May 2020 Southwestern Musician by Texas Music Educators Association

SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN

MAY 2020

BAY L OR U N I V E R SIT Y SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Where heart, mind and soul coalesce in a caring Christian community. Celebrating 100 years of musical excellence in 2021.

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Baylor University admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status.

Contents V O L U M E 8 8 ■ I S S U E 9 ■ M AY 2 0 2 0

Features We Were Made for This . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 In the midst of today’s deep fear and loss, we are also met with a great opportunity to renew our passion for music . [c r a i g h e l l a j o h n s o n]

Celebrating TMEA’s Centennial: 2000s–2010s . . . . . . 26 As we moved into the 21st century, TMEA experienced continued growth, financial stability, and success in securing a more prominent place for music education in our state’s education code . [k a r e n c r o s s]

We Need Music to Survive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 In these the moments when we most desperately need to connect, we turn to music . [k a r l pau l n ac k]

42 Columns

Updates Join Your Online Spring Region Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 May Is Membership Renewal Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Thank You, Music Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

President’s Notes . . . . . . . . . 5 [br i a n

c o at n e y]

Executive Director’s Notes . . .9 [r o b er t

f loy d]

Band Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 [da n a

p r a d e r va n d]

Submit a Proposal for the 2021 TMEA Clinic/Convention . . . . . . . . . . . 23 You’re One Share Away from Music Education Advocacy . . . . . . . . . . 25 Thank You, Centennial Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Orchestra Notes . . . . . . . . . 32 [m ic h a el

s t r i n g er]

Vocal Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 [j e d

r ag s da l e]

Everyone Can Use a Hand: TMEA Mentoring Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Thank You, SouthweStern MuSician Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Elementary Notes . . . . . . . . 46

[a b i g a i l

h aw es]

College Notes . . . . . . . . . . . 51

on the cover

With schools closed since mid-March, Zachary Rojas, a first grader at Castañeda ES (McAllen ISD), completes online ear-training exercises at home . Photo by Shannon Rojas .

[pau l

s i k es]

Southwestern Musician | May 2020

Editor-in-Chief: Robert Floyd rfloyd@tmea.org 512-452-0710, ext. 101

Managing Editor: Karen Cross

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

TMEA Executive Board President: Brian Coatney

brian.coatney@pisd.edu 2200 Independence Parkway, Plano, 75075 469-752-9396 – Plano Senior HS

President-Elect: John Carroll

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

Past-President: Joe Muñoz

munozj@pearlandisd.org 3775 South Main Street, Pearland, 77581 281-997-3219 – Pearland HS

Band Vice-President: Dana Pradervand

pradervandd@yahoo.com 8226 Lakeshore Villa Drive, Humble, 77346 713-743-3627 – University of Houston

Orchestra Vice-President: Michael Stringer

mstringe@aisd.net 1200 West Arkansas Lane (Annex 1), Arlington, 76013 682-867-7662 – Arlington ISD

Vocal Vice-President: Jed Ragsdale

jedragsdale@tomballisd.net 19100 Northpointe Ridge Lane, Tomball, 77377 281-357-3230, ext. 1106 – Memorial HS

Elementary Vice-President: Abigail Hawes

abigail.hawes@cfisd.net 13734 Lakewood Forest Drive, Houston, 77070 281-370-4040 – Moore Elementary

College Vice-President: Paul Sikes

plsikes@txwes.edu 8554 Kensington Court, North Richland Hills, 76182 281-433-7119 – Texas Wesleyan University

TMEA Staff Executive Director: Robert Floyd | rfloyd@tmea.org Deputy Director: Frank Coachman | fcoachman@tmea.org

Join Your Online Spring Region Meeting The TMEA spring Region meetings will be held online using Zoom and will be TMEA division-specific (for Band, Orchestra, Vocal, and Elementary). We encourage you to install the Zoom software to be able to fully participate in the meeting.

How do I join a meeting? Go to www.tmea.org/regionmeetings and find your Region’s schedule based on your 2020–2022 alignment. Click on the link to log in to your TMEA account. If you don’t know your password, you can reset it at that point. Once you log in, you can click on the appropriate Zoom meeting link to join at the scheduled time.

Will my entire Region meet? No. There will be no composite Region meetings because of limitations on the number of people who can join these online meetings.

Which meeting do I join? Attend the meeting(s) that apply to you based on your work. Meetings are being held by TMEA division for each Region, and in some cases by level.

Administrative Director: Kay Vanlandingham | kvanlandingham@tmea.org

Do I need a Zoom account to join?

Advertising/Exhibits Manager: Zachary Gersch | zgersch@tmea.org

No. While it is best to download the Zoom software, this doesn’t mean you need to sign up for a Zoom account to join the meeting with the link provided.

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 | 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 Phone: 512-452-0710 Website: www.tmea.org Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. (remotely via email)

Questions? Email your Region President if you have questions about your Region meetings.

www.tmea.org/regionmeetings

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 Publishers, Inc. Published 1947–54 by Dr. H. Grady Harlan. Purchased in 1954 by D.O. Wiley. Texas Music Educator was founded in 1936 by Richard J. Dunn and given to the Texas Music 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 | May 2020

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PRESIDENT’S NOTES

With the response to the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, information printed in this issue is subject to change. For the latest updates, visit www.tmea.org and other relevant websites.

A better you

May—Join your divisional Region meeting online (updates on page 2). May 1—TMEA membership year opens for online and mail/email submission. June 1—Deadline to submit proposals online for the 2021 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. June 1—REVISED deadline to nominate students for a Texas Music Scholar award. June 30—All 2019–2020 TMEA memberships expire. July 23–25—TBA, TCDA, TODA conventions in San Antonio. February 10–13, 2021—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

s I write this article, we are in isolation because of the COVID-19 pandemic. These have been trying times as we navigate school closures, miss our favorite events of the year, and cancel spring trips. Recognize that we are all in this together and by supporting each other, we’ll get through it. The most important objective as teachers is helping our students through this difficult time. I hope you’ve found new ways to encourage your students to play and sing at home. And while an ongoing part of our job is to advocate for our programs, this likely has taken on a different look as we focus on how we can help support our administrators as they ensure students are receiving the best education possible in these changing times. It’s been amazing to see the many ways in which our music educator family has stepped up to help each other. The wealth of creative ideas for remote learning that I’ve seen on websites and social media is inspiring! I am also grateful for music businesses that are offering discounted or free services to help

As we approach the summer when hopefully we can rest, rejuvenate, and prepare for next year, we can each find ways to improve ourselves. Southwestern Musician | May 2020

educators navigate through these difficult times. Go to www.tmea.org/covidupdate to find a list, linked to the websites of TMEA Sustaining Members with special offers during this time. I recently listened to a TED Radio Hour podcast entitled “A Better You” that presents ways to better ourselves. The podcast presents five topics: how to stop fearing rejection, being mindful and in the moment, changing habits and behaviors, establishing a mindset to try new things, and finding inner peace. Don’t Fear Rejection The podcast begins with the host interviewing Jia Jiang, author of the book Rejection Proof and website rejectiontherapy.com. Jiang set out to get rejected every day for 100 days until he no longer feared rejection. One day, he asked a stranger for $100. On another, he walked into a business and asked if he could do a staring contest with the CEO. My favorite was when he went to a fast-food restaurant and asked for a burger refill. What Jiang learned over these 100 days was that he eventually developed a healthy relationship with rejection. The sting doesn’t go away, but he learned how to navigate those feelings and no longer fear them. How does fear of rejection hold you back as a teacher? Are you afraid to try a new technique? Are you afraid to ask for help? Are you afraid to volunteer or serve TMEA for fear of being rejected? I don’t know if I can go as far as Jiang and seek rejection 100 days straight, but I am going to work on not being afraid to try new techniques or ask someone for help. While some of these experiments will be complete failures, I will be satisfied that I tried. Changing Habits This segment featured an interview with Headspace cofounder Andy Puddicombe who has become known for his mission to educate people about meditation and being mindful. The goal is to let go of those things that make us unhappy. Puddicombe explains that our minds tend to wander 47% of the time, thinking about the past and future. He asserts this mind-wandering is the direct cause of unhappiness. Therefore, he discusses the importance of being mindful of staying in the present. You have to constantly

Southwestern Musician | May 2020

think about being present and treat it like a muscle-memory exercise. This made me think about how easy it is for me to focus on the past and future too much. How many times have we obsessed about a recent performance and the aspects that went wrong? How many times do we focus too much on the future, thinking our students are not where they need to be? I am going to make a conscious effort to be more present in my rehearsals and experiences. I encourage you to practice being in the moment over the summer so that it eventually becomes muscle memory. Motivation to Change Behavior Emily Balcetis is a social psychologist who studies goal-setting and motivation. She discusses why it is so difficult for us to change our habits. She explains that it boils down to how we view the world. The example she uses is how some view exercise as easy and others view it as difficult. She organized a research project where four groups of people ran to a finish line. Two of the four groups were fit and less fit people who are motivated to exercise. The other two groups were fit and less fit people not motivated to exercise. While those less fit saw the distance to the finish line as significantly longer than those in better shape, interestingly, those feelings only occurred in the individuals who weren’t motivated to exercise. The people highly motivated to exercise—even those least fit—saw the distance as short. The question became whether you could teach the unmotivated to become motivated. Balcetis determined the best way to do this is by reminding them to keep their eyes on the prize. She explains that unmotivated people are easily distracted and will find any excuse to veer away from the goal. She worked with the unmotivated to trick their brains to focus only on the end. We all teach students who aren’t motivated. Find ways to keep their eyes on the prize and not allow themselves to get distracted. On a related topic, I have found that I often let all my frustrations with other aspects of the job get in the way of the rehearsals. I lose sight of the prize and get distracted by the daily minutia. Next year, I want to work on keeping my eyes on the prize. When I get in front of the students, my only objective will be to help them achieve the goal we are working toward.

Trying New Things When I attend clinics, I usually learn something I am eager to try in my classroom. I’ve typically done so for a couple of days and then abandon it because it wasn’t a formed habit. TED Speaker Matt Cutts learned he could add or change a habit if he tried it for 30 days. In your rehearsals, focus on one habit for 30 days that you want to add or change. Cutts advises to make the task simple and to hold yourself accountable by marking an X on a calendar every time you do it. A habit I want to change is announcing only one time the measure where we’re starting. I find myself repeating the measure number over and over, wasting valuable rehearsal time. My hope is after 30 days, I will have the new habit of saying the measure number only once. Searching for Inner Peace and Character New York Times op-ed columnist David Brooks explains that everyone has a hunger for true joy and fulfillment, but far too many of us stop ourselves from seeking it. He continues by saying we spend far too much time on ambition and success and too little on honesty, compassion, and kindness. I found this to be a profound statement as some directors (including me at one point) often believe their worth as a teacher is rooted in how many competitions our ensembles win. Over time, and by serving on this Executive Board, I have learned the fulfillment I yearn for comes from the relationships I build with my students and colleagues. I get immense joy when I work with a team on a common goal, and the result is that we are all better human beings because of it. I encourage you to do some soul-searching over the summer to discover what truly brings you joy and fulfillment. Is it another trophy on the wall or is it the work you do every day in the classroom to inspire and educate our future generation that will hopefully leave the world better than they found it? These are all good ideas to explore as we approach the summer when hopefully we can rest, rejuvenate, and prepare for next year. 0

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May Is Membership Renewal Month! Renew your membership for the 2020–2021 year this May. Don’t wait for the rush of a new school year!

