Maine Motif Spring 2025

THE MAINE

SPRING 2025 VOLUME 9, NO. 2

5 e c 2 n e 0 r e 2onf C

E

! ! n o i t i d

The NAfME Equity Resource Center for Music Educators and Music Education Supporters The NAfME Equity Resource Center is a collection of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access, and Belonging (DEIAB) resources to support our members in their continuing efforts to make DEIAB actionable in the music education profession. Selections for the resource center include webinars, blogs, journal articles, personal stories, and frequently asked questions.

The Center is organized in four sections: • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) • Personal Stories • SAGE/NAfME Journal DEIAB Virtual Collection • NAfME Resource Library Selections that include webinars, articles, and the NAfME position statement Content in the center will be updated as new resources become available.

Special thanks to the members of the NAfME Equity Committee and Equity Leadership Institute for their work bringing the NAfME Equity Resource Center to life.

To learn more about the NAfME Equity Resource Center, visit nafme.org Questions? Call 1-800-336-3678 or email nafme@nafme.org

10

2025 All-State Conference

Preview FROM THE BOARD

INTO SPECIFICS

4 MMEA Board 2023–2024

7 Recognition

5 President’s Desk

HANNA FLEWELLING

Conference Thanks

By Matt Waite

MMEA Awards

By Andy Forster

7 General Music

Spring Conference Update

By Kayla Peard

10 2025 Conference

Session Information

May 2025 | 3

MMEA Board Executive Board President Matt Waite president@mainemea.org President-Elect Ben Cox presidentelect@mainemea.org Past-President Andy Forster pastpresident@mainemea.org Executive Director Beth LaBrie execdirector@mainemea.org

Board Officers Secretary Jen Fletcher Treasurer Cassie Cooper G. Music PK-5 VP Caitlin Geishaker G. Music 6-12 VP Kayla Peard Orchestra VP Andria Bacon Band VP Sarah Dow Choral VP Dr. Christian Giddings Jazz VP George Redman

District Chairs D1 Chair Eric Halpin-Desmarais D2 Chair Linda Vaillancourt D3 Chair Brandon Duras

MMEA Executive Director Office Hours: Beth LaBrie will be providing Office Hours each week when she will be readily available by phone or email: Email: execdirector@mainemea.org Phone: 207-754-5426 Hours: Monday 8:00-10:00 a.m. & Wednesday 11:00-1:00 p.m. Evening appointments during the week are also available.

Every effort will be made to reply to communications within 24 hours of weekly business hours (Mon–Fri).

4 | The Maine Motif

D4 Chair Kris Vigue D5 Chair Danielle Collins D6 Chair Jamie Calandro D7 Chair Jon Simonoff

Specialty Interest Chairs

Spring 2025 Volume 9, No. 2 The official publication of the

Maine Music Educators Association

DEIA Marisa Weinstein Music Teacher Education Dr. Philip Edelman Tri-M Honors Society Jen Fortin Advocacy Heidi Corliss Retired Teachers Nora Krainis MMEA Historian Richard Nickerson & Dan Gilbert Teacher Mentor Erin Morrison Collegiate Advisory Council Dr. Rebecca Dewan MIOSM Savannah Wright

Publication Staff Webmaster Adam Metzler Editor Hanna Flewelling Social Media OPEN

Conference & Festival Chairs Conference Bill Buzza Conference Registrar Jon Simonoff Jazz Conference Assistant Aaron Henry BOC All-State Festival Kristen Thomas Jazz All-State Festival Kristen Thomas All-State Auditions David Morris Instrumental Jazz Jason Priest Vocal Jazz Jesse Myers-Wakeman Solo & Ensemble Drew Halpin-Desmarais Modern Band Jenn Holmes

280+ members including working music educators, retired teachers, and collegiate students Formally founded in 1917, MMEA is the oldest recognized state music educator association in the USA.

Mission Statement: Mission: To advance, advocate for, and expand access to music education in Maine.

Vision: MMEA is an association where all people are heard, seen and feel connected through their lifelong musical experiences.

State Festival Managers BOC All-State SSAA Chorus Julia Edwards BOC All-State SATB Chorus Ashley Albert BOC All-State Orchestra Ben David Richmond BOC All-State Band Kyle Smith Jazz All-State Honors Jazz Kayla Peard Jazz All-State Jazz Band Craig Ouellette Jazz All-State Combo Jason Priest Jazz All-State SSAA Chorus David Morris Jazz All-State SATB Chorus Ciara Hargrove

All editorial materials should be sent to: Hanna Flewelling, Editor Email: editor@mainemea.org All advertising information and orders should be sent to: Beth LaBrie, Executive Director Email: execdirector@mainemea.org

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

Conference Thanks Matthew Waite MMEA President

O

N BEHALF OF THE Maine Music Educators Association, THANK YOU for joining us for the 2025 MMEA All State Festival and Conference. Whether you are a musician, educator, chaperone, audience member or parent, you are part of an extraordinary event! An event of this magnitude takes an enormous amount of work. Please join me in recognizing many of the people who make this event possible: Kristen Thomas, BOC All State Festival Chair, from Mt. Ararat High School for providing exceptional leadership in ensuring festival protocols, communication with directors, and creating a schedule for the performance groups.

