SBO January 2011 by SBO School Band & Orchestra

JANUARY 2011 $5.00

Mark Churchill & El Sistema USA

Music as a Vehicle for Social Change Guest Editorial: Creativity & Expression Survey: Pit Bands

Contents

January 2011

Features 12

UPFRONT: BAND’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY This past October, a group of dedicated alumni gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the La Salle (Ill.) Peru Township High School band and honor its influential founder and director, Chris Izzo.

REPORT: GRANT WRITING A pair of experts provides insight to the best ways of finding and securing funding through grants.

GUEST EDITORIAL: CREATIVITY & EXPRESSION Jeffrey A. Rhone explores children’s innate capacity for musical creativity and expression through an exciting collaboration between an elementary music program and graduate students from the Yale School of Music.

UPCLOSE: MARK CHURCHILL, EL SISTEMA USA The New England Conservatory’s Mark Churchill is leading the charge to bring El Sistema, the vibrant Venezuelan social program of music education, to the U.S. SBO catches up with the esteemed educator to learn more about what El Sistema actually is, as well as its potential impact on school music programs.

UPCLOSE Q&A: DAN TRAHEY & STANFORD THOMPSON The directors of El Sistema-style youth orchestra programs in Baltimore and Philadelphia chat with SBO about the vast potential of this remarkable movement.

SURVEY: PIT BANDS & ORCHESTRAS

TECHNOLOGY: YOUTUBE John Kuzmich explores a few of the many learning opportunities presented by YouTube.

16 34

Columns 4 6 41

Perspective Headlines New Products

45 46 48

Playing Tip Classifieds Ad Index

Cover photo by Tony Scarpetta, Newton, Mass.

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 © 2011 by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.

2 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

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Perspective

El Sistema in the U.S.A.

imon Rattle, music director of the mighty Berlin Philharmonic, describes El Sistema as “nothing less than a miracle... From here, I see the future of music for the whole world” (The Observer, Sunday July 29, 2007). El Sistema, the unique Venezuelan program that takes underserved children and provides them with an intensive, music-focused program of enabling, has accounted for the success of training hundreds of thousands of students to perform in orchestras and to help them learn not only musical skills but also social skills and self discipline – in essence, providing them with a greater chance of success in life. In case you’re unfamiliar with this, The National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Venezuela was founded in 1975 by José Antonio Abreu, who believes that children from extreme poverty, physical abuse, and from families with severe drug afflictions from the poorest slums could have their lives improved by being involved in an intensive program of orchestral performance. Dr. Mark Churchill, dean emeritus of the Preparatory and Continuing Education division at New England Conservatory, has been involved with the effort to establish El Sistema USA to provide the same benefits to our country’s impovchildren. Mark has always been a catalyst for music educa“Dovetailing El erished tion and has launched numerous programs and orchestras for music Sistema with students, including the Youth Orchestra of the Americas. However, the USA’s music bringing El Sistema to the United States on a broad scale presents a series of interesting challenges due to the vast philosophical and education cultural differences between the USA and Venezuela. The most obvious of these differences is the government backsystem will ing of system in Venezuela, whereas in the US, there will need to be require careful other venues for funding from private, corporate, and government maneuvering.” grants. Additionally, dovetailing El Sistema with the USA’s music education system, which provides the most established public school music programs in the world, will require careful maneuvering. Nevertheless, it could actually strengthen traditional school music programs by changing the culture of the schools and increasing the number of students who are interested in musical performance. Though the traditional US system of music education is available to an enormous number of students, there are numerous inner-city schools that have lost their funding due to years of budget cuts and underperformance, as well as the increased focus of schools on the academic standards of No Child Left Behind; these factors could serve to open the door to El Sistema. Numerous music charities have been established with the goal of bringing instruments to underprivileged children, as well as attempting to re-establish school music programs whose funding has been cut. Some of these have been quite successful, including the VH1 Save the Music, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation and a variety of others. The difference, though, is that El Sistema offers a paradigm shift, as it provides an intensive 15 to 20-hour-perweek program for these students and it is designed not only to support the students musical growth, but their overall growth as a disciplined human being beyond the musical learning. This issue of SBO contains an intriguing, in-depth story on this unique program that could represent a major growth opportunity for music education in the United States. The opportunity for success for El Sistema USA is in good hands with Mark Churchill, whose exemplary background as a music educator, conductor, and administrator makes him uniquely qualified to build this program and help improve the outlook for poor children throughout our country.

January 2011 Volume 14, Number 1

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

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HeadLines James Moody 1925 – 2010 Jazz saxophonist and flutist James Moody passed away on December 9. Known simply as “Moody ” to his friends and family, James was born in Savannah, Georgia on March 26, 1925. He began his career in the 1940s playing with Dizzy Gillespie, who he referred to as his musical father. Moody received recognition early in his career for his 1949 instrumental solo on the 1935 song “I’m in the Mood for Love.” In 1952, singer Eddie Jefferson wrote lyrics to Moody ’s improvisation, and the arrangement came to be known as “Moody ’s Mood for Love” which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. By the end of the 40s, he’d left Gillespie’s big band and moved to Europe. He returned to the U.S. in the early 50s to lead his own band and rejoin Gillespie for much of the 60s. Moody produced some of his strongest recordings in the 1970s, first for the Muse label, later for Warner Brothers. His last album, Moody 4B, was released in 2010. In 2005, Moody, together with his wife Linda, established the Moody Scholarship Fund at the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College SUNY. In 1998, the National Endowment for the Arts named Moody a Jazz Master, as did Harvard University in 2010. Moody has also been given several lifetime achievement awards from various institutions. With his wife at his side, James Moody passed away at a hospice in San Diego after a 10 month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 85.

6 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

PMC’s “Win Chad Smith” Event

est known as the drummer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chad Smith took on a different role on November 16 as educator. Smith, in collaboration with the Percussion Marketing Council’s (PMC) “Percussion in the Schools” program, appeared at Peters Township High School in McMurray, Penn., for an assembly that aimed to promote an appreciation for music and music making in all students. A handson master class for specially selected middle and high school percussion students in the district preceded the general assembly.

This PMC program solicited music stores to nominate a school district indicating why their district should host the Chad Smith Percussion in The Schools educational presentation. Out of hundreds of nominated schools, Peters Township High School was chosen to host Chad Smith because of its strong instrumental music program. The nomination was submitted by Vincent Nemeth, owner and founder of U-ROCK Music Center in McMurray, Penn. Nemeth noted Peters Township High School’s commitment to the arts, citing the marching band of more than 200 students and an extraordinary music program under the direction of high school music director Milton Barney. Even students without musical training got the opportunity to make music with Smith. Audience members in the assembly were chosen at random to try their hand at various percussion instruments, accompanying Smith on drums. Also joining Chad on stage was nationally recognized percussion author/educator Zig Wajler, who exposed the students to an array of percussion rhythms, sounds, and song-styles from around the world. For more information, visit www.playdrums.com.

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HeadLines Shaquille Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal Joins Boston Pops

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oston Celtics star Shaquille Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal joined Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops as guest conductor at the orchestraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holiday show on December 20th. The basketball giant guided the Pops through lively renditions of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sleigh Ride,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Can You Feel It?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and, Queensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;We Are the Champions.â&#x20AC;? Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neil told reporters before the live show that he had a newfound respect for conductors.

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2011 DCI Tour Unveiled

ew events, venues, and formats will be among the highlights of the 2011 Drum Corps International Tour, which brings together elite marching music ensembles in a coast-to-coast series of competitions. June 18, 2011 will be the official start of the season, and also the start of a brand new event series featuring eight of the top corps from last season. Dubbed the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tour of Champions,â&#x20AC;? this eight-event series produced by DCI within the larger summer tour, will feature the Blue Devils, Blue Stars, Bluecoats, Cadets, Carolina Crown, Cavaliers, Phantom Regiment, and Santa Clara Vanguard. Proposed as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;experimental series,â&#x20AC;? plans for the TOC include a new interactive and competitive event format currently being developed by the eight participating corps. For more information, visit www.dci.org.

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HeadLines LI Philharmonic Makes Drastic Cuts to its 2010-11 Season

ccording to www.newsday.com, the Long Island Philharmonic is facing a serious budget shortfall and will not be playing its 2010-11 season, except for its annual New Year’s Eve concert at Tilles Center. Philharmonic board president Jack Russell has said that only concerts that are sponsored or likely to be profitable will played for the time being, a decision that will decimate the ensemble’s normal calendar of engagements. The Newsday report states that the orchestra’s annual budget, which is funded by state grants, corporate and private contributions and ticket sales, has been but by over 30 percent. With so much uncertainty surrounding the potential funding and revenue of the Long Island Philharmonic, which was founded in 1979 by Harry Chapin, the late Christopher Keene, and Long Island business leaders, its future is very much in doubt. In addition to the regular concerts in its season, also in jeopardy are the Philharmonic’s outreach programs, which typically touch some 30,000 Long Island school children a year through its art-in-education program. To read more, visit www.liphilharmonic.org.

Music Careers in Dollars and Cents

erklee College’s Career Development Center has created a comprehensive resource for the music industry titled, “Salary Ranges for U.S. Music Positions in Performance, Writing, Business, Audio Technology, Education, and Music Therapy.” The study covers a broad range of specific careers, including orchestral, Broadway, and studio musician; choir director; jingle, TV, and film score composer; arranger; conductor; instrument maker; A&R; manager; music attorney; video game audio engineer; live sound and sound recording; audiologist; and music teacher. Although Berklee’s collection of music career resources is exhaustive, this type of information wasn’t aggregated anywhere. Peter Spellman, director of the Career Development Center, had the idea to create a chart for advising purposes and to share with Berklee and the larger music community around the world. To create the document, Spellman and a team of staff members conducted research and revised the chart several times over a six-month span. The document will be updated every year to keep up with salary changes and emerging career paths. To view the study, go to www.berklee.edu.

