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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
the Cover : Stand Up 4 Music/California Music Education Advocacy Day at the California State Capitol, Sacramento on May 22, 2014
Sidebar photos, top to bottom: Musician Kenny G and CMEA President Michael D Stone at the noontime press conference Left to right: NAf ME Lobbyist Shannon Kelly; CMEA President-Elect Scott Hedgecock; CMEA President Michael D Stone; State Assemblymember Joan Buchanan (D -Alamo), Chair of the Assembly Education
and CMEA Lobbyist Lynne Faulks
State Assemblymember Paul Fong (D -San Jose), State Senator Jim Beall (D -San Jose) with Nancy Moser, CMEA Member and Band Director at Joaquin Miller Middle School in San Jose The Joaquin Miller Middle School Advanced Band performed that day
People gathering outside of the State Capitol building near a Stand Up 4 Music
Photos by CMEA Member Audrey Boyle
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HCMEA President’s Inaugural Address
April 6, 2014
by Michael D Stone
CMEA President
The following CMEA President’s Inaugural Address was posted at:www youtube com/watch?v=IJm ZPN qV8 In this address, President Stone outlines CMEA’s work over the next two years
ello My name is Michael S tone I am excited to ser ve as the next president of the California Music Educators Association, or CMEA. CMEA is the only music education organization in our great state that represents all of the 7,400 plus professional music educators ser ving at the pre-kindergarten through Universit y levels O ur association has undergone much positive change over the past two years Today, as California’s economy is poised to grow and prosper over multiple years, it is time for music education to expand in our schools We are so fortunate to have some of the most exemplar y music programs in the nation in California; yet, some of our children do not have access to any music education CMEA’s vision is simple: ensuring that ever y student has equal access to a first-c lass education in music. This address will provide you with specific work that CMEA will undertake over the next two years as it works to pursue its vision. Results matter, and I promise to lead the CMEA S tate Council so that we achieve them over the next two years
Before proceeding, let me take a moment to thank the CMEA Executive Board who ser ved during the past two years President Russ S per ling, V ice President Scott Hedgecock, S ecretar y Dr Diana Hollinger, and Immediate Past President Norm Dea, have all been steadfast in their ser vice to CMEA I would also like to acknowledge the leadership of each section president and those who have ser ved on the CMEA Council of Representatives. O ver the past two years, while ser ving as CMEA President-Elect, I have been amaz ed at the multifaceted talents of so many. F inally, let me acknowledge the outstanding work of CMEA’s administrative coordinator, Trish Adams Ms Adams is a valuable member of the CMEA L eadership Team S he ser ves our membership with great professionalism and dedication Thank you, Trish, for all that you do
Professionally, I ser ve as the visual and performing ar ts coordinator for the Bakersfield Cit y School District, where I have worked for more than 25 years as both a music educator and district-office administrator. Music education is alive and well in my communit y, a fact for which I am thankful. The fine work of many outstanding music educators has resulted in a communit y that embraces the value of music education D uring my career, I have had the pleasure of ser ving as president of other professional associations: the Kern Count y Music Educators Association, CMEA Central S ection, and the California Band Directors Association I look for ward to the challenges that lie ahead for CMEA
Now, to our work
CMEA’s focus over the next two years will be in alignment with its four S trategic P lan mission areas: advocac y, leadership, communication, and membership ser vices. I will address each area, beginning with our work in music education advocac y CMEA is in the process of creating a systematic, ongoing infrastructure for statewide music education advocac y in S acramento
CMEA EXECUTIVE B OARD
CMEA President
Michael D Stone
E-mail: stonem@bcsd.com
Work: 661 631-4810
Cell: 661 319-8218
CMEA President-Elect
Scott Hedgecock
E-mail: scotchdir@aol com
Work: 714 626-3984
Cell: 714 393-5072
CMEA Vice President
Steven Hendee
E-mail: sjhendee@sbcglobal net
Cell: 510 329-2396
CM EA Secret ary
Duane Otani
E-mail: Dotani916@yahoo com
Work: 858 485-4800
Cell: 808 250-2279
CM EA Immediate Past President
Russ Sperling
E-mail: rsperli@cox net
Work: 858 292-3547
Cell: 619 571-6227
CM EA Administrative Coordinator
Trish Adams
E-mail: cmea@calmusiced com
CMEA Office
2417 North 11th Avenue
Hanford, CA 93230
Work: 559 587-2632
Cell: 559 904-2002
B OARD OF DIRECTORS
CM EA Bay Section President
Todd Summers
E-mail: tsummers@pausd org
Work: 650 354-8264
Cell: 650 793-4808
CM EA Capitol Section President
Brad North
E-mail: bnorth@rjuhsd us
Work: 916 771-6565, x 4600
Cell: 916 743-4471
CM EA Central Section President
Leonard Ingrande
E-mail: lingrande@centralusd k12 ca us
Work: 559 276-0280
Cell: 559 250-8753
Advocacy
CMEA’s advocac y work can be grouped into three areas: advocating at the S tate Capitol; furthering polic y and state laws; and, creating campaigns that educate the public about music education. In addition, CMEA will continue to support its members with local, grassroots advocac y efforts.
W hat does it look like to advocate at the Capitol?
