2020-2021 Georgia Music News | Fall

ASSOCIATION NEWS | IN MEMORIUM | DIVISION NEWS

GeorgIa music news MUSIC EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

Georgia State University Ph.D. Students

FIXER UPPER

David Stanley

THE VALUE OF MUSIC

Lauren Rowe

TIME FOR CHANGE...

VOLUME 81 | NUMBER 1 | FALL 2020

2021 More Information

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/educatorsGMN2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GMEA BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Carl Rieke

District Chairs 1 - Michael Nestor 2 - John Scanling 3 - Kenneth Boykin 4 - Christine Kraemer 5 - Ira Jenkins 6 - Kelly Gallman 7 - Joshua Bloodworth 8 - DaShaun McGee 9 - Raymond Thomas 10 - Katie Bennett 11 - Jay Davis 12 - Andy Esserwein 13 - William Owens 14 - Nicholas Golding

President-Elect Dr. Matt Koperniak Vice-President for Performance Evaluation Events Jeff Funderburk Vice-President for All State Events Alan Fowler

Time for Change...

DR. DUSTIN BURGESS

Past Presidents’ Representative Frank Folds

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Editor, Georgia Music News Victoria Enloe

Executive Director Cecil Wilder

For the complete list of Band Division Chairs Neil Ruby + Travis Downs Board Members please visit: Choral Division Chair Marla Baldwin College Division Chair Dr. Josh Byrd

DIVISION NEWS

Elementary Division Chair Brianne Turgeon

DIVISION CHAIRS

Orchestra Division Chair Samuel Lowder

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Advertising/Exhibitors Cindy Reed

ADVERTISER INDEX

IN MEMORIUM

REMEMBERING THOSE WE'VE LOST

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GMEA Staff Brandie Barbee Ryan Barbee Dr. Bernadette Scruggs Aleta Womack

FIXER UPPER DAVID STANLEY

16 STUDENTS AND THE VALUE OF MUSIC LAUREN ROWE

32 MUSIC EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

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A2D PAGE 43 SCHWOB SCHOOL OF MUSIC PAGE 43 UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA PAGE 9 YAMAHA PAGE 2 YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE PAGE 9

TO ADVERTISE

APPLY TODAY WWW.GMEA.ORG/ADVERTISE

© Copyright 2020 by the Georgia Music Educators Association

All pieces reproduced in this issue are under prior copyright of the creators and publisher by the contractual arrangements. Nothing shown may be reproduced in any form without obtaining the permission of the publisher and any other person or company who may have copyright ownership.

Unless otherwised noted, photos are provided by Andy Edwards of Ace of Photos Visit aceofphotos.com

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ASSOCIATION NEWS THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS CARL RIEKE,, GMEA PRESIDENT “Hello?”

“Are you there?”

“Sam, can you hear me?”

“Type something in the chat to let me know you can hear me!”

“If you’re there, turn your cameras on please…”

It’s that time of year and I have to admit that sometimes virtual learning reminds me of that meme I saw a few weeks ago comparing Zoom sessions with the “séance scene” in an old, scary movie. When I saw that meme, I thought it was relevant to teachers’ experiences because it reminded me in a silly, humorous way that, as a teacher, I’m constantly working to engage my students.

And guess what? Engaging students is our “forte!” Music teachers engage students’ minds, their hearts, their talents, and their imaginations every single day – it’s our superpower! But as in so many comic books and superhero movies, sometimes a superpower is thwarted (temporarily, of course) and obstacles have to be overcome to get the power back to full strength. Our challenge this year is to figure out how to strengthen our superpower, to engage our students and to meet their needs, where they are, whether they’re learning virtually or in-person.

Over the years, many student teachers have heard me say that flexibility is a huge part of being a successful teacher. When I said that to my student teachers, I thought I was following my own advice, that I was flexible. Never in my wildest imagination did I guess that my flexibility skills would be tested in the way they have been this school year.

It’s hard, in the best of times, to remember to practice flexibility in the classroom. Every day I have to remind myself to actively practice what I’ve preached all these years: to look at situations from a variety of angles and find ways to be flexible. We all know that being flexible is often difficult, frustrating, and inefficient, but I suspect we have also experienced those moments when our flexibility in the classroom has produced inspiring, joyful, and growth-inducing opportunities for our students and ourselves. Teaching in my classroom is happening both through a computer screen and in person this semester, but through all the changes, there are some constants in my classroom: students still thrive with structure, with a teacher who cares about them, and with the opportunity to learn through music.

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These are my touchstones and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to share my love of music with each student, no matter how they “attend” my class. Like me, I know that so many of you are also adapting, flexing, structuring, caring, inspiring, and growing because of (or maybe in spite of) the challenging situations and difficult choices a global pandemic has forced upon all of us.

The Georgia Music Educators Association has also been going through its share of adapting during this pandemic. First, the executive committee and I appreciate your patience and flexibility with the GMEA calendar and event changes. As you know, it is extremely difficult to plan too far ahead when things change on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. I feel very fortunate to work with an executive committee who brings their experience and wisdom to every meeting to ensure the decisions we make are in the best interests of both our members and their students.

From the onset of the pandemic, the executive committee has anticipated that GMEA will see reduced participation in events this year given the vast differences among school systems across the state related to in-person and virtual learning. In a normal year, revenue from these events keeps GMEA financially solvent and without these revenue streams we anticipate that there will be operational shortfalls that will have to be addressed. To that end, executive committee has authorized our executive director to use part of the GMEA Reserve Fund to cover some of the anticipated operating shortfalls through the end of this school year. GMEA has also applied for a $150,000 low interest loan as a safeguard until full participation in our events can return to normal (fingers crossed!) during the 2021-22 school year. The office staff is also in the process of closing GMEA’s physical office space in Stockbridge (to work from home) as an additional cost savings. Between these emergency measures and your support of the events GMEA is offering this year, to the extent that support is possible given the individual circumstances at your school, we believe that the organization should be able to weather the pandemic and remain financially stable until more normal times return.

Another one of the executive committee’s big decisions is to offer the annual in-service conference in a digital format this year. The conference planning committee is hard at work to create a top-notch experience for our membership that will operate on a schedule similar to our live, in-person conference.

The conference will begin with the opening session on Thursday, January 28th at 7:30p.m. and will run through Saturday evening, January 30th. I am excited to announce that Col. Don Schofield, the commander and conductor of The United States Air Force Band, will present our keynote address on Thursday evening. You may be excited learn that, unlike the in-person conference where you can only be in one place at a time, this year’s digital format will offer attendees an unprecedented opportunity to attend even more sessions than has previously been possible. (I’m personally looking forward to enjoying ALL of the sessions I am interested in this year, not just the ones I can fit into the in-person on-site schedule!) We have great presenters lined up, so don’t miss this opportunity! As always, we will present special recognitions and awards, including service awards recognizing educators in their 25th year, 40th year, or in their year of retirement, during the opening session on Thursday. If you qualify for one of these awards or have a nomination for one of the special recognitions, be sure to fill out a form in Opus

by November 17th. After the conference concludes, the sessions will be available to attendees to view on demand for a threemonth period. (Go ahead: pop that popcorn, have a seat in your comfiest chair, and enjoy the sessions at your leisure!) I hope you will consider taking a break from your busy schedule to join us at the conference and be inspired and rejuvenated.

As I wrap up this article, I would be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to give a quick “shout-out” to the outstanding GMEA office staff. As you may know, Ryan and Brandie Barbee welcomed two beautiful twin girls to their family this summer, but what you may not have heard is that both also battled COVID-19 (separately) shortly after bringing the twins home.

Through it all, though, GMEA’s intrepid staffers Ryan, Brandie, Aleta, Bernadette, and Cecil have been there to support GMEA members and their students, and the executive committee and I are grateful for all they do every day.

Finally, even though I said the exact same thing in my article last fall, I’d like to close with this thought because it still feels so appropriate: As dedicated music educators, we tend to immerse ourselves in our profession and often forget to take time for ourselves. Please find time to do things for yourself, your family, or special people in your life. Make the best of the 2020-21 school year and please let me know if there is anything I can do to make your music education experience more rewarding.

Sincerely, Carl Rieke GMEA President- president@gmea.org

MARCH IS

Learn about this year’s direction for Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®), as we focus on lessons for fourth-graders that help them learn elements of music through some classic children’s songs in English and Spanish. The lessons and songs, however, can be shared at many levels. All are available without charge to teachers for their use during MIOSM and beyond.

Read about this year’s theme and the direction for Music In Our Schools Month in years to come; obtain lesson plans and other resources; and take part in the Biggest School Chorus in the World with American Young Voices by visiting nafme.org/MIOSM. Follow the hashtags #MIOSM and #MusicTheSoundOfMyHeart on Twitter and Instagram.

Questions? Call 1-800-336-3768 or email memberservices@nafme.org.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

ALL-STATE NEWS ALAN FOWLER,, GMEA VP OF ALL-STATE Hello again, Directors,

the many years GMEA All-State events have been held have allowed our All-State ensembles to be recognized among the best in the nation.

Students selected for the various All-State groups will, of course, not be assessed an acceptance fee if the event is cancelled. Should that happen, they will know they “made” AllState and they will know their chair placement. This might be especially rewarding to students who have made All-State for multiple years, as well as those achieving their goal for the first time.

We are yet further into the fall and some additional questions that have arisen regarding All-State. As you are well aware, there have been several significant changes to our events, from registration deadlines to audition and event dates. These changes were made in the interest of keeping students safe, while making the process and the events available to as many students as possible.

The survey sent to all members back in August proved quite informative. Some of the questions on that survey had to do with All-State events. Your officers used that feedback to make the changes that will, hopefully, enable us to hold successful events later this school year.

All summer and into the fall, I have heard people speak to the fact kids need to be able to prepare for and experience auditioning, as well as to have the goal of making All-State and the hope of participating in the event. Much of the value students derive from participation in the All-State process comes from the experience of preparing the audition music and participating in the auditions, not only from the actual All-State weekend. We do hope you will all encourage and support your students’ registration and participation in All-State this year. It is that participation that has over

It is our goal to make every reasonable effort to see that the events do take place. We will not do anything that would jeopardize the health of anyone involved. We appreciate your understanding during these trying times. It will take the understanding and support of us all to emerge successful when this has passed.

Once again, best wishes as we all continue to make our way through this most unusual time. Take care, stay safe, and please remember you are important in the lives of your students and to GMEA. Kindly, D. Alan Fowler, GMEA Vice President for All-State

NAfME BACKPACK Be ready to meet your students where they are with NAfME in your backpack!

Visit: bit.ly/NAfMEBackpack

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GMEA HISTORY HISTORY IN THE MAKING HISTORIAN Derik Clackum After surveying our membership, the GMEA Executive Committee made the historical decision to hold our annual 2021 in-service conference online.

Given the events of 2020, with our nation coping with Covid-19, it is a logical and timely choice. I couldn’t help but think back over our association’s history, about the many changes our in-service conference has undergone through the years.

In our early history, GMEA was the music department of the Georgia Education Association, and as such, our ISC was a part of the annual GEA state convention. As the musical arm of GEA, we began promoting music at the annual state convention. We began the tradition of “A Night of Music� for the GEA convention, with performances by the all-state band, chorus and orchestra to promote music in our schools.

In 1967, our convention (now called the in-service conference) returned to Atlanta to combine with the MENC national convention for the biggest musical showcase that Georgia had ever seen. Thanks to a new event plan, brought about by newly elected president, Boyd Mckeown, our conventions became not only musically successful, but also financially viable.