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Southwestern Musician | May 2020

ion

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With the response to the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, information printed in this issue is subject to change. For the latest updates, visit www.tmea.org and other relevant websites.

A time to reflect

hile writing this column, we are in the fourth week of uninterrupted news of tragedies and continual reminders of the negative impact COVID-19 is having on our lives. It often feels surreal, reflecting a sci-fi movie storyline—The Andromeda Strain comes to mind. It’s still hard to believe this is happening, yet each morning we wake to the reality that it’s not a dream; we strive to realize what the new normal might be in our personal lives, in our day-to-day lifestyle, and yes, in our profession as educators. I personally struggle each day, searching for something positive I can find in the aftermath of that day’s COVID-19 report. So much of the impact is outside our control—social and physical distancing, sheltering in place, school closings, lack of participation in nonessential services, travel bans, and the list goes on. What then, can we do that might either now or in the future have a positive impact on us and on those whose lives we touch? With changes we are already experiencing in education, perhaps this a good time to revisit our priorities and philosophies that define our programs. Then, we can determine what we want the takeaways to be for our students. In this issue of Southwestern Musician we chose to present content to

What messages will the students who are experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic with you now write, email, or post on social media about having been part of your program? Southwestern Musician | May 2020

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answer the question of why music. We have seen music bring otherwise disconnected people together, from apartment building balconies in Italy to a virtual choir in California to Broadway stars entertaining on Good Morning America from their New York apartments. We also asked our division VicePresidents to share their recent experiences as they close out a school year in an unprecedented way. I hope you will read each of their contributions in this special issue. In addition, you’ll read the final installment chronicling our association’s 100year history. As we do now, our predecessors faced a variety of challenges, and with their passion for music and commitment to education, they are collectively responsible for the strength of our profession today. Finally, we took the opportunity to document these days of remote connection and instruction on the magazine cover. We first saw this image on social media, tagged with #itstartswithmusic by the student’s elementary music teacher. We love how it offers a glimpse into the life of an elementary student who, even though at home, away from his friends, is still finding joy in music-learning! What Will Your Students Remember? One of the best measures of success in how we touch students’ lives is through what they tell us after they’ve left our classrooms. In the old days, it started with a shoebox filled with cards, notes, and let-

ters. As we completed more years of teaching, the shoebox was replaced with an even larger cardboard container of some kind. As communication technology evolved, those notes became emails. Now they’re texts and social media posts. You’re likely familiar with how these notes often start—an apology for sometimes being an uncooperative and disruptive student, followed by appreciation and thanks for the wonderful experience they had as part of your music program. Each note or message is unique in its own personal way. Sometimes it was about a life-changing music experience you gave them, and other times it was about the life skills they developed being a part of your program. Even others simply shared their thanks for creating an environment where they felt safe and accepted. Of course, the beauty in what we do is that we touch our students’ lives in all those ways. So, 10 to 15 years from now, what messages will the students who are experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic with you now write, email, or post on social media about having been part of your program? I imagine these will become the most treasured of all the student comments you receive throughout your career. I hope they will describe how you made them feel during these difficult times and also hope those feelings won’t be rooted in the number of trophies hung on the wall or the convention invitations received but rather on those special moments of music-making and artistic expression that changed their lives forever.

TMEA Program Changes As you may know, our Executive Board has made difficult decisions about TMEA programs, Region meetings, and other activities typical for this time of year. Certainly paramount in those actions has been the cancellation of the honor band and orchestra competitions for the upcoming year. I personally was bracing for email and social media criticism that the Board should have let things play out more before making a decision that affected so many programs. I was wrong. As a profession we seem ripe for reasonable, sensible change that ultimately results in better serving the needs of our students and supporting our mission—providing quality experiences in music for students in the public and private schools of Texas. The final decision about the honor competitions was based on a commitment to place the least amount of stress on our students and members while assuring a fair and equitable playing field. I commend the Executive Board for their wisdom, and you, the member, for your support of these difficult decisions. Be sure to read the Vice-Presidents’ columns for information on programs hosted by each TMEA division, and as always, go to www.tmea.org for the latest updates.

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Supporting Our Students’ Emotional Needs Keep in mind your current students are not just being affected by the difficult times brought on by COVID-19 but also by the shifting demographics, socioeconomics, and changes in the public school population that require an expanded role from each of us as educators. We are now expected to address students’ needs that aren’t covered in our subject’s TEKS. As you may be experiencing in your district, the research results on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) are robust and compelling. At our 2020 convention, one of the most popular workshop topics focused on SEL. The good news is that music educators are the best positioned on their campuses to provide the social and emotional support students so desperately need. Never has its importance been timelier, and you can deliver on this in a most

authentic way—through music. SEL is embedded in our curriculum— it’s not an add-on—music is inherently social and emotional. It’s the ideal time to share our SEL story. If it is not yet a priority in your district, it soon will be, and you can be ahead of the curve in the eyes of your district’s leadership by demonstrating you truly are a part of the academic team. Reflecting on Our Programs You’ve now been delivering instruction online and in other creative, imaginative ways for over a month, and as I mentioned earlier, perhaps it’s time to pause and reflect on the effectiveness of your approach to serving your students. And I don’t mean just for the past four weeks, but instead that you review your program’s overall priorities and philosophy for the future.

TMEA Distinguished Administrator Award Through this recognition program, TMEA has the opportunity at the state level to thank these individuals for their dedication and support. At the local level, this offers you another opportunity to share your success story with the community. Nominate your outstanding campus or district upper-level school administrator by completing an online nomination.

www.tmea.org/adminaward

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This program analysis could focus on everything from the effectiveness of your warmup time to your budget priorities as they relate to supporting music-making versus only the extracurricular components of your program. From a personal perspective, a great starting place is President Coatney’s column this month entitled “A Better You.” In the coming months, I hope we will be on the other side of the COVID-19 curve and that new strategies and daily decisions on everything from how you’ll recruit and start beginners in August to what adjustments you’ll need to make to get a marching show on the field by the first football game will be your new norm. And, when that happens, I hope you keep music as your focus—your top priority at the forefront of every decision. Continue Your Positive Influence Having taught for 26 years, I must admit I still have my cardboard box of letters and cards as well as saved emails from former students. Some reached out to me as long as 25 years after graduating to share their thanks, and often to apologize for not being a better student. One such student offered his thanks by dedicating his first published composition to me and our high school band program. His inscription in the score read, “Please accept this dedication as a token of gratitude for all your guidance, patience, and inspiration during my wild and confused high school years.” We have become dear friends over time, and I hope in some small way I had a positive influence on his early years of music-making. He ended the dedication by stating, “I hope you enjoy the piece, and watch out . . . there’s more to come.” Boy—was that an understatement! That student was Frank Ticheli and the composition was Fortress. That thoughtful dedication was written in 1989. Now more than ever, your students need your guidance, patience, and inspiration. Stay loyal to our belief that no other subject can touch a student’s life and nurture the human spirit like music, especially when our students need it the most. I thank you for your commitment to our profession, to TMEA, and most importantly to the students we teach. Stay safe and keep your heads down and teach, because that is what we do so well! 0

Thank You The TMEA Executive Board and Staff hope you and your family are well, and we want you to know how deeply we appreciate everything you have done to support your students through this most difficult time in the school year. While feelings of uncertainty abound, we are thankful that we always have music in our lives to bring us comfort and joy.

Southwestern Musician | May 2020 13

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BAND NOTES

P R A D E R V A N D

In Memoriam William Scott Lewis September 14, 1937–March 15, 2020 Dee Tucker August 23, 1941–March 17, 2020 Michael Westbrook February 6, 1966–March 26, 2020 Fred Hardin November 9, 1954–April 4, 2020 Bob Brandenberger June 16, 1948–April 16, 2020

May—Join your Band Region meeting online (updates on page 2). May 1—TMEA membership year opens for online and mail/email submission. June 1—Deadline to submit proposals for the 2021 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. June 1—REVISED deadline to nominate students for a Texas Music Scholar award. June 15—REVISED invited middle and high school jazz band and high school percussion ensemble application deadline. June 15—NEW invited band application deadline. June 30—All 2019–2020 TMEA memberships expire. July 23–25—TBA Convention/Clinic in San Antonio. February 10–13, 2021—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

With the response to the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, information printed in this issue is subject to change. For the latest updates, visit www.tmea.org and other relevant websites.

Press reset

hile I write this, we are experiencing what for most of us is an unprecedented moment in our lives. My hopes and prayers are that you, your family, and friends are healthy and safe. As I worked on this column in mid-March, we were dealing with the fast and fluid changing of events, practicing social distancing, state and locally mandated closures of public places, and school suspensions. Each of us are faced with the challenge of trying to keep the progress and growth of our students moving forward in this changing environment. It is music that brings calm to the chaos, and together—as music teachers—we are the messengers of that calm. It has been uplifting to see impromptu concerts on YouTube and spontaneous outbreaks of singing out of apartment windows from Italy to New York. I recently watched a video of a student practicing marimba in his driveway and a family string quartet serenading the neighbors from their front lawn. Music allows us to take a breath and push the reset button on this (our) situation. In the past weeks, we’ve had to adapt and adjust to connecting with our students online. I’ve had to reset my passwords and refresh my programs more times than I care to admit. It has been and continues to be a challenging time for everyone. But I still marvel at the creativity, innovation, and forward-thinking

Now is the time to push reset on our activity and perhaps change the way we think about or apply value to our profession. Southwestern Musician | May 2020 15

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of our band director community. All over social media, people are sharing teaching strategies and techniques. We, as band directors, hit the reset button and adapted to the situation because that is what we do—we often adjust our situation to make it better for our students, program, and community. So what do we do moving forward? It’s clear this historic event will have a lasting impact on our lives. We are being forced to think differently about so many things. Now is the time to push reset on our activity and perhaps change the way we think about or apply value to our profession. We have an opportunity to reset at every level—TMEA, the Band Division, our Regions, our programs. Let’s take the lessons we learn from this event and look at how to shift our paradigm to better serve our students, our programs, and our divi-

