Implement these four strategies to build a stronger culture of practicing within your program and foster growth and confidence in your students.
28 Helping Students Overcome Unhealthy Cognitions
by ann
fronckowiak
Especially relevant in this season of audition preparation, help your students turn their unproductive cognitions into healthy thinking and behavior.
47
Transforming
Classroom
Behavior with Song by emma bassett, madi fore, jennifer mendez , and lauren summa
Impact student behavior and meet your musical goals by incorporating song to support procedures, emotional well-being, and more.
2 From the Editor
4 TMEA News
6 President
12 Band
ON THE COVER: Seun Ayadi, now a junior at Dulles HS (Fort Bend ISD), rehearses with the 2024 All-State Symphonic Band. Photo by Paul Denman.
22 Orchestra
34 Vocal
40 Elementary
52 College
3 TMEA Clinic/Convention
9 2025 TMEA President’s Concert
11 Undergraduate & Graduate Scholarships
From the Editor
As the weather begins to change—at least in some parts of the state—and the newness of the school year has transitioned to a routine of planning and executing your key focus areas for student experience and growth, it’s important to remember to include time for your personal and professional development. Reading this issue of our magazine is a great way to do just that.
October’s issue is packed with ways to support students’ musical and social-emotional growth through their participation in music. This month’s features offer insights into teaching practice skills and the value of home practice, helping students understand their thought processes so they can redirect unhealthy cognitions to enable their continued musical growth, and supporting student’s successful participation in the elementary music class through song. These articles offer valuable ideas to help you in your classroom and skills that can be applied to your personal and students’ well-being. Each division’s Sound Ideas installment offers strategic ideas for immediate implementation.
In our Band, Orchestra, and Vocal columns, you’ll learn about our 2025 TMEA Clinic/Convention All-State Conductors. The Orchestra column also announces a special conducting clinic that will be led by Larry Livingston during our convention. On page 4, the TMEA News offers updates on TMEA programs for students and teachers. An exciting update detailed there is TMEA’s new online learning program specifically designed to support TMEA members with professional development that offers CPE credit. This new program launches this month!
As you consider the upcoming general election, go to www.tmea.org/2024candidates to view answers submitted to a fine arts education questionnaire by candidates running for state representative, state senator, and State Board of Education. It’s crucial to share this information with your students’ parents/guardians and with members of your community. There is still time to engage your legislative candidates before the election. Encourage your parents/guardians to be vocal in supporting fine arts education as the election season ends, and share our advocacy videos that can be viewed and downloaded at www.tmea.org/itstartswithmusic.
Finally, I encourage you to tell another music teacher what a fantastic job they are doing and how much they mean to their students and community. One of Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser’s lessons is “we are only worth what we give.” Giving support and praise to our fellow music educators should be part of the Tasker actions we do to uplift our peers and music education (for more on Taskers, see my comments on page 11 of the September issue). In that spirit, thank you for all you do to provide a high-quality music education to your students and a positive example of fine arts in your community!
Joe Muñoz E xecutive Director jmunoz@tmea.org
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Muñoz
Managing Editor: K aren Cross
Advertising Manager: Zachary Gersch
TMEA Executive Board
President: Jesse Cannon II, Fort Worth ISD president@tmea.org / 817-814-2635
President-Elect: Shane Goforth, North Shore Senior HS presidentelect@tmea.org / 713-516-7158
Immediate Past-President: Robert Horton, Conroe ISD pastpresident@tmea.org / 936-709-7806
Band Vice-President: Mike Howard, Leander ISD bandvp@tmea.org / 512-570-0161
Orchestra Vice-President: Jennifer Martin, Fort Worth ISD orchestravp@tmea.org / 817-814-2640
Vocal Vice-President: Joshua McGuire, Rock Hill HS vocalvp@tmea.org / 469-219-2300 x 81201
Elementary Vice-President: Christopher Giles, Mireles Elementary elementaryvp@tmea.org / 210-394-0289
College Vice-President: Carter Biggers, Texas Woman’s University collegevp@tmea.org / 940-898-2689
TMEA Staff
Executive Director: Joe Muñoz, jmunoz@tmea.org
Deputy Director: Frank Coachman, fcoachman@tmea.org
Administrative Director: Kay Vanlandingham, kvanlandingham@tmea.org
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF TEXAS MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION
FEBrUArY 12–15 • SAN ANTONIO
TMEA NEWS Supporting the Future of Music Education
By Joe Muñoz
In September, I shared the crucial contributions Taskers can provide to TMEA. Last month's legislative outreach actions were vital to getting fine arts on the radar of the candidates representing you at the capitol.
The TMEA office also engaged in Tasker actions. We sent a fine arts education survey to all candidates for state representative, state senator, and State Board of Education seats. Within the survey, TMEA embedded future legislative target areas to inform candidates about them and to obtain data on where our visions align to support music education and fine arts together at the capitol.
One of the actions identified in last month’s TMEA News was to distribute the results of that survey to your community. It’s important to remember that we don’t instruct anyone on whom to support in the election. We simply provide responses to these fine arts education focused questions to help our communities understand how their candidates view arts education and how they would support the advancement of fine arts education in our schools.
Go to www.tmea.org/2024surveyemail to copy prepared text and paste it into an email to send your students’ parents/guardians and others in your community, offering them access to view the survey results. Everyone’s voice matters.
TEXAS ARTS EDUCATION CAMPAIGN (TAEC)
In September, TMEA emailed members asking them to register with TAEC. If you haven’t yet, please register today at www.txartsed.org/join-us. In preparation for the 89th Legislative Session, TAEC needs updated information, including your home address and a non-school email. When necessary, TAEC will email targeted requests for action related to pending legislation that could affect fine arts education, positively or negatively. The adage the squeaky wheel gets the grease exemplifies how your assistance in unifying communication with your parents and community can significantly impact the future of our fine arts students. Additionally, please encourage your students’ parents to enroll in the TAEC. Their voice is an essential part of our advocacy efforts.
ONLINE LEARNING
TMEA has launched an online learning program to provide asynchronous video professional development sessions. Go to www.tmea.org/online-learning to find content tailored for each
TMEA division and additional sessions designed for the general membership. Members can earn CPE credit for each course they complete. The pilot program is scheduled to launch on October 1, and we plan to regularly add content. The TMEA staff will actively monitor its usage for proof of concept and will continually evaluate the program’s effectiveness in meeting member needs. Your feedback is crucial in this process. This Online Learning program is a great opportunity for districts that provide Exchange Days and for individuals looking to fulfill professional development requirements for certification renewal.
TEXAS FUTURE MUSIC EDUCATORS
While presenting at the Texas Bandmasters Association New Directors Academy in July, I was struck by the potential we have to shape the future of music education. It was particularly inspiring to see two of my former students, now new music teachers, in attendance. Their success is a testament to the impact we can have. You’re likely aware of the concerning research findings about the declining number of teachers nationwide and the various “grow your own” programs in our state. How can you be part of creating a solution to those shortages?
Establishing and maintaining an active Texas Future Music Educators (TFME) chapter in your school or district is a significant step toward enhancing the future of music education in Texas. Many school districts have “grow your own” teacher programs as part of their strategic plan. If your district is one of them, having a TFME chapter can serve as a valuable platform to demonstrate how music programs align with and bolster the district’s strategic plan. It can also provide compelling evidence of how your TFME chapter has contributed to the district’s success and produced music teachers who have returned to support the local community.
TMEA provides grants to help TFME chapters attend our annual convention. At the 2025 event, there will be specific content for our TFME students, including attendance at College Night and a TFME meeting with keynote speaker John Mlynczak, President and CEO of NAMM. Learn more about creating a chapter at www.tmea.org/tfme.
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Investing in future educators is one of TMEA’s missions. Over the past five years, TMEA has awarded over $1,000,000 to support students pursuing a degree in music education. Donations are a vital part of providing this transformative program. I hope you will join me in donating to the Scholarship Program. You can donate when you renew your membership or anytime at www.tmea.org/donate.
TMEA is accepting scholarship applications from high school, college, and graduate students until November 1. Encourage your students to apply. 0
TMEA
PRESIDENT
JESSE CANNON II
Supported by clear and consistent communication, more members can be engaged and involved.
Building Trust Through Action
Trust in leadership empowers our organization and community to thrive. It is earned gradually, through consistent effort, transparency, and dedication, and it can be lost in an instant. Members of the Executive Board are aware of the responsibility we carry on behalf of the membership and the students they serve. Each decision we make is guided by a commitment to do what is best for the organization and the music educators across Texas. We are honored by the trust you place in us, and we work tirelessly to uphold that trust.
Over the past years, the Executive Board has implemented significant changes aimed at increasing the efficiency, transparency, and inclusivity of our organization. These changes have been made with one goal in mind: to better serve our members and ensure that every student in Texas has access to a high-quality music education.
BEING INFORMED AND GETTING INVOLVED
Keys to growing in our efficiency, transparency, and inclusivity are clear communications from TMEA and member interest and involvement. TMEA constantly works to keep members informed through our detailed website, this member magazine, monthly News and other email announcements, and our robust social media presence. Our
October— Renew membership, purchase liability insurance, register for the convention.
October 3—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens online.
November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline.
January 16—TMEA convention early registration deadline.
February 12–15—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.
March 1
March 8
MERLIN PATTERSON MUSIC
UIL Prescribed Music List Selections
J.S. Bach Sleepers, Awake! (published by Manhattan Beach Music)
J.S. Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor
Hector Berlioz Roman Carnival Overture
Hector Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique: March to the Scaffold
Hector Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique: Dream of a Witches Sabbath
Johannes Brahms Academic Festival Overture
Aaron Copland
Claude Debussy
Paul Dukas
Down a Country Lane (published by Boosey & Hawkes)
The Engulfed Cathedral (published by Manhattan Beach Music)
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Edward Elgar Variations on an Original Theme “Enigma”
Edward Elgar “Nimrod” from “Enigma Variations”
Percy Aldridge Grainger NEW
Melody from “Colonial Song”
Percy Aldridge Grainger Mock Morris
Gustav Holst A Fugal Overture
Gustav Holst St. Paul’s Suite
Gustav Holst
The Planets
Leos Janacek Sinfonietta
Gustav Mahler “Adagietto” from Symphony No. 5
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Overture for Wind Band, Op. 24
Modeste Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition
Giacomo Puccini “Nessun Dorma” from “Turandot”
Sergei Rachmaninoff NEW Symphonic Dances
Ottorino Respighi
Feste Romane
Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade
Gioacchino Rossini
Overture to “An Italian in Algiers”
Camille Saint-Saëns NEW(ClassIBrassSextet) Pas Redoublé
Richard Strauss Don Juan
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky NEW
“The Firebird” Suite
The Rite of Spring, Part I
The Rite of Spring, Part II
Michael Torke Javelin (available through Bill Holab Music)
Guiseppe Verdi “Requiem” Symphonic Suite
Heitor Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4
Ralph Vaughan Williams Rhosymedre
Ralph Vaughan Williams NEW Fantasia on “Greensleeves” (published by GIA)
Richard Wagner
Procession to the Cathedral from “Lohengrin” (published by TRN)
communications are focused on time-sensitive updates, changes in policies and procedures, new program opportunities, and invitations for you to get more involved in the future of the association.
Multiple staff members manage TMEA’s communications, working to utilize the best medium for the message, scheduling emails to prevent you from being inundated, and targeting specific audiences (like member type, TMEA division, teaching level, Region). This is to ensure you receive the information that’s important to you in your role.
What you can do: While TMEA works to keep you informed, you can take a few steps to ensure you receive relevant updates:
• Keep your member record updated, including your Primary TMEA Division and other applicable divisions, teaching level, mailing address, and primary email address.
• Add our commonly used email addresses to your email safe sender list to help ensure you stay informed: membership@tmea.org, news@tmea.org.
• If your primary email is a school address, check with your school’s IT department to ensure our emails from @tmea.org won’t be blocked. If they will be blocked, switch to a personal account as your primary.
• Join our social media channels to get engaged and be part of our online community. TMEA regularly posts engaging questions and follows up with posts that highlight valuable answers.
Supported by clear and consistent communication, more members can be engaged and involved. One of the Executive Board’s goals is to see greater inclusion of our diverse membership in volunteer and elected leadership positions. Part of the path forward is by members supporting each other into volunteerism. Each of the TMEA Executive Board members began their service to TMEA as a volunteer—serving as a Region volunteer, AllState concert door monitor, clinic presider, Region judge, and more. As volunteers, they built relationships with other TMEA members and ultimately expanded their commitment to the association and the students we serve.
Toward this goal of efficiency, transparency, and inclusion, I hope that if you haven’t yet volunteered to help in some way, you now know you are invited, encouraged, and supported to do just that. A starting point is to register your interest at www.tmea.org/volunteer.
In each magazine, you’ll see Executive Board members’ contact information at the end of their columns (and on page 2). We include this to encourage you to voice your ideas and feedback to your elected leaders. When you do that, I hope you’ll also express your willingness to be part of our association’s future.
