May 2021 Southwestern Musician by Texas Music Educators Association

MAY 2021

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Grades 5-12

Contents V O L U M E 8 9 ■ I S S U E 9 ■ M AY 2 0 21

Features Affirmation and Representation in the Music Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Music educators must make concerted efforts to affirm students’ identities and provide them with positive models that represent them. [j ac q u e l i n e c. h e n n i n g e r a n d a n d r e a s a n c h e z]

Realizing Students’ Potential for Individual Music-Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 We can make music more valuable to our students by reengineering how and why they engage with it. [r o b i n h ei n s e n]

Prioritizing Music as a Post-COVID Necessity . . . . . . 47

Being an effective advocate for music education is critical as we transition out of the pandemic and help students get back on track. [k e l l i e ba r t l e y]

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.

Updates Join Your Online Spring Region Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Columns President’s Notes . . . . . . . . . 5 [j o h n

ca r r o l l]

Executive Director’s Notes . .10 [r o b er t

f loy d]

Band Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

[da n a

p r a d e r va n d]

May Is Membership Renewal Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2021 Convention Clinics Remain Available Through June 30 . . . . . . . . . 6

Orchestra Notes . . . . . . . . . 28 [a n n

g. s m i t h]

Thank You, Music Educators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 87th Texas Legislative Session Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Vocal Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 [j e s s e

ca n n o n i i]

Submit a Proposal for the 2022 TMEA Clinic/Convention. . . . . . . . . . . 14 Making the Case for Music Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Thank You, SouthweStern MuSician Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Elementary Notes . . . . . . . . 50 [k at h e r i n e

j o h n s]

College Notes . . . . . . . . . . . 56

on the cover

Annika Agnihotri, a senior, performs with the Coppell HS Percussion Ensemble for the 2021 TMEA Clinic/Convention. Photo by ensemble director Annie Chernow.

[pau l

s i k es]

Southwestern Musician | May 2021

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: John Carroll

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

President-Elect: Michael Stringer

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

Past-President: Brian Coatney

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

Band Vice-President: Dana Pradervand

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

Orchestra Vice-President: Ann G. Smith

ann.smith@pisd.edu 3000 Los Rios Boulevard, Plano, 75074 469-752-9237 – Plano East Senior HS

Vocal Vice-President: Jesse Cannon II

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

Elementary Vice-President: Katherine Johns

kjohns@fisd.us 116 Oaklawn Drive, Floresville, 78114 281-370-4040 – Floresville South Elementary

College Vice-President: Paul Sikes

plsikes@txwes.edu 8554 Kensington Court, North Richland Hills, 76182 817-531-4971 – Texas Wesleyan University

TMEA Staff Executive Director: Robert Floyd | rfloyd@tmea.org Deputy Director: Frank Coachman | fcoachman@tmea.org Administrative Director: Kay Vanlandingham | kvanlandingham@tmea.org Advertising/Exhibits Manager: Zachary Gersch | zgersch@tmea.org Membership Manager: Susan Daugherty | susand@tmea.org Communications Manager: Karen Cross | kcross@tmea.org Financial Manager: Cristin Gaffney | cgaffney@tmea.org

Join Your Online Spring Region Meetings The TMEA spring Region meetings will be held online using Zoom and will be in two segments: a full Region meeting and a division-specific meeting (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 register for the meeting and receive an email with a link to the meeting. You will do this for both the full meeting and the division meeting.

Which meetings do I join? Attend the meetings that apply to you based on your work. Meetings are being held by TMEA Region, division, and in some cases, by grade level (middle or high school).

Do I need a Zoom account to join? 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. You may also join a meeting via audio only by calling the phone number provided in your registration email.

Information Technologist: Andrew Denman-Tidline | adenman@tmea.org Administrative Assistant: Rita Ellinger | rellinger@tmea.org

Questions?

TMEA Office

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

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)

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 P ublishers, Inc. Published 1947–54 by Dr. H. Grady Harlan. Purchased in 1954 by D.O. Wiley. Texas Music Educator was founded in 1936 by Richard J. Dunn and given to the Texas Music Educators Association, whose official publication it has been since 1938. In 1954, the two magazines were merged using the name Southwestern Musician combined with the Texas Music Educator under the editorship of D.O. Wiley, who continued to serve as editor until his retirement in 1963. At that time ownership of both magazines was assumed by TMEA. In August 2004 the TMEA Executive Board changed the name of the publication to Southwestern Musician.

Southwestern Musician | May 2021

May Is Membership Renewal Month! Renew your membership for the 2021–2022 year this May. Don’t wait for the rush of a new school year!

r e b

L + ip h s

c n a r u s n yI t i l i iab

e + Conventio

n Re

gist r

at i o

www.tmea.org/renew

Southwestern Musician | May 2021

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B Y

J O H N

C A R R O L L

PRESIDENT’S NOTES

Moving into next year

check www.tmea .org for updates

he Executive Board is committed to hosting an in-person 2022 TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio. Until a year ago, making that announcement would have seemed ludicrous! However, with over 12 months of pandemic-motivated experience, we no longer take such things for granted. We look forward to once again celebrating music education in person with others in our profession. The Board was pleased with our 2021 Clinic/Convention, and we hope you were too. It offered many things, including the chance to attend a clinic after the fact (through June 30). We were able to visit with exhibitors and we were blown away by the concerts—not only the musical expression, but also the overall creativity on display in them. However, one thing we were unable to emulate virtually was the in-person camaraderie and professional development, and, especially, the presence of students and their families. These are blessings that cannot be replaced by even the most sophisticated technology solution. We look forward to experiencing them again in San Antonio next February. If you haven’t already, be sure to mark the 2022 convention dates (February 9–12) in your calendar now and begin making plans to attend! Clinic Proposal and Selection Process During our 2021 convention, content presented in one clinic exposed inadequacies in our clinic proposal and review process, and we made the commitment

With over 12 months of pandemic-motivated experience, we no longer take such things for granted. We look forward to once again celebrating music education in person, with others in our profession. Southwestern Musician | May 2021

to review and improve it. Immediately following the event, the Board and staff began researching and restructuring the requirements for proposals and the process by which they are reviewed. Our goal is to ensure that all selected clinics support TMEA’s commitment to high-quality music education for all students. As you will read on the About page of TMEA’s website (www.tmea.org/about), TMEA is committed to music education for all: All students at every level deserve a well-balanced education that includes a comprehensive, high-quality, sequential program of music taught by teachers who are certified in music education. All students should have this opportunity regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, disability, economic status, religious background, or other unique characteristics. TMEA is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in music education. Through their music education, students at every level should

explore the music and traditions of a wide variety of cultures, musical styles, forms, and genres. Nothing less than this equitable access is acceptable. I want the membership to know that we have taken concrete steps in this process, both in the initial submission process and in the division VicePresidents’ review and selection process—a major aspect of their convention programming. Online Clinic Proposals If you have previously submitted proposals, many of the required fields will be familiar (the title, short description for publication, other conferences where you’ve presented, clinician biographies, etc.). In addition to those basics, we have added a few questions to help yield more targeted information about the clinic’s learning objectives and the clinician’s methods for delivering them. Clinicians will also acknowledge how their content supports TMEA’s commitment to music for all (above) and must agree to abide by our convention inclusivity pledge, which

is below and at www.tmea.org/convention: TMEA is committed to providing a positive experience for all convention attendees. We expect every participant and presenter to adhere to our association’s commitment to offering an inclusive, respectful convention environment that invites participation from all, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, disability, economic status, religious background, or other unique characteristics. Participants should report any behavior inconsistent with the principles outlined here to TMEA staff. An additional change is that the proposer will identify each clinician’s race/ ethnicity and gender (with options not to provide or to self-describe). We haven’t requested this data previously, so by gathering it now, we can establish a baseline that allows us to gauge improvement in this area over time. This year, our VicePresidents can utilize this data as they review submitted proposals, with a goal of establishing a program presented by a

2021 TMEA Clinic/Convention 18 0 CLINICS REMAIN AVAIL A BLE THROUGH JUNE 30 You Can Learn from Any Clinic If you registered and haven’t yet attended every clinic of interest, be sure to return to the convention platform and watch clinics and their Q&A sessions. You can download handouts from the Files tab. Search for clinics in divisions other than your primary division, as many clinics applied across divisions. Did You See Pasek & Paul and Wynton Marsalis? If you haven’t watched the First and Second General Session keynote presentations, make time now! You will gain great inspiration from each, and you likely will want to share them with your students as well. The recorded

videos hosted in each of those sessions are only of the keynote presenters. In the schedule, the First General Session was Thursday at 6 p.m. and the Second General Session was on Friday at 8 p.m. CPE Credit Documentation CPE credit is available only to TMEA Active type members, Honorary Life members, and out-of-state attendees who register and attend the convention. Go to www.tmea. org/cpe and you will build a schedule to reflect the sessions you attended to completion. Credit for attendance at the Technology Preconference is provided through TI:ME. Go to www.ti-me.org.

H T T P S : // 2 0 21C O N V E N T I O N .T M E A .O R G / You must have registered to view clinics and download handouts (registration ended April 30). If you aren’t still logged in, you will log in using your TMEA member record credentials to access the convention platform. 6

Southwestern Musician | May 2021

diverse group of clinicians. With this in mind, the Board encourages educators in traditionally underrepresented groups to apply. The updated proposal and review process is in effect now and will be used for clinic proposals submitted for the 2022 TMEA Clinic/Convention. We invite your online proposals May 1–June 1 at www .tmea.org/clinicproposals. Review and Selection One of the duties required of our association’s Vice-Presidents that is specified in our TMEA Constitution is to “prepare the program for the Division at the annual Clinic/Convention.” Each program is largely defined by the selection of clinics hosted by that division. While our VicePresidents have the ultimate responsibility for selecting clinics, we have implemented improvements to support them in that selection process by including a wider group of reviewers. Following the June 1 deadline, each Vice-President will seek input from a diverse proposal review panel, charged with evaluating their division’s proposals and making recommendations to the Vice-President. The Vice-President will utilize the panel’s feedback when making their clinic selections for the 2022 event. Factors that influence selection include the applicability/value of the topic (based in part on attendee survey responses about most important clinic topics), pedagogical merit, commercial content (attendees don’t want commercials), compatibility with our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, and program compatibility (meaning some meritorious clinics may not be selected because of the need to establish a diverse and balanced program). Finally, as in past years, the TMEA Executive Director, Deputy Director, President, President-Elect, and Immediate Past-President complete a high-level review of all proposals selected by the Vice-Presidents to ensure balance in topics presented across all divisions. This takes place during the summer conventions (TBA, TCDA, TODA). In part, this final review will include a focus on how all content supports our commitment to music education for all. Following this final review and ultimate selection of the overall clinic programming, TMEA alerts