Two years ago, CMEA brought
CM EA Central Coast
Section President
W illow Manspeaker
E-mail: wmanspeaker@stevensonschool org
Work: 831 588-8486
Cell: 831 625-8339
CM EA North Coast Section President
Judi Sharnberg
E-mail: judimusic@gmail com
Cell: 707 502-4510
CM EA Northern Section President
Todd A Filpula
E-mail: tfilpula@chicousd org Work: 530 891-3026 x 321
CM EA Southeastern Section Designated Cont act
Armalyn De La O
E-mail: adelao@csusb edu
Work: 909 537-5938
Cell: 909 838-3716
CM EA Southern Border Section President
Pauline Crooks
E-mail: Pauline.crooks@gmail.com Work: 858 485-4850, x 4027 Cell: 858 207-7225
CM EA Southwestern Section President
Lisa A Crawford
E-mail: Lisa crawford@usc edu Work: 213 740-6935 Cell: 310 863-6422
NAf ME OFFICERS
NAf M E President
Dr Glenn E Nierman 18 0 6 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, VA 220 91 8 00 33 6-376 8
NAf M E Western Division President
Dr. David C. Fullmer Tucson, A Z 8570 4
COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES
CM EA CA ACDA Represent ative
Merryl Nelson
E-mail: mnelson@gladdemusic com Work: 619 660-4000 x 3009
together music education leaders from the various professional associations in California to form the S tand Up 4 Music Coalition The S tand Up 4 Music brings our family of associations together to identify polic y and legislative priorities that affect music education in California An annual meeting at the National Association of Music Merchants, or NAMM, S how in Anaheim provides the setting where polic y priorities are identified for the year In October of 2013,
CM EA CAJ Represent ative
Michael Galisatus
galisatus@comcast net galisatusm@smccd edu
Work: 650 574-6163
Cell: 650 743-1038
CM EA CB DA Represent ative
Norm Dea
E-mail: normdea@yahoo com 925 280-3970 home Cell: 925 286-6040
CM EA C ODA Represent ative
Kate Francis
E-mail: mskatefrancis@gmail com
Work: 408 535-6300, x 29159 Cell: 415 867-5283
CM EA CAS M EC Coordinator/
CM EA Represent ative on the CB DA Board
Bill W ilkinson
E-mail: bwilkinsoncmea@gmail com
Work: 559 585-3870
Cell: 559 816-6141
CM EA General Music Represent ative
Richard Lawton
E-mail:richard@richardlawtonmusic com Work: 323 654-4401
Cell: 323 640-2961
CM EA Music Technology Represent ative
James Knight
E-mail: jamesknight@mac com Work: 714 536-2514, x 4116, Cell: 714 914-4531
CM EA Advoc acy Represent ative
Steve Venz
E-mail: stevenvenz@yahoo.com
Work: 323 224-3100
Cell: 818 445-8993
CM EA St ate Band and Orchestra Festival Chairperson
Jim Mazzaferro
E-mail: jmazzafe@egusd net Work: 916 681-7500
Cell: 916 690-1992
CM EA St ate Solo and Ensemble Festival Chairperson
Cheryl Yee Glass
E-mail: cglass@srvhs org Work: 925 552-3044
Cell: 925 980-4404
CM EA Membership Chairperson
Regina Pryor
E-mail: reginapryor78@gmail com
Work: 661 831-8331
Cell: 661 332-9582
CMEA Mentorship Program Chairperson
Mark Nicholson
E-mail: mnicholson@sandi net
Work: 858 256-2702
Cell: 858 668-8956
CM EA Music Supervisors Represent ative
Fillmore Rydeen E-mail: fillmore rydeen@ousd k12 ca us Work: 510 336-7609
Cell: 415 205-6525
CM EA Collegiate Represent ative
Dr John Eros
E-mail: john eros@csueastbay edu Work: 510 885-3135
Cell: 773 301-7642
CM EA Tri-M Represent ative
Elizabeth Robertson
E-mail: erobertson@petk12.org
Work: 707 769-9650
Cell: 707 364-4721
CM EA Higher Educ ation Represent ative
Dr Lawrence Stoffel
E-mail: stoffel@csun edu
Work: 818 677-3160
Cell: 661 993-8168
CM EA Research/ Special Learners Represent ative
Dr Ruth Brittin
E-mail: rbrittin@pacific.edu
Work: 209 946-2408
Cell: 209 471-6332
CM EA World Music Represent ative
Dr Lily Chen-Hafteck
E-mail: lhafteck@ucla edu
Work: 310 825-4668
CM EA Retired Members Represent ative
Jon Christian
E-mail: jonchristian41@gmail com
831 818-6044
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We
then CMEA President Russ S per ling and I inter viewed candidates for CMEA’s new lobbyist position Ms Lynne Faulks, a former lobbyist manager with the California Teachers Association, was hired as CMEA’s lobbyist. Lynne brings years of experience to CMEA’s advocac y work In December she addressed the Professional S er vices Committee of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing regarding CMEA’s position on proposed changes to arts credentials In Januar y, she joined the S tand Up 4 Music Coalition at the NAMM S how in Anaheim as we together determined the 2014 polic y priorities. At the recent California All-S tate Music Education Conference, or CASMEC, Ms Faulks was S kyped in to the CMEA general session so that she could meet the CMEA Membership S he holds weekly phone calls with the CMEA President to communicate progress in our advocac y work. CMEA’s lobbyist in S acramento is a key link in our advocac y work.
Another important part of our new advocac y infrastructure is the annual
CMEA Hall of Fame Award
Honoring Lifetime Achievement in Music Education Award Recipients
Jon Christian, 2014; Orrin Cross, 2013; Gerald E Anderson, 2012; Gayanne Korkmazian, 2012; Dr David Whitwell, 2011; Nicholas Angiulo, 2010; Vincent Gomez, 2010; Robert W Lutt, 2009; Kem F Martinez, 2009; Carl W Schafer, 2009; Terry Summa, 2008; Duane Weston, 2008; John Larrieu, 2007; Barbara Cory Black, 2007; Bill Ingram, 2007; Mary Val Marsh, 2007; Carolynn Lindeman, 2006; Joe Foster, 2006; Paul Shaghoian, 2006; Frances Benedict, 2005; L Leroy Roach, 2005; Silvester McElroy, 2005; Jerry Kirkpatrick, 2005; Robert Greenwood, 2004; Arthur Huff, 2004; Lyle Stubson, 2004; Lois Vidt, 2004; John Farr, 2003; Thomas Eagan, 2003; Larry Johnson, 2002; Mary Louise Reilly, 2002; William Hill, 2001; Helynn Manning, 2001; Wesley “Colonel” Moore, 2001; Vivian Hoffstetter, 2000; F John Pylman, 2000; Lawrence Sutherland, 1999; Chuck Schroeder, 1998; Dean Semple, 1997; Burl Walter Jr., 1996; Jerry Moore, 1994; Mike Pappone, 1992; David Goedecke, 1991; Marlowe Earle, 1987; Arthur Dougherty, 1985; William Burke, 1983; Aubrey Penman, 1981; Steve Connolly, 1979;; Howard Swan, 1977; Russell Howland, 1975
California Music Education Advocac y Day, established just one year ago This year ’ s event will place on May 22, 2014, at the north steps of the Capitol More than 4,000 all-state music parents, music educators, and the general public were invited to this upcoming event. Attendees will visit their legislators in the morning and then joined together for a press conference on the north steps of the Capitol at noon Musician Kenny G has been invited to speak to our audience about the power of music education in his life Music education leaders and legislative speakers will also be in attendance Bands participating in the CMEA S tate Band and Orchestra Festival the next day will performed at the Capitol throughout the morning.
W hat does furthering polic y and state laws look like?
Go to standup4music org to see the 2014 S tand Up 4 Music Polic y Priorities Progress updates will be posted as success is achieved
F inally, what does educating the public look like with regards to music education advocac y? CMEA must reach out to new
collaborative partners We will develop c lear lines of communication with the California Teachers Association, or CTA, and the California Federation of Teachers, or CF T, as we work to shape educational polic y as it pertains to music education CTA and CF T are wellrespected members of the Education Coalition in S acramento We must communicate our legislative objectives to both and develop commonalities as they pertain to CMEA’s mission Partnerships with other coalition members such as the California School Board Association, or CSBA, Association of California School Administrators, or ACSA, and the California S tate Parent and Teachers Association, or California S tate P TA, will also be pursued We will be more influential with the support of the entire Educational Coalition in our S tate Capitol
CMEA will also embark upon campaigns to educate the public about the value of music education. Imagine a “Got Music? It ’ s the Law” billboard. We will find imaginative ways to communicate our message to the public
CMEA Past Presidents
1966–1968
1947–1949
Clarence Heagy Fresno
1949–1951
Elwyn Schwartz
1951–1953
George F Barr
1953–1955
Fred Ohlendorf Long Beach
1955–1957
Harold Youngberg Oakland
1957–1960
Joseph W Landon Fullerton
1960–1962
Douglas Kidd
1962–1964
Gibson Walters San Jose
1964–1966
Keith D Snyder Davis
Kenneth D Owens
1968–1970
Judd Chew Sacramento
1970–1972
Anthony L Campagna Foster City
1972–1974
Louis Nash La Crescenta
1974–1976
Marlow Earle Lakewood
1976–1978
Mary C. Reed Elk Grove
1978–1980
Henry Avila Monterey
1980–1982
Charles L. Freebern San Diego
1982–1984
David S Goedecke Stockton
1984–1986
Vivian M Hofstetter Bakersfield
1986–1988
John L. Larrieu Portola
1988–1990
L Leroy Roach Walnut Creek
1990–1992
Carolynn Lindeman Greenbrae
1992–1994
Bill Adam Roseville
1994–1996 Don Doyle Pasadena
1996–1998
Jay D Zorn La Crescenta
1998–2000
Dennis L Johnson Salinas
2000–2002
George DeGraffenreid Fresno
2002–2004
Sam Gronseth Paradise
2004–2006
Rob Klevan Pacific Grove
2006–2008
Cheryl Yee Glass Danville
2008–2010
Jeff Jenkins Chula Vista
2010–2012
Norman Dea Walnut Creek
2012–2014
Russ Sperling San Diego
Now, I’d like to turn to the communication mission area of our work
Communication
Communication is at the heart of our work. CMEA’s new website is updated weekly ; almost-daily postings are made on CMEA’s Facebook page and Twitter feed; Constant Contact e-mails are sent to the CMEA Membership, informing them of professional opportunities and progress in our work CMEA is c lose to identifying ever y music educator in the S tate, over 7,400, and will soon have the abilit y to contact each by e-mail or work phone. This abilit y to communicate with all stakeholders in our profession will ser ve our advocac y efforts as we build influence in S acramento The outstanding CMEA Magazine will continue to be a first-c lass resource for our membership F inally, CMEA will maintain the S tand Up 4 Music website, which has just been revamped. Resources for local, statewide, and national advocac y efforts will be found on the website.
