Oregon Music Educator, Spring 2024

MUSIC EDUCATOR

Spring 2024

PRIORITIZING PEOPLE

Dr. Lori Schwartz Reichl

MENTORS & MENTEES

Ella Wilcox

THE MAGIC OF MISTAKES

Danika Locey

FLOW STATE IN THE CLASSROOM

Megan Reilly & Drew X Coles

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Scholarships

The Magic of Mistakes: Embracing an Imperfect Choral Classroom

Achieving and Maintaining Flow State in the Classroom: Steps for Success

Megan Reilly & Drew X Coles

Pacific

New

Oregon State University

Breezin’ Thru Theory

Southern Oregon University

Young Musicians & Artists Music Workshop

Willamette University

Siletz Bay Music Festival

Oregon Ambassadors of Music

Harmony College Northwest University of Portland

Feierabend Association for Music Education

Tri-M Muysic Honor Society

Western International Band Clinic Britt Music & Arts

Uptown Music

Chamber Music Amici

Chamber Music Northwest

University of Puget Sound

Portland Orff-Schulwerk

Association

George Fox University

Graduate Eugene

Cascade School of Music

ChoirMate

2024 Teaching Guitar

Workshop + Uke

Portland Columbia Symphony

Beacock Music

Mt. Hood Community College

Beaverton Symphony Orchestra

Raise Craze

NAfME

Tri-M Music Honor Society

NAfME

Oregon Coast Music Festival

OMEA

Northwest Band Camp

New England Dancing Masters

Resources for Teaching Music and Dance to Children, Schools and Communities

Peter and Mary Alice Amidon Mary Cay Brass and Andy Davis

DANCE

Chimes of Dunkirk • Listen to the Mockingbird Sashay the Donut • Alabama Gal

SINGING GAMES

Rise Sally Rise • Down in the Valley

MUSIC FOR YOUNG CHILDREN I’m Growing Up • Two Little Blackbirds

MUSIC FOR DANCE (dance length tracks) Any Jig or Reel • Other Side of the Tracks Books, CDs, videos, MP3 downloads, video streaming

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www.dancingmasters.com info@dancingmasters.com

Resources to

Bachelor of Music

Study music education or music performance in the new Bachelor of Music degree program - a rigorous fouryear program for students pursuing a career in music, with options in:

• Instrumental performance

• Vocal performance, pedagogy and literature

• Music education

• Piano performance

• Piano performance and pedagogy

BA/BS and BM degrees available.

Learn More

liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/music

College of Liberal Arts

School of Visual, Performing, and Design Arts liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/svpda

MUSIC MAKERS

EXECUTIVE BOARD

OMEA President

Ben Lawson

Redmond High School ben.lawson@redmondschools. org 541-218-1188

OMEA President-Elect

Erika Lockwood

Rex Putnam High School lockwoode@nclack.k12.or.us 503-358-8003

OMEA 2nd Vice President

Kelly Moore Ridgeview High School kelly.moore@redmonschools.org 541-419-4360

OMEA Past President

Jeremy Zander Mountainside High School Jeremy_Zander@beaverton. k12.or.us 541-968-3037

All-State Chair

Kristi Stingle Lakeridge High School allstatechair@gmail.com 920-279-5057

OMEA Conference Chair

Elizabeth Soper Toledo Jr. and Sr. High School omeaconferencechair@gmail. com

503-949-4676

OMEA Treasurer

Todd Zimbelman West Salem High School treasureromea@gmail.com 541-913-0037

OMEA Executive Director

JJ Sutton Ft. Vannoy Elementary School executivedirector@oregonmea. org 541-291-1149

AREA CHAIRS

Advocacy Chair

Laura Arthur Portland Public Schools larthur@pps.net 541-513-7414

DEI Co-Chair

Cynthia Navarro Clear Creek Middle School navarro16@gresham.k12.or.us 562-713-4058

DEI Co-Chair

Amanda Sarles Siuslaw Elementary School asarles@siuslaw.k12.or.us 901-654-9135

Band Chair

Ben Lawson

Redmond High School ben.lawson@redmondschools. org 541-218-1188

Choral Chair

Kathy Briggs

St. Mary’s Academy Kathy.briggs@smapdx.org 503-250-4259

Orchestra Chair

Krista DeBolt

Grants Pass High School kdebolt@grantspass.k12.or.us 541-474-5710 ex10230

Elementary Chair

Val Locke Gilbert Park Elementary School val_locke@ddsd40.org 503-706-9130

General Music Chair

Steve Phillips Auburn Elementary phillips_steve@salkeiz.k12.or.us 971-599-7776

Jazz Chair

Jessika Smith Parkrose Middle School jessika_smith@parkrose.k12.or.us 509-216-5077

Small Schools Chair

Melissa Jmaeff Sutherlin School District melissa.jmaeff@sutherlin.k12. or.us 541-874-2251

SMTE/CNAfME Advisor Chair

Wesley Brewer Oregon State University wesley.brewer@oregonstate. edu

Membership Chair

Andrew Burgh Tualatin High School abergh@ttsd.k12.or.us 503-758-5130

Conference Exhibitor and Sustaining Membership Chair

Cameron Jerde Southridge High School cameron_jerde@beaverton. k12.or.us 503-758-5130

Chamber Ensemble Contest

Associate Chair

Gary Riler Cleveland High School griler@pps.net 503-847-1665

State Solo Contest Chair

Stewart Schlazer Forest Grove High School sschlazer@fgsd@k12.or.us 945-547-4303

OSAA Band/Orchestra State Contest Director

David Sime Retired dsime@bendcable.com 541-460-3441

OSAA Choir State Contest Director

John Baker Retired johnbakerchoir@gmail.com

Student Composition Chair

Kathy Briggs

Saint Mary’s Academy kathy.briggs@smapdx.org 503-250-4259

DISTRICT CHAIRS

District 01 Chair

Chris McCurdy Grant High School cmccurdy@pps.net

District 02 Chair

Michael Lasfetto

Butler Creek Elementary School michael_lasfetto@csd28j.org

District 03 Chair

Stewart Schlazer

Forest Grove sschlazer@fgsd.k12.or.us 954-547-4303

District 04 Chair

Cole Haole-Valenzuela West Salem High School haole-valenzuela_cole@salkeiz. k12.or.us

District 05 Chair

Keith Chaiet

Mountain View High School keith.chaiet@bend.k12.or.us

District 06 Chair

Levana James Grant Union Junior & HIgh Schools jamesl@grantesd.k12.or.us

District 07 Chair

Amanda Sarles

Siusilaw Elementary School asarles@siuslaw.k12.or.us

District 08 Co-Chair

Trevor Lavery-Thompson Joseph Lane Middle School tlavery-thompson@roseburg. k12.or.us

District 08 Co-Chair

Shayne Flock North Medford High School Shayne.flock@medford.k12. or.us

District 09 Chair

Ryan Egan Nyssa Middle and High School regan@nyssasd.org

District 10 Chair

Melissa Jmaeff

Sutherlin School District Melissa.jmaeff@sutherlin.k12. or.us

541-731-4727

District 11 Chair

Robby Carr

Newport Middle and High School robert.carr@lincoln.k12.or.us

District 12 Co-Chair

Jon Bridges

Springfield High School jonathan.bridges@springfield. k12.or.us

District 12 Co-Chair

Doug Doerfert Lane Community College doerfertd@lanecc.edu

District 13 Chair

Josh Weir Gladstone High School weirjosh5968@gmail.com 503-655-2544

District 14 Chair

Myriam Gendron-Dupont Rosemont Ridge Middle School gendronm@wlwv.k12.or.us

District 15 Chair

Jeremy Kane Conestoga Middle School

Jeremy_Kane@beaverton.k12. or.us

SPECIAL BOARD REPS/LIAISONS

OSAA Band Liaison Aliyah Jackson Aloha High School Aliyah.jackson@beaverton.k12. or.us 503-356-2760

OSAA Choir Liaison Anna Rikli Southridge High School Anna.rikli@beaverton.k12.or.us 503-356-2890

OMEA Recording Secretary Danika Locey Salem Keizer danika.f.locey@gmail.com 541-224-4465

Historian Ben Lawson Redmond High School Ben.Lawson@redmondschools. org

NW NAfME Regional President Dusty Molyneaux Great Falls Public Schools dusty_molyneaux@gfps.k12. mt.us

NW NAfME Regional President-Elect Joe Dyvig Olympia High School Jdyvig@osd.wednet.edu

NW NAfME Regional Past President Tom Muller Retired tmuller2555@gmail.com

PUBLISHING

Journal Design Aren Vandenburgh www.arenv.com

OMEA SUSTAINING MEMBERS

Bandworld 6736 Jacob Lane Springfield, Oregon 97478 www.bandworld.org

Beacock’s Music 1420 SE 163rd Avenue Vancouver, Washington 98683 www.beacockmusic.com

Britt Music & Arts Festival 216 West Main Street Medford, Oregon 97501 www.brittfest.org

Chamber Music Northwest 1201 SW 12th Avenue, Suite 420 Portland, Oregon 97205 www.cmnw.org

Conn-Selmer 600 Industrial Parkway Elkhart, Indiana 46515 www.connselmer.com

Eugene Symphony 115 West 8th Avenue, Suite 115 Eugene, Oregon 97401 www.eugenesymphony.org

Gonzaga University

502 East Boone Avenue Spokane, Washington 99258 www.gonzaga.edu/college-of-arts-sciences

Greater Portland Flute Society 3528 SW Gale Avenue Portland, Oregon 97239 www.gpfs.org

J.W. Pepper & Son, Inc. 191 Sheree Boulevard Exton, Pennsylvania 19341 www.jwpepper.com

Metropolitan Youth Symphony 4800 South Macadam Avenue, Suite 105 Portland, Oregon 97239 www.playmys.org

Modern Conducting Academy

370 South Euclid Avenue Upland, California 91786 www.modernconductingacademy.com

Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Start St. Gresham, Oregon 97030 www.mhcc.edu

Northwest Band Camps 1428 NW 13th Street Corvallis, Oregon 97339 www.nwbandcamps.com

Oak Tree Fundraising PO Box 852 Silverton, Oregon 97381 www.oaktreefundraising.com

Oregon Coast Youth Symphony Festival PO Box 2405 Newport, Oregon 97365 www.youthsymphonyfestival.org

Oregon Symphony 851 SW 6th Avenue, Suite 385 Portland, Oregon 97204 www.orsymphony.org

Peripole Music

P.O. Box 12909 Salem, Oregon 97309 www.peripole.com

Portland Youth Philharmonic 9320 SW Barbur Boulevard, Suite 140 Portland, Oregon 97219 www.portlandyouthphil.org

University of Portland 5000 North Willamette Boulevard Portland, Oregon 97203 https://college.up.edu/pfa/music-program/

Willamette Valley Music Company 484 State Street Salem, Oregon 97301 www.wvmc.net

Yamaha Corporation of America 6600 Orangethorpe Avenue Buena Park, California 90620 www.usa.yamaha.com

Zellerwear

7865 SE Thiessen Road Milwaukie, Oregon 97267 www.zellerwear.com

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR...

JJ Sutton OMEA Executive Director

Welcome to the 2024 spring edition of the Oregon Music Educator. I hope you enjoy the articles contributed by our colleagues; they serve to share a wealth of knowledge, expertise and inspiration. I also encourage you to patron our advertising partners. This publication would not be possible without the generous contributions of our advertisers and sustaining members. We are grateful for the businesses, universities, and organizations who support OMEA and our members.

As the end of the school year approaches, OMEA bids farewell to three board members. Grants Pass High School’s Krista Debolt departs as the Orchestra Chair and Steve Phillips from Salem’s Auburn Elementary School wraps his commitment as the General Music Chair. Both have been tireless advocates for their disciplines and it reflects in their close work with OMEA’s annual conference and All-State events. Krista and Steve will be sorely missed. As they leave OMEA’s Board of Control, we welcome incoming Orchestra Chair Brigid Mayer of North Salem High School and General Music Chair Kelsie Demianew from Keizer’s Cummings Elementary School.

We also offer our best to Jeremy Zander of Mountainside High School. Jeremy finishes his six-year presidential commitment on June 30. The OMEA general membership selected him as the President-Elect in 2018 and he has been an excellent steward in his OMEA service. This past January, OMEA members selected Cole Haole-Valenzuela from West Salem High School to the six-year presidential track as the new President-Elect. Redmond High School’s Ben Lawson will be moving to his Past-Presidency as Erika Lockwood of Rex Putnam High School starts her two-year term as OMEA’s 45th President. Musical chairs occur on July 1st of this year!

As 2024 – 2025 approaches, Second Vice President Kelly Moore of Ridgeview High School is already working with Conference Chair Elizabeth Soper preparing for MLK Weekend 2025. All-State Chair Kristi Stingle is doing the same for our honor ensemble students. We are very happy to be returning to The Graduate Hotel for January 2025 in addition to Valley River Inn! Repairs and renovations prevented VRI from hosting our high school honor choirs last year, we are very happy to partner with them once again!

Teachers, as you plan next school year, please remember that this is a NAfME All-Northwest year. This event will be hosted in Spokane, Washington February 13 – 16. Please apply to present a session or submit a conference performance application at www.nafmenw.org. All-Northwest audition material for high school students should be available on that same website later this spring. OMEA will coordinate our audition material so that students wishing to audition for both All-State and AllNorthwest are not having to prepare two different auditions.

Best wishes to each of you as we near the end of the school year. Please stay tuned for updates regarding All-State and the conference. OMEA monthly eblasts will continue through the summer. Before you wrap the school year, ensure your NAfME membership is current so that you can register your All-State and All-Northwest auditions in the fall. Additionally, please take advantage of registering for the state conference by December 31; the cost is significantly lower when you pre-register!

Finally, congratulations on the completion of the 2023 – 2024 school year! Thank you for your work in and outside of the classroom, thank you for your work as an Oregon Music Educator

Mt. Hood Community College

OMEA Journal Editors

Western Oregon University

Talmadge Middle School

Woohoo!

Get kids performance-ready in no time, with Breezin’ Thru Theory and now with Fingerings too! The super-fun Breezin’ Thru Fingerings are timed-response drills for beginning and intermediate players. Kids simply pick their instrument or voice and try to beat the clock matching notes to correct finger positions. As they progress through the levels, students build rapid response and mastery. Level the playing field and accelerate your performance programs by integrating Breezin’ Thru Theory, now with Fingerings too.

Woohoo! Fingerings now available for: ● Band ● Orchestra ● Guitar ● Solfège ● Recorder ● Ukulele

● Mallets/ Keyboard

A TEAM EFFORT

Ben Lawson OMEA President & Band Chair

I want to give a huge thank you to the OMEA Planning Team, Board of Control and entire membership for a successful and memorable conference!

This year marks my 20th year being on the conference planning team and I thought I had seen it all. We made it through COVID with a virtual conference, and a masked conference. We have had years with delays and minor cancellations due to weather, but this year was unlike any other.

