SEPTEMBER 2022
D eveloping and maintaining positive rela tionships with colleagues and students has long been a best practice that sup ports our work of creating a classroom culture where everyone feels welcomed and com fortable. Music educators have a natural ability to develop lasting positive relationships because many of us teach our students over multiple years and have opportunities to interact with them in and out of the classroom. I have found that I develop good relationships with those around me over time, but developing relationships quickly is something I have had to con stantly work on and learn more about.
convention housing reservation system opens online. November
TMEA
September—Renew
Relationships Are Everything President
MICHAEL STRINGER
It’s Never Too Early When you are reading this column, school will have been in session for about a month, and you are probably just now getting to know those around you. You’ve probably done the usual get-to-know-you activities we often schedule for the first few days of school. Many programs may have even had their first social event of the year to help the students get to know one another. I often found that after the typical first week of school activities, I had focused all my attention on the students getting to know one another and hadn’t put enough effort into developing those important relation ships myself. In visiting with one of my colleagues, I learned that she schedules meetings with every new student in her program during the first few weeks of school. She didn’t want to use instructional times for these meetings, so she scheduled as many as possible before or after school. When students found it impossible to attend at those times, she would schedule at the very end of class or during lunch. She reported that The sooner we can build these lasting relationships the easier it becomes to solve the various issues that come up with students, parents, colleagues, and administrators.
—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. January 19 —TMEA convention early registration deadline. February 8–11 —TMEA Clinic/Convention in San MARKAntonio.YOUR CALENDAR check www.tmea .org for updates 4 Southwestern Musician September 2022
your membership and register for the convention.
October 6, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA 1
Speaking of the convention, please mark October 6 on your calendar, as that is the date on which our hotel reservations system is available online as of 6 a.m. CT. Please know that TMEA does everything it can to negotiate the best rates on hotels near the center and with a variety of hotels so that if you aren’t able to reserve in your first-choice hotel, there will be other prop erties that can work for you.
Inevitably I would run into many parents at the end of a performance, at the school, or out in the community who would stop to speak to me, and I often wondered how much more developed our relationship could be if I had only made the time to reach out earlier. If I had found a way to communicate with the parents of my students adequately and effectively, it would become so much easier to find chaperones and volunteers and to help with community support of our program. While sending newsletters and email com munications is a great way to keep parents informed, I encourage you to find a way to create lasting relationships with them.
0 Have You Renewed Your Membership? www.tmea.org/renew 5Southwestern Musician | September 2022
Relationships with Parents In my career, I struggled the most with developing relationships with the par ents of my students. I attended many staff development presentations over the years that implored us to make the first com munication we had with parents a posi tive one. Even after significant training on how to have these conversations, I almost never made the time for these important interactions.
Developing effective relationships in each facet of our work is vitally important for the success of our programs. The sooner we can build these lasting relationships, the easier it becomes to solve the various issues that come up with students, parents, colleagues, and administrators. As I have moved forward in my career, I have put much more emphasis on quickly develop ing relationships with those around me. I have found that if the first interaction we have with another person is positive, that interaction will pay dividends in the long run. I encourage you to start building a new relationship today; you never know when that relationship will enrich your life in ways you could never imagine.
As I began to know my colleagues outside our department, I found it much easier to reach out to other teachers and depart ments regarding our students’ progress in their classrooms. Developing these relationships allowed us to have open and honest conversations without the animos ity that often comes when we are inquir ing about performance in other subjects. These relationships also made it much easier when it was time to meet with teach ers outside our department during staff development meetings. I found myself much more relaxed and willing to share and learn even more from my colleagues when these important relationships had been developed.
even though this additional activity can be inconvenient during the busy beginning of the school year, it paid dividends as the early part of the year progressed. For many years, I had students complete a form that I would read to help me get to know them, but I often think that if I had held personal meetings, I would have learned so much more. In-person conversations can open the lines of communication so much more effectively than other activities.
Relationships with Administrators
I often found it easy to talk with my principal and the assistant principal who was assigned to the fine arts department. However, developing relationships with administrators not directly in my line of supervision was more difficult. I would often find myself in need of assistance from another administrator, and without a solid relationship in place, it became dif ficult to quickly deal with issues that were coming up in my classroom. After a few years, I realized that it was up to me to develop these relationships, and I made time in my daily schedule to get to know other administrators. If I did not know a particular administrator, I volunteered for one of their events or committees or sim ply stopped by their office to have a quick chat. After solid relationships were built, I found that my classroom issues were eas ier to solve, and they were dealt with by administration in a more efficient manner.
Relationships with Colleagues Of course, developing relationships with your colleagues is vital to the ultimate success of the arts at your campus. It was always nice to go back to school and visit with my colleagues and welcome our new fine arts teachers to our team. Our depart ment always made a point of having an offcampus social event early in the year so we could all relax and get to know one another better. These events allowed us to develop personal connections with one another, and that always seemed to be helpful when a conflict between programs would arise. Having solid relationships allowed our team to understand how everyone reacted to different situations and how each of us advocated for our programs. It took me many years to realize that I also needed to develop relationships with colleagues out side my department. For several years, I was fortunate to serve on our school’s site-based decisionmaking committee, and serving on that committee helped me begin to connect with other professionals on our campus.
TMEA Clinic/Convention Update It was great to see many of you in San Antonio for the summer conventions hosted by TBA, TCDA, and TODA, and now I’m looking forward to returning there in just five months for our annual event! We have so many wonderful ensembles, from elementary through university groups, and I look forward to attending as many of their concerts as possible! You can see the list of these ensembles and their directors at www.tmea.org/2023ensembles.Ialsolookforwardtothediverse learn ing opportunities we’ll have through almost 300 professional development clinics! In September, we offer a preview of the titles and clinician names from www.tmea.org/convention/clinics, and in December’s issue, you’ll be able to read a full preview of the convention schedule. Be sure to register to attend this amaz ing event at www.tmea.org/register. In this magazine, you’ll learn about each TMEA Division Featured Clinician, who will offer multiple clinics during the convention.
ttu .e du/Mu si c | @ttu scho ol of mu si c | scho ol of mu si c@ttu .e du | 80 6.7 42 22 70 TO FRO M
Dan Hood
Dan Hood, TMEA Past-President and TMEA Past Vocal Division Vice-President, passed away on July 9, 2022. He was born on August 12, 1943. Dan graduated from Texas Tech University and directed choral ensem bles in several Texas schools, including in Amarillo, Carrollton, Abilene, and Lamesa, as well as in Artesia and Ruidoso, New Mexico. He also served as artistic director of the Carlsbad Community Chorale. Hood served in numerous capacities for TMEA, Texas Choral Directors Association, and UIL. He was also a charter member of Texas Music Adjudicators Association and Past-President of the New Mexico American Choral Directors Association. Dan was TMEA President in 1994–1995, presiding over the convention when TMEA celebrated its 75th anniversary. As President, he offered this reflection about TMEA and the importance of educators sharing their knowledge and expe rience with others: As a new teacher with so much to be learned, it was TMEA that provided answers to my questions—not only with the timely clinics and educational sessions, but also with the members themselves. So many were willing to sit down over a cup of coffee and let me benefit from their years of experience. During the 26 years I have been coming to the convention, this process has never ceased—the masters sharing their wisdom and experience with the novice. I contend that musicians, and in particular, teacher-musicians, are a very loving and sharing group of people. I hope we never change. A Remembrance
Dan Hood was preceded by Will May as TMEA President. Will shared the fol lowing reflections about Dan:
In our small world of music education, I knew of Dan Hood before I truly knew Danny. I knew him first as a highly respected west Texas choral director, but, as is often the case, it was TMEA that brought us together as colleagues and friends. We served together on the TMEA Executive Board, and there I knew him as a leader passionate about teaching, about music, and about the care and well-being of young people in this state. During that time he also became a friend with whom I laughed, cried, tackled tough questions, and pondered the future of our beloved profession.
In Memoriam 1943–2022
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Soon after our time in TMEA leadership, Danny suddenly moved to New Mexico so his dear wife Ardis could better pursue her art, and we sadly lost touch. He never returned to the TMEA convention much to my disappointment. Then came the modern simultaneous blessing and curse—social media—and, behold, Dan was back in my life, sharing a steady stream of political views that thankfully corresponded with my own. I was delighted to be in touch with Danny again.Following his passing, his Facebook page featured a host of remembrances from former students and friends. The common threads in those were how much he had positively influenced their lives as musicians and as people, how his dedication to musical excellence impacted even their non-musical pursuits, and the high esteem in which they held him. Despite all his awards and recognitions, those threads are his true legacy.
n my August column I shared updated infor mation on what legislative law and State Board of Education rule require related to fine arts in the K–12 public schools in Texas. I explained what school districts must offer as well as what stu dents must take. As I stated, the fine arts continue to be protected at a level higher than at any time in our state’s history. Having said that, with districts self-reporting their compliance, implementation can vary across the state due to local control latitude and flexibility. So, what can we do to keep from losing ground as we move forward into the 88th Texas Legislative session, which begins January 10? Certainly, monitoring bill filings and tracking education committee agendas are priority strategies from the first day of bill filings in November preceding the session to the last day of the 140-day session on May 29. Part of our success through the years can be attributed to launching an offensive to prevent a bill from becoming law, such as HB 434 last session that would have allowed a CTE course to meet the one-credit fine arts graduation requirement. A preferred strategy, however, is to file and pass bills call ing for changes in policy to strengthen fine arts in law, such as SB 815 in 2003 that mandated that 100% of the relevant TEKS must be taught in fine arts and other enrichment subjects. Another example was success fully amending the language included in HB 5 in 2013 to limit pullout of students from our classrooms for remediation and tutoring in stateassessed subjects. You have heard me say that getting involved in a legislative session once it starts is too late. Given that, TMEA and other arts partners have begun their work in the fall in past years. In 2020, prior to the start of With primaries over, candidates are in full campaign mode until the November election. them
Now is the time for
to hear from us. The Time Is Now TMEA Executive Director ROBERT FLOYD September—Renew your membership and register for the convention. October 6, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens online. November 1 —TMEA scholarship online application deadline. January 19 —TMEA convention early registration deadline. February 8–11 —TMEA Clinic/Convention in San MARKAntonio.YOUR CALENDAR check www.tmea .org for updates 8 Southwestern Musician September 2022
I
So, what do you do now? First, go to txartsed.org and sign up to register your support. If you are one of almost 11,000 supporters of the effort who registered last session, simply check to make sure your information is correct, and add your cell phone number if you would like to hear from us by text rather than email. Then stand ready to act on any call to tell your story on the value of arts education to the candidates currently in campaign mode.
0 TEXAS ARTS EDUCATION CAMPAIGN www.txartsed.org/join-us 9Southwestern Musician | September 2022
Finally, on July 26–27, the House Public Education Committee met to receive input on ramping up the state’s responsibility to provide workforce training for students beginning in middle school. Such a strat egy could once again threaten the oppor tunity for our students to receive a wellrounded education that includes fine arts (music, visual arts, theatre, and dance), instead pushing students away from exploring electives to build skills in a trade that would prepare them for the workforce immediately after high school.
During the July 2019 meeting of the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), a three-year pilot program was approved as an optional assessment in addition to the current Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR EC–12) exam for the demonstration of pedagogi cal knowledge and skills for most initial educator certification categories. EdTPA is a performance-based, subject-specific assessment and support system used to emphasize, measure, and support the skills and knowledge that all educators need to be effective. After three years of study and input, SBEC voted that edTPA replace the PPR EC-12 as our state assessment for teacher certification in Texas. That rec ommendation was moved forward to the State Board of Education (SBOE) for final approval and adoption. However, based on input and pushback from the educational community, members of SBOE unani mously rejected the SBEC recommenda tion. To read more about edTPA and the causes for rejection presented by the edu cation community, go to www.tmea.org/ edTPAopposition.TMEAwasone of the first education associations to testify against edTPA almost three years ago and has closely monitored its progress and ultimate demise, lobbying the members of SBOE to reject its adoption. TMEA has now become actively engaged in working with SBEC and TEA to create an alternative plan to take back to the SBOE for study and pos sible adoption. I must forewarn you that with strong political support, edTPA could come back as a part of yet another alter nate plan. You may review TMEA’s cur rent position statement at www.tmea.org/ certificationstatement.Thankyouforyour membership in TMEA, your support for TAEC, and all that you will do to make the 88th session one of our most successful.
the 87th session, discussion began in the fall to also create the Texas Arts Education Campaign (TAEC), whose mission is to inform Texas voters and state lawmakers about the unique importance of fine arts education in preparing K–12 students for the global workforce and in addressing the social and emotional needs of students, even more important during these pan demic times.
