August 2012 | Southwestern Musician

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AUGUST 2012

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38

AUGUST 2012

FEATURES 14

Honoring Over 60 Years of Service For over 60 years, Dennis Bros. Printers Inc. published TMEA’s member magazine, completed countless other print jobs, and served our association beyond expectation. With the closing of their business, TMEA honors this family’s commitment to music education and to the members of our association. BY ROBERT FLOYD

On the cover: Cristina Camargo and Noah Jackson, fifth graders at Schultz Elementary School (Klein ISD), perform with the Schultz Shining Star Drum Ensemble the 2012 TMEA Clinic/Convention. Photo by Paul Denman

COLUMNS President’s Notes .............................................. 5 by John Gillian Executive Director’s Notes..................10 by Robert Floyd

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Ready . . . Set . . . Recruit While it might not seem like the season to recruit, taking a year-round approach to this most critical component of a music educators job will help ensure program continuity. BY LEIGH ANN MCCLAIN

32

A Recipe for Success Successful music programs depend on carefully combining the key ingredients of management, methods, musicianship, materials, motivation, and marketing. BY SALLY SCHOTT

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Engage Your Students with Today’s Technology While the concepts you teach might not change radically across the years, the tools with which you can deliver them do. Learn how you can incorporate technology to improve your elementary music instruction. BY AMY BURNS

Band Notes ............................................................. 17 by Ronnie Rios Orchestra Notes ...............................................26 by Lisa McCutchan Vocal Notes ............................................................36 by Janwin Overstreet-Goode Elementary Notes .......................................... 43 by Michele Hobizal College Notes ......................................................46 by Keith Dye

UPDATES Attend Your Fall Region Meeting...................................................................2 Remember to Renew Your Membership ......................................................7 2013 President’s Concert to feature the Dallas Wind Symphony .............8 It’s at www.tmea.org: TMEA Policies ......................................................... 30 Thank You, Scholarship Donors ................................................................. 48 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

1

Editor-in-Chief: Robert Floyd

Attend Your Fall Region Meeting

UĂ R\G@tmea.org 512-452-0710, ext. 101 Fax: 512-451-9213

Managing Editor: Karen Kneten

kkneten@tmea.org 512-452-0710, ext. 107 Fax: 512-451-9213

Get involved and stay informed by attending your Region meetings.

TMEA Executive Board President: John Gillian john.gillian@ectorcountyisd.org 3624 Loma Drive, Odessa, 79762 432-413-2266/Fax: 432-334-7174 – Ector County ISD

President-Elect: Joe Weir joseph.weir@humble.k12.tx.us 19627 Firesign Drive, Humble, 77346 281-641-7606/Fax: 281-641-7517 – Atascocita HS

Past-President: Ross Boothman rboothman@lumberton.k12.tx.us 8285 Ginger Lane, Lumberton, 77657 409-923-7858/Fax: 409-923-7819 – Lumberton HS

Band Vice-President: Ronnie Rios ronnierios@yahoo.com 22343 Paloma Blanca Court, Harlingen, 78550 956-427-3600 x 1080/Fax: 956-440-8343 – Harlingen HS

Orchestra Vice-President: Lisa McCutchan lisamccutchan@sbcglobal.net 17426 Emerald Canyon Drive, San Antonio, 78232 210-397-4759/Fax: 210-695-4804 – O’Connor HS

Vocal Vice-President: Janwin Overstreet-Goode MRYHUVWUHHW JRRGH#ÀVGN QHW 1406 Frontier Lane, Friendswood, 77546 281-482-3413 x 150/Fax: 281-996-2523 – Friendswood HS

Region Date

Time

Location

1

Aug 11

10 a.m. (9:30 a.m., food)

Amarillo HS Cafeteria

2

Aug 18

10 a.m.

Decatur HS

3

Aug 18

10 a.m.

Sachse HS

4

Aug 17

5 p.m.

Mt. Pleasant HS

5

Aug 19

2 p.m.

Richland HS

6

Aug 11

10 a.m.

Lee HS, Midland

7

Aug 18

1 p.m.

Aledo HS

8

Aug 11

10 a.m. (9:30 a.m., food)

Belton HS PAC

9

Aug 11

9 a.m.

Klein Oak HS

10

Aug 13

6:30 p.m.

Lamar Univ.

11

Aug 11

10 a.m.

Stevens HS

12

Aug 12

2:30 p.m.

Alamo Heights HS

13

Aug 11

10 a.m.

Lamar HS, CISD

14

Aug 11

10 a.m.

Del Mar College

15

Aug 18

10 a.m.

Edinburg HS

sallyhobizal@katyisd.org 11003 Bergamo Drive, Richmond, 77406 281-234-0050/Fax: 281-644-1690 – Wolman Elementary

16

Aug 11

10 a.m.

Post HS

17

Aug 18

9:30 a.m.

Manvel HS

College Vice-President: Keith Dye

18

Aug 18

10 a.m. (9:30 a.m., food)

Anderson HS PAC

19

Aug 11

10 a.m.

San Jacinto College, North Campus

20

Aug 18

9 a.m.

Greiner MS, Dallas

Elementary Vice-President: Michele Hobizal

keith.dye@ttu.edu 6607 Norwood Avenue, Lubbock, 79413 806-742-2270 x 231/Fax: 806-742-4193 – Texas Tech University

TMEA Staff Executive Director: Robert Floyd | UĂ R\G@tmea.org Deputy Director: Frank Coachman | fcoachman@tmea.org Administrative Director: Kay Vanlandingham | kvanlandingham@tmea.org Advertising/Exhibits Manager: Tesa Harding | tesa@tmea.org Membership Manager: Susan Daugherty | susand@tmea.org Membership Assistant: Rita Ellinger | rellinger@tmea.org Communications Manager: Karen Kneten | kkneten@tmea.org Financial Manager: Laura Kocian | lkocian@tmea.org Information Technologist: Andrew Denman | adenman@tmea.org

21

Aug 11

10 a.m.

Whitehouse HS

22

Aug 18

11 a.m. (10 a.m., UIL)

Eastwood HS

23

Aug 18

9 a.m. (8:30 a.m., food)

Seven Lakes HS

24

Aug 18

10 a.m.

Newman Smith HS

25

Aug 25

10 a.m.

Plano East Sr. HS

70($ 2IĂ€FH

26

Aug 18

10 a.m.

McNeil HS

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 140465, Austin, 78714-0465 Physical Address: 7900 Centre Park Drive, Austin, 78754 Phone: 512-452-0710 | Toll-Free: 888-318-TMEA | Fax: 512-451-9213 Website: www.tmea.org 2IÀFH +RXUV Monday–Friday, 8:30 A.M.–4:30 P.M.

27

Aug 18

9 a.m.

Cypress Springs HS

28

Aug 11

10 a.m. (9:30 a.m., food)

Harlingen HS

Southwestern Musician (ISSN 0162-380X) (USPS 508-340) is published monthly except March, June, and July by Texas Music Educators Association, 7900 Centre Park Drive, Austin, TX 78754. 6XEVFULSWLRQ UDWHV 2QH <HDU ² 6LQJOH FRSLHV 3HULRGLFDO SRVWDJH SDLG DW $XVWLQ 7; DQG DGGLWLRQDO PDLOLQJ RIĂ€FHV 32670$67(5 6HQG DGGUHVV FKDQJHV WR 6RXWKZHVWHUQ 0XVLFLDQ 3 2 %R[ Austin, TX 78714-0465. Southwestern Musician was founded in 1915 by A.L. Harper. Renamed in 1934 and published by Dr. Clyde Jay Garrett. Published 1941–47 by Dr. Stella Owsley. Incorporated in 1948 as National by Harlan-Bell Publishers, Inc. Published 1947–54 by Dr. H. Grady Harlan. Purchased in 1954 by D.O. Wiley. Texas Music Educator was founded in 1936 by Richard J. Dunn and given to the Texas Music (GXFDWRUV $VVRFLDWLRQ ZKRVH RIĂ€FLDO SXEOLFDWLRQ LW KDV EHHQ VLQFH ,Q WKH WZR PDJD]LQHV ZHUH PHUJHG XVLQJ WKH QDPH 6RXWKZHVWHUQ 0XVLFLDQ FRPELQHG ZLWK WKH 7H[DV 0XVLF (GXFDWRU XQGHU WKH HGLWRUship of D.O. Wiley, who continued to serve as editor until his retirement in 1963. At that time ownership of both magazines was assumed by TMEA. In August 2004 the TMEA Executive Board changed the name of the publication to Southwestern Musician.

2

Southwestern Musician | August 2012

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Measure of your success B Y

J O H N

G I L L I A N

T

here are over 1,700 Texas high schools in 1,265 school districts and charters in 254 Texas counties. Most of these high schools have music classes as part of the curriculum offered to students. Certainly in my experience, music educators work very hard helping their students to be the very best musicians possible. How do you determine that your hard work and that of your students adds up to success? After all, being the very best in our state in any given year is an honor reserved for just a few. For example, at this fall’s UIL Texas State Marching Contest, only one 3A and one 5A school will walk away with the championship trophies. The same can be said for those students who enter into the TMEA All-State auditions—about 2.5% achieve the highest distinction of being named a Texas All-State musician. For the 2012 convention, 1,592 students performed in the All-State Bands, Orchestras, and Choirs. During my time as a band director it seemed that every aspect of UIL and TMEA activities were competitive in nature. The students were expected to learn the music for the TMEA audition process during marching season in the fall. The band staff, as well as many private lesson teachers, worked with students on this music. When the Region audition time arrived, many students were accepted into the All-Region Band, and 15–20 of the best players were able to continue to the Area round of the auditions. When the Area auditions finished, six to eight students had made an All-State Band. Certainly, the staff considered that a success. There was always discussion about who had more students make it to each level of the process, which school had the most first division medals at UIL Solo and Ensemble contest, and even about who “won” during the half-time performance or the chili supper concert. I have no doubt that many band directors and other music educators have similar discussions in their situations.

