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Summer Issue 2020
CMEA Magazine SUMMER 2020 VOLUME 73 • NUMBER 4
CMEA STANDS WITH COMMUNITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING TOWARDS PEACEFULLY ENDING SYSTEMIC RACISM AND INJUSTICE. WE LIFT OUR VOICES IN SOLIDARITY WITH THOSE WORKING TO CREATE A MORE JUST AND EQUITABLE SOCIETY. THE ARTS HAVE ALWAYS FOUND WAYS TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER: TO SING, TO PLAY MUSIC, TO TELL STORIES THAT NEED TO BE TOLD, TO HELP COMMUNITIES COPE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO CREATE DIALOGUE THAT AIDS IN HEALING. WE KNOW NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE NEED SAFE SPACES FOR PEOPLE TO CREATE, TO SHARE, TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, AND TO KNOW THEY MATTER. WE SEE YOU. WE HEAR YOU. WE WILL NOT REMAIN SILENT.
The News Magazine of the California Music Educators Association POSTMASTER CMEA Magazine (ISSN 1099–6710) is published quarterly (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer) by CMEA. Mailing Address: 2417 N 11th Ave Hanford, CA 93230 Subscription price of $4.00 is included in the CMEA annual dues. Non-member subscription rate is $12.00 per year Single copies are $3.00 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CMEA Magazine, 2417 N 11th Ave, Hanford, CA 93230 CMEA Magazine Graphic Designer Adam Wilke Editors Chad Zullinger and Trish Adams Business Manager Trish Adams Mailing Address: 2417 N 11th Ave, Hanford, CA 93230 E-mail: cmea@calmusiced.com Rates and advertising information available at: www.calmusiced.com The Executive Board of CMEA serves as the Editorial Committee. The observations and opinions expressed in any article in this magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Association. CMEA does not necessarily endorse any product or service advertised in this magazine. CMEA Administrative Office Mailing Address: 2417 North 11th Avenue Hanford, CA 93230 Office: 559 587–2632 Cell: 559 904–2002 E-mail: cmea@calmusiced.com Website: www.calmusiced.com
# FEATURES
3 President’s Message
by Armalyn De La O, CMEA President
15 Southwestern Section Update
6 CMEA Virtual Solo Festival 2020
9 Bay Section Update
by Anne Fennell, CMEA President-Elect by Bruce Lengacher, CMEA Bay Section
Past President
by Patrick Neff, CMEA Capitol Section President-Elect
10 Central Section Update
by Steve McKeithen, CMEA Central
Section President
11 Reflections and Looking Forward
by Diane Gehling, CMEA Central Coast
Section President
11 Summer Check-In by Holly MacDonell, CMEA North Coast
Section President
12 Northern Section Update
by Liz Churchill, CMEA Northern Section President
12 Transitions
by Ryan Duckworth, CMEA Southeastern
Section President
14 Isolation vs. Collaboration
by Dr. Jeff Malecki, CMEA Southern
Border Section President
Section President
16 SiPandShare Webinars
by Chad Zullinger, CMEA Vice President
17 Introducing CMEA’s 2020-2021 Collegiate Council
9 Capitol Section Update
by Ryan Rowles, CMEA Southwestern
by Anne Fennell, CMEA President-Elect
23 Working Harder Than Ever
by Russ Sperling, CMEA Advocacy Representative
24 Retired Members Report by Norm Dea, CMEA Retired Members Representative
26 CCDA Report
by Dr. Jeffrey Benson, California CCDA President
28 What is Equitable is not Always the Same
by Judi Scharnberg, CMEA Rural Schools Representative
30 Technology Applications Update by Jessica Husselstein, CMEA Music
Technology Representative
32 We Need to Keep the Music Alive! by Dr. Lily Chen-Hafteck, CMEA World
Music Representative
36 Music Supervision During COVID by Stacy Harris, CMEA Music Supervisors Representative
# RESOURCES
20 Tri-M in Bullet Points 22 CODA Resources for String Teachers and Students 27 Creating and Composing 29 Collegiate Spotlight
Ad Index
29 Research 35 CBDA Consortium for Social Justice BC Innovations - Protest Music BC General Music TK-12
21 Nick Rail Music 29 University of Portland 8 Yamaha
Orchestrate Success in Your Career... JOIN CMEA+. Visit www.nafme.org. CMEA is a federated state association of the National Association for Music Education.
CMEA State Council CMEA EXECUTIVE BOARD CMEA President Armalyn De La O adelao@calmusiced.com CMEA President-Elect Anne Fennell afennell@calmusiced.com CMEA Vice President Chad Zullinger czullinger@calmusiced.com CMEA Secretary Laura Schiavo lschiavo@calmusiced.com CMEA Immediate Past President John Burn jburn@calmusiced.com CMEA OFFICE cmea@calmusiced.com 2417 North 11th Avenue Hanford, CA 93230 559 587-2632 CMEA Executive Administrator Trish Adams cmea@calmusiced.com 559 904-2002 CMEA Administrative Assistant Heather Adams hadams@calmusiced.com 559 410-2425 CMEA Legislative Advocate Martha Zaragoza Diaz lobbyist1.mzd@gmail.com SECTION PRESIDENTS CMEA Bay Section President Keith Johnson keith@echsbands.com
CMEA Southern Border Section President Dr. Jeff Malecki jmalecki@sandiego.edu CMEA Southwestern Section President Ryan Rowles aspiro03@gmail.com NAfME OFFICERS NAfME President Kathleen Sanz 1806 Robert Fulton Drive Reston, VA 22091 800 336-3768 NAfME Western Division President Renee Shane-Boyd COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES CMEA CAJ Representative Gaw Vang Williams gawvang@csus.edu CMEA CASMEC Coordinator/CMEA Representative on the CBDA Board Joseph Cargill cargill.joseph@gmail.com CMEA CBDA Representative Jeff Detlefsen DetlefsenJ@gmail.com CMEA/CCDA Representative Dr. Jeffery Benson jeffrey.s.benson@gmail.com CMEA/CCDA Choral Leadership Academy Coordinator John Sorber johnso@cos.edu CMEA CODA Representative Matthew Mulvaney mulvaneymatthew@gmail.com
CMEA Capitol Section President Taylor Sabado taylor.haugland@gmail.com
CMEA Advocacy Day Performance Coordinator Jeremiah Jacks jeromejacks30@gmail.com
CMEA Central Section President Steve McKeithen smckeithen@csufresno.edu
CMEA Advocacy Representative Russ Sperling sperlingruss@gmail.com
CMEA Central Coast Section President Diane Gehling dgehling@santaritaschools.org
CMEA Collegiate Representative Dr. Dennis Siebenaler dsiebenaler@fullerton.edu
CMEA North Coast Section President Holly MacDonell hollymacdonell@gmail.com
CMEA Collegiate Council Representative Rene Canto-Adams rcantoadams1319@gmail.com
CMEA Northern Section President Todd Filpula tflpula@chicousd.org
CMEA Creating and Composition Representative Dr. Lisa A.Crawford lisacrawfordmusic@gmail.com
CMEA Southeastern Section President Ryan Duckworth Ryan_Duckworth@cjusd.net
CMEA CTA Liaison James Benanti jamesbenanti77@gmail.com
CMEA General Music, TK-12 Representative Emma Joleen Schopler emmajoleen@gmail.com CMEA Innovations Representative Dr. Michael Albertson malbertson@geffenacademy.ucla.edu CMEA Membership Chairperson Bruce C. Lengacher blengacher@auhsdschools.org CMEA Music Supervisors Representative Stacy Harris sharris1@ggusd.us CMEA Music Technology Representative Jessica Husselstein jessicahusselstein@gmail.com CMEA Higher Education and Research Representative Dr. Ruth Brittin rbrittin@pacific.edu CMEA Retired Members Representative Norm Dea normdea@yahoo.com CMEA Rural Schools Representative Judi Scharnberg judimusic@gmail.com CMEA Special Learners Representative Julie Hahn hahn_j@auhsd.us CMEA State Band and Orchestra Festival Coordinator Jim Kollias jhkollias@gmail.com CMEA State Choral Festival Coordinator Gail Bowers grbowers@sbcglobal.net CMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festival Coordinator Cheryl Yee Glass cglass@srvhs.org CMEA Tri-M Representative Troy Trimble troyatrimble@gmail.com CMEA Urban Schools Representative Zack Pitt-Smith zackpittsmith@gmail.com CMEA World Music Representative Dr. Lily Chen-Hafteck lhafteck@ucla.edu
resident’s Message by Armalyn De La O, CMEA President
T
he COVID-19 and this past spring reminded me of how resilient, creative, and collaborative music educators are when it comes to problem solving during challenging times. In March a request to all five CASMEC partners came from CBDA and CCDA, to join together to address the challenges faced by many music educators. As part of the support to our field, the group decided to provide a series of professional learning webinars. So, with the help of an ad hoc CMEA development team, CMEA began a series of eight webinars that were held every Friday afternoon for eight weeks. We invited our members and non-members to Sip and Share with us. The CMEA development team consisted of myself; Anne Fennell, Pres-Elect; Chad Zullinger, Vice President; CMEA Council Representatives; Michael Albertson, Innovations Rep; Jessica Husselstein, CMEA-SWS Past-President and Music Technology Rep; Emma Joleen Schopler, General Music, TK-12 Rep; and of course Trish Adams, CMEA Executive Administrator. I wish to thank this creative ad hoc committee for their time, effort, and leadership. Trish, given her many roles, committed to all five association’s webinars, and Trish definitely deserves a shout out! We had a wonderful response to the diversity of topics the webinars provided to the field. Our students will benefit from the new ideas and applications gained from the webinars. The CMEA Advocacy Team has been extremely busy since January in responding to legislation and COVID-19. The advocacy pillar continues to be an important part of our strategic plan. With the help of our advocate, Martha Zaragoza-Diaz, we have submitted letters to every state decision maker including Governor Newsom and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
We sent additional letters to key statewide educational associations, such as California School Board Association and Association of California School Administrators. CMEA has provided public comment at key educational hearings. We continue to work with the legislative sponsor and Assembly Labor and Employee Committee on AB 1850. Our goal is to ensure language that will exempt adjudicators, clinicians, guest conductors, and accompanists of student events from having to be hired as employees of non-profit associations. All of our letters and comments stress the importance of music and arts education. We remind policy makers of the need to make fair, just, and equitable decisions as they address California’s educational issues. I am honored to work side by side with the members of the CMEA Advocacy Team, our advocate, and the Section Presidents in this advocacy work to educate decision and policy makers of the importance of music education. The murder of George Floyd and other injustices reminded me that leadership is about growth, both personal and professional. Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” In my role as President of CMEA, I have the responsibility to ensure that we are cognizant of systemic racism and inequity and through our words and actions, we are making needed changes. The CMEA statement of standing in unity with our black sisters and brothers is a beginning, but not enough. Our students deserve more from us. In August, the CMEA Board will begin to examine our practices identifying and articulating the injustices and inequities within California’s music education system. As we begin the new school year, let us act upon and be guided by our CMEA vision so that one day California music education IS for ALL.
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CMEA Past Presidents 2018-2020 2016-2018 2014-2016 2012-2014 2010-2012 2008-2010 2006-2008 2004-2006 2002-2004 2000-2002 1998-2000 1996-1998 1994-1996 1992-1994 1990-1992 1988-1990 1986-1988 1984-1986 1982-1984 1980-1982 1978-1980 1976-1978 1974-1976 1972-1974 1970-1972 1968-1970 1966-1968 1964-1966 1962-1964 1960-1962 1957-1960 1955-1957 1953-1955 1951-1953 1949-1951 1947-1949
John Burn, Cupertino Scott Hedgecock, Fullerton Michael D. Stone, Bakersfield Russ Sperling, San Diego Norman Dea, Walnut Creek Jeff Jenkins, Chula Vista Cheryl Yee Glass, Danville Rob Klevan, Pacific Grove Sam Gronseth, Paradise George DeGraffenreid, Fresno Dennis L. Johnson, Salinas Jay D. Zorn, La Crescenta Don Doyle, Pasadena Bill Adam, Roseville Carolynn Lindeman, Greenbrae L. Leroy Roach, Walnut Creek John L. Larrieu, Portola Vivian M. Hofstetter, Bakersfield David S. Goedecke, Stockton Charles L. Freebern, San Diego Henry Avila, Monterey Mary C. Reed, Elk Grove Marlow Earle, Lakewood Louis Nash, La Crescenta Anthony L. Campagna, Foster City Judd Chew, Sacramento Kenneth D. Owens Keith D. Snyder, Davis Gibson Walters, San Jose Douglas Kidd Joseph W. Landon, Fullerton Harold Youngberg, Oakland Fred Ohlendorf, Long Beach George F. Barr Elwyn Schwartz Clarence Heagy, Fresno
CMEA Hall of Fame Award Recipients Honoring Lifetime Achievement in Music Education
2020 - Stepehn Luchs 2019 - Judi Scharnber, Jeri Webb 2018 - Dr. Lawrence Stoffel, Dean Hickman 2017 - Dr. Edward Harris, Michael Corrigan, James Mazzaferro 2016 - Dr. Robert Halseth, Rosemarie Krovoza, Rick Meyer 2015 - Dale Anderson, Ann Marie Haney, Dr. Thomas Lee 2014 - Jon Christian 2013 - Orrin Cross 2012 - Gayane Korkmazian, 2012; Gerald E. Anderson, 2012; 2011 - David Whitwell 2010 - Nicholas Angiulo, Vincent Gomez 2009 - Kem F. Martinez, Carl W. Schafer, Robert W. Lutt 2008 - Duane Weston 2007 - John Larrieu, Mary Val Marsh, Barbara Cory, Bill Ingram 2006 - Carolynn Lindeman, Joe Foster, Paul Shaghoian 2005 - Frances Benedict, L. Leroy Roach, Silvester McElroy, Jerry Kirkpatrick 2004 - Robert Greenwood, Arthur Huff, Lyle Stubson, Lois Vidt 2003 - John Farr, Thomas Eagan 2002 - Larry Johnson, Mary Louise Reilly 2001 - William Hill, Helynn Manning, Wesley “Colonel” Moore 2000 - Vivian Hoffstetter, F. John Pylman 1999 - Lawrence Sutherland 1998 - Chuck Schroeder 1997 - Dean Semple 1996 - Burl Walter Jr. 1994 - Jerry Moore 1992 - Mike Pappone 1991 - David Goedecke 1987 - Marlowe Earle 1985 - Arthur Dougherty 1983 - William Burke 1981 - Aubrey Penman 1979 - Steve Connolly 1977 - Howard Swan 1975 - Russell Howland
Teaching And Learning Resources for Music Educators Visit CMEA’s COVID-19 Page https://calmusiced.com/resources/covid-19-information/ 4
CMEA Magazine
CMEA has been working on behalf of our music educators and students.
