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FALL ISSUE 2021 VOLUME 75 • NUMBER 1
CMEA Magazine
In This Issue 3 President’s Message
by Armalyn De La O, CMEA President
4 CMEA State Council 5 CDPH Guidance Continues to Fall Short
CMEA’s Response to the CDPH Guidelines
6 Introducing CMEA’s Collegiate Council, 2021-2022 by Anne Fennell, CMEA President-Elect 8 The Black Violin Project: Culturally Relevent Pedagogy through Creating and Composition in K-12 Music Classrooms
by Michael Tackett, CMEA Central
Section President
16 Central Coast Section Update
by Diane Gehling, CMEA Central
Coast Section President
17 North Coast Section Update by Chris Cox, CMEA North Coast Section President
17 Northern Section Update
by Todd Filpula, CMEA Northern
Section President
19 Southeastern Section Update
by Dr. Lisa Crawford, CMEA Creating
and Composition Representative
10 Stand Up 4 Arts Advocacy Day by Jeremiah Jacks, CMEA Advocacy Day Performance Coordinator
12 Membership by Bruce Lengacher, CMEA
by Dr. David Betancourt, CMEA
Southeastern Section President
20 Southern Border Section Update
by Dr. Jeff Malecki, CMEA Southern
Border Section President
21 Southwestern Section Update
by Ryan Rowles, CMEA Southwestern
Section President
23 Collegiate Council Update
Membership Chairperson
23 Music Supervisors Update 23 CCDA Update
14 Bay Section Update
15 Central Section Update
by Bruce Lengacher, CMEA Bay Section
Past President
15 Capitol Section Update
by Patrick Neff, CMEA Capitol Section President
24 De-compartmentalizing Music Classrooms
by Dr. Michael Albertson, CMEA
Innovations Representative
Ad Index 22 9 14 11 9
18 Peabody Conservatory 13 Quaver Ed 11 University of Portland IFC World Projects 32 Yamaha
Boston Conservatory CSU East Bay Dennis Eveland Namm Foundation Nick Rail Music
Orchestrate Success in Your Career... JOIN CMEA+. Visit www.nafme.org. CMEA is a federated state association of the National Association for Music Education.
CMEA Magazine is published quarterly (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer) by CMEA.
CMEA Administrative Office Mailing Address: 2417 N 11th Ave, Hanford, CA 93230
Graphic Designer: Adam Wilke
Office: 559 904–2002 E-mail: cmea@calmusiced.com Website: www.calmusiced.com
Editors: Chad Zullinger and Trish Adams Business Manager: Trish Adams
Rates and advertising information available here: calmusiced.com/communication/magazine/ publication-guidelines
The Executive Board of CMEA serves as the Editorial Committee. The observations and opinions expressed in any article in this magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Association. CMEA does not necessarily endorse any product or service advertised in this magazine.
In This Issue (continued) 26 Advice Column from Teachers Teaching Kids!
by Emma Joleen Schopler, CMEA General Music TK-12
Representative
29 CASMEC Registration 30 CODA Update
CMEA Past Presidents 2018-2020 2016-2018 2014-2016 2012-2014 2010-2012 2008-2010 2006-2008 2004-2006 2002-2004 2000-2002 1998-2000 1996-1998 1994-1996 1992-1994 1990-1992 1988-1990 1986-1988 1984-1986 1982-1984 1980-1982 1978-1980 1976-1978 1974-1976 1972-1974 1970-1972 1968-1970 1966-1968 1964-1966 1962-1964 1960-1962 1957-1960 1955-1957 1953-1955 1951-1953 1949-1951 1947-1949
John Burn, Cupertino Scott Hedgecock, Fullerton Michael D. Stone, Bakersfield Russ Sperling, San Diego Norman Dea, Walnut Creek Jeff Jenkins, Chula Vista Cheryl Yee Glass, Danville Rob Klevan, Pacific Grove Sam Gronseth, Paradise George DeGraffenreid, Fresno Dennis L. Johnson, Salinas Jay D. Zorn, La Crescenta Don Doyle, Pasadena Bill Adam, Roseville Carolynn Lindeman, Greenbrae L. Leroy Roach, Walnut Creek John L. Larrieu, Portola Vivian M. Hofstetter, Bakersfield David S. Goedecke, Stockton Charles L. Freebern, San Diego Henry Avila, Monterey Mary C. Reed, Elk Grove Marlow Earle, Lakewood Louis Nash, La Crescenta Anthony L. Campagna, Foster City Judd Chew, Sacramento Kenneth D. Owens Keith D. Snyder, Davis Gibson Walters, San Jose Douglas Kidd Joseph W. Landon, Fullerton Harold Youngberg, Oakland Fred Ohlendorf, Long Beach George F. Barr Elwyn Schwartz Clarence Heagy, Fresno
31 CMEA State Choral Festival 33 NAfME and CMEA Elections Information and Candidates
37 2021 Virtual Ensembles
CMEA Hall of Fame Award Recipients Honoring Lifetime Achievement in Music Education
2020 - Stephen Luchs 2019 - Judi Scharnber, Jeri Webb 2018 - Dr. Lawrence Stoffel, Dean Hickman 2017 - Dr. Edward Harris, Michael Corrigan, James Mazzaferro 2016 - Dr. Robert Halseth, Rosemarie Krovoza, Rick Meyer 2015 - Dale Anderson, Ann Marie Haney, Dr. Thomas Lee 2014 - Jon Christian 2013 - Orrin Cross 2012 - Gayane Korkmazian, 2012; Gerald E. Anderson, 2012; 2011 - David Whitwell 2010 - Nicholas Angiulo, Vincent Gomez 2009 - Kem F. Martinez, Carl W. Schafer, Robert W. Lutt 2008 - Duane Weston 2007 - John Larrieu, Mary Val Marsh, Barbara Cory, Bill Ingram 2006 - Carolynn Lindeman, Joe Foster, Paul Shaghoian 2005 - Frances Benedict, L. Leroy Roach, Silvester McElroy, Jerry Kirkpatrick 2004 - Robert Greenwood, Arthur Huff, Lyle Stubson, Lois Vidt 2003 - John Farr, Thomas Eagan 2002 - Larry Johnson, Mary Louise Reilly 2001 - William Hill, Helynn Manning, Wesley “Colonel” Moore 2000 - Vivian Hoffstetter, F. John Pylman 1999 - Lawrence Sutherland 1998 - Chuck Schroeder 1997 - Dean Semple 1996 - Burl Walter Jr. 1994 - Jerry Moore 1992 - Mike Pappone 1991 - David Goedecke 1987 - Marlowe Earle 1985 - Arthur Dougherty 1983 - William Burke 1981 - Aubrey Penman 1979 - Steve Connolly 1977 - Howard Swan 1975 - Russell Howland
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CMEA Magazine
President's Message by Armalyn De La O
It is hard to believe that fall has arrived, but the mornings have that crispness in the air that says cooler days are ahead. We are now into the full swing of the academic school year, engaging once again in the hustle and bustle of a day’s work. Parking lots at school sites are full of cars, parent pick-ups, and students walking are taking place once again. It is an exciting feeling to know that music education has returned into the K – post-secondary school setting. I have even heard the marching band from my local high school rehearsing in the cool of the evening; puts a smile on my face.
“It was great for colleagues and parents to see the quality work we did last year. Music class is no longer a mystery to them. They liked what they saw, and wanted more, so I’m grateful.” With all the joy of being in-person with students, we continue to struggle with ensuring equity for all our students in California. Some of the inequity comes from the inconsistent guidance music educators continue to receive from the California Department of Public Health (CDHP). The guidance continues to be a “Choose Your Own Adventure” experience for many of our teachers. Playing musical instruments that cannot be done with a face covering (e.g., wind instruments); or when wearing a mask during play poses a choking hazard, at least one of the following options is required: 1. Conduct these activities outdoors; 2. Use modified face coverings and bell coverings when playing wind and brass instruments, and maintain 6 feet of physical distancing; 3. Perform at least weekly screening testing with either PCR testing (1:1 or pooled PCR) or antigen testing of all individuals, including those who are fully vaccinated.
The good news is that it appears we have turned a corner for singing in our schools if students and teachers are fully masked. Indoor singing can take place and no physical distancing is required. CMEA sent out a survey to the membership several weeks ago to gauge how the playing and singing of music is currently taking place in our schools. If you have not completed the survey, we ask that you do so (click here for survey). If you have completed the survey and playing or singing is now different, for whatever reason, please update your information and let us know how or why your situation has changed in the additional information section. CMEA’s Advocacy Team will be using the data as we work to make inroads with CDPH both at the state and local levels. The next update by CDHP is scheduled for November 1, 2021. We hope to have additional clarity on the guidance by that time on the playing of wind instruments indoors. Below is the current data we have collected to date with some comment from the additional information that shows both successes and struggles.
“The lack of equitable support for the arts is frustrating during a time when the arts (the original SEL) should be put on a pedestal. We’ve been in school for 5 days - today we sent 100+ students home to quarantine for two weeks. We’ve been given no guidance on how instruction will continue. Each day of instruction has felt like the month of March.” Thank you for persevering through this new reality for making music in our schools and know that I and all the CMEA Board applauds and appreciates you!
