January 2017 Southwestern Musician

JANUARY 2017

877-328-2583 www.directorschoice.travel

JANUARY2017 8 5

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I S S U E

contents

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features

V O L U M E

columns

Executive Board Candidates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Before you vote, learn about the candidates for TMEA President-Elect and Orchestra, Vocal, and Elementary Vice-Presidents.

Developing a Community of Urban Music Teachers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 This author of Urban Music Education: A Practical Guide for Teachers highlights the challenges and opportunities urban educators face—a focus of several 2017 TMEA Clinic/Convention sessions.

BY K ATE R. FITZPATRICK

Recruitment & Retention: The Key Elements . . . . . . . 51 As you look for ways to engage more students and keep them LQWHUHVWHG FRQVLGHU WKHVH DUHDV RI LQĂ XHQFH WKDW FDQ VKDSH KRZ \RX approach these most important elements of your program.

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BY CAROL RUSTOWICZ

Elementary Music and the 21st-Century Child. . . . . 65

by Dinah Menger

Elementary music teachers help develop the 21st-century child by delivering instruction on the required music TEKS. Learn how we are set up to foster 21st-century skills in the music classroom.

BY MICHELE HOBIZAL AND PENNY PEEK-DAVIS

Executive Director’s Notes.................14

STEAM: Connecting Music Across the Curriculum. . 69

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

by Robert Floyd

Collaborating with the school’s science teacher, this music educator has implemented a fully integrated unit on sound, connecting music across the curriculum.

Band Notes ............................................................31

by Joe MuĂąoz

BY AMY BURNS

Orchestra Notes ..............................................44

by Penny Meitz

Vocal Notes ...........................................................56

by Robert Horton

Elementary Notes .......................................... 75 College Notes .....................................................85

by Si Millican

On the cover: Megan Nightingale, currently a freshman at St. Louis University, performs with the Seven Lakes Symphony Orchestra during the 2016 TMEA Clinic/Convention. Photo by Karen Cross.

updates

by Juli Salzman Creating your Convention CPE Record ................................................... 2 2017 TMEA Clinic/Convention: Important Deadlines ........................... 4 TMEA Launches Music Education Advocacy Campaign .....................17 Get Educated in the Exhibit Hall ...........................................................39 Urban Music Education at the TMEA Clinic/Convention .....................43 2017 TMEA President’s Concert: The Real Group ..............................83 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

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Editor-in-Chief: Robert Floyd UĂ R\G@tmea.org 512-452-0710, ext. 101 Fax: 512-451-9213

Managing Editor: Karen Cross

kcross@tmea.org 512-452-0710, ext. 107 Fax: 512-451-9213

Creating Your Convention CPE Record

TMEA Executive Board President: Dinah Menger d.menger@sbcglobal.net 1305 Westcrest Drive, Arlington, 76013 817-891-1095 – Fort Worth ISD

President-Elect: Andy Sealy sealya@lisd.net 4207 Plano Parkway, Carrollton, 75010 469-948-3011 – Hebron HS

Past-President: Keith Dye keith.dye@ttu.edu 6607 Norwood Avenue, Lubbock, 79413 806-742-2270 x 231 – Texas Tech University

Band Vice-President: Joe Muùoz munozj@pearlandisd.org 3775 South Main Street, Pearland, 77581 281-997-3219 – Pearland HS

Orchestra Vice-President: Penny Meitz pjmeitz@mac.com 5407 Coral Gables Drive, Houston, 77069 281-468-2593 – St. John’s School

Vocal Vice-President: Robert Horton rhorton@conroeisd.net 3205 West Davis Street, Conroe, 77304-2039 936-709-1200 – The Woodlands HS

Elementary Vice-President: Juli Salzman julis@angletonisd.net 625 Milton Street, Angleton, 77515 (281) 660-4776 – Northside Elementary

College Vice-President: Si Millican si.millican@utsa.edu One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, 78249 210-458-5334 – UT/San Antonio

TMEA Staff Executive Director: Robert Floyd | UĂ R\G@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 Communications Manager: Karen Cross | kcross@tmea.org Financial Manager: Laura Kocian | lkocian@tmea.org Information Technologist: Andrew Denman | adenman@tmea.org Administrative Assistant: Rita Ellinger | rellinger@tmea.org

70($ 2IÀFH 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 2IÀFH +RXUV Monday–Friday, 8:30 A.M.–4:30 P.M.

TMEA members attending our convention have numerous opportunities to receive Continuing Professional Education (CPE) hours. TMEA provides an online method for creating your CPE record after the convention. Follow these steps now so that you will be prepared to return from the convention and complete your record.

1. Now: Create a personal schedule online. • Go to www.tmea.org/convention • Go to the Schedules page and click on Personal Schedule • Log in with your username and password

2. During the convention: Make note of workshops you attend to completion.

Active membership, convention registration, and attendance is required for CPE credit to be granted.

3. When you return home: Update your online personal schedule to confirm the workshops you attended and print your CPE form. Submit one to your school district and keep a copy for your records.

www.tmea.org/convention

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.

6XEVFULSWLRQ UDWHV 2QH <HDU ² 6LQJOH FRSLHV 3HULRGLFDO SRVWDJH SDLG DW $XVWLQ 7; DQG DGGLWLRQDO PDLOLQJ RIĂ&#x20AC;FHV 32670$67(5 6HQG DGGUHVV FKDQJHV WR 6RXWKZHVWHUQ 0XVLFLDQ 3 2 %R[ 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 1941â&#x20AC;&#x201C;47 by Dr. Stella Owsley. Incorporated in 1948 as National by Harlan-Bell Publishers, Inc. Published 1947â&#x20AC;&#x201C;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 (GXFDWRUV $VVRFLDWLRQ ZKRVH RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO SXEOLFDWLRQ LW KDV EHHQ VLQFH ,Q WKH WZR PDJD]LQHV ZHUH PHUJHG XVLQJ WKH QDPH 6RXWKZHVWHUQ 0XVLFLDQ FRPELQHG ZLWK WKH 7H[DV 0XVLF (GXFDWRU XQGHU WKH 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.

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Southwestern Musician | January 2017

TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY

music

therapy

Department of Music and Drama – Music Therapy • The first ongoing program in Texas and among the oldest in the country • American Music Therapy Association certified • Large and active Student Association for Music Therapy chapter • Nationwide internship placement • Board certification exam preparation

TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY A Coeducational, Public Institution Bachelor of Science in Music Therapy Master of Art in Music Therapy Combination Bachelor of Science Equivalency and Master of Art in Music Therapy Dual degree of Master of Science in Counseling and Master of Art in Music Therapy

Scholarship and Entrance Auditions: Saturdays, January 28th & Febuary 25th Saturday, March 25th (Entrance Auditions Only)

TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY

Department of Music and Drama P.O. Box 425768, Denton, TX 76204 940-898-2500, music@twu.edu www.twu.edu/music

TMEA CLINIC/CONVENTION February 8–11, 2017 • San Antonio • Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center

www.tmea.org/convention

IMPORTANT DEADLINES NEAR! January 18

January 20

Final day to cancel an existing reservation made through the TMEA housing system without being assessed a $50 penalty. There will be no waivers for this penalty.

Final day to use the housing system to make a reservation in most hotels (some may continue to be available, but the listing will be limited).

January 19

January 26

Last day to register online at the lower rate! Don’t miss this opportunity to pay less to attend the premier music educators convention in the nation!

Final day to use the housing system to modify a reservation. After that, contact the hotel directly (wait several days, as there is a delay in the hotels receiving their reservation data).

FEBRUARY 8–11: THE BEST MUSIC EDUCATORS CONVENTION!

Create an online schedule The convention schedule is available online at www.tmea.org/convention. Create a personal schedule online to help you organize your time and to begin the process for creating your official CPE record. You can save, edit, and print your online schedule.

President’s Concert: The Real Group Wednesday, February 8 • 8 p.m. • Lila Cockrell Theater $10 tickets online or on-site at the Information Booth More at www.tmea.org/presidentsconcert

If you create your online schedule by January 25, TMEA will transfer those schedule records to your mobile convention app account that will be available a few days later.

SEE YOU IN SAN ANTONIO!

CLINICS • CONCERTS • EXHIBITS 4

Southwestern Musician | January 2017

PRESIDENT’S NOTES

B Y

D I N A H

M E N G E R

Relationships

A

s I near the end of my terms as TMEA President and TMAA Past-President, I reflect on the many people whom these offices have given me the opportunity to know. I am now convinced that music leaders should run the world! Without question, the decency, dedication, and knowledge shown by the leaders in our Texas music organizations serves as an excellent template for industry and government. Our platform is pure and honest. The music we teach may change from decade to decade, but its effects remain constant.

We work to make our students better citizens of a global community, connected through the timelessness of music’s power. How do we do that? When kids come to us weary, with the weight of their circumstances, we dust off their spirits and fill them up with substantial and infinite sounds of a better way. We expose them to different languages and cultures and musical templates that pave the way for tolerance and fearless acceptance of those who are different. We help them find a new voice in which to express themselves with confidence, a different path to peace and comfort, a personal soundtrack to place memories and to tag special moments for later reflection. We offer them a lifelong connection to those who experience the mountaintop performances

Never make your home in a place. Make a home IRU \RXUVHOI LQVLGH \RXU RZQ KHDG <RX·OO ÀQG ZKDW you need to furnish it—memory, friends you can trust, love of learning, and other such things.

That way it will go with you wherever you journey.

—Tad Williams 6

Southwestern Musician | January 2017

January 9–10—All-State student housing entry.

January 18—Last day to cancel an existing hotel reservation without penalty.

January 19—TMEA convention online early registration deadline.

January 20—Last day to reserve a convention hotel through the TMEA reservation system.

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

March 6—Arts Education Day at the Capitol.

and the hard work it takes to get there.

We look at them and actually see them for who they can be, and fellow classmates who have the same artistic bent hold them accountable. We provide a place during the day where “everybody knows your name” and show concern when they’re absent from their home away from home.

For many of our students, the word home is an undefined, unpleasant, unreliable noun until our rehearsal halls show them what that word could and should be.

Now, more than ever, is the time to be loud and proud about what we do, what we stand for, and what we know to be self-evident. I implore each of you, as music educators, to learn the intricacies of governmental rules and to cry out constantly for music education’s place in the foundational curriculum of every student.

We must all have mission statements filled with fact and vision about the benefits of our life’s work on the holistic outcome of each student who enters a Texas school.

Our mission statements cannot be frilly and emotional, but solid and unarguable. Do not take for granted our current champions who fight for our very existence every year in Austin. Become a champion within your own community and build relationships with those who can help you fight for music in your own district’s school system.

Show your students how to stand up for their beliefs by watching you articulate yours with eloquent speech and experience. Use data! Track your students’ grade histories, years of music-specific study and involvement, high school graduation rates, and college graduation rates,

and compile what you already know it will prove! Share this data constantly.

I have watched Robert Floyd work his magic for many years now. He spends hours and hours building and nurturing relationships with all kinds of people from all walks of life. So many know him and trust him because he is a constant presence and a stickler for holding others to their word. We all need to take a lesson from this man and be that very presence in our little corner of the world.

My final “voice from the trenches” story comes from a grand woman I had the privilege of meeting during our Urban Music Summer Dialogue retreat last June.

Shaunda Butler is an elementary music teacher in Dallas ISD. She has an aura of royalty about her and speaks so passionately about her life’s work. I will work to

January 28

5th Annual

BRASS DAY 2017

Schedule of Events

Featuring guest artists THE BOSTON BRASS www.tarleton.edu/band/camps/brassday.html Register before Jan. 1 for the Early Bird rate of $15 for an All-Day Pass. (After Jan. 1, All-Day Passes are $20) Separate tickets to the evening concert at 5 p.m. can be purchased at the door for $10. (All-Day Pass includes a ticket to the evening concert)

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Southwestern Musician | January 2017

8 a.m.

Registration

9 a.m.

Warmup Classes with Tarleton Faculty

10 a.m.

Morning Brass Ensemble Performances

11 a.m.

Masterclasses with Guest Artists

2 p.m.

Tarleton and Guest Faculty Showcases

3:30 p.m. Q&A Session with Tarleton Faculty and Guest Artists 5 p.m.

Evening Concert with Guest Artists

A U D I T I O N D AT E S

Auditions are required of all entering and transferring music majors.

F R I D AY

S A T U R D AY

S A T U R D AY

F R I D AY

S A T U R D AY

January 13, 2017

January 14, 2017

January 28, 2017

February 17, 2017

February 18, 2017

( V O I C E O N LY )

( V O I C E O N LY )

B AY L O R S C H O O L O F M U S I C

B AY L O R P R E S E N TAT I O N S / P E R F O R M A N C E S AT T M E A 2 0 1 7 Thursday, February 9 BRENT PHILLIPS 11:00-11:30 am, CC Bridge Hall Music Showcase Performance

MICHAEL ALEXANDER 3:45-5:15 pm, Stars at Night Ballroom Foyer The Status of Orchestra Programs in the United States

4:00-5:00 pm, CC 225 Slide Technique: It’s NOT All About the Air

6:30-7:30 pm, CC 301 Developing Young Musicians As Independent Learners

JUN QIAN 2:30-3:30 pm, CC 221 Clarinet Methods: Fundamentals First

Friday, February 10 ALEX PARKER 4:00-5:00 pm, CC 225 Teaching Improvisation: Simple Ways to Help Students Make the Changes

Saturday, February 11 WIFF RUDD 9:30-10:20 am, Grand Hyatt Texas Ballroom Trumpets on the Conveyor Belt: Preparing for the Next Level MICHELE HENRY 11:00 am-12:00 noon, CC 301 Doing College Right: Advice from the Experts

B AY L O R A L U M N I R E C E P T I O N

Friday, February 10, 9:30 pm Rio Grande Ballroom of the Hyatt-Regency

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Baylor University School of Music One Bear Place #97408 • Waco, TX 76798-7408 baylor.edu/music and click on “For Prospective Students” 254.710.7681 • Music_Admit@baylor.edu

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Learn more now at www.4wrd.it/CSVRSWM4

YamahaMusicUSA

nurture this new relationship because she fuels my spirit and reinforces my commitment to music education. Thank you, Shaunda, for your willingness to share your story with us.

My 21-year teaching career began in my hometown of Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

Since then I have had the most challenging and rewarding experiences as a music educator. When I graduated from college with my bachelor of music education from the University of Central Arkansas, I was ready for my stretch limo and my recording contract—in my mind. But I heard the counsel of God in my heart saying, “You will teach.”

My first teaching job, in Pine Bluff, was at a district where professional development for fine arts was unheard of, so the seven elementary music teachers in the district shared strategies the best we could.

I was basically on my own. However, it was a blessed coincidence that the year I was hired was a textbook adoption year and I was privy to many workshops hosted by textbook companies in which I gained knowledge of strategies and access to resources. I immediately began to use these

in my classroom through trial and error, learning as I went. I also began to learn the needs and strengths of my low-income, predominantly African-American students and realized I had much in common with them. I had hyperactive tendencies, a strong, boisterous personality, a great sense of rhythm, and a love for dance. As a firstyear teacher, I didn’t know much, but I knew I could build a bridge using what we had in common. It would be years before I realized that my attention, honesty, and approval would resonate with students as well. I had to learn to be more than just a teacher; I had to allow myself to be a human being with them.

