“How come you never have a losing season?” he asked with a smile.

That is an excellent question, I thought. One of these days I might actually get it all figured out. Eternal optimist and music lover meets bureaucracy of public education – this should be an excellent read in about 15 years. In the meantime, these are 9 tenets around which I have built much of my teaching. They are not fix-all statements that will cure everything in year’s time. Much of this has been 16 years of my own teaching leading me to this point, my interactions with friends and colleagues, and the time I have spent in furthering my professional development as a band director. As you reflect upon the end of your year of teaching, I hope that 2 or 3 of these can provide further thought for you and your own ensembles.

1) Be positive. There is plenty to be down about right now in education. One area that we cannot be down on are the students who walk in our door. If we do not create an atmosphere of positive expectation and collaboration, I believe it will be very rare for them to take the initiative to do so. These are just kids – not professionals. Teach them. Lead them. Be positive.

2) You can love your band, but you don’t have to like them. This advice comes from Shawn Reynolds – and it is pretty accurate. In the teacher’s lounge, the copy room, the office, they are referred to us as “one of your band kids” – even though we know they have a school life in other parts of the building. But band is their family, and we, as directors, are surrogate parents and role-models. We must love them, but when they are doing things that we don’t like, or are detrimental to their success as people and musicians we must let them know about it.

3) It is their band. It isn’t my name on the middle-high school sign. This school and program belongs to them – I happen to facilitate sound decisions. I hope to continue to build a program that the students and the community are proud of. I hope the band program is responsive to the needs of the school and the community, and demonstrates to everyone we encounter how important music education is in the life of a child. I can’t do that if my name is the most important one on the concert program.

4) Listen to each other. The world is a better place when we learn to listen to each other. The ensemble is better when they learn to listen to everything around them. No one in this economy is too poor to pay attention during a rehearsal – especially when the benefit is making the ensemble play with greater awareness of expression and accuracy.

5) Have a band for all seasons. Not every student that enters my program wants to be in marching band. Some really don’t like concert band. Some enjoy small ensemble work more than large ensemble. We have maintained our success in part by providing avenues for performance and expression in ensembles of different types without departing and sacrificing the heritage of the American Wind and Concert Bands for which we are a part. Yes it means never having a non-busy season – but it also means less non-interested students.

6) Great moments are magical, take lots of work, and can happen all the time. Half-time shows. Adjudication/Contest. Festival auditions. Concerts. Sometimes it is hard to keep in perspective that those big moments are small snapshots of our ensembles’ and students’ growth and progress over the course of a year. If the process is good, the product will be. But in the moment when they happen and there is a perfect alignment of choice of music and talent of the group, the moments are magical. They are electrifying, uplifting, and inspiring. Celebrate that moment for what it is, when it is, with who happens to make it possible. The feeling created for the students is unquantifiable and worth every ounce of our focus, energy, and dedication as directors.

7) Put kids in the best possible position for success. Know your kids, know what they can do, and know what they don’t know. Know ways to help them know what they don’t know. Know why they should know it. It is not an art of mezzo-nothing teaching of mezzo-nothing literature. It requires thoughtful planning, evaluation, teaching, and modeling. If we are a family, then we should want what is best for each other, and we have their best interest as musicians and people in the forefront of our preparation.

No pressure, no diamonds. Sometimes at the start of the year our ensembles resemble lumps of coal – a little rough, a little dirty, and at face value not worth much. Given enough time, heat, and pressure (time, inspiration, and teaching) they are transformed into something that most people will agree is better to look at (listen to) and is more valuable. Truly, band directors work with clean coal technology every day. Those performances on our schedule give us a timetable to work towards that may increase or decrease the amount of pressure we apply to our “coal”.

9) Define your own success. Every band I have every year is different. While I say and teach the same principles and concepts each year, the change in personality and talent demands that I talk, instruct, and interact with groups a little different each year. That also means the goals I set every year are slightly different as well. Everything we approach and engage in is a learning experience – we learn about ourselves, we learn what we do well, we learn what we need to improve upon. We don’t chase trophies or plaques. We have standards in place that we hold ourselves accountable to, and we define our own success.

            The standardized state examinations represent a dangerous failure on many levels. It makes assumptions that all teachers are teaching all the same information in the same manner.  It makes assumptions that all students have equal access to education, and that all students have a similar support structure in their environment that will let them succeed. It assumes that there is one correct answer for a question and that there is only one way in which it can be made manifest.  It further promotes the message that the only valuable knowledge is that which can be written down, creativity and imagination are not of value to education, and that modern education is nothing more than a factory for producing a universal product – a group of students who all know the same thing and nothing outside the realm of what they have been tested. To further illustrate this point Steven Kelly’s text Teaching Music in American Society cites research by Spring (2006) that indicates there is little correlation data between high stakes testing and college or vocational success.  It goes on to indicate that these tests are often discriminatory based on race, gender, home environment, socioeconomic level, and even physical and intellectual abilities.

