NBA Journal, Volume LXIII, No. 3 | Spring 2023

FEATURING

Women Band Directors, an Interview, Part I pg. 27

Iconic Legacy…Vision for the Future

VOLUME LXIII, NO. 3 | SPRING 2023

WE ARE THE MUSIC MAKERS

We are the dreamers of dreams

The National Band Association acknowledges and embraces that our organization is strengthened by diversity. We welcome all peoples, inclusive of their culture, economic status, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, and abilities. The NBA is committed to including all voices in our organization and invites everyone to join us in the advancement of our mission and educational purposes.

Educational Purposes OF THE NATIONAL BAND ASSOCIATION

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Randall Coleman, President

Col. Jason Fettig, President-Elect

Matt Temple, Vice-President

Rebecca Phillips, Immediate Past President

Scott Tobias, Executive Secretary-Treasurer

PROJECT AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Al & Gladys Wright Distinguished Legacy Award, Rebecca Phillips

Alfred Young Band Composition Contest, Audrey Murphy Kunka

AWAPA Commission, David Gregory

Citations & Awards, Heath Nails

Constitution & By-Laws, Col. Jason Fettig

Corporate Relations, Gary Smith

Foster Project NBA Representative, Wolson Gustama

Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Conductors Board of Electors, Thomas Fraschillo

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Awareness, Ingrid Larragoity & Elizabeth Peterson

Marching Band Committee, Adam Dalton & Bobby Lambert

Merrill Jones Composition Contest, Paul Popiel

National Programs of Excellence, Myra Rhoden

NBA Foundation, Susan Creasap

Nominating Committee, Rebecca Phillips

Research Grants, Brian Silvey

Selective Music List – Concert, Arris Golden

Selective Music List - Jazz, Steve Shanley

Selective Music List – Marches, Col. Don Schofield

William D. Revelli Composition Contest, Matthew McCutchen

Young Composer Jazz Composition Contest, Richard Stichler

Young Composer Mentor Project, Frank Ticheli

Young Conductor Mentor Project, Linda R. Moorhouse

NBA Journal Editor, Matthew D. Talbert

NBA Journal Layout & Design, Nash P. McCutchen

To promote the excellence of band performance throughout the world

To encourage the composition and performance of quality band music at all levels

To assist directors at all levels of experience to identify areas of mutual concern

To promote pride and continued enthusiasm among band directors

To encourage quality students to pursue careers in music

To promote a spirit of cooperation and continued dialogue among directors, performers, the music industry, and all other band support organizations at all levels

Articles presented in the NBA Journal represent views, opinions, ideas and research by the authors and are selected for their general interest to the NBA members. Authors’ views do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Band Association, nor does their publication constitute an endorsement by the National Band Association.

Ican remember as a young teacher hearing those around me who were more “seasoned” remark that time goes by more quickly the older you get. At the time, I remember thinking what a ridiculous statement that was. Time is time…60 seconds is one minute…60 minutes is one hour…a day is 24 hours…time is what it is. Now, I am one of those “seasoned” teachers and I can honestly say that I now agree with those amazing colleagues. It does feel as though time passes more quickly the older I get. It is very difficult to believe that we are approaching the end of yet another school year. We have all been busy making up for the lost “Covid time” that we've had to contend with. For most of us, we “lost” a complete year of meaningful instruction and we are now experiencing the effects of that lost year. I have observed so many of you meeting your students where they are instructionally and taking them forward from there. I believe that is the best path for us moving forward. It seems like only yesterday we were in the midst of band camp…learning our new students names…planning for our first concert…helping our beginners make their all-important instrument

selection. No sooner than we turn around…here we are planning for band camp… rehearsing spring concert repertoire and completing college recommendation letters. I hope that you are all feeling a sense of accomplishment in meeting your students where they are after the pandemic and that you have made strides forward. If you are like me, those steps seem like such small steps at times…but they are steps in a positive direction, nonetheless. I trust that you will all find some time this summer to rest, recharge and rejuvenate so that you are ready to go when this wonderful process begins all over again.

As we are also approaching the end of the year for the National Band Association, there have been many accomplishments achieved and we have made significant progress on several important issues. Our membership continues to increase each month and the Executive Committee is working diligently to keep our organization on a sound financial footing. One of the decisions that the Executive Committee has made involves our NBA Journal. The NBA Journal has become the

RANDALL COLEMAN

As we approach the end of the year for the [NBA] ... there have been many accomplishments achieved and we have made significant progress on several important issues.

benchmark publication for our profession containing educational, motivational, and practical articles for the members in our organization. We will soon begin to distribute all editions of our Journal primarily in our online/digital format. The spring edition of our Journal is currently “digital only”, so we would simply shift the other issues that were previously offered in print format to digital format only, unless you request to continue to receive a print copy. Any member who wishes to continue to receive a printed copy will be able to make that request and it will be honored. Most of us utilize the digital version much more frequently than the printed version, and with our digital versions, we can archive them easily on our website for you. However, if you wish to continue receiving the printed version, you will be able to do so. With this slight change, we will be able to keep our Journal on the cutting edge of all educational publications and provide information to our members in the most efficient manner.

This summer marks the first performance for the All-American D-Day Band. This outstanding ensemble, comprised of nearly 100 of the top high school band members from across the nation, will take part in the D-Day

Commemoration festivities in France this coming summer. Along with those talented students, we have several of our incredible NBA members who will be traveling with the group as staff members and chaperons. NBA is also proud to have provided substantial scholarship funds for several students who demonstrated a high achievement level and financial need. I know this trip will be a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for most of the students and I know they will have a fantastic trip and represent us in a phenomenal fashion, and the NBA is honored to have had a small role in bringing this project to life.

As we look toward the end of one school year with our eyes already on the next, I would like to ask you all to remember that there will be a new cohort of directors who will be embarking on their professional journey as the new year begins. As a member of NBA, I would challenge you to reach out to one or two new directors and encourage them to join our organization. The National Band Association provides a rich collection of resources for all directors, but particularly for the new directors. Our mentoring program is amazing…and when we use it…works so well. Our website and social media outlets contain so much

useful information that is so practical for us all but can be a lifeline to a young director. Be the instigator and reach out to someone who may need your help. Giving back to our profession is a way to continue your own legacy and could very well be the one thing that make the difference in a young director’s career.

Lastly, if you have not already done so, please be on the lookout for the constitutional amendment that you will receive via email. This is an important step for our organization as we make strides to continue to be an organization that represents all our members who work, teach, perform, or appreciate band at any level. As your Board of Directors continues to keep our focus on our iconic legacy as we move toward the future, your voice matters!

As I have traveled around the country this year, I am constantly reminded that our profession has countless dedicated, caring, and brilliant teachers. Your work continues

Giving back to our profession is a way to continue your own legacy ...

to amaze me at every turn, and as I observe your work and your passion, I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes

"the best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see".

Please feel free to reach out if I can ever be of assistance to you or your program.

Randall Coleman President National Band Association

For an important VOTE coming to the NBA Membership. STAY TUNED!

Greetings fellow NBA members!

As we get ready for the season of renewal, it’s a great time to reflect on the ways we can shake things up. When we work with a group for an extended period of time, we become used to each other, and naturally come to have certain expectations of the way each of us “are”. An effective leadership technique can be to actively work to thwart those expectations. For those of you who conduct, we all have a library of gestures and language that we use often; like anything else, when we do the same thing over and over, the impact can diminish over time. This can lead to people to tune out because they already

believe they know what you are going to do, or what you are going to say.

Challenge yourself to thwart expectations! If you’re not someone who tends to lighten a moment with a joke or a sidebar, give it a try and see what happens; if you tend to be a bit more laid back in your rehearsals, try a new level of intensity. If you tend to be more prescriptive in your rehearsal or teaching language, play around with an open-ended approach: “Could we try…” or “Let’s see what happens if…”

This also goes for our conducting. It is SO easy for all of us to fall into the same physical routines, and to retreat to what feels comfortable for us in our bodies. When we make the effort to experiment with things that make us (temporarily) uncomfortable, not only will your students and musicians notice, it opens up a lane where true growth can occur. Our job as musicians and leaders is to be as useful as we can be, and that often means we need to surprise those who know us best.

“Where did that come from?!” might just be the best response we can get!

Col. Jason K. Fettig President-elect National Band Association

COL. JASON K. FETTIG

Our job as musicians and leaders is to be as useful as we can be, and that often means we need to surprise those who know us best.

There is good reason why New York City is called the center of the universe. As a musician, I have always had a deep affinity for its rich and diverse arts culture. One of my closest friends moved there after college, and I spent many a summer visiting there. Although I don’t consider myself a city person at heart, I thoroughly enjoy New York City in small doses. Most recently, I traveled there with 130 students in the top band and orchestra from New Trier High School, where I teach. The centerpiece of the tour was our performance in the newly renovated David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, home of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

It is no surprise that many of our students had a transformative life experience on the trip. The itinerary was packed with meaningful moments, such as the 9/11 memorial, Museum of Modern Art, a Broadway show, and a New York Philharmonic concert on the same stage that we performed on two days later. When compared to the number of inspirational moments that occur in regular rehearsals, I am always amazed by how many of them get compressed into the short span of a tour. It’s no wonder

why everyone is so exhausted afterwards!

As humans, we all crave inspiration. As directors, then, we must cultivate moments that create windows into new worlds of possibility for our ensemble members. Much of this begins with you as the director, but should regularly include guest artists, such as clinicians, conductors, soloists, and composers. Between email, social media, and virtual calls, it is easier than ever to connect with nearly anyone.

And when possible, take your show on the road. Even if it is simply to a neighboring school or a music festival, it will be well worth the trip and the inspiration it provides!

Happy Trails, Matt Temple Vice President National Band Association

MATT TEMPLE

As directors ... we must cultivate moments that create windows into new worlds of possibility for our ensemble members.

DR. REBECCA PHILLIPS

Summer is here for most of us, and this is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the past year. We are all learning what the “new normal” in the band profession will be for the next few years. With that in mind, I would like to share what I have observed over the past several months, while visiting band students and band directors across the nation.

We are in a fantastic profession! Regardless of what I hear colleagues discussing across other subject areas, band students are still the most wonderful kids in our schools. They are very similar everywhere I visit - polite, empathetic, considerate,

and possibly more able and willing to take a chance and move forward after making mistakes. Yes, there are some who have trouble putting the cell phone down or learning to sit and have a conversation in person with other students; this is similar in faculty meetings! We may all need to add the practice of verbal communication to our skill set building in classrooms and rehearsals. (Did we ever think we would need to teach students to talk during rehearsals?!) However, I am finding that once those phones are put away and students begin the learning process of communicating, both verbally and through their music, kids everywhere get excited and find joy in rehearsals and performances.