SBOUpfront: 50th HS Band Reunion

A Half-Century Later, Band Director

Still Inspiring Students

n the 1960s, La Salle (Illinios) Peru Township High School touted a powerhouse marching band under director Christopher Izzo, who

ran the school’s music department from

At the festivities, 45 former band members, now mostly in their 60s, marched and played with the current LP High School band during the halftime of that week’s Friday evening football game, and 65 people attended the formal dinner Saturday evening with guest of honor, Chris Izzo. Former colleagues of Izzo’s, including assistant band director Melvin Pontious and middle school director Ruth Moyle, were also in attendance. Alumni had an opportunity to share memories of their involvement in the band program through scrapbooks and a DVD of

1960-1970. On October 15-16, 2010, a number of alumni from those groups came together for a reunion to honor Mr. Izzo and celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary.

Colleagues reunited: Chris Izzo, Ruth Moyle & Mel Pontious.

select performances from that decade, which, the alumni agreed, had a major impact on their development and future life choices. Respect for self and others, self discipline, promptness, and appreciation for many kinds of music were a few of the qualities mentioned. In 1960, the LP High School band was in a unique situation. It was an AA school that had three separate feeder grade school programs – La Salle, Peru and Oglesby. Chris Izzo was the director at Peru Grade School and also served as the woodwind instructor at the high school. At that time, band philosophy and direction 12 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

was well coordinated between the high school and elementary faculties. That year, the high school Board of Education decided that the band should participate and compete with the Chicago area high school programs, but the geographic location of LPHS made it next to impossible to make private teachers and lessons available to the students. Izzo was approached by the Board of Education and offered the position of director of bands, which he accepted with the agreement that LP would also bring on a number of specialized music teachers to teach lessons and develop small ensembles. In short time, LP had a staff complete with flute, high/ low brass, double reed/lower woodwind and percussion instructors that met on a regular basis. In 1960, this was one of very few high school programs in the country with this depth of instrumental staff – if not the only one. Under Christopher Izzo’s directorship, the band achieved a superior rating each year for state competitions, and had great success in festivals. Mr. Izzo enlisted many of his fellow professional musicians to appear with the band in clinics and performances, including: guest conductor Lt. Col. A. Gabriel and trombone soloist Sergeant Larry Wiehe of the United States Air Force Band; composer/conductor Vaclav Nelhybel; French horn soloist Louis Stout; pianist Skitch Henderson; flute soloist Frederich Wilkins; trumpet soloist Carl “Doc” Severinsen; Bernard Izzo, baritone voice; clarinet soloist Robert Lowry; composer Austyn Edwards; and coronetist Leonard Smith. The band was also invited to perform at sites around the country, including the New York Worlds Fair; Washington, D. C.; the Virginia Beach Music Festival; at halftime of a Chicago Bears NFL game; and a Southern States Tour of Texas and Louisiana. According to former band member Mary Lindenmeyer, Izzo played the roles of father figure and drill sergeant to many of his students. She recalls, “He’d be patient and caring in our teenage moodiness and when someone would pull a prank, he’d

top it with one if his own. He even gave most of us endearing nicknames that remain to this day. Yet, whenever it was time for practice or a performance, he’d be commanding. One glare from the podium and you knew you had better give your best. He didn’t need to raise his voice – we were terrified of that glare!” Another former student who attended the reunion, Cheryl DePaepe, also remembers Izzo’s unflinching

disciplinary principles and his lighter side. Says DePaepe, “During one evening practice, two students arrived late. With Mr. Izzo, no excuses were accepted and we were all sent home! Why did we consider one another a family and Mr. Izzo our fearless leader? He knew our potential. He demanded excellence. Our intrinsic motivation would kick in and we wanted to do our best for him, our school and ourselves. There were

School Band and Orchestra, January 2011 13

expectations of Mr. Izzo’s students: high grades, community service, and exceptional behavior. He wanted band students to be well rounded and well thought of by the high school board and faculty.” A closer look at the LP High School band reveals some of the details behind the ensemble’s success. Participation in the band was by audition only, and all students were expected to be able to play scales in

14 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

chromatic style beginning on the lowest tone and covering two octaves. Clarinetists hoping for first parts had to play scales over three octaves and, for all instruments, all scale patterns had to be played in the required range in chromatic pattern. Students practiced their scales in front of a tuner strobe and an intensity machine in order to maintain pitch and dynamic levels. The director selected the first chair section leaders, who were given

the responsibility of leading practices. A written report was submitted to the director each week. Instruments were adjusted by the staff on a regular basis and repairs were recommended as needed. Practice booths were available in the band room and were monitored by the director using a two-way sound system from the booths to the director’s desk. For rehearsals, students were expected to be in their seats, pitch checked on tuners and with each other before the scheduled start time. At the beginning of each rehearsal announcements were made and the scale of the day was identified, followed by Solo Soli. Starting in one of the rows, a student played the scale and the band responded followed by the next student. This was in a set tempo and was graded. The treasury of scales was then announced. These were played and sung – several each day. The band was expected to be able to sing and play all of these. From time to time, articulation studies were worked on to unify the overall band concept, and the remainder of the rehearsal period was spent in practice for performances. Once a week an evening rehearsal was held for sight reading. Music dealers would supply sets of 12-18 new scores, which the band would rehearse and then write evaluations of. These critiques were shared with the music dealers and publishers. “Mr. Izzo’s students went onto successful careers-many in leadership positions -teachers, administrators, directors,” notes Lindenmeyer. “Many credit the leadership skills Mr. Izzo instilled in them during their band experience. It was an honor to be one of Mr. Izzo’s band kids. We carried that honor onto the field for our 50th reunion and, as we did so many times a half century ago, we still gave our best.” Christopher Izzo left La Salle Peru Township High School in 1970 to become the director of bands at Western Illinois University. Now 86 years old, Izzo continues to work as a clinician and give private lessons.

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SBOReport: Grant Writing

Grant Writing: Winning the Prize

hen one considers the research, paperwork, writing, and valuable time involved with learning about and applying for grants, it’s no surprise that many are dissuaded from even trying. However, garnering funds for a school music program is an investment in the future. Securing large grants can be challenging for any program – it usually only

comes with a great deal of patience. Research suggests that it is in the music educator’s best interest to build a network of foundation and corporate sponsors, for gifts both small and large. To get an idea of what organizations look for when allocating grants, SBO did some research and called upon experts, both from the educator’s perspective and that of the grant giver, who offer a few insider tips. If you’ve decided that you want to apply for a grant, the first step is finding a granting agency that best matches your program and needs. The easiest and most inexpensive (free) way to find the right grant opportunities is searching the Internet. The best places to search are the federal government, state governments, foundations, or private businesses, as these are the top granting entities. Grant writing seminars may be helpful, but the cost may be prohibitive. These seminars cost, on average, anywhere from $400 to $700 for a two to three-day workshop. Grant writing seminars are held all over the country and are hosted by various enterprises, including the federal government. If you have found the grant that you are looking for, now is the time to take the opportunity to learn from others’ oversights and gaffes in the grant writing process. According to Moriah Harris-Rodger, executive director of the Fender Music Foundation, one of the most common mistakes is when the applicant makes assumptions about what the Fender Foundation wants to hear. For example, because they are connected to Fender, applicants may think that they should say how much they love Fender, or what a great advertising opportunity this is for Fender. “That’s not what we’re about,” Moriah explains. “We are not a corporation – we are a non-profit. We are about more people making music. We care how these programs are being structured. How are they getting their funding? Do those 16 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

funding sources look sustainable? If an applicant is going to make any assumptions about the organization they are applying to, at least base it on the organization’s mission statement.” The time-honored advice that has been given to writers, “Know you topic and your audience,” certainly also applies to grant writing. As silly as it may sound, you not only have to know your topic, but you have to be in love with it. “From

Grant Resources & Guidelines Music Matters Grant Program The Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation’s Music Matters Grants are open to schools and music programs throughout the United States. Grant amounts range from $1,000 to $12,000 and are made on an annual one-time basis. Music education – vocal or instrumental – must be the key component of any music program requesting funds. Public school programs (qualifying for Title I federal funding and serving a minimum of 70 percent low-income students) or non-profit programs directly funding music education (serving students regardless of their ability to pay) should apply. Schools and programs must already employ a music educator and have an existing music program in place. Grant requests must articulate specific music program needs – for existing and/or planned programs. www.heart.muzak.com

National Endowment for the Arts’ Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth The NEA’s Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth grant does not make awards directly to individual elementary or secondary schools -- charter, private, or public. However, schools may participate as partners in projects for which another eligible organization applies. Local education agencies (school districts) and state and regional education agencies are eligible. If a single school also is the local education agency, as is the case with some charter schools, the school may apply with documentation that supports its status as the local education agency. The NEA offers the following guidelines, divided into two areas: School-Based School-based projects are for children and youth between kindergarten and grade 12, are directly connected to the school curriculum and instructional pro-

gram, and ensure the application of national or state arts education standards. Such activities may take place in or outside of the school building at any time of the day. This includes after-school and summer enrichment programs that are formally connected to school curricula. Projects also may address professional development for teachers, teaching artists, and school administrators. Community-Based Community-based projects are for children and youth generally between ages five and 18. This area supports important activities and training in the arts that occur outside of the school system. Activities must occur outside of the regular school day, and may take place in a variety of settings. These activities may be offered by arts organizations or by other communitybased, non-arts organizations or agencies in partnership with artists and arts groups. While not formally linked to schools or their instructional programs, projects must