            My increasing cynical impression and lack of faith in national organizations has been on the increase over the past five years. With each passing day I am reminded how diverse and ever changing our society has become, and sadly, how little our policy makers are able to respond to enact any kind of meaningful change or avert any kind of crisis.  From national organizations that promote the well-being of music education to policy-makers and department of education officials who enact their efforts and policy from afar, we have become stagnated in our own mediocrity chasing after universal standards all so we can have some sort of tangible proof that our education system is the best, our students are better, and essentially we can say “We’re number one.” 

            Consider David Elliot (Professor of Music and Music Education at New York University), and his writings on the current state of music education.  In his view, summative assessment (like a PSSA exam) is not an ethical educational assessment citing its use to identifying failing students and schools (Taylor, 2006, p. 42).  Elliot continues to discuss that the narrowing of the curriculum and standardized testing is rooted in America’s fear of losing in international competition. I would point out that it’s not as bad as it seems, and it certainly isn’t the same everywhere.

            The current situation in Pennsylvania has been brewing for years thanks to a number of short-sighted decisions made by teachers, policy-makers, and the ex-governor.  One does not wake up one day and find themselves $4 billion dollars in debt – but Tom Corbett (much maligned by a number of groups) decided to do something about it.  This movie is going to play out much like a Shakespeare tragedy, with a lot of good people who do right by their students playing the part of…well…I don’t remember. I didn’t go to school during a time when there was serious high stakes testing, and I used Cliff Notes for most Shakespeare in High School. But trust me, everybody dies…usually…I think…but I digress.

            My issue with Governor Corbett is not with the cuts – though drastic, and tough. He is cleaning up a mess that was left for him, and angry or not, he made good on his campaign pledges (well at least one, and this one is painful). It is the cuts with no thought to the value of what is being cut. What if we didn’t have these tests? How could we show to our leaders that our own school is doing well? Could we let strokes of paint on a canvas, the poetry of students, the choreography of an auxiliary unit, the closing of Biebl’s Ave Maria, or Letter F of the Chaconne in First Suite demonstrate how we are being successful with students? Do we live in a society that understands the value of those things? And if you do not, why haven’t you been educating your community that they are by demonstrating it through the products and works of your students?

            The arts have incredible power to change people’s perceptions, to lift and transform them emotionally and ethically (get ready PMEA 2011), and to transform consciousness.  Elliot Eisner, make a number of great points about what education can learn from the arts, and I have summed these thoughts up here (Eisner, 2002).

• ·         Arts teach students that their personal signature is important – interpreting music, describe a sculpture, form of a dance – and that diversity and variability are made central to the experience.
• ·         As students learn in the arts, they realize that decisions may not always be reduced to a rule or simple formula, but depends upon sensitivity, engagement of body and mind to attend to subtle qualities, and attention to relationships among details and how they congregate to affect the perception of the whole. 
• ·         The arts also promote the development of intrinsic satisfaction and that there are experiences in life that must be lived and felt and cannot be articulated or expressed in literal language or discursive language. 
• ·         Two more important aspect the arts teach is the flexible purposing that enables one to capture emerging moments and opportunities, and that savoring the experience one seeks to fully let the enriching powers of the arts speak.

            Music educators today have to produce. Not trophies, 1^st place festival or contest results, or chairs in state ensembles though they are admirable pursuits in the right context with the right frame of mind of all involved. We have to produce meaningful musical experiences for our students. We must put them in the best possible position for success through our instruction, show them the best possible attitude because of our passion, and our heartfelt appreciation for allowing this experience to work on them as people as they work to prepare for the experience. We must produce musicians that can perform, others who create, others who listen and comment, and yet others who advocate. During this “dark time” – as my friend Bob called it a few weeks ago – we must continue to fight the good fight, to advocate for music instruction as an important part of 21^st century learning, and that students need these experiences above all else because music is a human experience.

            Now is our time to plant seeds for the future of music education.  Our planting season might be shortened, there might be less time, we might not have as good equipment. Having grown up the son of a great farmer, truck driver, and my first musical role model – David would tell me we would go to the fields and get our work done. It might be harder. The days might be longer. But people need the crops. Some of us may plant seeds that we will not see bear fruit. You know your fields, you know what your kids need. Water, soil, sunlight. Knowledge and skills, students in class and ensembles, our passion and perseverance. It’s time to go the fields. 

Eisner, E. W. (2002). The arts and the creation of mind. London: Yale University Press.

Kelly, S.N. (2009). Teaching music in American society: A social and cultural understanding of teaching music. New York: Routledge.

Taylor, P. (Ed.). (2006). Assessment in arts education. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Press.

It is very exciting to host, but it is even more exciting having nearly 100 submissions! There are so many of us now in this stream of communication and media that are making a difference by our professional development, reading, enacting new teaching strategies, and reflecting upon our craft as educators.  What a tremendous resource this movement has turned out to be, and how great to share it with you.  Many hard decisions were made, but we have a great line-up of articles and posts you need to check out!

Music Advocacy

Lindsay Morelli presents The Power and Purpose of an Ensemble posted at Lindsay Morelli.  What is an ensemble? Lindsay’s question unfolds into a great post with great perspective for all of us in music education to consider.

