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POSTMASTER
CMEA Magazine (ISSN 1099–6710) is published quarterly (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer) by CMEA
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Mailing Address: 2417 North 11th Avenue Hanford, CA 93230
Office: 559 587–2632 Cell: 559 904–2002
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On the Cover: CASMEC puts its stamp on music Cover art by Allen Petrinka
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Agoura Hills Bakersfield Redlands
Santa Barbara Valencia
President’s Message
LCFF May Lead Us Closer to Education Code Compliance
by Michael D Stone CMEA President
As the California All-S tate Music Education Conference, or CASMEC, quickly approaches, the CMEA S tate Council is hard at work in preparation for our last collaborative conference in Fresno before moving to S an Jose in 2016 I will review some of the 2015 CASMEC highlights later in this artic le You will also see more information in this edition of CMEA Magazine CASMEC 2015 will be a great finale to our years in Fresno
I have so much exciting news to report to you about the work accomplished by the CMEA S tate Council since summer.
But, first, I want to share with you a personal success stor y regarding student access to arts education in my own school district that can be directly attributed to the work of the CMEA-led S tand Up 4 Music Coalition As you likely know, CMEA and S tand Up 4 Music both inc luded monitoring the new L ocal Control Funding Formula (LCFF) as a polic y priorit y for 2014. In May, music education leaders spoke to legislators about the potential for expanding access to music education with new funds available to school districts via the L ocal Control Funding Formula, or LCFF This formula inc ludes eight S tate Priorit y Areas for the new funding:
• S tudent Achievement
• S tudent Engagement
• Other S tudent O utcomes
• School Climate
• Parental Involvement
• Basic S er vices
• Implementation of Common Core S tate S tandards (CCSS)
• Course Access
In S eptember, I was made aware of the fact that it was time to update the district ’ s board polic y and administrative regulations per taining to visual and performing ar ts education The polic y in place at that time inc luded the “encouragement of a standards-based sequential and comprehensive curriculum,” but had ambiguous language with regards to requiring that all children have access to a visual and performing ar ts course of study in Grades 1– 6, as required by Education Code S ection 51210 Education code compliance was another 2014 polic y priorit y for
S tand Up 4 Music and CMEA The recently completed L ocal Control Accountabilit y P lan (LCAP) in my district inc luded “ visual and performing arts” in the list of courses to be provided to all students, in alignment with S tate Priorit y Number 8: Course Access This fact was of interest to some members of the Board of Education, who have been extremely supportive of arts education in the district. D uring informal discussions, this was the opportunit y to put some
CMEA EXECUTIVE B OARD
CMEA President
Michael D Stone
E-mail: stonem@bcsd com
Work: 661 631-4810
CMEA President-Elect
Scott Hedgecock
E-mail: scotchdir@aol com
Work: 714 626-3984
CMEA Vice President
Steven Hendee
E-mail: sjhendee@sbcglobal net
CM EA Secret ary
Duane Otani
E-mail: Dotani916@yahoo com Work: 858 485-4800
CM EA Immediate Past President
Russ Sperling
E-mail: rsperli@cox net Work: 858 292-3547
CM EA Administrative Coordinator
Trish Adams
E-mail: cmea@calmusiced com
CMEA Office
2417 North 11th Avenue Hanford, CA 93230
Work: 559 587-2632
Cell: 559 904-2002
B OARD OF DIRECTORS
CM EA Bay Section President
Todd Summers
E-mail: tsummers@pausd org Work: 650 354-8264
CM EA Capitol Section President
Brad North
E-mail: bnorth@rjuhsd us Work: 916 771-6565 x 4600
CM EA Central Section President
Leonard Ingrande
E-mail: lingrande@centralusd k12 ca us Work: 559 276-0280
teeth in the board polic y on the arts The word “shall” was put into the new polic y with regards to developing a sequential, standards-based arts curriculum Af ter a first and second reading, this new board polic y was unanimously passed Now, education in the visual and performing arts has received new focus in the district. The district ’ s curriculum and standards director and I have been charged with leading the process to create the new visual and performing arts course of
E-mail: tfilpula@chicousd org Work: 530 891-3026 x 321
CM EA Southeastern Section Designated Cont act
Armalyn De La O
E-mail: adelao@csusb edu Work: 909 537-5938
CM EA Southern Border Section President
Pauline Crooks
E-mail: Pauline crooks@gmail com Work: 858 485-4850 x 4027
CM EA Southwestern Section President
Lisa A Crawford
E-mail: cmeasouthwestern@ gmail com Work: 213 740-6935
NAf ME OFFICERS
NAf M E President
Dr. Glenn E. Nierman 18 0 6 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, VA 220 91 8 00 33 6-376 8
NAf M E Western Division President Dr David C Fullmer Orem, UT 8 4 05 8
COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES
CM EA CA ACDA Represent ative
Merryl Nelson
E-mail: mnelson@gladdemusic.com Work: 619 660-4000 x 3009
study for all students in grades Pre–K through eight. I’m excited to get this work accomplished
The point of my personal narrative is to illustrate the fact that LCFF and Education Code Compliance are c losely related. I realiz e that the LCFF is not a panacea for all issues of access to music education. But, now that local governing boards have more control over how funds are allocated, we have the opportunit y to use our personal relationships at the dis-
CM EA CAJ Represent ative
Michael Galisatus
E-mail: galisatus@comcast net and galisatusm@smccd edu Work: 650 574-6163
CM EA CB DA Represent ative
Norm Dea
E-mail: normdea@yahoo com Work: 925 280-3970 x 7327
CM EA C ODA Represent ative
Kate Francis
E-mail: mskatefrancis@gmail com Work: 408 535-6300 x 29159
CM EA CAS M EC Coordinator/ CM EA Represent ative on the CB DA Board
Bill W ilkinson
E-mail: bwilkinsoncmea@ gmail com Work: 559 585-3870
CM EA General Music Represent ative
Richard Lawton
E-mail: richard@ richardlawtonmusic com Work: 323 654-4401
CM EA Music Technology Represent ative
James Knight
E-mail: jamesknight@mac com Work: 714 536-2514 x 4116,
CM EA Advoc acy Represent ative
Steve Venz
E-mail: stevenvenz@yahoo com Work: 323 224-3100
CM EA St ate Band and Orchestra Festival Chairperson
Jim Mazzaferro
E-mail: jmazzafe@egusd net Work: 916 681-7500
CM EA St ate Solo and Ensemble Festival Chairperson
Cheryl Yee Glass
E-mail: cglass@srvhs org Work: 925 552-3044
CM EA Membership Chairperson
Regina Pryor
E-mail: reginapryor78@gmail com Work: 661 831-8331
CMEA Mentorship Program Chairperson
Mark Nicholson
E-mail: mnicholson@sandi net Work: 858 256-2702
CM EA Music Supervisors Represent ative
Fillmore Rydeen
E-mail: fillmore rydeen@ ousd k12 ca us Work: 510 336-7609
CM EA Collegiate Represent ative
Dr John Eros
E-mail: john eros@ csueastbay edu Work: 510 885-3135
CM EA Tri-M Represent ative
Elizabeth Robertson
E-mail: erobertson@petk12 org Work: 707 769-9650
CM EA Higher Educ ation Represent ative
Dr Lawrence Stoffel
E-mail: stoffel@csun edu Work: 818 677-3160
CM EA Research/ Special Learners Represent ative
Dr Ruth Brittin
E-mail: rbrittin@pacific edu Work: 209 946-2408
CM EA World Music Represent ative
Dr Lily Chen-Hafteck
E-mail: lhafteck@ucla edu Work: 310 825-4668
CM EA Retired Members Represent ative
Jon Christian
E-mail: jonchristian41@gmail com
trict level to positively impact access to music education
One more note on LCFF: I have asked CMEA’s Advocac y Representative S teve Venz to collect anecdotal data regarding the impact of LCFF throughout the state We have learned that numerous school districts have added new music teacher positions using the LCAP process. S hare your stor y with Mr. Venz at: stevenvenz@yahoo.com. Lastly, participate in your school district ’ s LCAP discussion that will happen throughout the spring A revised plan is due on June 30 of each year You can make a difference for the children in your school(s)
CMEA’s advocac y work is moving to new levels, in alignment with our S trategic P lan In October, CMEA L obbyist Lynne Faulks and I visited potential collaborative partners in CMEA’s work in S acramento We visited the offices of the California Teachers Association (CTA), California Count y S uperintendents Educational S er vices Association (CCSESA), California Parent Teachers Association (CA P TA), California Department of Education (CDE), and the California Federation of Teachers (CF T). O ur pur pose was to reach out to potential collaborative partners within the Educational Coalition of S acramento S ince then, CMEA has been granted Allied Agenc y status with CA P TA, providing CMEA with a reduced rate for booth space at the CA P TA Conference each April. Additionally, CMEA applied for the CTA Liaison Program, and just received notice that CTA has approved CMEA’s participation The CTA Liaison Program will provide a CTA-appointed individual to the CMEA S tate Council to assist both organizations with communication. I will keep you updated on progress here. In November, the board of directors authoriz ed me to direct CMEA L obbyist Lynne Faulks to begin formal work craf ting language for a CMEA-sponsored bill that will require the S tate Board of Education to direct the state superintendent to adopt new V isual and Performing Ar ts S tandards by 2016, ahead of the usual two-year process T imely adoption of new visual and performing ar ts standards, in alignment with the new National Core Ar ts S tandards, is another S tand Up 4 Music and CMEA polic y priorit y CMEA is excited to be at the point of sponsoring legislation We will
keep the membership updated as progress is made here
CMEA is in the midd le of our membership campaign. We know ber engagement is critical to work CMEA provides many ties to ser ve In August, CM about 40 new memberships/r compared to the same month vious year. P lease connect wi teachers in your area and let about CMEA’s many membe vices, inc luding the wonderfu event By the way, twent y-fiv ever y membership dollar has geted to go directly towards p CMEA’s music education lob 2014–2015 fiscal year. That ’ s opportunit y for each membe contribute toward our collect work in S acramento
CMEA committees have b ing hard on three projects. I thank the following individu dedication to the projects un alignment with CMEA’s S tra F irst, the Membership Ca Committee, led by Members Chair person Ms Regina Pr y ing in each part of the state t and bring onboard potential bers
CMEA Membership Campa Committee
Bay S ection: Cher yl Yee G Ramon Valley High School
Capitol S ection: Mike Mangonon, Consumnes Oaks High School
Central S ection: Michael Angel, S unnyside High School
Central Coast S ection: Jon Christian, retired
Nor thern S ection: Tanner Johns, Q uinc y High School
Nor th Coast S ection: Judi S harnberg, CMEA Nor th Coast S ection President
S outheastern S ection: Armalyn De La O, CMEA S outheastern S ection President
S outhern Border S ection: Jason Mangan, Bonita V ista High School
S outhwestern S ection: Lisa Crawford, CMEA S outhwestern S ection President
Next, CMEA is in the process of creating its first-ever CMEA Collegiate Council. The CMEA Collegiate Council P lanning Committee, led by CMEA Collegiate Representative Dr John Eros, will unveil the new Collegiate
Happy NewYear Greetings
from Michael D Stone, CMEA President; Scott Hedgecock CMEA President-Elect; Steven Hendee, CMEA Vice President; Duane Otani, CMEA Secretary; Russ Sperling, CMEA Immediate Past President; Trish Adams CMEA Administrative Coordinator; and Allen Petrinka, CMEA Magazine Editor.
Council at CASMEC in 2015.
CMEA Collegiate Council
P lanning Committee
Bay S ection: Dr Danielle Gaudr y, California S tate Universit y, East Bay Capitol S ection: Brad North, CMEA Capitol S ection President
Central S ection: L eonard Ingrande, CMEA Central S ection President
Central Coast S ection: Mark Bidelman, Cabrillo College
Nor thern S ection: Dr Michelle McConkey, California S tate Universit y, Chico
Nor th Coast S ection: Dr. Paul Cummings, Humboldt S tate Universit y S outheastern S ection: Dr S teve
Posegate, California Baptist Universit y
S outhern Border S ection: Charisse Hines and Mark McCann, S tudent
Members from S an Diego S tate
Universit y ; John Dally, Point L oma
Nazarene Universit y
S outhwestern S ection: Dr Emily Moss, California S tate Universit y, L os Angeles; Mar y Schliff, California S tate Universit y, Northridge.
Lastly, the CMEA Mentorship Program P lanning Committee, led by CMEA Mentorship Program
Chair person Mr Mark Nicholson, is working to create a mentorship program to assist teachers in their critical first few years in the profession.
CMEA Mentorship Program
P lanning Committee
Bay S ection: Rita Zigas, Walnut Creek Intermediate School
Capitol S ection: S usan Metz, S acramento S tate Universit y Central S ection: Michael Hipp, Washington Union High School
Central Coast S ection: W illow Manspeaker, CMEA Central Coast S ection President
Nor thern S ection: Todd F ilpula, CMEA Northern S ection President
Nor th Coast S ection: Judi S harnberg, CMEA North Coast S ection President
S outheastern S ection: P hil Mortensen, P lacentia-Yorba Linda Unified School
1947–1949
Clarence Heagy Fresno
1949–1951
Elwyn Schwartz
1951–1953
George F Barr
1953–1955
Fred Ohlendorf Long Beach
1955–1957
Harold Youngberg Oakland
1957–1960
Joseph W Landon Fullerton
1960–1962
Douglas Kidd
1962–1964
Gibson Walters San José
1964–1966
Keith D Snyder Davis
District
S outhern Border S ection: Kim Lundgren, Poway Unified School District
S outhwestern S ection: Matthew Cotton, L ocke High School
Again, thank you to all of these outstanding leaders for their diligence in ser ving CMEA.
