August 2011 | Southwestern Musician

AUGUST 2011

FROM ROW-LOFF!

The Snare Drummer’s TOOLBOX includes a DVD with...

I Video instruction for each lesson in the “Toolbox” I Two play-along tracks (different tempos) for every solo & duet I Over fifty-five “Groove Tracks” diverse in styles and tempos I Stick-Click metronome tempos I Over 40 pages of additional exercises as well as a percussion ensemble in printable PDF format I Video instruction for classroom format I Video instruction on the “Toolbox” percussion instruments

“The Snare Drummer’s Toolbox is an indispensable ‘tool’ for band directors and beginning percussionists. Row-Loff has developed a curriculum with well thought-out pacing for theory and technique and a supplemental DVD that gives the director and student the necessary ‘tools’ for success!”

– Scott Brown Percussion Director Dickerson Middle School

“The Snare Drummer’s Toolbox is presented in a fresh and fun format, without the intimidation factor normally encountered by young music learners.

This ‘toolbox’ is full of all the nuts and bolts needed in the basic building blocks of drumming and accessory percussion play. Concepts are simply stated yet engaging, basic, yet multi purpose in scope. This is the ideal text for your beginning private snare drum student or group class.”

– Dr. Julie Hill, Professor of Percussion, University of Tennessee at Martin

For more info go to: snaredrummerstoolbox.com to begin construction on YOUR percussion section!

CALL U S TO LL-F R E E

1-800-624-8001 Also Available At Your Local Music Dealer

Aug u s t 2 011 Volu me 8 0, No. 1

features 10

82nd Session in Review Learn how fine arts education fared during one of the most tumultuous legislative sessions in our state’s history. by robert floyd

20

Staying Afloat in New Waters Follow these strategies to help you keep above water as you face the many challenges of starting a new job as a school music director. by anthony pursell

28

28

Step Up to the Podium Help interested students succeed as they follow their dreams to become music educators. by cathy fishburn and bridget kinneary

34

Something Great About Texas High school students exercise their creativity and composition skills to earn prize money for their music programs.

41

10 columns

41

No Child Left Unhappy With the right knowledge and strategies targeted for each student’s needs, music education can be successful for all. by k i m ber ly ca rt er

updates

President’s Notes.................................................... 6

by Ross Boothman

Attend Your Fall Region Meeting........................................................................................................................................................... 4

Executive Director’s Notes......................13

by Robert Floyd

Congratulations TMEA Scholarship Winners........................................................................................................................... 8

Band Notes................................................................... 16

by Chuck Young

It’s at www.tmea.org: Music Education Resource Network................................................................................... 32

Orchestra Notes.................................................... 24

by Lisa McCutchan

Thank You, Scholarship Donors...................................................................................................50

Vocal Notes..................................................................36

by Janwin Overstreet-Goode Elementary Notes...............................................38

by Michele Hobizal College Notes........................................................... 45

by Richard Fiese

TMEA memberships expired on June 30.

Liability insurance expires August 20.

Renew now to enjoy benefits year-round and to be eligible to enter students to the audition process.

www.tmea.org/membership

Southwestern Musician | August 2011

1

Editor-in-Chief: Robert Floyd

Attend Your Fall Region Meeting

rfloyd@tmea.org 512-452-0710, ext. 101 Fax: 512-451-9213

Managing Editor: Karen Kneten kkneten@tmea.org 512-452-0710, ext. 107 Fax: 512-451-9213

Get involved and stay informed by attending your Region meetings.

1 Aug. 13

10 a.m. meeting; 9:30 a.m., food

Amarillo HS Cafeteria

President: Ross Boothman

2 Aug. 20

10 a.m.

Decatur HS

rboothman@lumberton.k12.tx.us 8285 Ginger Lane, Lumberton, 77657 409-923-7858/Fax: 409-923-7819 – Lumberton HS

3 Aug. 13

10 a.m.

Rockwall Heath HS

4 Aug. 19

5 p.m.

Mt. Pleasant HS

5 Aug. 21

2 p.m.

Arlington HS

6 Aug. 13

10 a.m.

Lee HS, Midland

7 Aug. 13

1 p.m.

Aledo HS

8 Aug. 13

10 a.m. meeting; 9:30 a.m., food

Belton HS PAC

9 Aug. 13

9 a.m.

Tomball HS

TMEA Executive Board

President-Elect: John Gillian john.gillian@ectorcountyisd.org 3624 Loma Drive, Odessa, 79762 432-413-2266/Fax: 432-334-7174 – Ector County ISD

Past-President: Denise Eaton dreaton59@gmail.com 20423 Cannaberry Way, Spring, 77388 832-452-8345 – Sam Houston State University

Band Vice-President: Chuck Young cyoung@g-pisd.org 1911 Oak Ridge Drive, Portland, 78374 361-815-8482/Fax: 361-777-4272 – Gregory-Portland HS

10 Aug. 11

6:30 p.m.

Lamar Univ.

Orchestra Vice-President: Lisa McCutchan

11 Aug. 13

1 p.m.

Holmes HS Auditorium

lisamccutchan@sbcglobal.net 17426 Emerald Canyon Drive, San Antonio, 78232 210-397-4759/Fax: 210-695-4804 – O’Connor HS

12 Aug. 14

2:30 p.m.

Reagan HS

13 Aug. 13

10 a.m.

El Campo HS

14 Aug. 13

10 a.m. meeting; 9:30 a.m., food

Del Mar College

15 Aug. 20

10 a.m.

UT Pan Am Fine Arts Aud

16 Aug. 13

10 a.m.

Post HS

17 Aug. 13

9:30 a.m. meeting; Manvel HS 9 a.m. food

18 Aug. 13

10 a.m. meeting; 9:30 a.m., food

Anderson HS

19 Aug. 13

10 a.m.

San Jacinto College, North

20 Aug. 13

9 a.m.

Greiner MS, Dallas

21 Aug. 6

10 a.m.

Bullard HS

22 Aug. 20

12 p.m.

Eastwood HS

23 Aug. 20

9 a.m. meeting 8:30 a.m. food

Alief Elsik HS

24 Aug. 20

10 a.m.

Newman Smith HS

25 Aug. 20

10 a.m.

Lovejoy HS

TMEA Office

26 Aug. 13

10 a.m. meeting

Vista Ridge HS

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 140465, Austin, 78714-0465 Physical Address: 7900 Centre Park Drive, Austin, 78754 Phone: 512-452-0710 | Toll-Free: 888-318-TMEA | Fax: 512-451-9213 Website: www.tmea.org Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 A.M.–4:30 P.M.

27 Aug. 20

9 a.m. meeting 8:30 a.m. food

Cypress Springs HS

28 Aug. 13

10 a.m.meeting; 9:30 a.m. food

Harlingen HS

Vocal Vice-President: Janwin Overstreet-Goode joverstreet-goode@fisdk12.net 1406 Frontier Lane, Friendswood, 77546 281-482-3413 x 150/Fax: 281-996-2523 – Friendswood HS

Elementary Vice-President: Michele Hobizal sallyhobizal@katyisd.org 11003 Bergamo Drive, Richmond 77406 281-234-0050/Fax: 281-644-1690 – WoodCreek Elementary

College Vice-President: Richard Fiese rfiese@hbu.edu 17415 Pikes Peek Court, Tomball, 77377 281-649-3228/Fax: 281-649-3313 – Houston Baptist University

TMEA Staff Executive Director: Robert Floyd | rfloyd@tmea.org Deputy Director: Frank Coachman | fcoachman@tmea.org Administrative Director: Kay Vanlandingham | kvanlandingham@tmea.org Advertising/Exhibits Manager: Tesa Harding | tesa@tmea.org Membership Manager: Susan Daugherty | susand@tmea.org Membership Assistant: Rita Ellinger | rellinger@tmea.org Communications Manager: Karen Kneten | kkneten@tmea.org Financial Manager: Laura Kocian | lkocian@tmea.org Information Technologist: Andrew Denman | adenman@tmea.org

Southwestern Musician (ISSN 0162-380X) (USPS 508-340) is published monthly except March, June, and July by Texas Music Educators Association, 7900 Centre Park Drive, Austin, TX 78754.

Subscription rates: One Year – $20; Single copies $2.00.

Periodical postage paid at Austin, TX, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Southwestern Musician, P.O. Box 140465, Austin, TX 78714-0465.

Southwestern Musician was founded in 1915 by A.L. Harper. Renamed in 1934 and published by Dr. Clyde Jay Garrett. Published 1941–47 by Dr. Stella Owsley. Incorporated in 1948 as National by Harlan-Bell Publishers, Inc. Published 1947–54 by Dr. H. Grady Harlan. Purchased in 1954 by D.O. Wiley. Texas Music Educator was founded in 1936 by Richard J. Dunn and given to the Texas Music Educators Association, whose official publication it has been since 1938. In 1954, the two magazines were merged using the name Southwestern Musician combined with the Texas Music Educator under the editorship of D.O. Wiley, who continued to serve as editor until his retirement in 1963. At that time ownership of both magazines was assumed by TMEA. In August 2004 the TMEA Executive Board changed the name of the publication to Southwestern Musician.

4

Southwestern Musician | August 2011

by Ross Boothman

President’sNotes

Embrace the new normal

elcome back! I hope you had a relaxing summer with family and friends, are ready for another great year, and are looking forward to seeing your students on the first day.

As I write this column, our legislature is still in its special session. Fortunately, it appears at this time that education funding will not be as seriously affected as it initially seemed it would be. While this is good news, many of our schools have already implemented personnel and/or budget cuts that may affect the way we approach our jobs this year. Many of us will be experiencing a new normal, and I am sure that it will present many challenges along the way.

One of the great things about music education in Texas is the tradition of professional collaboration. As our new normal becomes a reality, rest assured there are others who are experiencing similar

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challenges. During my 25 years in teaching, I have yet to meet anyone who was not willing to help or offer advice when asked. This collaborative network can be a valuable asset when challenges present themselves. Somewhere there is someone who is or has been in a similar situation.

I had the pleasure of welcoming our retired music educators to the TMEA convention last February. As I visited with these educators, I began to think about the great wealth of knowledge in that room. Retired teachers can be valuable resources for ideas and suggestions as we begin our new normal. They have been there and done that, many with fewer resources than we have today. The collaboration that exists today in our profession was started by many of our retirees. I am sure they would welcome the opportunity to visit and exchange ideas with anyone looking to improve their situation.

My music education began in DeSoto,

While our new normal might affect how we teach music, our enthusiasm and desire for the kids to learn should remain the same.

6

Southwestern Musician | August 2011

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Texas, under the direction of Glen Wren and Hugh Archer. At times when I get frustrated, I think about the job these two men did in what many of us today would consider a less than ideal situation. Sixth graders were located on two elementary campuses. Each day, our directors drove

a school bus to pick us up and take us to the high school campus for band class.

