CMEA Magazine The News Magazine of the California Music Educators Association Summer Issue 2018 • Volume 71 • Number 4
Stand Up 4 Music California Music Education Advocacy Day
... that all students in California have equal access to high quality music instruction as part
May 17
2018
of a well-rounded education.
The theme for SU4M Advocacy Day 2018 was Arts Education with the emphasis on Education. Too often, there is a lot of talk about the Arts, which is a good thing, but there is a big difference between the Arts and Arts Education. This was our overall focus for the day.
California State Capitol
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Th e News M aga zine o f th e C alifo rnia Mu sic E duca to rs Asso cia tion SUMMER ISSUE 2018 • INSIDE THIS ISSUE
CONTENTS POSTMASTER
CMEA Magazine (ISSN 1099–6710) is published quarterly (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer) by CMEA. Mailing Address: 9923 Hirondelle Lane, Tujunga, CA 91042–2605. Periodical postage paid at Tujunga, CA and at additional mailing offices. Subscription price of $4.00 is included in the CMEA annual dues. Non-member subscription rate is $12.00 per year. Single copies are $3.00 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CMEA Magazine, 9923 Hirondelle Lane, Tujunga, CA 91042–2605 CMEA Magazine Art Director/Business Manager: Allen Petrinka Mailing Address: 9923 Hirondelle Lane Tujunga, CA 91042–2605 Voice: 818 353–3356 E-mail: cmeamagazine@dslextreme.com Rates and advertising information available at: www.calmusiced.com The Executive Board of CMEA serves as the Editorial Committee. The observations and opinions expressed in any article in this magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Association. CMEA does not necessarily endorse any product or service advertised in this magazine. CMEA Administrative Office Mailing Address: 2417 North 11th Avenue Hanford, CA 93230 Office: 559 587–2632 Cell: 559 904–2002 E-mail: cmea@calmusiced.com Website: www.calmusiced.com
• President’s Message: Amplify Your CMEA Membership by CMEA President John Burn
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• Stand Up 4 Music California Music Education Advocacy Day 2018 Sacramento State Capitol Event Highlights, Quotes and Photos
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• California’s Choral Community by Rob Istad, CMEA CCDA Representative
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• The Future of Our Profession by Dr. Dennis Siebenaler, CMEA Collegiate Representative
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• The True Collaboration that is CASMEC by Phil Vallejo, CMEA CBDA Representative
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• Choral Leadership Academy: Students Pursuing a Career in the Choral Profession by Willow Manspeaker, CMEA/CCDA Choral Leadership Academy Coordinator
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• CMEA North Coast Section: Finishing Strong by Holly MacDonell, CMEA North Coast Section President
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• Greetings from Bay Section by Rita Zigas-Brown, CMEA Bay Section President
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• CMEA Southeastern Section: Giving Back by Ryan Duckworth, CMEA Southeastern Section President
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• Who’s Your Mentor? by Mark Nicholson, CMEA Mentorship Program Chairperson
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• Fall Professional Learning Day for Music Supervisors by Michael D. Stone, CMEA Music Supervisors Representative
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• Casting a Wider Net – Second Annual Conference Report by Dr. Lisa A. Crawford, CMEA Creating and Composition Representative
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• Youth Ensemble Showcase: Elementary Music Teachers Say YES to This Festival by Coralie Prince, CMEA Elementary Representative
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• Program and Abstracts of Research/Projects Poster Session Presented by Ruth Brittin, CMEA Research Representative
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• The Benefits of Music for Special Learners by Angela E. Holmes, M.A.Ed., CMEA Special Learners Representative
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• CMEA Northern California State Solo and Ensemble Festival at Sacramento State University on May 4–5, 2018
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• Students Participating in the CMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festival by Anne Fennell, CMEA Vice-President
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• CMEA Southern California State Solo and Ensemble Festival at Azusa Pacific University on May 12, 2018
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On the Cover – Student trumpets perform on Stand Up 4 Music California Music Education Advocacy Day on May 17, 2018, at the California State Capitol. Photo by Brian Baer/Getty Images
Orchestrate Success in Your Career… JOIN CMEA+. Visit www.nafme.org. CMEA is a federated state association of the National Association for Music Education.
Summer Issue 2018
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President’s Message
Your CMEA Membership Eight reasons to be excited about the 2018–2019 School Year by John Burn CMEA President
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our CMEA membership is actually a “threein-one” membership deal. First, you have your CMEA Section (Bay, Capitol, Central, Central Coast, North Coast, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Southern Border) each with their own festivals, conferences, and other offerings and services. Second, you have your state-level offerings: the staff development, student opportunities, communication, collaboration and celebration known as CASMEC, our relentless music education advocacy in Sacramento, our state festivals, and our council chairs representing every aspect of music education in California from pre–K to post-graduate, from urban to rural, and from traditional to innovative. Third, and where the “lion’s share” of your membership dues go, is NAf ME, the National Association for Music Education. The level of music education advocacy that happens on our behalf in Washington, D. C., by NAf ME is nothing short of awe-inspiring. NAf ME also has a wealth of staff development services through their conference, print publications, and on-line resources, the newest of which is called “Amplify.” Amplify is like a music education Facebook group, but way more organized and useful. Start by going to nafme.org, then click on “Amplify.” From there you create a log-in, and select your interests. You then get a daily email (if you want) with links to posts from fellow NAf ME members across the country with similar interests, problems and solutions as yours. Check it out. Amplify your membership. Another way to “amplify” your membership is to take advantage of these eight NAf ME and CMEA state-level events coming this school year:
• The NAf ME National In-Service:. November 11–14, 2018, Gaylord, Texas. To learn more go to nafme.org • NAf ME All-National Honors Ensembles: November 2528. 2019, Orlando, Florida. See the All-National Honor Band, Choir, Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble and Guitar Ensemble perform at a Disney Resort, or look ahead to Fall 2019 and have your students submit auditions in Spring 2019. • CASMEC, the California All-State Music Education Conference: Feb. 14–19, 2019 Fresno, California. This
Summer Issue 2018
conference is an amazing collaboration put on by CAJ, CBDA, CODA, and CMEA. It presents an incredible collection of concerts, professional development sessions, and social gatherings to meet the needs of all California music educators. Be there. • CMEA State Choral Festival presented by World Projects: March 20, 2019, Chapman University, Orange, California. Thanks to the support of our premier sponsor, World Projects, as well as support from JW Pepper, the State Choral Festival returns to the beautiful world-class Musco Center on the campus of Chapman University in Orange. Look for details on how to apply coming soon. • CMEA State Band and Orchestra Festival Presented by World Projects: April 12, 2019, Sonoma State University, California. Thanks to premier sponsor, World Projects, as well as Sonoma State University and JW Pepper, we are excited to bring the CMEA State Band and Orchestra Festival to the beautiful and world-class Weil Hall at Sonoma State University. • CMEA State Solo Ensemble Festival North: May 3 and 4, 2019, Sacramento State University, California. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to take their solos and ensembles beyond the regional level and perform for two esteemed judges at the state level festival. • Stand Up 4 Music Day and Concerts at the state Capitol: May 9, 2019, Sacramento. CMEA leads a coalition of over a dozen regional and statewide music education organizations that all come together in Sacramento to “Stand Up 4 Music.” While music education advocates meet with legislators inside the state Capitol, student ensembles of all kinds from all over California perform on the steps of the Capitol. • CMEA State Solo Ensemble Festival South: May 11, 2019, Azusa Pacific University. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to take their solos and ensembles beyond the regional level and perform for two esteemed judges at the state level festival.
Amplify your CMEA experience; the more you give, the more you get.