I was in a rehearsal of a colleague the other day and asked how he deals with the issue of phones being out in class. His response was, “I never reprimand them. I challenge them at the beginning of each class to

see if they can go 45 minutes without looking at their phones. The next week, the challenge is 60 minutes. This late in the semester, it is the full 1.5-hour rehearsal. This keeps the process positive when teaching kids to separate from their phones.” Yup – this method is spot on! We meet students (or adults) where they are and help them move forward and grow.

Friends, we are all having to add new ideas to our toolboxes of teaching and communication. This can be challenging. However, we are creative people and if anyone can figure out how to remain relevant and develop new ways to teach effectively, it is band directors. I hope you find time to rest, relax, but also reflect this summer on the successes of you and your students!

Dr. Rebecca Phillips Immediate Past President National Band Association

.

.. we are all having to add new ideas to our toolboxes of teaching and communication. ... we are creative people and if anyone can figure out how to remain relevant and develop new ways to teach effectively, it is band directors.

"So long as the human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it ..."

Be part of the world’s largest professional organization for bands, dedicated to promoting the musical and educational significance of bands and the attainment of a high level of excellence for bands and band music.

The NBA is open to anyone and everyone interested in bands and stands ready to serve all members of our thriving musical community.

NationalBandAssociation.org/join

–Aaron Copland

JOIN OR RENEW TODAY

NBA MISSION STATEMENT FOR DIRECTORS OF SCHOOL BANDS

by Dr. William Moody | Revised in December 2009

The mission for directors of school bands is understood inherently by those who think of themselves more often as instrumental music teachers rather than simply as band directors. The basic objective of instrumental music education is that students will learn performance skills in order to understand musical language and to experience the joys of recreating music in the expressive medium of their choice. Music education should prepare students also for a fuller understanding and appreciation of the music they will be hearing the rest of their lives regardless of its style or venue. Efforts to address the National Standards for Music Education in band class by including music theory, music history, improvisation, and composition will help the students be better listeners in adulthood and will make better musicians of those who wish to pursue musical careers or practice music as an avocation in adult life.

The National Band Association would like school administrators, teachers, and parents to recognize that students elect to study instrumental music for a variety of reasons, including: as an outlet for creativity, a source of social interaction with like-minded peers, a possible career choice, gratification that comes from recognition by responsive audiences, discipline through study and practice, and service to school and community. The evaluation of instrumental music programs should be grounded in a review of the educationally and aesthetically justifiable objectives that are explicit in this mission statement.

The long-respected model for learning to play a musical instrument based on the role of artist-teacher with a studio of private students applies as well to school bands. Band class must provide these same foundations: a correct concept of characteristic tone quality, development of technique based on a graded course of study, a formal system for counting rhythms, practice in developing good intonation, and the sure goal of playing expressively.

An instrumental music program should offer a broad range of musical experiences: an extensive solo and chamber music repertory that provides subtle opportunities for nuance and other systems of expression; a school jazz ensemble that stresses rhythmic precision, understanding of harmonic progression, and creative improvisation; a concert band, the core of the program, where our musical heritage is transmitted through inspirational compositions by the most creative composers.

Service activities such as marching band are often important to the school and community, and students who participate gain social, educational, and musical values. Because evaluative competition can raise standards and motivate progress, NBA strongly recommends that all bands participate in festivals or contests sponsored by district and state music education associations, especially when a rating rather than a ranking is the goal. However, the integrity of the instructional program can be threatened by a disproportionate emphasis on competitions and service-related performances. Marching band activities that require extra rehearsals and travel time should be scheduled with concern for the many responsibilities that students have in addition to their musical studies, and must never be the focus of the instrumental music program. Excessive demands on students, parents, and community––financial and otherwise––bring about consequences harmful to the essence of the instrumental music program.

History demonstrates that those who cultivate a special intelligence in an area of personal interest make great contributions to the way we live. Efforts by legislators or educators to emphasize one area of study alone stifle the pluralism that has been one of this country's strengths. Rather, schools should provide a broad base of knowledge for students and also encourage development of the special abilities of those who demonstrate the capacity to excel. Instrumental music studies provide a laboratory of artistic and social opportunities for individual development that contributes to the collective good.

The arts provide unique forms of knowledge, present a basic means of communication, and produce lasting works that are the hallmarks of a civilization. President Abraham Lincoln reminded us that education is not for the purpose of learning to earn a living, but for learning what to do with a living after it has been earned. Whether in the arts or other areas of interest, students who are encouraged to develop their talents and interests participate in the continuous regeneration of our democratic ideals.

NBA’S ACADEMY OF WIND AND PERCUSSION ARTS NBA

AT ITS BEST

The National Band Association was founded on September 11, 1960. This new organization was the dream and brain child of Traugott Rohner, the editor and founder of The Instrumentalist magazine. Rohner set up a meeting with two of the most capable leaders among America’s band directors, Dr. Al G. Wright, who was at that time Director of Bands at Purdue University, and John Paynter, Director of Bands at Northwestern University, and these two very able leaders established a new, inclusive band organization which grew into the largest band organization in the world.

Al Wright was the NBA’s first president, and he soon became aware of a need to establish a special, high level award program to recognize excellence and exceptional service to bands. The result of this was the establishment of The Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts (AWAPA). This award was established for the purpose of recognizing those individuals who have made truly significant and outstanding contributions to furthering the excellence of bands and of band music, and it was not to be limited to band directors, but to anyone who’s contributions were determined to be so outstanding that they deserved and warranted honor and recognition.

The nine-inch silver AWAPA figure is designed to be the “Oscar” of the band world. Elections to the academy are made from time to time by the Board of Directors acting upon nominations from the AWAPA Commission. Presentations of AWAPA awards are made at band performances or meetings of national significance. The new recipients of the award are announced at the annual National Band Association Membership Meeting at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago each December, and the honorees from the previous year are invited to attend that meeting for a formal presentation of the award.

If the recipient is not able to be present at that meeting, the award is presented at another prestigious band event where the recipient is properly honored and recognized. The award consists of a silver statuette, a silver medallion, and an engraved certificate. The Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts represents the highest honor which the National Band Association can confer on any individual.

The NBA represents the best there is in a great, proud profession. When we honor our very best, we bring honor on our organization and on our profession. A list of the past recipients of the AWAPA Award is literally a “Who’s Who” list of some of the greatest leaders involved in the band movement during the past six decades. The list includes an international cross section of important individuals representing all aspects of the band world, who have rendered remarkable service to bands.

William D. Revelli

November 25, 1961

Karl L. King

November 10, 1962

Harold D. Bachman

January 9, 1965

Glenn Cliffe Bainum

February 21, 1965

Al G. Wright

March 7, 1969

Harry Guggenheim

August 18, 1969

Paul V. Yoder

December 18, 1969

Toshio Akiyama

December 13, 1970

Richard Franko Goldman

July 23, 1971

John Paynter

March 5, 1972

Roger A. Nixon

July 12, 1972

Traugott Rohner

February 11, 1973

Sir Vivian Dunn

March 2, 1973

AWAPA RECIPIENTS LISTED BY DATE AND YEAR OF PRESENTATION

Jan Molenaar

July 11, 1974

Frederick Fennell August 3, 1975

Harry Mortimer August 3, 1975

George S. Howard December 16, 1976

Mark Hindsley March 2, 1978

Howard Hanson December 13, 1978

James Neilson December 13, 1978

Vaclav Nelhybel December 13, 1978

Leonard Falcone December 12, 1979

Alfred Reed December 12, 1979

Arnald Gabriel December 16, 1980

Nilo Hovey December 16, 1980

Trevor Ford December 16, 1981

Vincent Persichetti

December 16, 1981

Clare Grundman

December 15, 1982

Morton Gould

December 15, 1982

Karel Husa

December 15, 1982

Harry Begian

December 14, 1983

Francis McBeth December 12, 1984

Normal Dello Joio December 12, 1984

J. Clifton Williams December 18, 1984

Frank W. Erickson

December 17, 1986

Neil A. Kjos

December 17, 1986

Merle Evans December 20, 1986

Hugh E. McMillen

December 17, 1986

Claude T. Smith

December 16, 1987

Warren Benson

December 14, 1988

John Bourgeois

December 14, 1988

Donald Hunsberger December 19, 1990

Edgar Gangware

December 19, 1991

W J Julian

December 16, 1992

Geoffrey Brand December 20, 1995

Harvey Phillips December 21, 1995

Richard Strange December 20, 1995

L. Howard Nicar, Jr.

October 16, 1996

Kenneth Bloomquist

December 18, 1996

H. Robert Reynolds

December 18, 1996

Elizabeth Ludwig Fennell

December 17, 1997

Arthur Gurwitz

December 17, 1997

Russell Hammond

December 14, 1999

William F. Ludwig

December 14, 1999

John M. Long

December 20, 2001

Raoul Camus

December 19, 2002

Paul Bierley

June 14, 2003

William J. Moody

December 18, 2003

Earl Dunn

December 16, 2004

Victor Zajec

December 16, 2004

James T. Rohner

December 15, 2005

Frank Battisti

December 21, 2006

David Whitwell

December 20, 2007

Frank B. Wickes

December 18, 2008

Ray Cramer

December 17, 2009

James Croft

April 16, 2011

Paula Crider

December 15, 2011

Mark Kelly

December 15, 2011

Bobby Adams

December 19, 2013

Richard Floyd

December 18, 2014

Edward Lisk

December 17, 2015

Linda R. Moorhouse

December 15, 2016

Thomas V. Fraschillo

December 21, 2017

John Whitwell

December 20, 2018

Richard Crain

December 19, 2019

Loras John Schissel

December 15, 2020

Bruce Leek

December 16, 2021

PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE NATIONAL BAND ASSOCIATION

Al G. Wright 1960 - 1962

Honorary Life President

John

Honorary Life President

Honorary President

Scott Casagrande 2016 - 2018

Roy

Paynter 1962 - 1966

Edward W. Volz 1966 - 1968

William J. Moody 1968 - 1970

George S. Howard 1970 - 1974

F. Earl Dunn 1974 - 1976

William D. Revelli 1976 - 1978

W J Julian 1978 - 1980

Kenneth Bloomquist 1980 - 1982

James Neilson 1982 - 1984

James K. Copenhaver 1984 - 1986

James Croft 1986 - 1988

Frank B. Wickes 1988 - 1990

Edward S. Lisk 1990 - 1992

Robert E. Foster 1992 - 1994

John R. Bourgeois 1994 - 1996

James Keene 1996 - 1998

Thomas Fraschillo 1998 - 2000

Paula Crider 2000 - 2002

David Gregory 2002- 2004

Linda Moorhouse 2004- 2006

Bobby Adams 2006- 2008

Finley Hamilton 2008- 2009

John Culvahouse 2009- 2012

John M. Long 2010

Holder 2012 - 2014

Richard Good 2014 - 2016

Scott Tobias 2018 - 2020

Rebecca Phillips 2020 - 2022

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

PRESIDENT

Randall Coleman

Director of Bands and University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga, Tennessee

APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVES

PRESIDENT-ELECT Col. Jason K. Fettig

Director, United States Marine Band Washington, D.C.