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sion. Even with the rapid and significant advances in technology (especially social platforms and innovative online processes that help us continue to connect), it’s increasingly clear that nothing can replace face-to-face interaction between us and our students. This is the time to rethink, reorganize, reinvent, and re-energize our programs! I challenge each of us to push the program reset button! 2020–2022 Alignment The Executive Board finalized TMEA’s 2020–2022 alignment during our March meeting. Go to www.tmea.org/regions to look up your Region and information about Area apportionment. Join Your Region Meeting Be sure to look up information about

joining your Region meeting (based on your 2020–2022 Region). All Region meetings will be conducted using online videoconferencing. And instead of full Region meetings, separate meetings for each division within your Region will be held. Go to www.tmea.org/regionmeetings to find your Band Division Region meeting date and time, and log in to access the link to the meeting. Clinic Proposals The offerings of clinics and performances are the heart and soul of our annual convention. I encourage you to consider submitting a clinic proposal on a topic that interests to you. Be sure to submit your thorough proposal online by the June 1 deadline. Our convention survey responses tell us that members wish more clinics were

esign • Drill D ch e T ic s ny more! t Mu nt and ma de: Newes e u m cl p in lo e to v e directors sign and D Clinics for Guard De • g in n t Plan ajor Retiremen s: Drum M ck a tr n e v e lor Guard all s ber • Co focus for m e e M th d is n a ip B Leadersh Marcher Leader • rmediate r / Squad te e In d a e • L r n e h Sectio Instruction ning Marc Marching • Begin n • io d s n s a u B rc Pe azz struction Band • J ducting In n g o in C h rc • a n amp M Instructio d – Full C Leadership • MegaBan y g o g a Winds Ped r Party Marching atic Cente u q A • s e Mega Gam 1, 2020 uter, Sponsor, per comm pen March 5 o 8 n 2 o $ ti r a d Director/ o n tr r a e B p – m Regis 0 ca 4 3 ime t Year), $ 5 per full-t er (Curren b Cost: $38 m g students e M d d n te Ban or atte in ta 0 S 1 ll h A it – w or amp $285 or/Spons adershipc ct le e d ir n D a b d n / u $240 – Ba .hputx.ed visit www e s a le p , ation lete inform F o r c o mp

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taught by Texas directors who were in their situation. So many of you are successful in many ways, and you might have just the topic that will help improve or inspire a colleague. If it’s not something you would do alone, work with a colleague to present with you. According to our survey, topics that are of the greatest interest in our divsion include: • Rehearsal techniques • Instrument methods • Recruitment/retention • Repertoire selection • Classroom management • Technology integration • Teaching methods • Conducting techniques • Urban and rural challenges & solutions • Philosophical priorities of music-making • Teacher and student health and wellness

Honor Band Update The TMEA Executive Board based its decision to cancel the 2020–2021 Honor Band contests on the best interest of students, programs, and members and to support fairness and equity in the process. The Board recognizes the value and importance of the performances by our middle school, junior high, and high school ensembles at our annual convention. The following process does not replace an Honor Band competition. It is intended to allow the wonderful and innovative teaching that Texas bands are known for to be celebrated at our annual convention. One-Year Invited Band Process: The Band Division will host an invited band process to select bands to perform during the 2021 Clinic/Convention. Any concert band in any classification is eligible to apply. We hope directors of high-quality programs who typically don’t enter the Honor Band competition will take advantage of this opportunity and apply. The Band Division seeks to invite high-quality ensembles that represent the variety of school environments and socioeconomic makeup of programs across our state.

The deadline for submission is June 15. For more details and to apply, go to www.tmea.org/invitedbands. Invited Middle School and High School Jazz Ensemble Update Deadlines for our invited middle and high school jazz ensembles has been postponed to June 15. Go to www.tmea.org/ invitedjazz for more information and to apply. Invited High School Percussion Ensemble Update The deadline for our invited high school percussion ensemble has been postponed to June 15. Go to www.tmea.org/ invitedpercussion for more information and to apply. All-State Jazz Ensemble Audition material for the TMEA AllState Jazz Ensemble will be released by TJEA and available from sheet music vendors on May 15. Please consider this avenue to showcase some of your best jazz students. 0

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we were made for this by craig hella johnson

I love being a musician. I wear the label proudly and feel deeply happy to be a part of this great tribe of creative beings who circle the globeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;this inspired, quirky, and distinctive troupe who call themselves musicians.

20 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

Add to that the great good fortune of becoming a member of this special family of Texas musicians—of all life’s unexpected turns, 30 years ago, this transplanted Norwegian-Lutheran kid from wintry Minnesota found his way down to Texas and ended up falling in love with cherished colleagues and musical friends in this extraordinary state. But then also add to these perhaps a greatest joy: to be able to share this gift of music, inspiration, and connection with others and pay it forward—to be a teacher. I know you understand and share in these joys, each in your own way. As I considered what I could write at this time of the pandemic, I began to hold in my thoughts the many musical friends and colleagues across the state and around the globe who are each navigating their own sets of circumstances, experiencing their own unique losses in these tender and challenging days. You are my tribe and we are in this together. A TIME OF LOSS I think of the many graduating seniors who won’t move through the closing rituals of this significant life chapter—final concerts, commencement, sharing goodbyes, and expressing gratitude to teachers and friends. I am mindful of our younger ones who will miss out on much-anticipated recitals, ensemble programs, tours, and in-person learning. And I keep in my heart the countless teachers who find such great fulfilment doing their inspired work in classrooms, ensembles, and teaching studios. For many, there is a devastating loss of employment and income. Many may experience a loss of meaning and purpose, with work and routines upended. And for all, the loss of being together, of being in relationship through music, is deeply felt. Finally, and significantly, many in our world are losing beloved family members and friends and are faced with extraordinary hardships. For a time, we lose music itself, even. While there are abundant opportunities for listening and many wonderful online offerings (and, of course, we can be practicing!), to no longer have the experience of making music alongside others is a breathtaking loss, and we feel it, profoundly. Some have expressed to me that they

experience a loss of identity and sense of their place in the world. If I am not a musician, or a teacher, who am I? ASKING QUESTIONS What are we to take from all this? What is the learning? Is there value that can be drawn from this time? Are there any new strengths, discoveries, and understanding that can be born from these losses—all this letting go? Several years ago, following an inner-ear rupture and infection, I lost almost all hearing in my left ear. I saw many doctors and practitioners of all sorts, desperate to find healing and a solution. I lived with this hearing loss for several months, and during this time I had to cancel many of my musical engagements. It was a dark time and I was forced to face many difficult questions. What is my purpose? If I am not a musician, who am I? What is essential about my life outside all my roles and tasks and stories about myself? Each day, as the condition lingered, by grace I felt somehow compelled to meet these questions in honesty—to face myself. This period of loss and the great fear surrounding it provided for me an opportunity to explore the possibility of letting go of all the ideas and mental constructs I had about myself and to simply face what was arising—in reality, in truth. All masks and any aspects of my presented self were stripped away. After a lot of inner turmoil, strong resistance, and some valiant kicking and screaming, I started to receive a profound gift. I was beginning to rediscover what felt like my original, core self. Without the constructs of my roles and my personal stories defining “who I was,” I began remembering freshly what I truly valued and so many of my early inspirations. I was coming home to myself. I also fell in love with music again. Not all the doings of music and the activities, but music itself. I realized that in all the busyness of my musical life, I had lost much of my genuine and personal connection with music’s power and beauty. As a human, I had lost connection with the core of my being. Having had this time to contemplate and face these inner questions, I felt that, even within the trappings of a musical life, I had strayed from that which had inspired me to become a musician in the first place. It Southwestern Musician | May 2020 21

was the gift of a lifetime to have this difficult circumstance serve as a powerful wake-up call. Thankfully, after eight months, my hearing returned and I was able to resume full time music-making, but I did so feeling utterly renewed. It was revelatory to reenter my musical activities having experienced a rebirth of my relationship with music. AN OPPORTUNITY I share this story because I am reminded that in the midst of today’s deep fear and loss, there is also great opportunity for those who are willing to meet what is here, allowing it to become an inner teacher, inviting us to face ourselves. This is a time when we can wake up in areas of our lives where we may have become dormant, protected, defended, disengaged. We are being offered the possibility for a full system reboot. We would be wise to take advantage of this potential life-giving gift of renewal. Victor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist and a Holocaust survivor, wrote in his book Man’s Search for Meaning, “Live as if you were living for a second time, as though you had acted wrongly the first time.” Each of us has an opportunity to allow this global pandemic to awaken us and call us back to a greater sense of purpose and value.

I offer the following to you that you might hold these ideas close as we walk together through the days ahead: Grieve Your Losses: Though some losses may seem greater or lesser, each person’s losses are genuine and each needs acknowledgement. Feel your own losses and disorientation. For that which is heartbreaking, do your best not to contract the heart and protect, but rather allow your heart to break open and continue to expand the capacity of what your heart can hold. Rest and Renew: Take real time to rest and to listen for what your body and spirit truly need. Rediscover: Stay open to recovering and rediscovering your original, essential values and inspiration and reconnect with the sources of your inspiration. Rediscover your sense of purpose and joy. Fall in Love: Fall in love with music again, even more deeply, and renew the vows you made to it. Prepare to fulfill your purpose more profoundly and offer your gifts to this world. 22 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

WE WERE MADE FOR THESE TIMES Will you invite this time to be an opportunity for self-discovery and self-renewal? While we must begin by engaging in our own healing and rediscovery, we are also being called to do this work together, for the future of our planet, our human family, and for all we hold dear. As those who understand the transformational potential of music, we are particularly well suited to be co-builders of this post-COVID-19 world. In fact, we are specifically called to hold an inspired vision for our new world and to begin working together as steadfast leaders. With this perspective in mind, the words of Clarissa Pinkola Estés, an American poet and post–trauma specialist and author of the best-selling Women Who Run with the Wolves, seem especially resonant: My friends, do not lose heart. We were made for these times. . . . Ours is a time of almost daily astonishment . . . over the latest degradations of what matters most to civilized, visionary people. In any dark time, there is a tendency to veer toward fainting over how much is wrong or unmended in the world. Do not focus on that. We are needed, that is all we can know. . . . Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. There will always be times when you feel discouraged. I too have felt despair many times in my life, but I do not keep a chair for it; I will not entertain it. It is not allowed to eat from my plate. One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. If you would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you can do. I am inspired by her call to wake up, to be fully lit, and to live my life and do my work from that place of aliveness. We, fellow musicians who have truly known inspiration, can heed this call together, and together we can help guide the world back home to itself. I stand with you, comrades, in this strange and difficult time. I also invite you to seize the opportunity and potential of this time for your own heart’s renewal and for the world’s as well. We will get through this together. When we are finally able to gather again and make sounds together once more, we will know an unspeakable joy and we will feel a deep and profound gratitude, more than ever before, for the gift of music and for each other. In the meantime, take good care of yourselves and each other, and may this be 0 a time of rebirth, remembrance, and awakening for us all. Craig Hella Johnson is a Grammy-winning conductor and Artistic Director of Conspirare, Music Director of Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble, and Artist in Residence at Texas State University. He was designated State Musician of Texas in 2013. An active composer and arranger, his works are published through G. Schirmer, Hal Leonard, and Alliance.

Submit a Proposal for the 2021 TMEA Clinic/Convention Why Should I Submit?

What Topics Do Attendees Want?

What Do I Need to Include?