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CMEA State Council CMEA EXECUTIVE BOARD CMEA President John Burn jburn@calmusiced.com 408 522-2541
CMEA North Coast Section President Holly MacDonell hollymacdonell@gmail.com 707 499-1399
CMEA President-Elect Armalyn De La O adelao@calmusiced.com 909 838-3716
CMEA Northern Section President Todd Filpula tfilpula@chicousd.org
CMEA Vice President Anne Fennell afennell@calmusiced.com
CMEA Southeastern Section President Ryan Duckworth Ryan_Duckworth@cjusd.net 909 856-5777
CMEA Secretary Sandra Lewis slewis@calmusiced.com 408 806-5550 CMEA Immediate Past President Scott Hedgecock shedgecock@calmusiced.com 714 626-3984 CMEA OFFICE cmea@calmusiced.com 2417 North 11th Avenue Hanford, CA 93230 559 587-2632
CMEA Southwestern Section President Jessica Husselstein jessicahusselstein@gmail.com
CMEA Executive Administrator Trish Adams cmea@calmusiced.com 559 904-2002
NAfME OFFICERSsundevilsam@gmail.com NAfME President Kathleen Sanz 1806 Robert Fulton Drive Reston, VA 22091 800 336-3768
CMEA Administrative Assistant Heather Adams hadams@calmusiced.com 559 410-2425
NAfME Western Division President Sam Tsugawa sundevilsam@gmail.com
CMEA Legislative Advocate Lynne Faulks consultLF@gmail.com
COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES CMEA CAJ Representative Barbara Shinaver barbshinaver@gmail.com 559 451-4320
SECTION PRESIDENTS CMEA Bay Section President Bruce Lengacher blengacher@auhsdschools.org CMEA Capitol Section President Joshua Luedtke Jluedtke86@hotmail.com 916 214-5674 CMEA Central Section President Bill Wilkinson bwilkinsoncmea@gmail.com 559 816-6141 CMEA Central Coast Section President Maria Carney mcarney@mpusd.net
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CMEA Southern Border Section President Laura Smith lsmith11@sandi.net 619 246-0092
CMEA CODA Representative Bill Harrington billharrington@sbcglobal.net 510 507-9738 CMEA Advocacy Day Performance Coordinator Jeremiah Jacks jeromejacks30@gmail.com 530 417-7021 CMEA Public Relations Coordinator Mario Sebastian mariohsebastian11@gmail.com CMEA Advocacy Representative Russ Sperling sperlingruss@gmail.com CMEA Collegiate Council Chairperson Riley Pate rileyelizabethpate@gmail.com 951 205-1805 CMEA Collegiate Representative Dr. Dennis Siebenaler dsiebenaler@fullerton.edu 657 278-3510 CMEA Creating and Composition Representative Dr. Lisa A.Crawford lisacrawfordmusic@gmail.com 310 863-6422 CMEA CTA Liaison James Benanti jamesbenanti77@gmail.com
CMEA Music Supervisors Representative Michael Stone meuph@att.net 661 319-8218 CMEA Music Technology Representative Chad Zullinger chad.zullinger@gmail.com 925 817-7757 CMEA Higher Education and Research Representative Dr. Ruth Brittin rbrittin@pacific.edu 209 946-2408 CMEA Retired Members Representative James Mazzaferro jmazz1@surewest.net 916 690-1992 CMEA Special Learners Representative Angela Holmes Holmesangie@yahoo.com CMEA State Band and Orchestra Festival Coordinator Keith Johnson keith@echsbands.com 510 231-1437 x26418 CMEA State Choral Festival Coordinator Nancy Ludwig nancyludwig6@gmail.com 626 443-6181 x5895
CMEA Elementary Representative Coralie Prince coralie.prince@gmail.com
CMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festival Coordinator Cheryl Yee Glass cglass@srvhs.org 925 552-3044
CMEA CASMEC Coordinator/CMEA Representative on the CBDA Board Joseph Cargill cargill.joseph@gmail.com 559 474-3064
CMEA General Music Representative Emma Joleen emmajoleen@gmail.com
CMEA Tri-M Representative Troy Trimble troyatrimble@gmail.com 714 626-3975
CMEA CBDA Representative Phil Vallejo philvallejo@gmail.com
CMEA Innovations Representative Danielle Collins danielle@pulsepercussion.org 909 214-8527
CMEA Urban/Rural Schools Representative Stacy Harris sharris1@ggusd.us 714 663-6363
CMEA/CCDA Representative Dr. Rob Istad robert.istad@gmail.com 562 822-5952 CMEA/CCDA Choral Leadership Academy Coordinator Willow Manspeaker wmanspeaker@stevensonschool.org 831 625-8339
CMEA Membership Chairperson Ryan Clippinger Ryan_Clippinger@kernhigh.org 661 854-5561 x70701 CMEA Mentorship Program Chairperson Mark Nicholson mnicholson@sandi.net 858 256-2702
CMEA World Music Representative Dr. Lily Chen-Hafteck lhafteck@ucla.edu 310 825-4668
CMEA Magazine
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CMEA Past Presidents 1947–1949
Clarence Heagy
Marlow Earle Lakewood
Fresno
1996–1998
Jay D. Zorn La Crescenta
1976–1978
1949–1951
Elwyn Schwartz
Mary C. Reed Elk Grove
1998–2000
George F. Barr
1978–1980
1953–1955
Monterey
George DeGraffenreid
Long Beach
1980–1982
Fresno
1955–1957
San Diego
2002–2004
Oakland
1982–1984
Paradise
1957–1960
Stockton
2004–2006
Fullerton
1984–1986
Pacific Grove
1960–1962
Bakersfield
2006–2008
1986–1988
Danville
Fred Ohlendorf
Henry Avila
Charles L. Freebern
Harold Youngberg
David S. Goedecke
Joseph W. Landon
Vivian M. Hofstetter
Douglas Kidd
John L. Larrieu
1962–1964
Gibson Walters San José
Keith D. Snyder Davis 1966–1968
Kenneth D. Owens 1968–1970
2000–2002
Rob Klevan
Cheryl Yee Glass 2008–2010
1988–1990
Chula Vista
Jeff Jenkins
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;
Norman Dea
1990–1992
Walnut Creek
Carolynn A. Lindeman
Larry Johnson, 2002; Mary Louise Reilly, 2002; William Hill, 2001;
2012–2014
Greenbrae
1994–1996
Helynn Manning, 2001; Wesley “Colonel” Moore, 2001;
Russ Sperling San Diego
Vivian Hoffstetter, 2000; F. John Pylman, 2000; Lawrence Sutherland, 1999;
2014–2016
Chuck Schroeder, 1998; Dean Semple, 1997;Burl Walter Jr., 1996;
Michael D. Stone Bakersfield
Anthony L. Campagna
Gerald E. Anderson, 2012; Gayanne Korkmazian, 2012; Dr. David Whitwell, 2011; Nicholas Angiulo, 2010; Vincent Gomez, 2010;
Lyle Stubson, 2004; Lois Vidt, 2004; John Farr, 2003; Thomas Eagan, 2003;
Roseville
1970–1972
Dale Anderson, 2015; Ann Marie Haney, 2015; Dr. Thomas Lee, 2015; Jon Christian, 2014; Orrin Cross, 2013;
2010–2012
Bill Adam
Sacramento
Dr. Robert Halseth, 2016; Rose Marie Krovoza, 2016; Rick Meyer, 2016;
Walnut Creek
1992–1994
Judd Chew
Dr. Michael Corrigan, 2017; Dr. Edward Harris, 2017; James Mazzaferro, 2017;
Sam Gronseth
Portola
L. Leroy Roach
1964–1966
Dean Hickman, 2018; Dr. Lawrence Stoffel, 2018;
Dennis L. Johnson Salinas
1951–1953
Foster City
CMEA Hall of Fame Award Recipients Honoring Lifetime Achievement in Music Education Award
Jerry Moore, 1994; Mike Pappone, 1992; David Goedecke, 1991;
Don Doyle
2016–2018
Pasadena
Scott Hedgecock
Marlowe Earle, 1987; Arthur Dougherty, 1985; William Burke, 1983;
Placentia
Aubrey Penman, 1981; Steve Connolly, 1979;Howard Swan, 1977;
1972–1974
Louis Nash
Russell Howland, 1975.
La Crescenta 1974–1976
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Agoura Hills Bakersfield Redlands San Diego Santa Barbara Valencia
CMEA Magazine
Stand Up 4 Music California Music Education Advocacy Day • May 17, 2018 Arts Education is: A course of study (semester or year-long) standards-based and sequential, taught by a credentialed teacher, and accessed by all students and taught during the school day.
CMEA Immediate Past President Scott Hedgecock addresses the crowd. “Our morning briefing prior to visiting the Capitol was a great way to focus energy specifically on Advocacy of the Arts and how to get that passion across to our representatives; as compared to other specifically CMEA meetings that briefly highlight the variety of issues and successes that music educators and we on the CMEA board periodically discuss. Also, seeing most of our SU4M coalition partner organizations represented reminds me how big our state's music and arts education presence is and how influential our large coalition is and should be.” - Holly MacDonell, president, CMEA North Coast Section.
CMEA sponsors a “Concerts at the Capitol” opportunity for schools in California that runs simultaneously with the SU4M Advocacy Day. We thank these talented and dedicated young musicians and their directors.
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“CMEA Central Section President Bill Wilkinson and Central Section Legislative Action Representative Walt Crider teamed up with CBDA President-Elect Jeff Detlefsen to visit Senators Andy Vidak and Jean Fuller, as well as Assemblymen Vince Fong and Rudy Salas, all representing Central Section. Senator Vidak was wearing his SU4M pin he received last year and Assemblyman Salas met with us on the outdoor balcony overlooking the concerts below. These were successful visits and all the legislators were receptive to our talking points.” - Bill Wilkinson, president, CMEA Central Section
Left: Bill Wilkinson, Senator Andy Vidak, Jeff Detlefsen. Center: Tanya Lieberman, Deputy Chief Consultant for the Assembly on Education from the office of Patrick O'Donnell, with Armalyn De La O, CMEA President-Elect. Bottom center: Jeff Detlefsen, Assemblymember Rudy Salas; Bill Wilkinson, and Walt Crider. Right: Members of the San Diego State collegiate chapter.
“So often, we underestimate the power that we hold at the local and state level, and what difference that level of legislative advocating can make for our students in the upcoming school year. I was amazed and happy to see how warmly we as CMEA were welcomed in Sacramento. The interest our legislative offices took in our message, and the unspoken reminder from that day to never stop advocating and working for the young people who need you the most.” - Riley Pate, CMEA collegiate chairperson.
Front row: Scott Mandeville, NAMM Representative from Tim’s Music Store; Scott Hedgecock, CMEA Immediate Past President; Lynn Faulks, CMEA Legislative Advocate; and John Burn. CMEA President. Following behind are Sandra Lewis, CMEA Secretary; Anne Fennell, CMEA Vice President; and Armalyn De La O, CMEA President-Elect.
The SU4M Executive Team meets with Tanya Lieberman, from California State Assemblymember Patrick O'Donnell's office, to discuss our support for SU4M Executive Team meets with Tanya Lieberman, from Assemblymember Patrick O'Donnell's office, to discuss our support for one of his legislative bills. 8
CMEA Magazine
“Stand Up 4 Music provided the collegiate students a look into the status of arts education in the legislature. Being able to speak with our representatives and senators really showed how much we can accomplish for the students of California. The work we do is for the benefit of the students, to provide them with a well-rounded and effective education that includes an arts education, for all students. It was great to see that there are people at the capitol who are on our side and believe in the arts. Thank you again for helping to include the collegiate members in this event. We all learned a lot about how the legislature functions and cannot wait to return in the future. - Leah Musker, CMEA-Southern Border Section collegiate representative.
