CMEA Magazine Spring 2021

Spring Issue

20 21 CMEA Magazine

SPRING ISSUE 2021 VOLUME 74 • NUMBER 3

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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

# FEATURES

3 President’s Message

by Armalyn De La O, CMEA President

4 CMEA Partners with NFHS 5 The Inaugural Stand Up 4 Arts Day - A Virtual Success

by John Burn, CMEA Immediate Past

President

20 Central Coast Section Update

by Diane Gehling, CMEA Central Coast

Section President

21 North Coast Section Update

by Holly MacDonell, CMEA North Coast Section President

23 Northern Section Update

7 NAfME Collegiate Chapter Highlight

by Todd Filpula, CMEA Northern Section President

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CMEA Magazine, 2417 N 11th Ave, Hanford, CA 93230

10 CMEA Research and Educational Projects Poster Session

23 Southeastern Section Update

CMEA Magazine Graphic Designer Adam Wilke

Education and Research Representative

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

by Anne Fennell, CMEA President-Elect

by Dr. Ruth Britton, CMEA Higher

11 CMEF Scholarship Recipients 12 Young Composers Symposium

by Dr. Lisa Crawford, CMEA Creating and

Composition Representative

14 California Superintendent Nominated for Department of Education Post

by Russ Sperling

by Keith Johnson, CMEA Bay Section President

by Patrick Neff, CMEA Capitol Section President-Elect

# RESOURCES

13 Rural Music 13 Music Supervisors 30 Collegiate Spotlight 30 CAJ Update 33 CCDA 33 CODA Call Out 35 Music Technology 35 World Music 36 Innovations 39 CBDA

by Dr. Jeff Malecki, CMEA Southern

Border Section President

by Ryan Rowles, CMEA Southwestern

Section President

28 CMEA Awards Gala 31 Frameworks for Cultural Relevance in the Music Classroom

by Jarritt Ahmed Sheel

34 We Survived Distance Learning - One Recording at a Time

by Gail Bowers

36 Music Curriculum and Pedagogy in Urban Spaces

by Zack Pitt-Smith, CMEA Urban Schools

by Steve McKeithen, CMEA Central

Section President

Section President

27 Southwestern Section Update

16 Capitol Section Update

by Ryan Duckworth, CMEA Southeastern

24 Southern Border Section Update

15 Bay Section Update

18 Central Section Update

Representative

37 A Whole New Virtual World!

by Emma Joleen Schopler, CMEA General

Muisc TK-12 Representative

Ad Index IFC Breezin Thru Theory 20 NAMM Foundation 15 Nick Rail Music 11 University of Portland 22 World Projects 6 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 tfilpula@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

by Armalyn De La O

Spring has arrived and we are beginning to emerge from winter into the warmth of the spring sun. A welcomed emergence from the pandemic is taking place in education across California as music teachers and students in some areas are returning to face-to-face instruction. Music educators are creatively responding and teaching in ways that safely bring students together physically and virtually.

As spring and the last quarter of the academic year begins, CMEA music advocacy efforts persist. We are steadfast in our efforts to request the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) change their language in their guidance document regarding the playing of wind instruments and singing, which includes a troublesome and unfounded “strongly discouraged” statement.

Since this public announcement, we have been frustrated by our state and local leaders not trusting in the science from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Aerosol study (click this link for latest updates). The CMEA Advocacy Team will launch a writing campaign later this spring calling for teachers and parents to address the “strongly discouraged” language found in the CDPH Guidelines with their state and local leaders. We would like to think this will be the last time we will need to do this and that California leaders will act to ensure that music making is safely allowed at all levels of TK-12 and not just to entertain sports fans!

In other advocacy efforts, our collaborative March 11, 2021 Stand Up 4 Arts Education Day was a great day for CMEA and our 4 Arts Education Organization partners in Dance, Theatre, and Visual Arts!

The CMEA Executive Board, along with the Advocacy Team, met with state leaders from the Senate Education Committee, the Senate Pro Tempore’s office, the Arts, Entertainment and Sports, Tourism and Internet Media, and Assembly Education Committee.

Our asks of the various committee leaders were to help us with the CDPH Guidance, equity for music education in decision making, and to help mitigate the negative impact of AB 5 on student events in California. We were encouraged that all leaders expressed

willingness to support our requests and have since helped us in making additional contacts useful in supporting our goals.

On March 23, the CMEA Executive Board and CMEA Advocacy Representative, Martha Zaragoza-Diaz, participated in a NAfME Virtual Hill Day with our legislators in Washington D.C. We asked our national leaders that the language in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidelines be changed to follow the science in the NFHS and NAfME Aerosol study.

The logic of this request is that if the National language reflected the results of the study, California would then adjust the CDPH Guidance language accordingly. Several of the National legislative staff members asked us to send them additional information and to draft a letter they could use to address this issue with others.

Currently, we are writing and will send the letter to legislative staff members that offered to help us.

The CMEA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) initiative has started and our DEIA Committee has met twice, facilitated and supported by our partners The California Arts Project. The Committee is working on the development of a DEIA Policy that will guide CMEA’s work as an association to ensure the language in CMEA’s Constitution, By-laws, and Handbook are inclusive and addresses equity, diversity, and access in the organization. I want to thank the Committee members for their commitment to this work on behalf of CMEA. In closing, as we spring forward, let's continue to address inequity when we see it, address racism, and support and lift each other up on behalf of all the students in California.

Photo: CMEA Executive Board and Advocacy team members meet with Brent Palmer and Haley Meyers from Senator Feinstein's staff.

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CMEA Pa rtners with National Federation of St at e High Sc hool Associations Please feel free to send, share, and post this video created jointly by the National Federation of State High School Associations and CMEA encouraging children to participate in a Performing Arts class! Classes like Band, Orchestra, Choir, Dance, and Theatre will help develop confidence, make new friends, and belong to a caring/supportive community as we return to Inperson instruction.

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 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

The Inaugural Stand Up for Arts Education Day - A Virtual Success!

by John Burn,

CMEA Immediate Past President After a more than ten-year history of our annual Stand Up 4 Music Day growing in size and impact each year, on March 11, 2021, we held the first-ever Stand Up 4 Arts Education Day. CMEA, in partnership with CETA - The California Education Theatre Association, CDEA - The California Dance Education Association, and CAEA - The California Art Education Association, hosted this virtual event that included a live stream opening ceremony and a day of important meetings between arts teachers, students, parents, and industry representatives with key state legislators and/or their arts and education committee chairs.

One advantage to hosting the event virtually was that - thanks to CETA - we were able to have famous actress and singer Kristen Bell speak on the importance of Arts Education.

Take a couple minutes to see her powerful message here:

The CMEA leadership group (President Armalyn De La O, President-elect Anne Fennell, Advocacy Representative Russ Sperling, Vice President Chad Zulinger, Secretary Laura Schiavo, Executive Administrator Trish Adams, CMEA’s lobbyist Martha Zaragoza-Diaz, NAMM representative David Jewell from Yamaha Corporation of America, and myself ) met with: Cameron Ubrofsky - Chief of Staff for Senator Connie Levya Megan Baier - Special Advisor, Senate Pro Tempore Dana Mitchell, Principal Consultant to the Committee on the Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media Tanya Lieberman, Chief Consultant of Assembly Education Committee Lauren Pfizer, Committee Consultant; Office of Senator Ben Allen

Our two specific talking points were:

We were also able to get this great one-minute message from State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond in support of our cause!

1. The need for more clear, consistent, accurate, science and research-based guidance on the safe return to inperson schooling that includes full participation in music education including singing and the playing of wind instruments 2. The need for an exemption for music festival adjudicators, clinicians and accompanists in AB 5 (the “Uber/Lyft Independent Contractor Law”) and its ongoing fixer legislation.

Both of these topics were understood and well received. Our work on advancing these specific issues and the greater goal of ensuring all students in California have equal access to a wellrounded education that includes music and the arts marches on!

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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

NAfME Collegiate Chapter Highlight Sonoma State University

by Anne Fennell, CMEA President-Elect

Getting to Know our Sonoma State University Collegiate NAfME Chapter The Sonoma State University Collegiate NAfME Chapter began as a campus “music club” that took on a small project each year. Students designed the club T-Shirt and sold these at booths, set up at the Music Department’s Honor bands and concert events.

These funds were used to support undergraduate attendance at CASMEC. The group, now proudly labeled as the SSU NAfME Collegiate Chapter, has created their own website, presented at CASMEC on the uniqueness of our chapter’s community outreach program Noma Winds, fostered a continued connection to the Music Ed Alumni, and assembled an impressive roster of monthly presenters and clinicians.

Read on and learn more about these aspiring music educators, guided by their advisor, Dr. Kim Mieder, Director of Music Education at Sonoma State University.

Sonoma State University Collegiate 1. Why do you like being on the NAfME Chapter officers: board of the SSU NAfME Collegiate Chapter and why did you take on this role?

Matthew Bowker,

President (Senior, Saxophone and Woodwinds)

Natalie Cucina,

Secretary (Sophomore, clarinet)

Sierra Smith,

Treasurer (Sophomore, flute)

Lilly Chavez,

Social Chair (Senior, flute)

Dr. Kim Mieder,

Advisor, Director of Music Education at Sonoma State University

I really like being able to voice the opinions of our students and help tailor what they want from their education. I like being on the board because we act as a bridge between the faculty and students to ensure everyone is getting the most out of their time here. I took on this role because I wanted to help SSU branch out into the community and create networking opportunities for our members.

- Matthew Bowker, President Before I became Social Chair, I participated in the Community Outreach Committee that was led by our previous (and firstever!) Social Chair. Getting to work closely with our chapter’s leadership board gave me a really good sense of what it means to work collaboratively with my peers in order to work towards a more unified cohort of future music educators, and I knew I wanted a chance to do the same. And I think we’ve done a good job at keeping that idea alive! - Lilly Chavez - Social Chair Being on the SSU Collegiate Chapter board has exposed me to the multitude of resources available for future music educators that I doubt I would have been aware of had I not gotten this position.

I took on the role of Treasurer because I know how critical that fundraising and managing money is for groups like ours. Not only are we a club, but we are a chapter of a national organization, and therefore I believe it is our responsibility to honor that. - Sierra Smith, Treasurer Being on the SSU NAfME chapter board has allowed me to develop leadership skills that we as future music educators will need when communicating with fellow teachers and administrators.

Clear communication when organizing meetings, fundraising, and community outreach is important and I took on the role of secretary to facilitate that communication and keep our chapter organized.

- Natalie Cucina, Secretary

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2. What is your greatest hope for the future of music education?

I hope that music education becomes more diverse in the material we teach as well as the language we use in the classroom.

My biggest hope is that we can show students that composers of diverse backgrounds hold as much value as the European composers we have seen glorified for centuries. I want students to be as represented as possible to encourage them to create and not feel limited. - Matthew Bowker, President Inclusivity and diversity are coming to light as very important considerations in the field of education, especially music education.

