Winter Issue 2022 CMEA Magazine
WINTER ISSUE 2022 VOLUME 75 • NUMBER 2
EVEN TEACHERS NEED TEACHERS The Yamaha Educator Suite (YES) gives you access to a wealth of professional development opportunities and resources. YES brings you into a network of like-minded colleagues, experts and professionals who want to share their real-world experiences. You’ll also receive valuable tips on advocacy assistance, program health support and much more. Let us help you raise the bar. Go to Yamaha.io/educatorsCAMEA2
In This Issue 3 President’s Message
by Armalyn De La O, CMEA President
4 CMEA State Council
21 Central Section Update
by Michael Tackett, CMEA Central
Section President
22 Central Coast Section Update
5 The Musicians's Studio 6 Getting to Know California State University, Northridge's Collegiate NAfME Chapter by Anne Fennell, CMEA President-Elect 9 2022 CMEA Virtual Festivals 10 CASMEC Featured Performance Ensembles
Coast Section President
23 North Coast Section Update by Chris Cox, CMEA North Coast Section President
23 Northern Section Update
by Tanner Johns
24 Southeastern Section Update by Dr. David Betancourt, CMEA Southeastern Section President
11 CASMEC Sessions A-Z 14 Higher Ed and Research Poster Session
by Diane Gehling, CMEA Central
25 Southern Border Section Update
15 CMEA/CBDA Awards Gala
16 CMEA Award Recipients
27 Southwestern Section Update
18 CCDA Update 18 CBDA Update
by Dr. Jeff Malecki, CMEA Southern
Border Section President by Ryan Rowles, CMEA Southwestern
Section President
28 Global Music Education Update
18 CODA Update 19 Bay Section Update
29 Curriculum Units for the Music Responding Standards NAfME
20 Capitol Section Update
30 Remixing David Bowie's "Starman" by Ethan Hein
by Keith Johnson, CMEA Bay Section President by Patrick Neff, CMEA Capitol Section President
Ad Index 14
CSU East Bay
29
Namm Foundation
18
Nick Rail Music
28 University of Colorado, Boulder 20
University of Portland
IFC 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 Magazine is published quarterly (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer) by CMEA.
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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.
In This Issue (continued) 32 Technology for Wellness in 2022
by Jessica Husselstein, CMEA Technology Representative
34 Autism in the Music Classroom: Strategies for Inclusion
by Simon Amaya Price
36 Call for Proposals NAfME National Conference 2022
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
36 CMEA Collegiate Council Update 36 The Score: An Urban Music Education Podcast 37 Recording Academy and Grammy Museum Finalists
37 CMEA Submission Guidelines
CMEA Hall of Fame Award Recipients Honoring Lifetime Achievement in Music Education
2020 - Stephen 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
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President's Message by Armalyn De La O As I write my last CMEA President’s Article, first and foremost, I would like to thank the CMEA Executive Board, Board of Directors, and Council of Representatives for their hard work and support over these past two years. In reflecting upon my tenure as president, the encouragement, cooperation, and collaboration demonstrated by the membership, as well as the CMEA leadership team, were critical to navigating the unprecedented challenges CMEA faced both personally and professionally. During March 2020, prior to the leadership transition from John Burn to myself, California had shut down as a state, throwing us all as educators into “shelter in place” and the video conferencing world of zoom. Zoom, a tool that had previously been used for short meetings, became the “go to” tool for conducting education and CMEA business given the shelter in place mandates. What I immediately rediscovered was the resiliency of educators— especially music educators—in their capacity to change direction on a dime and adjust to the pace while overcoming the obstacles of teaching and working together in a virtual world. I couldn’t be prouder to be part of such an outstanding, passionate group of leaders that support the work of CMEA while educating California’s students. The passion, creativity, and commitment of the CMEA leadership quickly responded to pandemic conditions and developed outstanding support structures to help CMEA members transition from in-person teaching and learning to the virtual classroom. From April 2020 to the beginning of June 2020, eight webinars were created and presented by CMEA’s Board and Council of Representatives. These timely webinars featured state and national experts sharing topics such as online music instruction, social and emotional learning, and advocacy. Additionally, CMEA created and implemented statewide virtual festivals as in-person performances were not allowed. The virtual venue provided statewide access for students to prepare solo performance pieces, compose and perform original compositions, and receive feedback from clinicians from anywhere in the state. CMEA’s leadership recognizes the success of the virtual festivals in widening and expanding access to students and has committed to continuing these opportunities for students from all over the state. The webinars and virtual festivals are two positive outcomes of CMEA’s response to music education during the pandemic. In the spring of 2020, the CMEA Advocacy Team began ongoing talks with our state leaders, both in education and in the government at large, to remind them of the importance of music education and music learning for the well-being of both our students and our members. In the midst of the crisis, we didn’t want music education and learning to take a backseat to other content areas. A pivotal moment for the Advocacy Team was the July 2020 California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) first release of
school guidance. This guidance communicated that playing and singing music safely would not be possible for students in districts that were returning to in-person teaching in the fall of 2020. As a result, CMEA’s Advocacy Team quickly began to meet with targeted leaders in our state such as the Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services to address the ramifications of this guidance. The Advocacy team called on Dr. James Weaver, National Federation of High Schools Association (NFHS), to speak at these meetings with decision makers and the CDPH scientists about the Performing Arts Aerosol Study findings to clarify how music education could be conducted safely. In lieu of how hard CMEA advocated to clarify the guidance language for playing and singing in classrooms, and despite the CDPH leaders personally agreeing with the science, the success of getting consistent language in the CDPH guidance moves frustratingly slowly. At this time, the state guidance allows students to sing inside with masks, play wind instruments inside with instrument masks and instrument coverings, and, if students are tested every week with negative results, they can sing and play inside with no masks within three feet of distance. In January 2022 CMEA continues to monitor the changing conditions of the pandemic and the impact it has on music teaching and learning in the state. An achievement I am most proud of during my tenure took place in the spring of 2021. CMEA developed the first CMEA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access (DEIA) policy. This groundbreaking policy provides guidance for the future work and activities of CMEA. The DEIA policy development process was facilitated by The California Arts Project who led a statewide dedicated group of CMEA members. The policy will be introduced at the CMEA General Session at 2022 CASMEC, Thursday, 2:00 – 3:20. In addition, there is a CMEA session on Saturday, February 19, The New CMEA Policy for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA), 3:00 – 3:50, that provides additional opportunities for conversation. In August 2021, I was able to hold an actual in-person CMEA Board of Directors meeting! It was wonderful to interact with everyone in a physical space together again to socialize and conduct the business of CMEA. Meeting together reaffirmed for us the importance of human connection. CMEA, as an association, is “a group of people organized for a joint purpose.” However, CMEA is much more than this, we are a community: “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” I have appreciated and been honored to work with the CMEA community over these past two years. I look forward to meeting with you as our community gathers in Fresno. Please stay safe, be well, and healthy.
Winter Issue 2022
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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 Mackie V. Spradley 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 Francisco Marquez fmarquez123@me.com CMEA CBDA Representative Jeff Detlefsen DetlefsenJ@gmail.com CMEA/CCDA Representative Dr. Chris Peterson cpeterson@fullerton.edu CMEA/CCDA Choral Leadership Academy Coordinator John Sorber johnso@cos.edu CMEA CODA Representative Matthew Mulvaney mulvaneymatthew@gmail.com
CMEA DEIA Representatives Brant Nishida bnishida@srvusd.net Jonathan Raman Jraman85@gmail.com CMEA General Music, TK-12 Representative Emma Joleen Schopler emmajoleen@gmail.com CMEA Global Music Education Representative Dr. Lily Chen-Hafteck lhafteck@ucla.edu CMEA Innovations Representative Dr. Michael Albertson malbertson@geffenacademy.ucla.edu CMEA Membership Chairperson Bruce C. Lengacher blengacher@auhsdschools.org CMEA Mentorship Program Chairperson TBD 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 TBD
CMEA Capitol Section President Patrick Neff patrick.s.neff@gmail.com
CMEA Advocacy Day Performance Coordinator Jeremiah Jacks jeromejacks30@gmail.com
CMEA Central Section President Michael Tackett michaelt@cos.edu
CMEA Advocacy Representative Russ Sperling sperlingruss@gmail.com
CMEA State Band and Orchestra Festival Coordinator Jim Kollias jhkollias@gmail.com
CMEA Central Coast Section President Diane Gehling dgehling@santaritaschools.org
CMEA Collegiate Representative Dr. Dennis Siebenaler dsiebenaler@fullerton.edu
CMEA State Choral Festival Coordinator Gail Bowers grbowers@sbcglobal.net
CMEA North Coast Section President Chris Cox coxmusic1966@gmail.com
CMEA Collegiate Council Representative Andrew Shousha andrewshousha1230@gmail.com
CMEA Northern Section President Todd Filpula tfilpula@chicousd.org
CMEA Creating and Composition Representative Dr. Lisa A.Crawford lisacrawfordmusic@gmail.com
CMEA State Solo and Ensemble Festival Coordinator Cheryl Yee Glass cglass@srvhs.org
CMEA Southeastern Section President Dr. David Betancourt dbetancourt@cerritos.edu
CMEA CTA Liaison TBD
CMEA Special Learners Representative TBD
CMEA Tri-M Representative Troy Trimble troyatrimble@gmail.com CMEA Urban Schools Representative Zack Pitt-Smith zackpittsmith@gmail.com
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CMEA Magazine
The Musician's Studio CMEA
The Musician’s Studio - 2022 A series of live, interactive, online sessions for grades 6-12 and college music students. Join us to meet, talk with, & learn from these accomplished people!
