Issue 31 • Fall 2021
In This Issue: Being a K-12 Teacher
Middle-Level Honor Choir Graduate Studies in Music Surround the State in Song What’s in the Folder
The Official Publication of the North Dakota Chapter
of the American Choral Directors Association
North Dakota ACDA Leadership Dean Jilek, president, University of North Dakota Connie Stordalen, president-elect, Horizon Middle School Cheryl McIntyre, past president, Jamestown High School Sheldon Weltz, treasurer
North Dakota Repertoire and Resources Committee Repertoire-Specific Coordinator: Tom Porter, University of Mary • Men’s Choirs: Tom Porter • Women’s Choirs: Lauren Brandenburg, Fargo South HS/Eielson MS • Vocal Jazz: Mike Seil, Bismarck Legacy High School • Showchoir: Connie Stordalen, Horizon Middle School • Ethnic/Multicultural Music: Phillip Voeller, Beulah Middle/High School
Youth Coordinator: Sarah Barnum, Discovery Middle School • Children and Community: Brady Gudgel, Mandan Middle School • Middle School/Junior High:
Lacey Hanson, Center-Stanton Public School Paige Bondley, Edgeley Public School • Senior High School: Brian Saylor, Bismarck High School
Collegiate Coordinator: Chris Redfearn, University of Jamestown • Youth College/University: Chris Redfearn • Student Activities: Melanie Popejoy, University of North Dakota
Life-Long Coordinator: Sara Lichtblau, Fargo South High School • Community Choirs: Sarah Barnum • Music in Worship:
Traditional: Vicky Boechler, St. Mary’s High School, Contemporary: Sara Lichtblau Brent Rogers, Dickinson State University Editor and Designer, The Chorister brent.w.rogers@dickinsonstate.edu
Contents On Being a K-12 Teacher
4
Cheryl McIntyre, Jamestown High School Resources for K-12 Teachers
6
Various Middle-Level Honor Choir
10
Lacey Hanson, Center-Stanton Public School Graduate Studies in Music—A Two-Way Interview
13
Patrick McGuire and Rebecca Raber Surround the State in Song
15
Brady Gudgel, Mandan Middle School What’s in the Folder?
17
Rebecca Raber, University of Mary
Visit NDACDA online at ndacda.com, or by clicking below.
The Chorister • Fall 2021 | 4
I
On Being a K-12 Teacher
n North Dakota, as in other states, it is not unusual for a teacher to be employed as a K-12 Music Specialist. These teachers are dedicated to their students and to their communities. These instructors become well acquainted with their responsibilities to the entire music education of their students. During the height of COVID, North Dakota ACDA had several "Check In Chats" to keep instructors from feeling totally isolated and to offer each other ideas and support. In addition to COVID funding received by schools, some of our innovative instructors asked for support through their communities to donate items for music practice supplies. Lacey Hanson, music director Center-Stanton Public School shared with community members, "We would like to organize 150 personal instrument kits, so each child has their own bag - no sharing and no worrying about disinfecting and spraying excessive chemicals in our room." Requested supplies included "dowels, 150 Easter eggs/filler material/tape or actual egg shakers, pool noodles, movement scarves, gallon zip lock bags and plastic cups or canisters to use as a drum." They received that and the community also donated enough to purchase an air purifier and amplification system for the music department. Another teacher shared that they asked for donations to build individual instrument packets (scrapers, shakers, etc. all in ziplock gallon bags) for students in grades K-6. Lacey related, "as for suggestions, my biggest suggestion is to be organized and know it's okay to say "no" sometimes. I think it's very overwhelming taking on K-12 and we feel we need to do everything, but our mental health and family should be #1." She also suggested building connections with those other teachers in our state through professional development and conferences. "It's so easy to feel like you're on your own island when you're the only music teacher in your building. Some of my closest friends are those I've met through being a music teacher!" Lacey listed some pros and cons of a K- 12 position. Pros: 1) You can build your program exactly how you want it from the lower grades up!! My elementary band students already know rhythms/terms because I've made sure they know it by 5th grade. 2) You can build relationships with the entire family. You may have siblings within the elementary, Junior High, and High School. Cons: It's a lot, and very overwhelming at times. I feel it's easy to burn out if you