Our duty as arts educators is to honor the cultures that painted and composed the foundations of which we teach. I have been so inspired by teachers I’ve met who go off the traditional path of Kodaly and Orff and teach Japanese Taiko, marimba, or even just culturally-appropriate songs. As educators, we are responsible for the values that our students hold onto--such as respect. So, I guess I hope for more inclusivity in each music classroom. - Sierra Smith, Treasurer

3. What do you hope to bring to the future of music education?

Something I always think about is what kind of teacher I’m going to be for my students. I know a lot of my peers are music majors because of the impact their band directors and music teachers had on them growing up, so I want to make sure the impact I make is beneficial to my students’ musical growth. One way I hope to do this is by incorporating a culturally aware and inclusive environment in the classroom. Looking back on when I was in band as a young musician, I feel like we were given music to read without having to think about where the music came from and why it sounds the way it does. Furthermore, a majority of our music was Euro-centric and didn’t do much to include other musical traditions from around the globe. As a Latina musician, this is something that I’ve noticed more and more as I’ve gotten older and something I would like to change. Culturally receptive band rooms that reflect the participating students will always be more successful and in turn produce happy musicians and more involved musicmaking. I hope that as a music teacher I can bring this atmosphere to my classroom and have my students feel like they are being heard and represented. - Lilly Chavez, Social Chair My ultimate goal is to teach elementary school music education. I want to make music as accessible as possible to all students and teach more than what you find in traditional Eurocentric music education. By incorporating music and languages from cultures around the world, students will have a much better understanding of music as a whole and will feel closer to it if they see a part of themselves within it. My other goal as a music educator is to make learning music as a young student as fun an experience as possible! All too often, performances and “getting it right” are the parts of music that are stressed the most. I want my students to walk into my classroom feeling excited and ready to learn. - Natalie Cucina, Secretary

4. If you could change one thing about music education, what would it be?

I would definitely change the tradition of playing the same music by the same composers for the past hundred years. Yes, each of those pieces we play has merit and teaches students concepts, but there are many other diverse composers that have the same concepts and get buried. I hope that the traditional mindset can change and become open to being more representative of the students in the classroom today. - Matthew Bowker, President I would change the knowledge gap between vocal, band, and orchestral education. Each ensemble is different, and there are clear distinctions between the focuses of each; however, they are all music groups. The “gap” makes me realize that spending one class learning how to teach a choir when I am not a vocalist does not set me up well to acquire a full-time choral director position. To reach equity across the groups, it is important for directors to share the potential that each of their ensembles has (not just the marching band!).

- Sierra Smith, Treasurer

5. What are you looking forward to, once you graduate with your music education degree?

I want to inspire students to love music and be creative, just like my teachers have done for me. I want to create a space for them that everybody feels comfortable in and looks forward to being in. I love teaching young kids and I can not wait to spend my time with them! Their constant optimism and curiosity is so uplifting. My heart goes out to all the educators and credential students who are teaching remotely during this pandemic and I am hopeful that by the time I begin teaching in a classroom the world will be close to normal again. - Natalie Cucina, Secretary I really look forward to working with students and helping them build a relationship with music. I also can’t wait to be a part of a community at the school I’ll teach at. - Matthew Bowker, President I chose to go into Music Education because I know the strength that music can have on a child’s life, and I find it beautiful how people can grow with music as a constant influence. I look forward to sharing my musical journey, and I look forward to watching my students grow with the power of music and art. - Sierra Smith, Treasurer

6. How does/will the SSU NAfME Collegiate Chapter help you achieve your goal to become a music educator?

SSU’s chapter has prepared me very well for my future teaching career. It taught me how to network, work with a variety of people, plan trips for our members and how to stay organized. All of these skills have helped me feel more confident and prepared me for my future career. - Matthew Bowker, President

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CMEA Magazine

I think the other officers will agree with me when I say that our chapter has been a huge help in preparing us for the world of music education we’re going to be stepping into in the near future. Not only do we have great faculty members to mentor us in our undergraduate study, but having a way for all of the music education majors to work collaboratively outside of class is a really fun and great way to get ready for the road ahead. - Lilly Chavez, Social Chair As I mentioned before, participating on the SSU NAfME board has allowed me to gain leadership experience that is incredibly valuable as an educator when advocating for your students and yourself. Bringing local educators from various types and levels of music education into our meetings has allowed me to gain different perspectives so I can be better prepared when entering a classroom.

- Natalie Cucina, Secretary One of the reasons for having a Collegiate Chapter on our campus is to provide music ed students with additional resources and opportunities not offered within our class curriculum. For example, we get to discuss the realities of being a first-year director with alumni; try playing the guitarrón in a mariachi group; play the role of elementary schoolers learning taiko drumming with local, enthusiastic teachers. Each of these experiences is vastly different and allows us to see inside of various classrooms before running our own. - Sierra Smith, Treasurer

7. What is one of the projects you have done as a member that has made an impact on you as an aspiring music educator? What and why?

I wouldn’t consider this one “project” but rather a general shift of focus for our chapter that we’ve been working on for the past few years. One of our main goals was to turn our monthly meetings into a professional resource for our members, and we were able to accomplish this by bringing in a guest every month that would talk to us about something exciting they do as a working musician/ educator. We’ve had alumni, local music educators, and even other NAfME chapters work with us to give our meetings some more substance and provide a useful resource for our members. - Lilly Chavez, Social Chair While this isn’t a specific project that our chapter completed, I have found inspiration in the guest speakers that we bring in each month. Each teacher has a different style and approach to teaching and a love for what they do. Sharing their years of experience is incredibly valuable to us and allows us to better understand all the tools that are available to us as future educators. Every meeting leaves me more and more excited for the future! - Natalie Cucina, Secretary

8. Explain the importance of this chapter during Covid 19 and what this has provided to either you as a board member or to music education majors.

I’m not sure what I could say that hasn’t already been said about this pandemic, but something we have all gone through collectively is the shift to having to work alone at home all day, every day.

Musicians are so used to working with each other all the time, so this change affected us and our work dramatically. As a chapter, we’ve used our meetings as a way to not only do professional development but to have fun! We’ve had multiple meetings that were reserved just to have a casual setting for us to spend time with one another virtually and get to know new faces. Regardless of the circumstances, we are still trying to communicate to all of the music education majors at SSU that we are here for each other no matter what. - Lilly Chavez, Social Chair As a member of the chapter council, I have had a say in the direction that we have taken during distanced learning. We have had the ability to reach out to educators that we wouldn’t have been able to had we been in person. Personally, I have really enjoyed seeing how different teachers have adapted--whether by using lots of online resources to engage their students or by doing a drum lesson live with students participating on their own “drums” in their own homes. These unique chapter meetings have kept me excited to become a teacher, and have made me realize that the music classroom can incorporate lots of practices to make it enjoyable and memorable for the students. - Sierra Smith, Treasurer

Follow SSU CNAfME on Social Media

SSU CNAfME Facebook Page

https://ssunafme.weebly.com/

Congratulations to the Sonoma State University Collegiate NAfME Chapter, one of 700 collegiate chapters in the United States, on their continued growth and impact on music and education! These collegiates are inspiring and dedicated to lead their peers in California, brightening the future of music education for all.

If you are interested in creating or joining a NAfME Collegiate Council, please email: collegiate@nafme. org. The CMEA Collegiate Council information is found: https://www.calmusiced.com/ index.php/cmea/collegiate

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CMEA Research and Educational Projects Poster Session

by Dr. Ruth Britton, CMEA Higher Education and Research Representative This article features the abstracts from papers presented at the CMEA Higher Education Research and Educational Projects Poster Sessions for the 2021 CASMEC virtual conference.

Presenters included graduate and undergraduate students, practitioners, and faculty from across California. We met in breakout rooms via Zoom where authors shared their work with each other and visitors. We had a very collegial, engaging set of conversations and enjoyed building new relationships and understandings. Please applaud our presenters, and enjoy reading the fruits of their inquiry. You will find inspiration for some questions to ponder, and new techniques, resources, and curricula to try out!

Michael Atwood University of the Pacific The Relationship Between Sight Singing Instruction and Choral Festival Participation: Analyzing the Experiences of Former High School Choristers

Glenna Boggs University of the Pacific Social-Emotional Learning and Mindfulness in the Music Classroom

Robert Brown University of the Pacific Reading Between the Lines: A Survey and Review of 10 Beginning Drum Set Method Books

Andrew Carlson University of the Pacific Effects of Reading Lyrics While Listening on Vocabulary Recall

Kestutis Daugirdas Blair Middle and High School, Pasadena, CA Using Collaborative Song Parodies as an Accessible and Creative Hook for Middle School Choir Students in Remote Learning

Bryce Hanson California State University, Long Beach Effective Rehearsal Techniques in the Middle School Band Room

Robert Huntington University of the Pacific Changing Pre-professional Music Teachers’ Minds on Composing

Jade Jiaxe California State University, Long Beach Investigating Chinese American Ethnic/Cultural Identity Through Music Education

Karen Koner & Abigayle Weaver San Diego State University and Ramona High School The Impact of Mindfulness Practices on High School Band Students

Alexander Koops Azusa Pacific University Faith & Learning in Action. Faith, Scholarship, and Service-Learning in Music Education: A Creative Approach

Anna Lettang San Diego State University Multicultural Repertoire Selection Practices of Choral Conductors

Travis Maslan San Diego State University The Value of Music Education for Children in Foster Care

Jorge Padrón, Beatriz Ilari, & Assal Habibi University of Southern California Associations between Instrumental Music Learning and Socioemotional Skills in Childhood

Shane Ryan University of the Pacific Singing, Buzzing, and Playing in the Band Rehearsal Setting

Grace Sledd California State University, Long Beach One Size Does Not Fit llA: Exploring Universal Design for Learning in Secondary School Band

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CMEA Magazine

CMEF Scholarships

Don Schmeer Band Music Education Scholarship The 2021 Don Schmeer Band Music Education Scholarship recipient is Tristan McMichael. Tristan is a student at Quincy Junior / Senior High School in Quincy. Tristan wants to be a band music educator because, "I want to be able to help students grow the same way music has helped me grow as a person."

Dr. Randi Carp Choral Music Education Scholarship The 2021 Dr. Randi Carp Choral Music Education Scholarship recipient is Emily Tsao. Emily is a student at Aragon High School in San Mateo. "Whether my community consists of elementary school musical theater, middle school drama courses, or high school choir, I have been consistent with my dedication to each group and diligent with my effort to make beautiful music."

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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.

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Young Composers Symposium

by Dr. Lisa Crawford,

CMEA Creating and Composition Representative

Geffen Academy at UCLA Through CMEA, our focus with K-12 students is related to both musicianship and creativity. Through the efforts of developing critical thinking in music, many music educators offer exploratory opportunities for music composition (creative music, sound designs, all musical genres), music technology (loops, beats, music production skills), and songwriting (developing text, personal style, singing and playing an instrument, production skills). In addition, students’ communication of their personal emotional ideas through a variety of textures is an aspect of composing and songwriting we got to hear during our Young Composers Symposium – CASMEC 2021 Composition Festival this past February.

CMEA music educators are growing globally in their thinking about developing composition projects for K-12 students. Through all forms and genres, with cultural awareness, and through students’ interest in and increased personal understanding of composing and songwriting, technology tools such as MusicFirst (including Noteflight & Soundtrap), GarageBand, and many other applications are a part of the growing culture of compositional exploration. A student who composes for a quartet of traditional string instruments is no longer required to find, hire, rehearse, and record performers unless they choose to do so. Songwriting and music production are becoming an aspect of coursework for elementary and secondary students. In my school, for example, our students work through composition projects with a goal that they consider compositional devices outside of the parameters of a given assignment.

CASMEC 2021 Composition Festival The CASMEC 2021 Composition Festival presented virtually the works of five secondary solo artist-composers, one tertiary opera composer/producer, and one tertiary composer group. Each presented an introduction and overview and digital pieces were presented to attending participants. This was a stellar opportunity for students to learn about presenting original songs, compositions, and new projects. Following the event, conversations included the very real issue of student travel costs, using virtual presentation in the future, and the value of presenting compositions in person and talking with those who attend in-person events.

Also presenting Composition Strategies, Stephanie Douglass prepared a thorough overview of the compositional work she is doing with her secondary students in Middle School. The presentation was filled with accessible ideas that all teachers can use immediately! Dr. Alexander Koops was scheduled to present composition strategies through Jodie Blackshaw’s 13 Moons, however, because time ran short in the virtual space, he and his students will give this presentation at one of the upcoming CMEA Creating and Composition Meetups to be held virtually beginning in April.

CMEA Creating and Composition Virtual Meetings CMEA Creating and Composition Meetups, for both K-16 students and music educators, will be held virtually the fourth Wednesday of each month from 5:00-6:00 pm. Beginning April 28, 2021, students may present songs, compositions, and sound designs. Teachers may present composition lesson ideas. There will be open discussion between students and teachers. Further information is being developed now so please watch for updates!

