2018-2019 Georgia Music News | Spring/Summer

ASSOCIATION NEWS | ALL-STATE | CONFERENCE

GeorgIa music news IN MEMORIAM

Natalie Brown & Bill Prescott

NAfME PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EKIT VETERAN 10

David Silver

PERSONALIZED LEARNING PA R T 2

VOLUME 79 | NUMBER 3 | SPRING

GeorgIa music news NEWS FOR TODAY'S MUSIC EDUCATOR

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GEORGIA MUSIC NEWS | SPRING 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GMEA BOARD OF DIRE C TORS President Evelyn Champion

District Chairs 1 - Michael Nestor 2 - John Scanling 3 - John Inzetta 4 - Christine Kraemer 5 - Seth Gamba 6 - Stan Kramer 7 - Douglas McConnell 8 - Alan Carter 9 - Michael Oubre 10 - Katie Bennett 11 - Jay Davis 12 - Andy Esserwein 13 - William Owens 14 - Dennis Naughton

President-Elect Carl Rieke Vice-President for Performance Evaluation Events Jon Cotton Vice-President for All State Events Amy Clement Past Presidents’ Representative Frank Folds

PERSONALIZED L E A R N I N G 30 PA R T 2

ASSOCIATION NEWS

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ACE OF PHOTOS

19 NAfME Professional Development eKit

26 VETERAN 10 David Silver

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IN MEMORIAM NATALIE BROWN & BILL PRESCOTT

10 CRESCENDO

BOOK REVIEW

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Editor, Georgia Music News Victoria Enloe

Executive Director Cecil Wilder

For the complete list of Board Members please visit:

Band Division Chair Dr. Matt Koperniak Choral Division Chair Kim Eason College Division Chair Dr. Keith Matthews Elementary Division Chair Emily Threlkeld

GMEA Staff Dr. Bernadette Scruggs Aleta Womack Brandie Barbee Ryan Barbee Advertising/Exhibitors Cindy Reed

Orchestra Division Chair Dr. Bernadette Scruggs

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ASSOCIATION NEWS THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS EVELYN CHAMPION, GMEA PRESIDENT It is hard to believe that my twoyear presidency is coming to a close. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve GMEA, and as immediate past-president, I will continue to contribute to our organization. My goals as president have been to increase positive communication and transparency, and I feel that progress has been made. We now have more formal recognition of member awards at the conference with the opening session and the president’s luncheon. We have hired Helium Services to overhaul OPUS, which is a substantial long-term financial investment, but one that is necessary to update our technology. Our communications liaison, Dr. Scruggs, has helped immensely in the office with communication and the monthly newsletter. We renegotiated our contract with Sound Around in order to provide rehearsal tracks with professional singers for our state level choral events. We have continually examined our budget to make sure we are financially responsible and stable. Please take © Photography by Zelda

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a look at the agenda for the spring board meeting to learn what will be discussed on May 18, and contact your district chair if you have any input.

The 2019 In-Service Conference had record attendance, and the event would not have been possible without the year-round contribution of our office staff and officers, especially the division chairs and appointed board members who planned and managed the clinic sessions and performances. Thank you to everyone who presented, performed, or simply attended. The conference was outstanding!

I would like to personally thank Dr. Tim Sharp for his inspirational keynote address at the opening session, and Sandra Chandler and the Alexander High School Choir students for performing. Also, Amy Clement, Grace Parsons, and Sarah Ball and the North Gwinnett Middle School Orchestra performed beautifully at the President’s Luncheon. Congratulations to every member who was recognized for years of service or an award this year. Your service makes GMEA a great organization!

DR. TIM SHARP CONDUCTING THE ALEXANDER HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR

CONGRATULATIONS

TO OUR THREE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Please remember the deadline to apply to present a session or perform at the 2020 conference is May 10, 2019. We are always in need of hosts and presiders for conference sessions, so please consider filling out the interest form. To find the applications, log in to OPUS and click Home  Member Information  Applications and Forms  and choose the form you need: • Conference Host & Presider Interest Form • Conference Lobby Performing Group Application • Conference Performing Group Application • Conference Poster Session Application • Conference Session Application I would like to thank the office staff for their constant support and dedication-we would be lost without them. Also, our two vice presidents, Amy Clement and Jon Cotton, have done outstanding work these past two years. And finally, the state division chairs and appointed board members who have served also deserve recognition and gratitude for their year-round work.

The outgoing officers are all working right now to ease the new officers into their role. Please take the time to become familiar with the new board members who begin July 1st by visiting OPUS Home > Member Information > General Information > GMEA Board of Directors.

Congratulations to our three scholarship winners (pictured left to right)

• • •

Sarah Deal : a senior music education and music theory major at the University of Georgia Jessica Hutcherson : a junior music education major at Clayton State University- Ms. Hutcherson plans to teach middle school orchestra.

Amy Minnoch : senior music education major at Georgia College and State University

The email addresses remain the same:

CARL RIEKE | PRESIDENT@GMEA.ORG

JEFF FUNDERBURK | VPEVALUATIONS@GMEA.ORG ALAN FOWLER | VPALLSTATE@GMEA.ORG RUDY GILBERT | BAND@GMEA.ORG MARLA BALDWIN | CHORUS@GMEA.ORG JOSH BYRD | COLLEGE@GMEA.ORG SAM LOWDER | ORCHESTRA@GMEA.ORG BRIANNE TURGEON | ELEMENTARY@GMEA.ORG

Thank you all for the incredible work you are doing all over our state. GMEA is a successful organization because of YOUyou are one of our 3000+ members who exhibit outstanding musicianship and professionalism every day. I am honored to have served as president of a strong and vital organization. If you have questions, ideas, or suggestions, please reach out to me at president@gmea.org.

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GMEA HISTORY OUR IN-SERVICE CONFERENCE, PAST AND PRESENT HISTORIAN Derik Clackum This past January GMEA members celebrated our progress and our passion by participating in our in-service conference conference in Athens. By all the reports I have received, it was a wonderful time of renewal for those that attended.

If you missed this one, make plans to be there next year. In addition to offering a wide variety of presentations by respected clinicians, the ISC also featured some excellent performing groups and opportunities to interact with exhibitors. Add to this the experience of socializing with your peers to discuss teaching music and you have a wonderful recipe for both professional and personal growth. Throughout our GMEA history, the in-service conference conference has been an oasis of knowledge and experience.

As I have mentioned in my earlier columns, GMEA began life in 1922 as the Department of Public School Music, within the Georgia Educators Association (GEA). In 1930, we wrote our own Constitution and changed our name to the Association of Public School Music Teachers. In our formative years, we held our in-service conference with the GEA Annual Meeting, which was usually held in Atlanta. These meetings later began to be called the Annual State GEA Convention, but the intent for music teachers inside the GEA was always the same, to advance the cause of music in our schools. Some years the GEA Convention was held in other cities. For example, in 1931 the GEA Convention was held in Macon, and was marked by the formation and performance of our first All-State group, the Georgia High School All-State Chorus. So we added to our music area of

the Annual GEA Convention, not only clinics, but also an All-State group. In 1937 the GEA Convention was held in Savannah and the first Georgia High School All-State Band was formed to join with the High School All-State Chorus to provide an “Evening of Music” for the GEA members.

Also in 1937, our association voted for joint affiliation with GEA and with the Music Educators National Conference (MENC). This led to the adoption of a new constitution in 1938 and the changing of our name to the Georgia Music Educators Association. For the next fourteen years, the annual GMEA in-service conference continued under the GEA umbrella, but our young music association was growing rapidly and more of our members began to push for independence from GEA. Finally, in 1953, while the GEA held their Convention in Atlanta, the GMEA held their in-service conference at a separate Atlanta site, Grady High School. Although GMEA was technically (and financially) under the oversight of GEA, the decision to separate completely was drawing nearer.

The final break with GEA came in 1963, when GMEA moved out from under the GEA umbrella and held their first totally separate convention in Athens. And, although we moved it back to Atlanta in 1967, to do a joint meeting with the Southern Division Music Educators Convention (SDMEC), we had broken completely from GEA. Our ISC continued to move around the state, hosted by Macon, Columbus, Jekyll Island, and then a long stint in Savannah, before coming back to Athens.

Throughout our history, GMEA has continued to grow and adapt to the many changes in our society and educational systems. As I look back over many years of our growth, I am impressed with how well we maintain our balance between the theoretical and the practical, keeping our emphasis on meeting our members’ needs. And there is no better example of how we accomplish this than our annual in-service conference.

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IN MEMORIAM DR. N ATA LI E BROW N W R I T T E N B Y C A R L A PA R K E R R E P R I N T E D W I T H P E R M I S S I O N F R O M T H E C H A M P I O N N E W S PA P E R , N O V E M B E R 8, 2 018

Chapel Hill Middle School head band director Natalie Brown died Oct. 31 at the age of 57.

