculable and hard to overstate. • The process of seeing a work come together from initial inception to world premiere is rewarding for students, conductors, and parents alike. • Many composers are surprisingly willing and available to write for student ensembles. • Commission fees and other costs can often be made much more affordable depending on the composer’s experience level/professional affiliation.

School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

Establishing a Consortium Commission You might be wondering, “What is a consortium commission?” A consortium commission represents a group of schools and organizations that team together to share in the commissioning of a new piece of music, including splitting the fee, performance exclusivity, and dedication rights. This is different from a normal commission in that, normally, one school would assume responsibility for the commissioning fee and retain performance exclusivity and dedication rights. The first step in creating a consortium is to write a consortium announcement. The announcement of the commission project should include the following: 1. Projected date of completion for the work 2. Deadlines for joining the consortium 3. Consortium fee per school 4. Biographical information about the composer 5. Description of the piece (genre, duration, and grade level)

6. 7.

Links to video and/or audio of other works by this composer Contact information to join the consortium commission

The next step is to distribute this announcement. Distribution of this consortium commission announcement may be sent to organizations such as the American School Band Directors Association, the National Band Association, your state music education association, and the College Band Directors National Association, as well as publications including School Band & Orchestra magazine, Music Educators

Do: • Share general instrumentation information (minimum/maximum) • Share ensemble strengths/weaknesses • Specify desired duration (minimum/maximum) • Suggest possible genre(s) (for example, fanfare, overture, suite, symphony) • Recommend an appropriate grade level (give a few examples)

• Suggest deadline(s) for either the score, the parts, or both • Establish the period of exclusivity – performance, recording, and so on. Don’t: • Voice very specific stylistic concerns • Give overly specific instrumentation • Demand programmatic elements (unless it is integral to the identity of the consortium, such as a memorial piece)

“A consortium usually streamlines and hastens the challenges of meeting funding and contractual obligations.” Journal, and the Journal for Research in Music Education. Once that has been accomplished, you can begin creating the consortium contract. Contracts need not be lengthy or confusing, and examples of a consortium commission contract may be found online at JamesMDavid.com. The benefits of creating a consortium are numerous, including one of the most obvious: that the fee is much more manageable when divided among 15 to 20 schools. Additionally, it gives the project a national or even international scope that can create strong connections with other professionals in your field. Finally, a consortium usually streamlines and hastens the challenges of meeting funding and contractual obligations.

Negotiating with the Composer Negotiating with the composer should be an easy and enjoyable process for both the composer and the commissioning body. However, it is important to consider some general guidelines: School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

Composer Interactions There are a handful of different ways to interact with the composer, including residencies, phone/email contact, and videoconferencing. Composers are often enthusiastically willing to travel to a school for rehearsals and/or to guest conduct the performance of the world premiere. In this case, it is extremely helpful if the booster organization can provide travel support. Offering even a small amount of assistance can make a big difference in the final result. Directors should always feel free to interact with the composer on the phone as often as need be, as well as via email. Don’t be afraid to make contact – you’ll find that composers appreciate updates on the progress of your rehearsals and any feedback you can give them. Videoconferencing is relatively simple, and can provide real-time interaction with the composer and the ensemble during rehearsal. It is also an inexpensive and innovative way to al-

low the composer to provide feedback to the group. Be sure to use a good quality camera and microphone for the best experience. When approaching the composer initially, it is important to ask about the level of interaction that they would be comfortable with in terms of conducting, coaching, and so on. Although many composers are also skilled conductors, it should never be assumed that they would want to conduct a performance.

Keep it Local Working with local and regional composers is highly recommended. Don’t be afraid to visit composer websites or to initiate contact with established conductors who specialize in new music for recommendations on upand-coming composers. It is also wise to look to junior faculty from music programs at local and regional universities and colleges. The following is a general guideline for how much one should expect to offer as a commission fee:

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• “Mountaintop” composers ($3050k): Leading composers typically earn very large commission fees for a significant work. Expect these composers to have much less flexibility in terms of schedule, as they are often booked years in advance. • Mid-tier professionals and university composition faculty ($2-15k): Generally, $1,000 per minute is recommended for professional composers who earn their primary living from composing. University faculty will often accept smaller fees as supplemental income. • Doctoral/Master’s students of established composers ($500-2k): Many skilled composers are currently completing graduate programs and are very enthusiastic about receiving commissions. They are usually quite open to advice from conductors about possible improvements as well.