Saturday morning we learned that due to the extremely icy conditions our rehearsal and performance venues were shutting down and that we would no longer have bussing for all-state students. In a blink of an eye months and months of planning was thrown out the window, and we had to put the entire Conference and All-State Ensembles into the Graduate.

Putting our students as the top priority, the entire event was redesigned. Sessions were moved to the Bar, Top Golf, and

the hallways. Student meals were ordered from the few places remaining open, and all the equipment had to be moved to the Graduate.

Watching this all occur in a short period of time was inspiring to see, and reaffirmed my belief that Music Educators are the best people on the planet! Everyone pitched in to help out, members selflessly gave up their conference time to pick up and deliver meals, move equipment and set up chairs. The Group Managers made the new rehearsal venues work, kept the students supervised, and took care of our guest conductors as well! The Graduate staff did whatever we asked of them, and our guest conductors and clinicians took our ever changing schedule in stride. In the end it was not the event we planned but it was a successful event nonetheless.

One again, a huge thank you to the OMEA Planning Team and the Membership as whole!

PUTTING OUR WORDS INTO ACTION

Erika Lockwood OMEA President Elect

Laura Arthur OMEA Advocacy Chair

As the beginning of my Presidency approaches, I am looking forward to engaging with members in the work of serving music educators and students in our state in concrete ways.

In order to set priorities for the direction and work of this organization, we must begin with intentional statements of purpose. To that end, I am partnering with Laura Arthur, Advocacy Chair, members of the board, and you (yes, YOU) to create a mission and vision statement for our organization, as well as begin to engage in strategic planning.

Now that we have a dynamic new website, (thank you, Ben Lawson, for accomplishing this task!) these statements of purpose will be visible in a public space to hold us accountable and set a guiding vision for the work we do in our classrooms, district and state events, and on the capitol steps through advocacy.

Members have received a survey to give feedback on the direction of OMEA, in addition to our strengths and challenges. If you have not filled it out yet, it is not too late! This survey will be open until May 10: https://forms.gle/Gr7KHmDdCGbqPPFdA

Laura has created a clear outline of what Strategic Planning might look like for OMEA, which is included below. If you would like to engage in this process, please let us know in the survey!

Our goal is to have completed the Mission and Vision statements by Fall 2024. Thank you for partnering with us in this critical work of setting priorities for a strong future of music education in Oregon.

OMEA Strategic Planning Outline & Steps Source

1. Music Education Beliefs (Philosophy & Values): Formal expressions of OMEAs beliefs and core values regarding music education

2. Mission: A description of the purpose of OMEA stated in results-oriented terms

3. Vision: A description of what OMEA should look like both currently and in the future

4. Critical Issues: The collection, organization, and synthesis of critical data regarding the strengths, weaknesses, problems, and opportunities related to the organization and to the factors which are likely to affect OMEAs efforts

• 1-2 meetings

• Offline homework

• Collect examples of beliefs and values

• Solidify/write OMEAs Beliefs

• Solicit feedback from membership/board

• 1-2 meetings

• Solicit feedback from membership/board

• Write a mission statement and a vision statement, using stakeholder input, and based on the beliefs

• 1 full board work session

• SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis

• Create a form for ALL of the membership to give feedback on prioritization of critical issues (informs crafting strategic goals).

5. Strategic Goals: Statements of OMEAs (3-5 years) goals for students, educators, and stakeholders, stated in resultsoriented terms

6. Strategies: Statements of the initiatives through which strategic goals will be met, stated in “concrete” language and in measurable terms

7. Action Plans: Detailed descriptions of the actions required to implement respective strategies, including priority activities, schedules/timelines, leadership responsibilities, and associated cost

8. Evaluation: A description of the procedures and methods by which progress toward strategic goals and action plan objectives will be regularly assessed and monitored

• 1-2 writing sessions

• All goals must be checked > do they align with our beliefs? Do they serve the mission and vision?

• 1-2 writing sessions

• Feedback loop

• Be mindful of unintended consequences

• Where is the focus?

• Strategies are the sub-bullets to the strategic goals

• Action plans break out the sub-bullets and assign people in charge

• Alignment with district chair work and board reports focus/format

• Assign responsibility for collecting continuing data (agnostic of make-up of board)

At the conclusion of this process, OMEA will have a guiding document to help us make decisions and support music students, teachers, and stakeholders for years to come.

Examples of Beliefs, Mission, Vision, and Strategic Plans

• OMEA: Qualities of Quality Purposes

• NAfME Strategic Plan

• Strategic Plan – California Music Educators Association

• Wisconsin MEA -- Our Purpose

• ppsarts.com/maep

Characteristics of a Good Vision Statement

Source

• Brevity – Easy to remember and communicate, 35 words or less, 2-3 sentences

• Clarity – Avoid using jargon, be precise

• Abstract & Challenging – Works at a higher level, is flexible

• Purpose – What do we intend to achieve?

• Future Focused – Long term end state we want to see

• Inspirational – Makes us want to be better

Characteristics of a Good Mission Statement

Source

• Feasible – Aim high but it should not be an impossible statement

• Precise – Should not be so narrow as to restrict the organization’s activities nor should it be too broad to make itself meaningless.

• Clear – So it can lead to action

• Motivating – Work is worthwhile

• Distinctive – Long-term end-state we want to see

• Indicate the Major Components of Strategy

Online, Self-Paced Professional Development

Giuliana Conti

Director of Education & Equity Music Workshop

Dr. Sarah Bartolome

Associate Professor of Music Education Northwestern University Advisory Team

Through a research-based selection of videos, readings, self-reflections, and activities, you’ll explore how music can improve your students’ wellbeing as well as your own. You’ll discover new ways to empower students with music and teach them to use music listening and engagement as a tool to manage the challenges they face in and out of school. Continuing Education Credit hours

Dr. Carlos Abril

Associate Dean of Research University of Miami

Dr. Beatriz Ilari

Chair of Music Teaching & Learning University of Southern California

Dr. Jennifer Mellizo

U of Wyoming Laboratory School & Curriculum Developer at Smithsonian Folkways

Dr. Cat Bennett

Assistant Professor of Music Education Oakland University

Coty Raven Morris

Assistant Professor of Choir, Music Education and Social Justice Portland State University

actionable tools and techniques for the classroom

Dear

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Presentations and Performances for the 2025 Annual Conference

Kelly Moore OMEA 2nd Vice President

Esteemed Colleagues,

As we look ahead to the 2025 Annual Conference, we are excited to announce that the submission portal for session presentations and performances is open! As we come together for the 2025 conference, my vision includes exchanging ideas and showcasing the latest innovations and practices in music education through a diverse representation of students, educators, and professionals.

We invite all music education professionals across all areas and levels to submit proposals for presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and performances that address a wide range of topics. Whether you have insights to share on pedagogical approaches, technology integration, inclusive practices, music theory, performance techniques, or any other aspect of music education, we welcome your contributions.

We encourage creativity and diversity in submissions. Whether you are a seasoned educator with decades of experience or a newcomer to the field, we believe that everyone has valuable insights to contribute.

To submit your proposal, please visit our conference website and complete the online application form. The deadline for submissions is June 30, so be sure to submit your proposal soon to ensure consideration. We are very excited about our new website, and we think you will be too! Please visit the new and (much) improved website at oregonmea.org.

We look forward to receiving your applications and to welcoming you to the 2025 Annual Conference. Together, let us continue to inspire and empower the next generation of musicians through innovative and inclusive music education practices.

SUSTAINING PASSION:

Practical Strategies to Avoid Burnout

Elizabeth Soper OMEA Conference Chair

As music educators, we are entrusted with the profound responsibility of nurturing the artistic, emotional, and ethical growth and development of our students. However, the demands of our profession can often lead to burnout, a prevalent issue that affects educators across all disciplines. In the dynamic realm of music education, where passion and dedication are essential, it’s paramount to prioritize self-care and sustainable practices to maintain enthusiasm and effectiveness throughout the school year.

1. Establish Clear Boundaries:

Set firm boundaries between work and personal life. Define specific times for work-related tasks and commit to disconnecting during non-work hours. Prioritize self-care activities such as exercise, hobbies, and spending quality time with loved ones. Remember, by taking care of ourselves, we enhance our capacity to inspire and support our students effectively.

2. Embrace Adaptability:

Acknowledge that unpredictability is an inherent aspect of education. Nurture flexibility by embracing adaptability and resilience in the face of unexpected challenges. Rather than viewing obstacles as insurmountable barriers, approach them as opportunities for growth and transformation. Maintaining a positive outlook and a willingness to adapt fosters a sense of empowerment that reduces feelings of stress and burnout.

3. Know You’re Not Alone:

Set intentional time for relationships with colleagues, mentors, and fellow educators. Create a supportive network where experiences, resources, and strategies can be shared openly. Collaborate on projects, attend professional development events, and engage in peer-to-peer mentoring programs. Building a community of support fosters a sense of belonging and mitigates feelings of isolation often associated with burnout.

4. Engage in Regular Self-Reflection:

Reflect on your teaching practice and personal well-being regularly. Identify areas that bring you fulfillment and joy, as well as those that may contribute to stress or dissatisfaction. Set achievable goals for professional growth and commit to ongoing self-improvement. Cultivating self-awareness and mindfulness enhances resilience and emotional well-being.

5. Cultivate Inspiration:

Stay inspired by seeking out new ideas, repertoire, and teaching methods. Attend concerts, workshops, and conferences to gain fresh perspectives and insights into music education. Explore other art forms, literature, and cultural experiences to broaden your creative horizons and reignite your passion for teaching. Embracing curiosity and creativity nourishes the soul and revitalizes your teaching practice.

6. Practice Self-Compassion:

Be gentle with yourself and acknowledge that imperfection is part of the human experience. Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding you would extend to your students. Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small, and learn from setbacks

with resilience and grace. Cultivating self-compassion fosters emotional resilience and enhances overall well-being.

7. Prioritize Work-Life Balance:

Strive for a healthy balance between work and personal life. Set realistic expectations and boundaries to prevent overexertion and burnout. Prioritize activities outside of work that replenish your energy and bring you joy. Remember that nurturing your well-being is essential for sustaining your passion and effectiveness as a music educator.

Conclusion:

August 16th - 2 5th, 2 0 2 4

ALL-STATE CHAIR UPDATE

Kristi Stingle OMEA All-State Chair

January 2024’s All-State was an event that we will remember for quite a while and will impact future All-State plans. A huge thank you to the managers, conductors, executive team and board, students, chaperones, teachers, collegiate volunteers, presenters, and the staff of the hotels, rehearsal, dining, and performance venues for all of their incredible contributions.

All-State 2025 planning is well underway with adjustments being made in consideration of our learnings from 2024. The remodel at the Valley River Inn will be complete for 2025, which places students back together in a housing location that can also serve as a rehearsal venue.

We look forward to hosting the following All-State ensembles during the conference in Eugene from January 16-19, 2025:

• Elementary Choir

• Middle School:

• Band

• Choirs: Treble and Tenor/Bass ensembles

• High School:

• Choirs: 2025 is a Treble Choir and Tenor/Bass Choir year

• Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble

• Symphony Orchestra

• Jazz Band

May 1, 2024: The new OMEA website will detail the updated audition materials and All-State timeline, along with information about each ensemble.

Why audition for All-State?

The experience of being in All-State ensemble gives students the opportunity to work with a nationally-known guest conductor in an intense and musically-immersed environment. Creating music together at a high level is exhilarating, and lifelong friendships may be forged during the event.

Some students may not be sure if they want to audition for AllState. Please let them know of the benefits of preparing and performing an audition, and encourage them to go through the process. It is an important educational experience, no matter the result. In Oregon, several teachers have put together video demonstrations of audition materials, which are wonderful resources for our students all across the state.

Here are the benefits of music auditions:

• Setting a goal and committing to working towards it with your best effort

• Recognizing that excellence only comes with hard work and is not just a result of “talent”

• Time management - preparing for an audition is a process that must be spaced out logically in the time leading up to the audition recording date. “Cramming” right before the audition doesn’t work.

• Learning to present your best self under pressure and competition

• Coping with adversity - not everyone who auditions is accepted - even if the performance is excellent.

Teachers, please make sure you and your students read through the audition materials and requirements carefully and double check your uploaded recordings to ensure they are correct. Happy practicing and preparing, and thank you for encouraging your students to go through the process!

MUSIC FESTIVALS–THE ORIGINAL SOCIAL NETWORK

Dusty Molyneaux NAfME Northwest Division President

Greetings to all my NW friends!

I am enjoying day two of a choral festival here in my hometown. This particular Festival has been a staple for large school choirs in our state for decades, and one of the great things about it is that it brings kids together from across the state to a host sight and then it combines them into one mass choir with a guest conductor for the duration of the two days of rehearsal. The individual choirs will get a chance to each perform their own short program on the final concert, and then the grand finale of the concert will be the Mass Choir performance with the guest conductor leading the way.

These are kids in bigger programs, and they are the top groups in those programs. The kids in them are the best singers in their schools, almost all of them have had to audition to get into these ensembles. When you have that many talented kids, you can get an amazing product for the final concert if they all come together with their guest conductor. You can also get a real dud if the kids don’t like each other and refuse to work together. This particular one I am at now is going quite well, thankfully.

Why? The guest conductor has done a great job of making the kids focus on the music making process, and he has built a great relationship with them over the course of the two days. The home directors have the kids prepared, they are not working on notes and rhythms but rather advanced musical pursuits like phrasing and expression. He has also taken the time to talk to them and share stories with them about life in general and a life in music. That has definitely been part of the success thus far. But the other thing that has been occurring is that the kids have been using and honing their social networking skills.

I’m not talking about Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, X or any of the other popular platforms out there with our mobile devices and computers. I’m talking about good old fashioned Social Skills. Our daily rehearsals are a snapshot of all the things I have seen unfold over the course of the two days of this Festival, albeit the Festival is amplified a bit due to the longer nature of the rehearsals for these sorts of things. Some folks call these “soft skills,” a term I personally abhor. I think it is one of the most valuable things we teach our kids in our classrooms on a daily basis–there is certainly nothing soft about these valuable life lessons.

We teach kids that the whole can be stronger when we all commit to the betterment of the group over the individual. A kid might not like a particular song the group is working on, but it can be the favorite song of their best friend in the

ensemble. You still work hard on the music and give it your all even though it is not ticking all the boxes for you. “It’s not about you, it’s about us”--I’ve heard the guest conductor say this many times over the course of the rehearsals.

We teach kids how to focus and persevere in our rehearsals. Especially in a Festival setting like this when you can have six hours a day polishing and polishing the final concert. Kids need to learn how to pace themselves, but also deliver when the music calls for it. They need to learn the art of sequential skill building, the power of learning from mistakes and inquiry, and the joy of creativity. This is the same set of skills we want medical personnel to be able to do when there is an emergency surgery that needs to be done at the end of a long stretch of 12 hour shifts. It is the same skill set that lets pilots land planes after terrible weather and other delays. We will all encounter stress in our lives and our professions–learning music will help us deal with those situations much better.