Family, friends, colleagues and students—present and past—gathered Nov. 8 to say their final goodbyes to beloved Chapel Hill Middle School head band director Natalie Brown.

Brown, 57, died Oct. 31 due to internal complications after a medical procedure, according to her husband Zealouis H. Brown II. Brown taught music at Chapel Hill Middle for 25 years. The Mississippi native graduated cum laude with a degree in music education from Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss.

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After she married in 1988, she moved to Atlanta in 1989 and a few years later began her teaching career at Chapel Hill. Brown’s husband said her first love was music and that love started at a young age with the piano.

“Her mother encouraged her and kept her going, but it wasn’t much to push [her] because she loved it,” he said. “She loved music. She got to the point where she was the best in her high school on flute.”

Brown said his wife chose to attend Jackson State because she fell in love with the university’s marching band, nicknamed “The Sonic Boom of the South.”

“It came down to her having to decide between [Louisiana State University] and Jackson State and she fell in love with that Boom like we all did and that’s where she and I met in 1978,” Brown said. “She came in as a freshman section leader. That’s how good she was.”

When she took over as head band director at Chapel Hill in 1993, Brown said, he told his wife that she was more than a teacher.

“She was a psychologist, a business person, a CEO and she was filling a lot of roles under one hat,” Brown said. “She accepted that advice from me and took off from there. It was all about the kids [for her]. She loved what she did, and she just loved those kids and since her passing I’ve seen evidence of how much they loved her back.”

One of her former students, Lakesia Hayes, said Brown, a mother of three, had a genuine motherly spirit.

“She made it very clear that we were always a representation of her and [we] better not embarrass her,” Hayes said with a laugh. “She never hesitated to let us know she was disappointed but also never hesitated to let us know she was proud of us. She redirected us and celebrated us like we were her own children.”

Southwest DeKalb High School band director James Seda, left, Chapel Hill Middle School head band director Natalie Brown and Carlos Fowler, band instructor for the Southwest DeKalb feeder program, were partners in educating students in the Southwest DeKalb community.

That mothering and nurturing spirit was one of the qualities that Southwest DeKalb High School band director James Seda said he admired in Brown. After graduating from college, Seda worked with Brown at Chapel Hill for two school years (1999-2001) before he became band director at Southwest DeKalb, which is the feeder school for Chapel Hill.

Seda said Brown impacted his career on many levels from her vision for the program, her relationships with the students and parents, her organization and her delivery.

“She knew what she wanted,” Seda said. “Coming out of college, of course you think you’re ready for teaching, you think you’re ready to be in the band, and she threw me in the fire really quickly. So, I had to experience a lot of failures before I really started to learn exactly what I was doing, and I had a wonderful example in her to show me just how to do almost everything from a band director standpoint.”

Seda said Brown was one of the biggest supporters of Southwest DeKalb’s band. Her children also played in the band.

“She supported us [through] encouragement. She was an incredible spiritual person and she always knew what to do and what to say in any situation and she always did it with a smile,” Seda said. “She never pressured her students to become a part of anything beyond the [middle] school band, but she always spoke of the [high school] band with such high regards to the point that [students] would want to do it.

“She had that nurturing spirit to really make [the students] fall in love with music, fall in love with being in band and that’s what kept them coming to us for all of those years,” Seda added.

Natalie Brown was the head band director at Chapel Hill Middle School for 25 years.

Brown’s passion for teaching and music never wavered, not even after she was diagnosed with cancer. She was a 10-year, two-month cancer survivor, according to her husband.

“A lot of people knew that she had cancer and some people assume that’s what took her out,” he said. “It was a procedure done that caused internal complications and that took her away from me. It wasn’t necessarily the cancer per se, it was the procedure and the results of that procedure. She was beating cancer.”

Brown said his wife did have days where she felt down and couldn’t go to work.

“She would follow the doctor’s orders. She went through [chemotherapy] and all of that in the beginning,” he said. “But she had gotten to a point where she learned how to deal with it and still go to work because she loved what she did. It’s amazing how she did it. She would take her treatments and on the days she didn’t feel like it she would stay home, but if she felt good enough she went [to work].”

Brown said the outpouring of love and support he and his family have received from the community since her death has been amazing.

“Her reach was beyond my sight,” he said. “It’s a blessing to know that she was that kind of person and that I was in this thing with her.”

Brown said he hopes those who knew her will look at her life as one of determination.

“I’ve often said to a few people that she was a warrior—the way she dealt with her illness, she was a warrior,” Brown said. “She loved deeply too, so I hope [her students] will learn how to love and how to be dedicated to something and stay with it.”

Hayes said she always tells people that some of her best childhood memories are associated with the band.

“I’m privileged that Mrs. Brown played a part in that,” she said. “She will definitely be missed.

Seda said Brown was more than a band director and a mentor to him. She was a friend.

“I miss her as a friend,” he said. “She was someone unquestionably you could trust. She always seemed to have the right advice in any situation. I lost a friend.”

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IN MEMORIAM DR. WI L LI A M PRES COT T WR IT T E N BY W I L L I AM E . F RY

Dr. William Prescott, a devoted music educator and musical mentor to many former music students, passed away on December 14, 2018 at the Oaks at Hampton Senior Living in Cumming, Georgia. He passed away peacefully after having been in failing health since about October 2017.

He was 95.

Bill Prescott earned his Bachelor’s degree from Case Western Reserve University in his home town of Cleveland, Ohio. He served in an Ohio-based U. S. Army Band during World War II and traveled the country performing for troops and aiding the stateside war effort. After the war, Prescott taught music at the high school and college levels and obtained a master’s degree from the University of Florida. He was recruited and hired by Joe Kirschner in 1967 to come to Fulton County where he served at Russell High School in East Point for six years. Prescott took a leave of absence and left to attend the University of Arizona for a doctorate degree. While in Arizona, Prescott served as an assistant professor of flute and authored The Prescott Flute Method, which was published by Belwin-Mills in 1979. In 1976 Prescott returned to Fulton County as band director at Westwood High School, and then left in 1978 to serve as band director at North Gwinnett High School before retiring from full-time teaching in 1988.

Shortly after his retirement, Prescott was appointed as conductor of the “Sounds of Sawnee” Community Band (Forsyth County, GA) and directed for over ten years. Additionally, Prescott continued to conduct Atlanta’s Yaarab Shrine Band, a group he conducted for over 30 years prior to being selected as Conductor Emeritus. He leaves behind many former students, who carry his memory and example.

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It was at the worst point in my then young life that I met Bill Prescott, or Mr. P, as his students affectionately knew him. For reasons I did not understand at the time, a family situation required my transfer from a high school I had attended for three years, an abrupt move at the beginning of my junior year that I found devastating. Yet, as I have often reminisced, it was a moment of divine intervention, for the first class I walked into at Russell High was Mr. P’s band class, and it was at that moment my life changed forever. It was September 1969, and over time I had the good fortune to know Mr. P as a teacher, mentor, and second father until this past December 14, 2018, when he passed away at Oaks at Hampton Senior Living in Cumming, Georgia. He passed away peacefully after having been in failing health since about October 2017. He was 95.

When I met Mr. P, he was in his mid-forties and had a wide range of experience, including college teaching. Just two years earlier, Joe Kirschner, assistant supervisor for music education with the Fulton County School system, recruited Mr. P to come to Fulton County and Russell High. Perhaps owing to his background and dynamic personality, I found that Mr. P was different than any teacher I had ever known.

I noticed early on that he had a towering and keen intellect and was knowledgeable about so many subjects. There was the time, for example, that I walked into the band room after school to find Mr. P giving answers and mini lectures on the various Greek gods that were posed to him, Jeopardy style, by David Boswell, one of my band friends. As for any chance of changing his mind or winning an argument against him, students and numerous adults I observed over time were simply no match. Mr. P could have written the book, ‘How to Frame and Win an Argument.” In this regard, Mr. P was fond of telling me the story of how he single-handedly prevailed in a debate against an entire class of fellow students while enrolled in an educational doctoral seminar at the University of Arizona.

It was also evident that Mr. P had a deep passion for music and exhibited it in classes and in his life on a daily basis. His path in music began when he joined the band at Cathedral Latin School under the direction of John Hruby in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. P quickly mastered the flute and developed into an outstanding flute player who performed first with an Ohio-based Army Band in World War II and several other professional symphonic organizations early in his career. Later, he taught applied flute at the collegiate level and ultimately authored the “Prescott Flute Method,” published by Belwin-Mills in 1978. Mr. P could have easily made a career as a professional flute player, but he decided to devote his life to public school teaching. It was his love for, and dedication to, his students that stand out as his legacy.

In my case, Mr. P was quite often my ride to and from Russell High, whether early before school or late after those Thursday night marching band rehearsals. Additionally, since we both had close relatives in

the south Florida area, Mr. P offered transportation to there during every school vacation. Those numerous car rides stand out as some of my most memorable high school experiences, for our talks directly contributed to me formulating a philosophy of life that includes a commitment to service and making a difference in the lives of others.