“Inside or outside is singing/playing okay for class time. For performances/activities, though, we are still getting conflicting messages from our district. Some are planning outdoor performances but colleagues at other sites are being told don’t plan any performances. It’s maddening.” Fall Issue 2021
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CMEA State Council CMEA EXECUTIVE BOARD CMEA President Armalyn De La O adelao@calmusiced.com CMEA President-Elect Anne Fennell afennell@calmusiced.com CMEA Vice President Chad Zullinger czullinger@calmusiced.com CMEA Secretary Laura Schiavo lschiavo@calmusiced.com CMEA Immediate Past President John Burn jburn@calmusiced.com CMEA OFFICE cmea@calmusiced.com 2417 North 11th Avenue Hanford, CA 93230 559 587-2632 CMEA Executive Administrator Trish Adams cmea@calmusiced.com 559 904-2002 CMEA Administrative Assistant Heather Adams hadams@calmusiced.com 559 410-2425 CMEA Legislative Advocate Martha Zaragoza Diaz lobbyist1.mzd@gmail.com SECTION PRESIDENTS CMEA Bay Section President Keith Johnson keith@echsbands.com
CMEA Southern Border Section President Dr. Jeff Malecki jmalecki@sandiego.edu CMEA Southwestern Section President Ryan Rowles aspiro03@gmail.com NAfME OFFICERS NAfME President Mackie V. Spradley 1806 Robert Fulton Drive Reston, VA 22091 800 336-3768 NAfME Western Division President Renee Shane-Boyd COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES CMEA CAJ Representative Gaw Vang Williams gawvang@csus.edu CMEA CASMEC Coordinator/ CMEA Representative on the CBDA Board Francisco Marquez fmarquez123@me.com CMEA CBDA Representative Jeff Detlefsen DetlefsenJ@gmail.com CMEA/CCDA Representative Dr. Chris Peterson cpeterson@fullerton.edu CMEA/CCDA Choral Leadership Academy Coordinator John Sorber johnso@cos.edu CMEA CODA Representative Matthew Mulvaney mulvaneymatthew@gmail.com
CMEA Capitol Section President Patrick Neff patrick.s.neff@gmail.com
CMEA Advocacy Day Performance Coordinator Jeremiah Jacks jeromejacks30@gmail.com
CMEA Central Section President Michael Tackett michaelt@cos.edu
CMEA Advocacy Representative Russ Sperling sperlingruss@gmail.com
CMEA Central Coast Section President Diane Gehling dgehling@santaritaschools.org
CMEA Collegiate Representative Dr. Dennis Siebenaler dsiebenaler@fullerton.edu
CMEA North Coast Section President Chris Cox coxmusic1966@gmail.com
CMEA Collegiate Council Representative Rene Canto-Adams rcantoadams1319@gmail.com
CMEA Northern Section President Todd Filpula tfilpula@chicousd.org
CMEA Creating and Composition Representative Dr. Lisa A.Crawford lisacrawfordmusic@gmail.com
CMEA Southeastern Section President Dr. David Betancourt dbetancourt@cerritos.edu
CMEA CTA Liaison TBD
CMEA DEIA Representatives Brant Nishida bnishida@srvusd.net Jonathan Raman Jraman85@gmail.com CMEA General Music, TK-12 Representative Emma Joleen Schopler emmajoleen@gmail.com CMEA Global Music Education Representative Dr. Lily Chen-Hafteck lhafteck@ucla.edu CMEA Innovations Representative Dr. Michael Albertson malbertson@geffenacademy.ucla.edu CMEA Membership Chairperson Bruce C. Lengacher blengacher@auhsdschools.org CMEA Mentorship Program Chairperson TBD CMEA Music Supervisors Representative Stacy Harris sharris1@ggusd.us CMEA Music Technology Representative Jessica Husselstein jessicahusselstein@gmail.com CMEA Higher Education and Research Representative Dr. Ruth Brittin rbrittin@pacific.edu CMEA Retired Members Representative Norm Dea normdea@yahoo.com CMEA Rural Schools Representative Judi Scharnberg judimusic@gmail.com CMEA Special Learners Representative TBD CMEA State Band and Orchestra Festival Coordinator Jim Kollias jhkollias@gmail.com CMEA State Choral Festival Coordinator Gail Bowers grbowers@sbcglobal.net CMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festival Coordinator Cheryl Yee Glass cglass@srvhs.org CMEA Tri-M Representative Troy Trimble troyatrimble@gmail.com CMEA Urban Schools Representative Zack Pitt-Smith zackpittsmith@gmail.com
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CMEA Magazine
CDPH Guidance Continues to Fall Short for Music Education CMEA’s Response to the CDPH Guidelines The California Music Educators Association (CMEA) is once again sorely disappointed in the guidance released on September 1, 2021 (click that link, item #16) by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). In our efforts to work with the CDPH, we find them lacking in their ability to listen to us as professionals in the field of teaching music in California. In June 2020, in a virtual face-to-face meeting, we asked them to separate in-school music teaching and learning from activities that take place after school, such as sports and clubs. We explained that music taught in the classroom to thousands of students daily is not “extracurricular.” When addressed in this manner, and in state guidelines by a state agency, they are reinforcing that what we do as music educators and what our students do as music learners is not as important as math or science or other subjects taught in our schools. The inability for the CPDH to differentiate in-class instruction from after school activity demonstrates a lack of knowledge and understanding of the California education code that states music is a required subject in schools. In addition, California has adopted music standards and a state adopted framework to guide instruction. Their inability to do so disrespects all of the work that music educators must do to provide music instruction in our schools, TK – 12, their efforts to follow the CDPH guidelines, and shows little respect for every student in our band and choir classes, that what they receive as part of their K-12 education in music is just an “extracurricular activity.”
It is difficult for CMEA to respect the agency that continually fails to support what music teachers and students are doing each and every day to have music education in our schools.
these appropriate face coverings and instrument covers falls short once again, and is left to interpretation by health departments, school administrators, and district/school legal councils. We believe the CDPH is more interested in activities such as sports and clubs than what is mandated as inclusive of an education for all students. Finally, many schools do not have the capacity to maintain six feet of physical distance, and the science has shown that it is not necessary with the correct PPE and coverings for wind instruments and singers. Just as the guidance points out on page 4, item 2: Physical Distancing a. “Recent evidence indicates that in-person instruction can occur safely without minimum physical distancing requirements when other mitigation strategies (e.g., masking) are implemented. This is consistent with CDC K-12 School Guidance.” This is the same guidance when masking the wind player, the wind instrument, and the singer. We see a disparity between sports guidelines—which does NOT have physical distancing requirements, allows for full contact, and does not require students to be masked—compared with the guidance for music education. CMEA feels there is an inequity in the CDPH’s approach, which highlights a disparity between activities, is a safety hazard, and creates confusion for many. We once again implore CDPH to clarify its guidance and that California Administrators and Legislators work to help CDPH make these clarifications. We call on Governor Gavin Newsom, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, State Board of Education President Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, California School Board Association President Dr. Susan Heredia, Assembly member and Chair of the Assembly Education Committee Patrick O’Donnell and Senator and Chair of the Senate Education Committee Connie Leyva on behalf of music education and music students in CA schools to correct the language in the guidance dated September 1, 2021, to allow music students— singers and wind players—to sing and play wind instruments with appropriate coverings and face coverings and place music education where it correctly belongs, as part of the school day instruction for all of our students in California.
Research has shown that wind instruments can be played with appropriate bell covers with students wearing face coverings, and all singing can take place wearing a face covering. CMEA has provided this information since July 2020 based on the peer-reviewed University of Colorado/University of Maryland Performing Arts Aerosol Study. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has been designed specifically for wind players and singers, as well as covers for all wind instruments. The fact that the guidance still does not specifically acknowledge that indoor instruction can take place with Fall Issue 2021
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Congratulations to our 2021-2022 CMEA Collegiate Council members who represent college students across California. These aspiring educators have a true passion for music education, and we look forward to their inspiring contributions. Read on to learn more about their plans and hopes for music education.
