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V O L U M E
Rhythmically Accurate Versus Accurately Placed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 We often teach to obtain rhythmically accurate results, but we should DOVR KHOS VWXGHQWV H[SORUH WKH QXDQFHV RI LQÁHFWLRQ LQ PXVLF WR achieve a superior performance. BY SCOTT LAIRD
State Candidates Support Fine Arts Education. . . . 19 In line with previous election-year surveys, current candidates for the Texas Legislature and State Board of Education recently responded in VXSSRUW RI ÀQH DUWV HGXFWLRQ BY ROBERT FLOYD
columns
Sponsoring Student Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
13
Learn how to increase participation and buy-in by ensuring each student has an instrument to call their own. BY JEFF COLLIER
Teaching Through the Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
President’s Notes ............................................. 6
Offer your students a richer, more meaningful choral experience by going beyond the notes to deeply explore the text.
by Dinah Menger
BY MICHAEL FERIS
Executive Director’s Notes.................10
Sound Systems for the 21st-Century Classroom . . . 49
by Robert Floyd
Music educators often play back recorded sound for students. Learn a few basics about using equipment that can allow you to faithfully reproduce sound to support a better learning experience.
Band Notes ............................................................21 by Joe Muñoz
BY BARBARA FREEDMAN
Orchestra Notes ..............................................29
Capture, Hold & Incentivize the At-Risk Student . . . 58
by Penny Meitz
Music educators have the opportunity to establish a relationship of trust with students and provide them a safe environment in which to experience failure and success.
Vocal Notes ...........................................................36 by Robert Horton
BY RANDI BOLDING
Elementary Notes ..........................................53 by Juli Salzman by Si Millican
On the cover: Anthony Flores, a senior music studies major at UT/San Antonio, performs with the UTSA Jazz Ensemble during the 2016 TMEA Clinic/ Convention.
updates
College Notes .....................................................63 Apply for a TMEA Scholarship ................................................................. 2 2017 TMEA Clinic/Convention ................................................................ 4 Perform at the Capitol ...........................................................................11 TMEA Convention Preview Issue Coming Next Month ........................46 2017 TMEA President’s Concert: The Real Group ..............................55 TMEA College Division Fall Conference Images ..................................68 Southwestern Musician | November 2016
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Editor-in-Chief: Robert Floyd 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
TMEA Executive Board President: Dinah Menger d.menger@sbcglobal.net 1305 Westcrest Drive, Arlington, 76013 817-891-1095 – Fort Worth ISD
President-Elect: Andy Sealy sealya@lisd.net 4207 Plano Parkway, Carrollton, 75010 469-948-3011 – Hebron HS
Past-President: Keith Dye keith.dye@ttu.edu 6607 Norwood Avenue, Lubbock, 79413 806-742-2270 x 231 – Texas Tech University
Band Vice-President: Joe Muùoz munozj@pearlandisd.org 3775 South Main Street, Pearland, 77581 281-997-3219 – Pearland HS
Orchestra Vice-President: Penny Meitz pjmeitz@mac.com 5407 Coral Gables Drive, Houston, 77069 281-468-2593 – St. John’s School
Vocal Vice-President: Robert Horton rhorton@conroeisd.net 3205 West Davis Street, Conroe, 77304-2039 936-709-1200 – The Woodlands HS
Elementary Vice-President: Juli Salzman julis@angletonisd.net 625 Milton Street, Angleton, 77515 (281) 660-4776 – Northside Elementary
College Vice-President: Si Millican si.millican@utsa.edu One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, 78249 210-458-5334 – 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
70($ 2IÀFH Mailing Address: P.O. Box 140465, Austin, 78714-0465 Physical Address: 7900 Centre Park Drive, Austin, 78754 Phone: 512-452-0710 | Toll-Free: 888-318-TMEA | Fax: 512-451-9213 Website: www.tmea.org 2IÀFH +RXUV Monday–Friday, 8:30 A.M.–4:30 P.M.
TMEA Offers Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships To be eligible, complete all application requirements by November 15.
Do you teach high school seniors who want to be music educators? TMEA offers undergraduate scholarships for applicants who enroll in a music degree program at a Texas college or university leading to teacher certification. Encourage your best and brightest seniors to apply and submit all supporting materials by November 15. Graduating Senior Scholarships • Bill Cormack Scholarship: $3,000/year for up to five years • Past-Presidents Memorial Scholarship: $2,500/year for up to five years • Past-Presidents Scholarship: $2,500/year for up to five years • Executive Board Scholarship: $2,500/year for up to five years • One-year scholarships: $2,500 for one year only
Are you in an undergraduate music education program? Whether you just started a music education program or are preparing to begin student-teaching, TMEA offers you support. Scholarships for undergraduate music majors (available only to active TMEA college student members) are $2,500. One-Year Undergraduate Scholarships • TMEA awards one-year, $2,500 scholarships to current undergraduate students enrolled in a music degree program at a Texas college or university leading to teacher certification. One-Semester Student-Teacher Scholarships • TMEA awards one-semester, $2,500 scholarships to college student members scheduled to student-teach within the two semesters following the application.
Are you a music teacher continuing your professional growth with graduate study? TMEA supports its members who have at least three years of classroom experience and are committed to expanding their knowledge and skills through graduate study in music by offering scholarships of $1,250 to $2,500. One-Year Graduate Study Scholarships • Awarded to graduate students for one year only and range from $1,250 to $2,500.
Go to www.tmea.org/scholarships
Southwestern Musician (ISSN 0162-380X) (USPS 508-340) is published monthly except March, June, and July by Texas Music Educators Association, 7900 Centre Park Drive, Austin, TX 78754. 6XEVFULSWLRQ UDWHV 2QH <HDU ² 6LQJOH FRSLHV 3HULRGLFDO SRVWDJH SDLG DW $XVWLQ 7; DQG DGGLWLRQDO PDLOLQJ RIĂ&#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.
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Southwestern Musician | November 2016
Have You? Preregistered? When you preregister, you save money and you save time obtaining your badge.
www.tmea.org/registration
Made a Hotel Reservation? TMEA offers the best rates on downtown hotels. Several are already sold out, so don’t wait any longer!
www.tmea.org/housing
Purchased The Real Group Tickets? Get a musical start to your convention by attending the President’s Concert featuring Sweden’s The Real Group on Wednesday, February 8, at 8 p.m.
www.tmea.org/presidentsconcert
W W W.T M E A .O R G /C O N V E N T I O N 4
Southwestern Musician | November 2016
PRESIDENT’S NOTES
B Y
D I N A H
M E N G E R
Loss and the lessons learned
I
was recently delivering Tibetan singing bowls and wine glasses to one of our directors in Fort Worth ˉ šenvalds’s beautiISD for their performance of Eriks E ful song “Stars.” These items were being loaned by a neighboring school choir that had performed this same piece last spring. The wine glasses used for this song are tuned to play specific pitches when filled with the right amount of water. As I was showing these items to the excited choristers who would be using them, I was overwhelmed with emotion. Each wine glass had been carefully marked for an exact water level that would yield a specific pitch by a precious, talented girl who is no longer living. This past July, Rebecca, a 2016 high school graduate with a future full of promise, was killed in a traffic accident. Before they all went to separate colleges, she and her three dearest friends were on a road trip when this accident occurred. She was the only fatality. The other three girls were injured but survived—at least physically. At Rebecca’s memorial service, the huge church sanctuary was overflowing with people of all ages who came together to bear witness to the incredible life led by this vivacious young woman. It was so moving to know that each one of us shared a bit of this remarkable person. I was her director for only one year but, because of her endearing qualities, I continued being one of her most avid fans. As I sat there with too many questions and no answers, the minister read from an essay written by Rebecca for her senior English project. In those wise words, written by one so young,
True love, don’t mourn or weep for me. The Lord has come to set me free. If you look up quickly, you can see me passing by. 2Q ZLQJV RI VLOYHU , ZLOO Á\ ³7UDGLWLRQDO 6
Southwestern Musician | November 2016
November—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. November—Make your TMEA convention hotel reservation online. November 15—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31—TMEA mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 19—TMEA online early registration deadline. February 8–11—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio. March 6—Arts Education Day at the Capitol.
Music is your passion TCU is your school
Rebecca gave us all beautiful lessons in how to really live. She listed things that gave her joy, decisions she made to shed negativity and to “celebrate her dorkiness,” and how to truly show care and kindness on a daily basis. Rebecca left her mark on us as she had on the water glasses she so carefully prepared. While we often concentrate on the impression we make on our students, it’s equally important to reflect on what we learn from them every day.
all aspects of the scenario when accepting invitations. By saying no more often, students (and you) will relish the accepted opportunities. Fuel the Fire The phrase “fire in the belly” is used to positively describe go-getters and movers and shakers, a.k.a. music directors! We pride ourselves on earning this label. However, fires burn out, as do we. To stay creative and filled with positive energy, pay attention to the signals your body and brain are sending you. Take time for your own healing and rest. As Rebecca shared, shed negative vibes and negative people. Fill up your space with those people, events, and habits that make you happy and whole. Students reflect their directors. Show them that establishing habits for health and positivity garner longlasting benefits. Another drain on energy is anger and stress. Who really suffers from these two attitudes? The phrase “He who angers you has power over you” is so painfully true. Don’t allow this to invade your positive space. Be selfish about your time and about who you let in.
The Power of No Each of us has the power to say no. But because we are also very driven, it is hard to utter this word without guilt. Judith Sills, PhD, in her article published in Psychology Today (November 2013), lists several positive outcomes from saying no. • It keeps you true to your principles and values. • It protects you from cheerful exploitation by others. • It keeps you focused on your own goals. • It gives you the strength to change course.
Be Still and Know Rebecca described one of her favorite pastimes. She loved reading printed books with beautiful bindings. This really resounded with me. Take time to be still. This can be hard for those of us addicted to the fast pace of performance. Practice
Another positive outcome involves our students. Each time we say yes we must remember that this also affects all students involved. Our yes becomes their have to. Are we wearing out our student performers? Be considerate and weigh
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Southwestern Musician | November 2016
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giving yourself time to simply ponder, to wonder, to daydream, to listen to music for nothing more than the pleasure it gives, to actually think things through, to intentionally stop the madness! In the peace and quiet come creativity and calm. Practice the art of conversation by being an attentive listener without trying to have all the answers. Celebrate Who You Are Don’t waste any more time being anything other than who you are. Comparison destroys confidence and originality. Rebecca decided to “celebrate her dorkiness” and stopped trying to fit into an accepted mold. She was brilliantly original, quirky, kind, and artistic. As directors, we spend a lot of time comparing our programs, our talent, our conducting, our repertoire choices, our successes, and more. This casts a pall on the hard work and passion that connects each of us, no matter how experienced we are. Cherish originality and be proud of the aspects of you that make you different. This teaches your students the valuable lesson of acceptance and confidence in to thine own self be true. In all things be kind, not cutting. Give others room and respect to be themselves as well. Your way is not their way. Your answer may not be their answer. Make space in your tolerance closet for others. We have all suffered the loss of loved ones. For too many of us, this loss includes precious students. As a teacher, I can think of nothing more tragic. In the midst of personal anguish, we are charged with comforting students deeply affected by the absence of a fellow musician and friend. We sort through the delicate timelines that include resuming some semblance of normalcy and routine without appearing indelicate and unfeeling. We will find that lessons for living a more intentional life can be a blessed gift that rises from the sadness and helps to preserve and carry on the memory of those taken too soon. Thank you, Rebecca Read, for being a songbird. Thank you for your tingly laugh that sounded like bells, for your truly bad jokes, for your caring spirit, for your life with us—even for such a short time. May those of us who knew you live better and with more intentional joy because we saw it in you.
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTES
B Y
R O B E R T
F L O Y D
ESSA — Where do we go from here?
I
n last February’s SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN we reported that on December 10, 2015, President Obama signed into law the latest version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, entitled the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), replacing No Child Left Behind, the federal education legislation created and guided into law by President George W. Bush. Arts education advocates applauded this new legislation as a significant step forward. The February article detailed the key points about how ESSA could impact music and arts. You may access this information in the SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN archives section of the website. As a reminder, the most important provisions for arts education in the new law are as follows: • First and foremost, music and arts are now clearly defined as an integral component of a well-rounded education that should be a part of every child’s education. Noteworthy is the fact that music is listed as a standalone subject separate from the other arts. • School districts will be required to report how they are providing a wellrounded education that includes music and arts for all students. • In terms of accountability, each state educational agency is required to define how they will monitor students’ progress based on documented standards, in our case the TEKS, and how they will implement “a well-rounded program of instruction to meet the academic needs of all students.” • All Title I funds are now available to support a well-rounded education that includes music and arts.
ESSA is a beginning and an opportunity for us, but the depth of the impact now falls on the development of policies at the state and local levels. 10 Southwestern Musician | November 2016
November—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. November—Make your TMEA convention hotel reservation online. November 15—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31—TMEA mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 19—TMEA online early registration deadline. February 8–11—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio. March 6—Arts Education Day at the Capitol.