During the following decades, our GMEA in-service conference moved around the state, landing in Savannah for many years. Finally, as our association outgrew the Savannah facilities, we moved to a more spacious venue in Athens, where the in-service conference has continued to thrive.

Over the years, the only constant in our conference plans and formats is change to fit the needs of our membership. Next January, we launch into yet another change, as we move our conference into the virtual era.

In the early 50’s, we convinced the GEA to let us hold our music sessions in conjunction with the GEA convention, but held separately at Henry Grady High School. These instruction sessions and our allstate groups made a major impact on our association and gave us some autonomy from GEA. In 1963, GMEA broke away from the GEA convention held in Atlanta. We held our GMEA convention in Athens at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. The first year was tough, marked by the death of our president Dr. Jerry Newman. But, in 1964 we returned to Athens under newly elected president, Roger Dancz, and held a successful convention.

Learn how you can celebrate your music program this March!

Visit nafme.org/MIOSM #MIOSM | #MusicTheSoundOfMyHeart 8

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DIVISION NEWS BAND DIVISION Neil Ruby Colleagues, I hope you and your families are safe and well during these very tough times.

Travis Downs and I would like to thank everyone for your continued patience and words of support as we navigate this uncharted territory. Seven months ago, we were all enjoying making music in our band rooms and teaching the best students in our schools and communities. If you had told me then that all of that would come to a screeching halt, I would not have believed you, but that is exactly what happened. Since then, we have all faced different challenges and are currently facing several new tasks and protocols that seem to change on a daily basis. I don’t know about you, but I have gone through many ups and downs and have even questioned if all of this was worth it at times. Some of you have yet so see your students in person again, and my heart breaks for you and your students.

While the coming days and weeks will continue to be challenging for everyone, I want to encourage you to keep working hard to keep music alive in our schools, communities, and most importantly, in the lives of your students. They need music and us more than ever before. I’m reminded of the Proverb that says, “There is nothing certain, but the uncertain.” As band directors, we have always known that our students are the best of the best in our schools, and I truly believe you are all the best of the best teachers in your schools. With the power of music and our amazing students, we have an opportunity to help with the healing process and to be the positive influence moving forward that so many need right now.

Veteran teachers, please reach out to the new teachers in your area and offer your support, advice, and help. What a year to start a band career! We have such talented and gifted teachers in our state, and the support you can provide these new teachers is invaluable! Now, and even more importantly, after things start looking more like “normal,” we need to stress the importance of music education in our schools to both school and community leaders. The changes that have had to take place in so many places cannot be permanent. I would encourage you to take every opportunity you have, no matter what restrictions you currently have in place, to promote the positive things happening and the talented students you have in your program.

Please know that GMEA is working very hard to help all of us during this difficult time. While no plan is perfect and changes are inevitable, much thought has gone into every decision and change made. Travis and I are both committed not only to work very hard for the band di-

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vision this school year, but also to communicate with you in an effective and timely manner with all decisions and changes that may need to be made. Thank you all for your dedication and commitment to your students, programs, and schools. You are in my thoughts and prayers, and if I can be of any assistance this year, please do not hesitate to contact me. I know it can seem very cliché, but we really are all in this together, and together we can do so much!

CHORAL DIVISION Marla Baldwin Enjoy the Journey

I remember as a young, new teacher being annoyed by the old, grouchy teachers. They always thought they knew better than me. They didn’t seem to value the fact that I was fresh out of college where I was the star of concert choir. Obviously, I knew everything I needed to know about conducting a middle school chorus and certainly didn’t need their help. Then I blinked twice, twenty-five years have passed, and now I am the old, grouchy teacher trying to lead choir through Zoom. Oh, boy.

Yep, this pandemic has been a smack in the face to my teaching expertise. I really have no idea what I’m doing. Instead of preparing for concerts, I feel like I’m putting on a show for my students, just trying to keep them awake. At least the students are showing up for class, some in person and some still in Zoom, but we certainly don’t sound like the choir I directed last fall. If we manage to pull off a recognizable melody with some harmony splashed in, I call it a win for the day.

What makes all this stress manageable is knowing that I’m not alone.

The choral directors across this state have banded together to support each other. The meetings I attend are a mix of thinktank and support group. Every single time, I come away with another strategy to try. We are all recreating our curriculum; hearing what works for others means survival for me. We share our innovative ideas and disastrous failures, and then together, we forge a path forward. Why haven’t I been collaborating like this for my whole career? I could have learned so much from those old, grouchy teachers.

As I reflect on the past months, living through a pandemic, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned that it’s okay to be still. I don’t need to fill the calendar with a zillion rehearsals, performances and events for my program to have value. Even without all the fluff, my students are still showing up to sing, and we’re learning how music can soothe our fears

and frustrations. I’ve learned that a cool technology gadget cannot replace good teaching. I’ve learned that children want to be challenged and so do I. I’ve learned that the process of learning is more rewarding to me than the final concert.

The moral of the story is to enjoy the journey. I can look back and cherish each stage of my career, from the naïve know-it-all to the knocked down old fart. It’s always been about teaching kids to express themselves through music. Whether singing through a mask or singing alone with our students muted on Zoom, we can do this. There are going to be some moments of glory and some epic failures. Through it all though, just keep singing.

ELEMENTARY DIVISION Brianne Turgeon A few weeks ago several GMEA members from across the state participated in a planning/brainstorming Zoom meeting to determine how to best plan an elementary showcase to be livestreamed during #GMEAISC2021. We had a good chat and checked in with each other a little, and here is what we came up with: GMEA In-Service Conference Elementary Showcase, live streamed January 28, 2021 Rationale: Since we will not have the opportunity to see a live student ensemble performance at the in-service conference, we will hold a virtual student ensemble showcase with the goal of having a block of 5-7 minutes for each district to be represented. We hope to have a fair and equitable selection process that includes a variety of ensemble types-choruses, Orff ensembles, steel drums, bucket drumming, Modern Band, etc., to show what Elementary General Music is all about across our state!

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This is the ISC Elementary Showcase Submission Form Teachers are asked to upload or send a link to a performance of their students from this year or within the past 3 years.

• A panel made up of 1-2 teachers from each district will complete a blind rating of the performances based on the following criteria: *I - An exceptional performance in all areas.

I - A consistently outstanding performance in all areas.

II - A very good performance with only minor issues.

III - A performance demonstrating accomplishment but weak in several qualities.

IV - A performance containing numerous weaknesses within the performance.

V - A performance indicating a need for continued efforts in fundamentals.

• Based on ratings, the panel will select 5-7 minutes of performance time from each district that will be edited into the showcase.

• Any submissions not selected to be in the showcase and full performances of the edited submissions may be highlighted on the GMEA website elementary division page at the director’s request.

• We would like to highlight groups from every district.

• If you are a district leader and cannot take on this task, please invite someone to represent your district. Non-district leaders, contact your chair to express interest.

Timeline Submissions are due by December 1st.

Panel ratings are due by December 18.

If necessary, panelists will be invited to a final decision meeting date/time TBA. Showcase will be livestreamed on the evening of January 28.

GMEA Statewide Virtual Elementary Honor Chorus (#SEHC2021) February 13, 2021 Dr. Emmy Williams-Burch, Clinician Registration Guidelines • Each school may register five students for now. Alternates may be permitted to join once we determine participation. Typically, we have two choruses of 200 or so students, and this year we will have one combined chorus.

• Registration closes on December 1 (changed from Oct 20) • The cost is $35 per student and includes music, practice tracks, and working with Ms. Burch, plus the editor for the virtual choir • Students learn the music in advance, then work with Ms. Burch during the event Event Schedule *The conferencing link will be emailed directly to participating students and directors.

• Date: February 13 (Saturday only) • 9:30 AM- All Students meet with organizers (attendance checkin and meeting norms).

• 10 AM – 12 PM- Clinic with Ms. Burch.

• After working with Ms. Burch, students will record themselves performing the song using the skills and techniques they learned during the event.

• Specific instructions on filming and submitting will be sent upon registration; however, do not turn in recordings until AFTER the event on February 13. All videos are due no later than February 26.

Repertoire Sheet music and part tracks will be distributed directly to students via email after registration is completed. Information will be sent via the email used at registration - please double check that for accuracy as this is not easily changed.

We want our elementary kids to be able to shine in person and online!

All the best!

Brianne

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DIVISIONNEWS ORCHESTRA DIVISION Sam Lowder If today were a normal October day... I never knew that I would miss that word, normal; or common, or customary, or regular, or expected. But today is not a normal day. We have not had a normal week nor month in quite some time. When I submitted my previous (Winter) article for Georgia Music News, I confessed how difficult it was for me to find the proper words during that unprecedented time. That article also contained the statements, “If it were ____, then ___...” Well, it is no longer ____, and it may honestly never be ___ again! I believe that we are all coming to terms with the new realities we are facing. Through countless generations, the world, societies, governments, administrators, teachers, parents, students, and music education itself have all changed, adapted, evolved, and survived. Even though most of the important events surrounding our career are going to look, feel, and be different for now, they are still going to “be.” That is encouraging. Still “being” is adapting, evolving, and surviving. I want to encourage you to move beyond surviving, on to thriving! Continue to look for the positives that seem hidden deeply today but will make better teachers and teaching, better students and learning, better auditions and performances, better civilians, and a better planet tomorrow.

Will you permit me to share with you what I recently shared with my students’ parents?

“A middle school adolescent is often like a boat without a rudder, or paddle, or sail, or motor, depending on the individual student and the day of the week. At times, the boat even has a few holes in it, and is takes on water. Like the boat without those navigational components and a few small leaks, the middle school adolescent will often drift off course, sometimes start sinking, and could possibly get lost at sea.

This is my 24th year of teaching Orchestra, and it is by far the most difficult one. The "freedom" that comes with learning at home, where the routine/schedule, comfort, privacy, aloneness, and the conditioning of the familiar environment and surroundings are so much in contrast to a classroom full of in-person students and friends. And with that "freedom" comes the requirement of an even greater deal of personal responsibility and self-discipline. Combine those elements with the pandemic and its dangers, financial difficulties and job insecurity, social injustice and civil unrest, an overdose of politics an election year brings, and we make an already difficult time of learning (growing up in general) almost impossible! It is also extremely different and difficult for those attending school on campus as well, masked up, worried or scared, and socially distanced with limited contact to anything or with anyone, not even a "high five." Like I said, tough times for everybody...

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But, we press on. We patch the holes, we raise the sails, we repair the rudder, we gas up and oil the motor, or we lower the oars and we paddle onward. We get through the rough waters. Together.”

We all know it is not easy. So many of our close friends and family are literally fighting for their lives. The stress, the fear, and the exhaustion are very real. But, I see a togetherness like never before. The newer teachers entered the career with technology skills far beyond those who entered the classroom even five years ago. The veterans are being forced, or allowed if you choose to look at it that way, to return to what I consider the secret art of teaching – finding new ways to share and communicate the content when facing many new obstacles. In other words, adding to our “bag of tricks.”

The game has changed. The uniform (masks), the practice field (classrooms), the championship stadium arena (the performance stage), even the rules (WHO/CDC guidelines), have all changed. The players have not changed and the coaches have not changed. Except for the better. One thing that is not happening is that we are not becoming weaker teachers or a losing team. We will continue to find innovative ways to win the game!!

I really want to encourage you to stay in the game. Plan to attend the virtual conference. Continue to support your colleagues and their students. They did not forfeit! Continue to fill your bag with new tricks to be the most successful teacher you can be. If you feel it safe to do so, register your students for the GMEA 2020-2021 orchestra events such as the virtual (if offered) fall or spring Solo and Ensemble, the virtual district and final all-state auditions, and even Large Group Performance Evaluation. Stay in the game.