A personal thank you from me to each participant in the CASMEC 2021 Composition Festival! If you contacted me hoping to join us with your composition, please contact us next year to join us for CASMEC 2022 or at one of the CMEA Creating and Composition Meetups. Many thanks to our CMEA President Armalyn De La O for the opportunity to develop these events for young composers!

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CMEA Magazine

Rural Schools Report

by Judi Scharnberg, CMEA Rural Schools Representative I teach at Scotia Union School District, a small rural school in the North Coast Section. Like many schools, fourth grade traditionally includes a recorder program. But in the time of COVID, the restrictions for in-person music learning mean a ‘no-touch, no-sing, no wind instruments, instruction in my K-5 music classes.

I was excited to see masks for brass instruments, saxophones and clarinets available for purchase in the fall. Pricey, but I only had a few in-person band lessons, one student at a time. A mask for me and one for my student, and it was all good, with two fans blowing air out of the room, and sitting several feet apart, facing mostly away from each other.

The takeaway from this was the idea that recorders could be masked. I took N95 masks, cut them in half after removing the metal band and elastic straps. (The other disposable masks were too flimsy to make a good barrier.) I fastened the mask to the bell of the recorder with a wide rubber band and trimmed the mask to close the band.

I had tried making slits in the masks for the trumpet and clarinet players. The slits frayed and took a long time to adjust after putting the instrument down. So, then I tried slipping the recorder mouthpiece under the mask; that was easy for both me and the students. Left and right hand fingers, just above the holes, direct the air towards the floor.

The next challenge was sanitizing and storage. The racks for storage wouldn’t work unless the masks were removed. The solution was to turn the body section upside down and place it on the rack.

The no-cost, low-tech solution for the mouthpieces was to lay them across an upside-down egg carton where they rest comfortably.

Sanitizing spray was quick and easy. The only downside is that low C doesn’t speak, but most beginning students don’t learn that note.

The students are delighted with the program and making excellent progress.

Music Supervisors Report

by Stacy Harris, CMEA Music Supervisors Representative

S Our CMEA Music Supervisors met for a wonderful CASMEC gathering that enabled us to connect around the subjects of current instructional models in music education and supporting our programs as we prepare for Fall. Thanks to all who joined us for a great kickoff to our CASMEC week.

One theme that came out clearly during both our Fall gathering and our CASMEC meeting is that our music teachers across the state are doing a phenomenal job of reaching students during this very challenging time. Teachers are innovating in ways we might not have imagined over a year ago. One such teacher highlighted at our meeting was Rich Gordon, instrumental music teacher at Sycamore Junior High School in the Anaheim Union High School District. Rich began creating rhythm clapping videos immediately after schools closed down last March and his YouTube page, Mr. Gordon, now has nearly 11,000 subscribers. His videos showcase his combination of excellent instruction, engaging presentation,

and superior video production skills and have reached students across the country this last year. But it’s not just teachers that are utilizing technology to its fullest capacity that are finding success in the virtual or hybrid classroom, it’s our profession at large that has stepped up this last year. While we’ve missed out on many of the things that make the music classroom such a special place, our teachers have gone above and beyond to reach their students, to provide them a space for creativity and expression, and to recreate to the best of their ability that special place our students normally find in their music classrooms - a home. This is the common theme that we hear as we come together as music supervisors - that we continue to be inspired by the work our teachers have been doing this last year and the ways in which they are supporting students.

Feedback from our gatherings this year has indicated that our music supervisors are looking for more opportunities to connect with each other throughout the year. With that in mind, in April we will begin holding monthly Zoom chats for music supervisors to come together to connect in an informal fashion to talk shop.

More information will be sent by email to membership but tentative dates and times for these meetings will be April 6, May 4, and June 8 from 3:30-4:30pm. Mark your calendars if you’re interested. All music program leaders and teacher leaders are invited to join us.

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California Super int ende nt Nominated for Department of Education Post

by Russ Sperling

CMEA announces that President Biden has picked an arts education-supporting Californian to be Deputy Secretary of Education, Cindy Marten. Marten currently serves as Superintendent of San Diego Unified School District, where she has been recognized for her support for arts and music in the district. CMEA awarded her its “Administrator of the Year” award in 2017 because of her consistent presence at music and arts events in the schools and community, as well as her continued supportive words that have translated into a vibrant visual and performing arts program in San Diego Unified. In support of CMEA, Marten spoke at a recent Stand Up 4 Music rally on the Capitol steps in Sacramento.

Along with Biden’s pick for Secretary of Education, Dr. Miguel Cardona, who currently serves as Connecticut’s education commissioner, these appointments represent stark departures from the previous administration and reflect President Biden’s desire to bring expertise back to the government.

Marten comes highly recommended by CMEA Presidentelect Anne Fennell and former CMEA President and current CMEA Advocacy Representative Russ Sperling, who both work with Marten in San Diego. They refer to her as “a firm believer in educational access and equity,” and both speak of her efforts to support arts and music education in SDUSD. She supported changes in policy to eliminate “student pull-outs” from music class for remediation and supported the purchase of instruments so students could use one free of cost. During her tenure as SDUSD Superintendent, Marten shepherded through a new strategic plan for the district that boosted arts education funding by several means, including Title I funds into “Learning Through the Arts,”

an arts integration program. This investment, which amounted to $5 million over six years, is the first of its kind in the state of California.

Ms. Marten also exhibits a personal commitment to the arts in her community. Having lost her husband to a long illness, she realized that the arts were necessary for her to get out in the world.

Sperling explained that Marten would sit down with him quarterly to create an arts calendar and that she has now attended events at virtually all arts venues and organizations in San Diego. Both Sperling and Fennell described Marten as “authentic” and “a true supporter of the Visual and Performing Arts,” and commended her ability to speak eloquently about the value music and the arts provide students.

A lifelong champion of equity, San Diego Unified labels itself as an “anti-racist” district and has implemented a Restorative Justice discipline policy and Standards-Based Grading to ensure the success of all students.

Marten’s nomination is supported by California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, as well as educational leader Diane Ravitch.

CMEA believes that both Dr. Cardona and Ms. Marten will be staunch supporters of music and arts education, and we applaud their nominations to lead the U.S. Department of Education. CMEA looks forward to working with this administration to address the many challenges that lay ahead.

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CMEA Magazine

Bay

Bay Section Update

by Keith Johnson, CMEA Bay Section President

I

t’s been one year since our world changed due to COVID-19. While many of us found ourselves overwhelmed with the challenges of being thrust into distance learning and teaching remotely, we can finally start to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Many schools are now preparing to go back to in-person learning and we find ourselves trying to plan for another challenge in this journey, which is how we start to rebuild our programs.

The work that many of us have put into maintaining a sense of normalcy for students in ensemble classes throughout the pandemic has been extraordinary. We can see this through numerous virtual concerts and recording projects done remotely.

While this work has been important for our students in the era we’ve been teaching in, what are we doing to ensure that all students can be musically successful when we return to inperson? The answer is simple: now more than ever, focusing on musicianship is key.

Unfortunately, this is not always possible within the context of a large ensemble, remotely or in person. While all parts are important in a large ensemble, not all parts are equal in terms of musical demands of players. In a wind band, for example, many students can go their entire time in school never learning how to phrase or shape a melody simply because they’ve never had the opportunity to play a melody in a large ensemble. Some of the most important members of our groups, like the tuba players, low reeds, trombones, French horns, and any student playing an inner part, typically play support roles. Frankly, their parts can be boring, so we focus on instilling good time, rhythm, and intonation into them, but when do we teach them how to be musicians?

One of the most prolific experiences in my musical career was attending the Conducting Symposium at Michigan State University in the summer of 2019.

My biggest takeaway was finding ways to empower my students to make musical decisions. On countless occasions in sessions I attended, I was reminded of how important it is to train students to be able to execute musical ideas and concepts that we ask of them from the podium. We can expect students to do as we ask, but it’s important to give them the tools to execute them.

Since attending the symposium, I have let that last point guide my approach to teaching, in particular during distance learning.

Focusing on playing artistically as an individual through breaking

down four-part chorales, individual solo projects, and chamber music opportunities has had a noticeable impact on my students.

Not just assigning those projects, but having all members of the ensemble working on the same part of a four-part chorale and having class discussions on what the music is indicating beyond what is written (dynamics, tempo, articulations, etc.). This has proven to be an outstanding tool and I have noticed the change in my students not only in these types of projects but also in large ensemble projects as the year has progressed.

If you think about it, we spent our undergraduate and graduate training focused on our own musical growth as players and then applied our skills in whatever ensembles we played in. We didn’t spend time learning how to be players through ensemble repertoire; we applied the skills we learned outside of those ensembles, which in turn made it possible for those groups to sound great. Sometimes the “project” or the concert can dominate our teaching, but we have to question if we are truly preparing our students to be informed musicians or if we are teaching them to learn to play their parts in band, orchestra, or choir.

I realize none of this is foreign to us and we all already do this in some shape or form, but I encourage you to make this a priority as you plan for this final stretch of the 2020-21 school year.

We should all be taking advantage of the time we have to work differently because of distance learning.

Ultimately, strengthening our students’ musicianship will excite them just as much, if not further, than any recording project ever will.

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Spring Issue 2021

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Capitol

Capitol Section Update

by Patrick Neff, CMEA Capitol Section President-Elect

Studying Music During a Pandemic: A Student's Perspective An Interview with Amanda Lopes, 4th Year Sacramento State Music Education Major

1) Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Amanda Lopes and I am a 4th year Music Education major at Sacramento State. I have played the trumpet for 12 years (starting in 5th grade) and have been in a music class every year since. I have also played the trumpet in the Sacramento Mandarins Drum Corps since 2017. I currently teach an after-school, virtual beginning brass class through the Mandarins Music Academy to students throughout the greater Sacramento area. My goal is to become a public school music teacher so I can provide all of the opportunities, skills, and experiences I have gotten through my time in music to all of my future students.

2) Please describe your experience as a music student during the pandemic.

A year ago at the start of the pandemic, things started changing on a day-to-day basis. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble had our first concert of the semester in early March, and this ended up being the last concert that an audience was able to attend. The following day, the Orchestra had their concert but without any audience members. And the day after that, they cancelled all events/concerts on campus. At the end of the week, the decision to go fully virtual was announced and put in place.

For the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semester, few classes have been able to operate in person with strict protocols and PPE equipment. Ensembles meet in groups no larger than nine, spread six feet apart, wearing musicians' masks, and using bell covers. This is the only opportunity we have to play with our fellow musicians in a live setting (not the virtual ensembles that are edited together).

It is a privilege to have this opportunity to play with others live and for our professors to put in all the extra work doing set-up, buying new music to fit adaptable ensembles, etc., to make this a positive and safe experience for us.

3) What has been the most challenging aspect of studying music education during the pandemic?

One of the most difficult aspects of studying music during the pandemic has been learning how to play instruments in virtual class settings. I was in the Percussion pedagogy class in the spring of 2020 when the pandemic hit. Our professor was not able to give us the experience playing on mallet instruments like he would normally do due to the virtual class setting. It also proved difficult to play as a class between the latency on Zoom and connection errors. It has also been much more difficult to stay motivated. In the spring of 2020, everything was cancelled. There were no concerts, recitals, and it was so early on that most programs had not started doing the virtual concerts yet. It was easy to feel like there was nothing to look forward to and nothing to practice for. Having the small ensembles in the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters has definitely helped motivate students, giving us something to look forward to every week and an end goal (either a virtual concert piece or recording the small ensemble pieces).

4) What are some positive things that have developed for you during this time?