Kathleen Woods, Representative from California Educational Theatre Association (CETA); Riley Pate, CMEA College Representative; Lynn Faulks, CMEA Legislative Advocate; Anne Fennell; CMEA Vice President. ADVOCACY UPDATE: SB 933 (Allen) “Arts for every student” is now supported by CMEA. Our advocacy team worked with the office of the author, State Senator Ben Allen, and in the end our requested amendments became part of the bill language. The CMEA Advocacy Team is hard at work for you.
CMEA Executive Board and Staff: Anne Fennell, CMEA Vice President; Armalyn De La O, CMEA President-Elect; Lynn Faulks, CMEA Legislative Advocate; John Burn, CMEA President; Scott Hedgecock, CMEA Immediate Past President, Trish Adams - CMEA Executive Administrator; and Sandra Lewis, CMEA Secretary.
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“Music education as the foundation of all learning is a great message to bring to our elected officials. Thank you for the opportunity to participate.” - Scott Mandeville, NAMM representative from Tim’s Music Store.
“The day was a great showing of support for music education by many leading music organizations around the state. It was great to collaborate with everyone and work together to achieve collective goals to serve our students.” - Albert Jeung, president, Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association.
Photography by Brian Baer/Getty Images for NAMM 10
CMEA Magazine
California’s Choral Community by Rob Istad CMEA CCDA Representative
T
he final days of our music season approach, and we are all struggling to reach the finish line with our souls intact. After the highs of conference and festival season, we must fight the urge to treat our end-of-year performances as perfunctory. We do our best to provide transformative culminating experiences for our audiences, students, and parishioners, but I sometimes struggle to find a way to make these events truly authentic. I believe the best way to infuse authentic excitement into these events is through personal artistry. We are all artists, and we have the right (and responsibility) to behave as such. We must actively choose to inspire ourselves, our colleagues and students to be artistically present. This may require adding a little extra-musical enhancement to our concerts, inviting special guest artists or audience members to participate, or simply demanding the very best efforts from musicians in our rehearsals when we feel tired. I push myself to surprise my musicians and audiences the most at the end of the year and try to exhaust my creativity to do so with joy in every rehearsal and performance. May you all find the courage and energy to feel and behave like artists this spring. In the time following our last issue, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing many of you at our CCDA State Conference at CASMEC, CCDA’s All-State Honor Choir weekend and ACDA’s Western Division Conference. My heart and brain are full thanks to the world-class performances and superb interest sessions at all three events. I feel heartened by the diversity and creativity I witnessed onstage and in our sessions. The spirit of connectedness was alive at each of these events. I thank all of the wonderful leaders who serve on the CCDA Board of Directors and ACDA
Summer Issue 2018
Western Division Board of Directors for their selfless dedication to us and our profession. Congratulations to all of the members of California’s choral community who performed, presented, and participated so beautifully. You inspire me. As we joyfully congratulate our graduating students and bid a short farewell to our musicians for the summer break, many of us are already planning for future seasons. The time for musical rejuvenation is upon us. I hope you will take the time to consider attending one of the myriad summer events dedicated to your professional development in our state. Most specifically, I hope to see you all at ECCO ( July 22–25, 2018) this summer. Dr. Betsy Cook Weber is our headliner, and Jeffe Huls and his team have done a yeoman’s work planning a truly transformative experience for us. This event regularly sells out. Please reserve your space early. CCDA’s fall conferences are “new and improved” this year: much less expensive, shorter, and chock full of reading sessions. We hope you might be inspired to join us in the south at CSU Long Beach on September 8, 2018, and in the north at CSU East Bay on September 15, 2018. As you plan for next year, please take a moment to add our CCDA events to your calendars. Nurturing your personal artistry is CCDA’s mission, and I hope you’ll make your attendance at these experiences a priority. Congratulations to all of you on the conclusion of another inspiring year of choral music in California. I feel so grateful to be a part of our vibrant community, and I thank you for the incredible work you do to connect and inspire the people of our state.
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The term ‘well-rounded education’ means courses, activities and programming in subjects such as English, reading or language arts, writing, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, geography, computer science, music, career and technical education, health, physical education, and any other subject, as determined by the State or local educational agency, with the purpose of providing all students access to an enriched curriculum and educational experience.” S. 2277 (52)
CMEA Magazine
Collegiate representatives from across the state gather in San José for CASMEC.
The Future of Our Profession by Dr. Dennis Siebenaler CMEA Collegiate Representative
T
he California All-State Music Education Conference (CASMEC) this past February in San José was a wonderful opportunity to meet with college students from around the state. Many of the workshop sessions offered at the conference were very appropriate for future music educators, everything from strategies for students with special needs and English learners, technology in the music classroom, advocacy, making connections to other subjects in the curriculum, to emerging practices that include alternative music offerings and ensembles, and tackling sensitive social and personal topics through music. In addition, there were several meetings in which representatives from the various college campuses across the state discussed and shared challenges and solutions related to membership and leadership in professional organizations like NAf ME. Students, like many of us, can become overwhelmed with life and career demands that pull us in many directions. A major component of professional development conferences is collegiality, networking, and mutual support. At times, we may feel alone and isolated in our music room, with no one we can trust or ask for help. As a possible solution, the CMEA mentorship program was presented and explained to the future music educators. It was encouraging to see how many college stu-
Summer Issue 2018
dents took advantage of the conference, participating in diverse sessions, discussions, and observing rehearsals of the all-state ensembles. J.J. Norman, professional development and collegiate programs manager for NAf ME, presented a session geared toward collegiate students, highlighting such opportunities as the Collegiate Advocacy Summit and Hill Day. He also provided suggestions for recruiting members, using meetings for professional development opportunities and guest speakers, enhancing communication and connections, fundraising and budgets, community outreach, etc. J.J. reviewed some resources on the NAf ME website, in particular, “Amplify,” NAf ME’s community platform, which is an important benefit that allows members to connect with other music educators, participate in discussions, and share resources. The collegiate members had a few suggestions or requests for future conferences: They expressed a desire to be part of the conference planning process, giving input on types of sessions to be offered. And college students would appreciate some type of hosted social gathering as part of the conference, where they could interact and network with each other. Judging by the enthusiasm and dedication of the novice music educators I met in San José, the future of our profession is in competent hands.
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The True Collaboration that is CASMEC
A
s we begin to wrap up the 2017–2018 school year, I find myself reflecting on the CASMEC conference. I hope that
everyone agrees, CASMEC was great. Whether the professional development, the time with Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, the all-state ensembles or the fellowship of our colleagues, I am sure we all walked away with something fantastic.
There are many people to thank that were responsible for the success of CASMEC 2018. I especially want to thank our
ensemble host, Jeff Detlefsen and our special projects coordinator, Willard Lacro. These two gentlemen work hard behind the scenes to make sure that CBDA can provide a great experience for all in attendance. I also want to recognize the hard work of Meryl Wamhoff for coordinating the exhibit hall and Danielle Collins for creating all the publications. Finally, one of the best new features at CASMEC was the CASMEC app. Special thanks to Danielle Collins, Ryan Blauvelt and Mike Gangemi for their efforts to make sure that our app was great. These are all huge jobs performed by full time band directors/professionals. Please let them all know of your appreciation when you see them. I also need to thank our partnering organizations. CASMEC is a true collaboration with CMEA, CAJ, CODA, and CCDA that keeps getting better every year. On behalf of the entire board of directors of CBDA, I want to thank everyone that had a part in making it a top-notch experience. by Phil Vallejo CMEA CBDA Representative
The collaborating organizations will now begin to work toward creating a great CASMEC conference for 2019, in Fresno, California. With the return to Fresno, those involved in the logistics are working diligently in order to provide great opportunities for all students and teachers.
Good luck as you put the final touches on the school year. I hope that you have an enjoyable, relaxing and well deserved summer break. Best wishes to everyone as your school year begins to wrap up.
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CMEA Magazine
Choral Leadership Academy participants and faculty at the San José Convention Center during CASMEC 2018.
Students Pursuing a Career in the Choral Profession
Choral Leadership Academy at CASMEC by Willow Manspeaker CMEA/CCDA Choral Leadership Academy Coordinator
T
he seventh annual CMEA/CCDA/SCVA-sponsored Choral Leadership Academy (CLA) was held during
the California All-State Music Educators Conference (CASMEC) in February, and what a successful event this was. The CLA is an intense two-day event for high school, community college, and university students who are interested in pursuing a career in the choral profession. This outstanding event imparts musicianship
skills, inspires confidence, and builds camaraderie among musicians of the next generation. Over the course of the weekend, the students in the CLA honed their sight-reading skills through reading sessions, explored new literature for future use, collaborated in small ensembles, and developed valuable leadership skills. Students that attended the CLA left with a better understanding of our professional organizations, and what it takes to be a choral director in today’s educational climate. Headlining the CLA faculty was Dr. Steve Zielke (Oregon State University), assisted by Angel Vázquez-Ramos (CSU Bakersfield), Lori Marie Rios (College of the Canyons), and Willow Manspeaker (Stevenson School). If you believe that this would be a valuable experience for your students, please encourage them to apply for the 2019 Choral Leadership Academy. Application information will be available in October 2018 on the CMEA and CCDA websites.
