September 2021 Southwestern Musician by Texas Music Educators Association

SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN

SEPTEMBER 2021

Seriously Fun EDUCATION

Where music, technology, and creativity converge.

Get started now at

QuaverEd.com

@QuaverEd

VOLUME 90 ■ ISSUE 2 SEPTEMBER 2021

CONTENTS FEATURES

Are You Really Being Your Best Self? . . . . . . . . . . .12 by jason nitsch

Even in this profession that demands so much of us, we can find opportunities for self-care.

It Works for Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 b y n ata l i a a l b a c e t e

Motivate your beginner students with badges that celebrate their many and varied accomplishments.

Rehearsal Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 by joel schut

Transform your rehearsal process and get students reengaged and excited about learning and experiencing music!

Q&A for Music Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 by tmea members

Get valuable ideas for recapturing students who left your program, increasing visibility with administrators, and working with parents.

21 COLUMNS President John Carroll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Where Do We Go from Here? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Executive Director Robert Floyd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Many tools and practices implemented last school year remain relevant and can help our young students learn and make music.

Band Vice-President Dana Pradervand . . . . . . . . . . 17

by amy m. burns

Orchestra Vice-President Ann G . Smith . . . . . . . . . . 23 Vocal Vice-President Jesse Cannon II . . . . . . . . . . . 31

UPDATES TMEA Offers Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships . . . . . . . .2

Elementary Vice-President Katherine Johns . . . . .40 College Vice-President Paul Sikes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Working in a New School? Update Your Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Attend the 2022 TMEA Clinic/Convention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Invest in Our Future: Start a TFME Chapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

ON THE COVER: Bailey Bower, then a senior at Bullard HS, rehearses with the 2020 All-State Treble Choir. Bower is pursuing a vocal performance degree at the University of Houston. Photo by Paul Denman.

Southwestern Musician | September 2021

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF TEXAS MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION

TMEA Offers Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships

Editor-in-Chief: Robert Floyd

To be eligible, complete all application requirements by November 1.

Managing Editor: Karen Cross

TMEA is pleased to offer several scholarships each year for undergraduate and graduate study in Texas.

rfloyd@tmea.org | 512-452-0710, ext. 101

kcross@tmea.org | 512-452-0710, ext. 107

TMEA Executive Board President: John Carroll, Permian HS

john.carroll@ectorcountyisd.org | 432-553-2780 1800 East 42nd Street, Odessa, 79762

President-Elect: Michael Stringer, Irving ISD

presidentelect@tmea.org | 972-600-5088 3511 Lake Champlain Dr., Arlington, 76016

Past-President: Brian Coatney, Wylie ISD

Brian.Coatney@wylieisd.net | 972-429-3111 2550 West FM 544, Wylie, 75098

Band Vice-President: Dana Pradervand, University of Houston pradervandd@yahoo.com | 713-743-3627 8226 Lakeshore Villa Drive, Humble, 77346

Orchestra Vice-President: Ann G. Smith, Plano East Senior HS ann.smith@pisd.edu | 469-752-9237 3000 Los Rios Boulevard, Plano, 75074

Vocal Vice-President: Jesse Cannon II, Duncanville HS

vocalvp@tmea.org | 972-708-3764 900 West Camp Wisdom Road, Duncanville, 75116

Elementary Vice-President: Katherine Johns, Floresville South Elementary kjohns@fisd.us | 281-370-4040 116 Oaklawn Drive, Floresville, 78114

College Vice-President: Paul Sikes, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD paul.sikes@gcisd.net | 817-251-5637 8554 Kensington Court, North Richland Hills, 76182

www.tmea.org/scholarships 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. 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 current college student members scheduled to student-teach within the two semesters following the application. One-Year Graduate Study Scholarships • Awarded to graduate students for one year only and range from $1,250 to $2,500.

TMEA Staff Executive Director: Robert Floyd | rfloyd@tmea.org Deputy Director: Frank Coachman | fcoachman@tmea.org Administrative Director: Kay Vanlandingham | kvanlandingham@tmea.org Advertising/Exhibits Manager: Zachary Gersch | zgersch@tmea.org Membership Manager: Susan Daugherty | susand@tmea.org Communications Manager: Karen Cross | kcross@tmea.org Financial Manager: Cristin Gaffney | cgaffney@tmea.org Information Technologist: Andrew Denman-Tidline | adenman@tmea.org Administrative Assistant: Rita Ellinger | rellinger@tmea.org

TMEA Office Mailing Address: P.O. Box 140465, Austin, 78714-0465 Physical Address: 7900 Centre Park Drive, Austin, 78754 Website: www.tmea.org | Phone: 512-452-0710 Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a .m.– 4:30 p.m.

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. Subscription rates: One Year – $20; Single copies $3.00. Periodical postage paid at Austin, TX, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Southwestern Musician, P.O. Box 140465, Austin, TX 78714-0465. Southwestern Musician was founded in 1915 by A.L. Harper. Renamed in 1934 and published by Dr. Clyde Jay Garrett. Published 1941–47 by Dr. Stella Owsley. Incorporated in 1948 as National by Harlan-Bell P ublishers, Inc. Published 1947–54 by Dr. H. Grady Harlan. Purchased in 1954 by D.O. Wiley. Texas Music Educator was founded in 1936 by Richard J. Dunn and given to the Texas Music Educators Association, whose official publication it has been since 1938. In 1954, the two magazines were merged using the name Southwestern Musician combined with the Texas Music Educator under the editorship of D.O. Wiley, who continued to serve as editor until his retirement in 1963. At that time ownership of both magazines was assumed by TMEA. In August 2004 the TMEA Executive Board changed the name of the publication to Southwestern Musician.

Southwestern Musician | September 2021

In order to further support elementary music teachers in Texas, Hal Leonard is proud to extend your $800 TMEA Elementary Grant by providing an additional $200 in funding! The grant can be used by elementary music teachers (PK-5) to purchase music, music equipment, instruments, instructional software, and other music educational materials for use during this school year. We are proud to offer our support!

Learn more at: halleonard.com/tmeaelementarygrant

TMEA President JOHN CARROLL

Why Are We Teaching? May kids be the reason why we teach, and may we be a primary reason they remain in music classes.

s I write this column, I have just returned from the 2021 summer conventions of Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Orchestra Directors Association, and Texas Choral Directors Association. I realize this won’t be read for several weeks, but as I write, I am still experiencing an unparalleled high from being in San Antonio for these conventions. Kudos go to the boards and staff members of each association for such a splendid display of workshops, concerts, and exhibits. Observing people in the hallways and those who gathered to talk, it was evident how wonderfully uplifting these three concurrent conventions were. It was inspiring—and a lot of fun—to visit with my colleagues. How we have missed that! By the time you read this, you will have been in school for a while, and I hope the excitement is still there. I have stated before that it is easy to be enthusiastic at the beginning of something, and then as time passes, things begin to feel a bit more routine. That’s to be expected. However, I encourage you to remember why you chose to teach music as a living. No matter your why behind entering this field, how are you making it happen? I recently heard a well-known music educator state to a group of teachers that “you are the curriculum.” He reminded us how proud our students are to be in our classes, how they congregate in our classrooms before school, after school, and during lunch (even when against the school rules). He reminded us that we are the safe place for many students. We were once again reminded that some public school secondary students linger in our classrooms after school because we offer

Southwestern Musician | September 2021

MARK YOUR CALENDAR check www.tmea .org for updates

September—Renew your membership and register for the convention. October 7, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens. November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31—TMEA email/mail convention registration deadline. January 20—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 9–12—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.

TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC

SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS Scholarships are available for both music and non-music majors. These awards are intended to provide recognition for scholarship and talent in the study of music.

SCHOLARSHIP AUDITION DATES: Saturday, November 13, 2021 | 1-3 p.m. Saturday, February 19, 2022 | 1-3 p.m. Saturday, March 26, 2022 | 1-3 p.m. Saturday, April 9, 2022 | 1-3 p.m. Individual audition dates may be requested if necessary.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC DEPARTMENT HEADS Douglas R. Boyer Director, School of Music and Director of Choral Activities dboyer@tlu.edu 830-372-6869 or 800-771-8521

Hilary Janysek Asst. Professor, Flute & Music History Elizabeth Lee Asst. Professor, Cello Deborah Mayes Accompanist Scott McDonald Instructor, Saxophone & Jazz Band

Beth Bronk Director of Bands bbronk@tlu.edu Eric Daub Director of Piano Studies edaub@tlu.edu Liliana Guerrero Director of Vocal Studies lguerrero@tlu.edu Eliza Jeffords Director of Strings ejeffords@tlu.edu

Carla McElhaney Asst. Professor, General Music David Milburn Instructor, Double Bass Nicole Narboni Asst. Professor, Piano Sung-Eun Park Asst. Professor, Collaborative Pianist

FACULTY

Carlos Quesada Asst. Professor, Collaborative Pianist

Mark Ackerman Instructor, Oboe

Keith Robinson Instructor, Tuba & Music Education

Michele Aichele Asst. Professor, Music History

Jill Rodriguez Instructor, General Music

Adam Bedell Instructor, Percussion

Mikio Sasaki Instructor, Trumpet

Carol Chambers Instructor, Music Education

For specific qualifications for each award, visit

www.tlu.edu/music-scholarships.

Eric Siu Asst. Professor, Violin William Hayter Shareen Vader Asst. Professor, Clarinet Instructor, Piano Sean Holmes Yvonne Vasquez Asst. Professor, Horn Instructor, Mariachi Chad Ibison Sophie Verhaeghe Asst. Professor, Guitar Instructor, Violin Ryan Wilkins Instructor, Bassoon

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

www.tlu.edu/music

them something more reliable than their experience at home. How we care for them is more important than how we teach them the skills of music. In last month’s column I wrote about the importance of music for music’s sake. Now I am referring to what we have often heard—our job is to teach and care for young people, and the medium through which we accomplish that is music. Many students do enjoy the theory of music, how it works, music history, the ability to play difficult music fast with fluidity, and many other cerebral aspects of it. But this is how we train our students and show them how much we care—through music. If all you and I cared about was wonderful music, we could download every piece of music we wanted to hear, and simply enjoy by listening to it. But that’s not all we are about. We are about caring for and loving our students. We want to make music classes and performing ensembles joyful experiences. Remember the popular notion that kids don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. While we are creating our daily lesson plans, whether online, on paper, or in our minds, I hope that we are the heart of our curriculum. We could be the smartest conductor, theorist, or instrumentalist who ever walked in a classroom, and it wouldn’t matter if the students didn’t think we cared. That’s not to say we don’t need good classroom management, a refined sense of classroom decorum, and an expectation from each student toward us as teachers, and toward their peers. When students understand that parameters are in place, they know we care. My friends, be the source and motivator for your wonderful students in this learning journey.

Sharing Ideas TMEA is known for its members who are willing to share their successful ideas rather than hoarding their secrets for success. I recently saw a picture online of three well-known and extremely capable directors living in the same part of Texas. They are all exemplary teachers. The post read, “Fierce competitors, fiercer friends.” This is what I am talking about. Friends and colleagues can compete while also caring for each other, appreciating what the others have to offer, and sharing proven teaching strategies—this is a noble goal. My drumline teacher counterpart in our town is a tremendous teacher and percussionist and has talents I can only wish for. However, he always wishes me the best when we go head-to-head. He always shares with me when I want to learn from him. I say this to offer two things about our members’ willingness to share their knowledge. First, your division Vice-Presidents have assembled for you a slate of clinics and performances that cannot be equaled. By now, you may know about some of those details. Trust me when I say that it’s too bad that we don’t have more time to offer even more clinics, because so many fantastic proposals are made, yet the reality is that we are limited by time and space in the short four days of the convention. This month you can learn about your division’s 2022 Clinic/Convention Featured Clinicians in the Vice-Presidents’ columns. Our Vice-Presidents work to secure these out-of-state master educators to give a series of clinics as a highlight of their divisional programs. The second reason I refer to TMEA members helping each other is because of our online resource entitled “Q&A for Music Teachers.” Issues in this volume of Southwestern Musician (2021–2022)

Working at a New School? Go to https://my.tmea.org and update your TMEA record, selecting your school (My Organizations) and entering new contact information (My Contact Info). School Name Not Found? If you are working at a new school and it is not available for selection, email susand@tmea.org (or submit a request from your online TMEA record) with as much of the following information as you have: School Name, District, Physical and Mailing Addresses, and TEA code (for Texas schools). Thank you! 6

Southwestern Musician | September 2021

include a collection of members’ answers to each month’s questions. Through this forum, you can help your fellow teachers by answering questions. TMEA sends members a new set of questions each month. At www.tmea.org/q&a, you can both answer questions and submit your own questions for consideration. Again, this is members helping members. I am truly honored to be part of such an unselfish group of people. Let me also reiterate a suggestion I previously offered. Our division VicePresidents are brilliant people, devoted not only to the members of their respective divisions, but to all student musicians in Texas. I invite you to look over the other divisional columns sometime in the next issue or two and see what I am talking about. Those officers were voted into their positions because of their focus on doing the best for Texas music students and for you. The following is offered more for directors of our secondary choirs, bands, and orchestras. It’s a quote from Dr. Brad Kent, Music Activities Director for UIL: Music teacher friends, as you begin to prepare for the ’21–’22 school year, I encourage you to not allow your selfworth to be determined by your group’s ratings and ranking record or by your résumé, but instead by the impact you make on music education and on your students’ lives. I believe this statement takes us back to my idea of why we are teaching. Are we teaching for honors and ratings? Well, that is certainly a fun part of it. But shouldn’t we make sure the impact we have on our students’ lives is our primary concern? Shouldn’t we ensure our curriculum isn’t driven by outperforming another group but rather by giving our students the best learning environment possible, with the sincerest regard to their lives, experiences, families, and situations? May we always know that music has intrinsic value and that our classrooms need to be places of enjoyment, fun, and a feeling of family. May kids be the reason why we teach, and may we be a primary reason they remain in music classes. Here’s hoping for a great fall! And if you have not done so, please renew your membership in TMEA and register for the 2022 Clinic/Convention. Just like our summer conventions, it will be great to be back in person again! 0

