May 2017 Southwestern Musician

MAY M AY 2017

20 20 2017 01 17 Summer Organ Institute June 4-10

High School Band and Orchestra Camp Band Grades 9-12/Orchestra Grades 10-12 June 11-17

Middle School Band and Orchestra Camp Grades 7-9 June 18-24

Summer Piano Institute gre June 18-24

All-State Choral Music Camp July 11-15

MAY2017 8 5

|

I S S U E

contents

9

features

V O L U M E

columns

College & Career Readiness: Arts Education Is Essential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 TMEA distributed advocacy information to Texas legislators as they FRQVLGHUHG WKH LQFOXVLRQ RI ÀQH DUWV HGXFDWLRQ DFFHVV ZLWKLQ WKH $²) accountability system. Help TMEA share the message.

In Memoriam: Fred Junkin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Learn more about legendary Texas band director and TMEA Past-President Fred Junkin.

Save Your Corner of the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Regardless of your school’s location, your students deserve the opportunity to discover the joy of music and to develop skills that can support them for the rest of their lives.

18

BY SAM HARRIS

Beauty from the Beginning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 %H\RQG WHDFKLQJ WHFKQLTXH DQG IRVWHULQJ FRQĂ€GHQFH DQG VHOI HVWHHP music educators are in the business of supporting our students as they work toward the goal of creating something beautiful.

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

BY FRANK TICHELI

by Andy Sealy

Texas Fine Arts Summit 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Executive Director’s Notes.................12

by Robert Floyd

This year’s CEDFA Summit will offer participants an in-depth analysis and application of the T-TESS Rubric. Learn more about attending.

Band Notes ............................................................21

Bridging the Generation Gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

by Joe MuĂąoz

Through music, students can connect and give back more meaningfully to older members of their community.

Orchestra Notes ..............................................33

BY ZOE WONG

by Brian Coatney

Vocal Notes .......................................................... 43

by Derrick Brookins

by Casey Medlin

College Notes .....................................................57

by Si Millican

On the cover: Madeline Lugo and Britney Perez perform with the Aldine ISD Children’s Honors Choir during the 2017 TMEA Clinic/Convention.

Photo by Paul Denman.

updates

Elementary Notes ..........................................48 Attend Your Spring Region Meeting ........................................................ 2 May Is Membership Renewal Month ...................................................... 3 2018 TMEA Convention Proposals .......................................................18 Thank You, Southwestern Musician Advertisers .................................51

Southwestern Musician | May 2017

1

Editor-in-Chief: Robert Floyd

Attend Your Spring TMEA Region Meeting

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

TMEA Executive Board President: Andy Sealy sealya@lisd.net 4207 Plano Parkway, Carrollton, 75010 ² +HEURQ +6

President-Elect: Robert Horton rhorton@conroeisd.net :HVW 'DYLV 6WUHHW &RQURH ² 7KH :RRGODQGV +6

Past-President: Dinah Menger d.menger@sbcglobal.net :HVWFUHVW 'ULYH $UOLQJWRQ ² )RUW :RUWK ,6'

Band Vice-President: Joe Muùoz munozj@pearlandisd.org 3775 South Main Street, Pearland, 77581 ² 3HDUODQG +6

Orchestra Vice-President: Brian Coatney brian.coatney@pisd.edu 1313 Mossvine Drive, Plano, 75023 ² 3ODQR 6HQLRU +6

Region Date

Time

Location

1

May 13

10:00 a.m. meeting, Amarillo HS Cafeteria 9:30 a.m. food

2

May 13

10:00 a.m.

Guyer HS, Denton

3

May 13

10:00 a.m.

Lake Highlands HS

4

May 12

5:00 p.m.

Mt. Pleasant HS

5

May 21

2:00 p.m.

Martin HS

6

April 22

1:00 p.m.

Permian HS Graham HS

7

April 29

10:00 a.m.

8

May 6

10:00 a.m. meeting, Midway HS 9:30 a.m. food

9

May 6

9:00 a.m.

Tomball Memorial HS

10

May 1

6:30 p.m.

Lamar Univ Music Bldg

11

May 6

12:00 p.m.

Brackenridge HS

12

April 30

2:30 p.m.

Madison HS

13

May 7

2:00 p.m.

George Ranch HS

14

May 20

10:00 a.m.

Del Mar College

15

April 24

2:00 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer HS

16

May 1

5:00 p.m. meeting 4 p.m. steering cmt

Frenship HS

derrick.brookins@pisd.edu 2200 Independence Parkway, Plano, 75075 ² 3ODQR 6HQLRU +6

17

May 13

D P PHHWLQJ 9:00 a.m. food

Alvin JH

Elementary Vice-President: Casey Medlin

18

April 22

10:00 a.m. meeting, Akins HS 9:30 a.m. food

19

May 6

10:00 a.m.

Vocal Vice-President: Derrick Brookins

casey.medlin@fortbendisd.com 5555 Long Prairie Trace #618, Richmond, 77407 ² %UD]RV %HQG (OHPHQWDU\

College Vice-President: Si Millican si.millican@utsa.edu One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, 78249 ² 87 6DQ $QWRQLR

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 0RQGD\²)ULGD\ A.M.² P.M.

Pasadena Memorial HS

20

May 6

9:00 a.m.

Duncanville HS

21

May 6

10:00 a.m.

Bullard HS

22

May 22

11:00 a.m. meeting, UTEP 10:00 a.m. UIL

23

May 13

9:00 a.m. meeting, 8:30 a.m. food

Taylor HS (Katy ISD)

24

May 13

10:00 a.m.

3ODQR :HVW 6+6

25

May 20

10:00 a.m.

McKinney North HS

26

April 27

6:00 p.m.

Stony Point HS

27

May 13

9:00 a.m.

Cypress Creek HS

28

May 13

D P PHHWLQJ Harlingen CISD PAC 9:30 a.m. food

29

May 20

12:00 p.m.

Brandeis HS

30

May 6

10:00 a.m.

Chisholm Trail HS

31

May 13

10:00 a.m.

Pat May Center

32

April 25

6:00 p.m.

Rowe HS

33

May 13

10:00 a.m.

Dekaney HS

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.

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Southwestern Musician | May 2017

May is Membership Renewal Month! www.tmea.org/renew M EM B ERS H I P • LI A B I LI T Y I N S U R A N C E • C O N V EN TI O N R EG I ST R ATI O N

TMEA memberships can be renewed for the 2017–2018 year in May. Don’t wait for the rush of a new school year!

Southwestern Musician | May 2017

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College & Career Readiness All Texas students deserve a well-rounded education that includes the arts. Fine arts courses provide students a safe place to express themselves, take risks, and collaborate with others. Students in arts courses develop essential characteristics for a successful future: • • •

Confidence Effective communication Analytical reasoning

• • •

Problem-solving Creativity Accountability

• • •

Arts education is not a frill;

Perseverance Ingenuity Flexibility and adaptability

Other States Use Arts As a Measure of School Quality

it is beneficial to every student. The arts help teachers reach students

Five states already include the arts in their accountability systems, and others are considering adding similar measures. —Education Week

across a broad spectrum of learning styles and raise achievement in at-risk students, young children,

(March 7, 2017)

underserved populations, and students with disabilities.

Texas leads the nation in arts education, and how we examine school quality should reflect our commitment to offer all students a well-rounded education.

—Gaston Caperton, President, The College Board (2010)

The arts are a response to our individuality and our nature and help to shape our identity. The arts are not a frill and should not be treated as such. They have the potential to become the driving force for healing division and divisiveness.

— Former Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan —

The College Board reports that students with four years of music/arts study score 10–12% higher on the SAT than others.

SAT Scores of Fine Arts Students 1600

1582

4

Southwestern Musician | May 2017

1593

1603 1571

1550 1500 1450

Texas schools with more students in music classes have: • better academic ratings • fewer discipline problems • higher attendance rates

1580

1422

1428

1440

1455 1423

1400 1350 1300

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Students with 4 years of music/arts study Students with less than a half-year of music/arts study Source: The College Board College Bound Seniors Total Group Profile Reports, 2012–2016.

Arts Education Is Essential The Impact of Fine Arts

Texas Leads the Nation Sir Ken Robinson, internationally acclaimed education policy authority and arts advocate, devotes several pages in his latest book, Creative Schools, to praising the Texas House Public Education Committee and Texas Legislature for leading the way to personalized strategies that take into account the different talents of students.

He acknowledges the need for new paths to graduation for high school students who have many different goals for their futures.

Art and culture industries generate $5.5 billion to the Texas economy and contribute $343 million in state sales tax revenue.

Our state’s creative sector employs 1 in 15 Texans—nearly 800,000 innovation workers.

In 2016, 1.89 million Texas students in grades 6–12 studied fine arts in school.

The keys to the kingdom are changing hands . . . we need to make sure we are preparing our kids for their future and not our past. Arts education is not ornamental but fundamental for economic reasons.

Sources: Texas Cultural Trust and TEA PEIMS data.

School districts should be recognized and rewarded for providing meaningful learning opportunities in the arts.

—Dan Pink, author of A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

STEAM for Student Success There is a rapidly expanding movement across the country to integrate the arts into STEM initiatives. To quote a Scientific American op ed, “There is a growing group of advocates who believe that STEM is missing a key component—one that is equally deserving of renewed attention, enthusiasm and funding. That component is the Arts. If these advocates have their way, STEM would become STEAM.” In that same article, celebrated physicist Richard Feynman is quoted as saying, “Scientific creativity is imagina-

the t e G !

PDF

tion in a straitjacket. Perhaps the arts can loosen that restraint, to the benefit of all.”

Arts education teaches the flexible thinking, risk-taking, and creative problem-solving needed to solve today’s most complex and pressing challenges.

Nobel laureates in the sciences are seventeen times likelier than the average scientist to be a painter, twelve times as likely to be a poet, and four times as likely to be a musician.

—Scientific American, Aug. 22, 2012

TMEA distributed a flyer with this content to Texas legislators as they considered the inclusion of a fine arts component in the A–F accountability system.

A PDF of the flyer is available at www.tmea.org/advocacymaterials.

Southwestern Musician | May 2017

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PRESIDENT’S NOTES

B Y

A N D Y

S E A L Y

Musicians for life

T

he lifelong benefits of music and fine arts education are well documented and often cited in the advocacy materials we use to champion our programs and music’s place in the curriculum. We readily embrace the vision of acclaimed contemporary educational leaders such as Daniel Pink and Sir Ken Robinson whose research about the nature, skill sets, and expectations that will define future job markets validates our efforts. Nonetheless, the fact that students do not continue in our programs or even fail to enroll in the first place can stem from the mentality that music and fine arts training, and perhaps even exposure, does not have a place in the long-term future of current students.

As classroom music educators, we understand that only a fraction of our students will go on to become professional musicians. That next principal oboist of a major symphony orchestra, that next opera sensation, or that next pop music superstar are performing in our auditoriums, gymnasiums, and classrooms today. Music conservatory and symphony orchestra rosters are filled with the names of performers from around the world. These individuals come not only from dedicated specialized preparatory programs but also from nontraditional routes like urban afterschool programs, applied studios, and rural community settings.

One thing that music education in Texas does best is provide us with a vehicle to mold students to be musicians for life.

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Southwestern Musician | May 2017

May—TMEA 2017–2018 membership year opens for online and mail/fax submission.

May—Attend your spring Region meeting.

May 1—Texas Music Scholar nomination materials postmark deadline.

June 1—Deadline to submit proposals for the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention.

June 30—All 2016–2017 TMEA memberships expire.