Introducing CMEA’s What do you love about music Collegiate Council, 2021-2022 education? by Anne Fennell CMEA President-Elect
Andrew Shousha, President CSU Northridge Graduating Spring 2022
Daniel Crispino CSU Chico Graduating Spring 2023
AJ Gonzales San José State University Graduating Spring 2022
Andrew Maloney Sacramento State Graduating Spring 2023
Phuong Vo CSU Fullerton Graduating Spring 2023
Music education is the opportunity to provide students with knowledge and experiences that will positively impact their lives, decades after they’ve left our classrooms. After all, the vast majority of students will continue to interact with music practically every day for the rest of their lives. Music is truly a special subject because it enriches life in a way that nothing else can, and for this reason I consider myself very fortunate to be able to pursue a career in music education! - Andrew Shousha, President What I love the most about music education are the many opportunities to grow in a holistic manner through music, not just for the students, but also myself as an educator in the same space with them. I feel fortunate enough to constantly learn from, and with, my current students through teaching, and I only want the best for them as musicians and humans respectively. - AJ Gonzales My passion involves working with students and seeing them grow throughout time. What I love about music education is seeing students be influenced through music. It is a way for people to meet others and learn about their social and emotional development. I have been greatly influenced by music. I’ve gotten to meet many outstanding individuals and musicians throughout my lifetime. I have gotten the chance to learn more about myself and what I want to do in the future. As a future teacher myself, I want my students to learn as much as they can, whether it’s music or lifelong skills. Daniel Crispino Music education has impacted my life in numerous positive ways. I have made lifelong friends and discovered a true passion for music. As a college student and future educator, I love that I will soon have the opportunity to share the gift of music with future generations of students and teach them the healing and collaborative spirit of music. - Andrew Maloney Music is universally loved - and it’s so easy to love it! Teaching students to have a love of music begins with grandma, mom, dad, and anyone interacting with them. I love that with music education, you are able to connect with students through something so pure such as music. It’s a great way to make lifelong relationships, develop a deep appreciation for art, and I absolutely love that someday I will be able to be someone important in the life of a young musician! - Phuong Vo
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CMEA Magazine
What is your hope for music education in the state of California? The one thing I truly wish for music education is for students to no longer be afraid to pursue the field. As a first-generation Asian-American student, I felt incredibly discouraged to become a music educator as I was fearful of not upholding family expectations or making a conventional wage that would fit societal standards of a “successful person.” For the future of music education, I hope for students to see that pursuing what they love will always be rewarding and fulfilling. - Phuong Vo In the state of California, I would love to encourage students to explore the many pathways that music has to offer. Additionally, I hope that our educators can come together to diversify curriculum to reflect the many musical traditions that exist throughout the world, as well as present composers and musicians to our students who are typically underrepresented. - Andrew Maloney My hope for music education in the state of California is for the direct acknowledgement and making of space for future educators, of all backgrounds and identities, to succeed in our field, along with a strong front in advocating for all areas of music education, including higher-education institutions. - AJ Gonzales My hope for music education in California is to teach students more transferable skills. I know that in the future not all my students want to be music teachers or music majors, but the skills that they learn within the music classroom can be used in any career. For example, when students are taught how to practice, that can be transferred over as a skill to know how to plan ahead. I would like to teach my students that more of what they learn in the classroom can be used anywhere else, not just in music. - Daniel Crispino I hope that music education in California will continue to become more accessible to students of all backgrounds, especially those who traditionally have not had access to music education, or who have limited access at best. It is not enough for a student to merely be allowed to enroll in a course; it is also vitally important that we advocate for each and every student to have the opportunity to meaningfully participate in their programs while also advocating for the resources necessary to support these same programs. The music classroom should be a safe place for all students, and I hope that we continue to foster a culture of inclusion and advocacy in the field of music education both in and out of the classroom. - Andrew Shousha, President
What would you like to accomplish as a CMEA College Council member for 2021-2022? As a CMEA college council member, I would like to see more connections between the universities. I would like to help create a bridge where we all can help one another within our organizations, but also have our members meet each other. These meetups can be at a place in California, or we visit each other’s universities virtually
or physically. We may all be in different universities, but we are all one large music education family. There may be a time where some of us will teach in the same locations. I find it important to build on those professional connections early on so that when we begin teaching, we have people who we can ask questions to. - Daniel Crispino This year, I’m looking forward to reinforcing our intercollegiate network by adding more schools to our directory and hosting additional all-state collegiate online meetups, both of which will allow more collegiate chapters to freely communicate with each other. Additionally, we will be working on strengthening our connections and relevance to individual students, especially those who do not yet belong to a collegiate NAfME chapter, in order to help them and their chapters grow and expand the collegiate music education web in California. Lastly, I am excited to build on the previous Council’s work and expand the Collegiate Council’s offerings at CASMEC by bringing in additional collegiate presenters and providing more dedicated time for music education students to meet each other and put their heads together; after all, we are each other’s best resource. Andrew Shousha, President As a member of the CMEA College Council, I would really like to try to develop a statewide community of collegiate music students from public and private colleges, as well as educators, to strengthen the connections between music educators in the different regions of our state and strengthen the community of music education in our state as a whole. I believe that in the technological age that we are living in today, there is definitely a way that we can achieve this. - Andrew Maloney As a CMEA College Council member for the upcoming year, I aim to be able to reach out and recruit aspiring music educators from anywhere and everywhere. With a small community such as music, it’s easy for us to feel disconnected from those whose goals and dreams align so closely to our own. I hope to strengthen the music education community and be able to see collaborations from places all around. Most importantly, I want to ensure that aspiring music educators feel represented and supported in their careers and goals! - Phuong Vo What I would like to accomplish for the ‘21-’22 term as a Collegiate Council member is to engage more collegiate students with CMEA’s activities, as well as providing crossroad opportunities to connect with one another. I believe that it’s important to provide the necessary resources and skill sets to help all my peers succeed, as we are the future of music education in California. - AJ Gonzales
Congratulations to each of our CMEA Collegiate Council members. The future of music education is clearly in great hands! If you are interested in creating or joining a NAfME Collegiate Council, please email: collegiate@nafme.org. The CMEA Collegiate Council information is found: https://www.calmusiced.com/index.php/cmea/collegiate
Fall Issue 2021
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The Black Violin Project:
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy through Creating and Composition in K-12 Music Classrooms by Dr. Lisa Crawford, CMEA Creating and Composition Representative How do you invite students to consider the cultures of our musical world? Through which ensembles are you most comfortable sharing the innumerable examples of the differences of those musical worlds? Are you interested in sharing ensembles with your students who are presenting new music in 2021 highlighting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) musicians, composers, and songwriters? A strong example of new and current work is the ensemble, Black Violin. For several years, my students and I have gradually been expanding presence of this ensemble in our classes to learn about the work of this classically trained duo who have integrated hip-hop into their compositional work. Here is an overview of our lesson: 1. As an introduction, we listen to the song, Showoff (https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb5zO7OybPg. While the premise of the video is “showoff,” the video is about the remarkable efforts of children and adults with a variety of remarkable challenges. 2. Students read an article about the evolution and early musical training of the musicians of Black Violin. 3. Students write a short essay after reading about Black Violin (https://www.npr.org/2015/09/17/440603268/ with-stereotypes-a-duo-raised-on-hip-hop-and-classicalhas-it-both-ways). 4. In my classes (grades 6-12), students share all of their written and compositional work. These essays are an introduction to the importance of communicating not only about what we see and hear in a piece of music, but about what we feel through what we see and hear. 5. As students present all compositions, music production projects, and songs, we also listen, as a class, to each student reading their essay. 6. Groups of students are created (may self-select) who complete composition or songwriting projects representing new ideas students may have based upon their ideas gathered from the Black Violin Project. As we work toward developing more consistency with our music teaching and learning efforts with culturally relevant pedagogy, we can also work to initiate greater opportunities for children to experience and discuss through composing music, writing songs, and representing new ideas for themselves and their peers. Black Violin is a beautiful example of people who have successfully done just this! 8
CMEA Magazine
Fall Issue 2021
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Stand Up 4 Arts Advocacy Day
by Jeremiah Jacks, CMEA Advocacy Day Performance Coordinator
I'm thrilled to announce our return to the State Capitol for Stand Up 4 Arts Education, IN-PERSON!!! Music will once again be heard at the Capitol Building on March 22nd, featuring some amazing ensembles from across our state. We are still in the planning stages of this event, and have a ton of ideas to move this event forward. One big change is something that has been developing over the past couple of years when we moved from "Stand Up 4 Music" to collaborate with the other arts disciplines, organizations who have also been advocating for education in their subjects, which includes Visual Arts, Dance and Theater. After canceling in 2020 due to COVID-19, and pursuing a virtual event in 2021, we are excited to move forward with our friends from Dance, Theater and Visual Arts to once again advocate at the Capitol. This means more performances, more venues, and a much larger presence! As many of us have learned over the past year, there are some amazing opportunities using technology and online applications. We are excited to implement what we've learned to use over the past year to make this event even more accessible and more successful. We believe we can succeed in accomplishing more in person this next year, expanding the event, while also expanding and building upon what we put together this past year virtually. Now, more than ever, we must advocate for equal access to a quality education in the arts! Now, more than ever, is the time to work together to build back better what has been, and to expand on what has come before. We MUST advocate for our children's right to an education in music, for the rights of ALL children to have an education in music. Please consider joining us at the Capitol to make our voices heard, to make our children's voices heard! And what better way than through music? We are looking for music ensembles to perform once again at the State Capitol, and to represent their peers who might not have quality music education in their schools. We are seeking a variety of ensembles from a variety of regions in California. We are hoping to represent students from urban and rural areas, the suburbs and farmlands, and schools in every area of our state. We have enjoyed seeing students perform in guitar ensembles, steel drum bands, drumlines, jazz ensembles, concert choirs, children’s choirs and wind ensembles. I'd love to see Orff Ensembles perform, World Percussion classes, and most definitely a Mariachi group! Let's show our commitment not only to every child's right to an education in music, but our commitment to diversity and equality in our children's educational journey. We're also hoping to have some venues for small ensembles as well, and to pack the Capitol with Music, Theater, Dance and Visual Arts. So think in and out of the box! Perhaps you have a smaller program that might not have a strong band or choir that would be suitable to perform for this event, but could put together a small ensemble of your strongest musicians to represent your program, and programs like yours. If you would like to add your voice and the voice of your students to our advocacy event, please email me for an application, and so we can talk further about your program and how it might fit into the event. We do require all ensembles performing at this event to meet a high standard of excellence in music, and not all applications will be accepted. But ALL are encouraged to apply!
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CMEA Magazine
Photo Credit: Rob Davidson
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Why is Membership Important?
Membership
by Bruce Lengacher, CMEA Membership Chairperson
Twenty years ago, a classmate from college asked me if I would meet and talk with a new choir teacher. We met and chatted for a couple of hours. They asked some very thoughtful questions and demonstrated a desire to be the best they could be. This individual became one of my most treasured friends and colleagues. All I did was answer their questions from my experience and amassed knowledge to that point in time. That kind of mentorship is so rewarding and one of the many things that makes CMEA such an effective and valuable organization. This experience has stayed with me since it happened, and with so many retirements happening, it’s even more important that we all do everything we can to provide support and feedback for the slew of new teachers entering our profession. We all know that our best professional development is sitting around and talking shop. Whether it’s about repertoire, rehearsal strategies, sharing stories of overcoming the administrative quagmire that no one tells you about in college, just being a listener to support a colleague, or going to their school to work with their groups and say the same things that they’ve been saying to their ensembles. This is one way that membership is so important.
So, what can you do? • • • • • •
For starters, if you have new music educators in your district, make initial contact with them and let them know that you are there for them. If those new teachers don’t happen to be CMEA members yet, share this link with them NAfME Membership. Facilitate a monthly or quarterly “Office Hours” at a coffee shop or restaurant for the teachers in your school, district or region. Contact your local university and let the Music Ed folks know that you are willing to have their students come in and observe or get some hands-on experience. Attend regional and state conferences and conventions. Share repertoire ideas and rehearsal strategies with colleagues.