The leadership of TAEC has been meet ing the last three months to prepare for the 88th session. Such session planning has never begun this early. Our goal is twofold. The first is to identify a legisla tive program that will potentially trigger bill filings relating to accountability, fine arts funding (weights and incentives), and teacher support, pay, and recognition, including access to TIA funding for fine artsOurteachers.second goal is for every member of the legislature, 31 senators and 150 House members, to walk into the capitol on January 10 having heard from constituents and voters back home about the impor tance of the arts in the education of Texas schoolchildren.TAECwillsend its supporters specific tasks throughout the fall that will take lit tle time and are intentional and necessary. That plan is under development, and as our lobbyist states, “One person does not have to do everything, but everyone has to do something.” With primaries over, can didates are in full campaign mode until the November election. Now is the time for them to hear from us. If they win, their priorities will shift to building their per sonal agenda for the session. We want their priorities to align with ours. Tasks could include contacting the can didates in your legislative districts and asking them arts education related ques tions (we’ll give you suggested questions), attending candidate forums, inviting them to a concert or to your classroom, to name a few. Your TAEC Region representative will help identify dates and sites of events that you could attend. More information on that will follow soon.
Additionally, six weeks ago the comp troller announced there will be an extra $27 billion available for the legislature to spend during the next session, a 24% increase over what was projected. If there was ever a time to lobby the legislature for funding for arts education, that time is now. It is too early to project how many of those dollars could go to education and for what purpose, such as school safety and counseling, but we need to begin sharing the message that it is time for the legisla ture to step up to the plate and fund their portion of arts programs and not place that cost totally on parents, school dis tricts, and booster clubs.
So why the urgency now and why is this session so important? First, the governor announced several months ago that his number-one educational priority for the 88th session would be a voucher program. In this program, state dollars would follow the student based on the decision of the parent on where their children receive their education. Such a program could impact district and campus funding in a signifi cantly negative way. Further, a parental bill of rights could give parents more control over their child’s education and curriculum than ever before, potentially creating chaos across the 1,100 school districts in our state.
The time for action is indeed now!
edTPA Rejected by SBOE
• We will be offering contemporary a cappella as a com ponent of our choral programs, and I truly believe it will help strengthen our numbers within three to five years. Juliet Snyder, Pottsboro HS and MS
• We started an electric bass club at our school that allowed band, orchestra, and other students to come together to learn a new skill. Our orchestra bass players are excited to have an electric bass skill now. We paired students and transcribed duets for them to perform as interludes between our ensembles during our concerts. —Anonymous
• I have a weekly afterschool fiddle club where we study fiddle music, jazz, and mariachi. In addition to orchestra students, I often incorporate other students who have guitar experience, as well as band students on trumpet, keyboard, and percus sion. Performing at community festivals or campus events creates more opportunities for exposure to our program.
• In previous schools, I started steel drum ensembles and they were popular with students. While this is a percussion ensemble, I encouraged students from other primary instru ments as well. I noticed that students in this ensemble had better rhythmic, listening, and performing skills. It was an excellent way all around with music and multicultural educa tion. —Brent Farmer, Bullard HS
Thanks go to TMEA members who offered responses to the following questions. Go to www.tmea.org/q&a to view additional answers to these and other questions or to suggest a question for a future issue.
• Our jazz band that meets on Thursdays has certainly helped improve the reach of music education in our school. Kids are more involved and happy to play more music. They come to the band hall just to play the new jazz music. —Anonymous
• I would like to start GarageBand 101, teaching students more about music and composing. I would also like to teach alter nate ensemble groupings to get them to experience other facets of band music. —Roxanne Vickers, Warren HS
Angela Harvey, Crownover MS
• I started a hand chime group after school last year. It is just in its beginning stages, but I expect it to become a standard group. I also have an afterschool guitar class. —Anonymous
• Our Pep Band represents the overall program mostly in the spring and not just at basketball games but for community outreach as well. This affords students the opportunity to keep playing and work on more challenging music. We are a 6–12 campus, and students in the Pep Band can work on a second ary instrument or advance in their abilities by learning from their peers. —Charles “CZ” Stollon, Robert G. Cole JH/HS
• In my previous school, we created a cover band from our top jazz band. It opened more performance opportunities with more culturally diverse music. The students bought into this group quickly and it raised the level of excellence in our other What nontraditional ensembles are offered at your campus and how have they helped with participation in music?
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• While I have not been able to incorporate nontraditional ensembles in class, I encourage students to bring alternate instruments—guitars, mandolins, and others—to the band hall and play together before and after school. I try to offer complete freedom to experiment with musical development during these times. —Eric Wharton, Mexia HS
• We have a jazz band with standard instrumentation that helps students learn fun and more challenging music, with more dif ficult rhythms and styles. Students in this ensemble are more well-rounded because they are spending twice as much time per day on their instrument in rehearsals, and they tend to practice this difficult music more. —Chris Pulley, Belton MS
Samford University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Employer. 11Southwestern Musician | September 2022
Stephanie McBrayer, McBrayer’s Music
• Our ensemble is already fairly nontraditional, because while I call it an orchestra, it is actually an eclectic chamber group with guitars, piano, and winds. This year, I even have a saxophone player. Because I am at a small private school, it is important that I include every instrumentalist I can. I recruit students to play with the ensemble even if they are not enrolled because I believe all time spent on their instrument is valuable.
• Small ensembles in middle school are a huge way to boost interest and participation. Find a group of kids to form instrument choirs, quartets, or woodwind or brass quintets. I have been amazed at the progress middle schoolers can make when they have their own group. Someone will take charge of rehearsals and it might not be who you predicted!
wiou in arts@samford.edu • 205-726-4111 • samford.edu/arts Visit our website to learn more
• I have hosted xylophone ensembles successfully. Other ideas are ukuleles, bucket drumming, recorders, and West African and Latin percussion ensembles. —Larry Shudra, Westwood Elementary • Last year, we started an afterschool brass choir program where these musicians have been able to perform literature outside the typical band class. We also have an instrumental ensemble class that allows students to practice on various solos, etudes, and other literature. —Trevor Braselton, Dickinson HS Band
—Jesse Espinosa, Klein Forest HS
• We feature a different genre of music every fall and bring in guest artists. We have done tangos, Klezmer, ragtime, music from the Golden age of Mexican crooners, and jazz improv. Moises Llanes, Edinburg North HS
ensembles. It also showed students another way they could continue playing their instruments. We have explored music that we would not otherwise and opened the eyes and ears of our audience members. It’s been a joy for me to share some of the music I grew up with, from funk to Tejano to R&B. The cover band has also revealed that some of our students are fantastic vocalists.
• Our Orff ensemble performs a few times a year. In this group, the students make about 80% of the decisions about the program layout as well as what they will do for movement and body percussion. The students in this group are surprisingly not the most outspoken in class. This gives them the chance to grow as musicians and as people. —Susanne Zoch, Global Leadership Academy
• I created an afterschool ukulele club that became kids teach ing kids how to play ukulele. It brought non-band kids into our band family. I also started a music listening club where we would listen to band music and chat about what we heard in between playing a card game called Nertz. The kids loved that and it brought in a diverse range of learners who bonded. It opened communication where previously there was a divide.
Samford University offers degrees in composition, commercial music, music education, music and worship, instrumental, piano, and voice performance, and piano performance and pedagogy. at Samford’s School of theDivisionArts of Music about the Division of Music.
Katie James, Vanguard College Preparatory School
—Greg Montgomery, College Station MS
• Our Orff ensemble was a real boon to my overall program in that it showed students, as well as other teachers and com munity members, what was possible in terms of creativity and performance. Membership in the ensemble required no audi tion and was open to anyone willing and able to commit to the extra time required to practice. —Neal Tipton, Retired
—Alex Ramirez, Pacoima MS
• For UIL, I go through my process of selecting appropriate marches and works for the other two pieces. Once I’ve nar rowed it down to three sets of pieces, we go through each during the subsequent rehearsals. From that, students vote for their favorites via a Google form. It is usually clear which three the students prefer to work on for the next couple of months, and they tend to work harder on music they like. Chris Pulley, Belton MS
• I determine the main theme of the program (e.g., pirates or camping) and present students more songs than we could fit in. Then I let them decide which ones they want to per form. This creates buy-in that further invests them in their performance. I also give them options for the time between songs (Do you want to tell jokes? Do you want to educate your audience?). The more buy-in you have from students, the more pride they will experience in doing a good job. — Cara Walkup, Copperfield Elementary School
narration that tells audience members about the pieces and process we used to learn them. Students love taking an active role in their performances and are proud of what they accom plish.
• In our post-concert reflections, we ask what they would like to see or hear in their next performance. Through the repertoire we select for them to play at each performance, we work to balance their wishes with their needs as growing musicians.
• At the beginning of the year I display a poster where the stu dents check off their favorite songs. I begin to notice trends, especially on days when they hang out in my classroom dur ing their recess and want to play those songs over and over. Don’t discount their favorite songs! If I can, I find a way to incorporate them on Boomwhackers, xylophones, or whatever instrument we are learning because it will keep them wanting to learn. —Alison Adkins, Mineola Elementary School
—Jennifer Patterson, Williams Elementary School
• We encourage students to explore music vendor websites a couple of times a year, and they complete a Google form, providing links to pieces they want to play. We also complete a composition project each year, and students who create wonderful compositions for full band may have their compo sitions performed by their peers in a class or concert setting!
• Beyond band, choir, and orchestra, we are the only campus in our district that offers guitar and piano instruction at the secondary level. Often the fear of additional music classes is that they will take away students from the more traditional ensembles. However, a number of students participate in both the newer and traditional ensembles. What has helped to offset this fear is an administrative decision to require all sixth grade students to take a music class. While this is only the second year these two programs have been in existence, they have encouraged a wider variety of students to continue to be involved in a music program who otherwise would not have signed up.
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Matt Adamson, Mead MS
• I often ask student leaders about the pieces I select, fundrais ers, our social media presence, and various program logis tics. I am not asking for permission, but rather for feedback; they offer valuable and honest thoughts on how they believe students and families will react to my ideas. The students and I feed off each other intellectually—they suggest fun ideas and I choose those ideas that are the most pedagogically sound and financially feasible. I also heavily rely on my student leaders for concert setup. I tell them exactly what I want and inform the other students that their student leaders are in charge.
• As students mature musically, I consult them for input on nuance. Regardless of my opinion, I always give dignity to their suggestions. I allow the group to participate in the discussion and remind them that I am a compassionate dicta tor—ultimately the decision is mine, because the responsi bility rests with me, but I will always give consideration to their opinions, individually and collectively. —Eric Wharton, Mexia HS
Katie Lewis, Maus MS
How do you include your students in music decision-making?
• While I choose the repertoire, I invite students to help develop the form of pieces, the performance order, and the
• Getting the students involved with bowing parts is a great way to develop leadership in the program. In early rehears als of a new piece, play through a short passage or phrase and give the section leaders of the day time to talk through ideas with their section members and then the other section leaders. They report their ideas to the rest of the orchestra and hopefully arrive at consensus. Director involvement can ensure quality control as well as consistency and the students will have more ownership of the rehearsal process.
• I am hoping this upcoming school year I will be able to include my students more in this process! Last year, as a firstyear teacher, I did all of the selecting and they had to go with it. I don’t want to do that again. I won’t let them have the final or full say, but I want them to have fun and sing songs that are challenging and enjoyable!
• We always ask the ensemble questions for feedback. We encourage them to find answers for themselves and their peers. We try different ways of doing things and vote on which way works best. For example, we try various approaches for phrasing a line (with some guidance) and ask which one works best. Then we mark it in. We do the same for most musical decisions in the piece, including dynamics, bal ance, and intonation. If the situation allows, we do the same for repertoire selection. — Crystal Hoisager, Santa Fe MS
— Caden Snow, Mineral Wells JH
—Jorge Torres, Gutierrez MS of Arts & Sciences
• I offer a modern band class that is student-centered and cul turally responsive. The class is popular and has been especially successful with our at-risk student population. It has provided a much needed creative outlet for our most underserved stu dents.