We spread around the room, divided into our sections, and for most of the period they would rotate between the sections to get us started on our instruments. At the end of class, we got back on the bus

Congratulations TMEA Scholarship Winners As the new school year begins, $150,000 in scholarship funds will help 49 students work toward careers in music education or further their current career with additional studies. As a TMEA member, consider increasing your scholarship donation to help even more students like these pursue their dreams. Congratulations to the following scholarship recipients:

Five-Year Undergraduate Bill Cormack—up to $15,000 Christopher Tran, Clear Lake HS

Past-Presidents Memorial—up to $12,500 Allison Jayroe, Douglas MacArthur HS

Past-Presidents—up to $12,500 Natalie Wells, Plano West Senior HS

One-Year Undergraduate—$2,500 Aimee Cho, Klein HS Alex Collins, Amarillo HS Julia DeLaRosa, Reicher Catholic HS Jessica Emery, Robert E. Lee HS Katherine Engle, North Crowley HS Sarah Guhl, Cypress Ranch HS Kaitlin Heeren, Georgetown HS Veronica Kokas, Hutto HS Jennifer Magill, Clear Creek HS Natalie Manning, Newman Smith HS Jennifer Moser, Homer Hanna HS Kendall Newman, Robinson HS Dustin Tharp, Plano East Senior HS Nicholas VandenBush, McKinney Boyd HS Courtney Wagner, Deer Park HS Marty Wells, Cedar Hill HS Amy Wilhelm, Randall HS

College Division One-Year Undergraduate—$2,500 Caitlin Cundiff, Texas A&M/Commerce

JaRod Hall, Univ of North Texas Nancy Lott, Texas Lutheran Univ Joshua Lucas, Hardin-Simmons Univ Zachary Miller, Univ of Houston Kara Ortiz, Univ of North Texas Kevin Smith, Baylor Univ Christina Tannert, Trinity Univ Katherine Webb, Texas Tech Univ Jonathon Williamson, Baylor Univ Anna Wylie, Univ of North Texas

One-Year Student Teaching—$2,000 Roni Carrasco, TAMU-Commerce Rebecca Castillo, Sam Houston State Univ Allison Cunningham, Univ of North Texas Noelle Fabian, Southern Methodist Univ Kimberly Forguson, Texas Woman’s Univ Amanda Kayser, Sam Houston State Univ Lauryn Miller, Texas Christian Univ Jessica Pace, Sam Houston State Univ Anthony Rivera, West Texas A&M Univ Richard Vandertulip, Jr., Baylor Univ

One-Year Graduate Study—$2,500 Beth Bronk, Columbia Univ Teachers College Eric Cooley, Florida State Univ Aaron Kennell, UT/Austin Joshua Kurzweil, Southern Methodist Univ Justin Nuckols, West Texas A&M Univ Colleen Petty, Baylor Univ Kelley Poché Rodriguez, Texas Woman’s Univ Darla Turner, Stephen F. Austin State Univ

and were delivered back to our elementary campuses. I don’t recall a single time Mr. Wren or Mr. Archer showed frustration over what they had to do to make our band class work. They were all about teaching music to a group of kids who wanted to learn. They didn’t let any of the other stuff get in the way.

While our new normal might affect how we teach music, our enthusiasm and desire for the kids to learn should remain the same. Use the resources at your disposal, look for new ones, and have a great time teaching music in the best state for music education. Have a great year!

Division Columns Maybe your new normal means you’re taking on a new program or teaching a new grade level. Take advantage of the monthly offerings from our divisional vice-presidents in their columns. Learn from their ideas, business updates, and important upcoming dates as you navigate in a new arena.

Volunteers Each of our divisions needs volunteers to help throughout the year and especially during our annual convention. Consider offering some of your time. Our association and our convention are successful because of those willing to serve. This service also offers you an excellent opportunity to get to know others in our profession. These connections will become valuable resources for you in your music education career.

Registration Now is the time to renew your memberships and pre-register for the convention. Once again our dues and registration fees have remained the same. TMEA remains a great bargain for our members and is the benchmark that music conventions are measured against. Our divisional vice-presidents are planning a great convention schedule with many clinics and concerts that you will not want to miss.

President’s Concert We are in for a treat this year! The Vienna Boys Choir will present our annual President’s Concert on Wednesday, February 8, 2012. Make plans to attend and hear this fantastic group for the low price of $10/ticket!

8

Southwestern Musician | August 2011

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82nd Session in Review

by Robert Floyd n the January SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN I shared how the 82nd legislative session had the potential to be the most contentious session in the history of the state for two reasons—a major projected budget shortfall and redistricting. And both issues proved to create the kind of turmoil that was feared. I’m sure that throughout the session, you kept close watch on the daily reports of how the public school budget crisis might be resolved on the backs of teachers. Teacher furloughs, pay cuts, 22:1 K–4 class size limit liberalization, reduction of contract termination notification requirements, appraisal-based salaries, and similar policies were included in bills throughout the regular session. However, all were removed from any legislation that passed before that session ended May 30. While the rationale to have all teachers share the financial burden to prevent colleagues from losing their jobs might have been well-meaning, the cornerstone of the problem remained insufficient public school funding.

Unfortunately, the forced special session provided the opportunity for conservative legislators to revisit such limiting policy and provide the financial flexibility school districts and school boards called for throughout the spring. As the gavel came down on the special session, those requests for flexibility in dealing with teachers did pass into law.

In a meeting with a key legislator last November, our lobbyist Matt Matthews and I were advised that, with the exception of the TAKS pull-out bill, we should keep our heads down and strive to hang on to what we have. That is essentially the approach we took, and I believe it proved to be a wise strategy. Much of our work was done quietly and with low visibility. So where does fine arts education stand at the completion of the regular and special session?

I

10 Southwestern Musician | August 2011

Fine Arts Requirements Most importantly, all fine arts requirements are still in place.

TEKS-based music, art, and theater are required to be taught in grades K–5; a middle school TEKS-based fine arts course is required in grades 6, 7, or 8; and a one-credit high school fine arts requirement is part of all three graduation plans. In addition, no legislation was passed that increased requirements in any academic subject or in physical activity at any grade level.

Funding for Technological Equipment SB 6 was passed into law and restructures how instructional materials and technological equipment will be funded through a district allotment plan. Those dollars may now be used for the instructional materials districts formerly ordered from the state or for technological equipment such as laptops and iPads previously funded by a separate technology allowance. This bill initially required school districts to certify they were providing standardsbased materials only in the foundation subjects and then the dollars could be spent for technology. TMEA worked successfully to amend this bill to include all subjects of the required curriculum, not just the foundation subjects of math, science, English language arts, and social studies. The original bill’s implication that enrichment subjects were not important sent the wrong message at the wrong time to school districts. This language survived the special session and is now law.

Focus on Policy Although no more changes in law will be considered until the next session, other positive policy revisions are in progress. In the 81st legislative session, thanks in part to TMEA, fine arts was included in the accountability system as a part of the distinction designation,

and TEA will soon begin to guide the development of those indicators. Fine arts educators will be represented on the committee drafting such criteria. Per law, the governor, lieutenant governor, and Speaker of the House may each appoint a committee member as well. In addition, TEA is beginning to review the Commissioner Rules for revisions. Over nine months ago TMEA requested to TEA that UIL Concert and Sightreading Contest be redefined as an evaluation of classroom teaching and learning instead of a competition. UIL officials, including superintendents, have supported exploring this refinement, and if it becomes reality, No Pass No Play would no longer apply to band, choir, and orchestra students relative to UIL Concert and Sightreading participation.

During the regular session, Senator Florence Shapiro (R-Plano) and Representative Mark Shelton (R-Fort Worth) sponsored SB 140, the TAKS pull-out bill. It flew through the Senate Education Committee and was passed out of the Senate by unanimous vote.

Unfortunately, the bill failed to receive the necessary votes in the House Public Education Committee to move forward.

A strategic plan was then put in place to amend the language to another education bill, but this plan was derailed when key supporters of that bill believed its fragile nature might not survive scrutiny on the floor triggered by our amendment. The stark reality was that during a session where school district mandate relief was a priority in light of the funding crisis, any piece of legislation perceived as layering another requirement on school districts truly faced an uphill battle for passage.

Despite the unfortunate conclusion for SB 140 in this session, the good news is there may be other ways we limit TAKS pull-out without changing statute. The reality is that our bill merely clarified language in current law that has been continuously misinterpreted by campus administrators. Commissioner of Education Robert Scott is sympathetic to our concerns and to the negative consequences of such practice on studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; overall education. We will be working with him on a strategy to clarify current law with local districts. This approach could have greater impact than simply changing a few words in statute. This effort will be a top priority for the TMEA Executive Board and staff.

Finally, the State Board of Education and TEA are beginning the process of rewriting the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Fine Arts. Those writing teams will be meeting in August, and new TEKS will be in place next spring. Once adopted by the State Board of Education, publishers will begin to develop materials to meet the new standards.

We will begin planning for the 83rd legislative session immediately and welcome your input on what changes in law would help you serve students more effectively. We have considered working to move fine arts into the foundation curriculum, tearing down the wall between foundation and enrichment, or limiting class size and increasing instructional time in elementary music. While class size and instructional time unfortunately cannot be addressed in law, perhaps they could be addressed through distinction designation indicators.

The TMEA mission is to provide students the opportunity to receive quality, meaningful instruction in music, and your Executive Board will continue to make our political efforts a priority in supporting that mission.

RBC MUSIC COMPANY INCORPORATED

Southwestern Musician | August 2011 11

The University of Texas at Austin College of Fine Arts

Texas Ensembles

The world is listening.

music.utexas.edu

he mission of TMEA is a simple oneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to preserve and protect quality experiences in music education for the schoolchildren of Texas. To that end, we focus our energy, time, and resources on addressing curriculum issues either in law or state board rule to support that mission. The legislative update starting on page 10 gives an overview of the outcomes of the 82nd regular and special sessions as they pertain to fine arts education. I encourage you to read that article before continuing with this column.

As you read the legislative report, I hope you will agree that the outcome for our students in terms of policy was positive and significant. Certainly many of our students across the state will be affected by cuts in music staff, but the loss of music programs statewide was mini-

T

mal compared to what it could have been based on the state of the projected financial shortfall back in March. Thankfully, the dollars ultimately cut in public education were not as severe as the original House budget proposed in February, and as a result many music positions eliminated in April were reinstated. In late June the number of teaching positions being posted on our job board increased significantly, and hopefully many of you were able to take advantage of such postings.

Although I attended many hearings and visited with lobbyists from all the education associations throughout both sessions, TMEA did not take official positions on the bills that directly affected teacher contracts, furloughs, pay cuts, and similar issues that ultimately passed. The potential political risks to policy issues most important to music education were

by Robert Floyd

Executive Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sNotes

Be sure your voice is heard

In these unsettling times, when public education will continue to be scrutinized and in some cases victimized financially by state leadership, it is important that you have representation at the capitol.