There have been many positives that have come from the pandemic, the largest being all the masterclasses that have been held. It has been much easier to hold masterclasses due to the virtual Zoom setting we now use. Between my trumpet professor at Sac State, my Mandarins staff, and connections through my boss at the Mandarins Music Academy, I’ve been able to attend virtual masterclasses from Wayne Bergeron, Arturo Sandoval, Jens Lindemann, Andy Kozar and have a masterclass schedule with Kate Amrine. These are people we might not normally have had the opportunity to do a masterclass with because of where they live and their busy schedules, but due to the accessibility and convenience of Zoom, we were able to have the classes with them. I was also accepted into a conducting mentorship program called Girls Who Conduct. It is a virtual program for female-idenitfying and nonbinary people that works on conducting skills, rehearsal techniques, program planning, and many other skills that are needed as a conductor/director. Dr. Chaowen Ting developed the program and runs it along with 5 other female conductors.

5) Please share some information about your NAfME Collegiate Chapter.

This was an interesting experience, trying to restart a chapter in the middle of a pandemic. I was able to assemble a team of officers in the fall who helped me form a general outline for our chapter as well as advocate for music classes to not get cut in the local school district by spreading the news in our classes and rehearsals. We also organized and ran a virtual booth for the School of Music at the 2021 CASMEC to speak to directors and prospective students about the school of music and all that Sac State has to offer. Now

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CMEA Magazine

we are looking at what we can do to start off the fall 2021 semester strong. While we cannot meet in person this year and there are not many events for us to help at, we can set up a strong base for the chapter to make the next semester easier for the chapter to start right away.

6) What are you looking forward to as we approach a return to normalcy?

I am looking forward to the social aspect of being a musician.

I look forward to playing in ensembles again with my friends at Sac State and seeing my professors around campus. I look forward to having a drum corps season and seeing my friends from all around the world who I’ve met through the corps. I am also looking forward to teaching music in person again. I teach a virtual beginning brass class and teach private lessons, and I miss seeing my students in person. I get to see a different side of my students with virtual learning (meeting their pets, showing me their latest lego project, sharing Pokémon cards, etc), but I have never gotten to meet most of them in person. I miss the human connection that comes with music, and I look forward to having that again.

7) Beyond student teaching, how can current music educators better support those preparing to enter the field?

cut in times of financial deficit and even programs that thrive can be pushed to the side in schools to make way for other programs.

Learning what steps to take to effectively advocate for music education, as well as gaining the tools to educate our administrators and fellow teachers on why music and VAPA classes are so important for our students and communities, is crucial to maintain the VAPA classes in public schools. Also, learning what steps we can take to advocate for music education at even higher levels, like with our legislators. There are many benefits that come from music and VAPA education, but knowing the best way to convey our message while being professional and passionate about music education is something every music educator should know how to do.

8) Is there anything else you would like to share with CMEA Magazine readers?

I am immensely grateful for all of the music educators who have continued to teach and provide music throughout the pandemic. This is a trying time for everyone that has taken its toll on the mental health of so many people. Having music as an outlet to express ourselves and continue to do something that we love throughout the pandemic, despite the unorthodox ways we are doing it now, has provided a positive force throughout so many negatives.

As a future music educator, I believe something that we need support with is learning how to effectively advocate for our field and our classes in schools. So many VAPA programs are the first to be

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Central

Central Section Update

by Steve McKeithen, CMEA Central Section President

I

t was my distinct pleasure to interview a director for which I have tremendous respect, not only as a teacher, but as a musician, and a person. Leonard Ingrande, who is the Director of Bands at Central High School in Fresno, California, will be retiring at the end of this school year after a distinguished, 33-year career in music education. One of the things I admire most about Leonard, and his staff, is that his students perform at a consistently high level, but their performances are also so full of musicianship, strength, and energy that they usually bring an audience to their feet before the concert comes to a conclusion. I wanted to find out more about Leonard, his approach to teaching, and his mindset as an accomplished director so, in true Covid form, we sat down together...via Zoom...naturally.

Tell me a little about your background, training, and what led you into the profession?

My parents were immigrants from Sicily, Italy, and I was born in San Diego. At an early age, my parents told me I was going to study piano for a year, and I had to stick with it. As a young college student, I attended a community college in the San Diego area and then later attended the Cleveland Institute as a piano major. At Cleveland, I began to explore conducting and attended a number of concerts and lectures and got really interested in that aspect of music making. I ended up at USC, doing a Masters in Conducting, but through it all I was spending a lot of time teaching, conducting and performing.

What was your first teaching job?

My first teaching job was at a really small school in rural California, Tranquility High School, in 1988. There had been a tradition of excellence, but there was a period of time before I got there where the program was in a rebuilding phase. But the kids were great and I dug in and built the program all the while I was learning and growing as a teacher.

What has been the biggest change you have seen in the profession that has been positive?

see the vision I have for music in our schools, and I have enjoyed great partners in our VAPA coordinator, district administration, and site administration as well. I also think the growth of organizations like CMEA have done a lot to help directors and music in our schools gain a stronger footing for support. That said, we all still have to keep pushing and advocating for our programs, not only with administration, but also in the community.

Communication is obviously important to the success of a public-school music teacher. What communication lessons have you learned in your time in the profession?

You cannot be passive. You have to constantly communicate and advocate for your program - keep your administrators in the know about what your needs are, but more importantly this is what we are doing for our students. Invite administrators and school board members to events, to concerts, and to festivals. Don’t be afraid to speak up in support of the needs and experiences the kids in your program should have. You also need to become friends with others on your campus and in your community to increase the reach of your message to advocate, educate, but also articulate what music does to positively impact kids. If you sit back and passively wait for things to happen to and for your program, they never will.

You are a wonderful example to music educators who seek to teach students how to be great performers, but also great musicians. What are some of the things that a director needs to do to find that balance?

When I was growing up, my teachers and mentors were demanding, and had high expectations for me, but they were patient with me. I took those lessons with me and they have served me well. As a director, your standards and expectations need to be high, but not unreasonable, and you need to set a culture of excellence not only musically, but also academically and as a human being. It also takes a lot of time and a lot of patience. You have to have the passion and dedication to commit to a life-long journey of learning, as well as a positive growth mindset, if you want to have an excellent program. In our process as a program, I always asked my students What did you do? What did you learn? How did you grow? This is the journey to becoming the sort of program that is serving students well. Getting there is the greatest reward and I learned so much from my students throughout my career.

In my experience, the advocacy of music and music education has grown the most since my time starting in the field. I’ve worked hard in my current position to help the district and administration

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What is the best piece of advice you Knowing what you know now, if ever received? you could advise your younger self as you started out in the If you want to be a successful teacher, never be a student’s friend. You can be friendly, without being their version of a ‘friend’. profession, what would you say?

You have to maintain the professional line between student and teacher so that you can be fair to all students. There cannot be multiple sets of standards and expectations for students.

What are some of your joys and sorrows of teaching high school wind band as well as marching band?

I get more joy from the rehearsal process than anything else, and I really enjoy seeing where they start and then to see where we end up. You just keep at it and keep working, and yet you still ask are we going to get this? Are we going to get there? For me, I love to see that growth and the journey is just so cool. I don’t think I have any sorrows, other than I wish I had more time with my students.

What do you want your students to take away from their time in your program, both musically and as a person?

I want them to take away the understanding of how much I enjoyed having them in my group. Hard work is a means to an end and it meant something. I also want every student to know that every single one of them is so important to me but also to the success of the group. I want them to know how to shape phrases and how to make music, but I also want to instill in them a love of learning where they develop their own sense of discipline and understanding that you have to work hard to achieve what you want in life.

I would have told myself to listen more and not to just react.

That said, I was fortunate to have great mentors as a younger man and there is a lot to be gained by listening to others who have the benefits of knowledge and experience. I think younger directors would be well served to seek out those that can help them by sharing a technique or a teaching skill, but also offering the advice that comes from time in the profession. I have benefitted from having so many sharing colleagues in the profession that were willing to help me grow.

About Leonard Ingrande Mr. Ingrande is currently in his 18th year at Central High School in Fresno, California, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, String Orchestra, and the Grizzly Marching Band, which has received numerous Sweepstakes awards.

His Wind Ensemble is considered to be one of the finest ensembles in the state of California. They were awarded several national honors, selected to perform at the 2019 CASMEC Music Educators Conference and selected to perform at Carnegie Hall.

Mr. Ingrande has served on the board of CMEA Central Section as a jazz representative and President. In 2017, Mr. Ingrande was awarded the John Philip Sousa Legion of Honor Award and in 2019 the CMEA Don Schmeer/Byron Hoyt Band Educator Award. In 2019, Mr. Ingrande also received the Northern California Band Association Educator of the Year Award and in 2020, he was nominated for Central Unified School District Teacher of the Year Award. Mr. Ingrande is in demand as a guest conductor of honor bands, orchestras, and as an adjudicator.

What is your favorite memory of teaching or performing with your students?

There are so many things that stand out in my mind, but the process of preparing for the Carnegie Hall performance in 2018. I had a cancer diagnosis about a month before the concert and had to leave my kids for a few weeks for treatments and those kids worked so hard while I was out, both as individuals and in sectionals, and also with people we brought in to work with them. I was so proud of their commitment to achieving what we set out to do and love every one of them for it.

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Central Coast Section Update

by Diane Gehling, CMEA Central Coast Section President

“Sometimes you want to go Where everybody knows your name And they’re always glad you came.

You want to be where you can see Our troubles are all the same.

You want to be where everybody knows your name...

NORM!” - Lyrics from the Main Theme to Cheers

W

ho would’ve thought one year ago our lives were about to change? All of a sudden we were teaching by using whatever digital platforms our districts were using as well as any that we already knew or quickly learned to help our students. This was our new “NORM.” Teaching online has been hard for the students as well as the teachers. Was this going to be our new “NORM”? How long would this last?

On Saturday, March 13, CCS had a live premier for their yearly Honors Ensemble Concert. In the fall, the board discussed how this event was going to come together. There was never any doubt about should it happen, just how. We needed to adjust our thinking and establish a new “NORM.” Additionally, plans started to form on how Solo/Ensemble Festival and the Young Ensembles Showcase could be held. Thankfully, through each of our board members' time, talent, knowledge and patience (each person brought many different skills to the table), a plan was formed and a new “NORM” was established.

Now, as we round to the spring, many districts are wondering how they will be going back to teaching. Will students be back in schools before the end of the school year? If so, how? Traditional?

Hybrid? How will this affect our music programs? What new “NORMS” are you creating in your classrooms? How can we take what we have learned from these new “NORMS” and move them into our classes, our teaching, our school going forward?

What we have learned and what we take from this experience will be up to each of us. Can we continue to use the programs we have learned to help enhance our in-person teaching? How can we use these new skills to enrich our curriculum? How do we convince our administration to continue to allow us to use funds for online learning platforms? So many questions still to be answered. But then, this past year has been a year of questions and a year of new “NORMS.” We can see this past year as the glass half full or the glass half empty. Either way, we still have something left to drink. So let us raise a toast to us and to our determination to do all that we can for our students and to the new and creative ways we have met those challenges. Here’s to you, “NORM!” “Where everybody knows your name.”

Congrats!

Best Communities for Music Education Winners Announced The Best Communities for Music Education award celebrates schools and districts for their commitment to and support of music education.

See Winners at NAMMFOUNDATION.ORG #BestCommunitiesForMusicEducation

North Coast

H

North Coast Section Update

by Holly MacDonell, CMEA North Coast Section President

To hear more about Dan's program at Del Norte High School and this year's challenges: • Dan's program: 0:41​ • Student recruitment: 2:32​ • Student retention struggles during the COVID era: 3:10​ • Attendance and equity in Dan's program: 5:03​ • Getting to know and supporting his students during COVID: 6:00​ • Incorporation, Improvisation, and Composition: 8:07​ • INNOVATIONS! Dan has started an instrument repair class! Check it out, with a mini tour of the shop! 9:25

ere, on the rural North Coast of California, distance learning restrictions have created challenges and opportunities for our music programs. Here, I speak with Dan Sedgwick, the Director of Music at Del Norte High School in Crescent City.

Dan sums up this year, with its obstacles and opportunities: "My goal this year is for my students to have as much fun as possible in my class, and make sure all my seniors graduate."