5 | www.ndacda.com
take on too much vs. prioritizing what's trul y the most important. Mary Svenvold, an outstanding Montana music educator, explains the pros and cons of teaching a K-12 position. "You teach kids everything they know, and you have them for a long time!" Her best advice would be just like for any music position "make friends with secretaries, custodians, guidance counselors and other teachers; s u pp or t the a thl e tic te am s ; a nd be as or g ani zed as y ou c an b e . " M Being involved in the community builds a strong bond that can be very beneficial in the most difficult times. I get the opportunity to adjudicate at music festivals. It is impressive that many of the smaller schools have such a large percentage of their students involved in music programs around the state. In some of the smallest schools, most of the students are involved in music. Quite often the K-12 Music director is in charge of band choir, and elementary music classes. Organizing concerts, local contests or festivals, preparing large group and solo music, ordering music, writing invoices, and fundraising are a few of the many details to be taken care of by these dedicated instructors in addition to dealing with students in classes. Mrs. Svenvold gives great advice, "If you feel unprepared in any part of your teaching assignment, take some classes!" Each of our K-12 instructors listed being organized, making connections, and strong relationships as priorities in being successful in this type of position. Positive and strong support for music from families has been the result of many fine teachers in a K-12 position. Many of these teachers are HEROES in their communities. Cheryl McIntyre Jamestown MS/HS NDACDA Past-President (Response to an inquiry from national ACDA on K-12 teachers.)
The Chorister • Fall 2021 | 6
Resources fo r K-12 Teachers Lacey Hanson • Center-Stanton School Online Resources: I use the online curriculum Quaver Music. https://www.quavered.com
I also use the youtube channel Musication for playing instruments to interactive videos. https://www.youtube.com/c/musication Beth's Notes is a great site that gives access to tons of songs and games that go with them. https://www.bethsnotesplus.com Musictheory.net has a get platform for teaching theory. It has content lesson and then exercises that go along with the lessons. https://www.musictheory.net I have used flipgrid (especially during online learning times) to have kids turn in playing tests. I even used it for 5th and 6th grade band because it is an easy platform. https://info.flipgrid.com I just discovered Denise Gagne's Musicplay.com and love it! It's $100/year for a school subscription but so worth it! It has Units, built in lesson plans, interactive music
7 | www.ndacda.com
games, rhythm and solfege practice, recorder/ukulele/ bucket drumming units, and vocal warmups! I mainly use it with my elementary but I've also started adding some into my JH/HS lessons. I also use Sightreadingfactory.com for grades 5-12 band/ choir. We use it in choir everyday and the band students all submit to me weekly sightreading for a grade. The school subscription is $35 and then an extra $2/student. Paper resources: I love any books by Artie Almeida. She also has some games that work great for subs or extra practice – Doggone Dynamics and Sneaky Snake.
Sharon Burch has some great books based on the character Freddie the Frog. They cover concepts such as bass/treble clef, jazz, etc. Mark Burrows also has some great supplemental resources for general music. Matthew Dane Peavoy has a book called Easy Bucket Drumming that I've used for some performances with upper elementary. It has bucket accompaniment parts for popular pop songs.