CRISIS RESPONSE Since the pandemic:
• We continue to hold our weekly morning advocacy team and information calls with our lobbyist Martha Zaragoza Diaz • Budget letters to address equity of education funding were composed and sent to Governor Newsom, Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon - Shared budget letter with 4ArtsEdOrg Coalition: CDEA, CETA, CAEA • Composed and sent letter supporting music education and funding equity to: - California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond - California School Board President Linda Darling-Hammond - California School Board Association (CSBA) President - California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA) President - Association of California Administrators (ACSA) President - California State PTA President • Continuing Social Media Presence and Campaigns supporting: - Call to Action to Support 200+ Billion for Education Funding - Governor Newsom’s Roadmap to Recovery • Submitted statement on behalf of CMEA on Social Emotional Learning and Music Education to https://sel. wikiwisdomforum.com - Open Forum by: SPI Thurmonds, L. Darling-Hammond, J. Siebel Newson, First Partner of CA (closes June 5) • Letters were written in response to AB 1850 (clean-up to AB 5) to: - Ash Kalra, Chairperson, Assembly Labor and Employment Committee - Lorena Gonzalez, Member, California State Assembly - CMEA attended and provided verbal and written feedback for the AB 1850 Hearing - CMEA is drafting amendment language to submit to Assembly Member Gonzalez • Provided for CMEA Members: - COVID-19 Resource Page on website - Virtual Solo Festival with over 300 student entrants! - SiPandShare webinars as part of CASMEC Partnership (CAJ, CCDA, CBDA, CODA) To view these resources and more, please visit our website https://calmusiced.com
CMEA Virtual Solo Festival 2020 by Anne Fennell, CMEA President-Elect
Question:
What had 320 students in grades 5-12, involving 81 schools, and 15 adjudicators?
Answer:
The first-ever, spring CMEA 2020 Virtual Solo Festival! As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, CMEA created a virtual solo festival to encourage all students, of any age, to continue playing and creating music. CMEA has wanted to create a similar event for the past several years, knowing that distance alone has prohibited many students from participating in events. The shelter-in-place order for the state was the perfect time to make this happen and the entire board was thrilled to see such a positive participation for our first event! Trish Adams, Executive Administrator of the California Music Educators Association, Anne Fennell, CMEA President-Elect, and Chad Zullinger, CMEA Vice President, collaborated to create and assemble the virtual festival. To get this off the ground, the team brainstormed many possible avenues and ideas, identified and created secure measures and protocols for students to send videos, revised and created an online adjudication rubric to provide consistent and convenient feedback, contacted and lined up adjudicators, and sent digital applications to all CMEA members via social media and email. Our CMEA members then forwarded this information to their students. CMEA received submissions from over 81 schools, in addition to students from home-schooling and private studios. Kudos to Trish Adams for her work behind the scenes as she sent individual and secured folders to over 300 applicants! Students had a four-week window to submit their performance and received their feedback by the first week in June. It sounds simple, but in reality, we are very thankful for Trish’s many hours and the endless email streams of communication. We are excited to continue this platform and learned a great deal for the event. Now enjoy a few quotes from students who participated:
“I liked the virtual solo festival because I was very nervous about going to my first CMEA at the beginning, but since it was virtual, I was able to calm down at the thought of being able to make mistakes and being able to redo my piece. Thanks to the virtual solo festival, I think that next year I’ll be more comfortable participating in CMEA.” - C.K., Grade 6, Flute, Union School District
“I enjoyed participating in the festival because I was very excited that I qualified to play at the state level for the first time. The virtual festival option was important to me because I had the opportunity to practice more to improve my music skills and to become proficient with my piece while schools were shut down.” - J.A., Grade 6, Bass Clarinet, San Diego Unified School District
“I enjoyed the virtual solo festival because after hearing that CMEA had been cancelled this year, I was a bit disheartened and stopped practicing as much, but upon the notice of a virtual solo festival, I began practicing my piece again and was very glad that I would be able to get comments on it, which would help my overall playing. M.K., Grade 9, Flute, Fremont 6 CMEA Magazine Union High School District
“It’s a serious and fulfilling yet fun way to show off your skills and test yourself to improve yourself.” Y.L., Grade 6, Cello, La Jolla Country Day “Allowing a broader group of participants to perform their repertoire from home and enjoy the simple pleasure of playing in front of a dedicated audience spoke volumes about the significance of the festival. I especially loved the ease involved in submitting my music and the joy I felt when playing.” - O.K., Grade 11 , Trombone, Los Gatos-Saratoga Union School District
“I enjoyed still having the opportunity to participate in the solo festival despite the fact that it had to become virtual due to the pandemic. It gave me the opportunity to grow as a musician and the feedback I received was very insightful and helpful.” - A.E., Grade 11, Violin, San Ramón Valley Unified School District
“I am less nervous and I can go back and listen to my recording before sending it off. I have multiple tries for the recording and can make it as good as possible.” - Q.G., Grade 7, Marimba, Cupertino Union School District
“I was very happy to know CMEA took the importance of the social distancing and decided to continue the festival virtually. This was a new experience for myself and has helped me grow in so many ways.” - V.S., Grade 9, Violin, Kern High School District
“The virtual solo festival gave me the opportunity to practice recording etiquette for future auditions and performances.” - K.B., Grade 11, French Horn, Clovis Unified School District
“The virtualness of this year’s festival allowed me, and I’m assuming a lot of others, to be in their most comfortable situation. To elaborate, for someone that cannot bring their own instrument, it provided the privilege of not having to fret about getting used to a new instrument minutes before the performance, or having to worry about the weight of the keys affecting my dynamics, among other things.” - A.M., Grade 12, Piano, Porterville Unified School District
“During these hard times, the solo festival gave me motivation and something to look forward to. This was an amazing opportunity to learn and grow from!!!” - A.L., Grade 8, Violin, Visalia Unified School District
“At first, I was a little bit nervous and unsure about entering because I felt like I had to make THAT perfect video, but after recording a few times, I realized that I was having fun doing it and even learning more about the piece that I was performing. After the submissions, I can not say how thankful I am to have such an opportunity during an obscure and unsure time like this. It really helped me stay involved in music without even leaving my own room!” - A.H., Grade 10, Violin, Eureka School District
“Music helped me settle into a new school this year. I really liked the virtual solo festival because music helps me get through quarantine.” - A.F., Grade 8, Flute, Cajón Valley Union School District
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CMEA Magazine
Bay Section Update
by Bruce Lengacher, CMEA Bay Section Past President
Pivot,Work Flow, Context
T
hese concepts are not new to what we do, but they took on new depth and meaning as we navigated distance learning this spring. Up until the middle of March they meant: • Pivot - We do it every day in rehearsal, making split-second decisions, adjusting our gestures to communicate to our ensembles how we want the music to sound. • Work Flow - The planning and
Moving into distance learning, we went through many stages of grief, frustration, and adaptation while trying to maintain connection and community. We responded to the moment and made the necessary changes to provide quality musical experiences for our students. The three concepts morphed many times and became: • Pivot - letting go of rehearsing and performing while creating new experiences for our students that let them know we still cared deeply. • Work Flow - navigating technology and preparation of new curriculum, as well as scheduling the additional time to grade individual assignments online. • Context - staying centered, looking for the silver lining, “figuring it out” as we Zoomed with students For me, the past quarter provided opportunities to learn new things, take daily walks, spend quality time with my spouse, read, listen to music, appreciate
I
Capitol Section Update
by Patrick Neff, CMEA Capitol Section President-Elect
n mid-March, we all experienced a chain reaction of school closings due to COVID-19. Seemingly overnight, the music educators of Capitol Section transitioned from a daily classroom routine to the use of Zoom, Google Classroom, YouTube, and a variety of communication applications and online theory platforms. In the scramble to find best practices, our teachers leaned on each other and shared ideas through email chains, social media, calls, and texts. Our music education community has made it to the summer, and for the first time in several months we can turn our focus to reflection and preparation for what comes next. I want to share some of the
Bay Section Capitol Section
•
pacing of rehearsals, planning tours and concerts, and completing “administrivial” tasks that are integral to our programs. Context - What are the cultural/ historical/emotional considerations of the repertoire we are rehearsing? What story does the repertoire tell?
my students, and be present. Along with those positive things came the loss, anger, frustration, and grief of missing so many of the events that define our spring. There are too many unknowns at the time of writing this article but, whatever the situation, we will make it work. NAfME, CMEA, ACDA and CCDA are gathering resources and strategies for success. The good news is that, unlike last spring, this summer we have the time and the community to prepare and plan for any and all scenarios we may meet in the fall. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve as Bay Section President for the past two years and look forward to taking on the Outreach Program and to becoming the CMEA Membership Chair. Keith Johnson will be taking over as President and we are both excited to work with Sandy Lewis again as our President-Elect. I have made so many new friends by serving on the State CMEA Board and value their talents, humor and comradery. I encourage you to be active in CMEA. It can be as small as being an Area Rep, to running for an elected office. We can accomplish great things in Music Education, you just have to become a part of it.
successes our educators have had throughout this socially-distanced spring. Despite all interaction being virtual, teachers have shared that they were able to find some more time to give individual feedback and connect with parents and families. The need to incorporate technology led to discoveries of systems and applications that can be implemented even after we get through the pandemic. And it was very exciting to see the wonderful virtual performances that were prepared by many of our programs. Of course, many of us faced frustrations as COVID-19 altered the course of the school year. While technology has been a helpful tool, at times it was unreliable. There was also
Summer Issue 2020
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Central Section
an equity issue, and we encountered delays in continuing to provide music education for our students who were without electronic devices or WiFi connections. Student apathy increased, as their own daily routines and social lives turned upside down. Festivals, concerts, indoor season, graduations, promotions, fundraisers, and more all had to be cancelled. Furthermore, we were unable to come together and celebrate the outstanding careers of educators like Kari Zimny, who retired from Albert Einstein Middle School in Sacramento after 43 years of teaching! On a personal note, I found myself in another layer of transition. Three days before I learned my school was closing, I shared with my current students I accepted a position to open a new school in the fall. While there were some tears that day, I still thought we
Central Section Update
by Steve McKeithen, CMEA Central Section President
I
cannot imagine a more malleable, creative, resilient, and resourceful profession than teaching. In a short period of time, we were all handed a situation that was so completely out of the norm that it was almost unimaginable, and yet our profession adapted to a “new normal.� As Central Section President, I could not be more proud of the amazing,
had several more months of our musical journey together. I am proud of the work we have done from a distance, but I greatly miss my students and wish we got to experience everything that was planned before I moved on. Looking towards the fall, I need to be prepared to face the challenge of starting a new music program during the pandemic. There is quite a bit we still do not know for this upcoming school year. Our annual section sponsored festivals, honor ensembles, and professional development events are only tentatively scheduled. We do not know if the venues we plan to use will be open, or what the protocol will be for large gatherings. In a survey of our members, most feel it is likely their site will operate under a hybrid model in the fall, with some instruction in class and some instruction being virtual.
However, many have shared that they still have no idea what to expect. Some are unsure about whether their classes will look the same, and are fearful of permanent changes. Capitol Section hopes to help provide centralized resources and support for our members as we prepare for the upcoming school year. We also aim to continue to advocate for music education in our section and our state. There is much work to be done, and in the meantime we hope everyone is having a well-deserved and relaxing summer.
student-centered work that our music teachers did in response to COVID-19. It was amazing to see so many great ideas and projects with which to engage students, virtually, and the amount of encouragement and support given to students was heartwarming. The end of the school year was the end of a chapter in this pandemic, but we have new challenges ahead of us. In preparation for the coming fall, CMEA Central Section has established an ad hoc committee whose task it is to provide resources and support for our teachers. We expect that teachers will be faced with some sort of hybrid school day and we will do our best to offer options for delivering curricula that make the most of the face-to-face time we will have with students as well as developing better options for virtual learning. Please look for a series of links, documents, and webinars on our website: https://www.cmeacentral.org/ In closing, I would like to thank the CMEA Central Section Board for their amazing support and guidance during these challenging times. We are indeed fortunate to have so many seasoned
professionals in our section and I feel confident that we will all do our very best to help our associated programs navigate the coming school year.