Now, let me provide some highlights for CASMEC 2015
I want to thank CMEA CASMEC Coordinator/CMEA Representative on the CBDA Board Bill W ilkinson and CMEA CA ACDA Representative Merr yl Nelson for attending the CASMEC L ogistics meeting this past S eptember 2015 will be our biggest and best CASMEC yet
W ith regards to CMEA offerings at CASMEC, we will have the annual CMEA S tate Council meeting on Thursday morning to provide updates on our work All members are invited to hear what ’ s happening with the CMEA S tate Council
NAf ME President Dr David Fullmer will present the keynote address at this year ’ s CMEA general session.
I have invited the presidents of
CMEA Past Presidents
1966–1968
Kenneth D. Owens
1968–1970
Judd Chew Sacramento
1970–1972
Anthony L Campagna Foster City
1972–1974 Louis Nash La Crescenta
1974–1976
Marlow Earle Lakewood
1976–1978
Mary C. Reed Elk Grove
1978–1980
Henry Avila Monterey
1980–1982
Charles L Freebern San Diego
1982–1984
David S. Goedecke Stockton
1984–1986
Vivian M Hofstetter Bakersfield
1986–1988
John L. Larrieu Portola
1988–1990
L Leroy Roach Walnut Creek
1990–1992
Carolynn A Lindeman Greenbrae
1992–1994
Bill Adam Roseville
1994–1996 Don Doyle Pasadena
1996–1998
Jay D Zorn La Crescenta
California’s family of music education associations to join me for “Pizza with the Presidents,” an opportunit y for collegiate members to meet state music education leaders.
CMEA is pleased to welcome back the Choral L eadership Academy this year In addition, the outstanding California S tate Universit y, L ong Beach Chamber Choir will perform in the historic Holy Trinit y Armenian Church, across the street from the convention center. This will be the first formal choral performance at CASMEC CMEA’s General Music S trand has evolved this year to inc lude wor ld music and ear ly childhood sessions.
Remember to hear the all-state ensembles rehearse and perform, and enjoy seeing colleagues and friends at the various other activities and sessions held by CASMEC partners ACDA, CAJ, CBDA, and CODA. Remember, your registration allows you to fully participate in all CASMEC activities.
I look for ward to seeing you in Fresno
CMEA Hall of Fame Award Honoring Lifetime Achievement in Music Education Award Recipients
1998–2000
Dennis L. Johnson Salinas
2000–2002
George DeGraffenreid Fresno
2002–2004
Sam Gronseth Paradise
2004–2006
Rob Klevan Pacific Grove
2006–2008
Cheryl Yee Glass Danville
2008–2010
Jeff Jenkins Chula Vista
2010–2012 Norman Dea Walnut Creek
2012–2014
Russ Sperling San Diego
Jon Christian, 2014; Orrin Cross, 2013; Gerald E Anderson, 2012; Gayanne Korkmazian, 2012; Dr David Whitwell, 2011; Nicholas Angiulo, 2010; Vincent Gomez, 2010; Robert W Lutt, 2009; Kem F Martinez, 2009; Carl W Schafer, 2009; Terry Summa, 2008; Duane Weston, 2008; John Larrieu, 2007; Barbara Cory Black, 2007; Bill Ingram, 2007; Mary Val Marsh, 2007; Carolynn A Lindeman, 2006; Joe Foster, 2006; Paul Shaghoian, 2006; Frances Benedict, 2005; L Leroy Roach, 2005; Silvester McElroy, 2005; Jerry Kirkpatrick, 2005; Robert Greenwood, 2004; Arthur Huff, 2004; Lyle Stubson, 2004; Lois Vidt, 2004; John Farr, 2003; Thomas Eagan, 2003; Larry Johnson, 2002; Mary Louise Reilly, 2002; William Hill, 2001; Helynn Manning, 2001; Wesley “Colonel” Moore, 2001; Vivian Hoffstetter, 2000; F John Pylman, 2000; Lawrence Sutherland, 1999; Chuck Schroeder, 1998; Dean Semple, 1997;12Burl Walter Jr , 1996; Jerry Moore, 1994; Mike Pappone, 1992; David Goedecke, 1991; Marlowe Earle, 1987; Arthur Dougherty, 1985; William Burke, 1983; Aubrey Penman, 1981; Steve Connolly, 1979;; Howard Swan, 1977; Russell Howland, 1975
CMEA News from Sacramento and Nashville
by Michael D Stone CMEA President
CMEAL obbyist Lynne Faulks and I visited potential collaborative partners in our music education advocacy work on October 15, 2014. O ur purpose was to establish relationships with members of Sacramento’s Education Coalition The day provided an opportunity to build name recognition for CMEA, and set forth the association’s legislative objectives for the next year. Several exciting developments occurred as a result of these meetings (see below)
California Federation of Teachers (CF T) Legislative Representative Ron Rapp met with CMEA Lobbyist Lynne Faulks and CMEA President Michael D Stone in Sacramento CF T is a potential partner for CMEA as the Stand Up 4 Music Coalition develops its policy priorities for 2015
CMEA Lobbyist Lynne Faulks and CMEA President Michael D Stone met with Peter Birdsall, Executive Director of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA), and Efrain Mercado, Policy Director of Educational Services with CCSESA in Sacramento CCSESA is a key member of California’s Education Coalition, and is interested in engagement with CMEA
In alignment with its Strategic Plan, CMEA is beginning relationships with potential collaborative partners in the Education Coalition in Sacramento CMEA President Michael D Stone and CMEA Lobbyist Lynne Faulks met with Lori Easterling, Legislative Manager with the California Teachers Association (CTA), in Sacramento CMEA has applied to participate in CTA s Liaison Program, and just received notice that the CTA has approved CMEA’s participation Now, a CTA representative will participate on the CMEA State Council
The California Parent Teachers Association (CA PTA) and CMEA have entered into an Allied Agency relationship whereby CMEA may provide arts education presentations at the annual PTA Convention, and be provided free exhibitor booth space at the PTA Convention Pictured here (left to right) are Yvonna Cazares, arts education staff member, and Michelle Eklund, director of strategic initiatives, both with CA PTA CMEA Lobbyist Lynne Faulks and CMEA President Michael D Stone met with Cazares and Eklund at the CA PTA State Office in Sacramento
Tom Adams, Director of the Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division at the California Department of Education (CDE), and CMEA President Michael D. Stone, discussed CMEA’s interest in the process by which curriculum framework adoptions are scheduled in California. CMEA is developing lines of communication with key staff at the CDE so that mutually beneficial goals may be accomplished
CMEA is proud to have had 33 students represent California in the NAf ME All-National Ensembles that met in Nashville, Tennessee in late October Pictured here are NAf ME President Glenn E Nierman, NAf ME All-National Honor Band trombonist Aaron Levins from Bakersfield, and CMEA President Michael D. Stone after rehearsal on October 28, 2014 Aaron attends Bakersfield Christian High School
Sing with Purpose
Choral Scholars and Concert Choir
Directed by Dr. Emilie Amrein
Generous scholarships for qualified students
The
NAf ME All-National Honor Ensembles Concert took place on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 in Nashville Jazz ensemble, mixed choir, orchestra, and concert band performed beautifully at the Grand Ole Opry Pictured here is the All-National Mixed Choir in performance.
CMEA News from Sacramento and Nashville continued...
Happy New Year
by Kate Francis CMEA CODA Representative
The California All-S tate Music Education Conference is right around the corner and I want to share with you some of the orchestra session highlights:
Dr S tephen Benham
• Cello and Bass Pedagog y Teaching T ips
• Tone Development for the Midd le School and High School S tring Orchestra
Dr. Cindy Moyer
• L ef t Hand Technique for V iolin and V iola
Terr y S hade
• Back to Basics: S teps to Establishing S olid Rhythm, Intonation and Tone From the Beginning!
Dr. Janine Riveire
• Instrument Triage
• Choosing Repertorie for the 21st Centur y
Panama Buena V ista S trolling S trings
ASTA (American S tring Teachers Association) Competition W inners Recital
P itman High School Chamber Orchestra lead by Don Grishaw
Orchestra New Music Reading S essions
•
In addition to the orchestra sessions I hope you have time to hear the junior high and high school honor orchestras. E. Daniel L ong from Ann Arbor School for the Performing Arts in Ann Arbor, Michigan will lead the Junior High School All-S tate Honor Orchestra and S teve Amundson, director of orchestras from S t O laf College in Northfield, Minnesota will lead the High School All-S tate Honor Orchestra A few weeks ago I had the pleasure to speak and e-mail with Mr L ong and Professor Amundson The following is a bit of our conversations.
Do you have a most memorable teacher? One that inspired you?
Professor Amundson: I’ve had several teachers who were memorable and inspiring One was a junior high teacher who took strong interest in each of us as individuals, constantly affirming us, but always challenging us to be our best. Another was one of my college conductors who constantly asked students to think deeply about music and its connection to our lives and to the wor ld. He helped us make strong connections with each other, and enabled us to fully engage our minds and spirits He kept us striving for those pinnac le, transformative, life changing moments that we all hope for when we make music
Mr. L ong: Elizabeth A. H. Green was my mentor. W hen I moved to Ann Arbor I discovered that Ms. Green had held a part-time appointment in the Ann Arbor public schools and the Universit y of Michigan (1942–54) I immediately called her up S he was ver y welcoming We formed a strong friendship I would frequently go to her home and get her exper tise regarding music and conducting and we would work through different
ideas One day I brought a score to Ms Green Before she would answer my question she looked at me and said, “I’ve got some ideas, but I want you to promise me something. I want you to promise me that what I tell you, you will not keep secret ” Elizabeth gave of herself, unselfishly S he was a great mentor and friend to countless students As professor of conducting at the Universit y of Michigan, she was, and still is, one of the most respected women in music.
Any advice for new teachers and teachers in the middle of their career?
Professor Amundson: S pend as much time as possible hanging out with good teachers before you start your new job, and continue to do this during your ear ly years of teaching O bser ve their c lasses and rehearsals Pick their brains about best c lassroom and rehearsal practices Get lists of the top 20–40 pieces (by grade level) from each of these teachers. Work hard, but be realistic Celebrate small victories L ove your kids, but be
their teachers, careful to set boundaries
L ove your kids They are of ten at such fragile times of their lives, and they need you so much – especially those who come from chaotic home situations. W hen you take a few minutes to reach out to those in need, of course that can be ver y special
Be sure to tr y something new We all get in a rut. I love reaching out to colleagues to find out what unique or unusual things they may be doing in the c lassroom or in rehearsal It ’ s important that we continually reinvent ourselves, and this can be ver y rejuvenating
Give your students plent y of ownership in your rehearsals. This always goes a long way toward creating a successful program Be sure that ever yone feels important, and provide leadership opportunities for as many students as possible Consider rotating the string players so that they don’t feel like they are so much better or worse than the other students. Make it less about competition, and more about the ensemble as whole Building communit y is vital and essential
Encourage students to share the joy of making music by making eye contact with each other across the ensemble Once they get to know the music well, have them play without conductor so they understand that playing is so much more about listening to each other, than about watching the conductor Great orchestras constantly play “chamber music.” They are fully aware of ever ything going on around them, and we must strive to build that sort of dynamic with our students The rehearsal needs to be as much about helping them learn the other parts as it is about learning their own Of course, this is easier as they gain proficienc y, but even young kids, once they know the music, are able to use their ears to find their place in the ensemble
Mr L ong: Develop a ver y c lear understanding of what your professional responsibilities and goals are, then create a plan / teaching pedagog y that addresses these goals.
Make an effort to continually develop your teaching st yle and seek new ways to bring the joy of music-making into the c lassroom Ms Green once said to me, “Dan, I will tell you when you should retire.” I did not know what she meant until she said, “ when you stop learning.” Ms Green retired at age 69 and then went to Eastern Michigan Universit y and earned a bachelors degree in art Keep learning
Engage the students in the musical outcome. Ask them of their opinions, get them involved in the musical decisions so they can take ownership of the ensemble Teach yourself out of the job by giving your kids the skills and expertise they need and then step back and let them go
Never forget who is sitting in your group. Condoleezza Rice (piano), Alan Greenspan (c larinet), Bill Clinton (saxophone), Thomas Jefferson (violin) were all music students at one time It may ver y well be the next U S S ecretar y of S tate, chair of the Federal Reser ve or U.S. President.
• Both of these conductors (educators) are truly inspirational and I hope you will visit their rehearsals Getting to work with Mr L ong and Professor Amundsen has been great and I cannot wait to hear the California All-S tate Honor Orchestras in Februar y, 2015
Please join us at the 2015 CMEA Awards Gala!
This event is held as part of the California All-State Music Education Conference – CASMEC, on Friday evening, February 20, 2015 at 5:30 p m
The gala will be held in the social hall of Holy Trinity Church at 537 M Street, Fresno, CA 93721 (across the street from the Radisson Hotel).
Come honor our state awardees and enjoy an evening that will feature authentic Armenian fare.
The Awards Gala sold out last year, so order your tickets early! Tickets can be ordered online through our conference registration page at http://calmusiced.com/index.php/cmea-conference/2015-conference.
You do not need to be registered through CMEA to attend the Awards Gala.