y music d u t s o t e really lik t i s ’ tudying t s a s h t n w e o d u S st 1•13•22 h college your questions! it w lk a T e? ing in colleg n the real deal. Br Real-World • Real Stories ony r h a p le m & y S ic o Real Music mus atts, San Dieg W e l e h t o J h t f i o e AV w l expertis a u 1•20•22 is , Video v y t io r d a u g a o F e es t th he sites & t Check ou or of Audio, & Jam g in r b y he ect ver how t o c SDSO Dir is D . d nt Hea ny to life! Departme o h p m y s f the Scenes e sounds o h t ymphony S d n o i g h ie e D B n y ymphon m the Sa o S r f f f 2 . a 2 t • s 7 2 1• on stage fman & ic if s h u c S m e e s t th Meet Jes nductor, kes to ge o a c t it & t r a e h s listen to a o w a p n r e m k a o a c e le r T s d c . u s ta an orld-famo hestra. articipant Eric Whi c p w r h o e h t i it h t & w w d m A lk n o a ta fr Q& usic for b uestions ! Meet & t q m h 2•3•22 e is ig it h r v t r in a e v h y& read t s, & disco w e his stor r e a n h t Yes, you s s l e 'l t e la tacre. H k out his c e h c , s Eric Whi ir bleton. A cho t l u a o u t b ir a v and learn ter early! few of his p is OSER! u g P o e r r M g O e S C g r T OU are a e with a la ts.) LIMITED SEA Y v li 2 e 2 s • o 0 p 1 2• om an ssion to c gift for the particip e s is h t Join ven be a e t THURSDAYS, 2022 h ig m (There
6:30-7:30 PM, PST
Registration Fees: Participant/Director is Active NAfME Member: $10 a session or $40 for 5 sessions Participant/Director is Non-NAfME Member: $15 a session or $60 for 5 sessions
JAN JAN JAN FEB FEB
13 20 27 3 10
Register here To receive the $10 a session or $40/5 session fee: registrants in grades 6-12 must verify their music teachers’ CMEA membership number. College students must be a collegiate member. Winter Issue 2022 5 number, If your teacher is not comfortable sharing their membership email CMEA@calmusiced.com
Getting to Know
California State University, Northridge’s Collegiate NAfME Chapter by Anne Fennell, CMEA President-Elect
Brandon Villón President
Abiah Padua Vice-President
Emily Gregg Secretary
CSUN’s Collegiate Chapter is guided by Advisor Dr. John Whitener who is the Music Education Area Coordinator and an Associate Professor of Music Education at Cal State Northridge. Click on the movie below to learn more about Dr. Whitener and the collegiate chapter.
Now that you know a little more about this wonderful chapter, continue on to read a few of their thoughts as well as watch and listen to these inspiring, future music educators.
Roman Hernandez Treasurer
Caitlin Cooper Historian
Dr. John Whitener Chapter Advisor
Getting to know Brandon Villón, President
How does/will the CSUN NAfME Collegiate Chapter help you achieve your goal to become a music educator?
Our NAfME Chapter at CSUN helps me achieve my goal to be a music educator by showing me the perspectives of many different educators through our professional development clinics. At
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CMEA Magazine
these clinics, our speakers give invaluable advice about succeeding as a teacher (such as classroom management, professionalism, understanding student demographics, etc.). These clinics and our guest speakers help us prepare for situations in our future careers that we otherwise would not have expected. We are extremely thankful for the knowledge they share with us! - Brandon Villón, President The CSUN NAfME Collegiate Chapter is helping me work towards becoming a music educator in so many ways. First of all, it provides incredible networking. We have members interested in becoming ensemble directors and general music teachers. In our membership, we have wind players, string players, percussionists, vocalists, and jazz students. If I have a question about anything music related now or once I am in the field, I know exactly who I can ask. Additionally, CSUN NAfME provides great volunteer and teaching opportunities. I know that the transition from student to teacher is not an easy one. Through the experience I have been able to gain, I am confident that my involvement in CSUN NAfME will make this transition a bit easier for me. Lastly, CSUN NAfME provides a forum to learn about and discuss important topics in music education with incredible guest speakers. In the fall semester alone we have had guest speakers talk about navigating the transition from student to teacher, teaching in a Title I school, and helping students manage performance anxiety. The topics we encounter in CSUN NAfME are so important for collegiate music education students to know about and they have greatly augmented my collegiate music education. Through my involvement in CSUN NAfME, I have become a more well-rounded musician and preprofessional educator. Without a doubt, this has made me more confident about entering the music education profession. - Caitlin Cooper, Historian CSUN NAfME helps me achieve my goals through their educational clinics and volunteer opportunities. Through CSUN NAfME not only have I learned what I didn’t even know I didn’t know, but I also have the lovely opportunity of building connections with my colleagues. It’s been amazing watching my peers blossom into the fantastic soon-to-be music educators they are now. - Abiah Padua, Vice President The CSUN NAfME Collegiate Chapter has helped me these past years by giving me opportunities to expand my knowledge and get more involved in the music education community. There have been many clinics (both in person and online) that have helped me add teaching tips and very useful tools to my teaching arsenal, which help me feel more prepared for public school teaching. - Roman Hernandez, Treasurer Getting to know Abiah Padua, Vice President
What is one of the projects you have done as a member that has made an impact on you as an aspiring music educator? What and why?
The project that has had the most impact on me as an aspiring music educator is the club’s partnership with Catherine Cooper. Mrs. Cooper is an elementary school music teacher in the Sanger Unified School District. Her passion for teaching elementary general music really inspired me to look into teaching younger children which has definitely become an interest of mine. She also introduced me to the Orff-Schulwerk method which I absolutely loved and hope to incorporate into my own teaching. - Emily Gregg, Secretary Earlier this semester, educators from one of the local high schools near our campus spoke to our membership about what it is like to teach at a Title I School. This particular clinic was very powerful to me because the students at this school all come from disadvantaged communities. Despite the obstacles they faced, they were able to build a very successful music program with hundreds of students through sheer work ethic and a very strong sense of community. Overcoming these struggles to build something that they took pride in was extremely inspiring, and it not only reminded me of my own personal struggles, but it also reminded me of why I chose to become an educator - to help others build things that give them pride. - Brandon Villón, President Getting to know Emily Gregg, Secretary
Why do you like being on the board of the CSUN NAfME Collegiate Chapter and why did you take on this role?
This is my second year being Treasurer on the CSUN NAfME Collegiate board, and I enjoy being on it because I love being part of a like minded team that keeps improving and providing for other people. I decided to take on this role because I wanted to be immersed in the community and I felt that I had something good to offer for our Collegiate NAfME Chapter. I love to put in the work for the betterment of the club and it’s been an honor to serve on the CSUN NAfME Collegiate board. - Roman Hernandez, Treasurer I love being on the board of the CSUN NAfME Collegiate Chapter because it has helped me grow not only as a musician, but as a person as well. In addition, it's given me the opportunity to sharpen my organization and communication skills. I took on the role as Vice President because I believe I am equipped to help lead our organization and bring a different perspective to the table. Abiah Padua, Vice President
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Getting to know Roman Hernandez, Treasurer
What is your greatest hope for the future of music education?
Music education for all! I would love to see music be more accessible to everyone. I think that’s definitely the trend, however I believe there are huge disparities in the quality of music education based on location, income, as well as myriad other factors. - Emily Gregg, Secretary
If you could change one thing about music education, what would it be?
A comprehensive music education would be offered for all students at all grade levels. All too often, music is not offered to younger students. A lot of students have to wait until middle school or even high school to have the option of taking a music class. If I could change one thing about music education, a wide array of musical opportunities would exist for elementary school students in every school district and these opportunities would continue throughout middle and high school. - Caitlin Cooper, Historian Getting to know Caitlin Cooper, Historian
communities is what I look forward to most! - Brandon Villón, President I am most looking forward to taking classes and teaching in the credential program. Getting my degree will be a giant step towards my goal of being a music educator in public school, but I am excited to keep learning and gaining knowledge before I am the one who students will go to for answers! - Roman Hernandez, Treasurer Once I graduate with my music education (and trombone performance) degree and earn my teaching credential, I am so excited to get out in the field and share music with students! My dream is to be a middle school band director, but the most important thing to me is that I get to teach music! - Caitlin Cooper, Historian Once I graduate with my music education degree, I plan on working towards my credentials! It’ll be a giant step towards my music education career and I’m looking forward to the knowledge and experience I’ll acquire. - Abiah Padua, Vice President Teaching!! That sounds silly, but I really am excited to get out into the workforce and begin teaching. I can’t wait to have my own music program and start sharing my passion for music with my students. - Emily Gregg, Secretary ----
Do you want to learn more?
Follow CSUN’s Collegiate NAfME Chapter
Instagram @csunnafme
https://sites.google.com/site/csunnafme/
What are you looking forward to once you graduate with your music education degree?