• Funds from Title I, II, and IV may support professional development for music and the arts as a part of supporting a well-rounded education. ESSA is a beginning and an opportunity for us, but the depth of the impact now falls on the development of policies at the state and local levels. Throughout the country, departments of education are holding town hall meetings and providing opportunities for input, and hopefully TEA will be creating a similar process. A Committee of Practitioners, as required by law, has already been appointed to serve as a resource to advise the State Board of Education and state leadership to implement the requirements of ESSA, especially as it relates to Title I funds. One of the first steps for TMEA is to remind decision makers of how law and rule currently support music and fine arts. We must not lose ground in any areas. So what should happen at the local level now? • Conduct a needs assessment. What issues in the district and on your campus need to be addressed to provide all students with a quality, well-rounded education that includes music? Categories to be addressed should be curriculum and scheduling, staffing, materials and equipment, facilities, and any other areas you deem critical to providing a rigorous, meaningful experience in music for all students. • Take advantage of the advocacy materials on the TMEA website to share reminders of the value of rigorous music study on a regular basis with school leaders, including counselors. • Gather data on your music program, reflecting growth, positive impact on campus climate and community, test score results, GPA, school attendance records, etc., as well as individual testimony from students and parents on the value of music participation. • Share data on students who are not being served by music and the arts and how those students might be reached. Consultation with counselors would be appropriate. • Throughout this school year, volunteer to serve on any ESSA district or campus committees that would assure a representation in any discus-
sion relative to ESSA requirements or implementation. 85th Legislative Session As I write this column, the beginning of the 85th legislative session is just three months away. As always, a primary goal during any session is to not lose ground in terms of both protecting the arts and music as a part of a well-rounded education (as required in ESSA) and providing elective arts opportunities for students throughout their education. Our January issue will include a more definitive legislative plan and solicit your support to help make it a reality. I encourage you to get out and vote in your House of Representative, Senate, and SBOE elections on November 8 and do your homework to see if the candidates have expressed their opinions in any public forum in support of arts education. The cumulative results of our survey of all the legislative and SBOE candidates are printed on page 19 of this magazine. You can visit www.goarts.org to determine whether the candidates in your districts responded to the survey. A nonresponse does not necessarily indicate a bias against arts education since many candidates do not respond to surveys as a
matter of practice, but a positive response certainly is worthy of notice. There is every indication that there will not be more money budgeted for public education beyond enrollment growth, and thus there will be the usual battles for the available dollars for support of everything from vouchers to educational grants, to property-poor as well as property-rich ISDs (known as Chapter 41 and Chapter 42 schools), to more charter schools, and special programs. The House Public Education Committee held a joint hearing with the House Appropriations Committee in October to discuss school finance and the formulas that drive it, including Additional State Aid for Tax Reduction (ASATR), recapture, and Cost of Education Index (CEI). As an interim charge to the House by Speaker Joe Straus, school finance will continue to be a topic of discussion in the House once the session begins. It will be much less of a priority in the Senate. If no more education dollars are appropriated, the legislature may feel the need to do something positive for districts, such as more local control, to make up for the lack of additional financial assistance.
Perform at the Capitol There is no better advocacy tool for us than our students demonstrating the results of quality music classroom teaching. With that in mind, I invite you to apply to perform in the capitol rotunda during the next legislative session. During the first couple of months, legislators are in their home districts on Fridays and Mondays, so the most effective time to schedule a visit would be midweek during January and February or any weekday in March, April, or May. Performances are administered by the Texas Preservation Board. While their policies are structured, they are realistic and manageable. One application requirement is that you must have one of the following sponsor your appearance: the governor, the lieutenant governor, the Speaker, a state senator, or a state representative. Your local representative or senator would be the logical and most realistic choice. Most are more than willing to sponsor your ensemble. For Preservation Board contact information and to download an event application go to www.tmea.org/capitolperform.
Southwestern Musician | November 2016 11
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Rhythmically Accurate Versus Accurately Placed
BY SCOTT LAIRD
I
nstrumental music students are trained from an early age to read and interpret rhythms in the most accurate of ways. In both the general and instrumental music classroom, we drill rhythmic exercises and patterns. Students develop great skill in understanding and demonstrating rhythmic accuracy. One unintended result of this training may be a deficit of rhythmic inflection in student performances. While we obtain rhythmically accurate results, performances may lack expressive inflection. Music instructors must be willing and able to articulate, demonstrate, and ultimately require the nuances of inflection in music in order to achieve a superior performance. I recently conducted a fantastic high school all-county orchestra event. I couldn’t have been happier with the students’ preparation and response to my work with them. On the second day of rehearsals, I was asked to run a first-violin sectional rehearsal. So, I grabbed my instrument and began the sectional. As a violinist,
it is always a pleasure to wear my “violinist hat” in the context of a conducting gig. Also, I truly believe in a section rehearsal, the leader should not be conducting. At its very best, the sectional leader should play along with students and offer insights into the mindset, technique, and performance of the individual within the ensemble setting. On this occasion, the orchestra was working on February: Carnival by Tchaikovsky, arranged by Steven Brook. It is a piano piece that has been adapted for grade IV string orchestra and is perfect for this type of ensemble. We were working on a passage that had an ascending melodic line full of sixteenth notes. It finished with eighth note, eighth rest, eighth note, eighth rest and then a triple-stop chord to end the phrase at the apex of the line. I was playing the first violin part along with the students in the sectional. It quickly became apparent that had I turned on a metronome during that rehearsal, the students would have been Southwestern Musician | November 2016 13
spot-on in their rhythm. They could perform the passage, yet it really didn’t call for spot-on rhythm. Instead it needed a stronger placement of the individual notes of the passage based on the direction of the melodic line and the role that the rest of the ensemble was playing at that particular moment. I had been aware of the tension in this passage when I conducted it earlier in rehearsals. But the real issue became much more apparent when my instrument was in my hands. I began to work with the students on this notion of getting
past accurate rhythm and working hard to understand the inflection and subtleties in the musical line. It wasn’t incorrect interpretation of rhythm. It was, however, inaccurate or inappropriate inflection in performance. I thought about that section rehearsal a great deal, and the following week, I brought up the concept with my high school orchestra. We were preparLQJ 'YRUáiN·V 8th Symphony at the time. Throughout this work, there are passages in which performers need to be conscious of accurate placement as a priority over
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accurate rhythm. We began to discuss and focus on the concept, and it paid strong dividends as we moved toward our performance date. The result was an ensemble with significantly enhanced ability to play with insightful rhythmic inflection. Of course, there are also plenty of instances that simply require rhythmic accuracy, and perhaps this is the reason that young musicians struggle with this concept. When do I play with accurate rhythm and when do I accurately place notes in a passage? I mentioned the concept of inflection earlier, and I would like to expand on it just a bit. One might respond to my thoughts here by simply saying, “Watch the conductor!” But I actually don’t think that provides enough information to achieve the desired effect. There is a deeper issue at hand, and I believe it has to do with the connection between speech and rhythmic placement and performance. When we speak with passion or conviction, we push and pull the tempo of our speech to provide emphasis and dynamic contrast. So it is with expressive musicianship. My orchestra continued to focus on this concept throughout the term. During that same time, two of my students had
POWERED BY MUSICFIRST, TEXAS ENSEMBLES H EAD T O THE M I DW E S T C LINIC Before hitting the stage in Chicago this December for their Midwest Clinic performances, 12 Texas ensembles will be rehearsing with MusicFirst. Over the next few months, these young musicians will use PracticeFirst, Sight Reading Factory and Noteflight as they develop their playing ability, sight reading and more. We are honored and excited to be a part of this musical experience! Congratulations to these schools for being selected to perform: School Creek Valley Honor Winds Hebron High School Wind Symphony Artie Henry Middle School Honors Band Faubion Middle School Honors Orchestra Cockrill Middle School Honors Band Berkner High School Symphony Orchestra Roma Middle School Symphonic Winds Round Rock High School Trombone Choir Ridgeview Middle School Percussion Ensemble Lady Bird Johnson High School Forza String Orchestra Spring Wind Ensemble Dulles High School Honors Orchestra
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Kathryn Quigley Perry Violin
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Dr. Christopher Evans Associate Director of Bands Director of the Maverick Marching Band
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WELCOME TO THE FUTURE.
the opportunity to attend a master class with William Conable, an Alexander Technique expert. Following their experience, I invited them to share some of their takeaways with our orchestra class. One violinist offered an example where another violinist was playing the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Professor Conable worked with that student (who was playing the piece magnificently) on more accurately placing his rhythms rather than being so metronomic in performance. As my student was describing the experience, I thought to myself—This is it! This is accurate rhythm versus accurate placement. Later in the rehearsal, another student told of her experience in the master class, and it was very similar. Her description of the concept included the notion of musical inflection, which I grabbed onto immediately. Expressive musicianship is strongly related to fluency and language. I use so many language and fluency references when describing my pedagogical approach and developing curricula for orchestra, bowed strings, guitar, and piano. Of course, many of us do—especially those with strong Suzuki backgrounds. Suzuki coined the phrase “mothertongue approach.” Many of his pedagogical concepts and beliefs are built around ideas of how and when children learn to speak, use, and understand language. The notion of inflection fits right into this concept. Much of Suzuki’s early pedagogy is built around rote learning, imitation, and listening. Conversely, a deficit in inflection could be a result of too little demonstration in a student’s musical training. I have wrestled with how I might be able to articulate this universal issue for young ensembles. Today’s students are often focused on accuracy, and appropriately so. We must learn to play accurately to master any passage in music, from the simplest to the most difficult. That being said, accuracy without inflection is pretty boring. Speech inflection is not just changes in the pitch of a voice. It also encompasses changes in tempo and pace. So it is similar with music. Those changes in inflection can be very subtle or quite overt. The dynamic that inflection creates in music, similarly, is absolutely necessary to strong communication and expressive performance. In the vast majority of student musi-
cians I encounter each day, I find a general shortcoming in musical inflection. This includes not only the students I see daily in my institution but also those I encounter in other musical environments, including the all-county and regional levels, summer camps, music performance adjudications, all-state level, various private lessons, and other encounters.
book to any music educator interested in developing musicians and ensembles that are able to fully achieve musical expression and style with an emphasis on the connection between speech and musical expression. In reflecting on these concepts and on Thurmond’s methods, I question whether they would have spoken to me early in
Students are so interested in playing difficult repertoire and being correct in performance that the notion of inflection, musicality, and tone is often abandoned. This is actually not a criticism of the students or teachers, but more of an observation of our culture. I believe our students become hyper-focused on getting the right answer. This is actually systemic in every subject area, and I find it to be equally pervasive in music ensembles. Students are so interested in playing difficult repertoire and being correct in performance that the notion of inflection, musicality, and tone is often abandoned. Additionally, a broad understanding of concepts in bowing, bow direction, phrasing, and other subtleties may be inadequately addressed, opting for more focus on technical passages. Or, perhaps if they are addressed by the instructor, students are not giving them enough priority. This concept is thoroughly addressed, yet with different nomenclature, in the magnificent book Note Grouping by James Thurmond. He details his method for achieving expression and style in musical performance. He outlines the inherent relationship between speech and music, movement and music, motifs and phrasing, strong versus weak beats, and he continues to explain his theory of note grouping and applications. This book provides numerous direct applications for teaching this concept, conducting, and many other pedagogical areas. Thurmond explores the need for a more concentrated emphasis on movement in the orchestra as a means to overall meaningful expression. Throughout the book, he also draws parallels between speech, fluency, literacy, and music, and he emphasizes the necessity of strong systems in pedagogy. I recommend this
my career in the same way that they do today. Isn’t it interesting how our interests and insights change with experience and maturity? In those days, I was focused on the basics of string pedagogy, recruitment, and development of a school orchestra program in need of a rebuild. Only in recent years have I begun to think deeply about this connection between expression and accuracy in playing. This relatively new focus is rooted in the trends I have observed while working with young musicians over a period of many years in many settings. I encourage each of you, as you are rehearsing your ensembles in the coming days and weeks, to consider this notion of accurate rhythm vs. accurately placed rhythm. Do you feel the tension between these two ideas in your rehearsals and performances? Do you feel this tension differently when you play rather than conduct? And how might you address this with your students? What nomenclature works in this setting? What words can you use and what examples can you give to strongly create an understanding of this subtle difference? I am convinced that the conversation will result in more expressive ensembles at every level. Scott Laird is Orchestra Director and Fine Arts Coordinator at the NC School of Science and Math in Durham, N.C., and an orchestra conductor for the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, Interlochen, Mich. Laird is also the 2017 TMEA Orchestra Division Featured Clinician.