Rob Bentley
Alfred Elementary Music Specialist from the CMEA Central Section
Dale Anderson Hall of Fame Award from the CMEA Central Section
Kate Francis Richard L Levin Orchestra Educator from the CMEA Bay Section
Jonathan Grantham Byron Hoyt/Don Schmeer Band Educator from the CMEA Bay Section
Marvin Biasotti Outstanding Administrator Award from the CMEA Central Coast Section
Jeanette McGrath
Peripole General Music Educator Award from the CMEA Central Section
Thomas Loewenheim
John
College/
Jonathan Talberg President’s Award from the CMEA Southwestern Section
Ann Marie Haney Hall of Fame Award from the CMEA Southern Border Section Section
John Calloway CMEA Ernest R Yee Illuminating Culture Award from the CMEA Bay Section
California State Unniversity Northridge CMEA Collegiate NAf ME Chapter Award from the CMEA Southwestern Section
Swain
University Educator Award from the CMEA Central Section
Roy Anthony Aubrey Penman Retired Music Educator Award from the CMEA Southern Border Section
Patrick Walders Pearson-Silver Burdett Choral Educator Award from the CMEA Southern Border Section
Bertrand’s Music CMEA Music Industry Leadership Award
Bernard C Barmann President’s Award from the CMEA Central Section
Gary Pratt Jazz Educator Award from the CMEA Southwestern Section
Jean Fuller Legislative Music Leadership Award California State Senator from the 16th District
CMEA State Award Winners
Thomas Lee Hall of Fame Award from the CMEA Southwestern Section
CASMEC Choral Performance: CSU Long Beach Chamber Choir in Concert at the Holy Trinity Armenian Church
Conductor: Dr Jonathan Talberg on Saturday, February 21 at 4:30 p m
2015 California All-State Music Education Conference
February 19-22, 2015 • Fresno, California
Make your plans now to attend the 5th annual California All-St ate Music Education Conference (CAS M E C), February 19–23, 2015 California’s music education associations, C B DA, C M EA, CA J, C O DA and California AC DA, welcome you to Fresno for an amazing weekend of music making, sharing, learning and collaboration. You won’t want to miss the many concerts and clinics presented by st atewide and nationally acclaimed leaders in our profession Sessions and concerts are designed to meet current and practical professional development needs for all California music educators 2015 CAS M E C Professional Development Clinics include sessions on Common Core, pedagogy, the National Arts St andards, composition, music technology, improvis ation, world music, music literature and more Please see the following pages for session titles and descriptions.
20 15 C A S M E C Profe ssional Development Se ssions
The Next Generation of Music St andards Have Arrived! Clinicians – Armalyn De La O and Kris Alexander
This session will provide an overview of the new National Core Music St andards Underst and the “then and now” of the st andards, learn how the new st andards are organized, see how to navigate the online st andards website, and be updated on California's progress toward these new st andards The California Arts Project (TCAP) leads this session and two of the TCAP presenters are writers of the new National Core Arts St andards, Music and Visual Arts Learn of TCAP's professional learning programs for music educators focused on these st andards, Common Core, and other arts: education initiatives
Leadership Is An Art Clinician – Dr David Fullmer
The writings of Max Dupree offer some remark able and timely insights for student leaders and their director While written initially for corporate leaders, his insight is relevant to anyone who leads. “Leaders owe a covenant to the corporation or institution, (or band, or orchestra, or choir) which is, after all, a group of people Leaders owe the organization a new reference point for what caring, purposeful, committed people can be in the institutional setting
Notice I did not s ay what people can do what we can do is merely a consequence of what we can be ” This session will focus on training student leaders and how our own leadership impacts our programs.
California’s St and Up 4 Music Coalition
Clinicians – Michael D. Stone and Scott Hedgecock
C M EA President Michael Stone and President-Elect Scott
Hedgecock will provide progress updates on the st ate of music education in California. The C M EA-led St and Up 4 Music Coalition continues to grow in influence President Stone and President-Elect Hedgecock will share C M EA’s long-term vision for the Coalition The 2015 St and Up 4 Music Legislative and Policy Priorities will be presented, along with updates on our recent successes and challenges in music education advocacy Information will be presented on how to influence your local governing board so that music education funding is included in your school district’s Local Control Account ability Plan that must be updated each June
Finally, the latest national music education policy objectives will be shared by Shannon Kelly, NAf M E lobbyist,
providing an underst anding of the role of the national association in supporting music education advocacy efforts throughout America
The session will conclude with a question and answer segment Music Making Makes the Difference: The Impact of Music & Learning on the Auditory System and Language Acquisition
Clinicians – Dr Frank Heuser
Emerging research in neuroscience supports a strong relationship between music learning and language acquisition. It is becoming evident that the development of music skills through active music making “tunes” the auditory system thereby providing benefits in the areas of language acquisition and phonological processing These benefits are not transitory Learning to play a musical instrument and/or sing tunefully seems to be associated with both musical and extra musical benefits that extend over an individual’s entire life span Music Program Administration, Budgets, and Operations in the Urban School and Music Curriculum and Instruction in the Urban School
Clinician – Dr Lawrence Stoffel
Teaching in urban schools presents unique challenges. A panel of music educators from the Los Angeles Unified School District share their strategies, philosophies, ideas, and experiences that have produced successful music programs at urban element ary, middle, and high schools In this session, panelists will discuss music program administration, budgets, and operations in the urban school. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions and receive advice and suggestions from the panelists as well as sharing ideas with other attendees. The sessions will have a particular focus on band, choir, orchestra
Armalyn De La O
Kris Alexander
Michael D. Stone Scott Hedgecock
Dr. Frank Heuser
Dr. Lawrence Stoffel
Dr. David Fullmer
Stories of Successful Community
Service: Learning Projects in Music
Clinician – Jenny Amaya
Discover how collaboration can change the music education climate within your community This clinic will show how university professors, college music students, and K–12 educators can work together to increase enrollment in music classes, to improve musicianship, and to encourage creative music making.
Music Educ ation for the 21st Century Clinicians – Kris Alexander and Armalyn De La O
What does instruction in music look like when the literacy and language st andards are included? TCAP teacher leaders spent 18 0 hours working together in designing new instructional unites and teaching them in their arts and career arts classrooms Experience a slice of a music unit and see how these multiple layers of st andards prepare students for success in college and career. Learn of TC PA’s professional learning programs for music educators focused on these st andards, Common Core, and other arts education initiatives
Commissioning Collab orations
Clinicians – Keri Butkevich, La Nell Martin, Lisa Orman
The clinicians will discuss the process for setting up a successful collaboration, outlining steps and lessons learned including matching composers to ensembles, the process for collaborating to create a new work, marketing and funding the commission and its premiere, and how collaborative composer residencies add to your music pro-
Back to the Future = Terrific Traditional + Contemporary Music and Techniques
Clinician – Dr. Ruth Brittin
Teachers across the country are finding ways to diversify their programs with new music, teaching approaches, partnerships Whether you are looking for Common Core applications, want to reach more students, or want to diversify your approach, come check out models for performing, sight-reading/ear training, improvising, and composing. We will explore approaches with wider cultural reach and adapt ability across ability levels, suit able for large and small programs Ex amples include partnerships of string, wind, and multicultural programs.
CM EA Mentorship Program Unveiled
Clinician – Mark Nicholson, CM EA Mentorship Program Represent ative
For the first time ever, C M EA is proud to announce the commencement of its new Mentorship Program Come learn what the mentorship program is all about and find out how you can get involved to become a vit al part of this incredible new opportunity The conference session will det ail the many key elements that are essential to raising the level of music teaching throughout the st ate. In this session you will be introduced to the C M EA Mentorship Team made up of local represent atives from each C M EA section, all of whom have been hard at work leading the initial development of the program and who will continue to monitor the ongoing functions as the program evolves
CM EA Collegiate Council Meeting
Clinician – Dr John Eros, CM EA Collegiate Represent ative
gram A small demo lab chorus from the Oakland Youth Chorus will sing the new work (premiering December 2014) and excerpts highlighting the process.
ADH D - The Basics and Beyond: Applic ations for Music Educ ators
Clinician – Angela Holmes
The clinician will review and clarify AD H D as three distinct conditions Causes, evaluations, prevalence and risk factors will be reviewed A “Checklist for Teachers” will be presented and reviewed to benefit a proactive classroom management system that will allow for anticipating potential problems, and avoiding them through careful planning and prevention The present ation will present behavior techniques, managing challenging behavior, accommodations and modifications, homework help, reinforcers, and Internet resources
This session represents the first meeting of the newly-formed C M EA Collegiate Council Composed of represent atives from C M EA Collegiate chapters, this first meeting of the council will focus on articulating the council’s goals and objectives, as well as the generation of an action plan for the coming year We will leave the meeting with concrete plans for our next steps. One represent ative from each C M EA Collegiate chapter must attend the meeting
Composition Concepts: An Introduction for Instrument al Ensemble Students And Teachers
Clinicians – Dr Alexander Koops and Dr John Whitener
Music composition is required by the National St andards for Arts Education and encouraged by leaders in the field of music education because it allows students to express themselves in a personal way that is very different from performing or listening to music The clinicians will discuss the benefits of teaching compositional concepts, including the development of creativity, musicianship skills, listening skills, an underst anding of contemporary music and music theory, as well as simply providing training for the beginning composer, all within the context of middle school and high school instrument al classes.
Jenny Amaya
Dr John Eros
Lisa Orman
La Nell Martin Keri Butkevich
Dr. John Whitener
Dr. Alexander Koops
Mark Nicholson
Angela Holmes
Dr Ruth Brittin
Mozart to Miles: Teaching Improvisation in the 21st Century
Clinicians – Dr Leslie Hart and Dr David Hart
Throughout history, musicians from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Miles Davis have prioritized improvis ation. Though improvis ation is considered essential to developing musicianship, becoming music literate, and measuring and evaluating student music achievement, it is often ignored in the music classroom or is presented without contextual underst anding The research literature on the subject indicates that aside from jazz and beyond some element ary general music classes it is rare to find a music class setting where improvis ation is a central part of the curriculum
2015 CAS M E C General Music Sessions
Brazilian Music in the Element ary School
Clinician – Beatriz Ilari
The clinician will present a hands-on workshop on the music of Brazil, aimed at the first years of element ary school The workshop will begin with a brief introduction to Brazil and the diversity of Brazilian music Next, two main genres of Brazilian musical practices will be explored by means of practical activities: capoeira, ciranda, and s amba. The session will conclude with a discussion on ways to incorporate Brazilian music into the element ary classroom.
Critic al and Creative Thinking While Creating Music in the Moment with Ensembles
Clinician – Anne Fennell
Improvising and creating music in the moment is a vit al aspect of music education Knowing the import ance of this, while underst anding both critical and creative thinking, will expand our musical underst andings. The participants will improvise and compose ensemble music with the entire group, while reflecting on the process throughout, to identify aspects of creative and critical thinking This will be a creative and energetic session that asks all to participate and share their thoughts and underst andings of active music making and learning
Building the Neighb orhood: Pitch Exploration with Movement, Voice and Orff Instruments
Clinician – Rachael Doudrick
Rachael Doudrick will present tried and true curriculum for teaching young children (Pre–K through Element ary) the concepts of pitch, singing and reading music using solfege syllables, and decoding melody, using movement, song and instrument al exploration on Orff instruments.
Participants can expect to dance, play and sing and t ake away ideas and inspira-
tion for use in their classrooms Various aspects of Kodaly and Orff pedagogy will be explored and combined This session will address National Arts st andards 1.1, 2.1, 4.2, 4.3, 10.0 and 11.0.
Experiencing Chinese Music and Culture: Enhancing Music al and Cultural Underst anding
Clinician – Dr. Lily Chen-Hafteck
Music is an expression of cultures and culture influences music Therefore, studying world music in connection to its cultural context can provide an interdisciplinary learning experience where students can achieve the goals of both music and social studies, i e increasing our knowledge on diverse musical styles as well as cultures.
Coma ti yi youpy; Teaching Language Arts with Cowb oy Songs
Clinician – Richard Lawton
The use of traditional cowboy songs in element ary music class not only exposes students to authentic pieces of Americana, but also provides an excellent framework for reinforcing the Common Core and California St ate language arts st andards for grades three through five This workshop provides ex amples of ways to use these songs to teach language arts through writing lyrics while introducing students to the rhythmic elements of Western swing
Developing a Dynamic Recorder Program
Clinician – Jim Tinter
Moving beyond B, A and G, learning gnarly notes (F, F#, Bb, C#), introducing altos, beginning improvis ation, harmonizing melodies, teaching a diverse population, playing over the break, web resources, and beginning note reading Free recorder compliments of Peripole
General Music Jazz Improvisation
Beyond Pent atonic
Clinician – Jim Tinter
Learn to play and teach jazz improvis ation against changing chords using the voice, recorders, or any concert pitched instrument We’ll learn two songs, and two chords and use only two notes to st art Free recorder compliments of Peripole.