As a full-fledged educator, I am most excited to help students find a passion and a sense of belonging through music. When growing students are able to find a safe place to be themselves and bond with others, they mature, build valuable life skills, and become very strong and compassionate individuals. Even as a new educator, helping students become a positive influence in their 8
CMEA Magazine
2022 CMEA Virtual Festivals
Virtual Spring Music Festival March-April 2022 • Solos, Small Ensembles, Large Ensembles • Festival open to any School Solo or Ensemble, regardless of size or instrumentation • Band, Choir, Orchestra, Jazz, Rock/Pop Band, Mariachi, Steel Drum, Hand Bells or any instrument or vocal ensemble. All are welcome! • Live recordings • Adjudicator comments for ensembles; comments and ratings, if desired, for solos • Virtual clinic for ensemble submissions • More details will be available soon at: https://calmusiced.com/membership-services/state-festivals/
State Virtual Solo Festival May 2022 • Solos, Duets, Trios who prequalify by receiving a superior in a regional festival • Live recordings • Adjudicator comments and ratings • More details will be available soon at: https://calmusiced.com/membership-services/ state-festivals/
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Preview Featured Performance Ensembles Ayala High School Women’s Ensemble Robert Davis, Choir Director
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Women’s Chorus Dr. Scott Glysson, Director of Choral Activities and Vocal Studies
Cal State LA Wind Ensemble Dr. Emily Moss, Director of Bands
Clovis North High School Women’s Chorale Heather Bishop, Choir Director
Eleanor Roosevelt High School Wind Ensemble Jim Johnson, Director of Instrumental Music
G Clef Bullis Charter School
David Belles, Music Specialist
Fresno State Concert Choir
Dr. Cari Earnhart, Conductor Dr. Drew Quiring, collaborative pianist
Lincoln High School Wind Ensemble Cathy Ettle, Band Director
Los Osos High School Chamber Singers Bethany Encina, Director of Choirs
Lynbrook High School Orchestra
Michael Pakaluk, Director of Instrumental Music 10
Sessions A-Z Visit www.casmec.org for session descriptions, presenter bios, and much more!!! 24 Ways to Improve Every Rehearsal Through Inspired Teaching! Dr. Peter Loel Boonshaft A Successful Pedagogy For the Middle School Oboist Dr. Jeffrey Emge A Time to Listen: Candid Advice Q&A for Male Allies of Women in Music Phil Vallejo Back to Basics: Singing Games and Dances for the Elementary Music Classroom Dr. Emily Mason Better Together: Strategies that Allow Choral Directors and Voice Teachers to Work Cohesively Toward the Creation of Fulfilling, Healthy, Diverse, and Inclusive Experiences for our Students Dr. Jenny Bent Dr. Justin Montigne Beyond the Pandemic: Triumphs and Tools for a New Era Dr. Danielle Gaudry Dr. Emily Moss Big Band Reading Session Jeff Jarvis Patrick Langham Blended Learning with Your Ensembles - A New Way Forward Jason Panucci Body Music Rhythm Blocks Keith Terry Building Stronger Ensembles Through Diversity and Inclusion Julie Duty CAJ General Session California Alliance for Jazz
CBDA General Session California Band Directors Association Choral Reading Session 1 - Easy SATB, JH, Elementary/ Intermediaate California Choral Directors Association Choral Reading Session 2 - Advanced SATB & Jazz Choir California Choral Directors Association Cloud-Based Assessment on Any Device Jason Panucci CMEA General Session California Music Educators Association CODA Genreal Session California Orchestra Directors Association Composition & Audio Production: The Right Mix for Creativity Jason Panucci Creating Rhythm Sections That Groove Barb Catlin Culturally Responsive Pedagogy for Music Education: A New Framework for Culturally Relevant and Responsive Music Teaching Dr. Lisa A. Crawford Culture by Design: Building Community and Sense of Purpose in the Large Ensemble Dr. Christopher M. Marra Dr. Jessica Vaughan-Marra Jonathan Grantham Differentiation in the String Classroom: Success for all Students! Becky Bush
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Digital Musicking: Collaborative Learning Spaces with Technology Chad Zullinger Director Role in Ensembles: What is Your True Purpose? David Betancourt Director’s Reading Band California Band Directors Association Embracing the Change: Integrating Hip-Hop into Arts Education Tony Sauza Emergency Band Instrument Repair: “Maestro! My Horn is broken!” Stevie Milne
Navigating the Post-Credential World Katie Starnes Philip Aduan Ken Nakamoto Never Gonna Give You Up: CTE and Music Technology Beyond COVID Molly Peters New and Notable in Music Technology Ryan Unangst New Music Teacher Support: Thriving not just Surviving Through Mentoring Dr. Jessica Vaughan Marra
Enhancing Musicianship in the Beginning Ensemble Dr. Jessica Vaughan Marra
New Wine in Old Bottles: Practical and Relevant Ways to Implement Educational Technology in the Performance Based Classroom Stephen Keys
Excellence without Exclusivity Dr. Jacqueline Skara Dr. Rose Sciaroni
No Frills Family Time: 5 Keys to the Connected & Plugged In Choir Dr. Corie Brown
Feeling the Physics of Swing Andreas Preponis
Nurturing Collaborative Composition with Digital Technology in all Music Classes Dr. Lisa Crawford Dr. Alexander Koops
Honoring Trans and Gender Expansive Singers Dr. Joshua Palkki Dr. Matthew Garrett How to Make the Best of Your Smaller Ensembles Using “Flex” Arrangements MJ Wamhoff Improvisation - the Magic of Choice and Creativity Megan Shun Inclusive Vocal Pedagogy for the Choral Rehearsal Dr. Olga Perez Flora Désirée La Vertu Lori Marie Rios Incorporating Body Music Into A Song Keith Terry Inspired Rehearsing and Teaching: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue! Dr. Peter Loel Boonshaft
Online Learning Strategies with Modern Band Tony Sauza Orchestra Reading Session Dr. Randall Cornelison Our Collective Power through Music Education - the Real Civic Engagement Anne Fennell Mary Luehrsen Our Composed Counterpoint: Music Education and Economic Development Russ Sperling Anne Fennell Popular Music Education and Modern Band Tony Sauza
Jazz Articulation and Phrasing Wayne Bergeron
Real Talk with Emerging Music Educators Nico Salum Nicole Nalupa-Russell Anne Fennell
Jazz for All Anne Hendrickson
Rehearsal Techniques: Intentional Teaching Dr. David Betancourt
Musical Ice Breakers for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (I.D.E.A.) Carlin Truong
Remixing Music Class: Empowering Musical Identity Dr. Tamara Thies
Musical Unity and Social Harmony: Cultivating Positive Ensemble Identity for Musical Excellence Dr. Christopher M. Marra
Representation and Inclusivity: Selecting Instrumental Music Literature Dr. Tamara Thies
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Research and Special Projects Poster Session Dr. Ruth Brittin Round Table on Social Justice Consortium Kevin Day Katahj Copley CBDA Consortium Selecting Your Solo or Ensemble Jazz Repertoire Matt Falker Songwriting Design and Distribution Danielle Collins SoundtrAPPing Creativity in Band and Orchestra Dr. Michael P. Fleischmann
The New CMEA Policy for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) Armalyn De La O Courtney Sawada The Ritual of Score Study and Rehearsal Preparation Dr. Jason Caslor Through the Looking Glass: Crafting An Improved Student Music Experience. Dr. Gregory X. Whitmore Tools of the Trade: Utilizing Kodály Method Strategies in the Secondary Choral Classroom Dr. Angel M. Vázquez-Ramos
Speaking their Language: Tools for Effective Communication with School Administration Dr. Christopher M. Marra
Transcribing with Purpose: Collaborating with Students on an Alternative Sight-Singing Resource Dr. Andrew Conklin
Sphinx Member Session California Orchestra Directors Association
Ukulele Club Kalani Das
String Instrument Repair California Orchestra Directors Association
Vocal Jazz Reading Session Curtis Gaesser Ian Brekke
Student-Centered Learning in Technology-Based Music Classrooms Chad Zullinger Teaching Guitar: Classical Technique, Modern Approach Nick Lenio Teaching the Fundamentals of Rhythm and Scales: There May be a Better Way! Dr. Michael Fleischmann Maurice Limón Terrific Tips and Rehearsal Strategies for Middle School Orchestra Becky Bush The “Cheat Sheet” to Teaching Beginning Instrumentalists Dr. Karen Koner Michael Gerdes Abigayle Weaver Don Wiseman The 2020 California Arts Education Framework, Standards, and Assessment in Music Armalyn De La O Courtney Sawada The Best Version of You, The Director! Phil Vallejo
Warm-up and Ensemble Development Exercises that Work! Dr. Peter Loel Boonshaft What They Didn’t Teach You in Undergrad Dr. Karen Koner Alex Patterson Andrew Rodriguez Elyce Speckman Abigayle Weaver What’s Going On Here? Remixing Music Education Dr. Sarah Minette World Rhythms Kalani Das Yoga for the Music Educator Dr. Karen Koner You Just Can’t Teach That!: Demystifying (and Yes, Teaching) the Skillsets of “Naturals” Dr. Andy Strietelmeier You’re an Advocate! Russ Sperling Young Composer’s Symposium – CASMEC 2022 Composition Festival Dr. Lisa A. Crawford
The Fight for Music Education: Reframing the Battle Ryan Duckworth The Future of String Playing - Are We Ready? Meghan Shun
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Higher Ed &
RES EARCH 2022 CASMEC Research Poster Session February 18, 2022
Join us to learn more about new, unpublished research to be featured in the research poster session during the CASMEC Conference. Abstracts of creative projects feature curriculum development, professional development (such as California Teacher induction), as well as research projects, substantive class projects or Capstone projects, literature reviews, and action To donate, or to receive more information, visit: research. Posters are composed of undergraduate and graduate students, college/university faculty, preK-12 teachers, and independent researchers. 14 CMEA Magazine
The California Music Education Foundation is a 501(c)3 California Nonprofit Public Benefit corporation that supports charitable and educational efforts to promote quality music instruction for the children and adults of California.
https://calmusiced.com/cmef/
1st Ever Collaborative
CMEA/CBDA
Awards Gala
Friday, February 18, 2022 5-7 PM Fresno Convention Center
Reception with hors d’oeuvres and no-host bar Tickets available soon at www.casmec.org Celebrate the Successes of a Crazy Year!!
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We are pleased to announce the 2022 CMEA State Award Winners who will be formally recognized at the eleventh annual California All-State Music Education Conference held on Friday, February 18, 2022. For more information, please contact Trish Adams: cmea@calmusiced.com
CMEA Outstanding Administrator Awards
Melissa Alderman
Santa Rita Union School District, Superintendent
Alison Eckart
Del Norte County Unified School District, Del Norte High School Principal
Stacy Harris
Garden Grove Unified School District, VAPA Coordinator
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CMEA Elementary School Music Specialist
CMEA Peripole General Music Educator Award
Nora Hunter
Christian Tordahl
Chico Unified School District, John McManus Elementary
CMEA Richard L. Levin Orchestra Educator Award
Mike Pakaluk
Fremont Union High School District, Lynbrook High School
San Diego Unified School District
CMEA Pearson/Silver Burdett Choral Educator Award
Julie Dana
State Center Community College District, Director of Choral Activities at Fresno City College
CMEA Byron Hoyt/Don Schmeer Band Educator Award
Anne Hendrickson
Tim’s Music Sacramento
Michael Gangemi
Posthumous Corona-Norco Unified,
Santiago High School Band Director
CMEA Innovations Award
Fresno Unified School District, Elementary Itinerant Band Teacher
CMEA Music Industry Leadership Award
CMEA Paul Shaghoian Jazz Educator Award
Dr. Megan Foley
Polytechnic School, Pasadena
CMEA Ernest R. Yee Illuminating Culture Award
Victor de los Santos
Santa Ana Unified School District,
CMEA Hall of Fame Award
Marlene Mudge
Taft City School District, Retired Santa Ana High School Assistant Principal Winter Issue 2022
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2022 All-State Honor Choirs at CASMEC! We are so excited for the return of in-person singing for our All-State Choirs February 17-19, 2022 in Fresno, CA. Participants in the 2022 California All-State Honor Choirs, Bands, and Orchestras will be required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by the start of the event. We have four amazing teacher/clinicians who will work with our students, and we know it will be a transformational and life-changing experience for our young choral musicians. Our conductors are: Dr. Felicia Barber, Junior High SATB Dr. Andrea Ramsey, High School SSAA Dr. Jeffery Redding, High School SATB Dr. Jace Saplan, High School TTBB For more information about honor choirs as well as Event Information and Health and Safety Policies please visit: https://www.californiasings.com/all-state.html
Featured Session: “Change that Matters” In May of 2020, specifically after the death of George Floyd, CBDA wanted to take a stand with our Black Community. CBDA Board member Chavonta Edington suggested that we do more than just talk about or post about our support for the Black Community. She challenged the board to take a stand that would live far beyond the Facebook post or mass email. It was then that CBDA sought after and contracted two fantastic Black Composers to write works that serve as a vehicle for change. Our CBDA President, Jeff Detlefsen, and catalyst for the project, Chavonta Edington, put together a consortium committee. This session will allow you to dive into the process and hear from the composers, and committee members. You will walk away understanding how these works aren’t just stand-alone pieces, they come with curriculum ideas and topics to help educate yourself and your students about the injustices that plague our communities, in this particular case our Black Communities.