PRESIDENT’S NOTES IMPORTANT DATES August—Renew your TMEA membership and preregister for the 2013 convention. August—Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 2 for details). August 20—Liability insurance through TMEA expires. October 2—Convention housing opens. December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline. January 24—TMEA convention online preregistration deadline. February 13–16, 2013—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

I encourage you to recognize not just the big successes but also the smaller ones that occur daily during your school year. Southwestern Musician | August 2012

5

However, as a music educator, my greatest successes were not related to any of those things mentioned above. The first involves a student who simply is the best student and perhaps the best human being I have had the pleasure to know. I hope that you have taught or will teach a student like Whitney. I take no credit for Whitney’s actions—he was a high school senior the first time I met him. Whitney was a senior percussionist who decided to learn the oboe in his spare time. An outstanding percussionist, he was a leader in both title and example. During the fall Whitney always made certain that the percussion section was ready to rehearse and that the equipment was handled properly and returned to the building after marching rehearsals. Each afternoon he practiced oboe with a method book, occasionally asking for help but for the most part teaching himself. Not able to afford a private teacher, he truly was self-taught. Quiet and respectful, Whitney was kind to his teachers and the students. When Region auditions arrived, he was selected for the band as an oboist, and he advanced to Area. At the Area level, he ended his journey short of making the All-State Band. This did nothing to diminish the successes that Whitney and the band enjoyed during the school year. I had never been as proud of a student before nor have I since. Whitney was an inspiration to all who knew him.

I have enjoyed seeing him from time to time since he graduated. Whitney continues to be a hard-working person who treats others with dignity. As an elementary music teacher I have also experienced successes that are not measured with trophies or medals. This past year I had the opportunity to work with a group of students at a different school from where I taught in the past. I had been warned about the behavior of some of the classes as well as some individuals. On my first days of the year, I was indeed tested with discipline problems. I was persistent and consistent in my methods, and I never quit expecting the very best that the students had to offer. Then finally, after firmly establishing my expectations with all the students came the day I had been working toward. I was able to deliver my lesson completely without any distractions. These sixth-grade students (yes, sixth-grade students attend elementary school in Odessa) who had shown no effort to participate at the beginning of the school year were now engaged in the learning at a very high level. The greatest reward was when I looked around the room and I saw smiles on all the students’ faces. The rest of the year was amazing! Of course music educators’ experiences vary, encountering different strengths and weaknesses, but undoubtedly we all have opportunities for success in our roles as teachers and directors.

For those who teach in the high schools, I encourage you to utilize TMEA’s Texas Music Scholar recognition program next spring. This is a wonderful tool you can use to showcase student success at the local level (1,560 certificates were awarded in 2012). Certificates are sent to you for presentation in your community, along with a press release for your local media. A school board meeting could be an excellent opportunity to showcase the wonderful students in your program with this award. Also helpful in sharing your program’s success is local advocacy. If you need ideas, review the many advocacy documents available on the TMEA website under the Resources menu. Finally, I encourage you to recognize not just the big successes but also the smaller ones that occur daily during your school year. Doing so will certainly add a positive perspective to your program. Have a fantastic school year filled with much success! Audition Audit and Review The TMEA Audition Audit and Review committee met on June 21 in Austin. The committee members included a representation of band, choir, and orchestra directors from many parts of Texas, as well as representatives from ATSSB and from the Small School Choir committee. Outstanding perspectives and suggestions were shared by all groups for the TMEA Executive Board to consider. Any changes in All-State structure that the Executive Board recommends based on the committee’s input will be presented to the TMEA State Board at a future date. Summer Dialogue III TMEA’s Role in Times of Change Over 40 music educators met July 8–10 in Austin to discuss the future goals of TMEA and consider how music educators continue to meet the needs of the 4.8 million schoolchildren in Texas. Many valuable ideas were shared and discussed. We will offer a summary of their work in next month’s issue of SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN.

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Southwestern Musician | August 2012

Remember to Renew Your Membership All TMEA 2011–2012 memberships expired June 30. Also, if covered, liability insurance expires August 20. Renew now to ensure you receive the benefits of your TMEA membership for the entire year. Thank you for your membership in TMEA. Our association continues to be the largest music educators association in the country, and for that we are justly proud. The strength of TMEA, however, is not only in its size but in the quality of its membership. The strength of music programs in our schools is rooted in the dedication of its teachers, all united in a mission to provide the best music education for all Texas schoolchildren. Membership in an organization of over 11,000 music educators carries with it benefits inherent from this strength in numbers. TMEA is your voice to the Texas Legislature and the

State Board of Education. In addition to representation by TMEA leaders, members enjoy a myriad of benefits, including access to group health insurance, low-cost liability insurance, professional development opportunities, online and printed pedagogical and advocacy resources, and more. TMEA strives to provide meaningful professional development for our members and wonderful opportunities for our high school students through the audition process and through Texas Future Music Educators. Renew today to continue supporting the future of music education in Texas.

The TMEA membership year ended June 30. Renew now, and remind your colleagues to do the same!

Renew Online Today Just click Renew from www.tmea.org Membership Join Renew Update Personal Info Member Card/Receipt Verify Membership & Registration Member Directory Verify and update your email and mailing addresses. Your receipt and membership card are sent to your email address.

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Southwestern Musician | August 2012

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTES IMPORTANT DATES August—Renew your TMEA membership and preregister for the 2013 convention. August—Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 2 for details). August 20—Liability insurance through TMEA expires. October 2—Convention housing opens. December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline. January 24—TMEA convention online preregistration deadline. February 13–16, 2013—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

It’s about the experience B Y

R O B E R T

F L O Y D

T

his past June I had the opportunity to participate in the Conn-Selmer Institute (CSI), delivering a keynote and presenting two sessions on advocacy, one for music administrators and another for college students. It was a wonderful experience for me to witness over 400 music educators, administrators, and college students from across the nation come together for four days of intense study with master teachers on everything from pedagogy and conducting to advocacy and literature study. I am pleased to share that several of the invited teachers were from Texas. Tim Lautzenheiser, Vice-President, Conn-Selmer Division of Education, masterfully heads the structure of the curriculum and, of course, in his own way sends everyone home excited and fired up to start a new school year. I must tell you how intimidating it is to have to get up and speak after Dr. Tim—a most humbling experience. One of the presenters on the opening day was John Stoner, President and CEO, Conn-Selmer, Inc. John came to Conn-Selmer ten years ago from another corporation totally unrelated to music education, and he has skillfully guided the company to profitability and to one that is truly committed not just to producing and selling quality musical instruments but to becoming actively engaged in supporting the whole philosophy of how we serve students through music. The company’s financial support of the CSI is clear evidence of that commitment. John’s message in his short and effective opening remarks has resonated with me ever since I returned home. He reminded each of us that equally or more important than the product or service we sell or offer is the customer experience

Students continue to participate in our programs, especially at a young age, not just for the musical knowledge to be gained but for the experience they have day in and day out in our classrooms. 10 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

in buying that product or receiving that service. He shared a couple of anecdotal stories, including how he returns to the same suite hotel in California not just because it is a nice property but because of how he is treated each time he visits. He also shared that after a car rental company reserved a car too small to meet his needs, rather than ask him to stand in a long line to schedule another they simply told him to take any car on the lot, drive to the gate where a new contract would be handed him, and be on his way at no extra cost. That experience has made him a loyal customer of this particular company. John has strived to create similar experiences with Conn-Selmer, now bringing music educators at the company’s expense into the factory to see the cultural shift in how their instruments are made and seeking their input on how to improve qual-

12 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

ity and service. It was not too many years ago that their professional model instruments took months to ship. Now those instruments are shipped within a week of order. As a result their sales are substantially up, and the experience is a positive one for both the dealer and the educator or student. Similarly, since 1990 I have bought the same brand of automobile, not just because it is a quality product, but because of how I have been treated that first day I walked into the showroom in Dallas, including offering me the keys to take the car home a few days to try it out. Fast forward to last month when the service manager for the same brand of automobile here in Austin called me and said they were replacing my front brakes, pads, and sensors free of charge because they believed they should have lasted longer. So while I love the car,

there are many comparable choices and models out there today. But I continue to buy this particular brand of automobile because of the experience I had 22 years ago and continue to have today. So how does this translate to the music educator in the elementary, secondary, or college classroom? Realistically, our students continue to participate in our programs, especially at a young age, not just for the musical knowledge to be gained but for the experience they have day in and day out in our classrooms. They want to come to our classes because of how they are treated and respected, and parents recognize and value their child’s experience for the same reasons. I will always remember a casual conversation I had with a drum major in my office one day when she was complaining about the doldrums of school. She looked me in the eyes and said that the minute band became the stressful environment she experienced the other five periods of the school day, she was “out of here.” It reminded me of one of the first in-service sessions I ever attended, where the presenter talked about the Lozanov theory of learning that asserts that creating a relaxed, positive, enriched teaching environment accelerates learning up to 10 times with 70–90% retention. So no matter the subject you teach, I strongly encourage you to read this month’s feature articles by Sally Schott, Leigh Ann McClain, and Amy Burns. In her article on page 32, Sally speaks about creating a classroom environment “where students can come for respite from their personal trials and tribulations and experience joy and laughter and accomplishment.” Amy’s article on page 38 offer how an elementary student’s experience in the music classroom may be enhanced by incorporating technology in instruction. Leigh Ann’s article about recruiting on page 22 states that beginning students in our bands, orchestras, or choirs decide in the first 6 to 12 weeks whether they are going to continue in our programs, even though they may stay in the class all year. The experience they are having in your classroom will help them make that decision. Strive in every way to make it a positive and meaningful one!

Bob and Bill Dennis at work (1948). 8). The extended Dennis Bros. Printers family (2012).

by Robert Floyd

N

on-profit associations are a reflection of their members, boards, and staff, but to operate all facets tss of an organization like TMEA, the business sss partnerships partnership forged along the way contribute in a major way to success. Such is the case of Dennis Bros. Printers Inc., a family-run company in Lubbock that since 1948 has published our magazine and much of our other printed materials. Given this long-standing and positive partnership, it saddened me when Peggy White, Dennis Bros. president (and daughter of one of its founders Bob Dennis), called me this past May to inform me they were closing their doors and thus had printed their last SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN. Receiving such news is like losing family—founders Bob and Bill Dennis, Peggy and Tom White (her husband and company vice-president), and their family members have for over 60 years played an integral role in keeping our membership informed about association business. As magazine editor, and on behalf of our staff and previous Executive Board members, I cannot adequately express my gratitude for the wonderful service and quality workmanship that Dennis Bros. has provided through the years. It’s hard to remember the number of times we have called Peggy and exclaimed the infamous “Stop the presses!” to add a breaking legislative update or to correct an error we had just discovered. Working alongside Peggy and Tom for years have been 14 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