2015 CAS M E C Music Technology Sessions
The Whole Musician in 20 1 4:
Teaching Composition with Technology
Clinician – Anne Fennell
Music Composition is a viable strand in music education and will provide life long participation in music. Through composition, students learn to read and write music as well as read, write, speak, and listen about music, and view and hear music through a broad perspective The technology of 2014 provides individuals with the opportunity to create compositions that were previously not possible This present ation will be an interactive workshop that will ask participants to reflect on music education in a new light The presenter will engage individuals through active listening and questions while demonstrating a current high school music composition program of study, highlighting how this can be a viable education in today’s schools Student ex amples of beginning composition through the advanced levels will be given to provide listening opportunities, while addressing the types of music technology that has been successful in my current program
Dr. David Hart
Dr Leslie Hart
Richard Lawton
Jim Tinter
Dr Lily Chen-Hafteck
Anne Fennell
Rachael Doudrick
Beatriz Ilari
Traditional Ensembles in an Age of Technology: Voices, Instruments, & iPads
Clinicians - Kerri Epps and Brittney Kerby
Technology is increasingly import ant in today’s K–12 schools
The iPad is playing a prominent role in music instruction Students are now able to use the apps available on this t ablet to form ensembles, create and record music, and generate multimedia productions However, incorporating this new technology into a traditional ensemble can be challenging This hands-on session demonstrates classroom-tested ideas, strategies, and tools for successful use in all ensemble-based instrument al and vocal classes. By using
Explore the New SmartMusic: Rubrics, St ate St andards and iPad
Clinician – David Hawley
Mr Hawley will discuss how SmartMusic now incorporates rubrics for teachers to create and edit as one of their grading options. Educators have the ability to create their own rubrics and use them for student assignments that will help both teachers and students show formative practice results, as well as summative results Hawley will also show how st ate st andards are now incorporated into the SmartMusic grading software, with the ability to easily document their student’s progress by associating any st andard to any student assignment The SmartMusic repertoire library will be highlighted, which includes method books for band, orchestra and voice, thous ands of concert titles with audio accompaniments, exercises, solo titles, and sight-reading – all of which have onscreen assessment and can be practiced at any tempo Mr Hawley will also demonstrate how educators can personalize instruction and communicate easily by using the SmartMusic Gradebook, and how students can practice and submit assignments from their computer or iPad.
Integrating Avid’s Official Pro Tools and Sibelius Certific ation Into the Music Curriculum
Clinician – Jenny Amaya
iPads students will expand their musicianship skills through theory apps, explore aesthetic choices in compositional assignments, and learn to improve their performance through reflection The clinicians will provide information needed to create meaningful curriculum in ensemble classes using the iPad as a tool to advance musicianship skills
Music Sc anning for the Busy Educ ator
Clinician – Jenny Amaya
Are you looking for a way to quickly create rehears al tracks for your choir? Are any of your score’s printed parts missing or in need of editing or repair? In this clinic, Jenny Amaya will t ake you through the process of using PhotoScore and Sibelius to solve some of your basic ensemble needs Emphasis will be placed on efficiencyusing the least amount of the software features to accomplish the t ask
Creating Classrooms We Need: Educ ational Technology for Music Teachers
Clinician – Chad Zullinger
As music teachers we are experiencing changes in education on a scale and depth that requires us to reimagine our strategies for the 21st century student. Education is always striving to find ways to make curriculum relevant in students’ everyday lives
Have you ever asked yourself these questions: What is a Learning Management System? Can a Social Network amplify our kids desire to learn? Can students become creators of their own content? And finally, can these concepts integrate into a Music Education curriculum? Absolutely! Come ready to learn, create and return to your classroom with innovative ideas to enhance your students’ learning experience Attendees are encouraged to BYO D (Bring Your Own Device) as this session is interactive
Discover what industry certification can do for you, your students, and your institution. In this session, Jenny Amaya will introduce you to two of the most popular music industry certification programs offered by Avid Amaya will explain how you can become an Avid Certified Instructor, and how your institution can become an official Avid Learning Partner Finally, she will provide tips for integrating Avid’s certified curriculum into your existing music curriculum
For additional updated information on CASMEC session and clinics, visit the CMEA website at calmusiced com
Brittney Kerby and Kerri Epps
David Hawley
Chad Zullinger
If You Build It They Will Come Using Percussion Ensemble To Build WellRounded Percussionists: Why And How?
Clinician – Dave Gabrielson
Performing music expressly written for percussion ensemble puts the percussionists in the role of not just providing rhythmic structure and enhancement to the wind lines but forces them to t ake sole responsibility in making music and sometimes find melody when it isn’t obvious Due to percussion orchestration in much of the concert band literature, students miss out on the musical lesson teachers feel they delivered Now that you have decided to integrate percussion ensemble music into the curriculum, how do you go about implementing it and how to get “buy in” from your kids who love marching percussion but would rather skip concert stuff? What characteristics to look for in picking literature?
Canadian Brass Demonstration Clinicians – Canadian Brass
This session will constitute a fast-paced tour of the music and the musical lives of the Canadian Brass Members of the Canadian Brass strive to maint ain an equal balance between education and entert ainment throughout the session, with an emphasis on the joy of performing The session begins with members introducing themselves and the many various genres of music, which comprise their repertoire, sometimes using musical ex amples to illustrate a point. They move through renaiss ance, romantic, contemporary classic, usually a piece written for us by a well-known composer, classical, jazz and pop in the space of several minutes, to show how much music has evolved, and how many different types of music are out there
The Canadian Brass intersperses the musical demonstrations with anecdotes from life on the road, how we work and create our unique sound, in addition to performance, practice, rehears al technique, etc The session will end with a “Q & A” segment (although sometimes questions from the outset set the direction of the session) and a show-stopping finale intended to reinforce the idea that playing, over all, should be fun. Educ ator as Performer:
Erasing the Division of Disciplines Clinicians – Canadian Brass
In this new one-hour workshop the members of Canadian Brass explain their philosophy of how “Educators are performers and performers are educators.” They explain to the participants what this means to them and how their approach can be applied in everyday teaching This class is well suited to students pursuing degrees or practicing music teachers This workshop gives the collegiate and high school music teachers of today and tomorrow the opportunity to be inspired and think outside of the box as they embark on their exciting careers
Thrive or Survive: A Practic al Guide for the Inexperienced Band Director
Clinician – John Denis
So, you signed a contract. While other new music educators are just trying to survive that first year, what can you do to thrive? This clinic will provide direct and us able information based on actual experiences about skills, techniques, and issues related to the first year of teaching The goal is for you to thrive, not merely survive John Denis has been a band director in Tex as for 8 years with experience working with middle school and high school students His students have received superior ratings in concert/sightreading competitions as well as excelled in all-city, all-region, solo, and ensemble competitions Mr Denis has a B achelor’s in Music Education from Tex as Tech, Masters in Music Education from the University of North Tex as, and is currently pursuing his PhD in Music Education at U NT
Instrument Selection Night: Happy Kids, Parents, Administrators and a Balanced Beginning Band
Clinician – Kristin Kunzelman
Kristin Kunzelman will provide an approach to assigning instruments to incoming students that brings smiles to everyone: kids, parents, and administrators This approach is part of her district’s “Instrument Selection Night,” and is used by all of the music directors in some fashion to enable incoming students to try out the beginning music instruments, be rated by professionals, and t ake into account student/parent preference Gone are the days of “I played the flute because it was in our closet ” Instead, students are making informed choices and their parents are thrilled to see their students excited about learning a new music instrument. After “Instrument Selection Night,” the director can hand pick each instrument section and balance the band as they would like In this session, Ms Kunzelman will discuss her approach as well as share resources, tips, and results of this process
Reading Band Session
Conductor – Dr. Danielle D. Gaudry
The Director’s Reading B and is an opportunity for band directors to get together and play music provided by JW Pepper This year, the Director’s Reading B and will be conducted by Dr Danielle D Gaudry Bring your instrument and join in for a great time Dr Gaudry is Assist ant Professor and Director of B ands at California St ate University, East B ay
Inspire Excellence in Your Young Band
Clinician – Dr Bruce Pearson
Keep students involved, engaged, and active in the learning process This session will offer band educators practical approaches and ideas for st arting beginners, carefully planning and pacing lessons, addressing the need for differentiated instruction materials,
applying enrichment studies, and incorporating today’s cutting edge technology
The Interactive Rehearsal: Empowering Students to Think, Listen, and Move
Clinician – Dr. Travis Cross
How do we get beyond simply telling our students when and how to play and instead engage their minds, ears, and bodies in every rehears al? This session presents several simple strategies for teaching creative and collaborative ensemble skills that help students play with more accuracy, flexibility, and expression During this session, the U C LA Wind Ensemble will serve as the demonstration group
Voc al Techniques for Improving Wind Band Performance
Clinician – Dr. Matthew Luttrell
B and directors use various techniques to develop students’ underst anding of pitch, balance, blend, contrast, and phras al commitment These techniques are enhanced through use of singing in the rehears al room Using proven techniques and musical ex amples, Luttrell will provide thoughts, methods, and exercises designed for improving your chamber ensemble or concert band This session is designed for all high school and middle school band directors Be prepared to sing!
Setting the Score: Music Worth Hearing, Music Worth Teaching
Clinician – Kate Margrave
As directors, the level of education we want to provide to our students is in our hands Quality literature is the key to an educationally based program No matter what the level of band, great music - both old and new - will aid students in high achievement of technique, style, tone development, and much more Programming quality literature for all levels of ensemble can help inspire a passion in students for the aesthetics of music, which is the most import ant part of our craft In this session, the clinician will address programming great music; defining quality literature and score study techniques that can assist in raising the level of our bands. The clinician uses a visual present ation, Prezi, to connect the aspects of the clinic
The present ation discusses what is considered quality literature, older music versus newer music, what to look for in programming, what our role is as directors and some score study techniques that are different from the norm. The score study techniques present literature in a more visual way for teachers who are visual learners The present ation features quotes form personal and e-mail interviews with Ray Cramer, Frank Ticheli, Brian B almages, Dr Tim Lautzenheiser, Alex Shapiro, Michael Sweeney, Dana Wilson, David Gillingham and S amuel Hazo. Each topic is connected by pass ages from Bruce Adolphe’s book, What to Listen for in the World
2015 CAS M E C Jazz Sessions
Swing Style: Getting the Most Out of Your Jazz Band Horn Section Clinicians – USAF Jazz Band
This present ation will focus on the nuances of swinging 8th notes in the jazz band setting It will focus on the import ance of jazz band style as it relates to articulation, line dynamics and phrasing This present ation will feature The Commanders Jazz Ensemble horn section in a live demonstration of the concepts discussed
Choices In Voc al Jazz Ensemble Directing Clinician – Jennifer Barnes
In this session, we will explore the three most valuable choices that a vocal jazz director (aspiring or current) can make to improve the overall level of their ensemble, whether novice, intermediate or advanced, at any academic level Philosophical and practical rehears al suggestions as well as question and answer will be included
Top Ten Secrets for Better Jazz Solos Clinician – Mike Dana
Many developing jazz improvisers struggle with their solos Often, these solos lack rhythmic drive, melodic development, and a solid grasp of the chord changes Students often rely heavily on the blues scale, whether that’s the appropriate choice or not This clinic will offer jazz band directors at all levels 10 ways to help their students overcome these problems. Specific ideas, techniques, and “tricks of the trade” will be presented that are based on the work of many of the greatest jazz improvisers. Directors will come away from the clinic with proven ways to help students improve jazz rhythms, develop interesting melodies, “nail the changes,” avoid getting lost, and craft an overall more interesting and compelling solo
Circle Singing: A Method for developing Music al Fluency
Clinician – Roger Treece
Circle Singing is a form improvis ation that combines nearly every discipline of music –composing, arranging, playing/singing, teaching, conducting, theory, and ear training –into one integrated exercise It uses the process of repetition to find musical ideas and layer them, one at-a-time, to create polyphonic textures The initial idea outlines the structure, and the subsequent ideas complete the structure Together, these ideas form a repetitive phrase that “circles” around, thus the name Circle Singing Jazz Band Rehearsal
Techniques for New Teachers
Clinician – John Maltester
Jazz B and Rehears al Techniques for New Teachers addresses basics for new teachers who lack jazz ensemble experience but are thrown into the fire as part of their assignment The session st arts off with my article that was published in The Instrument alist
Anthology and then addresses with some basic survival techniques for new instructors.
“Now What? Tips and Strategies for a Successful Middle School Jazz Band”
Clinician - Mike Kamuf
This session will focus on the aspects of creating a positive experience within the middle school/beginning jazz band rehears al The topic areas of the present ation will include time management and administration, articulations and not ation issues, literature selection, improvis ation, performances and director networking.
Making the Switch:
Voc al Jazz for Classic al Choral Conductors
Clinicians - Matt Falker, Mira Cost a Community College and Dr Keith Pedersen, Point Loma Nazarene University
The clinicians will discuss rehears al techniques and vocal jazz performance style for the classically trained choir director seeking to st art a vocal jazz program Topics the clinicians will cover will include jazz singing concepts, developing jazz style and musicianship, resources for the aspiring vocal jazz director, and selected repertoire useful for the beginning ensemble. The clinicians will provide practical solutions to the challenges of building a vocal jazz program faced by the conductor trained in classical music and with limited or no exposure to jazz.
2015 CAS M E C Orchestra Sessions from CODA
Cello & Bass Pedagogy and Teaching Tips
Clinician – Dr. Stephen Benham
This session is designed to address essential concepts for teaching beginning and intermediate cellists and bassists using creative techniques and correct sequential pedagogy Focus on posture, body format, instrument position, and left- and right-hand beginning and intermediate technique
Orchestra Reading Session
Clinician – Pitman High School Chamber Orchestra and Don Grishaw
Please join Pitman High School, under the direction of Don Grishaw, as they present a new music reading session This reading session is sponsored by J.W. Pepper.
Tone Development for M S and H S String and Full Orchestras
Clinician – Dr. Stephen Benham
Dr Benham will present teaching strategies and rehears al techniques for helping string teachers and orchestra directors guide students to subst antially improved tone. The session will focus on bow us age and principles, effective bowing distribution, and bowing technique Pitman High School Chamber Orchestra will be the demonstration orchestra
Left Hand Technique for Violin & Viola
Clinician – Dr. Cindy Moyer
Please join Dr Moyer for a session on violin and viola technique Vibrato, shifting, posture, and intonation will be some of the topics addressed
Back to Basics: Steps to Est ablishing Solid Rhythm, Intonation and Tone From the Beginning!