July 20–22—TBA/TCDA/TODA conventions in San Antonio.

December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

January 25—TMEA convention online early registration deadline.

February 14–17, 2018—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

In our state, we are extremely fortunate that music is still valued as an essential part of the school curriculum. One thing that music education in Texas does best is provide us with a vehicle to mold students to be musicians for life.

Training someone to be a musician for life has as much to do with instilling a set of values about musicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s place in our lives as it does with those leadership qualities, teamwork skills, and communal goalsetting attributes often associated with participation in outstanding fine arts, athletic, or other school-supported programs.

Our challenge, as advocates for music education and for our students, is to create experiences in and out of the classroom that will lead our students to become lifelong producers and consumers of music.

A small percentage of our students will become music educators or classroom teachers. Though there are certainly outliers, the majority of our future music educators come from inside our current scholastic and university programs.

TMEA has done a terrific job developing and supporting local chapters of Texas Future Music Educators. The TFME programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth has been explosive in recent years and truly poises students to be simultaneous musical producers and consumers. The daily interaction between students and fine arts sponsors stimulates conversation about our profession and cultivates relationships for our shared futures as adults.

A somewhat larger percentage of our students, because of their love of music or passion for performing, will become

practicing amateur musicians in some capacity through a variety of outlets ranging from garage bands to civic orchestras and church choirs. These adult musicians, along with the aforementioned professionals, will need an educated and appreciative audience. We need audiences to share the collaborative artistry of live performance. We need audiences that respect the creative process and the personal discipline it takes to prepare great literature. And, to some degree, we need audiences that acknowledge the historical

and even harmonic context of the music they consume.

By far the largest percentage of our students will experience a lifetime with music as adults in two significant and interconnected ways: first, through the daily decisions and encouragement that allow their own children to explore and flourish in a school music program; and second, through the conscious and purposeful support of the fine arts as vital educational and cultural components.

In their important potential future

Renew Your Membership in May! TMEA.ORG/RENEW Southwestern Musician | May 2017

7

To Our Graduating College Students: Congratulations on completing this chapter in your lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development!

We hope that the experience preparing for an exciting and challenging music career has been IXOĂ&#x20AC;OOLQJ DQG ZH ORRN IRUZDUG WR \RX VKDULQJ \RXU VNLOOV DQG WDOHQW LQ a professional capacity.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re an Active Member Now :KHQ \RX UHQHZ \RXU 70($ PHPEHUVKLS WDNH SULGH LQ FKDQJLQJ your member type from Student to Active.

When you select Active DV \RXU PHPEHU W\SH you become a member ZLWK IXOO EHQHĂ&#x20AC;WV joining the many thousands of music HGXFDWRUV ZKRVH legacies live on in this professional association.

The TMEA staff and ([HFXWLYH %RDUG ORRN IRUZDUG WR VHUYLQJ \RX as you join this most valued profession!

8

Southwestern Musician | May 2017

role as parents, our students will hopefully act as advocates on their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behalf by introducing them to music early on and nurturing their interests in whatever context they enjoy. Sometimes simple encouragement and supporting their curiosity is enough to get started.

Parental involvement and support for students, no matter the level, is crucial. A thriving music education culture cannot exist without parental support not only for the students but also for the classroom specialists. And it goes well beyond that in the form of carpools, instruments, piano lessons, and volunteerism.

The current political environment is divisive and contentious on all levels, making promoting understanding and good governance difficult. The educational and political landscape is always changing, and arts educationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and sometimes the fine arts in generalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;are constantly vulnerable to attack on many fronts. How will fine arts be taught in the future? Will fine arts be available to all students and how will it be funded? Will music be offered during the school day? Will fine arts have a role in the Kâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;12 curriculum and in

assessment? While we cannot adequately predict whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beyond the educational horizon, we know with certainty that our students in their future roles as parents, voters, school board members, legislators, and CEOs will be asked to address these questions and many more. They must be willing advocates for arts education, defending it from cuts or even elimination. Their experiences in our classrooms today and the takeaways and memories they cherish will be what fuels their passionate defense of musicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in the curriculum tomorrow.

Classroom educators are blessed with extraordinary opportunities every day to create sustaining relationships that shape studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attitudes about the artsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; vital role as we engage students in music-making.

How we train our students and how we share our belief in the power of music goes a long way in creating the mindset with which they will approach the arts for the rest of their lives. We may not be training a generation of professional musicians, but we are sculpting a generation of students to be musicians for life.

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

Aunt Sue

In Memoriam fred junkin red Junkin, TMEA PastPresident (1965–1966) and past Band Vice-President (1962– 1964), passed away Friday, March 10. Fred was born on July 9, 1927, in Corpus Christi.

He attended public schools in Kerrville from grades 1 to 7 and then graduated from Schreiner Institute HS in 1944. He served in the Asiatic Theater with a Navy Band in Japan until discharged in 1946.

He attended the University of Texas, graduating with honors in 1950. During the 1951 school year he was band director at Teague, while finishing his master’s degree. From 1951 to 1954, he was the band director at Hogg JH in Tyler.

He married Don Beth Whittington in 1953, and in 1954 they moved to Victoria, where Fred became supervisor of music and band director at Victoria HS. As was stated when he was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu Hall of Fame for Outstanding Bandmasters: “Think of Victoria, you think of Fred Junkin. Think of Fred Junkin, and you think of Victoria. That is what 30 years at one school can bring. Mix that tenure with performance time as a clarinetist, arranger, orchestra conductor, and TMEA officer. The old adage is true, if you want something done, ask someone who is busy and they will do the job well.”

Several pages would need to be used to list the honors and recognition afforded the Victoria bands under his leadership. Ninety-three first divisions, 24 Sweepstakes awards, a performance at Midwest International Band Clinic in Chicago in 1977, a concert for the joint American and Japanese Bandmasters Associations in 1980, the Outstanding Band in Class at the Six Flags Over Texas Festival in 1983, to name but a few.

During his 30 years at Victoria HS and in the time following his retirement in 1985, Fred served as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the state and nation. He received the Mac Award from the American School Band Directors Association in 1974. He was selected for membership in the prestigious American Bandmasters Association in 1979, and in 1984, he was named Texas Bandmaster of the Year.

Additionally, he served as Principal Clarinet, Personnel Manager, and Assistant Conductor of the Victoria Symphony Orchestra for many years. An active performer, he also played in many jazz performance groups and managed a big band and combo for several years.

In retirement, Fred was ever the loyal Longhorn, frequently attending performances of the UT Wind Ensemble and Longhorn football games.

He leaves behind an adoring family, a legion of dear friends and countless former students. One of those students summed up their feelings by saying, “A large portion of the musician I am today is due to Fred Junkin. He taught us that there is a difference between simply playing notes and truly making music. I will forever be grateful for all those lessons.”

F

10 Southwestern Musician | May 2017

1927–2017

President’s Message November 1965 In the middle of Fred Junkin’s term as TMEA President, he offered the following in his SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN AND THE TEXAS MUSIC EDUCATOR column: Just a few random thoughts as I stare at the typewriter in attempting to meet Lenzo’s admonition to “get those articles in to me on time.” . . . As we continue in our year’s work, we can pose some interesting questions.

1. What should be our relationship to MENC? TMEA has been a vital force in this section of the country. Is this partly due to our independence from this national organization?

2. Is the music curriculum from the elementary through the secondary level in our state adequate for our times? In what areas should we improve? Should performance be the principal end result of our music programs?

Should we offer more of an enriched program? What about adult education? Are we encouraging the formation of adult music groups in our communities?

3. Are we being good stewards of the time of the young people we teach? Their time is valuable. Do we use an inordinate amount of it for perfection of performance?

4. Are teacher-training programs in our colleges improving? Remember that this was of serious concern a few years ago.

5. Do we adopt a defensive attitude as we promote our music programs? How many of us really stop and think why we teach music.

Is it as important in the lives of our boys and girls as it was and is to us? Do we have an articulate philosophy, or do we hide behind the views expressed in musty education books?

What is your thinking on these matters? We would like to know. Submit answers in writing to our editor. This magazine could be a fine device for the exchange of philosophy. It is your state journal—use it!!

WHAT STARTS HERE

CHANGES THE WORLD

music.utexas.edu/apply

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

B Y

R O B E R T

F L O Y D

Proposed legislation DIIHFWLQJ Ă&#x20AC;QH DUWV

I

n my October SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN column, entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Addressing Our Roadblocks to Success,â&#x20AC;?

I wrote about the challenges we all face in sustaining quality school music programs. I encourage you to review that article for its references to resources that might assist you in meeting such challenges. Fast forward seven months from when I wrote that column, and now when someone asks me to define our greatest challenges, unequivocally I respond with two words: middle school.

In discussions with our members, middle school seems to be where the gravest concerns lie. If you teach in such a setting, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m certain you could write this column with great accuracy and authority. The most significant districtand campus-level trends that increasingly limit studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; access to fine arts electives are as follows: â&#x20AC;˘ Offering a plethora of electives, most being locally defined courses that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t TEKS-based but that appeal to both students and parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;everything from leadership to robotics to coding, and the list goes on. â&#x20AC;˘ Double-blocking of STAAR-assessed subjects. â&#x20AC;˘ Requiring STAAR preparation courses for all students. â&#x20AC;˘ Requiring STAAR remediation courses for students who have not met a certain threshold in practice exams. â&#x20AC;˘ Pushing down high school credits into eighth grade, and even lower, especially in languages other than English.

In a sequential learning activity like music, once a student chooses to opt out of your program, LW LV H[WUHPHO\ GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOW WR RYHUFRPH DQG UHWXUQ and administrators must understand that.

12 Southwestern Musician | May 2017

Mayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA 2017â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2018 membership year opens for online and mail/fax submission.

Mayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Attend your spring Region meeting.

May 1â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Texas Music Scholar nomination materials postmark deadline.

June 1â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Deadline to submit proposals for the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention.

June 30â&#x20AC;&#x201D;All 2016â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2017 TMEA memberships expire.

July 20â&#x20AC;&#x201C;22â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TBA/TCDA/TODA conventions in San Antonio.

December 31â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

January 25â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA convention online early registration deadline.

February 14â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17, 2018â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY ALL-STATE CHOIR CAMP June 21 – 24, 2017 (Wednesday – Saturday) SCHOOL OF MUSIC • TALKINGTON COLLEGE OF VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS LUBBOCK, TEXAS

WELCOME

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

The Texas Tech All-State Choir camp has been in existence for over 20 years. Each year we bring outstanding musicians and choral educators to Lubbock to teach high school choral students from around the state. Students have the opportunity to get a head start on the AllState and Region choir audition music, as well as attend classes taught by Texas Tech Vocal Faculty and area choral directors. Camper will have a comprehensive musical experience during the TTU All-State Choir Camp as they explore all aspects of their vocal instrument and musicianship.

Any student who will enter the 9th through 12th grades is welcome to attend. This four-day event is a musically comprehensive choral camp that will prepare students on the Texas Regional and All-State audition repertoire, as well as provide opportunities for exploration of all aspects of choral singing and musicianship. Both the “Large School” and “Small School” repertoire will be rehearsed.

ALL-STATE SCHOLARSHIP Any student who is an All-State Choir Member will receive a $100 scholarship toward Choir Camp tuition!

SUPERVISION Our camp faculty and staff supervise students closely at all times. In addition, University Police and Lubbock Police constantly monitor campus events.

HOUSING

VISITING CLINICIAN

On-Campus

Students will be in the TTU Residence Halls. Rooms are air-conditioned and include linens. Meals are provided through the residence dining hall (vegetarian options available).

