October 2013 Southwestern Musician

SOUTHWESTERN MUSICIAN

OCTOBER 2013

OCTOBER 2013

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56 FEATURES

OCTOBER 2013 VOLUME 82 — ISSUE 3 On the cover: Emily Rhoades, a junior at Lufkin HS, rehearses with the 2013 Women’s Choir.

Photo by Karen Cross.

COLUMNS President’s Notes .............................................. 5

by Joe Weir Executive Director’s Notes..................11

by Robert Floyd Band Notes .............................................................21

by Ronnie Rios Orchestra Notes ...............................................38

by Craig Needham Vocal Notes ............................................................50

by Dinah Menger Elementary Notes ...........................................62

by Colleen Riddle College Notes ......................................................69

by Keith Dye

14

TMEA Clinic/Convention Keynote Speakers

16

Reaching for the Stars

With exciting keynote speakers slated for our 2014 TMEA Clinic/ Convention General Sessions, these will be must-attend events to add to your convention calendar.

As highlighted in this 2012–2013 annual report of our association, music teachers and music students are the stars of our year.

BY JANWIN OVERSTREET-GOODE

31

What’s in a Grade?

Learn about a grading system where students keep working to pass until they reach the expected level of mastery.

BY TOM SHINE

48

Technology Works for Me: Tuning Help students develop better intonation and ensemble sound by incorporating technology into your tuning practices.

BY ANDREW GOINS

56

Where Are the Wild Things?

While the challenge of recruiting and retaining male singers might not be completely overcome, you can strengthen your program so WKDW \RX FDQ ÀQG DQG NHHS WKHVH VLQJHUV LQ \RXU FKRLUV

BY NATHAN DAME

UPDATES TMEA Offers Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships .........................2 2014 TMEA Clinic/Convention ......................................................................4 2014 TMEA President’s Concert: The 5 Browns ...................................... 36 HB 5 Implementation: Critical Issues for Fine Arts .................................. 44 College Division Call for Papers ................................................................. 72 College Division Fall Conference ............................................................... 72 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

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

Managing Editor: Karen Cross

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

TMEA Executive Board President: Joe Weir joseph.weir@humble.k12.tx.us 19627 Firesign Drive, Humble, 77346 281-641-7606 – Atascocita HS

President-Elect: Janwin Overstreet-Goode MRYHUVWUHHW JRRGH#ÀVGN QHW 1406 Frontier Lane, Friendswood, 77546 281-482-3413 x 150/Fax: 281-996-2523 – Friendswood HS

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

Band Vice-President: Ronnie Rios ronnierios@yahoo.com 22343 Paloma Blanca Court, Harlingen, 78550 956-427-3600 x 1080 – Harlingen HS

Orchestra Vice-President: Craig Needham Craig.Needham@richardson.k12.tx.us 1600 E Spring Valley Rd, Richardson, 75081-5351 469-593-7028 – Berkner HS

Vocal Vice-President: Dinah Menger d.menger@sbcglobal.net 1305 Westcrest, Arlington, 76013 817-891-1095 – Baylor Univ

Elementary Vice-President: Colleen Riddle criddle@aldine.k12.tx.us 319 E. North Hill Dr., Spring, 77373 281-985-6107 – M.O. Campbell Ed Center

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

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 Administrative Assistant: Rita Ellinger | rellinger@tmea.org Communications Manager: Karen Cross | kcross@tmea.org Financial Manager: Laura Kocian | lkocian@tmea.org Information Technologist: Andrew Denman | adenman@tmea.org

70($ 2IÀFH Mailing Address: P.O. Box 140465, Austin, 78714-0465 Physical Address: 7900 Centre Park Drive, Austin, 78754 Phone: 512-452-0710 | Toll-Free: 888-318-TMEA | Fax: 512-451-9213 Website: www.tmea.org 2IÀFH +RXUV Monday–Friday, 8:30 A.M.–4:30 P.M.

TMEA Offers Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships Apply by November 15 to be eligible.

Do you teach high school seniors who want to be music educators?

TMEA offers undergraduate scholarships for applicants who enroll in a music degree program at a Texas college or university leading to teacher certification. Scholarships for graduating seniors range from $2,500 up to $15,000. Encourage your best and brightest seniors to apply and submit all supporting materials by November 15.

Graduating Senior Scholarships • Bill Cormack Scholarship: $3,000/year for up to five years • Past-Presidents Memorial Scholarship: $2,500/year for up to five years • Past-Presidents Scholarship: $2,500/year for up to five years • One-year scholarships: $2,500 for one year only

Are you in an undergraduate music education program?

Whether you just started a music education program or are preparing to begin student-teaching, TMEA offers you support. Scholarships for undergraduate music majors (available only to active TMEA college student members) range from $2,000 to $2,500.

One-Year Undergraduate Scholarships • TMEA awards one-year, $2,500 scholarships to current undergraduate students enrolled in a music degree program at a Texas college or university leading to teacher certification.

One-Semester Student-Teacher Scholarships • TMEA awards one-semester, $2,000 scholarships to college student members scheduled to student-teach within the two semesters following the application.

Are you a music teacher continuing your professional growth with graduate study?

TMEA supports its members who are committed to expanding their knowledge and skills through graduate study in music by offering scholarships of $1,250 to $2,500.

One-Year Graduate Study Scholarships • Awarded to graduate students for one year only and range from $1,250 to $2,500.

Go to www.tmea.org/scholarships

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

6XEVFULSWLRQ UDWHV 2QH <HDU ² 6LQJOH FRSLHV 3HULRGLFDO SRVWDJH SDLG DW $XVWLQ 7; DQG DGGLWLRQDO PDLOLQJ RIĂ&#x20AC;FHV 32670$67(5 6HQG DGGUHVV FKDQJHV WR 6RXWKZHVWHUQ 0XVLFLDQ 3 2 %R[ Austin, TX 78714-0465. Southwestern Musician was founded in 1915 by A.L. Harper. Renamed in 1934 and published by Dr. Clyde Jay Garrett. Published 1941â&#x20AC;&#x201C;47 by Dr. Stella Owsley. Incorporated in 1948 as National by Harlan-Bell Publishers, Inc. Published 1947â&#x20AC;&#x201C;54 by Dr. H. Grady Harlan. Purchased in 1954 by D.O. Wiley. Texas Music Educator was founded in 1936 by Richard J. Dunn and given to the Texas Music (GXFDWRUV $VVRFLDWLRQ ZKRVH RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO SXEOLFDWLRQ LW KDV EHHQ VLQFH ,Q WKH WZR PDJD]LQHV ZHUH PHUJHG XVLQJ WKH QDPH 6RXWKZHVWHUQ 0XVLFLDQ FRPELQHG ZLWK WKH 7H[DV 0XVLF (GXFDWRU XQGHU WKH HGLWRUVKLS RI ' 2 :LOH\ ZKR FRQWLQXHG WR VHUYH DV HGLWRU XQWLO KLV UHWLUHPHQW LQ $W WKDW WLPH RZQHUVKLS RI ERWK PDJD]LQHV ZDV DVVXPHG E\ 70($ ,Q $XJXVW WKH 70($ ([HFXWLYH %RDUG FKDQJHG WKH name of the publication to Southwestern Musician.

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Southwestern Musician | October 2013

TMEA CLINIC/CONVENTION Including the TI:ME Music Technology National Conference FEBRUARY 12–15, 2014 • SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

BAND

The TMEA Clinic/Convention features hundreds of workshops for band, orchestra, vocal, elementary, and college educators, more than 60 concerts by the state’s finest musicians, and two exhibit halls with over 1,000 booths.

With the TI:ME Music Technology National Conference being held in conjunction with the TMEA convention, you can extend your learning with a full day preconference of technology workshops on Wednesday.

ORCHESTRA

VOCAL

IMPORTANT DATES OCTOBER 1 Housing reservation system opens. Make a reservation early as discounted hotels sell out quickly!

ELEMENTARY

DECEMBER 31 Last day to fax or postmark a convention preregistration.

COLLEGE

JANUARY 23 Last day to preregister online for the convention.

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

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Southwestern Musician | September 2013

Singing: An essential element B Y

J O E

W E I R

S

inging and music reading are the common denominators that thread through all of our disciplines.

With this in mind, I took the liberty of asking some respected instrumental students and colleagues the following questions: “Why do you sing in warm-ups and rehearsal?” and “How does singing impact an instrumental ensemble?”

When I arrived early to the 5A Honor Band concert last February, I noticed that the Brazoswood band was singing on stage during their warm-up. When I asked Brian Casey, a master teacher of 28 years, why their band sang during warm-ups, he responded: “Singing activates the part of the brain that we want to fire when we play wind instruments. It eliminates the amplifier, allowing us to concentrate in a different way. We sing in concert band mainly for pitch. Our jazz band sings to develop style, and our drumline sings to tighten precision.”

Jonathan, our choir’s bass section leader, is also a vital part of our chamber orchestra and plans to be a music educator. These were his thoughts, “Singing is a vital part of instrumentalists’ studies. It helps strengthen aural skills such as interval identification, dictation, sightreading, and improvisation. Since I play the violin, an instrument without any frets, I have to hear the pitch before I play it. My orchestra director always says, ‘If you can sing it, you can play it.’”

Scott, our drum major, sings in our chamber choir and plans to pursue a

Cooperation and collaboration between departments cultivates a supportive environment and strong musical foundation for the future music educators in all of our programs.

PRESIDENT’S NOTES IMPORTANT DATES October—Renew your TMEA membership and liability insurance and preregister for the 2014 convention.

October 1, 6 a.m. CT— TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens.

October 15—TMEA Elementary grant application deadline.

November 15—TMEA scholarship application deadline (see page 2 for details).

December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

January 23, 2014—TMEA convention online preregistration deadline.

February 12–15, 2014—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

Southwestern Musician | October 2013

5

Do you have students interested in music business?

Since 1990, the Texas Music Office in the Governor’s Office has provided Texans of all ages with accurate, unbiased information about our state’s music industry.

The TMO’s website, EnjoyTexasMusic.com, lists more than 18,000 Texas music business contacts, as well as many helpful teaching aids and a complete descirption of the 145 Texas colleges offering music and music business degrees.

The TMO: Your resource for teaching the business behind the notes.

Texas Music Office, Office of the Governor P.O. Box 13246, Austin, TX 78711 (512) 463-6666 music@governor.state.tx.us EnjoyTexasMusic.com

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Southwestern Musician | October 2013

career in music as well. Scott shared the following, “As a saxophonist, I am limited to where I can make music with my saxophone. Singing allows me to carry music everywhere I go. This is very significant because I constantly have pieces flowing through my thoughts. I’ve begun to enjoy music of the vocal ensemble and am very excited to be able to sing with such a talented group of vocalists.”

I asked our Atascocita HS band and orchestra department chairs the same questions.

Larry Ward commands 38 years of teaching experience, has awards too numerous to count, and is an accomplished composer and arranger. He wrote: “The reason we have our students sing warm-ups is because the natural voice requires much control and a good grasp of pitch center. Being able to successfully sing unison lines, especially in a band warm-up chorale, followed by actually playing that same chorale on their instruments makes the band students much more sensitive and aware of what they are playing with respect to intervals, balance, and intonation. Ultimately, singing

during the warm-up period enhances the student’s ear training and is often a part of our daily drill, not only in sectionals but also in full band rehearsals.”

Colin Catoe has nine years teaching experience and has served as the Region 19 Orchestra Chair, and his ensemble was selected to play at the Midwest Clinic last year. He made the following comments, “Singing in our rehearsals is fun. Students think it’s nuts at first, but after they sing a few times and hear the changes it makes in their playing, they’re all for it. It’s a quick way to get students to internalize the music without being distracted by the complications of their instruments.

If they can strengthen their understanding of the music by producing it vocally, they are able to achieve their musical goals on the instrument with more ease and confidence.”

Cooperation and collaboration between departments (band, choir, and orchestra) cultivates a supportive environment and strong musical foundation for the future music educators in all of our programs. I began this year with fourteen orchestra students and six band

October 1 Discounted Housing Available for Members www.tmea.org/convention

members in the choir program. As mentioned previously, our band and orchestra directors sing during their rehearsals, and on numerous occasions they have asked me to work on vocal warm-ups with their ensembles. They even encourage their students to take choir if their schedule permits. Scandalous! If you haven’t already said “No way!” then read on.

No choir concert goes by that I don’t see our band and orchestra directors in the audience. In turn, we make sure that we attend as many band and orchestra concerts as possible. Last year, we combined our chamber singers with our chamber strings for a community and state capitol performance of the Haydn Little Organ Mass. We plan to combine again this December for a few choruses from Handel’s Messiah. Our spring pop

show 2014 will include a medley of songs from The Music Man followed by a performance of Seventy Six Trombones featuring our amazing marching band. Picture this: the choir finishes singing and someone shouts, “Where’s the band! Where’s the band!” straight out of the musical, and voilà—the band cadences into the auditorium, surrounds the audience and lets loose! The audience absolutely loves it! I believe this is teamwork at its best.

Collaboration in the fine arts hallway not only promotes good will between departments but, most importantly, also exposes every future music educator to the strength that can be found in teamwork.

Have you sung with your ensemble lately? Have you planned a collaborative event? Try it, you’ll like it! Step out into the hallway and say hello to your neighbors.

Strike a note with your students & experience the

Sound of Tarleton Dec. 27-28, 2013

Area Choir Workshop Contact: Dr. Troy Robertson (254) 968-9240 | robertson@tarleton.edu

Feb. 8, 2014

Tarleton Brass Day with Wiff Rudd, Greg Hustis, Jeremy Moeller and Ed Jones Contact: Dr. Brian Walker (254) 968-0744 | walker@tarleton.edu

Feb. 21-22, 2014

10th Annual Tarleton Piano Festival with guest pianist Cecile Licad Contact: Dr. Leslie Spotz (254) 968-9241 | spotz@tarleton.edu

March 22, 2014

Tarleton Jazz Festival with guest artist Jon Faddis Contact: Greg Ball (254) 968-9828 | ball@tarleton.edu

March 28-29, 2014

Invitational Band Festival with David Holsinger Contact: Dr. Anthony Pursell (254) 968-9242| pursell@tarleton.edu

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Southwestern Musician | October 2013

Discover more: www tarleton www.tarleton.edu/music l edu d /music i

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

F R I D AY

F R I D AY

December 7, 2013

February 7, 2014

February 28, 2014

(VOICE AND K E Y B O A R D O N LY )

( V O I C E O N LY )

( V O I C E O N LY )

S A T U R D AY

S A T U R D AY

February 8, 2014

S A T U R D AY

January 25, 2014

March 1, 2014

Auditions are required of all entering and transferring music majors.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Baylor University School of Music /NE "EAR 0LACE s 7ACO 48 www.baylor.edu/music and click on â&#x20AC;&#x153;For Prospective Studentsâ&#x20AC;? s -USIC?!DMIT BAYLOR EDU

Limitations on pull-out for remediation in effect B Y

R O B E R T

F L O Y D

T

he Texas Legislature has limited what some have called “educational child abuse” by passing language in HB 5 that limits pull-out of students from one class for remediation in another. TMEA, partnering with CTE associations, championed this legislation that was proposed during the two previous sessions but which until now was unsuccessful in becoming law.