I also love going to the J.W. Pepper workshops every summer. It is a great time to connect with other teachers and find out about new resources/music. I buy music from there every summer. Connie Stordalen • Horizon Middle School (Bismarck) I have used Sight-Reading Factory online and the Alfred “Sing at First Sight” series by Andy Beck, Karen Farnum Surmani and Brian Lewis. When I was up in Grand Forks, I loved using Music K-8 Magazine. It had great unison, 2 part and sometimes 3 part music to sing, recorder music, boomwhacker
The Chorister • Fall 2021 | 8
music etc. https://www.musick8.com/html/whatsmk8.php. It was wonderful to receive as it also had seasonal music too! Lauren Brandenburg • Fargo South High School Musictechteacher.com – lots of learning games https://web.solfeg.io/login/ – pop music sing a long for fun https://listeningadventures.carnegiehall.org/ – great elementary resource for instrument families Elise Opp • Hazen Public School Chrome Music Lab – I usually use Song Maker for when I want my 5th and 6th graders to compose without having to worry about using Finale or Sibelius. There are other options that can be used for all age ranges. Teachers Pay Teachers – So many resources for worksheets, games, sub plans, tab for guitar, you name it! When I can't think of a game or activity to do, I will usually look here. You do have to buy it, but it can also be linked to your school so then you can purchase resources from your budget instead of your personal account. Cakewalk – Similar to Garageband but can be used on any device for free! Sightreading Factory – To help with sightreading skills and also prepare for auditions. Blooket – Like Kahoot, but instead of just the quiz style, there are so many other types of minigames that can also be done as teams or individuals. Sing Legato – If you're looking at doing some ear training, there is a song for each of the intervals. There are also warm-ups for other aspects of singing as well. Trudy Fraase Wolf • Zeeland Public School My absolute favorite is “Ready-to-Use Music Activities Kit” by Audrey J. Adair but I think it is out of print. Have to get it off of Amazon now, I think. I also use “Ready to Read Music” and “60 Music Quizzes” by Jay Althouse. by Audrey J. Adair is “Basic Music Theory” and “Reading and Writing Music.”
Also
A great resource to use for my subs who might not be musically knowledgeable is “Accent in Composers” by Jay Althouse and Judith O'Reilly. It's a mini history lesson on a composer complete with CD of listening selections and a listening chart.
9 | www.ndacda.com
The Chorister • Fall 2021 | 10
Midd l e-Level Hono r Choir
A
Tips and Updates
s we near the 2022 NDACDA State Conference, I would like to update you on some important event details. This annual event has proven to provide a high-quality opportunity for our middle school students. I do not have any doubts that 2022 will not disappoint! We are very excited to be bringing both Victor Johnson and Dr. Kira Winter to work with our students. With the audition process not far in the past, I wanted to make sure to communicate with teachers of a few tips. Paige and I have tried to post clear directions and simplify the process with the uploading option to the Google forms, but we both understand that there’s always areas that could be missed or misunderstood. We hope that the tips and reminders below can be saved in your files to help ease the process next year! Also, always know that we are more than welcome to help and answer your questions. Audition Process: 1. Overall, the uploading seemed to work very well this year! The only issue that we noticed were that a few people had their files mislabeled. The labeling is very important because when you submit them they are then moved into separate folders and sorted by voice part. Some students were listed as alto on the student form, but their files were labeled soprano. Also, please remember to use the following format when submitting: Part-LastName-FirstName-Solo (Example: AltoHanson-Lacey-Solo or Alto-Hanson-Lacey-America) 2. Please check your files before submitting. We try our best to listen to every single submission, but keep in mind we had close to 500 auditions! Some accidently sent the solo twice and had one labeled as “America”, some were blank, and others had some sound quality issues. (very soft – hard to hear the student, reverb, buzzing in the background, etc.) Also, please note for next year that “America” must be unaccompanied. We did have some submit files that had it accompanied. When it comes to the recording quality, we all understand that everyone has different types of recorders. We are very lucky that NDACDA has purchased multiple zoom recorders for members to check out and use to record their auditions. If you are interested in this, please contact Brian Saylor at: brian_saylor@bismarckschools.org 3. When you are submitting your forms, please do not close out of the window too
11 | www.ndacda.com
quickly after clicking “submit”. We noticed this year that some of the “America” files (the last to be uploaded) were randomly missing from the submissions. After talking with others the only thing we could come up with is that the teacher may have closed too soon after submitting and the audio file didn’t get uploaded completely. 4. Once selections are announced, please remember to submit both the school and the student registration Google forms. T-shirts cannot be ordered until all of the student forms are submitted. Also, remember to print off the consent/ behavior forms from the NDACDA site and keep them for while you’re at the conference. The forms do not need to be sent to Paige or myself. 5. When submitting checks to Paige, please make them out to “NDACDA” vs. “ACDA”. Also, please keep in mind that the checks need to be postmarked by the deadline to have their auditions considered! We had another year of high-quality auditions from across our state. They are truly an example of the outstanding Music educators representing ND! Our judges had a lot of great comments and were very impressed with the talent within our state. Below are some of the common comments from all of the judges. Please keep
The Chorister • Fall 2021 | 12
these in mind when recording next year’s auditions:
1. Phrasing – each judge noted that the phrasing on “America” was one item that set students apart. Some suggested singing it at a slower tempo. 2. Tone quality: Some noted breathy tone, pop style voices, and scooping (especially on “America”). 3. Sound quality: Some heard reverb, buzzing, and volume issues (mic/recorder too close or too far from the singer). 4. Diction: This is a vital part of both the solo and “America” that some directors forget about. Several of the judges noted that this was an area that was lower for some students.