Attend the 2022 TMEA Clinic/Convention

FEBRUARY 9 –12

SAN ANTONIO, TX

WWW.TMEA.ORG/CONVENTION Southwestern Musician | September 2021

TMEA Executive Director ROBERT FLOYD

School Has Started. Now What? Students and teachers want to be validated, valued, and supported in what they do, and through music we have an amazing opportunity to make that happen.

y the time you read this, most teachers and students will have been back into school at least 1–2 weeks. So, with all the excitement of returning face-to-face with your students and colleagues, have your hopes for that experience been realized? Hopefully so, but perhaps the reality has been a tinge disappointing in that this new beginning has not been quite the joyous experience you had anticipated. I swore to myself I was not going to write another “new beginning” themed column. We are all ready to move past that. But the week of this column’s deadline, my attention got kidnapped by a couple of dear friends of TMEA and mine personally—Bob Morrison and Scott Edgar. Through their writings, webinars, and contributions to our Connections events, they have been preparing us to understand the role of social and emotional learning both during the virtual times, and now, when we are back to school face-to-face. During the summer conventions in San Antonio, Edgar presented a mini-keynote for the Texas Music Administrators Conference business meeting. He offered more insight about what we should expect and what we should be prepared for at this start of school. It was eye-opening, and it gave me a strong dose of reality regarding what our teachers will experience. As a follow-up, on August 5, Edgar teamed with Tim Lautzenheiser to deliver an online presentation where they gave TMAC even more details about what is important as we enter these first weeks of school. The recording is available at youtube.com.user/tmeaofficers. Just like not stepping into the classroom without liability insurance, don’t teach one more class without viewing this presentation.

Southwestern Musician | September 2021

MARK YOUR CALENDAR check www.tmea .org for updates

School of Music

If music is your passion,

TCU is your school.

Scholarship Opportunities Available For You NORDAN Scholarship instrumentalists, and composers of superior talent, who have chosen to major in music. NORDAN winners receive a four-year, FULL-TUITION AWARD.

NORDAN Auditions are by special invitation. January 15, 2022 - Nordan Scholarship* More information is available online at www.music.tcu.edu. *Prescreening Video Audition Required

AUDITION DATES FOR SPRING 2022

January 29 // February 5 // February 19

November 1, 2021 - Application Deadline for Early Action Consideration.

Graduate Programs Available For You disciplines. Graduate Assistantships are available.

MUSIC.TCU.EDU/ADMISSIONS

Watch all of our events on YouTube!

So, what is so transformative about their message? What could they possibly share that has not been said? First and foremost, they warn us that socialization for both teachers and students will take time to come back as we all return to a faceto-face environment. There will be lots of anxiety and uncertainty by both teachers and students, and we must respect and accept that. You have most likely already experienced it. For months Morrison has shared that the aftermath of the pandemic is a mental health crisis, and it could take a decade for some students to completely

Free RhythmBee App for students (with teacher subscription) *******************************

Band, Choir, Orchestra, & Elementary Music *******************************

Customer comment:

“Now sightreading is a non-event.” ********************************

New Features: Uniﬁed Format

measure & page loops, page select, unison to quartet, mute/unmute toggle

with

Single Unit Apps for easy access for students orders@rhythmbee.com 903-725-3304

recover from the loss of their socialization skills. Continuing, Edgar warned that on the first day of school, teachers were only one day past the last day of burnout and trauma, and we all need time to breathe. Read that statement again, and let it sink in. It takes trust and healing to make music and engage in the arts, and we just may not be there yet with our students in these early days of the school year. Simply put, both students and teachers may not yet be ready to open up and return to school in the same capacity we once experienced. The summer passed by way too fast without adequate time to “unstick” from where we have been lodged. Edgar shared his belief that the term learning loss should go away, explaining that it is an insult to both teachers and students who were victimized by something they had no control over—the pandemic and all it represented. (Perhaps the term should be learning delayed rather than loss.) But Commissioner of Education Mike Morath continually states that with so many students performing below grade level in one or more subjects, we are at risk of losing a whole generation of students. The reality is that those of us in arts education are not immune to performance level delay. It has not occurred only in the foundation subjects. Thus, we must be careful not to set performance standards too high too soon. As both Edgar and Morrison state, we must put students’ needs before the notes and rhythms and ask for their input as we seek a return to normalcy. Let students help you determine the baseline from where to start. Ignoring the present is dangerous. Perhaps, then, already turning in weekly recordings of All-Region material assignments, requiring excessive time outside the school day, and fast-forwarding with high intensity to rebuild the skills necessary to perform at the superior level at UIL C&SR Evaluation in the spring may not be the appropriate action to take. So, what else? The focus of many music educators beginning this school year is

recruiting and retention and rebuilding programs. The reality is that rebuilding will take time. Considering that, never has promoting your program within your community been more important. We must tell our story, and we must take advantage of every opportunity to be in front of the public, not just in a Friday night halftime show or holiday performance at a senior citizen center. Be sure to read TMEA members’ ideas on this topic within this month’s Q&A for Music Teachers installment on page 34. We should also be mindful that as we rebuild our programs, our audience within the community needs to include the parents of students in mid-elementary grades. Those parents need to be informed about how we connect with their children and shape their lives in our classrooms, both in the elementary and secondary music classrooms. When their fifth- or sixth-grade child comes home talking about joining band, choir, or orchestra, that parent should already be educated about its values. Also, Dr. Tim reminds us that all the tools of social media should be in play, and utilizing your students to tell your story is key to resonating with your audience. There is a concise guide on our website about how to advocate in your community, utilizing your booster club and parents of students already in your programs. I encourage you to take a look. Finally, as we begin the new year, we must acknowledge that in addressing notes and rhythms, we cannot stop at correctness. There is a whole world on the other side of notes and rhythms, anchored in heart, spirit, and soul, all ignited by music. Students and teachers want to be validated, valued, and supported in what they do, and through music we have an amazing opportunity to make that happen. Edgar closed his TMAC presentation with, “If we model a love for music and share that passion with our students, everything else will come. From trauma to trust through music, we will fight through this mental health crisis.” I wish you the best for a productive and successful fall. 0

Update Your Record • Renew Membership Register for the Convention • Get Liability Coverage

https://my.tmea.org/update 10 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

Brigham Young University

School of Music

SEEK TRUTH IN GREAT MUSIC

Are you really being

Your Best Self? by Jason Nitsch

ver the past many months, we have all gone to extraordinary measures to continue to create the kinds of experiences we want for our students and ourselves. With another school year underway, it’s imperative that we revisit and reevaluate, and that work begins internally, with ourselves. Teachers are among the most selfless workers in our society. How many times have we talked ourselves out of bed to go to school when we didn’t feel well—because that’s what teachers do? I’ve done it, and I’m sure you have also. We often believe it is more work to be absent than it is to just go to work sick. These are self-inflicted wounds we create every day, and it doesn’t have to be that way. I hope you’ll consider some of the following departure points and conclude that there are opportunities for better self-care that you can adopt for a better you.

Get More Sleep My self-care journey started with examining my sleeping habits. While this might sound like a softball suggestion to lead with, it’s important to note that a CDC study on morbidity and mortality reported that more than a third of Americans don’t get a full night’s sleep. With those numbers, it’s clear this is an area in which many of us can improve, so consider the following ideas: • Make sleep as important as other critical tasks, such as taking medicine. • Maintain a constant waking time. Build a desire to sleep through consistent wakefulness. • Relax before bed, without electronics, for at least one hour. 12 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

• If you wake in the middle of the night, don’t look at the time. Doing so will make you more alert as you calculate the time remaining until you are supposed to get up, the time elapsed since you went to sleep, or what you must do the next day. All this will result in a higher state of alertness that will prevent an easy return to sleep. Set Boundaries Today’s technology enables us to connect with each other in multiple ways without interruption. This always-on technology has created a false sense of constant availability to each other simply because the capability exists. Previously, I seemed to have an almost physiological need to answer texts and emails immediately. I feared that if I didn’t, I would miss out on something. I had an irrational concern that by letting messages remain unread for some time, I was allowing my work to pile up or I was creating more work for myself. As a result, I spent incredible amounts of time, day and night, returning messages and often interrupting dinner, movies, family time, sleep—everything. After I realized I needed to make changes for my own wellbeing, I established some boundaries: • I established days and times for returning emails. It was difficult at first, but my students and parents got used to it. • I don’t stay at school if I don’t absolutely have to. When there are no afterschool rehearsals, I pack up and head out. • I created multiple pathways for students and parents to get information. When information is easily available, parents email me less often.

Keeping the Joy of Music Strong Re-energize your kids, re-energize your program. When learning to read and understand music is faster and easier, it’s a more joyful experience. With Breezin’ Thru Theory’s scaffolded approach and complete curriculum, students quickly learn the fundamentals needed to build musicianship. Automated assessments save you tons of time, and the drills and games get kids excited about music theory – so they’re motivated to practice until they get 100%, boosting their self-confidence. No matter where you are with your music program, we’re here to support you in reaching your goals.

Subscribe Now! BreezinThruTheory.com or call 1-855-265-3805

Grades 5-12

Take this opportunity to find other avenues through which you can create a better experience for you and for your students. Find those opportunities in your own situation and be a part of creating new solutions, new practices, and new traditions. • I ensured these boundaries extend to and include all staff members. They know I’m always there if they need me, but we agree to respect each other’s time. Start. Change. Stop. I wish I could remember who first shared this idea, but it’s one I implement with my band occasionally, and it’s a great launching point for anyone wanting to make adjustments to improve their life. I do this with myself several times a year. I also believe in the power of the written word. We give our thoughts and ideas fidelity by writing them down and giving

them a physical life in the world. Once written, you can see them and you can remember writing them and what you thought and felt that motivated you to write them. Right now, take a moment and write down three things about your life: one to start, one to change, and one to stop. What you want to start can be as simple as wanting to read more books. It’s just a starting point. It’s one thing you can focus on that you want to start doing. Next write down one thing that you want to change. You aren’t stopping or starting something new, but you’re going to deliberately alter the way you are cur-

rently doing something. It can be as simple as changing the way you schedule afterschool rehearsals. It can be anything. Lastly, write down one thing that you are going to stop. Perhaps you’re going to stop staying at school after 5 p.m. Find something that bothers you or that is currently inhibiting you from living your best life, and choose to cut it out. This is often the most difficult of the three, because we often believe there isn’t anything that we’re doing that we can’t live without. You can—and you need to. Reevaluate Everything I would offer this advice any year, not just one in which a global pandemic has interrupted everything. Our experience over this last year gave many of us an unusual opportunity to rethink many things. Ask any marching band director if they had to reimagine any part of their fall season in 2020 and see what answer you get. While we were forced into this mode of reevaluation, I contend that it’s a very healthy process that we should be regularly engaging in—voluntarily. How many of us do things for our

MUSIC IS OUR MIDDLE NAME

Review scores and listen to MP3s of all of our new products for 2021-2022 Watch for information on upcoming new releases

Our 2020-2021 Concert Bands include: American Curtain Time - Arranged by Charles Booker Battle Of The Titans - By Dennis Eveland Black Horse Troop - Sousa - Edited by Charles Booker Canon Noel - By Nathan Hervey Celebration For Winds and Percussion - By Dennis Eveland Convivial - By Dennis Eveland Island Dreams - By Charlie Hill On The Mall - Goldman - Edited by Charles Booker Race Before Us - By Philip Loewen Soliloquy (Trumpet & Winds) - By Jim Colonna Walk In The Park - By Dennis Eveland

Our 2020-2021 Jazz Ensembles include: Angels We Have Heard On High - Arranged by Philip Loewen Fascinating Rhythm - Arranged by Charles Booker

By J. Richard Dunscomb

Groovisimo - By Michele Fernandez ‘Na Proxima Vida - By Michele Fernandez Visit our website to learn more about this FREE educational resource. Video interviews with superstar artists, educators and more. Currently includes over 40 interviews.

Phat Burger Boogaloo - By Charlie Hill Raise A Ruckus - Arranged by Anthony Susi Til We Meet Again - By Anthony Susi Toccata and Fudge - By Julian Bond What’ll I Do - Berlin - Arranged by Charles Booker

Texas based music publishing. Supporting Texas Music Education. Focused on publishing the music you need.