Southwestern Musician | November 2016 17
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
College of Music
2017 Auditions
UNT Campus Auditions
Regional Auditions
(live jazz and percussion auditions offered on campus only)
(live jazz and percussion auditions offered on campus only)
Saturday, January 28, 2017 Friday, February 3, 2017
Friday, January 13, 2017 Chicago Los Angeles New York City
(Graduate percussion, piano, strings, voice & DMA jazz only)
Saturday, February 4, 2017 Saturday, February 25, 2017
MUSIC.UNT.EDU
State Candidates Support Fine Arts Education by Robert Floyd
T
he majority of candidates for Texas House, Senate, and State Board of Education who responded to a recent survey said they believe that fine arts education improves student performance in other academic areas, lowers dropout rates, and prepares students for college and the workforce. Additionally, most oppose the removal of students from their fine arts classes to study other subjects. This is the fourth time Texas Coalition for Quality Arts Education (TCQAE) has surveyed candidates for the Texas Legislature and State Board of Education, and responses have consistently revealed they believe in the value of fine arts education. Similar to the surveys TCQAE distributed before the previous three state elections, this survey, distributed in late September, was intended to raise candidatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; awareness of fine arts education and remind them of the broad constituency who support fine arts education for all schoolchildren. This questionnaire allowed us to communicate important information while ensuring the candidate or their staff members dedicated additional time to considering their opinions and responses. Candidates Respond To date, over 23% of the candidates have submitted responses to the survey. Receiving candidate responses is a positive indication of their concern about our issues. Regardless of the response rate, sending a survey raises their awareness of a constituency that cares about fine arts education issues. Survey responses can also help you as you prepare to advocate with your elected officials for fine arts education during the 85th session. Detailed Results Find your candidatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; answers to this survey on the News page at goarts.org. You can use their responses (or possible lack of response) as an opportunity to communicate directly with them. Thank them for responding and offer to provide them your firsthand experiences as a fine arts educator. Encourage your colleagues and parent groups to review the data and contact their candidates or elected officials to discuss their responses. Robert Floyd is TMEA Executive Director and Chair of Texas Coalition for Quality Arts Education.
Fine arts instruction helps improve student performance in other academic courses. Yes
No
Undecided
More Info
98.3%
0%
1.7%
0%
Fine arts participation reduces dropout rates. Yes
No
Undecided
More Info
98.3%
1.7%
0%
0%
Fine arts study helps prepare students for college. Yes
No
Undecided
More Info
98.3%
0%
1.7%
0%
Creativity fostered through a fine arts education is valued by employers. Yes
No
Undecided
More Info
93.2%
1.7%
3.4%
1.7%
Fine arts courses belong in the core curriculum. Support
Oppose
Undecided
More Info
96.6%
0%
3.4%
0%
Students should be removed from fine arts classes for STAAR preparation and remediation. Support
Oppose
Undecided
More Info
5.2%
77.6%
6.9%
10.3%
Candidate is willing to participate in a legislative fine arts education caucus. Yes
No
Undecided
More Info
77.6%
1.7%
10.4%
10.3%
Southwestern Musician | November 2016 19
Blinn College Scholarship awards are available!
Degree programs in instrumental and vocal music are available on the Brenham Campus. Auditions are available on Saturday:
December 17, 2016 January 21, 2017 March 4, 2017 April 22, 2017 May 13, 2017
To schedule an appointment: Jill Stewart (jstewart@blinn.edu) .............. Instrumental Dr. Paulo Gomes (paulo.gomes@blinn.edu) .........Vocal String Private Lessons are available on the Bryan Campus. Auditions are scheduled by appointment only by contacting Todd Quinlan (Todd.Quinlan@blinn.edu) Any general questions may be directed to Todd Quinlan, Performing Arts Department Head 979-830-4288.
or by scheduling an individual appointment
Our outstanding music faculty members are waiting for you! Blinn College Music Faculty Dr. Marcelo Bussiki ... Division Academic Dean Todd Quinlan.............. Performing Arts Department Head Jill Stewart ................... Instrumental Music Coordinator Brenham Campus (Instrumental) Dr. Sarah Burke .......... Director of Bands/ Percussion Kerry Bird ................... Woodwinds/General Music John Dujka .................... Piano/Music Theory
Dr. Craig Garrett ....... Jazz Studies/Trumpet Brian Klekar................ Jazz Studies/ Saxophone Jeffrey Hill.................... Double Bass Dr. Li Kuang ................ Trombone Marie McElroy ............ Flute Dr. Eric Miller ................ Double Reed Kendall Prinz ............. Assistant Band Director/Low Brass Hermillo Salinas, III.... Color Guard Jill Stewart ................... Clarinet Steven Winter ............ French Horn
Brenham Campus (Vocal) Dr. Paulo Gomes ....... Choir Director Dr. Soo Kim ................ Director of Vocal Studies Cheryl Amelang ......... Accompanist Dr. Linda Patterson ... Accompanist Cindy Schulz ............... Accompanist Bryan Campus Prudence McDaniel... Cello Michelle Lassiter ........ General Music Dr. Alan Strong.......... General Music
For more information call 979-830-4262 or 830-4288 or visit our website at:
www.blinn.edu/vpa/auditions
B Y
J O E
BAND NOTES
M U Ñ O Z
In Memoriam
SAMUEL SCOTT M ASON August 16, 1956–September 24, 2016
Increase your visibility
D
November—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. November—Make your TMEA convention hotel reservation online. November 12–13—All-State Jazz judging. November 15—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31—TMEA mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 7—Area Band and Vocal auditions. January 19—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 8–11—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio. March 6—Arts Education Day at the Capitol.
eveloping our programs to be an essential part of our schools and communities can pay dividends to our students. At times, some of the things we might find burdensome can be the visible outreach of our program that can keep our students on the minds of our school, administration, and community. Pep rallies, playoff football games, parades, holiday or winter concerts, and beginner showcases are just a few of the examples that garner attention of special guests who can be influenced by the band program. I remember when I was growing up in Spring, Texas, I went to watch my brother perform in a parade with the Great Green Marching Machine. I can remember seeing the band marching down the street in uniform with the drum majors leading the band. It was a performance that would give direction to my professional ambitions. From that point forward, I wanted to direct the band. Prior to seeing that parade, I had never considered being a band director or really even thought about being in the band program. The director might not have given a lot of attention to that public performance, but it’s an example of how every performance can have a lasting influence on a young person. I often hear my students reflect on the first time they saw our band program. It is often at a playoff football game or the local Christmas parade. I wouldn’t classify these as Honor-Band-level performances, but understanding the importance of a visible and supportive presence that the band program has is something we should always have on our minds as we find ourselves at public events. Our students are the best ambassadors of music and our programs. Students often take time to volunteer while using the skills they have learned in your program. When junior high or high school band students share their gift of music during the holidays at assisted living communities, students not
Our students are the best ambassadors of music and our programs. Southwestern Musician | November 2016 21
You have what it takes.
Come CREATE your world.
UCO SCHOOL OF MUSIC AUDITION DATES: Saturday, January 28, 2017 Saturday, February 25, 2017 Saturday, March 25, 2017 To schedule an audition please visit: music.uco.edu/auditions or call 405-974-5004
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS: Jazz Performance Percussion Performance Music Education – Instrumental String Performance Music Education – Vocal Vocal Performance Musical Theatre Wind Performance
OUTSTANDING MUSIC EDUCATION & PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES: • Internationally Recognized Bands, Orchestra, and Choirs • Kennedy Center Award-Winning Musical Theatre • Downbeat Award-Winning Jazz Bands and Combos • Brisch Center for Historical Performance • World-Class Faculty and Artists-in-Residence
GRADUATE PROGRAMS: Collaborative Piano Composition Conducting Instrumental Performance Jazz Studies – Music Production Jazz Studies – Performance
UCOmusic
Music Education Musical Theatre Piano Pedagogy Piano Performance Vocal pedagogy Vocal Performance
music.uco.edu
only see the value that music has outside of concert and individual performances but also realize their involvement in music can enrich them while bringing joy to others. It teaches them that sharing the gift of music to lift someone’s spirit or to bring a smile to someone’s day might be equally as rewarding as winning a contest or making the Region Band. While both the performer and listener are having positive experiences, your program is the secondary winner of the activity. The positive presence of your program in the community will be noticed and can create a great appreciation for your students’ musical talent and their willingness to share that talent. The reality is that more people will see your band programs at football games, holiday concerts, and community performances than ever will at a UIL concert. That doesn’t mean that those public performances cannot showcase your students’ talents while stitching your program into the fabric of your local community. TMEA Convention Updates Please consider giving back to TMEA by volunteering at the 2017 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. Submit your information online at www.tmea.org/bandvolunteer. This month it gives me great pleasure to share with you our Invited High School Jazz Ensemble and Honor Bands that will perform in February. Look to next month’s issue for a preview of the full convention schedule and then to January for our invited university ensembles. Invited High School Jazz Ensemble Harlingen HS Jazz Ensemble Ronnie Rios, Director Harlingen HS is home to several jazz groups: the Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Band II, Jazz III, and several student combos. Many students have gone on to make the prestigious TMEA All-State Jazz Ensembles including several first chairs. This year, 17 students earned a chair in the TMEA AllRegion Jazz Ensemble with 7 first chairs and 13 recording for state. The jazz ensembles are active participants in various jazz festivals throughout the state of Texas as well as numerous community appearances. Harlingen HS students developed in 1997 and continue to host the Rio Grande Valley Jazz Festival. HHS students have worked and participated in sessions and performances
with many extraordinary jazz performers, including Bob Mintzer, Michael Brecker, Conrad Herwig, Kenny Garrett, Marcus Printup, John Fedchock, Mike Steinel, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Dennis DiBlasio, Ernie Watts, Ed Shaughnessy, James Moody, Bobby Shew, Armin Marmelejo, Dr. Maurice Portis, Noe Marmelejo, and this year with Arturo Sandoval. The Jazz Ensemble also participated in a tribute to Duke Ellington’s music with Wynton Marsalis leading HHS at Lincoln Center in New York City. The clinic was part of an instructional series that was published for educators nationwide. HHS has performed at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago in 2003 and 2015. They have also performed at the Texas Bandmasters Association convention and IAJE in New York. Class 1C Honor Band Mineola MS Band Melissa Fisher, Director Mineola is located approximately 30 miles north of Tyler. The Mineola ISD band program has around 250 students led by three band directors: Melissa Fisher, Chris Brannan, and Jim Best. Students begin band in the sixth grade and are placed in homogenous beginner classes. Mineola MS has two performance groups that attend UIL Contest, and these groups consist of seventh and eighth graders. The MMS Symphonic Band began attending UIL Contest again for the
first time in over a decade in 2014 and has earned a Sweepstakes award for the last three years. In 2015 and 2016, under the direction of Melissa Fisher, the MMS Symphonic Band took several recordings to the State level of ATSSB’s Outstanding Performance Series, two of which were selected as winners in 2015. MMS Band Director Melissa Fisher is a graduate of North Lamar HS and Texas Tech University. She is currently in her twelfth year of teaching, her third in Mineola. Class 1A/2A Honor Band New Deal HS Band James Nance, Director New Deal HS is a certified STEM campus serving 215 students in grades 9–12 in New Deal, a small rural community of 794 people located 11 miles north of Lubbock. Over 120 students in grades 8–12 perform with the Lion Pride Band, which is a consistent UIL Sweepstakes award winner. New Deal has advanced to the state level in the TMEA Honor Band competition several times and to UIL State Marching Contest in 2013 and 2015. The 2015–2016 Lion Pride Band won the UIL Class 2A Marching Contest, and the band’s spring recording earned them the honor of being named the 2017 TMEA Class 1A/2A Honor Band—an elite achievement among Texas bands. New Deal bands begin in fifth grade, when all students are required to
Harlingen HS Jazz Ensemble Southwestern Musician | November 2016 23
China Spring HS Cougar Band participate in band. The sixth- and seventh-grade bands are taught heterogeneously by grade level. Of the 420 students in middle and high school, 294 participate in the New Deal band program, a 70% participation rate. James Nance has been the director of the Lion Pride Band since 2006. He is a native of Oklahoma and earned his BME from the University of Oklahoma in 1981 and his MM from Southwestern
Oklahoma State University in 1983. After seven years as a director in Oklahoma, he moved to Texas in 1990. He spent his first 16 years in Texas at Perryton HS and the last 11 years at New Deal HS. Class 4A Honor Band China Spring HS Cougar Band Pam Hyatt, Director China Spring HS is located northwest of Waco and serves approximately 775
RBC MUSIC COMPANY INCORPORATED
24 Southwestern Musician | November 2016
students, 25% of whom are part of the band program. The China Spring Cougar Band has a long-standing tradition of excellence in instrumental music performance and competition. They were selected for advancement to the UIL State Marching Contest eight times. During the 2015â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2016 school year, the band earned its 26th consecutive UIL Sweepstakes award. The band has also been selected to represent Texas bands both nationally and internationally, most recently at the London New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Parade in 2016. Pam Hyatt, Director of Bands for China Spring ISD, began her career at China Spring ISD in the fall of 2002 and has been the high school head director since the fall of 2008. At Baylor University, she studied conducting under Michael Haithcock, was a drum major for the Golden Wave Marching Band, and was a member or the Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. Hyatt is joined by a strong team of directors: Kenneth Moss and Sarah Guhl at the high school, and Michael Loudermilk and Ian Mitchell at the middle school. Together they continue to create excellent representatives of
both the community of China Spring and the state of Texas. Class 6A Honor Band Lopez HS Wind Ensemble George Trevino, Director Lopez Early College HS (LECHS) opened its doors in fall of 1993 and is one of seven high schools in Brownsville ISD. Located in the lower Rio Grande Valley, LECHS serves over 2,000 students in grades 9â&#x20AC;&#x201C;12. In 2014, Lopez HS was designated a TEA Early College HS and awarded the Ford NGL designation for Fine Arts, Engineering, Health Science,
and Agriculture programs. Students in BISD can enroll in beginner band in the sixth grade. The middle school feeders are Besteiro MS, with directors Lucy Trevino (head), Hugo Gonzalez, and Matthew Bowman, and Lucio MS, with directors Emiliano Camarillo (head), David Ramirez, Benita Trevino, and Matthew Lorick. The Directors at Lopez HS are George Trevino, Sam Hjort, Ray Vasquez, Mike Garza, and Monica Vasquez. Trevino will complete 29 years teaching band this year, with 23 of those at Lopez. The Lopez HS band program con-
sists of the Lobo Marching Band, the Symphonic and Concert Bands, the Jazz Orchestra, and our winter drumline and color guard programs. Throughout our history, our concert ensembles have consistently earned UIL Sweepstakes awards. The Symphonic Bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary focus is studying and performing quality wind band literature. These range from staples of the repertoire to many orchestral transcriptions for wind bands. The Symphonic Band has advanced to the TMEA Honor Band state finals 10 consecutive times and was previously selected as the 4A Honor Band in 2004.