Southwestern Musician | August 2011 13

too high. Teacher associations, including TSTA, ATPE, TCTA, and TFT, worked hard to fight those battles as they were at the cornerstone of their primary mission, and during the regular session they were most successful. Lobbyists for those organizations are talented and effective representatives for you in contractual and teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rights issues, and I have a newfound respect for them and the organizations they represent. As a sidebar, all of those organizations put in cards of support in a public hearing for SB 140, our TAKS pull-out bill, recognizing the frustration this practice creates for you as educators.

In the first few years of my career as a young music teacher, I would sit through those professional teacher association presentations during faculty meetings and decide not to part with those admittedly significant dollars to join. But after a few years, I began to recognize the value of such membership and became a member.

In these unsettling times, when public education will continue to be scrutinized and in some cases victimized financially by state leadership, it is important that

you have representation at the capitol. I encourage you to give serious consideration to such action.

A little known area where TMEA spends much time relative to education policy is with the State Board of Education, and we have a very positive working relationship with the members of that board.

The fifteen-member elected SBOE, in essence, writes the rules that school districts follow to carry out the laws passed by the legislature, and in many ways their rules can have as much or more impact on arts education than law. Until the last session, the SBOE owned graduation requirements, and they always protected our requirement (those requirements are now in the hands of the legislature).

As mentioned in the legislative article, we are just beginning the rewrite of the TEKS for fine arts, all under the auspices of the SBOE, and it was their decision to place fine arts in the calendar sequence for review, even ahead of languages other than English. Also, the fine arts instructional materials to be developed and adopted after the TEKS rewrite is complete are currently included in the SBOE

proclamation and adoption cycle. Finally, the new policy allowing marching band to substitute for the physical education requirement was a positive decision for our students. Board members even expanded the rule to give a marching band student a P.E. credit that counts toward graduation rather than simply a P.E. waiver.

The TMEA Executive Board at its June board meeting extended the contract for our lobbyist, Matt Matthews, who for another two years will continue to work with me to protect the opportunity for your students to be a part of the quality programs you provide. During the interim we will continue to nurture our relationships with key legislative leaders and expand membership in the Arts Education Caucus which we initiated this past March. In addition, the staff will strive to provide the latest advocacy resources, via the website, to help you protect your program at the local level. I encourage you to call our office when you need assistance in any way as you begin a new school year.

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BandNotes

Remain focused on success In Memoriam BRUCE DINKINS April 12, 1951–June 22, 2011 R ICHARD R. (DICK) WHITTEN January 25, 1934– June 26, 2011

hope you had a restful and rejuvenating summer. As we gear up to return for what might be one of the more challenging school years given the troubled times many schools are experiencing, it’s important to carefully map out our goals for the upcoming school year.

It’s likely that you’re experiencing a budget crunch in some capacity. As such, it becomes even more necessary to create several backup strategies so that you can more easily achieve them. I completely understand how disturbing this idea can be to some; however, our present financial situation clearly suggests that we must all be willing to do much more with less—or with nothing at all! Ultimately, the ball is in our court.

With every passing year, we become more technologically advanced and less willing to do things the old-fashioned way. I can’t even recall when I last took the time to write a letter to a close friend with pen in hand, poised in front of a

I

sheet of stationery. Heaven forbid if I actually take the time to put a stamp on an envelope and make the journey to the mailbox that must be at least ten backbreaking yards from my front door.

This all reminds me of the days when music teachers were responsible for just about every aspect remotely associated with their programs, such as drill writing, music arranging, teaching all of the instruments, and managing an office with little or no assistance.

The time has arrived where we must consider doing things differently. We simply cannot allow our budgetary woes to dictate the success of our programs and our students! I suspect that things will worsen before we see relief on the horizon, but we are Texas music educators, and in the spirit of those who taught before us, we will find a way to achieve all of our goals! This, of course, may require that we lick a stamp or two over the next few months. But don’t fear, the taste will not last forever.

We simply cannot allow our budgetary woes to dictate the success of our programs and our students!

16 Southwestern Musician | August 2011

All-State Audition Entry Online All-State audition entry is available once the audition chair has created the contest in which you will enter your students. Your membership must be active to enter students, so renew well in advance of entry deadlines. Audition entry is found within the Band Division menu under the All-State submenu. If a contest you expect to be listed is not, contact your Region Chair.

All-State Audition Etudes The official listing of All-State performance etudes is available from the TMEA homepage, www.tmea.org. All errata, corrections, clarifications, tempo requirements, and performance suggestions are online. Revisit this page often.

2012 Clinic/Convention Update Your Executive Board has been working to create a successful schedule of events for our 2012 convention. With additional clinics scheduled Saturday morning, each day of the convention will be full of learning opportunities and options! At this time when many organizations are reducing benefits, TMEA

is committed to offering its members even more choices for the same price paid eleven years ago!

Safety Training Required Safety training is required by law for all coaches or sponsors for athletic activities, and any marching band director. UIL has developed a safety training program that is available through the UIL Gateway as part of the Rules Compliance Program.

For more details, go to the following site: www.uiltexas.org/health/safety-training.

Honor Band Our thanks go to our Region and Area Band Chairs for their work during our Honor Band competition. Their dedication to our organization is admirable and greatly appreciated. Please check the September magazine for the list of Honor Band finalists and winners.

Honor Band Updates Effective March 2012 Based upon recommendations from the 2010–2011 Honor Band Committee, several items will be implemented beginning with the next Honor Band com-

petition, beginning March 2012. These changes affect judge selection and the establishment of three listening centers for the Area-level competition (that serve the seven Areas). These changes were detailed in this column in the April issue and are online in the Honor Band rules found under the Band Division menu.

Scoring Procedures for All-State Band Auditions A change in the process of tabulating scores in the All-State band audition process will eliminate the use of Judge’s Forms 3 and 4. The computer program will process the calculations associated with those forms.

Judges will use Form 1 to comment and score the audition and Form 2 to track the total score given to each contestant.

During the third round of auditions, as a Form 1 page is completed, the audition tabulation office will enter those scores.

At the end of the audition, the computer program will calculate the scores by converting each judge’s scores into the judge’s ranks (taking the place of Form 3).

When complete, the computer program will generate the Form 4 calculations and complete the process by dropping the low and high rank for each student, breaking any ties, and assigning the intended outcomes of the audition. This is the method the vocal, orchestra, and ATSSB auditions have been using for many years.

Important Dates August—Renew your TMEA membership and register for the convention online.

August—Attend your fall Region meetings (see page 4 for details).

August 20—Liability insurance through TMEA expires.

October—TMEA convention housing reservation system available online.

October 27—Deadline to receive All-State Jazz audition CDs in TMEA office.

November 12–13 —All-State Jazz CD judging.

December 31—TMEA convention mail/ fax pre-registration deadline.

January 7, 2012—Area Band and Vocal auditions.

January 12, 2012—TMEA convention online pre-registration deadline.

February 8–11, 2012—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

18 Southwestern Musician | August 2011

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by anthony pursell any recent college graduates across our state are having the same experience. They successfully navigated their college careers, they completed preservice teaching assignments, and now they must transition from the role of student to teacher. No matter how seasoned we are in this profession, each of us can likely recall the overwhelming feeling we had after accepting our first job as a music educator.

First-year directors are often just trying to keep their heads above water as they learn a new system. Unwritten expectations of the program and of the director can blind-side any new hire.

And while each situation on its own might be manageable, when they quickly accumulate, they may start to weigh you downâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; keeping your head above water will become a struggle. If you are new to the teaching profession or are starting at a new school, keep in mind the following suggestions to help you stay afloat as you begin this new job.

A TIME TO TALK One of the first ways to learn about the program you just inherited is to talk to people in the know. Since there will be many, limit your interaction to a few groups prior to the beginning of the year so you can synthesize the results more effectively.

The following groups can be sources of valuable information.

Students: Meeting with representative members of the student body is critical as it sends the message that you have their best interests in mind. To be most productive, limit this meeting to seniors and section leaders as they typically have greater investment in the program than others. If there are enough non20 Southwestern Musician | August 2011

seniors serving as section leaders, meet with the seniors first.

This can make the initial meeting more manageable and gives the seniors a feeling of being your top priority. Although we must clearly establish that we are in charge, we also should not discredit the value some students offer as we will learn much from their perspective.

If you are replacing a popular director, the seniors in your program can be your greatest allies (once they trust you). It is especially important to listen to their concerns given that they often fear everything is about to change as they begin their final year under a new director. When I started my last high school position in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I met with the seniors and took notes on what was most important to them. From everyday traditions to game-day procedures, there was much I learned. While you might be inclined to change some traditions to fit your program philosophy, I urge you to approach change at a subtle pace to maintain a nucleus of support.

Parents: Meeting with this group often offers an adult version of the information you receive from the students. When meeting with parents, start with a small representative group prior to meeting with them all. Most established programs have a booster organization. In this case, meet with the officers to learn how this organization functioned in the past. Then you can slowly begin to shape the parent involvement to fit your vision. Once you have met with the small group, have a meeting with all parents to reach out to them and demonstrate your extended interest in their children. Logistically, this is also a great opportunity for you to secure parent permissions for the year, have them complete important forms, and sign them up to volunteer.

Feeder Program Personnel: A new director often has the disadvantage of not knowing which students are moving from one school to another. One suggestion is to talk to the director of the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; feeder schools. Obtaining a copy of their most recent concert program, especially if personnel are listed, can be very useful.

Having this list of students is especially important as some who arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t registered this year may have gotten lost in the shuffle and are simply awaiting your guidance.

A recent concert program can also offer insight into the type of music incoming students are accustomed to and may provide information about their skill levels.

Caution should be exercised, however, as anyone can program â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lincolnshire Posy.â&#x20AC;?

Former Director: While it is true that you are free to speak to whomever you want, there may be times when it could create an uncomfortable situation for your administrators if they believe you and the previous director are collaborating. To prevent this, simply ask your immediate supervisor if they would encourage you to contact the former director to ask questions. You can learn so much from your predecessor, but like everyone else on this

in-the-know short list, you should take their advice with the understanding that it too may need to be filtered.

Coaches: Meeting with the coaches can help build a bridge of support from your office to the athletic department.

This relationship can be useful and provides a healthy pillar of support. When I met with the head football coach, I told him I wanted to know what I could do to enhance his playersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; game-day experience. His only request was for a pregame tunnel for the players to run through while we played the fight song. Knowing how simple this was to execute, I offered my support and we had a tunnel for him and his players. With this simple offering, making a friend in an influential position within the community and the administration was secured. While focusing on the athletic department may seem incongruous with our purpose, this relationship may prove more beneficial than you would expect, especially in these times of uncertainty for music education.