We teach kids that being nice to other people is how a civilized society has to function. As humans, we learned this lesson long ago when family groups began to gather into clans, and then from clans to tribes, and eventually tribes evolved into nations. As our society grows ever larger, we have lost sight of the fine art of just being able to gather together and get along. Having to share, take your turn, follow directions and not always get your way are important things to learn. Music classes, especially the ensembles that are the backbone of the American Music Education system teach this concept exceptionally well.

We teach kids that we can explore and learn about other cultures through the study and performance of music. One of the best things about this particular Festival is that we try to bring in conductors from outside of the state or region, so we get all sorts of different approaches to music. They bring in their favorites, their set of expertise, and their life experiences. Watching a choir learn about a country or group of people by exploring the lyrics they are singing, the dance moves they may be using, and the rhythm of their native language and culture is deeply profound learning for our students. This happens with instrumental music as well at Festivals like this too.

Music Festivals and Events are never easy to plan, program, or manage–but the results of all that effort for our students is truly incalculable. Bravo to all of you who take students to these, and an even bigger round of applause for those of you that facilitate these events in our NW Region. We have some of the best in the country in our NW corner!

Be good everyone.

Director’s Luncheon Director’s Luncheon

Collegiate Honor Band

Collegiate Honor Band

Four HS Honor Bands

Four HS Honor Bands

College Night College Night

Chaperones Provided Chaperones Provided Honor Band Gala Concert Honor Band Gala Concert

WORK WITH THESE OUTSTANDING GUEST CONDUCTORS! WORK WITH THESE OUTSTANDING GUEST CONDUCTORS!

FROM THE NORTHWEST DIVISION CONFERENCE MANAGER

Scott Ketron WMEA Executive Director

It is hard to believe it but the NAfME Northwest Conference and All-Northwest Honor Groups in Spokane, Washington are only 10 months away! We are plenty excited to see everyone from our six states in our second conference since the pandemic.

In Bellevue in 2023, we were able to have a successful conference and Honor Group performances--even though we had a very small staff. An official from NAfME commented to me that the All-Northwest orchestra was one of the best honor group orchestras he has ever heard. Due to the changes we experienced while holding the conference in Bellevue, it has been decided that we will not return to this city for this event; despite the successful conference, it was clear that Bellevue has insufficient facilities to accommodate our needs.

Spokane is built for a conference like ours with a modern Convention Center surrounded by close to a dozen hotels within walking distance of the convention center and the performing arts center. If you stay in the conference hotels you will be able to access all conference sessions without having to go outside. We will provide more information this year to help

all conference participants find appropriate accommodations whether you are a delegate, an honor group participant, a conference performer or presenter, or an exhibitor. Spokane will not run out of rooms.

Students will be able access the Set A auditions are the materials that will be used this year. They will be available to download in the first week of May 2024 at wmea.org/student events. (We have some website updates going on in April.) The student audition window will open on September 1, 2024, and close in the first week of October. Notifications will be sent out in early November.

Mark your calendar. Northwest President, Dusty Molyneaux and the Northwest Board of Directors are planning a wonderful event. The Spokane Airport is only 15 minutes from the conference site, and downtown Spokane is full of local shops and restaurants giving it a unique flavor and atmosphere. We look forward to seeing you.

More information will be posted on the WMEA website by May 1, 2024.

2024 ANNUAL OMEA AWARDS

Jeremy Zander OMEA Past President

Dear OMEA Colleagues,

This will be my final entry in the OMEA journal as a member of the executive board. I am so enormously thankful for having had the opportunity to serve as an executive these past six years. My time on the board has been eye-opening in so many ways. I have had the opportunity to get to know many more of you from all over the state than I otherwise would have had, and am a better educator and person for it. Also, working alongside my fellow executives has been a blast, even through challenging times like the pandemic or the great winter storm of 2024! To all members of OMEA: if you are ever nominated or asked to serve as part of OMEA’s leadership, I strongly urge you to dive in. Oregon’s music educators are professional, inspiring, and capable. Thank you all for allowing me to serve.

On the evening of Saturday, January 13th, it was my privilege to present the annual OMEA awards to a deserving array of educators, administrators, and supporters of music education in Oregon. The OMEA Executive Board reviewed nominations and the following individuals were honored and presented with their awards at the annual OMEA banquet during the state conference.

Outstanding Early Career Music Educator Award

Suvi Mirka

This award is designed to recognize a teacher in the beginning of their career who is showing exemplary work with their students and in their communities.

Colleagues of this year’s outstanding early career music educator say that she has had “since day one, the presence of a veteran teacher.” They speak about how Suvi has transformed a struggling program into one of the strongest in the East County, how she has fostered a supportive and connected community in her classes and how her rapport with students allows her to build a safe and welcoming environment where she can teach respect and vulnerability.

Outside of the classroom, Suvi has quickly become a pillar in the music community. She has taken on a leadership role on the planning committee for the OMEA Conference and helps to provide our state with an incredibly well-run honor choir experience year after year. She also manages many events within OMEA District 2 as the Choir Co-Chair.

Her principal, Erin Voelker, wrote “She is an outstanding educator who works hard to build a strong sense of community and connectedness in all of her classes. She strives to help students be their best selves, and sees all students for how they want to be seen. She goes above and beyond for her students… Her students literally sing her praises!”

Congratulations to our 2024 Outstanding Early Career Music Educator, Suvi Mirka.

Excellence in Elementary Music Education

Amanda Sarles

The Excellence in Elementary Music Education award recognizes an individual who has shown commitment to service in our profession and a focus on teaching children through music.

Amanda Sarles started her career internationally, teaching for several years each in Kabul, Afghanistan and Kampala, Uganda. After several years, she has now settled on the Oregon coast, where we are extraordinarily fortunate to have her.

The Awards committee received no fewer than thirteen letters of support sent on Amanda’s behalf, including from her principal, superintendent, several colleagues, her retired front office secretary, and leaders of local arts organizations. We have rarely seen such widespread and enthusiastic support for an OMEA award recipient.

Letter after letter praised this teacher’s commitment to music education, how she goes above and beyond, her leadership and collaboration, her inclusivity and individualized teaching, and more. One colleague wrote, ”She supports the musical

Amanda Sarles

talent of each individual child, no matter the skill level. She has a contagious energy and never fails to put a smile on the faces of her students as they look forward to music class. She lays the initial foundation of music skills and fluency and focuses on raising musicians of all levels. She knows and praises the strengths of her students while also recognizing their needs; challenging them to be their best self.”

Beyond these hallmarks of a great educator she is also a dynamic and energetic leader. She has presented sessions at the OMEA Conference several times, and in 2023 even presented at Carnegie Hall as part of their Link Up program. She serves on the Coordinating Body of the Western Regional Educator Network and as the OMEA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Co-Chair. In this latter capacity, I have personally seen that she uses an equity lens to ask thoughtful questions and that she is committed to creating system changes in music education and fostering inclusive practices.

Congratulations to our 2024 Excellence in Elementary Music Education Award winner, Amanda Sarles.

Outstanding Middle School Music Educator

Trevor Thompson & Kay Elliott

This award recognizes our colleagues who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and music-making with that most magical age of middle school students. This year, we have two recipients for this award.

Trevor Thompson has been teaching a relatively short time, but has already demonstrated considerable excellence as a middle school music educator. Ninety percent of his 6th- and 7th-grade students from 2022–23 continued in band for the 2023–24 academic year. At the start of the 2023–24 academic year, 100% of Mr. Thompson’s former 8th-grade students were enrolled in high school band as freshmen.

Parents who wrote on his behalf testified to his warmth and rapport he has with his students and how he has built a culture of trust and respect among the students and between the students and teachers.

University of Oregon Music Education Professor Jason Silveira shared the following:

This recipient has also demonstrated creativity in providing instructional support for his students. For example, he has partnered with the Rogue Valley Symphony since 2020 to provide sectionals and private lessons for his students. Lessons are free for students and underwritten through scholarships with the Rogue Valley Symphony.

In addition to his accomplishments as an educator, Mr. Thompson has also demonstrated his skill as a researcher and steward to the profession. In 2022, he presented original research at both the National Association for Music Education Conference in National Harbor, MD and the International Society for Music Education World Conference held virtually in Brisbane, Australia. He has served the profession by acting as OMEA District 8 secretary from 2020 to 2022, and as OMEA District 8 Chair from 2022 to present. [He] is an outstanding educator and leader in his community and throughout the state. A clarifying example includes raising over $140,000 for new instruments for his students through grants, fundraisers, and advocating for increased funding from his district. He has deep ties in the community of Roseburg conducting the local community band and performing in his own trombone quartet.

Roseburg HS band director Brandon Hansen shared “he exemplifies exactly what music educators of all ages or years of experience should be like. He sees the areas he needs to grow in and pursues that growth diligently and is simultaneously quick to celebrate his students and other teachers around him. As the high school band director who benefits from all his hard work, I can say that his students consistently come to the high school well trained and, most importantly, excited to continue playing their instruments.”

It is my sincere honor to present the Outstanding Middle School Music Educator award to Trevor Thompson.

Kay Elliott, our second recipient of the Outstanding Middle School Music Educator Award has been teaching for 21 years, the last 18 of which have been spent at Rosemont Ridge Middle School in West Linn. In addition, she serves as one of the Middle School Choir CoChairs in the Oregon division of ACDA.

Her colleague Myriam Gendron-Dupont says she “is an amazing music educator… Kay always strives to adapt her teaching methods to meet the current or latest requirements and she is

Trevor Thompson

Kay Elliott

not afraid to re-think, re-work, or completely reinvent the way she approaches assessment, lesson planning, delivery of materials, or instructional methods. Her students know all aspects of their music, they have ownership of their learning, and they emerge from her classroom as better human beings… She has mentored many aspiring music teachers over the years, passing on her knowledge and inspiring the next generation of choral educators. Her dedication to the musical growth and success of her students is apparent every day.”

Another colleague, Abigail Graves, wrote : “Kay is genuinely one of the most incredible human beings I’ve ever had the chance to know. Not only was she an incredible choir teacher for me as a middle school student, I also had the amazing opportunity to be her student teacher in the second half of the 2022-2023 school year, and I truly could not convey with words how meaningful this learning experience from my mentor was for me. Looking back now, I know her influence as a musician and a teacher on me as an adolescent completely shaped the path that I chose in life. She is always striving to make a difference in the lives of her students and in her school community.”

This year’s recipient also works with the Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choir and writes and performs music with her husband in their family music band, The Pointed Man Band, which can be heard on Sirius XM radio and is booked for performances all around the United States during the summer months.

It is my profound privilege to honor Kay Elliott with the 2024 Outstanding Middle School Music Educator Award.

Outstanding Contributor Award

Paul Elliott

The Outstanding Contributor Award may be awarded to an individual, business, or organization that has contributed to music education in an extraordinary manner through service, leadership, or advocacy.

Paul Elliott moved to Salem in 1993 and began working at Uptown Music in 1998. He was promoted to manager after just two short years. After managing the store for 13 years, Paul and his wife, Karen, decided to purchase the store from its previous owner. The following comments were crafted by numerous educators, parents, and musicians in the Salem-Keizer District and Willamette Valley:

“Paul Elliott is the epitome of a creative, collaborative, compassionate, and committed partner in education through the medium of music. As owner, operator, and energetic center of Uptown Music, Paul has

been supporting music programs in the Keizer region and throughout the Salem-Keizer School District and greater Willamette Valley for over two decades. He has contributed time, talent, energy, and funding to causes that create opportunity for our youth at all ages and in all areas of music-making…band, orchestral, choral, general music, individual musicianship, and audio engineering.

His efforts at McNary High School alone supported the buildout of a full suite of digital pianos allowing up to 24 students per class to participate in learning piano, composing, and recording via digital platforms. He partnered with the school and community in restringing and refurbishing over 60 instruments for the Guitar Class, which has now served over 1000 students in learning guitar, bass, and ukulele on both acoustic and electric instruments. Paul is everpresent in the evaluation and building of sound systems for individual classrooms, cafeterias, gymnasiums, and concert halls at dozens of Salem-Keizer Schools. Service doesn’t end at delivery and install…many an educator can recall Paul opening the shop at 8pm to “save a show” with a needed wire, connection, or even replacement sound board or speaker. In a ten-year period alone, Paul and his employees donated over $200,000 of material support and time in delivery, installation, technical guidance, and ongoing assistance.

Paul has demonstrated, with great heart, that providing opportunities for youth through music leads to greater connection to their school experience, in their personal development, and for many a pursuit of music as life-long passion and career. Many of his employees can tell the story of Paul bounding into their classrooms when they were students…arms full of instruments and equipment to bring to their teacher…excitedly asking what they were practicing… and many times sitting at the piano to jam with whatever ensemble was in action. There are literally thousands of young persons who got their start on violin, cello, trumpet, flute, piano, and guitar because their first instrument was from Uptown Music. How many Sundays could we find Paul in the basement cleaning, repairing, and prepping instruments for excited youngsters just starting out in band or orchestra, or about to take their first private lesson on piano. As educators, parents, and community members we congratulate and celebrate Paul Elliott as a hero in our community with his efforts to keep music alive and healthy in our schools and homes. Uptown Music and Paul Elliott are located in the center of Keizer and for many are the heartbeat of our community.“

On behalf of everyone in the Salem region and in our entire state who benefit from your enormous contributions to our students, I offer my congratulations to our 2024 Outstanding Contributor for Music Education, Paul Elliott.

Paul Elliott

Outstanding Administrator Award

Nevin Van Manen

The Outstanding Administrator Award is given in recognition of contributions to music education through administrative support. We work in an area of education that seems to need endless advocacy. Support for music education from an administrator is of the utmost importance and something for which we are always grateful and never take for granted.

Historically, the outstanding administrator award has gone to superintendents of large districts or principals at large high schools around the state. At the same time, it is important to consider that the impact of a supportive administrator in a smaller community can be especially profound.

Nevin Van Manen, this year’s recipient, is the principal at Highland Elementary in Grants Pass School District. He is an accomplished pianist and an excellent accompanist. Prior to being principal, he taught elementary general music in Grants Pass for many years and was part of the OMEA board as the elementary chair in the past. He is now in his 6th year of administration in Grants Pass.

As principal, he has many duties, but his history as a music educator and former OMEA board member allows him to advocate for music educators in board and administrator meetings, helping his colleagues to understand the needs of music teachers and students.