—Bingiee Shiu, Memorial HS, Retired
• I have always selected our music, but I find a way to give them a say in how we learn it. What steps are needed to be successful? They also help decide the order of performance. —Anonymous
—Austin Cunningham, KIPP Austin Brave HS
• We play for graduation, and seniors get to select the pre lude repertoire (about 40 minutes). They choose from their favorites across their four years and any other ideas they might have. They love this and put the list together in the fall! Moises Llanes, Edinburg North HS • I give students a time frame for submitting suggested orches tra pieces and then I create a ballot from the suggestions I believe the group can prepare. Students vote, and the three selections that get the most votes become their music for the concert. The students love having ownership in what they are playing. —Jennifer Guffey, Schimelpfenig MS
—Stephanie McBrayer, McBrayer’s Music 0
• I select appropriate pieces for the season, semester, or con test. We listen to a recording or sightread the music and I take a survey of hands on their interest in each piece. After they have more time to work on them and we’re at the point of narrowing our focus, I do another survey of hands. Their interest helps drive the plan for the music. One year I had the leadership team come in after school to help look at scores, listen, and provide input. This was a cool experience for us all.
At the beginning of the school year, end of the first semester, and end of the year, I distribute a survey to ask students their opinions and feedback (anonymously, if they choose). Those questions include having them express positives and negatives about the class. Then, anytime I act on their feedback, I make it very clear so they know they are being heard. —Elizabeth Tait, Seven Lakes HS • With fourth and fifth graders, I lay out my skeletal plan for the program and let them help decide on which pieces to add instruments or dances. If the program is running too long, I will ask them to recommend a song to remove. For the younger students, I may ask them to help decide a fun move ment to add to a song. I sometimes have the class compose an easy ostinato or B section. Students like to make decisions!
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Susanne Zoch, Global Leadership Academy
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• At the end of each school year, one assignment students have is to peruse music websites and identify three new pieces of music that would be appropriate for the groups to sing next year. I include a rubric so they know what to look for in an appropriate piece of choral literature—it can’t be just because they like it! Then I give a fall concert choice assignment where students listen to five pieces and choose their top three, iden tifying which elements drew them to those particular pieces. This is a written assignment on Canvas. Once the assignment closes, usually in a week, I tally the votes for the top three, and those are the pieces we work on. —Sarah Anderson, Gateway College Preparatory School
• Students want to be valued and included. Leadership is paramount to student ownership of a program. Students are always in the band hall, so when we have an idea (or one of them does) there is always a sounding board. —Josh King, Beckville ISD
What could be more valuable than the opportunity to educate and mentor the next generation of citizens, musicians, mothers, fathers, neighbors? Not in This for
convention housing reservation system opens online. November
I walked back into the house and began to think about the thousands of incredible young people who have come through my band hall and the blessings they have been on my life. I then began to wonder about what other awesome individuals might find their way into our program in the future—talented, intelligent young people who will be looking for a place to belong, learn, thrive, perform, and succeed. As the faces scrolled
September—Renew 1 —All-State etude 6, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA 1 —TMEA 19 —TMEA
Easy TMEA Band Vice-PresidentSHANEGOFORTH
your membership and register for the convention. September
errata submission deadline. October
convention early registration deadline. February 8–11 —TMEA Clinic/Convention in San MARKAntonio.YOUR CALENDAR check www.tmea .org for updates 15Southwestern Musician | September 2022
Isit at my computer this evening, article deadline looming, on the eve of summer band, feeling more than just a little stressed. Of course, I had planned ample time to compose my monthly submission until I had to repair my son’s car, replumb my air conditioning condensate drain, and purchase and install a new washing machine. Life intervenes again, and with seemingly no regard to my carefully articulated schedule. As I finished with the washing machine, my neigh bor approached to inquire about my latest home ownership conundrum.
She is a fellow educator and, as it almost always does, the conversation turned to our chosen profession. Today, however, her words took on an unusually dark tone. She began to relate to me how she plans to retire after this year and that her daughter, another master teacher in the dis trict who is adored by my children, was also leaving education. I felt like my heart was going to break under the weight of her words. As distress ing as they were, it was not that her sentiments alone were particularly burdensome, it was that they came at the end of a spring and summer full of conversations that culminated in one of her parting thoughts, “Staying in education is just not worth it. It’s just so hard now.”
We’re
scholarship online application deadline. January
The great things in life—the things that prove to be truly valuable—are always hard.
0 Working at a New School? Go to https://my.tmea.org and update your TMEA record, selecting your school (My Organizations) and entering new contact information (My Contact Info). School Name Not Found? If you are working at a new school and it is not available for selection, email susand@tmea.org (or submit a request from your online TMEA record) with as much of the following information as you have: School Name, District, Physical and Mailing Addresses, and TEA code (for Texas schools). Thank you! 16 Southwestern Musician September 2022
Our annual convention is now just five months away (February 8–11), and the Executive Board and staff are excited about the clinics, concerts, and exhibits that are the foundation of this amazing event! Below, you’ll read about our division’s Featured Clinician, and this month you’ll be able to view a list of clinics and clini cians online at www.tmea.org/convention/ clinics.Ifyou didn’t register when you renewed your membership, go to www.tmea.org/ register now to pay the lowest fee to attend.
through my mind I wondered how hard my neighbor’s job must have gotten for the impact she makes on these lives each day to no longer be worth it? Many of the students I have been privi leged to teach have come with a unique set of issues, and the students entering the program today face challenges that are surely motivated by the unprecedented pandemic and resulting educational land scape. Education has never been an easy occupation and, undoubtedly, the prob lems encountered in the modern class room are real and difficult. That said, I was recently reminded of one of my favorite sayings, when facing a difficult situation, as one of my students quoted it back to me. He said, “Mr. Goforth, it’s a good thing that we are not in it for easy.” His words brought me back to a simple yet funda mental truth. The great things in life—the things that prove to be truly valuable—are always hard. What could be more valuable than the opportunity to educate and men tor the next generation of citizens, musi cians, mothers, fathers, neighbors? So as the newness of the school year wanes and you settle into the rhythm of the semester, I ask you to look through the challenges of the day and focus on the awesome young people who walk through your door every day. And when things get especially difficult, remember the words of John F. Kennedy when he said that we do these things, “not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
Honor Band Congratulations to the ensembles that entered the Honor Band process this year! The performances were outstanding, and although our new process isn’t perfect, overall it ran very smoothly at all levels. I would like to extend a huge thanks to the Region and Area Chairs and express my most sincere gratitude to Gerry Miller, our State Honor Band Chair, and TMEA Deputy Director Frank Coachman. Without these incredible and selfless indi viduals, Honor Band, in its new form, would not have been successful. 2023 Clinic/Convention Update
On Thursday, October 6, TMEA will open its hotel reservation system at 6 a.m. CT. As many of you know, our convention hotel blocks fill up quickly, so don’t hesi tate to make a reservation. I am looking forward to seeing everyone in February! Convention Volunteers Please consider volunteering for one of the many roles essential to producing our incredible convention. I’m sure you’ll find a small donation of your time incred ibly rewarding. You can find information about volunteering at www.tmea.org/ bandvolunteer.
Featured Clinician I’m thrilled to announce that our 2023 Band Division Featured Clinician will be Wayne Oquin, originally from Texas and a TMEA Band and Choir All-State musician!Dedicated to education, Oquin contin ues to balance his incredible responsibili ties as the Chair of Musicianship at the Juilliard School with his prodigious com posing schedule. I know you will want to make time in your convention sched ule for his outstanding clinics about the relationship between the composer and conductor, enhancing musicianship in the classroom, and the development of indi vidual musicianship. Wayne Oquin With premieres around the world, Wayne Oquin is among today’s most performed American composers. A native of Houston, Oquin’s music has been commissioned and programmed by the Danish National Symphony, Munich Philharmonic, Nashville Symphony, Pacific Symphony, and Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as by the King’s Singers, pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin, and Grammy Award–winning organist Paul Jacobs. Widely known for his contributions to symphonic wind literature, Oquin has been performed by the United States Air Force, Army Field, Coast Guard, and Marine Bands and by many of the lead ing university wind ensembles around the country. His Song for Silent Voices, com posed for the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Wind Symphony, is the 2018 winner of the National Band Association’s William D. Revelli Award, the second time Oquin has won the prize. In addition, Oquin is a recipient of the Commander’s Medal of Excellence from the U.S. Air ForceOquinBand.is a Distinguished Alum of Texas State University. He holds an MM and DMA in music composition from the Juilliard School, where he received two awards for his orchestral compositions and the Richard F. French Prize for best doctoral dissertation. He was appointed to Juilliard’s faculty in 2008. There he teaches courses in music theory and graduate studies and serves as chair of the Musician Department.
Class 6A Rank School/ISD ................................................. Directors 1 Hebron HS/Lewisville ISD .................................Andrew Sealy 2 Flower Mound HS/Lewisville ISD Brent Biskup 3 CT Johnson HS/North East ISD Jarrett Lipman 4 Dawson HS/Pearland ISD.................................. Aaron Brown 5 College Park HS/Conroe ISD.......................... Jeffrey Gorring 6 Coppell HS/Coppell ISD Kim Shuttlesworth 7 Cypress Woods HS/Cypress-Fairbanks ISD ..............HarringtonThomas 8 Vista Ridge HS/Leander ISD ........................ Bryan Christian 9 Tompkins HS/Katy ISD Stephen Bond 10 Pearce HS/Richardson ISD Dimitrios Icossipentarhos Class 1A/2A Rank School/ISD ................................................. Directors 1 Carlisle HS/Carlisle HS ........................... Christopher Clifton 2 Beckville HS/Beckville ISD Josh King 3 Santo HS/Santo ISD Mark Belding 4 Tenaha HS/Tenaha ISD ......................................... Brian Sours 5 Irion County HS/Irion County ISD ................. Brian Tillman 6 Timpson HS/Timpson ISD Deshmond Johnson 7 San Saba HS/San Saba ISD Chans Moellendorf 8 Shiner HS/Shiner ISD ......................................... Zachary Sims 9 Cisco HS/Cisco ISD Tony Dorsey 10 Kaufer ECHS/Riviera ISD Roel Saenz 11 Three Rivers HS/Three Rivers ISD ............. Meagan Stephens 12 Water Valley HS/Water Valley ISD David Andrus 13 Olney HS/Olney ISD Rodney Bennett Class 4A Rank School/ISD ................................................ Directors 1 Argyle HS/Argyle ISD Jason Bird 2 Alvarado HS/Alvarado ISD Patrick Dietz 3 Sunnyvale HS/Sunnyvale ISD ............................. Jacob Pipak 4 Bridge City HS/Bridge City ISD Tami Goss 5 Lindale HS/Lindale ISD Steven Moore 6 Chapel Hill HS/Chapel Hill ISD .....................Joseph Hewitt 7 Carter-Riverside HS/Fort Worth ISD Jordan English 8 Canyon HS/Canyon ISD Eric Rath 9 Emerson HS/Frisco ISD .................................... Bryn Roberts 10 Melissa HS/Melissa ISD ................................. Jerry Whorton Class 2C Rank School/ISD ................................................ Directors 1 Wiley MS/Leander ISD Taylor Williamson 2 Colleyville MS/Grapevine-Colleyville ISD ......Lauren Jones 3 Dawson MS/Carroll ISD Chase Howard 4 Arbor Creek MS/Lewisville ISD Kimberly Beene 5 Lawler MS/Frisco ISD ................................. Christian Holzer 6 Vela MS/Brownsville ISD ........................... Mario Sarmiento 7 Creekside Park JH/Tomball ISD Rasheed Akande 8 Four Points MS/Leander ISD Jessica Gonzales 9 Coleman MS/Waxahachie ISD ...................... David Ingram 10 Memorial Parkway JH/Katy ISD David Lorine Jr. 11 Clark MS/United ISD Gilbert Cuellar 12 Central MS/Nederland ISD ..................................... Eric Rose 13 Foster MS/Longview ISD Jada Alexander 14 Frenship MS/Frenship ISD Kyle Billett 15 Creekside IS/Clear Creek ISD ..................................Ana Tran Congratulations, Honor Bands and Finalists Join TMEA in congratulating the directors and students of the following outstanding programs! Thanks go to the TMEA members who served as Honor Band adjudicators and playback operators for ensuring a successful process. To view these and previous years’ results online, go to: www.tmea.org/honorbandhistory. 17Southwestern Musician | September 2022
February 20 February 25 March 4 To schedule audition,yourtext AUDITION or915-207-2481toscantheQRcode
T hinking back on that first year we taught music, it’s clear we didn’t know the full extent of what we had gotten ourselves into. Even though we completed all the college courses designed to prepare us for the profession, it’s impossible for every scenario to be covered. With that in mind, we want to offer a few strategies we’ve learned while on the job to help spark ideas in your first few years of teaching.