Off-Campus

Students may purchase meals in the dining hall or at restaurants in the Student Union Building, attached to the Music Building (vegetarian options available).

CAMP STAFF Camp Director & Clinician Dr. Carolyn Cruse Texas Tech University

Visiting Clinician Dr. Jonathan Reed Michigan State University

Soprano Section Leader Kathryn Zetterstrom Allen High School

Tenor Section Leader Aaron Lucero Newman Smith High School

Alto Section Leader Katie Webb Garland High School

Bass Section Leader Jared Hardy Chisholm Trail High School

E-MAIL PHONE FAX

choircamp@ttu.edu 806.742.2225 806.742.4193 Texas Tech University All-State Choir Camp

Jonathan Reed is Professor of Music and Associate Director of Choral Activities at Michigan State University School of Music where he conducts the LmZm^ Lbg`^kl% ma^ F^g l @e^^ Club and teaches courses in conducting at both the undergraduate and graduate level. In 1999, the Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU) presented him with the Outstanding Faculty Award.

Dr. Reed enjoys an active career as a conductor and clinician for festivals and all-state choruses across the country. His choirs have performed at divisional and national conferences of ACDA.

PHYSICAL ADDRESS 2624 18th Street Lubbock, TX 79409

REGISTER ONLINE www.ttuchoircamp.org

Ikh_^llhk K^^] l ^g^k`^mb\ creativity and comprehensive musicianship in the context of choral rehearsals will be the highlight of your All-State Camp Experience!

• Requiring a career explorations course in seventh or eighth grade.

• Limiting periods in the school day, including some middle schools still on a six-period day.

• Requiring six semesters of physical activity in the district rather than the four semesters the law requires.

The obvious net result is that students, especially eighth graders who have limited electives, are faced with difficult decisions about continuing in music programs. While HB 5 and the new Foundation School Program created more flexibility for high schoolers to pursue an endorsement of choice, now eighth graders throughout our state face greater restrictions and less flexibility.

Proposed Legislation As I write this column we are dealing with two filed pieces of legislation that could impact middle school fine arts participation. One is a bill that would require six semesters of physical activity rather than four in grades six, seven, and eight.

Similar bills were filed in four previous sessions and never got a hearing, but the current bill has been scheduled for a hearing as this magazine goes to press. As in the past, TMEA will advocate to protect middle school electives, and school districts will raise concerns of limited staffing, lack of facilities, and increased, unfunded costs.

Another bill would result in weighted funding for CTE courses in eighth grade.

This bill passage is contingent on tapping the rainy day fund for between 1.6 and 1.9 billion dollars for public education. If passed, districts could become financially incentivized to offer more high school CTE courses in eighth grade (in addition to the two eighth-grade TEKS-based CTE courses: Investigating Careers and College and Career Readiness). This could potentially introduce yet another limitation on fine arts electives in eighth grade.

I hope my middle school concerns are overstated, but enrollment data for 2016 relative to course completion shows that participation in music has remained flat or dropped, despite overall population growth statewide.

Again, I encourage you to revisit my October SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN column for guidance and resources that may help you address issues at the local level (available at www.tmea.org/emagazine).

Secondly, under Resources on our website you may go to Q&A for Teachers and search for recruiting and retention topics.

Thirdly, search SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN archives for articles on recruiting and retention.

In addition, share with your administration the unintended consequences of local policies that force these difficult choices. In a sequential learning activity like music, once a student chooses to opt out of your program, it is extremely diffi-

cult to overcome and return, and administrators must understand that.

A–F Accountability System Another significant crossroads for the future rests in how the final version of the A–F accountability system is defined.

HB 22, the latest iteration of the accountability plan, cuts the Domains from five to three and includes fine arts as a part of the evaluation process. Terms such as “completion of fine arts,” “UIL participation,” and “a coherent sequence of fine arts” are included in the bill. The final rules for implementation are within the Commissioner of Education’s purview.

The devil will be in the details of developing those metrics, new data elements, and implementation methods in a manner that is measurable and definable. If this bill passes, the goal is to have the rules in place in the fall of 2018 for implementation of the plan in 2019, a year later than current law requires.

Certainly, there are risks in how participation in our programs could get defined and utilized as indicators within the A–F system. However, the risk of not having a presence in the plan is even greater. A Texas superintendent who served on the TMEA Advisory Committee at the convention and who only recently came to Texas from Florida warned that Florida’s A–F accountability system had almost destroyed their fine arts programs. We believe the risk is too great to sit on the sideline. While it may be a challenge to remain a part of the plan, that is our goal.

If we have a presence, then hopefully we can be a participant in developing the implementation rules.

Creating a Program They Value By nature, kids want to be a part of something that’s of high quality. In Eric Booth’s keynote at the February convention he shared the results of a Harvard study to identify the determinants of quality in arts education. Far and away, the first determinant was the motivation of the learner, and the second was, not the teacher, but the social context that influences the motivation—a safe and charged learning environment.

In closing then, strive to reach your students in a way that is relevant and important to them. Hopefully, they will continue to be a part of a program they value despite distractions and other options.

14 Southwestern Musician | May 2017

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, May 21, 2017 | 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Individual audition dates may be requested if necessary.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC DEPARTMENT HEADS

Elizabeth Lee

Douglas R. Boyer

Patricia Lee

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

Asst. Professor, Piano

Beth Bronk

Daniel Scott McDonald

Director of Bands bbronk@tlu.edu

Instructor, Saxophone & Jazz Band

Shaaron Conoly

Carla McElhaney

Director of Vocal Studies sconoly@tlu.edu

Asst. Professor, Collaborative Pianist

Eric Daub

David Milburn

Director of Piano Studies edaub@tlu.edu

Instructor, Double Bass

Eliza Jeffords

Instructor, Low Brass

Director of Strings ejeffords@tlu.edu

Joseph Palmer

Wei Chen Bruce Lin Asst. Professor, Piano

Deborah Mayes Accompanist

Ilan Morgenstern

Asst. Professor, Guitar

FACULTY

Keith Robinson

Mark Ackerman Instructor, Oboe

Instructor, Tuba & Music Education

Adam Bedell

Jill Rodriguez

Instructor, Percussion

Instructor, General Music

Mary Ellen Cavitt

Robert Mark Rogers

Asst. Professor, Horn

Asst. Professor, Bassoon

Carol Chambers

Esther M. Sanders

Instructor, Music Education

Instructor, Violin

Joseph Cooper

Eric Siu

Asst. Professor, Trumpet

Asst. Professor, Violin

Paula Corley

Robert Warren

Instructor, Clarinet

Asst. Professor, Piano, General Music & Music History

BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN ALL-LEVEL MUSIC EDUCATION

Jeanne Gnecco

BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN PERFORMANCE

Instructor, Flute

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN MUSIC

Asst. Professor, Cello

www.tlu.edu/music

TCU SCHOOL OF MUSIC

OG R F D E N R 2017 HO

P M A C R I O H C E T A ALL-ST C TO R S CONDU A A P S A R S TO P H E D R . C H R IIS • R O T C E R I L D IIR I N E IL DR. SHER

SESSIONS

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FOR REGISTRATION INFO, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.CHOIRCAMP.TCU.EDU

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Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Jim Widner Jazz Camps

Artists believe in Yamaha.

“I have been performing on the Yamaha Silent Bass for over 10 years and love everything about it...the sound, the touch, the feel and the compactness of the bass, which makes it convenient for travel. It produces the sound of a ‘high end’ acoustic bass but it is actually more even from top to bottom. I have always treasured my relationship with Yamaha. The company is totally dedicated to music education and to their artists.”

- Jim Widner Leader of the Jim Widner Big Band and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis

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2018 TMEA Convention Proposals Due by June 1

WWW.TMEA.ORG/2018PROPOSALS

CLINICS & MUSIC SHOWCASES CLINICS: The convention will feature approximately 300 professional development clinics for current and future music educators. Learn more below about preparing to apply. The deadline to apply is June 1.

MUSIC SHOWCASES: Small acoustic groups can apply to perform music showcases in open areas of the center. Apply online at www.tmea.org/2018showcase by June 1. You must also submit a recording of the group by June 1. Selection is based on quality, compatibility with the venue, and programming variety.

WHAT ATTENDEES WANT The following are the top 10 topics that surveyed attendees say they want covered. Read your divisional column in this issue to learn what teachers in your division want to learn:

PREPARING CLINIC PROPOSALS 1. Work on a meaningful title, concise description, and thorough details of what you will present and how it will benefit attendees.

2. Ask co-presenters for their TMEA member IDs, if applicable. You will need to enter their member ID# when you propose online.

3. Go to www.tmea.org/2018proposals and submit your proposal. If your presence will be funded by a convention exhibitor, select Industry Sponsored as the clinic type.

18 Southwestern Musician | May 2017

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43 R D A N N UA L

Buccaneer Marching Band Festival Blinn College Brenham, Texas

Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017 FRQWHVW WR EH KHOG DW %UHQKDP ,6' &XE VWDGLXP DUWLĂ&#x20AC;FLDO WXUI

1st, 2nd & 3rd PLACE AWARDS IN CLASSES 1A-6A CAPTION AWARDS IN EACH CLASS FOR: DRUM MAJOR - COLOR GUARD - DRUMLINE - SOLOIST

First 35 entries accepted Entry deadline Sept. 1, 2017 $ 375 entry fee Entry fee includes adjudication DQG D Ă DVK GULYH RI \RXU SHUIRUPDQFH )HDWXUHG MXGJHV &KULV 0DJRQLJDO *HQHVLV 'UXP DQG %XJOH &RUSV

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BAND NOTES

M U Ñ O Z

May—TMEA 2017–2018 membership year opens for online and mail/fax submission.

May—Attend your spring Region meeting.

May 1—Texas Music Scholar nomination materials postmark deadline.

May 15—Invited high school jazz ensemble application postmark deadline.

June 1—Deadline to submit proposals for the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention.

June 15—Deadline for Region Honor Band qualifiers to be postmarked to Area Audition Chair.

June 22–23—Area Honor Band listening sessions.

June 30—All 2016–2017 TMEA memberships expire.

June 30—Deadline for Area Honor Band qualifiers to be postmarked to State Band Chair.

July 20–22—TBA/TCDA/TODA conventions in San Antonio.

December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

January 25—TMEA convention online early registration deadline.

February 14–17, 2018—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

Finish with a twist

A

s we enter the final stretch of the school year, how we approach the last month can give us some vital information for developing our plan of action for the future and can provide opportunities to try some new activities.

End-of-year concerts and auditions can be a great way to assess the growth of our students over the past year.

Selecting repertoire that targets specific growth areas can be a way to give your students a practical test to see if they have built a stronger fundamental foundation. This process can also expose areas that need continued development, or, when you achieve the desired growth, it may expose new areas to focus on for the future. You can select audition material that contains assessments of the targeted areas for next year’s group. For example, if you decide beforehand that clarinet articulation clarity is an area that needs improvement, your selected audition music should contain articulated passages or slurred passages that move to articulated passages that help you assess the section’s growth. At the conclusion of the auditions you can have an overall evaluation of how your clarinet articulation has developed over the course of the year. Of course, this takes a lot of planning and may increase the amount of time it takes to select your audition music, but it can also become

Keep students engaged and challenged through the end of the school year by doing the same things but in different ways.

Southwestern Musician | May 2017 21

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The University of Texas at El Paso

Department of

Offering degrees in: Music Education Music Performance Commercial Music Graduate Studies

Cello Professor Wins Grammy® Awards Congratulations to UTEP Cello Professor Zuill Bailey for winning 3 Grammy® awards for his new album, Tales of Hemingway.