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING REPORT
The Executive Board meets throughout the year to oversee the business of the association. In addition to standard reports offered by each Vice-President about their division, our September meeting included a review of TMEA finances and staff updates. The updates included details about the implementation of online learning for TMEA members (watch for more on this opportunity via email and on the website). Being only five months away from our 2025 Clinic/Convention, the majority of our discussions focused on that event, including final planning, operational needs review, and scheduling confirmations. Our next Board meeting is in January.
Know that business items are brought to the Executive Board from the State Board (which consists of Region Presidents, Secretaries, and Treasurers). This reporting process elevates the importance of your attendance at Region meetings that
are held in the fall, at the convention, and in the spring. While these meetings are critical for staying updated on TMEA programs and your Region calendar, they are also the venue in which members of the Region discuss ideas and concerns to elevate to the State Board.
SUPPORTIVE PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES
Motivated by this focus on transparency, efficiency, and inclusion, multiple programs and processes have changed in recent years, and we will continue this work moving forward. Here are some examples:
Clinic/Convention: TMEA VicePresidents assemble panels, which each include a member of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) committee, to evaluate the clinic proposals that apply to their division. Committee members review proposals, informed by the results of our convention attendee survey about the topics of greatest interest and guided by TMEA’s commitment to music education for all. Similarly, a group of TMEA members, including IDEA committee representatives, reviews the materials submitted by clinicians prior to their release as handouts or usage at the convention to ensure they support the content of the session and TMEA’s principles.
Division Offerings: TMEA’s Band, Orchestra, Vocal, Elementary, and College Divisions have implemented targeted improvements designed to address the unique needs of their members. Each division has its own area of the TMEA website dedicated to informing members about their programs and processes.
2025 TMEA PRESIDENT’S CONCERT
FEBRUARY 12, 2025 • 8 P.M. LILA COCKRELL THEATRE Make plans to arrive on Wednesday for this extraordinary concert! Purchase tickets when you register for the 2025 Clinic/Convention or after you’ve registered by following directions at www.tmea.org/addon.
Stay informed by visiting your division’s webpage shown below.
Band and Orchestra: www.tmea.org/band www.tmea.org/orchestra
These divisions have worked to highlight a wider array of programs through the introduction of our Band and Orchestra Program Spotlights. This invitational opportunity is aimed at highlighting the exemplary teaching and learning in programs that represent the diversity of school environments and socioeconomic makeup of programs across our state. Additionally, the competitive Honor Band and Honor Orchestra processes are continually reviewed and updated to ensure fairness and in response to member concerns. This included a recent update to the Honor Orchestra Area listening process, detailed at www.tmea.org/honororchestra.
Vocal: www.tmea.org/vocal
A recent example of this work in the Vocal Division is the revamping of the All-State sightreading process, which is detailed on the TMEA website, www.tmea.org/ vocalaudition. With information supplied by Region Chairs and other directors from across the state, the 13 Area Chairs collaborated with Vocal Vice-President Joshua McGuire to thoroughly review the policy. This resulted in clear guidelines and a rubric for adjudicating middle and high school auditions. To further support high school students, a graded sightreading level chart was developed to outline
expectations for each audition round. Additionally, the Vocal Division offers a defined process for the selection of the Invited Choral Ensembles, and with the Executive Board’s support, this year the division added two choirs, thus expanding this performance opportunity.
Elementary: www.tmea.org/elementary The selection of the Invited Elementary Ensembles is conducted through a thorough application process in which a selection committee of representative elementary music educators follows a blind review process for this selection. This invitation is for all choirs and instrumental ensembles that perform concerts and for the Kodály and Orff meetings.
College: www.tmea.org/college
Supporting the development of future music educators is the business of this division, and they have recently expanded their means of this support. This work includes the reinstatement and revamping of the college essay contest (now yielding a $2,000 prize) and the implementation of a research grant proposal for up to $1,200 to support important research in our field.
IDEA COMMITTEE
TMEA’s standing Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Committee continues to play a critical role in ensuring that the work of our association reflects the diversity of our membership and the students we serve. Division Vice-Presidents select committee members to ensure balance
of representation from across the state. The diversity of thought and experience on this committee is essential as we strive to create an inclusive environment where every music educator is valued and supported. The members of this committee can be found on the TMEA website at www.tmea.org/standing-committees. If you have questions or ideas for their consideration, email Shane Goforth at presidentelect@tmea.org. TMEA’s President-Elect serves as the IDEA committee chair.
EXPANDING OUR ADVOCACY AND RESOURCES
The TMEA Board and staff recognize the importance of supporting the full spectrum of music education, which extends well beyond the traditional construct of band, orchestra, and choir. To that end, we will be working to better understand the many ways music education is offered throughout our state and what TMEA can do to support you and the students you serve as part of our commitment to music education for all. Keep watch for future communication about this endeavor, and if you have questions or feedback about this, please contact me.
CLINIC/CONVENTION UPDATES
Be sure to read your division’s column in this issue for more detailed convention updates. While the full convention schedule preview will be published in the December issue, you can get a preview of the clinics and the featured concerts at www.tmea.org/convention. If you haven’t attended a TMEA Clinic/Convention before, to get a general idea of how the Wednesday–Saturday schedule goes, you can review the 2023 schedule preview issue of this magazine at www.tmea.org/ december2023.
If you need to provide documentation to your administrator to gain their approval to attend, you can download a high-level 2025 schedule at www.tmea.org/2025glance.
I look forward to seeing you in San Antonio in February and hope to welcome many members into volunteer leadership in the years to come! 0
Jesse Cannon II is Director of Visual & Performing Arts at Fort Worth ISD. president@tmea.org
Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships
Application & Materials Deadline: November 1, 4:30 p.m. CT.
Last year, TMEA awarded $211,000 in scholarships!
Graduating High School Seniors
• Bill Cormack Scholarship: $3,000/year for up to five years.
• Past-Presidents Memorial Scholarship: $2,500/year for up to five years.
• Past-Presidents Scholarship: $2,500/year for up to five years.
• Executive Board Scholarship: $2,500/year for up to five years.
• One-year scholarships: $2,500 for one year only (multiple).
Undergraduate Music Education Students
Robert Floyd Scholarship for Music Education: $4,000/year for up to four years.
One-Year Scholarships: $2,500/one year (multiple awarded).
One-Semester Student Teaching Scholarships: $2,500 for students scheduled to student teach during spring or fall semesters (multiple awarded).
Graduate Music Students
Graduate Study Scholarships: $1,250–$2,500 for studies during summer and/or fall 2025 semesters (multiple awarded).
BAND DIVISION
MIKE HOWARD, STATE VICE-PRESIDENT
In Memoriam
Finding Your Groove
APlanning, positive reinforcement, and constant student engagement are all rehearsal practices that can help you stay in the groove. MARK YOUR CALENDAR
fter nearly two months of school and rehearsals, band directors throughout the state are locking into daily routine, developing systems and processes, and getting to know the intricacies of their students’ daily learning needs. Many directors start to look at this regular routine as the daily grind , insinuating a daily slog through fundamental development, musical expectations, and behavior management.
Rather than approaching this as the daily grind, I would encourage us to view the daily rehearsal routine a bit differently. Our goal for this daily routine should be to find our groove as a teacher. Being in the groove implies a level of comfort, forward motion, and positive symbiosis between the teacher and the students. Consider these rehearsal best practices to help you avoid feeling the grind and instead establish a daily groove between you and your band:
CAREFUL PLANNING LEADS TO CONFIDENT AND COMFORTABLE TEACHING
It seems like this familiar adage was articulated with Texas band directors in mind: “To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time.” As to the final part of that quote, a commonality of our profession is the feeling of never having enough
check www.tmea .org for updates
October—Renew membership, purchase liability insurance, register for the convention.
October 3—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens online.
November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline.
January 11—Area Band auditions.
January 16—TMEA convention early registration deadline.
February 12–15—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.
Valerye “Val” Rose 1939–2024
time. Given that, I want to focus on the other important ingredient: having a plan
On the surface, a good rehearsal plan should map out the timing of activities, from the moment students walk into the room or onto the marching field, to the moment the final bell rings. Make this plan known to all involved. The more rehearsal participants who know the general timing plan, the more accountable everyone will be to meet each target. Make it a goal for all staff members to have a detailed understanding of when each part of the rehearsal will begin and end, and ensure that participating students have general knowledge of this as well. While you may not always stay on track, it is important for all participants to know what they’re doing and when they’re doing it.
The next layer of planning should be the development of clearly communicated daily goals. These short-term daily goals should be rooted in progress, rather than mastery. What is it about your ensemble that you want to be a little better than yesterday? Whether you are working to improve fundamental sounds, musical expression, or classroom management, your plan should include clear goals of progress for the day.
When I create lesson plans, I use the word progress intentionally because it is unlikely I will ever feel finished as a band director. The daily goal should always be founded in gradual and steady progress. Setting realistic and measurable progress goals within your plan will help you and your ensemble understand the level of the group’s forward momentum. Your plan should not just be “Work on measures 34–86.” The plan should instead indicate what progress you intend to make on those measures.
Finally, your plan should document the challenges that will need to be overcome to meet the goals for the day. Maybe it’s going to be a hot outdoor rehearsal and you’re going to have to navigate frequent water breaks. Maybe the students are reading cut time for the first time—need more be said? Planning for what obstacles will be present and how you plan to overcome them creates confidence within your instruction.
The bottom line is simply to have a plan for every rehearsal. Know what you’re doing, when you’re doing it, what the goals are and potential challenges to overcome. This
planning process will make you a calmer, more comfortable, and confident teacher!
TALK LESS, DO MORE
When I was a student at Southwest Texas State University, John Stansberry conveyed this great wisdom regarding rehearsals: regularly record your rehearsals and, as difficult as it may be to do, listen to them. As you review the recording, use a stopwatch and document the amount of time you talk compared to the time the ensemble is actively participating.
This practice has benefited me greatly throughout my career. It is not easy to listen to yourself run a rehearsal, but it is eyeopening and helpful. This practice enables careful self-reflection, and it allows you to honestly gauge how engaged your students are. Whether in my first or twentieth year of teaching, I always found times when I talked too much. What students often need most are small bits of information paired with many opportunities to master the skill. Guided and monitored repetition is a wonderful tool as a band director.
After you watch your band march the opener or hear them perform that fall concert piece, you will likely have a long list of things you would like to say about it. Pick one! Decide the one thing that would be most important to articulate and do so with enthusiasm and intention. And then, rep it again!
FOCUS ON THE RIGHT AND CORRECT THE WRONG
A primary part of a band director’s instructional job centers on finding fundamental or musical errors and correcting them. However, if we’re not careful, our approach to this role can lead to a dangerous culture of negativity. One of my greatest lessons learned from my mentor Richard Floyd was to tell kids how to do it right rather than telling them what they were doing wrong.
For example, how many times have we used the phrases, “Don’t play flat,” “That’s not together,” or “You can’t step out with your right foot.” Those phrases all center on the words don’t, not, and can’t. These are negative words that can wear down a group of students or rehearsal culture over the course of two hours. Instead, why not say, “Raise the pitch,” “Line the rhythm up with the metronome,” or “We need to step out with the left foot.” Rather than tell-
ing them what is wrong, we’re telling them what needs to be done to make it right!
In the end, the same goal is accomplished while preserving a more positive rehearsal culture. Please don’t confuse this concept with not having high expectations. It is possible to have high demand and expectations for your students without constantly utilizing negative language.
Finally, when a student or group of students meets that progress goal you’ve set for them—when they get the pitch raised or all step out with their left foot—it’s time to celebrate! As teachers, it is now more important than ever that we recognize and celebrate progress and achievement. While we are in the constant state of error correction, take pause to publicly recognize what is going right. It can make a world of difference to the ensemble and individual students.
As you continue through your daily rehearsal processes, enjoy avoiding the grind and finding your groove. Planning, positive reinforcement, and constant student engagement are all rehearsal practices that can help you stay in that groove all the way to winter break!
CLINIC/CONVENTION UPDATE
I hope you are all planning to make the 2025 TMEA Clinic/Convention part of your growth and development this school year! We have an outstanding program of world-class clinics and concerts scheduled
that I am sure will both educate and inspire.
Throughout the convention, I hope you will all take a chance to learn from our amazing All-State Conductors during open rehearsals on Thursday and Friday. I’m thrilled to announce that the following conductors will be leading our division’s seven TMEA All-State Ensembles. Go to tmea.org/2025conductors to read about each of these amazing musicians and leaders.
