August 2017 Southwestern Musician by Texas Music Educators Association

AUGUST 2017

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AUGUST2017 8 6

I S S U E

contents

features

V O L U M E

In Memoriam: J.R. McEntyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Legendary Texas band director and TMEA Past-President.

Texas Leads the Nation in Music for All . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Music education is strong in Texas and can play a role in the wellrounded development of all students. Share this information with students, parents, and administrators.

Recruit & Retain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 A recent survey of TMEA members revealed much about recruiting and retention challenges middle school teachers face. Learn about the many strategies they employ to meet those challenges. BY KAREN CROSS

,QFUHDVH <RXU (IÀFLHQF\ (QJDJH <RXU 6WXGHQWV . . 33

columns

Incorporate technology to help streamline your work and to increase student interest. BY MARIANNE WHITE

President’s Notes ............................................. 4 by Andy Sealy

&ODVVURRP 0DQDJHPHQW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Managing student behavior can be the easiest part of your job if you set the right expectations and establish a clear set of rules, consequences, and rewards.

Executive Director’s Notes.................10 by Robert Floyd

BY LAUREN SUMMA

Band Notes ............................................................15 by Joe Muñoz

Orchestra Notes ..............................................29 by Brian Coatney

Vocal Notes ...........................................................37 by Derrick Brookins by Casey Medlin

College Notes .....................................................49 by Si Millican

On the cover: Bryan Han, a sophomore at Jasper HS (Plano ISD), rehearses with the 2017 All-State Symphony Orchestra. Photo by Karen Cross.

updates

Elementary Notes ..........................................44 Attend Your Fall Region Meeting............................................................. 2 Welcome Back! ........................................................................................ 3 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention ................................................................ 5 2016–2017 TMEA Memberships Have Expired ..................................25 Invest in Our Future: Start a TFME Chapter .........................................34 Music Is Essential: Share the Message ...............................................47

Southwestern Musician | August 2017

Editor-in-Chief: Robert Floyd

Attend Your Fall Region Meeting

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

Managing Editor: Karen Cross

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

Go to www.tmea.org/ďŹ ndmyregion to conďŹ rm your Region. Time

Location

TMEA Executive Board

Aug 5

10:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m., food

Amarillo HS Cafeteria

President: Andy Sealy

Aug 19

10:00 a.m.

Guyer HS, Denton

sealya@lisd.net 4207 Plano Parkway, Carrollton, 75010 469-948-3011 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hebron HS

President-Elect: Robert Horton rhorton@conroeisd.net 3205 West Davis Street, Conroe, 77304-2039 936-709-1200 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Woodlands HS

Past-President: Dinah Menger d.menger@sbcglobal.net 1305 Westcrest Drive, Arlington, 76013 817-891-1095 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fort Worth ISD

Band Vice-President: Joe MuĂąoz munozj@pearlandisd.org 3775 South Main Street, Pearland, 77581 281-997-3219 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pearland HS

Orchestra Vice-President: Brian Coatney brian.coatney@pisd.edu 1313 Mossvine Drive, Plano, 75023 469-752-9396 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Plano Senior HS

Vocal Vice-President: Derrick Brookins derrick.brookins@pisd.edu 2200 Independence Parkway, Plano, 75075 469-752-9430 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Plano Senior HS

Elementary Vice-President: Casey Medlin casey.medlin@fortbendisd.com 5555 Long Prairie Trace #618, Richmond, 77407 281-634-4634 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Brazos Bend Elementary

College Vice-President: Si Millican si.millican@utsa.edu One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, 78249 210-458-5334 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; UT/San Antonio

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

Region Date

Aug 12

10:00 a.m.

Lake Highlands HS

Aug 18

5:00 p.m.

Mt. Pleasant HS

Aug 12

9:00 a.m.

Lamar HS

Aug 12

1:00 p.m.

Odessa HS, PAC

Aug 12

10:00 a.m.

Graham HS

Aug 12

10:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m., food

Temple College, FA Bldg

Aug 12

9:00 a.m.

Tomball Memorial HS

Aug 7

6:30 p.m.

Lamar Univ Music Bldg

Aug 12

12:00 p.m.

Highlands HS

Aug 5

10:00 a.m.

Madison HS

Aug 12

10:00 a.m.

George Ranch HS

Aug 12

10:00 a.m.

Del Mar College

Aug 12

10:00 a.m.

Sharyland Pioneer HS

Aug 5

10:00 a.m.

Frenship HS

Aug 12

9:30 a.m

Clear Springs HS

Aug 19

10:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m., food

Akins HS

Aug 5

10:00 a.m.

Pasadena Memorial HS

Aug 12

9:00 a.m.

Duncanville HS

Aug 12

10:00 a.m.

Carthage HS

Aug 26

11:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m., UIL

Bel Air HS

Aug 12

9:00 a.m. 8:30 a.m., food

Alief, Taylor HS

Aug 12

10:00 a.m.

Plano West SHS

Aug 19

10:00 a.m.

McKinney North HS

Aug 12

10:00 a.m.

Stony Point HS

Aug 12

9:00 a.m.

Cypress Creek HS

Aug 5

10:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m., food

Harlingen CISD PAC

Aug 12

12:00 p.m.

Stevens HS

70($ 2IĂ&#x20AC;FH

Aug 12

10:00 a.m.

Chisholm Trail HS

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 140465, Austin, 78714-0465 Physical Address: 7900 Centre Park Drive, Austin, 78754 Phone: 512-452-0710 | Toll-Free: 888-318-TMEA | Fax: 512-451-9213 Website: www.tmea.org 2IĂ&#x20AC;FH +RXUV Mondayâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Friday, 8:30 A.M.â&#x20AC;&#x201C;4:30 P.M.

Aug 12

10:00 a.m.

Grapevine HS

Aug 19

10:00 a.m.

Vista Ridge HS

Aug 12

10:00 a.m.

Kingwood Park HS

Southwestern Musician (ISSN 0162-380X) (USPS 508-340) is published monthly except March, June, and July by Texas Music Educators Association, 7900 Centre Park Drive, Austin, TX 78754. 6XEVFULSWLRQ UDWHV 2QH <HDU Â˛ 6LQJOH FRSLHV 3HULRGLFDO SRVWDJH SDLG DW $XVWLQ 7; DQG DGGLWLRQDO PDLOLQJ RIĂ&#x20AC;FHV 32670$67(5 6HQG DGGUHVV FKDQJHV WR 6RXWKZHVWHUQ 0XVLFLDQ 3 2 %R[ Austin, TX 78714-0465. Southwestern Musician was founded in 1915 by A.L. Harper. Renamed in 1934 and published by Dr. Clyde Jay Garrett. Published 1941â&#x20AC;&#x201C;47 by Dr. Stella Owsley. Incorporated in 1948 as National by Harlan-Bell Publishers, Inc. Published 1947â&#x20AC;&#x201C;54 by Dr. H. Grady Harlan. Purchased in 1954 by D.O. Wiley. Texas Music Educator was founded in 1936 by Richard J. Dunn and given to the Texas Music (GXFDWRUV $VVRFLDWLRQ ZKRVH RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO SXEOLFDWLRQ LW KDV EHHQ VLQFH ,Q WKH WZR PDJD]LQHV ZHUH PHUJHG XVLQJ WKH QDPH 6RXWKZHVWHUQ 0XVLFLDQ FRPELQHG ZLWK WKH 7H[DV 0XVLF (GXFDWRU XQGHU WKH editorship of D.O. Wiley, who continued to serve as editor until his retirement in 1963. At that time ownership of both magazines was assumed by TMEA. In August 2004 the TMEA Executive Board changed the name of the publication to Southwestern Musician.

Southwestern Musician | August 2017

Welcome Back! For those who are beginning their first year of teaching or their first in Texas, we extend a special welcome!

The TMEA Executive Board and staff look forward to serving you and hope you find great benefit from your TMEA membership!

Southwestern Musician | August 2017

PRESIDENT’S NOTES

B Y

A N D Y

S E A L Y

With privilege comes responsibility

hope everyone has enjoyed a well-deserved respite, no matter how brief, from the demands of the classroom. Even as the final days of summer fade away, we still have opportunities to renew our patience, our passion for teaching, and our faith in the power of music to transform lives. Congratulations go to colleagues in our sister associations for another terrific series of summer clinics and concerts during the TBA/TCDA/TODA conventions, and our thanks go to them for the continued support in hosting TMEA events. Many music educators enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect and revitalize their perspective for the coming year. The privileges afforded us as music educators are significant. We are privileged to teach in community environments that support the general tenets of music education. We must, however, continue to advocate for our programs and promote their relevance at the local level every year. We are privileged to work in a state environment where arts education still holds a valued place in the curriculum. We are privileged to serve alongside like-minded fine arts educators who form a mutual support network. These relationships are incredibly valuable as sounding boards for new ideas, as sources of encouragement and mentorship, and as a unifying element in our professional lives. And we are most privileged to share our classrooms with our students. No doubt we are the happiest when we are in the classroom in front of our students. We are so

These remarkable privileges bring with them the demand that we conduct ourselves, our classrooms, our communications, and our interactions with students and colleagues in the most ethical and responsible manner. 4

Southwestern Musician | August 2017

August—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. August—Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 2 for details). August 20—Liability insurance purchased through TMEA expires. October 2, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens. November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline. January 25—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 14–17—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.

TMEA CLINIC/ CONVENTION

FEBRUARY 14â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17, 2018 SAN ANTONIO

TMEA.ORG/CONVENTION Southwestern Musician | August 2017

very fortunate to be able to share our love of great music. These remarkable privileges bring with them the demand that we conduct ourselves, our classrooms, our communications, and our interactions with students and colleagues in the most ethical and responsible manner possible. This is doubly true given our ever-increasing social media presence and the ways digital interactions of all forms intersect with so many of our professional and personal relationships. The personal integrity with which we go about the daily business of teaching and nurturing young people speaks volumes about our commitment to the stakeholders of music education. As our school year begins anew please refamiliarize yourself with the TMEA Code of Ethics and Standard Practices (www.tmea.org/code). The Executive Board recently adopted updates to this document related to social media use. If you supervise other educators it is equally important to share the details of this document with them as well as the Eligibility Requirements for TMEA Activities (www. tmea.org/eligibility). Make these discussions part of your professional development. These documents are tremendous resources for principled expectations and professional behavior and attitudes for all TMEA members. )DOO 5HJLRQ 0HHWLQJV Please take note of your fall Region meeting and make plans to attend this important local function (see page 2). This is a great opportunity to rejoin the fellowship of music educators, and so much valuable and time-sensitive information is offered during this meeting that you can’t afford to miss it! In some divisions, nominations for Executive Board positions will be made. Candidates for Executive Board positions must be nominated by at least four Regions to be placed on the ballot for elections in February. Attending your fall Region meeting is also a terrific way for you to get to know teachers new to your Region, or even more importantly, new to the profession. Stretch yourself a bit by offering to serve as a mentor for someone else. The TMEA Mentoring Network seeks to link successful music education professionals with new Texas music educators in a one-on-one mentoring opportunity in a yearlong program. Your mentorship provides support and encouragement for your 6

