TN Musician Vol. 68 No. 1 (2015-2016)
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The Official Publication of the Tennessee Music Education Association<br />
If We Build It,<br />
They Will Come<br />
by Rick Dammers<br />
and David Brian Williams<br />
p. 20<br />
Call for TMEA<br />
President-Elect<br />
<strong>No</strong>minations<br />
by Dian Eddleman<br />
p. 22<br />
When I<br />
Was<br />
Your Age<br />
by Eric Branscome<br />
p. 18<br />
VOLUME <strong>68</strong>, NO. 1
LEARN, PERFORM, PERFECT<br />
“Maryville College is the perfect<br />
place for me to grow into<br />
the music educator<br />
I hope to be.”<br />
MEGAN KOLB<br />
Birmingham, Alabama<br />
Senior, Recipient of the<br />
Full-Tuition Scholarship for<br />
Music Majors<br />
Located in the new $47-million Clayton Center for the Arts, the<br />
Maryville College Music Department offers a comprehensive,<br />
NASM-accredited music curriculum within the college’s<br />
acclaimed liberal arts experience. Because of its size,<br />
Maryville College provides students with nearly endless<br />
opportunities to perform — in choirs, ensembles,<br />
bands, orchestras, musicals and opera scenes.<br />
Degree opportunities:<br />
B.A. in Music | B.M. in Music Education<br />
B.M. in Vocal Performance<br />
B.M. in Music Theory/Composition<br />
Music scholarships are available,<br />
and worth up to full tuition.<br />
Contact Ashley Abbott at<br />
ashley.abbott@maryvillecollege.edu<br />
for details.<br />
MARYVILLECOLLEGE.EDU<br />
MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE
TENNESSEE MUSICIAN TABLE OF CONTENTS | <strong>2015</strong> | VOLUME <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1<br />
MAXIMUM SUPPLEMENT FOR:<br />
TMEA Board and Council Directory 6<br />
TMEA – By the Numbers 8<br />
Prelude – A Message from the Editor 10<br />
Michael Chester<br />
Perspectives 13<br />
TMEA Executive Director’s Message 15<br />
Ron Meers<br />
TMEA President’s Message 16<br />
Dr. Jeff Philips<br />
A High School Football Coach<br />
in Tennessee<br />
$24,100<br />
A High School Marching Band<br />
Director in Tennessee<br />
$12,897<br />
FEATURED ARTICLES<br />
When I Was Your Age 18<br />
Eric Branscome<br />
If We Build It, They Will Come 20<br />
Rick Dammers and David Brian Williams<br />
TMEA President-Elect <strong>No</strong>minations 22<br />
Dian Eddleman<br />
COLUMNS<br />
TMEA State General Music Chair’s Message 25<br />
Charlene Potts Cook<br />
TMEA State Choral Chair’s Message 27<br />
Janet Johnson<br />
TMEA State Orchestra Chair’s Message 28<br />
Ben Reagh<br />
TMEA State Band Chair’s Message 30<br />
Debbie Burton<br />
TMEA State Education Technology Chair’s Message 31<br />
Lisa Leopold<br />
TMEA State Collegiate NAfME Chair’s Message 32<br />
Michael Mann<br />
TMEA State Higher Education Chair’s Message 33<br />
Dr. Eric Branscome<br />
$8,094<br />
difference between US average teacher pay ($56,383)<br />
and average teacher pay in Tennessee ($48,289) in 2013<br />
U.S. AVERAGE<br />
TENNESSEE<br />
$48,289<br />
$56,383<br />
Tennessee <strong>Musician</strong> Advertiser Index 35<br />
TMEA Back Then 36<br />
2 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | <strong>2015</strong> | <strong>Vol</strong>ume <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1
• Competitive<br />
scholarships available<br />
• Music ensembles from<br />
symphony to salsa<br />
• 200 music<br />
events per year<br />
• Ten undergraduate<br />
music programs<br />
• Eight graduate<br />
music programs<br />
• Music living/learning<br />
community on campus<br />
• 35 full-time and<br />
50 part-time faculty<br />
• University Honors<br />
College courses<br />
AUDITION DATES<br />
Saturday, January 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />
Monday, February 15, <strong>2016</strong><br />
Saturday, February 27, <strong>2016</strong><br />
CAREERS IN MUSIC DAY<br />
Thursday, <strong>No</strong>vember 5<br />
SCHOOL OF MUSIC<br />
MTSU Box 47<br />
Murfreesboro, <strong>TN</strong> 37132<br />
(615) 898-2469<br />
www.mtsumusic.com<br />
Middle Tennessee State University is an AA/EEO employer.
The Official Publication of the Tennessee Music Education Association<br />
West Tennessee<br />
*Dr. Betty Bedsole<br />
Professor of Music<br />
Union University<br />
Dr. Carol King-Chipman<br />
Director of Bands & Associate Director of Bands<br />
Barret’s Chapel K-8 & Bolton High School<br />
J.D. Frizzell<br />
Director of Fine Arts<br />
Briarcrest Christian School<br />
Ginna Houston<br />
Elementary Music Specialist<br />
Bells Elementary School<br />
Dr. Andrew Palmer<br />
Orchestra Director & Strings Specialist<br />
White Station High School<br />
Middle Tennessee<br />
Matthew Clark<br />
Choral Director<br />
Oakland High School<br />
Susan Mullen<br />
Strings Director<br />
The Webb School<br />
Sara Panjehpour<br />
Elementary Music Specialist<br />
La Vergne Lake Elementary School and Smyrna<br />
Elementary School<br />
James W. Story, Jr.<br />
Professor of Music<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>unteer State Community College<br />
2014-<strong>2016</strong> EDITORIAL AND ADVISORY BOARDS<br />
* Denotes Chairperson<br />
East Tennessee<br />
Sandra B. Kerney<br />
Choral Director<br />
Ross N. Robinson Middle School<br />
James D. Phillips<br />
Orchestra Director<br />
Oak Ridge High School<br />
Gerald Jerome Souther<br />
Elementary Music Specialist<br />
Woodmore Elementary School<br />
Tennessee <strong>Musician</strong> Advisory Board<br />
Dr. Dru Davison<br />
Fine Arts Advisor<br />
Shelby County Schools<br />
Wincle Sterling<br />
Arts Instructional Advisor<br />
Shelby County Schools<br />
Dr. <strong>No</strong>la Jones<br />
Coordinator of Music<br />
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools<br />
Melissa Dufrechou<br />
Fine Arts Specialist<br />
Williamson County Schools<br />
Sarah Cummings<br />
Professional Development Specialist, Choral Music<br />
Knox County Schools<br />
Walter Mencer<br />
Instrumental Music Specialist<br />
Knox County Schools<br />
Tennessee <strong>Musician</strong> Editorial Staff<br />
Michael W. Chester<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
Justin T. Scott<br />
Associate Editor and Bureau Chief<br />
Laura Boucher<br />
Associate Style Editor<br />
Jazmin Jordan<br />
Associate Director of Social Media and<br />
Constituent Relations<br />
Allison Segel<br />
Pre-Production Editor<br />
Carli Cannon<br />
Production Editor<br />
Haley Taylor<br />
Production Editor<br />
Published by Slate Group<br />
6024 45th Street<br />
Lubbock, Texas 79407<br />
(800) 794-5594 office<br />
(806) 794-1305 fax<br />
Creative Director<br />
Rico Vega, Director of Creative Services<br />
Account Manager<br />
Ian Spector, Account Executive<br />
The Tennessee Music Education Association (TMEA) The Tennessee Music<br />
Education Association (TMEA) was officially formed in 1945 as a<br />
voluntary, non-profit organization representing all phases of music<br />
education at all school levels. The mission of TMEA is to promote the<br />
advancement of high quality music education for all. Active TMEA<br />
membership is open to all persons currently teaching music and others<br />
with a special interest or involvement in music education. Collegiate<br />
membership and retired memberships are available. Membership<br />
applications are available on the TMEA web site, www.tnmea.org.<br />
The Tennessee <strong>Musician</strong> was founded in 1948 with J. Clark Rhodes<br />
appointed by the TMEA Board of Control as inaugural editor. Tennessee<br />
<strong>Musician</strong> was preceded by an earlier publication, Tennessee Music<br />
Editors’ Downbeat, which was discontinued by the TMEA Board of<br />
Control at the spring board meeting, held in Chattanooga, Tennessee<br />
in 1948. Tennessee <strong>Musician</strong> is published by Slate Group – Lubbock,<br />
Texas and is mailed to members four times each year at an annual<br />
subscription rate of $6.00 (included in dues). <strong>No</strong>n-member subscription<br />
rate (includes S&H): $30.00 per school year; single copies: $10.00<br />
per issue.<br />
Place non-member subscription and single copy orders at TMEA, 129<br />
Paschal Drive, Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37128 or e-mail to editor@<br />
tnmea.org.<br />
All editorial materials should be sent to: Michael Chester, Editor-in-Chief<br />
(615-904-6771 ext. 31600) E-mail: editor@tnmea.org. Submit materials<br />
by e-mail in Microsoft Word format.<br />
Advertising: Information requests and ad orders should be directed to:<br />
Michael Chester, Editor-in-Chief (615-904-6771 ext. 31600) e-mail:<br />
editor@tnmea.org. All advertising information is on the TMEA web<br />
site, www.tnmea.org.<br />
Deadlines for advertisement orders and editorial materials:<br />
Issue <strong>No</strong>. 1 – Deadline: August 15 (in home delivery date October 15);<br />
Issue <strong>No</strong>. 2 – Deadline: October 15 (in home delivery date December<br />
15); Issue <strong>No</strong>. 3 – Deadline: December 15 (in home delivery date March<br />
15); Issue <strong>No</strong>. 4 – Deadline: February 15 (in home delivery date May 15)<br />
Tennessee <strong>Musician</strong> is copyrighted. Reproduction in any form is illegal<br />
without the express permission of the editor.<br />
Tennessee <strong>Musician</strong> is copyrighted. Reproduction in any form is illegal<br />
without the express permission of the editor.<br />
Postmaster: Send address changes to: Tennessee <strong>Musician</strong>, c/o National<br />
Association for Music Education (NAfME), 1806 Robert Fulton Drive,<br />
Reston, VA 20191-4348.<br />
<strong>No</strong>n-Profit 501(c)(3) Organization U.S. Postage Paid at Lubbock, Texas.<br />
ISSN Number 0400-3332; EIN number 20-3325550<br />
4 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | <strong>2015</strong> | <strong>Vol</strong>ume <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1
Chapman<br />
APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY<br />
<strong>2015</strong>-16 NEW FACULTY<br />
Alicia Chapman<br />
Oboe<br />
Katurah Christenbury<br />
Music Therapy<br />
Greg McCandless<br />
Music Theory<br />
Beth Wiese<br />
Tuba & Euphonium<br />
*Saturday, December 5, <strong>2015</strong><br />
(Instrumental Areas)<br />
*Saturday, January 16, <strong>2016</strong><br />
(Instrumental and Vocal Areas)<br />
*Saturday, January 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />
(Instrumental and Vocal Areas)<br />
AUDITION DATES:<br />
Saturday, February 13, <strong>2016</strong><br />
(Instrumental Areas)<br />
Saturday, February 27, <strong>2016</strong><br />
(Instrumental and Vocal Areas; for<br />
Admission Only, no scholarship<br />
consideration)<br />
*To be eligible for the Hayes Young Artist Competition<br />
($7,500 annual renewable scholarship), prospective<br />
students music audition on these dates.<br />
music.appstate.edu/admissions • 828-262-3020
TMEA BOARD AND COUNCIL 2014-<strong>2016</strong><br />
TMEA OFFICERS <strong>2015</strong>-<strong>2016</strong><br />
TMEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:<br />
RON MEERS<br />
TMEA Office<br />
129 Paschal Dr.<br />
Murfreesboro, <strong>TN</strong> 37128<br />
execdirector@tnmea.org<br />
Home 615-890-9308<br />
TMEA PRESIDENT:<br />
JEFF PHILLIPS<br />
Hendersonville High School<br />
123 Cherokee Road<br />
Hendersonville, <strong>TN</strong> 37075<br />
jeffrey.phillips@sumnerschools.org<br />
Office 615-824-6162<br />
TMEA PRESIDENT-ELECT:<br />
JOHNATHAN VEST<br />
University of Tennessee Martin<br />
16 Mt. Pelia Road Fine Arts 108<br />
Martin, <strong>TN</strong> 38238<br />
pres-elect@tnmea.org<br />
Office 731-881-7482<br />
TMEA PAST-PRESIDENT:<br />
DIAN EDDLEMAN<br />
University School of Jackson<br />
232 McClellan Rd<br />
Jackson, <strong>TN</strong> 38305<br />
deddleman@usjbruins.org<br />
Mobile 731-695-8270<br />
BOARD OF DIRECTORS<br />
TMEA STATE GENERAL MUSIC CHAIR:<br />
CHARLENE POTTS COOK<br />
East Ridge Elementary<br />
1014 John Ross Rd<br />
Chattanooga, <strong>TN</strong> 37412<br />
cookcl@epbfi.com<br />
Home 423-629-4123<br />
TMEA STATE CHORAL CHAIR:<br />
JANET JOHNSON<br />
Signal Mountain Middle High School<br />
2650 Sam Powell Trail<br />
Signal Mountain, <strong>TN</strong> 37377<br />
jjohnson37830@yahoo.com<br />
Mobile 423-326-8116<br />
TMEA STATE ORCHESTRA CHAIR:<br />
BEN REAGH<br />
Smyrna High School<br />
100 Bulldog Dr.<br />
Smyrna, <strong>TN</strong> 37167<br />
reaghb@rcschools.net<br />
Mobile 615-519-8086<br />
TMEA STATE HIGHER EDUCATION CHAIR:<br />
ERIC BRANSCOME<br />
Austin Peay State University<br />
P.O. Box 4625<br />
Clarksville <strong>TN</strong> 37043<br />
branscomee@apsu.edu<br />
Office 931-221-7811<br />
TMEA STATE COLLEGIATE NAFME CHAIR:<br />
MICHAEL MANN<br />
Union University<br />
1050 Union University Drive<br />
Jackson, <strong>TN</strong> 38305<br />
mmann@uu.edu<br />
Mobile 615-533-8859<br />
TMEA STATE EDUCATIONAL<br />
TECHNOLOGY CHAIR:<br />
LISA LEOPOLD<br />
<strong>No</strong>rmal Park Museum Magnet School<br />
1219 W. Mississippi Ave<br />
Chattanooga, <strong>TN</strong> 37405<br />
lwleopold@gmail.com<br />
Mobile 719-232-7281<br />
TMEA PUBLICATIONS EDITOR AND<br />
ADVERTISING MANAGER:<br />
MICHAEL CHESTER<br />
Stewarts Creek High School<br />
301 Red Hawk Parkway<br />
Smyrna, <strong>TN</strong> 37167<br />
editor@tnmea.org<br />
Office 615-904-6771 x.31600<br />
TMEA PUBLICATIONS ASSOCIATE EDITOR:<br />
JUSTIN SCOTT<br />
Tullahoma High School<br />
927 <strong>No</strong>rth Jackson Street<br />
Tullahoma, <strong>TN</strong> 37388<br />
justin.scott@tcsedu.net<br />
Office 931-454-2629<br />
TMEA COUNCIL<br />
WTVMEA PRESIDENT:<br />
LALANIA VAUGHN<br />
Tipton-Rosemark Academy<br />
8696 Rosemark Road<br />
Millington, <strong>TN</strong> 38053<br />
lvaughn@rebelmail.net<br />
Mobile 901-489-1254<br />
WTSBOA PRESIDENT:<br />
CHRIS PIECUCH<br />
Overton High School for the Arts<br />
1770 Lanier Lane<br />
Memphis, <strong>TN</strong> 38117<br />
chris.piecuch@yahoo.com<br />
Mobile 901-831-4854<br />
MTGMEA PRESIDENT:<br />
ALEXIS YATUZIS-DERRYBERRY<br />