Promoting the Final Product Properly promoting the final product can be exciting for your community, program, and students. Be sure to arrange for a high quality video and audio recording of the premiere and post links to your website and/or Facebook page. Make the world premiere the most talked-about success of your band program around the world! For more information, New Music, USA (a non-profit organization dedicated to new music) has excellent resources on the commissioning process: www.newmusicusa.org/professionalresources. Dr. Christopher Nicholas is the director of bands at Colorado State University, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble, teaches music education courses, and guides all aspects of the band and graduate wind conducting programs. Prior to his appointment at CSU, Dr. Nicholas served on the music faculty of the University of Wyoming, Grinnell College, and Sycamore (Ill.) High School. central.colostate.edu/people/ cnicholas Dr. James M. David is assistant professor of Composition at Colorado State University and a nationally recognized composer. His recent projects include works for Joseph Alessi of the New York Philharmonic, the Dallas Wind Symphony, and the Atlantic Coast Conference Band Directors Association. www.JamesMDavid.com

Technology: Notation Tools

Heavy Hitting Cloud Notation Tools by John Kuzmich, Jr.

he days of slogging through notation with pencil and paper and keeping track of dozens of composition rules only to hear your creation played on a piano are long gone. A new wave of technology has facilitated a number of powerful online notation tools. This interactive environment that music

teachers need to be aware of includes online storage, web-based applications, electronic grade books, shar-

ing data files, lesson plan dissemination, and more. Notation Heavy Hitters Noteflight

First launched in 2007, Noteflight is the pioneer online notation tool. This powerful music writing application can be used to edit, display, and play back music notation through a standard web browser. It has an integrated online library of musical scores that anyone can publish, link to, or post online. Users can write music on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, and then share compositions with other users or embed them into a website. Noteflight is available in a free basic version or a K-12 edition designed especially for school music teachers. Noteflightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s classroom edition offers a private web site for group composition activities and informal sharing that can serve up to 250 teachers and students. There is also a wide array of customizable hosting options that ensure that each educa46

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tor or music administrator can choose a package that is tailored to his or her needs. Noteflight can even handle an entire school system or district. In the free version, users essentially share Noteflight.com with over 600,000 other users. There is no dedicated “classroom space” for a teacher or students, and usage is limited to 10 scores per user and about 10 instruments. In contrast, Noteflight’s educator versions offer score templates for course assignments along with unlimited scores, 70 playback virtual instruments,

“

ers can export data files to MIDI, MusicXML, or WAV. Noteflight is particularly attractive due to the education features beyond just the online notation tools. Its easyto-use interface enables younger learners to work with notation and musical ideas. Creating music, sharing scores, and giving feedback is both intuitive and fun. Young musicians can finally experience notation and composition as a “learning by doing” activity at school and at home. Scores can be easily synchronized with audio and video for interactive learning. When teachers

The ‘flipped classroom’ has finally arrived, letting the teacher be the ‘guide on the side’ rather than remain the ‘sage on the stage.’ MIDI input, guitar tabs, and sharing options. Both versions have full-featured editing capabilities, and teach-

School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

”

create a lesson, Noteflight automatically gives each student their own copy to work on. You can review individual

student work and provide feedback directly in their scores. You can even see how a piece has evolved by looking at previously saved versions. Noteflight scores can be used on any mobile device, including smartphones, the iPad, and other tablets. The interaction and collaboration of this powerful tool stimulates students’ creativity, facilitating direct, hands-on experimentation. Price-wise, Noteflight comes in well below traditional boxed software, as it’s available by subscription that includes ongoing support and feature updates. It is also flexible in terms of working with changing class sizes. www.notelight.com Mastering Music

Mastering Music by Datasonics is a web-based, integrated musical suite. This classroom without walls can be

used to teach composition along with sequencing, film scoring, performance, theory, and ear training. Mastering Music’s greatest strength is that it is helpful for both music tech classes and performance ensembles. A simple subscription fee gives access to seven different applications and a school license for unlimited workstations at a price that is hard to beat Mastering Music offers more than 400 online video tutorials that encourage the student to apply the program skills to create projects rather than just learn program features. It also has the capability for educators to create customized lessons. Initially, you register and download a small, non-configured application to your computer so every time you log on, the program logs in from the browser. Files can be saved in MIDI, WAV, or their own proprietary file format either in the cloud or on the host computer. There’s also an in-depth electronic grading program online that allows teachers to view and edit students’ projects, along with other class