As I developed classroom management skills and learned to teach routines and procedures just as much as music, I realized another commonality between my students and me—a love for technology and selfexpression through music composition. In rural Arkansas in the 1990s, there was no computer lab and not even a teacher desktop or laptop, much less a projector, but there was a TV on a cart that I could check out. So I used my own resources. I brought my own laptop, got a PC to TV

converter, an educational music software program, and a wireless mouse. I discovered a great way to introduce concepts that drew students’ undivided attention. It also turned out to be a great incentive to motivate students to focus and try new things.

Within the next five years, I introduced music composition to my students using my personal sequencing keyboard, 8-track portable studio and a makeshift recording booth from a 3-panel partition and a karaoke microphone. It was sheer joy seeing these little seven- and eight-year-old faces light up when they heard their voices singing and chanting their own lyrics! I was just as excited to hear them as well over their own simple rhythms and melodies.

They wrote about recess, shopping at the mall, and their favorite teachers—priceless.

So we put on our concert and sold CDs at Walmart, raising funds for audio-visual equipment for the music room. This project-based learning brought a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem and it gave them a meaning ful musical experience that crossed curricular lines and pointed them to the future. I would continue this project at two other schools over the next few years

Learn. Grow. Inspire.

University of North Texas Summers-Only Master of Music Education

3-Summer Program • UNT faculty and renowned guest instructors

Dates for Summer 2017: June 5 – July 13

• Hands-on experience in our summer camps and master classes

Convenient Dates Selected for Working Music Teachers.

• Band, Choir, Orchestra, and Elementary-General tracks

Housing available. Space is limited.

Apply early for priority consideration.

Contact Dr. Sean Powell (sean.powell@unt.edu), Coordinator of MMEd musiced.music.unt.edu/programs/masters

Go beyond professional development.

Southwestern Musician | January 2017 11

with upper-elementary students, catching the attention of the local media.

I am now in my tenth year in Dallas ISD at Jimmie Tyler Brashear Elementary. I have found common ground with my predominantly Hispanic student body. The faces of my students have changed, but their needs are the same. They need to be seen and heard, so I pay attention to their culture, build relationships with their parents, and build repertoire that connects with their community so they can see themselves in the music

we make. Throughout my career, I have experimented with many strategies and developed projects involving students using 21st-century skills such as collaboration, technology, improvisation, and problemsolving. I established systems of accountability in my classes that motivate students to work together to know and support each other.

We are a family, so we succeed and fail as a family. In my experience, this kind of relationship results in many more successes than failures. My students have won

Â&#x2018;Â&#x17D;Čą Â&#x2013;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2DC; Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A;Â&#x17D;Â?Čą Â&#x17E;Â&#x153;Â&#x2019;Â&#x152;Â&#x2019;Â&#x160;Â&#x2014;ǹȹ Â&#x17D;Â?Â&#x17D;Ä&#x2122;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â?ČąÂ&#x160;Â&#x2014;Â?Čą Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2DC;Â?¢Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â?Čą Â&#x203A;Â&#x17E;Â&#x17D;Čą Â&#x17E;Â&#x152;Â&#x152;Â&#x17D;Â&#x153;Â&#x153;

Saturday, June 24 - Thursday, June 29, 2017 at Schwob School of Music, Columbus State University, Columbus, Georgia.

Andover Educators is an organization of music educators Â&#x152;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2019;Ä´Â&#x17D;Â?ČąÂ?Â&#x2DC;ČąÂ&#x153;Â&#x160;Â&#x;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â?Ç°ČąÂ&#x153;Â&#x17D;Â&#x152;Â&#x17E;Â&#x203A;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â?Ç°ČąÂ&#x160;Â&#x2014;Â?ČąÂ&#x17D;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2018;Â&#x160;Â&#x2014;Â&#x152;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â?ČąÂ&#x2013;Â&#x17E;Â&#x153;Â&#x2019;Â&#x152;Â&#x160;Â&#x2022;ČąÂ&#x152;Â&#x160;Â&#x203A;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A;Â&#x153;Čą by providing accurate information about the body in movement. Â&#x2014;Â?Â&#x2DC;Â&#x;Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A;Čą Â?Â&#x17E;Â&#x152;Â&#x160;Â?Â&#x2DC;Â&#x203A;Â&#x153;ČąÂ&#x17E;Â&#x153;Â&#x17D;ČąÂ&#x160;Â&#x2014;ČąÂ&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x;Â&#x160;Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x;Â&#x17D;ČąÂ&#x160;Â&#x2014;Â?ČąÂ&#x153;Â&#x2122;Â&#x17D;Â&#x152;Â&#x2019;Ä&#x2122;Â&#x152;ČąÂ?Â&#x17D;Â&#x152;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2019;Â&#x161;Â&#x17E;Â&#x17D;ČąÂ&#x152;Â&#x160;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2022;Â&#x17D;Â?Čą Body Mapping to enhance musiciansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; abilities and to help those in pain or discomfort.

Full-day Body Mapping course Alexander Technique sessions Feldenkrais sessions TaketiNa movement sessions Member presentations Body Mapping Master classes Concerts Keynote Speaker

Dana Fonteneau

Creator of The WholeHearted Musicianâ&#x201E;˘

Complete conference information and registration at:

   ǯÂ&#x2039;Â&#x2DC;Â?¢Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2122;ÇŻÂ&#x2DC;Â&#x203A;Â?

12 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

songwriting competitions on the local and national levels. They learn from a variety of resources, from music textbooks and sheet music to digital curriculum and iPad apps.

I have provided opportunities for students to express themselves in recorder choirs, in rock bands with guitars, with keyboards, and with five-gallon paint buckets for drums. I give them creative choices because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always had the greatest success when allowing students to take the reins and own their learning.

Throughout the years and with all the sweet faces of the students who have come and gone, one thing has remained constant: find what connects to students and build relationships on that. Relationship has continued to be the conduit into the hearts of my students and the greatest motivator for all of my kids.

Again, our thanks go to Shaunda and to all music educators who establish these critical connections with their students.

May we all hold each other accountable in promoting and supporting this profound work that feeds us and exhausts us. May our students be stronger and more secure in the home they found with us.

The Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Concert Is a Gift The TMEA Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Concert might just seem like another in a long line of amazing events during our convention, but I encourage you to recognize this event as a special oneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a concert that is offered as a gift from TMEA to music educators. When we are fortunate to host this kind of event during our convention, TMEA leaders work to ensure it features the highest caliber musicians at an affordable price.

With Swedenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Real Group, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Concert will be no exception! If you will be in San Antonio on Wednesday evening, be sure to start off your convention experience in the best way possibleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;with the incredible sounds of this international a cappella sensation!

If you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t purchased tickets, some will be available for purchase ($10) at the Information Booth in the convention registration area, Wednesday 1 P.M.â&#x20AC;&#x201C;7 P.M. (and if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a lucky one who already purchased, go there to pick up your will-call tickets).

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTES

B Y

R O B E R T

F L O Y D

The 85th session begins

W

ithin ten days after you receive this magazine, the Texas Legislature will be gaveled into session at the capitol in Austin. Among the 31 Senators and 150 House members will be 3 new members of the Senate and 28 freshmen House members. As this magazine goes to press, there have been over 800 bills already filed to begin their journey of making it into law. This process includes up to 48 steps, any one of which, if it fails, dooms the billâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future unless by slim chance it can be amended onto another bill that is still moving. By the end of the session, over 6,000 bills will have been filed, and if history is any guide, no more than 21% of those bills will make it into law.

So what is in store during this session for education? On the Senate side, without question, the number-one priority will be school vouchers, a program that would allow parents to use tax dollars to move their kids to a different public school or pay for private schools. Also included will be a focus on charter schools, and teacher preparation, retention, and shortages. Lt. Governor Patrick has also called for lower property taxes for homeowners and businesses. That could be difficult since the state relies on those taxes to pay the bulk of its education budget. In addition, the bill that Patrick supports to prohibit those whose birth certificate identifies them as male from entering a womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s restroom would apply to campus bathrooms across our state.

House Speaker Joe Straus has indicated his focus will be on higher education and workforce development. He will also concentrate on several school finance issues, including the Cost of Education Index (CEI) and school district facilities. Straus is proposing a review of middle school policies to ensure student retention and success. As in past sessions, the House will more than likely not support the Senate on its major issues, in this case school choice, vouchers, and the bathroom legislation. The battle lines will be drawn.

So what can we expect during this session for arts education? First and foremost, our goal will be to not lose ground in terms of protection in law for all students at all grade levels to be a part of a well-rounded education that includes

By the end of the session over 6,000 bills will KDYH EHHQ Ă&#x20AC;OHG DQG LI KLVWRU\ LV DQ\ JXLGH QR more than 21% of those bills will make it into law.

14 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

January 9â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10â&#x20AC;&#x201D;All-State student housing entry.

January 18â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Last day to cancel an existing hotel reservation without penalty.

January 19â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA convention online early registration deadline.

January 20â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Last day to reserve a convention hotel through the TMEA reservation system.

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Texas Conducting Workshop June 28 - July 1, 2017

Concert Band Camp For students in grades 7-12 June 11 - 15, 2017

Summer Strings Camp July 9 - 14, 2017

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Jazz Combo Workshop July 16 - 21, 2017

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All-State Choir Camp July 26 - 29, 2017

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STUDY MUSIC AT TEXAS WESLEYAN B.M. IN MUSIC EDUCATION Instrumental Vocal All-Level CertiďŹ cation

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AUDITION DATES: JAN. 21, 2017 FEB. 18, 2017 MARCH 4, 2017

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the arts. We are continuing to study a statute change that would allow a student graduating on the Arts and Humanities endorsement to opt out of the fourth science credit requirement and still meet the requirements to graduate on the distinguished level of achievement program, thus qualifying for consideration for topten-percent admission to state universities.

We believe current language is discriminatory and denigrates the value of pursuing the Arts and Humanities endorsement as a pathway to graduation.

TMEA will continue to investigate opportunities to align arts courses with foundation courses, exploring STEAM options, and supporting our ultimate goal of “tearing down the wall” in the required curriculum between foundation and enrichment subjects. With four enrichment courses required for graduation and three of the five graduation endorsements potentially anchored in enrichment subjects, it is time to remove the bifurcation of the curriculum into foundation and enrichment, or the haves and have-nots of the required curriculum, defined as what all school districts must offer.

Further, Texas middle and high school students have an increasingly large variety of electives from which to choose as well as opportunities to get ahead in their graduation requirements. While we support these opportunities, TMEA will take advantage of any opportunity to emphasize the importance of students’ abilities to participate in the arts throughout middle and high school. Getting ahead may be a worthy goal, but we believe making sure students have the flexibility to receive a well-rounded education is of equal importance. Certainly, the new federal Every Student Succeeds Act supports that stance.

As I have reported before, during the 84th legislative session HB 18 was passed, which requires students in either seventh or eighth grade to receive instruction in specific career options, graduation program flexibility, distinguished level of achievement graduation requirements, and college readiness standards. How a campus achieves these goals is a local decision, and we will be carefully monitoring filed bills to ensure that this flexibility is protected and that a new course is not required to meet the mandate.

Materials for counselors to assist in this career advising and HB 5–related modules are currently being developed by the UT

Center for Teaching and Learning. It is critical that counselors receive accurate information as it relates to fine arts opportunities and choice in making decisions in graduation planning. I am pleased to share that the staff guiding this massive project, entitled Texas OnCourse, has been most receptive to our inquiry and input and has invited us to contribute feedback on the content presented and test the modules in the spring pilot.

I encourage you to share your thoughts on any of these issues with me as well as on other roadblocks that are hindering the success of your program and how it

serves your students. I can assure you that TMEA staff, as well as Matt Matthews and Michelle Smith, our governmental relations consultants, are already monitoring and tracking bills that have been filed and will be “boots on the ground” throughout the 140 days of the session, working to protect the rightful place of the arts in the curriculum for the schoolchildren of our state. We will keep you advised of any need for assistance in contacting your legislators. Voting constituents continue to be the most effective influence on decision-making at the capitol throughout the session.

TMEA Launches Music Education Advocacy Campaign Last May, the TMEA Executive Board allocated funding for a music education advocacy campaign in The Texas Tribune, an online nonpartisan news organization. The Tribune’s focus is to inform readers about public policy, politics, government, and statewide issues, and it is known for being a primary news source for business leaders and policy makers.

TMEA began this online campaign via www.texastribune.org in November.

When a reader clicks on our online ad, the following webpage will display: www.tmea.org/musicforall.

The focus of this campaign is to raise

Texas Leads the Nation in Music Education for All let’s keep it that way

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awareness of what the law says about music education and how important music education is in the wellrounded education of all students.

Southwestern Musician | January 2017 17

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Executive Board Candidates President-Elect nominations close during the First General Session, Thursday, February 9, 8:30 A.M., in Lila Cockrell Theater. If there is only one candidate for this office, the vote will occur during the First General Session. If there are multiple candidates, the election will be by electronic ballot on February 9. Go to www.tmea.org/election to learn about the procedure. Divisional Vice-Presidents will be elected at their Division’s Business Meeting, Thursday, February 9, at 5:15 P.M.: Orchestra (CC 214 AB); Vocal (Grand Hyatt Texas Ballroom); Elementary (CC Hemisfair Ballroom).

Candidate for President-Elect: Robert Horton Robert Horton

Present Position: Coordinator of Fine Arts, Conroe ISD (2015–present).

Previous Positions: HS Choir Director, The Woodlands HS, Conroe ISD (2004–2015); 9–10 HS Choir Director, McCullough Campus, Conroe ISD (2001–2004). JH Choir Director, McCullough JH, Conroe ISD (1996– 2001); JH Choir Director, York JH, Conroe ISD (1992–1996); Elementary music and Intermediate Choir Klein ISD (1990–1992).

Education: Bachelor of Music Education, Sam Houston State University (1990); Master of Music, Sam Houston State University (2005); Doctor of Education-Educational Leadership, Sam Houston State University (2012).

TMEA Offices and Positions Held: Vocal Vice-President (2015–present); Region 9 Vocal Chair (2004–2006, 2011–2013); Vocal Division Convention Volunteer (2001–2014); Area D Chair (2007, 2008).

Other Offices and Positions Held: President, Texas Choral Directors Association (2007–2009) Adjunct Instructor, Sam Houston State University (2012–2014).

Professional Affiliations: TMEA, TCDA, ACDA, TMAC, TMAA, ATPE. Honors/Accomplishments: McCullough JH Teacher of the Year 2000; TMEA Convention Invited Performing Choir (1996, 1998, 2013). SWACDA Invited Performing Choir (2014); Winner and Featured Performing Choir American Classic Madrigal Festival (2011–2012, 2014–2015).

Personal Information: I have devoted my life to teaching, serving others, and education through music. My wife Connie and I are active in the music and fine arts ministry of The Woodlands United Methodist Church, where I have served as Music Associate for 18 years. Connie has taught choirs invited to sing at three TMEA conventions (Mitchell Intermediate in 2005, 2008; McCullough JH, 2013), has served as Region 9 MS Vocal Coordinator, and is currently MS/JH Vice-President of TCDA. Our children have also been heavily involved in music. Andrea (23) is a senior vocal performance major at Baylor, where she has been a four-year member of the A Cappella choir and performed at TMEA and ACDA conventions. Ben (19) is a sophomore choral music education major at Texas Tech and hopes to teach elementary music and choir.

