CMEA Magazine Fall 2020

Fall Issue 2020

CMEA Magazine Fall 2020 VOLUME 74 • NUMBER 1

music.uoregon.edu/strings

EO/AA/ADA institution committed to cultural diversity.

Bachelor’s, Master’s, and DMA options available Graduate Assistantships in Violin, Viola, and Cello Graduate Certificate in Music Performance (post-Bachelor’s or post-Master’s)

The News Magazine of the California Music Educators Association POSTMASTER CMEA Magazine (ISSN 1099–6710) is published quarterly (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer) by CMEA. Mailing Address: 2417 N 11th Ave Hanford, CA 93230 Subscription price of $4.00 is included in the CMEA annual dues. Non-member subscription rate is $12.00 per year Single copies are $3.00 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CMEA Magazine, 2417 N 11th Ave, Hanford, CA 93230 CMEA Magazine Graphic Designer Adam Wilke, D.M.A. Editors Chad Zullinger and Trish Adams Business Manager Trish Adams Mailing Address: 2417 N 11th Ave, Hanford, CA 93230 E-mail: cmea@calmusiced.com Rates and advertising information available at: www.calmusiced.com 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.

CMEA Administrative Office Mailing Address: 2417 North 11th Avenue Hanford, CA 93230 Office: 559 587–2632 Cell: 559 904–2002 E-mail: cmea@calmusiced.com Website: www.calmusiced.com

# FEATURES

3 President’s Message

by Armalyn De La O, CMEA President

5 Council of Past Presidents

by John Burn, CMEA Immediate

by Bruce Lengacher, CMEA Membership Chairperson

8 NAfME Collegiate Chapter Highlight

by Anne Fenell, CMEA President-Elect

13 Bay Section Update

by Keith Johnson, CMEA Bay Section President

13 Capitol Section Update

by Patrick Neff, CMEA Capitol Section President-Elect

14 Central Section Update

by Steve McKeithen, CMEA Central

Section President

15 Central Coast Section Update

by Diane Gehling, CMEA Central Coast

Section President

15 North Coast Section Update

by Holly MacDonell, CMEA North Coast

by Ryan Duckworth, CMEA Southeastern

Section President

18 Southern Border Section Update

Past President

7 CMEA Membership

16 Southeastern Section Update

Section President

16 Northern Section Update

by Todd Filpua, CMEA Northern Section

President & Daniel Crispino, Future Music Educator

by Dr. Jeff Malecki, CMEA Southern

Border Section President

19 Southwestern Section Update

by Ryan Rowles, CMEA Southwestern

Section President & Yasmin Palma, Future Music Educator

20 Celebrate CA

by Matthew Mulvaney, CODA President &

Benjamin Mitchell, Kaleidoscope Orchestra

22 Innovation is Action

by Michael Albertson Ed.D., CMEA

Innovations Representative

24 Think General Music Now! But How?

by Emma Joleen Schopler, CMEA General

Muisc TK-12 Representative

28 CBDA Update

by Jeff Detlefsen, CBDA President 30 Toward a More Inclusive Music Education

by Steve Holley, Educator and Author

33 “They Have to Practice Without You Now”

by Kim Mieder, Ph.D., Sonoma State University

36 Jazz Education and Social Justice

by Dan Aldag, Humboldt State University

# RESOURCES

5 Collegiate Council 6 Music Technology 6 Higher Education and Research 11 World Music 11 Rural Schools 27 Collegiate Spotlight 29 Creating and Composing 29 Urban Schools 35 Special Learners 37 CCDA Update 37 Advocacy 37 Music Supervisors

Ad Index 6 CMEF 32 Macie Publishing 29 NAMM Foundation 23 Nick Rail Music IFC University of Oregon 11 University of Portland 27 Willamette University 12 World Projects 25 Yamaha

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 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 Joseph Cargill cargill.joseph@gmail.com CMEA CBDA Representative Jeff Detlefsen DetlefsenJ@gmail.com CMEA/CCDA Representative Dr. Jeffery Benson jeffrey.s.benson@gmail.com CMEA/CCDA Choral Leadership Academy Coordinator John Sorber johnso@cos.edu CMEA CODA Representative Matthew Mulvaney mulvaneymatthew@gmail.com

CMEA Capitol Section President Taylor Sabado taylor.haugland@gmail.com

CMEA Advocacy Day Performance Coordinator Jeremiah Jacks jeromejacks30@gmail.com

CMEA Central Section President Steve McKeithen smckeithen@csufresno.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 Holly MacDonell hollymacdonell@gmail.com

CMEA Collegiate Council Representative Rene Canto-Adams rcantoadams1319@gmail.com

CMEA Northern Section President Todd Filpula tflpula@chicousd.org

CMEA Creating and Composition Representative Dr. Lisa A.Crawford lisacrawfordmusic@gmail.com

CMEA Southeastern Section President Ryan Duckworth Ryan_Duckworth@cjusd.net

CMEA CTA Liaison James Benanti jamesbenanti77@gmail.com

CMEA General Music, TK-12 Representative Emma Joleen Schopler emmajoleen@gmail.com CMEA Innovations Representative Dr. Michael Albertson malbertson@geffenacademy.ucla.edu CMEA Membership Chairperson Bruce C. Lengacher blengacher@auhsdschools.org 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 Julie Hahn hahn_j@auhsd.us 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 CMEA World Music Representative Dr. Lily Chen-Hafteck lhafteck@ucla.edu

President’s Message Armalyn De La O, CMEA President

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he challenges facing all of us, including the economic and personal impact of the ongoing pandemic, devastating fires, social unrest, has made the opening of the 2020 – 2021 school year unlike any other. Throughout this summer, the CMEA Executive Board has been reflective and proactive in relationship to these challenges to the present and future of music education. The work at the CMEA Board of Directors meeting in August reminded me of John F. Kennedy’s words about times of crisis: “the Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger—but recognize the opportunity.” It is an honor to work side-by-side with the leadership of CMEA as we move forward in addressing urgent needs, while building upon the opportunities for the future of music education in the state of California.

In the July President’s message, I shared that the CMEA leadership would begin to examine our practices identifying and articulating the injustices and inequities within California’s music education system. We began the important first steps in crafting CMEA’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access (DEIA) Initiative at the August meeting by considering the following questions: 1. What will move CMEA, as an organization, into action that will lead to systemic change?

2. What do we believe are barriers at this time?

3. What does DEIA mean in the organizational context of CMEA? 4. Identify CMEA specific inclusive leadership behaviors.

CMEA’s Board of Directors worked in breakout groups facilitated by Executive Board Members and utilized recommendations of the Cook-Ross study commissioned by NAfME in our conversations. When we returned from the breakout sessions, many thoughts, responses, and questions surfaced in the discussion. The

following is a sample of the initial input from the Board of Directors gathered during the session regarding CMEA leadership behaviors, as well as general barriers to DEIA:

General Barriers – Beginning Responses:

Membership cost concerns; lack of funding support from schools/districts; not connecting to the needs of the profession; CMEA is not diverse because music educators in CA are not very diverse; and, we do not have many people of color in CMEA

DEIA Ideas – Beginning Thinking:

Diversity: How we are educating (pedagogy). What does a culturally relevant pedagogy look like in music teaching/ learning?

Equity: Intentionality – making sure viewpoints are at the table and considered (even if not at the table).

Inclusion: Need to feel like ALL are invited without having to have an invitation.

Access: Which members of our population do we exclude as a result of the pedagogy, the curriculum we offer?

Leadership Behaviors – Beginning Thoughts and Questions:

• We need to see people of color invited to serve on CMEA boards.

• Leaders have to model a sense of community.

• Ageism - Does age define board member readiness?

• Create protocols to follow and review all processes to ensure everything we do supports DEIA. • Go beyond immediate leadership groups. What is the state protocol for identifying and choosing leaders?

The work at the August meeting is the beginning of a CMEA DEIA Initiative. The proposed timeline below outlines the 2020 – 2021 activities related to moving this

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initiative forward. The next steps in CMEA’s DEIA Initiative include establishment of a CMEA DEIA representative on the Council of Representatives and a sub-committee to identify guidelines for the development of a CMEA DEIA Action Plan.

In September, an invite will go out to CMEA’s membership asking for those interested in serving as the Representative or as a member of the Sub Committee to submit a Letter of Interest.

I thank and applaud the Board of Directors, the Executive Board, and CMEA’s Executive Administrator for their energy and commitment to being part of the process to end systemic racism.

Through this work and our actions, we move forward the CMEA vision that in California music education IS for ALL.

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

CMEA DEIA Initiative Timeline

CMEA Hall of Fame Award Recipients Honoring Lifetime Achievement in Music Education

2020 - Stepehn 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 4 CMEA Magazine

Council of Past Presidents John Burn, CMEA Immedaite Past President

B

ack in February, in addition to electing a new CMEA Executive Board, the membership also passed two by-law changes. One of these by-laws changes called for the creation of the CMEA Council of Past Presidents.

The purpose of this council is to provide a forum for CMEA Past presidents to stay involved with CMEA and to improve the utilization of the expertise of the past presidents. Some of the past presidents no longer live in California, but thanks to Zoom, this wasn’t a problem. Our first meeting was held via Zoom on August 19. Having this truly esteemed body of leaders representing countless years of service to our profession together

at the same time was immensely heartwarming and inspiring.

The group was pleased to learn how CMEA has increased our relevancy and clarified our purpose in recent years. The CMEA Council of Past Presidents stands ready to support and contribute to the much needed advocacy efforts in these difficult times. In fact, the council members have already taken part by sending letters in support of the importance of arts education during these times to key legislators and some have opened dialogue with current music teachers in their region offering guidance and support.

CMEA Council of Past Presidents

John Burn, 2018-2020 Scott Hedgecock, 2016-2018 Michael D. Stone, 2014-2016 Russ Sperling, 2012-2014 Norman Dea, 2010-2012 Jeff Jenkins, 2008-2010 Cheryl Yee Glass, 2006-2008 Rob Klevan, 2004-2006 Sam Gronseth, 2002-2004 George DeGraffenreid, 2000-2002 Dennis L. Johnson, 1998-2000 Bill Adam, 1992-1994 Carolyn Lindeman, 1990-1992 L. Leroy Roach, 1988-1990

CMEA Council of Past Presidents meets online.

CMEA COLLEGIATE COUNCIL PRESENTS

MEET THE COUNCIL

The CMEA Collegiate Council held a statewide meeting on Sunday, October 4, 2020. In a similar model to the bi-annual State Council of Representatives meeting, the Collegiate Council of Representatives will meet twice annually as well. Stay tuned for the spring date!

The Collegiate Council also has a Facebook Group - consider joining to stay up to date on collegiate happenings in CMEA.

Sunday, October 4th, 2020 12 -2 PM via Zoom

CONTACT US: COLLEGIATECOUNCIL@CALMUSICED.COM

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Music Technology Zoom Audio Settings for Music Teachers When you are using Zoom to run music classes, there are a few settings you can adjust to enhance the experience for your students. (Click Here) Midnight Music is a resource managed by Katie Wardrobe. Her philosophy on technology integration in music is simple: use it to enhance, reinforce and – in some cases – improve what you do and how you do it.

Higher Ed &

RES EARCH

In addition to the peer-reviewed journals made available by your NAfME membership, consider taking a look at these additional, open-access journals: Visions of Research in Music Education Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education Contributors and researchers featured in these journals are addressing the most relevant and critical pedagogical issues in our profession related to the understanding of music teaching and learning.

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CMEA Membership Bruce Lengacher, CMEA Membership Chairperson

My Journey to CMEA Membership & Why it Was Worth it!

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or up-and-coming music educators, being a part of a professional community will provide opportunities and connections that create a career, as it did for me. My first experience with CMEA was as a college student at San Francisco State in the late 80’s. It was actually with MENC (NAfME) because my Music Education coordinator was the President of MENC. I was encouraged to join the Collegiate Music Education National Conference (CMENC) and did so, becoming president of the chapter in 1991. Through my involvement with CMENC, I met a lot of the music educators in the Bay Area and gained invaluable experience. I learned how to schedule, plan, and run a Solo and Ensemble Festival with 11 events and about building relationships and community. I was able to meet prominent music educators and had opportunities to observe some of the top music educators in the area. One of those educators, Kem Martinez, got me my first job as a K-6 General Music/Choral teacher at 6 elementary schools in Daly City. Connections and continued growth are possible in CMEA, for everyone!