Visit us at www.printmusicsource.com Print Music Source / P.O. Box 817 / Seguin, Texas 78156 / Phone: (210)485-7791 / Email: printmusicsource@gmail.com 14 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

programs because it’s what our band director did, it’s what our supervising teacher did when we started teaching, or it’s the way we’ve always done it? Ask yourself whether each method, strategy, or style is truly working. If you’ve been doing something the same for years, is it still relevant? Our learners are changing, the way they take in information is different, and the way they value their experiences is changing. Have we kept up with those changes? Are we isolating ourselves, all while making our lives difficult for nothing more than tradition, and not even our tradition, but someone else’s in most cases? Take this opportunity to find other avenues through which you can create a better experience for you and for your students. Find those opportunities in your own situation and be a part of creating new solutions, new practices, and new traditions. This is something I engage in regularly, and I take pride in the fact that the experience that my students have today is not the same as the one that a student of mine would have had 10 years ago. Allow yourself to adapt and stay fresh and

relevant, personally and professionally. Your Solutions Are for You! Someone sent me a meme last summer while a lot of discussions were ongoing about what school would be like in the fall, whether we were going to have football games, marching band, and indoor concerts. The meme offered: “Your job will be posted before your obituary is posted.” Perhaps it’s harsh, but if you work yourself so hard that something happens to you that prevents you from working, or worse, someone will be in your classroom. Someone will be sitting at your desk. Your life needs to work for you. When my children were born, I had a difficult time figuring out how to be Dad and Band Director. Friends, colleagues, and even mentors would plainly say things like, “You’ll have to decide if your career is important, or if your family is important.” Or, “Someone else can take them to soccer, no one else can teach your sectional.” Or even, “It’s going to be impossible for you to ever be a head band director in Texas if you really intend to see your kids grow up.”

2021-22 Season

NewDawn NewDay NewLife

The disturbing thing is that these comments weren’t warnings. They were advice. They were outright rationalizations for why I should constantly choose my job instead of my family. So, I did some things differently. For example, on days when I had to stay late at school for a booster meeting or full orchestra rehearsal, I stacked all sectional rehearsals on that day. I might work an 18-hour day, but it also meant that I had one or two days that week with no afterschool rehearsals. When school let out, I left. I picked up my kids from daycare. I made dinner. I exercised. Yes—I got some interesting looks as I exited the building, but it worked for me. And, the band was still amazing. I hope as this year progresses, you will take the time to find things to start, change, and stop because your life needs to work for you. 0 Jason Nitsch is Director of Bands at Memorial HS in Frisco.

Coming out of the pandemic, the Brazos Valley Chorale will celebrate our return to the stage with a concert series featuring Norwegian composer, Ola Gjeilo’s (YAY-lo) symphonic mass – Sunrise. As the musical themes move from heaven to earth, the Chorale will explore a single movement in each of our four concerts. Additional music will expand on each theme as the Sunrise Mass uniquely unfolds during an entire season.

Fall The Spheres Kyrie

We begin our season with classic choral music that explores the heavens.

Christmas Sunrise Gloria

The song of the angels will highlight our annual Christmas program and will feature audience participation as we sing the great carols of the season.

Winter The City Credo

As our big cities return to normal life, we celebrate the hustle and bustle of The Big Apple as members of the BVC anticipate singing at Carnegie Hall in April.

Spring Identity & The Ground Sanctus & Agnus Dei

Nature themes will dominate our final concert – It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life, and we’re feelin’ good!

bvchorale.org/concerts Our program is made possible in part through Hotel Tax Revenue from the City of College Station and the City of Bryan through The Arts Council of the Brazos Valley. This project is also supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Auditions welcome | mail@bvchorale.org Southwestern Musician | September 2021 15

TMEA Band Vice-President

DANA PRADERVAND

A Lesson from a Music Icon There is a discipline to following our passion, and that is what makes a great music educator and music student.

In Memoriam John Tucker Brewer August 18, 1946–May 24, 2021

MARK YOUR CALENDAR check www.tmea .org for updates

September—Renew your membership and register for the convention. September 1—All-State etude errata submission deadline. October 7, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens. December 31—TMEA email/mail convention registration deadline. January 8—Area Band and Vocal auditions. January 20—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 9–12—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.

recently listened to an interview with an iconic entertainer who at a young age conquered the worlds of music and the big screen with such astonishing success she became a household name. When asked if she ever felt like giving up on developing her craft and following her dream, she didn’t hesitate. She emphatically replied, explaining that she never considered giving up because there is a discipline to following your passion! Her amazing perspective is a lesson I hope all music educators are teaching their students. By now you have welcomed your students back, assessed where to begin, established your procedures, and have set your goals for the year. I hope you’ve settled into the wonderful routine of your school day! The newness and excitement of the beginning of the semester is fading away, and now the real work has begun. Marching rehearsals have been going on for a month, TMEA audition music has been distributed to middle and high school students, section rehearsals are underway, and the first characteristic sounds are being created by our beginners. At this point it is difficult not to get caught up in the minutiae required for teaching band. And, again, I am reminded of the declaration there is a discipline to following your passion! The lesson isn’t new. Nothing worthwhile comes quickly or easily. In this age where so much can be immediately accessed, acquired, or achieved, it is critical to teach our students that true success is a path requiring perseverance, patience, and dedication. Creating a competitive marching show, making a Region Band, or tackling the beginning

Southwestern Musician | September 2021 17

fundamentals of learning an instrument, all require discipline. Discipline is key when newness and excitement wanes and mundane repetition is required. Teaching students to have passion for the music and love of playing their instrument is our responsibility; however, we must also teach self-discipline. Ultimately, it is fun to be good, and being good takes time and discipline! Discipline in following our passion also applies to us as educators. Being a band director can be very rewarding. It can also be one of the most mentally, emotionally, and physically draining professions. Sometimes we forget why we chose this profession, and we can become overwhelmed. This is the precise moment when we must continue to hone our craft by seeking ways to improve ourselves as musicians and as teachers. Go visit another band program, schedule a clinic with that director you admire, go to a professional development conference, volunteer with TMEA. Be intentional and disciplined with your own professional growth. It will fuel your passion for teaching. There is a discipline to following our passion, and that is what makes a great

music educator and music student. In case you were wondering, the famous musician and actress who offered this insightful statement is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta—Lady Gaga! TMEA Clinic/Convention Update Planning for our annual convention is well underway. The Executive Board and staff are excited about the clinic offerings and concerts being scheduled. Below, you’ll read about our division’s Invited Ensembles and our Featured Clinician. It is never too early to begin planning to attend our convention that will be held in San Antonio, February 9–12. Go to www.tmea.org/register now to pay the lowest fee to attend. On Thursday, October 7, TMEA will open its hotel reservation system. As many of you know, our convention hotel blocks fill up quickly, so don’t hesitate to make a reservation. We are so looking forward to seeing everyone in February! Be a TMEA Convention Volunteer! Please consider volunteering some time to help with the convention. Be an active part of making this great convention happen! There are many positions in which

we need your help, from clinic presider and performing group host to serving in the Band Division office, and they won’t require much time from your schedule. Please go to tmea.org/bandvolunteer to choose positions and times that work for you. Your time and help will be valuable and greatly appreciated. Invited Ensembles We are very excited to present concerts by our Band Division Invited Ensembles. Congratulations go to the following groups and their directors. We look forward to their performances in February! University and College Ensembles: • Tarleton State Univ, David Robinson, director • Tyler Junior College, Jeremy Strickland, director • UT/Arlington Jazz Orchestra, Tim Ishii, director • UT Wind Ensemble, Jerry Junkin, director HS Percussion Ensemble: Dawson HS (Pearland ISD), Louis Boldrighini, director

Music scholarships available to non-music majors ■ Faculty who focus on undergraduates ■ 16 ensembles, with national and international ensemble touring opportunities ■ Degrees in music education, performance, and composition ■ Master of Arts in Teaching, a 5th year program with a full year of student teaching and 100% job placement (25 consecutive years) ■ Located in culturally vibrant San Antonio ■ Study Abroad opportunities

trinity.edu/music

think. perform. explore. 18 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

The Trinity University Music Department is recognized as an ALL-STEINWAY SCHOOL by Steinway and Sons, for its commitment to excellence

HS Jazz Ensemble: Harlingen HS (Harlingen ISD), Maria Coronado, director MS Jazz Ensemble: Reynolds MS (Prosper ISD), Tina Parr, director HS Bands: • Aledo HS (Aledo ISD), Joey Paul, director • Harlan HS (Northside ISD), Andrew Tucker, director MS Bands: • Keller MS (Keller ISD), Jedidiah Maus, director • Krimmel IS (Klein ISD), Stetson Begin, director Featured Clinician I’m excited to introduce our division’s Featured Clinician, who will offer incredible clinics during our convention! Brian Balmages The music of awardwinning composer and conductor Brian Balmages has been performed throughout the world, with commissions ranging from elementary schools to professional orchestras. World premieres of his works have been in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. His music was also performed as part of the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service, attended by President Obama and Vice President

TMEA Scholarships

Biden. He is a recipient of the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association, winner of the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest with his work Love and Light, and he was awarded the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Visual and Performing Arts. Currently, he is Director of Instrumental Publications for the FJH Music Company and Assistant Director of Bands and Orchestras at Towson University. As a conductor, Balmages enjoys regular engage-

ments with all-state and region bands and orchestras, as well as university and professional ensembles throughout the world. Notable guest conducting appearances have included the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, College Band Directors Conference, American School Band Directors Association National Conference, and numerous state ASTA conferences. He has made additional conducting appearances at the Kennedy Center and Meyerhoff Symphony Hall as well as band and orchestra engagements in Australia, Canada, and Italy. 0

1849 University Ave. Berkeley, Ca 94703 800-322-6263 510-845-7178 www.forrestsmusic.com

Your one stop shop for all things double reed since 1944

Instruments Accessories Rental Repair

The Go Performing National Concert Festival is open to HS Bands & Orchestras and will be held March 25th - 26th, 2022 in the Lila Cockrell Theatre in Beautiful San Antonio, TX! Conﬁrmed Clinicians Include: Allan McMurray, Craig Kirchhoﬀ, H. Robert Reynolds, Robert Cameron, Jerry Junkin, Stanley DeRusha, Richard Floyd, and The Boston Brass. Mark Custom Recordings will record all performances. No Audition or Set Repertoire List. For Details and Registration information visit our website at www.GoPerforming.com.

TMEA is pleased to offer several scholarships each year for undergraduate and graduate study. To be eligible, complete all application requirements by November 1. Learn more at:

tmea.org/scholarships Southwestern Musician | September 2021 19

It Works for Me by natalia albacete

ducators often seek new ways to engage students in the learning process, especially beginners who are learning to play instruments. One way I motivate these students is by awarding badges for conquering difficult musical challenges or reaching significant milestones. Why Badges? Badges are a relatively inexpensive yet tangible reward. Because students show them off to their friends, badges also serve as a great way to promote our program. Most of our badges feature our band’s popular mascot, Tiny Potato, and our campus students and teachers recognize him as part of our weird yet charming band culture. He is cute, quirky, and trendy enough that the badges appeal to all our students. They’ve even become collectables. When we make limited edition badges, our kids scramble to earn them.

The Badge Challenge Consider what you want your students to focus on, and remember that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Look through your existing supplemental materials and decide what can represent an achievement. For example, there could be a badge for playing your warmup in tune all the way through. Need to focus on music pass offs? Create thematic badges to match the music you are having students play. We dressed Tiny Potato in a Santa hat and scarf for a button to award to students who passed off their winter concert music last year. Build It While they could be virtual, I prefer physical badges because students can pin them to their lanyard or backpack. Every time they look at their badges, they think about band in a positive way. I found a one-inch button maker online for less than $100, and it has been a reliable and worthwhile investment. Celebrate Milestones Beginners all learn some basics, even before learning music. For example, every clarinet player should know how to properly position their mouthpiece and ligature, while brass players should be able to demonstrate the proper way to oil their valves. These otherwise unsung moments become special when you commemorate them with a badge. Students who struggle to earn more challenging badges can have an opportunity to feel successful with these.

Build Community Consider surprising students with badges for service achievements such as an older student practicing with a younger one or a student who cleans up the band hall without being asked. Build the citizens and the culture you want by acknowledging and celebrating positive behaviors. Involve staff and administrators, too! We created a badge based on an administrator called the “Boss Badge.” Whenever a student earns it, the assistant principal comes to the band hall to present the badge to the student. It’s a great photo op and Tweet, and it’s good advocacy for your program (see an image of this presentation on page 1). Create a Culture To be successful, implementing a reward system like these badges requires they become part of your culture. Think of themes, jokes, characters, or traditions your band already has (or create them) to make this special. It doesn’t take long to build traditions with kids, and nothing makes a band student feel more special than being included on an inside story the rest of the school doesn’t get. I’ve utilized badges for years, but the success easily quadrupled once Tiny Potato became an icon for our program. Several of our band kids have even submitted their own Tiny Potato artwork to be featured on a future badge. Even the toughest and coolest kids love it. The more fun and inclusive it is, the more the kids buy in! Don’t Give Up Badges can be a fun aspect of the otherwise tedious, necessary work of mastering a craft. Know, however, that they may not be immediately effective. Don’t give up! Sometimes it takes a while to start a trend. If your kids aren’t buying in or think it’s too silly, consider their personalities and interests to figure out what might appeal to them—perhaps let them invent the badges. After all, though challenging, learning music is supposed to be fun, and badges may be just the motivation they need. 0 Natalia Albacete is the Head Band Director at West Lake MS in Humble ISD.