Mineola MS Band
New Deal HS Band
Lopez HS Wind Ensemble Southwestern Musician | November 2016 25
Sponsoring Student Success
by Jeff Collier
O
ne of my most difficult days as a Title 1 school band director has always been our instrument drive. I dreamt of watching each student leave with a shiny new instrument in their hands and a smile on their face, but it always ended up being just thatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;only a dream. Instead, I was met with parent after parent leaving because they had no idea how expensive an instrument would be or because they did not possess the proper identification or credit to rent an instrument from the local music company. More often than not, I am faced with the question of whether their interested child can still do band without purchasing an instrument. It has been my goal and practice that no matter what, my answer remains yes! Even if a program is fortunate enough to have a large supply of school instruments available for rent, chances are there will still be situations where students have to share instruments. This makes rehearsing, buying into a program, and practicing at home a huge challenge. A few years ago, I was approached by a couple who asked if there was anything they could do to help out the students in my band program. After thinking about this for some time, I created an instrument sponsorship program that not only has helped respond to the shortage on instruments but also has increased pride in and buy-in to the band program. I asked individuals to donate a relatively small amount of money ($100â&#x20AC;&#x201C;$300), and I used that to purchase instruments for my students in need. I use these donations to seek out goodquality, used instruments from local music shops, Craigslist, and
eBay. In return for their donation, the donors receive a tax receipt from the school, a handwritten thank-you note from the student, and, with permission, a picture of the student holding their new instrument. As a result, the student has an instrument that they can call their own. Upon receiving the instrument, the student signs a contract stating that this is their instrument as long as they are in band (the instrument is subject to inspections to ensure it is being properly maintained). If the student ends up losing interest, the instrument simply goes back to the school and is donated to another student. However, if the student graduates from the music program, the instrument is theirs forever. Not only does this give the student pride and ownership in having their own instrument, but it also encourages them to stay in the program and grow as a lifelong musician. The program has proven beneficial for all involved. Our band program has more instruments available, and our participation has increased. The donors are pleased to make a very personal, trustworthy, and significant donation to a great cause. And most of all, it creates a feeling of pride and joy for a student who otherwise may have been forced to abandon band altogether. Many people have fond memories of being in band and are looking for good ways to help, and I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think of a better way than giving a student the gift of music. Jeffrey Collier is a junior high band director in East Chambers ISD in Winnie. Southwestern Musician | November 2016 27
The University of Texas at El Paso Department of
Scholarship Auditions:
February 18 and 20, 2017 Offering degrees in: Music Education
Music Performance
Theory and Composition
Steve Wilson, D.M.A. Chair, Department of Music
915-747-5606
Commercial Music
Graduate Studies
/utepmusic
Schedule Your Audition at music.utep.edu
B Y
P E N N Y
ORCHESTRA NOTES
M E I T Z
Following a conductor: part two
I
November—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. November—Make your TMEA convention hotel reservation online. November 12–13—First and second round All-State CD judging. November 15—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31—TMEA mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 7—Area Band and Vocal auditions. January 19—TMEA online early registration deadline. February 8–11—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio. March 6—Arts Education Day at the Capitol.
hope you found some useful information in last month’s installment of this column, “Following a Conductor: Part One.” As students become more adept at interpreting beat patterns, we can use more subtlety in said patterns and conduct more of the music, not just keep time. Selecting repertoire with more opportunities for nuance will provide occasions to put to use the skills we are nurturing in young ensembles. Here are more ideas for teaching students to follow. Several of these are geared toward more advanced players and ensembles. Use your warm-up period to warm up more than fingers and bow. When your classes are playing familiar scales and chorales, have them practice following the baton. As they watch more carefully, explore how much you can change tempo and articulation with your conducting of these familiar materials. Change weight, dynamics, speed, etc., and have your students react to your gestures. During rehearsal, when stopping to make adjustments, say, “Can we have more—” and then complete that with a gesture rather than words to describe what you want. This assumes you did the gesture initially and didn’t get the desired results, and it can really help the students connect a conducting movement with a particular response. As your students become more adept at following, build student responsibility for maintaining the pulse by often stepping away from the podium. Teach your students not only to stay together but also to balance the ensemble
We need to trust our orchestral ensembles to listen and operate as string quartets or chamber ensembles. Southwestern Musician | November 2016 29
BAY LOR U NIV ER SIT Y SCHOOL OF MUSIC The Baylor University School of Music provides transformational experiences that prepare students for careers in music. Our students thrive in a Christian environment characterized by a nurturing resident faculty, an unwavering pursuit of musical excellence, a global perspective, a dedication to service and a devotion to faith. They investigate the rich musical and cultural heritage of the past, develop superior musical skills and knowledge in the present, and explore and create new modes of musical expression for the future.
A U D I T I O N D AT E S F R I D AY
F R I D AY
S A T U R D AY
S A T U R D AY
December 2, 2016
January 13, 2017
January 28, 2017
February 18, 2017
(VOICE AND K E Y B O A R D O N LY )
( V O I C E O N LY )
S A T U R D AY
December 3, 2016
F R I D AY S A T U R D AY
January 14, 2017
February 17, 2017 ( V O I C E O N LY )
Auditions are required of all entering and transferring music majors. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Baylor University School of Music One Bear Place #97408 • Waco, TX 76798-7408 www.baylor.edu/music and click on “For Prospective Students” 254.710.7681 • Music_Admit@baylor.edu
by listening and watching each other closely and by responding to each other. Shake up your seating patterns by setting the chairs in string quartets or quintets all around the room. Place all the chairs in one huge circle and assign seats so that no one is next to someone who plays the same part. With his permission, I offer the following from Ryan Ross, Orchestra Director at Plano West HS, who responded to my initial request for ideas about teaching students to follow a conductor. Ryan offered so many excellent thoughts and suggestions that I wanted to share several with you: One secret to maximizing the effectiveness of our conducting boils down to one principle: we need to trust our orchestral ensembles to listen and operate as string quartets or chamber ensembles. As conductors, we often take too much responsibility from the musicians and try to make it our job. However, great ensemble playing (at any level) comes from musicians who have developed and utilize great ensemble awareness. Aware ensemble members take responsibility for two major areas—maintaining pulse and vertical alignment. Maintaining pulse is simple enough and comes from the players maintaining forward momentum (not slowing in fast tempos) or feeling great subdivision (not rushing in slow tempos). Vertical alignment comes from listening across the ensemble to how the various parts fit together. Often there will be a rhythmic metronome (e.g., the cello line in a Mozart allegro) that will function to help both maintain tempo and create vertical alignment, and the players must always know where this is. All of this is also helped by copious physical cuing and visual communication within the sections, just like in any good string quartet. The leap of faith that many of us need to make is trusting that a string orchestra, or even an 80-piece full orchestra, can function as a string quartet. Just watch YouTube videos of some of the great conductors and orchestras. Sometimes the conductors gesticulate in ways that we may find difficult to follow, yet the orchestra is perfectly together. And in a classic video of Bernstein conducting the finale to Haydn 88, he conducts the entire movement with only his face. Clearly, he did not tell his orchestra to watch his beat pattern more closely to stay together!
Instead, those players are listening and operating as chamber musicians, even in a full orchestra setting. This awareness is not just for professionals! With some patience and guidance, it can also be cultivated in a high school or middle school orchestra. Of course it will be a disaster at times, but given time and instruction on where and how to listen, ensemble awareness will blossom. Take it as a personal challenge to see how little pulse beating you can get away with—you will absolutely be surprised how little the
students need once they’re listening well. This has all been a roundabout path to the topic of making our conducting more effective and meaningful to our ensembles. Once conductors are liberated from needing to strongly dictate the beat to maintain pulse and togetherness, they are free to show style, phrasing, or anything else they want. Conductors who believe their ensembles don’t respond to their conducting often have one problem in common: they conduct the beat way too big and heavy.
SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY
2017 Auditions School Music OF
1751 Avenue I, Ste 225 Hunstsville, TX 77340 936.294.1360
www.shsu.edu/music
AUDITION DATES February 4, 2017 (no percussion) February 18, 2017 February 25, 2017 (vocal only) March 4, 2017 (instrumental only)
Apply online at: www.shsu.edu/music MEMBER THE TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM TM
Southwestern Musician | November 2016 31
When every beat is large, it is impossible to know what information is important. Cues and style suggestions all get lost in the size of the beat, and it is all more or less meaningless to the player. In short, the players get trained to not pay attention since it all looks the same! To fix this, a conductor need only beat the tempo very small and gently (remember, the ensemble is in charge of their pulse and togetherness!). Once the beat is sufficiently out of the way of the players, the players will actually take notice when the conductor gets larger to show a phrase or other interesting bit of musical guidance. The players will know what you consider musically important because it will stand out. In general, conductors should draw the players in to watch them
through subtlety instead of imposing themselves upon the ensemble through brute force. So the counterintuitive lesson from all of this? To make your conducting better, conduct less! Our thanks go to Ryan for offering these insights. When I followed up with him about his ideas, we discussed more specific steps to involve students in protecting the integrity of their ensemble. Many of us find it difficult to get our students to move intentionally as they play. The students’ reaction when asked to move often conveys their discomfort with involving body motions that aren’t a part of a specific technique required in a passage. Ross suggests teaching all students basic moves, such as cuing an entrance
or release, moving rhythmically with the pulse, leaning into a crescendo, and relaxing in a diminuendo. Regularly let the ensemble start themselves, whether they are playing a warm-up exercise or working on concert repertoire. Rotate seating on a regular, predictable schedule so the responsibility of cuing is shared. TMEA Clinic/Convention Update I hope you have registered for the convention and made your hotel reservation. If not, be sure to do that now so that you enjoy a smooth registration process and have a place to stay (go to www.tmea.org/ convention). Next month’s issue will feature the preview of our full convention schedule, and look to the January issue for a preview of our Honor Orchestras.
Scholarship Audition Weekend SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017 For Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion, Vocalists and Pianists CONTACT US (254) 968-9617 Dr. Anthony Pursell, Director of Bands, band@tarleton.edu Dr. Troy Robertson, Director of Choirs, robertson@tarleton.edu Dr. Leslie Spotz, Professor of Piano, spotz@tarleton.edu Weekday visits and appointments are also available by contacting the appropriate faculty member.
Southwestern Musician | November 2016 33
THIS IS THE HOUSE INNOVATION BUILT. Welcome to the Powerhouse.
MOORES SCHOOL OF MUSIC AU DI T ION DAT E S 2016 November 5 2017 January 28 2017 February 4 2017 March 4 & 5
uh.edu/music
Teaching Through the Text by Michael Feris So, what are we singing about, ladies?
About 10 years ago, I invited a dear friend and mentor to clinic our varsity treble choir, and after the students began singing, that was one of the first questions she asked. I surveyed their faces and saw a group of confused young women. I immediately thought: Come on—you can do it. We’ve talked about it a million times. Wait— have we talked about it? Suddenly I realized: Oh no! I haven’t once mentioned the text in class! I’m a fraud! I smiled and explained, “The text is Kyrie Eleison, which means ‘Lord, have mercy.’” (And that’s exactly what it felt like I needed!) I do realize we don’t always get to deeply explore the text. In fact, the text is often the last thing we think about, especially when half of our men’s choir is failing, our daily learning targets involve finding do, or our chief lesson is how not to text and sing. However, on those occasions when your students have learned all the notes and rhythms and have a pretty decent grip on dynamics, blend, and tone, studying the text can be unexpectedly enriching. In college, we sang “Intercession in Late October” by Morten Lauridsen; it’s from his larger work Mid-Winter Songs, which he wrote pulling text from the poems of Robert Graves. This text greatly influenced my learning the music because it was so critical to the work. With this piece, I believe for the first time, the text was more important to me than the music. The narrative opened a door to my understanding of communicating the story to the listener. I wanted the audience not only to hear a beautiful piece of music but also to take a journey with the choir to understand what Graves was trying to tell us through his words. I wanted them to feel what I felt as the poetry and harmony collided to make something so beautiful and meaningful. A few years ago I began work on a master’s degree in administrative leadership. During that same two years I became motivated, or maybe just pedagogically ready, to help my students explore more deeply the textual story line. I decided the best way to approach that was to steal ideas from the English department. They already have strategies and processes for analyzing and annotating poetry, so why should I try to come up with some-
thing new? This would also be a great opportunity to use crosscurricular strategies in the fine arts classroom to help support the English department in their curriculum. (These are the things you think about when pursuing an administrative degree.) What I found was a way to break the story apart and equip students to develop their own interpretations of the text. While I initiated this process because I wanted to share what I knew, I quickly learned that the greatest wealth of knowledge belonged to the classroom as a whole. We each saw the text through a different lens and were able to draw comparisons from each of our personal life experiences. It was a great moment!