A TIME TO WORK ALONE It is exciting when you finally get your keys and are left to explore. Sometimes,

however, that excitement is short-lived.

When I inherited my first position, the band hall was left in shambles. The library consisted of several stacks of music, each about three feet high, arranged along the perimeter of the band hall. The music stands were covered in graffiti, and many were in poor working order. Records from the previous years were not to be found.

It was truly a heart-wrenching moment.

My first goal was to make this room into a home for our students and change the existing appearance that no one seemed to care. The excitement would return.

Classroom Inventory: My principalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first request was to do something about the music stands. Like many other directors have, I took it upon myself to paint every music stand. In addition to the stands needing overhauling, the entire band hall carpet needed an extreme makeover. After much work and a few creative solutions (which Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be happy to share in an unpublished format), the new carpet was in and our makeover was complete.

While making physical improvements to a music room requires a lot of work and isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t likely something you learned during your college career, it will demonstrate a

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great personal commitment to your students and the community.

Instrument Inventory: During the summer months there may be some instruments that simply cannot be accounted for as students may have them checked out. Regardless, it’s a good idea to inspect the condition of each instrument you can verify. Just because there are five sousaphones on the inventory doesn’t mean all five are in working condition. If you update your inventory early, you can avoid headaches later when students return and all of your repaired instruments are back in your possession.

Remember, most instrument repair technicians are very busy during the summer.

Music Inventory: Consider selecting your music as soon as possible. If you are using music from your existing library, find that piece and inspect it. Ask yourself at least the following questions as you review the music. Are all of the parts and score included? If it is an older arrangement, what key are the piccolo and horns in? Is the arrangement too difficult?

Program Evaluation: The investigative work once required to find out how your band looked and sounded is greatly reduced in today’s digital world. If there are no audio or video recordings in your possession, explore YouTube, Facebook, Myspace, and other multimedia sites.

While videos and recordings are ideal, simply looking at still pictures may give you some insight into what to expect with your program.

Recruiting Calls: It is important that new directors attempt to contact every student in the program. While this does take a considerable amount of time, the payoff can be tremendous. You may find that some students on last year’s personnel list are not on your current list, and a call from you may help influence productive students to return.

Administrative Tasks: One of the most beneficial tasks you can do is to create a handbook. A simple search on the Internet can yield dozens of handbook examples. (Examples are also in the Music Educator Toolkit located in the Teaching Resources section of the TMEA website). Producing a handbook about a program you have yet to lead is not easy, but by covering the major points now, you will have a foundation to build on when you revise it for the following academic year. A few beneficial items for any hand-

book are: (1) a letter to students and parents briefly explaining who you are and the direction of the program; (2) a letter from the principal and/or other administrators to show the bond between you and the administration is strong; and (3) a signature page that must be returned that includes a statement such as, “I have read and understand the rules and regulations of the XYZ Music Handbook.” Having both the student and parent signatures will increase accountability.

As a first-year music educator, there will be many times you might feel like

you’re struggling just to tread water. In those moments, it’s important to remember there is a network of experienced swimmers in our state ready and willing to help you stay afloat. The suggestions offered here are just a few examples of the countless ideas music educator colleagues in your district and beyond are waiting to share with you to help you succeed in these new waters.

Anthony Pursell is Director of Bands at Tarleton State University.

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Southwestern Musician | August 2011 23

by Lisa McCutchan

OrchestraNotes

New challenges and a new outlook

ith each new school year, new challenges unfold.

This year, in particular, is full of challenges.

With recent budget cuts, school districts across the state are trying to survive this new crisis. Some of you might be experiencing a loss of stipend pay, extra duty days, and/or reduced travel allowances for students and directors. Some districts have made restrictions on how many UIL groups a performing organization can take to contest, while other districts have discontinued paying for studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; contest entry fees. Booster organizations are now required to foot the bill for these activities. With that, it is more important than ever that we establish and maintain positive working relationships with our booster leaders.

Given these challenges, we need to work even harder to remain positive with

W

our students, colleagues, parents, and administrators. In my 29 years of teaching, I have learned that when I approach things positively, the entire outlook of the situation changes for the better. Be flexible, and stay strong! Help colleagues in your department. Be sensitive to the band directors, drama coaches, and choir directors who have lost personnel. Finally, focus on the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;they are the reason we get up each day. Make a difference, stay proactive, and be the solution, not the problem!

Honor Orchestra On June 10, J. J. Pearce HS hosted the first round of Honor Orchestra competition for Middle School/Junior High String, Middle School/Junior High Full, and High School Full. In this first round, there were 24 middle school/junior high string entries, 12 middle school full

We need to work even harder to remain positive with our students, colleagues, parents, and administrators.

24 Southwestern Musician | August 2011

entries, and 19 high school full entries.

Special thanks go to our members who served as contest hosts, judges, and CD playback personnel. They ensured a most efficient and successful contest. Listed in alphabetical order in the frame to the right are the State Honor Orchestra finalists in each category. Look online or in the September issue for the winners of each category.

Membership and Convention Preview Remember to renew your TMEA membership and make plans to attend the 2012 Clinic/Convention in February.

Keep in mind that all directors, not just head directors, should be TMEA members.

Our featured clinician is Kirt Mosier.

Conductors of this year’s All-State Orchestras are: Carl St. Clair (Symphony), Larry Livingston (Philharmonic), and Steve Amundson (String). Look for more information about our clinician and conductors in future issues.

All-State Audition Material All-State etudes were posted online May 1 and the excerpts were added July 22.

Find the link on the TMEA homepage under TMEA Business. Errata is posted as it is identified and the TMEA website is the official source for this information. Please check frequently for updates.

Errata is dated and displayed in red.

Region Meetings In August, plan to attend your Region meeting. In addition to other important business, you will be asked to complete the Region volunteer form. Whether it is being behind the scenes at the convention, judging, hosting, or being on a committee, please volunteer. We need you!

Finally, I would like to congratulate Craig Needham and the wonderful TODA Board for giving us a superior TODA 50th anniversary celebration!

Honor Orchestra Finalists High School Full School/ISD ........................................................................................... Directors Austin HS/Fort Bend .........Carolyn Vandiver, Courtenay Vandiver, Dustin Winson Clements HS/Fort Bend.......................................Ginger Wolfe and Daniel Galloway Flower Mound HS/Lewisville ......................................... Ann Smith and Rob Myers Klein Collins HS/Klein .....................................................Carlos Lara and Kirk Jones Martin HS/Arlington ............................................ Michael Stringer and Gordan Hart Plano SH/Plano ....................... Brian Coatney, Jeremy Kondrat, and Stefanie Hayes

Middle School/Junior High Full School/ISD ........................................................................................... Directors Beckendorff JH/Katy ............................................ Matthew Porter and Susan Steber Grisham MS/Round Rock ................................................................ Michael Chishum Kealing MS/Austin ....................................................................................David Jarrott Lanier MS/Houston ............................................ Laurette McDonald and Ali Jackson McMeans JH/Katy ...........................................Amy Williams and George Liverman Robinson MS/Plano ..........Mary Havenstrite, Kim Hernandez, and Ross Patterson

Middle School/Junior High String School/ISD ........................................................................................... Directors Beckendorff JH/Katy ..........................................................................Matthew Porter Fowler MS/Frisco .....................................................................................Karina Flores Johnston MS/Houston.................................................................................. Jose Rocha McMeans JH/Katy ................................................................................ Amy Williams Rice MS/Plano ........................................................................................... Barbara Fox Sartartia MS/Fort Bend ................................................................................Ann Victor

The High School String Honor Orchestra finalists and winners will be included in the January issue.

September 15—HS String Honor Orchestra online entries due.

October—Convention housing reservation system available online.

October 15—Postmark deadline for HS String Honor Orchestra CDs and other entry materials.

October 22—HS String Honor Orchestra judging.

October 29—All-State orchestra CD recording date.

November 12–13—All-State orchestra CD recording judging.

December 31—TMEA convention mail/ fax pre-registration deadline.

January 12, 2012—TMEA convention online pre-registration deadline.

February 8–11, 2012—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

Important Dates August—Renew your TMEA membership and pre-register for the convention.

August—Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 4 for details).

August 20—Liability insurance through TMEA expires.

Southwestern Musician | August 2011 25

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by Cathy Fishburn and Bridget Kinneary ave you ever considered starting a Texas Future Music Educators chapter with your students? Maybe you’re wondering if the precious little time you have to invest is worth the potential benefits. If you haven’t yet considered it, or if you don’t think you have the time, understand this: I realize now that my career wouldn’t be complete without being involved in a TFME chapter! While the obvious benefit is for the students involved, as a TFME sponsor, you will experience your own personal and professional growth. Starting a TFME chapter in Klein ISD has been incredibly rewarding, and we hope by learning from our initial experiences, you will be convinced to start your own (or will become involved with a chapter that already exists on your campus or in your district).

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Deciding to Sponsor: Cathy Fishburn Last fall while reading an issue of SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN, an article about TFME seemingly jumped off the page at me as I learned how the TFME purpose is to encourage our high school students to consider music education as a career. As you might be, I initially thought, “Do I have time to do this?” Before I could calculate a response in my head, my heart told me to make time—this needs to happen! With that, I contacted one of the Klein HS senior violists, Bridget Kinneary, and asked her if she thought there would be enough interest. She assured me there would be and was very enthusiastic. I then reached out to two other directors, Dawn Multop from Klein HS and Laurie Arnold 28 Southwestern Musician | August 2011

from Klein Forest HS, who eagerly agreed to co-sponsor. My next step was to contact Kay Vanlandingham at TMEA to learn where to begin. She sent me a template of bylaws that I customized to accommodate the needs of our district. Since TFME was new to us, we started small by including only orchestra students from the four KISD high schools. Know that chapters can be formed for any situation. Some include music students from all three divisions on a single campus. Others include students from all divisions from multiple campuses in a district. You can create a chapter that fits your needs. Once we submitted our bylaws and fees to TMEA, our chapter was chartered!

TFME has kept my interest in becoming a music major alive.

—Andrea Clark, Junior, Klein Collins HS Five very successful meetings (with snacks afterward) and 40-plus members later, we are excited to report how much our students are involved in our new chapter. We’ve had guest speakers, student teachers who shared their new teaching experiences with us, and former Klein graduates now teaching in the district who shared their encouraging and insightful stories. At the end of each meeting there was, of course, food. Students have learned from Dr. Robert Gillespie of Ohio State University and from

Dr. Carol Smith of Sam Houston State University, who presented a group seminar on conducting (followed, of course, by food). Our chapter has attended a Houston Symphony concert, performed at a retirement center, enjoyed a pajama party, and watched “Music of the Heart.”