Mr. P demanded high musical standards from his students but also wanted them to be better people. He was constantly preaching, “Be of service to others.….Don’t drift through life…..Live life with a purpose…..Make a difference.” To help you remember, he made signs or wrote on the chalkboard those uniquely ‘Prescottian’ phrases, such as: “Mediocrity is really only failure;” “Do it immediately, if not sooner;” and his grand motto, “Early is on time; on time is late.”

To various degrees, Mr. P influenced every student who came through his band programs. While some may have only learned a basic life lesson or two before moving on with their lives, others were inspired to become professional musicians and music teachers. Starting with 1970 Russell High grad Mike Daniell, who currently conducts music at Point University (GA) and with the Peachtree Wind Ensemble and North Fayette UMC, Mr. P sent numerous Russell High students to college music programs. This collegiate supply line continued during the mid 1970s when Mr. P was band director at Westwood High School in Fulton County and later at North Gwinnett High, where he worked until his retirement in 1988.

Retirement did not slow him down. Mr. P taught private flute lessons from his home office on Lake Lanier and did short-term and long-term substitute teaching mostly in the Gwinnett County area.

He continued his activities as conductor of the Yaarab Shrine Band and eventually became director of the Sounds of Sawnee Community Band, both of which he retired from around 2010 with the title of Director Emeritus. Vision and other health problems eventually slowed him down, but even as recent as several years ago, Mr. P was still making guest conductor appearances.

There is an old saying that goes something like: ‘Don’t forget where you came from.’ I, like many of his former students, look back fondly on those days with him. For me, there were many times in my personal and professional life when I pulled out my ‘Bill Prescott Card’ to handle various situations and decisions.

In a memorial service held in Cumming on December 21, 2018, a large collection of former students, relatives, friends, and acquaintances said goodbye to Mr. P. My eulogy concluded with the following: “You changed my life. I have loved you as a friend, mentor, and father, and you were the Maestro I looked up to. I, along with many of your former students, will carry your memory and example with us all the days we have left.”

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DIVISION NEWS BAND DIVISION Dr. Matt Koperniak What an amazing school year for the GMEA Band Division! Thank you to every band director statewide for your hard work and dedication to your students and school community. Best wishes during the sprint to the finish, amidst Solo & Ensemble festival, jazz band performance evaluation, marching band preparations, spring concerts and awards nights, and more.

Earlier this semester, we had a wonderful All-State weekend in Athens. Thank you to directors who served as organizers and percussion coordinators, supporting our students and conductors. Congratulations to all students and directors who participated in Large Group Performance Evaluation, Solo & Ensemble festival, and jazz band performance evaluation. Thank you to every host, organizer, and adjudicator for these events. Volunteer leadership and service is the backbone of our organization. We are fortunate to be in a profession in which so many colleagues step up and pitch in.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have served as your Band Chair for the past two years. Thank you to the members of the Executive Committee, including President Evelyn Champion, Vice President Jon Cotton, Vice President Amy Clement, President-Elect Carl Rieke, and Past Presidents’ Council Representative Frank Folds. I cannot imagine a better team of leaders for our association. Thank you to Brandie Barbee, Ryan Barbee, Aleta Womack, and Cecil Wilder.

We are so fortunate to have an office staff whose diligent, dedicated work brings stability to GMEA that is unknown to most state-level non-profit organizations. Thank you to Victoria Enloe and Bernadette Scruggs for producing a magazine and newsletter that serve as models for other associations. Special thanks to our past Band Chair, Neil Ruby, who provided consistent wisdom and support throughout my term, never hesitating to answer my phone calls. Please join me in welcoming Rudy Gilbert, your Band Chair for the next two years. Rudy is a consummate musician and professional, and the Band Division will flourish under his leadership.

I have highlighted a new teacher in each Band Chair column for the past two years, and close this column by featuring two first-year band directors from GMEA District 2: William Smith (Lee County Middle School West) and Joel Collins (Lee County Middle School East). Both William and Joel acknowledge the challenges and rewards of being a new band director, and are excited to be in such a fulfill-

ing profession. They are both thankful to have administrators who are supportive of their band programs. Along with Ronnie Hill at Lee County High School, William and Joel regularly collaborate together as a professional learning community to develop a cohesive 6-12 band program. According to William, “it is great being a member of a team that offers support and encouragement as I continue to grow in my young career.” No doubt, each of us can remember individuals who encouraged us during our early years teaching. During my first year, I taught down the road from Miles & Helen Adams. Even though I was in a different school system, Miles & Helen regularly checked up on me at key moments throughout the year. Their support and encouragement made a tremendous difference in my life. Let us all continue to support and encourage new teachers, as well as each other. Best wishes to all for a wonderful end of the school year!

An educational festival for elementary, middle, and high school students in band, choir, and orchestra

2019: April 12 April 26 May 3

2020: April 3 April 7 April 24

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CHORAL DIVISION Marla Baldwin Let’s do this! I am thrilled and honestly, a bit terrified, to be your incoming State Choral Chairperson for GMEA. This job is big... crazy big… impossibly big! There’s approximately 487,623 ways to screw it up and I’ll probably discover some of those the hard way. However, I will work hard for you and our students.

I won’t settle for ‘good enough’ if I can see a way to make it better. I’ve already been hard at work for the last two years listening, thinking, planning, preparing, and praying. Here are four questions I’ve heard and how I’ve worked to resolve them.

“Hey Marla, what are you going to do about the hotel situation?”

Here’s how it’s going to work. The Athens Visitors Bureau has the results of my teacher surveys and they are negotiating with the hotels to set aside adequate rooms for us at a discounted rate. Those rooms will be available to reserve from the GMEA website, but only after I have released the cut-off scores and teachers have had time to communicate with parents. Our tentative date for releasing those rooms is December 13th. Our goal is ZERO room cancellations in 2020.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could have voices on the rehearsal tracks?”

For all of our state level choirs in 2020, the rehearsal tracks will be provided by ChoralTracks. Matthew Curtis will sing the tenor and bass parts, while a female of his choosing will sing the soprano and alto parts. These tracks will be available to all singers at no additional cost.

For the first time, this includes free tracks for Sixth Grade Statewide and All College Chorus. After the events, I will survey the teachers for your input on the effectiveness of this new product.

“I don’t do Sixth Grade Statewide because I can’t miss any more days of school.”

Beginning in 2020, Sixth Grade Statewide will become part of All State Chorus weekend. The Classic Center is more than confident that they can accommodate our numbers. According to the last report I saw, there are 1,572 hotel rooms within walking distance of the Classic Center and 2,802 hotel rooms within a 6-mile radius. My expectation is that by combining these events, our sixth graders will benefit from a ‘mini All State’ and our teachers’ time away from class will be minimized.

“WHERE IN THE HECK DO I BUY A CD PLAYER?” My goal is that our fall All-State audition materials will be distributed through a cloud to whatever device the teacher prefers. The flash drives we used for our second audition this year worked beautifully.

Thank you, SoundAround! I think I can finally throw away all the broken CD players that are in my storage room.

There’s still so much to be done; my list is long. Is there another date we could hold All-State auditions that wouldn’t conflict with other events? How can we clean up our LGPE repertoire list and correctly classify each piece? Is there a way for LGPE judges to type their comments rather than write all day? How do we help our transgender students feel welcome in our choirs while protecting the health of their voices? What could I do to help new chorus teachers prepare for the sight reading room? I haven’t figured it all out yet, but I’m working on it. I’m going to need lots of help. Let’s do this.

CNAfME

STATE ADVISOR

Dr. Richard Bell I want to use this issue’s column to thank those responsible for making the CNAfME portion of this year’s conference a success and to share some follow-up requests for our CNAfME members. First, let me thank the advisors and chapter presidents for each campus for encouraging their members to attend. This was the largest number of CNAfME attendees in several years.

Thank you to the clinicians for our sessions – they all provided quality insights to reinforce the work done on each of our campuses. Thank you to the GMEA retired members and board members for attending our reception and networking with our students. Finally, thank you to Jeremy Fermin for keeping all of us updated through social media.

As a follow-up, let me encourage you to do the following: 1. Share your thoughts and ideas for changes and improvements for next year’s conference. 2. Stay up to date through the CNAfME Facebook page and 3. Follow up on networking contacts you made while at the conference – these can be extremely useful when applying for jobs and for mentoring once you get your first job.

I enjoyed meeting so many of you in Athens – I left the conference feeling that the future of music education in Georgia is going to be in good hands. Best of luck to all of you for a successful completion of your semester!