Statement: I completed 25 years of teaching in Texas and 20 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

am now Coordinator of Fine Arts in Conroe ISD. I have taught vocal and choral music at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels. At every level, I have sought opportunities to serve my colleagues and our students. I served two terms as junior high Vocal Coordinator and two terms as high school Vocal Chair in Region 9, and have twice been Area D Chair. At the TMEA convention, I have worked as Vocal Division Clinic Coordinator, equipment manager, performing venue manager, and All-State Mixed Choir organizer. In addition to these elected and appointed offices, I served as an All-State section leader, clinician, ballot counter, and, often, riser mover. For the past two years, I have had the privilege to be the TMEA Vice-President and State Vocal Chair.

Over the past 20 years, I have led three choirs selected to perform at the TMEA convention. Additionally, our chamber choir has twice won the Madrigal festival, and the Varsity Treble Choir I directed with my associate, Lynn Bull, was selected to perform at SWACDA convention. As a high school choral director, I helped 96 students become All-State Choir members. I have also been invited to be a Region conductor or UIL judge in 20 Regions of Texas.

My leadership experience in choral music has reached across the state, having served Texas Choral Directors Association as Middle School/Junior High Vice-President and as President.

Further, I served as a site chair for Southwest Division and National ACDA conventions. Because of these varied experiences, I understand the logistics necessary to make TMEA function well so that it best serves the students and teachers involved in the audition processes and convention performances. Each division has its unique needs, and TMEA needs a leader who can serve every division with passion and dedication.

So, why elect Bob Horton? Because of my experience in TMEA leadership? Because of success as a choral director? Because of my understanding of convention logistics? All these are valuable assets for a State Vocal Chair. But why President-Elect?

In my new role, as a Fine Arts Coordinator, I have gained valuable insight into the needs of each area of Texas music. My job responsibilities as a coordinator take me to elementary, middle school, and high school classrooms, concerts, and even to marching band contests! The numerous Executive Board meetings I have attended have given me a wide perspective, outside my own discipline and area of the state.

I am seeking the opportunity to serve you, my colleagues, because I like people, and I like to work. I have the full support of family and coworkers in this endeavor. I want to see the All-State process continue to be a pinnacle musical experience for the over 60,000 students who pursue it each year. The unparalleled quality of the performances and clinics in the Band, Orchestra, Vocal, Elementary, and College Divisions must continue. Students and teachers in every division of TMEA deserve a leader who can see

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the big picture and who has experience leading through times of change. I want to work with the middle school directors to ensure that the thousands of students who begin their musical careers have the best possible experience, as well as to plan relevant professional development opportunities.

The TMEA convention is unique in the world of music, and I want to raise the high standards of excellence we have created in Texas. I would like to serve as your President-Elect.

Candidates for Vocal Vice-President Derrick Brookins & Jed Ragsdale Derrick Brookins

Present Position: Director of Choral Activities, Plano Senior HS, Plano ISD (2003–Present).

Previous Positions: Assistant Choir Director, Travis JH (1995–1996), Irving ISD; Lead Choir Director, T.H. Williams HS (1996–2003), Plano ISD. Education: Bachelor of Music Education, University of North Texas; Master of Education with Secondary Administration, Concordia University (Texas).

TMEA Service and Positions Held: Convention Vocal Division Clinician & Volunteer Coordinator (2014–2015); Convention Ballroom A Choral Concert Coordinator (2011– 2013); Ways and Means Committee (2010); All-State Men’s Choir Organizer (2007–2008); All-State Mixed Choir Section Leader (2006); Area C Vocal Chair (2005); Region 25 Vocal Chair (1999–2001); Region 24 Vocal Chair (1998–1999); Region Choir Organizer (2012–2014); Region & Area Audition Site Host; Vocal Division Facilities Team (2013–2015); Region Choir Guest Clinician (various Region MS and HS choirs throughout Texas).

Other Offices and Positions Held: Adjunct Professor of Music, UT/Dallas (2013–2016); Director of Music, St. James Episcopal Church, Dallas (2007–present); Southwest ACDA Convention Planning Committee (2004); Southwest ACDA Multicultural/Ethnic Music Chair (2003–2004); Co-editor of Common Times magazine for Southwest ACDA(2003–2005); UIL Concert & Sightreading Contest Host.

Professional Affiliations: TMEA, TMA A, ACDA, SWACDA, TCDA, American Choristers Guild.

Honors/Accomplishments: TMEA Invited Performing Choir Conductor–Plano Senior A Cappella Women (2009, 2017); Missouri All-State Mixed Choir Conductor (2014); National ACDA Invited Performing Choir Conductor–Plano Senior A Cappella Men’s Choir (2017), A Cappella Mixed Choir (2013), A Cappella Women’s Choir (2007), National MENC Invited Performing Choir–Plano Senior A Cappella Mixed (2005); TCDA Convention Choral Clinic Presenter (1999, 2001, 2005, 2016); 13-year member of the Moses Hogan Chorale; Teacher Of The Year Award–T.H. Williams HS (2000); Teacher Of The Year Award–Plano SHS (2008); Plano ISD Teacher of Excellence Award (2008); Plano ISD Diversity in Leadership Award (2014); Plano ISD Educational Foundation Award (2012); American Choristers Guild, Convention Clinician (2015).

Statement: It is with great humility and excitement that I

accept your nomination and ask for your vote to be our next TMEA Vocal Vice-President. I have enjoyed serving the TMEA Vocal Division in various leadership roles for the past 16 years.

My personal motto has always been: A life given to music is a life given to service.

Serving the TMEA Vocal Division membership has afforded me the opportunity to meet and work alongside our state and nation’s leading choral educators. I share the joys of our successes and our continual search for new ideas and fresh approaches to enhance the growth and further development for our choral students and our membership.

As a teacher and director, I have seen and experienced the amazing effect of choral music education in the lives of our students and the global community. I am keenly aware of the necessity for the TMEA Vocal Division to vigilantly remain at the forefront of choral music education for Texas secondary schools and throughout the U.S. I will continue working to ensure that choral music of the highest quality is selected for the Texas AllState Choirs and that the choir members are given the chance to work with our nation’s leading conductors. I will engage more actively among our middle school choral programs, whose work is the backbone of our organization. I will work in partnership with our state’s universities and colleges to motivate and encourage more choral music education enrollment, thus enlarging our organization’s membership. I believe that time invested in our choral students is an investment into our future.

If elected, I will passionately accept my role as mentor, advocate, and representative for all Texas choir directors—small school or large, rural or urban. As the Vocal Vice-President, I will use my professional resources to continue selecting life-changing, renowned conductors for our students, while implementing interesting and inspiring learning sessions for our teachers. My service to the TMEA Vocal Division has given me an intimate, hands-on experience and understanding of the complexities of planning a successful convention and managing the All-State audition process, which is essential for the Vocal Vice-President.

With a fervent zeal, I will continue to give back to this amazing organization that has given so much to me. I ask for your vote.

Jed Ragsdale

Present Position: Choir Director, Tomball Memorial HS, Tomball ISD (2016–present).

Previous Position: Head Choir Director, Cy-Fair HS, CF ISD (2005– 2016); Assistant Choir Director, Jersey Village HS, CFISD (2004–2005); Assistant Choir Director, Langham Creek HS, CFISD (1998–2004).

Education: Bachelor of Music, Southwestern Univ (1998); Master of Education with Principal Certification, Lamar University (2009).

TMEA Offices and Positions Held: Vocal Division Clinic and Convention Coordinator (2016–present); Area F Chair (present); Area E Chair (2014–2015); TMEA Facilities Manager (2012–13); Region 27 Vocal Chair (2006–2008); AllState Choir Section Leader (2006); Region Weekend Organizer; Region Weekend Host; auditions host; TMEA Ways and Means Committee; TMEA Facilities Team Member.

Southwestern Musician | January 2017 23

Other Offices and Positions Held: TCDA Ways and Means Committee; TCDA Hospitality Chair; Youth Choir Director, Church of St. John the Divine; Trinity Vineyard Church Homegroup Leader (2006–present).

Professional Affiliations: TMEA, TCDA, ACDA, ATPE. Honors/Accomplishments: TMEA Invited Performing Choir-2004; Region Choir Clinician; Bobcat Leadership Award, Cy-Fair High School.

Personal Information: I’m married to the most wonderful, patient, and caring person in the world—Vanessa Ragsdale, and I’m the father of two incredible children, Avery and Aidan.

Being successful in both my professional life and personal life is very important to me. I’ve also loved being involved in Trinity Vineyard Church since its beginning stages 12 years ago. The church, my family, and I have grown so much during this time.

Statement: With the blessing of my family and students, I humbly seek the position of Vice-President of the Vocal Division.

During the 19 years I’ve been fortunate to work in this profession, I’ve continuously served behind the scenes for the All-State process and TMEA Clinic/Convention, whether it was producing practice tracks for honor choir, writing the sightreading exercises for pre-Area auditions, cleaning up water bottles and various articles of clothing after Region Weekend, or serving in the other capacities listed above. People notice the work ethic I possess, that I often don’t stop until the task is completed or the solution is found, so I’m frequently asked to serve on their team. I strive to help make things better, smoother, more efficient, as well as look for ways to get as many people involved as possible. I understand I may not always have the answers, but I’m not afraid to

24 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

ask questions or create dialogue to seek the best answer. There is always room for improvement—just as, after that “perfect” performance at UIL or TMEA, we listen to the recording and find the one or more things we could have done better.

If honored with this position, I would examine ways to enhance the educational experience for all students in the All-State and All-Region process at all levels, as well as enhance the TMEA convention experience for students and members, veteran and new. The All-State process is daunting for so many, and I wish to find ways to make it a more encouraging and inviting process to increase the level of participation and competition, which is still a system to improve our students’ overall musicianship. The population is growing, which means choral programs across the state are growing and TMEA membership is growing. How do we, as an entity, evolve with the everchanging landscape and accommodate this growth? There are ideas to be shared, if anything, to create thought and dialogue in your Regions and see how we can better reach our students, as well as fellow directors who may feel isolated. Regarding the convention, as the current Vocal Division Convention and Clinic Coordinator, I experienced firsthand a renewed energy and spirit with the opening of new facilities and amenities. I wish to maintain this excitement and further engage our membership by seeking ways to provide more opportunities to serve the organization that has given each and every one of us so much. They say it takes a village, but for TMEA, it takes the strongest of teams. With your consideration, I hope to lead this team to help the Texas Music Educators Association not only maintain a standard of excellence in the world of choral music, but also exceed our own expectations of what TMEA can be.

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Candidate for Orchestra Vice-President Brian Coatney Brian Coatney

Present Position: HS Orchestra Director, Plano Senior HS, Plano ISD (2007–present).

Previous Position: HS Orchestra Director, Klein HS, Klein ISD (2003–2007).

Education: Bachelor of Music Education, Northwestern State Univ (2001); Master of Music, James Madison

Univ (2003).

TMEA Offices and Positions Held: Region 25 Orchestra Chair (2003–2006); Region 25 Vice President (2004–2006); Region 24 Treasurer (present); served on numerous committees.

Other Offices and Positions Held: Director of the Houston Youth Symphony Sinfonietta Orchestra.

Professional Affiliations: TMEA, TMAA, Mu Omicron.

Honors/Accomplishments: Marjorie Keller Young Teacher of the Year Award (2008), TMEA Honor Full Orchestra (2009, 2012, 2015), clinician for several Region Orchestras, clinician for TMEA and TODA conventions, and “The Art of Teaching Orchestra” at SMU. Personal Information: I was born in Arlington, Texas, where I began studying the cello privately at the age of five. I continued my music studies throughout high school, participating in

orchestra as well as playing percussion in numerous ensembles.

After graduating from high school, I pursued a music career at Northwestern State University where I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in music education. In 2003, I earned a master’s degree in orchestral conducting at James Madison University, where I had the opportunity to study with Dr. Robert McCashin. I joined the Klein HS fine arts program in 2003 where I had the fortunate opportunity to work with Keith Markuson. I am forever indebted to Keith and all of the Klein ISD music staff for the amazing things I learned and discovered at Klein. I joined the Plano SHS fine arts team in 2007 as the Director of Orchestral Studies. I am the proud son of Royce and Sylvia Coatney and brother of the amazing Jennifer Guffey. My father previously served as TMEA Orchestra Vice-President, and if I am elected, I look forward to benefiting from his expertise and insight. I feel unbelievably thankful for my upbringing and education. I am the person and educator I am today because of the incredible mentorship I received from so many.

Statement: I am humbled and honored to be nominated for TMEA Orchestra Vice-President and look forward to serving the membership of TMEA. I am extremely grateful for the past leadership and hope to continue moving the orchestra division forward as we deal with new challenges. Both the Honor Orchestra process and the TMEA All-State process are foundationally sound. My goal is to continue to make minor adjustments to these processes to keep them fair and consistent. I will also work diligently to introduce new clinicians and experts from across the U.S. to bring new perspectives and ideas.

One of the biggest challenges we face in the Orchestra Division

Southwestern Musician | January 2017 27

is the rapid growth of programs and new teachers. I want to continue providing all orchestra students incredible opportunities that only a Texas music education can provide. In order to do this, we must be mentoring new teachers and revitalizing experienced teachers. We have too many teachers who are struggling and giving up on the profession due to burnout and frustration. I want to work with the TMEA Executive Board to make the TMEA mentor program stronger. We can do this by working with other organizations (TODA, TexASTA, Mu Omicron) to take advantage of as many resources as possible. I am excited about the challenges ahead and look forward to working with the TMEA Board and membership. I hope you will consider me for TMEA Orchestra Vice-President and appreciate your vote.

Candidate for Elementary Vice-President Casey Medlin

Casey Medlin

ever-growing teacher toolbox, professional development, mentorship, a voice for my profession when there wasn’t one—TMEA has given me all of these things. It would be my absolute pleasure to continue to give to others what TMEA has given to me. It’s for those reasons that I accept the nomination to serve as Elementary Vice-President.

My plan is to continue many of the wonderful things TMEA is known for—providing immediately useful professional development, showcasing the talent of our teachers and students, providing a mentor program to help those new to the profession, and being your voice on state issues. I’d also like to further the work of expanding our division. With the talent we all share, there is no reason we can’t make the Elementary Division of TMEA the premier elementary educators’ professional network in the country!

Division Business Meetings Thursday • Feb. 9, 5:15 PM

Present Position: Elementary Music Specialist, Brazos Bend ES, Fort Bend ISD (2015–present).

Band: Stars at Night Ballroom 4 Previous Position: Elementary Orchestra: CC 214 AB Music Specialist, Holley ES, Fort Vocal: Grand Hyatt Texas Ballroom Bend ISD (2008–2015); Elementary Music Specialist, Winbourne ES, East Elementary: Hemisfair Ballroom 1 Baton Rouge Parish School System College: CC 301 (2007–2008).

Education: Bachelor of Music Education, Louisiana State Univ (2007); Orff Levels I–III (2011).

TMEA Offices and Positions Held: Region 13 Elementary Chair (2012–present); Elementary Division volunteer (2012– present); TMEA Election Committee (2016); TMEA Elementary Clinician Selecting Committee (2015).

Other Offices and Positions Held: Holley ES Specialist Team Lead (2011–2014). esponsive, eed friendly, easonably priced!

Professional Affiliations: TMEA, TCDA, AOSA. Personal Information: Though I’m Visit us at TMEA Booth 7051 and pick up a FREE “Debut” not originally from Texas, I’ve made it my clarinet or sax mouthpiece. Also for sale: San Francisco home. When I’m not catering to my spoiled mouthpieces, Fobes clarinet barrels, Silverstein ligatures and dog, Grover, I can usually be found spending time with friends and family, attending Peter Leuthner reeds at special TMEA prices! concerts, traveling, reading, or binge-watching shows on Netflix.