Southwestern Musician | September 2021 21

AUDITIONS

Scholarships/assistantships available.

music.txstate.edu

Texas State University, to the extent not in conflict with federal or state law, prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, veterans’ status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Texas State University is a tobacco-free campus.

October 23, 2021 November 13, 2021 February 5, 2022 March 5, 2022

TMEA Orchestra Vice-President

ANN G. SMITH

Just Go Practice or Now Go Practice? As our students’ ensemble director, we need to demonstrate good practice habits and work to provide that essential framework for practicing within our daily orchestra rehearsal.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR check www.tmea .org for updates

September—Renew your membership and register for the convention. September 1—All-State etude errata submission deadline. October 7, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens. December 31—TMEA email/mail convention registration deadline. January 20—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 9–12—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.

he 2021–2022 school year has begun, and we are all on our way to a year of exceptional performances and touching musical moments. Whether we are teaching from the podium or as a private lesson instructor, we want our students to practice. When we encourage our students to practice, do we say, “Just go practice,” or “Now go practice”? Other than the one-word variance, what’s the real difference between these two phrases in our classrooms? Just go practice implies that the students know and understand the process and can make the connection between the work in rehearsal to the work as an individual. This phrase does not provide the framework for a practice session at home. The phrase now go practice implies that the practice process has been demonstrated, taught, and is understood by the student musician. As a young musician, I was often told by my ensemble directors and my private teachers, “Just go practice.” It wasn’t until I was in my third year of undergraduate work that my applied teacher provided a framework for my practice and said, “Now go practice.” Looking back over my 26 years of teaching, evaluating my approach with students about practicing, I realize I often defaulted to just go practice. I now realize my students are more successful when I say “now go practice,” with a demonstration of what that means. Most private teachers demonstrate and teach good practice habits. They provide a framework for the musicians and their approach to practicing. A young musician with a private teacher who provides practice guidance and framework knows how to practice a concerto. Does that

Southwestern Musician | September 2021 23

transfer to a young musician making the connection to their ensemble music? As our students’ ensemble director, we need to demonstrate good practice habits and work to provide that essential framework for practicing within our daily orchestra rehearsal. We shouldn’t expect our students to know how best to practice. If we don’t provide this guidance, our students won’t be able to achieve all of which they are capable. Many of our students will simply not practice, resulting in minimal to no musical growth and possibly the development of bad habits that “practice makes permanent.” Others will lose interest in the musical process, not completely understanding the value of practice and personal growth. For the numerous students who don’t have access to a private teacher, if good practice habits aren’t taught in rehearsal, they have little chance of developing them We should be viewed as the experts and as such help the students grow as musicians, connecting the ideas and lines by providing them with practice processes and framework. So what should this look like? The framework can vary from program to program, depending on its needs. The structure of my large ensemble rehearsals mirrors that of a private lesson

with a warmup, technique work, then literature. We need to articulate goals both on the individual and ensemble levels. Deciding what these goals are can be a two-sided approach. The leader of the group has the knowledge and skills to determine what those daily and long-term goals should be. After you establish those ensemble goals, you can help students identify and establish personal and group goals. Your students need to have a role in the goalsetting process. When they are involved, they will develop more ownership in the process. Beginning any rehearsal or practice session with a warmup is essential. Warmups should include stretching and moving exercises. Try leading some simple stretching exercises that work small muscles to the larger muscles. Simple exercises should include moving our fingers, stretching our wrists, arm circles, neck range of motion exercises, and stretches for the back. Include breathing exercises in the warmup. Breathing exercises activate the brain, and since breathing is essential in our performances, young musicians can make connections between breathing warmups and how to breathe during a performance. Keeping the idea of slowly moving mus-

2022 TMEA CLINIC/CONVENTION FEBRUARY 9 –12, SAN ANTONIO WWW.TMEA.ORG/CONVENTION 24 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

cles, long tones and slow scale work would be the next step in the warmup process. I utilize the idea of playing scales first with half notes, then again on quarter notes, two eighth notes per bow, four eighth notes per bow, etc. Not only is the left hand working from slow to faster, but the right hand is also. By the time movement and scales are completed, all students are loose and warmed up. I perform these exercises with most of my orchestras to lead by example. When I demonstrate that it is important to me, it becomes important to my students. Each ensemble needs time for technique development. This time includes technique exercises for long-term development as well as exercises that have a direct correlation to the literature being rehearsed. We need to introduce advanced technique before it is present in the literature—longevity of skill development provides an avenue for greater success. We also need to practice technique that has direct correlation to the music we are performing. Isolating technique outside a piece of music will help our young musicians execute that technique when they experience the adrenaline and anxiety that comes with performance. I think it is universally understood that when we rehearse our literature, it isn’t best practice to run pieces from beginning to end. We need a plan for rehearsing specific measures and sections, limiting the full run until necessary. If we run pieces too often or at the wrong time, we reinforce this habit that occurs so frequently when our students practice at home. All these things take time. Finding time to plan is difficult, but as we do this planning, our rehearsals are more successful. With every successful rehearsal more students will make the connection between rehearsals and proper practice structure. While the rehearsal structure mentioned above isn’t new to most of us and rehearsal structure varies by program, the idea of modeling our rehearsal in a manner that demonstrates how to practice is something we all need to consider. We have a responsibility to teach our students how to practice, and those skills do not come naturally to the average young musician. So at the end of our rehearsals when we are tempted to say “just go practice,” let’s say “now go practice.” When our rehearsals reflect good practice technique, students can draw the connection between

the work in rehearsal and how individual practice will happen. TMEA Clinic/Convention Update Be sure to register to attend our 2022 event where we will return to San Antonio and enjoy four amazing days of inspiration and learning together again! As of October 7, you can make your hotel reservation at www.tmea.org/housing. TMEA continues to work to bring you the lowest rates on hotels near the convention center, so be sure to book through the official reservation system that will be linked from our website. Invited Ensembles We are so excited to present concerts by our Orchestra Division Invited Ensembles! Congratulations go to the following groups and their directors. We look forward to their performances in February! University Orchestra: Univ of Houston Moores School of Music Symphony Orchestra, Franz Krager, director High School Full Orchestra: Byron Nelson HS Symphony Orchestra (Northwest ISD), Gary Keller, director

High School String Orchestras: • Cinco Ranch HS Sinfonia Orchestra (Katy ISD), Brett Nelsen, director • Memorial HS Sinfonia Orchestra (Spring Branch ISD), Danielle Prontka, director Middle School Full Orchestra: Dulles MS Symphony Orchestra (Fort Bend ISD), Sally Kirk, director HS Mariachi Ensemble: Sharyland HS Mariachi Nuevo Cascabel (Sharyland ISD), Juan Lopez, director Featured Clinician This month, I’m pleased to introduce our Orchestra Division 2022 Featured Clinician, who will offer amazing clinics during our convention. Margaret Selby Margaret Selby is the orchestra director and 2020–2021 Teacher of the Year at Laing MS in Charleston, S.C., where she grew the program from

around 40 to over 200 students in a short five years. She is a contributing author of Rehearsing the Middle School Orchestra, published by Meredith Music and distributed by GIA. She is an in-demand adjudicator, clinician, and conductor across the nation and has conducted the West Virginia Junior All-State Orchestra and multiple regional orchestras across the southeast. Selby copresented sessions for the 2012, 2020, and 2021 ASTA National Conferences and was a panelist at the 2019 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. She has also presented sessions for TODA and SCMEA and has adjudicated orchestra festivals in Las Vegas and South Carolina. From 2015 to 2017, she was the President of the South Carolina Music Educators Association Orchestra Division, and she currently serves on their Executive Board. She is a registered Suzuki cello teacher and a freelance cellist who has performed with the South Carolina Philharmonic and the Charleston Symphony. She earned degrees in music education and cello performance from the University of South Carolina. 0

Music Scholarship AUDITIONS 2021-2022

NOW ACCEPTING VIDEO AUDITIONS!

• SATURDAY, NOV. 6, 2021 • SATURDAY, FEB. 5, 2022

• SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2022 • SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022 TAMIU OFFERS THE FOLLOWING DEGREES: • BA DOUBLE MAJOR (MUSIC + ONE OTHER WITHIN THE COLLEGE) • BM IN PERFORMANCE • BACHELOR OF MUSIC EDUCATION TAMIU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES • DEPARTMENT OF FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS • WWW.TAMIU.EDU/COAS/FPA • 956.326.2663

Southwestern Musician | September 2021 25

REHEARSAL REVOLUTION BY JOEL SCHUT

ave you ever lost your group in rehearsal? The blank stares, the shoulder exhale, perhaps even a frustrated eye roll? Despite our best intentions, students know our routines and predict our repeated behaviors. We keep things interesting through creative and strategic variation. The rehearsal space is your house. You facilitate the climate, weather, energy profile, expectation, and inertia. It is also where the magic happens, allowing for ensemble decisions to be shared later in performance. We must ask whether students are actively thinking, experiencing, connecting, questioning, remembering, and applying in our rehearsal experiences. While great rehearsals should empower students to become their best, they should also sharpen the teacher. Below are some of my favorite strategies for varying the rehearsal process in middle and high school classrooms with student and teacher in mind. The ideas work for a range of ensemble levels with duration and intensity matched to skill levels. And while the examples I offer are orchestral, the concepts easily extend to all ensemble types. 26 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

My hope is these ideas provide courage to start a renaissance— perhaps a revolution—in your rehearsals. REHEARSAL PRELUDE Great rehearsals begin before the downbeat, through preparation and expectation. Get students thinking before rehearsal! Provide rehearsal orders in creative formats such as formal design, key signature, date of composition, composer dates or nationality, publisher, etc. (see the Rehearsal Order example table on page 28). Provide specific warmup directives such as numbered repetitions, stand partner tasks, or section excerpt play throughs. Give students the tools to become creative and increasingly independent in their rehearsal warmup preparations. REARRANGING REHEARSAL: MOVEMENT AND SETUP Have you ever rearranged something in your classroom and found that everyone immediately noticed? Physical space and proxemics matter. It is a geographical communication of something

THE UTEP DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC IS PROUD TO INTRODUCE

DR. JULIANA GAONA AS OUR NEW

OBOE PROFESSOR

BOHUSLAV RATTAY AS OUR NEW

DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRAL ACTIVITIES

DR. ANDY SMITH AS OUR NEW

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PERCUSSION

Hear our new faculty Solo and Chamber Recitals as well as their students in our ensembles by visiting our online calendar of events at music.utep.edu

Rehearsal Order Examples

W.A. Mozart, Divertimento in F Christopher Theofanidis, Rainbow Body Caroline Shaw, Entr’acte

Formal Design

Key

Sonata

F major

1772

Tone Poem

A minor

Minuet and Trio A–E–D–E–A

Astor Piazzolla, La Muerte del Angel

Rondo

new. While many directors may have experimented with setup changes, it is important to question whether we are maximizing the experience. Are we implementing changes to direct listening or apply rehearsal intensity? Reverse-engineer the rehearsal need and determine which shape helps best accomplish the goal. For section unity, consider section circles. For part independence, consider chamber pods. For listening across a full orchestra, consider moving wind players to the podium surrounded by strings. For waning student motivation, provide three minutes to rearrange as a flattering cartoon of the director. Go to www.tmea.org/setupchanges for details and illustrations of some of my favorite movement and setup examples. It’s grouped by section and ensemble, in increasing order of chaos. Choose your adventure! In all movement and space reconfiguration, remember to include students in the musical why. Share with them, “Here is our musical problem. Which configuration will allow us to best address this?” When students own the goals, movement and altered-space rehearsals avoid the trap of being musical chairs only as an exercise. REIMAGINING REHEARSAL Score Projection: As a student, I imagined scores as a conductor’s book of secrets. With ever increasing access to personal devices and image projection, consider sharing scores and welcome students into your score study process. This aids visual learners and can be used to guide student ears and eyes for deeper collaboration. Work to generate questions (who leads?), experiment with alternatives (how does the color change adding bass?), and consider playing sections from the projected score. Share your formal analysis, working to emphasize the “weird,” 28 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

D minor– D major

Year Composer Composed Dates

Nationality

Publisher

1756–1791

Austria

Leopold

2000

b. 1967

Greece

Yale/Eastman

2011

b. 1982

1965

1921–1992

including new material, structural irregularities, or moments of unique dissonance. Tone- and Style-Driven Rehearsals: A world of opportunity exists beyond notes, rhythms, and bowings. For me, tone and style are holy grails of music-making, providing endless experimentation, decisions, and goals. Most importantly, they force communication and listening in multidimensional ways. Pivotal Thing: Find the stylistic crux on which the entire work depends. For me, Britten’s Four Sea Interludes Mvt. 4 string slurs must begin with no accent to achieve the virulent slosh of sea, while Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1, Mvt. 3 third beats must be nearly evaporated to place the dance form on its toes. Speak in Tone Color: Model the desired ensemble tone color vocally. Have students ask and answer questions speaking in a tone color that reflects each section. Tonal Pillars: Establish crux moments based on tone color. Hold chords to set the ideal sound, voicing, and resonance as listening arrival goals. This could range from a buzzing dissonance in a Beethoven symphony to a levitating “Enchanted Garden” climax in Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite. REPETITION STRATEGIES Exchange “one more time” and “from the top” with creative repetitions: Like Spots: Student retention often requires modeling transference. Consider rehearsing all similar themes back to back, emphasizing changes in instrumentation, register, and orchestration. Rehearse similar key centers back to back, especially those with unique harmonic significance. Transitions: Connective materials are often the weakest links, posing significant harmonic, tempo, and orchestration challenges. Rehearse all transitions back to back. Horse to the Barn: Compared to beginnings, endings are often under-rehearsed.