Thanks again, Dan!

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Northern Southeastern

Northern Section Update

by Todd Filpula, CMEA Northern Section President

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pring is a time of renewal for nature as the trees and flowers come out of dormancy, so it is true for music education. Kudos to everyone involved in making this year’s CASMEC a success! In all honesty, I had my doubts going in about the quality of this event but can say I was pleasantly surprised.

The sessions were varied and informative. While I would much rather have been in person, I still came away with new and useful information in addition to increased optimism for the future of our profession!

We have just concluded our election cycle and I want to congratulate Austin King on being elected Vice President, Mike Phenicie on being re-elected as Treasurer, and Tanner Johns on being elected President Elect in a special election. I know these educators will do an excellent job of moving our Section in a

Southeastern Section Update

by Ryan Duckworth, CMEA Southeastern Section President

Music Education and Our Sonata Form

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s I write this, we are nearing the one-year mark since everything changed. My students had just performed amazingly at a festival—honestly one of their best performances of the year—and then we left for the weekend and never came back. We scrambled to find a way to make music education work in a distance learning model. I attended dozens of webinars, took classes, conducted my own research; all trying to find ways to salvage the last quarter of what had, up to that point, been a pretty normal year. Now it is a year later and I have produced three virtual concert events, done more video editing than I ever dreamed of doing, amassed hundreds of hours of content on my YouTube channel, and am still attending dozens of webinars and conferences trying to figure out the best opportunities I can provide for my students.

positive direction! We have had other additions to our Board including Nora Hunter as our General Music Representative and Briaunna Cisneros and our Membership Representative. I have always said that many hands make light work and these additions will make the work of improving music education in our Section easier and better for all involved. I want to thank Mitch Bahr for serving two terms as Vice President. He has become a good friend and his insights have helped immeasurably. He is an outstanding educator and has been a pleasure to work with!

Planning for next year has already begun, starting with all of our previous events form the pre-covid era! Additionally, membership will be a priority this year so we are happy to have Briaunna on board. I am looking forward to moving away from Zoom to in-person meetings in the coming months.

In conversations with my peers, I have noticed a shift over the past year. Early on many of us were fond of saying, “when things get back to normal.” The bolder among us started calling for us to embrace the moment and bring systemic change to our music curricula. Now the more morose of my colleagues might even lament that they wonder if we will ever go back to “normal” while others have begun to acknowledge that in this year the world has changed and that a different future awaits us in music education.

Even though the viewpoints were different, I began to see some commonalities across the different perspectives and my realization took an unusual form—specifically, sonata form.

I realized that we are in the “development section” of our profession’s current sonata; the second major section of a piece marked by quick changes (modulations) and fragmented motives.

It is the portion of the sonata that is the most unstable but it is also where the journey or the transformation takes place. I recently heard someone compare sonata form to the hero’s journey in story—a comparison that I adored. This development section then becomes our odyssey; our voyage away from the familiar towards an adventure yet unseen.

The first section is our past, or perhaps more pointedly, “the way we’ve always done it.” I find it interesting that in 1999 the then Music Educators National Conference held a symposium and published a document entitled “Vision 2020: The Housewright Symposium on the Future of Music Education.” Now here we are, looking back at the year 2020 as the year when everything changed.

Before the pandemic, ensembles were king. Band, orchestra and choir represented a “complete” music program and programs were regarded as successful based on the trophies and ratings brought home by the biggest ensembles a school could muster. This was what felt comfortable for many of us. This was what was generally

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considered “normal.” This was our primary theme.

Then suddenly we couldn’t do large ensembles anymore. Some of us focused on theory, some tried out composition for the first time, others focused on individual musicianship and assigned solos and etudes to sate our students’ musical hungers. These were all things that many of us had previously said, “I just don’t have time to teach that.” Some tried to find new ways and new technologies to recreate what we remembered from “the way things used to be.”

Others tried to find new ways to reach students: creating music production courses and popular music units. Some embraced the social and emotional qualities of music education to help our students navigate their own difficult situations. And sadly, some programs faced massive hardships where courses and programs were unnecessarily cut in the face of such unprecedented times.

This has been our second movement: tumultuous, exploratory, unstable, with moments of glorious discovery. But a year in, we are starting to realize that as a profession we are heading towards our recapitulation.

In the third section we will see our initial themes return, but they will be changed, transformed by the development of the second section. They will be familiar, perhaps comfortable, but they will not be identical. In our “hero’s journey” after a time of loss, after all is stripped away and the hero is forced to face evil alone, we will find our victory. We will sing and play together again. Audiences will return. And yet, we have discovered too much over this past year to simply abandon the lessons we have learned for the comfort of the cherished past. For all of us music teachers, here on the cusp

Southern Border

Southern Border Section Update

by Dr. Jeff Malecki, CMEA Southern Border Section President

Things are great at the bottom of the state!

As a “band guy,” I’ve been lucky to always have wonderful counterparts in the choral world. When I moved to San Diego six years ago, I quickly found Dr. Emilie Amrein, Director of Choral Studies at the University of San Diego (and soon-to-be Department Chair), to not only be an amazing professional colleague, but a special friend. She has pushed me to be the best conductor and educator I can be at every turn, always with empathy and class.

Dr. Amrein began the Choral Commons podcast (https:// www.thechoralcommons.com/) earlier in 2020 with her colleague André de Quadros. It has continued to grow over the past several months into a robust series covering a reimagined choral space with innovation, equity, and community engagement as its core vision. I was happy to have the chance to sit down with her and Zoom chat about her project in more detail.

of another modulation that promises to send us cascading towards a final resolution, we must decide what the transformed restatement of our theme will sound like.

What have you learned on your journey through pandemic teaching? What new skills have you acquired that will enhance your teaching for the rest of your career? What experiences have you discovered with your students that were too powerful to dismiss?

Will it be a renewed focus on social and emotional learning? Or maybe a new integration of technology in your classroom? Or maybe still a revised curriculum that sets aside the performance product just a little bit to make room for more creating, responding, and connecting?

Regardless of the specifics, the truth remains that we have been transformed by this journey and to pretend like the past year didn’t change us is to do a disservice to the hard work and sacrifice we have all faced over this year of pandemic teaching. Our profession needs teachers who are willing to engage; to work together to shape the future of music education in our state, our country, and around the world. If you have been on the sidelines of the numerous great music education organizations that serve our teachers and our students, it is time to step up and get more involved. We are all tired and many of us are emotionally drained after a difficult season.

I am not calling on anyone to do more. But I am calling on all of us to be more together; to work collectively for the betterment of all our students. I don’t pretend to know what the next step will be.

But I do look forward to continuing the journey alongside you and discovering together how the future of music education might look.

Talk a bit about your background as an educator. You have been interested in social justice since we’ve known each other. When did you find yourself making social justice a focus?

I grew up singing. I was an awkward kid, certainly not in the “in” group, and I found, like so many people, a place in the arts.

But at the same time, recognized at an early age the potential of the space to provide belonging but also remember feeling defensive on behalf of people who were routinely excluded from that space.

I remember these horrible moments in middle and high school thinking, “this person seems to be really deserving of a solo or advancing to the higher choir, but for some reason they were not advanced, not allowed in.”

In graduate school, I found myself asking questions about community and relationships, and the power of the arts to participate in conversations about equity and justice. My thesis was about community engagement through choral programming.

How might we alter our programming to offer a different type of representation to our singers, our audience, our community? That was an entryway to asking these questions about how we might redesign the choral practice to be more equitable and just.

Now I understand programming is just one very small aspect

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of choral practice that should be interrogated. It's not just the choice of music or curriculum, but how we relate to our students, the type of space we construct with them, both inside and outside the classroom, what our policies are for things like attendance — basically how we assess our students in college — and how might that disadvantage the disabled, or people who are chronically ill. My new mission is to be a type of thermometer and try to figure out ways to converse with other people in the room where harm can be mended, relationships can be restored, and we can create the world we hope it becomes.

Becoming a parent of a child with a disability is a huge part of my story. I’m much more aware of how the system was designed for some and not all. We designed the world for the middle of the bell curve, and a majority of us don’t fall in the middle. So what if we could redesign the space not to accommodate the disabled, but a space that truly works for all of us?

How did you come up with the idea for the Choral Commons?

The idea came about being taken aback with how quickly things shut down last March. I was thinking of these questions about equity and justice, focuses in my creative work, and I thought I have to do something. These are urgent questions. Andre and I started talking about this podcast idea in April and of course at the end of May we saw George Floyd’s brutal murder, and the questions became all the more urgent. So it seemed like the right time to be having these public conversations.

The reason we named it what we did is because we’re thinking of this as a public space, a space where we can engage with one another, and with people who are different than us. We can think of the commons as a public square. How do we interact and see each other in that space, learn about each other, ask the difficult questions, get into the weeds, and hash things out?

This past fall, we spent a majority of our semester working on music from South Africa, and we brought in culture bearers who served to connect our classroom to musicians and even the public in South Africa. That’s something the technology allowed us to do that we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do in real life. Because we weren’t focused on the performance, we really took time to learn, to think and listen, and have conversations. It was really great, although I’m also eager to get back to face-to-face music making.

It would also be so unwise not to reflect on what was gained in this modality. To be in a deep relationship with people from a different geography, the ability to democratize the space using technology, the ability to deemphasize the performance and emphasize learning… these are all huge advantages that we haven’t been able to do in faceto-face learning, because we’re so often focused on the performance.

In one of the “Engendered” podcasts from the Commons, Lindsey Deaton, director of the San Diego Queer Youth Choir, mentioned that using proper pronouns is one thing that makes a huge difference to our trans students. Are there any other simple, perhaps not profound, fixes educators can do in their dayto-day teaching?

I think the danger of the quick fix is that it gives people the impression that the problems are surface level rather than systemic. I don’t think that just using proper pronouns will solve the problem of transphobia and gender violence. Certainly misgendering is a source of harm, and if we can eliminate one source of harm, we should — it’s not a difficult thing to do, but we shouldn’t be under the false assumption that those changes are going to deal with the systemic issues that are deeply embedded in culture and education.

You mention in a podcast that “Choir as a space for radical imagining” — what does your USD In one of your podcasts about classroom look like in practice, both music and the prison system, now during COVID and in person?

Michael Powell, a former inmate, I really hate the physical space because students are positioned talks about a “savior” mentality. in a lecture hall, conferring authority on the figure in the front in a How can non-BIPOC allies, white way I’m not interested in perpetuating. I want to really work against folx, avoid this? the idea in education that there is an expert in the front who is taking their knowledge and implanting it into these empty vessels in front of us. I try to work against this by rehearsing in a circle — that’s just one way to democratize the setup.

As far as the social space and the relationships, the communal space, I try to create the conditions to offer their type of view. I ask a lot of open questions, why we should do something this way or that way. I try to allow people’s voices to be heard. We also try to get out of the score — work on improvisation, giving creative voice to students through works they write, text they write. Conveniently, COVID has done a lot to democratize the classroom, because when we’re all equalized with the little boxes on a screen, it’s a lot harder for those people who dominate the conversation in person. There’s more space for introverts to engage, there are ways people are able to add their voice more actively.

I think you have to do some deep interrogation about what your motives are, what your assumptions are. Conductors are taught to come in and even if you don’t know an answer, to make a decision, and pretend you know the answer. If I came into a conversation with you, a colleague, the way I’ve been taught to go into a classroom, you’d think I was an arrogant jerk! I think we can do a lot by coming into the space with the posture of listening instead of professing, the way you would come into a conversation with another person. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not doing the “white savior” thing, but I think it can help a lot.

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The Choral Commons Singing in Prisons, Part 1 // Catherine Roma & Michael Powell Shared with permission. Please visit https://www.buzzsprout.com/1047100 for more episodes

A majority of CMEA’s readers are not directly tied to choir — bandos like me, for one. How can nonchoral music educators utilize the Commons podcast?

