October 2017 Southwestern Musician by Texas Music Educators Association

OCTOBER 2017

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OCTOBER2017 8 6

I S S U E

contents

features

V O L U M E

Shaping Our Future Through Music: 2016–2017 TMEA Annual Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 TMEA continues to evolve and grow in numbers and strength with a foundation rooted in using music as a means for shaping people. BY ROBERT HORTON

Politics, Advocacy, and Arts Education . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 This interim time in between legislative sessions offers the best opportunity for effective music education advocacy. BY MAT T MAT THEWS

Creating a Culture of Excellence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

columns

When we approach all ensembles with equal expectations and commitment, we can develop excellence throughout our program.

BY BRYN ROBERTS

Filling Our Musical Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Recognize the many instances throughout your day where music and your interactions with students can help you go from empty to full.

President’s Notes ............................................. 4 by Andy Sealy

BY ANTHONY MAIELLO

Executive Director’s Notes.................18

Apps for the Applied Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

by Robert Floyd

Band Notes ............................................................27

Incorporating technology in private instruction can improve both students’ practice habits and your program administration.

by Joe Muñoz

BY ART BROWNLOW AND MICHAEL QUANTZ

Orchestra Notes ..............................................37 by Brian Coatney by Derrick Brookins

Elementary Notes ..........................................56 by Casey Medlin

College Notes .....................................................63 by Si Millican

updates

Vocal Notes ...........................................................45 TMEA Offers Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships .................... 2 2018 President’s Concert: From the Top & Black Violin ...................... 8 Apply to Perform on From the Top at the TMEA Clinic/Convention...... 9 TMEA Clinic/Convention Update ...........................................................10 College Division Call for Papers ............................................................64 On the cover: Austin Henry, a senior at McKinney HS, rehearses with the 2017 All-State Tenor-Bass Choir. Photo by Karen Cross. Southwestern Musician | October 2017

Editor-in-Chief: Robert Floyd UĂ R\G@tmea.org 512-452-0710, ext. 101 Fax: 512-451-9213

Managing Editor: Karen Cross

kcross@tmea.org 512-452-0710, ext. 107 Fax: 512-451-9213

TMEA Executive Board President: Andy Sealy sealya@lisd.net 4207 Plano Parkway, Carrollton, 75010 469-948-3011 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hebron HS

President-Elect: Robert Horton rhorton@conroeisd.net 3205 West Davis Street, Conroe, 77304-2039 936-709-1200 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Woodlands HS

Past-President: Dinah Menger d.menger@sbcglobal.net 1305 Westcrest Drive, Arlington, 76013 817-891-1095 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fort Worth ISD

Band Vice-President: Joe MuĂąoz munozj@pearlandisd.org 3775 South Main Street, Pearland, 77581 281-997-3219 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pearland HS

Orchestra Vice-President: Brian Coatney brian.coatney@pisd.edu 1313 Mossvine Drive, Plano, 75023 469-752-9396 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Plano Senior HS

Vocal Vice-President: Derrick Brookins derrick.brookins@pisd.edu 2200 Independence Parkway, Plano, 75075 469-752-9430 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Plano Senior HS

Elementary Vice-President: Casey Medlin casey.medlin@fortbendisd.com 5555 Long Prairie Trace #618, Richmond, 77407 281-634-4634 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Brazos Bend Elementary

College Vice-President: Si Millican si.millican@utsa.edu One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, 78249 210-458-5334 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; UT/San Antonio

TMEA Staff Executive Director: Robert Floyd | UĂ R\G@tmea.org Deputy Director: Frank Coachman | fcoachman@tmea.org Administrative Director: Kay Vanlandingham | kvanlandingham@tmea.org Advertising/Exhibits Manager: Tesa Harding | tesa@tmea.org Membership Manager: Susan Daugherty | susand@tmea.org Communications Manager: Karen Cross | kcross@tmea.org Financial Manager: Laura Kocian | lkocian@tmea.org Information Technologist: Andrew Denman | adenman@tmea.org Administrative Assistant: Rita Ellinger | rellinger@tmea.org

70($ 2IĂ&#x20AC;FH Mailing Address: P.O. Box 140465, Austin, 78714-0465 Physical Address: 7900 Centre Park Drive, Austin, 78754 Phone: 512-452-0710 | Toll-Free: 888-318-TMEA | Fax: 512-451-9213 Website: www.tmea.org 2IĂ&#x20AC;FH +RXUV Mondayâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Friday, 8:30 A.M.â&#x20AC;&#x201C;4:30 P.M.

TMEA Offers Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships To be eligible, complete all application requirements by November 1.

Do you teach high school seniors who want to be music educators? TMEA offers undergraduate scholarships for applicants who enroll in a music degree program at a Texas college or university leading to teacher certification. Encourage your best and brightest seniors to apply and submit all supporting materials by November 1. Graduating Senior Scholarships â&#x20AC;˘ Bill Cormack Scholarship: $3,000/year for up to five years â&#x20AC;˘ Past-Presidents Memorial Scholarship: $2,500/year for up to five years â&#x20AC;˘ Past-Presidents Scholarship: $2,500/year for up to five years â&#x20AC;˘ Executive Board Scholarship: $2,500/year for up to five years â&#x20AC;˘ One-year scholarships: $2,500 for one year only

Are you in an undergraduate music education program? Whether you just started a music education program or are preparing to begin student-teaching, TMEA offers you support. Scholarships for undergraduate music majors (available only to active TMEA college student members) are $2,500. One-Year Undergraduate Scholarships â&#x20AC;˘ TMEA awards one-year, $2,500 scholarships to current undergraduate students enrolled in a music degree program at a Texas college or university leading to teacher certification. One-Semester Student-Teacher Scholarships â&#x20AC;˘ TMEA awards one-semester, $2,500 scholarships to current college student members scheduled to student-teach within the two semesters following the application.

Are you a music teacher continuing your professional growth with graduate study? TMEA supports its members who have at least three years of classroom experience at the time of application and who are committed to expanding their knowledge and skills through graduate study in music by offering scholarships of $1,250 to $2,500. One-Year Graduate Study Scholarships â&#x20AC;˘ Awarded to graduate students for one year only and range from $1,250 to $2,500.

Go to www.tmea.org/scholarships

Southwestern Musician (ISSN 0162-380X) (USPS 508-340) is published monthly except March, June, and July by Texas Music Educators Association, 7900 Centre Park Drive, Austin, TX 78754. 6XEVFULSWLRQ UDWHV 2QH <HDU Â˛ 6LQJOH FRSLHV 3HULRGLFDO SRVWDJH SDLG DW $XVWLQ 7; DQG DGGLWLRQDO PDLOLQJ RIĂ&#x20AC;FHV 32670$67(5 6HQG DGGUHVV FKDQJHV WR 6RXWKZHVWHUQ 0XVLFLDQ 3 2 %R[ Austin, TX 78714-0465. Southwestern Musician was founded in 1915 by A.L. Harper. Renamed in 1934 and published by Dr. Clyde Jay Garrett. Published 1941â&#x20AC;&#x201C;47 by Dr. Stella Owsley. Incorporated in 1948 as National by Harlan-Bell Publishers, Inc. Published 1947â&#x20AC;&#x201C;54 by Dr. H. Grady Harlan. Purchased in 1954 by D.O. Wiley. Texas Music Educator was founded in 1936 by Richard J. Dunn and given to the Texas Music (GXFDWRUV $VVRFLDWLRQ ZKRVH RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO SXEOLFDWLRQ LW KDV EHHQ VLQFH ,Q WKH WZR PDJD]LQHV ZHUH PHUJHG XVLQJ WKH QDPH 6RXWKZHVWHUQ 0XVLFLDQ FRPELQHG ZLWK WKH 7H[DV 0XVLF (GXFDWRU XQGHU WKH editorship of D.O. Wiley, who continued to serve as editor until his retirement in 1963. At that time ownership of both magazines was assumed by TMEA. In August 2004 the TMEA Executive Board changed the name of the publication to Southwestern Musician.

Southwestern Musician | October 2017

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC Admissions and Scholarship

AUDITION

DATES

Auditions 2018

INSTRUMENTAL February 24 March 10 March 24

VOCAL February 24 March 03 April 07

Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music emphasizing music education or performance *Additional dates upon request. Auditions are required of all entering and transferring music majors.

TAMUCMUSIC

TAMUCBANDS

TAMUCCHORALE

tamuc.edu/music | 903.886.5303

PRESIDENT’S NOTES

B Y

A N D Y

S E A L Y

Engaging parents as team members

his past July our middle school and high school band staff created a presentation on vertical alignment and vertical teaming for one of the summer conventions. One of the internal outcomes of our preparation was questioning the effectiveness and efficiency of how we engage our students’ parents in communication and relationship-building. Subsequent discussions among our cluster staff focused on how our parent communities differ campus to campus and, more importantly, on the means by which we channel information and expectations to engage parents as active team members in our programs. Our previous outreach efforts had been directed primarily along traditional lines of communication. We utilized meticulously prepared take-home documents that included FAQs, links to various organizational sites, and websitebased informational postings of classroom supplies, course descriptions, and policies. Like most programs today, all our documents were available online (and in hard copy, if requested). We created a weekly newsletter specifically for parents, with timely updates, detailed rehearsal schedules, and helpful suggestions for managing the week ahead. And we had begun to develop a feeder parent newsletter designed for outreach at critical times of the school year, like course enrollment and beginner testing. We started ensuring that on-site

Ultimately, the best way to engender parent goodwill and enlist their active support is to listen attentively to their concerns and questions. 4

Southwestern Musician | October 2017

October—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. October 2, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens. October 15–November 15—Apply online for a TMEA elementary grant. November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline. January 25—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 14–17—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.

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student translators were available for nonEnglish-speaking parents for important events and had even begun attempting to translate documents into the most common non-English languages spoken in our local communities. Since we are fortunate to have an active parent booster club, many opportunities existed for parents to become involved by electronically enrolling in a myriad of volunteer roles needed throughout the year. In addition, we hosted parent and student social events to encourage parents to meet and interact with one another and the students with whom their children are spending time in rehearsal and performance, and to meet the directors. And, like our school district as a whole, we encouraged parent attendance at open houses and meet the teacher night. Each of these avenues for parent information and involvement has value and purpose. Yet they’re geared to a certain degree for an already-engaged parent base, or they can be passive or reactionary in that they require some sort of sign-up, login, or detailed study on the part of parents. These avenues rely on action by the parent rather than on action by the music teacher.

One of my takeaways from last year’s TMEA Urban Music Summer Dialogue was from music teachers at every level explaining how their students’ parents in these urban or under-resourced areas want to be actively involved with and participate in their children’s music education. These teachers no doubt face significant challenges such as busy and often overlapping parent work schedules, childcare, and language barriers. Plus, attempts to go paperless can further isolate parents without Internet access or sufficient language skills to navigate school-supported platforms or music program websites. Urban educators employ a variety of inventive strategies to involve parents that can be used by any music educator in any context. One of these was doing home visits. While time intensive, what better way to meet parents where they are, just as we try to do with their children. Placing regular, monthly phone calls to parents about their child’s positive class participation and musical growth is another way to engage parents. Every parent wants to hear positive things from teachers about their children, and this will make them much more likely to support home practice, to

save up for a better instrument, or to consider chaperoning an event. Providing adult translators (perhaps alumni parents) rather than student translators is another good solution to bridge language and cultural barriers. Coupling social events like potluck dinners, featuring traditional family dishes, with a showcase performance from students develops trust and helps demystify what goes on in the music classroom. This in turn enables parents to better support music education more confidently at home and often changes the expectation of their children’s success and long-term participation in our secondary music programs. From a technological standpoint, the options for greater parent communication increase exponentially each year. Districts often have approved channels for schoolto-home communications. Their policies must be strictly adhered to, but it is possible to go beyond email and basic social media applications. Not everyone has high-speed Internet access, but almost everyone has a cell phone. Social media group chats are ubiquitous among our students, and many schools, programs, and teachers use Remind groups to communicate with their

RhythmBee salutes

Hector P. Garcia Middle School Band & Dallas ISD Preston Prior and Joshua Black, Directors 2016-17 UIL Sweepstakes Award First in School History “HP Garcia Middle School is over 98% low SES. Every student gets free breakfast, lunch, and a take-home sack. We provide all instruments and supplies and have no private lessons. When I started at Garcia MS (2015-16), there were about 90 band kids and the top band of band program had never earned a Supe“We doubled enrollment the next year (2016-17) and were able to add a second band director. Our top band earned our school’Ɛ Įrst EVER UIL Sweepstakes Award, which is a rare feat for any innercity school. For 2017-18, we have over 360 students signed-up for band! 6

Southwestern Musician | October 2017

“I subscribed to RhythmBee before the 2015-16 school year. For two years and of all band classes. We certainly owe some of our success to RhythmBee and the rhythmic competence and conĮͲ dence it has given our students.” Preston Prior, Director of Bands

RhythmBee is an approved vendor for the TMEA Elementary Music

2018 TMEA President’s Concert WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 • 8 P.M. • LILA COCKRELL THEATER • $15

Live Recording of NPR’s From the Top From the Top with Host Christopher O’Riley is the most popular weekly one-hour music program on public radio. From the Top showcases America’s best young classical musicians, celebrating their stories, talents, and character. The recording at our convention will exclusively feature young Texas musicians (and guest performers Black Violin). See the next page about applying to perform.

Special Performance by BLACK VIOLIN

Host Christopher O’Riley interviews and often accompanies the young musicians on From the Top.

Purchase Advance Tickets When you register for the TMEA convention, purchase your $15 general admission tickets. This two-part event is sure to be an extraordinary start to our annual convention! DON’T WAIT—we will later open sales to the public and expect to sell out!

After the From the Top recording, the President’s Concert will continue with a featured performance by Black Violin, a duo composed of classically trained violist and violinist Wil B. and Kev Marcus. They combine their classical training and hip-hop inﬂuences to create a distinctive multi-genre sound that is often described as “classical boom.” Wil and Kev place heavy emphasis on educational outreach, and have performed for more than 100,000 students in North America and Europe in the past 12 months. Their appearance is sponsored by NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants.

Southwestern Musician | October 2017

students outside the classroom. Creating parent groups allows you to distribute time-sensitive information via text. Many of these apps have translate functions, too. Parents respond more readily to two-way texting every year because it’s the way they communicate conveniently with their children and adult peers. Other ways to utilize technology to communicate with parents is by creating videos. This can be done by students or directors for specific purposes like welcoming parents to the middle school choir program, introducing the director at backto-school night, or demonstrating how to navigate the website. And students themselves can teach parents about classroom platforms like Google Docs and Google Classroom, which are being used for video assessment submissions, music theory assignments, and sometimes almost exclusively in their core classes. Ultimately, the best way to engender parental goodwill and enlist their active support is to listen attentively to their concerns and questions. Treat parents with respect and kindness. Sincere and honest communication demonstrates to parents that you are coming from a place of mutual concern about their child. Do not underestimate the power of parental expectations or their previous experiences with school music. They have a depth of knowledge about their children that we do not, and they have the ability to support our aspirations for their children in the home environment in countless ways that go way beyond just making sure they practiced for the chair test or turned in the trip permission form. Hurricane Harvey The horrific impacts of Hurricane Harvey will continue to affect the Gulf Coast and Southeast Texas in many ways for the foreseeable future. The emotional trauma is compounded by personal loss and, often, financial hardship. Special thanks go to TMEA members who, despite their personal tribulations, welcomed frightened and displaced students to their classrooms. The compassionate response of “What can I do to help?” connected all of us with a sense of purpose to create places of safety and normalcy for students and opportunities for families to stay engaged in their children’s education. Thank you also for embodying the best of TMEA by your efforts to support one another in per-

sonal recovery, housing, and needs assessment. Be sure to read Executive Director Robert Floyd’s column on page 18 for information about TMEA’s work to help affected music programs centrally identify their needs so that those able to help can fulfill those needs directly. 2018 President’s Concert I’m very pleased to announce that our 2018 President’s Concert on Wednesday at 8 p.m. will feature a live recording of From the Top, NPR’s radio showcase featuring America’s top young classical musicians, hosted by acclaimed pianist Christopher O’Riley. Departing from their standard format of featuring students from around the country, the recording at our convention will exclusively feature young musicians from Texas. Musicians ages 8–18 may apply at fromthetop.org/apply. The deadline to apply is November 1. See the inset below for more information. In addition to highlighting the amazing talent of young Texas musicians, this From the Top recording will feature a

special guest appearance by Black Violin (performing with some of the young musicians). Immediately following the recording, our President’s Concert will continue with a special featured performance by Black Violin. This duo of classically trained musicians who played together in their high school orchestra program pairs classical music with hip hop, defying stereotypes, and inviting musicians to engage in an extraordinary musical exploration. Inspired by jazz violinist Stuff Smith’s 1965 album Black Violin, the duo chose their group name. Black Violin plays over 200 shows a year worldwide and features violinist Kev Marcus and violist Will B. Ticket Purchase Before we open ticket sales to the public, TMEA members can purchase $15 general admission tickets to this event. You can purchase tickets when you register for the convention. If you already registered, return to your member record online and go to the convention registration area to purchase President’s Concert tickets.