Southwestern Musician | August 2017

colleagues and helps foster their continued development and longevity and likely yours, too. Go to www.tmea.org/mentor for more information and to enroll. TMEA Membership Renewal and 2018 TMEA Convention During this time of renewal in our work, also be sure to take time to renew your TMEA membership at www.tmea .org/renew. Remember that you must be a current TMEA member to enter your students in the TMEA audition process. (All TMEA memberships expired June 30.) While you are online be sure to renew your liability insurance which expires on August 20, and preregister for the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention held February 14–17 in San Antonio. All of this can be done at www.tmea.org/renew. TMEA cannot serve all constituents without a membership-wide spirit of service and volunteerism. We need your help to ensure we can offer a meaningful clinic/ convention experience for our membership. I can assure you that your heightened sense of ownership will supercharge your personal experience while there. Please submit your preference information for volunteering at www.tmea.org/volunteer. 5HJLRQ $UHD $OLJQPHQW and Apportionment In the spring of 2014 the TMEA Executive Board and staff initiated a comprehensive review and reformulation of our Region/Area alignment that went into effect in the fall of 2016. Four new Regions and one new Area were created and a defined commitment to geographic Area centers was made. Also, a renewed emphasis was placed on the accurate submission and final tracking of the online audition entry data. In addition, the TMEA Executive Board committed to reviewing the Region/Area alignment and resulting All-State apportionment data every two years. In the spring of 2018 the TMEA Executive Board will revisit the Region/ Area alignment and All-State apportionment numbers. We will have two years of audition entry data for comparison purposes and UIL’s biennial enrollment and classification report. A preliminary timeline for this alignment review is outlined below. The two State Board meetings, Region and Area Chair luncheons, and the Region meetings during our convention

will provide opportunities for information and member feedback. Final revisions to the proposed alignment and All-State apportionment will need to be approved and adopted by the TMEA Executive Board no later than mid-April so that important agenda items like the election of Region officers and the selection of Region sites and dates may be conducted at the spring Region meetings. Also, note that the deadline for Region variance requests or waivers is still August 1. 3UHOLPLQDU\ 7LPHWDEOH IRU 5HJLRQ $UHD $OLJQPHQW DQG $SSRUWLRQPHQW The following is the schedule for the next review and adoption of our Region/ Area alignment: December 2017: UIL releases biennial enrollment/classification data. January 2018: TMEA Executive Board Meeting. TMEA Executive Board and staff review the two-year audition data and proposes the TMEA Region/Area alignment and All-State apportionment for the next biennial audition cycle. The proposed plan is published on the TMEA website and sent to the TMEA State Board for member review and feedback. February 2018: TMEA Convention. State Board meetings, Region Chair luncheons, and Region meetings will offer opportunities for feedback and discussion from TMEA State Board and general membership regarding the proposal. March 2018: TMEA Executive Board Meeting. Based on feedback and input from the membership, TMEA Executive Board and staff finalize and adopt the revised proposal. April/May 2018: Spring Region Meetings. The adopted plan is published on the TMEA website by mid-April and sent to the TMEA State Board for the spring Region meetings. Members attend their spring Region meetings based on the adopted TMEA Region/Area Alignment. July 2018: TMEA State Board Training and Summer Conventions. The TMEA Region/Area alignment and All-State apportionment plan approved for the next biennial audition cycle is reviewed at the summer training for TMEA State Board and membership as needed. August 1, 2018: Deadline for Variances and Waiver submissions to the TMEA Office.

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In Memoriam J.R. McEntyre J.R. McEntyre, TMEA PastPresident (1970–1972) and TMEA Past Band Vice-President (1966–1967), passed away on May 19, 2017. J.R. was born in Sweetwater, Texas, on November 15, 1926. J.R. attended Odessa HS, where he played horn in the band, played in a dance band, and served as drum major. After graduation from high school he entered Texas Tech University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, returning later to complete his master’s degree. His college education was interrupted by a two-year stint in the U.S. Army, where he served in the 82nd Airborne Division band as first horn, assistant director, and drum major. At the end of World War II, the victory parade in Washington D.C. was led by the 82nd Airborne Division band with Sergeant J.R. McEntyre as drum major. After his return to Tech he played first horn in the Texas Tech band and principal horn in the Lubbock Symphony. There he met and married his wife, Evelyn. After graduation in 1949 they moved to San Benito, Texas, to begin his first teaching job. The following year, they moved to Odessa, and he became band director at the new Bowie JH and remained there until 1955, when he moved to the newly opened Bonham JH. In 1959, he became the band and orchestra director of the newest high school in Odessa—Permian. In addition to his teaching duties, he performed with the Midland–Odessa Symphony Orchestra and served as guest conductor of the orchestra. He also conducted the pit orchestra for many performances of musicals for the Permian Playhouse of Odessa. In 1962 the Permian HS Band was chosen as the Texas 4A Honor Band and performed at the TMEA convention in Houston. His orchestras were winners of the Buccaneer Festival Outstanding Orchestra Award for four years. In 1972, J.R. became Director of Music Education for Ector County ISD. However, directing music organizations and teaching remained his first love. He served as president of TMEA, TMAA, TMEC, and Phi Beta Mu. He also served as Executive Secretary for District VI UIL Music. He was named Bandmaster of the Year in 1985 by the Texas Bandmasters Association and was also chosen Orchestra Director of the Year in 1987. In 1995, the instrumental music building at Permian HS was named the J.R. McEntyre Instrumental Music Building, and on May 14, 2016, he was inducted into the Region VI Band Directors Hall of Fame in Odessa. In his leadership positions with TMEA, J.R. played a vital role in the formation of Texas Music Educators Conference, a federated state unit of then Music Educators National Conference (June 1975). J.R. served as the president of the charter TMEC.

Southwestern Musician | August 2017

1926–2017

President’s Message March 1971 The following enduring message is from J.R. McEntyre’s March 1971 column in Southwestern Musician combined with the Texas Music Educator. In it, he reflects on his attendance at the MENC Southwestern Division convention, which included performances by several Texas music groups: The performances by our Texas Bands, Choruses, and Orchestras were truly outstanding, and every Texan in attendance was made aware of this by the comments of the music educators from other states. Indeed, it would have been difficult to remain unmoved by the feeling of pride and accomplishment exhibited by all of our participating Texas groups. It is this writer’s feeling that our profession would wither and die without quality performances such as these to sustain it. We can talk about and discuss philosophy, goals, and objectives (many of which seem to be extra-musical) and oftentimes lose sight of the fact that music is a performing art. As such, it behooves us as music educators to make every attempt to continue to raise our standards of performance and taste to that which could aesthetically be labeled true art. Undoubtedly there are extramusical values that are accrued through that which is good in Music Education; however, quality performance in its present form should continue to remain the primary objective for all of us.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTES

B Y

R O B E R T

F L O Y D

85th session: +RZ GLG ÀQH DUWV IDUH"

y the time you read this column, hopefully the 85th special legislative session will be nearing a close. I won’t fully recap the regular session but simply say it was perhaps the most contentious in recent years—perhaps ever. Bills on such divisive topics as sanctuary cities, voter ID, bathrooms, education savings accounts, school finance, and religious freedom triggered frustration and ill will throughout much of the session and became part of the reason for a special session called by Governor Abbott. Legislators passed the lowest number of bills since the 77th session, with 1,211 House and Senate bills passed and sent to the governor, 50 of which he vetoed. Our lobby firm, HillCo, tracked 80 bills on our behalf, 14 of which reached the governor’s desk. Ultimately, none of these bills should have a negative impact on our discipline. The fine arts community entered the session with the primary goal of not losing ground in terms of providing students access to fine arts courses throughout their K–12 experience. In that regard we were successful. It is rare that bills are filed that specifically target fine arts, but because there are limited minutes and periods in a school day, when a new requirement is added, electives have to give. During this session we had to carry that message forward because of HB 2884, which proposed increased middle school physical activity requirements and an additional one-half credit of P.E. and one-half credit of health required for graduation. That bill ultimately died as TMEA testified and

With the primary goal of not losing ground in WHUPV RI SURYLGLQJ VWXGHQWV DFFHVV WR ÀQH DUWV courses throughout their K–12 experience, we were successful. 10 Southwestern Musician | August 2017

other organizations registered against the bill and its unintended consequences. We began the session with a concerted effort to enroll as many legislators as possible in the Fine Arts Education Caucus, co-chaired by Representative Dan Huberty, House Public Education Committee Chair, and Senator Eddie Lucio, Senate Education Committee Co-chair. The result was that more members signed up than ever before. We are indebted to Representative Huberty and Senator Lucio and their staffs for their willingness to take on this added responsibility. Their leadership positions certainly lent credibility to our efforts. Arts Education Day in early March was also a successful day for us with all 181 legislators receiving student-delivered arts advocacy packets and numerous student groups performing throughout the afternoon. HB 21, the school finance bill, passed out of the House mid-session and moved to the Senate, where the dollars were cut from 1.8 billion to 530 million and education savings accounts for children with special needs were added. The House members, being opposed to such use of state education dollars, let their own revised bill die. The unsuccessful passage of the original House bill took with it proposed weighted funding for eighth-grade CTE courses. This inclusion could have incentivized districts to encourage enrollment

in such courses to generate more revenue and potentially take away an eighth-grade fine arts elective. Some version of a school finance bill may be filed for the special session, so stay tuned on this issue. TMEA spent much of its time this session lobbying to have a coherent sequence of fine arts courses included in the latest iteration of HB 22, the A–F Accountability bill. We were successful in having fine arts included as an indicator in HB 22 as well as in the Senate version, but in the eleventh hour, as the bill went to conference committee, Domain IV (which included fine arts) was stripped from the bill, and the bill ultimately was passed and signed into law. This removal wasn’t specifically targeted at fine arts; it included other indicators that some believed were not quantifiable or measurable and thus not defendable. Ironically, if HB 22 had failed, as many predicted would happen in the last few days, fine arts would have become a part of current accountability law with an amendment inserted into HB 1500 as it was on its way to becoming law. This bill was trumped and in effect eliminated, however, by language in the newly passed HB 22. The final version of HB 22 also repealed Community and Student Engagement (CaSE) indicators and their use in determining campus and district accountability ratings. For the 2016–17 school year,

Everyone can use a hand

however, each district must still submit ratings of exemplary, recognized, acceptable, or unacceptable for itself and each of its campuses for all eight of the CaSE categories. As in previous years, these ratings will be included in the Texas Consolidated School Ratings report to be released in late September 2017. Additionally, districts and campuses must still report to the agency which three CaSE categories would have been evaluated for 2017–18 accountability and the criteria that would have been used for that evaluation. While there are 20 items listed on the governor’s call as priorities for the special session, we do not anticipate any bills that may pass or have passed as of this reading having a direct negative impact on fine arts programs. Certainly any school finance legislation passed could force districts to make difficult funding decisions at the district level and could affect our programs. Again, by the time you read this column we should know the arts-related impact of any legislation on the governor’s call, and if there is any, we will communicate that on our website and newsletter. As we move toward the interim, we plan to develop a list of legislative priorities as early as possible and begin visiting key legislators around the state. Our plan is to create a document pertaining specifically to unintended consequences of expanded CTE funding, prioritization of certain endorsements over others, and additional course requirements at the district or state level.

If you need a mentor, sign up. If you can serve as a mentor, sign up.

Attend Your Fall Region Meeting

www.tmea.org/mentor

See page 2 for details.

The TMEA Mentoring Network is a proactive program of one-on-one mentoring to each new music teacher.

12 Southwestern Musician | August 2017

Texas Leads the Nation in Music for All let’s keep it that way Texas Legislators Support Music Education for All Music is one of the fine arts as defined in Texas State Board of Education rule (art, dance, music, theatre). Texas legislators have consistently supported the opportunity for all students to study fine arts. In recent years, they underscored that by establishing requirements at every level for students to experience highquality fine arts education. Legislators have also required school districts to limit the time that students may be removed from fine arts classes for remediation in other subjects. www.tmea.org/thelaw

Standards-Based Music Education at Every Level Schools are required to offer standards-based fine arts education in grades K–12. The State Board of Education adopts these standards for all required subjects (they’re called the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS). Just like in other subjects, Music TEKS are defined for every level, and music teachers must cover 100% of them in their instruction. www.tmea.org/musicteks • Elementary School Requirements: School districts must provide all K–5 students TEKS-based instruction in music, art, and theatre. • Middle School Requirements: Students must complete one fine arts course in grades 6–8, and the district must offer courses in three of the four fine arts disciplines (or two, if reduced by the commissioner of education based on district middle school enrollment). • High School Requirements: At least two of the four state-approved fine arts subjects must be offered in high school, and to graduate, every student must earn one credit of fine arts. Students under the new Foundation High School graduation program may pursue an Arts and Humanities endorsement—this allows serious music students the flexibility to take multiple fine arts courses that count toward graduation.

Students In Music Class Don’t Just Learn Notes Students who are in a music class learn much more than music itself. And while studying music for music’s sake is clearly the priority of music education, the additional benefits shouldn’t be overlooked. Students who study the arts develop greater self-confidence, creativity, perseverance, and problem-solving skills, and they are more prepared for success in college and for entry into the 21st-century workforce. Music students learn to create, innovate, analyze, and collaborate. www.tmea.org/toptenskills

Increased SAT Scores According to the College Board national SAT reports, students who study music throughout high school have consistently outperformed other students on the SAT. TMEA has found similar results with the top music students in our state. From 2013 to 2017, TMEA All-State musicians scored 23% higher than the national average and 29% higher than the state average. www.tmea.org/sat

Music Programs Benefit Schools and Communities Studies continue to reveal that music students have better attendance, lower dropout rates, and fewer discipline issues. For many students, being in a music program is what motivates them to come to school. It’s where they find safety and security in an otherwise fractured world. Music programs in Texas are notorious for the good they do in their schools and communities. Music programs can offer students a healthy support system and an environment where they are accepted and encouraged to express themselves in a most meaningful way.