Now, let ’ s look at CMEA’s L eadership and Membership S er vices mission areas
Leadership and Membership Services
CMEA will be responsible for successfully transitioning the California AllS tate Music Education Conference, or CASMEC, from Fresno to S an Jose in 2016. The dream of so many is coming to fruition in 2016, when all-state ensembles in the areas of band, choral, jazz, and orchestra all come together in the same place and time at CASMEC I would like to thank leaders of the California Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, California, ACDA; California Alliance for Jazz, CAJ; California Band Directors Association, CBDA; and, the California Orchestra Directors Association, CODA; for their collective vision in completing our CASMEC model I imagine a time when we will see international attendees at this event The sky ’ s the limit W ho wouldn’t want to come to sunny California in Febr uar y?
CMEA will continue to build and evolve its state festivals. A CMEA S tate Choral Festival will be created in either 2015 or 2016 CMEA President-Elect Scott Hedgecock will lead CMEA’s effor ts to establish this prestigious festi-
val Each of these festivals, along with the CMEA S tate S olo and Ensemble Festival, will ser ve CMEA members and their students from throughout the state
CMEA will hold an annual membership campaign each fall. CMEA membership is a bargain, providing three memberships in one: state, section, and national. CMEA has seen a 10 percent growth in new members over the past year We will continue to use a 10 percent metric for growth over each of the next two years
CMEA’s future lies in the hands of today ’ s collegiate members
CMEA will create a collegiate council that will meet annually at CASMEC, starting in 2015, and be charged with advising the CMEA Board of Directors regarding music teacher education We will invest now in tomorrow ’ s music education leaders
CMEA will look at a first-ever mentorship program for first and second year teachers S tructures will be put in place to pair new music teachers with their veteran colleagues, providing support during the critical first years of teaching. Lastly, CMEA will strengthen board effectiveness by providing ongoing training in governance and leadership Mike Blakeslee, NAf ME’s deput y executive director, will provide training to the CMEA Board of Directors in August of 2014 CMEA will explore the idea of holding a leadership summit for section boards in the fall of 2015.
I believe fundamentally that our collective work is about the results we together accomplish for the students of California; we can never put ourselves in front of that work It ’ s not about who accomplishes the work, or gets the credit It ’ s c lear ly about the work to be accomplished I ser ve with humilit y and sincere passion to accomplish our CMEA V ision. L eadership, advocac y, communication, and membership ser vices are at the hear t of our work L et ’ s begin I of ten hear colleagues ask, why should I be a member of CMEA? My answer is simple: you will get results for your membership dollars; results that will strengthen the profession that we so value for ser ving the students of California P lease join CMEA, your professional association, today, and suppor t California music education, by visiting the CMEA website at www calmusiced com Thank you for your suppor t
Letter to the Editor
Comments on CMEA Immediate Past President Russ Sperling’s Article in the Spring 2014 Issue of CMEA Magazine
Ihave long felt that the emphasis in the band world of Southern California has been off track. When talking to, listening to, and observing my colleagues throughout the Southland, I have been amazed at how zealous we have been in regards to the compete, compete, compete mantra Bands large and small have all been striving to go to the next competition, and not only improve over the last score, but to annihilate the competition. The focus in some programs seems to be to win at all costs
Mr Sperling cautions us that we perhaps need to step back and look at what this kind of mentality is doing to our music programs I am of the opinion that we are much better off getting our bands, orchestra's and choirs in front of our neighbors, and communities. Participate in the noncompetitive parade, set up at the Holiday's, and perform music of the season Ask for time to perform for your school board.
I have followed with interest, schools, and school districts across the United States, who have consciously made the decision to forgo the competition bandwagon, and concentrate on teaching their students music. How to practice, how to interpret, and how to “make” music In the majority of these cases, there have been no regrets, only satisfaction with the decision. Another benefit, has been of a financial natures, in all the money saved by not chartering buses, feeding students, and paying entry fees
As music educators, we need to make within our individual programs, a major policy shift, and start concentrating on putting our programs out there We need to showcase our students in the community. Most residents will never see a Field Show competition, they will never see a Parade competition, but they just might see us participating in the local Christmas Festivities, or performing at the local Cultural Fair, or even the Grand Opening of a new Supermarket or Department store.
I am convinced this change will lead to a better understanding by the public of just what it is we do in our classrooms
Sincerely and musically yours,
Kurt Stalmann Director of Music
Santana High School Santee, California
Top row: The 2nd Annual CMEA State Band and Orchestra Festival underway at Atherton Theatre on the campus of Delta College in Stockton Dr Jesse Leyva, director of bands at Kent State University, clinics the Cosumnes Oaks High School Wolfpack Symphonic Band, under the direction of Mike Mangonon at the 2nd Annual CMEA State Band and Orchestra Festival. Jim Mazzaferro, CMEA state band and orchestra festival chairman; Scott Hedgecock, CMEA president-elect; Dr. Ed Harris, San Jose State University; Dr Jesse Leyva, Kent State University; Dr John Roscigno, C SU Northridge; Dr Eric Hammer, University of the Pacific; and, Michael D Stone, CMEA President
Middle row: The Hopkins Junior High School Advanced Orchestra, under the direction of Greg Conway Dr Jesse Leyva, director of bands at Kent State University, conducts a clinic with the Central High School Concert Band from Fresno The band is directed by Leonard Ingrande Dr Eric Hammer, Director of Bands at the University of the Pacific, conducts a clinic with the Joaquin Miller Middle School Advanced Band, under the direction of Nancy Moser
Bottom row: Dr Eric Hammer, Director of Bands and Professor of Music at the University of the Pacific, presents a clinic with the Hopkins Junior High School W ind Ensemble, under the direction of Greg Conway A CMEA State Band and Orchestra Festival plaque The Emerson-DaVinci-Harper Junior High School Advanced Orchestra, under the direction of Greg Brucker.