The Process
I met with two AP English teachers at my school and they walked me through their processes for introducing literature to their classrooms. We focused on poetry, because most of the pieces we sing are short poems set to music. As they talked, I processed through what would work in the choral classroom and asked questions about how we could adjust lesson plans to fit the dynamic of the choir room. We devised five lesson plans using a tiered-level of depth so they can fit within the varying time constraints we have to delve into the language. For example, in the first of a tiered plan designed to teach beginning choir students a basic understanding of the text, students work individually answering questions about the text: What is the message of the text? What is the overall mood or tone of the text? Were there any symbolic components in the text? Then students briefly discuss with their neighbor, and the teacher asks a few students to present their findings. To download sample plans, go to www.tmea.org/textlessons. While some music doesn’t require much depth (Alleluia— done!), there are times when the richness of the story creates an experience for you, your choir, and the audience that far surpasses the beauty of the notes. Michael Feris is choir director for Vandegrift HS in Leander ISD. Southwestern Musician | November 2016 35
VOCAL NOTES
B Y
R O B E R T
H O R T O N
In Memoriam
M ARIANA WALKER October 28, 1946–October 5, 2016
Being invested leaders
I
n a 1971 re-release of “Signs,” Canadian rock group Five Man Electric Band sang “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign, blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind,” reminding us about the many messages we have to decipher in the world. We often have to decide which signs to pay attention to and which don’t apply to us. These decisions can be overwhelming at times. For example, what’s one of the most important decisions we make all year for our choirs? The choir shirt! Some of my favorite slogans I have seen on choir shirts over the years include: “We Sing Songs,” “Caution, wearer may spontaneously burst into song,” “We are family,” “This is what awesome looks like,” and one I’ll never forget, “We’re the choir your mother warned you about.” Funny, edgy, sincere. Certainly, they are meant to get your attention, provide some identity, and maybe make you remember the group. Why is this piece of screen-printed cotton/polyester blend so important? Why do we have committee meetings, parent input, student votes to pick a choir shirt? It’s because it reflects a piece of our identity and often conveys who we want the world to think we are. We want the students to like it and wear it with pride. Have you ever told your choir something like “Remember, when you wear our shirt, you represent yourself, your parents, our choir, our school, and your directors”? I know that I have, many times. Why? Because we want to send the right message and the best message. As important as it is to wear the right message, it is more important to look for ways to portray the best possible image as a professional. This has implications for your choir program. This year, the T-TESS system has been implemented in many areas of the state. (To download the T-TESS rubric, go to www.tmea.org/ttessrubric.)
Texas choral music is admired around the nation, and that admiration is earned because of the high level of personal and professional investment we choose to make. 36 Southwestern Musician | November 2016
November—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. November—Make your TMEA convention hotel reservation online. November 15—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31—TMEA mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 7—Area Band and Vocal auditions. January 19—TMEA online early registration deadline. February 8–11—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio. March 6—Arts Education Day at the Capitol.
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Dimension 4.4 of the Professional Practices and Responsibilities section is “The teacher demonstrates leadership with students, colleagues, and community members in the school, district, and community through effective communication and outreach.” The descriptors within the accomplished level of teacher sound like many of the great choir directors I know: 1) Systematically contacts parents/guardians regarding students’ academic and social/emotional growth through various methods (e.g., phone calls, emails, social media, written notes to students and parents, personal interaction at concerts, contests, trips). 2) Initiates collaborative efforts that enhance student learning and growth (e.g., sectional rehearsals, student leadership opportunities, projectbased learning, chamber music). 3) Leads students, colleagues, families, and community members toward reaching the mission, vision, and goals of the school (e.g., initiating various public performances, being involved in performances at sporting events in the school and com-
munity, serving on committees for your school or district, serving at TMEA and UIL events as a host, section leader, or elected officer, being involved in service projects with your students).
ing choirs. Look for the remainder in the January issue, and next month, be sure to read through the full convention schedule preview. It’s always exciting to anticipate this incredible convention!
Although this is not meant to be an exhaustive list, I hope you can begin to look for ways to share your story of how you and your singers add value to the community. Texas choral music is admired around the nation, and that admiration is earned because of the high level of personal and professional investment we choose to make. Your professional life is meaningful, and I encourage you to look for ways to systematically develop it more fully.
Arbor Creek MS Choir Toni Ugolini, Director Located in Carrollton, Arbor Creek MS is in Lewisville ISD and serves approximately 950 students in grades 6–8. The Arbor Creek choir department consists of over 350 students in grades 6–8, many of whom also participate in band and orchestra. The choir department consistently receives superior ratings at UIL and other adjudicated festivals, as well as many best-in-class awards. In 2015 they were chosen as a national winner in the Mark of Excellence Festival. Arbor Creek Choir Head Director Toni Ugolini is in her 11th year of teaching, the last five of which have been at Arbor Creek. She is assisted by Associate Director Halley Radebaugh, who is in her fourth year of teaching, all of which have been at Arbor Creek. Under their direction the program has almost doubled in size and has seen increased student success
TMEA Clinic/Convention Update In just three months, we’ll be enjoying four days of inspiration and education during our annual convention. Be sure you register for the event and secure a hotel reservation before all of the TMEA hotel room blocks sell out. For this and more about the convention, go to www.tmea.org/convention. This month, I’m pleased to feature half of our perform-
Think creatively. Collaborate meaningfully.
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Master of Music Master of Music Education Doctor of Musical Arts Doctor of Philosophy in Music
For more information please call 225-578-9291 or visit our site at music.lsu.edu/admissions.
38 Southwestern Musician | November 2016
Your students possess both skill and passion. They thrive in an environment of high expectations and even higher commitment VQ CTVKUVKE CPF RGTUQPCN ITQYVJ 6JG 5CTQÆ&#x2019;O 5EJQQN QH (KPG #TVU offers these students a tailored, hands-on approach, with awardwinning faculty and a student-to-teacher ratio of 6:1.
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in ensemble and individual contests. As a member of the Hebron HS cluster, these students also benefit from the vertical/horizontal teaming efforts of fellow directors Rachel Forester, Nathan Ratliff, Elizabeth Moreno, Erik Holmberg, and Paul Norris. Atascocita HS A Cappella Choir Joe Weir, Carl Braden, and Samantha Nalundasan, Directors With an enrollment of 310, the Atascocita HS choir program fields nine large performing ensembles. The A Cappella Choir is representative of the premier student musicians from the choirs of Atascocita. The 71 members of this ensemble are selected by audition and come from all walks of student life. All members of the A Cappella Choir audition for Region choir in the fall and participate in UIL Solo and Ensemble in the spring. The A Cappella choir makes up the varsity mixed, women’s, and men’s choirs at the annual UIL concert and sightreading contest and has received consistent Sweepstakes awards since the school opened in 2006. We are continually proud
of their accomplishments as these student leaders represent Atascocita’s brightest and best! The A Cappella Choir is under the direction and teamwork of Joe Weir, Carl Braden, and Samantha Nalundasan. Weir recently retired after 32 years of service in Humble ISD. He now works part-time and continues to serve as the department chair. Braden has been teaching choral music for the past 29 years. He leadteaches the non-varsity women and the show choir, serves as the accompanist for the varsity choirs, and prepares our future music educators in his AP Music Theory class. Nalundasan is a Baylor graduate and has been teaching for eight years. She works with all of the freshmen, the varsity women, and the show choir. Canyon Ridge MS Varsity Treble Choir Courtney Kelly, Director Canyon Ridge MS is a high-performance middle school serving approximately 1,300 students in grades 6–8. Opening in 2003, Canyon Ridge is located in North Austin, in Leander ISD. Current enrollment in the CRMS choir is 400, divided into six performing
ensembles: 6th Grade Girls, 6th Grade Boys, Junior Varsity Treble, Junior Varsity Tenor/Bass, Varsity Treble, and Varsity Tenor/Bass. The Varsity Treble Choir is an auditioned choir of 50 seventh- and eighthgrade young women. Many of these students participate in private voice lessons and earn membership in their Region Choir. The choir consistently receives UIL sweepstakes awards. In 2013 and 2014, this group was a commended choir in the Mark of Excellence project through the Foundation for Music Education. Additionally, the ensemble was an invited performing group for the 2016 Cambiata Institute. Members are also involved in athletics, drill team, cheer, National Junior Honor Society, and student council, as well as church activities, competitive sports leagues, and community dance and theater. Director Courtney Kelly graduated from Baylor University with a major in choral music education. She teaches at CRMS with directors Michal Tegeler and Mackenzie Malone. Kelly is a clinician and adjudicator, as well as a cooperating teacher for Texas Tech University, where
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40 Southwestern Musician | November 2016
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Elizabeth Lee Asst. Professor, Cello Patricia Lee Asst. Professor, Piano Wei Chen Lin Asst. Professor, Piano
Beth Bronk Director of Bands bbronk@tlu.edu
Deborah Mayes Accompanist
Shaaron Conoly Director of Vocal Studies sconoly@tlu.edu
Daniel Scott McDonald Instructor, Saxophone & Jazz Band
Eric Daub Director of Piano Studies edaub@tlu.edu
Carla McElhaney Asst. Professor, Collaborative Pianist
Eliza Jeffords Director of Strings ejeffords@tlu.edu
David Milburn Instructor, Double Bass
FACULTY Mark Ackerman Instructor, Oboe
Ilan Morgenstern Instructor, Low Brass Joseph Palmer Asst. Professor, Guitar
Adam Bedell Instructor, Percussion
Keith Robinson Instructor, Tuba & Music Education
Mary Ellen Cavitt Asst. Professor, Horn
Jill Rodriguez Instructor, General Music
Carol Chambers Instructor, Music Education
Robert Mark Rogers Asst. Professor, Bassoon
Ashley Cooper Instructor, Violin
Eric Siu Asst. Professor, Violin
Joseph Cooper Asst. Professor, Trumpet
Robert Warren Asst. Professor, Piano, General Music & Music History
Paula Corley Instructor, Clarinet
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she served as a guest artist in the fall of 2016. Plano SHS A Cappella Women’s Choir Derrick Brookins and Lisa Newby, Directors Plano Senior HS has an enrollment of 2,730 students and is designed for juniors and seniors, offering a wide variety of academic and career major studies. The music curriculum of the school includes a range of classes: AP music theory, vocal and instrumental jazz, wind and percussion ensembles, string and symphonic orchestras, mixed choir, and chamber ensembles. The Plano Senior High Choral Department consists of six performing ensembles with a membership of 200 students. The A Cappella Women’s Choir at Plano Senior High serves as the top treble ensemble in a department committed to excellence within a diverse choral curriculum. The A Cappella Women’s Choir has been a consistent UIL sweepstakes award winner and has been named best-in-class in choral festivals throughout Texas and across the United States. The choir has had the honor of being selected to perform for
the National American Choral Directors Association and the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals. The choir excels in part as a result of the outstanding music instruction given in Plano ISD elementary, middle, and high schools taught by highly motivated choral staff and music specialists. Derrick Brookins and Lisa Newby serve as the directors of the 2017 A Cappella Women’s Choir. With a combination of almost 50 years of choral music education, Brookins and Newby are honored to share this performance with their students. Stillman MS Consorzio Choir Tammie Rae Polanco, Director Charles Stillman MS opened in 2004 and has an enrollment of 1,056 students. The school was named after a businessman who founded the city of Brownsville in 1848. The school motto is “If you can believe it, you can achieve it.” Stillman MS has hard-working and dedicated teachers in all content, elective, and fine arts classes. Stillman also has an inclusion program where special education students are placed in regular education content classes instead of being
pulled out for additional instruction. Students are very successful with this model of instruction. In many cases, Stillman students are involved in several activities. All sponsors, directors and coaches support the students’ decisions to participate. The students are involved in choir, Destination Imagination, band, art, chess, and ballroom dancing. Clubs and organizations such as cheerleading, dance, chess, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and NJHS are also available. Stillman MS Consorzio Choir is under the direction of Tammie Rae Polanco. Polanco is a graduate of UT/Brownsville. She became the assistant choir director at Stillman MS in 2007. In 2013, Polanco became Stillman’s head choir director. Under her direction, the choir has doubled in size. The choirs have consistently been UIL sweepstakes award winners and have excelled at Region auditions and UIL Solo and Ensemble competitions. Westwood JH Varsity Treble Choir Bella Voce Joel M. Price, Director The Westwood JH Varsity Treble Choir Bella Voce is a select group of 35
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eighth-grade students, chosen for their musical ability, leadership, and commitment to excellence. Bella Voce has consistently received UIL Sweepstakes awards and has been named best-in-class and grand champion at the Hurricane Harbor Choral Festival. Many of the choir members are selected for Region Choir and earn superior ratings for performing solos at the Richardson ISD Vocal Music Festival. Members of Bella Voce are actively
involved in other activities, including Voices Unlimited and New Edition (auditioned mixed and treble vocal ensembles), musical theater, church and community choirs, cheerleading, sports, band, orchestra, Student Council, National Junior Honor Society, and Beta Club. The Bella Voce members are thrilled to represent Westwood and Richardson ISD at the TMEA Clinic/Convention. Bella Voce is directed by Joel M. Price,
who is in his 17th year as head choral director and music department chair at Westwood Junior High. Emily Taylor is the Assistant Director and is in her second year at Westwood Junior High. This will be the fourth appearance by the Westwood Junior High Choral Department at a TMEA convention (Westwood Varsity Treble Choir in 2007, Westwood Chorale in 1991, and Westwood Treble Choir in 1983).