all proposers about the status of their proposals in mid-August. The TMEA Board and staff are still working on the details of this improved process, and we anticipate this being an area of continued progress for years to come. However, I wanted to be sure you knew we had been working toward this improvement since February. We are taking specific steps to ensure that our programs—including our professional workshops—better serve all our students and teachers in an equitable way. Submit Your Proposal Before June 1 I encourage you to submit clinic proposals for our 2022 TMEA Clinic/Convention held in San Antonio on February 9–12. How amazing will it be to present to your colleagues from across the state— in person! Additionally, since we will be back in the San Antonio convention center, we will again host a vibrant slate of Music Showcases throughout the center. That application is at www.tmea.org/ musicshowcase. Audition Procedures Return The Board recognizes the importance of an in-person audition procedure and has taken many factors into consideration, including the awareness that there are differing opinions—some quite strong— about how procedures should work. But after much discussion, the decision was made for the upcoming school year to return to in-person auditions for band and vocal students and to the combined in-person and recorded audition process for jazz, orchestra, and mariachi students. Summer Conventions The summer conventions of Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Choral Directors Association, and Texas Orchestra Directors Association are exciting times for rejuvenation, professional development, and inspiration heading into the new school year. I hope you can avail yourselves of the great opportunities in these events. They each take place July 22–24 in San Antonio. TMEA Connections These meetings (some might call them clinics) take place online. They involve thoughts of a philosophical nature, as

well as pedagogical sessions. We launched this initiative early in the pandemic and will continue to hold them throughout the coming school year. To find future events and to watch archived videos, go to www.tmea.org/connections. You can participate from the comfort of your home, and I believe you will find them highly beneficial. 2021 TMEA Convention Clinics Please remember that our professional development sessions from our February meeting will remain available for view through June 30. I have already watched some I wasn’t able to view during the convention itself and look forward to viewing many more before the convention platform is no longer online. I hope you will consider doing so as well. Southwestern Musician Content Please be sure to read the column by your division’s Vice-President. However, I also encourage you to read at least one other divisional column, with the intent of reminding yourself that this grand profession of ours has many different facets. Additionally, if you are not already doing so, I invite you to begin the process of reading articles printed in the magazine that are written by invited authors. Those articles are always informative and enlightening. Finally, I want to offer an observation: Most music educators I know are highly supportive of their profession, their programs, and especially their students. We enjoy doing what we can to benefit our students. That being said, please consider that self-care of our minds, bodies, and souls is important for us, our families, and ultimately our students. I plan to enjoy some downtime this summer, with a little bit of travel, bicycle riding, and reading for the sheer enjoyment of it. Even though I will still be working—as I know many others will be—I will also find time to recharge and get some rest and relaxation, so that I can hit the new school year running. No matter how strong we are, we need to also realize that we—and our students—will benefit if we are good to ourselves. Have a great summer! 0

Southwestern Musician | May 2021

WHAT STARTS HERE CHANGES THE WORLD

AND THE WORLD IS LISTENING

mus i c .utexa s .e du /a ppl y

thank you, music educators While this year has been like no other, my children’s music teachers have gone above and beyond to make things as normal as possible for them. These teachers fought to keep music alive and took every precaution to keep the kids safe. I have such appreciation for their devotion. For the better part of this year, we’ve had a marimba in our dining room. My son’s band director insisted that we keep it in our home so that Aidan wouldn’t fall behind on his goals. It definitely paid off. He still got to make music, and in January, he qualified for All-State—what an honor! Our band director always encourages Aidan and my daughter, Olivia, to be their best, expecting nothing less. We recently had a family crisis, and our head director was so compassionate and kind to us. It became clear that he truly cares for my kids as family. They look up to him so much, and nothing could be more important for any parent to know. From time to time this year, I dropped in on my kids’ Google classroom meetings. I observed their director teaching, and at times, telling corny dad jokes—it works! Those kids were glued to the screen during band class. They love how he can be both serious and hilarious, making it fun to learn. He captured their attention, even remotely. Olivia also speaks so fondly of her director. He understands her place. He gets her, and for that, I couldn’t be more grateful. She also likes that he isn’t afraid to talk about his home life and family memories from his childhood. He relates to her in the most perfect way. Aidan is my over-achiever in band, yet he sometimes gets in a slump and needs a little push from someone other than his primary director. At times like these, an assistant director steps in, encouraging him to practice. Aidan looks up to her for support, advice, and kindness. I cannot wait for my kids (and the rest of us) to return to a more normal way of being together and making music. I miss attending performances and competitions. Given how much I miss it, I truly cannot imagine how much all the kids and music teachers miss it. Thank you to every music teacher for being such amazing leaders and educators. You truly are the best, and I hope you understand the incredible difference you make every day in the lives of each of your students (and their families). Sincerely, Valerie Hernandez We appreciate the opportunity to share Valerie’s note with you. Parents across our state share her experience and gratitude for what music educators do daily for their children. Southwestern Musician | May 2021

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTES

B Y

R O B E R T

F L O Y D

Where do we go from here?

he struggle to meet the daily challenges of this past school year has been a foreboding one at best. More than delivering a curriculum based on the TEKS has been the challenge of keeping our students inspired, motivated, and engaged in an experience that includes the magic of music-making and the joy that it brings. Is this the most important outcome of being a part of our programs that we want to realize? If so, is it the cornerstone of your program? In very recent presentations and testimony at the capitol, it has been a challenge to know what values of arts education resonate with decision makers. The side benefits of a rigorous experience in music do help our cause, but the reality is none of us got into teaching (yes, I used to teach) to raise a student’s math score or keep them in school. And our students did not choose to be a part of our programs for those reasons. Thus, as you plan for the fall and strive to restore or take your program to a new level, we must remember the pre-pandemic times and what students enjoyed the most about our programs that they missed when they were gone, no matter the reason. Being with their friends, having opportunities for leadership, being a part of a high-quality organization in which they can take pride, spending time with their music teachers, and most importantly, making music

We must remember the pre-pandemic times and what students enjoyed the most about our programs that they missed when they were gone, no matter the reason. 10 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

check www.tmea .org for updates

May—Attend your spring Region meetings (see page 2). May 1—TMEA 2021–2022 membership year opens for online and mail/email submission. May 1—Deadline to nominate students for a Texas Music Scholar award. May 1–June 1—Submit proposals online for the 2022 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. June 15—CEDFA Summit opens online. June 30—All 2020–2021 TMEA memberships expire. July 22–24—TBA, TCDA, TODA conventions in San Antonio. February 9–12, 2022—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

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and performing quality literature should all be on the list. I recently raised this question about what music students value with a small group of fine arts administrators, and they shared that we must not forget the little things—bus rides to the games, stops at the Dairy Queen, social events, and simply having a good time. Still, it does not have to be an either/or proposition. All reasons for why our programs are valuable are relevant. Somehow, our backgrounds rooted in our creative side better position us to meet the challenges we have faced and will face this fall. We tout creativity skills that students gain from our classroom, especially as those skills relate to workforce preparation, and we must take advantage of our creative side as well. As a side note, nationally, a creativity emphasis has taken on such notoriety that numerous associations and organizations have embraced and endorsed a change of our larger discipline’s name from fine arts to creative arts. Quoting David V. Mastran, president of QuaverMusic.com, “Identifying ourselves as creative arts provides those of us who are in the arts a larger umbrella and a bigger prism through which to look at the enormous impact we have on the world— not just on the art world, but within the business world and throughout every single sector of the general economy.” This creative versus fine arts discussion is really for another time, but in short, some promote such a change to creative

arts because the general public does not understand what fine arts means. Many believe it refers to visual arts and they don’t make the connection to music, theatre, and dance. Changing the word fine to creative, however, could open the door for subjects such as creative writing, speech, and debate to be included and possibly trigger a rule change to allow those courses to also meet the fine arts graduation requirement. As we approach the fall semester, certainly creativity should be a cornerstone of the student takeaway from our classrooms, but we must not lose sight of the fact that the four Cs of the arts also include communication, collaboration, and critical thinking—skills also utilized daily by us as successful teachers. As it relates to your administrators, your most critical communication right now should be about staffing, budget, and scheduling. Campus budgets must not be built on current enrollments that could easily be lower because of circumstances well beyond your or your students’ influence. You must be in the ear of your principal and administration to not let that happen, sharing the reality that sequential learning in music is critical. This is not a discipline in which students can bounce in and out on a semester or even a yearly basis. Those decisions are being made now! So, what do we want our outcome to be as we approach August? Do we want things back as they were pre-pandemic? Are we seeking a new normal, and if so, what does

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12 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

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UNITED WORLD CONCERT TOURS

that mean? Or do we want to take advantage of the opportunity to take music education to a whole new level and serve the needs of all students in our state in a new way? If so, what would that look like? Your Executive Board and staff are looking at those considerations and opportunities right now, and I hope you are doing the same at the local level as well. Through our Connections programs we hope to assist you in any way we can. In our work at the capitol, we hope to arrive at sine die (final adjournment) with no new legislation that will limit your capability to serve your students. We are currently on target with that being the outcome (see the adjacent page). One of the contributors to a successful return to music-making at a higher level than ever rests with bright, dedicated teachers in their early years in this profession. I recently participated in a podcast sponsored by Young Band Directors of Texas entitled The Band Hall. While I was the one being interviewed, I left that call as the one inspired and invigorated to tackle whatever the future holds for us in these post-pandemic times. The positive vibe exuded by Executive Director Amanda Blackstone and President Chelsea Frazier was truly infectious. Our future is in good hands! Finally, I encourage you to read TMEA’s Music Education for All statement that is included in this month’s President’s Notes and our website’s About webpage (www.tmea.org/about). Ask yourself what changes you can make in your teaching philosophy to keep music as the key to every decision you make that impacts your students and your programs. Revisit your priorities about what you want your students to take from your classroom and program that may elevate music as a lifestyle for their lifetime, and once again, bring joy, happiness, and comfort into their lives. I included in my column last August a takeaway from a Brené Brown podcast in which author Jen Hatmaker said that even in this weird quarantine world, everything that matters will last, especially our connection to each other and the way we serve each other. That is us and that is music education. Our students’ futures 0 depend on it.

87th Texas Legislative Session Update

by Robert Floyd As you receive this magazine, there is approximately one month left in the 87th Texas legislative session, ending May 31. Below is an update on the bills we have been monitoring throughout the session: HB 434 (left pending in committee)/SB 427 (not yet heard): Current law requires a single credit of fine arts for graduation. This bill would change the law to require a single credit of fine arts or career and technology education for graduation. This bill received a hearing in the House Public Education Committee on March 9. Due to lack of support, combined with opposition by the arts community, the bill was left pending in committee. Later, the author of the bill said he would not attempt to move the bill forward. The Senate version, SB 427, has not received a hearing at press time, but if passed by the Senate, its path would take it back to the House Public Education Committee where opposition has already been demonstrated. HB 437 (removed)/SB 1063 (no impact): HB 437 would have required ½ credit of Personal Financial Literacy for high school graduation. The morning of the hearing, March 30, the bill was pulled down by the author due to lack of school district support. The Texas Arts Education Campaign shared our concerns prior to the hearing and was prepared to submit written testimony against the bill when the bill was removed. The Senate version, SB 1063, was heard in the Senate Education Committee on April 8 and was left pending in committee. This bill does not require an additional ½ credit for graduation. Instead, it gives a student a choice of either Economics or Economics with a Personal Financial Literacy emphasis. Thus, even if passed, this bill would not have a negative impact on fine arts electives. HB 2230 (received first hearing): Also heard on March 30, this bill creates a task force to study the utility, efficacy, and feasibil-

ity of incorporating fine arts into the Foundation Curriculum. TAEC members provided both written and verbal testimony. Representative John Bucy, who authored the bill, is confident the support is present in the committee to move it forward in the process. The passage of this bill could be a giant step toward having this valuable discussion and elevating the importance of fine arts as a foundational part of an education, life skill development, and workforce training, regardless of one’s career path. Fine Arts Education Caucus The week of March 22, the Fine Arts Education Caucus was launched, co-chaired by Senator Beverly Powell and Representative Brad Buckley. The purpose of the caucus is to share the latest fine arts advocacy information with the 181 members of the legislature and to give each of them the opportunity to demonstrate their support for arts education as an integral part of a well-rounded education. Texas Arts Education Campaign The Texas Arts Education Campaign has been an effective tool in sharing our story of the role of the arts in educating the whole child. Almost 11,000 arts advocates have signed up to participate and have responded when called upon to reach out to their legislators in our very strategic plan to impact action at the capitol. Any further action needed between now and May 31 will be activated through the TAEC structure. If you haven’t yet, you may still register your support at www.txartsed.org. 0 Southwestern Musician | May 2021 13

Submit a Proposal for the 2022 TMEA Clinic/Convention Why Submit?