Choral Leadership Academy participants rehearsing a madrigal in a small, studentPhotos by Jason Pano. led ensemble. Summer Issue 2018
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CMEA North Coast Section
Finishing Strong by Holly MacDonell CMEA North Coast Section President
A
s this great school year comes speeding to a close, I find myself wondering how to make this summer as fruitful as possible and the next school year even better. As a K–8 music teacher, I wonder how much more of my love for music I can share with my students next year. As a freelancing musician, I hope to be able to spend more time rehearsing and performing, as well as arranging more charts for my performing groups. As a dog and chicken owner/parent, I look forward to spending more time with my furry and feathered friends. As president of the North Coast Section, I hope to communicate more with my section members, improve the efficacy of our festivals, and create even more opportunities for students (and teachers) to collaborate, improve, and perform on the North Coast. I suppose other music educators similarly hope and wonder. I suppose this is why we became musicians and music educators. We are detail oriented, we demand excellence, and we always see the future in terms of continuing to be more successful at everything we do. As I finish up with our spring festivals and concerts, I’m trying to finish strong. Most of my students will return to my music classes next year (eighth graders will move on to high school, and I hope their new music teachers are impressed with how those students perform) and I want to keep front-loading information until the last day of the school year. If my fourth grade violinists can learn to play “low two” by the end of the year, I can teach them “low one” at the start of next year, and eventually be shifting with them in middle school. The cycle of school year and summer is also a spiral. As each year passes, we become more efficient at some tasks (teaching a bow hold, for instance) and we learn more about how to teach specific concepts as we learn more about child development. I always hope to teach more to my students each year as I cycle and spiral, which helps remind me, especially on those tough days, that I’ve chosen the right profession. Although, often, it feels like the teaching profession chose me.
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CMEA Magazine
CMEA Bay Section
Greetings from Bay Section by Rita Zigas-Brown CMEA Bay Section President
M
y term as president of CMEA Bay Section came to an end at our transitional board meeting in June and I am now the immediate past president and will serve on the board in this capacity for the next two years. I am so incredibly proud of the work that was accomplished by our board during my term as president. Past President Todd Summers’s term is up and he will become a private citizen. I want to thank Todd for his service, support and leadership through the years. It is with sadness that we bid an appreciative farewell to our longest standing executive board member, Orrin Cross, adjudication director. Orrin has been on the board in this capacity since 1999 and has served our membership with generosity, integrity, forward thinking, patience and professionalism. Orrin has been an invaluable resource and a true gentleman; I will personally miss seeing him at meetings and post-board dinners. Good luck to you in your next adventure, Orrin. I want to thank our other outgoing representatives and executive board members for their service to our membership: Ulices Chavez, recording secretary; Jon Fey, executive treasurer; Craig Bryant, band representative; Kate Francis, orchestra representative; Zack Pitt-Smith, classroom/general music representative, and Chad Zullinger, innovation and learning representative. Bruce Lengacher will begin his term as president in June and I am confident that he will lead Bay Section admirably. Bruce is compassionate and has a vision for Bay Section, he has the will to maintain our section’s strength; I look forward to continuing my service with him on the board. Congratulations to our newly elected Board members: Keith Johnson, president-elect; Chavonta Edington, band representative; Tiffany Ou, orchestra representative; and Tiffany Barry, classroom/general music representative. Our newly appointed members are: Greg Miller, innovation and learning representative; Zack Pitt-Smith, multicultural music representative; Tana Barnett Scott, assistant band representative; Maritza Spieller, recording secretary; Sammie Flanzbaum, public relations; and Bob Calonico, adjudication director. It has been a profound honor to serve our membership
Summer Issue 2018
as president of Bay Section over the last two years, and I am very proud of the work our board has accomplished. Bay Section implemented our Outreach Project in 2016 to make what it does more accessible to our Bay Section music educators and students. We extended an invitation, free of charge, to qualifying teachers in Title I schools to attend our annual CMEA Bay Section Winter Conference and have available funds to sponsor up to 30 students in our conference junior high band, orchestra and choir. We were able to assist three directors in 2017 and four directors and five students in 2018; funding for our Title I members is as a result of generous donations made by local music stores. We will continue to extend this invitation for our 2019 winter conference. In addition to sponsoring Title I directors and students at our conference, we will extend our Outreach Project into the schools during the 2018–2019 school year. It is our intention to have adjudicators go into those music programs that have not attended a large group festival, or to those programs that lack the funding to travel to a festival, and adjudicate/clinic right in their classrooms. We are very excited to set this into motion and offer a CMEA experience to those programs. We will be moving our Bay Section Conference from Chabot College in Hayward after four years, hosted by director of bands Tim Harris, due to campus construction. On behalf of the Bay Section Board, I want to thank Tim, and his students, for all of their tireless work while supporting professional development to our membership. Our 2019 Bay Section Winter Conference will be hosted at San Jose State University on January 11 and 12, by David Vickerman and Fred Cohen. We are very excited about being in San José. Bay Section endured a legal battle with the Employment Development Department (EDD) and we prevailed. We were issued an unemployment tax bill by the EDD in August of 2016 claiming that our adjudicators were employees and not independent contractors, therefore a reassessment tax bill was issued. We secured legal counsel and filed a petition to appeal this decision; as a result, we revamped and legally vetted our Bay Section handbook and Adjudication Guidelines. If we did not petition this tax
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bill, Bay Section adjudicators would have had employee status, forcing us to pay payroll tax and unemployment tax. This would have had devastating financial consequences and in turn, it was a real possibility that this status would have trickled to other CMEA sections, in addition to other non-profit agencies that hire adjudicators as independent contractors. We went before an administrative law judge in October 2017. The judge ruled in our favor, agreeing that we indeed produced enough evidence proving that our adjudicators are independent contractors. However, the EDD exercised their right to appeal, claiming that the administrative law judge misinterpreted the law when handing down his ruling. The appeal went to a panel of three in January 2018. They reviewed all testimony and re-read the hearing transcripts. We were notified in March 2018 that the panel upheld the original decision and that our adjudicators are independent contractors, and not employees. Not only did the panel uphold the ruling, they included unsolicited bullet points with additional evidence as to independent contractor status. It is with such relief that we can put this behind us. The Bay Section Board has been incredibly
supportive during this legal ordeal and I will be forever grateful for their support and even more grateful for the wise investments made by our past executive treasurer Sandy Mille,r and to our outgoing executive treasurer Jon Fey, for maintaining these investments so wisely. Had it not been for these investment accounts, we surely would not have had the resources to draw from in order to fund the nearly two years of required legal fees that we have had to pay. Serving as president of Bay Section has been one of the most rewarding professional experiences of my career. Yes, there have also been challenges, but these make all of the rewards that much sweeter. I value every opportunity and experience that has come my way, and I appreciate having had the opportunity to work with the other section presidents and our CMEA State Council. If you are not currently involved with board activities in your section, I would like to encourage you to contact your section president and find out how you can serve, how you can help make a difference in your music community, and how you can lead others in whatever capacity you can. Good luck in all of your future endeavors.
Make Your Mark in 2018 Register all of your music programs and share the many ways you make music in your classrooms, kindergarten through university. Hello. My name is Anne Fennell and I am the new vice president of CMEA, in addition to my role as the NAfME Innovations Council Chair through 2020. The NAfME Innovations Council has created a quick survey to help identify and support the many pathways in music education. With this information we hope to find current trends, identify statewide teacher needs, and provide information to support our membership and conferences. Register your music program on CMEA’s Pathways in Music Education database. Type in this URL: https://goo.gl/JgtaZd or scan the QR code below to take this short survey.
Anne Fennell CMEA Vice President and NAfME Innovations Council Chair www.annefennell.com annefennell@mac.com
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CMEA Magazine
CMEA Southeastern Section
Giving Back by Ryan Duckworth CMEA Southeastern Section President
M
usic educators are busy people. There are few who would argue with this. Many of us know what it is to walk to our car and have it be the only one left in the lot. Many of us give up evenings and weekends for the benefit of our students and our art. So I know it is a tall order when someone asks you to do something more for your profession. But the flip side of that request is a different question: What has your profession given you? Those days when you really connect with a student or experience a transcendent musical moment. Those seasons when you see positive shifts in the landscape and those friendships you have cultivated through the years. Very likely throughout your career, however long or short it has been already, you have encountered a number of individuals who have, by word or deed, helped you on your journey. Music is a collaborative art and ours is a collaborative profession. Just as others helped you in the past, you will have opportunities to assist others in the years ahead. It matters little whether you are in your first few years of teaching or if you are a few years from retirement. There are ways that you can engage with our profession to the benefit of us all. Serve on a board of an organization or section. Host a festival. Volunteer to help at regional events. Stay informed about trends and ad-
Summer Issue 2018
vocate for music education. Go to a fellow educator’s concert. It might not seem like much to you at the time, but some little thing you do may make a huge difference for another music educator. The work you do today might benefit music education a generation from now. You never know what a difference you will make, but you owe it to yourself and your fellow educators to continue fighting for us all. I have seen, this year alone, many seemingly small conversations make gigantic differences. So as you head into a new school year, please take a moment and look for one more way you can give back to the profession that has meant so much to you. Our goal is music education for all students. But none of us could do that on our own. It takes a team. We need every generation of music teacher to get connected and engage with the profession. We need the energy, vibrancy, and idealism of youth as well as the voice and wisdom of experience. We need leaders in every area of our state, in every county and district. We need people willing to serve. Especially here in the Southeastern Section, we need people who are willing to take a step of faith and start building some new programs. The future of music education needs you – how will you answer the call?
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Who’s Your Mentor? by Mark Nicholson CMEA Mentorship Program Chairperson
S
o where are you in the journey of your professional music teaching career? Are you at the starting gate as a first or second year teacher, or have you been teaching for a while in an orchestra or choral classroom and now find yourself directing the high school marching band? Whatever the case may be, know that you have an excellent opportunity to advance in your professional teaching practice by learning from the masters. If you haven’t heard, mentor teachers from across the state are eager to share their wealth of knowledge with you in all areas of music instruction. An experienced mentor can help you acquire the latest and greatest teaching methods that will transform your teaching and yield dramatic results for both you and your students. Learning new skills and mastering powerful instructional techniques from a veteran music mentor will change the way you teach forever. And if that’s not enough persuasion, a mentor teacher can provide a very important network of professional colleagues, which we all know is vitally important in our line of work. So often we find ourselves in the company of many fine, experienced educators on our school campus, yet we feel “alone” in our specialized content area of music. As our esteemed CMEA mentor Jack Erb so eloquently states: “We are our own distinct village of music educators, often teaching in somewhat isolated circumstances. In our case, working together as a village makes all of us better teachers which in turn give our students a stronger musical education.” Growing stronger together as a village of music educators... now isn’t that what it’s all about? As the summer months are winding down, wouldn’t you say that now would be the ideal time to get involved with the mentorship program? For more information on CMEA Mentorship, please visit www.calmusiced.com.
