Texas Sings! Vol 26 No 2 Winter 2010

2010 Winter TS v.7: 2005 Spring Texas Sings! FINAL 1/19/10 4:32 PM Page 1

TEXAS SINGS!!

VOLUME 26 NUMBER 2

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF TEXAS CHORAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION

Fifteen for the File

WINTER 2010

NON-PROFIT U.S. Postage Paid Austin, Texas Permit No. 789

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Texas Choral Directors Association

55th Annual Convention and

New Music Reading Clinic

John Rutter

July 28-31, 2010

Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center

San Antonio

Convention Highlights

Rollo Dilworth

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Lynne Gackle

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Tim Lautzenheiser

TCDA

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13 New Music Reading Sessions — more than 250 titles at all levels 30-plus Workshops, specifically for each Division: College/Community, HS, MS/JH, Elementary, Church, Students Workshops specifically for student members Trade show with more than 300 exhibit spaces Convention Headliners John Rutter, Rollo Dilworth and Lynne Gackle Jaston Williams Elementary Honor Choir directed by Rollo Dilworth Commissioned Works by Judith Herrington and John Rutter High School Student Day with headliner Tim Lautzenheiser — watch for details BBQ is Back with entertainment provided by Greater Tuna’s Jaston Williams

T DA

Texas Choral Directors Association

For registration information: 7900 Centre Park Drive, Suite A ■ Austin, TX 78754 ■ 512/474-2801

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TexasSings.org

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TEXAS SINGS! Volume 26 Number 2 Winter 2010

OFFICERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PRESIDENT

Amy Allibon, Fort Worth

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by Dr Chris D White

PAST PRESIDENT

Bob Horton, The Woodlands COLLEGE/COMMUNITY VICE PRESIDENT

Dr John Silantien, San Antonio HIGH SCHOOL VICE PRESIDENT

Sharon Paul, Houston MIDDLE SCHOOL/JUNIOR HIGH VICE PRESIDENT

Dianna L Jarvis, San Antonio

President’s Page

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Hooray for Shirey

by Amy Allibon

Officer Comments

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In Memoriam

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Elizabeth Volk

ELEMENTARY VICE PRESIDENT

Karen Gonzalez, Garland CHURCH VICE PRESIDENT

Thomas Coker, Houston

On the Cover:

SECRETARY/TREASURER

Dan L Wood

Dr Chris White discovers 15 contemporary selections that exhibit a high quality of composition with meaningful texts, lyrical melodies, accessible part writing, expressive nuance, and syntactical excellence.

The complete list appears on page 5.

ART DIRECTOR

Illlustration by James A Black

Kay Owens, Arlington EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dan L Wood, Austin EDITOR

James A Black, Coppell PUBLISHER

Good/Wood Associates PO Box 6472 Austin, Texas 78762

TEXAS

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Official Publication of the Texas Choral Directors Association 7900 Centre Park Drive, Suite A Austin, TX 78754 512/474-2801 Copyright 2010 by Texas Choral Directors Association. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the Executive Director. TCDA is an affiliate of ACDA

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TCDA Mission Statement The mission of TCDA is to support and foster the success of Texas choral directors and music teachers and to instill a love of music in every Texas school, church, and community singer.

TCDA Members On-Line — TexasSings.org The TCDA Member Database is password protected. Entry is very simple for members. When you click on “Member Database”, you will be asked for a username and password. Enter tcda and 2009 and you’re in!

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Fifteen for the File

by Dr Chris D White

Illustration by James A Black

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s a part-time music minister, I find it challenging to program a variety of music for my church choir. To attract younger singers to the choir, I realize that I must include in the choir’s repertoire contemporary Christian music or hymn arrangements in a popular style. Unfortunately, as a university music educator and choral scholar, I am more familiar with the classic and pedagogical literature appropriate for school and university choirs. Further, I find some of the popular Christian arrangements to be

Christ, the Way of Life Possess Me K Lee Scott Oxford University Press SATB and Organ General use; appropriate for All-Saints Sunday Climb to the Top of the Highest Mountain Carolyn Jennings Curtis Music Press C8118 SATB and children’s choir; poetic text based on Isaiah 40 General use; appropriate for Children’s Sunday, Baptism, etc.

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Mack Wilberg Oxford University Press SATB and org, orchestra, or brass choir General use; appropriate for Thanksgiving Fairest Lord, Jesus arr Mark Hayes Beckenhorst Press BP1582 SATB and pno; traditional hymn arrangement General use Give Me Jesus arr Craig Courtney Beckenhorst Press BP1622 SATB and pno General use Dr Chris D White is an Associate Professor and Head of the Music Department at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

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substandard in terms of textual significance and musical structure.

Still, after attending numerous reading workshops at TCDA, I discovered 15 contemporary selections that exhibit a high quality of composition with meaningful texts, lyrical melodies, accessible part writing, expressive nuance, and syntactical excellence. Amazingly, all of the members of my church choir enthusiastically responded to the opportunity to perform these selections.

Thus, I commend these publications to you as “Fifteen for the File!”

Hear My Prayer Moses Hogan Hal Leonard 8703308 SATB General use; appropriate as prayer response for All-Saints Sunday

My Shepherd will Supply my Need Mack Wilberg Hinshaw Music Press HMC1424 SATB, hrp or pno, fl, and ob; Psalm 23 General use; appropriate for Thanksgiving

How Beautiful Twila Paris/arr Craig Courtney Beckenhorst Press BP1639 SATB and pno General use; appropriate for Communion

Rose of Sharon Patti Drennan Alfred Music 25534 SATB, vio, and pno; poetic text by John Parker Appropriate for Advent

Hymn of Mercy Dan Forrest Beckenhorst Press BP1765 SATB, fl, and pno; poetic text based on Hosea 14: 1-4 General use; appropriate for All-Saints Sunday

Simple Praise Craig Courtney Lorenz Publishing 10/3346L SATB and pno; poetic text by Pamela Martin General use; appropriate for Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day (vs. 2)

Jesse’s Tree Elizabeth Beckham Helm Publishing Company SATB unaccompanied General use; poignant, expressive text Love Is . . .

Joseph Martin Shawnee Press A7057 SATB, fl, and pno; poetic text based on I Corinthians 13 Appropriate for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s or Father’s Day TEXAS√SINGS!

Take My Life Craig Courtney Beckenhorst Press BP1380-2 SATB and pno; poetic text by Frances Havergal (1874) General use; appropriate for Commitment Sunday, Baptism, etc.

That I May Know Thee Elizabeth Beckham Helm Publishing Company SATB and pno; poetic text based upon Psalm 143 General use 5

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President’s Page

Hooray for Shirey by TCDA President Amy Alllibon similar obligation to share some of the Shireyisms that propelled generations of singers to sing better, know the music more intimately, appreciate the heart and soul of a work, and yes, laugh at themselves. Read them and laugh, and remember the fire that was Ron Shirey’s spirit that burns in the hearts of his students. My thanks to everyone on Facebook for their generous contributions.