Theory and Composition

Dr. Elisa Fraser Wilson, Director of Choral Activities Dr. Wilson’s elite ensemble, the UTEP Chamber Singers return to England in October 17 for a second engagement as choir-in-residence at Leeds Cathedral.

Voice Professor Debuts at Metropolitan Opera

Cherry Duke,

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part of your routine, and over time it can help you and your students use the end of the year as a time for improvement.

Alter the Course Another way to keep students engaged and challenged through the end of the school year is to do the same things but in different ways. I was recently asked by a student teacher, “How did you teach your students to transpose?” He was referring to our basic routine where we ask our students to perform fundamental exercises in different keys or give them intervals to use during exercises. I shared that we started by having our students play the second note of each series of our articulation exercise down a half-step. Then we discussed how a half-step away from a note is a minor second. We then move the second note down a whole step and identify that as a major second. Next, we change the starting note of the exercise from concert F to concert G or concert E-flat and discuss playing the exercises in different keys. We apply that information to other exercises and music. With consistent work, you could one day walk into class and ask a student, “What key would you like to play the chorale in today?” and have your ensemble play it in the chosen key. All of this is done to cognitively challenge the students, and in turn, it gives us a better evaluation of their fundamentals.

Using the foundation of what they know to expand their knowledge will keep it more interesting for them and you. This new knowledge can also prove useful to your graduating seniors who are continuing in music. The interval and transposition work can be put into practice on

their college or university music theory entrance exams.

As you reach the end of this year, I hope you have seen growth in your students and in the way you approach what you do. Once the year is over, find time to get away from your craft. Play golf, go hiking, and spend time with family and friends.

Clearing your mind and allowing yourself to focus on something else can give you the break you need. This reprieve from what you do every day can later allow you to have greater clarity on how to move your program forward.

Region and Area Honor Band As your UIL contest season wraps up and you begin putting the final touches on your Honor Band entry selections, be mindful of the competition rules, procedures, and guidelines found on the TMEA website. Understand and adhere not only to the competition rules but also to the spirit and purpose with which the Honor Band process is intended.

Please be conscientious of your students’ time and energy and model best ethical practices with regard to scheduling and recording. The website addresses several

Renew Your Membership in May! TMEA.ORG/RENEW Southwestern Musician | May 2017 25

2017 MUSIC SUMMER CAMPS

BAND CAMPS High School, June 11-16 Middle School, June 18-23 Drum Major, June 18-23 Strings Camp, July 2-7 Choir Camp, July 10-13 Piano Camp, July 16-21

music.sfasu.edu/camps

scenarios that involve ethical recording practices, but not every possible situation is represented. When in doubt, ask.

Also, please be thorough in completing the entry process by affixing all necessary signatures, submitting your superintendent’s approval letter (junior high and middle schools), completing the clinician document, checking all CDs for completion, and making sure your contest scores have no identifying markings on the cover or within the score. The tabulation program will not upload your entry unless the online documentation is complete. If you are not submitting a recording, you must revisit the online entry system and select not entering. Should you choose to withdraw your entry during the process, please do so in writing as prescribed in the rules document and contact your Region Band Chair. Once the competition listening sessions begin, please make sure your result is accurately reflected on the website once the tabulation file has been uploaded to TMEA. The website should denote “advancers” from Region to Area and Area to State.

Area Honor Band listening sessions are on June 22–23. Judging panels will adjudicate the same classification for all Areas at a given listening center on consecutive days. Adjudication panels and Area Host/Chair information may be found on the Honor Band Competition and Rules webpage found under the Band Division menu. Thanks in advance to the chairs, hosts, and judges for their service to TMEA in the Honor Band process.

The State Honor Band listening session will be on July 20 in conjunction with the first day of the Texas Bandmasters Association convention in San Antonio.

Please be aware that we will be moving forward with several of the proposals discussed by the 2016 Honor Band Committee. These were presented at the 2016 fall Region Band meeting and will be covered at your 2017 spring Region meeting.

Spring Region Meetings By this point in the semester the cycle of annual spring Region meetings is well underway. Please make it a point to not only attend this important meeting, but also get involved on the local level and let your voice be heard on the important topics addressed in the meetings.

• Recruiting/retention

Invited High School Jazz Ensemble Application May 15 is the postmark deadline for the submission of applications and supporting materials to perform as the invited high school jazz ensemble at the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention. For additional information, applications, and submission criteria please go to www.tmea.org/ jazzapplication.

2018 Convention Proposals The deadline for submitting clinic or music showcase proposals for the 2018 TMEA Convention/Clinic is June 1. All clinic proposals should include complete, thorough information regarding all materials to be presented and the intended target audience. Keep in mind that based on responses from band directors attending the 2017 convention, their top 10 topics for clinics are the following: • Rehearsal techniques

• Classroom management • Repertoire selection • Technology integration • Teaching methods • Urban/rural challenges • Advocacy/administrative support • Conducting techniques Go to www.tmea.org/clinicproposals for detailed instructions for all clinic proposal submissions.

The 2018 convention will include short acoustic music showcases in venues throughout the center. To apply to perform a music showcase, go to www.tmea.org /2018showcases. After applying online, you will be directed to submit a recording to TMEA by June 1.

Selection is based on performance quality, compatibility for the venue, and overall programming variety.

• Instrument methods

How do you do that?

If you have expertise to share, now is the time to submit a clinic proposal online. Learn more on page 18, and go to www.tmea.org/2018proposals.

If presenting isn’t your thing, write an article for possible publication in this magazine. Learn more about the submission guidelines at www.tmea.org/magazine.

Help your colleagues across the state by sharing what you know!

University of North Texas Marching Percussion Camp June 12-15, 2017 • Register By 6/2/17 NT Ensembles | Mean Green Ensembles | Mass Ensemble Sectional Groups | “Collar’s Up” | Student Recitals NT in the House | Clinics | Bracket Hack-It

www.percussion.music.unt.edu/marching-percussion-camp Southwestern Musician | May 2017 27

UNT College of Music Summer Workshops 2017 15th Annual Pirastro Strings Elite Soloists Program

17th Annual Beginners and Intermediate Bass Camps

17th Annual Lynn Seaton Jazz Double Bass Workshop

Drum Major and Student Leadership Camp

May 26 – June 2 Jeff Bradetich, Director

June 12 – 16 Lynn Seaton, Director

String Orchestra Day Camp June 12 – 16 Elizabeth Chappell, Director

UNT Keyboard Percussion Symposium June 12 – 16 Christopher Deane and Brian Zator, Directors

UNT Marching Percussion Camp June 12 – 15 Paul Rennick, Director

June 20 – 24 Gudrun Raschen, Director

June 22 – 25 Nicholas Williams, Director

ClarEssentials High School Clarinet Workshop June 28 – July 1 Kimberly Cole Luevano, Director

All–State Choir Camp July 5 – 8 Alan McClung, Director

Jazz Combo Workshop July 10 – 15 Michael Steinel, Director

Conductors Collegium

Middle School/Junior High Honor Choir Camp

Vocal Jazz Educator Seminar

UNT Summer String Institute (2 sessions)

Vocal Pedagogy Workshop

Mariachi Summer Camp

Flute! Repertoire and Performance

Summer Harp Masterclass

June 12 – 23 Eugene Migliaro Corporon and Dennis Fisher, Directors

June 15 – 17 Jennifer Barnes, Director

June 16 – 17 Stephen F. Austin, Director

June 16 – 18 Mary Karen Clardy, Director

July 12 – 15 Alan McClung, Director

July 16 – 30 Felix Olschofka and Daphne Gerling, Directors

July 9 – 22 Donna Emmanuel, Director

August 5 Jaymee Haefner, Director

Vocal Jazz Workshop June 18 – 23 Jennifer Barnes, Director

www.music.unt.edu

For information contact Anne Oncken: 940–565–4092, Anne.Oncken@unt.edu

by Sam Harris eople have often asked me how we’re able to have such successful music programs in Galena Park ISD. My answer used to be, “Because we have to. Because these kids are no less valuable than any other kids. Because these kids deserve the same opportunities as the kids who live in Houston’s affluent, master-planned communities.” But that doesn’t answer how, it answers why. The answer to how is much more of a story of the journey than a checklist of dos and don’ts.

My high school choir director, Kathy Hackett, is the reason I chose this path in life. Long before she worked in Kingwood or Plano, Kathy had an amazing choral program in the small town of Liberty, Texas, where every day she made each student feel loved, special, and important—no matter who you were or where you came from. After three years in her choir, I knew I wanted to be a teacher and do the same to make a difference in the world.

At Southwest Texas State University, the greatest choral educator in my life, Dr. Kenneth Fulton, taught us to never settle for less than the best from our students or from ourselves. He emphasized that you don’t have to make a first division on stage or in the sightreading room; you have to make a first division every day in rehearsal. I took this forward and did my best to make every rehearsal a Sweepstakes experience. In my first job as choir director at North Shore HS in Galena Park ISD, we competed in Region XIX with choirs led by the likes of Milton Pullen, Norris Blevins, Denise Eaton, Jo Scurlock-Dillard, Janwin OverstreetGoode, and Sally Schott. Sally stood out because of her commitment to her school, her community, Pasadena ISD, and the state of Texas as each began to dramatically change ethnically and socioeconomically. The south Houston choir program was always large and incredibly successful, and I believe music educa-

P

tion flourishes in Texas because of educators who share Sally’s passion and commitment to high quality music education for all.

Committing to Make a Difference As a music educator and now fine arts director, I have come to believe that making a difference in Title I schools and in the lives of children of poverty takes a long-term commitment to changes small and large as well as systemic and cultural change of the school and the community. Teachers must be devoted to meeting the most basic needs for children of poverty and to creating a place for them to belong—a place where they know they are loved. For many, home is not that place, but the music room can be.

It is our responsibility to create a caring and welcoming place where all students know they are valued. We must commit to do so every day for every child who enters our music room. Make eye contact with a smile, call students by name, wish them a happy birthday, know what is going on in their lives both good and bad. All of this shows them that you truly care about them and their lives. Many times teachers are the only adults who speak in a positive manner to our students or give them attention for the good things that they do.

Our programs must also be welcoming and inviting to all parents. Parents, many of whom work multiple jobs supporting their families, are much more likely to support their child’s music education if they experience your commitment to provide the best for their child. While they may not be able to send money for fees or buy fundraising items, they will do many things to support your program if you ask them and discover their talents and gifts. My former superintendent Dr. Shirley Neeley said that Southwestern Musician | May 2017 29

parents send us their two most precious things—their tax dollars and their children. I believe when we are good stewards of both they will always support us.

Expecting the Best That being said, our music rooms must also be places of very high standards where every student can be challenged and successful. I once told a director I worked with, “I will never ask you to be _____ High School” (insert name of affluent community), but I will demand that you be the best Galena Park High School that you can be.” We are musicians first and must be committed to creating the very best musical experiences and performances for all students.

I ask teachers to give their students that “Sweepstakes experience” every day in class. One way we achieve that in Galena Park is with ability-grouped performance ensembles. I explain to our principals that no one would place remedial math, seventh-grade math, and Algebra I students in the same class and expect success. Students must be able to create beautiful music, as beautifully as they can, at an appropriate level. When we compromise and believe that our students cannot have great music experiences or achieve exceptional musical performances, we do a disservice to them and to our profession. It is our responsibility to find a way to help them develop their skills. We can scholarship private lessons with booster club or PTA funds, use consultant or fundraising money for master-classes and clinicians—we must do whatever it takes to provide them experiences that others take for granted.