Where It Started As a brief history, prior to 2005 there had been language in the law allowing any student to miss class ten percent of the days a class meets and still receive credit. In 2007, that statute was amended to state that a principal could extend that to 25 percent of the days the class meets if the principal puts a plan in place for the student to meet the instructional requirements of the class.

The purpose of that law was to help students with extenuating health or personal family problems who could not attend school for extended periods of time. The bill specifically stated it was to prevent these students from getting discouraged and dropping out of school. Unfortunately, this same language has been used by administrators to remove students from the very classes that quite often keep students in school, and in many cases a class in which the student has interest and is experiencing success. Ironically, the way some administrators have used the ten percent language has in fact produced the very result it was intended to prevent—dropping out and giving up.

How It’s Changed So what is different now? First of all, in the section of the education code relevant to school day interruptions (Section 25.083), it specifically states the following:

Districts should limit practices that set students up for failure in one academic class in an attempt to raise a test score in another.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTES IMPORTANT DATES October—Renew your TMEA membership and liability insurance and preregister for the 2014 convention.

October 1, 6 a.m. CT— TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens.

October 15—TMEA Elementary grant application deadline.

November 15—TMEA scholarship application deadline (see page 2 for details).

December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

January 23, 2014—TMEA convention online preregistration deadline.

February 12–15, 2014—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

Southwestern Musician | October 2013 11

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The board of trustees of each school district shall adopt and strictly enforce a policy limiting the removal of students from class for remedial tutoring or test preparation. A district may not remove a student from a regularly scheduled class for remedial tutoring or test preparation if, as a result of the removal, the student would miss more than 10 percent of the school days on which the class is offered, unless the student’s parent or another person standing in parental relation to the student provides to the district written consent for removal from class for such purpose.

This language requires local boards of education to both recognize and address the issue. Further, it states that parents must be involved in the decision-making process of extending the days a student is removed for the express purpose of remediation and test preparation. No longer can the principal or counselor make that decision on his or her own.

In the section of the code that speaks to minimum attendance for class credit [25.092 (a)-(d)], the language has been amended to clearly state that this ten percent limitation without parent permission applies to grades K–12, and it addresses not just credit but credit or final grade. Since only high schools deal with credits, middle and elementary school principals quite often have interpreted the law to mean that it did not apply to them or their students, despite the fact that TEA legal counsel had ruled that credit and grade were synonymous in law. Again, the law now clearly states that a student may not receive credit or final grade if they exceed the absence limits without parental consent.

Potential Consequences So what negatives can come from this new legislation? Can administrators still pull students out ten percent of the days in a row, and quite possibly right before UIL Contest, which happens to coincide with STAAR testing? Yes, they can.

We reside and work in a state where local control is the most powerful contributor to education policy at the district level. In addition, if the principal wants to remove the student more than ten percent of the days, and you call the parent and encourage them to not allow the school to do so in light of their amazing success in your classroom, could there be negative fallout?

Of course there could be.

If an administrator cannot remove a

student from your class for an extended period of time, they may just drop them from the class completely or not even let them sign up. Prior to moving forward with this legislation, we seriously considered this possible negative outcome, but the reality was that this practice was already happening, and it was deemed not to be a strong enough reason to simply do nothing about the pull-out issue.

Reading through the more than 200 emails I have received about how such pull-out hurts not only the students removed but also the other students in the program—who remain in class and suffer because of incomplete instrumentation or idle class time—solidified this as the right decision.

I believe we have to view the pullout issue from the “glass half full or half empty” mindset. Administrators want to do the right thing for students, and one of the goals for each student is to pass the STAAR assessments. We all know the pressure principals are under when campus evaluations do not meet the expectations of the district and the community.

They have to make difficult decisions to address the problem, and unfortunately, sometimes our programs and students get caught in the backwash of such a decision.

by elaborating on why pull-out is bad for kids, challenging the effectiveness of more seat time doing the same thing, and weighing its impact on test scores, but working within the system given us is our only option. We have to be viewed as a partner in finding the solution.

Feel free to contact me if you have a questions about pull-out interpretation that you believe may be viewed as inappropriate in the spirit of the law, and I will attempt to get the right answer for you.

Keeping Perspective In working with legislators, one quickly learns that all new legislation is a compromise. While HB 5 is not a quick fix that will cure all ills relative to students being removed from your classroom, it is a good start. More importantly, it reflects the legislative intent that districts should limit practices that set students up for failure in one academic class in an attempt to raise a test score in another.

Hopefully the de-emphasis on testing will begin to affect such decisions.

Cutting the STAAR assessments from fifteen to five for a student to earn a Texas diploma was the result of a strong message from parents that testing was out of control and destroying educational opportunities for their children. I believe this new prevailing philosophy will continue to gain more traction.

In politics you learn quickly that any success one has is based on relationships you build, and similarly, your success is directly tied to those relationships you develop with your principals, counselors, parents, and students. I could continue Southwestern Musician | October 2013 13

TMEA CLINIC/CONVENTION KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Get ready to be informed & inspired as Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser and Sir Ken Robinson present compelling keynote addresses during the First & Second General Sessions.

TIM LAUTZENHEISER — 1st General Session | Thursday, Feb. 13 • 8 a.m. • Lila Cockrell Theater With a long history of offering his expertise and enthusiasm in a variety of venues during our convention, TMEA is excited to welcome back Tim Lautzenheiser as our First General Session keynote speaker. Lautzenheiser is a trusted friend to anyone interested in working with young people in developing a desire for excellence and a passion for high level achievement. His career involves ten years of successful college band directing at Northern Michigan University, the University of Missouri, and New Mexico State University.

Following his tenure at the university level, he spent three years with McCormick’s Enterprises working as Executive Director of Bands of America. In 1981, Lautzenheiser created Attitude Concepts for Today, Inc., an organization designed to manage the many requests for workshops, seminars, and convention speaking engagements focusing on the area of positive attitude and effective leadership training. Over two million students have experienced his acclaimed student leadership workshops over the last three decades. He presently serves as Vice-President

of Education for Conn-Selmer, Inc. His books, produced by G.I.A. Publications, Inc., continue to be bestsellers in the educational world. He is also co-author of the popular band method Essential Elements and is the Senior Educational Consultant for Hal Leonard, Inc. Lautzenheiser is the Senior Educational Advisor for Music for All and NAMM (the International Music Products Association).

He holds degrees from Ball State University and the University of Alabama; in 1995 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the VanderCook College of Music. He is presently an adjunct faculty member at Ball State University, Indiana-Purdue/Ft. Wayne University, and Butler University. In addition, he serves on the Midwest Clinic Board of Directors and the Western International Band Clinic/American Band College Board of Directors.

SIR KEN ROBINSON — 2nd General Session | Friday, Feb. 14 • 8 a.m. • Lila Cockrell Theater Sir Ken Robinson, PhD, is an internationally recognized leader in the development of education, creativity and innovation. He is also one of the world’s leading speakers with a profound impact on audiences everywhere. The videos of his famous 2006 and 2010 talks to the prestigious TED Conference have been seen by an estimated 200 million people in over 150 countries. Robinson is returning to the TMEA Clinic/Convention, having offered an extraordinary address in 2007.

Robinson works with governments in Europe, Asia, and the U.S., with international agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and some of the world’s leading cultural organizations. In 1998, he led a national commission on creativity, education, and the economy for the UK government. All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education (the Robinson Report) was published to wide acclaim 14 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

in 1999. For twelve years, he was professor of education at the University of Warwick in the UK and is now professor emeritus.

In 2005, he was named as one of Time/Fortune/CNN’s “Principal Voices.” In 2003, he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the arts. He speaks to audiences throughout the world on the creative challenges facing business and education in the new global economies.

His book The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything is a New York Times best seller and has been translated into 21 languages. His book Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative was re-released as a 10th anniversary edition on his classic work on creativity and innovation. His latest book, Finding Your Element: How To Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life (Viking, May 2013), is the long-awaited companion to The Element and provides readers with a practical guide to finding—and developing—talent and skills. Sir Ken Robinson’s appearance is sponsored in part by NAMM (the International Music Products Association).

Reaching for the Stars 2012–2013 TMEA Annual Report

by janwin overstreet-goode s music educators, we have the best job in the world— sharing our passions with others. We have the opportunity to touch the lives of so many Texas students in a positive and affirming way. This past year has seen the beginning of a resurgence of optimism and enthusiasm in educators across Texas. New TEKS have been prepared for the 2015–16 school year, and, with the talents of our outstanding TMEA staff, we weathered the storm of the 83rd legislative session. Music education in Texas remains strong and continues to set the standard for the rest of the nation.

A

Legislature With the many issues at stake during the recent legislative session, fine arts education in Texas finally could see the light at the end of the tunnel. The big issues facing education during the 83rd legislative session included school funding, new graduation plans based on pathways (endorsements), a reduction of the end-of-course assessments (EOCs) required for graduation, and consideration of some variation of a voucher program expanding student and parent choice in schools. At the conclusion of the session, HB 5 was passed with the following new provisions: reduced EOC requirements from 15 to 5 (effective immediately); major changes in graduation requirements beginning with the 2014–15 school year; endorsement plans for graduation: STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), business and industry, public services, arts and humanities, and multidisci16 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

plinary studies; and restrictions on student pull-out for remediation and test preparation. Most importantly, each of the endorsement plans retained the one-credit Fine Arts requirement.

2013 Clinic/Convention For the 13th year, TMEA members were able to attend the convention without an increase in convention registration. Of the over 24,000 attendees, almost 9,000 were active Texas music educators. The President’s Concert featured the Dallas Wind Symphony, starring Håkan Rosengren as the guest clarinet soloist. Thursday’s First General Session opened with Karl Paulnack, Director of the Boston Conservatory’s Music Division, delivering the keynote address. Richard Floyd was awarded the firstever TMEA Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his dedicated years of service as State Director of Music Activities for the University Interscholastic League. David Pogue, New York Times columnist and technology expert, was the featured speaker for the Second General Session on Friday.

The TMEA convention boasted the following: • 306 Clinics • 69 Performances • 1,149 Exhibit Hall Booths • 8,780 Active Member Attendees • 24,644 Total Attendees

WELCOME Texas Tech School of Music is proud to introduce our new faculty and staff.

'DYLG ( %HFNHU, visiting professor of orchestral studies, was the director of orchestral studies and conductor of the symphony, chamber, and opera orchestras at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music (WI) from 2005-2012 . Mr. Beckerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career as a violist has included the Atlanta, Syracuse, Savannah, Louisville, Memphis, and Madison Symphonies, the Santa Fe and Miami Operas, and the Eduard Melkus String Quartet touring in the U.S. and Europe.

$QGUHZ 6WHWVRQ assistant professor of trumpet, has performed throughout the U.S., Brazil, Canada, China, the Dominican Republic, Russia and Venezuela. As an orchestral musician, he has performed frequently with the Albany Symphony Orchestra (NY) and the Boston Philharmonic. He has recently performed with Boston Chamber Music Society and as part of the Monadnock Music Festival. As a soloist, Dr. Stetson placed in the International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition.

%HQ +DXJODQG, assistant professor of jazz studies, completed a doctor of arts degree in jazz studies from the University of Northern Colorado and is a recipient of nine DownBeat awards, including â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Instrumental Jazz Soloist.â&#x20AC;? As a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s student at the University of North Texas, he played and toured with the world-renowned UNT One Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Clock Lab Band and is a featured soloist on their album Lab 2009, which received a Grammy nomination for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.â&#x20AC;?

5HEHFFD :DVFRH visiting assistant professor of voice, is an award-winning soprano known for her commanding stage presence. Critically acclaimed as â&#x20AC;&#x153;vocally resplendent,â&#x20AC;? she brings a dramatic intensity to each role she takes on.

Wascoe has twice been a winner of the Gerda Lissner Foundation Awards and has EHHQ UHFRJQL]HG DV D ÂżQDOLVW RU VHPL ÂżQDOLVW in many other international competitions.

/DXU\Q 6DOD]DU, assistant professor of musicology, earned a bachelor of arts degree in music from Carleton College in Minnesota, a master of arts degree from the University of California at Los Angeles, and her doctorate in ethnomusicology from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Her dissertation was titled, â&#x20AC;&#x153;From Fiesta to Festival: Mariachi Music in California & Southwestern United States.â&#x20AC;?

5REHUW )DUUHU equipment and systems manager, manages inventory, supervises custodial and maintenance of the facility, instruments, equipment and supplies at the School of Music.

.LPEHUO\ 6SDUU, assistant professor of viola, was the assistant principal violist of the Richmond (VA) Symphony from 2008-2013 and is a founding member of the Atlantic Chamber Ensemble. Dr. Sparr earned her bachelor of music degree from The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, her master of music degree from the New England Conservatory, and a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Maryland.

-DPHV +RGJLQV, publicity & communications coordinator, manages public relations through marketing, advertising and producing promotional materials and programs. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in electronic media and communications from Texas Tech University and is currently working on a master of arts degree in media and communication.

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TMEA once again hosted the TI:ME Music Technology National Conference in conjunction with our annual convention. At its peak on Wednesday, over 500 registered participants were in attendance for the one-day preconference.

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Ensemble Directors Fred J. Allen, Band

Tamey Anglley, Band

David Campo, Band

Tod Fish, Choir

Tim King, Choir

Gene ene Moon, Orchestra

Deb Scott, Jazz

Gary Wurtz, Jazz “Building Building your future in music” music

Information on Admission Graduate Teaching Assistantships On-Line and On-Campus Graduate Programs www.music.sfasu.edu

. 936.468.4602

18 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

Financial Status TMEA is in good financial shape with sound diversification of funds and investments. We continue to have two years of operating expenses in savings and investments. A financial report must be filed twice a year for each Region bank account, and accounts are randomly selected for audit purposes each year. The staff is now issuing contracts for those paid more than $250 for TMEA services rendered and is filing appropriate tax forms.

Membership The strength of TMEA lies in its members. Our teachers are the stars who shine on musicians in the music classroom, band hall, choir room, and orchestra room. With last year’s membership totals comprising 11,308 Active, 666 Retired, 83 Institutional, and 3,546 College Student members, TMEA continues to prove its effectiveness and pertinence to music education across the state.

Scholarships and Scholars With conservative investments and generous donors, TMEA was able to award $149,000 in scholarships to current and future music educators. The scholarship program continues to remain a strong support for our graduating high school seniors, college undergraduates, studentteachers, and graduate students. The Texas Music Scholars program awarded certificates and patches to 1,775 musical stars in our programs in recognition of their dedication and commitment to music.

TFME Membership in the Texas Future

Music Educators has grown to 686, with 34 active chapters. 314 students were in attendance at the convention. These future stars of music education are thriving with the assistance of their directors.