In closing, I want to thank the members of the orchestra standing committee and the all-state organizers for the tremendous work they have been doing and will be doing for our organization this year: Bo Na, Bill Scruggs, Emily Calhoun, Sara Grimes, Patricia Cleaton, Kathy Saucier, Lori Buonamici, Carolyn Landreau, and Rae Litowich.

I want to also thank our statewide all-state organizer, Evelyn Champion, our orchestra state chair-elect, Stephen Lawrence, and as always, my predecessor, my mentor, and my friend, Bernadette Scruggs. On a personal note, I want to thank Paul Robbins for being one of the best Georgia music educators I have ever known.

I continue to hope and pray that, upon reading this article, you and your loved ones are getting well or staying well, physically, spiritually, emotionally and musically. It remains my great honor and privilege to know you and to teach with you.

Peace, Love and Encouragement, Sam Lowder orchestra@gmea.org

CIVIC ACTION FIELD GUIDE FOR MUSIC EDUCATION

Representing music educators, students, and advocates, NAfME is dedicated to ensuring the accessibility, presence, and perseverance of quality music programs taught by certified music educators, for all students across the nation, regardless of circumstance. Through active advocacy and collaboration, we are changing the national conversation about music’s role in delivering a well-rounded education to all students.

NAfME designed the Civic Action Field Guide to help music educators and education stakeholders better understand the processes behind how public education is governed and funded, with an eye toward supporting high-quality music education in districts and at the state level across the nation. With this Guide, you will be able to: •

Understand how public education is governed and funded

•

Identify key elected officials in public education and their election cycles

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Identify candidates and their stances on education issues

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Register to vote

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Understand the well-rounded education programs found in Title I, Title II, and Title IV, and learn how to advocate for the availability of these funding streams to your music program under ESSA (the Every Student Succeeds Act)

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Contact your elected officials and advocate for music education

Download your copy today at bit.ly/NAfMECivicActionFieldGuide.

Questions? Email advocacy@nafme.org or call 1-800-336-3768.

FA L L 2019 | G E O RG I A M U S I C N E W S

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IN MEMORIAM Covid 19 has affected all of us. In addition to those who have caught the virus and recovered or those who have lost their lives to this despicable disease, we have become fearful of our own safety, learned to live differently and often have had cause to lose faith in institutions and individuals who in the past had been entrusted with our safety and well-being. Among the multiple thousands of victims of the virus are two respected and revered music educators and GMEA members. I know there are others as well, but I would like to take the opportunity in this article to take part in sharing the lives of Robert Lawrence and Norman Bernal.

He was one of the founders of the Gwinnett County Strings program, but also continued his playing career as a founding member of the Atlantis String Quartet and concertmaster of the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his talents as a teacher/performer, he was also a luthier and crafted violins in the Bernal Violins Shop. In Gwinnett county Norman taught at Shiloh Middle School, Trickum Middle School, and Parkview High School. He also spent several summers as the orchestra director of the Georgia Governors Honors Program. This is in addition to numerous tours of South America and Europe as a performer.

These giants of our profession were different in some ways. One was a band director, the other an orchestra director. One was born in the deep south and one chose to emigrate to the United States to fulfill his dreams. They experienced different backgrounds in growing up and in their paths to becoming the great teachers they were. What they had in common is so much more significant. They shared an uncompromising love of music and young people. They possessed the persistence, kindness, and character to make everyone with whom they had contact better for knowing them. They were role models on and off the podium. One of the best definitions of integrity I have ever heard is, “doing the right thing when no one is looking.” Both exemplified the true spirit of that definition.

Amish Trivedi is a poet and a teacher who began taking violin with Mr. Bernal in 1995. He shared how Norman Bernal was more than just a teacher and how he helped his students get through the stresses of adolescence in addition to developing a lifelong love of music. Norman retired from teaching public school in 2012 and continued to teach at First Redeemer Conservatory of Music and Fine Arts. Countless strings teachers have conveyed to me the kindness, caring, and generosity Norman shared with them. He valued people for who they were and always encouraged everyone with whom he came in contact. His quick wit, sense of humor, and love of life were always with him. Peter Lemonds, a highly respected colleague of Norman said that, “He was so different from others in that he was always a gentleman. He was courtly and kind and particularly chivalrous. I never saw him grumpy, but always happy and laughing about something. Though he was a magnificent musician, he also loved working with middle school-aged players. Even when he was ill, he was planning on the next concert…”

Norman Bernal was born in Lima, Peru, and, at the age of seven, was awarded a scholarship to study violin at the National Conservatory of Music in Lima. He moved to the United States, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee, a Master’s Degree from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, and a doctoral fellowship in violin performance at Ball State University in Indiana. He began his teaching career at Pacific Union College in Napa County, California, and moved to Georgia in 1979, where he remained until his passing in early September of 2020.

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Dr. Robert (Bob) Lawrence earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Troy University, where, in 1979, he became the first black drum major in the school’s history. Forty years after that historic event, Bob was invited back to Troy University to serve as an honorary drum major for the Sound of

the South. Bob studied for his Master’s Degree at Boston University and then earned his doctorate at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, Illinois. In addition, he was a highly decorated Army Ranger, earning 17 commendations for distinguished service. In an article written

by Atlanta Journal and Constitution reporter Maureen Dowdy, she shared that the Georgia Teacher of the Year Association and the Georgia Retired Teacher of the Year Association, as well as Walmart Industries, recognized Bob as an outstanding educator. Troy University Director of Bands, Dr. Mark Walker recounted, “His impact on folks at Troy, even though it was a few decades ago, a teacher of his quality and standing influences people all over. He influences them in terms of modeling correct behavior, and musicianship, and leadership and what it means to be a good person and care about other people.”

I first met Bob when I accepted a part time position with the Clarke County Schools in 2006 as a part-time Fine Arts Consultant. From our first meeting Bob was always bigger than life. As we worked together for many years, our friendship continued to grow. Of the countless memories I have of Bob, I would like to share just two. When he was going to be away, he would always ask me to rehearse his band. I cannot tell you how much I looked forward to these times. His students ran everything themselves, including taking roll and a standard warm-up. When I stepped on the podium, it was as if Bob was up there with me. In all the years that I worked with the band, I never had to stop for any reason other than working on the music itself. One particular year I was in Bob’s Band Room, I noticed an empty chair in the flute section. I asked why it was empty every time. Bob told me that was for Gracious. Gracious was Grace, one of his students who had been injured in a terrible car accident. He never forgot or lost faith that she would recover. This is how Bob was about all of his students and all of his friends. He was always there for you and he always gave more than he expected to get back.

Bob was quoted as saying, “My favorite part of teaching is experiencing the musically inspired growth and maturity

of my students; consequently, all should know that change is a process, not and event.”

The privilege of being in Bob’s band room will always be with me. Indelibly etched in my mind is Bob telling his students, “To those who much is given, much is expected.” This is how he led his life. He pushed himself to the very limits in everything he did and rejoiced in the love and satisfaction he made in the lives of all made better for knowing him.

Another frequent visitor to Bob’s band room was Cynthia Johnson-Turner, director of bands at the University of Georgia. Cynthia shared, “I will always remember Robert as a big bear of a man who was welcoming, friendly, vulnerable and honest. He cared deeply for his students and his family. I admired his presence in the room. I shall miss him.”

This past spring, Bob made the decision to retire from teaching. I had moved from Clarke to Baldwin County in a similar Fine Arts consultant position. Bob almost took a position with us, but decided not to consider the job in favor of spending more time with his wife Mary and 5-year-old daughter, Rylee, making this loss even more heartbreaking for all of us who knew and loved him.

Whether you had the privilege of knowing these remarkable gentlemen or did not have the joy of crossing their paths, please take a moment to honor their spirit, their legacy, and the everlasting difference they made in the lives of so many of us.

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Fixer Upper

HOW STAYING THE COURSE AMID THE UNFAMILIAR HELPED ME REDEFINE SUCCESS AND REBUILD AN ENSEMBLE

DAV I D

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RE P RI NTE D BY P E RM I SS I ON F ROM IN F OR M MAGAZINE (INDIANA MUSIC EDUC ATIO N ASSO CIATION), VOL. 73, NO. 1, FAL L 2018

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re we (or future teachers) equipped to authentically lead students who are culturally unfamiliar to us? How do we build a community for the unique students in our rehearsal rooms, even when they do not look like us?1 And how are we defining success in building these communities? Is it based on an idealized suburban school experience? Is success different for rural schools? For urban schools? Schools with ample resources versus those with no high-speed internet?

In a community that barely meets basic needs versus one that includes only people of a certain class or race? Am I successful only if my biography says, “his ensembles have consistently received superior ratings at district and state events?”

I often shy away from simplistic “this or that” choices. Every community is complex; our schools are inevitably reflections of larger societal and systemic issues.2 Yet my own background sometimes feels like “either/or.” I grew up in rural Appalachia and attended a small, mostly white high school. My first job was in a “majority-minority” urban high school.

These were certainly opposites, stereotypes crystal clear. Who was I to lead such a program?

I did my research, knowing there was “room for growth,” to put it mildly. I made to-do lists eager to “fix” things. In most home improvement shows, initial excitement wears off and unexpected high-dollar problems show up. In my rebuild, this literally included a leaking storage room roof, not to mention how hard it was to actually make music.

The lists piled up. Nothing was right. Everything needed immediate attention. When you start to notice systemic problems entangled with your own job, things get overwhelming. The challenge of rebuilding a program quickly spiraled into a bigger renovation than I bargained for. Two weeks in, while making copies for guitar class (I do not play guitar), I knew I could not quit, but I did not know how long I could go on without some feeling of success. A superior rating at a festival was worlds away.

I kept after the basics, focusing on initial fundamentals. Marching rehearsals began as expected with

posture, standstill positions, mark-time. Then we started, well, marching. I maintained expectations, but not the right ones for the moment.3 I was hyper-focused on teaching a concept, not the students learning it.4 Weeks of doing the same thing left exactly none of us feeling like we were making progress. “Meeting students where they are” was less about allowing them to define a standard, and more about discovering the highest possible potential given their existing skills.5 Then, I could identify what new skills would help realize that potential.

I changed my approach toward management and discipline. The truth is, I saw more than one piece of band room furniture leave the ground and heard plenty of expletives leave students’ mouths. A harder truth? Sometimes the school environment and external community fostered this culture.6 Even when the “good kids” came into music class, changing the vibe they witnessed in the hallway was tough. Really tough. As it turned out, keeping the furniture on the ground was a good day, but it was not a defining measure of “success.”

Reinforcing appropriate behavior must not occur at the expense of lowered musical expectations.

Students are always learning something. If they are praised for staying seated, but they always sit with poor posture, they have learned another, arguably more harmful behavior that will hinder musical success. Students are fast to perceive inconsistent expectations: “He told us how great we were when we sat like this last week. Now I’m getting yelled at!” There is a difference between being a disciplinarian and committing to a discipline.7 Expectations pertain to us, too. It seemed so obvious: maintain the facilities; establish good communication; connect with feeder programs and school scheduling staff. But in the face of difficulty, these became lowest priority, seemingly pointless. Crisis management was part of the gig, to be sure. A full overhaul of the music library was not my most pressing issue, no matter how much it bothered me. Nevertheless, attending to these smaller priorities—even if slowly, over time—made me a more effective teacher in the

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classroom and administrator of my program.8 As my students began to meet higher expectations, it was imperative that I met the same standards.9 I functioned best when I worked to maintain a balance between classroom teaching and these fundamentals: •

Organization. It is important to care for the physical space where the ensemble meets in order to promote your procedures and foster students’ valuing of that space, their “community center.” Students will find it easier to be careless with an instrument or knock down a stand if the room is a mess.