At my first job I had no curriculum as the previous teacher was a talented pianist and wrote all of his own material. Through MENC/CMEA I was able to talk to the CMEA Industry Representative, who told me how to locate materials so I could create a standards-based curriculum for my K-6 students. For new teachers this organization is an amazing resource, as it was for me.

CMEA and NAfME provide professional development, share best practices, and connect us to experienced educators who are happy to help.

Our members are vital to those that are not members because each of you can share the benefits of becoming a member. If you work in a district with music educators who haven’t joined NAfME/CMEA, or know of folks that don’t know about us, please send me their contact information at: bruce@cmeabaysection.org, I’m happy to share with them the benefits of membership.

If you have the opportunity to talk to a non-member, here are some quick bullet points to let them know what kind of support they can receive from CMEA and NAfME: • Regional, State and National Professional Development Conferences and Workshops • Regional and State Solo and Ensemble Festivals as well as Large Ensemble Festivals for Band, Choir, Jazz and Orchestra • Monthly National publications sharing innovations and best practices as well as strategies for being an effective educator in these ever changing times • Quarterly publications from CMEA to connect the state and learn about all that is happening in California • A network of dedicated music educators who have a breadth of experiences that can help solve problems or overcome challenges • The opportunity to contribute individual expertise and experiences with the Music Education Community in California • Advocacy at the state level to share the voice and needs of music educators I have seen and had firsthand experience of the benefits of getting involved early and giving back to an organization that has been instrumental in my becoming the music educator I am today.

So, reach out to a new teacher, or a teacher in need, and share the benefits of CMEA/NAfME membership, today!

See what I did there?

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NAfME Collegiate Chapter Highlight California State University, Fullerton Anne Fennell, CMEA President-Elect

CSU Fullerton

NAfME Collegiate Chapter Officers

Jamie Trinajstich President

Phuong Vo Secretary

Kyle Zozobrado Vice President

Alex Gellatly Treasurer

Getting to Know our California State University Fullerton Collegiate NAfME Chapter

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he California State University Fullerton Collegiate NAFME Chapter is one of 700 in the United States and one of 43 in California. The goal of CSUF cNAfME is to create a space to share resources that aren’t available in the university classes, share experiences as educators, and practice the craft of teaching with kind and supportive members.

The group connects current and future teachers from all areas of music to learn from one another and create bonds that will be beneficial in the field. The chapter members are also active music advocates and give back to the local community to benefit music students of all ages and backgrounds.

Read on and learn more about these aspiring music educators advised

by Dr. Dennis Siebenaler, Associate Professor of Music.

Meet the CSUF NAfME Collegiate Members

Johnston Nguyen EICC Rep

David Jimenez PR Rep

My name is Jamie Trinajstich and this is my second year as CSUF NAfME’s President. I am just starting out in the credential program, with my main instruments being oboe and English horn. Before I began my Bachelor’s degree, I was lucky enough to take lessons with faculty here while I was still in high school, so CSUF has had a special place in my heart for quite some time.

My name is Kyle Zozobrado, a saxophonist, and this school year’s California State University, Fullerton NAfME vice president. I am a Filipino who enjoys all types of music and has a passion for teaching.

Nina Crecia Choral Rep

Jonathan Ramirez Instrumental Rep

Hello! My name is Phuong Vo. I’m currently attending California State University of Fullerton with aspirations to become a music educator! I play the tenor trombone and am so grateful to be serving as CSUF NAfME’s secretary this year.

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My name is Alex Gellatly and I am currently the treasurer for CSUF’s NAfME chapter. I’m in my final year of my undergrad for Music Education with my main instrument being French Horn.

Hi! My name is Johnston Nguyen and I’m the Education InterClub Council Representative for our chapter. Basically, I stand as the middleman between the College of Education and our club so we can receive funding for events and conferences. I just graduated with my Bachelor’s from CSUF in Spring 2020 and I’m currently working on a Teaching Credential. My primary instrument is the oboe but I’m also learning trombone and guitar!

I am David Jimenez. My primary instrument is the tuba. I am currently a third-year student at CSUF and am in the Music Education degree program.

I am Nina Crecia, and I am a graduate student at California State University Fullerton. I am currently pursuing my Master of Music degree in composition and my teaching credential to become a choir director. My main instrument is voice (soprano).

I am Jonathan Ramirez, a saxophonist, instrumental coach, and student music educator. I am from north San Diego County in Southern California where I had my early music training in the public school systems of the area. As a university student, I study saxophone performance while planning to earn my single subject credential in music.

Why did you decide to become a Music Education Major?

I decided that I wanted to become a Music Education Major when I was in the 7th grade. My band director at the time was going over our morning announcements when a trumpet player had accidentally blurted a note out. The director looked around and angrily said, “WHO DID THAT?” A shaky hand began to raise when my director burst out in laughter and said, “I’m just messing with you, that was a beautiful tone, can you play it for everyone to hear?” From then I was hooked on music and decided during that year that I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my director.

- Jamie Trinajstich, President Growing up, my career was actually supposed to be in medicine.

I toured colleges with great medical programs and followed the pathway to becoming a doctor, but I always lacked the passion. It was in my high school band program where I found my love for music and decided that my passion was to be a music educator.

- Kyle Zozobrado, Vice President When I’m interacting with music and other musicians, I can occupy myself for hours on end without losing any interest in what I’m doing. On the other hand, when I’m up doing my math homework, I can’t go a few minutes without losing my mind. Through these observations, I realized how much easier it is to make meaningful impacts on the world when you’re doing something you’re passionate about. - Phuong Vo, Secretary My reasons seem to change every year, but it all stems from being inspired by my high school band director, Scott Domingues. He

always believed in me, even on my worst oboe reed days! I want to be able to provide that for my students -- to help them get over barriers they may not realize and the belief that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to. - Johnston Nguyen, EICC Rep

What made you want to become a student leader in the CSUF CNAfME Chapter?

I am so proud to be a Titan, which is why I aim to be a part of the school’s growth and legacy. As a student leader to CSUF NAfME, I want to be able to create something that will last beyond my time here. - Phuong Vo, Secretary Leadership and advocacy is very important to me, and when I noticed how few choral students at CSUF were involved with NAfME, I wanted to step up. I think it’s important for us as music educators to know “both worlds” (choral and instrumental), and being involved in the chapter is a great way for me to learn through the presentations we offer, and through the conversations that I get to be a part of. - Nina Crecia, Choral Rep

Why is the CSUF CNAfME Chapter important to you?

The CSUF Collegiate NAfME Chapter was the first collegiate club I became involved in when I was an undergrad. I was able to meet peers that I didn’t have classes with and otherwise wouldn’t have met. Being in this chapter has brought so many wonderful people into my life and I am so grateful for all of the friendships, memories, and opportunities that have been the result of this.

- Jamie Trinajstich, President The legitimacy and reputation of the CSUF music education program is only as strong as its student members and the future student body. Establishment and proper management of the CSUF collegiate chapter helps put CSUF “on the map” as a legitimate institution for training music teachers. I want it to remain that way for generations to come. - Jonathan Ramirez, Instrumental Rep

What special events did you take part in that you enjoyed and what skills did you learn from these?

One of the events I enjoyed the most was a presentation led by our current President, Jamie Trinajstich, on students with special learning needs. As a profession, we can always work to be more inclusive. This can range from making modifications to our instruction so that everyone can succeed to something as simple as using more inclusive language. - Johnston Nguyen, EICC Rep Recently, we had an event that taught us how to set up your work area for online teaching and how to set up a Google Classroom.

I will definitely take these new skills and apply them to my own teachings. - Kyle Zozobrado, Vice President

How will your work or role in this chapter affect you as a future music educator?

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This position will help me in the future because like a music educator/band director, I currently have to wear many hats. Not only do I have to be a successful student, I must also be amiable and collaborate with my fellow board members.

- Kyle Zozobrado, Vice President

this every semester. I am confident that we will remain diligent and continue to work towards maintaining this even after I’m no longer spearheading the project. This is thanks to the hard work of those that I am privileged to work beside. - Jamie Trinajstich, President

It is my philosophy that an instrumental representative should follow the SCSBOA news and other communities of niche instrumental interests. Therefore, my experience with the “inner world” of instrumental music educators will help me develop the social capital and resources needed to be an effective instrumental teacher. - Jonathan Ramirez, Instrumental Rep

I’m really looking forward to giving students fun yet meaningful musical experiences and helping them connect their lives to music.

Hopefully within these music lessons, they realize the potential they hold regardless of whether they choose to pursue a career in music or not. - Johnston Nguyen, EICC Rep

Currently, my role in the chapter has had me explore social media and the like in a way that I would not have done on a daily basis. Through that, I hope to better my skills at networking and working with people. - David Jimenez, PR Rep

What are you excited about for this year’s work within the chapter?

I’m excited for our many meetings. Due to online classes, the only other time we see each other is in the online classroom. Meetings give us the opportunity to be in a different environment away from classes. - Alex Gellatly, Treasurer I am excited for the challenges we are facing because overcoming them will help not just the chapter but those involved to be more adaptable and versatile as educators. - David Jimenez, PR Rep We have a lot of things planned for this semester, albeit virtual, and I think we will have some great presentations that our members can learn from! We have a great team, and besides providing learning opportunities, I am excited to get to continue working with everyone and having a place to come together during this time! - Nina Crecia, Choral Rep

What challenges do you anticipate in the chapter, given Covid-19, and what are your plans to work around these challenges?

We have worked around COVID-19 by having our meetings over Zoom. Zoom makes it easier to have multiple guest speakers so we have been fortunate enough to learn from many different professionals in the field of music education. - Alex Gellatly, Treasurer Challenges I had anticipated were potentially catching the attention of new members to the chapter. Fortunately, we have had a sizable number attend, both returning and new members. David Jimenez, PR Rep

What is one goal you’d like to accomplish with this chapter?

One goal that I have been working to accomplish with this chapter is setting up a scholarship to be awarded once per semester. Thanks to some of my amazing peers, we have been able to award one already. Now the real work comes in to continue

A goal I would like to accomplish is for the chapter to prepare all members involved in areas that our classes may not always cover.

- David Jimenez, PR Rep I want instrumental students to learn that they will be performing artists and teachers. By emphasizing events and news that focus on performance pedagogy, I believe our instrumental students will grow to embrace their role as performing artists. - Jonathan Ramirez, Instrumental Rep

In terms of being a music teacher, what are you looking forward to, once you graduate with your degree?

I am most excited to build a culture of belonging and a strong community in my future classroom. From what I’ve experienced, the best music making comes from a healthy environment where everyone feels encouraged to try, even if it results in mistakes. I have a deep passion for music and cannot wait to share it with my students, who I hope will walk out of my classroom feeling confident and supported, regardless whether or not they pursue music as a career. - Jamie Trinajstich, President Once I graduate, I anticipate being what the wise call, “the bridge between students and music”. I hope to pass along my passions and allow students to enjoy their time with music. Most importantly, I look forward to being someone important in the life of a young musician. - Phuong Vo, Secretary I’m looking forward to rehearsals and rehearsal planning. I think this is the area of the job where the music making process happens. - Alex Gellatly, Treasurer I can’t wait to be in the classroom and have my own students! I look forward to getting to make music together, and getting to guide my students and see them grow. I can’t wait to start!

- Nina Crecia, Choral Rep Follow CSUF on Instagram @nafmecsuf and on Facebook.

If you would like to create or join a NAfME Collegiate Chapter near you, e-mail collegiate@ nafme.org or cmea@calmusiced.com. Scan the QR code or visit https://nafme.org/membership/ collegiate/ to learn more.

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T U R N I N G TA L E N T I N T O A R T I S T R Y

through mentoring and performance opportunities from day one.

With access to small classes, talented professors, quality academics, and the city of Portland, University of Portland’s nationally accredited music program and liberal arts curriculum will prepare students for the future they want.

2021 SCHOLARSHIP AUDITION DATES

Sat., Feb. 13, 20, 27 – UP Campus FOR MORE INFORMATION

Scan the QR code or text “Portland” to 503.222.4051 up.edu/music | upmusic@up.edu | 503.943.7228

World Music

CMEA World Music Council Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/cmeaworldmusic

Music Explorer Around the World (Carnegie Hall) https://musicalexplorers.carnegiehall.org/?artist=gregorio

World Music Pedagogy Webinar PD Series Encounters with Ethnomusicologists: Teaching Music/ Teaching Culture

https://www.wmponline.org/store/p4/World_Music_Pedagogy_Webinar_ PD_Series_%E2%80%8BEncounters_with_Ethnomusicologists%3A_ Teaching_Music%2FTeaching_Culture.html#/

Rural Schools In-person / No-touch music class Most rural elementary schools have fewer Orff instruments than students in the class. This year there are COVID-19 protocols which require sanitizing between uses. How can we make best use of the time we have with them?