CODA is looking forward to a fantastic CASMEC conference coming up in February! The return of All-State ensembles is long-awaited and will be very exciting. The High School Symphony Orchestra will be led by Laura Jackson, the High School String Orchestra led by Kayoko Dan, the Junior High School String Orchestra led by Rebecca MacLeod, and the all-new Junior High School Concert Orchestra will be led by LaSaundra Booth. We are excited to bring these ensembles back as safely as possible. In addition to four fantastic honor ensembles, we are excited to present orchestra sessions on technique development, improvisation and composition, diversity, equity and inclusion, and classroom differentiation. We look forward to seeing you at the conference! Stay connected with the California Orchestra Directors Association throughout the year. Join us on Instagram, Facebook, and via our website.
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page 807 of the ESSA, which states:
Bay Section Update by Keith Johnson
I hope that you’ve had a great holiday season and have been able to recharge and plan for the rest of the school year. Like every school district across the country, my school district continues to provide updates for COVID-19 protocols as new information becomes available. It has been disheartening to see the continued use of the term “extra-curricular” when defining music classes. I took a small step in my district by sending an email clarifying the use of the term. I’d like to share it with you as it generated many positive comments from the staff and started many positive conversations on this topic in our district. Wishing you all a safe, healthy, and musical 2022! __________________
Subject: Using the term "Extra-Curricular" Date: November 16, 2021 at 1:34:38 PM PST
‘‘(52) WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION.—The term ‘wellrounded education’ means courses, activities, and programming in subjects such as English, reading or language arts, writing, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, geography, computer science, music, career and technical education, health, physical education, and any other subject, as determined by the State or local educational agency, with the purpose of providing all students access to an enriched curriculum and educational experience.’’ https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/ESSA%20 FINAL%20Conference%20Report.pdf The list of subjects defined as a "well-rounded education" is much deeper than the traditional “core” subjects that I mentioned previously. Additionally, the language in the law states “any other subject, as determined by the State or local educational agency” is a part of a well-rounded education. The State of California recognizes the following as its focus Curriculum and Instruction Areas: • Health • History-Social Science • Mathematics • Physical Education • Reading/Language Arts • Science • Visual & Performing Arts • World Language https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/cimegasubjectareas.asp California requires specialized instruction in these areas; a minimum of a bachelor's degree and single-subject teaching credential. Each subject also has its own set of state and national standards. It’s also important to note that the WCCUSD Board of Education has kept music and the arts as a key component to its “Educating the Whole Child'' vision for our district. I understand this may seem like a small issue, but it is important that we recognize the arts for what they are; a core subject, not an extracurricular activity, especially around our students, colleagues, and parents. Thank you for taking the time to read this message and for your ongoing support of the visual and performing arts on our campus!
As educators we often use the term extra-curricular to define activities or classes that fall outside of the scope of “core” academic subjects. For most, core subjects include math, reading/language arts, science, and history/social science, leaving other subjects to be defined as electives, extra-curricular, or co-curricular. By definition, extra-curricular means outside of the curriculum or program of study, however this definition is used to define everything from after school athletic activities, elective courses (which include AP classes), and visual and performing arts courses. For those of us that teach in these subject areas, the term extra-curricular can, in many ways, diminish the importance of the courses we teach. It is important that as educators we recognize the impact of this term when referring to courses that are taught at our school, and have a clear understanding of what the “core” curriculum is. In 2015 the United States signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced the No Child Left Behind Act. The ESSA added music and the arts to the list of “core academic subjects,” which is now defined as a “well-rounded education” in Winter Issue 2022
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Capitol Section Update by Patrick Neff Along with the rest of the state, the music educators of CMEA Capitol Section were very grateful to have a full-time return to campus with our students. Challenges remain, but a great deal of meaningful music was made by the music students of Capitol Section this Fall. The resiliency displayed by music educators and students in the face of all of the obstacles COVID has created is the reason we are in the midst of a strong recovery for music education in our state. We are happy to see the recent update to state guidelines to make rehearsing more accessible, and anticipate a continued upward trajectory throughout the remainder of the
school year. We thank the state board for their continued advocacy efforts. Capitol Section will be holding its annual High School Honor Band in January, and we are thrilled to host Dr. Rodney Dorsey of Indiana University in this return to an in-person event. We also look forward to our Honor Choir, Honor Orchestra, and Middle School Honor Band events later in the year, as well as the Golden Empire Large Ensemble Festival at CSU Sacramento in May. Last year, all of these events were either held virtually or postponed entirely. It is thrilling to be able to once again provide these opportunities to deserving students. Speaking of exciting in-person events, CMEA Capitol Section encourages all music educators to attend CASMEC, which takes place February 17-20 at the Fresno Convention Center. Last year’s virtual format was incredibly well done, but it will be wonderful to be able to connect and learn with each other in person once again. The sessions provided are always outstanding, and it will be an opportunity to see colleagues beyond just a box on Zoom, maybe for the first time in years! If you have not yet done so, please remember to register on the CMEA website. We hope everyone is having a fantastic school year. Use the upcoming winter break to relax and recharge, as you all very much deserve it. Please remember that CMEA and CMEA Capitol Section are here to serve you, and we are eager to provide the support you need. For more information about CMEA Capitol Section, please visit www.cmea-cs.org.
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. 2022 SCHOLARSHIP AUDITION DATES
Saturday, February 12, 19, 26 – UP Campus FOR MORE INFORMATION
up.edu/music | upmusic@up.edu | 503.943.7228
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3. What aspects of your undergraduate education helped you the most in preparing for your first teaching job?
Central Section Update by Michael Tackett
Greetings from the Central Section!
When thinking back on the beginning of my teaching career, I remember the wonderful feeling of directing an ensemble for the first time, but also remember the hardships. There is not enough education in the world to prepare a first-year music educator for the classroom. Most learning occurs in those first few years, and as we all know, continues throughout your career. For this article, I wanted to reach out to a new teacher with the hope that other new teachers would read this and know they are not alone. I had the immense pleasure of interviewing Tori Kuykendall, the director of bands at Hanford High School in Hanford, California. Tori is a graduate of Biola University and is in her second year of teaching Beginning Band, Jazz Band, Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Marching & Concert Percussion, and Color Guard. Tori, thank you for taking the time to do this interview while balancing your busy schedule!
1.Why did you decide to become a music educator?
Music has always been a big part of my life. I remember going to my grandpa’s music store and playing with all sorts of instruments including the didgeridoo! I stuck with band throughout my junior high and high school years. My high school Band Director had an enormous impact on my decision to become a Band Director. I had always admired his deep passion for music and his great skill in teaching and I wanted to continue his legacy- I wanted to bring up students that know and love music as much as I do! I knew I had a passion for music, a knack for teaching, and a love for people, so I chose music education.
2. What are the biggest challenges you have faced in the past two years?
There are numerous challenges in being a Band Director. Some of the biggest challenges I faced these past two years were building a new and healthy classroom culture, re-creating music curriculum in a socially-distant-online environment, navigating facility requests, field trip requests, budget reports, all administration type things (that are not taught in school), and encouraging parent support and involvement.
Biola has a neat music education program. The way they have set it up is students can receive their bachelor’s degree while also completing credentialing courses and veteran teacher observation hours. Once you complete your four years of undergraduate, you will be able to go straight into student teaching for one semester only. This was great for me since I was able to experience the classroom setting and utilize professor feedback instantaneously. I gleaned so much from the structure of their music education program.
4. What support (person/organization) have you benefited the most from the past two years and why? My New Teacher Induction Program mentors and music colleagues have benefited me most. I meet with my NTI mentor weekly to discuss teaching and/or any needs I may have. I have been able to bounce ideas off my mentor, explore new topics and teaching strategies with my mentor, and learn so much from my mentor. Like my NTI mentors, the Performing Arts PLC has been a great resource and support for me. The PLC members are so welcoming and kind so I feel that I can discuss the curriculum, work together to innovate the music program, and express my worries and concerns.
5. What is the biggest lesson you have learned since you have started teaching?
The biggest lesson I have learned since I have started teaching is to allow myself time to create discussions, whether big or small, and that I cannot control everything.
6. What advice would you give a new music teacher?
My best piece of advice that I would give to a new teacher is to open yourself up to as many resources as possible and do not be afraid to advocate for yourself and your program! There are many components when it comes to being a Band Director and it is important to have as many people as possible in your corner to help make your program successful.
7. How do you practice self-care as a band director?
Self-care is so hard to do as a Band Director, but simple steps I like to take are scheduling out time to do self-care and asking others to keep me accountable with doing so.
8. How did you navigate your first-year teaching during COVID?
It was tricky navigating COVID-19 during my very first year as a Band Director. My “lighthouse,” per se, was my colleague Jennifer McGill. Each day had unique challenges and each day Jen would check on me. She and I had countless conversations about ways to adapt my curriculum into a virtual format, techniques to encourage a positive learning environment, and school logistics. If it were not for Jen, I would not have made it through! Another resource was
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reading up on articles and Band Director forums on how and what Directors were teaching their students during lockdown. I focused on Music Theory and Music Fundamentals such as embouchure and warming up well. We also spent a considerable time on virtual performances and recordings.
Central Coast Section Update by Diane Gehling
Happy Holidays from the Central Coast Section!