Finding the Funding Finally, students of limited economic means must have financial support typically provided by the families of their more affluent counterparts. As a program in a Title I school begins to grow, more needs develop. The only way to maintain success in a Title I school is to have financial support. I’ve helped our board and administration see the need to provide school instruments as best we can for our band students, to provide formal concert uniforms for all band and choir students, to provide funding for entry fees, accompanists, clinicians, and supplies that other schools take care of through student fees.

We are fortunate in Galena Park ISD that even though we are a property-poor school district, our Board and all the superintendents whom I have worked for have valued the arts. I believe that even as our community changed we never lost what I call “the suburban expectation” of success. We expect our bands to be exceptional every Friday night and advance to the state marching contest. We expect our students in every program to be successful in the TMEA audition process. We expect every performing group to have stellar concert performances.

We expect every group to participate in and be successful at UIL Concert & Sightreading Evaluation. We have 35 choirs and 21 bands in our secondary schools. Of those, 29 choirs and 15 bands represented GPISD at UIL evaluation this year. Students of limited economic means can do anything their more affluent counterparts can do when given the opportunity.

I’ll end with a short story about one of our groups at Concert & Sightreading Evaluation this year. While waiting for the bus to take her non-varsity boys to the event, Elizabeth Bongat, one of our middle school choir directors, posed two questions to her students: “What is one thing that, by the end of today, if you do it and do it well, would make you so proud of yourself?” Second, “What is one thing that, if your team accomplished it today, would make today a success? The answer cannot be bring home a trophy.”

They journeyed through the evaluation process, and when we got back on the bus, she asked them to think back to their answers from the morning. Asked if they had accomplished their goals, their answer was yes! She asked if the hopes they had for their team were accomplished and again they told her yes. They summed up their UIL experience as only members of a middle school choir can: “I didn’t wiggle as much!” “I was so focused!”

“We did what we practiced!” “I was well behaved!” “We were a team!” That was great teaching. That was making a difference in the lives of those boys. That is how we begin to change the world one tiny step at a time with music education in a Title I school.

Students of limited economic means can do anything their more affluent counterparts can do when given the opportunity.

Measuring Our Success While UIL Concert & Sightreading Evaluation is not the only assessment for measuring the success of a music program, it is one evaluation tool. Our administrators have become more supportive of music education as we have educated them about UIL Concert & Sightreading Evaluation. When they see the process, a principal, superintendent, or school board member can better understand how this is assessment of teaching and learning in the classroom. Over the years we have moved from inviting principals and administrators to observe their groups to expecting them to be there and watch the evaluation. To help our school board and administrative cabinet understand, I used my annual board presentation time and titled it “Join Us in the Sightreading Room.”

One of our middle school choirs demonstrated an abbreviated version of the sightreading process during the board meeting.

This was a very effective way to begin educating them about this evaluation opportunity. We also create a comprehensive enrollment report to help teachers and administrators be more aware of the size and scope of our programs. The report goes beyond current enrollment numbers in choirs and bands. It offers, for example, how many flutes start at each school in sixth grade and tracks them through graduation. This level of detail has helped us create enrollment targets for our programs to maintain programs and encourage growth.

30 Southwestern Musician | May 2017

Sam Harris was the choir director at North Shore HS in Galena Park ISD for 15 years and has been GPISD Fine Arts Director for the past 17 years. He participated in the 2016 TMEA Summer Dialogue on Urban Music Education.

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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Texas Chamber Music Institute July 16 - 21, 2017

Jazz Combo Workshop July 16 - 21, 2017

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2017

SUMMER CAMPS BAND

Audio Production Camp July 16 - 21, 2017

All-State Choir Camp July 26 - 29, 2017

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B Y

B R I A N

ORCHESTRA NOTES

C O A T N E Y

In Memoriam JENNIFER LEMIN August 30, 1981–March 28, 2017

May—TMEA 2017–2018 membership year opens for online and mail/fax submission.

May—Attend your spring Region meeting.

May 1—Texas Music Scholar nomination materials postmark deadline.

May 1—HS Full, JH/MS Full, and JH/MS String Honor Orchestra Part A online submission deadline.

June 1—Deadline to submit proposals for the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention.

June 1—Upload and postmark deadline of entry materials for HS and JH/MS Full, and JH/MS String Honor Orchestra.

June 17—First round of Honor Orchestra judging (HS and MS/JH Full, MS/JH String).

June 30—All 2016–2017 TMEA memberships expire.

July 20–22—TODA Convention in San Antonio.

August 1—Deadline for waivers to the audition process to be received at TMEA headquarters.

September 15—HS String Honor Orchestra Part A online submission deadline.

October 28—Protected date to record AllState string auditions.

November 4–5—First and second rounds of All-State recording judging.

December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

January 25—TMEA convention online early registration deadline.

February 14–17, 2018—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

Gaining control of your day

A

s the school year comes to a chaotic close, I have to remind myself to pause and appreciate what has happened throughout the year and what is currently happening. I can easily get overwhelmed planning for spring concerts, festivals, and banquets while also organizing auditions and setting the calendar for next year. In the midst of this frenzy, I often lose sight of enjoying my remaining time with the seniors and preparing the underclassmen for next year. I encourage you to not let the stress of administrative duties and planning affect your classroom teaching.

Our students cannot comprehend the amount of work that goes into running a successful program, but they will remember how you made them feel.

So when it comes time to teach the class, be in the moment and enjoy every second with the students.

The end of the year should be a most fulfilling time as a teacher. We can stop in a rehearsal and students already know what we’re going to say, musicians follow the nuances in our conducting gestures, and we experience some of the most magical and memorable performances. Remember to appreciate the progress they have made, and don’t lose sight of their potential. Every moment offers an opportunity to teach them something new.

Improving the To-Do List Our end-of-year tasks can be overwhelming. I have always been a to-do

Feeling in control of your day and your time is a great way to be able to fully embrace the tasks while also being in the moment with your students and coworkers.

Southwestern Musician | May 2017 33

list person, to the point that at times I can spend more time creating the list than actually completing the items on it. I recently discovered a journal that helped me create a more effective to-do list, prioritize the list, and set time limits on how long I focus on a task. I now create a weekly to-do list and break that list into three to five manageable tasks for each day. I then prioritize each day’s most important task—often the one that is the most uncomfortable or most procrastinated upon. If it is a project that will take several days, I break that project into several small tasks that I can complete over a period of several days. For instance, if I were selecting audition music, my first daily task would be “Find three violin etude books from which I can select an etude.” Day two would be “Select five specific etudes from the etude books.”

Day three would be “Select the etude for the audition.”

With this plan of action, I am now able to create better and more manageable to-do lists. I feel encouraged, less stressed, and inspired when I complete the one task that is highest on my priority list. Every task I complete after the highest priority task is a bonus.

The other technique that has made an even more significant impact on my organizational habits is the Pomodoro Technique developed by Francesco Cirillo. This technique involves creating a distractionfree zone and setting a timer for a recommended 25 minutes in which you work only on the identified task. Before adopting this method, I would often spend just a few minutes on a task, get distracted, and start working on another task. The quality of my work suffered, and I often

never completed any of the tasks.

The first change I had to make was creating a distraction-free zone. I put my cell phone on airplane mode and turn off all app notifications. Sometimes I even put my phone in a desk drawer so I am not tempted to look at it. I also close my email client and all programs that could distract me from the objective. With a distraction free zone established, I set a timer for 25 minutes and focus only on the task at hand. If a distraction pulls me away from the task, I cancel the Pomodoro and reset the timer. Once the timer ends, I stretch, get some water, do a happy dance, and recharge my brain. The most challenging aspect of this technique for me was not letting outside distractions interrupt the Pomodoro. I have learned to shut my door during these time blocks and say no when someone asks me if I have a minute.

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34 Southwestern Musician | May 2017

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Once you get the hang of working in 25-minute time blocks, experiment with longer periods.

Creating a better to-do list, prioritizing the list, and following through with the Pomodoro Technique have been life changers for me. I feel more accomplished at the end of each day, and I’m less stressed and more confident going into the next day. It may feel uncomfortable or out of character not to immediately meet the needs of others, but it’s important to recognize that you will be better able to do so if you are more relaxed and confident. Feeling in control of your day and your time allows you to fully embrace the tasks while also being in the moment with your students and coworkers.

All-State Etudes All-State audition etudes are released online on May 1. Selecting these etudes is a significant and weighty task.

Understanding their importance, the etude selection committee members and I realized we had to find etudes that meet certain criteria. First and foremost, we wanted to select etudes challenging enough to distinguish the best musicians in the state. We also wanted the etudes to be accessible for freshmen or less advanced players. Lastly, we wanted to find etudes that are pedagogically beneficial to the student and worth practicing for several months.

One request I’ve heard from several directors is that we should select etudes with no double stops. The concern is that double-stop etudes were too difficult for many students and that musicians rarely play double stops in orchestral literature.

In response to those requests, I had several invigorating discussions with master teachers about this idea. From those discussions I concluded that double stops can be extremely beneficial and are necessary in our All-State audition material. Double stops force students to have their left hand in the proper position, and they help develop the ear. With this conclusion, and given the concerns, the selection committee worked diligently to find etudes that incorporated double stops but that were not too heavily based on this concept. Regions can select audition excerpts that don’t include double stops for Region auditions, but the All-State level student will still get the pedagogical benefit of studying this technique. I believe the

committees did a fantastic job selecting etudes that meet all these criteria.

Attend Your Region Meetings and Summer Conventions It is extremely important to attend your Region meeting in the spring, and I encourage you to volunteer and get involved as much as possible. Region Chairs will be discussing several important changes and will need your input. If your Region has one, I encourage you to attend the meeting where audition material and repertoire for Region-level clinics and concerts are selected. It’s a great way to discover new pieces and ideas.

The collaboration that happens in these

meetings builds knowledge of repertoire and a prodigious network base. Go to page 2 for a list of Region meetings, times, and locations.

Relax and Recharge Summer is the perfect time to recharge and spend time with your families and friends. It is also a fantastic time for professional growth. I encourage you to attend conducting and teaching workshops as well as the TODA Convention in San Antonio July 20–22. The TODA Board has put together a fantastic convention featuring leaders in our field and social events that will allow you to meet new colleagues and celebrate with friends.

Have a Story to Share?

Many of our best feature articles are written by TMEA members like you.

Perhaps you have developed an effective teaching method, discovered a new technology that helps make your work more efficient, or have been successful in building administrator and community support. Whatever your areas of success, SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN provides a venue for sharing your ideas with your colleagues around the state.

For magazine submission guidelines, go to www.tmea.org/magazine.

Southwestern Musician | May 2017 35

Beauty from the Beginning I think that a lot of young musicians are incredibly well-trained to do fabulous things.

The question I ask myself and others every day is, “What is it for?” It sounds like a silly question but it’s actually hard to answer.

—Yo-Yo Ma

M

any people reading this article have devoted their lives to teaching music, and I’m certain that at some point they have asked themselves this very question.

Lots of answers come to mind. We teach music because it helps foster self-confidence and positive self-esteem in our students; it teaches them the value of working together toward shared goals; it can even make them smarter. Isn’t that great? Good for music!

But most of us know that these are not the supreme reasons why we teach music. These benefits may be valuable, but music is valuable in itself.

We can quickly reach a dead end if we value musical achievement above all else. Is finally reaching that high C on the trumpet what we’re aiming for? When we can finally play Rocky Point Holiday at the notated tempo, do we say, “Mission accomplished”?