management options. www.datasonics.com Inside Music

There’s a brand-new comprehensive suite of 12 individual products offered by MusicFirst that are cloud-based tools designed for the classroom. The mission of this company is to offer music teachers and their students easy-touse, affordable cloud-based solutions that enable music learning, creation, assessment, sharing, and exploration on any device at anytime, anywhere. Whether you are looking for notation, sequencing and music production, music theory, music performance or music appreciation software, MusicFirst’s individual solutions can be tailored to individual teaching needs. MusicFirst also distributes its own customized versions of Noteflight for educators. MusicFirst offers a one-of-a-kind

online curriculum of videos and composition activities called Inside Music, which supports MusicFirst’s Noteflight notation features. Together, they offer composition instruction options designed for teachers of all music classes – general music, theory/composition, history/appreciation, music technology, and performing ensembles. Inside Music has been used successfully by schools in conjunction with other notation tools, as well. The 21 lessons in Inside Music cover three different proficiency levels – beginner, intermediate, advanced – and handle the range of different student entry points. Each of the 21 lessons has an brief instructional video and includes two Get Ready tasks and one open-ended Create task. www.musicfirst.com Scorio

Scorio, founded in 2009, allows one to write music composition on the web with

New From Ars Nova:

This set of 12 learning activities takes the student step by step through the basics of reading pitch and rhythm notation, combining instructional text and images with the interactive software. Study any of three clefs: treble, bass, or alto. Steps to Reading Music runs on both Windows and Macintosh computers and includes fun rhythm tapping exercises with chord accompaniment. Upgradable to the complete Practica Musica. $30 downloadable.

Exploring Theory, iPad Edition This fundamentals text can be used either alone or in combination with Practica Musica. The iPad edition is expanded with new music examples presented in movie format, plus interactive quizzes. $14.99.

Practica Musica ® now includes Steps to Reading Music as one of its built-in courses, plus new sound capabilities for faster rhythm response and new secure connection methods for online storage of student records. See it at www.ars-nova.com.

ARS NOVA SOFTWARE, LLC • www.ars-nova.com • 800-445-4866 School Band and Orchestra • April 2013

their free on-line notation software. Anyone interested in writing music or teaching music, can register for a free account to save scores or produce high quality printouts from a computer or iPad. Scorio isn’t a “classroom” like Noteflight, but you can share your login with your students to spread the scores or “print” them as PDF files and distribute them via e-mail. A basic account has 19 score templates with up to seven voices (one piano and six voices). The product supports most notation elements, like articulation, dynamics, repeats and barlines, triplets, volta brackets, ties and slurs, as well as the key and time signatures. The Scorio Pro subscription gives access to MIDI export, PDF, and graphic conversion into score, chords display, and transposition. For a comparison of what features their free and paid versions offer, go to www.scorio.com/web/scorio/ products. It is built on open technologies that function with any web browser, and can import and export in MIDI and MusicXML file formats to other notation software programs. www.scorio.com Chromatik

Chromatik is a web-based program that has four attributes for better practicing, recording, sharing music, and maintaining an online collection of traditional sheet music, lead sheets, and tablature. You can upload, record, annotate, and share music with Chromatik’s web and iPad applications, as

well as track progress and give and receive individual feedback. Chromatik also allows options for sharing playlists and recordings. www.chromatik.com Musescore

Musescore is an interesting online notation tool offering the opportunity

to store and share sheet music made with Musescore. It only permits viewing of scores created in the Musescore program, which is separate from its website. One must download and install the Musescore program on a Windows, MacOS, or Linux computer in order to create scores for Musescore.com, which means that it is not a true webbased notation program. Musescore. com is more like Sibeliusmusic.com (but lacking the ability to sell scores). It is free and open source for accessing scores everywhere using iPad, iPhone, and Android applications. You can find sheet music and video scores as groups that can require memberships. www.musescore.com ScoreExchange

ScoreExchange is a discounted and updated successor to SibeliusMusic. com which lets users upload scores directly for web publication, distribution, or sale. Anyone can sign up for a free ScoreExchange account and become a publisher to start distributing scores. What’s unique about ScoreExchange is that not only do scores show

up on the ScoreExchange website, but they also show up on the Avid Scorch iOS iPad application, allowing the option for other users to view, purchase, download, and play the scores uploaded to the site. For a limited period ScoreExchange will transfer all Sibelius Music content, so there’s no need to reupload scores and parts! The library is extensive, covering every genre, and much of the music free. It is a good place to publish worthy student works. www.scoreexchange.com

Closing Comments The future of music technology education is in the cloud. With this well designed software, students can access notation tools from anywhere and share work online with teachers or each other. The “flipped classroom” has finally arrived, letting the teacher be the “guide on the side” rather than remain the “sage on the stage.” With all of these tools at educators’ disposal, the music classroom has no limits. 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 text books 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.