What Topics?

The Purpose

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!

In 2022, attendees want to learn about: • rehearsal techniques • recruiting/retention • technology integration • instrument methods • teaching methods (EC–college) • repertoire selection • diversity, equity, inclusion, and access • classroom management • social emotional learning • advocacy/community support • and much more

Each division will host a diverse program of clinics to ensure every member has multiple offerings to foster their professional advancement and to help them in their personal support of all students through music education. Clinics will further TMEA’s commitment to music education for all: every student at every level deserves a well-balanced education that includes a comprehensive, high-quality, sequential program of music taught by teachers who are certified in music education.

Learn about the updated process and apply by June 1!

www.tmea.org/clinicproposals APPLY MAY 1 – JUNE 1 14 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

Making the Case for Music Education Check out the following valuable resources as you encourage students to remain in your music program and as you prepare for a successful return to school this fall.

Recruit & Retain www.tmea.org/remote-recruit-retain In spring of 2020, TMEA members who found ways to remotely recruit and retain students to their music classes offered their methods. Go to this compilation of answers to find ideas for remote recruitment. www.tmea.org/music-prepares Show your students this motivational keynote address by educator, performer, and Hal Leonard Vice-President of Music & Technology John Mlynczak. He offers his story and a valuable message about the skills we all need for our lives that are learned best through continued participation in music. www.tmea.org/southwestern-musician/archive In the magazine archive, you can search on keywords retention or recruitment to find valuable content offered by other members in past articles on this topic. Two such stories are: • Helping Students Pursue Their Passion: Sundas Mohi offers her personal story and targeted messages for convincing parents about the value of their children’s continued participation in music. Download the article at www.tmea.org/mohi. • Students Can Continue to Choose Music: In this time of complex choices, fine arts administrators offer advice on how to establish good working relationships with school counselors. This relationship is imperative in this time of an elevated focus on academic remediation. Download the article at www.tmea.org/choosemusic.

Studying Music Can Set You Apart from Others Share the following with your students and show them a video featuring David Borland at www.tmea.org/musicforsuccess.

“I believe the foundation for any success I have had is derived more from my music education than my engineering study. Calculus, physics, and the like are important, but they focus mainly on individual learning and accomplishments. Successful David Borland careers require us to excel through Director of Machine Learning Acceleration working with teams, demonstrating at Amazon Web leadership skills, and collaborating Services with others. Many of today’s careers require creative skills, and I learned those skills through my continued participation in music.” www.tmea.org/itstartswithmusic Share these compelling videos with your students and their families. From elementary through high school music students to a business leader, these are real and personal stories about how much fun it is to be in music and how studying music can be integral to future career success.

Prepare for the Fall www.tmea.org/connections Be sure to join the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access event held this month. And, if you didn’t attend, watch recordings of the valuable Connections events focused on helping members retain students and prepare for the fall. In April, the Band and Vocal Divisions hosted events, and this month, the Orchestra Division will as well. Additionally, be sure to review “The Heart of Music Teaching” by Scott Edgar hosted in late March.

Online planning guides Hal Leonard and Yamaha each have published planning guides with multiple segments designed to help you return strongly in the fall. Learn more at: • yamahaeducatorsuite.com/post-pandemic-planning-guide • www.halleonard.com/pppg

Southwestern Musician | May 2021 17

BAND NOTES

B Y

D A N A

P R A D E R V A N D

In Memoriam David Zahrndt June 12, 1974–March 5, 2021 Libby Cardenas May 25, 1948–April 4, 2021

May = Advocacy month!

e are coming to the end of a school year that no one could have imagined, predicted, or planned for. As we return to some sort of normalcy, we must ensure that Texas music students—your students—will continue to be afforded the highest quality music education by remaining in your program. Our curriculums, our assessments, our performance opportunities, our schedules, and our daily class routines have been turned upside down. We have faced many challenges in trying to navigate through this time while keeping our programs relevant. Despite all we have dealt with, I know we can identify some positive things we learned that will help move our teaching and our programs forward. It feels good to see the bright light of our future at the end of this year’s tunnel. In teaching through the pandemic, I have realized how important and necessary advocacy is. Advocating for your program or for music education is not difficult. In fact, most of us are already doing so at some level. However, now more than ever, it will be necessary to become an advocate for yourself, your staff, your students, your program, and for music education. I encourage you to use the coming weeks to explore and develop an advocacy plan for yourself and your program. The process can be quite easy, yet the results can be immense. There are many resources available to you. For

Advocating for the needs of your program and students can be a game changer for the upcoming school year. 18 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

check www.tmea .org for updates

May—Attend your spring Region meetings (see page 2). May 1—TMEA 2021–2022 membership year opens for online and mail/email submission. May 1—Deadline to nominate students for a Texas Music Scholar award. May 1–June 1—Submit proposals online for the 2022 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. May 1–June 1—Invited ensemble application period for MS and HS concert bands and jazz ensembles and for HS percussion ensemble. June 15—CEDFA Summit opens online. June 30—All 2020–2021 TMEA memberships expire. July 22–24—TBA, TCDA, TODA conventions in San Antonio. February 9–12, 2022—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

example, you can go to the Advocacy section of the TMEA website (www.tmea.org/ advocacy). There is wonderful information to help you begin to organize your advocacy. Read on for a few ideas to spark your thought process. The first thing you must do is identify your immediate needs and concerns. You might be concerned about your staffing, your class scheduling, recruiting new students, or funding for the upcoming year. Prioritize those concerns and then clearly define your message so it can be easily understood by your parents, your administration, and your community leaders. Secondly, decide on the approach you want to take and the available venues for communicating your message. If you are concerned about recruiting new members into your program, you might want to develop ways to market your band pro-

gram differently. In April, there was a great Connections meeting on creating a brand for marketing your band program. If you couldn’t attend, you can still get some great ideas by watching the recording of that event at www.tmea.org/connections. If you have scheduling concerns, invite your counselors and administrators into your live or virtual beginning classes so they can see firsthand how difficult it is to teach multiple instrument types in a beginner class. If your priority is staffing, invite administrators to be a part of a concert. Ask them to help present your end-ofyear awards and they will see what every member of your staff is doing and why it is vital to keep all staffing positions. The next step is to organize your students’ parents. They know firsthand how important music and your program is to their child. Make it personal by having par-

ents write letters of support, offering their personal accounts about the value that your program has had on their child. Have them send these letters to your administration and school board members. Find out what connections your parents have and ask them to take on an advocacy position for your band. Finally, use all social media channels to promote your band program’s brand. Let the community see the wonderful things you have done and are doing for students in your program—especially during this challenging year! Communicate your clearly defined message that prioritizes your needs. With some forethought and planning, advocating for the needs of your program and students can be a game-changer for the upcoming school year. But wait! That’s not all you can do! The summer months

z z Ja

Camp Southwestern Musician | May 2021 19

are also a good time to advocate for music education in general. This, too, can be easy. TMEA, in collaboration with Texas Music Administrators Conference (TMAC), launched the Texas Arts Education Campaign to encourage public and state policymakers to protect and elevate the role of fine arts education in Texas public schools. Please go to www.txartsed.org/ join-us and register your support. By joining the campaign, you will be alerted when action is required, and every request will

require minimal time. The easiest step for involvement is to follow TAEC on social media and share content posted by the campaign with your social media community. Make May advocacy month for you, your program, and music education! Spring Region Meetings All Region meetings will once again be conducted in a virtual format. Go to www.tmea.org/regionmeetings for the schedule and meeting links.

Are You in the TMEA Member Directory? Only TMEA members can access our member directory. Be sure you are listed by going to your member record’s privacy settings and checking the box to show your information and further selecting which information should be visible. Then save.

https://my.tmea.org/update

R A E Y H T 7 4

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ll Design usic • Dri t and many more! M o e m o R de: men rs to inclu d Develop o n ct a e n ir ig d s r e Guard D Clinics fo lanning • P t n e m re Major Reti acks: Drum olor Guard tr n e v e s s for all ber • C Marcher is the focu Band Mem Beginning • r e h rc Leadership / Squad Leader • ediate Ma ader r • Interm o ct Section Le e ir D d • Ban uction ction Percussion hing Instr rc a M • ing Instru d ct n u a d B n o z C z a Band • J struction • Marching dership In p a e m L a C • ll y u F g Classes ds Pedago • Master in y rt W a g P in r h te Marc atic Cen es • Aqu Mega Gam h 1, 2021 mmuter, ponsor, open Marc Director/S 285 per co $ n d o r n o ti a a B r e tr – p is 0 Reg ime cam r), $34 5 per full-t ember (Current Yea ing students Cost: $38 M end d State Ban h 10 or att $285 – All irector/Sponsor wit hipcamp dD ndleaders n a a b B / – u d 0 4 .e $2 ww.hputx ase visit w le p , n o ti a lete inform F o r c o mp

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Clinic Proposals The offerings of clinics and performances are the heart and soul of our convention. I encourage you to consider submitting a clinic proposal on a topic of interest and benefit to our members. Proposals are submitted online from May 1 to June 1 at www.tmea.org/ clinicproposals. Our convention survey responses tell us that members want to attend clinics given by Texas band directors who are in similar teaching environments. So many of you are successful in a myriad of ways. If you have experience and expertise in a topic that will help improve, motivate, or inspire a colleague, consider applying. According to our survey, topics that members in our division want to see covered in clinics during our 2022 convention are:

• Instrument methods • Recruiting/retention • Technology integration • Repertoire selection • Advocacy/community support • Classroom management • Conducting techniques • Teaching methods • Budgeting/funding/grant writing • Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access • Social emotional learning 2021 Convention Clinics Remain Available One of the benefits of this year’s virtual convention is the opportunity to view and review the clinics. If you missed a clinic or want to download handouts from a presentation for future reference, the deadline is June 30. After that time, the convention platform will no longer be online. To quickly find clinics that our division hosted or that were designated as applying to band directors, go to the schedule, and in the Search area on the right side of the page, open the Tracks filter and choose Band.

Speaking of Conventions Please make plans to attend the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention/ Clinic, held July 22–24, in San Antonio. This conference is full of concerts, fellowship, and great clinics. It will provide immense motivation and inspiration as we prepare for another school year. The AllState etude student sessions are scheduled for July 23. Bring your family and enjoy the learning and camaraderie. It is going to be great to see everyone! All-State Jazz Ensemble Audition material for the TMEA AllState Jazz Ensemble will be available on the TMEA website on May 15, 2021. Consider this audition opportunity to help some of your best young jazz musicians advance their skills.