Technical achievements certainly foster a sense of accomplishment. We just need to remind our students that technique is the servant, not the master. Otherwise, we will literally produce burnout, both in ourselves and in our students. But how can we teach this to our students?

To answer this, I’ll summarize a well-known tale of a traveler who encounters stonecutters in the midst of their labor: 36 Southwestern Musician | May 2017

by Frank Ticheli A foot traveler, passing by a laborer, asks him why he seems so overwhelmed by his work. The laborer’s reply: “Because it never changes. I’m shaping these big granite stones. I chisel one side, and then I chisel the other. I do the same thing over and over, day after day, until the stone is square and smooth. Then they take it away and bring me another stone, and the process begins all over again.

It’s endless.

Then, the traveler goes farther down the road and sees the next laborer doing the same thing, shaping large granite stones, but seeming to enjoy the work. He asks him why he is so happy. The laborer’s answer: “I am so blessed. I am helping to build a cathedral.”

We must remind our students that their day-to-day work serves the higher goal of making something beautiful. This is the most powerful reason we make and teach music—to make beautiful things. But how do we keep our students continually aware that they are not just performing tasks, but building musical cathedrals?

We can start by nurturing the musical cathedral within us.

Whether by continuing to play our instruments, by singing in community or professional choirs, or by attending inspiring concerts, our aim is the same—to keep our musical passion hot and vital. Our words will mean more to students when they see that we, too, are continually striving to grow. We give of ourselves all through the academic year. When summer comes, it’s a good time to take. Participate in summer workshops, attend more concerts, take a private conducting lesson with a respected mentor. Learn a foreign language; learn to paint; learn a new craft; discover a new author. When we nurture ourselves, we inspire our students to do the same.

But nurturing ourselves is only a first step.

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Choosing the Music “Children should be taught with only the most musically valuable material. For the young, only the best is good enough” (Zoltán Kodály).

If we are to convince students that beauty is the supreme reason for making

music, we need to give them beautiful music from the beginning—real music, with the stuff real music has: expressive power, urgency, authenticity. We must believe in the music ourselves before we place it in front of the students.

It’s not always easy to find good music

Why Wait? Renew in May! Avoid the rush after the start of a new school year by renewing your TMEA membership for the 2017–2018 year in May. • Support TMEA in its work advocating for music education at the state level.

• Help future music educators realize their dream by donating to the TMEA scholarship fund.

• Purchase liability insurance—no teacher should walk into a classroom without it.

• Register for the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention (February 14–17).

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for beginners, but it’s out there. More and more, composers with genuine talent are using their gifts to create beautiful music for young players. That’s something to celebrate. My own musical journey has led me to a recent focus on writing for this group of beginning musicians.

Beyond selecting the best literature for your group there is yet another component in the building and nurturing of musical cathedrals.

Being the Music “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care” (Theodore Roosevelt).

When a child comes home with news of an eventful day at school, parents tend to be less captivated by the actual words than by the emotional energy behind those words. The same is true when we communicate from the podium. Students respond to our emotional energy more so than our words. If we are rehearsing a lyrical piece, we move and speak more lyrically. If the music is fast and gregarious, we move and speak with more fiery energy.

We try not to cut off an ensemble abruptly if we are rehearsing something like Eric

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38 Southwestern Musician | May 2017

Bryan Thomas, Director, North Little Rock MS Band, North Little Rock, AR “RhythmBee is an important part of our band program.

The countdown timer on every RB rhythm unit is a great tool for starting class on time. Mr. Maestronome allows me to walk around the room and listen to each student while the band still must follow a conductor. Just a few minutes of the rhythm curriculum each day has greatly improved our students’ ability to read and understand rhythm.”

Whitacre’s October. Doing so would jolt the students out of the magical universe occupied by that piece—a universe that may have taken half of the rehearsal to discover.

We also know that ref lecting the music on our faces is much more powerful than talking about it. Yet, far too many music educators hide the emotion they feel within, perhaps because they are uncomfortable revealing something so personal. If you are one of those people, I can promise you that—if you will just take the plunge—you will eventually feel more uncomfortable not using your face to reflect the music. You will also hear a difference in the way your students play.

Everything we do from the podium— our facial expressions, our words, our gestures—reflects the world the music occupies. That world is fragile and magical, and we can break its spell with one false move.

But if we remain mindful of our body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice as extensions of the music we are rehearsing, we are more likely to succeed in being the music from the moment we step

on the podium to the moment we step off.

Beauty is also enhanced when we spend less time conducting an ensemble and more time conducting individuals.

We make eye contact with individuals because the music—if it is good music— demands it of us. Good music moves around the room. By the time I complete a rehearsal, I hope to have made eye contact with every musician in the ensemble.

When we make eye contact in rehearsals, we immediately establish a communication loop where both parties are giving to each other as well as responding to each other.

Try this in a rehearsal: smile directly at one student, perhaps your oboist as she is sustaining a single expressive note in a piece. Then, in the next rehearsal, do it again. Did she play the note even more beautifully than before? The two of you have established a positive feedback loop.

She now wants and expects your eye contact and your approval, and she will continue to do her very best to satisfy that expectation.

As Yo-Yo Ma suggests, it’s very easy

to forget why we do what we do, and to fall into a technique-for-its-own-sake mentality. We have to remind ourselves of this basic fact: no one will ever approach us after a concert and say, “Wow, thank you for making my week, because that was the most accurate performance I’ve ever heard!” It’s all about nurturing beauty.

Keeping this at the heart of all we do as teachers—the music we choose, the words we speak, the feelings we share—can produce life-changing results in our students.

Frank Ticheli is a professor of composition at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music and an active composer of band, orchestral, and choral literature. He has recently devoted his creative energy to composing quality music for young beginners through his work with colleague Gregory B. Rudgers, authoring Making Music Matter, Books 1 & 2, a new beginning band method series.

Submit a Proposal for the 2018 Clinic/Convention Why Submit?

What Attendees Want

Before You Submit

Offering over 300 professional development clinics is one of the most amazing aspects of the TMEA Clinic/Convention! Some of our most popular clinics are presented by members just like you. It’s time to create a detailed proposal to submit for next year’s event. Share what you know and help colleagues across the state return home with new ideas and strategies!

Attendees want to learn about the following: rehearsal techniques, classroom management, teaching methods, repertoire selection, instrument methods, technology integration, recruiting/retention, urban/rural challenges and solutions, conducting techniques, advocacy/ administrative support, and much more.

Your proposal should offer a complete summary of what you will present, and the title should be an obvious indicator of the content. Submit a short biographical statement of each clinician. Be prepared to offer a very short summary as well as descriptive details about what you will present, how, and to what audience.

www.tmea.org/clinicproposals April 1–June 1 Southwestern Musician | May 2017 39

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B Y

D E R R I C K

VOCAL NOTES

B R O O K I N S

Connections: Why we chose this profession

A

May—TMEA 2017–2018 membership year opens for online and mail/fax submission.

May—Attend your spring Region meeting.

May 1—Texas Music Scholar nomination materials postmark deadline.

May 1—Postmark deadline for 2018 TMEA Convention Performing Choir application and online recording upload deadline.

June 1—Deadline to submit proposals for the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention.

June 30—All 2016–2017 TMEA memberships expire.

July 20–22—TCDA Convention in San Antonio.

August 1—Deadline for waivers to the audition process to be received at TMEA headquarters.

December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

January 25—TMEA convention online early registration deadline.

February 14–17, 2018—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

h, the month of May—time to hold on for a fast and wild post-UIL, end-of-the-year ride. I encourage you, in the midst of your preparation for pop shows, madrigal dinner shows, auditions, choral convention submissions, choir banquets, AP exams, senioritis (for our high school friends), and of course STAAR testing, that you take a moment to stop, breathe, and reflect on the following question: What progressive steps am I taking toward my personal growth? You may be surprised that I would ask this question regarding your personal growth, rather than your professional growth. Your personal position in life affects your professional position and vision and can affect your work with your choir. As anyone in a leadership position can attest (by the way, we’re all in leadership positions as teachers), when we are overworked, over-committed, spread too thin, and spinning too many plates at once, we are, in effect, no good to anyone. I hope we can all agree that a diluted you is much less productive than a concentrated you.

Making Connections a Priority Remember to keep your priorities straight. Only you can determine what is important. In the craziness that a typical month of May can bring, be sure to take care of you. Celebrate the wonderful year of accomplishments and connections made with your choir. Research analysts have often declared, “If you can’t measure it, it does not exist.” I’m not sure I completely agree with this statement with regard to our world. Can one truly measure the power

For connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen, to be open, and to share with others.

Southwestern Musician | May 2017 43

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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

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Natalie Walker Highland Park High School

Aaron Hawley Odessa Permian High School

Joshua Brown Coppell High School

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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

and effect of connecting with another human being? When you observe your choir students’ progress and growth from the start of the school year to their final choir concert, not to mention all the social events and musical moments throughout the year, isn’t it all about connection, the bond, and the making of a family?

Connection is why we’ve chosen this profession. Connection gives us purpose and meaning in our lives. For connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen, to be open, and to share with others.

No man (or choir) is an island. We’ve all read educational studies on the importance of reaching out to colleagues, sharing strategies, asking questions, and instilling ideas.

Let me reiterate that all of these activities are vital to your personal and professional growth. However important connection

is to our profession, it really boils down to vulnerability.

Being Vulnerable Is a Good Thing Vulnerability is the willingness to try something when there are no guarantees. It is the willingness to step out and be open to the critics. It is the courage to be the first to say to someone, “I care about you.” Vulnerability is not weakness. Choir directors often feel ashamed to admit that they actually need help, or a fresh idea, or a new view regarding some element of their choral program. For the record, shame (in my opinion) can simply be broken down in these three ways: it’s the fear of disconnection; it’s the feeling of not being enough—good enough, thin enough, musical enough, talented enough, etc.; and it’s universal—we all

experience it, and the less we talk about it, the more it governs us.

The opposite of shame is the sense of worthiness. Worthiness is defined as a belief in being loved and belonging. Acclaimed research physiologist and Texas author Dr. Brené Brown shares in her research on this topic saying, “Folks who have worthiness simply believe that they deserve it and therefore receive it.”

Another book of wisdom may put it this way, “So as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

The core of vulnerability can also be broken down into three components: courage, compassion, and connection (there’s that word again). Let’s be clear, courage is very different from bravery. The Latin root of the word courage is cor, which means heart—to speak from

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Southwestern Musician | May 2017 45

the heart. It takes courage to open up. It takes courage to submit an application for your choir to perform at our convention!

Compassion equals the ability to be kind to yourself before you can be kind to others. People cannot practice compassion toward others until they first learn to be kind to themselves. Connection is a result of authenticity, being willing to let go of who (or what) you should be, in order to be who you really are.

I truly believe that if the core of shame is fear and the struggle for worthiness, then vulnerability is the birthplace of creativity, acceptance, love, and belonging.

Perhaps these characteristics are found in your choir and also in your teaching. I encourage you to let yourselves be seen, love with the whole heart, practice gratitude and joy, and believe that you are enough. Your choir students deserve it.

For many of our choir students across the state, your class is the only reason they come to school. Being part of a creative environment with you gives the students

purpose and meaning. A better, more concentrated you ultimately produces a better student and learning ensemble. In the bestseller The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner, the authors point out the difference between being a leader and being a manager. They define a manager as one who keeps the status quo, making sure that all the gears are functioning. A leader is defined as someone who not only ensures that things flow but also encourages change, an alternate view, and most importantly, takes care of the number-one priority—their people!