Photos by Audrey Boyle
CMEA State Band and Orchestra Festival Band Festival
by Jim Mazzaferro
CMEA State Band and Orchestra Festival Chairperson
The second annual CMEA S tate Band and Orchestra Festival was held at the Warren Ather ton Auditorium on the campus of Delta College on Friday, May 23, 2014 Bands and Orchestras from around the state par ticipated in the day long festival performing reper toire that reflected excellence in music education.
Adjudicators for the festival were Dr Jesse L eyva, Kent S tate Universit y, Dr John Roscigno, CSU Nor thridge Dr Eric Hammer, Universit y of Pacific and Dr. Ed Harris, S an Jose S tate Universit y. CMEA thanks them for their par ticipation providing comments and feedback to the groups Michael S tone, CMEA President, and Scott Hedgecock, CMEA PresidentElect, ser ved as emcees for the day.
S pecial thanks to Mer yl Wamhoff, Dean of F ine Ar ts at Delta College, and the staff of Delta College, Trish Adams, CMEA Administrative Coordinator, and the students of S heldon High School for making the festival r un so smoothly and a positive event for all involved. We look for ward to the third annual S tate Band and Orchestra Festival to be held on Friday, May 22, 2015, at the Mondavi Center on the campus of UC Davis
Also participating in this year ’ s festival were:
Buhach Colony High School
Thunder Band
Chad J Humpal, Director
Atwater
El Cerrito High School
W ind Ensemble
Keith Johnson, Director El Cerrito
Mira Costa HS W ind Ensemble
Joel Car lson, Director Manhattan Beach
S unnyside High School
W ind S ymphony
Michael J Angel, Director Fresno
T ierra Linda Midd le School
T imber Wolf Band
Joseph Mur phy, Director
S an Car los
Terronez Midd le School
Concer t Band
Rober t M Madrid, Director Fresno
TCMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festival, California State University, Sacramento
he CMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festival took place on Friday and Saturday, May 9 and 10, 2014 at California State University, Sacramento under the leadership of Cheryl Yee Glass, CMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festival
Chairperson. There were 215 separate solo and ensemble entries, with a total of 381 students participating in
string, woodwind, brass, percussion, and vocal performances. Students participants were from as far north as Eureka and as far south as Glendale. We are grateful to the Sacramento State Department of Music, their Events and Facilities Director Glenn Disney, and the music education students who assisted us with this event
W ilson Skjerven from Monroe Middle School in San Jose earned a Command Performance for his oboe solo, and Jocelyn Boe from Yosemite High School in Oakhurst earned a Command Performance for vocal performance at the CMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festival.
Californians Unite to Stand Up 4 Music
by Michael D Stone
CMEA President
California music education leaders and supporters convened at the S tate Capitol for the S econd Annual S tand Up 4 Music (SU4M) California Music Education Advocac y Day on Thursday, May 22, 2014 Af ter months of planning, the day succeeded in bringing out the largest turnout yet to support the cause of providing all California students access to a sequential, standards-based music education This year ’ s attendees inc luded music educators, arts advocates, school bands, and California legislators.
About Stand Up 4 Music
S everal years ago, music super visors from the California Music Educators Association (CMEA) came together to discuss common challenges regarding student access to music programs. The group identified the culprits: (1) a narrowing focus on English Language Arts and Math as a result of high-stakes testing that came from the No Child L ef t Behind (NCLB) Act; and, (2) lack of adequate funding for school music programs. Af ter much discussion, the idea of coalition building surfaced as a solution to bringing Californians together to provide a united front for music education advocac y The result is SU4M, a coalition of eleven music education professional associations and citiz ens all united to advocate for music education (www.standup4music.org/). Three years ago, 8 or 9 music educators made informal visits to legislators one morning in May to ask legislators for suppor t of music education Last year, there were 10–15 advocates at the F irst Annual
SU4M Event which inc luded a press conference and a single high school band performing outside of the Capitol building.
This Year’s Event
This year, c lose to 40 representatives from the eleven coalition organizations, as well as the general public, visited legislators. O ver 25 legislative offices were visited. CMEA leaders met with key staff in the Governor ’ s Office and throughout the Capitol A crowd of around 150 gathered at the noontime press conference to hear music sensation Kenny G speak on behalf of music education. Multiple bands participating at the CMEA S tate Band and Orchestra Festival to be held the next day performed outside of the Capitol Building and were introduced by their local legislators
Each Januar y, the S tand Up 4 Music Coalition meets at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) S how in Anaheim to determine legislative and polic y priorities for the year This year ’ s conversations with legislators focused upon L ocal Control Funding Formula (LCFF), California’s new school funding law, compliance with existing law providing music education to all California students, and a push to accelerate California’s adoption timeline for the new National Music S tandards set to be released in June.
A turning-point in California’s advocac y work came in November of last year when CMEA, the lead organization in SU4M, hired its new lobbyist, Ms Lynne Faulks, to work as our advocate in S acramento Ms Faulks brings years of experience to our collective advocac y efforts, having ser ved several years as a California Teachers Association (CTA) L obbyist Administrator CMEA’s lobbyist is a key element in the Coalition’s new advocac y infrastructure in S acramento
Lessons Learned
The SU4M California Music Education Advocac y Day is just the beginning of our work to provide all California students access to music education I’ve come to realiz e that tangible results in our efforts happen in the days and months between spectacular media events such as the Advocac y Day. The SU4M Coalition must now strategiz e and coalition-build over the next several months so that we can begin looking at specific legislative solutions to the challenges we face. Key legislators who support our cause have been identified over the past two years. Now, CMEA and SU4M leaders must prioritiz e our work and seek specific legislation that will help bring all California students access to music education
We are poised to see real results for the students of California. The sky ’ s the limit!
CMEA Secretary Duane Otani, CMEA Vice President Steven Hendee, and CMEA President-Elect Scott Hedgecock prepared for an Advocacy Day press conference in Sacramento
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Nothing Restores My Spirits Quicker than Playing Music
by Kate Francis CMEA CODA Representative
Ever y summer morning when I was a kid I would wake up to the sound of c larinet scales D uring the summer my father, who is a retired music teacher, would practice from 8 –9 a m each morning Now that I am a music teacher I admire his morning practice sessions so much more. Did he need to practice? Probably not, but he loved it and he wanted to be the best musician possible for his students. As summer begins there is more time to explore my passion - music W hether it is listening to new repertorie for ensembles, reading books, collaborating with colleagues, studying scores or dusting off my viola and playing, I look for ward to all of the above. On one of my most relaxing and yet productive vacations I packed my scores to study for the next school year, brought ever y “ new music ” CD that I had collected through the year, and an inspirational music book for good measure I found time to read, look at scores, and listen to music each day, making me feel rejuvenated and ready for the school year • The most exhausting teaching days do not involve a lot of music, but rather quick rehearsals followed by mountains of administrative work. I sometimes forget how much fun playing my instrument is On the days that I am at the absolute bottom of my teaching I sit down and join the orchestra with my students or go play trombone with the jazz band during my prep period Nothing restores my spirits quicker than playing music. D uring the summer, take time to play your instrument, join a communit y music group, have an evening of string quartets. W hat I hear the most from fellow music teachers is, “I have not played in years - I am out of practice ” I tell them, “great, me too, we will have fun ” Enjoy your summer! • On a Different Note: The CODA December Honor Orchestra Festival will be held in S tockton this year at the Universit y of the Pacific on December 5– 6, 2014. Zachar y Br uno from S kyline College in S an Br uno will direct the S ymphony Honors Orchestra and Michele W inters from L owell High School in S an Francisco will direct the S tring Honor Orchestra Audition material will be available on July 1st on the CODA website, codaorchestras.org.