United States Rice/Princeton Argentina

Ginastera/ Boulanger

Polish the final measure or section and work backward, adding one measure or phrase at a time. The goal is to create a gravitational pull of excellence toward the conclusion. Interleaved Practice: While repetition is important, mixing practice with other skills helps accelerate learning. Interleave the rehearsal by juxtaposing difficult sections in a round robin fashion. This requires constant information retrieval and, while initially more difficult than single-spot repetition, facilitates faster skill retention and reliability. Find Opposites: Rehearse extreme ends of dynamic, articulation, or emotive ranges back to back to establish spectrum ends. Hearing the loudest/softest, longest/shortest, most introverted/extroverted helps create a framework for musical decisions. RE-EMPOWERING STUDENTS Have you ever taught a student who knew what needed to be fixed or perhaps heard things you did not? Give them more than a voice. Provide responsibility! Student Agenda: Save 10 minutes at the end of a rehearsal and offer: “My musical agenda for today is done, what is on yours?” Section Leader Spots Rehearsal: Dedicate a full rehearsal to spots selected by section leaders. Empower them to describe who, where, and why, and rehearse passages either alone or in ensemble context. Solicit Feedback: Provide students an opportunity for anonymous rehearsal feedback on paper or through an online poll. Benjamin Zander notably calls these “white sheets.” Section Leader Comments: Create space before, during, or after rehearsal for section leaders to provide section encouragement and constructive recommendations. Leader Chamber Music: Before the first rehearsal, allow section leadership to hold a separate preparatory rehearsal. This

places pressure on part preparation and can help prime communication solutions (bowings, page turns, errata, etc.). REGROWING YOU We ask students to improve with each rehearsal, yet do we ask of ourselves the same? Below are some of my favorite conductor challenges to improve conductor poignancy and rehearsal efficiency: Play/Talk Ratio: Work for a fast-paced and lean ratio of 80% playing, 20% talking. Record yourself and then track the minutes you spent in each mode. Retool excess verbiage into active modeling and conducting formats whenever possible. Comment Syntax: Speak using who– where–what ordering. This helps deliver content in the manner the brain most easily identifies, locates, and applies information. Comment Challenge: Set a goal of providing a minimum of three action items for every rehearsal stop, concisely delivered in less than 30 seconds. Avoid redundancy by allowing a single breath to communicate each main instruction. Sticky Language: Use direct, vivid, and imaginative language that sticks in the memory and allows for future code work development (e.g., “elephantine accents,”

“effervescent arm weight tone”). Monk Rehearsal: Take a vow of silence, turning the focus on gestural communication. Raise it one level by asking students to communicate via gesture or playing only. Neanderthal Speak: Speak using only short phrases or established code words such as “from the string,” “shape of line,” “no break,” “subdivide 16ths,” “bow lane 4,” “strong/weak,” “I go to there.” Teacher-Performer Led Rehearsals: Join the ensemble, playing your instrument. Model expectations for cues, breathing, and connection, demonstrating how to lead! Conductorless Rehearsals: Step off the podium and stand in a section that is not your primary instrument or where your eyes do not naturally track the score. Coach like a chamber group. Travel with your score. Rehearse from opposite sections. Inspire students to be responsible for cueing, breathing, and leading chamber music skills. Relay Rehearsal: Split the ensemble into two or more groups, assigning unique musical sections by phrase structure, rehearsal number, or measure groupings. Rehearse the work cleanly, passing the musical baton between groups. Students

Invest

must be ready to receive and pass off confidently! Caffeinated Conductor: Teach ensemble adaptability by intentionally altering variables slightly outside your norm. Flex tempos ±10bpm, ±5bpm, ±2bpm; show new articulations/dynamics; or drop/add a beat. An excellent ensemble is a flexible ensemble! Special Guests: Invite honored listeners (principal, custodian, community members, etc.) into the rehearsal process. Similarly, take on guest conductor personas for musical purposes. Welcome “Maestro Fussy” or “Maestra Musicality” for a day. Create space for student conductors. You never know when you might inspire the next generation of music educators! I hope this list sparks new ideas or dusts off old ones. If you find yourself lost for a lesson plan or sense a student not-again moment looming, take a risk and try one of these suggestions. Rehearsal revolutions need only start with a single courageous step. We are limited only by our imaginations. 0 Joel Schut is Assistant Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder

in our future art a

Texas Future Music Educators offers students who have an interest in a music education career the support and information they need to help them prepare for their future. TFME members who preregister may attend the annual TMEA Clinic/Convention on Friday and Saturday.

1. Go to www.tmea.org/tfme to create a chapter—it’s easy!

Grant Funding

2. Market TFME to all high school music students. 3. Submit your chapter charter and dues to TMEA.

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

St er chapt l! l this fa

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

TFME chapters can apply for up to $300 annually to pay for clinicians and their travel. Host influential music educators and musicians who can help your chapter members envision their future!

Southwestern Musician | September 2021 29

SING PLAY CREATE

@uhmooresschool @uhmooresschool uh.edu/kgmca/music

TMEA Vocal Vice-President JESSE CANNON II

Lessons Learned from Ted Lasso The more we learn about something, the more we open ourselves to different points of view, and the more we question, the more truth and wisdom we will experience.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR check www.tmea .org for updates

September—Renew your membership and register for the convention. October 7, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens. December 31—TMEA email/mail convention registration deadline. January 8—Area Vocal and Band auditions. January 20—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 9–12—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.

n my opinion, one of the good things to come out of the year 2020 was the TV show Ted Lasso. Ted is a mildly successful American college football coach. In the first episode, he gets recruited to coach an English Premier League soccer team. Ted knows nothing about soccer or Great Britain. On the surface, it’s just another amusing fish-out-of-water story. However, I’ve managed to take away a few nuggets of wisdom while watching the show. In this month’s column, I’ll share some of those, as well as a powerful scene that I believe parallels our profession. Kindness Matters Watching Ted Lasso, two things immediately stand out. First, this man is extremely kind to all those around him. He is thoughtful, humble, and focused on others. He brings gifts, remembers birthdays, and looks for little ways to care for others. Second, everyone is completely shocked by his kindness. This is what surprised me the most—people don’t expect kindness from their leaders. They expect them to be egocentric know-it-alls, not kind caregivers. Bullying and Intimidation Are Not Leadership Techniques Ted Lasso’s leadership is marked not only by what he does, but also by what he doesn’t do. As I watched the show, I realized I kept waiting for him to do what’s often expected of most coaches—to go in the locker

Southwestern Musician | September 2021 31

room and scream at the players. I kept expecting him to use threats, intimidation, and bullying. Instead, he was patient. He taught them. He led by example. Be a Goldfish Coach Lasso points out frequently that the goldfish is the happiest animal in the world because it has only a ten-second memory. Obviously, we should all learn from our mistakes, but there is no money in lying awake at night agonizing over where the day’s decisions led us. Make the Extra Pass Don’t take on too much to make others happy or to keep things under your control. Know your limitations and when it would be beneficial to the team to pass along tasks or credit. A recent episode included a moment that taught a very important lesson and made me reflect and go deeper. This scene happens in a pub where Ted finds himself in a game of darts against a bully who is sure to win. As the game heats up and a crowd gathers around, you begin to realize that Ted is surprisingly good at darts. As Ted hits bullseye after bullseye, the bully slowly begins to realize he’s been outsmarted. Ted says: You know Rupert, guys have underestimated me my entire life, and for years I never understood why. It used to really bother me. But then one day, I was driving my little boy to school, and I saw this quote by Walt Whitman painted on the side of the wall, and it said, “Be curious, not judgmental.” I like that. And all of a sudden it hits me. All of them fellas that used to belittle me—not a single one of them were curious. They thought they had everything all figured out, so they judged everything and they judged everyone. Ted keeps hitting marks on the board, and he goes on to say that curious people ask questions instead of assuming they know everything and everyone. So what would happen if we replaced our judgments with curiosity? What would our profession look like? And what would our classrooms feel like? These are all questions that have been on my mind since reflecting on Ted’s commentary on curiosity rather than judgement. I have found that I need to check myself all the time to be more curious rather than judgmental. In doing so, I have 32 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

been surprised often to find my assumptions were wrong. I’ve also learned that being curious is much more enjoyable, educational, and energy-saving than being judgmental. The more we learn about something, the more we open ourselves to different points of view, and the more we question, the more truth and wisdom we will experience. As leaders, we must continue to pursue truth and wisdom as our profession continues its fast pace of change. It serves leaders to be curious, to not judge, and to not rely on what has worked in the past. TMEA Clinic/Convention Update I’m so looking forward to our in-person convention that’s just five months away! Below you’ll get a bit of a preview of what to expect from the Vocal Division. TMEA 2022 Invited Choirs Join me in congratulating the following groups and their directors who were selected to perform during our 2022 TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio February 9–12. We look forward to witnessing their performances and experiencing the joy of music-making together! Middle School: • Friendswood JH Chamber Choir (Friendswood ISD), Laura Rachita, director • Renner MS A Cappella Treble Choir (Plano ISD), Halley Radebaugh, director • Faubion MS Cambiata Men’s Chorus (McKinney ISD), Liz Turner, director • Young JH Men’s Chorus (Arlington ISD), Christine Jones, director High School: • Argyle HS Concert Choir (Argyle ISD), William Griswold, director • Magnolia HS Chorale (Magnolia ISD), Jennifer Franz-Melady, director • Midway HS Varsity Women’s Choir (Midway ISD), Jannifer Rice, director • Granbury HS Tenor-Bass Choir (Granbury ISD), Kendra Fisher, director • Frenship HS Varsity Chorale (Frenship ISD), Amy Moss, director • Plano East Senior HS Concert Choir (Plano ISD), Daniel Knight, director

College/University: • Stephen F. Austin State University A Cappella Choir, Michael Murphy, director • Texas Tech University Choir, Alan Zabriskie, director TMEA Volunteers There are many opportunities for you to serve and your volunteerism ensures our 2022 event is the incredible success we all anticipate! To register and indicate your areas of interest and availability, go to www.tmea.org/vocalvolunteer. Featured Clinician I’m pleased to introduce our 2022 Vocal Division Featured Clinician. You can look forward to incredible learning opportunities through her clinics. Alice Hammel Virginia Music Educator Association’s Outstanding Educator (2018) and current President-Elect of the Virginia Music Educators Association, Alice Hammel is a widely known music educator, author, and clinician whose experience in music is extraordinarily diverse. She is a member of the faculty of James Madison University and has many years of experience teaching instrumental and choral music in public and private schools. Hammel has put these varied experiences to great use while compiling a large body of scholarly work. She is a coauthor for four texts: Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs: A Label-free Approach, Teaching Music to Students with Autism, Winding It Back: Teaching to Individual Differences in Music Classroom and Ensemble Settings, and Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs: A Practical Resource. Hammel is President of the Council for Exceptional Children– Division for Visual and Performing Arts Education. Convention Housing TMEA is working to secure the most affordable nightly hotel rates near the convention center. Our hotel reservations will open Thursday, October 7, and I encourage you to reserve early to ensure you have a place to stay for our amazing annual event! Go to www.tmea.org/housing. 0

Thanks go to TMEA members who offered responses to the following questions. Go to www.tmea.org/q&a to view additional answers to these and other questions or to suggest a question for a future issue.

How do you recapture students who have left your program?

