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Contents VO LU M E 87 ɵ I S S U E 4 ɵ N OV E M B E R 2018
Features State Candidates Support Fine Arts Education . . . . . 15 As we near the midterm elections, learn how Texas House and Senate candidates responded to a survey about fine arts education. [R O B E R T F LOY D]
Your Ensemble Is Music Education’s Best Advocate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Your ensemble can offer the best music education advocacy during the upcoming legislative session. [R O B E R T F LOY D]
Selecting Repertoire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
51
Selecting repertoire is about defining a curriculum and our beliefs about what music education should be for our students. [C R A I G K I R C H H O F F]
Strategies for Efficient Choral Rehearsals . . . . . . . . . 39 With fast-paced rehearsals, you can create a sense of engagement and enthusiasm while limiting disruption. [T O D F I S H A N D J A K E TAY L O R]
Going Beyond Traditional Performances. . . . . . . . . . . 51 Informances offer opportunities to showcase what and how students learn, and they provide excellent music education advocacy. [CA R A C O F F E Y]
Columns President’s Notes . . . . . . . . . 5 [R O B ER T
H OR TO N]
Executive Director’s Notes . .10 [R O B ER T
F LOY D]
Band Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Updates
[J O H N
CA R R O L L]
Orchestra Notes . . . . . . . . . 32
2019 TMEA Clinic/Convention Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
[B R I A N
C O AT N E Y]
2019 TMEA Clinic/Convention: The Best Place to Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Vocal Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 [DER R ICK
B R O O K I N S]
The Piano Guys to Honor Texas Music Educators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Elementary Notes. . . . . . . . 54 [CA S E Y
M ED L I N]
College Notes . . . . . . . . . . . 58
on the cover
Praise Ezeukwu, now a freshman premed major at Oral Roberts University, performs with the Mansfield HS Varsity Men’s Choir at the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention. Photo by Karen Cross.
[V I C K I
BAKER]
Southwestern Musician | November 2018
1
Editor-in-Chief: Robert Floyd UĂ R\G@tmea.org 512-452-0710, ext. 101
Managing Editor: Karen Cross
kcross@tmea.org 512-452-0710, ext. 107
TMEA Executive Board President: Robert Horton
2019 TMEA CLINIC/ CONVENTION BASICS • February 13–16, 2019
rhorton@conroeisd.net :HVW 'DYLV 6WUHHW &RQURH ² 7KH :RRGODQGV +6
• San Antonio, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
President-Elect: Joe MuĂąoz
• Discounted downtown hotel rates at www.tmea.org/housing
0XQR]M#SHDUODQGLVG RUJ 3775 South Main Street, Pearland, 77581 281-997-3219 – Pearland HS
Past-President: Andy Sealy sealya@lisd.net 4207 Plano Parkway, Carrollton, 75010 469-948-3011 – Hebron HS
Band Vice-President: John Carroll
• $60 early registration fee for active TMEA members • 300+ clinics, 100+ performances, 1,400+ exhibit booths • Full-day preconference of music technology clinics • Active TMEA members earn CPE credit
www.tmea.org/convention
John.Carroll@ectorcountyisd.org 1800 East 42nd Street, Odessa, 79762 432-456-2285 – Permian HS
Orchestra Vice-President: Brian Coatney brian.coatney@pisd.edu 1313 Mossvine Drive, Plano, 75023 469-752-9396 – Plano Senior HS
Vocal Vice-President: Derrick Brookins PDMRUVFDOH #JPDLO FRP :LPEOHGRQ 'ULYH $OOHQ 214-450-7464
Elementary Vice-President: Casey Medlin
300+
CLINICS
From master teachers, learn proven methods and strategies you can use in your very next class.
casey.medlin@fortbendisd.com 6DQG\ 6HD 5RDG 5RVHQEHUJ ² %UD]RV %HQG (OHPHQWDU\
College Vice-President: Vicki Baker 9%DNHU#WZX HGX 3 2 %R[ 'HQWRQ ² 7H[DV :RPDQ¡V 8QLYHUVLW\
TMEA Staff Executive Director: 5REHUW )OR\G | UĂ R\G@tmea.org Deputy Director: )UDQN &RDFKPDQ | fcoachman@tmea.org Administrative Director: Kay Vanlandingham | kvanlandingham@tmea.org
100+
PERFORMANCES
Get innovative programming ideas, conducting concepts, and inspiration for future performances.
Advertising/Exhibits Manager: Tesa Harding | tesa@tmea.org Membership Manager: Susan Daugherty | susand@tmea.org Communications Manager: Karen Cross | kcross@tmea.org Financial Manager: &ULVWLQ *DIIQH\ | cgaffney@tmea.org Information Technologist: Andrew Denman | adenman@tmea.org Administrative Assistant: 5LWD (OOLQJHU | rellinger@tmea.org
70($ 2IÀFH Mailing Address: 3 2 %R[ $XVWLQ 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 0RQGD\²)ULGD\ A.M.–4:30 P.M.
480+
EXHIBITORS
Make hands-on comparisons before you buy. Budget dollars stretch further in our exhibit hall.
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2
Southwestern Musician | November 2018
LEARN + INSPIRE + LEAD
SIGN UP TODAY! FREE FOR MUSIC EDUCATORS | PUBLISHED QUARTERLY
www.YamahaSupportED.com
2019 TMEA Clinic/Convention February 13–16 • Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center • San Antonio This extraordinary event features over 300 workshops by nationally recognized clinicians for band, orchestra, vocal, elementary, and college educators, more than 100 performances by the state’s finest musicians, and one giant exhibit hall filled with over 1,400 booths representing all facets of the music industry. With the TI:ME Music Technology Preconference held in conjunction with our convention, attendees have even more opportunities to learn about the latest music technology solutions. This Wednesday event offers a full day of music technology clinics ($50 separate registration).
Early Registration • Active music educators: $60 • Retired music educators: $20 • College students: $0 ($25 membership) • Technology preconference: $50
The Best Place to Learn.
After January 24 Active music educator fee increases to $80.
Other Opportunities When you preregister or register onsite, you can purchase these additional items: • Family member badges: $10 each • Clinic file audio access: $10 • President’s Concert tickets: $20 The Piano Guys (see page 8)
Mark Your Calendar! NOVEMBER
Make a hotel reservation now. Many convention hotels are already sold out!
DECEMBER 31
Last day to emai/fax/postmark a convention registration form.
JANUARY 24
Early online registration ends and payment for purchase orders is due.
BAND.ORCHESTRA .VOCAL .ELEMENTARY.COLLEGE 4
Southwestern Musician | November 2018
B Y
R O B E R T
H O R T O N
PRESIDENT’S NOTES
In Memoriam TMEA Past-President Charlene Watson June 8, 1923–October 6, 2018
Are you playing Whac-A-Mole?
I
November—Renew your membership and register for the convention. November 1—TMEA scholarship application deadline. December 31—TMEA email/mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 24—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 13–16—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.
recently accompanied my seven-year-old niece and four-year-old nephew to a birthday party. It was at one of those raucous places that serves “pizza” and offers a variety of entertainment options. Armed with tokens and childlike energy, we set off to conquer the myriad games. We were on a quest for tickets. Skee-Ball, football toss, racing games—this place had it all! But wait, where was Whac-AMole, my favorite childhood game? Do you remember that one? The game began, and plastic moles would randomly pop up and down across the surface. The more times you hit a mole on the head with a mallet before it escaped, the more points you scored. The faster you tried to move, the faster the game went. Inevitably, the moles won, because you just couldn’t keep up the pace the more quickly they appeared. In my career, I have often felt like I was living a real-life version of WhacA-Mole. When I worked as the sole music teacher on campus, I taught all day, returned parent phone calls, answered emails, managed the fundraiser, completed trip paperwork, and planned for the next day. As more tasks got added to my plate, I felt unable to keep up. I’m sure many of you can relate. Even now in my 28th year in education, I am the only person doing my job, and I can
One of the key elements to building a team is that when you enlist help, you must empower them to do what you have asked. Southwestern Musician | November 2018
5
feel the stress level increasing with needs to meet deadlines, help new programs, new schools, and support new teachers, in addition to the regular pace of my job. I recently heard stress defined as the gap between the demands placed on us
and our ability to meet them. There is no doubt about the debilitating effect of stress. A simple Google search of “stress” yielded over half a billion results. There is a lot being written about stress in education. Many aspects of our job in music educa-
ACC Department of Music
The Pathway to
Passion Vocal & Instrumental
Scholarship Auditions June 4, 2019 August 13, 2019 or by appointment
www.AlvinCollege.edu/Music For more information, contact: Dr. Kevin Moody, 281.756.3587 or kmoody@alvincollege.edu EOI
SCHOLARSHIPS Majors Minors NON-MAJORS Continue your music at a college that is as smart as you are . . . whether you intend to major in music or not. Our ensembles are open to all students by audition. SCHOLARSHIP AUDITION DATES February 18 & 23 March 30 For information, visit austincollege.edu/music
Austin College
MUSIC Choir Band Orchestra
6
Southwestern Musician | November 2018
tion can cause stress, so I would like to propose some thoughts about how we can manage that stress in our lives. Remember your primary responsibility. What is your job? What is the main thing? Music education! Yes, it is a complicated enterprise, but the main thing is what you do every day, when the door closes and you have precious time for you and your students to make music together. Sometimes this requires a narrowing of your focus because there are so many aspects to what we must teach. I encourage you to do some deep thinking about where your students are right now. What is one thing they do really well? Keep developing that skill to give them success and keep the positive atmosphere in your classroom. What fundamental skill do your students need to develop? I encourage you to ask a trusted colleague to help you identify this aspect of your teaching. These suggestions are to help you refocus on the main thing you do every day, so that you can remember your primary responsibility—teaching! Build a team. You may be the only person on your campus who does your job, but you can address some of your stress by building a team. I encourage you to think about the areas of your job where you could have some other people help you. Over the years, when I asked parents to help us with tasks, I always framed it as an opportunity for them to help us, so that we could spend more time and energy on teaching. We found that we all wanted the same thing—the best possible experience for their children. Also consider ways in which you can give students leadership opportunities. One of my high school choir colleagues holds a men’s invitational and brings her boys in her feeder system to her campus for a day of singing, games, and interaction between her high school boys and their future choir members. The student leadership team plans, organizes, and executes the entire event. In one of our junior high schools, fine arts teachers chaperon for each other’s groups. Although I freely admit that is a unique situation, it exists and works well for this school. Imagine if, on every trip, or at every concert, you had another certified teacher from your building. One of the key elements to building a team is that when you enlist help, you must empower them to do what you have asked.
Honoring Texas Music Educators with a featured performance at the 2019 TMEA President’s Concert r o f r e f f O Exclusive ! s e e d n e t t A n o i t n e v TMEA Con
Wednesday, February 13, 8 p.m. Lila Cockrell Theater • $20 TMEA.ORG/PRESIDENTSCONCERT 8
Southwestern Musician | November 2018
Practicing Self-Care As you consider how you can better manage the stress that so naturally comes from our demanding job as music educator, be sure to read “Achieving the Balance We Need,” published in the September issue (available online at www.tmea.org/emagazine). Former middle school band director and now licensed professional counselor Nathan Langfitt offers insightful strategies we can employ daily to help us better achieve this necessary balance in our lives.
When you have given them a task, the best course of action is to support their efforts. Having capable people on your team frees your brain to concentrate on your primary responsibility. Additionally, I encourage you to remember that stress is rarely an isolated incident. Rather, it is often the cumulative effect of many factors. Practicing selfcare is critically important. Make physical activity a priority. I cannot tell you how many times I have come up with creative ideas or experienced clarity in my thinking simply by taking a 20–30 minute walk in the morning. I have also been amazed at the powerful effect that drinking more water than I thought I needed can have! I had a teacher who once told me, “Your
body is never neutral, it works for you or against you!” You might have noticed that a common thread to each of these strategies is to develop a plan. How do you do that? Talk with a trusted mentor. Seek advice from successful, veteran teachers in your area. Perhaps even survey your students and parents, if it is appropriate. As you begin to develop your plan, try to anticipate the challenges to implementing it, and seek some creative solutions to those challenges. Remember your primary responsibility and seek ways to build a team. Believe that you can make things better and that you are on the track to reducing your stress.