What we’re talking about is a type of pedagogy and practice that is disruptive, a way of being in a relationship and thinking of the classroom space as a site for building worlds, and it’s a matter of which world we’re building. In band, orchestra, mariachi, general music class, in a theatre space, the art world… how might we harness the potential for a more just reality? How can we model it to be more prophetic? Can we build this thing that’s a little utopia, so that we can hold it up to model the rest of the world around? We are creating and recreating a social architecture that communicates meaning, ideology, and little messages. How can we redesign that space so there is less harm and exclusion, more compassion, more justice, inclusion? That’s much more than just the Choral Commons.

Not only are CMEA members diverse in their music specialties, but diverse in just about every other way imaginable. Dr. Mackie Spradley, NAfME national president, mentioned on your “Envision 2021” podcast “building bridges

and working with people from everywhere.” What do you say to those who disagree with your message?

I’ve never been personally trolled in the Choral Commons, but I have witnessed Zoom bombing. It was one of the most violent things I’ve witnessed as far as the rage and destructive interest of the people who came into that space. I was very moved by the leaders who reclaimed that space and tried to reestablish safety, before talking about the pain of the people who came into the space with the purpose of destroying and harming, and to think about forgiveness. I thought, how can you be that way, forgiving those who want to do malicious harm to you? I’ve had so many lessons like that.

I was thinking of an episode of the podcast with Monica Curca, talking about understanding that we have a long way to go, to come into conflicted spaces regardless of the fact we haven’t arrived. To interact with people with differing opinions, who are uncomfortable, who may even have intention to do harm, that’s kind of what this work is about. For the people who might feel resistant or uncomfortable with these conversations, I would just have to keep repeating the idea that there are people in our communities who are hurting. What are the conditions that have allowed for people to perceive other people as threats, or political ideas to separate us? How can we acknowledge those and work to repair and mend those, and make connections with people? We’re all interconnected, we’re all in this together, and we need to figure out how to move forward to something better.

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Southwestern

Southwestern Section Update

by Ryan Rowles, CMEA Southwestern Section President

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ello from CMEA Southwestern Section. As we are at the one-year mark of our life with covid and distance learning, we wanted to take this opportunity to spotlight another member colleague, Damon Carter (Instructional Supervisor, Education Through MusicLos Angeles). Damon also presented an outstanding workshop at the first-ever CMEA SWS Virtual Conference this past fall.

He has taken a moment to reflect on his experience over the last year and share with all of us. Thank you, Damon, for your time and dedication to the field of music education in so many communities across Los Angeles County. Wishing you and ALL of our dedicated music educators a safe and successful rest of the school year as we head to the “finish line.”

How did you first realize you wanted to be a music teacher?

When I was about 17 years old taking piano lessons, my teacher’s roster was full and he could no longer accept new students.

He eventually recruited me to take on beginner students at his studio. It was the first validation I received that I could teach music.

From there, I continued teaching, eventually building my own student roster, and later teaching in schools.

Please share a little bit about where you teach, what you do, and the students you serve.

I had a 20-year career of teaching K-8 music in Boston-area public and private schools until 2018. Since relocating to Los Angeles in 2018, I have been working as an Instructional Supervisor at Education Through Music-Los Angeles (www.etmla.org). ETMLA is a non-profit that partners with underserved elementary and middle schools in LA County to deliver music education. I supervise and mentor 10 teachers who bring standards-based music curriculum to these schools. The organization is currently thriving in its 15th year with a waiting list of principals who want to partner with our program.

In this past year, given the challenges you have faced, what would you say is your proudest achievement?

My proudest achievement, given the circumstances of a pandemic, is being part of an organization (ETM-LA) that pivoted, made adjustments, and restructured adequately to continue bringing music education to our schools -- virtually. There were many hurdles to overcome like learning new applications (Smart Music, Quaver, Flip-Grid, Google Classroom, Soundtrap, Clever, Zoom, Ringcentral, etc.), as well as complete training on student engagement and culturally responsive teaching. We also for the first time presented students in virtual performances back in December 2020. These achievements confirmed our resolve to face adversity in the name of music education.

In what way have you been challenged the most as a music teacher? How do you feel you have grown?

Whether as a supervisor or when leading a classroom of students, what has been and continues to be most challenging for me is engaging students virtually. I’ve had to come out of my comfort zone by being more animated with movement activities (not my favorite) and speed up the pace of my lessons. I have grown in my appreciation for what it must be like for kids to go to a computer screen every day. I have more patience.

Looking ahead to the next school year, with anticipation of in-person instruction including music, what do you hope music educators will do differently or better?

I hope that having been removed and isolated from our students for over a year that we acquire a deeper gratitude for them.

I hope that gratitude guides us to better planning, and best practices as teachers. I also hope it steers administrators to be more active advocates for arts education in public schools.

How have you sustained yourself, including personal well-being, this last year?

Despite the negative effects of quarantining and stay-at-home orders, having my daily commute eliminated has done wonders for me. My stress levels are down, I have more time to exercise, and since I’m not on the road, I eat less junk food. I guess I’ve gotten better at searching for and finding silver linings as a result of this pandemic.

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Watch the celebration here!

Congratuations to all our state and section award winners!!

For a full list of award recipients, go to https://calmusiced.com/membershipservices/state-awards/

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Collegiate Spotlight

by Dr. Dennis Siebenaler, CMEA Collegiate Representative I would just like to share this recent research article from Journal of Research in Music Education that found that cooperating teachers valued such personality and character traits in student teachers as managing stress, appropriate social behaviors, positive attitudes and enthusiasm above musical skills. Music teachers need to be good people as well as good musicians.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of cooperating teachers regarding the importance of certain teacher traits, behaviors, and skills as predictors of a successful student teaching experience. The sample consisted of teachers who had served as cooperating teachers (N = 519). Participants rated a list of 40 teacher traits, behaviors, and skills based on their (perceived) importance as predictors of student teacher success. I constructed ranked lists for each demographic grouping of respondents by the mean score for each item, and these lists were examined using a method put forward by Teachout. Results revealed that the highest-rated items regardless of demographic grouping

CAJ Update

by Anne Hendrickson, CAJ Newsletter Editor The California Alliance for Jazz (CAJ) is a group of dedicated jazz educators whose goal is to support and foster jazz education throughout California at all educational levels. Please visit our website at cajazz.org to discover the many ways we support jazz education.

Our efforts include managing all aspects of the All-State Big Bands and Vocal Honor Jazz Ensembles which are showcased at the annual CASMEC conference. This year our conductors took on the daunting task of directing our honor ensembles in a virtual format. Many thanks to Paul Lucckesi, Junior High director, Kim Nazarian, Vocal Jazz director and High School director Gordon Goodwin.

CAJ also provides opportunities for high-quality jazz clinics for your ensembles at an affordable cost. The Jazz Tune Up Clinics (this year re-named “Zoom Up Clinics”) are designed to improve and foster performance of jazz in elementary through college level groups. Please visit https://www.cajazz.org/jazz-tune-up to schedule a clinic for your ensemble.

Our website and quarterly newsletters provide online resources for our members and offers knowledge skills to improve ensembles. Visit https://www.cajazz.org/join to join CAJ today!

variables were demonstrating appropriate social behavior, stress management, fostering appropriate student behavior, establishing a positive rapport with others, and enthusiasm. All participant groups rated personal traits, behaviors, and skills as most important; followed by teaching traits, behaviors, and skills; then musical traits, behaviors, and skills. Content analyses of open-ended questions revealed that no items had a universal meaning among participants in this study.

Citation Edelman, P. B. (2021). Cooperating music teachers’ opinions regarding the importance of selected traits, behaviors, and skills as predictors of successful student teaching experiences.

Journal of Research in Music Education, 68(4), 451–468. doi:10.1177/0022429420951186.

The California Alliance for Jazz board members are extremely proud of our newly-created CAJ Black Lives Matter Scholarship.

CAJ is an organization created to promote jazz education and performance throughout the state. We teach and believe jazz is an African-American art form that has inspired people of all races, cultures, and nationalities to dedicate their lives to its performance and development. Since its earliest days, this Black American Music, borne from slavery, has served as the soundtrack to movements for equality and justice and continues to do so today. Considered by some to be less significant when compared to its classical counterpart, Black American Music has, in fact, defined American Culture. CAJ chooses to take positive action in fighting racism through music.

Through the BLM Jazz Scholarship, with awards from $500$1000, we hope to aid deserving students in acquiring activities or materials to aid their artistic development such as equipment, private lessons, or summer camp costs.

Please visit the BLM Jazz Scholarship page on our website for application information: https://www.cajazz.org/black-lives-matterscholarship. Application deadline for 2021 is April 1.

We invite all California jazz educators, from novice to experienced, to join CAJ and help us to promote jazz education for the benefit of our students and to keep this uniquely American art form vital and growing.

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Frameworks for Cultural Relevance in the Music Classroom

by Jarritt Ahmed Sheel

Abstract This article seeks to examine and interrogate the various teaching strategies found in culturally responsive teaching and culturally relevant pedagogies. The author seeks to align them in ways that help them cohear, and address the inherent social issues found in music classrooms. We will share instructional frameworks and teaching examples that hope to address the topic of cultural relevance in the music classroom. #culturalrelevantpedagogy #culture #musiceducation #framework #lens #instruction #bridge #practice #culturalresponsiveteaching #pedagogy

Building A Framework for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in the Music Classroom When I think of culturally relevant pedagogy and culturally responsive teaching, I immediately begin to think back to all of the classes that I have taken part in as an educator, student and facilitator that were titled “Culturally Relevant” or “Culturally Responsive.” Most of those courses and learning opportunities were in most part helpful, but also did little to nothing to help me translate what I learned into actual teaching segments or deeper pedagogical understandings. So, as I pondered this post, as a member of the editorial board of this fine journal, I began to think of how I can contribute to clarifying and defining how music teachers (educators) understand and engage in responsive/relevant facilitation.

Facilitation is a term that I will lean on in the coming months, to help us focus the intent of the learning unit - speaking to and supporting the needs/wants of the student(s). Facilitation is at the heart of student-centered learning and engagement. It builds a rapport between student and teacher, saying - your voice matters, and I am interested in serving not only your needs, but also your wants in the learning space. This is, hopefully, about supporting student-centered learning through relevant topics, tools and methods, teaching through relevance. However, scholars like Dr. Geneva Gay and Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings go further to pronounce a need in the early 1990’s for what was termed Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Culturally Responsive Teaching. I have summarized one way of viewing terms in the space of music education.

• Cultural Relevance is when you facilitate a learning opportunity that seeks to address a cultural or social issue within the context of the learning community or the larger society through instruction and content that speaks to remediating larger social issues - i.e. racism,

•

sexism, xenophobia, etc. - by engaging in facilitation that acknowledges the importance of relevant content and instruction.

Culturally Responsiveness is when you facilitate a learning opportunity that seeks to respond to cultural or social issues observed in the learning space, and seek to remediate them within the context of the learning experience through instruction that acknowledges and respects that culture of the learner in its response.

Both of these items that we have discussed are philosophical and praxial in nature. They go beyond what we can concede as instructional practices, and extend into the realm of social justice, equality and equity - into that of instructional frameworks. These frameworks do not seek to answer concrete, but rather lead the participant into developing strategies that speak to the students' needs and wants. The facilitator (teacher) places the learners (students) in the center and focuses the learning on culture as locale, people, language, attire, community expectations, etc., but also as lens, bridge, and finally practice.