•

Communication. Your itinerary might not convince everyone to show up for a concert, but consistent and varied methods of communication shows the importance of the information you distribute and respect for the time of participating students. Additionally, your thoroughness can influence parents and administrators whose support might be invaluable for bigger building projects down the line.10

•

Scheduling. The external factors in the class scheduling process are numerous, overwhelming, and seemingly out of an individual teacher’s influence.

And yet, this process may be one of the most important factors to building a successful program and community.

In undertaking a rebuilding effort, understand and accept invisible successes associated with the parts of your job that seem unrelated to music-making. We do not get any trophies for organization, communication, or scheduling. But we must value what those things enable.

In the lowest moments, I at least knew I communicated all I could, gave every effort to place students in the right class period, and neatly stored chairs and stands. That counts for a lot when you come in to face another day.

Of course, what I describe is not necessarily unique to urban or rural schools. These best practices (and my working through them in a first job) are not extraordinary, not representative of an innovative technique or breakthrough method. If anything, the list of what I wish I could try again is longer than my initial to-do lists. Every job has a first year with “what have I gotten myself into?” But urban and rural schools can amplify these “normal” feelings.

In urban centers, racial and economic divisions—combined with policies of choice—give individual schools within the same district distinct advantages, disadvantages, and reputations.11 In rural areas, economic hardships

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are widely expected but “visual diversity” can be practically non-existent.12 Both are known for revolving doors of staffing. These are not the “good jobs,” nor the coveted practicum placements in which our future teachers prepare. After living in such “opposite” communities, I found them to be more alike than different, especially in comparison to more economically and racially balanced schools.13 Rebuilding in these environments requires new definitions of “success.” I had to alter my own expectations when compared to my initial personal and professional goals. After starting to understand the vast complexities of the school, I saw many new teachers depart after one year or less. That is, regrettably, something we have normalized. Preparation programs often define these jobs as stepping-stones to more “desirable” positions.14 Even school administrators working in “difficult” districts acknowledge “a good teacher here will be a great teacher in County X.” For a teacher who stays, stagnant progress can result in crippling self-criticism. Difficulties and differences become debilitating. Intense systemic issues make fundamental tasks harder to manage in the face of crises. The longer those tasks go unmanaged, the more difficult it is to overcome the crises, and the harder it is to stay on the job. Discouraged, feeling incapable, teachers move past searching for a new job and instead seek a new profession. Rapid turnover perpetuates the problems. A cycle takes hold. The revolving door spins.

Until recently, I thought my undergraduate training had uniquely prepared me to deal with the environment I found in my first job and protected me from getting caught in the revolving door. I realize now that other factors—my faith, upbringing, Type A personality— were also at play. In hindsight, token “diversity training” was not meaningful preparation. But I strongly credit my teachers and alma mater for helping me learn that most meaningful success comes from setting, and consistently maintaining, clear expectations.15 Learning how that worked in the context of my own discomfort was the real challenge.16 That is at the heart of what I have come to understand about my experience. I do not feel what I did was extraordinary, but where. A “difficult teaching environment” does not mean teaching in spite of students, but that your teaching must penetrate through more noise.

Food insecurity, unstable housing, gang violence, drug addictions, systemic racism, abject poverty—these do not excuse poor posture or a disheveled rehearsal room.

They do make working on them harder.

It is hard when you incur verbal abuse on hall duty. It is hard when traditional ideas of consequence are ineffective. Hard when you are navigating uncomfortable differences, including your own racial identity. Hard when teachable moments are less about music and more about violent realities.

exceptional I defensively questioned other teachers’ experiences, wanting to know free and reduced lunch rates or demographic breakdowns. In my frustration at the system and overwhelmed that I could not change it, I was as quick to judge the same teachers at “good schools” who I felt were judging me.

Imagine a young white music educator, crisply dressed in shirt and tie. One of his band students, a young Black man, erupts with an angry outburst in an adjoining classroom. The band director knows a trip to the office will not produce meaningful change. But a conversation between the two, meant to diffuse, is not working. “Y’all always on my case just ‘cause I be gettin’ mad sometimes. It’s no big deal,” says the student. The teacher nervously takes a beat, anxious for what he is about to invoke in the conversation:

So why do I count myself successful? Here again I cannot offer a breakthrough discovery. Sure, I was careful not to let empathy for student hardships mean lowered expectations. I tried not to let difficulties become excuses. But I only learned and practiced those skills by sticking with the work, allowing it to happen over time.18 That very real, very hard conversation above? It happened the last semester of my last year.

“The reason I’m talking to you about how to react, how to deal with authority, is because it is a big deal outside of school. Say we both get pulled over for a busted taillight and we both react angrily. I’m probably coming out of it okay, maybe even without a ticket. You? No guarantees. And only ‘cause we look different. I hate that reality. It’s wrong. But it’s true. I worry that me talking to you now just seems like another white guy on your case. Then again, if I say nothing and something bad happens to you outside of school, that’s on me. My silence taught you it was okay to react that way. I’m the guilty one for letting it go. I’d rather be honest with you.

I’d rather admit that it scares me.”

Such an interaction might not have changed anything for the student. He might have calmed down to get it over with faster. But the teacher? The teacher realized the power of vulnerable honesty. Not as a behavior management tactic, but as a pathway for learning.

Learning how to be a better teacher by learning about oneself.

The teacher was changed.

The teacher was me.

I stayed for four years—a long time compared to other teachers in that environment. One of my three feeder middle schools had four directors in three years (none of them for an entire academic year).

I am embarrassed to admit that some of my motivation to stay in that extraordinary place felt like a higher mission. Maybe an underlying selfishness, or even a savior complex.17 There were times I felt my situation was so

Now, there is something to be said for finding your place and your calling. (I knew early on, for example, that I was not cut out for elementary school teaching.)

But there is also a lot of merit in learning how to be

fruitful where you are planted. It is a bit hypocritical.

We teach the importance of recruitment and retention, espousing the value of committing to an activity and investing in it. But we are not equipping teachers to continue their investment. That very real, very hard conversation? It was not outlined in any of my music education method books.19 I took two other job interviews at the end of my first year to be closer to my significant other. And to be frank, though I hoped to stay, both of the other offers were very attractive. Established, supported, musically fulfilling programs—things we have normalized as success. Moving could make me a “great” teacher. I could have “stepped up.” Fortunately, I found personal and emotional support to stay, to commit to place.

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As a result, I think I got more out of the experience than my students! But if we do not invest fully in a place, with our unique talents and skills, how can we expect to change the status quo?

We must teach and learn how to BE in a place. We must be citizens of place.20 Citizens who value what comes from patience, believing that to change or rebuild, we cannot simply move away any time we feel uncomfortable. Is our current curriculum teaching us that if something is hard, or if we are uncomfortable, we can easily leave—especially if we are privileged?

Redefining success is not an admission of defeat, nor implying students are incapable of high achievement.

Redefining success means that our resumes, rather than listing accomplishments, may describe meaningful experiences and questions they raised. Yes, we still understand the art of teaching to include best practices, methods, and learning theory. But we must teach how those things work in environments unfamiliar to us, what they mean from others’ perspectives. We must teach that to be a citizen of a different, sometimes difficult place can mean more than any accolade. If we commit to teaching that citizenship, to engaging with the uncertainty and fear it carries, we commit to investing in programs traditionally kept in the fixer upper category—the programs that need music’s community most.

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I felt guilty when I left that job, fearing I had abandoned students, parents, colleagues—fellow workers on the rebuild. But it was not abandonment because the work was not only mine, nor was it about me. Today, that program progresses under stable leadership, facing shared community challenges with increasing musical ability and achievement. The work never ends.

You keep learning. You carry your experiences with you. And if you commit to honoring the stories of the communities in which you work, your students will have taught you how to be a better teacher.

Success.

Notes Bates, Vincent C. 2011. "Preparing Rural Music Teachers: Reflecting on "Shared Visions"." Journal of Music Teacher Education 20 (2): 95; DeLorenzo, Lisa C. 2012. Sketches in Democracy: Notes from an Urban Classroom. Plymouth, UK: Rowman & Littlefield Education, 99; Emdin, Christopher. 2016. For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood...and the Rest of Y'all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education. Boston: Beacon Press, 7.

2.

See for example Frey, Andy, and Wilson, Michael. 2009. "The Resegreation of Public Schools." Children and Schools 31 (2): 79-86; Godwin, R. K., Leland, S.M., Baxter, A. D., and Southworth, S. 2006. "Sinking Swann: Public School Choice and the Resegregation of Charlotte's Public Schools." Review of Policy Research 23 (5): 983-997; Kruse, Kevin M. 2019. "Traffic." The New York Times Magazine, August 18: 48-49.

3.

Bain, Ken. 2004. What the Best College Teachers Do. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 74-75.

4.

Ibid., 97.

5.

Emdin, 207.

6.

DeLorenzo, 72.

7.

Emdin, 109-110.

8.

Ibid., 207.

9.

DeLorenzo, 34 and 99; Rhoden, Myra K. 2019. "Creating 'the Standard' and Sticking to It: The Why, the What, and the How." The Midwest Clinic. Chicago.

10. Anderson, Stevem Armon and Denson, Gregory Lamar. 2015.

"Preparing the Successful Urban Music Educator: The Need for Preservice and In-Service Development." Music Educators Journal, June: 38.

11. See for example Hannah-Jones, Nikole, interview by Terry Gross.

2017. How the Systematic Segregation of Schools is Maintained by 'Individual Choices' Philadelphia, PA: Fresh Air, (January 16). https://freshairarchive.org/segments/how-systemic-segregation-schools-maintained-individual-choices; Joffe-Walt, Chana.

2020. Nice White Parents. podcast. Prod. Julie Snyder. New York, July. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/23/podcasts/ nice-white-parents-serial.html; Ravitch, Diane. 2010. The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education. New York: Basic Books, Perseus Books Group.

1.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

Meckler, Laura and Rabnowitz, Kate. 2019. "The Changing Face of School Integration." The Washington Post, September 12.

Bates, 94; See also Hanford, Emily. 2017. "Keeping Teachers: Schools in poor, rural districts are the hardest hit by nation's growing teacher shortage." APM Reports. American Public Media Reports. August 28. Accessed March 8, 2020. https://www. apmreports.org/story/2017/08/28/keeping-teachers; Kuehne, Jane M. 2017. "The Elephant in the Room: Race Conversations in Our Classrooms." National Association for Music Education.

June 30. https://nafme.org/elephant-room-race-conversations-classrooms/.

Bates 54; see again Hanford.

DeLorenzo, 55; Hicken, Leslie W. 2013. "Instrumental Music Methods." Furman University. Greenville, SC. (class notes held by the author); Hunt, Catherine. 2009. "Perspectives on Rural and Urban Music Teaching: Developing Contextual Awareness in Music Education." Journal of Music Teacher Education 18 (2): 41.

DeLorenzo 35; Emdin 9-10, 19-20, 23.

See for example Biewen, John. 2017. "Danger (Episode 11)." Seeing White: Scene on Radio. podcast. Edited by Loretta Williams.