Music Education

The Grand-daddy Blogger of them All Dr. Joseph Pisano presents A Sample Curriculum For High School Instrumental Ensembles posted at MusTech.Net, saying “This curriculum example is a suggestion for Instrumental Concert Band Directors to study for use with their own programs. Many times “we”, as ensemble directors, really don’t think about the curricular needs of/for our ensembles nor give long-term thought to the integration of music literature that may fill a particular goal in our music programs.   This curriculum suggestion is just one way to think about these things and how what you are doing as a band director integrates into the bigger educational picture.”

Brenda D Muench presents BoomWhacker Mysteries in First Grade: Part One posted at Tech Tempo.  This lesson is a ton of fun for elementary teachers who use Boomwhackers – I will freely admit I tried it at home with the set in our basement!

Wendy Stevens presents To Give or Not Give Makeup Lessons posted atComposeCreate.com, saying, “Since many music educators also teach private lessons, this article gives them a list of options for making the most of their valuable time. Many independent music teachers will also find this information helpful.”

Great to see Andrew Ritenour (and fellow Tuba brother) getting involved as a future music educator!  Andrew presents The Educational Beauty of Twitter posted at Future Music Educators.

Janice Tuck presents Music Primary Singing Resources posted at The Music Teachers Blog.  I am continually impressed with the great teaching being shared by many elementary music educators, and Janice’s post identifies some great assets useful in the classroom music setting.

Matt Fonda presents Bass Drum Basics posted at DRUMMING WITH FONDA.  Keeping students aware of the physical demands of being on a drum line is essential, and Matt’s article (very appropriate for students to understand) outlines some things they can do to keep themselves physically ready.

Thomas J. West presents Creating Community in Secondary Performing Ensemblesposted at Thomas J. West Music, saying, “Here are some suggestions for getting choral and orchestra programs to experience the same kind of personal investment in a group musical activity that bands typically experience due to the marching band activity.”

Brian Wis presents I’m too busy to go to the doctor, and other teacher avoidance-techniques posted at Teaching Music in the 21st Century, saying, “A call to high school music teachers to join the PLN movement.”

Natalie Wickham presents Custom Design Your Own Flashcards with these Free Files!posted at Music Matters Blog, saying, “Use these beautiful free flash card designs by Natalie Wickham to create your own custom flashcards! Now you’ll never be stuck at the last minute wishing you had a particular set of flash cards – you can just make your own!”

Charla Pearen presents Old Macdonald – Letter Recognition posted at High Park Home Daycare.  A great exploration of music with infants and toddlers.

Kevin Keena presents 60 Picnicers, 13 years, 2 schools, and 1 Facebook Page posted at Heritage Bands Podcast.  A touching and refreshing look at how social media reconnected a group of students with an educator who made a big difference in their lives.

The experiment is on for me personally at school this year – you can check out the details in my post Big Leap into a Small Room posted at Travis J. Weller.

Carrie Oakley presents Novice to Slash: 100 Free Resources for Teaching Yourself Guitar posted at Online Colleges, saying, “Whether you’re picking up a guitar for the first time or revisiting a teenage hobby, these links provide free resources for teaching yourself how to play the guitar, as well as improving your technique and learning to read music.”

Samuel Wright presents Graphic Scoring with Yothu Yindi posted at Wright-Stuff Music, saying, “An Australian Aboriginal unit of work involving listening worksheets, music analyses and a final assessment where students get to create an animated graphic score of a contemporary Aboriginal work in Keynote 09.”

Ken Pendergrass presents It’s about the work, not you personally posted at Music Is Not for Insects, saying, “helpful advice for those of us who want to be “liked” by our students…”.  Ken’s blog is great, and he offers some helpful advice to communicate with students while maintaining a sense of fairness.

Music Pedagogy

David Ahrens presents Ever-Improving Chops on Secondary Instruments posted at Sound Education.  While I am new to David’s writing and work, this is a great post for all instrumental teacher to consider so that we can be effective musical role models for our students.

Music Technology

Jim Frankel presents The Other 80%: An Industry Perspective posted at Music Technology in Edcation. Jim tackles a larger issue that many ensemble educators/directors face in maintaining their relevance with the other students not in performing groups.

Nemanja presents Dont Compromise Choose Used DJ Equipment posted at Cheap DJ Equipment, saying, “The problem is universal, DJ equipment is expensive. When buying DJ equipment squeezing the most out of your budget is essential.”

Music Tips

Sam Lyons presents Piano Practice Tips For Beginners posted at Learn The Keyboard Online, saying, “If you are new to the piano and you’ve probably experienced boredom. Sometimes that happens when you continue doing the same thing over and over again. Things become a little repetitious…”

Ashley Davids presents Guitar Warm Up Stretches posted at Metal Guitar Lesson, saying, “Highlighting the importance of warming up prior to practicing guitar.”

Sam Lyons presents Keyboard Practice Blues! posted at Learn The Keyboard Online, saying, “Keyboard Practice Blues! We all get them from time to time. Just keep practicing the piano a little everyday. You will succeed in learning the piano.”

Jenny Boster presents The Importance of Beginning Technique posted at The Teaching Studio, saying, The Teaching Studio is a relatively new blog all about teaching piano lessons. This article focuses on the topic of teaching beginning piano technique.