Apply to Perform on From the Top at the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention

he 2018 TMEA President’s Concert will feature a live recording of From the Top, NPR’s radio program showcasing America’s best young classical musicians. For this special event, From the Top will exclusively feature Texas musicians. Share this amazing opportunity with your best young musicians. Not only will this be an incredible concert opportunity, but it will also offer us the chance to showcase the excellence of our music programs on a national stage. Young Texas musicians, ages 8 to 18 who have not yet graduated from high school, can apply at fromthetop.org/apply by the November 10, 2017 deadline. To be considered for From the Top at the TMEA convention, eligible young classical musicians must submit record-

ings and complete an application by November 10. Under section 2 of the application, select that you would like to be considered for a specific show (“San Antonio, TX/ TMEA”) and that you are affiliated with TMEA. The application fee will be waived for all TMEA applicants. For additional information, please contact Abbi Rienzo, From the Top Admissions, at 617-437-0707 ext. 134 or auditions@fromthetop.org. Solo performers on all instruments, vocalists, instrumental or vocal ensembles, and composers are welcome. In addition to seeking talent for its upcoming live concert recording at the TMEA Clinic/Convention, the program seeks young musicians for other concerts that are part of its national tour on a rolling admissions basis. Southwestern Musician | October 2017

2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention FEBRUARY 14–17, 2018 • SAN ANTONIO

THE BEST LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Technology Preconference TI:ME, the Technology Institute for Music Educators, will be hosting a one-day preconference on Wednesday. This full day of technology clinics requires a separate registration ($50). You can add this registration to your cart when you register for the TMEA Clinic/Convention. If you already registered for the convention, you can return to the convention registration area of your online member record to purchase it.

Housing Opens! At 6 a.m. CT, October 2, the discounted housing reservation system for TMEA members is available. TMEA negotiates the lowest rates possible for TMEA members, so don’t wait to make your reservation. Some hotels sell out in hours! Be aware of hotel scams through email and phone calls. scam TMEA will never call you to offer convention hotel deals. alert

IMPORTANT DATES October 2, 6 a.m. CT Housing Opens: tmea.org/housing December 31 Fax/Mail Registration Ends January 25 Discounted Registration Ends

For three days of inspired teaching, beautiful music, and shop talk with friends, the TMEA convention is a bargain! —Brenda Music, Alvin ISD

! y a d o T r e t s i g Prere

W W W.TM E A .O RG/CO N V E NTI O N 10 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

Music is your passion TCU is your school SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE FOR YOU At TCU, you can receive both music and academic scholarships that make attendance more affordable. NORDAN SCHOLARSHIP The NORDAN Scholarship* is an exclusive award, open to entering freshmen vocalists, instrumentalists, and composers of superior talent, who have chosen to major in music. NORDAN winners receive a four-year, FULL TUITION AWARD. NORDAN Live Auditions are held on January 13, 2018 by special invitation. More information is available online at www.music.tcu.edu. AUDITION DATES FOR SPRING 2018 January 27, 2018, February 10, 2018, and February 24, 2018 GRADUATE PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR YOU TCU offers Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in different disciplines. Graduate Assistantships are available. For more information on undergraduate and graduate admission requirements and application deadlines, please visit our website or call the School of Music at 817-257-7232.

Find us on Facebook *Prescreening Video Audition required

www.music.tcu.edu

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Shaping Our Future Through Music

by Robert Horton

ne of the greatest appeals of the popular television show This Is Us is that the show focuses on realistic story lines of typical families. The show often evokes powerful reactions because viewers can easily empathize with the characters. They look and sound like us. Their stories are our stories, and we can readily identify with their situations. As music educators, the relationships we develop through the powerful medium of music are one of the most endearing reasons that we chose this profession. Many years ago, I heard Hugh Sanders, who was president of TMEA the year I was born, say, “We can choose to use people to make music, or we can choose to use music to make people.” I believe that through the many years of TMEA, our members have chosen to use music to make people. We are strong as an organization because of the relationships we have and the support we give each other. This is the strength of TMEA, and this is us. Membership TMEA is a unique organization. We are quite strong and ended our last membership year with over 13,000 active members. We are also comprehensive, with five distinct and thriving divisions and membership levels, including members who are in school preparing to become music educators and those who have enjoyed this career and who continue to support our organization as retired members. Although some members identify with more than one division, our breakdown is: Band: 5,619 Orchestra: 1,523 12 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

2016–2017 Annual Report Vocal: 2,669 Elementary: 2,634 College: 585 Administrators: 202 College Students: 4,335 Retired: 906 Thank you for being part of this powerful voice for the importance of music education. Urban Music Education Focus Following the June 2016 Urban Music Summer Dialogue, TMEA continued focusing on the inherent challenges and, more importantly, successful strategies for teaching in urban schools. Through surveying members, monthly magazine articles, and multiple roundtable discussions during the 2017 Clinic/Convention, TMEA members shared their concerns and expertise with others. This focused effort was intended to offer those in extreme teaching environments a greater sense of support and opportunities to learn proven solutions that will help them in their success. Region/Area Alignment With a project that started in 2014, the first of the two years under a new alignment began with the 2016–2017 school year. Along with growth from 28 to 33 Regions, TMEA grew from 7 to 8 Areas. This process preceded the development of an apportionment model for All-State selection. To view this alignment, go to www.tmea.org/findmyregion. The Executive Board is committed to reexamining this process

Fr ee

An Extraordinary Training Opportunity for Young Instrumentalists Ages 14–17 | Application Deadline: December 15, 2017 NYO2 is recruiting the most talented students from across the US to expand the pool of young musicians and bring greater diversity to classical orchestral music. This program: Ɣ

runs in conjunction with the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America summer residency provides participants with opportunities to play alongside talented peers Ɣ has world-class facult faculty ty for group and individual training Ɣ performs on the famed Carnegie Hall stage Ɣ

Leadership sup support pport for NYO2 is p provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Founder Patron: Beatrice Santo Domingo. With additional add funding provided by: Ernst & Young LLP

Chris Lee

carnegiehall.org/NYO2

every two years, based on two-year average of participation data. Member input will be sought in spring 2018, before the decisions for 2018–2020 are finalized. Mentoring Network The TMEA Mentoring Network continues to grow. This exciting program seeks to strengthen our profession by pairing experienced mentor teachers with music education professionals new to Texas and those just beginning their journey. Mentor teachers provide an added level of support, guidance, and resources for their protégés. The program is administered through the TMEA office, and 2016–2017 ended with over 150 active pairings. Please consider volunteering to serve as a mentor and ensure new teachers in your district are aware of this program. For additional information go to www.tmea.org/mentor.

Texas Future Music Educators The number of TFME chapters and the membership rolls of those chapters continues to grow. We finished the 2016–2017 year with 62 chapters and 1,429 members, 1,014 of whom attended the TMEA Clinic/ Convention. Consider starting a chapter in your school. For details, contact Kay Vanlandingham at the TMEA office (kvanlandingham@tmea.org). TMEA Financial Status TMEA continues to be financially strong and has our resources in conservative and safe investments. This is also due to the fiscal responsibility of our Executive Board, staff, and financial planner. With a debt-free building, a growing number of exhibitors, and a well-attended annual convention, TMEA is committed to utilizing its resources to further Texas

music education. Additionally, we have a wonderful royalty program which goes directly to our TMEA Scholarship Fund. Scholarships Thanks to member contributions, industry support, and royalties from our vendors, the TMEA Scholarship Fund is healthy. In the 2016–2017 year, TMEA awarded $180,000 in scholarship funds to 71 recipients. These scholarships were awarded to undergraduate and graduate students through a competitive process. High School Music Scholars and Collegiate Music Educators The Texas Music Scholars program recognizes student commitment and dedication to music and academic achievement. Over 140 schools participated in the Texas Music Scholars program, and 2,012

WELCOME NEW FACULTY Joining Tarleton’s Long Tradition of Excellence DR. ANDREW STONEROCK Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies and Saxophone DMA, University of Colorado at Boulder MM, University of North Texas BM, Ohio University

DR. NOEL WALLACE Visiting Assistant Professor of Low Brass DMA, University of North Texas MM, Penn State University BM, Eastman School of Music

14 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

students were awarded certificates and commemorative patches. TMEA launched a new recognition program, Collegiate Music Educator, to offer college faculty the opportunity to recognize their elite music education graduates. Each student receives a congratulatory letter from TMEA, a printed certificate, regalia cords, and recognition on the TMEA website. In its inaugural year, 56 graduates were awarded this distinction. Distinguished Administrators TMEA continued to recognize outstanding administrators through member nominations. This program was created in 2011 to celebrate and recognize school administrators from across the state who have been instrumental in preserving and promoting quality music education programs on their campuses and in their districts. To date, TMEA has honored over 200 administrators with this distinction. TMEA members can submit nominations online at www.tmea.org/adminaward. Job Services One of the most frequently visited areas of the TMEA website is our Job Services section. TMEA offers school districts (and others) the opportunity to post vacancy announcements on our website. Prospective teachers can also upload their rĂŠsumĂŠs for review by employers. During the last school year, TMEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job board included over 1,500 postings. TMEA is committed to offering this valuable service to employers and music educators seeking work in our great state. TMEA Clinic/Convention The TMEA Clinic/Convention is unparalleled in the United States. With over 300 clinics, 100 performances, and more than 1,300 exhibit booths, our convention offers attendees a comprehensive musical experience. Over the course of four days last February, more than 29,000 attendees from all over the world enjoyed music-making, teaching, and industry at its highest level. With all those opportunities, coupled with membership and convention registration fees that are a fraction of what many other professional organizations charge, our event is a bargain!

Legislative Report The 85th regular legislative session was the most contentious in recent yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; perhaps ever. Bills on such divisive topics as sanctuary cities, voter ID, bathrooms, education savings accounts, school finance, and religious freedom triggered much frustration and ill will throughout the session and became part of the reason for a special session called by Governor Abbott. The fine arts community entered the session with the primary goal of not losing ground in terms of providing students

access to fine arts courses throughout their Kâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;12 experience. In that regard we were successful. A bill to add more physical activity in middle school and P.E. and health in high school ultimately died as TMEA and other organizations testified about the unintended consequences of such legislation. Weighted funding for middle school CTE courses, which could have affected elective opportunities for eighth grade students, also failed to pass. TMEA spent much of its time this session lobbying to have a coherent sequence of fine arts courses included in the new

What A Cajon Aspires To Be...

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Southwestern Musician | October 2017 15

iteration of HB 22, the A–F Accountability bill. We were successful in having fine arts included as an indicator in HB 22 as well as in the Senate version, but in the eleventh hour, as the bill went to conference committee, Domain IV, which included fine arts, was stripped from the bill, and the bill ultimately was passed and signed into law. This removal wasn’t specifically targeted at fine arts; it included other indicators that some believed were not quantifiable and measurable and thus not defensible. The final version of HB 22 also repealed Community and Student Engagement (CaSE) indicators and their use in determining campus and district accountability ratings. While this may be viewed as a temporary setback, there is no language in law or rule that prevents or limits a district

or campus from providing quality fine arts programs for their students. Lending a Hand TMEA’s greatest strength is the commitment of its members to the choice to use music to make people. Make no mistake, this is hard work. This hard work is also carried out, for the most part, by volunteers. In every one of our 33 Regions, members volunteer their time and efforts to ensure that TMEA operates efficiently. At our annual conventions, hundreds of volunteers give their time to provide everyone with the best possible convention experience. Parent chaperons, booster clubs, and often students make up another important facet of TMEA. We have an amazing staff at the TMEA

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office. I hope that each of us thanks them every time we can so they know how valuable they are to our organization. They are committed to making our organization great and work diligently and passionately for our members and their students. I hope you will consider joining team TMEA by volunteering or running for an office in your Region or at the state level. The rewards are enormous. Hall of Fame football coach Chuck Noll said, “The mercenaries will always beat the draftees, but the volunteers will crush them both.” Draftees are motivated by fear. Mercenaries are motivated by money. Volunteers are motivated by their heart and the mission. Voluntary commitment builds the strongest teams. Thank you for the honor of working for you, my fellow members of TMEA. It is a privilege to represent this amazing organization—this is us! Robert Horton is the Coordinator for Fine Arts in Conroe ISD and is TMEA President-Elect.

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTES

B Y

R O B E R T

F L O Y D

In the wake of the storm

hile writing this column over Labor Day weekend, the evening television news continued to show images of large areas of Houston and Southeast Texas with homes still halfcovered with water and boats traveling down streets that had become rivers as rescue efforts were in full force. Needless to say, Hurricane Harvey’s aftermath is going to be with us for months and perhaps years while families, the economy, and our state educational system attempt to return to normalcy. For some, restoration is possible, but sadly, others will never return to the way things were before. Within 24 hours of the hurricane beginning, social media, blogs, and emails were buzzing with our members posting thoughts, prayers, and suggestions for how the music education community might serve our friends and colleagues and the students they teach. Emotionally, those of us not directly affected felt compelled to do something and frustrated that we didn’t know what to do beyond giving donations and reaching out with words of support for our friends. Several music education organizations, both state and national, joined in the posts and asked what they could do to help. Music industry representatives were a part of those inquiries. While there are still thousands of personal challenges for families affected by the storm as they face the unimaginably huge task ahead of rebuilding their communities, the messages generated by our members soon focused on support for the music programs. Early on, the TMEA Board and staff began dialogue about what our role might be in helping this assistance effort.

Go to www.tmea.org to learn more about the coordinated efforts of music educator associations and our music industry partners. 18 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

A few days after Harvey made landfall, I visited with NAMM Foundation Executive Director Mary Luehrsen, who has dealt with such historic natural disasters through the years across the country. She shared that in her experience, patience and watchful waiting is important. Our instinct is to be part of a Cajun-Navy-like effort in helping, but schools must first sort out all of their needs. In her experience, schools do this well because the needs of kids are at stake, and response leads to rebuilding, bond issues, and state and national support. So schools need the opportunity to determine what funds are available via district- and school-level insurance, what support will come from state and federal sources for getting schools and all programs back on track, and what supplemental support through donations is needed from the generous nonprofit sector and personal and business donations. Hopefully this needs assessment is in its final phase and we can begin to move forward responding to the identified needs. Online Recovery Resource Having stated that, music programs throughout the affected areas do have immediate needs that must be addressed in the short term rather than the long term. Members and industry representatives have supported TMEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playing a lead role in coordinating these relief efforts. By the time you read this, you will have details about our role and what we are able to implement. Go to www.tmea.org to learn about our recovery commitment as well as those of other music-related organizations. There you will find an online resource that identifies available support programs and allows you to post needs electronically. Those willing to assist may search for programs in need of the equipment they are willing to donate or loan. We have also been communicating with Texas music retailers about what role they could play. First and foremost, you are encouraged to reach out to dealers who service your district or campus. Several already have plans in place to assist you and your students. We must all be mindful, however, of the limitations of the music industry and the retailers in dealing with the hundreds of customers they serve. While they share the commitment to help in any way possible, from a business perspective, sensitivity to equity must prevail.