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n November, we lost a choral giant, Ron Shirey. During his career, Shirey touched the lives of so many people with his deep passion and boundless drive. Without Ron Shirey, my life would be very different; I would have never dreamed of attending a private school like TCU. My high school director, Janet Walker, a TCU alum, convinced Shirey to bring the TCU Chorale to Wichita Falls for a recruiting concert, and that is when he met my brother and family. Because of scholarships, work study, church jobs, and probably Shirey’s Visa card from time to time, Danny and I both graduated from TCU having sung in the Chorale for most of the 1980’s between the two of us. His passing leaves a hole in all of our hearts, and the world is simply too quiet without his demanding baritone voice that could bounce from articulate commands to a mumbled voice mail message in an instant.

Three years ago, we celebrated Shirey’s 30th anniversary as the Director of Choral Music at TCU with a dinner.

Many tributes were paid to him from alumni from each of the decades. The evening was full of laughter, tears, and laughter through tears. As each person spoke of Shirey, the love and respect for the man and his musicianship was evident. We all learned to love and respect music from all historical periods, something that I greatly treasure about my education with him. His passion for the Renaissance stays with me perhaps more than any other, while other TCU generations speak of his love of Brahms.

(I think he was on a Brahms hiatus during my four years as we only sang the Liebesleider Waltzes. Perhaps we weren’t worthy of Brahms’ music!) Whether it was Victoria, Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Debussy, or Copland, we were taught to respect and honor the different style of work and composer with the fervent

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President Amy Allibon

leadership of Shirey. Yes, there could be a TCU Alumni Chorale sing-a-long of a certain stock set of choral works that we all know, but what a wonderful legacy he gave us.

Another common thread among the alumni stories was the poignant memories that came from rehearsals with Shirey. His energy and passion in rehearsals never faltered, even if it was to the detriment of his own health.

TCU alumni love to recount the remarks that he hurled in rehearsals, evoking immediate change in some aspect of the choir’s tone and music.

The man’s colorful metaphors and offthe-wall insults could engender laughter and improvement simultaneously. It’s one of the things TCU alumni cherish; like the legacy of music we performed, “Shireyisms” are tattooed on our memory every bit as much as the music.

Before the internet, the comments were simply written in the margins and passed along to the next generation when the score was resurrected. With the dawning of the internet, Shirey’s colorful quips have taken their place on the world wide web. Much like Shirey passed along the famous quotes of his good friend, Robert Shaw, I feel a TEXAS√SINGS!

“Dammit ______________”(insert student singer’s name) upon not putting a “t” on the word “great”. “Grey king? You might as well call him polka dotted.”

“Don’t you move once that song ends. If you move, I’ll kill ya!”

“I’m serious folks. As serious as a basket of dead babies.”

“I watch some of your eyes glaze over and I want to offer you a doughnut. But then I stop and think, ‘No, sugar’s not good for you.’”

(During rehearsal of the Brahms Requiem) “Don’t do it for me, do it for Brahms. I helped him write the damn thing!”

“Altos!! Don’t let that last note sound like you smacked a baby and sent it down the Trinity River!”

“You have to proudly do nothing, not just “lazily” do nothing!”

“Did you all take pills to make you happy before you came here? Tell me where they are and I’ll take the whole bottle!”

“Sing it as though you are squirting persimmons through your belly-button.”

(In reference to a glottal separation in the diction) “It’s factus est, not factussest...that sounds like incest.”

“Sopranos! Stop making that Nazi sound! I can’t stand Nazis. Especially feminine ones.”

“Sopranos, stop throwing hand grenades at me!”

“Sopranos! You sound like a bag of Winter 2010

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cats on fire!”

“Sopranos, don’t lunge for that note like a subterranean mole groping for the sunlight; rather, land on it *gently*, like a hummingbird alighting on a branch” (accompanied by appropriate hand gestures, of course) “Sopranos! You better fix that eee vowel! It sounds like you’re spreading fecal matter all over the wall!”

“Sopranos, you sound like a cat dragging it’s ass over a fence!”

“Dammit Sopranos, get all the way up to the note - close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades!!!”

(To the tenors) “Sit down ladies!”

“Tenors, it sounds like you are massaging something in the back of your throats . . . perhaps your belly button?” “ Save that sound for the “money notes” like the high”G” in the Vaughn Williams. They didn’t have heldon tenors in the Renaissance.”

“Tenors, you should have eagles in your eyes! You look like you have turkeys!”

“You sound like a pack of wolves begging for a bale of hay!”

“Basses, until you get it right you’ll

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just have to grab root and growl.”

“Basses, I can’t tell you and the tenors apart except for your sound.

Well...maybe the smell.”

In reference to a sluggish bass section: “You sound like folks back in Oklahoma! “Moooove the wagon, Paaaaaaaw. It’s on my fooooot.”

“Dammit Basses! I gave you 2 bars intro, that’s more than enough to get drunk in!”

“Altos, you’ll fall into the eternal fires of Hell if you keep singing like that!”

“It needs to be HoSANna!” Not HoZANna! What is Zanna, anyway? It sounds like some Middle-Eastern AlQaida group...”

“It’s rih-joicing not REE-joicing. I don’t understand why you’d be REEjoicing, unless you were joicing over and over again!”

“I could take off my clothes and fly to heaven and you people wouldn’t notice ...”

“Don’t sing Mozart like it was Notezart.”

“I don’t want to hear you breathe like an asthmatic Hoover!”

“Note –note-note-note does NOT

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music make!”

“Get that damn Texas out of your voice!”

“Look up from whence your help cometh.”

“Don’t be sexy with my Bach.”

“I am the quintessential reincarnation of Johannes Brahms in all his corporate corpulence and rotundity.”

“Brahms would not have bothered to cross the street to speak to Bruckner. But he might have to spit on him. “ “Presound the ‘N’! I don’t want to hear ‘. . . slumber snot. . . ’ ” “Remember: some people are urns and some people are saucers. We keep pouring music into them. The urns keep filling up while everything runs over the sides of the saucers and disappears. We are doing this for the urns.”

Mr Shirey, your students were your urns, filling up with music and a passion for the choral art that overflows now to our students and choirs. You were the catapult, the glue, and the inspiring fire.

You are greatly missed, but rest assured, you live on in our hearts, minds, and the “isms” that we now repeat to our choirs.

You will never be forgotten.

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Officer Comments Past President Bob Horton

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idway. I think about the things that signify the midway point.

Middle age (which I hope is 60!).

Half-time of the game. Intermission of the play or concert.

All these provide a great time to reflect and assess. What has happened so far? What remains to come? I always try to examine the areas of my life and see where I have been, what’s happened, and where I am going. Do you? I think of the roles I have in life: Husband, Father, Son, Brother. Church, School, Community, Student, Teacher. Many would agree that who you are is not what you do. However, what we do provides opportunities to be who we are, and the most of that is being the best person, the best us in all the areas of our life. So it follows in our interactions with our singers, and the teaching we do.