Bill Buzza, MMEA Conference Chair, from Edward Little High School for facilitating an excellent professional development conference for our organization.

Beth LaBrie, Executive Director, for handling all of the business transactions of our organization which include, but not limited to, contracts, travel, accommodations, insurance and a myriad of other items that make this event so successful.

David Morris, Auditions Chair, from Hall-Dale High School for scheduling and running our fall auditions.

Jen Fortin of Skowhegan High School and Brandon Duras and Ashley Albert of Brunswick High School, for hosting our BOC auditions this past fall for all of our students who auditioned for our BOC All State Festival.

The University of Maine, President Ferrini-Mundy, The University of Maine School of Performing Arts, and Collins Center for the Arts, for hosting this event for our students and educators and making everyone feel so welcome.

MMEA Executive Committee members: Andrew Forster- Past President, Benjamin Cox from Mt Ararat High School- President-Elect, Beth LaBrie- Executive Director for countless hours of work behind the scenes.

The MMEA Vice Presidents and Content Chairs, for helping to bring such wonderful clinicians, performing groups, vendors, and other activities for our annual professional development conference for the music educators of the state of Maine.

Cassie Cooper, MMEA Treasurer for making sure that our checks are signed and delivered in a timely fashion.

Hanna Flewelling, MMEA Publications Editor for our professional publications and programs.

As you enjoy all the events and experiences that the MMEA All State Conference and Festival bring, please take a moment to consider the innumerable hours of practice, rehearsal, and planning on the parts of young musicians and educators. Behind every musical ensemble performance is an individual effort, a high degree of group collaboration, and a willingness to take risks. Our musicians and educators have persevered through unprecedented events and continue to do so. They deserve our highest respect and support as we all strive to bring outstanding music education experiences to all Maine students.

Thank you for being part of this event!

Sincerely, Matthew A. Waite President, Maine Music Educators Association www.mainemea.org

May 2025 | 5

GENERAL MUSIC

Spring Conference Update!

Kayla Peard Band Director, Noble High School MMEA General Music VP 6-12

I

AM SO excited for the MMEA All State Conference this year! It is always a great time to connect with colleagues, meet new ones, and have a chance to recharge before the busy end of the school year.

For the General Music 6-12 areas this year, I have collected a wide variety of sessions ranging from Music Technology, Assessment, and Self Care.

Below I have highlighted some of the sessions that I am most looking forward to!

Wayne Splettstoeszer has been the Director of Instrumental Music and Music Technology at Torrington High School (CT) for 28 years. The THS Music Technology Program, nationally recognized, has influenced over 100 K-12 schools. He will be presenting two sessions focused on Music Technology titled “Engaging Music Tech Projects for Middle and High School Classrooms” and “Soundtrap: The Best DAW for Education.” Explore how tools like Soundtrap can empower students to compose, collaborate, and produce music. Learn how to guide students in podcast creation, remixing popular tracks, and using launchpads for live performance projects. Discover the art of sampling and how it can be used to teach music history, creativity, and

production techniques. These sessions will provide practical lesson ideas, accessible tools, and strategies to engage students of all skill levels, fostering creativity and excitement in your music technology curriculum.

Music teachers often struggle to create assessments that are both rigorous and feasible in the context of a busy music classroom and schedule. In order to ensure that students, parents, and administrators recognize the impact that our classes have on our students and the credibility of our grades, we need to be able to clearly show what students are learning – and using outstanding assessments can help! Dr. Marshall Haning, Acting Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs and Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Florida, will discuss basic principles of assessment to help teachers recognize the building blocks of high-quality assessment tools, explore examples of assessment strategies that can be effectively used in the music classroom, and build individualized assessments that work for each attendee’s specific situation.

Music teachers embody incredible work ethic, discipline, a love for

music and an inspired passion like no other. These characteristics are at the heart of what we do on a daily basis and, for most, it is the reason why we chose to enter this profession in the first place. Why then are teachers more exhausted, stressed and burnt out than ever? In this session, Lyndsay Boysen, Instructor of Music at Southern New Hampshire University, will explore the negative consequences of an all consuming job mentality and the often debilitating work ethic that goes hand in hand with a decline in health and wellness.

Attendees will explore ways to shift how they define hard work, productivity, effective & efficient teaching and examine self care techniques they all can use to foster an environment where work and life co-exist with more balance. Topics will include hobby homework, intention, self care and stress management.

While that is only a few of the amazing sessions that we have planned for this year, there is definitely something for everyone. I encourage you to come and join us at the MMEA Conference and at these sessions. It will be a great way to connect with your colleagues and learn something new! I hope to see you there!

May 2025 | 7

RECOGNITION

June 9–11 | Reston, Virginia

MMEA Awards Andrew Forster MMEA Past-President

H

appy Spring everyone!

I am very excited to see many of you at our conference in May. I’m thankful that I will be fully mobile this year.