Krista DeBolt, the orchestra director at Grants Pass High School and the OMEA Orchestra Area Chair, writes:

Mr. Van Manen was an accompanist for me when we were both in college and many times since. When I was teaching private lessons and working to find an accompanist for my students he was always willing to jump in and help them. As a principal he has still been willing to travel to State Festivals and be an accompanist for our students who are representing Grants Pass. He is such an amazing accompanist that he

helps the kids learn how to work with an accompanist as most of our kids have not experienced that skill. He is able to make them feel good about themselves while supporting and helping them play and sound the best possible. I am so thankful that he has been willing to step in and still help with the state contests that involved travel and time when we have been very short on accompanists in the last couple years, even while juggling his responsibilities as a principal. I had a family emergency last year and he was able and willing to cover for me and help my kids throughout the day at both Solo and Ensemble Championships.

As a principal, Mr. Van Manen always works to figure out a schedule to meet room and supply needs for band/strings programs as well as his general music teacher who teaches K-5th grades. He is such an awesome resource for all music educators in the Grants Pass Schools. He supports kids and teachers and goes the extra mile when he can, including sharing his musical skills and expertise.

For all you do for your community, your school, and for OSAA, we honor Mr. Nevin Van Manen as our 2024 OMEA Outstanding Administrator.

Exemplary Service to the Profession

Suzanne Bonamici

The Exemplary Service to the Profession award recognizes significant contributions to music education through leadership, service, and advocacy.

Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici represents the First Congressional District of Oregon, which includes large portions of Washington and Multnomah Counties, and Tillamook, Clatsop, and Columbia counties. During her time in the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Bonamici has been a staunch supporter and advocate for education generally and arts and music education in particular.

Every year, the OMEA executive board participates in NAfME’s Hill Day, a coordinated effort to meet with our federal legislators and discuss the legislative needs for music educators around the country. While we have had many positive encounters with several lawmakers who represent Oregon, the meetings with Congresswoman Bonamici stand out in particular. For one thing, she–without fail–carves time out of her schedule to meet with us directly, rather than having us meet with her aids. In these meetings, she always enthusiastically supports OMEA’s and NAfME’s talking points and quickly takes action on our behalf. The day after one of our meetings several years ago, the congresswoman dedicated the full span of her speaking time on the House floor sharing about her conversation with us and speaking to the importance of strong music education in our nation’s schools.

Nevin Van Manen

Suzanne Bonamici

Just this past September, she introduced the Arts Education for All Act to congress. This act aims to help close gaps in access to arts education by supporting and encouraging arts education and programming for young children, K-12 students, and youth and adults involved in the justice system.

It is our honor to recognize Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici with OMEA’s award for Exemplary Service to the Profession!

Outstanding Music Educator

Kathy Briggs

The Outstanding Music Educator award is given in recognition of exemplary teaching and outstanding achievement.

Kathy Briggs has been teaching in public and private schools since 1998. She started her teaching career in public schools in rural Minnesota, where she taught elementary music and high school choir for eight years. In 2006, she moved to Portland, OR where she leads the award-winning choir program at St. Mary’s Academy. She also conducted the University of Portland’s Bel Canto from 2014-2023.

St. Mary’s principal, Liane Rae, shared: Kathy’s passion and enthusiasm for music and how it connects us to one another are inspiring. She sets high expectations for herself and her students and deeply understands the foundational importance that music plays in the lives of all of us. Her love of music connects to every student and staff member at St. Mary’s Academy through teaching our freshmen music appreciation, working with cast members of our musicals, and playing music for our Mass celebrations; her talents and appreciation of music are woven into the fabric of our community. We are so proud of her!

Kathy is a third-generation educator–both her parents were public school teachers and her grandfather was a high school band director. She was active in music from an early age and even was a proud tuba player in her rural Wisconsin high school band.

I think it would take several hours to list all the ways Kathy’s leadership, service and innovation have impacted music education in Oregon, but I will try my best to summarize: She currently serves as the Choral Chair on the OMEA/ACDA boards and served as Vice President, President and Past President of OMEA from 2018 through 2022. She is the chairperson and founder of the OMEA State student Composition Contest. While she served as President of OMEA, she was responsible for several significant positive changes in how our organization runs. Thanks to Kathy, the OMEA executive board created a position on the board to chair the All-State Ensembles (which, when Kathy served as VP, was part of her duties). When Dave Becker announced his retirement as treasurer, she

Kathy Briggs

worked alongside our new treasurer Todd Zimbelman to formulate a path to make the treasurer position more sustainable for someone to serve in the position longterm. This has been and will continue to be key to the long-term financial health of our organization. Kathy’s organizational leadership has also paved the way for the establishment of our Conference Chair position, now held by Ms. Elizabeth Soper. Just this past fall, Kathy worked with ACDA to add a new category in the state’s chamber ensemble contest for Contemporary Vocal Ensembles. Simply put, our organization would not be the same without Kathy’s vision, wisdom, and leadership.

During most of my term as president of OMEA, I have had the good fortune to follow in Kathy’s footsteps. I have always been able to rely on her for sage counsel and a calming demeanor. Not only that, I have depended on her ability to proofread and revise emails more times than I can count!! I know that I am not alone in that my own path as an educator has been altered for the better for having known and worked with Kathy.

I asked Kathy’s friend and colleague Ashley McCullar to share a few words about Kathy. She shared:

‘How can our minds and bodies be, grateful enough that we have spent, here in this generous room, this evening of content?’

These words, by Sara Teasdale, are beautifully sung by the Marians at every St. Mary’s Academy Spring concert. I cry every time. Kathy, at every final concert, has always said the three most important things in her life are Nate, music, and her students. I saw this passion every day as we shared an office and music room for 8 years (minus that ‘joyful’ blip of online learning we all somehow managed to survive). Kathy is my mentor, friend, and I will always treasure the opportunity I had working together, learning from her, being roomies in Europe, and accompanying the award winning Marians.

Congratulations to our 2024 Outstanding Music Educator, Kathy Briggs.

John C. McManus Distinguished Teacher Award

Dave Matthys

John C. McManus defined the standard of service for music educators through a life of selfless service to his students and colleagues. The criteria for this award is a lifetime of exemplary service to Oregon music education, characterized

by the highest professional standards; a distinguished record of leadership and teaching; and a record of significant and notable honors and influence.

This year’s recipient has 44 years of experience in music education. Dave Matthys started his teaching career in Bandon and has taught in several different school districts including North Marion, Beaverton, Portland, and finished his career in Lake Oswego where he was the band director at Lake Oswego High School as well as District Music Coordinator.

His bands performed numerous times at the State Music Conventions and was awarded the Mary S. Dodge Outstanding Music Program in 2008. Also in 2008, he was recognized by the School Band and Orchestra Magazine as one of 50 directors in the country who make a difference. In 2014, Dave was named Outstanding Music Educator by the National Federation of High Schools. He is past president of the Oregon Band Directors Association, been a District Chair for Oregon Music Educators, and has served on several committees with the OSAA including the Activities Advisory Committee and Budget Committee.

In 2012, He worked with Google to implement a program where students used 20% of their time for a music passion project. Some learned new instruments, some wrote their own music, and some created their own instruments. He also was the first director to include violins and violas to march with the band in the Rose Festival Parades.

Dave has a heart for mentoring our state’s newest/youngest band directors. For the past 10 years, he has been working with student teachers at Portland State University. This year Dave chaired the OBDA mentorship program that has paired music teachers across the state.

15 years ago, when I was a brand new high school band teacher, Dave took me aside on several occasions to share his wisdom and advice. He is one of the warmest and kindest people I have ever met, and he is so generous with his time.

Even though he officially retired 10 years ago (or as his wife Tarina likes to say “retired from full time teaching”, he is active as an adjudicator and clinician all over the state. One of his favorite roles is adjudicating the sightreading room, where he enjoys handing out cold water to the director after their on-stage performance. Last year he ran the stage at the OSAA State Band and Orchestra contest and tried to make the environment as easy and stress free as possible for directors. I might add that the photographs he took of conductors in action filled up my Facebook and Instagram feeds that entire week–quite a few of you had one of those photos as your profile picture!

Dave’s primary goal as a teacher was for his students to have a good experience in band and to enable them to enjoy music for all of their lives. He has had an enormous impact on thousands of students and dozens if not hundreds of young teachers during his career, several of whom are here in this room tonight. Dave epitomizes what it is to be a teacher, and anyone who has gotten to spend time with him is better off for it.

One more thing that bears mentioning: Dave arrived yesterday evening to beat the freezing rain. Seeing the chaos caused by all of the closures and transportation issues, all day today Dave has rolled up his sleeves and helped out with all of our last minute venue changes, chair moving, equipment setup–basically doing anything and everything he could to ease the burden on his fellow educators and help the students to have a positive experience.

It is my honor to present this year’s John C. McManus Distinguished Teacher Award to Dave Matthys.

Dave Matthys

Wildish Community Theater

$5 tickets for students & accompanying adults FREE pre-concert

MAKING ADVOCACY EFFECTIVE

Jazzmone Sutton NAfME State Advocacy Engagement Manager

Whether it is in response to a proposed budget cut or generally advocating for more funding, advocacy is built into the fabric of what we do as music educators. As an elementary educator my biggest advocacy hurdle was getting people to understand that meaningful academically focused learning through play was, and still is, an absolute necessity for young students.

Years of doing the same “Why Music is Important” speech to admin, parents, community members and decision makers in response to a decision that would negatively impact my students or their access to music education left me frustrated and exhausted. I began to question if my advocacy efforts were really helping or sustaining the overall work of the program? Was all of my work “effective?”

“Effective advocacy” is getting others to act positively on your behalf or on behalf of your students. The NAfME Strategic Plan states how advocacy is the shared responsibility of all people within the education ecosystem; from educators to admin, parents, students, community members and organizations. The beautiful thing about this type of advocacy is the fact that teachers are not solely responsible for moving the needle. Knowing this, how do we activate these groups to become involved in music education advocacy?

Here is what I used to get started on my journey to effective advocacy.

• Shift Your Mindset

There are a lot of people who want to see your students succeed. View them as champions for your students and their needs in music. Keep the students and their needs at the center of this work.

• Assess Your Networks

Identify how current advocates support the program. Beyond financial support, there is organizational, administrative, marketing and “spreading the word,” people power, volunteer hours, etc. Use the NAfME Grassroots Inventory to identify the strengths and areas of growth in the network of support.

• Build Purposeful Connections

Once you have assessed potential connections, get to know them and their goals. Keep it simple! Set up a meeting, connect via email or a quick one-on-one. If you have volunteers, consider doing a “Volunteer Skills” form to learn what the areas volunteers want to participate in. You can view the one that I used for my volunteers here. Learning about your volunteers and their goals can help align your goals and provide mutual support; thus, creating opportunities for meaningful collaborations.

• Create a Plan

If you’re in a place to identify a goal or vision of the music education space in your school or district, utilize the NAfME Local Advocacy Action Plan to brainstorm the plan of action. Remember effective advocacy is getting

others to act, including others in the brainstorming and implementation of the advocacy plan.

• Be Consistent

It is easy to fall back into the practice of doing all the work by yourself. Implementing effective advocacy takes time and patience. Start small and stay consistent.

There is a caveat to all the tips above. A well thought out collaborative advocacy plan can be upended due to unforeseen circumstances or hurdles. It will happen! Stay committed to the work, adjust the plan, and keep moving forward. Also, take breaks. Rest is mandatory for this work.

Lastly, remember that you are not alone in this work. As a member of OMEA, you are a member of NAfME. My role at NAfME is to support members and their communities in local and state advocacy efforts. Reach out to me at jazzmones@ nafme.org if you have questions related to music education advocacy. Or listen to other music education advocacy stories from around the country on the Music Education Advocate Podcast

Photography by Zachary Person

THE OTHER R-WORD–A PERSONAL NARRATIVE

Cynthia Navarro OMEA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Co-Chair

Being a transformational educator starts with examining our own biases. As a woman of color, I know that there are specific things about my upbringing that have shaped the way I think and react to …wait for it…race. Race feels like the “other” r-word. A word that most folks are afraid to say, that society has told us not to talk about, that seems dirty or bad. In order to fully be champions of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our classrooms, we must examine our individual relationships with race.

At some point in our lives, we have all experienced that moment when we first discovered the concept of race. We may not fully understand what it means, but we become aware. The following is an excerpt from my racial autobiography. It is a piece I wrote while completing the Equity Certificate for School Leaders through the Center for Equity and Inclusion. My Racial Autobiography is ever changing--sometimes I’ll unlock new memories, or I’ll develop new understanding about an encounter I’ve already written about. I encourage you to engage in this same exercise alongside me, specifically focusing on the way your school experiences shaped your understanding of race. There is no right or wrong to this narrative--its sole purpose is personal reflection. The more deeply we understand our relationship with race, the better we can serve our students.

My name is Cynthia Navarro and I identify as Mexican American. I am not from here nor there. I am the daughter of immigrants. I was born February 19th, 1992. Cynthia Navarro. That’s it. No middle name, no second last name. My mom didn’t know that in the US, people name their babies at the hospital. She was very unprepared and asked her nurse what her name was. She also asked her to spell it in English.

From the time I was born, my life has been about assimilating into American culture. My mom made sure that everything I wore and did blended in. She would always tell me that I was lucky because I had very light skin. Growing up, most of my nicknames from family were centered around how light I was. Tito would call me his Paloma (dove). My Tía Coco would call me Tortillita de Harina (flour tortilla) because fresh flour tortillas are always white like flour. Other nicknames included Blanquita and Güerita.

I was a bright child. My dad taught my mom and I how to speak English one year before I started kindergarten. We learned together and we practiced together. My mom made sure that I pronounced every word perfectly. If I had any bit of an accent, I’d have to try again. At the time, I didn’t know why my English had to be perfect, but my mom was allowed to have an accent. My dad did everything in his power to make sure that both my mom and I could communicate in English.

My first experience with race happened in an educational setting. It was the summer before kindergarten. I had to

take a kindergarten readiness exam. (Pictured - I loved that orange dress!) Because of all of the work my parents had done with me the year prior, I spoke English very well and I could read too! I remember sitting at the half moon table in the back of the room with Mrs. Nott. I was reading the test and answering the questions. We get to the last question.

“What happens to ice cream in the sun?”

“Se derrite.”

I remember walking out crying. I had gotten the question wrong because I said the answer in Spanish. I couldn’t understand how the answer was wrong. I had said the correct process…just in a different language. Following the incident, my parents just brushed it off. I was asked to focus on all the things I had gotten right. I was also asked to only speak Spanish at home.

My first friend in kindergarten was Guadalupe Santos. She was new to the country and to our class. My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Nott made me her buddy so that she could communicate with someone. I quickly discovered that Guadalupe spoke zero English and very little Spanish. The severity of the issue did not dawn on me. A couple weeks later, Mrs. Nott asked me to stay in during 3rd recess so that I could help her tell Guadalupe’s mom when back to school night was. Mrs. Santos walked in and Mrs. Nott started talking, expecting me–a five year old–to translate. I said what I could–pointing to the calendar because I didn’t know the days of the week (in English OR Spanish). Guadalupe’s mom nodded and smiled and said, “Sí.” I didn’t realize until years later that Spanish was not their native tongue. They spoke an indigenous language. I never told my mom about it because I wasn’t supposed to be speaking Spanish at school–and let’s be honest, I enjoyed being needed.