Strategies and Challenges
by Fillmore Rydeen CMEA Music Supervisors Representative
As I assumed my responsibilities as the visual and performing arts administrator in Oakland ten years ago, I was struck by the notion that in our district I was alone Not only was I a department of one, but there was no specific training or college course to prepare me for running a visual and performing arts program in a large urban school district As I transitioned from teaching music to leading a program I quickly realiz ed the jobs were ver y different and that my skills in music education and managing students did not easily transfer to working with adults and communities.
I did the only thing I knew how to do, build relationships with others in similar circumstances I began reaching out and meeting regular ly with the executive directors of communit y arts organizations as well as arts administrators in two nearby districts O ver the years we were able to share strategies as well as challenge each other ’ s ideas As I reflect back, I realiz e how much I am indebted to each of these individuals in shaping who I am as a leader
CMEA has consistently provided support for music educators for decades. More recently it has convened a group of music administrators to raise issues common to those leading and super vising music teachers in our state At our last meeting in Oakland we heard from various districts about successes and challenges as well as an update on current CMEA business inc luding the new strategic plan Additionally, CMEA President Michael S tone shared the accomplishments to date as well as the next steps in the coming years
President S tone provided a presentation and led a discussion entitled Human Resources 101 for music super visors that inc luded music teacher and music program handbooks as well as strategies for super vising and evaluating music teachers. The group was able to engage in a conversation sharing additional strategies and experiences while suppor ting and managing district music programs
The music administrators group was able to engage in a discussion about several new issues now affecting music programs inc luding the National Coalition of Core Arts S tandards and the implications for our programs moving for ward We also discussed the need to advocate for the proposed single subject dance and theatre credential F inally, we discussed the transition to the common core and its potential effect on our music programs
For future meetings there will continue to be a significant need for new and veteran music administrators to have a collaborative space to share problems of practice and to find solutions. In Oakland, participants identified several potential topics for the next meeting inc luding: scheduling music, mentoring new leadership, budgeting, coexistence of traditional music programs and alternative music programs, coalition building, music in the 21st centur y, advocac y, working with communit y organizations, grant writing and resource development
I am grateful that CMEA has convened and supported this group of California music administrators and, although each district is run differently, we share a common goal of supporting and leading music instruction throughout our state. This group is a learning group, using this forum to share successful ideas, ask questions unique to music administration and to return to our districts with new ideas to further the vision of a first c lass music education for ever y student in the state
We need to hear from you If you have the role of music super visor or music leader in your district please contact me so I can add you to our mailing list This is your professional learning communit y of people sharing the unique role of district arts leader. The music super visor ’ s group will meet in S outhern California on Monday, S eptember 29, 2014. P lease contact me at fillmore r ydeen@ousd k12 ca us to get registration information "
Fillmore Rydeen
Starting the Next Chapter
by Armalyn De La O CMEA Southeastern Section Designated Contact
Greetings from CMEA S outheastern S ection As the designated contact for the S outheastern S ection I am honored to share with you the progress we are making as a new section of CMEA Your new interim S outheastern S ection Board has been meeting on a regular basis since November 2013 to complete the many steps of the process needed to become independent of the past S outhern S ection Board. We have created and adopted new bylaws and a constitution for our section and are now in the process of completing the paper work required for becoming a 501c(3) Your interim board has agreed to continue to ser ve through the summer and fall to complete the final transitioning steps in gaining the 501c(3) status. Once completed, the process of electing a S outheastern S ection Board will take place. S oon we will be sending out a sur vey to elicit your interest in future leadership roles and your ideas for music workshops and festivals
We are also working on creating a S outheastern S ection Facebook page, a new website for our section, and exploring a S outhern California all-state CMEA solo and small ensemble festival. Be looking for other new activities, supports and programs to come.
I wish to express my thanks and admiration for the members of the S outheastern S ection Board for their dedication, contributions, creative thinking, and positive attitudes as we work together to build the foundational pieces for the future of S outheastern S ection. If you have any questions or would like to help your new section board, please contact us at adelao@csusb edu We are happy to ser ve you
Your interim board:
Armalyn De La O
Car l Schafer
Richard Messenger
P hil Mortensen
Marcelo Martinez
Nicholas Chitwood
Twenty Three California Music Educators Chosen as Quarterfinalists for the Music Educator Award™ presented by The Recording Academy® and the GRAMMY Foundation®
Atotal of 23 California music educators are among 222 music teachers from 208 cities across 41 states have been announced as quarterfinalists for the Music Educator Award™ presented by The Recording Academy® and the GRAMMY Foundation® More than 7,000 initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states.
The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (K– college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to
Steven Acciani
Diamond Bar High School
Diamond Bar
Anthony Allmond
Kaiser High School
Fontana
Mark Anderson
Oswalt K8 Academy
La Puente
Neil Anderson
Murrieta Valley High School
Murrieta
Graham “Scott” Barton
Moreau Catholic High School
Hayward
Rob Blaney
Woodbridge High School
Irvine
Ching-Ming Cheng
California State University
San Marcos, San Marcos
Dr Buddy Clements
Walnut High School
Walnut
Michael Danielson
First Avenue Middle School
Arcadia
David Dehner
Monte Vista Christian School
Watsonville
Eufemio Escalante
Vina Danks Middle School
Ontario
Anne Fennell
Mission Vista High School
Oceanside
the broader cause of maintaining music education in the s c h o o l s
Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation, this special award will be presented at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony during GRAMMY Week 2015
The recipient and finalists will receive cash honorariums, with generous support and resources provided by the GRAMMY Foundation®’s Education Champions: Converse, Disney Performing Arts, Ford Motor Company Fund, and Journeys
For more information, visit www grammymusicteacher com
Desiree Fowler
Ramon C Cortines School of Visual & Performing Arts
Los Angeles
Brad Hart
Johansen High School
Modesto
Matthew Howe
Indio High School
Indio
D L Johnson
North Monterey County High School, Castroville
Shannon Kitelinger
San Diego State University
San Diego
Joan Knoernschild
Greenfield Middle School
El Cajon
Jacalyn Kreitzer
Cal Poly State University
San Luis Obispo
Jay Posteraro
Mesa Verde Middle School
San Diego
Kathy Rohrs
Chaminade College
Preparatory Middle School
Chatsworth
Jesse Sanchez
Westmont High School
Campbell
Katie W ilson
Cathedral Catholic High School
San Diego
Higher Education Happenings
A Sampling of the Many Music Education Activities Taking Place on our State’s College and University Campuses by Dr Lawrence F Stoffel
CMEA Higher Education Representative
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific U music education s been thriving in t ser ving local K–1 by giving them private music lessons through our local communit y music
school, The Azusa Conser vator y of Music (www.azusaconser vator y org) On S aturday, April 12, we presented a communit y concert at S t Frances of Rome Catholic Church in Azusa, featuring kids from the communit y music school alongside college students Featured communit y music school soloists inc luded two marimba players, a timpani solo, several piano and vocal soloists, a tr umpet soloist, and a violin soloist These soloists were all taught by APU college students on S aturday mornings throughout the spring semester The kid ’ s choir, led by director Char les Hor ton performed one of their numbers accompanied by the Azusa Pacific Universit y S ymphonic Band Another number was conducted by APU senior music education major Renee Gehlbach The APU symphonic band conc luded the concer t with selections from L ord of the Rings - Return of the King, On a Hymn S ong of P hillip Bliss, and selections from Gladiator
Dr. Alexander Koops
California State University Fresno
This year marked the 35th anniversar y of the Dr. Lawrence R S uther land W ind Festival held on the campus of Fresno S tate. Twent y-eight bands from throughout our state performed for an impressive panel of adjudicators that inc luded Ray Cramer, Indiana Universit y Director of Bands Emeritus; Jonathan Grantham, Amador Valley High School Director of Bands; Allan McMurray, Universit y of Colorado Director of Bands; and Dr Lawrence R . S uther land, Fresno S tate Director of Bands Emeritus. F ive years ago Dr Gilroy, Fresno S tate Director of Bands, renamed the festival to honor the man who started it all so many years ago: Dr. Lawrence R . S uther land.