In December, a choir director friend of mine told me that he was having a pretty busy week. I thought, DUH! We’re all having a busy week. Then he went on, “ I have my concert on Thursday, and my life skills class concert on Tuesday”. WHOA! I said, “Your what concert?” He explained to me that his school has a life skills class that comes to his choir room a few times per week, and he taught them some songs and they performed a concert. Wow. The thought never entered my mind.

Later that week, on the day of our concert, the life skills teacher popped her head into my room and said, “We have some carolers in the hall. Can we come in and sing for you?” Sure, I responded. Little did I know the joy that awaited me. The 18 or so carolers came in and lined up, just as they had practiced. Their lead teacher (who also happens to be a choir parent extraordinaire) started them on their familiar carols. Earlier that day, our varsity mixed choir had their final rehearsal on

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the Rutter Gloria, and Lauridsen O Magnum Mysterium. I could not contain my pride for the work the kids had done to prepare the songs for the concert that night. They seemed happy and proud of themselves as well. But when that life skills class came in, I was reminded of something greater than beautiful choral tone. I’m sure you can imagine the sound of the life skills students as they sang, and of course the words got mixed up, and some were barely intelligible. But the joy and pride those kids had was no less than our Varsity Mixed choir. So there, at midway, at the half point, I was reminded: Music should move us.

I also was reminded of something my colleague, Angela Rivera, said to me when we worked together. Angela stayed one final year before retiring, to help me understand how to run our program. One day, as we were working very hard and I was trying to keep track of the myriad aspects of a high school choir program, she said a very simple, yet profound statement to me. Don’t forget to be happy. Great advice! I have lots to be happy about. Since then, even in the midst of intense rehearsal, I try to remember those words. I occasionally share other profound words with my choirs. At times, at both church and school, we are all concentrating so much, that our faces don’t exactly show the joy of singing. So, I try to remind the choir: If you’re happy, and you know it, then your face will surely show it! (you know the rest). At the halfway point, I am happy. Don’t forget to be happy!

Each year, during the holiday season, we have a tradition. The tradition involves watching It’s a Wonderful Life. As I get older, I find myself living George Bailey’s life a little more than I used to, or sometimes want to. But, the key point of that movie, I think, is the title. Life really became wonderful and significant when George took his focus off his own problems to help save someone else. It’s that when we focus on helping others, we find deeper meaning in life. Three years ago, a handful of our freshman girls were so in love with their teacher, Lynn Bull, that they went caroling in her honor, as strange as it may sound. The reason they did this is that Lynn is a breast TEXAS√SINGS!

cancer survivor. They raised a few hundred dollars for the Susan G Komen breast cancer foundation. This year, now the third time they did it, they involved many people from our choir program, and raised $1500 in one night, by caroling! In the process, they had a wonderful night of fun, eating, singing, and bonding. The result, too, was that they helped others. It’s a wonderful life.

So, at midway of the school year we encounter the beginning of the New Year, and it seems that lots of people make resolutions. What are yours? I know mine. The older I get, the more I realize how precious every day is. If you are fortunate enough to teach school, you probably know what I am talking about.

Resolution 1 – Live in the Moment.

I am a planner. I like to have a plan.

But sometimes I catch myself thinking ahead and not being present in the moment. I’m going to try to be better at that. Last year, in our pop show dress rehearsal, I noticed one of our choir parents sitting in the back. As busy and hectic as the dress rehearsal was, she was really glad she came, and thanked me for a great year of choir. She told me that she was coming to the rehearsal because she had to go pick up her oldest son at the airport, as he was coming home to see the second son graduate.

We had a brief and pleasant conversation, and I was really glad we spoke.

The next day, she was killed by a drunk driver. I am so glad that I got the chance to see her and talk to her, to really be there, in the moment.

Resolution 2 – Look around. I am usually a pretty observant person. Some of it may come from the nature of what we do – always considering what we hear, and ways to fix it. But I tend to get tunnel vision or ultra focused about things. That can be a great quality; an excellent servant, but a terrible master.

One thing doctoral school has taught me (besides that six hours of sleep is overrated) is that there is always more to what’s going on than just what’s going on. I try to listen to lots of recordings of pieces we are doing. I try to consider the text from the author’s point of view or life story, from the context of the words.

I try to understand the harmonic and stylistic language of the composer’s era, or style. None of these considerations may have a direct influence on the choir, Winter 2010

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Officer Comments but we do. So, I try to always look around. That includes looking in the mirror to ask myself what I am trying to accomplish.

I close with a quote from one of my

College/ Community John Silantien

It’s Not Always About the Text

professors. He has it at the bottom of his email signature.

People are to be loved and things to be used. Most of humanity’s problems occur because we too often love things

and use people.

Words to live by.

I hope your second half is great.

I look forward to seeing you this summer! √

would be to stress long notes wherever they occurred in the line, regardless of the text underlay. As a matter of fact, composers often did not even provide a text underlay for the musical line, leaving that to the discretion of the singer. Furthermore, the title pages of many Renaissance publications state that the music in those volumes is “apt for voices or viols.” That statement reinforces the notion that Renaissance composers were not primarily con-

cerned with text, since the music could be performed with or without words.

Instrumentalists would stress long notes uninfluenced by word stress. There are many instances where the long note and syllabic stress coincide, but when they do not, then the long note receives the stress, in my opinion, even when it occurs on a weak syllable.

To balance the argument, there are definitely instances where word painting occurs in Renaissance music, eg,

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odern-day sources, such as choral methods textbooks, often recommend using the text as a ruling factor when interpreting music of the Renaissance. They suggest that conductors should pay close attention to the syllabic stress of the words in shaping the musical line. They maintain that phrasing should be determined by the text. In my opinion, formed through examining the music and writings of the period, the words should not be a conductor’s first consideration in performing sixteenth-century music.

The works of Josquin des Prez, William Byrd, and others contain countless instances in which a work’s strong syllable is set to a short note value and the weak syllable receives a longer note value. The opening of Josquin’s motet, Ave vera virginitas, sets the first strong syllable of “vera” to a quarter note on the third beat of a 3/4 measure, and the second unstressed syllable receives a half note on the first beat of the ensuing measure. Those modern-day methods books, which suggest that text should drive interpretation, would advise singing according to the normal syllabic stress – VE-ra. In Josquin’s setting, that produces an awkward syncopation and imposes an accent on a weak note, beat three. Then to try to unstress the longer half note on beat one is doubly unnatural. The Renaissance singer would have seen a string of notes uninterrupted by bar lines. The natural tendency Winter 2010

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Officer Comments “ascendit” is sometimes set to a rising line, and Renaissance madrigals are full of “madrigalisms.” So, performers should certainly interpret those passages in accordance with the text. The vast majority of Renaissance polyphony, however, is not text-driven. In Palestrina’s mass settings, seldom is the motivic material particularly expressive of “Kyrie,” or “Sanctus,” or “Agnus Dei.” The performance of the musical phrase is determined much more by the melodic contour and long notes than by either the import of the words or their agogic stress.

Further evidence for the primacy of the music over the text in the Renaissance period occurs in writings of the early Baroque. Giulio Caccini, writing in his Le nuove musiche (1601), and Claudio Monteverdi four years later,

High School Sharon Paul

It Takes a Thief!