• Middle and High School Jazz Ensembles: www.tmea.org/invitedjazz • High School Percussion Ensemble: www.tmea.org/invitedpercussion • Middle and High School Bands*: www.tmea.org/invitedband *The TMEA Executive Board suspended the Honor Band process for the 2021–2022 year. Instead, we are conducting an Invited Band process (similar to what we did for the 2021 convention). Concert bands from in any classification can apply. 0

Invited Ensembles The deadline is June 1, 2021, for several invited ensembles to apply to perform during the 2022 TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio, February 9–12. See the details below on where to learn more and apply:

Southwestern Musician | May 2021 21

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Affirmation and Representation in the Music Classroom

By Jacqueline C. Henninger and Andrea Sanchez

any events throughout our past year continue to impact the lives of our students in marginalized populations. When individuals are repeatedly exposed to images that represent them in negative settings, that exposure can have a negative effect on their identities. As music educators, aware of the intended and unintended messages students receive about themselves during these turbulent times, we must make concerted efforts to affirm our students’ identities and provide them with positive models that represent them. In the “Declaration on Equity in Music for City Students,” a call to action derived from the 2017 Yale Symposium on Music in Schools, a plethora of information is shared regarding the teaching and learning of music in urban classrooms. One of the many recommendations put forth in this declaration addresses the training of music educators who teach children of diverse ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. For music educators to effectively provide students opportunities for emulation and aspiration, educators must structure learning experiences so their students’ identities are affirmed and represented in the music learning setting. In this article we will offer key points of consideration regarding the concepts of affirmation and representation, including research into their importance, and we will share steps you can take to ensure they are effectively incorporated into your teaching. Affirmation In her book Can We Talk about Race? And Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation, author Beverly Tatum explains that affirmation refers to the act of acknowledging our students’ identities by providing opportunities for them to feel “seen, heard, and understood.” According to Tatum, taking the time to affirm our students’ identities is an effective way to create an inclusive classroom. One of the best ways to affirm your students’ identities is to learn about them as individuals and the lives they lead. Tatum goes on to say, “It’s not about being nice (to our students) it is about 24 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

being knowledgeable about who our students are and reflecting a story that resonates with their best hope for themselves.” One of the ways in which music educators can accomplish this is with culturally responsive teaching and culturally relevant pedagogy. In Geneva Gay’s Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice, she explains that culturally responsive teaching is when an educator uses “cultural knowledge . . . and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them.” Similarly, culturally relevant pedagogy connects students’ “in-school work with their out-of-school experiences” (from Urban Music Education: A Practical Guide for Teachers by Kate Fitzpatrick-Harnish). Using these types of pedagogical approaches, music educators can build positive relationships with their students. Other ways in which music teachers can actively work toward affirming their students’ identities include the following: • Take time to learn how to properly pronounce your students’ names. This enables your students to see that you value every aspect of their identity and appreciate the diversity they may bring into your classroom (Batesky, 2017). • Use inclusive language. Utilize language that does not diminish or exclude the different groups of students that you teach. By doing so, you demonstrate your willingness to affirm the different identities, experiences, abilities, and perspectives that your students have. • Select repertoire or listening examples of various cultures and composers. This is an effective way to implement culturally relevant pedagogy. By integrating students’ cultures into your curriculum, you are connecting their personal, educational, and musical worlds in a way that can be extremely affirming. • Remove the “I am color-blind” or “I don’t see race” mentality. Although most people who choose to use these phrases have good intentions, these phrases often don’t function positively

for people of color. This disconnect between intention and function may occur because the person of color may feel as though they are not seen or valued when they are on the receiving end of such a statement. Representation Similarly to affirmation, representation is an important element of consideration when teaching in ethnically diverse settings. Representation refers to the act of providing students with opportunities to be exposed to and to engage with images and individuals who bear some sort of resemblance to the students themselves. By providing students with opportunities to engage with like-models (e.g., gender, ethnicity), we set the stage for them to emulate and aspire to be something even greater than they may have ever envisioned for themselves (Declaration on Equity in Music for City Students, pp. 53-54). This can be accomplished by providing a variety of program offerings, such as jazz band, mariachi, conjunto, West African drumming ensemble, or other world music ensembles. Offering students opportunities to engage in ensembles such as these can function as a wonderful supplement to typical ensembles while also enabling opportunities for identity affirmation and representation through an ensemble representative of a specific culture. Another way music educators can provide representation in their music classrooms is by programming literature that is reflective of diverse populations. An excellent source for locating works composed by members of marginalized populations is the Composer Diversity Database (www.composerdiversity.com). This database allows users to enter a variety of criteria to search for

literature that is representative of different populations and genres (e.g., ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation). Additional ways music teachers can actively work toward representing their students include the following: • Research your repertoire selection. Taking the time to examine and learn about the cultural and historical contexts of literature will benefit you and your students. Make sure the repertoire you choose to program accurately reflects your values and beliefs, and be willing to engage in conversations with your students about the piece, its composer, and any other contextual information that is of significance to the piece. This is another opportunity when one should consider intent versus impact. You may intend for the piece to serve a particular purpose, but its impact on your students and the community in which your school is located might differ from that original intent (Urbach, 2019). • Display visual images that are representative of members of marginalized populations. Representation really does matter. Showcasing visual images that enable children to see likemodels who have achieved different forms of greatness will positively contribute to your students’ identity development processes. • Share aural and video clips of high-quality performances that are representative of members of marginalized populations. When we expose students to excellent performances by musicians who represent diverse populations, those students gain meaningful models to emulate and the motivation to aspire to greatness.

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Southwestern Musician | May 2021 25

• Include music of diverse cultures in your curriculum. While highlighting diverse cultures during specific appreciation months is essential, work to include these types of lessons into your standard curriculum throughout each year. • Invite clinicians of diverse backgrounds to work with your ensembles. Giving students the opportunity to work with like-models firsthand is a valuable experience. Recommendations for Continued Learning and Growth As we continue to learn more about one another and improve the ways in which we engage with each other, there are some steps we can take to positively affect this learning and growth process: • Take the time to engage in conversations with people of different cultural identities. This will enable you to expand your sphere of influence (Tatum, 2007). • Actively search for literature that discusses the topics of cultural consciousness and inclusive instruction. This will provide you with information that will positively affect the ways in which you engage with diverse students and communities. • Keep the following Swahili proverb in mind: “Kidogo, kidogo, hujaza kibaba.” The English translation for this proverb is “Little by little, we fill the cup.” Recognize that for every small modification made in your music teaching and learning approaches, a positive outcome will be experienced by your students and the communities represented within your school. • Listen more, reflect often, empathize willingly, and act with the impact of your words and deeds in mind. Why It Matters Affirmation and representation have long been important points of consideration for music educators. Unfortunately, only some music educators were actually taking the steps to affirm their students’ identities and incorporate aspects of representation. However, as the demographics of our society continue to shift, music educators have an even greater responsi-

bility to effectively meet the needs of the diverse learners who they are given the opportunity to teach. It has been projected that by 2040 our country will be majority-minority, which means the collective majority of our society will represent individuals who were once considered minorities in it. This demographic change within our nation is already beginning to be reflected in the demographics of our students. We owe it to each of our students to provide them with music learning experiences and opportunities that affirm their identities and positively contribute to their music and identity development. 0 Jacqueline C. Henninger is Associate Director for Performance, Education, and Applied Studies and an Associate Professor of Music Education at Texas Tech University, School of Music. Andrea Sanchez is Assistant Director of Bands at Alvin HS in Alvin ISD. References Batesky, M. (2017, August 29). What’s in a Name? Five Ways to Affirm Students’ Identities. EdAllies. https://edalliesmn .org/blog/whats-in-a-name-five-ways-toaffirm-students-identities/ Fitzpatrick-Harnish, K. (2015). Urban Music Education: A Practical Guide for Teachers. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

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Gay, G. (2010). Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Lind, V. and McKoy, C. L. (2016). Culturally Responsive Teaching in Music Education: From Understanding to Application. New York, NY: Routledge McKoy, C. L. (2013). Effects of selected demographic variables on music student teachers’ self-reported cross-cultural competence. Journal of Research in Music Education, 60(4), 375-394. Tatum, B. D. (2007). Can We Talk about Race? And Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation. Boston, MA. Beacon Press. Tatum, B. D. (2017). Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race. New York, NY. Basic Books. Urbach, M. (2019, September 12). You Might Be Left with Silence When You’re Done. The White Fear of Taking Racist Songs Out of Music Education. National Association for Music Education. https:// na f me .org /you-m ig ht-be-lef t-w it hsilence-when-youre-done/ Yale School of Music (2018). Declaration on Equity in Music for City Students: A Report on the 2017 Symposium on Music in Schools. Retrieved from www.declaration. yale.edu/declaration

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ORCHESTRA NOTES

B Y

A N N

G .

S M I T H

What is your story?

s I attended one of my first TMEA meetings, I had the opportunity to introduce myself and talk about my background. As I did this, I realized a few things: my story has become invisible to my students and the people with whom I associate, my story isn’t reflected in my teaching, and I need to know and understand others’ stories so I can better understand their perspectives and views. My Story I was raised in a traditional Midwestern household, and I was an economically disadvantaged student. While I was unaware at the time, many of the other students at my elementary school were also economically disadvantaged. As a child, I assumed mine was the only family on the free lunch program. While not uncommon when I was growing up, neither of my parents had any higher education (my mom did return to school later and earned a BS in nursing). I have 11 brothers and sisters, and because of our economic status and family size, we couldn’t afford to participate in extracurricular activities. However, the trajectory of my life changed one day in sixth grade when the strings teacher came to my classroom. She introduced herself and offered us the opportunity to play the viola for free. That magic word—free—resonated with me. Before any other student, I quickly raised my hand high. I began playing viola, sharing it with a girl named Dee Dee. We traded off, taking

Words have power, words are power, words could be your power. You can change a life, inspire your nation and make this world a beautiful place. —Mohammed Qahtani 28 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

check www.tmea .org for updates

May—Attend your spring Region meetings (see page 2). May 1—TMEA 2021–2022 membership year opens for online and mail/email submission. May 1—Deadline to nominate students for a Texas Music Scholar award. May 1–June 1—Submit proposals online for the 2022 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. May 1–June 1—Invited ensemble application period for MS, HS, and university orchestras. May 1–June 24—Invited ensemble application period for HS mariachi. May 12—Orchestra Division Connections event. June 15—CEDFA Summit opens online. June 30—All 2020–2021 TMEA memberships expire. July 22–24— TODA, TBA, TCDA conventions in San Antonio. February 9–12, 2022—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

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SCHOLARSHIP AUDITION DATES: Sunday, May 16, 2021 | 1-3 p.m.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC DEPARTMENT HEADS

Elizabeth Lee Asst. Professor, Cello

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

Deborah Mayes Accompanist

Beth Bronk Director of Bands bbronk@tlu.edu Shaaron Conoly Director of Vocal Studies sconoly@tlu.edu Eric Daub Director of Piano Studies edaub@tlu.edu

Eliza Jeffords Director of Strings ejeffords@tlu.edu

Adam Bedell Instructor, Percussion Carol Chambers Instructor, Music Education Paula Corley Instructor, Clarinet Gilbert Garza Asst. Professor, Saxophone

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Nicole Narboni Asst. Professor, Piano Sung-Eun Park Asst. Professor, Collaborative Pianist Carlos Quesada Asst. Professor, Collaborative Pianist Keith Robinson Instructor, Tuba & Music Education

Mikio Sasaki Instructor, Trumpet

FACULTY

Michele Aichele Asst. Professor, Music History

www.tlu.edu/music-scholarships.