Share this information with students, parents, and administrators:

www.tmea.org/musicforall Southwestern Musician | August 2017 13

43 R D A N N UA L

Buccaneer Marching Band Festival Blinn College Brenham, Texas

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1st, 2nd & 3rd PLACE AWARDS IN CLASSES 1A-6A CAPTION AWARDS IN EACH CLASS FOR: DRUM MAJOR - COLOR GUARD - DRUMLINE - SOLOIST

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August—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. August—Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 2 for details). August 1—Deadline for waivers to the audition process to be received at TMEA headquarters. August 20—Liability insurance purchased through TMEA expires. September 1—Deadline to submit All-State etude errata to the Band Division Chair. October 2, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens. October 21—Deadline to upload All-State Jazz audition recordings. November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. November 11–12—All-State Jazz judging. December 31—TMEA mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 13—Area Band and Vocal auditions. January 25—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 14–17—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.

re we coming to the end of the summer break or beginning a new year? It all depends on your perspective. We don’t always see things as others do, and that’s important to keep in mind this time

of year. This brings to mind an illustration that was published in 1915 as a cartoon titled “My Wife and My Mother-in-Law” (the original dates back to an 1888 German postcard). When people see the image, they see either a young woman or old woman. You could use this illustration in an exercise with your students at the beginning of the school year. Show the illustration (search for “My Wife and My Mother-in-Law” for relevant sites). After viewing, have students close their eyes and poll the class to determine what they saw. After the students open their eyes, discuss what they saw (young or old). First ask the class how many images are contained in the portrait. After this exercise, ask the students to find the young woman in the portrait, and then ask them to find the old woman. You may find that some students cannot shift their focus to see the second image. (Be sure to stress that it is fine to not be able to see both images.) If they are having difficulty seeing the other image, give them something to focus on that could help them see the second image (e.g., the ear/eye). There are other popular images like this one, if you want to offer more examples. Search for ambiguous illusions and you’ll find several examples, including Rubin’s vase and the woman’s face/saxophone player. How can we use this exercise to benefit students and use it as a tool for musical growth? It is a great exercise to stress perspective. The fact that we see one image or another is neither good or bad nor right or wrong. It’s simply a reflection of how our eyes and brain work together to see and organize the information. When asked to find the opposite image of what they

Use this valuable exercise to discuss how important it is to value and respect alternate perspectives simply as being different. Southwestern Musician | August 2017 15

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initially see, some people sures not always clearly vishave a very hard time seeing ible to them. One example it. We can help them by givmight be attendance at the ing them something specific TMEA Clinic/Convention. to focus on to emphasize the They might not see how alternate context (e.g., the attendance can help you lower line as the mouth of achieve your T-TESS goals. the old woman). This can be We might have to help them a valuable exercise because focus on a different area it allows us to discuss how of our picture for them to important it is to value and understand the educational respect alternate perspecbenefit to you, your school tives simply as being difdistrict, and your students. ferent. If you are new to a My Wife and My Mother-in Law Whether it seems like school, you can use this exercise to stress you’re ending summer break or starting that change is not good or bad. It just is. an exciting new year (or both), I hope You can also draw musical benefits you can find ways to see and appreciate from this exercise. You can reference this the qualities you have that make our proexercise throughout the year. When workfession meaningful to our students and ing on balancing lines in the music, stustakeholders. dents can be asked, “Remember My Wife and My Mother-in-Law?” Assign a musical TMEA Membership Renewal and line to each image. Then work on balancConvention Updates ing the lines by asking for more or less of It’s time once again to renew your the young woman line or more or less of TMEA membership. This can be done the old woman line. This can also be refonline at www.tmea.org/renew or via erenced to introduce giving musical lines mail or fax. Remember that your previcharacters to help with interpretation or ous membership expired at the end of June style. and that liability insurance purchased As professionals, it is important for us through TMEA expires on August 20. You to remember that things will not always must be a current TMEA member to enter be understood as we intended. We can use your students into the TMEA All-State this exercise to remind ourselves that a audition process. You can also preregister student’s, parent’s, or administrator’s pernow for the 2018 Clinic/Convention held ception is their reality. We often will have in February. to work to help others see the hidden treaConductors for the 2018 TMEA Clinic/

Convention All-State Bands and Jazz Ensembles are: • Lt. Col. Jason Fettig, “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band (All-State Symphonic Band) • Gary Green, University of Miami, retired (All-State Concert Band) • Michael Colburn, Butler University (5A All-State Symphonic Band) • Ndugu Chancler, University of Southern California (All-State Jazz Ensemble I) • Miles Osland, University of Kentucky (All-State Jazz Ensemble II) Our featured clinician will be Anthony Maiello from George Mason University. More detailed information about these outstanding musicians and educators will be in the September and October issues. Please also consider serving TMEA in two important roles. Veteran educators can serve as mentors in their area for new band directors or directors new to the state. Provide valuable professional support for your colleagues and help ensure their continued development and longevity by enrolling at www.tmea.org/mentor to be

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presents the

PREMIER PERFORMANCE P

a part of the TMEA Mentoring Network. I also hope you will consider serving as a convention volunteer. It truly takes a cast of thousands to produce a successful convention experience for our membership. There are a wide variety of critical roles available for you to give back to the organization at the convention. Please go to www.tmea.org/bandvolunteer to submit your information and availability. Band Division Updates It is important to attend your fall Region meeting (schedule on page 2). In addition to important local business and UIL updates, each Region will be nominating candidates for TMEA President-Elect and Band Division Vice-President. Elections for these posts will be held in February during our convention. Candidates will be announced in the December issue of the magazine. The TMEA All-State audition etudes are posted on the website along with performance guides and errata. The website is the official posting of these items, and September 1 is the deadline for errata submissions to the State Band Chair. Please monitor the website frequently for updates.

Thank you to this year’s etude selectors for their musical expertise and presentations at the TBA convention. Thanks also go to the Board of Directors of the Texas Bandmasters Association for preparing and presenting an exciting, educational, and rewarding lineup of clinics and events at the recent TBA Convention/ Clinic in San Antonio. Congratulations to these Texas ensembles invited to perform at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago this December: • North Shore Senior HS Band Shane Goforth, director • Wylie HS Wind Symphony Todd Dixon, director • Summit HS Wind Symphony Chris Kanicki, director • Arbor Creek MS Honors Band Rylon Guidry, director • Lamar MS and Fine Arts Academy Symphonic Winds James Hairston, director • T.A. Howard MS Honor Band Nathaniel Neugent, director

• Westlake HS Studio Jazz Ensemble I Brian Peter, director • Martin HS Symphony Orchestra Michael Stringer, director • Vandegrift HS Percussion Ensemble Joe Hobbs, director • Creekwood MS Percussion Ensemble Ariel Gammons, director • Cedar Park Winds Christopher Yee, director • UT/Austin Saxophone Ensemble Stephen Paige, director • UT/El Paso Horn Choir Richard Lambrecht, director If you attend the Midwest Clinic in December, be sure to support our Texas ensembles with your presence. Finally, a sincere thanks to those many dedicated educators who served as judges, Area Chairs, contest hosts, and room monitors for the summer-long TMEA Honor Band process. Next month, we will announce the finalists and ensembles presenting honor concerts at the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention.

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RECRUIT & RETAIN n by Kare

Cross

hile our state requires every student to complete a fine arts course during their middle school years, band, orchestra, and choir classes aren’t the only ones that satisfy this requirement. And after those who do enroll in a music class complete their first year and face a host of course options, what will motivate them to return? This reality has become one of the most challenging aspects of a middle school music teacher’s job. TMEA recently surveyed middle school music teachers to learn more about the challenges they face and the strategies they employ to improve their recruitment and retention efforts. While we offer some information here about the challenges, our focus is on the strategies teachers use to improve recruitment and retention. We learned about a variety of methods in use, and we hope one or more could prove effective for you as you begin another school year and work to offer a high-quality music education to all students. The Greatest Challenges Members reported the following as the primary roadblocks to recruiting and retaining students in their music programs. Recruiting: The greatest challenge is the myriad of other elective choices and local course requirements. Other significant issues are restrictions on recruiting efforts, the financial impact of participation, and the choice of other music programs (e.g., students choosing band over choir). Retention: Once students complete a beginner music class, their opportunity to explore other electives and the push to take high school classes during middle school are the greatest challenges to keeping them in a program. Two other significant reasons reported were participation in athletics and students’ general 20 Southwestern Musician | August 2017

lack of personal commitment. Despite the challenges, members also report that the majority of beginners return for a second and third year in their program. However, retention rates drop significantly going into high school. What Can We Do About It? The reasons students don’t enroll or don’t remain in your programs likely aren’t surprising, and some might truly be out of your control. However, the feedback we received from teachers like you includes a wide variety of strategies to meet these challenges. The following are just a few of the many ideas offered by survey responders. Additional ideas and more survey details are online at www.tmea.org/recruit-retain.

RECRUITING STRATEGIES The following are just some of the hundreds of ideas on how to improve recruitment efforts: Schedules/Classes • I made a sample schedule graduation plan entitled “How to take choir from 6th through 12th grades.” It includes variations of schedules that show how to take choir + athletics, choir + HS credits, etc. • We pushed for our campus leadership to stop requiring every sixth grader to take a leadership and study skills class. This freed them up to choose two electives. • Gender-specific choirs—guys get to be with the guys, and girls don’t have to deal with silly boys.

Did a teacher inspire you throughout your musical journey? Show how special they are by nominating them for the Music & Arts Music Educator of the Year 2017! 1 ST P L AC E P R I Z E • Account credit with Music & Arts • Photoshoot for the Music & Arts Educator Catalog (wardrobe, hair and makeup stylists provided) • VIP experience at the annual Music & Arts Midwest reception in Chicago, IL • And so much more! Don’t waste time, learn more and nominate them now at MusicArts.com/eoty

D E A D L I N E Nominations end September 25, 2017 11:59 PM ET A W A R D A N N O U N C E M E N T S : The Music Educator of the Year and two runners-up will be announced on December 21, 2017, as selected by a committee of former music educators and music industry affiliates. First, second and third place winners will each receive monetary awards that can be applied toward educational resources; publicity opportunities; and additional prizes.

Renew Today! www.tmea.org/renew M EM B ERS H I P • LI A B I LI T Y I N S U R A N C E • C O N V EN TI O N R EG I ST R ATI O N

Renew your membership and purchase liability insurance. Don’t wait for fall deadlines to renew! 22 Southwestern Musician | August 2017

The band director and I go to the elementary school and talk with students during their music class about what each of our groups offers. We have a good working relationship, so there is no competition. We want what will fit best for each student. Visiting Feeders and Showcasing Future Opportunities • In early September, I invite feeder schools to sing a unison piece at our Christmas concert. The piece is accessible and fun and allows us to have a joint rehearsal where students get to visit our campus during their school day. We highlight their directors and put all student names into a drawing for gift cards we present during the concert. • It made a big difference when we exposed fifth graders to high school marching band in the fall. Elementary students come watch a high school marching band morning rehearsal. I introduce the instruments and feature outstanding students. High school students love doing it because they remember taking part in the event as a fifth grader. • Current orchestra students perform for prospective students. Students attending get to try the instruments, playing the D and A strings (I and V chords). I play a fiddle piece while they play along. Many get excited that they can play an instrument in such a short time. • I teach a small group of talented sixth graders UIL contest music and include them in our contest choir. Usually 100% of these students enroll in choir after this experience. • We invite all fifth graders to attend every performance and a few social events throughout the year. • I brought athletes to the feeder schools to talk to students about being in band and sports. • I take one day off and visit all fifthgrade music classes and have a choir day. I teach them a few warm-ups (current students choose them), do a mini-presentation about me (build the

relationship early), let them ask questions, and show a video of my current students explaining why they are in choir (students record and edit the video themselves). • The best recruitment result is when I visit each fifth-grade music class individually with 2–3 current orchestra students (who went to that school) who demonstrate their instruments. • We test every fifth grader on instruments. Many students are simply afraid to try. This eliminates that obstacle and shows them they can be successful. And we can use this time to correct any misinformation and give the student guidance about their options. This has significantly helped with recruiting. • My band and orchestra colleagues are great—we have a fine arts team approach to recruitment. Sure, each of us would like the students to choose our program, but at the end of the day, what’s most important is that the students have a quality experience in one of them. Marketing • We educate elementary students and their parents with an attractive brochure that includes photos and data about the benefits of being in choir and the differences that students will experience at the junior high level. I also make a point to discuss these differences at our fifth-grade recruiting tour. • Current students write letters to fifth graders interested in choir. They are handwritten, decorated, and delivered to the elementary school students. The small social events we have and our successes at UIL contest help recruit seventh and eighth graders who see the fun and success our students experience.