Plano SHS A Cappella Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choir
Stillman MS Consorzio Choir
Westwood JH Varsity Treble Choir Southwestern Musician | November 2016 45
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Healthy Playing Habits from Day One with Rebecca Berinsky What do you recommend to your students? I start all my students out on Vandoren V•12 reeds. The beginners typically start out on Vandoren 5RV Lyre mouthpieces, mainly because they work better with softer reeds. In seventh grade, students switch to the M30 or M13 Lyre mouthpieces, depending on their needs. In high school, we branch out a bit to find the Vandoren mouthpiece best suited for the individual student, although the majority play on the M13 Lyre. A good chunk of my kids use the Vandoren Optimum ligature as well.
Quality equipment particularly the mouthpiece and reed - is essential to promote healthy playing habits from day one.
Rebecca Berinsky teaches over 50 students around the greater Austin area at such schools as Cedar Park Middle and High Schools and Chisholm Trail Middle School. The vast majority of her private students consistently qualify for District, Regional, and All-State Bands each year.
What has been your experience teaching in the Austin area? I am fortunate to teach for fantastic local music programs that have a history of winning state marching and honor band competitions, and who have performed at big national conventions like the Midwest Clinic. I teach
students from 5th to 12th grade and I enjoy working with them on fundamentals, repertoire, and audition prep.
What’s your position on student equipment? Quality equipment - particularly the mouthpiece and reed - is essential to promote healthy playing habits from day one. This way, students don’t need to “go back” later to fix bad habits that were initially established as a way to cope with subpar quality equipment. The end result of playing on quality equipment right from the start is that the student gets better faster, and with more enjoyment!
These products help my students find success because, with proper breakin, Vandoren reeds offer a level of reliability, longevity, flexibility, and resonance of tone that is unsurpassed. Vandoren mouthpieces are fantastic because, for a reasonable price point, a student can consistently find a quality mouthpiece that provides a great balance of hold, resonance, and response. With students using quality equipment that is consistent from piece to piece, it’s easier for me to teach since I know exactly what their experience is, and it’s easier for them to learn and practice because they’re on equipment that won’t hold them back or promote unhealthy habits.
For more on Vandoren Regional Artists and how they can benefit you and your students, visit http://bit.ly/ RegionalArtists.
Sound Systems for the 21st-Century Classroom
by Barbara Freedman layback of prerecorded music in the classroom is a ubiquitous necessity for music educators. Whether listening to prerecorded examples to study and learn about music or to evaluate recorded solo or ensemble performances as formative or summative assessment, each requires some form of playback of recorded music. Given that prerecorded music comes in a variety of formats and is played back on a variety of devices, music teachers could benefit from reconsidering the use of consumer-level devices, often mere stereo systems, and learn some tricks from the world of professional audio engineers. I offer the following as one way teachers can create a sound system to suit a variety of needs within a modest budget.
P
Speakers Generally speaking, low-cost consumer-level products labeled as computer speakers, bookshelf speakers, Bluetooth speakers, or stereo-system speakers do not produce the same quality of sound as today’s studio monitors. Studio monitors seek to reproduce as close to a “flat” response with as little influence in the low or high ends of the sonic spectrum as possible. Powered or “active” studio monitors have the needed amplifier built into them so they do not require a separate amplifier, but each will also need to be plugged into an electrical outlet. Not all studio monitors are created equal—they range from low- to high-end in quality and price. Size Matters The debate about speaker size as it relates to room size, along with the mathematical equations for determining optimal speaker
placement, can be found with an Internet search, but those requirements aren’t necessary or practical for most classroom situations (or for the teacher on a cart). Speaker size refers to the diameter of the speaker cone, not the overall size of the speaker cabinet. For the average classroom with a 10'–12' room height, a 5" speaker should be the minimal speaker size, with an 8" speaker being preferable. For ensemble teachers or those in large rooms, an 8" or 12" speaker is probably a better choice. Installation of Speakers Take some time to test the best placement around your room for your classroom configuration and your class size. When you test, be sure to sit or stand at the typical height of your students to emulate how they will hear the sound. A professional installer should use the manufacturer’s recommended wall bracket for permanent installation of speakers. Speaker stands can be cumbersome and dangerous as they can topple over. If a bracket cannot be used, attaching a shelf the size of the speaker to the wall may be safer than using a speaker stand, but be sure to secure the shelf to the wall bracket and the speaker to the shelf. Choosing and Using a Mixer While it is sometimes possible to cable your speakers directly to the device (a computer or phone), it is preferable to cable the speakers into a small mixing board. This way you can control volume and put a few things into the mixing board to get sound from them out of the speakers. Mixing boards appropriate for classroom use can cost as little as $50, and for $100–$150 you Southwestern Musician | November 2016 49
IN and OUT Sections of a Mixer Microphone or 1/4" mono (instrument)
1/4" L & R IN: computer or phone
IN
XLR L & R OUT: to speakers or recording device
OUT 1/4" L & R OUT: to speakers or recording device Headphone (stereo) OUT: headphones or other stereo out
OUT
can get much more versatility or sound effects. Understanding simple signal flow is the key to choosing the right mixer and knowing how to use it. Basically a mixer takes signal IN from a device (your computer, phone, a microphone, etc.) and routes the signal OUT to various devices (speakers, recording devices, other mixers, etc.). Just remember: IN = What is the source of my sound? (What are we listening to?) OUT = How do I want them to hear it? Cabling Details about cables, shielded and unshielded, balanced and unbalanced, are beyond the scope of this article. Some cables come monophonic (TS, or tip-sleeve) and can be used for a single (mono) IN or the left side of a stereo IN to get a single (mono) OUT. Other cables come stereophonic (TRS, or tip-ringsleeve). Some cables combine the two monophonic (TS) on one end to a single stereo (TRS) on the other. Cables come in a multitude of male and female ends, in a variety of end types, including RCA, 50 Southwestern Musician | November 2016
1/4", 1/8", XLR. The length of any cable depends on the distance between the two things they will connect. In general, go for something a little longer and you can always use a cable or Velcro tie to keep things wrapped neatly. Common Cables for the Classroom • XLR (microphone) cables are balanced, mono cables. They are good for microphones and for use as speaker cables from your mixing board out to powered speakers. • 1/4" male to 1/4" male come in both stereo and mono. Although they may look the same, there is a difference between mono instrument and mono speaker cables. Instrument cables are unbalanced cables that are used for an electric guitar or bass to amplifiers. Speaker cables are also unbalanced but are generally thicker and can carry the heavier electrical current from an amplifier more efficiently than an instrument cable. If you use the wrong cable from an amplifier to a speaker (an unbalanced instrument cable), you can damage
your equipment or, at the least, have noise or hum out of your speakers. Using a balanced speaker cable, like an XLR or a TRS 1/4" cable, helps with unwanted noise or hum that can occur along a line to your speaker. • “Y” cables or stereo breakout, insert cables, splitters, and adapters come in a vast variety of configurations. Try to get the exact configuration of cabling you need and avoid converting one kind of cable to another with an adapter if you can. One Possible Setup Aesthetics and experience dictate that different people will recommend different products. In general, whenever you can, upgrade. There is a reason some products cost more than others as there is usually a difference in quality of construction that influences durability, flexibility, or sound quality. The system described below is what I consider minimally acceptable and should cost less than $500, and a few tweaks could save you a little. Understand that these products are what I have chosen to use, and I offer them as an example. There are a myriad of approaches, products, and brands out there for your consideration as you explore how to better your sound system. Speakers PreSonus Eris E5 (5" studio monitor) for about $150 each are sold separately, so buy two. They can be adjusted in the back of the speaker to favor or reduce lows as appropriate for speaker placement or personal reference. I use the E5 in classrooms, in the mixing studio, and on my office desk. The 5" will serve most medium to large music classrooms well. If you have been using computer speakers or a Bluetooth speaker you will surely notice the difference. For very large or ensemble classrooms, you should consider an 8" version. Mixing Board A small Yamaha mixer MG06 (about $100) will suffice for most classrooms. Remember, you can switch out devices with the change of cable. If you want the ability to leave more devices plugged IN and just switch between them at the mixer, the MG10 will give you more IN, including RCA. Yamaha makes the UX model that is the same line of mixers as the MG but includes the ability to
add effects to the OUT, the MG06UX and the MG10UX. If you are using your mixing board for double duty for a PA, it could be worth the extra $50 or so for this model. If the mixing board is just for classroom use, the effects may be superfluous. All models will allow you to plug in a microphone. Cabling: Speakers Use the XLR OUT of the Yamaha mixing board MG06 or MG10 to the Eris speakers. There is a place for the 1/4", but the XLR cables will give you the proper balance, and you won’t have to worry about whether you have the correct 1/4" cable. This also gives you the ability to have the remaining 1/4" OUT on the mixer for something else, should you choose to expand in the future. The length of either cable choice will depend on how far away your speakers are from your mixing board. Cabling: Computer and Phone to Mixer A computer or phone, iPad, iPod, or other device with a 1/8" or 3.5 mm stereo standard headphone out will require a Y cable or stereo breakout cable. I recommend a 1/8" (3.5 mm) male TRS to 2-1/4" male TS stereo breakout cable. If you get two of these, you can plug your computer and phone into the mixing board separately. If you’re using this cable, keep the phone and computer relatively close to the mixer (10' or less) to avoid picking up hums and buzzes. Always remember to turn the computer or device volume all the way up before setting your mixer levels.
We expect our students and ourselves to produce characteristic, refined sounds, and we understand the importance of playing on a high-quality instrument. Why have students listen to music on equipment that doesn’t faithfully reproduce the sound? Cabling: DJ and Other RCA OUT Equipment Some DJ and other equipment use an RCA cable, which have the red or white ends that you use in old-fashioned stereos. The MG06 mixer does not have RCA IN so you’ll need an interconnect cable RCA to 1/4" mono (TS). If you have the MG10 or mixers with RCA IN, RCA to RCA stereo interconnect cables can be used. Budget Concerns Budget considerations are critical no matter what funding is like in your district. Even if a district is generously funding classroom needs, there is always a certain point when one needs restraint. You can always get bigger and better if you have the money. Unfortunately, all too often I have seen teachers reach for the least expensive device just because it’s the least expensive. I understand and sympathize with financial concerns; however, I urge you to reach a little higher in some instances as it will yield a better-sounding, more efficient product that might last longer and save money over time. When possible, purchase equipment from professional vendors as they are more likely to be able to offer advice and reliable support.
XLR male & female 1/4" TS male
1/4" TRS 1/8" TRS male male
Dual RCA male
Consider this—we spend a lifetime honing our craft as musicians, and as educators we work toward engaging students to the highest possible levels of artistry. We expect our students and ourselves to produce characteristic, refined sounds, and we understand the importance of playing on a high-quality instrument. The same applies to sound recording and reproduction. Why have students listen to music on equipment that doesn’t faithfully reproduce the sound? Students will not be able to hear the subtleties of good performance and good sound unless we expose them to it. Unless you have a minimum of decent professional quality equipment, you won’t have an opportunity to expose students to acceptable sound quality. How can you know if the sound system you have is adequate? A good test is to preview the recorded music with a good pair of headphones. If it sounds good in the headphones and bad with your speakers, then you may need to consider a better system. Step Into the 21st Century! Even if you have that old cassette deck or CD player, you can plug them into your new mixing board and hear them through the active studio monitors. Teachers wishing to use a variety of devices, computers, phones, iPads, and other digital or analog devices for music playback in the classroom can step into the world of high quality studio sound and power with a little knowledge, a little budget, and a shift in thinking. For direct links to the recommendations given in this article, visit www.musicedtech.com. Barbara Freedman has been teaching music technology and music composition since 2001 at Greenwich HS in Greenwich, Conn. Freedman is a 2017 TMEA College Division Featured Clinician.
Southwestern Musician | November 2016 51
> ADMISSION
AND SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS
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ELEMENTARY NOTES
In Memoriam
CAROLYN BAKER June 11, 1951–October 2, 2016
Tackling the T-TESS: Part 4
T
November—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. November—Make your TMEA convention hotel reservation online. November 15—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31—TMEA mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 19—TMEA online early registration deadline. February 8–11—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio. March 6—Arts Education Day at the Capitol.
here are two codes of ethics that affect the conduct of the music teacher, the Educator’s Code of Ethics documented in the Texas Administrative Code and TMEA’s Code of Ethics and Standard Practices. Professional conduct is perhaps the most challenging aspect of T-TESS, yet it is the section that applies to us every day, wherever we are, even if we are not in class. This is the part of our job that reflects who we are as a person and the example we set forth for our students and community. As you know, for some of our students, we may be the most positive role model they have in their lives. That is why our good example is so important. Getting into a mindset of self-evaluation should not be hard for most of us. We are probably already critical of our teaching, assessments, relationships, and commitment to our jobs versus our families and other parts of our lives. The trick is to make those critical thoughts matter and use them to make positive changes. After you’ve determined your weaknesses, divide your goals into four categories: 1. Administrative tasks such as tracking student behaviors, getting specific details in your lesson plans, or documenting every parental conversation promptly.