TMEA Distinguished Administr ator Awards TMEA continues to recognize outstanding administrators as nominated by the membership. Members can nominate online at www.tmea.org/adminaward.

Advocacy In November, TMEA provided testimony before the Sunset Commission members strongly opposing the elimination of Fine Arts as part of the accountability system. The TEA Sunset Bill ultimately died.

Mentoring Network Last year, TMEA redesigned the Mentoring Network by adding new Area coordinators for the Band, Orchestra, Vocal, and Elementary Divisions. Over 100 paired protégés and advisors were in the program in 2012–13.

TEKS Update Revised curriculum standards for all fine arts instruction for kindergarten through 12th grade have been approved and will take effect in the 2015–2016 school year.

All-State Audition Process Review The Executive Board voted to add a second All-State Jazz Ensemble, beginning with the 2013–14 school year. The addition of an All-State Choir to better serve small school students and programs is under study.

Janwin Overstreet-Goode is TMEA President-Elect and Friendswood HS Choir Director.

www.tmea.org/resources • Need help with developing curriculum?

• Want to know what the law says about music education?

• Looking for print-ready advocacy materials?

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Surviving the life cycle B Y

R O N N I E

BAND NOTES

R I O S

L

ike any kind of life cycle, our success evolves through multiple stages—each of which is possible because of what the previous stage provided. I believe our bands thrive when they are founded on a firm belief in what we do. This foundation drives our energy, which is what gives us the power for action, and this action is what facilitates our successful results. When we are attentive to each stage of our life cycle, the successful results we experience will reinforce our beliefs, and we will continue to improve with each cycle’s rotation.

Belief: Our beliefs should be at the core of what we do and why we do it every day. Our beliefs can be influenced by things we have learned from others who are successful in the field, and they are shaped by our experiences, good and bad, that we have had throughout our lives. They are what we should be the most comfortable with as we walk into a classroom every day. And if we’re fortunate to have staff members working with us, it’s important to respect what they believe about their work and allow them the opportunity to lead in their own way based on how their belief drives them. Our beliefs can motivate us to improve and refine our teaching strategies—it is this drive, or energy, that spurs us to achieve.

Energy: This is our fuel—it’s what we feel when we wake at 3 A.M. immediately imagining how to improve something about our program. Energy is what gets us to school excited and eager to begin. Regardless of how long we teach, we can’t ever let the energy die! We must be the most ambitious one in the classroom. So if you wake at 3 A.M., don’t let that time go to waste. Use that energy to spur you into action.

The beauty of the cycle is that these results, whether they be simple or complex, all lead us back to a stronger belief in our program.

IMPORTANT DATES October—Renew your TMEA membership and liability insurance and preregister for the 2014 convention.

October 1, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens.

October 25—Deadline to receive All-State Jazz audition CDs in the TMEA office.

November 9–10—All-State Jazz judging.

November 15—TMEA scholarship application deadline (see page 2 for details).

December 15—Specialty instrument application postmark deadline.

December 15—Dual certification deadline.

December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

January 11, 2014—Area Band and Vocal auditions.

January 23, 2014—TMEA convention online preregistration deadline.

February 12–15, 2014—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

Southwestern Musician | October 2013 21

T r a n s y lva n i a U n i v e r s i t y LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY / FOUNDED 1780

2014 Scholarship Auditions: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15

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Generous music scholarships available to majors and non-majors.

Visit www.transy.edu/programs/music and/or contact Ben Hawkins, Music Program Director (bhawkins@transy.edu).

Action: We are energized when we have a strong belief in what we do, and with this energy, we are able to act. With this constant cycle prompting us to act, we always need to have immediate tasks and long-term goals clearly in mind. At times we need this energy simply to get us through a challenging day, but on those other days when you find yourself energized and able to take on something new, having clear goals established will ensure you are set up to act in a way that will take your program to the next level.

These actions should be like an explosion of everything great we want for all our students.

Results: With every action we take, results will begin to bloom. The fruits of our labor begin to shine and reveal themselves to all involved. While each stage of this cycle is essential, the results are often the only reflection of our program that many will see. The beauty of the cycle is that these results, whether they be simple or complex, all lead us back to a stronger belief in our program. That is what makes the band life cycle continue.

Specialty Instrument Auditions Applications and CDs for specialty instruments must be postmarked by December 15. The specialty instrument being auditioned for 2014 is contrabassoon. Go to the All-State Band Audition Material page on the website for information and to download the application.

'XDO &HUWLÀFDWLRQ Students who qualify to advance to Area in Band and Vocal organizations must complete a Dual Certification form and submit it to the Region President by December 15. The student declares the track in which he or she will continue to audition for qualification to All-State at the January 11 auditions. The Dual Certification form is available on the Band Division Forms page under the Band Division menu on the TMEA website.

2014 Clinic/Convention Update As of October 1, TMEA members can make a discounted convention hotel reservation from www.tmea.org/ convention. Carefully review the hotel choices to decide which properties you prefer. You should have multiple properties in mind as our blocks of rooms in some hotels quickly sell out, and you might not be able to reserve with your first choice. Don’t contact hotels directly as they will not offer you TMEA rates.

From our convention webpage, you will book your reservation via a reservation system for our event (do not respond to any other notifications of official hotels for our convention—it could be a scam attempt to gain your credit card information. The system linked from our convention website is the only official system).

Be sure to make a hotel reservation

Southwestern Musician | October 2013 23

long enough to stay for the whole convention! Each day will be packed with many professional development opportunities and inspirational performances. Within the convention schedule, take time to attend one of our All-State Band rehearsals as they are being led by an incredible lineup of amazing conductors.

Frank Ticheli 5A Symphonic Band Conductor Frank Ticheli is well known for his works for concert band, many of which have become standards in the reper-

toire. In addition to composing, he has appeared as a guest conductor of his music at Carnegie Hall, many American universities and music festivals, and in cities around the world.

Ticheli was awarded national honorary membership to Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, “bestowed to individuals who have significantly contributed to the cause of music in America,” and the A. Austin Harding Award by the American School Band Directors Association, “given to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the school band movement in America.” At the University of Southern California, he has received the Virginia Ramo Award for excellence in teaching, and the Dean’s Award for professional achievement.

Ticheli received his doctoral and master’s degrees in composition from the University of Michigan. His works are published by Manhattan Beach, Southern, Hinshaw, and Encore Music and are recorded on the labels of Albany, Chandos, Clarion, Equilibrium, Klavier, Koch International, Mark, Naxos, and Reference.

Roby G. George 5A Concert Band Conductor Roby G. George is an Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Indiana State University, where he conducts the University Wind Orchestra and Symphonic Band and teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting. He holds a DMA in wind conducting from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music and BME and MME degrees from Florida State

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24 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

TCU Director of Chorale Studies, Dennis Shrock conducts the TCU Concert Chorale in Fort Worth’s St. Stephen Presbyterian Church

PerformCreate TCU UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS Piano, Organ, Winds, Percussion, Strings, Voice, Music Education,Piano Pedagogy, Theory/Composition, and Church Music SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE Many TCU Students receive both music and academic scholarships. In order to be considered for an academic scholarship, a TCU Admission Application (including teacher and counselor evaluations) and the School of Music Online Audition Request Form must be submitted by February 15, 2014.

Music Scholarships will be considered by live audition until March 1, 2014; applicants must complete the School of Music Online Audition Request Form before an audition time can be scheduled. TCU Admission notification will be sent by April 1, 2014.

NEW! TCU EARLY APPLICATION/DECISION PROGRAM Music applicants interested in an earlier admission response are strongly encouraged to complete both application procedures above before the TCU Early Action deadline of November 1, 2013. TCU Early Action provides application review and nonbinding University notification by January 1, 2014, while allowing applicants to decide by May 1, 2014 (National Candidate Reply Date) whether or not to attend TCU. TCU Early Action combined with the February 1, 2014 Audition Day ensures a comprehensive admission decision by February 15, 2014.

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TCU Symphony Orchestra on tour in Argentina, May 2013 NORDAN SCHOLARSHIP The NORDAN Scholarship is an exclusive award, open to entering freshmen vocalists, instrumentalists, and composers of superior talent, who have chosen to major in music. NORDAN winners receive a four-year, FULL TUITION AWARD. Applicants are required to complete the Online Audition Request Form and upload a preliminary video performance for review in order to be considered for a live audition. The application and video must be received by December 1, 2013.

NORDAN Live Auditions are held on January 18, 2014. More information is available at www.music.tcu.edu/nordan_request.asp

GRADUATE PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TCU offers Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in different disciplines. Graduate Assistantships are available. The assistantship may pay up to full tuition and may include a stipend. For full consideration, masters applications must be postmarked no later than March 1, 2014.

The deadline for DMA applications is December 15, 2013.

AUDITION DATES FOR STUDENTS ENTERING FALL 2014 February 1, 2014, February 22, 2014, and March 1, 2014 For more information on both undergraduate and graduate studies, please visit our website or call the School of Music at 817-257-7341.

www.music.tcu.edu

University. He has served as Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Illinois and Director of Bands at Florida International University, the University of Dayton, Fisk University, and Hallandale HS in Florida. He was the founding Director of Bands at the prestigious New World School of the Arts in Miami and worked as an assistant at the Boston Latin HS. George has led wind ensembles and orchestras at the high school and university levels in performances nationally and internationally. His FIU Wind Ensemble

has performed at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, the CBDNA Southern Regional conferences, and the National CBDNA conference. He also appeared as conductor of the Greater Miami Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2005.

His annual Institute for Conductor Training symposium, hosted by Indiana State University, focuses on the unique experience of conducting chamber wind and string music and is co-directed with Maestro Raffaele Ponti, conductor of the Paducah Symphony Orchestra and the Charlotte (FL) Symphony.

Johan de Meij Symphonic Band Conductor Johan de Meij studied trombone and conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Music at The Hague. He has earned international fame as a composer and arranger.

De Meijâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Symphony No. 1, The Lord of the Rings was his first substantial composition and received the prestigious Sudler Composition Award in 1989. Other major works such as Symphony No. 2, The Big Apple, Symphony No. 3, Planet Earth, T-Bone Concerto, and Casanova and shorter works such as Extreme Makeover and Extreme Beethoven have also gained worldwide recognition.

Besides composing and arranging, de Meij is active as a performer, conductor, adjudicator, and lecturer. As a trombone

October 1 Discounted Housing Available for Members www.tmea.org/convention 26 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

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and euphonium player he has performed with major orchestras and ensembles in the Netherlands, such as the Netherlands Wind Ensemble, the Dutch Brass Sextet, the Radio Chamber Orchestra, the Amsterdam Wind Orchestra and Orkest “De Volharding.” He has conducted some of the leading wind orchestras of Europe, Asia, Australia, and North and South America, and he has led master classes around the world. In 2010, he was appointed regular guest conductor of the renowned Simón Bolívar Youth Wind Orchestra from Caracas, Venezuela.

Terell Stafford Jazz Ensemble I Conductor Known for being a gifted and versatile player with a voice all his own, Terell Stafford combines lyricism and a deep love of melody with a spirited, adventurous edge. This uniquely expressive, well-

defined musical talent allows Stafford the ability to dance in and around the rich trumpet tradition of his predecessors while making his own inroads.

Stafford picked up his first trumpet at the age of thirteen and, even though he was drawn to jazz, initially studied classical music. While pursuing a music education degree at the University of Maryland, Stafford played with the school’s jazz band.

It was during this time that he began to immerse himself in jazz. He cites as one of his most profound musical influences Clifford Brown’s rendition of “Cherokee.”

An educator as well as a performer, Stafford currently holds the positions of Director of Jazz Studies and Chair of Instrumental Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he has been a recipient of the University’s Creative Achievement Award. He is also a clinician for the prestigious Vail Foundation in Colorado and Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington Program. Stafford formerly served as a faculty member for the Juilliard Institute for Jazz Studies in New York. Dedicated to building the jazz arts community through education, Stafford currently sits on the board of the Jazz Education Network.

Conrad Herwig Jazz Ensemble II Conductor New York-based jazz trombonist Conrad Herwig is considered one of the world’s complete jazz musicians, atop both the performing and jazz educational fields with an abundance of composer and arranger credits. To date, he has released 20 recordings as a leader in addition to

Are You Teaching High School Seniors Who Want to Be Music Educators?

TMEA offers undergraduate scholarships for applicants who enroll in a music degree program at a Texas college or university leading to teacher certification.

Scholarships for graduating seniors range from $2,500 up to $15,000. Encourage your best and brightest seniors to apply and submit all supporting materials by November 15. See page 2 for details.

www.tmea.org/scholarships

contributing to nearly 200 other recording sessions with some of the most notable jazz artists. He has performed and recorded with Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Frank Sinatra, Joe Lovano, and Tom Harrell, among many others.

Originally from Oklahoma, Herwig is an inductee of that state’s Jazz Hall of Fame. He attended the University of North Texas, performing as a member of the One O’Clock Jazz Lab Band.

Later in his career he completed studies at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vt., where he received his bachelor’s degree in AfroCaribbean ethnomusicology. Herwig’s formal studies came to a close with a master of arts degree in Jazz Studies from Queens College, a branch of City University of New York.

Equally well-versed in the bebop, hard bop, and modern jazz musical languages, Herwig’s professional performance career commenced with big band stints with a number of iconic and legendary figures including Clark Terry, Cab Calloway, Buddy Rich, Toshiko Akiyoshi and Mel Lewis. He also performed and toured with Slide Hampton’s “World of Trombones” and later worked with the Frank Sinatra Orchestra. Other important early associations included a stay with band leader Mario Bauza’s seminal Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, an association that would launch his mastery of the Latin and Latin Jazz genres.

Southwestern Musician | October 2013 29

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What’s in a Grade?

By Tom Shine

D

uring my 40 years as a teacher, most of my philosophies and beliefs changed and evolved, but none more than my ideas about grades and grading. I remember very well the first six-weeks of my freshman year, sitting second chair in my high school band clarinet section. When the time came for our first report card, I received a 97 while the first chair, a senior, received a 98. I knew we played the same part and that we had both done the same work, so I asked the first chair player why our grades differed. She replied that grades were given out by chair with the first chair getting a 98 (because no one, in the eyes of the band director, was perfect), the second chair a 97 and so on. I remember looking to the bottom of our 25+ player section and worrying about what their grades must be like!

Only eight years later, as a rookie band director, I was faced with assigning grades to my very first band and trying to be fair while following the existing protocol within the program and the district. During the first decade of my career, I remember trying every way possible to be objective about assigning grades to scales, technical studies, parts of the band music, all-region etudes, and more. All during this time, I was never comfortable telling one student that her B-flat scale earned an 89 while another student earned a 91, even though I tried to count mistakes, factor in tempo, tone, articulation, and all the other aspects of performance. It was very difficult to justify to students or parents that a certain tone quality deserved a 71 while another earned a 75. “I am the professional and I decide these things” just didn’t seem a valid explanation.

I began to question myself about the function of grades and grading in my program.

What does a grade really mean to a student or parent?