• What have the attitudes of the students been toward their program?
• Has the program been successful the past several years, or is it in the rebuilding stage?
Use the answers to these simple questions to help shape your approach to the new job. Never go into a school expecting per fection—we must adapt our expectations to the reality of the environment, or we risk burning out students and ourselves.
Understanding the Climate and Culture In English class, we are taught to know our audience before writing a speech, and the same goes for teaching! Although we can never be 100% prepared to step into a new role, we must do our best not to do it blindly. Do your
Time & Classroom Management Establishing effective time and classroom manage ment is vital to success in any classroom. You cannot manage a room full of students if you aren’t in control of the environment. And if you are not in control of by Andrea Harris-Rockwell, Daniel Gonzalez, and Jaylon Stewart
• Is music education prioritized or is it viewed simply as a pastime?
19Southwestern Musician | September 2022
• What is the climate of the pro gram in its current state?
Success Strategies for the First Years research, and don’t be afraid to connect with alumni and previous employees and peruse social media pages about the district and program.Knowing your district’s demographics, climate, and culture will help you facilitate stronger relationships with faculty, parents, and students. Keep in mind that you aren’t just taking a job as a music educator; you are becoming a very important person in the community! Yours is the face they see at competitions, parades, concerts, and otherThinkevents.of climate as the current perception of the program and culture as the program’s gen eral personality. Each will help you understand where the program has been and where it is heading. Consider these questions:
• Are students steadily pushing forward or are they losing steam?
the environment, you will surely be unable to manage the time consumption in your classroom. A great place to start with time management is having policies and pro cedures in place. Train students on how to enter the classroom. Do you want your students walking in quietly? Do you want them to warm up on their own? If so, teach them how to do this. If you haven’t already established these procedures, wait no longer. Spend several days working on clear expectations and the three R’s—relationships, routines, and resources—to build a better environment before diving into instruction. It will pay off in the long run.
Examples can include participating in parades, performing at retirement or Find your place in a remarkable community—perform in outstanding ensembles, audition for music scholarships regardless of your major, and study with an accomplished faculty. Tacoma, WA | music.admission@pugetsound.edu | 253.879.3228 Create, perform, andpugetsound.edu/musicexplore. You are not alone. You matter, and you must take care of yourself so that you can be a positive influence on your students for many years to come. 20 Southwestern Musician September 2022
Your Rehearsal Game Plan
Always have a plan before the class begins. Winging a rehearsal will result in wasted time, so plan each rehearsal seg ment, and stick to your plan. Build les son plans around expected problem areas so you can proactively avoid rehearsal issues. As you think about your rehearsals, imagine yourself as a student. How much time do you want to spend playing ver sus listening to the director talk? While it is important to provide feedback and ask higher-level thinking questions, we must find a productive balance, favoring playing overBeforetalking.aclass enters, prominently dis play their daily agenda in the classroom
Building
lasting
in
(whiteboard, projector, monitor). When students know the game plan for the day, it will help you maximize instruction time. This simple step also helps demonstrate to students that you are prepared and orga nized, further reinforcing your expecta tions for your students also to be prepared and organized in the classroom. Quick transitions result in fewer inter ruptions and help mitigate behavior issues. Consider doing a countdown from one activity to another, or have students freeze when one has been completed. With your well-thought-out rehearsal plan on dis play, the next activity will be known to you and your students, making the transition to itAtsmoother.theendof each class, reflect on what went well and what needs to be changed; use that reflection to help build future plans. Relationships With the Community: Involving stu dents the community will help build impressions about your program.
Try a FREE 30-day trial! Interactive Songs Access 500 arrangements backing tracks, PDF resources, and much more! Flexible Customizableand Create your own playlists, on any internet device. LessonsFully-Developed 30 lessons per grade level that are carefully aligned to na ds and with embedded SEL. The best source for interactive resources and songs kids love. Visit eemusicclass.com for complete details. Essential Elements Music Class
With Students: Fostering positive stu dent relationships and caring for students in and out of the classroom should be a top priority. Students are likely involved in other school programs, and when you attend their athletic events, other fine arts performances, and more, it will help in fostering that relationship. When time commitment is an issue, simply wishing students good luck in other events or ask ing them how it went can go a long way!
Daniel Gonzalez is the Tyler HS Assistant Band Director (Tyler JaylonISD).Stewart is the Chapel Hill JH Head Band Director (Chapel Hill ISD).
Andrea Harris-Rockwell is the Van JH Assistant Band Director (Van ISD).
22 Southwestern Musician September 2022
Learn More You can gain even more advice about classroom management and work-life balance for teachers in their first years in the August issue’s installment of Q&A for Music Teachers (page 29 in that issue). For an online version, go www.tmea.org/august2022.to: Q&A for Music Teachers is a great resource, especially for early-career teachers. You can search online by topic or division at www.tmea.org/q&a. There are over 200 questions and thousands of answers! assisted living facilities, and helping with any outreach programs. The commu nity might not remember when the band played the fight song after a touchdown or when the choir and orchestra went to con test. However, they will remember when they saw students performing at a nurs ing home or for a Veterans Day event or participating in a community project. In addition to community outreach in per son, another way to increase visibility in your community is through social media platforms where you can post about your students’ successes and activities on and off Thecampus.bottom line is that the community needs to see the good things going on in your program because many community members know its history, and many grew up in the program. With Staff Members: Within our schools, it is important to have great relationships with all faculty and staff, especially custodians, counselors, and secretaries. Custodians are tasked with many daily duties, so hold your students accountable for keeping the classroom clean. A great way to make the faculty and staff feel appreciated while promoting your program is to provide them an opportu nity to purchase a program shirt or gift them a shirt. It is always great to see other team members wearing your program’s shirt, and students love to see the support.
With Parents/Guardians: Parents need to know as soon as possible what’s going on in the program, so communicating early and effectively with them is vital.
Using resources like Band App, Remind, or other district communication platforms will help keep parents in the know. Spend time translating letters/forms into the languages of your students’ fami lies (if you need help, ask the parents/ guardians for someone to offer this as a service to your program). Building rela tionships with the students’ parents/ guardians is essential; attend school parent events and open houses, and make quick, positive phone calls home about their chil dren. Parents will become more invested in the program when you invest in them and their children.
Find out the best way to communicate with school staff and share your program’s event calendar with them to encourage their attendance.
Understand the Team’s Vision and Goal Taking the time to connect on a per sonal level with others will help you estab lish mutual respect among staff and will help you see past any preconceived notions you might have about them. Understand your team’s vision and ensure yours aligns with it. A positive work environment is key to a successful program, and nurtur ing that environment is the responsibility of everyone on the team.
As you consider the many facets of your job—especially those that might not have been part of your teacher training—you might feel overwhelmed. Understand that you are not alone. You matter, and you must take care of yourself so that you can be a positive influence on your students for many years to come.
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may
Each year I create specific student-oriented goals. The focus varies based on the individual, from aims related to audition participation, to leadership skills, to ensemble placement. I have a goal for one violinist to improve her placement results in the state audition process. For another, the goal is for this student officer to develop and refine their leadership skills.Ata program level, I have created goals since my early years in teach ing. Initially, I set a goal to grow the program over a period of a few years, with specific targets for the number of students involved in the orchestra program to the number of students auditioning for Region and partici pating in solo and ensemble. Last year, I focused on creating more community in our program. I did this by evaluating our activities with stronger community in mind and created new activities to strengthen the sense of community across all the orchestras. A goal I have for this year is to strengthen recruitment Establishing goals is one of the first and most important things we can do to promote success because it will provide direction for our students and ourselves.
Ihope you have had a great start to the school year, moving forward from the 2021–2022 year’s progress. The start of the new year brings many opportunities for you, your program, and your students. In a conversation I had over the summer, I was talking about a characteristic that I consider a strength of mine—having a goal mindset. This mindset has benefitted me repeatedly over the years. Since the days when I was a young educator, goals have been a driving force throughout my career and personal life. The goals I made for my students, my program, and myself provided essential drive and direction.
ANN G. SMITH
MARKAntonio.YOUR CALENDAR check www.tmea .org for updates 24 Southwestern Musician September 2022
October 15 —Honor Orchestra Parts B & C and the recording due for HS String. October 25–26 —HS String Honor Orchestra adjudication. November 1 —TMEA scholarship online application deadline. January 19 —TMEA convention early registration deadline. February 8–11 —TMEA Clinic/Convention in San
September—Renew your membership and register for the convention. September 1 —All-State etude errata submission deadline. September 1 —All-State recording excerpts posted Septemberonline.1—Region-level audition cuts be Septemberannounced.15—Honor Orchestra Part A online entry deadline for HS String. October 6, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens online.
Setting Goals That Inspire Growth TMEA Orchestra Vice-President
I will be working on improved retention at the middle school level with additional performances and interaction between my students at the high school level with the students at the middle school level. For myself, I set goals specific to my professional and personal life. As a teacher and a director, I want to improve my score study and preparation. I mapped out a daily schedule to integrate a time for deeper study of the music we are playing and will be playing. I also want to con nect more with every student so that they all know they are important to me. My daily goal is to reach out to certain stu dents, demonstrating my genuine interest in who they are. I also have personal learn ing goals and plan on returning to school to take classes to expand my knowledge in the education field.
The teacher appraisal system is also based on setting professional goals that will benefit the students in our classroom and programs. Establishing goals is one of the first and most important things we can do to promote success because it will provide direction for our students and ourselves. Motivation for Progress If you ever find yourself in a rut or a holding pattern, it’s time to create new goals or reevaluate your existing ones to provide the needed motivation for prog ress and change. When we have an end point to focus on, we’ll be more inclined to give 100% toward achieving it. We need to remember to aim high enough to inspire growth yet at a level that’s achievable to ensure we can experience success.
to attend our 800-322-62631849InstrumentsAccessoriesRentalRepairUniversityAve.Berkeley,Ca94703510-845-7178www.forrestsmusic.comYour one stop shop for all things double reed since 1944 25Southwestern Musician | September 2022
Update I hope you have
and have a higher percentage of retention.
