Stand Up 4 Music Califor nia Music Education Advocacy Day
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Photos by Audrey Boyle
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President’s Message Music Education in California 2020 and Beyond
by Michael D Stone
CMEA President
As a young boy, I remember imagining how modern the wor ld would be in 2020. It seemed so far off into the future. Yet, today, 2020 is just five years away now. As a child I grew up watching S tar Trek and The Jetsons These television shows predicted a futuristic wor ld with Captain Kirk’s communicator device and George Jetson’s video chat But did we really think these technologies would be so common today when we were looking for ward from 1970? Cell phones and S kype seemed like craz y ideas when I was a boy. Yet, today, such technologies are commonplace. Of course, progress didn’t just happen It was planned and implemented Just as the creation of new technologies begins with vision, curiosit y, and drive, so does our progress in music education
S o, what is the vision for music education in California in 2020 and beyond? How will we reach it?
“CMEA ’ s vision is to provide all California students a first-class education in music ” - CMEA S trategic P lan 2013–2017
CMEA’s state council has worked feverishly over the past several years to create systems and str uctures that will provide strong leadership, communication, advocac y, and membership ser vices for all of our members in alignment with our strategic plan.
Today, CMEA is providing strong leadership in music education. S o much progress has happened in this area over the past three years CMEA no longer operates as an entit y unto itself Today, CMEA leads by reaching out to all music educators and building par tnerships and relationships that are mutually beneficial The California All-S tate Music Education Conference, or CASMEC, is a prime example of this t ype of collaboration. W ho would have thought a few shor t years ago that the CASMEC mega-conference would be possible? California will have all the all-state ensembles in the same cit y in 2016 CASMEC will be powerful as it moves to S an José All the CASMEC par tners are looking for ward to reaching their collaborative vision established just a few shor t years ago CASMEC 2016 will be bigger and better than ever as it moves to S an José
The CMEA-led S tand Up 4 Music (SU4M) Coalition has provided CMEA the oppor tunit y to collaborate and build strong relationships outside of the organization The coalition has successfully suppor ted CMEA’s firstever sponsored legislation to initiate the adoption of new V isual and Performing Ar ts S tandards in California by 2017 The SU4M L egislative and Polic y Priorities give all the SU4M par tnering organizations common goals and metrics whereby we can all move in unison towards real results for California’s students. SU4M is a smashing success that will continue to grow and
thrive More sponsored legislation is likely to be found in our future By 2020, access to music education must be expanded throughout California’s school districts. L ocal Control Funding Formula (LCFF) will be fully implemented in just a few shor t years This new school funding law seems to be a prime catalyst to getting numerous new music teacher positions put into place in California schools over the past two years. F inally, CMEA is now leading through
CMEA EXECUTIVE B OARD
CMEA President
Michael D Stone
E-mail: stonem@bcsd com Work: 661 631-4810
CMEA President-Elect
Scott Hedgecock
E-mail: scotchdir@aol com Work: 714 626-3984
CMEA Vice President
Steven Hendee
E-mail: sjhendee@sbcglobal net
CM EA Secret ary
Duane Otani
E-mail: Dotani916@yahoo com Work: 858 485-4800
CM EA Immediate Past President
Russ Sperling
E-mail: rsperli@cox net Work: 858 292-3547
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
CM EA Capitol Section President
Brad North
E-mail: bnorth@rjuhsd us Work: 916 771-6565 x 4600
CM EA Central Section President
Leonard Ingrande
E-mail: lingrande@centralusd k12 ca us Work: 559 276-0280
its outreach to non-music education organizations who can suppor t our vision. Beginning last fall, CMEA leaders met with representatives of California’s Education Coalition to begin what will be long term relationships that will move us toward expanded access to music education in California’s schools Most recently, CMEA Capitol S ection President Mr. Brad Nor th provided information about CMEA’s work by representing us at the California Parent Teacher Association
E-mail: tfilpula@chicousd org Work: 530 891-3026 x 321
CM EA Southeastern Section President
Armalyn De La O
E-mail: adelao@csusb edu Work: 909 537-5938
CM EA Southern Border Section President
Pauline Crooks
E-mail: Pauline crooks@gmail com Work: 858 485-4850 x 4027
CM EA Southwestern Section President
Lisa A Crawford
E-mail: cmeasouthwestern@ gmail com Work: 213 740-6935
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 Orem, UT 8 4 05 8
COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES
CM EA CA ACDA Represent ative
Merryl Nelson
E-mail: mnelson@gladdemusic com Work: 619 660-4000 x 3009
state convention. Thousands of attendees learned about what CMEA does to promote music education and suppor t its inc lusion in ever y school This past fall, CMEA leaders met with leaders of: California Teachers Association; California Federation of Teachers; and, California Count y S uperintendents Educational S er vices Association. These meetings set the stage for building awareness outside of music education circ les about CMEA’s legislative and polic y priorities
CM EA CAJ Represent ative
Michael Galisatus
E-mail: galisatus@comcast net and galisatusm@smccd edu Work: 650 574-6163
CM EA CB DA Represent ative
Norm Dea
E-mail: normdea@yahoo com Work: 925 280-3970 x 7327
CM EA C ODA Represent ative
Kate Francis
E-mail: mskatefrancis@gmail com Work: 408 535-6300 x 29159
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
CM EA General Music Represent ative
Richard Lawton
E-mail: richard@ richardlawtonmusic com Work: 323 654-4401
CM EA Music Technology Represent ative
James Knight
E-mail: jamesknight@mac com Work: 714 536-2514 x 4116,
CM EA Advoc acy Represent ative
Steve Venz
E-mail: stevenvenz@yahoo com Work: 323 224-3100
CM EA St ate Band and Orchestra Festival Chairperson
Jim Mazzaferro
E-mail: jmazzafe@egusd net Work: 916 681-7500
CM EA St ate Solo and Ensemble Festival Chairperson
Cheryl Yee Glass
E-mail: cglass@srvhs org Work: 925 552-3044
CM EA Membership Chairperson
Regina Pryor
E-mail: reginapryor78@gmail com Work: 661 831-8331
CMEA Mentorship Program Chairperson
Mark Nicholson
E-mail: mnicholson@sandi net Work: 858 256-2702
CM EA Music Supervisors Represent ative
Fillmore Rydeen
E-mail: fillmore rydeen@ ousd k12 ca us Work: 510 336-7609
CM EA Collegiate Represent ative
Dr John Eros
E-mail: john eros@ csueastbay edu Work: 510 885-3135
CM EA Tri-M Represent ative
Elizabeth Robertson
E-mail: erobertson@petk12 org Work: 707 769-9650
CM EA Higher Educ ation Represent ative
Dr Lawrence Stoffel
E-mail: stoffel@csun edu Work: 818 677-3160
CM EA Research/ Special Learners Represent ative
Dr Ruth Brittin
E-mail: rbrittin@pacific edu Work: 209 946-2408
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
Demand a Higher Standard
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CMEA has created new str uctures over the past three years so we can communicate with our members and the general public in a variet y of media Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, YouTube and the CMEA Magazine have together strengthened CMEA’s abilit y to market its work for music educators with the general public We live in a wor ld of text messaging and video chat CMEA’s communication str uctures are stronger than ever before We will continue to grow and evolve as new technolog y makes it possible to communicate with stakeholders responsible for providing all California children music education as required by law This fall, a campaign will be launched to educate California’s citiz ens about the fact that California law requires all children in California public schools to have an education in the visual and performing ar ts This campaign will be newly-char ted territor y for CMEA and will teach us much about getting our message out beyond music educators and music parents. All Californians must invest in music education.