What am I really trying to measure? In evaluating a student, what am I really seeking? The conclusion that I reached was that I wanted mastery of every skill and mastery of every part of the music. For a student to perform in an ensemble below the level of mastery meant that the overall performance of the band would be somewhat less than it could be. Based on the idea that I wanted and expected every student to achieve mastery, I hammered out a set of procedures for evaluation and grading that I continued to use until I retired

three years ago. These included: 1. Objectives (4 or 5) were set for each six-weeks with specific days for students to pass off during class before a director. Playing in front of the director gave the opportunity to address issues with reeds, mouthpieces, instrument condition and maintenance, and occasionally eligibility or other issues.

2. “Pass” or “Try” were the only two grades given. A “Try” meant that the student(s) would need to try again at some time of their choosing but not during class.

3. At the end of the grading period, fundamental objectives that had not been passed were carried over to the next grading period and added to the next set of objectives. Performance music objectives might be carried over if the performance had not taken place. Students who did not pass performance objectives prior to a performance were either held out of the performance or reassigned to a non-performing instrumental ensemble class until they could make up the work.

4. Ultimately, a student who passed 4 out of 5 objectives would receive an 80; 3 out of 5 earned a 60; and so on. If the objectives not passed were passed during subsequent grading periods, the earlier grade was changed.

In a grading system based on mastery learning, the process becomes quite simple: Students keep trying to pass until they reach the level of mastery.

I have often wondered about teachers in subjects other than music. Do they have a goal for their classes? Do they really care how many students fail or make an A? Are they afraid of being labeled as easy if they allow too many students to make high grades? Shouldn’t all students, in theory at least, be able to make an A? Shouldn’t our primary goal as educators be to prepare students for success at the next level, and the next, and the next?

When a student walks out the door of our institution as a “failure” Southwestern Musician | October 2013 31

is it not really our failure that we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find the way for that student to succeed?

Ultimately, shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the expectation of success for every student be our primary goal?

far enough in advance for everyone to achieve it? Does it need to be completely mastered by the end of the six-weeks, or the next six-weeks, or when? Why did you assign it in the first place? Is it assigned to

I cannot imagine how many young people are leaving high school without the belief that success is within their power to achieve.

In a grading system based on mastery learning, the process becomes quite simple: students keep trying to pass until they reach the level of mastery. If it is a technical skill being tested, then mastery is achieved when all the notes and all the rhythms are played at the correct tempo, perhaps with a metronome. If that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen the first time, then a student simply keeps trying again, and again, and again if necessary. How long does a student keep trying? Depending on the skill being tested, perhaps all year!

For instance, if you want students to be able to single-tongue sixteenth notes at mm=120, did you assign that objective

32 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

ensure they can play a particular piece or because you know that they will need that skill in the future?

Any parent with more than one child can tell you that children learn in radically different ways and at different paces. If we assign goals and objectives in lockstep, expecting everyone to finish at the same time, we are setting ourselves and our students up for something less than mastery.

What if a student finally achieves mastery of a skill weeks after the initial assignment time? As long as the ensemble has not passed a particular performance that was tied to that skill, should the student not be given full credit for finally master-

ing the objective? Grades can be changed at any time, even beyond a grading period (unfortunately not for No Pass/No Play!).

If there is a performance that requires mastery of certain parts or certain skills and all students do not achieve mastery, it means that the ensemble did not perform at the highest level and that all students were not playing all the parts correctly. Is that really acceptable?

After a few years of grading within the concept of mastery learning, I began to insist that the only acceptable grade in band was 100 (at least for the music performance part of the grade) as that represented mastery of the objectives and skills that were necessary to perform. Over a period of time, when students knew that they were not going to be able to perform without mastery, that became the norm. While there was periodic frustration, especially from students who were accustomed to getting by in other classes, students and parents grew to appreciate the fact that, with continued effort, there would be success.

The second major concept that I incorporated into mastery learning was that of Pairs Testing. For all objectives dealing

University of North Texas

College of Music

Auditions

University of North Texas Campus Saturday, January 25, 2014 Friday, January 31, 2014

(Graduate Percussion, Piano, Voice, and String Auditions ONLY)

Saturday, February 1, 2014 Saturday, February 22, 2014

Regional Auditions

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Friday, January 17, 2014 (Chicago) Friday, January 17, 2014 (Los Angeles)

music.unt.edu

with parts of the performance music and for objectives designed to increase awareness of intonation, students passed off in pairs. Both students passed or neither passed. While this concept took longer for students and parents to embrace, they did eventually understand that band is a performing ensemble with the need for matching pitch, color, volume, style, and phrasing. A typical objective for pairs testing might be to play the F-concert scale in whole notes, up and down, with mm=80.

To pass, every note must be in tune by the 4th count of the whole note. Another objective might be to play measures 36 to 102 of the march with a partner at mm=110. Students might be assigned a partner, depending on the part they played or they might be able to choose their own partner if there were multiple combinations.

For all objectives, solo or pairs, students were given one chance to pass off during class. For subsequent tries, they had to come in before school, during lunch, during periods when their other teachers were showing movies, or during special makeup days. In every case, the emphasis was not on the number of times that students attempted to pass but on the goal of mastery. For objectives focused on performance music, parts occasionally had to be altered if there were skills involved that were simply beyond a student’s ability at that time and were not going to improve sufficiently before the performance. For objectives focused on intonation or other fundamental skills, students simply had to continue to try until mastery was achieved. Input from directors at each session gave students the direction they needed to practice for improvement.

TMEA Clinic/Convention February 12–15, 2014 • San Antonio, Texas www.tmea.org/convention

I can tell you that the ideas and concepts behind this type of grading were embraced by my school administration. In fact, my principal suggested to other classroom teachers that they try the concept of allowing work to be continually improved until mastery was achieved. I can also tell you this idea was met with much skepticism and criticism from teachers steeped in the tradition of the bell curve that wants us to believe that only a few can achieve at the highest level. “If they don’t get it right the first time, that’s their problem” is an all-too-common attitude among many teachers. I cannot imagine how many young people are leaving high school without the belief that success is within their power to achieve. Every child who leaves our schools without that belief will have problems in the future, many of which will have to be dealt with by society. Mastery is there for those children to achieve, and those of us in music education can show them the way.

Tom Shine is a retired director of Instrumental Music from Duncanville ISD and was the 2013 TMEA Clinic/ Convention Band Featured Clinician.

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34 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

We Are Spirit The 220-member Spirit of San Antonio Marching Band performs at a recent home game at the 65,000-seat Alamodome. The band is one of fourteen large instrumental and vocal ensembles open to both music majors and other talented musicians from across the university.

Photo by Brandon Fletcher Photography.

Bachelors Degrees

Bachelor of Arts

Composition Music Education Music Marketing Performance

We Are UTSA

速

The University of Texas at San Antonio Department of Music facebook.com/UTSAMusic (210) 458-4354 http://music.utsa.edu

Masters Degrees Conducting Music Education Performance Piano Pedagogy & Performance Vocal Pedagogy & Performance

PRESIDENT’S CONCERT 2014 THE 5 BROWNS Wednesday February 12 8 P.M. Lila Cockrell Theater $10 General Admission (purchase when you preregister)

Making their first appearance at the TMEA convention, The 5 Browns are an internationally acclaimed quintet of sibling pianists who will perform individually and in ensembles. Don’t miss this incredible kickoff to another outstanding convention!

Upcoming highlights for their 2013–14 season include the group’s Carnegie Hall/Stern Auditorium debut, the recording of a live concert performance of Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring with Grammy Award winning producer, Adam Abeshouse. This new album is set for release fall 2013.

Learn more and watch videos of their exciting performances at www.the5Browns.com

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT TYLER SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS DEGREES: Bachelor of Music Instrumental Music Education Vocal Music Education Instrumental Performance Vocal Performance Piano Pedagogy Piano Performance Composition

T Y LE R 903.566.7450 www.uttyler.edu/music 36 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

Bachelor of Arts in Music Master of Arts Minor in Music

Create. Perform. Achieve.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Music, housed within the Westbrook Music Building, the Kimball Recital Hall, and the Mabel Lee Hall, is an amazing place. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a place to create, perform and achieve.

We invite and welcome all aspiring undergraduate music and dance majors or minors to audition for admission and scholarship consideration to the UNL School of Music. The dates for 2014: January 24, 2014 -- Brass, Composition, Percussion, Voice & Woodwinds January 25, 2014 -- Dance, Keyboard, Strings (including guitar) & Voice February 21, 2014 -- Dance, Keyboard, Strings (no guitar) & Voice February 22, 2014 -- Brass, Composition, Guitar, Percussion, Voice & Woodwinds To schedule an audition or for more details, please visit: music.unl.edu The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

ORCHESTRA NOTES IMPORTANT DATES October—Renew your TMEA membership and liability insurance and preregister for the 2014 convention.

October 1, 6 a.m. CT—TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens.

October 15—Postmark deadline (second day delivery) for HS String Honor Orchestra CDs and other entry materials.

October 19–20—HS String Honor Orchestra judging.

October 26—Area recording date.

November 9–10—First and second rounds of All-State CD judging.

November 15—TMEA scholarship application deadline (see page 2 for details).

December 15—Specialty instrument application postmark deadline.

6HHN ÀUVW WR XQGHUVWDQG B Y

C R A I G

N E E D H A M

T

he week of in-service can certainly take its toll. You sit through endless energy-draining meetings while stressing about all the things you aren’t getting done.

When you do get a few minutes to work in your room, that time can slip by quickly without significant productivity. I was determined this year to use those precious minutes efficiently, so I planned for every minute and made extensive to-do lists.

The first day of in-service came, and after finishing lunch early, I headed to the office to make copies, excited that I had found an extra 30 minutes to work before the next meeting. As I walked through the office doors, however, my determination quickly changed to exasperation as I found a private teacher giving a saxophone lesson in the ensemble room next door. Not only is the copy machine in this ensemble room, the soundproofing is so poor they might as well had been in the office with me. As my irritation grew, questions flooded my mind. How was I going to make copies or get any work done with this distraction? With all of our practice rooms, why was he in the ensemble room? I became defensive and possessive thinking how this is my work space, not his. I felt the stress of time ticking away. I needed to make those copies right then. At least that’s the way I felt in the moment.

Truthfully, I could have made those copies at another time, and there were plenty of other things I could have done with those 30 minutes had I chosen to seek to understand first. I waited 15 minutes until the lesson was over and questioned the private teacher. He could sense my frustration. He explained that the air conditioning was out in the practice room area, and this was the only reasonable space he could find to teach. Upon hearing this, I felt immediate regret not only for wasting time but also for allowing myself to become bothered.

In Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Habit 5 is

December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

January 23, 2014—TMEA convention online preregistration deadline.

February 12–15, 2014—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

38 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

Our paradigms, correct or incorrect, are the sources of our attitudes and behaviors, and ultimately our relationships with others. — Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

D E PA RT M E N T O F M U S I C

UT ARLINGTON ADMISSION AND SCHOLARSHIP

AUDITIONS UNDERGRADUATE

For winds, strings, percussion, and keyboard: Q

Saturday, March 1, 2014

For voice:

Saturday, February 22, 2014 Q Saturday, March 1, 2014 Q Saturday, April 5, 2014

Q

(non-scholarship)

GRADUATE

For all instruments and voice: Q

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Alternate dates by appointment

For applications and more information, visit

www.uta.edu/music

“Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.” Had I been operating under this principle, my initial and subsequent reactions would have looked much different. I would have assumed there was a good reason for the lesson location and calmly moved on to something else on my exhaustive list. I would have been productive, and when the time was appropriate approached the private teacher from an empathetic posture instead of a defensive one. I then would have appreciated being able to help this teacher and student through the sharing of the space. That’s a win-win.

As we coexist with other programs in a highly charged environment, we face scenarios like this on a daily basis. Conflicts such as these are inevitable, but our perception determines our reaction. The way we see the problem is the problem. A paradigm is a model or theory that shapes the way we see the world. Imagine how different our daily interactions would be if our paradigm was to seek understanding first in every situation.

Texas Well-Represented at the Midwest Clinic A significant number of Texas Orchestras will perform at the Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic this December.

Congratulations to the following on being invited to perform: Brandeis HS Chamber Orchestra, Kevin GarciaHettinger, director; Flower Mound HS Chamber Orchestra, Ann Smith, director; Stephen F. Austin HS Symphony Orchestra, Carolyn Vandiver, director; Westwood High School Symphony Orchestra, Susan Williams, director; and WoodCreek JH Chamber Orchestra, Bryanna Porter, director. We look forward to your performances!

Specialty Instrument Auditions Applications and CDs for specialty instruments must be postmarked by December 15. The specialty instrument being auditioned for 2014 is contrabassoon. Go to the All-State Orchestra Audition Material page on the website for information and to download the application.

'XDO &HUWLÀFDWLRQ Remember that orchestra students may also audition in band or choir, but once a student is notified of placement in an All40 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

State Jazz Ensemble or All-State Orchestra (strings), he or she may not advance to Area in another All-State group.

2014 Clinic/Convention Update It may seem like it’s still quite a while until you take a few days in San Antonio to reconnect with friends and choose from clinics and concerts to attend, but just like everything else this year, our convention will be here before you know it!

As of October 1, TMEA members can make a discounted convention hotel reservation from www.tmea.org/convention.

Take time to review the hotel choices to decide which properties you prefer. You should have multiple properties in mind as our blocks of rooms in some hotels quickly sell out, and you might not be able to reserve with your first choice.

Don’t contact hotels directly as they will not offer you TMEA rates. From our convention webpage, you will book your reservation via a reservation system for our event (do not respond to any other notifications of official hotels for our convention—it could be a scam attempt to gain your credit card information. The system linked from www.tmea.org/convention is the only official reservation system). Your reservation information will be provided to the hotels once our reservation period ends in late January.

As many of you did last year, take a moment to preregister online. It’s the fastest, simplest way to complete your convention registration! For registration information and much more, go to www.tmea.org/convention. You also have the opportunity to register for the one-day TI:ME Music Technology Preconference held on Wednesday—a day full of music education technology clinics! During the convention, you can also attend All-State rehearsals—this can be a great source for professional development. I’m pleased to announce the 2014 All-State Orchestra Conductors and look forward to their work with our wonderful students in Februrary.

Kevin Noe All-State Symphony Orchestra Conductor A passionate supporter and promoter of the arts in our time, Kevin Noe has commissioned and premiered over 60 new works in the last ten years. As a conductor, Noe is the Director of Orchestras at

Michigan State University and Professor of Conducting. Having a strong theater background, Noe has a particular interest in theatrical work and serves regularly as stage director, actor, conductor, and filmmaker for a variety of mixed-media, operatic, and theatrical productions. He is the artistic director and conductor of the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, a group that experienced a 600% growth in attendance under his leadership. With artistic companion Kieren MacMillan, Noe cocreated, staged, directed, and played the role of Sisyphus in a multimedia work for the group entitled Just Out of Reach which garnered an eighteen performance run at the festivals in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was nominated for a Total Theatre Award.