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CMEA Magazine
by Diane Gehling, CMEA Central Coast Section President
W
ow! What an end to the 2019-2020 school year! Who would have thought something like COVID-19 would happen in our lifetime? Teachers were instructed to start preparing lesson plans that would work through Google Classroom and Distant Learning. For music teachers this meant that in addition to trying
Summer Check-In
by Holly MacDonell, CMEA North Coast Section President
It is important to keep this in mind as we figure out the future. There is not a lot to say that hasn’t been said. It’s obvious, we miss our students and all the activities in which we would have participated. And we will be so very glad to get back to faceto-face teaching and learning. Here in the North Coast Section, we have a small yet supportive group of music educators that didn’t hesitate to help each other when this storm arrived. In addition to NAfME and CMEA webinars, the North Coast Section held meetings two or three times a week for informal sharing, and a little bit of more formal professional development. The future is uncertain, but also ripe with opportunity. Let’s not pass it up.
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North Coast Section
W
hat a year!! We were thrown headfirst into a storm none of us saw coming. We took on instant, unavoidable challenges. We sought out any help we could find, and luckily, the helpers sought us out, too. We met under the umbrella of necessity, and we grew exponentially in the span of three months. The saying “the bigger the challenge, the bigger the opportunity” is the only way to describe what we have all been experiencing. This is an incredible time to be in the field of education, whether in the “classroom” or in school board meetings. We really do have an opportunity to look not only at our individual teaching styles and tools, but also the way that we reach children to give them an education.
other. We must be willing to reach out with questions and our responses. We as music educators are very fortunate that we have a variety of teachers who are willing to share their knowledge of technology, letting us know which programs are good for different applications. As we look toward the opening of schools in the fall, whatever that may look like, most likely a hybrid of sorts, know that we can do this at all grade levels. I encourage all of you to reach out to one another, especially when we get frustrated. As teachers, we never stop learning and we will be together in a classroom once again.
Central Coast Section
Reflections and Looking Forward
to figure out how to have rehearsals virtually, festivals and spring concerts were canceled. As we prepare for the start of 2020-2021, none of us know what the school opening will look like and what part we will play in it; and it is on this note that I begin my tenure as the President of the Central Coast Section. For many teachers, the learning curve using technology has been steep. As we continue to learn new programs, we need to ask, is this the best I can do? Is there more out there that I can do? Is there more I can learn to better serve my students? As a music teacher who is not comfortable with a lot of technology, how do I have rehearsals online with limited class sizes? What do I do? Of course, there is also the question, “how do we reach students who do not have the internet?” These are just some of the questions that come up. This will be an interesting time for all of us as Music Educators. The uncertainty that we face - not only with the way that classes will be structured, but the decline in state funding which is causing many districts to cut deep into their already limited budget - create a myriad of feelings and questions. We must learn from each
Northern Section
Northern Section Update
by Liz Churchill, CMEA Northern Section President
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Southeastern Section
just finished my sixth year at Sisson School in Mount Shasta. I teach fourth-grade through eighth-grade music in our school of 300 kids. I have the amazing opportunity to see all 300 students from fourth
Transitions
by Ryan Duckworth, CMEA Southeastern Section President
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hank you to everyone in the Southeastern Section who voted in our most recent election. We had the highest voter turn-out in section history and it was wonderful to see so many of us engage with the process of ensuring our continued growth and success. The
through sixth grade. Seventh, and eighth, grade students have a choice of band, choir or both. All fourth graders have music for a half an hour each day. All fifth and sixth graders are in choir two days a week. Band starts in fifth grade and meets three days a week. Most days I feel like the jack of all trades, master of….CHAOS. The past few months have been a roller-coaster ride of emotions for me as well as every other teacher on the planet. WHAT? No spring concerts? But these kids were on a roll! So much improvement across the board. SO disappointing to miss our usual spring activities. I did my best to come up with online lessons and struggled with the fact that I felt my attempts were not as effective as I had hoped. Our administrators were amazing and our support staff was unwavering in their dedication. Our school had a very successful transition into distance learning, but I know we were all feeling the loss of connection to our students. As I began to see the challenges
that distance learning may present, I decided to add a multiple subject to my credential. Maybe I could offer assistance to help ease the load until we can all get back to “normal.” Talks of budget cuts made me realize there was a need for me to adapt to the changing situation. Now I realize by adding to my credential, I can also insure our music program comes back to life when the time is right. I am preparing myself to be in a position to help my school, keep my job and be right there to resume my “master of chaos” position. So why am I here as PresidentElect of the Northern Section? I threw my name in the hat long before this pandemic happened. I am ready to put in some time and effort to help ensure music continues to thrive in the north state. Looking forward to making new connections and being of any help and support I can during these challenging times.
fact that this happened amidst a time of major upheaval as all of us were figuratively “reinventing the wheel” and moving music education into distance and online formats is equally remarkable. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing board members and to introduce our new officers to you. Dr. Brad Van Patten is currently the Director of Arts for the Irvine Unified School District and served for a term and a half as the Secretary of our section. His insights and ability to understand the trends that influence music education have been immensely helpful in developing and maintaining our section’s plans. He is a true leader in our region and I am grateful for the three years I have had the privilege of working alongside him. Stacy Harris is currently the Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for the Garden Grove Unified School District and served for one term as the Treasurer of our section. In her two years of service she has developed
a system for efficiently handling the financial and legal obligations of our section. Her ability to plan for the future has ensured that those who follow her as Treasurer will have the tools and information to keep our section running smoothly. On a personal note, both Brad and Stacy both have taught me more about balancing work life and home life than just about anyone else in my entire career. Thank you both for your service and your example. Beginning her term as Treasurer is Darci Gibson. Darci attended Chapman University for both her Bachelor of Music degree for vocal music and Single-Subject Credential in K-12 Music. She also attended UCLA where she received her Master of Music in Vocal Performance. Darci has been teaching vocal and general elementary music for over 18 years in the Garden Grove Unified School District in Orange County. In addition to her general education students, she has also been teaching students in a
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full-inclusion program, students in selfcontained special education classes, and students that are medically fragile for much of her career. Darci has presented at SCSBOA, Casting a Wider Net, and CASMEC with sessions about general music, recorders, and music in special education. In 2018 she was named Outstanding Special Education Arts Educator of the Year from OCMAA and in 2019 she received a CTA Human Rights Award for her work with students with severe academic and physical needs. During the 12 weeks of distance learning in her district, she was able to continue reaching out to her students via Zoom meetings, Google Classroom, and creating a virtual classroom for each of her sites for the students to explore. She is looking forward to joining the CMEASES team to help find ways of creating opportunities to engage students from all backgrounds and abilities in meaningful ways. Our new Secretary is Vanessa Duckworth. Vanessa teaches elementary band to fifth- and sixth-grade students and recorder to fourth-grade students at five schools in the Colton Joint Unified School District. This is her eighteenth year in this position and she has been one of the leaders in enhancing elementary music education in her district. During the distance learning time, Vanessa met online weekly with her students and culminated the year in a virtual band performance with the beginning band students. Additionally, students had the opportunity to perform in an innovative “Twilight Concert.” Together online, but muted, students performed outside their homes along with her for their families and neighbors, while she directed the performance from her own backyard. Outside of the school district, Vanessa continues to serve as the secretary for the San Bernardino County Music Educators’ Association (SBCMEA), a position she has held since 2004. She regularly assists with the San Bernardino County Elementary Honor Band and this past year had the privilege of presenting at CASMEC. Moving
forward, she hopes to see the CMEASES build stronger relationships with SBCMEA and other music education associations in the region and work together to provide more opportunities for our students and teachers at all levels. And, our President-Elect is Dr. David Betancourt. Dr. Betancourt will spend a year learning about the section as President-Elect, then spend two years as President, and finally remain on for an additional year as Past President. David has been the Director of Bands at Cerritos College in Norwalk, California, since 1998. Dr. Betancourt was recognized as Outstanding Faculty in 2015 and Most Outstanding Faculty in 2016. Through the time of distance learning he has been reminded of the power of building relationships and being connected with students. He has spent many hours talking with students about what they are going through and what they need, as well as being reminded about all the challenges that students face outside our classroom. He will take this with him as he continues to work towards an equitable, accessible, diverse-minded education experience for the students. He is looking forward to being part of the team and to continuing the fine work of the CMEA-SES leadership. He states that this is a time of great transition as we navigate the current shift of our traditional teaching paradigms. No doubt this shift will have ramifications for years to come. It is his hope that he will be able to serve colleagues, not just in navigating the immediate future, but also in discovering, sustaining, and sharing the best practices to push our profession toward the new generation of teaching and learning. I am very excited to have these new faces and perspectives on our board and know that our section is in good hands. Our profession may be in a time of transition, but I am confident that the future is bright. Continuing her term as Vice President of our section is Emma Joleen Schopler. Emma has taught at all levels from kindergarten to twelfth
grade. Currently she instructs first through sixth graders in general music and chorus at Fairmont Private School in Orange County. Emma was the Southwestern Section Music Educator of the Year in 2018 and presented at CASMEC in 2019. While teaching in person, Emma focused on developing audiation. This paid dividends when her students began working remotely with tools like Chrome Music Lab and GarageBand. In fact, Emma’s fondest distance-learning experience was when her first graders surprised her—both with their creativity and their technological wizardry—by screensharing their digital compositions. Emma loves serving CMEA and advocating for Arts Education. It has been my pleasure to serve these past three years as the President of our section representing our region on the State Council, advocating for Music and Arts Education with the state legislature, and establishing our vision and programs in our section. I continue to teach Choirs and Music History at Bloomington High School in the Colton Joint Unified School District. During distance learning I was able to develop a 100% asynchronous curriculum that allowed for students to choose activities that were built around the standards: Creating, Performing, Responding, Connecting. However, my favorite experiences were the series of interviews I was able to create exploring careers in the performing arts. Reconnecting with friends across the nation and letting my students learn about being an opera singer, a stagehand, and a stuntwoman was something I had long wanted to do and the “stay at home” orders provided the opportunity and impetus I had previously lacked. I look forward to one more year as your President and then a year of assisting the section as Past President. These next two years undoubtedly will look different than any of us ever could have predicted and there will be even more calls for advocacy and innovative professional development. Our elected board relies heavily on
Summer Issue 2020
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Southern Border Section
a group of volunteer representatives as well. These are the people we can turn to for guidance and leadership in specific areas of music education and policy. It is my pleasure to welcome Sara Littlefield, who has volunteered to be our Representative for Special Learners. Also, a hearty thank you to Troy Trimble who has agreed to continue as our Webmaster and already has done
a remarkable job keeping our website (www.cmeasoutheast.org) relevant and updated. I will be reaching out soon to our other representatives to confirm your willingness to continue serving in those capacities. There are still several areas where we need representation and we would love to have YOU on our team as well. If you are interested in volunteering as a Representative
or as an Event Host, email us at cmeasoutheasternsection@gmail.com. If there is anything this pandemic has taught us, it’s that we are not as alone as we sometimes feel. There will be challenges ahead, but we will face them together. On behalf of the entire CMEA Southeastern Section Board, I wish you health, success, and growth in the year ahead.
if it morphs into an expectation. What is the next step for this technology? While it is extremely unlikely we will have traditional audiences in the fall, I am looking at options using a produced recording of my band with film, shown at a drive-in movie theatre. I’m excited to work with our film studies program to explore the possibilities!
Isolation vs. Collaboration
fresh collaborations across disciplines has gone by the wayside as much as Breathing Gym exercises in large groups. Or maybe not… As we look to the fall, let’s rethink how and with whom we may collaborate. Collaborations are not necessarily an experience bringing together two contents, but rather two groups with something in common that may produce a better or different way of doing things. This will not give anyone clear-cut lesson plans for the fall, but hopefully open a window for possibilities you may not have considered.
by Dr. Jeff Malecki, CMEA Southern Border Section President
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verything is COVIDtastic at the bottom of the state! I’m lucky to have wonderful colleagues across many disciplines at my school. Whenever I chat with coworkers from philosophy, history, political science, and the conversation turns to work (it always does), I admittedly feel sub par — they’re so smart, and all I do is wave my hands to make students play! Of course in reality, they are thinking the same about me, and we all know that the nature of teaching music lends itself to many more hours of prepping, teaching, and general wizardry than most of our colleagues. In the “before times,” this may result in a few interesting conversations, and at one point even culminated in a mini “pop up” course (“Dangerous Music and Radical Politics” — cool, right?), but I suppose with our current bubbles of COVID isolation, any hope of
Art, Dance, Theatre
This is the most obvious group that shares our new struggles alongside our normal artistic teaching. Some wellstructured department meetings may be key to success in the fall. If we are still pondering a way forward for movementbased music making in the fall, from Dalcroze to marching band, our dance colleagues are pondering the same thing. If we look at our instruments and other equipment, shared by dozens of students, and think about how sterilization might work, our art colleagues are thinking the same thing. If we are holding on to the possibility of in-person percussion, and wondering if a mask and social distancing could make it work, our theatre colleagues are wondering the same thing. From there, things like the presentation of our final products may become more worthwhile for all of us. I have personally progressed from being shockingly impressed with virtual ensembles to thinking it more of a trend that may make our lives much harder
Physical Education
PE teachers are struggling with remote learning just as much if not more than us, and are equally vulnerable as some school boards across the country look at cuts. While I have not set foot in a school gym for PE since the early 90’s (oof ), I hope that PE colleagues have moved from the antiquated dodgeball rope-climb curriculum toward the well-written and valuable physical literacy national standards. Regardless, assuming dodgeball is off the table in the fall, there may be special opportunities to have our students learn not just posture and marching, but a new blend of music and health.