• 6A Symphonic Band: Steven Davis, UMKC Conservatory
• 6A Concert Band: Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant, Duke University
• 5A Symphonic Band: Albert Nguyen, University of Memphis
• Jazz Ensemble 1: Terell Stafford, Temple University
• Jazz Ensemble 2: Christine Jensen, Eastman School of Music
• 6A Percussion Ensemble: Omar Carmenates, Furman University
• 5A Percussion Ensemble: Andrea Venet, University of North Florida
You can learn more about attending the convention at www.tmea.org/convention. If you work with someone new to teaching or new to Texas, help them prepare to attend our amazing event and ensure they know about registering in advance to pay the lowest fee.
If you read this before October 3 (the day convention housing reservations open), look for a September 30 email from TMEA that will include the link to utilize and updated instructions for its use. After October 3, you can continue to go to www.tmea.org/housing for information and access to the reservation system.
Mike Howard is the Director of Fine Arts, Music, and Performing Arts at Leander ISD.
bandvp@tmea.org
TMEA Clinic/Convention BAND DIVISION
Band Division All-State Conductors All-State Rehearsals Are Learning Opportunities
Open All-State rehearsals during the convention are amazing opportunities for professional development. Observe nationally recognized conductors prepare an extraordinary concert in three days.
SOUND IDEAS
BAND: 6–12 VERTICAL ALIGNMENT
By Dena Laurel
Vertical alignment offers countless benefits to students and directors. It ensures consistent teaching and a planned, forward-thinking curriculum for how students will progress, leading to a stronger and more successful band program.
STEP ONE: PROGRAM PERSPECTIVE
Strive to align the band directors in your cluster with a unified definition of success and shared program philosophy. Vertical alignment is at its heart a student-centered philosophy. As you begin to make any changes within the program, opinions on the next steps may vary, but every decision should be based on what’s best for the students. The bottom-line thinking of vertical alignment is that the success of a high school is built on the success of its feeder middle schools.
What is your definition of success and what are your achievable goals? Although programs may define success differently, all directors aspire to greater heights. The key is defining success for your program, setting up achievable goals, and then communicating to the entire 6–12 band program. Recruiting and retention is an achievable goal and a crucial aspect of our program’s success: you can’t teach an empty chair and good instrumentation allows all students more opportunities. Recruiting and retention benefit from 6th–12th vertical alignment, as current students receive individualized support from directors, increasing their desire to perform music.
STEP TWO: LOGISTICS
Don’t be afraid to reach out to more experienced directors to get their ideas for possible solutions to your unique situation. Consider the number of staff and number of campuses, teaching space available at each campus, and how to approach scheduling. Anticipate challenges, such as differences between schedules at various campuses, and head them off by brainstorming possible solutions early. Can teachers alternate campuses before and after lunch?
Getting the administration on board can be challenging, but if you can win over one principal, they may influence others. Be visible and advocate relentlessly for your program. Don’t hesitate to pursue more opportunities for your students. Principals respond to passionate educators, so educate them on the importance of a comprehensive band program for grades 6–12. If the schedule and distance completely prohibit team-teaching, then while you are educating and working with the administration for solutions for next year, maybe you can create other possibilities to collaborate, such as afterschool rehearsals, professional devel-
opment days, or observation visits. Start changing the culture of the band program to include an effort toward alignment.
STEP THREE: PUT IT IN ACTION
Be communicative. Effective communication between band directors is essential for implementation. Because planning and conference periods are now spent team-teaching, texts, emails, calls, and Google Docs help keep everyone connected and aligned throughout the year as challenges in scheduling inevitably arise.
Start curriculum planning from the beginner classes. Have a curriculum timeline with performance-level expectations that are posted to hold everyone accountable. Use key dates and plan backward to know when and where you need to be in your timeline.
Be consistent. Director consistency at the campus and class level must be ensured, and directors should prioritize being present for beginner classes. Beginners are the top priority, and their classes should be scheduled during times of the day with minimal distractions or possibilities for absences by both students and directors. If high school scheduling results in no available class periods for directors to leave campus, one director should remain at the high school while others go to the middle school, focusing on beginners.
STEP FOUR: REAP THE BENEFITS
The juice is worth the squeeze! With vertical alignment, you can improve the band program and the potential growth and success of the middle and high school band programs. When everyone is committed to making the program the best it can be, there’s a shared sense of support and collaboration—no director faces their challenges alone. Creating this environment begins with head directors leading by example, emphasizing how each director fits into the bigger band picture and works toward everyone’s success. Mutual respect is key and titles like “head director” take a backseat to teamwork and a unified direction.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to make vertical alignment succeed in every location but, ultimately, determined directors with a unified definition of success and shared program philosophy can make it work. When directors are more aligned, the students’ experience in grades 6–12 will be more consistent, successful, and enjoyable. 0
Dena Laurel is a former band director at roma HS and currently serves as the roma ISD Director of Elementary Music and Arts Education.
Congratulations to the 2024 MARK OF EXCELLENCE NATIONAL WINNERS!
WIND BAND
CLASS A
Arbor Creek MS Honors Band Kimberly Beene Carrollton, TX
Coleman JH Symphonic Band Armando Vera Waxahachie, TX
Colleyville MS Honors Band Lauren Jones
Colleyville, TX
Deerpark MS Wind Ensemble Nicole Correa-Kemp Leander, TX
Fairview JHS Symphonic Band Angela Klinkner Alvin, TX
Four Points MS Honors Band Jessica Gonzales Austin, TX
Frank Seale MS Honor Band Jordan Doss
Midlothian, TX
Grisham MS Honors Band Mason England Austin, TX
Heritage MS Honors Band Josh Smith Colleyville, TX
McAnally MS Honors Band Joey Qualls Azle, TX
Shadow Ridge MS Honor Winds Ross Patterson, Adrienne Schuster Flower Mound, TX
Timberview MS Wind Ensemble........................ Timothy Emsley Fort Worth, TX
Wiley MS Wind Ensemble Taylor Williamson Leander,TX
CLASS AA
Aledo MS Honor Winds Simon Bosch Aledo, TX
Artie Henry MS Honors Band Robert T. Herrings, III Cedar Park, TX
Austin Academy Honors Band Margaret Wis Garland, TX
Berry Miller JHS Honors Band Chris Bennett Pearland, TX
Canyon Ridge MS Honor Band Amy Allison Austin, TX
Cedar Park MS Symphonic Band Britni Hummel Cedar Park , TX
Cedar Valley MS Honors Band Pete Alvarado Austin, TX
Coppell MS East Honor Winds Steve McGrew Coppell, TX
Elias Herrera MS Honors Band Jorge Garcia Laredo, TX
Keefer Crossing MS Wind Ensemble.......Monica Hester, Isaac Martinez, & Matthew Anderson New Caney, TX
Keller MS Wind Ensemble David Puckett Keller, TX
Kleb Intermediate Symphonic Band Christopher Gonzales & Ryan Lancaster Spring, TX
Knox JHS Wind Ensemble Jennifer Dillard The Woodlands, TX
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy Treble Singers Joel Duarte Grand Prairie, TX
Lake Creek HS Chorale Men Cameron Carnley Montgomery, TX
Special thanks to adjudicator Janet Galvan.
JAZZ
MIDDLE SCHOOL JAZZ ENSEMBLE
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy MS Jazz 1 Mark De Hertogh Grand Prairie, TX
McMath MS Tiger Jazz Travis Harris Denton, TX
HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ ENSEMBLE
Barbers Hill HS Soaring Eagle Jazz Band Dwight Watson Mont Belvieu, TX
Braswell HS Legacy One Jazz Orchestra Aaron Snipes Aubrey, TX
Douglas Anderson SOTA Jazz Ensemble I Don Zentz Jacksonville, FL
Los Fresnos HS Jazz Orchestra David LaClair Los Fresnos, TX
Midlothian HS Jazz Orchestra Larry Doran Midlothian , TX
Special thanks to adjudicator Drew Zaremba.
PERCUSSION
HIGH SCHOOL PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
Dickinson HS Percussion Ensemble Todd Sommer Dickinson, TX
Elkins HS Percussion Ensemble Christopher Dial Houston, TX
Trinity HS Percussion Ensemble Manny Flores, Simon Nguyen & JR Alberto Euless, TX
Wakeland HS Percussion Ensemble Brian Teed Frisco, TX
Special Thanks to adjudicator Michael Burritt.
Creating a Practice Culture
By Rachel Johnstone
Acouple of years ago, there were only two trumpet players in our sub-non-varsity band. One got around on their instrument well but played with a small sound. Another played with a big, beautiful sound but never made it more than a few notes without stopping. This second student lacked confidence in her playing ability, and despite consistent reminders, she wasn’t practicing at home.
One afternoon in our trumpet sectional, instead of simply reminding her she needed to practice, I paused, and with curiosity asked, “Why aren’t you practicing at home?” She replied, “Because it feels like a punishment. Practicing reminds me that I’m not any good.” Hearing that was a revelation. My job was to help her believe that daily practice isn’t a punishment for all she couldn’t yet do but rather the very thing that will build her abilities and self-confidence.
When I began teaching middle school band almost 14 years ago, I assumed students would practice simply because I told them to
I knew that practicing their instrument at home, by themselves, was essential for their success and fulfillment as a young musician. I assigned and graded weekly practice logs and got frustrated with students who weren’t putting in the minutes like the star students were. Instead of coaching and inspiring them to develop a personal practice routine, I would nag and then become disappointed when they didn’t want to stay in band. Clearly, I needed to figure out how to get them to believe what I knew to be true.
While my students today don’t all have perfect practice routines and habits, they all know and believe that confidence on their instrument increases with their daily home practice. Over the years, four strategies have helped me build a stronger culture of practicing within our program. Consider the following ideas and how you might incorporate them in your program to help individual musicians grow. Understand that while the examples I offer are from my work as a band director, these strategies apply across all performance programs.
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We must prioritize helping our students build the skills and discipline required to support their individual growth.
SELL PRACTICING EVERY DAY
First, you need to know each student’s goals. Not every student wants to be the top musician in their section—some just want to be able to play cool music, make their bandmates proud, feel confident at a concert, or move up a band. Create the space and time in your class or weekly sectional agenda to discover what they hope to gain from being in your program. Then help them build a pathway to achieve their goals while supporting their musical growth along the way.
Most kids want to feel more confident in who they are as a person, so confidence is a word I use a lot when I’m trying to sell them on why they should take out their instrument and practice when they get home from school. Confidence is built on showing up for your personal goals every day, so through taking your instrument out and working on improving skills for some number of minutes every day, you’ll start to become a person who knows they can get good at anything in life. That’s confidence. Sell that.
What are their objections? Students might avoid practicing because it reminds them of what they can’t do (yet), because they don’t know how to figure out notes or rhythms on their own, or they don’t have time, or maybe they lose motivation when they get home and just don’t feel like it. Get curious and either use it to guide your instruction to fill in knowledge gaps or hit the objection head on! Using analogies can help.
Example: I exercise almost every morning before school even though I don’t enjoy it. I don’t exercise because I love it, I exercise because I love how it makes me feel the rest of the day and how it enhances my life. It puts me in a good mood, gives me more patience, and helps me feel comfortable
moving around the band hall all day as I help students get better.
The same applies to long tones or scales— you may not like doing them, but when you do, they help you build a stronger embouchure, more endurance, better technique, and more control in your concert music, etudes, or solos, which is what you really want! Plus, you’ll feel so proud of yourself for the rest of the day. Do it because it’s good for you!
The more you can relate similar feelings you experience in your everyday life, the more buy-in your students will have. Anytime you can sense yourself preparing another lecture about not practicing, remember that practicing is a skill you must help your students develop. Relate to what they’re feeling and see if you can use an analogy to sell the benefits and connect it back to what their goal is—even if it’s building their self-confidence.
Sell practicing every day, and I truly mean every day—after each fundamental exercise, after each piece of individual embouchure or hand position feedback you give, and at the end of every rehearsal. With every day that you sell the concept of practicing to them, they’ll start believing it for themselves a little bit more.
TEACH PARENTS & GUARDIANS ABOUT HOME PRACTICE
Add to your Open House agenda, create a short video or send a must-read email to teach guardians the importance of home practice for your students. Share the life skills it teaches, what it should look like at home, and how to hold the student accountable.
In your weekly emails, update guardians on what students should be focused on in their practice that week and give them
questions to ask at the dinner table or in the car ride home to get supportive conversations going, such as “What’s an embouchure? Teach me!” or “What’s your goal in your practice session tonight?”
Create a list of ways they can be a great band parent/guardian and share it with them a couple times a year. Examples of what you can include:
• Encourage the student to set goals.
• Never make fun of their sounds.
• Get involved in conversations about their practice sessions.
• Don’t ask them to play softer.
• Help them set up a practice schedule each week.
You will teach students whose guardians aren’t able to hold them accountable to their goals every day, but the more you can communicate and work with your students’ families, the more effective you’ll be together.
TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO PRACTICE
Just like study skills must be taught, so must individual practice skills. We must prioritize helping our students build the skills and discipline required to support their individual growth. Here are a few of the vital components:
Develop a weekly schedule: Kids aren’t born knowing how to manage their time. If they’re not fitting practice time in, they may need your help making a schedule. Do they want to try practicing before homework, right after dinner, or first thing in the morning? Help them decide for the week, write down the times, loop their guardian in on their plan, follow up and adjust the next week, and celebrate anytime they follow through—even if it’s just one day! Keep this going all year as needed.
Create a to-do list: Have your students keep a daily list of what to practice or focus on so they don’t forget (or have to guess) when they get home. My students utilize a weekly assignment sheet, and throughout the class/rehearsal, they note their daily feedback and what they’re responsible for practicing that night.
Implement a system for how to learn music: Establish a routine students may follow to learn notes and rhythms on their own. For example, I have students follow
these practice steps, taking 1–4 measures at a time:
• Count rhythms until confident.
• Say note names until confident.
• Position and note name until confident.
• Position and count until confident.
• Play until confident.
In rehearsals, we utilize these practice steps daily to strengthen music literacy, keep students’ minds engaged, and build confidence in learning notes and rhythms during their individual practice time.
HOLD STUDENTS ACCOUNTABLE
Discipline isn’t innate—it’s something we all must develop, through practice. Holding students accountable helps develop their discipline. Your accountability is a loving gift, so you should offer it consistently!
Track Progress: Create a simple practice log to help students track their progress (you can’t improve what you don’t track), and then develop a consistent process for how you’re going to review each student’s progress every week. That may sound like a lot to manage, but it will demonstrate how important you know this work is.
You can do this in a beginner class while the rest of the class works independently on rhythm worksheets or online music theory challenges, and you can accomplish it during weekly sectionals with your older students. Ask how they felt about their practicing this week, what’s frustrating them, what skills they believe they’re most and least confident in, and what their goal is for next week. This is your opportunity to connect and provide support.
When they don’t have someone helping them set goals and track their progress, students can start checking out or “quiet quitting.” Working toward goals builds confidence, so having these weekly oneon-one (mostly quick) conversations can have a profound impact on the culture of your program.
Be consistent with expectations: Band is a team, and everyone is responsible for doing their part. Rehearsal time is not personal practice time, so what happens when they don’t practice the assignment? The reality is that life happens, and every
student is on their own practicing journey, so I don’t single out any student or make a fuss over it. If we’re learning a new piece and they haven’t done the practice steps at home, then they’ll stay on the note naming or rhythm practice steps in rehearsal. This keeps them on track with their music literacy development. You can also request to hear only students who practiced the previous day as needed. Be curious in your weekly individual conversations and help students get back on track.
In addition to individual skill and music literacy, a student’s practice habits should
play a part in determining their ensemble placement.
No set of strategies will result in every student having perfect practice habits and routines. However, I hope that by implementing these four, you’ll be able to foster more growth, confidence, and success in your students! 0
Rachel Johnstone is an assistant band director at Wiley Middle School (Leander ISD).
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Clarinet and Saxophone mouthpieces
ORCHESTRA DIVISION
JENNIFER MARTIN, STATE VICE-PRESIDENT
Resiliency is not about fixing a situation; it is about helping students develop a mindset with healthy perspective and with persistence for not giving up.
Teaching Resilience
One of the greatest gifts you can impart to your students is a spirit of resiliency. Resilience can be defined as the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties. I described it here as a spirit, but resilience is also a skill to be taught and practiced. When a baby is born, there is a protective instinct that kicks in with parents to protect their child at all costs and shield them from danger and harm. However, as those little bundles of joy grow up into elementary, middle, and high school students, challenges and adversity will be a part of life. Even if we could shield them from it all, we shouldn’t! The ability to not give up or shut down in the face of adversity is critical. Many teachers have observed how the rise of helicopter parenting has negatively impacted student resiliency.
I believe that in a music program, students find a safe space to learn and practice resiliency. Opportunities for adjudication and competition are built into secondary orchestra and mariachi programs. However, the intrinsic value and beauty of a performance is not diminished by the result of a competition or audition. In our work, it is important to keep students focused on the main thing—the music. Competition has many valuable tools for developing character and advancing the level of performance, but it is secondary to the performance itself. One important part of resilience is maintaining
October—Renew membership, purchase liability insurance, register for the convention.
October 3—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens online.
October 25— HS String Honor Orchestra Parts B & C and recordings deadline.
November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline.
November 1–2— HS String Honor Orchestra adjudication.
January 16—TMEA convention early registration deadline.
February 12–15—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.
perspective when disappointment reigns. It takes courage and it takes risk to perform in an orchestra or mariachi. I’m sure we have all taught students who struggle to perform a solo in front of their peers because they’re afraid of making a mistake or not measuring up. With each line of a beginner book that students play for each other, including their mistakes, they experience an opportunity to build their resiliency. Surely, we have all taught students who have shut down and wanted to give up when they didn’t get the chair they wanted or make the group they tried out for. Normalize the idea that mistakes are opportunities to improve and help students develop the skill of welcoming feed-
back from their director and their peers. A supportive culture that works together to improve without fear of mistakes builds great musicians and great humans prepared to take on adulthood.
Students learn the value of practice and preparation in your program. However, despite their hard work, sometimes a performance doesn’t go well. This is a tough lesson in resiliency. It is one thing to learn to accept an undesirable outcome if you didn’t put in the work required, but how much harder is it when you did. This is at the heart of resiliency. Students who can build the skill of persisting through obstacles will be so much better prepared for their future. Your guidance and mentoring
TMEA
are key to helping the students learn how to stick with it and not give up.
Resiliency is not about fixing a situation; it is about helping students develop a mindset with healthy perspective and with persistence for not giving up. Sometimes our job includes being their cheerleader to remind them of their worth when the chips are down. The obstacle that seems devastating now may be the very experience that is preparing them for greater things down the road.
CLINIC/CONVENTION UPDATES
The 2025 Clinic/Convention schedule will be packed with fantastic professional development sessions, inspirational concerts, and amazing networking opportunities. With the vast variety of clinics and concerts, there is something for everyone!
The spring semester is always intense, and attending our annual convention is the perfect way to invest in yourself and enjoy encouragement and inspiration as you’re surrounded by one of the largest groups of music educators anywhere. To ensure you pay the lowest registration fee to attend our annual convention, register now.
Piano
Jani Parsons
University of Calgary, School for Creative and Performing Arts
Strings
Renee Jolles
University of Rochester, Eastman School of Music
Prizes per division:
Winds-Brass
Mark Ostoich
University of Cincinnati, Conservatory of Music
Learn more about the rates and register at www.tmea.org/register.
If you read this before October 3 (the day convention housing reservations open), look for a September 30 email from TMEA that will include the link to utilize and updated instructions for its use.
ALL-STATE CONDUCTORS
I am excited to announce this year’s lineup of our Orchestra Division All-State Conductors. All are masters at their musical craft and fantastic educators who will help make the rehearsal and performance experience life-changing for our All-State musicians. Learn more about them at www.tmea.org/2025conductors.
When you attend the convention, take some time to watch them in action during rehearsal. This is an incredible learning opportunity, and open rehearsals are included in the convention schedule.
• Symphony Orchestra: Helen Cha-Pyo, Wharton Institute for Performing Arts/New Jersey Youth Symphony
• Philharmonic Orchestra: Sameer Patel, San Diego Youth Symphony
• Sinfonietta Orchestra: Rachel Waddell, Colorado State University
• Mariachi Ensemble: Jimmy Cuellar, Mariachi Garibaldi
ORCHESTRA CONDUCTING CLINIC
The Orchestra Division program will feature a two-hour conducting clinic led by Larry Livingston from the University of Southern California. A familiar face and friend of TMEA, Livingston always provides dynamic, inspirational, and informative sessions.
Up to five orchestra directors will be selected to participate as conductors, working with the Reagan HS Orchestra
(San Antonio). The intent is to include high school and middle school directors with a variety of conducting skill levels.
This promises to be an incredible opportunity to learn more about the art of conducting, from both the podium and the audience!
To Apply: Applicants must be TMEA Active members in the Orchestra Division. There is no fee to apply or participate, but selected conductors must register to attend the convention and be available to participate at any time the clinic is scheduled (February 13–15).
Go to www.tmea.org/conductingclinic to learn more and apply. 0
Jennifer Martin is the Orchestra/ Mariachi Specialist at Fort Worth ISD. orchestravp@tmea.org
TMEA Clinic/Convention
ORCHESTRA DIVISION
42 Orchestra Division Clinics and Honor/Invited Concerts
Orchestra Division All-State Conductors
All-State Rehearsals Are Amazing Learning Opportunities
Open All-State rehearsals during the convention are amazing opportunities for professional development. Observe nationally recognized conductors prepare an extraordinary concert in three days.
Symphony Orchestra
Helen Cha-Pyo
Sinfonietta Orchestra
Rachel Waddell Philharmonic Orchestra Sameer Patel Mariachi Ensemble Jimmy Cuellar
B.M. in Performance
B.M. in Music Composition
Classical and Film & Game Scoring
B.M. in Music Education
B.M. in Music Therapy
B.A. in Music
GRADUATE MUSIC DEGREES
M.M. in Conducting
M.M. in Performance
M.M. in Music Education
M.M. in Music Composition
M.M. in Musicology
M.M. in Theory Pedagogy
Artist Diploma
Performer’s Diploma
Study with Dallas Symphony Orchestra Faculty at SMU
SMU Auditions 2024-25: December 7, February 1, February 8 & February 22
Our SMU Meadows Division of Music students do it all— start their own ensembles and companies, perform on and off campus, win commissions for new works, and more, all under the guidance of faculty members who are symphony principals, international concert artists, composers, recording artists, authors and researchers. At SMU Meadows many students double major, study abroad and make a difference in the world. Learn more at smu.edu/music.
SOUND IDEAS
ORCHESTRA: WHAT YOUR STUDENTS WANT YOU TO KNOW
By Matthew Porter
In the journey of a music director, the most valuable insights often come directly from those we guide—our students. I first learned this during my student-teaching days with my supervising teacher, Margaret Brown. Our students’ perspectives can shape our teaching methods and help us create a more engaging and effective learning environment. They have taught me the following are key elements for a successful director:
Clear Communication: Students thrive under directors who communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and through nonverbal cues and written materials. When rehearsing, use precise language to describe the sound you envision. Instead of “play louder,” you might say, “violas, bring out the melody with a forte dynamic.” Clarity helps students understand your expectations and reduces confusion during rehearsals.
Pro Tip: Our conducting technique is a visual aid. Learn to incorporate these visual aids, such as hand gestures or body movement. This visual aid can be especially helpful for intricate rhythms, dynamic changes, or complex ensemble moments.
Positive Reinforcement: Students generally respond well to positive reinforcement. Acknowledging their efforts and improvements boosts our students’ confidence and motivation. That said, students will almost always appreciate your constructive feedback. Above all strive to be genuine and kind when delivering feedback, knowing that students need this guidance to help them improve.
Pro Tip: During each rehearsal, highlight small victories. Whether it’s nailing a difficult passage or showing improvement in intonation, celebrating these moments fosters a positive rehearsal environment.
Engagement and Interaction: Keep students motivated and invested in the music. Encourage student participation by asking questions and soliciting input on musical interpretation. This not only makes rehearsals more dynamic but also empowers students to take ownership of their performance.
Pro Tip: Start rehearsals with interactive warmup exercises for the entire ensemble. Rhythmic clapping exercises or call-and-response activities get everyone focused and engaged from the beginning.
Adaptability and Flexibility: A one-size-fits-all approach rarely works. Effective music directors are adaptable and willing to modify their teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs of their students. This might mean slowing down to reinforce a concept or providing additional resources for advanced learners.
Pro Tip: Prepare a variety of materials and strategies to accommodate different learning styles. For instance, some students might
benefit from visual aids, while others prefer auditory examples or hands-on practice.
Passion and Enthusiasm: Students are inspired by directors who are passionate about music and enthusiastic about teaching. Your energy and excitement are contagious and can significantly influence your students’ attitudes toward rehearsals and performances.
Pro Tip: Share stories about your musical journey. When students see your genuine passion for music, they’re more likely to connect with the material and be motivated to practice and perform.
Organized and Efficient Rehearsals: Students value rehearsals that maximize time and resources. A clear rehearsal plan with specific goals helps keep the ensemble focused and productive. Avoid long, unfocused sessions that can lead to frustration and disengagement. That could mean that sometimes you might have to change your rehearsal focus before students have mastered the skills required for that section of music.
Pro Tip: At the beginning of each rehearsal, outline the rehearsal goals you aim to achieve. Break down the rehearsal into manageable sections, allowing time for both detailed work and run-throughs.
Supportive Learning Environment: Encourage a culture of respect and teamwork within the ensemble. Make it clear that mistakes are a natural part of the learning process and that every member’s contribution is valued. While monitoring the student environment to prevent peer bullying or negative behavior can be the most exhausting element of teaching, it’s essential.