Click this link and learn how to make practice instruments for your students.

by Keith Johnson, CMEA Bay Section President

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hope you’re all making the best of what is one of the most challenging times in our careers as educators. I am honored to begin my tenure as the President of CMEA Bay Section and excited about the direction of our organization. I’d like to first thank our Past President, Bruce Lengacher, for his leadership these past two years. We are fortunate to have him on the board as we begin the

by Patrick Neff, CMEA Capitol Section President-Elect

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he school year is underway throughout CMEA Capitol Section, and the great majority of our educators are teaching

Capitol Section

Capitol Section Update

online, with some working from home and some from their site. Some districts have plans to move to a hybrid schedule soon. At the moment, most decisions are being made at a district and site basis, leading to variations in COVID-19 policies and approaches throughout the section. While the music educators of Capitol Section are all navigating their own unique circumstances, all of us are committed to providing the quality music education that students and families in our communities have come to expect.

In a survey of our membership, questions relating to satisfaction with district and site policies regarding COVID-19 led to an assortment of responses and concerns. While most educators in our section are at least somewhat satisfied with their site and district’s COVID-19 policies, there is a lot of worry about next steps beyond distance learning. It

These resources will be posted on the Bay Section website on October 30th and will be free for anyone interested.

Please visit www.cmeabaysection.org at the end of this month for a full slate of topics and presenters.

As we continue to find ways to adapt, we’ve also made changes to the type of festivals we are offering. This school year we will be offering two Virtual Solo and Ensemble Festivals, one in December and one in late April.

This digital format closely follows the model of the CMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festival that took place this past spring semester. The placement of the festivals coincides with the end of the fall and spring semesters. The goal is to encourage teachers to incorporate solo repertoire and performance into their curriculum this school year, using the Bay Section Virtual Solo and Ensemble Festival as another tool for assessment. More information on these virtual festivals will be sent out to our membership in the coming weeks.

These certainly are very challenging times, but to quote a friend, “We WILL get through this – together!”

Bay Section

Bay Section Update

task of adapting for a digital learning environment this school year.

One of the biggest challenges we are facing as an organization due to COVID-19 and distance learning is how to best support our members and students in our communities.

Two of our major functions as the Bay Section of CMEA is to provide quality professional development and a topnotch festival experience in our area.

I am truly excited about the work that our outstanding team has planned to continue this mission. This school year, Bay Section has decided to cancel its traditional Winter Conference (which typically takes place in early January) and instead offer a series of videos/ lectures/interviews/demonstrations that we are calling the “CMEA Bay Section Distance Learning Resource Series.”

Our Special Representatives have put together an outstanding slate of presenters covering a wide range of topics that address challenges music educators are facing during these difficult times. Topics and areas of focus for this resource series include Technology, General Music, Multicultural Music, Band, Choir, Orchestra, Jazz, and Higher Learning.

is also important to note that the choices afforded to teachers during the pandemic differ greatly based on where they are employed. Some members are finding themselves at odds with their district and site’s approach. Like the country as a whole, there are a number of viewpoints about the best steps forward, and the Capitol Section Board is working to ensure that all our educators feel valued and heard. And despite differences in opinions about best practices, all of our educators want our programs to be supported and protected.

While policy-making in regards to COVID-19 is fluid, and music education during a pandemic presents unique challenges, what we provide is too important to be dismissed. Capitol Section is grateful for advocacy efforts on the state level and is working to mirror them in our communities. We believe advocacy is an area where our

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for these events, as the pandemic has proved difficult to predict. However, we are confident we will be able to continue many of our section’s important traditions.

At my site, we have been advised to have grace in our interactions and expectations during online learning.

I am hopeful that our educators remember to give that same grace to themselves. Much of the feedback shared by our members discusses how this moment requires so much more energy and work, and how differently classes are structured. Navigating through the day may seem daunting, and like many I have learned personally that Zoom fatigue is a very real thing.

However, we all need to remember that we are not in it alone. Lean on each other and share what is working.

Be open to new things. Take this opportunity to be creative and add new wrinkles to your program. What we do has value and is needed now more than ever.

Here at Capitol Section we are lucky to have new and talented individuals join the board and we are excited for this school year. We are happy to report that music education remains strong in our region, and are proud to be a part of CMEA. Please learn more about CMEA Capitol Section by visiting www.cmeacs.org.

Central Section Update

better!

Being a practical person by nature, I have worked on ways to engage my students that allow me to use my actual class time for more projectbased learning as opposed to lecture.

In class, we work through topics and concepts together, breaking down video performances in my Marching Band Techniques class, and performing skills and techniques together in my beginning conducting class. Flipgrid has been a wonderful addition to my teaching that allows me to evaluate each individual student’s demonstration of skills in a way that I can provide feedback through a customized rubric, written feedback, and also through video feedback with which I can demonstrate corrections, or suggest further practice techniques. This platform has really opened up my eyes to incorporating digital resources into my future classes to enhance student engagement and to provide my students with valuable time with which to build their capacity and skill. I am also finding that I have been much more able to focus on the individual in a more meaningful way than I was able to during class.

In my ensemble classes, I am also using Flipgrid to assign materials to develop their skill as musicians, as well as to prepare performance music that will be compiled into a virtual

ensemble experience. In collaboration with my colleague, Dr. Gary P. Gilroy, we have written weekly etudes that are short enough to be performed on the platform, but are designed to address the common concerns we have with our students’ playing, based on auditions and what we have experienced as conductors in previous semesters. The assignments are composed on Sibelius and consist of an 8-measure etude, some scales, a chromatic exercise, and a multi-measure rhythmic pattern that is performed using the Circle of Fourths. With the performance music, we are able to address deeper levels of achievement that focus on style, articulation, and phrasing, as well as allowing students to review recordings from one of their peers as a demonstrated example. We have found these engagements to be very useful and I certainly plan on keeping a number of these methodologies in place once we are able to return to “normal.”

In closing, I would urge all in our profession to stretch their legs in this digital environment and focus on our individual students. We have a wonderful opportunity to take a lessthan-desirable situation and turn it into a positive situation through the use of digital media. Stay positive and we will all get through this, together!

Central Section

section can continue to grow, and we are hopeful that the most recent CDE Arts Education Guidance helps keep programs intact and leads to a safe return to music making on campus.

Current outreach efforts specific to our section include equity of COVID-19 policies relating to athletics and the arts, and a push to avoid the scaling back of music at specific sites.

Our region wants and expects inservice events, honor ensembles, and performance opportunities from our section. The Capitol Section Board will be following the state model, and plans are underway to provide these valuable experiences from a distance. There will be inherent challenges in preparing

by Steve McKeithen, CMEA Central Section President

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started this semester of teaching, as I am sure all of us have, with a certain level of dread and frustration. Nothing can replace or replicate being present with students, having the ability to read the energy in the room, or to communicate non-verbally with them and enjoy the process of teaching and learning. But, in my search to find ways to interact with them and to provide the very best feedback I can, I have incorporated a number of tools that are useful now, and that I will use in the future in my post-COVID teaching...the sooner the

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Central Coast Section Update

by Diane Gehling, CMEA Central Coast Section President “Rise up, open your eyes and you’ll Wise up, open your eyes and you’ll Eyes up, open your eyes and you’ll Rise up, open your eyes and you’ll Rise Up!” - Hamilton, The Musical

by Holly MacDonell, CMEA North Coast Section President

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he start of this school year has been, and will continue to be, memorable. In addition to high awareness of the trauma teaching and learning we’ve all been experiencing, I’m keeping my eyes open for the tricks and tools that will continue to be useful once full in-person teaching and learning begins for everyone.

“Together we shall; Rise Up!” - Hamilton, The Musical

the 4th-6th music classes this year and sent those teachers to other assignments teaching a grade, or other non-music subjects. There are section members working on this issue, but it is part of a longer struggle.

There are also all types of connectivity issues. Not all families have access to the same bandwidth. Teachers and students don’t have the same access to each other and what connects them.

I’m finding this especially true when on a Zoom meeting with younger students like Kindergarten and First Grade. Silver lining here? Since I just pop into the younger classes’ teacher’s meeting, I have received some great instant feedback from the other adult in the Zoom room.

How nice it is to know that what I’m doing behind my screen reads well to those on the other side.

I’ve discovered one more layer of silver lining: Saving my ears during Third Grade Recorder. Don’t get me wrong, it will be a wonderful day when we are all teaching and learning together, in-person again, but can I keep the mute button?

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North Coast Section

North Coast Section Update

Awareness of germs has also come (back) into my orbit. While teachers, especially arts and music teachers, tend to be exposed to just about every bug that goes through a school, we’re learning it’s more than just surfaces and coughing into our sleeves. It’s also the air.

There’s something else in the air, too: innovation, brainstorming, cooperation.

Speaking with teachers lately has been different than before. Rather than venting about student practice time at home, or behavior management in an elementary Orff classroom, we’re making class sets of practice xylophones out of plastic file folders. We’re troubleshooting the tech tools we’ve been using with our students, and sharing how we use the tools. And since a lot of us are doing more homework because of the new stuff, I feel like we are just too busy to vent about the old stuff.

This isn’t to say that it’s all been a giant silver lining here on the North Coast. In fact, there are still risks to music programs. One of the largest districts in the section decided to cut

mentor.

For those that are excelling in this new reality, don’t forget us. Reach out to those who are calling out for help.

Answer the call.

I know of a young general music teacher whom I mentored. She is now on her way to creating her own music program/curriculum at the elementary level. She has now become a mentor in her own way. She is the CTI Mentor for another young elementary music teacher but also my mentor, helping guide me through many ins and outs of these new technologies that we use to teach our students.

So my friends, This is the time.

Central Coast Section

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f ever there was a time for us to rise up, 2020 has provided that opportunity. This is a time of change. A time to create a revolution and embrace the new way of teaching music.

It’s time to embrace the 21st century and all that it has to offer. It is time to remake education and how we can use technology and all the power that it can bring to our classroom. It is time for us to revisit our roles in education. Many of us have worked in education for many years. We are “well seasoned,” yet we have little to no clue as to how to bring our classrooms and our teaching into this new era.

It is time to embrace the changes that are being forced upon us in a positive manner. Many of us are struggling with the new mode of teaching while others are excelling. For those of us “well seasoned” teachers, it may be time for us to become the student and call out for a “Teacher” to help us learn these newfangled ways.

Become the mentee again instead of the

Northern Section

Northern Section Update

by Todd Filpula, CMEA Northern Section President & Daniel Crispino, Future Music Educator The Northern Section Update will be given by Daniel Crispino, a future music educator who shares his perspectives on music education.

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Southeastern Section

ello, my name is Daniel Crispino. I am currently a 3rd year at Chico State majoring in music education with minors in agriculture and child development, in addition to being the President of Chico State’s NAfME chapter. My primary instrument is the clarinet. Music has been part of my

life since I was 10 in 5th grade. My first music teacher, Ryan Heimlich, who taught in my hometown of Red Bluff (who is now also my clarinet instructor at Chico State), is an inspiring person who wants to see growth in his students. Ever since my first day of band, I have grown a passion for music and teaching. Just like Mr. Heimlich, as well as many of my other amazing music teachers, I too see music education as a way to connect, motivate, grow, and change student lives. I have a passion for being around students to help lead them to success.

This semester our chapter has grown from 30 to 36 music education students. I am beyond happy that our program is continuing to grow. Our biggest challenge for this semester is for it to be virtual. It makes it more difficult for everyone to engage, talk to one another, and gain hands-on experience. The leadership team and I are doing our best to plan meetings that are as engaging and interactive as possible. We are looking into having guest speakers, workshops, and virtual social days to keep people connected.

Our goal for this semester is to be there for one another. We are a NAfME family. We’re going through this together and we will make the most of it so that we can be the best teachers for our students. The good thing about it

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Mining For “Gems” in the Mountains of Possibility

by Ryan Duckworth, CMEA Southeastern Section President

ithout a doubt, these are unusual times.

In ways it feels like the music education community has never been more collaborative.