Clinician – Terry Shade
Superior orchestras have one thing in common: superior intonation Terry Shade will share ideas that can be used throughout the first year of orchestra She will discuss singing, rote exercises, technical drills, and literature used daily in the orchestra classroom. She believes in fast-paced classes, and her session will show how pacing increases faster learning and retention, especially as it pert ains to developing good intonation. Pitman High School Chamber Orchestra will be the demonstration orchestra
Panama Buena Vist a Strolling Strings
Clinician – Regina Pryor
Through a demonstration concert we will show the benefits of a district strolling strings program that can enhance your school string program We will discuss the planning and implement ation of a two-tiered after school string program which will develop advanced string skills that your students can t ake back to their individual school programs
Instrument Triage, or Should Someone Fix That?
Clinician – Janine Riveire
Most schools own cellos and basses for students to use at school, and many schools also own violins and violas. As the teacher you need to maint ain the instruments and send them for repair as needed But how do you tell a minor crack from a major one, and when is a bridge too warped to play? Is that black stuff on the case just dirt, or has the instrument st arted to grow mildew? Join this show and tell of experienced teachers and a luthier as they share their approaches to maintenance, repairs, inspection and inventory Handouts and charts provided, and you can bring a questionable instrument for us to view
Choosing Repertoire for the 21st Century Clinician – Janine Riveire
Since we don’t have a typical textbook, repertoire is our learning material and it can make or break your program With the new pressures of the Common Core, the st akes are higher. We know you can’t play in an orchestra (or teach it) without experiencing Mozart and Vivaldi and a little RimskyKors akov, but the 21st century student needs a little film music, a little phase music, some jazz and even more to underst and the full scope of musical expression possible on the bowed strings. Join a panel of successful orchestra teachers discussing their criteria
for choosing a varied repertoire for their students, going through the ASTA reading folders of new music, and come away with two lists of great music for your future students: both tried-and-true and newand-exciting. Many of the criteria can be applied to other ensembles you will teach, and all of this will help you in dealing with the Common Core
ASTA Solo Competition Recit al Winners
This Showc ase Recit al features the winners of the California ASTA Solo Competition held in October of 2014
Some five to seven young artists including violinists, violists, cellists, bassists, guit arists and harpists will be performing a portion of their winning program The audience will be thrilled, motivated, and energized when they hear and see what these youthful musicians are capable of sharing with their music Come hear what magic happens when a t alented and willing student works with a gifted and inspired teacher
Dr Thomas Tatton and Kimberly Feeney will be presiding at this concert Mrs Sweeney is the immediate past President of Cal-ASTA and hosted the 2014 St ate ASTA Competition. Dr. Tatton is the current President of Cal-ASTA Cal-ASTA, a Chapter of the American String Teachers Association, is a 1000 + member organization of st ate string teachers including such diverse constituents as public school teachers, college and university studio teachers, private studios, Suzuki and El Sistema teachers, youth symphony directors, amateur string players and ret ail businesses that service string players of all persuasions.
2015 CAS M E C Choral Sessions
Evolution Of A Junior High Choir: Achieving Maximum Music al And Aesthetic Growth Throughout The Year
Clinician - Amanda Isaac
Part present ation, part concert, this session will feature a choir from Norris Middle School High-quality groups that accept all students are achievable at the junior high level. Amanda will walk through the yearlong curricular plan for the ensemble and the choir will demonstrate their growth over the year through performance of repertoire Theory and sightreading will also make an appearance. Come and see how Common Core is threaded into the choral fabric that develops the aesthetic of both student and teacher
Is Your Choral G P S Working?
Tried And True Strategies For Long Term Rehearsal Planning
Clinician - Gary Seighman
Whether we have twenty hours to prepare a large choral masterwork or four lunch periods to teach the 6th grade graduation song, time is one of the greatest commodities in our profession.
Recognizing that rehears al planning is both a science and an art, this session will present specific techniques that not only maximize efficiency, but also allow increased opportunities for memorable rehears al experiences - which are often the ones not planned Topics will include:
a) Creating a rehears al map from day one to the performance; b) Rehears al objectives that immediately address musicianship; c) How to identify problematic spots in the repertoire before they occur and devising appropriate preparatory techniques; d) Strategies for time allocation; e) How to encourage spont aneity in the rehears al room without fear of the clock; and f) Avoiding planning pitfalls This practical session
is for conductors of all types of choirs including school, church, and community ensembles Repertoire and planning models from a variety of contexts will be presented.
A P RO ARTE - A Nested Hierarchy
Clinician: Lori Marie Rios
This funny jumble (A P R O ARTE) is a key to helping your students get to the “heart of the art” of singing in your choir Most of us, and most of our students, often forget the “process” of singing, and we all just sing. This class will shake up your awareness of the “just sing” concept, and help you inspire your singers to be more connected and expressive in their music making.
Being a Great Teacher and Musician Clinicians - Choral Leadership Ac ademy St aff
The C LA St aff are Dr Chris Peterson, Lori Marie Rios, Dr Jeffrey Benson, Merryl Nelson, and Dr Angel Vasquez-Ramos Come and join these respected educators in a session about how to be a great teacher and musician.
Performing
Great Music from the English Renaissance
Clinician - Dr Jeffrey Benson
The English Renaiss ance provides exquisite choral music for choirs of all ability levels. Performing music from this period can be tremendously fulfilling and exciting for young musicians as they learn about singing this great literature This session will provide best practices for performing this music artistically, as well as chance to read through and hear music of the great composers.
Reading Session – Accessible Music For All Kinds Of Choirs
Clinicians - Dr. Jeffrey Benson, Dr. Chris Peterson, Dr. Angel Vazquez-Ramos, and Merryl Nelson
This Choral Reading Session will provide an opportunity to be introduced to choral music for your choir A variety of accessible choral music will be read.
Amanda Isaac
Gary Seighman
Lori Marie Rios
Dr Christopher Peterson Dr. Jeffrey Benson
Merryl Nelson
Dr Angel Vasquez-Ramos
Why We Should Attend Conferences
by Pauline Crooks
CMEA Southern Border Section President
This past October the CMEA S outhern Border S ection, in conjunction with Arts Empower, held a second Mega Arts Conference This event brought together more than 600 Arts educators from around S an Diego. It was wonderful to see such a diverse group of educators in one place: dance, music, theater, and visual art teachers, administrators, teaching artists, museum representatives, general c lassroom teachers, high school and college students, professors and retired teachers. This conference provided tremendous opportunities for learning to take place.
Regard less of how long you ’ ve been teaching, we all have much to gain from attending conferences Traveling to and from these events provides great opportunities to meet new people and build relationships with treasured friends Meal times and coffee shop visits offer a chance to enjoy good food with other adults away from our desks and c lassrooms. V isiting the exhibit
I NTIMATE CLASSES
I N NOVATIVE PROGRAMS
OUTSTAN DI NG ENSEMBLES.
hall enables us to create business contacts and keep up with advances in the music industr y W hen spending time in conference sessions we can hear new ideas and gain fresh perspectives on issues we face in and outside of the c lassroom Even when we don’t agree with an idea being offered, the challenge to our way of thinking is worthwhile.
W hether or not you have the abilit y to collaborate with colleagues on your campus and throughout your district, the time you spend at conferences is invaluable Yes, time away from our c lassrooms and families can be challenging It isn’t always possible to find the funds to attend ever y conference, but with a little creativit y and patience, it is possible to attend at least one professional development conference each year. We owe it to ourselves and to our students to continue to learn and improve our teaching
It would be great to see ever yone at CASMEC in Februar y and at future conferences
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Now offering a pre-music education track to prepare you for a Master of Ar ts in Teaching
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Preparation for Teaching the Spiccato Stroke
Bow Exercises to Help Develop More Advanced Bowing Techniques by
Dr. Thomas Tatton
The spiccato stroke is the primary bowing innovation that creates and defines the difference in sound between the music of the B aroque period and music of later periods Since much of our core educational orchestral repertoire is found in the post-B aroque period it becomes incumbent on us to teach this bow stroke to our students It is not difficult to teach a middle or high school orchestra the spiccato stroke Nor is it difficult to refine that stroke into a unified sound with a more advanced ensemble. Yet, like vibrato (CM EA Magazine Conference Issue 2013, Volume 67, Number 2) and shifting (CM EA Magazine Fall Issue 2013, Volume 67, Number 1), it is a motion that is best t aught with appropriate playing position That includes a functional bow grip with flexible and supple right hand, fingers and wrist as well as a refined sense of balance between relaxation and control
I recommend the exercises outlined here as a part of a daily warm-up routine For the advanced ensemble, one or two minutes daily rot ating through the list will work the tendons and muscles in the right hand while flexing and loosening the multiple joints in the fingers and wrist making for a better overall bow stroke. For an intermediate ensemble, the students’ ability to move and flex their wrist, joints, and fingers in the way these exercises are designed to promote, is a prerequisite to teaching the spiccato stroke with any degree of success For secondand third-year students enjoying their first ensemble experience these exercises should be a core part of their daily warm-up preparing them for the more advanced bow techniques to come. Beginning students can benefit from occasional, even periodic use, especially while teaching bow grips and simple det aché With younger students these exercises can be done beneficially with a pencil first, then the bow.
1 The Wave
While the left hand gently holds the tip of the bow the right hand, with a good, functional grip, waves goodbye
E X E R C I S E S
The following are st andard exercises that most teachers and clinicians use in private studios, group lessons, orchestra warmups and, at demonstration clinics. Yet, written down explanations of how to use or teach these exercises are somewhat rare
2 Pinkie Push-ups
Hold the bow parallel to the floor Push down with the pinkie to raise the tip of the bow Hold for three seconds then, by slowly releasing the pressure on the pinkie, lower the bow until it is once again parallel to the floor.
Holding the bow, push pinkie out as if opening and closing your fist using the
3. Pinkie Straightener
pinkie.
4. Bow circles
Make small and then ever larger circles with the tip of the bow using the movement of only fingers, thumb and wrist Then reverse and make the circles smaller
5 Countdown
Hold the bow parallel to the floor as tight as possible making sure the thumb and fingers remain curved. Release the tension slowly thru a countdown of 10, 9 8, 7, etc.
6. The Rabbit Eating
With the relaxed grip, raise and return the middle two fingers on the bow, several times
7 Writing with either cursive or in print
Write names with the tip of the bow – point at the ceiling, point at the wall.
8 Windshield Wiper
Rock the bow from side to side using only the fingers The first finger and the pinkie will do most of the work with the middle fingers and thumb acting as st abilizers; going along for the ride
9 Rocket
Holding the wrist steady, flex the fingers and thumb to raise the tip of the bow as high as possible and then lower the bow into the relaxed bow grip position. It often helps students to st abilize the wrist against the top of a st and, back of a chair or even griping the right wrist with the left hand. That way they can see and feel if their wrist/arm is moving or if it is, as desired, just the wrist
10. Spider
St arting from a good bow grip position, use the fingers and thumb to “crawl” up the stick trying to keep the stick as straight and still as possible When the top is reached, try crawling back down the stick and return to the bow grip position
11 Stir the Pot
Rot ate the bow so that the tip faces the floor. Using just the fingers, stir the tip of the bow in circles into an imaginary pot.
Any bow stroke/rhythm that requires the player to lift the bow adds sound to the above-described motions Use open strings at first, then complete a simple scale as indicated 1
The bow control techniques learned in the above exercises will help students gain the skills to develop and quickly master sophisticated bow strokes, including the spiccato Our next inst allment will be to describe pedagogically the two main methods of actually teaching spiccato to a large ensemble And, for a more advanced group, describe exercises to create a broader palate of more refined, resonant, and s atisfying spiccatos to use in the wide variety of literature available to youthful string players today
1 Gabriel A Villasurda is a wonderful pedagogue These rhythms are from a sheet Villasurda called “Crucial B owing Skills ” His comprehensive pedagogical materials can be found for free at www.stringskills.com. Every string teacher who visits his website will be richly rewarded.
CASMEC Choral Strand
by Merryl Nelson CMEA CA ACDA Representative
The 2015 CASMEC Choral S trand has an awesome lineup for choral teachers this year As in the past, California ACDA will provide outstanding, informative sessions for choral directors in a variet y of school settings and program situations. S o, no matter what your teaching assignment – if you are new to the profession, a band director who also has a period of choir, the band, and drama director, or you are building or maintaining a full-time choral program – we will have what you need at CASMEC in Februar y.
Below is a list of the excellent choral strand sessions that will be offered:
A Pro Ar te – A Nested Hierarchy
This funny jumble is the key to helping your students get to the “ hear t of the ar t ” of singing in your choir
Presenter: L ori Marie Rios, director of choral activities at College of the Canyons in Valencia, California
The
Evolution of a Junior High Choir:
Achieving maximum musical and aesthetic growth throughout the year
Presenter: Amanda Isaac, choral director at Norris Midd le School in Bakersfield, California.
Q
ualit y W ithout Q uantit y : A master c lass on how to maximiz e your choir ’ s musical experience no matter what the siz e
Presenter: Brian Dehn, choral director at Junipero S erra Catholic High School in S an Juan Capistrano, California.
Is Your Choral GPS Working?
Tried and tr ue strategies for long-term rehearsal planning
Presenter: Gar y S eighman, director of choral activities at Trinit y Universit y in S an Antonio, Texas.