Noe has held posts at the University of Texas at Austin, Duquesne University, the National Repertory Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Opera Center, and he works regularly as a guest conductor with the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where he conducts opera, ballet, and symphonic programs. As a conductor at the Tanglewood Festival, he was the recipient of the Maurice Abravanel Fellowship. Noe completed his graduate studies at Rice University.

Philip Mann All-State Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor Hailed by the BBC as a “talent to watch out for, who conveys a mature command of his forces,” American conductor Philip Mann is quickly gaining a worldwide reputation as an expressively graceful yet passionate artist with a range spanning opera, symphonic repertoire, new music, and

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42 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

experimental collaborations. Beginning his third season as Music Director of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, both previous years shattered attendance records and saw unprecedented artistic growth, new energy, and financial health.

Formerly as the San Diego Symphony’s Associate Conductor, he conducted hundreds of performances of Jacobs Subscription Masterworks, Symphony Exposed, family, young people’s concerts, Kinder Konzert, pops, and other special programs and projects.

Previously the music director of the Oxford City Opera and Oxford Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra, he has also held conducting positions with the Music in the Mountains Festival and Indianapolis Symphony. Mann has worked with leading artists and maintains a lively schedule as a guest conductor, having conducted at New York’s Avery Fischer Hall and London’s Barbican Center.

Elected a Rhodes Scholar, Mann studied and taught at Oxford and has served as assistant conductor to Franz Welser-Möst, Simon Rattle, Leonard Slatkin, Jaime Laredo, Mario Venzago, Bramwell Tovey, Pinchas Zukerman, and many others.

At Oxford, he won the annual competition to become principal conductor of the Oxford University Philharmonia.

Mann worked with Leonard Slatkin and the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center’s National Conducting Institute and Michael Tilson Thomas at the New World Symphony.

Guillermo Figueroa All-State String Orchestra Conductor Guillermo Figueroa is artistic director of the Figueroa Music and Arts Project in Albuquerque (an innovative organization that combines music and other arts) and of the Music in the Mountains Festival in Colorado. He is also the former music director of the New Mexico Symphony and the Puerto Rico Symphony. Additionally, he was recently appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Lynn Philharmonia at Lynn Conservatory in Florida.

His international appearances include the Toronto Symphony, Iceland Symphony, the Baltic Philharmonic in Poland, Orquesta del Teatro Argentino in La Plata, Xalápa (Mexico), the Orquesta de Córdoba in Spain, and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile. In the U.S., he has appeared as guest conductor with several symphony orchestras and the New York City Ballet.

A renowned violinist, Figueroa’s recording of Ernesto Cordero’s violin concertos for the Naxos label received a Latin Grammy nomination in 2012, and he has given the world premieres of

four violin concertos written for him: Concertino by Mario Davidovsky; Double Concerto by Harold Farberman; Violin Concerto by Miguel del Aguila; and Ínsula, Suite Concertante by Ernesto.

Figueroa studied with his father and uncle at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. At the Juilliard School his teachers were Oscar Shumsky and Felix Galimir. His conducting studies were with Harold Farberman in New York.

Southwestern Musician | October 2013 43

HB 5 Implementation:

+% ,PSOHPHQWDWLRQ

Critical Issues for Fine Arts

Critical Issues for Fine Arts Prior to the September 17 State Board of Education meeting, TMEA distributed to SBOE members a brochure that featured the contents of these two pages. Along with TMEA, named VXSSRUWHUV ZHUH 7H[DV $UW 7KHDWUH DQG 'DQFH HGXFDWRU associations, as well as CEDFA and TCQAE.

Help students pursue their passion.

Create a balance in Ă H[LELOLW\ ULJRU UHOHYDQFH

With the SBOE responsible for writing rules to implement HB 5, TMEA leadership has been working to communicate RXU SRVLWLRQ DQG HQVXUH WKH JUHDWHVW Ă H[LELOLW\ IRU DOO Ă&#x20AC;QH DUWV students regardless of endorsement choice. :KDW GHĂ&#x20AC;QHV DQ $UWV DQG +XPDQLWLHV (QGRUVHPHQW"

A coherent sequence of courses in any of the below-listed categories or a specified number of credits in TEKS-based arts and humanities courses is the realistic approach to defining this endorsement. Due to its broad-based nature (political science, world languages, cultural studies, English literature, history, and fine arts), striving to be very prescriptive will be limiting and unrealistic. Certainly in fine arts alone a student could pursue music, art, theatre, or dance or a combination of more than oneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; for example, music and theatre. Prescribing specific courses would endanger the flexibility that Chairman Aycock has continually addressed.

Be aware that for the Arts and Humanities endorsement, HB 5 (Section 28.025 [c-3]) states the State Board of Education shall adopt criteria to allow a student participating in the arts and humanities endorsement, with the written permission of the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parent or a person standing in parental relation to the student, to meet the fourth science advanced course requirement by substituting a course related to that endorsement. We believe the literal interpretation of HB 5 language allows any TEKS-based arts or humanities course to substitute for the fourth science requirement. Minimally, any advanced fine arts course should be an allowable substitute. SBOE rule language relative to this allowable substitution should clearly reflect this flexibility.

,Q WKH UXOH ZULWLQJ SURFHVV LI WKHUH LV D QHHG WR GHĂ&#x20AC;QH DGYDQFHG Ă&#x20AC;QH DUWV FRXUVHV ZKDW DUH VRPH H[DPSOHV" All AP, IB, and Level III or Level IV fine arts courses, Music Theory, Advanced Lighting and Sound, Advanced Stagecraft, Advanced Costume Construction, Advanced Design for the Theatre, Playwriting I or II, and Directing I or II should be considered.

44 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

6KRXOG WKHUH EH D FRQVLVWHQW QXPEHU RI QRQ IRXQGDWLRQ FRXUVHV UHTXLUHG LQ HDFK HQGRUVHPHQW" Yes, to prevent one endorsement being deemed more rigorous than another, the number of courses required to meet the endorsement should be the same, perhaps utilizing three to four of the seven electives.

I implore you to intentionally leave the endorsements broad, whether they are going to pursue college or a pathway leading to a trade. Leave WKH Ă H[LELOLW\ WR VWXGHQWV IDPLOLHV DQG ORFDO ISDs. The endorsements are not designed to be college major tracks. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Representative Jimmie Don Aycock

6KRXOG WKHUH EH DGGLWLRQDO RQ FDPSXV FRXUVHV WR PHHW WKH Ă&#x20AC;QH DUWV UHTXLUHPHQW EH\RQG ZKDW LV DOUHDG\ LQ UXOH" Our recommendation is that no further courses be identified to meet the fine arts graduation requirement. Unlike a requirement like Biology, where a singular course must meet that requirement, the fine arts requirement has built-in flexibility. Even small school districts give students multiple options through music, art, theatre, or dance to meet the requirement.

Additionally, in current rule, one CTE and two Tech App courses may meet the requirement.

An endorsement should not be a prescription for a college track. It should be the means by which a student pursues a passion or area of interest, experiences success, and is motivated to stay in school. :KDW $UWV (QGRUVHPHQW FRXUVH UHTXLUHPHQWV VKRXOG EH WLHG WR XQLYHUVLW\ DGPLVVLRQV UHTXLUHPHQWV" Fine arts participation throughout the four years of high school is certainly a contributor to driving individual student performance abilities necessary for university level work. With core requirements being so closely defined by state universities, in the arts we have not had the luxury of being able to consider any academic requirements. Fine arts admissions by state universities have been almost exclusively based on general institutional academic requirements and individual student performance abilities. The arts education community is certainly willing to be an integral part of any conversation that may take place relative to arts education admission requirements.

:KDW ODQJXDJH UHTXLUHPHQWV PD\ EH DGGHG WR WKH &RPPLVVLRQHU¡V 5XOHV IRU WKH DIWHUVFKRRO Ă&#x20AC;QH DUWV SURJUDP" To protect the rigor and integrity of an afterschool substitution, we support a minimum instructional time requirement of five hours per week in a structured program, to align with P.E. substitution language in current rule. We recognize this is not within the authority of the SBOE but request your unofficial support (Section 28.025, [b-9]).

)OH[LELOLW\ ULJRU DQG UHOHYDQFHÂłWKH FKDOOHQJH ZLOO EH KRZ WR Ă&#x20AC;QG WKH EDODQFH â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Representative Jimmie Don Aycock

HB 5 is a celebration of the different talents and diversity of interests of all of our students . . . We beOLHYH WKDW WKH Ă&#x20AC;QH DUWV DQG KXPDQLWLHV SOD\ D VWURQJ role in creating the type of student who has a love for lifelong learning. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Senator Leticia Van de Putte

,QFOXGLQJ $UWV LQ WKH 67(0 (QGRUVHPHQW :H UHFRPPHQG WKDW 7($ VWDWH DSSURYHG Ă&#x20AC;QH DUWV DGYDQFHG FRXUVHV EH DOORZHG WR PHHW WKH DGGLWLRQDO credits required to meet the STEM endorsement.

Arts education is essential to stimulating the creativity and innovation that will prove critical to young Americans competing in a global economy. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

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. Âł6FLHQWLĂ&#x20AC;F $PHULFDQ Aug. 22, 2012

One of our major concerns is that under HB 5, students could end up with less flexibility to choose courses than they have in the current Recommended and Distinguished Achievement programs. Many serious fine arts and humanities students will pursue a STEM endorsement and will also want to continue to study fine arts throughout high school. Flexibility for those students must be protected.

There is a rapidly expanding movement across the country to integrate the arts into STEM initiatives. To quote a recent Scientific American op ed, â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a growing group of advocates who believe that STEM is missing a key componentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;one that is equally deserved of renewed attention, enthusiasm and funding. That component is the Arts. If these advocates have their way, STEM would become STEAM.â&#x20AC;? In that same article, celebrated physicist Richard Feynman is quoted as saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scientific creativity is imagination in a straitjacket. Perhaps the arts can loosen that restraint, to the benefit of all.â&#x20AC;?

Arts education teaches flexible thinking, risk-taking, and creative problem solving needed to solve todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most complex and pressing challengesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from healthcare to urban revitalization to climate change.

Southwestern Musician | October 2013

Wind Band

Congr atulations 2013 Mark of Excellence National National Winners

Class A

Creek Valley MS Honor Winds . .

Grisham MS Honors Band . . . . .

Shadow Ridge MS Honor Winds.

The Roma MS Symphonic Winds

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Winners listed in alphabetical order

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Kimberly Cooley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carrollton, TX Betty Bierschenk-Pierce. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Austin, TX Chris Meredith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flower Mound, TX Corey Graves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roma, TX

Aledo MS Honor Winds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Beckendorff JH Honor Band. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Canyon Ridge MS Honor Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Canyon Vista MS Honors Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cedar Park MS Symphonic Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Clint Small MS Wind Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cockrill MS Symphonic I Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fort Settlement MS Honors Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Henry MS Honors Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Knox JH Wind Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Stafford MS Honor Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

T.A. Howard MS Honor Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ryan Johnstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aledo, TX Susan Steber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katy, TX Amy Allison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Austin, TX Mark Piwetz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Austin, TX Manuel C. San Luis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cedar Park, TX Tonia Radtke Mathews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Austin, TX Gary Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . McKinney, TX Greg Countryman, Theresa Baragas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sugar Land, TX Robert T. Herrings, III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cedar Park, TX Jennifer Dillard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Woodlands, TX Christian Holzer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frisco, TX Nathaniel Neugent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mansfield, TX

Class AA

Class AAA

Fredericksburg HS Wind Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John M. Rauschuber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fredericksburg, TX North Lamar HS Symphonic Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Randy Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paris, TX

Class AAAA

Clark HS Wind Ensemble . . . . . .

Forney HS Wind Ensemble . . . . .

Vernon Hills HS Wind Ensemble Vista Ridge HS Wind Ensemble .

Wylie East HS Wind Symphony .

Wylie HS Wind Symphony . . . . .

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Class AAAAA

Clear Creek HS Wind Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Clear Falls HS Wind Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Flower Mound HS Wind Symphony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Keller HS Wind Ensemble. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lockport Township HS Wind Symphony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Marcus HS Wind Symphony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

New Music Division

Clark HS Wind Ensemble . . . . .

Clear Lake HS Wind Ensemble .

Forney HS Wind Ensemble . . . .

J.J. Pearce HS Wind Ensemble .

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Bonham MS Symphonic Band . . . . . . .

Cobb MS Symphonic Band . . . . . . . . . .

Forbes MS Honors Band . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pioneer Heritage MS Symphonic Band Roach MS Wind Ensemble . . . . . . . . . .

Carroll MS Wind Ensemble . . . . .

Cook MS Symphonic I Band . . . . .

Coppell MS North Honor Winds . .

Dulles MS Honor Band . . . . . . . . .

Indian Springs MS Band . . . . . . .

Maus MS Band Wind Ensemble . .

McMeans JH Symphonic Band . . .

Nolan Ryan JH Wind Ensemble . .

Sartartia MS Wind Ensemble . . . .

Walsh MS Honor Band . . . . . . . . .

Westover Park JHS Honors Band .

Wiley MS Wind Ensemble . . . . . . .

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Stephen Meyer . . . . . . . . . .

Doug Eger . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Brent Biskup, Jana Harvey Mark McGahey . . . . . . . . . .

Brian Covey . . . . . . . . . . . .

Amanda Drinkwater . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . League City, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . League City, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flower Mound, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Keller, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lockport, IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flower Mound, TX

John Mays . .

Joe Munoz . .

Mark Poole . .

Greg Hames .

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TX TX TX TX

Commended Winners

Class A

Class AA

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John Mays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plano, TX Mark Poole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Forney, TX Randy Sundell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vernon Hills, IL Bryan Christian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cedar Park, TX Glenn Lambert, Aaron Daniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wylie, TX Todd Dixon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wylie, TX

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Mike Ellis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amarillo, TX Marty Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frisco, TX Jackie Fullerton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Georgetown, TX Kelly Desjardins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frisco, TX Geoff Elsner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frisco, TX

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Michael Oglesby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Southlake, TX Michael Dick, Robert Carlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston, TX Jeremy Lindquist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coppell, TX Michael Roberts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sugar Land, TX David Puckett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Keller, TX Katie Lewis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frisco, TX George Liverman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katy, TX Josh Mooney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pearland, TX Julieanne Amos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sugar Land, TX Russell Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Round Rock, TX Anthony Gilreath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amarillo, TX Garland Chiasson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leander, TX

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Class AAA

Cleveland HS Wind Ensemble. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kristy Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cleveland, TX Lone Star HS Symphonic Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Timothy A. Golden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frisco, TX

Class AAAA

Ann Arbor Pioneer HS Symphony Band Leander HS Wind Ensemble . . . . . . . . . .

Randall HS Winds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sherman HS Wind Ensemble . . . . . . . . .

Waxahachie HS Wind Ensemble . . . . . . .

Class AAAAA

Buchholz HS Wind Symphony . . . .

Clear Lake HS Wind Ensemble . . . .

J.J. Pearce HS Wind Ensemble . . . .