Summer Issue 2018
Fall Professional Learning Day for Music Supervisors by Michael D. Stone CMEA Music Supervisors Representative
t is my pleasure to serve as the 2018–2020 California Music Educators Association (CMEA) Music Supervisors Representative on the CMEA State Council. Thank you to CMEA President John Burn for the opportunity to lead this work. I also want to thank Phil Mortensen, our outgoing CMEA Music Supervisor Representative, for his steadfast work leading our group over the past two years. The purpose of this writing is to provide you with the save-the-date announcement for our Fall Professional Learning Day that will take place on Friday, October 12, 2018, at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music. Thank you to Dr. Travis Cross and Dr. Frank Heuser at UCLA for making it possible for us to hold our event on the campus of UCLA. Dr. Cross is professor of music and vice chair of the department of music at UCLA and conductor of the UCLA Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band. Dr. Frank Heuser is professor of music and music education area head at UCLA. Again, thank you, gentlemen, for your kindness in serving as our hosts. All music/arts program leaders and CMEA members are invited to participate, including teacher leaders serving in non-administrative roles. Registration information and our agenda for the day will be released in August of 2018. A variety of professional topics will be addressed throughout our day, with a focus on program leadership and music supervision. If you have specific professional learning needs that you would like to be considered on the agenda, please contact me at meuph@att.net.
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Casting a Wider Net – Second Annual Conference Report by Dr. Lisa A. Crawford CMEA Creating and Composition Representative Casting a Wider Net Committee: Kris Alexander, John Burn, Lisa A. Crawford, Anne Fennell, Scott Hedgecock, Angela Holmes, Alexander Koops, Russ Sperling
O
ne thing about consistency is that sometimes we don’t fully notice what is or isn’t. We make the time to attend meetings and summits and conferences in hopes of receiving something and of finding something to give and do so consistently. After awhile, our collection of information may be consistent but reflective of little that is new. This is part of the purpose of the new conference, Casting a Wider Net – to find space for reflection of what music educators are presenting to students that is new and how to advance these ideas with consistency. Casting a Wider Net came some distance this year, greatly inspired by those who attended and presented, including music educators from all over California as well as New York and Florida. The collegial aspect of the conference was striking in an atmosphere of both giving and receiving. Noteworthy was our keynote speaker, Dr. Randall Allsup, associate professor of music education at Teachers College Columbia University, New York. Titled “All that remains to be seen and heard” or “Beyond the great demographic mismatch in music education,” his talk asked attendees to consider how prolonged conflict between those who are traditional band, orchestra, and choir teachers and those who are non-traditional such as garage band, technology, mariachi, commercial music, and other emerging ensembles, separate us rather than bring us together. You may find his book, Remixing the Classroom: Toward an Open Philosophy of Music Education, or any of his many articles, to be of interest if you haven’t found time to read them yet. We greatly appreciated Dr.
Summer Issue 2018
Allsup’s presence at Casting a Wider Net. Sessions included the following presenters: Darci Gibson, Pete Gidlund, Juan Rodriguez, Matt Armstrong, Kristine Alexander, Armalyn De La O, Laura Smith, David A. Williams, Chad Zullinger, Lisa A. Crawford, and Tamara Thies. Presentations included topics exploring the new national arts standards in music, iPad use in live performance, music technology, composition, rap, negotiating your school community, ideas and techniques for a lasting career in music education, and democratic teaching. Something new this year was that in addition to traditional one-hour conference presentations, lightning talks were included where presenters gave a fiveminute intensive presentation followed by attendees given five minutes to quickly react and dialogue about the presentation. Lightning talks were presented by David A. Williams, Anne Fennell, Angela Holmes, Jonathan Kladder, Russ Sperling, Michael Albertson, Giovanni Santos, Alexander Koops, and Randall Allsup. We would like to thank Azusa Pacific University and Dr. Alexander Koops for hosting us again this second year of Casting a Wider Net. The conference was so well-organized and easy to be a part of, and the coffee and food is always excellent. We invite you to join us in the third annual Casting a Wider Net conference. Please watch for announcements on when to submit session proposals and to learn about new aspects of the conference that may be coming. Please let us know if you have any questions at cmeasouthwestern@gmail.com.
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YES! Youth Ensemble Showcase
Elementary Music Teachers Say YES to This Festival by Coralie Prince CMEA Elementary Representative
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hile you are planning for next year, consider including a YES! Youth Ensemble Showcase in your area. Katrina Haeger from the CMEA Central Coast Section created this incredible opportunity for groups to perform for each other. It’s going into its third year and doing great. She says: “Elementary and middle school music programs are invited to perform and watch, giving students an opportunity to observe, share, and learn.” Though this includes middle school, we feel it would be just as successful K–5/6. From Katrina’s flyer: “The festival is an opportunity for your students to perform for an audience. It is a nonadjudicated event intended to highlight the strengths of school music programs while giving students an opportunity to be an audience for others. “All ensembles are invited, including but not limited to choir, band, ukulele/recorder/Orff ensemble, general music class, etc. Understandably, many of our elementary programs do not have formal performing groups. We encourage you to think outside the box. Perhaps there are a few students from each of your general music classes that could perform a piece they have learned in class. “Each group has ten minutes to perform. The group is also expected to attend the full session as an audience member or participant in one of the workshops in order to:
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1 Allow students to be listeners as well as performers. 2 Permit others to experience your school music program. 3 Offer your students a workshop in an activity they may not experience in your classroom. 4 Have an opportunity to see local musicians and peers. 5 Provide a full audience for all performing groups.” The YES! Youth Ensemble Showcase is held in February at a local high school on a Saturday. After all the student groups performed this year, they had a picnic lunch on the quad and were entertained by the amazing Watsonville Taiko. This is an exciting, fantastic event for students and teachers in our elementary programs. Plan one in your area. Begin now. Talk with other music teachers, and plan a date and venue. Katrina Haeger will share the many organizational details in the next article and also make them available online. Some elementary music teachers have asked about attending festivals. This is a perfect answer for this level, as there are many different teacher schedules, number of classes taught, types of performing groups and schools. This also gives the teachers a chance to network. Thanks, Katrina Haeger, for creating this wonderful event. We look forward to more YES! Youth Ensemble Showcases developing in California. Questions? Write to coralie.prince@gmail.com.
CMEA Magazine
CMEA RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS POSTER SESSION
Program and Abstracts of Research/Projects Presented CASMEC, San José, California Friday, February 16, 2018 Ruth Brittin, CMEA Research Representative
Ruth Brittin University of the Pacific
Effects of Integrated Musicand-Math Instruction on Middle School Math Achievement, Finger Dexterity, and Attitudes Does music instruction improve belowgrade-level math students’ attitudes and achievement? Research shows increased finger perception and self-efficacy relate to math achievement. This study explored math scores using standardized tests and in-class quizzes with seventh and eighth grade students. Those placing below grade level on standardized math tests were invited to participate in a before-school remedial math program (no music) three times per week, or an after-school program three times per week (including two hours of music), over ten weeks. Instruction with recorders was the focus of the music instruction, with activities that emphasized finger patterns, and transfers to math concepts (such as rhythm-tomath applications). Results showed that 17 students participated in the after-school program, and 29 in the before-school program, out of 138 students total. There was a significant improvement in math scores from the first standardized test (before remediation began) and the end-of-term standardized test for all students; furthermore, after-school students improved at the same rate as beforeschool students, showing that spending a portion of remediation time on music did not dampen improvement. After-school students receiving music tended to stay with the program with less attrition across the ten weeks, meaning they reaped the benefits of both math and music education to a greater level than morning students. Across all seventh and eighth graders, there was a significant correlation in finger dexterity and math scores, for both standardized tests and three in-class math quizzes across the term. Interestingly, those in the afternoon remediation group, studying Summer Issue 2018
recorder, were more successful in finger dexterity tests with their non-dominant hand compared to their dominant hand, in contrast to the population overall and the morning remediation group. Because finger dexterity has been linked to greater math achievement, this inspires future study. Students were enthusiastic about the challenge of learning to play the recorder, and those in the after-school program tended to attend the program longer than those in the morning program. Regarding self-efficacy, students had consistently higher scores for statements such as “I can learn math” and “I believe I can learn to use fractions” as compared to questions such as “I am able to solve problems using fractions” and “I feel confident about fractions.” This was a remediation program over a comparatively short period of time, and the attendance patterns fluctuated greatly; future research will continue tracking improvement with another cohort of students to observe possible effects of music education activities on math achievement and self-efficacy.
the analysis, the reviewed studies met the following criteria: included autistic participants under the age of ten, used melodic or rhythmic intervention techniques, and included behavioral measurements in areas such as joint attention and social engagement. Ten studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in the analysis, revealing that music therapy improved the child’s eye contact frequency with the therapist (Arkoprovo, 2015) and mitigated repetitive and rather agitated behaviors such as hair pulling (Strong, 2014). According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, children with autism are entitled to the same educational opportunities as their peers. Music educators, however, often lack adequate training and effective teaching strategies to meet the needs of students with disabilities, including autistic children (Hoffman, 2011). Through this review of literature, I offer some suggestions for music education practice.
Kevin Chan
The purpose of this study is to shed light onto the belief by many musicians that taking a break while practicing makes for a significant difference in the effectiveness of one’s practice session. This study’s participants will be trumpet players from the University of the Pacific bands. Each participant will be given the same excerpt to practice, and will be dictated to practice five times within seven days. Half of the participants will be prescribed to take a break during each practice session, and the other half will be ordered not to take any breaks. The participants’ performances of the excerpt will be recorded at three separate instances during the study, and were analyzed to find non-subjective musical errors within the performance. The results of the study may or may not provide notable evidence as to the effect of breaks upon practice, possibly due to certain limitations of the study.