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School Band and Orchestra, January 2011 17

be based on a curriculum that ensures the application of national or state arts education standards. Projects may include professional development for teachers, artists, and program providers. www.arts.gov The Fender Music Foundation Generally, Fender Music Foundation grant awards are traditional instruments and the equipment necessary to play them, ranging in value from $500 to $5,000. Qualifying applicants are established, ongoing, and sustainable music programs in the United States, which provide music instruction for people of any age who would not otherwise have the opportunity to make music. www.fendermusicfoundation.org Mockingbird Foundation The Mockingbird Foundation provides funding for music education for children by awarding grants to schools, community centers, workshops, camps, and scholarship programs. www.mbird.org

Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation Mr. Holland’s Opus donates musical instruments to under-funded school music programs. www.mhopus.org VH1 Save the Music Foundation VH1 Save the Music supports music education in American public schools by providing new musical instruments. www.vh1savethemusic.com Coming Up Taller The federal government’s Coming Up Taller Awards recognize and support outstanding community arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of young people, provide them learning opportunities, and chances to contribute to their communities. These awards focus national attention on exemplary programs currently fostering the creative and intellectual development of America’s children and youth through education and practical experience in the arts and the humanities. Accompanied by a cash award, the Coming Up Taller Awards also contributes support to a project’s continued work.

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Award recipients receive $10,000 each, an individualized plaque, and an invitation to attend the annual Coming Up Taller Leadership Enhancement Conference. Coming Up Taller is an initiative with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Coming Up Taller Award operates as a program for children and youth in pre-school, after-school, weekend and/or summer programs, however, may have a school-based component or use school space. www.pcah.gov Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts Music Scholarships The purpose of the fund is to provide grants to accredited colleges and universities that offer degrees in the performing and creative arts. These grants are to be used exclusively for scholarship assistance to students. Grant applications are available by invitation only. www.liberace.org

Fender Music Foundation’s Moriah Harris-Rodger.

the perspective of the grant maker,” Moriah explains, “we want to be inspired. If you don’t care what you’re writing about, don’t use language that conveys how important this is to you, or we can’t see your passion, it is less likely that we will hand over a grant. That’s why applications are stronger when they’re filled out by the person running the program – the music director or the teacher. The ones that are filled out by people who write grants professionally are often not as strong. There’s a degree of separation.” For those of you who are not professional grant writers, this is great news! Music director John Currey received a grant for his music program at Champaign Central High School in Champaign, Ill. His school was awarded $3,000 for desperately needed percussion instruments from the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. For Currey, reaching out for

run the program that we have without the help of many, many parents. Identify each willing parent’s strength, and have them use their gift to help the program, organize travel events or fundraisers, get materials donated, or with grant writing. These are all many of the resources that will make the director’s job of dealing with the music issues much easier.” The grant writing process can go much more smoothly with the help and

support from peers. Networking and reaching out to other educators who have been awarded grants is another great way to get advice and support. Social networking sites can be an effective avenue for reaching out to other educators. As Moriah says, “It’s important to learn from each other and not look at other music educators as competitors. In the end, we all want more people making music, and we all have to work together to get there.”

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School Band and Orchestra, January 2011 19

SBOGuest Editorial: Creativity & Expression

Musical Creativity and Expression across the Cognitive Continuum: From Elementary to Graduate School BY JEFFREY A. RHONE

he act of creating original musical ideas off the top of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head is a process as old as the art of music itself. It is gener-

ally accepted that such creativity lies at the top of the cognitive learning taxonomy (Bloom, 1956). However, this should not deter us from providing opportunities for our students to create and express the music in their heads at every level of growth and at every grade level, K-5. This mindset was met with enthusiasm by the Yale School of Music when they approached our elementary school about collaboration on a project between our students and their graduate student musicians.

20 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

Coincidently, one of our first-grade teachers had been considering the idea of creating an original musical based on a Tolstoy short story, The Three Questions. Also, around this time, a particularly gifted fifth-grade student in our school had been asking for help in notating a certain melody he had in his head. This original melody, which he imagined could be arranged for the school band, was eventually used as the main theme for our musical. The timing of Yaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offer was perfect, and we set about the task of bringing this production to life.

Our fifth-grade student who colshould sing a solo for the puppet. This present they received for their birthlaborated with the graduate student happened by accident with a group day, or what costume they are wearing composer had a typical knowledge of Kindergarten students in my music for Halloween, and so on. After severbase in musical notation. That is, his class when they spotted a small dog al episodes of this, students will begin knowledge and comprehension of puppet sitting in the corner of the mucreating more sophisticated musical music theory was similar to any fifth sic room one day. When they asked ideas, expanding their singing range grade student in a standard public if they could play with him, I started and shaping their melodies to conschool setting. He was, however, given wondering aloud if I knew any songs form to standard harmonic practices. the opportunity to apply and analyze about dogs that we could sing in orAlthough the students do not have the his knowledge in a new setting: knowledge to express their mucomposition. The graduate stu- “One of the fascinating things sical ideas using standard musident composer was able to guide cal vocabulary or notation, they him through these processes and about music is how children’s do demonstrate musical awaretake his ideas a step further to brains appear to absorb it like ness that is something akin to synthesizing them into a larger learning a language. Herein lies a language.” whole: a finished musical score. the groundwork for applying Let’s take a look at how our their innate and cultural musififth grader became open to such a der to make the dog puppet part of cal awareness to more fully developed process. The average Kindergarten our class. One girl said that she knew a music literacy. student arrives in music class with a good song about dogs and proceeded Third-grade recorder class is anrelatively small knowledge base in muto sing a short, improvised melody other potential milestone for children sic theory. However, one of the fasciabout how much she loved puppies! whose musicality is growing, but still nating things about music is how chilAlong with showing off her delightful developmentally at an oral/aural awaredren’s brains appear to absorb it like head-voice, she showed that she had ness. Students in my recorder classes a language. Certainly many students processed the aforementioned musispend up to three months “sounding in Kindergarten are capable of rote cal syntax as her improvised melody out” a familiar repertoire of songs by learning. They can generally maintain instinctually landed on the pitch “re” ear. After exhausting their abilities in a steady beat, copy rhythmic patterns, and then “do” on alternating phrases. this area, the printed notation of these and match pitch successfully with their Indeed it was not a melody exactly like familiar, as well as other unfamiliar, singing voice. Given the chance, stuany one that I’d heard or used with the songs are presented to the students. dents of this age may also show that students in class before, but the meIn this way, the notation becomes a they have a deeper comprehension lodic shape and implied harmony of reminder of musical information they and ability to apply the syntax of basic her song showed an acculturation of already comprehend and apply to their melodic and harmonic function. Afhow our Western music functions. singing and recorder playing. Along ter all, the melody of many three/four Another prop that is used to enthe path of bridging students’ oral/aunote songs used in early childhood and courage solo singing in my classroom ral awareness to our written system Kindergarten music classes imply the is a small wooden “family” who only of musical notation, students are also standard tonic-dominant (I-V-I) harknow how to communicate to each encouraged to create original melodies monic function that is so central to other by singing, rather than talking. on their recorder by ear. The level of our Western musical ear. For example, The “family” consists of three small sophistication of these original tunes if one were to harmonize Hot Cross cylindrical wooden figures of varying is not of primary importance; indeed Buns, they would likely use a tonic (I) sizes whose mouths are shaped like an many first attempts result in relatively chord for the first half but would need open letter “O,” as one’s mouth might tedious ventures. But it allows students to change to a dominant (V) chord appear while singing. This singing famto break out of the initial B-A-G song during the second half at the words, ily is remarkably popular with my Kinrepertoire to explore other notes and “two a penny”: dergarten and first-grade students and tonalities on their instrument. Similar is available in many music education to the improvised songs sung at the (I) Hot cross buns, hot cross buns catalogs at an inexpensive cost. When K-1 grade level, it also provides the (V) One a penny, two a penny using this prop with students, I usually music teacher opportunities to assess (I) Hot cross buns. play the part of both parents and have how well the students are applying a student use the smallest wooden figtheir awareness of melodic/harmonic In addition to utilizing this basic ure to pretend that they are the child structure. repertoire, music teachers may employ in this family. Students who have these kinds of activities for Kindergarten students As the parent(s), I sing to the child opportunities to explore and express that encourage them to make up their (intentionally modeling the I-V-I metheir musical ideas from Kindergarten own short songs. Often it is as simple lodic/harmonic syntax) asking them are generally comfortable and fluent as bringing out a favorite animal pupto respond about their day at school, with themselves musically by fourth pet and suggesting that the students what they want for dinner and what and fifth grade. By the time they are School Band and Orchestra, January 2011 21