COLLEGE DIVISION Dr. Keith Matthews Hello College Division friends, and welcome spring 2019! Another GMEA In-Service conference has come and gone, and what a success it was. I always enjoy the hustle bustle of the Athens Convention Center with all of the concerts, clinics and exhibits. Of course, it’s always great to see long-time friends and colleagues from across the state and have a few moments to catch up.

The GMEA College Division portion of the conference was filled with a wide array of session topics from instrument repair, to first year teaching survival, to technology in the private studio. All were well attended, and the presenters provided a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm. Thanks again to all those involved.

I will pass the torch to a new College Division Chair this summer.

But until then I am happy to field your comments, suggestions, and ideas for conference sessions. Feel free to contact me at Matthews_ keith@columbusstate.edu. Thanks and best of luck to you and your students.

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DIVISIONNEWS ELEMENTARY DIVISION Emily Threlkeld “Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” - Albert Einstein As I pen our elementary division news, I am drawn to reflect on the many things I learned and experienced at our GMEA In-Service in January. Some of my colleagues who teach in areas outside of the arts grumble and complain about continued learning, or “professional development.” I feel so fortunate to be in a profession where I never tire of learning from my peers: master educators and musicians from near and far. I came back from our conference so renewed, so refreshed, and with so many things to use right away in my classroom! I could list the many clinicians who presented, but it suffices to say that there was a wonderful variety of opportunities, all for elementary area: STEAM sessions, creativity, movement, singing, playing, and utilizing technology. I also received so much inspiration from the wonderful conversations with fellow music educators. Brainstorming and sharing ideas with so many highly skilled music educators can only happen at conferences such as ours. A few items that I came back with to implement: •

Play and sing close to the key of “f ” whenever possible. It really does lift children’s voices into a comfortable singing voice range for them. It may not always be that comfortable for this tired old teacher, but it’s not about me, is it?

•

Don’t always be so quick to be limited by: What age is this activity for? As Rob Amchin said, we know our kids. Adapt things (differentiate) as we see fit for our students.

•

Process, process, process! I loved experiencing the steps that master teachers use for success with students.

•

Our students with disabilities have so much to offer us. In Charlie Tighe and Alex Spitzer’s session we learned ways to experience modern dance with students with severe physical challenges.

And now, on to our Statewide Elementary Honor Chorus in Athens. By the time this article is printed, our event will have passed. I am again excited about the time that I will spend with peers, and more opportunities to learn from master conductors. Craig Hurley and Melissa Keylock have prepared a program of wonderful children’s literature.

Students from around the state are preparing for their concert in the theater at the Classic Center. It promises to be wonderful.

Next year our Statewide Honor Chorus event will take place at the Clayton County Performing Arts Complex, on February 14 and 15, 2020. Put it on your calendar now to attend.

One more note from the In-Service in January. Brava to Marti Parker Suwanee Singers! Brava to Margaret Grayburn and the Cheatham Hill Elementary School Fifth Grade Chorus and Recorder Ensemble!

We have wonderful things going on in our state and in our elementary choral programs.

Keep learning! Keep laughing! Cheers to a wonderful spring!

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GUITAR Brion Kennedy On behalf of GMEA and the guitar division, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all of the presenters, hosts, presiders, directors, performers, and attendees at this year's ISC. All of the sessions and performances were well attended, new faces were welcomed into the fold, and, most importantly, we had a lot of fun! To those of you who attended your first guitar session this year, know that we are here to support you and help answer any questions you might have. Whether you have been teaching a guitar class for several years or are preparing to teach your first, you have an incredible network of teachers and collective wisdom to tap into. Keep strumming!

ORCHESTRA DIVISION Dr. Bernadette Scruggs Spring is such a wonderful, busy, yet rather awful time of the school year.

Final concerts, graduations, school orientations, awards nights, exams, and pollen, among other things, all combine to provide a rollicking good time for all music teachers. On the plus side, most of the year’s activities are now checked off and LGPE is completed. Soon, everyone will be enjoying a well-earned but too-short summer vacation and, when school begins again, a new state orchestra division chair will be at your service. Sam Lowder, the incoming orchestra chair, was an excellent ASTA state president, an organizer of numerous GMEA events, and is up to date on the decisions made by our division for the past two years. He will be a terrific leader of our division and has already started planning for next year’s in-service and all-state activities.

I wish to offer my greatest appreciation to those awesome individuals who agreed to organize all-state orchestras during my time in office. The all-state organizers included Rosie Riquelme, Lori Buonimici, Patricia Cleaton, Bo Na, Carl Rieke, Bill Scruggs, Laura Webb, and, especially, Frank Folds, who agreed to do an extra year in spite of his better inclinations. Since I never organized an all-state, I had no idea about the quantity of work I was asking these teachers to complete. All of the all-state Organizers deserve a huge outpouring of love from our division for the work they complete to make auditions and the event excellent. Thanks to each of you for agreeing to work for your orchestra peers and their students from all over our state. Your work has been invaluable and I, for one, will never forget the amazing work ethic from which we’ve all benefitted.

The orchestra standing committee is in place as an advisory committee to the state orchestra division chair and is a five-year commitment. The orchestra chair replaces one person each year as the teacher completing his/her fifth year rotates off. This year the committee was comprised of Corey Benton, Kevin Anderson, Bo Na, Bill Scruggs, and Emily Calhoun. Not only did they review the submissions for the LGPE required music list, but they have been on hand to give guidance whenever asked. Having the ability to consult these wise teachers

with regard to GMEA issues that have arisen during my term has been priceless.

Over the past two years, GMEA received tremendous guidance from our president, Evelyn Champion. The two vice-presidents, Jon Cotton and Amy Clement, have been consistent, organized, efficient and empathetic. The past-presidents’ representative, Frank Folds, has an incredible store of GMEA knowledge and the wherewithal, due to many years in the classroom as well as his many roles in this organization, to be of incomparable assistance to the GMEA executive committee and board. President-Elect, Carl Rieke, will be an outstanding leader in conjunction with the new executive board who take office this July. The past two years have been productive and I look forward to the new directions our organization takes this year and the incorporation of our new operating system in the next.

In this, my last article as state orchestra division chair, I want to thank the members of the orchestra division for being supportive of each other, kind, and for trying to create the best possible events for teachers and students alike. During my career, I owe much to my orchestra peers. I am not certain that this sort of assistance and support is universal, but it is common practice among the orchestra teachers of Georgia.

RETIRED Jay Wucher For those who were able to attend thank you so much for your participation at our 2019 GMEA In-Service Conference. The CNAfME reception had a great turnout from our retirees.

The synergy between those at the beginning and those at the end of their careers was a joy to be part of and even more a joy to observe. Thanks to Dr. Richard Bell for making this such a great event for all concerned.

The two sessions at GMEA that were sponsored by our retirees were exceptional. Both sessions had great attendance. The information was invaluable, particularly to those who are approaching retirement.

Thank you so much to our clinicians, Alicia Lipscomb and Michael Zarem, and to our Presiders, Dr. Robert Lawrence and Dr. Zandra Bell McCroy.

Having been a GMEA member for over forty-five years I have had the privilege of working with so many talented, dedicated and selfless individuals. That in itself has made my journey as a Music Educator worth every minute of it. It is my joy to share one of those amazing people with you in this article. Sheldon Fisher and I worked together for approximately twenty years in Fulton County. He is an inspiration to me personally and professionally. When I asked Sheldon to share his story and his wisdom with me, this is what I learned: Where did you grow up and where did you go to school?

I grew up in Okeene, Oklahoma graduating from OHS in 1972. I earned my Bachelors in Music Ed. in 1976 and my Masters in Education (Music) in 1978 both from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, OK. I completed the coursework for the DMA at Boston University in 2011.

Why did you choose Music Education as a profession?

I was inspired and encouraged by my piano teacher, my band directors and most important, my parents through-out my early schooling to consider music as a career. While I had to practice to get better, I seemed to have a natural aptitude for it. My pre-college and college music instructors were the type of people that I wanted to be like. Also,

my 8th grade Math Teacher, Dr. Don Wahl, was particularly encouraging and kept up with my career all the way through my retirement. His grandson become the director of the Strolling Strings Ensemble that I started at Putnam City Schools in Oklahoma.

Where have you worked (or are still working)?

- Band Director at Hinton, Oklahoma 1976-77 - Marching Band Director at Jenks Public Schools, Jenks, Oklahoma 1977 -1985 - Started the orchestra program at Jenks in 1980.

- Orchestra Director Enid Public Schools 1955 – 1989 - Orchestra Director in the Putnam City Public Schools in Oklahoma City, OK 1989 – 1996 May - Orchestra Director at Sandy Springs MS 1996 -2000, - Orchestra Director at Roswell HS 2000 -2004 - Orchestra Director Alpharetta HS 2004 -2016 - Retired - May 2016

What do you do now that you are retired or semi-retired (both in and out of music)?