Because of the lack of conversations surrounding race, I did not realize the importance of race for an embarrassingly long time. In addition to the encounters detailed above, I have countless other memories of events that felt “off” to me-incidents that caused a deep discomfort I couldn’t identify. It wasn’t until late high school/early college when I realized that I had been experiencing different forms of racism. I had always blended in enough to avoid experiencing outward and obvious racist acts. It wasn’t until I had classmates questioning my identity as a Mexican woman and therefore, my college entrance that I realized I had been hiding who I really was. Peers would ask me if I had only gotten into school because I checked “Hispanic/Latino” on my application. They would ask if I was really Hispanic because I didn’t sound it or look it. I did not realize that I had changed my instincts in order to survive in the school system.

Already, many music students feel a sense of belonging in the music room. Music transcends language and otherness.

My sense of belonging started in the multi-purpose room (because budget cuts). I’ll never forget the concert where Mrs. Golstein programmed a song in Spanish and I got to help with pronunciations. I absolutely loved singing in my elementary choir. As I got older, the band room is where I felt I could let go of my perfectly curated “school self.” Ms. Augustine started me on my band journey. It was the first time I had seen a teacher own up to their mistakes and be vulnerable. When we as educators show up authentically and teach to our students’ experiences, we dismantle the (sometimes) invisible barriers that keep students from fully engaging with us and the content.

Today, I am pronouncing my name as it was given to me by my parents. Cynthia /ˈsintja/ Navarro /naˈβaro/. It took me over 20 years to fully step into my identity and celebrate who I am both in my home life AND in my professional life. Today, I can freely speak in front of my students (in whatever language comes out first) and I get to hear them do the same. Today, I can actively eliminate barriers that limit my students’ access to their education because I acknowledge that everyone brings both who they are and their experiences with them. Because I am more connected to myself, I can connect more with my students. My hope is that we can work alongside each other to think and reflect on how we interact with race. There is no right or wrong, there is only growth.

Develop your musical skills and knowledge at Westmont College, located in the foothills of Santa Barbara, California. Engage in the serious study, composition, and performance of great music at an advanced level. Discover the vital role music plays in the liberal arts and the Christian community. Choose from the general, music performance, and music composition tracks or earn the professional Bachelor of Music Education degree that leads to a public school teaching credential. Westmont is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). Music Scholarships are available to all talented applicants.

Cynthia Navarro

PRIORITIZING PEOPLE: Confront and Conquer Burnout Together

Dr. Lori Schwartz Reichl University of the Arts, Music Education Faculty

“You will burn and you will burn out; you will be healed and come back again.” ―Fyodor Dostoevsky

Life seems a bit more fragile these days, regardless of what roles we serve professionally and personally. Expectations, positions, careers, health, and households may have changed or will change. As part of the “sandwich” generation, many of us are caring for aging parents while also raising children, along with maintaining the responsibilities of our work. The endless news of war, mass shootings, vehicle collisions, tragic accidents, mental health, and disease causes worry and concern. Every time we turn on the TV, scroll social media, or talk to a friend or relative, it appears someone I know, you know, or we knew at one phase in our lives has fallen ill or died for various reasons. These realizations about lives being stolen away often take our breaths away for a moment in time. Life is a gift and too many of us are living it in a state of despair.

I have been hearing the phrase “Process over Product” much more in recent years, especially in education regarding the “doing” versus the “done” of an activity, project, presentation, or performance. I am drawn to its intention about the experience of learning but feel as though something—or someone— is missing from its meaning. What if we changed this phrase to read “People over Process and Product”? How could this prioritization of people alter our preparation, planning, and performance in our learning, leading, and living spaces? Would we more carefully consider each person rather than the entire family, class, ensemble, or department as a whole?

“There is no ‘I’ in TEAM,” was a phrase I heard echoed by coaches, directors, teachers, and leaders in my youth. I probably said it at some point in my life and career, too. But did I believe it then? Do I believe it now? Could it be negatively impacting how we learn, lead, and love?

A team is made up of many unique individuals, just like (or unlike!) you and me, who learn, lead, and love differently. The many “I’s” intricately make up each grouping of people. With or without a certain “I,” the unit will function differently. A decision, pace, content, or meaning could be altered or lost because of the absence or addition of one person. The process will change. The product may be modified. Think of what happens when we are missing a member of our family, a student in our class, a musician in our ensemble, an athlete on our team, or a leader in our department. There is a void. Without a certain “I,” the group may not exist or excel at its greatest potential.

If we begin the process of producing with “I,” we can first ask ourselves how we feel. Do we feel good about our work? Are we content with our lives? Are we happy to be alive? From there, we can focus on how our loved ones, students, colleagues, and employees may also be feeling.

In researching the components, signs, and stages of burnout and investing a deep concern for our well-being and for those

we love, serve, and lead, two California colleagues and I (in Maryland) designed and presented the webinar, “Burnt Out —> Now What?” While living on different sides of the country, we have felt burnout at varying phases in our lives and careers. In preparation for this webinar, I read the attendees’ responses about what symptoms of burnout they are experiencing. I was devastated but not shocked by their responses. There are similarities throughout the numerous responses and an equivalence to how I feel and act each time burnout occurs. The responses included boredom, lack of motivation, little enjoyment, stress/anxiety, exhaustion, being overwhelmed, not wanting to get out of bed, less patience with loved ones, lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities, and waiting for a sign to leave their job. These responses are an obvious sign of needing and wanting help.

In a Harvard Business Review article, Dr. Monique Valcour states,

“Research has also linked burnout to many negative physical and mental health outcomes, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, sleep disturbances, depression, and anxiety, as well as to increased alcohol and drug use. Moreover, burnout has been shown to produce feelings of futility and alienation, undermine the quality of relationships, and diminish long-term career prospects.”

Within the article, Valcour discusses that burnout is a three-component syndrome of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy that arises in response to chronic stressors. Cynicism, Valcour says, “can be the result of work overload, but it is also likely to occur in the presence of high conflict, unfairness, and lack of participation in decision making.” She goes on to clarify, “Inefficacy refers to feelings of incompetence and a lack of achievement and productivity.” Burnout can also begin when “you lack the resources and support to do your job well, including adequate time, information, clear expectations, autonomy, and good relationships with those whose involvement you need to succeed. The absence of feedback and meaningful recognition, which leaves you wondering about the quality of your work and feeling that it’s unappreciated, can also activate this component.”

Burnout does not make us any less of a professional. It makes us human.

My godmother always reminds me, “We are all going through something.” I have taken this to heart when working with students, colleagues, and clients and interacting with friends and family. I am less likely to criticize, chastise, or challenge when I think of her genuine words.

It may or may not surprise us how many people are feeling burned out or experiencing a sense of hopelessness. If not now, at some point in our lives, we may lack energy, confidence, or significance. We may question our choices, decisions, and paths both personally and professionally. We might consider

making key changes in the coming days, weeks, or new year. These are all natural feelings to have. These feelings may cause us to not be as concerned with the process, product, or performance in our working situations. We may be more worried about the people—even ourselves!

Burnout can happen to anyone at any time. Change is possible though.

Consider these 5 key steps to confront and conquer burnout either for yourself or for those you love, serve, and lead:

1. Recognize

Understand that you, your loved one, student, colleague, or employee may be experiencing burnout. Learn about the symptoms and discover how to identify these.

2. Examine

Inquire about how you and they are doing. Consider sharing your experience with another person or asking others if they would like to share how they are feeling in their own time and method.

3. Connect

Find some way or someone to connect with others. Think beyond the familiar, if necessary. Encourage an affirmative evaluation of accomplishments, goals, skills, and interests to

shift one’s perspective to a more positive one. Prioritize selfcare by reminding yourself and others to exercise, sleep often, and eat well. Join others on this journey.

4. Follow-Up

Check-in with others as needed. Review how you or they have improved or worsened. Consider additional guidance.

5. Show Gratitude

Let others know they are appreciated—often. Remind them of their gifts. Showing gratitude is powerful to both the receiver and the giver.

To confront and conquer burnout, we should do so together by prioritizing people. Let’s reflect on how we can be more present in the presence of others and aware of what they (and we!) are experiencing. We should encourage, redirect, and support others (and ourselves!) to heal and return to a sense of hopefulness. Let’s prioritize people over the process and product. In doing so, we may notice that the people are more invested, the process is more enjoyable, and the product more superb.

“Reprinted with permission from National Association for Music Education (NAfME). The original article published on December 5, 2023 can be found here: Prioritizing People - NAfME

COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF STRING PEDAGOGY: Challenges and New Resource

Dr. Dijana Ihas Pacific University, Professor of Music Education

Because pedagogy courses are rarely, if ever, included in the undergraduate music education curricula, many music teachers enter the profession with limited knowledge of pedagogy about the instruments they are teaching. This is a problem because teachers need not only the “what to teach” type of knowledge which they get in their undergraduate methods courses, but teachers also need a type of knowledge related to “how to teach,” which is the knowledge taught in pedagogy courses. The unintended consequence of not offering pedagogy courses as a part of the undergraduate music education curriculum is that most music teachers enter the music teaching profession with a limited knowledge of pedagogy, which adversely affects their efficacy and productivity, but most importantly the quality of instruction that they offer to students. While lack of pedagogical knowledge on behalf of music teacher may not deeply affect students who take private lessons, students who do not have financial means for private lessons and whose learning completely depends on what they learn from school music teachers, may detrimentally be affected by the teacher’s lack of knowledge and experience in pedagogy of the instrument they teach.

To address this gap in the music education curriculum and provide university students as well as in-service music teachers with well researched, comprehensive, and easily accessible resources that focus on string pedagogy, Dr. Dijana Ihas (Pacific University, Oregon), Dr. Miranda Wilson (University of Idaho), and Prof. Gaelen McCormick (Eastman School of Music) published a book titled Teaching Violin, Viola, Cello, and Double Bass: Historical and Modern Pedagogical Practices (Routledge, 2024). Over a period of several decades, the authors of the book immersed themselves in every opportunity for professional development in string pedagogy at the national and international levels, they read every historical treatise and modern book on the topic of string pedagogy, interviewed every major contemporary pedagogue, combining all this knowledge into their own teaching. Their dedicated work culminated in a book that summarizes 350 years of string pedagogy on all four bowed string instruments. This up-to-date, comprehensive summary of the rich history and knowledge of string pedagogy aims to be used by school orchestra teachers, private teachers, college professors, students at all levels of learning, and general readers interested in reading about the history of string pedagogy.

What follows is a review of Violin, Viola, Cello, and Double Bass: Historical and Modern Pedagogical Practices the review is to make orchestra teachers aware of this new resource and to make the book easier to read and understand.

Organization

The book is organized into three parts: the Violin and Viola Part written by Dijana Ihas, the Cello Part written by Miranda Wilson, and the Double Bass Part written by Gaelen McCormick. Each part has three chapters: “Historical Treatises and Approaches”, “Approaches and Methods for Beginning and Intermediate

Students”, and “Application to Modern Teaching: Summary of Concepts”. Chapters are organized in essays in which the authors explain pedagogical practices of virtually all historical and modern approaches and methods. The essays are independent from each other, meaning they can be read in any order in accordance with the reader’s needs.

Content

The information presented in each essay is organized around five topics that are unique to teaching string instruments: 1. “Teaching Foundations”, 2. “Teaching Left-Hand Techniques”, 3. “Teaching Right-Hand Techniques”, 4. “Teaching Musical Expression”, and 5. “Teaching Students How to Practice”. In “Teaching Foundations,” the authors present multiple strategies for teaching posture/stance, instrument hold, left-hand setup, and bow hold, all derived from multiple historical and modern string pedagogy approaches. The strategies are applicable to teaching students at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of learning. In

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vibrato, harmonics, double stops, chords, and intonation, also derived from sound pedagogical approaches. In “Teaching Right-Hand Techniques,” the authors present strategies for teaching the use of the whole bow, various bow strokes, string crossings, bow changes, and principles of tone production. The summary of what various historical treatises wrote about teaching musical expression is the content of the “Teaching Musical Expression” part of each essay. In “Teaching How to Practice,” each essay provides a summary of various views on how to teach students to practice their instruments in the most productive way.

Parts of the Book that is Most Beneficial to School Orchestra Teachers

Chapter Three of each part of the book, titled “Beginning and Intermediate Methods and Approaches,” are dedicated to a detailed explanation of pedagogical practices used by methods and approaches designed for teaching younger students. It is in these chapters that school orchestra teachers can learn countless strategies for teaching foundations and playing techniques that are directly applicable to their teaching. This is where teachers can learn details about approaches such as Applebaum, Bornoff, Havas, Rolland, and Suzuki. Moreover, it is in Chapter Three of each part of the book that orchestra teachers can learn details on emerging international methods and approaches that are also applicable to their teaching. These include Colourstrings, Milanov Method, and Mimi Zweig’s approach.

Chapter Four in each respective part of the book is likely to be of great benefit to school orchestra teachers. These chapters

are titled “Applications to Modern Teaching.” In these chapters, orchestra teachers can find every strategy for teaching any playing technique that has ever existed, from 350 years ago up until today, all summarized and juxtaposed in one place. Of particular interest to school orchestra teachers is that the book provides insights into pedagogy for all four bowed instruments so teachers can read and learn about pedagogy on their secondary instruments. Finally, an important feature of the book that can benefit school orchestra teachers is the conceptual tables of playing techniques supplied in the violin and viola part of the book in Chapter Four. These tables organize playing skills in conceptual frameworks that can aid teachers in teaching but also in writing lesson plans, developing assessment tools, and reporting student learning outcomes to administration, parents, and students.

Summary and Recommendation

Violin, Viola, Cello, and Double Bass: Historical and Modern Pedagogical Practices supplies up-to date the most comprehensive and historically supported information on string pedagogy for all four bowed string instruments. The book meets the needs of teachers interested in deepening their string pedagogy knowledge, benefiting their students and their orchestra programs.

References

Ihas, D., Wilson, M., & McCormick, G. (2024). Teaching violin, viola, cello, and double bass: Historical and modern pedagogical practices. Routledge.

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MENTORS AND MENTEES: Music Educators Helping Each Other

Ella Wilcox Teaching Music Magazine, Editor

mentor [men-tawr]: a trusted counselor or guide; tutor, coach; originally from Mentor, the tutor of Telemachus, the son of Odysseus. (Merriam-Webster Online)

Music Educators in most parts of the world are often launched into their profession with minimal guidance and need to learn how to become a teacher while on the job. Many wish they had someone to help them, especially in their first few years of teaching. All new teachers deserve the moral and professional support of a good mentor.