The Piano Guys Concert on Pace to Sell Out I’m so excited to have The Piano Guys presenting our 2019 TMEA President’s Concert on Wednesday, February 13, at 8 p.m., in Lila Cockrell Theater. If you haven’t watched any of their videos, check them out! They are looking forward to performing at our convention and have said they are offering this concert specifically to honor Texas music educators! Because of that, ticket sales are being sold exclusively to TMEA convention attendees—no outside sales will be conducted. Tickets are only $20 (a fraction of their typical concert ticket cost), and given our current sales, we fully believe this concert will sell out well in advance of the first day of the convention. If you haven’t already, be sure to purchase your tickets when you register, or if you already registered, simply return to your member record and select this item within the convention registration area. For more on the event, go to www.tmea.org/presidentsconcert.
ON-CAMPUS AUDITIONS DECEMBER 8, 2018 JANUARY 26, 2019 FEBRUARY 2, 2019 FEBRUARY 9, 2019
REGIONAL AUDITIONS JANUARY 19, 2019 Dallas, TX JANUARY 20, 2019 Boston, MA and Los Angeles, CA JANUARY 21, 2019 Chicago, IL Application Deadline: DECEMBER 1 ithaca.edu/music
music@ithaca.edu
2018 OPEN HOUSES OCTOBER 8 and NOVEMBER 12 Register at my.ithaca.edu and click on the events tab to sign up.
Southwestern Musician | November 2018
9
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTES
% < 5 2 % ( 5 7 ) / 2 < '
The midterms and more
B
elow are convention-related updates and latest TMEA project information, as well as a reminder about the importance of our participation in the midterm election. The outcomes could certainly impact decisions made during the upcoming 86th legislative session as related to public education and school finance. Midterm Election By the time you receive this magazine the general election will be only days away. It is not too late for you to do your homework to see how supportive your candidates are of music education in the schools. Read about candidates’ responses to a recent fine arts education survey on page 15. Then visit www.goarts.org/news to see whether your candidates, especially for the Texas House, completed it and reach out to them to discuss the rationale behind their responses. If they didn’t return the survey, you can give them the opportunity to share their thoughts directly with you. If they win the election, hopefully our survey will have put our issues on their radar. When we visit their capitol office during the legislative session, they will remember they have constituents back home with similar concerns. Convention Housing Housing opened October 1, and traffic on the housing site was fast and furious. Even though we started with more rooms than last year, to the frustration of many, major hotels near the convention center sold out quickly. Within the next few hours, all housing blocks—over 5,500 rooms—were taken. We will continue to add more rooms as they become available. Several factors contributed to this sellout: the limited number of rooms with two double beds, our need to block 1,080 rooms for All-State students and chaperons and 60 more for convention support staff and TMEA conductors and clinicians, a higher demand for shoulder nights (Tuesday, Saturday), and
It is not too late for you to do your homework to see how supportive your candidates are of music education in the schools. 10 Southwestern Musician | November 2018
November—Renew your membership and register for the convention. November 1—TMEA scholarship application deadline. December 31—TMEA email/mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 24—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 13–16—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.
TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC
SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS Scholarships are available for both music and non-music majors. These awards are intended to provide recognition for scholarship and talent in the study of music. For specific qualifications for each award, visit
www.tlu.edu/music-scholarships. SCHOLARSHIP AUDITION DATES: Sunday, November 11, 2018 TLU Performing Arts Scholarship Invitational
Sunday, February 10, 2019 | 1-3 p.m.
SCHOOL OF MUSIC DEPARTMENT HEADS
Wei Chen Bruce Lin
Douglas R. Boyer
Deborah Mayes
Director, School of Music and Director of Choral Activities dboyer@tlu.edu 830-372-6869 or 800-771-8521
Choral Accompanist
Beth Bronk
Asst. Professor, Collaborative Pianist
Director of Bands bbronk@tlu.edu
Shaaron Conoly Director of Vocal Studies sconoly@tlu.edu
Eric Daub Director of Piano Studies edaub@tlu.edu
Eliza Jeffords Director of Strings ejeffords@tlu.edu
Asst. Professor, Piano
Scott McDonald Instructor, Saxophone & Jazz Band
Carla McElhaney
David Milburn Instructor, Double Bass
Kurt Moede Instructor, Horn
Keith Robinson Instructor, Tuba & Music Education
Jill Rodriguez Instructor, General Music
Robert Mark Rogers
FACULTY
Asst. Professor, Bassoon
Mark Ackerman Instructor, Oboe
Evan Sankey
Saturday, March 23, 2019 | 1-3 p.m.
Adam Bedell
Asst. Professor, Trombone & Euphonium
Instructor, Percussion
Shaunna Shandro
Saturday, April 13, 2019 | 1-3 p.m.
Carol Chambers
Asst. Professor, Voice
Instructor, Music Education
Eric Siu
Paula Corley
Asst. Professor, Violin
Instructor, Clarinet
Sophie Verhaeghe
Jeanne Gnecco
Instructor, Violin
Instructor, Flute
Robert Warren
Chad Ibison
Asst. Professor, Piano, General Music & Music History
Sunday, May 19, 2019 | 1-3 p.m. Individual audition dates may be requested if necessary.
Asst. Professor, Guitar
Monica Kang-Sasaki Asst. Professor, Piano; Collaborative Pianist
Lance Witty Asst. Professor, Trumpet
Elizabeth Lee Asst. Professor, Cello
BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN ALL-LEVEL MUSIC EDUCATION | BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN PERFORMANCE | BACHELOR OF ARTS IN MUSIC
www.tlu.edu/music
the fact that no new properties have been built near the center since the Grand Hyatt opened 11 years ago. Smaller suite hotels are our only options to address hotel room needs, which over the past 11 years have increased 41%. Inventory on the reservation site changes daily as we add properties and as cancellations occur. I encourage you to visit the site frequently to increase the odds of locating availability in the price range and location you prefer (go to www.tmea.org/housing). One option is to book housing in the airport area and use
a ride sharing service to commute in or drive in and park at the Alamodome for $10 per day (with free convention center shuttle provided Thursday–Saturday). TMEA Website While we aren’t ready to announce a date for its unveiling, the TMEA website revision project is well underway. The new look and functionality, especially on mobile devices, will be a feature I’m sure you’ll appreciate and enjoy. With over 700 pages of information, it’s a labor-intensive process. It will be worth the wait!
The Pursuit of Excellence
2019 NOVEMBER 17, 2018 ALL INSTRUMENTS
JANUARY 26, 2019 VOICE & ALL INSTRUMENTS
(WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GUITAR & PIANO)
FEBRUARY 9, 2019 VOICE & ALL INSTRUMENTS
(WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GUITAR & PERCUSSION)
MARCH 2, 2019 ALL INSTRUMENTS APRIL 5, 2019 VOICE ONLY
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY
1751 Avenue I, Suite 225 Huntsville, TX 77340 936-294-1360
WWW.SHSU.EDU/ACADEMICS/MUSIC
MEMBER THE TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM ™
12 Southwestern Musician | November 2018
TMEA Centennial Plans are moving forward for the 2020 TMEA Centennial celebration. While the 2020 convention will be one you won’t want to miss, it will be much more than a three-day birthday party. The celebration will instead encompass several months of celebrating the past, present, and future of TMEA and music education in Texas. Digital advocacy tools will be provided for every member, and I encourage you to begin brainstorming special ways music education can be celebrated on your campus and in your district. The Piano Guys Tickets to the President’s Concert featuring The Piano Guys are selling at a brisk pace, and we believe the concert will sell out prior to the convention. Tickets are available only to convention attendees, so purchase yours when you register for the convention. If you already registered, return to your member record and purchase them in the convention registration area. In the words of the members of the group, “Our mission will always be to inspire, uplift, and make the world a better place. If we can make a positive impact in even one person’s life it has all been worth it to us.” This performance without doubt will be a wonderful way to start the convention. Recognize Your School Administrator TMEA continues to recognize upperlevel school administrators (superintendents, deputy superintendents, principals, and school board members) who have been instrumental in preserving quality music education programs on their campuses and in their districts. Since the inception of the Distinguished Administrator Award program, over 240 recipients have been recognized. It is crucial that we take every opportunity to highlight the many successes present in numerous schools across our state. Get more information and enter your nomination at www.tmea.org/ adminaward. I also encourage you to invite your superintendent or principal to our convention. They may register for free at www.tmea.org/adminregistration. Each year 50+ superintendents, principals, and board members attend. Attending workshops and hearing student performances can be an eye-opening experience.
PE R FOR MAN C E PA S S I O N PRIDE
ADMISSION & SCHOLARSHIP AUDITION DATES: FEBRUARY 23, 2019 MARCH 9, 2019 MARCH 16, 2019 Auditions are required of all entering and transferring music majors. Additional dates upon request.
D E P A R T M E N T O F M U S I C
tamuc.edu/music | 903-886-5303
BACHELOR’S AND MASTER’S DEGREES IN MUSIC EMPHASIZING MUSIC EDUCATION OR PERFORMANCE
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State Candidates Support Fine Arts Education by Robert Floyd
T
he majority of candidates for Texas House and Senate seats who responded to a recent survey said they believe that fine arts education improves student performance in other academic areas, lowers dropout rates, and prepares students for college and the workforce. Additionally, most oppose removing of students from their fine arts classes for remediation in other subjects. This is the fifth time the Texas Coalition for Quality Arts Education (TCQAE) has surveyed candidates for the Texas Legislature, and responses have consistently revealed they believe in the value of fine arts education. Similar to the surveys TCQAE distributed before the previous four state elections, this survey (distributed in late September) was intended to raise candidatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; awareness of fine arts education and remind them of the broad constituency who support fine arts education for all schoolchildren. This questionnaire allowed us to communicate important information while ensuring the candidate or their staff members dedicated additional time to considering their opinions and responses. Candidates Respond To date, over 28% of the candidates surveyed have submitted responses. Receiving candidate responses is a positive indication of their concern about our issues. Regardless of the response rate, sending a survey raises their awareness of a constituency that cares about fine arts education issues. Survey responses can also help you as you prepare to advocate with your elected officials for fine arts education during the 86th legislative session. Detailed Results Find your candidatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; answers to this survey on the News page at goarts.org. You can use their responses (or possible lack thereof) as an opportunity to communicate directly with them. Thank them for responding and offer to provide them your firsthand experiences as a fine arts educator. Encourage your colleagues and parent groups to review the data and contact their candidates or elected officials to discuss their responses. 5REHUW )OR\G LV 70($ ([HFXWLYH 'LUHFWRU DQG &KDLU RI WKH 7H[DV Coalition for Quality Arts Education.
Fine arts instruction helps improve student performance in other academic courses. Yes
No
Undecided
More Info
98.6%
0%
0%
1.4%
Fine arts participation reduces dropout rates. Yes
No
Undecided
More Info
97.3%
0%
0%
2.7%
Fine arts study helps prepare students for college. Yes
No
Undecided
More Info
97.3%
0%
0%
2.7%
Creativity fostered through a fine arts education is valued by employers. Yes
No
Undecided
More Info
94.5%
1.4%
1.4%
2.7%
Fine arts courses belong in the core curriculum. Yes
No
Undecided
More Info
97.3%
0%
0%
2.7%
Students should be removed from fine arts classes for STAAR preparation and remediation. Yes
No
Undecided
More Info
0%
87.7%
2.7%
9.6%
Candidate is willing to participate in a legislative fine arts education caucus. Yes
No
Undecided
More Info
87.5%
0%
1.4%
11.1%
Southwestern Musician | November 2018 15
Your Ensemble Is Music Education’s Best Advocate by Robert Floyd
D
uring the legislative session, I walk through the capitol almost daily. The best part of those days is when I hear beautiful music echoing from the rotunda. It’s impossible to just keep walking. While the sounds sometimes come from community or professional musicians, I’m almost guaranteed to find one of our wonderful Texas school music ensembles performing. While it makes my day to witness these performances, more importantly, I leave there encouraged to know that our state’s legislators, staff members, lobbyists, journalists, and everyday citizens are also reminded about the value of music education for these and all schoolchildren. As I mentioned in my September column, being an effective advocate for music education is as important today as it ever has been, especially because of funding and accountability goals communicated by the State Commission on Public School Finance. Their recommendations are concerning because they could lead to our students being denied opportunities for continuous music study. Given that potential, it’s important to remember there is no better advocacy tool than having your students demonstrate the results of quality music instruction. Advocate Through Performance at the Capitol Please consider scheduling your music group—whether you teach elementary, middle, or high school—to perform at our state’s capitol during our state’s 86th legislative session (January 8– May 27). Take this most effective advocacy straight to those who have been elected to represent you!