The 2020-21 school year was one to remember. But then again, 21-22 might just make last year look like a walk in the park. After 18 months without in-person schooling, students have returned to us, and they have returned with a great deal of gusto. Many students are happy to be back in person and are excelling in their learning, while others have found it very hard to make the transition back to the classroom. While having the students back on campus and having in-person learning, teachers are finding out that trying to teach students at grade level is almost impossible. Unfortunately, not being able to be on campus and learning in person, students not only lost some of their academia but also lost their social and maturing skills that happen when networking with other students, along with the structure following a school schedule brings. In conversations all over the state, people are talking about how some students are acting out; how some students just don’t know how to be at school. If you listen closely you will find that most of the students who are having difficulties can be found in the transitional grades. Those are the grades where students who, when they came back, came back to either a new site or a new level of expectations. Students who were in kindergarten came back as 2nd graders, 4th graders now find themselves as 6th graders and, for many, at a new site. The 5th graders were at the top in their elementary school only to now find themselves as the middle child in middle school and the 7th and 8th graders now find themselves in high school woefully unprepared for the new setting they now find themselves in.
Many of this year’s 8th graders have lost a year and now, back on campus, act and perform like 6th graders. Students are not ambitious to complete their work with the thoughts that it will not affect their grades or placement heading into high school. The 6th graders did not get the opportunity to be the “big dogs” on campus at their elementary school before the transition to middle school took place. The adjustment has been rough. Many of them are not ready for the structure of middle school and act like they are still in elementary school. At the high school level, juniors and seniors were already in high school when the pandemic started and know what is expected of them. Unfortunately, sophomores who were the “king of the hill” at their respective middle schools have moved up to high school with the same attitude. These students were not prepped/prepared for high school and their behavior is reflective of that. While all grades/students have been affected, these grades seem to be the most affected. For many students, their music teacher is the one teacher, the one class that has stayed consistent. You, my overworked, under-appreciated, often forgotten core subject teacher, are the one adult who can support and help transition back many of these students from the chaotic world they are now attempting to navigate. You are meeting your students where they are and not necessarily where we think they should be in a “normal” year. I applaud all of you, primary, elementary, middle and secondary teachers, for having the patience and flexibility to recognize what is happening. For restructuring your plans to fit the needs of your students. As we know, just because we are back to in-person learning, this year is still anything but a normal year. In trying times like this, everyone needs a hero, and you, my esteemed colleagues, are not only my hero but you are the calming, steady force that beats through the chaos of your students’ lives. To all of you, I give thanks and praise.
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North Coast Section Update by Christopher Cox
Greetings from the North Coast Section.
Like all of you, our section members have been excited to see the return of students to the classroom this school year. There are a myriad of instructional models and classroom protocols that
Northern Section Update by Tanner Johns
The Importance of Community in the Classroom
My name is Tanner Johns and I’m in my thirteenth year of teaching. When I started teaching what seems like so many years ago I was married to my job. No kids or other major responsibilities… and I loved it. I was finally doing what I’d been training to do for years. I threw myself into the job and tried to do everything. As the years passed I started to feel mired in frustration and exhaustion. The community of my school felt toxic. I over-corrected from my early years and backed off. None of it seemed like any fun
our districts have adopted, but the one thing that is similar – we are seeing students in person once again. Our educators continue to meet and exceed the daily challenges that we face each day. Masks, bell covers, sanitizing, challenging rehearsal space, changes in weather, curriculum change, evolving protocols, and the list continues to grow. Students are adjusting to being back in the classroom as well. From our youngest students that did not get a chance to start their education in a traditional classroom, to our high school students that have needed to adapt to changing classroom models. The struggles are real. It will take time and patience, but our schools will get through this. I applaud ALL educators and those who work in our schools that have worked so hard to bring some sense of normalcy back to our schools. We are succeeding! The North Coast sections will hold our annual All-County Music Festival (ACMF) after a two-year hiatus. In March of 2019, we had to cancel what was to have been the 64th annual ACMF. It has been challenging to find a location, but with some adjustments to the number of honor ensembles and the number of participants, we are excited to bring back All-County.
We look forward to seeing you in Fresno February 17 to 20 at CASMEC. Happy New Year!
anymore. I was short with students. I had lost sight of the joy of teaching music. Then came March of 2020. The pandemic starts. Teaching and learning from home. Taking care of two young kids who can’t go to daycare anymore. Sharing work time with my partner while the other watches the kids. Days turned to weeks, months, and now we are close to two years. During the worst of the pandemic, online teaching, hybrid teaching models, etc, there was always something new to learn, a new piece of technology or way we were supposed to teach. It was hard. What got me through it? The students. For the first time in years I felt a true connection to my students. We were going through the pandemic together. I got a glimpse through the window of a computer screen into their lives and saw poverty and socially disconnected kids. I saw kids missing their friends and struggling to learn. I got to see where my students were supposed to practice and regretted how I’d been so condescending toward those who didn’t practice. My teaching re-oriented around the community of the classroom with a renewed focus on student-centered learning and in the process I rediscovered the joy of teaching music. No longer am I all about demanding excellence, though that is still there. I’ve remembered what it was to give students the tools they need to find one small success after another and to celebrate those successes enthusiastically while still expecting just a little bit more. I’ve remembered to take the students as they come to me and to enjoy and appreciate them for who they are and to help guide them to be better versions of themselves. The pandemic gave my students the opportunity to remind me of who I once aspired to be as a teacher and to pair that person with the expertise I’ve gained over my years as a music educator. I
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feel revitalized. I know my story is not reflective of all or even most teachers, but in a roundabout way the pandemic saved me as a teacher. I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about the state of our schools and the students that we see each day. The students in my community, like so many others, have been dragged through multiple and varied trauma over the last few years. I don’t need to enumerate them all to say that students across the world have been deeply impacted by a unique blend of stress, confusion, uncertainty and upheaval. For all the awful things we’ve experienced over the past years, my students taught me that we shouldn’t return to “business as usual” but to make big changes in how I engage with them. I believe we need to consider better options to help our students grapple with the combined trauma they have experienced while also addressing the educational losses. To do both, we need to create strong connections and feelings of belonging by building community in our schools. The Arts can be a conduit to create spaces of belonging and positive relationships between a student and a school. Our classrooms are the reason many students come to school. Educational programs like music are or can become the community builders our schools need. Nothing creates positive community, social awareness, and opportunities for group expression like making music. The act of singing, dancing, and playing instruments together toward a common purpose is simultaneously challenging, authentic, and
Southeastern Section Update by Dr. David Betancourt
Response to the New CDPH Guidelines for Music Education Regarding Students with Disabilities 1
With the holidays upon us, many of us find ourselves already planning for our return in January. Here is a little something for your stocking from the CMEA Southeastern Section. On December 1st, CMEA membership were sent the new
joyful. Quality music instruction relieves anxiety and stress and enhances language and speech, especially auditory processing. Our students need positive connections to their school community, not just to remind them of the joy of music and learning but to help mitigate some of the very well-documented learning loss they’ve experienced. OIur music classrooms inherently explore and facilitate inclusion and diversity of cultures with authenticity. “Multicultural music can enhance the moods of children, escalate their acceptance of other children, promote harmony and inclusion among children from different cultures, and most importantly, strengthen their listening skills.” (Dr. Rick Parker citing Rattigan, 2014. GEMS, Multicultural Music and Learning). Equally important is the act of engaging students with culturally relevant experiences. As music teachers, we ask our students to bring their own music to the classroom. These experiences help students to appreciate and understand people with different backgrounds. Having continuous and supported music instruction through elementary school is inseparable from the ideas of diversity and inclusion. I could go on but I think my point is clear: there are roads here worth exploring further. Music is a language of emotions and the art of organizing sound. We need to be teaching our students to speak to each other and remind them what it is like to engage in shared community goals; to find empathy in their hearts for those of different life experiences and celebrate them.
California Department of Public Health Guidelines for Music Education, “School Based Extracurricular Activities.” We are grateful to CMEA for the commitment to this important task. While reading #16 of the “Safety Measures for K-12 Schools,” students with disabilities are not addressed directly, but is followed by a section on disabilities titled, “Additional consideration or other populations.” Part 1 of this section is a brief reference to disabilities and other health care needs. The general comments are followed by a reference to the CDC “Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K 12 Schools,” where in Section 2, it addresses, “Additional considerations for K-12 Schools,” and its subsection “Disabilities or Other Health Care Needs.” It is in this location that specific references to “accommodations, modifications and assistance for students, teachers and staff” are listed as “safety protocols." Three bullet points are given with attention to the implementation of said protocols. In reviewing these protocols, this article will address additional suggestions based on the recommendation that “schools should carefully consider how to address the legal requirements related to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) and requirements to reasonably accommodate disabilities…” Each protocol will be addressed in practical terms to assist the music educator in addressing the challenges that may arise when including special learners in extracurricular activities. These comments will be inclusive of students with an individual plan (IEP) or a 504 plan.
1. “Work with families to better understand
1 The term disability referenced in this article is in accordance with Federal definition of child/ren "evaluated in accordance with §§300.304 through 300.311 as having an intellectual and/or physical disability, etc., and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services."
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the individual needs of students with disabilities.” •
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The first step is to identify students with an IEP or 504 Plan at the beginning of the year or at enrollment. A list of enrolled students with an IEP or 504 should be provided to a teacher prior to the beginning of the school year. Read the IEP/504 Plan. Look for any reference in the document that addresses physical, behavioral, sensory or environmental conditions. - Review the new #16 guidelines with the parent/legal guardian to determine any factors that may hinder a successful school outing. If needed, ask if the parent is available to accompany the student on extracurricular activities, but note, you cannot make this a requirement for participation. An IEP/504 may not contain references to music education accommodations or off campus activities. This makes a conference with the parent/legal guardian very important. If the student is enrolled in a special education class, it would be helpful to speak to the Special Education teacher for their insight into a student's need for accommodation on an extracurricular activity. If an accommodation plan is needed, notify the parents/ legal guardian.
2. “Remain accessible for students with disabilities.” •
If a Direct Service Provider (DSP) is assigned to a student, i.e. a one on-one aide, and that person works at more than one location, that person needs to be asked if there have been Covid cases at their other assignment. Action regarding this request should be a protocol established by the school and/or school district.