In other ways it feels like each of us has their own unique battle to fight.

Synchronous. Asynchronous. Live.

Hybrid. Guidelines. Clarifications. With so many different situations possible, it seems like challenges keep crashing in like waves on the seashore.

So before we do anything else: Stop.

Breathe. In and out. Breathe again.

You’ve got this. We’ve got this.

There are so many great resources available to music teachers right now: social media groups, webinars, websites, learning platforms. In many ways,

being virtual, is that we are able to have more guest speakers since it’s easier to access than having to travel. If anyone would like to give a presentation to our NAfME chapter, whether it’s a teaching experience, a workshop, virtual events, anything at all that is related to music education, we would love to have you.

My email is dcrispino@mail.csuchico. edu. We also have an Instagram page where our social media representative, Rebeca Solis, will be posting about our chapter. Follow us at @csuchiconafme.

In the next couple of years, I see myself finishing the credential program.

I am not sure what grade level I want to teach. At first, I wanted to be in middle or high school, but then I took elementary school methods with Dr. Michelle McConkey in the spring of 2020. I had such a fun time teaching music. It was the highlight of my week and one of the reasons why I decided to add a child development minor!

I still have a lot to learn about advocacy, but I do see music education growing in the future. I know with budget cuts it becomes a challenge, but from what I’ve seen, there are many advocacy organizations who do their best to keep music in the schools.

Having music taught in the classroom is important. In my experience, I’ve seen students engage, wanting to learn, and best of all, having fun. the problem right now is not finding resources, but rather finding the right resources that work for you and your students. One word I keep hearing in regards to this is “fatigue.” “Zoom fatigue.” “Platform fatigue.” “Link fatigue.” “Choice fatigue.” All of these acknowledge the fact that there is so much information and so many options available that the mental exercise of sorting it all is certainly exhausting.

Recognizing this, here are some “gems” of wisdom that I have mined from various conversations, webinars, readings, and my own experiences that I hope can help you too.

Set boundaries. Music education was already a time-consuming occupation. Now if you’re not careful,

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it could completely consume you. So set aside some time every day and every week for non-work related activities.

Put it in your calendar if you need to.

Schedule it and then honor it.

Something that made a big difference for me was in shifting what my “week” was going to be. Last term when we were suddenly thrust into virtual teaching, I set my weeks to start on Monday. But what really happened was I spent all day Saturday grading all the late assignments and all day Sunday uploading the next week’s activities.

It meant I was working 7 days a week to the detriment of myself and to my family. So this term I set my week to begin and end on Wednesday. The schedule works well because of the way my district set up our weekly teaching assignments. It gave me back my weekends and students seem to be more likely to turn in their work on time.

Reconsider your scope. You cannot do it all and everything will take longer than before. Some things we are not even allowed to do right now. So now is a good time to step back and ask yourself what you really want your students to be able to do at the end of 3 weeks, 9 weeks, a semester, a year.

I have found some success in the idea of modules. Each synchronous session with my choir students has a healthy vocal production module, and then maybe a theory module, or a composition module, or an explore the world with music module, or a social/ emotional learning module. I have sequences planned out in each module area and then can insert the modules into my daily routines as time allows. I feel like I’m providing my students with a healthy variety of content while also using standards-based lesson plans and it helps keep my students engaged.

Leave space to be human human. With so much time spent on technological platforms, it is easy to sometimes forget that the faces (or initials, or bitmojis) on the screen represent actual, real live humans. And if we get too caught up in the business of it all, we can easily lose sight of our most important assets: people. So make sure you leave space in your plans to really check in with your

students. Be prepared to laugh together and maybe even cry together.

The same holds true for you as the teacher. Allow yourself space to feel and to process your feelings. Find the things that bring you joy and rejuvenation and then make sure you prioritize those things. Read for pleasure. Exercise.

Create something new. Our section Vice President, Emma Joleen Schopler, suggests, “step away from the Zoom screen and take a walk outside.”

Consider the limitations limitations.

Computers have added a great many tools to our toolkits, but tools will always have limitations. I could use a screw driver to pound in a nail, but the end result won’t be pretty and I will probably hurt myself.

Most of us are aware of the inequities that exist with student access to the internet across our state and across our nation. But many people miss the fact that even amongst students with access to the internet, the quality of that access can vary wildly. Consumer internet services are designed for more efficient downloads than upload and that works great if you want to stream a movie or download some content. However, when you want to upload a large file, the speed of the upload is much slower. Effective video conferencing requires both upload and download at the same time and in many cases the devices our students have access to cannot meet these demands. If you are curious about your own access speeds, you can do an internet search for “speed test” and see how fast or slow your own access is. I actually did this as an experiment with my advanced choirs and the results were fascinating; even within the same city our download speeds varied between 0.8 Mbps and 177 Mbps with an average of 43.9.

Upload speeds varied between 0.1 Mbps and 19.7 Mbps with an average of 9.3 Mbps. That is a lot of variance and as a result, what my students can and cannot do with the district-provided resources is substantial.

Frontload technical skills skills. One does not simply assign a task on a new platform and expect all students to “figure it out.” I spent 30 minutes

of an early assignment teaching some students about the amazing power of copy and paste commands. Yes, these students are “digital natives,” but they still need teachers to guide them. If you plan micro-assignments early on targeted around learning technical processes, they will pay off in smoother implementation of larger projects down the road.

Consider student experience. On many platforms and beyond many IT firewalls, the user experience is vastly different between educator and student.

Menus change. Functionality differs.

If it is at all possible, I recommend setting up a fake student account (or making yourself a student on your own platform) so you can see what the experience is like for the student. If you cannot make more accounts, then have a trusted colleague or your top students help you troubleshoot your materials before you roll them out. This is yet another time where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Limit choices. There are dozens of virtual music education platforms you can choose from. Search “online music games” and there are nearly three billion results. Looking for a great video to help you illustrate a concept? Do you have a week to review them all? In this digital age, teachers have a new role as curators of quality content. Quantity loses meaning in a virtual world. Of course it can be fun to “go down the rabbit hole” and spend hours playing with online games and tools, but in the end, pick one or two, and then get to know them well. Deeper, not wider. Like I tell my students when we do creative exercises: there is no perfect answer but there are some answers that are better than others. Choose something and then use it. You will either learn how to use it better as you become familiar with it, or you will discover that it doesn’t work well for your situation and you can try something else. But if you spend all your time searching for the perfect option, you’ll never even get started.

Likewise, don’t give your students or colleagues a list of 200 videos to choose from. I am all for developing student choice and student voice, but

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Southern Border Section

anyone who is confronted with six pages of links is going to panic. Give choice, but keep it simple. Give them a few good, high quality options that can springboard them deeper as they follow their interests.

Always test the tech. I think music teachers know this better than most.

Anyone who has ever used a sound system knows there is no one thing that can make the microphone stop working.

Batteries. Switch. Wire. Antennae.

Interference. Gain setting. Trim setting.

Mute button. Amplifier. You get the picture. We learn early in our careers (often as the result of some traumatizing technical mishap) to always test the tech. Before the audience ever shows up we test all the instruments and equipment we are going to use to make

Asynchronous Ensembles Behind the Facade

by Dr. Jeff Malecki, CMEA Southern Border Section President

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synchronous learning seems to have a bad rap. If teachers simply prerecord videos and student interaction is out of the equation, it absolutely deserves it.

But let’s remember the potential of the flipped classroom model, where students watch lectures on their own and do “homework” — individual practice, guided practice, peer discussion — during normal class time. This is a tricky concept for most of our traditional ensembles, but now as we are obligated to arrive at engaging, worthwhile remote

sure that what the audience sees and hears is a polished product that we and they can be proud of. Now, take that same care and apply it to everything you’re doing now. Do not try any new technology in a public facing format unless you have tested it in small scale first. It won’t solve every problem, but it can save you a few headaches that you do not need.

Accept that there will be issues and give yourself grace. There will be mishaps. There will be failures. If you are not failing from time to time you probably aren’t doing anything new. And right now, everything is new.

Accept this. Accept that education happens in the process as well as the product. The adventure is in the journey, not the destination. And you

will make mistakes; so learn from them. You will have moments that don’t go as planned; so learn to laugh at them. As teachers, we are often experts at extending “one more chance” to our students. Now you have to learn to extend that same grace and understanding to yourself.

I hope that something in this list has given you some ideas or at least given you some questions to consider.

If you have “gems” of wisdom that you have discovered, would you share them with us so we can share it with our members? You can email us at cmeasoutheasternsection@gmail. com, find us on Facebook at “CMEA Southeastern Section,” or visit our website at www.CMEAsoutheast.org.

education for our second semester (with a possible spring around the corner), let’s revisit the potential.

My objectives for this semester have gone through numerous revisions. Some basic guiding principles have remained at the forefront: • Give each student a valuable musical experience • Do not waste my students’ time • Give students and myself a platform for social engagement — get to know them and let them know me.

analysis on a smaller, less intimidating scale, and analysis of the wonderfully quirky poetry of Edith Sitwell.

I designed a matrix with rows for every week of the semester, and columns for performance, theory, history & culture, and social. 1-3 projects are offered weekly, each with a point value based on how many hours the project should take. Performance projects generally earn four points, where socials — including “get to know your section” — earn one. I have struggled with weighing the theory and history components too heavily in a performance class, and giving academic credit for social events. For this remote learning situation, however, where students may not have access to instruments, technology, or people (I for one can’t record in my small apartment!), I would rather have them involved in some aspects of the program than not at all. The students chose their projects to add up to a certain total which reflects their final grade.

Each week, I post some combination of an iBook tutorial, scores, recordings, or videos. This is done completely asynchronously. I find my lectures and explanations to be much more concise when I have editing capabilities, and still include videos of my face (and dog) for a personal touch. None of the projects are overly time-consuming, so

I know I am lucky to teach in a fairly flexible framework as well. While I’m pretty aghast at the programs that make students stare at a single online class for 2, 3, or even 4 hours, I know it is often out of the teacher’s hands.

Still, I hope some of what I share could positively tweak some ensembles.

Our repertoire for the semester all comes from William Walton’s Facade, several short movements originally written for small chamber group, including narrator. I initially struggled programming only one work by a dead white man for the entire semester, but our history & culture projects provide some opportunity to address the current call for more robust diversity. The piece, and subsequent published arrangements, allows for a variety of small and large instrumental combinations, theoretical

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I don’t feel they are at a significant loss missing out on the face-to-face learning we would do normally.

However, the next step is very important! There is always at least one component of the project where we come together in a small group to talk through recordings or present our findings. I find 30 minute of online face time with a small group is much more valuable than a longer time with more students. It admittedly takes much

reflected in two of Sitwell’s poems. We ended by listening to Walton’s music and the chosen poems (they weren’t allowed to listen ahead, I don’t think there was any cheating…), to hear how he expressed Sitwell’s words with music.

I think the students were surprised with their integrative study, and appreciated the piece more fully.

I hope whatever you are doing with your classes, you are finding something that works for you!

I continued my musical experiences taking beginning strings class. By 11th grade I sat in front of the piano for my high school’s jazz band.

When I heard the speaker say that, I realized I was not 100% committed to this major. I had to make a big life decision between nursing and music. I weighed the pros and cons. I sought my family and loved ones for advice. One of them told me that I already knew in my heart what I wanted to do. So I chose.

That’s when my path to become a music educator began.

Did you have a music teacher that inspired you?

Southwestern Section Update

by Ryan Rowles, CMEA Southwestern Section President & Yasmin Palma, Future Music Educator

We are excited in the Southwestern Section to have been able to add a new and vibrant group of dedicated music educators as area reps. Our youngest representative is Yasmin Palma, a current CSU-Northridge music student and future music teacher. I decided that it would be interesting to hear from the next generation of music educators and to remind all of us of the impact that we can make on our students.

When did you first start in music?

At the age of 14. After the end of a church service, I recalled being so curious about the piano that I went up on stage and began to gently press on some random white and black keys.

After a few minutes, some members saw my deep interest in playing the piano and decided to pay for my beginning music lessons. In 10th grade,

I had two music teachers that greatly inspired me. My music teacher from John F. Kennedy HS, Mr. Ibarra, motivated me to join the jazz band.

He did not give up on me even when I believed I was not proficient enough to participate. Thanks to him, I was placed in a spot that challenged me to expand my knowledge and passion for music.