Offering 300 professional development clinics is one of the most amazing aspects of the TMEA Clinic/Convention! Convention attendees have spoken, and they want clinics offered by teachers who are in situations like theirs. They want to learn from those who teach the same grade levels and in similar environments. Share what you know and help colleagues across the state return home with new ideas and strategies!

Attendees want clinics on these topics: • rehearsal techniques • teaching methods (elementary–college) • instrument methods • classroom management • repertoire selection • recruitment & retention • technology integration • conducting techniques • philosophical priorities of music-making • assessment • and much more

Your proposal should offer a complete summary of what you will present, and the title should be an obvious indicator of the content. Submit a short biographical statement on each clinician. Be prepared to offer a very short summary as well as descriptive details about what and how you will present and to what audience. Be very clear about what attendees will walk away from your clinic knowing.

www.tmea.org/clinicproposals DEADLINE: JUNE 1

Southwestern Musician | May 2020 23

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1920

Celebrating

by Karen Cross

hen I began writing these chronological accounts of TMEA’s history last fall, I would sometimes think ahead and wonder whether there would be much to document when I arrived at the final 20 years of our first century. TMEA’s early days were marked by such swift progress as we developed into a functioning association that it was tough to imagine our contemporary work being as significant. However, as we review our immediate past in this issue, it’s clear that the people of this association continue to influence positive change and growth and in support of music education for all students. With that as our central reason for being, I can’t imagine there will ever be a decade without significant moments to share.

The 21st Century Begins

At a time when the opposite was true for many other associations, TMEA continued to grow in membership, programming, and convention attendance. That continued growth led to the need for a new TMEA headquarters. We broke ground on the new building on January 9, 2000, and we moved in August 2002. This was TMEA’s third debt-free purchased property since 1982. TMEA staff members custom-designed the structure to better

support our staff, organizational meetings, and future growth, as well as to provide office space for rent to Texas Orchestra and Choral Directors Associations for their headquarters. Located northeast of downtown, this has become our home the longest and continues to support our work well. Throughout these two decades, growth in membership and program participation led to multiple realignments of our Regions and Areas. In 2001, we added Region 24 in the central Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex and many schools changed Regions. By 2003, members were already reevaluating those changes and had proposed a jump to 28 Regions in 7 Areas—this would take until 2006 to go into effect and would be the last alignment shift for 10 years. In 2016, a new alignment took effect with 33 Regions in 8 Areas, and with that, TMEA improved tracking of audition entry data to support more representative apportionment for auditions. The Executive Board decided this review process would occur every two years, and that has continued to the most recent realignment that was finalized this March to be in effect for 2020–2022. All-State Ensemble Growth From 2000 to 2020, we also grew our All-State ensembles to a total of 15 and revamped the String Orchestra to be the Sinfonietta Orchestra. • 2002: Tenor-Bass Choir • 2004: ATSSB Jazz Ensemble • 2014: TMEA Jazz Ensemble II • 2015: Small-School Mixed Choir

October 2002 magazine cover 26 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

Participation in auditions has also consistently increased. Last year, over 71,500 students entered the process around the state, with 1,790 ultimately selected to a TMEA All-State ensemble that performed during the 2020 Clinic/Convention. In 2019, the Executive Board approved three new ensembles to be part of our 2021 Clinic/Convention: All-State Mariachi and 5A and 6A Percussion Ensembles.

2020

TMEA’s Centennial Supporting the Future of Our Profession In response to growing reports of teachers leaving the profession in the first five years, TMEA focused its efforts in the early 2000s on supporting music educators and encouraging our best students to pursue this profession: Mentoring Network: After years of study and recommendations from a TMEA member task force, we launched our Mentoring Network in 2000. This network continued to evolve, and in 2012, it was revamped to offer better support to more members in need. Today, over 500 TMEA members have registered with the network. To join as a mentor or to get a mentor, go to www.tmea.org/ mentor. Scholarships: After granting our first scholarship just five years earlier, in 2000, TMEA awarded $29,000 in scholarships to music education majors. Continued contributions by members, exhibitors, and licensed vendor royalties have allowed the TMEA scholarship program to grow into a $1.5 million endowment. This year, TMEA awarded $225,000 to 78 recipients. Award Programs: In 2002, TMEA created the Texas Music Scholar program to honor music students who excel in scholarship, musicianship, and citizenship. Directors nominate their students who have met multiple criteria throughout the year and TMEA awards them a patch and certificate. This program that began with 255 award recipients has grown to over 2,400 students in 2019. In 2016, TMEA launched the Texas Collegiate Music Educator Award to honor our elite college music education graduates. These graduates receive a certificate and regalia cords to wear at graduation. To date, over 250 students have received this designation. Texas Future Music Educators: TMEA established the TFME program in 2004 to support high school students who have an interest in a music education career. TFME chapters provide service to their school music programs, and through their meetings and activities help members prepare for entry into college music programs. To support their development and passion for a career in music education, TFME students are invited to attend the TMEA Clinic/Convention. TFME member attendance has grown from 35 in 2005 to 967 in 2020. Currently, there are 55 TFME chapters across the state with 1,509 active members.

Urban music education clinic at the 2020 Clinic/Convention Urban Music Education Focus: In 2016, TMEA hosted a meeting of urban music educators to discuss their unique challenges and instructional strategies. With the powerful feedback of these members, the TMEA Board committed to focus support on educators in these challenging environments. Since then, TMEA has expanded the focus to continue to offer articles, clinics, and roundtable discussions spotlighting the challenges and success strategies of teachers in urban and rural settings. Elevating Fine Arts Education in Law When our association was formed 100 years ago, there was no defined place for music education in schools. In looking at these two decades, it’s clear we’ve come a long way with fine arts enjoying a solid standing in state law and rule. Building on Executive Director Bill Cormack’s legacy, TMEA leaders have consistently communicated and connected with state policy influencers to push for the best education opportunities for all. In addition to building connections and testifying on legislation that could affect music education, since 2011, TMEA has worked with Texas Coalition for Quality Arts Education to survey legislative candidates on their opinions about the benefits of arts education and maintain a Fine Arts Education Caucus sponsored by key legislators each session. These strategies have continued and have become a means by which we make our presence known apart from any singular issue. With education policy and funding a consistent focus in our state, each legislative session has found us either working against Southwestern Musician | May 2020 27

Celebrating TMEA’s Centennial a new initiative that could erode music study opportunities or championing a cause that added validity to our discipline. These are a few highlights from the ten legislative sessions in 2000–2020: • 2003: When SB 815 went into effect, a key piece of our legislative puzzle fell into place. This law required districts as a condition of accreditation to base instruction on 100% of the essential knowledge and skills of all subjects of the required curriculum—including fine arts. TMEA leaders worked diligently to ensure passage of this bill, which would elevate quality and rigor in Texas fine arts education courses. • 2005: TMEA worked to ensure funding of the fine arts textbook adoption and to minimize the negative impact of physical activity requirements on middle school electives. • 2013: Building on previous attempts, TMEA succeeded in fighting for a law to limit removal of students from music class for test preparation and remediation. Districts were now required to create and follow a policy limiting pullout for remediation or test preparation and exceptions to it could occur only with parental or guardian consent. We also successfully worked to get an Arts and Humanities endorsement in the new Foundation High School Graduation Program. • 2019: TMEA effectively lobbied to defeat a new Personal Financial Literacy graduation requirement that would have eroded elective flexibility in high school. We also successfully pushed to limit weighted funding for middle school CTE courses to 7th and 8th grade rather than grades 6–8 as was proposed in the original bill draft.

Students deliver advocacy materials to every state legislator’s office during Arts Education Day at the Capitol. Keeping Up with Technology The first phone with a camera built in was released in 2000. Four years later, Facebook started in a Harvard dorm room, and in two years, Twitter arrived—TMEA launched its social media presence on each platform in 2009. (We now have over 16,000 Facebook followers and 9,000+ Twitter followers.) Wi-Fi calling, reliable videoconferencing, YouTube, online transactions, GPS on your personal device—everything on your personal device—all happened in these last 20 years. Organizations that didn’t strive to utilize available technology fell behind. While not always the earliest adopters of emerging technologies, TMEA has consistently supported our growing membership and increased programming with technological advancements. Before ushering in the 21st century, we had a functional website 28 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

TAAS Testing at the Convention

In 2002, the state’s required standardized TAAS tests were moved to a date occurring during the TMEA convention. It’s hard to imagine this ever happening again, but then TEA Commissioner Jim Nelson authorized TMEA to give All-State musicians the TAAS exit level mathematics and reading tests in San Antonio at the convention center. Districts with All-State students had to transport the tests to and from San Antonio and TMEA provided TAAS monitors to administer the tests. Robert Floyd recalled: We all know about the security surrounding state standardized testing—it was a bit crazy to even initiate that conversation. But Jim Nelson was a visionary in education, known for putting students first. And it didn’t hurt that he understood the value of a positive, rigorous experience in music education considering his son was an All-State percussionist! I was proud of our membership for assuring it was administered without any security breach. Veteran education administrators still shake their heads at how we got permission to do it and then pulled it off!

(launched in 1997), with about 175 visitors per month. Performing multiple facelifts since that first date, the site is again under construction with a redesign expected to go live this summer. Our website has grown dramatically in the past 20 years and reflects the increase in programs we offer and members we serve. When we most recently analyzed our 750+ webpages, we expected a springcleaning experience where we could easily remove pages we’d find collecting virtual dust. Instead, we found that most pages were consistently being accessed—a clear picture of the depth of programming and services that have increased over the years. In 2001, TMEA moved our audition entry system online. The program was created in-house and tested by members. The next year, we stopped mailing member cards and instead provided a link via email, and students had an online practice test to help them prepare for the teacher certification exam. As TMEA President Mike Ware described in 2003, “Under the direction of Deputy Director Frank Coachman, TMEA has been catapulted into the age of technology.” TMEA began hosting the TI:ME music education technology conference during our 2004 convention to increase the breadth of technology clinics our members could attend (they continue to offer a tech preconference today). This was also the first convention with online registration. As I write this, we’re connecting with our community on social media, email, and the website, and members are entering convention proposals and applying online for their ensembles to be

considered for 2021 convention performances. TMEA staff are helping Region officers prepare to host each Region meeting via online videoconference for the first time. Becoming Financially Stable, TMEA Offers Support In the 1930s and 1940s, leaders sometimes couldn’t pay the bills until enough members had renewed. Members were compelled to sell subscriptions so we could publish the magazine. With increases in membership, dedicated support of our music industry partners and universities, and sound investment practices, TMEA is in great financial health. We paid cash for the three buildings we’ve occupied, and we maintain a healthy reserve to carry us through turbulent times. With solid finances, our Executive Boards have been able to create grant programs through which our members could apply for financial support of their classroom needs. In August 2012, the Texas Education Agency awarded TMEA a $1 million Fine Arts Instructional Support Program grant to assist fine arts programs (grades 6–12). The dollars were to give relief to those experiencing critical budget reductions in the wake of a major public school budget shortfall. This was TMEA’s first experience in administering such a significant grant program for statewide distribution, and we had to move quickly to provide an online facility so that the applications and distribution could be complete by the end of the calendar year. Of the total distribution, 177 grants were awarded to music programs for over $600,000,

with the other dollars going to worthy art, theatre, and dance programs. Not long after distributing the TEA grant dollars to secondary programs, TMEA’s Executive Board created its own grant program for members who teach elementary music. In 2013, TMEA awarded nearly $500,000 to 630 elementary music programs across the state. In addition to this committed funding, TMEA Sustaining Members offered discounts to educators to help their grant dollars stretch further. “Before we received the funding, students were playing on broken instruments that had been used for a long time, and there were not enough for each student in the class to use. We’ve used our new materials for the last two weeks, and the students’ reactions have been nothing but extreme excitement,” wrote Elkhart elementary music teacher Becky Keisling. Following up on the success of this elementary music grant, TMEA offered a grant specifically for middle school music programs in 2014–2015, awarding 819 grants totaling $762,000. Again, our Sustaining Members worked to make sure members could get more with their grant award. At the close of 2017, TMEA committed another $764,000 to elementary music teacher members for use in their classrooms. This being the second grant program focused on elementary music education, Robert Floyd explained, “There is no other place we could spend our reserves and reach more students than in the elementary music classroom.”