Lascassas Elementary School<br />
6300 Lasassas Pike<br />
Lascassas, <strong>TN</strong> 37085<br />
ayatuzisderryberry@mac.com<br />
Mobile 615-519-1392<br />
MTVA PRESIDENT:<br />
ALEXIS YATUZIS-DERRYBERRY<br />
Lascassas Elementary School<br />
6300 Lasassas Pike<br />
Lascassas, <strong>TN</strong> 37085<br />
ayatuzisderryberry@mac.com<br />
Mobile 615-519-1392<br />
MTSBOA PRESIDENT:<br />
DAVID AYDELOTT<br />
Franklin High School<br />
810 Hillsboro Road<br />
Franklin, <strong>TN</strong> 37064<br />
davida@wcs.edu<br />
Mobile 615-337-2579<br />
MTSBOA PRESIDENT-ELECT:<br />
DEBBIE BURTON<br />
Stewarts Creek High School<br />
301 Red Hawk Pkwy<br />
Smyrna, <strong>TN</strong> 37167<br />
dlburton98@gmail.com<br />
Mobile 615-887-7718<br />
ETGMEA PRESIDENT:<br />
MARGARET MOORE<br />
mamcmoore57@aol.com<br />
Mobile 865-216-5482<br />
ETVA PRESIDENT:<br />
JASON WHITSON<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>unteer High School<br />
1050 <strong>Vol</strong>unteer St.<br />
Church Hill, <strong>TN</strong> 37664<br />
jason.whitson@hck12.net<br />
Office 423-357-3641<br />
ETVA PRESIDENT-ELECT:<br />
KENTON DEITCH<br />
Farragut High School<br />
11237 Kingston Pk.<br />
Knoxville, <strong>TN</strong> 37934<br />
kenton.deitch@knoxschools.org<br />
Office 865-671-7137<br />
ETSBOA PRESIDENT:<br />
LAFE COOK<br />
Dobyns-Bennett High School<br />
1800 Legion Drive<br />
Kingsport, <strong>TN</strong> 37664<br />
lcook@k12k.com<br />
Mobile 423-502-2279<br />
CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT TEAM<br />
TMEA CONFERENCE CO-CHAIR:<br />
BRAD TURNER<br />
Arlington Community Schools<br />
5475 Airline Road<br />
Arlington, <strong>TN</strong> 38002<br />
brad.turner@acsk-12.org<br />
Home 901-867-1870<br />
TMEA CO-CONFERENCE CHAIR:<br />
PAUL WATERS<br />
Bellevue Middle Prep<br />
655 Colice-Jeanne Rd<br />
Nashville, <strong>TN</strong> 37221<br />
paulwaters.tmea@gmail.com<br />
Mobile 615-478-0330<br />
TMEA CONFERENCE EXHIBITS CHAIR:<br />
JO ANN HOOD<br />
jhood10105@aol.com<br />
Mobile 615-957-1266<br />
TMEA CONFERENCE REGISTRATION CHAIR:<br />
MARK GAREY<br />
Freedom Middle School<br />
750 New Highway 96 West<br />
Franklin, <strong>TN</strong> 37064<br />
mgarey86@comcast.net<br />
Office 615-472-3544<br />
TMEA CONFERENCE PERFORMANCE<br />
GROUP CHAIR:<br />
RANDAL BOX<br />
Brentwood High School<br />
5304 Murray Lane<br />
Brentwood, <strong>TN</strong> 37027<br />
ranbox56@gmail.com<br />
Mobile 615-587-1081<br />
ALL-STATE MANAGEMENT TEAM<br />
<strong>TN</strong> ALL-STATE CHORAL GENERAL CHAIR:<br />
AMANDA RAGAN<br />
Oak Ridge High School<br />
1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike<br />
Oak Ridge, <strong>TN</strong> 37830<br />
aragan@ortn.edu<br />
Office 865-425-9644<br />
<strong>TN</strong> ALL-STATE INSTRUMENTAL<br />
GENERAL CHAIR:<br />
MARTIN MCFARLANE<br />
Tullahoma High School<br />
927 <strong>No</strong>rth Jackson Street<br />
Tullahoma, <strong>TN</strong> 37388<br />
martin.mcfarlane@tcsedu.net<br />
Office 931-454-2629<br />
TMEA STATE BAND CHAIR:<br />
DEBBIE BURTON<br />
Stewarts Creek High School<br />
301 Red Hawk Pkwy<br />
Smyrna, <strong>TN</strong> 37167<br />
dlburton98@gmail.com<br />
Mobile 615-887-7718<br />
6 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | <strong>2015</strong> | <strong>Vol</strong>ume <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1<br />
WTSBOA PRESIDENT-ELECT:<br />
STEPHEN PRICE<br />
South Gibson County High School<br />
1000 Hornet Dr PO Box 249<br />
Medina, <strong>TN</strong> 38355<br />
prices@gcssd.org<br />
Mobile 731-499-3888<br />
ETSBOA PRESIDENT-ELECT:<br />
GARY WILKES<br />
Chattanooga School for the Arts &<br />
Sciences<br />
865 E. 3rd Street<br />
Chattanooga, <strong>TN</strong> 37403<br />
gwilkes428@gmail.com<br />
Mobile 423-718-4874
ENSEMBLE CHAIRS<br />
TREBLE HONOR CHOIR CHAIR:<br />
TIFFANY BARTON<br />
Madison Creek Elementary<br />
1040 Madison Creek Road<br />
Goodlettsville, <strong>TN</strong> 37072<br />
tntreblechoir@gmail.com<br />
Office 615-859-4991<br />
<strong>TN</strong> ALL-STATE SATB ENSEMBLE CHAIR:<br />
BRIAN RUSSELL<br />
Stewarts Creek High School<br />
301 Red Hawk Blvd<br />
Smyrna, <strong>TN</strong> 37167<br />
russellb@rcschools.net<br />
Office 615-904-6771<br />
<strong>TN</strong> ALL-STATE WOMEN’S CHORALE<br />
ENSEMBLE CHAIR:<br />
AMANDA SHORT<br />
Chuckey-Doak High School<br />
365 Ripley Island Road<br />
Afton, <strong>TN</strong> 37616<br />
amandalovellshort@gmail.com<br />
Mobile 423-237-4911<br />
<strong>TN</strong> ALL-STATE MEN’S CHORUS<br />
ENSEMBLE CHAIR:<br />
JOHNNY KIMBROUGH<br />
Jackson Christian<br />
832 Country Club Lane<br />
Jackson, <strong>TN</strong> 38305<br />
johnny.kimbrough@jcseagles.org<br />
Mobile 931-265-8848<br />
<strong>TN</strong> ALL-STATE 9TH - 10TH GRADE STRING<br />
ORCHESTRA CHAIR:<br />
GARY WILKES<br />
Chattanooga School for the Arts &<br />
Sciences<br />
865 E. 3rd Street<br />
Chattanooga, <strong>TN</strong> 37403<br />
gwilkes428@gmail.com<br />
Mobile 423-718-4874<br />
<strong>TN</strong> ALL-STATE 11TH - 12TH GRADE<br />
SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA CHAIR:<br />
JESSICA PECK<br />
Center for Creative Arts<br />
1301 Dallas Road<br />
Chattanooga, <strong>TN</strong> 37405<br />
peck_j@hcde.org<br />
Mobile 423-596-2703<br />
<strong>TN</strong> ALL-STATE 9TH - 10TH GRADE CONCERT<br />
BAND CHAIR:<br />
J.R. BAKER<br />
White House Heritage High School<br />
7744 Highway 76 East<br />
White House, <strong>TN</strong> 37188<br />
john.baker@rcstn.net<br />
Mobile 615-478-7181<br />
<strong>TN</strong> ALL-STATE 11TH - 12TH GRADE CONCERT<br />
BAND CHAIR:<br />
ERIC SCOTT<br />
Martin Luther King, Jr.<br />
Academic Magnet School<br />
613 17th Ave <strong>No</strong>rth<br />
Nashville, <strong>TN</strong> 37203<br />
ericscott05@gmail.com<br />
Office 615-329-8400 x2121<br />
<strong>TN</strong> ALL-STATE JAZZ BAND CHAIR:<br />
BOB CHANDLER<br />
Franklin Road Academy<br />
4700 Franklin Road<br />
Nashville, <strong>TN</strong> 37220<br />
chandlerb@franklinroadacademy.<br />
com<br />
Mobile 615-948-1490<br />
PROJECT CHAIRS<br />
TMEA GUITAR EDUCATION CHAIR:<br />
CHIP HENDERSON<br />
Middle Tennessee State University<br />
1301 East Main Street<br />
Murfreesboro, <strong>TN</strong> 37130<br />
paul.henderson@mtsu.edu<br />
Mobile 901-409-9250<br />
TMEA JAZZ EDUCATION POLICY CHAIR:<br />
RICHARD RIPANI<br />
Hume-Fogg Academic High School<br />
700 Broadway<br />
Nashville, <strong>TN</strong> 37203<br />
richard.ripani@mnps.org<br />
Mobile 615-604-0612<br />
TMEA ADVOCACY AND GOVERNMENT<br />
RELATIONS CHAIR: JOEL DENTON<br />
Ooltewah High School<br />
6123 Mountain View Road<br />
Ooltewah, <strong>TN</strong> 37363<br />
denton_joel@hcde.org<br />
Office 423-238-9586, ext. 2334<br />
TMEA SOCIETY FOR MUSIC TEACHER<br />
EDUCATION CHAIR:<br />
DR. JAMILA L. MCWHIRTER<br />
Middle Tennessee State University<br />
MTSU Box 47<br />
Murfreesboro, <strong>TN</strong> 37132<br />
jamila.mcwhirter@mtsu.edu<br />
Office 615-898-5922<br />
TMEA MUSIC MERCHANTS<br />
INDUSTRY CHAIR:<br />
RICK DEJONGE<br />
KHS America/Jupiter Band<br />
Instruments<br />
12020 Eastgate Blvd<br />
Mount Juliter, <strong>TN</strong> 37122<br />
rick.dejonge@khsmusic.com<br />
Office 615-773-9922<br />
TMEA WEBMASTER:<br />
LISA LEOPOLD<br />
<strong>No</strong>rmal Park Museum Magnet School<br />
1219 W. Mississippi Ave<br />
Chattanooga, <strong>TN</strong> 37405<br />
lwleopold@gmail.com<br />
Mobile 719-232-7281<br />
TMEA TRI-M CHAIR:<br />
TODD SHIPLEY<br />
Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic<br />
Magnet School<br />
613 17th Avenue <strong>No</strong>rth<br />
Nashville, <strong>TN</strong> 37203<br />
todd.shipley@mnps.org<br />
Office 615-329-8400 x1017<br />
TMEA MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS<br />
MONTH CHAIR:<br />
TIFFANY BARTON<br />
Madison Creek Elementary<br />
1040 Madison Creek Road<br />
Goodlettsville, <strong>TN</strong> 37072<br />
tntreblechoir@gmail.com<br />
Office 615-859-4991<br />
TMEA HISTORY AND ARCHIVES CHAIR:<br />
ERIC WILSON<br />
Trevecca Nazarene University<br />
333 Murfreesboro Road<br />
Nashville, <strong>TN</strong> 37210<br />
ewilson@trevecca.edu<br />
Mobile 765-730-0532<br />
National Association for Music Education<br />
Announces the Creation of<br />
Touching the Lives of 20 Million Children<br />
Give A <strong>No</strong>te Foundation was established by the<br />
leaders of the National Association for Music Education<br />
in order to expand and increase music education<br />
opportunities for all children and help them develop<br />
skills needed for success in the 21st century.<br />
To make a donation,<br />
please visit<br />
www.giveanote.org<br />
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 7
TMEA BY THE NUMBERS<br />
78 % %<br />
78 % better in other subjects<br />
71<br />
%<br />
Percentage of Americans who feel that learning<br />
a musical instrument helps students perform<br />
Percent surveyed by the same poll believe that<br />
teenagers who play an instrument are less likely<br />
to have disciplinary problems<br />
ACCORDING TO A 2014 GALLUP POLL<br />
4 4<br />
MORE HOURS<br />
of pupil instruction per year in American high schools<br />
(1260) versus high schools in Finland (856), a top<br />
performer in education worldwide, raising questions<br />
about the effectiveness of instructional time in the US<br />
>3,000<br />
number of NAfME<br />
members who will attend the<br />
NAFME NATIONAL CONFERENCE<br />
in Nashville in October <strong>2015</strong><br />
A High School Football Coach<br />
in Tennessee<br />
$24,100<br />
U.S. AVERAGE<br />
TENNESSEE<br />
MAXIMUM SUPPLEMENT FOR:<br />
A High School Marching Band<br />
Director in Tennessee<br />
$12,897<br />
$8,094<br />
difference between US average teacher pay ($56,383)<br />
and average teacher pay in Tennessee ($48,289) in 2013<br />
$48,289<br />
$56,383<br />
442<br />
DIFFERENT TYPES OF BACTERIA,<br />
including staph and strep, found in 13 wind<br />
instruments swabbed for cultures<br />
in a Tulsa band room<br />
VERBATIM<br />
“Soul is when you can take a song<br />
and make it a part of you.” –Ray Charles<br />
“My essential purpose in singing is to help<br />
the listener understand reality.” –Pete Seeger<br />
“Music is a labyrinth with no beginning<br />
and no end, full of new paths to discover,<br />
where mystery remains eternal.” –Pierre Boulez<br />
8 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | <strong>2015</strong> | <strong>Vol</strong>ume <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1
PRELUDE - A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR<br />
ON A RECENT BUSINESS TRIP<br />
I had the dubious opportunity to<br />
experience an interesting look at<br />
the psychology and phenomenology<br />
of group travel, namely that<br />
of airplane culture. As a matter of record<br />
and in the interest of full disclosure, I hate<br />
to fly. To date, I have never had any kind<br />
of harrowing flying experiences and most<br />
of my time on airplanes has been mostly<br />
positive, mostly mundane, and mostly uneventful<br />
. . . save for this particular flight.<br />
To this day, I am still not sure where my<br />
fear of flying comes from. My only guess is<br />
being a young child of the late 1980’s and<br />
watching every CBS made for television<br />
movie about airline disasters, or my brief<br />
incursions delving into Reader’s Digest<br />
magazine and learning about the statistics<br />
of mid-air collisions, has left an indelible<br />
scar on my psyche. In any case this particular<br />
flight was no different than any others<br />
I have been a part of. That is until someone,<br />
whom I shall give the name of Passenger<br />
X, decided to become unruly.<br />
For all intents and practical purposes, I<br />
am really not sure what caused Passenger<br />
X to become so unruly in the first place.<br />
The flight was calm and the airline crew<br />
and attendants were marginally courteous<br />
and attentive. The flight was of course<br />
packed. About an hour into the flight, Passenger<br />
X decided that it would be a good<br />
idea to blast music from his mobile device.<br />
<strong>No</strong>w I know we’ve all been there, in the<br />
mad rush to make a flight, only to realize<br />
that we forgot the headphones, and in my<br />
case the Benadryl to knock me out. Most<br />
of us would just make due with the situation.<br />
Passenger X, who was sitting in the<br />
isle way across from me, did no such thing.<br />
His mobile device was at full blast, playing<br />
some distorted cacophony of sounds that I<br />
presume to be music (who am I to judge?).<br />
As you would imagine the rest of the<br />
passengers were quick to react. Many in<br />
the seats around the area were very polite<br />
in asking Passenger X to turn down his<br />
mobile device. He refused. The next step<br />
was involving the airline attendants. After<br />
much tense coercion back and forth,<br />
Passenger X acquiesced to their requests.<br />
However it was not ten minutes later that<br />
Passenger X began a tirade of obscenities,<br />
accusations, and downright rude behavior.<br />
Michael Chester<br />
As I observed this behavior, I was immediately<br />
surprised by the reactions of the passengers in the<br />
immediate and surrounding seating area. Some<br />
part of my cynical side expected a verbal confrontation<br />
between Passenger X, the other passengers,<br />
and probably the flight crew. I imagined that the<br />
rest of my millennial counterparts on the flight<br />
had their mobile devices ready, hoping to go viral<br />
with a video that would make bank with enough<br />
hits on YouTube (yes I too considered it . . . but<br />
only for a second) and we would have to make an<br />
emergency landing in the middle of nowhere.<br />
Much to my surprise, the contrary occurred.<br />
Most, if not all of the passengers and flight crew<br />
ignored Passenger X. Most everyone in the seating<br />
area had some rather interesting looks of<br />
disgust, along with the rolling of the eyes. Everyone<br />
seemed to be clearly on the same page and it<br />