We will also have newest professional mouthpieces, the 10K Statement: As I stated earlier, I’m not series for clarinet and bass clarinet mouthpiece. Computer originally from Texas. My first year teaching in Louisiana was a rough one and I milled from superior German rubber and hand finished in my knew if I really wanted to give teaching a standard facings. try I would have to move. I had heard great things about Texas and their music educators association, and I knew that was where I needed to be. Luckily, I got a job and the rest, as they say, is history. TMEA has given Now accepting all major credit cards and PayPal me more than it knows. I wouldn’t be the educator or the person I am today without it. Friendships, a passion for teaching, an

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Southwestern Musician | January 2017 29

TCU SCHOOL OF MUSIC

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B Y

J O E

BAND NOTES

M U Ñ O Z

In Memoriam

M ELVIN B. MONTGOMERY January 3, 1925–November 18, 2016

New Year’s resolutions

A

January 7—Area Band and Vocal auditions.

January 9–10—All-State student housing entry.

January 18—Last day to cancel an existing hotel reservation without penalty.

January 19—TMEA convention online early registration deadline.

January 20—Last day to reserve a convention hotel through the TMEA reservation system.

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

February 9, 5:15 p.m.—Band Division business meeting at the convention.

March 6—Arts Education Day at the Capitol.

s we return from the winter break, I hope you had time to get away from your daily duties and spend some quality time with family and friends. The new year is always an exciting time. Of course our students never really like to let on that they are eager to get back to school band, see their friends, and embark on a new semester. How can we harness this excitement and have it help the development of our program?

First of all we can show the students that they are important. I often ask my students about their break. It never gets old seeing their eyes get bigger as they eagerly share the fun and unique things they did. Taking the time to inquire about the schools your seniors are considering and what they are looking forward to in college can give them a different perspective on your interest in them. This broader interest can motivate students to work harder in the program because you show an interest in them outside of the band program. Having conversations with eighth-grade students about what they are looking forward to in high school and what they are apprehensive about can help those students see that continued participation in the band program can be a valuable part of their high school experience. These conversations also set the foundation for communication and trust that can help your program achieve its goals.

Having high school students assist junior high or middle school students in their preparations for solo and ensemble or concert music can generate excitement in the complete vertical program. It can create positive student mentorship and expose the younger students to the high school program.

High school students gain a sense of importance and more confidence in their musical knowledge and skills. It can be an activity that both junior high and high school students are excited about, can lead to better retention, and can help with performance preparations.

Keep them thinking. Challenging students on a cognitive level will generate a different kind of excitement in your program.

Southwestern Musician | January 2017 31

Keep them thinking. Challenging students on a cognitive level will generate a different kind of excitement in your program. Regardless of the level, students like to be challenged. Becoming a stronger questioner rather than just providing your students with all the answers can cultivate an atmosphere of exploration in your classroom. Find ways to limit ideas to two things students can focus on to help them develop specific skills.

It can also help them feel more confident to answer questions because you have also helped them to organize what they are listening to or physically working to improve. Your skillful use of questioning can lead your students to the answers that will help them develop their individual and ensemble skills.

Let’s all make a New Year’s resolution to create positive interactions with our students, use these interactions in creative ways to assist program development, and challenge our students to understand the individual and ensemble skills that will help them be better musicians. All of these things can help us be more effective teachers and create an excitement that can motivate our students to achieve new levels of performance and understanding.

TMEA Clinic/Convention Updates Our TMEA Clinic/Convention is another great resource for best practices and pedagogical inspiration for what works in Texas music education. The professional development opportunities can give you the tools to be a more effective teacher. More importantly, the opportunities for affirmation and rejuvenation cannot be missed.

The early registration online deadline for our convention is January 19. After that, the registration fee increases, so don’t hesitate! A full convention schedule is now available online, and once available, be sure to utilize the convention mobile guide to customize your calendar to get the maximum benefit out of the daily convention offerings. Also, set time aside to visit the convention exhibit hall and product showcases. Please be sure to thank our industry partners and product demonstrators for their support of TMEA and

music education in Texas.

I’m excited to introduce our invited collegiate ensembles for the 2017 TMEA Clinic/Convention. Be sure to add their concerts to your mobile guide schedule.

Abilene Christian University Wind Ensemble Steven Ward, Director The ACU Wind Ensemble consists of outstanding undergraduate students, including music majors and non-music majors. The Wind Ensemble maintains an active performance schedule and presents many local and statewide concerts.

Annual tours throughout Texas include performances in high schools, churches, and other concert venues. In its history, the Wind Ensemble has performed at four CBDNA conferences, most recently in 2014. This will be the ensemble’s seventh performance at a TMEA convention. In 2010, the Wind Ensemble performed in Brazil for a spring break concert tour and campaign, performing concerts and volunteering at mission churches.

The ensemble is conducted by Steven Ward, ACU Director of Orchestra and Bands and Music Director/Conductor of the Civic Orchestra of Abilene. He joined the ACU faculty in 2006 and teaches courses in conducting. He holds offices in the College Orchestra Directors Association and the College Band Directors National Association.

The ACU Wind Ensemble performance at the TMEA convention will feature clarinetist Kristin Ward, performing the second movement of David Maslanka’s

Clarinet Concerto and a new setting of Ola Gjeilo’s Sanctus by Eric Wilson, ACU alumnus and Baylor University Director of Bands. They will also feature the Texas premiere of John Mackey’s new work Liminal.

University of Texas Jazz Orchestra Jeff Hellmer, Director The University of Texas Jazz Orchestra is the Butler School of Music’s premier jazz ensemble. The ensemble’s repertoire often features compositions and arrangements of students and faculty. The Jazz Orchestra has performed with some of the great names in jazz, including Michael Brecker, “Tain” Watts, Terell Stafford, Stefon Harris, Chris Potter, John Clayton, and Maria Schneider. The ensemble’s director is University Distinguished Teaching Professor Jeff Hellmer, Director of Jazz Studies. In 2009, the Jazz Orchestra released a recording of Duke Ellington’s rarely performed Queenie Pie in conjunction with the Butler Opera Theater and Carmen Bradford, and in 2011, the group released In the Thick of It, a compilation of student and faculty compositions. Both recordings are available on Longhorn Music. The Jazz Orchestra will return to Europe in the summer of 2017, with performances planned at the Montreux and North Sea jazz festivals.

Texas Tech University Symphonic Wind Ensemble Sarah McKoin, Conductor The Texas Tech Symphonic Wind Ensemble is the university’s premier wind

Texas Tech University Symphonic Wind Ensemble Southwestern Musician | January 2017 33

ensemble, consisting of students with the highest artistic talent. Performing a creative diversity of repertoire from early chamber music to contemporary art compositions, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble has distinguished itself through CBDNA and TMEA convention performances, world premiere recordings with Naxos and Albany, and regular collaborations with renowned composers, scholars, and artists. Wind Ensemble alumni include leading educators throughout the state as well as acclaimed performers in a variety

of settings. The band program at Texas Tech serves over 500 students annually, and the Symphonic Wind Ensemble is one of the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s five concert band ensembles, in addition to the celebrated Goinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Band from Raiderland. McKoin is in her 12th year as director of bands and conductor of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and she is honored to have her respected and esteemed colleagues Eric Allen and Duane Hill join her in their performance at the TMEA Clinic/ Convention.

SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY

2017 Auditions School Music OF

1751 Avenue I, Ste 225 Hunstsville, TX 77340 936.294.1360

www.shsu.edu/music

AUDITION DATES February 4, 2017 (no percussion) February 18, 2017 February 25, 2017 (vocal only) March 4, 2017 (instrumental only)

Apply online at: www.shsu.edu/music MEMBER THE TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM TM

34 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

COMMITTED TO YOUR SUCCESS ... for life A dynamic, collaborative community of artists, scholars, and teachers Audition dates: Saturday, February 18, 2017 | Saturday, March 4, 2017 Join over 500 music majors and learn to develop and fine-tune your musical skills to be used anywhere in the world.

Learn from a full-time faculty of 56 artists, educators, and researchers in an ideal atmosphere to ensure complete instrumentation for the larger ensembles as well as individual attention for students in private applied music study, in classes, and in the many small ensembles.

www.music.ttu.edu

/ttuschoolofmusic /

/ttuschoolofmusic

Blinn College Scholarship awards are available!

Degree programs in instrumental and vocal music are available on the Brenham Campus. Auditions are available on Saturday:

December 17, 2016 January 21, 2017 March 4, 2017 April 22, 2017 May 13, 2017

To schedule an appointment: Jill Stewart (jstewart@blinn.edu) .............. Instrumental Dr. Paulo Gomes (paulo.gomes@blinn.edu) .........Vocal String Private Lessons are available on the Bryan Campus. Auditions are scheduled by appointment only by contacting Todd Quinlan (Todd.Quinlan@blinn.edu) Any general questions may be directed to Todd Quinlan, Performing Arts Department Head 979-830-4288.

or by scheduling an individual appointment

Our outstanding music faculty members are waiting for you!

Blinn College Music Faculty Dr. Marcelo Bussiki ... Division Academic Dean Todd Quinlan.............. Performing Arts Department Head Jill Stewart ................... Instrumental Music Coordinator Brenham Campus (Instrumental) Dr. Sarah Burke .......... Director of Bands/ Percussion Kerry Bird ................... Woodwinds/General Music John Dujka .................... Piano/Music Theory

Dr. Craig Garrett ....... Jazz Studies/Trumpet Brian Klekar................ Jazz Studies/ Saxophone Jeffrey Hill.................... Double Bass Dr. Li Kuang ................ Trombone Marie McElroy ............ Flute Dr. Eric Miller ................ Double Reed Kendall Prinz ............. Assistant Band Director/Low Brass Hermillo Salinas, III.... Color Guard Jill Stewart ................... Clarinet Steven Winter ............ French Horn

Brenham Campus (Vocal) Dr. Paulo Gomes ....... Choir Director Dr. Soo Kim ................ Director of Vocal Studies Cheryl Amelang ......... Accompanist Dr. Linda Patterson ... Accompanist Cindy Schulz ............... Accompanist Bryan Campus Prudence McDaniel... Cello Michelle Lassiter ........ General Music Dr. Alan Strong.......... General Music

For more information call 979-830-4262 or 830-4288 or visit our website at:

www.blinn.edu/vpa/auditions

University of Texas at Arlington Wind Symphony Douglas Stotter, Conductor The University of Texas at Arlington Wind Symphony is the select wind and percussion ensemble in the UT/Arlington Department of Music, which also includes two additional music-major concert bands and the Maverick Marching Band. Conducted by Douglas Stotter, the ensemble has performed at numer-

ous TMEA and CBDNA conventions, toured extensively throughout Texas and Mexico, and performed in Carnegie Hall.

The Wind Symphonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest CD, Serenade, featuring classics of the wind chamber music repertoire, was released

by Mark Records in the fall of 2015. This is the second CD released by Stotter and the UT/Arlington Wind Symphony, joining Ceremonial, which was released in 2012. Both are available on iTunes

and Naxos. Recent guest composers-inresidence include Michael Daugherty, William Bolcom, Gunther Schuller, and Augusta Reed Thomas. The ensemble is also actively involved in promoting and commissioning new pieces for wind band. Recent commissions include works by David Maslanka, Rusty Banks, Steven Bryant, Scott McAllister, Joseph Schwantner, and Frank Ticheli.

Abilene Christian University Wind Ensemble

University of Texas Jazz Orchestra

University of Texas at Arlington Wind Symphony Southwestern Musician | January 2017 37

THIS IS THE HOUSE INNOVATION BUILT. Welcome to the Powerhouse.

MOORES SCHOOL OF MUSIC AU DI T ION DAT E S 2016 November 5 2017 January 28 2017 February 4 2017 March 4 & 5

uh.edu/music

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Southwestern Musician | January 2017 39

Texas Lutheran University School of Music

SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS Scholarships are available for both music and non-music majors.

These awards are intended to provide recognition for scholarship and talent in the study of music.

For specific qualifications for each award, visit

www.tlu.edu/music-scholarships.

SCHOLARSHIP AUDITION DATES: Sunday, February 19, 2017 Saturday, March 4, 2017 Sunday, April 9, 2017 Sunday, May 21, 2017

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Individual audition dates may be requested if necessary.

BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN ALL-LEVEL MUSIC EDUCATION BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN PERFORMANCE BACHELOR OF ARTS IN MUSIC

SCHOOL OF MUSIC DEPARTMENT HEADS

Jeanne Gnecco Instructor, Flute

Douglas R. Boyer Director, School of Music and Director of Choral Activities dboyer@tlu.edu 830-372-6869 or 800-771-8521

Elizabeth Lee Asst. Professor, Cello Patricia Lee Asst. Professor, Piano Wei Chen Lin Asst. Professor, Piano

Beth Bronk Director of Bands bbronk@tlu.edu

Deborah Mayes Accompanist

Shaaron Conoly Director of Vocal Studies sconoly@tlu.edu

Daniel Scott McDonald Instructor, Saxophone & Jazz Band

Eric Daub Director of Piano Studies edaub@tlu.edu

Carla McElhaney Asst. Professor, Collaborative Pianist

Eliza Jeffords Director of Strings ejeffords@tlu.edu

David Milburn Instructor, Double Bass

FACULTY Mark Ackerman Instructor, Oboe

Ilan Morgenstern Instructor, Low Brass Joseph Palmer Asst. Professor, Guitar

Adam Bedell Instructor, Percussion

Keith Robinson Instructor, Tuba & Music Education

Mary Ellen Cavitt Asst. Professor, Horn

Jill Rodriguez Instructor, General Music

Carol Chambers Instructor, Music Education

Robert Mark Rogers Asst. Professor, Bassoon

Ashley Cooper Instructor, Violin

Eric Siu Asst. Professor, Violin

Joseph Cooper Asst. Professor, Trumpet

Robert Warren Asst. Professor, Piano, General Music & Music History

Paula Corley Instructor, Clarinet

www.tlu.edu/music

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Developing a Community of Urban Teachers

U

rban music teachers often feel isolated within the larger music education community. Although sharing many of the same experiences as their colleagues who teach in suburban and rural communities, urban music teachers also have experiences unique to their context. For example, many of the urban music teachers I know maintain a supply of inexpensive concert clothing, shoes and jackets for outdoor rehearsals, and snacks for students who arrive having not eaten breakfast. Urban music educators frequently open up their music rooms to students before and after school and during lunchtime for extra practice, socialization, or simply a place to rest. They consider how to translate materials into the primary languages of their students and honor the diversity of family backgrounds and structures. They often fundraise tirelessly to provide essential experiences for their students, and they work hard to make sure they have an adequate inventory of school-owned instruments for those who cannot afford their own. They learn about their students’ lives, families, cultural heritage, and prior musical experiences, and build upon these strengths within their classrooms.

These teachers work with incredibly talented, bright, and frequently misunderstood students, and every day they see the limitations of the labels that society places on so many of their students. These teachers work hard to create a space in their schools where children are encouraged to create and experience the spectacular beauty of music, even within a larger school climate that may focus primarily on the development of “basic” and “remedial” skills that are associated with higher standardized test scores.

At this year’s TMEA Clinic/Convention, an urban music education emphasis will offer teachers who identify with these experiences the opportunity to come together as a community.