Kurt Moede Instructor, Horn

Jill Rodriguez Instructor, General Music

Mark Ackerman Instructor, Oboe

For specific qualifications for each award, visit

Carla McElhaney Asst. Professor, General Music David Milburn Instructor, Double Bass

Liliana Guerrero Asst. Professor, Voice lguerrero@tlu.edu

Individual audition dates may be requested if necessary.

Scott McDonald Instructor, Saxophone & Jazz Band

Chad Ibison Asst. Professor, Guitar Hilary Janysek Asst. Professor, Flute & Music History

Eric Siu Asst. Professor, Violin Bryce Turner Instructor, Percussion Shareen Vader Instructor, Piano Sophie Verhaeghe Instructor, Violin Steven Vogel Instructor, Trombone & Euphonium Ryan Wilkins Instructor, Bassoon Simeng Wu Asst. Professor, Piano

www.tlu.edu/music

turns practicing and performing. Many of my opportunities to play a string instrument came because someone provided the means for me. I cleaned my teacher’s house for private lessons. My teacher drove me to my youth orchestra audition, and then I had to catch a ride with another family to attend those youth orchestra rehearsals. This is just one chapter of my story, and I’m sharing it with you to help illustrate how our personal stories can help us be better teachers. Knowing other people’s stories, especially our students’, can pro-

vide a better understanding of their needs and viewpoints. By drawing on our life experiences we can help students learn and understand, and we can build healthy relationships in the classroom. By having dialogue with those who don’t hold the same beliefs and ideas as ours, we develop empathy and understanding. Utilizing your story in the classroom/ rehearsal can be powerful. My story conveys my background, and I draw on this chapter of it to ensure my students have the opportunities they all deserve. I must provide an environment where students feel safe and know they belong. In my classroom, students come to believe that the world is full of opportunities, available to each of them. Success in orchestra shouldn’t be based on financial status. Good musical skills have nothing to do with finances. A mentor of mine once said, “Playing in tune doesn’t cost money.” Lesson planning needs to be thorough and differentiated, reaching all students in the rehearsal. Searching for creative fundraising and scholarships is a priority for my program. Without the financial support I received in my youth, I would have missed many opportunities. More important than how my story affects my approach to teaching is the simple fact that my students need to know it. By knowing my story, they will understand how music is life-changing. Sharing Your Story So how should a teacher, mentor, and role model share their story with their students? Before we do, we need to consider the best way to offer the details of our story to best benefit our students. In her online article “Sharing Personal Experiences When Teaching, How Much is Too Much?,” Nancy Barile provides some guidelines for the best way to share personal details with our students. The first is to share only appropriate stories that have relevance to the classroom. Obviously, students don’t need to know about your weekend social adventures. My stories tend to be unrelated to the classroom, but when they impact my students, it is readily apparent. Our stories should create a common ground with our students. Sharing my experiences growing up with bullying, economic struggles, working, disappointment, and success help create that common ground. I experienced many struggles that

30 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

are like those of today’s young people, and if sharing my struggles can help just one of them, it’s the right thing to do. One important thing to consider, and Barile states this in her article, is that students can’t fix your life. This isn’t the place to offer stories about marriage issues, friend issues, or job issues. These life details need to be left on the other side of the classroom door. Instead, you can share with your students how you solved a problem and talk with them about resilience and strength. Sharing positive ways in which you have solved problems can help your students move forward and determine how to solve problems of their own. We must also remember that our students view us as role models. Tell stories of how you had courage or how you were strong during a difficult time. If the students can see your strength, this can inspire them to persevere or to stand up for their beliefs. Listening to Their Story In Bears, Rhymes, and Classroom Life: Hip-Hop Pedagogy and the Politics of Identity, written by Marc Lamont Hill, he asks “How would our educational experience transform if we stopped one-sided listening and started divulging and relating to our students?” Hill’s question brings up a very important point: one-sided listening. How many of us engage in one-sided listening? I believe the problem of onesided listening extends beyond classrooms into our general society. We are guilty of one-sided listening when we don’t authentically listen to the other side of the story. Regardless of our stance on an issue, our students know when we are not authentic, and not being authentic is a quick way to diminish the relationship we have built with them. The same is true when we engage with our colleagues, friends, and acquaintances. We can disagree with someone, but it is our responsibility to listen to their story and try to better understand their perspective. By developing this skill in our nonprofessional life, it will expand into our teaching life. In the book I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening) by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers, they state, “In trying to understand another person’s perspective, it often gives us the space to understand our own more deeply.” So, as we close this year and think

Fall 2021

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March 6, 2021 March 20, 2021 April 10, 2021 April 24, 2021 May 8, 2021 May 15, 2021

For more information: Jill Stewart (Instrumental) jstewart@blinn.edu 979-830-4262 Dr. Paulo Gomes (Vocal) paulo.gomes@blinn.edu 979-830-4239

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toward the next, let’s all do a little bit of self-reflection and consider how our stories can impact our students. How can we use our stories to be better teachers and build stronger relationships with our students? Our classrooms and communities will be transformed when we develop the skill of listening to other perspectives and stories. Spring Region Meetings Don’t forget to attend your spring Region meetings online. This is a critical

SAM

HOUSTON

STATE

S C H O O L

meeting with the dissemination of information regarding upcoming TMEA events and important decisions made for the Region and Region processes. More information is on page 2 and you can log in to obtain the meeting link at www.tmea.org/ regionmeeting. Invited Ensembles With the successful performances by the 2021 Invited Ensembles, TMEA will continue the Invited Ensemble selection process for the 2022 Clinic/Convention.

UNIVERSITY

O F

M U S I C

2021 AUDITIONS AND WORKSHOPS

AUDITIONS AUDITIONS NOVEMBER 14, 2020 NOVEMBER 14, 2020 VOICE & ALL INSTRUMENTS VOICE & ALL INSTRUMENTS (with the exception of guitar, percussion, & piano)

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JANUARY 30, 2021

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FEBRUARY 20, 2021

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(with the exception of guitar, & percussion, & piano) VOICE ALL INSTRUMENTS

(with the exception of guitar, percussion, & piano)

(with the exception of guitar)

VOICE & ALL INSTRUMENTS

VOICE & ALL INSTRUMENTS (with the exception of guitar) (with the exception of harp)

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(not for scholarship consideration) (with the exception

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TEACHING THE(not MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND for scholarship consideration)

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STRING PEDAGOGY WORKSHOP FOR MUSIC EDUCATORS CHORAL EDUCATORS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

Please continue to check the SHSU School of Music website for futher details.

The purpose of this program is to provide performance opportunities for a wide variety of middle school, junior high, and high school ensembles from across our state at TMEA’s annual convention. The invited ensemble process is intended to showcase and celebrate Texas orchestras and mariachi groups that represent great and innovative teaching, that are from diverse communities, and that successfully serve the students and the community. Learn more about the submission and selection process, and apply online at the following: • Middle and high school orchestras www.tmea.org/invitedorchestra May 1–June 1 • High school mariachi www.tmea.org/invitedmariachi May 1–June 24 I am looking forward to listening to the music-making that has occurred during the 2020–2021 school year! All-State Audition Process There is so much excitement regarding the All-State audition process for the 2021–2022 school year! Conductors have been confirmed and repertoire is being selected. In preparation for these auditions, the selected etude books were posted April 15 and specific etudes are released May 1. Orchestral excerpts for the audition process will be posted August 1. Clinic Submissions for the 2022 Convention Please consider submitting clinic proposals for the 2022 TMEA Clinic/ Convention, held February 9–12, in San Antonio. The online submission will be available May 1 through June 1. Orchestra Division members who took the 2021 convention survey expressed interest in learning about these topics during the 2022 convention: • Rehearsal techniques • Instrument methods • Conducting techniques • Recruiting and retention • Technology integration • Classroom management • Teaching methods • Social emotional learning

32 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access • Advocacy and community support As experienced orchestra directors, you have so much to offer the members of our division. Don’t hesitate to submit a proposal. Your knowledge and perspective are vital to the ongoing development and growth of the Orchestra Division.

upcoming school year and offer learning and insight in a low-stress environment. TODA is excited to host the music reading sessions and the TODA Board is excited to see everyone back in San Antonio! In

2021 TMEA Convention Clinics Are Available This is a reminder that you may review any clinics of interest from the 2021 convention by June 30 and download handouts you want to keep for reference. After June 30, the convention platform will no longer be online. These videos are not only a great way to learn and elevate your teaching but also an effective way to fulfill your district’s professional development requirements.

conjunction with the summer convention, we will be announcing the TMEA Invited Orchestras and offering training for Region Chairs. 0

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Realizing Students’ Potential for Individual Music-Making By Robin Heinsen

or over a year now, the impact of COVID-19 has significantly affected large ensemble music classrooms, and our profession is at a crossroads as we reexamine our priorities regarding music teaching and learning. Some have shifted their focus to helping students develop their individual capacity to make music for others. Instead of continuing to practice the third clarinet for a hypothetical performance in the near or distant future, these musicians are learning a repertoire of pieces they can play or sing on our own for others. We can make music more valuable to our students by reengineering how and why they engage with it. Large ensemble rehearsals and performances are a tremendously rewarding part of music-making, and because of that, many of us feel the strain of absence and distance from our students and peers in this time. After a year of limited ensemble music-making, many educators are appropriately concerned about retention, motivation, and advocacy for the future of our programs. However, this time has also offered an opportunity to redesign what we do and what we ask of our students in ways that emphasize communicative and humanizing means of learning and making music. This shift to individual music-making can propel us into the next phase of our large ensemble programs post-COVID, and it may even reveal opportunities for meaningful music-making that we had not considered prior to the pandemic. A goal of playing for each other may lead students to continue participation in music, not to excel in Friday’s chair test, but to experience the joy and satisfaction of performing music for others.1 34 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

Playing for Others In this way of thinking, a musician’s measure of accomplishment is their ability to play or sing something worth sharing, and to perform it beautifully, expressively, perhaps even imperfectly. This something can stand on its own without needing additional parts, and it is interesting to listen to—perhaps even recognizable. Imagine students having pieces in their repertoire they can perform for an interested listener at any time. While seemingly simple, offering “Happy Birthday” for a friend or leading a family holiday sing-along can be especially meaningful and rewarding. Students can develop the resources and independence to find an informal piece they want to learn, and then pursue it. Beyond high-stakes scenarios like pass-offs, graded playing tests, auditions, and contests, music programs vary in the extent to which they provide occasions for students to perform informally for each other. Those formal experiences focus on precision and accuracy, with flawed performances often perceived as failures. This understandably can lead to a misguided view about what it means to be a skilled musician.2 On the other hand, when musicians play or sing purely for their enjoyment and that of their listeners, the fundamental components of aesthetic pleasure and joy in recognizing one’s own accomplishment are magnified by the connection with listeners.3 Sharing Music Is the Primary Goal We can set students up to perform for others by creating assignments that prioritize communicating expressive ideas to listeners. It is often easier to assign a grade based on adherence to a dynamic