16 Southwestern Musician | November 2018
While performing at the capitol might sound like an involved effort, my guess is that you would be more likely to showcase your students there if you knew how to apply. This is an amazing opportunity for your students to visit their state capitol and to play a crucial role in music education advocacy—help them understand that even as young students, they can be influential (see the quick guide on the next page for some suggestions and the process). Performances in the capitol are managed and under the jurisdiction of the Texas Preservation Board. While their policies are quite structured, they are realistic and manageable. One critical component of the application is that you must have one of the following individuals sponsor your appearance: the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker, a state senator, or a state representative. Your local representative or senator would be the logical and most realistic choice. Most will be more than willing to sponsor your ensemble. For more information go to www.tmea.org/ capitolevents. Performing and visiting the capitol, one of our state’s treasures, can be a most memorable experience. One veteran choir director who has performed at and won major festivals throughout Texas still explains that performing at the capitol has been a highlight of his career. A performance can be integrated into a meaningful civics lesson as well. Most performing groups also take a guided tour, have lunch on the beautiful capitol lawn if the weather permits, visit with their legislators, who usually want to take advantage of a photo op, and in most cases get introduced from the gallery of the Senate or House chambers. The Bob Bullock Texas State History
Museum is also just two blocks away and more than worthy of consideration as an additional educational excursion, as is the Capitol Visitors Center on the capitol grounds. Texas music programs are successful because we believe students experience music through quality performance, so it goes without saying that any presentation at the capitol should reflect the result of rigorous teaching and learning in the classroom. The beauty of this venue is that such a performance could come from any type of ensemble at any grade level. There are no prerequisites for applying other than quality. I hope you will give every consideration to exploring this wonderful performance and advocacy option. The 86th legislative session begins January 8 and concludes May 27. Understand though that during the first couple of months of the session, legislators are often at their home districts on Fridays and Mondays, so the most effective time to schedule a visit to perform would be midweek during January and February or any weekday in March, April, or May.
Performing in the State Capitol See the following suggestions and information about performing at the capitol: • Noon–1 p.m. is the only time allowed in the first floor Capitol Rotunda (reserving early is important). Chamber groups may also perform in the capitol extension outdoor rotunda, which is reserved separately. • The 86th legislative session is January 8–May 27. • Best days to request are midweek during January and February or any weekday in March through May. • Go to www.tmea.org/capitolperform to complete the online request form to perform in the state capitol rotunda. • Review the online calendar to find available dates. • Contact your state senator or representative to request they complete the state sponsor form. To find out who represents you, go to fyi.capitol.texas.gov. • Complete an online request form. • Submit the state sponsor form to Capitol.Events@tspb.texas.gov (if your state sponsor didn’t submit it directly to them).
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BAND NOTES
B Y
J O H N
C A R R O L L
In Memoriam Milford Bryant Harris August 16, 1948–September 18, 2018
How music touches us
B
y the time you read this, many of us will be transitioning from marching into concert season. Wasn’t it just yesterday that summer band started? Time passes fast when we are having fun, and band is definitely fun! Of course, band directors of beginners and middle school students have been rehearsing concert concepts already and are very possibly already putting programs out to the public—our administrators, our schools, and our parents. I believe that selecting the music we program for our students and our audiences carries a great responsibility. I used to say that “all music touches the soul.” I truly believe that much music has that power. However, I have recently questioned whether this is true for all music. Rather than the soul, it seems some music touches the funny bone. Some music touches us in how it acts as the soundtrack to our memories—reminding us of fun times with friends or our old school days. Students don’t always want to experience deep soul-touching music. Sometimes they just want to play something fun. Other times, they enjoy something cerebrally challenging, but that doesn’t negate fun or interesting music. In fact, for me, it reminds me that all genres and types of music have worth. I try to find a blend of music that is soul-touching, fun, and, of course, music that can be performed well by the students with whom I am working. May we
I’m in awe at the talent in this state and how directors program such well-balanced concerts. 20 Southwestern Musician | November 2018
November—Renew your membership and register for the convention. November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. November 10–11—All-State Jazz judging. December 1—Honor Band preparations may begin. December 15—Postmark deadline for specialty instrument audition recording. December 15—Dual certification form submission deadline. December 31—TMEA email/mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 12—Area Band and Vocal auditions. January 24—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 13–16—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio. March 1—Honor Band entry deadline for classes 2C, 3C, 3A, 5A.
always study our repertoire choices and realize that there truly are different strokes for different folks. I have certainly programmed pieces I didn’t believe had much musical worth but that were well received by students and audiences alike. While I’m not for watering down my choices of pieces to perform, I try to keep an open mind when making selections. Just because I don’t like a piece doesn’t mean I shouldn’t consider it. I am often amazed by the number of conductors in Texas who have gotten this idea down to an art. I so much enjoy simply looking at the programs of other group’s concerts—from beginner bands to our university ensembles. I’m in awe at the talent in this state and how directors program such well-balanced concerts. As you think about programming, be sure to read the article on page 26 by our 2019 Featured Clinician Craig Kirchhoff. He offers his perspective on this important topic of repertoire selection. We look forward to learning more from him during our convention in February. TMEA Convention Updates As I mentioned last month, I ask you to consider serving as a volunteer for the TMEA Clinic/Convention in February. The Band Division has an especially important need for volunteers to be presiders and guides for performing ensembles. Your help would be greatly appreciated. You can submit your information and choose volunteer opportunities at www.tmea.org/bandvolunteer. The Piano Guys Concert on Pace to Sell Out Have you purchased your tickets to
Wednesday’s President’s Concert featuring The Piano Guys? With the current pace of sales, it appears this concert will sell out soon, so get your tickets now! If you already registered for the convention, simply return to your member record and select this item within the convention registration area. The concert is February 13, 8 p.m., in Lila Cockrell Theater. For more on the event, go to www.tmea.org/presidentsconcert. Specialty Instrument Audition For 2019 All-State Bands, we will hold specialty instrument audition for contrabassoon. Audition material is on the All-State Band audition material page and instructions for submitting a recording for this audition are on that page. Audition recordings must be submitted by December 15. TMEA Honor Bands I am extremely pleased to introduce our 1C, 1A/2A, 4A, and 6A Honor Bands. I hope you will support these wonderful directors and their exemplary students by attending their concerts during our convention. Look for news about our invited university bands and jazz ensembles in future issues of Southwestern Musician. Additionally, I am excited to announce that an outstanding concert band from Japan will be sharing their talents with us in concert as well as presenting a clinic. 1C Honor Band Atlanta MS Symphonic Band, Atlanta ISD With a population of 5,675 people, Atlanta is located in the piney woods of
East Texas. Even though Atlanta is one of the largest communities in Cass County, it has retained its unique history and smalltown charm. Atlanta MS has an enrollment of 360 students in grades six through eight, and its band program encompasses nearly 80% of those students. The Atlanta band program is committed to providing all students the opportunity to learn an instrument and develop a love for music. The Symphonic Band, under the direction of Kristen Thompson, consists of 67 students who will be working on their tenth consecutive UIL Sweepstakes award this concert season. The Atlanta Symphonic Band has been named Best in Class and Most Outstanding Group at the Peak Music Festival. In addition to this naming as 1C Honor Band, the band had one of their UIL pieces chosen for the Outstanding Performance Series CD. Since the 1920s, the Atlanta middle and high school band programs have had a rich history of excellence and continue to strive to uphold that tradition. 1A/2A Honor Band Carlisle HS Band, Carlisle ISD Carlisle HS is located in the eastern part of the state approximately 35 miles east of Tyler and has a district K–12 enrollment of 650 students. The Carlisle band program is a consistent UIL Sweepstakes award winner, with a rich history of success. This marks the fifth time in program history that the Carlisle Band has been named a Texas State Honor Band (2001, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2019). The Carlisle HS Band consists of 77 students in grades 8–12. The marching band has qualified for state marching contest
Atlanta MS Symphonic Band Southwestern Musician | November 2018 21
five times, with the 2015 marching band earning the bronze medal in the 2A competition. To promote individual student growth, much emphasis is placed on the Region auditions in the fall and solo and ensemble competitions in the spring. The Carlisle band program begins instruction to all sixth-grade students enrolled in the district, with homogenous classes divided among three class periods. The seventhgrade band serves as intermediate band and helps students prepare for membership in the high school band the following year. The Indian Band is under the direction of fourth-year director Chris Clifton and is assisted by Amanda Steinbach and Allison Girt. Clifton earned his undergraduate degrees at Kilgore College and UT/Austin before completing his graduate degree at Stephen F. Austin under Fred Allen. 4A Honor Band North Lamar HS Symphonic Band, North Lamar ISD The North Lamar school district is located two hours northeast of Dallas in Paris. The North Lamar HS Symphonic Band has established a tradition of excellence over the last three decades by consistently earning superior ratings at UIL and festival competitions. Both the symphonic and concert bands have been named Outstanding Bands at numerous festivals in and outside Texas. The Texas Bandmasters Association in 2016 named the North Lamar Band program as “Exemplary High School Band.” In 2016, the marching band placed first at UIL state contest. They earned top rankings in previous contests as well (2nd in 2014; 5th in 2012; 2nd in 2010; and 9th in 2008). In the ATSSB Outstanding Performance Series
process, the symphonic band has been selected as the state runner-up or the state winner on numerous occasions. The symphonic band was selected eight times as a 3A/4A National Winner in the Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Honors Competition (2010–2018), with the North Lamar Concert Band being selected as a Citation Award recipient in 2016. In 2011, the Symphonic Band was selected as the TMEA 3A State Honor Band. The band’s high school directors are Randy Jones, Jason Smith, and Justin Caldwell.
6A Honor Band Vandegrift HS Wind Ensemble, Leander ISD Vandegrift HS, established in 2009 as a part of Leander ISD, is located in northwest Austin and serves the Four Points and Steiner Ranch Communities. In the past 10 years, under the leadership of Principal Charlie Little, Vandegrift HS has celebrated two UIL Lone Star Cups and multiple band, athletic, and academic state championships. The Viper Band Family consists of 372 students, grades 9–12, and includes the
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Viper Marching Band and Vision Dance Company, four concert bands, percussion ensemble, jazz band, and several chamber ensembles. The Vandegrift HS Band cluster includes Canyon Ridge MS and Four Points MS band programs under the leadership of head directors Amy Allison and Jessica Gonzales. Viper Band members are also fortunate to receive instruction from a talented and dedicated staff of private lesson instructors. Vandegrift Concert Bands have been consistent UIL Sweepstakes award winners and state finalists in the TMEA Honor Band process and have been well represented at TMEA Region, Area, and All-State auditions. In 2017, the VHS Percussion Ensemble was a featured performing ensemble at the Midwest Band
and Orchestra Clinic. With directors Mike Howard, Katie VanDoren, Joe Hobbs, and Dustin Tharp, the band has enjoyed much success in concert band festivals and recording submissions. The Viper Marching Band and Vision Dance Company was named the 2013 UIL 4A State Marching Champion and 2015 UIL 5A State Marching Silver Medalist and was fourth place in the 2016 UIL 6A State Marching Contest. The Viper Marching Band is also a consistent finalist in Band of America Regional and Super Regional Marching Competitions, winning BOA Regional Championships in Austin (2016) and Houston (2017) and winning third overall in the 2017 BOA San Antonio Super Regional.
Invite Your School Administrator In appreciation for their support of music education, TMEA provides complimentary convention credentials to upper-level administrators (superintendents, principals, and school board members). The TMEA Clinic/Convention offers an incredible opportunity to witness the passion and rigor inherent in Texas music education.