VICE-PRESIDENT

Matt Temple Director of Bands New Trier High School Winnetka, Illinois

IMMEDIATE PAST-PRESIDENT

Rebecca Phillips

Director of Bands

Colorado State University

Fort Collins, Colorado

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY-TREASURER

Scott Tobias

Director of Bands

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL & JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES

MILITARY/PROF. BANDS

LT. COL. DANIEL TOVEN

Commander & Conductor, West Point Band, West Point, NY

AT-LARGE REPRESENTATIVES

COMMUNITY BANDS

MICHAEL BURCH-PESSES

Director of Bands Pacific University Forest Grove, Oregon

MUSIC INDUSTRY

MIKE MILLER

Fred J. Miller Inc. Miamisburg, OH

CHIP DE STEFANO

Director of Bands

McCracken Middle School

Skokie, Illinois

TRACY LESLIE

Director of Bands

Del Webb Middle School

Las Vegas, Nevada

CRAIG AARHUS

Associate Director of Bands Mississippi State University

Starkville, Mississippi

DIVISION CHAIRS

Lowell E. Graham, Col, USAF (ret)

Retired, United States Air Force Band Washington, D.C.

MARK HEIDEL Director of Bands University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa

DIANE KOUTSULIS

Retired Music Educator Las Vegas, Nevada

COL. DON SCHOFIELD

Commander and Conductor United States Air Force Band Washington, D.C.

TIFFANY HITZ

Director of Bands and Music

Department Chair

Rachel Carson Middle School Fairfax County, Virginia

SUSAN WATERS

Director of Bands W.H. Oliver Middle School Nashville, Tennessee

HIGH SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES

BRIAN COVEY

Director of Bands Lockport Township High School

Lockport, Illinois

EASTERN ANDREW YOZVIAK

Director of Bands

West Chester University

West Chester, Pennsylvania

SOUTHWESTERN

DUSTIN SEIFERT

Director of Bands

Eastern New Mexico University

Portales, New Mexico

SOUTHERN COREY SPURLIN

Associate Director of Bands Auburn University Auburn, Alabama

WESTERN/ NORTHWESTERN

NATE SEAMONS

Associate Director of Bands, Brigham Young University Provo, Utah

NORTH CENTRAL

THAD DRISCOLL

Director of Bands Cedar Rapids Jefferson High Cedar Rapids, Iowa

WESTERN/ NORTHWESTERN

DAHN PHAM

Director of Bands Washington State University Pullman, Washington

INTERNATIONAL HENK SMIT Education Specialist

Dutch National Institute of Cultural Education and Voluntary Arts

Groningen, Middelstum

The Netherlands, Europe

CHAD KAMEI

Director of Bands

Pearl City High School

Honolulu, Hawaii

JERELL HORTON

Director of Bands Vestavia Hills

Vestavia Hills, Alabama

BOBBY LAMBERT

Director of Bands Wando High School Mount Pleasant, SC

COLLEGE / UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVE

ARRIS GOLDEN

Associate Director of Bands Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan

OF THE FOLLOWING AWARDS CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE:

ON EACH BUTTON BELOW TO VIEW THE AWARDS/WINNERS

The NBA/William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest

The NBA/Merrill Jones Memorial Band Composition Contest

The NBA Young Composers Jazz Composition Contest

The NBA/Alfred Music Young Band Composition Contest

NBA Hall of Fame of Distinguished Conductors

Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts (AWAPA) Award

Al & Gladys Wright Distinguished Legacy Award

Programs of Excellence Blue Ribbon Award

CLARINET TRICKS OF THE TRADE

EMILY TALLEY

Getting your clarinet students started in a manner that will set them up for success in the future can sometimes be a grueling and time consuming task, but if you do the work early in their musical development you will save yourself a great deal of stress in the future. I am a veteran band director who is also an active clarinet performer, and will be beginning a PhD program in the fall. I have taught in three states now and no matter where I go, the clarinet struggles are the same. I hear (and see on social media) band directors who struggle to get the tone that they desire from their clarinet section, or have issues with intonation. I have put together some tips here that will hopefully help guide you in building strong clarinetists from day one. These tips are from my personal experience as an educator and performer, and are solely based on my own personal opinions. It is important to remember that what works for one does not always work for all.

SUCCESS FROM THE START

EMBOUCHURE

I lead with this focus because in my development this is where I struggled the most. In my early years I was given some information that caused me to build bad habits that were incredibly difficult to change. I was seeing success as a middle and high school student and didn’t have access to private instruction so I assumed I was doing things correctly. It wasn’t until I went to college that I realized just how bad my embouchure was, and how difficult it would be for me to make the changes necessary to pursue future performance opportunities. My clarinet teacher, Dr. Shannon Thompson at Western Carolina University, worked patiently with me to make those necessary changes. It was my sophomore year that I finally put the work in and it was the most difficult year of my undergraduate degree. Erasing nine years of formed habits and basically starting over caused me to rethink my entire future. Dr. Thompson pushed me and held me to high expectations, but she also showed me a great deal

Emily Talley holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education and a Master of Music in Clarinet Performance degrees from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. She also holds a Master of Arts Administration in Music Leadership from Ohio University.

Mrs. Talley is in her 18th year of teaching. She is currently the Director of Bands for Wellston City Schools. Previous to Wellston she served as the Assistant Director of Athletic Bands at Ohio University, and has served as a band director at Canandaigua Middle School in Canandaigua, NY, Asheville High School in Asheville, NC, and Hunter Huss High School in Gastonia, NC.

Mrs. Talley currently resides in Athens, OH with her husband Dr. William Talley; two sons, Braeden and Billy; and dog, Patches.

of kindness and patience throughout the process. Once I finally got it right my playing took off and it allowed me to pursue opportunities that otherwise would not have been possible. I tell you this simply

Continued on next page

Clarinet Tricks of the Trade, Emily Talley, cont.

to reiterate how important it is to start your clarinet students off with correct information and a diligent eye.

1. Do not tell them to roll their bottom lip over their teeth!

Do we roll our lip over our teeth? A little, yes. But that happens more as a result of forming the bottom lip properly. When describing the shape of the embouchure I prefer to describe it like a drawstring bag. Once you pull the string it is taut all the way around, not just on the top and bottom. It is important to get a nice “O” shape that provides equal pressure from all angles, making sure to engage the corners. This should also cause the chin to naturally pull down into the flat position that we desire. The bottom lip should serve as a firm pillow for the reed to rest upon. If you are doing this but their lips are looking a bit puckered, then you may have to tell them to tuck the bottom lip a bit. If we simply tell students to roll their bottom lip over their teeth from the beginning then they are not working to build up the muscle in the bottom lip that is imperative for building that firm pillow, and a solid embouchure. It also causes extreme biting which results in a thin sound and sharp pitch.

2. Anchor In!

Think of both thumbs as

supports for anchoring into the top teeth. The right thumb should be pushing up, and the left thumb should be pushing out. This will allow them to anchor into the back of the top teeth so that the pressure is not on their bottom lip/ teeth. When the reed is resting heavily on the bottom lip it cuts off the vibrations and we do not get a clear tone. In my own middle school classes if the tone starts to sound weak or fuzzy I start by telling them “anchor in to those top teeth” and it immediately makes the tone more resonant. My band director would always walk around and try to wiggle our mouthpieces to make sure that we were holding it firmly. While this is helpful, make sure the firmness is coming from anchoring into the top teeth, not biting with the bottom.

3. Everyone say “Heeh”!

Tongue position is so important and often overlooked. I see band directors asking constantly on social media why their clarinets sound flat and nine times out of ten this is the problem. Clarinet players should keep their tongues high and forward all the time. It shouldn’t move between registers. A good way to practice this is by having them say “heeh” and to notice where their tongue is. As your player

starts getting stronger a lot of times they will drop their tongue as they move higher thus resulting in a flat clarion register. This is something that takes diligent practice to avoid or fix. Sometimes with older players I will have them put the sides of their tongue on their back molars and the tip of tongue touching the back of their top teeth and then have them attempt to play while making sure that they continue to feel the sides of their tongue touching their teeth. Having their tongues actually make contact with their teeth reminds them of where it should be, and a focus on maintaining touch.

With beginners, make sure that they are practicing with just the barrel and the mouthpiece. When they play with these two pieces it just sound a concert F#. If it is coming out lower then they likely need to raise their tongue or firm up their lips (equally around). Avoid words like bite or squeeze if possible. If the pitch comes out too high then they could be biting. Take a look at their chin. Is it pulled down and flat or do you see dimples? If you see dimples then they are biting and need to focus on rounding out that “O” and pulling down on their chin.

HAND POSITION

1. Your Right Thumb Holds All the Power!

Making sure that we have the right thumb under the thumb rest correctly is imperative to the technical success of your student. Be sure they are placing the thumb rest toward the tip of the thumb. I prefer it just above the back of my thumbnail, but it may vary a little depending on the length of fingers. What you don’t want is for them to have the thumb rest all the way at the base of their thumb. When they do this it causes them to have to bend their knuckles to get their fingers in the correct position over the tone holes and they will never have good dexterity regardless of how hard they work. If you hold your hand up like you’re holding an imaginary Coke can, that is the ideal hand position for playing the clarinet. Remember, don’t crush the can. Keep the fingers rounded and light.

2.

Pull From the Back!

Being able to play technical passages depends on building speed and dexterity in your fingers. The lighter your fingers are, and the less they move, the faster they will go. When moving your fingers they should pull from the back knuckle, not the knuckle in the middle of the finger. Have students spend time working each individual finger

up and down so that there is no bend in the finger, just simple motion coming from the base of the finger where it attaches to your hand. This can be difficult practice for the students, but will pay off in the long run.