seemed that group psychology prevailed in this<br />
instance. The feeling was similar to the vibe when<br />
on an elevator with strangers, as everyone remains<br />
pre-occupied and silent.<br />
“HOW WE REACT TO UNRULY<br />
STUDENTS WILL EITHER<br />
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY<br />
INFLUENCE HOW OUR OTHER<br />
STUDENTS WILL RESPOND<br />
AND ULTIMATELY REACT<br />
IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS.”<br />
As the flight progressed and Passenger X continued with his insolent behavior,<br />
the thought occurred to me that as music educators, we find ourselves from time-totime<br />
in similar situations with students. How we react to unruly students will either directly<br />
or indirectly influence how our other students will respond and ultimately react<br />
in similar situations. As music educators at all levels, we have a unique responsibility<br />
and calling that mandates a keen knack for classroom management and organization.<br />
Yet, even in the best circumstances, we encounter a student who can act disruptive<br />
and will try to compromise the learning of other students. In those situations, our character<br />
and our training is often tested. Do we immediately handle the situation then and<br />
there? Do we send the student for disciplinary intervention, often to the office or dean<br />
of students, along with twenty-nine pages of documentation, in triplicate that is often<br />
required for referrals? Do we plea, bargain, bribe, or beg the student to cease and desist?<br />
Do we ignore the student and in turn ask the members of the class to ignore the student<br />
as well?<br />
There is really no answer here, other than to say that every situation is unique and<br />
that we have to trust our instincts. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we get it<br />
wrong. Ultimately experience is the best teacher. In these instances, students take our<br />
cues. The true test comes when students face similar situations, either with or without<br />
adult supervision, or when they leave our institutions to go on to bigger and better<br />
things in life. The impact you have on your current students and how you respond to disruptions<br />
is enormous. How will you handle these situations in the future?<br />
As an aside, at the conclusion of the flight, Passenger X stormed immediately out of<br />
the plane and into the airport. As I immediately thanked the travel gods for keeping<br />
me safe, I eventually made it to the baggage claim. As I handed my luggage to the valet,<br />
I started checking the barrage of email and text messages as I headed into the sedan.<br />
From the corner of my eye I<br />
noticed that Passenger X was<br />
being escorted by airport security.<br />
Interesting end for sure.<br />
<strong>No</strong>te to self for future reference<br />
. . . just bite the bullet and<br />
upgrade to first class.<br />
Michael Chester EDITOR-IN-CHIEF<br />
10 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | <strong>2015</strong> | <strong>Vol</strong>ume <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1
GO<br />
WHERE<br />
THE<br />
MUSIC<br />
TAKES<br />
YOU.<br />
Belmont’s School of Music provides training and mentorship to aspiring musicians from across the country<br />
so that they can use their gifts to engage and transform the world. Learn how you can join the next class of<br />
rising stars at belmont.edu/music.<br />
UNDERGRADUATE AUDITION DATES: 11.14.15 • 1.9.16 • 1.23.16 • 2.6.16 • 3.19.16 (Admission Only)<br />
GRADUATE AUDITION DATES: 11.14.15 • 1.15.16 • 2.12.16 • 2.26.16<br />
Music Education -<br />
General/Vocal/Instrumental k-12<br />
Music Theory • Church Music<br />
Keyboard, Instrumental, and Vocal<br />
Performance<br />
Music with Electives in an Outside Field<br />
Bachelor of Arts in Music<br />
Carson-Newman offers high academic<br />
and performance standards, low student/<br />
faculty ratio, highly qualified, approachable<br />
faculty and quality environment for learning.<br />
Scholarship opportunities available.<br />
Full-Tuition Scholarship Competition is held in<br />
late January. See our website for more details.<br />
Carson-Newman University | Jefferson City, <strong>TN</strong> 37760<br />
(865) 471-3328 | music@cn.edu | cn.edu/music
Experience<br />
the Music Within<br />
UT Martin<br />
www.utm.edu/music<br />
Learn from a faculty of world-class<br />
performers and teachers who truly care<br />
about you, in a state-of-the-art music<br />
facility. Our program is designed to<br />
help you create a positive, diverse, and<br />
successful life in music, whether it’s in the<br />
classroom or on the stage.<br />
<strong>2015</strong>-<strong>2016</strong> Audition Dates*<br />
Saturday, Jan. 23, 8:00 am (Honor Band)<br />
Friday, Jan. 29, 3:00 pm (Honor Choir)<br />
Monday, Feb. 15, All Day (Junior/Senior Day)<br />
Saturday, March 5, All Day (Woodwind Day)<br />
* Additional dates may be arranged.<br />
Start your life<br />
in music today!<br />
UT MARTIN DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC<br />
731-881-7402 | MUSIC@UTM.EDU | WWW.UTM.EDU/MUSIC<br />
Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music
PERSPECTIVES<br />
HANK YOU for the outstanding<br />
articles in the most recent <strong>TN</strong><br />
<strong>Musician</strong>. In particular, Bil<br />
Jackson’s Seduction of the Ear<br />
is so helpful. As clarinet players<br />
we know what the embouchure,<br />
breathing, tongue placement,<br />
etc., should be to produce a<br />
great tone, but this article is so concise and<br />
well-done. I used the straw exercise in both<br />
of my lessons today and copied the article<br />
for students to read. The submission by Dr.<br />
Alice Hammel is also outstanding. I’ve already<br />
copied to give to my woodwind methods<br />
class this fall. This information is so<br />
critical to instrumental teachers who care<br />
deeply about each individual student, no<br />
matter where they are on the learning continuum.<br />
— Jeanne Newton<br />
JUST A NOTE TO CONGRATULATE YOU on your<br />
fine work as editor-in-chief of Tennessee<br />
<strong>Musician</strong>. It looks great, has excellent content<br />
and is a useful document for music<br />
teachers. Being one of the old-timers, I like<br />
the historic material used in TMEA Back<br />
Then. Four dollars for dual membership indeed!<br />
And only and buck and a half for state.<br />
I’m not sure even I remember that far back!<br />
As someone put it well, “the times, they<br />
are a-changin.’”<br />
Thanks for your good work.<br />
— Joe W. Giles<br />
SHARE WITH US<br />
Have something to say? Do you love<br />
or hate a particular article? To share<br />
your thoughts on what you read in the<br />
Tennessee <strong>Musician</strong>, please e-mail<br />
editor@tnmea.org<br />
Scholarship Audition<br />
Interested students should contact<br />
the Department through the website,<br />
www.tntech.edu/music, or by phone<br />
at (931) 372-3161.<br />
Degree Programs<br />
Bachelor of Music<br />
in Music Education<br />
(Instrumental/General Licensure,<br />
Vocal/General Licensure,<br />
Dual Licensure)<br />
Bachelor of Music<br />
in Performance<br />
(Composition, Instrumental, Jazz,<br />
Music Business, Piano, Vocal)<br />
Master of Arts<br />
in Curriculum<br />
(Music Education Concentration)<br />
Performing Ensembles<br />
Band<br />
Concert Band, Golden Eagle Marching<br />
Band, Jazz Ensembles, Symphony Band,<br />
Wind Ensemble<br />
Choir<br />
Chorale, Concert Choir, Mastersingers<br />
Orchestra<br />
Bryan Symphony Orchestra, University<br />
Orchestra<br />
Other Opportunities<br />
Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble,<br />
Chamber Music Ensembles, Golden<br />
Eagle Brass Pep Band, Jazz Combos<br />
Tennessee Tech University is a constituent university of the Tennessee Board of<br />
Regents. TTU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex<br />
(gender), disability (ability), or age in its programs and activities. The following<br />
person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non discrimination<br />
policies: Director of Diversity & Legal Affairs, PO Box 5164, Cookeville, <strong>TN</strong> 38505,<br />
931-372-3016; affirmact@tntech.edu.<br />
Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)<br />
Scholarships available for music majors and non-music majors.<br />
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 13
Bachelor of Music • Bachelor of Arts • Master of Music<br />
Instrumental Performance • Vocal Performance • Theory/Composition • Music Education<br />
Instrumental<br />
and Vocal<br />
audItIons<br />
Music Performance Grants<br />
are awarded on the basis of<br />
audition to Music majors and<br />
non-Music majors.<br />
Prospective Music majors will<br />
audition for admission to the Music<br />
Department on these dates:<br />
February 27<br />
March 5<br />
To schedule an audition:<br />
www.utc.edu/music/auditions.php<br />
or call (423) 425-4601<br />
SCAN WITH<br />
FOR MORE INFO<br />
Visit the Music<br />
Department website<br />
by scanning the code.<br />
www.UTC.edu/Music<br />
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a comprehensive, community-engaged campus of the University of Tennessee System.<br />
UTC is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution. E041054-001-16<br />
BARCODE SCANNER
TMEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE<br />
Ron Meers<br />
“IF WE ARE TO CONTINUE TO BE<br />
SUCCESSFUL AND PRODUCTIVE,<br />
WE MUST CONTINUE TO<br />
ENCOURAGE AND NOURISH<br />
VOLUNTEERISM IN TMEA AND<br />
OUR REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS.”<br />
PLEASE REMEMBER<br />
Plan to attend NAfME In-service,<br />
October 25th – 28th, <strong>2015</strong>,<br />
Opryland Hotel and Convention Center<br />
Each Regional Association is asked to provide<br />
candidate(s) for TMEA President Elect<br />
Check out our new TMEA Website!<br />
(Thanks, Lisa Leopold and Kenny Ferguson)<br />
Plan to attend the TMEA Professional<br />
Development Conference,<br />
April 13th – 16th, <strong>2016</strong><br />
Opryland Hotel and Convention Center<br />
hope all of you had a restful summer<br />
vacation and are past the rigors<br />
of starting a new school year!<br />
Thank you all for your continued<br />
support of TMEA and music education<br />
in Tennessee.<br />
I would like to express my sincere appreciation<br />
to the MANY volunteers who<br />
allow us to offer such rewarding educational<br />
and performing opportunities for<br />
Tennessee music teachers and students.<br />
TMEA All-State Ensembles, TMEA AND<br />
NAFME In-service Conferences, and our<br />
State Concert Festival would not be possible<br />
without the dedication and selfless<br />
efforts of our volunteers.<br />
Have you thought of the value of the<br />
volunteers in our association? Do you realize<br />
our events would not be possible if<br />
our volunteers decided the time and effort<br />
was too much for them? <strong>Vol</strong>unteering is a<br />
sacrifice on the part of the volunteer, their<br />
family, and their own program; whether<br />
it is General Music, Choir, or Instrumental<br />
Music. It would be so much easier for<br />
them and their families to “let someone<br />
with more time do it . . .” Folks, we all have<br />
the same 24 hours in a day.<br />
If we are to continue to be successful<br />
and productive, we must continue to<br />
encourage and nourish volunteerism in<br />
TMEA and our Regional Associations.<br />
Those who have never served on a committee,<br />
chaired an ensemble, planned a<br />
conference, moved All-State equipment,<br />
made music folders for All-State, hired<br />
State Concert Festival adjudicators,<br />
stuffed registration packets, paid judges,<br />
taken minutes, updated a website,<br />
planned a session for conference, contacted<br />
exhibitors for conference, searched for<br />
advertisers for the Tennessee <strong>Musician</strong>,<br />
sought candidates to run for an office,<br />
picked up a conductor at a crowded airport,<br />
or run for State or Regional Office<br />
should consider serving in the future! We<br />
have so many talented music teachers in<br />
Tennessee. Please share your many abilities<br />
and help us improve the musical experience<br />
for all students. You have no idea<br />
how refreshing it is to call a potential candidate<br />
and have them respond immediately,<br />
“I would be honored to be a candidate.”<br />
If you cannot take on a full position, then<br />
help one of the volunteers. You can suggest<br />
short cuts to chairs, volunteer to help<br />
a chair on site for a few minutes, do something<br />
to lighten the responsibilities of our<br />
volunteers, or take time to write a thank<br />
you note to an officer or volunteer.<br />
It has never been, nor ever will be, in the<br />
job description of a few teachers to provide<br />
musical experiences for other teachers<br />
and their students, etc. It has to be a<br />
team effort where all of us are committed<br />
to providing the best music education for<br />
not only our students, but for all music<br />
students in Tennessee. As Past-President<br />
Dian Eddleman would say, it is truly a<br />
team effort- “TEAM TMEA!”<br />
Thanks again to the many OUTSTAND-<br />
ING, TALENTED, DEDICATED, and<br />
FUN volunteers who make Tennessee one<br />
of the finest states for an exemplary music<br />
education! YOU ARE APPRECIATED!<br />
I hope you all have a wonderful school<br />
year! Please do not hesitate to call on me<br />
if I may be of any assistance to you or your<br />
music program!<br />
Ron Meers<br />
TMEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR<br />
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 15
TMEA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE<br />
Jeff Phillips<br />
“We’ve done<br />
a lot to make<br />
TMEA more<br />
responsive to you!”<br />
WELCOME BACK to another year<br />
teaching the best students the<br />
best subject in our state! This<br />
has been an eventful and busy<br />
summer for your Executive Board as we<br />
traveled again to Washington, D.C. for<br />