In the area of advocac y, CMEA has now laid the foundation for a systematic, ongoing infrastr ucture to proactively advocate for music education at the state capitol. This “str ucture” inc ludes a lobbyist who advocates at the state capitol throughout the year ; a CMEA Advocac y Committee that communicates via conference call each Tuesday morning to guide CMEA’s decision-making in our work; mechanisms to sponsor legislation in the California legislature; and a CMEA advocac y representative on the state council who is responsible for guiding CMEA’s work in this area In this issue, you will read about the impact that the 2015 S tand Up 4 Music California Music Education
Advocac y Day has had upon moving S enate Bill (SB) 725, authored by S enator L oni Hancock from Berkeley, through the bill adoption process SB 725 looks to be a success as it moves towards the governor ’ s desk this summer
Member ser vices continue to expand with CMEA. A new S outhern California site was added to the CMEA S tate S olo
and Ensemble Festival this past May, in addition to the Nor thern California site that has been in existence for many years
This past May, CMEA held its Third Annual CMEA S tate Band and Orchestra Festival in the wor ld-c lass Mondavi Center on the campus of UC Davis. In May of 2016, CMEA will launch its first CMEA S tate Choral Festival CMEA is working hard to keep abreast of what its members want for their membership dollars Attendance at statewide festivals is strong and growing. CMEA is focused upon continuing strong advocac y work at the state, local, and national levels
S o, what should music education in California look like in 2020 and beyond?
P lan now with CMEA leaders for a future full of collaboration, relationship building, and steadfast work to ensure that all of our children get foundational music education throughout their time in school
The sky ’ s the limit! We must plan accordingly
Have a great summer.
CMEA President Michae D Stone and retired CMEA Member Robert Wright of Walnut Creek at the Stand Up 4 Music California Music Education Advocacy Day at Sacramento, California on May 21, 2015
CMEA President-Elect Scott Hedgecock and the Davis All-City String Orchestra under the direction of Kimberly Cole
CMEA President Michael D Stone speaks at the Advocacy Day press conference
Miss California Icon 2014 and clarinetist Shaniee Parker
CMEA Secretary Duane Otani addresses the crowd
Central Unified Flamenco/Classical Guitar Ensemble, Fresno –directed by Brian Garcia.
All Advocacy Day photos by Audrey Boyle
California State Senator Jean Fuller (RBakersfield), recipient of this year’s CMEA Legislative Leadership Award, speaks at Advocacy Day.
Be A Voice with Your Student
California’s 4 ArtsEd Organizations (CAEA, C D EA, C ETA, and C M EA) have collaborated to create a Local Control Funding Formula (LCAP) Resource for music and arts educators
California law requires all school districts to create budget ary priorities via the LCAP each spring by June 3 0th This resource is being provided to you now so that you can begin planning how to prioritize music education in your district as the process moves forward in the spring of 2016. Plan early to engage with your governing board. See next page
Legislative visitation team debriefing after Advocacy Day: (left to right) Duane Otani, CMEA Secretary; Steve Venz, CMEA advocacy representative; Phil Vallejo, CBDA repesentative; Neil Anderson, SC SB OA representative; Lisa Butts, CAJ president; Lynne Faulks, CMEA lobbyist; Nina Vigil, California ASTA repesentative; Russ Sperling, CMEA immediate past president and NAf ME Western Division president-elect; Todd Filpula, CMEA Northern Section president; and, Armalyn De La O, CMEA Southwestern Section president
Finally here’s a truly affordable way to allow your students to practice anytime, anywhere, on any internet-enabled device with instant feedback and exibility that has never seen before. It’s , the new interactive practice tool created by MusicFirst in partnership MatchmySound™.
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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 José
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 A Lindeman Greenbrae
1992–1994 Bill Adam Roseville
1994–1996 Don Doyle Pasadena
1996–1998
Jay D Zorn La Crescenta
CMEA
Hall of Fame Award Recipients Honoring Lifetime Achievement in Music Education Award
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
Dale Anderson, 2015; Ann Marie Haney, 2015; Dr Thomas Lee,2015; 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 A 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
Setting a Better Table:
How Can CMEA More Ef fectively Serve th e Ne eds of Gen eral M usic Teach ers?
by Richard Lawton CMEA General Music Representative
Iam delighted to repor t that attendance at the general music sessions for CASMEC 2015 was up significantly S essions were standing room only, and the addition of the wor ld music workshops, overseen by CMEA Wor ld Music Representative Dr Lily ChenHaf teck, added a great deal of energ y and excitement S ince one of the goals for the year was to persuade more general music teachers that CMEA membership makes sense for them, there was a feeling that, at least as far as the conference goes, we are on the right track.
D uring the conference we conducted a sur vey of the general music workshop attendees with the goal of better understanding what kind of teachers were coming and why Not ever ybody who par ticipated in the sur vey was a teacher, of course – we had students and spouses and a few administrators – but among those who were, 83 percent indicated they worked in public schools, with two-thirds repor ting that they taught in grades K–6 They had a variet y of instr uctional orientations, with 43 percent having an Orff background and 35 percent saying that they had Kodály orientation. A smaller number, 20 percent, said they had studied Dalcroz e Eur ythmics Many had training in all three S ixt y-three percent indicated that their school or some other entit y had paid at least par t of the expenses associated with attending the conference, whereas 36 percent had paid their own way. This is par ticular ly impressive when you consider the distance many traveled Contrar y to what might have been expected, the majorit y of attendees had come more than 50 miles, inc luding a little over a one-third that had traveled 200 miles or more.
As for why they came, that was not a sur prise
– 90 percent repor ted their primar y pur pose in coming to CASMEC was professional development The sur vey inc luded a list of six possible topics for future general music workshops. Movement and wor ld music were the topics that ranked highest, but most people checked all six boxes, and several wrote additional suggestions in the margins
A profile of the CMEA-belonging, CASMEC-attending general music teacher emerged. He or she is most likely a public elementar y school teacher with a range of skills and training, and a determination to learn more about ever ything CMEA generalists are not afraid to travel some distance for professional development, and, while suppor t from their district is not a prerequisite, it makes a difference. I could not help but notice that there were ver y few, if any, music teachers at CASMEC from my own school ’ s district, L os Angeles Unified LAUSD has not suppor ted effor ts of its ar ts teachers to attend state conferences in the recent past (although there is a happy r umor that, under new LAUSD Ar ts Branch leadership, this may change for CASMEC 2016).