As I take on the role of Vocal VicePresident, I accept that one of the best things I can do to better the choral students in Texas is to help better our choral teachers. So allow me to be vulnerable and step out and say, as we begin our journey together, that I care about you. You are important to me, and I desire to see the highest evaluation of you.

Again I ask, what progressive steps are you taking toward your personal growth?

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I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from President Theodore Roosevelt: It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Submit a 2018 Clinic Proposal You can now submit a proposal to present a clinic or music showcase during the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention.

June 1 is the deadline for all proposals.

For more information on what you need to know to submit and to submit online go to www.tmea.org/2018proposals. In our convention survey, choir directors listed the following as their top ten topics for future clinics. If you have strategies to share in these areas, don’t wait any longer and submit a proposal: Rehearsal techniques, classroom management, teaching methods, repertoire selection, technology integration, recruiting/retention, conducting techniques, urban/rural challenges, assessment, special needs instruction.

Renew Your Membership in May! TMEA.ORG/RENEW 46 Southwestern Musician | May 2017

ince 2000, the Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts (CEDFA) has organized statewide fine arts summits that focus on teaching strategies aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). This June, CEDFA Summit 18 will offer participants indepth analysis and application of the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) Rubric within the context of teaching and learning in the fine arts. Each of the four sessions at the Summit aligns with the four domains of T-TESS: Planning, Instruction, Learning Environment, and Professional Practices and Responsibilities.

S

The Focus Gain hands-on experience with the rubric, its organization and terminology, four dimensions, and the continuum of practice from teacher-centered actions to student-centered actions. After participants are up and running with the T-TESS Rubric, Summit leaders will refer to it and use examples of effective approaches gathered in the form of case studies to help make concrete connections between these guidelines and actual experiences in outstanding fine arts classrooms.

T-TESS Domains The T-TESS is a comprehensive, performance-based evaluation system. To be

concrete enough to inform daily practice, TEA distilled these standards into four domains: Planning, Instruction, Learning Environment, and Professional Practices and Responsibilities.

At this year’s Summit, CEDFA presenters will step participants through each of these domains, using specific examples from three or more case studies gathered throughout the school year. The following sessions will be presented: Session 1: Structuring Deep Learning Experiences. Learn more about T-TESS Domain 1: Planning. Participants will investigate the planning structures they use to design deeply engaging learning experiences that are flexible enough to meet the needs of all of their students.

Session 2: Designing Instruction Around Higher-level Questions. During this session, presenters will demonstrate how to utilize higher-level questioning as a core strategy during instruction.

Session 3: Responding to Learner Needs. Learn about student engagement. Teachers respond to learner needs by adjusting instruction, modifying the classroom environment, altering routines, and making norms explicit. Teachers and students collaborate to create a classroom culture that promotes accessibility and efficiency, maintains clear expectations for student behavior, and encourages deep levels of learning and engagement.

Session 4: Modeling Excellence in Fine

Arts Education. During the final session, presenters will focus on the individual teacher’s professional practice. How do teachers model the conceptual thinking, designing, and executing skills necessary for contemporary professional practice in art, music, dance, and theatre? What does “thinking like an artist” mean for teachers who model excellence for their students?

Schedule and Registration This Summit will be held at the Austin Airport Hilton Thursday–Friday, June 15–16. On-site registration opens at 2 P.M. on Thursday, with sessions beginning at 3 P.M. The closing session is on Friday, June 16, ending at 2:30 P.M. Pre-Summit sessions (in-depth studies of specific topics with a limited class size) are also available on June 15. Learn more and register at www.cedfa.org. Early registration (for a lower fee) ends on May 20.

Last year’s Summit was filled to capacity, so register as soon as possible if you plan to attend.

About CEDFA The Center for Educator Development in the Fine Arts was formed in 1998 to establish a statewide network to support fine arts teachers in implementing the Fine Arts TEKS. CEDFA now boasts 120 members located in districts throughout the geographic regions of the state.

Southwestern Musician | May 2017 47

ELEMENTARY NOTES

B Y

C A S E Y

M E D L I N

It’s not time to wind down

T

he school year is quickly coming to a close. You’ve made it this far, and now students (and let’s face it, teachers, too) are impatient for summer’s arrival.

As we all work through these final days of our school year, I offer a few ideas in hopes they can make this end-of-year our best yet!

While it may seem like a time for winding down, this is the time when we should really amp up our lessons.

Amp It Up If you can keep students busy doing things they’re interested in, they’ll stay engaged and less likely to have behavior issues. Now is the time to pull out your parachute and ribbons, if you haven’t already. Teach them to play a musical version of an old card game like War or Old Maid (both can be found inexpensively at TeachersPayTeachers.com). Take the kids outside to play a singing game like Charlie over the Ocean or Let Us Chase the Squirrel (played the same as Duck, Duck, Goose). Teach a song that features an instrument they’ve never played (hello, flex-a-tone!).

Showcase Their Talent A few years ago, a fellow music teacher shared how she keeps her fifth graders engaged during this last month. Brace yourselves—she has a fifthgrade talent show on the last day of school. The students perform one class at a time, and the whole event is livestreamed to the rest of the school. Because the performance is being livestreamed, the other grades are free to watch when and for as long as they like. If you’re like me, you’re already a little concerned for her sanity. I couldn’t imagine doing that at my campus, so I tweaked the idea. My fifth graders use the last three classes to come up with an idea, to

Ensuring that the end of their year is a blast will have them eager to come back for more in the fall!

48 Southwestern Musician | May 2017

May—TMEA 2017–2018 membership year opens for online and mail/fax submission.

May—Attend your spring Region meeting.

June 1—Deadline to submit proposals for the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention.

June 15—Postmark deadline for 2018 TMEA Convention Performing Group application and DVD. June 15–16—CEDFA Summit 18, Austin Airport Hilton.

June 30—All 2016–2017 TMEA memberships expire.

July 20–22—TCDA Convention in San Antonio.

December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

January 25—TMEA convention online early registration deadline.

February 14–17, 2018—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

Middle & High School Bands Multiple Electives & Performance Opportunities Commuter or Overnight Camp Private Lessons Available Optional Schlitterbahn Evening Activity Achievement-Based Scholarships Available

For more information and to register, visit www.tlu.edu/sma

practice, and to perfect an act. It can be anything as long as it isn’t too intricate.

The performance takes place during their last day in music class. It’s in the music room, is informal, and is only for their classmates. It’s fun to see what the kids have come up with and, because it’s so low-key, no one gets scared or shy. It’s a perfect sendoff to middle school!

Think Ahead and Be Consistent Hopefully, students will be so busy having fun (while learning!) they won’t have time to misbehave, but some will still manage to fit it in. Students still need structure, especially at this time of year when they’ll seize any opportunity to goof off. Review your expectations and procedures with every class and be consistent. If your students are still struggling, begin every activity with a new set of expectations. Yes, it’s tedious and wrecks your pacing, but so does redirecting students and reteaching objectives.

When giving directions, phrase them in a way that ensures your students know all their expectations before they move.

Rather than simply saying, “Go to your instrument” consider saying, “When I say ‘go,’ you are going to silently walk to your assigned instrument. Please keep your hands to yourself and do not touch your instrument. Go.” Use Positive Reinforcement in Classroom Management Make specific comments about the positive things you’re seeing in your classroom. “Sarah is doing a great job. She is sitting up straight, with her hands in her lap, and her voice is off.” The students who aren’t following directions will start to emulate Sarah. Once everyone is on task, make sure to thank them for fixing their behavior. If a single student is still misbehaving, take the student to the side and speak with them. Ask the following questions: “What are you supposed to be

doing?” “Were you following directions?”

“Do you think you can follow directions when I send you back to join the class?”

Depending on the answers, either send the student back to join the class with the expectation of making better choices or have them sit out of the activity until they are ready to contribute properly. A good timeout rule of thumb is to have a child sit out for one minute per the age of the child. So, a six-year-old should sit out for six minutes. Setting a timer helps the student understand they aren’t being sent away forever. Unsurprisingly, timeouts don’t always work for older students. For them, having a worksheet where students write out the answers to the questions above or writing an apology letter to you and the rest of the class for their behavior will usually curb misbehavior.

Make sure students understand they aren’t being punished because you don’t like them. Explain that they made the choice to misbehave. Remember—there are no bad children, just children who make bad decisions. It’s our job to teach them to make better choices. You might be the only adult in their life who will help them.

Reward Systems Lastly, consider a reward system that is used only during the last four or five weeks of school. It can be as simple as earning enough letters to spell the word music. The rewards don’t have to cost money and can be simple. Kids love to earn the chance to sit next to a friend during class, to choose the last activity of the day, to take off their shoes, or to simply have five minutes of free time. Whatever the reward, make sure it is attainable over the course of one class period and that there is enough time left for them to enjoy it. A sticker chart where kids have to work for weeks in a row before there is any pay off will likely not be very beneficial, especially in schools where student behavior is

Why Wait? Renew in May! Renew your TMEA membership this month and check that task off your new school year to-do list before it’s even written!

w w w.t mea .or g /r e new 50 Southwestern Musician | May 2017

a struggle.

For us, school years come and go quickly. Each one begins and ends, and we don’t change a whole lot. Our kids, however, will be in elementary school only for a short time. We owe it to them to make their time positive and memorable.

Ensuring that the end of their year is a blast will have them eager to come back for more in the fall!

Region Meetings Please plan to attend your Region meeting (see page 2 for details). If you have ever thought about stepping up and serving our organization on the Region level, this may be the right time to learn more and get connected with other elementary teachers from your Region.

Apply to Perform at the 2018 Clinic/Convention A highlight of each convention is attending performances by our colleagues’ students from across the state. It’s fantastic when we have a variety of performers, so I highly encourage you to apply. We will continue to have categories for auditioned and non-auditioned school choirs, district or city honor choirs, and instrumental and Orff ensembles. The selection committee will be listening for choirs that perform with lovely head voices, proper diction, and excellent pitch matching.

Instrumental ensembles should have outstanding technique, appropriate tempos, and accurate rhythms. The deadline to apply is June 15. For an application, go to www.tmea.org/elementaryapplication.

The 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention is February 14–17, 2018, in San Antonio.

2018 TMEA Convention Proposals Now is the time to write your proposal if you are interested in presenting a session at the 2018 TMEA Clinic/ Convention—the deadline is June 1.

Our recent survey results revealed that elementary teachers rate the following as the top 10 topics for clinics (in priority order): Teaching methods, classroom management, technology integration, rehearsal techniques, special needs instruction, repertoire selection, urban/ rural challenges, funding/grant writing, instrument methods, and assessment. Go to www.tmea.org/2018proposals to learn more and submit.

The consistency and quality of this publication have been possible primarily with the support of our advertisers. For over 75 years, TMEA has valued the opportunity to publish a magazine that informs members of association news and offers them sound pedagogical concepts to apply in their work.

Our sincere gratitude goes to the following companies and institutions that advertised with us in one or more of the issues in Volume 85.