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hat does it take to bring our students to the highest level of performance and create an enjoyable level of learning? Well, I propose it takes a thief! Now, mind you, I’m not speaking of the kind of stealing that would result in a criminal record.

I’m talking about the wealth of knowledge and ideas that are available for all of us. What are some of the sources that may enrich our students and our experience as a teacher? Consider stealing great ideas from some of the sources listed below.

Perhaps research those closest to you. Your colleagues may prove a wealth of knowledge. Do you like their programming? Or perhaps the way their choir sounds in their UIL performances or concerts? Many of my best ideas have really been my colleagues’ ideas first!

I’m in great debt to many of my friends for their great programming ideas or the

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clearly argued that there were two practices in music. In the prima prattica, or the Renaissance style, the music dominated the text. Monteverdi explained that he was writing in the seconda prattica, in which the words assumed primary importance. He argued against his critics that in expressing the meaning or affect of the text, he would not be constrained by the rules of the old practice. He therefore employed new, expressive dissonance treatment and careful rhythmic settings that matched the prosody of the words. This evidence all infers that the new music paid more attention to the text than did that of the first practice. Modern conductors, as interpreters, should therefore approach the music with those differing priorities in mind.

Setting interpretive priorities

way to approach a certain selection.

Talk to your friends. I believe many folks would find it flattering to ask how they accomplish their goals.

Take advantage of the region choir clinics and clinicians when they are visiting. There may be an idea or a “gem” for you to take home to your next rehearsal. It’s a great time to sit back, listen, and watch someone else work.

This is also a great time to talk to your colleagues within your region about their ideas and how they approach a certain task.

Reap the benefits of our professional conventions. TCDA is a great way to start the year with all of the clinics, clinicians, vendors, and reading sessions fresh on your mind. TMEA is a great way to glean ideas and recharge your batteries before the upcoming contest season. Enjoy the clinics, performances, and entertain sharing ideas with your friends from across the state.

How about a visiting clinician or specialist? Invite a colleague or friend, whom you admire, to come and work with your students for special clinic prior to UIL. It’s enlightening to sit back and listen to your own choir. I will always hear something I hadn’t heard before. Consider recording the clinician while he or she works with your choir.

Or perhaps invite several clinicians to come and write comments for a PreUIL contest concert? If possible, record

the performance for your own critique.

Record your rehearsals weekly or every other day prior to a concert or UIL. I don’t know about you, but if I’m playing the piano, addressing a section, conducting, and reteaching a section of music, I may miss something. It’s great to sit in the quiet of my home or office and focus on listening to the choir while I make notes or circle areas of the music that need improvement. My students are used to seeing tabs or flags on my music regarding those spots we need to repair.

Consider repertoire carefully. When selecting repertoire for a concert or UIL, it is so important to consider those precious faces in front of you. The repertoire can make or break a performance on many different levels. It is important we like the music, but it is more important the repertoire is suited for the choir. Does it show off the strong points in our choir? The veteran teachers in my career have been invaluable when looking for repertoire or that “off the list” selection. Consider bouncing your program off of a trusted colleague or friend whose programming you admire.

How does conducting affect performances? When I first begin teaching, I’m not sure I considered how conducting affected the performance. I was fortunate to have folks around me that were great conductors and would suggest a trick or two to add to my

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I believe that the pendulum that swings between music in one period that is not text-driven and music in the next period that is text-driven continues through the Classical and Romantic periods. There is much evidence in the music and in the writings of those periods to indicate that Mozart and Haydn conceived their works more in purely musical terms rather than with textual priorities. The music of Beethoven and his followers, on the other hand, is more concerned with expressing the emotions of the text. This theory of when the text is more or less important has many exceptions, but it can serve modern-day conductors as a starting point for approaching the music of each historical period in accordance with the composers’ priorities. √

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Officer Comments conducting for the performance. Some conducting items can be added easily and practiced into daily routine. Some skills may require a clinic in the summer that focuses on improving conducting skills. For example, there are workshops in the summer that focus expressly on choral and orchestral works. What would best serve your program?

If you are a veteran teacher continue to find new venues for performance, exciting new repertoire, or challenge yourself to a themed performance.

Expand your perimeters and try new ways of teaching to incorporate fresh ideas into your own rehearsal. I

Middle School/ Junior High Dianna L Jarvis

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ith the beginning of a new semester comes the planning and preparation for spring contests and music festivals. For some, the approaching contests are very familiar and somewhat second nature.

Yet others among us experience some anxiety at the thought of walking onto the contest stage or entering a sight reading room. Participating in UIL or music festivals does not have to be a daunting task, nor should it become something that dominates our thoughts.

Although some feelings of anxiety are likely to occur, a good plan of action can alleviate much of the stress related to contest season. For those who might feel a bit uneasy when it comes to competitions, I would like to offer ideas which might be helpful as you maneuver through the last half of the school year.

Choosing contest repertoire

One of the most frequent mistakes young teachers make when choosing repertoire for contest is picking songs that don’t flatter their group. “I really love this piece” or “My students really love that piece” should not be the reason Winter 2010

attended a workshop this summer that really provoked thought in the approach of count-singing in music with a variety of ways to implement the process into a rehearsal that made it really fun and exciting.

Experienced teachers, think about mentoring a new teacher through MERN or just simply asking how a new colleague is doing. So many of you have “gems” of wisdom, knowledge, and repertoire to impart and share. I’ve learned so much from the folks I have admired over the years.

Use Internet sources. There are so many available sources for listening to

performances online through a variety of publishers, music vendors, and even the option of downloaded or streamed performances.

Stealing an idea and implementing a new way of doing things may invigorate, energize, or more important, enrich our student’s musical experience on a deeper level. We have great choral directors and teachers in Texas. Why not take a moment and see if you can capitalize on the greatest caper of all time? This is one time when it is legal and advised! Thank you, Texas choral directors, for your outstanding work and contribution to our profession! √

a song is selected. Directors should look for literature that showcases the strengths of their students. If you have a “to die for” soprano section, find literature whose overall structure is dominated by a strong, melodic line. If you have a section within your choir that is a little weak, look for a piece wherein that voice part plays a subservient role. Consider choosing contest pieces with which other choral directors have had success. Call experienced directors you know for advice on contest repertoire. If you are not comfortable asking for help, browse through the websites of various Regions. These sites are a wonderful source of information. Many provide archived UIL concert programs with concurrent contest ratings. This is a great way to see what pieces have worked for other choirs throughout the state. Choose musical selections that you know your students can successfully perform. One of the best indicators of whether a piece will work for your choir is if your students can successfully grasp the main sections of the piece within the first few readings. Don’t be afraid to have your choirs go through the exploring stage of several pieces. It can ultimately work to your advantage to have your students read through five or six pieces. Often it will become evident after a few days which songs naturally work for your group and which pieces you will need to save for another time.

Last, UIL contest is not the place to be a daredevil or the time to take huge risks when it comes to repertoire. Instead, make smart choices that will set your

students up for success. Keep in mind that more often than not, the question you will be asked after the contest is not what pieces your group performed, but instead, what rating your choir earned.