Being a Great Teacher and Musician:
A panel discussion
Presenters: CLA facult y
Programming W ith Passion: Choosing exciting reper toire for your choir
Presenter: Jeffrey Benson, director of choral activities at S an Jose S tate Universit y in S an Jose, California
Choral Reading S ession: Accessible music for all kinds of choirs Presenters: CLA facult y.
Concer t presented by California S tate Universit y L ong Beach Chamber
S ingers at Hol y Trinit y Armenian Church Concert under the direction of Jonathan Talberg, director of choral activities at CSULB in L ong Beach, California.
Center for Community Music at Oregon State University
Associate Professor of
Julie Scott Practice in Music Education at Southern Methodist ersity and past Univ edagogy) is (P
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Julie Beauregard Director) is General Music Education Specialist and Director of the Center for Community Music at Oregon State Univ
Orff Schulw and composers Carl Orff and Gunild K elementary general music teachers, pro be immediately implemented in the classroom.
• Experiential activities explore music through singing, mo
percussion instruments, recorders, and impro elops foundational kno
Orff Schulw
Registration and more information:
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• Special topics include folk dancing, singing games, history of Orff Schulw (Course ersity.
You Say Tomato Differences and Similarities in General Music Instruction Among Orff, Kodály, and Dalcroze
by Richard Lawton CMEA General Music Representative
t the recent AOSA National Conference
Ai n Na s h v i l l e I a t t e n d e d a n e x c e l l e n t workshop entitled “Dalcroz e, Kodály and O r f f : D i f f e re n t Pa t h s t o t h e S a m e Destination.” The session consisted of three c linicians – David Frego, Heather Klossner, and Lauren Bain – presenting the same basic material using each of the three major instructional approaches.
M o s t e l e m e n t a r y s c h o o l g e n e r a l i s t s I k n ow s e e themselves as affiliated pedagogically with one of these approaches – in my case, that ’ s Orff Schulwerk. The workshop reminded me that there are always multiple w ay s o f t a c k l i n g i n s t r u c t i on a l p ro b l e m s , a n d t h a t , perhaps, a review of the basics of all three approaches would be useful
It is interesting to contemplate that these three doctrines, which continue to dominate general music instr uction in the United S tates, were devised by music teachers who were contemporaries of one another It is said that Orff borrowed much of his approach to creative movement from the ear lier work of Jacque-Dalcroz e, and Kodály is known to have visited the Orff Institute in S alzburg where he purchased a set of barred instr uments It is no sur prise, therefore, that the approaches have similarities All three emphasiz e active music making, the relationship between music and movement, the use of solfège, the impor tance of cultural connection, and the belief that all children, even the ver y young, are capable of developing meaningful musical understanding This last point is most impor tant; at a time when music education was dominated by the conser vator y model of
music for the talented few, the idea of music education for ever ybody was truly revolutionar y Émile Jaques-Dalcroz e was the first to emerge, publishing essays on his theories as ear ly as 1898. JaquesDalcroz e sought to create a music education approach in which experienced musicians and beginners could learn a l o n g s i d e o n e a n o t h e r ( a l m o s t 1 0 0 y e a r s b e f o re differentiated instruction became an educational norm). The best known feature of his work was, and is, an approach to movement which has come to be known as Dalcroz e Eurhythmics. Like Orff and Kodály, JaquesDalcroz e believed that musical understanding begins with rhythm and rhythm begins with movement, but Dalcroz e Eurhythmics takes this notion a step further, asserting that it is only possible to understand a musical idea by first experiencing it physically Dalcroz e Eurhythmics was influential not just in the wor ld of music education but also in dance However, it is only part of a larger, more comprehensive theor y Jaques-Dalcroz e called for use of fixed do solfège to help students develop inner hearing (Kodály wrote about i n n e r h e a r i n g a s w e l l ) w h i c h w o u l d , ov e r t i m e, i n c re a s e s t u d e n t s ’ p ro f i c i e n c y i n s i g h t - re a d i n g a n d i m p r ov i s a t i o n a l a b i l i t y H e a l s o p r o p o s e d t h e development of improvisational skills on the piano as his i n s t r u m e n t a l mu s i c c o m p o n e n t I n e a c h p h a s e, a sequence was proposed in which instruction would begin with what was simple and familiar, and new elements of increasing complexit y were gradually added, a process which we now call scaffolding
Zoltán Kodály, though his instructional theories are similar ly comprehensive, is known primarily for his focus on vocal pedagog y and folk music The chief goal of Kodály is the development of musical literac y –singing, reading, and writing Kodály obser ved that the skills associated with language acquisition could also be applied to music and that, like language, music was a repositor y of culture For this reason he promoted games, chants, and folk tunes as appropriate instructional vehic les (and was highly skeptical about popular music)
In his approach to solfège Kodály incor porated the hand signs, which had been invented by John Cur wen but which today are strongly identified with the Kodály method At the same time, Kodály developed a concept, then unique, of moveable do or relative solmization Moveable do allows for instruction to focus on the abilit y to recogniz e inter vallic relationships, rather than on absolute pitch. Orff also used moveable do, as well as the pentatonic scale as a jumping off point for an understanding of harmony But whereas Orff sought to apply these ideas to instrumental as well as vocal music, Kodály believed that the only appropriate accompaniment for voice was other voices In his instructional sequence instrumental music comes much later, if at all.
As for Car l Orff, his approach is best known for its use of creative play as an entr y point for instruction and its focus on improvisation. The central idea is that music, movement, and speech are inseparable Orff shares with Eurhythmics (and to some extent
Kodály) the idea that rhythm must be taught first, but the idea that the movement is another form of creative expression is purely Orffian. And the perception that improvisation is a function of a child ’ s creativit y, and that, by encouraging it, we help students refine their creative abilit y, is common to all three approaches, but is a particular focus of Orff
Another distinctive feature of Orff is the bar red inst rumentarium, the family of melodic percussion instruments of var ying siz es In learning to play the barred instruments, students are introduced to compositional ideas such as ostinato and bordun in an instructional sequence of simple to complex similar to that in Kodály and Dalcroz e A great deal of material has been written for these instruments, by Orff himself and others, but, of course, one of the instructional goals is to have students develop their own compositions
S o which approach works best? W hen I was in graduate school, the c liche was that singers tended to gravitate to Kodály, while instrumentalists were drawn to Orff and dancers to Dalcroz e Eur ythmics There is something to this, just as there are instructional situations where one approach is c lear ly a better match Kodály ’ s emphasis on note reading, for example, suggests that Kodály is better suited for music programs where many of the children are going to move on to performing in choirs or orchestras In my own c lassroom I have found that the Orff approach, because of its emphasis on improvisation, is especially well-suited to the initial study of jazz
In developing a plan for instruction, however, one needs to remember that before you can teach anything, you must first connect with what John Dewey called the “native and unspoiled attitude of childhood ” This natural curiosit y and eagerness to make things is as true of children today as it ever was. But today ’ s kids are over loaded with sensor y input Penetrating the wall of white noise is a supreme challenge, and of course, once they are engaged, keeping them engaged and focused can be an equally confounding proposition That is why, increasingly, as I go into my teacher toolbox to search for what technique will work best in a particular situation, my main criterion is, what will get me to the point fastest (with the least amount of talking)
W hat might seem like a sacrifice of pedagogical integrit y in the face of dwind ling attention spans, I prefer to think of as a recalibration of my instructional goals in terms of how kids think, how they assimilate new information, and how they construct lasting understanding This is consistent with the teachings of Jaques-Dalcroz e, Kodály, and Orff It is worth noting that these three contemporaries were also contemporaries of mainstream constructivists like Dewey, L ev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget Too of ten, music education is thought of as a highly specializ ed, even precious, area of study, when, in fact, given the experiential and constructed nature of music, it ought to be thought of as a perfect arena in which these fundamental constructivist ideas can be applied.
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Towards the Inclusion of Popular Music Styles in Music Education
by Willow Manspeaker CMEA Central Coast Section President
Fif teen years ago I was a rookie music teacher, out of my league, working with high school students whose age was in such c lose proximit y to my own that we would now be considered peers It was the midd le of lunch block jazz band and I was in desperate need of a bathroom break As I excused myself from the c lassroom, I lef t c lear instructions on how to proceed in my absence, and what I expected to hear upon my return As I approached the c lassroom, expecting to hear the stiff and c lunky rehearsal sounds of S tompin’ at the Savoy (which, by the way, I had painstakingly arranged for their specific and unique instrumentation – a rhythm section, violin, flute, alto sax, cello), I was sur prised to hear something else entirely As I remained froz en on the other side of the door, I travelled along an emotional rollercoaster of sorts. They disrespected me by not following my c lear directions They ’ re wasting time, goofing off, and our concert is a week away Wait, this actually sounds prett y good Is this a recording? Do these guys rehearse on their own in a garage somewhere that I don’t know about? Ok, this sounds so good it ’ s going on our concer t program The song was S mells Like Teen S pirit by Nir vana, and it was amazing. The band sounded confident, energetic, c lean, and inspired – completely different from how they normally sounded This experience stayed with me, and led me to these questions: why were they so much more engaged in their music as opposed to my music; and is there educational value in incor porating more popular forms of music and informal learning st yles into my c lassroom? The issue of how to measure value and meaningfulness in music is a difficult one to address. In the above stor y, one could argue that the students were able to perform the Nir vana song so success-
fully because for them the experience was authentic and personal S mells Like Teen S pirit was their song, and they had the freedom to choose the manner in which to go about learning it Because the motivation to learn the material was intrinsic, it was more meaningful and real to the students. It was, therefore, in their eyes more valuable and worthy of being learned and performed than the music I had chosen for them
Popular music is per vasive in the lives of our students; it provides them with a feeling of ownership, and creates a social sense of belonging while simultaneously allowing them to express their individualit y Popular music exists in different forms but creates a thread through all aspects of students’ personal and individual wor lds. W hether it is the music they were exposed to by their parents while they were growing up, the first album they owned as a child, the cover band they formed in midd le school, or the obscure new artist they discovered while traveling down the countless rabbit holes on the
Internet, teenagers are constantly inundated with popular music on subconscious and cultural levels. However, a gap exists between music outside of school and music inside of school, and, as students continue to develop vast musical abilities at home they question the reallife relevance of school music programs. It is important for music educators to investigate the nature of why this gap exists and how best to go about thoughtfully and deliberately c losing it.
Luc y Green has done much work on the subject of popular music and informal learning practices in the c lassroom In her book Music, Informal L earning and the School: A New Classroom Pedagog y (2008), Green presents compelling research on how pedagog y in the music c lassroom could draw upon the wor ld of informal popular music learning practices outside the school, and how music educators could see increased participation and/or raised motivation amongst students if new pedagogical practices were to be successfully employed. Estimates show that only 20 percent of high school students in the
United S tates participate in their school ’ s music programs Certainly a portion of the remaining 80 percent is engaged in some t ype of meaningful musical activit y : garage bands, computer-based composition, songwriting competitions, private lessons, etc The question then becomes, is it possible to engage the 80 percent and raise the motivation of the 20 percent already participating in our school programs through innovative and adaptable teaching tools? Green’s research shows that students experience an increased level of motivation and enjoyment in their schools’ programs when informal learning methods are used However critics of the work have raised the valid issue that the act of employing informal learning strategies carries the potential to diminish the involvement of the teacher. Additionally, there is inadequate training and a lack of curricularbased materials available to current and pre-ser vice music educators in the area of popular music
In order to gain more widespread acceptance of this potentially transformative view of c lassroom music amongst educators, we must first acknowledge that the once distinct lines between “ high” and “ low” music are becoming more difficult to define S tudents of today have vast musical identities which are shaped by an over lapping and intersection of informal learning practices with formal, school-based music education, and would benefit from a chance to participate in creative decision-making as it relates to their educational opportunities. S tudents are more engaged in their music because it holds more emotional authenticit y, or buy-in, for them than school music Therefore, it would certainly benefit traditional school music programs, enrich the lives of those students involved, and appeal to a larger, more varied population of students, to incor porate informal learning strategies and popular music curriculum into the c lassroom. How to go about doing so is another issue entirely S tay tuned
• Green, L , Music, informal learning and the school: A new c lassroom pedagog y Bur lington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company. 2008.
California Alliance for Jazz State Jazz Championships
by Mike Galisatus CMEA CAJ Representative
Dear Colleagues,
By now, our school years are in full swing with winter concerts, festivals, marching competitions, football games, and musicals already behind us. As we prepare for the spring, I would like to let you know about a relatively recently launched virtual jazz festival hosted by California Alliance for Jazz called the California Alliance for Jazz S tate Jazz Championships. This unique festival is in its fourth year, and is becoming more and more popular with each new year Here are the whos, whats, whens, wheres and whys of this extraordinar y event
What are the CAJ State Jazz Championships?
The California Alliance for Jazz S tate Championships is a “ virtual” jazz festival where participating groups submit video recordings of a festival performance, concert, or videos created at school Directors will submit three videos from their combos, large instrumental ensembles, or vocal ensembles, each containing individual selections V ideos do not have to be from the same festival or concert, but can be a showcase of your group ’ s three strongest performances of contrasting repertoire from various events throughout the school year
Who is eligible for the CAJ State Jazz Championships?
The CAJ S tate Jazz Championships are open to all California public and private school music educators. There are five categories of entries, inc luding junior high/midd le school, high school, two-year communit y colleges, four-year colleges, and communit y-oriented ensembles Par ticipating schools (with the exception of college and communit y groups) will be placed in categories according to school siz e. Schools submitting more than one ensemble will have their less experienced group placed in one categor y lower for those groups
Where does CAJ State Jazz Championships take place?