the annual NAfME Leadership Conference.<br />
This year we were joined by four of<br />
our collegiate NAfME members (Justin<br />
Lee and Della Coleman from UT Martin,<br />
Davey Edmaiston from APSU, and Lauren<br />
Gregory from Cumberland University)<br />
who went with us on the annual “Hill<br />
Day.” We were there at an exciting time,<br />
as the ESEA bill was just going to the<br />
Senate and we had a chance to meet with<br />
Senator Alexander and Senator Corker’s<br />
staff and discuss this with them. We were<br />
also able to meet again with Congressman<br />
Phil Roe’s staff and we actually had a faceto-face<br />
meeting with Congressman Diane<br />
Black. These are all elected officials that<br />
we continually have met with over the<br />
past several years and their staff members<br />
now know who TMEA is and who we represent<br />
when we call and talk over matters<br />
with them. Of course, following our visit,<br />
the ESEA vote made it to the Senate floor<br />
and after a relatively short debate over<br />
about 100 amendments, it passed with a<br />
great majority in a bipartisan effort. The<br />
House is currently working on their version,<br />
so we are still a while before this becomes<br />
law, but the implications are exciting:<br />
to have MUSIC recognized as a core<br />
subject in our schools. There are lots of<br />
questions, but the dialogue started by this<br />
action puts us in a position that we have<br />
never been in before.<br />
On the home front, it becomes a time<br />
for me to review where we are as TMEA.<br />
When I was your President-Elect, I was<br />
charged with developing a new Strategic<br />
Plan. I’d like to take this time to report<br />
on the “State of TMEA” as was presented<br />
to our Board and Council in our August<br />
meeting.<br />
FINANCES<br />
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES<br />
COLLEGIATE INVOLVEMENT<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
CONFERENCE<br />
PERFORMANCE GROUPS<br />
NATIONAL EXPOSURE<br />
NEW POLICY CHAIRS<br />
16 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | <strong>2015</strong> | <strong>Vol</strong>ume <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1
Financially, TMEA is more solvent and<br />
1 + (thanks to Ron Meers!) able to look at<br />
previous years expenditures and actually<br />
do budget planning. We worked extensively<br />
at our June Board meeting going<br />
over these figures and have a good plan.<br />
One of the unknowns is the actual cost of<br />
moving the conference back to Nashville,<br />
but with current systems now in place we<br />
should be able to plan for this after one or<br />
two years and be even more accurate with<br />
our budgeting process. We have also taken<br />
time to get back in “legal” status with the<br />
IRS and have brought most of our regional<br />
associations under our umbrella of 501c3<br />
tax exempt status.<br />
Our organizational policies and procedures<br />
have been updated and rewritten<br />
2 +<br />
and are available on our website. This is<br />
thanks to Past President Dian Eddleman,<br />
who worked diligently on this during her<br />
term as President. There’s not so much of<br />
“well, we’ve just done it like this” anymore!<br />
Things are actually written down!<br />
We have stronger collegiate involvement<br />
3 + in our organization through their participation<br />
in the national leadership conference,<br />
to our state conference, to their own<br />
activities. The future music educators of<br />
Tennessee are already actively taking a<br />
role in this organization.<br />
Through technology, we are communicating<br />
better with our board, and our<br />
4 +<br />
members. Our Facebook group is active<br />
and serves along with our new monthly<br />
“E-news” to inform members of events<br />
happening across our state in a timely<br />
manner. Our website, while updated, has<br />
undergone another update, this time by<br />
an outside vendor. <strong>No</strong>t only is the look<br />
refreshing, but the information and usage<br />
should prove easier and more user friendly.<br />
Our Conference has been packed with<br />
5 + great sessions and concerts and opportunities<br />
for teachers at all levels. The selection<br />
process for applications has been<br />
made more efficient and standardized to<br />
make scheduling and selections easier<br />
and fair. We have also made college credit<br />
available for the first time at our conference<br />
and will continue this as we return to<br />
Nashville.<br />
We have added two additional All-State<br />
6 + performing groups: our 9-10 Concert<br />
Band and our 9-10 String Orchestra.<br />
Currently our choral caucus has reallocated<br />
the number of students in our choral<br />
groups to better balance these ensembles.<br />
Our choral caucus is also currently developing<br />
a committee to discuss the addition<br />
of a middle school chorus (this is the only<br />
student population for which we don’t offer<br />
any programs: we have the treble choir<br />
for elementary; band, orchestra, choral,<br />
and jazz ensembles for our high school;<br />
and collegiate ensembles on a rotating<br />
basis, but nothing for middle school students).<br />
In addition, we have a new student<br />
eligibility policy that provides guidelines<br />
for our all-state students.<br />
TMEA has become a player on the National<br />
stage, hosting the NAfME Na-<br />
7 +<br />
tional conference in Nashville for three<br />
years. Many of our members have taken<br />
leadership roles through this conference<br />
and hundreds of our students have had<br />
the opportunity to participate in the All<br />
National Honor Ensembles. Even more<br />
of our students have had the opportunity<br />
to participate in the US Army All-American<br />
Marching Band, sponsored in part by<br />
NAfME. Our work on fine arts evaluation<br />
and student growth has made an impact in<br />
other states. This is due to the major work<br />
by Dr. Dru Davison from Memphis and his<br />
teachers who started this whole process<br />
just a few years ago.<br />
8 +<br />
We have also added additional policy<br />
chairs to our state council that provide<br />
more opportunities for our members’<br />
voices to be heard: jazz, fretted instruments,<br />
and music theory/composition. We<br />
also have a TMEA Historian, Dr. David<br />
Wilson (Trevecca University) who is busy<br />
cataloging and archiving our records so<br />
that soon our members will have access to<br />
many documents and artifacts from our<br />
past.<br />
We’ve done a lot to make TMEA more<br />
responsive to you! We still have many<br />
things to do and as I finish this last year of<br />
my Presidency, I know that working with<br />
our President-Elect, Dr. Johnathan Vest,<br />
Past-President, Dian Eddleman and our<br />
Executive Secretary, Ron Meers, along<br />
with our TMEA board and council, we will<br />
continue to work to do what is best for the<br />
students and teachers in Tennessee!<br />
Have a great year!<br />
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 17
WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE<br />
by Eric Branscome<br />
UPON COMPLETION of a college degree,<br />
the focus of first-year music teachers<br />
quickly turns from term-papers and student<br />
teaching requirements, to lesson<br />
plans, budgets, and programs. Over time,<br />
what was once our life’s ambition (to complete<br />
a college degree) becomes a fleeting<br />
memory and we forget much of what we<br />
were required to do once upon a time; that<br />
is, of course, until we are asked to host a<br />
student teacher. As we prepare to mentor<br />
the next generation of professional educators<br />
in their last steps toward degree completion,<br />
we try to remind ourselves of the<br />
assignments and expectations placed on<br />
us, and then research how those expectations<br />
may have changed since we graduated.<br />
And it is here where we begin to realize<br />
that teacher education curricula from<br />
a generation ago are vastly different than<br />
today’s programs, and many would-be<br />
mentor teachers may feel unaware or perhaps<br />
unqualified to help a mentor teacher<br />
through 21st century requirements.<br />
This article endeavors to discuss some<br />
of the recent innovations in music teacher<br />
education across the state, and to share<br />
how different universities are implementing<br />
these changes. The purpose of this<br />
article is to equip music educators to feel<br />
more knowledgeable as to the expectations<br />
of them as mentor teachers, and empower<br />
them to serve as effective mentors<br />
for student teachers in their classroom.<br />
The information for this article was collected<br />
through an informal survey of the<br />
music education faculty members among<br />
Tennessee’s public and private colleges<br />
and universities. It should be noted that<br />
not all faculty members replied to the<br />
e-mailed query. It should also be noted<br />
that not all colleges will implement the<br />
same requirements so there is no definitive<br />
answer to some of the questions that<br />
were posed. Namely, in Tennessee, there<br />
are three main groupings of colleges: the<br />
University of Tennessee System (UT),<br />
the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR)<br />
system, and a collection of independent<br />
and private colleges and universities. The<br />
information in this article is not intended<br />
to imply that all colleges share the same<br />
issues, but does seek to identify some of<br />
the more pressing issues and how they are<br />
being addressed as a whole.<br />
THE E-MAILED QUERY CONTAINED<br />
THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:<br />
1. To the best of your knowledge, what<br />
changes to teacher education have<br />
recently been adopted or enacted?<br />
2. To the best of your knowledge, what<br />
is the impact of these innovations to<br />
music teacher education?<br />
3. How has your university implemented<br />
these changes?<br />
4. To the best of your knowledge what<br />
forthcoming changes are anticipated?<br />
5. What do you anticipate will be the<br />
impact of these innovations for music<br />
teacher education?<br />
6. How does your university plan to implement<br />
these changes?<br />
7. What other changes have been/will<br />
be implemented by your university<br />
or university system that may not be<br />
required by the state?<br />
8. Is there anything else on which you<br />
might be able to comment pertaining<br />
to this topic?<br />
The remainder of this article represents<br />
an overview of the most common responses<br />
to the 8 questions. For the purpose of<br />
anonymity, specific names of universities<br />
and faculty members will not be revealed.<br />
120-HOUR RULE<br />
Although it has been many years since<br />
collegiate accreditation organizations<br />
imposed the “120-hour rule,” its impact<br />
is still being felt in colleges across the<br />
nation. A generation ago, colleges filled<br />
music education curriculum with all of<br />
the courses that its faculty felt were important,<br />
and that met the standards for<br />
teacher licensure and for the National<br />
Association of Schools of Music (NASM).<br />
As a result, many collegiate music education<br />
programs contained upwards of 140<br />
or more course hours. However, in recent<br />
years, legislation has been imposed to reduce<br />
all college degree programs to 120<br />
hours (15 hours per semester in a 4-year<br />
program). As a result, most music education<br />
programs were significantly cut, and<br />
classes that were deemed non-essential<br />
were removed from degree requirements.<br />
Such classes typically include Jazz Pedagogy<br />
or elective Jazz ensembles, World<br />
Music, or reduced credit for lessons and/<br />
or ensembles.<br />
The impact of this reduction in hours is<br />
most evident in one of two circumstances.<br />
First, there is an increasing emphasis on<br />
non-western music genres in newer editions<br />
of the teacher licensure exam (Praxis),<br />
leaving teacher candidates feeling less<br />
prepared to pass the test. Second, there is<br />
an equally growing emphasis on “emerging<br />
ensembles” in many schools and in the<br />
newly adopted standards. As a result, student<br />
teachers and first-year teachers may<br />
have less-experience in ensembles other<br />
than band, choir, and orchestra, and may<br />
appear less prepared than prior generations<br />
of teachers to lead non-traditional<br />
groups.<br />
“While pre-service<br />
observation and<br />
internship are<br />
beneficial for<br />
college students,<br />
they may cause<br />
some confusion<br />
among mentor<br />
teachers as to<br />
requirements for<br />
students in each<br />
step of the process.”<br />
18 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | <strong>2015</strong> | <strong>Vol</strong>ume <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1
PRAXIS<br />
Until recently, music teacher candidates<br />
were required to pass three licensure<br />
exams: Principals of Learning and<br />
Teaching (the PLT); Music Concepts and<br />
Processes (test 0111); and Music Content<br />
(test 0113). Recently, licensure requirements<br />
in Tennessee changed to include<br />
the PLT and a new Praxis test that combines<br />
the previous 2 tests into one: Music<br />
Content and Instruction (test 0114).<br />
While there are many similarities between<br />
the new test and prior versions,<br />
there are noticeable differences. First,<br />
what used to be two separate domains of<br />
music history and music theory, have now<br />
been combined into one domain. Next,<br />
there is a significant increase in the number<br />
of questions that include score reading.<br />
Rather than simple multiple choice<br />
questions, new questions are posed as “analyze<br />
the following score and answer the<br />
two questions that follow….” The most significant<br />
change, however, is that there are<br />