What makes a good mentor? How can veteran teachers help newcomers to the profession? Can beginning teachers offer valuable viewpoints for their mentors? Here are a few answers to those questions from teachers, teacher-educators, and mentors and mentees across the United States.

A Mentor in Your Field is Critical

Colleen Conway, a professor of music education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is recognized in the field both as a teacher and as a researcher studying mentoring. In a recent email, she writes, “Concern for new teachers and the preparation of the mentors who will guide them is as important now as it was when I began studying mentoring in the fall 1999. New-teacher mentoring is a crucial step in the teacher-education process.” Conway notes that in the United States, “Many new teachers are provided with a mentor as part of state or regionally sponsored mentor programs, but in many cases that teacher is not a fellow music teacher, or someone who has access, officially or unofficially, to a music-teacher mentor.”

Important Qualities for Mentoring

Douglas C. Orzolek, a professor of music at the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota, shares, “I was fortunate to have many mentors during my first years of teaching, but one stood out as someone who really took an interest in my growth and development. His advice was honest and direct, but it was all shared in a way that was respectful and constructive. He was a wonderful listener who took the time to help me consider ways to approach challenges I was facing early in my career. Most importantly, he was a terrific music educator and provided a model that I wanted to emulate. Thirty-four years later, I still call him should I need to talk through something with someone I trust.”

Research has shown that being a good mentor goes beyond sharing what works for the mentor or checking in occasionally on the new teacher. Mentors need to observe the teaching of the mentee in person or via recording, and time needs to be devoted to viewing, reflecting, and discussing the teaching together (Conway, 2003, 2014, 2022).

Good mentors have the following characteristics: They are exemplary musicians and teachers themselves; they are good

listeners, organized, and friendly; they have strong knowledge of the subject matter; and they are tactful and empathetic (Conway, Smith and Hodgman, 2010). Research has also shown that mentors need to be prepared for their work and that mentors need fellow mentors to help them learn their craft (Conway and Holcomb, 2008). That same research also documented the fact that new teachers can provide their mentors with professional development as they share new ideas about teaching and learning, including new teaching tools, such as the use of technology and social media for example.

Small Things Can Be Profound

Mentors can be role models who inspire young teachers for a lifetime, or they can be examples that cause them to leave the profession. Although I’m an editor for NAfME, not a music teacher, I had some memorable experiences in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During my student teaching in the 1970s, my mentor was always punctual, had a calm demeanor, dressed attractively and colorfully, and was a good listener. She had a smile for everyone. There were some labor issues during that time, and on her handbag (which seemed to contain everything), she had a button that said, “I don’t want to strike – but I will.” The contract issues were finally resolved, but I was impressed by the fact that she expressed her opinions in a non confrontational, but firm manner, and radiated the message that teaching was important. She was serious about her work, and she expected others to take her seriously.

Body language is part of the message. Modeling good posture, facing those with whom you’re speaking, and focused eye contact makes interlocutors believe you’re truly interested in what’s going on. Arms crossed across the chest can send a hostile message, whereas a tilt of the head can encourage the mentee to share ideas. Ask a friend or colleague how you’re coming across to others--you may be surprised at how others see you.

Christopher Baumgartner, associate professor of instrumental music education and assistant director for undergraduate studies & advising at The University of Oklahoma, Norman, believes that the most effective mentors move beyond simply providing suggestions. “The best mentors ask leading questions, present multiple scenarios, and encourage novices to think and talk through possible solutions,” he notes, “they don’t ‘give them the answer,’ but rather guide beginning educators to problem-solve for themselves.” This kind of interaction between mentor and mentee can help new teachers evolve into more independent professionals. The “ask, don’t tell” approach can also show mentees that they are colleagues in the field and that their ideas are valuable. The process becomes a conversation that benefits both parties.

Baumgartner adds: “I have come to recognize the importance and effectiveness of mentoring across the lifespan of an educator. From peer mentoring for college undergrads, to guiding new teachers into their first years, to working with experienced graduate students – every level of educator

requires continued development. Teaching future and current music educators to seek out and embrace mentorship (which I model myself) is a core principle of how I approach musicteacher education.”

Sharing Challenges and Joys

Jamila L. McWhirter, professor of choral music education at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was quoted in a 2021 Teaching Music article by educator Lori Schwartz Reichl. “Emerging music educators –those in their first three years of teaching – need dependable assistance from colleagues to thrive and flourish in music education. Interacting with experienced music teachers is a professional necessity. Continuous mentoring and access to collaborative networking can increase assurance and vision in beginning music educators.”

Schwarz Reichl continues, “As a profession, McWhirter believes we must ‘strive to provide opportunities for first-year music educators in which they can examine their teaching through deliberation, reflection, and discourse.”

The goal of the mentor is to foster independence. Great mentors scaffold young teachers to the point where mentees can stand on their feet, think creatively, are prepared to pivot to alternative plans when necessary, and can keep calm in crisis. Most of all, they exemplify the fact that teaching can be challenging and joyful. They point their mentees in the direction of a satisfying career.

This satisfaction can be mutual if the relationship between mentor and mentee is a symbiotic one. As Doug Orzolek says, “In all honesty, my students have taught me more about the

teaching and learning of music than any other resource. I am very grateful that they have been willing to offer feedback and engage in music experiences that have helped me reflect on my work with them. After all, they are the reason we do what we do.”

Article found here:

Teaching Music : April 2023 (walsworth.com)

References

Conway, C.M. (2003). An examination of district-sponsored beginning music teacher mentor practices. Journal of Research in Music Education, 51 (1), 372-391.

Conway, C.M. (2006). Navigating induction for the beginning music teacher: How a mentor can help. Music Educators Journal. 92, 56-60.

Conway, C.M. (2014). Reflections on “An examination of districtsponsored beginning music teacher mentor practices”: Ten years later. Journal of Music Teacher Education

Conway, C.M. (2022) Professional development for music teachers: The view from 20 years later. Bulletin of the Council for Music Education, 232, 45-63.

Conway, C.M., Hanson, E., Schulz, A., Stimson, J. & Wozniak, J. (2004). Becomig a music teacher: Voices of the first three years. Music Educators Journal, 91 (1), 45-52.

Conway, C.M., & Holcomb, A. (2008). Perceptions of experienced music teachers regarding their work as music mentors. Journal of Research in Music Education, 56 (1). 55-56.

Conway, C.M., Smith, M.V., & Hodgman, T. M. (2010). Handbook for the music mentor. Chicago, IL: GIA Publications.

SAchwartz Reichl, L. (August 2021) The meaning of mentorship. Teaching Music, 29 (1), 42-45.

THE FOUNDATION

Steve Phillips OMEA General Music Chair

During the 2023 Holiday Season, I attended a middle school band concert, because I enjoy hearing holiday music. At the beginning of the concert, the middle school band director approached the microphone to begin the concert and said, “When your child reaches middle school and I begin teaching music education to them, I’m going to need your help.” As an elementary music teacher for thirty years, who was sitting in the front row of the concert, in front of this band director, I was EXTREMELY OFFENDED at this comment.” Wait a minute,” I thought to myself, “did I just hear that correctly? ‘And I begin teaching music education to them,’ with me in the front row. What am I, chopped liver?” At the beginning of the school year, with my student teacher candidate standing next to me, a secondary music educator approached me and said, “Don’t turn her (my student teacher candidate) to the dark side!”! With a sweet smile on my face, I said, “Are you calling elementary music education the dark side?” I received no response from my colleague, and no apology.

It seems that some secondary music educator colleagues are forgetting that in many school districts throughout Oregon, ALL students are receiving an elementary music education. This education is not simply putting on a record and skipping around the room, but is standard based, following a specific scope and sequence. Elementary music education IS real music education. The most successful music programs in the state of Oregon have a structured, standardized elementary music education program that provides the FOUNDATION for the success that secondary music programs enjoy.

In many school districts throughout the state, elementary music education programs developed a scope and sequence of lessons that are systematically organized by kindergarten through fifth grade and connected to national music education standards. This curriculum is based on the idea that ALL elementary students work through graded, structured, learning activities based on these achievable standards. I was one of the organizing chairs for the Salem-Keizer School District’s committee for the Elementary Music Scope and Standards in 2008. (Feel free to check out our scope and sequence; you’ll find it on the music page on the Salem-Keizer website. In 1994, the National Association for Music Education established the original nine national music education standards for students in grades K-12. Those standards were broadened and expanded in 2014 to meet the specific needs of music educators in the twentyfirst century. These standards are for students in K-12 music programs, not 6-12 music programs. The standards are used many times throughout the school year and are appropriately listed when music educators do the student learning goals. Students in any elementary music program are participating in their “music education” as soon as they start elementary school.

One of the primary benefits of elementary music education is the advances in cognitive and brain development. As reported in the 1996 article “You Can Raise Your Child’s IQ” in Readers Digest, a study by Ramey and Frances Campbell of the University of North Carolina showed that “preschool children taught with games and songs showed an IQ advantage for 10 to 20 points over those without the songs, and at age 15 had higher reading

and math scores” (Harvey, 1997). This finding shows that when young children learn through music, their IQ has potential for significant increases, which helps in further development in future education. When music education is continued in their elementary school years, children continue to learn better through the connection to music and other areas of study. In a 1999 study, students who studied fractions through basic music rhythm notation scored 100% better on fractions tests than those who scored in the conventional manner.

Another primary benefit of elementary music education is the social-emotional advances that our wonderful profession provides. According to a 2021 Save the Music research article, elementary music education boosts students’ self-confidence and increases attendance. Music education and social-emotional learning connect when students practice self-awareness, selfmanagement, relationship skills, and effective decision making. Embedded into the four national music education strands of create, present, respond and connect, students have the potential to become effective leaders, creators, independent thinkers, and empowered young people (Save the Music 2021). An Arte Music Academy study in 2014 found that children who study a musical instrument are more likely to excel in all their studies, work better in teams, have enhanced critical thinking skills, stay in school and pursue further education. It seems that these attributes are also highly effective in successful secondary music programs.

The research that I have provided for you is just the tip of the iceberg. I could go on and on, and make your eyes cross with all that could be presented. But I want to make a point. WE are ALL a TEAM! The music education process of a child is just that: a long process that begins in the elementary music classroom.

So, to the elementary music teacher who:

• Taught a kindergartener their accurate and appropriate singing voice.

• Taught a 1st grader to read quarter note and quarter rest rhythm.

• Taught a 2nd grader how to play a pentatonic scale on a orff instrument.

• Taught a 3rd grader the note names on the treble clef staff

• Taught a 4th grader how to read and accurately play syncopated rhythms

• Taught a 5th grader how to compose a music piece to be submitted for the OMEA State student composition contest.

I say, with absolute sincerity and respect, THANK YOU! You have done an incredible job of creating a musician who will succeed in a secondary music program. Elementary music educators deserve the respect of the team, and I hope you are receiving it! I am proud to be an elementary music educator who hopefully is supported and respected by my whole team. Remember, what we elementary music educators do every day, is the foundation of the successful secondary music programs of the future.

Our Belief is that human potential and connection are more fully realized through lifelong engagement with music.

MUSIC EDUCATION FOR ALL AGES 20 years! LIVES ONE NOTE AT A TIME FOR OVER

KINDERMUSIK

PRIVATE LESSONS BANDS ENSEMBLES

5 TIPS FOR TEACHING YOUR JAZZ BAND GUITAR PLAYER

Kyle Smith Guitar Instructor, Mt Hood Community College

Helping the guitar player in your band can be a challenge. They’re interested in playing, but there are usually some pretty big knowledge gaps. They probably can’t read music. A lot of times, they aren’t used to the kinds of chords you need for jazz band. Not a lot of Eb chords in Van Halen or AC/DC songs

They probably do take private lessons–but most likely from a teacher who specializes in something other than jazz. And while you want to help them be successful, you’ve probably got bigger fish to fry in your day to day rehearsals.

These tips will help you help your guitar player get a smoother start.

Using these, you can give them things to work on in a way they understand, and maybe more importantly, in a way their private teacher will understand and relate to–so they can help your student prepare for your ensemble more effectively.

You’ll also start to bridge the language gap so your guitar player can understand what you’re talking about, and help them develop a better vocabulary for talking about music in general. We’ll cover some gear and tone tips to help your student start getting the right jazz sound, and get them to start reading chord charts and written notation.

Here are my top 5 tips for your jazz band guitar players:

Learn Easy Jazz Guitar Chords

I can’t say this one enough. Don’t worry about doing anything fancy–just have your guitarist learn these easy jazz guitar chord shapes and thank me later. You see, jazz guitar chords don’t have to be complicated or twist your fingers into pretzels. In fact, these easy chords often work better in big band settings than other types of chords.

It’s easier for your guitarist to blend with the piano and the horn sections without accidentally playing notes that clash with the arrangement. These are simple, 3-note chord shapes that are quick to learn, easy on your students fingers, and sound good.

Have your guitar player put these chords to work in your next rehearsal, and they’ll have an easier time getting through the charts. And they’ll sound better too!

Get The Gear Together

Your guitarist can play in a jazz band with whatever equipment they already have. There are a couple of things you might need to help them tweak in order to get the right sound:

You Don’t Need a “Jazz Guitar”

But it can help sometimes–people “hear what they see” when it comes to jazz. This is especially true in festival or competition settings. Ideally, get your hands on an archtop or semi-hollow guitar for your program if you really want to get the right sound and have our guitarist “look the part” too.

There are inexpensive models from Epiphone and Ibanez that will work great if your program has the budget to buy an instrument. But your student can get great sound on a solid body electric, too. Lots of modern players are going that route–you just don’t see them in a “jazz band” setting too often.

If your guitarist is using a solid body, make sure they’re using the neck pickup–and roll the tone off–at least down to 4 or 5 to mellow out the sound. That will help a lot.

Use Heavier Strings

Try to get your guitar player to use slightly heavier strings than they’re probably using–especially if they’re playing on a solid body guitar.

I shoot for the high E string measuring 0.11 at least. If your guitarist is playing on a solid body electric, their high E string is probably 0.09 or 0.10 right now. The thicker strings will make a big tone difference.

Flatwound strings can give your guitar player an even more mellow sound–I really like using them. If you’re playing a lot of Basie or Ellington style pieces, give this a try for sure. They’re a more traditional string for jazz guitar players.

There’s one exception to this recommendation though–flat wound strings aren’t great for using effects. They’re just not bright enough. So if you’re playing music that needs chorus or overdrive effects…have your guitar player stick with round wound strings.

Use Heavier Picks

I recommend using at least 1.25mm picks. You can go thicker than that, but I wouldn’t recommend anything lighter. There are a couple of reasons for this.

Number one–the more mass in the pick will give your guitar player a better tone. And number two, the stiffer the pick is,

6th String Chords

5th String Chords

the less the tip will move around as they play. This is going to give your guitarist better control, and cleaner single note lines–especially at faster tempos.