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Selecting Repertoire COMMITMENT E XPOSURE RISK
by Craig Kirchhoff
E
very year that we teach and conduct, we are challenged by the inevitable process of making decisions about the repertoire we will share and explore with our students. The process is a daunting one because it challenges us to re-examine our values and our depth as music educators and musicians. Selecting repertoire is not about choosing pieces to play; selecting repertoire is about defining a curriculum and our beliefs about what music education should be for our students. Selecting repertoire is also about commitment, exposure, and risk: commitment, because the music that we rehearse and perform defines our values; exposure, because we share this repertoire with our students and eventually with an audience; and risk, because the music we select may not always resonate with what students, parents, and administrators believe to be the purpose of a music program in an academic setting.
The Value System Behind Our Actions Nearly 20 years ago, composer Warren Benson asked an important rhetorical question at an international conference of conductors and teachers. “What was it that brought us to music in the first place?” Warren’s answer has profound implications for our role as music educators: It is something in humankind that we find since the beginning of time that compels us to put an engraving on the handle of a knife, a design on the blade of an oar, or a configuration on the exterior of a ceramic pot. It requires that we sing to be born, sing to die, sing to plant, sing to be together, and sing to be alone.1 What Warren was describing is the creative and artistic spirit that is an inherent part of our nature; it is a part of the business of being human. The purpose of music education, therefore, should be to stimulate, nurture, and enhance the creativity, imagination, and expressive spirit of our students, qualities that have been a part 26 Southwestern Musician | November 2018
of their being long before they entered our rehearsal halls or classrooms. Our goal should be to nurture a lifelong love affair with music and with the creative process. To accomplish this goal we have to become evangelists for three essential beliefs that should guide our performance curriculum: 1. The process of teaching and exploring music is more important than producing concerts or participating in contests and festivals. 2. The educational outcomes for our students must be emphasized over the residual entertainment value that is often a high priority of administrators and parents. 3. The long-term value of music education in the lives of our students is more important than the short-term rewards. In addition, we have to diligently remind ourselves, and others, that the quality of our students’ music education is directly related to the quality of the curriculum they study and perform. The Intersection of Aesthetic Criteria and Personal Taste Every decision we make as teachers, musical and extra-musical, is a reflection of our values. In the case of repertoire selection, the critical balance of aesthetic criteria and personal taste defines that value system. While aesthetic criteria may be more easily agreed upon, personal taste is more illusive to define; yet it may represent the most important component of this delicate musical ecosystem. Aesthetic Criteria Acton Ostling’s landmark dissertation, An Evaluation of Compositions for Wind Band According to Specific Criteria of Artistic Merit (1978), established these important guidelines for the critical evaluation of musical compositions:
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Selecting repertoire is about defining a curriculum and our beliefs about what music education should be for our students. 1. The composition has form—not a form but form—and reflects a proper balance between repetition and contrast. 2. The composition reflects shape and design, and creates the impression of conscious choice and judicious arrangement on the part of the composer. 3. The composition reflects craftsmanship in orchestration, demonstrating a proper balance between transparent and tutti scoring, and also between solo and group colors. 4. The composition is sufficiently unpredictable to preclude an immediate grasp of its musical meaning. 5. The route through which the composition travels in initiating its musical tendencies and probable musical goals is not completely direct and obvious. 6. The composition is consistent in its quality throughout its length and in its various sections.
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7. The composition is consistent in its style, reflecting a complete grasp of technical details, clearly conceived ideas, and it avoids lapses into trivial, futile, or unsuitable passages. 8. The composition reflects ingenuity in its development given the stylistic context in which it exists. 9. The composition is genuine in idiom and is not pretentious. 10. The composition reflects a musical validity that transcends idiom and is not pretentious.2 Good music, therefore, has form with a calculated balance of repetition and contrast that great composers manipulate to create and to break our musical expectations. Predictability is the death of great music and so is music with little variation in orchestration and timbre. Good music is music that can hold the attention of its listeners and can be remembered through the creative use of rhythm, counterpoint, harmonic color, harmonic motion, melodic interest, and unique textures. Good music
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is also music that can transport us to different emotional landscapes. Great music is music that makes us feel. Every piece of music considered for programming should be evaluated using these criteria as a general guide. Aesthetic criteria, however, have little meaning without the context of the distinct musical depth and distinct musical intelligence that we, as musicians and artists, are required to bring to this process of decision-making. Personal Taste and Musical Depth Personal taste, musical depth, and musical intelligence are developed through our direct experiences with great art, great music, and great artists. Being an artist in any field is much more than a prescribed level of accomplishment. Being an artist is a way of life, a way of thinking, a way of perceiving and sensing our reality, and understanding the entire spectrum of human experiences, from the most grotesque to the most sublime, and from the most tragic to the most trivial. The following questions may help guide us on this journey of developing musical depth and personal taste: 1. Are you in touch with the great musical monuments of our time and the past, from Claudio Monteverdi to Duke Ellington, John Harbison, Joan Tower, or Aaron Kernis? 2. Do you attend live concerts of high quality by important ensembles and by important artists? 3. Are you knowledgeable about music that does not directly affect your specific level of teaching but may directly affect your depth as a musician, from Johann Sebastian Bach to Libby Larsen, Henryk Gorecki, George Crumb, or Morton Lauridsen? 4. Do you know as much about the most important musicians and composers of our time and the past as you know about the music for the ensembles that you conduct? 5. Are you current with the repertoire written for your ensemble, knowing about the latest works from the pen of Michael Colgrass for middle school band, or the most recent publications from the BandQuest Series published by the American Composers Forum or the Windependence Series published by Boosey & Hawkes?
BAY LOR U NIV ER SIT Y SCHOOL OF MUSIC The Baylor University School of Music provides transformational experiences that prepare students for careers in music. Our students thrive in a Christian environment characterized by a nurturing resident faculty, an unwavering pursuit of musical excellence, a global perspective, a dedication to service and a devotion to faith. They investigate the rich musical and cultural heritage of the past, develop superior musical skills and knowledge in the present, and explore and create new modes of musical expression for the future.
AUDITION DATES F R I D AY
F R I D AY
S AT U R D AY
F R I D AY
(PIANO, VOICE)
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March 1, 2019
S AT U R D AY
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6. Do you invest in the depth of your listening experience by continually expanding your collection of music? 7. Do you continue to make music an important part of your daily life? The Publishers’ Reality and the Power of Choice Every year more than 1,000 new titles of band music enter the marketplace, yet the financial resources available to purchase music by educational institutions remains relatively static. Statistically, this means that each year at least five hundred works from publishers’ catalogues will disappear from the marketplace to make room for the next year’s releases. Our choices in the marketplace have an enormous impact upon the quality of repertoire that remains available for purchase. The publishing industry is like any other business; it is market driven. Our decisions, not publishers’ decisions, ultimately determine what works will remain on the shelf and what works will fall to the wayside. As a profession we are often consumed by what is new, neglecting a body of historical repertoire of artistic merit that our students should explore. It is financially unfeasible for publishers to expand their new music inventory and continue to publish those works considered to be standards in our repertoire unless there is a market for them. They will sell what we buy. Regarding what we buy, Warren Benson elegantly expressed the following views:
I wish I could hear more wind conductors and instrumental teachers using better and larger vocabulary that relate to beauty, aesthetics, to charm, to gentleness, strength and power without rancor or anger, to useful tonal vibrance, live sound, to grace of movement, to stillness, to fervor, to depth of great age, the exultation of great happiness, the feel of millennia, the sweetness and purity of lullabies, the precision of fine watches, the reach into time-space of great love and respect, the care of phrasing, the delicacy of balance, the ease of warmth, the resonance of history, the susurrus of wind in the pines and whisperings in churches, the intimacy of the solo instrument, the kind weight of togetherness, and the rising spirit of creating something, bringing something to life from cold print, living music, moving music.3 The Final Analysis At some point along the pathway of our teaching, or perhaps on a regular basis, each of us should ask these very personal questions: How many musical souls have been lost on our watch? Was it because we placed too much emphasis on the product rather than the process? Was it because we placed too much emphasis on entertainment rather than education outcomes for our students? Was it because we placed too much emphasis on short-term rewards rather than the long-term value of nurturing within our students a lifelong love affair
TMEA Clinic/Convention Important Dates December 31 Email/Mail Registration Ends January 22 Convention Housing Closes
Be aware of hotel scams through email and phone calls. TMEA will never call you to offer convention hotel deals.
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with music and the creative process? Or was it because the music we selected represented a very narrow spectrum of human experience with insufficient musical depth and intellectual challenge to stimulate the creative impulses and the curious mind of an adolescent or an emerging adult? The good news is that today we have more music from which to choose than at any other time in the history of the wind band. We also have more delivery systems and technology, literally at our fingertips, to inform us about what music is available from what publisher, for what grade level, and for how much money. H. Robert Reynolds, Director of Bands Emeritus at the University of Michigan, expressed that “when you choose music of depth and substance you choose to reward the publishers and composers who produce quality repertoire, but more importantly, you will reward your students with the gift of a deepening musical aesthetic.”4 Selecting repertoire is much more than picking pieces for the next concert. Selecting repertoire is the most important thing we do as music educators. We enjoy a very special freedom and a very special privilege because we are empowered as music educators to create a meaningful curriculum for our students. With that freedom and privilege comes an enormous responsibility. References 1. Keynote address, WASBE conference, Boston, July, 1987. 2. University of Michigan, 1978. 3. Warren Benson, “On Being Emotionally ‘Moved’ at a Band Concert,” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, Volume 5, 1998, p. 40. 4. H. Robert Reynolds, “Repertoire Is the Curriculum,” Music Educators Journal, Vol. 87 (July 2000), p. 33. Craig Kirchhoff is Former Professor of Music and Director Emeritus of University Bands at the University of Minnesota. Kirchhoff is the TMEA Band Division 2019 Featured Clinician. This article was originally published in the Fall 2004 issue of Canadian Winds/ Vents Canadiens, and is reprinted here with permission.
ORCHESTRA NOTES
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Being human in the classroom
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recently read an article by educator and author Carol Ann Tomlinson entitled “Being Human in the Classroom.” Tomlinson discusses how the combination of a good mind and heart is key for developing emotionally healthy kids and teachers. She explains, “Teaching is the rare profession that allows its practitioners to model a world that dignifies and lifts up all its members. It became important to me to create a classroom where my students and I learn together. The real calling of a teacher is to model and encourage students to develop good minds and good hearts.” Because our programs lend themselves to this approach, we have the fortunate opportunity to showcase the benefits of developing good minds and hearts. Tomlinson offers four propositions that can guide us in becoming good stewards of developing emotionally healthy students. Think about how these propositions could influence what you do daily in your classroom: Developing a Good Mind Proposition 1: Learning should always be satisfying and often exhilarating. As teachers, we need to share our joy in learning and be excited about what we are teaching. I have found the more years I teach, the more complacent I
Students and teachers must take responsibility for ourselves, dignifying one another and seeking to understand more than we seek to judge. 32 Southwestern Musician | November 2018
November—Renew your membership and register for the convention. November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. November 3–4—All-State String judging. December 31—TMEA email/mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 24—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 13–16—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.