3. Pinky Tea Time!

Our pinky fingers can sometimes feel uncontrollable and often move slightly differently from the rest of our fingers. Make sure that as your clarinet students are developing that you are paying attention to where their pinkies are resting. Because they don’t use them until several months into playing, they can start developing habits that will be difficult to break if they’re not careful. I often see young players place their pinkies under the clarinet pinky keys, or straighten their pinkies to the point of locking them. Just make sure that when they are not in use that they are resting over the proper keys, light and relaxed, like all of the other fingers should be doing.

COMMON INSTRUMENT PROBLEMS

To avoid sending your clarinets off to the shop for minor issues, I have listed the four most common problems that occur with young clarinetists. Hopefully this will keep you from racking up

bills, and give you a sense of confidence when your clarinet players come running to you saying “My instrument is broken!”

1. My B won’t play!

If your clarinet players are playing long B across the break and having a difficult time getting sound to come out it could be a problem with the instrument rather than the player. This actually happens all the time! When clarinetists put their instruments together they tend to grab around keys/ rods in the lower joint that are easily bent (show them how to put it together without grabbing long keys early on). You should be able to play long B without using your right pinky. If you notice that the sound stops once you lift the right pinky then a pad isn’t sealing, but it is an easy fix. Please remember when you’re doing this yourself to make small adjustments. First, hold down the left pinky B key and tap on the pad that is closest to the right C pinky key. There should be no play in the key when you tap it. If it moves then it is not sealing when it should, and can cause your student unnecessary stress. To fix this put your left thumb under the crows foot that hides under all of the right pink keys. Stabilize your thumb so that when you attempt to close the pad it won’t move. Then

Clarinet Tricks of the Trade, Emily Talley, cont.

gently press down on the pad that was leaking. Again, small adjustments! Check the key to see if it is better. If not, try a little more until you have zero play in the key. Careful not to over adjust though because it is a little more difficult to go the opposite way.

2. Right Hand Woes!

Is everything they attempt to play with the right hand causing issues? As they play down perhaps it’s squeaking or no sound is coming out? This is likely a bridge key issue. To check this hold down the keys in the right hand and lightly tap the pad that is between the first and second finger. If there is play in that key then you’ve got a leak that is controlled by the bridge keys. To fix this, take the upper and middle joints apart, hold down the keys in the upper joint with your left hand, and gently push down on the bridge key with your left thumb. Again, small adjustments. If you find that the right hand keys are locking down when you put the clarinet back together then you went too far and will have to adjust in the opposite direction.

3. Nothing Works!

If they are attempting to play and are getting nothing to work (right hand or left hand) then chances are they’ve found a screwdriver and have decided

to make a few of their own adjustments, particularly to the A key (which is the kiss of death). Check the throat tone A and G# keys. They should both be sealing equally. If they aren’t, then they have likely screwed in the adjustment screw that sits atop of the A key. Back it out slowly until both keys are sealing and the clarinet begins to work again.

4. Side Key Derailment!

Clarinet only playing correctly when they play throat tone G down to E? Check the right hand side keys (side Eb, etc). Make sure the bottom side key didn’t get lodged under or over the next side key. If a student dropped the instrument this is very likely the issue. Easy fix! Take a trombone mouthpiece, put the shaft of the mouthpiece over the side key and gently move it back into place. Disclaimer: some lower quality instruments have soldered the side keys onto the rod rather than being in one piece. If this is the case they can easily break off when trying to make this adjustment. Be sure you know what you’re working with before trying to make the adjustment.

EQUIPMENT

1. Reed Uncertainty?

Does it really matter what type of reed your students use? Yes, 100%. Does that

mean that you should buy the most expensive reeds for your beginning clarinetist who are going to destroy at least a box before they understand how to get the ligature on without destroying the reed? Absolutely not. For beginning students I personally believe that any of the major brands are fine. Some other clarinetists may be panicking as they read this, but until they get a grasp on how to properly maintain the instrument and reeds, I wouldn’t invest an incredible amount of money. What you don’t want is your students buying some random brand of reeds off of Amazon. They are bad. Period. The pitch on these reeds alone is reason enough not to buy them. You will think that your students are doing something incorrectly because they will not be able to match pitch with the rest. Stick to the brands provided by your local music store rep. I recommend providing reeds for students if you have that ability simply because it ensures they’re all getting the same quality. As your clarinetists develop you will want to find the reed that works best for their setup. There is no one answer for everyone! I have become particularly fond of the D’Addario Reserve Classic reeds for both myself and my students. When purchasing a box or reeds sometimes you will get 2 good reeds out of

Clarinet Tricks of the Trade, Emily Talley, cont.

the box, sometimes (rarely) you’ll get 8. I have found with these particular reeds you get more out of the box, and they seem to run more consistently. There are a slew of great reeds out there, you just have to find what works best for your students and their setup.

Do not encourage your students to bump up in reed strength too quickly. I start my students on a 2.5 and am in no hurry to push them to a 3. Students often misinterpret a hard reed for a dark sound. What you want out of a reed is for you to be able to control the tone, dynamics and pitch. If you have a reed that is too hard they are likely only going to be able to have one dynamic on that reed, and it may cause biting. When the student begins to overplay or play flat you will know it is time to move up a strength.

2. Mouthpieces Matter!

If you can get a student a decent mouthpiece they should be able to make a good sound on any horn (provided it works properly). A bad mouthpiece on a professional level instrument is still going to sound bad. For students who can’t afford to upgrade the entire instrument, this is a great next step. If you have the ability, upgrade all student mouthpieces. The mouthpieces that come with

the instrument are not high quality and will not help your student develop great tones. You do not have to put a ton of money into mouthpieces for beginners. You can find good beginner mouthpieces for very reasonable prices. Encourage parents to make that upgrade when they are purchasing or renting the instrument. For beginners you might consider a Vandoren B45, Yamaha 4C, or Forbes Debut. There are a lot of great affordable options. For my high school students I prefer the Vandoren M13 Lyre. I provide these mouthpieces for each of my high school students because they run a little over $100 a piece, and because I want there to be consistency in tone throughout the section. Again, everyone is not going to sound the same on this mouthpiece, but it does tend to work well for most. It has a darker tone and a free blowing upper register, which my students typically enjoy. If possible, I would encourage you to reach out to your music vendor to test out multiple mouthpieces to find what works best for your students.

3. The Ligature Hug!

There is so much debate over what ligature to use with beginners but here’s what you need to know. The most important aspect of a ligature is that it does not hug the sides of the reed. There needs to

be support where it touches the front of the reed that lifts it away from the reed so that it doesn’t touch the sides. When the ligature touches the side of the reed it constricts the vibrations, therefore not allowing it to achieve the desired resonance. When you’re purchasing ligatures simply give attention to where it is touching the reed. The material of the ligature will also impact the tone, but that is all personal preference. Listen to multiple types and see what you enjoy the most. My personal preference has been metal, but many of my students play on leather because it feels better to them.

While these suggestions won’t immediately fix all of your clarinet problems, hopefully it will provide you with a foundation to build upon. Teaching clarinet students has always brought great joy to my life and I hope it will yours. If you have other suggestions that you would like to share with me I would love to hear them. Best of luck to all of you please reach out to let me know if any of these tips were especially helpful for your students.

Clarinet Tricks of the Trade, Emily Talley, cont.

WOMEN BAND DIRECTORS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: AN INTERVIEW WITH ARRIS GOLDEN ALYSSA PERRY

In the summer of 2022, I took on a research project to examine the lived experiences of female collegiate band directors. Over the course of several months, I interviewed twelve women from across the United States who direct college bands. The interviews took place through the platform of Zoom. The following is an excerpt from an interview with Dr. Arris Golden, Assistant Director of Bands and Associate Director of Marching Bands at Michigan State University.

Alyssa Perry: What has been your path (including education, career, and other opportunities) to becoming a college band director?

Arris Golden: “I did my undergraduate at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in political science and then got my music education certification. I took a year off and just went right back to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was fortunate enough to be able to study with Jim Hile, who used to be the

director of bands there. He's now the director at Elmhurst College. Then, I did my master’s degree at University of North Carolina Greensboro in music education. During this same time, I did some symposiums. I did some during the summer and some during the school year because there's one of those offered at University of North Carolina Greensboro that happens every year. I'd always been interested in conducting and in the opportunity to lead an ensemble. I think the collegiate thing for me came over time because I figured out it’s an experience of building and navigating music and education. I thought that sharing those two ideas with students at the collegiate level might be a good thing. So that's how I came to the decision to be here. I started teaching middle school in 1996 but was still doing conducting symposiums. I went up to Northwestern University, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, University of North Carolina Greensboro, and University of North Texas for them. I was just investigating my options and if I would want to study with any of these people. I was supposed

to go to Virginia Tech in 2010. When Travis Cross was there, he brought in Jerry Junkin, but I ended up having car issues that wouldn’t allow me to go.

Dr. Cross was willing to let me come the next year in 2011 since I'd already paid the money and that's when he brought in Kevin Sedatole. I had seen him before at the North Carolina All-State Band, but it was that point that I realized I liked his style and the way he approaches things. We were able to connect through that symposium and then I was able to work it out where I could audition there. I taught all middle school prior to going back to school, which many people don’t understand. While I was doing that, I didn't just buy scores to my middle

Alyssa Perry is a graduate student at Ohio University studying instrumental conducting. She earned a Master of Music in Music Education from Ohio University in 2022 and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 2020.

school band pieces. By the time I even got to graduate school I had most of the standards in the band library. I had other pieces that I played or that I heard that were all extended repertoire and I would study those too. At some point in your career, if you stay long enough, you can sight-read a grade three score. You can hear the harmonies because they are pretty simple, and you find yourself thinking, “I can just do this with the kids,” which is the wrong answer, but it happens. I tried to keep myself out of that zone by making sure I had other stuff that was challenging. I auditioned for graduate school in February of 2014, and I started graduate school in the fall of 2014. From 2014-2016 I finished my document and transcription, and everything was completed by 2018. From 2016-2018 I worked down at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the assistant director of university bands position. And then as life happens sometimes, I got a phone call from one of my other alma maters that they had a job they’d like me to apply for. I had 48 hours to get my stuff to them and ended up getting the job. I'm very fortunate because it’s really great across the board in our College of Music. People are super talented, knowledge, and collegial. I can hang out with my band director friends, go hang out with the choral conducting people, or hang out with the music theory people. It’s

just a really rich environment to be a working musician in. So that's how I got from playing my saxophone and changing to percussion in Southeastern North Carolina to this position.

(AP): What inspired you to become a college band director?