And, yes, there was food. (I’m sure you’re noticing a pattern here—food and teenagers just go together!)

We have a Facebook page for Klein ISD Texas Future Music Educators and are creating a website, so to learn more about our chapter and to get ideas for your own, visit our website, www.kleintfme.org.

Starting a Chapter: Bridget Kinneary Since middle school I knew I wanted to teach music, and I knew many other students in our district had an interest in music education as well. As soon as I saw the TFME webpage on the TMEA website I thought it would be the perfect thing for our district. I initially hesitated in asking my orchestra directors because of knowing how busy they already are.

Adding this to their incredible schedule would just be too much—right? Then at the beginning of my senior year, my middle school director, Mrs. Fishburn, approached me with a SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN magazine in hand and opened it to a full-page ad for TFME. I was so excited that my heart almost leapt out of my body! With two other fabulous sponsors on board, we were off!

We posted a few fliers, and were pleased to have 40 students attend the first meeting. In our first meeting, we approved bylaws, heard teaching stories from some of our district’s teachers, and elected officers; I was lucky enough to be elected president. Spending my senior year as TFME president offered me myriad leadership opportunities and many fond memories. For me, the greatest result of a TFME chapter is how it can widen students’ perception of music in society.

All of our ventures—from helping with beginning orchestra classes, to watching the elderly dance to Christmas tunes in the retirement home, to attending a world class quartet concert in downtown Houston—have shown us how music affects people physically and emotionally.

Through TFME, we have learned that music has a greater purpose than we realized in our individual lives. Participating

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Southwestern Musician | August 2011 29

TFME Sponsor Insights I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think there is anything more satisfying than seeing your students want to join your profession. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a wonderful experience to have students from different schools leave their school colors at the door and have fun together learning about the life of an orchestra director behind the scenes. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Laurie Arnold, Klein Forest HS This group has, in some ways, changed the atmosphere in our orchestra program.

When you can teach something to someone else, you learn much more from it. I see more leadership, peer mentoring, and a sense of program ownership from students involved in TFME. They have always worked as a team but are more united than I have ever seen them. It is extra work having a TFME chapter, but every bit of it is worth the time and effort. This organization gives students the opportunity to learn more about a truly rewarding career path some students may not have an opportunity to otherwise see. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Dawn Multop, Klein HS I never could have imagined what a positive impact this group would have on the students in our district as well as on me as an educator. I watch the students learn, grow, and get excited all over again just like they did when they were beginners, and there is not even an instrument in their hand! I look forward to the next meeting just as much as the students do in anticipation of what they will gain from the next new experience we offer them. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Cathy Fishburn

TFME Member Insights I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ever considered being a music teacher. I loved music but joined TFME more for fun. After I joined, I saw how fulfilling music education is and now would love to be an orchestra teacher. I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realized how much dedication my teachers put into teaching. TFME taught me a lot and helped me truly appreciate my teachers for what they do. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Kevin Dong, Klein HS I never thought that being a teacher was so involved behind the scenes. This helps me realize what I am getting myself into and gives me some teaching experience before even leaving my freshman year. I learned that the little things make huge differences and that you have to strive for the best, not the minimum. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Nathaly Rojas, Klein HS

in our TFME chapter has helped us build exceptional teamwork, outstanding leadership, and immense support for one another as we consider possible careers in music.

Our goal is to encourage all Texas high school directors to start or maintain TFME chapters for the 2011â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2012 school year. While this has taken time for us to accomplish, it hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t required nearly as much as we anticipated. The rewards will overwhelmingly outweigh your investment. Dream it. Believe it. Do it!

Cathy Fishburn retired from teaching in 2010 but continues to assist the KISD orchestra program and is an active clinician, judge, and student teacher supervisor for Sam Houston State University. Bridget Kinneary graduated from Klein HS in May and will be attending Eastman School of Music.

For questions about the Klein chap

TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY BANDS putting you in the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat of your music experiences

Fall 2011 Concerts

Spring 2012 Festivals

October 4 Jazz Ensemble II October 6 Jazz Ensemble I October 9 Wind Ensemble November 21 Percussion Ensemble December 1 Jazz Ensembles I & II December 5 Wind Ensemble Multimedia Concert

February 17 Percussion Festival March 24 50th Anniversary of the Tarleton Jazz Festival March 29-30 Invitational Band Festival Composer-In-Residence Frank Ticheli (a pre-UIL / ATSSB Concert & Sight Reading adjudicated festival)

all concerts & festivals are located on the Stephenville campus at the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center

for more information: band@tarleton.edu Southwestern Musician | August 2011 31

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at www.tmea.org Music Education Resource Network Â&#x2021; $UH \RX QHZ WR WKH WHDFKLQJ SURIHVVLRQ" Â&#x2021; $UH \RX QHZ WR 7H[DV" Â&#x2021; $UH \RX DQ H[SHULHQFHG WHDFKHU" If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should consider enrolling in the Music Education Resource Network (MERN). MERN links successful music education professionals with new Texas music educators and offers a proactive program of one-on-one mentoring to each new music teacher for a minimum of one year.

Everyone starting in a new job can benefit from the guidance of an experienced teacher. Even if you have colleagues at your campus who are ready to help you in your new job, it can be additionally beneficial to have a mentor who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work on your campus.

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re new to teaching (or new to Texas), take advantage of this service offered to TMEA members. Enroll in the program and an Area Coordinator will assign a mentor teacher for you.

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re an experienced teacher, think back to when you began in this profession and enroll to offer your help to someone just beginning.

Go to www.tmea.org. The Mentoring Network is within

32 Southwestern Musician | August 2011

the Programs Menu. From the main page, click the Enroll in MERN Mentoring Program link. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll log in using your TMEA ID and password.

Programs Job Services Mentoring Network Texas All-State Texas Future Music Educators Texas Music Scholars Scholarships

More than 350 mentors are part of the mentoring network and are awaiting

year teacher or teachers new to Texas schools suc ceed in this 2011â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2012 school year. Take advan tage of this program avail able to TMEA members!

Boosters

Learn more about participating in this program by reading â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mentoring Matters,â&#x20AC;? a September 2006 article available online in the SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN archives. Go to www.tmea.org/magazine and search for the article in the Archives.

Look in next monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue for another tip about other valuable content available on www.tmea.org.

New students with a strong classical foundation are immediately in demand from many performance groups on campus. More than 350 student ensembles meet weekly, so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have almost limitless opportunities to build your repertoire by performing with orchestras; big bands; and bluegrass, hip-hop, rock, funk, r&b, and many other groups.

WHERE MUSIC TAKES YOU

Learn more and apply online at berklee.edu/firstchair

Something Great About High school music students exercise their creativity andd composition skills to earn prize ze money for their music programs. ms.

W

ith high-quality compositions, performances, and video productions led by Texas high school students, the Texas Original Score Contest presented by State Farm reminds us of something truly great about our state— music education. Our congratulations go to the directors and students who participated and especially to our first- and secondplace winners. We asked the directors of the four winning entries to offer their perspective on their experiences collaborating with students in a creative endeavor of this kind. Their responses underscore the benefits of extending your students’ music education by providing them creative experiences beyond the rehearsal room. While we are disappointed that with a change in corporate structure, State Farm has chosen not to continue funding this contest for the 2011–2012 year, we hope you will consider including a class composition project in your curriculum given the positive experiences these winning directors describe.

W was your approach to the composition and What pproduction?

Rebekah Browning, Sanger HS: Music theory students created the composition during class, and the band rehearsed it during their class. The goal was to incorporate skills and knowledge learned previously in the class. For the video production, we used photographs of Texas and placed them at important points in the score using Sony Vegas software. Our goal was to represent Texas’s past, present, and future.

Monte Ashcraft, Commerce HS: High school senior Jason Anthraper composed “Adventure!” for our entry, and we used Finale 2011 so the music would be easily readable. When the band first rehearsed it, we didn’t reveal the title or composer, but after a couple of days, they guessed that Jason was the composer based on their previous experience with his compositions.

The students worked approximately three weeks on the music during their regular class period while they were working on their music for the State Wind Ensemble Contest. Several students video-recorded the band’s rehearsal and we also used video from when we attended a Dallas Wind Symphony concert. The 34 Southwestern Musician | August 2011

students’ performance was recorded with a digital camera, and it took approximately a week and a half to finalize the video after the recording. We did find it a challenge to produce a video that follows the theme within parts of the music.

Brian Casey, Brazoswood HS: The majority of the credit for “The Heart of Texas” goes to our student composer, Ryan Lindveit. Our percussion instructor and other staff members had some input as well, but the original piece was very solid.

Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to perform the piece at a formal concert, but plan to in the coming year. Since “The Heart of Texas” explores a variety of moods, we strived to match the emotional impressions of the video images to those in the music.

Robert Rubio, John Paul Stevens HS: Student Emily Rubio finished “A Texas Portrait” in April. With schoolwide testing and our participation in and hosting of UIL Concert and Sightreading Contests and festivals, we had only a short time to rehearse the music. The Stevens Wind Ensemble came in early one morning to rehearse and record the performance for the entry. The band, under the baton of the composer, performed “A Texas Portrait” at the spring concert. At the request of our principal, they also performed the piece for the faculty and staff at their June faculty meeting.

W learning opportunities did you and your students What eexperience?

RB: Students were able to put the concepts learned previously in the year to work in a real-world situation. They were also able to learn how to use notation software.

MA: In Music Theory students are given the opportunity to improve their musicianship, write their own music, and learn how to use music notation software. Since the version of Finale we use can play back what is written, it helps with editing and recordings.

BC: We all enjoyed the rare opportunity to collaborate with the composer of a new piece of music. It was fun being part of the piece’s evolution as we tweaked it with Ryan’s direction.

RR: This project was a learning experience for all involved. On an initial runthrough, the low-brass voicing and style didn’t quite sound like what the composer intended. After a quick explanation and with pencils ready, students made the necessary adjustments to their parts. The music was collected and Emily made her revisions for the final product.

Did your project include any crossprogram student collaboration?

RB: Music theory students collaborated with band students to fine-tune the parts.

MA: The idea of the project started in AP Music Theory class. Decisions on who would compose, record, video, and edit were made along with possible themes/concepts. When this project was announced to the band, suggestions and ideas came more readily because of the prior planning.

BC: Our slideshow included pictures taken by students in the high school journalism department. Selection and placement were determined by a committee of students, led by our Associate Director, Martin Montoya.

RR: We did discuss the project with the video production team at school, but with time constraints we were unable to make a connection.

What advice would you give about collaborating with students on a composition?

RB: I would say go for it. Don’t be discouraged by the size of your program. I have five students who worked together to create this piece. Be willing to let your students take the reins—you’ll be surprised by what they come up with.

MA: Students need a structured foundation that allows them to grow creatively on their own. When students work cooperatively and perform with other students on the same project, a positive outcome should result from this aesthetic environment.