Initial issue published by Dennis Bros. Printers. At the time, Texas Music Educator was the official publication of TMEA. publicat eir so son their sons Ben and Andy. Ben consistently exceeded expectations in his prepress capacity, improving any print project that came his way. His brother Andy added his expertise as a pressman printing our magazines and much more. You simply cannot place a monetary value on that level of service. In the early days our typed magazine columns and articles were mailed or bused to Lubbock, the type was set, and the printed columns were sent back to the TMEA office in Houston. The executive director then cut and pasted those columns page by page to create the layout. This physical layout was then put on a bus and sent back to Lubbock to be placed on the presses. Thankfully, I never had to deal with manual layout myself. Today we save files on a server from which they can be immediately downloaded for prepress work, then printed, and mailed. Hundreds of hours were worked by the Dennis Bros. staff to create the quality product that arrived in your mailbox each month. According to former Executive Director Bill Cormack in his column written in November 1979, our long journey started in the summer of 1948 when Professor D.O. Wiley, TMEA SecretaryTreasurer and Director of Bands at Texas Tech University, called on two young printers who had recently returned from active

photo by Ben White

honoring over 60

years of service The October 2001 issue exemplifies the close partnership TMEA has enjoyed with the family of Dennis Bros. Printers Inc. In response to the September 11, 2001 tragedy, Ben White created this memorable cover that featured his brother and DBP pressman Andy White wearing their grandfather Bob Dennis’s military uniform while standing in front of a flag that had been flown over the U.S. Capitol in Bob’s honor.

military service to see if they could print TEXAS MUSIC EDUCATOR. The printing business was a natural for Bob and Bill. Their father was a long-time country weekly editor and printer who published the Mineral Wells News for many years. From that point, TMEA and Dennis Bros. worked together to improve the process and print quality of our member magazine and many other printed materials. Did you ever wonder how our All-State concert programs that list each group’s musicians were distributed just three days after auditions for winds and percussion were held? In the old days, just after the conclusion of Wednesday auditions, the results were phoned in to employees at the Dennis Bros. office. Throughout the evening and early morning hours, each name was carefully spelled. On Thursday the type was set and the programs were printed. Then a member of the family drove the hot-off-thepress programs to the convention. In more recent years, Peggy and son Ben have been working from our convention throughout

Peggy and Tom complete final press checks before approving a set of SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN pages to be printed.

Ben and Peggy White work late into the night at the TMEA convention following All-State seating auditions to finalize the concert programs for printing.

TMEA is exceedingly grateful to Dennis Bros. for being our partner for all of these years. Texas music educators will forever endear your continued association and friendship. —Milton Pullen, Past-President

Wednesday evening to place every student name in the correct program in the right order and to conduct a final proof of the programs. They upload files to their server, and from there the process continues as in past years, with over 25,000 programs being printed on Thursday and driven Friday to San Antonio by Tom. Such service has always amazed me and clearly reflects the commitment of the Dennis Bros. family to TMEA and to music education in our state. When I notified TMEA Past-Presidents about the closing, one by one they sent emails expressing their appreciation for the loyalty of Dennis Bros. to TMEA and for the personal friendships that had flourished through the years. Kerry Taylor, 2005–2006 TMEA President, summed it up: “They have not only provided a first-class product, but they have delivered it with great service and a smile. You just don’t get that too often!” As an epilogue, when Peggy called me that Saturday afternoon, rather than be a gloom-and-doom bearer of sad news, she excitedly shared with me that another Lubbock printing company had agreed to continue printing SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN at the same price under our current two-year contract. And equally important was the news that Ben would continue to work with us in his prepress capacity to ensure a continuity of the high-quality magazine production. While the perfect binding of this issue and aqueous coating on its cover reflect the beginning of a new era for TMEA, we will always value our friendship and partnership with the Dennis family. Thanks go to Peggy, Tom, Ben, Andy, and family. They will always remain an integral part of TMEA’s history and success.

P g y an Pegg and To Tom Wh Tom W hit i e rreece ceiv ive thhe 19 iv 1997 1997 97 TM T MEA A Diissti tingu ngui ng uished shheedd Servi errvviiccee Awa w rdd.

Loyal, reliable, and responsive to changing needs, Dennis Bros. has offered personal, dedicated service of inestimable value to our organization. —Sally Schott, Past-President

Even the fourth generation got involved with the magazine production as young Anna watched over her father, pressman Andy White.

Dennis Bros. continuously helped TMEA develop its image before the members, the education community, and audiences across the state and country. Bravo and sincere thanks! —Robert McElroy, Past-President

Southwestern Musician | August 2012 15

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s another new and exciting school year nears, now is our chance to get it right! We can take our expertise and experience and adjust our game plan into something wonderful. This is not to say our current game plan is flawed, but instead that our approach should continuously evolve. As little as five years ago the educational world was different. If we have humility and can leave our egos at the band hall door, we have an incredible opportunity not only to refine our teaching strategies and everyday expectations but to take them to the next level. It is important that we keep tradition, innovation, and a state-of-the-art approach alive in our band rooms. First, keep your tradition strong. Emphasize those things that make your program what it is. Maybe it’s that award-winning sound you are known for. Maybe it’s that formation you always display. Maybe it’s even that event the community looks forward to every year. Whatever they are, be sure to hold on to the meaningful traditions that make your program unique. Next, be innovative. Always strive to bring new and fresh ideas to the table. Attend sessions at conventions that will challenge you and expand your knowledge. Find and begin using cutting-edge strategies that will help you and your program advance to the next level more quickly. Also, do those creative things you wake up thinking about at 3 A.M.—these are often great ideas that would otherwise never make it to the table. Remember, procrastination is a graveyard for incredible ideas. Finally, make everything you do state-of-the-art. Share state-of-the-art ideas with your students. This can transform everything you do in the band room, from state-of-the-art fundamentals down to state-of-the-art cleanliness in the

Just as each day is an opportunity to be great, each day is also a new opportunity to have a positive attitude and seize the day.

BAND NOTES IN MEMORIAM JEFF COMP December 31, 1941–January 27, 2012 ORVILLE A. K ELLEY April 17, 1928–June 2, 2012 M ARJORIE QUICK April 13, 1915–June 6, 2012

IMPORTANT DATES August—Renew your TMEA membership and preregister for the 2013 convention. August—Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 2 for details). August 20—Liability insurance through TMEA expires. October 2—Convention housing opens. October 26—Deadline to receive All-State Jazz audition CDs in the TMEA office. November 10–11—All-State Jazz judging. December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline. January 12—Area Band and Vocal auditions. January 24—TMEA convention online preregistration deadline. February 13–16, 2013—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio. Southwestern Musician | August 2012 17

room. Strive to utilize the tremendous number of resources available in this great state and beyond to attain state-of-the-art success! Just as each day is an opportunity to be great, each day is also a new opportunity to have a positive attitude and seize the day. Every beginning of a school year is the same. What you do in the first three weeks will set the tone for your entire year. Now is your chance!

membership to be active to enter a student in the audition process! When you renew, remember to renew or add TMEA’s lowcost liability insurance. Be sure to take advantage of the advocacy resources available on the TMEA website and plan to make a brief presentation to your administrators about the value of music education. You can find print and video materials under the Resources menu at www.tmea.org.

TMEA Business Take time now to renew your TMEA membership and encourage your colleagues to do the same. Don’t wait until the last minute when you need your

All-State Audition Entry Online All-State audition entry is available once the Region Chair has created the contest in which you will enter your students. Your membership must be

TMEA PRESIDENT’S CONCERT DALLAS WIND SYMPHONY with featured soloist HÅKAN ROSENGREN performing Frank Ticheli’s Clarinet Concerto FEBRUARY 14, 2013, 8 P.M., LILA COCKRELL THEATER Purchase your $15 tickets when you preregister for the convention

active and current (and not Student member type) to enter students, so renew well in advance of entry deadlines. Audition entry is found within the Band Division menu under the All-State submenu. If a contest in which you plan to enter students is not listed, contact your Region Chair. All-State Audition Etudes The official listing of All-State performance etudes is available from the TMEA homepage, www.tmea.org. All errata, clarifications, tempo requirements, and performance suggestions are online. Revisit this page often as it does change. Honor Band Our thanks go to our Region and Area Band Chairs for their work during our Honor Band competition. Thanks also go to the Honor Band judges who served at each level to make this competition a great success. Their dedication to our organization is admirable and greatly appreciated. Please check the September magazine for the list of Honor Band finalists and winners. Congratulations go to all groups that participated in this competition.

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Southwestern Musician | August 2012 19

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fter 21 years of teaching, it’s clear that so much of what is required of a music educator isn’t covered in any college class or formal training. Much of what determines our success depends greatly on skills we learn along the way. One of those most important acquired skills is marketing. We spend many hours marketing our program, recruiting new members, and fundraising (which is its own topic entirely!). Ultimately, we must become marketing professionals to ensure our recruitment efforts are successful, for without the students we’re unnecessary. This seems rather obvious, but I believe at times we forget this very important aspect of what we do. How we approach this area can greatly affect our programs and attitudes about them. It’s important to view recruiting of new members into our band, orchestra, and choir programs as a process rather than an event. No amount of advertising will get the job done if the product we are offering doesn’t satisfy the customer base. While flash might recruit them into the program, it won’t keep them there. We need to view our students (and their parents) more as customers and ask ourselves whether we are satisfying our customer base. As we know from other products and services, satisfaction ensures positive returns. Isn’t this what we want for our students? We must sell them on the product first and then make sure that the product is all we promised it to be.

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PRODUCT IDENTITY A very large component of any program is its identity, and we are ultimately the ones in control of it—it is what we choose to

22 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

make it! What comes to mind when your program is mentioned? Family friendly? Worth the investment? Difficult? You must advertise your program in the way you wish for it to be perceived and then make it match that perception. Do you have raving fans? Are students and parents so excited about your program that they recruit by word-of-mouth for you? There is no more effective recruitment tool than having your fans recruiting for you. When recruiting, it’s important that we realize we are in a competitive market. We have to ask ourselves what our programs offer that others do not. What would make a parent or student buy your product over another? Once those questions are answered, you will know what aspects to feature and how to market your program. PROGRAM LOGO Seven years ago, we began using our “G” logo on everything program related. It’s on our T-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, letterhead, car decals, instrument cubby labels, side of the equipment trailer, band binders, the podium, and more. It has become our identity and something that incoming students want to wear. While it doesn’t directly affect our musical success, our logo is a visible reminder of our presence in the school and community. It conveys a sense of pride and enthusiasm in the opportunities that exist in our program.

RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES Most programs recruit fifth graders going into the sixth grade. Given that, we need to think about what a fifth grader wants to hear—what will excite them the most, and what they will remember. We do two recruitment tours per year. The first is our pep rally tour that we combine with our middle school band night. It gives us a full day of rehearsal and ensures all students are also present for the evening’s events. We teach our cheers and chants to our elementary feeders and adapt them for their campuses. We also play a lot of stand tunes for the groups. It’s a very exciting high energy day—one fifth grade students will remember! In January, we tour with our sixthgrade beginning band and perform a few group tunes as well as section features to introduce the instruments. For our section features we choose tunes that will help students remember the various instruments and identify with the sounds they make. For example, we play “Pink Panther” for the saxophone and “Low Rider” for the trombone. By showcasing the beginning level students, those being recruited realize that you can learn to play soon and sound like a real band, choir, or orchestra early in the process. In the hurry-up society in which we live, most students do not want to have to train for years before being able to perform a skill. For both tours we use students to recruit students. This method has definitely worked for us given that in my first year at Griffin MS (six years ago), I was met with a beginning band of 48 members. This fall we have 177 beginning band members and a program total of nearly 400!

ways while still managing to teach what must be taught. First, you must make sure you are the same person who recruited these students into your program. If you smiled a lot when you recruited them, keep smiling. You can never over-encourage during the first year! Second, how is your curriculum structured at the beginning of the year? Within the first 6 to 12 weeks, most students will make up their minds about whether they like your program. We live in a microwave society where, like food, opinions are formed very quickly. Third, if students believe their time is being used productively, they will usually be happy and satisfied. A well-known band director once told me, “Just try to make something better every day!” I have tried to stick with this, and it does work.

the many obligations families navigate, beginning band needs to operate without adding too much stress. This will allow the student and family commitment to music to grow without resulting in them feeling overwhelmed. We try to limit our beginning band concerts to two per year and schedule most of our activities during the school day. DO YOU FIT INTO YOUR COMMUNITY? Be careful to not create conflict in how you schedule your events. In my first teaching position, nothing could be planned on Wednesday evenings because of the community’s church events. I quickly learned this and adapted rather than create conflicts on Wednesday nights. Each community has an identity; does your program fit into your community? What does your handbook say about absences? Think through every possibility—each will happen at some point! Are your policies fair? Would you want them for your child? Be careful about getting into a situation where you force students to choose. There are certain situations in which you can’t compromise, but try to make sure these events are rare. Remember that students are still learning to be committed during the middle school years. On our campus, directors and coaches work together to solve scheduling conflicts for our students. This prevents the student from being placed in the middle and takes the stress off the parents as well. We had a major soccer game scheduled the same night as our spring concert, and half of the eighth-grade soccer team is also in band. Rather than make students choose, they moved the soccer game up one hour and we moved our concert back 30 minutes. All students were able to participate in both activities. It was a win-win situation for all involved.

WITHIN THE FIRST 6 TO 12 WEEKS, MOST STUDENTS WILL MAKE UP THEIR MINDS ABOUT WHETHER THEY LIKE YOUR PROGRAM.

YOU RECRUITED THEM. NOW WHAT? Students entering our programs are very excited, and it’s our job to keep that excitement alive. One of the great band directors in my district has this philosophy: “Beginning band should be 90% inspirational and 10% informational.” I find this to be quite true and have found that you can maintain excitement several

Students know if they have accomplished something during their class time and will feel the same sense of success you do. In their beginning year, students have joined our programs but aren’t yet committed. We use the analogy that they have tested the water, but haven’t begun to swim. We have to be careful with how many demands we place on our students the first year. We need to get them hooked on music, and we have to find creative ways to do that. Too often, directors act as if the sell is made when the student enrolls in their program, when actually this is the point at which it just begins! Today, most students start organized activities at age four or five (e.g., Little League, gymnastics, cheer, dance). By the time they enroll in our programs, they are more committed to these activities than to music. With

EFFECTS OF PROGRAM STRUCTURE Is your program defined by your top group or all of its groups together?

Southwestern Musician | August 2012 23

Students want to belong where they feel valued. Would you feel valued if you were allowed to participate only half the time or less? We structured our program so that we utilize all bands as often as possible and split into Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band only when absolutely necessary. We tour with all bands, play at pep rallies and football games with all bands, and take all bands together on the spring trip. While this creates more work for the staff, it results in a sense of program and makes all students within it feel valued. The only distinction we allow to be made between the bands is in the level of music performed. Our traditions have become a big part of our program and involve all students

enrolled. For example, we have a reward system that centers on our end-of-year concert. Our outstanding student awards are known as “Griffin Grammys” and our outstanding student of the program award is known as “the Golden Griffin.” And, of course, all awards have our logo on them. At the end of the Grammys, we include an eighth-grade tribute that is performed the same way each year. We take a picture of the eighth-grade band class each year and display it at the Grammys. It is eventually hung with the other class pictures in the band hall. These traditions help guide students in the way you want them to be guided, and they also give students a reason to look forward to staying with the program.

In this job, we are ultimately trying to expose as many students as possible to the world of music and teach them life skills gained through participation. We are obviously passionate about the worth of music education or we wouldn’t be dedicating our lives to it. In many ways, being a part of a music program should be the easiest thing for us to sell! We need to remember that the awards that come along the way are just the extras—our true reward comes in the experience of working every day with our students. Leigh Ann McClain is Director of Bands at Griffin MS (The Colony) in Lewisville ISD.

Learn Boldly. Live to Inspire. SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE: De Capo Award in Music Up to full tuition per year Jones Fine Arts Award for Music Majors Up to $4,000 per year Performance Awards for Non-Majors Up to $2,000 per year Scholarship Audition Dates: Sun., Feb. 24, 2013 @ 2–4 p.m. Sat., March 23, 2013 @ 10 a.m.– noon Sat., April 20, 2013 @ 2–4 p.m.

Texas Lutheran University Contact 1.800.771.8521 or e-mail dboyer@tlu.edu

24 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

For specific qualifications for each award, visit www.tlu.edu/music or scan the QR code above with your smartphone.

Bachelor of Music in All-Level Music Education Bachelor of Music in Performance Bachelor of Arts in Music

ORCHESTRA NOTES

Getting a fresh start B Y

IMPORTANT DATES August—Renew your TMEA membership and preregister for the 2013 convention. August—Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 2 for details). August 20—Liability insurance through TMEA expires. September 15—HS String Honor Orchestra online entries due. October 2—Convention housing opens.

L I S A

M C C U T C H A N

I

t’s a new school year once again! This is probably one of my favorite times of year. I still get excited to meet new students and to see the challenges that this year will bring. Each year, tweaking a program to meet the classroom’s individual needs can be exciting, challenging, or— maybe for some—discouraging. Every year there are new personalities and chemistries that come together to influence change in how we teach, pace the class, and select literature. At the end of last year, I asked students to complete a survey about their orchestra experiences. In general, most students were happy, but at the same time they wanted some change to the daily routine. The following are some conclusions based on responses to the questionnaire: ‡ 6WXGHQWV HQMR\HG RZQHUVKLS LQ WKH FODVVURRP VHFWLRQ OHDGHUV IHOW important.

October 15—Postmark Deadline for HS String Honor Orchestra CDs and other entry materials.

‡ 6WXGHQWV ZRXOG OLNH PRUH WKHPHG FRQFHUWV HVSHFLDOO\ ZKHQ SHUIRUPLQJ with the middle school students.

October 20–21—HS String Honor Orchestra judging.

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October 27—Area recording date.

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November 10–11—Area CD judging.

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December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

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January 24—TMEA convention online preregistration deadline. February 13–16, 2013—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio. 26 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

:KHQ VWDUWLQJ D QHZ \HDU ZH DOVR VKRXOG UHĂ HFW on how to improve ourselves and our relationships with colleagues and staff members.

Austin Bassfest September 21-23, 2012 The Butler School of Music The University of Texas at Austin Concerts Featuring Edgar Meyer DaXun Zhang Artem Chirkov Featured Clinicians Include Jeff Bradetich Paul Ellison Lawrence Hurst Tim Pitts Hal Robinson All-State Workshop Solo Competition Information and Registration www.music.utexas.edu/bassfest Inquiries texasdoublebass@gmail.com

Director: DaXun Zhang Double Bass Professor Butler School of Music

Facebook www.facebook.com/austinbassfest

m u s i c . u t e x a s . e d u

6WXGHQWV ZDQW WR EH HYHQ PRUH involved with the feeder middle school programs. 6WXGHQWV ZDQW PRUH VRFLDO DFWLYLWLHV I learned a lot by reviewing their feedback over this summer, and I gained many ideas for how to make this school year more enticing for the students. When starting a new year, we also should reflect on how to improve ourselves and our relationships with colleagues and staff members. Get to know the bookkeeper, the head custodian, the librarian, and the secretaries. Realize you are not the only teacher asking for their services. Treat the fine arts staff the way you want to be treated. Walk into their offices and visit. Attend choir concerts, band concerts, and theater productions. Let them know you are willing to help. Counselors should be some of your closest colleagues on the campus. Deal with them professionally, and communicate with them throughout the year about scheduling issues and about meeting the needs of your individual students. Finally, quit complaining! Everyone is busy and colleagues don’t need to hear how overworked we are.

28 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

Membership Renewal and Requirements Remember to renew your TMEA membership, purchase low-cost liability insurance, and make plans to attend the 2013 Clinic/Convention in February. Keep in mind that all directors, not just head directors, should be TMEA members. Honor Orchestra Thanks go to Todd Berridge and the Permian HS booster organization for successfully hosting round one of the Honor Orchestra competition. Congratulations go to the directors and their orchestras that advanced to round two. The judges in both rounds were extremely professional, and our thanks go to everyone who served on these committees. The list of finalists and winners will be featured here in September. All-State Audition Material All-State etudes were posted online May 1 and the excerpts were added July 22. Find the link on the TMEA homepage under TMEA Business. Errata is posted as it is identified, and the TMEA

website is the official source for this information. Please check frequently for updates. Errata is dated and displayed in red. Region Business Attend your Region meetings and get involved not only at the Region level but at the state level. You will soon be able to volunteer online, so check the TMEA website to submit your information. Region Chairs need to ensure all members in your division are entering this information. Thanks go to all who have already gotten involved this year. Finally, make sure that you read the Code of Ethics and Eligibility Requirements for this year’s All-State competition (found at www.tmea.org/about/policies). Congratulations to Margaret Brown and the TODA Board for another excellent convention. I particularly enjoyed the reading sessions this year! I am looking forward to another year of serving on the TMEA Executive Board. Please do not hesitate to contact me with ideas and suggestions throughout the year. Have a great start to your new teaching year!

WANDA L. BASS SCHOOL OF MUSIC

0 1 9 r e b m e v 9 No 8 y r a u r b e F 9 8 h c r a M TO SCHEDULE AN AUDITION:

www.okcu.edu/music ocumauditions@okcu.edu

405.208.5980

It’s at www.tmea.org TMEA Policies

A

s the beginning of a new school year approaches, now is the perfect time to review policy documents provided by TMEA to help support high quality music education experiences for all.