Frameworks When I first read Adam Kruse's 2016 article titled “Toward hiphop pedagogies for music education,” I was developing a literature review for my doctoral dissertation. I was excited to finally read something that seemed relevant to my research around Hip-Hop and music education. The term relevance continued to ring clear through each iteration of my paper, at professional conferences and even more so in my PD/Workshops on Hip-Hop. Kruse does a literature review of the various scholars (Cooks, 2004; Duncan-Andrade & Morrell, 2002 & 2005; Hallman, 2009; Hanley, 2007; Hill, 2009; Hill & Petchauer, 2013; Morrell & Duncan-Andrade, 2002; Petchauer, 2009; Emdin, 2010; Mahiri, 2006; Stovall, 2006), and many others to help delineate the different kinds of wisdom we can learn from the Hip-Hop culture and community. What is so relevant and responsive in Hip-Hop culture that allows billions of people all over the world

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to connect in more ways than we can quantify. So, the term relevance stuck, and I thought later on - these pedagogical frameworks that Kruse reports in 2016 can be used in describing the various ways (Bridge, Lens & Practice) in which music teachers/educators can link the content, instructional approach, selection of repertoire, means of facilitation, discussion model, etc., to the student, because after all, the student’s growth and health is most important in the model of culturally relevant and responsive teaching.

• Lens: when you examine the lived world or issue through the art/culture you are interrogating. In this framework, Kruse (2016) wrote, “Using Hip-hop as a lens generally has involved exploring sociocultural issues within Hip-hop.

This includes critiquing Hip-hop itself (e.g., gender issues in rap lyrics) as well as the ways in which hip-hop reflects and comments on the larger world (e.g., socioeconomic issues present in1970s South Bronx block parties).” We will use the term Lens as a means to explore other relevant cultural topics using music we are familiar with, and is within the contemporary context of our communal experience. Cultural relevance speaks to knowing what's happening in the world today, and using your privilege as facilitator to create meaningful experiences in which students may have the opportunity to speak to situations in their musicking class.

• Bridge: when what (music content) you teach or facilitate connects to a cultural touchpoint, usually in connection with a contemporary social issue. Similarly Kruse (2014) wrote, “In efforts to increase the relevance of school experiences for students, some education scholars have argued for connecting the school curriculum to Hip-hop cultures...” It is these connections to real-life situations and familiar matters/topics that lend credence to the idea of the importance of student-centered learning as a means to student success. Relating materials to current reality, and not to the far distant past - that I can only imagine, often takes the power away from the material, teacher, etc., and allows the learner to tackle the bigger questions offered during the experience.

• Practice: when you engage in a new or different culture's music/art (practices) - in doing so learn about the people, and the issues they face. Kruse (2016) stated that “Hiphop as practice demonstrates a meaningful application of Hip-hop perspectives. While specific Hip-hop artifacts might be used in activities, it is the Hip-hop worldviews and actions that impact learning experiences in these pedagogies and research studies.” We as music educators can use Culturally Relevant and Responsive Teaching as a bridge to meaningful understanding of the current world we live in with respect to the past and hopefully the future.

These frameworks (figure 1) are not complete, and only offer a framework, and starting point, from which to enter into the process of creating relevant learning experiences for both you and your students. Whether the locale of instruction is virtual or in-person, students and teachers are more apt to enjoy the experience of learning if they feel empowered to achieve due to relatable material presented in a contextualized manner that seeks to speak to their learning style. I offer these three frameworks to enter into creating CRP/CRT approved lessons. Since there is no governing body for Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) or Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP), each teacher has to do their best to seek a higher level of cultural competence every year. To know your community, their expectations, and norms is a wonderful opportunity to develop instructional materials that speak to the whole of the student, select relevant repertoire, engage in relevant methods of instruction, and foster good rapport - that always seems to accentuate good learning experiences.

About the Author Jarritt Ahmed Sheel is Assistant Professor of Music Education at Berklee College of Music. In addition to teaching at Berklee College of Music, he is a fifth-year doctoral candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University in the Music and Music Education Department. As a professional musician, he has toured internationally and worked with hundreds of students in high school band programs throughout Illinois, Florida, and New York. Sheel has taught music courses at the Aspen Award–winning Valencia College, New York University, and has taught collegiatelevel courses based on critical theory, art history, and democracy in the City University of New York system.

Sheel is a past ensemble director for the Youth Workshop Band as part of the Education Department at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. His research focused on the Hip-hop movement (music, culture, and pedagogies) in music education and teacher training. He is a passionate advocate for arts education, a member of the National Association for Music Education’s Innovation Council, and on the board of the Association for Popular Music Education.

He is a cofounder of the music resource website Hip-Hop Music Ed and a leader of social media dialogue around #hiphopmusiced.

Sheel is proud to be a son, husband, and father, and when he is not working enjoys time with family and friends.

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References: Cooks, J. A. (2004). Writing for something: Essays, raps, and writing preferences. English Journal, 94(1),72–76.

Dimitriadis, G. (2009). Performing identity/performing culture: Hip hop as text, pedagogy, and lived practice. New York: Peter Lang Publishing.

Emdin, C. (2010). Affiliation and alienation: Hip-hop, rap, and urban science education. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 42(1), 1–25.

Hallman, H. L. (2009). “Dear Tupac, you speak to me”: Recruiting hip hop as curriculum at a school for pregnant and parenting teens. Equity & Excellence in Education, 42(1), 36–51.

Hanley, M. S. (2007). Old school crossings: Hip hop in teacher education and beyond. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 115, 35–44.

Hill, M. L. (2009). Beats, rhymes, and classroom life: Hip-hop pedagogy and the politics of identity. New York: Teachers College Press.

Hill, M. L., & Petchauer, E. (2013). Schooling hip-hop: Expanding hip-hop based education across the curriculum. New York: Teachers College Press.

Kruse, A. J. (2016). Toward hip-hop pedagogies for music education.

International Journal of Music Education, 34(2), 247-260.

Mahiri, J. (2006). Digital DJ-ing: Rhythms of learning in an urban school.

Language Arts, 84(1), 55–62.

After a successful CASMEC and Virtual AllState for our four Honor Choirs, CCDA is excited for all of California to see the hard work of the student musicians in their performances released this spring. Please be sure to stay tuned for those video releases!

In addition, CCDA continues its work toward diversity, equity, inclusion, and access for all in choral music throughout California. If you haven’t already, check out the rich resources CCDA has put together. http://calcda.org/resources/socialjustice/

http://www.acdacal.org/

Morrell, E., & Duncan-Andrade, J. (2002). Promoting academic literacy with urban youth through engaging hip-hop culture. Advances in Physiological Education, 91(6), 88–92.

Petchauer, E. (2009). Framing and reviewing hip-hop educational research.

Review of Educational Research, 79(2), 946–978.

Stovall, D. (2006). We can relate: Hip-hop culture, critical pedagogy, and the secondary classroom. Urban Education, 41(6), 585–602.

Reprinted with permission from Massachusetts Music Education Association

CODA Call Out The 2022 California All-State Music Education Conference (CASMEC) will now include a second ensemble for Junior High School orchestra students. The addition of this ensemble will expand opportunities for students across the state, helping to ensure that even more students who are deserving of this opportunity have the opportunity to participate!

Congratulations to the newly elected 2021-23 CODA Officers, including Tiffany Ou (President), Joni Swenson (Vice President), Yu-Ting Wang (Treasurer), and Greg Conway (Secretary)! Share your thanks and congratulations to these fine educators on Instagram or Facebook.

Finally, at CASMEC, CMEA was afforded the opportunity to recognize a number of wonderful individuals and organizations with state-level awards. Congratulations to all the deserving recipients, including the CMEA Richard L. Levin Orchestra Educator of the Year, Esmeralda Rocha Lozano of Clovis High School.

Stay connected with the California Orchestra Directors Association throughout the year. Join us on Instagram, Facebook, and via our website.

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We Survived Distance Learning - One Recording at a Time

by Gail Bowers I can’t believe we are coming up on a full year of teaching music through Distance Learning. I remember in March of 2020, thinking that we would be back after Spring Break. Then, we would certainly be back in the Fall. As reality set in, we were thrown into PD days full of learning new on-line platforms and spending 10 hours a day putting everything into action. Each day, as I finished listening to my students on Sight Reading Factory and Soundtrap, I asked myself if I was just creating a band-aide or was I actually reaching any of those sad little faces in my virtual classrooms. I spent countless hours editing on Soundtrap to make Virtual Concerts to share with the families. Unlike live concerts, I didn’t get any “atta girl” hugs or smiles at the end of the night. I just sat there, alone, wondering if anyone had even watched the videos. I finally couldn’t take it anymore, and sent an email to the parents, asking them to please let me know what they thought of the virtual concert. I immediately received letters from several parents and some of them even sent letters to the administrators and school board, making it very clear that Music Education is what kept their student motivated during these difficult times.

The other day, I asked my Chamber Singers if they were better musicians today than they were a year ago. I held my breath waiting for them to say, “No, this has been a complete waste of time but we appreciate your effort.”

But - instead they unanimously told me why they are better musicians!

Because of Soundtrap, they were able to self-evaluate their own voice and work on their tone. They were paying closer attention to the other singers so their tracks lined up as perfectly as possible. They were listening to vowel shapes, tuning and paying attention to rhythms and style. They were listening to my weekly personal feedback and making adjustments. Because of Sight Reading Factory, they felt they were better at reading than they had ever been! They also said that instead of learning things by ear from the stronger singers around them, which they were guilty of in a choral setting, they were now paying attention to the notes on the page! I was so excited! I told my Principal, I told the District VAPA Department Chairs, anyone that would listen, I told!!!!

Now I know that all of the countless hours that I have put in, researching YouTube videos, putting lessons together on Google Classroom, and listening to my students, one by one, was worth every second. I can’t wait to see them in person and hear them sing together. I know that a lot of adjustments will still need to be made, but this time away from them has helped me rethink how I teach music and how I will teach in the future. I am a firm believer in “Everything happens for a reason.” I appreciate things that I used to take for granted and I put things into perspective more than I ever have. I’ve always been a positive person and this past year has tested me more than a few times, but I am coming out of this stronger than when I went in. I hope you can say the same.

About the Author Gail Bowers earned her BA in Music Education from Minot State University in Minot, North Dakota. In 2006 she earned her Masters of Education degree from Graceland University. Gail is in her 33rd year of teaching, her 24th at Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa, CA. She started her career as a band and choir director but has been a full-time choral teacher for the past 20 years. MCHS has two Jazz Choirs, Chamber Singers, Treble Choir and Men’s Choir.

Gail belongs to the California Music Educators Association and the American Choral Directors Association. She was nominated for Educator of the year by her peers in 2004, 2011 & 2017, as Choral Educator of the Year by the Bay Area California Music Educators Association in 2006 and as Music Director of the year by the Northern California Band and Choral Directors Association in 2012. In 2018, she was awarded the California Music Educator Association State Choral Educator of the Year Award. Gail is an adjudicator for CMEA Bay Section festivals as well as a clinician at various CMEA and ACDA Conferences.

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Music

Technology

by Jessica Husselstein, CMEA Technology Representative I don’t know about you, but the biggest technology-based panic I had this past year was when my admin asked if I had seen ‘those super cool tiled videos’ some other schools (like, um, Berklee and Julliard - no pressure with that beginning band, you know) were doing. While trying to sound like a team player, I kinda sorta offered to give it a try. I hinted I would need the site to invest in the software and some PD time for me to figure out how to use it, and to my relief, that conversation never went anywhere. (#panicaverted) But come fall, as we began to get into our virtual groove, I knew my kids needed some way to engage in the ensemble experience.

Enter Allan Jiang and his amazing software, Easy Virtual Choir (EVC). EVC is a web-based program that allows musicians to record multi track projects with minimal editing on the song owner’s end.

Tracks can have volume adjusted or be muted, and the software automatically aligns the parts to start and stop together. Jiang decided to write this program after struggling with the traditional way of lining up tracks in other popular software, and simply losing the essence of music making in the tedium of the editing process.