Set yourself on the right path to becoming an even better teacher than you already are. Southwestern Musician | November 2016 53
2. Portions of your teaching where you are weak and frustrated. 3. Things you need to improve on that you would really like to learn more about. Things that excite you. 4. Parts of your skill set where you are already outstanding. Set your goals mainly from the items in category #3 above. While the tasks in category #1 are important, they won’t leave you excited about your progress as you are evaluated on them. Category #2 items are those that you may get frustrated in completing. It’s better to work on these without outside criticism until you are ready. You do need to work on these things, however. It will not serve either you or your students best for you to work on those category #4 items that are already your strong points. So, that leaves category #3. These are the things that may be new portions of your curriculum, new aspects to your teaching, or things you have recently learned more about through a workshop or levels course. By focusing on these items, you will likely be more creative, positive, and productive throughout the process, resulting in better teaching. For me, the most fun comes from professional development. This means attending conferences and workshops near you and around the state or country. For example, TMEA’s annual convention is filled with three days of multiple concurrent opportunities to see performances, workshops, and network with other music teachers. By attending these events and following up on what you learn, you are on your way to excelling in Dimension 4.3. However, the important step in T-TESS is to go further and share what you have learned with others. By participating in a share session with your colleagues, you are helping others who could not attend your sessions improve as well. In your school and district, become actively involved in committees and professional learning communities. (Take a look at Si Millican’s College Division column this month for more on this topic.) Offer to help 54 Southwestern Musician | November 2016
apply for grants. Collaborate with gradelevel teachers on programs or projects. Create a library of songs you have that will enhance their curriculum. (By letting the teachers borrow these math, science, or grammar songs, you can stick to your curriculum.) To foster positive relationships with your students, parents, and colleagues, develop a system to document parental contact. Don’t let the fact that you have hundreds of students stop you from making the same positive phone calls the classroom teachers make. Instead of trying to contact all of the families and sounding like a telemarketing recording, choose one or two grade levels to concentrate on and call a number of the students each month so by the end of the year you have made contact with most if not all of the families in those grade levels. Also, document conversations you have after performances or the questions you are asked by email before concerts. These are all examples of parent contact. By setting your goals, frequently eval-
uating and adjusting them, participating and assisting in professional development, becoming active in your school and district goal achievement, and maintaining good communication, you are setting yourself on the right path to becoming an even better teacher than you already are. Keep up the good work and remember to document! TMEA Clinic/Convention Update I’m pleased to offer information on some of our performing groups that are preparing to perform for us in February. I will share the remaining groups in our January issue. Be sure to look for the December issue, which will include a preview of the full convention schedule. If you haven’t already, preregister for the convention, and when you do, be sure to purchase other items already available (clinic recording access, President’s Concert tickets, and more). Make your hotel reservation now as well. Some hotels have already sold out of their TMEA block of rooms and we expect most will sell out, so don’t wait. For all of this information and more, go to www.tmea.org/convention.
Duke Dynamics Choir
Duke Dynamics Choir Meredith Mooney, Director The Duke Dynamics Choir was established in fall of 2014 when Dr. James “Red” Duke Elementary officially opened. Duke Elementary is part of Alvin ISD, located in the Pearland area. The choir is an unauditioned group of fourth and fifth graders who rehearse once a week after school. They perform several community service concerts a year in venues such as Pearland Town Center’s Hometown Christmas Festival, Memorial Hermann Hospital, and local assisted living facilities. In addition, the Duke choir has performed at the Children’s Music Festival of Houston and the inaugural Alvin ISD Children’s Music Festival in 2016. Meredith Mooney earned her BM at the University of Houston Moores School of Music. She has taught elementary music in Spring, Pearland, and Alvin
Attend the 2017 TMEA President’s Concert Featuring:
Wednesday, February 8 at 8 p.m. • Lila Cockrell Theater • $10 tickets Purchase your tickets online through TMEA convention registration. In constant development since its formation in 1984, The Real Group is one of the leading forces in the world of vocal music today. From Sweden, this a cappella ensemble’s combination of perfection, personal touch, and wide repertoire have made it possible for them to collaborate with symphony orchestras, jazz groups, pop bands, and international artists. The Real Group also focuses on education, and through workshops and coaching, aims to inspire singers and teachers around the world. Listen to The Real Group at www.therealgroup.se in the gallery. Southwestern Musician | November 2016 55
ISDs. This is her tenth year as an elementary music teacher. She recently completed her Orff Level I training. Her project that featured fifth graders composing original opera about American history was the national third-place winner in Voya’s 2014 Unsung Heroes grant competition. Aldine Children’s Honor Choir Kathryn Amshoff and Samantha Mansour, Directors The Aldine Children’s Honor Choir consists of students in grades 3–5, representing 33 elementary and 11 intermediate schools in Aldine ISD. The goals of the Honor Choir are to identify students with an outstanding musical ability and to give students the opportunity to develop that ability through participation in an advanced choral environment. The Aldine Children’s Honor Choir performed with the Houston Chamber Choir for the Hear the Future Concert in Houston in 2007. That same year they won the Sunny 99.1 Second Annual Kids Sing Contest in Houston. In February of
2009 the Honor Choir was chosen to perform at the TMEA Clinic/Convention. In 2016 they were named the Outstanding Elementary Choir at the Blinn College Choral Festival. The Honor Choir has been named the Most Outstanding District Choir at the Children’s Music Festival of Houston every year from 2007 to 2016. Each year they perform numerous concerts for the community, including an annual performance at the Old Fashioned Christmas Festival at Jesse Jones Park in Houston. The directors are Kathryn Amshoff and Samantha Mansour. The coordinating director is Colleen Riddle, Director of Music Education in Aldine ISD. The Honor Choir accompanist is Courtnay Holiday and assistants are Mary Stevens, David Dalton, and Jacqueline Spears. Keller ISD Fifth and Sixth Grade Honor Choir Alexander Carr, Director Founded in the spring of 2014, the Keller ISD Fifth and Sixth Grade Honor
Choir consists of 85 elite singers from eight campuses in Keller ISD. Students in the honor choir are selected by a threepart audition and a teacher recommendation. The choir rehearses once a week from September to April. The mission of the choir is to educate students to achieve their highest standards of musical performance by engaging them in exceptional choral opportunities. In following their mission, the choir has performed for multiple district events, in collaboration with Texas Christian University, and in Dallas–Fort Worth area festivals. Alexander Carr is in his third year as the director of the honor choir and is in his fifth year of teaching in Keller ISD. Carr holds master of music and bachelor of music education degrees from Texas Christian University. The managing directors are Becky Compton, North Riverside ES, and Clinton Hardy, Trinity Springs MS. The choir is accompanied by Alicia Wappel.
Aldine Children’s Honor Choir
Keller ISD Fifth and Sixth Grade Honor Choir 56 Southwestern Musician | November 2016
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Capture, Hold & Incentivize the At-Risk Student by Randi Bolding
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would venture to guess that the majority of us who chose (and remain in) this crazy career as music educators did so because of wonderful experiences we were exposed to as students and our desire to provide future students with those same emotionally connected experiences. However, there is part of the teaching equation we may not have considered when choosing this profession. What about the students who challenge, defy, act out, throw items, or are apathetic, disrespectful, rude, physically aggressive, insubordinate, and more? Unlike English, math, science, and social studies teachers, we have the option to change their schedules when things just aren’t working out. Yet, those students who often drive us to our limits in the classroom need a place to belong, develop life skills, and experience a positive outlet through which to build self-worth.
• Homeless
What Does At-Risk Mean? Who Is At-Risk? There have always been at-risk students, but it wasn’t until the Reagan era that the label at-risk was mainstreamed into our educational vocabulary with the document “A Nation at Risk.” Margaret L. Placier, former professor in the College of Education at the University of Missouri, defines at-risk in its simplest form as a student who, by virtue of his or her circumstances, is statistically more likely than others to fail academically. Students are not inherently at-risk; it is merely their circumstances that place them in this category. Race, ethnicity, gender, urban, suburban, or rural are not factors in determining whether a student is at-risk. Additionally, just because a student is at-risk does not mean that they will fail. Though Texas state law identifies only 13 factors to define a student as at-risk, there are a myriad of other factors, including:
• On parole, probation, or other conditional release
• Low socioeconomic status • Living in a single-parent home or foster care
58 Southwestern Musician | November 2016
• In and out of correctional institutions • Resided in a residential placement facility (substance abuse treatment, psychiatric hospital, halfway house, etc.) • Changing schools at nontraditional times • Below-average grades in middle school • Being held back in school through grade retention • Having older siblings who have dropped out • In gangs • Is pregnant or is a parent • Placed in alternative education programs • History of expulsion • Limited English proficiency • Working to help support the family The list could go on. The important fact to remember is that these are contributing factors. You will teach students characterized by these factors who are in no way in danger of academic failure. Expectations I don’t allow my students to fall victim to their circumstances. “If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming” (Ginott, 2003). Each student who walks into the classroom must believe they are valuable, able, and responsible (Strahan, 1989). Helping students see themselves as valuable acts as the first step in creating connections. Helping students see themselves as able leads to developing new self-portraits. Helping students accept
responsibility for all forms of consequences of their own decisions decreases their need to blame others and seek to establish control in inappropriate ways. Capture Nothing is more important than human connection. We often complain and poke fun of the fact that our toughest students are never absent. Nevertheless, we must remember, they show up for a reason. As music educators we have the unique opportunity to teach “life skills” and shape self-portraits every day in ways other classroom environments may not. As 40-year educator Rita Pierson said in her April 2013 TedTalk, “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” Positive Presence. The quality of interactions between students and teachers potentially influences the development of behavioral interactions (Baker, 1999). You may be the only model of positive behavior they observe. Simple gestures such as saying thank you or yes instead of yeah, sharing, and random acts of kindness are behaviors that must be learned. Genuine Interest. One-on-one interaction creates opportunity for dialogue to look beyond the child as a student to the child as a person (Stronge, 2007). Recognize student birthdays, greet your students at the door, acknowledge changes in hairstyles or new clothes—and the one you might not want to hear—attend their other events. You may be the only person who comes to support them and see their accomplishments. Intriguing Literature. Good literature is good literature. If it was a hit in 1716 it will be a hit in 2016. Just because I worked in a minority majority school did not mean I programmed hip-hop and R&B. Searching for literature is time-consuming but ultimately fuels your vehicle. It controls pacing, skill development, individual musical growth, ensemble, and more, all of which results in positive and effective classroom management. Activities. Although a majority of programs are tiered by ability, each student needs to feel like they are a part of the family. Host inclusive events scheduled throughout the year such as fall cookouts, Halloween costume parties, skate nights, and gift exchanges. All of the children have different skills, but they need to understand they are loved equally and would benefit from inclusive activities as part of
the larger family, not just in their individual ensembles. Cool Factor. Trophies and UIL plaques are often understood only by other musicians. School and community pride in the program will engage your at-risk students. Get involved in fun activities on your campus such as sporting events, homecoming floats and parades, door decorating contests, and organization competitions (kickball tournaments, chili cook-offs, staff vs. student games, etc.). Language: We versus I. How you speak to
at-risk students is crucial. At-risk students are tough, but still fragile. The music classroom is a partnership. Without the students we don’t have an ensemble, and without the teacher-conductor there is no vision and leadership for the ensemble. Rather than saying, “Basses, you sang only maybe four notes correctly!” Try, “All right, let’s try that again. If you missed ten notes, this time only miss four.” Or, “We could use a bit more of a crescendo there,” versus, “I want more crescendo at measure 30.”