Music in Response to Tragedy Despite growing fears following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the important work of music educators continued. Like the days following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, we turned to music for our solace. In the October 2001 issue, we published “The Healing Power of Music” by our Executive Director Robert Floyd. In that reflection, he offered the following: By that first Friday evening, many of you had already put together combined efforts of your bands to pay tribute to the victims and our country during halftime shows. By the following week, countless numbers followed suit. Fall concerts of choirs and orchestras have included similar patriotic presentations. Never has there been a time when the healing power of music has been more needed and more apparent, and never before has there been such an opportunity to share the talents of our young people. From the halftime shows to the beautiful hymns at the memorial services we have watched on television, the power of music has once again been exhibited. . . . Isn’t it a wonderful time to be a teacher of music, and aren’t you glad you are a part of an art form that has played such a major role in the healing of our country over the past eight weeks?

Since 2005, Texas music educators have experienced three major hurricanes that significantly displaced families and schools. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita made landfall within a month of each other in 2005, leaving schools devastated as the school year was beginning. In 2017, as teachers were putting the finishing touches on their classrooms, Hurricane Harvey left tens of thousands of students homeless and schools on the Texas coast beyond repair. TMEA created an online facility for programs to identify their needs so that anyone online could view and respond. We learned valuable lessons through that disaster and will continue to do our part to help support our teachers who do so much to ensure the continuity of joy experienced through music-making with their students.

help bring back

THE ARTS

Classroom flooded after hurricane Harvey Southwestern Musician | May 2020 29

Music students enjoy their grant-funded instruments. In Isolation, Music Is a Constant Companion Our association’s first 100 years is ending at a time when (since mid-March) teachers, students, and their families have been ordered to stay at home. Instead of being filled with students playing in recess, some school gyms are being utilized as rest stops for truckers who are under demand to get needed resources distributed. Music teachers at every level have been forced to adopt new ways to stay connected with their students and help them use digital tools for continued music learning. Some have offered a sense of normalcy through online videoconferencing with their students. Many students, however, are home without the instrument they would typically play in their class, and others have no access to technology or, if they do, are sharing it with multiple family members. Instead of helping students prepare for the final spring performance, teachers are focused on their students’ emotional well-being and safety amid this worldwide crisis. As always, teachers across our state are working beyond expectation to support their students through this challenging time in a myriad of ways. As we have witnessed through previous tragedies, in this time of isolation and uncertainty, music remains our reliable companion.

Celebrating Our Centennial As the school year closes, so does our celebration of TMEA’s Centennial. Throughout the year, TMEA has offered reflections of our last 100 years and focused on increasing our advocacy efforts centered on the theme It Starts With Music. The most significant advocacy endeavor has been the production of eight professionally filmed videos featuring personal stories about the power of music education. Our goal was to provide compelling stories that would resonate with students, parents, communities, and policymakers. Released in February (available at www.tmea.org/ itstartswithmusic), we hope these messages continue to be catalysts for expanded support of music education for all.

Starting Another Century

TMEA continues to grow every day because of members who are devoted to teaching and learning, volunteer leaders who faithfully support our initiatives, and staff members who are dedicated to successfully running the business of our association. As with any thriving organization, it’s not the institution or its programs that determine its success. It’s the people. Just over 100 years ago, James E. King decided to start an organization for the betterment of musicians. Since that April 21, 1920 meeting, and only except in a few wartime years, this association has grown—in numbers and scope. By never straying from our focus of supporting high-quality music education for every student, we can be sure that even in this moment we are continuing to make history for someone else to share 100 years from now. 0 This series of articles on TMEA’s history began with the August 2019 issue. Go to www.tmea.org/emagazine to view previous issues online.

Over the last 100 years we have come a long way as a profession and as an association. Our purpose started with music. Our commitment as music educators enriches our students and prepares them for any path in life they choose, because music contributes to lifelong success. As we begin our next 100 years, there is much more ahead on the journey for music educators and music education in Texas. And it starts with music.

30 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

THANK YOU, TMEA CENTENNIAL SPONSORS! Centennial Sponsors are helping TMEA amplify our music education advocacy efforts as we celebrate TMEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Centennial and beyond. Thanks go to these TMEA Sustaining Members for becoming Centennial Sponsors. Learn how to become a sponsor at www.tmea.org/centennial/become-a-sponsor.

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Excellence in Music Education for 100 Years Southwestern Musician | May 2020 31

ORCHESTRA NOTES

B Y

M I C H A E L

S T R I N G E R

With the response to the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, information printed in this issue is subject to change. For the latest updates, visit www.tmea.org and other relevant websites.

Leadership part 5: the learning zone

am sure we can all relate to the necessity of staying in the learning zone at this moment. With the statewide closing of schools in late March, we had to find new ways to continue instruction for our students. Many of these new strategies have placed us outside our comfort zones as we learned new ways to help our students through this difficult time. I believe we’ve always understood the need to be lifelong learners, but the times we are facing have surely underscored that truth, as we’ve been required to adopt new and more creative instructional techniques. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone By the time you read this, you’ve probably become more comfortable living outside your comfort zone. In just the past few weeks, I’ve been challenged more than I could have ever imagined! Creating new ways for students to learn has absorbed all my time. As one of my colleagues so eloquently put it, “I haven’t worked this hard since the semester I student-taught.” As I struggled to

Being in an environment where it is acceptable to make mistakes, helps our students (and us) know that while we will never be perfect, the greatest learning in our life sometimes comes from failure. 32 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

May—Join your Orchestra Region meeting online (updates on page 2). May 1—TMEA membership year opens for online and mail/email submission. June 1—Deadline to submit proposals online for the 2021 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. June 1—REVISED deadline to nominate students for a Texas Music Scholar award. June 15—REVISED invited mariachi ensemble application deadline. June 15—NEW invited orchestra application deadline. June 30—All 2019–2020 TMEA memberships expire. July 23–25—TODA Convention in San Antonio. August 1—Deadline for waivers to the audition process to be received at TMEA headquarters. September 15—HS String Honor Orchestra Part A online submission deadline. February 10–13, 2021—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

Even in a more normal school year, our students need our positivity. They always need to believe that we are their biggest fan and supporter. find meaningful ways for our students to engage in music, I found myself thinking about how our students are asked to learn. Each day we watch as our students are pushed to accomplish new and wonderful things in a less ideal learning environment. In fact, we often see the most growth in our students and ensembles during times of hardship. When we can return to some place of normalcy with our classrooms, I hope we won’t forget how it’s felt during this distressing time. Keep working on new instructional techniques and learning new methods to help students soar to success! Listen to People When we are forced out of our comfort zone, listening to other people’s ideas and methods becomes a much higher priority. As we grasp for new ideas and methods, we look to others for knowledge and direction. Over the years, I have been so appreciative of people’s willingness to share and allow me to “steal” their methods. Recently, each evening, I’ve read a new tip shared by a fellow educator who is helping us better understand a program he has used in his classroom for years. I want to challenge each of us to seek out new instructional

tips on a regular basis. I hope that like in past years, we have the wonderful opportunity in late July to put this practice into action at the TODA convention (more information on this amazing convention is included below). I always find it to be a wonderful time to gain new knowledge as I prepare to return to school for another year. The more we listen, the more ideas we gain in our continued effort to help our students grow as musicians and as people. Give Back Just as important as listening is giving back to our profession. Many of the best instructional techniques I use in my classroom I acquired from someone else. Many times, I modified their techniques and adapted them for my situation. As I modified those techniques, I often wanted to share what worked for me with others, but I assumed that my instructional techniques applied only to my situation. As I moved into administration, I learned that good instructional techniques are made to be shared, and even though others may not use them in the exact same way I do, my ideas may spark an idea for someone else that will help their students reach the next level. A great opportunity is upon us

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34 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

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to share ideas with others. Please make a proposal to share your best techniques and practices during our 2021 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. The deadline for online clinic proposals is June 1. Learn more and apply at www.tmea.org/clinicproposals. Each year, members request more clinics be offered by teachers actively working in Texas classrooms. Well-constructed proposals that address a specific instructional skill become highly effective clinics that help your fellow teacher improve instruction for their students. Please consider submitting your proposal for our convention or encouraging someone you know who has a wonderful idea to submit theirs! Through our sharing and receiving of new ideas we become stronger educators and our students benefit and continue to grow. Stay Positive In the past few weeks, I have struggled the most with remaining positive. As I have been separated from others, it has become increasingly more difficult to feel connected to music. In these times, I have found hope in my fellow educators who are doing everything they can to help their students have a positive experience. This is such a great reminder that even in a more normal school year, our students need our positivity. They always need to believe that we are their biggest fan and supporter. Remember that some days, we may be the lift they need to help their day become a little brighter. Being in an environment where it is acceptable to make mistakes helps our students (and us) know that while we will never be perfect, the greatest learning in our life sometimes comes from failure. As we approach the end of the school year, I hope that you have been able to find many new instructional methods that you will carry through to next year. I hope that, even with its challenges, you have been able to find success in your instruction this year. As I close this series on leadership, I sincerely hope a few ideas have resonated with you that you can take forward into your next year of instruction. May you have a blessed summer and return in the fall with more passion and vigor than ever before. Honor Orchestra Update The TMEA Executive Board based its decision to cancel the 2020–2021 HS Full, MS Full, and MS String Honor Orchestra

Marching Arts Director Symposium Monday, June 15 - Tuesday, June 16 Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser - Conn-Selmer, Attitude Concepts for Today Scott Chandler - Program Coordinator, The Blue Devils Todd Ryan - Visual Caption Head, The Blue Devils John Meehan - Brass Arranger, The Blue Devils Scott Johnson - Battery Caption Head, The Blue Devils Brian Dinkel - Front Ensemble Caption Head, The Blue Devils Mike Howard - Director of Bands, Vandegrift High School and more!