Center for Documentary Studies. Durham, North Carolina, June 28. http://www.sceneonradio.org/episode-41-danger-seeingwhite-part-11/; DeLorenzo, 77; Hunt, 42.

Bain, 175; Hunt 43-45.

See for example Kuehne; Tatum, Beverly Daniel. 2017. Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria (And Other Conversations About Race). revised edition. New York City: Basic Books.

Bates, 92; Emdin, 138; Stanley, Talmage A. 2012. The Poco Field: An American Story of Place. Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield: University of Illinois Press, 187-194.

David Stanley

David Stanley is a graduate assistant for the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia. He previously served as Director of Bands at William Fleming High School in Roanoke, Virginia. His upbringing in rural Southwest Virginia, combined with his urban teaching experience, informs his studies about music education, regional identity, and the changing power of sharing community with others.

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TIME FOR CHANGE IN YOUR APPROACH TO TEACHING? A n I n t rodu cti o n to the C o m preh en s i v e M u s i ciansh i p thro ugh P erfo rm a n c e Teac h i n g Fra m e wor k

By Dr. Dustin Burgess Years ago, I attended a workshop at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. The workshop clinician explained how he taught his band classes differently than most directors teaching a performance-based class by incorporating theory, history, aesthetics, etc. into his lessons. Wait, aesthetics? Yes, aesthetics. I sat there thinking, “I do most of this in my classes,� and what I did not know was there is an actual teaching framework based on teaching complete musicianship in performance-based classes such as band, orchestra, and choir. This teaching framework is called Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP).

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In the current COVID-19 era, music teachers are facing challenges for which nobody has training or preparation. In a normal school year, in a performance-based ensemble class such as band or choir, most school music directors focus on improving the quality of performance ensembles. Teachers spend many hours of classroom instruction time rehearsing music ensembles will perform in the next concert (Alsobrook, 2002; Cooper, 2004). All too often, though, performance preparation consumes most of the classroom time with little emphasis on other areas of music education such as music theory, music history, and the aesthetic value of the music. There are many other musical concepts to teach beyond performance-related skills that many directors are missing because they are consumed with preparing for the next concert (Burton, 1990; Garofalo, 1976; Gleason, 2009; Labuta, 1997; Manfredo, 2006; O'Toole, 2003; Sindberg, 2012).

Maybe during these unprecedented times, music teachers will reflect on the goals and outcomes of their program and think about how to change the focus of what (and how) they are teaching their students.

Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) may be the teaching model that balances the scale between quality performance teaching and student learning outcomes as they pertain to the Georgia Standards of Excellence.

What is Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance?

Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) is a teaching framework for performance ensembles that aids directors in teaching the fundamentals of music performance (correct notes, rhythms, etc.) and connects students to more in-depth concepts such as music theory, music history, and the aesthetic qualities of the music. Theory, history, and aesthetic experiences connected to learning new music, learning new concepts, and reinforcing prior knowledge makes performing the music more meaningful and more memorable. A goal of a CMP teacher is to give students a more in-depth and comprehensive understanding of

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the music they are performing, not simply to prepare them for performance (Gleason, 2009; O'Toole, 2003; Sindberg, 2006; Sindberg, 2012).

The CMP teaching model is based on a five-point model, “for how to teach students to perform with a historical and theoretical understanding of the music and the creative process�(O'Toole, 2003, p. xi). Each component of the model corresponds to a point on a five-point star, and components include analysis, outcomes, strategies, assessment, and selection. The CMP model aids teachers in the planning process to help students make more meaningful connections with the music through performance (Wisconsin Music Educators Association, n.d.). The five points of the model are not organized in a hierarchical order- a teacher can start the planning process from any point on the model.

The first point of the CMP model discussed is analysis. Before a director can design a lesson using comprehensive musicianship concepts, the director must have a thorough understanding of the literature selected, and that comes through analysis (Garofalo, 1976). Analysis helps the director decide what elements of musicianship from the music they want the students to learn(Gleason, 2009). Analysis means not only a theoretical and formal analysis of the music, but an analysis of the history, genre, composer, and meaning behind the music. Analysis helps the director better teach the music because of the time they have spent analyzing it (O'Toole, 2003).

Outcomes is the second point and helps the teacher set clear goals for the ensemble. Goals for learning can be divided into three broad categories of skill, knowledge, and affective values of the music (O'Toole, 2003). The number of outcomes for a piece of music is unlimited, but needs to be kept in perspective with regard to the grade level of the students. The teacher plays an important role in deciding the outcomes for a piece of music because the outcomes will provide the structure for every lesson they teach (O'Toole, 2003; Labuta, 1997).

The third point on the five-point model is strategies, used to reach specific instructional goals (Garofalo, 1976). Strategies are where the real fun comes into play for the teacher because strategies are the creative ways to teach the outcomes. O’Toole asserts, “Teaching strategies are the teacher’s playground because they are an opportunity to be creative, motivational, and fun” (O'Toole, 2003, p. 43). Strategies should involve student-centered learning activities and can include visual, aural, and kinesthetic learning styles (Wisconsin Music Educators Association, n.d.). Strategies can be the most gratifying part of CMP because teachers are creatively designing the ways in which their students make better connections to the music (O'Toole, 2003).

Assessment is the fourth point of the CMP model and helps teachers create significant criteria for evaluation. Assessment is also critical for student growth because it keeps them aware of their development as musicians (Wisconsin Music Educators Association, n.d.). Assessment can be achieved through written tests, performance tests, writing journals, portfolios (O'Toole, 2003), individual and group projects (Labuta, 1997; Gleason, 2009). Assessments are a great opportunity for directors to showcase their students’ learning and to advocate the legitimacy of the music program (O'Toole, 2003).

The final point on the CMP five-point model is selection or music selection. Selection is the process in which teachers evaluate and analyze music to find literature that contains the desired teachable content and is at an appropriate ability level for the students (Wisconsin Music Educators Association, n.d.). Quality music selection is critical and should meet the needs and interests of the ensemble (O'Toole, 2003; Garofalo, 1976). Labuta observes, “Carefully selected band literature is the foundation of the proposed program; it is the basic material through which musicianship is developed” (Labuta, 1997, p. 14).

The five points of the CMP model – analysis, outcomes, strategies, assessment, and selection – can be taught in any order. Most teachers start with music

selection and pull components of the other four points of the model from the literature selected. Regardless of the order in which the five points are taught, the CMP model will assist the director in designing meaningful lessons so that the students may perform with understanding (O'Toole, 2003).

What Does the Research Say? The Contemporary Music Project, The Manhattanville Music Curriculum Project, The Hawaii Comprehensive Musicianship Program, and the Comprehensive Musicianship Project were all fundamental in helping establish what CMP is today. The Yale Seminar, The Northwestern Symposium, and the Institutes for Music in Contemporary Education were all vital in evaluating and restructuring CMP practices, proposing new ideas, and elevating CMP to a legitimate framework of instruction. Further review of these publications and conferences is recommended.

Research The effects of CMP on musical learning have been documented in numerous studies on almost every educational level: middle school (Sindberg, 2006; Whitener, 1983), high school (Garofalo, 1981; Sindberg 2006), and college (Bess, 1991; Boyle, 1971; Buccheri, 1990; Dodson, 1980; Kim, 1997; McGaughey, 1974; Ward-Steinman, 1987). CMP can be used in any musical setting: band, choral, strings (Russell, 2006), and applied music lessons (Heavner, 2005). Many teachers not trained in the components of CMP unknowingly use elements of it in their teaching every day (Willoughby, 1990).

An underlying problem is that many music directors feel teaching comprehensive musicianship is great in theory; but in real-world teaching, comprehensive musicianship is time-consuming and not a realistic possibility (Dodson, 1989; Labuta, 1997; Russell, 2006; Ward-Steinman, 1987). In a normal school year, many music teachers that have been approached about incorporating CMP lessons into their curriculum say,

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“I don’t have enough time”. What they mean is they do not have the time to write the lesson plans, take time from rehearsals to teach the CMP lessons, etc. In 2013, while I was a PhD candidate at the University of Florida, I conducted my own research to investigate teachers’ decisions to use CMP in their classroom and their attitudes toward using CMP for my dissertation.

The end goal of my study was to collect useable, new research data to help teachers decide whether to use CMP in their classrooms.

Since the current CMP model was founded in Wisconsin, and a part of their state initiative, the participants for my study included secondary music directors from Wisconsin who are members of the Wisconsin Music Educators Association (WMEA). They were emailed a survey and asked to provide information regarding their background and experience with CMP. Questions included the frequency with which teachers used CMP, the number of selections per ensemble with which they used CMP lessons, and the amount of time they devoted to planning and teaching CMP lessons.

They were asked about their personal feelings and attitudes towards CMP including questions on how important certain aspects of CMP were towards their decision to use CMP. The summarized results of my study are as follows: The aspects of CMP considered most important by surveyed music teachers were the CMP framework, which aided in planning and teaching and fostered more creative teaching. For young, inexperienced teachers, the CMP framework can be a valuable resource, providing organization and structure when planning or writing lesson plans. For the experienced teacher, using the CMP model can rejuvenate a passion for teaching by allowing the teacher to be creative in lesson plan design.

Teachers also reported using CMP lessons to be beneficial to the success of their programs. This finding is important because teachers who are looking

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for methods to improve their overall program should consider receiving CMP training and implementing it into daily use.

Teachers conveyed they did not lose valuable rehearsal time teaching CMP lessons and that the lessons were not time demanding. These findings are notable as losing valuable rehearsal time to CMP is one of the main concerns of teachers who elect not to use the CMP framework. Fifty-nine percent of the participants indicated they used CMP during the school year, ranging from one class one day a week to every class every day.

On average, participating directors spent 41 minutes per week and 10 minutes per day planning and writing CMP lesson plans. This data suggests that planning and writing CMP lessons is feasible and can be a part of something many teachers are required to complete anyway - lesson plans. Although CMP lessons can be demanding to prepare, teachers were divided evenly when asked if the time aspect of planning CMP lessons influenced their decision to choose CMP lessons; 52% said no and 48% said yes.

This study indicates directors feel they do not lose valuable time planning, writing, and rehearsing CMP lessons and that this time actually contributes to the success of their program (Burgess, 2013).

Summary Through personal conversations and by reading posts on different professional social media forums, just about every music teacher has had to change or adapt what they do on a daily basis due to COVID-19. Perhaps these unusual times will prompt music teachers to learn about and incorporate CMP into their programs.

Teachers looking to provide meaningful instruction during this time and beyond may find CMP to be a valuable tool. The Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance teaching framework is an asset for teachers who elect to use it and contributes to the success of performance-oriented programs.

Recommendations I highly recommend a foundational book in this framework called Shaping Sound Musicians by Patricia O’Toole. For further reading I also recommend Blueprint for Band by Robert J. Garofalo, Teaching

Musicianship in the High School Band by Joseph A. Labuta, and Just Good Teaching by Laura Sindberg.

CMP training and professional development workshops are held throughout the year and can be found on the Wisconsin State Music Educators Association website.

References Alsobrook, J. (2002). Pathways. Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc. Bess, D. M. (1991). Comprehensive musicianship in contemporary music project's southern region institutes for music in contemporary education. Journal of Research in Music Education, 39(2), 101112.

Boyle, J. D. (1971). Teaching comprehensive musicianship at the college level. Journal of Research in Music Education, 19(3), 326-336.

Buccheri, J. (1990). Musicianship at Northwestern. Journal of Music Thoery Pedagogy, 4(2), 125-145.

Burton, L. (1990). Comprehensive musicianship - The Hawaii music curriculum project. Quarterly Journal of Music Teaching and Learning, 1(3), 67-76.