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become. To prevent that, I must remind myself I’m working with a new group of students and they deserve the same energy and enthusiasm I had when I first started teaching. Even if it is the fifth time to teach a piece or the one-millionth time to teach a scale, we must be excited for our students. Learn something new about that piece or find a new way to teach and drill a scale. Proposition 2: Making meaning of the world around us is central to learning. More than ever, fine arts programs are essential and crucial to helping us understand this complex world. Fine arts not only help us understand the world but also and more importantly help us cope with the struggles and disagreements. Don’t just teach notes and rhythms. Dig into the meaning behind the print on the page and bring emotion into the music. Hopefully students will be able to relate and use their performance as an outlet to express their emotions. Proposition 3: Working hard and working wisely are the secrets to mastery. Being part of a performing ensemble requires us to work hard and work wisely. Most of our students understand, but what can we do about those few who don’t believe? Tomlinson says it best, “I must also stand against the insidious inclination to see young people as smart or not smart, understanding that my students hear every message I send, whether overt or implied, about their capacity to learn and succeed.” I need to be better about not discounting students who don’t appear to care or try. Those students are listening, and they do care. Proposition 4: All humans have the ability to be creative. I often wonder how many of our programs have true autonomy? I think more often than not, programs are benevolent dictatorships. Give your students the opportunity to make decisions and be creative. Let them decide how they want to perform a phrase. Let them decide what each composition means to them. Developing a Good Heart Proposition 1: Kindness is the air and water that humans need to thrive. Tomlinson explains, “Encourage students to look for the best in their peers, to listen in order to understand others’ perspectives and see their humanity, and to see themselves in others and others in themselves . . . Our kindness and unkind-
ness is present or absent in our faces, lesson designs, grading practices, response to wrong answers and bad behavior, and all other aspects of classroom life.” Our programs are perfect for this community. I tell my students that they can disagree with someone, but they must respect their opinion and they must listen. That same rule applies to me. I could easily shut down a student if they were to question my decisions or opinions, but I strive to always listen and seek understanding. Our students are full of fantastic ideas and I would be devastated if I squashed those thoughts. Proposition 2: We need to decide what we stand for and who we want to be. In the past, I expected that each ensemble would have the same class dynamic and attributes. I neglected the fact that every class is a combination of different personalities. After reading Tomlinson’s article, I have discovered the necessity for each ensemble to establish their own norms. I encourage you to have a discussion with your ensembles, asking these questions: Who do we want to be as an ensemble? What will elevate us as a team? How can we grow in ways that make each of us stronger? Proposition 3: We must strive to be good members of the human family. I must strive to create a classroom that lends itself to a healthy family dynamic. Students and teachers must take responsibility for ourselves, dignifying one another and seeking to understand more than we seek to judge. It is too easy to get stuck in the day-to-day minutia. We need to take the time to celebrate each other’s victories
and buffer one another’s hurt. Proposition 4: We make our own memories. One of our greatest powers as a teacher is the ability to create memories. Students can have bad memories about music or they can have magical ones. All my decisions planning concerts or events must be driven by what will give the students (and me) these most amazing memories. How We Move Forward It is easy for us to fall into a rut and just keep going through the motions. I encourage you to create your own propositions that will remind you how important you are in creating emotionally healthy students with good minds and hearts. Our students live in a world of constant anxiety as they struggle to find their place in a harsh social environment. Through music, we can teach our students how to be on a healthy team and give them outlets to express their frustrations and anxiety in a healthy manner. TMEA Clinic/Convention Update I hope you have registered for the convention and made your hotel reservation. If not, be sure to do that now so that you enjoy a smooth registration process and have a place to stay (go to www.tmea.org/ convention). The Piano Guys Concert on Pace to Sell Out Have you purchased your tickets to Wednesday’s President’s Concert featuring The Piano Guys? With the current
T M E A .O RG / P R E S I D E N T S C O N C E R T Southwestern Musician | November 2018 35
pace of sales, it appears this concert will sell out soon, so get your tickets now! If you already registered for the convention, simply return to your member record and select this item within the convention registration area. The concert is February 13, 8 p.m., in Lila Cockrell Theater. For more on the event, go to www.tmea.org/presidentsconcert. Honor Orchestras Next month’s issue will feature the preview of our full convention schedule. This month, I’m pleased to feature three
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of our four Honor Orchestras. Look to the January issue for a preview of our HS String Honor Orchestra. HS Honor Full Orchestra Martin HS Symphony Orchestra, Arlington ISD The Martin HS orchestra program began with eight students when the school opened in 1982. Today the program has grown to 360 students placed in seven orchestras. The Martin Symphony Orchestra has achieved 34 consecutive UIL Sweepstakes awards and numerous best-in-festival awards at national music competitions. Martin HS orchestras were selected as the 2015 HS String Honor Orchestra and 2017 HS Full Honor Orchestra. They were invited to perform at the Midwest Clinic in 2017, and now the Symphony Orchestra has been selected as the 2019 HS Full Honor Orchestra. These awards and honors are a culmination of the teaching and learning that happen in the MHS cluster feeder schools, where over 1,000 students are enrolled in orchestra this year. The Symphony Orchestra is under the direction of Jamie Ovalle, Brad McCann, Sammy Branch, and Caitlin Ravkind. JH/MS Honor String Orchestra Beckendorff JH Orchestra, Katy ISD The Beckendorff JH orchestral program was established in 2004. The current directors are Karel Butz and Anna Clement. Past directors include Beth El Gomez, Matthew Porter, Shaun Hillen, and Dixie Addington. The Beckendorff Orchestras have earned prestigious honors at the state and international levels, including being named the 2019 JH/MS Honor String Orchestra, 2012 JH/MS Honor Full Orchestra, performing at the 2011 and 2015 Midwest Clinic in Chicago, being named a seventime National Winner in the Foundation for Music Education Mark of Excellence Competition, and winning 58 consecutive UIL Sweepstakes awards. Beckendorff
remains a regular state finalist in the TMEA Honor Orchestra competition. The 250 Beckendorff orchestra members are divided among six abilitybased orchestras. Beginners are taught in homogenous classes while ensemble skills are built in the more advanced-level orchestras, which include the Camerata, Philharmonia, Sinfonia, Honor, and Symphony full orchestra. All orchestra students receive a rich music education that includes singing, ear training, music history, and written theory. Beckendorff feeds Seven Lakes HS. JH/MS Honor Full Orchestra Doerre Intermediate School Chamber Orchestra, Klein ISD Doerre Intermediate School has an enrollment of over 1,300 students in grades 6–8. The orchestra and band programs are home to approximately 525 students spread throughout four levels of band and six levels of orchestra. The band program is led by Matthew Fehl and LeAnn Roth, and the orchestra program is led by Rowina Torres-McKee and Vincent Conrod. Both programs have received high accolades in the UIL Concert and Sightreading contests, at music festivals, and in music competitions locally and nationally. The Doerre Chamber Orchestra, led by Cathy Fishburn, was named the 2004 MS String Honor Orchestra. The collaboration between the orchestra and band to create the Doerre Symphony Orchestra began in 1992 under the direction of Cathy Fishburn and Susan Eisenson and later with Susan Scarborough. Since then, the DSO has earned UIL Sweepstakes awards, performed at the Midwest Clinic, and have been finalists in the TMEA Honor Orchestra competition. The Doerre Symphony Orchestra directors and students receive amazing support from the administration, teachers, staff, and community. Thanks go to those who continue to cheer us on in every musical endeavor!
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Martin HS Symphony Orchestra
Beckendorff JH Orchestra
Doerre Intermediate School Chamber Orchestra Southwestern Musician | November 2018 37
Outstanding Ensemble Leaders
Dr. Jacob Harrison Orchestra
Dr. Craig Hella Johnson Chorale
Dr. Caroline Beatty Wind Symphony
Dr. Utah Hamrick Jazz Ensemble
Prof. John Lopez Mariachi Nueva Generación
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Strategies for Efficient Choral Rehearsals by Tod Fish and Jake Taylor
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articulation, and syllabic stress before handing it out to the students. This will allow you to recognize main thematic material as well as any musical anomalies. Comprehensive score study creates an aural blueprint to draw from and places the ensemble (including the director) on a path to success.
Before Rehearsal Repertoire Selection The path toward rehearsal efficiency begins and ends with music selection. With repertoire serving as the curriculum, our selections are crucial to the ensemble’s success and morale. The most efficient rehearsal technician cannot succeed against overprogramming, so choose literature that is accessible for the singers. We never want a concert to be a negative learning experience, so we must select repertoire wisely. Score Study “I don’t read [music] well, so I solfège everything.” —Robert Shaw After selecting repertoire, we should make time to study it. Perhaps you’re thinking you hardly have time to use the restroom, let alone do score study. While that’s certainly reality for many music teachers, nothing can substitute for a thorough knowledge of the music when it comes time for the initial rehearsal. Edit the score for such items as phrasing, dynamics, cutoffs/carryovers,
Warm-ups Daily warm-ups support individual members’ development, and they benefit the group as well. Selecting these exercises is of the utmost importance. Scrutinize them. Every application must serve the purpose of building vocal technique. In the following paragraphs, we offer our opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of various vocalises and how the warm-up sequence can enhance the efficiency of your rehearsals. Keep It Simple We believe the most efficient way to improve and build the vocal technique of the ensemble is through the implementation of a consistent sequence of simple vocalises. Drills that utilize the partnership between stepwise and arpeggiated motion sung on one or two vowel sounds work exceptionally well. The simplicity and continuity of these exercises allow students to focus solely on the vowel sound(s) and musical style of the line sung, which, in turn, carries over to the actual performance repertoire. Establish a Routine Kids respond well to routine and struggle with abnormalities (think about rehearsals on pep rally days!). A consistent warm-up regimen utilizes a sequence that allows the students to settle into a
ast and focused choral rehearsals create a sense of engagement and enthusiasm that limits opportunities for disruption while maximizing time and accomplishment in our ensembles. We often experience these rehearsals by chance, but with a little forethought and efficient teaching strategies, these can become the norm. We have found the following strategies support this type of rehearsal focus and pace and hope you can gain some ideas to help maximize the time you have with your students.
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rhythm that minimizes the need for verbal instructions while transitioning from one exercise to the next. Nonverbal directives come in various forms and are practical for efficient rehearsal pacing and can be anything from playing a riff on the piano to clapping or tapping a rhythm. The continuity and flow of these exercises instill a daily expectation of fast and focused rehearsals, and our students reap the benefits. Tongue-Twister (Warning—Controversial Topic!) Tongue twister exercises (e.g., redleather-yellow-leather) and highly florid/ virtuosic vocalises are quite time-consuming and often yield diminishing returns. We acknowledge their value and popularity as effective icebreakers or fun Friday activities, yet our opinion is that these exercises are typically (not always) lacking in pedagogical soundness and serve mainly as vocal gymnastics. Sight Singing We have found that one of the most efficient ways to teach sight singing is to rely on unison singing. Not only does unison singing promote an advanced sense
of intonation and vowel unification, but it also allows the entire ensemble to share the same learning experiences. By employing a unison texture, especially when teaching new concepts, we can ensure every singer focuses on the content you want them to learn. Unison sight singing also allows you to increase the rigor of the material, providing a challenge for your stronger readers while simultaneously scaffolding the less advanced singers. Many of us hold valiantly to the belief that sight singing should happen daily. This notion is valid, but we should not settle for just doing it. The act of reading music by sight every day undoubtedly increases our students’ skills, but we should also be resolved to teach the “techniques” of sight singing. Two essential sight singing techniques are reading ahead and quickly identifying common musical patterns. For an ensemble to learn to read ahead, they must be forced to read ahead. While you can likely use software to accomplish this, we simply use a large posterboard to cover up the music a few beats ahead of the choir while reading melodies from the whiteboard. When it comes to identifying common patterns, the ways to teach this
are endless. Focusing on scales (by step and thirds), triads, and neighbor patterns for sight singing create a proficient process for student mastery. Though there is a wealth of excellent sight singing sources available to you, the most efficient exercises for your group are often those you write yourself. No one knows the needs of your ensemble better than you! Creating your own four- to eight-measure unison exercises allows you to meet the specific needs of the ensemble. Even if you aren’t a composer, the ability to write a simple melody that focuses on a specific rhythmic or intervallic concept is not out of reach. Rehearsing the Repertoire The Use of Modeling Vocal modeling is a methodology that sparks debate among our colleagues. Some believe a teacher’s demonstration leads the students toward a manufactured tone quality that only mimics what they hear, where others believe it encompasses a form of rote-teaching that we should exclude from our instruction. We believe in the effectiveness of modeling and rote-teaching as viable pedagogical techniques and will
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Southwestern Musician | November 2018 41
discuss them in detail: Sung Model The sung model is a supremely efficient tool with which to achieve the optimal tone quality, rhythmic precision/ articulation, dynamic level, and musical line sought over the course of a rehearsal. Effectual use of the singing voice can demonstrate those characteristics we find to be both desirable and undesirable for our students. This methodology enhances and expedites the learning process, as you sing more and talk less. With that, some may fear that the young singers will merely imitate the teacher, thus causing them to produce an unnatural sound (“I don’t want my girls to sing like a 42-year-old man!”). We don’t adhere to that logic. The students won’t sound like you because they are in fact not you; these young singers only emulate the vowel sound(s) through empathy. We understand that modeling may make some of us uncomfortable. There is no need to be self-conscious (none of us are about to make our Met debut!), as the demonstration need only convey the idea behind the wanted musical thought or vocal technique. Unsung Model Unsung cues may also serve as models for our students. A physical gesture (such as showing tall [a] and rounded [u] vowel
sounds) may serve as a reminder of previously taught techniques, concepts or pitfalls. This method is effective and efficient, as the movement may reinforce the application of previous instruction while avoiding the need for stopping and redirecting. Rote Teaching (It’s Okay—Really!) Many choral educators dispute learning by rote as a sound teaching method. Our stance on the matter is to use it, don’t abuse it. When responsibly utilized, rote-teaching can assist with pacing and limit frustration during rehearsal, especially while working on the challenging rhythms present in many pop and world music compositions. Give students an opportunity to attempt the complexities initially, and then model for them, if needed. If the teaching of music literacy is prevalent, then roteteaching on occasion is acceptable. Gesture Choral directors’ hands are often occupied by the piano during our rehearsals, thus robbing us of one of our most effective teaching tools—the conducting gesture. Gestures that are clear and descriptive convey virtually every musical idea without the need for verbal instruction. The most basic gesture can communicate simple concepts such as tempo, dynamic, and entrances/releases. An advanced gesture can provide your ensemble with complex ideas like articulation, phrase shape,
TMEA Clinic/Convention February 13–16, San Antonio
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and mood. Even with clear-cut gestures, young musicians need instruction on what to look for during rehearsals. We suggest working gesture games into the warm-up period as frequently as possible. Consider having the ensemble sing something simple, like a scale, while conducting variations of tempo, dynamic, and articulation. These activities mentally engage the group and help them become familiar with your gesture. Solfège-Text Hybrid We’ve all been there. The choir sounds terrific on solfège, they move to text, and suddenly it’s as if they’re sightreading all over again. Combining aspects of solfège and text early in the learning process eliminates this sense of regression that often occurs. The simplest way to achieve this is for a portion of the group to sing the text while another continues singing the solfège, serving as scaffolding for those experiencing the text for the first time. Use silly ways of distinguishing the groups such as hair color or shoe size. After a few repetitions with different groupings, the choir can sing entirely on text confidently. Additionally, consider having the choir interpolate challenging rhythmic consonants onto the solfège to address those places before moving to text. Lastly, when voices are in the extremes of range, have the singers use vowel sounds found in the text rather than the solfège, as this ensures not wasting precious rehearsal time working an [i] vowel on a high B-flat when they are singing the word love once they move to text. The fast and focused rehearsal approach is student-centric. Efficient pacing holds the ensemble members’ interest and investment while minimizing opportunities for disruption. We have all taught students who seem to find trouble in every other class but are exemplary for us. Often, it is because our class structure works better for them. By keeping rehearsals well-planned and fast-paced, you and your students will be heading toward growth and success! Tod Fish is Associate Director of Choral Activities at Stephen F. Austin State University. Jake Taylor is a doctoral graduate assistant at Texas Tech University and former choir director at Katy HS.