(AG): I think if I really stop and think about it, it's a lot of the people that I encountered when I was in college. Sometimes at crossroads in life just one person can be an inspiration to get you from where you are to where you can be. I’ve been very fortunate to have had those people at every single turn. Even before that, the southeast District in North Carolina brought in some stellar clinicians for its high school bands. One of the final ones I experienced when I was in high school was James Croft from Florida State and I was like, “Wow, how cool is it that he gets to go out and do all this really great music with the top kids in the district.” I thought that would be fun. It's a situation where a lot of times that job happens for people at the collegiate level. Now it's more open to everybody, but back then it wasn't as much. That was one pivotal moment where I thought collegiate teaching would be cool. And then of course, working with Dr. Hile at UNC confirmed that this would be great to do. It was just seeing people who

are great at what they do that was inspirational, especially when it comes to music. A lot of times you're asking people do things that they don't think they can do, but you can help guide them through it. So, they see the endpoint and realize they can do it. And then it's like, “Okay, so you did that. What’s next?” It’s just really cool to be able to give back to an atmosphere that I got so much out of.

(AP): Have you faced any struggles as a female in this field? If so, what have been some of those struggles and what have you done to overcome them?

(AG): This is a standard answer for me for this but it's really true. Sometimes I can't separate

Continued on next page

Women Band Directors in Higher Education:..., Alyssa Perry, cont.

ARRIS GOLDEN is the Assistant Director of Bands and Associate Director of the Spartan Marching Band at Michigan State University.

Women Band Directors in Higher Education:..., Alyssa Perry, cont.

being a female from being black. Did they not hire me for the position because I'm a woman or because I'm a black woman? And sometimes I can’t tell. What I have decided is that the only thing I can be in the world is who I am. I have my personality, my skill set, and my belief system, and I'm happy and comfortable with that. And if people don't see that sitting in their setting, there's nothing I can do to change that. I think a lot of things that I have done will hopefully change things and change the narrative. And I especially hope it will create more opportunity for other women conductors who are going to take jobs after I am out of the profession. I still think there's a fear factor in that people don't know if we can do this job. It’s like why would I not be able to do this job just as well as anyone who’s male can? If your look at, for example, someone like Tonya MitchellSpradlin, Andrea Brown, and Amy Knopps who are directors of major university ensembles. Tonya is the director of a major university ensemble as a black woman. Being at Penn State in the Big Ten is a huge deal. Elva Kay Lance is another example who was one of the first people to do it. I think the more that we gain positions and the more that we show that we know how to do the thing, the more opportunity will happen because that’s what it’s doing across the profession right now. Look at the next

group like Rebekah Daniel who’s the interim at Ithaca College right now and Devan Moore who’s the new assistant athletic band director at Oklahoma State. They’re in that next generation that is benefiting from people all the way back. It’s just showing people that we can do the same things that others can do and the idea that women are capable because we are. I would add that we do a better job than the people that were there before us in many cases. Nonetheless, I think that's the reason we're seeing more opportunity. We’re seeing more opportunity because we’re getting more opportunities and we’re being highly successful. It's the same thing for black people. We can do the same things that other people can do, but it's all about doing things so that doors open and people have the opportunity to be able to do things. I think it's also in the preparation. We have to make sure if we're encountering students who are going to be in those spaces, that we make sure they're prepared to take that space when it's their time. That’s a big deal. I feel really good about what we do here because our graduate students can do anything from write a marching band arrangements and drill to conducting the Mozart C minor Serenade. Their education here is really well-rounded, which is key to them taking advantage of opportunity. You have to do the work in order to be in the space

and be successful.

(AP): Though the numbers are increasing, why do you think there aren’t more female collegiate band directors? What do you think needs to happen to increase the number of females in the field?

(AG): Inviting women conductors into honor band and clinic spaces so that female students can see that they can do that as well is really important. It’s really activating for some of them because they're curious about it and interested in it, but they haven't seen anybody that looks like them do it. I think that is huge in getting interested young women to understand the opportunities available for them. You have to create the space and create the opportunity. I think that's getting better. I know that I get a lot of opportunity on a regular basis to go out and do things, so I feel like that's getting better and helping in the long run.

(AP): What is your advice to other females wanting to become band directors at the college level?

(AG): Be prepared. And by that, I mean develop a study system and pay attention in music theory class. Please do that. Music theory is difficult and if you blow that off, that's going to be a blockade. Do your ear training

outside of class. It’s painful, (or at least it was for me) but it's necessary. Video yourself conducting and then watch the video to see from setting to setting or rehearsal to rehearsal what you can improve on and how you can improve the connection between you and the ensemble so that the music you're creating is really great music. If you're going into an audition setting for conducting, this also helps you to see if you're going to translate that to the people that you're with immediately, which is what a search committee is looking for. All of it is in the preparation. If you don't prepare and you don't build your skill set, you can't take advantage of the opportunity. It sounds so simplistic, but I think that is one of the most true things on the planet. A second thing I would say is if you're going to go to graduate school, figure out who to study with and make sure that person is your person because you're going to live with that person for the rest of your career. I could leave this place and Kevin Sedatole would still be with me. He's going to check in on how I'm doing. If I'm headed for a new job, he's going to be on my reference list. Find a person that gets who you are, knows your why, and knows where you want to go in your career. Otherwise, it's a less than pleasurable process."

Women Band Directors in Higher Education:..., Alyssa Perry, cont.

DOPE: A LOOK INTO KATAHJ COPLEY’S NEWEST WORK,

AND THE COMPOSER, TOO JOSEPH

LEITES

INTRODUCTION

Prior to the establishment of what we now call the “wind ensemble” by Frederick Fennell in Rochester in the mid-twentieth century, there wasn’t much reason for composers to pursue original music for that medium. There are still classics of the repertoire that existed before that, but the bulk of development for the wind band took place once it was a more established type of ensemble, allowing composers more freedom to explore its abilities rather than relying on orchestral transcriptions or marches. The process of incorporating other styles of music into wind band reaches a new point of intrigue in Katahj Copley’s DOPE. This piece proudly shares influence from a wide range of music that Copley mentions in the program notes, spanning from Miles Davis to Kendrick Lamar.

Katahj Copley (b. 1998) is an exciting young composer who speaks vibrantly through his music. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Music

Education and Composition from the University of West Georgia, Copley is now a student in Music Composition at the University of Texas at Austin where he is working toward his MM degree. He has had music performed at multiple state music educator’s conferences and the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. Copley’s concert band catalogue consists mainly of literature grades 3-5, as determined by the composer. Some of his most popular pieces include: Halcyon Hearts (2021, grade 3); Infinity (2020, grade 3); Iris (2019, grade 4); and Sunshine (2019, grade 5).

IDENTITY

The roots of this piece are planted deep in who the composer is as a person. Copley outlines the story and the direct quote from his current primary composition teacher, Dr. Omar Thomas, in which Thomas encouraged Copley to “…create something that is a celebration of who you are, the music you grew up with, and the music that

Joseph Leites is a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Louisville, where he assists with direction of the university athletic and concert bands. He is currently pursuing an M. M. in instrumental conducting at UofL, where his primary supervisors and conducting teachers include Frederick Speck, Amy Acklin, and Jason Cumberledge. Prior to graduate studies, he earned a B. M. in Music Education from the University of Florida, where his primary supervisors and conducting teachers included Barry Hartz, Jay Watkins, and Chip Birkner.

inspires you now… then that would be dope.” The piece has three sections that the composer attributes to parts of the black identity. The first section, “UNDENIABLY”, is energetic and powerful, and Copley cites influences from bassist Thundercat’s playing on Kendrick Lamar’s untitled no. 05, with melodic hues of Miles Davis’s Nardis. “UNAPOLOGETICALLY”,

the second section is less focused on direct inspiration and shifts toward the construction of a beautiful musical world reflective of John Coltrane, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington and Hiatus Kaiyote. The work closes with final section, “UNDISPUDETLY”, reuniting with the bold sense of intensity present in the beginning and combining with the abstract world of beauty from the second, as Copley calls it “undisputedly black”. Copley recently agreed to talk over Zoom about the piece and share his process. The following is a transcription of the interview in which we discuss his life, the process of conceptualizing and composing DOPE, and how it represents his love for the art form.

INTERVIEW

Joseph Leites: First, let me ask you – what inspired you to pursue music? s

Katahj Copley: "Well, my relationship with music, like anything, has had its ups and downs. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a film director. I just love telling stories; they capture not only creativity, but the human condition. At the same time, my freshman year, my mother and my sisters and I ended up being homeless and

living in motels – which, as a high schooler, isn’t something you can talk to other high schoolers about. At home, there were other issues going on with my family. And you begin to feel helpless, and wonder, ‘Am I the reason this is happening?’ I couldn’t have comfort at school, I couldn’t have comfort at home, so I shut myself out from both worlds, and I couldn’t tell anybody what was going on with me. My junior year, we got a new band director, and he incorporated smaller chamber ensembles into our assignments. The instrumentation of my group was me on tenor saxophone, two altos, one clarinet and one tuba. There’s no music for that group, but some divine sense of power said to me that even though I had never written anything, that I could do this. When I finally figured out I could talk through music, I didn’t stop.

JL: What was your first instrument, and why did you choose it?

KC: The alto saxophone was my first instrument, but tenor was my first love. My third oldest sister would always watch me over the summer, and we always loved the same media – TV, movies, music. We both loved to watch Cowboy Bebop, an TV show, and there’s a saxophone solo that I heard and said: “Woah, that’s good stuff.” Then I listened to more of John Coltrane,

and I decided that’s what I needed in my life.

JL: What drew you to composition?

KC: The first time we played my piece with my chamber group. That moment, when we played that piece, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. We stuck together as a group and went around the state of Georgia performing with me as our writer the summer after our senior year. From them, I have that courage that when I have an idea, I at least have to write something out.

JL: Who are your most influential mentors to this point?

KC: There’s a quote I always go back to when I think about this, and it’s something along the lines of: “I am nothing if not a reflection of the people who gave me a chance.” My instructors at West Georgia, Dr. Byrd and Dr. Self were big ones; yeah, I fell on my face a couple times but they helped me get back up; Dr. Croomes gave me my first opportunity here at Texas; Kevin Day has been my best friend, he’s like a big brother to me. Alfred Watkins had guided me, other high school band directors like Chris Carr (Carrollton HS) and Scott Jones (Mt. Zion HS). But I think the big one that pivoted everything was Omar [Thomas].

DOPE, A Look into Katahj Copley's Newest Work ..., Joseph Leites, cont.

JL: How do you balance your Master’s degree with being in such high demand as a composer?