Code of Ethics: TMEA created this Code of Ethics & Standard Practices to offer its members a clear definition of the ethical standards all educators should maintain. Texas music educators must clearly understand their duties and obligations to perpetuate the dignity and honor of the profession given that music education is an essential component of a well-rounded education for all. This code is not intended to supersede, but rather enhance, any other codes to which the TMEA member might be subject. Grievance Policy: The Grievance Process was established to hold members accountable to TMEA policies that guide the business of the association. Eligibility Requirements: As another TMEA audition season

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Resources Music Education in the Law Music Education Advocacy Teaching Resources Southwestern Musician TMEA Policies

approaches, take time to review the requirements for eligibility to ensure you clearly understand them and have an opportunity to get any questions answered before audition entry begins.

Appeals Process: TMEA provides this ordered process for the review of appeals that are supplied within 72 hours of an audition or stated infraction for which the appeal is being submitted. It is important to understand the process by which appeals are reviewed. Copyright Policy: Review this copyright policy and linked resources for guidance on music distribution and recording. Return to www.tmea.org often for the latest updates and information.

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Dr. Lowell E. Graham, Chair 500 W. University Ave. El Paso, TX 79968 915.747.5606

A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

By Sally Schott

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atching a master chef on a cooking show is very informative. One learns that creating magnificent cuisine is a complex activity dependent upon many factors. These include far more than the chef’s knowledge. The skillful application of appropriate procedures, a wonderful recipe, quality ingredients, first-class utensils, and a well-equipped, well-organized kitchen are also essential. Each is directly related to the degree of success obtained. Likewise, establishing and maintaining a magnificent music program is a complicated process that involves many interrelated components. As you create your own recipe for success in this coming school year, consider the following key areas. MANAGEMENT Success in the classroom depends to a great extent on how well the teaching/learning environment is structured. Time management is crucial, especially time spent on non-teaching activities. Every moment saved is a moment gained for instruction. Study the physical setup of the room and arrange it to facilitate traffic patterns that reduce congestion and provide quick and easy ways to get or turn in materials. Seat each class with an awareness of musical and behavioral characteristics. Seating order and the amount of space between students are key elements in creating the optimum arrangement for good classroom management. Prepare students for the sequence of activities so that little time is wasted at the beginning of the class. Keep students focused on the task at hand by pacing the activities so that there is no wasted time during transitions, and display a lesson outline for their reference. Students respond to order, so establish procedures and 32 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

routines and use them consistently. Set forth expectations and state with clarity: ‡ ZKDW WR GR ‡ KRZ WR GR LW ‡ ZK\ LW VKRXOG EH GRQH DQG ‡ WKH FRQVHTXHQFHV LI H[SHFWDWLRQV DUH QRW PHW DQG WKH UHZDUGV if they are. As long as students stay focused and actively involved, off-task behavior will be kept to a minimum. Always relate each activity to a goal and each behavior to an outcome. Know and apply with consistency and fairness the campus discipline management plan as well as specific rules you have established for your classroom. Foster teamwork and cooperation: all for one and one for all works when students have ownership plus appropriate opportunities to exercise leadership and model responsible behavior. Your charge is to cause the students to put aside their personal agendas and adopt your agenda. Your enthusiasm, energy, humor, and clear sense of purpose are key ingredients in this transition. Eliminate distractions and be willing and able to adapt to changes in events and conditions. Demonstrate patience in dealing with unexpected circumstances and human interactions. Stay constantly aware of all aspects of the learning environment to anticipate and address potential problems. While consistent classroom management is a key to our success, we must also remember that spontaneity complements creative pursuits. Thus, we must seek a balance between established

routines and the excitement of the unexpected. METHODS AND MUSICIANSHIP Apply your personal philosophy of music education to every aspect of your teaching, and keep the development of musicianship as the basis for every class activity. Provide models of quality musical performance and give students the means to evaluate their own performance in comparison to the ideal. Be sure students always have the tools to bridge the gap from where they are to where they need to be in terms of their level of experience and development. Structure experiences and introduce complexity gradually. After breaking music down and isolating and simplifying specific tasks, help students synthesize the individual components into a total musical whole. Base your lesson plans on your own careful score study, and teach the repertoire from the inside out, not the outside in. Connect work on technique with its application to the music being prepared for performance. Determine the steps required to teach a particular performance skill and take students through those steps systematically. Begin instruction with an appropriate introduction, followed by the presentation of information or activity in a logical sequence. Use terms, symbols, and explanations appropriate to the knowledge and skill level of the students. Clarify potential areas of difficulty and stress important points. Be ready with alternate plans when Plan A doesn’t work. If corrective feedback or reteaching is indicated, provide it in a specific and meaningful way. Realize that productive activities involve change. Communicate learning expectations and standards of success to students during each segment of instruction. Monitor performance so that when correct responses are made students receive reinforcement. Whenever possible, relate the lesson content to prior and future learning to facilitate students being able to form concepts and retain knowledge. Give honest evaluations of your students’ efforts, always balancing a negative reaction with encouragement and praise, particularly for the progress the class is making. Strive for maximum student participation. Interact with students in a dynamic

manner and systematically pursue student contributions. Involve students with questioning techniques by giving additional information and by providing ample time for student response; establish the ground rules for Q&A (spontaneous responses, or only when recognized). Use the lecture method sparingly. Instead, involve students in active responses, experiencing the elements of music through moving, chanting, and singing or playing. Discriminate listening is a key element in producing quality performances. Devising a variety of ways to encourage students to develop their listening skills will result in improved accuracy, intonation, balance, and blend. Explore the students’ general concepts about the meaning of music and what it takes to communicate it. Provide students with ample opportunities to practice translating the printed page into expressive sound. Keep verbalization clear, brief, and highly focused. Model the various expressive effects (negative and positive) when appropriate, and ask the students to imitate the desired model.

every level. If one of your goals is to facilitate a quality experience for you and your students, the key to reaching that goal is selecting well-crafted repertoire. The repertoire must fit the needs of your students. Music that is too easy produces boredom. Music that is too difficult produces frustration. Choices must be based on a valid understanding of the technical level of each of your groups. Only then can you choose music that challenges but does not defeat, that sets students on a path of growth in both musicianship and confidence. You cannot rely solely on the advice of others or select material because others have performed it. Ultimately, you are the only person who can assess the needs and abilities of your students, and program accordingly. You will then be rewarded with actively engaged students who are successful in meeting challenges appropriate for their skill level and understanding. Once you have made final decisions, prepare a detailed plan for teaching each piece. Provide the students with the tools they need to decode the score and

Know that adopting shallow goals will produce only temporary success. The more you appeal to their higher level thinking skills, the more you will see students making the kind of effort that produces enduring success and personal growth.

Use appraisal to help you determine how much reteaching is needed and to determine whether the class is being sufficiently challenged. Use appraisal to reveal if progress is satisfactory and whether your teaching techniques, time distribution, or other factors need adjustment. Use evaluation both to measure student progress and to improve your effectiveness as a teacher. MATERIALS Like the old adage, “You are what you eat,” we truly are what we play or sing. Junk music equals garbage in, garbage out. Seek to program quality literature at

fully utilize a rhythmic reading system and meaningful responses to expressive markings. Constantly evaluate whether the literature and sightreading materials you have chosen are effectively keeping your students on a path to musical growth and understanding. If something isn’t working, choose something else. Look for the truest test of all—students who are eager to rehearse, perfect, and perform music they have come to love! MOTIVATION Energize each class! Students take their energy from you. Integrate motivational Southwestern Musician | August 2012 33

strategies into the lesson. Make provisions for consistent and specific praise and reinforcement. Encourage all students, from the most reluctant to the most enthusiastic. Avoid negative or demeaning comments and instead model courtesy and respect. Offer patience and encouragement to students who are having difficulty. Accept with respect all student responses, whether correct or incorrect. Stress the value and importance of an activity so that students see a purpose for learning. Also, recognize the close relationship between classroom management and student motivation: a well-organized physical setting, clear expectations, and carefully planned instruction invite students to fully participate because they see opportunities for success. Know that adopting shallow goals will produce only temporary success. The more you appeal to their higher level thinking skills, the more you will see students making the kind of effort that produces enduring success and personal growth. Keep students on a steady path to improving skills and understanding

34 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

by constantly evaluating their progress and reteaching as necessary. As students accomplish each new challenge, they are motivated to strive for further success. Structure according to their abilities and needs. Capitalize on students’ natural sense of competition by devising miniperformances of sections, or rows, or individuals. Seek to capture each student’s imagination, and make flexibility, spontaneity, and responsiveness to the unpredictable part of your presentation. Stay in touch with how students respond to instruction, and make adjustments accordingly. Use what motivates you as a means of understanding what motivates them, and apply this understanding to your planning. When you establish a classroom environment where students can come for respite from their personal trials and tribulations and experience joy and laughter and accomplishment, you will have succeeded in creating order in their chaotic worlds, and they will respond by working hard for you. Teach effectively, and the motivation will take care of itself!

MARKETING What happens in the classroom does not stay in the classroom. Your students are the best source of information about your program. They talk to friends and to parents; they talk at church and in the neighborhood. Realize that the first step in a successful marketing program is to have something worthwhile to market. Accomplished, productive students who enjoy your class are your best marketing tool for they create a positive image for your department. Be sure your public performances are well-publicized. More importantly, be sure they are well-prepared and wellpresented. Be creative in using a portion of a concert to demonstrate each group’s sightreading skills, leaving indelible proof of the depth and breadth of your teaching. Accept this truth: each student you teach is an ambassador for your department and its future well-being. Good teaching is the best marketing tool of all! Sally Schott, who taught choral music for 39 years, is a university supervisor of student teachers, publisher of music education materials, and consultant. Schott is also a TMEA Past-President.