• We take band kids to talk with the students at the feeder schools. Students talking to other students is always received very well and gives the presenters great pride in their program. • I display pictures of our fun, and we have a Wall of Fame outside the classroom for our students who earn 100s on their sightreading tests. • We maintain an advocacy website with information and materials to show the value of participating. Financial Aid Students who never had a chance at another program are given every opportunity to be successful in music because even the binders, pencils, reeds, and mouthpieces are provided for every single child in grades 4–7. It does not cost our students a dime to participate in the band program. Relationships Recruitment stems from building relationships. By making a regular effort to care about their performances and assist with rehearsals, you build rapport with students, and they learn to trust you. Each visit is a deposit in the bank for when they choose schedules. Social Engagement • Each sixth grader invites a friend who will be a good fit for choir to a social event where we play games. We take the opportunity to meet all of the guests and talk with them about choir. We gained students and also retained many of our sixth graders—especially boys! • We use social media a lot, especially Instagram. We document fun events and post several pictures every week of the things we do in band class. We place a lot of “Check us out on Instagram” posters around the middle and elementary schools. Parent Communications We communicate with parents in English and Spanish in our letters and our information pamphlet, and we let parents know that one of the directors speaks Spanish. We also emphasize the support we offer students academically as Southwestern Musician | August 2017 23

well as musically. In a community where many parents are working multiple jobs to make ends meet, this kind of support and our focus on being a family seems to be a strong draw.

RETENTION STRATEGIES The following are a few of the hundreds of strategies employed by teachers across the state to improve retention in their music programs: Schedules • I convinced the school board to stop double-blocking math at the seventhand eighth-grade levels so students could take two electives. • This year, we pushed hard with our seventh graders to sell the benefits of staying in band. We emphasized the flexibility of schedules and the ability to postpone high school credits until they are in high school. We did this regularly throughout the spring semester, and our retention increased to about 85% this year. • Last year, some parents of our eighthgrade choir students wrote a letter to the parents of seventh graders outlining the benefits of their child staying in choir and waiting to take some courses until high school. We also had current juniors or seniors speak with current seventh and eighth graders about how they fit in all their classes, extracurriculars, and stayed in choir. • Our district has published functional graduation plans for various endorsements and athletic course desires that all include four years in a fine arts course sequence. This helps to persuade at least a few students each year to stay in the program. • We got a waiver from our coaches to let students play on the team without

Often, students won’t care about your subject until they know you care about them. 24 Southwestern Musician | August 2017

being enrolled in the athletics class. This freed up the students’ schedules and allowed them to take everything and still participate in sports before and after school and in the games. Ownership/Pride • We opened our school four years ago, and the first thing we focused on was branding our logo and providing spirit shirts and other items. We have since built pride in our band and our school, performing at as many local community events as possible. This has created an environment in which all students want to belong—40% of our student body participates in band. • We have a Renaissance Club for students involved in sports and fine arts. Students are recognized throughout the year for this accomplishment by having their picture on the Renaissance Club Board with details on all they do while keeping a high grade point average. They are also recognized at the awards ceremony and at each concert. Coaches also honor and recognize these students.

Section of the Year award. • We started a Band Buddy program, where junior high band volunteers travel to the elementary schools to tutor sixth graders on their instruments. This gives the sixth graders something to look forward to and increases ownership in the junior high students. • I begin transferring leadership roles to seventh graders in January. They are seated beside and teamed with eighthgrade leaders. This helps them begin to visualize their future roles in choir as leaders and integral members of the organization. Environment/Culture • The best thing is to create a culture of family, acceptance, and fun. It is important to alter instructional strategies and make room for laughter. In addition, find the right balance between high achievement/contest ratings and learning more music and playing music that interests the students.

If you build a successful program, students will come; if you are kind to them, they will stay. • We award our three-year choir members with a trophy at the end of their eighth-grade year. We want them to know that their commitment is valuable to our program. We have slowly had more students remain in choir over the past few years.

• I have improved retention by maintaining a positive, open, and energetic classroom environment. I also begin conversations with students early on about what orchestra will look like next year, concerns they have, and benefits of building a skill.

• I encourage my students to invite a friend in before school begins. We allow their friend who isn’t in choir to watch them practice.

• I work hard to cultivate a culture of family in our program so students and parents trust me. I talk with students about the importance and value of music education so they can relay that to their parents when making course choices. While half of our students clear their course selections with their parents, the other half make their own decisions, so they also need to be well-informed.

• I try to keep the music interesting, whether it is simple rhythm drills, vibrato exercises, or more challenging concert music. Constant reminders of their progress also keep students motivated (sticker progress charts or flashback videos/slideshows of their playing from last year). They also participate in section contests each week—playing a rhythm, sightreading a line, etc. The section with the most points at the end of the year wins the

Relationships • When middle school students enjoy being around their teacher, they tend to stay in the program. As long as

we can get them to stay, we can get them to work. If students donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like they matter or if they feel invisible, they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stick around. We try to compliment each beginner at least once a week. At the varsity band level, we do the same with each section at least once a week, and we try to reach individuals at least once every two or three weeks. â&#x20AC;˘ I believe students stay because I am kind to them and I treat them with respect. If you build a successful program, students will come; if you are kind to them, they will stay. I also allow students who want to be in other activities to single-block band class (they are in band class every other day). â&#x20AC;˘ Building good relationships with the students is critical. They learn while having fun, and they know about me, my family, and funny stories from when I was their age. I also try to show them they are worthy and valued in my room.

Excellence/Performances â&#x20AC;˘ I push them harder than they think they can handle; then I reward it big time. Middle schoolers want to work hard. They want to be challenged. I try never to underestimate the students because they grow so much from sixth to eighth grade. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s such a cool thing to witness! â&#x20AC;˘ Students perform as often as possible. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned that most sixth graders get bored throughout the year. Early in the year, we have a low-pressure public performance and block party where students play 2â&#x20AC;&#x201C;3 lines from their books and possibly something together. Afterward they get food from food trucks with their family and enjoy the rest of the performances. At our holiday concert, I encourage parents to listen for the differences only a couple of months has made. This pumps up the students again. During the spring, we prepare for solo and ensemble and a band competition for beginners.

â&#x20AC;˘ We promote the private lesson program by having voice teachers perform for the students. We have half of the choir program in voice lessonsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;this helps with retention. Once invested in music, kids are less likely to leave. â&#x20AC;˘ Perform often in front of peersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in the foyer, at pep rallies, for assemblies, at middle school football games (national anthem), and more. Students love to sound good in front of classmates! Building Excitement â&#x20AC;˘ We have sixth graders meet as an ensemble during the last period of the day on Fridays to get a full band experience. This year we will retain all but two students from sixth to seventh grade. â&#x20AC;˘ We host a night where our middle school feeders bring their students and our high school students conduct master classes with them on their Region etudes. The eveningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social activities are also student-led.

2016â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2017 Memberships Have Expired! All TMEA 2016â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2017 memberships expired June 30. Also, if covered, liability insurance expires August 20. Renew now to ensure you receive the benefits of your TMEA membership for the entire year.

Renew Online Today

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Just click Renew from www.tmea.org

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Membership â&#x20AC;˘ Renew Existing Membership â&#x20AC;˘ Become a New TMEA Member â&#x20AC;˘ Reset My Password â&#x20AC;˘ Update Member Information Verify and update your email and mailing addresses. Your receipt and membership card are sent to your email address.

Thank you for your membership in TMEA! Our association continues to be the largest state music educators association in the country, and for that we are justly proud. The strength of TMEA, however, is not only in its size but in the quality of its membership. The strength of music programs in our schools is rooted in the dedication of its teachers, all united in a mission to provide the best music education for all Texas schoolchildren. Membership in an organization of over 13,000 music educators carULHV ZLWK LW EHQHÂżWV LQKHUHQW IURP WKLV strength in numbers. TMEA is your voice to the Texas Legislature and the

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

Renew now, and remind your colleagues to do the same! Southwestern Musician | August 2017 25

Survey Summary Over 550 middle school teachers answered this survey. 65% of responders are head directors of their middle school program.

Who Took the Survey:

Issues Affecting Retention in Music Programs

Primary Teaching Area:

Multiple electives or other requirements

Responders selected from the following and ranked those they believe are the top 5 negative influences on retention.

HS graduation credits pushed to MS

Band: 54%

STAAR remediation pull-out or classes

Orchestra: 13% Choir: 31%

Double-blocking foundation subjects

Other: 2%

STAAR preparation classes Early college high school

MS UIL Classification 1C: 12%

2C: 44%

Reading classes

3C: 44%

AVID Dual-credit classes

UIL Classification of HS fed by Responders’ MS 1A: 2% 2A: 4%

3A: 8% 4A: 14%

CTE classes AIM

5A: 30% 6A: 42%

Go to tmea.org/ recruit-retain for more survey data and additional recruiting and retention strategies.

100

200

300

400

500

Number of responders identifying an answer as one of the top 5 negative influences on retention.

Participation in middle school programs over three years

21% 54%

A majority of teachers report that in the last three years, participation in middle school programs has increased.

24%

• Increased • Decreased • Remained unchanged

Retention Rates The following are the estimated percentages of students who continue in a music program:

Second Year

Third Year

High School

40%

35%

20% 17%

15% 10% 9%

5% 0

0 0-2

% % % 0% 40 1-60 80 10 214 6181-

Students continuing in a second year. 26 Southwestern Musician | August 2017

Percent responding

25%

30% 28%

25%

30%

25%

20% 15% 12%

10% 5%

0 0 0-2

% % % 0% 40 1-60 80 10 214 6181-

Students continuing in a third year.

30% Percent responding

32%

30%

25%

26%

20%

15% 10%

12%

5% 0 0-2

% % % 0% 40 1-60 80 10 214 6181-

Students continuing in high school

• We have a sixth-grade solo contest at the end of the year, and when students and parents witness that measure of success, they are more likely to sign up for band.

they need from us or another teacher to help. Our students’ grades are up, their STAAR scores are up, and they are staying in the program rather than dropping for remediation classes.

• I think what has helped the most is doing orchestra karate for the beginners. They don’t even realize they are doing scales and finger patterns, and it sets them up nicely for the future years. For the seventh and eighth graders, having more social events such as movie or game night is key. Keeping them playing as much as possible has also improved retention.

• It helps when I contact other teachers to learn which students are struggling so I can actively support them in bringing up their grades.

• We invite sixth graders who pass off a scale to come watch the top band rehearse. • I show our recruiting video to current band students and ask them for feedback. While this sounds like a recruiting effort, having them view and evaluate it has also been a successful way to keep them interested.

Financial Support

participation in band. • We help students obtain private lesson scholarship funds. Learn More Thanks go to TMEA members who took time to offer their perspective and valuable advice. For more details on the survey results and for more strategies to improve recruitment and retention, go to www.tmea.org/recruit-retain.