Another teacher that takes a great part of my musical journey is Dr. Kim from Los Angeles City College. Her expressions and flawless smooth hand movements as she conducted her choir brought life and beautiful harmonies to every piece the choir would sing. As a choral intern of hers, I received a lot of insight on music education and choir resources.

At what point did you realize you wanted to become a music educator?

It happened during a nursing school application process. When I was studying at a community college, I was pursuing a pre-nursing major.

I was playing music on the side and voluntarily taught piano and voice to a few of my young family relatives and friends. When I applied to one of the nursing programs in my last semester, it hit me. At a nursing school orientation, one of the presenters told us to prepare ourselves not to have any time for our hobbies, extracurricular activities, and loved ones other than nursing school.

Southwestern Section

longer for me to meet with the groups, but the connections we are making, both with content and personally, are worth it. I really enjoy interacting with the student after they show ownership of the given projects.

Recently, for instance, students read about online research techniques through our library, shared brief research on any topic of interest during interwar England, and we had a robust conversation on how that climate was

What are you most looking forward to when you enter the field of music education?

I am most looking forward to being a music educator that empowers students to develop and creatively explore their skills and musical knowledge. I am really looking forward to being a bridge for students to encounter the wonders of music!

If you could share one word of encouragement to music teachers, as a recent music student, what would it be?

During these times of uncertainty and difficulty, this season has challenged everyone of us to find new ways to teach and engage students with music on a virtual platform. There is a quote that has resonated with me ever since I heard it which is, “comfortability is the killer to success.” It is okay if something is challenging for you because it provides you the opportunity to grow and expand your potential. One must walk across the line of comfort zone in order to fulfill extraordinary success. As music educators, we have to pass through the challenge and struggle first in order to pave a good pathway for student success.

Fall Issue 2020

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Celebrate CA Matthew Mulvaney, CODA President Benjamin Mitchell, Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra

Celebrate CA CODA Update, Fall 2020

I

n a year defined largely by our distance from one another, educators, students, and arts organizations must seek creative ways to foster meaningful relationships, promote dialogue, and facilitate experiences with one another. With these objectives in mind, the California Orchestra Directors Association (CODA) and the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra (KCO) have partnered together for the 2020-21 school year in order to bring Celebrate CA to our educators, students, and communities.

Celebrate CA is a collaborative initiative created to connect students with accomplished musicians and composers.

Throughout the fall and into the early winter, students and educators will have access to music education resources that can be used in your current learning environments.

Additionally, this process will help serve to further Kaleidoscope’s vision of a world where the: “… commitment to the collaborative artistic process results in profound orchestral performances that inspire people to pursue cooperation and artistry in their own creative, professional and personal lives.”

It should be noted that these compositions are designed to be accessible to a broad range of students, with the result being an inclusive musical environment that encourages participation from young musicians across the state.

Students and educators alike will have open access to these materials, helping make these works and the affiliated supplemental resources broadly accessible. This content may be utilized extensively in your classroom or may simply be provided to students as a means of furthering their own development through optional learning opportunities.

Please refer to the CODA website for more information on featured composers, compositions, and supplemental materials.

Masterclasses

Participating Celebrate CA students and CODA members will also have the opportunity to take part in masterclasses with KCO musicians. Affiliated musicians will hold a series of onehour masterclasses later this fall for violinists, violists, cellists, and bassists, on each featured Celebrate CA composition, reviewing not only the part in isolation, but also technical and musical considerations that may be applied outside the Celebrate CA context.

The Celebrate CA partnership will serve students, school orchestra programs, and educators across the state by providing a variety of resources, which are noted below.

Music

KCO and CODA will work collaboratively to provide for students and educators four new compositions (two at the middle school level and two at the high school level). Individual parts -- annotated by Kaleidoscope musicians -- will be available to all CODA members, as will practice tracks.

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Composers

Organizations, like educators and students, can often be identified by certain characteristics or structural traits. Kaleidoscope has been a leader in promoting new compositions, as is demonstrated by their extensive list of works programmed, which include not only pieces that are timeless, but also a significant number of works by living composers, including women and individuals who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

Given the focus on living composers, participating students and educators will have the opportunity to meet with the composers of the featured works through virtual discussions about their music and what it’s like to be a composer.

Kaleidoscope performs Starburst,

by Jessie Montgomery

Ensembles

While the Celebrate CA experience is designed to be much more than a performance opportunity, this aspect is also included and can serve as a strong motivator for students.

Celebrate CA will present two ensembles -- one middle school and one high school. The end product will be premiered in a CODA sponsored session at the 2021 California All-State Music Education Conference (CASMEC), which will be held digitally on February 19-20, 2021.

Kaleidoscope performs De Innocentibus Rex Noster,

by Hildegard von Bingen, arr. Marianne Richert Pfau

Invitation

Educators and arts organizations alike are currently seeking new and innovative ways to engage students and communities. It is certainly the hope of both the California Orchestra Directors Association and the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra that this Celebrate CA initiative provides both you and your students not only tangible resources, but also new lines of inquiry that help us Create, Connect, Respond, and Perform this academic year.

Additional Resources

Register for Celebrate CA through the CODA website Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra California Arts Standards

Fall Issue 2020

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Innovation is Action Michael Albertson, Ed.D. CMEA Innovations Representative

M

y name is Michael Albertson and I am the new Innovations Representative for CMEA. This fall I begin my 18th year of teaching music, and I am excited to serve CMEA in this role for the next two years. I think it is important for me to share with you how I understand the term innovation as it relates to music education and the questions that I consider in my own practice: What exactly is innovation? What does it look like in the music classroom? And, why is this something we should all strive toward? I will conclude with a call to action for California music educators.

Dictionary definitions can seem detached from our teaching practice, but here I find it useful as a starting point to clarify my perspective. The Cambridge Dictionary defines innovation as “(the use of ) a new idea or method.” I prefer this entry to those of other dictionaries because it ties innovation to action. But action toward what? Philosopher John Dewey (1909) writes, “a study is to be considered as a means of bringing the child to realize the social scene of action” [italics in original] (“The Social Nature of the Course of Study,” para. 2). Dewey asks educators to recognize that curriculum does not exist in a vacuum of independent knowledge, rather, educators must find ways to make connections between the curriculum and their students’ lives outside of the classroom. It is through this lens that I offer my definition of innovation in music education: the implementation of ideas and processes that increase access to, and participation in, school music programs, which allow students to utilize, and build upon, their existing cultural and curricular knowledge.

What does this look like in practice? When I think of innovation, the term technology comes to mind, yet the incorporation of technology into the music classroom does not automatically qualify as innovative teaching. Researching biographical information of a composer on an iPad is not innovative, but creating a multimedia presentation comparing musicians across time periods or genres could be. Listening to music and emailing a written listening reflection is not innovative, but inviting students to create mash-ups about existing music as an entry point to discussions on copyright law could be. Teaching musical concepts using popular forms of music such as hip-hop may disrupt traditional content of school music classrooms, but if the music is approached with similar practices to Western classical music, it is not necessarily innovative. But empowering students to utilize elements of hip-hop to compose personal musical narratives and to make

connections across academic disciplines could be innovative.

Let me note that I see a difference between progress and innovation. Progress often avoids conflict, and reveals itself in small changes to existing teaching practices. Innovation is disruptive. It requires educators to move outside of commonly accepted practices. One example of this is the band director who implements diverse repertoire into the winter concert program. This might represent progress in the director’s pedagogy, but it falls short of innovation. An innovative band director might pause and consider the power structures of the teacher-led ensemble1, and work with students to develop more opportunities for student creativity, voice, and ultimately, agency.

These examples all speak to the what of innovation. But, the more important question is, why should music educators implement innovative teaching practices? I want to revisit a quote from philosopher Henry Giroux (1992) that I cited in a coauthored article about protest music2: [A]ny discussion of public schooling has to address the political, economic, and social realities that construct the contexts that shape the institution of schooling and the conditions that produce the diverse populations of students who do or do not constitute its constituencies (p. 162).

If Dewey’s vision of schooling—one that makes connections to the experiences of children—was realized, Giroux would not have argued this point 80-years later. Researchers Lisa Delpit (1995), Julia Koza (2008), Gloria Ladson-Billings (2011), Juliet Hess (2017, 2019) and others have written about the importance of culturally-relevant pedagogy. Yet music education continues to struggle with regard to issues of diversity, equity and access. Most recently, CMEA (2020) expressed its support for “organizations that are working towards peacefully ending systemic racism and injustice” (p. 1) and NAfME (2020) loudly stated, “Black Lives Matter.” I wonder how music teachers will work against systemic racism in remote learning classrooms.

When the day comes that we are all able to return to in-person learning, will educators continue to innovate, or will they fall 1. For more about the master/apprentice relationship in music education, see Allsup, R. (2016). Remixing the classroom: Toward an open philosophy of music education. Indiana: Indiana University Press.

2. Albertson, M. and Trybendis, J. (2015). Exploring protest music to facilitate critical inquiry in the high school music classroom. The Finnish Journal of Music Education: 18(2), 57-70.

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back to old practices? This unfinished work illustrates why music educators must strive toward innovation. If our goal is to foster inclusive music classrooms, then music educators must act3. We cannot innovate if we are not willing to disrupt and question the systems of school music education in which many of us were raised.

Innovation is based in action. It is our responsibility as educators to remain nimble so that we can adapt to the ever-changing needs of our students, and the ever-changing conditions of the world in which we find ourselves. Innovation is not throwing away tradition, either. I believe bands, choirs, and orchestras continue to give many students meaningful music-making experiences. It is the practices of many of these ensembles4—including auditions, costs of owning and maintaining instruments (Koza, 2008), reliance on Western standard notation (Abramo, 2008), having a quiet place in one’s home to practice—that continue to leave the majority of students outside of our school music programs5. There are time-honored traditions and content knowledge in music that are worth us introducing to students. Yet we must each ask ourselves: is this what my students need at this time6?

We must dedicate ourselves to innovation in our classrooms.

In the midst of remote learning in a global pandemic, we might avoid risk as we seek some semblance of normalcy. But our students require even more from us in this moment. This will require us to disrupt and innovate. As I wrote in the Summer issue of this magazine, let us use this time to try something new—to connect with our students in a new way. In the coming months I will invite music educators to share the actions they are taking. I know that many music educators across California are thinking about innovation, and that gives me hope.

References

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.

CMEA Magazine (2020). Retrieved from https://calmusiced.com/ communication/magazine/

3. For more about action, activism, activist-musicians, and activist music education, see Hess, J. (2019). Music education for social change: Constructing an activist music education. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Delpit, L. (1995). Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: W.W. Norton &. Co. Dewey, J. (1909). Moral principles in education. [Kindle version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com.

Giroux, H. (1992). Border crossings: Cultural workers and the politics of education.

New York: Routledge.

Hess, J. (2017). Equity and music education: Euphemisms, terminal naivety, and whiteness. Action, Criticism, and Theory, 16(3). doi:10.22176/ act16.3.15 Hess, J. (2019). Music education for social change: Constructing an activist music education. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Innovation. (n.d.). In Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved from https://dictionary. cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/innovation Koza, J.E. (2008). Listening for whiteness: Hearing racial politics in undergraduate school music. Philospohy of Music Education Review, 16(2), 145-155.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2011). Asking the right questions: A research agenda for studying diversity in teacher education. In A.F. Ball &. C.A. Tyson (Eds.), Studying diversity in teacher education (pp. 385-398). New York: Rowan & Littlefield.

What We Believe: Black Lives Matter. (2020, June 4). Retrieved from https:// nafme.org/what-we-believe-black-lives-matter/

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4. I detail these barriers to music education and reference the many researchers who have investigated these issues in my dissertation: Albertson, M. P. (2015).

Music teacher educators address diversity in the university. Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1687151960).

5. For a detailed breakdown of student participation in high school music programs, see Elpus. K., and Abril, C.R. (2019). Who enrolls in high school music?

A national profile of U.S. students, 2009-2013. Journal of Research in Music Education, 67(3), 323-338. doi: 10.11 177/0022429419862837

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6. This question permeates the work of my dissertation advisor, Randall Allsup.

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Fall Issue 2020

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Think General Music Now! But How? Emma Joleen Schopler, CMEA General Music Representative

W

elcome to teaching General Music 2020 - 2021.

This Fall, a few General Music teachers from around the country shared personal stories, insights and guidance regarding their current teaching situation.

Please enjoy reading and remember to reach out to CMEA for support.