The sur vey provided c lues as to how to further refine what the conference has to offer general music teachers ever y Febr uar y, but what about the rest of the year? Are there other activities and programs CMEA should be engaged in to make membership more attractive to generalists? To find out, I looked into how other large states with a reputation for excellence in general music r un things Two states, F lorida and Texas, quickly emerged as having the most robust general/elementar y music tracks in the countr y. Those programs are different from California’s. In developing an even r udimentar y un-
derstanding of the differences and similarities, I had the kind assistance of Marie Rad loff, the F lorida Elementar y Music Educators Association president-elect and Juli S alzman, the Texas Music Educators Association Elementar y vice president and division chair I thank them for their time and their patience
S ome may argue that measuring state music programs against each other is an apples and oranges proposition, but there are several reasons why a comparison among F lorida, Texas, and California is apt All three are large, diverse states with urban and r ural population areas All three have an enormous number of children in public schools and massive public education budgets. It is tr ue that California is emerging from a serious state budget crisis, but F lorida and Texas are experiencing similar problems, and the state music associations there must also contend with state houses not known for their suppor t of teacher unions, public education, or the ar ts. Despite this, they are thriving
In F lorida, elementar y/general music is administered through the F lorida Elementar y Music Educators Association (FEMEA), a component organization of the F lorida Music Educators Association (FMEA) FEMEA has its own executive board, constitution, and bylaws; its president sits on the Executive Board of FMEA As in California, teachers join NAf ME and FMEA at the same time, but for an additional $25 they can also become members of FEMEA.
The fact that the extra dues are not viewed as a burden may have something to do with the many programs FMEA and FEMEA offer to elementar y music specialists. In addition to overseeing general music for the state music conference, FEMEA has its own conference in June and at least two regional conferences for FEMEA members FEMEA oversees several other programs, inc luding an AllS tate Choir program for 4th and 5th graders and, new this year, an All-S tate Orff Ensemble.
As for the annual FMEA conference in Tampa, it attracts more than 8,000 music educators Last year, 644 attendees were FEMEA members, and 55 out of 250 workshops had a primar y focus on elementar y music. By contrast, 568 CMEA members attended CASMEC in 2015, and there were seven General Music and Wor ld Music sessions F lorida’s confer-
ence also attracts many more general music vendors, who under write, as Peripole does at CASMEC, the cost of bringing in nationally recogniz ed c linicians.
Texas has an even larger annual conference, with more than 300 sessions and 9,200 music educator attendees It is held in conjunction with the Technolog y in Music Pre-Conference, making it, by far, the largest state music conference in the countr y.
T MEA is not affiliated with NAf ME As a result, its dues are lower: currently $50 per year Affordabilit y is a contributing factor to widespread par ticipation by Texas music teachers, and that, in turn, has resulted in T MEA being wellfunded It is so well-funded that in some years, in order to maintain its nonprofit status, T MEA has returned money to its members in the form of grants to individual teachers and programs.
T MEA is divided into five divisions: band, orchestra, vocal, elementar y, and college General music/elementar y music, the second largest division, is overseen by the T MEA elementar y vice president and division chair All the divisions have a vice president who ser ves on the T MEA executive board and from among whom the T MEA president is chosen An elementar y VP has ser ved as T MEA president on more than one occasion
T MEA does not organiz e and oversee all-state elementar y ensembles, as FMEA does. Instead, those oppor tunities are available through other groups such as the Texas Choir Directors Association However, T MEA does fund a program in which each of the five divisions in ever y region (there are 28) is eligible for a $800 grant to hold a local workshop throughout the year, potentially a $112,000 annual commitment, with $22,400 specifically allocated to general/elementar y music
Clear ly, FMEA and T MEA have more developed general music programs than CMEA does, but it is wor th noting that, when compared to states besides F lorida and Texas, California’s general music/elementar y music focus is about average Bigger is not necessarily better And even if CMEA were to decide to adopt a general music approach similar to Texas or F lorida, we lack the manpower to implement it or the space to house it.
Never theless, it is useful to have an awareness of what works in these other
states in broad strokes because the result is a much higher level of par ticipation among elementar y school music teachers. S ome of those broad strokes inc lude:
• oppor tunities
Regional festivals and all-state ensemble
• cians at conferences sponsored by multiple vendors.
Top shelf professional development c lini-
Occasional grants to members.
• A strong independent identit y for general
• music/elementar y music specialists
Executive board status for general music
• Reaching out to districts and administra-
• tors to enlist their suppor t – as we learned from our sur vey, elementar y music teachers join CMEA and come to CASMEC on their own dime, but district suppor t would make it easier for them and many others who do not currently par ticipate F lorida and Texas, like California, are pursuing lobbying effor ts with their state representatives in order to build a solid legislative foundation for music education At the same time, both F lorida and Texas are engaged in ongoing effor ts to convince district super visors and even individual principals that state music organization membership and state music conference attendance is a good thing for their students and their teachers
This idea of communicating the value of general music education is par ticular ly impor tant W hen I began looking into what the successful general music practices were in individual states and nationally, I found good information outside of F lorida and Texas ver y hard to come by I conc luded this was because such practices are rare My investigation was hard ly comprehensive, so it is too soon to say whether this is an accurate statement, but I think it is an understandable perception. And when we are asking teachers to pony up annual dues, and many of them are already paying to belong to their local Orff and Kodály chapters, perception counts
That ’ s why we who are members of CMEA ought to follow the lead of F lorida and Texas in the one way that won’t cost us anything We need to reach out to general music teachers whenever the oppor tunit y presents itself and say, with meaning, “ what you do is vitally impor tant to children... and to us. ” And when it ’ s that time of year again, we need to add, “please come to dinner ”
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Fourth-Graders Choosing Instruments
by Kate Francis CMEA CODA Representative
We are music teachers, but how did we get here? I star ted violin when I was four and I do not remember much more than that. I think I star ted because my best friend (who was three) played violin, but honestly I cannot remember There were ups and downs to my young musical career, I wanted to quit, I wanted to star t new instr uments and because my parents were calling the shots, I kept playing until I finally loved it on my own.
This topic is on my mind right now because the four th graders are choosing instr uments that they will play in fif th grade. Like all teachers, I demonstrated the instr uments, talked up each one, and tried to do hard sells on the trombone and viola One hundred and twent y four th-graders have come in and out of my music room today and I am excited for them Excited that they are about to star t a musical journey that will last some of them a lifetime W hat I look for ward to is seeing who continues to play, watching each of them grow musically, and getting to share in their musical success.