tmea.org/convention 42 Southwestern Musician | November 2018
VOCAL NOTES
B Y
D E R R I C K
B R O O K I N S
You’ve been invited
R
eceiving an invitation for your choral ensemble to perform during the Texas Music Educators Association Clinic/Convention can be the highlight of a director’s professional career and often is a life-changing experience for their students. As a conductor, you’ve taken the brave move to perform and display your work and the work of your students before your colleagues, adjudicators, mentors, associates, critics, and friends. If you consider submitting your choirs for a convention invitation, I suggest you look up the works of Texas author Brené Brown, a professor at the University of Houston. Her study on the strength and power of vulnerability on the human spirit is amazing! Fear and nervousness aside, I want to encourage you to consider applying. You won’t find a more appreciative and respectful audience than at our convention. Listeners will appreciate the dedication, hard work, and long hours of planning to present such a huge concert. As you consider this endeavor, I’ll offer a few suggestions. It is imperative that you carefully consider a few things prior to submitting. First, ask yourself whether this is the right time for the choir and for you. The choir you submit is not the exact choir that will be performing. You must consider your personnel. Are you graduating a strong group of singers? Is there a particular section in
Our performing choirs are selected through an invitational process—it is not a contest. 44 Southwestern Musician | November 2018
November—Renew your membership and register for the convention. November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 15—Dual certification form submission deadline. December 31—TMEA email/mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 12—Area Vocal and Band auditions. January 24—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 13–16—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.
the choir that is solely dependent on one or two singers? What happens if they aren’t present? Are you personally in a good position to submit? Remember that many times life happens when you’re planning other events. Look carefully at your roster of returning students. Many of our colleagues who have taken on this adventure will testify that it is a huge commitment of time and of physical, mental, and emotional endurance—and that it’s worth every minute. Your time will necessarily be slanted toward the convention choir large portions of the year, with additional rehearsals and scheduled clinics. You do yourself (and your students) a profound disservice by believing that being selected is the core honor. In fact, it is successfully performing an exemplary concert the following year that should be your total focus when submitting your choir’s recording. Your choir must have the emotional maturity to sustain festival preparation focus for the better part of an entire school year. Instead of concentrating their efforts on three songs to perform, singers will be asked to master six or seven, some
with instrumental accompaniment, for a standard-length convention concert. Second, understand that to select our performing choirs, unlike our instrumental counterparts, the Vocal Division doesn’t hold an adjudicated contest with multiple rounds leading to a single honor ensemble within each class. Instead, our performing choirs are selected through an invitational process—it is not a contest. There are often multiple choirs from the same school classification and ensemble type performing. Third, take the time to read and understand the TMEA Invited Performing Choir Eligibility Rules and Regulations. Be honest. Don’t bend the rules. Review everything carefully at www.tmea.org/ choirapplication. Having served on this listening committee once or twice and now serving as the head of the committee, I want to stress a few things that I believe will help you: When putting together your selections, make certain there are no intonation issues. Everything submitted must be sung in tune. Although diction, interpretation, and styles are all things that can be subjec-
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tive, singing in tune is not. Each of the past two years have yielded over 100 choral submissions for invitation to the convention. You’ve got to grab the ear and the attention of the committee right away. Make them want to listen to more. Don’t submit a piece with a long instrumental introduction, especially if it’s the first one in your submission. Remember the rules of any performance—people will remember the first and last thing you present, and you’ll have only one chance to make a good first impression. The most valued suggestion I can offer is to have several trusted friends listen to your submission before sending it in. Ask the friends who will be brutally honest with you to listen to your submission and offer constructive suggestions. Some of the best people to hear your submissions may be those who you know have served on the listening committee, or those who have recently performed at a TMEA convention. Performing for a TMEA convention has truly been one of the highlights of my career. I would encourage you to be true to yourself. Ask yourself why you want to embark upon this endeavor—is it for you or for your students? Find the courage, be brave, and submit. The journey is one that will pay off immensely for your choir and for your school. I leave you with the words of Steve Jobs, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped in the dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” TMEA Clinic/Convention Update If you haven’t already, register for the convention and secure a hotel reservation before all of the TMEA hotel room blocks sell out. For this and more about the convention, go to www.tmea.org/convention.
featuring BOB CHILCOTT 2019 Festival Conductor SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2019 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM JACKSON AUDITORIUM For more information, contact Laurie Jenschke at ljenschke@tlu.edu or 830.456.3016. PHOTO BY JOHN BELLARS
To register online, go to www.tlu.edu/cma and click on the Youth Choir Festival link.
The Piano Guys Concert on Pace to Sell Out Have you purchased your tickets to Wednesday’s President’s Concert featuring The Piano Guys? With the current pace of sales, it appears this concert will sell out soon, so get your tickets now! If you already registered for the convention, simply return to your member
Southwestern Musician | November 2018 45
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record and select this item within the convention registration area. The concert is February 13, 8 p.m., in Lila Cockrell Theater. For more on the event, go to www.tmea.org/presidentsconcert. Invited Choirs As we think about the experience of applying to perform, I’m pleased to introduce several of the choirs selected to perform during our 2019 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. The remainder will be in our January issue, and next month, be sure to read through the full convention schedule preview. It’s always exciting to anticipate this incredible convention! Trinity Springs MS Varsity Treble Choir, Keller ISD The Trinity Springs MS Varsity Treble Choir, under the direction of Clinton Hardy, consists of seventh and eighth graders who demonstrate the highest caliber of musicianship and academic excellence. The Trinity Springs MS Varsity Treble Choir consistently earns UIL Sweepstakes awards. Students in this ensemble are involved in show choir, National Junior Honor Society, student council, yearbook, theatre, art, volleyball, cheerleading, and track and field. Individual choir members have been named to the TMEA Region 30 All-Region Choir, SWACDA, and TCDA Honor Choirs. The TSMS Varsity Treble Choir recently was invited to sing as a performing honor choir at the 2018 Cambiata Institute for MS/JH National Conference for Choral Music at UNT. Trinity Springs MS is located north of Fort Worth. Robert E. Lee HS Varsity Treble Choir, Midland ISD The Robert E. Lee HS Varsity Treble Choir has enjoyed a rich tradition of musical excellence since the opening of the school in 1961. This year will mark Lee HS choral department’s sixth TMEA convention performance over the last three decades. The Varsity Treble Choir consists of 65 sophomore, junior, and senior women from the Chorale and Ladies Ensemble. These talented singers are outstanding leaders, athletes, and scholars in their school and community. In addition to decades of consistent UIL Sweepstakes ratings, the Treble Choir’s performance season also includes traditional concerts of classic choral music, a staged and choreographed musical revue, and an annual
Renaissance madrigal dinner. The Varsity Treble Choir is under the direction and teamwork of Trenton Davis, Laurie Wash, and Kaitlin Davis. Davis has been teaching in West Texas for eight years and is entering his fourth year as Director of Choirs at Robert E. Lee HS.
tra, theatre, student government, drill and cheerleading teams, athletics, and National Honor Society, and they have graduated in the top of their classes in a high academic school setting. The student dedication and commitment to choral music is recognized throughout the community.
Plano West Senior High Chorale, Plano ISD Celebrating the 20th year of the opening of the school, the Plano West Senior High Chorale is excited and proud to perform at the TMEA convention. The Chorale is under the direction of Kathy Hackett. The Chorale has maintained a rich tradition of excellence, receiving consecutive UIL Sweepstakes awards and a Grammy Education Award. Members have taken a leading role in the Region, and over 100 students have been named to All-State Choirs. Among many other honors, the Chorale has performed for TMEA and SWACDA conventions and has performed at Rutgers University, Pepperdine, the U.S. Naval Academy, and West Point and was most recently invited to perform with the Dallas Symphony Chorus at the Meyerson for its 40th anniversary celebration. Numerous members of the Chorale are actively involved in student life, such as orches-
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy Singers, Grand Prairie ISD Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy (GPFAA) is a multifaceted fine arts school, serving grades 6–12, centrally located in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The school was established to meet the needs of students wishing to study fine arts disciplines with an equal emphasis being placed on studying other advanced academics. The school was opened in 2013 with an enrollment total of 383 students participating in 7 strands—visual arts, vocal music, dance, jazz band, orchestra, mariachi, and theatre. In the six years since its inception, the energy, talent, and dedication of choral students has exploded. The program has nurtured the lives of the students, and its choirs are consistently ranked among the top in Texas. GPFAA’s high school vocal music strand consists of 67 students participating in six performing ensembles. The
Trinity Springs MS Varsity Treble Choir Southwestern Musician | November 2018 47
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy Singers consists of advanced vocalists in 9th–12th grade and is the top mixed ensemble, committed to excellence within a diverse choral curriculum. The GPFAA Singers have been consistent UIL Sweepstakes award winners and have been named best-inclass and grand champions at choral festivals across the United States. The choir excels in part as a result of the outstanding music instruction given in GPISD elementary, middle, and high schools taught by highly motivated choral faculty and music specialists. Joel Duarte and Candice Maughan serve as the directors of the 2019 Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy Singers. The directors, along with GPISD, are excited and honored to share this performance with their students.