in upper elementary school grades, many students are capable of creating melodies that imply more than tonicdominant chord changes. After being exposed to more advanced song repertoire in chorus, for example, fourth and fifth-grade students often show facility with creating melodies based on minor modes. With guidance in the right direction, and the occasional chord substitution (a ii chord in place of a V chord, for example) music teachers can help these students notate and flesh out their melodic ideas. Melodies can then be augmented with an appropriate set of lyrics by adding an appropriate instrument such as piano or guitar to fill in the chords, a simple bass line, and some percussion instruments. If possible, another fifth-grade student from the band may perform a solo during the song to help round out the arrangement. In the case of creating an original musical production, our fifth-grade student verbally contributed his original melodic themes and made decisions about which instruments would best represent them. The graduate student composer took his melodic ideas and expanded them into fully formed songs and transitional music for the singers and orchestra. We were fortunate to

work with a brilliant Russian student composer, Polina Nazaykinskya, and it was particularly interesting that our fifth graderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary melodic theme was based on a natural minor scale; remarkably fitting for a musical based on the work of a Russian author and in collaboration with a Russian composer! Further, our fifth-grade student seemed at ease thinking in a throughcomposed manner, similar to the style of Prokofievâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Peter and the Wolf. Our story, The Three Questions, contained characters such as a heron, a monkey, and a turtle. In each case, our student and the composer created melodic themes that seemed to best suit the characterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personality and actions performed throughout the story. In a separate writing class, younger students contributed some lyrics for the songs and other ideas for the script. The first performance was a staged reading of the scriptâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first draft, and an early draft of the score for a small pit orchestra. The following school year, auditions were held and the parts recast for a fully staged production of our musical. Rehearsals began as the writing group continued to meet and turn out revised scripts on a weekly basis. The graduate student composer regularly

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attended rehearsals to play piano and glean musical ideas to finish the orchestral score. The finished script and score were finished only two weeks before our debut. Groups of Kindergarten and first grade students created posters and flyers to help promote the performance, second and third-grade students contributed costume ideas, our art teacher recruited a team of students to design and paint the set, and the cast consisted of about 20 fourth and fifth-grade singers, dancers and actors. In the end, every class at every grade level in our school contributed something to the finished production of our original musical. The debut performance was given on the stage in our school gym to a packed house on a cold December evening in 2009. The pit orchestra was composed of eight Yale School of Music instrumentalists, conducted by the composer. Our fifth-grade student who had collaborated with the composer to bring his musical ideas to life was left speechless, his mother in tears of joy, and countless others were inspired. The collaboration with the Yale School of Music was made possible by their Music in Schools Initiative, John Miller, manager of Community Programs. The North Haven Education Foundation, the Ridge Road School PTA, and the Yale School of Music generously provided funding for the productions. A link to the video of this performance may be viewed online at: musicians. yale.edu/musicinschools/Music_and_ Book_Writing_Program. Jeffrey A. Rhone holds a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of Music Education and a KodĂĄly teaching certificate from The Hartt School, University of Hartford. He has participated in independent folksong research at Warren Wilson College, Asheville N.C., and The Archive of Folk Life Studies in Washington, D.C. Currently, Mr. Rhone teaches courses in Folksong Research in the KodĂĄly certification program at The Hartt School, K-5 classroom music, and grades 4-5 chorus at Ridge Road Elementary, in North Haven, Conn. He is also director of the Overture Choir as part of the Connecticut Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chorus.

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UpClose: El Sistema USA

Photo by Tony Scarpetta 24 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

Music as a Vehicle for Social Change: Mark Churchill and El Sistema USA BY ELIAHU SUSSMAN A vibrant music education-based movement is beginning to take hold in the United States. El Sistema, Spanish for “The System,” was founded in Venezuela by José Antonio Abreu some 35 years ago. By providing impoverished youths with the chance to learn and play orchestral music, Abreu saw an opportunity to educate and empower children, their families, and their communities. Now, over 300,000 young people, primarily from Venezuela’s lower and middle classes, participate in what has become a world-renowned national youth orchestra system. Some may choose to measure the success of El Sistema by the outstanding contributors to music it has produced, including Gustavo Dudamel, the charismatic director of the L.A. Philharmonic, and bassist Edicson Ruiz, who, at the age of 17, became the youngest member in the history of the Berlin Philharmonic. However, its social mission – the idea that dedication to learning about passion and teamwork in an orchestral setting will create an uplifting ripple effect throughout a community – exceeds the accomplishments of even the most celebrated El Sistema alumni.

Nucleo Guatire, Estado Mirando.

Nucleo Montalban, Estado Districto Capital.

UpClose: El Sistema USA Mark Churchill is the director of El Sistema USA and dean emeritus of the New England Conservatory’s (NEC) Department of Preparatory and Continuing Education. Churchill has been one of the primary forces in helping to bring El Sistema to the United States, recently developing and instituting a new post-graduate certificate program at NEC designed to train leaders who can go out and implement youth orchestra programs in the U.S modeled after the Venezuelan youth orchestra system. Graduates of the Abreu Fellows program, as it is named, and other partners of El Sistema USA have already founded youth ensembles in cities such as Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Boston, and Juneau, Alaska. But what exactly is El Sistema? In his acceptance speech for the illustrious TED Prize in 2009, José Antonio Abreu remarks, “The most tragic aspect of poverty is not the lack of bread or a roof, it is the feeling of being a nobody.” El Sistema is the solution Abreu created to solve that identity crisis among underserved or impoverished children. However, in some practical aspects, El Sistema isn’t particularly groundbreaking. “El Sistema,” says Mark Churchill, “is a set of ideals, a belief system, that is, in some ways, just an intensification of things that we, as good music educators, already believe and do.” As a vehicle for social change and betterment through the teaching of music, Churchill asserts that El Sistema has

everything in common with the best practices in music education already in place. However, it differs from standard school music education constructs on several key fronts. One of those is the age in which children begin participating, often in pre-K, Kindergarten, or first grade. Another is its intensity. The El Sistema model is an afterschool program that engages kids for 15-20 hours per week, usually for three or four hours a day, five or six days a week. It’s very rigorous and intensive, and each program is tailored to serve the community in which it is located. The “Nucleos,” or centers, are located in the actual environments of the kids, usually in a public school during after-school hours. This means that children won’t have to leave their comfort zone in order to participate. Having the Baltimore ORCHKids. Photo by Bill Denison. program seeded and grown in the midst of the community join an ensemble and play that one produces the effect of upliftnote, so there’s that feeling of always ing families and the community itself. being a part of the whole. Learning is “We’re already beginning to see that motivated by participation in a group, in the programs that are only two or which can extend to a kind of model three years old,” says Churchill. society.” The orchestra as a metaphor “Pedagogically,” he elaborates, for society is one of the key tenets of “most of the learning is done in groups. El Sistema. The children are placed in ensembles Another element, and one that’s within weeks of starting to play. Even common in the best practices of muif they can only play one note, they sic education, although not always present, is something referred to as “passion from the beginning.” Says BREAKING NEWS Churchill, “When I first saw El Sistema, I thought, ‘Well, they’re doing it backIt was announced in December, 2010 that the New England Conserwards. They’re doing the passion and vatory’s administration did not approve a request from Mark Churchill and expression first and then they’re figurthe El Sistema USA staff for an expansion of the Abreu Fellows program over ing out the technique.’ What is intriguthe next few years, including a proposed increase in full-time personnel. ing about doing it as they do in VenAs a result, it appears likely that El Sistema USA will cease its affiliation with ezuela is that the child is motivated by NEC, and perhaps find a new home with another institution. Negotiations the desire to express, so they’re learnare ongoing. ing to play because of that, rather than It is anticipated that existing American El Sistema-style youth orchestra [becoming impassioned because they programs linked to Abreu Fellows or members of the El Sistema USA nationhave the skills to play]. In El Sistema, al steering committee members will be unaffected by this development.

26 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

they’re very attentive to technique and the physical aspects of playing, as well, but the kids are always aware of why they’re playing. Much of that is taught through singing, which is a constant part of the pedagogy. We say we do that here, but, in most cases, we don’t really do it enough. Kids should sing everything they play. They internalize the music through singing and movement, and through a nurturing and loving interaction with their teachers. There is also a large involvement with the parents and the community. Again, this is not completely unique. The best programs in the United States also incorporate those aspects, but most of those programs are not in the poorest neighborhoods.” According to Churchill, what all music education proponents in the U.S. should keep in mind is that El Sistema is not a franchise. It’s not a new methodology, like Suzuki, that is going to sell method books. But it does have a power that can be tapped into. “The advantage it has is a brand that is getting more people excited and talking about the power of music education than anything I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. It has this incredible celebrity spokesman in Gustavo Dudamel, extraordinary orchestras that are reinventing the experience of listening to orchestral music, and a moving back story that instantly wins the heart. With all of that together, this is a chance to get everyone’s attention.”

Getting Involved One question that is emerging is how existing school music programs can become involved with El Sistema. “The simplest way is to start showing the films and sharing the literature,” says Churchill. “There are some great films out there, Tocar y Luchar, which means ‘To Play and to Fight,’ one called El Sistema, and there have also been several episodes of “60 Minutes” that focus on it. When people see what’s going on in Venezuela, how the music that they’re playing has the potential School Band and Orchestra, January 2011 27

UpClose Churchill with students at the Conservatory Lab Charter School in Boston. Photo by Tony Scarpetta.