significantly fewer multiple choice questions<br />
in the Pedagogy, Professional Issues<br />
and Technology domain. Instead, the new<br />
test contains three writing prompts under<br />
the heading of Instructional Activities<br />
(Constructed Response). One question<br />
usually pertains to elementary/general<br />
music, one pertains to secondary choral,<br />
and the final question pertains to secondary<br />
instrumental music. All students are<br />
required to answer all three prompts and<br />
the three questions calculate as 25% of the<br />
total score. So while there are fewer questions<br />
directly addressing music education,<br />
the questions that are present are weighted<br />
much more heavily than previous editions<br />
of the test.<br />
FIELD AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCES<br />
The next innovation in teacher education<br />
is the amount of time that music education<br />
majors spend in pre-service observation,<br />
internship, and student-teaching<br />
placements. Recent research cites multiple<br />
benefits of field experiences for first<br />
and second year college students and, as a<br />
result, universities have begun to increase<br />
the amount of time that future teachers<br />
spend in the field. While pre-service observation<br />
and internship are beneficial<br />
for college students, they may cause some<br />
confusion among mentor teachers as to<br />
requirements for students in each step of<br />
the process.<br />
A majority of colleges require an Introduction<br />
to Music Education course<br />
that includes an observation or field-experience<br />
assignment of some kind. Since<br />
these students are early in their degree<br />
programs, they have not typically taken<br />
elementary or secondary methods courses<br />
and, as such, should not be expected to fulfill<br />
too many responsibilities apart from<br />
general observation and reflection.<br />
A more significant innovation in this<br />
area has impacted mainly the TBR colleges,<br />
but its impact is also being felt in<br />
other campuses. Approximately 3 years<br />
ago, the TBR system implemented a new<br />
Residency program for all students completing<br />
a teacher-education program. In<br />
the Residency program, students complete<br />
two semesters of a clinical experience<br />
(e.g. student teaching) rather than<br />
the previously common model of a one-semester<br />
student teaching requirement.<br />
In the first semester (Residency 1), students<br />
are typically still enrolled in methods<br />
classes and are assigned a mentor<br />
teacher in the public school. During the<br />
Residency 1 semester, students are usually<br />
in the field on Tuesday and Thursday,<br />
and are back in the college classroom on<br />
the other days. In some universities, the<br />
Residency 1 semester is viewed as a transition<br />
wherein students are expected to<br />
begin the semester observing and gradually<br />
increase in their teaching responsibilities.<br />
The theory behind this practice is<br />
that students will be prepared to assume<br />
teaching duties from the first day of the<br />
student-teaching rather than spend the<br />
first week in observation. As one final,<br />
less-significant note on this topic, student<br />
teaching in most colleges is being relabeled<br />
as “clinical teaching.”<br />
EDTPA<br />
One of the more significant changes to<br />
teacher education involves a new e-portfolio<br />
model for student teachers called<br />
edTPA. The edTPA is a nationally implemented<br />
program developed at Stanford<br />
University and, according to the edTPA<br />
website, there are now more than 600 universities<br />
in 35 states that currently use<br />
the edTPA. The edTPA requires student<br />
teachers to complete three tasks during<br />
student teaching. In Task 1, student teachers<br />
plan a 3 to 5 lesson unit and write extensively<br />
about the lessons, supporting<br />
each lesson component with current research.<br />
In Task 2, student teachers teach<br />
their edTPA lessons, video record themselves<br />
teaching, and respond to a series of<br />
reflection questions. In Task 3, commonly<br />
referred to as the Assessment Piece, student<br />
teachers conduct a thorough analysis<br />
of the results of an assessment given at the<br />
end of the final edTPA lesson from task<br />
1. In some states, the edTPA has begun to<br />
replace one or more of the Praxis exams so<br />
that candidates demonstrate competence<br />
for licensure through teaching rather than<br />
a multiple-choice test. To date, the edTPA<br />
has only been adopted by certain schools<br />
in Tennessee, namely the TBR colleges,<br />
and, as such, is still required in addition<br />
to the state-required Praxis exams. Yes,<br />
the edTPA adds extensive requirements<br />
to the already saturated schedules of student<br />
teachers. However, if there is a silver<br />
lining to this cloud, it is that the edTPA<br />
almost identically mirrors framework and<br />
procedures of the new Student Growth<br />
Portfolio Model that is working its way<br />
across the state. As a result, students who<br />
have completed the edTPA will be much<br />
more prepared to create professional<br />
portfolios in the state’s new evaluation<br />
process.<br />
Dr. Eric Branscome is Coordinator of Music<br />
Education at Austin Peay State University.<br />
He teaches undergraduate and graduate<br />
courses in music education, supervises<br />
music student teachers, and is the founder<br />
and director of Camp Granada, APSU’s elementary<br />
music summer day camp. Awards<br />
include the 2012 Socrates Award for Excellence<br />
in Teaching and the 2014 Harold Love<br />
Community Service Award.<br />
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 19
IF WE BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME:<br />
USING MUSIC TECHNOLOGY TO REACH THE ‘OTHER 80%’ IN SECONDARY SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAMS<br />
by Rick Dammers and David Brian Willliams<br />
IN MUSIC EDUCATION we begin children’s<br />
elementary music experience<br />
by encouraging everyone to join in<br />
music making through singing and<br />
performing on rhythm instruments, autoharps,<br />
recorders, flutophones and more.<br />
Music making and music learning include<br />
one and all; everyone gets to participate.<br />
Music teachers use participatory music<br />
making as a way to introduce concepts<br />
of rhythm, pitch, melodic shape and harmonic<br />
changes, and form and style.<br />
Then what happens? As our students<br />
matriculate through levels of schooling,<br />
music participation becomes more selective.<br />
We move from participatory music<br />
making as a model to the traditional<br />
performance model where perfection is<br />
a key goal: no wrong notes and fewer opportunities<br />
for creative music expression.<br />
Performance ensembles–band, orchestra,<br />
chorus, marching band and jazz<br />
band–dominate the secondary music curriculum<br />
with a general music class or advanced<br />
placement theory perhaps added<br />
to the curriculum.<br />
For those students attracted to these<br />
ensembles, the benefits of this training<br />
and experience is expansive and well-documented.<br />
Some students go on to professional<br />
music careers; others carry their<br />
extra-musical and musical experiences<br />
with them into other careers and as an integral<br />
part of their personal lives. We are<br />
not advocating changing this component<br />
of our nation’s music education tradition.<br />
Dave Williams’ review of several studies<br />
(Williams, 2012) has shown that on<br />
average across the country, by the time<br />
students advance through middle school<br />
to high school, only 20 percent of students<br />
are involved in these traditional<br />
music classes (also see Elpus and Abril,<br />
2011 and NJAEP, 2014). Many students<br />
who participated in music making in the<br />
lower grades have since distanced themselves<br />
from school music. These are what<br />
we call the “other 80%,” the students who<br />
no longer are active in the traditional secondary<br />
school music program. It is further<br />
insightful, that while nationally only 20%<br />
on average are involved in traditional secondary<br />
performance ensembles, a much<br />
greater percentage of students sing or<br />
play an instrument outside of school. The<br />
longitudinal series of studies, Monitoring<br />
the Future (Johnston et al., 2010), showed<br />
that over some 30 years, an average 57% of<br />
students in 8th, 10th and 12th grades–not<br />
just those in music classes–reported that<br />
they play an instrument or sing outside<br />
of school at least once or twice a month if<br />
not daily. In terms of lifelong music making,<br />
the NAMM-commissioned Gallup<br />
survey (NAMM, 2003) showed that 54%<br />
of households have someone who plays a<br />
musical instrument and 48% play two or<br />
more (see Williams, 2012, for a full discussion<br />
of these data).<br />
McAllester’s predictions in the 1967<br />
Tanglewood report were incredibly prescient.<br />
He stated some 60 years ago:<br />
“We have a splendid beginning in the<br />
early grades, when children are sometimes<br />
lucky enough to get acquainted with<br />
rhythm and melody on all sorts of simple<br />
and unconventional instruments. They<br />
have the thrill of exploring the delights<br />
of free creativity without a long apprenticeship<br />
in technique first . . . We might<br />
entertain the idea that someone who never<br />
does develop skills on conventional instruments<br />
could become a gifted performer<br />
on unconventional ones . . . Someone<br />
who never learned to read conventional<br />
notation might nonetheless become an<br />
outstanding composer in some medium<br />
where notation has yet to be invented, or<br />
may even be impossible to invent” (P. 97).<br />
FIELD OF DREAMS<br />
Change is on the horizon with new playing<br />
fields designed within our traditional<br />
music curriculum. Music teachers, innovative<br />
and self-motivated, are creating<br />
20 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | <strong>2015</strong> | <strong>Vol</strong>ume <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1
new environments for the “other 80%” to<br />
explore students’ creative music potential.<br />
It is being done in many ways: song<br />
writing, guitar and ukulele ensembles,<br />
Mariachi bands, drumming circles and<br />
various ethnic ensembles. All these activities<br />
help bridge music education in school<br />
with music in society and use these activities<br />
to nurture a greater knowledge and<br />
appreciation of the building blocks of music<br />
that encourage lifelong music making.<br />
They do so with the challenge, like Ray<br />
Kinsella dreaming of the return of Shoeless<br />
Joe Jackson to baseball, that “if we<br />
build it, they will come.”<br />
TECHNOLOGY AT BAT<br />
An ever-expanding group of teachers<br />
is using music technology as a strategy<br />
to reach these students. They are using<br />
laptops and tablets with software like GarageBand,<br />
Mixcraft and Abelton Live to<br />
engage these “non-traditional” students<br />
in ways that nurture creative performing<br />
and composing talents. Reading traditional<br />
notation and performing on traditional<br />
instruments are not, as McAllester suggested,<br />
a prerequisite–students’ ears become<br />
their guide with the music teacher<br />
as their music creativity coach.<br />
Several years ago we built the website<br />
http://musiccreativity.org, an online forum<br />
to share success stories working with<br />
non-traditional music students, as a way<br />
to collect the stories of music teachers<br />
who were building their own music technology<br />
field of dreams. Like those teachers<br />
implementing guitar and ukulele ensembles,<br />
the students motivated to make music<br />
through technology were discovering<br />
ways to bridge school music training with<br />
the music they enjoyed in society: rock,<br />
hip-hop, DJ mixes, mash-ups, jazz and<br />
more.<br />
GO THE DISTANCE!<br />
In Rick Dammers’ research (Dammers,<br />
2012), he found that some 14 percent of<br />
high schools in the nation have some form<br />
of technology-based music classes. On<br />
our website (musiccreativity.org) you will<br />
find some 30 profiles of teachers who have<br />
been successful using technology to build<br />
programs for the non-traditional students.<br />
They often start with one class, perhaps<br />
even an after-school activity. As the<br />
program expands, the profiles show more<br />
advanced classes added in music technology,<br />
MIDI-based performance ensembles,<br />
studio recording and mixing, and even<br />
student-managed recording labels. As the<br />
voice to Kinsella encouraged, “go the distance,”<br />
the success of these programs develop<br />
their own kinetic energy. Students,<br />
some academically or behaviorally challenged,<br />
gain self-confidence, increased<br />
positive attitudes and find intrinsic reward<br />
from creating and performing music<br />
in new and novel ways.<br />
TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND BUILD IT?<br />
You may be asking, as Ray Kinsella did,<br />
“What’s in it for me?” Following the belief<br />
shared by most music teachers that<br />
if music is important, it is important for<br />
everyone, creating a technology-based<br />
music class can be tremendously rewarding,<br />
both through successfully reaching<br />
the “other 80%” student and through exploring<br />
the creative pedagogical possibilities<br />
offered by technology. Beyond these<br />
rewards, the expansion of the music program<br />
improves the program’s position<br />
within the school, since the more students<br />
that study music, the more important music<br />
will be to the school.<br />
A perusal of the profiles on our website<br />
will show technology programs that have<br />
greatly expanded from the first class offering.<br />
These programs have grown large<br />