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marking than to evaluate the creation of an expressive effect. Evaluating the technical execution of a scale, etude, or other fundamentals exercise is straightforward, and designing progressive assignments around technical benchmarks is rather uncomplicated. However, practicing a technically challenging etude while constantly checking a metronome and tuner will not necessarily lead to having something enjoyable to perform for someone else beyond the context of a playing test. Reimagining playing assignments and practice guidelines happens when we differentiate between what students learn to perform independently for others, together with others, and that which isn’t meant to be shared at all (isolated technique and fundamentals). Envision assignments that allow students to achieve a musical goal that is interesting on its own, not just something that will be valuable only at the end of the semester, or when combined with other parts, or for an audition. When the goal is to play or sing something engaging or interesting—something that would be worth performing for someone else—musical development is marked by learning to play increasingly demanding

repertoire, and all of it is performed beautifully.⁴ Skilled performers develop technique because fundamental skills serve an expressive musical purpose.⁵ Grandma isn’t going to enjoy “Happy Birthday” played with an out-of-tune ascending octave, and “Frosty the Snowman” without a steady tempo (or with a too-slow tempo) can derail a sing-along. Developing technical skills to express and communicate ideas has a different significance than technique that is developed to achieve isolated music-adjacent goals such as grades, chair placements, or karate belts. Shifting our students’ perception, and our own, of the goals of music-making increases the likelihood that our students will remain engaged in rewarding musical experiences that have personal value. Putting Intentions into Action Most programs already have the infrastructure to put these ideas into practice, so focusing on individuals performing for others doesn’t have to mean an arduous departure from what already happens. Within a school’s feeder system, students may already perform for younger or older

students who are future or former members of their programs. Students may already foster school-related social connections if they perform for classmates or students in different classes within their program, students in other music programs, other teachers (academic or special areas), or administrators. Students can play for family members and neighbors, and they can participate in music-making by clapping, singing, or dancing along. Within the community, social bonds can be formed when students play in hospitals, senior living communities, places of worship, childcare centers, or anywhere people could benefit from a human connection facilitated by music—and we know that need has been great this year. Socially distant or streamed solo musical performances can take many forms, live and prerecorded. Front porches, driveways, or balconies become great makeshift stages. Small ensemble performances can be achieved using apps like Accapella, with students doing their own recording, evaluating, and mixing. When selecting appropriate repertoire, students can incorporate music from their personal lives and cultures, and they can learn music that would

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Southwestern Musician | May 2021 37

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38 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

appeal to the target audience. This research can be part of the learning experience. Educating parents, administrators, and community stakeholders about the way your program is flourishing, both in a typical scenario and with distance learning, is made easier by having students ready to perform for them. The recent popularity of virtual ensembles is no doubt driven in part by these stakeholders anticipating a product that resembles what they are used to seeing in person. Our programs must function differently now, which means that advocacy should also look different. We must find opportunities for students to connect with and perform for others to keep these community bonds strong. Imagine an assignment, for example, where students interview their parents about lullabies they used to sing to them when they were young. Students could learn how to sing the lullaby and then record a video of them singing the tune together. Depending on your instructional goals, students can learn to play the melody on an instrument, either by ear, using notation software, or searching online for sheet music. Small benchmark assignments can focus on learning to perform the lullaby beautifully, perhaps receiving feedback from their peers during class and refining their performances together. Students can then make a video of themselves performing the lullaby to give to their parents, and this video can be a gift for a celebratory occasion. In scenarios like this, not only is the musical experience valuable and relevant to the student, but also there is a significant social reward of sharing an emotional moment with a parent. Ear training, composition, history, and all the other standards we should be teaching can become more accessible and feasible when we focus on individuals performing for others. The pace of developing technical facility may feel slower, and traditional benchmarks may change, but empowering students to develop the skills and tools to make music without teachers creates greater opportunities for independent music-making for a lifetime.⁶ Whether one can play all their scales at 120 bpm is meaningful only to the extent that doing so contributes to one’s capacity to participate in meaningful human connections through music. The constraints created by this pandemic have prompted new considerations of what it means to be

a musician and may lead to new opportunities to engage with others musically— something that could become an ongoing 0 feature of school music instruction. Robin Heinsen is an Assistant Instructor and PhD student in Music & Human Learning at the University of Texas at Austin. References 1. Jane Davidson and Karen Burland, “Musician Identity Formation,” in The Child as Musician: A Handbook of Musical Development, ed. by McPherson, (Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 2006), 475-490, https://catalog.hathitrust.org/ Record/005246966. 2. Paul Broomhead, “Individual Expressive Performance: Its Relationship to Ensemble Achievement, Technical Achievement, and Musical Background,” Journal of Research in Music Education 49, no. 1 (April 1, 2001): 71–84, https://doi. org/10.2307/3345811. 3. Gary McPherson and Jane Davidson, “Playing an Instrument,” in The Child as Musician: A Handbook of Musical Development, ed. by McPherson, (Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 2006), 331-352, https://catalog.hathitrust.org/ Record/005246966. 4. Robert A. Duke and Amy L. Simmons. “The nature of expertise: Narrative descriptions of 19 common elements observed in the lessons of three renowned artist-teachers.” Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education (2006): 7-19. 5. Robert A. Duke, Amy L. Simmons, and Carla Davis Cash, “It’s Not How Much; It’s How: Characteristics of Practice Behavior and Retention of Performance Skills,” Journal of Research in Music Education 56, no. 4 (January 2009): 310–21, https:// doi.org/10.1177/0022429408328851; Amy L Simmons, “The Nature of Expertise: Narrative Descriptions of 19 Common Elements Observed in the Lessons of Three Renowned Artist-Teachers,” Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, no. 170 (2006): 14. 6. Judith A. Jellison, Including Everyone: Creating Music Classrooms Where All Children Learn. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2016.

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.

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www.tmea.org/mentor Southwestern Musician | May 2021 39

VOCAL NOTES

B Y

J E S S E

C A N N O N

I I

In Memoriam Riley Jacobs May 21, 1980–March 8, 2021

Shift—again!

his year will be remembered as one of discouragement, struggle, frustration, fear, and uncertainty on various levels for each of us. We all have been affected by realities beyond our control on personal as well as professional levels due to the pandemic. As humorous as it was at times, one of my frustrations has been learning what it means to become a Zoomologist, to come up with engaging activities for both in-person and virtual students. Where is the student who is on my roster but hasn’t logged in all year? Will students return next year to participate in the program? What psychological effects will this school year have on my students? Each of these questions has plagued my mind as I plan for the 2021–2022 school year. As educators, we must take everything this year has presented and use it as an opportunity to propel our profession forward. Do you remember Jed Clampett and The Beverly Hillbillies? What made that TV show so interesting is that Jed and his family had been delivered from their past—a life of poverty in the Ozarks—to an abundance of riches, but even after they moved to Beverly Hills as millionaires, they didn’t change their hillbilly ways. Their location changed, but their mindset didn’t. The Clampetts’ past devalued both a valuable present and future. While that may seem like an odd example to some, it can be extended to our

While our previous priorities helped us establish a high-quality standard for choral music education, our focus now must shift. 40 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

check www.tmea .org for updates

May—Attend your spring Region meetings (see page 2). May 1—TMEA 2021–2022 membership year opens for online and mail/email submission. May 1—Deadline to nominate students for a Texas Music Scholar award. May 1–June 1—Submit proposals online for the 2022 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. May 1–June 1—Invited ensemble application period for MS, HS, and university choirs. June 15—CEDFA Summit opens online. June 30—All 2020–2021 TMEA memberships expire. July 22–24— TCDA, TBA, TODA conventions in San Antonio. February 9–12, 2022—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

work as music educators as we envision the post-pandemic choral community we have dreamt of experiencing for months now. We need to go beyond rebuilding our prior approach and reinstituting the ways of working that existed before. While our previous priorities helped us establish a high-quality standard for choral music education, our focus now must shift. I believe that some of our best teachings took place this year. Many of the resources we created under extreme conditions will be utilized for a lifetime. Because of the implications of the pandemic, it’s been a complex set of scenarios that we’re still trying to work our way through. Of course, we will continue to utilize proven strategies and methods; however, our mindset must now move in a direction for the betterment of our students and profession. You have shown resilience during this time, and you redefined success at every turn. Your program may have taken a toll this past year and rebuilding it will be challenging, but you are not alone. We are here to walk beside you and help you every step of the way to bring back the music!

42 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

April Connections Meetings This Connections meeting was especially applicable in this time of rebuilding. Thank you to all who attended and especially to our featured speakers. The information provided will help directors tremendously as we prepare for the 2021– 2022 school year. If you weren’t able to attend or want a refresher, you can view the recording and download related materials at www.tmea.org/connections. The event is listed under the Connection Meetings Archive in the Vocal Division section. Keep Learning from the 2021 Convention You can continue to learn from amazing clinics held during the 2021 Clinic/ Convention! Return to the convention platform before June 30 to watch content you haven’t yet seen or to rewatch those sessions that were especially motivational. To quickly access clinics that our division hosted or that were tagged as applicable to choir directors, go to the schedule and the search area on the right side of the page. Open the Track filter and choose Vocal. As a reminder, the platform is at https://2021convention.tmea.org/ and if

you’re not already logged in, you log in via your TMEA member login credentials. Region Meetings While some Region meetings were held in April, there are several still scheduled for this month. Be sure to attend and participate in the meetings that are relevant to you. See page 2 for more details and go to www.tmea.org/regionmeetings to review the schedule of meetings and log in to obtain the link to the online meetings. All-State Audition Materials By now, you have likely seen the AllState repertoire list at www.tmea.org/ vocal/audition-material. Each of our 2022 All-State Conductors has expressed how honored they are by the invitation to come to Texas! I look forward to seeing how their vision for the music comes to life as students and teachers across the state work tirelessly to work on the repertoire. Please utilize the additional resources found on the website and notify me via email of any errata at vocalvp@tmea.org. 2022 Convention Invited Choirs As you view this year’s invited choir

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application, you will notice a few changes. Please review them as you make plans to apply. Gather all required information to submit before the June 1 deadline. We look forward to showcasing outstanding programs from across our state!