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VOCAL NOTES IMPORTANT DATES August—Renew your TMEA membership and preregister for the 2013 convention. August—Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 2 for details). August 20—Liability insurance through TMEA expires. October 2—Convention housing opens. December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline. January 24—TMEA convention online preregistration deadline. February 13–16, 2013—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

Practical matters B Y

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s choir directors, our first focus is on the rehearsal— what music we have selected for our choirs, what sightreading and theory components we are studying, and how we are pacing our rehearsals. As busy as we all are, what can we do to make our lives easier in that rehearsal setting and on a daily basis? The following are some practical suggestions for the beginning of the school year that I hope will be beneficial: Websites: If you are computer savvy (or if you have a student or parent who is), establish a choir website that contains everything anyone could ever want to know about your program—handbooks (rules, expectations, grading policies, attendance policies), maps, calendars, audition information, order forms, and more. For ideas, visit websites created by colleagues across the state. Handbooks: Whether you make a handbook available online or as a hard copy, have the student and parent sign an acknowledgement form stating they have received a copy of your policies and procedures. This can be useful if a conflict occurs during the year. (Examples of music program handbooks are on the TMEA website in the Music Teacher Toolkit under the Resources section.) Preview concert: Get your students singing the first day of school (every other class will be passing out paperwork and doing other boring things). Perform a concert during the first two to three weeks of school. This is an opportunity to present your choirs to the parents as well as to collect forms and money and answer questions. Warm-up CDs: Record a CD of your typical daily warm-ups and have this available anytime you are absent from school. Make copies for pre-Area and Area candidates to use over the holidays before those important auditions. You can also upload those warm-up tracks to your webpage. Use the warm-up CD at solo and ensemble contest so that the students who arrive early but sing late can warm up closer to their performance time. Daily goals: Write your goals and objectives for each class on your chalkboard or whiteboard. This can include sightreading exercises (specific pages or exercise numbers), theory (worksheets or exercises), and literature to be covered.

Think now about what you can do to help support your success throughout the coming school year. 36 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

The students will learn to check the board and will often be ready before you are. This can also save the director from unnecessary repetition. Student supplies: Have students use a three-ring binder rather than a traditional choir folder and purchase an electric hole punch for your choir room. If your budget allows, purchase a plastic pencil pouch for each student (or require your students to provide one). Each pouch should include at the minimum: one pencil, two highlighters, and three note cards. Page protectors for worksheets or rehearsal schedules are also useful. Minor key warm-ups: One year around Halloween, we turned out the lights in the classroom and placed a lit jack-o’-lantern on the piano. To add to the atmosphere, we sang all of our warm-up exercises in minor keys. It challenged the students’ ears and created a high level of interest in an activity that could have become routine. It is now a tradition, but one that does not have to be associated only with Halloween—minor warm-ups can be useful when preparing for minor sightreading, theory, or literature. You could also consider varying the rhythmic structure of the exercises for added interest; write the rhythmic pattern on the board that you are focusing on that day. Projection screen: At concerts, project song titles and student names on a projection screen (especially pop shows). General announcements could also be projected prior to the start of the concert to remind the audience members to turn off cell phones, to remain seated during choir numbers or student solos, and any other audience etiquette items you wish to add (this might help prevent audience members from using cell phones during concerts to read programs). Create magazine article files: Rather than saving stacks of magazines, tear out articles that could be useful and place them in clear sleeves. You can create folders or binders for easy access at a later date and organize as appropriate. Money collection: Use envelopes with student name, amount, and item listed on the envelope. These can be preprinted, or students can provide their own envelopes. Our students know to drop payments into a lockbox; we are then able to count and write receipts at our leisure, rather than taking class time to deal with collecting money.

Social events: Designate a student officer to be in charge of social events. Try monthly events (before or after school as your daily schedule allows). Start with an icebreaker, include loud music and snacks, and end with a flash mob. Movie nights (or weekend afternoon movies), picnics, or pool parties are other options to consider. Holiday parties can include white elephant gifts, Guitar Hero or Rock Band, and Dance Dance Revolution—and don’t be afraid to participate! Volunteers: Use student leaders and officers for daily administrative tasks that can be easily delegated to them. Students can check roll, pass out music, collect money envelopes, and perform any other task that takes up rehearsal time. Parents make great volunteers too—your booster officers or committee chairs can help with money collection, making purchases, and decorating for concerts and social events. Set up a parent/student workday to put up shelves for trophies, create storage, or do anything else that you need in your facility. Thanks go to Derrick Bready, Denise Eaton, Jennifer Gallagher, Heather Orr, and Amanda Lonsford Robison for volunteering their suggestions and insights that contributed to this column. The TCDA board also deserves our thanks for a great summer convention. The choral directors who volunteer to

serve their membership through TCDA are truly servant leaders. You can volunteer to help your Region Chairs at auditions, concerts, and clinics. Go online to www.tmea.org and download the form to volunteer for the 2013 convention. Opportunities are available to assist with registration, serve as a presider or concert guide, or to work in the Vocal Division office. All-State Audition Material All-State Choir audition material can be found online (www.tmea.org, under TMEA Business). Be sure also to refer to the All-State notes/errata for corrections and specific information about divisi. The All-State audition entry can also be found online once your Region Chair creates the contest. Membership Remember to renew your membership, purchase low-cost liability insurance, and preregister for the 2013 convention. You must be a current Active member (not Student member type) for your students to participate in the audition process. Take advantage of the resources available on the TMEA website to help you make presentations to your administrators to gain their support for your membership and to attend the convention.

Remember to Renew Your Membership All TMEA 2011–2012 memberships expired June 30. Also, if covered, liability insurance expires August 20. Renew now to ensure you receive the benefits of your TMEA membership for the entire year.

Renew Online Today—Click Renew from

www.tmea.org Verify and update your email and mailing addresses. Your receipt and membership card are sent to your email address.

The TMEA membership year ended June 30. Renew now, and remind your colleagues to do the same! Southwestern Musician | August 2012 37

By Amy Burns

W

hen I was earning my bachelor’s degree in music education in the early 1990s, music technology courses were not required. When I began my first job teaching music to early childhood through elementary grades in twelve different schools, technology was nowhere to be found in the standard music curriculum. When I started working at my current school in Far Hills, New Jersey, the fourth through eighth grade music teacher had just installed a music technology lab in her classroom. I wondered how I would ever use technology with elementary music students. As I witnessed my colleague using this lab as a tool for teaching her students to create music, I began to realize the many opportunities technology offers elementary music educators and students. I quickly learned as much as I could to begin using technology to enhance the delivery of music education to every student. Too Much Technology? When I present at state and national music conferences on integrating technology into the elementary music curriculum, attendees are often concerned about extending their students’ time using technology since they already seem to spend countless

Ignoring technology would be like providing students with paper and pencils to create a graph knowing that in the workforce, those students would never create and present a graph without having used computer software. 38 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

hours outside of school “plugged in.” They believe that when students come to music class they should be exposed to music solely in the form of singing, listening, moving, creating, and performing on acoustic instruments. I do understand those concerns. In conference presentations, I always explain that when I teach elementary music, my students move to and listen to music, sing a variety of songs, perform on numerous instruments, create and compose music, and learn to read music notation all of the time. Technology is simply one of the tools I use to help my students achieve success in this learning. We now teach students who have always listened to an iPod or known someone who has one—this generation has no fear of technology, and we are given the task of preparing them for their future in a world driven by more advanced technology than we can imagine. If I ignored technology because I believed my students got enough at home, I would be missing out on websites that can help assess musical skills, apps that can enhance recorder performances, and hardware and software that can act as virtual world instruments students would otherwise not have the opportunity to play. It would be like providing students with paper and pencils to create a graph knowing that in the workforce, those students would never create and present a graph without having used computer software. While there are seemingly endless possibilities, the following are some practical ways you can immediately integrate technology into your elementary music instruction. The One-Computer Classroom Even with just a single computer in the classroom, the elementary music educator can enhance instruction through technology. With a screen or TV, you can project music software or interactive music websites to reinforce or assess musical skills taught in the classroom. Students can come up to the computer one at a time and participate in the activity. Other students watch

the screen and follow along. Kid-friendly Internet sites such as those provided by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and San Francisco Symphony Orchestra have existed for years and include interactive games and activities that can help you assess or enhance any music lesson. Example: Your students are studying Carnival of the Animals by Camille SaintSaĂŤns. They listen and move to each movement as the animal being portrayed. They learn about the instruments used to represent each animal. In the final activity, you could project one of the websites on a screen and have the students participate in a game or activity (like the music instrument concentration game in the New York Phil Kidszone or the study of the instruments with the SFSkids) to reinforce or enhance the lesson where they learned about the musical instruments. Other Solutions There are some excellent websites that can enhance any elementary recorder classroom. For example, www.MusicK8 .com has amazing resources for the elementary music classroom, including an interactive recorder that you can project onto an interactive whiteboard. The student can go up to the board, press the note on the staff, and the recorder on screen will play and show the student the fingering. Joytunes recorder website has numerous interactive games and activities for young recorder players. The Music Interactive website allows you to download music games onto your computer, many of them for free. One of my students’ favorite games is Staff Wars 2, in which the student plays notes on their musical instruments (recorder to band instruments) to “blastâ€? the note off the staff.

Finally, there are websites that promote interactive music-making along with a music curriculum. One example is QuaverMusic.com. Much of this interactive website is free to use. The site pres-

Website References The following sites correspond to the information presented in the article. For ease of entry, longer URLs have been replaced with TMEA website URLs that will redirect to them. Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: www.dsokids.com New York Philharmonic Kids: www.nyphilkids.org San Francisco Symphony Kids: www.sfskids.org Music K–8 interactive recorder: www.tmea.org/smlink/musicK8kids Joytunes recorder resources: www.joytunes.com Music Interactive (music games): www.themusicinteractive.com Quaver Music (interactive music making): www.quavermusic.com Online Learning Exchange: www.tmea.org/smlink/onlinelearning Smart Technologies (interactive whiteboard): www.smarttech.com Promethean (interactive whiteboard): www.prometheanworld.com Hitachi Starboard (interactive whiteboard): www.hitachisolutions-us.com Mimio Interactive Technologies: www.mimio.dymo.com Wiimote Online Tutorial: www.tmea.org/smlink/wiiremote Finale (music notation software): www.makemusic.com Sibelius (music notation software): www.sibelius.com 1RWHà LJKW RQOLQH PXVLF QRWDWLRQ SURJUDP www.noteflight.com Interactive whiteboard lessons: www.smartboardnow.com Amy Burns website (compilation of resources): www.amymburns.com SoundBrush (draw music app): www.tmea.org/smlink/soundbrush Songify (song creation app): www.tmea.org/smlink/songify MelodyMelody (memory match game): www.tmea.org/smlink/melodymelody NoteSquish (note naming game): www.tmea.org/smlink/notesquish Music teachers facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/musicpln Technology Institute for Music Educators: www.ti-me.org

ents a child-friendly way of encouraging students to create music through loopbased songs, it offers patterns to play along with on guitar, and it helps them create simple melodies. Other websites host an entire curriculum online rather than presenting through textbooks and CDs. One example is Online Learning Exchange Interactive Music powered by Silver Burdett. This all-digital program, developed by Pearson in partnership with Alfred Music Publishing, includes lessons, resources, downloadable assets, and interactive musical activities that can enhance any Pre-K–8 music instruction. The Interactive Whiteboard Over the past decade, more schools have acquired interactive whiteboards from a variety of manufacturers. Some schools use technologies such as interactive LCD projectors or Johnny Chung Lee’s version of a low-cost multi-touch whiteboard using the Wii Remote (go to www.tmea.org/smlink/wiiremote for an online video tutorial). This technology offers yet another tool teachers can utilize

to enhance their current lessons. The interactive websites mentioned above come even more alive when students can interact with them on a whiteboard rather than on individual computers. The software delivered with many interactive whiteboards also gives teachers a new way to create lessons and materials for those lessons. Below is a rhythm lesson that I used to create with paper and markers.