Cooper, L. G. (2004). Teaching band and orchestra. Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc. Dodson, T. A. (1980). The effects of a creative-comprehensive approach and a performance approach on acquisition of music fundamentals by college students. Journal of Research in Music Education, 28(2), 103-110.

Dodson, T. A. (1989). Are students learning music in band? Music Educators Journal, 76(3), 25-29.

Garofalo, R. (1976). Blueprint for band. Gaelsville, Md.: Meredith Music Publications.

Garofalo, R. (1981). A new plan for concert band. Music Educators Journal, 32-39.

Gleason, C. (2009). Performing with understanding. Paper presented at a VanderCook College of Music Workshop: Chicago.

Heavner, T. (2005). The applied music lesson: teaching gifted and talented students utilising principles of comprehensive musicianship. International Education Journal, 6(2), 170-174.

Kim, Y. H. (1997). Comprehensive musicianship today: A case study of San Diego State University (Doctoral Dissertation). New York: Columbia University.

Labuta, J. A. (1997). Teaching musicianship in the high school band. Galesville, MD: Meredith Music Publications.

Manfredo, J. (2006). Effective time management in ensemble rehearsals. Music Educators Journal, 42-46.

McGaughey, J. (1974). Teaching music theory: The university. Journal of Music Theory, 18(1), 46-50.

O'Toole, P. (2003). Shaping sound musicians. Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc. Russell, J. A. (2006). Building curriculum-based concerts. Music Educators Journal, 92(3), 34-39.

Sindberg, L. K. (2006). Comprehensive musicianship through performance (CMP) in the lived experience of students. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University.

Sindberg, L. K. (2008). The evolution of comprehensive musicianship through performance (CMP) - A model for teaching performing with understanding in the ensmeble setting. Contributions to Music Education, 36(1), 25-39.

Sindberg, L. K. (2009). Intentions and perceptions: In search of alignment. Music Educators Journal, 95(4), 18-22.

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References (continued) Sindberg, L. K. (2012). Just good teaching: comprehensive musicianship through performance (CMP) in theory and practice. Lanhan, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Education.

Ward-Steiman, D. (1987). Comprehensive musicianship at San Diego State University. Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, 1, 127-147.

Whitener, W. T. (1983). Comparison of two approaches to teaching beginning band. Journal of Research in Music Eduaction, 31(1), 5-13.

Willoughby, D. (1990). Comprehensive musicianship. Quarterly Journal of Music Teaching and Learning, 39-44.

Wisconsin Music Educators Association. (n.d.). Background of the Wisconsin comprehensive musicianship through performance project. Retrieved 2009 йил 10-October from Wisconsin Music Educators Association: http://www.wmea.com/CMP/about/background.html

Dr. Dustin Burgess

Dr. Dustin Burgess is the Music Education Director at Shorter University in Rome, Georgia. His complete research study dissertation can be found under the title Effects of Time Management and Time Perception on Teacher Usage of Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP). He can be contacted at dburgess@shorter.edu.

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music sound of my

The

heart

MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH ®

#MIOSM

|

nafme.org/MIOSM

|

®

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PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FROM THE FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT Did you know that the Fine Arts Department at the

We offer FREE, content-specific, statewide profession-

Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) offers a

al development opportunities through live and pre-re-

wide variety of opportunities for continued professional

corded webinars, self-paced online courses for music

learning as a Fine Arts educator?

teachers, and an informative infographic on Digital Teaching and Learning in the Arts. Check out our Ga-

Our goal is to provide content-specific professional

Some topics discussed in these webinars include:

of Georgia geared toward a whole-child education for

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our students. We provide a multitude of FREE, supplemental Fine Arts Instructional Resources (over 3,000+!)

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• It’s a Mystery! Making Mystery Music Lessons

teaching practice. These resources include curriculum maps, unit plans, lesson plans, lesson materials, presentations, and even some student manipulatives! There are sample resources for remote, blended, and in person teaching and learning! These resources are housed in the Teacher Resource Link (TRL) which can be found in your school district’s Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) platform or directly on our GaDOE Fine Arts Website under Instructional Resources as you scroll down the webpage.

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DOE Fine Arts Website to register for these webinars.

development for Fine Arts educators across the state

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• Digital Teaching and Learning in Music • The Big Picture: Comparing Cultural Pedagogies • Using Social Media for Arts Advocacy • Educating the Whole Child: Utilizing Title I, II, and IVA to Fund Arts Education

Do you oftentimes feel lonely in your school building

goal of this platform is to provide content-specific, virtual

or district as a Music educator? Do you find it hard to

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tors who don’t fully understand our specialized content

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you crave collaboration and connection with other

Music Technology. Be sure to check out our introductory

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Community Commercial. Georgia Music teachers can join today for FREE by creating an account using your

In addition to all of these great opportunities, the Georgia Department of Education has launched a new, innovative platform called GaDOE Community! The

school district email account. We can’t wait to connect and collaborate with you in the future!

Students and the Value of Music

BY LAUREN ROWE

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People have created, performed, and listened to music since the age of antiquity. Reimer (2000) categorizes music’s importance in human life as special and unique. Music is an extraordinary happening that occurs when humans’ engage with a musical work.

It evokes emotions that can transform ordinary situations into extraordinary moments.

Reimer (2000) discusses cultural music and the manner in which particular selections could make the human experience more memorable. In Reimer et al. (2002), “Why Do Humans Value Music,” he details how music affects the human without looking at the value of music from the perspective of music education and music students.

Currently, the curriculum is the driving force behind the value of music for the student. The music classroom has a profound impact on the way students appreciate and value music. Music teachers are held accountable for providing true music education. Since assessment often drives the current music curriculum, the following question must be asked. Are music educators helping students to find importance in music, or are they deterring students from valuing music? Moving forward, the author would like to expand upon Reimer’s ideas to meet the needs of the current climate in music education, examining the impact of underfunding curriculum on the music student.

Background on Current Music Education

Students in the United States are required to fulfill general music in the elementary setting but are not required to take music throughout grades sixth to twelfth. For example, Georgia offers music classes for all grades in elementary school. It offers a semester or year-long general music course for

middle and high school grades as an elective (Georgia Department of Education, 2019).

Public schools in Georgia grant students the option to participate in an ensemble: band, orchestra, or chorus. According to the Georgia Department of Education (2019), if a student does not choose an ensemble in middle or high school, he or she must attend a semester-long general music, visual, or digital arts course to fulfill their Fine Arts credit. Even though some high schools offer AP Music Theory, the course is not a requirement According to the Georgia Department of Education (2019), educators must utilize national and state standards to teach all music education courses. Music is turning to a more creative approach because of the current Core Music Standards from NAfME (2014). According to NAfME (2014), the standards are divided into four categories: “creating, performing, responding, and connecting” (p.1). The standards give students a chance to choose music, analyze songs, and create music.

For years, the units and lessons were teacher-driven. Now, the National Core Music Standards provide a more student-driven framework that allows the pupil to take charge of how he or she wants to learn.

Standards and Curriculum

The rise of the National Core Music Standards introduces creativity and critical thinking skills to all music students (NAfME, 2014). Students must explain musical expression within a piece of music (Nierman, 2006, p.11). A student might be asked, for example, “What musical aspects are present within the piece of music?” (NAfME, 2014, p.1) Instead of focusing on musical techniques like shifting and vibrato, students

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must find the emotion of the music (Nierman, 2006). The National Core Arts Standards (2014) encourage student understanding of style and genre of a piece of music to perform the musical work to its full potential.

Emotion helps to gear the child to appreciating and understanding the value of music.

The curriculum utilizes the praxial and aesthetic approaches together to create a more cohesive music education for the student. Students value music through the new curriculum because they can learn the technical aspects, as well as appreciate learning a variety of music. Reimer (2000) explains music as an “end and means.” The 2014 standards include reflection and questioning, encouraging students to understand the music at a deeper and more meaningful level. For instance, instead of learning music through only performance, students are asked to discuss the significance of a specific body of work. Performing a variety of musical works is a great way to learn different genres and styles of music. Each song teaches a wide variety of techniques that help the musician become a better player.

However, understanding the structure of a piece of music, its style, and artistry is just as important as learning the technical aspects.

A student needs to understand why a composer wrote a specific piece of music and why he or she made the particular musical choices present in the work. Understanding what the composer is trying to convey may alter how a young musician performs a given piece. Instead of teaching music based only on what is written on the page, an educator may want to experiment with giving students the reigns and having them make some decisions regarding musical interpretation.

Encouraging students to think critically and experience a selection comprehensively is essential.

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Implications Today, with the rise of technology, music is more available than ever before. Students have access to music 24/7 through internet platforms, social media, and even walking around a grocery store. The societal value placed on music is apparent in a more general sense. Music education, however, does not always seem to receive the level of support reflected in our society’s appreciation of music.

Since the early 2000s, budget cuts have been apparent in the public-school setting. At that time, schools eliminated music programs and entire classes (Nierman, 2006). Imagine a closet-sized classroom and 20-year-old scratched and broken instruments that have been passed down from student to student over the years. Students (and teachers) may leave programs like these, feeling unappreciated and unsupported by their administrations. Based on this scenario, the value of music in the classrooms starts to dwindle. The issues in the present music classroom are that music programs are underfunded or underappreciated. If a program is underappreciated or underfunded, students may not receive a quality music education. If a school does not have a quality program, students may see that music is not valued (Anglada-Tort, Steffens, & Müllensiefen, 2018). State of the art equipment, diverse music literature, and ambassadors of the school help students to feel appreciated (Harvey, 2018). Appreciation encourages students to value music in the classroom setting.

Conclusion Curriculum and standards are crucial for the music classroom, where students must learn to value music. Standards need to allow students to learn holistically about the music to gain more of an appreciation. As nations begin to value creativity and critical thinking, the NAfME the Core Music Standards emphasize these skills to provide the students a well-rounded music curriculum.

Even though performing a varied repertoire is crucial, creating a curriculum that asks students to consider the “why’s” is also important. Students need to be able to analyze and describe music instead of focusing on only the printed page. If students question the pieces, they may further appreciate and value the music.

A loss of learning music may occur when educators teach based only on an assessment. Instead of students receiving a well-rounded music education, each pupil is learning to prepare for a test. Assessments may not help students learn as richly as a more aesthetic approach because each examination is based solely on performance techniques. Students need to understand the music they are playing instead of worrying about how many pieces of music they can perform.

Teachers must advocate that music hold the same importance as academic classes to their administration. The music classroom has a profound impact on the way students

appreciate and value music. Perhaps, greater regard for the music classroom could lead to more funding for the arts. Music is a universal language and that all people should appreciate, but as music educators, we must provide students a well-rounded music curriculum that, above all, fosters them to value music.

References Anglada-Tort, M., Steffens, J., & Müllensiefen, D. (2018). Names and titles matter: The impact of linguistic fluency and the affect heuristic on aesthetic and value judgements of music. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts.

Georgia Department of Education. (2019).

2019-2020 State-funded list of k-8 subjects and 9-12 courses.

Harvey, P. A. (2018). Music and the meeting of human minds. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 762.

Reimer, B. (2000). Why do humans value music? In Madsen, C. K. (Ed.), Vision 2020: The Housewright symposium on the future of music education. Reston, VA: MENC. NAfME. (2014). 2014 Music Standards (Pk-8).

Nierman, G.E. (2006). Strategic prioritiesFocusing on standards and student dispositions. Music Educators Journal, (1). 10-11.