BC: Encourage students to create!

When a student composer presents a score and a MIDI version of their piece, carefully look it over, make suggestions, and then give it a read. Record any readings for study, to consider elements working well and those in need of alteration.

RR: Take the time to encourage

We have a group of students who have committed themselves to excellence and look for ways to promote their program as is illustrated by their participation. To have one’s students work so hard and show such incredible initiative and to have their work receive this kind of recognition will impact our program for years to come. It will contribute to the credibility of our program and no doubt will aid in the increase in participation.

—Virdie Montgomery, Principal, Commerce HS Our community believes in our students and we are genuinely delighted and proud of our students. The fact that a high school sophomore could capture the essence, magnitude and beauty of Texas in this score was remarkable. Emily and the students were gracious enough to perform for our faculty during the last workday, when the students were on vacation. What a wonderful way to end the school year—to see that we have wonderful students who aren't afraid to work hard, give their very best, and step out with all their passion, skill, and creativity.

—Harold Maldonado, Principal, John Paul Stevens HS

student creativity. There is rarely a slow time of year to focus on an opportunity like this, but it is certainly worth the effort. At least two other students have approached me about composing for an ensemble. The fact that more students have been inspired to compose or at least give it a try brings me great pleasure.

Emily Rubio, John Paul Stevens HS: I learned quite a bit about the structure of band music while working on this composition. All the music and instrument parts were always just something playing around in my head but sitting down and figuring out what notes they were made a huge difference in the way I composed.

The following question was answered by two of the high school students who worked on the compositions for their school’s entries:

What did you learn through this experience?

Ryan Lindveit, Brazoswood HS: I learned what a vital, cathartic experience it is for a young composer to hear their music played. To be honest, I lucked out with much of the orchestration in “The Heart of Texas,” but there were still many things I had to change.

Southwestern Musician | August 2011 35

by Janwin Overstreet-Goode

VocalNotes

It takes a division

magine trying to run your choir program for a year with no volunteer help—no parents, no student volunteers, no help from other teachers. If that happened, you would quickly discover how difficult it is to have a successful choir program. The same is true for TMEA—volunteers are critical to the success of our organization and to having a high-quality convention in February.

TMEA is an organization filled with many men and women who give their time and talents to keep music education alive and strong in Texas. So how can you get involved?

You can volunteer at the Region level.

Host an audition, organize one of your Region choirs, or serve as treasurer, secretary, or even Region Chair. Attend your fall Region meeting and let your colleagues know your willingness to work, serve, and volunteer in any capacity needed (see page 4 for the Region meeting schedule).

I

Convention Volunteer Opportunities To get involved with our annual con-

vention, complete the TMEA convention volunteer form (found on the TMEA website under the Vocal Division) and submit it to your Region Chair or mail it to the address listed on the form.

Presiders are needed for each Vocal Division clinic. The presider introduces the clinician and ensures that everything needed for the session is in the room.

Presiders are also responsible for distributing the clinician’s handouts (and can secure others to help with that task).

Volunteering as a presider is also a great way to meet our outstanding clinicians.

Each invited performing choir is assigned a Concert Guide. The guide is responsible for greeting the choir upon their arrival at the convention center. The guide is also present at the choir’s designated rehearsal and escorts them from their warm-up room to the performance venue. This is a great opportunity to see the process first-hand, especially if you are planning to submit a CD for consideration for a future convention.

The Vocal Division Facilities Committee assists with room setup and ensures the correct number of stands, chairs, and risers are in place (and puts them there). As

Volunteers are critical to the success of our organization and to having a high-quality convention in February.

36 Southwestern Musician | August 2011

you think about the coordination of your own concerts and their physical setup, I’m sure you can understand how these volunteers provide a vital function for TMEA. The Vocal Division Office, located near the Vocal Division events, is staffed by members in our division. In the short time you spend volunteering in our office, you will have the opportunity to answer questions, give directions, or help someone decide which concert or clinic to attend. A handbook with the answers to most questions is provided for all Vocal Division office volunteers (and there are snacks available, too!).

One of our most important volunteer positions is our Ballroom A Entry Monitors.

They allow audience members in and out of the venue before and after each choir session and between songs as appropriate to help keep the concert space quiet while each performing choir sings. Each concert session needs a minimum of six people to serve as door monitors.

If you prefer to serve the general TMEA membership, then consider volunteering to work convention registration.

Any time you can offer will be greatly appreciated, and you get to meet TMEA

members from all over the state. Email Membership Manager Susan Daugherty at susand@tmea.org to offer your help as a registration volunteer.

All-State Audition Material All-State audition music for the Mixed, Women’s, and Men’s Choirs can be found online (www.tmea.org, under TMEA Business). The All-State Audition Entry can also be found online once your Region Chair creates the contest. All-State notes from the clinicians will be made available at the Area audition to those students who are selected for the All-State Choirs.

The accompaniment and voice parts will be available in both CD and flash drive format this year. Contact Educational Enterprises Recording Corporation to order your All-State preparation materials. Go to www.eercmusic.com for more information.

Membership Renewal Take time now to renew your TMEA membership and pre-register for the convention. All directors involved in the audition process must be TMEA members before they can enter students into

the process. There are resources available on the TMEA website if you are in need of support materials to present to your administrator to allow your attendance at the convention.

I hope you had a chance to attend the TCDA convention in July. The volunteers who lead and guide TCDA are to be commended for a successful and beneficial summer offering.

Important Dates August—Renew your TMEA membership and pre-register for the convention.

August—Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 4 for details).

August 20—Liability insurance through TMEA expires.

October—Convention housing reservation system available online.

December 31—TMEA convention mail/ fax pre-registration deadline.

January 7—Area Band and Vocal auditions.

January 12, 2012—TMEA convention online pre-registration deadline.

February 8–11, 2012—TMEA Clinic/ Convention.

Southwestern Musician | August 2011 37

by Michele Hobizal

ElementaryNotes

Jump start a successful year In Memoriam PATRICIA K AY SCHNEIDER September 27, 1961–July 3, 2011

any of you are already working in your rooms to get everything ready for our new school year.

If not, be sure you don’t wait until the night before classes start. This year will be a year of changes. You may be teaching larger classes, have little or no budget, or be taking on more responsibilities. Be proactive in your new situation. Whatever your change is, help a friend. Be a mentor to our new music teachers and to those who have moved into elementary music from a secondary position. No matter what the challenge or situation may be, music educators always find ways to make it work. That’s just what we do. Together we can continue to provide all students an excellent music education.

M

Project Share: TMEA Elementary Music Group I am so excited to introduce to you the TMEA Elementary Music Group in Project Share! Think of this as a social network and educational resource for Texas music teachers (only educators can gain

access to the site). Online chats, music resources, forum discussions, and anything else we can think of can become a reality. I look forward to our music group evolving through these varied opportunities. You will be receiving an email from TMEA giving you directions on how to request an invitation to the group. In the meantime, go ahead and find that email TEA sent out in May with your login and password. If you deleted this email, check with your technology department or contact your Region Service Center to retrieve your information. You can also go to www.projectsharetexas.org to watch an overview video and read more about how this website works.

It’s Time to Get Organized Whether this is the first or twenty-first time you’ve prepared to welcome elementary students to a new year of music class, getting organized now will help you ensure those first days are successful. For more details on each of the highlighted items below, go to our Project Share group: TMEA Elementary Music Teachers.

You are the music while the music lasts.

—T.S. Eliot 38 Southwestern Musician | August 2011

CONTACT US TO RECEIVE TWO FREE COPIES OF PREMIER PERFORMANCE®! , Band Directors most effective e th is t a h W : Q your students’ p lo e v e d to y a w ills? music reading sk e®. c n a rm o rf e P r : Premie

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Bulletin Boards: Get them ready now to be displayed. Think about how you can use them to educate parents on the importance of music education during your open houses or meet-the-teacher night. “Music Puts It All Together” is what I plan to headline mine!

Seating Charts: Don’t reinvent the wheel. Go online! I like to include a little picture of each child (using their ID pictures) to help me remember names.

Lesson Plans: For our new-toelementary music education colleagues, use your textbooks to see how lessons are developed and can be extended.

Scheduling your class time effectively will take time up front. Plan many activities to offer during one class to avoid any “now what do I do?” moments. Check out www.cedfa.org (Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts) for lessons and ideas for our Fine Arts TEKS. Manipulatives: Do you have rhythm/ melody flashcards? These are easy to buy or make. My favorite warm-up is a Hoberman sphere readily available in stores and online (thanks Angela Ramsey for this idea!). It’s a perfect item for practicing deep abdominal breathing.

Students breathe deeply when the sphere opens up and slowly breathe out through their invisible straws until the sphere is back to its normal size. This works great for crescendo and decrescendo!

Resources: These will take time to collect if you are just starting out. Your resources are the TCDA summer convention, TMEA Elementary Region Workshops (look in this column each month for the schedule), online sites, colleagues, and of course, our amazing convention! If you already have a nice collection, look for new songs, play parties, accompaniments, and activities to kickstart your new year.

Welcome Songs: These are important to help you and your students learn names as well as to begin vocal training.

On Project Share, you can find one of my new favorites, “Hey There Friend,” from Denise Gagne’s book Musicplay. Thanks to Denise for providing permission to distribute her song in this format.

Still Have Unanswered Questions?

Whether new to the Elementary scene or a veteran teacher, we all benefit from the wisdom of others as we work to deliver the best educational experience 40 Southwestern Musician | August 2011

for all students. Check out the Q&A for Teachers repository on the TMEA website at www.tmea.org/question-answer.

It’s also available from the Resources menu under Teaching Resources. In this repository, you can search for questions that were asked and answered by Texas elementary teachers on a myriad of subjects. Using this resource will be like having access to hundreds of mentors!

In the future, you can post a question in our forum section in our new Project Share TMEA group.

TCDA Convention By the time you receive this edition, some of you will be preparing to attend the TCDA convention or you are just returning from an amazingly good time! Be sure to thank our new TCDA Elementary Vice-President Phyllis King for all her hard work. Phyllis always goes above and beyond to provide the best for you!

Fall Region Meetings Make sure you attend! The beginning of each meeting will contain important information from TMEA that applies to all divisions. Don’t worry! You do not have to stay throughout the main meeting when the secondary folks discuss contest and audition dates. Your Elementary Region Chair will provide more detail about Project Share and other activities immediately following the main meeting. The Region meetings help you stay informed and updated on all legislative and music education topics.

Important Dates August—Renew your TMEA membership and pre-register for the convention.

August—Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 4 for details).

August 20—Liability insurance through TMEA expires.

October—Convention housing reservation system opens.

December 31—TMEA convention mail/ fax pre-registration deadline.

January 12, 2012—TMEA convention online pre-registration deadline.