2022 Convention Proposals June 1 is the deadline to submit an online proposal to present a clinic or music showcase during the 2022 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. Be sure to read this month’s President’s Notes for more details about

changes to the process for our selection of 2022 clinics. When the Executive Board selects clinics to create the 2022 Clinic/Convention, we will be considering attendee feedback that identified the most important clinic topics. Please consider submitting your proposal or encouraging someone you know who has a wonderful idea to submit theirs to be part of the 2022 Clinic/ Convention. For more details and to apply, go to www.tmea.org/clinicproposals. Vocal Division convention attendees have expressed the following as the most important topics for clinics in 2022. If you or a colleague has experience to share in one of these areas, know you are especially encouraged to apply: • Rehearsal techniques • Repertoire selection • Recruiting and retaining • Technology integration • Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access • Social emotional learning • Advocacy/community support • Conducting techniques • Teaching methods • Classroom management Because we will be in the convention center for this event, we will be hosting Music Showcases throughout the center. The application for this opportunity is also online from May 1 through June 1. Learn more and apply at www.tmea.org/ musicshowcase. Choirs Represent Texas at ACDA! Congratulations to our esteemed colleagues and friends who represented Texas at the ACDA Virtual Conference in March. The excellence in choirs and clinics continues the grand tradition for which Texas is known. Kudos to you and your singers. TCDA Summer Convention I hope you make plans to attend the annual Texas Choral Directors Association summer convention, July 22–24, in San Antonio as we attend in person to connect and collaborate with colleagues who will share ideas and conduct reading sessions to kick off the new school year. I look forward to seeing you there! 0

44 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

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Prioritizing Music as a Post-COVID Necessity

By Kellie Bartley

s this challenging school year comes to a close, it is reasonable to assume that interruptions in attendance, inequitable access to required technology, and other pandemicrelated stressors will result in a temporary gap in academic performance. Given that, some administrators will approach the 2021–2022 school year hyper-focused on academic improvement and might seek to deliver on that goal in part by expanding instructional time on foundation subject remediation. Once again, we find ourselves challenged to be advocates for our discipline. We must promote what we know is true—that all students need music education, especially now. Music education will be an essential part of our students’ overall academic restoration and a vital contributor to their mental and emotional well-being. What I offer here are just a few findings from compelling research into the benefits of music study. Now is the time to use evidence like this to prioritize music education programs in all schools, for all students. I hope you can utilize this information as you work to remind your community, parents, and administrators about music education’s impact on the whole child, both in and out of the music classroom. To find other resources about the benefits of music study, search the Internet using terms such as music study, brain research, cognition, language development, academic success. The following webpages include a compilation of relevant resources: • www.nammfoundation.org/articles/research • www.tmea.org/advocacy/materials

Good News for Language Arts Music training can provide a key step to early success in language arts classes. The concept of transfer identifies how the effects of instrumental music study may also influence non-musical abilities. Multiple scholars have found evidence of music-to-language transfer using different methodologies. For example, the ongoing work of Sylvain Moreno reveals strong links between music training and other academic success by confirming the remarkable transfer in areas of speech, language, and literacy. His milestone work, “Musical Training Influences Linguistic Abilities in EightYear-Old Children: More Evidence for Brain Plasticity,” demonstrates that music training enhances linguistic pitch and reading abilities. He assigned non-musician children to either music training or painting for six months. Children who studied music showed enhanced pitch discrimination and reading abilities in contrast with the painting group, which showed no gains.1 Remarkably, 90% of the children given music training showed improved performance on a verbal intelligence test. In terms of academic success, Moreno believes that taking away music instruction is “the worst thing you can do.”2 Similarly, Clement Francois and his team of neuroscientists examined the effects of musical training on the passive and active processing of speech sounds by eight-year-old children. Using an EEG, their study determined that musical children clearly show enhanced processing of the basic units of speech. They note that “music engages a wide range of processing mechanisms, from sound encoding to higher cognitive functions such as sequencing, attention, memory, and learning.”3 This is encouraging for music programs as well as language arts teachers wanting to keep their students on track during times of sporadic student attendance. Southwestern Musician | May 2021 47

Music Supports Overall Academic Achievement The message from neuroscientists to students, parents, and teachers is “start early and don’t quit.” Besides extolling the early cognitive boosts of participation in music classes, scientists offer that the greatest academic benefit to music training comes from long-term engagement. In a 2019 study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, Peter Gouzouasis led his team in assessing the effects of multi-year instrumental music participation and future elevated academic performance.

This rigorous, large-scale study tracked 110,000 students with long-term music training and high school academic achievement. Controlling for factors such as socioeconomic status, race, gender, and previous academic levels, this study identified strong links between long-term music training and higher academic achievement in English, math, and science.⁴ More specifically, “students with higher levels of school music engagement had higher exam scores.”⁵ Gouzouasis noted that sacrificing music training for academic tutoring is counterproductive and that his team’s research “suggests that, in fact, the more

Music Changes Lives When you share the compelling benefits of music study, make it personal, too. Share these beautifully produced, personal stories told by Texas elementary through high school students, a parent, and business leader. Learn how participating in music changed their lives.

www.tmea.org/itstartswithmusic Share the YouTube versions or download the files for your local presentations (Spanish subtitle versions available for download).

48 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

they study music, the better they do in those [other] subjects.”⁶ In 2010, the editors of Scientific American encouraged schools to strive for long-term music training as well, reporting that studies have shown that “assiduous instrument training from an early age can help the brain to process sounds better, making it easier to stay focused when absorbing other subjects, from literature to tensor calculus. They can attend to several things at once in the mental scratch pad called working memory, an essential skill in this era of multitasking.” They concluded their presentation of research results with the following: The main reason for playing an instrument, of course, will always be the sheer joy of blowing a horn or banging out chords. But we should also be working to incorporate into the curriculum our new knowledge of music’s beneficial effect on the developing brain. Sustained involvement with an instrument from an early age is an achievable goal even with tight budgets. Music is not just an “extra.” ⁷ Incorporating and maintaining music programs in post-COVID curriculum

plans will keep our students on pace with their long-term academic goals. Mental Health and Well-Being It is important to consider that the overall social-emotional growth of students may be delayed due to isolation and stress brought about by COVID restrictions. Throughout this pandemic, social emotional learning has been at the heart of many conversations on educational priorities. We have learned more about delivering social emotional learning (SEL) through music education in articles, webinars, and clinics during TMEA’s 2021 convention, as well as in an April TMEA Connections event on this topic. All students are affected by the pandemic, and the social emotional learning inherent in music education can be the bridge that leads them from a place of stress and anxiety to a better sense of wellbeing. In his August 2020 Southwestern Musician article on this topic, Scott Edgar, author of Music Education and Social Emotional Learning: The Heart of Teaching Music, defined SEL as, “a skillbased approach that can help by building students’ self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness, relationship management, and responsible decision-making skills.” He explained how critical SEL is in these times: “Students will need opportunities to regain trust, interacting with people and reconnecting and rebuilding relationships, and they will be starved for music. It will be our job to meet all those needs.” Entrepreneur and arts advocate Daniel Pink includes praise for music, given its mood and health benefits in his 2018 book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. Most notably, he cites research results on how group music participation can be effective in alleviating feelings of depression. He shares the results that choral singing not only lowers heart rates, boosts endorphin levels, improves lung function, and increases pain thresholds, but it even increases the production of infection-fighting immunoglobulin. Pink also reported how group music-making brings people together in a very special and synchronized way. David Simmons, artistic director and conductor of Washington D.C.’s 100-voice Congressional Chorus explained to Pink that group singing “makes people feel like they aren’t alone in the world.”⁸ The key factors that contrib-

ute to this sense of belonging are music’s properties to reduce feelings of stress and enhance a greater sense of purpose while cultivating an increased sensitivity toward others. Ensemble music-making can provide these coping mechanisms to help our students weather negative effects of COVID. Keep Music a Priority Understanding that music training improves overall academic performance and emotional well-being should make it difficult to justify marginalizing music classes for the sake of academic remediation. With an already increasing push toward high-stakes standardized testing that often begins as early as the third grade, frustrated classroom teachers and administrators alike have concerns about preparing all children to pass these tests. In a post-COVID recovery period, that pressure will undoubtedly increase. Devaluing music education programs, however, is not the solution. School districts must prioritize music programs as aesthetically valuable and academically meaningful activities that exercise multiple cognitive domains for our students, especially as we transition out of the pandemic and help our students get back on track. Kellie Bartley is the director of the Amarillo College Community Concert Band and a fifth-grade strings specialist for Amarillo ISD.

References 1. Sylvain Moreno, Carlos Marques, Andreia Santos, Manuela Santos, São Luís Castro and Mireille Besson, “Musical Training Influences Linguistic Abilities in 8-Year-Old Children: More Evidence for Brain Plasticity,” Cerebral Cortex 19 (2009): 712. 2. Sylvain Moreno, interview by author, Amarillo, November 13, 2020. 3. Clement Francois, Julie Chobert, Mireille Besson, Daniele Schon, “Music Training for the Development of Speech Segmentation,” Cerebral Cortex 23 (2013): 2038. 4. Peter Gouzouasis, Martin Guhn, and Scott D. Emerson, “A PopulationLevel Analysis of Associations Between School Music Participation and Academic Achievement” Journal of Educational Psychology (2019): 1. 5. Gouzouasis “A Population-Level Analysis,” 1. 6. Tom Jacobs. “A Major New Study Confirms the Academic Benefits of Music Education” Pacific Standard, June 26, 2019, accessed December 6, 2019. https://psmag. com/education/taking-a-music-coursecould-help-students-boost-grades-inother-subjects 7. Editors.“Hearing the Music, Honing the Mind.” Scientific American, November 1, 2010, accessed February 7, 2021, w w w.scientificamerican.com/article/ hearing-the-music-honing 8. Daniel Pink, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing (New York: Penguin, 2018), 197.

Have a Story to Share? Like you see in this issue, many of our best feature articles are written by TMEA members like you, based on real-world experience. Perhaps you have developed an effective teaching method, found a new technology that helps make your work more efficient, or have successfully built administrator and community support. SouthweStern MuSician provides a venue for sharing your ideas with your colleagues around the state.

For magazine submission guidelines, go to www.tmea.org/magazine. Southwestern Musician | May 2021 49

ELEMENTARY NOTES

B Y

K A T H E R I N E

J O H N S

Time to recharge!

t is almost summer—and I love summer! I catch up on sleeping and cleaning out clutter. I also use this time to go to summer trainings. I have attended so many workshops over the many years. It has been such a long journey that some of the workshops do not exist anymore. Below is a list of workshops I have been fortunate enough to attend. I hope my list might inspire you to seek out trainings that interest you: Orff-Schulwerk Level I at SMU: I was fresh out of college and had taught one semester at a small school in Queen City—a rural town in east Texas near the Arkansas border. The school had many Orff instruments. During this twoweek course at SMU, I learned the foundation of Orff and loved every moment! The training involved the methods of the pedagogy, recorder, and movement. Kodály Certification Program Levels I, II, and III at Texas State University: I left Queen City to move closer to family. For many years prior to being employed at Floresville Elementary, they did not have a music program. I was starting a new program, and there were no instruments. At Texas State, I learned about the Kodály method, folk songs, and more recorder methods, and I improved my own musicianship and conducting skills. Music and Movement taught by Phyllis Weikart: This was a two-week course through HighScope. Since then, I have found her book Rhythmically Moving to be a consistent go-to resource. In this course, we learned what brain research has revealed about separating what we say from what we do. When presenting new movement, the instructor had students either watch or listen, but not both

As the school year ends, consider the many learning opportunities available to you. 50 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

check www.tmea .org for updates

May—Attend your spring Region meetings (see page 2). May 1—TMEA 2021–2022 membership year opens for online and mail/email submission. May 1–June 1—Submit proposals online for the 2022 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. May 1–June 15—Elementary invited ensemble application period. June 15—CEDFA Summit opens online. June 30—All 2020–2021 TMEA memberships expire. July 22–24—TBA, TCDA, TODA conventions. February 9–12, 2022—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