Community—isn’t this what all teachers seek? For example, in the two sessions that I will lead, we will discuss many of the ideas

42 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

by Kate R. Fitzpatrick

from my recent book, Urban Music Education: A Practical Guide for Teachers. We will talk openly and honestly about complex and important topics such as race, ethnicity, and poverty, and we will consider strategies that teachers can use to build on the strengths in their school to develop a culture of success.

The additional roundtable sessions will allow a wonderful and unique opportunity for us to come together and share experiences, ideas, and support with others who understand the complexity of the urban context in which so many of us teach.

It is important to note that although the label “urban” is being used to describe the focus of these sessions, any teacher, whether in an urban, suburban, or rural school, is welcome. The label “urban” in and of itself is not entirely helpful; it calls to mind stereotypes that rarely reflect the reality of the complex, diverse, multifaceted environments in which urban teachers teach. It also fails to account for the many teachers who work in rural and suburban environments who also teach in culturally diverse, low socioeconomic, or under-resourced schools.

If you teach in an under-resourced school or music program, no matter the location, you will find these sessions helpful and meaningful for you. Although there are certainly challenges facing our urban and under-resourced music educators, the rewards of teaching within this context are also tremendous. I look forward to meeting many of you as we share ideas and resources with one another and learn together as a part of these terrific urban special focus events at this year’s conference.

Kate R. Fitzpatrick is an Associate Professor of Music Education, University of Michigan, and is the author of Urban Music Education: A Practical Guide for Teachers, published by Oxford University Press. Fitzpatrick will lead two of the Urban Music Education Roundtable discussions during the TMEA Clinic/ Convention.

URBAN MUSIC EDUCATION AT THE TMEA CLINIC/CONVENTION When building your convention schedule, consider including the following sessions that offer a focus on urban music education. You can search for these clinics in the online personal schedule to read more details about each (www.tmea.org/convention).

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9 A Catalyst of Change in a Large Urban District Clinician: Nicole Robinson, Univ of Utah 10–11 a.m., CC 302 BC Teaching in an Urban Setting: Finding the Strengths in Your Community Clinician: Kate R. Fitzpatrick, Univ of Michigan 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., CC 210 Urban School Music Programs – Roundtable Discussion Presider: Keith Dye, Texas Tech Univ, TMEA Immediate Past-President 2:30–3:30 p.m., CC 210 Achieving Excellence in Challenging Environments Clinicians: Chase Giddings, Dekaney HS; Trent Cooper, Dekaney HS; Matthew McInturf, Sam Houston State Univ; Shelby Chipman, Florida A&M Univ 4:00–5:00 p.m., CC 305 Diversity Training for Preservice Music Teachers Clinician: Nicole Robinson, Univ of Utah 4:00–5:00 p.m., CC 302 BC Knowing Self/Knowing Others: Success in Urban Settings Clinician: Donna Emmanuel, Univ of North Texas 4:00–5:00 p.m., CC 303 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 Teaching in an Urban Setting: Building on the Strengths of an Under-resourced School Clinician: Kate R. Fitzpatrick, Univ of Michigan 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., CC 210

Musicianship Through Fundamentals: Keys for Title I Success Clinician: Shane Goforth, North Shore Senior HS 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., CC 225 Urban School Music Programs – Roundtable Discussion Presider: Keith Dye, Texas Tech Univ, TMEA Immediate Past-President 2:30–3:30 p.m., CC 210 Urban Collaboration: Tapping into Urban Resources Clinicians: Larry Brown, Cypress Springs HS; Mary Running, Cy-Fair Instructional Support Center; Pam Blaine, Houston Symphony 4:00–5:00 p.m., CC 302 BC SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 Expanding Music Education Through Guitar Ensembles Clinician: Samuel Escalante, Univ of North Texas 9:30–10:30 a.m., CC 216 Connect, Contribute, and Heal: Developing Community Outreach Clinician: Lisa Garner Santa, Texas Tech Univ 9:30–10:30 a.m., CC 302 BC Bach, Beyoncé, and Beyond: Two Worlds Collide Clinicians: Stephanie Miller, Skyview ES; Austin Aeschbacher, Skyview ES 11:00 a.m.–Noon, CC 214 AB Creating a Successful Title I Middle School Band Clinicians: Christopher Gonzales, Dueitt MS; Michael Warny, Dueitt MS 12:30–1:30 p.m., CC 225

Registered for the TMEA Convention?

Don’t Wait—Early Registration Ends January 19 www.tmea.org/convention Southwestern Musician | January 2017 43

ORCHESTRA NOTES

B Y

P E N N Y

M E I T Z

A culture of teamwork

I

n this issue of SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN, I am excited to feature the four orchestras selected as TMEA Honor Orchestras for 2017. If you have followed this competition for any length of time, you have seen the level of achievement escalate. I believe this year is no exception.

One common denominator in the success of most strong orchestra programs is building a culture of teamwork.

Building a team culture takes time, commitment, and consistency. It begins at the top with the attitude and actions of the directors.

Directors who have been especially successful in cultivating a program with a strong group ethic demonstrate on a daily basis that they are there for the students, not for building their own name or reputation. Responsibility for the daily operations of ensembles, often including tuning and attendance, is given to student officers or section leaders. Officers set the standard for commitment by attending and leading orchestra events, from auditions and rehearsals to parties. Standards and expectations are applied to all students.

Congratulations to these excellent orchestra teams! Be sure to include their performances in your convention schedule!

As you look forward to the performances of our Honor Orchestras, be sure you have completed all of your preparations to attend the 2017 TMEA Clinic/ Convention. Early registration ends on January 19. After that date, the registration fee increases, so don’t hesitate! Also, be sure you have purchased your $10 President’s Concert tickets, family badges, and access to clinic audio files online (add these items either when you register or afterward by returning to your member record). You can also create your personal convention schedule online at www.tmea.org/convention. We expect to be able to transfer the convention schedule you create on our website to your mobile app account so that

Building a team culture takes time, commitment, and consistency. It begins at the top with the attitude and actions of the directors.

44 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

January 9–10—All-State student housing entry.

January 18—Last day to cancel an existing hotel reservation without penalty.

January 19—TMEA convention online early registration deadline.

January 20—Last day to reserve a convention hotel through the TMEA reservation system.

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

February 9, 5:15 p.m.—Orchestra Division business meeting at the convention.

March 6—Arts Education Day at the Capitol.

you don’t have to create it again. Be sure you save your schedule by January 25 to enable this transfer.

Enjoy learning more about our amazing Honor Orchestras and anticipating their incredible performances!

MS/JH Full Honor Orchestra Hill Country MS Full Orchestra Rachel Horvitz, Director The Hill Country MS Full Orchestra (Eanes ISD) consists of students from the top-level Sinfonia Orchestra along with selected members of the top-level Symphonic Band. A vast majority of our students elect to study an instrument for the first time in sixth grade and continue to be part of an EISD performing ensemble throughout middle school and high school. The Hill Country MS Full Orchestra program has, since its inception in 2011, consistently earned UIL Division I ratings and Sweepstakes awards for superior performances. In addition, both the HCMS Orchestra and Band programs are consistent UIL Sweepstakes award recipients. The HCMS Full Orchestra has also been named Overall Outstanding Full Orchestra at the Alamo

Showcase of Music in 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Building on the band program’s history of commissioning works under the leadership of Cheryl Floyd, the orchestra has commissioned a full orchestra arrangement of Eric Whitacre’s Seal Lullaby to perform as part of its Full Honor Orchestra performance at the 2017 TMEA Convention.

Rachel Horvitz attended UT/Austin for her undergraduate studies, completing a degree in music education with cello as her principal instrument. In 2013, she earned a graduate degree in secondary education from Texas State University as part of the Partnership for Teacher Excellence Program sponsored by the Eanes Education Foundation. She is currently in her 16th year of teaching Orchestra in Austin and her ninth year as the Orchestra Director at Hill Country Middle School.

MS/JH String Honor Orchestra Kealing MS Symphony Orchestra David Jarrott, Director Originally opened in 1930 as the first junior high school for African-American

students in Austin, the school was closed in 1971 as part of Austin’s desegregation efforts. In 1986 the school reopened as a junior high school for students of the Kealing neighborhood as well as for students throughout Austin ISD who apply to the school for its rigorous and innovative advanced academic courses. The campus became a middle school in 2004 with the addition of sixth grade.

The orchestra program at Kealing MS began in 1986. For the past 21 years, David Jarrott has been the lead orchestra teacher, joined in 2012 by Jeni Berecek. Orchestra students are magnet and neighborhood students with a traditional enrollment of 200–250 students. The classes offered include two beginning sections of orchestra, three intermediate to advanced orchestras, three sections of classical guitar, and an innovative and popular alternative strings program.

The program has garnered some 50 UIL Sweepstakes awards and numerous awards for superior ratings in festival competition. The organization has also placed over 500 students in the TMEA Region 18 orchestra and helped hundreds more achieve first division ratings in solo

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and ensemble competition. The Kealing Symphony Orchestra has been recognized as Outstanding Orchestra in Festival on over 20 occasions and has been a finalist in TMEA Honor Orchestra competition in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016. The orchestra has also been recognized by the Foundation for Music Education as a National Orchestra Honors Mark of Excellence national winner in both full and string orchestra in 2012, commended winner in 2013, and national winner in 2015.

HS String Honor Orchestra Klein HS Chamber Orchestra Creston Herron, Director Klein HS is a TEA Recognized school serving approximately 3,900 students in grades 9â&#x20AC;&#x201C;12. The school is located in Klein, about 30 miles from downtown Houston. The Klein orchestra, band, and choir programs are all consistent UIL Sweepstakes award winners.

The Klein HS orchestra program has previously been in the Honor Orchestra finals, winning in 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2008 for full orchestra. This is the first time that any Klein ISD high school string orchestra has been honored in this capacity.

In Klein ISD, students in the fifth grade may begin the study of stringed instruments at the elementary campuses

before or after school or they may wait until sixth grade. Students experience a variety of musical opportunities from small chamber ensembles to full symphonic orchestral playing.

For the past year, Creston Herron has served as Director of Orchestras at Klein HS and was previously an orchestra director at YES Prep West. He received his degrees from the University of Kansas and Rice University. He is currently in his sixth year of teaching and second year as head director at Klein HS. Under Herronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s direction, the Klein HS program has grown from four orchestras with 180 members to seven orchestras with over 250 members, with all ensembles receiving UIL Sweepstakes awards.

They have been named finalists in the TMEA Honor Orchestra Competition for string and full orchestra contests and have won best-in-class awards at numerous music festivals.

HS Full Honor Orchestra Martin HS Symphony Orchestra Michael Stringer, Director Martin HS, named for former Arlington Superintendent James W. Martin, is located in southwest Arlington.

Martin HS currently has an enrollment of 3,400 students, grades 9â&#x20AC;&#x201C;12, and has over 200 faculty members. The school is known for its success in cooperative learning and

for the exemplary way that the academic, athletic, and fine arts departments set high expectations for student achievement and performance.

The music curriculum of MHS includes orchestra, band, choir, jazz band, and music theory. Students in the orchestral and band programs consistently quality for Region 5 Orchestras and All-State Orchestras.

The 250-member Martin Band has been a consistent first-division winner in UIL competition since 1983. This year the Warrior Marching Band achieved its 34th consecutive first division rating at UIL Marching Contest and was an Area finalist. The Wind Symphony has advanced to the state level in the TMEA Honor Band competition in 2010 and 2016. This program is known for its outstanding jazz band and drumline that have won numerous honors and awards.

The Martin Orchestra Program has an enrollment of 302 students and has earned 32 consecutive UIL Sweepstakes awards as well as numerous best-in-festival awards at national competitions. The Martin Symphony Orchestra has been chosen as a TMEA Honor Full Orchestra finalist seven times, was a TMEA Honor String Orchestra finalist nine times, and was chosen as the 2015 HS String Honor Orchestra and now as the 2017 TMEA HS Full Honor Orchestra.

Martin HS Symphony Orchestra Southwestern Musician | January 2017 47

Hill Country MS Full Orchestra

Kealing MS Symphony Orchestra

Klein HS Chamber Orchestra 48 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

Degree Programs Bachelor of Arts in Music Bachelor of Music in Performance Bachelor of Music (teacher certiďŹ cation)

Performance Opportunities A Cappella Chorus Big Purple Marching Band Chamber Singers Concert Band Jazz Combos Jazz Ensemble Opera Percussion Ensemble Steel Drum Band

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Audition Dates Saturday, February 18 Saturday, March 4 Saturday, April 1 Friday, April 21 (video audition deadline)

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Recruitment & Retention

the key elements

by Carol Rustowicz

W

hat criteria define a successful music program? The trophies on the wall? The difficulty of music the ensemble can perform? The number of Sweepstakes awards? The trips we take? While each may be a reflection of successful teaching, before we can expect to experience them, there is another factor that must be addressed. We must first attract students to our programs and keep them coming through the door. So how do we entice and retain students year after year?

Effective recruitment and retention are key elements in establishing and maintaining a successful music program. The recruitment process often begins with events like performances at feeder schools, taking our students to the programs we feed to observe and participate in concerts or football games, and afterschool social opportunities. But are these events really enough?

Areas of Influence Common tricks of the trade remain important because they’ve proven to attract some students to our programs; however, to broaden our reach, we should also examine what influences a student’s experience. Five areas of influence guide a student’s choice of activities. These areas have a profound impact and affect all decisions that a student makes. Understanding these influences and how they work will help us tailor our recruitment and reten-

Recruiting and retaining students is not a thing we do, but a life we live every day in our classroom.

tion strategies to become consistently effective.

The first area is peer influence. An essential element in the student’s choice of an activity is having, making, and keeping friends. Research reveals that students need to feel accepted and safe within their group of friends, and being part of something greater than themselves develops a sense of community.

Therefore, it is up to us to create and nurture a program environment in which this can take place.

The next area of influence is a student’s self-perception.

Their perception is based on the feelings they have about themselves and, whether or not they’re based in reality, these feelings are very real to them. We constantly influence those feelings by how we react to their participation in our class. Students will want to stay in a classroom environment that allows them to experience both success and failure in a way that fosters their desire to grow and learn.

Another key element is motivation. We inspire students extrinsically by giving them tangible rewards for success, creating in them the desire to repeat the steps that led to their success. The educational challenge comes when we work to wean them from the expectation of tangible, extrinsic rewards and move them toward the understanding of the greater reward—the internal sense of accomplishment and joy experienced in music-making.

When intrinsic motivation becomes the primary force, students invariably become lifelong learners and lovers of music.

When students participate in choosing repertoire, they experience a greater sense of collaboration and involvement in the program. When they get to help choose a work they will perform, they invest themselves more in preparation, and ultimately that Southwestern Musician | January 2017 51

leads to a deeper enjoyment of the process and the performance. Of course, director guidance will be needed, but when you do this, you increase student ownership, and that can influence students to remain in the program.

The use of effective teaching strategies can play a prominent role in whether a student chooses to join and ultimately remain in music. We must be prepared for class every day. We must have a list of specific, reasonable goals to be accomplished for each class period, and we must work to achieve those goals. We must also under-

stand that these daily objectives need to support the long-term goals that give our program direction and momentum.

Vary the daily routine to combat boredom and loss of interest. This can help keep the classroom vibrant and engaging. Take time to get to know the students’ likes and dislikes and use this to help guide how you put lessons together.

Most of all, it is important to have fun!