If you have students participating in the upcoming Honor Choirs, please keep in mind the following and know that if there are any schedule changes we will notify you all via email and on the NDACDA website. 1. February 4-5 at St. Mary’s High School, Bismarck. (Registration begins at 12:30 and rehearsals start at 1:00) 2. Dress-Code (please reference the NDACDA website and upcoming emails as we near the event) – Friday’s concert is the Honor Choir t-shirt and nice jeans. Saturday: Girls – dress or dress pants; blouse; skirt/dress falling BELOW the knees. Boys – dress pants/dress shirt/tie/dress shoes. 3. Please reference the NDACDA website for bios on the guest conductors, full schedules, and rehearsal files. https://www.ndacda.com/junior-high-all-statehonor-choirs Congratulations to all of your students and to all of the directors! You are all doing an amazing job and it shows with these amazing auditions. Please let us know if you have any questions, or suggestions to make this process clearer for everyone. We look forward to seeing you all in February!
Lacey Hanson Center-Stanton Public School NDACDA Middle School/Junior High R&R Co-Chair
13 | www.ndacda.com
Gr aduate Studies in Music
A Dual Interview with Rebecca Raber and Patrick McGuire
Patrick is enrolled as a graduate student at the University of Mary in Bismarck, where Dr. Rebecca Raber is currently teaching. Rebecca Raber Tell us just a bit about yourself, your experience/ involvement with the graduate studies program, and your favorite part of it. I have been teaching for 28 years now, mostly choral music. After coming to the University of Mary, we worked to launch the MA in Music degree, beginning it in the summer of 2020 with a group of 9 students. This summer we added another 13. They are so wonderful to work with, and it’s such a pleasure to see them working together in community and collegiality. What was it like putting the graduate program together? Well, I was only a small part of the initial process. Most of the good work behind the scenes was done by Tom Porter, who is a grad of UMary and now the Department Chair. His determination and vision for this program was a driving force behind the success we’ve had. I helped to recruit prospects for the MA in Music along with my husband, Michael (in enrollment). We had many a phone conversation together with prospective students during trips home for lunch or in the evenings on the couch! It was really fun, actually, to think of people who might benefit or flourish in taking the next step in their career…contacting old friends and colleagues. Also, meeting many brand new people was so much fun! What has been the most rewarding part of teaching at the graduate level? The moment when you see the students shift from “this is a lot of work” to “I did it, and I understand now” is the most gratifying part. They can all do it. It IS a lot of work, but that is graduate school. You are being tested…not just about motets and Masses, but also how well you budget your time, how well you organize, and if you can remain positive and productive under pressure. Most graduate students turn around and teach others, so all of these little skills “behind the scenes” are super important. Why do you think someone could benefit from a graduate degree in music? For many, it’s advancing their career in concrete terms: a higher salary, an elevated teaching position. For all, I would hope that attending graduate school would be prompted by the desire to learn more, to be a better teacher for their students! That’s what attracted me and kept me going when I was working full time and tak-
The Chorister • Fall 2021 | 14
ing classes. It was a time for me to do something to enrich myself and improve. In essence, it’s what we do as musicians all the time…we set goals, and then work towards their completion. I think musicians are a natural fit for graduate degrees. Patrick McGuire Tell us just a bit about yourself, your experience, and your favorite part of graduate study: I just wrapped up 5 years teaching at Shanley HS and Sacred Heart MS in Fargo, and am now the Director of Music at Sts. Anne & Joachim Catholic Church. I enrolled in the U Mary Graduate program this past summer and was blown away by the depth of content we were able to study not only virtually throughout the summer, but especially the 2weeks we spent on campus. Every day was a big “nerdout” in all things music. The time we didn’t spend in class I spent enjoying with my cohort/classmates. We developed a lovely little community! When did you first consider graduate study? Why did you feel like it was the next step for you? I’d known for a while it was something I would do eventually; I just needed the right fit. I wanted a program