The annual NAfME Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit is an exciting multiday event that brings together NAfME Collegiate members from all over the nation for leadership-centric learning sessions, advocacy training, and professional networking—concluding with NAfME’s annual Hill Day in Washington, DC. Register Today bit.ly/NAfMECLAS Questions? collegiate@nafme.org

8 | The Maine Motif

We had a healthy number of awards nominations this year and we are looking forward to celebrating those honors at the President’s Reception.

Thank you to everyone who submitted materials. Speaking of awards, please let us know if you are retiring and/or have completed a benchmark year of teaching. These longevity awards for teachers who have given 5, 10, 15, 20, etc. years of service will be given out at our all-member meeting next month.

Thank you to all of you who voted in our state-wide elections a few months ago. We look forward to working with our newest board members starting June 1st.

I know that these are unprecedented times and we, as educators, face uncertainty in a climate littered with turmoil. Please know that MMEA and our NAfME parents are busy behind the scenes supporting and advocating on your behalf. Thank you for being heroes for your students and for giving them a safe and positive environment in your classrooms. I wish you a wonderful end to the school year and a restful summer with friends and family.

SLUG Maine Music Educators Association

2025 All-State Conference May 15 & 16

New York Voices

Voices of Renaissance

Scan for Registration

Join us at the 2025 MMEA All-State Conference!

60+ conference sessions over 2 days at the beautiful University of Maine at Orono!

Conference Highlights

Performances by

Music Technology with national experts: Wayne Splettstoeszer & James Frankel

New York Voices

Choral sessions with Dr. Kyle Nielsen

Boston’s Voices of Renaissance Gospel Choir (General Music luncheon)

Composition sessions with Dr. Michele Kaschub

Brunswick High School Wind Ensemble

Percussion sessions with Dr. Timothy Heath

195th Army Band

Five Modern band sessions

Star City Syndicate

Learning about Wabanaki music Other conference sessions include: Instrument Repair Copyright and Assessment Teaching Improvisation

15+ Music Industry vendors 15 Professional Contact Hours / 1.5 CEUs Schedule available on mobile app

Featured Speaker Deb Confredo NAfME National President

Find more information at: https://mainemmea.org/mmea-conference/ May 2025 | 9

2025 CONFERENCE

Band

How to make your 5th grade Band program thrive Larry Jackson

I will share an overview of a successful year in 5th grade Band including instrument suitability testing for 4th graders, how to run your instrument rental day, effective letters to parents, parent open house, how to curb the quit wave, scheduling ideas and effective rehearsal techniques for 5th grade full band. I want to share things that have worked best through 38 years of trial and error, listening to the experts and honing my skills.

Beyond the Snare: Rediscovering Your Percussion Section Dr. Timothy Heath

Maybe it’s been a while since your percussion methods course, or you just want a refresher/different perspective on foundational techniques. We’ll revisit essential snare drum skills and focus on the often-overlooked instruments in your percussion section. Whether you’re working with auxiliary percussion or other instruments that don’t always get the spotlight, you’ll leave with a deeper understanding of how to integrate them effectively into your ensemble. This interactive session also invites your questions, ensuring you get personalized insights to take back to your practice or classroom.

Why So Many Tambourines? The Art of Curating Your Percussion Section Dr. Timothy Heath

10 | The Maine Motif

Bassoon basics and beyond Wren Saunders

The bassoon is one of the most versatile instruments of the band and orchestra, yet it can be intimidating to directors and beginning students. The goal of this session is to provide band directors with the foundational knowledge needed to guide beginning bassoonists and encourage them to start students on the instrument or how to make the switch from another instrument. USM Osher School of Music artist-faculty Wren Saunders will provide a roadmap for success and demonstrate what every bassoonist and band director needs to know.

Participants are encouraged, but not required, to bring their bassoons (BYOB) and reeds and engage in a hands-on demonstration.

Enhancing Performance Development with Comprehensive Musicianship Casey Schmidt

Performance development and repertoire mastery are central aims

within instrumental ensemble learning experiences. Although performing is a primary artistic process students engage with in instrumental ensembles, the National Core Arts Standards call on ensemble educators to also foster the artistic processes of creating, responding, and connecting to support comprehensive music learning experiences in ensemble rehearsal spaces. The challenge for ensemble teacher/ directors is to carve out time and space for all the artistic processes while fulfilling the important obligation of meaningful performance development. This presentation will explore practical strategies that attend to each of the artistic processes in performance ensemble learning environments. Please join this session on comprehensive musicianship in instrumental ensembles to learn more about how this approach can have a positive impact on both individual and collective performance achievement.

Preparing Your Clarinetists for College Playing Beth Wiemann

This session will include tips to review for students looking forward to playing in ensembles at the College level, including audition preparation for those hoping to major in music. Embouchure issues, hand position suggestions, tonguing tips, and warm-up exer-

HANNA FLEWELLING

We’ll dive into the art of percussion instrument selection, unraveling the nuances that make all the difference in your ensemble’s sound. We’ll cover everything from choosing the right drums and drumheads to selecting mallets that enhance your performance. You’ll also explore the subtleties of cymbals, triangles, tambourines, and other essential

percussion instruments—learning how each choice impacts the overall timbre and musical expression.