• We help parents with some of the expenses (but not all) required for

USED STEINWAY GRANDS Ϯ dĞǆĂƐ ^ĞůĞĐƟŽŶ ĞŶƚĞƌƐ

Ensemble Type • I started an eighth-grade mixed Symphonic Choir, and one requirement is that students have to have been in choir the past two years. All our students wanted to advance, and I didn’t have as many issues while I was teaching. • Splitting my beginner choir classes by gender has made a huge difference in retaining students. • Placing students into ability-based groups has helped us. Find the kids who have the motivation to excel and give them opportunities through specialized instruction. • Kids love jazz and steel drums! To be in those classes they also have to be in band, so these additional groups have helped overall retention. Academic Monitoring/Assistance • Our retention has improved because we work with students struggling in their other academic classes. We check grades weekly and meet individually if a student is failing in any class. We work with students so they will tell us why they have a failing grade, what they are doing to fix it, and what

tĞ ƐƚŽĐŬ ϯϬ ^ƚĞŝŶǁĂǇ DŽĚĞů ΖƐ͘ tĞ ĂůƐŽ ƐƚŽĐŬ DŽĚĞů D͕ >͕ K͘ tŚĞŶ ŝƚ ŝƐ ƟŵĞ ƚŽ ĨƵůĮůů ǇŽƵƌ ĚƌĞĂŵ ŽĨ ŽǁŶŝŶŐ Ă ^ƚĞŝŶǁĂǇ 'ƌĂŶĚ͕ ĐĂůů ƵƉŽŶ ΗDĂĞƐƚƌŽΗ ƌƵŶŽ͘ ,Ğ ŝƐ Ă WŝĂŶŝƐƚ ĂŶĚ Ă ^ƚĞŝŶǁĂǇ 'ƵƌƵ͘ KƵƌ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ ƚŽ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ >ĞǀĞů ϯ ĂŶĚ ϰ ƐĞƚƐ ƵƐ ĂƉĂƌƚ ĨƌŽŵ ĞǀĞƌǇŽŶĞ͘ ŶĚ ǇŽƵ ǁŝůů ŚĂǀĞ Ă ďĞƩĞƌ ĐŚĂŶĐĞ ŽĨ ǁŝŶŶŝŶŐ Ă WŝĂŶŽ ŽŵƉĞƟƟŽŶ͘ Ăůů ͞DĂĞƐƚƌŽ͟ ƌƵŶŽ Λ ϴϬϬͲϳϰϱͲϲϯϮϯ ǆƚ ϭ ƌƵŶŽΛZĞĚ ŝƌĚ>> ͘ĐŽŵ

^ƚĂƌƚĞĚ ^ĞůůŝŶŐ EĞǁ͕ WWK͕ ĂŶĚ hƐĞĚ ^ƚĞŝŶǁĂǇ 'ƌĂŶĚƐ ŝŶ ϭϵϳϰ Southwestern Musician | August 2017 27

B Y

B R I A N

ORCHESTRA NOTES

C O A T N E Y

August—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. August—Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 2 for details). August 1—Deadline for waivers to the audition process to be received at TMEA headquarters. August 20—Liability insurance purchased through TMEA expires. September 1—Deadline to submit All-State etude errata to the Orchestra Division Chair. September 15—HS String Honor Orchestra Part A online entries due. October 2, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens. October 21–22—First and second round judging of HS String Honor Orchestra. October 28—Protected date to record for AllState String auditions. November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. November 4–5—First and second rounds All-State CD judging. December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline. January 25—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 14–17—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.

Perspective versus reality

n April, I had the privilege of attending a beautiful memorial service celebrating the courageous life of our Orchestra Division colleague Jennifer Lemin. In addition to wonderful words spoken and beautiful music (including a most amazing rendition of Dragon Hunter), we heard Jennifer’s thoughts about perspective from a letter she wrote before her death. Even when battling cancer, Jennifer maintained a positive perspective about her life and the reality she was living. Her message was that someone always has it worse, so we should appreciate all we have and enjoy every moment possible. Her message weighed heavily on me as I examined the past couple of years of my teaching career. I realized that my perspective had become skewed toward the negative. I was spending more time focused on the obstacles that were in the way of teaching and running the program. Despite my best efforts, it seemed like the world was against my mission of creating lifelong musicians. I had lost sight of the good things that were happening, the students who were engaging and who actually were becoming lifelong musicians, and the administrators and colleagues who were supporting the program and my efforts. I recently watched a TED Talk featuring Michael Patrick Lynch entitled “How to see past your own perspective and find truth.” Lynch presents three ideas to help you step out of your perspective and realize your reality. The first idea is to believe in truth. We are all passionate about our programs, so it is easy to let our passion blind us to the truth if we sense that our programs are being

If your perception is much worse than your reality, what on earth are you doing trying to change your reality? —Rory Sutherland Southwestern Musician | August 2017 29

threatened or if we perceive inequality with others. I encourage you to step back in these moments and seek truth. There are times when administrators or colleagues make decisions that may negatively impact your program. It is easy to believe these decisions were made without any regard to our programs when, in truth, much consideration of multiple factors goes into making these decisions. Their perspective and focus is often broader than just the single impact to our programs. When you have conversations about these decisions with your colleagues, step outside your perspective and biases so you can approach and understand the decision based on facts and truth. The second idea that Lynch offers is to dare to find accurate knowledge and truth yourself. He explains that we overvalue the Internet for knowledge. When we don’t

know something, we download a set of facts and accept them as truth. Immediate information is fantastic, but we can’t lose sight of understanding how and why those facts are as they are. For instance, each of us has an idea or philosophy of Baroque style, but have you ever asked yourself why or how you formed that idea? I believe as conductors, we often fall into the trap of rehearsing and telling students how to perform. As teachers, we should seek ways to let our students discover and learn why we make the choices we do. It is a rarity for a student to question me on information I present to them. If you also have that experience, I encourage you to find ways to allow your students to have creative insight, use their imagination, and experiment. Use your instruction and the Internet as a starting point and then ask leading questions so that the students

It’s Time to Renew Your Membership Renew your membership before critical deadlines near. If you don’t get coverage elsewhere, purchase liability insurance when you renew.

w w w.t mea .or g /r e new

30 Southwestern Musician | August 2017

understand the information through questions and research. I challenge you to stretch your comfort level and find teaching methods that let you and your students question the why and the how. Hopefully this will help your students become more independent learners and help you grow as a teacher. Lynch’s final point is about humility. In this context, he talks about realizing that none of us knows it all. Whether a first- or fifteenth-year teacher, we can still learn. There are always new methods, ideas, and concepts being developed and introduced. And while some may be failures for some and successes for others, we will always learn from the experience of trying something new. In fact, we learn most from our failures! What has worked in the past might not work with today’s student. So I encourage you to approach this new school year with the perspective of being open to change, experimenting with new ideas, concepts, and self-improvement. Find ways to enhance knowledge and be enriched by what others contribute. Some of us are starting new positions while others are beginning our fifteenth year at the same school. I believe it is easy

to become so engrossed in the challenges and frustrations we battle that we can lose sight of reality and replace it with a negative perspective. Instead, start this school year with fresh eyes and appreciate the astounding accomplishments that happen daily in your classroom. Focus on the elements you can control and remember that we still have it better than most. We are extremely lucky to teach in the great state of Texas, so I hope you will take the advice of my good friend Jennifer Lemin and remember that your life will be far more enriched with a positive perspective and appreciation of the amazing friends, colleagues, students, and environments around you. Summer Conventions/ Region Meetings I would like to thank and congratulate the TODA Board for a fantastic convention in July. Though this issue is being printed while this convention is in progress, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m confident that the experience will be positive for all! Our thanks also go to the TODA Board for allowing TMEA to host our Region Chair training and Honor Orchestra Competition during their event.

During the convention, Region Chairs discussed auditions and policies and procedures. Make sure you attend your fall Region meeting to receive these updates (schedule on page 2). Mentoring The Executive Board and TMEA staff continue to have great discussion about the TMEA Mentoring Network and ways we can make it better. I am excited to say that the Board and staff are committed to making this network as strong and as far-reaching as possible. One aspect that we realized and agreed on is that we need to put more resources into educating and training the mentors. I am excited about future conversations on how we can better serve and train our advisors. We need your help! Please take five minutes to sign up for the Mentoring Network so that we can continue growing this program (www. tmea.org/mentor). Honor Orchestra If you ever want to know how much orchestra programs are thriving in Texas, attend one of the Honor Orchestra listening sessions. The performances were truly

remarkable! The zoned contests continue to work well. I received positive feedback from the new critique sheet as well as distributing the judgesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; comments to the directors, so we will continue with this process. I would like to extend a special thanks to the judges, hosts, and volunteers who helped with these three extraordinary contests. The results from the contests will be published in the September issue and will be available online. All-State String Orchestra I appreciate everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s input and openness to potentially changing the All-State String Orchestra into a Classically sized full orchestra. After a significant amount of deliberation with the Executive Board, we decided to keep this ensemble as a string orchestra. The conductor and I struggled to identify classical repertoire that would offer all players interesting and educational parts as well as two or three pieces that matched instrumentation. Therefore, we determined it was best at this time to maintain our string orchestra and continue discussions on making it into a full orchestra so that we can thoroughly consider all details.

Southwestern Musician | August 2017 31

Outstanding Music Administrator 2017 Kathy Kuddes, Director of Fine Arts, Plano ISD A couple of years ago I received an e-mail from an undergraduate music education student who had already decided that his professional goal was to be a Director of Fine Arts and wanted to know where he should do his masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in order to meet this goal. I was completely taken aback by the question. While I was absolutely certain in my university days that I would be a music teacher, it never occurred to me that I might leave the classroom to coordinate programming at the district level! 8SRQ IXUWKHU UHĂ&#x20AC;HFWLRQ P\ UHVSRQVH to him was to become a great teachHU ÂżUVW DQG IRUHPRVW DQG OHDGHUVKLS opportunities would present themselves. I certainly didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t set out with this path in mind, and it has been the support, mentoring, and collaboration of a virtual village of people that has

gotten me this far, so I would like to take this time to recognize some of WKRVH ZKR KDYH EHHQ PRVW LQĂ&#x20AC;XHQWLDO in my life. Thank you to all of my Plano ISD colleagues, teachers, and leaders who make it the greatest district for arts education anywhere. I am so proud to have been a small part of growing this group from a job-alike social club to a formal professional organization with a growing regional presence supporting hundreds of thousands of students statewide. Thank you to my biggest fan and staunchest support, my husband, Kent. I have always been a fan of easy-to-remember statements of purpose and I have a number of them on the wall above my desk to keep me focused on what is important. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll close with a few of my favorites:

â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

Confront the Elephants Listen More â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Talk Less You Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Bury Mistakes You Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Say â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thank Youâ&#x20AC;? Enough And, in the words of my hero, ZoltĂĄn KodĂĄly, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Only the best is good enough for children.â&#x20AC;? &RQWLQXH WR ÂżJKW WKH JRRG ÂżJKW keep the students at the heart of the work and support one another.

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1999 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Woody Schober 2000 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Henry Schraub 2001 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mike Mamminga 2002 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jan Schronk 2003 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; David Lambert 2004 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Craig Welle 2005 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Camille Bach 2006 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; John Kline 2007 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Larry Tucker 2008 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bob Bryant 2009 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Nellie Ponikvar 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jim McDaniel 2011 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jim Van Zandt 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; George W. Jones 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mitzi Jones 2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Peter Warshaw 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Cody Myers 2016 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; David Cain

â&#x20AC;˘ Examine/explore newest teaching strategies â&#x20AC;˘ Examine/engage in developmental assessment â&#x20AC;˘ Examine/implement latest music technology â&#x20AC;˘ Build community advocacy and support â&#x20AC;˘ Provide resource information â&#x20AC;˘ Problem solve â&#x20AC;&#x153;pressingâ&#x20AC;? issues â&#x20AC;˘ Improve communication at all levels â&#x20AC;˘ Provide expertise on facilities, resources â&#x20AC;˘ Secure legislative support for the arts/music

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2018 TMAC @ TMEA/JOB FAIR Feb. 14-17, 2018

Increase Your Efficiency

Engage Your Students

by Marianne C. White

t seems like every in-service presenter implores us to use more technology and to have more technology activities in our instruction. It’s easy to get frustrated with this technology push, to make excuses, and then to blow it off. Yet there are compelling reasons why this focus has become the norm. Our students live in technology-saturated lives; most of them have never experienced a world without a smartphone. It is important for us to reach our students where they are, and that can become easier when we use a medium they’re familiar with and enjoy. For these and other reasons, most administrators expect to see technology being used in our classrooms. Aside from those (albeit important) reasons to use technology in your class, using technology can streamline your teaching life, enhance what you are already doing, and increase efficiency in your work! You might be receiving unwanted pressure to incorporate technology, but I believe any music teacher can (and should) work technology integration to their advantage and to the advantage of their students.