2023
As we embark on the journey of meet ing our goals, we are held accountable to them at these points of reference. For me this accountability is reinforced as I set small rewards along the path for myself. When my kids were young and were working through goals, we would provide rewards along the way to help them remain accountable. Similarly, I set small rewards for myself along the path to achieving a goal.As we make goals for our students and programs, we should keep in mind the benefits that will follow as these goals are set, worked, and achieved. With goals that are well thought out, of high quality, and achievable, our students will experience direction, motivation, and most impor tantly success wherever they are. Best Practices Goals are best realized when they fol low a pattern. There are countless ways to set and achieve goals, and the process can be personalized for each of us. As I cre ate and set goals both personally and for my program, there are a few steps I like to keep in mind. First, I never set goals when I am in a down state. I don’t set goals fol lowing a bad day or rehearsal, and I almost always work on them following some sort of assessment.Therearesome golden rules of goal set ting that, if followed, can yield more suc cess in the process. One rule is that your goals must be specific. When they are too vague, we stray off the path because the destination isn’t clear. Along with goals being specific, they must be measurable and there must be points along the way to assess our progress. When they aren’t measurable, we lack motivation for achiev ing them because we have nothing to gauge our progress against. Our sense of direc tion will be delayed or lost. Our goals must also be relevant and attainable. It is our responsibility as their teacher/director to create goals that are tied to the scope and subject matter. And, as I mentioned earlier, those goals must be high enough to provide inspiration and motivation but not so high that we and our students easily become discouraged. There
is a fine line between what is attainable and what is Finally,discouraging.amostimportant aspect of this work is that each goal we set has a clear, relevant, and achievable time frame. Our students need to be able to visualize it to achieve it. As much as I am personally motivated by this process, I believe our students and programs are as well. If you don’t already do so or haven’t done so for this school year, take the time to assess your students and program and set specific and relevant goals. Inform your students of these goals and work with them to become invested in those goals. If we all engage in this process, we will see the passion of music education grow and strengthen within ourselves and our students. Honor Orchestra Congratulations to each ensemble that entered the Honor Orchestra competition! The level of performance that was dis played was amazing. We sincerely appreci ate the expertise of our adjudicators and dedicated service of the playback opera tors and hosts who helped us have another successful competition. I encourage you to attend the Honor Orchestra perfor mances in February—you won’t be disap pointed! See the list of finalists and Honor Orchestras on the next page. Clinic/Convention plans
High School Full Rank School/ISD ..............................................................................Directors 1 Plano West Sr HS/Plano ISD Ryan Ross 2 Seven Lakes HS/Katy ISD Desiree Overree 3 Westwood HS/Round Rock ISD ................................................... Joshua Thompson 4 Tompkins HS/Katy ISD ..................................................................... Matthew Porter 5 A llen HS/Allen ISD David DeVoto 6 Independence HS/Frisco ISD ................................................................ Lindsey Titus Middle School/Junior High Full Rank School/ISD ...............................................................................Directors 1 Curtis MS/Allen ISD Amanda Su 2 Otto MS/Plano ISD ..............................................................................Brandie Phillips 3 Canyon Vista MS/Round Rock ISD .................................................... Ragan Whatley 4 Ereckson MS/Allen ISD Joanna DeVoto 5 Ronald Thornton MS/Fort Bend ISD Kara Hernandez 6 Ci nco Ranch JH/Katy ISD .............................................................................. Laura Vu 7 Founders Classical Academy of Frisco MS/Responsive Wesley Peart Education Solutions Middle School/Junior High String Rank School/ISD ...............................................................................Directors 1 Beckendorff JH/Katy ISD ..................................................................... Amy Williams 2 Canyon Vista MS/Round Rock ISD Ragan Whatley 3 Sartartia MS/Fort Bend ISD Heather Davis 4 Tays JH/Katy ISD .................................................................................. Bryanna Porter 5 Ereckson MS/Allen ISD ....................................................................... Joanna DeVoto 6 Curtis MS/Allen ISD Amanda Su Congratulations, Honor Orchestras and Finalists Join TMEA in congratulating the directors and students of the following outstanding programs! The High School String Honor Orchestra finalists and winners will be included in the January issue. annual convention in San Antonio! Know that our hotel reservations open on October 6 at 6 a.m. CT. Register online now to attend at www.tmea.org/register (or if you haven’t renewed your member ship, do both at www.tmea.org/renew). This month, you’ll get a high-level pre view of all clinics and their clinicians at www.tmea.org/convention/clinics, and in December’s issue, you’ll see a full schedule of events.Looking toward our amazing conven tion, know that we rely on TMEA members to give just a little time as convention vol unteers. When each of us gives just a little, our gathering of music educators can be a massive success! Register to volunteer now (selecting the roles and days/times of inter est) at www.tmea.org/orchestravolunteer. I am happy to announce that our Orchestra Division Featured Clinician is Robert Gillespie. I am looking forward to the sessions he will be presenting. One topic of interest is adolescent buy-in. Gillespie will be presenting research-based ideas for what motivates our young stu dents and how we can utilize these ideas in recruiting and retaining our student musicians.Wecan look forward to exploring effi cient rehearsals while going beyond the basics with expressive playing. Continuing the efficient rehearsal topic, he will iden tify common bowing problems and how to fix them quickly and efficiently in your rehearsal.Gillespie will also talk about develop ing your leadership style and making it an asset for developing leadership in your program. Our featured clinician will pres ent these varied ideas during our conven tion, and I know we will all walk away as better teachers, leaders, and mentors. Robert Gillespie Robert Gillespie is Ohio State University Professor Emeritus of string edu cation/string pedagogy. Under Gillespie’s leader ship, Ohio State University received the 2015 Institutional String Education Award as the premier string education university in the country. Gillespie is a frequent guest conductor of all-state, region, and festival orchestras, having appeared in 49 states, Canada, Asia, and throughout Europe. He is co-author of Essential Elements for Strings and of the college text Strategies for Teaching Strings: Building A Successful School Orchestra Program , the String Clinics to Go DVD series, the Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra texts, and the new method series, Rockin’ Strings. In summers, well over 1,600 teachers have attended the annual summer OSU String Teacher Workshop, the largest string/orchestra teacher-training work shop in America. In Columbus, Gillespie conducts the Columbus Symphony Chamber Strings Youth Orchestra. In 2020, Gillespie received the Paul Rolland Lifetime Achievement Award from the American String Teachers Association for significant contribution to the field of string teacher education and string pedagogy. 0 26 Southwestern Musician September 2022
Remember that your students are kids—even the tall ones— and they need movement, laughter, and fun! When I run into former students, they rarely mention Sweepstakes awards, but they always remember the Sheep Game!
It Works for Me
by emilee hall - rocha A s music educators, we know that practice and repeti tion are fundamental to learning. A lack of variation in this repetition, however, can lead to a loss of moti vation and progress. Through the years, I have added several games to my bag of tricks to help me vary instruction. Most I learned from colleagues, college professors, or master teachers sharing their ideas online. Why Games? Games can help you vary instruction in a fun way! They are effective tools for switching up the daily routine, while maintain ing the same goals. The following games I describe can be played with either no materials or materials you likely have around your classroom, and they fall into these categories: technique/posture games and rehearsal games.
For games to be effective for all learners, students must feel safe in your classroom. Mistakes must be accepted as part of the learn ing process and feedback must be a positive experience. This looks different in every program, as well as from student to student. Know your students and their learning styles. Technique/Posture Games
Rehearsal Games Pencil Game: This game uses something students should already have on their stand—a pencil! This game can be played by groups or individuals. The goal is to move the pencil from one side of the stand to the other (for us that’s a total of three moves). If the stu dents play a passage correctly, they get to move their pencil across one segment. Do you want a beast mode for advanced students? If they make a mistake, they return their pencil to the beginning!
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Emilee Hall-Rocha is the Head Orchestra Director at Central HS in San Angelo. For a full list of games presented in her TMEA clinic on this topic, go to www.tmea.org/rehearsalgames.
Doctor/Epidemic: One student (the doctor) leaves the room. While they are out, the class decides one technique or posture error (basic or advanced) to make while playing a passage. When the doctor returns, they must discern what error is being made. To finish the round, everyone, including the doctor, plays the passage with the correct technique/posture. Sometimes, students need to identify what is wrong to understand what is right. Variation: Ask all students to play a passage incorrectly, with a specific error, and then have them play the passage correctly. This often helps the handful of students who have been playing a wrong note or bowing.
Musical Chairs: We love this game! On what we call a Wacky Wednesday, students switch seats with someone in their section, or better yet, outside their section. This quickly lets our kids gauge whether they are relying on the other members of their section. In our class, every student has their own binder and stand for rehearsals, so that helps with the logistics of this game! Variations: (1) Divide students into chamber groups. Depending on the class, you may assign these groups, or allow them to divide themselves with certain parameters; (2) Have students rehearse in a large circle, whether divided by section or mixed up.
27Southwestern Musician | September 2022
Hot and Cold: Finally, this game is a favorite among our stu dents! We use this game when we want them to work on dynamic contrast. Choose one student to leave the room. While the student is out of the room, the remaining students hide a small object somewhere in the room (on one of my campuses, we hide a stuffed sheep; on another, it’s a statue of Beethoven). When the student returns, the class must guide them to the object by playing a pas sage or piece with specific dynamics. If the student gets closer to the object, the class plays louder. If the student moves farther away, the class plays softer. Remember to Have Fun!
Heads Up 7-Up (Among Us): Students close their eyes. You qui etly walk around the room and tap the shoulder of one student. Instruct students to open their eyes and play a selection. The stu dent you selected will play with a predetermined mistake (tech nique, intonation, etc.). Other students must identify the impos ter—the student who was chosen by the teacher. We find that this gets students very motivated to play correctly, especially when they are not the imposter!
Variation: Roll dice to determine the number of repetitions. In a bind? Download a dice app.
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Whether you are the sole director in a town with one high school or you work in a district with a robust pyramid, everyone desires a team that works together with ease and joy. At this point in the school year, the honeymoon phase is behind you and the systems you and your team put in place will be tested by students, parents, and colleagues. You will continue to grow this year, but in which phase are you currently?
T he above quote is attributed to Henry Ford, who was quite successful in the automo tive industry during the 20th century. He knew a thing or two about bringing people together to achieve a common goal. Although he didn’t invent the assembly line, he was instrumental in its refinement and increased production efficiency, resulting in automobiles that were no longer exclu sively for the elite.
I’m sure you have experienced a greater synergy at the beginning of a year when you and your team members are communicating seam lessly. You might even be able to predict what each other is going to say. Perhaps you instinctively know how to split activities and responsi bilities, respecting everyone’s individual talents and skills. Most impor tantly, you share. You share thoughts, ideas, insights, work, and wisdom.
Together Is Better TMEA Vocal Vice-President JESSE CANNON II September—Renew your membership and register for the convention. October 6, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens online. November 1 —TMEA scholarship online application deadline. January 19 —TMEA convention early registration deadline. February 8–11 —TMEA Clinic/Convention in San MARKAntonio.YOUR CALENDAR check www.tmea .org for updates In Memoriam Betty DecemberDevine2,1937–June 15, 2022 Mackenzie Malone July 4, 1992–July 28, 2022 30 Southwestern Musician September 2022
Coming Together The first part of the quote could be considered the common purpose phase. Each teacher and student must know and feel a sense of belonging or shared purpose. We have a natural need for inclusion. When everyone Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.
TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN ALL-LEVEL MUSIC EDUCATION BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN PERFORMANCE BACHELOR OF ARTS IN MUSIC 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 12, 2022 | 1-3 p.m. Saturday, January 21, 2023 | 1-3 p.m. Friday, February 17, 2023 | 1-3 p.m. Saturday, March 25, 2023 | 1-3 p.m. Saturday, April 15, 2023 | 1 - 3 p.m. Individual audition dates may be requested if necessary. SCHOOL OF DEPARTMENTMUSICHEADS Douglas R. Boyer Director, School of Music and Director of Choral Activities 800-771-8521830-372-6869dboyer@tlu.eduor Eric Daub Director of Piano Studies edaub@tlu.edu Liliana Guerrero Director of Vocal lguerrero@tlu.eduStudies Richard Herrera Interim Director of Bands riherrera@tlu.edu Eliza Jeffords Director of ejeffords@tlu.eduStrings FACULTY Adam Bedell Instructor, Percussion Carol Brittin Chambers Composer in Residence & Composition William Hayter Asst. Professor, Clarinet & Music Education Sean Holmes Asst. Professor, Horn & Music History Hilary Janysek Asst. Professor, Flute & Music History Michael Keplinger Instructor, Guitar Elizabeth Lee Asst. Professor, Cello Ingram Lee, IV Instructor, Trombone & Euphonium Deborah Mayes Choral Accompanist Scott McDonald Instructor, Saxophone, Jazz Band & Music Education Carla McElhaney Asst. Professor, General Music David Milburn Instructor, Double Bass Angela Moretti Instructor, Bassoon Nicole Narboni Asst. Professor, Piano Daniel Orban Instructor, Trumpet Sung-Eun Park Asst. Professor, Collaborative Pianist Keith Robinson Instructor, Tuba & Music Education Jill Rodriguez Instructor, General Music Eric Siu Asst. Professor, Violin Shareen Vader Instructor, Piano & Music Education Mika Valenzuela Instructor, Oboe Yvonne Vasquez Instructor, Mariachi www.tlu.edu/music For specific qualifications for each award, visit www.tlu.edu/music-scholarships.
think. perform. explore. Music scholarships available to non-music majorstrinity.edu/music The Trinity University Music Department is recognized as an ALL-STEINWAY SCHOOL by Steinway and Sons, for its commitment to excellence ■ Faculty who focus on undergraduates ■ 16 ensembles, with national and international ensemble touring opportunities ■ Degrees in music education, performance, and composition ■ Master of Arts in Teaching, a 5th year program with a full year of student teaching and 100% job placement (25 consecutive years) ■ Located in culturally vibrant San Antonio ■ Study Abroad opportunities 32 Southwestern Musician September 2022
Keeping Together Programs that find themselves in this phase have no issue creating a team spirit or sense of belonging. Teachers and stu dents have a high level of commitment and self-esteem, but how long will it last? To elevate your program, you must believe in yourself and in your team. Stay the course and continue to remind your team of their mutual commitment to each other, and no matter what, don’t let up. Working Together This phase occurs when teachers have a shared contribution and operate at highly successful levels with a good understand ing of the principles of communication. It’s a type of collaboration that breeds open sharing and trust among the team. These choral programs have forged partnerships with the community, parents, district administrators, and students in the pro gram that go beyond win-win outcomes. If you’ve struggled to develop and sus tain your team, it could be that you’re attempting the narrow rails of leadership alone. Gather your team and together develop your mission statement and goals and discuss mutual commitment and shared contribution. You will achieve what others see as impossible and make it possible.Strivefor excellence in communication, building a sure foundation, and working together toward success, where both col leagues and students feel supported and valued. TMEA Clinic/Convention Update I’m so looking forward to our conven tion, which is just five months away! A preview list of selected clinics and their clinicians is available in September at www.tmea.org/convention/clinics, and our December issue will offer a full sched ule of our 2023 event! Mark October 6 on your calendar as our hotel reservation sys tem opens online that day at 6 a.m. CT.