University of Southern California
Music and Autism: A Review of Literature Autism Spectrum Disorder affects one in every 68 children in the United States (NIH). Autistic children often exhibit difficulty with communication skills and social interaction, and may display repetitive and obsessive behaviors. As a promising form of intervention, music therapy allows both the therapist and child to engage in singing, drumming, and composing of musical games, which have been shown to promote the development of social skills, expression, and creativity in autistic clients (LaGasse, 2014). To examine the potential effects of music therapy on autistic children, I conducted a review of literature of research studies published between 2005–2017. To be included in
Scott Downs University of the Pacific
Breaking Old Practice Myths
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John Eros California State University, East Bay
Becoming Part of the City: Influences on the Career Choice of an Urban Music Educator Although there is research on urban music teachers both in-service and preservice, research on urban music teachers’ lives before they enter preservice is noticeably slim. Evidence suggests that preservice music teachers who attended urban schools are more likely to become urban music educators (Baker, 2012; Groulx, 2001; Smith, 2006). However, there is little research into the impact of other precollegiate experiences on the choice to teach in an urban setting. The purpose of this study is to describe and examine the life experiences that influenced one urban music educator’s choice of urban music teaching. Research questions are: 1) How does an urban music educator describe her life experiences prior to entering preservice? and 2) In what ways did life experiences motivate a preservice music teacher to choose urban music education as a career? Findings are separated into four categories: (a) feeling a need to be of service to others, (b) experiencing cultural differences, c) curiosity about the city, and (d) being a part of the city. Implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.
You Ji Hwang University of Southern California
Measuring Musical Self-Efficacy in Higher Education This quantitative study was conducted to investigate USC music major students’ level of self-efficacy in higher education. Specifically, the researcher examined how much each influencer of self-efficacy (i.g., mastery experience, vicarious experience, verbal/social persuasion and physiological state) affects students’ self-efficacy in music performance. Furthermore, the researcher looked at if there were differences in students’ level of musical self-efficacy depending on their instrument types, degree levels, and gender. To conduct this research study, the researcher replicated the measurement of Music Performance Self-Efficacy Scale (MPSES) developed by Zelenak. Three hundred and fifty students were contacted by e-mail and 55 students (N=55) agreed to participate in this study. The result of this study indicated that USC music major students had higher levels of self-efficacy in music performance. Also, social/verbal persuasion had the greatest de26
gree of influence on students’ musical self-efficacy, followed by mastery experience, vicarious experience and physiological state. In addition, the result indicated that there was no significant difference between self-efficacy and instrument types. However, there was a slight difference between self-efficacy and degree levels and gender. Although the findings from this study cannot represent all music major students enrolled in USC, the result of this study indicated that there might be a possibility of changes in the result of previous researches. This implies more recent studies need to be updated to enhance the current notion of self-efficacy or to provide a new understanding of self-efficacy.
Beatriz Ilari, Susan Helfter, and Tina Huynh University of Southern California
Does Participation in Formal Music Programs Enhance Prosociality in Young Children? Engagement in synchronous forms of musical play may enhance prosocial behaviors in young children. Given the collective and playbased nature of early childhood music programs, it is possible that participation may bolster prosociality in young children. We conducted two studies with children aged three to five. In study 1, we examined helping and sharing in children (N=36), who had been attending an early childhood music program for one to fifty-two months. Children were invited to play a prosocial game, based on a narrative of three animals. As the story unfolded, children were prompted to take part in situations that involved helping and sharing. A significant correlation was found between time in the music program and helping behaviors (p<.01). In study 2, kindergartners (N=116) from two large urban schools were randomly assigned to two groups: experimental and control. They were tested on the same prosocial game used in study 1, along with tests of cognitive flexibility and working memory. All children received five weeks of music classes at their schools. The experimental group received music classes first, with the control group receiving music classes after all data were collected. Both groups were tested before and after the musical intervention in the experimental group. There were no group differences for either sharing, helping, or working memory in the pre- and post-tests. However, children in the experimental group had higher scores for cognitive flexibility at the post-test (p<.01). These and other results
will be presented at the conference along with implications for music education.
Amy Lui Azusa Pacific University
The New High School Band Director: Experiences of a Beginning Music Teacher’s Tenure through Teacher and Student Perceptions The purpose of this case study is to document and describe the transition and experiences of a first-year beginning teacher’s tenure as the new band director of a high school music program through the teacher’s and students’ perceptions. Description was accomplished through documentation in the form of interviews and researcher observation in order to gain an understanding of how a beginning music teacher adjusts to their role as a teacher who is both new to the profession and new to a specific school. Findings from this case study revealed a correlation between teacher characteristics with a positive outcome in a beginning teacher’s first year of teaching. Results indicated themes worth noting: 1) Teachers new to a specific school should observe the culture and be wary of changing any traditions, especially if students have learned roles that may contribute to a smoother and positive transition for the new teacher; 2) Establish personal connections and build relationships with students and their parents, school administration, coworkers, custodians, and colleagues in order to create a positive work environment and to avoid isolation; 3) Realize and build upon philosophies about music and its education so as to strengthen their conviction to remain teaching in times of adversity; 4) The importance of having a supportive family and including them in any decision making; 5) Gain access and maintain contact with mentors and the music program’s predecessor, if possible; and 6) Allow for student leadership and assistance when learning and navigating school policies and procedures as a way to avoid burnout and minimizing some unfamiliar workload. Recommendations included the need for further similar case studies of other beginning music teachers in their first year of teaching. Such case studies should explore a variety of beginning music instructors, whether female or male, those in primary or secondary, private or public schools, located in urban or rural areas, and instrumental or choral teachers. Findings from such research can help preservice training programs gain a deeper underCMEA Magazine
standing of the various realities of beginning teacher experiences. This may benefit programs and universities by allowing them to develop a better curriculum and methods in preparing music education students for their first years in the profession and achieve better retention of beginning music teachers.
Gwendolyn McGraw Independent Researcher
Making the Case for an Optimal Period in Singing Acquisition A growing body of song acquisition research confirms that infants/toddlers can sing both song-segments and whole songs with discrete-pitch accuracy. In contrast to song acquisition that occurs by age two, much music education singingvoice research confirms ongoing challenges associated with poor-pitch child singers who learn to sing later in life. This research is based on interviews, observations, and metaanalysis concerning child-singing-voice research. Results show: Qualitative research. From birth to two, early singers (n = 48) had consistent, ongoing exposure to the live singing of parents. Some subjects sang song-segments as infants, while toddlers sang whole songs and song-melodies with words gradually filled (16-24 mos). Early singers imitated a singing ‘use’ of the voice; learned to switch between speaking/singing; and acquired the ‘tonal language of music’ through ongoing exposure to parents’ singing. Differences were found between parents’ approaches to singing and types of songs sung. Early singers’ earliest responses also varied, confirming that learning was experience-dependent. Comparative meta-analyses. Early singers have discrete-pitch accuracy and command of intervallic pitch-relationships/tonal-schema by age two (or shortly thereafter). Later-onset singers are challenged by pitch accuracy, maintaining tonality, singing range, ‘use’ of the voice in singing – and have an extended trajectory for singing acquisition. To conclude, in an optimal period, abilities are more easily and quickly acquired. Results here documented robust singing acquisition that is effortless, rapid, and grounded in significant relationships and naturalistic social contexts. Birth to age two is an optimal period for vocal learning – including song acquisition. Early Singing and Language Acquisition: Song Acquisition Predicts Accelerated Summer Issue 2018
Speech Acquisition and Accelerated Clarity of Expressive Speech Although exposure to infant-directed singing may support infants’ phonological processing (Tsang et al., 2017) and/or enduring memories for structural aspects of language (Francois et al., 2017), little is known about associations between infants’ song acquisition (Benetti, 2017; Gudmundsdottir and Trehub, 2017; McGraw, 2017) and co-occurring speech acquisition (McGraw, 2017). Infants’ song acquisition requires productionrelated precision (Patel, 2011) – and involves experience-dependent learning (McGraw, 2017abd) of rhythmicized, discrete-pitch sung-streams that are patterned, organized, repeated over time and sung using frequent frames (Mintz, 2006) for lyrics. Typically, there is great variability in the ages at which infants reach language acquisition milestones (Purdy, 2017). The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between song acquisition and speech acquisition in infancy. Methods. Using a mixed-methods research design, an auditioned children’s choir was selected as a purposive sample. Parents of 37 singers responded to questions regarding song acquisition, speech acquisition, and clarity of expressive speech in infancy. A power-size test for correlations indicated that the sample was larger than required to avoid Type I/II errors. Ordinal data with many tied scores met assumptions for Goodwin and Kruskal’s Gamma test of correlation. Results. Analyses of parents’ responses to questions (surveys/follow-up interviews) indicated that 32 of 37 singers were tuneful by age two – and had parents who consistently sang to them, birth to two. Robust results of Goodwin and Kruskal’s Gamma correlation tests follow: 1) Significant, ongoing exposure to parents’ infant-directed singing predicts song acquisition by the age of two, G = .97. 2) Infants’ song acquisition predicts accelerated speech acquisition, G = .82. 3) Infants’ song acquisition predicts accelerated clarity of expressive speech, G = .86. Conclusions. Robust associations confirm that ongoing exposure to parents’ infant-directed singing predicts song acquisition in infancy – and that infants’ song acquisition predicts two indicators of accelerated language acquisition: 1) accelerated speech acquisition, and 2) accelerated acquisition of speech clarity. As a group, early singers were early talkers, with more adult-like clarity of emergent, expressive speech.