It is good to laugh and enjoy the process together.

While these categories of influence affect the student decision-making pro-

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cess, two additional areas play a major role and are the driving force in the student’s decision to enter or continue in their musical activities. I believe these two areas are at the heart of whether a child chooses to participate and stays in a music program.

Parent and Teacher Support and Involvement These two primary influences are parent and teacher support and involvement, and when they partner together for student success, the outcome is invaluable.

While we may already know that parents and teachers play a critical role in student development and achievement, do we really understand the depth and extent of that role? Understanding the roles of the parent and teacher in a child’s life can equip us with powerful tools for the student’s future success.

The Parent An educator’s understanding of the parental role in a child’s development is necessary for success. Research shows us that parents shape the values and expectations of their children long before they

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52 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

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enter school. It also reveals that when parents provide a positive, supportive, and structured environment in which their children can learn and grow, children develop a stronger belief that they can succeed. (Conversely, some teachers often experience the opposite influence when teaching students whose parents aren’t present or are negative influences.)

The scope of our role as the educator should include the education of the parents. We need to help them recognize the value of music education and understand that involvement in music nurtures many desirable characteristics in their children, including discipline, diligence, academic performance, and intelligence. It is important for parents to understand the critical role they play in their child’s musical success. Whether they possess a musical background or not, their consistent involvement in their child’s education will augment the child’s musical development and longevity in the music program. By partnering with parents, music programs can experience greatly enhanced success.

To help the child develop a positive perception about their musical experience, we need to provide parents with helpful tips such as listening to and encouraging their child while they practice and being present at their public performances. We should also help parents understand the value of practice time and that it should be done every day, just like homework.

It will also benefit the student if parents show an interest in what their child is learning in music by using verbal support, such as “I can really tell you are working hard and I am really proud of you.”

Moreover, it is important for the parent and the child to understand that the value of hard work far outweighs chair placement. There are, of course, many other possible suggestions, but this could be a good beginning for a future parent handbook to be given out at the beginning of the school year.

The Role of the Teacher Our role is to provide a studentcentered classroom environment that supports the long-term success for our students. We create this environment by listening, encouraging, praising, providing a safe place, accepting students as they are, assisting students in their efforts to realize their goals, and providing constructive

feedback. The students, in turn, should experience greater engagement, enhanced well-being, better academic performance, and higher intrinsic motivation.

When we put our egos aside and focus on student growth and development, we create in them a greater loyalty to music, our program, and ourselves. Recruiting and retaining students is not a thing we do, but a life we live every day in our classroom. By being constantly aware of recruiting and retaining students and by

understanding the power of the process, we can positively effect change in how we approach our teaching.

Carol Rustowicz has been a music educator since the ’80s, working as a middle school band director and private instructor. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in music education at the University of Texas at San Antonio and continues to work as a mentor, clinician, and adjudicator.

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Southwestern Musician | January 2017 55

VOCAL NOTES

B Y

R O B E R T

H O R T O N

Resolutions and routines

T

he beginning of a new semester is an opportunity to reflect. The beginning of a new year is an opportunity to make some resolutions, and, if necessary, start over. Teaching and learning are a process, and the nature of our process is to allow us to adjust our course while on the journey.

In light of the past several months, what adjustments do you want to make? I’ve chosen to embrace a few changes.

Just before Thanksgiving, my wife and I listed our house for sale. The process of getting the house ready to sell involved several important aspects. We had to commit to improving parts of the house that we had grown accustomed to seeing. I felt like we were living an episode of HGTV’s Love It or List It. (We did decide to list it!) Occasionally, we took time out to admire the work that had been done and refocus on the next part of the project. Sound familiar, choir folks?

The next step was a bit more challenging. We took all our cherished possessions and personal items and put many in storage so that potential buyers could see themselves, not us, in the house. How in the world does this relate to music? When we are preparing our singers for performance, we have to look to the style of the piece, based on the text, musical era, compositional elements, and techniques that exist in the music. The intended character of the music has to come out, not our interpretation. In college, I remember Bev Henson saying that he would prefer to have people hear Brahms revealed by Henson rather than edited by Henson. How do you accomplish this aspect of music?

Do you make the piece fit the choir or teach the choir to fit the piece?

The final stage of selling our house was the most difficult. Each day, before we left, we had to sweep, make sure that all the dishes were washed and put away, the beds were made, the lights were on, and the house smelled great.

The use of daily routine that we establish allows us to focus on higher priority items as we make music.

56 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

January 7—Area Band and Vocal auditions.

January 9–10—All-State student housing entry.

January 18—Last day to cancel an existing hotel reservation without penalty.

January 19—TMEA convention online early registration deadline.

January 20—Last day to reserve a convention hotel through the TMEA reservation system.

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

February 9, 5:15 p.m.—Vocal Division business meeting at the convention.

March 6—Arts Education Day at the Capitol.

This daily routine was no doubt tedious, but we did experience an unintended benefit. Each evening in December (the most wonderful time of the year for musicians), we returned to a house that was clean and well-maintained, and we were able to focus on what we needed to do— eat, spend time together, and prepare for the next day. Because the daily routine was established, we were afforded time to enjoy our evenings. I don’t know about you, but I always enjoy choir more when our singers are functioning as independent musicians by using a learned set of vocal and literacy skills. The use of daily routine that we establish allows us to focus on higher priority items as we make music.

Selling a house was a labor of love. It was definitely labor, but it also required us to examine the condition of our house and make long-term changes. I encourage you to consider changes you may want to make this year. Establish or revisit daily routines, examine your priorities or consult with a trusted mentor, or determine a musical style or set of choral techniques you’ve never taught your singers.

I would like to remind you of a quote,

by Scottish explorer W.H. Murray, often misattributed to Goethe, “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.

Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

I wish you the best in 2017, and I hope to see you at the TMEA Clinic/Convention next month. Thanks for what you do for choral music and the singers of Texas!

TMEA Clinic/Convention Update Just a few days remain until the online early registration deadline of January 19!

If you aren’t yet registered for the convention, be sure to take advantage of the

2017 dates: 2018 dates: April 21-22, April 20-21, April 28-29, April 27-28, May 4-5 May 5-6 Visit www.SMMFestival.com or call1-855-766-3008

discounted rate. When you register (or you can return to the registration pages if you’ve already registered), be sure to purchase family badges, access to clinic audio files, and tickets to the amazing President’s Concert, which will feature The Real Group, a professional a cappella ensemble from Sweden. If you’ll be in San Antonio on Wednesday at 8 P.M., you definitely should be at this amazing event!

At only $10/ticket, their performance will be especially inspirational for our Vocal Division members.

This month, I’m pleased to share with you highlights of six of our invited performing choirs (the other six were featured in our November issue). When you create your online personal convention schedule, be sure to include these concerts to witness the incredible work of your colleagues from around the state!

Deer Park JH Varsity Tenor-Bass Choir Chris Truitt and Shannon Duckett, Directors The Deer Park JH Varsity Tenor-Bass Choir is an auditioned group of 45–55 students selected from around 100 seventh and eighth graders enrolled in the Deer Park JH choir program. This group meets daily under the primary direction of DPJH assistant choir director Chris Truitt. Truitt has been the director of this group for the past five years. The TenorBass choir has earned consistent UIL Sweepstakes awards and numerous other accolades and awards at local festivals and community events.

Coppell HS A Cappella Choir Joshua Brown, Director Coppell ISD is located near the center of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and Coppell HS is the district’s flagship 6A campus, serving over 3,200 students. The A Cappella Choir is the premier mixed choral ensemble at Coppell HS and is made up of auditioned upperclassmen. Singers are involved in a diverse array of learning experiences in Coppell ISD, including AP, IB, New Tech@Coppell, National Honor Society, athletics, band, art, and drama.

Over the past several years, CHS choirs have performed at the White House and the 2016 Southwest ACDA Convention. The A Cappella Choir has received numerous UIL Sweepstakes awards and best-in-class awards and was named the 2015 Grand Champion of the Festival di Voce at Dallas

58 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

ALL-STATE

CHOIR CAMP at HARDIN-SIMMONS SUNDAY, JUNE 25 THROUGH THURSDAY, JUNE 29

Get G e Ahead of the Curve • Ge Learn e all the 2017 Music •• Le Ad A Advance Your Technique n Language Diction • InIntensive Concert ••EEnd-of-Week F Fun, Food, Friends

TUITIO ON NA AN ND FEES Non-refundable Registration Fee (applies toward tuition) — $50 Dorm Residents, Including Meals — $325 Day Campers, Including Meals — $275 Late Registration (after June 8) — $350 $100 discount for past All-State choir members

Register online: www.choircamp.hsutx.edu

or call 325.670.1415 For more information, contact Dr. Clell Wright School of Music and Fine Arts Hardin-Simmons University, Box 16230, Abilene, TX 79698

High School Musicians Grades 9-12 SMALL SCHOOL & LARGE SCHOOL TRACKS CONDUCTORS Dr. Dee Romines HSU Associate Professor of Choral Music Education

Mrs. Cara Naizer Director of Choirs Abilene Cooper High School

CLINICIANS LARGE SCHOOL TRACK

Tara Sikon Carrolton Creekview High School

Natalie Walker Highland Park High School

Aaron Hawley Odessa Permian High School

Joshua Brown Coppell High School

SMALL SCHOOL TRACK

Jenny Doggett Sweetwater High School

Robin Davis Wylie High School

HSU VOICE FACULTY Dr. Lynnette Chambers Dr. Chris Hollingsworth Dr. Elizabeth Moss Dr. Melody Rich

Baptist University. In the last four years, Coppell HS has produced 19 All-State Choir members, over 350 Region Choir members, and over 200 singers at the Texas State Solo and Ensemble Competition.

Joshua Brown is in his fifth year as the Director of Choirs at Coppell HS. Brown received his BM in church music from Dallas Baptist University and MM in choral conducting from Baylor University. He frequently serves as an adjudicator, clinician, and accompanist throughout the state and holds memberships in ACDA, TCDA, TMEA, and TMAA. Houston HSPVA Girls Chorus Julia Hall, Director Houston ISD’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts’ Girls Chorus is a 50-member non-varsity treble choir.

Its members include ninth- and tenthgrade voice and instrumental majors.

The ensemble performs on the annual fall Spaghetti Supper, Winter Concert, and Spring Concert. In 2015, for the first time in three decades, the HSPVA choirs participated in UIL Concert and

Sightreading contest. For the past two years, Girls Chorus has earned superior ratings in both concert and sightreading. Women from this non-auditioned ensemble audition for spots in the HSPVA Chamber Singers, a non-varsity mixed chamber ensemble. Girls Chorus members have earned places in the Texas AllState choirs, are members of National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society, and are active in solo performance on and off campus.

Midway HS Varsity Men’s Choir Jeffery Rice, Director Midway HS is a 6A school and the only high school in the Midway ISD. MHS is located on the edge of the greater Waco area between Woodway and Hewitt. It is a jewel of a school situated halfway between Dallas and Austin.

The Midway HS Varsity Men’s Choir consists of the male students of the Meistersingers Varsity Mixed Choir, which meets separately 2–3 days each week as men’s and women’s choirs. These young men are active in student council,

PALs, theatre, football, basketball, swimming, golf, baseball, band, cross country, and other school clubs and organizations.

Several are active Boy Scouts and have earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Many are also active leaders of their church youth groups. The 43 members of the Varsity Men’s Choir are part of the 320-member MHS Choral Music Department, which includes 132 men!

Jeff Rice is in his 31st year teaching choral music in Texas and his 17th at Midway HS. Rice is a Past-President of the Texas Choral Directors Association and a member of TMEA, ACDA, and TMAA. He has served as UIL PML Committee Chair and been selected as a Distinguished Educator by senior choir members on several occasions. His choirs have received consistent recognition at UIL contests and have performed on tours to Vienna, Salzburg, New York City, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston. Rice’s choirs have performed at TMEA conventions in 1996, 1999, 2007, and 2011 and at SWACDA 2016 in Kansas City.

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www.rhythmbee.com m60 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

Dallas Baptist University Chorale Stephen Holcomb, Director The Dallas Baptist University Chorale is the department of music’s select vocal ensemble. Under the direction of Stephen Holcomb, the choir has performed at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., providing service music for the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy, and has participated in several Mid-America Concerts in Carnegie Hall, the most recent being in 2013 when the choir presented John Rutter’s Requiem under Holcomb’s baton.

The Chorale has also performed internationally in prestigious venues such as St. Mark’s Basilica, Venice; Notre Dame, Paris; St. Paul’s Cathedral, London; St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh; St. Thomas Church, Leipzig; the Dom Cathedral, Salzburg; and St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna. In addition to singing for denominational and civic events, the choir has also performed for the patients at the children’s hospitals in Dallas and Ft. Worth. The choir appeared at the SWACDA Convention in 2006 and provided music for the funeral service of legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry. Holcomb has been on the DBU music faculty since 1988.

University of Houston Moores School Concert Chorale Betsy Cook Weber, Director The University of Houston Moores School Concert Chorale is the University of Houston’s premier large choral ensemble. Under the direction of Betsy Cook

Weber since 2002, the ensemble has risen to international prominence, performing to standing ovations for three TMEA convention performances (2005, 2008, 2013) and the national ACDA convention in Miami (2007). In 2009, the Concert Chorale competed at the 47th Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales, UK, winning or placing in every category in which they were entered, including first prize in the coveted Chamber Choir category. In May 2011, the Chorale competed in the prestigious French festival, the Florilège Vocal du Tours, winning first place for the best performance of a world premiere and second place in the Mixed Choir category.

In May 2013 they earned first place at the prestigious International Chamber Choir Festival in Marktoberdorf, Germany, and received a special prize for best performance of a sacred work. In July 2015 the ensemble competed in the Grand Prix of Nations in Magdeburg, Germany, outside Berlin. They were named world champion in the under-24 category and also placed second and third in the folklore and popular categories, respectively.

Recently, in a highly respected ranking system (Musica mundi) of international choirs, Concert Chorale was ranked first in the world in the under-24 category and third in the world among all choirs.