We have many amazing future educators in universities and colleges right now. They are selfstarters, problem solvers and have a can-do/get-the-job-done attitude. But not everyone is as outgoing as this crop of future educators, so it’s important that we, as veteran teachers, be proactive and introduce ourselves to the new teachers in our areas. If you have any questions or need any advocacy materials about the benefits of membership in CMEA, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Bruce@cmeabaysection.org
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Bay Bay Section Update by Bruce Lengacher We hope that you are off to a great start to the new school year! CMEA Bay Section is working tirelessly to continue its mission of advancing music education through quality musical experiences for students and professional development opportunities for music educators in the Bay Area. Four years ago, we started our Outreach and Mentorship programs. The purpose of developing these programs was to provide equity and access to the professional development and festival experiences to All of our members. Our Outreach program has two components: Scholarships for students and directors to the Winter Conference, and CMEA in the Classroom. The 2022 CMEA Bay Section Winter Conference will take place on Friday, January 7th and Saturday, January 8th. Through our Outreach Program, we would like to extend an invitation to Bay Area music educators in Title I schools that have not attended our Winter Conference to attend our 2022 conference free of charge! The Winter Conference is a two-day professional development seminar for music educators and college students held at San Jose State University. Attendees have the opportunity to participate in sessions on Classroom Music, Multicultural Music, Band, Orchestra, Choir, Jazz, and Music Technology. The conference also hosts three honor ensembles (band, orchestra, choir) made up of students nominated by their teachers from all regions of the Bay Area in grades 7, 8, and 9. Through the Outreach Program we provide scholarships for up to ten students in each of these groups for students from Title I schools! “CMEA in the Classroom” sends CMEA Bay Section clinicians into the classrooms of Title I music programs that have not experienced a CMEA music festival, or cannot attend a festival this year due to financial constraints. Clinicians will provide a free session to participating ensembles using the CMEA Bay Section Adjudication Rubrics to expose students and directors to the CMEA festival experience.
The second component of the Outreach Program is our Mentorship Program. It is designed to provide support for emerging music educators or those that have changed to a different discipline, (i.e., I’m a choir teacher who just found out I am teaching orchestra). There are options in the mentorship program. You can have a mentor come in and observe you to give you feedback on what they see. You can also identify areas you’d like feedback on (rehearsal technique/strategies, classroom management, building community in rehearsal, or any area that you feel you could benefit from by getting quality feedback. The second option is having a mentor assigned to help you develop or revise your curriculum. CMEA Bay Section is eager to serve you and your students and hope that the opportunities outlined in this letter can benefit your students and communities. For more information on how to take advantage of these opportunities, please contact CMEA Bay Section Past President Bruce Lengacher via email at Bruce@cmeabaysection. org. Please feel free to share this information with any colleagues you feel may benefit from these programs. We hope to see you at the Winter Conference in January!
Dennis Eveland Dennis Eveland Dennis Eveland Composer-Arranger Composer-Arranger Composer-Arranger
Clinician-Guest Conductor Clinician-Guest Conductor Clinician-Guest Conductor Concert & Marching Marching Bands Concert Bands Concert & Marching Bands Solo and Ensemble Solo Ensemble SoloOrchestra and Ensemble dfeveland@att.net dfeveland@att.net dfeveland@att.net
www.denniseveland.com www.denniseveland.com www.denniseveland.com
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Capitol Capitol Section Update by Patrick Neff CMEA Capitol Section is excited for a return to the classroom for all of our music educators, and is ready to face the challenges of this year head on. We hope you all had a well deserved summer of rest and relaxation and wish you the best as we begin the 2021-22 school year. We commend all of our members for their adaptability and perseverance in face of changing guidelines and the logistical challenges of COVID mitigation protocols. The extra effort is well worth it, as it has been wonderful to hear about the music making that is happening on school campuses. While some of our members were able to hold classes and rehearsals the previous school year, for
too many teachers and students this return was long overdue. The impact of the pandemic is real, and it is important to be honest about the challenges we face. We have seen decreased enrollment in music classes this year, some cases minor and some not. It is crucial that we continue to support and advocate for each other, as we did when embarking on virtual learning over a year ago. The music educators in our section and state have shown that we will continue to meet the needs of our students and communities no matter the obstacle. The music education community has remained strong throughout the pandemic and will continue to grow stronger. Capitol Section is looking forward to returning to some of our events that were either postponed or held virtually last year, including our honor ensembles and concert festivals. We are pleased to welcome new board members Christina Ball (Choral Representative), Becky Stewart (Advocacy Representative), and Andrew Maloney (Collegiate Representative). We are also excited to continue work with valued members taking on new roles: Christopher Tootle (President-Elect), Sonia Takanikos (Secretary), and Emily Focht Kuersten (Treasurer). CMEA Capitol Section encourages all music educators in our region and the state to review your membership status, and please check to see if membership has lapsed. We look forward to welcoming back all members returning to the organization, as well as the new music educators joining our field at this important time. Best of luck this school year. Have fun with your students and make meaningful music. Please remember that CMEA and CMEA Capitol Section are here to serve you, and we are eager to provide the support you need. For more information about CMEA Capitol Section, please visit www.cmea-cs.org.
Central
Hello from the Central Section!
Central Section Update by Michael Tackett
It is a special honor and privilege to serve as the CMEA Central Section President for the next two years. It is a humbling experience to follow in the footsteps of so many superb leaders. There is no greater, nor more important, time to be part of our vibrant music educators association. I am certain you will find value, purpose, and unequalled opportunities for professional growth by being an active member in CMEA. As an active member, you can also look forward to having fun and making long-lasting professional relationships in the process. I encourage music educators from all disciplines to join our association. The Central Section’s primary focus is to further the development of music education and contribute to the professional growth of music educators. I have personally made countless relationships with music educators over the past twenty years through CMEA. These relationships have sustained my growth and longevity in teaching music. Our future is bright, and we are moving forward with festivals in the spring. Please visit us at www. cmeacentral.org for more information. We have entered a new school year with still many unknowns. I would like to encourage everyone to reach out and utilize your colleagues and friends for advice, resources, and support. Many
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of you recently entered the actual classroom for the first time in seventeen months, while some were face-to-face for a portion of last year. Many may even still be online. We all will be rebuilding programs to some extent, so support for one another is vital. With this support we can further our mission here in the Central Section: Empowering Educators to Inspire All Students Through Music Education. Most programs are still learning the needs and capabilities of students. We are surveying our membership to get information and feedback from the teachers to best serve our students when planning festivals. We are looking at ways to accommodate the various needs programs have before planning each festival. We have put together a tentative list of dates which can be found on the website. Please remember, these dates may change based on the needs of our membership and availability of facilities. These decisions will be determined at the October CMEA Central Section board meeting and announced shortly afterwards. Stay in touch to receive information when festival plans are announced by joining our mailing list at CMEA Central Section : Sign Up to Stay in Touch
Central
Coast
Central Coast Section Update by Diane Gehling
Welcome Back! Congratulations on being a survivor!
(constantcontact.com) In conclusion, I would like to thank the CMEA Central Section board for their support and guidance. As Past Presidents, Steve McKeithen and Bill Wilkinson have done tremendous work over the past four years. I am blessed to have their mentorship. I am looking forward to working alongside our newly elected 1st Vice President, Elisha Wells, and our entire hard working, talented board. The CMEA Central Section is committed to helping our educators, so it is my mission over the next two years to assist, support and advocate in this rebuilding process. Please reach out to us at any time. We are here for you!
our ears.” Right now, CCS is looking forward to having meetings and festivals in person again. On Sept. 11th, CCS will have its fall General Meeting. This meeting will be held via Zoom. Last year, having it via Zoom worked to our benefit and we had the largest attendance ever. New to the CCS are five new board members: Jessica Lazar, Susan Silveira, Michelle Boulware, Jessica Lassen, and Shannon Casapia. In addition, we once again have a board member representing our retired music educators. She is Theresa Hruby. CCS is trying to have as normal a school year as possible. This includes having its auditions for the middle school and high school honor ensembles in October and November with the performances in January and February. We are currently working on the logistics of having the rehearsals outdoors with the performances indoors. Having festivals and honor groups brings up, of course, memberships. Due to the pandemic, many directors have let their membership lapse. Without events going on, why should memberships have been kept up to date? If you know of someone who has let their membership lapse, with many regular events scheduled and CASMEC, encourage them to renew their membership. Here’s to an exciting year! Remember to take care of yourselves!
We all are. We have flexed, bent and vented to get through the past year and a half. We made it. Because of this, we are stronger. The Central Coast Section is no exception. Our programs have changed (some needing to be rebuilt), teachers assignments have been manipulated and the teachers are flexing with these changes. It is great to be holding rehearsals again in person. Even with the restrictions, hearing our students play and sing again is “music to
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North Coast North Coast Section Update by Chris Cox
“Welcome Back, Educators! This is going to be an amazing school year.” This was the message I am sure most of you heard during your administrator’s address on the first day back. I know that was the sentiment I
Northern Northern Section Update by Todd Filpula
A Reason for Optimism? The Northern California counties continue to be the least vaccinated counties in California. They appear to be doing their own thing when it comes to dealing with the pandemic and as such, progress to a return of real normalcy is slow if not nonexistent! Each school district is dealing with very different challenges when
heard. As the welcoming address continued, I looked around at my colleagues and sensed some trepidation. Excitement to be back as well as an uneasiness of how we are going to get it all done seemed to fill the air. It was obvious that this was not a typical welcome back gathering. When the speeches were finished and teachers met to discuss the upcoming year, the nervousness really surfaced. Some teachers said they are happy to be teaching music again. (I taught 3 periods of high school algebra last year.) Others discussed the need to get back to basics and rebuild decimated programs. Mostly, teachers discussed doing what we do best: getting back to working with students and building positive relationships. What really came out of our first days back is just that We Are Back! It is nice to be in the same room with ALL our students and not tethered to a computer screen. It is amazing to hear students making music again. Some students even cried after hearing the first few notes being made in the room. Yes, challenges are ahead. Programs have been negatively affected. Some students have not returned to the physical classroom. Classroom protocols and procedures continue to be very different from school to school and district to district. The list goes on. While the challenges we face this year are different from a typical year, remember that CMEA and NAfME have excellent resources for your classroom needs. I hope you have a great school year. Let us all find a little joy knowing that “We Are Back!”