February 8–11, 2012—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

didn’t really learn about students with special needs in high school. I didn’t learn about them in college. I didn’t even know I was working with students with special needs when I arrived at my current job. It seems like we have more money than ever being allotted for special education in America, and yet there remains a social stigma associated with it. No one wants to talk about it or tell you how to handle it. I have attended multiple workshops about teaching students with special needs and walked away knowing only the definitions of accommodation and inclusion. As music educators, we need more than definitions. We need strategies. We need activities. We need expectations. We need to make them happy.

While each teaching situation is unique, music educators encounter several common issues in the classroom. The strategies and activities presented here have been offered by therapists, speech pathologists, and other music teachers like you. They are simply some of the things that work for us and should be easily customized to fit the needs of your students.

We often teach students with Down syndrome or autism.

While many students with these conditions may share the same physical characteristics, no two students are alike. Disposition is an important factor to consider because, just like any child, some students with disabilities are easier to work with than others.

So what can we do to help these students succeed? First, we can allow the students to work at their own pace. My friend and wonderful music educator Aron told me that initially some of her Life Skills students could spend only about five minutes actively participating in music class, but as they observed other children making music and became more comfortable in the class, their amount of participation usually increased. It is important for us to remember that even five minutes spent engaged in a music lesson is a successful lesson for some of our students.

An important concept in education, especially in special needs education, is that repetition is key. In Gifted and Talented training, we were taught that a gifted child usually requires only 1–2 repetitions of a concept before mastery. A bright child could need 6–8 repetitions. Given that, we must realize that students with special needs may require hundreds of repetitions before a concept makes sense. Allow ample opportunity for questions and give students the option to repeat back to you what was just said so you can be sure they are absorbing the material and concepts.

Educators also teach many students with ADD and ADHD. I teach students aged 3–8 on a daily basis, and regardless of diagnosis, they all at times display signs of hyperactivity and inattention!

Of course, not every child has a behavioral disorder; however, I find it helpful to approach every child as though they have ADD or ADHD and implement appropriate strategies based on that.

Two factors typically cause the development of behavioral disorders: biological factors (genetics) and environmental factors (home life, emotional influences). For many students with behavioral disorders, music class is their only solace. That’s why it is so important that music educators try to understand these students and create meaningful experiences for them every day.

Considering classroom strategies, I often group behavioral disorders with ADD/ADHD as similar methods can be used for each.

It is always a good idea to rethink your classroom structure. As reported in the book Music in Special Education, “Students with problem behaviors generally perform better when they are (a) in close proximity to the teacher, (b) sitting beside model students, and (c) actively engaged in a desirable activity.” I’ve had to move a student with a behavior disorder multiple times in one class— sometimes it’s the only way to keep the lesson flowing smoothly.

Another strategy that works well is what I call the “Stand up, sit down, fight, fight, fight!” method—moving quickly from one learning activity to the next. We are often reminded that no activity should last longer than five to seven minutes. Children enjoy Southwestern Musician | August 2011 41

a variety of activities, and children with ADD, ADHD, or behavioral disorders should be allowed ample opportunity to work out their energy and frustration. Dancing, yoga, and stretching are just a few of the activities we use to spice things up in my class and that offer the physical outlet so many students need.

I’ve found that using visual aids can be a great help to students with speech impairments, visual impairments, and for English Language Learners. Iconic representations of songs can help a child know where they are in the song and what the song is about. Similarly, large posters of classroom procedures can be invaluable to students with disabilities. This can also help to support the routine that these students so desperately need.

A most important strategy for teaching students with special needs is to consult their other teachers. Speech pathologists, resource teachers, and dyslexia specialists can provide invaluable information on effective methods for each student.

Special education teachers are often overlooked; they want to be heard, and they are more than willing to help our students succeed.

42 Southwestern Musician | August 2011

The good news is that the music classroom is inherently a “least restrictive environment.” It allows us to constantly try new things with our students. If one activity doesn’t result in success for students with special needs, there is no limit to the number of alternatives we can try.

Because of their increased flexibility, yoga is particularly effective for students with Down syndrome. Even a few minutes of yoga each day can help with breath control, flexibility, balance, posture, muscle tone, and circulation—all of which can help them successfully participate in music class. You can find resources in print and on the Internet regarding yoga for children and people with special needs.

It seems that in all of my college general education classes we heard about learning centers, but I always assumed they worked only in a regular classroom.

Not so. Children love centers anywhere they can get them. I typically divide the students up and send them to six independent learning centers: Reading, Creating, Listening, Performing, Learning, and Building. My centers are simple because I teach young children, but centers are great

for students of all ages! Talk with classroom teachers and borrow ideas that work for them.

One of my favorite activities for children of all ages is dancing. All students, including those with disabilities, need movement. In a single three-minute routine, students can learn rhythmic augmentation, diminution, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and cross-body motion—all by doing simple, easy-tochoreograph moves like marching, kicking, and waving. I try to offer a variety of genres when we dance—country, pop, Motown, classical. And it is imperative that students dance to good vocal models, so use fun, energetic music that is enjoyable and that reinforces good music habits.

Students love dancing to routines choreographed by you, but they also love a bit of freedom. Play varying styles of music and have students dance or draw pictures based on how they feel when they hear the music. Even scribbling is progress for some students—a student with autism once drew a perfect smiley face in my class. When I showed it to his aide, she informed me that he’d never drawn anything other than a straight line or a

scribble. He didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just scribble in music classâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Down Syndrome Z [

?& ? \ Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all seen those touchy-feely movies about an ordinary child doing something extraordinary. As much as we want to believe life will be like that for our students with special needs, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not always the case. Some children limited in one area are not always stronger in another.

Z [

# & ? dent. Society will tell you to have lower standards for students with special needs.

The education system will tell you to have the same expectations for everyone while subsequently giving you modifications and adaptations to lower your standards for your special education students. My expectations for students with disabilities are not higher or lower than for anyone else. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just different. Because every child is different. " [

;

Z [ & & When things donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go well, teachers often blame themselves. Some days in my class, everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s making music, everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happy, everythingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great. And some days I have students who lie on the floor for 45 minutes. When this happened in my early days of teaching, I would cry. I would spend hours in my classroom, driving home, lying in bed at night wondering what I had done wrong. > " & [ ] ( Z

*

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That was before I knew better. That was when I expected too much from myself.

When bad days happen, and they will when working with special learners, I remind myself that I had one ; I remember all the other days when I will find something theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll like, will show them an activity that will engage them, will expect them to do what they can do the best they can do, *

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what teaching is about.

Adamek, Mary S., and Alice-Ann Darrow.

Music in Special Education. The American Music Therapy Association, Inc., 2005, 145.

Kimberly Carter is the music specialist and director of the Gifted and Talented program at Dillman Elementary in Muleshoe ISD.

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Southwestern Musician | August 2011 43

he summer is coming to a close and the new semester and a new academic year are upon us.

However, what preceded this August was unlike the typical intersession period. The past four months were not the restful, restorative summer many of us had hoped it may have been. With our state facing the budgetary compression of deficit spending and dwindling revenues, the legislature dithered regarding school finance while families across the state feared the potential disproportionate distribution of effects in their home districts. Meanwhile, spring graduates were facing the worst potential job market in recent history, former students were legitimately concerned whether they would have a position beginning in the fall, music education students wondered if their dreams of becoming members of the profession might be in vain, and still others worried about how the economy would affect their continued enrollment.

Regrettably, the last four months havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t offered the regenerative recuperation we often expect.

Despite this bleak picture, now is not a time for us to retreat and act like pedagogical turtles quaking within our shells

T

hoping that when we emerge, everything will be remedied. Music education programs must find ways to adaptively evolve or we may well find ourselves and our profession in the dustbin of outdated, albeit meritorious, ideas. We must be irrevocably convicted that what we do is so critically important to childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education and lives that we need to improve and enhance instruction in music despite the prevailing social, political, or economic conditions. Therefore, our vision of musician-education should be developed without respect to obstacles, real or imagined, so that we can continue to provide inspired instruction that is the envy of the remainder of the country. The operational implementation of the vision, however, must always be conducted in the context of reality.

by Richard Fiese

CollegeNotes

Accomplishing great things amid great trials

The Danger of Ignoring Reality This is a time for us to not only envision what music education instructional programs can and should be, it is also a time for us to make certain that our students are able to deal with complex realities they will face as graduates. We can no longer complacently conduct business as usual and assume the same set of

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but dream; not only plan, but also believe. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Anatole France Southwestern Musician | August 2011 45

s n o i t i d u A p i h s r sic a u l Y M o T f h I o c l S S oo R h 2 E c 1 S V

0 ass 2 B .

L 1 a 1 d n 20 Wa M A C I T Y O

H A L K

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November 18-19 February 3-4 March 9-10 To schedule an audition:

www.okcu.edu/music musicadmissions@okcu.edu

405.208.5980

UN

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BACHELOR OF MUSIC Performance

Instrumental, Vocal, Music Theater, Piano, Organ

Composition Education Church Music Music Business

BACHELOR OF ARTS Music Music/Pre-Medicine Music/Pre-Law

MASTER OF MUSIC Composition Conducting Orchestral, Choral, Wind

Music Theater Opera Performance Performance Instrumental, Vocal, Piano, Organ

Vocal Coaching

conditions exist that were present just a short time ago. We are in a new reality— and it is a reality that will not only shape us, it is a reality that should ultimately be shaped by us. Our graduates will require an education that can guide them beyond the immediacy of our circumstances and provide them with genuine versatility to responsively and responsibly change as the profession changes. While constructivists may argue that there is no such thing as an external reality, when we suspend our sense of reality we are placing ourselves in genuine peril. Even the most confident solipsist looks both ways before crossing the street, and likewise, we need to recognize the realities of our profession and of our time to move forward successfully.

The need to provide a quality music education with increasingly limited funds is a challenge that faces us all. While the presence of under-resourced schools borders on the criminally negligent, so is an insistence on operating as if there is an all-you-can-spend funnel of other people’s money endlessly pouring into education. We must be responsible stewards of the public trust and be as effective and efficient as possible in the provision of instruction without ever losing sight of the reality that Dietrich Bonhoeffer noted when he wrote that “the ultimate test of a moral nation is the kind of world that it leaves for its children.” Neither educational nor financial impoverishment are worthy legacies to leave our children.

Therefore it is important for us to exercise reasoned restraint regarding how teacher education programs may need to respond to this new reality. Certainly I am no advocate for change solely for the sake of change; nevertheless, we must determine if the manner in which we prepare students for productive professional careers meets the conditions we are currently experiencing. We also need to carefully scrutinize our recruitment efforts with an awareness of the present contraction in the market while acknowledging that we must still provide sufficient numbers of graduates as future retirements and potential population expansions trigger increased demand. This is no obvious or simplistic predictive vector and no situation is inevitable, so thoughtful inquiry and dialogue is requisite.