that I felt would invest in me as a person, helping me to reach my goals and aspirations. The University of Mary came at the exact right time with the exact support and encouragement I needed. I may someday go as far as a doctorate, but even for just the here and now, I want to get better as a conductor and composer, and this program will help me do that, all while allowing me to work my full-time music director position. A perfect fit! How are your studies going so far? What has been the most encouraging or supportive things you’ve encountered? It has been a blast so far. As I said before, the depth we travel into within our studies is fascinating to me. I get so much out of such small snippets of time! Because of this, sometimes it feels like you’re going a million miles an hour. You have to focus on the tasks to complete and comprehend the load of information that comes your way, it’s intense! But that’s also something to love about it all, the intensity is all directed at your learning and your development. I’ll take that any day. What class so far has been your favorite or most useful? Easily Choral Methods. We went through so many things in that class that are “plug and play” in my rehearsals/performances. I feel so much more well-rounded in my general knowledge base and confidence as a conductor/teacher. That’s kind of the point of a master’s degree I suppose, you become a “master” of music. I feel like I am developing a higher sense of mastery than I have previously felt before. It’s a big boost for sure!
15 | www.ndacda.com
What do you look forward to the most? Any big projects in your windshield, looking ahead? I have really enjoyed my conducting lessons so far and have the opportunity to conduct a symphony orchestra thanks to my conducting professor! That’s the first big thing on the horizon for now!
Rebecca Raber
Patrick McGuire
University of Mary
Sts. Anne & Joachim Catholic Church
Surr ound the State in Song The winding road...
S
urround the State in Song (SSIS) has certainly faced unique challenges over the last couple of years. Since 2019 when I stepped into the state coordinator role for Surround the State in Song we have dealt with a mid-October blizzard forcing us to reschedule, a global pandemic forcing us to cancel and a second year of pandemic restrictions requiring us work around local and state guidelines for for the safety of our students, conductors, and teachers. As a state we have stepped up to the many challenges presented to us and found innovative ways to continue to provide enriching educational experiences for our students! It probably goes without saying but, I am beyond proud to work with such an amazing team of site coordinators and teachers who truly make this event a success year after year. This year we had around 560 students registered to attend from 63 schools from across the state! The average number of students per site was 80. Our esteemed guest conductors this year were: Bismarck - Dawn Hagerott (Bismarck State College) Dickinson - Lacey Hanson (Center-Stanton Public School) Fargo - Lauren Brandeburg (Fargo South HS & Carl Ben Eielson MS) Grand Forks - Assorted Area Music Teachers
The Chorister • Fall 2021 | 16
Jamestown - Rebcca Raber (University of Mary)
Minot - Miranda Styborski (Eric Ramstad Middle School) Williston - Vicky Boechler (St. Mary’s Central High School) This year we were also able to share a commissioned piece, “She Does Not Let Go”, by Timothy Takach. This was commissioned to be shared in 2020, but we are grateful to have been able to perform this piece this year! The text comes from the Mexican Poet, Manuel Iris. Timothy Takach’s thoughts from 2020 about the work seem highly prudent for the world we live in currently, “The amazing thing about art is that we can take away different things from the same work ... I thought immediately about the leaf as a person, being lifted and supported by another caring individual. We need to realize more often how important it is to recognize each other, especially during times of struggle, and act with care, with empathy, and with support. Many of us don’t ask for help, even though we may need it desperately. Recognize the battle. Recognize the tiny tragedies. Recognize the persistence.” If you are interested in performing “She Does Not Let Go” this piece can be purchased at www.graphitepublishing.com. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank all of the teachers who participated in this year's event. Registrations went very smoothly, and this was by far the least stressful year for tracking down payment! Our site managers and guest conductors shared that they felt most students arrived pretty well prepared which is imperative for a successful day of music making!