Houston HSPVA Girls Chorus

Dallas Baptist University Chorale Southwestern Musician | January 2017 61

Coppell HS A Cappella Choir

Deer Park JH Varsity Tenor-Bass Choir

Midway HS Varsity Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choir

University of Houston Moores School Concert Chorale 62 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

Intensive Music Education Courses as Brief as Two Weeks (plus online components)

June 6 to July 8 Introduction to Applications in Music Technology: MUED 5342.D | Dr. Keith Dye | Distance Only (asynchronous) (O)

June 5 to June 16 Advanced Woodwind Methods: Performance Techniques & Pedagogical Approaches: MUED 5344.003 | Dr. Jacqueline Henninger | 8am–12pm (L) Topics in Orchestral Music Education: School Orchestra Literature: MUED 5327.001 | Dr. Blair Williams | 8am–12pm (L) Teaching Musicianship: Sight-singing, Aural Skills, and Fundamentals in the Choral Rehearsal: MUED 5325.001 | Dr. Carolyn Cruse | 8am–12pm (L/V) Low String Methods for the String Educator: MUED 5344.001 | Dr. Blair Williams | 1pm–5pm (L) Band Conducting Methods: MUAP 5310.001 | Dr. Eric Allen | 1pm–5pm (L) Teaching Music in Urban Settings: Meeting the Needs of Culturally Diverse Learners: MUED 5344.002 | Dr. Jacqueline Henninger | 1pm–5pm (L/V)

June 19 to June 30 Music for Students with Exceptionalities: MUSI 5306.D | Dr. Janice Killian | Distance Only (asynchronous) (O) Foundations of Music Education: MUED 5340.001 | Dr. Keith Dye | 8am–12pm (L/V) Styles in Wind Literature of the 19th & 20th Centuries: MUTH 5305.001 | Dr. Peter Martens | 8am–12pm (L/V) Topics in Band Music Education: Band Repertoire & Trends: MUED 5326.001 | Dr. Eric Allen | 1pm–5pm (L/V) Learning & Music: MUED 5332.001 | Dr. Janice Killian | 1pm–5pm (L/V)

July 6 to July 19 Graduate Theory Review with AP Primer: MUTH 5300.001 | Dr. Peter Fischer | 8am–12pm (L) Adolescent Voice Development & Pedagogy: MUED 5344.004 | Dr. Carolyn Cruse | 8am–12pm (L) Tests & Measurements: MUED 5333.001 | Dr. Janice Killian | 1pm–5pm (L/V)

July 11 to August 11 Special Topics: Contemporary Issues in Music Education in Texas: MUSI 7000.D | Dr. Keith Dye | Distance Only (asynchronous) (O) Graduate History Review: MUHL 5300.D | Dr. Stacey Jocoy | Distance Only (asynchronous) (O) Classroom & Rehearsal Behavior Management: MUED 5344.D | Dr. Janice Killian | Distance Only (asynchronous) (O) Advanced Applications of Technology in Music Education: MUSI 5343.D | Dr. Keith Dye | Distance Only (asynchronous) (O) L = Live | O = Online only | V = Video conference

For more information, please visit music.ttu.edu, or contact: Dr. Michael Stoune Director of Graduate Studies michael.stoune@ttu.edu (806) 834-5160

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Emily Gifford School of Music Graduate Admissions emily.gifford@ttu.edu (806) 834-5076

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Elementary Music and the 21st-Century Child

by Michele Hobizal and Penny Peek-Davis

T

he Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) help us structure instruction around what the student should know and be able to do at the end of each grade/level. They don’t tell us how that instruction should be delivered. The TEKS are vertically aligned to provide a cohesive curriculum from one grade/level to the next. Furthermore, the TEKS support a consistent and sequential plan for student instruction and learning across the state.

Know the TEKS Most districts have used the TEKS to create their own scope and sequence. If your district has not created one, you might request this from another district. You may be able to use it as is or modify it to create your own. Even though you have a scope and sequence, it is still important to know the TEKS to understand the objectives to teach.

Display the TEKS and your scope and sequence in your classroom for parents and other teachers to see. This will help everyone understand that you also have an abundance of TEKS you’re required to cover. Remember that you are informing your parents that not only do you have a solid curriculum, but that you also

teach music literacy, singing, playing instruments—you do much more than just have fun and play games!

The 21st-Century Child The 21st-century skills are a set of abilities students need to develop to succeed in the information age. The Partnership for 21st Century Learning (www.p21.org) defines three main areas: • Learning and Innovation Skills: These skills separate students who are prepared for increasingly complex life and work environments in the 21st century from those who are not.

• Information, Media, and Technology Skills: Citizens and workers must be able to create, evaluate, and effectively utilize information, media, and technology.

• Life and Career Skills: Today’s students need to develop thinking skills, content knowledge, and social and emotional competencies to navigate complex life and work environments.

Teachers often assume that fostering 21st-century skills is solely about the use of technology. However, creativity is actually the word that applies to the three main skills. Elementary music teachers can easily help develop the 21st-century child through the numerous ways we help our students learn through creativity!

Southwestern Musician | January 2017 65

Plan, Plan, Plan Planning your lessons is vital to give your students the best in music education.

Without intentional planning, it becomes too easy to just have fun and not concentrate on a sequence of learning (TEKS!) and, worse yet, diminish your students’ potential for learning. Music is a subject in the Required Curriculum, so take the time to plan out your lessons and activities. You will feel more confident and your kids will have an even better time.

Consider following this idea of The Daily 7 in the Music Classroom. Every day your students should be doing multiple things in the music class: singing, playing, reading, writing, creating, moving, and listening to music. You might not get to every one every day, but your students should experience multiple components in music class if you are truly educating the whole child. That means you must plan using your scope and sequence for the entire year.

Consider it your lesson road map. If you know where you want to be at certain points throughout the year, it makes writing your lessons so much easier. Most of us do not see our students daily, so we must carefully layer multiple objectives in one single lesson. Think of these three things when planning a lesson: 1. Start with your element(s) for the lesson.

2. Choose a variety of activities for each element and class.

3. Assess along the way.

STEAM Infused When you start with a strong yearly plan for each grade and know when you are working on specific elements, it’s easy to add STEAM. Everybody is talking about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), but we know that STEAM is much better (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts,

2017 Clinic/Convention 60+ events for elementary music educators! www.tmea.org/convention

and Mathematics). Start with your music lesson and objectives and add something that correlates. Everything is better when you add the arts!

When we educate the whole child in order for them to become whole adults, we create the 360-degree child (well-rounded child). STEAM works so well with the TEKS since our multi-objective lessons usually include STEAM and ELAR (English, Language Arts, and Reading).

For instance, find the connections that come naturally to you. Maybe it’s a math thing with rhythms or meter, or maybe you are a creative engineer and have always enjoyed making things (think easy instruments like drums). Regardless of your comfort level, start with a little goal of one grade, one lesson, one week.

Evaluate whether you and your students enjoyed this aspect of the lesson and then go to another grade the next week with a similar or same activity and continue.

Before long your mindset will change on how you plan with STEM to STEAM! Michele Hobizal is a music teacher in Katy ISD and Penny Peek-Davis is a music teacher/coordinator in McKinney ISD.

Southwestern Musician | January 2017 67

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STE A M Connecting Music Across the Curriculum

by Amy Burns or the past few years, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) has been a hot topic in music education. Originally introduced as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), its mission was to inform federal and state policy makers of the critical role of STEM education for the future of U.S. competitiveness and economics. After STEM was introduced, however, it was determined that art and design would be needed to complete STEM activities. At the federal level, we’ve seen this shift reflected in the language of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as the Every Child Achieves Act. Over the past several years, it has become clearer that integrating music across the curriculum can be accomplished, where students learn the connection of music to other subjects and where musical concepts remain intact.

F

Incorporating STEAM into the Elementary Music Classroom After our school’s science teacher Jen Wagar took a course in STEAM, she passed this inspiring idea along to me: “STEAM is a philosophy, not an acronym. We should look at it as rethinking the way we teach, the connections students make, and the outcomes for which we are aiming.”

We then decided that we could figure out a way her thirdgrade science class and my third-grade music class could collaborate on a unit about sound, since we were each teaching the

concept in our curriculum. We discussed our ideas, essential questions (EQs), timeline, and assessments. These were our EQs: 1. What is sound?

2. What makes sound high or low?

3. What makes sound loud or quiet?

4. How does sound travel?

We discussed how to accomplish our unit during the spring (March to May) when our schedules permit us to see the students two times during a seven-day cycle for 45 minutes (for science) and three times during a seven-day cycle for 30 minutes (for music). In addition, we were working around school events in our timeline that affected our third-grade curriculum. Finally, I made sure that the unit accomplished the music standards that I cover in third-grade general music: performing music (students reading and playing music on recorders and other instruments), creating music (students creating music together in certain musical styles), and composing music (students writing music within guidelines).

Beginning our STEAM Unit Science Class. Jen began teaching her students the first EQ, “What is sound?” She started with Dr. Katy Payne’s Elephant’s Listening Project. Payne’s research led to the discovery of infrasonic communication in elephants. Jen presented information about elephant communication to the students to introduce them Southwestern Musician | January 2017 69

to sound waves and help them see sound as a form of energy. She had the students experiment with sound vibrations and how they travel through air (gases), liquids, and solids. The students learned that sound is best heard through a solid because in a solid the molecules are closest together.

Music Class. I incorporated the students’ knowledge of sound in their music class. I began by asking them how they would perform a song during a concert if their instruments (Orff, classroom per-

cussion, and recorders) were no longer available? What if they had access only to water, markers, and beakers? This led to our discussion about what makes sound high or low.

I divided the students into small groups and gave them a pitcher of water, three beakers, and some markers. I instructed them to make one beaker play the note B, one play the note A, and one play the note G, using the water to change the pitch. They experienced how changing the volume of water altered the pitch of

the sound the beaker produced when they tapped it with a marker. (They used a digital keyboard to check their pitches.) When they finished, they used the newly created instruments from beakers, water, and markers to perform one of their recorder pieces.

Exploring Sound Science Class. Jen continued to explore what makes sound high or low by having students observe the effect of the length of the sound wave on pitch with the Kalimba and the effect of tension with a mini gut drum. The students explored how the tension could raise the pitch and the release of the tension could lower the pitch.

She then moved on to what makes sound loud or quiet. Students explored volume by observing and experiencing sound waves. She played a recording of sand moving on an amplifier and showed them a picture of how the sand formed patterns from amplification. In addition, she showed them sound waves on a sound generator and explored how much energy is needed to produce a low-energy wave and a high-energy wave. Jen finished this unit by assessing students’ current observations through writing.

Music Class. Since the students had explored how sound was made through their percussion instruments (the beakers), we studied how sound is produced with strings and woodwinds by watching two YouTube videos from the House of Sound, “How do string instruments make a sound?” and “How do woodwind instruments make a sound?”

After Jen introduced sound waves in science, I followed up by recording students performing with instruments (recorders, voice, guitar, etc.) so they could see the sound waves produced in computer programs like GarageBand for Mac or Soundtrap. We also experienced tuning a guitar and a ukulele using the Guitar Tuna app projected onto the screen so the students could see how volume affects the tuning of string instruments.

Science and Music Separate Science Class. Jen showed the students the story about the Landfill Harmonic.

This is a group of Paraguayan youth who live next to one of South America’s largest landfills and created their instruments from trash found in the landfill. Jen used

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the engineering design process of ask, imagine, plan, create, and design to have the students design their own instruments from recycled materials. Some students worked alone, and some worked with a partner. Many students’ work failed, and they had to problem-solve to accomplish the task. After the initial work, students continued to refine their instruments, problem-solve their failures, tune their instruments, and write their reflections.

Music Class. At this point, we had addressed the science, technology, engineering, and arts of STEAM, but what about mathematics? To include mathematical concepts, students were charged with composing a piece that had an eightmeasure melody and an eight-measure drum line (using bass, snare, and cymbal).

They had been studying rhythms and note-reading as part of our music curriculum for years. They used their musical creativity and their math skills to compose their pieces of music utilizing the Cloudbased program Noteflight to notate their compositions.

I guided students to use the notes B, A, and G and the rhythms of quarter, half, whole, and eighth notes for the melody.

They could use the same rhythm values for the percussion line. All the students were able to compose their pieces successfully.

I took their pieces and imported them into Soundtrap and gave them a style, such as R&B, EDM (electronic dance music), pop, rock, or jazz. The students had to create a four-measure introduction and an ending, so that the form of the piece was introduction–their melody/ percussion line–coda. Once complete, the students performed their melody lines on their recorders and earned another classroom reward—a recorder star for their recorder belts. Finally, they wrote lyrics to their songs that reflected knowledge learned in a social studies unit.

Finale and Assessment For our music and science classes’ finale, students performed their compositions on their custom-made instruments.

This required quite a bit of problemsolving when students faced challenges of tuning, lack of amplification, and instability of these improvised instruments.

They learned that some challenges could be solved while others couldn’t.

For the assessments, students recorded

their own reflections in the app our school uses for digital learning journals. These student-reflective assessments in their portfolios produced extremely thoughtprovoking responses, and the students were proud of their accomplishments and their creativity.

Now in our third year of delivering this unit, Jen and I still enjoy it tremendously. It is a wonderful integration across the curriculum, and the students learn so much from it. And while this unit is an example of a fairly involved approach to delivering on the STEAM philosophy, there will always be opportunities to demonstrate the connectedness between these disciplines. I hope this information encourages you to collaborate and integrate across the curriculum as you continue delivering the best music education experience for all students.

Amy M. Burns (aburns@fhcds.org) is a PreK–grade 4 music educator and the Director of the Far Hills Conservatory at Far Hills Country Day School in Far Hills, New Jersey. She is also a clinician, keynote speaker, and author of numerous articles and three books about integrating technology into the elementary music classroom.

Resources Home. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2016, from www.stemedcoalition.org “How Music Education Powers the STEAM Movement,” NEA Today.

(2014). Retrieved June 12, 2016, from neatoday.org/2014/07/16/howmusic-education-powers-the-steammovement/ Silander, L. (2015, December). “US Education STE A Ms A head.”

Retrieved June 12, 2016, from http:// our.r isd.edu /post /1351974 8 0 459/ us-education-steams-ahead STEM and STEAM - National Association for Music Education (NAf ME). (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2016, from http://w w w.nafme.org /take-action/ what-to-know/stem-and-steam/ STEM to STEAM. (2016). Retrieved June 12, 2016, from http://stemtosteam.org/ The Elephant Listening Project. (n.d.).

Retrieved June 12, 2016, from http:// www.birds.cornell.edu/brp/elephant/ about/about.html The Kennedy Center: ARTSEDGE - the National Arts and Education Network. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2016, from http://artsedge.kennedy-center .org /students/features/connections/ science-and-music

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ELEMENTARY NOTES

STEAM in your classroom

H

appy New Year 2017! I look forward to seeing many of you next month in San Antonio. Over the past year, my school has been making preparations to become a STEAM Academy. While the training process has been very time-consuming, the result is students who are more engaged and excited about coming to school.

This month, I am going to highlight some of the new gadgets I have been using in my classroom. Some of them are pricey, but with a good fundraiser and planning, they are well worth the expense.

Before adding any new gadget, you will need to determine its purpose. If there is a new toy that looks really cool but you can’t find a logical place to integrate it into your curriculum, don’t buy it. Any new technology or device used in any classroom must serve as an enhancement to the curriculum. You can also ask your classroom teachers for their Six Weeks at a Glance or Nine Weeks at a Glance plans to see if there are opportunities to align your curriculums at times during the year (see this month’s article by Amy Burns on page 69 for an example of this).

January 18—Last day to cancel an existing hotel reservation without penalty.

January 19—TMEA convention online early registration deadline.

January 20—Last day to reserve a convention hotel through the TMEA reservation system.

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

February 9, 5:15 p.m.—Elementary Division business meeting at the convention.

March 6—Arts Education Day at the Capitol.

1. Makey Makey. These small electronic kits come with a number of connectors that connect to a computer and other objects, such as bananas, gummy worms, or people. When used with one of the available free apps, the devices act as drum sets, pianos, and video game controllers. I used this as a composition tool for my second graders. Cost: $50.

2. 3D Printer. I received a relatively inexpensive printer for Christmas and then purchased one with fundraising money for my classroom. There is

Any new technology or device used in any classroom must serve as an enhancement to the curriculum.

Southwestern Musician | January 2017 75

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a website called Thingiverse, which has musical items available for free download. In addition, kids may create their own original music instruments with a free program called TinkerCad. Cost: $350 and up.

3. Maker Space. There is a center in my classroom with a variety of items such as 5-gallon pickle buckets donated from local fast-food restaurants, thick cardboard tubes from wallpaper and tapestry rolls, paints, cardboard boxes, rubber bands, non-electric hand tools, construction paper, and many other inexpensive items. My students use this center to create instruments.