Other

Naomi Seldin presents 10 Rock Stars Who Went to an Ivy League School posted at Online Colleges and Universities Education Database. An interesting article to demonstrate to students about notable stars that have challenged themselves in the academic field.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of music education blog carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

I think chamber music of varying styles and difficulty levels can provide one avenue for directors (educators) to break up the predictability of the everyday schedule, and to place more ownership for music making where it needs to be – on the minds and in the hands of the students.  Putting students into chamber groups so they make musical decision and interpret the music makes for some good, revealing discussions.  Kevin Tutt wrote a great article that appeared in the MEJ a couple of years ago that points towards asking better questions of our ensembles, and certainly they are applicable to the small group setting as well (Tutt, 2007).  In his article on Chamber Music, Patrick Casey indicated that many directors identify that students become better listeners in full band rehearsals, increased enthusiasm for playing, develop good musical decision making skills, and that the reduction in full ensemble rehearsal time increased efficiency of both students and their directors (Casey, 2008).

There is a wealth of small ensemble literature that is accessible and can fit into many different instrumentation settings.  Directors have the option of splitting their group based on instrumentation and student ability level. By varying the combination of those two elements, they can bring about improvement in playing ability in some students or motivate other students to develop their leadership skills. In a small school setting where having a balanced and complete instrumentation is not always the standard, chamber music using the instrumentation that is available to its fullest potential may do more to help student improvement over the course of the school year.  Additionally, a number of State Lists reflect diverse selections in styles of chamber music to which students can be exposed.  By developing a diverse repertoire, directors have an opportunity to send chamber groups out into the community for a public performance with little logistical concerns.  In a time where support for music education from the public is paramount, this could be an effective and authentic advocacy campaign for a school music program.

Obviously scheduling and facilities can impact a director’s (educator’s) ability to start working on chamber music.  In my situation, we have 2 practice rooms that can accommodate 5 students, and one that can accommodate 7.  We also make use of three nearby areas – a Large Group Instruction Room (usually vacant during rehearsal periods), a storage room leading to our gymnasium balcony, and the back of our stage. During a typical chamber music session during our regular scheduled rehearsal time, I will pre-assign times to meet with students in the rehearsal room and then assign time for the smaller groups to be in the practice rooms.  As the percussionists need time to use the equipment in the rehearsal hall, I often will float between the practice rooms, rehearsal hall, and stage listening to the winds to let the percussion maximize their time working with the equipment.  During a 43 minute class period I can usually see 4 groups for eight minutes at a time.  A director (educator) must have established a level of trust and respect with their students for this to work effectively, and as my students do not know when exactly I may be standing outside a door listening they generally stay on task and work diligently.  This year I will be in contact with local colleges to see if there are any instrumental music educators who would be interested in coming in to help “coach” a session. 

During my time listening to a small section of their music, I often try to ask questions that encourage them to make decisions regarding musical expression or ask them to analyze why a section of the music was not rhythmically together.  In the large ensemble, there is always room to “hide” if a student is not completely secure on their part.  In the chamber ensemble, they must be able to hold their part and contribute for their group to succeed.  Through study of chamber music within the large ensemble, directors can address individual playing problems, challenge accomplished musicians to be leaders among their peers, and in some cases provide a enriching alternative if a group lacks full instrumentation.  In essence, to revisit some great thoughts by Reimer, we create an atmosphere of trust (“depending on others who are depending on us”), competence (“to attain it there is work to be done”), cooperation (“working towards a mutual goal, person to person and even person to the medium to bring about its full musical potential”), respect (“a sense of one’s worth/esteem within their creative musical role”), and courage (“our ability to make a decision without guarantee of success and ability to grow into what we have not yet become”) (Reimer, 2003).  It is more pressure to develop executive skills, to help their musicianship to mature, and develop their ethics as a person– but like I have told Tim Loest before “No pressure – no diamonds”.

Nothing is out of bounds necessarily with this chamber music in terms of style and composer – I am looking at each piece to gauge whether or not it will provide a good musical experience for each student, whether it will stretch their musical skills to the edge of their ability, and whether it will engage their group in good musical discussions and development.   Chamber music offers opportunities for music educators to model their personal musicianship for their students, guide them in making music in what can be a very meaningful context, and provide a way for students to improve musically on their executive and aural skills.  Students also have the opportunity to take on more musical responsibility by attending to more subtle nuances of ensemble playing, and experience the joy of playing in a very personal, musical way.

Casey, P.F. (2008). A fresh look at chamber music. The Instrumentalist 62(6), 24-30.

Reimer, B. (2003). A philosophy of music education: Advancing the vision (3^rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Tutt, K. (2007). Using questions to teach the national standards in rehearsal. Music Educators Journal 93 (5), 38-43.

VanZandt, K. (2001). Is it curtains for traditional ensembles?. Teaching Music 8 (5), 24-29.