I am working part-time at Haynes Bridge Middle School in the mornings, so after 12:30, my time is generally open to do whatever I would like to do. I take time now to garden and work in my yard, volunteer at church, go see the grandchildren in the afternoon, or go have afternoon coffee with friends or just by myself. I also try to keep up with former students and friends through Facebook. Susan and I travel more than we did before retirement.

What advice do you have to those young people who are considering Music Education as a career?

It is a career that will take a lot of energy, but the lives that you will touch will matter for eternity as those students go on to be productive responsible adults and affect other’s lives. 2 things… (1) Never stop learning and (2) plan, plan, plan. Regarding #1 - My father told me the day I graduated from college that I didn’t know it all. He said, “…. son, as long as God gives you breath in your body, you have something to learn. The day you think you know it all, you are useless to society and they might as well go ahead and bury you.” Regarding #2 - In all aspects of life, if you fail to plan, then you are planning to fail. Whether it be with your classroom, your personal life or your finances …….. plan, plan, plan!!

What advice would you give to other retirees or teachers who are getting close to retirement?

3 Things…..plan – plan – plan! (1) At least 5 years before you retire, go to a TRS meeting and see what the retirement will look like financially from the TRS stand point. If you have years of service to buy from other states, do it asap! They only cost you more money every day you wait. Put that income against your monthly bills and see how far it goes. If you have anything left over, travel or do whatever you would like. You will see that you might be able to retire sooner, or… you may have to work a few more years to make it work.

(2) Think about your legacy where you are working. Think if you were moving into your position, how would you want to find things?

Do not just walk away leaving things undone. Do everything you can to have everything in order i.e. library, inventory, student rosters, past programs, past handbooks and procedures (so they can see how you did things which makes it easier for them to change what they would like to change). Also, instruct the students to carry on, after all it is really THEIR program. The worst thing that can happen is for students to drop out because you are retiring – it isn’t time for them to retire, just you!

(3) Walk away and don’t look back! Enjoy retirement…..you’ve earned it!!

Please feel free to add anything else you wish to comment on.

Cherish your family and friendships, they are God’s gift to and they will keep you going!

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ALL-STATE BAND & ORCHESTRA KIM BAIN, MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND

DAVID PUCKETT, MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND DR. REBECCA PHILLIPS, CONCERT BAND DR. MARY K. SCHNEIDER, CONCERT BAND PAULA A. CRIDER, SYMPHONIC BAND DR. SARAH MCKOIN, SYMPHONIC BAND JOEL POWELL, MIDDLE SCHOOL ORCHESTRA DEBORAH BAKER MONDAY, MIDDLE SCHOOL ORCHESTRA WILLIAM WHITE, 9TH & 10TH GRADE STRING ORCHESTRA AKIKO FUJIMOTO, 9TH & 10TH GRADE FULL ORCHESTRA MICHAEL HOPKINS, 11TH & 12TH GRADE STRING ORCHESTRA CAROLYN WATSON, 11TH & 12TH GRADE FULL ORCHESTRA

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ALL-STATE & STATEWIDE CHORUS CRAIG HURLEY, STATEWIDE ELEMENTARY

MELISSA KEYLOCK, STATEWIDE ELEMENTARY COURTNEY CONNELLY, SIXTH GRADE STATEWIDE MARGARET HERON, SIXTH GRADE STATEWIDE DR. JULIE A. SKADSEM, MIDDLE SCHOOL TREBLE KEN BERG, MIDDLE SCHOOL MIXED DR. ANDREA RAMSEY, NINTH & TENTH GRADE MIXED DR. ELIZABETH R. SCHAUER, SENIOR WOMEN DR. MATTHEW OLTMAN, SENIOR MEN DR. CRAIG ZAMER, ELEVENTH & TWELFTH GRADE MIXED

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IN FOR REVIEW

CRESCENDO

THE STORY OF A MUSICAL GENIUS WHO FOREVER CHANGED A SOUTHERN TOWN

by Allen Cheney and Julie Cantrell

BOOK REVIEW BY KATHRYN WYATT

“It doesn’t matter where your parents work or what kind of house you call home. Talent doesn’t see any of that. Talent comes from somewhere deeper, somewhere pure. It’s in your bones, in your blood. In your heart. And it’s begging you to let it out.”

–Fred Allen, Crescendo

Crescendo

is the biography of Fred Allen, a teacher who learned this lesson through the experiences of his own life, a teacher who did not allow his circumstances to determine his future. These words came from Fred Allen, and the book Crescendo tells his story.

The book is written by Allen Cheney, Fred’s grandson, and Julie Cantrell and told in the style of a novel, making it an easy and enjoyable read.

The story is inspirational for all music educators, but especially those here in Georgia because Fred is one of our very own. Born in LaGrange to a very poor family, Fred showed musical talent very early, but no one in the family wanted to acknowledge it.

His talent was not nurtured or valued, and he struggled to find his place. He gravitated towards the old piano in his family’s home and shocked his family with his innate musical abilities as he played a variety of tunes without any formal instruction. He was only in kindergarten when he gave a performance at school that amazed the community and had parents crowding around the piano to ask him to play more. It was shortly after this experience, however, that his parents locked the piano away at home and warned him never to touch it again.

As Fred continued to wrestle with finding his place in his family and his community, his love of music was always there. After high school, he attended LaGrange College, where he met the talented Winnie Langley. They studied music together, built a sweet friendship, and eventually married.

Together with their daughter Allison, they moved to New York City. Fred chased his dreams and experienced incredible success. He studied at some

of the city’s most prestigious schools and became a Grammy-nominated producer. Even as he enjoyed tremendous achievements, he fought through heart wrenching challenges as his past followed him. After years in New York City, he made the decision to return to Georgia to be closer to family. Fred began teaching at the local high school in Thomasville, Georgia. Soon after moving to Thomasville, he and Winnie formed a community musical theatre troupe that they developed in to an incredibly popular and successful performing group. Not only did they have a growing group of enthusiastic young people, but they also had an outpouring of support from the community. Numerous adult volunteers stepped in to be a part of making costumes, running lights, and providing all sorts of help.

Fred’s story serves as a humble reminder that our work in music education can have a profound impact on the direction of a students’ life. Fred credits a number of adults that stepped in and mentored him throughout his grade school years. From administrators to music teachers, adults took him under their wings and his gratitude to them is evident throughout the book. Fred’s life was changed by music and by his teachers, and his life’s work was to do the same for others. His creativity and vision impacted generations of people in Thomasville, Georgia. His Troupe continues to thrive today.

Crescendo is a beautiful story that should not be missed.

The book becomes available July 16, 2019 on Amazon.com.

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Photo provided by Daniel McCullough

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT eKIT

A BLUEPRINT FOR GEORGIA MUSIC EDUCATORS

B E CKY HAL L IDAY, U NI VER SI TY O F M O N TE VA LLO ED WA RD T E D C. HOF F MAN, III, U NI VER SI TY O F M O N TE VA LLO A LDE N H. SNEL L , II, EASTMAN SCHO O L O F MUS IC L IS A M . G RUE N HAGEN, BO WLI NG G R EEN STATE U N IVE RS ITY

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M

usic teacher professional development is critical to improving instruction and increasing teacher retention. To disseminate elements of effective professional development, members of NAfME’s Society for Music Teacher Education “Professional Development for Experienced Teachers” and “Professional Development for Beginning Teachers” areas for Strategic Planning and Action created a Professional Development eKit, available at https://nafme.org/ my-classroom/professional-development/ professional-development-ekit/. In Figure 1, we share a visual of the eKit you can share with fellow teachers, administrators, and professional development providers.

The Professional Development eKit is based on seven fundamental principles of professional development. We share each principle, accompanied by a brief description. We then offer suggestions for aligning these principles with the current professional development model in the State of Georgia.

Effective Professional Development…

Is musical. Music teacher professional development should be content and context specific, providing teachers opportunities to improve their own musicianship while learning ways to improve their students’ musicianship. Teachers with an instrumental music background may require support when asked to teach general music or a music technology course. Similarly, a change in grade levels taught could necessitate a refresher in skills and techniques for teaching different age groups.

Is not “one size fits all”—it differentiates between needs of beginning and experienced teachers. Effective mentor-

ing is important for beginning teachers. Their needs are unique depending on context of their new position and their teacher preparation experiences. Early- to mid-career teachers need support in making changes to improve student achievement; one way to do this is to study teaching practice. Veteran teachers require ways to organize their wisdom to help newcomers and find ways to stay current with contemporary educational policy and expectations.

Places teachers in a supportive community of learners. Collaboration with a community of peers is critical to combatting music teacher isolation, a common challenge for music educators. Communities can be formed in many ways, including in person at the school, district, county, or state level, or online. Teachers may find it helpful to participate in a community of teachers who teach similar content, grade levels, or years of teaching experience.