Also, several music retailers in the affected areas had damage to their stores and are dealing with their own set of challenges. Adopt a School TMEA is also working to set up an online process for an adopt-a-school plan where unaffected programs may commit to meet the needs beyond materials and equipment. We realize many of you are already involved in such efforts, and certainly such partnerships do not require communication or clearance through this office. A coordinating role by TMEA for this project and others is not an effort to stifle those who want to help or limit what you do, but to the extent possible it is meant to organize those efforts under one umbrella. A word of caution is to make sure that as an individual you or an organization do not attempt to tackle a task for which you do not have the organizational structure and labor force to manage and complete. TMEA Auditions The TMEA Board and staff have already assisted and guided affected Regions in making any necessary adjustments in their vocal entry and audition process. In

particular, the TMEA Executive Board has waived the requirement to certify all the prescribed audition material. This will allow a Region to reduce the amount of material selected for each audition. TMEA has also waived any requirement to have multiple auditions. Jazz auditions have already been adjusted as well where necessary. Most importantly, Regions were instructed to give equal consideration to every school district and campus as changes were determined, given the wide variance of damage and school closures that have been represented within Region boundaries. Finally, no late fees will be assessed via the online system. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re In It Together A definitive support plan will be a work in progress for several weeks, if not months. If you have specific suggestions, please submit them to Frank Coachman at fcoachman@tmea.org. Last month I mentioned in this column that it takes a village of volunteers to carry out the audition and convention operations of TMEA. Serving as a support group for our friends and their students affected by Harvey will take all of us as well.

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Southwestern Musician | October 2017 19

Politics, Advocacy, and Arts Education by Matt Matthews

Texas political consultant once said about advocacy: “Being ‘wrong’ and organized beats ‘right’ and unorganized every time.” Said another way: being “right” on a policy position is necessary to win, but it isn’t sufficient. Winning takes more. To this end, the time is right for the launch of a new, local effort to support and connect with the incredible work TMEA leaders are doing in Austin. This effort depends on music educators, parents, and other advocates to actively engage with their legislators on a personal and local basis. For reasons explained below, the need for your individual and personal effort is critical to the future of fine arts education policy. TMEA leaders have been very successful in supporting, monitoring, amending, and sometimes defeating legislation that affects arts education in Texas. We are fortunate to have many friends in the halls of the capitol, both elected and unelected. Hardly a legislative day goes by that we don’t learn of some personal connection to an arts background. Sometimes it is a staff member who played oboe in high school or a legislator whose son or daughter is a middle school music teacher. We are constantly surprised at the reach of our arts alumni and are forever updating our list of fine arts champions in the legislature. From the running and expansion of the Arts Education Legislative Caucus to the intricate work underway with TEA, TMEA’s work is necessary and must continue. However, the work in Austin, on its own, is insufficient for the challenges we are expecting in the near future. Unless you were on vacation in another country, you undoubt20 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

edly heard plenty about the barrage of education policy issues the legislature discussed. From revamping A–F, to ASATR funding, it seems that every issue was on the table, most were not resolved, and every indication is that education will remain a top issue in the coming elections. Also, recent discussions with TEA on ESSA and the gathering storm of a legislative revisit of school finance require a renewed and re-engineered strategy for the interim legislative period. Simply put, we need every advocate to be personally engaged in a more widespread effort to advocate for music education and the advancement of fine arts at a local level. Becoming an Advocate Like a recent insurance commercial states, “We know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two.” One of the things we have seen is that if we don’t push, advocate, and defend fine arts education, other interests and pressures can push us aside. Another thing we’ve seen is that, unique among all educators, fine arts educators have an additional burden. Not only do you do what you do, you also must champion its importance to the education of the whole child while also making the argument for its continued and proper existence in public education. No other subject requires its own engine and no other educator has to make that argument. And it’s most effective when this nuanced argument is made by you, in person, community by community, with one legislator at a time. When the legislature is in session, legislators have less time and less bandwidth to hear our messages. Things are just too busy. They have only 140 days every two years to do the state’s business.

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There are unbelievable demands on their time, and frankly it is the time when they need the support of voters the least. Typically, we think about legislative activity taking place every odd numbered year between January and May when the legislature gavels in and gavels out. Then, we really don’t think about it—or them— again for another 18 months until the legislature reconvenes. It is during this interim period when so much more can and should be done to enhance our position as an association. Advocacy in the Interim From now on, the TMEA advocacy season should begin the day the legislature adjourns. This is the very moment the political season begins and when grassroots advocacy is most effective. This is the time when legislators return home and begin to focus on their families, their businesses, and on getting reelected. This is when they hold town hall meetings and grocery store encounters with constituents and meet with groups like the Rotary Club. In this interim period, they not only have more time and bandwidth to hear our message, but they also want to make our acquaintance. They want to be wherever two or more are gathered in hopes of

The goal is not to get them to promise anything or vote a particular way; instead, it is to make them aware of what you do and develop a relationship with them that can be cultivated in the future. It all starts with their awareness and your relationship.

22 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

You are a part of the change and of influencing public opinion. If it sounds difficult, it shouldn’t. But it is very important. No one has to do everything, but everyone has to do something. earning a vote for their campaign. This is the time when they need our support the most. And, all too often, we let this critical time slip away without actively engaging in communicating with our legislators. The political season we are entering is the perfect time for us to do this grassroots advocacy. If you aren’t aware, the most contentious political elections in this state take place during the March primaries. Incumbent legislators are already carefully monitoring who has, or is talking about, filing against them. Each of the 150 state representatives and 16 of the 31 state senators must stand for election every two years (go to www.tmea.org/2018election to find out if your senator is up this time). This means that your state representative will be campaigning in your neighborhood very soon, if they aren’t already. But before the primary, legislators sweat out the filing deadline. The deadline to file for a legislative office is December 11, 2017, and the primaries are March 8, 2018. Yes, that is very soon, and doesn’t offer much time to get out there and be engaged! Since every incumbent legislator dreads an opponent filing against them, they work very hard, holding town hall meetings, going door to door, and doing mailings to scare off potential opponents. Therefore, this is the season when incumbent legislators are most fearful and thus when they are most glad to see you and eager to earn your support. What to Do Now Look for local opportunities to meet your legislator or candidate, especially in public appearances they make at forums, town hall meetings, or church gatherings. Also, consider inviting them to a performance or just to visit your classroom, or host a coffee to introduce them to neighbors or other teachers—they love networking! And always feel free to call if you need any help or have any questions. The key is

to make legislators and candidates aware of the actively involved fine arts educators in their district who are interested and informed and who have reached out to them to learn their position on a wellrounded education that includes the arts. This isn’t a high-pressure contact. In fact, the goal is not to get them to promise anything or vote a particular way; instead, it is to make them aware of what you do and develop a relationship with them that can be cultivated in the future. It all starts with their awareness and your relationship. What it means for you is that you are a part of the change and of influencing public opinion. If it sounds difficult, it shouldn’t. But it is very important. No one has to do everything, but everyone has to do something. Keep us posted on your contact, and keep legislators and candidates posted on your appreciation of them—this is what builds the most valuable relationships. The TMEA staff and lobbying team will be more active than before during this interim season. We will visit influential incumbents in the larger metropolitan areas and host sessions to help members become further engaged in the political process at the local level. We will also be reaching out to the fine arts educators across the state to discuss TMEA’s expanded advocacy role, and, as the campaign season shifts into high gear, we hope you will reach out to us to ask questions and share your advocacy success stories. This political season is a great opportunity to advance our cause. It is a unique time in our Texas legislative cycle and should be approached in the way that only fine arts educators can. We are already right on the issue. We just have to get organized. Matt Matthews is a registered lobbyist and is under contract with TMEA to assist LQ RXU ÀQH DUWV HGXFDWLRQ LQLWLDWLYHV

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WIND BAND

CONGRATULATIONS 2017 MARK OF EXCELLENCE NATIONAL WINNERS Class A

Bayside Wind Ensemble .................................................................................................Kyle Mapp ...................................................................................................................League City, TX Colleyville MS Honor Band ............................................................................................Lauren Jones................................................................................................................... Colleyville, TX Los Cuates MS Honor Band ...........................................................................................Criselda Marroquin-Morrell ........................................................................................Los Fresnos, TX Roma MS Symphonic Winds ..........................................................................................Corey L. Graves ..................................................................................................................... Roma, TX Shadow Ridge MS Honor Winds ..................................................................................Chris Meredith ........................................................................................................Flower Mound, TX Wallace MS Wind Ensemble .........................................................................................James C. Malik .........................................................................................................................Kyle, TX

Class AA

Aledo MS Honor Winds .................................................................................................Joey Qualls ........................................................................................................................... Aledo, TX Arbor Creek MS Honors Band .......................................................................................Rylon Guidry...................................................................................................................Carrollton, TX Canyon Ridge MS Honor Band .....................................................................................Amy Allison ............................................................................................................................Austin, TX Cedar Park MS Symphonic Band ..................................................................................Manuel C.San Luis .......................................................................................................Cedar Park, TX Classical Center at Brandenburg MS Honors Band .....................................................Jim Palmer ......................................................................................................................... Garland, TX Cockrill MS Honors Band ...............................................................................................Gary Williams ................................................................................................................McKinney, TX Ereckson MS Honor Band ..............................................................................................DJ Vaccarezza ........................................................................................................................ Allen, TX Hamilton MS Symphonic Winds ....................................................................................Jamie Cabot ....................................................................................................................... Cypress, TX Artie Henry MS Honors Band ........................................................................................Robert T. Herrings, III ...................................................................................................Cedar Park, TX Keller MS Wind Ensemble ..............................................................................................Jedidiah Maus ....................................................................................................................... Keller, TX Killian MS Honors Band..................................................................................................Rob Chilton ...................................................................................................................... Lewisville, TX Maus MS Wind Ensemble ..............................................................................................Katie Lewis.............................................................................................................................. Frisco, TX Oliveira MS Symphonic Band ........................................................................................Gaspar Garcia .............................................................................................................Brownsville, TX Stiles MS Honors Band ...................................................................................................Darcy Vogt Williams ......................................................................................................... Leander, TX T.A. Howard Honor Band ...............................................................................................Nathaniel Neugent ......................................................................................................... Arlington, TX Trautmann MS Honors Band...........................................................................................Jorge Luis Garcia ................................................................................................................. Laredo, TX Wiley MS Wind Ensemble..............................................................................................Garland Chiasson ............................................................................................................. Leander, TX

Class AAAA

North Lamar Symphonic Band .......................................................................................Randy M. Jones .......................................................................................................................Paris, TX

Class AAAAA

Aledo HS Wind Ensemble ..............................................................................................Joey Paul ............................................................................................................................... Aledo, TX Creekview Wind Symphony ...........................................................................................Arturo Denis ....................................................................................................................Carrollton, TX Lake Ridge HS Wind Symphony ....................................................................................Brad Bonebrake..............................................................................................................Mansﬁeld, TX Lone Star HS Wind Symphony .......................................................................................Timothy A. Golden ................................................................................................................ Frisco, TX Poteet HS Honors Band...................................................................................................Cody Newman ................................................................................................................ Mesquite, TX Red Oak HS Wind Ensemble .........................................................................................Steven H. Moss .................................................................................................................Red Oak, TX Summit HS Wind Symphony...........................................................................................Chris Kanicki .................................................................................................................... Arlington, TX

Class AAAAAA

Brazoswood HS Symphonic Band .................................................................................Brian Casey.............................................................................................................................Clute, TX James Bowie HS Wind Ensemble ...................................................................................Ryan Thomas ..........................................................................................................................Austin, TX Cypress Ranch HS Wind Ensemble................................................................................Russell Holcombe .............................................................................................................. Cypress, TX Dulles HS Honor Band ....................................................................................................Joe Pruitt ....................................................................................................................... Sugar Land, TX Hebron HS Wind Symphony ..........................................................................................Andy Sealy .....................................................................................................................Carrollton, TX Hendrickson HS Wind Ensemble ...................................................................................Garth Gundersen ......................................................................................................... Pﬂugerville, TX Plano East Senior HS Wind Ensemble ...........................................................................Evelio Villarreal ...................................................................................................................... Plano, TX Vista Ridge HS Wind Ensemble......................................................................................Bryan Christian .............................................................................................................Cedar Park, TX Waxahachie Wind Ensemble .........................................................................................Rich Armstrong ...........................................................................................................Waxahachie, TX

New Music Division

Carroll MS Wind Ensemble ............................................................................................Michael Oglesby............................................................................................................ Southlake, TX Friendswood JH Symphonic Band..................................................................................Sarah Bennett ............................................................................................................Friendswood, TX Lake Ridge HS Wind Symphony ....................................................................................Brad Bonebrake..............................................................................................................Mansﬁeld, TX Vista Ridge HS Wind Ensemble......................................................................................Bryan Christian .............................................................................................................Cedar Park, TX

COMMENDED WINNERS

Class A

Alvin JH Symphonic Band ...............................................................................................Kyle Norman........................................................................................................................... Alvin, TX Argyle MS Red Band.......................................................................................................Evan Fletcher.........................................................................................................................Argyle, TX Chapa MS Wind Ensemble ............................................................................................Nate Smith ................................................................................................................................Kyle, TX Grifﬁn MS Wind Ensemble .............................................................................................Leigh Ann McClain.......................................................................................................The Colony, TX McMath MS Tiger Band .................................................................................................Travis Harris..........................................................................................................................Denton, TX Reed MS Symphonic I Band ...........................................................................................Michelle Hanegan ......................................................................................................Duncanville, TX Watauga MS Honors Band ............................................................................................Jason Finnels ....................................................................................................................Watauga, TX

Class AA

Apollo JH Symphonic Band I ..........................................................................................Andrew Weak............................................................................................................... Richardson, TX Briscoe JH Honor Band ...................................................................................................John Barton ..................................................................................................................... Richmond, TX Canyon Vista Honors Band ............................................................................................Brigette Parsons .....................................................................................................................Austin, TX Cedar Valley MS Honors Band......................................................................................Janie Botkin ............................................................................................................................Austin, TX Cooper JH Wind Ensemble ............................................................................................Adam Powell, Misty Smith ....................................................................................................Wylie, TX Creek Valley Honor Winds .............................................................................................Kim Cooley .....................................................................................................................Carrollton, TX Friendswood JH Symphonic Band..................................................................................Sarah Bennett ............................................................................................................Friendswood, TX Grifﬁn MS Wind Symphony ...........................................................................................Carolyn M. Cansler ............................................................................................................... Frisco, TX Heritage MS Honors Band .............................................................................................Kimberly McCutcheon .................................................................................................. Colleyville, TX Tex Hill Honors Band .......................................................................................................Kim Rosenberg ............................................................................................................San Antonio, TX Indian Springs MS Band .................................................................................................David Puckett ......................................................................................................................... Keller, TX Kleb Int Symphonic Band ................................................................................................Jennifer Wren ........................................................................................................................Spring, TX Krimmel Symphonic Band ...............................................................................................Sharon Kalisek ......................................................................................................................Spring, TX Lamar MS & Fine Arts Academy Symphonic Winds ....................................................James Hairston .......................................................................................................................Austin, TX League City Band ............................................................................................................Rick Brockway .............................................................................................................League City, TX Berry Miller JH Honors Band ..........................................................................................Chris Bennett .....................................................................................................................Pearland, TX Nolan Ryan JH Symphonic Band I .................................................................................Julie Jezek..........................................................................................................................Pearland, TX Rice MS Wind Ensemble.................................................................................................Jason Tucker ........................................................................................................................... Plano, TX Running Brushy MS Honors Band ..................................................................................Van Robison ..................................................................................................................Cedar Park, TX Ulrich Int Wind Ensemble ................................................................................................Mike Rogers ............................................................................................................................ Klein, TX Westbrook Int Symphonic Band .....................................................................................Teri Brockway ............................................................................................................Friendswood, TX Wilson MS Wind Ensemble ............................................................................................Ray Hilley .............................................................................................................................. Haslet, TX

Class AAAA

Lebanon Trail HS Symphonic Band ................................................................................Christian Holzer ..................................................................................................................... Frisco, TX

SPECIAL THANKS TO BAND ADJUDICATORS EUGENE CORPORON, THOMAS FRASCHILLO, MARK CAMPHOUSE AND ANTHONY MAIELLO. THE 2017 MARK OF EXCELLENCE HAD 278 ENTRIES AND HAS NOW RECEIVED ENTRIES FROM 38 STATES. MORE INFORMATION AT: WWW.FOUNDATIONFORMUSICEDUCATION.ORG/MARK-OF-EXCELLENCE RICK YANCEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR - RICK@FOUNDATIONFORMUSICEDUCATION.ORG