The CAJ S tate Jazz Championships occur in the comfor t of your own band room or rehearsal hall S ince ever ything is submitted electronically, there
are no travel requirements, lodging or meal expenses, permission forms, or missed school days. This is what makes our festival unique
When does the CAJ State Championships take place?
The festival is set for May of 2015, and the deadline to apply is on or before April 15, 2015
Why participate in the CAJ State Jazz Championships?
Perhaps the most attractive feature of this festival is the opportunit y to have your group adjudicated by some of the top jazz educators in California Of ten our groups attend local and regional festivals, and are heard and adjudicated by many of the same individuals throughout the year The CAJ S tate Championships are not limited to particular areas in the state, and offer the opportunit y for you to hear from jazz educators you would normally have to travel great distances in order to receive their constructive feedback
You and your students can view ever y participating band and choir competing in your division without having to incur any expenses other than the entr y fee
W inning groups will receive a beautiful laseretched plaque with your school and director ’ s name that will be on display for the next generation of students who pass through your program
Past festival winners inc lude ensembles from Folsom High School, Northgate High School in Walnut, Citrus Hills Intermediate School in Corona, Walnut Creek Intermediate School, L ong Beach Polytechnic High School, Hanford West High School “B” in Hanford, The College of The Canyons in S anta Clarita, and he College of S an Mateo.
For more information, contact CAJ President Lisa Butts at cajstatechampionships@gmail com
Applications are available on the CAJ website www.cajazz.org. Application fees are for each participating group are $195 for CAJ members and $245 for non-members
We hope you consider entering this year ’ s event
2015 CMEA State Band and Orchestra Festival Ensembles Announced
Congratulations to the following ensembles and their directors for their selection as participants at the Third Annual CMEA S tate Band and Orchestra Festival to be held at the Mondavi Center, on the campus of U.C. Davis, on Friday, May 22, 2015:
Antelope High School W ind Ensemble, S onora Mello, conductor ; Central High School W ind Ensemble, L eonard Ingrande, conductor ; Clovis West High School W ind S ymphony, John Lack, conductor ; Davis Unified School District All Cit y S tring Orchestra, Kim Cole, conductor ; El Cerrito High School W ind Ensemble, Keith Johnson, conductor ; Har vest Park Midd le School S ymphonic Band, Paul Perazz o, conductor ; Holmes Junior High School Advanced Orchestra, Angelo Moreno, conductor ; Homestead High School Orchestra, John Burn, conductor ; Homestead High School W ind Ensemble, John Burn, conductor ; Hopkins Junior High School Advanced Orchestra, Gregor y Conway, conductor ; Hopkins Junior High School W ind Ensemble, Gregor y Conway, conductor ; C.A. Jacobs Junior High Concert Band, S teve Russo, conductor ; S aratoga High School S ymphony Orchestra, Michael Boitz, conductor ; S aratoga High School W ind Ensemble, Michael Boitz, conductor ; S outhwest High School Chamber Orchestra, Matthew Busse, conductor ; and, T ierra Linda Midd le School T imber Wolf Band, Joseph Mur phy, conductor.
S peical thanks CMEA S tate Band and Orchestra Chairman J im Mazzaferro, for his work leading the ensemble selection process this year Criteria for selection inc luded participating ensembles receiving a Unanimous S uperior rating at a CMEA or SCSBOA festival during the spring 2014 festival season and participating directors holding membership in CMEA at both the time of application and festival performance D ue to increased interest this year, a panel of adjudicators listened to unmarked CDs in order to determine which groups would be selected. CMEA S tate Band and Orchestra judging criteria were used in the selection process. Ensembles were ranked in their categor y and overall to determine the final list of groups selected to perform in 2015
Highlights of the Festival inc lude:
Ensemble performance in a high stakes, high qualit y festival; Adjudication by four recogniz ed adjudicators providing detailed comments for both the ensemble and the director, and, recognition of each ensemble with a plaque commemorating their performance.
The UC Davis Concer t Band, under the direction of Pete Nowlen, will be performing for par ticipating students. Thank you to Mr Nowlen for making this oppor tunit y possible for the students The following music industr y sponsors have contributed towards the costs of moving the festival to the wor ld-c lass Mondavi Center (www mondaviar ts org)
California Keyboards; GPG Publications; Music and Ar ts; Poulan Music;
S anta Clara Vanguard Foundation; Wenger Cor poration; and Wor ld Projects.
Bands accepted to perform at the 2015 CMEA S tate Band and Orchestra Festival will be invited to perform at the S tate Capitol on the day prior to the festival, as space permits The California Music Educators Association (CMEA) and S tand Up 4 Music, a coalition of California music education organizations, host the Annual California Music Education Advocac y Day at the S tate Capitol.
The 2014 Music Association of California Community Colleges Conference
by Dr Lawrence F Stoffel
CMEA Higher Education Representative
The Music Association of California Community Colleges’ 2014 Conference was held November 12–14, in San Diego at the Catamaran Resort & Spa The annual MACCC Conference is a three-day event attended by more than 400 community college music students and music faculty. The conference features master classes in piano, guitar, vocal jazz, and composition The event closes with a choir and concert band performance, which is open to the public. MACCC welcomes vendors from music manufacturing companies, instrument sales, book publishers, and other colleges and universities
This year’s conference sessions for community college students included a student composition contest, a student
guitar master class, a student vocal jazz master class, a student composition master class, a conference band (guest conductor Dr Lawrence F Stoffel, C SU Northridge), and a conference choir (guest conductor Christopher Peterson, C SU Fullerton).
The MACCC Student Composition Contest was adjudicated by Carolyn Bremer (C SU Long Beach) The First Place W inner was Sina Karachiani from Irvine Valley College His award-winning composition, Sonata for Contrabass and Piano, was performed at the Friday afternoon conference concert. Sina received a $200 first prize scholarship A $100 second prize scholarship was also awarded Dr Bremer also taught the composition master class
Michael Anthony Nigro (Vanguard
University) served as clinician of the 2014 MACCC classical guitar master class The vocal jazz master class clinician was recording artist John Proulx
The Thursday night conference recital featured clinician-selected master class students and community college faculty. This recital included faculty performances by Sung Ae Lee and Christine Lopez (Cerritos College); Lori Musicant and Patricia Hannifan (Los Angeles City College/Los Angeles Valley College); Rodney Oaks and Anita Chang (Los Angeles Harbor College); Matt Falker, Jaeryoung Lee, and Bob Boss (MiraCosta College/Mesa College); and the Green Room Project trio, Dmitry Koudymov, Brian Barany, and Tapan Joshi (Orange Coast College)
This year’s conference sessions for fac-
Top row (left to right, top to bottom): Matt Trelser, Gus Kambeitz, John Gerhold. Second row: Stephen Rochford, Chauncey Maddren, Matt Falker, David Betancourt Third row: Diana Loayza, Jody Benecke, Cassandra Tarantino, Jeff Forehan, Front row: Chaumonde Porterfield-Pyatt, Christine Park, Andrew Maz, Michael D Stone (keynote speaker)
ulty included topics wide-ranging: CalSTRS from the CEO and legislative perspective; ADT update; curriculum; repeatability update; adjunct portfolios; transitioning from part-time to fulltime; technology in music education; eurythmics; introducing JEN; commercial music C -ID; and a Legislative Session Special sessions for adjunct faculty and for retired faculty were added to this year’s conference offerings CMEA President Michael D Stone gave the conference keynote address and spoke about the StandUp4Music Coalition.
Participants in this year’s conference included faculty and students from numerous colleges, including Allan Hancock College, Bakersfield College, Cerritos College, El Camino College, Fresno City College, Glendale Community College, Grossmont College, Irvine Valley College, Long Beach City College, Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles Harbor College, Los Angeles Valley College, Mesa College, MiraCosta College, Orange Coast College, Riverside City College, San Diego Mesa College, Santa Rosa Junior College, West Valley College, and Yuba College
Gus Kambeitz, MACCC President-Elect, recently noted, “The breakout sessions at conferences have helped me become a more effective teacher and stimulated further study. The conference choirs and bands are led by many of the luminaries of the field, and they became master classes for my students who attended One of the most educational experiences of the conference is hanging out with other educators who do what you do, and we all know how unique the community college is ”
In the weeks leading up to this year’s conference, MACCC President David Betancourt shared with the organization’s
membership:
“Maybe it’s the networking or the fantastic opportunities for our students at the conference Or perhaps it is the incredible teamwork and sharing of ideas (and solutions) that takes place every time our membership gathers I suspect it is a combination of all these.
Like a musical performance, we enjoy all the wonderful moments of the conference while we also find it hard to walk away from the components that we feel we could improve It is the nature of the beast. We sit together as a board and talk about how we can improve the membership experience and the state of music education at the community colleges.”
Membership in the MACCC is open to all current and retired faculty (full-time and part-time) at a California community college music department Benefits of MACCC membership are numerous:
• Networking with music administrators, department chairs, full-time and adjunct faculty from across the state;
• Platform to discuss practical issues such as the transfer degree, repeatability, applied music, articulation, assessment, developing new courses, online classes, fundraising;
• Leadership networking;
• Networking within specific music fields;
• New teacher mentoring;
• Access to the network of members;
• Breakout sessions at annual conferences covering all aspects of music department activities including teaching techniques, legislative issues and job placement;
• Political activity and awareness;
• The MACCC directory, a resource for networking and support;
• Professional development at annual conferences;
• Performance opportunities for faculty and students;
• Connections to the music industry; and
• Opportunities to present sessions at the annual conference
The MACCC operates under the leadership of a dedicated and engaged executive board members:
David Betancourt, president. (Cerritos College)
Christine Park, past president (Los Angeles City College)
Gus Kambeitz, president-elect (West Valley College)
Matt Falker, vice president (Mira Costa College)
Chauncey Maddren, treasurer (Los Angeles Valley College)
Chaumonde Porterfield-Pyatt, legislation advocacy representative. (College of the Sequoias)
John Gerhold, curriculum representative (Bakersfield College)
Jeff Forehan, Northern Section commercial representative. (West Valley College)
Andrew Maz, Southern Section commercial representative (Cerritos College)
The activities of the executive board are far-reaching. Stephen Rochford, MACCC Southern Section President, boasts, “I am proud of the fact that MACCC was a primary leader in the battles to maintain our repeatability for our ensembles and applied music, no less than saving the music major in the California Community Colleges. I am proud that it was a MACCC member who wrote the resolutions that were approved by the State Academic Senate and that later became substantially the language of our current repeatability policies ”
The MACCC will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2015. The 2015 MACCC Conference will be held on November 19–21 in San Francisco. MACCC is now accepting proposals for its 2015 Conference The MACCC executive board considers topics including best practices, new resources, innovative approaches, discussions of critical issues, and presentations on research or works-in-
progress All proposals are evaluated using a peer-review process. Further information about the Music Association of California Community Colleges can be found online at www emaccc org
•
Some information contained in this article is quoted directly from the MACCC website at www emaccc org
Michael Nigro working with John Eric Santamaria
Lawrence F Stoffel in concert with the Intercollegiate Conference Band
All photos by Rachel Betancourt
by M CME
Acal question t become a mu art of jazz im Af ter three in search of t However, the ning to emerg leagues, atten implementing critiques, and artic les on th various resou iz e that jazz i sible to ever y visation can i and learned In order fo excel as a jazz they must po major qualitie F irst, a stude must have the desire and motivation to succeed, and second, the determination
me the fear of improvisasked what the most dividual qualit y a student n order to improvise sucnist and author Mark e first qualit y has to be anything else. Of course, t, but without the desire, anywhere ” Fear can prerforming at optimal levels ack of an adequate level perform Jazz educator, a summar y, “One of the you have with students ce to want to be singled ants to get up and do at they are uncomfortable
e desire and motivation and providing the tools e the fear of improvising s music educators can what are the best ways to elopment of the skills uires time and effort The ning skills, mastering mersion into the jazz commony are the means with obtained.
r, Johann Pestalozzi2 to education This philoshe senses and intellect by
imitation of the teacher prior to reading or writing Aural learning through imitation is an effective way for the introduction and retention of musical phrases as it pertains to jazz improvisation.