“Dial

In” The Volume

In general, you want the volume on the guitar to be lower–and the volume on the amp volume to be higher.

Different guitar players or teachers will have different approaches to this. But I like to have my guitar volume at 4 or 5 for freddie green comping. I can turn it up a little if I’m doing something more active and comping instead of the piano.

This lower guitar volume gives your guitarist plenty of room to turn up for solos when needed. I tend to turn my guitar volume up to about 8 for solos with big band backgrounds (or more if it’s a loud band).

Get Them Reading Chord Charts (and some sheet music)

It’s a fair bet that your guitarist won’t be able to read sheet music–at least not very quickly. But for most of the standard jazz ensemble repertoire, that’s ok. What you really need them to be able to read is chord symbols, rhythm slashes, and written rhythms. This is still the bulk of big band writing for guitar–so it’s a good place to start with a newer guitar player.

More of the modern jazz band charts do have written lines though. It’s becoming more and more common to see written notation in guitar parts for younger jazz ensembles, so they’ll need to get their brains wrapped around music notation eventually.

For reading sheet music, guitar method books are not a good answer. They’re slow, boring, and they aren’t a good option for preparing you to read the kinds of lines you’ll need your guitar player to read in a jazz band. A better option is Chris Buono’s book: Music Reading for Guitar. This book does a great job of connecting written notation to the fretboard in a way that guitarists can easily understand.

It will show your guitar player how the notes on the music staff line up with major scale shapes they already probably know how to play. And that will make it easier to put to use during your rehearsals.

Basic Comping Rhythms

It’s a good idea to have some basic rhythm patterns handy. I’ve provided some of the common “go-to” patterns below to help get your guitarist started. These can be played as static patterns, or mixed and matched throughout a tune.

To really get their comping skills together, your guitar player will need to spend time listening to great compers.

A good strategy is to have them pay special attention to the piano or guitar in a recording when someone else is soloing That’s where the magic is. Have them try to pick out a rhythm or two that stand out–and work it into their own playing. It’s not that complicated–they just have to work on it a little bit.

Listen to Great Jazz Guitar Players

If your guitar player wants to get good at jazz, they have to listen to a lot of jazz. But it can be hard to know where to start. There’s just so much out there it can be overwhelming. And the standard listening lists can leave a lot to be desired for a young guitar player.

Listening to the Basie Band is a great idea–but it’s hard for a younger player to get excited about a band where you can barely hear your instrument–if you listen really hard.

Your guitarist probably didn’t sign up for jazz band because they have a deep love of jazz music. It’s more likely that they like playing guitar, and happened to find out there was a band in school that would let them do that. So what you need to do is find some players your guitar player will like to listen to–and still give them the same style exposure. They’ll just be getting it from a guitar player’s perspective.

A great option to get started is the Barney Kessel “Poll Winners” series of albums. These are great trio recordings with tight arrangements, great examples of jazz styles, and even some classic big band shout choruses that have been transcribed and arranged for the guitar.

Conclusion

A lot of young guitar players have a tough time getting started with jazz. But it’s just because they don’t usually have the right information to work with. On the other hand, they’re usually pretty self-motivated–so once your guitarist does know what to do, their playing might just take off from there.

The tips in this article are a good starting point for any young jazz guitar player to follow. They’ll help your student fit in with the rhythm section, and set up the foundation for understanding jazz (and music in general) a little better. As a bonus, these tips will make your students’ experience in jazz ensemble a little easier–and a lot more fun.

For more jazz guitar advice go to www.jazzguitarguide.com where I post new free lessons and resources for guitar players and music educators every week.

Freddie Green

YOURS IN MUSIC

Melissa Jmaeff OMEA Small Schools Chair

This has been my email signature for years. The sign off for concert notices and parent letters home. Director of Bands and , the tagline for my professional bio.

Simple. To the point. Vaguely prestigious, right?

One of my students, the daughter of one of my colleagues, auditioned into the All State Symphonic Band this year. She worked diligently, like all of our students did that weekend. At the conclusion of the event, I asked my colleague how his daughter had enjoyed it. She told him that she absolutely loved it and that she finally understood the difference between a director and a music teacher. She told her dad that a music teacher teaches you everything that you need to know and a director expects you to know those things and apply them accordingly.

If we were to accept this comparison for just a moment, according to my student’s succinct summation, as a small schools music teacher I would say that I spend about 99% of my time fulfilling the “teacher” role and maybe 1% of my time in the “director” role. And yet, according to the way that I present myself professionally, it would appear that I place far greater importance on the directing role than I do on the teaching role–which is simply not the case.

Oftentimes in small and rural schools, music teachers are one of the only connections that our students have to a guided exploration of the arts. I try to keep this at the very forefront of my mind as I interact with my students, reminding myself that they likely will need to be taught anything and everything from “this is a beat” to “when I step off of the podium, you will need to stand up and accept your applause”. Even in those moments when I am on the podium directing, I am still teaching. Watch. Listen to your sections. Fast air. Though we labor tirelessly to teach concepts large and small, taking nothing about our students’ knowledge for granted, somehow the title of “teacher” lacks the same kind of sparkle as that of “director”. Why?

Unless we are directing a special event like an honor band, we would never expect our kids to come into our rooms already knowing everything and simply applying what they know. And even then, directors are still, of course,

instructing. So why then don’t more of our email signatures and biographies, the professional presentations ourselves, simply say what we mean? Music Teacher.

Part of taking up space in our profession is presenting ourselves authentically, no matter the circumstance. This is a tall order for anyone, but is especially so for those of us whose positions have long been regarded by members of our profession as being entry-level or stepping-stone positions. Prestige has always been implied by titles like Director of Bands and indeed these positions are special and important. There are many brilliant and gifted directors out there. But at the end of the day, aren’t the very best directors, the ones who encourage and inspire, the ones who take the time to meet their students exactly where they are and guide them on this fantastic journey of music, simply just wonderful music teachers?

I would sure like to think so.

Yours in Music, Melissa Jmaeff Music Teacher

Eliminating Contest Evils, Promoting World Friendship: LESSONS FROM OUR HISTORY

Wesley D. Brewer OMEA SMTE Chair

To many modern music educators, the name Joseph Maddy may be unfamiliar. If so, please allow me the pleasure of a brief introduction to one of America’s great music educators. Born in 1892, Joseph Maddy grew up playing violin in Kansas, the son of two teachers. He found his professional stride as a music supervisor at a time when public school music in America was just beginning to take the shape we recognize today. After holding music supervisory positions in New York and Indiana, he settled in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1924 where he began his tenure as the music supervisor of the Ann Arbor public school system with a concurrent leadership position at the University of Michigan music department (Land, p. 17). He went on to found the National High School Orchestra camp, which later became the Interlochen Center for the Arts, an institution that continues to host thousands of outstanding arts students each summer (www.interlochen.org).

During the next four decades, until his death in 1966, Maddy would go on to make many important contributions to the development of ideas, practices, and philosophies that undergird modern music education. Given his status at the time, it should come as no surprise that Maddy was deeply involved in the development and refinement of the national music contests that proliferated during the 1920s and 1930s. The first National School Band Contest took place in Fostoria, Ohio in 1926, with subsequent contests occurring in Iowa, Illinois, Colorado, and elsewhere (Meyers, 2012). In 1927, Maddy became head of the Committee on Instrumental Affairs, which “formulated rules for contests, defined standards of adjudication, [and] selected music for the bands to play” (Moore, p. 2).

The first band contests were seen as a tool for advocacy in music education, and unsurprisingly drew a lot of industry support from instrument manufacturers, whose sales had faltered after World War I and into the Great Depression. As Whitehill notes, “commercial interests, such as instrument companies, uniform companies, and music publishers, helped to thrust the school band into a position of prominence in the United States. After World War I, the possibilities for expanded sales of many types of equipment and music were obvious. Various companies fostered and encouraged all phases of band development, and still do so today. Since the 1920s, the manufacturers have given not only financial and moral support to music education projects, but have also incorporated music education departments into their companies. . . . The early school band contests did much to foster the growth of school bands” (p. 185).

Despite the prominence and success of the initial events, the practice of ranking the contest performances and declaring a first-place winner at the National Band Contest came under continued scrutiny by music educators of the day. For some

time, Joseph Maddy himself continued to be a proponent of the original rankings approach. In an article entitled, “Eliminating Contest Evils,” Maddy wrote, “my own opinion was that . . . the greatest incentive of every contestant is to win first place.” He worried that any changes to this original ranking approach “would result in a diminishing interest in contests because there would be no opportunity to win first place” (p. 42). An alternative plan for adjudicating the events had been proposed by Frank Beach and others. In this alternative approach, participants’ performances would be divided into five categories: Superior, Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor. This new plan was met with hesitation from some committee members. As Maddy noted, “members of the Instrumental Committee held opposite opinions . . . and the Committee decided to withhold judgment until the plan had undergone a thorough trial.” However, after seeing the new approach implemented into practice in several states, Maddy’s original hesitations disappeared:

From all reports, my judgment has been wrong, for the contests have grown and increased in states where this [new] plan has been adopted. . . . I firmly believe that Mr. Beach and his Contest Committee have worked out the most equitable contest plan we have yet tried, and I do not hesitate to recommend it without qualification. . . . The band winning second place might have been greatly discouraged, believing that they should have received first place, while the band winning first place would have gloated over a victory which was questionable. This would not be the case if judging music contests were as easy and definite as judging races. Where

opinion weighs so heavily, it seems much more fair to lessen the weight of the decisions, and that is what the new plan aims to do (p. 46).

This revised approach to music adjudication was subsequently adopted across the United States, including here in Oregon. As noted by prominent Oregon music educator John McManus, the Oregon State Band Contest began in 1924 as a competitive event with a first-place winner declared, but in 1937, “this contest adopted the national system of judging. This [change] involved students competing against a standard rather than against each other” (McManus, 1995, p.1). Teachers in several states noted the positive changes that resulted from this change in adjudication. Marian Cotton of Winnetka, Illinois noted, “Instead of competing for prizes, musicians of the schools spend a day together singing and playing for one another and with one another. . . . This is the only time during the year that these high schools have any contact which are on a purely friendly basis. Cordial hospitality . . . has made for a very inspiring event and has kept music in the realm of art” (Maddy, 1931, p. 46).

This standards-based ratings approach to music adjudication continued along in most places across the United States unchanged into the current day. In Oregon, these approaches seem to have continued for the next thirteen years until the original state events were discontinued in 1950 due to logistical issues. In 1987, a new event was established as the OSAA State Band Championships. This event marked a return to utilizing the original rankings approach from the 1920s, making Oregon only one of four states in the U.S. that currently use a ranking system for adjudicating concert bands. We have now arrived at the 100th anniversary of the original Oregon State Band Contest, and are approaching the 40th anniversary of the OSAA State Band Championships. Where do we go from here? Do these approaches continue to reflect our ideas about best practices for music education in 2024?

As I have attempted to show here, over the course of history, changes to teaching practice have been ongoing, brought about by music educators themselves. People like Joseph Maddy and others sought to do what they felt was best for their students, schools, and communities even amidst resistance and controversy. We must continue to ask whether our current approaches to competition in music are well-suited to the time and place in which we find ourselves. We continue to witness profound change in the world, inside of our music communities and beyond. We also retain the power to shape our collective futures into something reflective of the power of art to heal and to unite, rather than to divide. I close with the words of Joseph Maddy, spoken as he addressed Interlochen attendees in the summer of 1964, just a few years before his death:

If our governments could get along together as well as our musicians there would never be a war. . . . In the

arts there are no enemies. You have seen the power of the arts in developing friendship among young people. Having witnessed this revelation, you are obligated to exert your strongest influence in spreading this spirit of goodwill, world friendship through the universal language of the arts.

References

Land, M. S. (2015). Joseph Edgar Maddy: the teacher (Doctoral dissertation, University of Georgia).

Maddy, J. E. (1931). Eliminating contest evils. Music Supervisors’ Journal, 18(1), 42-46.

Maddy, J. E. (1964). https://www.interlochen.org/josephmaddy-on-promoting-world-friendship-through-universallanguage-arts

McManus, J. C. (1995). A history of Oregon’s State Solo Contest. Retrieved from: https://issuu.com/oregonmea/ docs/solo_contest

Meyers, B. D. (2012). The national solo and ensemble contest 1929–1937. Journal of Research in Music Education, 60(1), 43-61.

Moore, J. E. (1972). National school band contests between 1926 and 1931. Journal of Research in Music Education, 20(2), 233-245.

Whitehill, C. D. (1969). Sociological conditions which contributed to the growth of the school band movement in the United States. Journal of Research in Music Education, 17(2), 179-192.

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THE MAGIC OF MISTAKES:

Embracing an Imperfect Choral Classroom

Danika Locey Leslie Middle School, Choir Director

“Are we going to fail tonight, Ms. Locey? We failed at our last concert.”

This question came from one of my students yesterday, during our final rehearsal leading up to our choir concert. The question stopped me in my tracks- I had no idea this student felt this way, and I wanted to know more. I sat the class down on the risers and asked them what they thought it meant to fail in a performance setting. The consensus from the students was that a choir fails in a performance if they mess up. After some encouragement, I was able to convince them that they didn’t fail in December and wouldn’t fail at this concert, but that question and that conversation might be one of the most powerful and eye-opening experiences I’ve had with my students thus far.

I didn’t expect perfectionism to be as prominent as it is in my classroom. I feel it when I start a sight reading exercise that I know my students can handle, but I don’t hear any voices. I feel it when students tell me a note is “too high,” but I know the note is just in their passaggio, and that the next note will feel just fine. I feel it when I cue the altos for their entrance and nobody sings- not because they don’t know their notes, but because they simply don’t want to mess up out loud. I felt it when my students told me that choirs fail if they make a mistake while they perform.

I don’t blame young people at all for their perfectionism- it’s not a character flaw, it’s a product of our culture. We live in a world that expects excellence quickly, and we magnify mistakes with little concern for how it will affect people. Log into any social media site and you will be inundated by people who are amazing at things- you’re not likely to see a viral TikTok of someone struggling with the basic concepts of something. We celebrate exemplars and don’t always acknowledge the steps it takes to get there.

Perfectionism, however, doesn’t start and end with our students- our own sense of perfectionism as teachers can color the way students approach music learning in our classrooms. We as musicians and music educators chase “perfection” in so much of what we do, but what constitutes perfection in music? In music teaching? In music learning? Because of the multifaceted nature of music, as well as the ever-changing dynamic in our classrooms, is there even one idea of perfection that we can attain? This realization that there might not even be a “perfect” that I can reach as a teacher has forever altered my teaching philosophy and practice for the better.

So, where do we begin? How do we tackle the beast of perfectionism in our classrooms and encourage our students to boldly and bravely participate in authentic and sometimes messy learning? How do we reframe our idea of musical excellence to allow for imperfection? I’ve included some ideas and practical applications to help start or continue the process of crafting your imperfect choral classroom.