Whether you’re seeking a brighter tone or a richer, warmer sound, you leave with resources providing knowledge to match the perfect instrument to your musical needs.

cises from various current clarinet instructors will be presented, along with information from the International Clarinet Association and its online resources. Attendees are encouraged to bring their clarinets with them to the session.

Band Repair Basics: Flute, Clarinet, Sax Chris Plaisted

In this clinic we will learn and practice repair tactics for the most common emergency woodwind repairs in the state of Maine. We will also discuss materials and tools that every Maine Band Director should keep on hand for emergency repairs when going to the shop just isn’t an option.

NOTE: These skills are for emergency repairs and are NOT intended to be a substitute for your local repair shop or service technician.

Band Repair Basics: Brass Chris Plaisted

In this clinic we will learn and practice repair tactics for the most common emergency brass repairs in the state of Maine. We will also discuss materials and tools that every Maine Band Director should keep on hand for emergency repairs when going to the shop just isn’t an option. NOTE: These skills are for emergency repairs and are NOT intended to be a substitute for your local repair shop or service technician.

Troubleshooting Tone - Using Mouthpieces & Mini-Instruments Caitlin Ramsey & Melissa Shabo

Whether you are trying to establish strong fundamentals in younger students or trying to troubleshoot established habits in older students, teaching students to play with characteristic tone can be a challenge. There are so many factors that can contribute to poor tone - many of which we can’t actually see! Through discussion of embouchure development, tongue placement, and air direction/speed, this session will give teachers concrete tools, language, and exercises to help students improve their tone.

We encourage teachers to bring the following to this hands-on session: flute headjoint, trumpet or trombone mouthpiece, and a clarinet or alto saxophone.

Chorus

Tone first then intonation: Strategies to improve your trumpet section

Roundtable Discussion: All-State Vocal Auditions

Tone First - THEN Intonation Good intonation is essential for an ensemble to sound excellent - but it’s not all about tuning slides or pulling out your headjoint ¼ inch!

Working within the framework of trumpet playing, this session will challenge you to consider good tone production first, with improved intonation as a secondary result. The presenter will discuss the benefits and science of good tone production as well as demonstrate exercises and methodologies to help you improve your trumpet students’ tone, and ultimately their intonation.

Participants will also participate in workshopping to brainstorm how to practically apply these techniques for other instruments.

In this interactive roundtable discussion, choral teachers can attend and engage in open dialogue about the current All-State Auditions. Participants can exchange ideas, share their experiences with the current auditions, and give suggestions and feedback for improvement. This lively, collaborative session will begin the conversation on revamping the All-State Auditions for MMEA and lead the work of a larger committee in the upcoming fall.

Ryan Noe

Beginning Band at the High School Level Bill Buzza

Having a high school beginning band class can be a valuable recruitment and retention tool for the high school instrumental music program. This session will cover the many aspects to consider when developing such a class including: philosophical considerations, providing instruments, instructional approaches, assessment tools, and resources for you to use.

Beginning Band Day Fighting the March Slump Jon Simonoff

Could you start a beginning band day in your area? This session will discuss the Beginning Band Day that Aroostook County has done for the past nine years. Topics include what schedule for the day, what music to perform, faculty involvement, benefits we’ve seen since starting this event, and other things we’ve learned along the way.

Dr. Christian Giddings

Preparing a Farm-to-Table Choir Dr. Kyle Nielsen

All music educators enter vocal music classrooms having experienced a variety of “meals and recipes” such as ensemble participation and limited methods courses without really learning how the ingredients–the singers–are prepared and from where they are sourced. This session will director your attention away from focusing on the recipe and toward the quality of the ingredients: the training of singers as individual instruments. Immediately-applicable tools related to breath, posture, the vocal “cords,” and the relationship between vowels and consonants to an efficient vocalism will help you understand the why behind choral methods, allowing you to curate your ensembles with farm-to-table artistry.

Achieving Choral Artistry through Singer-driven Composition Dr. Michele Kaschub

Do your singers readily focus on the expressive elements of music they are preparing to perform? Do May 2025 | 11

poseful score preparation as the catalyst for efficent, fulfilling, and predictable rehearsals. Building upon skills from previous sessions in theoretical analysis and vocal pedagogy, a reading-session format with hand-picked repertoire will provide a real time test drive for reformatted analytical eyes and ears.

you wish you could find something extra special for them to sing? This session will feature a step-by-step guide to help you and your singers create a truly unique signature work that showcases your ensemble and its special talents. Students will gain new insights into the choral art as they adopt the role of composer, develop new musical and socio-emotional skills, and prepare a performance that will captivate any audience with a meaningful work that uniquely represents their collective musicianship.

Composing Yourself: Writing and (Re)Arranging for Your Choir Dr. Colin Britt

Many of us have found ourselves in a situation where we needed a filler piece, or wanted to do an existing piece that wasn’t available in the correct voicing. This interactive session aims to demystify the composition and arranging process, and offer some helpful tools for how to work with your choirs to create new music and arrangements.