4. Snap Circuits Electronic Sound Kit by Elenco. This electronics kit has 188 projects including creating an electronic keyboard, a theramin, and a recording device that will allow you to change the pitch of the recording.

Cost: $50.

5. Games Rhythm Clock. This wooden pizza-shaped device contains pieces representing rhythms from a whole note to sixteenth notes that fit together in a circle. There is also notation of math term equivalents such as fractions, decimals, and percentages. In addition to being a great illustration of the relationships between math and music in the music classroom, math teachers would also love this. Cost: $40.

6. PBuzz. This plastic instrument is great for demonstrating how brass instruments work, especially the trombone and how its slide affects pitch changes. I’ve 3D-printed multiple mouthpieces for it so kids don’t have to spend a lot of time sanitizing the mouthpiece that comes with it.

Cost: $30.

STEAM education is not meant to replace your regular curriculum, but to enhance it. Movement, games, instruments, and most importantly singing are still the staples of music education.

Clinic/Convention Update When you receive this issue, the online personal schedule will be available. If you save your schedule by January 25, TMEA will transfer that data to your mobile app account so that you can easily access your schedule on your personal device during

the convention. Be sure that you register by January 19 to take advantage of the lower rate! For all things convention, go to www.tmea.org/convention.

Earn Your Recruiter Ribbon in San Antonio If you bring a new Elementary Division member or a member who has not been to our convention in the past few years, please stop by the Elementary Division Office to claim your ribbon. This purple and silver ribbon may be worn on your name badge to show your support of increasing our membership.

Elementary Division Invited Performing Groups I’m pleased to offer information on five of our amazing performing groups who are preparing for their presentations during our convention. Our other three ensembles were featured in the November issue.

Stephen F. Austin MS Beginner Choir Brian Shane, Director The SFA MS Beginner Choir is a nonauditioned sixth-grade choir at Stephen F. Austin MS in Bryan ISD. Built in 1937 and located near downtown Bryan, SFA MS serves over 900 students in grades 6–8.

In 2014, Bryan ISD passed a bond that will allow a new Stephen F. Austin school building to be erected on the same property and provide for many renovations

district-wide. Along with the new building, the district will be rezoned to include two grade 5–6 intermediate schools and two grade 7–8 middle schools, one of which will be the new Stephen F. Austin.

Under the direction of Brian Shane, the SFA Beginner Choir has earned consistent sweepstakes and best-in-class awards at the festivals in which they compete. In his sixth year teaching, Shane began teaching at Stephen F. Austin MS in 2012. Steve Gentry, who accompanies this group, joined the program in 2014.

Parker Elementary School Advanced Chorus Marianna Parnas-Simpson, Director Parker Elementary School Advanced Chorus is a part of the 40-year-old music magnet program at Parker ES, HISD Magnet School for Music. Its excellence has been recognized by the National Grammy Foundation, which named it Signature Elementary School of the Year in 2002.

Over 270 students participate in the choral program at Parker Elementary.

The Parker Advanced Chorus consists of 75 fourth- and fifth-grade students.

Parker Advanced Chorus’s high level of performance has been recognized in Texas and in our nation. Under the direction of Marianna Parnas-Simpson, the Chorus was selected to perform at TMEA conventions in 2003, 2005, and 2012.

In March 2007 Parker Chorus was the

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only elementary school chorus invited to perform at the National Convention of the American Choral Director’s Association.

In March 2010, Parker Advanced Chorus was selected to perform at the National Conference of the Kodály Educators in Dallas.

Parker Advanced Chorus performs extensively for community events in Houston and across Texas.

Mitchell Intermediate School Chorale Cyndie Lowry, Director The Mitchell Intermediate Chorale, under the direction of head director Cyndie Lowry and associate director Karen Bond, consists of 61 boys and girls in the fifth and sixth grades. Choir students are members of their gradelevel choir and auditioned for a place in the Chorale in September. Members must commit to a schedule that includes rehearsing twice a week before school and once after school. They must maintain a high level of attendance in their gradelevel choir. Mitchell Intermediate School is in Conroe ISD. During the school year, the Mitchell Chorale performs three concerts. They are involved in the community by singing at a local retirement home during December. They raise money and have food drives for the Montgomery County Food Bank. They have performed the national anthem at Astros games and sung at fundraisers for the Montgomery County Remission Run and Lights of Hope for Batten’s Disease.

The Mitchell Chorale participates in a choral festival every May and has earned superior rankings and best-in-class every year. They have won best-in-festival eight times in the eleven years they have participated. The Mitchell Intermediate Chorale has had the honor of performing at TMEA conventions in 2005, 2008, and 2013 and is pleased to return this year.

Canales Conjunto Santiago Castillo, Director The J.T. Canales Elementary School Conjunto was founded in the spring of 2010, under the direction of Santiago Castillo. Canales Conjunto was created after being asked to perform in the annual Charro Days Festivities, a cultural celebration honoring the friendship and unity between the two border cities of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, 78 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

Tamaulipas. As a means to honor the rich cultural and musical heritage of conjunto music, Castillo used his musical background to convert the school’s rock band into the now famous Canales Conjunto by adding a diatonic accordion and a 12-string guitar, bajo sexto, thus adding the recognized and loved sound of Southern Texas’s conjunto music. The Canales Conjunto gave its first performance that year in the city Charro Days parade and became an instant hit within the community. The Canales Conjunto has since performed at various city and district events, sharing their love of conjunto music.

Canales Conjunto has been blessed with many recognitions and accolades, even gaining a semifinalist spot in 2012 for their accordion player in the annual statewide competition “The Big Squeeze,” held in Austin. The Canales Conjunto consists of third–fifth graders and is loved and appreciated by the Brownsville ISD and local community as they continue to share their musical talent and love for the rich and cherished music that is conjunto.

Spring Creek Scorpion Sound Orff Theresa Cutler and Alison Wheaton, Directors Spring Creek’s Scorpion Sound Orff Ensemble is made up of third–fifth graders who rehearse two days after school (with a third day added in preparation for the convention performance). This group prepares two school performances each year as well as performances for community events and organizations in the Dallas area. These energetic students work collaboratively to create unique performances using the Orff-Schulwerk methods. Spring Creek Elementary is in Garland ISD. Scorpion Sound is under the direction and teamwork of Theresa Cutler and Alison Wheaton. Cutler graduated from Texas State University and is in her sixth year teaching; four years have been at Spring Creek Elementary. Wheaton is a recent graduate of Southern Methodist University and is in her first year teaching at Spring Creek and Lister Elementary.

Both are currently participating in OrffSchulwerk training.

Mitchell Intermediate School Choir

Spring Creek Scorpion Sound Orff

Canales Conjunto

Parker Elementary School Choir

Stephen F. Austin MS Beginner Choir 80 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

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Southwestern Musician | January 2017 83

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COLLEGE NOTES

M I L L I C A N

Fall conference report

T

his month’s column features the minutes from our College Division Fall Conference, which was held on Friday, October 7, at the TMEA Headquarters in Austin. A special thanks to the TMEA staff, who welcomed over 50 college and university faculty who gathered from across the state.

College Division Vice-President Si Millican called the meeting to order at 10:10 A.M. Robert Floyd, TMEA Executive Director, offered his greetings and introduced Kelsey Kling, the newly-appointed Fine Arts Coordinator at the Texas Education Agency. Kling brought her greetings and provided a brief update from the Curriculum Division of TEA and answered questions from the floor. She highlighted the Texas Gateway as a free, open-access resource for professional development in the new Music Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

Vice-President Millican recognized prior College Division Vice-Presidents in attendance including Hunter March (UT/Austin), Sheri Neill (Texas Christian Univ), Janice Killian (Texas Tech Univ), and Michele Henry (Baylor Univ).

A motion to accept the minutes as printed in the April edition of SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN was approved unanimously.

January 18—Last day to cancel an existing hotel reservation without penalty.

January 19—TMEA convention online early registration deadline.

January 20—Last day to reserve a convention hotel through the TMEA reservation system.

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

February 9, 5:15 p.m.—College Division business meeting at the convention.

March 6—Arts Education Day at the Capitol.

Research Poster Session and Convention Recap Amy Simmons (UT/Austin) updated members on the new online proposal submission process for the Research Poster Session and related deadlines.

Vice-President Millican made an announcement about upcoming scholarship deadlines and displayed the new Collegiate Music Educator Award certificate

A special thanks to the TMEA staff, who welcomed over 50 college and university faculty who gathered from across the state.

Southwestern Musician | January 2017 85

and citation cords. Outgoing Texas Music Education Research (TMER) editor Mary Ellen Cavitt (Texas State Univ) was recognized for her service to the journal, and congratulations were extended to her successor Sarah Allen (Southern Methodist Univ).

Vice-President Millican gave a recap of the 2016 Clinic/Convention and a preview of the 2017 sessions. Based on member feedback, TMEA is adjusting the layout and location of the College Fair and the Research Poster sessions for the upcoming Clinic/Convention. Featured clinicians will be Barbara Freedman from Greenwich HS in Connecticut and Colleen Conway from the University of Michigan.

Members in attendance were asked to review the current list of committee assignments and report back to VicePresident Millican if any errors or omissions were spotted.

Article Review Committee Donald Taylor (Univ of North Texas) gave a report from the Article Review Committee. He thanked members of the committee for their service and

announced that Julie Scott (Southern Methodist Univ) would assume leadership of the committee during the next academic year.

Two-Year College Faculty Kathy Mayer (Northeast Lakeview College) met with two-year college faculty and reported that they discussed challenges and strategies regarding Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board initiatives such as new Student Learning Objectives, potential course deletions, Music as a Field of Study, and the 60Ă&#x2014;30TX initiative. Flexibility and creativity are key to helping maintain relevance and the integrity of individual programs. Professor Mayer also expressed concern regarding community college participation at the TMEA convention, pointing out that an increase in proposals and a potential change of some rehearsal scheduling might help. Mayer also asked if the Executive Board might consider a recognition program for two-year college students who complete the music field of study before moving on to their four-year institutions.

Research Committee Amy Simmons (UT/Austin) gave a report from the Research Committee on their discussion of improving the TMER journal to facilitate keyword searches and to make individual articles searchable online. The committee plans to update the template for TMER articles and hopes to create a guide for authors that better describes the submission, review, and publication timelines for the journal.

Inclusion Committee Judith Jellison (UT/Austin) met with the Inclusion Committee and shared the remarkable response to the online survey that was sent to the TMEA membership this fall. Jellison thanked the TMEA staff for their assistance in technical and design support with the survey. A panel of successful inclusion teachers from all levels and areas will present a session at the 2017 Clinic/Convention. The panel was organized by Donald Taylor and will focus on strategies used in ensemble settings.

Jellison thanked TMEA Past-President Keith Dye (Texas Tech Univ) and former College Division Vice-President Michelle Henry for establishing the committee.

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Russell Gavin (Baylor Univ) will assume committee leadership immediately after the 2017 Clinic/Convention. Gavin will be consulting with UIL Music Director Bradley Kent to develop and clarify guidelines for secondary ensemble teachers who are including students with disabilities in UIL events.

Region College Chairs Stephen Crawford (Univ of Mary Hardin-Baylor) led a breakout discussion on the function and role of Region College Chairs. Darla Meek (Texas A&M Univ/Commerce) shared that the committee believes the role was not clearly defined and recommended ways Region College Chairs might interact more with secondary students and teachers.

Urban Music Summer Dialogue Executive Director Floyd offered a recap of the Summer Dialogue on Urban Music Teaching. Specific techniques for teaching in these settings have been shared in SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN and can serve as a resource for college faculty and students. The 2017 Clinic/ Convention will include roundtable discussions facilitated by this summer’s dialogue participants and Kate R. Fitzpatrick (Univ of Michigan) author of Urban Music Education: A Practical Guide for Teachers, which was used as a resource during this summer’s dialogue.

6WDWH %RDUG IRU (GXFDWRU &HUWLÀFDWLRQ Michele Henry shared a report from her testimony earlier in the day before the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) regarding Chapter 228 of the Texas Administrative Code that might negatively affect observation schedules of clinical teachers by university faculty.

Henry worked closely with TEA officials to craft new language that would maintain more flexibility in the timing of those observations. Members of the college division expressed concern that increasing documentation and training requirements for cooperating teachers and principals may decrease willingness to accept our students in their classrooms as studentteachers. Vice-President Millican thanked Henry for her continued service and vigilance in monitoring SBEC activities.

College Student Advisory Committee Lynn Brinckmeyer (Texas State Univ) 88 Southwestern Musician | January 2017

shared a report from the College Student Advisory Committee. All college students were invited to the Collegiate Texas Music Educators (CTME) leadership summit on Wednesday evening during the Clinic/Convention at no expense. All college students were encouraged to run for CTME office, and any institution that wishes to start a chapter should contact College Student Advisory Committee chair Amanda Soto (Texas State Univ).

Musicology and Theory Faculty Kelley Poché-Rodriguez (Texas Woman’s Univ) led a breakout session of musicology and theory faculty investigating the participation and role of their disciplines within TMEA. The group recommended sessions at the convention on music history pedagogy and theory pedagogy that might appeal to both college faculty as well as high school teachers who offer Advanced Placement coursework. University faculty may also lead theory and history review sessions for college students preparing for the TExES certification exams at the Clinic/ Convention.

Employment Outlook for Music Education Graduates Janice Killian led a discussion on the employment outlook for music education graduates. The group believes there isn’t a pronounced problem with students getting jobs, but that some students may receive job offers later than in previous years because of a reluctance of districts to hire or interview applicants who have not completed certification requirements.

The group recommended that students searching for jobs expand their focus to include a wide variety of geographic areas and grade levels to increase the likelihood of employment. The group reiterated that string teacher positions and positions in small schools continue to go unfilled.

T-TESS Integration Vice-President Millican led a session on integrating the new Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) in teaching and assessment. Group participants shared documents from several colleges of education that were fashioned after the T-TESS rubric. While each college will approach this differently, the group encouraged college faculty to use the language of the T-TESS whenever

State Board of Education Action on SBEC Recommendations By not rejecting proposed rule changes offered by SBEC, the State Board of Education in effect allowed those recommendations to become rule at its November meeting. TMEA was instrumental in working with TEA staff to draft this recently adopted language in two areas—maintaining flexibility in the timing of student observation schedules as well as allowing field supervisors who are not currently certified but possess at least a master’s degree to still serve their college or university in that capacity, contingent upon reporting performed duties to meet certain professional development requirements. possible in feedback and assessments of teaching and planning.

Assessment Program TMEA Deputy Director Frank Coachman shared the latest progress on a statewide music assessment program using Music Prodigy.

Floyd concluded the meeting with updates from the State Board of Education and the State Board for Educator Certification, and he gave a preview of the upcoming State Legislative session.

Floyd directed members to the GoArts. org website which includes results of the latest survey of candidates running for the Texas House and Senate positions. He gave an update on changes to the All-State Choirs and gave a preview of the upcoming Clinic/Convention.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:15 P.M. Respectfully submitted by Si Millican, TMEA College Vice-President.

TMEA Clinic/Convention Update I’m sure you perused your December issue of SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN and learned about all the exciting offerings of this year’s convention. If you haven’t yet, be sure to preregister before the January 19 early registration deadline. If you register after that date, it will be at a higher rate.

You can also now find the convention schedule available online, and a couple of weeks before the convention, the convention app will be available for download as well. Stay updated at www.tmea.org/ convention.

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