Plano East Sr. HS Wind Ensemble .

The Colony HS Wind Symphony . . .

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David A. Leach . .

Nils Gundersen .

Ginger Denney . .

Ryan Jenkins . . .

Rich Armstrong .

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. .Ann Arbor, MI . . . Leander, TX . . . Amarillo, TX . . . Sherman, TX Waxahachie, TX

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Alexander Kaminsky .

Joe Munoz . . . . . . . . .

Greg Hames . . . . . . . .

Evelio Villarreal . . . . .

Lance Flisowski . . . . .

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. Gainesville, FL . . . Houston, TX .Richardson, TX . . . . . Plano, TX . The Colony, TX

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New Music Division

Ann Arbor Pioneer HS Symphony Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David A. Leach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ann Arbor, MI

Thanks to Wind Band adjudicators Dr. Kr aig Alan Williams, Colonel John R. Bourgeois, and Eugene Corporon.

This year's project had 178 entr ants. The Mark of Excellence progr am has now received entries from 35 states.

More information at www.foundationformusiceducation.org/mark-of-excellence. Rick Yancey, Managing Director.

Orchestr a

Wind Band, Orchestr a, Jazz, and Percussion Winners National Winners HS Full Orchestra

Stephen F. Austin HS Symphony Orchestra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carolyn Vandiver, John Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sugar Land, TX

HS String Orchestra

Plano East Sr. HS Chamber Orchestra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Betsy Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plano, TX Stephen F. Austin HS Symphony String Orchestra . . . . . . . . . Carolyn Vandiver, John Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sugar Land, TX

MS Full Orchestra

Lanier MS Symphony Orchestra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laurette McDonald, Ali Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston, TX

MS String Orchestra

Doerre INT Chamber Orchestra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dawn Multop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Klein, TX Johnston MS Sinfonia Orchestra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jose Rocha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston, TX Smith MS Orchestra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Karel Butz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cypress, TX

Youth Orchestra

Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allen Tinkham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chicago, IL

Commended Winners HS Full Orchestra

Klein Oak HS Symphony Orchestra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tanner Ledford, Todd Clearwater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring, TX

HS String Orchestra

LD Bell HS Symphony Orchestra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allison King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hurst, TX McCallum HS Chamber Orchestra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ricky Pringle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Austin, TX

MS Full Orchestra

Hernandez MS Symphony Orchestra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clarissa Lopez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Round Rock, TX

MS String Orchestra

Dulles MS Symphony Orchestra. .

Fort Settlement MS Sinfonia . . . .

Kealing MS Symphony Orchestra Salyards MS Chamber Orchestra .

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Sally Kirk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Angela Peugnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

David Jarrott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Glynnes Lanthier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. Sugar Land, TX . Sugar Land, TX . . . . . .Austin, TX . . . . Cypress, TX

Youth Orchestra

Jazz

California Philharmonic Youth Orchestra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Byung Woo Kim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Los Altos, CA

National Winners HS Jazz Ensemble

Temple HS Highlighters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brent Mathesen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Temple, TX Wheeling HS Jazz Band I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian J. Logan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wheeling, IL

MS Jazz Ensemble

Lamar MS Jazz Factory ............................................................. James Hairston ..................................................................................Austin, TX

HS Jazz Ensemble

Commended Winners

Percussion

Georgetown HS Jazz Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amanda Marino-Stevenson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Georgetown, TX Willis HS Jazz Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Martinez, Chris Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Willis, TX

National Winners HS Percussion Ensemble

Oak Ridge HS Percussion Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jerriald Dillard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conroe, TX

MS Percussion Ensemble

Cook MS Percussion Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Dick, Robert Carlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston, TX

Commended Winners HS Percussion Ensemble

Jersey Village HS Percussion Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jonathan Carr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston, TX

MS Percussion Ensemble

Bailey MS Percussion Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Austin Swack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring, TX

Thanks to adjudicators Larry Livingston (Orchestr a), Rob Parton (Jazz), and James Campbell (Percussion).

This year's project had 178 entr ants. The Mark of Excellence progr am has now received entries from 35 states.

More information at www.foundationformusiceducation.org/mark-of-excellence. Rick Yancey, Managing Director.

Technology Works for Me: Tuning

BY ANDREW GOINS

O

ne of the questions I’m often asked is how I use technology to help address ensemble tuning. Directors of any ensemble often work to find better ways to help their students improve ensemble intonation, and this is an area where I have found technology to be quite effective.

Each director must do some research to find the best technology for their group (and their budget). In our case, we primarily use Yamaha Harmony Director (HD). I often use an HD keyboard run through a stereo system to produce drone pitches against which I have the group play scales and other exercises. I like the HD in part because the Hold function allows me to set a drone and be able to move around to help individual students.

When you set a drone, you have the option of selecting from a variety of instrument sounds. I have found that for a string ensemble, the organ tone is best because it has a pure tone quality that is distinct enough from the timbre of the string instruments that students are able to differentiate the sounds. This allows me to keep the volume low enough for students to concentrate on a good tone and on blending their ensemble sound.

As an example, with less experienced groups I incorporate daily work with basic finger patterns. I have the students base each finger pattern being worked off of an open string, such as D. If the students are having difficulty with a particular finger pattern, I might put on a drone of a D-A fifth (notes sounding simultaneously) and have the students play the finger pattern against that drone. Another option I sometimes utilize is to play a triad—major for a major finger pattern, minor for a minor pattern, etc. This generally helps the students lock in the pitch of individual notes and the intervals between them. When droning a triad, I ensure the HD is set to “pure temperament” (the HD term for just temperament), as the HD gives you the option of equal or pure temperament. This helps the students learn how to hear the adjustments necessary to truly tune a chord.

I almost always have them play the same exercise without the drone immediately after using the drone to reinforce their ability

to match pitches and intervals without the drone. This also has the added benefit of helping the students with both intervallic tuning and unison tuning in the same process.

If you aren’t able to fit an HD Instructional Keyboard into your budget, another tool that will allow you to accomplish the same goal is available on an iOS device. You will need to be able to connect your device to a stereo or some other amplification system. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, but I use a Bluetooth stereo receiver (mine is made by Belkin, but there are others on the market). This allows me to have freedom of mobility to move around the room.

Second, download the Tonal Energy app. Many people use this app as a tuner, and its green smiley face indicating you’re in tune is certainly user friendly with students. I’ve found that the tuner function isn’t suited to ensemble work with strings and that there are other tuners I prefer for individual use; however, I use the Tonal Energy app for its Tone Generator. Like the HD, you can choose between equal temperament and just temperament.

While the user interface may take some getting used to, the most useful functions are relatively straightforward.

There is a Sustain function that allows you to accomplish the same thing as HD’s Hold function. There are a couple of ways to control the octave of the note being reproduced (using the +/– button or sliding your finger around a circle), although neither allows you to do so while a pitch is sustaining. There are also a number of tones available, listed as various wind instrument tones. I’ve found the euphonium to produce the best pure tone for work with string instruments. As far as process goes, using Tonal Energy looks the same as using the HD for this purpose.

These are just a few methods and tools I have found useful for ensemble tuning. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find processes that work for you. Ultimately, the best technique is whatever allows you to help your students make the most progress in the fastest way possible, whether technology is involved or not.

Andrew Goins is Marcus HS Orchestra Director (Lewisville ISD).

48 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

Congr atulations to the 2013 Mark of Excellence National Chor al Honors Winners National Winners

Commended Winners

High School Mixed Chorus

High School Mixed Chorus

Spring HS Chorale .................. David Landgrebe, Steffanie Dean, Amanda Hinders .............Spring, TX

Jasper HS Jaguar Chorale...... Judy Putney ......................Plano, TX

High School Open Class Spring HS Chorale Women ..... David Landgrebe, Steffanie Dean, Amanda Hinders .............Spring, TX

High School Open Class Temple HS Varsity Mens Choir ................. Tonya Lovorn ................ Temple, TX

Middle School Treble Choir

Middle School Treble Choir

Canyon Ridge MS Varsity Treble Choir ......... Courtney R. Kelly ...........Austin, TX

Robinson MS A Cappella Mixed Choir....................Kimberley Ahrens ........................Plano, TX

Middle School Open Class

Middle School Open Class Robinson MS A Cappella Treble Choir .......... Kimberley Ahrens ............ Plano, TX

McCullough JH Varsity Mixed Choir................ Connie Horton, Kelly Dunn ..... The Woodlands, TX

Thanks to Chor al adjudicator Dr. Janet GalvĂĄn. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s project had 178 entr ants. The Mark of Excellence progr am has now received entries from 35 states.

More information at: www.foundationformusiceducation.org/mark-of-excellence.

Rick Yancey, Managing Director.

Southwestern Musician | October 2013 49

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tâ&#x20AC;? word B Y

VOCAL NOTES IMPORTANT DATES Octoberâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Renew your TMEA membership and liability insurance and preregister for the 2014 convention.

October 1, 6 a.m. CTâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens.

November 15â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA scholarship application deadline (see page 2 for details).

December 15â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Dual certification deadline.

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

January 11, 2014â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Area auditions.

January 23, 2014â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA convention online preregistration deadline.

February 12â&#x20AC;&#x201C;15, 2014â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

50 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

D I N A H

M E N G E R

A

s I write this column, I am longing for the days of having people around me who understand my fear of all things technology. I am comforted by my pencil and a notepad with a detailed to-do list.

I get great satisfaction from crossing off each item as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s completed. So, this article is for the kindred spirits of my generation. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for us to grow up and get immersed in technology. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever wondered how to strengthen and expand your choristersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; music experiences or speed efficiency in the classroom through technology, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take a vow to learn together.

Close colleagues and friends reading this article are now likely choking with laughter.

Of the many technologies that are great resources in our choir instruction, sound and recording systems are incredibly valuable, and they get better every year. If your school district can afford it, get the best system you can (do your research and ask others in your field) and use it in every rehearsal. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the funds for a system, then plead with your local community and businesses to help with a purchase. Like football coaches, band directors, and their players who spend hours reviewing video throughout the fall, it is important for us to analyze each rehearsal and for our singers to hear themselves on a regular basis. Rather than trying to explain a poorly sung vowel or an out-oftune chord, playing back a recording will allow your students to hear the issue immediately and will support more rapid correction. Solve issues now so you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to break bad habits later. Each time you ask your choir to analyze a rehearsal or performance, they are strengthening their vocal and listening skills.

Spend some time after school learning how to use the recording system. You might also enlist a trusted student to learn along with you. You can also use the equipment to record your concerts and other performances if you do not

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hire a sound engineer. The ability to edit and clean your recordings is part of this learning experience, as well. Maintaining archival copies of all performances is so important and creates a historical sound library for your choral department. It is very telling to listen and compare the vocal and musical growth from the beginning of the year to the end.

YouTube is an excellent resource for the classroom and one that I use constantly. Some school districts still prohibit use of this site but more and more districts are allowing access. The virtual world of performances is unending and serves as another analysis tool for you and your choristers. Learning how to search this website and use it as an instructional tool in your rehearsals is invaluable. On a more universal level, it can be inspiring to watch singers of every age, ethnicity, and background doing what we all love. Make sure you are adept at configuring your system to support viewing YouTube with sound in your classroom. Learn how to post URLs, as well as MP3s for learning and analysis, on your choirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website (you do have one, right?). Websites that serve our choral community are many and can

be of great help. They offer programs for writing music, teaching and grading ear-training, sightreading and music theory, pitch perfection, tips for rehearsals, themes for concerts, entire choral literature lists, historical and performance information, music education research, and music blogs. Internet surfing can lead to many unexpected finds in repertoire, composers, and publishers.

Do take the time to choose one online educational resource, get training from someone, process it, and learn to use it in your classroom. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re like me, technology and the training to use it was not part of your teaching preparation. Even before they could speak, most of our students used some kind of technology. With each program you use, your confidence will increase, and your students will benefit.

One concerning aspect of our world that is so focused on technology is the overuse of cell phones. How did we ever survive without them? What is happening to us as a cell phone generation? At a recent dinner out, I looked around the restaurant and was alarmed to see the number of diners who sat silently together, heads down, interacting not with their

dinner partner but with their separate cell phones. Even worse were the parents who appeared more interested in texting or talking than paying attention to their little ones. The use of cell phones has even become the elephant in the room during choral auditions.

How often, while at lunch with friends, do you or your friends stop to text or take a call? Can you remember an important meeting without a cell phone ringing and someone scrambling to turn it off? How do we feel when a cell phone rings during our concerts? While the convenience

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e Ann Kay, Keynote Speaker e Jay Broeker, Mini-Conference e Atlanta Junior Ceili Band, Opening

Ceremonies e African American Choral Ensemble, University of Georgia, Opening Concert e The n Gullah Culture e Urban Youth Rosin Sisters, Friday Night Entertainment e Ron Daise, Expert on Harp Ensemble, Georgia Boy Choir, Young Singers of Callanwolde, Midday Concert ee Visit www.oake.org/conferences for more information.

Southwestern Musician | October 2013 51

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offered by cell phones is profound, the art of true and focused listening and attention is becoming a thing of the past. Is this what we really want? As part of our technology use vow, let’s also vow to serve as cell phone etiquette role models! Unless we have an emergency, can’t we wait to answer a call or text—just like the old days?

Between the writing and publishing of this article, new technologies will be released in the market. Despite this rapid evolution, don’t be intimidated. Start by finding just one technology and mastering it. Although our first priority is the art of pure, acoustic choral artistry, using technology can be a great teaching tool.

Have courage, my friends!

2014 Clinic/Convention Update As of October 1, TMEA members can make a discounted convention hotel reservation from www.tmea.org/convention.

Take time to review the hotel choices to decide which properties you prefer. You should have multiple properties in mind as our blocks of rooms in some hotels quickly sell out, and you might not be able to reserve with your first choice.

Don’t contact hotels directly as they will not offer you TMEA rates. From our convention webpage, you will book your reservation via a reservation system for our event (do not respond to any other notifications of official hotels for our convention—it could be a scam attempt to gain your credit card information. The system linked from www.tmea.org/convention is the only official reservation system). Your reservation information will be provided to the hotels once our reservation period ends in late January.

Remember that the TI:ME Technology National Conference is being held during our convention and this will offer you even more professional development opportunities. I’m sure you’ll find several sessions that will help you learn how to use a new technology that you can incorporate in your instruction.

'XDO &HUWLÀFDWLRQ Students who qualify to advance to Area in Band and Vocal organizations must complete a Dual Certification form and submit it to the Region President by December 15. On this form, the student declares the track in which he or she will continue to audition for qualification to

All-State at the January 11 Area auditions.

The Dual Certification form is found on the Vocal Division Forms page located under the Vocal Division menu on the TMEA website.

Vocal Division Offerings From Thursday through Saturday, our convention will feature over 300 clinics, many of which will be targeted to Vocal Division members. In addition, you can observe our 2014 All-State conductors during their rehearsals. With these three amazing conductors, we are in for a real treat in February!