I am excited to announce the addition of a second all-state high school string orchestra at CASMEC this year P lease encourage your high school string students to apply All audition material for all-state honor orchestras and December CODA honor orchestras will be up on the CODA website by July 1
This year ’ s December CODA Honor Orchestras will take place at S an José S tate Universit y on December 4–5, 2015. Doris Fukawa, executive ar tistic director at the Crowden School, will direct the CODA Honor S tring Orchestra and Dr Rober t Taylor, director of bands at the Universit y of British Columbia, will direct the CODA Honor S ymphony Orchestra
Science, Technology, Engineering, ARTS and Math:
Making Our Own STEAM
by Judith Scharnberg CMEA North Coast Section President
Music education continues to “ hold its own ” here on the Nor th Coast A new teacher has been added at the elementar y/midd le school level in Del Nor te Count y, raising the count from four to five music specialists F ive Nor th Coast teachers have seen their F TE increase, with two of those now full-time.
Two teachers have completed their second year of BTSA with a music specialist suppor t provider ; their feedback is that even though that person was not on the same campus, it was an impor tant aspect in their professional growth
O ur fall professional development day was again ver y well attended, and sessions inc luded approaches to vocal development, music technolog y, and how to use a district ’ s LCAP to improve music funding. We also had breakout sessions at grade levels where each par ticipant posed an item of concern for the group and brainstorm solutions
D uring the membership campaign, ever y public schools music teacher who was not a member or had not renewed was accounted for. S ome par t-time teachers (30 percent or less) have made the commitment to become members; others have not. We encourage all music teachers to attend meetings and professional development in an effor t to show them the value of our ser vices, and this has resulted in some enthusiastic new members In addition we have an incentive of $75 for new teachers (in their first four years) to assist them with expenses for CASMEC conference. Two teachers qualified and both attended the conference.
O ur big new event was the addition of a “Midd le School Music Is Instr umental Day ”
The need is huge: ver y few midd le school band students take private lessons, and not many music teachers have time in their schedule to r un sectionals It was an all-day S aturday workshop and par ticipants came from all over the Nor th Coast We decided to make it an almost no-cost day ; no one was paid. Minimal student donations covered snacks and copy costs. Ever y teacher who had par ticipants volunteered to assist with logistics and c linics We ran large group (band and orchestra) sessions that inc luded sightreading strategies, tone and dynamics, as well as instr ument-specific c linics S tudents filled out a sur vey at the end and received a cer tificate of par ticipation. Group photos completed the day. The sur vey feedback was 90 percent positive; we hoped for thir t y par ticipants and had over ninet y! We are looking at doing a choral c linic this next year
O ur choral and instr umental festivals are now permanently two-day events, due to increased par ticipation Directors have the option to request comments only instead of scores. We also hold a solo and ensemble and a jazz festival. This year was the 60th anniversar y of our All-Count y Festival and is the “signature event,” sponsored by the Rising S tars Foundation, which continues its major suppor t Rising S tars also covers the expenses for students who are accepted into auditioned regional and state honor groups as well as the S tate S olo and Ensemble Festival O ur president-elect is Dan S edgwick of Del Nor te High School. For me personally, it has been an intense and wonderful four years, and I thank the CMEA leadership for its wonderful collegialit y and amazing suppor t
CMEA California State Band and Orchestra Fe stival
The California Music Educators Association presented its Third Annual California St ate B and and Orchestra Festival, held at the Mondavi Center on the campus of the University of California, Davis on May 22, 2015 The adjudicated event was open to the finest middle school, junior high and high school concert bands and orchestras from throughout the st ate
C M EA President Michael D Stone and C M EA President-Elect Scott Hedgecock at the Mondavi Center
C M EA St ate B and and Orchestra Festival Chairman Jim Mazzaferro
CM EA St ate Band and Orchestra Festival photos (clockwise): Schyler B orges and C M EA President Michael D Stone backst age at the Mondavi Center; Adjudicator Tony Mazzaferro, Fullerton College director of B ands; Adjudicator Dr David Jacobs, University of Oregon assist ant professor of orchestra studies; Clovis High School Wind Symphony in the warm-up room; Hopkins Junior Hish School Orchestra directed by Greg Conway
All festival photos by Audrey B oyle
CMEA State Solo an d
Ense mble Festival in Sou thern Calif ornia
by Lisa Crawford, CMEA Southwestern Section President and Armalyn De La O CMEA Southeastern Section President
In 2015, CMEA’s leadership effor ts focus on reshaping, rebuilding and renewing the organization to meet 21st centur y music education goals and needs of developing music students. S ome of the resulting changes are more of nuances; minor shif ts in practices to better meet the needs of music students and CMEA members On May 9, 2015 at CSU S an Bernardino, one of the new shif ts took place, while still retaining the goals of shaping and suppor ting great musicianship, the CMEA S tate S olo and S mall Ensemble Festival.
Festivals are one aspect of K–12 music education that is believed to shape great musicianship and stellar teaching. To increase geographical access to the CMEA S tate S olo and S mall Ensemble Festival, CMEA S outheastern and S outhwestern S ections hosted the first-ever CMEA S olo and S mall Ensemble Festival at CSU S an Bernardino S tudents, teachers, and families traveled from Bakersfield and S an Diego to take par t in this festival.
S tudents performed for adjudicators on S aturday, May 9, 2015 This groundbreaking event was organiz ed by Armalyn De La O and Lisa Crawford, presidents of the sections, and the CSU S an Bernardino music facult y, with the suppor t of Trish Adams and Cher yl Yee Glass Lisa Crawford is a general music teacher in L os Alamitos and completing her doctorate in music education. Armalyn is a music depar tment lecturer and TCAP regional director at CSU S an Bernardino and was able to organiz e the festival by working c losely with Dr Todd Johnson, chair of CSU S an Bernardino’s music depar tment
Adjudicators from both CMEA sections were invited to judge
in their primar y instr umental or vocal area S ection leadership attended the festival and assisted with elements of responsibilities for the day Families and other audience members enjoyed command performances at the end of the day by the students who earned an outstanding rating.
CMEA President-Elect Scott Hedgecock comments on the first CMEA S outhern California S olo and Ensemble Festival:
“ The CMEA S tate S olo and Ensemble Festival, S outhern California site, was a tremendous success. Hosted jointly by the CMEA S outheastern and S outhwestern S ections, the event ran smoothly, provided our talented students with a place to perform and receive valuable assessment, and expanded the offerings of activities and events to our membership. Having par ticipated in the state festival in S acramento for many years, as a board member, an adjudicator, and as an educator with students, I am ver y proud of the work done by Lisa Crawford and Armalyn De La O in reproducing the highly successful event for all of us in the southern regions of the state. I am sure that this event will continue to grow, and CMEA will continue to par tner with SCSBOA, SCVA, and several other organizations who r un solo and ensemble events that would allow our students to qualify for spots in the state festival. A big thank you also goes to the music depar tment of California S tate Universit y, S an Bernardino, for providing the facilities for this event As an educator, I was proud to bring my students to this event, and ver y pleased with their performances and the feedback they received along with their gold medals.”