KC: I pre-planned. I had faith in myself that the second year would be the busiest for me, so I put a lot of my courses in my first year *laughs*. The most important things to do are to have a connection, be up front, be diligent, and be professional with your teachers. The faculty here understands that my career is what I’m doing for my Master’s degree, and I did my best to communicate with them and be consistent with knowing when to take gigs and manage everything. You have to respect people’s time, and you have to know your own limits.

JL: Where does your writing process begin?

KC: The writing process varies –it’s like cooking. There’s so many ways I can start, but I always end up at the stove. The most frequent ways of starting come from hearing a small motif and asking how I can turn that into a story that makes the listener follow along. It could also come the opposite way, imagining a story first and feeling out musical ideas that line up with it. I believe in the four pillars of storytelling. As story tellers, we tell the stories that we like; we tell the stories of those who inspired us; we tell the stories

of things we don’t know, and through our storytelling we hope to understand it; and finally, we tell the stories of those who never had the chance for their stories to be told.

JL: Where did the first pento-paper ideas come from for DOPE then?

KC: Let me find it real quick. *reaches to corner of desk for manuscript paper* It started right here, with this bassline. I went back into things I bought on iTunes years ago, the Kendrick Lamar untitled album, and this bassline by Thundercat stuck out to me, and as I dove more into Kendrick and more into the layers and layers of what I could add and how I could add it for something that was originally supposed to be an eight minute piece *laughs*. The common theme that I kept thinking was –there’s a story here, I just don’t know what it is yet.

JL: So then, how did you combine the music of artists from such different styles as Kendrick Lamar with Miles Davis, or Hiatus Kaiyote with John Coltrane?

KC: Harmonically, they are joined together in some kind of weird matrimony. The Nardis changes are the same as the changes in the untitled track that I used. The thing that changes both of them is the rhythm.

Rhythm can change any feel and can either divide or unite. So my question was, how can I unite these things that most people consider divided? Not just in the world of jazz versus hip hop, but also in the world of black music and concert band music. Concert band music is full of rhythmic intricacy, and we love that. That same thing exists in jazz and hip hop, and so that’s how I brought these ideas together.

JL: Some of the chords and changes bleed through from section to section. How did you establish the harmonic framework of the piece?

KC: I love the idea of it bleeding through, because that was the idea. The middle, slow section is founded on this pedal A, and most of my harmonic framework comes from Robert Glasper. The idea of establishing one note that you can hold on to as everything else underneath slowly morphs from minor to major modes and becomes more and more ambiguous as time moves on, I talk about this in my lessons all the time. It’s like riding waves, even though you’re still grounded on this A. Take this chance with me, and we’ll experience these changes together. It doesn’t sound as jarring as it should because of how it’s voiced and how important that A is over time. I see this middle section as a watercolor painting, as harmonic concepts bleed into each other.

DOPE, A Look into Katahj Copley's Newest Work ..., Joseph Leites, cont.

There’s a short rhythmic figure that repeats itself over and over, and that’s each new brush stroke added to the musical painting.

JL: How does this piece represent you as a person?

KC: Well, there’s an internal struggle for me, in which I represent this piece and it represents me. I had to do research for this piece! It was beyond rhythms and history, but there is a social aspect as well. If you look at the word “dope”, in the 1940s it was used as a way to suggest drug use or other bad things. In my eyes, in the black culture, in my culture, we find ways to turn negatives into positives, so in the 1980s “dope” became something that is cool, something that is hip and now. I mean, look at how jazz and hip hop were treated in the past. They were considered devil’s music at some point in history. Now, take a look at the top charts on Spotify today and find me a piece that isn’t influenced by the worlds of jazz and hip hop. That’s where I got the idea to tell the story of not just the word “dope”, but the story of black culture. It starts off menacing, in the same way that people perceive black music – it’s dangerous, it’s wild, it’s kinetic. Then, as you peel away the layers, it’s beautiful.

JL: The drum set plays such an important role in this piece, almost acts as another soloist.

How did you determine the role of the drum set?

KC: It was intentional, from the beginning, to have it be so soloistic, just like the bass guitar. In order to bridge the gap here, I needed a true rhythm section to be scored. The true identity of the drum set is like the heartbeat of the piece. It brings out the colors, the life of the other instruments in the ensemble. It breathes air into the lungs of the listener and the player.

JL: One last question: what do you like to do outside of music?

KC: Ha! See, that’s the thing. I like to do things that I don’t consider myself good at. I like to cook in some form. My partner says I’m a good cook but hey, I’m still figuring that out. I used to paint, I haven’t done much in a while. I still love films. The idea of being a film director is gone for now, but it’s one of things that still make me feel the same way as it did years ago. If I need to break out creatively, I make the worst song mash-ups that you have ever heard of just to make myself laugh. They don’t make sense. Combining songs from “La La Land” with Adele and Bruno Mars and Eminem all at the same time, it’s quite the interesting listen and it helps me break through my writer’s block sometimes.

Ideas for Rehearsal

This piece is on the more difficult end of Copley’s catalogue, teetering between the grade 5 and 6 range. It is rather long, with performances ranging from fourteen to eighteen minutes depending on tempos taken. There are also a bevy of meter changes, as the musical landscape moves between different divisions of eighth note bars (7/8, 6/8 and 5/8) are all used. The harmonic content is complex throughout each of the three sections, incorporating the jazz influences like John Coltrane and Miles Davis.

With those technical considerations in mind, it is vital to remember the true identity of this work. The context and the story are what Copley outlines as central to the piece, and conductors who choose to program this piece should emphasize the importance of those aspects of their players. This piece gives public school music teachers the opportunity to incorporate contemporary artists like Kendrick Lamar, Thundercat, Hiatus Kaiyote and more into their classrooms in a new, more interactive way than before. Even if not programmed for concerts or live performances, DOPE is an engaging piece for students to latch on to as it connects them to media that exists outside of their normal classroom walls."

DOPE, A Look into Katahj Copley's Newest Work ..., Joseph Leites, cont.

IN CLOSING

DOPE was premiered by the University of Texas at Austin Wind Ensemble conducted by Weston Lewis in October of 2022, and was then recently performed by the President’s Own Marine Band in Alexandria, Virginia as a part of a concert titled “American Traditions”. While Katahj Copley’s career may just be beginning, DOPE is a thrilling example of what is to come.

NBA WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU

We welcome and encourage members to submit articles for inclusion in future editions of the NBA Journal. Peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed articles are accepted. Please note the following deadlines for submission:

JOURNAL EDITION

Winter Edition (February)

Spring Edition (May)

Summer Edition (August)

Fall Edition (November)

DEADLINE

January 1

April 1

July 1

October 1

Please submit your article in Word document format to NBA Journal Editor Matthew Talbert at talbertm@ohio.edu. For guidance on how to submit a peer-reviewed article, please see page 40. Articles are published at the discretion of the editor and may appear in a later journal edition.

SUBMISSIONS: TALBERTM@OHIO.EDU

DOPE, A Look into Katahj Copley's Newest Work ..., Joseph Leites, cont.

PUTTING IT BACK TOGETHER — MUSIC CAN LEAD HOW WE RETURN TO A CLIMATE OF COLLABORATION BRAD ROGERS

Iam now in my second year of retirement from the daily grind of teaching (but never far from music-making and music students). Over the past months I have had time to reflect on the events of the last 2-plus years on schools, music programs and society in general.

I doubt anyone reading this disagrees with the premise that our society in general continues to flounder in a stew of contradicting and often selfcentered positions—political, social, equity and inclusion (or the perceived lack of it), racial, gender-identity, etc., etc. For too many of us, the default argument in any conflict of opinions devolves almost immediately into name-calling, loud and at times destructive “peaceful protest”, or worse. This attitude becomes amplified (and possibly encouraged) by what we’re seeing on television and in print media.

I think these issues have always been there, and because of that fact are worthy of

discussion—but that will not happen if shouting down those who may have a different understanding of the issue is where the discussion goes first.

In my experience as my students’ teacher, I tried to help them understand the difference between a reason for something happening and an excuse for it. The experiences of the COVID pandemic and our reaction to it have no doubt contributed greatly to our current state (reason) but in my opinion will never excuse the antisocial behavior that seems to predominate any conversation about the positions listed previously.

Sadly, we appear to have lost the ability to amicably “agree to disagree”, much less find a middle ground. A focus on labeling individuals or groups of people in various ways only serves to divide us further rather than bring us together. Consequently, working collaboratively to solve problems can seem almost impossible.

Brad Rogers retired after a 42-year teaching career in July 2021, serving the last 34 years as band director at Oldham County High School in Buckner, Kentucky. Prior to his arrival at OCHS in 1987, he held positions at Oakland High School (Murfreesboro, TN), Central High School (Columbia, TN) and Christian County High School (Hopkinsville, KY). He is a 1978 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, holds a Masters degree in Music Education (1989) from the University of Louisville, and completed additional graduate coursework through Illinois State University and the Vander Cook School of Music.

How does this relate to schools and students?

More importantly, how can school music performance ensembles set the proper example for turning things around?

The social isolation caused by more than two years of nontraditional instruction, mask mandates, contact tracing, vaccination requirements, and contradictory advice from

Putting it Back Together ..., Brad Rogers, cont.

leadership and others have contributed to an underlying sense of fear and distrust between classmates. It will take time and consistency for that to heal. Many are coming to the realization that a fair amount of the science we have been encouraged to follow may have had little real impact on the outcome of the pandemic. The fact is that this isolation most certainly has affected the psyche and social growth of our society’s most impressionable members—the students who represent the future of our nation.

True ensemble cannot exist in isolation.

Performance ensembles are by their very nature collaborative groups that work to agree on conquering common challenges together. The members of these ensembles who can perform at a high level must be willing to put aside any perceived “differences” while together in rehearsals or performances and focus on the common goal—the musical performance. In addition, the quality of the product produced is dependent on the quality of the individual contribution to the whole.

Unlike most athletic activities, there is no “bench” in a band, choir, or orchestra. When the first

trumpets get tired, when the marimba player gets lost in the clef change, or the second sopranos lose their pitch, there are no “subs” to put into the “game”. Each member—regardless of their experience level or any other individual characteristic— must contribute quality to the effort, or there will be no quality in the combined result. Developing a climate in which excellence is an individual expectation, something that each member is willing to bring to the group whenever it is working together, will lift ensembles at any level to better outcomes. It will also help create an atmosphere in which all members prepare to make each opportunity together productive and exciting and develop a sense of trust between members—musically and socially.