Assess your own perfectionism and how it affects your teaching. I’ve found that if I’m teaching with the goal of putting on a “perfect” performance, I’m going to lose out on valuable teaching moments with my students. If I’m teaching toward authentic musicianship with attention to the learning process, I’ll often get a similar outcome, but with happier students (and a happier teacher!). As a middle school choir teacher, I don’t expect to teach my students at the pinnacle of their musical careers, so I make it a priority to validate and build up my students as they are in the throes of the learning process.

Acknowledge and celebrate moments of vulnerability. It takes an incredible amount of vulnerability to sing with others, especially if there is a risk of being wrong. I encourage my students to “make loud mistakes’’ and learn from them, rather than staying silent out of fear of being incorrect. Sometimes I’ll use the analogy that sight reading is like going to the doctor with an illness- if you don’t sing aloud I won’t know what to fix, just like your doctor needs to know what hurts in order to help heal you.

Keep your eyes on the prize process. We live in a world of trophies, scores, and better than/worse than. Our districts, administrators, and communities love to talk about their “award winning” programs, but we as the teachers know that those things aren’t the driving force of what we do. We are providing students with the tools they need to be lifelong musicians. We program repertoire and structure rehearsals so that students can learn the art of making quality, vibrant music with their peers. If our goal as teachers is to bring home the biggest trophies and get the highest scores, then we have found a “perfection” to chase, and it is one that is not always attainable. Keeping our focus on the learning process will allow more space for the “struggle” without the pressure of meeting an arbitrary goal.

Let imperfection propel you forward. There will always, ALWAYS be something more you can do with music. Use this to your advantage and get your ensemble involved. I love asking my ensembles what our “next step” should be in preparing repertoire, and we talk often about the layers that go into presenting a quality musical performance. Having class discussions is a great way to encourage your students to use academic language and to understand what your students see as important in a performance.

Destigmatize imperfection by recognizing it objectively (or even positively). Mistakes aren’t always a bad thing, and teaching this to my students has transformed the way we learn music together. I point out mistakes I make when modeling, playing piano, or even providing instruction, in order to show students that if their teacher can make mistakes, so can they. The other day I noticed my ensemble’s tone wasn’t as robust as I wanted on a specific warm up exercise, so I stopped them and said, “what can you do to make your sound more vibrant when we sing this again?”. Instead of framing it as something they were doing wrong that needed to be corrected, I

presented it as something that could be done differently.It was powerful to watch my students transform their sound in a matter of seconds by empowering them to come up with their own solutions to a challenge.

I set a firm boundary in my classroom that it is not the job of a student to point out the mistakes of another student. I do, however, strongly encourage students to take ownership of their own mistakes. If I notice a section is struggling with a passage, I might say, “raise your hand if you’re struggling with this,” and allow students to self assess their understanding or confidence with their part. I will also ask students to determine whether a mistake I hear is something that can be fixed with another try, or if they need further support. Give your students opportunities to safely make mistakes in front of their peers, and set the boundaries necessary to make your classroom as safe of a place as possible for those mistakes to happen.

Teach your students how to celebrate victories of all sizes. One of my favorite strategies for particularly difficult sight reading exercises is the “one measure” method. I’ll have students look through the exercise and choose one measure out of the exercise that they’re going to perform especially beautifully and accurately. After we perform the exercise, I ask them for nonverbal reflection on how they perceive their performance of their one measure, then of the whole exercise. I started this practice while noticing that a few of my students would get emotional in response to making mistakes while sight reading. I found that if I could get those students to channel their focus onto a small portion of the exercise, it actually freed up their minds to perform the entire exercise with confidence.

Give honest and kind feedback. Students are worthy of knowing how they perform, whether it meets your standards or not. They are more likely to trust your positive feedback if they know they can trust your constructive feedback. Provide critiques as objectively as possible so students don’t fear making you angry or upset by performing something incorrectly, especially early in the learning process. Your students will be more willing to try without fear of making mistakes if they trust that their mistakes will be received positively and constructively.

Reframe your frustration. We’ve all been there— you’ve taught the same three measures what feels like hundreds of times, but somehow your students are still singing it wrong. You feel like you’ve exhausted all of your mental reserves and frustration starts to seep into your demeanor. I’ve been working hard to reframe and articulate my specific frustration with students when this happens. I might say something along the lines of, “I’m not upset that you’re singing the wrong notes, I’m frustrated that what I’m teaching isn’t translating. What do you think would help you with this section of the music?” Our students want to be successful, and sometimes they can be our greatest asset when figuring out how to best teach them.

Meet your students where they are. The other day I started warming up one of my ensembles and noticed some strange energy with the group. They had some intonation problems I had never heard, their energy was low, and there were lots of crossed arms and apathetic faces. I stopped the exercise and said, “raise your hand if you aren’t feeling well today,” and I was shocked to see about 80% of the students raise their hands. I sat them down and we talked about how being sick can change the way we act, feel, and sound. We talked about how it’s okay to not always be at our very best, and we discussed strategies for how to rehearse when you aren’t feeling excellent. By the time we stood back up and resumed warm ups, they sounded like their usual selves (though with a few more sniffles than normal). It’s important for students to know that their teacher values them and their musicianship, regardless of whether they’re operating at 100%. Students are more likely to give their best effort consistently if they know that you understand that their best will look different on any given day.

There is, of course, a balance between pushing our students to be the best they can be and meeting them where they are. I am not suggesting any lowering of standards or rigor- in fact, creating a safe place for your students to be imperfect will eventually allow you to raise your standards and rigor. Objectively recognizing and reflecting on mistakes and imperfection in the choral rehearsal will create insightful, reflective musicians who take ownership of their learning and find confidence in the music learning process.

        

 

  

   

  



Achieving and Maintaining Flow State in the

Classroom:

STEPS FOR SUCCESS

Megan Reilly Music Education Course Assistant, Columbia University Drew X Coles Instructor of Music, Columbia University

At a recent state-level music education association conference, we presented research that we conducted on Flow State as experienced by in-service music educators. This work was built on research and writings from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (2014) and Lori Custodero (2004). Flow, as defined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1990), is a state of consciousness “in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter” (p. 4). Being in a state of flow allows us to optimize our daily experiences—and perhaps most importantly— has correlations with reducing symptoms of burnout (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990; Aust et al., 2022).

As a part of the initial research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participating music educators. The interview participants were all classroom music educators teaching in various content areas. The research presentation was attended by both in-service and pre-service music educators who posed questions primarily about applications in and to the field. We would like to respond to salient themes and lines of questioning that emerged in that presentation session with a list of action items in the hopes of furthering this conversation with the broader music education community.

Music education stands at the intersection of artistic expression and cognitive development, necessitating a pedagogical approach that is both nuanced and immersive. In this context, the concept of flow, as articulated by Csikszentmihalyi (1990), offers a valuable framework for understanding and optimizing the teaching experience.

Operating in a flow state significantly enhances the pedagogical efficacy of music educators. The heightened focus characteristic of flow allows educators to be fully attuned to the dynamic needs of their students, facilitating real-time adjustments to instructional strategies. In the flow state, educators seamlessly navigate the complexities of music instruction, effortlessly adapting their teaching methods to suit individual learning styles. This adaptability not only enhances the overall effectiveness of the teaching process but also promotes a more personalized and responsive educational experience for students.

The impact of an educator’s flow state extends beyond the realms of pedagogy to profoundly influence student motivation. The contagious nature of enthusiasm and passion emanating from an educator in flow fosters a positive and engaging learning atmosphere. Students are more likely to be inspired and motivated when their educators exhibit a genuine love for the subject matter and a mastery of instructional techniques. The flow state, characterized by a harmonious balance of challenge and skill, provides an optimal environment for nurturing student interest and commitment to the musical learning journey.

The cultivation of a flow state is indispensable for music

educators seeking to optimize their instructional practices, inspire student motivation, and foster overall well-being. By immersing themselves in the dynamic interplay of challenge and skill, educators can create an environment conducive to both artistic exploration and cognitive growth. As the field of music education continues to evolve, recognizing and harnessing the power of flow stands as a cornerstone for effective teaching and the holistic development of students. The action items identified in the next portion of this article are meant to aid educators in achieving Flow State in, and with, their classrooms.

Achieving Flow State in the Classroom: Action Items

1. Set Clear Goals:

No matter the work you are engaging in, define specific and achievable goals for each session. Whether preparing lesson materials, teaching a particular concept, or practicing a piece, clear goals provide direction and motivation for getting and staying in the flow state.

2. Establish a Flexible Routine:

Establishing a routine creates the sense of structure necessary for achieving the moments of deep concentration characteristic of the flow state. Trying to stick to a rigid, minute-by-minute schedule is not possible during a school day, but creating a flexible routine allows for adaptation while still providing a sense of stability.

3. Embrace Change:

Be adaptable and open to changes in the teaching environment. When a change occurs, especially an unexpected one, try to frame the challenges as opportunities for growth and learning, rather than sources of stress.

4. Embrace Challenges:

In setting goals, be aware of your skillset and find places to challenge yourself to grow. Just as we encourage our students to push themselves, it is important for us to find appropriate challenges to take on. Finding places to challenge yourself keeps the task engaging and more likely to keep you in the flow state.

5. Chunk Tasks:

Break down large tasks into smaller, manageable chunks. A to-do list can be daunting when filled with broad strokes such as “lesson plan,” “transportation,” or “email home.” A list that breaks down each task into its most basic elements such as “choose a hello song for Kindergarten,” “copy warm-ups for Wind Ensemble,” or “pick up bus forms from the office” is much more accessible. By doing this, it also becomes easier to maintain focus on each element of the task, leading to a greater chance of achieving flow.

6. Limit Distractions:

Music teachers often work in busy and noisy environments. Additionally, you may work in a classroom that is not wholly and exclusively yours. Do what you can to limit distractions. Changes in working location, noise-canceling headphones, calming background music, and focus rituals are just some of the practices that can help create a more conducive atmosphere for deep concentration.

7. Mindful and Intentional Transitions:

When moving from one task to another or from one environment to another, take a moment for a deep breath or brief mindfulness practice. In moments where transitions must be quick between classes, get your students involved in the mindfulness practice as well. This can help clear the mind, refocus, and transition smoothly, reducing the chances of feeling overwhelmed.

8. Stay Organized:

Keep teaching materials, lesson plans, and resources wellorganized. Cloud storage is a convenient, but dangerous tool when materials are not labeled for easy access and convenient reference later on. Organization will save time and reduce the likelihood of feeling overwhelmed when dealing with unexpected shifts.

9. Reflect and Refine:

An important part of the flow experience is feedback, whether from yourself or others. Regularly assess your teaching methods, productivity, environment, and level of immersion. Reflect on what works well and what doesn’t and make adjustments accordingly. Continuous loops of feedback and improvement will lead to a more efficient and enjoyable teaching experience.

10. Collaborate with Peers:

Connect with other music teachers, either locally or online, to share experiences and strategies. Collaborative discussions can provide valuable insights and support in navigating challenges.

11. Self-Care and Wellbeing:

Prioritize self-care to maintain overall mental and physical wellbeing. Regular exercise, proper nutrition, mindfulness, and sufficient rest outside of work contribute to better focus and creativity in the classroom.

By achieving and maintaining a flow state, teachers can sustain more rewarding, creative, and productive teaching experiences despite obstacles and shifts in their day-to-day responsibilities and environments. Flexibility and a willingness to adapt teaching and facilitation methods can help strike a balance between the teacher’s flow state, students’ engagement in the learning process, and feedback from other valued stakeholders and community members. As we continue to seek answers to these inquiries and explore new questions, we move closer to unlocking the full potential of music as a medium for human expression, growth, and fulfillment.

References

Aust, F., Beneke, T., Peifer, C., & Wekenborg, M. (2022). The relationship between flow experience and burnout symptoms: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(7), 3865. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19073865

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: the psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Applications of flow in human development and education: The collected works of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Dordrecht: Springer.

Custodero, L. A. (2002). Seeking challenge, finding skill: Flow experience and music education.

Arts Education Policy Review, 103(3), 3-9.

July 13—27 2024

Schedules and ticket information www.oregoncoastmusic.org

Events Include:

July 14: Jazz at the Boathouse: Aaron Johnson, Wilbur Jensen, Dave Captein, Greg Chen, Ilya Lushtak.

July 20: Dance at Shore Acres Park: Bahuru and Baduku Marimba Bands.

July 23: OCMA Orchestra I: James Paul, conductor. Sullivan: Overture to “The Yeomen of the Guard"; Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending with Steven Moeckel soloist; and Rachmaninoff: Symphony No.2.

July 24: The Empire Builders: Oregon Army National Guard Band.

July 25: OCMA Pops American Composers : Adam Stern, Conductor. Gould, Joplin, Anderson, Bonds, Copland, Ellington and Others. Aaron Johnson Soloist.

July 27: OCMA Orchestra II Guest conductor, Martin Majkut. Smetana: The Moldau; Britten: Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes; and Dvořák: Symphony no. 9, From the New World.

DONATE TO OMEA ALL-STATE

Use the QR Code to donate to OMEA. These funds will be used to lower the cost of participation to future All State students. Thank you for supporting Oregon’s finest student performers and their families!

EMPLOYMENT LOCATIONS FOR OUR 2022–23

NAME

Michael M.

Nickolas P.

Stephen B.

Cameron S.

Matt H.

Claire S.

Kendra T.

Ayden K.

Peyton S.

Bridget C.

Eryn I.

Spencer W.

Lauren S.

Nathan B.

Daniel G.

Abigail R.

Alice S.

SCHOOL

Sherwood Middle School

Glide High School

Maple Elementary School

Dartmouth Public Schools

Rhode Island College

Central/Takena Elementary School

Oakdale Middle School

Western Oregon University

Lassen Piano Studio

Nellie Muir Elementary School

Spring Creek Elementary School

Howard Elementary School

Kelly Middle School

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Howard Elementary School

Chehalem Valley Middle School

Panorama Middle School

Hamlin Middle School

Valley Inquiry Charter School

LOCATION

Sherwood, OR Glide, OR Springfield, OR Dartmouth, MA Providence, RI

Albany, OR Medford, OR Monmouth, OR

Eugene, OR

Woodburn, OR Eugene, OR Eugene, OR Eugene, OR Portland, OR

Eugene, OR Newberg, OR Colorado Springs, CO

Springfield, OR Salem, OR

POSITION

Band Director

Band and Choir Director

General Music & Beginning Strings

Pre K–5 Music Teacher

Adjunct Music Education Faculty

Elementary Music Teacher

Band Director

Assistant Professor and Director of Choral Music Education

Assistant Manager

Elementary Music Teacher

Elementary Music Teacher

Elementary Music Teacher

Band Director

Substitute Teacher

K–3 General Music

Band Director

Band Director

Band and Orchestra Director

Elementary Music Teacher