S outhwestern S ection V ice-President Dr. Alexander Koops (Azusa Pacific Universit y) adjudicated for brass in the 2015 festival:
“It was exciting to be at the CMEA S olo and Ensemble Festival on May 9 I helped adjudicate the brass solos and all the par ticipants did a remarkable job. I really enjoyed interacting with the soloists and ensembles af ter their performances to discuss options to make their polished performances even better and more musical At the end of the day, getting to hear the command performances was also a real treat. We have a number of really talented students here in California, and I really hope we can see this event grow in the future ”
S tacey Fraser, professor, director of opera theatre at CSU S an Bernardino, adjudicated for vocal and sent this message following the festival:
“Congratulations on the success of the CMEA Festival at CSUSB Ever ything was
so well organiz ed and it was a treat for me to hear the singers... I am happy to help in any way I can next year Thanks for asking me to be involved It was a pleasure!”
The work of organizing and presenting festivals requires focused effor t. This was begun in the nor thern par t of our state four years ago by past CMEA President Cher yl Yee Glass, and CMEA Administrative Coordinator Trish Adams, who developed our CMEA festival and adjudication handbook.
For those new to contemporar y festivals and the ar t of competing for ratings, adjudicators listen to students performing solo, large, and small ensemble
works. Ratings are given to aspects of performance in six general areas: technique, inter pretation, balance, intonation, tone, and rhythm Judges may also address other performance items Scores are tallied and students are awarded Command (all I scores), S uperior (average of most I), Excellent (average of most II), Good (most III), and Fair, (most IV ) scores
School districts and regions of our state host their own festivals If a student earns a S uperior rating in a regional festival, he or she may continue on to our state solo and ensemble festivals located in S acramento and S an Bernardino annually in May, travelling to the most convenient location in Nor thern or S outhern California
Deanna Buringrud, flute, private instruction, Keynote Music Studios, Redlands
Ethan Howard, trombone, Chipman Junior High School; and Joshua Howard, Dr Juliet Thorner Elementary School, Bakersfield.
Festival Participants: Samuel Lang, violin, Valley Oaks Charter School, Bakersfield
First Annual CMEA-Southern Border Section Guitar Showcase
by Karen Childress-Evans, Ed D
The first ever CMEA-S outhern Border S ection Guitar S howcase was held at Correia Midd le School in S an Diego Unified, on March 13, 2015 Ina S oliz, music teacher at Correia, coordinated this premier event through the local CMEA chapter Par ticipating S an Diego Count y schools inc luded: Valhalla High School, West Hills High School, House of Guitars from Chula V ista High School and the host site, Correia Midd le School
The morning was filled with music of all st yles and genres from the Police to Biz et; W ild Cherr y to V ivaldi S elections inc luded a wide variet y of swing, rock, dance, pop, show, c lassical and folk tunes S tudents represented all socioeconomic levels, ages seventh grade to seniors, beginners to advanced and performed in small ensembles up to ensembles filling the entire stage. Various guitar techniques inc luded finger picking, str umming, alternate tuning and the use of harmonics Each group performed a number of pieces on stage while a completely engaged and respectful student audience seated in the auditorium watched and listened attentively. The applause was loud and enthusiastic representing the positive atmosphere and collegialit y of the day
Correia Midd le School Beginning Guitar, under the direction of Ina S oliz, star ted off the S howcase performing a Russian folk dance and the theme from Char lotte’s Web Glen F isher, professional jazz guitarist and guitar coach, accompanied the student musicians on guitar and percussion The students inc luding a gir ls’ vocal ensemble that rocked the house with Message in a Bottle by The Police and P
That Funky Music by W ild Cherr y Valhalla High School, under the direction of Car l Reed, performed several contemporar y pieces, a S panish traditional tune ending with Amazing Grace. S oloist, Ali Alsamarraie, performed an authentic Arabic folk song entitled Entra Omri: You Are My Life. These students are members of a fledgling guitar program and learn both tablature and traditional notation This is the first year, according to director Reed, that the guitar course has been inc luded as an authentic par t of the school music depar tment and the students are “tr uly star ting to feel like musicians ”
West Hills Combined Intermediate and Advanced Guitar Ensemble, under the direction of S tephen L orentz, impressed the audience with a variet y of genres inc luding More than a Feeling by Boston, Beethoven’s S ymphony No 7, S econd Movement and Married Life by Giacchino
The West Hills Advanced Guitar Ensemble then thrilled the audience with superb performances of Biz et ’ s Habanera, Tarrega’s Waltz, Albeniz’s Granada, and V ivaldi ’ s Concer to in D Most of the selections were arranged by L orentz. West Hills proud ly enrolls more than 150 guitar students in c lasses and students learn to read standard notation.
Director Marc D wyer, brought his Correia Midd le School Intermediate Guitar Ensemble to the stage to perform a variet y of genre inc luding the show tune My Favorite Things, Beethoven’s Moonlight S onata, and Mozar t ’ s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Accompanied again by Glen F isher and the gir ls’ vocal ensemble they brought down the house with rock tunes by the Allman Brothers and Kansas
The final performance was performed by the incredibly talented and accomplished House of Guitars from Chula V ista High School for the Performing Ar ts directed by Jeff W illiams These outstanding students are products of the largest guitar program in S an Diego Count y As opposed to the majorit y of guitar programs that use nylon strings, these students use steel guitar strings giving the music a bright timbre and c lear articulation.
The Chula V ista guitar program inc ludes three midd le school and five or six high school c lasses of sequential guitar instr uction The result is a hugely popular
and successful performing group made up of 45 accomplished musicians who performed flawlessly at the showcase. Pieces, all memoriz ed, inc luded Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance, Gar land ’ s In the Mood, Rossini ’ s theme from the W illiam Tell O ver ture, a K ar toon K aleidoscope (complete with “ whee” whistle, a variet y of percussion instr uments, and a Fred F lintstone impersonator) ending with Miser lou by Dale
More than 300 students par ticipated in this first-of-many S an Diego Count y guitar showcases Busing, coordinating arrival and depar ture times, stage management and transitions, lighting and sound, and student schedules all contributed to the challenges of the Friday the 13th event. But the benefits of this one morning of music performance and camaraderie were priceless
Car l Reed, who spent ten years at the midd le school level before going to the high school, feels strongly that: “Music should actually star t at the elementar y level This is where the exposure and love of music [star ts to foster] the process ” Reed stated that the biggest thing his students got out of the showcase was enthusiasm and inspiration. He said that the students: “discovered new music and saw what their potential can become ” Valhalla student, Davonna L ee said: “[Music] helps me express my emotions both happy and chill... I liked the guitar festival because I got to meet new people and get ideas from their performances ” S tephen L orentz who received a masters in c lassical guitar at SDSU and studied with the Romeros, said that this event gave the students the chance to be a par t of something great, develop a sense of poise, a pride of accomplishment, a sense of team work plus performance and audience etiquette.
Jeff W illiams who earned a master ’ s degree in jazz studies at the Universit y of Ariz ona said that guitar instr uction is good for kids His students learn to read and play notes according to music standards, not tablature, so that those who wish to make a career of music will be able to work in recording studios if they want with a solid knowledge of standard notation.