Lastly, remember to register to attend at www.tmea.org/register. Be a Volunteer There are many opportunities for you to serve to ensure the 2023 TMEA Clinic/ Convention is an amazing experience for all who attend (including you!). Our volunteers are incredible, and the con vention truly could not function without the willingness of our members to give a little of their time and talent. Let us be the TMEA division that leads by exam ple when it comes to volunteering for this year’s convention! To register as a volun teer and indicate your areas of interest, go to www.tmea.org/vocalvolunteer.
is included and made to feel a part of the process, they find common ground. This school year, many of us inherited programs or auditioned new students for our ensembles. How do you remove the silos from the summer and form bonds that help create a highly functioning team?
Featured Clinician I’m pleased to introduce our 2023 Vocal Division Featured Clinician, Derrick Fox. You can look forward to incredible learn ing opportunities through his clinics. Fox will be presenting sessions on rehearsal strategies, conducting techniques, enhanc ing your singer’s musicality, new reper toire, and longevity in the choral class room. This series of clinics will offer both
incredible
He launched the Derrick Fox Choral Series with MusicSpoke to publish works by and about marginalized and minori tized people. He created the Professional Choral Collective (PCC) to collect and cre ate learning activities and teaching strate gies for choral music educators around the world to use during the COVID-19 pan demic and beyond.
Derrick Fox Derrick Fox is Director of Choral Activities and Distinguished Associate Professor of Music at the University of Nebraska Omaha. He earned a BME from Arkansas State University, an MM in choral conducting from the University of Missouri–Columbia, and a DMA in choral conducting from Michigan State University, where he was awarded the pres tigious University Enrichment Graduate Fellowship.Foxhas taught at the middle school, high school, and collegiate levels. His con ducting experiences include upper elemen tary choirs through collegiate and com munity choirs. Recently, he was awarded the 2021 Bryan R. Johnson Service Award by the Nebraska Music Educators Association and the 2022 University of Nebraska Omaha Award for Distinguished Research/Creative Activity.
Fox has conducted all-state choirs, led international, national, and regional choral concerts/residencies, and presented pro fessional development workshops across the United States and internationally. His compositions and arrangements are pub lished by Hal Leonard, MusicSpoke, and Brilee Music. His book Yes You Can: A Band Director’s Guide to Teaching Choirs is published by Carl Fischer.
Fox also partnered with the Country Music Foundation the Initiative,
to cre ate
which provides learning activities for instrumental and In Music Advanced musical training, professionallevel experiences, diverse opportunities for collaboration and a spirit of inclusive excellence await you at the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music. Award-winning performers, scholars and composers, our faculty are deeply dedicated pedagogues standing by to support your success in your musical endeavors—whether your passion is to teach, perform, compose, research or rethink music entirely. Undergraduate applications: Due Feb. 1, 2023 Jan.Auditions:21,Feb. 4, and Feb. 11 Apply for the Summer MME program by March 1, 2023! Earn more than a music degree in the foothills of the Rockies. Imig Music Building 301 Boulder,UCBCO 303.492.635280309 colorado.edu/musicugradmus@colorado.edu elementary music educators. Learn more at www.drderrickfox.com. Membership Renewal and Registration If you haven’t yet, be sure to renew your TMEA membership. All 2021–2022 memberships expired two months ago, and if you purchase it through TMEA, the liability insurance coverage expired on August 20. Wherever you get that cover age, be sure it’s current. For more infor mation and to renew go to www.tmea.org/ membership. 0 Have You Renewed Your Membership? www.tmea.org/renew Register for the convention, too! 33Southwestern Musician | September 2022
Association
middle school and high school directors development opportunities.
Unified Voices for Music Education
Reimagining Our Perception of Students
Teaching is always first and foremost a social relationship. So, in addition to prepping for concerts and contests, we accept the real ity that what our students need the most is intentional connection so that our music can once again sing, play, and live on.
W hen I reflect on the journey of the past school year, words like challenging, unexpected , roller-coaster, and emotionally exhausting come to mind. Last August, I asked students to think of words that reflected their first day of school. They responded with different, in-person, weird, and as an introvert, my personal favorite was too many people! Take stock of words that relate to or have been caused by the lack of connection we’ve all felt. We had to reimagine our teaching techniques and sequences. We had to walk in every day, willing and ready to be patient and persistent in our practice. What we may not have been ready for is the realization of how badly our students needed us on a personal level.
Connecting with Intention In many games, you don’t always win by employing the same strategy. We must approach our students in the same manner. Each student is different, with varied needs, and you never know where their chips have landed in their game of life. Here are a few things you can do to build intentional connections that students can take as they need: AirPods Out: It begins on day one. Make your classroom the place where they disconnect from their norms and connect with one another. Greet them every day at the door, give them genuine compliments, offer a hug, and blast popular tunes on the speaker
Connection & Intention by De’Evin Johnson music begins with
34 Southwestern Musician September 2022
• Is this person fair?
• Is this a person of self-control or self-indulgence? You might be questioning how that seventh-grade middle schooler who can’t even tie their own shoes is having this inner dialogue. I’m here to tell you that they are, but in different ways that are seen and unseen. Students’ perceptions of teachers carry more weight than we’d like to think.
We all can recall students who have challenged us—determin ing how much they can get away with and what this teacher is going to do about it. What if we reimagined our perception of our students? Think about it—you might be the first male teacher of a male student who has no father figure and no structure at home. You may teach a student who uses their behavior as an outcry to be loved and seen because when they go home, they’re neglected. Perception is everything and connection is the answer. I challenge you to dig in and be intentionally adamant about making every student feel loved, seen, and valued in your program regardless of your initial perception.
• Is this person compassionate and kind?
Students’ Perception of Us It might not be obvious, but on day one, our students ask themselves the following questions about their teachers, and their answers can affect their experience in our room each day thereafter:•Isthisperson honest?
• Is this person generous?
Knowing my own strengths and areas for improvement, I realize I could spend the whole 90-minute block class rehears ing and drilling skills. But is that what my students need, especially now? I challenge myself to be intentional about planning time dedicated to both skill development and connection with one another. Serving a school of predominantly Hispanic and African American students, it’s ingrained in some of our upbringings to not talk about how we’re feeling and avoid sharing what we’re going through. That stigma exists in my family and it has impacted who I am as a teacher, friend, and colleague. So, in those moments where you’re forced to go against the grain of what we as adults have grown up believ ing, lean into that uncomfortable feeling of vulnerability. Before my students ever sing a note, I want to be sure they trust the person next to them, they trust their own skills, and they feel safe creating together.
Before the Music Comes Connection When your students leave your class room what do you want them to remem ber? What experiences and lessons do you want to provide that change how they see themselves, each other, and how they walk into the world? Driving to work, I ask myself these questions almost daily.
Question of the Day and Participation: The more they can talk, the better. I learned from Edie Cooksey to ask a question of the day. Break up the rehearsal sequence by randomly going back to that question to get them to share their voice. If you’re building rhythm skills, use music they know to clap and repeat, and once they’re comfortable, allow your students to lead their peers. And don’t wait to start this. Involve students in the routines that often become repetitive as the year progresses and watch your classroom culture soar. Show Up: I still remember how I felt throughout middle school when not a single family member of mine was in the audience of our performances and how I never let my disappointment show. Our students do the same thing. From our teacher perspective, remember the times you wished to see an administrator at a performance, and remember when you did see them there? Our students experience the same warm feeling. I’ll always remember when a student thanked me for showing up to his first track meet. There wasn’t a parent in sight, and I didn’t realize he saw me. Prior to that meet this student was complacent and couldn’t care less about choir. All of that changed because I showed up for him out side of where I taught him, and now he’s worked his way into a varsity choir. Student Leadership: Developing stu dent leaders is one of the easiest ways to attain a positive and familial culture within your program. I always love to reflect on why band students have such a strong connection. The answer lies with students taking charge and ownership toward making their section the best that it can be. Begin your year by team building with your leaders. Together, brainstorm a vision, theme, or motto for the upcom ing school year. More often than not, their ideas are golden when paired with struc ture and process. Show Yourself: I love when I run into a student at the grocery store and their response is, “Mr. J, what are you doing here?” (as if I don’t love Cinnamon Toast Crunch as much as they do!). Our students forget that we’re human too. We establish expectations and standards so that our programs thrive. But what happens on the days when we are mentally drained and the act of teaching becomes diffi cult? I encourage you to pause and have genuine conversations with your students about you. Many times, your struggles are similar to theirs. Does this mean that our work stops? No! But doing this does estab lish our room as a space where students connect with you by trusting you.
One of my proudest moments from last school year came from a ninth-grade treble singer who started the year strongly. In January, things began to change. I noticed she was disconnected and lacked the spirit she once had. I admit, I became frustrated simply because I didn’t under stand or take the time to understand what she might have been going through. At our banquet she came up to me before taking a picture and said, “Mr. Johnson, thank you for not giving up on me. I know I’ve been hard to deal with this semester, but I tried my best even when it didn’t look like it.” In that moment, her words “I tried my best” reminded me that there will always be seen and unseen variables in our students’ lives. It’s our job to acknowledge and under stand that on some days students are truly trying their best. In this new school year, think about and celebrate the wins from the previous year. Nothing is too small or unworthy of praise. If we’re intentional about how we welcome connection into the classroom, the sky is the limit. Finally, to my fellow introverts who “turn it on” when teaching begins, I understand the effort it takes to step out side ourselves to create a space in which our students can come as they are. I also understand the enjoyment of personal time on your couch, a silent drive home, or just pausing the TV in the middle of watching Abbott Elementary. But go forth, be happy, have fun trying, and make a difference.AsLeonard Bernstein taught us, “Music can name the unnameable and communi cate the unknowable.” 0 De’Evin Johnson is the Assistant Choral Director at Duncanville HS. Before my students ever sing a note, I want to be sure they trust the person next to them, they trust their own skills, and they feel safe creating together.
Self-Reflect: If you ever wonder what your students need emotionally to get through each week, start by thinking about your own needs. We often forget the answers are already within us. Student voices are quickly being silenced by the expectations and changes of the world in which they Musicallylive.or not, you have the power to provide space for them to express them selves in a variety of ways. Challenge and invite your students to put words to what ever they’re feeling. From a sister/brother circle, to sitting in the dark with eyes closed for five minutes, to writing down their struggles and steps they will take to overcome them on a sticky note, this inten tion can make the difference in their lives.
during passing times so everyone knows what a great environment exists in your classroom.
36 Southwestern Musician September 2022
2023 auditions Music Scholarships Available up to FULL TUITION January 28 | February 25 April 1 | April 22 Programs in Church Music Music WorshipMusicEducationBusinessTechnologyPerformance MUSICSTUDY at For more music@umhb.eduinformation|umhb.edu/music
I Am an Elementary Music Teacher
TMEA Elementary Vice-President
Whenever I see elementary-age children, I check to see if I recognize them. When I see high school students or those in their twenties or thir ties, I wonder if I taught them. I love being an elementary music teacher. I once attended a retreat where we were not supposed to share our pro fession. I accidentally slipped and announced I was an elementary music teacher—I just couldn’t help it. It is who I am. I love teaching. I have a structured classroom with assigned spots on the tile floor and procedures for transitions and passing out materials. But, if you ask my students, they simply believe music is nothing but fun. We begin every class in every grade with movement. Sometimes the September—Renew your membership and register for the convention.