Start Small In our profession, we are hard workers, counselors, motivators, sometimes even drill sergeants. We stay late, not because we are getting paid more, but because we have a concert to give or a student who needs help with their college audition music. We give of ourselves so much that it can be difficult to accept that on top of what we’ve been doing, we also need to integrate technology. However, that might be the very reason to do it. Instead of viewing technology use as that check mark you need

to get on your annual appraisal, look at it as a means by which you can do everything you’ve been doing yet not have to work so hard to accomplish it (and still get the check mark). Start with something small, like using a tuner app to test who can hold their pitch the most still (e.g., in TE Tuner, you can use the analysis mode to map whatever sound the microphone picks up). This kind of activity should take only 3–5 minutes. Practice it before your class, and don’t give up if it doesn’t work as you expected the first time. Keep trying! Use What You Have Look around and see what you have available that can work for you. Most schools have projectors, computer labs, or laptop/ Chromebook/iPad carts, among other things that you could use with your students. With a projector and connectable teacher device (laptop, desktop, or even iPad) you can take your students on a virtual field trip to see a symphony orchestra perform, show them a virtuosic video of their instrument being played at a high level, play a class composition game, or use a program like Sight Reading Factory to do a class sightreading practice. The options are endless, even just with those simple tools. There are even more opportunities when students use their own devices. You could use free resources online such as Kahoot! (an interactive online quiz game). Give quizzes over your current unit, assign individual practice on musictheory.net, or direct individual composition projects. Online Versus In Class Technology integration does not need to be restricted to class Southwestern Musician | August 2017 33

If in the moment, something goes wrong, don’t panic. Stay calm, be flexible, and be willing to pack it away until the next time the class meets. time. Some educators have developed flipped classrooms where they put content and lessons online for students to access outside class. Ultimately, this gives teachers more time during class to help students and see what they learned at home. You can build great efficiency into your teaching by following this model, even if only a few times each school year. For example, teaching students how to put an instrument together can certainly be done with a video—they watch the video outside class (on school devices or at home). During class you easily guide them through the new activity of putting their instrument together. This can save time and allows you to perfect your lesson before giving students access. It also reduces classroom disruptions since students experience the lesson through a video, at their pace, and everyone has a

front-row seat. Our art form often requires demonstration: private lesson teachers demonstrate musical phrases, elementary teachers demonstrate a beautiful head voice versus a yelling voice, beginner teachers demonstrate how each instrument should sound, marching band directors demonstrate precisely how a step should look or how to stand properly at set. These kinds of lessons, essential to our teaching no matter the level, can easily be transferred to an online classroom via video or audio recordings. In addition to viewing lessons outside class, an online classroom can allow students to submit assignments, respond to what they are learning, and rewatch more challenging lessons (this is also great for students who have missed school). An online classroom, when planned carefully,

Invest

can truly be an extension of your real-life classroom—it becomes an incredible way to guide student practice sessions and help students become independent learners who use high-quality resources to help themselves improve. There are many ways to start if you are interested in developing an online classroom or transforming a website that you already have. Creating a website can be simple when you use tools like Weebly, Wix, or Squarespace. Those three platforms are user-friendly and offer guides to help you get started. There are also learning management systems available that you may already have access to in your district. These include tools like Google Classroom, MusicFirst, MusicFirst Junior, and SmartMusic. A little more in-depth and classroom-like, a learning management system (LMS) allows for students to log in and submit assignments to their teacher. Among other options, an LMS could support recorded submissions, multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank quizzes, written responses to a video or recording, and essay or presentation submissions. After students submit, most systems allow feedback in the form of comments or a

in our future

Texas Future Music Educators offers students who have an interest in a music education career the support and information they need to help them prepare for their future. TFME members who preregister may attend the annual TMEA Clinic/ Convention on Friday and Saturday. 1. Go to www.tmea.org/tfme to create a chapter—it’s easy! 2. Market TFME to all high school music students. 3. Submit your chapter charter and dues to TMEA.

www.tmea.org/tfme For more information, email kvanlandingham@tmea.org

34 Southwestern Musician | August 2017

4. Request a grant to help your chapter get started. 5. Support TFME members and enjoy the significant return on your investment!

Sta r t a er chapt ll! this fa

Convention Travel Reimbursement Chapters can request reimbursement of $50 per student for up to 10 chapter members for convention travel expenses. Take advantage of this great opportunity to reduce costs!

grade, and students might receive feedback directly from the software they are using when they submit things like recordings. Lesson Integration Tips When you make the decision to include technology into a lesson, there are a few things to consider. You don’t need to change your entire class routine and stop what you are working on. This is especially important for ensemble directors. For example, in an ensemble setting, you might complete your normal warm-up, then for 3–4 minutes do an online sightreading activity displayed on a projector, and then continue rehearsing pieces for your upcoming concert. The technology activity is a minimal portion of class and is very efficiently and smoothly incorporated into the lesson. Practice using the technology well before utilizing it in class. Practice on the device you will use or a similar one to find problem areas, navigate through the newness of it, and make your mistakes before students are in class. This will help you avoid behavioral issues and personal frustration and will make your lesson flow smoothly. If, in the moment, something goes wrong, don’t panic. Stay calm, be flexible, and be willing to pack it away until the next time the class meets. Make sure what you are doing is going to enhance your lesson. When you use technology in class just to say you did, it will likely be awkward and, many times, even become a waste of class time. Be efficient—if that means that you don’t use a technology activity because you don’t have one to support your lesson, so be it. Think creatively about how to incorporate technology and use this time to keep the group engaged while you spend time with individuals. While students are working on iPads in pairs doing a note identification activity, you can hear students individually perform a skill for you. While students work on their group composition project in Google Music Lab, you can rehearse with those who are performing for the faculty meeting later. While section leaders use videos on your website to guide their groups through basic marching fundamentals, you can give the drum major a brief conducting lesson. You will have more options and flexibility when you plan activities this way. You can also act as a video’s co-teacher—it can be

very effective! Use a video you created or one you found that you agree with, pause it at appropriate times to ask or answer questions, walk around the room and check on students’ attentiveness or progress, and make appropriate comments during the video. As you consider these options, remember not to pressure yourself to use a technology activity every day or for entire class periods until you are ready. In general, technology activities don’t need to be long to be effective. There are days when students need exposure to a professional musician’s performance, or when they need to have repetitive and engaging practice on a rhythm that will appear in a piece you plan to rehearse. Using technology can help. There are also days when students need to have their instruments up and playing, when you need to get through the grind of UIL contest preparation, when you need a full run-through of your spring program, or when you need to learn a few more sets of drill—these are all integral parts of our jobs, too, and they may not require or benefit from technology at every turn.

Go Explore! Whether using technology in class or outside class, with kindergartners or your varsity high school choir, there are valuable and effective tools for all levels available to you. Be brave and explore some of them! Most technology resources for educators have tutorials that walk you through how to get started, and YouTube has an incredible number of how-to videos for any program or app imaginable. If you can’t find what you need online, ask around. There is probably someone in your school district or in your professional network who has the answers. It’s easy to dismiss something new and unknown to us. It is also incredibly worthwhile to pursue something that can change the way we teach for the better. Go be a technology explorer, and don’t give up on getting better or more efficient at what you do! Marianne C. White is the Director of Bands at Bernard Harris MS (North East ISD in San Antonio) and runs the website WKDWÁLSSLQJEDQGGLUHFWRU FRP

Southwestern Musician | August 2017 35

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC is proud to announce the New Faculty Appointment of

Dr. Brian A. Schmidt Dr. Schmidt joins the choral faculty in the fall of 2017:

Stephen Gusukuma

Lynne Gackle

C. Randall Bradley

Brian A. Schmidt

Lecturer in Choral Music; Conductor, Baylor Women’s Choir and VirtuOso

Professor of Ensembles and Director of Choral Activities; Mary Gibbs Jones Chair; Conductor, Baylor Concert Choir and Bella Voce; National ACDA President-Elect

Ben H. Williams Professor of Music; Director of Church Music Program and Center for Christian Music; Conductor, Baylor Men’s Choir

Associate Professor of Choral Music and Conductor of the Baylor A Cappella Choir and Chamber Singers

The artist/scholars of the Division of Vocal Studies are committed to excellence in all facets of our curriculum, which offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in vocal performance, music education, and church music.

O P E R A A N D VO I C E FAC U LT Y Julianne Best

Jeffrey Peterson

Soprano, Adjunct Lecturer

Vocal Coach, Associate Professor

Robert Best

Randall Umstead

Baritone, Associate Professor

Tenor, Department Chair and Associate Dean

Octavio Cárdenas

Jamie Van Eyck

Assistant Professor, Director of Opera

Mezzo-soprano, Assistant Professor

Mark Diamond

Deborah Williamson

Baritone, Visiting Lecturer

Soprano, Associate Professor

Joseph Li

Angela Yoon

Vocal Coach, Assistant Professor

Soprano, Visiting Lecturer

Kathy McNeil Soprano, Associate Professor

For more information, visit baylor.edu/music. Baylor University admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status.

B Y

D E R R I C K

VOCAL NOTES

B R O O K I N S

Focus on your priorities

Augustâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. Augustâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 2 for details). August 1â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Deadline for waivers to the audition process to be received at TMEA headquarters. August 20â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Liability insurance purchased through TMEA expires. October 2, 6 a.m. CTâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens. November 1â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline. January 25â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 14â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.

ugustâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the most wonderful time of year! It signifies a new start, a fresh beginning, and a chance to redefine, fine tune, and solidify those special things that make your choir amazing. During this whirlwind that is the fall preparation (uniforms, folders, choir handbooks, parent organizations, and most importantly literature selection), I encourage you to stop and remember a few priorities. Priority number one is your students. As we begin this new and fresh school year, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m reminded of the words â&#x20AC;&#x153;First, do no harm.â&#x20AC;? This phrase is attributed to the Hippocratic Oath, some form of which is taken by most graduating medical students as they set out to practice medicine. Imagine the effect on our choirs if we as educators adopted this same principle. Consider the fact that for every person who walks into our classrooms this fall (student, parent, colleague, administrator, music vendor, private instructor, and more) there is an opportunity to help develop and cultivate a positive relationship. James Comer, Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry at Yale University, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship.â&#x20AC;? Take time to build (rebuild) relationships not only with your students but also with your parents, colleagues, and community members. Choir is a community. Another priority to remember is you! As Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve stated before, a more concentrated and focused you benefits your students and every aspect of your choral program. I recognize that with all the preparations at the start of school, the last

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thing on your mind is scheduling time for yourself. As your friend, I want to remind you that taking time for yourself doesn’t necessarily mean a major vacation. The small things can make a difference: leave the building for lunch once a week, plan a monthly massage, unplug (some of my most productive and happiest days begin with me not turning on my computer). Ask a friend to hold you accountable. My fear is that, left to our own devices, we’d put in 12-hour days all the time. Finally, remember that as you begin the year in this most important occupation, you have a purpose. Because of your work with young people every day, motivating and encouraging them to make a positive difference in our world, tomorrow becomes a better day. And, while this is critical work in our world, the reality is that it’s not necessarily a perfect or dream job. There will be ups and downs. Some days you’ll ask yourself what you’re doing. But there will also be more magic and breathtaking moments of joy than you can imagine. Best wishes to everyone on the start of a new school year. To our first-year teachers, welcome! You are about to embark on a life-changing adventure, one that will push you, challenge you, and inspire you in ways you’ve never experienced. Don’t forget to keep learning. Strive to put yourself in an educational environment where you aren’t the smartest person in the room, and above all, learn to reach out and ask for help. You are now among the elite—you are a Texas music educator!

Be a Vocal Division VIP Imagine operating your choral program without the help of parent volunteers, student leadership, or the assistance of another teacher (I realize this might not require imagination for some of you). If you can relate to this situation, then you understand how difficult it is to have a successful program. You also have a greater appreciation for those individuals who give of their time, talent, and efforts toward the development of the greater good. TMEA is an amazing organization filled with teachers who give their time to help keep music education alive and well across Texas. What are we missing—you! Becoming a Vocal Division VIP means becoming a volunteer. No job is too small and all jobs are important. Consider volunteering at your Region level. A few suggestions: Region choir section leader, Region choir organizer, or audition host. When you attend your fall Region meeting (see page 2 for a schedule), reach out to your Vocal Region Chair and other Region leadership and let them know you want to get involved. I encourage you also to volunteer at the State level. Register as a convention volunteer at www.tmea.org/vocalvolunteer. There is room at the table for all. TMEA Convention VIPs The following are just some of the ways to become a convention VIP: Presiders: Each Vocal Division clinic has a presider responsible for distributing the clinician’s handouts, introducing the clinician, and ensuring everything needed

Have a Story to Share? Many of our best feature articles are written by TMEA members like you. Perhaps you have developed an effective teaching method, discovered a new technology that helps make your work more efficient, or have been successful in building administrator and community support. Whatever your areas of success, SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN provides a venue for sharing your ideas with your colleagues around the state.