W illiams said that guitar instr uction is a chance to get “ kids to believe they can do things they don’t think they can do ” He said that music provides a varied genre
and engages students whether it is a traditional band or orchestra instr ument or guitar. “It ’ s all music... it ’ s all good.”
Among the many benefits of student musical events like this showcase, Jonathan Montano, sophomore at Chula V ista High School, said that it gave him the oppor tunit y to play “cool songs, ” motivate himself “to do more and to be better ” and to “ improve on [existing] skills”. He said that all the ar ts are a “good influence ” on students and help them to “ look at the wor ld differently.”
Af ter the successful performances, Ina S oliz said that it took a great deal of effor t to get the word out, to select a date that was compatible with ever yone and then to coordinate with all the student schedules. S he hopes to address those hurd les and increase par ticipation next year. But this first-of-its-kind guitar showcase in S an Diego Count y was definitely a positive beginning.
Marc D wyer said that the coordinators had no idea what to expect but that it was impor tant to star t with the one event and see what happened He said that this event was just another example of what CMEA can do for all guitar teachers and that more guitar festivals and events are needed to give all S an Diego “guitar teachers the oppor tunit y to see what other schools are doing, to collaborate, network, and share literature ”
A huge thank you to all par ticipating teachers, students, parents and school suppor t effor ts that made this event possible It is hoped that at least one of these groups will consent to perform at the Annual Mega Ar ts Conference held in Balboa Park in the fall One of CMEA’s goals is to show guitar teachers across the S an Diego Count y the benefits of belonging to a vibrant professional organization, to offer teacher suppor t and to increase the number of guitar events and festivals over the next two years.
•
A current CMEA member and past CMEA-SBS board member, Karen Childress-Evans, Ed D recently retired as director for the visual and performing ar ts in the S an Diego Unified School District S he is now an ar ts education consultant coaching, adjudicating and directing local string orchestras in S an Diego Count y S he can be reached at kc-evans@cox.net.
Playing “Soft” is Much More Than Just a Volume…
by Bill Ingram
Iused to tell my band members that “every band can play loud, but very few can play soft ” But I meant much more than just volume A band that can produce a p-piano, pppianissimo with a good balance and with real emotion and feeling is a pleasure to listen to There”s a sound that is much different from two bands playing the s ame piece of music, both at a soft dynamic, but one that the students are really feeling the subject of the music, and another just producing a soft volume but with no attention to the meaning of the music When musicians feel and sometimes “see”“what they are playing, the instrument begins to come alive with a different element of sound, like it becomes part of the individual I adjudicated a music festival recently and listened to many bands. Usually, but not always, the second number of the st andard “three-arrangement-set” turns out to be the slower, balladtype piece This is the time to really sit back and listen to how well the ensemble will interpret the selection “Articulation” and “phrasing” of course are factors that will make or break the music, but the “soft” dynamic if presented correctly by all musicians, really makes the song come alive with feeling and emotion.
I was an “IAS CA” (International Auto Sound Challenge Association) judge for a number of years in the late 19 8 0s and early 19 9 0s One of the areas and items that we had to judge was testing the sound system at a low decibel (db) setting, about 35–4 0db, and making sure that all of the speakers were present and could be heard at that st ated db level, including subbass, bass, mid-range/horns, and tweeters – all functioning and transmitting a very nice “soft” and “balanced” sound What a treat this was to hear, but so few entries could accomplish this
feat. Our “test C D” was always a “classical” era symphonic piece of music that was used in every vehicle for the competition My point here is that this s ame auto stereo sound show test is the subject of my intention of playing nice and soft with all levels of band instruments being heard and coming across to the listener with emotion
The “Levels of Listening,” the pedagogy terms that all musicians must comply with and manipulate to help reach this result are:
Level 1: The individual player listens to himself or herself.
Level 2: The individual player listens and matches others in the section or voice color
Level 3: The section (and/or voice color) listens and matches all other sections within the band or ensemble.
Can this be achieved? Of course But it would t ake a few minutes out of the daily band schedule class time over a period of a few weeks or a couple months
When students practice at home, they practice most of the time at a “mezzo forte” (mf) level If you tell a section to go into a practice room and practice some scales or on a cert ain section of the music, they are mostly at an “mf” level. The “mezzo forte” (mf) dynamic is pretty much what we all use to warm-up the band, do exercises, scales, and etudes We are all so accustomed and unfortunately locked-in to this “average” level of sound that it just seems the right volume to play most of the time. Of course, when we want to increase this to a “forte” or “fortissimo,” it”s usually much easier to do than to play p-piano or pianissimo Why is this? Today’s youth are experiencing louder music at dances, rock concerts, on their headphones, and even during the lunch hour on many campuses where they “blast” the popular social area with “rock” or “hip-hop” at unbelievable loud levels. This level of sound increase has significantly changed our young students’ and musicians’
“loudness thermometer” to interpret dynamics to higher levels.
At a recent C M EA music festival where I was adjudicating many high school concert groups, one school performed October by Eric Whit acre I’ve heard the piece before played by other ensembles, but not heard like it this day The band played beautifully, and at very soft levels that I never heard from the other groups It made the piece overwhelmingly an emotional attraction to me and I’m sure many others. The musicians could not have performed this masterpiece with so much intensity and at so beautifully controlled volumes without realizing how to really feel what they are playing and learn to exhibit emotional qualities I credit the director for teaching his students the finer points of being able to play slow, soft literature and to display these qualities at concert performances You do not have to play “f”, “ff”, or “fff” to get attention
Like I st ated in other articles: “Any band can play notes, but very few can play music”. The point I am stressing is that student musicians need to learn, feel, and deliver the true emotion of slower and especially “softer” arrangements Can it be done? Yes, I’ve heard it by many ensembles, but we need more groups to fulfill what I feel is lacking in some of our middle school and high school concert bands Here’s a couple of simple exercises to try: Have your students t ake a deep breath • and play a huge “fff” concert Bb at the second oct ave as loud as they possibly can for four-slow beats. Then have them t ake a breath and have them play the s ame note as “soft” as they possibly can for 4-beats Be sure that they keep a steady stream of air coming through their instruments, and that they have the correct “pitch” of the note and not a pinched
airy sound that sounds more like a noise than an actual note.
Do some of your daily scale warm-ups
• using p-piano, pp-pianissimo, and even a “ppp” along with your normal dynamic warm-ups
Try different note values – whole, half,
• quarter, eighth, sixteen with these s ame dynamics
Take an “ff” – fortissimo note such as a
• Bb4 and diminuendo to a “pp” – pianissimo over 8, 12, and sixteen “slow,” and at very “slow” beats. Also use a “crescendo” from “pp”-pianissimo to an “ff”-fortissimo like above.