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Do you have suggestions for future articles or areas of coverage? Share your ideas at www.sbomagazine.com! www.sbomagazine.com!

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The iPad has made possible a new breed of mediaenriched textbooks perfect for the study of music. The recently released iBooks edition of Exploring Theory with Practica Musica, published by Ars Nova Software, is enhanced with over 200 movies, interactive quizzes and auto-generated study cards. The “live” music examples add an essential audio-visual element that has been missing from music textbooks until now. Exploring Theory can be used alone or in conjunction with Practica Musica®, a theory and ear training computer program. Practica Musica supports the text by offering learning activities coordinated with each chapter of the book. For a sample book and more information visit the iBookstore or contact Ars Nova www.ars-nova.com.

Teaching Music Through Composition from Oxford Press

This book offers a practical, fully multimedia curriculum designed to teach basic musical concepts through the creative process of music composition. Author and award-winning music educator Barbara Freedman presents classroom-tested ways of teaching composition with technology as a tool with which students can create, edit, save, and reproduce music. As Freedman demonstrates, technology allows a musical experience for all skill levels in opportunities never before available to compose manipulate, instantly listen to music electronically and even print standard Western music notation for others to play without having to know much about traditional music theory or notation. All students can have meaningful hands-on applied learning experiences that will impact not only their music experience and learning but also their understanding and comfort with 21st century technology. www.oup.com

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a “triptych of sound paintings,” as he has descibed it. My Brother’s Brain encapsulates a lifetime appreciation of both uniqueness and similarity in his younger brother, through three stages of growth (child, facing demons, grace). My Brother’s Brain was a joint commission by two dozen universities, which itself is high praise, indeed.’ Carter Pann is a versatile composer whose music has been performed around the world by ensembles and soloists including the London Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Budapest Symphony, and the Irish National Symphony. Honors include the K. Serocki Competition for his Piano Concerto, a Charles Ives Scholarship from the Academy of Arts and Letters, and five ASCAP awards.

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This book is the latest from master musician and music educator Ed Lisk. The concepts and instructional techniques discussed here prompt new and different considerations for what teachers and conductors of instrumental music must strive for. Lyrical Conducting expands one’s awareness through the beauty of musical expression and its direction for greater musical meaning. This publication enSchool Band and Orchestra • April 2013

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‘The Rite of Spring’ Movements I & II for Solo Instruments “The Rite of Spring” premiered one hundred years ago in the midst of a riot inspired by the overwhelming primitivism both onstage and in the score. The music still incites the senses. The ballet was

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first published in 1914 in a reduction for two pianos, and serves as a basis for this arrangement. This edition is presented in honor of the centennial of the ballet’s premiere, and is intended to give soloists and accompanists a chance to perform two movements from this monumental work. The movements can be performed separately, and the first movement can be played as a solo without piano accompaniment. For advanced players. Available for flute, clarinet in B♭, alto saxophone in E♭, trumpet in B♭, violin, and cello.Please note that these editions are only available for sale in the United States.

hances expressive approaches to conducting, builds poise and finesse into one’s conducting body language in order to visually express music’s lyricism, searches beyond notation to develop a unique and personal rendering of a composition, develops a performance vocabulary or reservoir for artistic considerations that will stimulate your “artistic vocabulary,” and sensitizing one’s emotional response to shape the beauty and expressive qualities of a personal conducting interpretation.

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Mr. C’s Rule of Three “Start a section 30 beats slower than the actual tempo. When you can play it three times at that tempo, bump the metronome by 10 beats. Complete this process three times to achieve full tempo, then practice three beats faster than the actual tempo in order to ‘acclimate’ your body. This enables you to play in the groove or pocket and to internalize the tempo as you perform.” Mac Calvaresi Ridgely Middle School Timonium, Md.

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

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