People who have no knowledge of or experience in a performance ensemble classroom setting often dismiss the effort as unimportant to the overall educational experience. I’ve had postobservation conferences with administrators who have told me that everything in the lesson/rehearsal they observed was “fine…but I don’t know how you get them to do that.”

How could what we accomplish in our classrooms

change the climate in an entire building? It might start with our teaching colleagues in other disciplines. What follows happened to me:

A few years back, prior to COVID, our principal came up with a novel idea for earning our spring semester professional development hours on a teacher workday called “ED Camp”. The premise was for individual teacher volunteers to develop one-hour training sessions on a subject of their choice; our faculty members would look at the choices offered and sign up for the sessions they thought would be most beneficial. I was especially interested in seeing what my colleagues came up with, because just about anything would be better than the “square peground hole” approach that arts teachers usually end up with in school-level professional development sessions.

Of course, by the day before the ED Camp was to take place, not enough sessions had been developed by my colleagues. The principal asked if I would come up with something and post it as an option before I went home for the day. I offered to teach the same session in the morning and afternoon block once I figured

something out.

I believe the title of the session was something like “What Excellence Looks/ Sounds Like”. Despite the late notice, I had several colleagues sign up to meet with me! Interestingly, all were athletic coaches who had academic class loads in social studies, math, and science courses during the day. All were quite good at their classroom duties and solid coaches as well.

Because I barely had enough time to put together an outline of what I wanted to discuss before the first group arrived, I decided to use part of the session by asking, “Would it be okay for me to play some music first to break the ice?” They agreed, and I started a recording on the band room sound system. As I recall, it was a recording of the Slavonic Rhapsody No. 1 (Carl Friedemann) performed by our band on a festival trip the previous year—but they didn’t know that!

Of course, as coaches they heard the band play more often than most of the other teachers in the building—always “pep band” music or halftime shows. After a few minutes, I turned the volume down to zero and asked them what they thought. All were really impressed by the quality of the performance and the obviously high level of

challenge the music presents for an ensemble. I then asked them to identify the performers. Imagine their shock when I told them, “They are the students you have in your classrooms every day”.

After that, it was easy to keep their attention as I took them through how that happens in our world.

I think all of us tend to teach in isolation ourselves, concentrating on our discipline and what is right in front of us. We have a lot we can learn from each other by simply observing how good teachers get things done. Music teachers may have an advantage in keeping students engaged because of the content we teach and how we get them to produce a high-quality product through collaboration. Sharing that process with our colleagues who may not understand it (or have never seen it) may be the quickest way to spread our example throughout a school building.

Some of you may do that already. If not, you could ask if it would be possible to do a visitation “swap” with a department; math teachers come to your rehearsal and observe one day, and you reciprocate on another by visiting the Calculus class. You and your colleagues will come

away with the sense that we’re all in this rebuilding process together—and with a better understanding and respect for the good work we all do for our students.

Putting it Back Together ..., Brad Rogers, cont.

JOB APPLICATION TIPS MATTHEW MCCUTCHEN

Throughout my years at the University of South Florida I have been fortunate to have served on several search committees. While some find this service to be time consuming and tedious, I always enjoy being involved. It is critical that academic institutions hire outstanding people to teach and guide its students; I consider it a privilege to be a part of that process.

Over the hundreds of resumes, cover letters, curriculum vitaes, and supporting materials that I have read, several common themes have emerged that either help or harm a candidate’s chances for serious consideration. Much of what I am going to discuss will likely be a review of things you have been taught or have known for quite some time. However, it does us all good to be reminded periodically. Please note that while some of these are specific to higher education, I believe most are relevant to any level of employment you seek.

1) FORMATTING IS CRUCIAL. Application materials need to be organized, complete, and professional. It is important to note that a great-looking resume won’t necessarily get you a job, but one that is poorly put together will cause you to be knocked out of the running almost immediately. Here are some hints.

a) Academic resumes should begin with your academic history first. List the schools you have attended from most recent at the top to least recent at the bottom. The is also true for any jobs you are listing.

b) Unless you had a truly exceptional GPA, there’s no reason to list it. You may have worked extraordinarily hard for that 3.4, but if the next person has a 3.6 you’ve just put yourself at a disadvantage.

c) Misspellings and incorrect grammar send the signal that you lack attention to detail and will likely disqualify you from being considered for the position.

d) All dates should be listed chronologically from most recent to least and should be easy to find. My personal preference them to be right-justified, but if you have a different method of keeping them organized, that is fine. The important thing is to avoid making committee members jump through hoops to figure out your history. Along those lines, very rarely do you need to include months. Instead of July 2020- August 2021,

Matthew McCutchen is the Director of Bands at the University of South Florida. He is also the founder and conductor of the Bay Area Youth (BAY) Winds and the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Florida Wind Band. He is the chair of the National Band Association’s William D. Revelli Band Composition Contest, is on the John Philip Sousa Foundation Legion of Honor Selection Committee and is a member of the American Bandmasters Association.

2020-21 will suffice in most cases.

2) SPEND A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT YOUR REFERENCES.

a) One can generally assume that everybody on your reference list is going to say nice things about you. Therefore, I am often struck more by who is NOT on the list than who is. If I see a person applying for a Band job at USF and they don’t list their most recent Band Director, that sends up a red flag. I recognize the fact that sometimes personalities clash and relationships that should have been positive are not. I also concur that you are the person who gets to choose your references, not me. However, if the person who is supposed to have been a guiding force in your academic progression is not listed, that does give me pause.

b) Everybody on your list should be willing and able to talk directly about your ability to do the job to which you are applying. While your manager at Publix will undoubtedly talk in great detail about your personality, work ethic, friendliness, and customer service,

committee members need to talk to someone who can tell them how you function in front of a classroom. Several years ago, I was on a search committee and was assigned to call a reference of a highly viable candidate. It turned out that this person had been the candidate’s boss in a completely unrelated field, and while he thought they were “one of the friendliest people with whom I’ve ever worked”, this discussion was ultimately unhelpful for our purposes.

c) Finally, and this should be a given: make sure that everyone on your reference list is still alive. Twice now I have seen names of people whom I knew to be deceased show up on reference lists. My thought was not “Oh, this person would have said wonderful things about the candidate”, but instead, “this candidate didn’t even take the time to look at their completed materials before submitting them.”

3) READ THE POSTING THOROUGHLY.

a) Rule #1, if you don’t meet the minimum requirements, don’t waste your time. I get it, there are lots of people looking

for jobs and some of them will throw their hat into the ring for anything that looks even remotely interesting. This methodology is rarely successful. If the job has a large marching component and you have no marching experience I am not going to be so impressed by your saxophone playing that I’ll be willing to teach you how to glide step.

b) Your cover letter should address all of the points of the posting. If there is one which is not a strength of yours, mention it anyway.

“I am not an experienced guard instructor, but I have several contacts who are willing to help me learn…” is preferable to ignoring the component that explicitly describes teaching guard as an expectation of the job.

4) YOUR COVER LETTER SHOULD BE A DIRECT WINDOW INTO YOUR PERSONALITY.

I heard Clifford Madsen (FSU) on many occasions say “Once they have invited you for an interview, they have already decided that you are competent. The primary goal of the interview is to determine if they like you.” This is especially true when you are being interviewed by

Job Application Tips, Matthew McCutchen, cont.

a non-music person which is often the case in K-12 situations. Since you have a music education degree they assume you know what you’re doing and they often don’t have the knowledge to ask content questions. The more prestigious the program the more likely it will be to have music content specialists participate in the interview process. Either way, your cover letter is a way to get a jump start on making the committee like you.

a) As mentioned above, the cover letter should be tailored to the job to which you are applying. This does not mean that you have to start from scratch every time, but at least one paragraph should have information that is geared for that specific position.

b) Do your homework, find out something about the history of the program, the community, and even about the people on the committee. We had an interview once in which the candidate spoke at length about how much they resonated with the mission of our university. I remember being tremendously impressed – particularly because they knew more about our mission than I did.

c) Your enthusiasm for the profession, job, and students should be blatantly obvious throughout the letter. It needs to be clear that you want “this” job, not “a” job.

d) Whatever you do, please do not imply that you are doing the school a favor by applying for their position – even if that happens to be the case.

5) FIND SOMETHING POSITIVE THAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD.

The more competitive the job, the more important it is to stand out. Anytime you apply for a position you should assume that there will be lots of candidates, they will all be qualified, and some will have better resumes and more experience than you. Therefore, you need something in your application to make you stand out from the crowd. Here are some things that shifted my interest in a candidate’s favor in the past.

a) If the committee requests a sample of your drill design – make it special. I’ve looked at a lot of drill through our various searches, and most of it looked like it was done by the same person. This

is a great place to make yourself stand out – not by the complexity of the drill, but by the creativity. If the posting asks for drill and you don’t have it, that’s fine. Write some. We’ve had several people send Pyware renderings of drill that they wrote specifically for us for their application.

b) If they ask for a conducting video, this is a place you can really shine. You don’t have to conduct Stravinsky’s Les Noces by memory, (which is impressive), but please don’t look boring and stare at the score the whole time. Far too often people decide to apply for a job and then scramble to get their materials together at the last minute. To avoid that, video every concert you do and you’ll have plenty of material to choose from.

Along those lines, the days of sending in one-camera videos from the back of the ensemble (or worse, from the audience) are rapidly coming to an end. It is just too easy now to have multiple camera angles and edited videos, and if you don’t, it looks like you are not keeping up with current trends. By the way, it is absolutely 100% possible to put together a great recording conducting

Continued on next page

Job Application Tips, Matthew McCutchen, cont.

level II and III music!

c) Many places, specifically higher ed jobs, will ask for rehearsal videos. Again, don’t wait until the last minute. Record yourself twice a week. Not only will you have plenty of footage to choose from, it will give you real-life (and sometimes brutal) feedback of what is actually happening in your class.

d) Rather than sending in lists of organizations that you have joined, I am much more impressed by leadership positions you have held. This is a personal bias based on the fact that I believe I learned more about how to teach by being President of Phi Mu Alpha than I did from any class I ever took.

e) Another personal bias is that I am always impressed by first-year teachers who include a list of programs with whom they have volunteered over the years. I don’t mean to open the discussion of volunteering vs. being paid, but when I see someone who has spent hours donating their services and expertise to local middle and high school programs, I see

someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to learn as much about the job as possible before ever stepping foot into their own classroom. This shows passion for your craft and your ability to be a team player, both important traits in education.