2020 SUMMER MUSIC CAMP SERIES

Leadership, Drum Major & Colorguard Camp Sunday, June 14 - Tuesday, June 16 Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser - Conn-Selmer, Attitude Concepts for Today Frank Troyka - Conn-Selmer, System Blue Director of Education Koji Mori - Harrison High School (Georgia), Music For All Drum Major Institute Lauren Potter - Lebanon Trail High School, Texas A&M University-Commerce

In partnership with System Blue and the 19-Time World Champion Blue Devils

All Virtual Format for Summer 2020 The 2020 Texas A&M UniversityCommerce summer marching arts events for students and directors will be held in an exciting virtual format, with online and interactive sessions with leaders in the drum & bugle corps, college and high school marching band activities. Take your students, ensembles, and teaching to the next level! Tuition: Virtual Student Experience - $45 Virtual Director Symposium - $25

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contests on the best interest of students, programs, and members and to support fairness and equity in the process. The HS String Honor Orchestra process will continue as scheduled, with online entry from August 1 to September 15. The Board recognizes the value and importance of the performances by our school orchestras at our annual convention. The following process does not replace an Honor Orchestra competition. It is intended to allow our incredible Texas orchestras to be celebrated during our annual convention. One-Year Invited Orchestra Process:

The Orchestra Division will host an invited orchestra process to select orchestras to perform during the 2021 Clinic/ Convention. Any orchestra from any level is eligible to apply. We hope directors of high-quality programs who typically don’t enter the Honor Orchestra competition will take advantage of this opportunity and apply. The Orchestra Division seeks to invite high-quality ensembles that represent the variety of school environments and socioeconomic makeup of programs across our state. For more details on rules and applying

SUMMER CAMPS JUNE 7–11 JR. HIGH BAND CAMP JUNE 14 –18 INSTRUMENTAL CONSERVATORY CAMP JUNE 14 –18 PERCUSSION ACADEMY JUNE 21 –25 ORCHESTRA CAMP JULY 19 –22 ALL-STATE CHOIR CAMP

go to www.tmea.org/invitedorchestras. The deadline to apply is June 15. Invited High School Mariachi Ensemble Update The deadline for our invited high school mariachi has been postponed to June 15. Go to www.tmea.org/invitedmariachi for more information and to apply. TODA Convention Summer professional learning is one of the most important things we can do as teachers to continue to improve the instruction that happens in our classrooms. There is no other orchestra-specific learning opportunity like the TODA Convention, and I hope we will be able to see each other there! Dates of this year’s convention are July 23–25 and again coincide with the TBA and TCDA conventions, offering a wonderful exhibit floor and time to visit with all our colleagues. I highly encourage you to make plans to attend these wonderful few days that allow us to learn and recharge our batteries for the upcoming school year. Go to www.todaweb.org for updates about this event and to register. 0

2020 Join Your Region Meeting 1751 Avenue I, Suite 225 Huntsville, TX 77340 936-294-1360

WWW.SHSU.EDU/ACADEMICS/MUSIC

36 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

Region meetings will be held online using Zoom. See page 2 for updates to the TMEA spring Region meeting process.

tmea.org/ regionmeetings

TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC

SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS Scholarships are available for both music and non-music majors. These awards are intended to provide recognition for scholarship and talent in the study of music. For specific qualifications for each award, visit

www.tlu.edu/music-scholarships.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC DEPARTMENT HEADS

Monica Kang-Sasaki

Douglas R. Boyer

Elizabeth Lee

Director, School of Music and Director of Choral Activities dboyer@tlu.edu 830-372-6869 or 800-771-8521

Asst. Professor, Cello

Beth Bronk

Scott McDonald

Director of Bands bbronk@tlu.edu

Shaaron Conoly

SCHOLARSHIP AUDITION DATES: Sunday, May 17, 2020 | 2-4 p.m. Individual audition dates may be requested if necessary.

Director of Vocal Studies sconoly@tlu.edu

Eric Daub Director of Piano Studies edaub@tlu.edu

Eliza Jeffords Director of Strings ejeffords@tlu.edu

Wei Chen Bruce Lin Asst. Professor, Piano

Deborah Mayes Accompanist Instructor, Saxophone & Jazz Band

Carla McElhaney Asst. Professor, Collaborative Pianist

David Milburn Instructor, Double Bass

Kurt Moede Instructor, Horn

Sung-Eun Park

FACULTY

Asst. Professor, Collaborative Pianist

Mark Ackerman

Keith Robinson

Instructor, Oboe

Michele Aichele Asst. Professor, Music History

Adam Bedell Instructor, Percussion

Carol Chambers Instructor, Music Education

Paula Corley Instructor, Clarinet

Chad Ibison Asst. Professor, Guitar

Hilary Janysek

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

Asst. Professor, Piano

Asst. Professor, Flute & Music History

Instructor, Tuba & Music Education

Jill Rodriguez Instructor, General Music

Eric Siu Asst. Professor, Violin

Sophie Verhaeghe Instructor, Violin

Steven Vogel Instructor, Trombone & Euphonium

Lance Witty Asst. Professor, Trumpet

Simeng Wu Asst. Professor, Collaborative Pianist

www.tlu.edu/music

VOCAL NOTES

B Y

J E D

R A G S D A L E

With the response to the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, information printed in this issue is subject to change. For the latest updates, visit www.tmea.org and other relevant websites.

The power of music endures

e often find ourselves in the position—while not in the legal sense—of caregiver for the students we teach. They come to us before school to share good news from the day before. They arrive during lunch to ask if we have any snacks lying around because they forgot their food or money. They meander through during the quiet hours after school, and after we ask them what they’re still doing there, they open up about things that aren’t so positive in their lives. Whatever the reason—difficulty at home, relationships, disagreement with the school policies, or anything at all—they come to us. This current normal, whether we acknowledge it as that or not, is indeed a time when we’ve felt in our hearts the pain of not being there for our students. Lately, there have been many instances where the outside world has caught a glimpse of what we do and the impact we have on students. Many parents are now home all day with the new responsibility of ensuring distance learning occurs. They’ve watched music teacher videos and have witnessed the encouragement and enlightenment we offer our students—eventually, they

We must continue the effort to reach our students and notice them, to let them know we think about them and care about their well-being. 38 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

May—Join your Vocal Region meeting online (updates on page 2). May 1—TMEA membership year opens for online and mail/email submission. June 1—Deadline to submit proposals online for the 2021 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. June 1—REVISED release date for AllState audition repertoire. June 1—REVISED deadline to nominate students for a Texas Music Scholar award. May 1—REVISED deadline for 2021 Convention college-level Performing Choir application and recording upload. June 15—REVISED deadline for 2021 Convention HS/MS Performing Choir application and recording upload. June 30—All 2019–2020 TMEA memberships expire. July 23–25—TCDA Convention in San Antonio. August 1—Deadline for waivers to the audition process to be received at TMEA headquarters. February 10–13, 2021—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

Our current situation provides us an opportunity to make the biggest difference, on a much grander scale, for our students and the generations they will influence. gain a greater understanding that this is what we provide daily. The kids miss us and we, undoubtedly, miss them. We may have been apart for a while now, but it’s not too late to let them know that everything is going to be okay, that they will be okay, and that a bright future is still waiting for them. This is, as TEA Commissioner of Education Mike Morath and TMEA Executive Director Robert Floyd have shared, a time when we need to be nurturing and loving to our students. Our seniors are not quite having the final year they’ve envisioned since elementary school. Our eighth graders had just developed the confidence and security to soar into the uncertainty of high school. Contests, spring trips, proms, pop shows, banquets, all of which have been altered or canceled, will leave an enduring mark on our students. It is our duty to continue to be the beacon of light, guiding them

40 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

through yet another obstacle and equipping them to finish strong, whether it’s by the vehicle of distance education or not. It’s the end of March as I write this column, and I’m wondering what’s in store for the rest of the school year. Regardless— it shall be—and all we can do is continue to move forward and teach to the best of our abilities with the resources we have. Just as we teach our students not to give up, we cannot give up. There is still time to reach every student who has walked into your classroom who you used to greet with a handshake, a highfive, or even just a hello and a smile. The things that have made a difference for our students can still be managed, although somewhat differently. We must continue the effort to reach our students and notice them, to let them know we think about them and care about their well-being. Send them a note, or better yet, send them a video of you singing or playing a song.

Many of you have already done similar activities. Keep doing them! They need to see your face and know you are making the best of a negative situation while keeping their musical interests in mind. We know the power music possesses— we’ve preached it to anyone who will listen to us (or, perhaps, regardless of whether they’re listening). This time, however, it’s different. Through extreme difficulty, trial and loss, people have found encouragement in song and have been lifted by it. Maybe you’ve experienced difficulty and your students have been an encouragement to you. I know that wouldn’t be the first time, but for you, this situation is different, too. While much in our world shuts down, the power of music endures. Music has had a significant impact on our communities and those across the planet. In this time of trial, the world has been brought closer together. People in every country are singing or playing music from their windows, balconies, dormitories, living rooms, kitchens, and even bathrooms. We’ve seen people use music to determine the appropriate length of handwashing. We’ve also seen them use music to encourage those they love who are a great distance away as well as those so close that only a hospital or nursing home window separates them. How are you utilizing music with your students—not just teaching music but utilizing music? How are you continuing to be the difference-maker? What will the lasting impression of this 2019–2020 school year be on your students? What’s the most important concept students will learn from their directors? Will it be about what didn’t happen, or what could have happened? Will it be of apologies for canceled events or the wish for just one more opportunity to prepare for another performance or contest? Will it be of the circle of fifths, secondary dominants, or the structural and harmonic uses of modes? Will it be how to make music, or how to use music? Must those two things be exclusive? Kind of like the last few months when there have been more questions than answers, there are several questions to ponder as you finish this leg of the journey. While there is no wrong answer, I urge you to leave the students with the strongest of desires to have music fused into their entire being for the rest of their lives.

While an extreme challenge, our current situation provides us an opportunity to make the biggest difference, on a much grander scale, for our students and the generations they will influence. How did they use music? How did music help them? To mourn? To pass time? To express themselves when they couldn’t form words? To celebrate? Music is used in every possible way, and we will remember this as a moment when music was everything. Your students must come to understand how music helped heal the world during 2020. If they do, their grandchildren and those after them will tell these stories we are currently living—about how people used music to help the world survive. What will your part of their survival story be? 2021 Convention Proposals Our members want clinics to be presented by Texas teachers who are in situations like theirs. It might seem obvious, but the best way we can accomplish this is by you and your colleagues submitting proposals! Go to www.tmea.org/ clinicproposals to submit your proposal by the June 1 deadline. Consider the following topics that attendees from the Vocal Division report are important to them. If you know of strategies that have been effective in these areas, think about how you could offer that expertise and experience via a clinic or ask the same of a colleague who you believe could offer a successful clinic. • Rehearsal techniques • Repertoire selection • Recruitment/retention • Teaching methods • Classroom management • Conducting techniques • Technology integration • Urban and rural challenges & solutions • Assessment • Music theory All-State Audition Repertoire Release Moved to June 1 Because of delayed confirmation on the availability of auditioned music from publishers, the release date for All-State choral audition repertoire has been moved to June 1.