Implications. Results suggest that distinctive qualities of infant-directed singing and infants’ song acquisition support enhanced, efficient, and enduring learning of language in infancy. Benefits of musical training for aspects of language learning are well- documented, and results here extend such findings. In sum, results suggest synergy between two concurrent forms of vocal learning in infancy – song acquisition and acquisition of expressive speech – indicating that language acquisition is more complex and multi-faceted than previously understood.
Sydney Scott University of the Pacific
Chunking Practice for Strings The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of (a) incremental slow-to-fast vs. (b) chunking practice models for learning fast passagework on the violin. Subjects (N=12) consisted of both beginning (one to twelve months’ playing experience) and advanced (five plus years) university violin students. Each participant was asked to practice a specific etude seven times over the course of a week following a specific assigned practice technique. Audio recorded pre- and post-tests were taken and recorded. Participants were each given goal tempos of either their initial pre-test tempo plus 50 bpm, for the beginning string group, or a standard 144 bpm (beats per minute) for the advanced string players. Students initial and ending tempos (chosen by each participant) were recorded and each group’s average percentage gain was calculated and compared. Based on the average tempo gain of each group, results suggest chunking practice may be more effective for advanced than beginning string players in learning fast passagework. Findings also suggest a gradual slow-to-fast practice approach to be overall more effective than chunking for beginning string students.
Dennis Siebenaler and Anelia Ivanova Iotova California State University, Fullerton and Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Training of Music Teachers in Complutense University of Madrid and California State University of Fullerton: A Comparative Study This paper presents a comparison of music teacher preparation at two representative universities of Spain and the USA: Complutense
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University of Madrid and California State University, Fullerton. Music education in the public schools of both countries is comprised of very diverse and inconsistent programs and curricula. Teacher training in both countries is also variable from university to university, and in the U.S. from state to state. This case study is a side-by-side comparison of two music teacher-training programs. The focus of the study, then, is to illustrate the pathway for college students to become music specialists for the public schools of their respective countries, using the example of the previously mentioned universities. It also highlights the differences in the preparation to become music teachers at different levels: in nursery, primary and secondary schools. The methodology began with an extended visit by the Spanish author (Anelia Ivanova Iotova) to California for the purpose of comparing the two teacher preparation programs. One of the first steps was to examine the various education policies that control and regulate teacher credentialing. Then we investigated the particular coursework and curricula that both universities offer and require for specific emphases within the field of music education in the public schools at all levels. The results of this investigation at the respective universities are presented on a comparative basis and include: Courses required to become a credentialed music teacher. Courses related to individual programs or emphases, and the corresponding hours of study. Internships or practice teaching at the various grade levels of public school mandatory education (nursery, primary, and secondary schools). Additional training programs needed for music teachers.
pose an examination of our teaching practices through the lens of Critical Race Theory to ensure that our curriculum is inclusive and our teaching is culturally relevant. Critical Race Theory provides a framework for examining society, culture, race, and power. It assists us in overcoming our own unconscious biases for the benefit of our students. The objective of Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing as an educational project is to help teachers navigate the process of selecting and composing culturally rich, culturally relevant material. Without sacrificing musical content, this pedagogical shift centers students in a community that celebrates differences and supports all its members. This is achieved by being mindful of race, language, context, and students’ roles as culture-bearers and experts. Initial results from Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing suggest a correlation between culturally relevant resources and deepening engagement from students. In my experience, students’ understanding of musical concepts increases when music resonates with them on a personal level.
Theresa Thomasulo
Theresa Thomasulo, Westside Neighborhood School, Los Angeles, and Lindsey Weiss, California Department of Education.
Westside Neighborhood School, Los Angeles, CA
Lift Every Voice and Sing: Selecting and Creating Culturally-Relevant Repertoire in the Music Room As educators, we tend to emphasize one (Western classical) musical tradition, despite teaching increasingly diverse student populations. This approach to teaching is overwhelmingly Eurocentric and inherently favors students in the white majority, placing students of color at a disadvantage. Moreover, many of the “multicultural” arrangements we rely on are inauthentic and inaccurate. I pro28
Lindsay Weiss California Department of Education
Continuous Improvement: What Can We Learn from Examining California’s Special Education Data? The California Department of Education (CDE) provides state leadership and policy guidance for local educational agencies (LEAs) special education programs and serv-
ices for students with disabilities, birth to twenty-two years of age. Special education is defined as specially designed instruction and services, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities. By the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004, Part B, the CDE, Special Education Division (SED) is required to collect, analyze, and report the data on the status of California’s students with disabilities to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) annually. Data are collected on five compliance indicators, eleven performance indicators, and one indicator with both compliance and performance components, and reported to OSEP as the Annual Performance Report (APR). The APR is a public document available for download from the CDE website. The CDE strives to provide families with information in the most transparent manner possible. In Fall 2017, the CDE launched the California School Dashboard, which contains user-friendly reports that display the performance of local education agencies (LEAs), schools, and fourteen student groups based on state and local students performance measures. The Dashboard reports are designed to be relevant and available for public review. As California settles into its new era of educational funding and accountability, special education and performance of students with disabilities (SWD) have become an integral part of the structure and purpose of California’s Statewide System of Support. With the recent launch of the Dashboard, it was apparent students with disabilities were among the lowest performing student groups in the state. SWD were highlighted by approximately two-thirds of the local agencies identified for differentiated assistance due to performance and outcomes of SWD. The purpose of this research poster is to serve as a call to develop new research studies using the data that the CDE collects under federal requirements of IDEA and the reports shared on the Dashboard. One way that music educators and researchers can participate in the California SOS conversation is through measuring and reporting factors that affect student performance in the federal, state, and local indicators within a music education context. California’s Special Education data also provides implications for music teacher preparation and professional development.
CMEA Magazine
The Benefits of Music for Special Learners by Angela E. Holmes, M.A.Ed. CMEA Special Learners Representative
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t the Casting a Wider Net conference at Azusa Pacific University in April, I presented a review of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In three ten-minute lightning rounds, the participants reviewed the four common characteristics that students with autism, Aspberger’s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder share in common. Communication (verbal and nonverbal), social skills, repetitive behaviors and other conditions (such as environment, routines and sensory responses) are the areas a teacher needs to consider when they are assigned students on the spectrum, whether they have an IEP or a 504 Plan. Each lightning round began with refreshing everyone’s memory that there are three subcategories, followed by reminders that each student will present with their own specific degree of expression of their condition as mild to severe. Further, each student will express different responses to the environment, routines and repetitive behaviors. Through a handout, the participants were able to leave the session with a list of positive instructional strategies and teacher behaviors to avoid. Although the items on each list are applicable for all students, they are a must to follow for students on the spectrum.
Positive Instructional Strategies
• Clear expectations. • Clear directions. • Structure the environment: teacher proximity, location of instruments, seating, movement options, etc. • Follow-through. • Recognition (catch students doing the right thing as often as possible). Teacher Behaviors to Avoid
• Inconsistency. • Reinforcement of unwanted behavior. • Insensitivity. • Overreliance on punishment.
Summer Issue 2018
• Lack of willingness to try new strategies or seek suggestions from other professionals. • Lack of willingness to communicate with parents. Above all, and the message of this article, is that music educators need to remind themselves on a regular basis of the benefits that music offers to special learners. The following is the list that all music educators need to review when the day is long and the patience is short. Never forget the immense value your skills offer to special learners who may not have an opportunity to learn and/or reinforce in other educational settings like the many opportunities a music classroom offers every day. Read the list below with pride. Benefits of Music Education for Special Learners
• Communication: Verbalization, directions, opportunities to lead, explanation, asking questions. • Social/Emotional: Sharing, working with a partner or group, taking turns, emotional expression, sense of accomplishment. • Behavior: Following and giving directions, leadership, self-regulatory. • Academic: Counting, rhythm, categorizing, reading, etc. • Physical: Movement (gross and fine), rhythmic stimulation. • Leisure: Self-selection, practice alone or with others, music for pleasure. On behalf of all special learners, I want to thank all of you who are teaching students who are special learners, especially those teaching students on the spectrum. Educational experiences in music are highly transferable skills that will assist each student in reaching their full potential. Please know that your empathy and acceptance, along with the benefits of your music instruction, extend far beyond your classroom and, for most, a lifetime.
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Ryder Lamp and Dayton Miller, trombone duet from Sequoia Middle School. Haley Stewart, alto sax soloist, from Sequoia Middle School. Grace Huh, violin soloist, from Lynbrook High School.
CMEA Northern California State Solo and Ensemble Festival at Sacramento State University
Eliza Hakes, violin soloist, from Sutter Middle School.
May 4–5, 2018
Left to right: Atsuo Chiu, piano; Chardonnay Needler, cello; Felicia Keys, teacher; Allison Zhang, violin; - string and piano trio from Sacramento Country Day School.
Left to right: Garrett Perregud, Brighton Plante, Sara Martinez, Derek Savage – guitar quartet from West Hills High School in Santee.
Left to right: Nathaniel Grohmann, cello; Melody Chen, viola; Rose Chan, violin; Naomi Ho, piano; Suvan Agarwal, bass – Homestead Trout Quintet from Homestead High School. 30
Hasti Hedayatiparsa, violin soloist from Foothill Middle School.
William Dafoe, trumpet soloist, Johnson Junior High, with his accompanist, Tom Dafoe.
Left to right: Megan Huynh, violin; Rachel Harrington, viola; Tava Lawrence, cello; Hannah Villanueva, flute; Marcus Mackey, bass (not pictured) – string quintet from Patten Academy. CMEA Magazine
Student Musicians’ Word Cloud Reflection
This word cloud was created on wordle.net, using the students’ answers to the interview questions below and provides a quick view of the overall impact the event has on students, in a single visual. The more often the word was used, the larger the font.