Pro Tip: Incorporate peer feedback sessions where students can offer constructive criticism and support to each other. This not only fosters a sense of community but also helps students develop critical listening skills.
Incorporating these strategies into your rehearsal techniques can create a more enriching and enjoyable experience for your students. By focusing on clear communication, positive reinforcement, engagement, adaptability, passion, organization, and support, you can become the kind of music director students admire and respect. In doing so, you'll not only enhance their musical skills but also foster a lifelong love and appreciation for music. 0
Matthew Porter is Director of Orchestras at Tomkins HS (Katy ISD).
Helping Students Overcome Unhealthy Cognitions
By Ann Fronckowiak
Having taught private lessons and large music classes at a variety of levels, I have several interests. I am interested in teaching students to play with beautiful tone and rhythmic independence. I am interested in fostering a lifelong love of learning and playing music. I am interested in supporting the growing number of high school and university students who seem to struggle with their overall wellness, including their mental health—a concerning trend I have observed and that has been demonstrated in recent research findings.
I am also interested in psychology. Several years ago, I decided to take courses toward a master of science in clinical mental health counseling, and what I learned has improved my work as a music educator. I transformed my teaching by applying mental health strategies from those courses to my music lessons and classes. These techniques have helped students overcome performing difficulties and physical limitations, and in one case they helped a student on the verge of dropping out remain in school. Ultimately, that student became a successful Texas public school band director.
UNHEALTHY COGNITIONS
Many factors contribute to poor mental health. Especially for musicians, they include performance pressures, isolation during extensive practice, heavy course loads, demanding schedules, competition with peers, and self-esteem tied to rankings (Savvidou, 2021). Studying music inherently fosters a hypercritical mindset, as improvement requires recognizing mistakes. While critiques are important, they can also lead to unhealthy errors in thinking, also called cognitive distortions. They not only hamper learning and performance, but can also lead to anxiety, depression, unpro-
ductive habits, unhealthy behaviors, and higher dropout rates.
Throughout the years, psychologists have identified a variety of cognitive distortions. The three most common distortions I have observed among my music students are defined below, along with examples.
Cognitive Distortion Definition Example
Labeling
Negative Filter
Unfair Comparisons
Assigning a characteristic to oneself based on an action or outcome.
Focusing on the negative and discounting the positive.
Making a comparison to someone else when factors for comparison are not equal.
I failed my ear training midterm. I have a horrible ear. I’m a bad musician and should change majors.
I just played my first solo recital. Most of it was great, but I can’t stop thinking about that measure I flubbed. I’m depressed and afraid to give another recital.
I never had private lessons before college; José studied with Wynton Marsalis for ten years. José made the top orchestra; I made the bottom band. I’m depressed.
While I exaggerated the last example to illustrate a point, each scenario is based on a real conversation with my students. I am sure you can recall a myriad of similar examples you have experienced in your life as a teacher, director, student, and performer. Cognitive distortions happen. We must not beat ourselves up for
INNOVATION. EXCELLENCE. VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
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Audition Dates
November 9, 2024 | January 18, 2025
February 17, 2025 | March 22, 2025
April 12, 2025
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June 30-July 3, 2025
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having them. No one can eliminate them, but it is important to notice them with compassion, because if left unchecked, they can have real-life negative consequences. Students can get stuck in unhealthy thoughts and begin to feel bad about themselves. They start to view the task at hand—learning scales, TMEA audition etudes, circle of fifths, or even staying in the music program—as insurmountable, and they might give up. Fortunately, there are some tools we can utilize to intervene and help our students overcome the inevitable challenges associated with learning music.
MITIGATING UNPRODUCTIVE COGNITIONS
Educators can help students turn their unproductive cognitions that impede progress into healthy thinking and behavior. Since I began this focus in my teaching, I have found the following three simple steps to be especially effective:
1. Recognize you are having an unhealthy thought without judging it.
2. Interrupt distortions by taking a deep breath and focusing on the present.
3. Guide your cognitions to productive thoughts using cognitive tools.
TOOLS FOR COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURING
Just like there are many different types of cognitive distortions, there are many methods for managing them. In his book The Feeling Good Handbook , psychiatrist and researcher David D. Burns explored several methods, called cognitive restructuring, for challenging those cognitions (1989). Remember, cognitive distortions are errors in thinking. Our job is to help students realize those unhealthy thoughts are not true. Then, the students can restructure those thoughts into ones that are healthy and productive. The following are five methods I have used successfully with my students in their musical journeys:
1. Examine the Evidence: Instead of assuming a negative cognition is true, look for evidence to refute it.
2. The Double-Standard Method: Instead of putting yourself down, ask yourself how you would speak compassionately to a friend in this situation.
3. The Semantic Method: Replace emotionally charged words with more neutral ones. Change your use of “I should have” to “I would like” or “It would be nice if.”
4. Reattribution: Instead of assuming you are bad, or a negative situation is your fault, think of contributing factors and problem-solve the situation.
5. Shades of Gray: Do not think of success as all or nothing. Evaluate experience as a partial success instead of complete failure and see what you can learn.
In the table below are some examples of situations where the students I taught were affected by their cognitive distortions, along with restructuring tools I utilized to help.
Cognitive Distortion Real Life Example Cognitive Restructuring
Labeling
Negative Filter
Unfair Comparisons
LABELING
Student failed ear training twice; wanted to change majors.
Student focused on getting tired at the end of her recital and missing a few notes instead of what went well.
Freshman vs. senior.
Access to equipment, teachers, lessons.
Examine the Evidence; Reattribution (focus on why the student failed, take action, problem solve).
Shades of Gray.
The Semantic Method;
The Double-Standard Method; Examine the Evidence.
The first example above is based on my work with a talented and hard-working oboe student who told me they wanted to change their major and might drop out of school. While listening to the student with compassion and without judgment, I asked them to share more details on the situation. They shared that they had failed an ear training class twice and concluded they had a bad ear and were a bad musician.
I offered support while listening to everything the student had to say and thanked them for their honesty. I told the student that their career decision, of course, was their own, and that I would not pressure them into anything. The student then shared that they still wanted to graduate with a music degree and become a band director, but because they believed they were a bad musician with a bad ear, they would never be able to pass all their ear training classes. I explained that I did not agree they were a bad musician but that they shouldn’t just take my word for it. So, we examined the evidence together.
I taught the student their first semester of ear training class and pulled up their grades, which were straight A’s. We looked at their jury sheets on which they received many compliments for their intonation. We concluded that the student, in fact, had a very good ear and was a very good musician, which helped allay some of the anxiety and sadness the cognitive distortion caused. This allowed us to go further and utilize reattribution to problem solve. The student then shared they were not completing their weekly computer lab hours. Because they trusted that I would not judge, they were honest, and this allowed us to problem-solve together.
We discussed time management and created a schedule that would allow time to complete all ear training assignments while accomplishing other necessary tasks. The student cut back on some social activities, while I made it known that passing the class was the priority. Together, we agreed to scale back certain “extra” oboe
duties to create more time. The student passed that class and all subsequent classes, gave a beautiful senior oboe recital, and is now a successful band director.
NEGATIVE FILTER
In the second example, the student felt upset after a recital, deeming it a failure as they focused only on endurance problems instead of everything that went right. In response, we employed shades of gray. The following day, we listened to the recording and made a list of everything that went well in the recital; this ended up being a very long list. Then, we made a list of things that we would like to do better next time and could improve on. That list was much shorter. We talked about how performances, like nearly everything in life, are made up of positives and negatives and that a few negatives do not mean something is a failure.
UNFAIR COMPARISONS
In the last example, a freshman reported they felt sad because they were not nearly as good of a player as a senior performance major. They erroneously projected that this would always be the case, which resulted in a lack of practice effort. The student used should statements, such as “I should be able to play as fast as the senior” and “I should know how to double tongue.” Applying the semantic method, we turned the should statements into wouldn’t it be nice statements. “Wouldn’t it be nice if I could play as fast as . . .” Once they focused on more neutral language, the student was able to relax and stop pressuring themselves. That allowed me to share technique assignments and small, attainable goals the student could work toward to increase their speed and hopefully be able to play as fast in their senior year.
RELATED RECOMMENDATIONS
It is essential that teachers form and foster strong connections with their students. With a strong rapport, students will feel safe and supported and be more apt to share honest thoughts and feelings. They will trust their teachers to listen with compassion instead of judgment and be more willing to try the restructuring strategies themselves.
Creating a cooperative environment where students are not afraid to fail is also paramount. I encourage my students to volunteer in class even if they think their answers are incorrect because they learn as much from incorrect answers as correct ones. Actively participating helps students buy into teaching methods.
Additionally, I have found that encouraging excellence, not perfection, decreases performance anxiety without sacrificing quality. To aid with this, I use less emotionally charged language, such as “This section is too loud” instead of “You are too loud.” I also advise studying current literature and recommending it to students as appropriate.
My teaching philosophy has always been student-centered. I strive to learn as much about each student as I can as early as possible in the teacher-student relationship, whether in
Recent studies have revealed wellness deficits in music students, such as high rates of overuse injuries, anxiety, depression, and social isolation (Savvidou, 2021). These deficiencies can cause negative consequences, such as difficulties concentrating, performing, memorizing, and learning, low selfesteem, poor performance, burnout, substance abuse, and low retention (Hernandez et al., 2018).
a private lesson studio or classroom. This allows me to successfully combine music pedagogy techniques and mental health strategies, which helps lead to strong music programs. Not only do these tools strengthen students’ musical skills, but they also support students’ overall well-being. The health of today’s students ensures the strength of tomorrow’s music programs. 0
Dr. Ann Fronckowiak teaches oboe, chamber music, and ear training at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
REFERENCES
Burns, David D. (1989). The Feeling Good Handbook. New York: Plume.
Hernandez, S. Zarsa-Alzugaray, F., & Casanova, O. (2018). Music Performance Anxiety, Substance Use, and Career Abandonment in Spanish Music Students. International Society for Music Education, 36(3), 460-472.
Savvidou, Paola. (2021). Teaching the Whole Musician: A Guide to Wellness in the Applied Studio. New York: Oxford University Press.
Congratulations to the 2024 MARK OF EXCELLENCE COMMENDED WINNERS!
WIND BAND
CLASS A
Bailey MS Wind Ensemble Sara McGarry.................................................. Austin, TX
Bohls MS Wind Ensemble Lisa Hernandez & Derrell Wallace Pflugerville, TX
Byrd MS Symphonic I Band Lorna Crowley Duncanville, TX
Truan MS Symphonic Band Alma Arrelano Weslaco, TX
DeWitt Perry MS Honor Band Julia Lawson, Amanda Krause & Brenton Wolfe Lewisville, TX
Griffin MS Wind Symphony Carolyn Cansler Frisco, TX
Hodges Bend MS Wind Ensemble Aaron Goldfarb Houston, TX
Indian Springs MS Wind Ensemble................... Caroline Caves & Adam Hunt Keller, TX
Maus MS Wind Ensemble Katie Lewis Frisco, TX
North Richland MS Honors Band Andrew Reinhart & Patrick Byars North Richland Hills, TX
Howard JH Symphonic Band Matthew Hiller Waxahachie, TX
Wilkinson MS Honor Band Jung Mour Frisco, TX
CLASS AA
Argyle MS Honor Winds Bojan Gutic Argyle, TX
Arnold MS Symphonic Winds Ashley Yarber Cypress, TX
Canyon Vista MS Honors Band Jay Hagy Cedar Park, TX
Central JH Symphonic Band ..........Jacob Groening, Oluwagbohunmi Fawehinmi & Manny Flores Euless, TX
Clint Small MS Wind Ensemble.........................Tonia Mathews Austin, TX
Cooper JH Wind Ensemble Adam Powell & Misty Smith Wylie, TX
Cross Timbers MS Honors Band.........................Lara Whitehouse Grapevine, TX
Danielson MS Wind Ensemble Andrea Gonzalez Leander, TX
Ennis JHS Honors Band Steven Bunch................................................... Ennis, TX
Fort Settlement MS Honors Band Theresa Baragas & Tiffany Ye Sugar Land, TX
Killian MS Honors Band Trevor Ousey & Jenna Lenhard Lewisville, TX
McLean MS Wind Ensemble Christa Martien & Jacob Gandy Fort Worth, TX
Pearland JH East Honors Band Jennifer Wren Pearland, TX
Pearland JH West Honors Band Meredith Bishop Pearland, TX
Red Oak MS Honors Band Megan Czerwieski Red Oak, TX
Reynolds MS Symphonic Winds Loren Taylor Prosper, TX
Rogers MS Symphonic Winds Joshua Ferman Prosper, TX
Running Brushy MS Honors Band Van Robison Cedar Park, TX
Sprague MS Symphonic Winds Stetson Begin Cypress, TX
Stockton JHS Wind Ensemble Vincent Morris Conroe, TX
West Lake MS Wind Ensemble Natalia Albacete Humble, TX
Westbrook Intermediate Symphonic Band Jane Maloy Friendswood, TX
CLASS AAAA
Canyon HS Honors Band Eric Rath Canyon, TX
Krum HS Honor Band Brandon Huff Krum TX
Walnut Grove HS Wind Symphony Elayna Youngson Prosper, TX
CLASS AAAAA
Birdville HS Wind Ensemble Kai Rudnick North Richland Hills, TX
Blue Springs South HS Wind Symphony Kenny Hansen Blue Springs, MO
Dulles HS Honors String Orchestra Michael Isadore Sugar Land, TX
Elkins HS Chamber Orchestra Joe Garcia Missouri City , TX
James E. Taylor HS Chamber Orchestra Clinton Capshaw & Dr. Gracie Ibemere Katy, TX
L.D. Bell HS Symphony String Orchestra Allison King Hurst, TX
Summer Creek HS Chamber Orchestra David Irish & Karen Irish Houston, TX
HIGH SCHOOL FULL ORCHESTRA
Allen HS Symphony Orchestra David DeVoto Allen, TX
Liberal Arts and Science Academy HS Symphony Orchestra....................Rachel Horvitz Austin, TX Tomball Memorial HS Symphony Orchestra...... Peter C. Jagdeo & Andrew Easton Tomball, TX
Special thanks to adjudicators Donald Schleicher and Gary Lewis.