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Sight reading

Sight reading drills and exercises should be done each time your choirs meet. Investing five minutes each day reaps huge dividends during the second semester of a school year. Students become skilled musicians who are able to learn music more rapidly. Make use of opportunities to drill sound patterns through warm-up and quick games.

Have students figure out the solfege of a line from a popular song or commercial.

Once they have mastered a sound pattern, it will be permanently imbedded in their memory. For example: NBC – do la fa Meow Mix – do ti la so Mr Clean – mi mi so, mi mi so Here Comes the Bride – do fa fa fa You’re a Mean one, Mr Grinch – do re mi la do mi re Beginning in early January, we designate part of our rehearsals on Fridays for UIL sight reading drills. Our choirs read though past UIL sight reading pieces using the routine we will incorporate at contest. Although running these drills can be very time consuming at first, the speed and accuracy of your choir will increase with each full reading. Be prepared for the strong possibility that your students will “crash and burn” the first few drill days.

These moments of not succeeding can be very useful. Allow the students to 11

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Officer Comments analyze where the problems occurred and help them practice solutions such as singing up/down the scale to the missed interval or plugging in learned sound patterns. You may be surprised how quickly the students begin using these analyzing tools the next time they sight read.

It’s a good idea to teach your students to look for the musical form in a sight reading piece. Make sure they understand that much of the music they encounter in the sight reading room will have a basic ABA form. Review with your students the fact that most musical phrases take place in four measure sections. If they understand this concept, identifying the beginning and end of each section can be simplified by using some easy math. Since the musical phrases usually occur in groups of four measures, the A section will

often come to a conclusion at the end of a measure whose number is a multiple of four (such as measure 8,12,16, etc).

Therefore, the beginning of the B section is likely to begin in the measure following those multiples of four (8+1, 12+1, 16+1, etc). There are, of course, exceptions to this rule such as phrases that begin with a pick up note. Keeping this general idea in mind, however, can be helpful when analyzing the form of a piece on a macro level. In addition to counting measures, students should look for melodic and rhythmic clues that indicate a new section or the return of a previously stated section. Train your students to look for patterns in all new music they encounter including their daily sight reading drills. The ability of your students to recognize repeated phrases, measures, and rhythmic passages will greatly increase

their accuracy when sight reading.

If the sight reading routine you employ includes a brief overview of the piece prior to chanting or audiating, consider training your advanced students to glance at the condensed score during the overview (publishers now provide a condensed score in many of the MS/JH sight reading pieces). The condensed score can help both the director and students quickly identify segments of the sight reading composition that have unison notes or passages, shared vs differing rhythmic patterns, and unexpected chord progressions.

Get a second opinion

It is well worth your time to invite another director to listen and work with your choirs. Having someone listen to and rehearse your students can make a huge difference in the way your choirs

IN MEMORIAM

ELIZABETH VOLK 1953-2009

by Ken Steele

O

n December 30, 2009, our dear friend and colleague, Elizabeth Volk, left this life peacefully in her sleep. We honor her with memories of a life dedicated to teaching young people the joys of music and singing.

All those who knew Liz could tell you two things about her without hesitation: the first time they met her and the first time they heard her choirs perform. Liz was a master teacher, having achieved the highest standards of the choral art. When one had the privilege of judging her choirs in the UIL concert and sight reading evaluations, one was amazed at the level of musicianship exhibited by her students. In the first reading of the sight reading piece, the music was “performed” rather than merely “read”; by the second reading, it sounded as if the choir had been rehearsing it for weeks.

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hearty laugh, and she loved puns.

She played piano with great artistry, and accompanied many reading sessions at our summer conferences in San Antonio.

W

Liz Volk

Liz was one of the most positive people one could know. Her cheerful greetings brought smiles to those around her. She had a clever wit, a

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hat a full life Liz lived – including a summer as an exchange student in Africa; as accompanist for her classmate, a soprano named Meryl Streep, while in high school in Bernardsville NJ; serving on the board of TCDA in 1991-92; glowing in the accomplishments of her niece and nephews; a celebrated co-author of an outstanding textbook for choral directors; having many friends who will love her and miss her forever . . . .

We can only hope that through the scholarship in her name, future generations of Texas Choral Directors will be able to achieve their dreams of teaching the joys of music and singing.

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Officer Comments view and perform the music. If your budget is limited, consider finding a neighboring school that will share a clinician with you. The clinician can work on one campus in the morning and the other campus that afternoon.

This will allow you to split expenses between the two participating schools.

Be sure to invite someone you trust and whose opinion you value. Be open enough to allow the clinician to honestly evaluate your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher. If you are anxious about the sight reading portion of the contest, have a clinician observe your choir as they go through the sight reading process using the UIL-mandated rules and regulations. The clinician may be able to offer helpful suggestions to make your routine more efficient.

Let the recording show

New technology has huge benefits in the rehearsal hall. From small, self contained recording devices such as portable CD recorders and handheld

Elementary Karen Gonzalez

Why Perform?

The programs and concerts of the holiday season are over and spring has sprung! I hope each one of you had a wonderful break, filled with new memories, wonderful music, and lots of rest. It always seems to me that the fall semester flies by and the spring semester goes on for eternity – I know it doesn’t really, but it sure seems that way at times.

Many of us (myself included) are expected to put on a program every month for the PTA. Having a grade level perform is a great way to get the parents to meetings and hopefully generate more support for the school. Though it is true that music is a performance art, it shouldn’t be equally true that perforWinter 2010

MP3 samplers to software programs like Audacity, recording rehearsals has never been easier. Use recordings to accurately evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your ensembles. It is impossible for you as the teacher/director to catch every mistake during a rehearsal.

Recordings allow you to play “Monday morning quarterback” and recognize mistakes or balancing issues not previously addressed in the rehearsal.

To save time I often download the recordings onto a CD and use my commute to and from school as my time to review and evaluate rehearsals.

Consider having your students listen to segments of the rehearsal to develop their music analytical skills. Listening to rehearsals can also help your students understand a piece on a holistic level as they discover how the vocal lines “fit” together.

I have found that my most effective and rewarding teaching occurs when I

am “centered”. Taking time to reset priorities and revisit the reason you choose this profession is a good place to start. Read books and articles that inspire you. Make a conscious effort to invest time with family and friends on a routine basis. Occasionally give yourself permission to leave work after your last class is finished and take the evening off from all work-related activities.

Most important, avoid getting caught up in the ratings race. As directors, our overall focus during UIL contests and music festivals should not center on achieving a specific rating or receiving validation as choral directors from contest judges. Instead, our driving force should be enabling our students to refine their skills as musicians and challenging them to perform and interpret the music to the best of their ability. Ultimately, what the students learn in your classroom on a daily basis will remain with them much longer than the thrill of winning a contest or bringing home a trophy. √

mance is all you should do. Over the years I have found that besides being the music teacher, I am the also the “program director” – going from one program to the next. The actual teaching has been replaced with “learn these songs”, “memorize these lines”, “make sure our movements are all together”, and “watch me!” We are so concerned with perfecting a program that we forget about the process of preparation.