3. “Adjust Strategies as needed.” •
• • • •
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All the suggestions under this protocol are specific and helpful, especially the one regarding wearing a clear mask by the adult staff. - Investigate the venue of the activity in advance to determine if any accommodation cannot be adjusted for a student. - Determine whether the masking and other expectations by the event location is in compliance with any student accommodation. This would also apply to all students. Determine if you need to share that you have students with accommodations to the activity coordinator. Reviewing this information brings to mind other suggestions. If necessary, have a talk with the student about any concerns they may have regarding the travel or activity. Providing one-to-one reassurance can be very helpful. Many students need a great deal of lead time in emotionally preparing for an activity, which may be a response to a change in routine. This information may come from contact with parents or others, but could also be expressed by the student. If possible, check any food issues. The student may have food requirements that may not be accommodated by the menu planned for the activity.
Prior to Covid, the issues of accommodation on a field trip or extracurricular activity were addressed for Students with Disabilities. This additional CDPH guideline for Extracurricular activities is another layer of diligence that needs to be followed in order to continue the implementation of access to the curriculum and school events for all students. Submitted by: Angela Holmes Southeastern Section Representative Past CMEA Special/Diverse Learners Representative
Things are great at the bottom of the state!
Southern Border Section Update
Aaron Mulder is in his 13th year of teaching, currently as director of bands and music department co-chair at the San Diego School of Creating and Performing Arts. Since he moved to San Diego 3 years ago, his mastery of music education has become apparent to our community, also being elected to the Southern Border Section executive board as secretary this past September. As I’ve come to know Aaron, I’ve also been intrigued at his dual role as a full-time teacher and also a Sergeant in the 300th Army Band. We had a chance to sit down and talk recently about this unique paring.
by Dr. Jeff Malecki Winter Issue 2022
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There’s one school of music in Virginia Beach that every musician attends. They expect you to already be musically proficient, thus the audition before, so the objective is to learn how to do music the Army way. One of our most important roles is ceremonial – retirement, change of command, welcoming home deployed Soldiers – there’s a specific framework that needs to be followed, often from traditions that have lasted hundreds of years. We also learn how to implement entertainment concepts into a performance. That’s one thing I found that’s different than a normal undergrad. You don’t just sit, practice, and play, you have to entertain the audience. This incorporates adding non-musical elements to enhance the music, things like stage blocking, narration, programming. What are you doing to bring the audience a unique experience? JM: That’s interesting! My last CMEA Magazine article was about updating and democratizing the performance experience. I hadn’t thought that military bands are ahead of the curve on this! So after music school when you went back to teaching, what did your commitment as a reservist look like?
JM: What was your path to become an educator? Was the military a formative part of your thought process early on? AM: The military and education components didn’t really align for me until six years ago. I had thought about joining one of the active duty service bands as a performer right out of high school, but didn’t for whatever reason. I went to Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, and the Chicago Conservatory of Music for a Bachelor’s in Music Education, started teaching beginning band in Grayslake, and received my Master’s from VanderCook. It was much later that I found out being a reserve musician was a thing! When I realized I could be in a service band as a performer but also still be an educator, it was a no-brainer for me. So I looked up my local reserve band, I auditioned, I was accepted, and went off to boot camp. JM: How did boot camp work with your teaching job? AM: All Soldiers go to Basic Combat Training for ten weeks followed by Advanced Individual Training based on their occupation in the Army. As a Bandsman, that meant 10 weeks at the Army School of Music for a total of 20 weeks out of the classroom. My school was really great about finding me a long-term sub, and I came right back to my job when everything was finished. JM: As a non-military person, was boot camp as grueling as it might seem? And what was music school like, compared to an undergrad? AM: When it comes to boot camp, if you are mature and responsible, it isn’t bad. It’s mentally challenging, pushing you to do things you didn’t think you could do, things that are scary like holding a grenade or rappelling. It also forces you to focus for intense periods, despite distractions or how many hours you sleep. It really pushes you psychologically.
AM: Here in San Diego, we have two days per month where we report to the band based in Los Angeles. This could include full rehearsals, concert preparations, Army training, and a number of administrative tasks. Every band is completely self-sustaining, so it parallels my job as a band director – we all deal with things like recruiting, finances, supplies, PR, and scheduling. Musically, we are assigned to a music performance team (MPT). This could be something like a brass quintet, woodwind quintet, rock band, or marching band. Let’s say an organization requests that we play at a local library to raise awareness for military families. Our MPT puts together a program, we add narration, we arrange the music if we have to, and that’s our job. The way the bands work is that we only perform when someone invites us, so for instance if a school wants a saxophone quartet or even the full band to come and perform, there’s some paperwork to fill out, then we do! Our performances also always have to be free, open to anyone. We often do performances at schools, not for recruitment necessarily, but to tell the Army story and connect the public with the Army that serves them. For many people, we might be the only Soldiers they ever meet. JM: How difficult is it to balance your teaching job with your Army commitments, especially now that you teach high school opposed to middle school? How do you deal with conflicts? AM: I’m not sure if you want to put this in the article… this is just my opinion, but a lot of people have a very inflated sense of how important they are for their program. Let me explain! Before the Army, I frequently told myself, “I can’t miss this, I’m so important to my program.” But there are conflicts from time to time, and I found that more often than not, one of those places can do without me. It’s a matter of building up my students so they can administer our musical objectives without me there. If I take a day off for training, a substitute is there but my students run the class. We spend class time talking through what they need to do, letting them try things out with me still there, assessing their deficiencies and allowing them to shore them up, and when it came time to miss, I received great feedback from all the adult supervisors. My goal is to make them grow to the point where they don’t always
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need me. If it weren’t for the Army, I would have never allowed myself to think that way.
and not feel like you’re sacrificing one or the other. I wish I joined sooner.
JM: What advice would you give to students or young teachers who may be thinking about the military?
JM: I wish I knew more of these options sooner as well, but I’m glad we had the opportunity to sit down and share them with our state now – even though I’m too old to sign up! Our section is wonderfully diverse in many ways, and I’m glad to give a platform to a worthwhile option.
AM: I regret not taking the military options more seriously sooner. I felt like everyone was saying, “You must go to college, you must go right away.” I think we’re better now, we’re not pushing that narrative as strongly, and that’s better. There are some amazing benefits to joining the military, especially as a reservist, because you can have it both ways. You can have a rewarding military career, performing, with all of the benefits, but still have your civilian job,
Southwestern Section Update by Ryan Rowles Happy Holidays from the Southwestern Section. It has been an exciting fall to say the least. Connecting with colleagues across the section, a few recurring themes have emerged:
Earlier this fall, the Southwestern Section hosted another virtual conference, this time geared specifically to our collegiate members and future music educators. They experienced sessions around pedagogy (choral, instrumental, general music, emerging practices) along with sessions on writing a cover letter and building a resume. Additionally, students experienced two panels: one including current working professional music educators who are new to the profession (3 years or less). The other panel included VAPA coordinators from Southern California districts where they provided attendees with tips for a successful job interview. Students in attendance asked outstanding questions and the conversations that occurred pointed to a bright future for music education. In attendance were students from CSU Long Beach, CSU Northridge, CSU Los Angeles, and UCLA. If these students are any sign of what the future of music education holds, we are in GREAT HANDS!!! Special thanks to board members Ryan Rowles, Tamara Thies, Tim Hill, Mary Turner, and Jessica Husselstein for putting together an outstanding conference.
Looking forward to connecting with everyone in person at CASMEC in February. Until then, have a wonderful and restful holiday!!!
1. It is SO great to be back in person making MUSIC!!! As exciting as some may have found exploring new ways of doing music making (did anyone think to buy stock in Soundtrap???), the consensus certainly is that students are excited to be back making music together again and so are we as music teachers. 2. Enrollment in music classes has been a struggle. We will, not only in this section, but within our profession collectively, need to share some new best practices in recruitment and retention as we all strive to rebuild our programs, ideally stronger and better than ever. 3. We are TIRED!!! With new, and ever changing, covid protocols in place, it certainly is not just business as usual. What can we all do to find ways to recharge? Another challenge to look for in 2022 for sure. Despite all of this, the level of excitement and enthusiasm that we have seen in our students, and ideally in ourselves, has hopefully been a source of encouragement for all of us. Keep going. We got this!!! Winter Issue 2022
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Be inspired. Be challenged. Be connected.
Earn more than a music degree in the foothills of the Rockies. At the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music, we inspire artistry and discovery. Our students gain more than a music education—we offer a multidisciplinary, innovative approach to music that integrates advanced musical training with professionally oriented experiences. Our faculty members—award-winning professional performers, published scholars and composers, and deeply dedicated pedagogues—are committed to helping you develop your talents and succeed in your professional passions.
Undergraduate Applications due February 1 Auditions held January 22; February 5 and 12 Apply for the Summer MME program by March 15!
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Imig Music Building, 301 UCB Boulder, CO 80309 303.492.0037
Job placement for BME students
ugradmus@colorado.edu colorado.edu/music
Global Music Education
World Music Pedagogy: Gateway to Global Citizenship and Children’s Creative Impulses
In this newly published article, authors will look at ways in which educators can bring music of world cultures into classrooms of children in a respectful, sensitive manner. As educators are committed to issues of globalization, social justice, and cultural democracy, the researchers discuss World Music Pedagogy (WMP) as a means of fostering children’s musical and cultural awareness in embracing both local and global communities. WMP recognises the importance of deep and reflective listening as a gateway to knowing the music in order to participate in it, to perform it, to create new works within the style of the studied music, and to know its cultural meaning, context, and function.
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Curriculum Units for the Music Responding Standards In July 2016, NAfME received a 3-year project grant from the Library of Congress to participate in the Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program. Focused on helping educators connect to the Library’s digitized archives, and helping teachers learn how to incorporate primary sources into the classroom, NAfME has used the TPS funds to create curriculum units connected to the Library’s vast resources in music, including audio, video, still images, and sheet music files. In Year 1, two teams of teachers created curriculum units in General Music and Chorus. You can find these modules using the links below. Each unit contains multiple lesson plans based on an inquiry model of teaching, and with many opportunities to incorporate primary sources from the Library of Congress’ online collections, including the National Jukebox, featuring archival recordings. The units are based on the 2014 National Music Standards, featuring the Responding Artistic Process, where students are engaged in listening to, analyzing, and responding via written work, dialogue, research, composition, and performance to music.