Sciences
In a happy accident, I found myself chairing a committee for the last few months of the spring semester, bringing together faculty from the obvious arts disciplines along with less likely bedfellows biology, chemistry, physics, and ocean science. What brings us together is hands-on content delivery. Shared microscopes, along with a myriad of other technical equipment, is just as necessary as bassoons and tubas. Students also work closely in small groups, similar to duet partners, and may depend on field trips to
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gather data. While talking with science colleagues may not produce content collaborations (although curriculum on acoustics and aerosols seem like a relevant study, if safe), it is worthwhile to work together in preserving what we can of experiential labs and music rooms.
Administration and Support Staff
Let’s take a step back when we consider what our administrators are going through right now. Our “boots on the ground” position has often been a scramble, but I do not envy the hyper scramble our leaders are going through. I recommend now more than ever
by Ryan Rowles, CMEA Southwestern Section President
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ello and happy summer from the Southwestern Section! I can’t believe this year of distance learning has ended. I look forward to working with you as I resume the role of Southwestern Section President. It was wonderful to connect and learn with so many amazing music educators throughout the state at CASMEC this past February. The furthest thing from any of our minds was the looming pandemic that has since turned all of our worlds upside down and inside out. With distance learning now an
rooms be disinfected to standards? Are there educational technologies that we are missing?
assumed aspect, at least in part, of what we do as music educators, now is the time to dive into the deep end of technology applications in the music classroom. The Southwest Section board will be exploring ways in which we can support the dedicated music teachers of our section with resources and relevant professional development opportunities. Our fall conference will surely be a great opportunity for all of us to grow and learn new skills to be more effective in this new paradigm in which we find ourselves. The format is still to be determined, but we plan to hold our fall conference on Saturday, September 19th, 2020. Whether it be an in-person event once again hosted by Azusa Pacific University, or a virtual conference, we have a great line-up of presenters ready to challenge us and enhance our craft! The current pandemic has definitely hampered our options for social interactions, a key aspect for anyone in the teaching profession to stay connected and motivated. To that end, SWS board is working on setting up several happy hour meet-ups for our members throughout our region of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Given the restrictions still in place and the desire to be safe, we will be brainstorming some options that will enable music educators from the section to connect in an informal, social event.
Composition workshops, led by Dr. Lisa Crawford and Dr. Alexander Koops, continue to educate both students and educators alike. Keep an eye on our Facebook and web pages for updates. I want to take a moment to thank our out-going president, Alexander Koops. He has worked tirelessly over the years to help build our fall conference, expand professional development opportunities in the area of composition, and generally represent and advocate for music educators in our area. We are in the process of adding new members to our board and moving the section forward. If you have not found us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, we invite you to join us on these platforms to keep up to date. Finally, I want to encourage everyone to take pause during this time in our nation as we have important, honest, and, for many, difficult conversations about race, equality, and the future of our society. What is my role? What is your role? How can we bring the best out in each other and our students as we push forward toward true reconciliation and equality? Music teachers have a unique platform to provide a safe space to explore and express these ideas. I hope all of us will take time this summer to plan what that may look like in our respective classrooms come this fall.
Parent Groups
My high school parent organization over a decade ago was very different than my more recent middle school organization. While I struggled to motivate the former, the middle school group was a well-oiled machine. In a time where parents’ work situations may have changed, and they are likely more appreciative of sending their children off to school, it may be an ideal time to motivate our parents to donate time or resources to help their students transition back in the fall.
Summer Issue 2020
Southwestern Section
Southwestern Section Update
balancing trying to have a seat at the table and not being “that teacher” that becomes an annoyance. Our crazy world when teaching normally may even help administrators with strategies that have not occurred to them. I teach my music education students a few things that are nonnegotiable. Near the top of the list is treating support staff — including secretaries, custodial staff, and IT — like royalty. Hopefully we have good relationships here, and if not, it is time to start. While big decisions will be coming from administrators, many smaller decisions may lie in the hands of our support staff. Would we be able to schedule a larger music class in the gym or cafeteria? How will equipment and
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SiPandShare Webinars by Chad Zullinger, CMEA Vice President
The California music education organizations California Band Directors Association (CBDA), California Orchestra Directors Association (CODA), California Alliance for Jazz (CAJ), and the California Music Educators Association (CMEA) met at the onset of the shelter-in-place order throughout the state and quickly decided that California music educators would need online professional development throughout the remainder of this academic year. What resulted was the CASMEC Professional Development series that ran a daily webinar on relevant topics about teaching and learning in music hosted by each one of the organizations for eight continuous weeks.
PANEL DISCUSSION BY PRESENTERS Mackie Spradley
NAfME President-Elect
Lynn Tuttle
NAfME Director of Public Policy and Professional Development
Cindy Marten
Superintendent of San Diego USD
Justin Wallace
Superintendent/Principal of Fieldbrook SD, Arcata CA
Armalyn De La O CMEA President
As aspects of our profession swiftly changed throughout the end of the 2019-2020 academic year, CMEA’s first webinar began on Friday, April 17, titled Engaging Community and Relationships through E-music Learning presented by PresidentElect Anne Fennell and Vice President Chad Zullinger. Since our designated day of the week was on Fridays toward the end of the day at 3:00p, the name for our webinar was titled SiPandShare. Of course, the acronym SiP could be interpreted as Shelter in Place, but also suggested a beverage-of-choice connotation too. The timely webinars were well received:
All five of the music arts organization webinars have been archived at this page https://casmec.org/professionaldevelopment-series/professional-development-series-archives. CMEA’s SiPandShare webinars can be accessed at this page https://calmusiced.com/communication/webinars. Looking ahead to the future, the executive board is considering how we might continue to offer these webinars as a form of ongoing professional development throughout the year. If you have any suggestions for possible webinar topics, please contact us and share your thoughts and ideas. (Suggestion Box)
- Evan Tobias, Associate professor of Music Education, Arizona State University
- Lou De La Rosa, President, Western Region, American Choral Directors Association 16
CMEA Magazine
Introducing CMEA’s 2020-2021 Collegiate Council by Anne Fennell, CMEA President-Elect
The CMEA Collegiate Council is a body of collegiate music education students from across the state of California. Members of the council are prominent leaders in their respective school NAfME chapters and CMEA sections. In addition to creating more collegiate opportunities and resources at the annual CASMEC Conference in February, the Council represents collegiate interests at state and national advocacy events and fosters a dialogue between music education students throughout California. - René Canto-Adams The Collegiate Council is advised by Dr. Dennis Siebenaler, Associate Professor of Music Education at California State University, Fullerton, who is also the CMEA Collegiate Representative. Dennis’ mission with the council this year is to reach out to collegiates across the state and to support and encourage each to continue their studies and paths in music education. He enjoys working with these students because “they are our future and give us hope to continue the profession, despite all of our current challenges.” Contact Dr. Siebenaler if you have any ideas or to support your collegiate council: dsiebenaler@fullerton.edu
Dr. Dennis Siebenaler, CMEA Collegiate Council Advisor and Collegiate Representative, CSU Fullerton
So who are these devoted future music educators? Read on to learn more about each member and discover their hopes for music education!
Hello! I’m René Canto-Adams. I recently graduated from San José State University with a BM in Music Education and am beginning my Single Subject Credential Certification. As a woodwind “doubler,” I spend most of my time performing in theater productions, but also enjoy playing with funk, jazz, and cover bands. My name is Matthew Bowker and I’m going into my senior year at Sonoma State University. I hope to go into teaching either elementary school or high school. My main instrument is the saxophone and I double on flute and clarinet. My name is Nina Crecia, and I am a graduate student at California State University Fullerton. I am currently pursuing my Master of Music degree in composition and my teaching credential to become a choir director. My main instrument is voice (soprano).
My name is Olivia Huizar, and I am a senior in Music Education, Flute Performance, and a Humanities Major from Azusa Pacific University. My main instruments are flute and piccolo, and I also double on saxophone. I hope to become a college music professor someday, but I would love to have experience teaching at the K-12 level as well. I’m Andrew Shousha and I’m entering my first semester in the Single-Subject Credential (Music) program at California State University, Northridge, where I earned my B.A. in Music Education this past May. My primary instrument is the saxophone, though I also double on clarinet and learn piano in my spare time. I’m excited to teach music in the secondary schools once I complete my credential!
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What made you want to become a student leader in the CMEA Collegiate Council?
My experiences participating in and leading my school’s NAfME Collegiate Chapter drove me to the Collegiate Council. I wanted to work to better connect collegiate music education students from across the state, because as music educators we are stronger when we share ideas and learn from each other. There is so much about music and music teaching that I would not have learned or even been exposed to if it were not for my colleagues; I want to continue to foster this same environment among the larger network of music educators that exists beyond the walls of my university. - Andrew Shousha I have always been an advocate for participating and giving back to the community, and I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to be on the collegiate council this year. As an aspiring music educator, I understand the importance of the music community coming together, and I want to play an active role in advocating for the arts. - Nina Crecia I wanted to become a student leader on the CMEA Collegiate Council so I could use my voice to help collegiate students get the most out of CMEA. I want to hear what the needs are among our collegiates and give them support and learning opportunities in areas they care about most. - Matthew Bowker
What do you want to accomplish for California Collegiates in music education? Establishing a statewide dialogue between collegiates is invaluable. It’s excellent that we have many active collegiate leaders in school NAfME chapters and CMEA sections, but it’s also important for all of us to realize just how large the collegiate music education population in California truly is. By communicating on a much broader scale, we can work together to create more opportunities and resources for collegiates to support one another and succeed in music education. - René Canto-Adams, President
I want to bring more Collegiates into the professional organization sphere. After my first CASMEC, I was both astounded by the fact that this network of music educators existed - and relieved that I had actually decided to attend! If it were not for my school’s NAfME Collegiate Chapter, I would have likely not heard of CASMEC or even CMEA at this point in my development and would have missed out on the many resources and opportunities for growth available to me. As a result, I want to ensure that collegiate music education students across the state do find out about the wonderful web of people that come together through CMEA, so that we can continue to grow as teachers as more of our fellow collegiates graduate and enter the field. - Andrew Shousha I hope to accomplish plans for online events and resource platforms that will connect California collegiates in all fields of music education. I hope to see choral, instrumental, and general music education students at all levels forming connections
and sharing ideas with each other. I also hope to plan for opportunities that allow pre-service music educators to learn about their chosen field from in-service and retired music educators. - Olivia Huizar
What skills do you hope to gain from being a member of this council?
I hope to get better at networking with fellow students and music educators. I believe we can learn so much from and with each other, and together we can work on advancing music in the community and the lives of our (future) students. - Nina Crecia I look forward to developing my ability to work remotely with others on large-scale, long-term projects; it’s not something I’ve had to do much of in the past, virtual learning aside. Serving on the collegiate council will give me the opportunity to practice this skill while working for the collegiate music education community, which is an exciting prospect! Doing so will better enable me to collaborate with music teachers at other schools once I am working in the field, and this will in turn increase the quality of the education I provide to my students. - Andrew Shousha By being on this council, I hope to gain leadership and communication skills by networking with other collegiates and helping create growth with each other. These are skills that will help me become well-rounded and confident for when I’m teaching in the classroom. - Matthew Bowker As a part of this council, I hope to gain experience as a part of a team that works together for a common goal – the betterment of music education for students and future teachers. I strive to be a better listener and collaborator through my time on this council, and I will carry these skills into my career. As a future music educator, I hope this experience will allow me to be a better teacher to my students and a better colleague to my fellow educators. - Olivia Huizar
What is one goal you’d like to accomplish with this council?
My overarching goal is to unify collegiate music education students from different schools. Specifically, I’d like to start by creating a comprehensive directory of the NAfME Collegiate chapters throughout our state so that members and leaders of each chapter are able to get in touch with each other, and with us. Ideally, it would go on to be updated every year with the contact information of each chapter’s new leadership, allowing for a continuous thread of communication both from the collegiate council and between different schools. Doing so will allow us to better connect with our colleagues across the state in order to strengthen our professional network as we go down this path together. - Andrew Shousha As a part of the CMEA Collegiate Council, I hope to be a part of a team that fosters connection between music education students across the state. I believe that as future music educators,
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we are all striving for a common goal of making the world a better place through music. I believe that as collegiates, we can share ideas, resources, and experiences with one another that will help us all grow in our chosen career paths. - Olivia Huizar One goal I would like to accomplish is to better connect collegiate students and create a sense of a community beyond conferences. - Matthew Bowker
What do you want for all students, Kindergarten through College?