Thank you all for a wonderful festival, we hope to see again next year!
Brady Gudgel Mandan Middle School NDACDA Community and Youth Choirs R&R Chair
SSIS State Chair
17 | www.ndacda.com
What’s in the Folder?
M
y ensemble—the UMary Cappella—has the very specific (and delightful) purpose of singing for Wednesday and Sunday University Masses each and every week as well as prepare for other events, including a new sacred music festival in the Twin Cities area each December. We rehearse M-TH, 3-4:30pm, followed by leading sung vespers each night prior to our daily afternoon Mass.. We have so many things in our folder, all in various stages of development, just like any other choir. I’m happy to share some from each category! With the amount of music we need to have ready, I have several other pieces that we’ve already performed that are good quality "quick wins." Please reach out if you’re interested in knowing others we’ve sung. Each title is hyperlinked to a Spotify recording.
Performed Do Not Be Afraid, by Philip Stopford The students LOVE this piece. More and more every year, students seem to be facing anxiety; this really strikes an important and comforting note. Of course, it may not work for every situation; however we directors are masters of helping students and audiences apply ideas and concepts to understand from their own perspective. Ubi Caritas, by Maurice Durufle A favorite, all-purpose piece…sophisticated and shimmering expressive moments. Set Me as a Seal, by René Clausen A few weeks ago we had the "wedding readings" for Sunday; this was perfect Ave Maria, by Franz Biebl Can you even direct at a Catholic School without doing this piece? O Salutaris Hostia, by G.P. Palestrina Super-accessible Palestrina; homophonic and straight-forward. Available on CPDL. (continued on p. 20)
The Chorister • Fall 2021 | 18
SSIS 2021
19 | www.ndacda.com
The Chorister • Fall 2021 | 20
The Lord is My Shepherd, by Allen Pote A lovely piece with gorgeous melodies and voice pairings; accompanied. Sing a Mighty Song, by Daniel Gawthrop (my students sang this lesser-known gem at SD All State years ago). Ave Verum Corpus, by W.A. Mozart A staple, written about 6 months prior to his death, accessible and expressive, with organ; available on CPDL. Almost Ready
Gabriel’s Message, arr. Jim Clements Gorgeous piece on Gabriel’s visit…just perfect for my school and chapel!) Zdrávas Maria, by Leos Janáček Super interesting repertoire from an operatic composer who also dabbled in sacred music. A challenging and expressive high tenor solo, in Czech, with a melancholy violin solo, organ accompaniment and very minimal choral writing—so minimal that you are tempted to teach by rote). Zion hört die Wächter Singen, by J.S. Bach The simple men’s chorus from BWV 140 Wachet auf…great for Advent. Available on CPDL. The Lily of the Valley, arr. Wendell Whalum A lesser-known spiritual, but one of my favorites, some divisi. Praise to the Lord, arr. F. Melius Christiansen Working this up for Christ the King Sunday; divisi. The Blessed Son of God, from Hodie, by Ralph Vaughan Williams Love this piece! The Call, arr. Vaughan Williams SATB arrangement of the well-known solo song by Allen Percival…great Advent text. Ave Verum Corpus, by Stopford We love almost anything by Stopford; lush, thoughtful, & expressive. And This is Love, arr. John Keltonic Remember the vocal group GLAD? They have great arrangements for purchase.
21 | www.ndacda.com
Just Starting Adoramus te, by Quirino Gasparini Available on CPDL. I really like this piece, doing it for the second time. Sicut Cervus, by Palestrina Yes, more Palestrina…hooray! Available on CPDL. Jesu dulcis Memoria, by Pierre Villette Great motet, expressive text…if you like Poulenc & Durufle, you’ll like Villette!. Drop down, ye heavens, from above, by Judith Weir Just starting; like plainsong, but with lush harmony.
I hope that you are all flourishing in your work and that your students are grateful to be making music together again! If you’re ever in Bismarck, with or without students, please reach out. I’d love to invite you to one of our Masses or rehearsals—best wishes to you on your upcoming concert seasons!
Rebecca Raber University of Mary
Photo Credit: USFWS Mountain-Prairie