Part of the session will include a real-time, participatory demo of adapting existing music for new choral voicings

Solving for V: Empowering Artistry Dr. Kyle Nielsen

12 | The Maine Motif

Drs. Nielsen & Giddings

perspectives on tried and true score preparation approaches through a “singer-songwriter” lens will illuminate ways you can tether students to the choral canon while affirming their musical taste and untapped potential as artists.

Reclaiming our Craft: Purposeful Structures for Rehearsal Artistry Dr. Kyle Nielsen

As the modern choral conductor balances an increasing list of non-artistic duties, our day-to-day work as conductors has never had more potential for discouragement as we wonder when we will ever have time to make art! This session will champion purpose-built rehearsals as the basis for our artistic fulfillment and craft. Proposed rehearsal hierarchies utilizing previous score preparation strategies will guide your diagnostic ears toward repeatable solutions to empower regular creative excellence for you and your singers.

Unlocking Rehearsal Buy-in Through Score Preparation Dr. Kyle Nielsen

How many of us have entered rehearsal with all the techincal ideas in the world, only to get lost real time in how to address the sound coming from our students mouths!?

This session will champion pur-

This proposed roundtable would include elementary, middle school, high school, and college faculty from throughout the state to discuss how we as a broader community can assist eachother in promoting choral excellence at every level.

Running an Effective Rehearsal Larry Detwiler

We never seem to have enough rehearsal time, so making the most of what we do have is essential. Larry will draw on his more than 40 years of teaching to offer suggestion on how to structure a rehearsal, how to deal with problems, both personal and musical and most of all how to keep our students engaged in learning.

Workshop attendees will leave with ideas they can use right away in their next rehearsals.

GM K–5 Teaching Musical Elements Through Singing Games Jasmin Eddy & Eddie Holmes

This session will walk you through a Kodaly-inspired approach to using singing games to teach musical concepts in your general music classroom. We will demonstrate several examples of how rhythmic or melodic elements can be explored and each example will culminate in

HANNA FLEWELLING; OPPOSITE : ADOBE STOCK

No matter the stage of career, conductors are tasked with engaging students to join and participate in their ensembles through a variety of pedagogical, musical, and marketing techniques; perhaps none as critical as closing the gap between the music students choose to listen to and the “choir songs” we painstakingly program for their benefit! This interactive session will guide participants toward the musical language of their students, where and how they collaborate outside the choir room, and how both conductor and student identify and share their implicit aesthetic preferences in any repertoire. Fresh

Roundtable – Demystifying the Pyramid: Creating Choral Excellence

2025 CONFERENCE participants having the opportunity to play the singing games.

My substitute doesn’t “do” music…

Adrian Morneau

Come share your most beloved substitute-friendly plans and activities that encourage active musicking for your elementary-age students in your absence. Please bring copies of your plans and / or a link to a Google Doc/Folder with any materials you can share with the group.

If you purchased something from places like TpT, please bring the shop owner’s information so we all may benefit!

The Musical Mansion: Using Canva

language of Maine’s Indigenous people. Participants will learn the different types of genre that make up the various categories of song and explore the diversity in ancient and modern day instruments.

Wabanaki Music Q&A John Bear Mitchell

A continuation of his Wabnaki Music presentation to all for time for questions, answers and further discussions of teaching Wabnaki music in the general music classroom.

Activating Socio-Emotional Intelligence through Composition Dr. Michele Kaschub

Jo Hampton

In this session participants learn how to utilize free Canva slides for easy to navigate visual schedules by grade level, visuals for popular classroom lessons and activities, and links to frequently used videos like scarf dances – all “rooms” in one single presentation: The Mansion. Participants will receive a link to a template mansion to get started, it is encouraged but not required to bring a laptop with you.

The mansion not only gives students visual support through class but also gives you digital organization of your most-used activities.

Wabanaki Music

John Bear Mitchell

Wabanaki song and dance is timeless. The various instruments accompany the voice to form songs of made up of intricate chants and accompanied by words in the

Composition is a powerful tool for inviting students to consider their feelings and how others might feel, as expressed through musical sounds. This session will examine how to design and deliver composition lessons that activate socio-emotional intelligence and foster musical growth. We will begin by examining the critical role of three compositional capacities – feelingful intention, musical expressivity, and artistic craftsmanship – and consider how each empowers young learners in and beyond their work in music. Composition lessons suitable for PK-5 will be shared along with Tips for Teaching that help music educators and their students succeed in any compositional endeavor.

Composition Pedagogy Triage Ask Me Anything!

Dr. Michele Kaschub

Guiding students as they learn to compose music uniquely reflective of their musical interests and who they are as emerging artists is a rewarding experience. Sometimes, though, finding the right pedagogical approach can be challenging. I invite you to bring your composition stories and challenges to this session. We will identify teaching

strategies that help students across PK-12 settings overcome struggles and achieve their goals. We also will examine some of the pedagogical challenges that teachers experience as they empower young composers. Together, we will identify ways of activating student artistry and teacher creativity so everyone experiences success.

Music Playcations: Gamification for Everyone Krystal Williams

Music Playcations: Gamification for Everyone is a session that uses Gamification-the process of adding games or game-like elements to something (such as a task) so as to encourage participation. This session will engage participants into games designed to introduce, teach and or refine foundational music skills in a fun and meaningful way. Participants will play their way through several games that are focused on Air Support, Articulation and Rhythmic Accuracy, to name a few.