Invited Performing Choir Extended Deadlines Given the disruptions caused by our shift to remote teaching, the Executive Board has set a revised timeline for applying to be a 2021 TMEA Clinic/Convention Performing Choir. I encourage you to review the entry details and apply for this wonderful performance opportunity! Note the following deadlines: • College-level applications and recordings must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. CT, May 15. • High school, middle/junior high school–level applications and

recordings must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. CT, June 15. Learn more and apply at www.tmea.org/ invitedchoir. Region Alignment and Meetings The 2020–2022 Region Alignment was finalized by the Executive Board in March. Look up your school district to confirm your Region before you search for your Region meeting schedule. All Region meetings will be held online via Zoom. To find the schedule for your Vocal Region meeting, go to www.tmea.org/regionmeetings. From there, you will log in to access the link to the meeting. 0

Get Involved and Stay Informed • Propose a Clinic or Music Showcase • Submit a Performing Group Application • Register to Serve as a TMEA Volunteer • Join Your Region Meeting Online

SCHOLARSHIPS Majors • Minors • NON-MAJORS Continue your music at a college that is as smart as you are . . . whether you intend to major in music or not. Our ensembles are open to all students by audition. SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS All AC music scholarship auditions are now accepted by Youtube video For information, visit the music depart. austincollege.edu/academics or call (903) 813-2251

Austin College

MUSIC Choir Band Orchestra

Southwestern Musician | May 2020 41

42 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

We Need Music t o

s u r v i v e

Editor’s Note: We originally published the following in 2012, and when we decided to utilize this magazine issue to address the question of “why music,” it immediately came to mind. Karl speaks so thoughtfully and powerfully on this topic.

By Karl Paulnack

ne of my parents’ deepest fears, I suspect, is that society would not value me as a musician. I remember my mother’s reaction when I announced my decision to study music instead of medicine: “You’re wasting your SAT scores!” My parents love music, but at the time they were unclear about its value. The confusion is understandable. We put music in the arts and entertainment section of the newspaper. But music often has little to do with entertainment. Quite the opposite. The ancient Greeks had a fascinating way of articulating how music works. In their quadrivium—geometry, arithmetic, astronomy, and music—astronomy and music are two sides of the same coin. Astronomy describes relationships between observable, external, permanent objects. Music illuminates relationships between invisible, internal, transient objects. I imagine our having internal planets, constellations of complicated thoughts and feelings. Music finds the invisible pieces inside our hearts and souls and helps describe the position of things inside us, like a telescope that looks in rather than out. In June 1940, French composer Olivier Messiaen was captured by the Germans and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. There, he finished a quartet for piano, cello, violin, and clarinet and performed it with three other imprisoned musicians for the inmates and guards of that camp. The piece (“Quartet for the End of Time”) is arguably one of the greatest successes in the history of music. Given what we have since learned about life under Nazi occupation, why would anyone write music there? If you’re just trying to stay alive, why bother with music? And yet—even from concentration camps themselves—we have surviving

April 1, 2020 Dear Fellow Musician, As a music student, I dreamt of playing in great halls, rooms like jewel boxes lined with red velvet. While surely it is powerful to take the stage at Alice Tully Hall or the Kennedy Center or wherever else we imagine great music takes place, my truth, for my life, is that the most powerful musicmaking happened in venues I never imagined. Those were places like Manhattan the night of September 11, 2001; two blocks from the Boston Marathon bombing; or in Haiti just hours before dawn during the earthquake of 2010, where first responders found survivors pinned beneath rubble, singing to maintain connection to each other. Today it is not boulders that crush us. Millions of us are separated from each other, isolated by choice or necessity, pinned beneath the force of an advancing virus. We cannot shake the hand of a stranger, hug our friends, or high-five our students. Once again, in the moments when we most desperately need to connect, we turn to music. And so the Italians have thrown open the windows to sing with their neighbors, orchestral musicians collaborate online, and those who teach music have harnessed every available weapon in the battle to continue to teach, learn, and make music, a practice we have carried to our children for at least 40,000 years. The course of the virus over the coming time remains unknown. The certainty that we will make music has never been clearer. Carry your practice. Make music. Sincerely,

Karl Paulnack Southwestern Musician | May 2020 43

evidence of poetry, music, and visual art. Many people made art. Why? Art must be, somehow, essential for life. In fact, art is part of survival; art is part of the human spirit, an unquenchable expression of who we are; art is one of the ways in which we say, “I am alive, and my life has meaning.” On September 11, 2001, I was a resident of Manhattan. Later that day I reached a new understanding of my art. Given the day’s events, the idea of playing the piano seemed absurd, disrespectful, and pointless. Amid ambulances, firefighters, and fighter jets, I heard an inner voice ask, “Why am I here? What place has a musician in this moment?” Then I saw how we survived. The first group activity in my neighborhood that night was singing. People sang. They sang around firehouses. They sang “We Shall Overcome,” “America the Beautiful,” “The Star Spangled Banner.” They sang songs learned in elementary school, which some hadn’t sung since then.

ingfully experience these events, as though eating great food without tasting it. Music functions as a container for experience—it augments our capacity to grasp complex things. Without music, the events of our lives slip like water through cupped hands. Music increases our capacity to hold life experiences, to celebrate them, to survive them. The performance I think of as my most important concert took place in a nursing home in a small Midwestern town. I was playing with a dear friend of mine, a violinist. We began with Aaron Copland’s “Sonata,” which was written during World War II and dedicated to a young pilot who was shot down during the war. Midway through the piece, an elderly man seated in a wheelchair near the front of the concert hall began to weep. After we finished, we mentioned that the piece was dedicated to a downed pilot. The man became so disturbed he had to leave the auditorium, but showed up backstage afterward, tears and all, to explain himself.

Music is the language we choose when we are speechless. Within days, we gathered at Lincoln Center for the Brahms Requiem. Along with firefighters and fighter jets, artists were first responders in this disaster, too. The military secured our airspace, but musicians led the recovery. In measuring the revival of New York, the return of Broadway—another art form—was as significant a milestone as the reopening of the stock markets. I now understand that music is not part of “arts and entertainment.” It’s not a luxury, something we fund from budget leftovers. Music is a basic need of human survival. Music is one of the ways we make sense of things, a way to express feelings when we have no words, a way to understand things with our hearts when we cannot grasp them with our minds. Music is the language we choose when we are speechless. Imagine a graduation, a wedding, a presidential inauguration, or a service celebrating the life and death of a close friend. Imagine these with absolutely no music whatsoever. What’s missing? Entertainment? Hardly. What’s missing is the capacity to mean44 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

He told us that during World War II, as a pilot, he was in an aerial combat situation where one of his team’s planes was hit. He watched his friend bail out and his parachute open. But the Japanese planes returned and machine-gunned across the parachute cords, separating the parachute from the pilot. He then watched his friend drop away into the ocean, lost. He said he had not thought about that for years, but during that first piece of music we played, this memory returned to him so vividly that it was as though he were reliving it. Remember the Greeks: Music is the study of invisible relationships between internal objects. The concert in the nursing home is the most important work I have ever done. For me to play for this old soldier and help him connect, somehow, with Aaron Copland, to connect their memories, to help him remember and mourn his friend—this is my work. This is why music matters. This article is extracted from a speech I offered to the parents of incoming freshmen to the Boston Conservatory. In that address, I explained to the parents that

when I spoke with their sons and daughters, I would be charging them with the following responsibility: If we were a medical school and you were here as a med student practicing appendectomies, you’d take your work very seriously because you would imagine a situation when someone is going to waltz into your emergency room at 2 a.m. and you’re going to have to save their life. Well, my friends, someday at 8 p.m. someone is going to walk into your concert hall and bring you a mind that is confused, a heart that is overwhelmed, a soul that is weary. Whether they go out whole again will depend partly on how well you do your craft. You’re not here to become an entertainer, and you don’t have to sell yourself. The truth is you don’t have anything to sell; being a musician isn’t about dispensing a product, like selling used cars. I’m not an entertainer; I’m a lot closer to a paramedic, a firefighter, a rescue worker. You’re here to become a sort of therapist for the human soul, a spiritual version of a chiropractor, physical therapist, someone who works with our insides to see if they get things to line up, to see if we can come into harmony with ourselves and be healthy and happy and well. Frankly, ladies and gentlemen, I expect you not only to master music; I expect you to save the planet. If there is a future wave of wellness on this planet—of harmony, of peace, of an end to war, of mutual understanding, of equality, of fairness—I don’t expect it will come from a government, a military force, or a corporation. I no longer even expect it to come from the religions of the world, which together seem to have brought us as much war as they have peace. If there is a future of peace for humankind, if there is to be an understanding of how these invisible, internal things should fit together, I expect it will come from the artists, because that’s what we do. As in the concentration camps and the evening of 9/11, the artists are the ones who might be able to help us with our internal, invisible 0 lives. Karl Paulnack is Dean of the Ithaca College School of Music in New York and serves on the National Executive Committee of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity. Paulnack delivered the 2013 TMEA Clinic/Convention First General Session keynote address.

Everyone Can Use a Hand The TMEA Mentoring Network is a program of one-on-one mentoring for new teachers and those new to Texas.

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

www.tmea.org/mentor Southwestern Musician | May 2020 45

ELEMENTARY NOTES

B Y

A B I G A I L

H A W E S

With the response to the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, information printed in this issue is subject to change. For the latest updates, visit www.tmea.org and other relevant websites.

Connected from afar

n a hot July afternoon in the summer of 2008, the students and staff of the University of Houston Kodály Institute stood on stage, hands joined. With tears welling in my eyes, I looked around at the faces of my friends and instructors, experiencing a flood of emotions, the strongest of which was an immense feeling of relief at the completion of my first level of Kodály training. Somewhere, someone gave a starting pitch and we began to sing: We gather here together with joyful heart and mind We raise our voices ever, our distant souls to bind. To remember in this moment of friendship, love, and joy, That music made together may one day heal mankind. For many of you, the words of Harmonia Mundi (We Gather Here Together) likely elicit fond memories of fellow music educators and wonderful times spent making music with them. Why, then, would I choose to reflect on these words now, when the COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly called the current school year to a halt and forced all teachers to move instruction online? I believe it is because these words can, indeed, be applied to these uncertain times. Despite our current circumstances, we can still choose to collectively utilize music to connect, enrich, and heal.