As educators, it’s our responsibility to create safe spaces for students to sincerely thrive and grow. Unfortunately, many students face challenges that limit their accessibility to an ideal education. In a perfect world, no student’s ability to learn would be limited by the scope of their resources or means. Despite the reality of our situation, we must cultivate students’ passions in an enthusiastic and motivational environment, continuously working to provide them with opportunities that help push their limits and expand their horizons. - René Canto-Adams, President
express themselves in ways that words cannot. Music is the medium through which we impart life skills that students utilize long after they’ve left our classroom. The Collegiate Council can assist current and future music educators by having a strong presence in advocacy events that raise awareness of the need for comprehensive music education and pre-service teacher training. Additionally, we can help foster student leaders who want to take a more active role in their education and that of those to come. - René Canto-Adams, President -----I hope you have been inspired by their ideas and thoughts. If you have any ideas for the council, email René Canto-Adams (President): collegiatechair@calmusiced.com Click here to access the CMEA Collegiate Council strategic plan and handbook: https://calmusiced.com/membershipservices/collegiate/ or scan this code.
I would want all Kindergarten - College students to have access to the resources and opportunities necessary to prepare them for success in their future. I would want there to be no discrimination or disadvantages, but a system that values all its members equally and makes sure that everyone has the same chance to realize their dreams. - Nina Crecia I want all students to get an equal opportunity to be creative and develop an emotional outlet that they can take with them throughout their lives. I want all students to feel safe and accepted in the classroom so they can develop their true personalities and not feel the need to hide themselves from others. Music is more than just playing an instrument, it’s a way to connect with others, build community, and develop your sense of self. - Matthew Bowker
In a perfect world, what would you want for music education and how can the Collegiate Council contribute to this?
In a perfect world, I would want music education to be accessible at all ages, starting at the elementary level. For younger students, I would want music to be used as an outlet for creativity; for older students, I would want accessible opportunities for a quality music education regardless of location or socioeconomic status. The CMEA Collegiate Council can contribute to these ideas by inspiring future music teachers and providing resources and information for the creation of quality music programs at all levels and locations. - Olivia Huizar
Get the Latest Resources for Jazz Educators on the CAJ website! cajazz.org/blog
We teach people first, then we teach music. Arts education is about providing students with opportunities to creatively Summer Issue 2020
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Tri-M in Bullet Points:
It’s Easy to See Why Now is the Time to Join the Movement by Troy Trimble, CMEA Tri-M Representative
A
lot has happened over the past few months and most of us are taking the summer to regroup and plan for a very unusual and uncertain fall. If there is one thing that has remained certain, it is that music and the arts are more important now than ever. How better to get that point across and to get your students mobilized than finally starting that Tri-M chapter you’ve been putting off? I’ve broken it all down into some bullet points below, but please take a look at the Tri-M website at www.musichonors.com for more detailed information and tons of resources to get started. Take this summer to get set up and ready to go - it’s very simple!
What is Tri-M Music Honor Society?
• It is a nationally recognized honor society just like CSF, NHS, and Thespians. • Tri-M (three M’s) stands for Modern Music Masters. • The honor society exists to promote music within the school and community through music performance and community service.There is an underlying focus in Tri-M to train students to be future leaders in music education and music advocacy as a way to transition into NAfME Collegiate Chapters and later, into pre-service teachers. • There are junior level (middle school) and senior level (high school) chapters.
Quick data for Tri-M in California:
• There were 103 active chapters in California schools at the end of the 2019 school year, 11 of which were junior chapters. California has by far the greatest total number of active chapters within the Western Division of NAfME each year. • California is currently ranked 10th out of all the 50 state MEAs in total active chapter numbers. We have the highest population of any US state and we look to continue to climb that ladder until we are #1! • In 2014, CMEA established a 10% growth goal of Tri-M chapters in California and we have met this goal every year
with the exception of 2017 (3% growth). We are happy that the number of chapters in California continues to rise each year! • Each year at CASMEC, our All-State musicians hear about Tri-M Music Honor Society through a short presentation directly targeted at them as the best and brightest musicians and student leaders in their music programs. • The 2016 NAfME National Tri-M Chapter of the Year Award went to Chapter #4431 at Homestead High School in Cupertino, CA. They were second runner up the following year as well!
As Tri-M Representative you must have a great Tri-M Chapter at your school! What do Tri-M activities look like year-round as part of your calendar?
I started my Tri-M journey knowing next to nothing and I began by using all the resources on the website to get started. It’s very easy to get started and all the resources are there for you to use from the get-go. It is now many years down the line and our chapter is very self-sufficient and student-run. It is an honor to work with these students! Here are a few basic things that happen each year at our school: • Monthly chapter meetings and bi-monthly officer meetings. • Fundraising during the winter concerts (Choral and Instrumental) that raise enough money for the chapter to keep running year to year. • School and Community Service projects throughout the year as needs arise and students have interest to help in various areas. MLK, Jr. Day is always a great one to start with! • March is Music in our Schools Month and our chapter plans for many months to have lots going on at our school during the month. In the future, I plan to write an article just about
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2019-2020 Tri-M Academic Calendar AUG
FEB
Start/Renew your Tri-M® chapter
Like Tri-M on Facebook
Recognition of Excellence Forms due April 10, 2020
Plan a service project for Music in Our 2019-2020 Tri-M® Academic Calendar Schools Month (March)
Shop Tri-M Merchandise
®
your Tri-M chapter student officers AUGSelectStart/Renew SEP Like Tri-M on Facebook
Recognition of Excellence Music in Our Schools Month FEB service Forms due April 10, 2020 MAR project
®
Plan your chapter inductions
Plan a service project for Music in Our Share your Tri-M story on social media Schools Month® (March) #musichonorstories
Shop Tri-M Merchandise Plan a fall service project Visit Chapter Resources, Advisor Re-
Select student officers Student Resources for more SEP sources,
in Our Schools Month MAR Music chapter inductions project APR Springservice
information Plan your chapter inductions
OCT
Recognition of Excellence Share your Tri-M story on social media Forms due April 24 2020 #musichonorstories
Plan a fall service project Create a chapter website Visit Chapter Resources, Advisor ReShare your Tri-M story on social media sources, Student Resources for more #musichonorstories information
OCT NOV
Order Tri-M graduation regalia Spring chapter inductions
APR Recognition of Excellence Chapter of the Year Scholarship MAY applications Forms due dueApril May24 1,2020 2020
Create a chapter website
Order by Tri-M graduation Presented Schmidt Vocal regalia Arts
Share your Tri-M story on social media #musichonorstories
Share your Tri-M story on social media #musichonorstories Chapter of the Year Scholarship applications due May 1, 2020
MAY
DEC NOV
Plan a Tri-M National Service Day project (January)
National Tri-M Day of Service (January JAN 20, 2020) Plan a Tri-M National Service Day project DEC (January)
Event Description Share your Tri-M story on social media
Date
#musichonorstories
IMPORTANT
Share your Tri-M story on social media
JAN
National Tri-M Day of Service (January 20, 2020)
IMPORTANT Presented by Schmidt Vocal Arts
Date
Event Description
MIOSM planning and ideas! • Chapter Induction Ceremony at the end of the year. • Our Tri-M Chapter is involved with music performances in December (holiday music at the local coffee shop) and June (for the International Day of Music). Take a look at the Academic and Chapter Activity Calendar found at www.musichonors.com. It is a great general guideline for the basics of what your chapter should be doing throughout the year.
How do I get started? How can I keep up with it each year? • Everything you need can be found at www. musichonors.com. Chapter Activation/Renewal can now be done online. • If you need more support, feel free to reach out to your MEA and/or NAfME Division Tri-M Representatives. Since I hold both positions, please email me! (troyatrimble@gmail.com). • The Facebook group Tri-M Chapter Advisors is also a great resource once you get started!
Share your Tri-M story on social media
r e i m e r P s a i n r Califo SCHOOL M USIC DEA DE A LER
CONTACT HARRISON KIRK FOR ALL YOUR SCHOOL BID NEEDS
HARRISON@NICKRAILMUSIC.COM . 800-649-5354
AGOURA HILLS BAKERSFIELD REDLANDS SAN DIEGO SANTA BARBARA VALENCIA
As educators continue to adapt instructional practices to meet the needs of students and communities, you are likely assembling materials and resources for the upcoming academic year. Below are a few that may be worth exploring for orchestra educators and students alike. 1. Audition Masterclasses - Members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the San Diego Symphony, and the San Francisco Symphony were kind enough to lead audition masterclasses this spring covering the CODA December Honor Orchestra and All-State Orchestra materials. In addition to the live videos, musicians prepared supplemental resources (including annotated excerpts and scales) so that students across our state could have broad access to this information. Given the uncertainty surrounding large-scale events, these musicians tailored the sessions to highlight practice strategies that offer tangible advice on improving a wide variety of technical elements. Access these resources on the CODA website (via the corresponding audition page - December, All-State High School, and All-State Junior High School) or on the California All-State Music Education Conference (CASMEC) archive page. 2. String Technique - Dr. Michael Hopkins of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance maintains a wonderful website, stringtechnique.com, which includes technical videos and information ranging from foundational level concepts (i.e. posture, instrument position, bow hold) to more advanced techniques (i.e. thumb-position, sautillĂŠ, ricochet). Included on the site are links to YouTube playlists which cover the affiliated materials. Yes, there is also a corresponding book (The Art of String Teaching, published by GIA Publications in 2019), but the site and content existed well before the more formalized text publication. 3. Institute for Composer Diversity - Founded at the State University of New York at Fredonia, Institute for Composer Diversity maintains a wonderful list of resources. Visitors to the site can explore composers, compositions, review programming data from American orchestras, and familiarize themselves with best practices pertaining to curating diverse concert and curricular programming. The institute is also on Facebook and Twitter. 4. Music Class Online - CODA member Kerri Epps founded Music Class Online, a Facebook group created to help serve as a common place to share resources, links, and exchange ideas. Join this group of nearly 400 educators to access highlighted resources and share ideas with other educators.
The California Orchestra Directors Association is steadfastly committed to promoting “... school orchestras in California by providing quality honor orchestra experiences for school orchestra students, facilitating an exchange of instructional strategies and ideas for the school orchestra director, and providing a forum and community for school orchestra directors.� And while the current environment may indeed be a bit unfamiliar, CODA is looking forward to exploring new opportunities as we continue to serve both students and educators here in California. Summer Issue 2020
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Working Harder than Ever by Russ Sperling, CMEA Advocacy Representative
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s if the pandemic weren’t enough, given all of the reopening/social distancing and budgetary fallout, your CMEA Advocacy Committee has also been working diligently to advocate to amend AB 1850, the AB 5 “fix it” bill. The CMEA Advocacy Committee meets weekly to hear updates from our lobbyist, Martha Zaragoza-Diaz, monitor legislation and strategize any necessary action. I have served on this committee continuously since it was created in 2014 when we hired our first lobbyist, Lynne Faulks, and I can tell you that this group has never had so much to do. I can assure you that our group, President Armalyn De La O, President-Elect Anne Fennell, Immediate Past President John Burn, Martha Zaragoza-Diaz, and myself are stepping up to do the work on behalf of California’s students. Given the dynamic nature of these times, it’s important that everyone in our profession stays informed and engaged. CMEA can lead the way in state-level work, but with over 1000 school districts in California, all members must be advocates for music education at the local level. Please update yourself by reading the information below and also know that there is an opportunity which follows to easily make your voice heard to support more federal education funding. President De La O sent letters to all legislative leaders to advocate for increased funding for education in the state budget, and to make sure music and the arts are not singled out for inequitable cuts. Many state presidents and board members have recently virtually testified at state legislative committees, for which we are thankful. Lobbyist Zaragoza-Diaz provided the CMEA Advocacy Team with an update of bills we have been monitoring in the legislature. Please go here to see the document with those updates (Legislation Updates). As you will see, many of the bills have died. You will also note that our position on AB 1850, the AB 5 “fix it” bill, is “Oppose Unless Amended.” There is still not satisfactory language in AB 1850 that would allow for nonprofit music education associations to easily use independent contractors to serve as adjudicators, clinicians, guest conductors, or accompanists. We have provided language to Assembly Member Lorena Gonzalez, author of the bill, to allow for this
in AB 1850, and we coordinated an effort to advocate with all members of the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee in May. Our language has not yet been incorporated. As of this writing on June 20, the bill is now headed to the Assembly floor where we believe it will pass as it currently stands (current status here). Our next opportunity to amend the bill will be in the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Retirement once AB 1850 passes to the Senate. CMEA members may be called upon to assist in advocacy efforts to influence the outcome of this bill.
CMEA can lead the way in statelevel work, but with over 1000 school districts in California, all members must be advocates for music education at the local level. There are two great advocacy webinars where you can learn more. CMEA’s June 5 webinar on Advocacy is available here (June 5 webinar). Speakers included Lynn Tuttle and Mackie Spradley from NAfME, Armalyn De La O, and two school superintendents. Armalyn and I also presented CMEA’s advocacy work on a NAfME webinar that you can find here (NAfME webinar); our presentation begins at 15:15. CMEA has fully supported NAfME’s work to advocate for more federal funding for education during the pandemic. It’s not too late to add your voice in this support, easily done at this link (add your voice). Two documents with which you should become familiar are: CDE’s guidance on opening public schools, and guidance for schools from the California Department of Public Health. Please do not hesitate to contact me or Martha ZaragozaDiaz for additional information or if you have questions. Thanks for being an advocate for music education at the national, state and district level!
Summer Issue 2020
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Retired Members Report by Norm Dea, CMEA Retired Members Representative
Greetings!