it comes to returning to playing, singing, and making music. Some schools have closed for a week or two at a time which makes educational continuity difficult; some schools do not allow for any sort of indoor playing/singing (this is changing in a positive direction very slowly); and others continue to fight the good fight by dragging all their equipment outside to provide some hope to students. At our last Board meeting in early September, we did calendar our events for the upcoming year! At this point we are uncertain where we are going to hold most of them as the facilities which we usually use are not able to commit at this time. We have begun looking for alternatives and believe the events will happen in some form but circumstances remain fluid. My own experience this year has been mixed. We are certainly in a better place than we were at this time last year! Students are singing and playing, albeit outdoors. Every day is a new day and a new adventure. I cannot look at it any other way and maintain my sanity! I want to thank the Northern Section Board for their dedication to music and their students! Tanner Johns – President Elect Austin King – Vice President Mike Phenicie – Treasurer Mary Colligan – Secretary Ruben Morales – Web Master Dr. Michelle McConkey – Collegiate Representative Nora Hunter – Elementary Representative Briaunna Cisneros – Membership Daniel Crispino – Collegiate Student Representative
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Southeastern Southeastern Section Update by Dr. David Betancourt
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Southern
Border
Southern Border Section Update by Dr. Jeff Malecki Reimagining Performance Things are GREAT at the bottom of the state! With our first meeting around the corner and an election currently underway, Southern Border Section couldn’t be more exited about moving forward this fall. During remote teaching, I struggled to read books about music. As things first shutdown, I was starting a book by Bud Beyer, Completing the Circle: Considerations for Change in the Performance of Music. The author had taught at Northwestern University in the theatre department, a mime specialist, and had very interesting ideas about updating our performance mindset. Unfortunately, with no COVID end in sight, I couldn’t really digest his ideas adequately (turning to classic fiction and several cookbooks instead!). Recently, however, as my music department embraces exciting changes under new leadership, our CMEA board welcomes dynamic new members and reorganization, and of course, we’re BACK IN PERSON, I’ve had time to not only ponder Beyer’s ideas, but start to scrutinize and reimagine what I do with my performing ensembles. Now is the time for exciting new ideas! Beyer’s “circle” comes down to the relationships: “…The great circle of communication that ebbs and flows between performer and audience. It is the circle of our connection to our work, to ourselves, to others, to our composers, and always, to our audience… The objective of mime, and I believe music, is to create a level of emotional communication that transcends all language and cultural barriers.” Western Classical music was popular music through the nineteenth century, a cross between a Las Vegas cabaret and Coachella, and only within the last 150 years shifted to the stuffier, “sit down, shush, don’t clap here but definitely clap there” concerts we know today. Thanks, Wagner. Indeed, whether it is the physical barrier of a music stand between musician and audience, or the music itself, we should look more at how to democratize our performances — or if that seems a bit too lofty, perhaps how to make them more fulfilling and enjoyable for performer and listener alike. Like most of you, my performance venue is less than ideal. While we could all rattle off our similar problems for hours (who picked the giant mauve proscenium curtain, really), but I think the biggest problem is the elevated stage and disconnected 600 seats. I have recently reconsidered what venues work best for my
group, and try to bring my band to the audience as opposed to bringing an audience to my band. For a chamber winds concert, we reconfigured to a much smaller venue, where the group was set up on the same level as the first of 20 rows, and the space made us shift slightly so my back was not completely toward the audience. I’m a proponent of outdoor concerts, where the audience may come and go as they please, or even order a pizza. I’m lucky to be a part of a beautiful community with more formal outdoor venues like the Balboa Park Spreckels Organ Pavilion, but also played in an equally lovely Memorial Bowl in Chula Vista, alongside a neighboring high school band. These local venues, often within parks & recreation departments, may be free to community members. Of course, thoughtful programming and awareness of the elements is important, but I find this bit of extra planning reaps bountiful rewards. The concert format can also change. For our first concert this year, I plan on talking to the audience about the full percussion section used in one of the pieces. Next, we’ll continue to break the formality and invite anyone who wants to come on stage and play the instruments, under the guidance of student percussionists. Finally, the audience members can remain on stage to watch that piece from the player’s perspective. The band parent, administrator, or child from the audience will have a truly immersive concert experience. As I revised my syllabi this summer, I revisited two objectives with some extra thought. The first centers on “quality repertoire from historically and culturally diverse points of view.” As I have progressed as a conductor, I feel myself making strides programming diverse composers. I recognize, however, how much more important the next objective is, “…Recognize how this repertoire reflects the social, cultural and aesthetic values of specific times, people, and places…” We need to go beyond “Here is my female composer,” to “Here is Thea Musgrave, and here is why she is a dynamite composer.” Many of us do this well, or in many cases exemplary! If this is important, however, why do we only share it with our students and not our audience? I have tried making program notes more audience friendly, but this didn’t translate to a dark hall or outdoors. I’ve had incredible success talking with the audience about why our repertoire is worthwhile. We’ve modeled a steel drum, explained Persichetti’s use of bitonality by separating then combining two melodies, and even taught the audience to sing a melody against a simplified accompaniment to understand how dissonance resolves. In addition to the percussion demonstration mentioned above, I’m looking forward to putting a pre-concert-style interview with a guest composer in the middle of my next concert. Consistently, audiences appreciate these interactions, and are better connected to what is happening. Finally, I’ll “circle” back around to Beyer’s “circle.” Coming from a theatre background, he asks us to imagine a live play where “all the actors were carrying scripts, still attempting to reach us and also talk to each other while continually looking down at the page.” He also references dancers who most often practice in front of mirrors, and perform with their own self-image in mind. These examples illustrate snags in our formal concerts, where we consider ourselves successful if musicians’ eyes leave their stands for an occasional glance at the conductor. Beyer asks why a pianist or violin soloist memorizes a concerto — and I add marching bands — but for some reason we draw a line and allow everything else to be read. He also cites musicians who have mentioned the initial sightread of a piece being more emotional and connected than the final performance. “It takes great courage for the ensemble to allow the vulnerability… the risk of a train wreck… It is in that very great risk that great art always exists.” Beyer ultimately suggests we take away the stands and perform from memory. If you think this is
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scary, or even absurd, I don’t blame you. Our ensemble had started to memorize just one previously-performed piece before our concert cycle ended abruptly because of COVID. As we start things up again, I have an easier piece that we’ll start singing, playing in a flex
version, and ultimately attempt to perform fully memorized without a conductor. It’s a bit crazy and certainly exhilarating, and so is renavigating in-person music making. I think it’s a perfect time, let’s try it together!
rebuild, regroup, and retool, I want to congratulate all of you for the impact you are making each and every day in the lives of students. THANK YOU for your hard work and dedication.
Southwestern Southwestern Section Update by Ryan Rowles
Looking ahead, we have something new coming up later on November 13, 2021. As needs and commitments change within our membership, we have decided to place some additional focus on our collegiate membership. In lieu of our regular fall music educator’s conference, we will be providing a virtual (via Zoom) conferencestyle event for undergraduate and pre-service music educators where they will have the opportunity to dive deeper into the process of starting a career as a music educator. This will include a variety of workshops including: writing a resume/cover letter, interview strategies, as well as exploring other emerging pedagogies. We are thrilled to connect closely with the local collegiate chapters of NAfME as they prepare for a life and career as a music educator. Wishing everyone in the Southwestern Section and across the State of California a safe and prosperous year of student impact and beautiful music making.
Welcome back!!! It is exciting to be seeing students again after such a long time apart. Even with new procedures and safety protocols in place, students have an energy and enthusiasm that has not been seen for quite some time. It is oh so refreshing!!! I hope that you all are staying safe and flourishing in this new chapter of making music with our student communities. Even as programs
For information on the CAJ Tune-Up Fesitval visit:
https://www.cajazz.org/jazz-tune-up/ Fall Issue 2021
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Collegiate Council The CMEA Collegiate Council extends its warmest greetings and wishes you a great start to the school year. We’re excited to continue to host online meetups and professional development events at both the state and local levels. To stay in touch with us, consider joining our email list by visiting bit.ly/cmea-cc-emails. Please feel free to reach out at collegiatecouncil@calmusiced.com with any questions, suggestions, or requests. We look forward to hearing from you! If you are planning to apply for a teaching credential program in the near future, you may need to complete the Basic Skills requirement. Many students already know about the CBEST (California Basic Educational Skills Test), which is one of the most popular ways to accomplish this. However, did you know that you may have already satisfied this requirement with your SAT, ACT, AP, or university placement examinations? Check out this article from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for more information, and don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions! https:// www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/leaflets/basic-skills-requirement-(cl-667)
Music Supervisors CMEA Music Supervisors will once again convene this Fall through Zoom for our annual Music Supervisors Professional Learning Seminar which will take place on Friday, October 22, 2021, from 9:00am-12:30pm. All members are invited to attend this free event. Our keynote speaker this year will be Jared Cassedy, K-12 Performing Arts Coordinator for the Lexington Public School System in Lexington, Massachusetts, and recipient of the 2015 Grammy Music Educator of the Year Award. Registration materials will be shared with members soon. Be on the lookout and please join us for a morning of inspiration and collegial discussion. Monthly open chat Zoom sessions for music supervisors will also resume on October 5, 2021, from 3:30-4:30pm. Watch your email for information on these meetings, coming soon.
CCDA Update
The CCDA Honor Choir structure is a little bit different this year as we carefully return to in-person events:
CCDA is hosting high-school-level Fall Regional Choral Workshops for the Central and Coastal regions on Saturday, October 9, with guest directors Dr. Buddy James and Dr. Corie Brown. All-State Honor Choir audition and event information is available on the CCDA website. The All-State Choirs will once again be part of CASMEC in Fresno in February. Fall Issue 2021
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De-compartmentalizing Music Classrooms by Michael Albertson, Ed.D. CMEA Innovations Representative
I begin with the assumption music educators want to engage in equitable practices for all student musicians. To move toward this goal, good intentions are not enough. We need to expand upon our current practices, and must also identify and eliminate current practices that are inequitable. In this article I borrow Michel Foucault’s (1977) description of ideal compartments to illustrate how auditions work against our goal to provide meaningful musical experiences for all students. I will conclude with recommendations that music educators can adopt and adapt to create more equitable music classrooms, and also present ideas for expanding the All-State experience.