Is voluntary and features autonomy and choice. Teachers learn best when they have input choosing their role. Beginning and early career teachers may benefit from release time for observing other teachers. Mid- to late-career teachers may benefit from facilitating teacher meetings or mentoring student teachers. Providing teachers choice in how professional development is delivered (e.g., online, face-to-face, lectures, small- or largegroup learning) increases teacher engagement in the professional development being offered.

Provides opportunity for reflection in a cycle of innovation, feedback, and reconsideration. A cyclical process of learning is more effective than brief, sporadic attempts at trying new things. Reflection and feedback work best when teachers have support from colleagues who share similar professional concerns and who will encourage S P R I N G 2019 | G E O RG I A M U S I C N E W S

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT eKIT

them in a nonthreatening manner. Creating shared experiences and understandings through participation in collaborative reflection with colleagues is key to ongoing learning and the implementation of new ideas.

to improve their teaching develop a vision and understanding about teaching, learning, and students.

Along with this curricular vision, teachers develop dispositions, practices, and tools that support their teaching and enhance student achievement. They report improved job satisfaction and increased feelings of efficacy. Teacher learning usually improves teachers’ methods for supporting their students’ growth and development.

Is sustained, with ample site-specific support for classroom implementation. Professional development involves more than single conference presentations or in-service days. More than an hourly requirement, professional development is a long-term approach to learning: a semester-, year, or career-long venture. Taking a course, joining a PLC, or regular attendance at state, regional, or national MEA conferences are all important pieces of comprehensive PD. Each of these can be even more impactful when teachers attend with colleagues with whom they can reflect on these shared experiences and who can offer support in translating new concepts and ideas into the shared local school site and into each unique classroom context.

Results in teacher learning and improved practice. Teachers who engage in sustained efforts

Aligning the 2017 GaPSC Professional Development Guidelines Music educators may begin by reviewing the Professional Learning Guidelines (Georgia Professional Standards Commission 2017) and the Leader and Teacher Professional Learning Toolbox: Supporting the Development of Professional Learning Communities (Georgia Professional Standards Commission, 2018). According to recent legislation, Georgia guidelines for Professional Learning now focus on “job-embedded learning,� which eliminates workshop attendance as a means of obtaining credits toward certificate renewal. Instead, the model of

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Young Harris College Department of Music Dr. Edwin S. Calloway, Chair

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Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) provides the framework for collaboration among teachers.

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPLC) recognizes that “art and music are fields where teachers may be isolated from others who teach the same content, so working on the work may mean working with similar teachers in other schools and districts” (Georgia Professional Standards Commission, 2018, p. 8). This paves the way for Georgia music educators to engage in collaborative learning at state and national music education conferences.

This model for professional learning aligns with the eKit in many ways, particularly in light of the above statement from the GaPSC. Georgia teachers are encouraged to seek out “customized off-site professional learning that is designed to complement and support job-embedded professional learning” (Georgia Professional Standards Commission 2017, p. 9). Well-structured workshops and conferences deliver a variety of opportunities for music educators in all phases of their careers, providing a local, regional, and statewide network of support. Furthermore, these offerings can be designed in a content-specific way to address the diverse nature of music programs. Georgia teachers who engage in these professional learning events may form collaborative groups that satisfy the “job-embedded” nature of the PLC, keeping in mind that all such activities must have prior approval from a supervisor or other designee.

If you are interested in crafting unique PLC experiences, share the eKit with interested colleagues and with your administrators, Human Resources Department, and your district music supervisor.

Note: Alden Snell and Lisa Gruenhagen wrote on behalf of the Professional Development for Experienced Teachers Area of Strategic Planning and Action, part of the Society for Music Teacher Education.

Infographic created by Daniel Abrahams and Peter Hamby, University of Arkansas.

References

Georgia Professional Standards Commission (2018).

Leader and Teacher Professional Learning Toolbox: Supporting the Development of Professional Learning Communities. Retrieved from https://www.gapsc.com/ProfessionalLearning/ downloads/Leader_and_Teacher_Professional_Learning_Toolbox-2018.pdf Georgia Professional Standards Commission (2017).

Professional Learning Guidelines: Supporting the Implementation of GaPSC Rule 505-2-.36 RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS effective July 1, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.gapsc.com/ ProfessionalLearning/downloads/GlinesforRenewalReqs9-15-16.pdf

Becky Halliday is an Associate Professor of Music

Dr. Edward (Ted) C. Hoffman, III, is Associate Pro-

at the University of Montevallo, where she teaches

fessor and Director of Music Education at the Uni-

teacher preparation and music education courses.

versity of Montevallo (AL) where he coordinates the

Prior to this appointment, she taught elementary

undergraduate music education programs, teaches

general music in Georgia and Mississippi, and has

graduate coursework in the Master of Education

led workshops and clinics throughout the South-

program, directs tuba/euphonium studies, and ad-

east. Currently, Halliday teaches elementary general

ministers the summer Young Musicians’ Camps. Pri-

music in Randolph, AL.

In addition, she has pre-

or to his appointment, Dr. Hoffman taught prekin-

sented research findings at regional, national, and

dergarten through eighth grade general music and

international conferences. Halliday earned her Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi, and her MMEd and BMUS from The

directed a variety of all-superior elementary, middle, and high school vocal and instrumental ensembles.

University of Georgia. She is the president of the Sweet Home Alabama Kodály Educators (SHAKE) chapter of the Organization of American Kodály Educators, and

Hoffman is currently Executive Director of the National Association of College

the director of the University of Montevallo Kodály Institute. She can be reached at

Wind and Percussion Instructors, a member of the National Board of the Society

ahalliday@montevallo.edu.

for Music Teacher Education, facilitator of the SMTE School/University Partnerships Area for Strategic Planning and Action, serves on the Executive Governing Board of the Alabama Music Educators Association, is State Advisor for AL-NAfME Collegiate, and Chair of the Alabama Music Teacher Education Committee. He can be reached at ehoffman@montevallo.edu.

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Photo provided by Agence Olloweb

PERSONALIZED HOW DOES IT FIT LEARNING IN OUR WORLD?

PART 2: DEFINING PERSONALIZED LEARNING IN THE MUSIC ROOM. by megan endicott

T

o recap from our part one discussion on personalized learning in the music room, many questions were asked concerning the implementation of this new teaching strategy. In an ideal personalized learning classroom, teachers are moving from lecturers to facilitators while student learning is carefully crafted to the individual learner themselves. This style of learning moves away from the traditional “one size fits all” approach (O’Donoghue, 2010). This approach to teaching, allows students more choice in demonstrating learning and mastery of the standards while playing to their interests, strengths, and weaknesses (Basham et al., 2016).

There are seven personalized learning principles adopted across the nation. Three of these principles were highlighted in the part one installment of this article.

In this article, we will be focusing on voice and choice, mastery based assessments, flexible pacing, and co-plan learning.

Voice and Choice

In today’s digital society, most students have constant access to the internet and can find the answers to any question at any given time of the day. Because of this constant access to knowledge, students want to know even more than ever, “why” and “how does this affect me?”. Finding ways for students to have a voice in their learning offers relevance to student learning and builds accountability, buy-in, and interest. “The term ‘Student Voice’ describes how students give their input to what happens within the school and classroom” (Palmer, 2013).

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I recognize that co-constructing knowledge with your students and straying from your lesson pacing chart is difficult, but here are some easy ways that I have included students’ voices in my lessons. Poll features are a great way to elicit students’ voices toward the direction that they would like to move through the lesson. Imagine that you are beginning a lesson on the history of Beethoven in preparation for a listening lesson on Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. You can run a quick poll at the beginning of a guided live lesson on Nearpod (nearpod.com) to discover if students would like to visit where Beethoven was born or where he lived. Nearpod is a technology tool that offers live instruction with real-time assessment features.

Another important aspect of voice and choice is finding ways for each student’s voice to be heard. Offering ways for students to input information on a Padlet (padlet. com) wall, type short responses, or answer quick checks via formative assessments allows all students to be heard rather than the one student who is always raising their hand to answer. Some of the most wonderful comments have come from the quietest students whose voice may have never been heard without these resources. Padlet is a free, online resource, that transforms your board into a live interactive bulletin board that is updated in real-time.

Mastery Based Assessments

Mastery-based assessment is defined by the Fulton County School Personalized Learning Team as promoting “student progress through curriculum by showing mastery on assessments guided by proficiency and competency” (Mastery-based assessments). Included in the definition is ensuring teachers can bridge the gap between the student’s mastery of learning objectives with those of progress reports and report cards. One clear process for identifying student assessment is through continuous formative checks. Barry Zimmerman and

Maria Dibenedetto from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York warn that large summative tasks with no formative checks or feedback along the way can cause low test scores and unmotivated students. They agree that these “limitations can be avoided by including formative assessment and an instructional component designed to enhance mastery learning” (Zimmerman & Dibenedetto, 2008). Fostering an environment that is mastery-based rather than the outdated psychometric approach measures individual student growth throughout the school year with a focus on the mastery of course objectives, rather than a comparison of student achievement with a “normative sample” (Zimmerman & Dibenedetto, 2008). Through consistent feedback, formative checks, and tracking individual student growth, students will begin to take ownership of their learning.