Cedar Park HS Mixed Choir, Leander ISD For twenty years, the Cedar Park HS Varsity Mixed Choir has gone above and beyond the typical expectation of high school students to create masterpieces of culture, courage, and love. From standing ovations to UIL Sweepstakes awards, these young men and women have created a family bound to one another through their passion for fine arts. The CPHS Varsity Mixed Choir is unlike any other because each voice has a unique place in the ensemble. Everyone can contribute beyond the notes and rhythms, and instead chooses to dig deeper to uncover the truth about oneself, and why they, as artists, have a duty to the world to share their passion. Director Lisa Holt has always impressed
upon choir members that in an everchanging world, they have discovered a responsibility to share pockets of peace with everyone they meet. These young singers choose to embrace the challenges of their individual encounters and channel them into something greater than themselves. These students pour their souls into every performance to ensure a brighter future and a lasting legacy of music. Texas A&M University-Commerce Chorale The Texas A&M University-Commerce Chorale is the university’s premier choral ensemble, selected by audition from undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Music and the campus at large. The Chorale sings a wide range of substantive literature from all musical periods. In addition to a full schedule of on-campus performances, the Chorale has appeared in convention concerts, workshop presentations, and choral festivals as well as tours within the United States and Europe. Under Dr. Randall Hooper’s direction, the Chorale has performed in concert at Carnegie Hall, as the guest American choir at the International Music Festival of Campina Grande, Brazil, toured France performing in Le Madeline Church, St. Sulpice Church, and a special concert at the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach in Normandy, and they toured Austria with performances in the Mozarteum in Salzburg, at the University of Vienna, and St. Andrew’s Church on Mirabellplatz in Salzburg. In addition, in 2016, the University Chorale Men’s Chorus was invited to perform for the Southwestern Division of the American Choral Directors Association.
Robert E. Lee HS Varsity Treble Choir
Plano West Senior High Chorale 48 Southwestern Musician | November 2018
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy Singers
Cedar Park MS Mixed Choir
Texas A&M University-Commerce Chorale Southwestern Musician | November 2018 49
W I TH TH E WORLD â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S F I N EST D RU M CORPS
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! www. sta nb ur y .com
Going Beyond r e f P o l rmanc a n o i t i d es Tra
by Cara Coffey
L
ike many of you, I constantly advocate for music education on my campus, in my district, and in the community. It can be exhausting, but I know it’s critical. A second-grade teacher recently reported back from an ARD where the child’s parent directly asked, “What do they even do in music?” While parents aren’t always well versed in what goes on in every subject, they often seem surprised to hear how vast and in-depth the answer is to that parent’s question. A student’s parent was hired as a paraprofessional on my campus and began attending music for inclusion support. After participating in her first kindergarten lesson, she said, “Wow, they’re like . . . learning music.” It was as if that wasn’t the obvious plan. As mentioned, I’m constantly trying to inform and educate parents, colleagues, and administrators on exactly what students are doing and learning in elementary music. The scope and sequence for music is posted on my page of the elementary website, and I frequently cite it as a resource for parents to see what their child is learning each year. At the beginning of the school year, I attend all the grade-level orientations so I can introduce myself and inform parents about the website and opportunities their child will have in music this year. Our school district produces a weekly newsletter, and I frequently submit articles and photos of what is going on in my classroom. I also have students perform (and inform) to the school board at least once a year.
Performance Anxiety When I first began teaching, every grade level performed with sets and costumes. I quickly learned how exhausting that can be. While those big performances can be memorable, as I built the curriculum and scope, I realized how much instructional time was required to prepare and how little educational benefit seemed to result, except for the actual performance. Another issue I experienced with such orchestrated performances that included solos and speaking roles was that parents often wouldn’t place priority on their child’s preparation. Soccer practice, scouts, or simply not wanting to go often trumped the school’s musical performance. While holding informances doesn’t automatically solve that issue, it does reduce some of the stress of worrying who will show up and hoping all parts are covered. It also limits the amount of time necessary to rehearse onstage, which reduces stress when sharing space with multiple departments. We do still present traditional performances but with less hoopla. The events are still memorable for the students, and I get positive feedback from both parents and administrators. A Celebration of Learning The word informance with specifically young children was discussed in a 2010 article in General Music Today entitled “Using Southwestern Musician | November 2018 51
What better way to advocate than through demonstration! Informance to Educate Parents and Demonstrate the Music Learning Process.” Author Christine M. Nowmos stated: Informances, informal and informative presentations of student learning that emphasize the learning process, provide an alternative to traditional concerts or programs, which may take general music classroom time away from activities not geared toward a specific performance. Informances are an excellent means of communicating educational objectives to parents and sharing what and how students learn, which is not always possible through a traditional concert. The topic was further discussed at the secondary level in the 2011 book Using Technology to Unlock Musical Creativity and Education Closet defined an informance as a “Celebration of Learning” in a 2015 article. Student-Led Informances Most of the informances we’ve presented are still what most would consider a concert but with either the students or me explaining what skills students are demonstrating. Because of their unfamiliarity with the term, I often still refer to these events as “concerts.” I lead a music club that meets weekly, and for the past couple of years the club has focused on learning the ukulele. Before their informance, we reviewed the skills and songs the students had learned, and they got to choose which songs they wanted to perform at the event. Students volunteered to speak about each concept 52 Southwestern Musician | November 2018
or skill and introduced the songs and what skills they would demonstrate during each selection. Before the event, students divided into small groups to practice one song of their choosing and perform it as an ensemble. The small groups also decided how much help they wanted (e.g., whether they wanted to be counted in or wanted the whole group to sing along or only listen). My role during this style of informance is to sit in the back and let the students take the lead as much as possible. I run the slide show to keep students on track with the name of the student who has volunteered to speak at the bottom of each slide. Another example of a student-led informance is what I called “The Life of a Kindergarten Musician.” Each class had a separate informance, presenting songs and concepts they learned during the year. The introductions to songs and skills were written out and assigned based on students’ reading levels, which I got from our reading facilitator. Speaking parts were also assigned a color so students were able to step forward with their color groups. Some students memorized their part. Being kindergartners, students did require more cueing than the older ukulele students, but they were able to follow the pattern. While not as convenient for parents, we had this informance during the school day to ensure all students could participate. Teacher-Led Informances Teacher-led informances are the most similar to a traditional performance. In
this type of informance I do most of the speaking, and there are bigger groups of students involved. We still review concepts and skills learned during the course of the school year and I try to include a variety of activities to showcase to parents. Between each song, I explain to the audience what skills students are performing in each piece. Last year, second graders did an informance like this, and one of their pieces was “Pease Porridge.” Students first performed the song using solfège and hand signs. Then, half the group came forward to play an ostinato on the Orff instruments to accompany the remaining students singing the melody. The students who sang the melody then had the opportunity to demonstrate accompanying the piece on the instruments. Teacher-led informances are much more informal than traditional concerts. At the end of the event, I told parents what units of study were going to come next in the scope and where they could find further information about music at our school. Parent Participation Recommended Involving parents can be fun, but be prepared for some strange looks when you ask them to join in. I lead these events as if they were a class and encourage parents to participate with their child. Parents play boomwhackers, folk-dance, and much more! We hold this event in the cafeteria so we can have a more open space for moving around. Each activity includes a brief introduction about the skills and concepts learned. When doing this type of informance with third grade, I use the song “Old Brass Wagon.” Students answer questions about sixteenth-note patterns and their usage in the song and then clap the rhythm of the song for their parents. I then invite parents to clap the pattern with the students. After reading the rhythm, I show work samples of students’ writing of the pattern as well as rhythmic compositions featuring sixteenth notes. We then proceed to the middle of the cafeteria and perform the folk dance to accompany the song. Another example of a parent participatory informance we have held is a schoolwide specials showcase. Because this is much wider in scope and grade level, it doesn’t offer an opportunity to go into
detail about specific concepts and skills taught in your curriculum. It is a chance, however, to open that line of communication and advertise the wonderful things going on in your class, even if you can’t go into specifics. My campus has five specials plus P.E., so those are the destinations in this event. Everyone starts in the library and then each specialist takes a portion of the group to their classroom for a quick demonstration. Groups rotate every 15 minutes so they can learn more about all the specials and P.E. I present where on our website to find information about music at our campus and club opportunities, and I usually lead one or two fun boomwhacker or movement activities.
Technology Preconference Learn more about using technology in your music instruction and program administration during this one-day preconference hosted by TI:ME, the Technology Institute for Music Educators. The preconference will be held during the TMEA convention on Wednesday, February 13, in San Antonio. Preconference registration is $5. It can be paid when you register for the TMEA Clinic/Convention or at the TI:ME registration counter.
W W W.TME A .ORG /CONVENTION
Get Ready for Mass Chaos The Science of Sound Music Extravaganza is an annual informance we hold after completing a unit on instruments of the orchestra. Students in fourth or fifth grade begin a project where they create their own instrument using recycled materials. Students spend two class periods in small groups creating instruments. Then they decide which family their newly created instrument belongs in based on how the instrument creates sound and the family with which it shares the most characteristics. This project ends with the Gallery of Created Instruments being one of the stations at the Science of Sound Music Extravaganza. This is a come-andgo event and the entire school is invited. I solicit help from classroom teachers and other specialists to help run the other stations, including the Instrument Petting Zoo, Create Your Own Kazoo, and the Chrome Music Lab. More information about the Science of Sound Music Extravaganza, originally called Music PBL Night, can be found on my blog linked from www.tmea.org/coffeyblog. I hope you now have some ideas about how you can better answer the “What do they even do in music” question for your campus and district. My goal is, of course, to educate my students in music but it is also to advocate for the inclusion of a quality music education for every child. What better way to advocate than through demonstration! Cara Coffey is the elementary music teacher at Lackland Elementary School on Lackland Air Force Base. Southwestern Musician | November 2018 53
ELEMENTARY NOTES
B Y
C A S E Y
M E D L I N
A lasting impression
T
eaching is not for the faint of heart. I often find myself overworked and overstressed. Sometimes I wonder why I didn’t choose a more lucrative career. It’s when times get rough that I realize how fortunate I am to have a great network of elementary music teacher friends to give me perspective. I recently spoke with my dear friend Linda Koistinen about what has gotten her through the last 33 years as a music educator. Linda is currently music teacher at Sugar Mill Elementary in Fort Bend ISD. After our discussion, she graciously agreed to let me share her story with you. Our thanks go to Linda for setting such an amazing example and for reminding us that what we do is more important than any six-figure salary: When I began teaching in 1986, I was the youngest educator on staff at Lamar Elementary in Midland ISD. I was also just starting out as a newlywed, having been married only three months. My first day of school I wore a bright yellow dress, white shoes, and pantyhose. My classroom was a standard classroom (no soundproofing) with windows on both sides, and when I opened my classroom door, I stepped outside onto the front sidewalk. To get to the office, library, cafeteria, or anywhere on campus, I had to walk outside (and so did every other teacher and student). I had Silver Burdett textbooks with vinyl records that I quickly scratched because I was so nervous the needle bounced every time I tried to play a song. I had a set
We do not know what path our students’ lives will take, but we do know how to make that journey more joyful and filled with beauty. — Linda Koistinen 54 Southwestern Musician | November 2018
November—Renew your membership and register for the convention. November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31—TMEA email/mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 24—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 13–16—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.
of rhythm sticks, three xylophones, and a bucket of recorders—that was it! Lamar Elementary was a K–4 campus, and the younger grades were taught music by their regular education teacher. I taught only the fourth graders, who I saw 10 times each month. I worked with a wonderful principal and coworkers who were incredibly patient with this young teacher—I had a lot to learn. Now in 2018, I’m one of the most experienced teachers on my campus and in my district, I’m celebrating my 32nd year of marriage, and I don’t own a single pair of pantyhose (thank goodness!). The last 20 years I’ve taught at Sugar Mill Elementary, in Fort Bend ISD, where I have campus- and district-level support, access to technology, a secure campus, a classroom full of wonderful resources, and colleagues whom I dearly love. I teach kindergarten through fifth grade and teach my students five times each month. As I compare the beginning of my career to its now near-end, a few things come to mind: The students. It is pure joy when my students and I are clicking along in a lesson they are thoroughly enjoying—when we are creating together. I love the feeling of accomplishment I see on their faces following a performance when its dress rehearsal was just awful but somehow the concert was performed wonderfully. (How do students pull that off every time?) It’s a little funny when I have a new idea that works well, and I wonder, “Why didn’t I think of that 20 years ago?” I now have children who I call my “grandstudents,” because their parents
were also my students. Some former students who are now adults apologize for how they acted in elementary school, and others thank me and say that I changed their life. I feel like a rock star when I attend high school football games and current and former students run to me to say hello and give a hug. I often have the honor of accompanying former students for UIL contest. But out of all that, this is what I love the most: hearing the children sing. It is the most beautiful sound in this world. It is so fun to teach songs and singing games that others tell me the children are singing and playing at recess and at home. Or when a regular education teacher tells me that she was playing “thinking music” while the children were writing, and she heard them humming along to Mozart’s melodies. Teachers, please be encouraged to keep doing what you love. I know that days are often long and stressful. I know there are some children who are incredibly difficult, but I also know that children are precious and what you do makes a difference—to them. We do not know what path our students’ lives will take, but we do know how to make that journey more joyful and filled with beauty. That kindergartner who is twirling around on your floor could someday be an accomplished All-State performer. Music touches every part of a student’s life, and music makes that life better. TMEA Clinic/Convention Update I hope you will be able to attend the 2019 TMEA Clinic/Convention. I realize that many elementary music teachers struggle to gain approval to attend.