Ideal and non-ideal compartments
“…[E]ach pupil, according to his age, his performance, his behaviour (sic), occupies sometimes one rank, sometimes another; he moves constantly over a series of compartments—some of these are ‘ideal’ compartments, marking a hierarchy of knowledge or ability, others express the distribution of values or merits in material terms in the space of a college or classroom. It is a perpetual movement in which individuals replace one another in a space marked off by aligned intervals.” (p.147) This passage led me to reflect on how these relationships manifest in music classrooms. Auditions are a common practice for selecting students to participate in ensembles and classes (Lehman, 2014) and contribute to the creation and upholding of ideal compartments in music education. An ideal compartment might be first chair in the school orchestra, or a spot in an AllState ensemble. The presence of ideal compartments suggests that there must also be what I will call non-ideal compartments. In the audition process, non-ideal compartments are reserved for those who audition but are not accepted, or for those who do not have the privilege or opportunity to audition. These roadblocks to access remain persistent in our field and have been well-documented1: auditions (Fitzpatrick, Henninger & Taylor, 2014); access to private lessons (Bates, 1997; Koza, 2008); the reliance on Western standard notation (Abramo, 2008; Royston & Springer, 2015; Williams, 2011); and travel distance to audition sites (Lien & Humphreys, 2001). In music classrooms, these inequities rarely allow for students in non-ideal compartments to move into ideal compartments. For
In his book Discipline and Punish, Foucault (1977) describes the turn toward the practice of ranking students in 18th century educational systems. That is, educators began to increase the use of exam scores and grades to determine academic placement of students. He writes: 1 See Abramo, J.M. (2017). The phantasmagoria of competition in school ensembles. Philosophy of Music Education Review, 25(2), 150-170. doi: 10.2979/ philmusieducrevi.25.2.04. The author gives ideas for how issues of inequity can be confronted to enrich the festival experience.
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example, a student without access to private instruction does not have the same opportunity to earn first seat in their school band as a student who has that privilege. Students who want to practice every day but cannot because their family receives complaints about the noise from the landlord may find the audition process more daunting than students who live in a house. I do not believe that it is possible to create musical experiences that are equitable for all students when auditions are a requirement. Students should expect to have access to as many musical opportunities as possible.
References
Ways forward
Allsup, R. E. (2016). Remixing the classroom: Toward an open philosophy of music education. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press.
“In order to provide norms for criticism of the institutionalized factors in […] programs of music education that might propagate unequal access and experiences, it is important to specify some achievable practical goals for social transformation.” (Fitzpatrick, Henninger, & Taylor, 2014, p.120) I imagine music classrooms without compartments—spaces where all students can access music instruction without the need to compete for a place in a class or ensemble. I am inspired by Randall Allsup’s (2016) call for a move from closed forms to open encounters in music education—ones in which the work is constructed by and with students. Removing audition requirements does not guarantee that music classrooms become rich with possibilities for openings. But eliminating auditions is a way to remove a significant barrier to creating equitable spaces in our music programs. Educators must then find ways to open access to students who have been left at the margins, in a way that makes sense for their school communities. Replacing an audition-based orchestra with a guitar ensemble might not be an effective move, but a pivot toward an open-to-all orchestra in which students compose the music they perform could be. For extracurricular opportunities such as All-State, I propose a move to a lottery-based system. Any student who wishes to perform in an ensemble with like-minded musicians from around the state can apply for free—no audition required. For example, if 500 clarinet players apply, 25 are selected at random to participate. This process removes any pre-determined baseline of common knowledge and skills amongst applicants, and would no longer allow All-State ensembles to continue as they are currently organized. However, it would be a more accurate representation of the diversity of learners in our schools, and could focus on process over product (Abramo, 2017). I would like to see festivals rotate locations throughout the state so that geography becomes less of a barrier. And lastly, I would like to see state music education organizations secure external sponsors for travel funds so that the burden of cost is alleviated for students. I leave open the possibility—and in fact, believe—that auditioned ensembles can be positive experiences for student musicians and educators who participate in them (Barnes and McCashin, 2002; Sullivan, 2005). But what are music educators communicating about our values when we continue to promote auditioned experiences that are inaccessible to many students? We can deduce the range of responses for students who are left out, but I also worry about the students who are invited in—those who secure the ideal compartments. What messages are we reinforcing for them?
Abramo, J. M. (2017). The phantasmagoria of competition in school ensembles. Philosophy of Music Education Review, 25(2), 150-170. https://doi.org/10.2979/philmusieducrevi.25.2.04 Abramo, M. N. (2008). Music educator as change agent. In L. K. Thompson & M. R. Campbell (eds.) Diverse methodologies in the study of music teaching and learning (pp. 91-109). North Carolina: Information Age Publishing.
Barnes, G. V. & McCashin, R. (2002). All-state orchestras: A survey of practices and procedures. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 20(2), 16-20. https://doi. org/10.1177/875512330202000205 Bates, M. J. (1997). Factors involved in the selection of music teaching as a career choice by 11th- and 12th- grade African-American students. (doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. (Publication No. 9822832) Fitzpatrick, K. R., Henninger, J. C., & Taylor, D. M. (2014). Access and retention of marginalized populations within undergraduate music education degree programs. Journal of Research in Music Education, 62(2), 105-127. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/0022429414530760 Foucault, M. (1973). Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison. New York: Random House Inc. Kivijärvi, S. and Väkevä, L. (2020). Considering equity in applying western standard music notation from a social justice standpoint: Against the notation argument. Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education, 19(1): 153–173 https://doi.org/10.22176/act19.1.153 Koza, J. E. (2008). Listening for whiteness: Hearing racial politics in undergraduate school music. Philosophy of Music Education Review, 16(2), 145-155. Lehman, A. C. (2014). Using admission assessments to predict final grades in a college music program. Journal of Research in Music Education, 62(3), 245-258. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022429414542654 Lien, J. L. & Humphreys, J. T. (2001). Relationships among selected variables in the South Dakota all-state band auditions. Journal of Research in Music Education, 49(2), 146-155. Parkes, M. B. (1983). Who learns from competitions: Solo competition should provide more lasting benefits than a seat in the allstate band. Music Educators Journal, 70(2), 34-35. https://doi. org/10.2307/3401209 Royston, N. S. & Springer, D. G. (2015). Beliefs of applied studio faculty on desirable traits of prospective music education majors: A pilot study. Journal of Music Teacher Education, 25(1), 78-94. https://doi.org /10.2307/340120910.1177/1057083714549467 Sullivan, J. M. (2005). A comparison of Arizona music educators’ attitudes toward solo and small ensemble festival participation. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 165, 53-64 Williams, D.A . (2011). The elephant in the room. Music Educators Journal, 98, 51-57. https://doi.org/10.2307/340120910.1177/00274321114 15538
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Advice Column from Teachers Teaching Kids! by Emma Joleen Schopler CMEA General Music, TK-12 Representative Navigating the 2021-22 school year has required the ability to adapt and change rapidly. As a musician and choral educator, the COVID protocols have pushed my students to sing outside. Inside the classroom, I’ve focussed on Ukulele Club with Kalani Das, Bucket Drums, Boomwhackers, Scarves, Parachute play, Beanbags, Beanie Buddies, hand percussion, and Orff instruments. A new addition to my class in 2021 is “fidget toys.” Students love to be rewarded with fidget toys, they also make for a nice birthday celebration. If you’d like to share your ideas here in our General Music TK - 12 section, email: emmajoleen@gmail.com. In the meantime, here is some worldly wisdom from a couple of America’s greatest educators: Lowri Casimiro and Laura Williams.
Mrs. Casimiro has been teaching professionally for over twenty years, and in San Diego for eight years. I first met Mrs. Casimiro through the San Diego Orff Chapter President, Crystal Pridmore. We attended a phenomenal Orff workshop led by Doug Goodkin at the Los Angeles Orff Chapter. Since her start at Wolf Canyon, Casimiro has created a music program from scratch that encompasses two string ensembles during and after school hours, Glee Chorus, Guitar Grooves Ensemble, and teaches the OPUS after school community program.
Mrs. Lowri Casimiro Wolf Canyon Elementary, Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD), and San Diego Youth Symphony (SDYS). Lowri’s student site: https://wolfcanyonmusic.wordpress.com/
Casimiro’s dedication to music education reaches far beyond her school’s music classroom. On weekends, she conducts at the 26
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SDYS Conservatory in San Diego’s Balboa Park. SDYS provides cradle-to-college music education to thousands of children and their families. It starts with an early childhood education program for ages 4 - 5, then at the Conservatory level, it starts at grade two. Conservatory students usually stay involved until their first few years of college which makes their eldest musicians around 20 - 21 years of age. At CVESD, Casimiro continues to go the extra mile by mentoring teachers in the California credential induction program. As an immigrant teacher, Casimiro has had first-hand experience with the CA credential program and the requirements for “out of state” participants. Personally, this author feels very fortunate to have her as a mentor teacher. Even though Casimiro gained her teaching credential overseas, it is mandatory to obtain the CA teaching credential to teach in the state of California. Originally from the United Kingdom, Casimiro’s teaching career began in high school. Every time she relocated to a different country or a new school, it seemed her passion grew for teaching elementary students. Casimiro taught at international schools around the world in places such as London, Libya, Bermuda, Fiji, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and finally, the United States of America. Casimiro’s fondest engagement overseas was in Ko Samui, Thailand, where she got to enjoy her passion for scuba diving as often as she desired. The biggest difference between her international career and the Title 1 schools in San Diego she observes is socioeconomic. Casimiro’s international schools afforded her a fountain of infinite resources where her wish list was always granted. Moving into a school with a music budget that was minuscule led her to campaign on Donors Choose: Mrs. Casimiro’s Classroom. Funding from Donors Choose has enabled Casimiro to build an enriching program of music and arts integration at her CVESD school where she is loved by her students, and respected by the wider community.