NATIONAL WIND BAND, ORCHESTRA, AND JAZZ HONORS WINNERS! COMMENDED WINNERS – WIND BAND – CONTINUED

Class AAAAA

Crosby HS Symphonic Band ................................................................................................ Kevin Knight .................................................................................................................................Crosby, TX Decatur HS Wind Ensemble ................................................................................................. Robert Truan ............................................................................................................................ Decatur, GA LBJ Wind Ensemble................................................................................................................ Brian Mayer ................................................................................................................................. Austin, TX Lovejoy HS Wind Symphony ................................................................................................ Paul Heuer ..................................................................................................................................... Lucas, TX Timberview HS Wind Symphony ......................................................................................... Eric M. Mullins......................................................................................................................... Arlington, TX Willis HS Wind Ensemble ..................................................................................................... Chris Allen, Andrew Hicks............................................................................................................ Willis, TX

Class AAAAAA

James Bowie Wind Symphony ............................................................................................. Rumaldo Solis .......................................................................................................................... Arlington, TX Buchholz HS Wind Symphony ............................................................................................. Shawn L. Barat ..................................................................................................................... Gainesville, FL J.J. Pearce HS Wind Ensemble ............................................................................................. Dimitrios Icossipentarhos .....................................................................................................Richardson, TX Pearland HS Wind Ensemble ............................................................................................... Joe Munoz ............................................................................................................................... Pearland, TX The Prosper HS Wind Ensemble ........................................................................................... John Alstrin..................................................................................................................................Prosper, TX Richardson HS Wind Symphony .......................................................................................... Jesus Marquez .....................................................................................................................Richardson, TX Round Rock HS Wind Ensemble........................................................................................... David Mobley .....................................................................................................................Round Rock, TX

New Music Division

JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Kealing MS Wind Ensemble ................................................................................................. Sara Robison ................................................................................................................................ Austin, TX Willis HS Wind Ensemble ..................................................................................................... Chris Allen, Andrew Hicks............................................................................................................ Willis, TX Western MS for the Arts Symphonic Band .......................................................................... Eric H. Allen .............................................................................................................................Louisville, KY

NATIONAL WINNERS High School Full Orchestra Jasper HS Symphony Orchestra ........................................................................................... Matthew Moreno .......................................................................................................................... Plano, TX Klein Symphony Orchestra ................................................................................................... Creston Herron ............................................................................................................................... Klein, TX Round Rock HS Symphony ................................................................................................... Sandra Vandertulip .............................................................................................................Round Rock, TX Seven Lakes HS Symphony Orchestra ................................................................................. Desiree Overree .............................................................................................................................. Katy, TX

High School String Orchestra Dulles HS Honors Orchestra ................................................................................................. Michael Alan Isadore ......................................................................................................... Sugar Land, TX Guyer HS Rhapsody Orchestra ............................................................................................ Michelle Brians Hanlon ............................................................................................................. Denton, TX Jasper HS Legacy Orchestra ................................................................................................ Matthew Moreno .......................................................................................................................... Plano, TX Klein Chamber Orchestra ..................................................................................................... Creston Herron ............................................................................................................................... Klein, TX McKinney Boyd HS Honors Consortium Orchestra............................................................ Michael Link, Michelle New ................................................................................................ McKinney, TX Seven Lakes HS Sinfonia Orchestra ..................................................................................... Desiree Overree .............................................................................................................................. Katy, TX James E. Taylor HS Chamber Orchestra .............................................................................. Clinton Capshaw ............................................................................................................................ Katy, TX

Middle School Full Orchestra Ereckson Symphony Orchestra ............................................................................................. Joanna DeVoto, DJ Vaccarezza, Hannah Hong.........................................................................Allen, TX

Middle School String Orchestra Beckendorff JH Honor Orchestra ......................................................................................... Karel Butz......................................................................................................................................... Katy, TX Dulles MS Symphony Orchestra .......................................................................................... Sally Kirk .............................................................................................................................. Sugar Land, TX Ereckson Chamber Orchestra ............................................................................................... Joanna DeVoto, Hannah Hong ....................................................................................................Allen, TX Fort Settlement MS Chamber Orchestra .............................................................................. Angela Peugnet, Roger Vasquez, Jr. ................................................................................. Sugar Land, TX Kealing MS Symphony Orchestra ........................................................................................ David Jarrott ................................................................................................................................. Austin, TX Otto MS Chamber Orchestra ............................................................................................... Anu Daniel ..................................................................................................................................... Plano, TX

Youth Orchestra Houston Youth Symphony ..................................................................................................... Michael Webster ......................................................................................................................Houston, TX

COMMENDED WINNERS High School Full Orchestra

Allen HS Symphony Orchestra ............................................................................................. David DeVoto, Matt Cross, Joel May ..........................................................................................Allen, TX Clements HS Symphony Orchestra ...................................................................................... Ginger Wolfe, Neal Springer ............................................................................................ Sugar Land, TX Plano East Symphony Orchestra .......................................................................................... Ann G. Smith, Evelio Villarreal..................................................................................................... Plano, TX

High School String Orchestra

Allen HS Chamber Orchestra ............................................................................................... David DeVoto, Matt Cross ............................................................................................................Allen, TX Clements HS Chamber Strings.............................................................................................. Ginger Wolfe, Neal Springer ............................................................................................ Sugar Land, TX Lowery Freshman Center Chamber Orchestra .................................................................... Ellen Townley ..................................................................................................................................Allen, TX Midway Camerata ................................................................................................................ Beau Benson................................................................................................................................. Waco, TX Plano East SHS Chamber Orchestra .................................................................................... Ann Smith, Jeremy Pillow .............................................................................................................. Plano, TX Rockwall HS Chamber Orchestra ........................................................................................ Charlsie Grifﬁths...................................................................................................................... Rockwall, TX

Middle School Full Orchestra

Curtis MS Symphony Orchestra ........................................................................................... Amanda Su, Monika Bartley ........................................................................................................Allen, TX

Middle School String Orchestra

Doerre Chamber Orchestra .................................................................................................. Rowina Torres-McKee ................................................................................................................... Klein, TX Ereckson Sinfonia Orchestra ................................................................................................. Hannah Hong.................................................................................................................................Allen, TX Maus MS Symphony Orchestra ........................................................................................... Jamie Romo ...................................................................................................................................Frisco, TX McCullough Chamber Orchestra ......................................................................................... Colin Larsen ..................................................................................................................The Woodlands, TX Quail Valley MS Honors Orchestra ..................................................................................... David McAllister................................................................................................................Missouri City, TX Seven Lakes JH Honors Orchestra ....................................................................................... Ragan Whatley ............................................................................................................................... Katy, TX Woodcreek MS Chamber Orchestra................................................................................... Heather Davis, Fernando Schirmer .........................................................................................Houston, TX

High School Jazz Ensemble

NATIONAL WINNERS

Lone Star Jazz Ensemble 1 ................................................................................................... Timothy A. Golden ........................................................................................................................Frisco, TX Temple HS Highlighters ......................................................................................................... Brent Mathesen ...........................................................................................................................Temple, TX

Middle School Jazz Ensemble Rice Ravin’ Jazz Band ........................................................................................................... Joshua Reyna................................................................................................................................. Plano, TX Sherwood MS Academic Magnet School Jazz Ensemble .............................................. Andrew J. Pizzo .................................................................................................................Baton Rouge, LA

COMMENDED WINNERS

High School Jazz Ensemble Denton HS Lab Band 1 ...................................................................................................Jesse Woolery .....................................................................................................................Denton, TX St. Charles East HS Jazz Workshop ...............................................................................Jim Kull .............................................................................................................................St. Charles, IL Middle School Jazz Ensemble Lamar MS & Fine Arts Academy Jazz Factory ..............................................................James Hairston .......................................................................................................................Austin, TX

SPECIAL THANKS TO ORCHESTRA ADJUDICATORS JEFF GROGAN, ANTHONY MAIELLO, AND JAZZ ADJUDICATOR DR. ROBERT “DOC” MORGAN. THIS YEAR’S PROJECT HAD 278 ENTRANTS. THE MARK OF EXCELLENCE PROGRAM HAS NOW RECEIVED ENTRIES FROM 38 STATES. MORE INFORMATION AT: WWW.FOUNDATIONFORMUSICEDUCATION.ORG/MARK-OF-EXCELLENCE RICK YANCEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR - RICK@FOUNDATIONFORMUSICEDUCATION.ORG

CONGRATULATIONS 2017 MARK OF EXCELLENCE NATIONAL CHORAL & PERCUSSION HONORS WINNERS!

CHORAL

NATIONAL WINNERS

COMMENDED WINNERS

High School Mixed Choir

Magnolia HS Chorale.................................Jennifer Franz-Melady..............Magnolia, TX

L.D. Bell HS A Cappella Choir..................Jo Ann Antinone......................Hurst, TX

High School Open Class

Angleton HS Varsity Treble Choir...............Tony Stewart................................Angleton, TX

Spring HS Chorale Women......................David Landgrebe..................Spring, TX

Middle School Treble Choir

Pearland JH West Varsity Treble Choir......Virginia Blasczyk..........................Pearland, TX

Kleb Int Chamber Choir............................Kelly McDonald.....................Spring, TX

Rice MS Acapella Treble Choir..................Chelsea Farmer..................................Plano, TX

Wunderlich Int Treble Choir......................Kara Koller-Wood..............Houston, TX

Seven Lakes JH Varsity Treble Choir..........Kristin Likos...........................................Katy, TX

Middle School Open Class Middle School Open Class

Salyards MS Young Men’s Choir............Amy Moore

Rice MS Tenor Bass Choir..........................Chelsea Farmer...................................Plano, TX

Bradley Acree......................Cypress, TX Arnold MS Tenor-Bass Choir...................Marie Parisot........................Cypress, TX

PERCUSSION

NATIONAL WINNERS

High School Percussion Ensemble

Jersey Village Percussion Ensemble........................................................................Kyle Stahl..................................................................................................................................Houston, TX

Middle School Percussion Ensemble Willow Springs MS Percussion Ensemble...............................................................Nathan Lewis...............................................................................................................................Lucas, TX

COMMENDED WINNERS

High School Percussion Ensemble

Permian Percussion Project.......................................................................................John W. Carroll.......................................................................................................................Odessa, TX

THANKS TO ADJUDICATORS BRIAN WEST (PERCUSSION) & MILTON PULLEN (CHORAL)! THIS YEAR’S PROJECT HAD 278 ENTRANTS. THE MARK OF EXCELLENCE PROGRAM HAS NOW RECEIVED ENTRIES FROM 38 STATES. MORE INFORMATION AT: WWW.FOUNDATIONFORMUSICEDUCATION.ORG/MARK-OF-EXCELLENCE RICK YANCEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR - RICK@FOUNDATIONFORMUSICEDUCATION.ORG

RECORDINGS NOW AVAILABLE! Compilation recordings of the Mark of Excellence National Winners are offered as an MP3 download through MarkCustom.com These performances are now a permanent fixture in the most comprehensive and prestigious library of its type, and are accessible from anywhere in the world in just a few minutes. Performances by the National Winners represent the top 25% of the entries, and demonstrate stunning musical achievement and exemplary teaching! In 2017 the project had 278 entries, and has now received entries from 38 states. View and access the Mark website and catalog at www.markcustom.com

HONORS

For more information on the Mark of Excellence visit www.foundationformusiceducation.org/mark-of-excellence

B Y

J O E

BAND NOTES

M U Ñ O Z

In Memoriam Colin Mark Chichurka January 13, 1978–September 5, 2017

Fill the toolbox

October—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. October 2, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens. October 21—Deadline to upload All-State Jazz audition recordings. November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. November 11–12—All-State Jazz judging. December 1—Honor Band preparations may begin. December 31—TMEA mail/fax convention preregistration deadline. January 13—Area Band and Vocal auditions. January 25—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 14–17—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio. March 1—Honor Band entry deadline for classes 1C, 1A/2A, 4A, 6A.

kill development is one of the most important objectives we should have as educators. Remember when you first had a four-part harmonic dictation lesson in class? I remember thinking that it sounded great, but then my professor asked, “Who can tell me what the soprano line was?” The room quickly became very still as most of the class had no idea. Then my professor explained that listening is a skill, and we needed to work on ways to organize the different elements of the musical selections being played for identification. He gave the class a procedure to dissect the music and identify the specific elements. He told us to listen for the soprano line, then the bass line; listen for the tonality of the chords. With a method for organizing our listening, the class quickly began to achieve a higher level of proficiency on the first listening. Organized listening is a skill that can be an asset to a new or experienced teacher. A new teacher can become overwhelmed with the amount of information the ensemble is presenting to their ears. What if you told your ear what to listen for? Organize the listening into areas to address. Have the students play and have them (and you) focus their performance and listening on playing the correct notes. Ask students to tell you how they did. “How many of you made a 100? How many made an 80?” Then give the students direct feedback on how they performed. You can also use the feedback they gave to help set the rehearsal pace. Then have students play and focus on correct rhythms. It is fine to give the students the same assignment you are filtering for yourself; this

Filling our students’ tool boxes can help them develop a lifelong love for music. Southwestern Musician | October 2017 27

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will increase their awareness of the desired outcomes. This process can be repeated for other areas of musical performance that need to be evaluated by the students and teacher. Over time, the teacher will be able to listen for multiple elements at one time but can still use the exercise as a rehearsal strategy for the students. Don’t be frustrated if you need to go back and focus on only one musical element. There will be occasions when everyone needs to take time to organize their listening and focus on only one element of the music. This same approach can be applied to other skills that need to be developed by students as individuals or as members of an ensemble. Working to identify skills that need development and formulating exercises or strategies that develop those skills can result in a plan for growth. By having a skill-development approach, students can create a procedure for selfimprovement. Over time, this will convert into tools you and your students can use for self-assessment and implementation of plans for skills improvement. The ultimate goal of any skill-development-based approach is to enable the student (or yourself) to have more tools to explore new skills or skills at a higher level. Filling our students’ toolboxes can help them develop a lifelong love for music, while giving them applicable processes that can be applied to a variety of experiences. TMEA Clinic/Convention Update Your TMEA membership for last year ended on June 30, so be sure you have renewed for this year. Your membership must be current to enter students to the TMEA audition process, and with our convention a short four months away, now is also the time to register. Starting on October 2, our discounted convention housing will be open for members at www.tmea.org/housing. Our hotels continue to sell out very quickly, so be sure to reserve early! While you’re online, take a few minutes to complete the online volunteer form and offer just a little of your TMEA Clinic/Convention time to ensure we have another amazing event! You may volunteer by submitting your information online at www.tmea.org/bandvolunteer. I am honored to announce our 2018 All-State Band Conductors. Our students will be fortunate to work with these outstanding educators and musicians during

their clinic/concert experience. Colonel Jason Fettig All-State Symphonic Band Conductor Col. Jason K. Fettig is the 28th Director of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band. He joined in 1997 as a clarinetist and assumed leadership of the Marine Band in July of 2014. He was promoted to his current rank in August 2017 by President Donald J. Trump, becoming the third

Director of “The President’s Own” to be promoted to colonel in a White House ceremony. As Director, Fettig is the music adviser to the White House. He regularly conducts the Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra at the White House and led the band for its featured performances during the 2017 presidential inauguration. Fettig is a fervent advocate for traditional and contemporary American music, and live performances by the Marine Band under his direction are often heard on NPR. In 2014, he was elected as a member

2018

AUDITIONS

NOVEMBER 18, 2017 all instruments (no guitar) FEBRUARY 10, 2018 all instruments (no piano/no percussion/no guitar)

FEBRUARY 24, 2018 all instruments (no guitar) MARCH 3, 2018 all instruments

WWW.SHSU.EDU/ACADEMICS/MUSIC SCHOOL OF MUSIC

SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY

1751 Avenue I, Suite 225 Huntsville, TX 77340 936-294-1360

Southwestern Musician | October 2017 29

of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. Throughout his career with the Marine Band, Fettig has been deeply committed to music education. He began a Young People’s Concert series in 2006 and authored, hosted, and conducted this popular annual event until 2015. He has also made it a priority to maintain a significant presence in schools throughout the nation during the band’s national concert tours. In 2014, shortly after assuming command of the Marine Band, Fettig launched an ambitious project to re-record all the marches of John Philip Sousa and provide free performance and educational materials online to schools throughout the world. Gary Green All-State Concert Band Conductor Gary D. Green is Emeritus Professor of Music and Director of Bands at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. While teaching at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, in addition to supervising

all band activities, he was the conductor of the Frost Wind Ensemble, supervised all graduate conducting students in the wind and percussion area, and served as the chair of instrumental performance for 17 years. Under his direction, the Frost Wind Ensemble has performed twice for both the convention of the American Bandmasters Association and for the convention of the College Band Directors National Association. During his tenure at the University of Miami, Green continued the commissioning and performance of important new repertoire for winds and percussion. Urban Requiem by Michael Colgrass was commissioned by the Abraham Frost Commission Series and has become a standard in the repertoire for wind ensemble. Among other new compositions written for winds and percussion was the commission for the Frost Wind Ensemble of Christopher Rouse’s Wolf Rounds. Green is a member of ABA, CBDNA, NAf ME, the Florida Bandmasters Association, and the Florida Music Educators Association. In March 2007,

he joined the ranks of Frederick Fennell, William Revelli, and John Paynter in the Bands of America Hall of Fame. Green is an active conductor and clinician and has appeared with international, national, and regional bands and intercollegiate bands in each of the continental United States and Hawaii. He has conducted Texas All-State Bands multiple times. Colonel Michael Colburn All-State 5A Symphonic Band Conductor Col. Michael Colburn joined the faculty of Butler University as Director of Bands in August 2014. In addition to conducting the Butler University Wind Ensemble, he offers instruction in conducting, euphonium, and the history and literature of the wind band. Before coming to Butler, Colburn served for 27 years in “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, where he held a variety of positions including Principal Euphonium, Assistant Director, and Director from 2004 to 2014.