Years 2 and 3 of the project have focused on Responding as a catalyst for carrying out the Performing and Creating processes. NAfME’s proposal to the Library for two years of additional funding was accepted, and writing teams are currently investigating the application of Responding understandings to songwriting in middle school general music and for harmonizing instruments. With the completion of this five-year project, units will be available for all National Music Standards content strands, with many already found in the links below. Printed with permission from NAfME. Click here:
Curriculum Units
BE A PART OF THE NAMM FOUNDATION
The NAMM Foundation believes in a world where all children have a right to a music education and where every adult is a defender of that right.
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The NAMM Foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs.
We support global music research that explores the impact of music making at every stage of life and the relationship between music and wellness. Outcomes of this research support NAMM’s public policy and advocacy activity.
Our programs support and expand music-making communities through in-person and online experiences that promote music education, community music making, and the pleasures and benefits of making music at any age or ability.
Winter Issue 2022
LEARN MORE AT NAMMFOUNDATION.ORG
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Remixing David Bowie's
"Starman"
In Electronic Music School: a Contemporary Approach to Teaching Musical Creativity, we include a series of project plans that are designed to scaffold student creativity. If you sit someone down in front of an empty DAW session and tell them to be creative, they are likely to be paralyzed by uncertainty or anxiety. It works better to give them a starting point, some constraints, some raw material. In the Simple Remix project, you give students an acapella track (an unaccompanied vocal) and have them create new instrumental backings for it. One of my favorite songs for this purpose is David Bowie’s 1972 classic “Starman.”
by Ethan Hein Reprinted with permission. See the full version of this article at The Ethan Hein Blog. 30
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This is one of many Bowie acapellas in wide circulation.
The song is nominally in F major, but the melody is ambiguous enough that you can effortlessly reharmonize it in all kinds of strange and interesting ways. Bowie’s vocal timbre also meshes very well with electronic production, and it sounds especially cool through effects like vocoder and Auto-Tune. Vocoder and Auto-Tune examples I have remixed the “Starman” acapella many times. Here are a few standouts: David Bowie Remix examples Here’s a guide to prepping the vocal stem for making these tracks in Ableton:
This week, I made a guest appearance in Dr. Megan Foley’s music tech class at The Polytechnic School in Pasadena, CA. I had sent them a specially prepared version of the “Starman” vocal that I put at a steady tempo so it would easily fit onto the DAW grid. The students set Bowie to everything from funk to EDM to Hans Zimmer style orchestration (Click here to listen to examples of student work from Ethan's visit to Dr. Foley's class!). One of them recreated the acapella using Vocaloid and ended up with something that sounded like the Katamari Damacy soundtrack. There were some creative vocal chops that resulted in intriguing alternative lyrics. The aforementioned Vocaloid version repeated the phrase “There’s a star” over different chords, which made a delightful hook unto itself. Here is the beautiful thing about the Simple Remix project. One of Megan’s students asked me, “Where do I go from here?” The answer is, just remove David Bowie’s vocal out of your track, and voila, you have a banging original instrumental. Then find yourself a singer-songwriter and work together to come up with a new melody and lyrics. This is much easier than writing a song from scratch! Let’s dig into the specific qualities of “Starman” that make it such a reliable source of inspiration. It is quite a weird song, even by
David Bowie standards. Here’s an analysis of the form and harmony.
This is a lot of formal surprises to pack into the first minute and a half of a song! Rock is usually hypermetrically predictable. This includes most David Bowie songs. If you listen to “Ziggy Stardust” or “Moonage Daydream,” the hypermeter stays consistent and predictable, with symmetrical sections that are four or eight bars or twelve bars long. The eccentric form of “Starman” combines with its unconventional chords to create a melody that is only loosely anchored to its original context. The verse melody doesn’t start or end in a way that clearly indicates the key of F. It sounds just as good over grooves in G minor or D minor or C Mixolydian or A Phrygian. Once you have primed the listener to expect one of these other modes, the chorus can plausibly fit into it too. The ending groove starts and ends on A, which makes it especially conducive to reharmonizing as D minor or A Phrygian. The odd phrase lengths can be a challenge if you want to create a predictable dance groove, and I have regularized the form a bit in my remixes. Here’s a look at the process of making one of my “Starman” remixes:
I don’t feel like I am anywhere close to exhausting the possibilities of this tune. I’m looking forward to hearing what future classes do with it too.
Ethan Hein is a Doctoral Fellow in music education at New York University, and an adjunct professor of music technology at NYU and Montclair State University. As a founding member of the NYU Music Experience Design Lab, Ethan has taken a leadership role in the development of online tools for music learning and expression, most notably the Groove Pizza. Together with Will Kuhn, he is the co-author of Electronic Music School: Empowering Student Creativity with Ableton Live, coming in May from Oxford University Press. Visit The Ethan Hein Blog for information, resources, and projects for making music with technology.
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Technology for
Wellness in 2022 If I may….I would like to proclaim the year 2022 to be one of efficiency and comfort. We’ve certainly paid our dues over the last two years, so let’s apply what we’ve learned about using technology in our classrooms to deliver learning experiences in a way that leaves us energy for the other areas of our lives.
by Jessica Husselstein CMEA Music Education Technology Representative
Looking at where we have been spending our energy, both physical and emotional, during the school day, I’d like to share a few of the ways our colleagues are making the delivery of high quality music instruction a little easier on themselves. With the introduction of a few new tools, we can increase the efficiency and comfort of our work day without cutting corners, and in many ways, improving the learning experience for our students.
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Vocal Health:
Teaching through a mask is less than ideal. The perceived need to ‘over project’ our voice and the effort to enunciate through layers of fabric takes a toll on an educator’s vocal cords.
Remedy:
A self-contained speaker/receiver system with a wireless lavalier microphone. Components of a good system for a music education setting would include portability (consider built-in wheels, handles, and overall weight) and an internal, rechargeable power source. A wireless, hands-free microphone system that connects easily, and a Bluetooth connection that allows both the streaming audio and the amplified voice to be heard at the same time without interference, is the icing on the cake. Slipping a lavalier under a mask allows the speaker to use minimal projection, and the amplification allows students to hear instruction clearly regardless of where they are seated. This is a must-have, especially if you have to take your rehearsals outdoors or into a cafeteria or gym. It also includes the bonus feature of being able to easily imitate Darth Vader…but I digress.
Student Engagement:
If all the world’s a stage, and our classrooms are our own little worlds, teachers are the consummate actors, directors and playwrights. With the goal of keeping our students engaged, we often feel that our lessons and delivery need to be Oscar worthy. At the end of a long day, we are often exhausted from the effort.
Remedy: Don’t do it all on your own!
Communication with Parents:
Writing, printing, copying, distributing and collecting communiques can take hours. Precious time where we could be indulging in self-care…or taking a nap!
Remedy:
Whether it’s your quarterly newsletter, or progress reports, or just a “you have class tomorrow, remember to bring your instrument,” reminder, your district is likely using some kind of digital communication system to keep parents and families up to date. Your LMS, School communication system (like ParentSquare), or a classroom-based application like Class Dojo or Remind can be a tool that saves you so much time. Like all digital platforms, there is always a learning curve. Now that we are past the intensity of our fully online teaching experience, take a few hours to get familiar with some of its more advanced features. You may find there are ways to automate some of the tasks you find most draining. Many of these platforms will automate grade entry, handle language translation, and allow for scheduled releases of information.
Lesson Planning:
Without a plan and specific learning objective, we are not providing our students with the best possible structure for our learning time. More and more, administrators are asking to see lesson plans, and writing them out is a chore.
Remedy: Slideshows and Templates
Having a reusable template to update each lesson with is an enormous benefit. Using the copy/paste feature and updating only the date, objective and lesson particulars for each day saves the educator both time and energy. It also provides a digital record of what your students have worked on throughout the year. Anthony Yi, a Southwestern Section member who teaches for the Santa Maria Bonita school district, suggests Google Slides. “I’m able to create visual and audio slides that help engage the students so much more than in the past. It also helps with pacing the lessons.”
With the use of video conferencing, the entire world can come into our classrooms. Bring in guest artists, industry experts, composers, museum tours...the possibilities are endless. When the teacher can share the focus of the lesson, the energy required to get through the day is much more manageable. Amy Lui, a Southwestern Section member in LA Unified, coodinated opportunities for her students to interact with music industry leaders. She says it was an “...incredible eye-opening event…I heard how enthusiastic students were to learn about the music industry, from songwriting and production, to making a meaningful career out of being involved with a culture that they consume and are a part of. I realize that all of my training as a music educator did not provide me with the…knowledge to help my students view all the possibilities in the world of music.” By reaching out to the community, “We (had) guest speakers like Rudy Chung (Music Executive of Netflix), Caroline Yim (Co-Head of Hip Hop and William Morris Endeavor), JLBs (Grammy winning producer at Roc Nation), and other music industry professionals" (provide student feedback by Zooming into our classes). Anthony Yi is also using online resources to enhance his students' music experience in a way that makes class more engaging. In an effort to develop a stronger awareness of the pulse of the music, “I’ve recently tasked my students to create their own songs through the Chrome Music Lab. We will use their compositions to play along with in our Band class to help engrain that sense of beat.” He also employs background tracks of drum beats, instrumentals, and metronomes to play along with. Again, all of this ties back into having access to a good speaker system.
Our time and energy are finite resources. Our health and quality of life can help us make the most of them. With small adjustments, the technology that caused many of us so much stress can now shift into a blessing. Here’s to an efficient start to 2022!
Winter Issue 2022
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Autism in the Music Classroom:
Strategies for Inclusion by Simon Amaya Price
Abstract Genuinely including autistic students in music instruction is a difficult task for any music educator. Discussing the issues currently faced by autistic people, presenting an overview of the characteristics found in autistic people, and synthesizing the needs of autistic students with modern rock and popular music pedagogy, this article will present a set of guidelines and specific pedagogies for the music educator concerned with inclusion of autistic students.