Emma Joleen Schopler CMEA General Music Representative Here are some examples of what has worked for me teaching synchronous classes on Zoom and also outdoors in person. My elementary students thrived with Music Learning Theory activities from SingtoKids, as well as QuaverMusic for online Recorder and Ukulele. For upper elementary and middle school students, SmartMusic and Solfeg.io were well received. Most students repeatedly played activities on our class Bitmoji Google site. The best summer professional development webinars I attended were held by NAFME, CCDA, Midnight Music, and naturally, the Sip & Share Sessions by CMEA. In my experience, Zoom classes have benefited students with teachers modeling activities using hand gestures, and full-body movement. Expecting children to sit still in front of Zoom is a recipe for disaster. After all, children love to wiggle, giggle and play! When I teach outdoors, students are ten feet apart and wear masks. Listening, singing, moving and creating are accomplished inside a hula hoop. In an outdoor situation, hula hoops maintain student positions and social distancing. For teachers with smaller classes, a parachute may provide an opportunity to create connections, build relationships and community. This may look like students scattered around a 30’ parachute to play circle activities and perform dances. Finally, a dream come true virtual choir video APP due to be released in September 2020 is the Choir Creator. It manages, organizes and produces your virtual choir video. Finally, remember that teachers are a lighthouse to students. Through flexible teaching methods, we can guide students through the stormy waters of any season.

Teaching general music during a pandemic is not something anyone was trained to do.

Through flexible teaching methods, we can guide students through the stormy waters of any season.

Dr. Maritza Mascarenhas Sadowsky VEMEA Past-President and Disability in Music Education Expert, Arlington Public Schools, Virginia, Author Here are some high points for music teachers to focus on during these challenging COVID times: • Creating a learning environment that has NO distractions and is adequate for the students with disabilities that you will be teaching.

• Enforce social distancing.

• Be sensitive to a child’s sensory needs (loud sound, bright light).

• Cover instruments and other materials with clear plastic to make it easier to clean.

• The presence of an adult is ESSENTIAL to assist each child with any disability to help her follow instructions and keep on task with activities.

• Follow classroom teacher behavior management and add your own music classroom routine.

• ACCOMMODATIONS (specially for blind and deaf children) have always been key to teaching all children with disabilities -- this is a great time to implement personalization to achieve engagement in instruction.

• Teach one music concept each week, reviewing it the following week before teaching a new concept.

• Modeling, Repetition, and Breaking Down Online Activities are valuable strategies that will facilitate a 30-minute maximum instruction using any technological platform.

COVID Teaching is different than before and music teachers should face this opportunity as an improvement rather than a challenge. With patience you should have lots of FUN!!

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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

Matthew Husler York Suburban School District, York, PA mhusler@yssd.org Planning a curriculum for middle school general music can be a challenge for many music educators. How do you attract and engage students of this age group to music? What lessons and activities will pique students’ interest as their musical tastes broaden? There are several curricular pathways that teachers can explore, including pop music history, music theory, and instrument playing. One particular pathway that has been successful in my classroom is music technology. Web-based digital audio workstations (DAWs) such as Soundtrap and Bandlab provide safe opportunities for students to compose and create music. I have continued to develop a project-based curriculum centered around the elements of music (melody, rhythm, harmony, form, etc.) utilizing Soundtrap for Education.

My projects and materials are available to any music educators interested in incorporating Soundtrap into their middle school music curriculum. Click here to access the shared Google folder.

There are several curricular pathways that teachers can explore, including pop music history, music theory, and instrument playing.

Jill Petricca North Coast Section, Redwood Prep Academy Teaching during the pandemic has made me focus on technology. Here are some thoughts: • I find Google Forms effective for student responses.

• I’ve been mostly focused on Google Slide assignments, enjoying the attachable capabilities along with add-on Flat io.

• iMovie is capturing some imagination and giving my videos plenty of visual and literacy reinforcement. Playing around with the timing of audio track imports to video.

• Garage Band rocks - recording of projects for accompaniments.

• Invest in a graphic generator for your teaching ideas.

Dr. Elizabeth Andrew Weber Middle School, Port Washington, NY D.Ed, M.Mus (Saxophone Performance), B.Mus. Facebook Page Right now I’m in seventeen different teaching spaces due to the virus. Teaching general music during a pandemic is not something anyone was trained to do. Music teachers are facing restrictions regarding which types of activities their school system will allow. As music teachers develop new and innovative plans, three elements of student engagement should be kept in mind. These include music making, opportunity for meaningful connection with the teacher and peers, and activities that promote metacognition. Music making could include bucket-drums, composition, and creating music through various technological resources. Meaningful connections with the teacher and peers could be created by virtual recitals, sharing assigned content over virtual platforms, and collaborating on projects while remaining socially distant. Activities that promote metacognition (often defined as ‘thinking about one’s thinking’), include self-evaluation exercises, listening journals that prompt students to be reflective, and tracking one’s own progress over time. Despite teaching in a time of crisis, music teachers can still provide students with quality music education.

Holly MacDonell CMEA North Coast Section President hollymacdonnell@gmail.com I’m teaching Recorder to Third grade over Zoom. It’s the best scenario for teaching Recorder because everyone mutes, I can hear myself, and families at home can hear their child make music. It’s a win-win situation! This year has forced me to rethink implementing tools that make sense for 21st century learning that I may have never discovered without our current challenges.

Perhaps this is the silver lining to a really hard time for everyone.

For middle school, we’re working on Google Classroom. I’m using Google forms to collect responses. I’ve noticed so many thoughtful responses about the activities we’re doing. I put loads of toys on the sites and I’m displaying student work using an embedded Wakelet collection. I love learning technology and created a personal site (click here). Here are some fun links to my school music pages: Fieldbrook School Music site (a public school where I see TK-5 plus some 6-8), Coastal Grove Charter School Distance Learning Page (a Waldorf-inspired public charter school). Although I am new to website maintenance and design, I’m having fun learning and I love to share and collaborate!

Currently, my students LOVE Groove Pizza. It is simply rad and it’s friendly with Noteflight and Sountrap.

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YOUR next stage MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TALENTS MAJOR OR MINOR IN MUSIC

Explore your opportunities at willamette.edu/go/yournextstage

Collegiate Spotlight These are challenging times for educators at all levels. As I spoke to our student teachers this week via Zoom, who are in the beginning stage of their field experience, I was completely impressed by their flexibility, work ethic, and commitment to becoming excellent music educators. In addition to their musical, organizational, and pedagogical skill, they are now required to become proficient at distance/online teaching and all the technological tools required. As Tim Gunn used to say on Project Runway, they are “making it work” during this academic-year of student teaching.

In between teaching my own online classes, I came across an excellent article, “7 Things Music Education Majors Can Do When Facing the Job Market,” which summarizes some qualities that will make us all become more effective music teachers.

These are the seven things that were recommended by the experts (pre-Covid 19):

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Be an outstanding musician Learn how to improvise Acquire entrepreneurial skills Become as broad-based and well-trained as possible Combine advocacy with exchange to create better programs 6. Learn all you can about relevant technology 7. Keep an updated list of your skills, relevant experiences, and training I encourage you to look at this short article on majoringinmusic.com. Number six seems especially important in our current educational scenario. While we veteran teachers struggle with the uncertainty of delivering instruction in a variety of formats, it is the resilience and positive attitude of these young people that can inspire us all. I am confident about the future of music education in the hands of this next generation of well-trained and competent music pedagogues.

CBDA Update Jeff Detlefsen, CBDA President

T

he 2020-21 school year started with uncertainty regarding the safety of playing instruments in a classroom. Armed with the guidance of the Performing Arts Aerosol Study being conducted at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the University of Maryland, the California Music Educators Association and their President, Armalyn De La O, is working diligently alongside music educators, organizations and parent groups throughout the state to adjust the CDE guidance and advocate that music can in fact continue in our schools in a safe manner. We are grateful for the time and work these volunteers are putting into fighting for music education in our state, and appreciate their dedication to our students’ safety.

CBDA is continuing to strive to provide our members and students of California with an exciting and educational All-State experience. As we prepare for our virtual California All-State Music Education Conference, we are planning an equally exciting virtual All-State Honor Band event. Ryan Dirlam has taken the helm of the virtual All-State planning and we are thankful for his time and expertise. Students will enjoy some time with world-class conductors, masterclasses provided by some of the best in their field, sessions to help guide them as they look into their future in music, and a professionally edited virtual honor band video that can be shared with friends and families across the globe. The wonderful slate of conductors you voted in for 2021 have all agreed to work with the students virtually for this year, and the board has invited them all back to conduct in person in 2023. We hope you will encourage your students to audition and take part in this unique honor band experience.

The CBDA Social Justice Consortium continues to grow in number and we are thrilled to see so many schools, individuals, and organizations join in creating content to address social injustice in our classrooms. The compositions are nearing completion, and we are now working toward the curriculum side of each piece. Published copies will be accompanied by curriculum and discussion topics to help guide conversations in your classroom about social injustice. With the announcement that the 2021 CASMEC would be a virtual conference, the premiere of these compositions has been pushed back to CASMEC 2022 where they can be premiered in person. We have also extended the deadline to join the consortium to September 1, 2021. Visit www.cbda.org to join the consortium and have your name added to the published copy of these amazing pieces of music.

As we embark into this uncharted territory, I encourage you to continue to work with your fellow music educators in adapting curriculum to continue spreading the love of music to all of our students. Encourage your students to stay involved and to continue pushing themselves in an individualistic way. You may find that with extra time and less distractions, some of your students who didn’t have the time to commit to All-State before now have a vested interest in participating this year. Adapting is what 2020 is all about, and the CBDA board is working to adapt our conference, All-State experience, and the service of our organization to ensure the future of music education is as strong and relevant as ever.

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We Are All in This Together Photo credit: Rob Davidson Photography

All of us at NAMM and The NAMM Foundation are committed to providing information and resources to keep music-making and music education strong during this global health crisis.

COVID-19

Resources

Get the latest updates on the national aerosol study; engage in how-to webinars; stay up to date on state reopening plans and instrument cleaning guidelines.

The global gathering to unify and support the people who NAMMFOUNDATION.ORG bring music to the world.

TRAINING

Be a Music Education Champion.

VISIT NAMMFOUNDATION.ORG

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Creating and Composition Festival 2021 Students have so many musical ideas to share! We would like to bring all young people together, with their original music, to present a virtual festival of their compositional work.

This invitation is to all music teachers, parents, families, administrators, and all schools for compositions from any student, K-16. Please use this Google doc link to provide information about students who would like to submit a composition.

Open the file (Click Link Here) and you will see the setup for the information needed. Include as many students from the State of California who would like to share the music they have composed.

All ages, any genre of music, and handwritten or using notation software, videos with music, and/or simply recordings. Links, pdf files, any file you have.

Thank you!

TION.ORG

January 2021 Learn More

BelieveinMusic.TV

9/3/20 3:59 PM

Urban Schools Back to school in a pandemic and in a volatile political time in which it is of prime importance to Lift Black Voices. We need to increase our ability to connect effectively and genuinely to our students who are even more isolated than ever before. In that light, please check out podcast: “The Score” This podcast celebrates the joy and responsibility of teaching in title 1 schools and urban environments. It focuses an important lens on how to create real (even virtual) environments for the kids we teach.

Now is a moment, my dear colleagues, to make our work of teaching even more relevant and poignant. Martin Urbach calls musicians “amplifiers and catalysts of truth.”

Please look into Decolonizing the Music Room. Sometimes, it will make you laugh.

Other times, you’ll get uncomfortable.

But it is always unflinchingly honest and empathetic.

by Steve Holley Originally published in Music in a Minuet, November 1, 2018

C

hange can sometimes be scary. After 19 years of teaching at the same school, this past May, I resigned. It was a once-in-a-lifetime position where I had near complete autonomy; control of the budget, final say in curriculum, was able to bring in multiple guest artists, coordinated tours of the US and abroad, etc. More importantly, we enjoyed creating music together while expanding our own musical tastes and challenging our cultural biases. As great a gig as it was, I felt there was something more I could do. When I handed in my letter of resignation, it was scary, but I was equally excited for the opportunities that lay ahead of me.

After a great deal of thought, I decided to pursue my PhD in Music Learning and Teaching at Arizona State University. This was partly due to my desire to learn more about the philosophies, history, and precepts of our profession, as well as to reflect upon and improve my own teaching so that I might be better able to support others through my varied experiences in the classroom.

Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to visit a number of schools, both in the US and the UK, and discuss with numerous colleagues the pros and cons of our current music education paradigm. As I mentioned in my last blog, I’ve certainly enjoyed the many robust conversations as we continue to wrestle with the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of developing and providing a culturally appropriate, skill-laden, engaging music education.

Two of the overarching themes I’ve encountered are 1) there is a growing desire to improve and adapt our profession in a number of areas and 2) tradition and innovation do not have to be mutually exclusive. I would suggest the inclusion of a diversity of musical genres affords us the opportunity to broaden our understanding and appreciation of styles and cultures that might be unfamiliar to us while, at the same time, allows us to connect with students while modeling a culturally responsive learning environment. One of the greatest strengths of utilizing popular music in the classroom is not only its relevance to our students in their everyday lives, but that popular music may be among the most powerful discourses available to students as a means by which to construct personal identity and interpret social experience (Campbell & Herbert, 2000).

At the end of my last blog, I wrote, “If our mission is ‘encouraging the study and making of music for all,’ shouldn’t we continue to diversify the styles of music we study, create, and perform?” To go a step further, our NAfME preamble states, “Music allows us to celebrate and preserve our cultural heritages.”

Did you notice the plural form of heritage? We live in a diverse world with a multitude of experiences, customs, and heritages.

My lived experience is different from your lived experience. How do we include the student’s experiences, musical preferences, and heritages as part of their music education experience, thereby strengthening the relationship between their in-school and out-ofschool lives and making it more relevant, relatable and, dare I say, valuable? I would argue one way we can begin to fully realize the NAfME mission statement and preamble is through diversifying the composers and the genres we rehearse and perform in an effort to further engage all our students; to allow those who are underserved to see more of themselves in and through the music.

Often, when our time-honored, established methods are questioned or challenged, we tend to take a step back and respond defensively. And it can be a bit scary, too. But if we consider that many of the populations we serve today are not the populations our curricula were designed to serve when they were created, how do we respond? The majority of 20th century school performance ensembles were based on the popular music styles of the day, at least up until the 1950’s, when band, orchestra, and choir (BOC) became solidified as the traditional instrumentation of music education ensembles.

Gareth Dylan Smith (2018), in his Music in a Minuet blog Reaching All Students through Music Education, when discussing the reported 80% of students (Edwards, 2006) who go without a musical experience in school, notes: However, for teachers who wish to reach students beyond the relatively small number involved nationwide in traditional large ensembles in middle and high schools, or for some who may be seeking ways to revive arts programming in a district where funding cuts threaten to kill off music teaching altogether, popular music can provide myriad means to engage students in relevant, creative exploration of vital aspects of contemporary culture. (2018) While neither Smith nor I advocate we remove BOC from our offerings, speaking for myself, I do encourage our profession to look beyond the status quo, to think outside the box, and to reimagine music education as a both/and opportunity instead of an either/or limitation (Allsup, 2015). The core narrative of music education defines who we are, what we do, and how we go about doing it. Sandra Stauffer (2016), when discussing core narratives, writes:

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...the more stable and powerful the core narrative, the more difficult it is to take in new ideas. The more stable and powerful the core narrative, the more difficult it is to recognize it, re-frame it, and imagine other ways of being. (p.

73) How do we change our core narrative from what we think music education is currently and adjust our focus to what it could be in the future? There have been moments when, as a profession, we’ve deliberated on the inclusion of a diversity of musical genres, including the MENC-sponsored Tanglewood Symposium Project in 1967. There, those assembled agreed that: …music of all periods, styles, forms, and cultures belongs in the curriculum. The musical repertory should be expanded to involve music of our time in its rich variety, including currently popular teenage music and avant-garde music, American folk music, and the music of other cultures.

(Choate, 1968)

In the current issue of Teaching Music magazine alone there are articles discussing inequity in music education, inclusion and diversity in concert attire, and engaging diversity at our conference. Session topics at our upcoming conference include a discussion on racial literacy and music education, culturally responsive pedagogy, issues of social justice, and the innovative educational practices of hip-hop, among others. I encourage you to challenge yourself and your notions about what music education is and what it could be. Yes, change can sometimes be scary, but a fear of change isn’t a defense for being indifferent to the evolving needs of our students. In order to ensure the mission of music for all, it is imperative we explore a diversity of musical styles which will embolden us to better connect with our students in an effort to offer them a transformative music education experience.

The author wishes to thank David Williams, Jarritt Sheel, and John Kratus for their pre-publication review of this article.

Reprinted with permission from National Association for Music Education (NAfME). The original article published on November 1, 2018 can be found here.”

References

Allsup, R. E. (2015). Another perspective: Our “both/and” moment. Music Educators Journal, 102(2), 85–86.

Campbell, P. & Hebert, D. (2000). Rock music in American schools: Positions and practices since the 1960s. International Journal of Music Education, 36, 14–22.

Indeed, the MENC conference that year was focused on the outcomes, findings, and recommendations of the Project.

More recently, the study Transforming Music Study from its Foundations: A Manifesto for Progressive Change in the Undergraduate Preparation of Music Majors, authored by members of the College Music Society, urges a paradigm shift in music education. In their recommendations, the study calls on universities to cast “a strong, critical eye toward the assumptions and practices of the conventional model which, shaped earlier in time, is no longer fully resonant with the opportunities and the needs of students in our time” (Campbell et al., 2014, p. 60).

How do we foster a blended music education paradigm that takes into consideration the time-honored practices of traditional, jazz, and popular music methodologies and styles? In what ways can we encourage change and adaptation in our current music education structure, to push the boundaries of traditional music education while respecting the institution, and to employ a multiplicity of musics–and ways of learning and teaching–that will enable us to better connect with our current students, all within the context of nurturing a culturally appropriate, relevant, wellrounded music education? In the same manner a teacher must be mindful of the diversity of learning styles and learning differences in a classroom, engaging our students through a range of genres can only benefit that student, their musical experience and, hopefully, an expanded view of the world we live in.

Campbell, P., Myers, D., Sarath, E. (2016). Transforming music study from its foundations: A manifesto for progressive change in the undergraduate preparation of music majors (Report of the Task Force on the Undergraduate Music Major). College Music Society. https://music.org/pdf/pubs/tfumm/ TFUMM.pdf Choate, R. A. (Ed.). (1968) Documentary report of the Tanglewood Symposium.

Washington, D.C.: Music Educators National Conference.

Edwards, N. (2006). Non-traditional music students: A new population of music student for the 21st Century. (Unpublished research paper). Illinois State University.

Smith, G. D. (2018, March 19). Reaching all students with music education.

National Association for Music Education. https://nafme.org/reachingstudents-music-education/ Stauffer, S. (2016). Another perspective: Re-placing music education. Music Educators Journal, 102(4), 71–76.

Grammy-nominated music educator and NAfME member Steve Holley served as the Producer for the Commercial Music Program at the Kent Denver School outside Denver, Colorado, for 19 years. During his tenure, the R&B, soul, salsa, and jazz bands in the CMP were recognized by DownBeat Magazine’s Student Music Awards 15 times, performed hundreds of gigs throughout the United States, and performed abroad at the Festival del Tambor, Montreux Jazz, and Porretta Soul Festivals in Cuba, Switzerland, Italy, respectively. Steve is the author of Coaching a Popular Music Ensemble; Blending formal, non-formal, and informal approaches in the rehearsal, is a board member for the Association for Popular Music Education, and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Music Learning and Teaching at Arizona State University. You can follow him on Twitter @ SteveHolley_ and visit his website at SteveHolleyMusic.com

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“They Have to Practice Without You Now�

Seize the opportunity to develop your students’ musical independence and keep them practicing in this time of Online Learning Kim Mieder, Ph.D. Sonoma State University

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ow more than ever our students are going to have to do much more on their own. Amidst a global pandemic, music educators are challenged to engage students in a virtual world. Although supported by many interactive music software programs, students will now have to engage in a great deal of undirected music practice. The bright side is that these circumstances we are living with can provide an opportunity for students to become vastly more musically independent. Training students to be independent music learners will give them opportunities to goal set, plan, manage their time, make appropriate choices to problem solve and monitor their thoughts and behaviors while gaining confidence in their ability to learn. These processes that students adopt or acquire as they mature into independent learners are associated with an increasingly researched field of study where many recent advances in cognitive development have occurred called Self-Regulation Learning.

What Is Self-Regulation Learning?

Self-Regulation Learning (SRL) is a theory that focuses on the cognitive and motivational processes of learning. SRL is an important paradigm to use when examining how music learners monitor, control their thoughts, emotions, impulses, performance and attention, in order to improve practice behaviors and music performance outcomes. In short, SRL is a construct that involves

processes that teach students to become more strategic, motivated, independent learners. More specifically, self-regulated learning within the music context includes the learning and practice of music and skills whereby students draw upon a set of contextspecific processes and strategies to control their own learning.

These processes of SRL involve strategic actions such as setting goals, planning, organizing, taking control of the learning environment (deciding a quiet pace to practice), selfmonitoring(recognizing wrong notes or pitch), evaluating and self-assessing, making adjustments (taking a difference approach to solve a problem), reflecting and setting new goals. Therefore, music practice is a perfect way to help learners Self-Regulate because in the Music Learning domain, students need to focus on the organized metacognitive applications of practice strategies and processes that will eventually lead them to self-regulate their own learning. Music learners who are taught systematic and thoughtful approaches to music practice may begin to develop self-sufficiency, higher level social and meta-cognitive thinking skills, and self-regulation (McPherson & Zimmerman, 2002; Paris & Paris, 2001).

How To Get Them Started

We all would agree that a well-organized, productive and effective practice session is essential for music learning and achievement. How musicians practice and what is considered

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effective practice behavior is a complex subject and the topic of music practice is not often addressed in the music classroom or full ensemble rehearsal setting. Students are often told to simply practice an assigned piece of music with a determined amount of time in which to accomplish the task. Teachers often incorrectly assume that the examples of music practice they demonstrate in a group rehearsal or a private lesson will be emulated by the student and then yield an effective and productive outcome. Research suggests that young players tend to lack the skills necessary to effectively navigate an organized learning process and often demonstrate unproductive practice behavior (McPherson & Zimmerman, 2002; Oare, 2012; Mieder & Bugos, 2017).

I have designed a “Self-Regulated Learning Music Practice Strategy Curriculum” that will help you launch students on their independent musicianship journey. I have included in this article some of the strategies from my curriculum and I offer first steps to take in order to teach your students how to practice. First consider the Triangular and Cyclical process of SRL and simply relate it to Music Practice.

Plan – Practice – Reflect

Plan Instruct students to first state a practice goal or several. Have them support these thoughts by describing their musical challenges.

Encourage them to work on small passages and chunks before moving on. Students then choose Practice Strategies from a list that you provide and have gone over with them. Encourage students to write down a simple explanation of why they chose the strategies that they did. This will assist in the development of their self-monitoring and problem solving skills Practice Self-monitoring techniques that support practice strategies.

• Play through short sections of your music using repetition thoughtfully • Always keep a moderate tempo so you can assess things like: Rhythmic Accuracy Articulation Dynamics Pitch and Tone • When applying a strategy always start slowly and increase tempo gradually • If you take a musical element out of context, put it back slowly and gradually Reflect Encourage students to briefly reflect after their practice session using the following prompts: • Was my practice session productive? Explain why it was or wasn’t.

• Did I meet my practice goal sufficiently?

• What could I have done to be even more productive?

• What goals should I set for the next session?

Suggested Music Practice Strategies

This is a partial list of accessible practice strategies that I derived from research concerning the practice behavior of pianists and wind players (Smith, 2005; Bugos & High, 2009). For a better

understanding of the application of each strategy, they are presented in three categories: Element Elimination, Thoughtful Repetition, and Make it Musical.

Take it Out of Context/ Element Elimination • Take out the articulation, Alter the rhythm to increase or lessen the challenge • Play a passage or entire selection in straight quarter notes to focus on pitch and fingering • Sizzle and finger the notes while adhering to dynamics and articulation • Play in Backwards and Mental Practice Thoughtful Repetition • Repeat one measure, small sections, or from beginning to end • Chaining / Whole Part Whole / Woodshedding • Use the Metronome Effectively: Know where the pulses fall in each measure Understand what note value receives the beat Set the Metronome either to the pulse or a subdivided pulse Make It Musical • Experiment with dynamics, tone color and tempo variation • Listen to recordings of various artists performing the music • Explore numerous ways to speak a musical sentence or sequence of thoughts Teach students the Practice strategies using a unison etude in their method book or even scales and techniques repertoire.