When preparing for a program, two kinds of learning must take place – physical learning and musical learning.

Posture, breathing, and watching the conductor are the physical elements.

Phrasing, dynamics, correct notes and rhythms, and emotion, are the musical elements that need to be learned. Once these are in place, students are ready to perform. The element of time – or lack of it – sometimes makes us rush through the processes that are necessary to prepare students for performance. This past December, I had to present an allschool holiday program. Each grade level, including Pre-K and PPCD, performed a song. I found myself working on program music all of November and December because I only

see the students once a week. I didn’t get to enjoy the seasonal music and games that I usually teach because we were preparing for this huge program. How can one balance programs and teaching of the curriculum? Good question – I wish I had a set-in-stone answer!

If you are not required to do a grade level program every month, then students should be performing in class or other smaller venues such as performing for other classes or for their teachers.

Students should have the opportunity to work on something long enough to have it performance-ready. Much of the music in our day-to-day lessons goes by in a week or two and is not “perfected” or memorized. Sometimes we need to have them work on music long enough to have it ready for a public performance – notes learned, words memorized, logistics of entering and exiting perfected.

Rehearsal teaches students discipline, teamwork, and the satisfaction of learning something wonderful. We always want our students to rehearse with enthusiasm and emotion, but as much as we want the same level of energy and excitement in rehearsal as in a performance, it usually doesn’t happen

Preparing the director

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Officer Comments until they are standing on the stage with a live audience!

Performance builds a child’s confidence and self esteem; is a reflection of their hard work and our teaching abilities. It is rewarding for students when they have had a successful performance. Positive audience feedback gives children the feeling of being a “real” musician. Through performance, children learn the proper work ethic and goal setting it takes to put on a program.

Why assess?

How does a child really know if they have done a good job in a performance?

Their parents are going to love what they did regardless of how good or bad it was – especially at the elementary level! If you are able, have a parent or another teacher video tape performances. Not only do children love seeing themselves perform, they also love to assess their performance. It is wonderful when one student looks at another and points out that they did a good job – or that they weren’t watching the director like

Church Thomas Coker

everyone else :). As children get older, it is fun to see their skills of assessing performance improve. I will allow students to raise hands and comment on a performance if it is done in a constructive manner. They are not allowed to say that anything was “bad” or “looked stupid” – you catch my drift here. I always follow up and end the assessment with my thoughts of what could have been done better and always end with the most positive aspects of the performance.

Whatever your situation, whether you have to do two or eight PTA performances each year, keep in mind that the process of preparation is where the most learning takes place. Try to enjoy the process and find the positive even when little Johnny is staring into space with his arms waving madly.

TCDA Honor Choir

I am pleased and proud to announce that the conductor for this summer’s Honor Choir will be Dr Rollo Dilworth!

He is currently the Associate Professor of

•

Sociology: The ideals, customs, institutions, etc, of a society toward which the people of the group have an affective regard. These values may be positive, as cleanliness, freedom, or education; or negative, as cruelty, crime, or blasphemy.

Values are idealized conceptions that are endorsed by the personality.

Our personal values drive our behavior. They determine what kind of career we seek. They determine what kind of mate we marry. They determine what kind of morals we have. They determine what we do when we think no one is paying attention.

What we value determines how and where we spend our money and time.

Values drive our very being.

•

Ultimately It’s about Values Why do we do what we do?

R

oy Posner in his excellent article on values says, “A value is a belief, a mission, or a philosophy that is meaningful. Whether we are consciously aware of it or not, every individual has a core set of personal values. Values can range from the commonplace, such as the belief in hard work and punctuality, to the more psychological, such as selfreliance, concern for others, and harmony of purpose.”

A few definitions of “value”: Noun: relative worth, merit, or importance Ethics: Any object or quality desirable as a means or as an end in itself.

• •

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It is redundant to say it, but we choral musicians value choral music. We seek to instill the values of choral music in the lives of children, youth, and adults.

Because we value correct singing techniques, we develop vocal exercises and choose songs for early singers that are uniquely appropriate for the children we teach. Because we value independence in singing harmony with older TEXAS√SINGS!

Choral Music Education at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance in Philadelphia PA. He is a noted composer and arranger and is highly regarded as a guest conductor, workshop and choral clinician. Our Commissioned Work for the Honor Choir has been composed by Judith Herrington, the Founder and Artistic Director of the highly acclaimed Tacoma Youth Chorus.

She has published choral compositions, arrangements, and co-authored choral teaching texts through Pavane Publishing and Colla Voce Publishing.

Singer applications are in the mail and on-line at TexasSings.org. Students must have completed grades 4, 5, or 6 and the sponsoring director must be a current TCDA member. Each director may submit up to six applications. The Honor Choir will perform at the TCDA General Meeting during the 2010 Convention and New Music Reading Clinic.

This is going to be an incredible Convention – be on the lookout for your brochure! √ children and youth, we search for, and develop, warm up exercises and choose literature which will give them the opportunity to find the joy of singing harmony and counterpoint. Because we value diversity, we seek literature from cultures other than our own to stretch our appreciation of how big God is and how large (and small) our world is.

But values are caught just as much as they are taught. Knowing this, we seek to have rehearsals that are stimulating, coherent, fun, and have specific goals attached. We seek to provide meaningful worship services, concerts, tours, musicals, festivals, shows, and trips that will catch their imagination and seal a value of choral music in their lives. I’m thinking anyone who reads this can immediately think of several experiences in which this love of choral music was caught. It might be possible to catch values outside of community; however, I believe it is in the community that values are caught.

It was a love for values such as these that led us to develop the Bach to Broadway summer musicals at South Main over 20 years ago. It provided those interested a chance to develop Winter 2010

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Officer Comments skills and perform in ways most of them would never have the opportunity to do otherwise. Those who perform develop close personal ties to each other and to the church while the shows themselves often inform and teach us.

This past summer we chose Into the Woods because of the people we knew who would be interested in the summer project and because of the brilliant writing of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. The downside in choosing it was that, in our opinion, Mr Sondheim was way ahead of his time, and the musical, though it has almost a cult following, does not have the popular appeal of an Annie, The Music Man, The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, etc. The upside for us was that we got to know this brilliant script intimately. We had many favorite lines and lessons. Readers who know this script undoubtedly have their own favorites.

For the benefit of those who do not know this show (and we found several in doing this production), the following quote from Wikipedia is offered to help you understand the premise.

“Inspired by Bruno Bettelheim’s 1976 book, The Uses of Enchantment, the musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales and follows them further to explore the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. The main characters are taken from the stories of Little Red Ridinghood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and Cinderella, tied together by a more original story involving a Baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family. It also includes references to several other well-known tales.”

One thing we appreciated so much from the show was the variety of personal values that drove the various characters. We found way too much of our own story in these characters. For example, there is the Baker’s Wife whose quest to have a family leads her to try to justify trading (read swindling) Jack (of “and the beanstalk” fame) five magic beans for a white cow that she needs to obtain in order to break the witch’s curse that is preventing her pregnancy.