He decided to write the program with the goal of “...reclaiming the joy in singing.” After a few attempts and Zoom tutorials, he and his choir “..went from no singing since March, to putting together a small song of about a dozen people in a couple days, and within one month ramping up to the full choir (about 30 people) singing a

new song every other week. The larger songs are actually completed within a couple days -- the off-weeks are to give time for the choir to learn the next song. They are still going strong! :)" In addition to the incredibly easy learning curve, simple student log-in, privacy controls and insanely simple editing process, Jiang shares that “I decided to offer EasyVirtualChoir for free in order to help our communities out during this time of Covid. I pray that the site may continue to foster joy and a deeper sense of community through music while we face the isolation of sheltering in. One of my favorite moments while working on EasyVirtualChoir (and there are many!) was getting to sing Be Thou My Vision with my Dad on the east coast, and then sending our video to my Grandma in China. Special moments like these: singing with family, happy birthday songs, the joy of hearing your entire ensemble again, etc., these are the things that keep me going on this project. Please do share about the website with others: music teachers, school district fine arts directors, and of course family and friends!”

Easyvirtualchoir.com has been a great tool for students of all levels and types of ensembles. I use it with my recorder classes and beginning band. Their first glimpse of ensemble playing has been a huge retention motivator. I hope you’ll take a minute to check it out, and that it is a fun addition to your program.

World Music Please check the CMEA World Music Council Facebook Page for latest news and announcements of events relating to World Music: https://www.facebook.com/ cmeaworldmusic

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Music Curriculum and Pedagogy in Urban Spaces Oakland Unified School District music educators David Byrd, Holly Shogbesan, Adam Green, Randy Porter, and Zack PittSmith share a historical narrative of urban music programs' successes and challenges. In a round-table conversation among music colleagues, they discuss their work in the context of racism, gentrification, and the need for awareness of different perspectives as California Music Educators Association music teachers in the CMEA Bay Section urban spaces.

Songwriting Across and Outside of Genres Michael Albertson, CMEA Innovations Representative One thing I notice when working with students is that they are not limited by genres. They listen to an eclectic mix of music, and this variety often appears in their original music. Students seem more concerned with writing the music they hear in their minds than identifying a genre and then working within the historical structures of that genre. I have come to understand this as working across and outside of genres, something I certainly was not encouraged to do in my own secondary music education.

textures. For example, if I compose a frenetic piano part, maybe the bass guitar part is sparser, with longer rhythms. Or, if the violin melody is ascending, maybe I look for openings for the accompanying instruments to descend with the harmony. This works for digital music making, too!

Focusing on musical ideas rather than genres creates openings for our students to create music that is important to them. It allows for differentiation of instruction for music educators based on student experience and student interest.

Educators may feel unprepared to open our classrooms to these new musical explorations. None of us can have—or can be expected to have—expert knowledge in every musical style in which our students engage. However, this doesn’t mean that we cannot guide students to create their best possible music.

I have found success in focusing on musical elements rather than musical genres when prompting students to create original music. For example, ostinato has a specific meaning in a classical composition, but the fundamental idea of a short repeated musical pattern appears across almost every popular genre, too. Another musical idea I ask my students to explore is contrasting musical

Students and educators work together, sharing their own specialized musical knowledge, to create something new and unique.

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A Whole New V irtual World!

By Emma Joleen Schopler, CMEA General Music Representative K-12 It is with immense gratitude that I humbly say thank you to our members, clinicians, attendees and especially the volunteers who made CASMEC a wonderful conference for everyone. My hope is that the clinics sparked musical inspiration for all our classrooms and in our lives. For those of you who missed the outstanding Navy Band SouthWest performing at the Gala Concert, your registration is valid to watch everything from CASMEC 2021 until the end of Summer. This includes all the clinics and sessions on Crowcast and Zoom. For those of you who haven’t registered yet, you may still do so and view the conference online: REGISTER HERE. Following the news flash and easy virtual choir information is a brief review of our CASMEC 2021 General Music sessions with lesson ideas and links to the clinicians.

General Music Sessions @Casmec 2021

General Music Newsflash!

Peripole-sponsored clinician: Richard Lawton: Teaching Elementary Choir in a Virtual Environment and Teaching Recorder Online. Lawton commenced his Teaching Elementary Choir in a Virtual Environment by warning everyone that he is not a chorister, nor a choir teacher. This is a project that arose because of teaching within the confines of COVID. His school wanted a Virtual Choir and he figured out how to do it. Lawton discussed the challenges he faced working in a public school setting where access to technology was not guaranteed. He relied on his personal equipment at home and students mostly used or borrowed from family members. The benefit was that his elementary students needed parental assistance to complete the project and hence, community building naturally occurred. Lawton demonstrated his Virtual Choir creation using GarageBand, iMovie, Zoom, Vimeo and Adobe Premiere Pro. Lawton’s next clinic was Teaching Recorder Online. During this session, Lawton presented popular tunes such as “Let’s Stick Together” by Bryan Ferry (These Foolish Things, 1976), and the folk melody “Pease Porridge Hot,” as well as his own arrangement of “Little Johnny Brown.” Lawton took time answering questions and sharing his personal insights about creating a successful online Recorder program. He mentioned that playing Recorder in school can often give students the opportunity to not participate, whereas online, Lawton says,“everybody plays, it’s hard to fake it on video.”

Another benefit to Teaching Recorder Online is the individualized instruction via Schoology and similar platforms. Students become self-reliant and empowered by sharing personal video performances with family and friends. This was especially true of the “Virtual Recorder Choir” Lawton created with his students. Overall, a wonderful example of transforming classroom lessons into an online format for student success and lifelong memories. Click here to view Richard Lawton’s VIMEO page: https://vimeo.com/user4503594

Besides Dalcroze, Orff and Kodaly, California has a newcomer to consider. It is the new California Chapter of the Gordon Institute for Music Learning (GIML). Check out the website here: https://giml.org/pdlc/summer2021/ What is Music Learning Theory? It is an explanation of how we learn when we learn music. Based on an extensive body of research and practical field testing by Edwin E. Gordon and others, Music Learning Theory is a comprehensive method for teaching audiation, Gordon’s term for the ability to think music in the mind with understanding.

Easy Virtual Ensemble Platform For General Music Teachers The FREE Virtual Ensemble platform is here: https://easyvirtualchoir.com/home When you’re tasked with creating virtual ensembles for grades TK - 12 and you teach hundreds, maybe over a thousand students on a weekly basis, you need a platform that does the editing for you.

It might not be the best sound quality, but for a teacher who doesn’t have sixty hours to sit in front of the computer and edit videos all weekend, this is a life saver. Begin now with the Quick Start Guide.

All you need is a Gmail account and you’re set! This is seriously the easiest and most cost-effective way to create a virtual platform for choir, orchestra, band, recorder ensemble, Orff ensemble and more.

In the Quick Start Guide, you will learn how to create a new song, add tracks to a song, export and share your song. The following setup is required: laptop or desktop computer, webcam and microphone (the built-in hardware on most laptops works well), headphones or earbuds, Chrome browser and a Google account (to sign in). The tutorial requires you to be signed in. Start today at https://easyvirtualchoir.com and click Google Sign In.

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West Music-sponsored clinician, Doug Goodkin: Improvisation in the Orff Schulwerk. Goodkin demonstrated a step-by-step process of improvisation to implement in the upper elementary grades. However, the genius of this activity is that it can easily be adapted to any grade level and on any instrument. Goodkin presented his own arrangement of the song, “Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?” (D. Goodkin, Now's the Time: Teaching Jazz to All Ages: Pentatonic Press). This activity was a call and response game. Goodkin showed how to adapt this music activity for Zoom between the group and a solo interaction. He also provided a video demonstration of his Fourth grade class performing the song.

Goodkin’s session was incredibly interactive with the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered immediately. When we are back in person and seeking to build an in-class ensemble, Goodkin recommended a whole-piece play-along with his CD, “Boom Chick A Boom” (Goodkin and the Pentatonics). Music can be found here: Cookie Jar Sheet Music. Overall, a jazzy presentation with an instruction manual for teaching improvisation at all levels of education. Please email Doug Goodkin for more information: goodkindg@aol.com.

Crystal Pridmore and Lowri Casimiro from Chula Vista Elementary School District, San Diego: Instruments are for Everyone: Making Instruments Accessible to Special Learners in Elementary General Music. Pridmore and Casimiro presented a diverse array of materials that they use in their teaching both online and in person. They addressed the difficulty of teaching during a pandemic and how they have managed their own mental health amidst remote instruction. The crisis made them decide to focus on Social Emotional Learning concepts in every class for both student and teacher wellbeing. Such an endeavour maintains a stress-free environment in the Zoom classroom. Hence, the need to start lessons with a Dance Party using the song, “It's Gonna Be OKAY”

by The Piano Guys. This song was strongly encouraged to lift spirits and energy, as well as to alleviate Zoom fatigue. Next was Brian Pinkney’s “Max Found Two Sticks,” a fun-filled activity where the participants learned about a little boy who was having a hard day and unable to use his words. Instead, Max uses his imagination and works through his feelings, finding joy in the materials and natural rhythms all about him. This story was used to introduce the rhythm sticks and set some rules for instruments in the classroom.

The participants were asked to pick up a pair of rhythm sticks or something similar to express their imaginations. It was a great introduction to handling sticks gently and learning to play the beat. Pridmore and Casimira have original songs for just about everything. There was a song for handing out sticks, saying thank you when you receive the sticks, a hello song, and many more. The beauty of this session lay in the presenters' ability to sing just about

anything and also play it on their guitars and ukuleles. Beat-keeping song suggestions included: • Tucker’s Barn, Doc Watson • Through the Woods, The Okee Dokee Brothers • Happy, Pharrell Williams • Sing, Sing, Sing, Benny Goodman • Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing, Stevie Wonder • Take it Easy, The Eagles • 9 to 5, Dolly Parton • Battu, Angélique Kidjo • The Fox, Nickel Creek • Love Me Do, The Beatles For Special Education classes, Pre-K and KG, Pridmore and Casimiro targeted sensory experience. To introduce instruments using gentle hands, they started on the floor saying that “it hasn’t woken up yet.” Everything that is to be done on instruments is preceded by floorwork. The sequence presented included, “We tap the floor…. We knock on the floor… we pat the floor and we tickle the floor! We stroke on the floor…. We rub the floor… we scratch the floor… and we listen!” Eventually the floor wakes up with a “tap, tap, tap," using the following prose: “Wake up floor, wake up floor, wake up floor with a tap, tap tap….Wake up floor, wake up floor, wake up floor with a tap, tap, tap!” Then the teacher asks, “Is it awake yet? What do you think?” A brief discussion ensues followed by a repeat of “wake up floor” with coinciding movements.

Intermittently, the class is asked, “Is it awake yet?” and “What else can we do to wake it up?” The final outcome is replacing the floor with a drum and moving the songs onto drums. Orff instruments may also be applied. Pridmore and Casimiro recommend a large gathering drum for such an activity. For more information please email: me@crystalpridmore.com.

Anna Santiago, Music and Movement: Teaching at a Distance.

Santiago presented an exuberant clinic for teachers on Zoom.

Her effervescent disposition shined through the screen enlivening every participant. Attendees were standing, moving, singing and playing to the beat of Santiago’s song. It was definitely a funfilled atmosphere. Santiago shared “Statue Cards” for a game of musical freeze. She demonstrated how teaching on Zoom can be enjoyable with valuable lessons to reflect upon. Instead of feeling Zoom fatigue, Santiago refreshed the settings to transform a pandemic mindset into a malleable brain of openness with energy, expression and cognition. Mirroring was used to move with musical masterpieces such as “Aquarium” from the Carnival of Animals by Saint Saens, “Hungarian Dances No. 5” by Brahms, “Fur Elise”

by Beethoven and “Humoresque” by Dvorak. “Scarf movement

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cards” were suggested for use during the mirroring exercise. A personal favorite was the “Extreme Body Percussion,'' adapted from the Organization of American Kodaly Educators President, Donna Menhart. There are nine percussive movements that can be performed in order or randomly. Santiago displayed multiple arrangements of five random movements from the nine. Picture examples of these movements are in the Google Slide images shared by Santiago below. Please email Anna Santiago for more information: annasantiagomusic@gmail.com

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CALIFORNIA MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION

Ensuring all California students have equal access to a high-quality music education as part of a well-rounded education.

https://calmusiced.com/