But why did Casimiro pursue music? Interestingly, it was the same reason this author decided to make music her career. Family. Specifically, motherly love nurturing a heartfelt passion for music education. One night, Casimiro’s mother awoke from a dream and said to her husband, “Keith! Wake up! Lowri has to learn the violin! I just had a dream that Lowri needs to learn the violin!” So the next day, at the age of five, Lowri was in violin lessons. Her parents’ support for her music education extended to her local Youth Symphony where she would attend weekend and weekly retreats. It’s no surprise that Casimiro found SDYS when the music has always been in her heart.
Finally, something this author learned from Casimiro was the Copy Bear. Copy Bear is a two-handed puppet that engages children at any age - even beyond elementary school. Casimiro suggests using Copy Bear to teach children about echo clapping, echo singing, and echoing just about anything. Give it a go and you’ll be impressed at the immediacy of learning and understanding. Fun quotes from Casimiro to inspire you throughout the day: “The best ideas are when you don’t think!” “Be a shining torch!” “Who doesn’t love making puppets sing?” “Puppets are magic.” “Kindergarteners can be terrifying but with puppets, they are magic.”
Mrs. Laura Williams Choral and General Music Resource Teacher Visual and Performing Arts Department, San Diego Unified School District.
Mrs. Williams has been teaching with SDUSD for sixteen years. Prior to becoming the Choral and General Music Resource
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Teacher, Williams was the Director of Choral Music at Mira Mesa High School. She is a woman of many skills. Her teaching career included instrumental music, theatre, and English at the high school level, as well as choral and general music for grades K-5. Williams graduated from California State University, Fresno with a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Music from Colorado State University. This superstar teacher was named Outstanding Choral Teacher of the Year by CMEA-SBS in both 2013 and 2014. Additionally, she received the MacKenzie-Haney Award for Excellence in Choral Education from SDUSD in 2014.
Music has been with Williams since childhood. Playing the piano as a baby with her father demonstrating which keys to press led her to study piano and become a highly regarded accompanist. To this day, Williams plays in churches, accompanies choirs and recitals. Two major projects that Williams supports are the Arts Education Project (AEP) and the Literacy Acceleration Project (LAP). As a career teacher, she is not an administrator but a teaching colleague that supports SDUSD teachers with curriculum development, lesson planning, classroom management, and arts integration. Most districts are not large enough to have a Resource teacher for General Music and Choral Education, however, SDUSD has about 180 schools with 117 of those being elementary schools. In this author’s opinion, it takes an incredible woman to manage such a large district of VAPA teachers. The AEP and LAP programs are not in every school, but around half of the SDUSD schools get music lessons from these programs. The AEP/LAP lessons are sequential, standards-based general music curriculum, not rehearsals for performance. Some schools receive monthly lessons, however, these are not intended as preparation for a showcase. In the case where a teacher might be asked by an administrator for a performance, the analogy of reading and literacy is given. For example, “imagine if children were only reading once a month, would you expect a poetry jam at the end of the school year? What would you expect to happen if the kids were only reading or writing once a month?” Certainly, there are songs
that kids know, but it’s very limited. Perhaps if classroom teachers were involved and continued the musical learning outside of the AEP and LAP programs, then something might be possible. Another issue that often arises is when administrators and parents dictate vocal repertoire for children. For example, “Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?” from the Disney musical, Frozen. Here is an example of a song with a catchy hook that everyone remembers, except nobody remembers any other lyric of the song. How do you discuss age-appropriate repertoire with your administrator or parent-funded program? Williams suggests explaining the meaning of vocal range: “Pop songs have too wide a range that often sits outside typical children’s voices.” Williams talks about the tempo of the lyrics and how many words are squished into a musical phrase. Typically, children know one line such as Frozen’s “Let it go.” Very few children will know or understand every single word to sing. Williams encourages classroom teachers to use piggyback songs, like “I’m a little tea-pot,” where adding new words to a familiar tune is possible. You might be wondering how this superwoman, Williams, does what she does for the 180 SDUSD schools with a family of two children ages seven and four. Apparently, her secret weapon is scheduling. Williams conducts her time very carefully. She loves working from home because it affords her more time to sit down, write emails and plan away from a busy office. Williams attests that managing a healthy work and life balance has been instrumental to her successful teaching career. Finally, Williams is always looking for ways to innovate. She says, “if we just teach the way we were taught, it wouldn’t work. It shouldn’t be about rows facing forward.” Mrs. Williams Recommends: Crab Rave - an instrumental piece with a viral video that can be used as an accompaniment track for students to improvise over. A favorite quote that Mrs. Williams recommends by John Dewey: “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.”
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February 17-20, 2022 Fresno Convention Center Registration Begins October 1st https://casmec.org/register-for-casmec/
Happy Fall! What a joy to be back in the classroom with students, making music and making human connections. While we’re certainly not out of this pandemic yet, making in-person music as an orchestra is certainly something to cherish. My name is Tiffany Ou-Ponticelli, and I am honored to serve as CODA President for the next two years. On behalf of the CODA Board, I’d like to thank Past-President Matthew Mulvaney, who saw us through the most challenging times with grace and creativity. Thank you for your ongoing, dedicated service to CODA, and for always leading with students in mind. The CODA Board is excited to announce our 2021 December CODA Honor Orchestra. As an updated event for 2021 given ongoing safety protocols, we will be hosting two in-person, simultaneous, one-day events on December 4th, 2021. One will take place in Northern California, and one in Southern California; students from Central CA will have the option to choose which event they would be able to travel to. Audition materials for our one-day, in-person Honor Orchestra event are available here! Audition materials are due online on September 30th. Please encourage your students to apply! We are also looking forward to (fingers-crossed) in-person AllState Ensembles in Fresno from Feb 17-20. This year, CODA will offer four ensembles: • HS Symphony Orchestra • HS String Orchestra • JHS String Orchestra • JHS Concert Orchestra *NEW* CODA is excited to announce a second All-State ensemble for 7th and 8th grade students! The new Junior High All-State Concert Orchestra will premiere at the 2022 CASMEC Conference as a second group addition to our existing Junior High All-State String Orchestra. CODA has been fortunate to receive large pools of auditioning students over the last few years, and we are excited to open a second opportunity to include more students in the All-State experience. Junior High School orchestra directors - this is a great year to encourage your students to audition for All-State! The Junior High excerpts have been updated to encourage accessibility - please do encourage your students to take a look and consider auditioning! Junior High School All-State Audition Excerpts for Violin & Viola have been updated as of 8/31/21 on the CODA Orchestra website. If you or your students had downloaded the previous version, please click here to find the corrected, updated versions. It’s also time to renew your CODA Membership! Become a member today and help take an active role in supporting students,
educators, and school orchestra programs across the state of California. Click here to view membership class information and here to join the organization or renew your membership. I hope your fall season is filled with music, laughter, and hopefully a little more stability than the last year offered us. Wishing you the best! Stay connected with the California Orchestra Directors Association throughout the year. Join us on Instagram, Facebook, and via our website.
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DATE AND LOCATION The CMEA State Choral Festival will be held on Friday, April 29 at Weill Hall at the Green Music Center of Sonoma State University, 1801 E. Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928. (gmc.sonoma.edu). CLASSIFICATION OF CHORAL GROUPS Depending on the number of entries, high school ensembles will be divided into two classifications based upon school enrollment for this academic school year. CMEA will strive to balance each class and reserves the right to consolidate classes as the need arises. The classifications are as follows:
2022 CMEA State Choral Festival Presented by World Projects
California State Choral Festival Classification (based on your school enrollment for 2021 - 2022) • Junior High / Middle - Open (no minimum or maximum) • Class A 1-1000 students • Class AA 1001- above students PARTICIPATION FEE The participant fee for 2022 is $300 and is due immediately upon notification of acceptance but no later than November 30, 2021. After December 1, refunds will only be given if the event is cancelled due to State or local travel restrictions.
FRIDAY, APRIL 29
Please make all checks payable to “CMEA”.
FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS AND ADJUDICATION • Each ensemble participating in the California State Choral Festival will receive written and recorded comments from a panel of three (3) prominent
Weill Hall at the Green Music Center
adjudicators. • Selections performed must be in contrasting styles from different historical periods, utilizing at least two different languages. • You must provide three original scores for each piece your ensemble will perform. If you fail to provide original scores, your ensemble will receive comments only, no rating. • This is a noncompetitive festival. PERFORMANCE TIME LIMITS All performances on stage are limited to fifteen (15) minutes of total clock time. Time begins with the first note of your program and includes breaks between musical selections. At the end of 15 minutes you will be asked to leave the stage, regardless of where you are in your performance. PREREQUISITES • Participating groups must have received a Superior or Unanimous Superior rating (if more than one adjudicator) at a CMEA sanctioned festival during Spring Semester 2019. CMEA sanctioned festivals include festivals hosted by CMEA Sections and also the Southern California Vocal Association (SCVA). Only participating choirs who received “Unanimous Superior” (a Superior rating from all adjudicators at the qualifying festival) are eligible to apply. • Copies of the written Festival Adjudications indicating the Superior ratings must also be submitted along with your application. • Participating directors must be members in good standing of CMEA at both the time of application and festival performance. • Please upload TWO selections in contrasting styles (no solo repertoire); one from the 2018-2019 school year and one from the 2019-2020 school year. Please make sure each audio file is an MP3 file no larger than 16mb. In addition, you may upload a video performance, including a virtual performance, from the 2020-2021 school year. • For evaluation purposes, please do not identify yourself, your school or ensemble on the recordings. All recordings should be shared with Trish Adams, CMEA Executive Administrator, using CMEA@calmusiced.com for Google Drive or using trishadams88@gmail.com for Dropbox. Recordings, your application, and copies of your festival sheets must be submitted by October 15, 2021. Register today!