Despite our current circumstances, we can still choose to collectively utilize music to connect, enrich, and heal. 46 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

May—Join your Elementary Region meeting online (updates on page 2). May 1—TMEA membership year opens for online and mail/email submission. June 1—Deadline to submit proposals online for the 2021 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. June 15—Deadline for 2021 Convention Performing group application and online recording upload (choirs and instrumental). June 30—All 2019–2020 TMEA memberships expire. July 23–25—TCDA Convention in San Antonio. February 10–13, 2021—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

Although it’s not possible to gather in the physical sense, we can still do so via technology and, in this way, bring joy to the hearts and minds of many—including ourselves. Although the distances between us may be vast, our capabilities to reach out across that void with music have never been greater. We can still raise our collective voices in song via Facebook Live, YouTube, or Zoom—or even just in the privacy of our own homes. With this in mind, I urge you to consider these moments and reflect on the lessons they can teach us. What do you miss most about being with your students or singing with your church or community choir? Write those thoughts down and start looking forward to the day you can enjoy the company of your fellow musicians and students again. Reach out to those you miss by phone or written note just to check in and see how they’re doing. Furthermore, why not look for ways to utilize the time we’ve been given to develop and enrich your personal musicianship? Find a piece of music you love and spend time either listening to or performing it. I was recently inspired by a pianist friend who is making her way through the alpha-

bet, playing a piece by a composer representing each letter. Perhaps ask a friend to share a favorite musical work and explore it together. Immerse yourself in a biography of a composer you’ve always appreciated. Always wanted to learn the guitar, ukulele, or dulcimer? There’s a YouTube channel for that! And finally, although music won’t put a stop to this pandemic, I believe that it is and will continue to be a healer in other ways. Social media is flooded with instances of people reaching out, hoping to soothe our anxious minds through music. Observe the artists sharing their music freely, via living room concerts. See major opera companies posting performances on their websites. Listen to the songs of your fellow music educators, recorded alongside their children on their front porches. And, perhaps the most telling of them all, see entire neighborhoods in pandemic-stricken Italy collaborating musically from their balconies. Witness the many ways music connects us. In this time of great disconnection, we need music more than ever. I wish you only the best as we all navigate these uncharted waters together, and

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thank you for all you’re doing to make the very best of whatever distance learning your district or school has allowed. Although no two “quaranteaching” situations are alike, we all remain united in our common goal—to be there for our students during these challenging times. And to my Kodály friends: I know we’ll sing Harmonia Mundi together again, soon. Until then, let’s all keep connecting through music in whatever ways we can, and keep looking forward to better days ahead. Join Your Region Meetings Online Although our in-person TMEA meetings and events are suspended for the remainder of the school year, your spring Region meeting will still be held. Other than using online videoconferencing to hold the meetings, the main difference is that separate meetings will be held for each TMEA division within the Region (there will be no composite Region meeting). Go to www.tmea.org/regionmeetings and find your Region listing (the one for 2020–2022). Then find your Elementary Division meeting within that Region for its schedule and log in to access the link

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to the meeting. Attend and stay informed and connected with teachers across your Region! Call for Clinic Proposals Clinic proposals for next year’s convention are now being accepted. Do you know someone who might need a little encouragement to take the plunge and send in their proposal? Contact them soon and urge them to go for it! Have you and a colleague (or two) always thought about getting together to present at our convention? Let this be the year you finally submit. And, if you were already thinking of submitting a proposal yourself, consider yourself nudged! Go to www.tmea.org/ clinicproposals to learn more and apply. Wondering what kinds of clinics members want to attend? Based on our recent survey results, Elementary Division attendees are most eager to attend sessions addressing the following topics: teaching methods, classroom management, technology integration, rehearsal techniques, special needs instruction, repertoire selection, instrument methods, and urban and rural challenges and solutions. Clinic proposals are being accepted

online through June 1. Let’s not let the vast wealth of expertise, experience, and innovation within our great state go untapped—please consider sharing your time and talents with our membership at next year’s convention. Apply to Perform at the 2021 Convention Please consider applying to bring your instrumental or vocal ensemble to perform at our 2021 TMEA Clinic/Convention.

You’ll certainly inspire other members by sharing your experience in the form of a TMEA performance, and your students will leave with memories to last a lifetime! Applications for TMEA Invited Elementary Performing Groups, as well as Orff and Kodály Educators of Texas showcase ensembles, are now being accepted online through June 15. Questions? Go to www.tmea.org/elementaryapplication for more information or email me at elementaryvp@tmea.org. 0

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Southwestern Musician | May 2020 49

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With the response to the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, information printed in this issue is subject to change. For the latest updates, visit www.tmea.org and other relevant websites.

Music: a comfort and a roadmap

May 1—TMEA membership year opens for online and mail/email submission. June 1—Deadline to submit proposals online for the 2021 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. June 30—All 2019–2020 TMEA memberships expire. October 16—College Division Fall Conference in Austin. February 10–13, 2021—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

ohn Whitwell, Director of Bands Emeritus at Michigan State University, once told me, “If you’re comfortable, then you’re not growing. You must be challenged to grow.” Well, there is no doubt about it, we are all now growing by leaps and bounds and few of us are comfortable. The events of the past month have challenged us to learn new ways of teaching, of learning, and of interacting in our community. This many challenges in a short period can lead to considerable growth, but it can also lead to significant stress. Fortunately, we have music to give us comfort and to provide a roadmap to navigate the challenges we face. Many of us were drawn to music because it gave us respite from the struggles of our daily lives. It provided a safe place where we could go and try new things without fear of failing. We were taught failing is just part of learning music and so it is accepted as natural. Instead of ridicule, or even just acceptance of failure, our teachers and friends celebrated our failures as evidence of our effort. If you weren’t failing, then you weren’t trying. So how does this help as we work through the many challenges we face

Start your journey toward your goal and you will learn what you need to learn along the way. And, most likely, you’ll also bring some joy into your life because of it. Southwestern Musician | May 2020 51

Support your friends, family, professors, and students and lift them up in their mistakes so they may grow in their learning without fear of failing. now and in the future? First, I hope you are reminded that failure is a natural part of learning. Like learning a new instrument, as we move into new ways of doing things, we are going to mess up. By making mistakes, you and those around you are learning the ins and outs of teaching online, learning online, living at home again, creating a new schedule for your day, and generally figuring out how to move forward. Give yourself the room to make mistakes—don’t let them frustrate your progress. Second, like your early music teachers, show those around you grace in their mistakes. Just like young music students, we are all in different places with our knowledge and understanding of these new ways of working. Support your friends, family, professors, and students and lift them up in their mistakes so they may grow in their learning without fear of failing. Also, when we started making music, we knew we wanted to sound a certain way or perform a certain song, but we had no idea how to make it happen. Instead of stopping or learning how first, we jumped right in and figured out how to do things as we worked toward our goal. We had fun as we learned and celebrated each small suc-

52 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

cess along the way. Imagine back to your early teacher getting so excited when you finally played it correctly. The same is true now. As we continue to do things in a new way, I encourage you to set goals regardless of your previous knowledge. Decide where you want to go, and then you will figure out how to get there as you move forward. Instead of looking at the enormity of what lies ahead, celebrate those small successes along the way. And, have fun doing it. I have been impressed with my students in this regard. Not knowing how to proceed with our ensembles once we couldn’t move forward in person, we set a goal of creating a virtual spring concert. None of us had ever done anything like this before and so there was much trepidation about even starting the project. It would have been much easier to simply shut things down for the semester. Instead, we started working. Along the way we have run into one challenge after another, but each time, we worked together to find solutions to the problems and keep our project moving forward. While we worked, we discovered that it was a project that was actually bringing people together. As word got out, I started receiving requests from people to join our project.

First our applied faculty decided they wanted to be a part of it. Then we had students from community colleges who decided they wanted to perform. We also had high school students wanting to join. By the end, we had three times more people than we have in our ensemble. At the time of this writing, it’s still unknown if the project will succeed (in terms of the planned final product). But that is inconsequential. What is important is that we created a goal, learned a lot in the process of working toward that goal, brought people together to collaborate on the goal, and had fun doing it! I encourage you to do the same. Choose something you have always wanted to do but haven’t started. Maybe that’s learning an instrument or a craft. I for one have finally taken up guitar, spending a little time each day stretching for the C chord. Or maybe choose something to do professionally that you have never done. Perhaps you could submit a clinic proposal, write an article for publication, or volunteer for an office in a statewide music education organization (hint, hint). Whatever it may be, don’t let your lack of a clear roadmap or previous experience stop you from trying. Start your journey toward your goal and you will learn what you need to learn along the way. And, most likely, you’ll also bring some joy into your life because of it. Upcoming Events Our spring Region meetings will be online this year. Because of the limits of online meeting software, there won’t be composite Region meetings, but instead each division—Band, Orchestra, Choir, and Elementary—will meet separately in a virtual format. Since the College Division will not be a part of these, I will be hosting a statewide College Division meeting. As soon as we set the schedule, I will email College Division members the link to join the meeting online. This will give us an opportunity to discuss important business as well as share ideas on how best to meet the challenges ahead. This is also a great opportunity to volunteer to be a Region Chair if the position is open. If you haven’t done so, please complete the College Division survey that you received a few weeks ago. This survey is the initial part of our long-range planning for the division. We will compile the results of this survey and make them available to

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you later this summer. We will then use part of our time at our October meeting to finalize our plans. Speaking of our October meeting, make plans now to attend the College Division meeting in Austin on October 16. This meeting is an important event in which we can all gather in person to discuss our long-range plan as well as current and future TMEA business as it relates to our division. It is always a wonderful time to learn, share, and be around friends and colleagues who we don’t get to see often enough.

2021 Convention Submission Opportunities We are now planning for the 2021 convention, and I hope you will submit a clinic proposal. Consider the topics below that our membership has indicated are the most relevant to their work: • Teaching methods • Rehearsal techniques • Instrument methods • Technology integration • Research methods & results

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54 Southwestern Musician | May 2020

• Repertoire selection • Private lesson strategies • Conducting techniques • Recruitment/retention • Philosophical priorities of music-making Go to www.tmea.org/clinicproposals for more information and to apply by the June 1 deadline. In addition to submitting a clinic proposal, there are also many opportunities for performing groups to participate. Besides large ensembles, there are opportunities for chamber music and small ensemble music showcase performances held in open locations throughout the convention center (faculty or student ensembles can apply). The deadline for applications is also June 1. Go to www.tmea.org/ musicshowcase. Finally, we will be taking applications through October 15 for our annual research poster session. If you or your students have conducted original research, this is a wonderful opportunity to share those results with the membership of TMEA. The poster session is always a highlight of the convention and draws people from across all divisions. Go to www.tmea.org/papers to learn more and submit in the fall. Publication Opportunities There are two opportunities for publishing useful articles for our membership and beyond. The first is in Southwestern Musician. We are always looking for outstanding content that is of benefit for our membership at large. Learn more at www.tmea.org/magazine. The other opportunity is the Texas Music Education Research, our research journal. Articles for this publication are selected from the research reports submitted through our annual research poster session. From the session participants, a group of research reports is further reviewed, edited, and compiled into each year’s issue of Texas Music Education 0 Research.

TMEA values the opportunity to publish a magazine that informs members of association news, offers them sound pedagogical concepts, and results in an archival record of our history. Our sincere gratitude goes to the following companies and institutions that advertised with us in one or more of the issues in Volume 88, making this resource possible.

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Stanbury Uniforms, Inc. Southwestern Musician | May 2020 55

SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN

MAY 2020