enough with expanded student interest<br />
that the school administration begins to<br />
view them as integral to overall curriculum<br />
and are more proactive in providing<br />
new funding and resources to ensure<br />
their continual success (e.g., profiles on<br />
our website from Greenwich H.S. in Connecticut,<br />
Brookfield H.S. in Georgia, and<br />
Lebanon H.S. in Ohio). In one high school,<br />
some 60% of students take at least one<br />
music technology class. Further, these<br />
teachers report that many students continue<br />
after graduation to college study in<br />
music performance, business, recording<br />
and technology.<br />
You may be surprised to find that your<br />
school administrator is more supportive<br />
of classes for the non-traditional music<br />
student than you think. Rick’s survey of<br />
secondary school administrators (Dammers,<br />
2012) found that two-thirds of high<br />
school principals surveyed agree that music<br />
technology classes would be valuable<br />
in their schools, and 56% who offer no<br />
music technology indicated that it would<br />
be feasible to offer such a class in their<br />
school.<br />
Whether you use ukuleles or Garage-<br />
Band, take the initiative and create an experience<br />
designed for the non-traditional<br />
music student. If you build it, not only the<br />
“other 80%” will come, but the sponsors<br />
will as well–the parents and administrators!<br />
References:<br />
Dammers, R. (2012). Technology-Based Music Classes in High Schools in the United States. Bulletin of the<br />
Council for Research in Music Education, 194, 73-90.<br />
Elpus, K. and Abril, C. (2011). “High school music students in the United States: A demographic profile,”<br />
Journal of Research in Music Education, 59:2, 128-145.<br />
Johnston, L.D., Bachman, J. G., O’Malley, P. M., et al (2010). Monitoring the Future: A Continuing<br />
Study of American Youth (8th, 10th, 12th Grade Surveys), database from http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/<br />
icpsrweb/ICPSR/ssvd/studies?prefix=M. Accessed 10 September 2011.<br />
McAllester, D. (1967). “The substance of things hoped for,” from Documentary Report of the Tanglewood<br />
Symposium, Reston, VA: MENC, 96-99.<br />
NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants). (2003, April 21). Gallup organization reveals<br />
findings of “American attitudes toward making music” survey. Retrieved, <strong>No</strong>vember 13, 2013, from http://<br />
www.namm.org/news/press-releases/gallup-organization-reveals-findings-american-atti<br />
NJAEP (New Jersey Arts Education Partnership). (2013, January 28). New Jersey School Performance<br />
Reports. Retrieved, February 8, 2014 from http://njaep.org.<br />
Williams, D. B. (2012). The non-traditional music student in secondary schools of the United States:<br />
Engaging non-participant students in creative music activities through technology. Journal of Music,<br />
Technology, and Education, 4(2-3), 131-147.<br />
Rick Dammers is associate<br />
professor of Music Education and<br />
chair of the Department of Music<br />
at Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ<br />
David Brian Williams, PhD, is<br />
emeritus professor of Music and<br />
Arts Technology, Illinois State<br />
University, <strong>No</strong>rmal, IL, and is<br />
past president of The College<br />
Music Society.<br />
This article first appeared in<br />
VOICE of Washington Music<br />
Educators in October of 2014<br />
and is reprinted with permission.<br />
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 21
TMEA IMMEDIATE PAST-PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE<br />
by Dian Eddleman<br />
THE TIME IS NOW for TMEA President-<br />
Elect nominations. This TMEA<br />
office begins with a two-year tenure<br />
as President-Elect, two years as TMEA<br />
President and two years as TMEA<br />
Immediate Past-President. This is similar<br />
to regional association offices.<br />
As that person becomes TMEA Immediate<br />
Past-President he/she remains on<br />
the TMEA Executive Board and serves<br />
as Chair of the Da Capo committee (comprised<br />
of TMEA Past-Presidents). This<br />
group of past TMEA leaders serves as<br />
an advisory group for the current TMEA<br />
leaders. The Da Capo committee is also<br />
charged with the happy task of deciding<br />
on the final two nominees for the TMEA<br />
President-Elect.<br />
We hope you will take some time to go<br />
through the nomination process and let<br />
your voice be heard!<br />
PLEASE SUBMIT NAMES AND BIOS / RESUMES TO YOUR<br />
REGIONAL ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS BY DECEMBER 1.<br />
THESE NAMES WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE TMEA BOARD OF<br />
DIRECTORS AS WELL AS THE DA CAPO COMMITTEE (COUNCIL<br />
OF TMEA PAST-PRESIDENTS) TO FINALIZE THE NOMINEES.<br />
Where will music<br />
take you?<br />
Experience an adventure in competition and<br />
travel while showcasing your talent!<br />
Registration is Open for Single and<br />
Multi-Day festivals in Nashville, Pigeon<br />
Forge and other cities!<br />
THE FOLLOWING IS THE DESCRIPTION<br />
OF THIS POSITION AS TAKEN FROM<br />
THE TMEA BYLAWS:<br />
.org<br />
.com<br />
The President-Elect.<br />
The President-Elect shall be elected<br />
on even-numbered years by the Active<br />
Membership of the Association. Two<br />
candidates shall be nominated by the<br />
Council of Past-Presidents (Da Capo<br />
Committee). <strong>No</strong>minations for President-<br />
Elect are accepted from the Board of<br />
Directors. The President-Elect shall<br />
assume duties of the President in case of<br />
the disability or absence of the President<br />
and Past- President.<br />
With that being stated, I am now turning<br />
to the Regional Associations for possible<br />
nominees. Please submit names and<br />
bios / resumes to your regional association<br />
Presidents by December 1. These<br />
names will be submitted to the TMEA<br />
Board of Directors as well as the Da Capo<br />
Committee (council of TMEA Past-Presidents)<br />
to finalize the nominees.<br />
Please give this some thought and consideration.<br />
We rely on YOU to help us<br />
identify leaders from across our great<br />
state! This year, make it a point to be a<br />
part of this special process!<br />
For more information visit us at<br />
www.fiestaval.com or call 800-222-<strong>68</strong>62<br />
Elementary, Middle, and High School Band, Choir, and Orchestra<br />
<strong>2016</strong> dates: April 22-23, April 29-30, May 6-7<br />
2017 dates: April 21-22, April 28-29, May 5-6<br />
www.SMMFestival.com<br />
or call:1-855-766-3008<br />
22 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | <strong>2015</strong> | <strong>Vol</strong>ume <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1
Percussionists<br />
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and wide dynamic range, and the YESS mounting system for<br />
stability and increased sustain, the Intermediate Series Concert<br />
Toms give percussionists ample reason to depend on Yamaha.<br />
Learn about these models, features and more at 4wrd.it/ct8tm2<br />
The Yamaha Enhanced Sustain System (YESS)<br />
Intermediate Series Concert Toms<br />
Available in eight different sizes:<br />
from 6" to 16"<br />
Q U A L I T Y . S U P P O R T . P R O F E S S I O N A L I S M . V A L U E
TMEA STATE GENERAL MUSIC CHAIR’S MESSAGE<br />
“I hope to see many<br />
of you participating<br />
because there are some<br />
‘big name’ folks coming<br />
into the state this year.”<br />
Charlene Cook<br />
HERE WE GO AGAIN! As you read this, school year <strong>2015</strong> – 16<br />
is underway. As a matter of fact many of us are well in to our<br />
first grading period and we are wondering where did summer<br />
go? I hope you were able to rest, relax, recharge, and refuel.<br />
As I write this article I’m thinking back over the last few weeks<br />
of my summer. I was lucky enough to attend Tennessee Arts<br />
Academy and while there, I recharged and refueled. As always<br />
the clinicians were top notch and those participating in the Elementary<br />
/ Lower Middle School track improvised all day long. I<br />
also had the opportunity to attend ETGMEA’s summer workshop<br />
where we took away lots of great ideas but were told to monitor,<br />
adjust, and change them to fit the needs of our particular situation.<br />
If you have read this page in past issues you know I claim to<br />
be a professional development geek. I look forward to opportunities<br />
to refresh or increase my knowledge base so I can be the<br />
best prepared teacher possible – my students deserve that. I have<br />
prepared a list of “PD” opportunities which will take place during<br />
this school year and posted it on the TMEA and Tennessee General<br />
Music Facebook pages and <strong>TN</strong>MEA.org website. This list<br />
will be updated and reposted as the year progresses. I hope to see<br />
many of you participating because there are some “big name”<br />
folks coming into the state this year.<br />
Audition information for the Tennessee Treble Honor Choir<br />
will also be announced via the TMEA and Tennessee General<br />
Music Facebook pages with details on the <strong>TN</strong>MEA.org website;<br />
look for this information by September. The <strong>2016</strong> conductor is<br />
Dr. Derrick Fox with a commissioned piece by Andrea Ramsey<br />
being premiered.<br />
This year, as I write articles for The Tennessee <strong>Musician</strong> I<br />
hope to share with you some of the reasons why I value my membership<br />
in NAfME / TMEA / ETGMEA. I’ve been a member for<br />
over 30 years. I hope you will value your membership as well and<br />
be willing to share that information with me. I also want you to<br />
share your information with those General Music teachers who<br />
cross your path that are not members of NAfME / TMEA / and<br />
your regional GMEA and encourage them to become members.<br />
<strong>No</strong>w, here’s my reason for this issue: ALL the wonderful, talented,<br />
dedicated teachers from across the state of Tennessee I have<br />
the privilege to meet while doing this position. I learn something<br />
from each and every one of you and I enjoy the opportunity to get<br />
to know you.<br />
Have a fantastic, musical school year!<br />
WEBSITES YOU MIGHT FIND HELPFUL<br />
(share your personal favorites and I’ll pass them along):<br />
The American Folk Song Collection<br />
from Holy Names University<br />
www.kodaly.hnu.edu<br />
A wonderful collection of folksongs which are analyzed and<br />
cross-referenced by teaching elements.<br />
Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook from PBS<br />
www.michaelfeinsteinsamericansongbook.org<br />
Back stories, information, and recordings of songs described as<br />
American Standards.<br />
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 25
TENNESSEE<br />
U N I V E R S I T Y O F T E N N E S S E E<br />
<strong>2016</strong> Pride Audition Dates<br />
Music Majors/Minors<br />
<strong>No</strong>n-Majors<br />
(Woodwind/Brass/Perc.) (Woodwind/Brass/Perc./Guard)<br />
February 13 January 30<br />
February 20 February 27<br />
March 5<br />
To schedule an audition, visit us at utbands.com or 865-974-5031<br />
Connect with UT Bands
TMEA STATE CHORAL CHAIR’S MESSAGE<br />
Janet Johnson<br />
“Please take the time to<br />
reach out to your new<br />
teachers in your area and<br />
make them aware of the<br />
support TMEA offers them.”<br />
LET’S COLLABORATE! If you are reading this article, then<br />
you are at least interested in hearing what is happening<br />
with your state organization and learning what other regions<br />
are doing. Some of my own colleagues have admitted<br />
that they haven’t taken the time to sit down and read<br />
through the new Tennessee <strong>Musician</strong> but said that “the covers<br />
look great!” If that describes your friends, encourage them to<br />
actually READ it. The editor and staff have done a great job revamping<br />
it and there are some great articles and important information<br />
in there. We’re trying to make both the magazine and the<br />
website more attractive and user friendly. The website is the best<br />
way we can stay connected and share information.<br />
At our board meetings and council meetings this summer, we<br />
reported on all areas, (general music, choir, band, and orchestra)<br />
the events that took place this past year, what clinics will be offered<br />
next year, and what professional development opportunities<br />
are available. If you have events happening in your region<br />
that you would like to share (or just brag about your choir program)<br />
please let me know so that we can share these on the website.<br />
Charlene Cook, our General Music Chair, always has a long<br />
list of available workshops for teachers. Check out her article if<br />
you teach 6-8th grade.<br />
TMEA Treble Honor Choir – I teach both middle and high<br />
school and plan to give my 6th graders an opportunity to audition<br />
for this wonderful choir. They rehearse on Wednesday of<br />
the conference and perform on the opening session of TMEA on<br />
Thursday morning. Then they go home! Check the website for<br />
more information. The audition deadline is Oct. 16.<br />
Unified joining date for region/state/national. My bookkeeper<br />
applauded and so did my colleagues at our county in-service<br />
when I explained the process and how it will eventually streamline<br />
paperwork and help us all keep up with membership deadlines.<br />
Check with your regional website to find the deadline<br />
they’ve set for joining so that they can meet the TMEA deadline<br />
in October.<br />
The NAfME Professional Development Conference is in Nashville<br />
for one more year. Don’t miss the opportunity to attend a national<br />
conference so close to home. The conference is Oct. 25-28.<br />
Congratulations to all of our choir, band, and orchestra students<br />
who will be performing in one of the national honor choirs.<br />
TMEA Middle School Honor Choir – At our caucus in April,<br />