It’s Time to Play the Recorder Dr. Michael Smith

Recorders will be provided for all participants, clean and sanitized!

The recorder is an inexpensive yet beautiful musical instrument that deserves a sequential curriculum enriched with a diverse repertoire of songs from around the world. By building on students’ prior experiences in General Music, entire classes can learn and perform songs, rounds, and harmony parts together. Effortlessly transitioning between singing, solfège, and playing ensures that all students—of all abilities and ethnicities—experience success and achievement.

General Music (Theater) Class Patty Gordan

Want to put a little drama (the good kind) into your K-4 General Music classes? Few of us have theater opportunities in our schools for May 2025 | 13

this age group. Come to this workshop to learn a few songs/activities that will bring out the actor in your young students.

GM 6–12 Disconnected Students and the General Music Classroom David Dashefsky

Today’s General Music classes provide a wealth of opportunity for students from all backgrounds to participate as consumers, active listeners, and exploratory music learners. “Disconnected” students often manifest with a variety of learning styles that are frequently found among the music class population. Through creative units, engaging activities, and modified assessments, this session seeks to access the “teacher’s toolkit” for ways to elicit greater participation from the disconnected/disinterested student. can harness student’s prior knowledge and what they already love about music and connect with while teaching music.

Tech Engaging Music Tech Projects for Mid & HS

skill levels, fostering creativity and excitement in your music technology curriculum.

for you and your students—so that you can rehearse more than the basics sooner.

Soundtrap: The Best DAW for Education

Making Digital Music Class a Reality for All

Wayne Splettstoeszer

“Soundtrap: The Best DAW for Education” delves into how Soundtrap supports music learning with unique features like real-time collaboration and built-in translation tools. This session will explore how students can easily work together from anywhere, breaking language barriers with automatic translation for seamless global collaboration.

You’ll learn about intuitive tools like loops, virtual instruments, and audio recording that make music production accessible to all students. Soundtrap’s compatibility with various devices and integration with educational platforms make it perfect for diverse classrooms.

Discover how this DAW can inspire creativity, improve communication, and transform your music education experience.

Wayne Splettstoeszer

14 | The Maine Motif

Get to the ‘Good Stuff’ Faster with Tech Tools Dr. James Frankel

Imagine band and orchestra students walking into rehearsal prepared with the basics of rhythms and pitches. This session will focus on the tools and processes to help your students build skills and foundational knowledge. Through guided practice sessions with authentic assessment and feedback, they will succeed and become better musicians faster. We’ll show five software tools that are simple

Does implementing a technology-based music class seem too complicated and expensive? Think again! Explore ways to use your existing resources to build a curriculum that works for you, for your students, and for your budget.

No reinventing the wheel or penny-pinching required!

DEIA Bridging the Gap Between Home Music and School Music in the PreK–8 Classroom Dr. Cameron Siegal

The disconnect between music students experience at home and music found in school inhibits responsive pedagogy, equitable engagement, and both students’ short- and long-term engagement in music class. Researchers have demonstrated that while home music is of greater interest than most other subjects, interest in music at school trails those same subjects.

This session will cover pedagogies to explore home music in the classroom, including distilling rhythmic content to grade appropriate levels, transfer of tonal concepts between genres, connecting the representation of emotion between music

ADOBE STOCK

Engaging Music Technology Ideas for Middle and High School showcases creative ways to integrate technology into your music classroom. Explore how tools like Soundtrap can empower students to compose, collaborate, and produce music. Learn how to guide students in podcast creation, remixing popular tracks, and using launchpads for live performance projects. Discover the art of sampling and how it can be used to teach music history, creativity, and production techniques.

This session will provide practical lesson ideas, accessible tools, and strategies to engage students of all

Eric Halpin-Desmarais & Jesse Myers-Wakeman

2025 CONFERENCE with and without lyrics, and composition strategies which utilize aesthetics of home music.

Preparing a Successful Jazz All State Audition (Instrumental)

Considering Equity and Access in Ensemble Recruitment

Join us for this moderated panel discussion that will provide you with an in depth look at the Jazz All State audition, featuring current and past Jazz All State judges. We will go over tips and tricks to help students prepare, what judges are looking for and how selections are made. Whether you’re brand new to the jazz world or an experienced educator you’re bound to learn something new here!

Dr. Rebecca DeWan

This session will explore recruitment and retention for secondary ensembles through the lenses of equity and access. First, we will synthesize research on recruitment and retention. Then, we will offer practical and ready-to-use ideas teachers can implement into their programs. We will consider equity and access for Maine music students, underpinned by the belief that all students deserve quality music education opportunities through their public school education.

Jazz Leading Changes: Targeted Improvisation Aaron Henry

Often times, using chord scales can be mysterious and overwhelming for students. “Use this scale” isn’t always as helpful as we intend it to be. In this session, I’ll show simple approaches to targeting certain notes at certain times, to create melodic phrases through the chord changes that give students a confident grasp on how to play the changes in a clear and concrete way.