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trinity.edu/music June 2014, the Trinity University Music Department was recognized as an ALL-STEINWAY SCHOOL by Steinway and Sons, for its commitment to excellence and purchase of 32 Steinway pianos.

30 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

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As Director, he was music adviser to the White House and regularly conducted the Marine Band and Chamber Orchestra at the White House and at presidential inaugurations. He was promoted to colonel by President George W. Bush in a private Oval Office ceremony in 2007, and in 2014 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by Gen. James Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Medal of Honor by the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic Board of Directors. Colburn is an active guest conductor and clinician. He regularly conducts bands at numerous state and regional festivals and has guest-conducted several professional and university bands and wind ensembles. Committed to the commissioning of new music, Colburn serves as the co-chair of the Sousa-Ostwald Award, a prize sponsored by the American Bandmasters Association to promote new works for wind band. He has served as an adjudicator for the Sudler Award, the Barlow Endowment, Music for All, and the Col. George S. Howard award for excellence in military bands. Colburn is a member of Washington D.C.’s prestigious Gridiron and Alfalfa Clubs and the American Bandmasters Association and is a board member of the John Philip Sousa Foundation. Ndugu Chancler All-State Jazz Ensemble I Conductor Ndugu Chancler is a drummer, percussionist, producer, composer, clinician, and educator. As a studio musician, Chancler has recorded with such greats as Frank Sinatra, Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, John Lee Hooker, Kenny Rogers, and Michael Jackson. Working on Thriller and Bad, Chancler was the drummer on the hit single “Billie Jean.” He has also played on a number of movie soundtracks including An Officer and a Gentleman, Indecent Proposal, and The Color Purple. As a songwriter Chancler cowrote hits including “Dance Sister Dance” for Santana, “Reach For It” for George Duke, and “Let It Whip” for the Dazz Band. His production credits include Flora Purim, Bill Summers, and Toki, along with his

own solo recordings. He has coproduced recordings for Santana, George Duke, The Crusaders, Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, Tina Turner, and The Meeting, a group he co-leads with Patrice Rushen and Ernie Watts. These associations have brought many gold and platinum albums and Grammy Awards. As an educator, Chancler has worked with the Jazz Mentorship Program in Los Angeles and on the faculties of the Stanford Jazz Workshop and the Diaz Music Institute. He presents clinics around the world. Chancler is an Adjunct Professor of Jazz and Popular Music Studies at the University of Southern California, Flora L. Thornton School of Music. Miles Osland All-State Jazz Ensemble II Conductor Miles Osland has distinguished himself as an educator, recording and performing artist, author, arranger, and composer. Currently the Director of Jazz Studies and Professor of Saxophone at the University of Kentucky, he has appeared throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia as a guest conductor, performer, and clinician for Selmer (France) Saxophones, D’Addario Woodwinds, and Jody Jazz mouthpieces. His compositions and arrangements, available through ejazzlines, have been recognized and supported by fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kentucky Arts Council, and by numerous other arts foundations. He is also a recipient of the Kentucky Governor’s Award in the Arts for excellence in education. Osland has over a dozen CDs released on Sea Breeze Jazz, Open Loop, and Mark Custom records. Ten of his recordings have been submitted for Grammy nominations. Osland has authored three books available through Dorn Publications and three books/CDs published by Alfred. He also has published a scholarly work (which includes over 75 articles and reviews on saxophone technique and jazz improvisation) in a variety of publications including Downbeat, Jazz Educators Journal, Jazz Player Magazine, Saxophone Journal, Selmer Woodwind Notes, and Windplayer Magazine.

Southwestern Musician | October 2017 33

Creating a Culture of Excellence by Bryn Roberts

he strength and depth of a program that has multiple bands depends on the vitality of its non-varsity ensembles. Many band programs have excellent varsity bands, but I believe that in the best band programs, every band is strong, whether there are two bands or ten. Band should be just as much fun, educational, and important for students in the nonvarsity band as it is for those in the varsity ensemble. The Placement Process Setting the non-varsity band up for success begins with the band placement process. Whatever process you use, publish the specifics so that students and parents understand how students are placed into ensembles. One question you must answer is how seniority should factor into the decision. Should students be placed into higher bands simply because they are older, even if they don’t play as well as some of the younger students? There are challenges in having older students in a non-varsity band. These students often feel embarrassed by their placement and may act out, becoming disruptive or apathetic. These negative attitudes may influence younger, more eager students, making it difficult to create a culture of excellence. At the same time, though, when it’s obvious that an older student who hasn’t done the work has been rewarded simply for seniority, what kind of message does that send about the importance of work ethic? Every situation is different, and you must make a case-bycase decision based on what is best for the student and for the band program as a whole. Inevitably some older students will end up in the non-varsity band. Prevent negative reactions by appointing these students

34 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

as leaders and models. Talk with them about their important leadership role in helping the younger students understand the expectations. They still may not be your strongest players, but find something they can do well (tone quality, counting rhythms, scales, etc.) and have them model it. Helping these students understand the importance of their role in the non-varsity band can keep them from becoming a negative influence. I strongly caution against placing students into bands based on discipline or behavior problems. Often the director of the nonvarsity band is younger and less experienced and may already struggle with classroom management. When you take all the students with behavior problems and put them in the same room, you aren’t setting that ensemble up for success. If a student is prone to being disruptive and is placed in a band below their ability level, they’ll become frustrated and bored because the music is too easy for them, making them even more likely to act out. Things run most smoothly when students are placed in the band that most closely matches their ability level, and thus students who may exhibit poor discipline are spread out among all bands. Similarities to the Varsity Band Students in non-varsity bands can easily perceive they are being looked down on or treated as unimportant. You can combat this by treating the non-varsity and varsity bands similarly as often as possible. This starts with having the same fundamentals or warm-ups for all ensembles. Clearly, these can be modified to fit each group’s ability level (range, tempo, number of keys, etc.), but it’s important for students to know that all bands are working on the same concepts. This can extend to repertoire as well. You

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could perform a mass band piece at a concert once a year with all bands, or the nonvarsity band could perform one movement or an easier arrangement of a piece that the varsity band has played. Furthermore, the expectations for all bands should be the same. If the varsity band does pass-offs, objective sheets, or recordings of Region music, the nonvarsity band should do the same. The material will be different (easier or fewer objectives, shorter cuts of the Region music), but the expectations should be the same. The methods to reach these expectations and hold the non-varsity students accountable will also be different. Varsity students will often be more independent and proactive in submitting recordings and passing off music and objectives. With non-varsity students, you may have to work with them individually to help them get these things done. You may have to bring them into your office to pass off objectives when you see them sitting in the band hall before school. You may have to modify their marching music or break it into smaller chunks to help them pass it off. It may seem like by doing these things you aren’t holding them accountable for their actions, but I believe it’s the opposite. You are letting them know that expectations of the band are not optional. These strategies take more time and effort on your part as a director, but they are worth it. If you hold sectionals or clinics and rehearsals with your varsity band outside school, do the same with your non-varsity bands when possible. Don’t be afraid to require a time commitment from your

non-varsity students. This sends these students the signal that all bands are equally important and are working equally hard. In addition, the more time and effort students put into band, the more they will be invested in it. If we treat our non-varsity bands as a part-time commitment or a blow-off class, these students will have a less positive experience in band and will never reach their potential as musicians. The goal should always be for the nonvarsity bands to sound just as polished and prepared as the varsity band, simply on less challenging repertoire. Motivation How do we motivate our non-varsity students to love making music, to be committed to band, and to always improve as musicians? Often these students need a lot of encouragement. They may lack confidence and believe that they lack musical talent. Look for the good qualities in these students, musical and non-musical, and share with them what you see. Perhaps they count rhythms well, have a good tone quality, catch on to theory concepts quickly, or do a great job setting up chairs and stands each day. Make a big deal out of whatever they do well! Furthermore, help your students develop healthy attributions for their successes or failures. Guide them in evaluating results and understanding the causes. If we can help our students attribute their results to factors over which they have control, such as effort (amount of practicing) and strategy (practice methods) rather than unchangeable factors such as talent

Have a Story to Share? Many of our best feature articles are written by TMEA members like you. Perhaps you have developed an effective teaching method, discovered a new technology that helps make your work more efficient, or have been successful in building administrator and community support. Whatever your areas of success, SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN provides a venue for sharing your ideas with your colleagues around the state.

For magazine submission guidelines, go to www.tmea.org/magazine. 36 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

(I’m just not a good trumpet player) or luck (my directors just don’t like me), we will motivate them to work harder in future musical endeavors. Work to develop a sense of team pride in the non-varsity band. This often comes naturally during marching season but takes more deliberate work in the concert setting. Celebrate musical and nonmusical successes, both of the ensemble and individuals. Never fail to recognize a member of the band who earns an award or achieves success, whether in band or another activity. Celebrate birthdays! Perhaps consider doing a service project together as an ensemble. These ideas will promote a spirit of teamwork and create a stronger investment in the band program. Building for the Future The non-varsity band often consists of many younger students who are the future of the band program. Talk with these students about the future and about the roles they will play in the band in the coming years. Tell them about their leadership potential, and offer them stories about students who were in the non-varsity band and who were excellent leaders and outstanding musicians in the band. If a former member of the non-varsity band became a drum major or an All-State musician, make a huge deal out of that! Always emphasize what these students did to attain great success. This will help your students connect their actions with their outcomes. If possible, find a time to sit down with each of your non-varsity students near the end of the year. Talk with them about their goals for the upcoming year, and guide them in setting specific, attainable goals. Then help them create a plan to reach these goals. If you’re a director of a non-varsity band, don’t just bide your time waiting until you get to conduct the top band. Your non-varsity students need you to create a culture of excellence for them today. When you do that, you will have an enormous impact on these students and on the entire band program. Bryn Roberts is Assistant Band Director at Reedy HS in Frisco ISD.

B Y

B R I A N

ORCHESTRA NOTES

C O A T N E Y

Team teaching Part 2

October—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. October 2, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens. October 13 (Revised deadline)—HS String Honor Orchestra Part A online entry due. October 28—Protected date to record for All-State String auditions. November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. November 4–5—First and second rounds All-State CD judging. November 18–19 (Revised date)— First and second round judging of HS String Honor Orchestra. December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline. January 25—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 14–17—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.

ast month, we discussed instituting a team teaching concept into more programs. We learned that this requires open communication with a respectful and collaborative atmosphere. One of the easiest ways to lose this collaborative atmosphere is in a rehearsal. I have witnessed and experienced rehearsals becoming derailed in a team teaching atmosphere because directors can fall into common pitfalls. First and foremost, you must set aside your ego and be open to different ideas or approaches in front of students. If students understand they are in a team teaching environment and directors converse with mutual respect, then students should not question a director’s knowledge base or expertise. When respect is lost or boundaries are crossed, team teaching will undoubtedly fail, and this usually leads to directors giving up on the concept. We can become defensive or upset if we sense the other teacher is belittling us or challenging our ideas. Therefore, respect must always be present and we must avoid arguing or having a philosophical debate in front of the students. One of our most difficult challenges is teaching students how to work with each other in a respectful manner even when they disagree or have varying opinions. What better way to show your students the necessity of collaboration and humility in music-making than by demonstrating it in your teaching! To do this, each director must understand his or her role within the rehearsal. There are essentially two roles teachers can adopt within a rehearsal. The lead teacher is the one fronting the group and guiding the pace of the rehearsal. The assistant teacher is assisting in the rehearsal by playing in a section, listening, and offering additional feedback or helping individuals within the

7KH EHQHÀWV RI WHDP WHDFKLQJ LQ D UHKHDUVDO where both teachers are offering their expertise in a collaborative and respectful atmosphere are limitless. Southwestern Musician | October 2017 37

Peerccussio on Ensemble • Woodwind Quintet Wind Ensemble • Symphonic Band Marching Band • Indoor Drumline Saxophone Quartet • Indoor Winter Guard Piano Performance • Clarinet Quartet JJazz azz B Band and • Flute Choir • Guitar Jazz Com mbo • Brass Ensemble • Show Choir Colleegiate Singers • College Chorale

Chris Price Choral Director chris.price@navarrocollege.edu 903.875.7532

Joshua Buckrucker Director of Bands joshua.buckrucker@navarrocollege.edu 903.875.7530

Amanda Hughes Associate Professor of Piano amanda.hughes2@navarrocollege.edu 903.875.7531

Tim Nutting Associate Director of Bands timothy.nutting@navarrocollege.edu 903.875.7633

N AVA R R O C O L L E G E

Band.NavarroCollege.edu

rehearsal. The first step in the process, however, is to collaborate and decide on a program for each ensemble. This is especially beneficial for less experienced teachers. I can still remember conversations I had with my mentor. I remember gravitating toward pieces I enjoyed performing or pieces I thought sounded cool. I quickly learned that I needed to study each score and choose pieces based on the concepts I could teach. Once you have decided on a program together and who will conduct each piece, then you need to have weekly meetings to decide lesson plans and a rehearsal schedule. You also need to decide how much time you want to rehearse each piece to make sure each teacher believes they are getting enough time. Stress levels and tension quickly rise when directors feel like they are getting cheated on time or they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t prepare their piece in the given time. Make sure you are constantly communicating with each other, reevaluating, and adjusting your rehearsal plan. When this plan is in place, you can decide which role each director will take during the rehearsal. It typically works best when the conductor of each piece

takes the lead role while the other director takes the assistant role. Depending on your rehearsal plan, you could experience each role in one rehearsal. This is where communication is key. If you are in the lead role, then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essential that you communicate your plan to your teammate and make sure they understand your priority. You also have to be open and not disregard the assistantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s input within and outside the rehearsal. I have found that students often become more engaged and learn more when they listen to teachers discuss how to fix the issue in front of the class. If

assisting in rehearsal, listen to what the lead teacher is prioritizing and offer your advice on that issue. Rehearsals will become chaotic and dysfunctional when teachers are not focused on the same topic. If the director assisting has a varying opinion about the rehearsal priority and starts to focus on a different concept, then chaos will ensue. An example would be the lead teacher focusing on intonation while the assistant believes that articulations are more important. This scenario would most likely lead to frustration, as students do not do well when