A common thread among jazz educators as a key factor in becoming a skilled improviser is the development of aural perception, which inc ludes listening to jazz, imitation of the st yles of the jazz masters, and to a degree, aural and/or written transcription of improvised solos Jazz educator and author Christopher Azzara3 equates the process of learning jazz improvisation to that of a foreign language through the development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Azzara emphasiz es listening to improvised music, learning a repertoire by ear, understanding harmonic progression, and taking risks necessar y to improvise The parallels of jazz improvisation and language are illustrated by jazz educator Pat Harbison4, who states that the best way to teach and learn to improvise is the way we have learned our language Among the principles highlighted by Harbison is cultural immersion, with direct exposure to people using the language to communicate. Listening and obser vation, where the sound and nuance of the language can be absorbed, and imitation, where the teacher becomes the model are additional techniques employed in Harbison’s teaching
Listening to jazz both on recordings, and in live performance is perhaps one of the most important activities a student can do. The inspiration provided by hearing one of your “ heroes” perform in person is a unique experience that only live performance can bring Tr umpet great Allen S mith (1926-2011) describes one of his first live jazz experiences:
“I would be right up in front of the bandstand listening I was up there in front with my mouth half open, I guess, looking at all these masters thinking, one of these days I’m going to be up there.”1
The abilit y to listen critically is a skill that can be developed through repetition, much like that of mastering instr umental technique Repetitive listening leads to discover y and saturates the student with the sound and nuance of the jazz language W ith each listening, something new rises to the surface and can open the
door to further musical exploration
Juilliard graduate Kyle Athayde described his listening during his high school years:
“I have the CD player going on in my room twent y-four hours a day. W hen I’m sleeping, I’m listening. S ometimes I’ ll be listening at school, in the car, or on the way somewhere. Each day, inc luding sleep time, maybe twelve hours ”1
The abilit y to translate the music that is in the student ’ s ear to their instrument requires technical skills and proficienc y on their instrument Allen S mith stated, “ There is no myster y as such except that if you can sing a song, then you should be able to transfer that same melody from your voice to your heart. And there is only one way to do that and that is to practice.”1
Instrumental/Vocal Technique
The t ypical practice routine employed by many jazz musicians inc ludes the development of technique through the study of scales, chords, melodic patterns, and etudes in both the c lassical and jazz genres Practicing scales and chords is essential in developing finger technique and to acquire the aural sense of tonalit y. Scale and chord practice as it applies to jazz requires memorization in order to maximiz e benefit and usefulness when improvising
Perhaps the most fundamental component of instrumental and vocal performance that supersedes all other aspects of technique is the production of sound and the qualit y of one ’ s tone Allen S mith believed that it is the qualit y of sound produced that defines the individual musician and establishes one ’ s unique voice for musical expression. Like scales, and chords, sound development is dependent upon the qualit y and quantit y of practice time
A third aspect of instr umental and vocal technique is the development of ar ticulation and phrasing as it per tains to jazz performance Proper jazz phrasing and ar ticulation is achieved through direct exposure to the jazz masters either through recordings or live performances. The sound and st ylistic nuance of the jazz language can be absorbed and imitated through active listening to jazz of all t ypes
A four th consideration in technical
development is the establishing of a sense of time and rhythm The abilit y to play with consistent time is among the crucial skills a student must grasp in order to improvise successfully. The feeling of motion that rhythm contributes to jazz through the use of syncopation and accentuation is one of the defining characteristics of the genre Maintaining a keen awareness of rhythm and developing the abilit y to play rhythmically are key elements to the construction of an improvised solo
An additional component in technical development is to acquire the abilit y to play with a sense of musicalit y and lyricism. Establishing fluenc y in the jazz language is greatly enhanced by acquiring a thorough knowledge of the jazz repertoire Many educators and performers regard memorization of melodies, chord structures, and the various forms of jazz as a major area for development of improvisational skills
Using the melody as a basis for improvisation is an effective technique for navigating an improvised solo. Bay Area jazz artist Mar y Fettig explains:
“ The melody is really what keeps me straight, because melody keeps the changes coming and I don’t hear it separately from the changes, but have the whole picture in my head when I am improvising ”1
Immersion into the Jazz Community
Instrumental technique and listening skills are two key components to developing jazz improvisational proficienc y A third component for learning the jazz language is the total immersion into the jazz communit y. Like a student of wor ld languages will assimilate into a particular culture in order to gain conversational fluenc y, a jazz musician must engage with the jazz communit y to acquire communication skills in the art of jazz improvisation Interaction with musicians sharing the common interest of jazz is the one method that has been in practice since the inception of the art form.
Mentorship and exposure to the individuals who have achieved a high level of proficienc y in jazz improvisation provides the motivation and impetus with which to excel in jazz improvisation Many jazz musicians were exposed to the music at a
young age and credit that ear ly exposure as a factor for their current involvement in music
A jazz communit y can be established at your own school through the formation of combos and informal listening sessions. Establishing a culture of small group playing in your school is perhaps the best way to have students hone their improvisation skills S et up a regular or periodic jam session in your band room where you and your students can explore new and standard jazz tunes Make it open to ever y music student regard less of abilit y level and invite local professionals to come in and play along. If there is not an available rhythm section, use a backing track from Jamey Aebersold, iReal Pro, Band-in-a-Box, or any other appropriate source
Providing a haven for aspiring jazz students to congregate and share their passion for the music will spread throughout the students in your entire program Encourage your students to get together outside of school to listen to their favorite jazz recordings, or attend live jazz performances at a local c lub or jam session. There are opportunities for students to book their own dates at coffee houses, jazz c lubs, libraries, and other functions L os Angeles jazz professional T im McKay describes his experience as a high school student that helped him become a proficient improviser:
“ The combo I play with would play gigs around the Bay Area The group that I have been playing with for awhile is the “Bam S quad,” which is comprised of me and three rhythm section cats from my school. We have been playing together since the eighth grade There is mainly Oak Town (weekly jazz workshop), which is a really great way, because that keeps your soloing chops up for sure Those that I play with tr y to have jam sessions as frequently as possible We get lots of social gigs 1
W hen asked about how he would improve the improvisation abilit y in his students, Cur tis Gaesser, director of the nationally recogniz ed Folsom High School jazz program states:
“I would have twent y combos A big band is not always the vehic le for improvisation, and if you were doing a combo,
it is all about the improv If you had small quartets playing, I think the kids would grow and learn a lot more ”1
There are many opportunities for students to be inspired by their jazz “ heroes.” S ummer jazz camps are among the best vehic les for students to hone their skills. Many of these camps employ renowned jazz artists to ser ve on their faculties who not only take the time to help students, but of ten provided oneon-one attention and mentorship for the participants S ummer jazz camps also offer opportunities for students to play with the masters, a sort of jazz “fantasy camp, ” if you will.
Kyle Athayde talks about one of his camp experiences as a high school student:
“Chris Potter was the artistic director, so I got to work with him The next year was Nicholas Payton, so I got a private lesson with him, then a master c lass, and he worked with our combo ”
Knowledge of Theory and Harmony
Knowledge of theor y and harmony is also an essential element to the teaching and learning of jazz improvisation. Knowledge of scales and chords, in all keys, and in all inversions as well provide the basic tools for jazz improvisation. Scales, chords, and to an extent, patterns provide the alphabet with which an improviser can expand their jazz vocabular y The study and practical application of theor y is essential to gaining insight to the inner workings of jazz The memorization of standard jazz melodies and their harmonic structures combined with a knowledge of harmony can assist the improviser to creatively experiment with various harmonic tools in order to expand the scope of their improvisations Marc L evine describes the use of harmonic skill in the following manner:
“Harmelodic, if I may use an Ornette Coleman term Harmelodic skill, in other words, the abilit y to hear harmony, understand it, and constr uct music with it.”1
In conc lusion, in order for us as jazz educators to instill the desire and motivation to succeed and to provide the tools to overcome the fear of improvising, it is imperative that a sense of confidence is instilled in our students Confidence
comes with the t ype of preparation described above and with the establishment of a nurturing environment in the c lassroom where experimentation and risk taking is encouraged. Teaching jazz improvisation begins with the level of expertise of the teacher and his or her abilit y to motivate students. Fred Berr y describes one of his ear ly teachers and why he credits him as being such a great influence in his development as an improviser:
“F irst of all, he was a great trumpet player Number two, he had a way of teaching that was motivating and he would inspire you. I respected his unerring musicianship, his abilit y to teach and engage students.”1
S tudent Frank S ilva credits his midd le school teacher with inspiring him to reach his goals as a jazz improviser:
“He had a way of teaching and was really amazing He really knew his stuff about jazz and that kind of thing He would tell us to figure out how we could become better players, and then make it happen.”1
It is up to each of us to discover what motivates our students, learn as much as we can about the subject of jazz improvisation, and put our discoveries into action This will make jazz improvisation accessible to all of our students and help to unlock the myster y of how to teach jazz improvisation
• References
1 Galisatus, M (2005) Jazz Improvisation Performance Practice: A Comparative S tudy of S elect Professional Musicians, Jazz Educators, and S tudents (Master ’ s Thesis). S an Francisco S tate Universit y, S an Francisco, CA
2 CA Pestalozzi, J H (1894) How Ger tr ude Teaches Her Children (Translated by Luc y E Holland and Francis C Turner) L ondon: S wan S onnenschein
3 Azzara, C D (1999) “An Aural Approach To Improvisation ” Music Educators Journal, 86(3), 21–25
4 Harbison, P (2004) http://musicians allaboutjazz.com/patharbison
Higher Education Happenings
A Sampling of the Many Music Education Activities Taking Place on our State’s College and University Campuses by Dr Lawrence F Stoffel CMEA Higher Education Representative
California State University, Northridge
On November 20th, the CSUN Collegiate Chapter of CMEA made a video for the Beyond the Bubbles Campaign. Thanks to the generosit y of our chapter members, we were also able to make a monetar y donation to the effort As the campaign states, our mission as a collegiate chapter is to “ keep music in the schools ” We believe all students deser ve to have access to a music education We are all in school studying to be music educators because we were inspired by music in one way or another, and want to bring that same inspiration to our future students O ur contribution to this campaign is just another way we can help make that inspiration possible. One of our other c lub goals this year is to help get other local universities involved in CMEA and NAf ME at the collegiate level In our video we challenged other music education students from Cal S tate L os Angeles, Cal S tate L ong Beach, and Cal S tate Fuller ton to get involved in the campaign as well. We hope to star t building more connections with these campuses through events and c linics as the year progresses.
Kelly McCar ley, student President, CSUN Collegiate Chapter of CMEA
University of Redlands
1.
Pokorny L ow Brass S eminar ( June 28–July 3, 2015) W ith facult y from the Chicago S ymphony Orchestra, Porto National Orchestra, S an Francisco S ymphony, Detroit S ymphony, L os Angeles P hilharmonic, and Universit y of Red lands, this intense workshop for low brass players features unprecedented access to some of the most respected low brass players. In past years the performers have inc luded professional symphony musicians, freelancers, college teachers, graduate and undergraduate music majors, advanced high school students and dedicated amateurs You can attend the Pokorny L ow Brass S eminar as a performer, auditor, or as a participant in the Pre-College Program (open to high school aged students) www.red lands.edu/pokornyseminar
2.Third Annual W ind Conducting Conference (March 12–15, 2015) This is a four-day intensive session designed for teachers and conductors at all levels. We will explore the art of conducting and the art of teaching, working to help ever yone improve their skills and understanding in a positive learning environment The conference will be led by Dr Eddie S mith, professor of music and director of bands at the Universit y of Red lands Guest c linicians are Gregg Hanson, Universit y of Ariz ona, and Dr V ictor Markovich, W ichita S tate Universit y. www.red lands.edu/conductingconference
Dr Andrew Glendening, Dean
De Anza College
De Anza College is the second California communit y college to be named an “All-S teinway Institution.” Facult y and students can teach, learn, and perform on the instr uments used by 95% of internationally renowned performing ar tists. facult y.deanza.edu/music/
Stanford University
The P layer Piano Project promotes study and research into all aspects relating to the player piano and organ, especially as they relate to performance practices of the late nineteenth and ear ly twentieth centuries The Project seeks to bring together researchers, musicians, and enthusiasts to advance knowledge of the player piano and organ Interest in the player piano at S tanford grew out of a series of symposia, Reactions to the Record. The Project will develop an extensive collection of piano and organ rolls with a corresponding set of instruments capable of playing each of the major t ypes of rolls P lanning is now under way for digitizing the piano rolls. Preser vation of the rolls, ease of access, playback, and research are all goals of digitization W ith archival scans, rolls can be duplicated (thus preser ving originals) and played back via MIDI files or “e-roll” capable players The P layer Piano Project currently manages four collections. The Denis Condon Collection of Reproducing Pianos and Rolls contains 7,500 piano rolls and 10 instruments. The Richard David Pawlyn Collection of Organ P layers and Rolls contains 1,200 rolls and 2 players The Larr y S itsky Piano Catalog Collection inc ludes more than 300 volumes of research materials relating to player piano and roll histor y The Adrian Bez dechi Collection inc ludes D uo-Art and Ampico rolls along with an original, multi-system reproducing player.
librar y stanford edu/projects/player-piano-project/
Drexel University
University of San Diego
The USD Music Department continues to grow and innovate with several initiatives under way The major announcement is the complete renovation of c lassrooms, offices, and practice rooms, in addition to a new rehearsal and seminar room. All of these spaces are state-of-the-art and will be a tremendous asset to us for many coming years Dr Emilie Amrein joined the facult y as a new assistant professor of choral studies Dr Amrein comes to us from Lake Forest College and conducts the USD Choral Scholars and the USD Concert Choir. In addition she is spearheading the “music in education” department initiative, which will inc lude a path to a single-subject teaching credential in music, and is participating in creating the Arts Entrepreneurship minor degree program Both of these programs are expected to be operational next fall
www.sandiego.edu/cas/music/newsletter/
On November 11, 2014, Dr S imon Zagorski-Thomas of the L ondon College of Music, Universit y of West L ondon, led a free-to-the-public discussion on how the business of musicshapes the way our records sound. A Reader in Music and Course L eader of Record Production/Electronic Music Composition, Dr. S imon Zagorski-Thomas discussed theories from psycholog y and sociolog y about the recorded music industr y, examining how recorded music is made and how we listen to it. Dr. S imon Zagorski-Thomas is the author of The Musicolog y of Record Production, which analyz es the fundamental differences between recorded and live music, how production influences the meaning of music, and how technolog y and societ y shape our perceptions He is the Director of the Ar t of Record Production Conference, an international conference that presents leading practitioners, researchers, academics, developers and manufacturers in the recording & audio industries In 2015 Drexel Universit y will host the 10th annual Ar t of Record Production Conference. www.drexel.edu/westphal/undergraduate/MIP/
If you have an item for a future “Higher Education Happenings” column, please e-mail your item (in 200 words or less) to Larr y S toffel at stoffel@csun edu S ubmissions will be inc luded on a firstcome/space-available basis This column contains items both received by submission as well as from culling the Internet