Play Happy Birthday in Bb concert
• (F FG F BbA, F FG FC Bb, F F-F-D BbAG, EbEbD BbC Bb at a very slow, pianissimo level and direct the song as if it”s a beautiful theme piece from a motion picture. Director can change speed and the dynamics slightly, especially on the fermat a The students will have to really watch the director No written music needed They can do it Or, write the above notes on the board
Play your schools Alma Mater at a • tempo and at a “pianissimo” dynamic level, very much slower, and much, much softer than you have ever performed it before If you really want a challenge, try playing your school fight song at a “pp”- pianissimo at the s ame tempo that you normally play it. Then turn around and play it at a “largo” tempo at “pp”-pianissimo/”ppp,” really stressing the articulation, dynamic, and the change of feeling and attitude about the song using these changes These are all different type exercises that can put your students in a situation that is not normally done and creating a real feeling of what a “piano” and a “pianissimo” piece of music is all about and what it t akes to play it One of my former directors told me to “use the s ame amount of energy that you would use to play very loud as you would use to play very soft” This just might be correct
{ }
Bill Ingram Adjudicator, clinician, retired band director, guest conductor ingramhw@sbcglobal net
Recruiting Beginning String Students
by Thomas Tatton (aka Dr Tom)
It is my hope that this reaches your eyes a week or more before you begin to visit classrooms recruiting for your beginning strings programs Unless you are a very new teacher you have a routine, a personal way of recruiting When I was doing this very s ame thing, I heard one student teacher refer to my “routine” as Dr Tom’s “dog and pony show ”
Two notions
1. Attracting students to your string program doesn’t just “happen.” You have to work at recruitment
2 Recruitment of future string students begins the moment children enter your school’s kindergarten class St art this overarching process by having a beginning string class go into kindergarten, first, second, or third grade classrooms regularly during the school year. When your beginners perform Hot Cross Buns or Twinkle, Twinkle, Little St ar it is an exciting event for the very early learners It’s also exciting for your youthful performers and is a wonderful initial performing experience We know from research that the ability to recognize and be familiar with instruments is a major factor in a student choosing to play a particular instrument If a student doesn’t know what a “cello” is, chances are zero that that child will want to play cello Now, in Ecclesiastes it s ays: “…there is nothing new under the sun,” and in this case that is true. Nevertheless, below are a few ideas to spruce up your routine and perhaps make your “dog and pony show” a little more interesting and even more successful this year
From my very first days at Whittier College, oh so long ago, my students • began to call me Dr T When I graduated into the public school system, my high school students called me Dr. T. I had my element ary students call me Dr. Tom. That is how hundreds of former students, now adults, know me. This has a ring of professionalism yet is very personal At all levels of instruction every student now had a “special” friend with a unique and memorable name
Be positive Assume that every child wants to play a stringed instrument
• Be enthusiastic. Let your personality show. You are really selling yourself
• more than the instrument Tell your story How did you get st arted? (For me,
it was Mrs Tieger in third grade ) Tell other stories Tell the bow-hair story (It’s made of horse hair from Russia or Canada, where special people give the horses a “hair cut” etc ) My instrument is my best friend story, or the back-front story (Ask why, when explaining the parts of the instrument, that this is the top and this is the back ) Just be creative Tell a story Enjoy yourself
Even if you are recruiting for, s ay cello, have all the in-
• struments at hand and demonstrate each – violin, viola and cello (and bass, if you are in 6th grade or up or you have in your school inventory some very small basses) Make sure that every student knows that, even though you are there to demonstrate the cello, they can sign up and learn to play the violin or the viola instead
You might wish to hand a query letter to classroom
Don’t ask: “How many want to learn to play a string in-
• strument?” Rather ask: “Which instrument sound do you like best?” This assumes they all want to learn to play and lets them know that they don’t all have to play the s ame instrument
Don’t s ay “Try it, you’ll like it.” Of course they’ll like it!
• S ay something like:“ Let’s do it” or “I’m looking forward to seeing you in my cello class ”
In that regard, you can quickly look into each child’s
• hand or maybe just a few hands (time permitting) and make a suggestion as to which instrument might be right for that student. Before you do, s ay something like: “Each hand is a little different. Look at your hand. Which instrument is right for you?” This creates a sense of mystery You will see youngsters on the playground comparing hands and t alking about instruments
The actual demonstration should be planned, catchy,
• short and fun. Don’t play a concert or a concerto. Play instead TV commercials, theme songs (Jaws), recent movie tunes, pop tunes (Lady Gaga), fiddle tunes, etc
Don’t even play a whole tune And, youngsters are fascinated with the different kinds of sounds string instruments can make Play pizzicato, gliss ando, tremolo, trill, harmonics, chords, or just strum the instrument
Emphasize that strings are fun and easy to learn. Play • Pop Goes the Weasel Have the teacher, the principal or other adult do the “pop ”
If time allows, let each student “pluck” your instrument
• Don’t bring your Strad! Always warn the students that they should be gentle. “Remember, my instrument is my best friend.” When they are at home that evening have them tell their parents: “Dr Tom (your special name) t aught me how to play the violin today ”
Kids sell kids If you can, get an older, well-spoken stu- • dent to help you demonstrate, play a little or even just t alk about how much fun string class is. That is powerful.
Distribute material at your visit for students to t ake
• home that day A well-organized and well-written signup letter is crucial Make sure to let the class (and the teacher) know when you will return to collect the signup letters.
• teachers. This letter will ask for their recommendations, sometime before or even just after your classroom visit. This is also very useful and appreciated by classroom music teachers Classroom teachers can make or break your program Teachers will know which students have a good chance to be successful string learners There is a strong correlation between returning homework on time, persistence characteristics and success on a musical instrument. The s ame is true of reading ability. If a child is not at reading level for their class, they may very well struggle with note-reading On the other side, a child who struggles with classroom reading assignments often improves dramatically in reading text when involved in a dynamic music program. Something “clicks.”
Here’s a sample note sent to a classroom teacher in the spring semester
Dear (Name of teacher),
In September, your present students will be enrolled in the fourth grade At this level they will be offered the opportunity to participate in our exciting school string program During the first or second week of the new school year I will visit each fourth grade class to demonstrate the violin, viola and cello and send an informative letter home to those who show an interest Bec ause of the natural apprehension and excitement of the first weeks of school and the amount of information students are required to t ake home, this method is only moderately effective
I would like to enlist your aid in identifying those students who, in your opinion would be successful and benefit most from this unique learning experience This will not replace my current procedure of visit ations/demonstrations, but will only enhance my efforts The obvious criteria would apply, i e , students who are:
Conscientious
Organized
Excited ab out learning
Creative and enjoy classroom music
Supported by their parents
Please t ake the time in your busy schedule to list the six to ten students in your class who fit into the majority of these criteria and return the sheet to my school mailb ox
Have an informational letter to distribute at the • first class meeting. That letter should include information about renting instruments (appropriate instrument size), local music stores that rent as well as mail order firms (Shar and Southwest Strings, et al ), and what to check before leaving the store or signing the contract We know that if an instrument will not hold pitch, is of poor quality, unclean, beat-up or badly scratched we risk failure with that student. The s ame is true for the case If it is broken, “old looking,” or clunky, what child will want to carry that back and forth to school? We want to set up every child for success
To be truly successful (have students that will • participate over time) parents need “continuing education ” Bring them along on this magical journey that you and their child are about to t ake (See parent letter )
Final notion:
Aptitude tests, recommended students and other means of selecting potentially successful music students are useful but should not be overemphasized. All children, regardless of “t alent” should have the opportunity to participate in and enjoy school music programs
•
Early in the instructional process send a letter home that reads something like:
Dear String Parents,
As parents of a beginning string student you are supporting your child in a very special activity – an elective experience that c an change their life in a very positive and meaningful way Right now, at the beginning of the year, the violin (or viola or cello) is new, exciting and fun It is my hope that you remember what valuable and wonderful lessons you are giving your child when they need your support the most. I mean the times they don’t want to practice and playing the instrument seems difficult.