The S aturday evening Gala Concert featured the Cerritos College Band, Dr. David Betancourt, conductor ; and the Fresno S tate W ind Orchestra, Dr Gar y P Gilroy, conductor. A special group, the W ind Festival Orchestra, is comprised of the Fresno S tate W ind Orchestra along with alumni and friends who are invited to join in, to perform the c losing concert af ter only two rehearsals with the master conductors This year ’ s c losing concert featured Allan McMurray conducting W illiam Schumann’s Chester, Ray Cramer conducting Kevin M Walc yzk’s From Glor y to Glor y, Larr y S uther land conducting Char les Ives’ The Alcotts, and Jonathan Grantham conducting Julie Giroux ’ s O ver ture in F ive F lat
Dr. Gar y P. Gilroy
California State University Los Angeles
California S tate Universit y, L os Angeles announces its 2014 S ummer Conducting and Teaching Workshop Taking place at the CSULA campus on July 7–10, band directors at all levels are invited to come and participate as either a conductor or an obser ver Joining Director of Bands Dr. Emily Moss, will be guest c linicians Ray Cramer (Indiana Universit y) and Richard Mayne (Universit y of Northern Colorado)
This workshop is geared towards both midd le and high school band directors, in addition to wind conductors at any other stage of their careers. Ever yone will perform in the Workshop Band and participate in the various workshop lectures and activities. There are discounts available for current college students If you have questions, please contact Dr Moss at emoss2@calstatela edu or please visit our website at www.calstatela.edu/windconducting for more details.
Dr Emily Moss
University of California Los Angeles
The UCLA Music Department is pleased to announce the addition of Dr Lily Chen-Haf teck as a professor of music education and Dr Travis J Cross as wind ensemble conductor Professor Chen-Haf teck comes to us from Kean Universit y, New Jersey, where she twice hosted the “Educating the Creative Mind ” conference funded by the National Endowment for the Ar ts Moreover, she is par t of an international consor tium completing a research project titled “Advancing Interdisciplinar y Research in S inging ” Professor Cross has appeared as a guest conductor, composer, and c linician in several states, internationally, and at the Midwest Clinic His more than 20 original compositions and arrangements are published by Boosey & Hawkes, Daehn Publications, and Theodore Music.
Additionally, we recently submitted a newly revised curriculum that emphasiz es the comparative study of different approaches to music pedagog y so that students graduating from our program will be prepared to teach traditional music education offerings as well as develop innovative c lasses to meet the increasingly diverse needs of California students
Dr. Lily Chen-Haf teck
California Polytechnic University Pomona
At Cal Poly Pomona’s NAf ME collegiate chapter we have unde sur vey of music education majors to identify optimal meeting times for members and the activities they want to pursue next year S everal members are interested in music therapy, and so we are working to get a speaker to campus who works in the field. We are exploring and piloting ways to allow juniors and seniors in the music education option to gain some experience teaching music notation literac y and other nonperformance-based aspects of music to adult students, rather than elementar y children, in recognition of the numerous similar c lasses currently in high schools in our area And as a result of hard work in partnership with the campus office of communit y ser vice learning, Professor Jenny Amaya and Communit y S er vice Director Michael Millar succeeded in bringing the John L ennon Educational Tour Bus to a partner elementar y school and to our campus on April 22–24 S tudents of all ages were inspired
Dr Janine Riveire
•
If you have an item for a future “Higher Education Happenings” column, please e-mail your item (in 200 words or less) to Larr y S toffel (stoffel@csun edu) S ubmissions will be inc luded on a first-come/space-available basis.
Exceptional Expectations
by Dr Ruth V Brittin
CMEA Research/Special Learners Representative
As CMEA Research/S pecial L earners Representative, I am constantl y on the lookout for exceptional students and exceptional teachers in music c lasses. Last year, while on a semester-long sabbatical, I had the oppor tunit y to travel to distant sites and investigate unusual and inspiring teaching situations, and I will share one of these here under the categor y of S pecial L earners.
The stor y actually begins a few months ear lier, at the International S ociet y for Music Education wor ld conference in Greece, during July 2012. I had heard of this terrific teacher who works with special needs students in Gainesville, F lorida, and I had the chance to join him for coffee. We had a great time chatting ,and I asked if I might visit his school to do some obser vations the following spring
For tunately, my other site visits put me in c lose enough proximit y that the trip to Gainesville began to materializ e I knew my host, Dr Donald DeV ito, teaches at a “center school”, the S idney Lanier School, and my website sleuthing showed me a bit about the school, which is a public school ser ving students with moderate to profound disabilities. Perhaps sharing a bit of the e-mail correspondence from a few days prior to the visit will tell the tale best
Don wrote me that he’d be happy to have a visitor and that we would star t by touring the school and meeting a num-
ber of the students during their lunch, followed by the chance to obser ve some rehearsals and lessons. In particular he wanted me to see his ensemble of older students (midd le and high school ages), the Unicorn Drumline He wrote about their recent activities, inc luding the F lorida Federation of Color Guards competition the previous week Don went on to explain the students in his ensemble have autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, hydrocephalus, Prader W illi syndrome, W illiams syndrome and in some cases also inc luding physical special needs such as blindness and profound deafness He noted that competing in the FFCC (a branch of W inter Guard International) gave the opportunit y to participate in drumline activities that are really popular with high school students He provided links to a number of different YouTube videos and other footage showing the students in drumline and concert percussion settings
Don continued, “ We are competing head to head with other high schools (non-disabled peers) and the first center school to do so We are really more about collaboration in our program than competition but since that tends to be [one of ] the most popular activities for high schoolers and I want my students to do the same things as other high schools, it's a recent activit y this year to share ” He mentioned they would be going to a regional competition in Jacksonville soon, as well as the state finals in Daytona in a couple of months
I was already “ blown away ” by the vitalit y of the message, which then went on to describe another activit y I would see, an international S kype lesson Don wrote, “ We have S kype projects and mutual grant writing and activities with the China Conser vator y of Music and a center for adults with disabilities (Hui Ling) in Beijing, schools in L ondon, Group Laiengee ( West Africa), the special education center in Pakistan, Limerick Universit y (Ireland), Universit y of L ondrina (Brazil) among others We publish our projects through ISME and a variet y of book chapters (Communit y Music Today, S ongs of Resilience, Communit y Music in Theor y and in Practice) ” In the next few days, I received more information on the
upcoming S kype lesson, inc luding the fact that it would feature a student at S idney Lanier leading c lassmates in a song and drumming. It also inc luded the student teaching the song to students at the or phanage in Haiti where she had lived before moving to the US S uffice it to say, the S kype lesson itself was amazing, seeing students from different countries performing for each other and communicating, and also hearing the “ backstor y ” of their development
Don added more information on how these S kype partnerships had led to great experiences: “ We also put together a performance in Carnegie Hall with many of these ensembles inc luding Gainesville’s local S anta Fe College Jazz Ensemble and called it DIScovering ABILITIES They taught my students songs online then my school fundraised to rent Carnegie Hall's Weil Hall and fundraised to get there. The local S anta Fe College jazz band integrated three of my students at a time on six Benny Goodman and D uke Ellington songs using percussion (steady beat, repeated rhythm patterns, or improvisation which I accommodated based on the student's needs) I received a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts to help fly the guest musicians to New York to join us The reason I organiz ed that event was due to the fact that the way most high schools get to Carnegie is through auditioned festivals for large programs so my school rented the hall ourselves and invited our S kype friends to join us ”