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28 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

to transform lives in underserved communities and how vital it is, they get it instantly.” Churchill recommends creating partnerships with area El Sistemastyle programs, having music students do some community service work, and for older junior high and high school students to mentor younger kids. The El Sistemainspired programs in this country are starting with kids in elementary school, even though they have no context in music and no musical role models. Still, says Churchill, it’s working. “When I first started talking about this, many people said, ‘Well, our inner city kids have too many social programs and too many other things to do and they aren’t going to be interested.’ But kids have flocked to these programs. Waiting lists instantly appear.” What school music educa- “The kids don’t think that they’re tors can do to connect is only one in a social program, they think side of the coin; the other is how they’re in a music program.” these programs themselves will imsic programs are becoming the role pact school music departments, and models for other kids and it’s changing perhaps even create school music prothe ethos of the entire school.” grams. “What we’re seeing in places like Brooklyn, L.A., Baltimore, and Chicago, where programs are taking place in elementary schools, is that the culture in these schools is changing. Kids who The after-school versus in-school are participating intensively in the mutopic is extremely sensitive, because

After-School vs. In-School

many in-school music programs are endangered, whether threatened by funding, scheduling difficulties, or competition from other electives. Says Churchill, “When a federal official looks at the success of El Sistema and says, ‘Well maybe arts should be done after school instead,’ everybody screams.” But El Sistema was not devised to replace the standard curriculum of music in the schools. As Churchill notes, it’s a model for intensiveness, often best applied to young children who don’t have other options. “It’s making the case for the value of music in the lives of those kids who make the clear commitment in a vacuum situation. But there’s huge spillover of the value of arts education as a core of our U.S. curriculum. More and more general educators are looking at El Sistema and saying, ‘Wait a minute, we’re getting some messages here about how human beings are educated.’

“No one’s going to argue with the fact that the fulltime, in-school music educator is the ideal situation. But what we see in the leadership and roles of the people insti- Baltimore ORCHKids. Photo by Bill Denison. tuting El Sistema programs – again, it’s nothing new – is that there’s a very sic and the arts, parent groups, local defined set of responsibilities that has sponsors – and manage the organizabeen branded the CATS (Citizens Art- tions that feed their programs. They represent a very important leadership ists Teachers Scholars) model.” role within the school to stimulate the culture and ethos of the school. They are acknowledged for that and they “Let’s take a look at how music edu- partner with other teachers in a way cators really thrive,” says Churchill. that makes their entire school a much “They usually play their instrument re- richer learning environment across the ally well, because that’s part of teaching board. And, often, they run very effeckids and engaging people. They partner tive after-school programs. Sometimes with the community – all of the cultural that’s the marching band or the jazz entities that want to be a part of mu- band, sometimes it’s private lessons,

The CATS Model

UpClose: El Sistema USA

Nucleo San Pedro de Los Morros, Estado Guarico.

and so on. Particularly in less urban settings where there aren’t regional youth orchestras and choruses, they provide ongoing and much more intensive programs for those kids who choose to participate. They play these multiple roles, and that’s what leadership is all about. “Music educators need to be seen as a resource to the entire school in a very substantial way, both in terms of core learning and environmentally. Again, this is nothing new. We need to understand how to integrate music into the larger structure of the school and form a partnership with the school leadership in order to make that happen. It’s very idealistic, but you do see it sometimes, and it really works.

30 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

Then, music becomes not something that is expendable – it’s built into the fabric of the whole culture, so you can’t just eliminate it from the budget. That’s the practical side of it, but that’s also the society where music does its best work.” That El Sistema model of intensity, passion, and dedication may also serve other disciplines. Says Churchill, “There’s speculation now about where else this can be implemented. We know it works in music. Of course, music has that incredible balance of the emotion, the intellect, the physical, the spiritual, and the social – really everything that goes into being human is balanced in a holistic way in the act of learning and playing music in groups. But I think the same format would work in other arts, even in sports. It could transform the effectiveness of sports programs, given the kind of priorities of creating an ‘affluence of spirit in the child,’ as Dr. Abreu says. Striving for musical excellence is the vehicle. The kids don’t think that they’re in a social program, they think they’re in a music program. But the result is that they’re being given this possibility, this love of learning, this understanding of how the individual and society fit together, this sense of hope. The idea is to take kids from difficult backgrounds and give them this sense of value, and of self-value. They often say in El Sistema, ‘Every child is an asset,’ and ‘Anything is possible.’ This is where music lives, and that’s why it is so effective.”

UpClose Q&A with Dan

Trahey and Stanford Thompson

Dan Trahey and Stanford Thompson are two young educators who are deeply involved in El Sistema USA. Dan is the director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s ORCHKids, and Stanford is a 2009-2010 Abreu Fellow and the director of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Tune Up Philly. SBO recently spoke with Trahey and Thompson about some of the fundamental guiding principles of the El Sistema movement, as well as their experiences implementing El Sistema-style programs in the United States. School Band & Orchestra: How did you first become involved in El Sistema? Dan Trahey: I saw the “60 Minutes” program on El Sistema about 10 years ago, and I became involved then. Incidentally, on the latest “60 Minutes” episode about El Sistema, our ORCHKids program was featured. I played in an orchestra in Mexico where El Sistema had been in place for about a decade, and got some hands on experience there, and then five years ago we started an El Sistema site at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. That program has about 50 children in it now. While I was doing that, the conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop, approached me about doing some sort of inner-city educational initiative in Baltimore. I suggested El Sistema, and we got it going. Stanford Thompson: When I was a student at Curtis Institute of Music, our conductor told us that we were very rigid, and that there was a group of high school kids in Venezuela who could play better than us. None of us believed it, naturally. Later on, I applied to the New England Conservatory for grad school, and then saw the video of the TED Prize speech by José Antonio Abreu. At that point, I realized that I didn’t want to go to grad school for performance, but I wanted to go for the Abreu Fellowship. SBO: What makes something an “El Sistema” program, rather than simply an “orchestral music program for kids”? DT: That’s a very good question. I grew in Traverse City, Michigan, and we had a very good music program, all the way from elementary school up. It was a passion-drive program. This is passion first, precision second. I believe that most band and orchestra programs are run as kind of an island. There may only ORCHKids. Photo by Bill Denison. be one or two teachers in the room who are teaching music. In the El Sistema model, the entire focus is music, so we can be more of an artist than a pedagogue. It’s really critical that we hire the right people to work with the students. There are three main criteria that we look for: • One: they have to be a great teacher. Hopefully, that’s something that’s already covered in all of the public school music programs throughout the country. • Two: they have to be a great artist. This is a performance-driven program. This is similar to many high school music programs, where they have marching band, jazz band, concert band, orchestras and so on.

• And three: they have to be advocates. One of the biggest problems that we have in this country is that music education programs are being cut or reduced every year. We have music programs being told, “You’re not important.” What this program does is stand up with a fist in the air and say, “Look, this program is an integral part of these children’s lives.” The other difference is mainly in how we talk about it. We’re not talking about music for music’s sake; we’re talking about Dan Trahey using music as a vehicle for social change. The orchestra is a metaphor for society, where we’re all working together to create something bigger and better than what we can achieve alone. We’re focusing on music as a way to fight crime, to fight poverty, to fight social injustice and other similar issues by teaching kids understanding and teamwork. Other people would probably agree that music is capable of that, but we really emphasize that that’s what we’re there for. In Baltimore, if we were just to do the after-school program, the city school administrators would say, “Great, you guys take care of that, and now we don’t need to do it during the school day.” What we say is that you must create access for all of your students to participate in music, and the only way that can happen is by doing it during the school day. Another way to look at it is Stanford Thompson like this: when you’re in your gym class during the school day, you don’t strap on pads and play football. More, it’s a broad overview of what’s going on in physical education. But most high schools also have a football team. The school day music classes provide music opportunities for all of the students, and then our after-school program augments it, as the football team augments the daily physical education class. Another key distinction is that most kids start public school music in America somewhere between fifth and sixth grade. We’re starting these kids in instrumental music in first grades. We have received criticism from some music education organizations, who say that that is too young to start kids in music. But we see where the affluent kids are starting to play. Look at the curriculum of the Juilliard Prep, the Peabody Prep, or the Cleveland Institute of Music Preparatory School. These kids are starting at three or four years old. Why should the affluent children have the opportunity from very early childhood while students in other financial environments don’t? ST: I need to preface my remarks by saying that both of my parents are music educators in Atlanta. They do wonderful work, and I think School Band and Orchestra, January 2011 31

UpClose: El Sistema USA they’re miracle workers. They have so many obstacles that they have to work with – not enough time, not enough supplies or instruments, not enough support from parents or the administration. When you look at how El Sistema is different, it’s important to realize

ORCHKids. Photo by Bill Denison.

“We’re not talking about music for music’s sake; we’re talking about using music as a vehicle for social change.” Dan Trahey that there is already great work being done by so many people. I went to a high school that had a great marching band program, and it had pretty much all of the qualities that you find in an El Sistema program. For example, anyone can participate, regardless of skill level. The marching band would rehearse for several hours on a daily basis. They were holding kids up to a very high standard – our marching band did a new show every two weeks, as opposed to only one or two shows per football season. These are things that El Sistema does: there is no cost to the child, and kids can participate in the group as soon as they join.