CHOIR
MIDDLE SCHOOL TREBLE CHOIR
Danny Jones MS Varsity Treble Choir Bridgett Wigley Mansfield, TX
First Colony MS Bobcat Select Treble Choir Tommie Trinh & Joshua Sarmiento Sugar Land, TX
We must model and teach our students to engage with each other, always with the intention of lifting others up and championing those in their music community.
I’ve Been Hacked
What a horrible feeling—whether you walk to your vehicle and find the driver’s side window broken or you suddenly receive a text alert from your bank asking whether you just used your debit card a thousand miles away. Knowing that someone is taking advantage of you is heartbreaking. So was my experience as I ended the first week of school. My social media account was hacked.
Within fifteen minutes of someone posing as me on my personal page, my phone blew up with text messages asking if I was really selling a vehicle for the low price of $2,000, telling me they were praying for my sister-in-law through her medical ordeal, and asking how to send me money for the Taylor Swift tickets I was selling online. What?
All I can say is that it’s a disturbing feeling to be locked out of your account and watch as a stranger assumes your identity in text conversations with some of your closest friends and family.
BE YOUR OWN BOSS
One of the most frustrating aspects of this experience was that I couldn’t get any assistance or help from customer service. In fact, there is no customer service. I know my family and friends were disappointed to find out nothing was being done by the social media company when many people reported my account had been hacked. My initial thoughts about how unfair it was for a major company not to care about my experience after I chose to use their platform
In Memoriam
Lou Ann Williams-Wimberly 1938–2024
Lawrence Ingram 1954–2024
October—Renew membership, purchase liability insurance, register for the convention.
October 3—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens online.
November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline.
January 11—Area Vocal auditions.
January 16—TMEA convention early registration deadline.
February 12–15—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.
to questioning how many times something similar occurs in my life, as well as the lives of my family, friends, and colleagues. And then, I contemplated how often we do nothing about it.
We complain about funding for education, yet we continue to vote for the same people even after they make decisions that negatively impact education funding. We complain about our debt, yet we spend beyond our income, often stretching our monthly earnings beyond our means. We complain about how poorly we are eating or how little sleep we are getting each night, but we aren’t creating atomic habits that will allow us to eat better or achieve another hour of sleep each night. We are the bosses of our lives. If we are unhappy with products we are purchasing, businesses we frequent, or people we’ve endorsed to make decisions on our behalf, we must be willing to stop going down the same paths.
Similarly, if we feel isolated or disconnected from those in our communities, we must examine how we are connecting with each other and be willing to change if we want to have a more meaningful experience.
COMMUNICATION VERSUS CONNECTION
So, back to the hack—I had to laugh when one of my close family members texted me, asking about my ailing sister-in-law, as if they wouldn’t have otherwise known. Then I wondered what it said about their relationship that they were looking to social media as their source for information about someone they cared about. It occurred to me that some of my closest relationships had become diluted by social media to the point that our communication was reduced to liking a picture or post. It was clear—it was time I started working on my relationships.
Mike Erwin, founder and CEO of the Character & Leadership Center and coauthor of the book Leadership Is a Relationship: How to Put People First in the Digital World, says “go beyond the post.” Be vulnerable and pick up the phone. People often don’t want to comment or share condolences over the phone or in person because they’re afraid of saying the wrong thing in the other person’s presence. I believe this is what social media and the like button have done to our relationships. We think we are connecting with
friends and family through social media and online platforms, when in fact we are only communicating, and not very well at that.
Many of our districts and campuses are exploring avenues to curtail student cell phone usage during the school day. Similar to areas all over the state, North Texas is a patchwork of policies governing cell phones in classrooms. It should come as no surprise to find students aren’t as engaged in our rehearsals as they used to be.
For those of us still given authority to govern cell phone usage in our rehearsals because the campus remains focused on teaching students cell phone etiquette, we have control over our management of these devices. In either scenario, this is an opportunity for teachers in music rehearsals to form personal connections with our students, both in large rehearsals and in smaller, more personal settings.
More importantly, as directors, we need to model and teach our students to engage with each other, always with the intention of lifting others up and championing those in their music community. The algorithms their social media accounts employ only
fight this philosophy. As educators, we should always strive to model encouragement in our classrooms.
Of equal importance, we should model this behavior after the students have left our rehearsal rooms. Everything we post on social media can become public, even if we are posting using a private account. It is often what we do and say in our own bubble that speaks loudest and leaves the strongest impressions on those in our charge.
I challenge us all to strengthen relationships through personal interactions, rather than just pressing the “care” button on a social media platform. Think about the personal thoughts you share online for all to see, because someone motivated enough might access your content in the future without your knowledge and use it to pose as you, attempting to gain the trust
of your friends. Change your passwords frequently. And, finally, scroll past any social media post that begins with “Hey Swifties!”
CONNECT THROUGH VOLUNTEERING
Regardless of how much time you can offer, volunteering to help TMEA is a wonderful way to give back and make meaningful connections with other members. Register at www.tmea.org/vocalvolunteer and be part of this incredible team!
CONNECT AT OUR CONVENTION
Our convention offers an incredible opportunities to meet other educators and develop a support network. Especially if you are the sole choir director on your campus, attending this event can be a difference maker in your career and wellbeing. We are in a caring profession and that includes caring for our colleagues. I
hope you will be in San Antonio to make valuable personal connections with other music educators! Go to www.tmea.org/ convention to learn more and register. If you read this before housing reservations open, look for a September 30 email from TMEA that will include the link to utilize and updated instructions for its use.
ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE
We are excited for the opportunity to highlight the All-State Large School Mixed Choir members in this historic performance in Dallas on Saturday, March 22, 2025. This is only the second time TMEA has been invited to present an encore performance on the national stage for ACDA. I hope to see you there! 0
Joshua McGuire is the Choir Director at Rock Hill HS (Prosper ISD).
vocalvp@tmea.org
TMEA Clinic/Convention VOCAL DIVISION
Bobby Francis conducts a performance in VCCH with the TCU Wind Symphony and TCU Mariachi Sangre Royal.
SOUND IDEAS
VOCAL: EMPOWERING TENOR-BASS CHOIRS
By Ken Sieloff
Directing a tenor-bass choir presents unique challenges and tremendous rewards. These ensembles, often filled with energetic and eager voices, necessitate customized approaches to effectively nurture their potential.
Start Strong with Engaging Warmups: One of the first steps in ensuring a productive rehearsal is establishing a consistent warmup routine. For tenor-bass (TB) choirs, warmups are not just about vocal exercises; they set the tone for the entire rehearsal. Start with exercises that engage the group immediately, such as echo-singing or call-and-response patterns that encourage active listening. These activities not only prepare the voice but also increase camaraderie and focus within the group.
Consider incorporating physical warmups as well. Simple stretches or shoulder rolls can help singers release tension and center themselves before singing. Transitioning into breath exercises, such as sustained “s” sounds or breathing in for four counts and out for eight, further prepares the body and mind for the work ahead.
Focus on Resonance and Control: Building vocal technique in TB choirs requires attention to the specific needs of lower voices. Exercises should be designed to develop resonance and control, particularly in the transition between registers. Incorporating exercises that move seamlessly from head voice to chest voice helps singers navigate these shifts smoothly. Additionally, focusing on breath support through structured breathing exercises ensures that singers can sustain phrases and produce full, rich sounds.
Vowel modification can also play a crucial role in helping TB singers achieve a more resonant tone. Encourage students to experiment with modifying vowels slightly as they ascend in pitch, which can make higher notes more accessible and improve overall tone quality.
Address Intonation and Blend for a Unified Sound: A vital aspect of directing TB choirs is addressing the challenges of intonation and blend. To combat struggles with pitch accuracy, focus on ear-training exercises that encourage singers to listen critically to themselves and each other. Using tools such as tuning drones or having sections sing against a sustained pitch can help.
Experiment by having your choir practice singing in small groups, where they are more exposed and must rely on each other for pitch accuracy. This not only sharpens their listening skills but also fosters a deeper sense of ensemble responsibility.
Thoughtfully Select Repertoire: Repertoire selection is a critical element in working with TB choirs. Choosing music that both challenges and excites your singers is key to maintaining their
interest and growth. Whether they feature powerful unison passages or intricate harmonies, seek out pieces that highlight the strengths of the ensemble in front of you—not ensembles from previous years.
For younger or less experienced ensembles, start with pieces well within their technical abilities, gradually introducing more complex works as their skills develop. This provides opportunities for the teacher to praise singers more frequently. Many TB singers thrive when challenged or in competition. For more advanced groups, explore repertoire that pushes their boundaries and encourages them to refine their technique, such as pieces with challenging harmonic structures or intricate rhythms.
Enhance Musicality Through Kinesthetic Learning: Incorporating movement into rehearsals can be a game-changer for TB choirs, helping singers internalize rhythm and phrasing while adding an element of fun. Movement can also be used as a tool for teaching musical concepts. For instance, when working on a piece with a complex rhythmic pattern, have your singers tap the rhythm on their bodies before singing it. This physical connection to the rhythm helps reinforce their understanding and can lead to more precise and confident performances. A kinesthetic approach to rehearsal keeps the energy and engagement high.
Fostering Community and the Heart of the Ensemble: Creating a sense of community within the choir is crucial for the success of a TB ensemble. Creating opportunities for social interaction, both in and out of rehearsal, can strengthen the bond among choir members. Activities such as sectional bonding sessions, choir socials, or even informal sing-alongs help build trust and rapport, which translates into a more cohesive and committed ensemble. The stronger the sense of choir community, the more motivated and engaged your singers will be.
Celebrate Progress, Reinforce, and Motivate: Finally, it’s essential to celebrate the progress and achievements of your TB choir. Regularly acknowledge the hard work and improvement of your singers, whether through verbal praise, performance opportunities, or recording and reviewing rehearsals. This positive reinforcement not only boosts morale but also motivates singers to continue striving for excellence. 0
Ken Sieloff is a graduate student at the University of Michigan, working on his DMA in choral conducting. Sieloff previously served as Director of Choirs at Permian HS in Ector County ISD.
ELEMENTARY DIVISION
CHRISTOPHER GILES, STATE VICE-PRESIDENT
By inviting classroom teachers into your music room for instructional rounds, you can demonstrate the interdisciplinary benefits of music education.
Building Support Through Engagement
Elementary music education offers more than just the joy of learning an instrument or singing a song. It cultivates creativity, enhances cognitive development, and fosters essential life skills like collaboration and discipline. Despite its numerous benefits, music programs often face budget cuts or reduced support due to competing educational priorities. Advocating for the continuation and growth of these programs is vital for the holistic development of students. Here are some strategies to help you advocate successfully for your elementary music program by building strong relationships with parents, community partners, and educators:
PARENTS & COMMUNITY
One of the most effective ways to advocate for your music program is by cultivating relationships with parents and community members. Parents are powerful advocates because they witness firsthand the positive effects of music education on their children. By keeping parents informed and engaged, you can turn them into allies who will support the program both at home and in the broader community.
Start by organizing events that showcase student achievements, such as concerts, musicals, or open classrooms where parents can observe their children in action. These events provide an opportunity for parents to see the skills their children are developing and to understand the importance of music in their overall education. Additionally, consider creating a parent advisory group specifically for the music program.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
October—Renew membership, purchase liability insurance, register for the convention.
October 3—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens online.
November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline.
January 16—TMEA convention early registration deadline.
February 12–15—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.
This group can serve as a liaison between the music teacher and the larger parent community, helping spread the word about the program’s successes and needs. This has proved to be especially helpful when I needed to repair or replace equipment in my classroom.