MARKAntonio.YOUR CALENDAR check www.tmea .org for updates 38 Southwestern Musician September 2022
As music teachers, we experience an added joy from the beautiful music we get to create with our students.
October 6, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens online. November 1 —TMEA scholarship online application deadline. January 19 —TMEA convention early registration deadline. February 8–11 —TMEA Clinic/Convention in San
My primary identity is that I am an elementary music teacher. I am a wife and a mother of two teenagers. I am a niece to many aunts and uncles, through blood and marriage. I am a friend. But mostly, I’m a teacher. Wherever I go in town, I’m Mrs. Johns, FSE Music Teacher.
KATHERINE JOHNS
M y mom, who passed away in 2015, wrote a memoir from her 30 years of teaching entitled “If I Can Survive Thirty Years of Teaching So Can You.” I recently posted it on Facebook for her former stu dents and others to enjoy. She started teaching in the 1960s and offers several funny and interesting stories about her time as an educator. When I read my mom’s memoir, I am reminded what it was like to be her daughter. We couldn’t go many places in New Braunfels without people stopping to talk to one of my parents and shar ing what they were doing with their lives. This memory and my mom’s memoir inspired me to think about my own teaching legacy.
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I’m excited to congratulate our Elementary Division Invited Ensembles and their directors and introduce our Elementary Division Featured Clinicians. Sweet Pipes Serving recorder enthusiasts and music educators since 1978 See our virtual catalog at sales@sweetpipes.comwww.sweetpipes.com8172779922 Be an Awesome Convention Volunteer! The Elementary Division has many opportunities to be part of our successful convention! Register online www.tmea.org/elementaryvolunteertoday! 40 Southwestern Musician September 2022
movement is a folk dance. Other times we move to classical music to look at the form. I love when my students are out of breath and still beg to do something again. There is so much joy shared in the music room. We laugh, we celebrate, we ask questions, we use our skills to identify. There are always some students who breeze through school and are the superstars of the music room. Yet the most inspiring moments come in those light-bulb moments when those students who are struggling finally get something. It is amazing, and I cannot get enough! I love my job! I am the only music teacher on my cam pus of over 1,000 students. I’ve developed a bond with the elementary art teacher, whom I taught many years ago. We often check in with each other and rush to get ready for the next class, and we eat lunch together every day. Sometimes we have something to share about an aha moment a student had. I love those lunches. I go back to my music room excited for the remain der of the day. As I said, I am never not an elemen tary music teacher. I never turn it off. I love when former students ask me if I still teach specific songs. I love it when I see current students in an unusual place in town and their faces light up.
I share these stories because we all have them. And if you are just starting out, just wait, you will have stories too. But I also share these stories because it’s tough to be a teacher these days. On social media, I see posts about another teacher leaving the profession or how the public needs to respect teachers more. What shocks and hurts me are the comments. Many of them I have read seem to be anti-teacher. I feel personally attacked, and I bet you do too. Given how easily we can be affected by this commentary, I want us all to remember the joy teaching brings. As music teachers, we experience an added joy from the beautiful music we get to create with our students. The beautiful music is the heart of our chosen teach ing profession. But sometimes it will be the laughter and the relationships that will keep us going. Even when the rest of social media thinks less of us, know that our students know better. 2023 Clinic/Convention Update I’m already looking forward to seeing you in San Antonio for our 2023 Clinic/ Convention on February 8–11. This month, you can find a preview list of clinics and clinicians at www.tmea.org/convention/ clinics. Our full schedule preview will be included in December’s issue. If you haven’t yet, register to attend at www.tmea.org/reg ister and mark your calendar for October 6 as our housing system will open that day at 6 a.m. CT.
reservation
years of experience teach ing children in school and community set tings,
now
and middle
where she
Loneka Wilkinson Battiste is Assistant Professor of Music Education at the of Tennessee, Knoxville. on 12 she teaches general school choral methods In 2019, she completed a Fulbright Fellowship at Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE) in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, studied coco, a tradition of the Brazilian northeast, gave lectures on African American musics and culturally respon sive teaching, and formed a gospel choir. Her work has been published in the Choral Journal , Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, Proceedings of the International Society for Music Education, and General Music: Dimensions of Practice. Her scholarly interests include Black music aesthetics, equity and inclu sion, and culturally responsive teaching in music education.
sitions in print
Publications, including works for treble Give a life-long gift... LOVE of Classical Music Over 1600 schools use Mighty Music materials to teach the UIL Music Memory Program each year. 2022-2023 Find us on www.musicmemory.com Now DiversesupplementalofferingListening Sets Jazz and under-representedfeaturingClassical,composers. All teacher and student materials available on flash drives! G a m e s k e y s t o i m a g i n a t i o n c o m H Y B R I D G A M E S choir
University
Drawing
0 41Southwestern Musician | September 2022
elementary
Patrick Ware Patrick Ware is an internationally known Orff-Schulwerk clinician and choral conductor. With a service to educa tion spanning more than 20 years, he holds a B.A. in music from Westfield State University, an MSEd from Radford University, and a DMA from the Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University. Ware is a national board cer tified teacher in music/elementary and middle childhood. He teaches basic peda gogy, movement, and recorder for multiple AOSA Orff-Schulwerk teacher education programs. Ware is currently the AOSA Vice-President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He is a former President of the Virginia Elementary Music Educators Association. Ware has several compo through Beatin’ Path with Orff ensemble. He teaches K–5 general music and chorus in Prince William County, Virginia. Special focuses in his classroom and courses include jazz in the elementary setting and the use of children’s literature.
Loneka BattisteWilkinson
and graduate courses in music education.
Invited Ensembles I’m thankful that I had a committee to work with on the selection process for our invited ensembles. I could not do this without their help. Congratulations to the following ensembles and their directors! • Alexander Elementary School SingRAE Choir, Alyssa Plumb, director • Bransford Elementary School Orff Ensemble, Ashley Benson, director • Collins Intermediate School Choir, Angela Brill, director • Fort Bend ISD Honor Choir, Rica Goldyn, director (KET meeting performance) • Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts Children’s Choir of Texas, Jackson Hill, director • Groves Elementary School Percussion, Pedro Huertas Lazu, director • Miller’s Point Elementary School Mini Mojo, Bonnie Anderson, director • Sanchez Elementary School Double Treble Percussion Ensemble, Jennifer Mendez director (Orff meeting performance) Featured Clinicians In addition to introducing these fan tastic clinicians, I’d like to share with you how I found them. I ask the experts. I couldn’t have secured these wonderful cli nicians without help from our elementary organizations for Kodály and Orff. So, you can thank our current officers in these two organizations for helping find high-quality presenters for our 2023 convention.
musical
This is a great exercise for breath awareness, releasing ten sion, and waking up sleepy brains. Sit up tall with your back straight and your arms by your sides. Imagine that you have a magical paintbrush in each hand and raise your arms up, painting each side of a rain bow, pausing at the top. Now paint the rainbow back down. Let’s do it again, and as you paint, inhale as you slowly go up, pause at the top, and exhale as you slowly go down. Repeat a few times. If someone is uncomfortable with controlling their breath, they can focus solely on the arm movements.
I realized I needed to do something different to allow my stu dents and myself to experience the joy and beauty that making music together can bring. I wanted them to learn and retain music and develop a lifelong love for it. Our school district was just start ing to work on incorporating social emotional learning into the classroom, but it wasn’t part of anyone’s daily practice yet. We did, however, have access to a website with brain break and mindful ness activities, so I started there. I began leading students through mindfulness breathing and stretching exercises at the beginning of each Afterclass.arough transition into the class one day, I paused our singing and we sat down and did some Rainbow Breathing. We all agreed that we felt better. We weren’t magically healed from our stress or woes, but we were in a better state to deal with them and opened ourselves for learning and teaching. Over time, I continued to incorporate this and other progres sively more challenging stretches, breathing, and awareness exer cises into more classes and found that taking a few minutes at the beginning of class to check in with our feelings and focus on our breathing produced better student interactions, more focus, higher achievement, less performance anxiety, and even stronger singing throughout the lesson.
As I have grown in my own social emotional journey, with more research, training, and practice, I have changed my teaching
Leading Students in Rainbow Breathing
S everal years ago, I realized my students needed a way to calm down and transition into music class to experience a joyful and productive time together. They often arrived with unresolved arguments from the playground, soccer field, hallways, or even from home looming on their minds. I could see it in their bodies—in their tight shoulders, jaws, fists, clenched teeth. I could hear it in their word choice and vocal inflections. I knew that joyful music-making was not going to happen when students were in that state. I could push through and force music learning on them, but likely not without trauma, hurt, bruised relationships, and power struggles that no one could ever win.
Since then, I have incorporated similar strategies at other cam puses. A “Mindful Moment” has become part of my lesson plans, and now my students expect it. On busy days, when I am tempted to skip it, I often hear protests from my students. In those times when everything seems to be falling off the rails—students are arguing, I’m feeling flustered, multiple kids are asking for a break—I pause our lesson and go straight to our mindfulness strategies that we have practiced together. We are usually able to re-center ourselves and continue with the lesson. If not, at least I feel more capable of staying calm and maintaining a patient, positive attitude.
Your Classroom Reframing SEL 42 Southwestern Musician September 2022
By Loren Tarnow in
• Social Awareness: Understanding the perspectives of and empathizing with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts.
What Is SEL? As the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines it, SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and atti tudes to develop healthy identities, man age emotions, and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. CASEL offers these five core competencies in the SEL framework:
• Relationship Skills: Establishing and maintaining healthy and supportive relationships and effectively navigat ing settings with diverse individuals and groups.
ideals, expectations, and approach for the better. I have reframed what my classroom management looks and feels like, and my classroom is now a more joyful place to be for my students and me. Mistakes are made, embraced, and learned from. There are fewer power struggles, more resolu tions, and therefore more music-making.
• Responsible Decision-Making: Making caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interac tions across diverse situations. Imagine a class, school, community, or society where people of all ages were work ing on improving themselves in these five areas! I also want to be clear about what SEL is not. It is not just deep breathing and mind fulness meditation, although they are use ful methods toward self-management. SEL is not a quick fix for behavior, emotional, or social problems, and it’s not just one portion of your lesson where you complete an activity, check a box, and move on. Real SEL takes time, relationship-building, and trust between you and your students for some of these struggles to resolve. Students must feel physically and mentally safe, understood, and self-regulated in your classroom. SEL is a mindset embodied by you, the educator. You will invite students to experience community-building and trust, not mind control, discipline, or policing; you can not force or mandate mindfulness, games, dancing, or any activities upon your stu dents. Doing so rarely ends well, and stu dents are left with negative feelings about music class that could lead to an irrepara ble relationship with you and their musical journey. It is important to note that SEL is possible only through a culturally respon sive perspective because understanding, respecting, and celebrating students’ cul tures are important for developing trust and empathy. If you have not explored this topic already, I highly suggest it. SEL is also not overly permissive—it’s not about students getting their way. My priority in our classroom is not for power, compliance, or obedience; it is for team work, community, and joyful, beautiful music-making. In some ways, it might appear like a teacher is being overly per missive, but if the teacher is working on relationship-building and SEL competen cies with their students, there are deeper, more meaningful interactions taking place than what is seen on the surface. The How So what does SEL look like in a music classroom? It’s about building relation ships through opening routines, playing games, positive teacher language, and the music teacher expressing love and kindness to all in the classroom, as well as going out of their way to be present in their classroom and around campus. (See the adjacent page for details on the open ing routine and positive teacher language I utilize.) We build trust through model ing empathy, a growth mindset, conflict resolution, and teaching relationships, and socialUseskills.positive teacher language (reinforc ing, reminding, and redirecting), teach and model emotional health and coping skills, and set strong routines and proce dures. It is up to you to make intentional choices about what your classroom looks like, feels like, and sounds like, musically and otherwise. 0 Loren Tarnow is a Music Specialist at Blazier Elementary School in Austin ISD. This article is adapted from Sprouting Joy, 2022, Heritage Music Press, and is used with permission. Resources Calm Schools: www.calm.com/schools Decolonizing the Music Room: www Denton,.decolonizingthemusicroom.comPaula,andLynnBechtel.