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multiple ideas and suggestions are being presented. Therefore, it is critical that the teacher assisting offer only advice pertaining to the lead teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus or on something that would be a quick fix. Save your varying opinion for a future conversation if you think the priority of the rehearsal should be different from the lead teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus. For instance, I was assisting in a rehearsal and noticed the lead teacher was struggling with the cello sectionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accomplishing a phrase. I was playing in the cello section and noticed it was difficult for me to accomplish the phrase because of the bowing. So I suggested that we change the bowing. After collaboration, experimentation, and practice, we were able to achieve the phrase the lead teacher desired. The assistant director must also respect the lead teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interpretation. I have made the mistake of trying to insert my interpretation into the other directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideas. This unfortunately resulted in the lead teacher feeling like their interpretation was devalued. Your job as the assistant is to help the lead teacher make their interpretation work. I have learned that tempo, phrasing, and dynamics are personal, so I always ask the lead teacher what they want to accomplish rather than try to convince them that the phrase should be shaped differently or that the tempo needs to go faster or slower. The benefits of team teaching in a rehearsal where both teachers are offering their expertise in a collaborative and respectful atmosphere are limitless. I have been fortunate to experience team teaching as an assistant and as a head director. I can say with full confidence that in each role, the most fulfilling teaching moments were the ones when team teaching was involved. I hope that with these sugges-

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southwestern.edu/musicscholarship 40 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

FEBRUARY 14â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17, 2018 TMEA.ORG/CONVENTION

tions, you are able to institute team teaching into your programs. I am excited about all the rewarding collaborations that will ensue. Clinic/Convention Update Please take a few minutes to volunteer to help during the 2018 Clinic/Convention. It takes a village to make our convention work and we need your help! Please allocate a little time during your convention schedule to serve the membership. Go to www.tmea.org/orchestravolunteer to provide your information. I’m happy to share information about our outstanding All-State Conductors who will be leading our state’s best orchestra students in February. Along with attending the concerts, know that All-State rehearsals are open and are often valuable learning experiences for teachers. If you haven’t yet, be sure to register online for the convention. Discounted housing for TMEA members opens on October 2 at 6 a.m. CT, and our hotels sell out quickly, so be sure to reserve early! No other music educators convention offers you as many opportunities for professional development, through hundreds of workshops and performances. Go to www.tmea.org/convention for more details about this amazing event and to register. Jung-Ho Pak All-State Symphony Orchestra Conductor Described by the New York Times as a conductor who “radiates enthusiasm,” Jung-Ho Pak is known for his unique vision of the role of classical music. Since 2007 he has been Artistic Director and Conductor of the Cape Symphony. From 2003 to 2013, he was Director of Orchestras and Music Director of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra and at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. In 2012, Pak stepped down after six seasons as Artistic Director and Conductor of Orchestra Nova (San Diego), an orchestra recognized for its innovative programs and business model. Pak is also Music Director Emeritus of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. As Music Director of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra (1997–2002), Pak led the orchestra from bankruptcy to unprecedented financial success. As a

nationally recognized educator, he served as Music Director with the University of Southern California Symphony and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Orchestra. He has also served as Principal Conductor of the Emmy-nominated Disney Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra and as Music Director of the Debut Orchestra, International Chamber Orchestra, NEXT Chamber Orchestra, Colburn Chamber Orchestra, and Diablo Ballet. Guest-conducting has taken him to Europe, Russia, South America, and Asia. Pak is also a frequent speaker on television and radio, including TED Talks and NPR appearances, and he often serves as a clinician and conductor at national music festivals. Miriam Burns All-State Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor Miriam Burns is in her sixth year as Music Director and Conductor of the McLean Orchestra of northern Virginia and continues as Music Director of the Orchestra of the Redeemer in New York City where she resides. Recent prior music directorships include the Kenosha Symphony of Wisconsin and the Tallahassee Symphony, where Rotarians designated her a Paul Harris Fellow for six years of outstanding contribution to the cultural life of Tallahassee. Following a competitive audition, Maestro Kurt Masur appointed Burns to the staff of the New York Philharmonic for eight years as one of their cover conductors. As such, she was entrusted as an assistant conductor on call for countless specific, fully prepared programs under many guest conductors of international repute, including assisting Lorin Maazel on his inaugural tour as new music director with the orchestra to Asia. Internationally, Burns has conducted in England and Taiwan, most recently debuting at the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Magdeburg Philharmonic in Germany. Within the United States, she has appeared with orchestras in Houston, Phoenix, Oregon, Memphis, Virginia, Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, Syracuse, and elsewhere, as well as at various summer music festivals including annual appearances at the MasterWorks Festival. Burns has received conducting awards

from the Aspen Music Festival and the Conductors Guild. Awarded full merit scholarships for her entire training in orchestral conducting, Burns has advanced degrees in orchestral conducting from both Yale School of Music, where her mentors were Lawrence Leighton Smith and Gunter Herbig, and the Mannes College of Music. Jeffrey Grogan All-State String Orchestra Conductor Jeffrey Grogan is an internationally known conductor and teacher dedicated to the pursuit of his craft and nurturing musical excellence among young musicians. Grogan has served as adjudicator, conductor, and clinician for many prestigious national and international festivals, including the Honor Orchestra of America sponsored by Music for All, the Association for Music in International Schools Orchestra (Singapore), the National Orchestra Cup at Lincoln Center, and the Honors Performance Series Orchestra and Band at Carnegie Hall. Other recent international appearances include the Harpa Concert Hall in Iceland, the Opera House in Sydney, Australia, and in Bangkok, Thailand. Grogan serves as Director of Orchestral Activities and Professor of Music at Oklahoma City University and Artistic Director of the Oklahoma Youth Orchestras. Previously, Grogan served for 11 seasons as Education and Community Engagement Conductor of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and as Conductor and Artistic Director of the NJSO Youth Orchestras, the InterSchool Orchestras of New York, and the New Jersey Youth Symphony. His youth orchestras have performed to capacity crowds at some of the greatest concert halls in the world, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the Musikverein in Vienna. In addition, Grogan was founding Artistic Director of two El Sistema inspired music programs, the Paterson Music Project in Paterson, New Jersey, and the NJSO CHAMPS in Newark. He has also conducted numerous all-state orchestras and bands throughout the United States. Grogan is excited to return to Texas for his third appearance with the Texas All-State Orchestras. Southwestern Musician | October 2017 41

Filling Our Musical Tank by Anthony Maiello

hen we awaken from a full night’s sleep, we generally feel refreshed, rested, re-energized, and ready to face a new day. Our minds and bodies are focused on the daily tasks we need to accomplish as we head to school. Now imagine the opposite scenario. What would it be like to wake up feeling depleted and in critical need of inspiration, or in the case of music teachers, in need of “musical fuel”? Admittedly, when I wake up each morning my musical tank is empty, but as the day progresses a magical thing occurs. But first, back to my mornings. After an early morning workout routine that includes intensive score study while on the Nordic Track and Maxi Climber, I eat a healthy breakfast, take a quick shower, dress professionally for my day, and head out the door for school. It’s 7:15 a.m. Physically, I am ready to go, but mentally, my “musical tank” gauge points to E. Arriving at School As I walk from my car toward the music building, I immediately begin seeking opportunities to refuel my musical tank. Upon entering the building, I walk down the same hallway I’ve traversed for three decades when suddenly I hear a clarinetist in a practice room playing warm-up exercises, scales, and arpeggios. I pass by the next room where a violinist painstakingly practices long tones. Another room yet rings with the sounds of vocal exercises. These familiar yet wonderful (and comforting!) sounds instantly start the refilling of my mental musical tank, and so begins the rejuvenation process. It is the same regeneration I have experienced throughout my 52 years of teaching, dating back to my first year teaching in five elementary schools and one junior high school and assisting the high school band director. But back to the present. As I climb the stairs to my fourth-floor office, flip on the lights, fire up my computer, and sit down at my desk, I consciously anticipate the next opportunity for musical inspiration. One of my conducting students appears to request help with score preparation. Together we sing and conduct the score, cue, transpose parts, observe dynamics and transitions, identify primary, secondary, and supportive material, and ask the proverbial questions who, 42 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

what, when, where, and why—always why. The level in my musical tank continues to rise. After this, another student appears in the doorway. This student is in my Aural Skills class and asks if I will listen to the assigned solfeggio exercises for today’s class. Once finished, we review the difficult intervals in need of pitch adjustment and a challenging rhythmic passage. More replenishment for the musical tank, and it is only 8:30 a.m.! Next up, Conducting Class. The fuel level of my musical tank surges upward once again. The same holds true after teaching Aural Skills and a private conducting lesson with one of my DMA conducting students. Whether conducting an ensemble rehearsal, running a sectional, or overhearing a student practicing or singing musical passages for an upcoming concert, my response is always the same: the internal gauge on my musical tank moves up, up, up! Not surprisingly, by the day’s end, my musical tank is restored to full! A Different Paradigm I often tell my students that music chooses us; we don’t choose it. Teaching music is not for the faint of heart. It is not a job but rather a calling—a way of life—a lifestyle all its own. It involves enormous amounts of time, effort, self-discipline, energy, passion, inspiration, organization, and dedication. And if we do it right, we are physically exhausted at the end of the day, but our musical tanks are sublimely filled to capacity! I believe that what keeps us coming back as music educators day after day is the anticipation (and gift) of the replenished musical tank, as experienced through teaching, conducting, or performing. These daily musical experiences, large and small, are extraordinary events that change lives forever, and we as music teachers have the opportunity and privilege to share this gift with others every day. I often think to myself, “I don’t go to work, I get to go to music!” My dad was an ironworker who went to work every day, in every type of weather, hundreds of feet in the air constructing tall buildings, one steel beam at a time. His work afforded me the opportunity to study music and make music my work. What a joy!

We Touch Souls One of the most important lessons I learned about the power of music was from a medical doctor. Doctors observe, examine, diagnose, and prescribe. Music teachers employ the same process. One day I was feeling under the weather and was scheduled to conduct a morning dress rehearsal followed by an evening concert with a professional local symphony orchestra. Before starting rehearsal, I apologized to the musicians for not feeling 100%. Two hours later when rehearsal came to a close, I thanked the orchestra, with a newfound energy, for a great rehearsal and expressed my excitement about the evening performance ahead. One of the orchestra members (a medical doctor by trade) approached me and asked what medicine I had taken to get through rehearsal. When I told him I had not taken any, he insisted, “Oh yes you did!” and went on to detail the improvement he observed in my tone of voice, body language, energy level, and overall persona throughout the two-hour rehearsal. According to this doctor, by the end of the rehearsal, everything about me had changed. At that moment I, too, realized that my demeanor had greatly improved since the start of rehearsal. My energy level was higher, my voice upbeat, and I felt able to convey more motivation and excitement from the podium. What I learned next was perhaps one of the most valuable lessons of my career. The doctor went on to explain that he works with the physical symptoms and organs of the human body, and stated, “But you—you, as a musician—you touch souls.” I had to hold back the tears. It Is Our Obligation We have the awesome opportunity and responsibility as musi-

cians and teachers of music to touch souls. We touch the souls not only of the people who are in front of us in our lessons, classes, rehearsals, and performances, but also of those who sit in the audience behind us. To accomplish this prodigious task it is essential that we keep our musical juices flowing throughout each day. As teachers, we are fortunate to share our passion for and commitment to music every day. For every moment that music is in our lives, it serves as vital fuel for our musical tanks. Coda The grade level we teach music is immaterial. What counts is how we teach music. I have had the privilege of teaching music from the fourth-grade level through the university doctoral level, and it’s all the same: it is about the music and touching souls. Music is an art form like no other and should be treated as such. It speaks to the basics of our humanity—our human emotions put into sound. I heard Byron Striplings use the following coined phrase in one of his clinics and it has stayed with me ever since: “I sing not because I am happy . . . I am happy because I sing!” Be thankful and glad for the gift of a full musical tank each day. To touch one’s soul is to share the joy of music as many times a day in this lifetime as possible, so fuel up, let the music invigorate your soul so that you may inspire others, and enjoy the ride! Anthony Maiello is a professor at George Mason University’s School of Music and is the 2018 TMEA Band Division Featured Clinician.

BAY LOR U NI V ER SIT Y SCHOOL OF MUSIC Master of Music in Music Education

Fall 2018 Graduate Assistantships in Music Education Now Available Full Tuition and Stipend Four assistantships are available to the most outstanding applicants in band, choir, orchestra, and elementary music education. Applicants must hold a teacher certiﬁcation (or the equivalent). To learn more and to apply, visit baylor.edu/musiced. Application deadline is February 1, 2018.

Baylor University admits students of any race ce, color, national and ethnic origin, sex, agee, ddisabil bility bil i , or ity or veteran v ann sta tatus. Southwestern Musician | October 2017 43

B Y

D E R R I C K

VOCAL NOTES

B R O O K I N S

In Memoriam Javier “Gabe” Perez December 30, 1969–July 21, 2017

What is your work language?

October—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. October 2, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens. November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline. January 13—Area Vocal and Band auditions. January 25—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 14–17—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.

hat is your work language? It’s a weird question, I know. Like many of you, I’ve read The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. The text walks you through a series of situations and questions to help you discover how you best express and receive the emotion of love. After spending time reading that book over the summer, I have an increased thirst to better understand how we communicate. Close friends, students, and relatives will tell you, I’m a constant student of human behavior and our interactions with each other, sometimes ad nauseam. I am also a firm believer that our subconscious can be louder than our consciousness. Often, it’s what we don’t say that can speak volumes. Because so many of our choral colleagues across the state work in a team environment (lead director/assistant director), I’m encouraged to ask whether you have ever taken the time to ask yourself what your work languages are. What messages do you send to those who spend an exorbitant amount of time with you every day? Now, before anyone begins to speculate about whether I’m writing this article subliminally in regard to my assistant, I can happily assure you I am not. In my 22 years of choral music education, I have had the pleasure of working

Learning to understand and appreciate one another’s strengths and weaknesses is part of the journey. Southwestern Musician | October 2017 45

alongside some of the most talented, gifted, caring, and dedicated music educators in our state. I count it as a blessing for the opportunity to see each of them grow and develop into fine choral directors and am honored to have played a small role. I’ve had many conversations with choral directors throughout the state on this subject matter, and several encouraged me to write on the topic. Based on my conversations with them, it seems that choral instructors who are currently in the position of lead director utilize at least one, or a combination, of the following work languages: Work Language A: The Partnership The lead director and the assistant director share all aspects of the program. From using the team-teaching strategy in their rehearsals, to sharing the same email account, they are a partnership—coworkers. To see and hear from one is to see and hear from the other.