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y name is Norm Dea and I am the newly appointed CMEA Retired Members Representative.Thank you to CMEA President Armalyn De La O and CMEA Immediate Past President John Burn for the opportunity to serve once again. For those of you who don’t know me, I taught instrumental music for 35 years in the Acalanes Union High School District (San Francisco Bay Area), 25 years at Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, and my final 10 years at Acalanes High School in Lafayette. I’ve been retired since June 2018. I’ve also served music education in a number of various capacities including: CBDA President, CMEA State President, and CMEA Bay Section President. It was definitely my honor to serve the music educators of California during those years.
So What Do I Do In Retirement?
For the last two years, I’ve adjudicated music festivals, gave a variety of ensemble clinics, conducted honor bands when invited, supervised student teachers through California State University East Bay, substituted occasionally when colleagues needed my help, and I started playing my instrument again in a community band. I currently serve on the NAfME Council for Band Education as the Western Division Representative, and serve on The Midwest Clinic Advisory Committee. I enjoy getting up late, sipping Peet’s coffee and scanning the news headlines in the morning, and I enjoy traveling. I also enjoy staying in touch with my friends and colleagues in the profession who are still active teachers and leaders. I definitely like to stay busy, but on my own schedule. Of course, with the current worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, all these activities are sadly on hold.
Norm Dea guest conducts at Lynbrook High School
Two Questions Colleagues Ask Me All The Time: 1. What do you miss about teaching?
Honestly? I miss the daily interaction with students and staff on campus, and the incredible synergy that comes with that. More times than not, I miss the daily routine. I definitely miss the music making, the art, the repertoire, the score study, and the mentoring. I also miss certain high-quality music festivals and concert halls that I took my students to.
2. What do you not miss about teaching?
To be blunt? I don’t miss faculty meetings and the latest “edu-babble” in the slightest. I don’t miss hearing about teacher contract negotiations, since it tended to raise my blood pressure. I don’t miss having to defend my classes to administrators who constantly question the relevance and the cost of having music in the curriculum year after year. I honestly don’t miss school district drama.
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How To Continue Your Support Of Music Education:
Retired music educators possess a wealth of knowledge and experience that can be shared with active teachers who request it. I encourage retirees to stay engaged in a limited capacity with our profession as we have so much to offer. You can start off by keeping your CMEA membership active. It’s actually not expensive at all. CMEA / NAfME retired dues are $69 annually (as opposed to the normal $151.00). That’s pocket change of $5.75 a month, about the price of one large Peet’s coffee with a toasted bagel and cream cheese. I think it is important to remain a member of CMEA to show support for our profession in a tangible way and continue to mentor the younger teachers in and entering the field.
Martha O’Neill, Norm Dea, and Dr. Kathleen D. Sanz, NAfME President at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago.
The Unwritten Rules Of Offering Help:
There is a fine line between offering help in a variety of ways (both active and passive), and inflicting yourself on a program where help was not requested. Retirees have to remember that it is better to be asked for help, rather than going around looking for “gigs,” and then expecting pay. Personally, I would only help a teacher if asked, and I would never insinuate myself uninvited onto a music program or organization, as that would be crudely presumptuous and insensitive. Never ever show up at a school unannounced. But how will teachers know that you are available to help? Go to their concerts. Attend festivals. Congratulate them at the end of the performance, and send a nice email note the next day. Attend CASMEC or your local Section Conference and be social. The word gets around. It’s also important to be respectful and allow the younger music educators to flourish on their own and yes, even make mistakes. Didn’t we make them as well and learn from those mistakes? Yes, we did, shocking as it seems. It’s possible and probable for younger teachers to be better than we were. Retirees also have to remember that as former leaders in our many organizations, the younger generation also needs to evolve and move on from the example that we had set. It’s their organization and profession to run, set by their own experiences and vision of the future. Let them run it, as we have no say, although we can be advisors, but only when requested.
The Immediate Future During COVID-19 And Beyond:
It’s my belief that as the 2019-20 school year comes to an end, concluding with distance learning, and with the future murky at best, physically going back to school in the fall might be in question. Will distance learning start the year? When will physical school begin? What modifications and accommodations will be made in regards to social distancing? Will class size be drastically reduced as many districts are exploring? Will there be a hybrid system of rotating physical learning and distance learning? Will masks be required when in school? In terms of access and equity, will students and families have a choice between physically going to school or virtual classes from home? Who will pay for all of this? Will teachers be expected to work longer hours with much less resources? In regards to music education, and performing ensembles in particular, how will this affect the quality of teaching and the integrity of complete ensembles? How will they rehearse? Who will pay for the extra instruments needed so that there is no sharing? Who will be responsible for and pay for the sanitizing of instruments? Will there be a paradigm shift towards a new way of delivering music education to the students? With all this on the plate, I believe that there will be a role for retirees in the COVID-19 era where large band, orchestra, and choir programs exist, and perhaps beyond. If physical contact with students will be limited on a hybrid rotating system with smaller sized classes, music teachers in the field will need help. Retirees can help fill that gap as long as they feel safe. If that happens, will it be volunteer or paid work? We are in uncharted waters as the situation continues to evolve on a daily basis as we continue towards the fall semester. Along with the huge state budget cuts in education on the horizon, there are so many questions and concerns that remain unanswered. Stay tuned.
Norm Dea conducts the Washoe County Middle School Honor Band in Nevada
Final Thoughts:
Retired membership and those close to retirement may have many questions or concerns about retirement. Let me know of some topics you would like to hear about at CASMEC, or here in the CMEA Magazine. CalSTRS? Retirement finances? How to stay relevant? How to stay current? How to help? How to stay busy? Let me know and we can start a group dialogue, perhaps through social media. There is a lot to talk about. Have a great summer, be well, be positive, and stay safe.
Summer Issue 2020
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CCDA Update by Jeffrey Benson, Ph.D. President, California Choral Directors Association Director of Choral Activities, San Jose State University
What a year 2020 has been so far!
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one of us expected our classrooms to look so much like our living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms this spring. However, music teachers and conductors all over the world pivoted to virtual classrooms to provide our singers the best music education possible during extenuating circumstances. I’m unbelievably proud of the work you’ve all done to adapt, stretch, and grow as music educators, as well as advocate for our programs across the state. Bravi tutti! CCDA has been extremely busy working to provide our members strong leadership and exciting events to help during these difficult times. In addition to our Tuesday webinar series this past spring, we are moving forward with a virtual summer event to replace our beloved conference at ECCO. Please join us virtually July 26-28 for a Summer Choral Summit with Dr. André Thomas who will give our Inspirational Keynote Address. In addition, we’ll have presentations on topics related to online and hybrid teaching, virtual choirs, new technologies, as well as reading sessions. CCDA has always been committed to diversity. It is our core mission to empower choral musicians to create transformative experiences for California’s diverse communities. In light of recent events in our country, CCDA is moving forward with a further commitment to take real action in our organization to fight racism. We are now working on actionable ways to effect real change in this arena. Our board recently approved this statement to show our support for Black communities throughout our state and our country:
The California Choral Directors Association condemns unjust police brutality and the murder of Black people. We acknowledge that these senseless acts of violence stem from the larger issue of systemic racism throughout our nation. It is crucial that we stand in solidarity to defend human rights and actively call out injustice. Black communities need our support. Black lives matter. CCDA is committed to intentional diversification of its membership and its Board of Directors to more accurately reflect the state it serves. We also seek to “broaden our tent” regarding the types of choral activities that may speak to and honor people of color. Our mission cannot and will not be upheld without fighting for marginalized communities. This statement is long overdue and is the first step toward tangible action. Where hate divides, choral music has the power to unite and educate. It is imperative that the choral community join the fight for equity. We will not be silent. CCDA will continue to celebrate our diversity and empower every choral musician in the state. Thank you for caring about each student. Thank you for making a difference. Thank you for changing hearts and minds. Bravi tutti!
Where hate divides, choral music has the power to unite and educate. It is imperative that the choral community join the fight for equity. We will not be silent.
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Creating and Composing Resources by Dr. Lisa Crawford, CMEA Creating and Composing Representative 1. NAfME webinars about Creating and Composition https://nafme.org/my-classroom/nafme-online-professionallearning-community/ EXAMPLE: Dr. Rob Deemer, Council for Music Composition Chair, discusses the creating process with three of today’s important composers: Kevin Day, Dr. Jennifer Jolley, and Alex Shapiro. Each of these composers has extensive experience but also comes to their art with very different backgrounds. Come join us as we explore how Kevin, Jennifer, and Alex engage with their own creative processes and how that can help you work with your own students. 2. QR CODES are a great way to post compositions on your website or in social media about projects you and your students are composing. I created QR codes for many of my students’ compositions. This was a wonderful way for parents and students to get to hear some of the many compositions our students have composed at an Open House. These are easy to create with a QR code maker application that you can download to your laptop. This piece was composed by Will for his Suspense Film Intro composition project. 3. CMEA Young Composers Festival (Annually at CASMEC)Prepare your students for presenting their compositions through our annual CASMEC showcase! We include both live and recorded presentations of young composers and ensembles performing new works from both K-12 and Higher Ed. Contact Dr. Crawford, lisacrawfordmusic@gmail.com to enter your composition. You will also find an array of sessions and workshops about creating and composing music at CASMEC! Throughout the year, you can also find workshop opportunities related to composing music for all grade levels (check with your local CMEA Section president or email Dr. Crawford!). 4. Recently Published Routledge World Music Pedagogy Series Each book in the series includes ideas for adding composition and creativity. • Volume I: Early Childhood Education (Sarah H. Watts) • Volume II: Elementary Music Education (J. Christopher Roberts and Amy C. Beegle) • Volume III: Secondary School Innovations (Karen Howard and Jamey Kelley)
• Volume IV: Instrumental Music Education (Mark Montemayor, William J. Coppola, and Christopher Mena) • Volume V: Choral Music Education (Sarah J. Bartolome) • Volume VI: School-Community Intersections (Patricia Shehan Campbell and Chee-Hoo Lum) • Volume VII: Teaching World Music in Higher Education (William J. Coppola, David G. Hebert, and Patricia Shehan Campbell) You may wish to attend the Smithsonian folkways world music pedagogy course (fully online this summer) or in a future summer! https://www.worldmusicpedagogy.com/ (Registration Deadline is June 19). Composition concepts for band and orchestra: Incorporating creativity in ensemble xettings (2020). Written by Dr. Alexander Koops with Dr. John Whitener, you can find the book by clicking on the link above or: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781475848922/ Composition-Concepts-for-Band-and-OrchestraIncorporating-Creativity-in-Ensemble-Settings Other Publications: Hickey, M. (2012). Music outside the lines: Ideas for composing in K–12 classrooms. New York: Oxford University Press. 5. Applications Supporting Composing – Early Learning through Advanced MusicFirst – Accounts available for Noteflight (cloud notation application) and Soundtrap (recording option with a wonderful sound bank) at no charge. I like Soundtrap as an early learning application to prepare students for ProTools and use it in my Secondary teaching. GarageBand – MAC/Apple application for music creators with a wonderful sound bank Chrome Music Lab – Early learning opportunity for creating and composing music. Song Maker - This cloud application allows students to record original works at no charge. AQWERTYon - (play music using your computer keyboard) 6. Contact Us! I would love to answer your questions and har about your work with your young composers!!! CMEA Creating and Composition Representative, lisacrawfordmusic@gmail.com
Summer Issue 2020
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What is Equitable is Not Always the Same by Judi Scharnberg, CMEA Rural Schools Representative
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n the last four months, music teachers transitioned to virtual learning focusing on necessary teaching skills, establishing new ways to connect, and meeting their students’ needs for meaningful and personal instruction in music. This time was an opportunity to know our students better and personalize instruction typically not available in a group setting. The issues we face when teaching music in rural schools became challenges amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some examples: • Students lack reliable access to high-speed internet sufficient for music instruction or only have one home computer/tablet/phone shared by siblings in shared spaces. • If a student’s instrument is not working correctly or they need rosin, valve oil, or new strings, creative solutions must be found. In some instances, families may have to make a 40-60 mile trip to accomplish this. • If a student had been practicing for a concert that was cancelled and has lost motivation to continue, teachers must turn to other strategies and repertoire that engage students. • Teachers must work through the frustration in the transition. • If a teacher, or music program, had not been well supported by the pre-COVID administration (even if the teacher had been doing a splendid job with in-person learning), that teacher must set aside frustration, jump-start the learning curve and transition to virtual music classes, hopefully with support from colleagues during virtual weekly meetings.
Let’s look at returning to school in a rural setting
Most rural schools have outdoor spaces; we can take a look around at outdoor spaces for movement to music and a possible setting for masked singing. In-school or part-time in-school learning will resume in some form, but rural, small schools
will be especially hampered by the mandates for classroom safety and sanitizing supplies, as well as the demands of time to clean a space before the next group comes into the room. Music teachers may have to resort to ‘have guitar, will travel’ and go into the classrooms. Each student will have to have their own rhythm sticks, hand drum, etc., although some cohort groups may be able to share. Many rural students of poverty without adequate internet connection will have to stay after school to complete online assignments. Performance music classes throughout the state will have to creatively modify their teaching strategies. The divide is widening for rural schools and their students; it will not be reasonable to assume we can pick up where we left off in March.
Resources
NAfME and CMEA are providing extensive support and information for virtual learning: • CMEA: Distance Learning for Music Educators • Music First • When Will it Be Safe to Sing Together Again? As members of CMEA, a powerful arts collective, we need to examine more closely how funding is allocated for the arts. What is fair, is not always equal. Certain categories of students that need extra support already receive extra funding. Schools that fit the rural school category need to receive additional funding, with a mandate that a percentage of this funding goes towards the arts. I invite you to share ideas and solutions you have found successful. We can incorporate this into the next Rural Schools article!