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SBO: In a nutshell, what are the salient points that you wish more school music educators knew about El Sistema? DT: With El Sistema, we have all different kinds of levels playing together. We can play a Beethoven Symphony with high school kids, middle school kids, and elementary school kids. The older kids are often the ones who are teaching and training the younger kids. Part of the responsibility of music education is putting it more in the hands of the kids who know more. One of the things I learned from El Sistema is that if you know three notes, you know three more notes than the kid who doesn’t know any notes, so we need to be using that knowledge. A lot of ensembles already do this, especially in marching band. I have to be honest: being an orchestral player, I was scornful of marching band for most of my life. Now I’m going back and looking at it and thinking, “Oh my God, what a beautiful, beautiful thing!” You’ve got your best players and your worst players working together in one humongous ensemble, and there is student leadership within the group. That is a big one. When you get the older students teaching the younger students, you are creating ownership with the kids, and

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In our first location, we only offer the program from pre-K through third grade, and every year we add another grade. Already, we have 70 percent of this elementary school participating in instrumental music. 70 percent. SBO: How is it feasible to have an orchestra program with no financial burden on the participants?

Photo by Bill Denison. you’re cognitively stimulating the younger kids by giving them real repertoire. Instead of setting them up with just a few notes in a simple song, you’re effectively creating an entire orchestra around the few notes that they can play. Another big point is audiation before visualization. We are going back to the old way where you learn to play by ear, where you learn to hear it, to sing it, to sol fege it, and then to play it. We’re not trying to encourage re-creative artists here, we’re trying to develop creative artists. Some music programs create visual artists who can read music, but those kids often don’t have the ear training to really go out and make music together. Our kids are going to be musicians. We’re developing their inner ear at a very early age, and then we put notes in front of them. We pride ourselves that our kids learn the melody all together, they learn the bass line all together, they learn the harmonies, and all of that kind of stuff. We call it the “conservatory without walls.” This is how many jazz musicians learn. The other aspect is where our concerts are performed and how we approach music and the community. We’re not doing music for music’s sake; we’re doing music for the community’s sake. We don’t just stay in auditoriums; we got outside, on the street corner, in and around the neighborhoods where the kids live. I see the performances as rallies and promotions of music more than a concert. Again, I’m reminded of marching bands: what better way to get people who might not be interested in going to a concert to be able to listen to music than at a football game? If your marching band sounds good, your city will have pride in its music programs, even if they don’t go to the concerts, if they just go to the football games.

ST: In Venezuela, they did not want money from the Arts or the Department of Culture. They went straight after the big dollars, under the department of Social Development. Unfortunately, the majority of people that I work with are only after the Arts money. But what we’re doing is preventing kids from being in gangs, we’re preventing them from picking up guns. We need to make the case that we’re keeping the kids socially engaged in something that’s much more positive than many people realize. I think that’s one of the biggest differences between El Sistema and other programs. My kids are playing music 2.5 hours every day, five days a week. They ’re getting good. What we see after two-andhalf months is what a typical student here in Philadelphia would get accomplished in a year. Give this program four or five years, and we’re going to be the best youth orchestra in Philadelphia, probably in the region, if the kids continue on this route. I’m not worried about the arts money because I just know that this will be a sustainable project if we can tap into the hundreds of millions of dollars already being spent on programs that have proven to not really work. We put our kids in YMCA programs and afterschool programs where they ’re drawing pictures on Monday, playing basketball on Tuesday, and so on; they aren’t getting a structured activity where they will have results on the back end, having a really strong impact. There’s a huge difference between giving a kid a 45-minute lesson once a week and having these kids do it for two-and-a-half hours every day. It’s about putting together an effective pilot program and selling it. I’m not just selling that these kids can play in tune and sound good, I’m selling always the social aspect. In Venezuela, JoséAntonio Abreu seldom pulls out the Gustavo Dudamel card or

the Simón Bolívar orchestra card. But in all of his speeches, he talks about how music is transforming communities and lives. That’s what he’s been preaching for the past 35 years. I want to help create a system here that makes a case so strongly that you can’t deny its impact. I want to show that our program is preparing kids better than any other afterschool program. And if someone invests a dollar in my program, that dollar will go further and have a much larger impact than most people are used to seeing. SBO: How do you convince parents to allow their students to put in the time commitment required in El Sistema? DT: If you look at inner-city schools, the level of participation in extracurricular activities is abysmal. For suburban or rural communities where there are all kinds of extra-curricular opportunities, the amount of time spent in a music program – or in an El Sistema program – would be less. And that’s fine. But especially in the inner-city schools, these kids don’t have anything else to do. In Baltimore, in Philadelphia, they don’t even start sports until middle school. These programs are filling a void, and what our belief is, and what we’ve seen in other countries, is that once we get these kids hooked, then that’s where they are going to stay. And if they don’t stick with El Sistema as they get older, that’s fine. Because at that point, what we’ve done is filled all that time, that dangerous idleness that a child can have when they aren’t doing anything, and giving them a structured activity where they are becoming more emotionally developed, more socially aware. If nothing else, they at least have something to do between the hours of 3:30 and 7pm. What else would people rather see these kids doing? Again, it’s fundamentally a social program. If all we’ve done is keep kids off the streets between second grade and seventh grade, then we’ve done our job.

Photo2011 by Bill 33 Denison. School Band and Orchestra, January

SBOSurvey: Pit Bands & Orchestras

The Pit Band:

All Together Now

school-wide theatrical production is unique in what it brings to students, an arts department, and the school

itself.

School plays and musicals

have the capacity to unite disciplines and draw attention to many aspects of a performing arts department like few other initiatives. For student musicians, backing the school play or musical typically provides an opportunity to learn new music in a different format and work in ensembles with distinct configurations – often alongside professional or accomplished adult performers who do not typically participate in school music groups. These opportunities also provide a plethora of ancillary benefits, including an increased sense of ownership among students and, for department heads, exposure and fodder for advocacy. 34 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

For a better sense of how music departments interact with the wide variety of theatrical projects in schools across the country, SBO recently surveyed its readership; it turns out that over 70 percent of responding band and orchestra directors indicate significant involvement in their school’s dramatic productions.

Do you direct or assist with pit orchestras/musical accompaniment for your school’s dramatic productions?

Yes, I direct the instrumental aspect of the music for my schools plays/musicals. Yes, I provide some assistance to the theatre department with music for their productions. No, I have nothing to do with the music in the plays. No, our school doesn’t have dramatic productions that include live instrumental music.

52% 21% 8% 19%

“Yes, but my pit band is 100 percent student run and all student personnel – I sat in the audience for all five shows of our production of Jesus Christ Superstar last year while the senior bass player took charge. I am also the vocal coach/choral director!” Rosemarie Richard Harwich High School Harwich, Mass.

lar ensembles.” If you include students in these groups that are not a part of the ensembles in the music department, do you alter your approach to how you teach the music? If yes, please explain how.

Yes

If yes, are the students that play in these groups exclusively from the music department?

92% No

40%

Yes

60%

“We will at times bring in adults to fill out more difficult parts if necessary.” Bret Lee Marshalltown High School Marshalltown, Iowa “Sometimes I will ask a student from another school if I do not have a student that can play the part. We also blend in a small number of hired/professional musicians for the most difficult parts.” Pat Dorn Monona Grove High School Monona, Wis.

“Sometimes I have to take a more audio approach for rhythm section members who are not as familiar with the visual aspects of music.” Shaun Fontaine Alliance High School Alliance, Ohio

What are the primary benefits to the music department and the students from your instrumental ensembles from participating in these events? “The performance and preparation experience can be a good wake up call for those who may have an interest in working in this demanding venue in the future.” Brian Dorr Andrews Osborne Academy Willoughby, Ohio “Playing in a pit orchestra gives a completely different perspective on playing music. In the pit, you are playing a supporting role and can greatly enhance the audience’s experience of the show. On the other hand, you can also detract greatly from the production. It is a completely different way to think about the music and this helps the instrumentalists to do their job even better as a member of their regu-

Peter Klemp Concordia Jr/Sr High School Omaha, Neb. “It is an incredible experience for the entire music department to come together for one cause. All of our top singers, instrumentalists, actors, and dancers join together to create a spectacular production each spring. It is a wonderful bonding experience for our high school and is one of the big community events of the year. Additionally, having our own high school students performing in the pit really challenges them musically to reach the high level of skill required to play professional Broadway books.” Jennifer Anderson Cumberland Valley High School Mechanicsburg, Pa. “The pit orchestra provides additional high level performing opportunities for our advanced students. It also helps prepare the students for high school (we are the only middle school in the Cherry Creek school district that presents full length musical productions with a student pit orchestra). The dramatic productions provide an experience for the whole Performing and Fine Arts department to work together, and it also elevates our importance in the school.” Ellen Ravnan Thunder Ridge Middle School Aurora, Colo. “Performing in a musical is a unique experience that allows students to interact at all levels with several different disciplines, including acting, dancing, singing, and instrumental playing. It also provides great public exposure for our program. Our community has come to expect a very polished production each year, and there is a lifetime of memories for the students.” Robert Kaiser Lincoln High School Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

School Band and Orchestra, January 2011 35

Do you feel there is sufficient collaboration between the various performing arts groups in your school?

We do not collaborate at all

It could be better

34%

Yes, we do a great job at this

63%

“Band, choir, drama all work together for the musical. Auditioned wind ensemble members have first crack at pit orchestra; others added as needed. Auditions are held for the musical, and we have band, choir, and drama kids on stage in lead and chorus parts.” Richard Mancini Camas High School Camas, Wash.

“If the theater/chorus department wants or expects winds and strings for pit, they must be willing to share the profits of the show with band and orchestra.” Mike Walsh Alpharetta High School Alpharetta, Ga.