The
Power of Our Words: Teacher Language That Helps Children Learn. 2nd ed., Center for Responsive Schools, Inc., Lewis,2013.Katherine Reynolds. The Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Kids Are Less Disciplined Than Ever—And What to Do About It. Illustrated, PublicAffairs, 2019. Stewart, Whitney, and Mina Braun. Mindful Kids: 50 Mindfulness Activities for Kindness, Focus and Calm. Barefoot Books, 2017. My students and I are all human, so we have our good moments and not-so-good ones, and we work on building a community where students can feel safe, included, loved, and free to be themselves.
44 Southwestern Musician September 2022
I truly believe that seamlessly integrating social emo tional learning into our music classrooms will allow our children to blossom into the best creative human beings, perform ers, stewards of cultural heritage, critical thinkers, problem solvers, and listeners that they can be.
• Self-Awareness: Understanding one’s emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts.
• Self-Management: Managing one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and achieving goals and aspirations.
Is my classroom a fairy-tale land free of conflict? Of course not! My students and I are all human, so we have our good moments and not-so-good ones, and we work on building a community where stu dents can feel safe, included, loved, and free to be themselves. Zoltán Kodály believed that music should belong to everyone, and I believe that this includes troubled, stressed, dysregulated students. He said, “The characteristics of a good musician are a well-trained ear, a well-trained mind, a well-trained heart, and a well-trained hand. All four parts must develop together in constant equilibrium.”
The following are segments that make up our class opening routine (5–10 minutes). A routine like this can help students transition into your classroom and into their music brain and can help you transition from your previous class. Doorway Greetings (30 seconds–1 minute): Greeting stu dents by name, with high-fives, fist bumps, or handshakes helps them feel supported and appreciated as individuals. It also helps you gauge where they are mentally and physically as they enter. Entering the Room, Singing a Greeting in a Circle (1 min ute): This helps students transition into the classroom in a musical way, builds routine, and sets students up for commu nity-building. This occurs while teacher is greeting students at the door. Quick Check-in (30 seconds–2 minutes): This helps us notice each student’s mental and physical state so we can proactively help meet their needs. It also helps students develop self-aware ness and social awareness skills. Example: Pass an object around, and when a student receives it, they give a one-word answer to “I’m feeling .” For an even quicker check-in, students show their response by holding up a number of fingers as their response (1 = not so good, 5 = feeling great). Mindful Moment (1–4 minutes): The following are examples of what could be utilized for a mindful moment (search online for video demonstrations). Any of the breathing exercises men tioned can be used without syncing the breath if controlling breath increases chest tightness and anxiety. In this case, breathe at your own pace while sitting comfortably and going through the motions. Breath Awareness Breath Nervous Savor
or Body
The Opening Routine
▶ Five Finger Breathing • Body Awareness ▶ Body Scan • Body and
▶ Rainbow
Below are strategies I’ve employed to support a positive and productive start to our class. The last section offers examples of how I have modified my language after learning more about SEL and began incorporating it into my teaching practices.
System Alignment ▶ 8-Count Shake ▶ Mountain Pose • Moment to
▶ 5-Senses Awareness ▶ Fading Tone • Mood Enhancement ▶ 5-Things Gratitude ▶ Humming: Hum vocal warmups or known songs. Humming is known to sooth and boost mood by releas ing oxytocin and other good-mood neurochemicals. Community-Building Games (2–5 minutes): In these group games, no one is it, to prevent issues as students transition into your classroom (search online for video examples). • Greeting Songs and Chants; Positive, Uplifting Name Games: ▶ “Just from the Kitchen” • Circle Games ▶ “Aquaqua Dela Omar” • Rock, Paper, Scissors Games ▶ Tic-Tac-Toe • Hand-Clapping Games ▶ Head and Shoulders, Baby Vocal and Body Warmup (1–2 minutes): • Roller coasters, follow a flashlight or bouncy ball with your voice. • Dance, stretch, and move to music of various genres and time periods and featuring a diverse catalogue of composers and creators. Positive Teacher Language The following illustrate the Responsive Classroom Language I began utilizing after incorporating SEL concepts in music instruction: Instead of this: Try this: Inexplicit Judgements: • Good job • I like how you . . . • I love how . . . • That looks/sounds nice Reinforcing Language: • I noticed . . . • I see . . . • You remembered . . . • Many of you . . . Expressing Distrust in Students’ Competence: • Did you hear the directions? • Do it like this. • I already told you . . . Reminding Language: • Show me how . . . • Remind me how we . . . • What can we be doing right now for . . . ? Indirect Feedback without Establishing Expectations: • How many times do I have to say “no talking”? • Don’t be rude • Stop running! • Lots of you are wasting time. Redirecting Language: • It’s time to listen. • We use kind words; help me understand what you need. • Stop. Walk. • We’ll begin when you’re all seated quietly and looking at me. SEL Strategies at Work 45Southwestern Musician | September 2022
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CALENDAR
October 14 —TMEA College Fall Conference in Austin. January 19 —TMEA convention early registration deadline.
September—Renew your membership and register for the convention. September 1–October 15— Online submission of research poster session
ike most educators, I’m never quite ready to leave the summer break and begin the new academic year. However, once we begin, I get excited and energized. Like many other ensemble conductors, my year always begins with auditions. The great work our students have done in preparation is always a joy to hear and promises a productive and learning-centered start to school.
Renewed Energy for a New Semester TMEA College Vice-President MATTHEW MCINTURF
Octoberproposals.1—TMEA College research proposal grant application deadline.
46 Southwestern Musician September 2022
for
L
February 8–11 —TMEA Clinic/Convention in San
I also love the conversations I have with my faculty colleagues. With the advent of social media, I have already seen photographs of their summer endeavors, and that generally leads to interesting thoughts. This summer, many were performing around the world, and several had significant recording projects. Working with committed, creative people also brings renewed energy to the new semester.
The summer conventions were another wonderful start to welcome the beginning of the new semester. I am grateful to our TCDA, TODA, and TBA colleagues for hosting excellent professional gatherings in late July. Despite record-breaking heat and pandemic concerns, the atten dance was excellent. TMEA had an active presence, from trainings with our State Board and Region Chairs, to convention planning, to the announcement of our Invited and Honor ensembles that will perform during our February convention. I was delighted to see so many of our College Division members giving excellent presentations and supporting our colleagues in the public schools.
The strength of the College Division reflects the excellence of our members on faculties throughout the state, and I am confident our voice is being heard at this critical time.
MARKAntonio.YOUR check www tmea org updates
October 6, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention housing reservation system opens online.
The Executive Board is working hard to finalize the plans for our 2023 Clinic/ Convention. I’m grateful to all who sub mitted clinic proposals and to the Proposal Review Committee for their work in the selection process. I’m confident that we are going to have interesting and diverse offer ings in the College Division, and I hope you will join us for this event. If you have not renewed your mem bership, now is the time to do that, and I would encourage you to preregister for the convention as well. Robert Floyd reminded us during the summer conventions to sign up for professional liability insurance. I have been a member of TMEA for over 40 years, and while I have never needed to file a claim on the insurance, I always purchase it. Also, be sure to mark your calendar for October 6, when our convention housing reservation system opens at 6 a.m. CT. Within the outstanding clinics offered by our members and other out-of-state invited clinicians, we will once again have two Featured Clinicians in the College Division, offering multiple clinics each. They are outstanding educators and researchers and will share their knowl edge and insights with us. Below is a brief introduction. Karin S. Hendricks Karin S. Hendricks is Associate Professor of Music and Chair of Music Education at Boston University. She has served as President-Elect, Secretary, and Research Committee Chair for the American String Teachers Association and on the Editorial Committees of the American String Teacher, String Research Journal , and Journal of Research in Music Education She is active nationally and internationally as an instrumental music clinician and adjudicator, and she lectures regularly on topics related to music learning, motiva tion, and Hendricksperformance.haspublished six books, including Compassionate Music Teaching (Rowman & Littlefield), Performance Anxiety Strategies (Rowman & Littlefield), and four edited volumes on music and well-being. She is the editor of the forth coming Oxford Handbook of Care in Music Education. She has also published numerous research articles and scholarly book chapters with top-tier journals and academic publishers. She received the American String Teachers Association “Emerging String Researcher” award. Prior to university teaching, Hendricks enjoyed a successful 13-year public school orchestra teaching career. She was “Secondary Teacher of the Year” for the Utah Chapter of the American String Southwestern Musician |
47Southwestern Musician September 2022 College Division Fall Conference Please make sure that you have the date for our in-person College Division Fall Conference on your calendar. We will meet on Friday, October 14, at the TMEA office in Austin. The meeting will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and lunch will be pro vided. We will be discussing many rele vant issues, including teacher certification, teacher recruiting and retention, and the upcoming legislative session. We will have the opportunity for our committees to meet in person and to refine our vision for the College Division. I want to remind you that the conference is open to all College Division members, and I want to encour age you to participate. Please reach out to me by email if you have questions. 2023 TMEA Clinic/Convention
Teachers Association, “Teacher of the Year” at Logan HS, and a recipient of the United States Presidential Scholar Teacher Recognition Award presented by First Lady Laura Bush.
Rachel Dirks Rachel Dirks, Director of Orchestral Studies and Assistant Professor of Music at Kansas State University, is an active conductor, clinician, and educator. Dirks holds cello performance degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Bethel College, and a PhD in music education from the University of Kansas. As a guest conductor, Dirks has conducted all-state and regional honor orchestras throughout the United States, including recent appearances in New York, Georgia, Nevada, Kentucky, Oregon, Illinois, and Kansas. As a featured clinician, Dirks has been invited to present conference sessions for the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, the National Association for Music Education, and the state music education conferences of Texas, Oregon, Colorado, and Kansas. She has made numerous written con tributions to journals, books, and online resources, including her most recent pub lications in the String Research Journal, the American String Teacher, and the Oxford Handbook of Care in Music Education. Dirks currently serves as chair of the ASTA Health and Wellness committee, where she works to further the discussion surrounding mental health and well-being in the music classroom. Throughout all her work, her fundamental goal is to encour age musicians to seek and create commu nity through music.
Finally, I once again want to thank Robert Floyd, Michele Henry, and all our College Division colleagues who have been responding to the state discussions on cer tification and testing. I believe that TMEA, and specifically the College Division members who have unselfishly devoted time, energy, and consistent professional thought to expressing our position, have had a major impact on the current discus sion. I believe we are well positioned to influence the result, even though we have a long way to go in the process. The strength of the College Division reflects the excel lence of our members on faculties through out the state, and I am confident our voice is being heard at this critical time. details, read Executive Director Floyd’s update on edTPA in his column on page 9. 0
TMEA Collegiate Music Educator Award Fall Graduation Nominations Open September 1
2022TMEAOctoberDIVISIONCOLLEGE14,2022HeadquartersAustin,TexasRSVPtocollegevp@tmea.org Fall Conference 48 Southwestern Musician September 2022
The Research Committee is pleased to announce the call for proposals for presen tations at the TMEA Clinic/Convention Research Poster Session. The committee invites submissions from members in all TMEA divisions, including college stu dents. Selected authors will present their research at an informal session in which interested music teachers can learn about the research and discuss applications to music teaching.
For more information and the appli cation, go to www.tmea.org/papers. The submission portal is open September 1–October 15. Questions may be directed to Amy Simmons at asimmons@austin. utexas.edu. Research Grant Proposal Deadline
Texas college faculty can recognize their elite music education graduates through this TMEA program. Award recipients should represent the finest and most dedicated future music educators across the state. One active TMEA member who is a member of the institution’s music education faculty may nominate that institution’s students. By nominating a student, the faculty member confirms the student meets the qualifications. Learn more and nominate students at www.tmea.org/collegiateaward.
Call for Research Proposals for the 2023 TMEA Clinic/Convention
responsiveness in music education.
The deadline for research grant propos als is rapidly approaching. Proposals must be submitted by October 1 for this year’s selection.Gotowww.tmea.org/researchgrant for the proposal submission and the qualify ing requirements. While not restricted, the Board’s topics of interest include music teacher retention, music student reten tion, music student recruitment meth ods (especially those that increase diver sity in the music class), social emotional learning in music education, and cultural
For more
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