S o what can we learn from this stor y? The power of an inspired teacher looking for oppor tunities near and far, the positive experiences that come from collabo-
ration, and perhaps most of all, the commitment to providing students of all abilit y levels the chance to learn as much as possible through music. I came away from my visit with a new appreciation of the ways organizations such as ISME can bring educators together Perhaps most of all, I felt a heightened sense of music education being a field where new adventures and insights are possible ever y day
S o this summer, as you contemplate your own ideas and projects for the coming year, perhaps take a few minutes to check out some of the videos featuring this exceptional teacher and his exceptional students We can all take a lesson on the rich opportunities out there for us if we put energ y and imagination into our endeavors
The first link contains footage from a news c lip about the S idney Lanier music program:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d wsFbVdfv0
The second link shows the students collaborating with the college jazz band, preparing for Carnegie Hall: www youtube com/watch?v=aJu2GvR3ofs
And there are other c lips and features on this terrific program to be found as well
If you are aware of an inspiring teacher who inc ludes or focuses on students with special needs, please send me information, so that we may inc lude this teacher ’ s accomplishments, perspective, or tips in future columns for CMEA Magazine. F inally, thank you, Don, and S idney Lanier students, for letting us peek into your musical lives
composition, Collegiate and general music networks can get expert advice in answer to their questions.
The “Real” Magic
by Lisa Crawford
CMEA Southwestern Section President
All of you have been a part of the process that I have been greatly enjoying – getting to know more of the music educators in California As I focus on the CMEA S outhwestern S ection, there is so much musical variet y and creativit y and I am excited about our three counties and 133 school districts. For this issue, I would like to present some ideas that you may already be thinking about on the topic of creativit y
Perhaps one of the most creative tasks is teaching The funny thing about creativit y is we aren’t always c lear how we want to define it and creativit y texts talk about this Keith S awyer1 says: “Creativit y is the generation of a product that is judged to be novel and also to be appropriate, useful, or valuable by a suitably knowledgeable group. ” I think it is important to work out, over time, our own definitions We know this because we are in the business of turning lights on in the minds of kids W hen it happens, it is like magic But, it ’ s not really magic Actually, turning on those lights is the result of highly educated and creative effort, of ten over time.
S ometimes we may be unsure about when to apply words such as talent, genius, gif tedness, innate abilit y, or even how these fit into the creativit y equation These are descriptors that reflect t ypes of output of some of our students The important thing is to ensure that students are never marginaliz ed and that we make the same creative experiences equitable and accessible to ever yone in the music experience we are providing. W hat follows are a few vignettes reflecting some of my thinking about creativit y.
Six-year-olds
It was a sunny af ternoon when the call came A mother, c lear ly ner vous, and speaking ver y fast about her six-year-old daughter said she had heard that I worked with kids who write music and asked if she could she bring her daughter over. The next day, she did.
Prett y much, the rest is histor y The call changed the direction of my life, perhaps even realigned the direction of my work as a composer and teacher just finishing an undergraduate degree in music composition From there I began working with kids who write music. S ome students took piano lessons or composing lessons, or both, but whatever we were doing, these kids were from 1 Keith S awyer, E xplaining Creativit y :The Science
all life experiences and musical backgrounds It was a magical time
About that six-year-old she came with her mother and a packet of music she had composed and entered into music notation sof tware that had come with her dad ’ s new computer S he had never taken piano lessons, no musical training, and the family wasn’t particularly focused musically. But they had a piano gif ted by grandmother. I still have some of this child ’ s compositions and we could tr y to imagine how they were even possible, but that ’ s the exciting part This child had abilities and inc linations, and access to tools that supported her S he gave me great gif ts about what is possible in creative teaching.
Suzuki School
D uring my first year working with a S uzuki school, I asked students to compose a piece together Dividing 15 students into groups of three or four, we all worked in one room and I got another great lesson Not only did these students, with at least three years on their string instruments and orchestra ensembles, write some great stuff, their process of working together was remarkable. These students were able to communicate as they composed their parts together. It was the hook that shif ted my focus toward working with children compositionally in groups
Students with Special Needs
As music educators, our work is to ensure that the environments in which we teach music present creative opportunities for ever yone My philosophy is that ever yone should receive opportunities to participate in creative work even when the outcome (c lassroom activities or performance) may be an unknown. Creative music making can be equitable and accessible to all students even when we are not quite sure how to do it at first If I did not think this way, I would have missed out on Homer Homer had autism and was eight years old. His parents wanted him to have creative experiences and enrolled him to the private music school where I was teaching The parents also wanted him to learn how to play the piano Homer did not speak in complete sentences. Unable to sit for more than three minutes in any one place, Homer was afraid of the piano keys It took me some weeks to make Homer comfor table enough to have les-
son time without his focus being on his stuffed monkey F inally in one lesson, I began playing a melody on the piano and Homer began to sing. I will always remember the feeling of that moment. Homer began to sing in complete melodies with original lines of “poetr y ” From then on, each lesson inc luded writing a new song together He could communicate when he didn’t like the melody or how he thought the arrangement should be. And, he would add his own words O ur most famous tune came the day of There’s a Hole in My Pants, original lyrics written by Homer This particular song attracted a lot of attention from the rest of the students who could always hear Homer singing. “ There’s a hole in my pants (x4) something tells me I should not have pulled that string ” Homer learned to not fear the piano keys, feel what it is to create and be creative, and communicate in complete sentences by singing his words.
Public School Music
In my public school teaching, I focus toward group composing with my students These have inc luded composing projects for traditional ensembles, California Native American lesson plans with themes utilizing words banks at the elementar y level, writing musicals where students develop arrangements for modern band, and opportunities to compose with ever ything from technolog y to found objects. W hen we look to the processes described in the National Core Arts S tandards (performing, responding, creating connecting), to Common Core (imagine, investigate, construct, reflect), to 21st centur y skills (collaboration, communication, creativit y/innovation, critical thinking/problem solving), we can draw on these to build strong experiential creative oppor tunities through creative music making
Further Information
There are some essential places to go to gather ideas suppor ting creativit y and composition in the c lassroom. One is Peter Webster ’ s website (www peterr webster com/) Many of his ar tic les are available here on topics inc luding creativit y and creative thinking, technolog y, composing, and his Measure of Creative Thinking in Music. Check Keith S awyer ’ s blog (http://keithsawyer wordpress com/) for ideas and texts about creativit y and group work And, if you want
more, check Alex Ruthmann’s blog (www alexruthmann com/blog1/?p=661) Here you will find research and teaching ideas plus an online group music opportunit y, P layW ithYourMusic (www.playwithyourmusic.org/) that is absolutely a blast You may be interested in Evan Tobias’ work (http://evantobias net/categor y/composing/) and enjoy his creative teaching ideas for integrating technolog y, current music, and composing.