She sings/argues with her husband: “Baker’s Wife: If you know what you want, then you go and you find it and you get it.

Do we want a child or not?

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And you give and you take and you bid and you bargain or you live to regret it.

There are rights and wrongs and inbetweens – No one waits when fortune intervenes . . .

Why you do what you do, that’s the

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point; all the rest of it is chatter.

If the thing you do is pure intent, if it’s meant, and it’s just a little bent, does it matter?

Baker: Yes. Baker’s Wife: No, what matters is that everyone tells tiny lies – what’s

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Officer Comments important, really, is the size. Only three more tries and we’ll have our prize.

When the end’s in sight, you’ll realize: If the end is right, it justifies the beans!”

I love the play on words at the conclusion of that song! One of the things we learn from the Baker’s Wife in this story is that her values, or lack thereof, didn’t serve her well in the end.

Another of my favorite quotes from Into the Woods comes from the elder Prince who marries Cinderella at the end of act one, but whose personal/ moral values, it turns out, leave much to be desired. In the second act, when the story moves from fantasy (they all lived happily ever after) to reality (all got what they wanted and none wanted what they got), the Prince having seduced the Baker’s Wife, is confronted

by Cinderella.

“Cinderella: Why, if you loved me, would you have strayed? . . . If this is how you behave as a Prince, what kind of King will you be?

Prince: I was raised to be charming, not sincere.”

This brings to mind another of my favorite lines, this time from the Witch near the end of the show.

“Careful the things you say, children will listen. Careful the things you do, children will see and learn.

Children may not obey, but children will listen. Children will look to you for which way to turn, to learn what to be.

Secretary/ Treasurer Kay Owens

Tips for Text

A

s choral directors we have the unique opportunity of expressing music through the use of words. I know that we all carefully choose music by observing many musical aspects.

However, the most important of all is the text that we will share with an audience

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Careful before you say, ‘listen to me.’

Children will listen.”

It makes one think that the Prince may have listened clearly to what he was being taught as a child, but he caught all the wrong values. So the question remains, what are the values we are leaving for the children who not only listen to us but also watch us so closely?

We would do well to stay tuned to the values we hold and to carefully examine what values people take away from our endeavors.

Two quick and surprising stories — First, as I write this, our youth choirs have just completed the Advent service for which they provided all service music. The service included the Revelation (high school) choir singing Hugo Distler’s a cappella setting of Praise to the Lord, the Almighty from the foyer, prior to the processional hymn.

The middle school and high school choirs sang several other numbers together and separately as a part of that service, all interesting and challenging in their own way. Probably the most challenging for many singers, however, was the Distler. I have always loved the Distler for several reasons: 1) the message is terrific, 2) the writing is superb, 3) it gives choir members a genuine opportunity for independence of parts, 4) it is a cappella and can be sung anywhere, and 5) it gives the

singers an opportunity to know the story of Mr Distler in Nazi Germany and to have a taste for his compositional style.

That same afternoon, a group from the choir went caroling at a retirement home. After dismissing the audience, we were visiting among the residents when several Revelation members said loudly, “We want to sing Distler.” They gathered the singers, got in place, and mightily entertained the remaining residents on the spot. Value given, value received, value shared.

Second, following the first Sunday of Advent service, a handsome young man found me in a hallway behind the Sanctuary. I knew I should know him, but on the spur of the moment, I could not place him. He quickly told me his name and I immediately remembered him and what a joy he had been several years ago. He brought me up to date with his career, including going to college with the thought in mind that he would someday perhaps be a church musician. He discovered at school that he really enjoyed opera and with encouragement from those who know, decided to try to make a career of it.

He is quite successful it turns out – having had major roles across the country. His story of gratefulness at the values received at church was making a huge difference in his life. I had no idea! What a joy! Value received, value shared. √

during a performance. Once a piece of music is chosen, notes and rhythms secured, phrasing, dynamics, and musical technique perfected, how do we convey the message of the piece. Keep reading because I have listed some activities that can raise the standard of text comprehension within your students. Please consider some of the Tips for Text listed below. Use what you can and ignore what you think may not work for your situation.

Integrate across the curriculum – Invite an AP English teacher to discuss the meaning of a poem; the historical background and life of the author. You as the musician can educate the students about the composer but an in-depth background of the author and poetry can truly cause students to think on a higher level when conveying the text. Invite an

AP history teacher to give the background of the historical events occurring at the time this text was written. This connects more than just a meaning of words but it ties all of the factors together.

Integrate movement – Allow each section of the choir to create movement that interprets the text. When I have used this method, I send the students to different areas to work within a stated time limit. Each section discusses the text, and then decides on movement that will interpret the meaning of the text.

After the allotted time, each section demonstrates their interpretation to the choir. As the director I begin to see the creative juices flowing! I use the various movements throughout the teaching of the piece.

Integrate acting – Students are

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Officer Comments assigned a part of the music, ie, a verse.

The students illustrate the meaning through drama. Allow the students to interpret the text through acting a scene to the choir. This acting can be done live or the students can make a video.

Students sometimes have the ability to demonstrate to other students better than the teacher just saying . . . this is what this means. Plus it is much more fun!

Integrate imagery – Simply ask the students to imagine a word and then sing the word. As highly qualified choral directors, we get bogged down in all the technicalities of the proper vocal technique and spout out technical terms when the simple approach often works better. Ask the students to imagine a sunrise and then sing a sunrise. You will be amazed that the sunrise appears filled with great musicality. It works!

Integrate relativity – Students will

Executive Director Dan L Wood

T

here are myriad volumes written on the subject of self-help. Most of them can probably be boiled down to something like, be honest — live your life with integrity.

Bob Davies is a business/sales speaker and writer. I have read him for several years, having first been introduced through my professional organization, Texas Society of Association Executives. My association management colleagues and I are lucky to have such a fine organization exposing us to presenters of this ilk. Bob’s article below sounds at first as if his ideas are going to be for men and women in business. As I read this one, I realized quickly that it is for men and women in life.

Integrity In Business/Life The Secret To Increased Success

By Bob Davies Imagine David Letterman is on the Winter 2010

take the meaning of the text to the next level if relativity to their own personal lives can be reached in the explanation.

Let me take you through an exercise I do when teaching a spiritual. The exercise is called Five of Five. Ask students to list five freedoms in their life. Then ask students to list the five most important people in their life (friends/family).

Students then prioritize their lists to one freedom, one person. Each student shares with the class their number one freedom and number one person. After all of this is complete, I ask the students to imagine the most important freedom and person in their life being taken away.

By this exercise we begin to explore a small portion of life during slavery. We begin to understand that during this period of history slaves had no choice in their freedoms or even staying with their families if sold by a slave owner. Therefore, the words relating to escaping to

freedom becomes more relative to their lives. If you as the director can relate any text to the students’ lives, then they begin to own the words and the conveying of the message becomes real to the students.