Introduction
Autistic people are one of the largest—and most misunderstood—minorities in the world. About 1 in 54 children are diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) in the United States (CDC, 2020). As music educators, we should have knowledge of our students’ perspectives and experiences. No matter where one teaches, autistic students will be part of the classroom demographics as autism is present at the same rate in every racial, national, gender, and socioeconomic group. That said, autistic people face a great amount of difficulty in our modern society: autistic people have a life expectancy of 36 years, half that of the general population, with the leading cause of death being suicide (Guan & Li, 2017; Hirvikoski et al., 2016). Being autistic is neither a blessing nor a curse. Many autistic people have unique talents or abilities, and severe difficulties with basic, everyday tasks. An uneven cognitive profile is one of the specific patterns that psychoanalysts look for when diagnosing autism (Joseph, et al., 2002). For example, an autistic person might be years ahead in math, but have great difficulty when tying their shoes. There is a large variance in linguistic ability among autistic children: some develop high levels of verbosity at a young age, others experience delayed linguistic development, and still others never develop the ability to speak without aid (Lews et al., 2013; Mody & Belliveau, 2013). There is also a high prevalence of selective mutism among autistic children (Steffenburg et al., 2018). By utilizing inclusive pedagogies, music educators can help autistic students overcome alexithymia (the inability to identify and describe one’s own emotions), build social skills, and express themselves (Mayer-Benarous et al., 2021). Group musical instruction can serve as a form of social scaffolding, such that autistic students have clear social expectations, and build confidence in non-verbal communication.
Autobiographical Info
I am a Boston-based multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, producer, music educator, and autism advocate. I have been performing in a professional capacity since 2019. I was diagnosed with ASD when I was 16 years old. That same year, I went to Simon’s Rock at Bard College to start my bachelor’s degree where I founded the country’s first Neurodivergent Student Union. I am now a student at Berklee College of Music where I am pursuing a degree in professional music.
Anxiety and Overstimulation
Two common difficulties among autistic people are anxiety and overstimulation. Due to the high prevalence of alexithymia in autistic people (Kinnaird, et al., 2019), autistic students will likely not notice they are anxious until they have a breakdown or a shutdown. Anxiety and overstimulation are related in a way which is not fully understood yet (Green & Ben-Sasson, 2010), but often move in parallel. The two main contributors to anxiety and overstimulation in a classroom setting are excessive or cacophonous sound and social situations. The autistic mind has both an amplification of sensory input, as well as a greater ability to perceive detail making it difficult to sort through multiple sources of stimulation (Shirinyan et al., 2013). Managing sound in the music classroom can be challenging. A simple way to prevent sensory overload in autistic students is to provide earplugs. In music ensembles that include amplification, percussion, wind, or brass instruments, it is best practice to have students purchase their own ear plugs or provide them to students. Scheduling breaks during a long class period is also a great way to prevent overstimulation and anxiety.
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Building Social Skills Through Social Scaffolding
Social scaffolding is a technique used in both therapeutic and educational environments with autistic children and is well-suited to the music classroom. Autistic children generally find social situations anxiety provoking partially due to the unstructured nature of these situations. The autistic mind craves structure. One can implement social scaffolding in a variety of ways: one can tell students to talk to the person next to them about a song presented in class, or have students give each other compliments and constructive criticism. Playing music with other people is a social act; watch any ensemble and one can notice how the performers communicate with each other since there is a variety of non-verbal communication. Teaching non-verbal communication techniques to be used during performance, e.g., indicating solos or conducting, can help autistic students learn non-verbal communication that can transfer to other situations. Music can serve as a way to learn about emotions for autistic students. Giving students the ability to relate feelings to music can provide a self-reflection technique usable by the youngest of students. A notable characteristic of recent pedagogical developments in music education has been the concept of the teacher as facilitator (Cremata, 2017). By providing students a framework in which to work, students are able to innovate musically and socially with their peers. Developing creativity is a process, and by providing a framework in which to work, one can break it down into smaller steps. The integration of improvisational and creative exercises in music classes should not be limited to jazz or popular styles. Improvisation can include rapping, dancing, singing, or conducting. Some students may initially be nervous to experiment or play an instrument on which they are unfamiliar, but instructional scaffolding can reduce students’ stress. The jazz tradition of trading fours is easily adapted to a classroom setting where students circle up and play a short solo on an instrument. Many of the concepts discussed in the previous paragraph are more effective in smaller group settings. While studies have shown that there are no clear benefits or drawbacks to mixed ages groups when compared with traditional age groupings in general instruction (Veeman, 1995), these studies have not accounted for potential benefits to autistic students. Autistic children generally make friends at a higher rate with kids who are not their age than with their neurotypical peers. The mismatch of social skills and other aspects of cognitive development between autistic children and their peers is at the core of social issues that autistic children face. It is for this reason that autistic children tend to get along better with kids who differ in age—as was the case with me—so mixed age groups can aid autistic kids in feeling socially accepted. The challenges that autistic children face growing up are grave and many. We can help solve these problems by implementing inclusive concepts and strategies such as the ones discussed in this article and engaging in further study. As educators, we have the ability to shift not just the thinking, but also the pedagogical practices that affect autistic children, so that someday they will not be regarded as a problem but simply thought of as members of a diverse learning community in music classrooms of the 21st century.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Data & statistics on autism spectrum disorder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/ data.html Cremata, R. (2017). Facilitation in popular music education. Journal of Popular Music Education, 1(1), 63–82. https://doi. org/10.1386/jpme.1.1.63_1 Green, S. A., & Ben-Sasson, A. (2010). Anxiety disorders and sensory over-responsivity in children with autism spectrum disorders: Is there a causal relationship? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40(12), 1495–1504. https://doi. org/10.1007/s10803-010-1007-x Guan, J., & Li, G. (2017). Injury mortality in individuals with autism. American Journal of Public Health, 107(5), 791–793. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.303696 Hirvikoski, T., Mittendorfer-Rutz, E., Boman, M., Larsson, H., Lichtenstein, P., & Bölte, S. (2016). Premature mortality in autism spectrum disorder. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 208(3), 232–238. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.114.160192 Joseph, R. M., Tager-Flusberg, H., & Lord, C. (2002). Cognitive profiles and social-communicative functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 43(6), 807–821. https://doi.org/10.1111/14697610.00092 Kinnaird, E., Stewart, C., & Tchanturia, K. (2019). Investigating alexithymia in autism: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Psychiatry, 55, 80–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. eurpsy.2018.09.004 Mayer-Benarous, H., Benarous, X., Vonthron, F., & Cohen, D. (2021). Music therapy for children with autistic spectrum disorder and/or other neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. https://doi. org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.643234 Mody, M., & Belliveau, J. W. (2013). Speech and language impairments in autism: Insights from behavior and neuroimaging. North American Journal of Medicine & Science, 5(3), 157–161. https://doi.org/10.7156/v5i3p157 Mueller, A., & Fleming, T. (2001). Cooperative learning: Listening to how children work at school. The Journal of Educational Research, 94(5), 259–265. Shirinyan, D., Hernandez, L., Tottenham, N., Dapretto, M., & Bookheimer, S. Y. (2013). Overreactive brain responses to sensory stimuli in youth with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 52(11), 1158–1172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jaac.2013.08.004 Steffenburg H, Steffenburg S, Gillberg C, Billstedt E. (2018). Children with autism spectrum disorders and selective mutism. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 14, 1163-1169. https:// doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S154966
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Call for Proposals
CMEA Collegiate Council Music teachers are expected to know so much, and not all of that can fit into a four-year degree program. Professional development is a critical part of our profession and ensures that we serve our students to the best of our abilities. With this in mind, the CMEA Collegiate Council invites all college students interested in the field of music education to attend CASMEC. Collegiate members are able to attend at a considerable discount and this presents a fantastic opportunity to experience the professional development, relationship building and performances that CASMEC has to offer. There are a number of collegiate-oriented sessions at the conference as well as a myriad of sessions in other relevant areas of music education, and we promise you won’t regret attending! Collegiate registration is only $30 and requires an active NAfME membership (at the collegiate rate). If you have questions or need help registering, or if you would like to find a potential roommate or carpool, please reach out to us at collegiatecouncil@calmusiced.com and we will help you out! In addition, we are excited to announce the creation of an Instagram account in order to expand our social media presence. Find us at @cmea.collegiate, where we’ll post updates and feature chapters from across the state.
An Urban Music Education Podcast hosted by Eric and Justin. They provide tips and strategies through honest discussions about their experience teaching music in an Urban setting. The goal is to provide a positive and solutionbased narrative to create more effective, compassionate and culturally relevant music educators. 36
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Do You Have An Article to Submit? The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum have announced a total of 10 music teachers from 10 cities across eight states as finalists for the 2022 Music Educator Award; one award winner will be announced during GRAMMY Week 2022. Congratulations to two California educators who were announced among the finalists. These educators represent the best among California music educators.
Zak Pitt-Smith
Edna Brewer Middle School Oakland, California
CMEA Magazine Publication Guidelines The CMEA Magazine is accepting article submissions for consideration of publication. Whereas the CMEA Magazine is not specifically a research journal, submissions should be based in professional literature. Articles should be written in a straightforward, conversational style that avoids unnecessary jargon, technical language, and excessive reliance on long quotations from other sources. Articles should address the needs of the music educators who read the magazine and should not have been previously published elsewhere. Authors should avoid personal asides that are not relevant to the primary topic, as well as content that promotes a person, performing group, institution, or product. Submission of a manuscript implies commitment to publish in the CMEA magazine.
Further information/technical requirements can be found here: https://calmusiced.com/ communication/magazine/publicationguidelines/
Dr. Tammy Yi
Questions/Submissions should be directed to Chad Zullinger: czullinger@calmusiced.com
Chapman University Orange, CA See all the finalists here: (CLICK LINK) Winter Issue 2022
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2021 CASMEC Professional Development Sessions
February 17-20, 2022 Register Here:
Bringing CASMEC to the comfort of your home.
http://casmec.org/register-for-casmec/
The 2021 California All-State Music Education Conference has gone virtual. In order to provide the highest quality professional learning experience for music educators across the state, the organizations of CASMEC have decided to prepare an online conference.
We are excited to provide for you all a two-day virtual experience. Sessions from all five collaborative organizations begin Friday, February 19, 2021 at 2pm. Our first day will end with a special Headline performance featuring DCappella at 7pm! Grab your preferred beverage, find a comfortable seat in your own living room, and join music educators across the state in this exclusive performance. Saturday, February 20, 2021 sessions begin at 10am and run through 5pm. All sessions will be recorded and made available to conference attendees for a limited time following the conference. This conference is open to educators across the country and world. Join us! Registration opens, October 1st for just $55 for organization members. College students and retired members may attend for just $10 while our non-members may join us for $75. We look forward to seeing you all virtually this February!