Southwestern Musician | November 2016 59
Success. No matter how small, recognize success! We never stop critiquing in the music classroom, but we often forget to remind the students of how far they have come and their many successes along the way. Not trying becomes a strategy to avoid perceptions of being unable. Unless at-risk students experience tangible success, they cling to these counterproductive strategies (Strahan, 1989). Instilling in students that not trying equals failure can be one stride in the growth of a new self-portrait. Hold I worked to build our program around humanity and respect. Respect must be earned from both the teacher and the student. Stephen R. Covey reminds us that we should “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Give Them Space to Save Face. Never get into a power struggle with an at-risk student. You will lose—and far more than the argument. They will come back to you, and they need to know that their tantrum did not affect your care for them. I have had students get in my face and yell, throw binders, kick chairs, punch walls
(and others), spit, etc. They are all children; some are just in bigger bodies than others. Model the correct way to respond to or handle emotions. Students are only displaying what they have observed. Anger is often a secondary emotion, so use it as a teachable moment to help them discover what primary emotion needs to be addressed. When they come back to you, that is the time to have a conversation about how they handled the situation and how they need to handle it in the future. Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say. Be consistent and follow through. Don’t bluff with your consequences. Carefully choose them, then use them. This is difficult when you must remove your best tenor from your top choir and place him in the beginning men’s chorus five weeks before UIL contest because he broke your rule about fighting. This happened to me. But after a tough-love conversation with him, he accepted his consequence and became an amazing leader in my beginning men’s chorus the remainder of the year. Lead by Example. It’s simple. If you want the kids there on time, be 15 minutes early. If you expect them to speak
respectfully, then address them respectfully. If you want them to have patience, then display patience. If you don’t condone drinking, then do not stage drinking. (We performed the musical Grease with no alcohol, no smoking, and no swearing. We got creative and the kids and audience loved it.) Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Yearly Successes. You capture students with success, and you hold students with success. Make a habit of setting goals. As simple as, “Today, we will perform all the leading tones on the high side.” Create fun competitions. I make amazing blonde brownies, so I made a sticker chart for my high school students, and they had one objective—to earn a sticker each day. When they had five stickers in a row, I made them brownies. We did “house” competitions. I turned my choir program into Hogwarts. Each choir had their own jar. They could earn or lose jewels (grades, attendance, tardies, supplies, rehearsal objectives, etc.). At the end of a threeweek period the winning class earned the reward. Unless a student’s self-portrait changes, his behavior pattern will repeat itself.
James Albert Higgs II, M.Ed Admin; MS Ed Tech; Cert. Ed Diagnostician; PhD in progress, TTU; Director of Bands, Director of Special Education - Cotton Center ISD, TX “RhythmBee is an excellent tool for inclusion classrooms from general music to band. The elementary material animates symbols with multi-syllable names to represent rhythms. Special needs or limited English students get the concept and can participate without the cognitive overload of traditional teaching methods. Similarly, the RB math material shows the traditional mathematical symbols synchronized to images which show the concept of each number. As the students recite the equation, the images animate to demonstrate the concept of the function.
The solfeggio material teaches the note names and the solfege syllables while showing the music and animating the progression of the exercise, ensuring participation by as many students as possible. Demonstrating rhythmic activity with an animated foot and arrows while following rhythm notation or pitch on a staff draws the students into that process as well. From Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences to Bloom’s Taxonomy, RhythmBee’s material uses researchbased best practices to reach the optimum number of students in each diverse classroom. I find the RhythmBee instructional process to be highly effective and recommend it without reservation.” 60 Southwestern Musician | November 2016
These new portraits could be most powerful when they are a result of tangible success. Be Patient. You only have to be 10 seconds stronger than they are. Incentivize Family/Place to Belong. The music classroom may be the first functional family your at-risk students have experienced. Create opportunities, treat each moment as a teachable moment, share stories, and eliminate excuses. Safe Haven. Remind them you love them. Accept them for their good, bad, ugly, beautiful, sad, confused, struggling, happy, and enthusiastic phases, and encourage them to continue to strive to be better tomorrow than they were today. Loyalty, Trust, and Respect. Develop relationships through mutual respect, knowledge, intentional caring, and encouragement (Shields, 2001). At-risk students have few anchors in their lives. Their lives are built on broken promises—why should they expect any different from you? Pass their tests and prove that you’re there to stay, that you’re not giving up, that you loved them yesterday, you love them today, and you’ll love them tomorrow. Continued Successes. Provide opportunities that build on their strengths and weaknesses, resulting in the students experiencing success. Success can be achieved through work ethic, routines, an atmosphere of respect, and a little dose of tough love. Final Thoughts Be a true and genuine leader. Create and provide opportunities individually, within ensembles, and program-wide. Choose to emphasize and concentrate your efforts on the process rather than the results. Lead by example. Empathize but uphold your expectations. Anticipate the needs of your students. Help them discover their accomplishments through their failures to meet goals. Life is learning how not to reach a goal just as much as it is to reach a goal. Allow students to stumble and help them understand you just expect their best. Their best will improve and ultimately lead to success. Every student craves music. Although cultures do not share and express the same musical understanding, music is in every culture. We should all consider Disney’s
message in Big Hero 6: “Look for a new angle.” Successful learning environments may involve modifying the classroom or procedures rather than attempting to alter the student (Pianta & Walsh, 1996). I challenge you to diagnose in the same mindset as medical professionals. When faced with an at-risk student, let’s not emphasize the behavior patterns but the factors influencing those patterns. Once the factors have been determined, we can give the students the right dose of medicine. And above all, love them. Randi Bolding is Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education and Conducting at the University of Louisville School of Music. She spent her public school teaching years in Texas at the high school and middle school levels in North Austin. References Baker, J. A. (1999). Teacher-student interaction in urban at-risk classrooms: Differential behavior, relationship quality, and student satisfaction with school. The Elementary School Journal, 100(1), 57–70. Ginott, H. G. (2003). Between Parent and Child: The Bestselling Classic That Revolutionized Parent-Child Communication. New York: Three Rivers Press. Pianta, R. C., & Walsh, D. J. (1996). Highrisk children in schools: Constructing sustaining relationships. New York: Routledge. Placier, M. L. (1993). The Semantics of State Policy Making: The case of “at risk”. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 15(4), 380-395. Shields, C. (2001). Music education and mentoring as intervention for at-risk urban adolescents: Their self-perceptions, opinions, and attitudes. Journal of Research in Music Education, 49(3), 273–286. Strahan, D. (1989). Disconnected and disruptive students. Middle School Journal, 21(2), 1–5. Stronge, J. H. (2007). Qualities of effective teachers. (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
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B Y
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M I L L I C A N
Community engagement
O
November—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. November—Make your TMEA convention hotel reservation online. November 1—Deadline to nominate students for the new Texas Collegiate Music Educator award. November 15—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31—TMEA mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 19—TMEA online early registration deadline. February 8–11—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio. March 6—Arts Education Day at the Capitol.
ver the past couple of years, this column has featured community engagement projects across the state set up by our colleagues in the College Division. Two of these programs were Oso Musical, a musical community for children with special needs provided by students and faculty at Baylor University (see the November 2014 SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN), and the String Project for elementary students in the San Antonio area provided by UT/San Antonio (January 2015). While we have a number of great formal and informal programs that allow our collegiate students to interact with their local communities, I am interested in other ways collegiate faculty might interact in an effective way with PreK–12 music educators in a more deliberate way. One of the ways some college faculty reach out to local music educators is by organizing and facilitating Professional Development Communities (PDCs). In the education world, PDCs are typically small, self-selected groups of teachers who meet regularly to reflect on their practice, discuss new teaching techniques and ideas, or support each other in their work as educators. The formality and structure of a PDC can be flexible; as we know, one size definitely does not fit all when it comes to effective professional development.
PDCs can be of great value not only for offering professional growth to participants, but also for JLYLQJ WKHP D VDIH SODFH WR WU\ RXW DQG UHÁHFW on new ideas and the many challenges of the profession. Southwestern Musician | November 2016 63
I visited with Dr. Julie Kastner, who currently serves as an assistant professor and chair of music education at the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston, about her work with PDCs. She shared with me some of the characteristics of effective PDCs as well as some of the challenges in establishing and facilitating these types of groups based on her research. Dr. Kastner led a PDC made up of elementary music teachers who met regularly to visit about informal music learning in the elementary classroom. The group met about twice a month for two hours at a time. This time was divided into four 30-minute segments each week. In the first segment, the participants engaged in fellowship over an informal meal. This gathering activity helped establish a sense of community and trust among the members. In the second segment, the PDC members discussed an article they had read following their previous meeting. Serving as the facilitator, Dr. Kastner selected this article to help address questions and concerns that had emerged from their previous meetings together. In the third segment, the group discussed classroom experiences from the previous week, including how new teaching techniques may have gone or what problems they had encountered. In the final 30-minute segment, the PDC mapped out a plan for what they might try over the next period of time before their next meeting.
Setting up a PDC often begins with identifying a group of like-minded music education professionals who share a particular interest. Maybe there is a group of elementary teachers who want to incorporate popular music into their teaching but need help with techniques, materials, and ideas. Perhaps there is a group of secondary instrumental teachers who want fresh ideas on classroom management and motivation. Generally smaller groups—from three to five participants— tend to be most conducive to productive interaction. The most challenging aspect of establishing a PDC is likely finding a time that busy music educators can meet regularly. Meeting for two hours every other week might be all that busy music teachers can handle, and maybe they need to meet only once a month. Flexibility is the key to scheduling. University faculty can assist PDCs by serving as facilitators for the meetings, providing structure for the sessions, and helping the members find relevant resource materials. PDCs need a strong facilitator who can help make the participants feel comfortable and keep conversations going, but not trample on ideas or take over the content. Facilitators can help manage time, set group goals and benchmarks, and give structure to the meetings. Without structure, the meetings can deteriorate into gripe sessions or groups may find that they are just spinning their
Scholarship Opportunities for College Student Members Multiple scholarship opportunities exist for college students. Learn more and complete your online submission of application materials by November 15. One-Year Undergraduate Scholarships • TMEA awards one-year, $2,500 scholarships to current undergraduate students enrolled in a music degree program at a Texas college or university leading to teacher certification. One-Semester Student-Teacher Scholarships • TMEA awards one-semester, $2,500 scholarships to college student members scheduled to student-teach within the two semesters following the application.
Apply at www.tmea.org/scholarships 64 Southwestern Musician | November 2016
wheels. Another challenge for the PDC leader is how to develop a trust dynamic among the members. Sharing successes and failures, hopes and fears, can be intimidating for teachers who are not used to offering detailed reflections of their work. PDCs aren’t just for public school teachers, and they don’t need to be set up in physical, face-to-face meeting spaces. Dr. Kastner continues to be a part of a PDC for early-career music teacher educators with faculty from across the United States. Setting up a Facebook group, regular Skype meetings, or other online resources can be a tremendous aid when reaching out to our far-flung colleagues, particularly in rural areas or when teachers with particular interests are otherwise geographically separated from each other. While the PDC meetings amounted to extra time for the participants, and they did not receive any compensation or other tangible reward for meeting, PDCs can be of great value not only for offering professional growth to participants but also for giving them a safe place to try out and reflect on new ideas and the many challenges of the profession. Establishing an informal PDC could also be a gateway to graduate study in music education by helping faculty identify and counsel prospective students in further academic pursuits. For More Information on Professional Development Communities • Gruenhagen, L. M. (2009). Developing professional knowledge about music teaching and learning through collaborative conversations. In Thompson, L. K., and Campbell M. R. (Eds): Research perspectives: Thought and practice in music education (125–151). Charlotte, NC: Information Age. • Gruenhagen, L. M. (2007). Investigating professional development: Early childhood music teacher learning in a community of practice (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Rochester. • Kastner, J. D. (2014). Exploring informal music learning in a professional development community. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 202, 71–89.
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• Kastner, J. D. (2014). Learning to let go: Informal music learning in the classroom. Orff Echo, 46(4), p. 36–41. • Pellegrino, K., Sweet, B., Kastner, J.D., Russell, H. A., Reese, J. (2014). Becoming music teacher educators: Learning from and with each other in a professional development community. International Journal of Music Education, 32(4), 462–477. doi:10.1177/0255761413515819 • Stanley, A.M. (2012). The Experiences of Elementary Music Teachers in a Collaborative Teacher Study Group. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 192, 53–74. College Division Fall Conference Thank you to everyone who made this year’s Fall Conference at the TMEA headquarters last month a huge success. Images from this event are on page 68, and the minutes will be published in the January SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN (the December issue will feature a full preview of the 2017 Clinic/Convention schedule). I am always reminded when we
get together what a wonderfully talented, diverse, and dedicated group of educators make up our division. I encourage you to keep the momentum from this meeting going, and please share any thoughts or ideas that you have following our time together with me at si.millican@utsa.edu. Scholarship Deadline Last year TMEA awarded over $200,000 in scholarships to Texas music students and teachers for collegiate study. Please consider donating to the TMEA Scholarship Fund when you renew your membership. You can also donate at any time by going to the Update Member Information webpage. Continue through your member contact information to the Optional Items page. You can make a donation throughout the year from this page (just enter an amount and proceed to checkout). TMEA offers current college student members two scholarship opportunities: a one-year $2,500 scholarship and a one-semester $2,500 student-teaching scholarship. Applicants must be a current TMEA member and have a minimum 3.0 GPA along with other important require-
ments. See www.tmea.org/scholarships for complete details and to apply. TMEA also offers a one-year $2,500 scholarship for graduate study for active TMEA members. Applicants for this award must have at least three years of teaching experience in Texas with music as their primary teaching field at the time of application and be pursuing a musicrelated graduate degree. The deadline to submit all scholarship application materials is November 15. TMEA Clinic/Convention Update Be sure to register for the convention and make a hotel reservation. Several hotels are already sold out, so don’t wait! Go to www.tmea.org/convention for all convention updates and links to relevant webpages. Look to next month’s issue for a preview of the full schedule!
Share your ideas! How do you engage PK–12 educators in your area? What are some effective ways you’ve found to reach out to your local education community? Send your thoughts to si.millican@utsa.edu.
Music scholarships available to non-music majors I Faculty who focus on UNDERGRADUATES I National and international ENSEMBLE TOURING I DEGREES in music education, performance,
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think. perform. explore. 66 Southwestern Musician | November 2016
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.
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68 Southwestern Musician | November 2016
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