From the Students’ Perspective
Participating in the CMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festival by Anne Fennell CMEA Vice-President
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hat single musical event creates connections with individuals, supports critical and creative thinking, and develops both character dispositions and lifelong musical skills for our student musicians? The CMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festivals. The Southern California CMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festival was held on Saturday, May 12, 2018, at Azusa Pacific University, and organized by the CMEA Southwestern and Southeastern Sections. Dr. Alexander Koops, CMEA Southwestern Section president, hosted and coordinated the day and events, which provided a truly personalized learning experience for every participating student. Below are interview questions given to students from the Fullerton Union High School Academy of the Arts who currently participate in the Academy’s choral music and vocal studies program. These students were guided and supported throughout the festival process by Scott Hedgecock, director, Anthony Lopez, collaborative artist, and Melissa LyonsCaldretti and Timothy MacDougall, vocal instructors. Why do you believe it’s important to participate in the CMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival? “CMEA is a state-recognized solo/ensemble festival and allows students to perform/compete while getting professional, educational feedback. Not only is the festival a great way to get in front of an audience and perform, but it is also a built-in master class.” – Emma K. “I believe that participation in the CMEA Festival is very important to expand and grow as a performer, as the feedback that is received can completely change aspects of a solo piece, or a singer’s personal technique.” - Devin R. “I believe it is important to participate in the CMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival, because after you have sung your songs, the adjudicators give you notes on how to become a better singer, what we did best on and what we need to work on. It makes us stronger singers, and it helps us realize stuff we have never realized before which is very helpful.” Brittany F. “As a soloist I believe it is vital to have your pieces ‘master classed’ and should represent our schools positively, setting a good example for my peers and underclassmen.” – Tate H. Summer Issue 2018
What is the process of refinement of your music that you go through as you prepare? “I usually study my music for at least thirty minutes every day until I perform it. I do some research on the song lyrics and the plot of the musical that the song is in. This helps me to act out my song much more efficiently and it also helps me to act like I am that character in the song. If I have some extra time, I also watch the original performance of the song to see how they interpreted the song and how it differs from my way.” - Joyce K. “I work intensively with my collaborative artist and my vocal coach to improve the performance of my piece. My pieces usually get stuck in my head, so I’m always singing them, causing me to find new opportunities to make my performance more nuanced and impactful.” – Tate H. What life skills does participating in the festival teach you? “It teaches you to be respectful, engaged, and paying attention to what is onstage, because even though it may not be you onstage, the information being relayed may apply to you and it is equally as important as if it were being given to you directly.” - Tate H. “It teaches you self-confidence.” – Adam R. “One life skill this competition helped me understand was that everyone makes mistakes. During my performance, I sang two songs and although my first song was good, my voice cracked very noticeably and although I was very upset over it after the performance, it taught me that just one mistake shouldn’t stop me from singing and continuing on – life goes on.” – Joyce K. “The CMEA Festival has really taught my barbershop quartet a lot about structure, and how discipline and planning can consistently lead to success. Simply the process of organizing and planning the logistics of the festival independently as an ensemble teaches a set of skills that are very necessary for performers.” - Devin R. What critical thinking did you engage in before, during, or after the festival? “I remember being completely focused on the person onstage as they were performing, listening to all of the notes 31
being given to them, assessing how they might relate to my own pieces, which in most cases, they did.” – Tate H. “I engaged in critical thinking when deciding which pieces I wanted to perform. I wanted to perform pieces I loved, were comfortable with but were also contrasting.” – Emma K. “Much of the critical thinking that occurred as a result of CMEA happened during and after the festival. Our performance, and the performances of others that we watched, required a level of mental focus in order to get the most out of the commentary provided by the adjudicators, and after, digesting the comments given and figuring out how to apply them.” – Devin R. What creative thinking did you engage in before or during the festival? “To have character, tell the story, and to just have fun. This is my moment, and I’m gonna rock this moment and live in the moment.” - Brittany F. “During my own personal performance, I really internalized each note being given to me, making it a part of my performance. I also noticed during other people’s performances that each one of them came alive when they performed, each with a strong personality and sense of self that I really appreciated and was fascinated by.” – Tate H. “Creatively, we spent a lot of time as a quartet staging and planning on how to provide a unique visual performance for our audience beyond just the auditory that we have refined. This required a level of mental acuteness that pushed our creative thinking as a performance group.” – Devin R. What musical skill(s) have you improved upon as a result of the festival? “My confidence level has definitely improved and I feel as though I am able to connect on an emotional level with my pieces more easily.” – Emma K. “My stage presence has improved immensely and I got over most of my stage fright.” – Joyce K. “I learned that sometimes that less is more, and that there is power in silence.” – Adam R. “Musically, our quartet received lots of good feedback, but the points we are looking to improve on most are our commitment to strict rhythms, keeping our sound unified not just tonally, but in terms of our rhythmic integrity, ensuring that there is a steady beat to every piece.” - Devin R. “I learned how to breathe as a singer, have 32
phrasing and character within my singing, act as if I’m talking to somebody when I’m singing, and having correct posture as if a string was pulling me up. These notes helped me a lot, and I’ve been working on this stuff ever since Saturday!” – Brittany F. If you were to give a younger performer a tip about solo and ensemble festival, what would it be and why? “To absorb everything that the adjudicators tell you. Make sure to take risks on stage and try new things that the adjudicators suggest to you.” – Emma K. “To give it your all and to never doubt yourself. The notes aren’t supposed to bring you down, they’re supposed to bring you up, to make you a better singer, which is what you want and need! We always have something to work on, and doing this festival, we learn a lot about our singing and what we need to work on.” Brittany F. “Take notes! Soak in all of the feedback given throughout the day so you can apply it to your own performances in the future. Just because the feedback wasn’t given to you specifically doesn’t mean that it couldn’t improve your piece.” – Tate H. “My tip to my ‘young’ self would be to be more open and kind to other people so you can make more friends.” – Joyce K. “Don’t be afraid just to sing and be confident about yourself. The adjudicators our very supportive and helpful.” – Adam R. Would you recommend participating in the solo and ensemble festival to your peers? “Absolutely, you learn so many new techniques on how to improve your breathing, characterization, and singing, and it is all very helpful moving forward.” – Adam R. “Yes. CMEA is a state-recognized solo/ensemble festival and allows students to perform/compete while getting professional, educational feedback. Not only is the festival a great way to get in front of an audience and perform, but it is also a built in master class.” – Emma K. “Totally. This helps us singers become stronger and also perform in front of our peers. They give notes to every soloist on stage, and it helps other singers learn that knowledge and take it in to make us stronger singers.” – Brittany F. “I really, really, really recommend participating in this festival because of all of the beneficial lessons to learn from the adjudicators, the
amicable atmosphere that makes it easy to perform and receive criticisms. I think this master class-esque competition is key when it comes to developing strong pieces and growing as a soloist.” – Tate H. Such words of wisdom by these high school musicians, providing a reflective and personal view of the CMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival. Many thanks to the Fullerton Union High School Academy of the Arts students who reflected on their event and shared their experiences: Brittany F., Tate H., Joyce K., Emma K., Devin R., Adam R. The Southern California CMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festival was a collaborative effort, hosted by both the Southwestern and Southeastern CMEA Sections. In attendance were: CMEA Southwestern Section President Dr. Alexander Koops, CMEA Southeastern Section President Ryan Duckworth, CMEA President-Elect Armalyn De La O, CMEA Southwestern Section Treasurer Samantha Theisen, CMEA Immediate Past President Scott Hedgecock, CMEA Southeastern Section Vice-President Ray Llewellyn, and CMEA Southwestern Section Immediate-Past President Dr. Lisa A. Crawford. Many thanks to the Azusa Pacific music education students and the Bloomington High School Tri-M Chapter (Ryan Duckworth, advisor) for their help throughout the day and event. If you would like your students to participate in the CMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival, please see the prerequisites below and help your students create lifelong learning through music. To be eligible, a soloist or small ensemble must have received a Superior or “I” rating at a CMEA-sponsored or CMEA-sanctioned Solo and Ensemble Festival during the previous (2016-2017) or the current (2017-2018) academic years. Festivals from the following CMEA-affiliated groups are considered sanctioned for the CMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festival: SCSBOA, SCVA, MTNA, and other events approved by the CMEA Board. Participating directors and/or private studio must be members in good standing of CMEA at the time of application and festival performance. For members in good standing of SCVA, SCSBOA, and CCDA, a current waiver of this requirement will apply for the Southern California/APU site. Beginning in 2019, all directors of students applying for the State Solo and Ensemble Festival must be members in good standing of CMEA.
CMEA Magazine
Demmi Ross, vocal.
CMEA Southern California State Solo and Ensemble Festival at Azusa Pacific University Command Performances of May 12, 2018
Left to right: Ryan Duckworth, CMEA Southeastern Section President; Anthony Lopez, Fullerton Union High School Academy of the Arts Collaborative Artist; Eliana Bane and Emma Kremer, command performance winners from Fullerton Union High School Academy of the Arts; Scott Hedgecock, CMEA Immediate Past President; Alexander Koops, CMEA Southwestern Section President.
Shant Palezyan, piano solo - Chipman Junior High School, Bakersfield City School District.
Center: Shant Palezyan, piano; and Demmi Ross, vocal; with Adam McMorris, lead; Tanner Naegle, tenor; Matt Stumpf, bass, and Matt Noonchester, baritone - vocal quartet from Luther King High School in Riverside.
Left to right: Adam McMorris, Tanner Naegle, Shant Palezyan, Demmi Ross, Alexander Koops, Pedro Toro (accompanist for Demmi Ross), Matt Stumpf, and Matt Noonchester. Photos Vivian Juarez, Bloomington High School Summer Issue 2018
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She’s checking directions to the ensemble’s performance site. Music in the Parks makes it easy.
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