TMEA Clinic/Convention February 13–16, San Antonio
Over 2,400 Elementary Music Teachers Attend! 56 Southwestern Musician | November 2018
Want to know more?
watch: tmea.org/attend
To help communicate the value of your attendance, TMEA placed advertising in the November/December issue of TEPSA News, the magazine sent to members of the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association. Headlined “Send Your Music Teacher to the Best Music Educators Convention in the Nation!,” this ad informs principals about the incredible value and benefit of attending our convention. We hope it helps! The following are a few resources available to help you build your case to attend. Please let me know if there are other resources or formats we don’t currently provide that could be helpful: • www.tmea.org/attend: This video demonstrates why music teachers must continue to update their strategies and how the TMEA convention is the best source for continued professional development in our field. • www.tmea.org/conventionbrochure: One-page flyer highlighting how our convention offers over 300 clinics, 100 performances, and the lowest-cost products for the low fee of $60. • www.tmea.org/clinicpreview: Webpage listing our 2019 clinics that you can filter by Elementary Division. This can help your administrator see the myriad of clinics targeted specifically to elementary music educators. • www.tmea.org/2019performances: Show your administrator the variety of top-level performances you can witness to gain new programming ideas for your school (and read about two of them below). • www.tmea.org/housing: Print a list of discounted hotel rates that TMEA negotiates for convention attendees. • Southwestern Musician: Next month’s issue offers a full schedule preview. Show this to your principal to convey the breadth of professional development at such a low cost. The Piano Guys Concert on Pace to Sell Out Have you purchased your tickets to Wednesday’s President’s Concert featuring The Piano Guys? With the current pace of sales, it appears this concert will sell out soon, so get your tickets now! If you already registered for the convention,
simply return to your member record and select this item within the convention registration area. The concert is February 13, 8 p.m., in Lila Cockrell Theater. For more on the event, go to www.tmea.org/presidentsconcert. 2019 Elementary Invited Performers I am pleased to introduce two of the 2019 TMEA Clinic/Convention Elementary Division Invited Performing Groups. Each ensemble has so much to offer, and I can’t wait to hear them. You’ll find their concerts listed in the full convention schedule preview that will be in next month’s issue. Look to the January issue for information on our other four invited groups.
Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD Elementary Honor Choir The HEB Elementary Honor Choir consists of fifth- and sixth-grade students representing the 20 elementary schools in the district. The students first audition with their music teacher and again before the Honor Choir directors. The Honor Choir is now in its 25th year. Director Linda Ford is in her sixth year with Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD and has taught 29 years of elementary music. Assistant Director Alexandra Claset is currently in her seventh year in HEB. The Rockin’ Longhorns Neill Elementary, Fort Bend ISD The Rockin’ Longhorns is a music club at Neill Elementary (Fort Bend ISD)
that sings and plays percussion instruments for several programs throughout the year. With approximately 40 fourth and fifth graders, the group performed at several campus and community events last year, including the school’s dedication ceremony, the holiday program, and Neill Elementary’s multicultural event. Additionally, they sang at the Sugar Land Skeeters’ Holiday Lights and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s Black Heritage Day. The group rehearses after school once weekly, and members also arrive before school starts to practice their music independently. Director Staci Waites has been a teacher in Fort Bend ISD for six years. Before opening Neill Elementary, she served as a music teacher at Oakland Elementary.
The Rockin’ Longhorns
HEB ISD Elementary Honor Choir Southwestern Musician | November 2018 57
COLLEGE NOTES
B Y
V I C K I
B A K E R
Lessons from the court
W
hen I was in middle and high school, the moments I felt most inadequate were when I attended P.E. class. My lack of athletic prowess included any game played with a ball on a court, and it extended to track and field. The ultimate humiliation occurred whenever we played basketball relay. I was invariably the last one selected for a team, because I was the kiss of death, given my inability to dribble or shoot. Invitation to a Game Each season, our university athletic teams host a faculty and staff appreciation game in which each player invites someone who has influenced her life. In past years, I have been honored at basketball games and soccer matches. This semester, I received an invitation from a member of the volleyball team, which I readily accepted. Pregame ceremonies had traditionally included faculty and staff being escorted by their student athlete from the sideline to the court as their names were announced, their picture would be taken with the school mascot, the student would present their faculty member with a gift of appreciation, and they would join the line of team members and faculty. After a group shot, faculty and staff would return to the stands to root for the home team.
Practice not only raises their skill level, but also increases their self-confidence and decreases their stress. 58 Southwestern Musician | November 2018
November—Renew your membership and register for the convention. November 1—Deadline for Collegiate Music Educator Award nominations. November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31—TMEA email/mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 24—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 13–16—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.
A Game Changer On the Thursday afternoon prior to Friday’s game, I received an email of congratulations from the head volleyball coach, along with instructions for picking up my complimentary ticket, lunch, and lining up on the sidelines prior to the game. I quickly glanced at the schedule to ensure the process was unchanged. That’s when I noticed the new activity: 12:00: Introduction of Faculty and Staff and Ceremonial First Serve Given my athletic track record, I knew I would humiliate my student, myself, my department, the faculty, my family, and the list continued to grow. As the fight-orflight response manifested, I determined that flight was the only reasonable course of action. I started thinking of ways to excuse myself from the game that didn’t involve deception or dishonesty. Ultimately, I decided my code of ethics trumped my concerns about self-dignity, so I switched from flight to fight mode. Given the narrow window for preparation, I had to be resourceful. I asked my husband, Mark, who is a gifted athlete and a high school choral director, to procure a volleyball, and, during the morning pep rally, surreptitiously teach me how to serve a volleyball in his choir room. My first “serve” went about four feet and rolled. It would take a miracle for Mark to teach me to serve in 15 minutes. Using his “Dr. Phil voice” and patient approach to teaching, he explained the process step by step. The next time, I managed to hit it far enough to strike the Steinway. He then shifted the direction of my serve, and I nearly hit a student returning to the room after having sung the national anthem. Finally, after hitting three somewhat successful serves (albeit not in succession), Mark pronounced me ready. On the Court As I drove toward our campus athletic facility, I felt marginally better, until it occurred to me that our Pep Band might be performing at the game—a text to the band director confirmed it. Suddenly, concerns about humiliation intensified. It was one thing to fail in front of a group of athletes and their supporters. It was another thing to perform poorly in front of our music students. I took my place on the sideline, and when my name was announced, the Pep
Band erupted in cheers. This would be my last hurrah. When it was time for the ceremonial serve, I blocked out the people and noise, heard Mark’s voice in my head giving me step-by-step instructions, and swung my arm. The ball sailed high over the net and landed squarely in the opponent’s court. The Pep Band again erupted in enthusiastic cheering. I had experienced my first success involving a ball and a court! (It turns out that out of 17 faculty members, only three of us successfully served.)
Lessons Learned from the Court Do not permit the past to define you. I realized that, initially, I was approaching the ceremonial serve with the same mindset I had as a teenager. This time, however, I had three important things going my way: my pregame instruction, my heightened sense of self-worth, and my spirit of determination. When students express anxiety about an upcoming performance due to a previous negative experience, I ask them to consider how much they trained, the successes they have had, and
Changing Lives. Not Checking Boxes. Your students possess both skill and passion. They thrive in an environment of high expectations and even higher commitment to artistic and personal growth. The Sarofim School of Fine Arts offers these students a tailored, hands-on approach, with award-winning faculty and a student-to-teacher ratio of 6:1. S C H O L A R S H I P AU D I T I O N DAT E S
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southwestern.edu/music
Southwestern Musician | November 2018 59
how much they have grown in experience since their last performance. Do not be confined by your comfort zone. Whenever I am invited to participate in an activity requiring athletic skills, my default answer has been no. I am much more comfortable sitting on the sidelines and cheering. But now, I am reminded of a passage in the Book of Psalms that describes the contrast between the people who prefer the safety and security of remaining on shore and those who choose to sail ships into the deep waters of the sea and experience great wonders. Who knows what we are missing by placing boundaries dictated by comfort? As teachers, we ask our students to step out of their comfort zones to play a different style of music, to try a different pedagogical technique, to learn a challenging selection, or to perform in front of their peers. How frequently do educators model that willingness to take musical risks? Set realistic, achievable goals. My goal was to hit the volleyball over the net and have it land somewhere within the boundaries of the opponent’s court. Incoming freshmen often compare their knowledge or performance with upperclassmen and express feelings of inadequacy. While we encourage students to set high standards for their performance as students and
musicians, it is important that expectations align with their maturation and ability level. Practice before you perform. Had I not stopped by my husband’s school and practiced prior to the game, not only would I have failed to get the ball over the net, but I also would have been more anxious. We continually admonish our students to practice so they can master various musical skills. Practice not only raises their skill level but also increases their selfconfidence and decreases their stress. Keep your eye on the ball. When my husband was teaching me how to serve, he had to repeatedly remind me to keep my eye on the ball. Students sometimes take their eye off their main objective—their education—and allow social and service activities to consume their time, placing their grades, health, and performance expectations in jeopardy. Prioritizing is a critical tool for the college student. Do not make decisions based on what other people will think. When I learned about the Pep Band’s performance at the volleyball game, I was concerned that their level of respect for me would diminish if I didn’t hit the ball over the net. Brad, a music education major and a Pep Band member, shared that the band members were surprised I had been selected because
2019 TMEA CLINIC/CONVENTION Pedagogical Clinics Research Poster Session College Division Meeting Extraordinary Concerts Networking Opportunities Huge Exhibit Hall
TMEA.ORG/CONVENTION 60 Southwestern Musician | November 2018
they never see music faculty being honored at games. He went on to say the band would have cheered regardless of whether I made the serve because they were just proud a music faculty member was selected. I had been unfounded in my concern about the students’ respect. Adolescents are hypersensitive to what their peers say or think about them. We seek to encourage a more mature outlook when students enter our university, through the development of peer support in our studios, classrooms, and student organizations. When they reach student teaching, they seem to universally be concerned with what the students will think about them. They tend to focus more on being liked than being in control of behavior in the classroom. I ask them the following questions: Do you like everyone you know? Do you think it’s realistic for all children to like you? What is the job of a teacher—to be popular or to be an educator? My lesson from the court: game on! TMEA Clinic/Convention Update If you haven’t already, be sure to register for the TMEA convention and make your housing reservation! Some hotels will already be sold out, and that trend will continue as our event continues to grow. Go to www.tmea.org/convention for all convention details, registration information, and access to the housing system. TMEA works years in advance to secure the best possible rates with almost 30 nearby hotels. Our ability to continue to get these rates is dependent on these rooms getting reserved, so be sure to utilize the official housing system when making your reservation. The Piano Guys Concert on Pace to Sell Out Have you purchased your tickets to Wednesday’s President’s Concert featuring The Piano Guys? With the current pace of sales, this concert will sell out soon, so get your tickets now! If you already registered for the convention, simply return to your member record and select this item within the convention registration area. The concert is February 13, 8 p.m., in Lila Cockrell Theater. For more on the event, go to www.tmea.org/presidentsconcert.
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