Drum Set Tones and Techniques Patrick Bragdon

In need of new cymbals or drumheads? Why do my two drummers sound totally different on the set?

My brushes don’t make any sound on my snare! There will be over 12 ride/crash/hi-hat cymbals on hand to hear and play yourself..... Over a dozen pairs of drumsticks and mallets.... over 4 different drumheads to hear..... I will explain, play and compare each of those items as well as talk about proper technique to get the best tone out of each cymbal, stick and drum.

Ben Cox

Teaching Meaningful Improvisation Dan Barrett

Meaningful improvisation is where creativity and honest expression intersect with jazz language. After students begin improvising with appropriately simple materials, they often hit a plateau of repetitiveness. This session explores how we can help our students expand their perspectives and move toward a more advanced, creative approach.

We will talk about processing and absorbing great recordings, mirroring conversation, paying attention to our inner voice, and more. Bring an instrument, or your voice!

195th Army Band Opportunities and Benefits

Jason Priest & Brady Harris

The 195th Maine Army National Guard Band offers many music ensembles including Concert Band, Marching/Ceremonial Band, Jazz Ensemble, Rock Band, and Brass Band. This session will give insight into what the 195th Army Band has to offer for musical opportunities. During this session, you will hear performances from our Rock Band, Brass Band, and Ceremonial Band. Please feel free to bring your instrument and play along with the 195th Army Band!

Setting Up Your Drum Set Musicians for Success in Jazz and Modern Band Cameron Siegal

Secondary instrumental music educators are routinely tasked not only with introducing drum set

to beginners, but also providing feedback to more experienced drum set musicians to take their playing to the next level. This session will cover essential concepts and techniques that will allow educators to support drum set musicians at all skill levels in jazz and modern band ensembles, including scaffolding comping, development of characteristic sounds for distinct genres, finding an individual groove, and touch. Providing personalized and stylistically appropriate feedback to drum set musicians will help educators elevate their entire jazz or modern band ensemble.

Jazz Improv Jam for Less-Experienced Jazz Players Dan Barrett

Like many things in life, our first several attempts at improvisation can be a little nerve-wracking and disheartening. Don’t let that stop you! This session provides a non-threatening environment for all who aren’t experienced in jazz to push through the initial attempts, and move on to some more fulfilling improvisation. No pointed criticism will be given, but some solid basic principles will be discussed: putting together a good mindset, establishing a confident sound, choosing realistic parameters, absorbing style from recordings, and more. Bring an instrument or your voice, and come prepared to participate!

Modern Modern Band Guitar & Bass: Play It, Teach It, Rock It! Jennifer Holmes

Want to bring the energy of a real rock band into your classroom? In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn essential guitar techniques— open chords, power chords, and rhythm strumming—that you can take straight to your students. No matter your skill level, you’ll leave feeling confident, capable, and ready May 2025 | 15

2025 CONFERENCE to jam! Get ready to strum, shred, and rock out as we explore engaging, student-friendly approaches to modern band guitar. Come as you are—leave feeling like a rock star!

Modern Band Keyboard: Unlocking Chords & Creativity!

Jennifer Holmes

Ready to unlock the power of the keyboard in your modern band classroom? This hands-on workshop will focus on essential skills like chord playing, rhythmic comping, and simple bass lines—making it easy to get your students playing right away. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your approach, you’ll leave with practical techniques, engaging activities, and the confidence to bring modern band keyboard to life. Come as you are—leave feeling like a rock star!

Modern Band Vocals: Sing It, Teach It, Own It! Jennifer Holmes

Help your students sing with confidence and style! This interactive workshop will explore vocal techniques tailored for modern band, including healthy singing, vocal warm-ups, harmonization, and performance tips. Learn how to get students engaging with their voices in a fun, accessible way—no classical training required! Whether you’re a singer or just guiding your students, you’ll leave with practical strategies to bring out the rock star in every voice.

Modern Band Drums: From Body Percussion to Beat Master!

to move, tap, and jam your way to drumming success!

Modern Band Jam: Bring It All Together!

Jennifer Holmes

Let’s rock! In this full-band experience, you’ll get to play guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, or sing— your choice! We’ll jam on charts you can bring back to your students, learning how to lock in as a band while keeping things fun and accessible. This workshop will give you the tools to create an engaging, student-driven modern band experience. No matter your instrument, you’ll leave feeling like a rock star!

Orchestra Eleven Leaps to Literacy for Beg. Band and Strings Dr. Michael Smith

This session presents a thoughtfully designed approach to Beginning Bands & Strings utilizing the educational philosophies of Gordon, Kodály, Feierabend, Orff, and Suzuki. By emphasizing the importance of auditory preparation, this approach builds a strong foundation in music-making, supporting the success of all students across diverse settings. Students are encouraged to learn songs first

with lyrics and then with solfege, progressing naturally to notation.

From there, they expand their creativity through improvisation and composition, using the melodic material of the songs they’ve learned. Finally, authentic playing experiences and auditory assessments showcase student growth while fostering excitement and enthusiasm for continued learning.