Work Language B: The Dictator The lead director behaves in an autocratic way. The assistant is instructed with specific daily instructions to fulfill for the betterment and progression of the program according to the vision of the lead director. Work Language C: The Islander This is an isolated approach to the working environment. The approach that might say, “Here’s what I’ll do and am responsible for within the program. Here is what you need to do, and be responsible for within the program. I’ll see you at the end-of-year banquet . . . and good luck.” I’m certain there are many other work philosophy languages that we could all add to this list, and the three types I included here aren’t intended to be judgmental or scientific. They are merely intended to shine a light on our self-discovery. How can you begin to address a topic or concern if you don’t first acknowledge it? Can you

find yourself (at least in part) in any or all of the languages described? Understandably, there are many variables that play into each category. Perhaps you speak in a different language in August than you do in March or April. Of course, the root of this subject is communication. Communication—the human connection—is the key to personal and career success. It is a two-way street. Not only should you become conscious of the work language that you communicate, but I would encourage those around you to examine themselves and also examine their work language. Learning to understand and appreciate one another’s strengths and weaknesses is part of the journey. Full confession: I can honestly say that I can and have found myself described by each the above descriptions, and I have at times fluctuated from one to another, depending on the situation. As educators we are all growing and in a constant state

2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention FEBRUARY 14–17 • SAN ANTONIO

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Southwestern Musician | October 2017 47

of development. Who I was as a music leader at the age of 26 is not who I am today at the age of . . . 21 (it’s my dream and I’m sticking to it). I feel certain the same can be said about you. 2018 Clinic/Convention Update If you haven’t already registered for the convention, do it today! Also, be sure to reserve your hotel through the discounted convention hotel reservation system. That system is available October 2 at 6 a.m. CT at www.tmea.org/housing. The TMEA convention housing system

you access through our website is the only official housing system for the convention. Each year, members are contacted by companies seeking to make a discounted reservation for them. Booking through TMEA’s official housing provider, Orchid Events, ensures you will be working with a reputable company, that your credit card information is secure, and that you will benefit from all services provided to conference attendees. And, while it’s not a positive reality, there are times when convention properties become overbooked. If that happens, and if you have booked through

USED STEINWAY GRANDS Ϯ dĞǆĂƐ ^ĞůĞĐƟŽŶ ĞŶƚĞƌƐ

our official convention housing system, your reservation will be honored, and you will be housed. All-State Conductors I am so excited to introduce our 2018 All-State Conductors. The experiences they will share with our students will be life-changing. As you read about them, remember that during our convention, you can attend their rehearsals and learn from them in action. Andre J. Thomas All-State Mixed Choir Conductor Andre J. Thomas, the Owen F. Sellers Professor of Music, is Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Choral Music Education at Florida State University. A previous faculty member at UT/Austin, he is in demand as a choral adjudicator, clinician, and director of honor choirs throughout North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, and Africa. Thomas has conducted choirs at state, division, and national conventions. His international conducting credits are extensive. Since 1988, he has also served as Artistic Director of the Tallahassee Community Chorus. Thomas has also distinguished himself as a composer/ arranger. He has produced two instructional videos, “What They See Is What

tĞ ƐƚŽĐŬ ϯϬ ^ƚĞŝŶǁĂǇ DŽĚĞů ΖƐ͘ tĞ ĂůƐŽ ƐƚŽĐŬ DŽĚĞů D͕ >͕ K͘ tŚĞŶ ŝƚ ŝƐ ƟŵĞ ƚŽ ĨƵůĮůů ǇŽƵƌ ĚƌĞĂŵ ŽĨ ŽǁŶŝŶŐ Ă ^ƚĞŝŶǁĂǇ 'ƌĂŶĚ͕ ĐĂůů ƵƉŽŶ ΗDĂĞƐƚƌŽΗ ƌƵŶŽ͘ ,Ğ ŝƐ Ă WŝĂŶŝƐƚ ĂŶĚ Ă ^ƚĞŝŶǁĂǇ 'ƵƌƵ͘ KƵƌ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ ƚŽ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ >ĞǀĞů ϯ ĂŶĚ ϰ ƐĞƚƐ ƵƐ ĂƉĂƌƚ ĨƌŽŵ ĞǀĞƌǇŽŶĞ͘ ŶĚ ǇŽƵ ǁŝůů ŚĂǀĞ Ă ďĞƩĞƌ ĐŚĂŶĐĞ ŽĨ ǁŝŶŶŝŶŐ Ă WŝĂŶŽ ŽŵƉĞƟƟŽŶ͘ Ăůů ͞DĂĞƐƚƌŽ͟ ƌƵŶŽ Λ ϴϬϬͲϳϰϱͲϲϯϮϯ ǆƚ ϭ ƌƵŶŽΛZĞĚ ŝƌĚ>> ͘ĐŽŵ

^ƚĂƌƚĞĚ ^ĞůůŝŶŐ EĞǁ͕ WWK͕ ĂŶĚ hƐĞĚ ^ƚĞŝŶǁĂǇ 'ƌĂŶĚƐ ŝŶ ϭϵϳϰ 48 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

Soprano TMEA Members Apply to Perform with the 2018 All-State Mixed Choir

Oct. 15 Upload Deadline Learn more and apply at tmea.org/sopranosolo

Audition Days

Saturday, November 18, 2017 Saturday, February 17, 2018 Saturday, March 31, 2018

To schedule an audition please visit:

music.uco.edu/auditions or call 405-974-5004

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS: Jazz Performance Music Education – Instrumental Music Education – Vocal Musical Theatre

Percussion Performance String Performance Vocal Performance Wind Performance

GRADUATE PROGRAMS: Collaborative Piano Composition Conducting Instrumental Performance Jazz Studies – Music Production Jazz Studies – Performance

Music Education Musical Theatre Piano Pedagogy Piano Performance Vocal Pedagogy Vocal Performance

BAY LOR U NIV ER SIT Y SCHOOL OF MUSIC The Baylor University School of Music provides transformational experiences that prepare students for careers in music. Our students thrive in a Christian environment characterized by a nurturing resident faculty, an unwavering pursuit of musical excellence, a global perspective, a dedication to service and a devotion to faith. They investigate the rich musical and cultural heritage of the past, develop superior musical skills and knowledge in the present, and explore and create new modes of musical expression for the future.

A U D I T I O N D AT E S F R I D AY

S A T U R D AY

December 1, 2017

January 13, 2018

January 27, 2018

February 24, 2018

(VOICE KEYBOARD)

(BRASS, KEYBOARD, PERCUSSION, STRINGS, VOICE, WOODWINDS)

(BRASS, KEYBOARD, PERCUSSION, VOICE, WOODWINDS)

(BRASS, KEYBOARD, PERCUSSION, STRINGS, VOICE, WOODWINDS)

F R I D AY

January 12, 2018 (VOICE)

F R I D AY

February 23, 2018 (VOICE)

Auditions are required of all entering and transferring music majors. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Baylor University School of Music One Bear Place #97408 â&#x20AC;˘ Waco, TX 76798-7408 www.baylor.edu/music and click on â&#x20AC;&#x153;For Prospective Studentsâ&#x20AC;? 254.710.7681 â&#x20AC;˘ Music_Admit@baylor.edu

You Get” on choral conducting, with Rodney Eichenberger, and “Body, Mind, Spirit, Voice” on adolescent voices, with Anton Armstrong. His recent book Way Over in Beulah Lan’: Understanding and Performing the Negro Spiritual has quickly become a major source in this area of study. In March of 2017, ACDA presented Thomas with its highest honor, the Robert Shaw Award, and in November of 2017 NCCO presented Thomas with its Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a past-president of the Florida ACDA and the past-president of the Southern Division of ACDA. Pearl Shangkuan All-State Treble Choir Conductor Pearl Shangkuan is a sought-after conductor, lecturer, and clinician across the United States and internationally. Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Music at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she is also chorus master of the Grand Rapids Symphony, a Grammy-nominated professional orchestra. Her conducting and teaching engagements have taken her to Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, Europe, and across Asia. Shangkuan has a signature choral series with earthsongs and is the music editor of the Calvin choral series, published by GIA. In 2013, Michigan ACDA honored her with their Maynard Klein Choral Award for “artistic excellence and lifetime leadership in choral music.” Her choirs have performed at ACDA national, division, and state conferences and for other professional music organizations. She has conducted ACDA division honor choirs, all-state and honor choirs, and festivals in numerous states and internationally and has headlined several ACDA state conferences. She has also

served on the jury of several international choral competitions and has been a guest faculty for programs in the United States such as the Chorus America conducting master classes and the University of Michigan Choral Conducting Symposium. Andrew Last All-State Tenor-Bass Choir Conductor Andrew Last serves as the Director of Choral Activities at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he conducts the Nordic Choir, teaches choral methods and conducting, and serves as the Artistic Director for the nationally broadcast Christmas at Luther. Last is part of a vital choral program at Luther College that includes four choral faculty, nearly 600 singers, six choral ensembles, numerous regional and national ACDA convention performances, and that regularly presents choral/orchestra works. Additionally, Last serves as director for the Dorian Summer Music Camps that annually welcome over 700 campers to the Luther College campus. Prior to his appointment, Last served on the voice faculty of Concordia University (Neb.). Matthew Oltman All-State Small School Mixed Choir Conductor Matthew Oltman is Music Director Emeritus of the Grammy-award winning male vocal ensemble Chanticleer and Artistic Director Emeritus of the New York-based Empire City Men’s Chorus. He currently serves on the faculty at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he teaches graduate choral literature and conducts the Chamber Singers and All-Collegiate Choir. He is also the associ-

ate director of CORO and helps lead the CORO/Simpson College summer master’s program in choral conducting. Oltman joined Chanticleer in 1999, singing in the ensemble until his appointment as its Music Director in 2009. He led the ensemble through three critically acclaimed seasons, which included over 300 concerts in more than a dozen countries. He helped launch the Chanticleer Live in Concert or “CLIC” recording label and was the editor of the Chanticleer Choral Series, published by Hinshaw Music. Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (All Periodicals Publications Except Requester Publications) 1. Publication Title

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Southwestern Musician

4. Issue Frequency

3. Filing Date

September 20, 2017

4 0

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Monthly (excluding March, June, and July)

6. Annual Subscription Price

Nine (9)

$20.00

7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not printer) (Street, city, county, state, and ZIP+4 ®)

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Kay Vanlandingham

P.O. Box 140465 Austin, Travis, TX 78714-0465

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Robert Floyd, P.O. Box 140465, Austin, Travis, TX 78714-0465 Editor (Name and complete mailing address)

Same as publisher Managing Editor (Name and complete mailing address)

Karen Cross, P.O. Box 140465, Austin, Travis, TX 78714-0465 10. Owner (Do not leave blank. If the publication is owned by a corporation, give the name and address of the corporation immediately followed by the names and addresses of all stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, give the names and addresses of the individual owners. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, give its name and address as well as those of each individual owner. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, give its name and address.) Full Name Complete Mailing Address

Texas Music Educators Association

P.O. Box 140465, Austin, Travis, TX 78714-0465

11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or None Other Securities. If none, check box Full Name

Complete Mailing Address

12. Tax Status (For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates) (Check one) The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months Has Changed During Preceding 12 Months (Publisher must submit explanation of change with this statement) PS Form 3526, July 2014 [Page 1 of 4 (see instructions page 4)] PSN: 7530-01-000-9931

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13. Publication Title

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below

Southwestern Musician

September 2017

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation

No. Copies of Single Average No. Copies Issue Published Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months Nearest to Filing Date

a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run)

b. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail)

(1)

Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies)

(2)

Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies)

(3)

Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS®

(4)

Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (e.g., First-Class Mail®)

c. Total Paid Distribution [Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)]

15,680

15,160

15,618

15,104

0 15,135

e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4))

15,653

15,137

15,680

15,160

99.987%

g. Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4 (page #3))

h. Total (Sum of 15f and g) i. Percent Paid (15c divided by 15f times 100)

Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means)

f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e)

15,651

d. Free or (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies included on PS Form 3541 Nominal Rate Distribution (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541 (By Mail and Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS Outside (3) (e.g., First-Class Mail) the Mail) (4)

* If you are claiming electronic copies, go to line 16 on page 3. If you are not claiming electronic copies, skip to line 17 on page 3.

From the Top at the TMEA Convention

PS Form 3526, July 2014 (Page 2 of 4)

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (All Periodicals Publications Except Requester Publications) 16. Electronic Copy Circulation

Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months

No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date

a. Paid Electronic Copies

b. Total Paid Print Copies (Line 15c) + Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a) c. Total Print Distribution (Line 15f) + Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a) d. Percent Paid (Both Print & Electronic Copies) (16b divided by 16c ¯ 100)

Encourage Your Elite Students to Apply!

I certify that 50% of all my distributed copies (electronic and print) are paid above a nominal price. 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership If the publication is a general publication, publication of this statement is required. Will be printed

Publication not required.

October 2017 in the ________________________ issue of this publication. 18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner

NOVEMBER 10 DEADLINE

Date

Robert Floyd, Editor

September 20, 2017

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

See page 9 for application details PS Form 3526, July 2014 (Page 3 of 4)

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Southwestern Musician | October 2017 51

SCHOOL OF MUSIC - Introduces -

DR. JOHN DENIS

Woodwind Specialist

Apps for the Applied Music Studio by Art Brownlow and Michael Quantz

usic teachers have been using robust computer applications like SmartMusic and Finale with great success for a long time. Yet now, our students are walking around with tiny computers in their pockets that can power complex apps. So, rather than ban smartphones and tablets, applied instructors can put them to good use as onestop shops for myriad resources. Of course, metronome and tuner apps have been in wide use for a while now, and everyone has their favorites (we do, too!). But there are dozens of these apps available, not to mention the thousands of other music apps with potential benefit. Rather than compile a long list of such apps here, we would like to focus instead on specific apps that appropriately address these basic objectives: to easily document student work inside and outside their lessons, effectively assess that work, use the results to make improvements, and conveniently share work between student and teacher. Before you employ any apps to help support these objectives, you should spend time testing to determine their usefulness and structuring the use of the ones you select. We believe it is generally best not to use more than four or five apps for your teaching and administrative purposes. More apps tend to overly complicate use and don’t enhance productivity. Hardware Features The camera on digital devices can function far better than a mirror, since a camera has the capacity to document posture and playing position from many angles. The ability to capture an improved position for performance from the student’s viewpoint is surprisingly effective. Our students respond better to coaching when we use photos and video of them instead of just teacher demonstrations. Students appear to consistently adapt to instruction with greater rapidity, consistency, and completeness. Capturing and posting video of student performances in both formative and summative stages can be enhanced by creating a private Facebook group for the studio where peer critiques can be shared. Sharing videos between individual students and teachers

can be simplified via Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud access. Additionally, when students record and critique themselves performing, they are usually more consistent in addressing changes to specific parameters via this process. We have found it’s best not to assign more than one or two elements for students to critique while watching the video, and they should be annotating the score while the video is played. Students become more aware of what they are (or aren’t) doing through this process. Studio Management When we took applied lessons in our undergraduate and graduate degree programs, our teachers wrote our assignments on small sheets of scratch paper. And, as conscientious as we were, we still occasionally lost those pieces of paper. Also, carrying around several etude books, daily warm-ups, and other music was a chore. Mobile apps can help with these issues and in other aspects of managing the studio. The trick is finding something that does what you need and that is affordable. There are several studio management apps for the commercial market, but these tend to focus on billing and tracking student payments—all unnecessary for a university or high school applied studio. One can use these and ignore the business features, but they are expensive and many have limitations. There are some less expensive apps, but you have to be cautious about their viability (or even whether they are safe to download). We instead turned to traditional classroom management apps for our applied studios, several of which are capable and affordable. We like eBackpack, a K–12 app that costs $40 per year for up to 50 students. While eBackpack has many features that are unnecessary for a music studio, those features can easily be ignored and teachers can use only the bits they need. Using the teacher version of the app, we push assignments and course materials to our students’ mobile devices. These include task lists, daily maintenance exercises, annotated musical excerpts, public domain scores and tutors, and even recorded audio and video files. Students then work with the scores and Southwestern Musician | October 2017 53

Exercise Caution Before downloading any app, understand that malware or Trojan horse apps exist in the App Store and the Play Store—these often appear simply to be cheaper options to legitimate apps. Before downloading: read some articles about app malware, download only from the Apple App Store or Google Play (avoid third party sources), make sure the icon for the app looks professional, read details about the apps, and make sure that there are at least 100 downloads. exercises in music-reading apps, or they print them. Students also make audio and video recordings with their devices and send those files to us through eBackpack, allowing for easy assessment and feedback. Practice Management At the start of each lesson we ask students to open a practice report graphic that reflects the work accomplished over the previous week. We can quickly see the total amount of practice and the devotion to each assigned area. Often this provides opportunities for honest discussions during lessons, leading to improved practice tactics. Using the practice management app also seems to reduce stress associated with practice, and the app allows students to accomplish more regular practice in a greater number of necessary areas. Our students divide practice into warm-up/ maintenance, technique, functional skills, new repertoire, solo performing, repertoire review, and ensemble. Specific duration, technical, and conceptual goals are set for each category and new repertoire is assigned the largest block of practice time. The app is used in lessons almost every week to adjust practice routines and targets (much more than anticipated). After about three weeks utilizing this

Music Technology Preconference Learn more about using technology in your music instruction and program administration during this one-day preconference hosted by TI:ME, the Technology Institute for Music Educators. The preconference will be held during the TMEA convention on Wednesday, February 14, in San Antonio. TI:ME preconference registration is $50 and can be paid when you register online for the TMEA Clinic/Convention. 54 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

technology, students found this type of practice management to be helpful, especially in consistently attending to what they practiced, how much they practiced, and the manner of practice. Music Journal works best for our purposes, but it is an iOS-only app. Simple practice apps using Android work adequately, however several are unstable when lots of data is loaded. There are also personal time tracking/ management apps that can be adapted for rudimentary practice documentation, though we are still beta testing their use. We recommend that teachers repeatedly instruct students to turn off all notifications on the device while using them for instructional purposes. Score Management In our experience using apps to analyze scores, take notes, and more, Mobile Sheets Pro is a good choice for Android (although we haven’t fully tested it in our teaching environment). We found piaScore to be the most stable and productive score management app on iOS. The markup features provide easy tools to analyze scores in multiple ways, plus scores can be saved and shared as PDFs. It is very easy to capture scores as PDFs with the device camera. Students use this app to take practice notes, to analyze the score, for interpretation mapping, and for lesson notes. This app is particularly effective for score analysis assignments. Files can be shared/stored to Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud. ePortfolio A major concern in higher education is how to incorporate senior capstone projects that draw together the body of work students have produced over their university careers. One of the issues in implementing such projects is how to fit them into the curriculum; usually there is no room in a music education degree plan. With our focus on the potential of mobile devices, we envision a way in which an ePortfolio could be managed easily in the

applied studio, using mobile apps. Our vision of an ePortfolio would be a multi-touch, interactive book in the ePub file format. It could therefore be read in either Google Books or Apple’s iBooks. Our favorite app for such a project is Book Creator, by Red Jumper, Ltd. The app is cross-platform, and it is free for the first book ($4.99 for subsequent books). A portfolio such as this could be populated with many different types of materials, including audio and video, from throughout a student’s college years. Specific materials one could place in an ePortfolio might include semester recitals, studio classes, master classes, major degree recitals, stage productions, music history and theory papers, research projects, orchestration and methods class projects, teaching philosophies, conducting videos, and various outreach projects, such as internships, presentations, or published papers. As a guide for creating multi-touch books as ePortfolios, we would recommend Documenting the Musical Journey, a free, multi-touch book by Jonathon Marrows (available on the iBooks Store). Marrows is a secondary music teacher in the UK, so many of his examples are British-based and more analogous to our middle school level. Nonetheless, his book demonstrates how to create multi-touch ePortfolios, and his context is the music student. Apps, Apps, Everywhere In addition to the ones we discussed here, many other types of apps can be beneficial to private music instructors. For these and additional app suggestions, go to www.tmea.org/studioapps. As of May 2017, there were over two million apps in the Apple App Store alone, and this number grows daily. Faced with these numbers, it may seem like a daunting task to stay ahead of the changes. Regardless, we encourage you to explore and examine music apps that are available for the mobile devices you and your students use, and in the process, turn your applied studios into digital music studios that offer advantages over the traditional model. Michael Quantz and Art Brownlow are Professors of Music at UT/Rio Grande Valley.