Flexible Pacing

Just like adults, children learn in different speeds and through different processes. Variations in student learning should be taken into consideration when designing lessons plans where new content is learned. These flexible learning environments can be powerful if they promote “time for mastering concepts, a cognizance of student’s time requirements, and truly using formative assessments” (Fox, 2016). Finding time to implement flexible pacing in the confines of a traditional music class schedule can feel like a daunting task; however, finding innovative ways to incorporate differentiated tasks is key. In the music room, the most important learning happens at the beginning of each unit. Students are constructing new meaning to their learning and creating new paths of understanding based on prior knowledge. This is the perfect opportunity to create differentiated instruction that offers flexible pac-

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ing. A strategy that I have used successfully in my room is incorporating a differentiated station model through in-class flipped instruction to offer students time to reflect on the content and process new information. Teaching solfege and or note reading to young readers is one of the foundations of making music; therefore, ensuring each student successfully grasps the concept in a way that is appropriate and personalized is key. To teach this concept, I begin class with a short full class teacher-directed lesson followed by a diagnostic assessment. This assessment can be reflective and answered by students giving you a show of thumbs, or through technology tools.

This data should be used to place students into flexible groups based on the current knowledge of the content. I have found that four groups fit the needs of my classroom and student population. There is the “I can do this, but with your help”, “I can do this, but I need a little extra time exploring”, “I can do this, I can’t wait to show you!’, and “I can do this so well, I can teach others!”.

Once the children are placed in their groups, I send students to my website (http://dolvinmusicendicott.blogspot.com/p/students.html) where I house various activities and safe search sites on a student page. Through video produced lessons or student-paced technology lessons, students can move at their own pace and utilize live embedded resources in a “one-stop” location with built in exemplars, remediation and / or enrichment activities. In addition, live assessment results can be embedded and viewed throughout the class and after. While I find technology

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to be useful in my classroom, flexible pacing can also be present through analog tasks such as building in choice boards or “fast-finisher” activities for students who finish assigned differentiated tasks early. These tasks can be in the form of instrument playing task cards to support a song accompaniment they may be learning, a game or manipulative activity, or perhaps a task card offering student an opportunity to add in a choice for demonstrating their learning from the days activities.

Co-Planning Learning

To truly encourage student ownership, teachers must first establish a culture where co-planning learning is natural. Cameron Pipkin, author of “How to Prepare Your Students for Student-Centered Learning”, suggests establishing the following five steps: “share assessment data with them, have students write their own goals, instill the message that everyone is different, rethink how you define skill levels, and redesign learning environments to reflect this change” (Pipkin, 2015). There are several ways for music teachers across the country to embrace this shift in learning. As Pipkin suggests, redesign your learning space to easily offer a change in arrangement at any given time. As you cycle through over one hundred students a day, music teachers are the first to recognize that teaching isn’t

a “one size fits all” scenario. Ensuring that we are offering opportunities to all students to take part in the planning process not only piques student engagement, but it fosters a sense of community and interest. Goals can be set and shared, lessons and strategies can be

suggested, and processes and implementation can offer input in multiple ways. Students can offer input or track goals as a ticket out the door, whether it be technology or paper. When working with a multitude of students, technology is the key for pulling this piece together.

In my classroom, I have a bulletin board that displays each student’s assigned classroom number. Students can leave a post-it note on the way out to share their thoughts and opinions on what we have accomplished or invest in what’s to come. website (https://www. teacherspayteachers.com/ Product/FREE-Ticket-Out-the-Door-Sign-Topper-534263) For my younger students, I allow them to share reflections through emojis on apps like iDoceo where they can share their feelings on a concept at the beginning of the unit and once again at the end of the unit. Through this planning, I can visually see how a student feels at the beginning of the unit to spark a conversation and create a personalized learning plan or goal to ensure a happy emoji at the end. In my class-

room, students are offered flexible seating that can be moved around the room easily. Students sit on 6-foot benches that are organized by color for easy quick grouping and teamwork. Flexible seating options such as scoop chairs, bean bags, and stools carefully stack and tuck away until collaborative group time.

A cart loaded with technology tools including iPads, Chromebooks, headphones, splitters, and robotics are organized in a fashion to allow students quick and easy access to materials on the spot.

Closing

While we are working hard to ensure music educators are the ones defining how to incorporate personalized learning in the classroom, we must remember that we are music teachers first, working toward the common goal of creating and making music. It is important to know that personalized learning incorporates strategies of great teaching and encompass concepts that many of us are already implementing. I believe the biggest take away is that teaching should live on a continuum. We must never live only at the top or bottom; however, we should be consistently moving on the scale in accordance to the student learning process and teacher instruction.

For more information, please check for constant updates on my research and links by visiting my Smore page: https://www.smore.com/rtj5d-personalized-learning-in-music.

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References FY14 FCS Citizen Centric Report. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2017, from FY14 FCS Citizen Centric Report.pdf

Mastery-based Assessment. (n.d.) Retrieved March 01, 2018, from http://fultonpl.weebly.com/mastery-based-assessment.html

Anderson, N., & Henderson, M. (2004). e-PD: blended models of sustaining teacher professional development in digital literacies. E-Learning and Digital Media, 1(3), 383-394.

Matzat, U. (2013). Do blended virtual learning communities enhance teachers' professional development more than purely virtual ones? A large scale empirical comparison. Computers & Education, 60(1), 40-51.

Basham, J. j., Hall, T. E., Carter Jr., R. A., & Stahl, W. M. (2016).

An Operationalized Understanding of Personalized Learning. Journal of Special Education Technology, 31(3), 126-136. doi: 10.1177/0162643416660835

Nadworny, E. (2016, February 19). Strategies to ensure introverted students feel valued at school. Mind/Shift, http://k12education.gatesfoundation.org/student-success/continued-progress-promising-evidence-on-personalized-learning/

Bauer, W. I., Reese, S., & McAllister, P. A. (2003). Transforming music teaching via technology: The role of professional development. Journal of research in Music Education, 51(4), 289-301.

O’Donoghue, J. (2010). Technology-supported Environments for Personalized Learning : Methods and Case Studies. Hersey, PA: IGI Global.

Cox, H. (2015). FCS Vanguard Team. Retrieved July 5, 2017, from http://www.fcsvanguard.org

Palmer, Bill. (2013, March 29). Including Student Voice. Retrieved March 01, 2018, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/sammamish-2-including-student-voice-bill-palmer

DeWitt, P. ( 2013, November 22). Standardization? Personalization? Or both? Education Week, http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ ground/2013/11/standardization_personalization_or_both.html

Pane, J., Steiner, E., Baird, M. & Hamilton, L. (2015). Continued progress: Promising evidence on personalized learning. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1365.html.

Fox, J., Sr. (2016, February 6). Use Flexible Pacing to Embrace Students’ Differences. Retrieved March 1, 2018, from http://inservice.ascd.org/use-flexible-pacing-to-embrace-students-differences/

Pipkin, C. (2016, July 10). How to Prepare Your Students for StudentCentered Learning - EdSurge News. Retrieved March 01, 2018, from https:// www.edsurge.com/news/2015-05-20-how-to-prepare-your-students-for-student-centered-learning

Greher, G. G. (2011). Music Technology Partnerships: A Context for Music Teacher Preparation. Arts Education Policy Review, 112(3), 130-136. doi:10.10 80/10632913.2011.566083 Just-In-Time Direct Instruction. (n.d.) Retrieved March 01, 2018, from http://fultonpl.weebly.com/just-in-time-direct-instruction.html Lands, B. (2013, February 03). The Landscape of Learning. Retrieved March 01, 2018, from http://www.thelandscapeoflearning.com/2013/01/ there-is-more-than-one-way-to.html

Stahl, R. J. (1994, April 30). Using “Think-Time” and “Wait-Time” Skillfully in the Classroom. ERIC Digest. Retrieved March 01, 2018, from https://www.ericdigests.org/1995-1/think.htm Teach in a variety of groupings. (n.d.) Retrieved March 01, 2018, from http://fultonpl.weebly.com/teach-in-a-variety-of-groupings.html

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THE

VETERAN 10 Questions for Experienced Teachers

Mr. David Silver is currently the Director of Bands at Lakeside Middle School in Columbia County, Georgia. He received a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Alabama in 1985 and a Masters in Leadership and Supervision from Augusta State University in 2000. Mr. Silver has taught for over 30 years in Alabama and Georgia. He also completed a 28 year career in the Army National Guard, retiring from service in 2013. Mr. Silver is married to the former Shari L. Conover. They have been married for 34 years and have two children, Kara Silver Young and Bryant Silver.