Demonstrate the strategies a little bit at a time until they understand why and when to apply them. When they understand as little as two or three strategies, have them write out a Plan Practice with thoughtfully chosen strategies and then Reflect. Create Online Breakout Rooms in your virtual Classrooms to have students work in Collaborative Groups. These activities assist students in understanding what the strategies do and how to categorize them. I have provided two collaborative activities for you to try. There are ten in my curriculum.

I. Practice Behavior Observation With a stand partner, one student practices while the other student simply checks off the number of times each practice strategy is demonstrated. Remember that you can use more than one strategy at a time. Students should switch roles halfway through the session.

II. Verbalization and Observation With a stand partner, one student will verbalize what they are doing as they attempt to practice. They should also give a reason for why they are using a particular strategy. The other student will simply check off the number of times each practice strategy is demonstrated, keeping in mind that you can use more than one strategy at a time. Students should switch roles halfway through the session.

A Closing Note Of Advocacy

Remember that teaching your students how to practice will make your job easier and empower your students with the independence they really need right now. Unfortunately, even

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after literally decades of Advocacy, Declarations and Goals for the Relevancy of Music Education in our schools, in times of budget duress, we are still on the chopping block. There is no better time than now to select activities and goals for your music classroom that speak to the cross-curricular academic needs of all young learners. Remind your administrators who are asking some of you in our profession to teach other subjects or substitute, that the Arts are a significant factor in retaining students, building their self-confidence and helping them become life-long learners. There is a plethora of research indicating that there are significant correlations between effective music practice and feelings of self-efficacy (McPherson & McCormick, 1999).

Bandura (1997) asserts that the strengthening of one’s self-efficacy will provide the motivation and persistence needed to meet the challenging goals associated with not only music practice but all academic endeavors. When Music students experience a feeling of competence and independence in mastering a task, they are demonstrating the necessary characteristic of a life-long learner who will persist in all challenges (McPherson & McCormick, 2006). Let us persist in this unprecedented time to continue to empower our students with effective and fun ways to learn music.

Best of Luck and Have a great year.

References

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman and Co. McPherson, G. E., & McCormick, J. (1999). Motivational and self-regulated learning components of musical practice. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 141, 98-102.

McPherson, G. E., & McCormick, J. (2006). Self-efficacy and music performance. Psychology of Music, 34(3), 322–336. doi:10.1177/0305735606064841 McPherson, G. E., & Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Self-regulation of musical learning: A social cognitive perspective. In R. Colwell & C. Richardson (Eds.), The new handbook of research on music teaching and learning (pp.

327–347). New York: Oxford University Press.

Mieder, K., & Bugos, J. (2017). Enhancing self-regulated practice behavior in high school instrumentalists. International Journal of Music Education, 35(4), 578-587.

Oare, S. (2012). Decisions made in the practice room: A qualitative study of middle school students’ thought processes while practicing. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 30(2), 63–70.

Paris, S., & Paris, A. (2001), Classroom applications of research on self-regulated learning. Educational Psychologist, 36(2), 89–101.

Dr. Kim Mieder is Assistant Professor of Music and Coordinator of Music Education at Sonoma State University. Contact her at Mieder@Sonoma.edu or Miederk@gmail.com.

Slide Decks: A Good Deal for Diverse Learners Regan Lambert, Lambert, Guest Contributer Music Teacher, Cherrylee Elementary School | Rio Vista Elementary School

Slide decks offer teachers an opportunity to easily personalize modifications for a wide range of Diverse Learners within any class setting. Slides also provide a mainstream format with a variety of options for specializing content and access for Diverse Learners. Beyond creating a central hub for student information, slide decks may be used discretely within a class to support any student. Students who are visually impaired, ELD, or have a reading disability will benefit from the “Screen Reader Support” (available in the Tools section under Accessibility Settings). For students with ADD/ADHD, ASD, or other neurologic disorders, slide decks offer the ability to breakdown multi-step tasks and maintain focus on details without the need to ask for directions to be repeated or feel as if they are interrupting class. Slides also offer a more engaging experience for students whose skill level and capabilities need to be challenged. By offering an accessible and editable template, teachers may make modifications and accommodations for all learners without the need for creating separate resources and tools. Two example decks are provided for your exploration (one creates a virtual classroom environment and the other supports a specific task) and are free resources that may be shared.

Classroom Template Single Task template Fall Issue 2020

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by Dan

Aldag Humboldt State University Like so many others, I’ve been deeply shaken by the horrific murder of George Floyd on May 25, and by everything that’s taken place in our country since. I’ve thought a great deal about what I can do to be part of the solution to systemic racism in the United States. As a jazz educator and jazz musician, I’ve studied, performed, and taught African-American music for much of my life, and here are some thoughts about what I and my fellow jazz educators can do to further the cause of racial and social justice.

Start by acknowledging that jazz is an African-American art form. It is true that there are great jazz musicians of all races from all over the world, but everyone who plays jazz owes a profound debt to the many great African-American musicians that created the music. The trumpeter Nicholas Payton has been engaged in a long campaign to rename jazz Black American Music. Engage your students in a conversation about this. I promise you it will be a good one!

Perform the music of Black and other POC composers and arrangers, both men and women. Has your band ever played a set at a concert or festival that consisted of nothing but the music of white male writers? It’s true that the educational market for jazz music is dominated by white men, but it doesn’t take much effort to find work by the great Black composers of our music. There are so many incredible charts available from Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, Benny Carter, Mary Lou Williams, Benny Golson, Thad Jones, Quincy Jones, Frank Foster, Ernie Wilkins, Oliver Nelson, and John Clayton, and arrangements of the music of Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and Wayne Shorter, just to name a few.

Perform music that directly relates to the Black experience and racial justice. Your big band can play Duke Ellington’s Black, Brown, and Beige and “A Tone Parallel To Harlem” and Charles Mingus’s “Haitian Fight Song” and “Fables of Faubus.” Have your small groups explore Sonny Rollins’ Freedom Suite, Max Roach’s We Insist! and John Coltrane’s “Alabama.”

When your groups play this music, make sure they know the background and context. When you perform the music of Ellington, talk to your band about the racial prejudice and stereotypes of the Cotton Club, and how Ellington’s music transcended that. When you play Strayhorn, make sure your musicians know how much courage it took Billy Strayhorn to live openly as a gay man in mid-20th century America, and how that affected his career. When you program “Fables of Faubus,” teach your band who Orval Faubus was, and the lyrics that Mingus

wrote for that song. Then, have your students write their own lyrics, inspired by the current state of race relations in America.

If you teach a jazz history course, tell your students about how jazz was created by Black musicians, but the first jazz recordings were made by white groups. Tell them about how Paul Whiteman was dubbed the “King of Jazz” in the 1920s, and how Benny Goodman became the “King of Swing” in the 1930s by playing the arrangements of African-American writers. When you play for them Lester Young’s “Oh, Lady Be Good,” also talk to your students about how he was beaten by MPs during his army service. Make sure they know not only about the joyous personality of Louis Armstrong, but also about his incendiary comments on desegregation in 1957. Tell them about how, the week after recording the best-selling jazz album in history, Miles Davis was beaten and arrested by New York City police officers outside Birdland while he was headlining there. Talk about how the NYPD used the cabaret card as a weapon against Black musicians. Make sure they know of the many connections between the avant garde jazz of the 1960s and the civil rights movement. Have them watch the Tiny Desk concert of one of today’s top trumpeters, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, in which he talks about his scary encounter with the New Orleans police.

When you’re hiring adjudicators or guest artists for a festival, or clinicians to work with your band, make sure your pool is diverse along both racial and gender lines. All of your students need to see and hear from artists and educators that look like them.

Racial and social inequality are deeply embedded in American society, and it’s going to take proactive efforts from all of us to bend the arc towards justice. I hope that these ideas contribute in some small way towards that goal.

Dan Aldag is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Humboldt State University, where he leads HSU’s Jazz Orchestra and AM Jazz Band, coaches the jazz combos, teaches trombone and euphonium and courses in jazz and popular music. He’s played with a few big names over the years, but most enjoys playing with his sons Ben (a drummer) and Sam (a multi-instrumentalist.)

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CMEA Magazine

In these challenging times, music educators cannot afford to wait for a crisis before acting.

We have all seen programs that were thought to be untouchable become targets of cuts. Use the advocacy resources of CMEA and NAfME to stay informed and be a regular advocate of music education at your school and in your district.

Advocacy is not a one-time event, make it a habit.

Music Supervisors

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Advocacy Resources

The annual Fall Music Supervisors convening is happening on October 16 from 9am-4pm. The meeting will be held through Zoom and links to join will be sent upon registration. Registration information will be sent through email to all members. You can also reach out to Stacy Harris at sharris1@ggusd.us for information and registration materials.

Topics for our day will include leadership in the era of COVID, effective teaching in abnormal environments, an introduction to the newly adopted California VAPA Frameworks and more.

CCDA Update Due to the ever changing Covid situation in California, CCDA is not able to offer an in-person All State this year. However, we will be offering our students a virtual All State experience, which we are very excited about! This is new territory for us all, so we will be continually updating our membership as the event takes shape.

General timeline: September 2020: Auditions open for Round 1 (auditions will be online through opusevent.com) October 9, 2020: Auditions close at midnight October 30, 2020: List of students moving on to Round 2 of auditions posted November 6 & 7, 2020: Round 2 of auditions; live auditions in which students will have their range checked, sing a few scales (major, minor, and chromatic) and perform a sight reading passage.

November 20, 2020: All State lists posted, and music and rehearsal tracks delivered digitally The selected students will be expected to learn their music at home with the assistance of their teacher. Singers will also be expected to attend two live rehearsal sessions with their honor choir conductor, dates TBD. Our Honor Choir conductors

are dynamic educators who will give our students an incredible experience, even though it will look completely different than usual!

The 2021 Virtual All State Honor Choir conductors are: Mr. Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, St. Olaf College, High School TTBB Dr. Judy Bowers, University of Louisiana Monroe, Junior High SATB Dr. Anthony Trecek-King, The Hartt School, University of Hartford, High School SATB Dr. Amanda Quist, Frost School of Music, University of Miami, High School SSAA If you have any questions, please email the CCDA Honor Choir Chair, Molly Peters at mepeters79@gmail.com.

Development Sessions

2021 CASMEC Professional Development Sessions

Bringing CASMEC to the comfort of your home.

The 2021 California All-State Music Education Conference has gone virtual. In order to provide the highest quality professional learning experience for music educators across the state, the organizations of CASMEC have decided to prepare an online conference.

Bringing CASMEC to the Comfort of Your Home!!

the comfort of your home.

We are excitedBringing to provideCASMEC for you allto a two-day virtual experience.

Sessions from all five collaborative organizations begin Friday, February 19, 2021 at 2pm. Our first day will end with a special Headline The 2021 California All-State Music Education Conference has gone virtual. In order to provide the performance featuring ​DCappella ​at learning 7pm! Grab your preferred beverage, find comfortable seat in highest quality professional experience for music educators across theastate, the your own living room, andofjoin music acrossanthe state in this exclusive performance. organizations CASMEC haveeducators decided to prepare online conference.

Saturday, February 20, 2021 sessions begin at 10am and run through 5pm. All sessions will be We are excited to provide for you all a two-day virtual experience. Sessions from all five collaborative recorded and organizations made available conference attendees forOur a limited following theHeadline conference. begin to Friday, February 19, 2021 at 2pm. first day time will end with a special performance featuring ​DCappella ​at 7pm! Grab your preferred beverage, find a comfortable seat in

Registration Begins October 1st

This conference open toroom, educators the country and ​Join us! ​Registration yourisown living and joinacross music educators across the world. state in this exclusive performance. opens, Saturday, February 20, 2021 sessions begin at 10am and run throughand 5pm.retired All sessions will be may attend October 1st​ for just ​$55 ​for organization members.

College students members recorded and made available to conference attendees for a limited time following the conference. for just $10 while our non-members may join us for $75. We look forward to seeing you all virtually this February! This conference is open to educators across the country and world. ​Join us! ​Registration opens,

https://casmec.org/register-for-casmec/ October 1st​ for just ​$55 f​ or organization members. College students and retired members may attend

for just $10 while our non-members may join us for $75. We look forward to seeing you all virtually this February!