Community partners, such as local businesses, cultural organizations, and civic groups, can also play a significant role in supporting your music program. Reach out to these partners to explore opportunities for collaboration, whether it’s
through sponsorships, donations, or joint events. For instance, a local business might sponsor concert decorations or provide resources like printed programs, while a cultural organization could offer performance opportunities for your students. By fostering these relationships, you can create a network of supporters who have a vested interest in the success of your program.
EDUCATOR COLLABORATION
Collaborating with other educators within your school is another key advocacy opportunity. By inviting classroom teachers into your music room for instructional rounds, you can demonstrate the interdisciplinary benefits of music education. Instructional rounds, where teachers observe each other’s classrooms to learn and share best practices, provide a platform to highlight how music supports learning in other subjects.
For example, you could showcase a lesson that integrates music with literacy or social studies. This could involve activities like using books or poetry, exploring the historical or geographical context of a piece of music or folk dance, or analyzing the form of a song to discern patterns of same or different. By making these connections clear, you can help classroom teachers see how music education reinforces the skills and knowledge they are teaching.
SHOW PROGRESS IN PERFORMANCE
Another powerful way to advocate for your elementary music program is by organizing alignment concerts with middle schools, high schools, or universities. These concerts bring together students from different grade levels to perform, showcasing the progression of musical skills as students advance. My favorite combined concert was for Veterans Day a few years ago when the St. Mary’s University wind ensemble joined my choir to perform a piece called Thank You, Soldiers
Alignment concerts can be particularly effective in building community support, as they attract a wide audience of parents, students, and community members. By featuring performances from students at various grade levels, you can demonstrate how the foundational skills learned in elementary school prepare students for more advanced musical experiences. This
creates a compelling narrative about the importance of sustaining and investing in music education from an early age.
SECURING SPONSORS
Securing financial support is often a critical aspect of sustaining a music program, especially in times of budget constraints or in the unfortunate circumstance of no budget whatsoever. One effective strategy is to engage community sponsors and donors who can provide resources such as volunteers for events, printed programs, or even snacks and drinks after the event. Local businesses, corporations, and philanthropic organizations are often willing to contribute to causes that benefit the community, particularly those that support education and the arts.
To attract sponsors, it’s important to highlight the visibility and impact their contributions will have. For example, you can offer recognition in flyers and advertisements that go out before the events, in concert programs, on social media, or at the event itself. Additionally, consider offering opportunities for sponsors to engage directly with the program, such as by attending concerts, speaking to students, or even helping to distribute door prizes.
ONLINE PROMOTIONS
In today’s digital age, a social media presence is essential for any advocacy effort. By promoting your elementary music program on social media, you can reach a wider audience, keep stakeholders informed, and build a sense of community around your program.
To effectively use social media, secure necessary permission from your administration or district, create a content calendar that includes a mix of posts about student performances, behind-the-scenes glimpses of rehearsals, and testimonials from parents, students, and teachers. Encourage parents and community members to follow your accounts and share your content, amplifying your reach. Be sure to include links to your social media platforms in your programs. Additionally, use social media to thank sponsors, celebrate milestones, and engage with your audience by responding to comments and messages. A vibrant social media presence can generate excitement and support for your program, both within your school and in the broader community.
Advocating for an elementary music program requires a multifaceted approach that engages parents, educators, and the community. Through your efforts, you can influence others to recognize the value of what you do and the positive impact it has on your students. This will not only help sustain the music program in the face of challenges but also ensure that students continue to receive the many benefits that music education provides.
CLINIC/CONVENTION UPDATE
As you advocate for elementary music education, be sure you also champion to your administrator the value of attending our convention, held February 12–15 in San Antonio. No other event offers you the concentration of targeted professional development that you’ll find in these four days, with 60+ clinics and concerts hosted by the Elementary Division alone! You can learn more about attending at www.tmea.org/convention.
Housing: TMEA opens its housing reservation system on October 3. TMEA will email members on September 30 with instructions for its use. Not long after
housing opens, you might find your preferred hotels are sold out. With TMEA offering discounted parking with free shuttle from the Alamodome, you might decide that staying at a property farther from downtown is acceptable and more affordable. Either way, I hope you are able
to attend the convention and that I get to see you there!
Christopher Giles is a K–5 music specialist at Mireles Elementary (Northside ISD, San Antonio). elementaryvp@tmea.org
Music
The Winters School of Music invites you to be a part of the William Carey family!
• Incredible Scholarships
• Mississippi’s FIRST All-Steinway School
• Bachelor degrees in Music Education, Worship Leadership, Worship Technology, Music Therapy, Performance and more!
• FULLY ONLINE Doctor of Arts in Music, Master of Music Education, and Master of Music in Worship Studies
• Top 10 Most Affordable Online Music Degrees according to Online U!
• NO Out-of-state tuition!
2024/2025 Scholarship AUDITION DAYS
Friday, November 15
Friday, January 17
Friday, March 7
To reserve an audition day or request a time that works better for you, please email music@wmcarey.edu or call 601-318-6175
Save the Dates
Carey Honor Band January 30 – February 1
Carey Jazz Festival March 21 Carey Honor Choir April 10-12
SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS
Scholarships are available for both music and non-music majors. These awards are intended to provide recognition for scholarship and talent in the study of music.
SCHOLARSHIP AUDITION DATES:
Saturday, November 23, 2024 1 - 3 p.m.
Friday, February 21, 2025 1 - 3 p.m.
Saturday, March 29, 2025 1 - 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 12, 2025 1 - 3 p.m.
Individual audition dates may be requested if necessary.
For specific qualifications for each award, visit www.tlu.edu/music-scholarships.
TLU SCHOOL OF MUSIC
SOUND IDEAS
ELEMENTARY: MUSIC LITERACY IN ELEMENTARY MUSIC
By Ashley Yarbrough
After a formal observation in a second-grade classroom, my new principal remarked, “I’ve never seen anything like that. Students were singing the music written on the board, playing games, and writing musical patterns—without you singing it for them. On top of that, they were having fun! How did you do that?” I smiled and replied, “Learning music literacy is fun! Everyone enjoys doing something when they feel good at it, and they are becoming capable young musicians. It all began when they were in kindergarten.”
Kindergartners experience musical concepts through singing and playing. This immersive approach allows the ear to develop prior to assigning names or symbols to each concept. Just as a child crawls prior to walking and walks before running, that same child listens prior to speaking and speaks before reading. It is the same with music literacy.
In the kindergarten music classroom, we foster a love of music and provide the tools for beautiful, in-tune singing, while laying the foundation for music literacy without naming the symbols. Through play, children learn comparatives, such as talking and singing, high and low, fast and slow, and loud and soft. Combining play with the modalities of aural, visual, and kinesthetic learning, children are immersed in music concepts without naming them. The all-encompassing process fosters a complete understanding of musical concepts and creates a higher level of understanding when the concepts are named. By building a solid foundation in kindergarten, the children’s minds will readily absorb new material as it is named in the following grade levels.
For both melodic and rhythmic concepts, preparation of the sound is paramount. Singing songs and playing games with the new concept will come first. At this point, students are not aware of a new sound; they are simply enjoying songs where the new sound is present. In this physical stage, children might tap or step the sounds they are hearing or move their bodies while mimicking the melodic contour of the song. Whatever sound the teacher makes is what the children will imitate, so it must be accurate. Students may indicate they have heard the new sound by giving a signal, such as a thumbs up or other body signs. Visual preparation occurs with a pictorial representation of the unknown element. Icons to represent ta ti–ti may be cards with one and two dots. Students would indicate which steady beats received one sound on a beat and which received two sounds on a beat. The cards with one dot become ta, and the cards with two dots become ti–ti (see the image in the online resource).
You can also utilize pictures to mimic a song’s melodic contour. For the song “Mouse, Mousie,” Music Street houses are placed ver-
Go to www.tmea.org/yarbrough2024 or scan this code for more details and image examples.
tically on the board to represent the known and unknown solfège pitches, while pictures of mice are arranged to mimic the song’s melodic contour as seen below. The students can follow the line using body signs while singing the song.
Later, students can create their own visual representations using manipulatives prior to naming the new pitch do (see the image in the online resource).
The key to successfully presenting an element is thorough preparation. In this stage of learning, the unknown is labeled, and its notation is shown. Additionally, showing a new melodic element in a contrasting color can aid in early practice activities. In the following example, the new low note is named do and notated in red.
Such deliberate preparation may seem excessive to adults, and because our intellectual needs deem these steps unnecessary, teachers often choose to skip them. However, as elementary music educators, we must understand that carefully moving from sound to symbol, while considering the developmental and pedagogical needs of the children, will yield a higher level of retention and comprehension throughout their musical lives. 0
Ashley Yarbrough, DME, is an Elementary Music Specialist at Powell Elementary School (Conroe ISD).
Transforming Classroom Behavior with Song
By Emma Bassett,
Once upon a time, not so long ago, in an elementary school cafetorium deep in the heart of Texas, fiveyear-old Chase was experiencing the magic of live musical theater for the first time! The start of kindergarten had already been a fascinating experience. At school, there were assigned times for eating, he had to wear shoes all day long, and there were different types of toilets in the bathroom for different types of, well, events. He learned all these things from his classroom teacher, Ms. Patience, who was certainly living up to her name.
And now Ms. Patience had brought their class to this otherworldly place—the cafeteria, but there was no food, and no chairs were set out. Chase was sitting next to his very best friends. He even saw the kid who took his acorn collection earlier that day at recess. Clearly this was going to be some sort of special event. He wondered for a minute if his mom could come, because she would like to see the cafeteria without tables and chairs. And maybe she could get his acorns back.
Music suddenly began to play as students walked onto the stage. A student Chase did not know walked up to the microphone and started to sing—all by herself! After the first few notes, Chase had
something to say. He could not hold his emotions inside his little kindergarten heart any longer, exclaiming, “What in the world is this?!”
Welcome to the fantastical world of behavior education! As elementary music teachers, we have the awesome opportunity to influence and educate hundreds of students throughout their years on our campuses. Although the needs of students change from their first to final years in elementary school, behavior education is always needed.
A behavior is something performed in action or reaction to external or internal stimuli. Behaviors are observable and measurable and can be influenced. They are what a person does to influence their surroundings—to create action, change something, or to keep things the same. But behaviors are not always easy to classify. In school, individual student behaviors are deemed wanted or unwanted based on the environments in which they occur and their impact on other students’ learning. For example, running and yelling can be a wanted behavior at recess, but it’s an unwanted one in the student restroom.
Since students don’t live at school, educators have a responsibility to
Madi Fore, Jennifer Mendez, and Lauren Summa
build on students’ existing repertoire of acceptable group behaviors. And since most have not spent much time in a room full of instruments and with 20–40 of their new best friends, our work is cut out for us. But don’t worry! Behavioral skills, procedures, and emotional well-being can be taught with a positive mix of mindset, approach, and perseverance.
So how exactly can you impact student behavior while meeting your musical goals? We have found that we can encourage behaviors that support academic aims with song—starting with procedure songs.
PROCEDURE SONGS
Have you ever found yourself using your big voice too often? Do you wonder why they still don’t follow direction even though it seems as if I you’ve said it a thousand times? Enter, procedure songs—they are an extraordinary tool for harnessing the chaos and creativity of your students. Music strengthens connections in our brain between pieces of information and encourages long-term memory encoding. So, when we put things to song, not only is it more exciting, but it also scientifically sticks longer in our students’ brains. If
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November 16th, 2024
Voice and All Instruments excluding guitar and piano
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Voice and All Instruments excluding guitar, percussion and piano
February 1st, 2025
Voice and All Instruments excluding percussion and guitar
procedure songs are introduced early in a child’s school career, the processes associated with the songs will stay with them longer and can be reinforced as they grow.
Which procedures can benefit from a procedural song? Everything! For example:
• Enter/exit room
• Seating
• Formations
• Taking turns
• Getting materials
• Rules
• Expectations
• Body control expectations
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Voice and All Instruments excluding piano
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Fall 2024 Spring 2025 AUDITIONS Scan
Do you have to reinvent the wheel to add these to your classroom routines or create complex compositions to implement in your classroom? The short answer is that you can, but you don’t have to. You can go to www.tmea.org/oct2024songs to download supplemental information and songs, including the procedure song example by Madi Fore on the next page.
SONGS FOR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING
Reinforcing musical skills while teaching procedures just makes sense! The same approach can be used for teaching emotional well-being and social interactions.
Download helpful information and songs that support procedures, well-being, and more. Scan the code or go to www.tmea.org/ oct2024songs.
Music impacts the brain in many ways, including the parts of the brain that are involved in processing emotion, cognition, sensory, and movement.