7) JUST A FEW MORE THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

a) Do not over-exaggerate the significance of anything in your resume. I cannot emphasize this enough. Stretching your experiences does not impress anyone. I was “Bagger of the Week” at Food Lion at one point in high school. That did not appear on my resume as “Recognized by a Fortune 500 Corporation for Excellence in Engineering Proclivity”. Nothing makes me put away a resume faster than when somebody is clearly stretching the truth.

b) Don’t use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do. This goes for the written and spoken portions of the interview process.

c) Don’t talk too much during the interview –make sure to listen. Be

certain to listen carefully to the questions as they often provide a glimpse into the type of person they are looking for. For example, if they ask a question about your attendance policy there was probably an issue with a chronically late employee in the past.

d) In the interview, it is effective to answer questions with a personal story/example rather than a generic "idealistic" answer. Rather than saying "I believe recruiting for my middle school band program is important," talk about the time you went and did an instrument petting zoo for 5th grade classes at an elementary school, and the students' reactions when you played all of the instruments for them.

e) If the interviewer asks if you have questions, have some ready to go.

f) Don't be too specific when answering a question about your philosophy on teaching. A general philosophy has a greater chance of aligning with the school's philosophy than a specific one.

On a final note, getting

Job Application Tips, Matthew McCutchen, cont.

Job Application Tips, Matthew McCutchen, cont.

“a job” is easy. Getting “the job” you want is considerably more difficult. Many great educators started their careers in situations that were lessthan-ideal. Wherever you start, be grateful for the employment and do the best job you possibly can. Instead of focusing on the problems in that job, take steps to create growth for your students and yourself, and always search for ways to improve. One day the right opportunity will present itself, and if you’ve worked hard and paid your dues, you’ll be ready.

/NationalBandAssociation

2023 FORTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL NBA/WILLIAM D. REVELLI MEMORIAL BAND COMPOSITION CONTEST

WHO MAY ENTER: Anyone

REQUIREMENTS:

$5000 AWARD:

ENTRY DEADLINE:

November 1, 2023

A work for Concert Band/Wind Ensemble. Recommendations as to style, form, length, and instrumentation are outlined in the contest rules.

ENTRY MATERIALS:

A pdf of the full score plus a digital audio recording of a live performance or recording session must be sent to the chair.

FORMS & MATERIALS:

Dr. Matthew McCutchen (e-mail: mccutchen@usf.edu)

Attn: NBA Composition Contest School of Music

University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Ave., MUS 101 Tampa, FL 33617

CONTEST RULES & PAST WINNERS: NationalBandAssociation.org/composition-contests

NBA/WILLIAM D. REVELLI MEMORIAL BAND COMPOSITION CONTEST COMMITTEE

Terry Austin

Matthew McCutchen, University of South Florida, Chair

Arris Golden

Jason Nam

Virginia Commonwealth University

Marcellus Brown

Boise State University (ID)

Catherine Sinon Bushman

St. Cloud State University (MN)

Colonel Jason Fettig

United States Marine Band (DC)

Diane Koutsulis

Retired (NV)

Michigan State University

Jennifer Hamilton

Red Mountain High School (AZ)

Chadwick Kamei

Pearl City High School (HI)

Tremon Kizer

University of Central Florida

John Thomson

Roosevelt University (IL)

Indiana University

Sue Samuels

Furman University (SC)

Shanti Simon

University of Oklahoma

2023 NATIONAL BAND ASSOCIATION YOUNG COMPOSERS JAZZ COMPOSITION CONTEST

WHO MAY ENTER: Anyone who was born on or after July 1, 1992 (29 years of age or younger)

REQUIREMENTS:

A work for jazz band with no restrictions as to style, form, or length.

ENTRY MATERIALS:

A pdf of the full score plus a digital audio recording of a live performance or recording session must be sent to the chair.

ENTRY DEADLINE:

AWARD:

July 15, 2023

$1,000.00 plus a performance by a premier military jazz ensemble during the Midwest International Band & Orchestra Clinic

COMMITTEE CHAIR: SPONSORED BY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Rich Stichler | richard-stichler@utc.edu | Submission via email

FREE NBA AWARDS FOR OUR MEMBERS TO USE

Mentor Award

Citation of Excellence

Outstanding Jazz Educator

Citation of Merit for Marching Excellence

Outstanding Musician Award

Outstanding Jazz Musician Award

Music Camper Award

Band Booster Award

2023 NATIONAL BAND ASSOCIATION PROGRAMS OF EXCELLENCE BLUE RIBBON AWARDS

A National Award Recognizing High Levels of Program Excellence in Bands and Band Music

The National Band Association is dedicated to the attainment of a high level of excellence for bands and band music. The NBA Programs of Excellence Blue Ribbon Award recognizes quality programs of all levels. Band programs and their educators are honored regionally and nationally through this exciting standards-based initiative.

The National Band Association recognizes the significant challenges directors and their programs have faced over the past two to three years. The 2022 application has been adjusted to accommodate the virtual, hybrid, and in-person teaching environments present throughout the country. Throughout this application, any use of the phrase “normal school year” indicates that applicants can submit materials from the most recent in-person years.

WHO MAY ENTER:

All high school, junior high school, and middle school bands and their conductors are eligible for this award, regardless of membership in the NBA. All applicants are strongly encouraged to join their national organization. Applying band directors need to be in the head director position at their school for at least four years at the high school level, or three years at the middle school level.

Schools that have previously received a deferral of any kind must wait two years before re-applying. Schools that have previously received a Division Award only will automatically be considered for the National Award if re-applying within 2-5 years. Schools that choose to re-apply must re-submit all required application materials, updated with recordings and activities that have taken place since the last application.

ENTRY DEADLINE: July 15, 2023

REQUIREMENTS:

All application materials should be submitted through Google Drive. PLEASE CLICK HERE for submission guidelines.

Documents should be submitted as PDF files ONLY. Recordings should be submitted as MP3 files ONLY.

ENTRY MATERIALS:

PLEASE CLICK HERE for complete list of entry materials.

PLEASE REVIEW COMPLETE GUIDELINES & REQUIREMENTS:

nationalbandassociation.org/awards-recognition

HOW TO SUBMIT PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH ARTICLES TO THE NBA JOURNAL BY MATTHEW TALBERT

The difference between a peer- reviewed research article and the articles traditionally published in the NBA Journal is best described as a difference in the vetting process and source material. To have an article appear as “peer-reviewed” in the NBA Journal means recognized researchers and scholars in the field of music/music education will read, evaluate, and then recommend whether or not an article should be published, revised or rejected. This process is widely recognized as an indicator of quality scholarship in a particular discipline or field. Other names for these types of articles are “scholarly” or “refereed.”

A traditional NBA Journal article is most often written from the perspective of the author’s unique experiences in life, music, and/or the profession. These articles are of extraordinary value, as they often present a number of ideas that have been effective for the author and may also be effective for the reader. A research

article is most often written as a continuation of ideas presented in previous articles, with the motivation drawn from combining the findings of those previous articles and the author’s own experiences, experiments, or observations. In building the article in this way, the validity of the information is heightened beyond the traditional article. These articles are also of extraordinary value as they may also impact the way the reader approaches the subject material in a potentially more generalizable way. When incorporating the peer-review process, the an author’s article now has a final layer of review (for accuracy) utilizing other experts within the same subject matter.

THE TRADITIONAL RESEARCH LAYOUT AND VALUE OF THE RESEARCH ARTICLE

Dr. Russell Gavin, former chair of NBA’s Research (and Editorial) committees, shares his thoughts on the layout and value of these types of articles:

A number of peer-reviewed

research articles may read like other articles found in the NBA Journal, with the author outlining their thoughts on a subject while using citations to support the premise of the issue being discussed. Other research articles will take on a bit more of a scientific approach. These articles begin with a review of literature summarizing the research on the topic that already exists, while simultaneously presenting the reader with the rationale driving the current article. A method section follows, describing what actually happened in the research, then a results and analysis section(s) describing what the researcher found, if anything. The article

Matthew Talbert, Associate Professor of Music Education and Director of the School of Music, joined Ohio University in the fall of 2016. Talbert earned a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of South Carolina (2012), a Master of Music in Music Education from Appalachian State University (2005), and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Appalachian State University (2004).

closes with a discussion of the findings and how they may relate to the world. The article concludes with a list of references from which the author drew information and ideas.

If you are inexperienced at reading research articles, you may want to read the discussion section first. This part of the article will explain how the information found in the rest of the article may impact you and others in the article subject community. Oftentimes this is the place where practical ideas will be most clearly expressed; however, taking in the entire article will always give a much clearer view of what the author was attempting to express.

As mentioned above, an ideal research article is adding to the research that came before it. This continuation and growth of knowledge is one of the defining characteristics of this kind of inquiry. At the end of the article, the reader is left with information that is not only new to them, but simultaneously new to the world. This level of investigation is of paramount importance in all areas of music and education, and the NBA is proud to present this new avenue for such

exploration and thought. GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION OF PEER-REVIEW RESEARCH ARTICLES

A. Submission Method: Manuscripts should be submitted as Microsoft Word attachments via email to the Editorial Committee Chair: silveyba@missouri.edu

B. Length: The manuscript should not exceed 25 pages and should include an abstract of 100-150 words in length on a separate page. We encourage the submission of short form articles (4-10 pages) as well as full-length articles.

C. Cover Page: To ensure anonymity in the review process, the manuscript should contain no clues as to the author’s institutional affiliation or identity. Author’s name(s), address, institution affiliations, and pertinent information should be listed on a separate cover page at the beginning of the submission. The cover page should also include up to five keywords/phrases that describe the contents of the manuscript.

D. Style Guide: Manuscripts should conform to one of the following style manuals:

(1) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition, 2019),

(2) The Chicago Manual of Style(17th edition, 2017), or

(3) A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (K. L. Turabian, 9th edition, revised by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, and the University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff, 2018). Note: Authors may not combine and/or mix styles within a single manuscript

E. Tables and Figures: Tables and figures may be included with the manuscript, however, these must be publishable in black and white. It is the author’s responsibility to make sure any tables/figures are checked for accuracy before submission. Additionally, if any copyrighted materials are submitted, it is the author’s responsibility to provide documentation allowing the reproduction of these materials.

F. Ethical Requirements: It is the author’s responsibility to ensure that no copyright issues have been violated by the submission, including images, charts, etc. Manuscripts already published in other journals can be submitted

How to Submit Peer-Reviewed Research to the NBA Journal, Matthew Talbert, cont.

SUBMITTING PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH

How to Submit Peer-Reviewed Research to the NBA Journal, Matthew Talbert, cont.

for consideration in the NBA Journal providing the author has permission to do so.

Questions about submitting a peer- reviewed article? Email Research Chair Brian Silvey at silveyba@missouri.edu

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