Additional thoughts on pit orchestras and providing musical support to your school’s theatrical productions? “Our students enjoy this opportunity and look forward to the challenge of the auditions and performing in a different type of ensemble where every person is a soloist. I feel it has a positive impact on the musicianship of our students, and the positive collaboration among the Performing Arts Department is a powerful advocacy tool within the community.” Daniel Berard Fossil Ridge High School Ft. Collins, Colo. “I try to involve every instrumentalist who wants to be involved. We divide up parts when we have to play more quietly, but on the overtures,

everyone plays. The more students involved means the more people who come to watch them. The more people who come foster a greater appreciation for music in the school system. “We do a musical every other year in the fall. I have always appreciated the drama department avoiding our very busy spring schedule of events.” Daniel Pritchett Valparaiso High School Valparaiso, Ind. “We are very proud of the job our students do. We use mainly students in all of our productions with the only adult leadership being the vocal, instrumental and drama instructors.” Lisa White Monroe High School Monroe, Wash. “This is such a great experience for both the instrumentalists and drama students. Students who plan to go into musical performance or theater performance greatly benefit from this experience.” Scott Stanton Rockdale County High School Conyers, Ga.

Surve

VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL at the 2011 Norfolk NATO Festival | April 29 – May 1, 2011 Let Performing Arts Consultants help you orchestrate an unforgettable trip! Join us in Norfolk for a weekend filled with outstanding entertainment and performance opportunities for your students. Exciting events include the Virginia International Tattoo and the Parade of Nations along with Choral, Jazz and Instrumental groups performing at Chrysler Hall and much more. Call 1-800-USA-FEST or email mike@usafest.org and start planning today.

If you are interested in participating in upcoming

SBO

music education surveys, please contact editor Eliahu Sussman at esussman@symphonypublishing.com

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Celebrating 25 Years

1985-2010

SBOTechnology: YouTube

Starting the New Year with

he race to space in the middle of the last century hardly

BY JOHN KUZMICH, JR.

compares to the stampede of new opportunities on the Internet. I’m especially proud to see so many music educators leading the charge, bringing exciting new learn-

ing experiences to the classroom.

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

38 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

Free tools like YouTube give music teachers a plethora of authentic modeling examples to share with their students. As most people know, YouTube is a video-sharing Web site on which users can upload, share, and view videos. It uses Adobe Flash Video technology to display a wide variety of user-generated video content, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur video blogs and short original videos. Most of the content on YouTube has been uploaded by individuals, although media corporations like CBS, BBC, and VEVO post their material on the site as part of the YouTube partnership program. Unregistered viewers can watch the videos, while registered users are permitted to upload an unlimited number of videos. Videos can be posted in high definition, up to 2 GB in size and up to 15 minutes long. If you search any instrument on YouTube and add the word “lesson,” you will find hundreds, if not thousands, of videos. For example, a search for “clarinet lesson” yields about 601 results ranging from lessons on embouchure, long tones, seven basic fingerings, web cam lessons, how to play hard passages fast, how to gliss, clarinet overtones and polyphonics, minor scales, breathing techniques, sound production, clarinet versus saxophone embouchures, vibrato, articulations, minor scales, how to read clarinet music, fingering charts and alternative fingerings, jazz clarinet, warm-up and daily practice routines, clarinet reeds, legato playing, and more. Whew! Learning repertory is real asset of YouTube videos. One such video [Stanley Drucker/NYPO/Mehta/Weber Concertino for Clarinetl] features Stanley Drucker, who retired after 60 years with the New York Philharmonic, playing a live telecast in 1989. One of my students is learning this same solo for his upcoming solo and ensemble festival, and listening and analyzing the Stanley Drucker video has been a godsend in his progress. I found 407 other recordings on YouTube of this solo and discovered the Anthony Gigliotti recording with the Philadelphia Symphony, which even shows the solo part performed in “real” time [www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D5pWmIu_so]. These recordings have had a tremendous influence on my students – especially listening to some of the performances of solos unaccompanied. What wonderful help these free YouTube on-line videos are for festival and audition preparation!

Instrumental music teachers who are teaching instruments that they might not be completely familiar with can find professional video lessons that provide for valuable enhancement to instruction. This is especially true where geographic or economic restrictions make it difficult to find highly quality instruction. YouTube videos can inspire and guide students to develop a more mature sound. Check out www.kuzmich.com/ SBO012011.html for some YouTube instrumental videos that are unique and motivating.

Case Study: Houston (Texas) Christian High School Karen Kline and Allison Redmon put technology to work in creative ways at Houston Christian High School in Houston, Texas. They utilize technology in all of their classes including orchestra, band, guitar, music theory, digital music and class piano. Karen, who is the department head, uses technology to help lift the heavy load of her responsibilities. “In our orchestra classroom, we use SmartMusic on a regular basis,” Karen explains. “Students have weekly assignments which are submitted online; the software assesses the assignment and I also have the opportunity to listen to the assignments and give a grade. I use YouTube videos regularly to show different bowing techniques, various musical styles, and examples of different musical interpretations. Our classroom includes recording equipment that enables me to record rehearsals and immediately play the recording back for the students to hear – this is one of the most effective teaching tools I have, as the students can immediately see and hear what is successful and what needs more rehearsal.” Last year, Karen performed an experiment with SmartMusic and her orchestra class. “I gave the orchestra students a challenging music selection that was far above the level of work currently being done in class. They practiced the piece exclusively at home using SmartMusic; we did not rehearse it in class. After two weeks, we played the piece in class and the students performed it amazingly well! The students were much better prepared for class and their skills improved dramatically. SmartMusic is easy for them to use and they practice much longer than they previously were doing.” One of the biggest advantages of technology is its adaptability for different levels. Karen customizes assignments for students based on their ability levels, saying, “It is amazing for teaching classes with a variety of skill levels and experience. We have a piano lab in which I am able to teach a large group of students in a single class period. It is much more efficient than giving 10 private lessons! We have 10 Yamaha Clavanovas and a higher model teacher keyboard. I have the Yamaha MLC 100 controller at my keyboard, which means I can listen to students individually, put them in groups, pair them for duets, instruct them individually or as a class, and listen to them privately. I don’t use a lot of software in this class, but I do have the students go to the Internet for games or other assessments of note reading, rhythms, and basic theory concepts. To help illustrate how Karen incorporates technology in a lesson plan, here are two of her lesson outlines:

Sample Orchestra Class Lesson • • • • • • • • • •

G major scale and arpeggio – 2 octaves Remind students of SmartMusic assignment on G scale High Tech, pg 13, #4 Gymnopedie – rehearse phrasings Watch video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrzha4r4s-8 Discuss movement relative to Gymnopedie Mozart Sinfonia – review bowings Bartok – practice accents, dynamics Watch video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D4YQnoyWWY Discuss differences in accents and sfz on piano and on string instruments

Piano Keyboarding Class Lesson

• Technique – review hand position • Theory – harmonizing with open 5ths – put student keyboards in pairs – one student plays melody, one plays harmonization; reverse; students play hands together for each other • Practice writing order of sharps and flats on staff paper. • Repertoire assignments • Watch video: www.bluesjazzpiano.com/classical-piano-videos.html • Discuss hand position and posture • Have students play games and quizzes on www.musictechteacher.com to practice note reading and rhythms.

Allison Redmon uses YouTube everyday to enhance the coursework in her beginning guitar classes. In her band classes, she uses it once or twice a week. For her guitar students, she wrote a curriculum that incorporates eMedia Beginning Guitar software. She says, “We use the Essential Elements for Guitar book, the eMedia software and another book, Alfred’s Music Theory. My students don’t have a lot time to practice outside of school, so I use the eMedia program to help them practice in class. Students also come to me individually for a guitar playing quiz each day, and the quiz is on the eMedia program.” Allison also uses other programs, such as GarageBand. She continues, “GarageBand is a huge part of the Digital Music class. Students edit, arrange, record and mix music electronically on their MacBooks. They send me their work electronically through the Web site, www.dropbox.com, then I grade their work on DropBox.com and e-mail them feedback.” Allison has her band students use SmartMusic for at-home practice. She assigns technique exercises, as well as concert band School Band and Orchestra, January 2011 39

literature as homework assignments. With SmartMusic, students submit their assignments electronically and either SmartMusic or she will grade them. “Technology allows me to cover more curriculum, and these students understand and use technology almost seamlessly,” Allison says. “It is all that they do. If you tried to reach them in a non-technological way, I don’t believe they would respond as well because these kids have been around technology their whole life. They like using iPads, iPods, earphones, laptops, and listening to music on iTunes. That’s why I like to incorporating technology in my lessons.” Allison’s classroom has a good sound system to playback the technology, and a large overhead projector. She elaborates, “The band room has a recording feature where I press a button, the room records the rehearsal or a song being played and then I play back the song immediately so the students know how well they performed. I can also play music from any iPod device through the speaker system, which is really convenient because we rarely use CDs anymore. One of the newest teaching tools I have is a Wenger digital teaching station, which holds my laptop, the classroom desktop computer, MIDI keyboard and flexible conductor’s stand all in one station. With this station, I can project music for guitar classes on the screen using one computer while taking attendance on another computer, while simultaneously demonstrating music for my guitar students.”