Contact Information
Judi Scharberg CMEA Rural schools Representative judimusic@gmail.com
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T U R N I N G TA L E N T I N T O A R T I S T R Y
through mentoring and performance opportunities from day one. With access to small classes, talented professors, quality academics, and the city of Portland, University of Portland’s nationally accredited music program and liberal arts curriculum will prepare students for the future they want.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
up.edu/music upmusic@up.edu 503.943.7228
Collegiate Spotlight During these changing and uncertain times for music education, it is helpful to know that there will be jobs available in the years to come. Here is an interesting article from the Career Explorer website, the Job Market for Music Teachers in the United States. California has the highest number of music positions in the country, and your hard work and dedication will pay off. Remember that involvement in professional associations (NAfME and CMEA, etc.) is a wonderful opportunity to network and make connections.
RES EARCH CMEA RESEARCH & EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS POSTER SESSION, CASMEC, Feb. 15, 2019, Fresno
Many papers were presented at the CMEA Higher Education Research and Educational Projects Poster Sessions during the 2019 and 2020 CASMEC conferences in Fresno. Presenters included graduate and undergraduate students, pre-k – 12 practitioners, and educators from colleges and universities throughout the state. Abstracts from papers presented can be found here (Poster Session). Please applaud these authors for their creative ideas and scholarly endeavors. Enjoy reading the work and insights of colleagues, and get a little inspiration for new approaches and curricula as we move into the new year!
Summer Issue 2020
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Using HyperDocs to Increase Student Choice and Engagement
by Jessica Husselstein, CMEA Technology Representative
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oes anyone else feel like last semester was like one gruelingly long tech week? Our chance to test out the possibilities that exist in the world of virtual learning, work out the bugs, and try to get some traction with our material being delivered in a new space? We experimented with multiple options to deliver content that engaged our students and kept them connected, even without the motivation of grades or attendance requirements. Well, this fall, for many of us, that curtain is going up. We will be expected to have our best performance ready to go - online or in person, because the ‘show’ must go on. That said, let’s talk about some of the most 30
CMEA Magazine
Example of Virtual Classroom
popular options for sharing information with our students, starting with HyperDocs. A HyperDoc is a Doc(ument) that has website addresses embedded (linked), allowing the viewer to access information from a different web-based source, very quickly (Hyper). A document with HyperLinks can be made in any program that allows you to add a link to your material. Links can be added to text and to pictures. Once you get this easy technique down, the creative options are endless! A basic HyperDoc would look like a typed-out set of instructions for students to read, with a few underlined (HyperLinked) terms for students to click on as they work through the text. (Click on the blue, underlined words to experience.) The next level of HyperDoc-ing is to add images to your project. This is where things can get super fun and creative. Choice boards, virtual classrooms, and lesson ‘bingo’ are a few ways to incorporate these into your lessons.
Example of Choice Board
The trick to adding a link to an image has a few steps, but they’re not hard. Here’s how to do it in Google Slides: First, create your background scene, or image, and save it as a JPEG. Open a new, blank slide, and upload this JPEG as your background. Now it won’t move around accidentally as you’re working. Next, add images that relate to your content. Then, select your shape tool, and drag a shape over the image you just added. Change the fill and line colors to transparent, and you’ll
be able to see your image again. Now, press control+K, and a box will pop up. Copy and paste the address for the page you want students to access, and voila! You’ve HyperLinked your document. This process works almost exactly the same for any program in the Google Suite. PowerPoint works, too, and gives you a few more options as far as image editing. I’ve also created my images in Canva, downloaded them as JPEGs, and built the HyperDoc on them (because they’re pretty!). Like any lesson, the trick to a good HyperDoc is to include good pedagogy. Sometimes you may need students to just explore and play with ideas, but eventually, they should be moving through the different DOK levels. You can even add an assessment or exit ticket.
Once you get this easy technique down, the creative options are endless! So, that’s the basics of HyperDoc-ing. Feel free to check out the end of this webcast, where I walk you through the basics of the process. Even if we don’t get to collect ‘real’ tickets at the door to our shows next year, our efforts learning new TECH-niques will not be in vain. Our students will still receive meaningful content from us, and we will be as engaging as ever. Music education will power through, because the show must, and will, go on!
Summer Issue 2020
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We Need to Keep the Music Alive!
Reflections on the Afghan Children’s Songbook Project by Dr. Lily Chen-Hafteck, CMEA World Music Representative
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OVID-19 has brought us into an unprecedented time of uncertainty and confusion. Our normal way of life has been thrown upside down. Music teachers and students have also been greatly affected. Schools have been closed for months and in-person instruction has been abruptly changed to remote learning. Students have lost the opportunity of making music together at school. Music classes where students benefit from the sense of community, personal connections and emotional expression cannot be replaced by virtual classes where students see each other on the computer screen or virtual ensembles that do not involve students singing and/or playing music together in real time. As Strauss (2020) has put it, COVID-19 school closures are ‘devastating’ for students who rely on music classes ‘to get them through the school day.’ More than ever, we realize students need music in school and yet, music can easily be left out of the curriculum when there is a crisis like what we are now experiencing. Core subject areas such as English and Math are often the first priority while music and the arts are left behind. The story behind the Afghan Children’s Songbook Project (Pascale, 2013; 2015) is a powerful illustration of the profound personal and cultural devastation that occurs when music is completely eliminated from a culture. The Songbook Project is a project that was initiated by Louise Pascale in 2001 with the hopes of restoring and bringing back traditional Afghan songs to the children in Afghanistan. Louise began this project after a long period of political unrest when she realized that the Taliban had censored all music from the Afghan people. Louise, at that point, had one copy of a collection of Afghan children’s folksongs that she had collected while in the U.S. Peace Corps from 196668, and given that perhaps an entire generation of Afghan children had not heard one song, she felt an obligation to ‘keep the music alive’ (2015). She made the commitment to somehow return the music back to the Afghan children. The project was launched in 2007 with the printing of 5000 copies of Qu Qu Qu Barg-e-Chinaar, a collection of
16 Afghan children’s songs based on Louise’s first songbook collection. The project’s primary goal has always been not only to preserve the songs but return them to Afghan children. However, Louise quickly found out that teachers in the U.S. were also interested in hearing more about the Afghan songbook story and she began sharing the story and the songs with American children. Pascale (2011) experienced at times, when visiting schools in the U.S., that many American children had formed a bias about Afghans and Afghanistan. However, once they heard the full story and learned the songs, they shifted their opinion. It turned out to be an excellent example of how sharing cultural songs and stories can become a powerful tool for teaching tolerance and honoring culture. Initially, many children when first being introduced to the Afghan songs wondered why they were learning them. They’d ask questions such as: “Don’t we hate Afghans?”; “Aren’t they our enemies?”; “We’re at war with Afghanistan, aren’t we?”; “Why would we bother to learn their songs?” (p.6). However, after they learned about the music censorship and why children weren’t allowed to sing at all and how even mothers weren’t allowed to sing lullabies to their babies, they deepened their own understanding as well as empathy toward Afghans. They couldn’t imagine living without music! “We were wrong about Afghans,” they admitted; “I now know that the Afghan kids are just like us in many ways” (p.7). Dr. Louise Pascale is Professor Emerita and former Director of the Integrated Teaching through the Arts program at Lesley University. She is the founder and director of the non-profit. The Children’s Afghan Songbook & Literacy Project, an organization that strives to preserve and redistribute traditional Afghan children’s songs and folktales that were almost completely eradicated due to the devastation that has afflicted Afghanistan over the past 30 years. To date, over 50,000 copies of two songbooks, each with 16 traditional children’s songs and accompanying teacher’s guides (Qu Qu Qu Barg-e-Chinaar and Awasana See Sa) have been distributed to elementary schools, orphanages
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and family centers across Afghanistan, along with a recently published book of traditional Afghan children’s folktales, Bood Nabood (Once Upon a Time). Bood Nabood is currently being distributed to schools, orphanages and mobile libraries in 15 Provinces in Afghanistan. The distribution efforts of these three children’s books are supported by several Afghan educational organizations. In 2014, Louise presented a TEDx talk, “Returning Music to the Children of Afghanistan,” detailing the story and cultural significance of this project. Louise’s work is internationally recognized and has been featured on BBC and NPR.
Louise Pascale returning from music class with the children, Kabul, 1968
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Louise and I’m pleased to be able to share our conversations with our CMEA members below. Lily: I have heard of your wonderful work on the Afghan Children’s Songbook Project during many years. I was very happy to see that it was presented at this year’s CASMEC. Thank you for sharing your work with our California music educators! What do you think is the biggest takeaway you got from your experiences working on the Afghan Children’s Songbook Project? Louise: Having witnessed both the personal and cultural devastation caused by severely censoring music from the entire Afghan culture, I continue to wonder how anyone could possibly consider removing music from an educational curriculum. I’ve been in a gathering with Afghans, who after decades of silence hear their childhood music again, and quite literally burst into tears. It takes their breath away. The songs immediately transport them back to their childhood, connect them to their culture and bring vivid memories to mind of their families, friends and community. If nothing else, this example proves music is anything but a frill. As one Afghan stated, “The Taliban destroyed our homes, blew up our roads and buildings, but when they took away our music, they took our soul.” How dare we, by choice, even consider removing music from our children’s educational experience?
Lily: Indeed, it is very sad to see that whenever there is a budget cut, the music program is often one of the first areas to be cut back. Currently, in California, children have limited access to music in public schools. How can we advocate for more music in California schools? Louise: I strongly believe that one way to advocate for more music in schools and avoid the risk of having music eliminated completely, is to create a school environment where music not only holds a prominent role in the music classroom but in every classroom. So, how can this happen? First, the concept of what we consider ‘music’ or ‘music making’ needs to be more broadly defined. Secondly, the classroom teachers need to be offered a menu of musical strategies that they can comfortably integrate into their curriculum that do not require specific technical musical skills, as such, but rather are strategies that enhance and deepen their students’ learning and understanding, as well as build a culturally responsive classroom and respond to the needs of all learners. I recall an incident that I witnessed several years ago that had a profound effect on me and truly shifted my perspective about the role music holds in education. I was asked by the head of the music department of a very large school district in the Boston area, to go on a tour of one of their largest elementary schools. She showed me around the school and while we were wandering through the halls, we happened to come upon a classroom full of kindergartners who were having a grand time singing their hearts out. I had the urge to join them. However, my tour guide turned to me and said in a loud voice, “Don’t you just hate that?” “What?” I replied. “Hate what?” “That singing,” she replied. “That teacher needs to just stop singing all together and leave it to the music teacher. She’s so out of tune.” I was shocked by this response primarily because I heard something completely different. I didn’t hear ‘out of tune’ singing. I heard children engaged in music making, having a good time and enjoying music. Singing together was building a positive classroom environment where every voice was valued and heard. Lily: That is a very interesting observation. I agree that the value of music education goes beyond musical skills. Music can be beneficial to children’s emotional and social development. But don’t you think that we still need the music specialist teachers to provide students with a good foundation in musical knowledge and skills? Louise: This does not suggest that music educators are not essential. Of course they are. It is not an either/or proposition. I am suggesting, however, that music making be defined in a way that allows everyone to participate. In an article I published in 2005, ‘Dispelling the Myth of the Non-Singer: Valuing two Aesthetics for Singing,’ I suggest that ideally music can happen everywhere in the school. Trained music educators will continue to provide the much-needed musical skill-building, as well as deepen the children’s
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knowledge of various genres of music, etc; while classroom teachers can integrate musical strategies such as rhythmic chants, sound exploration, simple rhythmic games and songs to strengthen the core curriculum, build a cohesive, culturally responsive classroom environment and deepen and assess learning in ways that allow every student to find success. Integrating music lends itself to easily supporting UDL (Universal Design for Learning), Differentiated Instruction and addresses the theory of Multiple Intelligences.