•

• •

In addition to my own appeals to students who haven’t signed up for the upcoming year, I ask orchestra officers to reach out to them so that the students feel valued and hear from peers about how they are wanted in orchestra. To end each year in the happiest way, we host several socials where students have a great time surrounded by friends. When students have a sense of belonging and feel appreciated, they are more likely to stay in the program. —Sally Kirk, Dulles MS I do my best to create good relationships with my students. I know who is good at sports, who is into anime, who has a new baby sister, and who loves robotics. My students know I care about them and want them to stay in band. Those who want to try something new know I understand. I make sure it is clear that the door is always open for their return and assure them they can catch up. —Gentry Ragsdale, Anna MS The key to getting them back is getting them in the room. Get them involved early and don’t let them hide. Meet them where they are. They’re probably behind, so be patient and understanding. Be positive and keep encouraging them to keep trying. If their decision was pandemic-related, I have called parents and asked if there is anything reasonable we could do to get their child back in band. I explain that it’s understandable that their child might not want to return since we didn’t have regular band last year. After reassuring them that we’ll be in person, many have returned. —John Carroll, Permian HS

34 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

•

The most effective way back is through their friends. Many return for the sole reason of being with their friends. I use my hall monitor status to touch base with all students, letting them know they are valuable and important to our school whether or not they are in my program. I aim to be the friendliest adult in school—I’m not a pushover, but a conversationalist with a genuine interest in what they do. —Aaron A. Rathbun, Post HS I am challenging myself to step outside of my comfort zone by building other ensemble experiences like Son Jarocho or Modern Band Ensemble. More than anything, consider surveying your students. Listen to what they want, and try to jump in even if it feels scary and foreign. We need to recruit more than just band directors and choir directors; we need amazing elementary specialists too, or as I call them, elementary directors. —Arturo Trevino, Jr, Aiken ES Running a private lesson studio with 35–40 students, I work a lot on retention. It’s important to be personal and flexible with rescheduling (if reasonable). Answer email within 24 hours and communicate with parents regularly. This has proven essential for them to keep their children in lessons. Teach so that students are having a good time while honing their skills—it’s the best promotion for a program, private studio, etc. —Shulamith Barbe, Clear Lake ISD I always talk with them to learn why they wanted to leave and, most importantly, to tell them why I want them to return. If they have a good response to my questions or a good reason to have left, I simply respect their decision. Never try to pressure a reluctant student to sign back up for your ensemble. This can easily result in negativity that can spread to others. —Cody Parrott, UT/Austin

• If a student indicates they want to quit, ask them to envi-

sion returning for their 20-year reunion and consider who they want to see. They almost always say they’ll want to see their band friends; then you can segue into asking why they were considering leaving. For students who leave, some will return and will be clearly happy with that decision. This serves as a testament to others about the value of staying. —Todd Toney, North Garland HS (retired)

• Offer multiple means of participation, such as altered

rehearsals and class meetings that allow previous or current remote learners to connect with those on campus. As always, adhere to standards such as ADA, IDEA, and IEP if this applies to a student, as students with exceptional needs are always allowed a place in the music classroom. —Bonnie Lanicek, Lancaster MS

• I can only do so much, but the ones who will be most suc-

cessful at getting a student to return to choir are their friends. —Jason Mincy, Barwise MS

What’s the most effective way to get parents involved and supportive while maintaining authority as program director?

• Develop a vision for the program along with a small group of your supportive parents first. After that, ask more parents to get involved to fill roles (e.g., collecting event tickets, calling parents about an upcoming event, loading crew, water

relief crew). This will ensure you are utilizing parents in areas where they can agree to offer support. I rarely allow parents to dictate rules within the program, but I want them as supportive partners with roles based on their interest and available time. —Renferd Joseph, Alief ISD

• There are always parents who want to be involved, but

sometimes that’s not obvious. Whenever I see parents, I talk with them and try to learn more about them. Recently I told a parent how great it was when they cooked tacos for an event and asked if they’d like to be our cook for marching band. They were thrilled and excited to be a part of the group! When working with parents or any volunteers, treat them with respect, be grateful, and take time to talk with them even when you feel tired or stressed. This will go a long way. We must realize they don’t know the full extent of our jobs, so we must be patient and take time to listen. Giving direct and specific information on how parents can help is important for preserving the director/authority role. —Charles Gardner, Whitesboro HS

• I have used online newsletters through MailChimp or Smore to give parents the opportunity to be informed and get involved. I have also communicated through Remind and use a Google Voice number for texting so parents can easily contact me. —Heather McGowan, Sul Ross MS

• Parents get involved when their kids are happy. Remember you’re here for the kids; they’re not here for your ego. —Ray Ridens, Quanah ISD

Southwestern Musician | September 2021 35

• Headstrong parents can be very helpful. Be intentional

about responding, not reacting. If the communication is via email, take time between your receipt and response and use that time to thoroughly understand the intent. This can help you find the best solution. If the communication is via phone or in-person, learn to be comfortable with not having all the answers immediately. Talking less in stressful situations can give you more room to be successful later. —Amy Bennett, Leaman JH

• When you are organized and communicate clearly, parents

will be more receptive to your requests. Include as much information and guidance as possible, and include the time commitment required. To preserve your director role/authority, the clearer your expectations and vision are, the better. If you don’t demonstrate your role as program leader, someone else will. —David Stephenson, Alamo Heights HS

• The most effective way to involve parents is to share their

child’s progress and growth as a musician. Communication must be consistent, accessible, and directed toward positive outcomes. —Kristi Strother, Como and Daggett Montessori Schools

• Keep parents informed, and don’t be afraid to ask for

help! When dealing with strong personalities, let them talk—uninterrupted! Once they get everything said, then calmly respond. Most issues will get worked out. Sometimes you may need to compromise, and as long as you aren’t compromising your teaching or your reasons behind it, be open to that opportunity. Be practical, be humble! —Bruce J. Beach, Retired

• If there is a need, parents will step up to fill it. They seem to

come out of the woodwork to donate items and help complete the tasks you identify. When working with a headstrong volunteer, meet one-on-one in a non-threatening manner and explain why it is important for the directors and parents to be on the same page. We must work together as a team for “our

kids.” As the director, you know best what the band needs. Listen to their input. They will have good ideas, and sometimes they may simply not understand the program direction. In extreme situations, you can request a meeting with one parent, you, and your principal to review UIL guidelines on booster clubs. I have had some successful experiences in that regard if anyone wants to contact me for guidance with a specific problem. —Michael Hejny, Arlington HS

• Build relationships with the parents slowly. Chat with them

when they pick up their kids from late rehearsals or check them in for a special event. These were the parents I believed were most receptive to being asked to help. While I’m the kind of person to try to do everything myself, I gradually learned to say yes when a parent offered to help with something as simple as setting up the snack table for our choir mini-camp. Eventually, I learned to ask one of those parents if they could recommend someone to help move instruments or repair a show prop. Giving people credit on printed programs or shout-outs at the concert encouraged continued support. —Linda Richter, Retired

• I am a private instructor and served in volunteer capaci-

ties when my kids were in school band. I find it most effective to meet in person, send regular updates via email (I do monthly), and send a get well card when a student is ill for a long time. In other words, make it personal. It also helps a lot to inform parents about their student’s instrument: upkeep, maintenance, a bit of information on what it requires to be able to play it well, and give parents specific tasks to help them help their student succeed. Another fun and effective strategy is applauding parents at events: have them receive applause and pats on the back from students. Parents are their children’s most important teachers. We must always respect and support that. —Shulamith Barbe, Clear Lake ISD

• At the beginning of each school year, we send home a volun-

teer signup sheet that gives parents the opportunity to select events of interest. It also gives them an opportunity to tell us about themselves and share strengths and skills they possess that could benefit the program and students (such as Web designer, setup/cleaning crew, tailor, fundraiser, volunteer coordinator). Creating a network among parents is also key. When they become friends with each other, they are more willing to consistently show up as a team. —Sally Kirk, Dulles MS

• Using Google Forms helps me docu-

ment interest from the beginning. When a parent volunteers, I politely ask at the next opportunity. A few parents have expected something different than what we offer, and I remind them that our orchestra can’t be compared to one in a large public school. I focus a lot on solos and individual technique and growth rather than a large ensemble experience. When parents see their child’s success at solo competition, they are usually quite happy. —Katie James, Vanguard College Preparatory School 36 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

• We try to involve parents in singular activities that let them

•

see how successful students can be, such as hosting an audition round, and then we build from there. We frequently send emails that include reminders about the importance of volunteering at concerts and events, etc. At meetings, we make it clear we are the curricular leaders of the program, basing our decisions on the TEKS. The booster club supports through financial assistance and volunteerism. The other aspects of the program are determined by the school. We’re polite, but firm, about this up front. —Mark Rohwer, Flower Mound HS

It is all about having a relationship with the parents. Leadership is about the people you serve, not just doing the job. Be a leader with the parents. Set an example. Keep emotions in check and remain firm, and compromise when possible. —Erin Scalisi, Nimitz HS

• Specifying your purpose and having input from choir mem-

bers and their parents often prevents unwanted situations. I also regularly invite feedback from parents and students (via forms, questionnaires, and emails) to allow for private space in which concerns can be voiced.

• Initially, get parents involved in small events with simple

responsibilities. Observe how they serve in those capacities, perhaps for as long as a year or even two, before gauging their interest in more significant supportive roles (e.g., booster club board member). The most important quality of a parent volunteer is their ability to get along with other parent volunteers. When booster clubs or parent volunteers teams generate momentum, they can begin to operate independently of the directors. The intention is almost always good, but the result can contradict the director’s vision. Remember these two things: the director’s job is to create a vision for the students in their program and the parent volunteers’ job is to support the vision of the director. Find a parent you trust and who will advocate for you. That parent can help others join that purpose. —Michael Zook, Vandegrift HS

How do I get my administrators more engaged in and aware of what happens in my music classes?

• I invite my administrators into our classes, and I let them

know it’s a place where they can come relax and escape whenever they need a break. Then, they come on their own and know that I’m not worried about being under a microscope when they arrive. During their visits, I usually introduce them to the students and then return to doing what I was doing. Make them welcome and remind them they need music, too. —Whitney Crowley, Murchison MS

• Be proactive about regularly reaching out to your admin-

istrators. Briefly tell them about the great things happening in your classroom. Invite them to visit any time! Take a 20-second video of something exciting in your classroom and email or text it to them. “Look at what these awesome kids did during third period today!” Share your excitement—it’ll be contagious! —Chris Cansler, Frisco ISD

• Don’t pop in only when you have a need or a problem. Take 38 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

time to share the good, too. Be on their side and let them know you appreciate their position and the pressure that comes with it. We invite our administrators to conduct the fightsong at a game once or twice a season. It’s spontaneous, in a moment when they aren’t busy and are clearly in a good mood. We wave them over and the students cheer for them as they take the podium and then they really cheer for them afterward. —Todd Toney, North Garland HS (retired)

• To increase my visibility, I volunteer for campus commit-

tees that have nothing to do with music. I also try to connect with our administrators and invite them to the more unusual things our students do, like giving brass instruments a bath, hearing students buzz to pop songs, or listening to a class play a simple song. I leave post-it notes on my principals’ doors letting them know we are doing something special that day and at what time. —Gentry Ragsdale, Anna MS

• Drop by administrators’ offices once a week for short visits,

and don’t talk about work unless they bring it up. When you’re finished ask if you can do anything for them. You want them to be happy when they see you, not wondering what you’re going to ask for now. Email all business so they can respond when they have time rather than being put on-thespot. Eventually, they’ll start asking you what’s going on in your program. —Ray Ridens, Quanah ISD

• Sometimes in the middle of a beginner violin class, I’d call

the office and say, “Mr Shaw! The violin kids just played something for the first time, and it sounds really good to me, but the test is—can you tell what they’re playing? Do you have about 20 seconds to listen on the phone?” I never got a no. And they always could detect what was being played. When administrators came to my room to observe, sometimes I asked them to participate. The observer got the same materials as the students. —Linda Richter, Retired

• At the end of a lesson, line up the young musicians and take

them on a “field trip.” Sing to the cooks in the cafeteria or to the principal and assistants in the office, or call up the district’s fine arts director and sing over the phone. It’s good for the children, the program, the school, and your administrators. —Mary Neeley Stevens, Retired

• I’ve worked with administrators who were too busy to visit

my room. In those cases, I took videos of the students’ shining moments and emailed them to my principal with a note asking them to compliment these kids the next time they saw them. Students love showing off, and it gives the principal a new connection and conversation point with them. —Susan Hackett, Puckett ES

• Brag on students who often don’t shine in other subjects. Let

administrators know about the positive progress of these students in music class. Take videos of their progress to show your administrators and invite them to come to see for themselves how you are giving students a positive experience. —Robinel Alvarado, Carpenter ES

• We can’t wait around for administrators to approach us. They have a lot on their plates, and we must unabashedly advocate for our programs. Be enthusiastically vocal about what your students are doing and your administrators will follow! —Tanna Bills, Moe and Gene Johnson HS

•

I asked the librarian about having an ensemble play classical music for teacher gatherings and for a student relaxation session in the library. Any time there is an event, the orchestra or a smaller ensemble performs—parent night, PTA meetings, principal-sponsored meeting of city groups or school groups. Be visible; look for little things a small group of kids can do. Have your students wear their orchestra T-shirts on game days or school spirit days. All these efforts will add up. —Barbara Fox, Rice MS (retired) My favorite way I’ve engaged administration is by creating a faculty orchestra called “Treble in Paradise.” It included teachers and administrators and met twice a week after school. We performed at our end-of-year faculty party. When teachers and administrators participate as orchestra members themselves, their involvement and support improves. Principals also love cross-curricular support. Involve your students in as many school events as possible. Whether it’s a pep rally, art exhibition, teacher retirement party, or book fair, we volunteer to play in support. This presence demonstrates the value of music in enhancing any school experience that benefits all students. —Sally Kirk, Dulles MS We must find ways to deliver our message by any means possible. Distributing a “Here’s What’s Going On in Choir” newsletter to parents and administrators has helped. Additionally, be sure your content area adds to the programs and initiatives established at your school. You are more than a director of a program; you contribute to the entire school. Find ways to amplify what you do by doing it alongside others outside your content area.—Jeremy Bledsoe, Sterling HS

•

Prior to the pandemic, whenever a choir made significant progress on a song, we would “Sneak & Sing.” The class would quietly assemble on the staircase near the office where the acoustics are great and would sing the song. Front office staff, counselors, and principals would come out of their offices to watch, record, and celebrate! If they’re not coming to you, go to them! —Sharnelle Jones, Kendrick MS Invite administrators to your classes and ask them to participate, learning alongside your students. Students gain a new perspective when they witness adults as lifelong learners. Administrators get the chance to experience school from the students’ perspective and connect with them as a part of the school community. Also, when asking for authorization on any type of trip, invite administrators to be a sponsor, simply as a supporter of the group. —Bonnie Lanicek, Lancaster Music School Stop by your administrator’s office just to say hi, and share your calendar of events well in advance. This will allow them time to schedule your events in their calendar. Have your students sing “Happy Birthday” to your administrators, or record your choir singing it and email your administrator the video. It’s the little things you do that will go a long way. — Linda Holkup, Stephen F. Austin HS I have a standing monthly meeting with my principal to talk about what’s going on in choir. We plan these out in August for the entire year. —Jodi Coke, Hillwood MS 0

But wait— there’s more! Go to www.tmea.org/q&a to read even more responses to these questions. Each month, TMEA emails members when there are new questions to answer.