For many students, the music room is where they can feel the safest and be the best version of themselves. That said, it’s important to provide the opportunity to express emotion, or learn how to express emotion through music and song. This is one of those other duties as assigned moments when we can create a big impact for students who need more than just learning their ABCs. When students have the tools to regulate, express, and unpack their emotions first, the other things become easier. What a gift it is that we can create those tools in our classrooms through music! Here’s an example of an emotional skill that can be taught through song:
Parasympathetic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) through slow, deep breaths. The PNS sends signals to your brain that determine your response to external stimuli—fight, flight, or freeze. Measured breathing, like the 4–4–6–2 technique, slows the heart rate and allows the brain to get back to rational response. A musical setting of 4–4–6–2 breathing by Madi Fore can be found in the supplemental materials available at www.tmea.org/oct2024songs. Be mindful of the tempo to ensure it supports your students’ lung capacity.
WRITING YOUR OWN SONGS
You know your school and your community,
so it’s important to reflect on what will resonate well with your students. What works in one part of a state, city, town, or even district will not necessarily work elsewhere. When you know your students well, you can create exactly what they need. This is not always a straightforward process and there may be songs you try with your students that don’t go so well on the first attempt. Keep trying! Something— and sometimes the unexpected thing—will click.
Identify the procedural challenges you have and evaluate how you would ideally like your students to execute those procedures. From there, work backward and create songs with the language necessary to fix them. For example, if students constantly run into the classroom and don’t immediately find their seat no matter how many times you remind them, turn your directions into a chant that’s performed while the procedure is done:
When we’re in the music room we walk, walk, walk!
With our feet we go right to our dot, dot, dot!
We will walk! (We will walk!) To our dot! (To our dot!)
When we’re in the music room we walk, walk, walk!
You can even extend this with body percussion and move it to instruments later. Procedural songs can serve as a bridge to musical skills since they hear and perform these things all the time.
If you aren’t comfortable writing new music or if you find students too focused on learning the song and not the procedure it’s intended to support, this shouldn’t stop you from incorporating procedural songs. In these cases, utilize commonly known songs instead. By changing the words, students can focus on the procedures rather than the melody. Take something you know and adapt it for the procedures you need.
For example, to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” you can sing:
• If you’re sitting on blue, get a drum!
• When I come into the room, I sit down!
• Hold your mallets in the air, wait to play.
And so on . . .
Music teachers are not therapists and should not be expected to step into that role. However, our positions allow us to impact the emotional well-being of every student. All students benefit when campus and community expectations are reinforced in non-punitive ways. Take time this year to identify issues specific to your student body and how your magical musical training can be used to make an impact. It’s not quite as easy as sprinkling fairy dust, but you will still see an enchanted transformation in your classroom! 0
Emma Bassett is a Music Teacher at Melba Passmore ES (Alvin ISD).
Madi Fore is a Music Teacher at Disney ES (Alvin ISD).
Jennifer Mendez is a Music Teacher at Bel Nafegar Sanchez ES (Alvin ISD).
Lauren Summa is a Music Teacher at Melba Passmore ES (Alvin ISD).
SOUND IDEAS
COLLEGE: DEVELOPMENT & IMPACT OF EARLY FIELD EXPERIENCE
By Margaret Brown
Setting oneself up for future success requires forethought and preparation. Absolute focus during college reaps strong rewards in the future. Fact: entering freshmen don’t know what they don’t know—none of us do! A strong advisor guides and connects the opportunities needed for success.
Field experience is the gathering of knowledge and skills for one’s personal and professional development through experiencing standard activities common to the professional educator. Through field experience, students develop their professional identity, observe ethics of the profession, build critical-thinking skills, experience diverse teaching styles, work in varied socioeconomic settings, and much more.
FIELD EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITIES
Many teaching opportunities exist, not just the day-to-day event of student teaching. Field experience can and should begin prior to the clinical teaching experience and can take on many forms.
Private teaching reinforces responsibility, consistency, evaluation, pacing, and sequencing of skills. Serving as a section coach for area districts and working at music camps provides a microcosm of real-world experience: tiredness from the nonstop schedule, elation, conflict, support/nonsupport, success/defeat, wins/losses, emotional upheavals, musical success, real-life emergencies, flexibility, networking, and the list continues. Judging local and regional auditions, as well as solo/ensemble adjudication, strengthens the ability for short-term evaluation on the fly, learning the skill of precision and conciseness in a finite time. Conducting youth musical groups and teaching in other organizations such as a String Project are great experiences of real-life application for working with students.
Classroom observations are invaluable—learning in a real classroom, in real time. The state now requires 50 hours of observation prior to student teaching. Encourage students to learn from these observations. What’s effective? What isn’t? What do you want to incorporate into your teaching? What do you not want to do in your teaching?
Student teaching is the most practical and applicable field experience. A drawback is that student teachers are not paid for their time. Encourage them to apply for scholarships to assist during this time (TMEA has a great one). A huge benefit is that the student teacher has the supervision of a professional educator and a college supervisor. The student teacher gains the experience of meeting the expectations of the school district calendar, not the
collegiate calendar. Applying professional expectations, planning within the school year calendar, learning to teach specific skills through a curriculum, and networking with other professionals are all excellent results of field experience opportunities.
STUDENT PLACEMENT ADVICE
Take the time to find a cooperating teacher willing to mentor, including podium time for the student teacher, at all levels. Mentoring is not a one-semester option—it’s a lifetime commitment. I still have connections with my first and my last student teachers! The relationship is multi-directional and mutually beneficial. Seek placement where the student teacher can be in the ES/MS/JH placement concurrently with the HS placement. It’s important for the student teacher to see all levels from start to finish throughout the semester.
Consider personalities and teaching styles when you connect cooperating teachers with student teachers.
Introspection is a good thing, so encourage student teachers to keep daily logs. This documentation will help them complete a timeline of their events and help with completing job applications. Every individual is responsible for their own growth; thus, their own success and failure. I propose that established education leaders also factor into our individual student’s growth. They don’t know what they don’t know. So, it’s up to the colleges and universities to set into place standards, guidelines, and pathways that move our students toward success.
Why should we do all these things, particularly when few have financial benefits? We do them because they’re the right thing to do, for the profession and for our students. Step beyond the minimal standards. Seek out ways to support our students, even when they are resistant. Show them why these things are beneficial to them and their future. Our profession is a noble one, and one that I believe is a calling. We do it out of love and dedication for those around us and those who went before us, as a way of honoring that which is good and honest. We do it for the love of music and our passion for those around us. Teach on, my friends, with all your heart! 0
Margaret Brown is an Adjunct Assistant Music Professor at UT Arlington. She serves in the String Music Education Department and as University Supervisor of Music Education Clinical Teachers.
BLINN COLLEGE MUSIC DEPARTMENT
The Blinn College Music Department offers the following degree pathways:
• Fully Transferable Associate of Arts Degree in Music
• Co-Enrollment Pathway with Texas Woman’s University for Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Therapy
• Co-Enrollment Pathway with Lamar University for Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education
Our band and choir are open to music majors and non-majors alike. Schedule an audition and you could perform at world-class venues while living alongside your fellow band members in our Brenham Campus residence halls!
February 1, 2025
February 22, 2025
March 15, 2025
April 5, 2025
May 10, 2025*
* Auditions and Color Guard Camp
Scan the QR code below to schedule an audition.
COLLEGE DIVISION
CARTER BIGGERS, STATE VICE-PRESIDENT
Preparing the next generation of music educators requires us to go beyond the traditional classroom.
Go Beyond to Shape Future Educators
In what seems like the blink of an eye, most in our division are more than a month through the start of a new academic year. Midterms are looming and before we know it, student evaluations will be sent out. And then, just as quickly as it began, another semester will be behind us. Time simply marches on—and what we do with it is up to us. Every moment counts! Music educators have a great responsibility to go beyond to help shape the future of our profession. We are charged with teaching our students innumerable skills—comprehensive musicianship, critical thinking, problem solving, time management, and the list goes on.
With each passing day we have an opportunity to impart knowledge from every possible angle. Sometimes, we even find ourselves teaching our students in the most innocuous moments. Wherever, whenever, and however we do it, we should be challenging our students to go beyond and become the best versions of themselves, in and out of the classroom, on and off the stage. Sometimes these opportunities present themselves, but mostly we must create the opportunities for our students and make the most of them.
Preparing the next generation of music educators requires us to go beyond the traditional classroom. While the tried-and-true classroom
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
check www.tmea .org for updates
October—Renew membership, purchase liability insurance, register for the convention.
October 1 —TMEA College research proposal grant application deadline.
October 3 —TMEA convention housing reservation system opens online.
October 4 —TMEA College Fall Conference in Austin.
October 15— Research poster session proposal submission deadline.
November 1 —Collegiate Music Educator Award nomination deadline.
November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline.
December 15 —College Student Essay submission deadline.
January 16 —TMEA convention early registration deadline.
February 12–15 —TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.
model should remain a part of our process, the students of today need so much more. Here are just a few examples of the types of experiences we can provide them to enrich their educational experience and help prepare them for the ever-changing landscape of education—to help them go beyond.
• Practical Teaching Experiences: Go beyond student teaching and summer camps; consider establishing connections with community centers or afterschool programs to provide experiential learning opportunities.
• Technology Integration: Go beyond the usual music technology integration we know and love. Perhaps consider a virtual conducting lab that allows your students to practice conducting with responsive virtual ensembles.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Go beyond the walls of the music building and encourage your students to collaborate with other departments (e.g. psychology, education) on projects related to music learning and cognition.
• Community Engagements: Go beyond education and arrange for your
students to observe music therapy sessions in healthcare settings (with the proper clearances, of course).
• Global Perspectives: Go beyond our borders to provide virtual exchanges with music education programs in other countries.
• Entrepreneurship: Go beyond the money wall by providing grant-writing seminars. Introduce your students to this process by collaborating with your campus’s office of research or sponsored programs.
As you consider these, also be sure to read this month’s Sound Ideas installment by Margaret Brown on page 50, where she explores opportunities for preservice teachers to go beyond
TEA/SBEC UPDATES
As you are likely aware, there have been some significant changes to the certification process being considered in recent months by the State Board for Educator Certification. Among others, the proposed changes include increasing the number of field observations supervisors must conduct, defining a number of hours instead
of days to satisfy the student-teaching experience, and changing the types of experiences that apply (in-school versus out-of-school hours, professional development, and more). We owe a debt of gratitude to our Music Teacher Preparation Committee Chair, Michele Henry, along with John Denis, Jacqueline Henninger, Amy Simmons, Robert Floyd, and Joe Muñoz for working on our behalf over these last few months, ensuring our voice is heard in Austin. We do believe we are being listened to and that positive changes are in the works. We will be able to provide a more comprehensive update at our College Division Fall Conference.
COLLEGE DIVISION FALL CONFERENCE
I want to thank everyone for their contributions to this meeting, being held October 4 in Austin, especially our Committee Chairs and their committee members for the countless number of hours they selflessly dedicate to our division and the membership of TMEA.
I always look forward to this conference as a chance for us to reconnect as a division and learn from each other. Our thanks go
to TMEA staff for making this meeting possible. Although we are the youngest division of TMEA, our voices are heard, and we can all rest assured of the unwavering support of the Executive Board and TMEA staff. A full report of this fall meeting will be made available in a future issue.
TMEA VOLUNTEERS
Have you ever volunteered at our convention? If not, we would love for you to consider this amazing opportunity to give back. There are many areas in which you can serve at the convention. From attendee registration, to our division office, to serving as a session presider, there is a place for you. Although the convention is still a few months away, now is a great time to put it on your calendar to make this the year you volunteer. For more information and to sign up, go to www.tmea.org/ collegevolunteer.
COLLEGE STUDENT MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES
TMEA has so many wonderful offerings for our students. Among them are the Collegiate Music Educator Awards. This program allows college faculty to recognize their finest and most dedicated future music educators from across the state. Nominees must:
• be undergraduate music education majors, pursuing certification in EC–12 music,
• be current TMEA college student members,
• be graduating in the semester they are nominated (likely currently student teaching),
• hold a 3.5 or better GPA at close of last semester, and
• have provided significant nonmandatory music instruction or be significantly involved in the local music education community.
TMEA COLLEGE EXHIBITS
February 13–15 •
San Antonio
The deadline to nominate eligible students is November 1. Learn more and nominate at www.tmea.org/collegiateaward.
Remind your students about the upcoming deadlines of November 1 for scholarship applications (including student-teacher scholarships) and December 15 for submissions to the College Student Essay Contest.
COLLEGE EXHIBITS AND REUNIONS
Be sure your institution has applied to be part of TMEA’s College Exhibits at the 2025 Clinic/Convention. This is such a wonderful opportunity for faculty and staff to connect with our amazing high school and college musicians who are there as part of an All-State ensemble, Texas Future Music Educators chapter, and more.
Our convention also offers the incredible opportunity to reconnect with alumni during the college reunion time listed in the official convention schedule on Friday, February 14, 9:30–11:30 p.m. By November 1, email your reunion location to kvanlandingham@tmea.org. 0
Carter Biggers, DMA, is Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at Texas Woman’s University. collegevp@tmea.org