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concurrently. Unfortunately, this specific training opportunity ended with Phyllis Weikart’s passing. If you are interested in her approach, however, be sure to read the introduction to her book. I was lucky to spend one spring break in Budapest on a pedagogy tour. It was amazing and I hope to return. I observed a variety of Kodály-based schools, and it was an inspiring experience to learn in another country. Peter and Mary Alice Amidon presented a workshop at the Hartt School of Music

called “Music and Storytelling.” While it was their last year to present this weeklong workshop when I attended, it’s a good example of a summer learning experience that continues to influence my teaching. In addition to learning their method, they presented dance sequences and songs and shared how to tell stories and create music. The TCDA convention is also a wonderful opportunity for elementary-focused sessions. As a choral convention, elementary music educators often presume the only elementary-relevant content is for elementary choir. That isn’t the case. I have attended (and presented at) many TCDA conventions and come away with ideas to use for day one of the next school year. I highly recommend attending TCDA this July (go to www.tcda.net for more information). Due to COVID, many trainings went to a virtual format last summer. Some training programs are continuing the virtual format, where others are returning to an in-person format or presenting a hybrid format. While we prefer to learn in person, often the alternative formats make some trainings more accessible and less expensive. So, how did I pay for all that training? While I always intended to marry a wealthy man, I fell in love with a teacher, so I’m sure you know he wasn’t the financial source! Do not be afraid to ask your administration to pay for professional development opportunities. I was brave and asked my principal to fund my first Kodály level, and this was just after having been hired—before I had begun teaching there. He said yes. PTA paid for another workshop and yet another

was covered by the Delta Kappa Gamma Society (an international organization that promotes professional and personal growth of women educators). I also applied and received a TMEA scholarship when I was working on my master’s with a Kodály emphasis from Texas State University. Summer Conventions The TCDA convention will be held in San Antonio July 22–24. I look forward to attending this year more than ever since we have not had face-to-face conventions in over a year. I will be looking for familiar faces, so I hope to see you there. 2022 TMEA Clinic/Convention The TMEA Executive Board is making plans for an in-person convention in February. The schedules are still in the process of being worked out, and we need clinic proposals to consider. If you have submitted a proposal in the past, you will notice that the online form has changed. A great deal of thought has gone into how we can become more inclusive in our role as educators. Be sure to read the President’s Notes on page 5 to learn more. When you apply, know that we want to offer sessions on a wide variety of topics of interest, including those that address topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in music education. Regardless of your topic, however, we want all presenters to examine what they are offering to fellow educators and students through a lens of being more inclusive. I want to become a better person and educator, and I hope you do too. If we become more mindful of what and how we present materials, more students and educators will benefit.

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 Southwestern Musician | May 2021 53

Know that after the 2021 convention, attendees from our division indicated these as the most important topics for clinics at the 2022 convention: • Teaching methods • Technology integration • Classroom management • Social emotional learning • Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access • Special-needs instruction • Assessment

• Repertoire selection • Health and fitness (mental and physical) • Rehearsal techniques Call for Elementary Ensembles We want to showcase elementary ensembles from across our state during the 2022 convention. With COVID-19, many choirs were unable to meet this past school year, so you may submit a video recording from 2020–2021, 2019–2020, or even

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2018–2019. Do you have a recording you are especially proud of? Please consider submitting. The director on the recording must be the same one currently on campus and that director must have taught the ensemble for a minimum of four school years (this year and the previous three). If selected, your ensemble will have the opportunity of performing in the spacious Hemisfair Ballroom. Become More Involved Are you interested in becoming more involved with TMEA? Volunteering for the Elementary Division during our convention is a good way to learn how things work. I was mistaken in my early teaching years when I believed that only Region Chairs were invited to do jobs during convention. You can go to the TMEA website now and complete the online volunteer form. We will be looking for volunteers to preside over sessions. If you are curious about the invited showcase, you can volunteer to host a group. We need Elementary Division members available to meet, greet, and escort the choirs. If you want to volunteer for the Elementary Division in any position needed, you can volunteer for the Gold Star position. There could be real gold stars involved! Go to www.tmea.org/ elementaryvolunteer. Log in and complete the form today. June 30 Deadline to View Clinics Please remember that June 30 is the final date on which you can view any sessions from the 2021 TMEA convention. If there was something you wanted to view or review, you must do that by June 30. This is yet another great opportunity for summer learning! When you return to the convention platform, you can search the schedule for all sessions that apply to our division. Go to the schedule, then click in the Search area on the right side, expand the Tracks filter, and choose Elementary. Whether ours is the hosting division or the topic is relevant to our teaching, you can easily find these clinics by filtering the schedule. You will see concert records listed. They remain present so that you can review repertoire and comments, but performances couldn’t remain online because of rights limitations. Have a great summer and enjoy any 0 learning opportunities!

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 89, making this resource possible.

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COLLEGE NOTES

B Y

P A U L

S I K E S

Focus on the why

n our recent Connections meeting with Scott Edgar, he mentioned that as we move through this year, it is important to focus on the why of music education instead of on the how. What he was saying is that, during this past year, as we have worked through learning how to teach our classes, how to have rehearsal, how to meet with our students, and how to do our jobs, we may have lost sight of why we do our jobs. This focus on how has worn us down and worn us out. In the words of one colleague, “We were June tired in January.” According to Edgar, focusing on the why gives us the power to set priorities and concentrate on those aspects of our profession, our education, and our families that are most important to us. This focus also allows us to forgive ourselves when we are unable to accomplish all there is to do, when we cannot give something the amount of time it demands, or when we just cannot live up to our typical standards of work. Focusing on the why also reminds us daily of the joy and satisfaction that comes with a career in music education. Through this Connections meeting, Edgar’s comments made me think about the whys of music education. What was it that drew us to this profession and what is it that continues to inspire us? I reflected on this question and came up with a few whys of music education. Music brings people together to work on common goals in a positive atmosphere. To borrow from our commitment to music education for all statement, “Across cultures, generations, languages, and beliefs, music shapes our lives and creates endless possibilities to connect with others.” Too often, people focus on what makes us different from each other. Music, on the other hand, does just the opposite. It brings people from different backgrounds together to work, celebrate, and enjoy making music together. I taught a student who

Focusing on the why also reminds us daily of the joy and satisfaction that comes with a career in music education. 56 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

check www.tmea .org for updates

May—Attend your spring Region meetings (see page 2). May 1—TMEA 2021–2022 membership year opens for online and mail/email submission. May 1–June 1—Submit proposals online for the 2022 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. June 30—All 2020–2021 TMEA memberships expire. July 22–24—TBA, TCDA, TODA conventions. October 15—College Fall Conference in Austin. February 9–12, 2022—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

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participated in a study-abroad semester in New Zealand. The first thing she did when she arrived was join a local orchestra. This became the place where she found common interests, common experiences, and new friends. Music was the catalyst for connecting with others. The same story was repeated with a former student who moved to London for graduate school and with another who moved to Houston for medical school. This experience has been repeated by many of my students and is one I have experienced myself many times. All people have music, and everywhere around the world, it is always created to be shared like a gift. Music gives people a safe space where they can learn, grow, and be successful. All people, especially students, need a place where they feel safe and supported. Music class is that place for many. Led by a good teacher, music class can be a place where students learn about both music and themselves. Students can make mistakes and work to fix them with the support of the teacher and the other students in the class. A regular part of our teaching experience has been to teach a student in an ensemble who is struggling. My men-

tor teachers would help these students by having them play by themselves, which is always a stressful experience. In the middle of class, the teacher and student would have a private lesson, where the student worked, and the teacher gave suggestions to try to improve her performance. Inevitably, the student got it, and the entire class erupted in sincere applause. The other students were truly supportive and excited when she succeeded. As a result of this experience, the student learned that she was supported by her teacher and her classmates. It is this kind of space that allows students to work hard, to learn that mistakes are a part of learning, and to learn how to be successful with the help and support of others. Music education is where inspiration and transformation are the most important learning outcomes. The fundamentals are important in music education. Students must have a good tone, read rhythms, have pitch accuracy, and more to be proficient. In primary and secondary schools, the TEKS loom large over the knowledge and skills students must know. However, we know as music educators that this knowledge and

these skills are just the starting place for realizing what music can do. We strive for more and work to experience that transformative power of music. When done well, music itself can inspire us to learn more, try harder, and go a few extra minutes. I try to explain to my students that they are the sum of their experiences. They are brothers, sisters, friends, students, athletes, musicians, etc. And so, when they improve in any one area, they are literally making themselves better people. When they are inspired by music to try a bit more, listen more deeply, and move together, they are transforming themselves into better people one note at a time. A career in music can give you a lifetime of joy. How many steady jobs allow a person to make music and help others? We are truly wealthy in that we have stable careers that are meaningful and enjoyable. Almost daily, I look in gratitude of my surroundings. I have a wonderful family and we live in a nice house, in a great community. I have the resources to provide my kids books and experiences that enrich their lives. I also have more musical instruments than any reasonable person should have.

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58 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

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All this has been made possible by choosing a career in music education. Of course, many people enter careers that provide these things and more. However, as music educators, we study music, talk about music, and create music while sharing and working with others. All the while, we are bringing music and knowledge to others, enriching their lives. We create joy in our students and send them out into the world to share that joy with others. At the heart of what we do then is making the world a better place by creating and sharing joy with others. When you consider our steady jobs, combined with our meaningful work, we can see that we are indeed fortunate to have chosen this path. As we approach the end of a most unique and challenging academic year, I invite you to consider these whys of music education and perhaps even a few of your own. Reflect on these during the summer and perhaps even have a conversation about them with your colleagues, family, and friends. Rediscover the why in what you do and try to let go, if only for a bit, the how of your daily work. I hope that as you reflect, you will remember core values that led you to choose this profession and that doing so will rekindle

your spirit and give you renewed purpose.

• Teaching methods

Clinic Submission The clinics presented by our members and guests from around the state, country, and world are what make our annual convention meaningful for all who attend. We invite you to submit a clinic proposal for the 2022 TMEA Clinic/Convention so that you may share your knowledge and experiences with others to help improve music education. This convention will be held February 9–12, in San Antonio. Read this month’s President’s Notes on page 5 for details about changes in our process, and to submit a clinic, complete that proposal online by June 1 at www.tmea.org/clinicproposals. Colleagues in our division indicated the following as the topics they most want to learn about in 2022:

• Research methods and results

• Advocacy/community support • Health and fitness (mental and physical) • Instrument methods • Recruiting and retention • Rehearsal techniques • Repertoire selection

• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access • Technology integration Attend the Summer Conferences I hope you will attend the Southwest Music Summer Exhibition hosted by TBA, TCDA, and TODA. The conference and conventions are wonderful events and give attendees an opportunity to see each other, learn, and get energized for the upcoming school year. The conventions will be in person in San Antonio, July 22–24. Fall Conference Date Take a moment and put the TMEA College Division’s Fall Conference on your calendar—Friday, October 15. We will hold the meeting live in Austin, but if you are unable to be there in person, we will also offer the meeting virtually. This is an all-day event and lunch will be provided for those in attendance. You’ll receive an email this fall with registration details and links for the virtual meeting, and those details will be added to www.tmea.org/ fallconference. 0

In response to the quick shift to remote instruction last spring, TMEA began hosting events called Connections. Initially, they allowed members to share their concerns and questions as they faced a return to school in a most uncertain time. Over the year, they have included outstanding presentations by TMEA members and other leaders on a variety of valuable topics. Connections events remain online for TMEA members to view and gain professional development credit (current membership required).

w w w.tmea .org /conne c tions 60 Southwestern Musician | May 2021

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