Some of the unique opportunities you are providing for your child include:
• long avenue of self expression, communic ation and enjoyment
The gift of music and with that comes a powerful, life-
• – all requisite skills in music study that enhance all other learning experiences
The ability to concentrate, focus, listen and remember
• and with that comes poise and self-confidence
The sense of responsibility, the concept of teamwork
A positive image and lots of earned self-esteem. This
• is accomplished by helping your child be successful at a challenging t ask with high but clear expect ations from me. The positive results will be applauded at public performances
You are the determining factor in the success of your child – you provide the outside influence that propels your child to achieve. Please help your special musician by:
Providing a quiet place to practice
• tice
Helping organize a schedule of daily time for prac-
• improvement
Listening to your child practice and acknowledging
• opment – acquiring skills and artistry is a life-long journey
Not being over anxious for rapid progress and devel-
I know that your child, as he or she grows into an adult, will begin to appreciate their music studies and realize what you and I already know – that music study helps to strengthen their lives every day and in every way.
- Dr Tom
Audrey loves her cello.
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
California State University, Long Beach
The Bob Cole Chamber Choir performed You Can’t Always Get W hat You Want with The Rolling S tones in front of 42,000 at Petco Park in S an Diego on May 24th
https://web.csulb.edu/depts/music/wordpress/bccm/
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
University of California, San Diego
UC S an Diego composer L ei Liang was named as one of three finalists for the 2015 Pulitz er Priz e in Music, which was awarded to composer Julia Wolfe. L ei earned recognition for his piece Xiaoxiang recalling the memor y of a tragic event that took place during China’s Cultural Revolution, when a woman was killed by a local official af ter protesting the Communist regime’s oppression. Liang’s work [a concer to for alto saxophone and orchestra published by Schott Music] brings together digital processing with orchestra
There is good reason to believe that L ei Liang could have a Pulitz er Priz e in his future, at least based on the track record of this year ’ s winner Julia Wolfe was previously a r unner-up for the priz e in 2010 (for her piece, S teel Hammer). If he eventually wins a Pulitz er, Liang would be the third UC S an Diego music professor to take home the priz e Former UCSD Professor Bernard Rands won the priz e in 1984 while on the facult y of the music depar tment, and Roger Reynolds – the first composer in residence of Calit2's Q ualcomm Institute – received the Pulitz er Priz e for Music in 1989 for his work, W hispers O ut of T ime. http://musicweb ucsd edu/media/news php
Terr y Riley, the forefather of minimalism in music, offered the c lass of 2015 a command performance as well as words of inspiration at S an Francisco Conser vator y of Music commencement ceremonies on May 22 The Conser vator y awarded Riley the honorar y degree doctor of music as parents, facult y, and staff gathered to celebrate the achievements of almost 150 graduates receiving bachelor ’ s, master ’ s, and postgraduate degrees
In impromptu remarks, Riley traced his histor y at the S an Francisco Conser vator y of Music to 1955 when he arrived with thoughts of becoming a c lassical pianist Instead, he began creating music and staging concer ts in the conser vator y ’ s electronic music studio with pioneer ing composers like R amon S ender and Pauline O liv eros
Musing that books are now written about those ear ly experiments, Riley reminded the current c lass of their place in histor y saying: “ We still need the guys that are coming up to keep us all honest, the new musicians with ideas that have to be listened to.”
Riley, who turns 80 in June, also performed a lengthy, jazz-inflected improvisation at the piano, inc luding vocal chant and a narration that began: “All music star ts from the point of nothingness It ’ s inc lusive of all the consciousness around it and draws on that presence to take its shape ”
He then returned to the podium to read passages by the Dalai Lama, W inston Churchill, himself and others about the necessit y of listening to one ’ s own voice
http://www.sfcm.edu/newsroom
University of California, Santa Cruz
UC S anta Cr uz Music Depar tment voice students, Christian Bernal, Nic Gerst, Tess Greenberg, Ben Greenberg, and Mandy Aceves-L opez, recently participated in the 2015 S an Francisco Bay Area National Association of Teachers of S inging (NATS) S inging Festival NATS celebrates the ar t of singing through a series of competitions and programs that are designed to showcase the talented singers and performers who are soon to be rising stars in the profession This year, 385 students of various ages from all over the Bay Area par ticipated
All of our music students sang beautifully and placed in their divisions: Tess Greenberg tied for first in Oratorio (all ages); Ben Greenberg took second place in ar t song (ages 22–23); Nic Gerst took second place in the aria division (ages 24 and up); Mandy Aceves took third in ar t song (ages 20–21) and received an honorable mention for arias (ages 21 and under)
The premiere USC a cappella group, S oCal VoCals, recently won first place at the 2015 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, or the I C C A , in New York Cit y. This was the four th time that the group has taken the title, following wins in 2008, 2010, and 2012 The S oCal VoCals’ 2015 I C C A triumph was documented in an ar tic le by The New Yorker magazine, which called the “pitch perfect ” ensemble “ an established powerhouse, the team to beat.”
The ar tic le noted that immediately following the championship show, “the S oCal VoCals were out on Broadway singing F leetwood Mac ’ s “ Tusk,” a U S C standard https://music.usc.edu/categor y/news/
Vanguard University
The Vanguard Universit y Depar tment of Music is thrilled to announce that the S ingle S ubject Matter Preparation Program in Music has been approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC), making Vanguard Universit y one of six private universities in the state of California to hold this distinction. The S ingle S ubject Matter Preparation Programs approved by CTCC are alternatives to the subject matter examinations and act as appropriate subject matter preparation for the S ingle S ubject Teaching Credential S tudents interested in obtaining a teaching credential af ter completion of their bachelor of music in music education degree will need to apply for entrance into a credential program. S tudents should refer to the graduate program in education at Vanguard Universit y or other institutions for specific information concerning completing a teaching credential For more information on the bachelor of music degree at Vanguard Universit y, please visit: http://www.vanguard.edu/music/courses/concentrations.
http://www vanguard edu/music/
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 at stoffel@csun.edu. S ubmissions will be inc luded on a firstcome/space-available basis This column contains items both received by submission as well as from culling the Internet