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ELEMENTARY NOTES

B Y

C A S E Y

M E D L I N

Let them be kids

o matter what level they teach, all music educators started out the same way—as musicians. In the beginning, we learned how to to read music, sing, and, for some, play an instrument. Our first performance was, let’s face it, not great, but we were proud nonetheless. We practiced for hours and we got better. Even as adults, the cycle is the same. We practice and then we perform. We fix our mistakes and vow to never make the same one twice. Musicians are intense. When we become educators, we bring that intensity with us. We demand a lot of ourselves, and thus we demand a lot of our students. We set high expectations and build a pathway for our students to attain success. Unfortunately, sometimes, with so much of our focus on the performance, we forget one thing—our students are just kids. I don’t mean that in a demeaning way at all. We all know kids can do amazing things. What I mean is this—when preparing for a performance, don’t focus so much on the actual performance that you forget about the performers. With each performance, your students are learning more than the lyrics and the dance moves. They are learning whether they like music. When preparations for the performance are joyful, regardless of the outcome of the final performance, kids will have enjoyed their experience and be more likely to continue to pursue music in the future.

We set high expectations and build a pathway for our students to attain success. 56 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

Pender’s helps your grant

As an Approved Vendor for the TMEA Elementary Instructional Support Program, our sales staff is ready and available to help you submit your grant request for up to $800 per campus. Your grant will go further with a 10% Pender’s discount on all grant materials!

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10% Discount + Free Shipping on all qualifying TMEA grant orders. To view, listen and make lists of sheet music for your program, visit

www.penders.com Grant application period: Oct. 15 to Nov. 15 For details: tmea.org/elementarygrant

1) If you haven’t received your Pender’s General Music ‘17-’18 catalog, call us for a copy or view online at penders.com/GM17-18 2) Select up to $800 in Pender’s products (all Pender’s products are eligible – not limited to catalog) 3) Fill out your Grant Order Form at penders.com/TMEAgrant 4) Complete your request and click send. We will reply with your proposal (quote). 5) Finish and submit your grant application through tmea.org/elementarygrant

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Elementary Grant Funding TMEA is committed to help as you look for ways to enhance your students’ experience in your program, and the Executive Board recently demonstrated that commitment by approving grant funding for elementary music programs. Active TMEA members who teach elementary music can apply October 15–November 15 for grants for up to $800 per campus. These grants can be used to help purchase classroom supplies and instruments. This is an amazing opportunity to find items your students can use to create music or for them to help choose instruments they’d like to add to their classroom experience, further supporting the student-centered, joyous music class! For more information and to apply, go to www.tmea.org/elementarygrant. You definitely don’t want to miss this opportunity! 2018 Clinic/Convention Update Make plans now to attend and get the most out of the TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio February 14–17, 2018. If you have not already done so, renew your membership and register to attend at www.tmea.org/renew. The online housing

58 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

system opens October 2 at 6 a.m. CT. With over 14,500 TMEA members expected to attend this year, our discounted hotels for members will fill quickly (some within hours!). Go to www.tmea.org/housing. Continue to visit tmea.org/convention for updates about this event. You can find details about our performing groups, a clinic preview, and much more. If you need a document to show your administrator, you can download a one-page brochure about the event. As you look forward to the convention, learn more about our nationally recognized Elementary Division Featured Clinicians, who are bringing their expertise to San Antonio in clinics targeted to your pedagogical development as elementary music educators. I’ve had the opportunity see these two clinicians in action, and I can’t wait to have them back in Texas sharing their wealth of knowledge. Artie Almeida Featured Clinician Artie Almeida recently retired after 37 years of teaching in the public schools. She was the music

specialist at Bear Lake Elementary school in the Orlando area, where she taught 1,200 K–5 students. Her dynamic groups have performed for NAfME, AOSA, and on the NBC Today Show. Look for the Bear Lake Sound in the upcoming music education advocacy documentary “Marching Beyond Halftime.” Almeida was chosen as Florida Music Educator of the Year, and selected as an International Educator 2006 by the Cambridge England Biographical Society. She was a Teacher of the Year at the school level six times, was finalist for Florida Teacher of the Year, and was recently chosen as a University of Central Florida Alumni of the Decade. Almeida was included in the publications Who’s Who in American Education and Great Minds of the 21st Century. Almeida will present six sessions covering multiple areas, including bringing music elements to life through song and movement, traditional, nontraditional, and non-pitched percussion, recorder games and lessons, and literature and music.

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Jill Trinka Featured Clinician Jill Trinka is Professor and Coordinator of Music Education at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate ear training and sight-singing, elementary music methods, and classroom instrument courses. She has directed Kodály Institutes for the University of Texas, University of North Texas, DePaul University, Portland State University, and the University of St. Thomas, and she currently directs the West Chester University Kodály Certificate Program. She has taught in Kodály programs at Texas Tech University, Holy Names University, Fresno State, and The Hartt School. A past-president of the Organization of American Kodály Educators and 2003 recipient of their Outstanding Educator Award, Trinka is internationally known by children, parents, and music educators as “a dynamic, winsome, and energetic teacher and performer.” Her performances

bring new life to the musical and cultural treasures of American folk music as she accompanies herself on the dulcimer, autoharp, guitar, and banjo. Trinka’s publications are available from GIA Music. Trinka will present six sessions on a variety of topics, including repertoire and activities for developing musical awareness and skills, sequencing movement skills, singing games, and play party games. Music and Technology Conference of Houston As of press time, the following information about MATCH was current, but plans were still under review given the effects of Hurricane Harvey. Be sure to check the MATCH Facebook page before attending to confirm the event details. Hosted by TMEA Regions 13, 17, 19, 27, and 33, the Music and Technology Conference of Houston, MATCH, is just around the corner! Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 21, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m., to attend a full day of technology designed just for elementary music teachers! Fort Bend ISD’s new school, James C. Neill Elementary in Richmond, will be the site

for this biennial event. The keynote speaker is Marcelo Caplan, an Associate Professor of the Science and Mathematics Department of Columbia College Chicago. He is the cofounder of Scientists for Tomorrow, an organization that provides youth and adults the possibility to explore careers with STEM/ STEAM subjects. Caplan was selected as one of the most influential STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) figures of 2015 by the National AfterSchool Association. The afternoon speaker is Graham Hepburn from Quaver’s Marvelous World of Music. Hepburn has a passion for igniting a love of music in the hearts and minds of young kids. Hepburn truly is the heart and energetic force behind Quaver’s Marvelous World of Music. See the MATCH page on Facebook or http://matchconferencehouston .wordpress.com for more information. After October 1, registration is $40 for TMEA members and $50 for non-TMEA members.

Transforming the human condition through the art and practice of music

Application Deadline: December 1

ithaca.edu/music/admission Southwestern Musician | October 2017 61

TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC

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

www.tlu.edu/music-scholarships.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC DEPARTMENT HEADS

Chad Ibison

Douglas R. Boyer

Elizabeth Lee

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

Asst. Professor, Cello

Beth Bronk

Deborah Mayes

Director of Bands bbronk@tlu.edu

Shaaron Conoly Director of Vocal Studies sconoly@tlu.edu

Director of Piano Studies edaub@tlu.edu Director of Strings ejeffords@tlu.edu

Wei Chen Bruce Lin Asst. Professor, Piano Accompanist

Scott McDonald Instructor, Saxophone & Jazz Band Asst. Professor, Collaborative Pianist Instructor, Double Bass

Keith Robinson Instructor, Tuba & Music Education

FACULTY Mark Ackerman Instructor, Oboe

Jill Rodriguez Instructor, General Music

Robert Mark Rogers

Adam Bedell Instructor, Percussion

Mary Ellen Cavitt Carol Chambers Instructor, Music Education Asst. Professor, Trumpet

Paula Corley Instructor, Clarinet

Jeanne Gnecco Instructor, Flute

Asst. Professor, Piano

David Milburn

Eliza Jeffords

Joseph Cooper

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

Patricia Lee

Carla McElhaney

Eric Daub

Asst. Professor, Horn

Individual audition dates may be requested if necessary.

Asst. Professor, Guitar

Asst. Professor, Bassoon

Esther M. Sanders Instructor, Violin

Evan Sankey Asst. Professor, Trombone & Euphonium

Eric Siu Asst. Professor, Violin

Robert Warren Asst. Professor, Piano, General Music & Music History

www.tlu.edu/music

B Y

S I

COLLEGE NOTES

M I L L I C A N

The danger of WHDFKLQJ ´ÁXIIµ

October—Renew your TMEA membership online and preregister for the convention. October 2, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens. October 13—College Division Fall Conference in Austin. October 15—Poster session proposal deadline. November 1—Texas Collegiate Music Educator award nomination deadline. November 1—TMEA scholarship online application deadline. December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline. January 25—TMEA convention online early registration deadline. February 14–17—TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio.

s I’ve mentioned in previous columns, I am continually concerned about how we prepare students for the realities of teaching in the 21st century. As music and music-making continues to evolve, we need to equip our students to engage and educate a new generation of students. Technological advances have widened access to listening, creating, and sharing music of all kinds. This has provided a wealth of previously unimaginable opportunities for more and more students. Our students walk around with devices in their pockets that give them the power to create, play, record, and share high-quality music. As we approach TMEA’s 100th anniversary, I continue to consider how we can support the outstanding band, choir, and orchestra programs across our state and create new opportunities for the larger percentage of secondary students who are not in our music programs. How can we keep these traditional musical programs vibrant in our communities while reaching more students? With that focus in mind, and having seen a few research presentations about the Little Kids Rock program, I began investigating what they are doing for teachers and students in K–12 schools across the country. With the help of donations from a wide variety of corporate and private sponsors, Little Kids Rock trains public school teachers and donates instruments and materials to schools. One of the primary differences between this program and other traditional programs is that it trains teachers in methods that are rooted in children’s knowledge of popular music forms like rock, pop, hip-hop, electronic dance music, and R&B using instruments like guitar, bass, keyboards, and drum sets. Some friends warned me that the Little Kids Rock program might seem great, but they believed the program was all fluff without much substance. While you might see videos of cute kids on their website playing rock tunes, they believed students were just learning a few tunes and not really learning much of anything about music.

Is the musical material the most important part or is it the music-making? Southwestern Musician | October 2017 63

At any rate, I took some time to dig into the Little Kids Rock curriculum and even made a trip out to their Modern Band Rockfest this past summer in Fort Collins, Colorado. While there, I visited with K–12 teachers, fine arts administrators, program directors, and other college faculty about the program. Some Texas teachers and administrators let me know how effectively they were able to address each of the TEKS with this approach in elementary and secondary general music. I came away with some answers to my initial concerns, but I also had even more questions. Does it matter if the music being taught is classical music or pop music? Is the music of Mozart, Persichetti, and Ticheli inherently more valid material to teach musical concepts than the music of Duke Ellington, Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, or Flaco Jiménez? Is it a matter of either/or or both/and? If you are teaching about music, does it matter what music you use? Is the musical material the most important part or is it the music-making? As I began to process some of my friends’ initial criticisms of the Little Kids Rock approach, I wondered whether the same criticism might just as easily be lodged against a traditional music program that loses its focus. What about a program that allows itself to slip into a pattern of focusing on three tunes for contest for longer and longer periods of the school year? Are they just teaching a few tunes

and little else? This is not intended to be an endorsement of a particular approach to teaching music, nor is it intended to be an indictment of the successful band, choir, and orchestra programs we have in our state. However, this investigation reminded me that, regardless of our approach, if we focus on the product to the exclusion of our concern about development of our individual students as musicians and humans, we miss an opportunity to improve the lives of our students, their communities, and the future of music education. As we strive to engage students in the 21st century, we can look for ways to support ensemblebased instruction while reaching out to even more students in culturally responsive ways. This will require flexibility in thought and perhaps a different approach toward what, how, and for whom music is created in our classrooms. College Division Fall Conference The annual College Division Fall Conference is in just a few days. This year the session begins at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 13, at the TMEA headquarters in Austin. I hope you received an email invitation and have replied with your RSVP to attend, but if not, please email me immediately at si.millican@utsa.edu to let us know you will be there as lunch will be served. We will hear a report on the state legislative session and updates on recent

www.tmea.org/papers October 15 Deadline The TMEA Research Committee invites submissions for the TMEA Clinic/ Convention Research Poster Session from members in all TMEA divisions, including college students. Selected authors will present their research at an informal session in which interested music teachers can learn about the research and discuss applications to music teaching. 64 Southwestern Musician | October 2017

changes to clinical teaching supervision. We will also have a chance to interact with each other during short break-out sessions so we can share ideas and issues that are important to you and your colleagues. This is a great way to network with colleagues from public, private, two-year, four-year, large, and small institutions as we work through the issues and challenges of our profession. Clinic/Convention Housing Housing for the 2018 TMEA Clinic/ Convention opens October 2 at 6 a.m. CT. Our allotment of housing spaces in the system fills up quickly. If you try to reserve and find no availability, check back regularly. Rooms are sometimes reserved and then canceled throughout the months leading up to the convention. Go to www.tmea.org/housing. TMEA Research Poster Session Update The TMEA Research Poster session will be held at our annual convention in San Antonio on Thursday afternoon, February 15. Based on your feedback, we have once again modified the layout to accommodate additional attendees more comfortably. Please submit your abstract proposal at www.tmea.org/papers before the October 15 deadline. Email Amy Simmons at asimmons@austin.utexas.edu if you have any questions. TMEA Collegiate Music Educator Fall Deadline The deadline to nominate fall 2017 graduates for this award is November 1. Through this TMEA program, Texas college faculty can recognize their elite music education graduates. Award recipients must meet all the required criteria to receive recognition as outlined at www.tmea.org/collegiateaward. Each student receives a congratulatory letter from TMEA, a printed certificate, regalia cords, and recognition on the TMEA website. 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 above qualifications. A student may be nominated only once, during their graduation semester.

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