Submit a Question

Go to www.tmea.org/q&a and submit questions for consideration for a future issue. Southwestern Musician | September 2021 39

TMEA Elementary Vice-President KATHERINE JOHNS

Let’s Go on with the Show After a year marked by modified instruction, elementary music teachers have gotten creative in their approaches to performance, offering music-making experiences for all.

ast month, I wrote about how the beginning of this school year is an opportunity to reboot. We review what we’ve done in the past and how we modified our instruction last year. Then after reevaluating, based on what we learned last year, we restart for a new year. But what about performances? With most elementary performances canceled this past year, what shall we do this year? Will we resume what we have done in the past or take a new approach? Prior to writing this column, I posted a question on my personal Facebook page on this topic. The responses were so helpful! The variety and creativity that elementary music teachers employ in performances is noteworthy. One of the most significant comments was to get involvement from the grade level teachers and support from your students’ parents. Here are some examples of the responses: • Kirstie Guillotte offers four programs a year. Each grade level has their assigned program: third grade’s is Veterans’ Day, fourth grade’s is Christmas, second grade’s is Black History Month, and first grade’s is Public School Week. This year she plans to add a program for Hispanic Heritage Month that will feature her bilingual students (K–4). • Sandra Divnick prefers to do “informances.” She leads the students through regular classes until the week of the event. She prefers to plan PTA meetings where students perform whatever games and activities they did in class. • Anne Tracy has a folk-dance night where third graders demonstrate the dance and then invite the parents to join them.

40 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

MARK YOUR CALENDAR check www.tmea .org for updates

September—Renew your membership and register for the convention. September 15–November 1—TMEA Elementary grant application period. October 7, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens. December 31—TMEA email/mail convention registration deadline. January 20—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 9–12—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.

• Special Educator Discounts • Free Shipping on Qualifying Online Orders • Triple Guaranteed for Quality, Musical Function, and Price

800.443.3592 PERIPOLE.COM

PARTNERS IN MUSIC EDUCATION Exclusive Direct Distributors:

PERCUSSION

• Some teachers prepare six performances a year, one for each grade level. These include folk dance nights, Orff ensembles, concerts of music used in class with speaking parts created by the teacher, and picture books with songs inserted (the last is one of my favorites—I have offered musicals based on the storybooks “How I Became a Pirate” and “Where the Wild Things Are”). Others use purchased musicals (Aileen Miracle was a mentioned resource and purchased musicals like “Annie” and “Lion King”). Thank you to everyone who responded to my Facebook question and are continuing to answer. As I write this, answers are still being posted. I apologize for not mentioning every one of you by name. To read the original post, you can friend me on Facebook (Katherine Tucker Johns), or email me at elementaryvp@tmea.org and I will send you screenshots of the answers. Just as this Facebook post has yielded so many great ideas, so does TMEA’s Q&A for Music Teachers. Be sure to look for featured answers in each issue this school year (this month on page 34), and go to www.tmea.org/q&a to view many more answers and to submit your own questions for consideration. TMEA Clinic/Convention Update I hope you’re as excited as I am to come together to gain new ideas, reconnect, and experience the joy of music performance

by our Elementary Invited Ensembles. Congratulations go to these students and their directors: • Asa Low IS Panther Choir, (Mansfield ISD), Bridgett Wigley, director • Austin Children’s Choir, Samuel Parrot, director • Mitchell IS Mixed Choir, (Conroe ISD), Cyndie Lowry, director • Parker ES Advanced Chorus (Houston ISD), Marianna Simpson, director • Pomona ES Pirate Choir (Alvin ISD), Emma Bassett, director • Reyes ES Chamber Choir (Canutillo ISD), Rocio Rodriguez, director Elementary Featured Clinicians I am pleased to introduce our 2022 Elementary Division Featured Clinicians for our face-to-face convention, Karen Howard and Thom Borden. Karen Howard Karen Howard is an Associate Professor of Music at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education and diverse music practices. Howard frequently works with teachers and students both nationally and internationally on diversity in music education and in creating anti-bias teaching

Take this opportunity to explore the wonderful classical music masterworks teaching resources from Mighty Music

2021-2022

Use TMEA Elementary Grant funds for 20% off a Premium Package Recordings of 16 music selections Mighty Lesson Kit containing 16 video presentations of composer cards, video lessons highlighting key musical elements, animated video maps, and a quick quiz 6 student handbooks with flashdrives containing all the music Mighty Fun Games: Engage! for full-class review of all the selections

www.musicmemory.com Find us on

Mighty PowerPoint Lessons for ease in lesson presentations Materials to engage and assess students all year

42 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

and learning experiences. Her research focuses on creating music education spaces that allow all to be seen and welcomed and on the impacts of whiteness in education. She is the author of World Music Pedagogy: Secondary School Innovations, First Steps in Global Music, and Dance Like a Butterfly: Songs from Liberia, Senegal, Nigeria, and Ghana coauthored with Kwasi Dunyo. She is the founder and editor of the new series through GIA Music: World Music Initiative, created to celebrate educators and authors through materials that uplift underrepresented music cultures. Thom Borden Thom Borden teaches PreK–5 in Las Vegas and Introduction to the Kodály Method at Vandercook College in Chicago. Borden completed his BA in music and an MA in education with a concentration in curriculum and instruction focused in reading. He completed Orff Levels at UNLV and an Orff Master Level at the University of Memphis under Jos Wuytack. Advanced studies include music and movement in Paris as well as Kodály training and certification through CSU with Sr. Lorna Zemke. Borden is the past-president of the Greater Chicago Orff Chapter and founding member of the Las Vegas Kodály Chapter and has presented at numerous AOSA and OAKE conferences. He has presented in Australia, Canada, China, and Europe and presents across the U.S. annually. Borden served as the AOSA Diversity Committee Chair and is a founding member of the International Sharing Sunday USA organization. He has published Orff arrangements in the McGraw-Hill curriculum series Spotlight on Music and Music Studio and has published materials on using manipulatives in the classroom. Teaching Kodály courses at Vandercook College of Music in Chicago, his latest publications include a series of musical active and interactive singing games, File Folder Fun for Music Classrooms, that assist in teaching concepts both live and virtually. Elementary Music Grants As I announced last month, I couldn’t be more pleased that our TMEA Executive Board approved an $800,000 grant to support elementary music instruction! Like previous elementary grants by TMEA, the

is your

TMEA

Approved Vendor!

Grab your catalog and go shopping! Our Educational Consultants are ready to assist you in selecting the best resources for your classroom to maximize the TMEA Elementary Music GRANT.

CONNECT WITH US TO BUILD YOUR QUOTE AND SECURE YOUR GRANT! Call the West Music TMEA Grant Hotline: 877-393-6854 or email

TMEAelementarygrant@westmusic.com

Looking for dynamic lesson plans, music education articles, a community of music educators, and professional development opportunities? MusicConstructED.com

Elementary Music Instructional Support Program will be administered by TMEA staff. The grant is intended to help elementary music teachers (grades PreK–5) purchase music, music equipment, instruments, instructional software, and other music educational materials. Grant funds may not be used to purchase computers, tablets, and iPads, and other computing devices. More details are on the TMEA website at www.tmea.org/elementarygrant. Grants will be approved based on the existing overall budget, students served, and other criteria as called for in the online application. Once a grant is approved and the teacher receives their full order, TMEA will pay the vendor up to $800. If a campus order exceeds $800, the remaining balance will be billed directly from the company to the school. Only active TMEA members teaching elementary music (grades PreK–5) are eligible to apply for this grant, so be sure you renew at www.tmea.org/renew. You may apply from September 15 to November 1 and a maximum of $800 per campus may be awarded. Applicants will be notified by December 1 of their application status. 0

Elementary Music Teachers (PK-5) $800 Grants Available! TMEA Elementary Music Grants

grant program to support Texas elementary music programs

Who Can Apply teaching elementary music (PK-5). When: September 15-November 1, 2021 Where: www.tmea.org/elementarygrant How Much: A maximum of $800 per campus district can apply.

December 1, 2021 of their grant status.

—————————————————————– Pender’s is an experienced and qualified supplier with over 50 years of service in assisting music educators in Texas. Let us earn your business! Any TMEA grant recipient will receive free shipping from Pender’s on all qualifying grant orders. 44 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

314 S Elm Street, Denton, Texas 76201 800-772-5918 www.penders.com info@penders.com

It’s easy to apply for your grant at Pender’s!

1) Shop on our website at this link: -Classroom 2) Checkout and select “Request Quote” 3) We will respond with your Pender’s quote via e-mail.

Where Do We Go from Here? by Amy M. Burns

eaching during a global pandemic requires patience, time, effort, boundless energy, and, most likely, an adoption of technologies not previously utilized in our instructional practices. The ever-changing scenario from remote, to concurrent, to in-person with restrictions can make us feel as if we’re new to the profession again. Having learned new teaching techniques, acquired new tech tools, and found ourselves even further outside the proverbial box for so long, where do we go now? How do we take our new best practices and implement them in our music classes to help us connect with all students in the best way possible? Many tools and practices implemented last school year remain valuable for helping our young students learn and make music. Technology Integrated into Popular Music Approaches Many elementary music educators have explored and adopted various approaches to successfully teach music in their classrooms—Kodály, Orff Schulwerk, Dr. Feierabend’s First Steps, and others. During the pandemic, we ventured into using curriculum supplements to help deliver these approaches in various scenarios, including Denise Gagne’s Musicplay Online, QuaverEd, and MusicFirst Junior, to name a few. With remote learning hopefully behind many of us, or at least with more predictable teaching scenarios, how can we continue to benefit from the tools that helped us deliver these approaches? The following are some ways to integrate technology into popular music approaches to enhance your classroom. • Use an intuitive website to promote improvisation and creativity: The website wheelofnames.com can function as a tool for choosing students for any musical activity, and you can add pictures and emojis to increase engagement.

46 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

Take screenshots of notes from a website like Notes Image Generator (notes.bretpimentel.com) and place them into wheelofnames.com, or type emojis into the text window and use them for improvisation singing or an arioso. To see Wheel of Names at work and hear my daughter Sarah sing a short arioso based on the wheel’s selection, go to www.tmea .org/wheelofnames. This site, combined with more traditional manipulatives, gives us a variety of choices when improvising music. • Virtual instruments: When teaching remotely or with inperson restrictions, we found alternative ways for students to play instruments. One website that continuously improved their virtual instruments throughout the pandemic was playxylo.com. This site began with an interactive, traditionally colored xylophone recorded with acoustic sounds. As site developers listened to music educators’ needs, they added Boomwhacker colors, chromatic bars, pentatonic scales,

Google Music Closet

solfège syllables, and more. The site can be accessed from a variety of devices, and it inspired me to create my Google Music Closet (screen image on previous page), with links to various virtual instruments from websites to those created with Scratch. You can create a copy of my Google Slide at www.tmea.org/musiccloset. Virtual instruments can give a 1:1 ratio of acoustic and virtual instruments so that even large classrooms can perform at any time. • Collaboration: Many music educators collaborated more with other classroom teachers, as we found ourselves placed in non-music classrooms to assist. Even though we might return to our music classes or no longer be required to assist with the classroom curriculum, the integration doesn’t need to end. An example is using Chrome Music Lab to collaborate with an art educator. Students begin to learn about Kandinsky from reading Barb Rosenstock’s The Noisy Paint Box. They create artwork inspired by Kandinsky in their art class. Finally, they recreate that same artwork using

Chrome Music Lab in music class. The students begin to understand that many subjects can be experienced in music class. You can see a variation of this via my YouTube channel video at www.tmea.org/kandinsky. Connecting with Caregivers More Many elementary music educators adopted the popular tool Seesaw to support the various teaching scenarios. This platform is a learning engagement and digital student portfolio where students can use various tools, from video to drawing to audio, to share and reflect on their work. It also has an activity library created by educators so that students can complete assignments or assessments within the digital journal. As we returned to in-person teaching, many questioned whether we should continue using Seesaw. One of the wonderful features of Seesaw is that parents/caregivers can connect to their child’s journal. They can see their child’s works that are posted and made visible by the teacher’s approval. This means that our music curriculum can be accessed from the parents’ mobile devices. Parents can now see that elementary music classes

are more than just the performances they attend throughout the school year. This can become a great advocacy tool for our music programs. Whether through Seesaw or a similar tool, find ways to continue utilizing its features that allow you to connect with parents/caregivers. Play-Along Videos Rhythm, Boomwhacker, body percussion, bucket-drumming, and other types of play-along videos became standard issue in many music classes last year. These videos usually contained a song (popular, classical, etc.) with patterns projected on a screen that students played along with on their instruments, bodies, buckets, devices, or desks. Typically, there was a conductor in the form of a pointer or flashing box. Numerous YouTube channels offered play-along videos. However, many teachers quickly realized that by creating their own, the video could support their methodology, approach, or curriculum. Learning how to create basic play-along videos took some time and effort, but it proved to be a worthy skill. Even in an in-person capacity, creating