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EVEN TEACHERS NEED TEACHERS As an educator, one of the most impactful ways to improve is by educating yourself. That’s why the Yamaha Educator Suite (YES) helps music teachers access professional development opportunities, music teacher resources, program health support, advocacy assistance and more. YES brings you a network of like-minded teachers, experts and professionals, who want to help you achieve your goals. Let us help you raise the bar. Go to Yamaha.io/educatorsCAMEA
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NAfME and CMEA 2022 ELECTIONS
VOTE! As a NAfME/CMEA member you have the opportunity, right, and responsibility to participate in the elections process. In early 2022 you will be voting twice, as both the NAfME National and Division elections and the CMEA State elections will be decided. Please read about our CMEA State Board candidates in this issue and look for more information about both the CMEA and NAfME Candidates as the election dates get closer.
NAfME National Elections for National President-Elect and Division Presidents • •
Email from NAfME with link to online ballot in early January 2022 Voting Window: Mid-January to Mid-February 2022
Please follow the links to research the candidates and ballot issues. Both NAfME and CMEA are working hard to present all Elections 2022 information in a timely manner to assist our membership in making voting decisions and are prepared when the emails with the voting links arrive. A recent study by NAfME has indicated that only a small percentage of members actually take the time to vote. California, along with the other MEA’s in the Western Division, have higher rates of membership participation than in other areas of the country, but even WE can improve on this! Be watching social media for more ways to learn about the candidates as the 2022 ELECTIONS approach!
Thank you for your interest in the future leadership of NAfME and CMEA, and please participate in the process in early 2022!
CMEA State Board Elections for President-Elect, Vice President, and Secretary • •
Email from CMEA with link to online ballot in January 2022 Voting Window: February 1-February 22, 2022
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President-Elect Dr. Karen Koner
Dr. Karen Koner, San Diego State University
Karen Koner serves as assistant professor and coordinator of music education at San Diego State University. As a specialist in instrumental music education, she teaches undergraduate courses focusing on K-12 teaching strategies, rehearsal techniques, lesson planning, and curriculum. Dr. Koner holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction in Music Education from the University of Maryland, as well as an additional degree from the University of Arizona. Dr. Koner served as coordinator of music education at Northern Kentucky University and CSU Stanislaus prior to moving to San Diego. During her higher education career, she has served on the Advocacy Leadership Force for the National Association for Music Education and on the Board of Directors for the Kentucky Music Educators Association. She remains active in the K-12 community with guest conducting and presenting at K-12 professional developments. Dr. Koner’s research interests encompass topics focusing on burnout and professional needs of K-12 educators, as well as mindfulness and contemplative practices for the music educator and student. She has presented her research and work internationally and nationally through music education professional conferences in Glasgow, Scotland, Tel Aviv, and throughout the United States. Dr. Koner’s research can be found in journals such as the Update: Applications of Research for Music Education and Research and Issues in Music Education. In her spare time, Dr. Koner instructs yoga and enjoys combining her love of yoga and music teacher training by working with musicians and educators on techniques to increase health awareness in the music classroom.
Chad Zullinger
Chad Zullinger, California State University, East Bay
Chad Zullinger is an Instructor of Music Education at California State University, East Bay and currently serves as the Vice President of the California Music Educators Association (CMEA). He earned a Masters in Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Delaware and a Bachelors of Music in Composition at San Francisco State University. Currently, Mr. Zullinger is a doctoral student in Music Education at Boston University. Outside of teaching diverse student populations at both universities and K-12 institutions, Mr. Zullinger has demonstrated success in choral music education, preparing ensembles that have consistently earned Unanimous Superior (and equivalent) ratings at festivals and contests, both regionally and abroad. He has presented and engaged with numerous NAfME State organizations around the country about technology and studentcentered pedagogy for music educators. In his research, he explores music educator values and intentions when teaching and learning with technology, as well as the ways in which emerging technologies might create opportunities for student-centered learning music classrooms. Mr. Zullinger continually reflects on how music classroom practices consider students’ positionality in their learning so that critical reflection is an active and continual process throughout the learning experience. When his students are engaged in learning activities, drawing on a curiosity that has cultural and personal value in their lives, they co-construct meaning and knowledge in the classroom attentive to their unique needs. In this capacity, he strives to reinforce the idea that skills such as collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving are integral components to a 21st century music education.
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Vice President Holly MacDonell
Holly MacDonell, Fieldbrook and Coastal Grove Charter Schools
Holly MacDonell’s teaching journey has taken her to many places, and she’s picked up skills, like souvenirs, along the way. Holly grew up in Orange County performing viola in school and at music camp. As a member of Orange County Youth Symphony, she practiced leadership and honed her listening skills. After high school, Holly moved to Northern California to attend Humboldt State University where she obtained a Literature degree. She returned to HSU a few years later to earn a single subject music teaching credential. Holly took her credential to rural North Eastern Oregon, where she taught K-12 general music and band for two years. Holly also performed and assistant conducted with the Inland Northwest Musicians community orchestras and choirs based in Pendleton, OR. She moved back to Humboldt County in 2008. Since then, Holly has taught K-8 music in before-, during- and after-school programs. Currently she teaches K-8 strings, general music, choir and music tech at Fieldbrook and Coastal Grove Charter Schools. She also keeps a small private lesson studio. Holly performs in groups all over the Redwood Coast, where her colleagues depend on her leadership, including Eureka Symphony, All Seasons Orchestra, and Symphony of the Redwoods. Holly is the Immediate Past President of CMEA’s North Coast Section. Her experience on CMEA’s Board of Directors nourished Holly’s inspiration and strengthened her determination to bring the highest quality musical experiences to students across the state. For fun, Holly plays chamber music locally and streams live loop jams on Twitch.
Tony White
Tony White, Los Angeles Unified School District
Mr. White is the Administrative Coordinator of Music and Entertainment Education in the Beyond the Bell Branch of the Los Angeles Unified School District. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from the University of California, Riverside and his Masters Degree in Educational Administration from Pepperdine University. In his current position, Mr. White is the head director of the LAUSD All District High School Marching Band which can be seen marching in January at the Tournament of Roses Parade. He has been working and developing the band since 1984. Mr. White is also the coordinator of such programs as the LAUSD All District Jazz Academy and oversees partnership programs with organizations such as the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, Grammy in the Schools Live and the Harmony Project. In his career, Mr. White has been recognized by the Los Angeles Jazz Society, a Music Center Bravo Award Finalist, has received the Fulfilment Award and the UC Riverside Chancellor Award. He has also received honors from Los Angeles Jazz Society, Southern California Band and Orchestra Association, Omni Youth Music Awards, L.A. Music Week Honoree, recognition by the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education for his work in music education. Mr. White is a strong advocate for quality music and arts education programs. He is constantly meeting with administrators, teachers, parents and students to discuss their desires to create quality programs in all cities. When he is not meeting or planning programs, he is performing at various ventures around town on his trusty saxophones spreading the word about the importance of music and music education!
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Secretary Tiffany Berry
Tiffany Berry, San Jose State University
Tiffany Unarce Barry is an adjunct professor in the School of Music & Dance at SJSU and a K-8 music teacher at Granite Bay Montessori in Roseville. A second-generation FilipinoAmerican, Tiffany has sung and played violin in ensembles all her life. She earned her BA in Vocal Performance at SJSU in 2001 and received a Single-Subject Teaching Credential in 2005. In 2008, she became Orff-certified through the San Francisco International Orff Course and in 2017, she earned her MA in Music Education at SJSU with a focus on providing more Orff Schulwerk Teacher Training to educators in the South Bay. Tiffany taught general music and a variety of instrumental and choral ensembles for 14 years at Cambrian School District, where she was voted “Teacher of the Year” in both 2010 and 2017 for her expertise in arts integrations, STEAM education, and Project-Based Learning. She also received CMEA Bay Section’s Outstanding Classroom/General Music Educator Award for 2017-2018. Tiffany has held board positions for Resounding Achord Productions, Northern California American Orff Schulwerk Association Chapter, and CMEA Bay Section. Her most recent appointment is on the American Orff Schulwerk Association’s Board Restructuring Ad-Hoc Committee, which aims to improve representation and inclusivity within the national organization. As a presenter and writer, Tiffany has published articles in AOSA’s The Orff Echo & Reverberations, Buck Institute for Education’s PBL Blog, and Teaching with Orff. In February 2021, Tiffany published her first book, Songs of the Sun: Filipino Folk Songs for the Musical Classroom.
Ryan Duckworth
Ryan Duckworth, Bloomington High School
Ryan Duckworth has taught instrumental and vocal music at elementary, middle, and high school levels and is in his twentieth year at Bloomington High where he also serves as Visual and Performing Arts department chair. He received his Master’s in Music Education from Boston University and Bachelor’s degree from the University of Redlands. He served as President of the San Bernardino County MEA (2010-2012) and served as Secretary, President, and now Past-President of CMEA Southeastern Section (2015-). In 2012 he was awarded “Teacher of the Year” by Senator McLeod. He serves as a Teacher Leader for The California Arts Project (2020-) and has presented sessions at CASMEC. In 2018, Ryan joined fellow music representatives at the California capitol to advocate for music education. He has written several articles including “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues” published in “Teaching Music” (October 2019). A lifelong instrumentalist and vocalist, Ryan is passionate about ensuring every student has access to a robust arts education regardless of where they live. Every student who wants to sing in choir or play an instrument in school should have multiple opportunities. He hopes to see music education expand to include even more diverse musical expressions in every community. He tries to provide these experiences for his students by incorporating composition into his curricula, hosting choir festivals, and encouraging local talent through solo and garage band performance nights. Ryan lives in Loma Linda with his wife (an elementary band teacher) and a music-loving third-grade daughter.
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2021 Virtual All-State Honor Ensembles
See the Performances Here!! https://casmec.org/virtual-allstate-performances/ Fall Issue 2021
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CALIFORNIA MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION
Ensuring all California students have equal access to a high-quality music education as part of a well-rounded education.
https://calmusiced.com/
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