Above are all activities that I have incorporated in my rehearsals. I have realized over the years that if the student can personalize the meaning of a text through historical background, movement, acting, or relativity, then the text becomes a part of the student. Once the student internalizes the meaning, they begin to sing from the soul. Once all the students are singing from their souls, the music soars to another level for the audience, and most of all, for the students. So let me encourage you to try different activities to help interpret text rather than just use a quick explanation.

Yes it takes extra time but I think the results are well worth the time. Happy Texting! √

streets of New York City with a microphone in hand. He has one question to ask those who happen to pass by, “What is the purpose of being in business?”

What do you think the most common response will be? I would guess that almost everyone, if not everyone, will answer that the purpose of being in business is to make money. I’m going to suggest a different way of looking at this question. Imagine for a moment that the purpose of being in business is to “Grow People!” What would be different? How about, everything would be different and you would make more money as well!

I rented a movie the other day about industrial technology. I loved these lines from that movie’s main character: “Lately I’ve been reading about some of our great entrepreneurs, Dupont, Rockefeller, Ford. Their ability to create great new wealth depended on the fact that they worked out on the edge, the leading edge, the frontier. It can be a scary place, but once you’ve stepped out onto the edge, it’s impossible to come back. I welcome the challenges of the frontier. Institutions never create anything, individuals do. We are the thinkers, the planners, the visionaries who will shape the future. It is our destiny not only to change in order to make people, community, but to change

the way people think.”

It is my vision and quest to travel throughout the United States and abroad and speak the code: if individuals and groups would live their lives with integrity, the world would be a safer, more vibrant, healthy, and a more fulfilling place. I do understand that this is a new way of thinking. However, all the research I have conducted points to similarities between those companies that are considered to be visionary versus those that are not. Companies such as Citicorp, Ford, Marriott, Nordstrom, Wal-Mart, and Walt Disney all share a common code of integrity. I will give you my interpretation of that shared code. These visionary companies live a culture, a belief system, that is shared by every level of the organization. One of these shared beliefs is that the purpose of being in business is to grow people. How do you grow people?

You do this through coaching and through becoming a principle-based organization. The following are the guiding principles that I believe are necessary for a company to be living in integrity.

Three Core Principles: 1. I do what I say I will do.

2. I can’t do it by myself; I am far better as a part of a team than I can ever be by myself.

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3. Accountability – I am the source of all that I experience.

Core principle #1: I do what I say I will do.

This is a fundamental principle. If an individual does not hold this as important, the entire system of core values falls apart. I support this principle, by blasting the following myth: I am better off by committing high and falling short, then by committing lower and falling short. Please understand that this is a myth, and is not true. One is not better off by unrealistically committing to big audacious and hairy goals. If individuals commit to an artificially high goal, then the moment they start to question their ability to reach that goal, their motivation begins to dramatically decrease. The pull of hope no longer is present. Replace that myth with MLOs or Minimum Level Objectives. This concept embraces the first principle of living with integrity, I do what I said I would do – the minimum level you give your word you will do, in which falling short is not an option.

I have been in the training and coaching business for over 20 years. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard an individual say that he or she was committed to reach some goal and then not take the intended actions.

They all had viable reasons, stories, priorities, unscheduled interruptions, and excuses. They all also didn’t do what they said they would do! When you use MLO’s, you call upon Newton’s third principle of physics, inertia: “Any body in motion will remain in motion unless acted on by an external force.”

With huge unrealistic goals, the external force preventing the continuation of momentum is fear. Once individuals see “evidence” that they can’t do something, they immediately buy into that evidence as being true and they live

Find back issues of Texas Sings! at www.TexasSings.org

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their lives in resignation. I’ve heard it said, “it’s the starting that stops most people”. If an individual had set a smaller, more realistic goal, he or she would still maintain hope and the chance to be successful, and honor principle #1, I do what I said I would do. This goes against accepted ways of being, such as, I should set big goals.

I’m not against setting stretch goals. I simply request that you also set a bottom line that you give your word you will achieve, no matter what. Try it!

Core principle #2: I can’t do it by myself. I am far better off as a part of a team than I can ever be alone.

Elite performers will never argue with this. They know that they must surround themselves with others. By doing so they create the atmosphere in which learning, discovery, clarity, and accountability can occur. Try this simple experiment. Take 30 seconds and write down as many green vegetables as you can think of. Next, get a partner, and together, come up with one list of green vegetables in 30 seconds. In almost 100% of the cases, your list will be greater with a partner than it was by yourself.

Core principle #3: Accountability – I am the source of all that I experience.

The opposite of this principle is blaming. This principle is a source of strength for people. It doesn’t allow them to become a victim. This principle embraces the concept that human beings are very powerful at creating results in their own lives. These may be dysfunctional results however! Someone who is 30 pounds overweight has created a miracle of a result. How would they know how to regulate their intake and expenditure to gain 30 pounds. They are exactly where they are in their weight because that is exactly what their point of view supports. We are very powerful at manifesting our dominating thoughts. Likewise, someone who has financial difficulties has exactly what they should have, given their current financial point of view. If they want to have different results, the answer is not in what is going on around them, the environment, the marketplace, etc. The answer lies in their own dysfunctional point of view.

If they want to change the results they are experiencing, they must first change their point of view. After all, they are the source of all that they experience.

TEXAS√SINGS!

How do you change your point of view? This is actually a simple process.

Decide first what you want. Next, what you need to do to have what you want.

Then, what you will do over the next seven days. This declaration needs to be very specific, observable, and measurable. The process is not complete until you have a structure for accountability in place. This must come from someone other than yourself. Another person is needed to hold you accountable and to check back with you at the end of the week to see if you actually did what you said you would do. This is the elite performance system that I have traveled throughout the United States and abroad teaching with tremendous results for all those individuals who were not satisfied with who they were or what their accomplishments were in life.

For those who wanted to be more fulfilled in their health, business, and personal lives, this is the formula. Try it on. Make a specific declaration to another person and then set out to execute for the next seven days. Design some type of a reward or punishment with that person and watch how your perception shifts. Now, because you have this dynamic of accountability in your life, instead of just seeing how busy you are and all of the reasons you can’t do what you said you would do, you will see the opportunities to handle whatever comes your way and still honor what you said you would do. Put one week after another together like this and you will have a miracle and magical year.

Good luck! √ Bob Davies, M Ed Psychology, MCC (Master Certified Coach), High Performance Training, Inc., 20992 Ashley Lane, Lake Forest, Ca 92630 info@bobdavies.com 949-830-9192 Bob Davies is a former football coach at Cal State Fullerton, where his techniques helped an average football team win two conference championships. He is the former coach of an Olympic Gold medal winner with Hodgkin disease who overcame his illness to win the gold in the 1984 Olympics.? Bob is the author of two books, The Sky Is Not The Limit – You Are!, and Coaching For High Performance, as well as several audio and video cassette programs. He has a BS in Health from Rutgers University, and a M Ed in Psychology from Springfield College. He holds the highest certification of professional personal and business coaches, Master Certified Coach. He is a skydiver, pilot, parent, and husband.

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