Where do the effective educators come from? When we think of effective music educators do we confine it to intuitive conductors whose work on a podium with ensembles gives inspiring performances? Is it a classroom of students engaged in “musicking”?  Is it a studio teacher or small ensemble “coach” who is able to extract high levels of musicianship from individuals? Is it simply an educator in music who brings their students to a higher degree of appreciation for this art, and allows them opportunities to make a connection with music on a personal level?  While the first three bring about wonderful opportunities for students, my hope is that our profession begins to recognize the fourth educator as the prototype for effective teachers.  It goes beyond, as the author shares, just technical competence (i.e. planning, creating lessons, solving problems, selecting appropriate music).  Personal technique is also part of the equation.   It is our duty to create a positive environment that develops a sense of synergy, a social atmosphere that supports developing the core of our student’s character alongside the musician waiting to be, and a musical experience that is guided by educators who practice and model their craft passionately to the benefit of their students.

Effective Music Educators are musical role models: Reviewing research by Abeles (2004) presented in the text, music educators should take the responsibility of being a musical role model to their students very seriously.  Taking into account the community and the context of where the learning is taking place, the music educator may be the only professional musical role model students will interact with in their educational careers.

Effective Music Educators reach all their students in meaningful ways: In consideration of educating all students equally, there has been significant research that would indicate racial and ethnic minority students are not encouraged to participate in primarily white schools.  Differences in cultural expectations, including musical values, are cited as a reason for lack of participation.  As every culture has music and uses it for specific purposes, it is incumbent upon music educators to recognize and understand ethnic groups that are represented within the community in which they teach.  By identifying those groups and researching the value placed and how music is traditionally practiced within that culture, they can seek to provide meaningful and authentic musical experiences that will make a connection for that student within the curriculum and extend beyond the classroom or rehearsal room walls.  Research by Ballantine (2001) indicates isolation, a feeling that no one cares, and low expectations as being primary reasons students drop out of school.  Teachers can help students in school by setting high expectations, connecting with students inside and outside of class, and learning to recognize early warning signs of potential dropouts.  Research by Shields (2001) demonstrated that the presence of at-risk students caused non-musical problems to dominate the tone group rehearsals and class sessions.  This is a concern for teachers when potential at-risk students are enrolled in their classroom.  Although there was a downside to the enrollment of these students, the musical and non-musical skills growth provided a sense of intrinsic reward for the teacher, and the teacher as a mentor to students was a positive experience.  This is a reminder of the socializing power of the ensemble in that it does more for the individual student than the student contributes to the ensemble.

Effective Music Educators are able to motivate their students: Bandura (1993) suggested that teachers have three goals in developing motivation in students: a) create a state of motivation, b) develop the trait of being motivated to learn so that it is present throughout their lives, and c) encourage students to be thoughtful about what they study or participate in.  Probably one of the best things teachers can do is to model life-long learning through their enrollment in graduate programs and further studies.  I have found some of my students to become very inquisitive about my studies at Kent over the past two year, and it has become easier to share interesting research and points relevant to them from our class discussions.  If groups truly take on a reflection of their leader, I have found my students to be more open to self-reflection in their musical experiences when asked to do so.  We must find ways to create musical experiences that fuel intrinsic motivation in our students.

Effective Music Educators open pathways to new music for their students: Preference is an immediate, short-term choice of specific objects or events that can change at any time.  Taste is a more long-term or permanent commitment to a broader group of objectives or events (Abeles, 1980; Radocy & Boyle, 2003).  Preference and taste can be altered – repetition and familiarity are two influential techniques to broaden student preferences.  Research has shown many different musical elements can influence student musical preference (Demorest & Schultz, 2004), as well as various student characteristics (Radocy & Boyle, 2003).  With the amount of high quality recordings available and the multitude of ways in which they can legally be shared with students (via websites), increased exposure, as suggested by the research above, should be effective with students. Additionally, by addressing National Standards 6,7, & 8, students should be able to develop skills that will allow them to think critically about music to which they are exposed, make informed analytical decisions, and evaluate music from multiple perspectives including aesthetic, authenticity, entertainment, imagination and quality.

Effective Music Educators plan for success and capture emerging teachable moments: Effective teachers focus the success of their students, and are able to change behaviors and strategies in mid-lesson or rehearsal to acclimate themselves to the classroom conditions.  The most successful music teachers are student-centered, maintain a well-organized and creative classrooms and rehearsal hall, encourage student creativity and musical independence, encourage intrinsic motivation, and carefully plan and organize each rehearsal based on constant evaluation of students’ abilities and progress (Madsen & Madsen, 1981).  Madsen showed that effective teachers demonstrate the ability to change their social behavior dramatically at precisely the right time to affect student behavior, motivation, and performance.  Research by Goolsby (1997), Kelly (1997a), and Hendel (1995) indicate effective ensemble teachers talk less in class because students are capable of understanding and responding to many basic nonverbal gestures.  At times, I think of a rehearsal like a basketball coach thinks of a game – and for that reason I place a premium on planning for known variables for which I can control.  As the rehearsal (game) unfolds, I must be aware of ebb and flow of communication (both verbal and non-verbal) along musical pathways and make good on capturing an emerging teachable moment that may fall outside my initial rehearsal plan.  “Time-outs” are occasionally burnt to prevent a moment from slipping away, and I must be aware that everyone understands their role and responsibility as members of our “team”.