Louise Pascale distributing songbooks to kindergarten children in Kunduz, Afghanistan, 2009
Lily: Wow! This approach of integrating music sounds wonderful. I noticed that you have directed the “Integrated Teaching through the Arts” program at your university. Can you tell us more about it? Louise: The Lesley University’s Integrated Teaching through the Arts (ITA) M.Ed program is a 33-credit, 40-year-old program that is offered nationally to K-12 educators, specialists, EL instructors, and special educators. It is both a unique and very desirable master’s program not only because of the weekend face-to-face cohort model which proves to be very convenient for busy teachers, but also because it allows teachers the much-needed time to collaborate and share ideas. The curriculum offers courses in each of 6 art forms – visual arts, music, drama, poetry, movement, and storytelling, as well as courses in arts and technology, arts and culture, and curriculum theory and the arts. The ITA program defines arts integration as “the investigation of curricular content through artistic explorations. In this process, the arts provide an avenue for rigorous investigation, representation, expression, and reflection of both curricular content and the art form itself.” Lily: This sounds very good. So you think that music should be integrated into the curriculum and the teaching should be shared by other teachers in addition to having music teachers? Louise: In order to address the challenge of having music more valued and recognized as essential in every child’s education, we must accept and truly embrace a broader definition of what music making is and who should be doing it. Once we accomplish that,
we all benefit and music will automatically play a more prominent role because in fact, everyone will be engaged in it in some way. The majority of educators I teach initially define themselves as ‘non-singers.’ Consequently, they are uncomfortable doing any musical activities with their students, which results in their students receiving little to no music and when they do it is solely the responsibility of the music specialist. Several years ago, I spent some time in Ghana enrolled in a drumming and dancing course. I learned a great deal while I was there but took away one very important learning from that experience. Everyone in Ghanaian culture is a music maker. Everyone! Participation is valued over everything else. Yes, of course there are Master Drummers and Master Singers but that does not, in the least, diminish anyone else from singing, dancing, drumming, or being an audience member. The Ghanaians do not categorize people as singers or non-singers. In fact, those categories make no sense to them. Everyone is considered a music maker. This broader definition of music opens up many more possibilities for allowing everyone to participate and truly creating a community of music makers. It is a definition I use when teaching about integrating music into the curriculum. Once the entire school is involved in musical activities and every teacher and student is making music, it is much harder to ignore the positive impact that music has on the entire school community, as well as on individual students, parents and the broader school culture. Music becomes something no one can live without! Lily: I love your example of the Ghanaian culture. Music educators can learn so much from world cultures and by incorporating world music in our classroom. You have so much experience working in foreign cultures. Can you share with us your philosophy and approach of teaching world music? What is your advice for music teachers who are interested to teach world music? Louise: The topic of ‘world music’ is certainly one we are now all considering with a much more critical lens. The Afghan project has grounded me in a philosophy of how I approach teaching music of any culture. I began the Afghan project with a collection of sixteen songs that I learned from an Afghan poet and musician while in the Peace Corps. I taught these songs to Afghan children and created a small book which was published by the Kabul Press. I returned home from the Peace Corps with my one copy of the book. Some 40 years later, having heard about the severe censorship of music in Afghanistan, I pulled out my old songbook and made a decision that I should try to somehow return the songs back to the Afghans. The songs belonged to the Afghans and not on my bookshelf. Although I thought this was a good idea, I knew I needed to check with as many Afghans as possible before moving forward. I
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kept asking myself: Was this really a good idea? Were the songs really traditional songs? Would returning the songs endanger the children? Would singing be allowed? Initially, I spent the first several months of the project meeting with as many Afghans as possible and I received overwhelming positive responses. So I moved ahead. As the project moved forward, I quickly realized this project would not be successful unless I had a team of Afghans to work with me on the project. I knew they would provide much-needed advice and make crucial decisions about the content of both the songbooks and the folktale book that I would be unable and unqualified to do by myself. Although initially it was my idea to return the songs to the Afghan children, the songs themselves belonged to the Afghans and only they could accomplish the final goal in a culturally responsive manner. My approach to teaching any music is similar to how I approach the Afghan project. I work diligently to find culture bearers who can bring a prospective I lack. I continue to reach out to others to gain as much knowledge as I can about the source of the music, who wrote the lyrics and when, where and who engages in the music making. Lily: All these are very helpful. Thank you very much, Louise, for sharing your insight and advice on music teaching! For our CMEA members, if you are interested to find out more about
the Afghan Children’s Songbook project, please check this website: www.afghansongbook.org
The three books published by the Afghan Children’s Songbook & Literacy Project: Qu Qu Qu Barg-e-Chinaar and Awansa See Sana (2 songbooks); and Bood Nabood (a folktale book).
References:
Pascale, L. M. (2005). Dispelling the myth of the non-singer: Embracing two aesthetics for singing. Philosophy of Music Education Review, 13 (2), 165-175. Pascale, L. M. (2011). Sharing songs: a powerful tool for teaching tolerance and honoring culture. General Music Today, 25 (1), 4-7. Pascale, L. M. (2013). The Role of Music in Education: Forming Cultural Identity and Making Cross-Cultural Connections. Harvard Educational Review, 83 (1), 127-134. Pascale, L. M. (2015). Returning Music to the Children of Afghanistan, TEDx Amoskeag Millyard. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=t1UWvPJ5WcU Strauss, V. (2020, April 26). Covid-19 school closures ‘devastating’ for students who rely on music classes ‘to get them through the school day.’ The Washington Post, Perspective. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/04/26/covid-19school-closures-devastating-students-who-rely-music-classes-to-get-them-throughschool-day/
Consortium Summary: CBDA is organizing a consortium to commission two pieces, one for High School Band (Grade 4), and one for Junior High School Band (Grade 3). We want these two pieces to help tell the story of social injustice within our nation. We are honored to work with Composers Kevin Day (HS) and Katahj Copley (JHS) in the creation of these two works. Along with these two compositions, the published copies will come with lesson plans, discussion topics, and resources to help guide conversations about social injustice while preparing this music for performance. We see the value and need in keeping the discussion ongoing in our classrooms and rehearsal rooms and hope you will join us in this endeavor to support this movement. Summer Issue 2020
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Music Supervision During COVID by Stacy Harris, CMEA Music Supervisors Representative
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reetings, fellow CMEA colleagues! I am thrilled to begin my tenure in the role of CMEA Music Supervisor Representative. I have the shoes of a giant to fill following Mike Stone and the fantastic job he did leading us over the last two years, but that also leaves me with the greatest support for the work we will be doing in this area for the next two years. I am already grateful to Mike for the guidance he has provided as I take on this new role. I am also grateful to our new CMEA President, Armalyn DeLaO, for asking me to step in to this position and I am looking forward to the work I’ll have the privilege of doing with all of you. As we look forward to the 20-21 school year, the pressing questions to tackle are clearly around determining what music instruction looks like in our various school districts as we deal with the impact of COVID-19. If your experiences have been anything like mine, we have all heard the following phrases pretty frequently over the last few months: • We are in uncharted territory • These are unprecedented times • We are navigating our new normal While there are many more that I’m sure you could all add to this list, you get the idea. In order to share some perspective from fellow colleagues in the Music Supervisor role, I reached out to supervisors across the state to find out just how they were navigating their new normals in this uncharted territory during such unprecedented times. Here are some of the highlights.
Over the last few months, what were some of the most encouraging outcomes of leading your teachers through distance learning or other changes that occurred due to COVID-19?
“An incredible openness to do things differently to be able to serve our students. There has been an amazing building of our community of music educators through this time.” - Russ Sperling, San Diego Unified School District “Teachers understanding that teaching to the concert was not the only way to do things. I saw creating music, composition, and history take a front seat in the learning process.” - Anthony Dahl, Manteca Unified School District “Different teachers took leadership roles in creating online learning experiences. A sense of teamwork developed as we shifted to distance learning. New opportunities to collaborate and plan together as we focused on distance learning.” - Phil Rydeen, Oakland Unified School District
What did you find to be the most challenging part of supervising staff during this time? “Face-to-face communication is just better than speaking with someone on Zoom or the phone. It’s imperative that we get back to face-to-face learning and communication as soon as it is safe to do so. Our communication patterns need to include time together again.” - Michael Stone, Bakersfield City School District “Working from home was very difficult for some of our teachers with families. Being able to join meetings or provide synchronous classes online was not always possible with small children at home.” - Phil Rydeen, Oakland Unified School District “Difficult to evaluate individual outcomes. New guidelines for evaluations could be a good goal for our team.” - Nancy Coffey, Palo Alto Unified School District
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What new ways of engaging students did your staff find that may continue to serve students well, even beyond the impacts of COVID-19 on your schools? “By being able to use the mute button through Zoom, many instrumental teachers were able to isolate students and really hear what they were doing and they found improvement in their playing.” - Deidre Racoma, Education Through Music-LA “I think my biggest takeaway is that we will always have a distance-learning component for instruction ready to go in case we are in similar circumstances in the future. Furthermore, it’s exciting to see how tools like Google Classroom, MusicFirst, and SmartMusic can help music teachers to communicate and teach their students in a distance-learning format.” - Michael Stone, Bakersfield City School District “Online learning has tremendous opportunity for students to access repetitive skills, demo lessons, songs, and activities. I received numerous emails from parents who enjoyed watching the songs, activities and lessons numerous times.” - Nancy Coffey, Palo Alto Unified School District
What are the main tasks that lie ahead of you to prepare teachers to continue instructing students and providing quality music education while we are dealing with the effects of COVID-19? “Managing expectations. There is a strong desire to want to plan for a year that looks more normal, yet I’m seeing that as unlikely. How can we continue to keep kids engaged in the making and studying of music under social distancing?” - Russ Sperling, San Diego Unified School District “How to motivate teachers to move from ‘production mode’ to teaching mode. Being at the end of the year, teachers were super focused on documenting and sharing students’ successes, which I get. But we should be about learning and helping teachers focus on process rather than product.” - Nancy Coffey, Palo Alto Unified School District
“Making sure what we provide is quality. We are no longer in survival mode so we must be ready and prepared to be excellent whether it is through Zoom, pre-recorded videos, or other platforms.” - Deidre Racoma, Education Through Music-LA “Our district is using this as an opportunity to ‘reimagine education.’ My main concern has been assuring that music remains a part of the picture.” - Anthony Dahl, Manteca Unified School District
Periods of difficulty often lead to innovation. Are there any shifts in our current models of music education that you would like to see as a result of this time period? “I see distance learning becoming an integrated part of music learning in American public schools.” - Michael Stone, Bakersfield City School District “I have already seen a shift to a more balanced music education that is more aligned with the standards, especially including creativity.” - Russ Sperling, San Diego Unified School District “Ideally, it would be nice to see the curriculum that has been designed continue to be used post-pandemic. Perhaps a series of flipped lessons that students can use to learn specific skills allowing more time in class for guided practice and rehearsal.” - Phil Rydeen, Oakland Unified School District Thank you to all of our supervisors that gave their time to provide some insight for us into their corners of the world. To add another cliche to the mix here, we are all in this together. While it might be a tired phrase, it certainly is the truth. Our music community knows how to weather challenging times and I am confident that this will be no exception. This fall, we will hold our annual Fall Music Supervisors Gathering. This one-day event is open to all music program leaders and any CMEA members, including teacher leaders in non-administrative roles. We will meet in Orange County at a venue to be determined on Friday, October 16, pending guidelines regarding in-person meetings at the time. Should we not be able to meet in person, a digital opportunity to gather will be held instead on the same date. Registration information will be available in August. Be on the lookout for more information.
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INNOVATIONS Resources I challenge all of us to use this summer to find openings in our teaching to try something new—to make ourselves vulnerable and to re-imagine what music classrooms can be. Instead of finding ways to make what we did in our classrooms preCOVID-19 fit into remote or blended learning environments, let’s start with what our students need in this moment.
Protest Music
Protest music is a powerful topic to engage students. It is not limited by genre or historical era. Students have a chance to see how music has been, and can be, used to influence change. Playlist of Protest Songs (consider the age of your students) Strange Fruit, as performed by Billie Holiday Fables of Faubus, by Charles Mingus Alabama, by John Coltrane Triptych, by Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, by Gil Scott-Heron The Star-Spangled Banner, as performed by Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock What’s Going On?, by Marvin Gaye Sound of da Police, by KRS-One This is America, by Childish Gambino No Justice (for Political Prisoners), by Terri Lyne Carrington and Social Science, featuring Meshell Ndegeocello And many, many more! Additional Resources on Protest Music Here is a link to an article that I co-authored with James Trybendis about protest music for the Finnish Journal of Music Education (no subscription required): https://sites.uniarts.fi/web/fjme/-/vol-18-02-2015/1.8 Check out The evolution of American protest music by Vox*: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLc5QJsMgvw (*contains explicit language) Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science NPR Tiny Desk Concert Genre-breaking music with a social message: https://www.npr.org/2020/03/04/811650594/terri-lynecarrington-social-science-tiny-desk-concert
General Music Teacher Highlights TK-12
Jennifer Bailey!
Jennifer Bailey is an Early Childhood and Elementary music specialist with 24 years experience. She is a “teacherpreneur” with an abundance of resources for teachers and students on her YouTube channel, website, Blog, Teachers Pay Teachers, and all social media. “RankedBlogs” rated Ms. Bailey’s blog among its “Top 25 Children’s Music Blogs” in 2020.
Jennifer Bailey’s Awesome YouTube Resource
Jennifer Bailey’s YouTube channel, “SingtoKids,” offers a variety of playlists that are ideal for asynchronous classes and instrument play-along lessons. Her playlist, entitled “SingtoKids Elementary Music,” is based on Music Learning Theory and OrffSchulwerk methodologies. Repertoire includes John the Rabbit, Bluebird, All the Little Rabbits, Who Stole My Chickens? and Ten Little Chicks, among others. Interactive songs such as Music Basketball involve students listening to audio cues to compare and identify same vs. different rhythmic patterns. For students and teachers interested in learning about the Chrome Music Lab, Jennifer Bailey demonstrates how to operate this platform and aligns it with Boomwhackers for use in the General Music classroom. Drumming Up Some Fun Level One prepares students using quarter note, eighth note and quarter rest rhythms spoken using Takadimi syllable names (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takadimi). This drumming activity gives students step-by-step instructions to read and play rhythm patterns on any percussion instrument. It explores solo and ensemble drumming, identification of drums, composition, improvisation, 4 - 8 beat rhythm reading, found sounds, family connections, and drum jam! My favorite part of Jennifer Bailey’s easy-to-follow instructions is how she begins each song by saying, “Look and read, ready to say….” or “Look and read, ready to play.” Her sequential video lessons make it easy for students to learn in a remote education setting.
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Published on Jul 18, 2020