1. PLEASE TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR MUSICAL BACKGROUND AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE. I started off with a couple very rough years on the trumpet. It was not my choice and it showed. I wanted to play the drums.

Being placed on trumpet has influenced me to not do that to my beginners. They choose their instrument, not me. I started playing the drums in Junior High School. I say drums because at that time we were not exposed to a comprehensive percussion education. Most of us played drums and the “piano kids” played mallets. It wasn’t until my last two years in high school that I started learning about percussion. That has influenced how I teach percussion students. Starting with 6th grade, my kids play everything- no drummers allowed.

I studied music education at the University of Alabama. While at Alabama, I performed and instructed in the “Million Dollar Band” as well as the UA Percussion Ensemble, Symphonic and Concert Band. It was at Alabama where I finally learned mallets. Needless to say, I was behind.

My first teaching position was a challenge. I taught three years at South Lamar School in west Alabama. SLS was a newly opened K-12 school. At SLS I was responsible for high school band (grades 7-12), intermediate band (grade 6), beginning band (grade 5) and general music (grades K-4). My career in Georgia started in 1989 in Jefferson County. I taught band, chorus and music appreciation at Louisville High School (grades 7-12). I spent 17 years in Jefferson County teaching at LHS, the newly opened Jefferson County High School, and Wrens Middle School. In 2007, I took the position I am in today, teaching band at Lakeside Middle School in Columbia County.

2. WHAT FIRST DREW YOU TO MUSIC EDUCATION? I would have to say it was my high school band director. I had wanted to be teacher from an early age. Both my mother and father were in education so it was what I grew up with. Until my junior year in high school, I had wanted to become a history teacher like my father. In high school, I enjoyed band so much and wanted to learn so much more about music in general. I learned a great deal from my high school band director and decided then that I wanted to be a band director.

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3. WHO HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR TEACHING CAREER? WHAT LESSONS DID THAT PERSON TEACH YOU? Musically, it was my junior high and senior high band directors.

They were demanding, yet understanding. I knew they cared about their students as people as well as musicians. Every year I tell my students a story about this experience I had in high school: we were working up a concert and my director was riding me pretty hard. I got frustrated with him and asked him why he was picking on me so much. I’ll never forget what he said. He told me it was because he cared about me and knew I could do more than I was doing- I was getting lazy. He said that as long as he kept pushing me it meant there was more I could learn and do. He admitted there were those in our band that were as good as they would ever be and it made no sense to push them any harder, making them miserable. Over the next couple of weeks I noticed he wasn’t correcting me in rehearsal. I was concerned, so again I went to him remembering what he had told me. His response was that I no longer needed his pushing. I was pushing myself and growing as a musician. That has stuck with me throughout my teaching career.

Professionally, I would have to say it was my first principal at South Lamar School. When he hired me, I didn’t know there had been four band directors in the previous five years and that the band boosters had pretty much run things. SLS was a newly opened consolidated school and he and I were new and considered outsiders in a small community (the entire county had three traffic lights). During those three years, I was physically threatened, verbally assaulted numbers of times, accused of everything you could imagine, and brought before the Board of Education- all by the band boosters. It was overwhelming at times. The two constants for me were the kids- they were amazing- and my principal. He stuck by my side through it all. He mentored me and believed in what I was doing. The band was growing and improving and the kids were happy. That was all he wanted. Later, when I left SLS, he admitted the reason he hired me was because he sensed I would be able to sustain the pressure from the boosters other directors ran from. He taught me a lot about leadership and about understanding my mistakes; I made a ton of them!

4. WHAT HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST CHANGES TO MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE COURSE OF YOUR TEACHING CAREER?

8. IS THERE A PARTICULAR MUSICAL WORK OR COMPOSER TO WHICH YOU FEEL ALL STUDENTS SHOULD BE EXPOSED?

I would have to say technology. The kids are same, and the instruments are the same. Pedagogy has remained the same for the most part. The one difference is the amount of technology available. I started teaching “BC”- before computers. As a high school band director, I wrote my own marching drill by hand on drill paper, and wrote my own arrangements by hand on manuscript paper. Today, I have a strobo-tuner in my band room, but almost all of my kids have tuning apps on their phone so it rarely gets used. I use a digital metronome that I can run through a computer to make it go through my stereo speakers to drill tempo. As convenient as technology is, it can also be frustrating because I believe we, myself included, rely on it too much.

I still teach singing to work intonation, but I admit I rely more on that green smiling face on my tuner. I also think the influx of technology in schools has enabled students to the point where they don’t want to think for themselves. It’s become too easy to “Google it.” I teach my kids how to listen and try to get them to use their ears and not their phones. Unfortunately, they are so tech-driven they tend to trust their eyes more than their ears.

I don’t lean towards a particular composer, nor do I feel the need to expose my kids to a specific work. I play everything from Balmages to Swearingen to Smith. I try to match the music to the developmental needs of the group. Sometimes that means playing R.W. Smith’s “The Tempest” and sometimes it means trying Frank Erickson’s “Air for Band.” I believe ALL band music has some educational merit. You just have to know what you are trying to get the students to do, then select the right music to get them there. I also believe in give and take. My kids will embrace “Air for Band” because I will let them play pieces like the “The Tempest.” In the end, we perform, they have fun, and I get to teach.

5. HOW HAS YOUR TEACHING PHILOSOPHY EVOLVED THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER? It really hasn’t. My philosophy was created through my experiences in high school, college, and during those first three years as a teacher. I still believe that ALL kids can learn, and that ALL kids contribute to the band whether they are an All-State player or a master of whole notes and half notes. I still believe that everyone can improve on how they played the day before if they try. I really have not changed my approach. I still stress discipline in the classroom and during rehearsals. I still expect ALL of my students to respect each other, the band, and the music. I was like that in August of 1986 and I will be that way Monday morning when I see my 7th grade band.

6. WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROUDEST MOMENT DURING YOUR TEACHING CAREER? I can’t name one single moment. I have been named Teacher of the Year and S.T.A.R. Teacher at two different schools. That was cool because TOTY was a faculty-driven honor and STAR was a student-driven honor. I had the privilege to teach both my children. That was something I will cherish forever. I have spent most of my teaching career teaching in either rural or Title I schools. I guess seeing what we were able to accomplish in less than perfect situations would have to be a collection of my proudest moments. I have been fortunate to teach a lot of really great people over the years. I am extremely proud of that.

7. WHAT WISDOM/EXPERIENCE/SKILLS DO YOU HOPE STUDENTS GAIN FROM THEIR TIME IN YOUR PROGRAM? Personal discipline. Accepting responsibility for what you learn and what you do. My former high school students tell me all the time that they learned so much about how to deal with life through their time in band. Most of them, who are now parents, tell me the discipline I engrained in my bands taught them so much about being accountable as adults. Learning the music and giving quality performances are important goals, but in reality, most of my students aren’t going to study music in college.

Therefore, I try hard to instill personal discipline in rehearsal and make sure my students understand their importance in everything we do as a band. I constantly tell my middle school students that what they will become later in life is directly related to the habits they create today.

9. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TEACHERS BEGINNING CAREERS IN MUSIC EDUCATION? Expectation management is a must today. Not every new teacher is getting a job at the best school, in the wealthiest district, with the highest achieving kids. The fact is, most of us are teaching in normal places with small or average budgets and average kids. New teachers need to understand this and embrace it. I LOVED the kids everywhere I taught. We accomplished so much with, at times, so little. Even my first job, as nutty as it was, had amazing kids who I still keep up with today.

New teachers also need to expect constant change. Things in my school change by the week. It’s frustrating, but it is what it is in the world of public education. You’ll teach music, but you may be asked to also teach reading, broadcast journalism, help with ISS, or be asked to team-teach during your planning period in a subject you know nothing about. Education today is in a constant state of change because of test scores, an overreliance on data, the “next best thing”, and outside influences. For me, my “safe place” is the podium. When I am working with my students, I forget about all the other stuff. I find that my students do, too.

Finally, I think new teachers need to seek relationships with other music teachers with varying levels of experience. I am at the end of my career so I am admittedly more outspoken and ignore some of those things that I feel interrupt with the goals I set for my students. A new teacher can’t do that, nor can a teacher who is in the first ten years of their career. By seeking more diversity in mentorship, a new music teacher can get a better idea of how they can and should react to the constant change we are all experiencing.

10. WHAT STILL INSPIRES YOU ABOUT TEACHING? I am constantly learning. I have been teaching over thirty years and I learn every day. As a matter of fact, I learned a new way to check flute pitch during a clinic at this past GMEA In-Service. I used it right away and it had a huge effect on my flutes. While at in-service, I attended 12 clinics and took 17 pages of notes.

I personally had several “lightbulb” moments and have passed those on to my students. I learn new techniques, warm-ups, and rehearsal techniques all the time. I try to change things around just enough to keep myself fresh and my students engaged.

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Perform West.

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