Effective Music Educators persevere: Many pre-service teachers express aspirations to teach but do not necessarily understand the daily demands of the profession.  Research has shown beginning teachers are more concerned about management and discipline, motivating students, accommodating differences among students, evaluating and assessing student achievement and dealing with parents (Woolfork, 1998).  DeLorenzo (1992) reported many first year music teachers are overwhelmed with the barrage of responsibilities.  Kelly (2002a) reported the student teaching experience is frequently very different from the initial full-time in-service position.  New teachers who receive guidance from mentor teachers allows for them to cope with their new classroom reality, including class management, administrators, and other nonteaching duties (Conway, 2003).  I can remember talking with Patrick Jones at our Honors Band in December 2005.  At that time, he was not yet Dr. Jones, and I was only 4 months into my position at Mercer.  His advice to me at the time was to survive!  Much of what he shared with me over dinner in December of 1995 was borne out in the research above.  I inherited a program that lacked some focus and positive synergy.  Had it not been for my college director, my co-op (both of whom were 10 miles away), and the choir director at Mercer I am not sure what I would have done.  Now in year 15, I am able to recognize patterns of how my professional views have changed and in turn, have altered my classroom approach and allowed me to be more effective. Mike Krzyzewski (Duke University Basketball Coach) would call Madsen’s research (1989) as “Being the face your group needs to see”.

This list is by no means complete as our role in the music education of young people continues to evolve.  But we are the agents of change.  We can no longer wait for a national organization to tell us when will the time be to transform our profession and the musical lives of our students.  Our time is now.  Now is the day of the effective music educator.

Bibliography

Abeles, H. (1980). Responses to music. In D. Hodges, & D. Hodges (Ed.), Handbook of music psychology (pp. 105-140). Lawrence, KS: National Association for Music Therapy.

Abeles, H. (2004). The effect of three orchestra/school partnerships on student interest in instrumental music instruction. Journal of Research in Music Education , 53 (3), 248-263.

Ballantine, J. (2001). The sociology of education (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Bandura, A. (1993). Perceived self-efficacy in cognitive development and functioning. Educational Psychologist (28), 117-148.

Conway, C. (2003). An examination of district-sponsored beginning music teacher mentor practices. Journal of Research in Music Education , 51 (1), 6-23.

DeLorenzo, L. (1992). The perceived problems of beginning music teachers. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education , 113, 9-26.

Demorest, S. &. (2004). Children’s preference for authentic versus arranged versions of world music recordings. Journal of Research in Music Education , 52 (4), 300-313.

Goolsby, T. (1996). Time use in instrumental rehearsals: A comparison of experienced, novice, and student teachers. Journal of Research in Music Education , 44, 286-303.

Goolsby, T. W. (1997). Verbal instruction in instrumental rehearsals: A comparison of three career levels and preservice teachers. Journal of Research in Music Education , 45 (1), 21-40.

Hendel, C. (1995). Behavioral characteristics and instructional patterns of selected music teachers. Journal of Research in Music Education , 43, 182-203.

Kelly, S. (2002). A sociological basis for music education. International Journal of Music Education , 37, 40-49.

Kelly, S. (1997a). Effects of conducting instruction on the musical performance of beginning band students. Journal of Research in Music Education , 45 (2), 295-307.

Madsen, C. &. (1981). Teaching/discipline: A positive approach for educational development (4th ed.). Raleigh, NC: Contemporary.

Radocy, R. &. (2003). Psychological foundations of musical behavior (4th ed.). Springfield, Ill.: Charles C. Thomas.

Shields, C. (2001). Music Education and Mentoring as Intervention for At-Risk Urban Adolescents:Their Self-Perceptions, Opinions, and Attitudes. Journal of Research in Music Education , 273-286.

Woolfork, A. (1998). Educational psychology (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Presented for your approval Governor are a series of thoughts about the arts in public education, and what they can bring to the lives and future careers of students.  I am certainly not telling you that it has to be all our way like the way you have run the state during your term – but this is more from an informative perspective that your agenda is hurting our ability to reach and provide skills to students that serve them far beyond their high school years. Okay, so maybe I am being a little hard on the Ed, but if you are going to be head chef you better be able to stand the heat in the kitchen.

The arts can be a powerful tool for students to develop competence in as they compete in a 21^st century job market.  When he was interviewed by Business Week former PNC CEO Paul Chellgren (1996) had this to say about the arts:

“Today’s students need arts education now more than ever.  Yes, they need the basics.  But today there are two sets of basics.  The first – reading, writing, math – is a prerequisite for a second, more complex, equally vital collection of higher level skills         required to function well in today’s world….The arts provide an unparalleled opportunity to teach these higher level basics that are increasingly critical, not only to tomorrow’s work force, but today’s.”