The students would reveal the rhythm pattern by flipping the cards over on the music room floor. Now, the students come up to the interactive whiteboard and tap the card on the screen to flip it. Southwestern Musician | August 2012 39

Ask yourself if there might be another way to teach the concept and whether technology could enhance the lesson. The bigger visual is more appealing and easier to use for my younger elementary students. In addition, I don’t need to recreate it if it were to get lost or damaged. Another effective use of the interactive whiteboard is making a modified staff so your students can experience placing notes or any picture of your choice on the staff. This can be done by utilizing the line tools that come with the interactive board’s software. Displaying music notation software (e.g., Finale or Sibelius) or online music notation programs (e.g., Noteflight) on an interactive whiteboard gives the students a better experience with composition than pencil and paper. Students can easily drag and drop the notes onto the staff and hear their melodies as they create them. Electronic notation files can also be saved and accessed later from any computer.

40 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

There are numerous music materials made for interactive whiteboards. Debbie Anderson and Phyllis Thomas, elementary music teachers from Lewisville ISD, have created some amazing interactive whiteboard lessons that you can use immediately in your classroom. You can learn more about their approach in an article they published in SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN that is available in the online archives (www.tmea.org/magazine). To learn more and purchase their materials, go to www.smartboardnow.com. Also go to my website, www.amymburns.com, and click on Interactive Whiteboards for a list of websites that offer free, downloadable lessons. iPads in Elementary Music Education On the market now for two years, the iPad has become a popular educational tool. As in other classrooms, there are some benefits to acquiring iPads for your elementary music classroom. Virtual instrument apps are available that can allow your students to perform on world instruments that wouldn’t otherwise be in your classroom. For the Chinese New Year, we accompany ourselves on songs with our Orff instruments and a few iPads that have Chinese Drums (connected to speakers). We also have the students experience playing a Chinese erhu through an app. There are many music apps with which students can create music by drawing or through speech (e.g., SoundBrush by LeafNotes Inc. and Songify by Khush Inc.). This technique is very helpful, especially for students with learning difficulties for whom writing music is not an option. Finally, there are many apps that are musical games such as MelodyMelody (a listening concentration game by Currach Software) or Note Squish (a note naming game by William Wilson). These can help you assess your students’ musical knowledge. For a more extensive list of elementary music apps, go to my website at www.amymburns.com.

Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) What if you want (or are being told) to integrate technology but are not sure how to go about doing it in a successful and meaningful way? Dr. Ruben Puentedura designed a model to help educators at any level of technological expertise to integrate technology into teaching and learning. I believe, however, that even before beginning the first stage of his SAMR model, one should experiment first—experiment with websites, apps, or the interactive whiteboard until you feel comfortable. Then, substitute a tool in your classroom with a technological tool. Do something as simple as accompanying a song with an iPod and sound system, and see how your students respond. When you feel comfortable with that, augment your lessons with technology, perhaps by adding an interactive website to perform an assessment with your students. After that, modify your lesson by adding virtual instrument apps to your lessons so students can experience a cultural sound and compare the difference of a virtual ensemble to an acoustic ensemble. Finally, redefine how you might teach a music concept. Ask yourself if there might be another way to teach the concept and whether technology could enhance the lesson. In addition, try social networking with other music educators who can assist you. Organizations like TI:ME (the Technology Institute for Music Educators) or social networking groups like the Music Teachers Facebook page or Twitter (#mused) have numerous music education technology experts who are always willing to assist. Technology can be a great asset to your elementary music classroom if used in an effective way. When elementary music educators try to teach around technology, the lesson will ultimately be unsuccessful and your students will become frustrated; however, when elementary music educators use technology to enhance music lessons, students will feel great musical success. Amy Burns is an elementary general music teacher in New Jersey, author of Technology Integration in the Elementary Music Classroom, and a Past-President of TI:ME, the Technology Institute for Music Educators.

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The University of Texas at San Antonio Department of Music

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It’s all about who you know! B Y

M I C H E L E

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es, it really is all about who you know. I am rediscovering this by moving with some of my students to a brand-new school, Wolman Elementary. With the school year about to begin, I am in the process of unpacking new instruments, unloading the multitude of boxes accumulated through the years, and thinking of how to launch a music program in a new school. Regardless of whether you are in the process of opening a new school, the beginning of any new school year is certainly challenging, but it’ also very exciting! If you are new to a school or new to teaching, the following is a list of important people you need to meet immediately: &XVWRGLDQV There may be only one person or a whole cleaning crew. Custodians set up your chairs for programs and clean your room, so make sure they are aware of how to handle the musical instruments.

ELEMENTARY NOTES IMPORTANT DATES

6SHFLDO HGXFDWLRQ WHDFKHUV This amazing group can offer advice with behavioral issues and learning techniques.

August—Renew your TMEA membership and preregister for the 2013 convention.

3 ( WHDFKHUV Usually they are on your team. Just keep in mind that you may have to use their gym for PTA/PTO programs and concerts. They can also help you during grade level rehearsals.

August—Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 2 for details).

7HDP OHDGHUV These are the people in each grade level you will contact when preparing for programs. Make sure to give them detailed instructions with your expectations and provide them a list of the order of the students so they will be well prepared before the big performance.

August 20—Liability insurance through TMEA expires.

&RXQVHORU This person is your support aid when dealing with difficult situations. Your counselor can offer possible alternatives and recommendations.

December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

3DUHQWV If your school has parent volunteers, find out who the real helpers are who can assist with bulletin boards, accompanying, secretarial duties,

October 2—Convention housing opens.

January 24—TMEA convention online preregistration deadline. February 13–16, 2013—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out your horn. — Charlie “Yardbird” Parker Southwestern Musician | August 2012 43

3ULQFLSDOV Get to know your principals and be sure they know you. Your programs bring parents to PTA/ PTO meetings and your students are the ambassadors to the community when you present programs and choir and ensemble concerts. Make sure your principals know what you would like to accomplish, what you have planned, and that you are ready to support them.

cutting and laminating, and just about anything for which you’ll need an extra pair of hands to free up some of your time. -XQLRU KLJK DQG KLJK VFKRRO GLUHFWRUV Know the directors who are in your students’ future schools. It is much more impressive to your students when you say the directors’ names instead of just their titles. Go to their concerts and invite them to your performances. Know their teaching techniques so you can incorporate them into yours.

If you are a returning music teacher, seek out the new teachers. See if they have any questions and offer your support and

Add Technology, Composition, & Creativity to Any Music Curriculum with

advice. Your experience is a very valuable commodity. Storage Ideas I use plastic shoe bins and larger containers to house instruments, wood blocks, maracas, and other items. Region 1 Elementary Chair Christy Corder uses this great method for displaying and storing puppets—she filled a plastic bucket with cement that secures a dowel rod upright with clips attached to it for the puppets. She places the bucket on top of a P.E. scooter board to make it even easier! iPad Apps If you have access to an iPad, you certainly know that the availability of music apps continues to expand. The following are a few I have found particularly fun (be sure to read the feature article on page 38 about technology in elementary music education for even more): 9LG5K\WKP IUHH DQG ORWV RI IXQ

Exploring Composition

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Goodbye Project Share, Hello Edmodo! While Project Share offered great value for many music teachers, it unfortunately wasn’t accessible by all TMEA members. After researching other options for sharing ideas online, I have decided to set up an elementary music educators group on www.edmodo.com. It should be available to all teachers. I will be transferring the materials available from Project Share to Edmodo and Google docs. Be looking for an email from TMEA with directions on how to join our Edmodo group—TMEA elementary music teachers!

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44 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

TCDA Convention By the time you receive this edition some of you will just be returning from an amazing good time at the TCDA convention! Be sure to thank TCDA Elementary Vice-President Phyllis King for all her hard work. 2013 Convention If you would like to volunteer to be a presider or office helper or to work registration, go to the TMEA website and complete the online volunteer form or simply email me at sallyhobizal@katyisd.org.

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Getting a fresh start B Y

IMPORTANT DATES August—Renew your TMEA membership and preregister for the 2013 convention. August—Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 2 for details). August 18—CTME Officer Training Session at TMEA Offices, Austin. August 20—Liability insurance through TMEA expires. October 2—Convention housing opens. October 12—College Fall Conference in Austin. October 15—Call for papers. December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline. January 19—CTME Leadership Summit at Dallas Baptist University. January 24—TMEA convention online preregistration deadline. February 13–16, 2013—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

46 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

K E I T H

D Y E

A

s you prepare to re-enter the classroom, studio, or rehearsal hall this fall it is always revitalizing to seek a fresh perspective. Even though this magazine may be arriving on your desk only shortly before you resume your instructional role, it’s never too late for any of us to consider our approach to working with our students. What follows is a short list and brief description of assorted books I discovered in my personal quest to prepare for the challenges ahead this fall. All are relatively recent publications, contain quickly applicable ideas and concepts, and are even highly affordable (especially when purchased for an eReader). Never Work Harder Than Your Students and Other Principles of Great Teaching by Robyn R. Jackson. This is a thoughtful guide to providing great teaching experiences on your journey to becoming a master teacher. It’s straightforward and readily practical to any teaching situation and subject matter. They Snooze, You Lose: The Educator’s Guide to Successful Presentations by Lynell Burmark. Burmark puts together a terrific collection of guidelines to incorporating humor, images, emotion, stories, senses, and more as you prepare content and discussion presentations for today’s student audience. The resource DVD was an unexpected bonus! Social Media for Educators: Strategies and Best Practices by Tanya Joosten. Is anyone not involved in some way with social media? While we still have to be cautious of ethical faux pas when engaging our college students through social media, I know many of you have found new levels of engagement by incorporating it appropriately. This volume provides some insightful strategies for assessing and documenting the effectiveness of social media use in educational settings.

As you face the challenges and opportunities of a new school year, look to the myriad of resources available to help you prepare.