String Round Table Discussion Andria Bacon

Discussion around all things strings in Maine; from All-State auditions to programs.

String Reading Session Bill Bell

Bring your string instruments and play through orchestral repertoire for elementary, middle, and high school orchestras.

Teach Your Ensemble Fiddle Tunes Lauren Rioux

Learn useful melodies and chords in a variety of folk styles, as well as the how and why you would want to add them into your existing classical repertoire and curriculum. We’ll cover the nuts and bolts of leading fiddle tunes and ear training in a large mixed instrument/level ensemble, touch upon gentle ways to start improvising, and even arrang-

Jennifer Holmes

16 | The Maine Motif

HANNA FLEWELLING

Get ready to feel the groove! This workshop starts with body percussion and builds up to full drum set playing. Learn how to teach the backbeat—the heartbeat of rock, pop, and modern band music—and keep the rhythm driving forward.

Whether you’re a drumming pro or just getting started, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to help your students lock into the beat and rock out with confidence.

No sticks? No problem! Come ready

ing tunes for performances. Bring your instruments for learning and jamming, leave feeling empowered with repertoire and resources. Session 1 will cover 2-3 tunes, Session 2 will cover an additional 2-3 tunes.

Tunes will vary in key, time signatures, styles and difficulty so you have a tune for every occasion. All instruments welcome!

All Areas What’s In A Grade? Building Assessments that Work for Music Teachers Dr. Marshall Haning

So little time and so much to do!

Music teachers often struggle to create assessments that are both rigorous and feasible in the context of a busy music classroom and schedule. In order to ensure that students, parents, and administrators recognize the impact that our classes have on our students and the credibility of our grades, we need to be able to clearly show what students are learning – and using outstanding assessments can help! In this session, we will discuss basic principles of assessment to help teachers recognize the building blocks of high-quality assessment tools, explore examples of assessment strategies that can be effectively used in the music classroom, and build individualized assessments that work for each attendee’s specific situation. Come and learn both strategies that you can put into practice tomorrow AND ideas that will help you to create new assessment approaches for years to come.

You Change Lives…

You Transform…

You MATTER!

Dr. Deb Confredo, NAfME President

Music teachers are the heart and soul of this incredible profession.

The ins and outs of everyday life in the classroom and rehearsal hall coupled with the multitude of details that are our responsibility can sometimes overshadow the big

picture of the collective purpose of music teaching. In this session, we will take a good look at the power of school music education because of YOU. YOU MATTER! Let’s get together for a little shot of “feel good” and remember all the reasons why.

Lesson in Wellness: Challenging Our Work Ethic Lyndsay Boysen

Music teachers embody incredible work ethic, discipline, a love for music and an inspired passion like no other. These characteristics are at the heart of what we do on a daily basis and, for most, it is the reason why we chose to enter this profession in the first place.

Why then are teachers more exhausted, stressed and burnt out than ever? Thomas Edison said it best. “A good intention, with a bad approach, often leads to a poor result.” In this session, we will explore the negative consequences of an all consuming job mentality and the often debilitating work ethic that goes hand in hand with a decline in health and wellness.

We will explore ways to shift how we define hard work, productivity, effective & efficient teaching and examine self care techniques we all can use to foster an environment where work and life co-exist with more balance. Topics will include hobby homework, intention, self care and stress management.

Copyright Dos and Don’ts for Music Educators Dr. Marshall Haning

Copyright is a complex topic, and one that is constantly shifting as laws and interpretations change.

Without a clear understanding of what is and is not allowed under copyright law, music educators may unknowingly find themselves in violation – sometimes with significant consequences. In this session, we will cover the basic principles of copyright law along with specific activities that are allowed or not allowed. Although not all situations are clear-cut, attendees will leave this session with a better under-

standing of how the law may apply to their individual circumstances.

All Lanes Now Open!

Dr. Deb Confredo, NAfME President

Music education is for EVERYONE! We will share ideas about how each of us can play an important part in opening doors and knocking down barriers to strengthen the profession for students and teachers alike. Please join the conversation about how we can contribute to the health and wellbeing of the profession to ensure quality music education experiences for all.

Organization and Record-Keeping for Beginning Music Educators Hattie Skvorak

With hundreds of students coming through their doors each week, dozens of assessments, concerts to plan, and much more, it is easy for beginning music educators to feel like they are juggling all too much.

With intentional organization and record-keeping, you can balance all this while feeling confident in your position as an integral part of your school community. In our conversation, we will discuss topics on organization and record-keeping both physical and digital, including curriculum and assessment records, IEP data-tracking, scheduling, and substitute plans. Participants will receive organization and record-keeping examples/templates for use in their own classrooms.

Teaching With A Full Glass Jason Worzbyt

One of the most challenging aspects of the music education profession is giving the maximum amount of commitment and expertise possible to our students, while at the same time keeping our own energy reserves filled to meet the multiple challenges and demands inside and outside of our professional responsibilities. The goal of this presentation is to provide perspectives, viewpoints, and suggestions to keep our tanks full and glasses filled to become the best balanced, healthy, and giving versions of ourselves.

May 2025 | 17