For magazine submission guidelines, go to www.tmea.org/magazine. 38 Southwestern Musician | August 2017

for the session is in place. This is a great way to spend time with some of our state and national music education leaders. Concert Guides: Each invited performing choir is assigned a Concert Guide responsible for greeting the choir upon their arrival at the convention site and escorting them from the warm-up room to the performance area. Facilities Committee: This amazing, fast-moving crew sets up the performance stage for each choral performance. They ensure the proper setup of choral risers, music stands, chairs, and more for each performance. They’re like the NASCAR pit crew for choirs! Concert Door Monitor: This team of volunteers is responsible for organizing and placing the performing choir programs out for attendees, opening, closing, and monitoring venue doors prior to and during a performance, and helping keep the hall quiet during concerts. Each concert needs a minimum of eight people serving in this role. All-State Audition Material The All-State audition music for the Mixed, Treble, Tenor-Bass, and Small School Mixed Choirs can be found online (www.tmea.org/vocalaudition). As a reminder, Region Vocal Chairs create each contest online. If you don’t see a contest listed that you expect, contact your Region Chair. Once contests are submitted, members may begin entering students to each contest. Be sure to attend your fall Region meeting, as these contests will be discussed there as well. Membership Renewal All directors entering students to the audition process must be active TMEA members. Please take a moment to renew your TMEA membership and preregister for the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention. Go to the TMEA website for materials and suggestions for making the case to attend the convention. I hope you all had the chance to attend the TCDA Convention in July. While their convention was in progress when this issue went to press, I’m confident in offering congratulations to the leadership team and volunteers for presenting what I’m sure was an outstanding convention! This is always a great opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and get excited about the coming school year!

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Classroom Management Students can be the easiest part of your job

by Lauren Summa ’ll never forget my first day teaching kindergarten. I was starting my seventh year, and I was at a new campus. I had taught elementary students before, but none that young. Once the stream of squirrelly five-year-olds had settled in my classroom, I asked a question I knew every kindergartner could easily answer. A fun question. A question any experienced kindergarten teacher would know not to ask a room packed with wide-eyed children: “Friends! Can you tell me what a dog says?” Of course, everyone replied with barks, yips, and yelps! Triumphantly, I thought only a truly gifted teacher could gain the interest of 44 kindergartners so easily. After a few self-congratulatory seconds, it was time to move on. The students, however, were not ready. They had more answers to offer. Many more answers. Students starting howling. And I had no idea how to stop it. They eventually barked themselves out, but I realized I had a deeper problem. I didn’t know how to keep students engaged while managing their behavior. This was a tough realization, and I knew it would require changes. It wasn’t easy. Some ideas worked. Some didn’t. But now, after almost 20 years of teaching, I’m able to breeze through most days with minimal effort teaching beautifully behaved students. I hope that you will find some of the methods I use in my classroom helpful as you begin this new school year.

Quiet Signs Before teaching anything else, I teach quiet signals—one visual and one auditory. Quiet signals should take little effort and be easily understood. Mine are a 5-4-3-2-1 countdown using my hand (visual) and a clapped rhythm (auditory). Don’t use dog barks.

Rules, Rewards, and Consequences Next, students learn the music room rules, rewards, and consequences. I suggest having five rules or fewer. In The First Days of School by Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong, they say to ask yourself, “If I could stop these things and improve my experience as a teacher, what would they be?” My classroom rules are the following: • Raise your hand to speak • Be an active participant • Be kind and courteous • Ask to play instruments Students who follow them are rewarded with these simple and easy to execute actions. I can: • Tell the classroom teacher • Tell the principal • Tell the parents • Tell my parents (they love this one!) • Game days Students should understand the sequence of consequences if they don’t make good choices. Following a simple set of actions helps me respond without having a negative reaction. It’s important not to rush through your consequences. Give students a chance to calm down and remain in the classroom. Sometimes a five-minute grace period can make all the difference. The following Southwestern Musician | August 2017 41

are the steps I use: • Warning • Move seat/removal from activity • Note/call home • Removal from class Create a separate severe clause to address severely disruptive or disrespectful behavior. It should be tailored to fit your student body and be approved by your campus administrators. Students who break the severe clause are immediately removed from class. While I do not present my severe clause to most classes, our school’s behavior intervention team knows I will immediately remove students if they are self-harming or are violent toward others. Learn to Love Students A long time ago, I was speaking with a more experienced colleague about how I was working hard and doing many great things, but nothing ever went according to plan when the students came in. My colleague said something I’ll never forget: “The kids are the easy part.” At the time, I nodded my head in agreement, but inside I was confused. The kids were definitely not the easiest part of my job! They were unpredictable. They messed up my careful planning. They oozed bodily fluids. If anything was not easy, it was the kids. Plus, I was teaching in a tough school! My students didn’t know how to behave. They wouldn’t sit still. They talked whenever they wanted. All they wanted was to be entertained. Back then, I was really into blaming the students for my lack of behavior management skills. I saw teaching as a one-way process. Students sit, I talk, they listen or sing when I tell them to. And if they didn’t do that, the problem was with them. I later began to understand that teaching is a constant conversation between student and teacher. I had to learn to continually adapt my interactions with students to get the best results and engage students

on a meaningful level. To make students the easiest part of my job, I had to learn to understand them. They weren’t the ones sabotaging my lessons. My lessons were failing because I was responding to behaviors in erratic and unpredictable ways. By watching them and analyzing their behavior, I was able to create some simple processes for choosing responses that would accomplish the best results. Managing Group Behavior Managing group behavior takes grace, flexibility, and a lot of planned ignoring. Teachers often disrupt the flow of their lessons to deal with issues that really aren’t worth addressing. But how do you know when to stop the lesson? Ask yourself these three questions: 1. Is it keeping other kids from learning? (loud, distracting, physically intrusive) 2. Is it mean-spirited? (insults, targeting) 3. Is it something that will continue or escalate if you don’t step in? (crawling on the floor, silly behavior, prolonged talking) If you answer yes to more than one of the questions, the behavior is likely a big deal, and you should use your consequences for bad behavior. If you determine the behavior isn’t a big deal, it might still be true that students have lost focus, but try to get them back on track without invoking consequences by using the following: Praise: Thank those who are behaving well. Tell them they make your job great! This works especially well with younger students, but most students like feeling appreciated. Reward: Reward individual students who are doing a great job. Proximity: Move toward the problem. Placing yourself near misbehaving students can put a stop to many problems. Engage: Ask the student what they are doing and what they are supposed to be doing. They should verbalize what is wrong with their behavior.

Managing group behavior takes grace, flexibility, and a lot of planned ignoring. 42 Southwestern Musician | August 2017

Punish: This should be the last resort. Follow your classroom consequences. Up to 5–More Than 5 I have a pact with my students that the whole class won’t be punished for the behavior of a few. When students misbehave, I remain calm and use one of my quiet signals. If misbehavior persists, I count the number of students not in compliance. If five or fewer are misbehaving, I deal with students individually using my classroom consequences. If more than five are misbehaving, I use a tool for classroom redirection. The letters M-U-S-I-C are displayed on my chalkboard. When more than five students are disruptive, I take down one letter and repeat the quiet sign. I continue removing letters as needed. If a class loses all five letters, I bring in their classroom teachers or a campus administrator to help. Once students are familiar with the process and consequences, I can go months without removing letters. Rewards We all have students who are always on-task, following directions, and working to help make your class better. I try to give these students most of my energy. I acknowledge great behavior with praise and simple individual rewards. It is important, though, to offer rewards only when they can positively direct group behavior. Rewards should be cheap and easy to use. Students love to be invited to pop a bubble on my bubble wrap wall, become famous by signing our Hall of Fame poster, and getting smelly spots of lip balm on the backs of their hands. Kindergarten students get to take a turn with my jackin-the-box when they’re standing quietly in line. And a spray bottle of water gives kids a cool mist when they are following directions! Positive Talk In addition to a foundation of rules, rewards, and consequences, a happy music room needs lots of positivity. One of the simplest solutions I can suggest that can improve classroom management is to create a positive culture. It takes very little energy. Train yourself to say positive things to your students before trouble starts. Every morning I walk through the halls saying hello to the students. A smile, hug,

and happy greeting is a wonderful way for everyone to start the day! I compliment students who are walking in the hallway quietly. I greet teachers and tell them I can’t wait to see their classes later. When I see a group of students having trouble following the rules, I focus on the good and praise the students making great choices. The other students usually want compliments, too, and correct their behavior quickly. Of course, there are classes I do not enjoy. Their other teachers don’t enjoy them, either. But I can’t let the students know I dread their classes. Instead, I shower them with praise. Framing our time together in a positive way makes everyone happier. One of my toughest groups ever was greeted every week with, “I wake up every Thursday in a great mood because I know you guys are coming to music!” Then I would hug every student as he or she came in the room. After a while, I began to believe all the things I said. “It’s Thursday? All right! Another opportunity to have a great day with those kids!” Even more importantly, the children believe it. “Mrs. Summa! It’s Thursday—that’s your favorite day because we come to your class!” Now I love all those difficult kids and classes—how did that happen?

Attend Your Fall Region Meeting Be an active member of your association! See page 2 for details.

Trust Some students arrive in your class without having heard a kind word all day. They’re told by everyone that they can’t. Let these students know you trust them to do the right things. Say the words “I trust you” as many times as you can. Say it with instruments: “I am so glad I can trust you to put away your instruments! I’m timing you—you have two minutes to put the bars back on your instruments, without playing, and find your seat.” Say it with visitors: “Ms. McLallen is getting observed by her college professor next week and we picked your class to help her get an awesome grade! We knew we could trust you to be kind, courteous, and engaged.” Say it with concerts: “I am so excited that you all get to see the musical next week! You’re going to be the best audience. I trust you to sit quietly on your pockets and laugh and cheer at the right times. Your friends in the play trust you, too!” Expressing Confidence Teach your students how to express confidence in themselves. I love to have my students turn to their neighbors and say, “You’re a great musician!” Then we turn to the other neighbor and reply, “Thank you! I worked hard!” Little phrases go a long way in teaching children to give and accept compliments. Looking Back Each week I set aside time to plan for the next week. I used to spend that time thinking of activities and songs to fill up

While you may feel like you’re losing the battle in your classroom, remember that school shouldn’t be a war. You and your students can be on the winning side together. our class time. Now I consider my students’ emotional needs and design learning experiences that will help them grow not only as musicians, but as students, friends, and people. Because of this shift in focus, everyone in my classroom is happier! We learn more during our classes, and I go home happy and relaxed. Now, when I look back on that first day of howling kindergartners, I don’t recoil. I remember that it was my first, best try. The key is to keep going. While you may feel like you’re losing the battle in your classroom, remember that school shouldn’t be a war. You and your students can be on the winning side together. I hope your students are the easiest part of your job this school year! /DXUHQ 6XPPD LV DQ HOHPHQWDU\ PXVLF WHDFKHU DW 3DVVPRUH (OHPHQWDU\ LQ $OYLQ ISD.

Resources These have been invaluable resources in my quest for a well-managed classroom: Gray, Debbie. These Tricks Are for Kids!: Tricks of the Trade for Teachers of Elementary Music! A Few Ideas That Might Make Your Work a Little Easier and Definitely, a Lot More Fun! Bloomington, IN: Authorhouse, 2004. Jones, Frederic H., Patrick Jones, and Jo Lynne Talbott Jones. Tools for Teaching: Discipline, Instruction, Motivation. Santa Cruz, CA: F.H. Jones & Associates, 2000. Saphier, Jon, Mary Ann Haley-Speca, and Robert R. Gower. The Skillful Teacher: Building Your Teaching Skills. 6th ed. Carlisle, Mass: Research for Better Teaching, 2008. Schlechty, Phillip C. Engaging Students: The Next Level of Working on the Work. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2011. Wong, Harry K., and Rosemary T. Wong. The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher. Mountainview, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, 1998. Southwestern Musician | August 2017 43

ELEMENTARY NOTES

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Planning for a great year

ummer is coming to an end and it is time to begin planning for the 2017–2018 school year. This time of year can be overwhelming, especially considering professional development takes up most of the week before school starts. Hopefully, the following information can help you plan and organize so this year will be the best one yet! Start planning your school year now. Begin by setting the dates for this year’s rehearsals and performances. Share those dates with everyone—your administration, your team, the office staff, and the teachers who will be affected. I do still experience the occasional scheduling problem, but setting my performance schedule early has greatly reduced scheduling conflicts! Also, consider booking any groups who will perform at your school now. There are so many groups who specialize in traveling to schools to give performances or master classes. Depending on your school’s demographics, some performances might even be free! Check with your local symphony, ballet, and theater troupes. Drum circle groups are also fun and engaging for your kids. Sometimes you can get a lower price if other schools in your area also book a day. If all this seems out of reach, consider asking your local high school to put on a performance of their musical during the school day. For the cost of a bus, your kids will have a chance to see the “big kids” performing live!