Elena Sharkova All-State Mixed Choir Conductor Russian-American conductor Elena Sharkova is recognized nationally and internationally as an inspirational, versatile, and effective conductor, choral clinician, music educator, and lecturer. She has conducted professional, university, youth, and community choirs and orchestras in 17 countries across North America, Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, Russia, and the Middle East.

Sharkova regularly appears with professional artists; some of her most notable conducting engagements include Kronos Quartet, actor Ryan Gossling’s rock play “Deadman’s Bones,” and a spring 2012 series of performances with Grammy Award winning “orchestra of voices” male choir Chanticleer as one of the ensemble’s 2011–2012 Guest Music Directors.

In her fourteenth year as Artistic Director of Symphony Silicon Valley Chorale, Sharkova has prepared and conducted the chorus in over 40 major

choral-orchestral works. As artistic director of the 250-voice Cantabile Youth Singers of Silicon Valley, she conducts CYS’s top performing and touring choirs and oversees all educational and performance aspects of the program.

Sharkova was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she received an undergraduate degree in music education and piano and a graduate degree in conducting from St. Petersburg State Rimski-Korsakov Conservatory. From 1988 to 1993, Sharkova served as the Conservatory’s Chair of the Choral Department of the Preparatory Music School.

In 1996 Sharkova received her second graduate degree in conducting from Western Michigan University where she studied with Dr. Craig Arnold.

Jeffrey Redding All-State Women’s Choir Jeffery Redding, Director of Choral Activities at West Virginia University, conducts the University Singers, Women’s Chorale, and the West Virginia Community Choir. Along with his conducting duties, Redding also teaches undergraduate and graduate choral conducting classes at WVU. Previously, as the Director of Choral Activities at West Orange HS (Winter Garden, Florida), Redding led his choirs in performances at state, regional, and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association. They earned first place honors at the Heritage Festivals of Gold in New York and California, as well as at the Festival of Spirituals in Washington D.C. At the International Music Festival

Southwestern Musician | October 2013 53

in Verona, Italy, West Orange received the Gold Award for best choir.

Nationally, Redding is in demand as a guest conductor of national and state honor choirs and all-state choirs. He directed the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for their 2005 spring broadcast and was featured as a guest conductor at Carnegie Hall in 2008, Kennedy Center in 2009, and Orchestra Hall in 2010. Redding has been sought as an adjudicator and lecturer for festival competitions and workshops throughout the U.S., including the Heritage Festivals, and various states’ educational conventions.

Redding was founder and Artistic Director of the Garden Community Choir in Winter Garden, Fla. He holds a PhD in choral conducting/music education and an MME from Florida State University, and a BS in music education from Florida A&M University.

Geoffrey Boers All-State Men’s Choir Conductor Geoffrey Boers is Director of Choral Activities at the University of Washington

54 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

in Seattle, where he is the Mary K. Shepman Endowed Professor of Music.

Under his direction, the choral program at the University of Washington has grown to include nearly 20 graduate choral conductors each year, as well as nine ensembles conducted by five faculty and many graduate students, with nearly 600 singers participating.

Boers conducts the UW Chamber Singers, the university’s premier ensemble of graduate and advanced singers. The Chamber Singers performs nationally and internationally, most recently having returned from Hungary for a concert tour. Last spring, the choir performed Monteverdi’s rarely heard masterpiece, 1610 Vespers. Boers also teaches graduate choral conducting and choral pedagogy and serves as faculty advisor as part of the graduate choral curriculum. He is the recipient of UW’s prestigious Royalty Research Foundation Grant.

Boers maintains an active conducting, teaching, workshop, and clinic schedule.

Recent engagements have taken him to Australia, mainland China, Thailand, Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center, where he serves as Artistic Director for the Washington D.C. Choral Festival.

In addition to his position at the UW, Boers is the conductor of the Tacoma Symphony Chorus and will conduct the Tacoma Symphony in numerous performances this season.

Degree Programs Bachelor of Arts in Music Bachelor of Music in Performance Bachelor of Music (teacher certification)

Performance Opportunities A Cappella Chorus Big Purple Marching Band Concert Band Jazz Combos Jazz Ensemble Opera Percussion Ensemble Steel Drum Band Symphony Orchestra University Chorale Wind Ensemble

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Contact Us acu.edu/music 325-674-2199 music@acu.edu 130341-0913

Where Are the Wild Things?

by Nathan Dame

Where are those wonderful, energetic boys?

We see them rambling down the hallways, tearing down the sports fields, and laughing with friends, but where we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see them is in the choir room.

56 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

I

t’s 8:30 A.M. and you enter the jungle, otherwise known as first period—a 40-voice junior varsity mixed choir full of energy, adrenaline, and hormones. Some students are hurriedly grabbing their folders, others are getting water, a group is in the corner singing the newest #1 pop chart, and another set is discussing the latest Hollywood drama. The bell rings, and as you prepare your choir vocally, the obvious imbalance (or should we say, wall of soprano) reminds you that of those 40 voices, only four are boys. Within that small group, three are basses (or so they claim), and two of those are non-pitchmatching. After hearing what resembles something between an Eric Whitacre cluster chord and a fascinating interpretation of a Schöenberg tone row, you begin to mentally reassure yourself: They work so hard . . .

I’m just happy that they are here . . .

I’ll get them in shape . . .

It’ll just take some time, but I can fix this.

This scene is often played out in choir rooms across the state.

Yet what we sometimes fail to see in our moment of slight panic is the underlying question: Where are those wonderful, energetic, and wild things—Where are the boys? We see them rambling down the hallways, tearing down the sports fields, and laughing with friends, but where we don’t see them is in the choir room.

The downward trend of male enrollment in choral ensembles is an often discussed and researched topic in our field. We attend conferences, read articles, and resort to stalking the hallways looking for our next big find—another male to sing tenor. We do sometimes find him, but at what cost? Long hours at work? An unintended male bias? Let’s face it; what we’re doing isn’t working, so let’s get to work . . . the wild things are waiting.

Where Are We Now? The measurement of choral enrollment has been limited and sporadic, charting a steady decline in participation since the 1930s. The most recent study of choral enrollment was completed in 2011. This study of members of MENC (now NAfME), included choral enrollment gender ratio, organization, and several factors influencing male enrollment in choral ensembles.

Male choral enrollment nationally was found to be 26.9 percent of the total enrollment. Middle school choral programs were found to include on average 106 students, with 27 males, while high school programs were slightly smaller.

It’s a Jungle Out There: Assessing the Situation When boys look at our choral programs, what is their immediate first impression? For adolescent males, both internal and external factors can serve as negative influences that keep them from singing in school ensembles. Recruiting and retaining young males in choral ensembles is perhaps one of the most frequently documented challenges for secondary choral directors. The lack of male singers creates an imbalance in parts or voices, especially in mixed voice choirs. This reduces the pedagogical potential of the experience, restrains the choir’s ability to reach their musical potential, and most importantly, limits the opportunities to teach students the intrinsic and extrinsic values inherent in participation with a fully voiced choir (Castelli, 1986).

Administrators, counselors, and even parents are often the ones who influence boys away from participation in choir, as they fail to see its benefits compared to the increased attention

on tested subjects and shrinking school budgets (Abril & Gault, 2008; Sweet, 2010). Many choral programs cite struggles with master schedules, as choir courses are scheduled against singlesection offerings such as advanced placement or, worse, athletics (Phillips, 1988).

The Food Chain: Banishing the Eat-or-Be-Eaten Mentality The food chain is a brutal hierarchy—predators, starvation, and natural selection swallow up the weak, leaving only the strong and those who evolve still in the race. In many ways, the course selection card can seem much like this—our subject can get consumed by the cacophony of required classes, get-creditsnow courses, foreign languages, athletics, and more. How can we evolve so that choir can move higher up in the chain?

Through interviews of participating male singers, boys have acknowledged that effective repertoire choices, teacher influence, affirmation of singing ability, and the enjoyment of singing are the main reasons they elect and continue to sing in choir (Kennedy, 2002; Parker, 2009). While boys may join the ensemble because of peers or the prestige of the program (in fact, the reputation of the program is the most effective recruiting tool we have), their decision to continue must be internally driven (Clements, 2002).

If the jungle of your choir room offers love and encouragement through singing, you are on the right track. The wild things will find their way.

Let’s face it—society in general doesn’t hold male choral singing in the highest regard. We are not revenue-producing like a competitive sport, and frankly, we never will be. If we decide to fight the football coaches in an attempt to gain school superiority, then we will have already lost. Instead, we must choose our battles wisely, determining how choir can learn from the successes of athletic programs and enhance what is already working in our schools—all with the goal of creating well-rounded young men.

We must remember that we teach young men and women and have the privilege of sharing choral music with them. Our values must come first, music second.

Sailing Home: Navigating the Winds of Change So how do we engage young men to pursue singing in hopes of influencing a culture of singing in America? The task is not easy and will not be achieved quickly. We must first establish a solid foundation. In preschool, boys begin forming opinions about what music they like and dislike, and by fourth and fifth grades, they are deciding whether or not they enjoy and will continue singing. Music programs that emphasize singing by all, most notably the Kodály method, help to effectively provide a much-needed foundation for singing at a young age. This must Southwestern Musician | October 2013 57

be reinforced through consistent music education—an objective which understandably can be compromised by remediation pull-out and schedule conflicts.

Elementary schools should offer and support the formation of choral ensembles that enrich the curriculum instead of being extracurricular. Students, especially boys, have more afterschool conflicts than ever with athletics, clubs, and other events all competing for this precious time. Become a persistent advocate for providing elementary choirs during the school day or in a homeroom time. This will eliminate a student’s need to choose and will encourage boys to enroll in choir.

It is especially important that boys not be lost during the transition from elementary to middle school, because once they leave, they may never return.

This responsibility should be shared by the elementary and middle-level teachers. Elementary teachers should promote upcoming opportunities for singing at the next level, and the middle-level choral director should be visible at the elementary school and enthusiastically supportive of singing in choir. Middle school choral

directors could visit or clinic the elementary choir and support elementary choirs through attendance at their concerts.

As students continue to the middle school/junior high level, programs must be structured for optimal success through the creation of all-male choirs as early as possible. A 2011 study of Texas middle and junior high school choral directors revealed that those who divided their programs by gender had a significantly larger number of boys enrolled in choir than those with only mixed choirs.

Additionally, evidence was found to support the creation of beginning male choirs at the sixth-grade level, with an additional boost to male enrollment provided (Dame, 2011). The all-male choir serves many purposes, such as alleviating the embarrassment of voice change, providing a safe environment in which to sing, improving classroom management, and establishing choral singing as a fraternal activity (Dame, 2011; Freer, 2006; Williams, 2011).

Just as middle school directors should be active with their elementary school music programs, high school directors

should be visible in their feeder choral programs. Not only is it crucial for the directors to be involved, high school males must also be visible to provide younger males with much-needed role models. The director should seek out well-rounded students to encourage junior high boys to continue singing into high school choir, allowing them time to answer questions and promote the high school program. Ultimately, males are attracted to success, and if the choral program is successful and promoted, they will come.

Taming the Beasts: You’re the King Take a mental snapshot of your male choral program. Are you happy with the image you see? Is your choral program a good representation of the student body?

Does your community hold choral singing in high regard? Is male singing viewed as masculine? Frequent self-reflection and critical analysis are key to a successful choral program. Are you analyzing your curriculum after a long school year comes to a close? Networking with other

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L et U

58 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

s Get Yo u The re…

directors? Identifying your weaknesses?

Seeking out solutions for improvement?

These questions provide much-needed introspection and spur the answers that provide our students with innovation that keeps them interested and encourages new blood to follow in their footsteps.

A Fork in the Trail: The Future of Choral Music When the book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak was originally published, it was banned by some schools.

In a display of rebellion and differing beliefs, students flocked to this book— many identifying with the character Max, a young boy struggling to find his place in the world. Perhaps Sendak’s view of Max can be applied to all: “And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.” If the jungle of your choir room offers love and encouragement through singing, you are on the right track, and the wild things will find their way. They are out there and looking for a place to call home.

Let’s bring them together and “let the wild rumpus start.”

Nathan Dame is Director of Choirs at Harpool MS in Denton ISD.

References: Abril, C. R. & Gault, B. M. (2008). The state of music in secondary schools: The principal’s perspective. Journal of Research in Music Education, 56, 68-81.

Castelli, P. A. (1986). Attitudes of vocal music educators and public secondary school students on selected factors which influence a decline in male enrollment occurring between elementary and secondary public school vocal music programs (Doctoral dissertation).

Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI: 8620754) Clements, A.C. (2002). The importance of selected variables in predicting student participation in junior high choir (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI: 3062930) Dame, N. (2011). A comparison of retention rates of adolescent males in allmale and mixed gender beginning choral ensembles (master’s thesis).

Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI: 1498912) Freer, P. K. (2006). Hearing the voices of adolescent boys in choral music: A selfstory. Research Studies in Music Education, 27, 69-81.

Kennedy, M. A. (2002). It’s cool because we like to sing: Junior high school boys’ experience of choral music as an elective. Research Studies in Music Education. 18, 26-37.

Parker, E. (2009). Understanding the process of social identity development in adolescent high school choral singers: A grounded theory (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.

(UMI: 3350454)

Phillips, K. (1988). Choral music comes of age. Music Educators Journal, 75(4), pp.

22- 27.

Sendak, M. (1963). Where the Wild Things Are. New York: Harper & Row. Sweet, B. (2010). A case study: Middle school boys’ perceptions of singing and participation in choir. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education 28(2), 5-12.

Williams, J. G. (2011). Male participation and male recruitment issues in middle and high school chorus (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.

(UMI: 3463260).

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Like this and other stories in this issue, many of our best feature articles are written by TMEA members like you.

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ELEMENTARY NOTES IMPORTANT DATES October—Renew your TMEA membership and liability insurance and preregister for the 2014 convention.

October 1, 6 a.m. CT— TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens.

October 15—TMEA Elementary grant application deadline.

November 15—TMEA scholarship application deadline (see page 2 for details).

December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

January 23, 2014—TMEA convention online preregistration deadline.

February 12–15, 2014—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

We’ve got rhythm B Y

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ctober is my favorite month of the year. By now the students have successfully reviewed musical concepts learned last year and it is time to set the pace for meeting all of our curriculum objectives for the coming year. In September, I wrote that singing is the common thread found in all of our lesson components, whether we are warming up vocally, performing songs, playing instruments, participating in movement, actively listening, or improvising. Additionally, the rhythmic component plays a crucial role in our music lessons. For an excellent example of teaching music through clapping rhythms, go to www.teachingchannel.org, and in the search field enter “teaching music through clapping.” Included in the video are examples of students participating in differentiated learning activities using rhythm stick notation.

It is important to introduce rhythmic concepts in a sequential, age-appropriate progression. Listed below are suggestions for introducing rhythmic concepts and notations in your general music classroom. (Note that individual schools of thought may vary, so you should first check with your fine arts administrator for specific district guidelines.) The sequential list below is designed to accompany the singing skills described in the last month’s installment of this column.