We love making music with our students, one of many ways we support students in their connection to and responsibilit y for their own learning The most interesting thing about working with creativit y concepts is how teachers build bridges that students can successfully cross.
In the creative wor ld we live in as teachers, our goal is to build creative experiences for learning Creative process and output requires exercise, can be developed in all of us, and is not really so mystical. O bser ving how students feel about creating music, when they “get it ” that it is happening that is the real magic
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It’s time to start a Tri-M Music Honor Society chapter.
Strengthen your school’s Music. Honor. And Society.
Starting a Tri-M Music Honor Society chapter will help show the value of your music program to the school. It will also benefit your students by allowing them to:
Build an impressive record for college
Grow as leaders in music
Serve their community
Ready to start a chapter? Follow these easy steps:
1. 2. Visit nafme.org/tri-m to download your chapter activation form or call 1-800-336-3768.
3.
Send in the activation form with your chapter activation fee ($50-$125 based on the size of your school)
Receive a packet from NAfME with a guide to start your chapter – and get going!
IGive Tri-M a Try
by Elizabeth Robertson CMEA Tri-M Representative
a m h o n o re d t o s e r v e a s t h e n e w
CMEA Tri-M Representative I will b e s u p p o r t e d i n m y w o rk b y t h e
CMEA executive board and incoming
Na t i o n a l Tr i - M C h a i r m a n , D r T i m
Lautz enheiser S ummer is a time for relaxation, reflection, and renewal. It is a time to slough off the celebrations and pitfalls of one school year and look for ward to the new beginnings of the next I will be spending some much needed time with my family and friends and not thinking about school. Af ter thoroughly relaxing, it will be time to plan for the coming semester For the last few summers, I have spent a considerable amount of time craf ting leadership opportunities for my high school students This h a s re s u l t e d i n m a n y s u c c e s s f u l teacher-directed leadership roles and activities. As I reflect upon this year, I am immediatel y str uc k by an impor tant missing component to my plans: student voice and buy-in throughout the leadership process Thankfully, NAf ME and CMEA offer the Tri-M: Music Honor S ociet y to help.
Tri-M recogniz es junior high and high school students for their academic, musical, leadership, and communit y ser vice achievements. Chapters are entirely student r un w i t h a d v i s o r s s e r v i n g a s m e n t o r s a n d resources for student initiated on- and offcampus projects These projects give students valuable leadership experience, conn e c t a c a d e m i c a n d a r t s c u r r i c u l a , a n d increase the visibilit y of the music program.
The goal of Tri-M is to empower student l e a d e r s a n d f o r m a l l y re c o g n i z e t h e m through an internationally recogniz ed organ i z a t i o n T h e s e a i m s c o m p l e m e n t t h e Common Core S tate S tandards and are in keeping with College and Career Readiness initiatives.
Like many California music educators, Tri-M has not been on my list of priorities as a high school choral director I have thrown out my share of Tri-M brochures a n d m a i l i n g s over the years. T h o s e c o l o rful flyers used to arrive yearl y. I n re c e n t y e a r s , Tr i - M materials have disappeared from music teachers’ mailboxes. W ith the exception of 38 fabulous chapters, Tri-M has fallen off the California music education map I challenge you to change this trend You can start or renew a chapter at your junior or senior high school W hen I attended CASMEC this year, I was struck by the amazing dedication and vitalit y of my fellow educators I believe California has the potential to become a leading Tri-M state.
I look for ward to connecting with current and potential Tri-M chapters and advisors As you plan your 2014–2015 school year, p l e a s e v i s i t t h e NA f M E w e b s i t e a n d explore the Tri-M: Music Honor S ociet y. Happy summer.
From the Golden Rocker
by Jon Christian CMEA Retired Members Representative
It was fourteen years ago that I retired from my thirt y-one year tenure with the S an L orenz o Valley Unified School District It was the right time to retire for me And today, I still feel the timing was correct Even af ter all of this time I continue get the same question, “How is retirement?” My response is usually, “I’m no longer sleep deprived!” The reaction is frequently one of envy
Ear ly in 2014, current president of CMEA, Michael S tone approached me to be the CMEA retired members representative on the CMEA board. I was flattered. Af ter a few days of contemplating on my own, I took time to consult with Nick Anguilo, my predecessor, af ter which I accepted the offer I suspect that President S tone is unaware of the fact that the last two retired representatives have a S acramento connection Aubrey Penman and Nick Angiulo were both teachers in S acramento. I too have that S acramento connection, I’m not sure if I was predestined for this job, but I do have to wonder I attended S acramento schools when both Aubrey and Nick were teaching at S acramento High School I, however, attended C K McClatchy High School Regard less, I am happy to ser ve for the next two years.
Although I am retired from daily teaching, my connection to CMEA and ser vice to the CMEA Central Coast S ection board has continued I find being able to help out with jobs that need to be done and to help in making the section operate a little smoother is fulfilling and a useful ser vice to our music educators. My monthly job for my section is managing our membership, a job I volunteered to do about the time I retired My passion, however, is to encourage, promote, and create neat and c lean materials W hether we are sending letters home, creating entr y forms, adjudication sheets, newsletters, or concer t programs, it is my belief that people will be more likely to take notice and to respond, if neces-
sar y, in like fashion if the document is neat and c lean. As educators, it is our job to set good examples, regard less of our subject of expertise.
As part of the job of managing the CCS membership, I receive monthly membership reports from Trish Adams, the administrative coordinator for CMEA Recently, I compiled the percentages of our retired members relative to total section memberships from Januar y to May of the this year S tate wide, our average is 13 percent By section it varies from a high of 17 6 percent to a low of 9 percent
I don’t know how many of these retirees are active in supporting their respective sections or offering their ser vices to teachers in the local schools. They are, however, a possible source of support, encouragement, answers to common music teacher questions, in-ser vice providers, and will be great stor y tellers Ever y CMEA section receives monthly lists of our membership and they should be able to point you to retirees in their section. I encourage you to contact your local section leadership if you desire to connect with local retired music educators
To those of you who are reading this and are one of the approximately 270 retired members, either lifetime members or regular retirees whose memberships are current, NAf ME and CMEA appreciate your continued support through your retired membership. You are contributing to the ongoing efforts to promote and support music education nationwide I would welcome receiving information from you if you are contributing in some manner to your local music education programs Also, I am hopeful that in 2016, when CASMEC moves to S an Jose, that we will again be able to offer a retirees’ luncheon. S an Jose is c lose to my home territor y of S anta Cruz and will be much easier for me to invite local school groups to provide us entertainment If this idea of a retiree luncheon in 2016 interests you, let me know My email is: jonchristian41@gmail com
I hope to hear from some of you soon. For now, my rocker is beckoning me to return.
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