Lesson Plans with Ringing Success

Handbells • Choirchime® Instruments • Ringing Accessories New • Pre-owned • Rental

TMEA Special

16 Note Classroom Set with Carry Roll (C5 – A6 Diatonic plus, F#5, A#5 & F#6)

800-HANDBEL www.malmark.com

$775

We are proud to be a TMEA EMISP Approved Vendor Southwestern Musician | September 2021 47

play-along videos can still enhance our curriculum. Utilize tools such as Google Slides, Keynote, PowerPoint, or Canva to create images with the patterns and the conducting flashing box. Then use a screenrecording tool like Loom or Screencastify to record yourself moving the conducting tool to the beat of the music. This will give students a fun manipulative to play along with, and it will give you an assessment or retrieval practice tool to use throughout the school year. If you are interested in learning how to create one, perform a quick online search about video creation courses or play-along videos for music educators. Assessment Tools At the beginning of the pandemic, the lack of technology for all remote learning motivated many states to halt grades, assessments, tests, and more. As we resume in-person learning, assessments will return. The technology tools used for assessments can assist elementary music educators with collecting data and can help save time. This data can be used to prove that Student Learning Objectives, Grade Level Objectives, the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards, or the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are achieved. Consider these TEKS examples: • Kindergarten TEKS: Foundations of identifying five voices. Instead of students using paper and pencil to circle the voice when they hear it in a recording played during class, create a Seesaw activity with each recording placed on the slide, a picture representing each voice, and the word of the voice. The student can draw a line from the word to the picture (screen image above). When finished, you have data that shows they mastered the TEKS and can easily share it with an administrator. • Grade Two TEKS: Creative expression of singing tunefully. Using a free Web-based recording tool like onlinevoice-recorder.com allows students to quickly record their singing or instrument-playing to their devices or Google drives. They can share those recordings with you through their Learning Management Systems (LMS). 48 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

Seesaw activity to meet the TEKS for identifying five voices. • Grade Three TEKS: Foundations of categorizing instruments. For this TEKS, a Google form could include a link to a YouTube video showing the instruments and sounds, and the student types or records the answer. The data from Google forms can easily be collected through Google Sheets, where you can share the spreadsheet with your administration. • Grade Three TEKS: Foundations of composition. Using technology such as Flat or Noteflight can assist students’ multiple learning modalities so that they can compose or record directly into the program. Many of these programs also integrate directly into the LMS to make creating the assessments a natural process. • Grade Five TEKS: Critical evaluation and response. Use a free version of gaming programs where students don’t need email addresses, like Kahoot or Socrative. You can also use interactive assessment tools and Google Slide extensions like Nearpod or Pear Deck to quiz and assess their knowledge so that you have all the data automatically collected. This simplifies the assessment process. Plus, these assessment programs are fun, interactive, and contain many premade music assessments, created and tested by numerous music educators. Where do we go from here? The musical possibilities are endless. We can uti-

lize technology as a basic tool to enhance learning or as a more in-depth tool to help create new manipulatives and provide quick and intuitive assessments. By integrating the tools and methods we learned during the pandemic into our current teaching situations, we can help all students learn, create, make, and do music even better than before. 0 Amy M. Burns teaches preK–fourth grade general music at Far Hills Country Day School, in Far Hills, NJ. Her most recent book titled Using Technology with Elementary Music Approaches is published by Oxford University Press. Resources Rosenstock, B., & GrandPré Mary. (2014). The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors And Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art. Alfred A. Knopf. TEA. (2019, August). Chapter 117. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Fine Arts. Chapter 117. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Fine Arts. www.tmea.org/burns-onlineresources: List of resources that support the content of this article, with hyperlinked URLs.

TMEA College Vice-President PAUL SIKES

There Is Joy in Reconnecting Even though the pandemic is still very real, and we must each do our part for ourselves and our communities, the ability to work and gather in a more normalized environment has been both thrilling and relieving.

have enjoyed so much the start of this academic year and the promise and excitement it has brought. Having the opportunity to reconnect with friends, colleagues, and students has brought me so much joy. Even though the pandemic is still very real, and we must each do our part for ourselves and our communities, the ability to work and gather in a more normalized environment has been both thrilling and relieving. My first opportunity to gather with others in a big way was the Southwest Music Summer Exhibition hosted by TBA, TCDA, and TODA. Arriving in San Antonio, I was actually a bit nervous about the whole thing. I wondered how big the crowds would be, how I would feel being around groups of people again, and whether I would remember everyone’s name. Thanks to the wonderful planning by the TBA, TCDA, and TODA Boards and staffs, the event was even better than I could have hoped. They did a wonderful job of spreading things out and minimizing large crowds and so I felt very comfortable. It was a wonderful time learning, meeting, and seeing old friends, many of whom had new glasses, haircuts, and beards. I did not, however, remember everyone’s name, but hey, that’s what name badges are for! Congratulations go to TBA, TCDA, and TODA for hosting an outstanding event. You have set the bar high for TMEA and other organizations. 2022 TMEA Clinic/Convention Speaking of live events, we are so excited to host the TMEA Clinic/ Convention face-to-face, February 9–12, in San Antonio. The event will

50 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

MARK YOUR CALENDAR check www.tmea .org for updates

September—Renew your membership and register for the convention. October 1—TMEA College research proposal grant application deadline. October 7, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens. October 15—TMEA College Division Fall Conference in Austin. October 15—College Division Call for Papers online submission deadline. November 1—Deadline for Collegiate Music Educator Award nominations. December 31—TMEA email/mail convention registration deadline. January 20—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 9–12—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

feature over 300 workshops by nationally recognized clinicians for band, orchestra, vocal, elementary, and college educators and students. It will also host more than 100 performances by the state’s finest elementary through college musicians. Registration is now open, and I encourage you to register early. The convention fees have remained the same for years and are remarkably low compared to similar conventions across the country. The fee for active members is $60 and current college student members attend at no cost. Texans must be active TMEA members to register, so I encourage you to renew your membership now at www.tmea.org/renew ($50 for an active membership and $25 for a college student membership). Please encourage your colleagues and students to join now so they can enjoy all the benefits an active membership offers throughout the year. Featured Clinicians As part of the convention, we have the opportunity to invite outstanding professionals to share their knowledge with us. I am excited about this year’s College Division Featured Clinicians. They are outstanding educators and researchers who each bring a wealth of knowledge. Constance McKoy Constance McKoy is Marion Stedman Covington Distinguished Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the School of Music at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). She holds a BM in music education from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and MM and PhD degrees from UNCG. She has 19 years of K–12 general and choral music teaching experience. McKoy’s research focuses on music teachers’ cross-cultural competence and culturally responsive pedagogy in music. Her work has been published in The Journal of Research in Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Music Education Research, The Journal of Music Teacher Education, and the International Journal of Music Education. She has served on the editorial review committees of The Music Educators Journal and Update and currently serves on the editorial review committee for Qualitative Research in Music Education.

McKoy has presented at state, divisional, national, and international music conferences and symposia and has guest lectured at colleges and universities across the nation. She is certified in Level III of Orff Schulwerk pedagogy and has taught recorder for Levels I–III. In 2017 and 2019, she participated in the Yale Symposium on Music in Schools and contributed to the 2017 symposium document, Declaration on Equity in Music for City Students. She is coauthor of Culturally Responsive Teaching in Music Education: From Understanding to Application, published by Routledge. She is a past-president of the North Carolina Music Educators Association and a past chair of the Society for Music Teacher Education. Judy Willis Board-certified neurologist Judy Willis combined her 15 years as a practicing neurologist with 10 subsequent years as a classroom teacher to become a leading authority in the neuroscience of learning. With her unique background in neuroscience and education, she has written nine books and more than 200 articles about applying neuroscience research to classroom teaching strategies. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa as the first woman graduate from Williams College, Willis attended UCLA School of Medicine where she was awarded her medical degree. She remained at UCLA and completed a medical residency and neurology residency, including chief residency. She practiced neurology for 15 years before earning her teaching credentials and master’s degree in education from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

She then taught in elementary and middle schools for 10 years. Willis is on the adjunct faculty of Williams College and travels nationally and internationally, giving presentations and workshops, and consulting about learning and the brain. As an expert in her field, she has been interviewed by major news sources including USA Today, Euronews, The Wall Street Journal, NBC News Education Nation, ABC Australia Radio, Lateline Australia, Popular Mechanics, Neurology Today, USA Today, Education Week, Medscope Neurology, and Parenting Magazine. She was named by Edutopia as one of their “Big Thinkers on Education” and was featured on their website. She has also been a staff expert blogger for NBC News Education Nation, Psychology Today, and The Guardian. TMEA Connections As we think about reconnecting with others throughout the year, we think back to things we have learned over the last year that have helped us connect and learn in new ways. One of these was the creation of our TMEA Connections events. These Connections serve as opportunities for professional and student members to learn, share, and connect with others in the organization. These events have turned into a wonderful part of our offerings and have made your active membership even more valuable. The College Division will be hosting Connections events throughout the 2021– 2022 school year. Each will be conducted via Zoom with meeting information and registration links emailed to all members of the division in advance of each event. For a list of Connection events in all divisions, go to www.tmea.org/connections.

TMEA College Division The TMEA College Division hosts multiple programs and benefits for its members. Stay current and participate in the business of our association throughout the year!

www.tmea.org/college Southwestern Musician | September 2021 51

You must be an active member to participate so, if you have not done so already, renew your membership. Call for Research Grant Proposals In last month’s issue, I announced that the TMEA Executive Board approved an annual research grant for $1,200 to support advancing knowledge in the area of music education. While not restricted, the Board’s topics of interest include music teacher retention, music student retention, music student recruitment methods— especially those that increase diversity in the music class, social emotional learning in music education, and cultural responsiveness in music education. Grant proposals must be submitted online by October 1 for this year’s selection. Learn more and apply at www.tmea .org/researchgrant. Once submitted, proposals will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of members of the College Division. Final approval will come from the TMEA President’s Committee. Please contact me at collegevp@tmea.org with any questions.

52 Southwestern Musician | September 2021

Call for Papers The Research Committee is pleased to call for proposals for presentations at the TMEA Clinic/Convention Research Poster Session. The committee invites submissions from members in all TMEA divisions, including college students. Selected authors will present their research at an informal session in which interested music teachers can learn about the research and discuss applications to music teaching. Submissions must be received by October 15. Go to www.tmea.org/ papers to learn more and submit online September 1–October 15. If you have any questions, please contact Amy Simmons, Chair of the Research Committee, at asimmons@austin.utexas.edu. Fall Conference Make plans to attend the College Division’s Fall Conference. At this meeting, college faculty from across the state come together to discuss issues relevant to teaching music at institutions of higher education. We will also receive important updates from policy makers and TMEA staff, who work daily on behalf of music

education in our state. This event is always a wonderful time for us to come together. This year’s event will be held on Friday, October 15, in Austin. If you are unable to attend in person, we will offer online streaming of the meeting. An invitation will be emailed to College Division members as we near the meeting. Collegiate Music Educator Award Take this opportunity to recognize your elite music education graduates through the TMEA Collegiate Music Educator Award. Recipients will represent the finest and most dedicated preservice music educators and embody the potential to become the most outstanding new teachers in the state. One active TMEA member who is a member of the institution’s music education faculty may nominate that institution’s students online (November 1 deadline). A student may be nominated only once, during their graduation semester. For a list of qualifications and to nominate students, go to www.tmea.org/collegiateaward. 0

MUSIC THAT INSPIRES THE COUNTRY, SERVICE THAT PROTECTS IT.

Musician Enlistment Option Program. There are few truly great career options; serving as a Marine Corps Musician is one of them. If you have what it takes to become both a Marine and a Marine musician, you will play at some of the world’s most honored events. Precision, discipline and honor will be represented in every note you play. And as a Marine, you will distinguish yourself from the rest. Contact the Music Placement Director at 214.693.3524 or Gerald.Ebo@marines.usmc.mil. Learn more at Marines.com/Music

At any Budget!

See our full Catalog at romeomusic.net

Piano, Keyboard & Tech Labs

Romeo Music has over 100 years combined experience designing educational music labs. The technology continues to evolve, but the mission is still the same: Create a custom learning space with cutting-edge products, based around YOUR budget, concept and educational goals. At Romeo Music, we pride ourselves on creating the system YOU need. One of our favorite things to tell our customers is “It’s YOUR lab; you’re the one who will be teaching in it!” On-site visits, custom room diagrams, professional installation and teacher-led training are just some of ways Romeo Music sets ourselves apart from companies who merely “sell boxes.”

BEFOR Macon County Schools

Whiddon Rogers Education Center

Cane Ridge High School

McNicol Middle School

Mundy’s Mill High School

ATTENTION ELEMENTARY GRANT RECIPIENTS! Classroom Packages Under $800 • Sound Systems • Wireless and Bluetooth • Microphones

• Pianos and Keyboards

Customizable to your needs! www.romeomusic.net

SEPTEMBER 2021

Solutions for Every Classroom

SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN

Experience - Integrity - Commitment