40 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

Case Study: Krimmel Intermediate School, Houston, Texas Tescille Riser is a choral director at Krimmel Intermediate School in Houston, Texas. Technology helps her creatively adjust to her unique situation. She explains, “Our school district does not allow access on any computer to YouTube as do some other schools across the country. But there are many ways to use this technology when you have instructional materials worthy of being used in class. Normally, if I use a video clip from YouTube, I have to convert the URL to a file on my home computer, save it to a USB drive and bring it to school. I do this through www.freefileconvert.com. I use YouTube clips as examples but I haven’t used it as an instructional tool yet.” Tescille uses Finale 2010 to prepare sight-reading exercises for her students, and Microsoft OneNote for recording purposes. She also uses a lot of free Web 2.0 technology, as well as cloud computing. “I really view technology as a way to enhance curriculum, it doesn’t necessarily allow me to cover more of it,” says Tescille. “The use of technology allows me to teach to a different strand of the curriculum in a more current instructional method. The most challenging aspect of it is monitoring students on the devices and grading recording tests. We have a ‘nanny’ program in our school called

DyKnow, which allows us to monitor students remotely while they are using their tablets. It is difficult to find time to sit and listen to more than 100 tests, grade them, and provide feedback. The grading/feedback process for one class can take 30-45 minutes. With 6 classes, it can be overload, so I have to space it out.”

Closing Comments Embracing the rapid changes in music education can be challenging. With that in mind, the Internet can be a good starting place for educators who are just beginning to get into technology. You can conveniently incorporate YouTube videos without straining the budget. And this technology breathes life into national standards, showing students where the bar is set and giving them a lift to reach it. Many students already know technology and enjoy using it, and by integrating sophisticated tools into our teaching, we can easily tap into that enjoyment and keep the music alive. Equally as important are the great publicity possibilities. The Internet can be a significant factor promoting your programs far beyond the concert hall. Consider Manhattan PS 22’s 5th grade chorus, who, at lat count, have had more than 25 million hits on their 975+ YouTube postings, which are viewable on their blog, ps22chorus.blogspot.com. YouTube is a phenomenal resource for music educators for both promoting music ensembles and for free instructional materials because seeing really is believing.

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tem, allowing players to use almost any conventional cymbal stand. The low octave â&#x20AC;&#x153;C naturalâ&#x20AC;? mount is now removable to allow for a seamless set up when both octaves are played side by side. The player also has the option of stacking the octaves by simply putting the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Câ&#x20AC;? mount back on. Made from weather resistance synthetic nylon, the Zildjian Crotale Carrying Bag offers greater protection and accommodates both old and new Zildjian Crotale Bars.

www.zildjian.com

Christopher Quality Instruments

Concord Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s line of Christopher string instruments are made of high-quality and carefully seasoned tonewoods. Significant investments in quality woods, aged in a controlled environment in the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manufacturing plant, have been made. A special production process enables Concord to fabricate the

arch which is characteristic for Christopher instruments even with their laminated instruments. Concord does not use prefabricated plywoods, but press the individual veneer layers into form while gluing them together. Only with this method a sufficiently strong arch can be reached. Moreover, the company designed a Christopher Sound Bar across in the arched back, which provides the instrument with additional stability and gives the sound more definition. In addition to Christopherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own Gamba, Violin, and Buseto model double basses, which are available as laminated, hybrid and fully carved instruments, replicas based on old Ital-

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School Band and Orchestra, January 2011 41

NewProducts ian master instruments are built at the Christopher workshops.

www.concordgroup.com

Mighty Bright’s Enhanced LED Orchestra Light

LED music stand light for performing musicians. The Orchestra Light improvements provide two increased brightness levels and centralized control of the lights. The Orchestra Light is resistant to breakage, compact, and features LEDs, an environmentally friendly light source providing up to 100,000 hours of illumination. The Orchestra Light’s new mechanical switch has two ON settings for two light intensity levels allowing orchestra leaders and musicians to select one of two brightness settings depending on an individual’s preference or on-stage setting and a flexible gooseneck for simple light adjustment. This new switch also allows for multiple Orchestra Lights to be managed centrally by lighting technicians.

www.mightybright.com

Vandoren’s M/O Ligature

Vandoren’s M/O li gature combines the design characteristics of the origi-

Quality Instruments

Mighty Bright has added new enhancements to its Orchestra Light, an

42 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

nal Masters series with the symmetrical tightening and speed of the Optimum series. The M/O ligatures is available for all clarinets and saxophones in a variety of finishes – pewter, black, and silver for the clarinet family and gilded for the saxophones. Twenty-four carat gold plating is available for Bb clarinet, alto sax, and tenor sax M/O ligatures. The new M/O ligatures will be available beginning February 2011.

www.vandoren.com

That Your School and Students Can Afford

We are one of the leading suppliers of band and orchestra instruments to schools and music dealers throughout the United States. We offer a full line of brass, woodwind, orchestra and percussion instruments designed and crafted to educational standards. For a list of dealers in your area, or a catalog contact: schools@huntermusical.com by email or call. We respond to all school bids through local dealers. Samples are available for evaluation.

Hunter Music Instruments

3300 Northern Boulevard, Long Island City, NY 11101 (718) 706-0828 Fax: (718) 706-0128 www.huntermusical.com

NewProducts Vic Firth’s 5A Dual-Tone

Vic Firth’s American Classic 5A Dual-Tone is available as a special combination stick with dual tone capacity. The 5A Dual-Tone features the 5A wood tip with a durable synthetic felt mallet head attached to the butt end. The entire stick is ground from a single piece of hickory.

www.vicfirth.com

King System Blue Brass Mouthpiece

System Blue and Conn-Selmer have introduced the King System Blue Brass Mouthpiece line. King System Blue Mouthpieces were used exclusively by the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps beginning the 2010 drum corps season. The first mouthpiece line created for the needs of the marching arts, the King System Blue line includes mouthpieces for trumpet, mellophone, baritone, euphonium, and tuba. The mouthpieces have a heavy feel and medium cup depth for darker tone and air stability at louder volumes. System Blue Mouthpieces also feature a medium sharp bite that allow performers to slot pitches and enunciate articulations while not losing the ability to play smooth.

trigger functions with the use of high density stainless steel mini-ball linkage components. The 5080 Series Tubas have a new ergonomically beneficial mouth pipe and bell design.

www.quantummarching.com

Gator’s GX-TSA Cases

Gator’s new line of GX utility cases are made of a heavy duty lightweight Polyethylene plastic. These hard-shell utility cases sport an upgraded look, black uninterrupted aluminum valance, and an ergo-grip carry handle. Heavy duty TSA locking latches allow this case to be safely checked and transported via air. Gator’s new GX utility cases are available with either a one inch thick EPS foam lined interior or customizable diced foam interior. The specialized pluck and pull diced foam allows the interior to be customized for a perfect formed fit. Gator’s

new GX-TSA cases are available in a variety of sizes ranging from 10”x15” all the way up to 38”x 29”.

www.gatorcases.com

Alfred Offers Pop and Movie Hits

Alfred Music Publishing has expanded its Premier Piano Course with two new supplemental books, correlated with levels 1A and 1B. Premier

www.conn-selmer.com

Quantum Marching Brass from Jupiter

Jupiter has made improvements on their 5000 Series Trumpets, 5050 Mellophones, 5060 Baritones, 5070 Euphoniums and 5080 Tubas. The new heavy duty bracing on the primary branches and 1st valve trigger gives marching musicians durability. Overall playability has also been improved on the entire Quantum Line of marching horns. Newly redesigned mouth pipes on the 5000 Series trumpets and 5050 Mellophones provide players with enhanced intonation and a freer response. The Quantum Line of low brass marching horns give baritone and euphonium players improved

Rule your stage with LP HAND PERCUSSION. Joey Castillo / Queens of the Stone Age

School Band and Orchestra, January 2011 43

NewProducts Piano Course: Pop and Movie Hits Book 1A and 1B includes selections arranged to correlate with the concepts presented in each corresponding lesson book. Premier Piano Course is the newest piano method from Alfred Mu-

sic Publishing, with all-new original music by authors, Dennis Alexander and Martha Mier, as well as new arrangements of other favorites. Premier Piano Courseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s musical structure and concepts are presented in a fun, inter-

active way that keeps students interested and enthusiastic about learning. Pedagogues, Dr. Gayle Kowalchyk, Dr. E.L. Lancaster, and Dr. Victoria McArthur created theory books based on a comprehensive musicianship approach that includes written theory, ear training, sight-reading, and creative activities. Reading is introduced using a non-position approach based on patterns and landmarks to produce strong sight-readers.

www.alfred.com

Crossrock Instrument Cases

Kingstar is offering a new line of Crossrock cases for tenor sax, alto sax, trumpet, and trombone. The styled bags feature sturdy new designs and are available with either a molded hard wood frame or fabric glass construction. They also have molded neck and mouthpieces sections and an interior storage compartment. The Crossrock feature an exterior that is made of durable nylon fabric materials, with large exterior rigid EVA pockets, a silver metal zipper, and crocodile trim.

www.kingstarintl.com

44 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

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School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

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Charms Music Software

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Good for thr Goose Products

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LP Music Group

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Rada Mfg. Co.

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The Tuba Exchange

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48 School Band and Orchestra, January 2011

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Save The Date! In the immortal words of one of jazz’ most notable innovators, LOUIS Satchmo Armstrong…

To Jazz or not to Jazz… There is no question! Call it what you want, but by chance, through karma, serendipity, destiny, fate, providence, or luck…we are proud to announce the Third Annual JEN Conference in yet another city with LOUIS in the title... LOUISville, Kentucky… We think Three’s a CHARM! Come experience all Louisville has to offer, as we will be collectively…

JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK

Developing Tomorrow’s Jazz Audiences Today! Louisville, Kentucky January 4-7, 2012

The Jazz Education Network

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

SBO_COV3 COV3

1/4/11 2:09:58 PM