There is significant discussion in education today about “Transformative Assessment” and its use in the general classroom.  Elliot Eisner (2002), Stanford Art Professor, would argue 5 points that demonstrate this component is evident in everyday practice amongst visual and performing arts educators.  These artistically rooted qualitative forms of intelligence reveal themselves in transformative assessment as students 1) experience qualitative relationships and make judgments, 2) encounter “flexible purposing” (capitalizing on emerging features of a work), 3) understand not everything knowable can be articulated in a propositional form, 4) that form and content is most often inextricable, and 5) realize the aesthetic satisfaction that makes the work possible.

The fine, visual and performing arts open many career doors to students because of the transitive learning that is encountered and then applied to a new field.  But we must not forget that the arts are a unique way of demonstrating intelligence in knowing, creating, doing, and appreciating within that domain.  Education in the arts should help individual students achieve whatever potentials they possess to be intelligent within that domain.

I realize that the many school districts are under a tremendous burden to make AYP in their PSSA.  This added pressure of the PSSA’s might influence the resources and time allotted for non-tested subjects like the arts.  Recent research in this area conducted by Thorton (2007) demonstrates that many Pennsylvania students who voluntarily participate in music programs such as band, choir and orchestra perform significantly better on PSSA tests than students who choose not to participate is such activities. It is necessary to note that these results do not indicate that students achieved higher scores on their PSSA tests because they were in music. The purpose of this study was to examine whether music participation negatively impacts PSSA test scores, and the data demonstrated that music students’ scores are not lower than those of non-music students.

I must again defer to the wisdom of Bennett Reimer (2003).  As I referenced on a recent post, there are 5 dimensions that cannot be ignored that music educators impart to our students.  By doing so in the unique way that music can, these values – which so many of us can extol – make the musical experience a life changing one.  The values of trust (depending on others who are depending on us), competence (achieving it means there is work to be done), cooperation (with people, with the medium, and with the situation), respect (granting others a sense of worth in a shared enterprise which all of us contribute), and courage (are willingness to risk, be open to the unknown, and deal with challenges) can be instilled in the lives of students within the arts.  Those students become new members of society that move forward and contribute positively to careers, their families, and their communities – no matter what their profession.

Beyond that we teach unique subjects with unique ways of knowing.  We learn to appreciate the intrinsic value of what we experience through direct interaction and production of art celebrating noble expression of man’s ability to create.  We are moved to great extremes of emotional depth, and experience a fantastic set of skills which are required to produce them. The arts will never cure cancer, help the stock market rebound, or rebuild a town devastated by disaster.  The arts will make us better people who appreciate beauty.  They were meant to enlighten our thinking, and bring out the very best our minds can offer.  The arts belong in the public schools for all the right reasons.  They make a bold statement to all who experience it about real education progress.
Notes:

Eisner, Elliot W. (2002) “What can eduction learn from the arts about the practice of education?”, the encyclopedia of informal education,      www.infed.org/biblio/eisner_arts_and_the_practice_or_education.htm .

Reimer, B. (2003). A philosophy of music education: Advancing the vision (3^rd ed.). Upper Saddle River,  NJ: Prentice Hall.

Thornton, L. (2007). A Comparison of PSSA Scores between Music and Non-Music Students:Summary Report.  PMEA Research Committee and The Pennsylvania State University (available at http://pmea.net/researchadvocacy.html)

What good is arts education? Educating the workplace through the arts. (1996, October)   Business Week,12.

Our eventual performance on March 12^th by all the ensembles was superb.  It was probably the best concert I have put together in my 14 years of teaching.  Other program selections included Wagon Trail by Julie Giroux (excellent work), Cumberland Cross by Carl Strommen, and Cajun Folk Songs 2 by Frank Ticheli.  I am so proud of what they accomplished in the rehearsal hall, the auditorium, and now, as I begin to review the submissions for the interdisciplinary unit, in the computer lab.

The one main goal of the class last summer was to explore ways in which we as educators can help students make more authentic connections between the music we study and other subjects like art, music, history, and poetry.  The National Standards for Music make it pretty clear that we should be teaching students to understand disciplines outside the arts.  My view of the profession of band directors is that it must include becoming heritage bearers of the American Wind Band.  When that is translated into every day teaching, we must seek ways to help our students make more authentic connections with the music performed by the large ensemble.  It is no longer enough to just get music ready for the concert and adjudication or festival (Though noble goals they are).  We must find ways to engage them beyond the notes on the page so that their memories not only include the wonderful music they performed and studied but how that connects to their everyday lives and the culture in which they are living.

You can visit the website that I prepared by clicking here.  It was my first experience using iWeb, and the ease of use the software provided was appreciated since I am – as the commercial says – “PC”.  I am especially appreciative of Tracy Sevin, the technology coach in the building where I work, who provided me with a very easy way to collect the assignments from the students.  All the students are submitting their work digitally via Rcampus.  Within 15 minutes, I had registered myself as a teacher, set up 3 sections of classes, and provided links to the website and the learning activities.  The students are currently preparing their work in a Word Document, and then using a simple attachment option can send me the file electronically.  While we have used several of our rehearsal periods for the ensembles to access the computer lab, the beauty of this entire assignment is that it can be accessed and completed outside of school time.