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Once all the scheduling has been taken care of, it’s time to start planning what you’ll be teaching and when. Check to see if there is an official curriculum map in your district. If not, and you’re not sure where to start, go to Pinterest and search on “elementary music curriculum map.” You’ll find lots of options, and you’ll be able to personalize them to best fit your school’s needs. Next you need to think about how you want your room to function. Did you notice something about last year’s setup that didn’t work well? Now is the time to fix it! For me, every year is a little different. Efficiency is key. I set up my room using the following zones: • My area: my desk, computer, office supplies, frequently used files/binders, sub tub, etc. • Whiteboard: markers, erasers, magnets, objectives for each grade. • Recorders: a bookcase that holds school-owned recorders, method books, extra pieces for advanced players, recorder karate rainbow loom belts, and a recorder lost-and-found box.

• Writing: pencils, crayons, dry-erase markers, lap-size whiteboards (the backs of which can double as a hard surfaces for students to use when writing on paper), dry-erase pockets, and erasers (both for pencil and dry erase markers). • Manipulatives: I store mine in plastic shoeboxes (bingo chips, flash cards, and all those other cute things we need). • Movement: scarves, ribbon wands, parachutes, stretchy bands, and beanbags. • Large instruments: xylophones, metallophones, drums, and mallets. I organize my mallets in an over-the-door shoe holder. • Unpitched percussion: each one with its own basket. • Books: children’s books that are read by the teacher or by students working in centers. • Filing cabinets. • Performance props and set decorating tools.

• Teacher materials: resource books, textbook teacher editions, and music education textbooks. Once your room is set up efficiently, you can start to decorate! Some people choose a theme while others would rather choose a few colors. No matter what you choose, there are posters every music teacher should display in their room. Your expectations for activities, music rules, music symbols, the elements of music, and instrument families are must-haves. Beyond those, you can choose to add a featured composer, musical eras, a musical timeline, recorder fingerings, encouraging quotes, and many other things. Be careful though—hanging too much can be overstimulating for some students. Consider changing your posters throughout the year. Students who repeatedly see the same posters will start to ignore them. Mentoring Network Many of you may be brand new to teaching or to Texas this year. It can be scary, and you want to do your best. If you’re at all like I was, you’re a little anxious. I would

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lie awake at night and wonder if the students would like me. Would I be effective? I didn’t know anyone I could talk to who could help me. Luckily, this doesn’t have to happen to you! TMEA has a Mentoring Network, and you can enroll at www.tmea .org/mentor. TMEA leaders will pair you with a veteran teacher to help with any number of situations. A great thing about the TMEA mentor program is that you’ll have someone you can talk to who isn’t the person you report to, so you might find it easier to speak candidly about your challenges. Go sign up now! TMEA is also in need of veteran educators who can serve as mentors! You can also sign up at www.tmea.org/mentor. Once you’ve completed the form, you’ll be added to the mentor database and after getting an assignment, you’ll receive an email from TMEA with some tips on how to be an effective mentor. Region Meetings Please be sure to attend your Region meeting (see page 2 for the schedule). If you don’t know your Region assignment, go to www.tmea.org/findmyregion to look up the Region to which your school district belongs. While you might not view these meetings as important, they can be great for networking and idea swapping. Your Region Chair has the opportunity to host a 1–3 hour workshop that day. If there is a topic you’d like more information on, ask your Region Chair to set up a workshop. Music and Technology Conference of Houston Houston area TMEA Regions 13, 17, 19, 23, 27, and 33 will host a music and technology conference on October 21. This year’s keynote speaker is Marcelo Caplan, Associate Professor at Columbia College Chicago. Caplan specializes in STEAM, and the MATCH team is excited to share him with all of you! Everyone is welcome and preregistration is only $20 for TMEA members. For details, and to register online, go to matchconferencehouston.wordpress.com.

Music Is Essential share the video share the message

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Share the Message: Music Is Essential for Ever y Student Share the video on social media and on your website Advertise the video in your concert programs Play the video before a concert or parent meeting Meet with your administrators and show it to them Find even more at tmea.org/ advocacymaterials

tmea.org /musicisessential Southwestern Musician | August 2017 47

WHAT STARTS HERE

CHANGES THE WORLD

music.utexas.edu/apply

B Y

S I

COLLEGE NOTES

M I L L I C A N

Surrendering musical authority Augustâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. Augustâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 2 for details). August 20â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Liability insurance purchased through TMEA expires. September 1â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Online submission of poster session proposals available. September 1â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Online submission of Collegiate Music Educator award nominations available. October 2, 6 a.m. CTâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens. October 13â&#x20AC;&#x201D;College Division Fall Conference in Austin. October 15â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Poster session proposal deadline. November 1â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Texas Collegiate Music Educator award nomination deadline. November 1â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline. January 25â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 14â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.

his past spring I had the opportunity to attend my first American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual convention, conveniently held in San Antonio. It felt strange at times to be in â&#x20AC;&#x153;our spaceâ&#x20AC;? at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and not see students and teachers traipsing around with cello cases, baton holders, and bags full of posters, music games, and instruments. One of the great things about the AERA convention is that it attracts outstanding researchers from all over the world who specialize in diverse fields across the spectrum of teaching and learning. The almost 500-page program featured a myriad of topics in educational research, includingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to mention just a fewâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;neuroscience in education, disabilities education, motivation, politics, research techniques, instructional leadership, technology and a whole host of great sessions pulled together by the music education special interest group. Since my current research borrows heavily from work in the mathematics and English education fields, I found myself sitting through quite a few research presentations in those areas. One of the sessions I attended featured a presenter who spoke about a concept in math education known as surrendering mathematical authority. The idea, as I understand it, is that a math teacher must suppress the urge to provide all the answers to their students; rather

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than telling the students how to solve the problems, teachers must allow the students to struggle through mathematical challenges to truly master the concepts being presented. This does not mean that teachers leave the students completely alone either to push through in the wrong direction or merely sit and stare in frustration at a blank set of arithmetic problems. Instead, the teacher coaches the student through their struggle by asking questions, providing resources, and offering alternatives. By doing so, the students can become more engaged in the mathematical thinking and reasoning involved in solving a particular set of equations. Even though the math teacher could just jump in and solve the problem for the students, effective teachers surrender their mathematical authority to allow students to engage in the mathematical thinking required to solve the problems. This made me think about how often we allow ourselves to surrender our musical authority in our classrooms. In the traditional professional ensemble model, for example, the conductor is the all-knowing maestro, fixing problems and making

musical decisions for the ensemble at lightning speed. On the surface, this mode of teaching seems very efficient, and to be honest, sometimes we really need to be in that mode. However, if we are trying to teach our students concepts that will allow them to master musical skills and knowledge, we really do need to surrender some of our musical authority and allow them to struggle with and engage in music problem solving in a more direct way. Like the math teacher who surrenders their mathematical authority, we can surrender our musical authority in several ways. Rather than tell students the answer or fix a particular problem, we can ask questions that lead the students to arrive at the answer. For example, I can immediately solve a balance problem in my ensemble by telling a certain player or section to play louder or softer, but the students could be more involved if I asked questions like “What section do you hear more than any others?” or “How many different notes do you hear in that chord? Is there one note you hear more than any other?” Rather than immediately solving a fingering problem, perhaps we could allow our students to struggle with the problem a bit

and ask the section if there might be an easier way to play that passage. Struggle, the mathematics teachers tell us, is not necessarily a thing to be avoided at all costs. As musicians, we can recall long hours of necessary and beneficial struggle that often goes on in the solitary confines of the practice room. We can help our students understand that some musical problems can be solved only through spending significant time and effort in a concentrated and often isolated way. Many of our students are accustomed to being able to solve problems quickly and easily, and coaching them through instances of struggle in their musical development can help them develop persistence and grit necessary to accomplish difficult or complex tasks. The mathematics teacher I heard at the conference concluded by talking about the difference between solving problems and solving problems with understanding. I can (or could at one time) solve a quadratic equation, but I never grasped exactly what we were coming up with in our solutions. By engaging students’ mathematical thinking, enlightened math teachers can help students understand and

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Director of Piano Studies edaub@tlu.edu Director of Strings ejeffords@tlu.edu

Wei Chen Bruce Lin Asst. Professor, Piano Accompanist

Scott McDonald Instructor, Saxophone & Jazz Band Asst. Professor, Collaborative Pianist Instructor, Double Bass

Keith Robinson Instructor, Tuba & Music Education

FACULTY Mark Ackerman Instructor, Oboe

Jill Rodriguez Instructor, General Music

Robert Mark Rogers

Adam Bedell Instructor, Percussion

Mary Ellen Cavitt Carol Chambers Instructor, Music Education Asst. Professor, Trumpet

Paula Corley Instructor, Clarinet

Jeanne Gnecco Instructor, Flute

Asst. Professor, Piano

David Milburn

Eliza Jeffords

Joseph Cooper

BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN ALL-LEVEL MUSIC EDUCATION BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN PERFORMANCE BACHELOR OF ARTS IN MUSIC

Patricia Lee

Carla McElhaney

Eric Daub

Asst. Professor, Horn

Individual audition dates may be requested if necessary.

Asst. Professor, Guitar

Asst. Professor, Bassoon

Esther M. Sanders Instructor, Violin

Evan Sankey Asst. Professor, Trombone & Euphonium

Eric Siu Asst. Professor, Violin

Robert Warren Asst. Professor, Piano, General Music & Music History

www.tlu.edu/music

conceptualize the real-life applications of the problems they encounter. By understanding the concepts underlying the quadratic equation in this instance, students could apply that understanding to new but similar problems in a more efficient and meaningful way. By helping students develop conceptual understanding of the musical problems and challenges they encounter, they become more powerful and independent musi-

Renew Your Membership Online Today TMEA.ORG/RENEW

cians who can problem-solve on their own. In this way, by surrendering our musical authority and engaging them in musical decision-making and problem-solving in the classroom, our students can perform music with greater understanding. College Division Fall Conference I hope that as you plan for the upcoming semester you will keep Friday, October 13, open so that you may attend our annual TMEA College Division Fall Conference. Please note that this date is a week later than the corresponding date last year. The conference kicks off at 10 a.m. at the TMEA office in Austin. This is a great way to network with colleagues from public, private, two-year, four-year, large, and small institutions as we work through the issues and challenges of our profession. Lunch will be provided. Renew Your Membership All TMEA memberships, regardless of when they were established, expired on June 30. Please remind your students and colleagues to renew their TMEA memberships if they have not already done so. Being a current member allows students

and faculty to take advantage of opportunities such as low-cost liability insurance (for faculty and student teachers), scholarships, and awards like the TMEA Collegiate Music Educator Award. Renewing your membership now also demonstrates your yearlong support of our associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work to ensure high-quality music education opportunities for all Texas schoolchildren. Volunteer for Convention Please consider volunteering to help with our annual convention in February. We need volunteers to help with a variety of tasks, including assisting with registration, presiding at clinic sessions, or helping in the College Division office. Go to www.tmea.org/collegevolunteer and submit your information. Call for Research Poster Presentation The online submission process for the TMEA Poster Session will be available on September 1. Please visit www.tmea.org/ papers to submit your abstract proposal. The deadline is October 15. Email Amy Simmons if you have any questions at asimmons@austin.utexas.edu.

Music scholarships available to non-music majors I Faculty who focus on UNDERGRADUATES

think. perform. explore.

I National and international ENSEMBLE TOURING I DEGREES in music education, performance,

and composition I MASTER of Arts in Teaching, a 5th year program

with a full year of student teaching and 100% job placement (20 consecutive years) I Located in CULTURALLY VIBRANT San Antonio I STUDY ABROAD opportunities I 16 ensembles

trinity.edu/music June 2014, the Trinity University Music Department was recognized as an ALL-STEINWAY SCHOOL by Steinway and Sons, for its commitment to excellence and purchase of 32 Steinway pianos.

52 Southwestern Musician | August 2017

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