many members expressed an interest in exploring this possibility<br />
for spring 2017. Your regional presidents will be sending a survey<br />
to you to let us know what format (auditions, repertoire, performance<br />
dates, etc.) you prefer. A task force will then be formed to<br />
make a proposal to be sent to the board for a vote. PLEASE respond<br />
to the survey and let your opinion be heard. Let us know<br />
if you are interested in being a member of the task force as well.<br />
TMEA Conference – Our professional development conference<br />
will be in Nashville at the Opryland Hotel and Conference<br />
Center for the next several years. If you are interested in presenting<br />
a session, please check the website regularly for deadlines. At<br />
our last spring caucus meeting, the members expressed an interest<br />
in meeting informally at the beginning of the conference (perhaps<br />
Wednesday night) as well as having a caucus meeting. This<br />
brings me back to my opening statement; In our profession, collaboration<br />
is so important. It is rare to have more than one or two<br />
choral teachers per building and very often we feel isolated and<br />
are unable to bounce our ideas off of anyone who understands<br />
our field. At choral teachers meetings of every level, I see so much<br />
energy among the directors because they have someone who<br />
knows what they’re going through to listen to them. Please take<br />
the time to reach out to your new teachers in your area and make<br />
them aware of the support TMEA offers them. And I WILL plan<br />
a relaxing social time for us at the conference at Opryland. I’m<br />
already looking forward to it. <strong>No</strong>w if I can just get my students<br />
ready for auditions! Good luck with your new choirs this fall.<br />
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 27
TMEA STATE ORCHESTRA CHAIR’S MESSAGE<br />
Ben Reagh<br />
“TMEA is currently seeking<br />
motivated volunteers who<br />
are interesting in serving<br />
in the areas of advocacy,<br />
membership, and developing/<br />
adopting new state standards.”<br />
H<br />
ELLO<br />
ALL, I hope everyone has had a<br />
great start to another school year. The<br />
TMEA leadership has been busy since the<br />
summer working on ways to continue improving<br />
and strengthening our Association, as well<br />
as planning the <strong>2016</strong> State Conference.<br />
LOOKING FOR A WAY TO BE MORE INVOLVED?<br />
Well, TMEA is currently seeking motivated<br />
volunteers who are interesting in serving in the<br />
areas of advocacy, membership, and developing/<br />
adopting new state standards. If you feel you<br />
could contribute to TMEA in any of these areas,<br />
be sure to let your regional president know.<br />
Remember that the annual spring TMEA<br />
Conference and All-State will be held in Nashville<br />
for the next five years at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and<br />
Convention Center. The dates for the upcoming <strong>2016</strong> conference<br />
will be April 13-16. And the dates are already set though 2020 and<br />
can be found on the TMEA website.<br />
Speaking of the website, the TMEA site will be going through<br />
a major update soon (if not already by the time this edition is<br />
published). It will be more user friendly and will look even better<br />
than ever. And, as an additional note, if you have never been<br />
to the national website at www.nafme.org, go check it out. It contains<br />
a lot of great information and valuable resources. For example,<br />
under the “My Classroom” tab, you can find lesson plans, info<br />
about the NCAS Standards, and several helpful articles.<br />
And in closing, I am pleased to announce the conductors for<br />
the <strong>2016</strong> All-State Orchestras. Dr. Kirk Moss, from the University<br />
of <strong>No</strong>rthwestern (MN) will be conducting the 9th-10th grade<br />
String Orchestra. And Philip Mann, of the Arkansas Symphony<br />
Orchestra, will be conducting the 11th-12th grade Symphonic<br />
Orchestra. Both of these clinicians come highly recommended<br />
and I am looking forward to watching them work with our best<br />
students.<br />
28 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | <strong>2015</strong> | <strong>Vol</strong>ume <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1
The Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music<br />
draws top students and faculty<br />
from every corner of the globe, offering<br />
programs to nurture talent, creating<br />
countless opportunities to learn and<br />
perform. Here, your music will be heard.<br />
Degrees Offered: B.M. M.M. A.D. D.M.A. Ph.D.<br />
Let us hear you. Schedule an audition for one of the following dates:<br />
December 5, <strong>2015</strong> | February 6, <strong>2016</strong> | February 20, <strong>2016</strong> | February 27, <strong>2016</strong><br />
901.678.2541 | memphis.edu/music | music@memphis.edu<br />
A Tennessee Board of Regents Institution<br />
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action University
TMEA STATE BAND CHAIR’S MESSAGE<br />
Debbie Burton<br />
“TMEA has made great progress<br />
in the area of Jazz Music Education.”<br />
GREETINGS TENNESSEE BAND DIRECTORS. The<br />
are new to our state and those who are first year band directors.<br />
Your first year as a music educator or your first<br />
school year is in full swing and I hope everyone is off to<br />
a great start. I would like to welcome those of you who<br />
year in a new school can be overwhelming. Feel free to contact<br />
me if you need any assistance. My contact information and other<br />
TMEA news can be found on the TMEA website, www.tnmea.<br />
org.<br />
In the summer of 2014, The TMEA board created the new position<br />
of Jazz Project Chair to serve on the TMEA Council. Dr.<br />
Rich Ripani from Hume Fogg High School agreed to serve as our<br />
first Jazz Project Chair and under his leadership and guidance,<br />
TMEA has made great progress in the area of Jazz Music Education.<br />
A separate Jazz caucus meeting was held at the TMEA state<br />
conference last spring and from the discussions at that meeting,<br />
the TMEA Board has approved the following changes to the All<br />
State Jazz auditions:<br />
• Bass Trombone Audition. There are now two new etudes<br />
specific for bass trombone and separate sight reading for bass<br />
trombone.<br />
• Change to all of the audition etudes. Remove the numerical<br />
tempo markings from all audition etudes and replace them<br />
with appropriate stylistic markings. Example: “Fast Swing”<br />
instead of mm=186.<br />
• Auditions for visually impaired students. The sight reading<br />
score will be eliminated from the tabulation if a visually impaired<br />
student qualifies and auditions for the All-State Jazz<br />
Band. (All students still sight read, but the score is eliminated<br />
from the final results.) This is only for the upcoming year.<br />
More discussion is needed but a decision for this year needs<br />
to be in place.<br />
Additional Jazz topics that need further discussion at this<br />
year’s caucus meeting include increasing the difficulty of improvisation<br />
part of the audition and changing Auxiliary Percussion<br />
role and audition focus.<br />
STATE CONCERT FESTIVAL<br />
The <strong>2015</strong> State Concert Festival was a huge success. Forty-two<br />
ensembles applied to perform and thirty-four were scheduled.<br />
The dates for the <strong>2016</strong> Festival are April 28 and 29 and it will be<br />
held at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, <strong>TN</strong>. Invitations<br />
will be sent out later this fall and more information can be<br />
found on the TMEA website.<br />
<strong>2016</strong> ALL-STATE BANDS<br />
Conductor of the 11-12 grade All-State Band will be Dr. Timothy<br />
Rhea, Director of Bands at Texas A & M. Scott Rush, Director of<br />
Fine and Performing Arts for Dorchester Two School District,<br />
South Carolina, will be the 9-10 grade All-State Band conductor.<br />
Conductor of the All-State Jazz Band will be Mr. Jim Warrick,<br />
retired director of Jazz at New Trier High School, Chicago, IL.<br />
US ARMY ALL-AMERICAN MARCHING BAND<br />
Congratulations to the following students for being selected to<br />
the <strong>2016</strong> US Army All-American Marching Band:<br />
David Curtis, Anaea Dossey, Michael Hull<br />
Franklin High School<br />
Billy Howell<br />
Goodpasture Christian School<br />
Hannah Graves<br />
Loretto High School<br />
Samuel Vines, Taylor Winkler<br />
Ravenwood High School<br />
Haley Lawson<br />
Riverdale High School<br />
George Schroeder<br />
Station Camp High School<br />
The US Army All-American Marching Band is a NAfME<br />
program in cooperation with All-American Games and<br />
Drum Corps International. Directors may nominate students<br />
who are currently in 11th grade for the 2017 US Army<br />
All-American Marching Band. The deadline for nominations<br />
is October 31. More information can be found at<br />
www.nafme.org.<br />
30 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | <strong>2015</strong> | <strong>Vol</strong>ume <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1
TMEA STATE EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY CHAIR’S MESSAGE<br />
Lisa Leopold<br />
I ESPECIALLY WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THREE AREAS:<br />
1<br />
Along the top you will see a heading that says “divisions”.<br />
Under this tab you can access information from the state<br />
chairs for Band, Orchestra, General Music, Vocal, Music Technology,<br />
Collegiate, and Higher Education. Your state chairs will<br />
be updating this area regularly in a blog format-you can even<br />
subscribe! This will be your primary resource for news on the<br />
state level. If you have any news you want to share with the state,<br />
please email your division chair and they can share it on the blog<br />
page.<br />
MY POSITION IN TMEA HAS TWO PARTS: I am the<br />
State Music Technology Chair as well as the webmaster.<br />
Today, I am writing to you as the webmaster-the<br />
part of this job which takes the most time!<br />
By the time you read this, the new version of the<br />
TMEA website will be up and running (tnmea.org). Your board<br />
met this summer and approved my pitch to hire a professional to<br />
design our website. Thanks to Kenny Ferguson, partner and senior<br />
strategist at Armchair Media (and father of a young percussionist<br />
I have the pleasure of teaching) for bringing us into <strong>2015</strong>!<br />
Please take a few minutes to look around and become familiar<br />
with all of the features.<br />
2<br />
The<br />
“conference” heading will contain everything you<br />
need to know about the TMEA conference in April.<br />
Things to look out for:<br />
Tennessee Treble Honors Choir application: September 15<br />
Conference Presenter application: September 15<br />
Collegiate Chamber Ensemble<br />
Performance application: <strong>No</strong>vember 1<br />
All-Collegiate Wind Ensemble registration: <strong>No</strong>vember 1<br />
“…your TMEA Executive Board,<br />
is constantly in touch with<br />
local, state, and national<br />
representatives advocating for<br />
our profession and our students.”<br />
Conference registration (ALL directors/teachers will register<br />
through the same form): February 1<br />
3<br />
Finally, please make sure you check out information under<br />
“resources” and “advocacy.” Joel Denton, along with<br />
your TMEA Executive Board, is constantly in touch with local,<br />
state, and national representatives advocating for our profession<br />
and our students.<br />
I want you, the TMEA membership, to have easy access to information<br />
about important legislation, actions we can take, and<br />
resources we can share with parents, administrators, and our<br />
communities. I will be working hard this year to make sure that<br />
you know about all of the information and resources available<br />
through NAfME and TMEA.<br />
Overall, I hope that tnmea.org will become a means by which<br />
you can be more involved in the organization. We will be more integrated<br />
with social media, we will have full access to all of the<br />
issues of this publication online, and the registration and application<br />
processes will be more streamlined. I welcome your input<br />
and ideas as we move forward!<br />
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 31
TMEA STATE COLLEGIATE NAfME CHAIR’S MESSAGE<br />
Michael Mann<br />
“Many of our colleges and universities<br />
have recently faced mandates to cap<br />
the total number of hours required for<br />
a degree while also being expected to<br />
move toward a year-long internship<br />
for education majors.”<br />
AS WE ARE PREPARING to welcome college students to<br />
the campus of Union University for our 10th annual Collegiate<br />
NAfME Kick-Off, I was impressed by the zeal of our<br />
colleagues who have been eager to share their wisdom and<br />
expertise in the sessions planned for our “big day.”<br />
The annual Kick-Off could be basically described as a mini<br />
In-service day consisting of a general opening meeting, multiple<br />
breakout sessions throughout the day, and a conclusion highlighted<br />
by an election of State officers and a door prize segment<br />
that is second to none. For the second year in a row, Jupiter is<br />
providing a free instrument to be given away to one of our attending<br />
Universities for the purpose of use in their instrumental<br />
methods courses. Amro Music of Memphis also raises the bar<br />
with donations of gift cards, batons and personal music stands.<br />
The day would be worth attending for the prizes alone, but the<br />
real benefit of attending the Kick-Off remains the stellar sessions<br />
of which the students claim are “some of the most helpful hours<br />
of their year.”<br />
One of this year’s planned sessions is a panel discussion consisting<br />
of retired music teachers representing the areas of vocal,<br />
orchestra, band, and arts advocacy. Bobbie Jean Frost, Sally Mc-<br />