Though very new to Rcampus, I am very impressed with their ease of use for both students and teachers.  A regular classroom teacher who creates projects for their students would be able to utilize Rcampus on a more regular basis.  It would provide a way for students to submit recordings for a playing exam or audition material, but there are issues of accessibility outside of school (several of my students do not have the internet), a student having the ability to record a sound file, and integrity of the person making the recording.  None of my students will be printing out any work – everything is handled through digital submission.

The student feedback so far has been very good.  Many of the upperclassmen have commented that the break from playing once every couple of weeks since January has made them refocus the next time a rehearsal begins.  I am planning on doing a post project survey to gauge their perspectives, and the open response section should provide some very interesting results.  The possibilities for future interdisciplinary projects are really endless, but it does take research outside our realm to bring authentic connections to the students.  I hope this sparks some interest and curiosity amongst our profession as move our 20^th century ensembles into a 21^st century educational setting.

Additionally, I recently received a recording of Pirates!, a multi-movement work that will be available from FJH in the Summer of 2009.  The recording is from the Nassau Division 4 Honor Band that Drew conducted back in January.  If you get the chance, click here to here this group of freshmen and sophomores swashbuckling away!  The students did a wonderful job under Drew’s conducting.  My thanks to Drew and the Directors who programmed this piece for their festival!

What a great night! (I am going to keep coming back to that word more frequently than a MLB player hears the word perjury lately).  First some absolute highlights:

• I am by no means an Alicia Keys fan.  But she (her performance) was great.  She brought out John Mayer, and for retaining that Billy Joel-esque looks he certainly gets around well on the guitar.  I made it a point to download “No One” – although it will never make it to my ipod (that is reserved for the likes of Ticheli, Boysen, Camphouse, Reed, Gillingham, Balmages, Erickson, McBeth, Hilliard, Loest, and some guy named Holst).
• I am so an official Foo Fighters fan.  I did two of their songs with my marching band this past fall.  After hearing them on Sunday night, it was confirmed – they were great!  Dave Grohl and the crew have it going on in all the right ways.
• The Gospel Music nominees performed highlighted by Aretha Franklin.  In an era where many of the big names in the early years of Rock are passing away (rest in peace James Brown, Wilson Pickett) it was nice to see Aretha again (though in a different style).  Ludacris’ intro was great – “Prepare to your soul sanctified.”
• Herbie Hancock! Great! Herbie Hancock with Lang Lange playing “Rhapsody in Blue” on National TV! Great! How many of you knew that? Probably 90% of America walked to the kitchen to get more pretzels and a beer the minute the clarinet started.  I was so juiced about it!  Take notice that this was real music, by two incredible musicians! And then to have your Grammy award (which it was 40 some years since a jazz guy won it) presented to you by Quincy Jones? It’s like getting being ordained for Priesthood by the late Pope John Paul.  Yeah, it’s that big.
• Beyonce. Disturbingly not great.  Not that she ever has been….
• Joan Tower.  Who? Oh, yeah the Best Classical Contemporary Composition, Best Classical Album, and Best Orchestral Performance Grammy Winner for Made In America (Nashville Symphony Orchestra led by Slatkin) Great! Just not televised which is not great!
• Keith O. Johnson. Another who? Engineer for Garden of Dreams the Grammy nominated Best Engineered Album.  And the album – yeah, Dallas Wind Symphony (Jerry Junkin) they are pretty alright if you are in to that “they-play-great- music-with-pristine-intonation-balance-and-musical-expression” thing (And yes, I am a pretty big fan of that kind of music performance!!!).  They didn’t win, but would it be awesome to hear them get to perform some year on the show!  If the Grammy Foundation really wanted to hit one out of the park for music education why not bring them in and give them some serious exposure!
• Best Instrumental Arrangement? The Grammy went to Vince Mendoza. Another who? But many of us already know this is the stuff of Joe Zawinul (who passed away in September of 2007).
• And while we are paying homage, look no further than the tribue by the classical fan-fav Josh Groban and the understated Andrea Bocelli.  Groban is fine with me, but Bocelli is where it is at.  Sure the tribute was being done for many who had passed away, but it was so fitting as the final still photo was of Pavarotti.  One day I am sure we will pay similar homage to Bocelli, though I hope that day is far, far away.  And BTW, he was great!

It was a rewarding experience to watch.  As I reflect on the class I led my fellow Doc students on today at KSU, I cannot help but come back to this thought: Don’t stand in the way of your students learning about all kinds of music.  We must equip our students with the musical experiences and knowledge that will allow them to be educated consumers in society.  We should be the conduit that allows the spark of all kinds of music to ignite them – not the electrician who only wires certain areas of the house for certain things.  Keep evolving by figuring out what kids are listening to so that  you are never that teacher whose music time has passed by.  Certainly we should develop a definition for what is music, and criteria for evaluating music that we can lead them to make educated choices.  Whether good or bad is an entirely different subjective can of worms.  But it is our duty as Educators to provide diverse experience in our teaching beyond what society offers in culture.  I think we would all be surprised by how giving students the power to explore, evaluate, and decide on their own will lead them to a healthier relationship with music.  A healthier regard and esteem for music would definitely make society a much better place.  And I don’t think that there is NO ONE who would argue with that.