THANK YOU, ADVERTISERS! Abilene Christian Univ Andover Educators Austin College Baylor Univ Belmont Univ BLAST OF BRASS Blinn College Bocal Majority Bassoon Camp, LLC Boston Conservatory, The Brazos Valley Chorale Breezin’ Thru Inc. Brigham Young Univ-Idaho CASIO America Catholic University of America, The CCRiddles Clark W. Fobes D’Addario Dallas Baptist Univ Dallas Symphony Association DANSR, Inc. Del Mar College Director’s Choice East Texas Baptist Univ Eastman School of Music, Institute for Music Leadership Fox Products Corporation Gandy Ink Gordon College Hal Leonard Hardin-Simmons Univ Houston Arts Partners Houston Masterworks Chorus J.W. Pepper & Son, Inc. Justine Gonzales Insurance Agency Katy Jazz Festival Lamar Univ Live Music Tutor Inc. Lone Star Percussion Louisiana State Univ Lung Trainers LLC Malmark Bellcrafters

MarchingApparel.com Messiah College Midwest Musical Imports Mighty Music Publishing Mika Hasler Young Artist Competition Foundation Millersville Univ Music & Arts Music Is Elementary Musicfest Texas MusicFirst MusicSpoke Inc. My Music Folders N-Tune Music and Sound New Generation Events New Mexico State Univ Northwestern State Univ Oklahoma City Univ Panama City Beach Music Festival Peripole, Inc. PrimeLending Print Music Source PSA LLC QuaverMusic.com R. Steven Bryant R&S Marching Arts Rhythm Band Instruments, LLC RhythmBee, Inc. Richland College Rowan Global Sam Houston State Univ Smoky Mountain Music Festival Southern Methodist Univ Southwestern Assemblies of God Univ Southwestern Univ St. Olaf College Stephen F. Austin State Univ Suzuki Music Tarleton State Univ Tarrant County College Northeast Texas A&M International Univ

Texas A&M Univ/Commerce Texas A&M Univ/Corpus Christi Texas A&M Univ/Kingsville Texas Association for Symphony Orchestras Texas Choral/Orchestra/Band Directors Association Texas Christian Univ Texas Lutheran Univ Texas Private School Music Educators Association Texas State Univ Texas Tech Univ Texas Wesleyan Univ Texas Woman’s Univ TexasLiving Fundraising The Tuba Exchange Trinity Univ Univ of Arkansas Univ of Arkansas at Monticello Univ of Central Oklahoma Univ of Houston Univ of Louisiana at Monroe Univ of Mary Hardin-Baylor Univ of North Texas Univ of the Incarnate Word UT/Arlington UT/Austin Butler School of Music Center for Music Learning UT/El Paso UT/San Antonio UT/Tyler Wayland Baptist Univ West Music West Texas A&M Univ Wm. S. Haynes Company Yamaha Young Audiences of Houston

Southwestern Musician | May 2017 51

BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP

by Zoe Wong hroughout my high school career, I have been pursuing the Gold Award, one of the highest honors awarded to a Girl Scout—equivalent to the Eagle Award in Boy Scouts.

One component of qualifying for this award is that I had to identify a problem within my community, build a team, and take action to solve the problem. After exploring my community during my freshman year, I learned that many of our elderly felt neglected by the younger generation. I witnessed that the elderly want to interact with high schoolers, and I realized that music and art was a means by which we could connect with them. As a result, I decided to create a self-sustaining program that promotes multigenerational relationships through music and art.

With that goal in mind, I created a program by coordinating with Temple High School students, teachers, and Garden Estates assisted living center residents to encourage interaction with each other through art and music. This program not only allowed students and teachers to perform music and art with the elderly but also encouraged the retirement center to become a performance venue and offered opportunities for students to earn volunteer hours.

Teachers brought their students to play music and make crafts. Our band director, Robert Medina, brought various music acts, from jazz

T

54 Southwestern Musician | May 2017

combos and flute groups to saxophones duets. Beginning on a semi-regular basis, they expanded to a monthly collaboration between the choir and art department. Our art teacher, Rhonda Ramirez, makes crafts with the residents. “It was really fun, seeing the elderly experience the creative process was the same as seeing the kids do it. It was interesting, and it was fun working with them.”

Not only did teachers come to Garden Estates to share music and art, but students also came to gain volunteer hours and to bond with the residents. “It was really interesting because I had to learn how to perform in an intimate setting, and how we were able to talk to the residents was really heartwarming,” said Renuka Jayasinghe, first-chair saxophonist in Temple HS Highlighters jazz band.

Cole Yates, drum major and bassist with the Highlighters jazz band, added, “It was really different performing for a nursing home where the audience is generally not a big crowd; you couldn’t play too loud or do things that you would normally expect, but it was a very interesting experience.”

What’s Different About This Venue?

“In my opinion, I don’t see it as different—we’re very pleased that we can take our music and our kids to perform

for these wonderful people who enjoy our presence,” said Mr. Medina. “Logistically, there’s a little bit of a difference with loadin and volume control because our elderly patrons have a little bit more sensitivity. But as far as the performance, we really try not to be any different.”

James Equels, drummer with the Highlighters jazz band and percussionist in wind and ensemble explained, “This was different from other venues because most of the time when we go to play, the audience doesn’t interact with us, but after we played, the senior citizens would come up and talk to us. One man came up to us and said how cool it was we were doing jazz—and it was cool to play something that spanned generations and talk to people from those generations.”

Elida Guardiola, flutist in wind and ensemble: “This was a private place to play because it wasn’t like a big show. Nobody was in the room when we began, and then people began coming in. It was amazing, and they stopped by to hear us play.”

Bridging the Generation Gap After speaking with classmates who participated, I realized that playing music for the elderly inspired these students. Ultimately I found that this achieved the goal of my Gold Award project, and I was very happy to hear that everyone who participated with this project appreciated interacting with the residents. Lizette Wong, pianist at Highlighters jazz band said, “Establishing a multigenerational relationship isn’t easy. It almost felt like building a bridge, like sharing something that can last beyond time because music stretches beyond one generation and it’s a lasting gift that we can give to anybody.”

Working with our band director, art teacher, and the center’s activities coordinator, I discovered how music and the arts tie people together. I experienced that music and art become more special when they are shared. “All our residents enjoy interaction with young people, and they enjoy the stimulation from different aspects from the outside world—outside Garden Estates—so any time you bring someone from the outside in, they get stimulus, and the music is very enjoyable to the residents,” said Kristi Jollyrmit, Garden Estates concierge.

In the future, I hope that others who see this project will be inspired to share their musical and artistic experiences with the elderly in their communities, further spreading the joy of music and art.

Zoe Wong is a senior at Temple High School, and since the writing of this piece, she has been awarded the Girl Scout Gold Award.

She has been accepted into the Cockrell School of Engineering at UT Austin for aerospace engineering and will begin this fall.

Have a Story to Share?

Take time this summer to write an article and submit it for possible publication.

Submission guidelines at:

W W W .T M E A . O R G / M A G A Z I N E

Southwestern Musician | May 2017 55

PassionCareer

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COLLEGE NOTES

M I L L I C A N

How to write a losing proposal

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olleagues often ask me how they can get on the schedule to present a clinic or session at the annual TMEA Clinic/Convention. Each year, the TMEA Executive Board is tasked with reviewing literally hundreds of sessions submitted for consideration. It seems as if the vetting and selection process works well because one of the “complaints” we hear most often is that there are just too many great sessions going on

May—TMEA 2017–2018 membership year opens for online and mail/fax submission.

May—Attend your spring Region meeting.

June 1—Deadline to submit proposals for the 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention.

June 30—All 2016–2017 TMEA memberships expire.

October 13—College Division Fall Conference.

October 15—Proposal deadline for 2018 Research Poster Session.

November 1—Deadline to nominate students for the Collegiate Music Educator award.

December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

January 25—TMEA convention online early registration deadline.

February 14–17, 2018—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

at the same time.

With one month left to submit proposals online for the 2018 convention, I thought I would share more about how our review process works. After a proposal is submitted, the TMEA staff reviews the session and determines whether it should be considered by the Band, Orchestra, Vocal, Elementary, or College Division. From there, the Vice-President in each division reviews the sessions and either accepts or rejects each proposal. There are specific guidelines for each division as to the kinds of sessions they should consider, and each Vice-President tries to ensure that the topics are balanced to address the varied needs of the members of that division.

After the initial Vice-Presidential review, the President’s Committee, made up of the President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past-President, go over each rejected proposal to see if any of these sessions should be considered again for possible inclusion. After all of this, the proposals are reviewed again

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Southwestern Musician | May 2017 57

by the entire Executive Board, and the final schedule is designed.

So how does one get a proposal past this review and onto the final TMEA Clinic/Convention schedule? After reviewing submissions last summer, and after visiting with my fellow Executive Board members, I’m afraid I can’t give you a definitive formula for getting your session on the schedule. I can, however, offer a few observations of how I’ve seen sessions fail to make the cut. Here, with tongue planted firmly in cheek, I offer you five suggestions for failure: Miss the deadline. Several of my friends and colleagues will describe excellent educational sessions that would be perfect for the convention, but they fail to allot enough time to create a complete and

effective proposal, or they miss the deadline completely. All proposal materials must be submitted online by June 1, 2017, to be considered. You need to reserve time to gather all the information needed to support your submission, so it is best to set yourself a target well in advance of the deadline.

Submit an incomplete proposal. There are detailed instructions for submitting your proposal at www.tmea.org/2018proposals.

Sometimes submitters neglect to include the level of thorough information reviewers need to understand their proposal completely. You’ll also need to provide biographical information along with TMEA member IDs for each presenter in your session who is a TMEA member.

Select a topic that does not appeal to

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58 Southwestern Musician | May 2017

your audience. Sessions should be pedagogical in nature and deal with improving instruction in band, orchestra, vocal, general music, and collegiate music teacher education. The College Division is particularly interested in sessions that have wide appeal across divisions as well as music teacher education. In the past, we’ve also had sessions that address students’ transitions between high school, college, and professional life. Based on college music educators’ responses to our 2017 convention survey, the following are their top 10 topics requested for future clinics: Teaching methods, rehearsal techniques, repertoire selection, instrument methods, classroom management, recruiting/retention, technology integration, conducting techniques, philosophical priorities of music making, private lesson strategies.

Select a topic that is vague or overly theoretical. Our members want sessions that are immediately useful in their everyday teaching. While you are welcome to provide background information and theoretical underpinnings in your presentation, keep in mind that your session is limited to one hour, and the

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audience will want to leave your session with practical information. I would recommend reviewing past convention programs to get a feel for the types of session that have been accepted in the past.

Use the session to promote your business or other product. Our membership does not enjoy sitting through an hour-long infomercial about your book, product, phone app, software, and so forth. Even if you have a specific product that helps you be a better teacher, it should not be the entire focus of your session. If you have a commercial product or business you think

teachers would be interested in, and you will exhibit at our convention, you can apply to present a Product Showcase.

I hope these what-not-to-do guidelines help you avoid some common submission mistakes. Realize that sometimes great proposals are not accepted just because of the high volume of submissions and the need for balance among session topics within the individual divisions.

Other Submission Opportunities Chamber groups and small ensembles should consider applying to perform in a

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music showcase at the February convention. Last year we had 19 performances by college and university ensembles from across the state. Each acoustic group is provided a small stage, chairs, music stands, and an easel for signage that you provide.

Deadline for showcase submissions is June 1. See www.tmea.org/2018showcases for complete details.

If you or your students have research interests, please consider sharing those projects at our annual Research Poster Session held during the convention. Submissions are due no later than October 15, 2017. Go to www.tmea.org/ papers for details and to complete the online submission.

In addition to proposing a session for the annual convention, I encourage you to submit an article for possible publication in SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN. Like clinics at our convention, articles submitted should be pedagogical in nature, be immediately useful to the membership, and should have appeal across the divisions. Go to www.tmea.org/magazine for complete guidelines.

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