Fadden, Marsha Hartwein and Carol Crittenden will lead a panel<br />
discussion entitled, “Been There, Done That: Wisdom from Our<br />
Years as Music Educators.” With the amount of experience and<br />
diversity on the panel, the discussion will surely be lively and extremely<br />
beneficial to our college music majors.<br />
As I pondered the role that my colleague, Dr. Betty Bedsole and<br />
I have at Union University as well as our Music Education professors<br />
across our State, our passion for sharing years of wisdom<br />
plays a major role in the success of our students as they enter the<br />
“real world” of music education.<br />
Many of our colleges and universities have recently faced mandates<br />
to cap the total number of hours required for a degree while<br />
also being expected to move toward a year-long internship for education<br />
majors. Even for those who have not gone in this particular<br />
direction, the ramifications and resulting pressures have presented<br />
new challenges to our work. We simultaneously want to<br />
adhere to the demands of our administrative structures, remain<br />
cooperative with our colleagues in other divisions within our institutions,<br />
keep time and financial requirements to reasonable<br />
levels for our students, and remain competitive, all while offering<br />
the best possible route toward equipping our students for a lifetime<br />
as successful music educators.<br />
The fact is that it can be done and is actually being proven possible<br />
by the steady guidance of our Music Education leadership,<br />
adjustments to our curriculums, and with the diligence of our<br />
students. In many cases, the creativity in curriculum adjustments<br />
are being made possible through summer school course<br />
offerings and at my own school, Union University, we have the<br />
advantage of a “January Winter Term” that allows our students<br />
to take up to 7 hours of classes in the month resulting in a full semester’s<br />
credit. There are various plans across our State which<br />
are being implemented by our Universities who are attempting<br />
to make the necessary adjustments to accommodate the changes<br />
while doing their best to keep the music education degree as a<br />
four-year plan.<br />
Skeptics exist that regard the year-long internship as excessive<br />
because of the curriculum adjustments and the concern of attempting<br />
to continue the degree of music education as a realistic<br />
four-year plan. Our upcoming Kick-Off panel topic, “Been There,<br />
Done That” helped to remind me of the value of experience as<br />
an educator. The experience gained by our student interns from<br />
more time on the podium, under the guidance of our local elementary,<br />
middle and high school music teachers, figures to help<br />
our current college music education majors to be better prepared<br />
for their future.<br />
In addition, as music educators, we can take advantage of sharing<br />
our years of experience with our college music educations<br />
majors in whatever venues that we are allowed, resulting in making<br />
tangible differences in their lives and helping them to be better<br />
prepared for what lies ahead.<br />
The pressure to graduate in a four-year plan will remain high<br />
enough for our college music education majors, therefore, our<br />
encouragement, wisdom and guidance based on our own years<br />
of experience will play a huge role in lessening the pressure for<br />
our aspiring teachers who want to remain passionate about what<br />
they are about to do!<br />
32 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | <strong>2015</strong> | <strong>Vol</strong>ume <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1
TMEA STATE HIGHER EDUCATION CHAIR’S MESSAGE<br />
Dr. Eric Branscome<br />
GREETINGS, COLLEAGUES, and welcome back to another<br />
academic year. Each fall, before the start of classes,<br />
I have the distinct privilege of sitting in a room for two<br />
days with my APSU College of Education co-workers<br />
to crunch numbers. Of course there is always good food<br />
and interesting conversation, but the primary purpose of this<br />
annual data retreat is for the Dean of APSU’s College of Education<br />
to share the most recent updates from the state pertaining to<br />
teacher education programs, and to let us all know how our university<br />
fares with regard to edTPA scores, Praxis pass rates, and<br />
other data. Along these lines, while my other article in this issue<br />
of Tennessee <strong>Musician</strong> is mainly for classroom teachers who<br />
host our student teachers, there was some rather intriguing information<br />
presented at our most recent data retreat that is more<br />
relevant for us in higher education. Some of you may already be<br />
aware of these changes and may have more information than I do.<br />
If so, feel free to share that information on the Higher Education<br />
Blog on the TMEA website.<br />
In the meantime, there are two main pieces of information<br />
to share with you all. First, the State of Tennessee has adopted<br />
a revised Educator Preparation Policy wherein the previous<br />
licensure standards are no longer in place. Instead, the state has<br />
decided to align teacher licensure standards with the various<br />
professional associations that oversee university curricula.<br />
What this means for music education is that the new Educator<br />
Preparation Policy defers to the NASM Competencies for Music<br />
Education. The new policy is available at:<br />
http://www.nctq.org/dmsView/Tennessee_Educator_<br />
Preparation_Policy_Attachment<br />
The next piece of information I received at the data retreat<br />
was a little more troubling. In the past, accreditors only reviewed<br />
each university’s Praxis pass rates for completers. This means<br />
that, while it is not the most favorable situation, students could<br />
fail the Praxis as many times as they wanted as long as they<br />
passed the exam before graduation. Most universities, in fact,<br />
have policies in place that prohibit students from student teaching<br />
until they receive passing scores, meaning that the university<br />
will always have a 100% pass rate for completers. What I learned<br />
at our data retreat, however is that accreditors may now review<br />
(or already have begun reviewing) pass rates for first-time test<br />
takers. In the case of universities that have a one-year student<br />
teaching program, students are expected to take the Praxis exam<br />
near the end of the junior year when they are still taking courses<br />
wherein Praxis content may have not yet been addressed. What<br />
this means is that it has become more difficult for students to<br />
pass the exam upon the first attempt since they are expected to<br />
take the exam earlier, in preparation for student teaching in the<br />
first semester of the senior year. We will all need to keep a close<br />
watch on this development as it unfolds and ensure that sound<br />
practices are implemented that will not only set our students up<br />
for success, but will also enable the universities to maintain satisfactory<br />
accreditation reports.<br />
Apart from these issues, I am sure we are all preparing for stellar<br />
years and I am looking forward to the start of the fall semester.<br />
The remainder of this column contains brief news items to<br />
keep everyone informed:<br />
<strong>2016</strong> INTERCOLLEGIATE BAND<br />
Dr. Gary Green, recently retired director of bands from University<br />
of Miami, is scheduled to be the clinician for the <strong>2016</strong><br />
collegiate wind ensemble. In 2013, there were 156 collegiate<br />
band members (22 of whom were alternates) from 16 colleges<br />
and universities. This is the benchmark for the <strong>2016</strong> event.<br />
Additional help will be needed this year to procure the necessary<br />
instruments, stands, and additional equipment for the<br />
instrumental ensemble. Clear your calendars now and begin<br />
promoting this event with your students and with the ensemble<br />
directors on your campuses so that they will encourage<br />
student participation.<br />
CONFERENCE CLINIC APPLICATIONS<br />
In the <strong>2015</strong> conference, there were no collegiate sessions other<br />
than the poster sessions. Please encourage faculty on your<br />
campuses to submit proposals for sessions at the upcoming<br />
conference to target both college students, and university<br />
faculty. Questions about this may either be addressed to me<br />
(branscomee@apsu.edu), or to Mike Mann, the state chair for<br />
Collegiate NAfME.<br />
EXHIBIT HALL PERFORMANCES<br />
Similarly, since the conference will be back in Nashville,<br />
there may be more numerous and diverse performance<br />
opportunities for chamber ensembles. Watch for the upcoming<br />
call for participation and encourage student and faculty<br />
chamber ensembles to participate.<br />
TENNESSEE ARTS ACADEMY<br />
Finally, while I was unable to attend the recent Tennessee<br />
Arts Academy, I understand that the state’s Higher Education<br />
area received a few words of praise for our desire to build<br />
connections with local school systems and encourage participation<br />
at the state conference and in other TMEA events.<br />
I hope that you will all continue to strengthen relationships<br />
with the schools in your areas, encourage mentor teachers<br />
to attend TMEA with the student teachers they are hosting<br />
in the spring semester, and thereby continue to keep music<br />
strong in all levels of education across the state.<br />
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 33
music AT UNION UNIVERSITY<br />
to exalt<br />
to inspire<br />
Jackson, Tennessee<br />
731.661.5345<br />
uu.edu/music<br />
EXCELLENCE-DRIVEN CHRIST-CENTERED PEOPLE-FOCUSED FUTURE-DIRECTED
TENNESSEE MUSICIAN ADVERTISER INDEX | VOLUME <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1<br />
A very special<br />
thank you to all<br />
of our advertisers<br />
who support the<br />
work of music<br />
educators at all<br />
levels in the State<br />
of Tennessee.<br />
ADVERTISER<br />
American College of <strong>Musician</strong>s (Piano Guild) 17<br />
Appalachian State University 5<br />
Bands - Tennessee State University 9<br />
Bands - University of Tennessee at Knoxville 26<br />
Belmont University 11<br />
Carson Newman College 11<br />
Lee University<br />
Inside Front Cover<br />
Maryville College 1<br />
Middle Tennessee State University 3<br />
Slate Group<br />
Outside Back Cover<br />
Smoky Mountain Music Festival 22<br />
Spectrum (Musicale Festivals) 22<br />
Tennessee Tech University 13<br />
Union University 34<br />
University of Memphis 29<br />
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 14<br />
University of Tennessee at Knoxville 23<br />
University of Tennessee at Martin 12<br />
Yamaha 24<br />
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 35
TMEA BACK THEN<br />
THE TMEA CONVENTION was held<br />
in Memphis, <strong>TN</strong> in 1977 and had<br />
an attendance record of over 400<br />
members.<br />
TMEA President Larry <strong>Vol</strong>man lamented<br />
that attendance with over 400 out of<br />
1000 members of TMEA was disappointing.<br />
The TMEA Convention would return<br />
to Nashville, Tennessee at the Opryland<br />
Hotel and Convention Center the next<br />
spring.<br />
ARTICLES OF NOTE IN THIS ISSUE<br />
INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING:<br />
• Francis Elliot, then director of string<br />
activities at Tennessee Technological<br />
University, submitted an essay regarding<br />
music education and culture in the technological<br />
age. An interesting article written<br />
in a pseudo-dystopian point-of-view<br />
that argued that the rise of technology in<br />
secondary schools could possibly eliminate<br />
the need for music education as a<br />
curricular offering in the schools.<br />
• A. Wayne Tipps, then Assistant Professor<br />
of Music Education at the University<br />
of Tennessee, Knoxville contributed<br />
an article that focused on strategies for<br />
teaching rhythm to beginners.<br />
• Robert Klotman, then president of<br />
MENC (now NAfME) submitted an interesting<br />
finding that showed survey results<br />
from the Department of Health,<br />
Education, and Welfare that reported enrollment<br />
in music classes at the national<br />
level. In 1948, 36% of students in grades<br />
7-12 were participating in subjects related<br />
to music. By 1960, the rate was 42.2%.<br />
By 1977, the rate reported was 32.9%. <strong>No</strong><br />
explanation was reported for the decline.<br />
Klotman advocated that the profession<br />
should consider developing broader programs<br />
at the secondary level that would<br />
encourage students of varying abilities<br />
and interests to get involved with music.<br />
• Profile of the Memphis City Schools<br />
newest endeavor at the time – The Overton<br />
School of Creative and Performing<br />
Arts. Article highlighted the various<br />
academic and artistic offerings of the<br />
school’s curriculum and profiled the music<br />
faculty and the ensemble accolades.<br />
• Wenger Corporation unveiled sketches<br />
for a newly designed “conductor’s system”<br />
complete with podium, chair, and<br />
stand. Revolutionary at the time.<br />
• Tennessee Bandmasters Association<br />
held a summer convention in Nashville.<br />
This three-day event in July of 1977<br />
featured instrumental clinicians David<br />
Shifrin, clarinet and Don Sheffield,<br />
trumpet.<br />
THE TENNESSEE MUSICIAN (1977)<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>ume 29, <strong>No</strong>. 4 – 30 pgs.<br />
Larry <strong>Vol</strong>man, TMEA President<br />
Lawrence P. Cooney, Editor<br />
36 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | <strong>2015</strong> | <strong>Vol</strong>ume <strong>68</strong>, <strong>No</strong>. 1
Tennessee Music Education Association<br />
129 Paschal Drive<br />
Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37128
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