I continue to contend that, among music degrees, music education remains the most flexible in terms of affording

students options upon graduation. While it is true that an education is more than mere vocational training with a focus on material outcomes, students, and their parents, possess a reasonable expectation that graduates will have an opportunity to practice the profession for which they have been prepared. Even in a state as populous and geographically large as Texas, every university and college cannot be all things to all people, and music units need to make certain to focus resources on programs and curricula that are strengths, and anything that makes a unit stronger is a strength and anything that makes a unit weaker is a weakness.

As such, depending on the overall model and mission of the music unit, music education programs logically should be the centerpiece of most college and university music programs and should not merely be considered cash cows to support other degree programs or repositories for lessgifted students.

This implies that recruitment and retention of music education majors needs careful analytical inquiry by all elements in a music unit to ensure the students pursing this major in these programs reflect the qualities of both training and temperament that we most want to see in the profession. Moreover, we need to make certain that the studies within the curricula in our programs provide our students with a genuine comprehensive preparation to be fully-orbed musician-educators.

It is no longer acceptable to prepare students to be focused on careers as only band directors, choir directors, or orchestra directors, with the remainder being left to elementary music. It is impractical to assume that school music programs can continue to resemble those where a head band director may teach a single ensemble and where a student’s annual “fair-share” to fully participate is over a thousand dollars. Teachers need to not only understand the nature of an articulated, comprehensive music curriculum, but each graduate needs to have the training to deliver instruction effectively in every classroom setting. The fact is that the educational market may be reconfiguring such that music teachers, like teachers in virtually every instructional area, need to be willing and able to do more with fewer resources, and teacher training programs need to be prepared to help our graduates

meet that challenge. We also need to equip teachers in the rank-and-file, especially those in our graduate programs, with techniques and tools enabling them to immediately meet the needs of the situation in which they find themselves—such as band directors who will now also teach elementary, or orchestra, or all three.

Through this process, we must never lose sight of the goal of what is most important and why it is important. We need to retain the essential quality of the musician-education profession that demands we change students in positive ways through the medium of music. Our concern should always be primarily about producing better musicians, not just better music, as the latter is often an efficient and sufficient effect of the former. Let us help our students continue to accomplish great things through planning, dreaming, believing, and acting responsibly.

With the preceding considerations in mind, the Chair will work with all members of the College Division to develop a mechanism for dialogue to discuss, assess, collect, and prepare members with practical suggestions for responses to the current situation. However, as individual institutional support has been restricted or eliminated, the College Division Fall Conference will not be held this year in an effort to encourage and emphasize the importance of attendance at the 2012 TMEA Clinic/Convention. As the fall semester unfolds, it is also important for members to consider the direction of the division’s leadership to be elected during the February convention. Members interested in serving in this capacity are encouraged to seek information regarding the office from the Chair.

CTME Update Cameron Green, CTME President Greetings from the Collegiate Texas Music Educators! The Executive Board reorganized over the summer and we are excited and energized to embark on what will assuredly be a year filled with outstanding professional development opportunities. CTME is committed to playing an integral role in serving all pre-service educators through creating and distributing resources and providing experiences.

During the 2011–2012 year, we will realize our efforts in a three-tier vision focusing on networking, professionalism, and advocacy.

Southwestern Musician | August 2011 47

CTME believes that efforts to support music in schools must be buttressed by the efforts of pre-service teachers alongside those of in-services teachers. Collegiate musician-educators must become positively involved in our profession as an expression of gratitude to all those who passionately contributed to our musical and educational development and as a promise to the future generations we hope to serve. We do this by effectively uniting our members across the state through the networking tier of our vision.

The CTME Executive Board created five regions within the state to enhance communication, increase collaborative participation, and deliver programs designed to equip students to fulfill their potential as music educators.

The Board conducts weekly phone conferences to ensure our association

remains true to its mission to all members. We are making every effort to see that our members have access to materials, expertise, and programs that foster connections throughout our membership, the profession, and our communities.

Paramount in this effort are two events: Officer Training Session (OTS) provides new leaders of established or new organizations hands-on strategies for conducting effective and efficient meetings, programs, and other operations; the second event is the annual Leadership Summit.

OTS will be held at Baylor University beginning August 6, 2011. More information regarding the Leadership Summit will be coming soon. Your involvement in these events and our other initiatives ultimately helps all of our members meet their aspirations of contributing to our profession now and in the future.

Important Dates Augustâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Renew your TMEA membership and pre-register for the convention.

Augustâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Attend your fall Region meeting (see page 4 for details).

August 6â&#x20AC;&#x201D;CTME Officer Training Session at Baylor University.

August 20â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Liability insurance through TMEA expires.

Octoberâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Convention housing reservation system available online.

December 31â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA convention mail/ fax pre-registration deadline.

January 12, 2012â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA convention online pre-registration deadline.

February 8â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11, 2012â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

SC H O O L O F MU SI Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Performance Bachelor of Arts in Music

www.tlu.edu/music

S CH O O L OF MU SIC FAC U LT Y Douglas R. Boyer Beth Bronk " ,)(5 )()&3 Eric Daub Eliza Thomason

Director, School of Music #, .),5) 5 "), &5 .#0#.# Director of Bands Director of Vocal Studies Director of Piano Studies Director of Strings

Adam Bedell, Percussion

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S C H O L ARS HI P S For specific qualifications for each award, visit www.tlu.edu/music.

Da capo Award in Music Up to full tuition per year

Audition and interview will take place on campus during the Pacesetter event on Feb. 27, 2012.

Jones Fine Performance Arts Award for Awards for Music Majors Non-Majors

Up to $4,000 per year Up to $2,000 per year Auditions will take place Feb. 26, 2012 2-4 p.m.; p March 24, 2012 10 a.m.-noon; April 21, 2012 10 a.m.-noon.

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48 Southwestern Musician | August 2011

Opportunity Experience Excellence

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Thank You, Scholarship Donors April 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; June 15, 2011 Ryan Agard Amy Allibon Laura L. Andrews-Wood Fred Angerstein James Austin Frederick R. Baetge Stacy R. Barr Michael Barron Lindsay Marie Beasley Nicholas Beaudet Glen Edward Bell Sandra Benke Stephanie Biffle William B. Bingham III Julie A. Birkner Richard Bjella Jim Blacksher Johanna Bonno Nannette Avant Borden Basil C. Bouras Patrick Aloysius Bowen Jeff Bridges Gregory Brigham Jerome B. Brillhart Dr. Lynn M. Brinckmeyer Harris Brinson Kathy Brodhead Jason William Brown Mike Brown Steven L. Bryant Melissa A. Bunzendahl Ann Arnold Burbridge Strelsa H. Burks Will Burks Dr. Patricia Griggs Burnham John G. Cain Brian D. Callahan Diane L. Camp Vicky Christine Campbell Randall Lee Capshaw Dr. Mary Grace Carroll Michael Chandler Leanne Chapman Jody Ann Cies Phillip Clements Frank Coachman Les E. Cole Mark Allen Conaway Bart J. Costa Dr. Eugenia Costa-Giomi Carly Cowen Evanna R. Cramer Carter Crawford

Carolyn Cruse Dr. Sue Cruse Siew Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Amato Yvonne Davila Christopher Deane Dawn Denne William J. Dick Jason Dove Patti Vee Drachenberg Robert A. Duke, PhD Joel W. Duskin Dan Ebie Lindsey Ellison Charlotte Ellsaesser Jessica Embach Jankauskas Dr. Lynn Eustis Dr. Garry Evans Jack O. Fariss Brett C. Farr Rebecca Farrar Vivian A. Ferchill Dr. Richard K. Fiese Dianne P. Findley Christopher C. Fiorini Jane H. Fore Thomas Richard Forrest II Joseph L. Frank, Jr. Mark C. Franklin Hector F Garza, Sr. Dani Gathright Dr. Larry R. Gebhardt Rick Ghinelli Staci Rae Gideon Susan L. Glover John Emmanuel Godoy Ben R. Gollehon Peggy S. Graff Michael Scott Gravitt Elise B. Greene-Sisley Angelica Guerra Jarod Hall Dr. Thomas Gray Hardaway II Billy A. Harrell Rob Hartman Norma Hawes Deborah Hernandez Michael Anthony Hernandez Chelsea Herring David L. Hinds Robert Holland Dr. Randall Hooper Ayren Huslig David Thomas Isadore

50 Southwestern Musician | August 2011

Mary T. Isadore Samuel E. Jackson, Sr. Melissa James Amber Jamison Tido Janssen Judith Anne Jellison, PhD Cecile Johnson Kathy Kay Johnson Dustin Jones Emily Ruth Jones Brenda Jean Josephsen William Sean Kay Janice E. Keezel Dana Kelly Jenny L. Kelly Jordan Kendle Kathryn Ann Kendle David B. Keown Malvina David Keselman Natalia Andreevna Kharlova Rodney A. Klett Betty Ora Knott Sparky Koerner Mica R. Kolb Jeremy Alan Kondrat Charlie J. Krause Jane A. Lamb David Lee Lambert David M. Landgrebe LeeAnne Lawson Jed Alden Leach Michael Leach Jennifer Lemin Mark Lewis Melissa J. Livings Asa E. Low, Jr. Martha A. Low Michael J. Lysinger Donald Phillip Maddox Barbara A. Manson Dennis John Manson, Jr. Stephanie Markgraf Vince Marquart Sarah Marquez Colin Marshall Larry Marta Christopher Mason Alexandr Matros Leigh Ann McClain Allana McClellen Marguerite McCormick Lisa M. McCutchan Judy McEnany

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Nick Seibert Dr. Robert J. Seligson Karla R. Sessing Shauna Cowsar Shaw Dr. Stephen Scott Shoop Nancy K. Shotts Angelene Shultz Dr. Dan T. Sipes Warren Sneed Brittany Spong Dena B. Steed Peter M. Steinmetz David Stephenson Mary Ella Neeley Stevens Brian Wade Stewart Dr. Michael J. Stone George Strickland Richard E. Sullivan Betty J. Sydnor Christina Marie Tannert Ashley Kristy Tapia Russ Teweleit Phyllis Bush Thomas Emily Thomasson Mary Tiner Neal H. Tipton Sheila S. Torrance Lee Campbell Towell Linda G. Traue Sally Trenfield Stephen Turner Russell Tyler Van Patten Charles Villarrubia Adrienne E. Walls Eniko Walter-Howard Joann D. Watson Dr. Michael F. Webster Gary Wells Ashley Westgate Glenn Wheeler Brad White Dr. Nathan L. Williams Dorothy Farrar Wilson Dr. Woody Witt Aimee Kristine Wolfe Steve Worley Timothy G. Zamora Don J. Zurbriggen

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