Nierman, G. E. (2015). From the President’s Keyboard: Standards 2.0—Beyond Discussion. Music Educators Journal, 101(4), 6-7.

Reimer, B., Palmer, A. J., Regelski, T. A., & Bowman, W. D. (2002). Why do humans value music?. Philosophy of Music Education Review, 10(1), 41-41.

LAUREN ROWE

Lauren Rowe is a music education Ph.D. student at Georgia State University.

She is the first Brains and Behavior fellow in the Music Department at GSU. Her research focus is on the effect of arts integration on creativity and divergent thinking, as well as improvisation and statistical learning.

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Writing Across Cultures: Creating Graduate Peer Support THE SOUTH AFRICA ESSAYS

Introduction The following essays were developed in partnership between students in two graduate courses at Georgia State University and North-West University (South Africa). The broad project was titled “Writing Across Cultures: Creating Graduate Peer Support� and incorporated elements of virtual exchange . . . which became extremely relevant as the Coronavirus pandemic unfolded in the spring of 2020. The co-authored essays were designed according to the course goals in the two universities: written manuscripts suitable for submission to academic journals, exploring aspects of music education as exhibited in different cultures and/ or countries. In addition to these three essays, others have been accepted for publication in The South African Music Teacher.

Faculty advisors for the project were Patrick K. Freer (Georgia State University) and Janelize Morelli (North-West University). Enjoy!

For more information, contact Patrick K. Freer at pfreer@gsu.edu

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A Comparison of Beginning Musical Experiences in South Africa and The United States ZANE FRANCO, GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BONGANE KHANYE, NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY, SOUTH AFRICA

This collaboration stemmed from Bongane’s and my interest in examining ways music education is rooted in our lives and professions. I, Zane Franco, write this from my perspective, taking into account Bongane’s musical experiences.

How do two men from different sides of the world with dissimilar music education experiences arrive at the same goal of becoming music educators? This comparative analysis of beginning instrumental programs in two different music education settings, South African and New York, will examine beginning experiences in music education settings. These experiences include choosing beginning instruments, fundamental content, recruiting techniques, method books, and teaching musicianship. Bongane and I wish to share our musical experiences, as students and teachers, to provide others with a picture of what music education may look like across the globe. We hope this exchange of perspectives can lead to exciting growth in music education practices between both cultures.

Bongane’s South African Musical Beginnings Bongane’s music education began outside of the classroom in a choral setting. He recalls, “My musical journey began at the salvation army church where my whole family was members. Music started when I was in the church choir, where I had no idea about instruments.”

Though Bongane participated only in the church choir, he shared that he was immensely curious about the mechanics of playing an instrument. Eventually, he decided he wanted to learn trombone, which lead him to his instrumental beginnings: Sadly, my friend, who was teaching people how to play instruments, told me that I’m too short to play trombone and can’t reach the last position on it. Also, there were already too many trombone players.

My friend then told me to try trumpet/cornet. This is where my instrumental musical journey started. So, we learn music very differently. We learn about music and how to play instruments through the church. We

learn through the music of church songs, and we were passed down music skills from other church members.

As Bongane recounts, some of the church members were trained in instrumental music because they played in army bands and police bands. Other members of the church also learned to play instruments through formal schooling. Bongane played mostly at church because, in his community, there are no bands other than an occasional soccer band. Most of the musical knowledge he gained before grade school and university, therefore, came from his church.

Zane’s North American Musical Beginnings

I have a vivid memory of the music room, tucked away in the corner of the third floor of Lincoln Elementary School in New York State. I fondly remember playing the recorder in fourth grade, a common example of the standard music education seen in the United States. Every day, I would excitedly follow the rustic brick roads to my school, eager to get to music class.

The recorder was the precursor to my passion for the instrumental musical world. In this general music class, we learned music fundamentals, which Laura Singletary describes as, “those concepts in any discipline that form a necessary base or core, and are of central importance.”21 This necessary base included how to read standard music notation, rhythms, how to sing, recorder techniques and proficiencies, and musical terminology. These elements closely aligned with the findings of Singletary that found that instrument technique, breathing, rhythmic literacy/accuracy, tone quality, pitch accuracy, note accuracy, articulation, and tempo are all the most essential fundamentals in beginning band.22

I realize now that these musical concepts and the instructional format of the class were a form of recruitment for the beginning band in middle school. Teaching the recorder allowed the elementary and middle school music teach-

ers a clear way to assess student readiness. Fisher and Hamburg describe how this assessment technique more effectively set up students with an instrument for an easily grasped level of success in beginning band settings.23 Upon entering the middle school band, I found that these early experiences guided me to the instrument I chose.

My first experiences in the middle school band included playing tests/fittings and touching/holding a variety of instruments, which Bazan finds to be the most common practices in the instrument selection process.24 I was allowed to be very tactile with my instrument choice, as I held the saxophone and imagined myself as the next saxophone virtuoso. Once the teacher determined that this horn was a good fit, I received my first method book, Essential Elements, Book One, from the series created by prominent music educators in the field. DeVito analyzed this method book and found that it taught the musical concepts of “…long tones, quarter notes, quarter rests, 4/4, 3/4, and 2/4 meter, eighth notes and rests and dotted half, quarter eighth notes and sixteenth notes.”25

All of these early experiences significantly influenced the instruction I provide my current students. I have modeled most of my teaching strategies and concepts after those of my teachers.

Perspectives of Musical Experiences

The South African Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement is the layout of content taught in creative arts, which include dance, drama, music, and the visual arts.26 This statement includes three specific topics to be taught in music class that encompasses musical concepts, content, and skills. These topics include music literacy, music listening, and performing and creating music. The American National Core Arts Standards, from 2014, similarly focus on creating, performing, responding, and connecting, which encompass a comprehensive range of musical knowledge and skills.27 The main differences are in the idea of connecting

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musical knowledge and skill with personal experiences and relating artistic approaches to the societal, cultural, and personal experiences within the context to increase musical understandings.28 These American standards target the synthesis of all musical knowledge gained. In contrast, the South African standards cover musical concepts that allow for specific ideas to be focused and learned. The South African school systems have the foundation phase, intermediate phase, senior phase, and grades 10-12.

This format is similar to the American school system where students enroll starting in pre-k, then move to elementary school, followed by middle school, and finishing with high school.

Bongane and I experienced dissimilar beginning musical experiences. While his initial music education was profoundly rooted in the music of his community and church, my experiences came from the formal education setting.

The exciting aspect of our different perspectives is the similar impact these experiences had on our musical futures- our divergent musical lives led us to the same professional goal of becoming music educators. We can also see two different models of music education that focus on music concepts, skills, and knowledge in ways that each serve their community. A blending of the two musical beginnings could provide individuals seeking music education opportunities that are rooted in community and formal education. These opportunities could provide a

more rich and deep musical experience. In the future, what would an aligned worldwide music education look like, and how would it impact the evolution of music education? It is clear that musical experiences, in any shape or form, are vital in the desire to continue music education into our professional lives.

Notes 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Singletary L. 2018. "Instructional content and frequency in the beginning band setting: Defining the fundamentals". Journal of Band Research. 54 (1): 49.

Ibid, 54.

Fischer, Bob, and Dave Hamburg. 2001. Improving Student Participation in Beginning Band Programs Through the Use of Effective Recruiting Techniques. 22.

Bazan, Dale E. 2005. "An Investigation of the Instrument Selection Processes Used by Directors of Beginning Band". Contributions to Music Education. 32 (1): 15.

Devito, Donald R. 2002. A Survey of Beginning Band Methods for Elementary, Middle and High School Band Programs.

South Africa. 2011. Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement. Grades 7-9, Senior phase Senior phase. Pretoria, South Africa: Department of Basic Education.

National Coalition for Core Arts Standards. 2014. National core arts standards.

Ibid.

Zane Franco

Zane Franco is the band director at Coleman Middle School, the flagship STEAM school in Gwinnett County. Zane holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from SUNY, Fredonia, and a Master of Music Education from Georgia State University. Zane is active in the marching arts community as a choreographer/technician. He has worked with schools such as Mill Creek High School, Buford High School, Marvin Ridge High School, Tarpon Springs High School, and many more. He also worked for the 2019 Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps. Zane looks forward to the future of music education.

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What's General Music?

Portraits from Johannesburg and Atlanta MEGAN GIBSON, GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA RETSEPHILE PITO, NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY, SOUTH AFRICA HANE VAN ZYL, NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY, SOUTH AFRICA When you hear the phrase, “General Music,” what do you think? Do you think about your music class from primary school where you would sing every week? Do you think about the piano class you took in high school? Or maybe you were not into music and were forced to take some music class, so you just signed up. General Music offers a variety of experiences for students and educators and can be defined differently in various parts of the world today. Cultures, values of music, and the shaping of education change every place you go. Johannesburg, South Africa, and Atlanta, Georgia, are 13, 303 kilometers apart, as well as on opposite hemispheres. As far apart as they are, their systems of music education, specifically, General Music education possess notable similarities as well as differences.

This article seeks to compare aspects of general music programs for grades 10-12 in Johannesburg and Atlanta.

A Year at a Glance

To start, let us take a look at how each area organizes education and the structure of an educational year. In Johannesburg, an educational year is four separate terms with term one beginning in January and ending in March. Term two begins in March and continues to June, while term three starts in July and finishes in September. Finally, term four begins in September and ends in December. In contrast, Atlanta public education consists of two semesters. The first term starts in August and continues until December, and term two begins in January and ends in May. Also during the summer months, June and July, summer school is provided to those that need remediation or choose to take an extra class. Summer school, however, is not required for all students.

General Music Requirements General Music requirements in Johannesburg differ greatly from those in Atlanta. In Johannesburg, when students reach 10th grade, they enroll in subject music. In subject music, depending on the school, students will have an option to choose one of three different focuses of study.

These focuses include Jazz, Western Art Music, and Indigenous African Music. They begin at introductory level in 10th grade, then, as they move to 11th and 12th grade, they progress to intermediate and advanced. Students spend the four terms of the school year learning about general music history, theory and aural training, and a performance topic.

In Atlanta, students may take the course whenever they choose, as long as the requirement is fulfilled within the four years of work in high school. After a student reaches grade 10, they will continue learning until grade 12. Students have the choice of which route of music education they can take. They may choose band, orchestra or chorus or they can take general music. General Music is seen as more supplemental than band, chorus and orchestra.

Students are only required to take one semester of general music, depending on each school’s requirements. At the end of the semester, students will have a performance exam, written exam, or project to show what they have learned over the semester.

What Guides Their Work?

Johannesburg and Atlanta structure their music courses differently and the organizational differences spark the question of what guides the day-to-day work in each program. In Johannesburg , according to the Department of Education, the Republic of South Africa states that there are three broad topics that are covered throughout the three years. These three topics include, musical performance and improvisation, music literacy and general music knowledge, and analysis. In these three topics, students are developing skills in solo and ensemble performances as well as improvisation. Students are also learning about theory, notation, sight-singing, and knowledge of music terminology. Lastly, students learn about form, history of the area of focus, western art music, jazz or indigenous African music, along with their composers and performers, music genres, and the South African music industry. In Atlanta, Georgia, there is no detailed guide on how to teach general music

education in high school. Each music educator teaches the standards provided and creates a curriculum based on these standards as well as the interests of students and the teacher. 29 Typically, in a general music education class, teachers teach piano, guitar, ukulele, and on occasion, music technology. Teachers shape and build with the instruments they already possess, using the standards to help structure, and create an exceptional and unique experience for students who are not in chorus, orchestra, or band.