Just Good Teaching: Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance in Theory and Practice by Laura Sindberg. This is a nice complementary work to other books advocating Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) approaches in ensemble settings. It’s particularly valuable for the added depth it details and the countless real-world examples provided throughout. The Learner-Centered Curriculum: Design and Implementation by Roxanne Cullen, Michael Harris, and Reinhold R. Hill. Much like the preceding work, this volume serves as an effective extension of the thoughtful earlier publications regarding incorporating learner-centered (LC) strategies by Maryellen Weimer. Those of you familiar with the earlier ideas will particularly appreciate this work’s focus on applying LC concepts to instructional revision on broader curricular perspectives beyond individual classrooms. Of course we also have ready access to a wealth of more specific and academic published research. While both the JRME and JMTE continue to be the backbone of research in our discipline, I believe we often overlook other resources at the ready via the Internet, including those provided by TMEA. On the TMEA website, you can find reports of research in music education that have been presented at the convention over the past 30 years. Dr. Robert Duke and his research committee members continue to work to expand what has grown to become an impressive collection of data. Go to www.tmea.org/research to search for these reports. Session handouts from the Midwest Clinic and the TMEA, NAfME, and other conventions contain a wealth of information and can be accessed online from their respective websites. Don’t forget this great opportunity. Finally, let’s not ignore that SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN is also available online in an interactive format. You can read this column and find live links to all the above! To access the interactive issues, go to www.tmea.org/magazine. College Division Fall Conference On October 12, the TMEA College Division will once again hold its fall conference at the TMEA offices in Austin. I invite you to set aside the date and work to ensure a meaningful representation in

attendance from your campus. In the interim, I ask you to email me (keith.dye@ttu.edu) thoughts, ideas, questions, and concerns both for immediate consideration and for the agenda on October 12. It is hoped the agenda will be included in the September installment of this column. Call for Papers The call for presentations at the convention poster session has been issued. The deadline is October 15, and full details can be found on the TMEA website under the College Division menu. Volunteer Volunteers for the convention are always needed. Whether you are interested in presiding over division sessions or helping with registration, the always willing volunteer force ensures our convention remains a world-class event. You can volunteer online from the TMEA website. CTME Update Nate Hutcherson, President Greetings from the Collegiate Texas Music Educators! Currently, the Board is planning the Officer Training Session as well as developing new means of communication with our members. We have updated our Facebook page and have created a Twitter account (@CTME1213). We also have two new exciting offers for our members: 7KLV \HDU ZH ZLOO DZDUG WR WKH most active university music education chapter. A chapter will show their involvement by posting comments, suggestions, and pictures to the CTME Facebook page throughout the year. :H ZLOO DOVR DZDUG WR WKH SHUVRQ who best answers this question: “Why is CTME important to you?” This person will have their expenses paid to attend the Leadership Summit on January 19 where they will present their speech. As an organization, we want every music education student to have the opportunity to grow. As part of our threetier vision, our events and communication will provide opportunities for development in professionalism, networking, and advocacy. We also want to provide full

support to local music education organizations. If your university does not have a music education organization, CTME can help you start one. If it does, CTME can help you grow. Become an active part of CTME by attending our events this year. Officer Training Session will be held August 18 at the TMEA offices in Austin. We will be discussing the practical ideas of running an organization for current and new officers in music education organizations. Visit www.ctmeweb.org for more information and to register.

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Do you have students interested in music business? Since 1990, the Texas Music Office in the Governor’s Office has provided Texans of all ages with accurate, unbiased information about our state’s music industry. The TMO’s website, EnjoyTexasMusic.com, lists more than 18,000 Texas music business contacts, as well as many helpful teaching aids and a complete descirption of the 145 Texas colleges offering music and music business degrees. The TMO: Your resource for teaching the business behind the notes.

Texas Music Office, Office of the Governor P.O. Box 13246, Austin, TX 78711 (512) 463-6666 music@governor.state.tx.us EnjoyTexasMusic.com Southwestern Musician | August 2012 47

Thank You, Scholarship Donors March 1 – June 15, 2012 Matthew D. Adamson Christopher Wayne Ahrens Dr. Michael L Alexander Amy Allibon Dr. George Jaques Amorim Laura L. Andrews Fred Angerstein Gary Anthony Dr. Francesca Arnone Mike Aston Diane M. Baker Mark L. Baker Mason Barlow Sandy M. Barrows Glen Edward Bell Sandra Benke Jim Blacksher Amanda Bond Susan H. Boylan Carl V. Braden Robert Brewer Angela J. Brill Jerome B. Brillhart Rick Brockway Teri Brockway Dianne E. Brumley Dennis Bubert Mica R. Bull Leanne Bullock Melissa A. Bunzendahl Ann Arnold Burbridge Tommy Butler Nancy A. Byus John G. Cain Dr. David W. Campo Tomas Cano Jose Alejandro Castejon William Centera Mark Chambers Michael Chandler Nicola Chappell Jody Ann Cies Yvonne Ciminiello Todd Clearwater Susan Coad Kyle F. Coleman Brent T. Colwell Paul A. Cortese Dr. Eugenia Costa-Giomi Cindy Couch Dr. Patricia Jan Cox Evanna R. Cramer Stephen G. Crawford Carol Crittenden Lev Daneman Andrew B. Davis Wesley Davis Rebecca Ann Dawson

Deborah Ward Dennard Dawn Denne Marcia Sue Dennis Robin L. Dent William J. Dick Jason Dove Patti Vee Drachenberg Robert A. Duke, Ph.D. Dan Ebie Elizabeth Edwards Mary H. Edwards Veda Alicia Eissler Charlotte Ellsaesser Dr. Pamela Gail Elrod Amber Jean Evans Erin Ashley Evans Sue Delker Ewing Jack O. Fariss Billy Ferguson Dr. Blaise James Ferrandino Linda L. Ferris Christopher C. Fiorini Cathy A. Fishburn Jennifer Fisher Dr. Marylynn L. Fletcher Jane H. Fore Williams Harold Edward Foss Pamelia E. Foster Dr. Graeme Francis Christopher D. Frank Dr. Lynne Gackle Isabelle Ganz, D.M.A. Adrianna Garza Dani Gathright Karen K. Gentry Karen Elizabeth George Louis B.(Bart) Ghent Rick Ghinelli Staci Rae Gideon John Gillian Renee Noel Gilliland Dr. Ann M. Gipson Ben R. Gollehon Marianne E. Gould Peggy S. Graff Brooke Grall Blanca Araseli Gutierrez Sina Kaye Hale Julia C. Hall Pamela T. Hall Dr. Julia Hardie Billy A. Harrell Michael Harris Sandy Hayes Ed Hefti Joan Heinrich Curt Evan Hentrich Creston Herron

48 Southwestern Musician | August 2012

Megan Heuer Dr. Arlis Hiebert David L. Hinds Da’On Hinton Robert Holland Bill Holt Christian Holzer Dr. Cynthia Lu Houston Steven Edwin Hoyle Sophia Hsieh David Thomas Isadore Mary T. Isadore Dr. Judith Anne Jellison Katherine Taylor Johnson Emily Ruth Jones Gordon Jones Brenda Jean Josephsen Chris Judah-Lauder William Sean Kay Barbara L. Keaton Gladys M. Keeton Richard Keith Damon Kelley David B. Keown Dr. Janice N. Killian Vicke King Jeremy Alan Kondrat George Koudelka Charlie J. Krause David Lee Lambert David M. Landgrebe Vickie Lautner LeeAnne Lawson Wayne Wan Li Melissa J. Livings Martha A. Low Cyndie K. Lowry Mark Lucus Michael J. Lysinger Sheryl Mace Ann MacMillan Elizabeth P. Mairs Melodianne Mallow Sarah Marquez Jennifer Anne Marrero Amy Christine Mathis Allana McClellen Marguerite McCormick Susan McCormick Julie W. McCoy Caia Kent McCullar Matthew McInturf Myra McNellie Susan Meyer Patterson James Miculka Dr. Brian L. Miller Misty Miller Maria Minnaar-Bailey

Baceliza Valentin Monroe Nancy Lee Morey James Timothy Morgan Marianne Morrison Debra Beam Moses Rae Moses Dr. Jeb Mueller Ralph Nance Patricia A. Neighbors Dr. Sheri L. Neill David Odegaard Marti M. Oden Janwin Overstreet-Goode James William Palmer Paul A. Palmer John Parsons Laura B. Pease Mark F. Pease Sandra C. Pentecost Jerry Dennis Perales Dr. Jane E. Perkyns Deanna Peters Sandra Fisher Peterson Mallory Phillips Mary Jane Phillips April Henderson Pickrell Donald Pierce Dr. Michael Alfred Pierce Denise Michele Pitcock Kasey Pope Sherylynn Gail Porter Scott Radell Alan Raines Keith Raney Tracey Ann Redus Adam Reemts Mary Alice Rich-Wittrig Colleen Riddle Dr. Troy David Robertson Dr. Mark Edward Rohwer Shannon H. Roth Charlotte Neleen Royall Joni Rudak Brian Kent Sague Teresa Sanchez Norman E. Sands Florence Scattergood Dr. Russ A. Schultz Brian Stanley Sedatole Nick Seibert Karen E. Seiffert Crista Cochrane Sereni Bingiee Shiu Nancy K. Shotts Dennis Shrock Mona Sinclair James Richard Smith, Jr. Randy Smith

Warren Sneed Daniel Solis, Jr. Narciso Sorio, Jr. Lezlie M. Spann Marsha Anne Spinner Dena B. Steed Laura Stehn Ed Stein Mary Ella Neeley Stevens Brent Allen Stewart Brian Wade Stewart Linda Rose Stiegler Barbara Streit James L. Streit George Strickland Walter R. Stricklin Katherine Ann Stubbs Dr. Ann B. Stutes Joyce C. Sullivan Neal Sutton Debbie Tannert Russ Teweleit Tammy Louann Thiele Melanie L. Thomson Mary Tidwell Paula S. Till Kimberly Tobola Pete Tolhuizen Sheila S. Torrance Brian Towndrow Christine Towndrow Crystal Townzen Zehua G. Tribble Mark Trimble James Trimmier Dr. Thomas W. Tunks Darla McBryde Turner Joseph Steven Veanueva Albert Luis Vela III Ann M. Victor Jeanna Villanueva Abbey Lyn Vines Pamela Vonderheide Christina E. Wagner James C. Wallace Cornelia Watkins Daniel J. Watkins Joann D. Watson Betsy Cook Weber, D.M.A. Michael Wharton Darlene Wiley Susan K. Williams Judith C. Woody Dr. John Charles Yarrington Dr. Nestor Enrique Zayas Kimberly A. Zoeller Mary Jane Zorn

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