If you don’t have your print version handy, you can find it at www.tmea.org/ emagazine.

Kindergarten: Include numerous activities (marching, playing rhythm instruments, patting laps) to reinforce steady beat in your music lessons. Distinguish between steady beat and the rhythm of the words. Music activities should change every four to five minutes.

First grade: Rhythm syllables introduced should be quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests. (Use your district’s advised counting system.) Include teaching the parts of a note—stem, beam, and note head. Show stick figures

I’ve got rhythm. I’ve got music . . . who could ask for anything more? — Ira Gershwin 62 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

and explain their use. Begin to place sol, la, and mi on the staff in February. Music activities should change every four to five minutes.

Second grade: Review the previous grade’s rhythm syllables. Introduce the half note in October, including the tie.

Introduce sixteenth notes in February.

Teach 4/4 meter in March or April. Music activities should change every six to seven minutes.

Third grade: Review the previous grades’ rhythm syllables. Prepare syn-co-pa in January. Introduce syn-co-pa in March.

Include beams and flags in your rhythm teaching. Music activities should change every six to seven minutes.

Fourth grade: Review the previous grades’ rhythm syllables. Introduce the rhythm of an eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes in October and the rhythm of two sixteenth notes followed by an eighth note in November. Music activities should change every seven to eight minutes.

Fifth grade: Review the previous grades’ rhythm syllables. Introduce the rhythm of a dotted quarter note followed

by an eighth note in October. Introduce the rhythm of an eighth note followed by a dotted quarter note in November.

Introduce the counting system used by your district’s band and choir programs.

Activities should be changed every seven to eight minutes.

Remember to assess how well your students are learning the rhythms of all the songs, dances, instrumental accompaniments, and listening passages in your lessons. For some low- to no-cost rhythm assessment ideas, visit w w w.TeachersPayTeachers.com and search “elementary music rhythm assessments.” While I highly discourage using paper and pencil in music class, I do recommend using paper-pencil activities like the ones you’ll find on that site for end-ofyear records to aid in data collection and tracking individual student progress.

Select other assessment ideas that could be used with popsicle sticks, flash cards, individual dry erase boards, and more.

Create musical performance assessment tools using teacher observations to determine if students have indeed mastered their grade level and age appropriate rhythm skills. Next school year your middle school choir and band directors will be asking, “What are you doing in your music classroom? Your students know how to read music!” What could be more rewarding than that? I hope you enjoy all of your rhythm filled musical moments in October!

TMEA Grant Funding for Elementary Music Programs The Executive Board recently approved allocating $500,000 for grants to be awarded specifically to elementary music programs! You have only a few more days to complete your application (the application period ends October 15). To apply, go to www.tmea.org/elementarygrant. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity!

2014 TMEA Clinic/Convention Update Make your plans now to attend the 2014 Clinic/Convention. The elementary clinic sessions will be power-packed with the latest music publications, successful teaching ideas, classroom management tips, and numerous instrumental, movement, and choral activities for early childhood grades through upper elementary.

Prepare to be motivated and inspired by our Elementary Featured Clinicians

64 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

West Music is an approved TMEA vendor!

We are here to help you with your elementary school grant! West Music is your complete source for your classroom needs!

Judy Pine

Vice President & Director of General Music

Randy Hargis

Education Consultant

TMEA Elementary music teachers – West Music is excited to work with you as you pursue the TMEA Elementary Music Grant for your school this fall.

Judy Pine, Randy Hargis, and the rest of the West Music team are ready to help you define how you might best spend the $800.00 grant for each of your buildings. We will listen to your needs and put our very best efforts into providing you with West Music's highest quality instruments, music, instructional software, and other educational materials for use during this school year.

West Music is also your exclusive approved vendor for GAMEPLAN curriculum materials! We are working with our vendors to help stretch these dollars well beyond your expectations and we will provide FREE SHIPPING to all grants placed through West Music!

Give us a call at 1-877-393-6854 or email TMEAElementaryGrant@westmusic.com when you’re ready to get started! We’re ready to help you!

FIND WEST MUSIC!

CALL US OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE!

800-397-9378 westmusic.com

Roger Sams and Christopher Roberts, and don’t miss our Texas Invited Clinician, Julie Kastner. She is a rising star in the elementary music world!

As you anticipate the myriad of clinic opportunities you’ll experience, don’t forget to make your hotel reservation. As of October 1, TMEA members can access the official TMEA member housing system from www.tmea.org/convention.

Take time to review the hotel choices to decide which properties you would prefer.

It’s advisable to have multiple properties

in mind as our blocks of rooms in some hotels quickly sell out, and you might not be able to reserve with your first choice.

Don’t contact hotels directly as they will not offer you TMEA rates. From our convention webpage, you will book your reservation via a reservation system for our event (do not respond to any other notifications of official hotels for our convention—they could be scam attempts to gain your credit card information. The system linked from www.tmea.org/convention is the only official reservation system). Your

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC Dallas Baptist University produces quality musicians who become servant leaders in various areas of performance, music education, worship leadership, and the music and entertainment industry.

With state-of-the-art performing and recording spaces, Dallas Baptist offers students a superb education with a Christcentered focus and personalized attention from deeply committed Christian faculty.

2013–2014 AUDITION DATES AVAILABLE DEGREES Saturday

October 19, 2013

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Saturday

November 2, 2013

Church Music, Piano Performance, Vocal Performance, or Theory/Composition

(Fall Patriot Preview)

Saturday Saturday

January 25, 2014 February 8, 2014 (Winter Patriot Preview)

Saturday

March 29, 2014 (Spring Patriot Preview)

%DFKHORU RI 0XVLF (GXFDWLRQ %DFKHORU RI $UWV RU %DFKHORU RI 6FLHQFH LQ Music or Music Business The Dallas Baptist University Department of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.

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reservation information will be provided to the hotels once our reservation period ends in late January.

Julie Derges Kastner Texas Invited Clinician Julie Derges Kastner is an Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Houston. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music education at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign and her master’s and doctoral degrees in music education at Michigan State University. Prior to her graduate degrees, she taught pre-K–6th grade music for the Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia and early childhood music at the Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C. She also taught early childhood music at the MSU Community Music School in East Lansing and Detroit.

Kastner is certified in Orff-Schulwerk Levels I, II, & III, Gordon Music Learning Theory in Elementary Levels I & II, and Early Childhood Level I. Her research interests include informal music learning and music teacher professional development. She is passionate about helping music teachers provide experiences supporting students’ musical independence and lifelong musicianship.

Upgrade Your Convention Experience If you would like to volunteer to be a presider or office helper or to work registration, go to the TMEA website and fill out the online volunteer form or simply email me at criddle@aldine.k12.tx.us. The more volunteers we have, the more successful our convention is for everyone and you’ll find out it’s fun when you’re more involved during this exciting event!

Competitive Scholarships & Performance Awards

Audition Dates January 25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 26, 2014 March 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2, 2014 (see website for details)

Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Arts Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music

Music Department Faculty Jason Hoogerhyde, Department Chair

Conducting & Ensembles

Music Literature

Lois Ferrari, Orchestra & Wind Ensemble David Guidi, Jazz Ensemble Kenny Sheppard, Chorale & Southwestern Singers

J. Michael Cooper, Margarett Root Brown Chair in Fine Arts

Strings Keyboard Vincent Lam, piano David Polley, organ Pamela Rossman, piano Kiyoshi Tamagawa, piano David Utterback, piano Robert Warren, piano

David Asbury, guitar Delaine Leonard, harp Steve Kostelnik, guitar Eri Lee Lam, violin Jessica Gilliam-Valls, double bass Tim Washecka, viola Hai Zheng, violoncello

Music Education

Theory & Composition

Lois Ferrari Kenny Sheppard

Jason Hoogerhyde Eileen Meyer Russell Kiyoshi Tamagawa

Voice & Opera Theatre Bruce Cain Kenny Sheppard Nicholas Simpson Dana Zenobi

Woodwinds, Brass & Percussion Anna Carney, clarinet Patrick Creel, horn Susan Douglas, oboe David Guidi, saxophone Adrienne Inglis, flute Kyle Koronka, trumpet Erin Martysz, percussion Eric Stone Miller, bassoon Eileen Meyer Russell, low brass

1001 E. University Ave Georgetown, Texas 78626 (512) 863-1504 music@southwestern.edu www.southwestern.edu/sarofim/music

Step back and appraise B Y

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very day provides an opportunity for positive growth in our pursuits and the occasion to enhance the lives of our students. I’d suggest that this stage of the academic year is a unique and opportune time to undertake a round of intermediate evaluations of what we are accomplishing and how we are currently performing. Are all the meticulous and optimistic plans we laid coming to fruition? To what degree do you find yourself in the life you imagined you’d live? Self-reflection, assessment, and preparation might be our most highly valuable capabilities not only as teachers, but also as human beings.

It’s a good time to step back, take a metaphoric cleansing breath, and initiate a process of reexamination. What follows are some suggested areas to reconsider.

Consistency Conscientious leaders spend a great deal of thought and time laying out what we hope will be efficient and effective procedures and policies. Over the past weeks have you devoted enough time and effort to ensure these ideas have been brought to realization? Often in our rush to obtain short-term objectives we sacrifice the ideal methods we’d like to see in place for the benefit of our organizations and classes. Could a rededication to implementation be an appropriate step at this point in the year, perhaps preventing further erosion of your efforts?

Connecting with Support Networks Most of you probably interface daily with hundreds of individuals, each of whom inherently demands your best efforts. In your attempt to satisfy all these individual demands, are you neglecting the upkeep of your own most valuable

The teacher is the single most important and LQÁXHQWLDO HOHPHQW WKDW ZH FDQ GR VRPHWKLQJ about in the educational process.

COLLEGE NOTES IMPORTANT DATES October—Renew your TMEA membership and liability insurance and preregister for the 2014 convention.

October 1, 6 a.m. CT— TMEA convention online housing reservation system opens.

October 11—College Fall Conference in Austin.

October 15—Call for papers.

November 15—TMEA scholarship application deadline (see page 2 for details).

December 31—TMEA convention mail/fax preregistration deadline.

January 23, 2014—TMEA convention online preregistration deadline.

February 12–15, 2014—TMEA Clinic/ Convention in San Antonio.

Southwestern Musician | October 2013 69

interpersonal relationships? Are you making the time to share your challenges and successes with colleagues and mentors who understand your undertakings? Are you making yourself available to others who share in your needs? As leaders of large groups of people, isolation can be an unwanted and damaging state; work conscientiously on the wellness of your channels of support.

Searching for Fresh Resources As I go through the process of review-

ing materials used in the past and seeking new resources, I am amazed at the abundance of information—the bulk of it highly valuable and immediately accessible. I often find myself asking why I hadn’t discovered and used it before.

The range of my discoveries is always broad and diverse; videos, print materials, podcasts, interactive websites, and so much more are all seemingly at our fingertips. Materials documenting insights and practices used in the past, those most valued today, and illuminating what the

future might hold—they’re all equally prolific and accessible. Twenty years ago even a small percentage of what I now find for free would have cost me a week’s salary and taken too long to locate. However, it’s not uncommon for the abundance and immediate accessibility of resources to be so overwhelming that we end up not using any, instead falling back entirely into old ways and habits. Could it be that if we refreshed some of what we use and how we use it we might find ourselves revitalized and rededicated to our goals?

Appreciating Our Opportunities Life is full of demands and obligations.

As educators we have the ever-present circumstance that our demands and obligations affect lives. Can we be more conscientious in knowing our challenges are opportunities? As John Wooden said, “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”

Your perspective on your responsibilities does shape your performance.

Grasping Our Autonomy There has been a wealth of research and thought on education, and at the end of the day one principle remains—the teacher is the single most important and influential element that we can do something about in the educational process.

No matter how restricted and controlled we might feel at times, educators still have the autonomy to positively imprint experiences on each student every school day.

Don’t allow yourself to unintentionally forfeit your autonomy. As important as this is in the classroom, it’s also crucial in all other aspects of life. Be kind to yourself by fostering healthy habits. When you are fit in every aspect of your life you are in a better position to be more formidable in the lives of others.

Music education provides a unique and vital educational experience in our schools. The more each of us can do to face our challenges, the better we’ll be for the students we lead.

Important Opportunities for College Division Members: • On October 11, the Fall Conference of the College Division, “Making Connections–Seeking Solutions” will be held at the TMEA office in Austin. It promises to be an informal

70 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

and collegial venue allowing you to consult and share with colleagues engaged in the vast spectrum of collegiate music instruction across the state while learning about issues currently confronting music educators

at all levels of engagement. Register to attend simply by emailing me at keith.dye@ttu.edu before October 4.

• The call for papers for inclusion at the 2014 TMEA College Division Poster Session has been issued. The deadline

CALL FOR PAPERS The College Division Research Committee is pleased to announce the call for proposals for presentations at the TMEA Clinic/Convention Research Poster Session. The committee invites submissions from members in all TMEA divisions, including college students. Selected authors will present their research at an informal session in which interested music teachers can learn about the research and discuss its applications to music teaching.

Prepare an abstract of approximately 750 words that provides a concise yet thorough summary of the research, and paste it directly into the body of an email to Amy Simmons, Research Poster Session Organizer and Presider. At the top of the message, include the project title, author(s), institutional affiliations (of all), and the principal author’s email address, mailing address, and phone number.

Each selected presenter will prepare a 40" × 40" poster that describes the research and will provide abstracts for interested individuals attending the poster session during the 2014 TMEA Clinic/Convention.

Submission Deadline: October 15, 2013 Submit to: Amy L. Simmons, PhD, TMEA Research Committee School of Music, Texas State University amy.simmons@txstate.edu • 512-245-3397

is October 15. Full details are available on this page and on the TMEA website under the College Division menu.

• Volunteers for the convention are always requested, needed, and appreciated. Whether you are interested in presiding over division sessions or helping with registration, the alwayswilling volunteer force guarantees our convention remains a worldclass event. You can volunteer via the TMEA website by going to the College Division menu and selecting the Volunteer to Help listing.

TI:ME National Conference The Technology In Music Education (TI:ME) National Conference will once again be held in conjunction with the TMEA Clinic/Convention in February.

Their full-day Preconference held on Wednesday, February 12, features a concentration of music education technology clinics. Technology clinic offerings will continue through Saturday within the convention schedule. This is a unique opportunity bringing together the leaders in application of new technologies in music education.

Making Connections Seeking Solutions 2 013 Col lege Fa l l Con ference October 11 • 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. • TMEA Headquarters in Austin Examine many of the contemporary topics facing the practicing music educator and the implications on music teacher preparation.

The format will consist of multiple presentations followed by open discussion of ideas and solutions.

Connect with colleagues from around the state and collaborate in seeking solutions to our shared issues.

Registration Deadline: October 4 To register, email TMEA College Division Vice-President Keith Dye, keith.dye@ttu.edu, indicating both your name and institution.

There is no cost associated with this TMEA-sponsored event.

Questions? Email keith.dye@ttu.edu

72 Southwestern Musician | October 2013

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