Standards, Learning Outcomes and Assessments As is discussed above, there is no one way to teach general music in Atlanta- the teacher creates a unique experience informed by their circumstances and the students enrolled. However, there is a clear standard of learning for any approach taken. According to the National Association of Music Educators, standards include guitar, keyboard, and harmonizing instruments, composition, and theory, and music technology.30 From these standards, teachers pull which standards they will use to guide their learning and create a nine-week unit of their choosing.

In South Africa, the standards go along with the specified learning outcomes and the assessments at the end of the term. For example, for learning outcome one, music performance, and presentation, there is a proposed content of what should be taught toward the assessment standards. 31 When a grade ten reaches the assessment period, they are required to be proficient on a specific set of standards. From there, they are given an overall rating, from 1 to 6, and receive their final score from that class.

In Conclusion Overall, Johannesburg and Atlanta approach teaching general music differently. The key difference comes down to the educational calendar year. Johannesburg containing four terms over a year while Atlanta’s year encompasses two terms over ten months. There are some benefits to each schedule and could help

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shape their curriculums into something even more. One benefit is that Johannesburg puts a focus on general music and gives it a whole picture, whereas Atlanta places less emphasis on high school general music. If Atlanta created a more structured general music curriculum, perhaps more students would be interested in taking a general music route. Further, if students were required to take more than one semester of general music, they might have an increased opportunity to learn and grow more with music.

On the other hand, Atlanta’s open curriculum structure allows freedom to tailor the general music experience to the teacher’s resources, and teachers can build upon students’ interests. Students are getting opportunities to learn hands on through guitar, piano, and music technology, and teachers are getting to build based on what they see the students wanting

to learn. Johannesburg has a structured curriculum and might benefit from building on student interest. Further study might reveal the rationale behind each curriculum’s structure as well as a greater understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each.

As music is a universal subject, its implementation in various societies reveals differences in calendar organization, curriculum requirements, and expected learning outcomes. It also illustrates the manner in which various societies embrace music education and branches of teaching. Hopefully, the comparisons offered here provide new perspectives and insights on general music and music education across the globe.

Notes 1.

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3.

4.

5.

National Curriculum Statement. Department of Education, Republic of South Africa.

National Coalition for Core Arts Standards. 2014. National core arts standards.

National Coalition for Core Arts Standards. 2014. National core arts standards.

3 Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement § (2011).

Megan Gibson

Megan Gibson graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Music Education degree. She is currently in her fifth of teaching at Brookview Elementary and serves as part of the Fulton County Fine Arts Support Team. Ms. Gibson has completed her Level I and II Orff certification as well as John Feierabend’s First Steps in Music Certification. Outside of teaching, Ms. Gibson is pursuing a master’s degree in music education at Georgia State University. Ms. Gibson currently teaches kindergarten through fifth-grade General Music and holds a weekly chorus club.

Music Education and Social Emotional Learning This brochure includes key talking points for music education advocates to use as they communicate with decision-makers about the place of music education in any school setting.

Download your brochure at bit.ly/MusicEduSEL Questions? Email advocacy@nafme.org 40

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Constructivism and Improvisation in Select South African Musics ERIN MOORE, GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA MANQOBA MABENA, NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY, SOUTH AFRICA LUKHANYO MONCO, NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY, SOUTH AFRICA In a quest for student-centered learning practices, you may have encountered the word constructivism. But what does it mean? There are many definitions of constructivism. In its simplest terms, constructivism “refers to an individual constructing knowledge, and, therefore, a unique understanding of the world, through a synthesis of new and prior experiences.”32 The teacher plays a key role in carefully scaffolding these new experiences. Webster has synthesized many definitions of “constructivism” into four common points:

1. Knowledge is formed as part of the learner’s active interaction with the world.

2. Knowledge

exists less as abstract entities outside of the learner and absorbed by the learner; rather it is constructed anew through action.

3. Meaning

is constructed with this knowledge.

4. Learning

is, in large part, a social

activity.33

This article will demonstrate how to include constructivist practices in teaching music improvisation as well as the connection between improvisation and Xhosa and Setswana music.

Constructivist Learning Through Improvisation Incorporating constructivism into classroom processes allows for greater connection between students’ experience and interests by tying their interests to the subject matter. Improvisation is a great way to do this. To continue referencing Webster’s four points of constructivism, improvising forms knowledge through the learner’s interaction with peers and instructors; knowledge is constructed through active improvisation and not pas-

sive learning; the more students improvise, the more meaning they construct from what they learn does and does not work as well in various contexts; learning is a social activity, as all students are participating in call and response or improvising over the same melodies, etc., and are able to learn from each other’s improvisations as well as their own. Using improvisation in class not only fulfills national standards but also gives students agency over their own learning.

Even beginners who can only play one note can improvise. They can see how that note sounds over various chords and experiment with various rhythms.

Anyone can improvise, regardless of their instrument (or voice) or the style in which they play. Improvisation does not have to mean jazz, with which it is most commonly associated; it can apply to any style.

In 1993, Azzarra34 conducted a study on the effect of aurally taught improvisation techniques on fifth-grade band students’ musical achievement and found that students who received instruction emphasizing improvisation greatly outperformed those without improvisation training.

Xhosa Musical Traditions South Africa has grown more diverse in recent decades, and from this growth has emerged the need to preserve the cultures that have thrived here for generations. The Xhosa people of South Africa, who originated from the Eastern towards the Western coastline, are a well-known ethnic culture that is fond of using clicks as a mode of communication. It is said that their way of speaking descends from their ancestors, who are the ancient Khoisan people. The Xhosa people now cover a wide spread of area in South Africa, even reaching some parts of Zimbabwe today.

Xhosa people take their music seriously just like every culture in South Africa; for every ritual or celebration that takes

place, there is a song or songs that accompany that celebration. Improvisation has played a major role in composing these songs, whether rhythmically or lyrically, and this ensures the communities are united through these songs.

There are a number of dances, like the Intlombe, a dance for young adults, that are specific to gender and age groups.35 The Intlombe is for initiated men and women who are not yet married. The Etshwaleni is a dance for the beer drinkers in the village, and Umnqungqo is a dance for women who help young ladies go into initiation. I will be focusing on the dance of the traditional doctors, Ingqirha. This dance style is called umxhentso, whereby the whole body is shaken rhythmically from top to bottom with the aid of the drums that would be played while singing.

It is said that the doctors use overtone singing, in which the voice is tuned to a darker voice tone producing two voices simultaneously, to summon ancestors to be present in celebration or ritual. Here, the overtone singer improvises lyrics whole using this voice and follows the rhythm of the drum.

The umxhentso is also found in the Umnqungqo dance, which involves women showing young ladies the path to womanhood. The initiate stands in the center as the older women dance around her in a circle showing her going into womanhood. The young lady learns from watching and will one day improvise her own dance moves with the particular group of women with whom she will be working.

Culture and music are about communal involvement; in the Xhosa culture, this is called Umgidi, in which everyone gets together to sing, dance and eat good food. A dance group is usually hired to entertain the crowd and then, later on, those who are confident enough to dance in front of people are given that platform.

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The dancers are always improvising their dance moves according to the drum that is played in the background. Some dancers wear shakers on their legs, making different rhythms that interact with those playing on the drums.

What elders have noticed over the years is that ways of doing things such as singing songs, dancing, and playing the drums have changed. The change has been gradual; while young people learned how to do things from their elders, they also improvised their way into new ways of doing things, which is still acceptable to the people. This observation shows the role improvisation plays in learning how to do new things and illustrates the constructivist principal of knowledge construction.

Constructivist Learning in Setswana Culture In Setswana culture, music is primarily vocal, accompanied by rhythmic hand clapping rather than drumming, and is learned throughout all stages of life. However, there is no formal learning of Setswana music unless it is transcribed further for those who do not know and understand the language. Music can be created in call and response style during rituals where a leader can create a melody about the event and everyone else repeats it back.

Each new phrase’s melody can be improvised, but one is not aware that the music is new as it continues because of how it started. The game song Ka bona-bona

selo36, for instance, could allow students to take turns being the leader and improvising around the melody between response choruses. Learning takes place by allowing music to take new forms as melodies arise and new music is created.

Setswana instruments are also great tools for improvising. The Segankure37 consists of a bowstring, with an attached resonator, which is bowed with another small bow made from the tail hairs of cows or horses. This instrument plays two fundamental notes and their harmonics.

Traditional flutes or reed pipes can also be useful tools for classroom improvisation.

Students can use these instruments to improvise around familiar melodies or create music cooperatively in student groups.

Teaching Music Through Improvisation So how does one teach improvisation to students? Improvisation can be used as a way to reinforce learned skills and new musical ideas. When improvising, students can use any pitches within the constraints of the exercise, such as the F blues scale or the first five notes of any particular Western or South African scale. Accompanying chords can be as simple or as complex as needed for the level of the students. As listening to people speak can improve language learning, so can listening to people improvise improve students’ improvisational language.

Azzara38 recommends learning simple melodies by ear and then learning to recognize and ultimately play the bass line and harmonic progression that goes underneath them. Advanced instrumentalists should learn these in as many keys as possible. Improvisers can then embellish the melody over these progressions.

The CAPS standards for grades 7-9 include melodic repetition, melodic question and answer, rhythmic improvisation on African drums, vocal or melodic improvisation over an ostinato or riff, creating a sound picture based on a story or poem, and writing four-line song lyrics based on a social or personal issue. By the end of grade 9, students are expected to be able to complete a four-bar phrase in the keys of C, G, D, and F major, add music to four-line poems, and create an advertisement using their own words and music.

All of these ways of creating put learning into the hands of the students and can be done as improvisations.

Constructivism gives students the tools to construct their own knowledge and understandings. Through understanding our past, we can better understand where we are going. Like in the Xhosa dances and Setwana rituals, improvising with new skills helps students master these skills and own their understanding. By incorporating improvisation into student-centered constructivist teaching, we encourage creativity while students incorporate familiar music techniques and master newer musical skills.

Notes 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

John Barron. "Lessons from the bandstand: Using jazz as a model for a constructivist approach to music education." Music Educators Journal 94, no. 2 (2007): 21.

Peter R. Webster. "Construction of music learning." MENC handbook of research on music learning 1 (2011): 36.

Christopher D. Azzara. "Audiation-based improvisation techniques and elementary instrumental students' music achievement." Journal of Research in Music Education 41, no. 4 (1993): 328-342.

Laurie Levine. The Drum Café’s Traditional Music of South Africa. (Johannesburg, South Africa: Jacana Media, 2005): 80-85.

Kusatha Thapisa. “’Ka Bona-Bona Selo’: A Singing Game Song from Botswana.” The Talking Drum 14 (2000): 6-9.

Andrew Tracey. “Indigenous Instruments.” The Talking Drum 19 (2003): 8-10.

Christopher D. Azzara. "An Aural Approach to Improvisation: Music educators can teach improvisation even if they have not had exten-

Erin Moore An Atlanta native, Erin Vanessa Moore was born into a very musical family: her father played in the Atlanta Symphony orchestra, her mother was a concert pianist, and her grandfather was a band director. She has been playing the trumpet since she was 8 years old and loves performing almost as much as she loves teaching.

She earned a BMus in Music Education and Trumpet Performance from Lawrence University in 2010. Since then, she has taught elementary band for Music Matters and Atlanta Public Schools and middle and high school band at The Galloway School in Atlanta. Erin received her Master of Music Education in May 2020 from Georgia State University, where her primary focus was on constructivist teaching methods for beginning band.

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Happy Holidays